Hannah Kilham Burlingham was raised in a Quaker home in England, but she joined the Plymouth Brethren in her early twenties. Many of her religious poems and translations appeared in the British Herald. The Cyber Hymnal lists over 40 hymns that came from her pen, but only one has remained in current use, I’m Waiting for Thee. It is a plaintive and lovely little song set to George Root’s tune Jewels (also used with the children’s hymn When He Cometh).
I’m waiting for Thee, Lord, Thy beauty to see, Lord; I’m waiting for Thee— For Thy coming again. Thou’rt gone over there, Lord, A place to prepare, Lord, Thy home I shall share At Thy coming again.
’Mid danger and fear, Lord, I’m oft weary here, Lord, The day must be near of Thy coming again. ’Tis all sunshine there, Lord, No sighing nor care, Lord, But glory so fair At Thy coming again.
(2) Today in 1864 – Something for Thee published
American Baptist pastor Sylvanus Dryden Phelps (1816-1895) served churches in Connecticut and Rhode Island. He wrote several hymns, but only one, Something for Thee (also known as Saviour, Thy Dying Love) is still in use. Robert Lowry wrote the tune for this hymn, and he said concerning the text:
It is worth living 70 years, even if nothing comes of it but one such hymn….Happy is the man who can produce one song which the world will keep singing after the author shall have passed away. May the tuneful harp preserve its strings for many a long year yet, and the last note reach us only when it is time for the singer to take his place in the heavenly choir.
Phelps was 46 at the time, and Lowry was 36, so the latter seems to be making a general reference to the Bible’s “three-score and ten” (Ps. 90:10), and the productivity of one’s lifetime. Whether or not we would go to Mr. Lowry’s heights of praise, it is a fine hymn.
Saviour, Thy dying love Thou gavest me. Nor should I aught withhold, dear Lord, from Thee. In love my soul would bow, my heart fulfil its vow, Some offering bring Thee now, something for Thee.
Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee. That each departing day henceforth may see Some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done, Some wanderer sought and won, something for Thee.
Georg Newmark was a German poet who, through many hardships, attained an education and in 1652 was appointed court poet, librarian and registrar to the Duke of Weimar. He produced 34 hymns, many written during times of great suffering. That gives a special poignancy and spiritual meaning to his hymn, If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee.
If thou but suffer God to guide thee And hope in Him through all thy ways, He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee, And bear thee through the evil days. Who trust in God’s unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.
Nor think amid the fiery trial That God hath cast thee off unheard, That he whose hopes meet no denial Must surely be of God preferred. Time passes and much change doth bring And set a bound to everything.
Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word: though undeserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.
(2) Today in 1820 – Mary Kidder Born
We must be certain that, when we are called to stand before the Lord, our names will be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 20:15; 21:27). That issue concerned Mary Kidder years ago. Born Mary Ann Pepper, it is said she was blinded in her teens, but slowly recovered her sight. And she lived most of her life in New York City. We know little more about her, except that she had a gift for writing poetry. Mrs. Kidder penned about a thousand hymns, but only one or two remain in common use. In a song published in 1878, she asks, Is My Name Written There? meaning in the Book of Life. Good question!
Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold; I would make sure of heaven, I would enter the fold. In the book of Thy kingdom, with its pages so fair, Tell me, Jesus, my Saviour, is my name written there?
Is my name written there, On the page white and fair? In the book of Thy kingdom, Is my name written there?
Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea, But Thy blood, O my Saviour, is sufficient for me; For Thy promise is written, in bright letters that glow, “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow.”
Another of Mrs. Kidder’s songs has the title Did You Think to Pray? Another good question! Perceptive and convicting, it says:
Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Saviour, Did you sue for loving favor, As a shield today?
O how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day; So when life seems dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.
Here is a quartet practice by four young men (it being a rehearsal accounts for a bit of kibitzing). Work on the song is still in process, but overall I think they’re doing well with a nice arrangement of Don’t Forget to Pray.
