William Fisk Sherwin studied music under Lowell Mason. He later worked at the New England Conservatory of Music, and taught singing in Massachusetts and New York. Sherwin was a music editor with Biglow and Main Publishers (who published many of Fanny Crosby’s songs). He took a special interest in the Sunday School, and produced books of songs for that ministry. Sherwin was also the first director of music at the Chautauqua Camp. In the latter capacity, he provided the tunes for Mary Lathbury’s Break Thou the Bread of Life, and Day Is Dying in the West.
Though he produced mainly music, Mr. Sherwin did write a few song texts himself, including God’s Great Love. You can see and hear Sherwin’s original on the Cyber Hymnal, but below is part of Al Smith’s slightly altered (excellent) version, including an added refrain. You will find this, with his own tune, in Living Hymns, an evangelical hymnal I highly recommend.
Grander than ocean’s story, Or songs of forest trees; Purer than breath of morning, Or evening’s gentle breeze; Clearer than mountain echoes Ring out from peaks above, Sounds forth the glorious heav’nly anthem Of God’s eternal love.
God’s great love, mighty love! Love that sent Jesus to die for me, Love that is greater than any sea; Love for us all–how can it be, That God loves me!
Richer than all earth’s treasures, The wealth my soul receives; Brighter than royal jewels, The crown that Jesus gives; Wondrous the condescension, And grace beyond degree! I would be ever, always singing The love of Christ to me!
Another gospel song for which Mr. Sherwin wrote both words and music is Sound the Battle Cry, speaking of our need to stand firm against the devil (our “foe) and resist his attacks (Eph. 6:10-11; I Pet. 5:8-9).
Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh; Raise the standard high for the Lord; Gird your armour on, stand firm every one; Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
Rouse, then, soldiers, rally round the banner, Ready, steady, pass the word along; Onward, forward, shout aloud Hosanna! Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.
O! Thou God of all, hear us when we call, Help us one and all by Thy grace; When the battle’s done, and the vict’ry’s won, May we wear the crown before Thy face.
(2) Today in 1933 – Ada Whiddington Died
Little is known about Ada Anne Fitzgerald. We know she married Richard Whiddington, and their son Richard became Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge. It is thought that Ada may have been active in the Keswick movement in England. She has left us only one hymn, Not I But Christ. It’s theme reflects the desire of John the Baptist that “He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Not I, but Christ, be honoured, loved, exalted; Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard; Not I, but Christ, in every look and action, Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
O to be saved from myself, dear Lord, O to be lost in Thee, O that it might be no more I, But Christ, that lives in me.
The classroom was almost deserted. It was examination time, and all but one young man had finished and gone home. Far down the room, in the gathering shadows, sat the lone student, his brow knotted over the paper before him. Behind a high desk at the front was the stern school master, Henry Twells. He raised his eyes and watched the young man at his labours. Then, his gaze drifted to the window. Somewhere beyond the trees, the late afternoon sun was dropping below the horizon, and the blue-gray twilight was settling in. The scene caused the weary man’s thoughts to turn in a new direction.
He remembered a time when the Lord Jesus, after a long Sabbath day of ministry, retired to the home of Simon Peter (Lk. 4:38-40). But, before long, a commotion arose at the door. Stepping outside, Jesus was met by a gathering crowd of people. Strict Jewish law had prevented them from arriving earlier. No burdens were to be borne on the Sabbath, and they had burdens indeed. As soon as the setting sun touched the rim of the horizon, the day of rest was officially over. And all across the city of Capernaum those who had any who were sick brought them to the feet of Christ.
The loving heart of Christ must have ached with compassion as He saw that confluence of human suffering and the sea of eager faces. Illness had touched home after home, and current remedies had proven inadequate. But now, anxiety was tempered with new hope, as they laid their precious burdens before the Saviour. Patiently, He walked among them, speaking a kindly word here and there, and gently touching those who were sick. The Bible says, “He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them” (Lk. 4:40).
In 1868, Englishman Henry Twells saw it all, as though it were happening before his eyes. Then, emerging from his reverie, he drew a piece of paper toward him and began to write. For a few minutes, nothing was heard in the room but the scratching of two busy pens. But before the student had completed his work, his instructor had created a lovely new hymn-poem about the healing ministry of Christ, At Even, Ere the Sun Was Set.
