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You bring the Hymnal, I'll bring the History
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Jemima Thompson Luke was converted to Christ at the age of 10 and had a desire to see other children come to the Lord and serve Him. One day in 1841, she was visiting a primary school to learn of their teaching system. While there, she heard the marching tune, “Salamis.” She began to wonder if possibly she would be able to find some appropriate words to put together with the tune. She searched through hymnals but found nothing that would match. One day she was traveling home from a missionary trip when she started to hum the tune and this time words began to form in her heart and mind. She quickly took an envelope and wrote out the words. The next time she taught Sunday School she instructed the children on the singing of this new hymn and later they sang for the church congregation. The pastor, Jemima’s father, was so impressed with the hymn and finding out that his own daughter had written it, he sent it off immediately to be published. And we received the hymn; “I Think When I Read That Sweet Story of Old.”
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I think when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with Him then.
I wish that His hands had been placed on my head,
That His arms had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,
“Let the little ones come unto Me.”
Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go,
And ask for a share in His love;
And if I thus earnestly seek Him below,
I shall see Him and hear Him above,
In that beautiful place He has gone to prepare,
For all who are washed and forgiven;
And many dear children are gathering there,
For of such is the kingdom of heaven.
But the thousands and thousand who wander and fall
Never heard of that heavenly home;
I should like them to know there is room for them all,
And that Jesus has bid them to come.
I long for the joy of that glorious time,
The sweetest, and brightest, and best,
When the dear little children of every clime
Shall crowd to His arms and be blest.
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