There is a line, by us unseen

Representative Text

1 There is a line by us unseen,
That crosses ev'ry path,
The hidden boundary between,
The hidden boundary between
God's patience and his wrath.

2 O! where is this mysterious bourne
By which our path is crossed,
Beyond which God himself hath sworn,
Beyond which God himself hath sworn
That he who goes is lost?

3 How far may we go on in sin?
How long will God forbear?
Where does hope end? And where begin,
Where does hope end? And where begin
The confines of despair?

4 An answer from the skies is sent:
"Ye that from God depart,
While it is called today, repent,
While it is called today, repent,
And harden not your heart."

Source: Christ in Song: for all religious services nearly one thousand best gospel hymns, new and old with responsive scripture readings (Rev. and Enl.) #137

Author: Joseph A. Alexander

Alexander, Joseph Addison, D.D., brother of Dr. J. W. Alexander, and a minister of the Presbyterian Church, born in Philadelphia, April 24, 1809, graduated at Princeton, 1826, became Adjunct Professor of Latin, 1833, and Associate Professor of Biblical Literature, 1838, died at Princeton, Jan. 28, 1860. Dr. Alexander was a great Hebraist, and published Commentaries on Isaiah, the Psalms, &c. His poem, “The Doomed Man,” was written for, and first published in, the Sunday School Journal, Phila., April 5, 1837. It has striking merit, but moves in one of those doctrinal circles which hymns generally avoid. Parts of it are found as hymns in a few Calvinistic collections, as, "There is a time, we know not when," in the New York Church Praise… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: There is a line, by us unseen
Author: Joseph A. Alexander
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

AZMON

Lowell Mason (PHH 96) adapted AZMON from a melody composed by Carl G. Gläser in 1828. Mason published a duple-meter version in his Modern Psalmist (1839) but changed it to triple meter in his later publications. Mason used (often obscure) biblical names for his tune titles; Azmon, a city south of C…

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WOODLAND (Gould)


HARVEY'S CHANT


Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)

The Baptist Hymnal #247

Include 27 pre-1979 instances
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