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The King Is Coming (Sankey)

Words: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)
Music: Ira David Sankey

Note: As you can see, Ira Sankey wrote both the words and music for this song, published in 1888. It should not be mistaken for the much more recent song with that title, written by the Gaithers (a song exhibiting some rather confused theology!). Sankey’s composition of his joyful song took place under rather unusual circumstances–to say the least! The story is told, in Sankey’s own words, in both links at the end of this article.

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

Ira Sankey was uniquely gifted for the ministry the Lord gave him on both sides of the Atlantic. He was, to evangelist Dwight L. Moody, what Cliff Barrows and Bev Shea combined have been to the modern evangelist Billy Graham. But more than that, Sankey also played the organ. And he composed music, wrote gospel songs himself, and served as the editor and publisher of popular songbooks.

There are recordings of Mr. Sankey singing some familiar hymns here. But you need to realize that these were made near the end of his life, when he was in ill health. They don’t give a true picture of the powerful baritone voice (that sang to thousands without amplification) stirring audiences for many years, and effectively presenting the gospel in song.

In 1870, Ira Sankey attended a Y.M.C.A Convention in Indianapolis (back in the days when the word “Christian” in Young Men’s Christian Association meant far more than today). The singing was at first lacklustre, and Mr. Sankey, whose reputation as a song leader and soloist had already been established, was asked to lead. He began the singing with There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood, and those gathered responded heartily.

After the meeting, the singer was introduced to evangelist Dwight Moody. He says this of their first meeting–which shows something of Moody’s decisive leadership. In Sankey’s own words:

“He stepped forward and, taking me by the hand, looked at me in that keen, piercing fashion of his, as if reading my very soul. Then he said abruptly, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Pennsylvania,’ I replied. ‘Are you married?’ ‘I am.’ ‘How many children have you?’ ‘Two.’ ‘What is your business?’ ‘I am a government officer [he collected for the Internal Revenue].’ ‘Well, you’ll have to give that up!’ I was too much astonished to make any reply, and he went on, as if the matter had already been decided: ‘I have been looking for you for the past eight years. You’ll have to come to Chicago and help me in my work.’”

Moody was no musician himself, but he understood the power of music to convey the truth of God’s Word. Some months later, the thirty-year-old Sankey resigned his government job and became part of Moody’s team, a partnership that would be greatly used of God over many years.

As to the present song, it emphasizes the joyful prospect of the soon return of Christ. Yes, the Lord has delayed His return for two thousand years now, but for a gracious purpose. “[He] is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9). Even so, the final day will come. God does not count time as we do (vs. 8), and Christ will return suddenly, unexpectedly.

“For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37). “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (Jas. 5:8).

(1) Rejoice! Rejoice! our King is coming!
And the time will not be long,
Until we hail the radiant dawning,
And lift up the glad new song.

Oh, wondrous day! oh, glorious morning,
When the Son of Man shall come!
May we with lamps all trimmed and burning
Gladly welcome His return!
Rejoice! Rejoice! our King is coming!
And the time will not be long,
Until we hail the radiant dawning,
And lift up the glad new song.

The thrust of the final stanza is that we should be watchful and ready for the Lord’s return, meanwhile, continuing to stand for the truth and serve Him.

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12).“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them” (Rom. 12:6). “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (I Pet. 4:10).

(3) Oh, may we never weary, watching,
Never lay our armour down
Until He come, and with rejoicing
Give to each the promised crown.

Questions:

  1. In what way(s) do you intend to keep busy for the Lord, until His return?
  2. What other hymns about the Second Coming do you enjoy and sing?

Links:

Beyond the Sunset

Words: Virgil Prentiss Brock (b. Jan. 6, 1887; d. March 12:1978)
Music: Blanche Kerr Brock (b. Feb. 3, 1888; d. Jan. 3, 1958)

Note: The Wordwise link at the bottom of this article will tell you a bit of the history of the husband-and-wife evangelistic team that called themselves “the Singing Brocks,” and the interesting story of how this gospel song came to be written.

