1
Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
Is not thine a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him;
Joyful choose the better part.
Is not thine a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him;
Joyful choose the better part.
Captivated by His beauty,
Worthy tribute haste to bring;
Let His peerless worth constrain thee,
Crown Him now unrivaled King.
Worthy tribute haste to bring;
Let His peerless worth constrain thee,
Crown Him now unrivaled King.
2
Idols once they won thee, charmed thee,
Lovely things of time and sense;
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee,
Honeyed lest thou turn thee thence.
Lovely things of time and sense;
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee,
Honeyed lest thou turn thee thence.
3
What has stripped the seeming beauty
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of peerless worth.
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of peerless worth.
4
Not the crushing of those idols,
With its bitter void and smart;
But the beaming of His beauty,
The unveiling of His heart.
With its bitter void and smart;
But the beaming of His beauty,
The unveiling of His heart.
5
Who extinguishes their taper
Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter
Till the summer has begun?
Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter
Till the summer has begun?
6
’Tis that look that melted Peter,
’Tis that face that Stephen saw,
’Tis that heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw:
’Tis that face that Stephen saw,
’Tis that heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw:
7
Draw and win and fill completely,
Till the cup o’erflow the brim;
What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?
Till the cup o’erflow the brim;
What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?
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Philippines
There's an edification story with reference to the first stanza of this hymn from the book "On Going Full-Time":
'Lending a Broken Umbrella to the Queen'
One rainy day, an unfamiliar lady came knocking on an old lady's shanty to borrow an umbrella. The old lady reluctantly lend her a broken umbrella. The following day, the royal guards came to the old lady and returned the broken umbrella. The old lady shamefully said, "If I have known earlier that she was the queen, I would have lend her a better umbrella."
The reason why your consecration today is so pitiful is because you have not known who He is.
There's also a quote from that book which says, "The Lord does not strip you of your pursuit in the world. But when you see the best, you will spontaneous throw away the rest."
What caused us to throw away our idols and give ourselves to the Lord is not some kind of regulation, it is the result of our seeing and knowing the One with peerless worth.
Chicago, Illinois, United States
“If a man would give all the substance of his house for love” – S. of S. 8:7. There is no treasure on earth that could be given to match the value of the love of Christ. His love strips away the attraction of so many inward idols, and destroys the worldly idols that once occupied and delighted our hearts.
San Jose, CA, United States
'Tis that look that melted Peter (Luke 22:61-62)
'Tis that face that Stephen saw (Acts 7:55-60)
'Tis that heart that wept with Mary (John 11:32-35)
Can alone from idols draw (1 John 5:21)
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
How Marvellous is our Lord!
Draw & wind & fill completely,
Till the cup overflow the brim.
What have we to do with Idols?
Who have companied with Him?
Thank you for Your Beaming Beauty,
You are all together Lovely, precious Lord,
we Your many sons Love YOU!!!
Fontana, CA, United States
I was touched by the following stanza:
“Tis that look that melted Peter,
’Tis that face that Stephen saw,
’Tis that heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw[. ]”
Lord Jesus, we love You! Thank You for captivating us with Your beauty. Oh Lord, we just long to know You more. Lord, You are excellent. Amen.
United States
Lord draw me, and win me.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Wow, for as many years as I have enjoyed this song, I never noticed the colon at the end of stanza 6, that leads back into being captivated. Only Jesus’ grace in his look, his face, his heart can draw from idols. And I have to say to myself “duh, of course! ” How could you be captivated by someone’s beauty without being in their presence??? And I will confess MY biggest idol right here: me, myself and I, the triune ME. I think I can do it, stay away from idols, and live this life, yet I am so deceived. HE is the rising sun, not me (thank the Lord! ), HE is the warmth of summer. What a joy to let him do what he does best, save and renew and recreate. Then I am truly free from all things especially idols like myself.
Houston, TX, United States
A taper is a candle, and this is such a beautiful illustration in this song. When you’re in the dark and all you have is a candle, you’re going to cling to that little light. This is like those who don’t know the Lord, clinging to human knowlegde or Satan’s deceptions. But the Lord is a SUN to that little candle!!! Oh Lord, just be the sun to us! And reveal Yourself to only have a candle.
Alhambra, CA, United States
Wow Lord Jesus thank You for saving us from idols!
United States
"Not a sense of right or duty, but the sight of peerless worth."