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Robert Cottrill

About Robert Cottrill

http://wordwisebiblestudies.com

Posts by Robert Cottrill:

O God of Bethel

Words: Philip Doddridge (b. June 26, 1702; d. Oct. 26, 1751)
Music: Salzburg (or Haydn), by Johann Michael Haydn (b. Sept. 14, 1737; d. Aug. 10, 1806)

Note: Salzburg is not the tune given by the Cyber Hymnal, but it’s the one I’m more familiar with being used for this hymn. Johann Michael Haydn was the brother of the more famous composer, Franz Josef Haydn.

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

P astor Doddridge wrote this hymn for use on January 16th, 1737, at the conclusion of a message he planned to preach on Jacob. After he cheated his brother Esau, the latter had threatened to kill him (Gen. 27:41), and Jacob fled from home. Alone in the wilds he was confronted by God, who reiterated that he (not his elder brother Esau) was the one through whom the Abrahamic Covenant would be fulfilled (Gen. 28:13-15). Given the kind of man Jacob had shown himself to be, this was a demonstration of sovereign grace on God’s part.

In recognition of the fact that he had met Jehovah God in that desolate wilderness, Jacob named the place Bethel, Beyth El in Hebrew, meaning House of God (Gen. 28:17-19). When the Lord met him again in later years, He identified Himself as “the God of Bethel” (Gen. 31:13), and clearly Jacob continued to have a special remembrance of the site (cf. Gen. 35:3), and the Lord had become to him El Beyth El, “God of the House of God” (vs. 7).

The original hymn follows the biblical account closely. However, it has been subjected to seemingly endless tinkering over the years, changes that obscure its connection with what happened to Jacob. For example, some editors have changed “God of Bethel” to “God of Ages,” or “God of our fathers,” or something else. But why? If the Lord calls Himself the God of Bethel, who are we to complain? Can a service leader or pastor not explain the meaning of the phrase. Don’t capitulate; educate!

But now I want to reverse myself in a sense, and point out what I see as a major flaw in this hymn. One that merely changing a few words does not correct. The revision posted on the Cyber Hymnal site has much to commend it. However, it does not entirely remove the problem.

Earlier incidents in the life of Jacob reveal him to have been a cheat and a deceiver. And when he meets God at Bethel, Jacob does not even seem to be a genuine believer. We can see that when, true to form, he tries to make a deal with the Lord (italics mine):

“Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God.’”

Gen. 28:21

It’s as though he’s saying, If God will do what I want–bring me back home safely–then He can have the privilege of being my God”–which strongly implies that he isn’t Jacob’s God as yet. And we need to notice another thing: the Lord had already promised Jacob that He would do precisely that, bring him safely back home (vs. 15). But Jacob must have the promise actually fulfilled before he’s ready to commit himself.

This is a conditional, I’ll-love-you-if kind of love, and it’s hardly a glowing example of faith! Nor is it, surely, an attitude worthy of being glorified in a hymn. But that’s exactly what Doddridge has done. The hymn changes Jacob’s “my” to the congregation’s “our,” but otherwise the gist of the text is here. Note how closely his original, with it’s repeated “if,” parallels the words of Scripture (Gen. 28:20-22).

3. If Thou, through each perplexing path,
Wilt be our constant Guide;
If Thou wilt daily bread supply,
And raiment wilt provide;

4. If Thou wilt spread Thy shield around,
Till these our wanderings cease,
And at our Father’s loved abode,
Our souls arrive in peace:

5. To Thee, as to our Covenant God,
We’ll our whole selves resign;
And count that not our tenth alone,
But all we have is Thine.

The version in the Cyber Hymnal (a 1781 revision by John Logan) does perhaps make the earlier part of the hymn more worthy of our use. But there is still, in the final stanza, the implication that we’re putting conditions on our allegiance to Almighty God.

(5) Such blessings from Thy gracious hand
Our humble prayers implore;
And Thou shalt be our chosen God,
And portion evermore.

“And [if Thou wilt come through for us] Thou shalt be our chosen God.” How dare we try to make deals with Almighty God, and have the audacity to call them “humble prayers”! Especially since, in infinite grace, He has already promised abundant blessings to us, undeserving as we are (cf. Rom. 8:32; Eph. 1:7; 2:7). The hymn has been greatly improved by some editors by simply omitting the final stanza.

