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Looking Oft Unto Jesus

Representative Text

1 O eyes that are weary, and hearts that are sore,
Look only to Jesus, now sorrow no more!
The light of His countenance shineth so bright,
That here, as in heaven, there need be no night.

2 While looking to Jesus, my heart cannot fear;
I tremble no more when I see Jesus near;
I know that His presence my safeguard will be,
For, "Why are ye troubled?" He saith unto me.

3 Still looking to Jesus, O may I be found,
When Jordan's dark waters encompass me round:
They bear me away in His presence to be;
I see Him still nearer whom always I see.

4 Then, then shall I know the full beauty and grace
Of Jesus, my Lord, when I stand face to face;
Shall know how His love went before me each day,
And wonder that ever my eyes turned away.

Source: Methodist Hymn and Tune Book: official hymn book of the Methodist Church #549a

Author: John H. Darby

Darby, John Nelson, M.A., youngest son of John Darby of Leap, King's Co., Ireland, was born at Westminster, Nov. 18, 1800; educated at Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated in 1819; and in due course was called to the Bar. He subsequently took Holy Orders; but in a short time allied himself with the Plymouth Brethren. In the exercise of his ministry amongst them he visited most parts of the world, and translated the Bible into English, French, and German. His published works, including a Synopsis of the Books of the Bible; Notes on Revelations, &c, are numerous. He died at Bournemouth, April 29, 1882. His hymns in common use are:— 1. Hark, ten thousand voices crying. The Second Advent anticipated. Praise. Appeared in Hy… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O eyes that are weary, and hearts that are sore
Title: Looking Oft Unto Jesus
Author: John H. Darby
Language: English
Refrain First Line: Then look away to Jesus
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

O eyes that are weary, and hearts that are sore. [Faith in Jesus.] This hymn is sometimes attributed to J. N. Darby, with varying dates, the earliest being 1822; but we have found no certain evidence of his authorship, and must leave it in doubt. The earliest date to which we have traced it is 1858, when it appeared in the American Sabbath Hymn Book and Miss Warner's Hymns of the Church Militant simultaneously. Its use is almost entirely confined to America, and in later collections the text is much altered. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Tune

GORDON (Gordon)

In 1870 Featherstone's text came to the attention of Adoniram J. Gordon (b. New Hampton, NH, 1836; d. Boston, MA, 1895), an evangelical preacher who was compiling a new Baptist hymnal. Because he was unhappy with the existing melody for this text, Gordon composed this tune; as he wrote, "in a moment…

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POLAND (Koschat)


PAULINA (Donizetti)


Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)

The Believers Hymn Book #182

Include 154 pre-1979 instances
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