Scripture Verse

A woman, who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment. Matthew 9:20

Introduction

Words: Mrs. E. C. Ells­worth, in Songs of Joy and Glad­ness, by John R. Swe­ney, Will­iam Kirk­pat­rick et al. (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Mc­Don­ald, Gill & Com­pa­ny, 1885), num­ber 140.

Music: Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know Ells­worth’s full name, or where to get a good pho­to of her (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)

Lyrics

An ea­ger, rest­less crowd drew near,
And round the Sav­ior pressed;
But one, with warm and lov­ing faith,
His heal­ing power con­fessed.

Refrain

She had touched the hem of His gar­ment,
Trusting with all her soul;
For ev­ery touch of the lov­ing Je­sus
Can make the wound­ed whole.

The mul­ti­tude, with cu­ri­ous eyes,
Just gazed up­on His face;
But she glanced up with hope, and love,
To feel His sav­ing grace.

Refrain

Oh, near to Christ the ma­ny came,
In that most fa­vored hour!
But one stretched out the hand of faith,
And touched His heal­ing pow­er.

Refrain

Of all who throng His courts to­day,
Who shall re­ceive His Word?
Who shall reach forth with faith sin­cere,
To touch the heal­ing Lord?

Come and touch the hem of His gar­ment,
Trusting with all your soul;
For ev­ery touch of the lov­ing Je­sus
Can make the wound­ed whole.