(3) Today in 1867 – Benjamin Hanby Died
Benjamin Russell Hanby was the son of a United Brethren clergyman. And though he only lived for 34 years, his was a full life. He served as the principal of an academy, and as a pastor, and worked with a music publisher writing both Sunday School songs and some popular secular music too. One of the latter, My Darling Nellie Gray (for which Hanby’s sister wrote the tune), tells the sad story of a black man’s sweetheart being carted off in chains to be a slave.
Benjamin Hanby’s hymn, Who Is He in Yonder Stall? was published in 1866. Though the opening stanza refers to the Christmas story and the song is sometimes sung as a carol, it is one whose subject extends through the all the earthly life of Christ and on into eternity.
Who is He in yonder stall At Whose feet the shepherds fall? Who is He in deep distress, Fasting in the wilderness?
’Tis the Lord! O wondrous story! ’Tis the Lord! the King of glory! At His feet we humbly fall, Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!
Lo! at midnight, who is He Prays in dark Gethsemane? Who is He on yonder tree Dies in grief and agony?
Who is He that from the grave Comes to heal and help and save? Who is He that from His throne Rules through all the world alone?
English composer William Gardiner was born in Leicester. At the age of 6 he sang a solo at the wedding of his friend’s father. He learned to play the piano and the viola, and as a teen-ager wrote a march for the British troops returning from the American Revolutionary War. He was an admirer of Beethoven and Haydn. In 1843, the became a member of the Historical Institute in Paris.
Mr. Gardiner has left us two or three hymn tunes, including the lovely Belmont, which works well with God Moves in a Mysterious Way, and The Lord’s My Shepherd.
The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; He leadeth me The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again; And me to walk doth make Within the paths of righteousness, Even for His own name’s sake.
The tune Belomont is used as well with Reginald Heber’s By Cool Siloam’s Shady Rill. You can check out the latter hymn on the Cyber Hymnal. Or here is a lovely version by famed Scottish tenor Kenneth McKellar (followed in the video clip by his reverent renditions of Speak No Sinful Action, and God Be in My Head).
(2) Today in 1824 – Stand Up and Bless the Lord written
Scottish hymn writer James Montgomery was the son of a Moravian clergyman. He wrote more than 400 hymns, quite a number of which are still in use. Montgomery’s hymn, Stand Up and Bless the Lord, was produced on this date in in 1824 for the anniversary celebration of the Red Hill Wesleyan Sunday School, in Sheffield, England.
Stand up and bless the Lord Ye people of His choice; Stand up and bless the Lord your God With heart and soul and voice.
God is our strength and song, And His salvation ours; Then be His love in Christ proclaimed With all our ransomed powers.
(3) Today in 1859 – Henry Zelley Born
A gospel song on the theme of sunlight was written in 1899 by Henry Jeffreys Zelley (1859-1942). Pastor Zelley faithfully served the Lord, during a ministry over fifty years long. He was considered an exceptional Bible scholar, and his spare time was spent writing poetry.
On one occasion a man named George Harrison Cook brought the pastor a tune, asking if the latter could write some appropriate words for it. Cook was involved in a lifelong ministry of music, singing, playing, composing, and training other musicians. It was not the only collaboration of Zelley and Cook, but this one produced Heavenly Sunlight. A scholar he may have been, but the simple truth of Henry Zelley’s hymn is within the grasp of all.
Walking in sunlight all of my journey; Over the mountains, through the deep vale; Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake thee,” Promise divine that never can fail.
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight, Flooding my soul with glory divine: Hallelujah, I am rejoicing, Singing His praises, Jesus is mine.
Shadows around me, shadows above me, Never conceal my Saviour and Guide; He is the light, in Him is no darkness; Ever I’m walking close to His side.
