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All Things Bright and Beautiful

Words: Cecil Frances Alexander (b. April ___, 1818; d. Oct. 12, 1895
Music: All Things Bright (or, Bright and Beautiful), by William Henry Monk (b. March 16, 1823; d. March 1:1889)

Note: I’m most familiar with William Monk’s tune, but the Cyber Hymnal suggests alternatives. The refrain is sung first, then repeated after each 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 (yes, she was a woman, in spite of the name Cecil) was concerned because the children in her Sunday School class had trouble understanding the Apostles’ Creed. So she wrote several hymns to explain clauses in the creed more fully. These were published, in 1848, in a book entitled Hymns for Little Children.

The present hymn amplifies the statement that God is “Maker of heaven and earth.” The last line of (6) alludes to the words of Genesis at the end of the sixth day of creation, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Gen. 1:31).

The refrain can be considered the first stanza, and is in some arrangements. Two stanzas of the original are omitted today, for two different reasons. Gone are (2) and (5). And though I’m not arguing for their inclusion, it’s worth a comment on each.

(2) The rich man in his castle,
The poor man at his gate,
He made them, high or lowly,
And ordered their estate.

Regarding this, one critic calls it “an appalling verse,” and another labels it “a Calvinistic view of the social order” which hymn book editors “could not abide.” Well, whether it’s “Calvinistic” or not, an argument could be made for its being biblical. The sovereignty of God does indeed extend to matters of social rank and status (cf. I Sam. 2:7-8; Isa. 40:23; Dan. 4:35; Lk. 1:52; Rom. 13:1).

There is even this remarkable statement about individual abilities and disabilities: “The LORD said to him [Moses], ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?’” (Exod. 4:11). In some way that we cannot comprehend, these things are designed or permitted by a sovereign God, and the choices that we make operate within the sphere of His sovereignty as well. Though the Lord invites the needy to come to Him, God is at work even in that (cf. Matt. 11:28, and Jn. 6:37).

O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honour and another for dishonour?

Rom. 9:20-21

On the other hand, (5) has been omitted in deference to the many city children who’d sing the hymn, and never had a chance to play in a meadow, or gather rushes on the shores of a pond. However, because of the  electronic media, many of today’s children, a century and a half later, are not so socially isolated that they are unaware of how other children live.

(5) The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day.

These things being said, there is much to recommend what remains of this hymn in most hymn books. It clearly identifies Almighty God as the Creator of all things (refrain). Whether small things like flowers and birds (1), or big and majestic things such as mountains, rivers, and sunsets (3), God is their great Originator. He’s also responsible for the seasons, for heat and cold, and the germination and ripening of the harvest (4).

Realizing and enjoying the beauty and bounty of nature is a privilege for which we can thank the Lord. It also gives us the responsibility to remind others of God’s gifts in nature.

(6) He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Questions:

  1. What is there in nature that particularly reminds you of the wisdom and power of God?
  2. Do you ever use these things as a subject of witness for the Lord? (With what response?)

Links:

All That Thrills My Soul

Words: Thoro Harris (b. March 31, 1874; d. March 27, 1955)
Music: Thoro Harris

Note: Thoro Harris published this beautiful gospel song in 1931. I can recall singing it with a men’s choir in the 1960s, where I was among a long row of basses that rumbled along. The message of the song has continued to bless me ever since.

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

Every stanza of this hymn says significant things about our wonderful Saviour, and the emotional strength of the music matches the text well, with the opening note of the refrain sounding like a great exclamation mark–“All that thrills my soul…”

Stanza (1). “Cheer” is a word associated with Christ. He encouraged many to “Be of good cheer,” exhorting hearers to be comforted and take courage (Matt. 9:2, 22; 14:27; Jn. 16:33; Acts 23:11). And it’s the personal qualities of Christ that bring cheer to the heart of Mr. Harris. Jesus is true (Rev. 19:11), true to His promises, and “the [personified] truth” in Himself (Jn. 14:6). He is also pure, and without any taint of sin (I Pet. 2:22). And He is tender and compassionate (Matt. 9:36). No wonder, “to you who believe He is precious” (I Pet. 2:7).

The refrain borrows a phrase from the Song of Solomon to further extol the Lord Jesus Christ. Solomon’s betrothed describes the king as “chief among ten thousand” (S.S. 5:10), a poetic way of saying he is the greatest of all.

