Face to face shall I behold Him
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!’”[17]
The pathos of the situation is recounted by a prison chaplain in England who tells of
Hymns Selected by Prisoners
This chaplain, the Rev. G. A. Metcalfe, found men confined for various crimes. One was convicted of murder, but his sentence of death had been commuted to penal servitude. During the first service this murderer sat alone on the front seat. “There were hardened criminals behind, and here and there some mothers’ lads with fine faces and soulful eyes glistening with tears.” After his address he asked the prisoners to select two or three hymns. One was “Jesus Is Tenderly Calling” and they sang it with the utmost fervor. Then a young fellow called out his choice and there was a sob in the voices as they sang:
“Holy Father, in Thy mercy,
Hear our anxious prayer:
Keep our loved ones, now far absent,