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Robert Cottrill

About Robert Cottrill

http://wordwisebiblestudies.com

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Today in 1718 – John Cennick Born

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English hymnist John Cennick was born into a Quaker family. He considered becoming a surveyor but, after meeting John and Charles Wesley, he joined them in their ministry.

In those early days, Charles Wesley assisted him in polishing some of his hymn lyrics. Cennick became a lay preacher and teacher with the Methodists, but he later parted with them on some doctrinal differences. He joined with George Whitefield, and became a deacon in the United Brethren Church. He served the Lord in evangelistic itinerant work in England, Ireland, and Germany.

We have several good hymns from the pen of Mr. Cennick, including: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending (with a text improved by Charles Wesley), and Children of the Heavenly King.

Children of the heavenly King,
As we journey, let us sing;
Sing our Saviour’s worthy praise,
Glorious in His works and ways

We are traveling home to God,
In the way the fathers trod;
They are happy now, and we
Soon their happiness shall see.

Lord, obediently we go,
Gladly leaving all below;
Only Thou our Leader be;
And we will still follow Thee.

It is also John Cennick we have to thank for the table blessing, Be Present at Our Table, Lord. (The version below is slightly altered from the original, the third line of which begins “Thy creatures bless.”)

Years ago, I sang with a men’s choir. On one occasion, we were on tour, and stopped at a restaurant to eat. Our leader simply sounded a note, and we all joined in singing Cennick’s prayer in four-part harmony. A sure conversation stopper! More recently, I was in a restaurant with some Christian friends, and was asked to say grace. Instead, I suggested we sing. At first, they thought I was kidding, but we did it! Folks seemed to appreciate the unexpected music, and it was a way of witnessing to the Source of all our blessings.

Be present at our table, Lord;
Be here and everywhere adored;
These mercies bless, and grant that we
May feast in paradise with Thee.

Here is a lovely choral version of this hymn by a ladies’ choir. And below is a youth choir singing a different tune, with some changes in the words as well. I’ve included it as an example of singing a blessing before mealtime.

(2) Today in 1805 – Frederic Hedge Born

Frederic Henry Hedge was a pastor and author, who also taught ecclesiastical history and German literature at Harvard University. It is Mr. Hedge who, in 1853, gave us the English translation of Martin Luther’s 1529 hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, which German poet Heinrich Heine called “the Marseillaise Hymn of the Reformation.”

The term Sabaoth in the second stanza below is a Hebrew word meaning armies, or hosts. Our God is the Lord of Hosts, sovereign Commander of the armies of heaven.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Today in 1792 – Joseph Mohr Born

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The story of the writing of the lovely Christmas hymn Silent Night is better known than most. Pastor Joseph Mohr wrote the words, and his church organist Franz Gruber composed the tune. The song was written on Christmas Eve morning, and shared with the congregation at a service that evening. But there is some confusion regarding the way the song was shared with the world.

Some accounts of our hymn’s origin speak of a breakdown of the church organ, making it necessary for Gruber to accompany the song with guitar that evening. But the organ malfunction did not likely happen until a year or two after the song was written. It was, however, the organ repairman Fritz Mauracher, who came from over the mountains, heard the song, and shared it with the outside world.

In Mauracher’s hometown lived the Strasser family, who manufactured fine leather gloves. They had trained their children to sing in front of their booth at fairs and festivals, in order to drum up sales. It was the Strasser Sisters Quartet that soon spread the song to town after town. At first, it did not even have a name, but was known simply as a Tiroler Volkslied (a Tyrolean Folk Song). It was published in a German hymnal under the heading, “A Hymn of Unknown Origin.” Now we know it in English as Silent Night. The German original begins:

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!
Alles schläft, einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar,
Holder Knabe mit lockigem Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh.

The familiar translation of the opening stanza reads:

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

A quick check shows that Silent Night has been recorded by just about everybody! (And I’m convinced some of them should not have bothered!) But here are two renditions to check out, the first in the original German by the St. Thomas Boys’ Choir, the second in English by the men’s quartet known as G4.

