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Robert Cottrill

About Robert Cottrill

http://wordwisebiblestudies.com

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Fit for the Occasion?

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Recently we had a Memorial Service at the church for an elderly gentleman, a long-time member of the church. There were the usual tributes paid–well deserved. He was a godly man who’d lived a good life. And since the family is musical, there was lots of music. But it’s with some of that that I take issue. (I was tempted to call this article, “Not at My Funeral You Don’t!”)

I had no control over the planning of the service. But, knowing something of the family, I was aware of what might happen–though harbouring the hope that perhaps restraint might be shown, given the occasion. My arrival disabused me of that hope.

The family had taken over the front of the church. There were speakers and large amplifiers everywhere, with an array of instruments scattered about–a keyboard, drums, several guitars, a harp–and wires running everywhere. And a whirlwind of setting up, testing equipment, and talk, swirled around the open casket where loved ones were trying to have a quiet moment of reflection and prayer. When it came time for me to make my way to the platform, I had to negotiate a veritable obstacle course.

I’m tempted to set aside criticism of a mistake-ridden duet, accompanied by the harp. After all, funerals are often highly charged emotionally. From experience, I know singing at a funeral isn’t always easy. And we all make mistakes. However, one of the women made a point of telling us all they had practised and prepared. But they still stumbled again and again, at least twice beginning the song with the wrong stanza, and having to start over. And since the electronic gear wasn’t putting them across quite to their liking, they moved off the platform to another set of microphones, and began yet again–a couple of times!

More serious in my view was the fact that the songs the family used were mostly light, sentimental selections that didn’t convey strong doctrine or a clear gospel message–Where the Roses Never Fade, and Sweet By and By and, for a video presentation, Precious Memories, How the Linger plus a bit of In the Garden. Not that these are heretical, but they at least needed other, stronger songs with them. If the musicians were unsaved people hunting for something “religious” to sing and play, that would be one thing. But they are all professing Christians, one of them a pastor.

Several of the songs were marred by the accompaniment, or musical styles, that descended to raucous rock and honky tonk (by definition, the noisy, garish music of sleazy bars). Several of the family sang the chorus Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God. Fine. But they were accompanied by drums inexpertly handled, emphasizing beats in odd places, and overall played much too loudly.

And, while I’m on the subject, just a word about the volume of almost all the music. The church has a small sanctuary. To house about one hundred and fifty people for the service,  some had to be seated in an adjacent Sunday School room. I’m sure that all would have been able to hear without any amplification (though the support of a little would have been fine). However, there was no need for us to be assaulted by sound as we repeatedly were.

Ask yourself, why is the rock music of the world so often played at a deafening volume? Here is one answer. The musicians have designed the music to be an adrenalin-pumping sensual experience–because that is all the world has to offer, a transitory experience. But Christians have an imperishable gospel, a gift of grace from our glorious Lord (Tit. 2:11-14). We don’t need to stir up an “experience” by artifice and manipulation.

Unfortunately, the family saved the worst for last. A gentleman gave us his own garbled and repetitive version of When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder, accompanying himself on the guitar. Throughout the song, he stomped and danced an energetic jig on the platform, twisting and turning himself like a demented dervish. Meanwhile the guitar accompaniment, and his virtually shouted “singing” got louder and louder.

It was an appalling exhibition. And again, was this an unsaved person who had rarely darkened the door of a church? No, he allegedly has a strong Christian testimony, and frequently talks about how Jesus or the Holy Spirit has revealed things to him. But if there was any doubt about the impression he left, a man from the neighbourhood settled it for me. As he was leaving, he said, “We gotta get them for a [community] concert. They were really rockin’!”

I realize some will dismiss my critique with the argument that “this is just the fashion these days.” But aren’t Christians to live differently from worldly fashion (cf. II Cor. 6:14–7:1). This may be the kind of music the world enjoys, but should we not be calling them to something different? Something higher? Too often, “what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15). Others will tell me these things are “just a matter of taste,” but I strongly disagree. There are key biblical principles involved. I discuss this in more detail in the article, The “Total Message” of a Song.

