Hark! the voice of love and mercy

This writer was born at Coventry, England, in 1749. His father was a working man and not of great education. As a young man, Jonathan worked in a ribbon factory and in 1778 he joined the Congregationalist church at Coventry under Pastor G. Burder. He had no profession of faith but instead lived a worldly life. In 1776 he was deeply convicted of sin after accepting Christ as Savior and became a completely different person; an active and tireless Christian worker. Even though he had been a businessman all his life, he began to manifest the gifts the Lord had given him in preaching the Word. He not only preached at the chapel but was active in gathering the neglected children at Foleshill, near Coventry to teach them the Bible.

In 1784 he fitted out a houseboat in a canal as a place of Christian activity. This grew into a chapel in 1797 and there he continued until the day of his death. He also ministered to the physically and mentally impaired as he was considered a “doctor “ as well. On August 31, 1809, he suddenly passed on to the blissful shore he wrote about:

“We soon shall reach the blissful shore,
And view His glorious face;
His name forever to adore,
And hail Him ‘Prince of Peace’. ”

I like this tune much better than the one usually used, which is heavier and slower.

There is an additional stanza #4 before the last stanza, which is usually omitted:

-------------
4 Happy souls, approach the table,
Taste the soul-reviving food;
Nothing half so sweet and pleasant
As the Savior's flesh and blood,
It is finished! It is finished!
Christ has borne the heavy load.

Truly inspirational! I can listen to the this hymn a thousand times and not get tired. If only we knew our position in the Christ...