(1) Who can cheer the heart like Jesus,
By His presence all divine?
True and tender, pure and precious,
O how blest to call Him mine!

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,
He is more than life to me;
And the fairest of ten thousand
In my blessed Lord I see.

(2). Here are three qualities that are spoken of many times in the New Testament, and associated particularly with Christ: mercy (Heb. 2:17; Jude 1:21; and II Jn. 1:3, which includes all three qualities); love (Rom. 8:35; II Cor. 5:14; Gal. 2:20); grace (Jn. 1:17; Rom. 16:24; II Cor. 8:9).

(3). The author focuses on God’s great salvation, and our “wonderful redemption” in Christ. Mr. Harris alludes to the promise of God in Isaiah 1:18 to describe how God has cleansed him from sin, through Christ: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the LORD, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’”

(4). The Bible teaches that the Lord will meet the needs of the saints, day by day. “[When] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Ps. 32:1). “No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly” (Ps. 84:11). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). In testing times, as we struggle with our burdens and our limitations, we have the assurance: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Cor. 12:9).

(5). Thoro Harris envisions the beautiful river flowing out from the throne of God in the heavenly city (Rev. 22:1). There, in glory, the saints will continue to “praise and glorify the King.”

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. 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. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Rev. 1:4-7; cf. 4:8, 10-11; 5:9-10, 12-14

(5) By the crystal flowing river
With the ransomed I will sing,
And forever and forever
Praise and glorify the King.

All that thrills my soul is Jesus,
He is more than life to me;
And the fairest of ten thousand
In my blessed Lord I see.

Questions:

  1. What is it, in particular, about the Lord Jesus Christ, that thrills your soul today?
  2. What does the statement in the refrain mean: “He is more than life to me”? (And is it true of you personally?)

Links:

Will There Be Any Stars?

Words: Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (b. June 28, 1851; d. Apr. 24, 1920)
Music: John Robson Sweney (b. Dec. 31, 1837; d. Apr. 10, 1899)

Note: This hymn was published in 1897. You can see a list of some of Miss Hewitt’s hymns that are still in common use in the Wordwise link below.

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

Eight times (counting the repeated refrains) this hymn refers to believers having stars in our heavenly crowns. It’s interesting poetic imagery, but is not taken from the Word of God. There are crowns spoken of (more of them in a moment). But nothing about stars (or even sparkling jewels) in the crowns. The closest the Bible comes is with this statement in the book of Daniel:

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

Dan. 12:3

The saints’ service and witness for the Lord is in view, as it is in the hymn, but clearly it is they themselves that will shine with the glory of God, not their crowns.

However, the New Testament does speak a number of times of crowns that Christians will receive one day. And though we are also to reign with Christ (Rev. 5:10), these are not royal or kingly crowns. The Greek word in every case is stephanos, which is used of a wreath or garland, given as a prize to victors in public games (much as medals are awarded today).

Also close to the crowns described in Eliza Hewitt’s hymn is this reference Paul makes to a future “crown” in his first letter to the Thessalonian church.

What is our hope, or joy, or crown [stephanos] of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?

I Thess. 2:19

The apostle rejoices that he has had some part in bringing them to Christ, and teaching them the Word of God. Whether or not he expects to wear a crown himself as a result, the crown here appears to be metaphorical, speaking of meeting these Christians in heaven as being his reward. They themselves were to be his crown.

Another possible text to consider is in the epistle of First Peter, where he speaks of the rewards for those who are faithful leaders in the church of Jesus Christ.

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers…and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown [stephanos] of glory that does not fade away.

I Pet. 5:2-4

That is a reward for service, which links nicely with the hymn. However, no stars are mentioned as adorning the crown. We must therefore put the author’s idea down as poetic imaginary and poetic licence. Eliza Hewitt herself recognizes that, speaking of “living gems [i.e. people] at His feet to lay down” (3), envisioning those to whom she has ministered being her gift to the Lord.

Whatever we accomplish for the Lord, it is by His enablement. It’s in recognition of that that those around the throne of God, “cast their crowns [stephanos] before the throne” of God in heaven (Rev. 4:10), proclaiming in the act that any achievement in service is by His grace and for His glory.