Questions:

  1. Do you agree or disagree with the point I’m making here?
  2. What is a more worthy approach to God for Jacob (and for us)?

Links:

Never Give Up

Words: Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: Ira Allan Sankey (b. Aug. 30, 1874; d. Dec. 30, 1915)

Note: This gospel song was one of Fanny’s later creations, published in 1903. Ira Allan Sankey was the son of Ira David Sankey, who was for many years associated with the ministry of Dwight L. Moody. The son became president of the Biglow and Main Publishing Company, responsible for publishing many of Fanny Crosby’s songs.

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

Some fifteen times (with the refrains) we have the word “never” here. Fanny is urging us not to abandon the work of the Lord, not to be a deserter of the cause. The emphasis reminded me of a famous speech given in October of 1941, by Winston Churchill. With the war raging in Europe, and England under attack, and having come through the Blitz (1940-41), he said to the boys at Harrow School:

“For everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period–I am addressing myself to the School–surely from this period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

In the Bible, this kind of persistence is described with such expressions as persevering and being steadfast. Godly Job, in the Old Testament, is set before us as an example of perseverance in a time of severe trial and suffering (Jas. 5:11). And we are taught that, when we trust in the Lord as Job did, the eventual outcome of our trials can be a persevering (strong) faith (Rom. 5:3-4).

(1) Never be sad or desponding,
If thou hast faith to believe.
Grace, for the duties before thee,
Ask of thy God and receive.

Never give up, never give up,
Never give up to thy sorrows,
Jesus will bid them depart.
Trust in the Lord, trust in the Lord,
Sing when your trials are greatest,
Trust in the Lord and take heart.

One of the key areas needing this kind of steady persistence is in our prayer life. Sometimes there will be a temptation to give up, and stop praying, when the answer doesn’t come quickly, or it isn’t what we’d expect. But God’s Word counsels us to be “patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Eph. 6:18

(2) What if thy burdens oppress thee;
What though thy life may be drear;
Look on the side that is brightest,
Pray, and thy path will be clear.

We would perhaps debate the unqualified optimism of this hymn at some points. (2) promises: “Pray, and thy path will be clear.” It isn’t always that cut and dried. As we pray, and persist in prayer, the way ahead may well become clearer. But because He wants us to continue trusting in Him, the future is sometimes left uncertain, and we simply need to cling to the Lord day by day.

Another area where perseverance is necessary is in resisting satanic temptation.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

I Pet. 5:8-9

Our service for Christ is another area that patience and “stick-to-it-iveness” is required, if we are to bear fruit for eternity.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I Cor. 15:58

(3) Never be sad or desponding,
There is a morrow for thee;
Soon thou shalt dwell in its brightness,
There with the Lord thou shalt be.

(4) Never be sad or desponding,
Lean on the arm of thy Lord;
Dwell in the depths of His mercy,
Thou shalt receive thy reward.

Questions:

  1. What is the remedy for those who are discouraged and tempted to give up?
  2. Is there some discouraged servant of God whom you can help and encourage today?

Links:

May the Grace of Christ

Words: John Newton (b. July 24, 1725; d. Dec. 21:1807)
Music: Sardis, arranged from Romance for Violin, Opus 40, Number 1, by Ludwig van Beethoven (b. Dec. 17, 1770; d. March 26, 1827)

Note: This hymn, published in Olney Hymns, in 1779, surely ranks as one of the shortest in common use. It was originally composed as one eight-line stanza. But to suit tunes such as Sardis, it has been broken into two four-line stanzas.

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

Olney Hymns - May the Grace

Here is a copy of the hymn exactly as it appears in Olney Hymns. You’ll notice what seems to us an oddity, though it was common in the printing of that time. The lowercase letter “s” looks quite a bit like our letter “f,” unless it appears at the end of a word. Thus, the word boundless looks like boundlefs, and possess like poffefs.

I also noticed that while Saviour is spelled with a “u” (as we Canadians are used to doing), the word favor is not.