(2) Today in 1845 – The Present Crisis published

James Russell Lowell was a prominent American poet, author, and lawyer. He became Professor of Modern Languages and Literature at Harvard University, edited some prominent journals, and later in his life served as American minister to Spain, and ambassador to England.

In the Boston Courier, Lowell published a long poem called The Present Crisis, protesting America’s war with Mexico. Garrett Horder took some lines from the poem, and arranged them in the form of a hymn. The result was published in 1896. The hymn does not contain much in the way of biblical teaching, but it does emphasize our personal responsibility, as citizens, for the welfare of the country in which we live.

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

Today in 1815 – John Zundel Born

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John Zundel was born in Germany and died there, though he spent about three decades in America. A gifted musician, he studied the violin, and later became an organist and a bandmaster. He served as the organist of Plymouth Church, in Brooklyn, for a number of years. The pastor there was the famous preacher Henry Ward Beecher. The two men, along with Dr. Beecher’s brother Charles, produced a hymnal called the Plymouth Collection, in 1855. It was the first major hymn book to have the music on the same page as the text of the hymns.

John Zundel wrote other books on music theory and organ playing as well, but he is best known for one hymn tune. In 1870, Zundel wrote a tune which he named Beecher, in honour of his pastor. It is commonly used with Charles Wesley’s hymn, Love Divine.

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

(2) Today in 1862 – Henry Nichol Born

Henry Ernest Nichol originally planned to be an engineer. But he switched to a study of music, graduating from Oxford University in 1888 with a Bachelor of Music degree. Most of his hymns were written for the Sunday School.

For many of the songs he wrote both words and music. But in a few older hymnals it may not seem like it. Nichol created a pen name by rearranging the letters of his middle and last name. So you may see H. Ernest Nichol as the composer of the tune, and Colin Sterne as the author of the words, but both are the same man. One of Nichol’s contributions is the missionary hymn, We’ve a Story to Tell.

Above is a picture of our lovely granddaughter Hannah. Her parents are missionaries in Mexico, and Hannah herself seems to have a special gift for making friends with the Mexican children. In her way, she is telling the story too.

We’ve a story to tell to the nations,
That shall turn their hearts to the right,
A story of truth and mercy,
A story of peace and light,
A story of peace and light.

For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright;
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth,
The kingdom of love and light.

We’ve a message to give to the nations,
That the Lord who reigneth above
Has sent us His Son to save us,
And show us that God is love,
And show us that God is love.

Today in 1608 – John Milton Born

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Blind English poet John Milton is well known in literature for his epic poem about the fall of man, Paradise Lost. But he has also given us a few hymns. His most familiar, written when he was 15 years old, is Let Us With a Gladsome Mind, a paraphrase of Ps. 136.

Let us, with a gladsome mind,
Praise the Lord, for He is kind.

For His mercies aye endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.

The poet also wrote a stirring hymn about the second coming of Christ, The Lord Will Come. The song is based mainly on verses taken from Ps. 82, 85, and 86. Echoing the concern of the Reformation, the Puritans tried to translate the Scriptures from the original languages literally, with as little paraphrasing as possible. For this reason, John Milton placed lines of his second coming hymn in italics, when they were added thoughts not contained in the Bible passage. For example, his original first stanza, now slightly amended, is based on Ps. 85:13. It reads:

Before Him righteousness shall go
His royal harbinger,
Then will He come, and not be slow
His footsteps cannot err.

The hymn speaks of Christ’s coming righteous rule over the earth in the Millennial Kingdom. Twice in Rev. 22, the Lord Jesus says, “Behold, I am coming quickly [meaning either suddenly, or soon]!” (vs. 7, 12). The writer, the Apostle John, catches the spirit of this and says, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (vs. 20).

The Lord will come and not be slow;
His footsteps cannot err;
Before Him righteousness shall go,
His royal harbinger.

Mercy and truth, that long were missed,
Now joyfully are met;
Sweet peace and righteousness have kissed,
And hand in hand are set.

Rise, God, judge Thou the earth in might,
This wicked earth redress;
For Thou art He who shalt by right
The nations all possess.

