One of my favorite memories attending the National Founders Conference is the singing. From 1991 to 2004 the conference was held at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. During those years at Samford we met in Reid Chapel, an acoustically live and wonderful venue for congregational singing. We filled the chapel each year with the sound of theologically rich hymns sung robustly and predominately by men.
One of songs I especially enjoyed singing at the Founders Conference was “How Shall I My Savior Set Forth?” #55 in the conference hymnal, Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. The hymn is a declaration of praise for the glories of Christ and the wonder of His grace. And it is a passionate plea to sinners imploring them to come to Christ and find the peace and mercy that can only be found in Him.
How Shall I My Savior Set Forth?
1. How shall I my Savior set forth?
How shall I His beauties declare?
O how shall I speak of His worth,
Or what His chief dignities are?
His angels can never express,
Nor saints who sit nearest His throne,
How rich are His treasures of grace;
No! this is a mystery unknown.
2. In Him all the fulness of God
Forever transcendently shines;
Though once like a mortal He stood,
To finish His gracious designs.
Though once He was nailed to the cross,
Vile rebels like me to set free;
His glory sustained no loss,
Eternal His kingdom shall be.
3. His wisdom, His love, and His pow’r
Seemed then with each other to vie;
When sinners He stooped to restore,
Poor sinners condemned to die!
He laid all His grandeur aside,
And dwelt in a cottage of clay;
Poor sinners He loved, till He died
To wash their pollution away.
4. O sinner, believe and adore
The Savior so rich to redeem;
No creature can ever explore
The treasures of goodness in Him.
Come, all ye who see yourselves lost,
And feel yourselves burdened with sin,
Draw near, while with terror you’re tossed;
Believe, and your peace shall begin.
5. Now, sinner, attend to His call,
“Whoso hath an ear, let him hear!”
He promises mercy to all,
Who feel their sad wants, far and near;
He riches has ever in store,
And treasures that never can waste;
Here’s pardon, here’s grace, yea, and more:
Here’s glory eternal at last.
“How Shall I My Savior Set Forth?”
Words: James Maxwell (1720–1800)
Music: Early American Melody
©Public Domain
Download free sheet music for this hymn (PDF), including a guitar chord chart and an arrangement of the hymn tune CONTRAST for classical guitar.
If you have never attended a Founders Conference and experienced the rich fellowship and teaching of God’s Word, don’t miss the opportunity this fall to join us. We will be meeting October 3–5 at South Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee for the 2017 National Founders Conference on the theme: Reformation Truth: Now and Forever.
Find more Hymns from History