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Tell Me the Old, Old Story

Words: Arabella Katherine (“Kate”) Hankey (b. Jan. 12, 1834; d. May 11, 1911)
Music: William Howard Doane (b. Feb. 3, 1832; d. Dec. 23, 1915)

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

This high-quality gospel song is a companion to I Love to Tell the Story. (For a further explanation of the connection between the two songs, see the Wordwise Hymns link below.) Katherine Hankey wrote Tell Me the Old, Old Story during a time of serious and prolonged illness. She said later that the phrase in (1), “I am weak and weary,” described her own condition.

There is also a logical connection between the two songs. When the sinner realizes his spiritual need, he seeks for someone to tell him how it can be met. Then, when he appropriates God’s great salvation, he’s excited about spreading the news to others. The account of the starving beggars in Elisha’s day illustrates this principle (II Kgs. 7:1-20).

Though the words of the hymn are simple, the construction is thoughtful. Each stanza tells us something about the Lord we need to know, and gives an added motivation to keep sharing the gospel. It may be an “old, old story,” but God’s power to save is undiminished.

Supposed answers to the world’s problems, and to those of individuals, seem as plentiful as snowflakes in a blizzard. What we need, we are told, is better political leadership, more education, better medical services, effective pollution control, or maybe this self-help book, or that one. Many of these things can have some effect in improving life at an external or superficial level. But the real underlying problem of humanity is sin. Unless we are prepared to deal with that in an effective way, all the rest fall short.

(1) declares the glory and love of the Lord, but reminds us that He is “unseen…above.” That is one reason why we need to share God’s revelation in His Word of these hidden things. And because many are “weak and weary,” as well as being “helpless and defiled,” we need to tell the story “simply.” Time enough to study deeper truths, and profound doctrines, but putting the gospel within reach, even of “a little child,” is likely going to be more helpful to start with.

(2) draws attention to the gospel story of God’s “wonderful redemption,” His “remedy for sin.” It’s a message that needs to be presented “slowly” and “often,” so it can be fully absorbed. Even those who have heard it before can “forget so soon.” If he can, the devil is going to distract the one who needs the gospel, and snatch away the seed of the Word (Matt. 13:4, 19).

(3) proclaims the wonderful truth that “Jesus came to save [sinners]” (cf. I Tim. 1:15; I Jn. 5:11). And when there’s a recognition that “I’m the sinner,” the individual is making a personal application of the truth, and we need to “softly” and “with earnest tones” develop the message of the gospel of grace, and tell it “always.”

(4) tells of the restorative power of the gospel. The words “Jesus Christ maketh thee whole” (Acts 9:34, KJV) refer to the physical healing of a man named Aeneas. But there are other kinds of “wholeness,” and Katherine Hankey makes a spiritual application. When there is a temptation to respond to the lure of “this world’s empty glory”–we need to hear again that fulfilment, true meaning, and spiritual wholeness are found in Christ alone. 

Notice how the glory of Christ, unseen above (CH-1) is contrasted with “this world’s empty [vain, worthless] glory” (4). One is eternal (I Pet. 5:10); the other will slip through our fingers like grains of sand.

Any time it’s needed, the truth of the gospel bears repeating.

Questions:

  1. What “new” stories have you heard that suggest a different supposed answer to man’s problems? Why are these inferior to “the old, old story”?
  2. What suggestions for effective evangelism come from Katherine Hankey’s hymn?

Links:

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Words: Elizabeth Cecelia Douglas Clephane (b. June 18, 1830; d. Feb. 19, 1869)
Music: St. Christopher, by Frederick Charles Maker (b. Aug. 6, 1844; d. Jan. 1, 1927)

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

As the old saying goes, if you don’t stand for something, chances are you’ll stand for anything! To use an analogy, if a boat isn’t tied to the pier, it could drift just about anywhere. In our spiritual lives, we need to have convictions, life principles that direct our lives. Some things are a matter of opinion, but for Bible-believing Christians there are certain things that are non-negotiable (cf. Jude 1:3).

The Apostle Paul was very definite as to where he stood, and where he was anchored. He told the Corinthian Christians,“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….We preach Christ crucified” (I Cor. 1:23). And “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Cor. 2:2).

