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Showers of Blessing

Words: Daniel Webster Whittle (b. Nov. 22, 1840; d. March 4, 1901)
Music: James McGranahan (b. July 4, 1840; July 9, 1907)

Note: This song is sometimes given the longer title There Shall Be Showers of Blessing. For some reason, many hymn books fail to include the fifth stanza of the song. It is significant, as it makes a practical and personal application. You might consider including it in the church bulletin, if your hymnal doesn’t have it. Or putting it up on a screen for all to see, when the time comes to sing the song.

The partnership of “Major” Whittle (his rank in the Civil War) and James McGranahan was a rich and productive one for eleven years. But it began at a scene of terrible tragedy. When hymn writer Philip Bliss and his wife were killed in a train accident in 1876, Mr. McGranahan hurried to the scene. There he met Daniel Whittle, the evangelist with whom Bliss had been working. Beside the wreck, the two men formed a friendship that was to be fruitful in evangelistic ministry and the creation of gospel music later. Among many other songs, this team gave us:

  • Beloved, Now Are We the Sons of God
  • Christ Liveth in Me
  • I Know Whom I Have Believed
  • Showers of Blessing
  • The Banner of the Cross
  • The Crowning Day Is Coming

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

The actual phrase, “showers of blessing,” occurs only once in the Scriptures, in Ezekiel 34:26. There it describes the time of millennial blessing in store for the nation of Israel, under the coming reign of their Messiah King. However, the words also provide an apt description of the times of spiritual blessing poured out from the Lord upon the body of Christ, or upon individual Christians.

(1) There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Saviour above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead.

Words such as revive and revival are found a number of times in the Bible. Often they refer to a physical revival, the restoration of physical life (cf. I Kgs. 17:22). But there can also be a spiritual reviving, a restoration of spiritual vitality and fruitfulness in the people of God. Though some use the term almost as a synonym for a person’s soul salvation, it does not refer to that. The one who is dead in sins needs the new birth, not revival. Spiritual revival is needed by believers who have grown cold, or who have backslidden and need to repent and return to the Lord.

Some teach that if we simply pray hard enough, the Lord will bring widespread revival to Christendom. But that teaching isn’t found in the Bible–certainly not on this side of the cross. Widespread revival does happen occasionally, and the prayers of God’s people are certainly involved. But many times God’s people pray earnestly for revival fires and they don’t come. Revival seems to be a sovereign work of God that cannot be programmed for or prayed down.

What we can and should do is be sensitive when there’s a need for personal and individual revival in our own hearts, and call upon the Lord to restore our own souls. As the concluding stanza of the gospel song indicates, this can only happen as we confess our sins and return to a path of consistent faith and obedience toward God.

When we are revived according to the Word of God (Ps. 119:25), and brought back to following the ways of God (vs. 37, 40), the effects of this can spread, and others will be drawn closer to the Lord. This kind of personal revival is what Daniel Whittle’s song focuses on particularly.

Thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones”.

Isa. 57:15

(3) There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come, and now honour Thy Word.

(5) There shall be showers of blessing,
If we but trust and obey;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
If we let God have His way.

Questions:

  1. What are the indications in an individual’s life that revival is needed?
  2. How does individual revival sometimes affect others around?

Links:

Faith Is the Victory

Words: John Henry Yates (b. Nov. 21, 1837; d. Sept. 5, 1900)
Music: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)

Note: John Yates worked his way through several careers over the years– he was shoe salesman, a newspaper editor, and hardware store manager, until becoming a pastor in 1886. It was after this that he met Ira Sankey, D. L. Moody’s song leader. Sankey was in Buffalo, New York, at the time, and Yates came over from Batavia to see him.

In his book, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymns, Mr. Sankey says, “I urged him to spend more of his time writing gospel hymns.” Yates later sent the musician several song-poems he’d written, and this is one of them. Sankey, a Civil War veteran, captured the mood of the song well with a tune that seems to mimic the galloping hooves of a troop of soldiers.

(1) Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world.

There is an interesting fact concerning that book of Ira Sankey’s. It’s a volume giving us an enlightening look at many of the nineteenth-century writers of sacred music, and the background of their songs. But it almost failed to get published!

The original manuscript was destroyed in a fire. By this time (around 1905) Sankey was an elderly man, weak in body, and blind. But he dictated the entire book from memory to a secretary. Very few historical errors have been discovered in the end result. It was a truly amazing feat.

