Scripture Verse

Keep the charge of the Lord, that ye die not. Leviticus 8:35

Introduction

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Charles Wesley
1707–1788

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Short Hymns on Se­lect Pass­ag­es of the Ho­ly Scrip­tures 1762.

Music: Boyl­ston Lo­well Ma­son, The Choir, or Un­ion Col­lec­tion of Church Mu­sic 1832 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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Lowell Mason
1792–1872

Origin of the Hymn

The text is based on Mat­thew Hen­ry’s com­men­ta­ry on Le­vit­i­cus:

We have ev­ery one of us a charge to keep, an eter­nal God to glor­i­fy, an im­mor­tal soul to pro­vide for, need­ful du­ty to be done, our gen­er­a­tion to serve; and it must be our dai­ly care to keep this charge, for it is the charge of the Lord our Mas­ter, who will short­ly call us to ac­count about it, and it is our ut­most per­il if we ne­glect it. Keep it that ye die not; it is death, eter­nal death, to be­tray the trust that we are charged with; by the con­sid­er­a­tion of this we must be kept in awe.

Lyrics

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do my master’s will!

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.