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Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Languid?

Words: John Mason Neale (b. Jan. 24, 1818; d. Aug. 6, 1886)
Music: Stephanos, by Henry William Baker (b. May 27, 1821; d. Feb. 12, 1877)

Note: This excellent seven stanza hymn of Mr. Neale’s was inspired by a Greek text of Stephen the Sabaite [SA-bay-ite] (A.D. 725-794), also known as Stephen of Mar Saba (a Greek Orthodox monastery overlooking the Kidron Valley, east of Bethlehem). He was placed in the monastery at the age of ten, and remained there until his death.

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

Neale was struck by Stephen’s phrase: “rest in Jesus,” and decided to expand upon it. The result is this beautiful song. (On the Cyber Hymnal page there is a touching story of how the message of the hymn, sung by “an angel in clogs,” cheered a sick and discouraged woman.) “Languid” means weak and lacking vitality. In some hymnals, editors have changed the opening line to “Are you weary, heavy laden.” The last line of the hymn has also been altered from the original: “Angels, martyrs, prophets, virgins” (see below).

Henry Baker’s tune uses the Greek form of Stephen for its name. In the New Testament, the Greek word stephanos refers to the garland placed on the head of a winner in the ancient Olympic Games (much as medals are awarded today). Usually translated “crowns,” these will also be given to believers by the Lord Jesus Christ, in recognition and reward for their victories in the Christian life. For example, Paul says, near the end of his life:

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown [stephanos] of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (II Tim. 4:8; cf. I Cor. 9:25; Jas. 1:12; I Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10).

There seem to be three categories of these heavenly rewards: the saint’s crowns, the servant’s crowns, and the sufferer’s crowns. For a more complete discussion of this subject, see the Bible study The Church in Glory. In the book of Revelation, “elders” (rewarded saints) are seated before the throne of God, wearing their crowns. As an act of worship, and in recognition that all the glory belongs to God alone for whatever they accomplished, they will cast their crowns at His feet (Rev. 4:4, 10).

Even this connection to the hymn’s theme of our Christian pilgrimage is appropriate. We are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). In fact, the hymn may call to mind John Bunyan’s classic allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress. John Neale’s question-and-answer structure offers a kind of dialogue between a pilgrim (P) who is uncertain of the path ahead, and a guide (G) who points the way.

The guide begins by asking the pilgrim, “Art thou weary, art thou languid, art thou sore distressed? ‘Come to Me,’ saith One [meaning the Lord Jesus, Matt. 11:28], “and coming, be at rest.” Then, the conversation continues:

[P] “Hath He marks to lead me to Him, if He be my Guide?
[G] In His feet and hands are wound-prints, and His side.

[P] If I find Him, if I follow, what His guerdon [reward] here?
[G] Many a sorrow, many a labour, many a tear.

[P] Hath He diadem, as monarch, that His brow adorns?
[G] Yes, a crown in very surety, but of thorns.

[P] If I still hold closely to Him, what hath He at last?
[G] Sorrow vanquished, labour ended, Jordan passed.

[P] If I ask Him to receive me, will He say me nay?
[G] Not till earth and not till heaven pass away.

[P] Finding, following, keeping, struggling, is He sure to bless?
[G] Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs, answer, “Yes!”

Questions:

  1. What is the most challenging or difficult thing about being a Christian pilgrim?
  2. What is the greatest blessing or aid given to the Christian pilgrim?

Links:

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

Words: Jeremiah Eames Rankin (b. Jan. 2, 1828; d. Nov. 28, 1904)
Music: William Gould Tomer (b. Oct. 5, 1833; d. Sept. 26, 1896)

Note: The Cyber Hymnal gives us eight stanzas for this hymn. In hymn books I have at hand, only four are used: (1), (2), (4), and (8). Some of the others are of inferior quality, or raise debatable doctrinal issues. One that could be added is (3):

God be with you till we meet again;
With the oil of joy anoint you;
Sacred ministries appoint you;
God be with you till we meet again.