Virgil Brock continued in active ministry virtually to the end of his ninety-one years. He was a gifted song leader, and though he wrote the texts for many gospel songs, he depended on his wife to supply the music. He once said, “To me the theory of music seems more complicated than building a space ship!” Even so, his fifty years of songwriting was recognized in 1969 with an Honorary Degree of Sacred Music, from Trinity College, Dunedin, Florida.

Oddly enough, the only time the word “sunset” is used in our English Bibles, it’s associated with a death.

“The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel [a mortally wounded King Ahab] propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.”

II Chron. 18:34, NKJV, cf. NASB, NIV

And even here, the Hebrew word (shemesh) is ambiguous. It’s not exclusive to sunset, but is used of sunrise as well. Only the reference to “evening” in the context clarifies which is meant.

That being said, the association of the setting sun with death is appropriate. It speaks of the ending of day as a picture of the ending of a life. But we know from long experience that the conclusion of one day leads to the beginning of another. After there’s a sunset, there will be a sunrise.

In terms of our mortal lives, the ending of life’s day brings the daybreak of eternity. How short-sighted, then, to invest our time and energy in heaping up riches and possessions in this life (as the rich fool did in Jesus’ parable, Lk. 12:16-21), and not prepare for the eternal tomorrow. The Apostle Paul came to realize that even his Hebrew lineage, and his strict adherence to the Law of Israel, were not enough to fix his destiny as he’d hoped. He needed Christ (Phil. 3:4-9).

This is the heart of the gospel. All are sinners, and fall short of God’s righteous standard (Rom. 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But God, in grace, sent His Son to die in our place, as the sinner’s Substitute (I Cor. 15:3). Now, through faith in His saving work on the cross, we can be cleansed of our sins and receive the gift of eternal life (Jn. 3:16; 5:24). There is no other way (Jn. 3:18, 36; 14:6; Acts 4:12).

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

I Jn. 5:11-12

It is the one who is a child of God, through faith in the Saviour (Jn. 1:12-13; I Jn. 3:1-2), who can look, with the eyes of faith “beyond the sunset,” to see the eternal destiny that awaits the saints. For His children, the most precious aspect of the heavenly kingdom is surely that we’ll be with the Lord Jesus there (Jn. 14:2-3).

(1) Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning,
When with our Saviour heav’n is begun;
Earth’s toiling ended, O glorious morning–
Beyond the sunset, when day is done.

In that eternal dawning, there will be nothing to threaten or make us afraid ((2), cf. Rev. 21:4), and we’ll be reunited with all the faithful who have gone before us ((4); cf. I Thess. 4:16-17). Such truths are a great comfort to God’s people (vs. 18). It’s little wonder, therefore, that a monument erected to the Brocks and their long ministry is inscribed with the words, “Beyond the Sunset.”

Questions:

  1. Are you certain of where you’ll spend eternity? Because of the nature of this blog, I’m sure the majority who visit it are born again Christians. But if you are unsure of your standing before God, I encourage you to read this article again, and look up the many Scriptures referenced. Or check out the article God’s Plan of Salvation.
  2. What are some other images of death and the entry into eternity that are used in our hymns? (If you’re stuck, see the Cyber Hymnal’s topical listing here of nearly nine hundred hymns about heaven!)

Links:

After

Words: Napoleon Bonaparte (“Jack”) Vandall (b. Dec. 28, 1896; d. Aug. 24:1970)
Music: Napoleon Bonaparte Vandall

Note: This fine gospel song was published in 1934. The touching story behind it is told briefly in the Wordwise link below. A fuller account, in Jack Vandall’s own words, is found in Ken Osbeck’s book 101 More Hymn Stories (Kregel Publications, 1985). Phil Kerr, in his book Music in Evangelism (Zondervan Publishing House, 1962) tells us a little about the author’s early life.

Vandall’s mother, a dedicated Christian, died when he was a boy, and he had no other spiritual influence in his life. He became a cabaret entertainer, in the early years of the twentieth century, then served in the Marines in the First World War. After the war, he became a businessman in Akron, Ohio. In 1920, he was converted at a Methodist camp meeting. It was then that he entered Christian ministry.

(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 an important word: after. And, since God has made us eternal beings, there always is an “after.” For the believer, a common application of this truth is the realization that the trials and suffering of this present life do have an end. In this life, we have the presence and sustaining grace of the Lord, as He leads the way onward–after which He will call us to Himself, in the heavenly kingdom. As the psalmist puts it, “You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24).

