There shall be showers of blessing.
Ezekiel 34:26
Words: Elizabeth H. Codner, in The Revival, April 28, 1860.
Music: Even Me William B. Bradbury, 1862 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tunes:
A party of young friends over whom I was watching with anxious hope attended a meeting in which details were given of a revival work in Ireland. They came back greatly impressed.
My fear was lest their own fleece remain dry, and I pressed upon them the privilege and responsibility of getting a share in the outpoured blessing.
On the Sunday following, not being well enough to get out, I had a time of quiet communion. Those children were still on my heart, and I longed to press upon them an earnest individual appeal.
Without effort words seemed to be given to me, and they took the form of a hymn, which as it was passed from one to another of the young people, became a word of power, and I then published it as a leaflet.
Of its future history I can only say the Lord took it quite out of my own hands. It was read from pulpits, circulated by tens of thousands, and blessed in a remarkable degree.
Every now and then some sweet token was sent to cheer me in a somewhat isolated life, of its influence upon souls.
Now it would be tidings from afar of a young officer dying in India and sending home his Bible with the hymn pasted on the flyleaf as the precious memorial of that which brought him to the Lord.
Then came the story of a poor outcast gathered into the fold by the same means.
Then came to me a letter given me by Mr. E. P. Hammond, which he had received, and in which were the words:
Thank you for singing that hymnEven Me,for it was the singing of that hymn that saved me. I was a lost woman, a wicked mother. I have stolen and lied and been so bad to my dear, innocent children.
Friendless, I attended your inquiry meeting; but no one came to me because of the crowd.
But on Saturday afternoon, at the First Presbyterian Church, when they all sang that hymn together, those beautiful words,Let some drops now fall on me,and also those,Blessing others, O bless me,it seemed to reach my very soul. I thought,Jesus can accept me—even me,and it brought me to his feet, and I feel the burden of sin removed. Can you wonder that I love those words and I love to hear them sung?The original rendering has in a variety of instances been departed from. To some alterations I have consented, but always prefer that the words remain unchanged from the form in which at first God so richly blessed them.
The point of the hymn, in its close and individual application, is in the
Even meat the end of the verse. I thankfully commit them to whoever desires to use them in the services of our blessed Master.Elizabeth Codner, in Nutter, p. 187
A gentleman in England sends this incident:
A poor woman, in a dark village, attended a High Church mission, where the good Gospel hymn, ‘Even Me,’ was sung from a printed leaflet. A few days afterward the old woman became seriously ill, and soon she died.
But she seemed to have taken in all the Gospel through this hymn, and to the last repeated with reverence and joy, ‘Even me, even me,’ not remembering one word of the sermon that she had heard at the mission. This was in 1877.
Soon after we had an evangelistic meeting in the same village, in a barn three hundred years old, where this hymn was sung with great effect.Sankey, pp. 141–42
Lord, I hear of showers of blessing,
Thou art scattering full and free;
Showers the thirsty land refreshing;
Let some drops now fall on me;
Even me, even me,
Let some drops now fall on me.
Pass me not, O God, my Father,
Sinful though my heart may be;
Thou mightst leave me, but the rather;
Let Thy mercy light on me;
Even me, even me,
Let Thy mercy light on me.
Pass me not, O gracious Savior,
Let me live and cling to Thee;
I am longing for Thy favor;
Whilst Thou’rt calling, O call me;
Even me, even me,
Whilst Thou’rt calling, O call me.
Pass me not, O mighty Spirit!
Thou canst make the blind to see;
Witnesser of Jesus’ merit,
Speak the Word of power to me;
Even me, even me,
Speak the Word of power to me.
Have I been in sin long sleeping,
Long been slighting, grieving Thee?
Has the world my heart been keeping?
O forgive and rescue me;
Even me, even me,
O forgive and rescue me.
Love of God, so pure and changeless,
Blood of Christ, so rich and free;
Grace of God, so strong and boundless
Magnify them all in me;
Even me, even me,
Magnify them all in me.
Pass me not; but pardon bringing,
Bind my heart, O Lord, to Thee;
Whilst the streams of life are springing,
Blessing others, O bless me;
Even me, even me,
Blessing others, O bless me.