Though I see some merit in all of this as a challenge to faithful service for Christ, there is an important caution to be addressed, and it’s this. Often an individual is won to Christ not by the witness of one person, but by that of several, perhaps even over an extended period of time. Paul indicates that when he says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (I Cor. 3:6).

We may never know until we get to heaven the effect of our testimony on a particular individual. And Miss Hewitt’s own hymns may be having a part in the process still, nearly a century after her death. So, do we all get stars in our crowns for that? Let’s leave the matter with the Lord and remember, “God gave the increase”!

(1) I am thinking today of that beautiful land
I shall reach when the sun goeth down;
When through wonderful grace by my Saviour I stand,
Will there be any stars in my crown?

Will there be any stars, any stars in my crown
When at evening the sun goeth down?
When I wake with the blest in the mansions of rest
Will there be any stars in my crown?

(3) O what joy it will be when His face I behold,
Living gems at his feet to lay down!
It would sweeten my bliss in the city of gold,
Should there be any stars in my crown.

Questions:

  1. Are you aware of someone who was saved, with your input being part of a long process and the ministry of several people?
  2. What are you doing currently to have that kind of input into the lives of others?

Links:

Victory Through Grace

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: John Robson Sweney (b. Dec. 31, 1837; d. Apr. 10, 1899)

Note: Some early hymn books attribute this 1890 song to “Sallie Martin,” one of a couple of hundred pen names used by Fanny Crosby. As the Wordwise link below shows, Fanny collaborated a number of times with composer John Sweney.

(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 a rousing and triumphant hymn, with words and music wedded together perfectly. And though the initial phrase of each stanza may seem to refer to Revelation 6:2, “He went out conquering and to conquer,” it does not. (The Cyber Hymnal uses that as a theme verse, but I believe it is a mistake.) The text in Revelation refers to a king all right, but not to King Jesus.

As chapter 6 begins, the Lord Jesus Christ (“the Lamb”) is in heaven, being worshipped (5:11-14). There He receives from God the Father a scroll, sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1-10). Though it is not stated in the passage, I believe the scroll could well be the title deed to the earth. Because of the fall, no other is worthy to rule the earth for God. But the holy Son of God abundantly qualifies to do so.

There are twenty-one judgments of increasing intensity poured out on the earth during the Tribulation, represented by the breaking of the seven seals. Telescoped within the seventh seal are seven trumpet judgments (Revelation 8:1-2), and telescoped within the blowing of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15), after some intervening events, seven bowls of wrath are poured out (Revelation 16:1). These judgments, described in Revelation 6–18 develop in more detail those described by the Lord in Matthew 24:3-28.

With the breaking of the first seal (Revelation 6:1) a rider on a white horse appears. This is not Christ, but the Antichrist. Satan’s counterfeit Messiah will seem at first to bring peace on the earth (Revelation 6:2). The fact that he has a bow, but no arrows are mentioned, perhaps suggests that his world conquest will be by treaty and international agreements, rather than warfare. But the peace will be short-lived. With the breaking of the second seal, peace disappears from the earth (Revelation 6:3-4). “For when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them” (I Thess. 5:3).

No, the rider on the white horse is not Christ. However, having said that, there are two major conquests in which Christ is truly involved. There is His triumph at that final consummation of all things (Rev. 19:11ff). That is the “still to conquer” of Fanny’s song. But before that we have His triumph at the cross, and many spiritual victories in this present life being won because of it.

The latter come through the grace of God, and by what has been provided through Christ. The victories Fanny describes happen every day, as believers serve the Lord. That is the “conquering now” of the hymn. And as the refrain indicates, when we trust in God, we learn that, “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong” (Ecc. 9:11; cf. I Cor. 2:1-5).

God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

I Cor. 1:26-29; cf. Zech 4:6

“‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:36-37). “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:57). “Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ” (II Cor. 2:14).

In our service for Christ we not only conquer, but are “more than conquerors.” To be more than victors is to not only defeat the enemy, but to despoil and plunder his kingdom of darkness. That is what we do when we win precious souls to the Saviour, and they’re delivered from Satan’s clutches (cf. Acts 26:17-18).

