Scripture Verse

Peter…kneeled down, and prayed; and turning…to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. Acts 9:40–41

Introduction

Words: Mrs. Mor­ton, in Sac­red Po­et­ry, ed­it­ed by Je­re­my Bel­knap (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Apol­lo Press by Jo­seph Bel­knap, 1795), num­ber 285. A Hymn for the Hu­mane So­ci­ety. The last stan­za is to be sung by those who have been re­stored to life from ap­par­ent death.

Music: Pen­field (Ma­son) Lo­well Ma­son, The Mo­dern Psalm­ist (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: John H. Wil­kins & Ri­chard B. Car­ter, 1839), page 54 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Darwent from The Am­eri­can Vo­cal­ist, ed­it­ed by Da­ni­el H. Mans­field (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Thomp­son, Bi­ge­low & Brown, 1849), page 13 (🔊 pdf nwc)

If you know Mor­ton’s full name, or where to get a good pic­ture of her (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

Who, from the gloomy shades of night,
When the last tear of hope is shed,
Can bid the soul re­turn to light,
And break the slum­ber of the dead?

No hu­man skill that heart can warm,
Which the cold blast of na­ture froze;
Recall to life the per­ished form,
The sec­ret of the grave dis­close.

But Thou, our sav­ing God, we know,
Canst arm the mor­tal hand with pow­er;
To bid the stag­nant puls­es flow,
The ani­mat­ing heat re­store.

Thy will, ere na­ture’s tu­tored hand
Could with young life, these limbs un­fold,
Did the im­pri­soned brain ex­pand,
And all its count­less fibers told.

As from the dust, Thy form­ing breath
Could the un­con­scious be­ing raise;
So can the si­lent voice of death
Wake at Thy call, in songs of praise.

Since twice to die is ours alone,
And twice the birth of life to see;
O let us, sup­pli­ant at Thy throne,
Devote our se­cond life to Thee.