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

God be with you is actually a contraction of “God be with ye” (godbwye, from 1573). It’s an expression we read (in slightly varying forms) about a dozen times in the Word of God. When Joshua was about to take up the reins of leadership, people from several of the tribes said to him, “Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses” (Josh. 1:17). From the lips of godly Boaz we have: “‘The LORD be with you!’ And they [his servants] answered him, ‘The LORD bless you!’” (Ruth 2:4).

And when Solomon prepared to build a temple for the Lord, David said to his son, “May the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD your God, as He has said to you” (I Chron. 22:11). And at the dedication of the temple, King Solomon said, “May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us” (I Kgs. 8:57).

When the Jews were about to return to Judah, after the seventy years of Babylonian Captivity, King Cyrus the Persian gave them permission to go with these words, “Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3)

And finally, as a closing benediction, Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, “May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (II Thess. 3:16).

(1) God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God is omnipresent, of course. But this is an earnest prayer that God would be actively present and relationally involved in the lives of His people. That they will know the blessing of His presence and intimate fellowship, as well as His evident power in their lives.

There is, however, a touch of wistfulness, as the expression is used in the hymn. It is, after all, a goodbye. The prayer is that God would be with the other person, or persons, “till we meet again.” That reunion may take place in a day, a week or a year. But there’s always the possibility that one or the other will die and depart this life. Then, there’ll be no opportunity to get together again in this world.

But for the Christian, that need not bring despair and despondency. No two Christians will ever part to meet no more. Our separation at death is only “till we meet at Jesus feet” (cf. I Thess. 4:14, 17). Meanwhile, we can pray for God’s guidance, protection and provision for each other. In that we can be confident and rest secure. Note: Rankin’s original line three, in (2), read: “Daily many still divide you,” perhaps thinking of the way the Lord divided the two fish to feed a multitude (Matt. 6:41).

(2) God be with you till we meet again;
‘Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.

(4) God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Questions:

  1. Do you use this hymn in your church? (If not, please consider it. It makes a wonderful benediction for a student going off to school, or a missionary heading off to some distant place.)
  2. If you know you have to part from someone for an extended period of time, what particular things would you pray for God to provide for them?

Links:

Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve

Words: Philip Doddridge (b. June 26, 1702; d. Oct. 26, 1751)
Music: Christmas, by George Frederick Handel (b. Feb. 23, 1685; d. Apr. 14, 1759)

Note: The hymn was published posthumously in 1755. Handel’s tune is arranged from a melody frequently used with the carol While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.

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

A few days after I post this blog, the Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin in England, and this is a hymn that makes use of the imagery of an athletic contest, applying it to the Christian life. The Apostle Paul did that too. The hymn was written by Pastor Philip Doddridge to be sung after his sermon on Philippians 3:12-14, where the Paul also has the ancient games in view. His sermon, and the hymn in its original printing, was entitled, “Pressing on in the Christian Race.” The text says:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

(1) Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,
And press with vigour on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
And an immortal crown.

Running a race requires that the athlete be forward looking. Time enough afterwards to analyze any mistakes. Looking back to see where he stumbled momentarily, or see how the competition is doing, will simply slow him down, and make stumbling more likely. In the Christian race it’s the same. Yes, there are times to take inventory and review what is past, but that can’t be our focus. The goal is up ahead, not back at the starting line.

Looking at the hymn, we can see that Philip Doddridge alluded to other Scriptures as well as the passage above. From this we can get some idea of how he dealt with the subject in his sermon. (2) is based upon Hebrews 12:1-2.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”

Hebrews 12:1-2

(2) A cloud of witnesses around
Hold thee in full survey;
Forget the steps already trod,
And onward urge thy way.