(1) Conquering now and still to conquer, rideth a King in His might;
Leading the host of all the faithful into the midst of the fight;
See them with courage advancing, clad in their brilliant array,
Shouting the name of their Leader, hear them exultingly say:

Not to the strong is the battle,
Not to the swift is the race,
Yet to the true and the faithful
Vict’ry is promised through grace.

(3) Conquering now and still to conquer, Jesus, Thou ruler of all,
Thrones and their sceptres all shall perish, crowns and their splendour shall fall,
Yet shall the armies Thou leadest, faithful and true to the last,
Find, in Thy mansions eternal, rest when their warfare is past.

Questions:

  1. Can you think of a victory for Christ won recently by you someone you know?
  2. In what sense were those involved “more than conquerors” for Christ?

Links:

Until Then

Words: Carl Stuart Hamblen (b. Oct. 20, 1908; d. March 8, 1989)
Music: Carl Stuart Hamblen

Note: Stuart Hamblen was a well-known country-western singer and Hollywood actor in the 1930s and 40s. His popular radio program on the west coast of the United States made him radio’s first singing cowboy. He also played characters in ten western movies. At one point, he even ran for president of the United States–and did quite well on the west coast!

Hamblen was the son of a Methodist preacher, but seemed to turn his back on the values he’d been taught. He became known as a liar and a cheat, and his days were filled with drunken carousing. But then, during Billy Graham’s evangelistic meetings in Los Angeles, in 1949, Stuart Hamblen gave his heart to Christ. From then on, his life took a radical new direction.

Mr. Hamblen gave up his acting career and began an itinerant ministry for the Lord, bearing an effective testimony to the saving grace of God. He used his musical talent in a significant way in the Lord’s service, writing quite a number of gospel songs. It Is No Secret is the best known of these.

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

About the prospect of his death, Stuart Hamblen said, “When you see me fall asleep, say amen. But don’t you weep.” For the Christian, our coming departure from this world into the presence of Christ, will be cause for rejoicing.

Certain conditions pertain, until that day. Then, for the saints, will come joy and blessing. “He [God the Father will] send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:20-21).

Concerning our limitations in assessing the true value of our work–or that of another person–Paul says, “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God” (I Cor. 4:5). “For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as also I am known” (I Cor. 13:12). What changes the return of Christ will bring!

Those thoughts came to the mind of Stuart Hamblen one day in 1958, and it led to the writing of popular gospel song, Until Then, that speaks of the dramatic change we will experience when we go to be with Christ. It also reminds us of the proper attitude we should have to the things of this present world, and how we should live in the meantime, as we await the Lord’s return.

“This troubled world is not my final home” (1). We’d better keep a loose grip on the things of this life, because they’ll all be left behind one day. “They’re borrowed for awhile” (2). “This weary world with all its toil and struggle” (3), and the heartaches of today are not the end. In heaven they’ll be gone forever (Rev. 21:4). In light of these things, as Stuart Hamblen’s refrain tells us, we can “going on singing,” and “carry on” the work that God has given us to do.

As the Lord Jesus expressed it in one of His parables:

A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come [carry on, in other words].”

Lk. 19:12-13

And the business of believers today is to be “ambassadors for Christ” (II Cor. 5:20), and fulfil the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Further, the Scriptures add an important note that is not specifically mentioned in Hamblen’s song. That the contemplation of the return of Christ should motivate each of us to a life of holiness.

Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Tit. 2:12-13

We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.

II Pet. 3:13-14

We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

I Jn. 3:2-3

(1) My heart can sing when I pause to remember
A heartache here is but a stepping stone
Along a trail that’s winding always upwards.
This troubled world is not my final home.

But until then my heart will go on singing,
Until then with joy I’ll carry on;
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.

Questions:

  1. What all should Christians be doing to be ready for Christ’s return?
  2. How can we balance practical living in this world, with emphasizing the values of the next?

Links:

The Mercies of God

Words: Thomas Obediah Chisholm (b. July 29, 1866; d. Feb. 29, 1960)
Music: Jesse B. Thomas (no information available)

Note: The two links will tell you more about Mr. Chisholm–and yes, he died on February 29th.

This hymn is not well known, and I could find no information on the composer of the music. However, the story behind it is so remarkable that I wanted to share it. A fuller account is given in Al Smith’s book Hymn Histories (pages 136-139)-–a book I recommend.

