Scripture Verse

You have been…a shelter from the storm. Isaiah 25:4

Introduction

portrait
Ira D. Sankey (1840–1908)

Words: Ver­non J. Charles­worth, cir­ca 1880.

Music: Ira D. San­key, cir­ca 1885 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Vernon J. Charlesworth (1839–1915)

I found this hymn in a small pa­per pub­lished in Lon­don, called The Post­man. It was said to be a fa­vo­rite song of the fish­er­men on the north coast of Eng­land, and they were of­ten heard sing­ing it as they ap­proached their har­bors in the time of storm.

As the hymn was set to weird mi­nor tune, I de­cid­ed to com­pose one that would be more prac­ti­cal, one that could be more ea­si­ly sung by the peo­ple.

Sankey, pp. 106–07

Lyrics

The Lord’s our rock, in Him we hide,
A shel­ter in the time of storm;
Secure what­ev­er ill be­tide,
A shelt­er in the time of storm.

Refrain

Oh, Je­sus is a rock in a wea­ry land,
A wea­ry land, a wea­ry land;
Oh, Je­sus is a rock in a wea­ry land,
A shel­ter in the time of storm.

A shade by day, de­fense by night,
A shel­ter in the time of storm;
No fears alarm, no foes afright,
A shel­ter in the time of storm.

Refrain

The rag­ing storms may round us beat,
A shel­ter in the time of storm
We’ll ne­ver leave our safe re­treat,
A shel­ter in the time of storm.

Refrain

O rock di­vine, O re­fuge dear,
A shel­ter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our help­er ev­er near,
A shel­ter in the time of storm.

Refrain