Scripture Verse

Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him. Matthew 14:31

Introduction

Words: My­ron W. Morse, in Joy­ful Sound, ed­it­ed by John Swe­ney & Will­iam J. Kirk­pat­rick (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1889), num­ber 72.

Music: John R. Swe­ney (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
John Sweney (1837–1899)

Lyrics

There’s a hand held out in pi­ty,
There’s a hand held out in love;
It will pi­lot to the ci­ty,
Where our Fa­ther dwells above.

Refrain

There’s a hand held out to you,
There’s a hand held out to me,
There’s a hand that will prove true,
Whatever our lot shall be.

Oh, how gent­ly will it lead us!
Oh, how ten­der is its touch!
’Tis the bless­èd hand of Je­sus;
We all need it, oh, so much!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis love to me, a sin­ner,
Prompts this hand to reach so low,
Striving thus to be the win­ner,
Ere I reap what I shall sow.

Refrain

Shall I, to this hand ex­tend­ed,
Pay no heed as it in­vites?
Shall my Sav­ior be of­fend­ed,
Give I not to Him His rights?

Refrain

Nay, I would this pro­ffered hand take,
Knowing that it leads aright;
Yes, I would this lov­ing choice make;
Trusting in His love and might.

Refrain

Then, as hand in hand to­ge­ther,
With my Sav­ior, with my friend,
With my Christ, my el­der bro­ther,
Let Him lead till life shall end.

Refrain