Clearly, Paul did not mean by the latter statement that he preached and taught about nothing else. He was careful “to declare…the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). But the cross was the central fact in his preaching. As he draws his Galatian letter to conclusion Paul writes, “God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). Everything else flowed from that. Without Christ’s redemptive work, he had no message to declare.

The cross is a great paradox. It is a place of ugliness, of cruelty, and terrible suffering. Yet, for the Christian, there is a radiant beauty in the cross. It is an expression of divine love that can neither be equalled or fully comprehended. Christ is the Lamb “slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8). No sooner had the devil, in the guise of a serpent, seduced our first parents into sin, than God stepped in and promised One to come who would crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15).

The Christian gospel rests upon three critical facts of history, the central one of which is the cross of Calvary. Before that there was the incarnation. Only by becoming Man could the sinless Christ take our place under the wrath of God. And the death of Christ would have been worthless without the resurrection afterward. The empty tomb is the final evidence that salvation’s work is done. That the “It is finished [literally paid in full]” that the Saviour cried from the cross (Jn. 19:30) is a reality.

No wonder Elizabeth Clephane revels in the cross of Christ. With poetic imagery she describes it as a sheltering shadow, a home in the wilderness, a place of rest (1), and a refuge, a place of eternal safety (2). In a colourful turn of phrase in (2) (a stanza seldom used), she calls the cross a “trysting place.”

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where heaven’s love and heaven’s justice meet!

The term usually speaks of an appointed meeting place, especially of those who love one another. But here, it is where God’s love and justice meet. Oh my! Infinite love and absolute justice meet at the cross. To get hold of that is to understand something important about the reasons for Calvary. God’s love for humanity is a wonderful thing. But it could not welcome into the heavenly kingdom sinners whose debt of sin condemned them to eternal death. An utterly holy God cannot condone sin, or compromise His righteous standard.

However, what a just God did, in love, was to provide a perfect Substitute to die in our place, paying our debt of sin. That is the meaning of John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” In the realization of such sacrificial love, we bow before Him in faith, and say with the hymn writer, “My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross” (5).

Questions:

  1. What did Paul mean when he said he had nothing to boast about except the cross (Gal. 6:14; compare Phil. 3:4-7)?
  2. How would it affect our lives if we determined to take a stand beneath the cross, as Elizabeth Clephane did?

Links:

Why Do You Love Our Hymns?

You’re invited to participate in our poll. What are the reasons you love the church’s traditional hymns and gospel songs? Check off as many answers as apply to you. There’ve been over 100,000 visits to this site from over 185 countries! It’ll be interesting to learn what makes our hymns so loved by so many.

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Work, for the Night Is Coming

Words: Anna Louisa Walker (Mrs. Harry Coghill) (b. June 23, 1836; d. July 7, 1907)
Music: Lowell Mason (b. Jan. 8, 1792; d. Aug. 11, 1872)

Note: Mrs. Coghill wrote this song while she was still an unmarried teenager. As explained in the Wordwise link below, Lowell Mason edited Miss Walker’s poem slightly to make it fit his tune.

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

Words such as “work,” “labour,” “travail,” and “toil” are found in the Bible over 850 times. Work is a part of our lives, and has been since the beginning. Even in the innocence of Eden, before the fall, there was work to do. Adam was placed by the Lord “in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). And after the future consummation of all things, and our entry into the eternal state, there will still be things to do. There and then, “His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3).

Of course it must be noted that between the times described in those two texts, something significant happened. Adam and Eve sinned, and God put a curse upon the natural world that affected them both, and their descendants afterward. It became a continuing object lesson of the painful effects of sin. Adam was told:

“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are , and to dust you shall return.”

Gen. 3:17-19

Suddenly, the rewarding service for God assigned in Eden (that wouldn’t have been excessively burdensome), became “toil” (vs. 17)–a very negative word suggesting that hardship, pain and sorrow would be involved. In addition to the weeds in the garden, specifically referred to in the text, work would involve such things as: drudgery and boredom, selfish competition and greed, the enslavement or oppression of workers, failure and frustration, injury, and ultimately death. Labour would be a necessary part of living, but often not pleasant.

