LYRICS

O thank the Lord, O thank the Lord.  Give Him the praise for He is good.
O thank the Lord, O thank the Lord. Give Him the praise for He is good.
Because His mercy does endure. His faithfulness is ever sure.
O thank the Lord, O thank the Lord.  Give Him the praise for He is good.
O thank the Lord, O thank the Lord. Give Him the praise for He is good.
(repeat song)

Take Time to Be Holy
(1882)

Hymn Background:

Because it is written,  “Be holy, for I am holy.”  1 Peter 1:16

The words of this hymn were written about 1882 by William Longstaff, a wealthy Englishman who served as treasurer of the Bethesda Free Chapel in Sunderland, a port city in Northeast England. His church hosted the first meetings held by D.L. Moody and Ira Sankey in that area, and Longstaff became a great supporter of the two.

In his book of hymn stories, Ira Sankey said that “Take Time to Be Holy” was prompted by a sermon William heard in New Brighton on the scripture written above.  George C. Stebbins, who composed the music, said Longstaff was inspired to write this poem after hearing a missionary to China quote a saying, “Take time to be holy.”  There’s no reason why both stories can’t be true.

The tune, HOLINESS, was composed by George C. Stebbins, who cast a long shadow over gospel music.  In his book, Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories, Mr. Stebbins told of his travels and ministries with people like D. L. Moody, Major Daniel Whittle, Philip P. Bliss, Ira Shankey, William Doane, and Fanny Crosby.

In 1890, Stebbins spent time in India working with evangelist George Pentecost.  Someone mentioned the need for a hymn on holiness.  Stebbins had a habit of making notebooks of poems and hymns by cutting and pasting. (Over 100 of these notebooks are housed in the rare book library of Washington’s National Cathedral).  Searching through his pages, he found a poem previously clipped and saved — Longstaff’s “Take Time to Be Holy.”  He composed music for the stanzas and sent the words and music to Ira Sankey in New York where it was published.  This hymn has not only aged well; it has become more and more relevant.  If people in the 1880s needed to slow down and be holy, how much more now!

George Stebbins aged well, too.  He lived to be nearly 100 years old, dying in 1945.  When he was 95 living in a house in the Catskills, he received a visit from George Beverly Shea, who was just beginning his ministry of sacred song.  Shea later described him as hard-of-hearing, but alert, “a tall man with whiskers who exuded great dignity and warmth.”  Shea was persuaded to sing for the old man but he had to sing loudly and right into his ear.

Take Time to Be Holy
LYRICS:

1. Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord.
Abide in him always, and feed on his word.
Make friends of God’s children; help those who are weak.
Forgetting in nothing God’s blessing to seek.

3. Take time to be holy, let him be thy guide.
And run not before him whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow still follow thy Lord.
And looking to Jesus, still trust in his word.

4. Take time to be holy, be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive beneath his control.
Thus led by his spirit to fountains of love;
Thou soon shalt be fitted for service above.

The Sun is on the Sea and Shore