In 1942 Charles E. Fuller, who founded the Old Fashioned Revival Hour radio broadcast in 1925, adapted the song’s refrain for use on its own. Heavenly Sunshine became a widely popular little chorus four decades after the hymn was written.
Here is a video clip of the winner of the Children’s Piano Hymn Competition, in Korea, giving us a skilful rendering of Henry Zelley’s song.
William Fisk Sherwin studied music under Lowell Mason. He later worked at the New England Conservatory of Music, and taught singing in Massachusetts and New York. Sherwin was a music editor with Biglow and Main Publishers (who published many of Fanny Crosby’s songs). He took a special interest in the Sunday School, and produced books of songs for that ministry. Sherwin was also the first director of music at the Chautauqua Camp. In the latter capacity, he provided the tunes for Mary Lathbury’s Break Thou the Bread of Life, and Day Is Dying in the West.
Though he produced mainly music, Mr. Sherwin did write a few song texts himself, including God’s Great Love. You can see and hear Sherwin’s original on the Cyber Hymnal, but below is part of Al Smith’s slightly altered (excellent) version, including an added refrain. You will find this, with his own tune, in Living Hymns, an evangelical hymnal I highly recommend.
Grander than ocean’s story, Or songs of forest trees; Purer than breath of morning, Or evening’s gentle breeze; Clearer than mountain echoes Ring out from peaks above, Sounds forth the glorious heav’nly anthem Of God’s eternal love.
God’s great love, mighty love! Love that sent Jesus to die for me, Love that is greater than any sea; Love for us all–how can it be, That God loves me!
Richer than all earth’s treasures, The wealth my soul receives; Brighter than royal jewels, The crown that Jesus gives; Wondrous the condescension, And grace beyond degree! I would be ever, always singing The love of Christ to me!
Another gospel song for which Mr. Sherwin wrote both words and music is Sound the Battle Cry, speaking of our need to stand firm against the devil (our “foe) and resist his attacks (Eph. 6:10-11; I Pet. 5:8-9).
Sound the battle cry! See, the foe is nigh; Raise the standard high for the Lord; Gird your armour on, stand firm every one; Rest your cause upon His holy Word.
Rouse, then, soldiers, rally round the banner, Ready, steady, pass the word along; Onward, forward, shout aloud Hosanna! Christ is Captain of the mighty throng.
O! Thou God of all, hear us when we call, Help us one and all by Thy grace; When the battle’s done, and the vict’ry’s won, May we wear the crown before Thy face.
(2) Today in 1933 – Ada Whiddington Died
Little is known about Ada Anne Fitzgerald. We know she married Richard Whiddington, and their son Richard became Cavendish Professor of Physics at Cambridge. It is thought that Ada may have been active in the Keswick movement in England. She has left us only one hymn, Not I But Christ. It’s theme reflects the desire of John the Baptist that “He [Christ] must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn. 3:30).
Not I, but Christ, be honoured, loved, exalted; Not I, but Christ, be seen be known, be heard; Not I, but Christ, in every look and action, Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word.
O to be saved from myself, dear Lord, O to be lost in Thee, O that it might be no more I, But Christ, that lives in me.
The classroom was almost deserted. It was examination time, and all but one young man had finished and gone home. Far down the room, in the gathering shadows, sat the lone student, his brow knotted over the paper before him. Behind a high desk at the front was the stern school master, Henry Twells. He raised his eyes and watched the young man at his labours. Then, his gaze drifted to the window. Somewhere beyond the trees, the late afternoon sun was dropping below the horizon, and the blue-gray twilight was settling in. The scene caused the weary man’s thoughts to turn in a new direction.
He remembered a time when the Lord Jesus, after a long Sabbath day of ministry, retired to the home of Simon Peter (Lk. 4:38-40). But, before long, a commotion arose at the door. Stepping outside, Jesus was met by a gathering crowd of people. Strict Jewish law had prevented them from arriving earlier. No burdens were to be borne on the Sabbath, and they had burdens indeed. As soon as the setting sun touched the rim of the horizon, the day of rest was officially over. And all across the city of Capernaum those who had any who were sick brought them to the feet of Christ.