These technicalities aside, this is a beautiful little hymn. Given that it is also doctrinally rich and practically useful, it’s unfortunate more hymnals don’t include it. As the title above the hymn indicates, it paraphrases the benediction found in Second Corinthians 13 verse 14:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the communion of [or created by] the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”

The hymn was written to be sung at the end of a Sunday service, or to conclude one of the cottage prayer meetings Newton established in the village of Olney. It is a Trinitarian hymn, referring to the three Persons of the Trinity and includes a quality to be identified with each–though certainly not to be thought of as exclusive to each.

1) The grace of Christ. Though grace was displayed in Old Testament times, a super-abundant flow of grace began with the coming of Christ. “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace [grace heaped upon grace]. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:16-17).

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

II Cor. 8:9

2) The love of God the Father. It was the love of God that prompted Him to send His Son to be the Saviour desperately needed by a lost and dying world. “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).

When the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Tit. 3:4-7

3) The favour of the Holy Spirit. Observe that the text speaks of “communion” (or fellowship). That is the “favour” of which Newton speaks, and he brings it in at line seven. As the Amplified Bible has it, it’s “the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit” that believers enjoy. “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). And these are qualities upon with true Christian fellowship is based.

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfil my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Phil. 2:1-2

May the grace of Christ our Saviour
And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favour,
Rest upon us from above.
Thus may we abide in union
With each other and the Lord,
And possess, in sweet communion,
Joys which earth cannot afford.

By simply changing the pronouns, an interesting application of this hymn was provided for, many years after it was written. If third-person pronounces are used, it becomes a beautiful benediction hymn for the conclusion of a wedding ceremony. It becomes the congregation’s prayer for the newly married couple.

May the grace of Christ our Saviour
And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favour,
Rest upon them from above.
Thus may they abide in union
With each other and the Lord,
And possess, in sweet communion,
Joys which earth cannot afford.

Questions:

  1. How sad that there are divisions and conflicts in many local churches, in spite of God’s provision for loving fellowship. What can we do to restore and maintain the latter?
  2. Is this a hymn you would use in the services of the church or (in its revised form), at a wedding?

Links:

Lonesome Valley

Words: author unknown (Traditional Spiritual)
Music: composer unknown

Note: This simple Spiritual comes from the American slave music of the eighteenth or nineteen century. The Wordwise below link will give you a recording of Jerome Hines’ version. Hines (1921-2003) was an operatic bass who sang for many years with the Metropolitan Opera Company.

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

Loneliness is a common experience in our day, even though our planet has more people on it than ever before. You can be lonely in a populous city, lonely even in a crowd.

The dictionary, in defining this malady, says it means being without friendship, companionship, or the sympathy of others, without the exchange of words, thoughts and feelings with another human being. That kind of aloneness can be painful indeed.

Right from the beginning, God designed us to have mutual friendships and company with other human beings. After forming Adam from the dust of the earth and giving him life, the Lord declared, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). This led to the forming of Eve.

But, having said these things, we recognize that there are times in every life when we must face something ourselves that cannot be shared with another person. That too is a kind of practical aloneness. When a life partner dies, or when we face a serious disease, there are elements of such trials and burdens that are unique to us.

The Lord Jesus is the perfect example of that. As the God-Man, He was (and is) unlike any other person. And His work of redemption was His alone. Many others were crucified, during Jesus’ time on earth, but He was the only One who could die for our sins. The only One who could face the Father’s wrath for us, and sense the excruciating pain of that break in fellowship. There on the cross He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me” (Matt. 27:46). He alone was the Sin-bearer.

The Spiritual Lonesome Valley reflects on that, describing it with words that are reminiscent of Psalm 23:4, which speaks of “the valley of the shadow of death.” The experience of pain and suffering is indeed a dark valley.

(1) Jesus walked this lonesome valley.
He had to walk it by Himself;
O, nobody else could walk it for Him,
He had to walk it by Himself.

It is easy to see how the experience of the suffering Saviour had its impact on the slaves. They too were suffering. And though there were many of them, each had to go through their own particular trials, experiencing the loneliness of fear and pain and sorrow in a personal way.

(2) We must walk this lonesome valley,
We have to walk it by ourselves;
O, nobody else can walk it for us,
We have to walk it by ourselves.

