# Favorite hymn & hymn writer?



## thistle93 (Nov 10, 2012)

I know its going to be hard to limit to just one each but what is your favorite hymn and who is your overall favorite hymn writer?

My favorite hymn is *"There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood"* by William Cowper.
My favorite overall hymn writer is *Anne Steele*.

Your turn. 

Thanks!

For His Glory-
Matthew


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## Tim (Nov 10, 2012)

Favorite hymn: Psalm 1, because I continue to be convicted by its content, even after singing it countless times.

Favorite hymn writers: I like them all - David, Moses, the Sons of Korah, Asaph, The Ezrahite, Solomon.


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## OPC'n (Nov 10, 2012)

[video=youtube;7QokiP3QDHo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QokiP3QDHo[/video]

Not What My Hands Have Done


Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;
Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.
No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;
No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb
Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;
He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.
’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

George William Martin

The video leaves out one part for some reason


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## baron (Nov 10, 2012)

My favorite is: COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING by Robert Robinson
1735-1790 and John Wyeth 1770-1858

Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothèd then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Maybe due to feeling prone to wander from the God I love, I cannot proclaim it well, waiting for the day, O that day when freed from sinning, I shall see Thy lovely face;


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## he beholds (Nov 10, 2012)

This question is too hard!


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## jwithnell (Nov 10, 2012)

_O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus_ (though _Sing Choirs of New Jerusalem_ is beginning to edge its way in) John Newton has such a solid body of hymns, and I'm always amazed at the Wesley brothers given their underlying theology. I find the _Finlandia_ tune very affecting.



O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!


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## kodos (Nov 10, 2012)

Amen to this! Psalm 1 is our children's psalm for the month, one of the most critical psalms to memorize and meditate upon.



Tim said:


> Favorite hymn: Psalm 1, because I continue to be convicted by its content, even after singing it countless times.
> 
> Favorite hymn writers: I like them all - David, Moses, the Sons of Korah, Asaph, The Ezrahite, Solomon.


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## Zach (Nov 10, 2012)

It changes often, but here is what it is at present: "By Grace I'm Saved"

Original Trinity Hymnal, #399

By grace I'm saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Hath Scripture ever falsehood taught?
Nay; then this word must true remain:
By grace thou, too, shalt heav'n obtain.

By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in his love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.

By grace! O, mark this word of promise
When thou art by thy sins oppressed,
When Satan plagues thy troubled conscience,
And when thy heart is seeking rest.
What reason cannot comprehend
God by his grace to thee doth send.

By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
So long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in his Word our God commands,
What our whole faith must rest upon,
Is grace alone, grace in his Son.


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## Eoghan (Nov 10, 2012)

How Firm a Foundation, the favourite hymn of General Robert E. Lee. It speaks to me of the central role of Scripture in the reformed faith (and other important truths too)



How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.


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## jambo (Nov 10, 2012)

Josiah Condor's "Thou art the Everlasting Word"
Isaac Watt's "Jesus shall reign"
Charles Wesley's "And can it be"

Plus some of the ones already mentioned.

I know this probably wouldn't be too popular but I like many of Charles Wesley's hymns


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## Tim (Nov 10, 2012)

kodos said:


> Amen to this! Psalm 1 is our children's psalm for the month, one of the most critical psalms to memorize and meditate upon.



It became my favorite at the first church I attended that practiced exclusive psalmody. In the evening service, the congregation chose Psalms to sing. Over a period of a few weeks, the children (being children) repeatedly chose Psalm 1. At first, I was slightly annoyed since there were so many other wonderful Psalms to sing. But, eventually, I found that I had memorized the Psalm. It now being easy to recall that Psalm to sing it here and there throughout the day, I began to understand it well. Because it is scripture, it is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. And, indeed that it what it accomplishes each time it comes to mind.


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## J. Dean (Nov 10, 2012)

Great hymn, and worthy to be sung in all churches.

1 O God, forsake me not! 
Your gracious presence lend me; 
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot, 
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!

2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow'r--
O God, forsake me not!

3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication! 
In ev'ry evil hour 
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!

4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessed end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!


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## jwithnell (Nov 10, 2012)

> How Firm a Foundation


 Oh I love this hymn! It has been such a comfort!


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## gordo (Nov 10, 2012)

Tim said:


> It now being easy to recall that Psalm to sing it here and there throughout the day, I began to understand it well. Because it is scripture, it is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. And, indeed that it what it accomplishes each time it comes to mind.



How do you sing it? Would be interested to know the beat so I can try. Psalm 1 his great.


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## Tim (Nov 10, 2012)

gordo said:


> How do you sing it? Would be interested to know the beat so I can try. Psalm 1 his great.



Gord, you will need to find a collection of Psalms put into metre. The versification below can be sung to the popular tune "Amazing Grace*" and any other tune that follows _common metre_, for which the syllables on each line are _8 6 8 6_. You can find many common metre tunes in the Trinity Hymnal, for example, if you have one of those. You can find more about metres here. I can provide you with a link to a free online metrical psalter to get you started right away. 