The loving heart of Christ must have ached with compassion as He saw that confluence of human suffering and the sea of eager faces. Illness had touched home after home, and current remedies had proven inadequate. But now, anxiety was tempered with new hope, as they laid their precious burdens before the Saviour. Patiently, He walked among them, speaking a kindly word here and there, and gently touching those who were sick. The Bible says, “He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them” (Lk. 4:40).
In 1868, Englishman Henry Twells saw it all, as though it were happening before his eyes. Then, emerging from his reverie, he drew a piece of paper toward him and began to write. For a few minutes, nothing was heard in the room but the scratching of two busy pens. But before the student had completed his work, his instructor had created a lovely new hymn-poem about the healing ministry of Christ, At Even, Ere the Sun Was Set.
For the sake of space, I rarely include all the stanzas of the hymns discussed in this blog. I have made an exception here. The hymn as a whole provides a moving compendium of the things that trouble us, and points us to the answer.
At even, ere the sun was set, The sick, O Lord, around Thee lay; O, with what divers pains they met! O, with what joy they went away!
Once more ’tis eventide, and we, Oppressed with various ills, draw near; What if Thy form we cannot see? We know and feel that Thou art near.
O Saviour Christ, our woes dispel; For some are sick, and some are sad; And some have never loved Thee well, And some have lost the love they had.
And some are pressed with worldly care And some are tried with sinful doubt; And some such grievous passions tear, That only Thou canst cast them out.
And some have found the world is vain, Yet from the world they break not free; And some have friends who give them pain, Yet have not sought a friend in Thee.
And none, O Lord, has perfect rest, For none is wholly free from sin; And they who fain would serve Thee best Are conscious most of wrong within.
O Saviour Christ, Thou too art man; Thou has been troubled, tempted, tried; Thy kind but searching glance can scan The very wounds that shame would hide.
Thy touch has still its ancient power. No word from Thee can fruitless fall; Hear, in this solemn evening hour, And in Thy mercy heal us all.
(2) Today in 1880 – O How Fair That Morning written
John Ellerton graduated from Trinity College, and served as a clergyman in the Church of England. He was a recognized authority on hymns, and wrote or translated 80 of them.
O How Fair That Morning is a perceptive look at creation, the effects of the fall, and the salvation God provided.
Oh how fair that morning broke, When in Eden man awoke! Beast and bird and insect bright Reveled in the gladsome light; God looked down from heav’n above, All was life and joy and love.
Ah! the doleful change when sin Darkly, subtly entered in! War and pestilence and dearth Mar and sadden God’s fair earth; Human sorrow fills the air; Death is reigning everywhere.
Yet rejoice; for God on high Hath not left His world to die! God’s dear Son, with dying breath, Broke the power of sin and death; Christ the tempter overthrew, Christ is making all things new.
A Lutheran pastor, Paul Gerhardt is also perhaps the greatest of the early Lutheran hymn writers, next to Martin Luther. Gerhardt’s life and the warmth of his preaching reflected the compassion of the Saviour. But he suffered a great deal. In The History and Use of Hymns and Hymn Tunes, historian David Breed writes:
He was not settled permanently anywhere until he was forty-four years of age, nor married until he was forty-eight. He endured great affliction in the long illness and death of his wife, and in the lost of four out of five of his children. Finally he was dispossessed of his position, and retired to a humble parish in Lübben, where he laboured for seven years among a rude, unsympathetic people, and where he died.”
Yet out of that burdened life this marvelous hymn was born. A German prayer poem he read inspired him to compose and publish a hymn in 1653 that he called O Jesu Christ, Mein Schöstes Licht (O Jesus Christ, My Beautiful Light). The tune commonly used is St. Catherine. In the song Gerhardt extols the love of Christ, responding to it with a great and holy passion. We know the hymn now by its opening phrase.
