Softly and Tenderly

I had the hymn "Softly and Tenderly" running through my mind tonight while I wrote, so I went looking to see if I could find you the words.

As usual Cyberhymnal.com had the goods. I've found some of the old hymns make a wonderful devotional and Cyberhymnal.org is a good place to find some of the best. As they often do, Cyberhymnal.org also had an interesting background story that I brought over for you to read:

"When the world-re­nowned lay preach­er, Dwight Ly­man Moody, lay on his death bed in his North­field, Mass­a­chu­setts, home, Will Thomp­son made a spe­cial vi­sit to in­quire as to his con­di­tion. The at­tend­ing phy­si­cian re­fused to ad­mit him to the sick­room, and Moody heard them talk­ing just out­side the bed­room door. Re­cog­niz­ing Thomp­son’s voice, he called for him to come to his bed­side. Tak­ing the Ohio po­et-com­pos­er by the hand, the dy­ing evan­gel­ist said, “Will, I would ra­ther have writ­ten ‘Soft­ly and Ten­der­ly Je­sus is Call­ing’ than an­y­thing I have been able to do in my whole life.”"

Emurian, Er­nest Kri­kor. For­ty Stor­ies of Fa­mous Gos­pel Songs. Grand Ra­pids, Mi­chi­gan: Bak­er Book House, 1959. p. 109, as quoted at www.cyberhymnal.org and retrieved December 15, 2008

SOFTLY AND TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING
Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Refrain

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Refrain

Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling, Words & Music by Will L. Thomp­son, in Spark­ling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, by J. Cal­vin Bush­ey (Chi­ca­go, Ill­i­nois: Will L. Thomp­son & Com­pa­ny, 1880)

All this post, except my opening lines, is as quoted in the Cyberhymnal at www.cyberhymnal.org I like to talk this site up because they have a wide selection of hymns, interesting information on the material, and well referenced research. It is offered as a free service to all and that service is "Dedicated to the Glory of God".

Hats off to www.cyberhymnal.org!