The Refuge, River and Rock of the Church

Representative Text

1 He who on earth as man was known,
And bore our sins and pains,
Now, seated on th' eternal throne,
The God of glory reigns.

2 His hands the wheels of nature guide,
With an unerring skill,
And countless worlds, extended wide,
Obey his sovereign will.

3 While harps unnumbered sound his praise
In yonder world above,
His saints on earth admire his ways,
And glory in his love.

4 When troubles, like a burning sun,
Beat heavy on their head,
To this almighty Rock they run,
And find a pleasing shade.

5 How glorious he! how happy they,
In such a glorious Friend!
Whose love secures them all the way,
And crowns them at the end.

Source: The Voice of Praise: a collection of hymns for the use of the Methodist Church #250

Author: John Newton

John Newton (b. London, England, 1725; d. London, 1807) was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumul­tuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton's conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: He who on earth as man was known
Title: The Refuge, River and Rock of the Church
Author: John Newton
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

CHRISTMAS (Handel)

The tune is based on the the beginning of the soprano aria "Non vi piacque ingiusti dei" from the opera "Siroe"

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MAITLAND (Allen)

PRECIOUS LORD, the tune Thomas Dorsey used for his most beloved hymn, "Precious Lord, take my hand", is an adaptation of MAITLAND. Sometimes Dorsey is shown as the composer, sometimes as the arranger or adapter the tune. MAITLAND is often attributed to Allen, but the earliest known sources (H.W. Bee…

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HOLTHAM


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #10315
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The Cyber Hymnal #10315

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