Rock of Ages Augustus M. Toplady, 1776
3 verses, sung to Toplady (7.7.7.7.7.7), public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
Verse 2. Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone,
Thou must save, and thou alone;
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.
Verse 3. While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown
See thee on thy judgment throne,—
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.
Words copied from The Army and Navy Hymnal (1920). They were published in 1776, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind Rock of Ages
Augustus Toplady, an Anglican priest and a committed Calvinist, wrote the hymn while serving at Broadhembury in Devon. The Hymnology Archive follows E. J. Fasham in dating it to the last months of 1774. Four lines appeared in The Gospel Magazine in October 1775, and the full hymn ran there in March 1776 under a title that called it a living and dying prayer. Toplady placed it in his Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship the same year. Many tellers say he sheltered in a cleft of rock at Burrington Combe during a storm and wrote the hymn there while he was a curate between 1762 and 1764. The Archive does not endorse that story, and it conflicts with the 1774 date. Frank Colquhoun reads the hymn as a reply to John Wesley's teaching on Christian perfection. Editors changed the words often. Thomas Cotterill reworked it heavily in 1814, and Roundell Palmer printed Toplady's own text in 1862. The tune most American churches use is TOPLADY by Thomas Hastings. It probably first appeared in 1831 and took the name Toplady in 1859. Hymns Ancient and Modern paired the words with REDHEAD 76, by Richard Redhead, in 1861.
Augustus M. Toplady
1740-11-04 to 1778-08-11
Augustus Montague Toplady was born at Farnham, Surrey. His father, an army major, died in 1741. He attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Dublin, and he was converted at about age 16 at a barn service in Ireland. He became a firm Calvinist in 1758, which later put him in conflict with John Wesley. The Church of England ordained him in 1762, and he became vicar of Broadhembury, Devon, in 1768. He edited Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship in 1776. He died of consumption in 1778, and he is best known for Rock of Ages.
Thomas Hastings
1784-10-15 to 1872-05-15
Thomas Hastings was born in Washington, Connecticut, and moved with his family to Clinton, New York, in 1786. He had little formal schooling and developed a taste for music early. He began teaching music in 1806 and later lived in Troy, Albany and Utica, where he edited a religious journal that promoted his views on church music. In 1832 he moved to New York City and led several church choirs for the last forty years of his life. He edited many tune books, composed tunes and wrote hymns. His tune TOPLADY is the one most American churches sing with Rock of Ages.
- Hymnology Archive, Rock of ages, cleft for me , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Rock of Ages , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Augustus M. Toplady , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Baptist Hymnal 1991 No. 342 , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Rock of Ages
The Bible passages behind the words, with the verse of the hymn that draws on each.
- Isaiah 26:4 In verse 4 of the hymn
- Psalm 61:1-8
- Zechariah 13:1 In verse 1 of the hymn
- John 19:31-38
- Psalm 94:22 In verse 22 of the hymn
Rock of Ages videos
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Rock of Ages (Grace Community Church) Martijn de Groot, Congregation
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Rock of Ages | The Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Choir
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Rock Of Ages - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Rock of Ages - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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Rock of Ages (Hymn) - Norton Hall Band Southern Seminary, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Downloads, printing and slides
Sheet music files
- Sheet music PDF 97 KB. Words and all four parts, ready to print.
- Lead sheet PDF 84 KB. Melody, words and chord symbols for piano or guitar.
- MusicXML score XML 54 KB. Opens in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico to change the key or print parts.
- MIDI, all parts MIDI 2 KB. Plays the four-part harmony in any MIDI player or notation app.
- MIDI, melody only MIDI 1 KB. The tune alone, for learning it.
Practice tracks for each voice part, as MIDI: Alto , Tenor , Bass .
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in B♭.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Rock of Ages?
Augustus Toplady wrote it. The Hymnology Archive dates the writing to late 1774 and the first magazine printing to October 1775 and March 1776.
Did Toplady write Rock of Ages while sheltering in a rock?
The story is popular, but the Hymnology Archive does not endorse it. It places the writing at Broadhembury in 1774, which does not match the storm story's setting of 1762 to 1764.
What tune is used for Rock of Ages?
Most American churches sing TOPLADY by Thomas Hastings. Hymns Ancient and Modern paired the words with REDHEAD 76 in 1861.
Is Rock of Ages in the public domain?
The words are public domain in the United States. Toplady's text dates from 1776, and the TOPLADY tune dates from the 1830s.
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