The Christian — Trust and Resignation

Sometimes a light surprises

No. 742
Metre 7s & 6s. D.
Tune ELLACOMBE.
Words Cowper & Cennick.
Music St. Gall's Collection.
Key B-flat major
Singing key B♭ major
Time 4/4
4 stanzas

Words

Sometimes a light surprisesThe Christian while he sings;It is the Lord who risesWith healing in his wings:When comforts are declining,He grants the soul againA season of clear shining,To cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplationWe sweetly then pursueThe theme of God's salvation,And find it ever new:Set free from present sorrow,We cheerfully can say,Let the unknown to-morrowBring with it what it may.

Children of God lack nothing,His promise bears them through;Who gives the lilies clothing,Will clothe his people too:Beneath the spreading heavensNo creature but is fed,And he who feeds the ravensWill give his children bread.

Though vine nor fig-tree neitherTheir wonted fruit should bear,Though all the fields should wither,Nor flocks nor herds be there;Yet God the same abiding,His praise shall tune my voice;For while in him confiding,I cannot but rejoice.

About this hymn

As printed As printed: running head «THE CHRISTIAN—TRUST AND RESIGNATION.»; hymn number «742» (large), tune name «ELLACOMBE. 7s & 6s. D.» centred over the music (condensed display capitals, the «D.» smaller), «ST. GALL'S COLLECTION.» at the right (capitals and small capitals). Stanza 1 is interlinear: system 1 = verse lines 1–3 («1. Sometimes a light surpris - es The Christian while he sings; It is the Lord who ris - es»), system 2 = verse lines 4–6 («With heal - ing in his wings: When comforts are de - clin - ing, He grants the soul a - gain»); verse lines 7–8 are printed in italics as a second lyric line from the segno («D. S.—A sea-son of clear shin - ing,» under system 1, «To cheer it aft-er rain.» under system 2) and are sung there after the «D. S.» at the end of system 2 (the music returns to the segno over «It» and ends at «Fine.» after «wings:» / «rain.»). Stanza 1 below is assembled in the order sung. «Sometimes», «Christian» and «comforts» are set unbroken under the staves. The reference line «833, 357.» (italic figures) stands under the music in the left column, above stanza 2 (the middle figure of «833» is ink-filled and looks like an 8 under magnification; see uncertainties.md). Stanzas 2–4 follow as text in the left column, numbered «2», «3», «4» without a full stop (numbered «2.» etc. here like stanza 1), with «Cowper & Cennick.» in italics after stanza 4. Lines 2, 4, 6, 8 of each stanza are indented in the print. The print sets a thin space before «;» and «:» («sings ;», «wings :», «new :», «through ;»); it is closed up here. No stop is printed after «again» (line 6 runs on into line 7). Spelling («to-morrow», «fig-tree»), punctuation and capitals are the print's.