The Cyber Hymnal ‎#5024

5024. O Jesus, I Have Promised

1. O Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
my master and my friend;
I shall not fear the battle
if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
if Thou wilt be my guide.

2. O let me feel Thee near me!
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.

3. O let me hear Thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self will.
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.

4. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
there shall Thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my master and my friend.

5. O let me see Thy footprints,
and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
is in Thy strength alone.
O guide me, call me, draw me,
uphold me to the end;
And then in Heaven receive me,
my Savior and my friend.

Text Information

• First Line: O Jesus, I have promised
• Title: O Jesus, I Have Promised
• Author: John E. Bode (1868, alt.)
• Meter: 76.76 D
• Language: English
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Bode wrote the words for his daughter's and two sons' confirmation service. At the time, Bode was a pastor in Castle Camps parish, Cambridgeshire, England. It was published in the appendix of Psalms and Hymns of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge, 1869. Al­ter­nate tunes: LLANBERIS, Sam­u­el Wes­ley, in No­vel­lo’s The Psalm­ist, 1835; LLANFYLLIN, tra­di­tion­al Welsh mel­o­dy, pub­lished 1865; WOLVERCOTE, Will­iam H. Fer­gu­son, cir­ca 1910

Tune Information

• Name: ANGEL'S STORY
• Composer: Arthur Henry Mann (1881)
• Meter: 76.76 D
• Incipit: 33321 17544 32335
• Key: G Major
• Source: The Methodist Sunday School Hymnbook (London: 1881)
• Copyright: Public Domain