The “witnesses” in Hebrews are likely the Bible characters the writer speaks of in Chapter 11. Contrary to the hymn writer’s idea that the word “witness” is used in the sense of watching what takes place, they are likely meant to refer to saints who testify to us. As though in a courtroom setting, they rise up to bear testimony (by how they lived) to the value and importance of living by faith, trusting in the Lord day by day.

It is the Lord Himself who summons us to the race, and He is the One who will present the prize at the end, as (3) declares. And in a stanza not included in the Cyber Hymnal (at the time I’m writing this), the hymn looks forward to the glorious ending of the race in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blest Saviour, introduced by Thee,
Have I my race begun;
And, crowned with vict’ry at Thy feet,
I’ll lay my honours down.

Questions:

  1. What are some ways in which our life and service for Christ resembles an athletic contest?
  2. What are some differences?

Links:

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

Words: Horatius Bonar (b. Dec. 19, 1808; d. July 31, 1889)
Music: Vox Delecti, by John Bacchus Dykes (b. March 10, 1823; d. Jan. 22, 1876)

Note: It was the constant prayer of Horatius Bonar that he be used of God in His service. He put this earnest desire in verse:

Make use of me my God!
Let me not be forgot;
A broken vessel cast aside,
One whom thou needest not.

This prayer was abundantly answered in both his preaching and his writing, as well as his pastoral work, and his leadership in the evangelical church.

Dr. Bonar’s original title for the present hymn was “The Voice from Galilee.” Though it was published in 1846, it was written several years earlier, before 1843. So simple and clear is the text that no change has been made in it from when Bonar first jotted it down in his notebook. John Dykes’ tune was written especially for the hymn. His unique dramatic shift from a minor to a major key in the middle of the hymn highlights the before-and-after of coming to Jesus.

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

This beautiful hymn is based upon several Scripture texts. The overall theme was inspired by John 1:16, “Of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.” Or as the Amplified Bible has it: “Out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favour upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.”

The power of the hymn is derived in part from its personal pronouns–“I heard…I came…I found,” and so on. The gospel of grace is for the whole world (Isa. 53:6; Jn. 3:16; I Jn. 2:2), but it must be appropriated by the individual. The Red Sea opened before all the children of Israel by the power of Almighty God, but to be delivered from the hosts of Pharaoh each Israelite had to trust in the Lord’s provision and cross over to freedom (Exod. 14:21-22). Similarly, I’m not saved because I was raised in a Christian family, or attended a Christian church. I’m saved because “I came to Jesus,” and “I looked to Jesus” for myself, by His grace.

The first stanza echoes Christ’s loving invitation, “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28) and, in coming, the author finds rest.

(1) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.

In (2), we are taken to the Lord’s conversation with the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well. The water is used as a symbol of the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:14). The only thing that had kept the woman from receiving the life spoken of was her ignorance. “If you knew…you would have asked” (vs. 10).

(2) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.

Finally, Horatius Bonar draws upon John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’.” And later He said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (Jn. 12:46). “With You,” says David, “is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light” (Ps. 36:9).

(3) I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.

Questions:

  1. In what ways are the symbols of water and light so appropriate for the eternal life offered to us in Christ?
  2. What are some of the reasons sinners reject the offer “freely given” by Christ?

Links:

Faith of Our Fathers

Words: Frederick William Faber (b. June 28, 1814; d. Sept. 26, 1863)
Music: St. Catherine, by Henri Frederick Hemy (b. Nov. 12, 1818; d. June 10, 1888)

Note: Frederick Faber wrote this hymn around the time he converted to Catholicism. It’s clear from the original version of the hymn (see the Wordwise link below) that by “our fathers” he meant the persecuted Roman Catholics of generations before. However, the alteration of the third stanza has given the hymn a more universal application.

Writing in 1911, In The Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church, Charles Nutter and Wilbur Tillett make this sharp comment: “If the ‘faith of our fathers’ was Catholic, the faith of our forefathers was Protestant. In confirmation of this statement we appeal to the history of the church as given in the New Testament.”

