Return of Joy

When darkness long has vailed my mind

Author: William Cowper
Published in 113 hymnals

Full Text

1 When darkness long has vailed my mind,
And smiling day once more appears;
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.

2 I chide my unbelieving heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbor one hard thought of thee!

3 O! let me then at length be taught
(What I am still so slow to learn)
That God is love, and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.

4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat!
But when my faith is sharply tried
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskillful, weak, and apt to slide.

5 But O my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.

6 Thou art as ready to forgive,
As I am ready to repine;
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive;
Be shame, and self-abhorrence, mine.

The Christian's duty, exhibited in a series of hymns, 1791

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Author: William Cowper

Cowper, William, the poet. The leading events in the life of Cowper are: born in his father's rectory, Berkhampstead, Nov. 26, 1731; educated at Westminster; called to the Bar, 1754; madness, 1763; residence at Huntingdon, 1765; removal to Olney, 1768; to Weston, 1786 ; to East Dereham, 1795; death there, April 25,1800. The simple life of Cowper, marked chiefly by its innocent recreations and tender friendships, was in reality a tragedy. His mother, whom he commemorated in the exquisite M Lines on her picture," a vivid delineation of his childhood, written in his 60th year, died when he was six years old. At his first school he was profoundly wretched, but happier at Westminster; excelling at cricket and football, and numbering Warren Hast… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: When darkness long has vailed my mind
Title: Return of Joy
Author: William Cowper
Language: English
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Notes

When darkness long has veiled my mind. W. Cowper. [Peace.] First published in R. Conyer's Collection, 1772, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed “Trials overcome by Hope." When included in the Olney Hymns, 1779, Bk. iii., No. 23, it was expanded into 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "Peace after a Storm." In its full, or in an abbreviated form, it is found in several hymn-books in Great Britain and America, both old and new. Although not referred to, so far as we can find, in Cowper's Memoirs, it was evidently written at or about the same time as his "God moves in a mysterious way."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Instances

