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I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew

Representative Text

1 I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me;
it was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of Thee.

2 Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea;
'twas not so much that I on Thee took hold,
as Thou, dear Lord, on me.

3 I find, I walk, I love, but O, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to Thee!
For Thou wert long beforehand with my soul,
always Thou lovedst me.


Source: Hymns to the Living God #221

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Author: Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
Author: Anonymous (1878)
Meter: 10.10.10.6
Copyright: Public Domain
Liturgical Use: Songs of Response
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Notes

Scripture References: st. 2 = Matt 14:22-23 st. 3 = 1 John 4:10,19, Jer. 31:3 Said by some scholars to have been written in 1878, this anonymous text was published in Holy Songs, Carols, and Sacred Ballads compiled by the Roberts brothers in Boston (1880). Austin Lovelace says of this text: "'He first loved us.' This simple yet profound thought is the basis for the hymn. God loved us long before we knew it. We seek God, but already God is holding out a hand waiting for us to take hold of it and be rescued from the seas of life" (Lovelace, Hymn Notes). Stanza 2 alludes to the scene in which Christ saves Peter from drowning (see Matt. 14:22-33). Liturgical Use: See PHH 496 and PHH 497. --Psalter Hymnal Handbook ==================== I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew. [He first loved us.] An anonymous and undated hymn in The Pilgrim Hymnal 1904. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
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The Cyber Hymnal #3066
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Instances

Instances (1 - 14 of 14)

Common Praise (1998) #547

Common Praise (1998) #547
Text

Hymnal 1982 #689

Hymnal 1982 #689

Hymnal #506

Hymnal #506

Hymns of the Saints #213

Hymns of the Saints #213
TextPage Scan

Hymns to the Living God #221

Hymns to the Living God #221
TextFlexscoreAudio

Lift Up Your Hearts #685

Lift Up Your Hearts #685
Text InfoTune InfoTextAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #498

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #498
TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #162

Rejoice in the Lord #162
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #3066

The Cyber Hymnal #3066
TextFlexscoreAudio

The United Methodist Hymnal #341

The United Methodist Hymnal #341
Page Scan

The Worshiping Church #440

The Worshiping Church #440
TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #466

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #466
Page Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #427

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #427
Text

Worship (3rd ed.) #593

Worship (3rd ed.) #593
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