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

The old man awoke to face another weary day. His wife had been seriously ill for a long time, and it was time to give her her medicine. But the bottle was empty, and he had no money for more. Thinking perhaps a little breakfast would lift her spirits, he returned to the kitchen. But the ice box was almost as empty as the pill bottle, and even buying groceries seemed beyond their means. Not only that, their rent was due that day.

A pretty bleak picture. But God knew the need even before they did. Nothing takes the Lord by surprise. He says, “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isa. 46:9-10). And “known to God from eternity are all His works” (Acts 15:18).

That is why He is able to work through our circumstances, providing in advance for our needs to be met when the time comes. The word for that is God’s providence, meaning His before-seeing. It is the divine attribute behind Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good [or, He works all things together for good] to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Tom certainly believed that. He and his wife had come through many difficult times, though on this day in 1935 things seemed worse than usual. But see how the Lord was working!

Two days before, two men were attending to some necessary record-keeping for the Gideons Bible distribution ministry. They were going over the membership list for New Jersey. The policy was to remove anyone who had been contacted twice, but failed to send in the registration fee–five dollars in those days.

But just as Mr. Stam was about to cross off T. O. Chisholm, his friend said, “Jake, don’t you know who that man is? Why, he’s the fellow that wrote Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” Saying that was his favourite hymn, Stam responded, “That sure is worth five dollars–I’ll pay the brother’s dues.”

However that was not to be the end of it. That night Stam had trouble sleeping. Tom Chisholm kept coming to his mind. Believing there might be a need there, he decided to send him a gift in the morning. Then the ringing of the phone at six roused him. It was his friend from the evening before. He had had the same experience in the night. Seeing this as the leading of the Lord, both men wrote cheques, mailing them off with a note.

The next day–the day the burden of the Chisholm’s meagre finances struck with full force, he got that letter. At first, his heart sank to see the return address on the envelope, Jacob Stam, Attorney at Law! He thought, “All the trouble I’m in, and now an attorney is after me!”

But when he tore open the envelope he read, “Dear Brother, we have never met you, but we love you in the Lord. Thank you so much for Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Enclosed is a little something the Lord told us to send you.” Mr. Chisholm was astonished to see that the “little something” covered not only the month’s rent, and the cost of his wife’s medicine, but provided enough to restock the pantry.

It was at the suggestion of his wife that the hymn writer penned The Mercies of God, in celebration of God’s amazing provision. Truly, “Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord!” (Ps. 119:156).

(1) The mercies of God! What a theme for my song,
Oh! I never could number them o’er;
They’re more than the stars in the heavenly dome,
Or the sands of the wave beaten shore.

For mercies so great, what return can I make–
For mercies so constant and sure?
I’ll love Him, I’ll serve Him with all that I have
As long as my life shall endure.

(3) His angels of mercy encompass me ‘round,
Wheresoever my pathway may lead;
Each turn of the road some new token reveals–
Oh! For me life is blesséd indeed.

Questions:

  1. What example of God’s tender mercies did you experience in the last couple of weeks?
  2. Is there someone the Lord has brought to your mind that you could be God’s agent in blessing or encouraging (perhaps even anonymously)?

Links:

Some Golden Daybreak

Words: C. A. Blackmore (?)
Music: Carl Blackmore (b. _____, 1904; d. _____, 1965)

Note: The story of how this song came to be written is told on the Wordwise link below. The chorus came first, with words and music written by son Carl. Then, feeling the song was incomplete, he asked his father to add some stanzas. The full song was published in 1934. Some hymns simply attribute the entire song to young Carl Blackmore, but by his own testimony we know of his father’s contribution.

Details about these two men have been difficult to come by. (If you can help with added information, please leave a comment.) I suspect that the elder Blackmore’s first name is also Carl, but I don’t know. There is a C. A. Blackmore who served as administrator of a rescue mission in Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1918 to 1950. That fits the likely time frame for the hymn writer, so it could well be him.

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

The song was inspired by C. A. Blackmore’s 1934 radio message on the rapture of the church, and what it will be like to be caught up into Christ’s presence (I Thess. 4:13-18). The sermon rejoiced in what that momentous event will be like. It will be the dawning of a new day, an eternal day. No wonder daybreak and new light is so closely associated with Christ and His return.