Sometimes, (3) is directed toward others: “You must go and stand your trial.” Other times, you will see it personalized as: “I must go and stand my trial,” with the other pronouns put in the first person as well.

(3) You must go and stand your trial,
You have to stand it by yourself,
O, nobody else can stand it for you,
You have to stand it by yourself.

Gospel songwriter and musical arranger Frank Anderson felt there was an element that was missing from this traditional song. For the Christian, there is an important fact that needs to be considered. No matter how alone we may be, we know that the Lord is with us (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). He has our best interests at heart, and He can either deliver us from our trial, or give us grace to sustain us through it (Heb. 4:15-16).

To indicate this significant truth, Frank Anderson added a final stanza that appears in the hymnal Praise: Our Songs and Hymns (published by Singspiration, 1979).

Now in ev’ry lonesome valley,
The trials and sorrows we must face,
O, Jesus Himself will be there with us–
To fill the shadows with His grace.

Questions:

  1. What are some burdens of life that can be shared with others? What are some of the kind that must be borne by us personally?
  2. Is there some lonely person you can reach today, either in person or by phone, e-mail, letter, etc. who would be blessed by that?

Links:

Jesus Has Lifted Me

Words: Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen (b. Oct. 11, 1895; d. Jan. 14, 1985)
Music: Haldor Lillenas (b. Nov. 19, 1885; d. Aug. 18, 1959)

Note: The tune was composed for an obscure song by Alfred Barrett called “Let It Be You and I.” Arthur McKee, an editor at the Tabernacle Publishing Company, liked the tune, but not the words. He asked Avis Christiansen to write some new ones, and Jesus Has Lifted Me is the result, published in 1916. Composer Haldor Lillenas was not thrilled about the change in lyrics, but later accepted it.

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

With a dozen repetitions of the word “lifted” (counting the refrains) the theme of the hymn is clear. We have expressions in English that are similar in some ways. Maybe we’ll say, “Listening to that music sure gave me a lift.” Or we may speak metaphorically of giving someone a hand up, meaning some assistance in bettering themselves. Apparently, there is even an organization called LIFT, that says it can help you “unlock your potential, change your life.”

But what human agencies may promise, and often fail to deliver, God not only promises but fulfils.

“The LORD will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O LORD, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands” (Ps. 138:8). “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). “Being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Rom. 4:21).

The imagery in Mrs. Christiansen’s song represents the saving work of the Lord, lifting the sinner out of darkness into light, out of bondage into new freedom, out of death into life. That is a work of God and a work of grace, dependent on Calvary and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But there are physical acts that are somewhat analogous in the Bible.

While He was on earth, the Lord Jesus a number of times reached out His hand and lifted someone up to restore them physically. There was Peter’s mother-in-law, who was sick with a fever (Mk. 1:29-31), and the demon possessed boy (Mk. 9:20-27). Perhaps the most dramatic, however, is the experience of Peter (Matt. 14:22-33).

The disciples were in a boat, one stormy night, when Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. The men were terrified, thinking it was a ghost, but the Lord told them it was He. With that, impulsive Peter wanted to walk out onto the sea and join Him. (A remarkable thing, even though he struggled later!)

“Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’ And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Matt. 14:28-31

(1) Out of the depths to the glory above,
I have been lifted in wonderful love;
From every fetter my spirit is free–
For Jesus has lifted me!

Jesus has lifted me!
Jesus has lifted me!
Out of the night into glorious light,
Yes, Jesus has lifted me!

“The depths” provide a frequent picture in the Word of God, indicating not only the depths of the sea (Ps. 106:9), but the depths of fear and desperation (Ps. 130:1) and, indeed, death itself (Ps. 86:13). The metaphor pictures a circumstance that is hopeless, apart from the intervention of God. That is certainly true of the sinner’s plight. To be lifted from that to heavenly glory and new freedom (1), and to have the promise of life eternal in the presence of Christ, and with the saints, “the ransomed and blessed (2), is a joyous thing.

(2) Out of the world into heavenly rest,
Into the land of the ransomed and blessed;
There in the glory with Him I shall be–
For Jesus has lifted me!

