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THE BENSON LIBRARY OF HYMNOLOGY 

Endowed by the Reverend 

Louis Fitzgerald Benson, d.d. 

I 

LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY 



5oB 



Digitized by the Internet Archive 

in 2012 with funding from 

Princeton Theological Seminary Library 



http://archive.org/details/oldoldstoryOOhank 




PUBLISHED BY THE 

American ^ract Society, 



*£> 



130 Nassau-street. J^Iew York. 




(?^f)ELL me the old, old story, 
w$k\ Of unseen things above— 

?M^ 0f Jesus an<1 liis % lory ' 
A Of Jesus and Lis love 

■ k 

c ^ Tell me the story simply, 

As to a little child ; 
For I am weak and weary, 
And helpless, and defiled. 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 

Tell me the story slowly, 
That I may f<.']:r it in — 

That wonderful Redemption, 
God's remedy for sin ! 

Tell me the story often, 
For I forget so soon ; 

The "early dew'' of morning- 
Has passed away at noon ! 




Tell me the story softly, 

With earnest tones and grave ; 
Remember, I'm the sinner 

Whom Jesus came to save. 



THE STORY WANTED. 




Tell me the story always, 
If you would really be. 

In any time of trouble, 
A comforter to me. 



Tell me the same old story 
"When you have cause to fear 

That this world's empty glory 
Is costing me too dear. 



THE OLD. OLD STOKY, 




Yes, and when that world's glory 
Shall dawn upon my soul, 

Tell me the old, old story, 

- Christ Jesus makes thee whole !" 



THE STORY TOLD. 



11 




'Or ads me for "the sfory 
Of unseen things above; 

Of Jesus and his glory. 
Of Jesus and his love." 



12 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 



You want "the old, old story," 
And nothing else will do ; 

Indeed, I cannot wonder, 
It always seems so new! 

I often wish that some one 
Would tell it me, each day ; 

I never should get tired 
Of what he had to say. 




But I am wasting moments ! 

Oh ! how shall I begin 
To tell " the old, old story," 

How Jesus saves from sin ? 



NCE in a pleasant garden 
God placed a happy pair; 

And all within was' peaceful, 
And all around was fair. 

But oli ! they disobeyed Him ; 

The one thing He denied 
They longed for, took, and tasted- 

They ate it, and — they died ! 



THE STORY TOLD. 



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^^^^^M^ 




Yet, in His love and pity, 

At once the Lord declared. 
How man. though lost and ruined, 
Might after all d. 



14 



THE OLD. OLD STORY. 




For one of Eve's descendants, 
Not sinful, like the rest, 

Should spoil the work of Satan, 
And man be saved and blest ! 

He should be son of Adam, 
But Son of God as well, 

And bring a full salvation 

From sin, and death, and hell. 

Four thousand years were over ; 

Adam and Eve had died, 
The following generation, 

And manv more beside. 



THE STORY TOLD. 



IS 




At last some shepherds, watching 
Beside their flocks at night, 

"Were startled in the darkness 
By strange and heavenly light : 

A light of dazzling splendor, 
Far brighter than the snn; 

They knew 'twas God's own glory 
That round about them shone. 

One of the liolv angels 

Had come from heaven above, 
To tell the true, true story 

Of Jesus and his love. 

He came to bring " glad tidings:" 
u You need not, must not fear; 

For Christ, your new-born Saviour, 
Lies in the village near !" 



16 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 




And many other angels 
Took up the story then ; 

" To God on high be glory, 
Good-will and peace to men." 



i t 



THE STORY TOLD. 



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And was it true — that story? 

They went at once to see, 
And found Him in a manger, 

And knew that it was He. 

He whom the Father promised 

So many ages past, 
Had come to save poor sinners ; 

Yes. He had come at last ! 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 




^-Sir^^ g 



'T was his " delight " to do it, 
To seek and save the lost, 

Although He knew beforehand — 
Knew all that it would cost. 



