Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Count Your Blessings

Hymn lyrics by John­son Oat­man, Jr.,
Music by Edwin O. Excell
Verse 1
  • When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
  • When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
  • Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
  • And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Chorus
  • Count your blessings, name them one by one,
  • Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
  • Count your blessings, name them one by one,
  • Count your many blessings, see what God hath done!1
Verse 2
  • Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
  • Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
  • Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
  • And you will be2 singing as the days go by.
Chorus
Verse 3
  • When you look at others with their lands and gold,
  • Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
  • Count your many blessings. Money cannot3 buy
  • Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
Chorus
Verse 4
  • So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
  • Do not be discouraged,4 God is over all;
  • Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
  • Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Chorus

1Some hymnals read, “And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
2Some hymnals read, “keep”
3Some hymnals read, “Wealth can never”
4Some hymnals read, “disheartened”

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Be Still, My Soul

Hymn lyrics by Katharina A. von Schlegel,
Translated from German by Jane L. Borthwick;
Music by Jean Sibelius
Verse 1
  • Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
  • Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
  • Leave to thy God to order and provide;
  • In ev’ry change, He faithful will remain.
  • Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
  • Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Verse 2
  • Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
  • To guide the future, as He has the past.
  • Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
  • All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
  • Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
  • His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Verse 3
  • Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
  • And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
  • Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
  • Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
  • Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
  • From His own fullness all He takes away.
Verse 4
  • Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
  • When we shall be forever with the Lord.
  • When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
  • Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
  • Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
  • All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
Verse 5
  • Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
  • On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
  • Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
  • So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
  • Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
  • Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I Will Praise Him

Hymn lyrics and music by Margret J. Harris
Verse 1
  • When I saw the cleansing fountain
  • Open wide for all my sin,
  • I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing,
  • When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”
Chorus
  • I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
  • Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
  • Give Him glory, all ye people,
  • For His blood can wash away each stain.
Verse 2
  • Though the way seems straight and narrow,
  • All I claimed was swept away;
  • My ambitions, plans and wishes,
  • At my feet in ashes lay.
Chorus
Verse 3
  • Then God’s fire upon the altar
  • Of my heart was set aflame;
  • I shall never cease to praise Him
  • Glory, glory to His Name!
Chorus
Verse 4
  • Blessed be the Name of Jesus!
  • I’m so glad He took me in;
  • He’s forgiven my transgressions,
  • He has cleansed my heart from sin.
Chorus
Verse 5
  • Glory, glory to the Father!
  • Glory, glory to the Son!
  • Glory, glory to the Spirit!
  • Glory to the Three in One!
Chorus

Thursday, January 14, 2010

O Day of Rest and Gladness

Hymn lyrics by Christopher Wordsworth,
Music by Lowell Mason
Verse 1
  • O day of rest and gladness,
  • O day of joy and light,
  • O balm of care and sadness,
  • Most beautiful, most bright:
  • On Thee, the high and lowly,
  • Through ages joined in tune,1
  • Sing holy, holy, holy,
  • To the great God Triune.2
Verse 2
  • On Thee, at the creation,
  • The light first had its birth;
  • On Thee, for our salvation,
  • Christ rose from depths of earth;
  • On Thee, our Lord, victorious,
  • The Spirit sent from heav’n,
  • And thus on Thee, most glorious,
  • A triple light was giv’n.
Verse 3
  • Thou art a port, protected
  • From storms that round us rise;
  • A garden, intersected
  • With streams of paradise;
  • Thou art a cooling fountain
  • In life’s dry, dreary sand;
  • From thee, like Pisgah’s mountain,
  • We view our promised land.
Verse 4
  • Thou art a holy ladder,
  • Where angels go and come;
  • Each Sunday finds us gladder,
  • Nearer to heav’n, our home;
  • A day of sweet refection,3
  • Thou art a day of love,
  • A day of resurrection
  • From earth to things above.
Verse 5
  • Today on weary nations
  • The heav’nly manna falls;
  • To holy convocations
  • The silver trumpet calls,
  • Where Gospel light is glowing
  • With pure and radiant beams,
  • And living water flowing,
  • With soul refreshing streams.
Verse 6
  • New graces ever gaining
  • From this our day of rest,
  • We reach the rest remaining
  • To spirits of the blest.
  • To Holy Ghost be praises,
  • To Father, and to Son;
  • The church her voice upraises
  • To Thee, blest Three in One.

1Some hymnals read “Bending before the throne”—probably from Lowell Mason.
2Some hymnals read “To the great Three in One”—See Note 1 above.
3This is not an error. Refection means “Refreshment with food and drink.”

