O how joyful are Thy members

Representative Text

1 O, how joyful are Thy members, Sorely tempted Man of care, That upon this earth Thou camest And for us the cross didst bear! All infirmities didst carry, Also ev’ry sinner’s woe; And for ev’ry earthly dweller Into bitter death didst go! 2 Reign then in Thy kindly graces Over Thy disciple band; Pour upon our pilgrim’s pathway Blessings from Thy loving hand! By Thy Spirit’s gentle wooing, Start in us without delay Holiness of life and longing For the straight and narrow way! 3 When the cares of life are pressing Let us in Thee find relief; And on us Thy peace dispensing Drive away the deepest grief. When temptations here assail us, Let us look up to the cross; If in strife fear would o’ertake us, Be protection over us! 4 Lord, for us the roots uncover Of disguised or gilded sin; May we then Thy cross discover Where our vict’ry Thou didst win. Help us to be faithful ever; Hold us fast, for we are Thine, Till at last we shall forever Share Thy peace and joy divine! 5 Oh, how willingly we’ll praise Thee, Gentle Shepherd, when Thou then Yonder in that glorious city Thy whole flock wilt gather in! Come then soon, O Lord, we pray Thee; Gather us before Thy throne. O, how joyfully we’ll praise Thee, Crowned in triumph, God’s own Son!

Source: Zion's Harp: a collection of hymns and songs for the Apostolic Christian Church of America #161

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Author: Meta Heusser-Schweizer

Heusser-Schweizer, Meta, daughter of Diethelm Schweizer, pastor of the Reformed Church at Hirzel near Zurich, was born at Hirzel, April 6, 1797, and was married in 1821, to Johann Jakob Heusser, a physician at Hirzel. Dr. Heusser died at Hirzel in 1859, and his widow continued to reside there till her death on January 2, 1876 (Koch, vii. 377-381; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xii. 339, 340). She was of a true poetic genius, and may fairly be regarded as the most important of modern German female sacred poets. The Holy Scriptures and the mountain scenery of her lonely home were the chief sources of her poetic inspiration. She was trained in the school of affliction, and her poems breathe the spirit of deep and sincere piety and childlike… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	O how joyful are Thy members
Author:	Meta Heusser-Schweizer
Publication Date:	2003
Copyright:	This text may still be under copyright because it was published in 2003.