That means that, for every Christian, “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). That truth brought special comfort to the hymn writer on a particular occasion. Vandall’s son Paul was run down by a car. In the hospital, severely injured, it looked as though he would not survive. When the grieving father knelt to pray, all he could do was cry out, “Oh, God!” But he says:

“It seemed to me that Jesus knelt by my side, and I could feel His arms around me as He said, ‘Never mind, My child. Your home will be visited with tribulation and sorrow, but in the afterwards to come, these things shall not be.’”

Jack Vandall

That comfort is not wishful thinking. In fact, the assurance of our own glorious resurrection is provided for by another “afterward.” In First Corinthians 15, the great resurrection chapter, we see God’s plan laid out: “Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Then the promise will be fulfilled:

“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Rev. 21:4

And we have this further assurance:

“Our light affliction, which is but for a moment [even though it is painful, and perhaps seems unending at the time], is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory….The things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

II Cor. 4:17-18

It was as he was comforted by such thoughts as these, even in his deep distress, that Jack Vandall went to the piano and wrote the words and music of a personal testimony to his faith that has since blessed many.

(1) After the toil and the heat of the day,
After my troubles are past,
After the sorrows are taken away,
I shall see Jesus at last.

He shall be waiting for me–
Jesus, so kind and true:
On His beautiful throne,
He will welcome me home,
After the day is through.

(2) After the heartaches and sighing shall cease,
After the cold winter’s blast,
After the conflict comes glorious peace–
I shall see Jesus at last.

Questions:

  1. Why is it we have such difficulty seeing beyond the trials of this life to the “afterwards”?
  2. Is there someone you can encourage this week with the message of this song?

Links:

O Thou in Whose Presence

Words: Joseph Swain (b. _____, 1761; d. Apr. 14, 1796)
Music: Beloved, also called Davis, by Freeman Lewis (b. Dec. 30, 1780; d. Sept. 18, 1859)

Note: Freeman Lewis was an American surveyor and school teacher. He also wrote a number of hymn tunes, and published a book called The Beauties of Harmony.

Joseph Swain was christened on May 22nd, 1761, so his birth likely took place shortly before that. Though he died at the age of thirty-five, he was an able servant of God for a number of years. He wrote several books, and published a number of hymns (see the list on the Cyber Hymnal, on the page for Joseph Swain).

Swain wrote nine eight-line stanzas for this hymn. Divided as most hymn books have them now, this would make eighteen four-line stanzas. The Cyber Hymnal contains eleven, but there is another lovely one that I’ll include, calling it (3b), because of its original placement.

Checking several hymnals, I see that the usual selection of stanzas includes: (1), (2), (3), (10) and (11)–with one older book adding (3b). (11) may not be from Swain’s pen, but was added to later editions along the way. It makes a fitting conclusion to a beautiful song.

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

The author called his hymn “A Description of Christ by His Graces and Power.” The verses contain many allusions to the Bible book The Song of Solomon, and I have mixed feelings about that.

The Old Testament “Song” song consists of romantic oriental poetry celebrating, the courtship and marriage of King Solomon to a beautiful young peasant woman. Though some of the imagery in the expressions of love between the two sound strange today (e.g. “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep”), I’m sure that many of our phrases would be equally strange to Solomon’s ears!

Over in the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and His church is likened to that between a bridegroom and his bride. In discussing the marriage relationship, the Apostle Paul wrote:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Eph. 5:25-27

Of those he won to Christ, Paul said: “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Cor. 11:2). And when the saints are gathered to the Lord, in the heavenly kingdom, we read of the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

This New Testament use of the husband-wife relationship has caused many to read this back into The Song of Solomon, making virtually everything about the king apply in some spiritualized sense to Christ, and what we are told about the Shulamite peasant girl to the Christian church. However, while the book may provide an interesting illustration of the latter, we must emphasize that it is a secondary application, not the actual interpretation of the text.

