# Good Hymns on Election



## jbotkin

Does anyone know any good hymns on election? The only one I've seen is Josiah Conder's _My Lord I Did Not Choose You_. Surely there are more!?

Thanks for the help!


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## OPC'n

You could look through the Trinity Hymnal Resources here


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## JBaldwin

"Irresitable Grace" found here: Reformed Praise Irresistible Grace

I sought You, Lord, but now I see
You were the one who was seeking me;
I found You, Lord, and then I knew
That I was found by You.

Chorus:
You have called me with irresistible grace
From before time began.
Thank You, Lord, for saving me;
On Your grace now I can stand.

I took Your hand when I was weak:
Sinking, yet always within Your reach.
My feet were firm though on the sea
For You took hold of me. 

I sought, I walked, because Your grace
Long before had fixed my place;
And now I love- how can it be?
‘Twas You who first loved me.

The tune is easy to sing, though a little weak, musically speaking, but the words are good. 

I know there are others, I just can't think of them right now.


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## OPC'n

I like A DEBTOR TO MERCY ALONE and ALL THAT I AM I OWE TO THEE and AH, HOLY Jesus, HOW HAST THOU OFFENDED which you can find in that hymnal.


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## PointyHaired Calvinist

_How Sweet and Aweful/Awesome is the Place_, Isaac Watts.


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## discipulo

Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)

Grace, ’tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to mine ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace first inscribed my name
In God’s eternal book;
’Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.

Grace led my roving feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.

Grace taught my soul to pray
And made mine eyes o’erflow;
’Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.

Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.

O let Thy Grace inspire
My soul with strength divine
My all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.




Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1813-1843)


I once was a stranger to grace and to God,
I knew not my danger, and felt not my load;
Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree,
Jesus Christ was nothing to me.

I oft read with pleasure, to sooth or engage,
Isaiah’s wild measure and John’s simple page;
But even when they pictured the blood sprinkled tree
Jesus Christ seemed nothing to me.

Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll,
I wept when the waters went over His soul;
Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree
Jesus Christ—’twas nothing to me.

When free grace awoke me, by light from on high,
Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die;
No refuge, no safety in self could I see—
Jesus Christ my Savior must be.

My terrors all vanished before the sweet name;
My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came
To drink at the fountain, life giving and free—
Jesus Christ is all things to me.

Jesus Christ! my treasure and boast,
Jesus Christ! I never can be lost;
In thee I shall conquer by flood and by field,
My cable, my anchor, my breast-plate and shield!

Even treading the valley, the shadow of death,
This “watchword” shall rally my faltering breath;
For while from life’s fever my God sets me free,
Jesus Christ, my death song shall be.

-----Added 1/31/2009 at 12:52:31 EST-----


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## dannyhyde

Praise Waits for Thee in Zion (Ps. 65:1–5)–Psalter Hymnal 114
'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee–Psalter Hymnal 385
How Vast the Benefits Divine–Psalter Hymnal 386
I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew–Psalter Hymnal 387


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## Hippo

Words: Samuel J. Stone, 1885; this hymn was writ*ten for the East Lon*don Miss*ion to the Jews, and in*clud*ed in the 1889 Ap*pen*dix to Hymns An*cient and Mo*dern.

Unchanging God, hear from eternal Heav’n:
We plead Thy gifts of grace, forever given,
Thy call, without repentance, calling still,
The sure election of Thy sovereign will.

Out of our faith in Thee, who canst not lie,
Out of our heart’s desire, goes up our cry,
From hope’s sweet vision of the thing to be,
From love to those who still are loved by Thee.

Bring Thy belovèd back, Thine Israel,
Thine own elect who from Thy favor fell,
But not from Thine election! O forgive,
Speak but the word, and lo! the dead shall live.

Father of mercies! these the long astray,
These in soul blindness now the far away,
These are not aliens, but Thy sons of yore,
Oh, by Thy Fatherhood, restore, restore!

Breathe upon Thy Church, that it may greet the day;
Stir up her will to toil, and teach, and pray,
Till Zionward again salvation come,
And all her outcast children are at home.

Triune Jehovah, Thine the grace and power,
Thine all the work, its past, its future hour,
O Thou, who failest not, Thy gifts fulfill,
And crown the calling of Thy changeless will.


