Thursday, March 6, 2014

31 Days of Hymns - Day 6

Precious Bible! What a Treasure!

Today’s hymn was very popular over 200 years ago but has become almost non-existent since the late 1940’s. It’s been sung with four different melodies and its writer is John Newton who wrote one of the most beloved hymns of today “Amazing Grace”.

Listen and sing:



Precious Bible! what a treasure
Does the Word of God afford?
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword:

Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.
Food to which the world’s a stranger,
Here my hungry soul enjoys;

Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys:
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed.

When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials, to revive me quickly,
Healing med’cines here I find:

To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.
In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield;

For the Word of consolation
Is to me a mighty shield
While the scripture truths are sure,
From his malice I’m secure.

Vain his threats to overcome me,
When I take the Spirits’ sword;
Then with ease I drive him from me.
Satan trembles at the word:

’Tis a sword for conquest made,
Keen the edge, and strong the blade.
Shall I envy then the miser
Doting on his golden store?

Sure I am, or should be, wiser,
I am rich, ’tis he is poor:
Jesus gives me in his word,
Food and med’cine, shield and sword.

Read more about this hymn and John Newton:
http://www.hymnary.org/text/precious_bible_what_a_treasure

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