A failure to make this distinction may obscure some practical lessons on romance and marriage that God intends us to have. And a further problem is demonstrated by Swain’s hymn. Unless a congregation is familiar with the poetic imagery of Solomon’s song, and understands the literal and historical events the book describes, the application to Christ may be lost. This is one reason why some of Swain’s stanzas are either omitted or altered today. For example:

(4) Ye daughters of Zion declare, have ye seen
The star that on Israel shone?
Say, if in your tents my Belovèd has been,
And where, with His flocks, He is gone.

The “daughters of Jerusalem [Zion]” are referred to thirteen times in Solomon’s song (e.g. 5:16). They are the attendants preparing the young woman for her wedding–and likely form the chorus in the performance of this extended piece of music, which is almost like an opera. The young bride-to-be tells her attendants how she first met the king, but didn’t recognize him. Solomon was not in his kingly robes, but was out inspecting his flocks. She assumed that he was a shepherd, and when he departed from her she tried to find out where his flocks were feeding, so she could meet him again.

This is all well and good. But how many will understand (4) in those terms, and be able, as they sing the words, to apply them readily to Christ? Having said this, there is a warmth of devotion in this hymn, and the usual stanzas selected from the original are more easily understood.

(3) O, why should I wander an alien from Thee,
And cry in the desert for bread?
Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,
And smile at the tears I have shed.

(3b) Restore, my dear Saviour, the light of Thy face;
Thy soul-cheering comfort impart;
And let the sweet tokens of pardoning grace
Bring joy to my desolate heart.

Questions:

  1. What does the comparison of the husband-wife relationship teach us about the relationship of Christ and His church?
  2. What does your church do with hymns that have more obscure imagery? Simply avoid them? Or explain and use them?

Links:

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: William Howard Doane (b. Feb. 3, 1832; d. Dec. 23, 1915)

Note: There’s an interesting little incident connected with the writing of this song in 1868. You can find it on 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.)

This is a lovely hymn, but it’s usually misused or misapplied. I think the only time I’ve heard it sung is at funeral services. In the minds of most folks it apparently evokes a sentimental picture of the departed loved one being hugged by the Lord Jesus, as he or she is welcomed into heaven. We do know that, while on earth, Christ took infants and young children in His arms (Mk. 10:13-16). Perhaps that’s what has prompted the other idea for some.

But Fanny Crosby doesn’t have death and heaven in view. She’s talking about the loving care of the Saviour in the here and now. She revels in the fact that she’s wrapped ‘round with the loving arms of Jesus in a spiritual sense, even as she faces “only a few more trials, only a few more tears” (2), and she prays, “Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er” (3).

So, does the Lord Jesus Christ personally welcome home each saint by wrapping him or her in His arms? It’s possible, of course, but there’s no evidence that it’s more than a sentimental notion. The Bible teaches that the Son of God is normally seated at the Father’s right hand in glory (Heb. 1:3). But when Stephen was stoned to death, he saw the Lord “standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). It’s not difficult to imagine Him preparing to welcome the church’s first martyr home. More than that it’s difficult to say.

The family and friends of departed Christians don’t need to be mollified by fantasies. They can be uplifted and encouraged by the certitudes of Holy Scripture. And what was said of Israel is surely true of each individual saint today: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27).

We mustn’t lose the blessing of using this hymn as a reminder the Lord’s presence and tender care now. “Lo, I am with you always,” Jesus said, “even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:28). Fanny Crosby’s poetic imagery, though symbolic, expresses a reality that is comforting and reassuring. With the psalmist she would say, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). It would be worth explaining this hymn and using it in other circumstances.

Though it may be mediated by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the attentive ministrations of angels (Heb. 1:14), Christ’s care of the saints is no less real and no less effective. The One who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20), would surely not abandon me now. In fact, the book of Romans is quite insistent in answering the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” In Romans 8:35-39 we are made to understand that nothing can or will.

(1) Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’er-shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.

(3) Jesus, my heart’s dear refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.

Questions:

  1. Can you think of other hymns that seem to be used at funerals but not at other times–songs that could be a blessing in other circumstances?
  2. What are some aspects or elements of the Lord’s loving care for His own?

Links:

Royal Wedding Hymns

Good morning! I trust this is a day full of blessings for you. Please come back tomorrow, for new reflections.

13 years ago today, some of us watched a Royal Wedding, broadcast from London – the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Why not check out the background of three traditional hymns that were used during the opulent wedding ceremony? The last, Jerusalem, is not strictly a hymn, but is an inspirational British song.

