The Christian — Unfaithfulness Lamented

O, for a closer walk with God!

No. 581
Metre C. M.
Tune MANOAH.
Words Wm. Cowper.
Music Francis J. Haydn.
Key A-flat major
Singing key G♭ major
Time 3/4
5 stanzas

Words

O, for a closer walk with God!A calm and heavenly frame,A light to shine upon the roadThat leads me to the Lamb.

Return, O holy Dove! return,—Sweet Messenger of rest;I hate the sins that made thee mourn,And drove thee from my breast.

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!How sweet their memory still!But they have left an aching voidThe world can never fill.

The dearest idol I have known,Whate'er that idol be,Help me to tear it from thy throne,And worship only thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,Calm and serene my frame;So purer light shall mark the roadThat leads me to the Lamb.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHRISTIAN—UNFAITHFULNESS LAMENTED.»; hymn number «581» (large), tune name «MANOAH. C. M.» centred over the music (condensed capitals), «FRANCIS J. HAYDN.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear, one line per system, with «1.» before «O,» («clos - er», «heaven-ly», «up-on» hyphenated under their notes). The italic reference line «546, 179, 446.» (= the same words may be sung to the tunes of hymns 546, 179 or 446) stands under the music; stanzas 2–5 follow as text in the left column, numbered «2»–«5», with «Wm. Cowper.» in italics after stanza 5. In stanzas 2–5 the second and fourth lines of each stanza are indented in the print. Quotation marks and apostrophes are written straight; the print's thin space before «;» and «!» is closed up. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.