Hymnal: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs
Date: 1843
Compiler: A Campbell/ W Scott/ B W Stone/ J T Johnson
Publisher/Printer: A Campbell
First Line: 'Tis darkness here but Jesus smiles
Topic: <no topic given>
Writer: <no first name given> <no last name given>
Composer:
Meter: LM
Tune: Scotch Air
Hymn Number: Song 150 (part I)
Page Number: 221 (part I), click to see hymnal pages
Lyics'Tis darkness here, but Jesus smiles,
His presence ev'ry pain beguiles;
He has the wine that cheers the soul,
The oil that makes the wounded whole.
While silence reigns as in the tomb,
And midnight spreads her deepest gloom;
Come, let our tongues an anthem raise,
And sing our great Physician's praise.
Though fast our feet within these stocks,
Our hands secur'd with numerous locks,
No iron chains our thoughts can bind,
There are no fetters for the mind.
Though we are bound, the word is free,
The truth cannot imprison'd be;
The word shall visit ev'ry land,
Though kings and people all withstand.
The word of life which Jesus sent,
Jail, chains, and swords cannot prevent;
Man cannot keep the world in night,
For God has said, Let there be light.
To Jesus let our praise ascend,
His care for us shall never end;
He felt our griefs, he bore our pains,
His blood has wash'd us from our stains.
From all our sins he set us free,
The light of life he made us see,
From Satan's bondage grave release,
And fill'd our souls with joy and peace.
He bade us speak his love abroad,
And tell the mercies of our God;
And shall we cease to spread his fame,
Because of prisons, stripes, or shame?
No-'tis our choice to bear his cross;
For him all things we count but loss;
Our joy, for him to suffer shame;
Our honor, still to bear his name.
One smile from him all pains repays,
One word of peace all griefs allays;
With him in glory to appear
Will compensate our suff'rings here.
His presence now this prison cheers,
Relieves our pains, dispels our fears;
His presence, then, our heads will crown
With endless glory and renown.