The Cyber Hymnal ‎#5879

5879. Sailing into Port

1. Sailor, though the darkness gathers,
Though the cold waves surge and moan,
Trust thy bark to God’s great mercy,
Falter not; sail on, sail on.

Refrain
Sailing into port, what matter,
Drooping sail or shattered mast?
Glory, glory fills the harbor,
There we’ll anchor safe at last.

2. Sailor, though with streamers flying,
Yonder proud ship mounts the foam,
And with bands of music playing,
Gains the port and welcome home. [Refrain]

3. Sailor, though the lightning flashes,
Though thy sails be rent and torn,
Peace shall come on hope’s bright pinions,
And deliverance with the morn. [Refrain]

Text Information

• First Line: Sailor, though the darkness gathers
• Title: Sailing into Port
• Author: Philip P. Bliss (1871)
• Refrain First Line: Sailing into port, what matter
• Language: English
• Source: The Charm: A Collection of Sunday School Music (Chicago, Illinois: Root & Cady, 1871)
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Some ships cross the ocean with clear skies, smooth seas and fair winds, and come into port with streamers flying and bands of music making jubilee. Others come in storms, with the sky black as night, the wind like a hurricane, and the sea like mountains--and they come in all battered, yards gone, masts splintered, hardly enough left to hang together. But the difference amounts to nothing. The only important thing from first to last is, not what the log says about storm or calm, but that they all steer close to the compass, and do their best to make harbor. [If] they only get there safely, what happened to them by the way is of no account. So [it is with] God's children. There may, there will be, vast variety of experience: to some prosperity, success, joy--to others, adversity, defeat, grief. But what may be your lot or mine, is of no consequence. The one only thing of moment is, that we stick close to our chart and push for port with all our might. [If] we gain that, the pleasures or perils of the way do not matter. Extract from a sermon preached by Dr. E. P. Goodwin, First Congregational Church, Chicago.

Tune Information

• Name: SAILING
• Composer: Philip Paul Bliss (1871)
• Incipit: 55165 43511 66117
• Key: C Major
• Copyright: Public Domain