My hubby was preaching this morning in a small church that regularly asks him to attend. They like his preaching and they feed us a lovely meal afterwards. Anyways, I was browsing through their alternative hymnbook this morning and was reminded of this old song. Lily of the Valley.
Charles W Fry was a bricklayer by trade and a versatile musician. He played violin, cello, piano and more. He led an orchestra at his Weslayan chapel. Lily of the Valley is one of four songs that has survived. He was a Scotsman. His band helped Salvation Army founder William Booth in evangelism campaigns. He was buried in Scotland.
On New Year’s Day 1884, a monument to The first bandmaster of the Salvation Army was unveiled over his grave. On it was inscribed a verse Fry wrote:
The former things are past,
And ended is the strife,
I’m safe home at last!
I live an endless life! (source)
This like this Willie Nelson version, I hope you do too. 🙂
Lyrics:
I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
He tells me every care on Him to roll.
Refrain:
He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r;
I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
From my heart and now He keeps me by His pow’r.
Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.
He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
Where rivers of delight shall ever roll.
I like how they sang this version with the parts as that’s how I remember learning it as adult when I attended a Baptist church for a while. 🙂
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