Hymn
Timely Penitence
When rising from the bed of death,
O’erwhelmed with guilt and fear,
I see my Maker face to face,
O how shall I appear?
If yet, while pardon may be found,
And mercy may be sought,
My heart with inward horror shrinks,
And trembles at the thought:
When Thou, O Lord, shalt stand disclosed
In majesty severe,
And sit in judgment on my soul,
O how shall I appear?
But Thou hast told the troubled mind,
Who does her sins lament,
Of Him who suffered unto death,
Her sufferings to prevent.
Then never shall my soul despair
Her pardon to procure,
Who knows Thine only Son has died
to make her pardon sure.
Timely Penitence — Text from Church Book, 1890. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/timely-penitence
Chord chart coming soon
Want to play this one? Leave your email and we'll let you know when the chords are ready.
Questions about this hymn
Who wrote Timely Penitence?
The words of Timely Penitence were written by Joseph Addison; the version here was published in 1890. The library holds 4 more hymns by Joseph Addison, including God's Servants Safe By Sea or Land and Of the Glory of God in the Starry Heavens.
Is Timely Penitence public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Church Book, published in 1890. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of Timely Penitence?
Timely Penitence is in Common Metre (8.6.8.6). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, The Seasons of the Year, Come, Ye That Know and Fear the Lord and O For a Heart to Praise My God.