Scripture Verse

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution…For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world. 2 Timothy 3:12, 4:10

Introduction

Words: Jes­sie A. Lee, 2015 (pub­lic do­main).

Music: Ver­non (In­galls) from Chris­tian Har­mo­ny, by Je­re­mi­ah In­galls, 1805. This ver­sion is from A Com­pi­la­tion of Genu­ine Church Mu­sic, by Jo­seph Funk, 1835 (🔊 pdf nwc). Note: The score has se­lect­ed stan­zas from the vers­es below.

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of In­galls (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Jessie A. Lee
(1992–)

Lyrics

He came to Pha­raoh, the king who could kill
Him if he had the mind and the will;
But Mos­es stood his ground and cried,
Oh let my peo­ple go, not die!

Refrain

Alone, alone, I feel alone;
O God, for­sake me not Your child!

The peo­ple God saved with His might
Did griev­ous evil in God’s sight.
The friend of God gave them bold re­ply,
Choose you this day to live or die!

Refrain

To feed the king, his men and beasts,
She se­cret­ly pre­pared a feast;
And Abi­gail pled while Na­bal raged,
For he was a brute and she was a slave.

Refrain

She pled for Na­bal’s life, though he
Would have killed his wife long since, though she
Had loved alone and did not fail
Him, she his faith­ful Abi­gail.

Refrain

Elijah faith­ful­ly preached God’s word
Though he was near­ly killed by the sword;
Outran a cha­ri­ot and hid from the king
Then cried to God, too wea­ry to think.

Refrain

God sent him meat on ra­vens’ wing,
And God made from a drought, a spring;
Assuring him there were yet more,
Seven thou­sand who still loved the Lord.

Refrain

See Ma­ry weep be­side the tomb,
Of One who gave her life from gloom,
Who healed her and re­store pu­ri­ty
Yet now they said so dead was He!

Refrain

Christ walked the wea­ry­ing miles on foot,
To give the peo­ple life and good.
He healed them, loved them and set them free,
Yet alone in death’s gar­den wailed He:

Refrain

He stood and sobbed while watch­ing them,
Jerusalem! Je­ru­sa­lem!
I would have ga­thered you to Me,
Yet you would not; I came for thee!

Refrain

He who had walked that ve­ry road,
Now watched the crowd be­hind him grow;
But not to fol­low in His steps;
For they loved this life, and gave Him death.

Refrain

They once who list­ened to Him speak
Like ea­ger child­ren round His feet,
Now watched Him die and wail aloud.
Forsaking Him, they loved the world.

Refrain

He rose and now He is to me
All that I ev­er need Him to be,
Although the ma­ny days I cry,
While star­ing at the days gone by.

Refrain

While in my heart of hearts I see,
The ones who had been friends to me,
But who would not leave be­hind their all,
Forsook me and the pre­cious call.

Refrain

When all is gone I look and see
If I can touch the small­est of these,
That they per­haps would be­come as I
And fol­low Je­sus now or die!

Refrain