Music is a language, all on its own, and it sends its own message. If the music is appropriate for the words, the overall message of the song is strengthened. If it’s not, the message is weakened, or completely obliterated. As I sat on the platform, a few feet away from the man last mentioned, watching his unseemly gyrations, I thought to myself, what is more prominent in this performance, the message, the music, or the man?

What made the strongest impression? It was the man, first and foremost, with his odd antics. Then the music, with the dominant rhythms and loud amplification so typical of many of the songs of the godless world. From my perspective, this was an ugly display of ego, far from the testimony of John the Baptist that “He [Christ] must increase, and I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). When the message could be heard amid the din, there wasn’t much of it! Yet it was vitally important. When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. Will you? That is what we needed to ponder.

Am I saying that funerals should be sombre and dreary affairs, with music to suit that mood? No, definitely not, especially when the departed loved one had a strong a Christian testimony as this gentleman did. We could rejoice in the way God blessed his long life, and in the fact that He is now present with the Lord. Even the loss we’ve experienced is mitigated by the great reunion day coming at the feet of Jesus (I Thess. 4:16-17). But that’s just the point–Jesus.

A Christian funeral should be filled with praise to God, rendered in a manner appropriate to both the message and the occasion. “Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (Ps. 97:12). Such a service should focus our thoughts on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the eternal salvation offered to us through His sacrifice on the cross. If it doesn’t do so, it becomes a tragically missed opportunity to bear witness.

For what I believe is a more acceptable mix of hymns and gospel songs, see my article on Funeral Hymns. I’m sure some will question a few of the selections I’ve included, but I tried to strike a balance and cover ones that are reasonably familiar, as well as thinking of the overall content.

In conclusion, and with relation to the kind of thing I’ve described, consider the prayer hymn by John Greenleaf Whittier:

Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways!
Reclothe us in our rightful mind;
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.

He Hideth My Soul

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: William James Kirkpatrick (b. Feb. 27, 1838; d. Sept. 20, 1921)

Note: I have no Almanac information on this particular hymn, but have linked below to articles about the author’s birth and death.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

This is another of Fanny Crosby’s joyful gospel songs with many allusions to Scripture. It has been blessing the saints since it was first published in 1890. In this case, the tune seems to have come first, with Mr. Kirkpatrick asking Fanny to supply some suitable words for it. Indeed she did! And He Hideth My Soul became one of her personal favourites of the thousands of songs that flowed from her pen.

Fanny’s mother died the same year the hymn was published, and she wrote a poem to mark the day (Sept. 2). It contains the lines:

Oh, mother we are coming;
The time will not be long
Till we shall clasp thy hand again,
And join the blessed song.

Though the time would not be long in God’s sight, it would be another twenty-five years before Fanny Crosby joined her mother in praises before the throne of God. She lived a rich and very full life, dying at the age of ninety-five. And unlike many hymn writers who laboured in relative obscurity, Fanny was very much a public figure, the friend of American presidents, Civil War generals, and other notables. She was also the first woman to address the United States Senate.

The first stanza and the refrain of the song alludes to a mysterious incident in the life of Moses, when he asked the Lord, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exod. 33:18). God was willing to manifest His presence to Moses in a physical but carefully limited way.

“‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’”

Exod. 33:20-22

(1) A wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Saviour to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

The experience of Moses was surely an affirmation of the presence and power of God, something that concerned him greatly (Exod. 33:14-15). The incident likely blessed Fanny Crosby in a similar way, as she thought of the Lord’s loving care. He took her burdens upon Himself, and sustained her (2). He crowned her life with numberless blessings, and filled her with His fullness (3).

With the same confidence she had for her recently departed mother, Fanny looked forward to that great day when she would be found in the presence of the Lord, praising Him with multitudes of saints and angels around His glorious throne.

(4) When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise
To meet Him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I’ll shout with the millions on high.

Questions:

  1. In practical terms, how does the Lord “hide” us? And what is the result of this?
  2. What is your personal favourite of all of Fanny Crosby’s songs? (And why?)

