Augustus M. Toplady was born in Farnham, England, on November 4, 1740. Toplady graduated from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and in 1762 was ordained to the ministry of the Anglican Church.
One day while traveling through the rugged country near England's Cheddar Gorge, he was caught in a sudden storm. He found a cleft running down by some rocks beside the road, in which he was able to find shelter.
Toplady, a spiritual man that he was, began thinking about the incident that he found himself in. While out on his walk, on the ground at his feet, he found a playing card and quickly wrote down his thoughts.
Let me hide myself in Thee!
The playing card upon which the hymn was first written is still preserved in America.
In March, 1776 Toplady published the hymn as part of an article in The Gospel Magazine. The composer of this song was Thomas Hastings.
Mr. Toplady died in 1778 and the young age of 38.
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Could my tears forever flow,
Could my zeal no languor know,
These for sin could not atone
Thou must save, and Thou alone:
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in Thee.