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I Know of a Name (That Beautiful Name)

Hymn lyrics by Jean Perry,
Music by Mabel Johnson Camp
Verse 1
  • I know of a name, a beautiful name,
  • That angels brought down to earth;
  • They whispered it low, one night long ago,
  • To a maiden of lowly birth.
Chorus
  • That beautiful name, that beautiful name,
  • From sin has power to free us!
  • That beautiful name, that wonderful name,
  • That matchless name is Jesus!
Verse 2
  • I know of a name, a beautiful name,
  • That unto a Babe was given.
  • The stars glittered bright throughout that glad night,
  • And angels praised God in Heav’n.
Chorus
Verse 3
  • The One of that name, my Savior became,
  • My Savior of Calvary.
  • My sins nailed Him there; my burdens He bare.
  • He suffered all this for me.
Chorus
Verse 4
  • I love that blest name, that wonderful name,
  • Made higher than all in Heaven.
  • ’Twas whispered, I know, in my heart long ago
  • To Jesus my life I’ve giv’n.
Chorus

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My Heart’s Prayer

Hymn lyrics by H. P. Blanchard,
Music by Ralph E. Stewart
Verse 1
  • My new life I owe to Thee,
  • Jesus, Lamb of Calvary;
  • Sin was canceled on the tree,
  • Jesus, blessed Jesus.
Verse 2
  • Humbly at Thy cross I’d stay,
  • Jesus, keep me there, I pray;
  • Teach me more of thee each day,
  • Jesus, blessed Jesus.
Verse 3
  • Grant me wisdom, grace and pow’r,
  • Lord, I need Thee ev’ry hour;
  • Let my will be lost in Thine,
  • Jesus, blessed Jesus.
Verse 4
  • Savior, Thou hast heard my plea,
  • Thou art near—so near to me;
  • Now I feel Thy strength’ning pow’r,
  • Jesus, blessed Jesus.

Monday, January 11, 2010

The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power (1912)

Hymn lyrics by Civilla D. Martin,
Music by Walter S. Martin
Verse 1
  • The blood that Jesus once shed for me,
  • As my Redeemer, upon the tree;
  • The blood that setteth the pris’ner free,
  • Will never lose its pow’r.
Chorus
  • It will never lose its pow’r,
  • It will never lose its pow’r;
  • The blood that cleanses from all sin
  • Will never lose its pow’r.
Verse 2
  • It gives us access to God on high,
  • From “far off places” it brings us nigh;
  • To precious blessings that never die,
  • It will never lose its pow’r.
Chorus
Verse 3
  • It is a shelter for rich and poor,
  • It is to Heaven the open door;
  • The sinner’s merit forevermore,
  • It will never lose its pow’r.
Chorus
Verse 4
  • And when with all the blood washed throng
  • We sing in glory redemption’s song;
  • We’ll pass the glorious truth along,
  • It has never lost its pow’r.
Chorus

Friday, January 08, 2010

I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go

Hymn lyrics by Mary Brown and Charles E. Prior,
Music by Carrie E. Rounsefell
Verse 1
  • It may not be on the mountain’s height, or over the stormy sea;
  • It may not be at the battle’s front my Lord will have need of me;
  • But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,
  • I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,1
  • I’ll go where You want me to go.
Chorus
  • I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
  • O’er mountain, or plain, or sea;
  • I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
  • I’ll be what You want me to be.
Verse 2
  • Perhaps today there are loving words which Jesus would have me speak;
  • There may be now, in the paths of sin, some wand’rer whom I should seek.
  • O Savior, if Thou wilt2 be my Guide, though dark and rugged the way,
  • My voice shall echo the message sweet,
  • I’ll say what You want me to say.
Chorus
Verse 3
  • There’s surely somewhere a lowly place in earth’s harvest fields so wide,
  • Where I may labor through life’s short day for Jesus, the Crucified.
  • So, trusting my all unto Thy3 care, I know Thou lovest4 me!
  • I’ll do Your will with a heart sincere,
  • I’ll be what You want me to be.
Chorus
1Some hymnals read “Yours”
2Some hymnals read “You will”
3Some hymnals read “Your”
4Some hymnals read “You always love”

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Languid

Hymn lyrics by John M. Neale,
Music by Henry W. Baker
Verse 1
  • Art thou weary, art thou languid,
  • Art thou sore distressed?
  • “Come to Me,” saith One, “and coming,
  • Be at rest.”
Verse 2
  • Hath He marks to lead me to Him,
  • If He be my Guide?
  • In His feet and hands are wound prints
  • And His side.
Verse 3
  • Hath He diadem, as monarch,
  • That His brow adorns?
  • Yes, a crown in very surety,
  • But of thorns.
Verse 4
  • If I find Him, if I follow,
  • What His guerdon1 here?
  • Many a sorrow, many a labor,
  • Many a tear.
Verse 5
  • If I still hold closely to Him,
  • What hath He at last?
  • Sorrow vanquished, labor ended,
  • Jordan passed.
Verse 6
  • If I ask Him to receive me,
  • Will He say me nay?
  • Not till earth and not till Heaven
  • Pass away.
Verse 7
  • Finding, following, keeping, struggling,
  • Is He sure to bless?
  • Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs,
  • Answer, Yes!

1A reward or recompense.