Bible Songs — Miscellaneous

I Know not Why

I know not why my Saviour

No. 1238
Tune I KNOW NOT WHY.
Words Grace E. Lovelight.
Music Wm. J. Kirkpatrick, by per.
Key G major
Time 4/4
4 stanzas

Words

I know not why my SaviourHas done so much for me;I know not why his favorHas come so constantly;But this I know, I love himAnd trust him day by day,And cast my care upon him,And watch and praise and pray.

I know not why my SaviourShould leave a glorious throne,To bleed and die on Calv'ry,For sinners to atone;But this I know, 'tis certain,He fully ransomed me,And in that truth believing,I feel that I am free.

I know not why he bids meBreathe forth my wants in prayer,While day by day he sees me,And knows my ev'ry care;But this I know, while prayingAnd trusting in his word,My soul, refreshed, and strengthened,Rests sweetly on the Lord.

I know not where he leads me,And yet I follow still;I know not why he needs meMy vineyard place to fill;But this I know, at duty,In prayer or holy song,My heart keeps overflowingWith rapture all day long!

About this hymn

As printed As printed: hymn number «1238» (large, left), title «I KNOW NOT WHY.» centred (condensed capitals and small capitals, «I Know not Why.»); under it the epigraph in one line, «"The love of Christ * * * passeth knowledge."—Eph. 3 : 19.» (three asterisks for the omitted words; old-style figures); on the next line «GRACE E. LOVELIGHT.» at the left (words, capitals and small capitals) and «WM. J. KIRKPATRICK, by per.» at the right (music). No meter, no tune name other than the title, no reference line, no chorus. The hymn begins on page 456 (PDF 457) under hymn 1237, with two systems, and ends on page 457 (PDF 458) with one system headed «I KNOW NOT WHY.—Concluded.» All four stanzas are interlinear in all three systems, numbered «1.»–«4.» in the first system only. At the foot of page 456, centred: «Copyrighted 1885, by Wm. J. Kirkpatrick.» Each printed line of words carries the verse lines as the music runs; they are given here one verse line per line (eight to a stanza). In stanza 3 two places are set in a smaller, condensed type for want of room — «Breathe» (verse 2) and «and strengthened,» (verse 7); the words are the same, only the type differs. Words divided under the notes are joined («fol - low», «fa - vor», «con - stant - ly», «sin - ners», «a - tone», «cer - tain», «ev - 'ry», «pray-ing», «vine-yard», «du - ty», «ful - ly», «be - liev-ing», «trust-ing», «sweet-ly», «ho - ly», «o - ver-flow-ing», «rapt - ure», «up - on» → «follow», «favor», «constantly», «sinners», «atone», «certain», «ev'ry», «praying», «vineyard», «duty», «fully», «believing», «trusting», «sweetly», «holy», «overflowing», «rapture», «upon»). The print sets a thin space before «;» and «!» («me ;», «still ;», «ly ;», «tone ;», «care ;», «fill ;», «long !»); it is closed up here; curly quotes and apostrophes are written straight. Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's («Saviour», «favor», «Calv'ry», «ev'ry», «'tis»).