Upon discovering this hymn it has become my favorite hymn. Beautiful melody. But more important to me is the beauty of the truth it expresses. Some versions of this hymn have changed the words to soften the impact intended by its author. "Aweful"(full of awe) is much more appropriate than the overused "awesome" that most versions have substituted. In our culture virtual everything is awesome. But only God is truly aweful. Most revisions of this hymn have substituted the word, "drew" for the author's original word, "dragged" in the second line of the 4th verse. Too strong for our sensitivities I suppose. "Dragged" is more consistent with the question asked in the previous verse - "Why was I MADE to hear thy voice". Watts clearly understood that salvation is by God's sovereign decree and not by the choice or will of man. We were dragged, albeit "sweetly" into the kingdom.
Liberty Christian Church Utah I completely agree. Salvation into God's kingdom is 100% His (God's) doing. Man has no part in it whatsoever. (Romans ch.9 Eph. 2:8-10)
He understood that the original greek word Christ used when He said "no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me DRAWS him," is actually the word "Drag"
Thank you precious heavenly Father for choosing me to be one of your children nothing of myself so with grateful heart thank you for your marvellous grace.
Wonderful! I have sung this for 35 years and never tire of it. Even when I think that "For all the saints who from their labors rest" or "Jerusalem the golden" might match or best it, as my favorite hymn, all I have to do is listen again and I realize just how special it is.
Oh! You named two more of my favorites, as well. I REALLY wish more people used Jerusalem, the Golden more often. Then again, I have so many favorites and so many I wish we used more often...
Contemporary Christian Music is Too Powerful. Even most of Christian pastors cannot dare to criticize. I like Humble Old Hymn as Issac watts Fanny Crosby's Charles Wesley's as Our Humble servant Savior. What is Godly or Worldly that is question.
When the song was written, aweful meant full of awe, which Christ is, or as we say today "awesome". Yet the way "awesome" is used today (my ice cream cone is awesome), I'm not sure awesome is appropriate .
"dragged" sounds like "against one's will"; the Bible says "drew/ draw" not "drag"; the correct Calvinist and Biblical position is that God changed our wills so that we came willingly. thus, the Westminster Confession speaks of us coming "most freely, and gladly" even though it was by God's sovereign decree ultimately that we came...
John 6:44 - No one is able to come unless the Father draws (helkuse) them. In the NT, helkuse has been translated draw, drag, haul, etc. One such instance how the word is used, Acts 16:19 - They seized Paul and Silas and (dragged) them ... Another instance, Acts 21:30 - Seizing Paul, they (dragged) him from the temple.
I love this hymn and find it sad that they left out the third verse - perhaps to keep from offending contemporary sensibilities - which goes: "Why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's room, when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come?"
@@rrickarr Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule! I TOTALLY missed it when I listened the first time. My mind must have gone off grazing somewhere, as it is so apt to do. Thanks!
I prefer "awe-filled"; it avoids the confusion of the modern uses "aweful" = horrible and of "awesome" = great, cool, sort of almost "trite" or something....
actually no. hymnary.org/text/how_sweet_and_aweful_is_the_place The common connotation of words changes over time. Isaac Watts wrote "awful" meaning "full of awe" as someone already observed above.
I asked the lord that I might grow.
What a beautiful song 😍
What a beautiful hymn. I wish that this kind of hymn was still being written today. Praise God for His doctrines of Grace.
Search for the gettys
We have thousands from years gone by, and time doesn't change the words. I am ever grateful for knowing so many of them by ❤️😊.
So so pretty HYMN, Praise the LORD.
SOLI DEO GLORIA
A Truly GLORIOUS Hymn that never fails to stir my mind and heart to Praise our GOD and King! And to Love His Church. ;)
Upon discovering this hymn it has become my favorite hymn. Beautiful melody. But more important to me is the beauty of the truth it expresses. Some versions of this hymn have changed the words to soften the impact intended by its author. "Aweful"(full of awe) is much more appropriate than the overused "awesome" that most versions have substituted. In our culture virtual everything is awesome. But only God is truly aweful. Most revisions of this hymn have substituted the word, "drew" for the author's original word, "dragged" in the second line of the 4th verse. Too strong for our sensitivities I suppose. "Dragged" is more consistent with the question asked in the previous verse - "Why was I MADE to hear thy voice".
