Category Archives: Hymns and Spiritual Songs

Alleluia!

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Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right;
Faith and Hope triumphant say
Christ will rise on Easter Day.

– Phillips Brooks, An Easter Carol

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The strife is o’er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun:
Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst:
Alleluia!

The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head!
Alleluia!

He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from heaven’s high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell!
Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee:
Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

~ Author Unknown

May you have a wonderful joyous, blessed Easter remembering the resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted

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Isaiah 53:4: Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
See Him dying on the tree!
’Tis the Christ by man rejected;
Yes, my soul, ’tis He, ’tis He!
’Tis the long expected prophet,
David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;
Proofs I see sufficient of it:
’Tis a true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear Him groaning,
Was there ever grief like His?
Friends through fear His cause disowning,
Foes insulting his distress:
Many hands were raised to wound Him,
None would interpose to save;
But the deepest stroke that pierced Him
Was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly,
Nor suppose the evil great,
Here may view its nature rightly,
Here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the Sacrifice appointed!
See Who bears the awful load!
’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed,
Son of Man, and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost.
Christ the Rock of our salvation,
Christ the Name of which we boast.
Lamb of God for sinners wounded!
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.

~ Thomas Kelly, 1804

For Palm Sunday

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Crown Him

by Leila N. Morris

Behold one day a wondrous scene:
There rode a Man of lowly mien,
Along the dusty way, along the dusty way;
The people thronged Him as He passed,
Palm branches in His way they cast,
And cried, “Hosanna to the King, today!”

Refrain

Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown the Savior King of kings;
In your hearts enthrone Him,
Lord and Master own Him;
Crown Him! Crown Him!
While heaven exultant rings;
Crown the blessèd Savior King of kings.

He’s passing by, just as of yore,
And great and small and rich and poor,
Today their Lord deny, today their Lord deny;
Oh, make of Him supremest choice,
And with uplifted heart and voice,
“Hosanna to the King of kings” still cry.

Refrain

Soon He is coming back again,
A thousand years on earth to reign;
We’ll see Him by and by, we’ll see Him by and by;
All the redeemed with Him He’ll bring,
Who in their hearts have crowned Him King,
And they shall live and reign with Him on high.

Refrain

Sing praise to God Who reigns above

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Sing praise to God Who reigns above, the God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul is filled and every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory.

What God’s almighty power hath made His gracious mercy keepeth,
By morning glow or evening shade His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of His might, Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.

The Lord is never far away, but through all grief distressing,
An ever present help and stay, our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother’s tender hand, God gently leads the chosen band:
To God all praise and glory.

Thus, all my toilsome way along, I sing aloud Thy praises,
That earth may hear the grateful song my voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart, both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory.

Let all who name Christ’s holy Name give God all praise and glory;
Let all who own His power proclaim aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from its throne, for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:
To God all praise and glory.

~ Jo­hann J. Schütz

(It’s also often sung “All praise to God…”)

Make Me a Stranger

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Make me a stranger on earth, dear Savior,
Make me a stranger more like Thee.
Help me keep my focus on heavenly treasures,
And not on earthly things may it be.

Lord, lead me onward as a pilgrim
Bound for heaven never to roam.
Make me a stranger on earth, dear Savior,
Till I see my heavenly home.

Lord, I’ve found myself loving earthly treasures:
Simple pleasures taking your place.
Nothing can measure to heavenly treasures:
Hearing “Well done,” and seeing Your face.

Lord, lead me onward as a pilgrim
Bound for heaven never to roam.
Make me a stranger on earth, dear Savior,
Till I see my heavenly home.

~ Mac Lynch

Beneath the cross of Jesus

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Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

~ Eliz­a­beth Cle­phane, 1868

Depth of Mercy

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Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father’s mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

There for me the Savior stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Pity from Thine eye let fall,
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.

~ Charles Wesley, 1740

Full version here. 

The Haven of Rest

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(Photo courtesy of the stock.xchng.)

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Psalm 107:28-20.


The Haven of Rest

By Henry Gilmour

My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,
“Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!

Refrain

I’ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.

Refrain

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the “Haven of Rest.”

Refrain

How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the belovèd so blest,
On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”

Refrain

O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
And say, “My Belovèd is mine.”

Refrain

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30.

 

Here Is Love

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depthsofmercy.jpgOne of my favorite new Christmas presents is a CD titled Depths of Mercy, performed by the Soundforth singers and orchestra. And I think my favorite song on is “Here Is Love.” I first heard it several months ago when two young men sang it as a duet at church. I had thought it was a relatively new song, but the author, William Rees, lived from 1803-1883. The music is new, however, by Steve and Vicki Cook, and the words have been changed around a little and a new little part added. You can hear just a little part of it here at SacredAudio.com — an excellent resource, by the way. You can buy individual songs for 99 cents, and this one would be well worth it (and no, I am not paid to say that. 🙂 ) The sample snippet recorded there is from about 3/4 of the way through and not the best part, in my opinion — I love the melody of the main verses. But it would give you some idea of what it sounds like.

I wanted to post the words and have been vacillating between posting the original hymn or the words as they are sung on the CD. I think I’ll post the original as shown on cyberhymnal.org because they have parts of a couple of stanzas not included in this new version but which I think are great, and add the little new extra part at the end.

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And Heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see.
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and power on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.

Oh, how marvelous; oh, how glorious,
Is my Savior’s love for me!
Oh, how marvelous; oh, how glorious,
Is my Savior’s love for me!

He’s Emmanuel

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Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 1:22-23.

He’s Emmanuel

By Jeanine Drylie

Who is this baby lying asleep where cattle feed
Who is this babe that merits not a bed?
As angel choirs proclaim the glory of His name
And wise men by the star to Him are led?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
To die in sinners’ stead.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men.
But why these swaddling clothes, this cattle stall,
And why this manger bed?

Who is this weary man sitting down upon a well
Too busy with the souls of men to eat?
Who is this man that’s sleeping in tempest-driven boat
Until aroused it’s glory to defeat?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
Salvation to complete.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men.
But why no palaces, no pillow soft,
And why these weary feet?

Who is this man they’re mocking with thorns upon His brow?
Who is this one deserves such cruelty?
Who is this man suspended on yonder rugged cross,
The object of such shame and blasphemy?

He’s Emmanuel,
The God of all the ages clothed in human flesh
To bleed and die for me.
Though He was God yet He was pleased to live on earth with men,
But why these cruel nails, this mocking crowd,
And why this fallen tree?

He’s Emmanuel.

May we rejoice in Emmanuel, God with us, and if you don’t know Him in that way, I pray that you would even this day.