Rock of Ages
Encyclopedia
"Rock of Ages" is a popular Christian hymn
by Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady
written in 1763 and first published in The Gospel Magazine
in 1775.
Traditionally, it is held that Rev. Toplady drew his inspiration from an incident in the gorge of Burrington Combe
in the Mendip Hills
in England. Toplady, a preacher in the nearby village of Blagdon
, was travelling along the gorge when he was caught in a storm. Finding shelter in a gap in the gorge, he was struck by the title and scribbled down the initial lyrics on a playing card.
The fissure that is believed to have sheltered Toplady is now marked as the "Rock of Ages", both on the rock itself and on some maps, and is also reflected in the name of a nearby tea shop.
There has been speculation that, though Toplady was a Calvinist, the words, "Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath, and make me pure," suggest that he agreed with the teachings of his contemporary, John Wesley, who taught the “double cure,” in which a sinner is saved by the atonement of Jesus, and cleansed from inbred sin by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. However, the original line was "Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its guilt and power," as seen in the published works of Toplady in 1794.
Some contemporary artists, including Amy Grant
in her recent rendition, prefer the original words, "Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its guilt and power," possibly suggesting their disagreement with the holiness movement
doctrine of two works of grace.
"Toplady" by Thomas Hastings
, the 1984 arrangement by James Ward or "Redhead 76" by Richard Redhead.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the Water and the Blood,
From thy riven Side which flow'd,
Be of Sin the double Cure,
Cleanse me from its Guilt and Pow'r.
2.
Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill thy Law's demands:
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for Sin could not atone:
Thou must save, and Thou alone!
3.
Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to thy Cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for Dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly :
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!
4.
Whilst I draw this fleeting breath—
When my eye-strings break in death—
When I soar through tracts unknown—
See Thee on thy Judgment-Throne—
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee !
. It was also played at the funeral of William Ewart Gladstone
.
In his book Hymns That Have Helped, W. T. Stead reported "when the SS London
went down in the Bay of Biscay
, 11 January 1866, the last thing which the last man who left the ship heard as the boat pushed off from the doomed vessel was the voices of the passengers singing "Rock of Ages".
in the 19th century.
Johannes Maas, a leader in the faith movement
, commented on this hymn, "The words of this hymn are among the most profound, inspiring, encouraging, sacred, devotional, and precious words ever penned."
Also, In his score for Altered States
, John Corigliano
made reference to this hymn many times, to symbolise the religious struggle of the hero, and the memories of his anti-religious father, which figures in one of his hallucinations.
In director Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 film Paper Moon, Rock of Ages is sang during the opening sequence at Addie Pray's mother's funeral.
There were also Latin translations by William Ewart Gladstone
as “Jesus, pro me perforatus” and by Canadian linguist Silas Tertius Rand
as “Rupes saeculorum, te.” On reading this version, Gladstone wrote to Rand, "I at once admit that your version is more exact than mine".
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
by Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady
Augustus Montague Toplady
Augustus Montague Toplady was an Anglican cleric and hymn writer. He was a major Calvinist opponent of John Wesley. He is best remembered as the author of the hymn "Rock of Ages"...
written in 1763 and first published in The Gospel Magazine
The Gospel Magazine
The Gospel Magazine is a Calvinist, evangelical magazine from the United Kingdom, and is one of the longest running of such periodicals, having been founded in 1766. Most of the editors have been Anglicans. It is currently published bi-monthly....
in 1775.
Traditionally, it is held that Rev. Toplady drew his inspiration from an incident in the gorge of Burrington Combe
Burrington Combe
Burrington Combe is a carboniferous limestone gorge near the village of Burrington, on the north side of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in North Somerset, England....
in the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
in England. Toplady, a preacher in the nearby village of Blagdon
Blagdon
Blagdon is a village and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Somerset, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, in England. It is located in the Mendip Hills, a recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. According to the 2001 census it has a population of 1,172...
, was travelling along the gorge when he was caught in a storm. Finding shelter in a gap in the gorge, he was struck by the title and scribbled down the initial lyrics on a playing card.
