Scripture Verse

Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Psalm 30:3

Introduction

portrait
Paul B. Henkel (1754–1825)

Words: Paul B. Hen­kel, Church Hymn Book (New Mar­ket, Vir­gin­ia: So­lo­mon Hen­kel, 1816), pag­es 164–65, alt. 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 443.

Music: Hun­nys, me­lo­dy from Se­ven Sobs of a Sor­row­ful Soul, 1585 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a bet­ter pic­ture of Hen­kel,

Lyrics

Thanks be to God, who heard our pray­er,
When we had fears and doubt;
When fierce dis­eas­es ev­ery­where,
Compass our land about.

When death, that cru­el ty­rant made
Poor mor­tals feel his pow­er;
And to ano­ther world have fled.
Hence to re­turn no more.

How mel­an­cho­ly was the sound,
To hear the dy­ing groan:
Can no re­lief or help be found,
Till we are fled and gone?

And must our trou­bled spir­its fly.
To God, who first them gave?
Our bo­dies on­ly made to die,
And mol­der in the grave?

Great God, how mourn­ful was the scene
Where’er this was the case;
But great Thy mer­cies e’er have been;
To those who trust Thy grace.

Thanks be to God, that we are spared
To see the present day.
O, make us rea­dy, gra­cious Lord,
Till we be called away.