For November, our hymn theme will be the comforting grace and faithfulness of our Lord. Today’s hymn is from Englishman William Cowper (who got a mention in yesterday’s post), published 1779. This is probably one of the top forgotten hymns everyone should know.

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2 ESV)

1 Sometimes a light surprises
the Christian while he sings;
it is the Lord who rises
with healing in His wings;
when comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
a season of clear shining,
to cheer it after rain.

2 In holy contemplation,
we sweetly then pursue
the theme of God’s salvation,
and find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow,
we cheerfully can say,
“E’en let the unknown morrow
bring with it what it may.”

3 “It can bring with it nothing,
but He will bear us through;
who gives the lilies clothing
will clothe His people, too;
beneath the spreading heavens
no creature but is fed;
and He who feeds the ravens
will give His children bread.”

4 Though vine nor fig tree neither
their wonted fruit should bear,
though all the field should wither,
nor flocks nor herds be there,
yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
for while in Him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.

The last hymn of the month was written by Bernard of Cluny (12th century), who is thought to be French born to English parents. He is most known for this poetic work De contemptu mundi (“On Condemning the World”), written ~1140 and dedicated to the abbot of Cluny, Peter the Venerable. Englishman John Mason Neale (1818-1866) gave us this translation.

“Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. (Rev. 21:9-11 ESV)

1 Jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest,
beneath your contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, O I know not, what joys await us there;
what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare.

2 They stand, those halls of Zion, all jubilant with song,
and bright with many an angel, and all the martyr throng.
The Prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene;
the pastures of the blessed are decked in glorious sheen.

3 There is the throne of David; and there, from care released,
the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast;
and they who with their Leader have conquered in the fight,
forever and forever are clad in robes of white.

4 O sweet and blessed country, the home of God’s elect!
O sweet and blessed country, that eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest;
who art, with God the Father and Spirit, ever blest.

In 1837, the influential Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne wrote today’s hymn of looking to the next life in faith.

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, ⁱwhich are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47 ESV).

1 When this passing world is done,
when has sunk yon glaring sun,
when we stand with Christ on high
looking o’er life’s history,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

2 When I hear the wicked call
on the rocks and hills to fall,
when I see them start and shrink
on the fiery deluge brink,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

3 When I stand before the throne,
dressed in beauty not my own,
when I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

4 When the praise of heav’n I hear,
loud as thunders to the ear,
loud as many waters’ noise,
sweet as harp’s melodious voice,
then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe.

5 Chosen not for good in me,
wakened up from wrath to flee,
hidden in the Savior’s side,
by the Spirit sanctified,
teach me, Lord, on earth to show,
by my love, how much I owe.

Today’s hymn is a traditional one on returning home. The arrangement above is by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. The text below is from the 1916 National Jubilee Melodies, which includes two more verses than the recording above.

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.” (Joshua 1:3 ESV)

1 Our bondage it shall end,
By and by, by and by;
Our bondage here shall end, by and by;
From Egypt’s yoke set free,
Hail the glorious jubilee,
And to Canaan we’ll return,
By and by, by and by,
And to Canaan we’ll return by and by.

2 Our Deliverer will come,
By and by, by and by;
Our Deliverer will come, by and by;
And our sorrows have an end,
With our threescore years and ten,
And vast glory crown the day,
By and by, by and by,
And vast glory crown the day, by and by.

3 Tho’ our enemies are strong,
We’ll go on, we’ll go on;
Tho’ our enemies are strong, we’ll go on;
Tho’ our hearts dissolve with fear,
Lo, Sinai’s God is near,
While the fiery pillar moves,
We’ll go on, we’ll go on,
While the fiery pillar moves, we’ll go on.

4 Thro’ Mara’s bitter streams
We’ll go on, we’ll go on;
Thro’ Marah’s bitter streams, we’ll go on;
Tho’ Baca’s vale be dry,
And the land yield no supply,
To a land of corn and wine,
We’ll go on, we’ll go on,
To a land of corn and wine, we’ll go on.

