Scripture Verse

This is the gate of Heaven. Genesis 28:17

Introduction

Words: Ame Ven­ne­ma, in Gos­pel Prais­es No. 2, by Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick & Hen­ry L. Gil­mour (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Hall-Mack, cir­ca 1900), num­ber 54. The song was de­di­cat­ed to The Qui­et Hour, Y.P.S.C.E. [Young Peo­ple’s So­cie­ty of Chris­tian En­dea­vour].

Music: B. Frank­lin Butts (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Ame Vennema
1857–1925

Lyrics

Alone with God, my Fa­ther,
In the secret place of prayer,
Not a thought, or wish, or purpose I withhold;
I commune with Him most freely,
And my inmost soul lay bare,
And linger till I feel His love enfold.

Refrain

’Tis a Bethel sweet, wherever thus we meet,
’Tis the very gate of Hea­ven to my soul;
Oh, I love to greet, at the golden mercy seat,
The face of Him who made my spirit whole.

Alone with Christ, my Sav­ior,
In the desert-place apart,
There my weary soul finds rest from cumb’ring care,
And I feel a twilight stillness
Fall upon my troubled heart,
As Je­sus gently whispers to me there.

Refrain

Alone with God, the Spi­rit,
Blessèd Paraclete divine,
Who in my behalf for­ev­er intercedes;
It is He who keeps me walking,
Making Je­sus’ footsteps mine,
With all-sufficient grace to meet my needs.

Refrain