Scripture Verse

If My people…shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Introduction

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Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Ho­ræ Ly­ri­cæ and Di­vine Songs, 1706–09, Book 1, alt.

Music: Lef­fing­well Tho­ro Har­ris (1874–1955) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know when the mu­sic was writ­ten,

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Thoro Harris (1874–1955)

Lyrics

Happy the hours, the gold­en days,
When I could call my Je­sus mine,
And sit and view His smil­ing face;
And melt in plea­sures all-divine.

Near to my heart, with­in my arms
He lay, till sin de­filed my breast,
Till brok­en vows, and earth­ly charms,
Tired and pro­voked my heav­en­ly guest.

And now He’s gone (O migh­ty woe!)
Gone from my soul, and hides His love!
Curse on you, sins, that grieved Him so,
Ye sins, that forced Him to re­move.

Break, break, my heart; com­plain, my tongue;
Hither, my friends, your sor­rows bring:
Angels, as­sist my dole­ful song;
If you have e’er a mourn­ing string;

But, ah! your joys are ev­er nigh,
Ever His love­ly face you see;
While my poor spir­it pants to die,
And groans, for Thee, my God, for Thee.

Yet let my hope look thro’ my tears,
And spy afar His roll­ing throne;
His cha­ri­ot thro’ the cleav­ing spheres
Shall bring the bright Be­lov­èd down.

Swift as a roe flies o’er the hills,
My soul springs out to meet Him high,
Then the fair Con­quer­or turns His wheels,
And climbs the man­sions of the sky.

There smil­ing joy for ev­er reigns,
No more the tur­tle leaves the dove.
Farewell to jeal­ous­ies, and pains,
And all the ills of ab­sent love.