Father, long before creation

B33 C31 CB33 E33 F219 G33 K31 P24 R14 T33
1
Father, long before creation,
  Thou hadst chosen us in love;
And that love, so deep, so moving,
  Draws us close to Christ above,
And will keep us, and will keep us,
  Firmly fixed in Christ alone,
  Firmly fixed in Christ alone.
2
Though the world may change its fashion,
  Yet our God is e’er the same;
His compassion and His cov’nant
  Through all ages will remain.
God’s own children, God’s own children,
  Must forever praise His name,
  Must forever praise His name.
3
God’s compassion is my story,
  Is my boasting all the day;
Mercy free and never failing
  Moves my will, directs my way.
God so loved us, God so loved us,
  That His only Son He gave,
  That His only Son He gave.
4
Loving Father, now before Thee
  We will ever praise Thy love;
And our song will sound unceasing
  Till we meet Thy Son above,
Giving glory, giving glory,
  To our God and to the Lamb,
  To our God and to the Lamb.
30
Catherine Cargill

London, United Kingdom

Though the world may change its fashion,

Yet our God is e’er the same;

His compassion and His cov’nant

Through all ages will remain.

God’s own children, God’s own children,

Must forever praise His name,

Must forever praise His name.


Moses Gao

Seattle, WA, United States

This hymn is so beautiful! I love to sing it again every week!


Moses Gao

Seattle, WA, United States

God’s compassion is my story, is my boasting all the day!


Brooks Phillips

Arlington, Texas, United States

Thank you for your choice Father!

God’s compassion is our story,

Mercy free and never failing,

Hallelujah!


Richard Housel

Long Island, New York, United States

Maybe you can pass this to Ana Lara. I know you vet these. Maybe she can change her comment. I believe John Hughs wrote the music. This is from Hymnary. org -

This anonymous Chinese text was initially used as a theme song by Chinese Christians who kept the faith while the Cultural Revolution was in full swing. The hymn was sung in a Bible-study center in Peking during the winter of 1952-53. In 1953, Bliss Wyant, scholar of Chinese music and culture, gave the text to Francis P. Jones (b. Wisconsin [? ] 1890; d. Claremont, CA, 1965 [? ]), a missionary to China from 1915 to 1 1950. Jones translated the text into English and published it in the China Bulletin of the National Council of Churches (1953). After it appeared in The Hymnbook in 1955, the text was published in a number of other hymnals.

With various references to Ephesians 1:3-14, the text confesses the Christian faith. That confession is all the more bold when it is seen against the background of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Stanza 2 states that “Though the world may change its fashion, you will still remain the same. ” Stanza 3 concludes with a line from John 3: 16, "God so loved us that he gave his only Son." The entire text affirms God's electing love and redemptive grace and leads to a final stanza in which we sing "glory to the Lamb upon the throne."

Francis P. Jones studied at Wisconsin State College, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Garrett Bible Institute, and Union Theological Seminary. After returning from China, he lectured at Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey, edited the China Bulletin, translated Christian classics into Chinese, and made lecture tours to Taiwan and Hong Kong, retiring in 1965. His publications include some twenty-six volumes in addition to articles for periodicals and some hymn translations.


Ana Lara

Storrs, Connecticut, United States

The music to this beautiful hymn to the Father was written by John Hughes. He was born November 22, 1873, Dowlais, Wales and was a Welsh composer of hymn-tunes. He is most widely known for the tune “Cwm Rhondda. ”

By age 12, Hughes was working as a “door boy” in the coal mine at Llantwit Fardre, Glassmorganshire. He eventually worked his way up to the position of clerk at the Great Western Colliery in Pontypridd, in Rhondda Valley. He belonged to the Salem Baptist Chapel where he was a deacon and a precentor (director of a choir or congregational singing).

He died on May 14, 1932, Llantwit Fardre at the age of 58 and was buried in Salem Baptist Chapel in Pontypridd, Wales.


Jaynee Ahn

Corona, CA, United States

We’ll ever praise Your Name!


Prudencia

Katy, TX, United States

Giving glory, giving glory

To our God and to the Lamb.


Oh Chiew Boon

Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

God’s own children, God’s own children,

Must forever praise His name,

Must forever praise His name.


Kelly Kalaidjian

Auckland, New Zealand

God's own children must forever praise His name. This song reminds me to praise the Lord. The Lord has won the victory. We just need to praise Him. By praising Him we uplift our eyes on Him from ourselves and our situations.

The fifth step is the turning. For example, after the remembrance of the Lord, we need to turn to worship the Father. Sometimes the Lord's table has not reached the point of worshipping the Father, but a brother selects Hymns, #33; sometimes a brother selects Hymns, #101 immediately after the bread and the cup have been passed. Both are inappropriate. Hence, there is the need of a sixth step for correction. Sometimes a meeting may be quite long. For example, when a great number of saints gather together, it may take a longer time for the bread and the cup to be passed. If this is the case, there may be the need to maintain the spirit through a hymn or some prayers. This is the seventh step, maintaining the spirit for the meeting. Even though we use hymns and prayers to maintain the spirit, there may still be the need to fill up the time with more prayers and singing. This is the eighth step. Then toward the end of the meeting comes the ninth step to sing a concluding hymn. Sometimes even though the meeting has ended, there is still a lingering air; thus, we may select another hymn to send the saints off. This is the tenth step. This can be compared to sending off a friend who has visited you by walking a distance with him.

Piano Hymns