Instances (113)TextImageAudioScore
A Collection of Evangelical Hymns #d168
A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches: to which are added prayers for families and individuals #302Image
A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, to which are added prayers for families and individuals (New and Enl. Stereotype Ed.) #302Image
A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #136Image
A Collection of Hymns from Various Authors. New ed. #d355
A Collection of Hymns, intended for the use of the citizens of Zion, whose privilege it is to sing the high praises of God, while passing through the wilderness, to their glorious inheritance above. #50Image
A Collection of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, for Public and Family Worship #d136
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #425Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Social and Private Worship #CXLIIIImage
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #369Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #369Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #395Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the use of Universalist Societies and Families (13th ed.) #400Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #400Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns: from various authors, chiefly designed for public worship (4th ed.) #137Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns: from Watts, Doddridge, and others (4th ed. with an appendix) #566Image
A New Selection of Hymns; designed for the use of conference meetings, private circles, and congregations, as a supplement to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns #352Image
A New Selection of Nearly Eight Hundred Evangelical Hymns, from More than 200 Authors in England, Scotland, Ireland, & America, including a great number of originals, alphabetically arranged #238cImage
A New Selection of Psalms and Hymns from the Most Approved Authors, Adapted to Public and Private Worship. 2nd ed. #d531
A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: from the best authors; designed for the use of conference meetings, private circles, and congregations (21st ed. with an appendix) #247Image
A Selection of Hymns....3d ed #d248
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms: for social and private worship (3rd ed. corr.) #167Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms, for Social and Private Worship. (11th ed.) #176Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (2nd ed. Enl. and Imp.) #167Image
A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (6th ed.) #176Image
A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs: designed (especially the former part) for the use of congregations as an appendix to Dr. Watt's Psalms and Hymn #H.CXLVIIIImage
A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs: in two parts, part I. containing the hymns; part II. containing the songs...(3rd ed. corr. and enl. by author) #H.CXLVIIIImage
A Selection of Hymns for the Use of Social Religious Meetings and for Private Devotions. 7th ed. #389Image
A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors.: including a great number of originals: intended to be an appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. (Woodward's rev. and corr. ed.; Sterotype ed.) #241Image
A Selection of Hymns, from Various Authors: adapted to Public Worship and Social Prayer Meetings #d421
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele, and others (2nd ed.) #566Image
A Selection of Sacred Poetry: consisting of psalms and hymns, from Watts, Doddridge, Merrick, Scott, Cowper, Barbauld, Steele ...compiled for the use of the Unitarian Church in Philadelphia #566Image
Additional Hymns, Adopted by the General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church in North America, at their Session June 1831. 2nd ed. #88Image
Christian Hymns: adapted to the worship of God our Saviour in public and private devotion, compiled from the most approved ancient and modern authors, for the Central Universalist Society... #456Image
Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship: a collection compiled by a committee of the Cheshire Pastoral Association (11th ed.) #465Image
Christian's Duty, exhibited in a series of hymns: collected from various authors, designed for the worship of God, and for the edification of Christians, recommended to the serious..(4th ed. improved) #318Image
Church Harmonies: a collection of hymns and tunes for the use of Congregations #448Image
Church Melodies: collection of psalms and hymns, with appropriate music. For the use of congregations. #108Image
Church Music, a Collection of Hymn Tunes. #d188
Compilation of Hymns for the Use of the Churches of the Christian Union #d795
Conference Hymns. a new collection of hymns, designed especially for use in conference and prayer meetings, and family worship. #255Image
Devotional Melodies, Adapted to Social Worship #d111
Hymn and Tune Book, for the Church and the Home #277Image
Hymn and Tune Book for Use in Old School or Primitive Baptist Churches #301Image
Hymn Book for Christian Worship #522Image
Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #476Image
Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #476Image
Hymns and Psalms, Original and Modern, Selected and Revised #d347
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, selected from Several Approved Authors, Recommended by the Baptist General Committee of Virginia #d220
Hymns for Christian Devotion: especially adapted to the Universalist denomination #337Image
Hymns for Christian Devotion: especially adapted to the Universalist denomination. (New ed.) #337Image
Hymns for Christian Melody #402Image
Hymns for Conference Meetings and Private Devotions: Selected from Watts' Psalms and Hymns and Rippon's Supplement #d140
Hymns for Public Worship #450Image
Hymns for Social Worship: collected from various authors #127Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #662Image
Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #662Image
Hymns for the Sanctuary #444Image
Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship: with tunes #632Image
Hymns for the Vestry and the Fireside #d340
Hymns of the Ages (3rd series) #73Image
Hymns of the Church Militant #171Image
Hymns of the Church Universal #225Image
Hymns of the Spirit #462Image
Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship #404Image
Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship (1st ed.) #404Image
Hymns: selected and original, for public and private worship (30th ed.) #404Image
Hymns: selected and original, for public and private worship (4th ed. 3rd rev. ed.) #404Image
Hymns: selected and original, for public and private worship (60th ed., 1st rev. ed.) #404Image
Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship, published by General Synod for the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 68th ed. (8th rev. ed.) #d893
Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons #d241
Hymns, Selected from Various Authors, for the Use of Young Persons 3rd Am. from 9th London ed. #d260
Melodies of Heaven #d145
Prayers and Hymns for the Church and Home #d783
Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Public Worship, and Approved by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America #H288Image
Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship: and approved by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America: the latter being arranged according to subjects... #326Image
Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. #d913
Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #d466
Psalms and Hymns, for the Use of the German Reformed Church, in the United States of America. (2nd ed.) #464Image
Revival Hymns ... with a Supplement. 2nd ed. #d333
Select Hymns #d204
Selection from Tate and Brady's Version of the Psalms; with Hymns by Various Authors, for the Church in Brattle-Square #d324
Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns. (1st Am. ed.) #CCXLIImage
Social Hymns and Tunes, for the Conference and Prayer Meeting, and the Home with services and prayers #121Image
Supplement to Watts: a Selection of More than Five Hundred Hymns, from the Most Approved Authors on a Great Variety of Subjects ... #d461
The Baptist Hymn Book: comprising a large and choice collection of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, adapted to the faith and order of the Old School, or Primitive Baptists (2nd stereotype Ed.) #749Image
The Baptist Hymn Book: original and selected: in two parts #305Image
The Baptist Psalmody: a selection of hymns for the worship of God #717Image
The Christian Hymn Book: a compilation of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, original and selected (Rev. and enl.) #854Image
The Christian Psalter #d629
The Christians Duty, exhibited, in a series of Hymns: collected from various authors, designed for the worship of God, and for the edification of Christians (1st Ed.) #CCCXVIIITextImage
The Christian's Duty: exhibited in a series of hymns collected from various authors designed for the worship of God, and for the edification of Christians (2nd ed.) #CCCXVIIIImage
The Clifton Chapel Collection of "Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs": for public, social and family worship and private devotions at the Sanitarium, Clifton Springs, N. Y. #531Image
The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the Most Approved Authors: to which are added a number never before published #CXXXVImage
The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors to which are added, a number never before published. #135Image
The Hartford Selection of Hymns: from the most approved authors: to which are added a number never before published (2nd ed.) #CXXXVImage
The Lord's Songs: a collection of composures in metre, such as have been most used in the late glorious revivals; Dr. Watts' psalms and hymns excepted #CVIImage
The Philadelphia Hymn Book; or, a selection of sacred poetry, consisting of psalms and hymns from Watts...and others, adapted to public and private devotion #566Image
The Psalmist: a new collection of hymns for the use of Baptist churches; with a supplement #S61Image
The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #959Image
The Psalms and Hymns, with the Catechism, Confession of Faith, and Liturgy, of the Reformed Dutch Church in North America #A88Image
The Psalms and Hymns, with the Doctrinal Standards and Liturgy of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in North America #H360Image
The Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D.: to which are added select hymns, from other authors; and directions for musical expression (New ed.) #D349Image
The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book, for the Service of Song in the House of the Lord #197cImage
The Sabbath Hymn Book. Baptist ed. #d1183
The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d977
The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #293Image
Unitarian Service Book, and Hymns for Church and Home. Abridged ed. #d482
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