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

The Bible text from which the theme for Faith is the Victory is drawn is First John 5:4–“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith (ESV). Everyone who is a born again believer is, by definition, an “overcomer” (Rom. 8:37; I Cor. 15:57). And we are able to break free from the sinful values and lifestyle characteristic of the unbelieving world by reliance on the power of the indwelling Spirit of God.

Pastor Yates alludes to a number of other Scriptures in his song, especially the teaching of Ephesians on the Christian soldier’s spiritual armour (Eph. 6:10-17). We have “our sword the Word of God” (2), “salvation’s helmet on each head,” and “with truth all girt about” (3). By this means, believers are protected and equipped to face Satan, the enemy of our souls. For a full explanation of the armour, see Christian Armour: God’s Protection for the Saints.

Many hymns and gospel songs have been written on the subject of spiritual warfare. (The Cyber Hymnal lists 293 of them!) Here is a small sampling:

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
Fight the Good Fight
Hold the Fort
Onward, Christian Soldiers
Soldiers of Christ, Arise
Sound the Battle Cry
Stand Up for Jesus
The Banner of the Cross
The Fight Is On
Victory Through Grace
Who Is on the Lord’s Side?

One day, the Lord Jesus Christ will come again, and the warfare against the devil and his hosts will end forever. Until then, we need to be ready to serve as loyal soldiers in the army of the Lord (II Tim. 2:3-4).

(4) To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Questions:

  1. For you personally, what are the most stirring and encouraging hymns on spiritual warfare?
  2. What are some of the reasons why Christians sometimes suffer defeat at the hands of the enemy?

Links:

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Words: Julia Harriette Johnson (b. Jan. 21, 1849; d. March 6, 1919)
Music: Daniel Brink Towner (b. Apr. 5, 1850; d. Oct. 3, 1919)

Note: Julia Johnson’s father was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, in Peoria, Illinois. She served as superintendent of the Sunday School there for over forty years. Not only did she write about 500 hymns, she also wrote lesson material for Primary age children (ages 6 to 8) for the David C. Cook Publishing Company.

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

One of the most thrilling subjects in the Scriptures–especially in the New Testament–is the grace of God. There was certainly grace bestowed before the coming of Christ, otherwise no one could be forgiven and saved before then. But the coming of the Saviour unleashed a flood tide of grace (Jn. 1:16).

(1) Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

(2) Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

We learn about God’s wonderful grace in His Word, which is itself “the word of His grace” (Acts 20:32). Terms such as grace and gracious are found about 175 times, especially in the epistles. There we learn that:

  • It was grace, God’s unearned, unmerited favour, that brought the Lord Jesus to this earth to die for our sins (II Cor. 8:9).
  • Through faith in our Saviour, we are justified (pronounced righteous) by the grace of God (Rom. 3:24; Tit. 3:7; cf. Eph. 2:8-9).
  • From Him we have “the grace of life” (I Pet. 3:7).

(3) Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

  • He is “the God of all grace” (I Pet. 5:10), so what we receive is “the grace of God” (vs. 12), and He grants it to the humble–those who realize their deep need (I Pet. 5:5).
  • God’s grace is exceedingly rich (Eph. 1:7; 2:7), and abundant (Rom. 5:20; II Cor. 9:8). It is also “manifold,” meaning varied, and many-sided (I Pet. 4:10).
  • He is ready and willing to give us more grace for the asking. We come to His throne of grace in prayer and He bestows a sufficiency of grace (II Cor. 12:9; Heb. 4:16; Jas. 4:6).
  • We are to continue to “grow in grace” (II Pet. 3:18).

Years ago, when I was teaching at a Bible college, we had an instructor on staff, Phil Powers, who emphasized and reemphasized the grace of God with his students. When the time came for graduation, one of the young men received his diploma from Dr. Powers, then raised his hand to heaven with a smile, and shouted “Grace!” He is now serving the Lord as a pastor in Idaho.

Grace is a subject we need to study about, preach and teach about, talk about, witness about, sing about, and pray about far more than we do. It’s what makes the Christian faith utterly distinct from all the false and man-made religions.

Questions:

  1. Explain what is meant by the last statement. Why is this the case?
  2. What about making a list of some great hymns about the grace of God, if needs be teaching them to your congregation, and singing them often?

Links:
Wordwise Hymns
The Cyber Hymnal

More Holiness Give Me

Words: Philip Paul Bliss (b. July 9, 1838; d. Dec. 29, 1876)
Music: Philip Paul Bliss

Note: Philip Bliss was a great and godly man, and one of the most significant writers of gospel songs in the nineteenth century. (Something of the spirit of the man can be discerned from Sankey’s comments, quoted in the Cyber Hymnal link below.) Bliss was also a marvellous singer and an evangelist, as well as being recognized for his musical talent.