The opening line of (3), “Out of myself into Him I adore,” seems to represent a transformation of perspective and purpose. It is no longer the old, self-serving, self-centred Me that rules my life, but the Lord. And life becomes a daily walk in fellowship with my Saviour (cf. Jn. 15:5; Gal. 2:20). It is a “lift” that will finally take us into the presence of Christ, and on to heavenly glory (I Thess. 4:16-17).

(3) Out of myself into Him I adore,
There to abide in His love evermore;
Through endless ages His glory to see–
My Jesus has lifted me!

Questions:

  1. In what way(s) have your daily devotions given you a spiritual lift this week?
  2. By God’s grace, whom can you give a spiritual lift to at this time?

Links:

If I Gained the World

Words: Anna Helena Olander (b. Dec. 15, 1861; d. Oct. 23, 1939)
Music: Om Jag Agde Allt, a Swedish melody of unknown origin, appearing as early as 1887.

Note: Anna Olander was a Swedish author who produced stories, poetry and hymns. Her writings often shared the revival and consecration themes of Frances Havergal, whose hymns Anna Olander translated into Swedish. This particular gospel song began in 1900 as a poem in her book Pilgrim Songs (Vallfardssdnger). It first appeared as an English hymn in Mission Hymns, in 1904, with the translating likely done by the editorial committee. The melody was renamed True Riches.

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

T he song says in Swedish, “Om jag ägde allt, men icke Je-sus,” which translates: “If I owned all but not Jesus.” The words draw their inspiration from the words of Christ:

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mk. 8:34-37

This is a passage about investment. An investment of ourselves, our time, talents and treasures, in things of spiritual and eternal worth. The Apostle Paul capsulized it when he said, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). To be a disciple of Christ, a follower of Christ, is to live our lives in consistent faith in, and obedience to, the Word and will of God. It’s to live for Christ. And to do so can only be gain in the end, in terms of heavenly rewards (cf. Rev. 22:12), and more.

What is the alternative? To live for temporal and material things. And what if you or I were to become, through diligent effort, the richest man or woman in the world, in these terms? What then? If we could accomplish such a thing, would it benefit us in eternity? In itself, not one iota.

We’ll simply leave it all behind for others to fight over. In His parable about a rich fool (Lk. 12:16-21), the Lord Jesus describes a wealthy man who planned for the future in a temporal and material sense, but gave no thought to God and eternity. In the end, “God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’” (vs. 20).

Wise King Solomon speaks of this frustration:

Then I hated all my labour in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me….For there is a man whose labour is with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet he must leave his heritage to a man who has not laboured for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Ecc. 2:18, 21

(1) If I gained the world, but not the Saviour,
Were my life worth living for a day?
Could my yearning heart find rest and comfort
In the things that soon must pass away?
If I gained the world, but not the Saviour,
Would my gain be worth the lifelong strife?
Are all earthly pleasures worth comparing
For a moment with a Christ-filled life?

(3) O what emptiness!–without the Saviour
’Mid the sins and sorrows here below!
And eternity, how dark without Him!–
Only night and tears and endless woe!
What, though I might live without the Saviour,
When I come to die, how would it be?
O to face the valley’s gloom without Him!
And without Him all eternity!

Unless we factor into our value system both God and eternity (cf. Ecc. 12:13-14), we will one day discover that we’ve lived our lives on a dead-end street. But on the other hand, to quote the now famous words of martyred missionary Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

(4) O the joy of having all in Jesus!
What a balm the broken heart to heal!
Ne’er a sin so great, but He’ll forgive it,
Nor a sorrow that He does not feel!
If I have but Jesus, only Jesus–
Nothing else in all the world beside–
O then everything is mine in Jesus;
For my needs and more He will provide.

Questions:

  1. What are your own personal priorities and the things you value most?
  2. Why?

Links:

Hallelujah for the Cross

Words: Horatius Bonar (b. Dec. 19, 1808; d. July 31, 1889)
Music: James McGranahan (b. July 4, 1840; d. July 9, 1907)

Note: This great gospel song, praising God for the efficacy of the finished work of Christ, was written in 1875. James McGranahan added his rousing tune seven years later.