Watts clearly understood that salvation is by God's sovereign decree and not by the choice or will of man. We were dragged, albeit "sweetly" into the kingdom.
Liberty Christian Church Utah I completely agree. Salvation into God's kingdom is 100% His (God's) doing. Man has no part in it whatsoever. (Romans ch.9 Eph. 2:8-10)
He understood that the original greek word Christ used when He said "no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me DRAWS him," is actually the word "Drag"
I love your opinion and many thanks
This is a wonderful, tonic hymn.
Thank you precious heavenly Father for choosing me to be one of your children nothing of myself so with grateful heart thank you for your marvellous grace.
My favorite hymn of all time.
Love the hymn! I do wish that no one's voice would speak out during it. Its distracting and, to me, it draws attention to the speaker more than God.
Wonderful! I have sung this for 35 years and never tire of it. Even when I think that "For all the saints who from their labors rest" or "Jerusalem the golden" might match or best it, as my favorite hymn, all I have to do is listen again and I realize just how special it is.
Oh! You named two more of my favorites, as well. I REALLY wish more people used Jerusalem, the Golden more often. Then again, I have so many favorites and so many I wish we used more often...
This has become one of my favorite hymns.
Thank you for this beautiful rendition! Praise to God!
Very encouraged by this, thank you
Beautiful, hearing the saints sing!
This a beautiful hymn.
It's a shame this isn't a more widely known hymn
Contemporary Christian Music is Too Powerful. Even most of Christian pastors cannot dare to criticize. I like Humble Old Hymn as Issac watts Fanny Crosby's Charles Wesley's as Our Humble servant Savior. What is Godly or Worldly that is question.
Itching ears prefer the false gospel message of the contemporary bands
It is like a pearl of great price. We have the opportunity to give it to others as an apple in a frame of gold.
So encouraging love this hymn, thanking God
Great hymn.
When the song was written, aweful meant full of awe, which Christ is, or as we say today "awesome". Yet the way "awesome" is used today (my ice cream cone is awesome), I'm not sure awesome is appropriate .
We sing it at church
For you Jesus.
Why was I a guest?...only your grace.
"dragged" sounds like "against one's will"; the Bible says "drew/ draw" not "drag"; the correct Calvinist and Biblical position is that God changed our wills so that we came willingly. thus, the Westminster Confession speaks of us coming "most freely, and gladly" even though it was by God's sovereign decree ultimately that we came...
John 6:44 - No one is able to come unless the Father draws (helkuse) them. In the NT, helkuse has been translated draw, drag, haul, etc. One such instance how the word is used, Acts 16:19 - They seized Paul and Silas and (dragged) them ... Another instance, Acts 21:30 - Seizing Paul, they (dragged) him from the temple.
I love this hymn and find it sad that they left out the third verse - perhaps to keep from offending contemporary sensibilities - which goes:
"Why was I made to hear thy voice and enter while there's room,
when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come?"
They did include it!
@@rrickarr Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule! I TOTALLY missed it when I listened the first time. My mind must have gone off grazing somewhere, as it is so apt to do.
Thanks!
I wish there were a Spanish version.
Google: Cual solemne y dulce
This melody is used for more than this one hymn, isn't it?
Love this hymn! Does anyone know, maybe there is translation to russian language?
I have no idea, but I would be very interested in hearing that. 😍😍😍
Is there sheet music for the piano arrangement? It's beautiful.
"Lord why was I guest?"
I prefer "awe-filled"; it avoids the confusion of the modern uses "aweful" = horrible and of "awesome" = great, cool, sort of almost "trite" or something....
aweful = awesome. awful = horrible..be mindful of the spelling.
🔗🪚👨
Maybe would be better as "awesome" instead of
"aweful" , since it could be misunderstood as "awful" in today's lexicon ..
Was so tastefully done ... until the guy had to wax hipster and start adding distracting commentary. Has it really come to this? Grace churches?
It would have been even better without all that talking
Um, the song is how sweet and awesome...not awefull....Christ is awesome....not aweful
actually no. hymnary.org/text/how_sweet_and_aweful_is_the_place The common connotation of words changes over time. Isaac Watts wrote "awful" meaning "full of awe" as someone already observed above.