For the sake of space, I rarely include all the stanzas of the hymns discussed in this blog. I have made an exception here. The hymn as a whole provides a moving compendium of the things that trouble us, and points us to the answer.
At even, ere the sun was set, The sick, O Lord, around Thee lay; O, with what divers pains they met! O, with what joy they went away!
Once more ’tis eventide, and we, Oppressed with various ills, draw near; What if Thy form we cannot see? We know and feel that Thou art near.
O Saviour Christ, our woes dispel; For some are sick, and some are sad; And some have never loved Thee well, And some have lost the love they had.
And some are pressed with worldly care And some are tried with sinful doubt; And some such grievous passions tear, That only Thou canst cast them out.
And some have found the world is vain, Yet from the world they break not free; And some have friends who give them pain, Yet have not sought a friend in Thee.
And none, O Lord, has perfect rest, For none is wholly free from sin; And they who fain would serve Thee best Are conscious most of wrong within.
O Saviour Christ, Thou too art man; Thou has been troubled, tempted, tried; Thy kind but searching glance can scan The very wounds that shame would hide.
Thy touch has still its ancient power. No word from Thee can fruitless fall; Hear, in this solemn evening hour, And in Thy mercy heal us all.
(2) Today in 1880 – O How Fair That Morning written
John Ellerton graduated from Trinity College, and served as a clergyman in the Church of England. He was a recognized authority on hymns, and wrote or translated 80 of them.
O How Fair That Morning is a perceptive look at creation, the effects of the fall, and the salvation God provided.
Oh how fair that morning broke, When in Eden man awoke! Beast and bird and insect bright Reveled in the gladsome light; God looked down from heav’n above, All was life and joy and love.
Ah! the doleful change when sin Darkly, subtly entered in! War and pestilence and dearth Mar and sadden God’s fair earth; Human sorrow fills the air; Death is reigning everywhere.
Yet rejoice; for God on high Hath not left His world to die! God’s dear Son, with dying breath, Broke the power of sin and death; Christ the tempter overthrew, Christ is making all things new.
A Lutheran pastor, Paul Gerhardt is also perhaps the greatest of the early Lutheran hymn writers, next to Martin Luther. Gerhardt’s life and the warmth of his preaching reflected the compassion of the Saviour. But he suffered a great deal. In The History and Use of Hymns and Hymn Tunes, historian David Breed writes:
He was not settled permanently anywhere until he was forty-four years of age, nor married until he was forty-eight. He endured great affliction in the long illness and death of his wife, and in the lost of four out of five of his children. Finally he was dispossessed of his position, and retired to a humble parish in Lübben, where he laboured for seven years among a rude, unsympathetic people, and where he died.”
Yet out of that burdened life this marvelous hymn was born. A German prayer poem he read inspired him to compose and publish a hymn in 1653 that he called O Jesu Christ, Mein Schöstes Licht (O Jesus Christ, My Beautiful Light). The tune commonly used is St. Catherine. In the song Gerhardt extols the love of Christ, responding to it with a great and holy passion. We know the hymn now by its opening phrase.
Jesus, Thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare; Unite my thankful heart with Thee And reign without a rival there. To Thee alone, dear Lord, I live; Myself to Thee, dear Lord, I give.
O, grant that nothing in my soul May dwell but Thy pure love alone! Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; My every act, word, thought, be love.
(2) Today in 1826 – Robert Lowry Born
Robert Lowry attended the University at Lewisburg (later known as Bucknell University), where he became a professor of literature. He was ordained as a Baptist clergyman, and pastored churches in Westchester, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Brooklyn, as well as several other places. He worked as a music editor for the Biglow Publishing Company, and helped editor many gospel song books. Lowry also wrote about 500 gospel tunes (as for Isaac Watts’s Come, We That Love the Lord), and many hymn texts, such as: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, and Shall We Gather at the River.
