A hymn for Thursday

I will be offering Fanny Crosby hymns for the next few weeks, along with some interesting tidbits about her. I hope you enjoy singing her songs!

Frances Jane Crosby (March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was one of the most prolific hymnists in history, writing over 8,000 hymns and gospel songs. By the end of the 19th century, she was a household name. Because some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, she used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career. My favorite one is Ella Dare. See many of them here

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things he has done;
so loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord; let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory; great things he has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things he has taught us, great things he has done,
and great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
but purer and higher and greater will be
our wonder, our gladness, when Jesus we see.

Music: William Howard Doane

This song was first published in 1875, but appears to have been written around 1872. It was already popular in Great Britain before publication because Ira Sankey had introduced it there during D.L. Moody's 1873-1874 evangelistic campaigns. Despite this, the song was not sung often in the United States and was included in very few hymnals. In 1954 Cliff Barrows, song leader for Billy Graham, included it in the song book for the London Crusade. It was so popular that he included it again later that year in the Crusade in Nashville, TN. The audience responded enthusiastically and from that time on, he used it regularly. With this exposure, the song rapidly became familiar to Christians worldwide and is included in most modern hymnals.