Links:

Come and Dine

Words: Charles Brenton Widmeyer (b. July 19, 1884; d. Dec. 14, 1974)
Music: Charles Brenton Widmeyer

Note: Pastor Widmeyer wrote the words and music for this gospel song in 1906. The reason for the writing of it is explained in the Wordwise link below. It is based on an incident described in John 21:1-14.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

We have various expressions for it. When a meal is ready, a voice from the kitchen may call, “Dinner is served,” or, less formally, “Chow’s on!” or “Come and get it!” (Or even, humorously, “Come and get it or we’ll throw it out!”) Whatever the wording, when we’re hungry, the call to the table is welcome indeed.

But what if you went on an all night fishing expedition, and had nothing to show for it. That’s what happened to Peter and half a dozen of the other disciples (Jn. 21:3). Not only was that disappointing, you can be sure they’d worked up a big appetite, and it was distressing that they had nothing to cook for breakfast (vs. 5). But a better fisherman than Peter and his friends had been at work.

Someone on the shore had apparently not only caught fish, but cooked them, along with some breakfast toast (vs. 9). It was the Lord Jesus, but in the dim and misty light of the early morning, they didn’t recognize Him at first (vs. 4). He called for them to make one more cast of their net “on the right side of the boat” (vs. 6). The result was a catch so great they had trouble hauling the net into the boat, and later found that they had 153 “large fish” (6, 11). Someone has outlined the passage: Go fish; No fish; Oh, fish!

When they came ashore, the Lord invited them to “come and eat breakfast” (vs. 12)–or, in the KJV that Widmeyer was using, “Come and dine.” It’s a touching incident of camaraderie and mutual friendship. But of course it is more than that. What can we learn from what happened?

It is a minor point, perhaps, but it deserves mention: the Lord Jesus Christ was not a vegetarian. He not only prepared fish for others, He ate it Himself (cf. Lk. 24:42-43). People can choose to be vegans if they wish, but we have God’s permission to eat meat (Gen. 9:3).

Further, was the huge catch the result of a miracle? Perhaps, but not necessarily (not in the same way as the wine provided for the marriage supper at Cana (Jn. 2:1-11), an incident that Widmeyer references in his refrain. It may simply be an example of divine omniscience. That the Lord of all creation knew that there was a school of fish swimming by at that moment, and instructed His disciples accordingly. (It would, however, be quite interesting to learn where the fish Jesus cooked came from!)

The larger lesson here is the loving care and provision of the Lord. These rugged fishermen had been called to be “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19), commissioned to preach the gospel and bring others to the Saviour. And just as the Lord had provided for them in the practical way that morning, so He would meet their spiritual needs in ministry. In fact, we see in these verses that the Lord had anticipated their need and had prepared in advance to meet it.

What a blessing to be able to trust in God’s provision, knowing that He already knows what we’ll face tomorrow and stands ready to help us. Without Him, we can achieve nothing of eternal worth (cf. Jn. 15:5). With His enablement, we can carry out the Great Commission. When the church at Philippi gave sacrificially to support the missionary work of Paul, he reassured them: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). He can do the same for each believer, meet our needs. (Not our greeds, but our needs!)

Paul certainly didn’t preach a “prosperity gospel”! He said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound…both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need” (Phil. 4:11-12). But always the Lord was faithful, and he accepted both luxury and lack as part of His plan.

One final thought. There is, at least in the first stanza of Charles Widmeyer’s song, a lovely analogy to the Lord’s Supper, where spiritual nourishment awaits us in fellowship with Christ. And in his final stanza (3), the author anticipates the coming joys of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

(1) Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
O ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!

“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”

Questions:

  1. What kind(s) of hunger can the Lord satisfy? And how does He do this?
  2. Why are there so many spiritually malnourished Christians today, when the Lord has provided for us in abundance?