Even at His first coming Zacharias was able to exclaim, “The Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Lk. 1:78), and the Lord Jesus announced, “I am the Light of the world” (Jn. 8:12). To the Apostle John, who saw Him in heavenly glory, Christ declared, “I am…the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). And when He comes again “the Sun of Righteousness shall arise” (Mal. 4:2).

Blackmore draws on a number of Scriptures to remind us of the dramatic changes and new blessings that await.

Stanza (1). “Sorrow will cease” (Rev. 21:4). And “all will be peace” because those things that bring conflict and distress will be gone forever from our presence. Satan and sinful human beings will be banished (Rev. 21:10; 21:27). Heartaches will all be ended; “there shall be no more crying,” and “God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes (Rev. 21:4).

The saints will “rest from their labours” (Rev. 14:13). That does not mean there will be nothing to do in heaven. There “His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3), but the frustration and tediousness of earthly toil brought on by the curse (Gen. 3:17-19) will cease.

Refrain. The Bible tells us “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout” (I Thess. 4:16). Whatever else is intended or implied by that, it will surely be a shout of victory over “battles all won.”

(1) Some glorious morning sorrow will cease,
Some glorious morning all will be peace;
Heartaches all ended, labour all done,
Heaven will open, Jesus will come.

Some golden daybreak Jesus will come;
Some golden daybreak, battles all won,
He’ll shout the vict’ry, break through the blue,
Some golden daybreak, for me, for you.

Stanzas (2) and (3) add more details to the theme. In (2) we’re reminded that “all shall be bright, and “earth’s dark night” will end forever. This is, of course, eminently true in the moral sense. But it also describes a significant characteristic of the heavenly city: it will be a city of glorious light, because the One who said, “I am the Light of the world” will fill heaven with His light (Rev. 21:23).

C. A. Blackmore also says we’ll be “changed in a moment, like Him to be.” That combines truths expressed in several Scriptures. At the rapture of the church, “We shall be changed–in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet” (I Cor. 15:51-51). And “when He [Christ] is revealed, we shall be like Him” (I Jn. 3:2), clothed in undying resurrection bodies (Phil. 3:20-21).

Stanza 3 focuses on the glad reunion we’ll have with saved loved ones who have gone on before us. “The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thess. 4:16-17). In Blackmore’s words, “Oh, what a meeting, there in the skies!”

Questions:

  1. Other than meeting the Lord Jesus, who are you most looking forward to meeting in that day?
  2. Do you have any further information you can share with me about C. A. Blackmore and his son Carl?

Links:

Ready

Words: (author unknown)
Music: Charles Davis Tillman (b. March 20, 1861; d. Sept. 2, 1943)

Note: Since 1903, this hymn text has appeared in some books crediting it to an A. C. Palmer (1845-1882), of whom nothing is known. Others give credit for the words to the composer of the tune, Charles Tillman. Still other books have attributed the words to a S.E.L. However this appears to be a short-form for Selected, another way of identifying the poem as anonymous.

We do know that the hymn originally had five stanzas, and Charles Tillman used one of them for a refrain when he composed the tune. He wrote other lyrics as well as tunes, so he is a possible source of this song, but we simply don’t know.

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

The original version of Tillman’s refrain, not used today, has merits of its own. It reminds us of the need for patience to “wait” God’s timing, and makes a possible allusion to Ezekiel 22:30, “I sought for a man…who would…stand in the gap.” Whether our service for God is “small or great” in the eyes of men, we need to be ready to do His will. Tillman’s refrain said:

Ready to go, ready to wait,
Ready a gap to fill;
Ready for service small or great,
Ready to do His will.

The hymn is repetitious in the extreme, repeating the word “ready” thirty-seven times (counting refrains) in one short song. However, it does make some important points along the way.

Ready. It’s a word found over eighty times in our English Bibles. Often it has a forward perspective, with the idea of making ready for something specific. However, there are other instances when the idea is that the individual or group is ready for whatever lies ahead. When King David’s son Absalom led a rebellion against his father, David fled with his trusted and loyal servants. Then:

The king’s servants said to the king, “We are your servants, ready to do whatever my lord the king commands.”

II Sam. 15:15

Here are a few examples of how the word is used in the epistles.

“So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Rom. 1:15). “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share” (I Tim. 6:18). “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (II Tim. 4:2). “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Tit. 3:1). “Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (I Pet. 3:15).