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

To the grace of God that brought us salvation, we cry “Hallelujah!”

After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honour and power belong to the Lord our God!”

Rev. 19:1

“Alleluia” is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah. The latter is a compound expression, made up of the Hebrew words halal (meaning to glory in, or boast of), and Yah (a shortened form of Yahweh, or Jehovah). Thus “Hallelujah!” repeated thirty times in this hymn (counting the refrains) means “Praise the Lord!”

During the nineteenth century, the winds of skepticism and unbelief were blowing. The Bible was being attacked by liberal scholars, and schools of theology were turning out pastors who no longer stood for the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures (II Tim. 3:16), or the fundamentals of the apostolic faith (cf. Jude 1:3).

“Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Phil. 3:18). For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).

The church of Jesus Christ needed those who would proclaim the Word with clarity and power, and God raised up men who did just that. There might be spiritual drift and apostasy on the part of some, but God’s truth had not changed. The gospel of grace, and the saving power of the cross were needed as much as ever.

(1) The cross, it standeth fast–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Defying every blast–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
The winds of hell have blown,
The world its hate hath shown,
Yet it is not overthrown–
Hallelujah for the cross!

Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the cross;
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
It shall never suffer loss!

Dr. Horatius Bonar was an evangelical pastor in Scotland, and a great hymn writer. (I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say is another of his hundreds of songs.) In the present one he exalts the cross of Christ. “It is the old cross still, ”where by the grace of God “Christ, the blessed Son” atoned for our sins (2).

“[Christ] humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). “[He] made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:20). “God forbid that I should boast [the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew halal, to glory in] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).

(2) It is the old cross still–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Its triumph let us tell–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
The grace of God here shone
Through Christ, the blessèd Son,
Who did for sin atone–
Hallelujah for the cross!

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Rev. 1:5-6

(3) ’Twas here the debt was paid–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
Our sins on Jesus laid–
Hallelujah, hallelujah!
So ‘round the cross we sing
Of Christ, our Offering,
Of Christ, our living King–
Hallelujah for the cross!

Questions:

  1. Why has the cross been turned for many into a mere decorative symbol and little else?
  2. What are your favourite hymns about the cross?

Links:

Give to the Winds Thy Fears

Words: Paul Gerhardt (b. March 12, 1607; d. May 27, 1678); translated by John Wesley (b. June 28, 1703; d. March 2, 1791)
Music: Diademata, by George Job Elvy (b. March 27, 1816; d. Dec. 9, 1893)

Note: The progression of this hymn from its original to what is found in present hymnals is a matter of shifting numbers, subtraction and division. The 1656 original had twelve eight-line stanzas (96 lines in total). Wesley’s 1737 translation reduced this to sixteen four-line stanzas (64 lines). Present versions of the hymn select from these.

In this post, I’ve chosen to use the tune Diademata (commonly associated with Crown Him with Many Crowns) which requires the combining of two stanzas to match the length. Is all this worth the trouble? Yes, indeed! This is a great hymn by Pastor Gerhardt, and a wonderful work of translation by John Wesley.

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

Think of your troubles like a pile of dry leaves. Toss the leaves in the air on a gusty day, and they will fly away. That’s the imagery that introduces this gem. When they are given over to the power of a loving God, many difficulties scatter, or we are given the grace to deal with them and the Lord dispels our fears (Ps. 34:4). The hymn was inspired by the encouraging words of Psalm 37:5.

Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

Ps. 37:5-6

The story behind the hymn illustrates this. Because of some conflict with the king, Paul Gerhardt was forced unfairly to leave the church in Berlin where he had ministered for ten years. With his wife and family, he made his way, on foot, back to Saxony where he was born. It was a sad and wearying journey.

The family stopped at a little village inn to spend the night. Totally exhausted, his wife gave way to tears of grief. They had no home and no income. What were they going to do? The good pastor did his best to comfort her. Some say he quoted to her Proverbs 3:5-6, but I’m more inclined to believe it was Psalm 37:5 he used. He himself was greatly comforted by the words of the text, and he sat down and wrote the hymn we are considering.