Links:

There Is a Green Hill Far Away

Words: Cecil Frances Humpheys Alexander (b. Apr. ___, 1818; d. Oct. 12, 1895)
Music: Green Hill, by George Coles Stebbins (b. Feb. 26, 1846; d. Oct. 6, 1945)

Note: Cecil Alexander’s husband became Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of all Ireland for the Anglican Church. The actual location of the “green hill,” and comments on Mrs. Alexander’s unusual masculine name are found in the Wordwise link below. When a tune is used that has no refrain, the refrain of Stebbins’s tune is the fifth and final stanza.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Mrs. Alexander was concerned to give the children in her Sunday School class a better understanding of basic Christian truth. To that end, she created several hymns based on the Apostles Creed. This particular hymn beautifully expresses the truth that Christ “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried.” Though it was originally used to teach children, its depth and dignity make it suitable for all ages.

(1) There is a green hill far away,
Outside a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

O dearly, dearly, has He loved,
And we must love Him, too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.

There are a number of Bible truths about the redemptive work of Christ that are expressed in the language of this hymn. Christ “died to save us all” (1). Though not all will be saved (Rev. 20:15), His atoning work was sufficient to pay for all the sins of all mankind for all time. “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “And He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (I Jn. 2:2).

However, Christ’s payment can be rejected. It’s only as the all-sufficient sacrifice of the Saviour is accepted through faith in Him that it becomes efficient in our individual lives. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16; cf. Jn. 1:12-13). “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (vs. 18).

The personal response is, “I believe that Jesus died for me.” Or in the words of the hymn, “We believe it was for us He hung and suffered there” (2). “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (I Cor. 15:3). “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:24). “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (I Pet. 3:16).

Christ was the just One dying for the unjust (each of us). Unless He was perfect, He would be unable to be our Saviour. He “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). He was “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Pet. 1:19), who “committed no sin” (I Pet. 2:24), and was therefore the only One who did not have to be punished for His own sins and was able to die in the place of sinners.

4) There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.

As to the claim of (3) that Christ “died to make us good,” it seems best to see that in forensic and legal sense. While the Holy Spirit continues to work in the believer to produce the character of Christ (“the fruit of the Spirit,” Gal. 5:22-23), the result on this side of heaven is imperfect and often inconsistent. It is justification (God pronouncing us righteous through faith in the Saviour) that credits the full righteousness of Christ to our heavenly account (cf. Rom. 3:21-28; II Cor. 5:21). When we put our faith in Christ, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and accepted by the Father in Him.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the blessings and some cautions in presenting the gospel to children?
  2. What other hymns come to mind that teach important Bible truths at a level children can understand?

Links:

Jesus Is Calling

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: George Coles Stebbins (b. Feb. 26, 1846; d. Oct. 6, 1945)

Note: There are several hymns posted in the Cyber Hymnal entitled Jesus Is Calling. To distinguish this one, it is listed there as Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home. And regarding that word “You,” sometimes the modernizing of the language of our hymns and gospel songs gets in the way of the poetry, and occasionally even the message suffers. In this case, it isn’t difficult to change “thee” and “thy” to “you” and “your,” as some hymn books have done–and if you see a need for that.

Composer George Stebbins also provided the tune for Fanny Crosby’s Saved by Grace. The two servants of the Lord are notable for their long lives. Stebbins’s ninety-nine years provided a link between the gospel song writers of the nineteenth century and those who ministered well into the twentieth. Because he knew many of the earlier musicians and evangelists personally, he was a source of important information. This is preserved in George Stebbins’s 1924 book Reminiscences and Gospel Hymn Stories.

Before he entered his music ministry, including a twenty-five year association with Mr. Moody, Stebbins married Elma Miller and the two formed a wonderful partnership. She often travelled with him, even on long trips overseas. Elma sang duets with George, and conducted meetings for ladies during evangelistic crusades.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The present hymn was written in 1883, after Mr. Stebbins returned from an evangelistic tour of Scotland with D. L. Moody, and it was intended to be used with invitations to trust Christ as Saviour in evangelistic meetings. The composer confesses he didn’t think much of it at the time, and was surprised at how popular and useful it became.

(1) Jesus is tenderly calling thee home
Calling today, calling today,
Why from the sunshine of love wilt thou roam,
Farther and farther away?

Calling today, calling today,
Jesus is calling,
Is tenderly calling today.

