Theme for week: Loving the Lord
November 5, 2021 (Friday)
The music for “I Love Him” was written by Stephen C. Foster, famous composer of the 19th century. Though he was a “Northerner,” his songs appealed to Southerners. The older versions of his songs are being rejected during these days of cultural revolution as “politically incorrect.”
An anonymous person heard the old song and thought of other words to be put to the tune. The new words were about loving the Lord. The song therefore became a hymn. I recall seeing it in an earlier edition of “The Baptist Hymnal.”
I LOVE HIM
Anonymous/Unknown, pub.1908
copyright status is Public Domain
Music, “Gone from My Heart”
Stephen C. Foster
arr. by Daniel B. Towner, 1909
Gone from my heart the world and all its charms;
Now through the blood I’m saved from all alarms;
Down at the cross my heart is bending low;
The precious blood of Jesus cleanses white as snow.
Refrain:
I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation on Calv’ry’s tree.
Once I was lost, and ’way down deep in sin;
Once was a slave to passions fierce within;
Once was afraid to meet an angry God;
But now I’m cleansed from ev’ry stain through Jesus’ blood.
Refrain
Once I was bound, but now I am set free;
Once I was blind, but now the light I see;
Once I was dead, but now in Christ I live,
To tell the world around the peace that He doth give.
Refrain