Introduced at a camp meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and published in 1876, Nothing but the Blood of Jesus is a significant gospel song because it reminds us of the eternal value of the shed blood of Christ–a doctrine that is sadly missing from much preaching today. It is based on Heb. 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission [no forgiveness].”
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The last two stanzas of this hymn are rarely printed and used today, but they are fine too.
Now by this I’ll overcome– Nothing but the blood of Jesus, Now by this I’ll reach my home– Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Glory! Glory! This I sing– Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring– Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Concerning Shall We Gather at the River, one day in July of 1864, thoughts of eternity came to the mind of Robert Lowry, then pastor of Hanson Place Baptist Church, in Brooklyn, New York. Summer that year was oppressively hot, and there was a deadly epidemic raging through the crowded city. Pastor Lowry was called upon to visit many bereaved families as death touched home after home. What could he say? What message of hope could he bring?
The Lord gave him a thought that he shared over and over. Each time, the pastor would assure the sick and sorrowing that through faith in Christ we can look forward to a great reunion day at the river of life described in the book of Revelation (Rev. 22:1-2). He encouraged them to think of meeting the departed once again by the river.
After one particularly exhausting day of comforting the distressed people of his congregation, the pastor returned home and laid down on a couch to rest. He reports that as he lay there he pictured in his imagination that beautiful heavenly scene, the glorious throne of God, and the shining crystal waters of the river. “Visions of the future passed before me with startling vividness,” Lowry says. He wondered why so much attention is given to crossing the river of death, and so little to meeting at the river of life. It was at that moment an idea for a new hymn formed in his mind. He states:
As I mused, the words began to construct themselves. They came first as a question of Christian inquiry, “Shall we gather at the river?’ Then they broke out in chorus, ‘Yes, we’ll gather at the river.”
Soon Pastor Lowry had created both words and music for a stirring gospel song.
Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod, With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river; Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.
Ere we reach the shining river, Lay we every burden down; Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown.
Here is a nice choral arrangement of the hymn. Unfortunately, the one who videotaped it was too far back. The solo stanza of the spiritual, Deep River, does not pick up well, and the attempts of the couple in the back row to take a picture, and discuss how to do so are a bit distracting. But I still enjoyed the choir. Hope you do too.
Oscar Clute graduated from the Michigan Agricultural College, then taught mathematics there for awhile, later studying at Meadeville Theological Seminary. He held pastorates in New Jersey, Iowa and California and, during his busy life, also served as president of the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State College), and Florida Agricultural College. He has given us a single hymn, O Love of God Most Full, published in 1904.
O love of God most full, O love of God most free, Come, warm my heart, come fill my soul, Come, lead me unto Thee!
Warm as the glowing sun, So shines Thy love on me; It wraps me ’round with kindly care, It draws me unto Thee!
(2) Today in 1923 – Mary Thomson Died
One day in 1868, Mary Ann Faulker Thomson faced a family crisis. Her child was critically ill with typhoid fever. As she sat up with him one lonely night, it is said she made a covenant with God–that if He would spare her son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. It was also during those dark hours that Mary Ann Thomson began to write a fine missionary hymn called O Zion, Haste (often amended today to O Christian, Haste).
In the stanzas she has given us the author shows herself to be knowledgeable of the Scriptures. For instance, the first verse says:
O Christian, haste, thy mission high fulfilling, To tell to all the world that God is Light; That He who made all nations is not willing One soul should perish, lost in shades of night.
That beautifully reflects the truth of II Pet. 3:9, “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (though unfortunately I’ve seen a version of the song that changes the last line of the above to “One soul should fail to know His love and might”). True as this may be, it emasculates the message! Outside of Christ, soul’s are “perishing” (i.e. heading for eternal ruin; cf. Jn. 3:16). This same editor also conveniently dropped the second stanza which describes the bondage of sin:
Behold how many thousands still are lying Bound in the darksome prison house of sin, With none to tell them of the Saviour’s dying, Or of the life He died for them to win.
We are called to bear witnes to the truth (Rom. 10:14). And in a stanza not usually used today, Mary Thomson is even more pointed about our responsibility to share the gospel, saying:
‘Tis thine to save from peril of perdition The souls for whom the Lord His life laid down.