“Calling today,” yes. And actually, today (in fact, the present moment) is the only time that God guarantees us. It is dangerous to put off a decision for Christ as the Roman governor Felix did when he said to Paul, “When I have a more convenient time I will call for you” (Acts 24:25). As the Lord Jesus indicates in a parable, the devil is most adept at snatching away the seed of the Word that it is sown, before it has to time to take root and bear fruit (Matt. 13:4, 19). Paul urged those to whom the Lord had graciously presented His Word to respond, without delay.

“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

II Cor. 6:1-2

God Himself warns that withholding a commitment to Him tries His patience, and could well end in disaster. “Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work” (Ps. 95:7-9). The grace of God is profound, reaching to the worst of sinners, but the invitation isn’t extended indefinitely. The day of opportunity will end. As the hymn puts it, “Come, and no longer delay.”

(3) Jesus is waiting, O come to Him now,
Waiting today, waiting today,
Come with thy sins, at His feet lowly bow;
Come, and no longer delay.

The one who comes to Christ has this wonderful promise: “The one who comes to Me I will be no means [not under any circumstances, not for any reason] cast out” (Jn. 6:37). Even a condemned criminal on the brink of death was welcomed by the Saviour (Lk. 23:42-43). “Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). How gracious of the Lord to extend an invitation to lost sinners to come to Him and be saved! (Cf. II Pet. 3:9-10.)

Questions:

  1. What excuses do some give for putting off a decision to receive Christ? What is likely the real reason beneath the surface?
  2. What are your favourite hymns of invitation? Does your church make use of them?

Links:

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Words: William Williams (b. Feb. 11, 1717; d. Jan. 11, 1791
             English translation: Peter Williams (b. Jan. 15, 1723; d. Aug. 8, 1796)
Music: Cwm Rhondda, by John Hughes (b. Nov. 22, 1873; d. May 14, 1932)

Note: Cwm Rhondda (pronounced coom rontha) is Welsh for Rhondda Valley, a coal mining community in Wales. The 1941 Oscar-winning film How Green Was My Valley, and the book of the same name, concern incidents in the valley around the turn of the twentieth century. Originally, 20th Century Fox wanted to film the story on location, but the war made that impossible. Instead, they replicated the row of houses with the colliery at the top of the hill in amazing detail, in Malibu, California. The choir that sings wonderfully in the film is made up of actual coal miners from the Rhondda Valley. And a personal note: I had an acquaintance named Elwyn Davies (now with the Lord), who told me he had preached in the actual village church, in Wales.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

It’s a good day to take a look at this great hymn. Today’s date is the only one in the whole year that’s a command–March 4th, or March forth!–which is what the Lord told the Israelites to do. They were to “march forth” from Egypt, under the leadership of Moses.

The five original stanzas of the hymn deal with the nation during their years in the wilderness. They recount how the Lord, who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt, provided for the people in amazing ways, leading them at last across the Jordan and into the Promised Land. Williams uses this as a picture of the salvation of sinners, and God’s provision for them in their Christian walk. (Another hymn that does similarly is Fanny Crosby’s All the Way My Saviour Leads Me.)

(1). Christians are travelling through the wilderness of this world, a spiritually “barren land.” We are weak–too weak to handle the burdens and trials of the journey in our own strength. Too weak on our own to defend ourselves against Satan, the enemy of our souls. But we have with us One who will guide us, and uphold us with His “powerful hand.” He will feed us with the “bread of heaven.” For Israel, this was the manna God provided for them to eat in the wilderness. Our Bread, our spiritual food, is found in fellowship with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 6:31, 38).

(2). The opening of “the crystal fountain” provided water for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod. 17:1-6), and God revealed His presence to the camp of Israel in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exod. 13:21-22). Again, these both point to Christ, who is “the Light,” and the One who provides the water of life, by His Spirit (Jn. 4:14; 7:37-39; 8:12; cf. Rev. 22:17).

Typical of a number of our hymns, this one equates crossing over the Jordan River with physical death, and uses the land of Canaan as a picture of our heavenly home. However, the analogy breaks down at several points. Canaan was occupied by wicked, idol-worshiping heathen. Even after the Israelites entered Canaan there were many battles to be fought with the enemy. That is nothing like heaven! But it is like the Christian life.

