Scripture Verse

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24–25

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge
(1702–1751)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 317: The day ap­proach­ing, a mo­tive to love and wor­ship.

Music: Aw­ful Ma­jes­ty at­trib­ut­ed to Sam­uel Mc­Far­land in The Beau­ties of Har­mo­ny, by Free­man Lew­is, 1813. At­trib­ut­ed to Free­man Lew­is in Sup­ple­ment to the Ken­tuc­ky Har­mo­ny, by Ana­ni­as Da­vis­son, 1820 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

The day ap­proach­eth, O my soul,
The great de­ci­sive day,
Which from the verge of mor­tal life
Shall bear thee far away.

Another day more aw­ful dawns;
And lo, the Judge ap­pears;
Ye heav’ns, re­tire be­fore His face,
And sink, ye dark­ened stars.

Yet does one short pre­par­ing hour,
One pre­cious hour re­main;
Rouse thee, my soul, with all thy pow­er,
Nor let it pass in vain.

With me my breth­ren soon must die,
And at that bar ap­pear:
Now be our in­ter­course im­proved
To mu­tu­al com­fort there.

For this, Thy tem­ple, Lord, we throng;
For this, Thy board sur­round;
Here may our ser­vice be ap­proved,
And in Thy pre­sence crowned.