Our work, by its very nature, is hard. Of course, that does not mean that there is nothing at all enjoyable or fulfilling in it. It is especially so when we are conscious of serving the Lord. And not all service for God is “church” work. Slaves in Bible times were encouraged to see all they did as being for the glory of God (Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-24). Indeed, each Christian is told to “do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). We are exhorted to see our “secular” full-time employment as that which gives us the needed resources to serve the Lord in helping others (Eph. 4:28).

When, by our efforts, we are able to show our love and gratitude to God for all He’s done for us, that is rewarding. When we can be of help to others, when we can be productive in our work, not only doing something that is meaningful for time, but is also an investment for eternity, then all of that puts our toil in a more positive light, even when it is difficult.

In Anna Walker’s song, the centuries of man’s earthly labours, from the dawn of creation to the ushering in of eternity, are compared to the brief period of a single day of work. It begins in “the morning hours…while the dew is sparkling” (1), but always with the awareness that “the night is coming, when man’s work is done.”

As time passes, we come to “the sunny noon,” (2) and we’re encouraged to “fill brightest hours with labour, [because] rest comes sure and soon.” Finally, we reach “sunset skies, [when] the last beam fadeth…to shine no more” (3). As Jesus put it, “The night is coming when no one can work” (Jn. 9:4; cf. Ps. 104:23). Then, for believers, comes the day of accounting, before the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10).

Questions:

  1. What difference would it make to all we do if we were more conscious of doing it for the honour of the Lord Jesus?
  2. What different priorities might we have if we were more aware that the end of this earthly life was swiftly approaching?

Links:

Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

Words: Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (b. May 26, 1700; d. May 9, 1760)
Music: Germany, by William Gardiner (b. March 15, 1770; d. Nov. 16, 1853)

Note: This great hymn was translated into English (somewhat paraphrased) by John Wesley, and published in 1740, entitled “The Believer’s Triumph.” The original had 24 stanzas, of which the Cyber Hymnal gives us 9. Many hymnals today reduce this further to 4 or 5. As posted in the Cyber Hymnal, stanzas 1, 2, 4 and 5 are often used–though it should be said that hymn book editors do occasionally choose other stanzas from the original too. This is another hymn that I believe all Christians should sing often and understand clearly.

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

The hymn presents a powerful visualization of the doctrine of justification (Rom. 3:21-24; 5:8-11). Constructing a definition from the word itself, some have suggested justification means as “just-as-if-I’d-never sinned.” But that is only part of it. There is a kind of legal transfer that goes in two directions. In justification, Christ is charged with our sins (a debt He paid on the cross), and His perfect righteousness is credited to our heavenly account (cf. II Cor. 5:21).

When a sinner trusts in the Calvary work of Christ as his only means of salvation, it is as though he has been clothed in Christ. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ [placed into Christ by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit] have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27; cf. Isa. 61:10). When God looks at redeemed sinners, He sees the perfections of His beloved Son. They have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). As to their standing, they are forever perfect and complete in Christ (Col. 2:10; Heb. 10:14), and accepted by the Father “in the Beloved [Christ]” (Eph. 1:6).

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

In (2) Count von Zinzendorf speaks of having boldness before God, “for who ought to my charge shall lay?” (an allusion to Romans 8:33). In (4), the note of personal testimony is strengthened with, “Lord, I believe…” This is repeated in (5) with some dramatic imagery which calls to mind First John 2:2, “He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

Since we are deprived of so many stanzas of this hymn, in many hymnals, I wanted to share a few of the ones that are not so commonly used. As to (3), it is Peter who refers to the “unspotted Lamb” (I Pet. 1:18-19). And related to (6), the Lord Jesus speaks of going to prepare “my mansion in the skies” (Jn. 14:2-3), and in (9) He refers to the coming resurrection as a time when “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (Jn. 5:25).

(3) The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.

(6) When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
E’en then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

(9) O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.

Questions:

  1. With what kinds of things do many people “clothe” themselves, in the mistaken belief that such things will make them acceptable to God?
  2. How should the doctrine of justification affect our prayer life?

