Will L. Thompson was born at East Liverpool, Ohio. His father, Josiah Thompson, was a member of the Ohio State Legislature.
Young
Thompson attended the Boston Music School and did additional musical
study in Germany. After a very successful career of writing secular
music, Thompson turned his talents to writing gospel hymns.
His
business earned him a sizable income in his lifetime, yet he was always
known as a kind, quiet and unassuming Christian gentleman, greatly loved
and admired by his associates.
Thompson
was also known for his travels by horse and buggy from one small
community to another throughout Ohio singing his songs to people
everywhere.
This
particular hymn was one of D.L. Moody’s favorites. It is said that on
his deathbed while being visited by Mr. Thompson, Moody feebly
whispered:
“Will,
I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly’ than anything I
have been able to do in my whole life.”
This
hymn was widely used as an invitation hymn in the great evangelistic
meetings conducted by Moody and Sankey throughout Great Britain and in
America.
++++++++++
Softly and Tenderly
(1) Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
CHORUS: Come
home, come home,
Ye who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling-
Calling, "O sinner, come home!"
(2) Why should we linger when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we wait, then, and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?
(3) O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me;
Tho' we have sinnned He has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me.
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