(2) Today in 1893 – George Elvey Died

British church musician George Job Elvey provided tunes for a number of our hymns. Diademata is used with Crown Him with Many Crowns, and we sing Come, Ye Thankful People, Come to St. George’s Windsor. Elvey also supplied the tune for a little-known Christmas carol by Archer Thompson Gurney, Come Ye Lofty. (Gurney was an Anglican clergyman and author.) The carol beautifully depicts the condescension of the Son of God in taking on our humanity.

Come, ye lofty, come, ye lowly,
Let your songs of gladness ring;
In a stable lies the Holy,
In a manger rests the King:
See in Mary’s arms reposing
Christ by highest heav’n adored:
Come, your circle round Him closing,
Pious hearts that love the Lord.

Come ye poor, no pomp of station
Robes the Child your hearts adore;
He, the Lord of all salvation,
Shares your want, is weak and poor:
Oxen, round about behold them;
Rafters naked, cold, and bare,
See the shepherds, God has told them
That the Prince of Life lies there.

Hark the heav’n of heav’ns is ringing:
Christ the Lord to man is born!
Are not all our hearts, too, singing,
Welcome, welcome, Christmas morn?
Still the Child, all power possessing,
Smiles as through the ages past;
And the song of Christmas blessing
Sweetly sinks to rest at last.

Today in 1649 – Martin Rinkart Died

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Martin Rinkart was a pastor whose parish gave him a unique opportunity for ministry. He served the Lutheran church in Eilenberg, Germany, during the Thirty Years War, beginning his work there just before the conflict started.

Eilenberg had the mixed blessing of being a walled city. Its protective fortress was sought out as a safe haven by the hundreds of war refugees who poured into it. But it was also looked upon as a coveted prize of war. Over the years, it was overrun by the Austrian army once, and by the Swedish army twice. In the process, eight hundred homes were demolished. Meanwhile, the increasingly overcrowded conditions brought waves of famine and deadly pestilence.

The death toll was staggering. Soon, Pastor Rinkart was the only clergyman left alive in the city. He conducted an average of fifteen funerals a day, sometimes as many as fifty. He opened his home as a refugee centre, sharing what he had, though it was difficult enough just to provide for his own family. In addition, he carried on other pastoral work, and still found time to write some sixty-six hymns. Sadly, the stress of overwork took its toll and Rinkart died a year after the conflict ended.

Even so, through all the horrors of war, and the strain of dealing with destitute and grieving families, the good pastor never lost his spiritual moorings. He maintained a strong faith in God, and radiated the joy of the Lord. As a table grace for his children, he wrote a hymn based on a verse from the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus (not to be confused with the Bible book of Ecclesiastes). It says:

Now bless ye the God of all, who everywhere doeth great things, who exalteth our days from the womb, and dealeth with us according to His mercy. May He grant us joyful hearts, and may peace be in our days forever” (50:22).

Pastor Rinkart’s praise hymn was called Nun Danket Alle Gott, or as we know it in English, Now Thank We All Our God.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

(2) Today in 1929 – Edwin Ufford Died

Edwin Smith Ufford was a Baptist pastor, known in hymn history mainly for the hymn Throw Out the Lifeline. It uses the rescue of sailors on the storm-tossed sea as an illustration of the spiritual rescue that is possible through the proclamation of the gospel. The song, written in only 15 minutes, has several more stanzas than are usually found in our hymn books. Here are a couple of the unused stanzas:

This is the life line, oh, tempest tossed men;
Baffled by waves of temptation and sin;
Wild winds of passion, your strength cannot brave,
But Jesus is mighty, and Jesus can save.

Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is drifting away;
Throw out the life line! Throw out the life line!
Someone is sinking today.

Jesus is able! To you who are driv’n,
Farther and farther from God and from heav’n;
Helpless and hopeless, o’erwhelmed by the wave;
We throw out the life line, ’tis “Jesus can save.”