The first of six verses:



> That man hath perfect blessedness,
> who walketh not astray
> In counsel of ungodly men,
> nor stands in sinners' way,



You can find the rest here. This psalter is free and in public domain, and has the "feeling" of the King James Version of the Bible. There are other modern psalters available as well.

*actually, it is called "New Britain"


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## JBaldwin (Nov 10, 2012)

A Mighty Fortress is Our God--Martin Luther


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## Randy in Tulsa (Nov 10, 2012)

How Sweet and Awesome Is the Place - Isaac Watts


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## blhowes (Nov 11, 2012)

Its hard to limit it to just one - two come to mind. I think I'd have to say "All Hail the Power of Jesus' name" (diadem version)

1.	All hail the power of Jesus' name! 
Let angels prostrate fall, 
let angels prostrate fall; 
bring forth the royal diadem, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

2.	Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, 
ye ransomed from the fall, 
ye ransomed from the fall, 
hail him who saves you by his grace, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

3.	Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget 
the wormwood and the gall, 
the wormwood and the gall, 
go spread your trophies at his feet, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

4.	Let every kindred, every tribe 
on this terrestrial ball, 
on this terrestrial ball, 
to him all majesty ascribe, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

5.	Crown him, ye martyrs of your God, 
who from his altar call, 
who from his altar call; 
extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

6.	O that with yonder sacred throng 
we at his feet may fall, 
we at his feet may fall! 
We'll join the everlasting song, 
and crown him, crown him, 
crown him, crown him, 
and crown him Lord of all.

(verse 5 is new to me - I like it)


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## Tyrese (Nov 11, 2012)

The sands of time are sinking

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of heaven breaks,
The summer morn I've sighed for,
The fair sweet morn awakes;
Dark, dark, hath been the midnight,
But dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.

The King there in his beauty
Without a veil is seen;
It were a well-spent journey
Though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with his fair army
Doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.

O Christ, he is the fountain,
The deep sweet well of love!
The streams on earth I've tasted
More deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness
His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel's land.

The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace;
Not at the crown he gifteth,
But on his pierced hand:
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Emmanuel's land.


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## gordo (Nov 11, 2012)

Tim said:


> gordo said:
> 
> 
> > How do you sing it? Would be interested to know the beat so I can try. Psalm 1 his great.
> ...



Thanks Tim. Greatly appreciated. The link you provided is perfect to get started. God bless.


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## JBaldwin (Nov 11, 2012)

Have you read the other verses to that? It was taken from a very long poem. I love this one as well.


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## Claudiu (Nov 13, 2012)

Favorite hymn: Amazing Grace by John Newton. 
Favorite hymn writer: don't know yet.


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## Rufus (Nov 13, 2012)

My favorite hymn is Abide with Me by Lyte,
But my favorite hymn writer is Cowper.


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## J. Dean (Nov 13, 2012)

Tyrese said:


> The sands of time are sinking
> 
> The sands of time are sinking,
> The dawn of heaven breaks,
> ...


Forgot about that one. That was one of Spurgeon's favorites.


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## bookslover (Nov 14, 2012)

"It is Well with My Soul"


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## arielann81 (Nov 14, 2012)

286. O Sacred Head Now Wounded
by J.S. Bach, 1685-1750

O sacred Head, now wounded, 
with grief and shame weighed down, 
now scornfully surrounded 
with thorns, thine only crown: 
how pale thou art with anguish, 
with sore abuse and scorn! 
How does that visage languish 
which once was bright as morn! 

What thou, my Lord, has suffered 
was all for sinners' gain; 
mine, mine was the transgression, 
but thine the deadly pain. 
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 
'Tis I deserve thy place; 
look on me with thy favor, 
vouchsafe to me thy grace. 

What language shall I borrow 
to thank thee, dearest friend, 
for this thy dying sorrow, 
thy pity without end? 
O make me thine forever; 
and should I fainting be, 
Lord, let me never, never 
outlive my love for thee

I also love the Old Rugged Cross and When Peace Like a River. They are classic and I've always been partial to tragedy and forlorn sounds. The oboe is a favorite instrument of mine for example. I think it makes me feel stronger/deeper. As if I appreciate the good all the more for having counted the cost first.


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## belin (Nov 17, 2012)

Current Favorite Hymn: There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood
Favorite Hymn Writer: Issac Watts


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## KaphLamedh (Nov 17, 2012)

*Be Thou my vision* and *Trust and obey*. There's many more favorites like Scottish Psalms. I like also *Be still my sou*l because it has made into Sibelius's Finlandia melody.


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## JennyG (Nov 17, 2012)

I have far too many favourites ever to choose!



bookslover said:


> "It is Well with My Soul"



I heard somewhere recently that the author wrote that hymn immediately after losing his three(?) daughters in a shipwreck


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