Hymn
O Thou Great Friend
O thou great Friend to all the sons of men,
Who once appeared in humblest guise below,
Sin to rebuke, to break the captive’s chain,
And call thy brethren forth from want and woe!
We look to thee: thy Spirit gives the light
Which guides the nations, groping on their way,
Stumbling and falling in disastrous night,
Yet hoping ever for the perfect day.
Yes: thou art still the Life; thou art the Way
The holiest know,--Light, Life, and Way of heaven;
And they who dearest hope, and deepest pray,
Toil by the light, life, way, which thou hast given.
O Thou Great Friend — Text from Laudes Domini, 1884. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/o-thou-great-friend
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote O Thou Great Friend?
The words of O Thou Great Friend were written by Theodore Parker; the version here was published in 1884.
Is O Thou Great Friend public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from Laudes Domini, published in 1884. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of O Thou Great Friend?
O Thou Great Friend is in 10.10.10.10. Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Parting Hymn, Abide With Me and Death of a Minister in His Prime.