The term “Protestant,” of course, goes back only as far as Martin Luther, not to the days of the apostles. It speaks of the German princes who “protested” the persecution of Luther by the church of Rome. However, Nutter and Tillett are correct in that the doctrines of Rome drifted away from those of the apostolic church in important particulars.

(1) Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious Word!

Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

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

Down the centuries of church history since Bible times, there have been many who exhibited steadfast and even heroic faith in God. Read the Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe (1517-1587) and you will see something of our Christian heritage. These are our “fathers” (and mothers) in the faith. As Christians, we follow in a long line of godly men and women who have shown us the way to stand courageously for the truth.

(2) Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free:
How sweet would be their children’s fate,
If they, like them, could die for Thee!

And such persecution is going on still. Though the secular media are slow to report it, today an estimated 100 million Christians, across the globe suffer arrest, interrogation, torture, imprisonment, and death. Many more face cruel discrimination, and alienation by family and friends. In countries such as: North Korea, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Iran, there’s almost no possibility of Christians openly worshiping God.

The Lord Jesus warned of this, early on:

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”

Jn. 15:19-20

The apostles experienced it (Acts 5:40), and wrote about it.

“They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name” (vs. 41). “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

Phil. 1:29

Rather than retaliating against such opposition, we’re to show enemies of the gospel the love of Christ (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:17-21). And there is a prophesied glorious future for those who are martyred for the cause of Christ: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them” (Rev. 14:13).

(4) Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach Thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.

Questions:

  1. Why are Christians persecuted for their faith in Christ and service for Him?
  2. Can you describe an experience where showing love to an enemy for Christ’s sake has had a positive effect?

Links:

Hiding in Thee

Words: William Orcutt Cushing (b. Dec. 31, 1823; d. Oct. 19, 1902)
Music: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)

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

In his great hymn Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady makes use of poetic imagery found a number of times in the Word of God, especially in Psalms: that of hiding for safety and security in a crevice in a great rock.

“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:2).

“He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved” (Ps. 62:2).

“Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress” (Ps. 71:3).

“The LORD has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge” (Ps. 94:22).

It’s a picture of the encircling protection given by the Lord that Mr. Cushing also takes up in this hymn.

(1) O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,”
I’m hiding in Thee.

The assurance of God’s protection and care was something Mr. Cushing knew about personally. He was raised as a Unitarian (a group that denies the deity of Christ), but eventually came to a fuller knowledge of the truth and served with the Methodists. In 1854 he married Miss Hena Proper. It was a loving relationship, and as time went by Hena greatly helped him in his pastoral and evangelistic work. However, a double tragedy was to follow.

Mrs. Cushing contracted a serious and debilitating illness, and her husband cared for her tenderly for years, until she died in 1870. Then, soon after her death, William Cushing was stricken with a kind of creeping paralysis that left him unable to speak. Pastor Cushing was dearly loved and successful in ministry, both in caring for the people and building the Sunday School. But for a preacher to no longer be able to preach is a serious–and especially painful–disability.

Unable to support himself, William Cushing later went to live with Pastor and Mrs. E. E. Curtis. Retiring from active ministerial duties, he prayed, “Lord, still give me something to do for Thee.” It was then the door opened for him to write gospel songs, and he gave us over 300 of them, a number of which are still in use. Songs such as:

  • Follow On
  • Hiding in Thee
  • Ring the Bells of Heaven
  • There’ll Be No Dark Valley
  • Under His Wings
  • When He Cometh

It’s clear that illness, or other trials need not be the end of service for the Lord. Sometimes they merely redirect us into a kind of ministry we didn’t expect, or seemed to have no time for before. Some have become great prayer warriors, others have given us fine poetry. Our hymnody is sprinkled with examples of this. (See Suffering Hymn Writers.)

(2) In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power;
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

Questions:

  1. Do you know of a believer whose trials God has used to redirect them into another kind of ministry for Him?
  2. What special lessons seem to have been learned by this person along the way?