Later that evening, two men entered the parlour of the inn. After some general conversation, it came out that they were on their way to Berlin to find Paul Gerhardt, the recently deposed pastor. Mrs. Gerhardt turned pale with alarm, fearing some new calamity was about to fall on the family. But her husband calmly told the travellers that he was the man they were looking for.

One of them promptly gave him a letter from Duke Christian, of Meresburg, informing him that, in view of his unjust dismissal he was settling a pension on him. Gerhardt, in the joy of that moment, quietly turned to his wife, and passed to her the hymn he had written, saying, “See! See how God provides!”

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55:22). “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Pet. 5:7). “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).

(1) Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope, and be undismayed;
God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears,
God shall lift up thy head.
Through waves and clouds and storms
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou His time, so shall the night
Soon end in joyous day.

(2) Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
And every care be gone.
He everywhere hath sway,
And all things serve His mind;
His every act pure blessing is,
His path unsullied light.

The hymn ends with a humble and fitting prayer.

(5) Thou seest our weakness, Lord,
Our hearts are known to Thee;
O lift Thou up the sinking heart,
Confirm the feeble knee.
Let us in life, in death,
Thy steadfast truth declare,
And publish with our latest breath
Thy love and guardian care.

Questions:

  1. How is it possible to maintain our faith in severe trials, without it simply becoming blind optimism or wishful thinking?
  2. What lines in this hymn are a particular blessing to you?

Links:

Jesus, Where’er Thy People Meet

Words: William Cowper (b. Nov. 15, 1731; d. Apr. 25, 1800)
Music: Malvern, by Lowell Mason (b. Jan. 8, 1792; d. Aug. 11, 1872)

Note: The Cyber Hymnal suggests several possible tunes for this hymn. It will not be difficult to find others. What is known as Common Metre (8.8.8.8) is well represented in our hymnody. I’d suggest as other possibilities: Hesperus (often used with Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts); Federal Street (used with Jesus, and Shall It Ever Be); or Germany (commonly associated with Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness).

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

I t’s sad that this wonderful Prayer Meeting hymn is omitted from so many hymnals. In the village of Olney, England, over two centuries ago, lived John Newton, a hymn writer (of, most famously, Amazing Grace). Newton was also the pastor of the local church. In the same village, and next door to the pastor, lived William Cowper (pronounced Cooper), who was recognized as one of England’s greatest poets.

Together, these two men produced a historic hymnal in 1779 called Olney Hymns. John Newton wrote 280 hymns for the book, and his friend William Cowper added another 68. The latter man struggled with emotional depression, but through his work with the good pastor he was encouraged and helped. His hymn God Moves in a Mysterious Way is perhaps our greatest on the subject of divine providence.

Some years prior to the publication of their hymn book, Pastor Newton decided to move their mid-week prayer meeting out of the church and into homes. That may not sound too revolutionary to us today, but it certainly was back then. Many of the hymns that were later included in Olney Hymns were written for these spiritually rich meetings.

John Newton had about a thousand people in his wider parish, and he held two or three prayer meetings a week, to minister to them from the Word of God and unite them in prayer. William Cowper attended every one of these, however his shyness held him back from praying audibly. But eventually his love for the Lord conquered his unwillingness to draw attention to himself. He frequently had trouble beginning, but once started he seemed to pray with fervency, as though he was seeing the Lord, face to face.

We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb. 4:15-16

As numbers attending the meetings grew, it became clear that the small village homes couldn’t contain all the people who wanted to attend. But there was in town a house that was currently unoccupied. It was popularly called “The Great House,” because of its size. Newton looked it over, and calculated that they could fit over a hundred people in the huge parlor. When the date was set for prayer meetings to begin there, the pastor felt the need for a new hymn to be written in honour of the occasion. This is that hymn, which asks the Lord, in (5):

Come Thou, and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a large increase.

Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Heb. 10:24-25

(1) Jesus, where’er Thy people meet,
There they behold Thy mercy seat;
Where’er they seek Thee Thou art found,
And every place is hallowed ground.

Some, no doubt, wondered whether it was the right thing to do, to hold church meetings in another place. After all, shouldn’t God’s people meet in the house of God, set aside for that purpose? But Cowper’s hymn reassures them with these words:

(2) For Thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring Thee, where they come,
And, going, take Thee to their home.

