The Cyber Hymnal ‎#4944

4944. O Happy Day, That Fixed My Choice

1. O happy day, that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.

Refrain
Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day
Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away.

2. O happy bond, that seals my vows
To Him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill His house,
While to that sacred shrine I move. [Refrain]

3. ’Tis done: the great transaction’s done!
I am the Lord’s and He is mine;
He drew me, and I followed on;
Charmed to confess the voice divine. [Refrain]

4. Now rest, my long divided heart,
Fixed on this blissful center, rest.
Here have I found a nobler part;
Here heavenly pleasures fill my breast. [Refrain]

5. High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear,
Till in life’s latest hour I bow
And bless in death a bond so dear. [Refrain]

Text Information

• First Line: O happy day, that fixed my choice
• Title: O Happy Day, That Fixed My Choice
• Author: Phil­ip Dod­dridge, 1702-1751
• Refrain First Line: Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!
• Language: English
• Source: Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in 1755; re­frain from Wes­ley­an Sac­red Harp, 1854
• Copyright: Public Domain
• Notes: Prince Albert of Britain requested this hymn be sung at his children's confirmation. Another story of its use: The historic scene at Shanghai, China, when the head of the Chinese Republic, General Chiang Kai Shek, received the rite of Christian baptism, has been preserved for us by the Rev. J. C. Hawk, a missionary of the Methodist Church (at that time the Methodist Episcopal Church, South). This was the report given in some American periodicals at the time: "On October 23, 1930, at 3 o’clock, P. M., mem­bers of the im­me­di­ate fam­i­ly and a few spe­cial­ly in­vit­ed friends, Chi­nese and for­eign, joined in this ser­vice at the home of Mrs. Chiang’s mo­ther, Mrs. K. T. Soong…Dr. Z. T. Kaung, pas­tor of the Al­len Me­mor­i­al Church, Shang­hai, was in charge of the cer­e­mo­ny. "The serv­ic­es were held in the large re­cep­tion room…All sang to­ge­ther ‘Hap­py Day.’ Then the ri­tu­al cer­e­mo­ny of the Meth­od­ist Epis­co­pal Church, South, for bap­tism and re­cept­ion in­to the church was read by Dr. Kaung. Mr. [sic] Chiang stood by the side of Gen­er­al Chiang, and he…fol­lowed the ser­vice and an­swered qui­et­ly, but ve­ry clear­ly, each quest­ion as it was asked by the min­is­ter." The sac­ra­ment of the Lord’s sup­per was then ad­min­is­tered. Singularly strange and deep­ly im­press­ive must it have been when that lit­tle com­pa­ny in Chi­na, on such a mem­or­a­ble oc­ca­sion, unit­ed in sing­ing "Happy day, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away." Hart, pp. 27-8

Tune Information

• Name: [O happy day, that fixed my choice]
• Composer: Anonymous
• Refrain attributed to: Edward F. Rimbault (1854)
• Key: F Major
• Copyright: Public Domain