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]

Today’s hymn is one of my top three favorites. “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” was written by Robert Robinson of Norfolk, England (1735-1790). It’s testimony to God’s sustaining grace has always appealed to me.

Hymnary.org says the tune for this hymn has been ascribed to many different people as well as no one at all. The Trinity Hymnal cites it as the one written or distributed by Asahel Nettleton (1783-1844), an American preacher who left a strong legacy with his publication of Village Hymns. “Nettleton’s hymnological work centred in the compiling of his Village Hymns, from which more hymns of the older American writers have passed into English collections than from any other source.”

Another good thing Nettleton did was to oppose Charles Finney in 1827. Bully for him.

1 Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of God’s unchanging love.

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wand’ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

3 O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter,
bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it –
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.