O the darkness, O the sorrow

Representative Text

1 O the darkness, O the sorrow,
O the misery of sin!
When will dawn the promised morrow
That shall bring deliverance in?

2 One there was ordained to languish,
Guiltless, in Gethsemane;
One there was who died in anguish
Innocent, on Calvary.

3 Jesus was the Burden-bearer,
God's own Son the sacrifice;
Of the griefs of man the Sharer,
Of his soul the Ransom-price.

4 'Tis the Christ, the Ever-living,
Ever-loving, Ever-blest,
By the Comforter still giving
Pardon, holiness, and rest.

5 Can the love so freely given,
Can the blood so freshly shed,
Fail to draw the earth to heaven,
Fail to bring alive its dead?

6 Rise, O children of the Father,
Stand, ye brothers of the Son,
In unyielding ranks together
Till the crown of Christ be won;

7 Till the lands of sin and sorrow,
Darker than the ancient night,
Shall behold the promised morrow
Beam on them with saving light.

Amen.

The Hymnal: Published by the authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., 1895

Author: Thomas MacKellar

Mackellar, Thomas, was born in New York, Aug. 12, 1812. At the age of 14 he entered the printing establishment of Harper Brothers. In 1833 he removed to Philadelphia and joined the type-foundry firm of Johnson & Smith, as proof reader. He subsequently became a foreman, and then a partner in that firm, which has been known from 1860 as Mackellar, Smiths, and Jordan, type-founders of Philadelphia. His publications include The American Printer, 1866, a prose work, and the following in verse:— (1) Droppings from the Heart, 1844; (2) Tam's Fortnight Ramble, 1847; (3) Lines for the Gentle and Loving, 1853; (4) Rhymes Atween Times, 1872. The last contains some of his hymns. (5) Hymns and a few Metrical Psalms, Phila. 1883 (71 hymns, 3 psalms… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O the darkness, O the sorrow
Author: Thomas MacKellar
Meter: 8.7.8.7
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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The Cyber Hymnal #4769

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