For one appearance as conductor of the Handel and Haydn Society of San Francisco he was offered the incredible sum at that time of $3,000. He turned it down, preferring to trust the Lord to meet his needs in his humble service. His output would no doubt have been greater had it not been for his untimely death at the age of thirty-eight. You can read of the accident that killed him and his wife in the Wordwise link.

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

The original title for this wonderful (and convicting!) hymn was “My Prayer.” Most publishers now use the opening phrase as a title. As an alternative to Bliss’s own tune, you could try Longstaff, which is traditionally used with Take Time to Be Holy.

Two dozen times this prayer hymn asks the Lord for “more.” And each one identifies an important aspect of Christian living, and an area where growth and development is needed. There is no shallow “churchianity” here. No “rice Christians,” all snap, crackle and pop, without real substance. This is a summons to a deeper spiritual life, one that the author craved for himself.

(1) More holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Saviour, more sense of His care.
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

The inner “strivings” spoken of by the author would seem to refer to the concerted effort to root out anything in the heart that hinders the work of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews speaks of “striving against sin” (Heb. 12:4; cf. Acts 24:16). The Bible also speaks of striving in prayer, and it service for Christ (Rom. 15:30; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:29). Several Greek words are translated this way in the New King James Version. One is the word agonizomai from which we get the word agonize. We are to labour strenuously and fervently in these things.

(2) More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.
More zeal for His glory, more hope in His Word.
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

Philip Bliss’s original second line in this stanza read, “More pride in His glory.” It seems as though modern editors have been uncomfortable with the word pride being used in a positive sense. “Zeal” is fine as an alternative, but “pride” is not necessarily bad. We need to consider who is proud, and why.

In the Bible we have an example of another negative word also being used in a positive sense. The Hebrew word halal means to boast, and it is used in the condemnation of the arrogance of the wicked (Ps. 5:5; 10:3). But combined with the Hebrew Yah (a shortened version of Jehovah) it means something different. The word hallelujah (or alleluia) means to boast in the Lord, or praise the Lord.

Similarly, the Hebrew word for pride (gaah) is used in the praise of God, when the Israel’s spoke of His victory at the Red Sea. “I will sing unto the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously [proudly]” (Exod. 15:1). In that case, pride was a valid thing.

(3) More purity give me, more strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains, more longings for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more useful I’d be,
More blessèd and holy, more, Saviour, like Thee.

The last phrase sums up everything before it. What the song is speaking of is different aspects of Christ-likeness. To hunger after this kind of character and attitude of heart is to seek to be more like the Lord Jesus. May that be our goal, by the grace of God.

This hymn should be sung often by our congregations–and its terms explained. It is also a wonderful guide to times of personal devotions. The questions below are intended for that purpose.

Questions:

  1. Where can you find the qualities listed dealt with in the Scriptures?
  2. What are the opposites of each quality?
  3. If you were to select one or two of the qualities mentioned in the hymn to work on in your own life right now, what would they be?

Links:

Under His Wings

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

Note: At the present time, I have no other specific post on this gospel song. The Wordwise link below will give you a bit about the author. Ira Sankey, who wrote the tune, says it was one of his later creations.

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

What would you do if you were a concert pianist and suddenly lost the use of your fingers? That happened to Annie Johnson Flint. Or what would you do if you were a pastor, and a preacher of the gospel, and suddenly lost your voice–permanently? That happened to William Cushing. What would your attitude be toward life? Toward God?

Pastor Cushing cried out to the Lord, in his deep distress. The Lord answered prayer, but not likely in the way he expected. He still had the condition that prevented him from speaking, but God opened the door to a whole new ministry that extended his influence for Christ. With it, he could reach not just hundreds or thousands of people, but millions! He found he had the ability to write hymns, and he eventually wrote more than 300 of them.

He was not even fifty years old when his disability began. About twenty-five years later, he wrote Under His Wings, based on the words of Psalm 17:8, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.” Many passages speak of the wings of the Almighty. Of course, the Almighty is a spirit Being (Jn. 4:24). As such, He doesn’t have literal wings. It’s poetic imagery, used to represent some aspect of God’s care.

