Words: , 1848. This hymn was written for the jubilee of the Church Missionary Society, probably in Masulipatam, India, where Fox had founded the Telegu Mission.
Music: Jubilee, (1858-1920).
I hear ten thousand voices singing,
Their praises to the Lord on high;
Far distant shores and hills are ringing
With anthems of their nations’ joy.
“Praise ye the Lord! for He has given
To lands in darkness hid His light;
As morning rays light up the heaven,
His Word has chased away our night.”
On China’s shores I hear His praises,
From lips that once kissed idol stones;
Soon as His banner He upraises,
The Spirit moves the breathless bones—
“Speed, speed! Thy Word o’er land and ocean;
The Lord in triumph has gone forth;
The nations hear with strange emotion,
From East to West, from South to North.”
The song has sounded o’er the waters,
And India’s plains re-echo joy;
Beneath the moon sit India’s daughters,
Soft singing, as the wheel they ply—
“Thanks to Thee, Lord! for hope of glory,
For peace on earth to us revealed;
Our cherished idols fell before Thee,
Thy Spirit has our pardon sealed.”