He lived a life most holy ; 

His every thought was love, 
And every action showed it, 

To man, and God above. 



1 



[HE BTORI COLD. 



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His path in life was lowly ; 
He was a " working-man:" 

"Who knows the poor man's trials 
So well as Jesus can ? 

His last three years were 

He could no more be hid : 
And time and strength would fail me 

To t^ll the good He did. 

He gave away no mca 

For He had none to give : 

But he had power of healing. 
And made dead people live. 



i 



20 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 



He did kind things so kindly, 
It seemed His heart's delight 

To make poor people happy, 
From morning until night. 




He always seemed at leisure 
For every one who came : 

However tired or busy, 

They found Him just " the same. 

He heard each tale of sorrow 

With an attentive ear; 
And took away each burden 

Of suffering, sin, or fear. 



THE STORY TOLD. 




He was u a nian of sorrows/' 
And when He gave relief. 

He gave it like a brother, 

" Acquainted with " the " grief." 



Such was " The Man Christ Jesus !" 
The friend of sinful man 

But hush ! the tale grows sadder : 
I'll tell it— if I cant 



22 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 

This gentle, holy Jesus, 
Without a spot or stain, 

By wicked hands was taken, 
And crucified, and slam! 




Look! look! — if you can bear it — 
Look at your dying Lord ! 

Stand near the cross and view him : 
"Behold the Lamb of God!" 

His hands and feet are pierced, 
He cannot hide his face ; 

And cruel men stand gazing, 
In crowds, about the place. 



THE STORY TOLD. 



23 




They laugh at him and moci him ! 

They tell him to "come down/ 5 
And leaye that cross of suffering, 

And change it for a crown. 



24 THE OLD, OLD STORY. ' 

Why did lie bear their mockings ? 

Was he "the mighty God"? 
And could he have destroyed them 

With one almighty word ? 

Yes, Jesus could have done it; 

But let me tell you why 
He would not use his power, 

But choose to stay and die. 

He had become our surety ; 

And what we could not pay, 
He paid instead, and for us, 

On that one dreadful clay. 

For you and me he suffered ; 

'Twas for our sins he died; 
And " not for oar sins only," 

But " all the world's " beside ! 

And now, the w r ork is " finished !" 
The sinner's debt is paid, 

Because on "Christ the righteous" 
The sin of all was laid. 



THE ST011Y TOLD. 25 

O wonderful redemption, 

God's remedy for sin, 
The door of heaven is open, 

And you may enter in. 

For God released our " Surety/' 

To show the work was done ; 
And Jesus' resurrection 

Declared the victory wan I 




And now, he has ascended, 

And sits upon the throne, 

u To be a prince and Saviour/ 

And claim us for his own. 
4 



26 



THE OLD, OLD STOEY. 

But when lie left his people, 
He promised them to send 

" The Comforter " to teach them, 
And guide them, to the end. 

And that same Holy Spirit 

Is with us to this day, 
And ready now to teach us 

The "new and living way." 





^ \ ^^ <g S \ D VJ^M"^© T=Tf § _ 




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' HIS ia - the old, old story :'" 
Say, do yon take it i?i — 
This wonderful redemption. 
God's remedy for sin ? 



THE OLD, OLD STORY. 

Do you at heart believe it? 

Do you believe it 's true, 
And meant for every sinner, 

And, therefore, meant for you ? 







Then take this "great salvation;" 
For Jesus loves to give! 

Believe ! and you receive it, 
Believe ! and you shall live. 



THE STORY WELCOMED. 

And if this simple message 

Has now brought peace to yon, 

Make known " the old, old story/' 
For others need it too. 

Let every body see it, 

That Christ has made you free ; 
And when it sets one longing, 

Say, ''Jesus died for th& 

Soon, soon, our eyes shall see Him ! 

And in our home above 
We '11 sing the old, old -story 

Or' Jesus and Ids love. 



?A 




