
1 How sweetly flowed the gospel sound
From lips of gentleness and grace,
When listening thousands gathered round,
And joy and gladness filled the place!
2 From heaven he came, of heaven he spoke,
To heaven he led his followers' way;
Dark clouds of gloomy night he broke,
Unvailing an immortal day.
3 "Come, wanderers, to my Father's home,
Come, all ye weary ones, and rest;"
Yes, sacred Teacher, we will come,
Obey thee, love thee, and be blest!
4 Decay then, tenements of dust;
Pillars of earthly pride, decay:
A nobler mansion waits the just,
And Jesus has prepared the way.
Source: Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs, ancient and modern for use in the prayer-meeting #152
First Line: | How sweetly flowed the gospel's sound |
Title: | The Great Teacher |
Author: | John Bowring (1824) |
Meter: | 8.8.8.8 |
Language: | English |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
How sweetly flowed the Gospel's sound. Sir J. Bowring. [Jesus the Teacher.] Published in his Matins and Vespers, &c, 2nd edition, 1824, p. 234, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "Jesus teaching the people." In 1837 it was included in Beard's Unitarian Collection, No. 121, and subsequently in a number of hymn-books, especially modern American collections. Original text in Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1884, with, in stanza i., line 4, “And joy and gladness" for “And joy and reverence."
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)