1987 Song Book

Home

527: The Saviour Of Men Came To Seek And To Save

Meter:   11.8.11.8.D.
Book:   1987 Song Book
Chapter:   The Life of Holiness

1.
The Saviour of men came to seek and to save
The souls who were lost to the good;
His Spirit was moved for the world which he loved
With the boundless compassion of God.
And still there are fields where the laborers are few,
And still there are souls without bread,
And still eyes that weep where the darkness is deep,
And still straying sheep to be led.

Chorus
Except I am moved with compassion,
How dwelleth thy Spirit in me?
In word and in deed
Burning love is my need;
I know I can find this in thee.

2.
O is not the Christ 'midst the crowd of today
Whose questioning cries do not cease?
And will he not show to the hearts that would know
The things that belong to their peace?
But how shall they hear if the preacher forbear
Or lack in compassionate zeal?
Or how shall hearts move with the Master's own love,
Without his anointing and seal?

3.
It is not with might to establish the right,
Nor yet with the wise to give rest;
The mind cannot show what the heart longs to know
Nor comfort a people distressed.
O Saviour of men, touch my spirit again,
And grant that thy servant may be
Intense every day, as I labor and pray,
Both instant and constant for thee.
View Companion Content
Close

The Saviour of men came to seek and to save

Commissioner James Hay asked the author to write some verses for the tune'The old rustic bridge'. Some time later,when he became the Divisional commander for South London in 1922, he was thinking about the Number of derelict churches and the thousands of Londoners living in the area: 'Crowds of the very people for whom the Army was born.' ln The Officer,January-February 1957, he said:They were an immense challenge to my spirit; what were we doing to reach and save them? Did we care enough? I thought of the One who 'wept over Jerusalem'. Thus came this song.In comments for The Musician,2 July 1938, he wrote:The simple chorus took a lot of time and trouble. I turned phrases again and again, trying and discarding words until, at last, I was satisfied. The song was first used at Swanwick Councils for Corps Officers.'The verses, entitled 'Thy Spirit in Me', appeared in The War Cry , 9 December 1922, and the complete song, with the chorus,was included in The Deliverer, April 1923, under the title'Moved with Compassion'.

Linked Songs


Author Bio


Tunes linked to this song

540 - 1987 Tune Book

540: The Old Rustic Bridge

Book: 1987 Tune Book
Composer: J . P. Skelly
Lyricist: J . P. Skelly
Key: A♭
Alt. Key: --
Tempo: 72
Capo: --
Metronome:     ♩ = 72
Meter:11.8.11.8.D.

Listen to this tuneWe can't display the sheet music for this tune due to copyright restrictions.


Email me this song
Close     
        
             Email address:                                  
    
© 2024 The Salvation Army - v.2024.01.04