The unsaved are in fearful peril. The Bible says they are “condemned already,” and “the wrath of God abides on [them]” (Jn. 3:18, 36). They need to hear the gospel of grace and put their faith in Christ, apart from which they are headed for a lost eternity. The bad news is needed, in order to underscore the vital importance of the good news–that there is life eternal through faith in God’s provision (Jn. 5:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:23; 6:23).
Then consider the positive aspects of the message presented in another stanza:
Proclaim to every people, tongue and nation That God in whom they live and move is love: Tell how He stooped to save His lost creation, And died on earth that man might live above.
Finally, another stanza may hint at that personal dedication of Mrs. Thomson’s own son to the Lord’s work.
Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious; Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way; Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious; And all thou spendest Jesus will repay.
John Newton was converted in the same year that Isaac Watts died. It almost seems as though the Lord, after taking one great English hymn writer home to be with Himself, prepared another to take his place.
I have given March 10th as the date of Newton’s conversion, and so it is considered by some historians. However, it may have marked the beginning of a process in which the light gradually dawned over a number of days. (Some use the date March 21st.) The earlier day referred to was a significant milestone on the way. On that day, God used a dreadful storm to get the attention of a wicked, blasphemous sailor. The picture here is taken from the cover of Newton’s autobiography, Out of the Depths, as published by Moody Press some years ago. Here is the fateful day, as described by Newton himself.
Now the Lord’s time was come, and the conviction I was so unwilling to receive was deeply impressed upon me. I went to bed that night in my usual security and indifference, but was awakened from a sound sleep by the force of a violent sea which broke on us. Much of it came below and filled the cabin where I lay with water. This alarm was followed by a cry from the deck that the ship was going down….The ship was filling very fast. The sea had torn away the upper timbers on one side, and made the ship a mere wreck in a few minutes.
The crew began pumping water as best they could, and tried to make a few of the most urgent repairs to the vessel.
I said, almost without any meaning, “If this will not do, the Lord have mercy on us!” This–though spoken with little reflection–was the first desire I had breathed for mercy in many years. I was instantly struck by my own words….What mercy can there be for me?…Indeed, I expected that every time the vessel descended into the sea she would rise no more. I dreaded death now, and my heart foreboded the worst, if the Scriptures, which I had long since opposed, were true.
That was the beginning. The Lord was gracious, and so patient with this wayward sinner, and in spite of the storm, it was the beginning of a new spiritual day. He was just 23 years old. And when the truth finally dawned, John Newton was gloriously saved. He went on to become a pastor and a hymn writer, preaching and singing about the “Amazing Grace” of God, and the wonder of having a personal relationship with Him. In one of his lesser known hymns, Newton talks about the difference the presence of Christ makes to one’s perspective.
How tedious and tasteless the hours When Jesus no longer I see; Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers, Have all lost their sweetness to me; The midsummer sun shines but dim, The fields strive in vain to look gay. But when I am happy in Him, December’s as pleasant as May.
His name yields the richest perfume, And sweeter than music His voice; His presence disperses my gloom, And makes all within me rejoice. I should, were He always thus nigh, Have nothing to wish or to fear; No mortal as happy as I, My summer would last all the year.
The tune for Newton’s most famous hymn, Amazing Grace, had its origins not in Britain, but in the southeastern United States. Found in song books as early as 1831’s Virginia Harmony, the tune has sometimes been called Little Britain. The intervals in the melody suit a pipe band, and here it is played on the bagpipes.
Born in 1743, English poetess Anna Laetitia Aikin Barbauld was the daughter of a dissenting (non-Anglican) clergyman named John Aiken. In 1753 she became a classics tutor and wrote a number of hymns, including Come, Said Jesus’ Sacred Voice. In 1774, Anna married Rev. Rochemont Barbauld.
“Come,” said Jesus’ sacred voice, “Come, and make My paths your choice; I will guide you to your home, Weary pilgrim, hither come.
“Hither come, for here is found Balm that flows for every wound, Peace that ever shall endure, Rest eternal, sacred, sure.”