The Jordan better symbolizes our break with the past at conversion, and Canaan would represent the abundant blessings of the Christian life the Lord wants us to have (cf. Jn. 10:10). We are delivered from spiritual bondage, through faith in Christ, and brought into a life of spiritual power and fruitfulness, through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is typified by Israel’s experience, “He brought us out…that He might bring us in” (Deut. 6:23). However, that doesn’t mean the battle’s done for us! The Christian life is one in which we labour and fight.

Having said these things, even if we accept the limitations of the imagery as applied to eternity, I have no serious quibble with Canaan foreshadowing, in part, the blessings yet to come for the saints in heaven. Here is the last stanza of the hymn (5) which makes that application, alluding to the words of the Apostle John–a response to the promise of the Lord Jesus to come quickly (Rev. 22:20). (Unfortunately, this stanza is often omitted from hymnals today.)

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

Questions:

  1. What was the frequent attitude of the Israelites in the wilderness (Exod. 16:2-3; 17:2-3; Num. 14:1-4)?
  2. How can we guard against the above attitude in our Christian lives?

Links:

Shepherd of Tender Youth

Words: Titus Flavius Clemens, called Clement of Alexandria (b. circa 170; d. circa 220)
Music: Italian Hymn, by Felice de Giardini (b. Apr. 12, 1716; d. June 8:1796)

Note: This hymn’s title, and its first line, are sometimes rendered Shepherd of Eager Youth. Clement produced the original around A.D. 200, making it the earliest hymn we have from the post-apostolic era. Henry Dexter (1821-1890) made a literal translation of Clement’s work, then versified his English translation. The Cyber Hymnal lists a number of tunes used with the hymn, including Italian Hymn, to which we also sing, Come, Thou Almighty King. The original of Clement’s work said, in part:

Shepherd of royal lambs
Assemble Thy simple children
To praise holily, to hymn guilelessly
With innocent mouths.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Titus Flavius Clemens (Clement) was a convert from paganism. Ordained a presbyter, he became head of the catechetical school of Alexandria. Origen was one of his pupils. The hymn, entitled “Hymn of the Saviour Christ,” appears at the end of his book The Tutor. Though it is often found in our hymnals under “Children’s Hymns,” the song was written to instruct new converts, who perhaps were not all preteens. It does, however, make a fine hymn for children.

(1) Shepherd of tender youth, guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways; Christ our triumphant King,
We come Thy name to sing and here our children bring
To join Thy praise.

Clement reported vividly of the hymn singing of the early church, showing just how much sacred music played a part in not only the formal worship but the daily lives of Christians at that time.

“We cultivate our fields, praising; we sail the sea, hymning….[The believer’s] whole life is a holy festival. His sacrifices are prayers and praises, and Scripture readings before meals, psalms and hymns during meals and before bed, and prayer again during night. By these he unites himself to the heavenly choir.”

The present hymn centres on the Lord Jesus Christ, and His work on our behalf in the past (at Calvary), and the present (cf. Eph. 5:25-27). On the cross, the Lord Jesus willingly humbled Himself to pay the debt of our sin.

(2) Thou art our holy Lord, O all subduing Word,
Healer of strife. Thou didst Thyself abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace Thou mightest save our race
And give us life.

Now, Christ is our “great High Priest” at the Father’s right hand (Heb. 4:14-16), there to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25), and serve as our heavenly Advocate (I Jn. 2:1-2).

(3) Thou art the great High Priest; Thou hast prepared the feast
Of heavenly love; while in our mortal pain,
None calls on Thee in vain; help Thou dost not disdain,
Help from above.

In addition, Christ is ever-present with us (Matt. 28:20), guiding and directing us as our loving Shepherd (Ps. 23:1-6).

(4) Ever be Thou our Guide, our Shepherd and our Pride,
Our Staff and Song; Jesus, Thou Christ of God,
By Thine eternal Word lead us where Thou hast trod,
Make our faith strong.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the Bible truths in this hymn that it would be important to teach our children?
  2. How many times can you recall hearing (or preaching yourself) a message on the present ministries of Christ?
  3. Take another look at what Clement said about the hymn singing of his day. Do we come anywhere near this now? Why? (Or why not?)