Today in 1845 – George Minor Born

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wheat field

George Austin Minor served in the military during the American Civil War. After the war he followed a career in music. He taught at singing schools and was a choral conductor. He also helped found the Hume-Minor Company that made pianos and organs. He attended the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia, where he served as Sunday School superintendent.

One is tempted to pun that his contribution to gospel music was “minor,” since his name is found in our hymn books solely as the composer of the tune for Bringing in the Sheaves, written by Knowles Shaw. But without such obscure contributions by many, we would be unable to enjoy the hymns we have sung for so many years.

This particular gospel song is based on Ps. 126:5-6, in which the psalmist says:

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

The context refers to the Jews returning to the Holy Land, after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Their release from bondage was cause for great rejoicing (vs. 1-4). However, they found their homeland devastated, and once fertile fields overgrown with weeds. It would require months and years of labour and sacrifice to turn things around. And vs. 5-6 illustrate a spiritual principle. Seeing the fruit of changed lives in our service for Christ requires patient, sacrificial effort, as we sow the seed of His Word.

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves,
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

(2) Today in 1877 – Caroline Noel Died

Caroline Maria Noel was the daughter of an English clergyman. Both her father, Gerard Thomas Noel (1782-1851), and her uncle, Baptist Wriothesley Noel (1799-1873) were pastors and hymn writers. Interestingly, the latter began his years of ministry as an Anglican, and then became a “Baptist.” 

Miss Noel’s most productive period of writing came in middle age, after she suffered from a prolonged illness. Miss Noel was an invalid for the last 25 years of her life, and died at the age of 60. She published a couple of volumes of verse, but is only known in hymnody for her hymn, At the Name of Jesus, reflecting Paul’s declaration in Philippians concerning Christ’s exaltation:

God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)

At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess Him King of glory now;
’Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call Him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

At His voice creation sprang at once to sight,
All the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
Thrones and dominations, stars upon their way,
All the heavenly orders, in their great array.

In your hearts enthrone Him; there let Him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true;
Crown Him as your Captain in temptation’s hour;
Let His will enfold you in its light and power.

Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
With His Father’s glory, with His angel train;
For all wreaths of empire meet upon His brow,
And our hearts confess Him King of glory now.

Today in 1769 – O for a Closer Walk written

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The usually reliable Robert McCutchan gives December 9th for the date of writing, but it may be the song was begun today, and edited or completed then.

Oh For A Closer Walk

We have become accustomed to thinking of an “idol” as some kind of statue before which the heathen bow down in worship. But the Bible greatly expands this narrow definition. We learn that idolatry is actually an attitude, or a state of mind. That it need not be associated with a figure of wood or stone. For example, the Bible states that “covetousness…is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). The life-controlling lust and craving for anything means it has become an idol to us. It could be a car, or another man’s wife. Or it could be something more abstract and intangible, such as power or popularity.

In 1769, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) published a hymn about the need for a consistent walk with the Lord that avoids all idolatry. Cowper was troubled throughout his life with chronic depression. But at one point he moved to the little English village of Olney, where he became friends with the pastor of the local church, John Newton (the man who gave us the hymn Amazing Grace). Cowper boarded in the village with a Rev. and Mrs. Morley Unwin, and Mrs. Unwin also became his friend and counsellor.

In the Unwin’s back garden, John Newton and William Cowper met, nearly every day, to work together on a project that greatly encouraged and helped the latter. They produced a new hymn book, creating nearly 350 of the hymns between them. I have an exact reproduction of Olney Hymns near me as I write. One of these songs Cowper called Walking with God. It is now commonly known as O for a Closer Walk with God. Of writing these lines of verse, Cowper commented the next day:

I began to compose them yesterday morning before daybreak, but I fell asleep at the end of the first two lines. When I awaked again, the third and fourth verses were whispered to my heart in a way I have often experienced.

The Bible text Cowper put with his song is Gen. 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God.” It means he lived in close fellowship with the Lord, in consistent faith and obedience toward Him. But William Cowper’s words reflect the experience of times of dryness and coldness in our spiritual lives that sometimes come. We may long for the early vigour and passion of the time when we first trusted Christ as Saviour. He recognizes that sometimes the problem may be a divided allegiance–that we have allowed other things to come between us and the Lord.