(1) Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Things such as the Lord’s support (Exod. 19:2), His healing power (Mal. 4:2), and even His judgment (Jer. 49:22) are portrayed in this way. But by far the most common use of the symbol is to picture God’s protection and loving care. Jesus used it that way (Matt. 23:37). And this use of the wings of God is found over and over in the Psalms. In addition to Psalm 17:8, we have:

  • “How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings” (Ps. 36:7).
  • “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by” (Ps. 57:1).
  • “I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah [Think of that!]” (Ps. 61:4).
  • “Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice” (Ps. 63:7).
  • “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge” (Ps. 91:4).

What a wonderful assurance we have when we put our trust in God. The Lord will always care for His own, not allowing anything to touch our lives that will not ultimately be for our blessing and His glory (Rom. 8:28).

(3) Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

Questions:

  1. The Bible is quite clear that even children of God, living by faith, can go through times of trial. What is the use, then, of trusting God, if these things are going to happen anyway?
  2. Have you had some recent experience in which you sensed the sheltering wings of God?

Links:

Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Words: Dorothy Ann Thrupp (b. June 20, 1779; d. Dec. 14, 1847)
Music: Bradbury, by William Batchelder Bradbury (b. Oct. 6, 1816; d. Jan. 7, 1868)

Note: As indicated at the WordWise link below, there is some question about whether Dorothy Thrupp is the author of the text. John Julian even offers Henry Lyte (who wrote Abide with Me) as an alternative. I’m content that the likely source is Miss Thrupp, but if further information is discovered I’ll be glad to consider it.

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

In my younger years, I remember this hymn was used in our church when there was a baby dedication ceremony. But it seems to me it was rarely sung otherwise. That’s unfortunate. Simple though it is, it contains both divine promise and personal prayer, both assurance and appeal.

(1). Believers belong to the Shepherd (Christ), who has bought us with His own shed blood (I Cor. 6:19-20; I Pet. 1:18-19). We look to Him for protective care and nurture (Ps. 23:1-3). The preparation of a fold may refer to Christ’s teaching about Himself as both the Shepherd and the door of the fold where His sheep are kept (Jn. 10:1-18), or perhaps to His preparation of our heavenly home (Jn. 14:1-3).

(1) Saviour, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

(2) is an extended prayer. Because we belong to the Lord, we seek His companionship, and His protection. Human beings are appropriately compared to sheep many times in the Word of God. In particular, Dorothy Thrupp has in mind our tendency to stumble into sin, and to go astray. We are so prone to wander away from the right path, and from the Shepherd of our souls (Isa. 53:6; Lk. 15:3-7).

(3) assures us of the forgiving heart of God, “poor and sinful though we be.” He is merciful to those who seek Him, with “grace to cleanse, and power to free” (Eph. 1:7; I Jn. 1:9). The author pledges, “Early will we turn to Thee.” This, of course, has its application to children, and the hope that early in life they’ll put their faith in the Saviour. But it could also apply to us as adults, when we seem to lose our way. In that sense, it’s a pledge that we’ll keep short accounts with God, as the saying goes. When we sin, we’ll deal with it as quickly as possible.

(4) again seems to have its first appeal to the children for whom Dorothy Thrupp so often wrote. We do a great disservice to children if we assume they cannot understand the gospel. For myself, I trusted Christ as my Saviour on August 14th, 1948, when I was seven years old. My own mother prayed with me, and I certainly grasped my basic need for God’s salvation, and the reason for that need. Christ was from that day forward, my “only Saviour,” my only hope of heaven. And I pray with the hymn writer that I will grow in my devotion to Him, and in my diligence in His service. My prayer for myself, and you is:

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell [settle down and be at home in] in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height–to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Eph. 3:16-19

(4) Early let us seek Thy favour,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessèd Lord and only Saviour,
With Thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus!
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Questions:

  1. What is the most important aspect of the Shepherd’s care to you, personally?
  2. Why are those who have come to know and love the Shepherd still so prone to stray from Him?

Links:

Moments of Prayer

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: This lesser-known song of Fanny Crosby’s sometimes uses the opening phrase as the title, Here from the World We Turn. If you don’t know the tune, you can substitute Bethany (traditionally used with Nearer, My God, to Thee) for Doane’s melody. In the Wordwise link, there’s an amusing story about its use by the quartet trained by my father, Edward Cottrill.

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

This song was apparently written to accompany “moments of prayer” at the beginning of a gospel meeting, or revival meeting. Of course it’s to be hoped the congregants weren’t ignoring the Lord before this and living worldly lives. But there is, even in a godly life, a sense that there are times when we need to turn from the daily routine and pressures of life, to meet with the Lord in a special and more focused way.