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## discipulo

Thank you Mike, beautiful Hymn, can you tell us something more about the author?

I think in the end my favourite is Watts, such depth and poetry. This is also a Hymn on Election

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Jesus, we bless thy Father's Name;
Thy God and ours are both the same:
What heavenly blessings from his throne
Flow down to sinners thro' his Son!

Christ be my first elect, he said,
Then chose our souls in Christ our head,
Before he gave the mountains birth,
Or laid foundations for the earth.

Thus did eternal love begin
To raise us up from death and sin;
Our characters were then decreed,
"Blameless in love, a holy seed."

Predestinated to be sons,
Born by degrees, but chose at once;
A new regenerated race
To praise the glory of his grace.

With Christ our Lord we share our part
In the affections of his heart,
Nor shall our souls be thence removed
Till he forgets his first beloved.


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## py3ak

Septimus Sears wrote a song called "O people selected by sovereign love". It's about election.


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## Hippo

It is strange that election is rarely the subject of hymns, even from staunchly Calvinist hymn writers.

I suppose that election is the method by which salvation is ours through grace alone and it is more natural to celebrate the grace to which election appoints us than the underlying mechanism (election). 

Or it could be that all the best Calvinists are EP and don't write hymns


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## JBaldwin

Hippo said:


> It is strange that election is rarely the subject of hymns, even from staunchly Calvinist hymn writers.
> 
> I suppose that election is the method by which salvation is ours through grace alone and it is more natural to celebrate the grace to which election appoints us than the underlying mechanism (election).
> 
> Or it could be that all the best Calvinists are EP and don't write hymns



It sneaks into hymns with a phrase or two more than most realize, though it's rarely the subject of the hymn. You see phrases such as "chosen by God" or "elect from before the earth began" or "elect from every nation". We sing this song sometimes at the end of our worship (from Ephesians) 


“Grace To You” (by Don Chapman)
Even as He chose us before the world’s creation 
to be holy and blameless before Him in love,
He’s adopted us as His very own through Jesus to Himself by His good pleasure.
Grace to you, from Jesus Christ our Savior.
He’s redeemed us through His blood.
Grace to you. 
Peace to you, from God, our heav’nly Father, every blessing flows from Him.
Grace to you. Peace to you.


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## Whitefield

I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me. 
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.

Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm vexed sea.
T’was not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, on me.

I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord to thee!
For thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
always thou lovedst me.


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## ServantofGod

The Church's One Foundation

The Church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation,
by water and the word:
*from heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride*;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

*Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth*;
one holy Name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed;
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, "How long?"
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blessed,
and the great Church victorious
shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
with God, the Three in one,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
*Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.*


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## CovenantalBaptist

This one is a hymn I was introduced to at seminary that is sung at every GPTS function and which I subsequently requested for my ordination service after I graduated. It covers all the glorious doctrines of grace and it is sung to the same tune as the Navy Hymn (Eternal Father, Strong to Save). It delights my heart and encourages my soul every time I sing it. I hope it will do the same for you. I am not sure if it is in the public domain, so I will post a link to it (scroll down the page)

By Grace Alone (words by Rev. Paul Treick). 

Another great hymn on election that we sing in our church is next to it by Josiah Conder "Tis not that I did choose Thee"


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## jbotkin

Thanks so much for all your help, friends! I am about to start a new sermon series that will move through the process and blessings of salvation - condemnation, election, propitiation, regeneration, justification, redemption, salvation, reconciliation, adoption, sanctification, and glorification (on Resurrection Sunday). 

I try to build the service (scripture, prayers, music) around the theme of the sermon and was having a hard time with some of the emphases (esp election). You've all been a big deal and given me several great options! 

Blessings


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## py3ak

Here is a link to the words of the hymn I mentioned.


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## Michael Butterfield

I cannot name any that have not already been name. However, if you get yourself a copy of the Gadsby's Hymns, you are likely to find some there you have never even heard of. It is a great hymnal. Get the leather edition.


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## Hippo

py3ak said:


> Septimus Sears wrote a song called "O people selected by sovereign love". It's about election.



You have inspired me to buy a copy of "Memoir of the Life and Labours of Septimus Sears, 35 Years Minister of the Gospel of the Gospel of Christ at Clifton, Bedfordshire".


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## py3ak

I have read that book. I found it mildly interesting.


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