Links:

The Church in the Wildwood

Words: William Savage Pitts (b. Aug. 18, 1830; d. Sept. 25, 1918)
Music: William Savage Pitts

Note: This song is also known as The Little Brown Church in the Vale. There is an unusual (and somewhat amazing) story about the actual building, as the Wordwise Hymns link below explains. Minor point: I’ve often wished Dr. Pitts, in his second stanza, had given us “a bright Sabbath morning,” to avoid a repetition on the word “clear” in the first two lines.

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

What exactly is the church? Here are four ways we use the word.

  1. For some, it’s that red brick building on the corner of the street, or some structure of wood or concrete. That’s how we sometimes speak, but it’s not how the Bible uses the word. The closest we can come is the New Testament’s reference to house churches. In apostolic times, when the church was new, Christians often met in homes (Rom. 16:5; I Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phm. 1:2). As far as we know, there were no buildings specifically dedicated to the assembly of believers until after AD 200.
  2. Others speak of the Presbyterian Church, or the Lutheran Church, by which they mean a denomination that has organized a group of congregations under a commonality of doctrine and practice. But that too is a usage of the word church that comes long after New Testament times. Not that that makes it wrong to organize. I believe the Bible gives flexibility in this. Historically, many denominations were created to defend truths Christians felt were being neglected or rejected outright.
  3. The Greek word for “church” used in Scripture is ekklesia (pronounced ek-lay-SEE-uh). It refers to a group of people called together. Any assembly of people. It’s even used of an unruly mob of idol worshipers (Acts 19:32). But by far the most common use of the word in the Bible is to refer to one of two things. Sometimes it refers to all Christians everywhere, the spiritual body of Christ, of which He is the Head (Eph. 1:22-23). That includes all the saints, both living and dead. He is the “Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3:14-15). This is sometimes called the universal church.
  4. The Apostle Paul refers to his “deep concern for all the churches [plural]” (II Cor. 11:28). That’s something different. It refers to local expressions of the universal church, existing in time and space. (Though that has to be qualified. Any group can call itself a church–even witches and Satanists. But I’m speaking of Bible-believing congregations, made up of born again believers.) And while the universal church is invisible, since we aren’t able to see all Christians gathered together in one place–not yet, anyway–each local church is an example of the visible church. Many such local assemblies are spoken of in the New Testament (Acts 8:1; 13:1; Rom. 16:1; I Cor. 1:2; 16:19; Gal. 1:2; Rev. 1:20).

A quick scanning of the lyrics of William Pitts’ song will show that it is the first of these that he has written about–the physical structure in which a congregation can gather. He does not develop any important doctrines in the ballad, But that doesn’t mean it’s entirely without merit. While that usage of the word church is not found in Scripture, it is a significant one.

I even know a man named Jack who was first attracted to Christ because the evangelical church in his community had a building that was attractive. It was certainly not luxurious, but it was neat and clean, and kept in good repair. Jack told me that said to him, “This is important to these people. What they are doing here is important to them. I’d better check it out.”

A building not only gives people a place to meet, it helps to establish their identity in the community. Such facilities can house a variety of programs that would be difficult to offer without them. A local church facility also provides a rallying point for Christians in the community, and a place where warm memories are built–of weddings, memorial services, Christmas pageants, church suppers, and more.

That is a particular focus of the song. In the refrain, Pitts tells us “No spot is so dear to my childhood,” And he would even be happy to die there (5):

I would fain from this spot of my childhood
Wing my way to the mansions of light.

Questions:

  1. What memories do you have that are associated with a particular church building?
  2. What can be done to make our church buildings functional and attractive, without spending an inappropriate amount of money?

Links:

May the Mind of Christ, My Saviour

Words: Kate Barclay Wilkinson (b. Aug. 27, 1859; d. Dec. 28, 1928)
Music: St. Leonards, by Arthur Cyril Barham-Gould (b. 1891; d. Feb. 14, 1953)

Note: Kate Wilkinson was involved in a ministry to girls. This hymn, expressed in simple terms, was published three years before her death, perhaps to convey to the young women with whom she worked what it means to have a truly Christ-like walk. Barham-Gould’s tune was written specifically for 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 Bible describes two important realities in the Christian life. One is “I in Christ.” That has to do with our legal standing before God. He views each believer as dressed in the righteousness of Christ, and accepts us on that basis (Eph. 1:3, 6; Col. 2:10). Our standing “in Him” is eternal. It never changes, as it’s based on Christ’s righteousness, and He is never anything but perfect.