Jesus, Thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare; Unite my thankful heart with Thee And reign without a rival there. To Thee alone, dear Lord, I live; Myself to Thee, dear Lord, I give.
O, grant that nothing in my soul May dwell but Thy pure love alone! Oh, may Thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown! All coldness from my heart remove; My every act, word, thought, be love.
(2) Today in 1826 – Robert Lowry Born
Robert Lowry attended the University at Lewisburg (later known as Bucknell University), where he became a professor of literature. He was ordained as a Baptist clergyman, and pastored churches in Westchester, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Brooklyn, as well as several other places. He worked as a music editor for the Biglow Publishing Company, and helped editor many gospel song books. Lowry also wrote about 500 gospel tunes (as for Isaac Watts’s Come, We That Love the Lord), and many hymn texts, such as: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus, and Shall We Gather at the River.
Introduced at a camp meeting in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and published in 1876, Nothing but the Blood of Jesus is a significant gospel song because it reminds us of the eternal value of the shed blood of Christ–a doctrine that is sadly missing from much preaching today. It is based on Heb. 9:22, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission [no forgiveness].”
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The last two stanzas of this hymn are rarely printed and used today, but they are fine too.
Now by this I’ll overcome– Nothing but the blood of Jesus, Now by this I’ll reach my home– Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Glory! Glory! This I sing– Nothing but the blood of Jesus, All my praise for this I bring– Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Concerning Shall We Gather at the River, one day in July of 1864, thoughts of eternity came to the mind of Robert Lowry, then pastor of Hanson Place Baptist Church, in Brooklyn, New York. Summer that year was oppressively hot, and there was a deadly epidemic raging through the crowded city. Pastor Lowry was called upon to visit many bereaved families as death touched home after home. What could he say? What message of hope could he bring?
The Lord gave him a thought that he shared over and over. Each time, the pastor would assure the sick and sorrowing that through faith in Christ we can look forward to a great reunion day at the river of life described in the book of Revelation (Rev. 22:1-2). He encouraged them to think of meeting the departed once again by the river.
After one particularly exhausting day of comforting the distressed people of his congregation, the pastor returned home and laid down on a couch to rest. He reports that as he lay there he pictured in his imagination that beautiful heavenly scene, the glorious throne of God, and the shining crystal waters of the river. “Visions of the future passed before me with startling vividness,” Lowry says. He wondered why so much attention is given to crossing the river of death, and so little to meeting at the river of life. It was at that moment an idea for a new hymn formed in his mind. He states:
As I mused, the words began to construct themselves. They came first as a question of Christian inquiry, “Shall we gather at the river?’ Then they broke out in chorus, ‘Yes, we’ll gather at the river.”
Soon Pastor Lowry had created both words and music for a stirring gospel song.
Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod, With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river; Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.
Ere we reach the shining river, Lay we every burden down; Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown.
Here is a nice choral arrangement of the hymn. Unfortunately, the one who videotaped it was too far back. The solo stanza of the spiritual, Deep River, does not pick up well, and the attempts of the couple in the back row to take a picture, and discuss how to do so are a bit distracting. But I still enjoyed the choir. Hope you do too.
Oscar Clute graduated from the Michigan Agricultural College, then taught mathematics there for awhile, later studying at Meadeville Theological Seminary. He held pastorates in New Jersey, Iowa and California and, during his busy life, also served as president of the Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State College), and Florida Agricultural College. He has given us a single hymn, O Love of God Most Full, published in 1904.
O love of God most full, O love of God most free, Come, warm my heart, come fill my soul, Come, lead me unto Thee!
Warm as the glowing sun, So shines Thy love on me; It wraps me ’round with kindly care, It draws me unto Thee!