Links:

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Words: Julia Ward Howe (b. May 27, 1819; d. Oct. 17, 1910)
Music: (composer unknown)

Note: In 1856, John William Steffe (1830-1890) published a collection of camp-meeting songs which included one beginning “Say, brothers, will you meet us, on Canaan’s happy shore.” The singable tune was later used for a Civil War song about a radical abolitionist named John Brown, who was executed in 1859 (“John Brown’s body lies a-mouldering in the grave, but his soul goes marching on”).

In December of 1861, on hearing the tune sung lustily by the Union troops with this text, Julia Ward Howe said she’d “often wished to write some words to it.” That night she awoke before dawn with an idea for a new hymn forming in her mind. Her infant children were sleeping in the room with her, so she did not light a lamp, but scribbled down the now famous lines in the semi-dark. (She’d done this sort of thing before, and says she found if she didn’t rewrite her scrawl within twenty-four hours, she was unable to decipher it!)

Five stanzas of the hymn were published in February of 1862. It has been claimed that Mrs. Howe withdrew (5) from publication, but we actually don’t know for certain whether she wrote it, or when it was first included in the song. It contained the line “As He [Christ] died to make men holy, let us die to make men free.” It was a sentiment particularly suited to wartime. But in 1944, during World War II, choral conductor Fred Waring changed the latter phrase to “let us live to make men free,” and so it has remained.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Gaining immediate popularity, The Battle Hymn of the Republic (or simply Battle Hymn of the Republic) went on to become a kind of second, and unofficial national anthem in America. There are many colourful images called forth by the words of this song, and here and there we can catch a glimmer of orthodox Christian truth, but it is only a glimmer. This is not surprising, given Julia Howe’s beliefs.

She was raised in a conservative Anglican (Episcopalian) home, but she rebelled against the strict Calvinism of her father and became quite liberal, believing in the brotherhood of man, and the universal fatherhood of God. She joined the Unitarian Church (which denies the full deity of Christ) and frequently preached in Unitarian churches.

She and her husband also became involved in various humanitarian causes, including women’s suffrage. (In 1870 she proposed that all the women of the world could organize to end war for all time.) Commendably, the Howes were strong advocates of abolition as well.

Even with Mrs. Howe’s liberal theology, there is some truth in her hymn, especially if it is separated from its original historical context. Mrs. Howe thought of Christ coming spiritually in judgment on America’s national sin of slavery, through the avenging hand of the Union Army. But we can look beyond that and see in some of her words the literal second coming of Christ in His glory, meting out fiery judgment on the wicked. Consider the following two passages, and you will see that the hymn echoes a similar message.

“[There will come a day] when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe” (II Thess. 1:7-10).

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev. 19:11-16; cf. Isa. 63:1-3).

(1) Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

Questions:

  1. Is this a hymn you sing in your church? (Why? Or why not?)
  2. What other hymns would you use that teach about Christ’s return with greater clarity?

Links:

Living for Jesus

Words: Thomas Obediah Chisholm (b. July 29, 1866; d. Feb. 29, 1960)
Music: Carl Harold Lowden (b. Oct. 12, 1883; d. Feb. 27, 1963)

Note: There is also a lovely gospel song by Charles Weigele, called Living for Jesus. Chisholm’s song seems to be better known. Thomas Chisholm died on February 29th–a rarity, since the day only comes once in four years! Yesterday there was a new Hymn Almanac post for the 29th, featuring among other things the death of the hymn writer.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

For twenty-eight years, Carl Lowden was song leader at the Linden Avenue Baptist Church, in Camden, New Jersey. He also served for a number of years as a music teacher at the Bible Institute of Pennsylvania (now known as the Philadelphia College of the Bible). In the early twentieth century, Lowden produced this melody, publishing it with his own words, as a children’s song.