Above is the hymn, exactly as it was originally published. You will notice that 240 years ago, the letter “s” was sometimes printed much like our “f”–except when it was found at the end of a word. (In the second stanza we have the word blessedness which Olney Hymns has rendered bleffednefs!)

Dora Greenwell

(2) Today in 1821 – Dorothy Greenwell Born

Dora (Dorothy) Greenwell was born into a wealthy family, but circumstances made it necessary for her father to sell the family estate, Greenwell Ford. This began a life of hardship for Dora herself. Ongoing health problems complicated what hymn historian J. R. Watson calls a sad and unfulfilled life. Dora lived for 18 years with her widowed mother, who discouraged her friendships and did not understand her longing for a fuller, freer existence. There is a possibility that she struggled later with an addiction to opium–possibly administered because of the physical pain she endured.

Dora Greenwell may have been physically frail, but she had a keen mind and a loving heart. She took a particular interest in helping mentally handicapped children. And she was an able author whose devotional writings and poetry fill many volumes. The hymn that is most commonly associated with her is I Am Not Skilled to Understand, published in her book Songs of Salvation, in 1873. Ira Sankey included it in his Sacred Songs and Solos, under the title My Refuge, My Saviour, with the text, “The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Saviour” (II Sam. 22:3).

I am not skilled to understand
What God hath willed, what God hath planned;
I only know at His right hand
Is One who is my Saviour!

I take Him at His word indeed;
“Christ died for sinners”–this I read;
For in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my Saviour!

That He should leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die,
You count it strange? So once did I,
Before I knew my Saviour!

Today in 1830 – Christina Rossetti Born

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Christina Georgina Rossetti was born in London, into a family of brilliant artists and authors. She was considered to have a beauty of face that had a “religious” quality, and she was a model for a number of famous painters in her day, such as James Whistler and William Holman Hunt. Family friends included Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland).

Christina was shy and retiring, but a woman with strong Christian convictions. She turned down at least one offer of marriage from a man for who she had great affection, being concerned about significant differences in their beliefs. Christina Rossetti published three books of poetry and four devotional books. At its best, her poetry compares favourably with that of the most prominent English poets. Her most famous song is a Christmas carol called In the Bleak Midwinter. (The tune was composed by classical composer Gustav Holst).

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

(2) Today in 1855 – Judson Van DeVenter Born

Judson Wheeler Van DeVenter was born and raised in Michigan. He studied both music and art–in fact toured Europe in 1885 visiting famous art galleries and studying painting. For several years he taught art and penmanship in public schools, finally becoming the supervisor of art in the high school of Sharon, Pennsylvania.

During those years, Van DeVenter was an active layman in the Methodist Episcopal Church. he sang in the choir, and eventually obtained a license to preach. Then he began evangelistic work, travelling throughout America, England and Scotland. He spent the last years of his life in Florida, where he had a significant influence on a young evangelist named Billy Graham. Billy says Judson Van DeVenter was a frequent visitor at the Florida Bible Institute in the late 1930s, and the students loved to gather in his home for fellowship and singing.

Mr. Van DeVenter published a number of gospel songs that are still in use, such as: I Surrender All, Sunlight in my Soul, and We Shall Shine as the Stars. Concerning the first of these, the author said:

I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, He caused me to sing.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Saviour,
I surrender all.

Here is a nicely sung version of I Surrender All. But… (pet peeve coming, here) to me, the incessant percussion is just a distraction. It does nothing for the song whatsoever. For more about the problem of drums in the services of the church, see the article Drums in Worship.

We Shall Shine as the Stars was inspired by a prophecy in the book of Daniel: “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

We may tarry awhile here as strangers,
Unnoticed by those who pass by;
But the Saviour will crown us in glory,
To shine as the stars in the sky.

We shall shine as the stars of the morning,
With Jesus the Crucified One;
We shall rise to be like Him forever,
Eternally shine as the sun.

And one final song from this good man: Sunlight, about the difference Christ can make in a life.