(2) Today in 1839 – Phoebe Knapp Born
Phoebe is a Bible name (Rom. 16:1-2), meaning radiant, and it seems, from Paul’s description, that this woman was indeed a radiant Christian, shining for the Lord!
Outstanding in her own time was another Phoebe, Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874). Mrs. Palmer, and her husband Walter, were both evangelists. She also held weekly prayer meetings in their home for nearly 50 years, and did charitable work among the slum tenements of New York City. In addition, she became the editor of a religious magazine, and wrote a number of books. Though not all would agree with some of her beliefs, she was a dynamic Christian who had a great impact on the crowds that came to the camp meetings of the time.
In 1839, Phoebe gave birth to a daughter whom the Palmers named Phoebe, after her mother. The younger Phoebe Palmer (1839-1908) went on to become a musician and hymn writer, producing some 500 hymns. She eventually married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, the founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Knapps were immensely wealthy. The pipe organ in their palatial home was the largest in a private residence at the time. American presidents, Union Army generals and other notables were friends and frequent guests of the couple.
They were also staunch Christians, active as lay people in John Street Methodist Church, in New York. That was the church attended by Fanny Crosby, and the two women combined their talents for the writing of the hymn Blessed Assurance.
In 1871, Phoebe Knapp contacted her mother asking her to write the words for a hymn. The resulting poem was set to music by the daughter, and it became The Cleansing Wave. (Because mother and daughter have the same first name, some hymn books have mistakenly attributed both words and music to the latter.)
Oh, now I see the cleansing wave! The fountain deep and wide; Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save, Points to His wounded side.
The cleansing stream I see! I see! I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me! Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me! It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.
Amazing grace! ’tis heav’n below To feel the blood applied, And Jesus, only Jesus know, My Jesus crucified.
A bit difficult to pick out the melody in the following orchestral arrangement, but this is The Cleansing Wave.
William Young Fullerton was born in Ireland. He was converted through the ministry of Charles Spurgeon, later becoming a respected Baptist clergyman himself. He served as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union, and eventually president of the Baptist Union. The one hymn for which he is known is I Cannot Tell, which is one of a number of texts making use of the beautiful melody Londonderry Air. (The old ballad O Danny Boy is sung to this tune, but it’s put to better use here.)
I cannot tell why He whom angels worship, Should set His love upon the sons of men, Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers, To bring them back, they know not how or when. But this I know, that He was born of Mary When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home, And that He lived at Nazareth and labored, And so the Saviour, Saviour of the world is come.
I cannot tell how silently He suffered, As with His peace He graced this place of tears, Or how His heart upon the cross was broken, The crown of pain to three and thirty years. But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted, And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear, And lifts the burden from the heavy laden, For yet the Saviour, Saviour of the world is here.
(2) Today in 1877 – Noah Herrell Born
Noah Benjamin Herrell was a pastor with the Nazarene denomination. In 1916, when serving a church near Olivet, Illinois, he and his wife went through a time of deep sorrow and suffering with the death of their 5-year-old son William. Pastor Herrell says,
I began to realize more fully what our heavenly Father had gone through in giving His Son to die on the cross. It was a fearful and fateful day when the creature crucified his Creator. Even nature trembled and refused to look upon that dread scene enacted on Golgotha.
Herrell thought of the how, at the moment of Christ’s death, “The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,” miraculously, by an unseen Hand (Matt. 27:51). It was a sign from God that, through the shed blood of the Saviour, a new and living way had been opened into His presence (Heb. 10:19-20). Noah Herrell continues:
The truth so took hold of me that, had I been an artist, I would have painted a picture; but I used the talent God had given me and wrote The Unveiled Christ.
Once our blessèd Christ of beauty Was veiled off from human view; But through suffering, death and sorrow He has rent the veil in two.
O behold the Man of Sorrows, O behold Him in plain view; Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two. Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two.
Now He is with God the Father, Interceding there for you; For He is the mighty conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two.
(3) Today in 1989 – Stuart Hamblen Died
One evening, actor John Wayne threw a party and invited some friends over. As the evening wore on, Wayne and his guests began discussing the effectiveness of psychiatrists. It seemed that most of them had been in “analysis” for emotional problems at one time or another. But did it help? Opinions were mixed. Few seemed sure that the treatment had done much good, or been worth the money. Then one fellow offered the observation, “Well, it’s no secret what God can do.”