God’s Word Abused

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What Are Some Things Not to Do with the Bible?

Temptation in the Garden

From the very beginning, Satan knew this was to be the foundation of everything–believing and obeying God. It’s not surprising, then, that we can discern a number of ways of mistreating the Word of God in the account of Satan’s attack on Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-13).

1) We must not doubt or slander it.

“Has God indeed said…?” the devil asked (3:1), when both he and Eve know full well God had! In effect, Satan seeks to ridicule God’s Word, in the process making Him seem unfair, and casting doubt on His goodness.

2) We must not add to it.

“Nor shall you touch it…” (3:3a)–which, as far as the record shows, God had not said (cf. 2:17). Eve has begun to take Satan’s side, representing the Lord as unfairly harsh.

3) We must not subtract from (or weaken) it.

“Lest you die (3:3b, lest perhaps, in case you might). But God had said “You shall surely die” (2:17). Eve weakens the impact of God’s holy Word, implying a possible inconsistency on His part.

4) We must not reject (deny) it.

“You will not surely die” (3:4). Satan builds on Eve’s growing uncertainty, now impugning God as a liar.

5) We must not disobey it.

“She took of its fruit and ate (3:6a). Eve replaced God’s standard with her own, in essence becoming her own god.

6) We must not tempt others to disobey it.

“She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (3:6b). The tempted becomes the tempter, urging the devil’s ways upon another. Eve, the first missionary!

7) We must not evade responsibility for disobeying it.

“The woman whom You gave me…she gave me of the fruit….The serpent deceived me…” (3:12-13). Denying responsibility for sin stands in the way of true repentance and reconciliation. It is one more thing not to do with the Bible.

Just When I Need Him Most

Words: William Charles Poole (b. Apr. 14, 1875; d. Dec. 24, 1949)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)

Note: William Poole was a pastor with the Methodist church in America. He also wrote quite a number of hymns, including this one in 1907. It was his very first attempt, and he sent the text to Charles Gabriel to fit it with a tune.

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

Being properly prepared for a particular experience, good or bad, is a great thing. But being human, and with our limited knowledge of what lies ahead, sometimes we aren’t. Take a simple example. Suppose you are walking through a park, and you see a cute little child playing with her dog. You pause for a moment to watch them, as the child laughs in delight, and you think, “Oh, if only I had my camera with me!”

In a more serious vein, the Bible reminds us, “You do not know what will happen tomorrow” (Jas. 4:14). Unexpected blessings and unanticipated trials may lie ahead. How can we be equipped to make use of the one, and cope with the other? For the Christian, the most basic answer is that the Lord is with us, every step of the way, and we can look to Him for what we need. He is “a very present help….The Lord of hosts [Commander of all the armies of heaven] is with us” (Ps. 46:1).

Annie Hawks gave us the hymn I Need Thee Every Hour, and I’m sure that expresses the thought of each of us, as we consider the future. And “He’s only a prayer away,” says another gospel song. “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him” (Ps. 145:18).

William Poole approaches the same subject, but in a slightly different way. The song is not complicated. It has a simple message, and it’s simply put. But it’s important. In the four stanzas of his song, Pastor Poole reassures us by looking at several aspects of his subject. First of all:

(1) Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

There are times when we’re anxious and afraid, times when we falter and stumble on the path of life. But the Lord is “ready to help [us], ready to cheer.” The fearful disciples could testify to that. They were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee. But the Lord Jesus came to them in the storm, walking on the sea [showing His power over it] and called to them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Good cheer. It’s a phrase that expresses courage, confidence, and comfort.

(2) reminds us that “Jesus is true,” meaning faithful to His promises. He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). We can count on that.

(2) Just when I need Him, Jesus is true,
Never forsaking all the way through;
Giving for burdens pleasures anew,
Just when I need Him most.

(3) reminds us of the power of God. He has the ability to lift our burdens, and give us a song of joy, even in trying circumstances. In Acts 16:25 we see missionaries Paul and Silas singing hymns of praise in a prison cell. And in the book of Philippians, written from prison, Paul has a lot to say about joy and rejoicing. There’s reference to it in every single chapter (Phil. 1:4, 18, 25, 26; 2:2, 16, 17, 18, 26; 3:1, 3; 4:1, 4).

