Today in 1859 – Frank Graham Born
Frank Monford Graham was a Methodist clergyman who served his denomination as District Superintendent in northern Georgia, around 1895-1915. He was one of the founders of what is now Southern Wesleyan University, in South Carolina. Graham wrote a few gospel songs, but as far as I know only one is still in use, The Old Account Was Settled.
The song is a description of the legal transaction that takes place in heaven when a sinner trusts in the Saviour as his only means of salvation. The Bible says, “He [God the Father] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21). Think of a great account book on which all of our sins are listed as a debt we owe. But it is as though our debt was transferred to Christ’s account, and He paid that debt in full on the cross. And, as the above verse indicates, at the same time God more than cancels our debt when we trust Christ as Saviour. He credits our account with the perfect righteousness of His dear Son.
There was a time on earth, when in the book of heav’n
An old account was standing for sins yet unforgiv’n;
My name was at the top, and many things below,
I went unto the Keeper, and settled long ago.
Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),
Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);
And the record’s clear today, for He washed my sins away,
When the old account was settled long ago.
O sinner, trust the Lord, be cleansed of all your sin,
For thus He hath provided for you to enter in;
And then if you should live a hundred years below,
Up there you’ll not regret it, you settled long ago.
Here are four brothers, who picked up a couple of hymn books one day in their church basement, and gave us this informal recording of The Old Account Was Settled. It reminded me of one time I was lined up to fill my plate at a church supper. A couple of young people in front of me started singing a hymn in harmony (without books), and several more of us joined in. It was a great experience of fellowshipping in song.
(2) Today in 1904 – Edwin Hodder Died
The Cyber Hymnal says, “Hodder moved to New Zealand in 1856 as part of a social experiment, but returned to England in 1861 and became a civil servant. In 1897, he retired to Henfield, Sussex.” He wrote quite a number of books, and published The New Sunday School Hymn Book (in 1863, and enlarged five years later), in which 23 of the songs were his own. One of these is the hymn Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord, which gives us some effective comparisons highlighting the value of the Scriptures.
Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.
Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;
And find, for life’s long battle day, all needful weapons there.
(3) Today in 1969 – Helen Dixon Died
Helen Cadbury was an heiress to the Cadbury chocolate fortune, but she was also a dedicated Christian. In 1904 she married gospel musician Charles McCallon Alexander. Alexander was neither a song writer or a great soloist. His particular gift was leading congregational singing, coupled with an earnest desire to see souls saved. He worked for some years with evangelist and Bible teacher Reuben Archer Torrey. When Charles Alexander died in 1920, Helen Cadbury Alexander married Baptist pastor A. C. Dixon.
Helen Dixon added a couple of stanzas of her own to Jesse Pounds’s hymn, Anywhere with Jesus, which begins:
Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go,
Anywhere He leads me in this world below;
Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade;
Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid.
Anywhere, anywhere! Fear I cannot know;
Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go.
Years ago, a group of young people went to Sing Sing Penitentiary on Sunday afternoons, to hold services for the prisoners. Strange as it seems, this hymn became a favourite there. Among the inmates were two men sentenced to death for a murder committed during the burglary of a house. During these weekly meetings, they heard the gospel and put their faith in Christ as Saviour. On their last day on earth, when each was led to the place of execution, he confessed his sins, saying he deserved the punishment he was facing. But both added they believed God had forgiven them, and through His grace they could go “anywhere with Jesus.”