For many years he had been a hard drinker, living a godless and profane life. Yet in spite of his wild ways, he had had a successful career in show business. In 1926, he became radio’s first singing cowboy, and three years later he recorded songs with the Victor Talking Machine Company (later called RCA). He made western films with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, as well as John Wayne. But recently he had put his faith in Christ, and his life had been transformed. He was a saved man, and he knew it. He had discovered first hand what God could do, and he gave up the entertainment business to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
That social evening eventually broke up, and John Wayne said goodbye to his guests. When he shook hands with the new Christian he remarked, “That was an interesting comment you made. Maybe you could write a song about it.” And the fellow, whose name was Carl Stuart Hamblen, did just that.
Stuart Hamblen went on to write many gospel songs. But that night he created a song that has been translated into more than 50 languages. The original manuscript is buried in the cornerstone of a building of the Library of Congress. When they arrived home from the Wayne’s house nearby, Stuart’s wife Suzi headed up to bed, but he sat down to consider the idea. What could he say as his testimony of what the Lord had done in His life? Just then, the clock struck the midnight hour, and that gave him his opening line.
The chimes of time ring out the news; another day is through. Someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you? You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew, Do not be disheartened, for I bring hope to you.
It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. With arms wide open, He’ll welcome you– It is no secret what God can do.
Here’s a classic film clip from Billy Graham’s evangelistic meetings in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1957. Dr Graham introduces Stuart Hamblen himself, who sings It Is No Secret. (Forgive Billy’s hyperbole in claiming that Hamblen “has written some of the greatest hymns”!) No question this rough, tough cowboy became a wonderful trophy of God’s grace.
For many years Edward Osler was a physician in England. But he later became more involved in the literary field, and was associated with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He wrote a number of hymns, and added the final stanza to Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens Adore Him.
Praise the Lord: ye heavens, adore Him; Praise Him, angels in the height. Sun and moon, rejoice before Him; Praise Him, all ye stars of light. Praise the Lord, for He hath spoken; Worlds His mighty voice obeyed. Laws which never shall be broken For their guidance He hath made.
Praise the Lord, for He is glorious; Never shall His promise fail. God hath made His saints victorious; Sin and death shall not prevail. Praise the God of our salvation; Hosts on high, His power proclaim. Heaven and earth and all creation, Laud and magnify His name.
Worship, honour, glory, blessing, Lord, we offer unto Thee. Young and old, Thy praise expressing, In glad homage bend the knee. All the saints in heaven adore Thee; We would bow before Thy throne. As Thine angels serve before Thee, So on earth Thy will be done.
(2) Today in 1879 – John Park Born
John Edgar Park was born in Ireland and received his early education there. After graduating from Princeton, he was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in America in 1903. Briefly, he served in the lumber camps of the eastern United States, then became a Congregational minister, serving in a couple of churches in Massachusetts. A noted educator of his time, he was president of a women’s seminary in that state for 18 years.
Dr. Park wrote a number of hymns. We Would See Jesus (not to be confused with Anna Warner’s hymn with the same title) was written to be included in a new hymn book at the request of the publisher for something based on Jn. 12:21, which reports how some men came seeking Christ:
Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
John Park’s hymn borrows the words of the above text (“We would see Jesus,” in the KJV), relating them to the wise men seeking the newborn King (Matt. 2:1-11). But he seems to imply that these men came to the stable on Christmas night, when in reality they arrived some weeks or months later, when Joseph and Mary were living in a house, and Christ is described not as a baby, but as “the young Child.”
The remainder of the hymn deals with the Lord Jesus as a boy in Nazareth, and with His later earthly teaching and healing ministry, emphasizing the need to follow Him. (For the full text of the hymn, and a photograph of the author, see the Cyber Hymnal.)
We would see Jesus; lo! His star is shining Above the stable while the angels sing; There in a manger on the hay reclining; Haste, let us lay our gifts before the King.