5 And when to Jordan’s floods,
We are come, we are come,
And when to Jordan’s floods, we are come;
Jehovah rules the tide,
And the waters He’ll divide,
And the ransomed host shall shout,
We are come, we are come,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come.

6 Then with all the happy throng,
We’ll rejoice, we’ll rejoice;
Then with all the happy throng, we’ll rejoice;
Shouting glory to our King,
Till the vaults of heav’n ring,
And thro’ all eternity,
We’ll rejoice, we’ll rejoice,
And thro’ all eternity, we’ll rejoice.

For October, we will take up the theme of the life to come. Today’s hymn is by the Scottish poet Anne Ross Cousin (1824-1906). She wrote it while reflecting on Samuel Rutherford’s notes on Revelation 22.

“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:3-5 ESV).

1 The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks,
The summer morn I’ve sighed for,
The fair sweet morn awakes;
Dark, dark hath been the midnight,
But day-spring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel’s land.

2 The King there in his beauty
Without a veil is seen;
It were a well-spent journey
Though sev’n deaths lay between:
The Lamb with his fair army
Doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel’s land.

3 O Christ, he is the fountain,
The deep sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I’ve tasted
More deep I’ll drink above:
There to an ocean fulness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel’s land.

4 The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace;
Not at the crown he gifteth,
But on his pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Emmanuel’s land.

Today’s hymn in our theme of faith comes from New Jersey writer Mary D. James (1810-1883). “All for Jesus” is a confession of devotion in light of the Lord’s excellencies.

“Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:13-14 ESV).

1 All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.

2 Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.

3 Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,
cling to gilded toys of dust,
boast of wealth and fame and pleasure;
only Jesus will I trust.

4 Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.

5 O what wonder! How amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
deigns to call me his beloved,
lets me rest beneath his wings.

Today’s hymn is another old text paired to a new tune. Though it’s been published in hundreds of hymnals, I’ve heard it only because of the recording above. English author Anne Steele (1717-1778) was the daughter of a Particular Baptist minister working in southern England. She was something of a literary star in her circles. She died in great pain, but I don’t know that this hymn was written during that suffering.

This text has been copied from a 1793 publication.

“Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15 ESV).

1 Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On thee, when sorrows rise,
On thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies.

2 To thee I tell each rising grief,
For thou alone canst heal;
Thy word can bring a sweet relief
For every pain I feel.

3 But O! when gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call thee mine;
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline.

4 Yet, gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust;
And still my soul would cleave to thee,
Tho’ prostrate in the dust.

5 Hast thou not bid me seek thy face?
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace
Be deaf when I complain?

6 No, still the ear of sovereign grace
Attends the mourner’s prayer;
O may I ever find access
To breathe my sorrows there.

7 Thy mercy-seat is open still;
Here let my soul retreat;
With humble hope attend thy will,
And wait beneath thy feet.

Today’s hymn was published in 1906, but the tune we use in my church circles was written within the last ten years. English hymnist Ada Ruth Habershon (1861-1918) wrote the text and many other hymns as well as Bible studies and books. She contributed to the songs distributed and sung during the Liverpool Revival of 1905.

The words performed in the video above are not exactly as copied below; both versions deserve our attention.

1 When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He can hold me fast!

Refrain:
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.

2 I could never keep my hold,
He must hold me fast;
For my love is often cold,
He must hold me fast. [Refrain]

3 I am precious in His sight,
He will hold me fast;
Those He saves are His delight,
He will hold me fast. [Refrain]

4 He’ll not let my soul be lost,
Christ will hold me fast;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast. [Refrain]

Today’s hymn seems less of a hymn to me and more of a song. Civilla D. Martin (1866-1948) of Nova Scotia wrote it in 1906 and set it to a tune by Iowan composer Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1856-1932). The Methodist musician wrote and edited thousands of gospel songs that were sung at Billy Sunday­ and Homer Rodeheaver urban crusades.

1 Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home;
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:

Refrain:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

2 “Let not your heart be troubled,”
His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth,
But one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me; [Refrain]

3 Whenever I am tempted,
Whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing,
When hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him,
From care He sets me free; [Refrain]