(2) Today in 1923 – Mary Thomson Died
One day in 1868, Mary Ann Faulker Thomson faced a family crisis. Her child was critically ill with typhoid fever. As she sat up with him one lonely night, it is said she made a covenant with God–that if He would spare her son she would dedicate him to the Lord’s service. It was also during those dark hours that Mary Ann Thomson began to write a fine missionary hymn called O Zion, Haste (often amended today to O Christian, Haste).
In the stanzas she has given us the author shows herself to be knowledgeable of the Scriptures. For instance, the first verse says:
O Christian, haste, thy mission high fulfilling, To tell to all the world that God is Light; That He who made all nations is not willing One soul should perish, lost in shades of night.
That beautifully reflects the truth of II Pet. 3:9, “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (though unfortunately I’ve seen a version of the song that changes the last line of the above to “One soul should fail to know His love and might”). True as this may be, it emasculates the message! Outside of Christ, soul’s are “perishing” (i.e. heading for eternal ruin; cf. Jn. 3:16). This same editor also conveniently dropped the second stanza which describes the bondage of sin:
Behold how many thousands still are lying Bound in the darksome prison house of sin, With none to tell them of the Saviour’s dying, Or of the life He died for them to win.
We are called to bear witnes to the truth (Rom. 10:14). And in a stanza not usually used today, Mary Thomson is even more pointed about our responsibility to share the gospel, saying:
‘Tis thine to save from peril of perdition The souls for whom the Lord His life laid down.
The unsaved are in fearful peril. The Bible says they are “condemned already,” and “the wrath of God abides on [them]” (Jn. 3:18, 36). They need to hear the gospel of grace and put their faith in Christ, apart from which they are headed for a lost eternity. The bad news is needed, in order to underscore the vital importance of the good news–that there is life eternal through faith in God’s provision (Jn. 5:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:23; 6:23).
Then consider the positive aspects of the message presented in another stanza:
Proclaim to every people, tongue and nation That God in whom they live and move is love: Tell how He stooped to save His lost creation, And died on earth that man might live above.
Finally, another stanza may hint at that personal dedication of Mrs. Thomson’s own son to the Lord’s work.
Give of thy sons to bear the message glorious; Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way; Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious; And all thou spendest Jesus will repay.
John Newton was converted in the same year that Isaac Watts died. It almost seems as though the Lord, after taking one great English hymn writer home to be with Himself, prepared another to take his place.
I have given March 10th as the date of Newton’s conversion, and so it is considered by some historians. However, it may have marked the beginning of a process in which the light gradually dawned over a number of days. (Some use the date March 21st.) The earlier day referred to was a significant milestone on the way. On that day, God used a dreadful storm to get the attention of a wicked, blasphemous sailor. The picture here is taken from the cover of Newton’s autobiography, Out of the Depths, as published by Moody Press some years ago. Here is the fateful day, as described by Newton himself.
Now the Lord’s time was come, and the conviction I was so unwilling to receive was deeply impressed upon me. I went to bed that night in my usual security and indifference, but was awakened from a sound sleep by the force of a violent sea which broke on us. Much of it came below and filled the cabin where I lay with water. This alarm was followed by a cry from the deck that the ship was going down….The ship was filling very fast. The sea had torn away the upper timbers on one side, and made the ship a mere wreck in a few minutes.
The crew began pumping water as best they could, and tried to make a few of the most urgent repairs to the vessel.
I said, almost without any meaning, “If this will not do, the Lord have mercy on us!” This–though spoken with little reflection–was the first desire I had breathed for mercy in many years. I was instantly struck by my own words….What mercy can there be for me?…Indeed, I expected that every time the vessel descended into the sea she would rise no more. I dreaded death now, and my heart foreboded the worst, if the Scriptures, which I had long since opposed, were true.
That was the beginning. The Lord was gracious, and so patient with this wayward sinner, and in spite of the storm, it was the beginning of a new spiritual day. He was just 23 years old. And when the truth finally dawned, John Newton was gloriously saved. He went on to become a pastor and a hymn writer, preaching and singing about the “Amazing Grace” of God, and the wonder of having a personal relationship with Him. In one of his lesser known hymns, Newton talks about the difference the presence of Christ makes to one’s perspective.
