Scripture Verse

I have called you friends. John 15:15

Introduction

portrait
Lewis C. Lockwood (1815–1904)

Words: Lew­is C. Lock­wood, in The Chor­us, by A. S. Jenks and D. Gil­key (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: A. S. Jenks, 1858), pag­es 285–86, alt.

Music: Lil­ly Dale Hen­ry S. Thomp­son, 1852 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Thomp­son (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

’Tis a calm, still night,
With the moon’s pale light
Shining soft ov­er hill and vale;
But my heart, mute with grief,
Looks up for re­lief,
And a friend I in Je­sus hail.

Refrain

O Je­sus! dear Je­sus! dear Je­sus, hail!
Now my ach­ing bo­som has balm for woe,
As I pass through life’s lone­ly vale.

O the cheek that glowed,
As the rose tint blowed,
See the hand of dis­ease turn pale;
And the death damp falls now,
On my fe­vered brow,
Yet a friend I in Je­sus hail.

Refrain

With Him I’ll be blest,
In the land of rest,
When my heart and my flesh shall fail;
When this dust li­eth low,
I to Heav’n shall go,
And a friend in my Je­sus hail.

Refrain

When o’er my grave,
Flowers gent­ly wave,
As the stream rip­ples through the vale,
Then with an­gels I’ll sing,
And make Hea­ven ring,
As a friend I in Je­sus hail.

Refrain