In (4) the author sums up his message with “He [Christ] is my all.” He watches over me and He answers prayer when I call upon Him. As Hebrews tells us, Christ is our great High Priest in heaven. He sympathizes with us in our weakness and distress, and we can obtain mercy and grace for the asking (Heb. 4:14-16).

(4) Just when I need Him, He is my all,
Answering when upon Him I call;
Tenderly watching lest I should fall,
Just when I need Him most.

Questions:

  1. In what particular circumstance did you find the Lord a “very present help” in the past week?
  2. If you were adding a stanza to Pastor Poole’s hymn, what would its subject be? “Just when I need Him…” what?

Links:

Forth in Thy Name, O Lord

Words: Charles Wesley (b. Dec. 18, 1707; d. Mar. 29, 1788)
Music: Duke Street, by John C. Hatton (b. Sept. ___, 1710; d. Dec. ___, 1793)

Note: Originally called, “Before Work,” this is possibly the finest work-day hymn in the English language. It should be far better known and more often read and sung than it is.

The Cyber Hymnal (see link below) offers a variety of tunes suitable to the hymn. The tune Duke Street is also traditionally used with Isaac Watts’s hymn, Jesus Shall Reign. Though we have no precise date for his death the funeral service for John Hatton was held on December 13th, 1793. There is a report that he died of injuries suffered from being thrown from a stagecoach.

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

We may sometimes think of work as part of the curse–and once in a while it feels like it must be! When Adam and Eve sinned, God put a curse upon the ground that has brought toilsome labour ever since. The Lord said to Adam:

“Because you have heeded the voice of your wife [cf. 3:6], and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’ [2:17]: 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

The wearisome struggle to subdue nature and draw sustenance from it became an ongoing object lesson and reminder of the destructive effects of sin. However (and it’s an important “however”), this is not the point at which man’s work began. Before the fall, Adam was placed in Eden and commissioned by the Lord “to tend and keep it” (Gen. 2:15).

That shows us that work itself is not part of the curse, but only the weariness and frustration of it, the danger and discouragement of it. And notice what the Bible says of that future day when Almighty God creates a new heaven and a new earth for us, and the curse is no more.

“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.”

Rev. 22:3; cf. Rev. 21:1-3

Even after the curse is removed, God’s servants (the redeemed saints, along with the holy angels) “shall serve Him.” There will still be work to do, in the eternal kingdom. Work, in itself, is neither good nor bad. It is morally neutral. It is things like the before and after that colour it one way or another. It’s the intended purpose, the chosen means, and the outcome make it good or evil.

Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, was a carpenter (Matt. 13:55). It seems also that in His boyhood, the Lord Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was taught the carpenter’s trade (Mk. 6:3). Honest, wholesome and productive labour is surely sanctified by this. We are also told that the Apostle Paul used his craft and training as a tent maker to augment his income from time to time (Acts 18:1-3; cf. 20:34; II Thess. 3:8). And there are others in Scripture with a variety of occupations.

We have no trouble seeing pastoral work, or that of missionaries to be holy labour. Certainly it is. But the fact is that honest, wholesome, productive work of many different kinds is sanctified when we do it for the Lord. We are to “do good [that which is pleasing, honourable and beneficial] to all” (Gal. 6:10), and doing good and sharing are said to be sacrifices well-pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16). The exhortation of God’s Word given to bondservants serves as well for modern employees.

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Col. 3:23-24

Thus the lawyer and the cashier at the grocery store, the farmer and the teacher, the waitress in the diner, and the brain surgeon and the babysitter, can all do their work as an offering to the glory of God. It’s with a sense of these things that Wesley writes his hymn. And I encourage you go to the Cyber Hymnal link below and read the whole hymn.

(1) Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labour to pursue;
Thee, only Thee, resolved to know
In all I think or speak or do.

(2) The task Thy wisdom hath assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfil;
In all my works Thy presence find,
And prove Thy good and perfect will.

(4) Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes mine inmost substance see,
And labour on at Thy command,
And offer all my works to Thee.