The fissure that is believed to have sheltered Toplady is now marked as the "Rock of Ages", both on the rock itself and on some maps, and is also reflected in the name of a nearby tea shop.
Lyrics
"When my eyelids close in death" was originally written as "When my eye-strings break in death".There has been speculation that, though Toplady was a Calvinist, the words, "Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath, and make me pure," suggest that he agreed with the teachings of his contemporary, John Wesley, who taught the “double cure,” in which a sinner is saved by the atonement of Jesus, and cleansed from inbred sin by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. However, the original line was "Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its guilt and power," as seen in the published works of Toplady in 1794.
Some contemporary artists, including Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
in her recent rendition, prefer the original words, "Be of sin the double cure, Save me from its guilt and power," possibly suggesting their disagreement with the holiness movement
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
doctrine of two works of grace.
Music settings
It is usually sung to the hymn tuneHymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
"Toplady" by Thomas Hastings
Thomas Hastings (composer)
Thomas Hastings was an American composer, primarily an author of hymn tunes of which the best known is Toplady for the hymn Rock of Ages. He was born to Dr. Seth and Eunice Hastings in Washington, Connecticut...
, the 1984 arrangement by James Ward or "Redhead 76" by Richard Redhead.
Rock of Ages Lyrics
1.Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee!
Let the Water and the Blood,
From thy riven Side which flow'd,
Be of Sin the double Cure,
Cleanse me from its Guilt and Pow'r.
2.
Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill thy Law's demands:
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for Sin could not atone:
Thou must save, and Thou alone!
3.
Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to thy Cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for Dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly :
Wash me, Saviour, or I die!
4.
Whilst I draw this fleeting breath—
When my eye-strings break in death—
When I soar through tracts unknown—
See Thee on thy Judgment-Throne—
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee !
Uses
The hymn was a favourite of Prince Albert, who asked it to be played to him on his deathbed, as did Confederate General J.E.B. StuartJ.E.B. Stuart
James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use...
. It was also played at the funeral of William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
.
In his book Hymns That Have Helped, W. T. Stead reported "when the SS London
SS London (1864)
The SS London was a British steamship which sank in the Bay of Biscay on 11 January 1866. The ship was travelling from Gravesend in England to Melbourne, Australia when she began taking in water on 10 January...
went down in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, 11 January 1866, the last thing which the last man who left the ship heard as the boat pushed off from the doomed vessel was the voices of the passengers singing "Rock of Ages".
Other
This hymn was regarded as one of the Great Four Anglican HymnsGreat Four Anglican Hymns
The "Great Four" are four hymns widely popular in Anglican and other Protestant churches during the 19th century.In his Anglican Hymnology, published in 1885, the Rev. James King surveyed 52 hymnals from the member churches of the Anglican Communion around the world, and found that 51 of them...
in the 19th century.
Johannes Maas, a leader in the faith movement
Worldwide Faith Missions
Worldwide Faith Missions is a non-governmental international Christian relief and development church missionary organization based in the United States of America with mission branches in India, Burma , and Thailand. It is a part of the worldwide missions church movement.- History:Worldwide Faith...
, commented on this hymn, "The words of this hymn are among the most profound, inspiring, encouraging, sacred, devotional, and precious words ever penned."
Also, In his score for Altered States
Altered States
Altered States is a 1980 American science fiction-horror film adaptation of a novel by the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. It was the only novel that Chayefsky ever wrote, as well as his final film. Both the novel and the film are based on John C...
, John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
made reference to this hymn many times, to symbolise the religious struggle of the hero, and the memories of his anti-religious father, which figures in one of his hallucinations.
In director Peter Bogdanovich's 1973 film Paper Moon, Rock of Ages is sang during the opening sequence at Addie Pray's mother's funeral.
Translations
The hymn has appeared in other languages including German (as “Fels der Ewigkeit”) and Swedish (“Klippa, du som brast för mig”).There were also Latin translations by William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
as “Jesus, pro me perforatus” and by Canadian linguist Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap.-Life:...
as “Rupes saeculorum, te.” On reading this version, Gladstone wrote to Rand, "I at once admit that your version is more exact than mine".