Scripture Verse

There remaineth…a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9

Introduction

portrait
James Montgomery
(1771–1854)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: James Mont­go­me­ry, in the 30-stan­za poem The Grave, which first ap­peared in his Shef­field news­pa­per The Ir­is, June 20, 1805, signed Alæ­us.

Music: Star of Day Har­mo­nia Sac­ra (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know when the mu­sic was writ­ten, the com­pos­er, or where to get a good pic­ture of him (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

There is a calm for those who weep,
A rest for wea­ry pil­grims found;
They safe­ly lie and sweet­ly sleep,
Low in the ground, low in the ground.

The storms that sweep the win­try sky
No more dis­turb their deep re­pose,
Than sum­mer ev­en­ing’s lat­est sigh
That shuts the rose, that shuts the rose.

Thy soul re­newed by grace di­vine,
In God’s own im­age, freed from clay,
In Heav’n’s eter­nal sphere shall shine,
A star of day, a star of day.

The sun is but a spark of fire,
A tran­si­ent me­te­or in the sky,
The soul, im­mor­tal as its Sire,
Shall nev­er die, shall nev­er die!