We would see Jesus, in the early morning, Still as of old He calleth, “Follow Me!” Let us arise, all meaner service scorning; Lord, we are Thine, we give ourselves to Thee.
Arthur Tappen Pierson was an American pastor and Bible teacher. He and his wife had seven children. They were all converted before the age of 15, and grew up to serve the Lord, as missionaries, pastors, or lay leaders in the church. Pierson was a friend and associate of many prominent Christian leaders in his day, including Dwight Moody. When Charles Spurgeon took sick near the end of his life, Arthur Pierson filled the pulpit in the Metropolitan Tabernacle for several months.
Dr. Pierson also wrote a number of hymns. And in 1874, when Daniel Whittle and gospel musician Philip Bliss were holding a six-week campaign in Detroit, they stayed in the Pierson home. He gave Bliss the words for The New Song, thinking the latter could provide a tune for the text–a simple lyric loaded with Bible truth. He was impressed when Philip Bliss withdrew for a time of prayer before doing so. The result is a rousing song based on the scene in heaven, when Christ, the Lamb of God is worshiped.
The twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls [“vials,” KJV] full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”
Rev. 5:8-10
With harps and with vials, there stand a great throng In the presence of Jesus, and sing this new song:
Unto Him Who hath loved us and washed us from sin, Unto Him be the glory forever, Amen.
All these once were sinners, defiled in His sight, Now arrayed in pure garments in praise they unite:
He maketh the rebel a priest and a king, He hath bought us and taught us this new song to sing:
(2) Today in 1919 – Julia Johnston Died
Julia Harriet Johnston lived in Peoria, Illinois. She wrote over 500 hymns, including There’s a Sweet and Blessed Story, and Grace Greater Than Our Sin.
The latter hymn movingly extols one of the greatest and most pervasive themes of Scripture. God’s grace has been defined as His unmerited favour. It is God sovereignly doing for us what we have not earned. The grace of God provided for the salvation of lost sinners who deserve just the opposite. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). No works of ours can purchase God’s eternal salvation (Eph. 2:8-9). All we are called to do is receive it as a free gift, trusting fully in what the Saviour has done for us.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Here is a choir in the Philippines doing a beautiful job of this hymn. The arrangement is admirable, combining as it does Julia Johnston’s hymn with William Newell’s At Calvary (sung to a different tune than usual). The words of the number are projected on the wall behind them, a boon for those who are hard of hearing.
I enjoyed the video, as I hope you will. But I do want to take a moment to comment on the custom of applauding a ministry in music. Recently, at a church in another town, I sang a solo praising God for His wonderful love in sending the Saviour to die for us. Afterward, the congregation applauded. I stopped them, as graciously as I could. It felt like they had entirely missed the point. Comments later focusing on my voice suggested the same thing. When we applaud, what are we applauding? To me, the clapping at the end of the video is distracting and intrusive. What are they applauding? God’s marvelous grace? Or the choir’s performance? For further thoughts on the subject, see Hold That Applause…Please.
Englishman, Thomas Augustine Arne, was a prominent composer of theatre music during the eighteenth century. He wrote the music for about 100 stage works, and is considered one of the best composers of his era. Among other longer works, Arne wrote an oratorio entitled The Death of Abel, and an opera called Artaxerxes about the Persian king of that name. It is from the latter that the hymn tune Arlington comes, which we use with Watts’s hymn, Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb, And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His Name?
Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord. I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.
About Better Singing: I’ve been asked a number of times how we can improve the congregational singing in our churches. I believe churches would be well served by conducting workshops geared to teaching the basics of singing, and sight reading. The more that learn to sing in harmony, the more beautiful and more enriching will be their experience Sunday by Sunday. Take a look at the article on this subject — Singing in Harmony. (This does assume that there are hymn books in the pews, with notes in them. Please don’t get rid of the hymnal!) And as to teaching singing, Bob Jones University has produced a fine program called The Singer, which includes teacher’s and students’ manuals, and a demonstration CD. Though it is geared to children, it could be adapted for all.
