1 God of all consolation, take
The glory of thy grace;
Thy gifts to thee we render back
In ceaseless songs of praise.
2 Not unto us, but thee, O LORD,
Glory to thee be giv'n,
For ev'ry gracious thought and word,
That brought us nearer Heav'n.
3 Our souls are in his mighty hand,
And He will keep them still;
And you and I shall surely stand
With Him on Zion's hill.
4 Him eye to eye we there shall see,
Our face, like his, shall shine;
O what a glorious company,
When saints and angels join!
5 O what a joyful meeting there,
In robes of white array'd;
Palms in our hands we all shall bear,
And crowns upon our head!
6 Then let us earnestly contend,
And fight our passage thro';
Bear in our faithful mind the end,
And keep the prize in view.
Source: A Selection of Psalms and Hymns: done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association #XCII
First Line: | God of all consolation, take The glory of Thy grace |
Title: | Separated, But Inseparable |
Author: | Charles Wesley |
Meter: | 8.6.8.6 |
Language: | English |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
God of all consolation, take. C. Wesley. [Parting of Friends.] This is the last of his Hymns for those that Seek, and those that Have Redemption, &c, 1747, No. lii., in 8 double stanzas of 4 lines (Poetical Works, 1868-72, vol. iv. p. 280). In 1780, a cento in 12 stanzas beginning with stanza i. was given in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, as No. 523 (new edition 1875, 537), and has been repeated in most of the Methodist collections. Several interesting "associations" of this hymn are given in Stevenson's Methodist Hymn Book Notes, 1883. In Cotterili's Selection, 6th edition, 1815, and subsequent editions, the hymn:—
"Not unto us, but Thee, O Lord!
Be praise and glory given," &c,
appeared in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "The Saints kept by the power of God." From Cotterill’s Selection, it passed into Bp. Bickersteth's Psalms & Hymns, 1858; the Islington Psalms & Hymns; the Hymnal Companion, and others. In Kennedy, 1863, it begins, "Not unto us, to Thee, O Lord." This cento is usually ascribed to "J. Cennick and T. Cotterill"; as in Miller's Singers and Songs, &c, 1869, p. 362, and the Hymnal Companion Notes. This error has arisen out of the similarity of the first line to J. Cennick's hymn:—
"Not unto us but Thee alone,
Bless'd Lamb, be glory given," &c.
The cento is based upon stanzas i., vi.-viii. of C. Wesley's hymn. The alterations by Cotterill are so numerous as almost to constitute a new hymn. Its correct ascription is, "C. Wesley, 1747; T. Cotterill, 1815." [William T. Brooke]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)