Scripture Verse

Moses My servant is dead…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:2,5

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 17: Sup­port in the pre­cious pre­sence of God un­der the loss of min­is­ters, and oth­er use­ful friends.

Music: Mear, old Eng­lish tune. Ar­ranged by Aar­on Will­iams, 1762 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Will­iams (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Now let our mourning hearts revive,
And all our tears be dry;
Why should those eyes be drowned in grief
Which view a Sav­ior nigh?

What though the arm of conquering death
Does God’s own house invade?
What though the prophet and the priest
Be numbered with the dead?

Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust,
The agèd and the young,
The watchful eye in darkness closed,
And mute th’instructive tongue.

The eter­nal Shepherd still survives,
New comfort to impart;
His eye still guides us, and His voice
Still animates our heart.

Lo! I am with you, saith the Lord,
My church shall safe abide;
For I will ne’er forsake My own,
Whose souls in Me confide.

Through every scene of life and death,
This promise is our trust;
And this shall be our children’s song,
When we are cold in dust.