Scripture Verse

I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12

Introduction

Words: Ano­ny­mous, in the Sun­day School Hymn Book (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Am­eri­can Sun­day School Un­ion, 1827), 19th edi­tion, num­ber 132.

Music: St. Bride Sam­uel How­ard, 1762 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know the au­thor, or where to get a good pic­ture of him or How­ard,

Lyrics

A dread and so­lemn hour
To us is draw­ing near;
When we be­fore the throne of God
All pre­sent shall ap­pear.

What an­swer shall we give,
When God Him­self de­mands
The us­es of such times as these,
In judg­ment at our hands?

And must we then con­fess
That all was spent in vain
The sea­sons that were once our own,
But can­not be again?

This will be dark in­deed;
To re­gions of des­pair
Our own ne­glect will sink us down,
To mourn for­ev­er there.