The “O when shall I see Jesus” text
attributed to Baptist preacher John Leland is a very popular hymn in The Sacred Harp. The words are as
follows:
1. O, when shall I see Jesus,
And reign with Him above?
And from the flowing fountain,
Drink ever lasting love?
When shall I be delivered
From this vain world of sin?
And with my blessed Jesus,
Drink endless pleasures in.
2. But now I am a soldier,
My Captain’s gone before;
He’s given me my orders,
And bids me ne’er give o’er;
His promises are faithful—
A righteous crown He’ll give,
And all His valiant soldiers
Eternally shall live.
3. Through grace I feel determined
To conquer, though I die,
And then away to Jesus
On wings of love I’ll fly:
Farewell to sin and sorrow
I bid them both adieu!
And oh, my friends, prove faithful,
And on your way pursue.
4. Whene’er you meet with troubles
And trials on your way,
Then cast your care on Jesus,
And don’t forget to pray.
Gird on the gospel armor
Of faith, and hope, and love,
And when the combat’s ended,
He’ll carry you above.
5. O, do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge
He’ll not refuse to lend.
Neither will He upbraid you,
Though often you request,
He’ll give you grace to conquer
And take you home to rest.
“O/Oh when shall I see Jesus” is the first line of four common songs – Bound for Canaan (82), The Morning Trumpet (85), Ecstasy (106), Religion Is a Fortune (319) – in the three competing editions of The Sacred Harp (Cooper, Denson, White). Both the 1992 Cooper Edition and 2007 White Edition still include The Lost City (320) and Autauga (322). The 1991 Denson Edition adds Mutual Love (410b). The 1860 Sacred Harp had a tune titled Griffin (323a) which used the first two lines of this hymn, with a chorus added. It was replaced in the 1870 Fourth Edition with the tune Mullins. In addition Heavenly Armour (129) uses Leland’s text, but starts with the “And if you meet with troubles” line.
Sometimes the hymn is paired with a 7s.6s. tune (4 lines), sometimes 7s.6s. Double (8 lines), and sometimes has an added chorus. The following are choruses or refrains used with the hymn in various songs in The Sacred Harp.
1. O, when shall I see Jesus,
And reign with Him above?
And from the flowing fountain,
Drink ever lasting love?
When shall I be delivered
From this vain world of sin?
And with my blessed Jesus,
Drink endless pleasures in.
2. But now I am a soldier,
My Captain’s gone before;
He’s given me my orders,
And bids me ne’er give o’er;
His promises are faithful—
A righteous crown He’ll give,
And all His valiant soldiers
Eternally shall live.
3. Through grace I feel determined
To conquer, though I die,
And then away to Jesus
On wings of love I’ll fly:
Farewell to sin and sorrow
I bid them both adieu!
And oh, my friends, prove faithful,
And on your way pursue.
4. Whene’er you meet with troubles
And trials on your way,
Then cast your care on Jesus,
And don’t forget to pray.
Gird on the gospel armor
Of faith, and hope, and love,
And when the combat’s ended,
He’ll carry you above.
5. O, do not be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge
He’ll not refuse to lend.
Neither will He upbraid you,
Though often you request,
He’ll give you grace to conquer
And take you home to rest.
“O/Oh when shall I see Jesus” is the first line of four common songs – Bound for Canaan (82), The Morning Trumpet (85), Ecstasy (106), Religion Is a Fortune (319) – in the three competing editions of The Sacred Harp (Cooper, Denson, White). Both the 1992 Cooper Edition and 2007 White Edition still include The Lost City (320) and Autauga (322). The 1991 Denson Edition adds Mutual Love (410b). The 1860 Sacred Harp had a tune titled Griffin (323a) which used the first two lines of this hymn, with a chorus added. It was replaced in the 1870 Fourth Edition with the tune Mullins. In addition Heavenly Armour (129) uses Leland’s text, but starts with the “And if you meet with troubles” line.
Sometimes the hymn is paired with a 7s.6s. tune (4 lines), sometimes 7s.6s. Double (8 lines), and sometimes has an added chorus. The following are choruses or refrains used with the hymn in various songs in The Sacred Harp.
Bound for Canaan (82)
I’m on my way to Canaan,
To the New Jerusalem.
The Morning Trumpet (85)
Shout, O glory! For I shall mount above the skies,
When I hear the trumpet sound in that morning.
(Also has the interrupting refrain “And shall hear the trumpet sound in that morning.”)
Ecstasy (106)
O! had I wings
I would fly away and be at rest,
And I’d praise God in His bright abode.
Religion Is a Fortune (319)
When we all get to heaven,
We will shout aloud and sing,
Shout glory, halle, hallelujah.
Religion is a fortune,
And heaven is a home,
Shout glory, halle, hallelujah.
The Lost City (320)
And to glory I will go,
And to glory I will go, will go, will go,
And to glory I will go.
Autauga (322)
Soon we shall land on Canaan’s shore,
To live for evermore.
No comments:
Post a Comment