Scripture Verse

For peace I had great bitterness: but Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back. For the grave cannot praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. Isaiah 38:17–22

Introduction

portrait
Paul B. Henkel (1754–1825)

Words: Paul B. Hen­kel, Church Hymn Book (New Mar­ket, Vir­gin­ia: So­lo­mon Hen­kel, 1816), num­ber 159. Thanks­giv­ing for the de­li­ve­ry of the plague or oth­er mor­tal dis­eas­es. Note: The 1816 edi­tion of this hym­nal does not name the au­thor. Paul Hen­kel’s son, Am­brose Hen­kel, iden­ti­fies his fa­ther as the au­thor by a dou­ble dag­ger symb­ol (‡) in the 1838 edi­tion, page 442.

Music: He­ber (Kings­ley) George Kings­ley, 1838 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Kings­ley (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els), or a bet­ter one of Hen­kel,

Lyrics

Eternal prais­es to the Lord,
Come let us join to give;
By His pro­tect­ion and His guard
We are yet spared to live.

Whilst ma­ny of our fel­low-men,
Were quick­ly called away:
When in dis­tress, and grief, and pain,
They dropped their house of clay.

By grace, it is our hap­py lot
To have res­pite of days;
It is God’s will, that we should not
Depart, with­out His grace.

May we be wise and ne’er for­get,
The trou­bles we were in!
With sick­ness, pain, and death be­set:
As just re­ward for sin.

But He has turned His gra­cious hand,
And laid His ven­geance by;
Still calls on this, our guil­ty land:
Turn ye, why will ye die?

Then let us thank and praise our God,
By whom we have been spared;
And bear with His cor­rect­ing rod,
Till we are well pre­pared.