Notice the understanding of the hymn writer as to what can be accomplished through prayer (4). The power of God unleashed by faith-filled prayers can (among other things) strengthen our faith, encouraging us to depend on the Lord for still more and more. It can “sweeten care,” meaning it can bring peace and contentment, in the midst of our trials.

It can also realign our priorities and “teach our faint desires [for spiritual and eternal things] to rise.” And it can “bring all heaven before our eyes, as we see with new joy the future of our heavenly home in the presence of Christ.

(4) Here may we prove the power of prayer
To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heav’n before our eyes.

Questions:

  1. How would you assess the vitality and practical usefulness of your own mid-week prayer meeting?
  2. What can be done to further grow and enhance these corporate (group) times before God’s throne?

Links:

For You I Am Praying

Words: Samuel O’Malley Gore Cluff (b. _____, 1837; d. _____, 1910)
Music: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)

Cluff Tombstone

Note: Little is known of the author of this gospel song text. He was an Anglican pastor in Ireland, who eventually joined the Plymouth Brethren. According to the Cyber Hymnal he composed about a thousand songs, as well as some oratorios.

Based on information on his tombstone, he was married to Ruth Blake Edge, nine years younger. She died in 1922. The inscription identifies three children, Joseph, Ruth, and Thomas. (The tombstone, seen to the left, is near an iconic round tower that was part of a Celtic monastery site from the sixth century.)

The present song is called either For You I Am Praying, or I Am Praying for You. It was published as a poem in 1860. When Sankey saw it, in 1874, he set it to music. This was the second time Ira Sankey did that. The first poem he provided a tune for was The Ninety and Nine. Most hymn books use the first four stanzas of the present hymn. The fifth, which may seem a little redundant after the fourth, says:

(5) Speak of that Saviour, that Father in heaven,
That harp, crown, and robe which are waiting for you–
That peace you possess, and that rest to be given,
Still praying that Jesus may save them with you.

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

W e see the pleading Saviour in Revelation 3:20, standing at the door of the worldly Laodicean church, seeking entry. Whether this can be construed as an appeal to trust Him for personal salvation has been debated, but the verse does say, “if anyone…” And we know from John 1:12 that receiving Him is a way of describing putting one’s faith in Christ (cf. Col. 2:6).

This plea, an invitation to trust in the Saviour, is extended by believers, on the Lord’s behalf:

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God….We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain….Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

II Cor. 5:20–6:2

(1) I have a Saviour, He’s pleading in glory,
A dear, loving Saviour though earth friends be few;
And now He is watching in tenderness o’er me;
And oh, that my Saviour were your Saviour, too.

For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
I’m praying for you.

(2) I have a Father; to me He has given
A hope for eternity, blessèd and true;
And soon He will call me to meet Him in heaven,
But, oh, that He’d let me bring you with me, too!

Paul asked the Ephesian Christians to pray for him, “that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph. 6:19-20).

We see the urgency and zeal of that appeal in Paul, the converted Jewish Pharisee. He says, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved” (Rom. 10:1). He even goes to this extent, revealing his inner longing for the Jews: that, if it were possible, he would even give up his own salvation to see them come to Christ.

I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh.

Rom. 9:2-3

How many of us labour regularly and passionately in prayer for the unsaved, especially for those whom we know personally? And what are we doing to present the gospel to them?

(4) When Jesus has found you, tell others the story,
That my loving Saviour is your Saviour, too;
Then pray that your Saviour may bring them to glory,
And prayer will be answered–‘twas answered for you!

Philip Bliss was not only a prominent gospel songwriter, he had a wonderful singing voice and was involved in evangelistic meetings as a soloist. When he sang this song as an invitation hymn, he made it his own prayer that the unsaved who were present would come to Christ. He sometimes added a stanza of his own to the hymn and sang:

And Jesus is calling, how can you reject Him?
He says He loves sinners, so then He loves you.
O, friend, do believe it, arise and accept Him,
Give Jesus your heart while I’m praying for you.

Questions:

  1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of evangelism in the twenty-first century?
  2. How can we improve in the task of fulfilling the Great Commission?

Links:

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