Adventist Pioneer Library

The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity

O gift of gifts! O grace of faith!

  • No. 681
  • Words Frederick Faber.
  • 5 stanzas
  • Words only in the original

Words

⤢ Full screen
1

O gift of gifts! O grace of faith!My God, how can it beThat thou, who hast discerning love,Shouldst give that gift to me?

2

How many hearts thou mightst have hadMore innocent than mine!How many souls more worthy farOf that sweet touch of thine!

3

Ah, grace! into unlikeliest heartsIt is thy boast to come,The glory of thy light to findIn darkest spots a home.

4

The crowd of cares, the weightiest cross,Seem trifles less than light;Earth looks so little and so lowWhen faith shines full and bright.

5

O, happy, happy that I am!If thou canst be, O Faith,The treasure that thou art in life,What wilt thou be in death!

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «681» (large) at the head of the right column of p. 221, under the music of hymn 680, with the reference line «179, 308, 446.» in italics beside it (= sing to the tune of hymn 179, 308 or 446); five numbered stanzas, the whole hymn in the right column; «Frederick Faber.» in italics at the end. The first word after «O», «GIFT», is set in a capital and small capitals. Stanzas are numbered «1»–«5» without a full stop (written «1.»–«5.» here); lines 2 and 4 of each stanza are indented. The print sets a thin space before «!», «?» and «;» («gifts !», «faith !», «me ?», «mine !», «thine !», «grace !», «light ;», «am !», «death !»); it is closed up here. An ink blot (not printed) stands in the blank space to the right of «that I am!» (stanza 5) and hides nothing. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's. No meter is printed (the text is C. M., 8.6.8.6, like the three tunes of the reference line).

Source
The Seventh-day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book (Battle Creek: Review & Herald, 1886/1888)
Where
The Christian — Faith, Hope, and Charity · No. 681 · printed page 221
Checked
lyrics verified (fork reading; parent check pending) · 2026-10-02