Scripture Verse

I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore. Revelation 1:17–18

Introduction

portrait
George C. Martin
1844–1916

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 350, alt. Christ, the first and the last, hum­bled to death, and ex­al­ted to an eter­nal tri­umph ov­er it.

Music: King of Kings George C. Mar­tin (1844–1916) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

Lyrics

What mys­te­ries, Lord, in Thee com­bine!
Jesus, once mor­tal, yet di­vine!
The first, the last, the end, the head,
The source of life among the dead.

O love, be­yond the stretch of thought!
What match­less won­ders hath it wrought!
My faith, while she the grace de­clares,
Trembles be­neath the load she bears.

Hail, roy­al Con­quer­or o’er the grave,
Tender to pi­ty, strong to save!
For ev­er live, for ev­er reign,
And pros­per­ous may Thy throne re­main!

Thy saints, obe­di­ent to Thy word,
With hum­ble joy sur­round Thy board;
And, long as time pur­sues its race,
Proclaim Thy death, and shout Thy grace.

In full­est choir, where an­gels join
Their harps of me­lo­dy di­vine,
Thy death in­spires a song of praise,
New through Thy life’s eter­nal days.