I wandered in the shades of night
Till Jesus came to me
And with the sunlight of His love
Bid all my darkness flee.

Sunlight, sunlight in my soul today,
Sunlight, sunlight all a long the way;
Since the Saviour found me,took away my sin,
I have had the sunlight of His love within.

(3) Today in 1924 – William Neidlinger Died

William Harold Neidlinger played the organ at St. Michael’s Church, in New York City. He also conducted several men’s and women’s choirs, and taught vocal music. Neidlinger put together a book entitled Small Songs for Small Singers that was used as a standard text in the kindergartens of America for many years. Research for this volume awakened his interest in child psychology to the extent that he eventually abandoned his music career and established a school for handicapped children in East Orange, New Jersey.

Mr. Neidlinger has given us only one song in common use, the Christmas carol entitled The Birthday of a King.

In the little village of Bethlehem,
There lay a Child one day;
And the sky was bright with a holy light
O’er the place where Jesus lay.

Alleluia! O how the angels sang.
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
’Twas the birthday of a King.

Today in 1820 – Charles Deems Born

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Charles Force Deems was a Methodist clergyman and college professor. For a time, he served as president of the Women’s College, in North Carolina. Later he moved to New York City, where he edited a newspaper called The Watchman, and founded the Church of Strangers. (Unusual name!)

Deems wrote a number of hymns, but we’ll look at one. In 1872, when he was serving the church just mentioned, he became discouraged by the struggles of the new work. In his troubled mood Pastor Deems was much helped by a phrase in the 23rd Psalm, “I shall not want,” and he wrote a hymn about it.

I shall not want: in deserts wild
Thou spread’st Thy table for Thy child;
While grace in streams for thirsting souls,
Thro’ earth and heaven forever rolls.

I shall not want: my darkest night
Thy loving smile shall fill with light;
While promises around me bloom,
And cheer me with divine perfume.

I shall not want: Thy righteousness
My soul shall clothe with glorious dress;
My blood-washed robe shall be more fair
Than garments kings or angels wear.

I shall not want: whate’er is good,
Of daily bread or angels’ food,
Shall to my Father’s child be sure,
So long as earth and heaven endure.

(2) Today in 1844 – John Norris Born

John Samuel Norris was born on the Isle of Wight, but he attended school in Canada, and was ordained as a Methodist clergyman in Oshawa, Ontario, in 1868. Afterward, he pastored churches in Canada and the United States (Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa).

Pastor Norris wrote the tune for Ernest Blandy’s 1890 gospel song Where He Leads Me. In many churches, this simple hymn is used on the occasion of a believer’s baptism. It expresses the saints’ desire to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). (And Mr. Blandy got the order right: grace now, glory to come, Ps. 84:11.)

I can hear my Saviour calling,
I can hear my Saviour calling,
I can hear my Saviour calling,
“Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.”

Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow;
I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.

He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
And go with me, with me all the way.

manger scene

(3) Today in 1859 – Joseph Cook Born

The Lord Jesus Christ “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:14). In order to do this, He had to be sinlessly perfect Himself–otherwise He would have deserved to die for His own sins. The Bible describes the perfection that enabled the Lord Jesus to take our place under the wrath of God. He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). In another place it says He is “holy, harmless [blameless], undefiled, separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26). That truth is brought out in a Christmas hymn.

It was for a Christmas card competition in 1919 that a pastor named Joseph Simpson Cook (1859-1933) wrote the poem Gentle Mary Laid Her Child. His entry won the competition, and it was subsequently turned into a carol, borrowing the tune Tempus Adest Floridum, used also with Good King Wenceslas. Dr. Cook was born in England, but came to Canada as a young man. He was educated at McGill University in Montreal, and served a number of churches in Canada. His carol twice makes reference to the sinless “undefiled” nature of Christ that qualifies Him to die for us.

Gentle Mary laid her Child lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled, to the world a stranger:
Such a Babe in such a place, can He be the Saviour?
Ask the saved of all the race who have found His favour.