The other reality is “Christ in me.” That speaks of our practical state in daily living. It is the desire of God that Christ’s character be seen in us (Phil. 2:5). Christians are called to a walk of humble obedience, just as Christ in His incarnation was humbly obedient to His heavenly Father (vs.8; cf. Gal. 2:20 ).

And clearly, though our standing is eternal, our state can fluctuate. We can stumble in sin, or drift spirituality into worldliness and carnality. It is this latter reality (He in me) that Kate Wilkinson writes about in her hymn. Stanza CH-1 introduces the theme, with an allusion to Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” It should be our goal to be submissive to Christ’s lordship in “all [we] do and say,” just as He was submissive to God the Father.

Stanza (2) uses the first part of Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” to remind us of the importance of the Scriptures in the Christian life. For God’s Word to “dwell richly” in us means that it will be at home in our lives, in all its abundant richness, and be consistently believed and obeyed. The parallel passage in Ephesians 5:18-19 shows that this is closely related to the filling of the Holy Spirit. (The phrase “the word of Christ” should not be confined to His teaching recorded in the Gospels–often printed in red. Since He is a Person in the triune Godhead, it is quite appropriate to consider the entire Bible as coming from Christ.)

Stanza (3) is about God’s peace (referred to in Philippians 4:6-7). But there is an interesting application of this. Many times, perhaps, we pray for God’s peace so that we can be more comfortable. But the hymn writer prays for it so that she might more effectively serve the Lord, and bring comfort to others.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

Both (4) and (6) express a desire that Christ’s Person would be seen and be glorified, rather than glory coming to the individual servant of God. Our prayer should be, “Him exalting, self abasing, / This is victory….And may they forget the channel, / Seeing only Him” (cf. Jn. 3:30). The life goal presented in (5) alludes to Hebrews 12:1-2, and it is a great prayer for every believer: “May I run the race before me…looking only unto Jesus.”

This is one of those hymns that I draw attention to from time to time that should be better known, and much more used, than it is.

Questions:

  1. List some of the qualities that will be seen in the kind of life this hymn describes. (And what are the opposites of each that should be avoided?)
  2. What Bible character do you think most closely illustrates this ideal? (And can you name one or two in Scripture who failed in this at some point, and explain how and why?)

Links:

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Words: Isaac Watts (b. July 17, 1674; d. Nov. 25, 1748)
Music: Ellacombe, by William Henry Monk (b. March 16, 1823; d. March 1, 1889)

Note: Watt’s original version had eight four-line stanzas. The first six of these are generally combined to make three, and the last two are omitted. Here are the oft-omitted stanzas 7 and 8 combined:

In heav’n He shines with beams of love, with wrath in hell beneath:
‘Tis on His earth I stand or move, and ‘tis His air I breathe.
His hand is my perpetual guard, He keeps me with His eye:
Why should I then forget the Lord, who is forever nigh?

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

It’s interesting that Isaac Watts intended this to be, first of all, a children’s hymn. It is the second selection in his Divine Songs Attempted in Easy Language for the Use of Children, published in 1715. Of this collection he wrote:

“The children of high and low degree…may all join together in these songs, and as I have endeavoured to sink the language to the level of a child’s understanding, and yet to keep it, if possible, above contempt; so I have designed to profit all, if possible, and offend none.”

That begs the question: Did he misjudge the ability of children to grasp biblical truth? Or were children smarter, or better educated then, than now?) Maybe a little of both. I’m not saying there isn’t a place for simple children’s choruses such as This Little Light of Mine, or The Birds Upon the Treetops. But with careful selection, and patient teaching, I believe our children can be–and should be–introduced to many of the great hymns of the faith.

This is a hymn that praises God, particularly for His work as the Creator of all things. With David, we declare:

“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours ; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.”