(2) (Data Missing) – One Sweetly Solemn Thought
Robert Steele Ambrose wrote the tune Dulce Domum used with Phoebe Cary’s hymn One Sweetly Solemn Thought. He was born sometime in March of 1824, but the date is uncertain. [Note: the Cyber Hymnal has March 7 as the date of his birth.] The hymn is a sobering reminder that we do not know how close we are to the time of our departing this life. I’m including a bit about the song here because it has several personal connections.
Though born in England, Mr. Ambrose spent his later years in my home town of Hamilton, Ontario. He was the organist at a church in Hamilton (as my own father was, more than a century later). He also taught at a Wesleyan Bible college in Hamilton. As for Phoebe Cary, who died in 1871, there was a Mrs. Cary who sometimes sang at our church, when I was a boy. My father told me she was related to the hymn’s author, and I think I recall him saying also that he was a cousin of Mrs. Cary’s.
The sobering consideration that we are nearer our eternal destiny today than we were yesterday filled the thoughts of Phoebe Cary one Sunday morning in 1852. In fact, she thought, “I am nearer home today than I’ve ever been before.”
That year, Miss Cary, along with her older sister Alice, had moved from their rural western home into the buzzing metropolis of New York. It was a bold venture for two women to make in those days, and they depended very much on each other. Both Alice and Phoebe were gifted authors, and they produced some fine devotional poetry.
On the Sunday morning spoken of, Phoebe climbed the stairs to her humble third-floor bedroom, meditating on the theme of the morning service. Then, sitting down, she composed a poem to express her thoughts. Though it was not originally intended as a hymn, the Moody-Sankey evangelistic meetings popularized a musical version, and it has since found its way into a few hymn books. She entitled her poem “Anticipation of Heaven,” but it has since been identified by the opening words of the first line, One Sweetly Solemn Thought. In the video below you can hear a very early recording of Metropolitan Opera star Alma Gluck singing Phoebe Carey’s hymn as a duet with Louise Horner.
And if I may add one more personal recollection, I was a member of a men’s choir in the early 60s that frequently sang Phoebe Cary’s stirring hymn. Here are the words in the arrangement of the song sung by the Ambassador Male Chorus.
One sweetly solemn thought Comes to me o’er and o’er, I am nearer home today Than I’ve ever been before. Nearer my Father’s house, Where many mansions be, Nearer the great white throne, Nearer the crystal sea.
Nearer the bounds of life, Where we lay our burdens down, Nearer leaving the cross, Nearer gaining the crown. But lying darkly between, Winding a-down through the night, Is the silent unknown stream That leads at last to the light.
Father, be near when my feet Are slipping o’er the brink, For it may be I am nearer home, Nearer now than I think.
For a remarkable story about the impact of this hymn’s message, see the Cyber Hymnal.
(3) Today in 1889 – Joseph Denham Smith Died
Joseph Denham Smith studied at the Dublin Theological Institute, and became a Congregational clergyman in 1840. He worked in missions and in pastoral work in Ireland. Late in life he decided to focus his ministry on evangelism, but his health failed before he could do so.
Pastor Smith has given us a fine hymn on the subject of abiding in Christ. The Lord Jesus discusses that subject in John 15. Nine times He uses some form of the word “abide” there. It refers to the intimate and consistent fellowship the believer is to have with the Lord, maintained by faith in Him and obedience to His Word. The product of “abiding” is spiritual fruitfulness–both the inward fruit of Christlike character, and the outward fruit of effective service (cf. vs. 16)
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (Jn. 15:4-10)
Abide in Thee, in that deep love of Thine, My Jesus, Lord, Thou Lamb of God divine; Down, closely down, as living branch with tree, I would abide, my Lord, my Christ, in Thee.
Abide in Thee, my Saviour, God, I know How love of Thine, so vast, in me may flow: My empty vessel running o’er with joy, Now overflows to Thee without alloy.
Abide in Thee, nor doubt, nor self, nor sin, Can e’er prevail with Thy blest life within; Joined to Thyself, communing deep, my soul Knows naught besides its motions to control.
Abide in Thee, ’tis thus alone I know The secrets of Thy mind e’en while below; All joy and peace, and knowledge of Thy Word, All power and fruit, and service for the Lord.