Links:

O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth

Words: Samuel Medley (b. June 23, 1738; d. July 17, 1799)
Music: Ariel, b Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (b. Jan. 27, 1756; d. Dec. 5, 1791)

Note: A love for lengthy book titles in those long ago times is illustrated by the publication of Pastor Medley’s hymn in 1789, in a volume entitled Hymns: The Public Worship and Private Devotions of True Christians, Assisted in some Thoughts and Verse; Principally Drawn from Select Passages of the Word of God. The hymn tune is attributed to Mozart with little evidence for that, but we know it was arranged by Lowell Mason.

Currently, on the Cyber Hymnal, this hymn uses the first line of the original first stanza as a title–which makes it harder to find. Most hymn books now use only stanzas (2), (5), (6) and (8), and the first line of stanza two O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth, as the title. John Julian states the author appropriately entitled the hymn “Praise of Jesus.” Its original first stanza, no long used, says:

Not of terrestrial mortal themes,
Not of the world’s delusive dreams
My soul attempts to sing:
But of that theme divinely true,
Ever delightful, ever new,
My Jesus and my King.

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

Our wonderful Saviour is infinitely worthy of our praise, and Medley sees the “matchless worth,” and “glories…which…shine” in the Lord Jesus Christ (1). So precisely what is it that Medley considers worthy of his songs of thanksgiving and worship? Three things in particular come to his mind.

First, there is the blood-bought ransom Christ paid to deliver him from the “dreadful guilt” incurring God’s holy wrath (2). The wonder of the work of salvation is twofold, in that something is removed and something added. Not only are we forgiven, with our debt of sin paid (Eph. 1:7), but also we are credited with the “glorious righteousness” of Christ (II Cor. 5:21).

(2) I’d sing the precious blood He spilt,
My ransom from the dreadful guilt
Of sin and wrath divine!
I’d sing His glorious righteousness,
In which all-perfect, heavenly dress
My soul shall ever shine.

Second, there’s the holy character of Christ to celebrate. Several times the Bible asserts that He is totally without any taint of sin (e.g. Heb. 4:15; I Pet. 2:22-23). But even more than that, Christ is said to represent on earth, in human form, all the perfections of God’s character (Jn. 1:1, 14; 14:9; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3).

(3) I’d sing the characters He bears,
And all the forms of love He wears,
Exalted on His throne;
In loftiest songs of sweetest praise,
I would to everlasting days
Make all His glories known.

Finally, there’s the glorious prospect that one day believers will be ushered into the presence of Christ, and enjoy eternal fellowship with the Saviour (Lk. 23:42-43; Phil. 1:23).

Samuel Medley wrote some 230 hymns (also including Awake, My Soul, to Joyful Lays). For twenty-seven years, he served at pastor of a Baptist church in Liverpool, England. He died at the age of sixty-one, joyfully exclaiming on his deathbed:

“I am now a poor shattered bark, just about to gain the blissful harbour; and O how sweet will be the port after the storm! Dying is sweet work, sweet work. I am looking to my dear Jesus, my God, my Portion, my All in All. Glory! Glory! Home! Home!”

Samuel Medley

(4) Soon, the delightful day will come
When my dear Lord will bring me home,
And I shall see His face;
Then with my Saviour, Brother, Friend,
A blest eternity I’ll spend,
Triumphant in His grace.

Questions:

  1. If you were a poet or song writer, what are some of the glories of Christ you’d like to praise and celebrate?
  2. How do you know with certainty that these things are not simply “delusive dreams” (false and fantastic notions)?

Links:

Channels Only

Words: Mary E. Maxwell (details uncertain)
Music: Ada Rose Gibbs (b. Oct. 5, 1864; d. Apr. 16, 1905)

Note: Little is known of either the author of the words or the composer of the tune. The Wordwise link below will give you a guess as to the identity of Mary Maxwell. Though this hymn clearly has its roots in holiness teaching, it does convey some truths worth considering.