I Chron. 29:11-13

Learning about, and acknowledging, the Creator’s handiwork is a good place to begin, because it’s where the Bible begins, and a subject to which God’s Word often returns (e.g. Ps. 19:1; 24:1-2; Jn. 1:1-3; Rom. 1:19-20; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2; 11:3; Rev. 4:11). As Christians, we should also defend the teaching of the Scriptures on this subject as opposed to the manmade theories of evolution.

But there is more to it than that. The saints of old saw this as an important foundation truth that gave encouragement in prayer. Since the Almighty has brought into being all the wonders of the natural universe, and continues to sustain its intricate operation, then He is surely powerful enough and wise enough to help me in my need.

When persecution began against the early church, believers turned to God in prayer. “They raised their voice to God with one accord and said, ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them” (Acts 4:24). Trusting in the might of the Creator, they prayed for holy boldness to continue declaring His Word (vs. 29), and God answered that prayer (vs. 31). Centuries before, the prophet Jeremiah had done the same (Jer. 32:16-17; cf. Ps. 124:8).

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

Questions:

  1. What encouragement do you draw from the fact that God created all things?
  2. The other side of the coin: What is missing from the life of one who believes that all things simply evolved, out of nothing, by chance and accident?

Links:

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

Words: Ignaz Franz (b. Oct. 12, 1719; d. Aug. 19, 1790)
Music:  Grosser Gott (composer unknown)

Note: The English translation from the original German was done by Clarence Alphonsus Walworth (1820-1900), except stanza CH-7, written by Hugh Thomas Henry (1862-1946). The tune first appeared in Katholisches Gesangbuch, around 1774. A modified version of the tune (called Hursley) is used with the hymn Sun of My Soul.

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

Here is another hymn that, at least in my own circles, is used far less than it should be. Though of Roman Catholic origin, it is an expression of worship directed to the Trinity, an area of doctrine on which evangelical Protestants have some common ground with Rome. Though many hymn books only use the first four stanzas (1 through 4), I’ll make a brief comment on all seven.

Some reservation is needed with regard to one line in (1). Mr. Franz says, “All on earth Thy sceptre claim.” If by that he means that all human beings recognize and submit to the Lord’s rule over their lives, then the statement is demonstrably false. But if we take it to mean that the Almighty is sovereign Lord of all, and that His purposes will ultimately be accomplished in believers and unbelievers alike, then that is true (Ps. 135:6; Dan. 4:35). He is “Lord of all,” and as Franz tells us, His domain is infinite and His reign everlasting.

(2), with its reference to angelic choirs praising God “in unceasing chorus”, is reminiscent of the seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy!” before the throne of God (Isa. 6:1-3). The cherubim do the same (Rev. 4:8; cf. Ezek. 1:5; 10:20). (3) reminds us that, in our praise of God, we are part of a long procession that began, no doubt, in Eden, and includes prophets and apostles. It even involves white-robed martyrs, because we must not forget the “whole family [of God] in heaven and earth” (Eph. 3:15). The lines” “And from morn to set of sun, / Through the church the song goes on,” call to mind John Ellerton’s majestic and beautiful hymn, The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended.

(4) contains a strong Trinitarian statement.

Holy Father, Holy Son,
Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee;
While in essence only One,
Undivided God we claim Thee;
And adoring bend the knee,
While we own the mystery.

This is followed by two stanzas expressing a strong Christology. In (5) He is both “King of glory” (cf. Ps. 24:7-10, a messianic psalm) and “Son of God, yet born of Mary” (Lk. 1:30-35). And, “First to break the bars of death, / Thou has opened heaven to faith” (Jn. 11:25-26; I Cor. 15:20-22). In (6) we have, “From Thy high celestial home, / Judge of all, again returning.” Once more, this is precisely what God’s Word declares (Ps. 98:9; Jn. 5:22; Acts 17:30-31).

In (7), the saints are described as servants of God who, “By Thy precious blood out-poured, / Thou has saved from Satan’s scheming” (cf. Acts 26:17-18; Col. 1:13; Heb. 2:14-15). CH-8 provides an earnest prayer for daily help from the Lord, dramatically changing from plural pronouns to singular ones in the last lines.