How tedious and tasteless the hours When Jesus no longer I see; Sweet prospects, sweet birds and sweet flowers, Have all lost their sweetness to me; The midsummer sun shines but dim, The fields strive in vain to look gay. But when I am happy in Him, December’s as pleasant as May.
His name yields the richest perfume, And sweeter than music His voice; His presence disperses my gloom, And makes all within me rejoice. I should, were He always thus nigh, Have nothing to wish or to fear; No mortal as happy as I, My summer would last all the year.
The tune for Newton’s most famous hymn, Amazing Grace, had its origins not in Britain, but in the southeastern United States. Found in song books as early as 1831’s Virginia Harmony, the tune has sometimes been called Little Britain. The intervals in the melody suit a pipe band, and here it is played on the bagpipes.
Born in 1743, English poetess Anna Laetitia Aikin Barbauld was the daughter of a dissenting (non-Anglican) clergyman named John Aiken. In 1753 she became a classics tutor and wrote a number of hymns, including Come, Said Jesus’ Sacred Voice. In 1774, Anna married Rev. Rochemont Barbauld.
“Come,” said Jesus’ sacred voice, “Come, and make My paths your choice; I will guide you to your home, Weary pilgrim, hither come.
“Hither come, for here is found Balm that flows for every wound, Peace that ever shall endure, Rest eternal, sacred, sure.”
(2) Today in 1839 – Phoebe Knapp Born
Phoebe is a Bible name (Rom. 16:1-2), meaning radiant, and it seems, from Paul’s description, that this woman was indeed a radiant Christian, shining for the Lord!
Outstanding in her own time was another Phoebe, Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874). Mrs. Palmer, and her husband Walter, were both evangelists. She also held weekly prayer meetings in their home for nearly 50 years, and did charitable work among the slum tenements of New York City. In addition, she became the editor of a religious magazine, and wrote a number of books. Though not all would agree with some of her beliefs, she was a dynamic Christian who had a great impact on the crowds that came to the camp meetings of the time.
In 1839, Phoebe gave birth to a daughter whom the Palmers named Phoebe, after her mother. The younger Phoebe Palmer (1839-1908) went on to become a musician and hymn writer, producing some 500 hymns. She eventually married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, the founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Knapps were immensely wealthy. The pipe organ in their palatial home was the largest in a private residence at the time. American presidents, Union Army generals and other notables were friends and frequent guests of the couple.
They were also staunch Christians, active as lay people in John Street Methodist Church, in New York. That was the church attended by Fanny Crosby, and the two women combined their talents for the writing of the hymn Blessed Assurance.
In 1871, Phoebe Knapp contacted her mother asking her to write the words for a hymn. The resulting poem was set to music by the daughter, and it became The Cleansing Wave. (Because mother and daughter have the same first name, some hymn books have mistakenly attributed both words and music to the latter.)
Oh, now I see the cleansing wave! The fountain deep and wide; Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save, Points to His wounded side.
The cleansing stream I see! I see! I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me! Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me! It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.
Amazing grace! ’tis heav’n below To feel the blood applied, And Jesus, only Jesus know, My Jesus crucified.
A bit difficult to pick out the melody in the following orchestral arrangement, but this is The Cleansing Wave.
William Young Fullerton was born in Ireland. He was converted through the ministry of Charles Spurgeon, later becoming a respected Baptist clergyman himself. He served as secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union, and eventually president of the Baptist Union. The one hymn for which he is known is I Cannot Tell, which is one of a number of texts making use of the beautiful melody Londonderry Air. (The old ballad O Danny Boy is sung to this tune, but it’s put to better use here.)
