O Thou My Soul, Forget No More

Krishnu Pal was among the first of the Hindus who renounced caste and idolatry for Christ’s sake (editor’s note: Krishnu Pal was the first convert of pioneer missionary William Carey.) He was baptized at the close of the last century (1700’s), in the river Ganges, near the missionary residence at Serampore.

          Dr. Belcher says of him—” This man, then at the prime of life, being thirty-five years of age, became an eminent Christian, engaged in the ministry, which he pursued for many years, baptized many hundreds of converted idolators, and then died triumphant in the Lord Jesus. Joyfully did he bear witness that the service of Christ ‘was the work of love,’ and that in it ‘he got nothing but joy and comfort.’
          He wrote two or three hymns, one of which continues to be sung in India in the Bengali language, in which it was composed; and a part of it, translated into English, is printed in most of our books.” The first verse reads: —

“O thou, my soul, forget no more

The friend who all thy mis’ry bore;

Let ev’ry idol be forgot;

But, O my soul, forget him not.”

 

The fifth verse was strikingly illustrated in his peaceful death.

 

“Ah, no!—till life itself depart,

His name shall cheer and warm my heart;

And canst thou then, with sin beset,

Such charms, such matchless charms, forget?

 

Krishnu Pal was brought in contact with the gospel through a broken limb, which the missionary was called in to set. This man of God, after administering surgical aid, spake to him of the more awful disease of sin, and of God’s goodness in providing a great Physician.
Krishna was much affected by the story of the cross, and soon after professed faith in the crucified. During his baptism, Grigg’s hymn was sung in Bengali:—

“Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of thee?”

He not only built himself a house for worship, but in 1804, was set apart for the work of the ministry. Dr. Carey described him as “a steady, zealous, well-informed, and I may add, eloquent minister of the gospel,” averaging twelve to fourteen sermons a week.

In such self-denying labors he continued for twenty years at the small salary of six dollars a month.

We append the other verses of his hymn, referred to on another page: —

 

“Jesus for thee a body takes,

Thy guilt assumes, thy fetter breaks,

Discharging all thy dreadful debt; —

And canst thou e’er such love forget?

 

Renounce thy works and ways with grief,

And fly to this most sure relief;

Nor him forget who left his throne,

And for thy life gave up his own.

 

Infinite truth and mercy shine
In him, and he himself is thine;

And canst thou then with sin beset,

Such charms, such matchless charms, forget?

 

Ah! No—when all things else expire,
And perish in the fervent fire,

This name all others shall survive,
And through eternity shall live.”

The above passage is from the "Illustrated History of Hymns and Their Authors," published in 1875, pages 330-333.

Colossians 3:16

Melody Publications is an organization focused on reawakening the melody of truth in believers' hearts and minds at home and abroad. Our prayer is that our work would aid churches and families as they sing "Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs" in praise and worship to our