Lo, I put my trust in Thee;
Never, Lord, abandon me.

Questions:

  1. What does it mean to you, in praising God, that you are joining with a worshiping chorus of millions of believers, both living and with the Lord, as well as hosts of angels?
  2. What will be different about a praise-filled life, a life lived consciously for the glory of God?

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Holy Ghost, with Light Divine

Words: Andrew Reed (b. Nov. 27, 1787; d. Feb. 25, 1862)
Music: Mercy, by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (b. May 8, 1829; d. Dec. 18, 1869)
           Arranged by Edwin Pond Parker (b. Jan. 13, 1836; d. May 28, 1925)

Note: The tune, Mercy, was arranged by Edwin Parker from Gottschalk’s piece for piano called “The Last Hope.”

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

The use of the term “Holy Ghost” for the third Person of the Trinity has fallen into disuse in many circles today. Most Christians speak of the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit. In fact, the two words, ghost and spirit, have exchanged meanings, since the King James (Authorized) Version was produced in 1611.

In referring to the virgin birth of Christ, the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee” (Lk. 1:35, KJV). Later, when the resurrected Christ came to His disciples, we read, “They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit” (Lk. 24:37, KJV). Newer translations, such as the New International Version, and the New Living Translation, read “Holy Spirit” in Luke 1:35, and “ghost” in Luke 24:37.

With this change in terminology in view, the title and first stanza of Reed’s hymn are sometimes revised to read “Holy Spirit, Light Divine,” and (3) and (4) begin, respectively, “Holy Spirit, Power divine,” and “Holy Spirit, Joy divine.”

Andrew Reed’s hymn is a prayer requesting the ministry of the Holy Spirit in his life. The Bible does not tell us to direct our prayers to Him. We are to pray to our heavenly Father, on the authority of our relationship with Christ, enabled by the Spirit of God. “For through Him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18; cf. Matt. 6:9; Jn. 14:13; 16:24). Since the Holy Spirit is Himself God, it is not heresy to pray to Him; it is simply not the pattern the Scriptures have given to us.

Leaving that aside, let’s consider this hymn. In the four stanzas commonly used today, there is a noticeable progression.

In (1), the author asks for the illumination of the Spirit. It is the work of the Spirit of God to reveal the Person of Christ to us, in order to bring glory to Him (Jn. 16:14). Also part of His ministry is the opening of our understanding to grasp the spiritual truths of God’s Word (I Cor. 2:9-10, 12). This is further explained in Reed’s seldom used second stanza.

Let me see my Saviour’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.

As we come to a deeper understanding of these things, we become more and more aware of how far short we come of God’s holy standard (Rom. 3:23). With that in mind, Andrew Reed prays for the Spirit to cleanse him (3), and bring a renewal of the joy of his salvation (4) (cf. Ps. 51:7, 12).

We might challenge the plea in CH-5 for the Holy Spirit to “dwell within this heart of mine.” There is ample Scripture to show that the Spirit of God indwells each Christian heart (Rom. 5:5; I Cor. 6:19-20; II Cor. 1:21-22; 5:5) . “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His [he is not a Christian at all]” (Rom. 8:9).

But without reading too much into Reed’s words, there is perhaps a parallel to Paul’s prayer (to Christians) “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). Christians without Christ? Impossible. But the word dwell can have the sense of settle down and be at home in. The NLT correctly paraphrases the text, “I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts.”

That would certainly fit Reed’s lines. And the rest of the fifth stanza, as well as the seldom used sixth stanza, show that his intended desire is that the Lord reigns supreme within him.

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.

See, to Thee I yield my heart,
Shed Thy life through every part;
A pure temple I would be,
Wholly dedicate to Thee.

Questions:

  1. In First Corinthians 3:16 asks, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God?” The Greek word translated “you” is plural. The text means that all who make up the body of Christ are, corporately, a spiritual temple of the Spirit of God (cf. Eph. 2:22). What does this imply about the priorities and work of the local church (see I Cor. 3:16-17)?
  2. The Bible also speaks of each individual Christian as a “temple” of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19-20) What does this suggest about Him? And about how we should act?

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