I cannot tell why He whom angels worship, Should set His love upon the sons of men, Or why, as Shepherd, He should seek the wanderers, To bring them back, they know not how or when. But this I know, that He was born of Mary When Bethlehem’s manger was His only home, And that He lived at Nazareth and labored, And so the Saviour, Saviour of the world is come.
I cannot tell how silently He suffered, As with His peace He graced this place of tears, Or how His heart upon the cross was broken, The crown of pain to three and thirty years. But this I know, He heals the brokenhearted, And stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear, And lifts the burden from the heavy laden, For yet the Saviour, Saviour of the world is here.
(2) Today in 1877 – Noah Herrell Born
Noah Benjamin Herrell was a pastor with the Nazarene denomination. In 1916, when serving a church near Olivet, Illinois, he and his wife went through a time of deep sorrow and suffering with the death of their 5-year-old son William. Pastor Herrell says,
I began to realize more fully what our heavenly Father had gone through in giving His Son to die on the cross. It was a fearful and fateful day when the creature crucified his Creator. Even nature trembled and refused to look upon that dread scene enacted on Golgotha.
Herrell thought of the how, at the moment of Christ’s death, “The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom,” miraculously, by an unseen Hand (Matt. 27:51). It was a sign from God that, through the shed blood of the Saviour, a new and living way had been opened into His presence (Heb. 10:19-20). Noah Herrell continues:
The truth so took hold of me that, had I been an artist, I would have painted a picture; but I used the talent God had given me and wrote The Unveiled Christ.
Once our blessèd Christ of beauty Was veiled off from human view; But through suffering, death and sorrow He has rent the veil in two.
O behold the Man of Sorrows, O behold Him in plain view; Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two. Lo! He is the mighty Conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two.
Now He is with God the Father, Interceding there for you; For He is the mighty conqueror, Since He rent the veil in two.
(3) Today in 1989 – Stuart Hamblen Died
One evening, actor John Wayne threw a party and invited some friends over. As the evening wore on, Wayne and his guests began discussing the effectiveness of psychiatrists. It seemed that most of them had been in “analysis” for emotional problems at one time or another. But did it help? Opinions were mixed. Few seemed sure that the treatment had done much good, or been worth the money. Then one fellow offered the observation, “Well, it’s no secret what God can do.”
For many years he had been a hard drinker, living a godless and profane life. Yet in spite of his wild ways, he had had a successful career in show business. In 1926, he became radio’s first singing cowboy, and three years later he recorded songs with the Victor Talking Machine Company (later called RCA). He made western films with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, as well as John Wayne. But recently he had put his faith in Christ, and his life had been transformed. He was a saved man, and he knew it. He had discovered first hand what God could do, and he gave up the entertainment business to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
That social evening eventually broke up, and John Wayne said goodbye to his guests. When he shook hands with the new Christian he remarked, “That was an interesting comment you made. Maybe you could write a song about it.” And the fellow, whose name was Carl Stuart Hamblen, did just that.
Stuart Hamblen went on to write many gospel songs. But that night he created a song that has been translated into more than 50 languages. The original manuscript is buried in the cornerstone of a building of the Library of Congress. When they arrived home from the Wayne’s house nearby, Stuart’s wife Suzi headed up to bed, but he sat down to consider the idea. What could he say as his testimony of what the Lord had done in His life? Just then, the clock struck the midnight hour, and that gave him his opening line.
The chimes of time ring out the news; another day is through. Someone slipped and fell. Was that someone you? You may have longed for added strength, your courage to renew, Do not be disheartened, for I bring hope to you.
It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. With arms wide open, He’ll welcome you– It is no secret what God can do.
Here’s a classic film clip from Billy Graham’s evangelistic meetings in the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1957. Dr Graham introduces Stuart Hamblen himself, who sings It Is No Secret. (Forgive Billy’s hyperbole in claiming that Hamblen “has written some of the greatest hymns”!) No question this rough, tough cowboy became a wonderful trophy of God’s grace.
