O Happy They Who Know the Lord

Representative Text

1 How happy they who know the Lord,
With whom he deigns to dwell!
He feeds and cheers them by his word,
His arm supports them well.

2 Wandeirng in sin, our souls he found,
And bid us seek his face;
Gave us to hear the gospel sound,
And taste the gospel grace.

3 His presence sweetens all their cares,
And makes their burdens light;
A word from him dispels their fears,
And breaks the gloom of night.

4 Lord we expect to suffer here,
Nor would be dare repine;,
But give us still, to find thee near,
And own us, still for thine.

5 Let us enjoy and highly prize
These tokens of thy love:
Till thou shalt bid our spirits rise,
To worship thee above.

The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799

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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 >

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Text Information

First Line: O [How] happy they who know the Lord
Title: O Happy They Who Know the Lord
Author: John Newton
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain
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Tune

WOODLAND (Gould)


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VOM HIMMEL HOCH

Initially Luther used the folk melody associated with his first stanza as the tune for this hymn. Later he composed this new tune for his text. VOM HIMMEL HOCH was first published in Valentin Schumann's Geistliche Lieder in 1539. Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) used Luther's melody in three places in his wel…

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Media

The Cyber Hymnal #8313
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The Cyber Hymnal #8313

The Cyber Hymnal #8313
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