(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 a “channel”? In the physical realm, it’s a canal or a conduit. Most often we think of it as a something such as a river bed or a hose, along which water flows from one place to another. More broadly speaking, wires can be a channel through which electricity is delivered. In social interaction, an individual can be a channel of information from one person to another, or one group to another. This gets us closer to the use Mary Maxwell makes of the word.

In human affairs, individuals are appointed to fulfil responsibilities as messengers, envoys, ambassadors, mediators or intermediaries. These and other terms are used in the Scriptures. The term “apostle,” used eighty times in the New Testament means sent one (e.g. I Tim. 1:1), and the word “angel” means messenger (e.g. Lk. 2:10). All of these represent humans or spirit beings sent to represent another, and communicate between two parties.

A willingness to be commissioned to be a channel of God’s Word to others is seen in the person of Isaiah (Isa. 6:8), and the angel Gabriel (Lk. 1:19). Epaphroditus carried information back and forth between the Philippian church and the Apostle Paul. And truly of each believer it can be said, “We are ambassadors for Christ” (II Cor. 5:20; cf. Eph. 6:20).

(1) How I praise Thee, precious Saviour,
That Thy love laid hold of me;
Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That I might Thy channel be.

Channels only, blessèd Master,
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

As ambassadors for Christ, He and His message are of first importance. We are significant too of course, but if we seek to advance ourselves we will be less effective as channels. To go back to my earlier illustrations, the hose and the electric wire are significant, but they are only appreciated to the extent that they efficiently deliver water or electricity.

It is best if, as Christ’s ambassadors, we say with John, “He must increase, but [we] must decrease” (Jn. 3:30). In terms of the practical effect, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). Emptied of the distracting and hindering effects of self-promotion and the crippling effects of sin, a clean and open channel works the best.

(2) Just a channel full of blessing,
To the thirsty hearts around;
To tell out Thy full salvation
All Thy loving message sound.

(3) Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no power but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the things that tend to hinder us from being effective channels for the Lord?
  2. How does the role of an ambassador in diplomatic circles parallel a Christian ambassador? (And what are the differences?)

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I Will Sing the Wondrous Story

Words: Francis Harold Rowley (b. July 25, 1854; d. Feb. 14, 1952)
Music: Banneux, by Peter Philip Bilhorn (b. July 22, 1865; d. Dec. 13, 1936)

Note: When he wrote this fine gospel song, Francis Rowley was a Baptist pastor in Massachusetts in 1886. His original first line was “Can’t you sing the wondrous story?” But when Ira Sankey published it he altered that to the more positive statement we know now. Mr. Sankey apparently made other changes without the author’s knowledge. (In some instances I prefer Pastor Rowley’s original.) Here, for example is the author’s version of (2) and (3).

I was lost: but Jesus found me,
Found the sheep that went astray,
Raised me up and gently led me
Back into the narrow way.

Faint was I, and fears possessed me,
Bruised was I from many a fall;
Hope was gone, and shame distressed me:
But His love has pardoned all.

There is a story connected with the writing of Mr. Bilhorn’s tune as well. He was converted in a gospel meeting of Dr. Pentecost and musician George Stebbins, two of D. L. Moody’s associates. When Peter Bilhorn came to Brooklyn, Mr. Stebbins invited him to say in his home until he could find a place of his own. It was there he wrote his first gospel song melody–for I Will Sing the Wondrous Story. George Stebbins harmonized it for him, since Bilhorn hadn’t yet studied harmony.

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

Some form of the word sing is four 166 times in our English Bibles, with another 94 uses of the word song or songs (many of these in the book of Psalms). Here are the first and the last of these references:

“Then [after their deliverance at the Red Sea] Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: ‘I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!’” (Exod. 15:1).

“They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!’” (Rev. 15:3).

