Praise Him
Fanny Crosby is recognized as one of the most popular hymn writers of all time.
Who is not familiar with “Blessed Assurance,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” “Rescue the Perishing,” “Saved By Grace” and others of her compositions? It is said she wrote over 9,000 hymns, “More than eight thousand of them appearing in print”. I find that Charles Wesley, the great British hymn writer, is reported to have published 4,100 hymns and to have left 2,000 in the manuscript. E.K. Emurian is the authority for the statement that Fanny Crosby has “written more hymns, songs, and poems than anyone else since the beginning of the Christian era”!
Yet Fanny Crosby (Mrs. Alexander Van Alstyne) did not begin writing hymns until the age of forty-four. Even more remarkable is the fact that she was totally blind, having lost her sight through a tragic doctor’s error at the age of six weeks. And her father died before she was one year old. In spite of blindness, she often referred in her hymns to the sight which she was denied but which she anticipated when she would be released from mortal ties. How many of us when singing “Blessed Assurance” recall that it was one blind who exclaimed, “Visions of rapture now burst on my sight”? And looking forward by faith she could say, “Oh, the soul thrilling rapture when I view His blessed face, and luster of His kindly beaming eye; ...” Or, “I know I shall see in His beauty The King in whose law I delight;...” And we cannot leave out, “And I shall see Him face to face, And tell the story — saved by grace.”
Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honor give to His holy name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long:
Refrain:
Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!
Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled and died;
He, our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified!
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows;
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong;
Refrain:
Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!
Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heav'nly portals are loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Saviour, reigneth forever and ever;
Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming! over the world victorious,
Pow'r and glory unto the Lord belong:
Refrain:
Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!