Ready! It seems to me there are a number of key implications, in respect to Christian service, when a person says to God or others, “I’m ready.” The one who says that will have:

  1. A sense of calling, the conviction that God is leading the way.
  2. A preparation for service, with appropriate gifts and resources.
  3. Conscious submission to God for what lies ahead.
  4. At least some counting of the possible cost, and a willing self-sacrifice.
  5. An eagerness to begin, an enthusiasm about it.
  6. A trust in God for the needed guidance along the way.

(1) Ready to suffer grief or pain,
Ready to stand the test,
Ready to stay at home and send
Others if He sees best.

Ready to go, ready to stay,
Ready my place to fill,
Ready for service, lowly or great,
Ready to do His will.

(2) Ready to go, ready to bear,
Ready to watch and pray,
Ready to stand aside and give,
Till He shall clear the way.

(4) Ready to speak, ready to warn,
Ready o’er souls to yearn,
Ready in life, ready in death,
Ready for His return.

Questions:

  1. Are you “ready” to serve the Lord? What percentage of the people in your church would you estimate are ready to serve Him?
  2. What are some of the things we need to do to get ready?

Links:

Peace, Perfect Peace

Words: Edward Henry Bickersteth, Jr. (b. Jan. 25, 1825; d. May 16, 1906)
Music: Pax Tecum, by George Thomas Caldbeck (b. _____, 1852; d. Jan. 29, 1918), and Charles John Vincent (b. Sept. 19, 1852; d. Feb. 28, 1934)

Note: In the biographical note in the Wordwise link at the bottom of this article, you will see that Bickersteth was not only a pastor, but a writer and editor of hymns. He was, in fact, a great lover of the hymnody of the church–a love which I share. His son reports that on Sundays at tea (a light meal the English eat in mid-afternoon), it was his father’s invariable custom to ask each family member to quote a hymn. He did this himself too, unless he’s just written a new one he could share.

As to Pax Tecum, Charles John Vincent (1852-1934) revised and arranged Caldbeck’s tune to the point that some have argued it became his, and ceased to be by Calbeck.

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

This simple hymn has a greatness that belies its simplicity. It’s one of those hymns that should be memorized and used often by the people of God. The words are based on a promise in the book of Isaiah, and the writing came about as follows. Dr. Bickersteth spent his vacation in 1875 in the north of England. There he heard Canon Gibbon, vicar of Harrowgate, preach a sermon on:

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Isa. 26:3

The bishop pointed out that Hebrew does not have modifying adjectives as we do in English. So to make this an especially powerful “peace” the word was simply repeated in Hebrew. “You will keep him in peace peace [shalom shalom, a peaceful peace].” The Amplified Bible has, “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace.”

That afternoon, Edward Bickersteth visited a relative who was on his deathbed, and the thought of God’s “perfect peace” came to him with new force. As he sat by the bed, the ideas for this new hymn came to him. He jotted them down, and shared them with the dying man, to his great comfort.

All but the final stanza of the hymn are in a question-and-answer format. As noted in the Wordwise link, they can be sung antiphonally, with different parts of the congregation singing one line, and the other, of each stanza.

Several different kinds or spheres of peace are spoken of in Scripture. There is “the peace with God” that is ours through the work of Christ on the cross (Rom. 5:1). We are reconciled to God by faith in what the Lord Jesus did for us there. There is also “the peace of God” that the believe can have within as he or she commits those things that bring worry and anxiety to the Lord in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7).

Both of these come into play in this beautiful hymn. It’s on the basis of our peace with God through Christ, that we can seek the peace of God day by day.

“The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace” (Ps. 29:11). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27). “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).

I encourage you to meditate on each of the needs or problems described in the first line of the first six stanzas, and the all-sufficient provisions of God for our needs.

(1) Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

(2) Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

(3) Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?
On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

(4) Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?
In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they.

(5) Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.

(6) Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

(7) It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to heaven’s perfect peace.

The stanzas of this hymn could provide a wonderful personal Bible study, as we look up relevant Bible passages. In turn, this meditation could also be shared with a group, as they are encouraged (and helped) to commit the words of the hymn to memory.

