Blind Bartimeus

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Whence Jesus came, I cannot tell

Author: Phoebe Palmer Knapp; Author: Alexander Clark
Tune: [Whence Jesus came, I cannot tell]
Published in 16 hymnals

Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Whence Jesus came, I cannot tell,
Nor why He came to me;
One thing I know, and know it well:
Tho’ I was blind, I see!
I once was blind but now I see!
And that is news enough for me,
And that is news enough for me.

2 When all was dark, Once touch’d my eyes,
And that is all I know;
For light came down from paradise,
And set my soul aglow.
I once was blind but now I see!
And that is light enough for me,
And that is light enough for me.

3 How it was done, I cannot say,
Nor even think nor dream;
Nor why a touch of moistened clay
Should make things what they seem.
I once was blind but now I see!
And that is truth enough for me,
And that is truth enough for me.

4 It is the Son of God! His grace
Makes trembling weakness strong;
Wipes tears away from sorrow’s face,
And teaches grief a song.
I once was blind but now I see!
And that is joy enough for me,
And that is joy enough for me.

Source: The Finest of the Wheat No. 2 #21

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Author: Phoebe Palmer Knapp

As a young girl Phoebe Palmer Knapp (b. New York, NY, 1839; d. Poland Springs, ME, 1908) displayed great musical talent; she composed and sang children’s song at an early age. The daughter of the Methodist evangelist Walter C. Palmer, she was married to John Fairfield Knapp at the age of sixteen. Her husband was a founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and after his death, she shared her considerable inherited wealth with various charitable organizations. She composed over five hundred gospel songs, of which the tunes for “Blessed Assurance” and “Open the Gates of the Temple” are still popular today. Bert Polman Go to person page >

Author: Alexander Clark

Clark, Alexander, D.D., born March 10, 1835, died July 6, 1879. Dr. Clark was for many years a Minister of the American Methodist Episcopal Church, and the editor of the Methodist Recorder, published at Pittsburgh. Two of his hymns:— 1. Heavenly Father, bless me now. Lent. 2. Make room for Jesus. Lent. are given in I. D. Sankey's Sacred Songs & Solos. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Whence Jesus came, I cannot tell
Title:	Blind Bartimeus
Author:	Alexander Clark
Author:	Phoebe Palmer Knapp
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	I once was blind, but now I see
Copyright:	Public Domain