Later, he decided the tune needed some better lyrics, and wrote to Thomas Chisholm, asking him to provide some. Mr. Chisholm responded that he’d never produced a text “to order,” and didn’t think he could, but Carl Lowden persisted, and the result is this fine gospel song. It has since been translated into more than a dozen languages. It begins:

Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

This is a call to sincerity and loyalty to Christ, a call to willing and joyful obedience to Him. With the Apostle Paul, believers should desire “that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (II Cor. 4:10), and, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). The goal of each of us should be “that [we] may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10).

The refrain puts special emphasis on the fact that we determine to do this as our response to all that Christ has done for us. It’s a motivation brought out by the word “therefore,” in Romans 12:1. “ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [because of all He has done for you], that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” We are, in fact, constrained and compelled by love ((2), cf. II Cor. 5:14)–our love responding to His love for us (Rom. 5:8; I Jn. 4:19).

We know that there will be trials, and burdens to bear, in our service for Christ (3). In identifying ourselves with Him, and His ultimate sacrifice, we are taking up our cross (Lk. 9:23). But we continue “doing each duty in His holy name. “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3:17).

(4) emphasizes the shortness of time, before Christ returns. We need to be doing what we can to win the lost to Christ, and to encourage the saints. The Lord Jesus came to seek and save lost sinners (Lk. 19:10; I Tim. 1:15), and we ought to share the good news of salvation in Him. Thomas Chisholm says his “dearest treasure” is “the light of His smile.” When we stand before Him, hearing the Lord’s “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21), will be reward enough.

Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.

Questions:

  1. What gifts and opportunities has the Lord given you that you can use in His service?
  2. If our heart is the Lord’s throne (as Thomas Chisholm says in his refrain), what will that mean in practical terms?

Links:

Today in 1691 – John Byrom Born

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John Byrom’s father worked as a linen draper in Manchester, England. But Byrom followed a more academic pursuit. He graduated with a Masters degree from Cambridge, and earned a living by teaching shorthand, using a system of his own invention. A Christian layman, he was a friend of John and Charles Wesley, and both men made use of his shorthand technique, John for writing his famous Journals, and Charles for writing his hymns. Byrom also wrote a number of hymns himself.

Christians Awake (original)


Late in 1749, Mr. Byrom asked his young daughter Dolly, his favourite of the children,  what she would like for Christmas that year. In reply, she said, “Please write me a poem.” Coming down on Christmas morning Dolly found a neatly folded paper on the breakfast table. On it, under the heading, “Christmas Day, For Dolly,” were found the stirring lines of a carol now known as Christians Awake. (The original is pictured here.)

John Wainwright, the church organist and choir leader of the church the family attended, set the poem to music. A year later came a wonderful surprise. The family was awakened to hear Wainwright’s choir of men and boys at their front door singing, for the first time:

Christians, awake, salute the happy morn
Whereon the Saviour of the world was born.
Rise to adore the mystery of love
Which hosts of angels chanted from above,
With them the joyful tidings first begun
Of God incarnate and the virgin’s Son.

Then to the watchful shepherds it was told,
Who heard th’angelic herald’s voice, “Behold,
I bring good tidings of a Saviour’s birth
To you and all the nations of the earth;
This day hath God fulfilled His promised Word;
This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.”

(2) Today in 1960 – Thomas Chisholm Died

Thomas Obediah Chisholm was educated in a small country school–where he became the teacher at the age of 16! For a time he edited a publication called the Pentecostal Herald. Later, he was ordained as a Methodist pastor, but he only served a church in Kentucky for a short time before poor health required him to resign. He became an insurance salesman, but he had a wider ministry than he could have imagined through the poetry he wrote.

Of his 1200 poems, quite a number were set to music. He has given us fine songs such as: Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Living for Jesus, O to Be Like Thee, He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions, and Trust in the Lord. (For a bit more about Mr. Chisholm and his songs, see Today in 1886.) Based on the familiar words of Isaiah 53, He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions says:

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He bore our sins in His body on the tree;
For our guilt He gave us peace,
From our bondage gave release,
And with His stripes, and with His stripes,
And with His stripes our souls are healed.

Living for Jesus, a song about the Christian life, has been translated into many languages.

Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.

O Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus who died in my place,
Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.

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