Questions:

  1. Can you think of instances and examples (in your own life, or the lives of others you know) of each problem spoken of in the first six stanzas?
  2. Can you find Scripture verses that teach the encouraging truths in each of the second lines of the six stanzas, and that of the whole final stanza?

Links:

O Jesus, Thou Art Standing

Words: William Walsham How (b. Dec. 13, 1823; d. Aug. 10, 1897)
Music: St. Hilda (sometimes called St. Edith), by Justin Heinrich Knecht (b. Sept. 30, 1752; d. Dec. 1, 1817), and Edward Husband (b. circa May ___, 1843; d. circa Feb. ___, 1908)

Note: As to the melody, Edward Husband took the first couple of lines of a 1799 tune by Justin Knecht, and added his own ending, creating the present tune in 1871.

Concerning the text, this beautiful and insightful hymn was written in 1867. Dr. How seems to have had a couple of inspirations for it. Poetess Jean Ingelow heard a sermon in an English fishing village on Revelation 3:20, leading her to create the poem picturing the scene. It says, in part:

The parson knew that he had lost the eyes
And ears of those before him for he made
A pause… Then with a sigh
Fronted the folk, lifted his grand gray head,
And said, as one that pondered on with new surprise,
And found fresh marvel in their sound, “Behold!
Behold!” saith He, “I stand at the door and knock.”
Then said the parson, “What! And shall He wait,
And must He wait?
Open the door with shame if ye have sinned…
And take Him in that comes to sup with thee.

Jean Ingelow

William How read Jean Ingelow’s poem and was deeply touched by it. He may also have seen Holman Hunt’s famous painting, which appeared in 1854, picturing Christ standing at the door. Together, these depictions led him to write the hymn.

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

The song is based on the words of Revelation 3:20, where the glorified Lord Jesus says:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Other versions have: “I will be his guest and feast with him, and he with Me” (Williams New Testament); “We will share a meal as friends” (New Living Translation); “I will come in and fellowship with him, and he with Me” (Living Bible).

Though that verse is sometimes used as an invitation to the sinner to come to Christ for salvation, in the context of Revelation it follows Christ’s admonition to the church at Laodicea. Bishop How may have it right, calling at least some of them, though backslidden, “Christian brethren” (1).

The people attending of this ancient church in Asia Minor was extremely affluent and self-satisfied. They believed they had no real needs. But in the Lord’s sight they were spiritually impoverished and lukewarm about the things of God (vs. 15, 17). Most sadly of all, they had shut Christ out. They may have had rituals in His honour, or sang hymns about Him, but there was no heart relationship with the living Christ.

In how many churches today is that the case? Christ is represented by artwork and liturgy, but there is no fellowship with Him as living, gracious presence. In fact, the door is “fast closed” against Him. “Shame on us!” if that is true of our own church.

(1) O Jesus, Thou art standing, outside the fast closed door,
In lowly patience waiting to pass the threshold o’er:
Shame on us, Christian brethren, His name and sign who bear,
O shame, thrice shame upon us, to keep Him standing there!

The Lord not only stands without, but knocks, in love and patience, hoping there is someone who will open the door and welcome Him in. How’s hymn pictures Christ with the marks of Calvary upon Him, emphasizing “the sin that hath no equal” of turning Him away.

(2) O Jesus, Thou art knocking; and lo, that hand is scarred,
And thorns Thy brow encircle, and tears Thy face have marred:
O love that passeth knowledge, so patiently to wait!
O sin that hath no equal, so fast to bar the gate!

The Lord Jesus stands (1), and knocks (2), and pleads “in accents meek and low” (3). That this is something He does graciously, for an extended period of time, is suggested by the verb tense. In Greek, it represents an action that has lingering results or continuing effects, as though it reads: “Behold I have taken a stand, and am still standing at the door.”

The worldly congregation must not presume He will keep on knocking. The day of grace for them may suddenly come to an end. But for now, the invitation is open.

(3) O Jesus, Thou art pleading in accents meek and low,
“I died for you, My children, and will you treat Me so?”
O Lord, with shame and sorrow we open now the door;
Dear Saviour, enter, enter, and leave us nevermore.

Questions:

  1. Do you know of a congregation that can be described as the Word of God describes the one in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-18)?
  2. What is the remedy (vs. 19-20)? Can this begin even with one person in the church, or just a few? (Explain.)

Links:

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