SAVED BY GRACE written in 1891
The Story
Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), the blind songwriter who wrote more than 8,500 hymns, wrote this hymn when she was 71 years old. She often said that when she got to Heaven and received her sight again, the first thing she wanted to see was Jesus. The chorus of this gospel song says, “And I shall see Him face to face.”
Fanny wrote this hymn after hearing a sermon by a distant cousin and close friend, Dr. Howard Crosby.
She had sent the words to this hymn to her publishers – as a poem – thinking they would put it to music and publish it quickly. But they didn’t; in fact, they forgot about it. 3 years later, when Fanny was attending a conference in Massachusetts, word got around that she was in the audience… and she was requested to speak to the crowd. Though she was an excellent speaker, and often spoke to large crowds, she knew there were many eloquent ministers at the conference… so she was reluctant to speak. Finally, she agreed to say a few words. And, in the middle of her speech, she said, “There is one hymn I have written which has never been published. I call it my soul’s poem. Sometimes when I am troubled, I repeat it to myself, for it brings comfort to my heart.” Then she quoted the lines of this hymn. By the time she was finished, the entire audience was in tears.
The music director, Ira Sankey, was in attendance. He contacted the composer, George Stebbins (1846-1945), to write music for Fanny’s text, and this hymn was published soon after.
The Song
Read this hymn, and – today – rejoice in your salvation that comes by grace.
Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing;
but, oh, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King!
Refrain:
And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story—Saved by grace.
Someday my earthly house will fall; I cannot tell how soon ’twill be;
but this I know—my All in All has now a place in heav’n for me. (Refrain)
Someday, when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy tinted west,
my blessed Lord will say, “Well done!” And I shall enter into rest. (Refrain)
Someday: till then I’ll watch and wait, my lamp all trimmed and burning bright,
that when my Savior ope’s the gate, my soul to Him may take its flight. (Refrain)
TheScottSpot 