1 Far, far away from my loving father,
I had been wand’ring, wayward, wild,
fearing only lest his anger
overtake his sinful child.
Refrain:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
he will embrace me in his arms.
In the arms of my dear Savior,
oh, there are ten thousand charms.
2 Fain had I fed on the husks around me,
till to myself I came, and said,
“Plenty have my father’s servants;
perish I for want of bread.” [Refrain]
3 I will arise, though faint and weary,
home to my father I will go.
Woe to me that e’er I wandered,
ah, that I such need should know. [Refrain]
4 “Father,” I’ll say, “I have sinned before thee,
no more may I be called thy son.
Make me only as thy servant;
pity me, a wretch undone!” [Refrain]
5 Then I arose and came to my father.
Mercy amazing! Love unknown!
He beheld me, ran, embraced me,
pardoned, welcomed, called me “son”!
Source: Voices Together #300
Philip P. Bliss (b. Clearfield County, PA, 1838; d. Ashtabula, OH, 1876) left home as a young boy to make a living by working on farms and in lumber camps, all while trying to continue his schooling. He was converted at a revival meeting at age twelve. Bliss became an itinerant music teacher, making house calls on horseback during the winter, and during the summer attending the Normal Academy of Music in Genesco, New York. His first song was published in 1864, and in 1868 Dwight L. Moody advised him to become a singing evangelist. For the last two years of his life Bliss traveled with Major D. W. Whittle and led the music at revival meetings in the Midwest and Southern United States. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey published a popular series of hym… Go to person page >
My Starred Hymns
My FlexScores
My Hymnals
My Purchased Files