Gentle Mary laid her Child lowly in a manger;
He is still the undefiled, but no more a stranger:
Son of God, of humble birth, beautiful the story;
Praise His name in all the earth, hail the King of glory!

Here is a choral arrangement of this hymn. I’m sure this little church choir is doing their best, but the rendition seems a little slow and plodding. This is especially noticeable, given that the tune is also used with Good King Wenceslas, which is usually sung much more brightly

Today in 1841 – Clara Scott Born

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Clara H. Fiske was a trained musician who taught at a Ladies Seminary in Lyons, Iowa. She married Henry Clay Scott in 1861. Two decades later, she published a popular collection of songs by many authors on both sides of the Atlantic. Called the Royal Anthem Book, it was the first of its kind to be published by a woman. Gospel music composer Horatio Palmer was a great encouragement to Mrs. Scott, and helped her publish many of her songs. But the only one of them in common use today is Open My Eyes That I May See.

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

(2) Today in 1850 – Frank North Born

Frank Mason North was a Methodist Episcopal clergyman who pastored churches in New York City and elsewhere for twenty years. He also served as secretary of the Church Extension and Missionary Society of New York City, and was corresponding secretary of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

busy street

It was a meeting of Pastor North with Caleb Winchester that led to the writing of a stirring hymn. Winchester was compiling hymns for the Methodist Hymnal to be published in 1905, when he met North in New York City. He asked him to write a hymn to be included in the book. The latter protested that he was not a hymn writer, but he agreed he would try to come up with something.

Frank North was preparing to preach a sermon on Matt. 22:9, “‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’” A verse from Jesus’ parable of the Marriage Feast, it pictures for us the gospel call. And Mr. North was particularly struck by the American Revised Version which says, “Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways.”

Other Bible versions use words such as street corners, intersections, and crossroads. North pictured in his sermon some of the world’s great crossroads, and discussed the particular spiritual problems found in the cities of the world. These concerns were then eloquently expressed in his moving hymn, Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life.

Where cross the crowded ways of life,
Where sound the cries of race and clan
Above the noise of selfish strife,
We hear your voice, O Son of Man.

In haunts of wretchedness and need,
On shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
From paths where hide the lures of greed,
We catch the vision of Your tears.

The cup of water given for You,
Still holds the freshness of Your grace;
Yet long these multitudes to view
The sweet compassion of Your face.

The video clip below comes from St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Detroit, Michigan. It is interesting for several reasons. I certainly enjoy the dignity and power of a great pipe organ, well played. The choral descant is lovely, too.

You will note that there is a lot going on, during the singing of the hymn. In my own church experience, the choir usually slips into their places from side doors on the platform, and during the prelude, not during the singing of a hymn. (And exactly what the gentleman on the platform is doing at times, I’m not sure. But it is sometimes distracting!)

Finally, we get not only the hymn here, but the American National Anthem to begin this service. Though I’m not from a liturgical tradition, I can recall as a small boy that our morning worship services for many years began with Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow, God Save the King, and O Canada. (A bit much, I think!–though I’m grateful for my country, and do believe we should pray for God’s blessings on our Queen.)

(3) Today in 1884 – Jane Bonar Died

Jane Catharine Lundie was born in Scotland. After losing her father and mother in 1832, she was sent to school in London. On her return, she lived for a time with her sister Mary. When Mary died, Jane married famed Scottish hymn writer and pastor Horatius Bonar. The latter wrote dozens of fine hymns, but his wife is remembered today chiefly for one, Jesus Is Mine (or Fade, Fade, Each Earthly Joy).

Fade, fade, each earthly joy, Jesus is mine!
Break every tender tie, Jesus is mine!
Dark is the wilderness, Earth has no resting place,
Jesus alone can bless, Jesus is mine!

Tempt not my soul away, Jesus is mine!
Here would I ever stay, Jesus is mine!
Perishing things of clay, born but for one brief day,
Pass from my heart away, Jesus is mine!

Farewell, ye dreams of night, Jesus is mine!
Lost in this dawning bright, Jesus is mine!
All that my soul has tried left but a dismal void;
Jesus has satisfied, Jesus is mine!

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