I Come to Thee Once More My God

This is a hymn about repentance and returning to God.   It was written by English Roman Catholic priest Frederick W. Faber (1814-1863).

It was published in the 1913 American Catholic Hymnal in three stanzas of eight lines, set to an unnamed tune attributed to BSA.

The 1864 hymnal, "Church Pastorals, hymns and tunes for public and social worship" presents thee verses of four linesm, set to the CM tune ARLINGTON by Thomas Augustine Arne (1762).   In the early 21st century, it has been set to THE END OF MAN by Johannes Thomas Rüegg (2014 - ref).

It has also been published in The Cameroon Hymnal, and this appears to be the reason for its current popularity.



Downloads

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Examples

Singer, unaccompanied:


Close-harmony duet, unaccompanied:


Instrumental version - piano, tune ARLINGTON:


Lyrics

I come to Thee once more, my God!
No longer will I roam;
For I have sought the wide world through,
And never found a home.

Though bright and many are the spots
Where I have built a nest,
Yet in the brightest still I pined
For more abiding rest.

Riches could bring me joy and power,
And they were fair to see;
Yet gold was but a sorry god
To serve instead of Thee.

Then honour and the world's good word
Appeared a nobler faith;
Yet could I rest on bliss that hung
And trembled on a breath?

The pleasure of the passing hour
My spirit next could wile;
But soon, full soon, my heart fell sick
Of pleasure's weary smile.

More selfish grown, I worshipped health,
The flush of manhood's power;
But then it came and went so quick,
It was but for an hour.

And thus a not unkindly world
Hath clone its best for me;
Yet I have found, O God! no rest,
No harbour short of Thee.

For Thou hast made this wondrous soul
All for Thyself alone;
Ah! send Thy sweet transforming word
To make it more Thine own.

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5 comments:

  1. This morning, I find my soul humming this song, which I learnt at the Mount Mary College of Education - Somanya, decade ago. My soul is now filled because the lines have brought me closer to Divinity.

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  2. This hymn is highly soul uplifting. This fleeting world sustaineth not anything. For Him alone we are created and in Him only can we find peace. His name be pepertually praised.

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  3. I woke up this morning to do my prayers and found myself humming the song, i searched for it on Google and i was filled and happy. Glory to God.

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