I Will Sing The Wondrous Story
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me;
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.
Refrain:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
…….
A doctor’s son, Rowley attended the University of Rochester and Rochester Theological Seminary in New York. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1878 and pastored for over 30 years in several locations: Titusville,Pennsylvania; North Adams, Massachusetts; Oak Park, Illinois;Fall River, Massachusetts; and at the First Baptist Church in Boston, Massachusetts.
I was bruised but Jesus healed me…
“I was minister of the First Baptist Church of North Adams (Massachusetts) at the time the hymn was written in 1886, as nearly as I can remember. The church and the community were experiencing a period of unusual interest in religious matters, and I was assisted by a remarkable young singer named Peter Bilhorn. One night after the close of the service he said, Why don’t you write a hymn for me to set to music? During the night these most unpretentious and wholly unworthy verses came to me.
“Some years ago as I was going down a London street one night about eleven o’clock, discovered ahead of me a group of Salvation Army people holding a service, and as I came nearer to them it occurred to me that the hymn they were singing was familiar. Then it dawned upon me that it was this one.”:
I Will Sing The Wondrous Story
I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me;
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.
Refrain:
Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ Who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.
I was lost, but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Threw His loving arms around me,
Drew me back into His way.
I was bruised, but Jesus healed me,
Faint was I from many a fall,
Sight was gone, and fears possessed me,
But He freed me from them all.
Days of darkness still come o’er me,
Sorrow’s path I often tread,
But His presence still is with me;
By His guiding hand I’m led.
He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.
Lyric by Francis H. Rowley 1854-1952
Edited by John Harder
Acknowledgement : THE EVANGELIST Volume 77 Number 7
Evangelical Tract Distributors P.O.Box 146, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5J 2G9
Photo by : Franco Ho