Hymn
When, as returns this solemn day
When, as returns this solemn day,
Man comes to meet his God,
What rites, what honors shall he pay?
How spread his praise abroad?
From marble domes and gilded spires
Shall clouds of incense rise?
And gems, and gold, and garlands deck
The costly sacrifice?
Vain, sinful man! creation's Lord
Thy offerings well may spare;
But give thy heart, and thou shalt find
Thy God will hear thy prayer.
When, as returns this solemn day — Text from The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book, 1886. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/when-as-returns-this-solemn-day
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote When, as returns this solemn day?
The words of When, as returns this solemn day were written by Anna L. Barbauld; the version here was published in 1886. The library holds 3 more hymns by Anna L. Barbauld, including Again the Lord of Light and Life and Awake, my soul, lift up thine eyes.
Is When, as returns this solemn day public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book, published in 1886. 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 When, as returns this solemn day?
When, as returns this solemn day is in Long Metre (8.8.8.8). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Rising to God, With broken heart and contrite sigh and God the Glory and Defense of Zion.