And if “the song of Moses” in Revelation refers to the earlier incident, it neatly ties together all 260 instances mentioned. Both Judaism (Ps. 104:33) and Christianity (I Cor. 14:15) are without question singing religions! And the most wonderful theme for our song is the great redemption wrought for us on the cross of Calvary (a redemption that can certainly be seen in type, in the crossing of the Red Sea). Not only will Christ and His saving work be the preeminent subject of our singing now, but on through the endless ages of eternity

(1) I will sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me.
How He left His home in glory
For the cross of Calvary.

Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story
Of the Christ who died for me,
Sing it with the saints in glory,
Gathered by the crystal sea.

Francis Rowley’s hymn clearly describes the sinner’s and the saint’s condition:

The sinner is: in (2), lost (Lk. 19:10), astray (I Pet. 2:25); in (3), spiritually bruised (Isa. 1:5-6), and without strength (Rom. 5:6), blind (Eph. 4:18) and full of fear (Heb. 2:15; 10:31).

The saint: has “days of darkness” and sorrow, but he rejoices in the comforting presence of the Saviour, and His daily guidance (4). Further, He rests in the keeping power of the Lord, and in the confidence that he will safely reach his heavenly home (5).

(5) He will keep me till the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where the loved ones I shall meet.

Questions:

  1. Eighteen times the psalmist says, “I will sing” (cf. Ps. 92). Beyond what is mentioned above, what do believers have to sing about?
  2. How does this compare with the songs of the godless world (i.e. what do they so often sing about)?

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Open My Eyes That I May See

Words: Clara H. Fiske Scott (b. Dec. 3, 1831; d. June 21, 1897)
Music: Clara H. Fiske Scott

Note: This hymn was first published in 1895, two years before Mrs. Scott’s death at the age of sixty-six.

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

During the years of His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus healed the blind (e.g. Matt. 20:29-34), caused the deaf to hear, and the mute to speak (e.g. Mk. 7:31-37). When John the Baptist, then in prison, asked whether Jesus was indeed Israel’s promised Messiah, the Lord’s response was:

“Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

Lk. 7:22

The miracles of Christ were His credentials, affirming His identity and authenticating His message (Acts 2:22), and these things were in keeping with the prophetic picture of what the Messiah would do, when He came to set up His earthly kingdom (Isa. 35:5-6).

But we know that there are spiritual parallels to these physical maladies. There is spiritual blindness (II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 4:18), and deafness (Ezek. 12:2; II Tim. 4:4), and difficulty speaking. (Perhaps the latter may refer to the fear of man (Prov. 29:25) that keeps us silent, when we have an opportunity to witness for the Lord.)

And just as the Lord was able to heal the physical disabilities, so He can, by His Spirit, restore our spiritual sight, hearing and speech. That is Clara Scott’s prayer, like that of the psalmist who asked the Lord, “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law” (Ps. 119:18).

(1) Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

The refrain speaks of keeping silent before God, of a hushed and expectant waiting on Him, which is appropriate. But other times our silence can be a spiritual problem in at least a couple of ways.

  1. If there is sin in our lives that remains unconfessed, it can disrupt our fellowship with the Lord, rob us of peace and joy, and hinder our ministry (Ps. 32:3; Prov. 28:13). And sin, in turn can dull our spiritual sensitivity, keeping us from seeing and hearing God’s truth (Jer 5:21). Sin needs to be confessed (I Jn. 1:9).
  2. It’s sad when we fail to share the good news, when the Lord gives us an opportunity. We need a passion and a heart-felt desire to speak a word for Christ. As Paul puts it, “Necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Cor. 9:16; cf. II Kgs. 7:9).

“Be ready to give a defence [an answer] to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”

I Pet. 3:15

(3) Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.

Questions:

  1. What is the remedy (or what are the remedies) for those who are not seeing or hearing God’s truth with their spirits?
  2. In contrast to the above, are there situations when it is wisest to remain silent, and not say what we might want to say? (Give an example.)

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