Great Former of this various frame

Great Former of this various frame

Author: Philip Doddridge
Tune: ARIZONA
Published in 77 hymnals

Full Text

1 Great Former of this various frame,
Our souls adore thine awful name;
And bow and tremble, while thy praise
The Ancient of eternal days.

2 Thou, Lord, with unsurprised survey,
Saw'st nature rising yesterday;
And, as tomorrow, shall thine eye
See earth and stars in ruin lie.

3 Beyond an angel's vision bright,
Thou dwell'st in self-existent light;
Which shines with undiminished ray,
While suns and worlds in smoke decay.

4 Our days a transient period run,
And change with every circling sun;
And, in the firmest state we boast,
A moth can crush us into dust.

5 But let the creature fall around:
Let death consign us to the ground;
Let the last general flame arise,
And melt the arches of the skies:

6 Calm as the summer's ocean, we
Can all the wreck of nature see,
While grace secures us an abode,
Unshaken as the throne of God.

The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799

Author: Philip Doddridge

Doddridge, Philip, D.D., was born in London, June 26, 1702. His grandfather was one of the ministers under the Commonwealth, who were ejected in 1662. His father was a London oilman. He was offered by the Duchess of Bedford an University training for ordination in the Church of England, but declined it. He entered Mr. Jennings's non-conformist seminary at Kibworth instead; preached his first sermon at Hinckley, to which Mr. Jennings had removed his academy. In 1723 he was chosen pastor at Kibworth. In 1725 he changed his residence to Market Harborough, still ministering at Kibworth. The settled work of his life as a preceptor and divine began in 1729, with his appointment to the Castle Hill Meeting at Northampton, and continued till in the… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Great Former of this various frame
Author: Philip Doddridge
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English

Notes

Great Former of this various frame. P. Doddridge. [New Year.] This is No. 69 of the Doddridge Manuscript is dated, "Jan. 1, 1737/8," and headed, "The mutability of Creation, and the immutability of God." It was first published by J, Orton in his (posthumous) edition of Doddridge's Hymns, &c, No. 64, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and with the same heading; and again, with slight variations, in the text, by J. D. Humphreys, in his edition of the same, 1839, No. 67. Although in common use in Great Britain and America, it is not so popular as many of Doddridge's hymns.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (77)TextImageAudioScore
A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #49Image
A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the United Brethren in Christ #d117
A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ: taken from the most approved authors, and adapted to public and private worship #11Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #102Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #184Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #184Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #193Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns: from Watts, Doddridge, and others (4th ed. with an appendix) #442Image
A New Selection of Hymns; designed for the use of conference meetings, private circles, and congregations, as a supplement to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns #60TextImage
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms: for social and private worship (3rd ed. corr.) #260Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms, for Social and Private Worship. (11th ed.) #269Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (2nd ed. Enl. and Imp.) #260Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (6th ed.) #269Image
A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs: designed (especially the former part) for the use of congregations as an appendix to Dr. Watt's Psalms and Hymn #H.IIImage
A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs: in two parts, part I. containing the hymns; part II. containing the songs...(3rd ed. corr. and enl. by author) #H.IIImage
A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors.: including a great number of originals: intended to be an appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. (Woodward's rev. and corr. ed.; Sterotype ed.) #5Image
A Selection of Hymns & Psalms: from the most approved authors: principally from Watts & Rippon: together with originals #6Image
A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under appointment of the Philadelphian Association (2nd ed) #45Image
A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association (4th ed.) #45Image
A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association #XLVImage
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele, and others (2nd ed.) #442Image
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns, from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele ...compiled for the use of the Unitarian Church in Philadelphia #442Image
Chapel Hymns #d180
Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d292
Church Choral-Book, Containing Tunes and Hymns . . . #79Image
Church Psalmist: or Psalms and Hymns Designed for the Public, Social, and Private Use of Evangelical Christians ... with Supplement. 53rd ed. #P102bImage
Church Psalmist: or psalms and hymns for the public, social and private use of evangelical Christians (5th ed.) #P102bImage
Church Psalmist: or, psalms and hymns, for the public, social and private use of Evangelical Christians. With Supplement. (50th ed.) #P102bImage
Church Psalmody: or, hymns for public worship, selected from Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, and the Congregational Hymn Book #186Image
Congregational Hymn and Tune Book; containing the Psalms and Hymns of the General Association of Connecticut, adapted to Suitable Tunes #18Image
Hymn and Tune Book for Use in Old School or Primitive Baptist Churches #6Image
Hymn Book for Christian Worship #161Image
Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #20Image
Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #20Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #124Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #124Image
Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #H61Image
Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #d171
Sacred Poetry #12Image
Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns, adapted to Christian devotion, in public and private, selected from the best authors, with variations and additions #H.LXXXVIImage
Sacred Poetry: Consisting of Psalms and Hymns, adapted to Christian Devotion, in Publick and Private. New Ed. #d149
Sacred poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns adapted to Christian devotion in publick & private. New ed. #d150
Selection from Tate and Brady's Version of the Psalms; with Hymns by Various Authors, for the Church in Brattle-Square #d93
Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns. (1st Am. ed.) #VImage
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian Worship #251Image
Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #251
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian Worship #251Image
Songs for the Sanctuary: or hymns and tunes for Christian worship #251Image
Songs for the Sanctuary; or Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Baptist Ed.) #251Image
Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #251Image
The Baptist Hymn Book: comprising a large and choice collection of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, adapted to the faith and order of the Old School, or Primitive Baptists (2nd stereotype Ed.) #11Image
The Baptist Hymn Book: original and selected: in two parts #8Image
The Baptist Praise Book #152Image
The Baptist Psalmody: a selection of hymns for the worship of God #5Image
The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d125
The Chapel Hymn Book [for Warren and Pitt St. Chapels, Boston]. 4th ed. #d129
The Christian Hymn Book #d208
The Christian Hymn Book. 7th ed. #d210
The Christian Psalmist: being a collection of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs compiled from the most approved authors, and designed as a standard hymn book for public and social worship #P102aImage
The Christian Psalter #d169
The Congregational Hymn Book: for the service of the sanctuary #14Image
The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the Most Approved Authors: to which are added a number never before published #XIIITextImage
The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors to which are added, a number never before published. #13Image
The Hartford Selection of Hymns: from the most approved authors: to which are added a number never before published (2nd ed.) #XIIITextImage
The Lord's Songs: a collection of composures in metre, such as have been most used in the late glorious revivals; Dr. Watts' psalms and hymns excepted #CXVIImage
The Philadelphia Hymn Book; or, a selection of sacred poetry, consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts...and others, adapted to public and private devotion #442Image
The Psalmody: a collection of hymns for public and social worship #115Image
The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #723Image
The Sacred Lyre #d98
The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #114Image
The Vestry Hymn Book #d142
The Voice of Praise: a collection of hymns for the use of the Methodist Church #40Image