Gently, dear Savior, now we bring

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Gently, dear Savior, now we bring

Author: F. E. Belden
Tune: BARNES (Belden)
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Gently, dear Saviour, now we bring
The loved one death has called his own;
With all our griefs to thee we cling,
For unto thee our griefs are known.

2 Thy way is best; and though we weep,
We would not break this calm repose:
Thou givest thy beloved sleep,
And thou hast willed these eyes should close.

3 Blest be the grief that closer binds
Our mourning hearts, O Lord, to thee!
Blest be the faith, in death that finds
A hope of immmortality!

4 Thus dust to dust, and earth to earth,
And ashes cold we lay away
To wait that glad, immortal birth,
The promised resurrection day.

Source: The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #930

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Author: F. E. Belden

Belden was born in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1858. He began writing music in his late teenage years after moving to California with his family. For health reasons he later moved to Colorado. He returned to Battle Creek with his wife in the early 1880s, and there he became involved in Adventist Church publishing. F. E. Belden wrote many hymn tunes, gospel songs, and related texts in the early years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Belden was able to rapidly write both music and poetry together which enabled him to write a song to fit a sermon while it was still being delivered. He also wrote songs for evangelist Billy Sunday. Though Belden’s later years were marred by misunderstandings with the church leadership over his royal… Go to person page >

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