CHRISTIAN LIFE >> MEDITATION AND PRAYER
SDAH 490
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.
Get the hymn sheet in other keys here
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Hymn Spotlight: Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Using the same beloved text as SDAH 489, this setting is paired with HOLLINGSIDE, composed by John Bacchus Dykes in 1861. Dykes named the tune after Hollingside Cottage and the nearby wood where he lived while serving at Durham Cathedral. While its melodic structure mirrors the earlier MARTYN setting in several sections, HOLLINGSIDE weaves in rich harmonic changes and key modulations, giving the hymn a deeper sense of movement and emotional shading. Together, Wesley’s tender words and Dykes’s expressive harmonies invite worshippers to find shelter, hope, and rest in the unwavering love of Christ.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
For comment on the words, see SDAH 489. The tune HOLLINGSIDE was composed especially for these words in 1861 by John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876; see Biographies). When he was a minor canon in the Durham Cathedral, he had his first home in the parish of St. Oswald’s and lived in Hollingside Cottage and the adjoining wood of the same name on the outskirts of the city of Durham. While the melody of scores 1, 2, and 4 (as in the previous hymn) are similar, the harmony in score 4 is quite different and modulates to a different key; there are other key changes in the hymn also.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.
2
Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.
3
Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.
4
Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
See SDAH 489
Author
Charles Wesley (1707-1788)
Year Published
1740
Hymn Tune
HOLLINGSIDE
Metrical Number
7.7.7.7.D.
Composer
John B. Dykes (1823-1876)
Alternate Tune
ABERYSTWYTH, SDAH 592
Theme
MEDITATION AND PRAYER
Recommended Reading
Charles was the other Wesley. Alongside his brother John who was considered the main guy behind the founding of Methodism, it was Charles’ hymns that pushed through the envelope of being “just another religion.” His lasting and well-known hymns have captivated Christians all around the world. Through his poetic lines, we are able to sing many hymns with such deep theology.
It was said that he wrote 8,989 hymns. That’s 10 lines of poetry every single day for 50 years. And we are privileged to have sung some of those hymns. Tell me, don’t these hymns ring a bell for you?
2 replies on “SDAH 490: Jesus, Lover of My Soul”
Hi! When I look up a favorite song, and click on the jump to accompaniment it does not play? Why?
Hi Michael, unfortunately those buttons are not yet working, only a selected few hymns. We are currently editing and unfortunately those changes were made live even though it’s not yet working and the trouble to take them out is going to be so much. Thanks for taking the time to message us. We will try to have these working as soon as possible. In the mean time, just scroll down to get to the section that shows the accompaniment.