Scripture Verse

I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Psalm 2:8

Introduction

portrait
Alexander J. Baird (1820–1884)

Words: Al­ex­an­der J. Baird, in Child­ren’s Ho­san­nas (Nash­ville, Ten­nes­see: Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, Cum­ber­land Pres­by­ter­ian Church, 1880).

Music: Cas­ta­li­an Springs Mar­cus B. De­Witt, 1880 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

This wide, wide world for Je­sus,
With all its sins and woes,
Its ang­uish and dis­eas­es,
Its sor­rows and its throes;
Though cursed and torn and blight­ed,
And sunk­en down in gloom,
God makes it, though be­night­ed,
The king­dom of His Son.

Christ is our king and rul­er,
Our hearts shall be His throne;
The Gosp­el’s great re­veal­er
Shall make us all His own;
We’ll sing His great sal­va­tion,
His tri­umph o’er His foes,
Till des­ert, land, and na­tion
Shall blos­som as the rose.