O God, the Rock of Ages

Representative Text

1 O God, the Rock of Ages,
who evermore hast been,
what time the tempest rages,
our dwelling place serene:
before thy first creations,
O Lord, the same as now,
to endless generations
the Everlasting Thou!

2 Our years are like the shadows
on sunny hills that lie,
or grasses in the meadows
that blossom but to die;
a sleep, a dream, a story
by strangers quickly told,
and unremaining glory
of things that soon are old.

3 O thou who canst not slumber,
whose light grows never pale,
teach us aright to number
our years before they fail;
on us thy mercy lighten,
on us thy goodness rest,
and let thy Spirit brighten
the hearts thyself hast blessed.

4 Lord, crown our faith's endeavor
with beauty and with grace,
till, clothed in light forever,
we see thee face to face:
a joy no language measures;
a fountain brimming o'er;
an endless flow of pleasures;
an ocean without shore.

Source: Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #28

Author: Edward Henry Bickersteth

Bickersteth, Edward Henry, D.D., son of Edward Bickersteth, Sr. born at Islington, Jan. 1825, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. with honours, 1847; M.A., 1850). On taking Holy Orders in 1848, he became curate of Banningham, Norfolk, and then of Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells. His preferment to the Rectory of Hinton-Martell, in 1852, was followed by that of the Vicarage of Christ Church, Hampstead, 1855. In 1885 he became Dean of Gloucester, and the same year Bishop of Exeter. Bishop Bickersteth's works, chiefly poetical, are:— (l) Poems, 1849; (2) Water from the Well-spring, 1852; (3) The Rock of Ages, 1858 ; (4) Commentary on the New Testament, 1864; (5) Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever, 1867; (6) The Spirit of Life, 1868;… Go to person page >

Notes

O God, the Rock of Ages. Bishop E. H. Bickersteth. [Sunday after Christmas.] In his note to this hymn in his annotated edition of his Hymnal Companion, 1880, Bishop Bickersteth says that "this hymn was written by the Editor (1860),"but in his work. The Two Brothers, &c, 1871, p. 226, it is dated "1862." It was included in the English Presbyterian Psalms & Hymns, 1867; the Hymnal Companion, 1870 and 1876; and the author's From Year to Year, 1883. Its use has extended to America and other English-speaking countries.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

MIRIAM (Holbrook)


AURELIA

Composed by Samuel S. Wesley (PHH 206), AURELIA (meaning "golden") was published as a setting for “Jerusalem the Golden” in Selection of Psalms and Hymns, which was compiled by Charles Kemble and Wesley in 1864. Though opinions vary concerning the tune's merits (Henry J. Gauntlett once condemned…

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Timeline

Media

The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #505
The Cyber Hymnal #4883
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  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (101 - 199 of 199)

Songs for the School #d110

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Songs for the Service of Prayer #79

Songs of Christian Praise with Music #d373

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Songs of Praise with Tunes #96

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Songs of the Christian Life #68

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Songs of Work and Worship #37

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Songs of Worship #67

Standard Church Hymns and Gospel Songs #d200

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Sursum Corda #138a

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Sursum Corda #138b

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The Abingdon Song Book #279

The American Hymnal #d389

The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #d252

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The American Hymnal for Chapel Service #440

The Best Loved Hymns and Prayers of the American People #110b

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The Book of Common Praise #505

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The Book of Common Praise #437

The Book of Praise #160

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The Calvary Selection of Spiritual Songs #168

The Canadian Baptist Hymnal for the use of Churches and Families #d444

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The Chapel Hymnal #47

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The Chapel Hymnal #47

The Chapel Hymnal #163

The Chapel Hymnal #163

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The Christian Hymnal #375

The Church Hymnal #d289

The Church Hymnal #d290

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The Church Hymnary #159

The Church of God Selection of Spiritual Songs for the Church and Choir #d637

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The Church School Hymnal for Youth #43

The Church-Book #d306

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The Cokesbury Hymnal #80

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The Concord Hymnal #29

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The Cyber Hymnal #4883

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The Evangelical Hymnal #71

The Harvard University Hymn Book #d163

The Harvard University Hymn Book #113

The Haverford School Hymnal #d224

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The Haverford School Hymnal #47

The Hymnal #d339

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The Hymnal #62a

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The Hymnal #62b

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The Hymnal #89

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The Hymnal of Praise #95

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The Hymnal of The Evangelical United Brethren Church #63

The Hymnal #211

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The Hymnal #88

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The Hymnal #89

The Hymnary for use in Baptist churches #35

The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada #35

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The Hymnbook #92

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The Lutheran Hymnary #61

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The Manual of Praise for Sabbath and Social Worship #9

The Mennonite Hymnal #42

The Methodist Hymn-Book with Tunes #958

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The Methodist Hymnal (Text only edition) #18

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The Methodist Hymnal #18

The Milton Hymnal #d92

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The Morning Hour #90

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The New Baptist Praise Book #64

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The New Baptist Praise Book #64

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The New Christian Hymnal #250

The New Hymnal of Praise #d236

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The New Laudes Domini #254

The Oxford American Hymnal for Schools and Colleges #d236

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #43

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #56a

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The Pilgrim Hymnal #56b

The Pioneer Hymnal #d178

The Plymouth Hymnal #d352

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The Presbyterian Book of Praise #479

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The Presbyterian Book of Praise #479

The Presbyterian Hymnal #413

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The Riverdale Hymn Book #72

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The Sanctuary Hymnal, published by Order of the General Conference of the United Brethren in Christ #85

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The Sanctuary Hymnal, published by Order of the General Conference of the United Brethren in Christ #86

The School Hymn and Tune Book #d126

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The Spirit of Praise #144

The Student Hymnary #d235

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The Students' Hymnal #223

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The Students' Hymnal #56

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The Students' Hymnal #56

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The Sunday School Hymnal #110

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The University Hymn Book #206

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The Westminster Hymnal for congregational and social use and for the Sunday School #262

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Trinity Hymnal #24

Text

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #28

Union Hymnal for Jewish Worship #d120

Union Hymnal, Songs and Prayers for Jewish Worship. 3rd ed. Revised and enlarged. #32

Unitarian Service Book, and Hymns for Church and Home. Abridged ed. #d270

University Hymn Book for use in the Chapel of Harvard University #d150

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University Hymns #36

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University Hymns #39

Worship in Song #d213

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Worship in Song #100

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Worship Song #35

Pages

Exclude 196 pre-1979 instances
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