Questions:

  1. What will you be doing today that you can offer to the Lord, for His glory?
  2. Explain, in terms of your own occupation, the insightful warnings of stanza three: “Preserve me from my calling’s snare, / And hide my simple heart above, / Above the thorns of choking care, / The gilded baits of worldly love.”

Links:

Moment by Moment

Words: Daniel Webster Whittle (b. Nov. 22, 1840; d. March 4, 1901)
Music: Whittle, by May Whittle Moody (b. March 20, 1870; Aug. 20, 1963)

Note: May Whittle Moody was Daniel Whittle’s daughter, who married William Moody, the son of evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Mrs. Moody composed the tunes for a number of her father’s later songs. As the first Wordwise link shows (see the bottom of this post), the inspiration for this song grew out of a criticism of another gospel song (a fine song, in its place).

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

Daniel Whittle was a unique servant of the Lord. A Civil War hero, who lost an arm in the Battle of Vicksburg, Major Whittle later became and effective evangelist and a hymn writer. Here, in his own words, is how he first met Dwight Moody a century and a half ago.

“A big meeting of some kind was being held in the Tabernacle, and with some help I was able to attend, although I was still weak from loss of blood and with my arm in a sling. I was called upon to speak, and as I got slowly to my feet, feeling shy and embarrassed and weak, a strong voice called out, ‘Give him three cheers, boys!’ And they were given with a will, for every heart was bursting with patriotism in those days, and the sight of a wounded soldier in a blue uniform stirred the blood. And how that kindly thought and ringing cheer stirred my blood! How grateful I was to them. And the one who called out, ‘Give him three cheers!’ was Dwight L. Moody.”

Daniel Whittle

Of the two dozen uses of the word “moment” in our English Bibles, most refer to the brevity of life, and the suddenness of God’s judgment (e.g. Exod. 33:5). But there are a couple of exceptions to this that are worth noting.

  • When the Lord speaks of the future restoration of the nation of Israel, He compares her to a fruitful vineyard that He waters “every moment” (Isa. 27:2-3). The Hebrew word for moment there is rega, meaning in the blink of an eye, there giving the idea of constantly.
  • When the New Testament refers to the coming resurrection, we are told it will happen “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (I Cor. 15:51-52). There, the Greek word for “moment” is atomos, signifying the tiniest possible instant of time.

Take these thoughts, and apply them to the refrain of Major Whittle’s song: “Moment by moment I’m kept in His love.” Constantly, even down to the tiniest fraction of time, moment by moment, God’s children are kept securely in His love. And nothing can separate us from it (Rom. 8:35-39). The Saviour intercedes for us on the throne (Heb. 7:25), and He is, as the KJV puts it, “touched with the feeling of our infirmities [He sympathizes with us in our weaknesses]” (Heb. 4:14-16).

(2) Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He doth not bear,
Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
Moment by moment, I’m under His care.

(3) Never a heartache, and never a groan,
Never a teardrop and never a moan;
Never a danger but there on the throne,
Moment by moment He thinks of His own.

Is that not a cheering message! What a wonderful Saviour we have!

A couple of final notes. Whittle uses the word “weal,” in (4), saying that the Lord is with us “in woe or in weal.” The latter word means happiness or well-being. So he’s saying that God is present and at work in our lives, in both the bad times and the good.

Second, the opening line of the hymn may be somewhat obscure. “Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine.” The Major means that when we put our faith in Christ, we are, in effect reckoning or counting His death to be our own. The reason we are no longer under God’s condemnation as Christians is that we paid the price for our sins in Christ, on Calvary.

There is actually a past, present, and future of our salvation alluded to in the first stanza.

In the past, we were reckoned to have died in Christ. (“I have been crucified with Christ,” says Paul, Gal. 2:20). In the present, the life of Christ is being revealed in us, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are “living with Jesus, a new life divine.” “Christ lives in me, “says Paul in Galatians 2:20. As to the future, we look forward to eternal glory with Christ, when He presents us to Himself, “a glorious church” (Eph. 5:27). We belong to Him, and He cares for us, every moment.

(1) Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Questions:

  1. What does the truth of this hymn mean to you today, in a practical sense?
  2. How might you be able to encourage someone, during the coming week, with the truths expressed in this hymn?

Link:

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