Archive for the ‘hymns’ Category

A Child Of The King

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Lyrics: Harriet E. Buell
Music: John B. Sumner

My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.

Refrain:
I’m a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I’m a child of the King.

My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is pleading our pardon on high,
That we may be His when He comes by and by.

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.

A Christian Home

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

A Blessed Father’s Day to all fathers. We sang this hymn in church today which is a very fitting hymn for Father’s Day and also Mother’s Day, don’t you think?

Lyrics: Barbara B. Hart
Music: Jean Sibelius

O give us homes built firm upon the Saviour,
Where Christ is Head, and Counsellor and Guide;
Where ev’ry child is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that tho’ his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,
Who always place their hope and trust in Him;
Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,
Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;
A home where each finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines, tho’ days be dark and grim.

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,
The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;
Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,
And praise is natural speech to ev’ry tongue;
Where mountains move before a faith that’s vaster,
And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds of love no enemy can sever
If Thou art always Lord and Master there:
Be Thou the center of our least endeavor:
Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share.

A Clean Heart

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Lyrics: Walter C. Smith
Music: Fred H. Byshe

One thing I of the Lord desire,
For all my path hath miry been,
Be it by water or by fire,
O make me clean, O make me clean.

Refrain:
Wash me, Thou, without, within,
Or purge with fire, if that must be,
No matter how, if only sin
Die out in me, die out, die out in me.

If clearer vision Thou impart,
Grateful and glad my soul shall be;
But yet to have a purer heart
Is more to me, is more to me.

Yea, only as this heart is clean
May larger vision yet be mine,
For mirrored in its depths are seen
The things divine, the things divine.

I watch to shun the miry way,
And stanch the springs of guilty thought,
But, watch and struggle as I may,
Pure I am not, pure I am not.

A Few More Years Shall Roll

Saturday, December 30th, 2017

Here’s a very thought-provoking and reflective hymn for the new year.

Lyrics: Horatius Bonar
Music: G. W. Martin

A few more years shall roll,
A few more seasons come,
And we shall be with those that rest
Asleep within the tomb:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that great day;
O wash me in Thy precious Blood,
And take my sins away.

A few more suns shall set
O’er these dark hills of time,
And we shall be where suns are not,
A far serener clime:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that blest day;
O wash me in Thy precious Blood,
And take my sins away.

A few more storms shall beat
On this wild rocky shore,
And we shall be where tempests cease,
And surges swell no more:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that calm day;
O wash me in Thy precious Blood,
And take my sins away.

A few more struggles here,
A few more partings o’er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,
And we shall weep no more:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that bright day;
O wash me in Thy precious Blood,
And take my sins away.

‘Tis but a little while
And He shall come again,
Who died that we might live, Who lives
That we with Him may reign:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that glad day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

A Glorious Church

Wednesday, July 12th, 2017

Lyrics and Music: Ralph E. Hudson

Do you hear them coming, brother?—
Thronging up the steeps of light,
Clad in glorious shining garments,
Blood-washed garments, pure and white!

Refrain:
’Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle,
Washed in the blood of the Lamb;
’Tis a glorious church without spot or wrinkle,
Washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Do you hear the stirring anthems,
Filling all the earth and sky?
’Tis a grand, victorious army;
Lift its banner up on high!

Never fear the clouds of sorrow,
Never fear the storms of sin:
We shall triumph on the morrow—
Even now our joys begin.

Wave the banner, shout His praises,
For our victory is nigh!
Following our conqu’ring Savior,
We shall reign with Him on high!

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Wednesday, October 18th, 2017

Lyrics and Music: Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth;
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

A Psalm Of Brotherly Love

Monday, December 28th, 2009

This hymn is based on Ps133 and was written by Rev Timothy Tow. It is to be sung to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. It is quite a good piece, don’t you think?

Lyrics: Rev Timothy Tow
Music: Scotch Air

Behold how good and how pleasant
When brethren dwell in peace
What heavenly sweetness and fragrance
This Christian Unity

How gracious is the Saviour’s love
That binds our hearts in one
It flows like streams of sacred oils
Down Aaron’s beard and gown

Behold how good and how pleasant
When brethren dwell in peace
What heavenly sweetness and fragrance
This Christian Unity

How gracious is the Saviour’s love
That binds our hearts in one
It rains like Hermon’s dew above
Upon the hills of Zion

Behold how good and how pleasant
When brethren dwell in peace
What heavenly sweetness and fragrance
This Christian Unity

How gracious is the Saviour’s love
That binds our hearts in one
Tis life abundant from above
To love both foe and friend

A Shelter In The Time Of Storm

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Vernon John Charlesworth was a British pastor. He is remembered for writing a biography of Rowland Hill, a famous British nonconformist preacher, who built Surrey Chapel. Vernon later became administrator of Charles Spurgeon’s orphanage.

He wrote “A Shelter In The Time Of Storm” based on Ps32:7 – “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.”

Someone set this to music and it became popular along the coasts of England. Ira Sankey later composed this tune to the hymn. His account is as follows: I found this hymn in a small paper published in London, called “The Postman.” It was said to be a favourite song of the fishermen on the north coast of England, and they were often heard singing it as they approached their harbours in the time of storm. As the hymn was set to weird minor tune, I decided to compose one that would be more practical, one that could be more easily sung by the people.

Lyrics: Vernon J. Charlesworth
Music: Ira D. Sankey

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain:
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, defense by night,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

The raging storms may round us beat,
A Shelter in the time of storm
We’ll never leave our safe retreat,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A Shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our Helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

In Ira Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos, he quote Ps94:22 “..my God is the rock of my refuge”

A Sinner Like Me

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Lyrics and Music: Charles J. Butler

I was once far away from the Saviour,
As vile as a sinner could be,
And I wondered if Christ the Redeemer
Could save a poor sinner like me.

I wandered on in the darkness,
Not a ray of light could I see:
And the thought filled my heart with sadness,
There’s no hope for a sinner like me.

And then, in that dark lonely hour,
A voice sweetly whispered to me,
Saying, “Look unto Me! I have power
To save a poor sinner like thee.”

I listened: and lo! ‘Twas the Saviour
That was speaking so kindly to me;
And I cried, “I’m the chief of sinners:
Canst Thou save a poor sinner like me?”

I then fully trusted in Jesus;
And oh, now a joy came to me!
My heart was filled with His praises,
For saving a sinner like me.

No longer in darkness I’m walking,
The light is now shining on me;
And now unto others I’m telling
How He saved a poor sinner like me.

And when life’s journey is over,
And I the dear Saviour shall see,
I’ll praise Him for ever and ever,
For saving a sinner like me!

Abide With Me

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

Here’s a rather solemn hymn. Did you know that this hymn was written just 3 weeks before the author died? Read more here.

Lyrics: Henry F. Lyte
Music: William H. Monk

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.