Even the Lord Jesus, our perfect Example, needed to do that. Admired and followed and flocked by crowds of people who saw Him as a great Wonder Worker, He frequently broke away to engage in times of solitary prayer with His heavenly Father.

“The report [of Christ’s healing of a leper] went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Lk. 5:15-16; cf. Matt. 14:23; Lk. 6:12; Mk. 1:35-39; Jn. 16:15).

(1) Here from the world we turn, Jesus to seek;
Here may His loving voice tenderly speak!
Jesus, our dearest Friend, while at Thy feet we bend,
O let Thy smile descend! ’Tis Thee we seek.

There is, in these times apart with the Lord, an opportunity to assess and refocus our priorities, as well as the opportunity to seek grace and mercy at the throne of God (Heb. 4:15-16).

Whether or not the Lord moves sovereignly, and in a special way, in a church or a community, bringing widespread revival, we each need a fresh and revitalizing touch from the Lord. As Philips paraphrase has it, the world is constantly trying to “squeeze [us] into its own mould” (Rom. 12:2). The prophet Hosea’s call for revival in Israel echoes down the years:

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

Hos. 10:12

(2) Come, holy Comforter, Presence divine,
Now in our longing hearts graciously shine;
O for Thy mighty power! O for a blessèd shower,
Filling this hallowed hour with joy divine!

Fanny’s concluding stanza may reflect a common view that “Revival Meetings” are for evangelizing the lost. But one cannot be revived and renewed unless there is spiritual life there to begin with. The call to revival is best suited to backslidden believers. Those who are “dead in sin” are, according to Ephesians, “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:1-3). They need salvation, not revival. However, it’s true that even in gatherings of God’s people, there may be non-Christians present. An appeal can therefore be made to both.

(3) Saviour, Thy work revive; here may we see
Those who are dead in sin quickened by Thee;
Come to our hearts tonight, make every burden light;
Cheer Thou our waiting sight; we long for Thee.

Questions:

  1. What part can our heritage of hymns and gospel songs play in refocusing our thoughts on Sunday mornings?
  2. What are the essential keys of being in the world but not of the world?

Links:

Fairest Lord Jesus

Words: From a 1662 German manuscript (author unknown)
Music: Crusader’s Hymn, a German folk melody

Note: The German words (Schonster Herr Jesu) were translated into English by Joseph August Seiss (1823-1904) and by others. The song has traditionally been used as a Christmas hymn, though there’s nothing specifically about the birth of Christ in it.

As to the tune, the tradition that German knights sang it on their way to Jerusalem on a crusade is not the origin of the name. Harvesters in Germany were heard singing the tune in the early 1800s, and composer Franz Liszt used it as part of “The Crusader’s March,” in his oratorio, The Legend of St. Elizabeth. That is what gave the melody a name. It was later arranged as a hymn tune by Richard Storrs Willis (1819-1900), who also composed the tune for the carol It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.

(1) Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honour,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

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

The words “fairest” and “fair,” (yapheh in Hebrew) are found many times in the Old Testament. Signifying either beautiful or handsome, they are used of both men and women, and of the city of Jerusalem (Ps. 48:2), and employed often in the Song of Solomon to describe the king’s bride. One of the descriptions there could be applied in an absolute sense to the Lord Jesus as well. The bridegroom says of his beloved:

You are all fair…there is no spot in you

Song of Solomon 4:17

Christ’s is, however, a beauty of holy character, not of physical appearance (“no spot,” I Pet. 1:17-18). As Isaiah prophesied of His coming, “He has no form or comeliness [majesty]; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isa. 53:2). Paintings with a glowing halo around the head of Jesus are not in keeping with reality. His glory was veiled from human sight in those days (except for His brief revelation of it on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matt. 17:1-2).

Radiating from His inner Person was “the beauty of holiness” (Ps. 29:2) in all its perfection. In addition to His divine character, what impressed others was not the handsomeness of His Person, but the power and authority demonstrated in His words (Matt. 7:29) and works (Jn. 3:2), during His time on earth.

There was a dramatic difference in how He spoke. While others taught “As rabbi so-and-so says…” Christ was able to speak as the Source of truth, “I say to you…” (e.g. Matt. 5:20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 44). And in His works He repeatedly demonstrated the power of God (Jn. 5:36; Acts 2:22; 10:38).

Stanza (4) is not found in all hymn books, but I love it especially, as it voices a personal testimony.

(4) All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Saviour, art to me.

(5) Beautiful Saviour! Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.

Questions:

  1. Often the world’s definition of beauty is warped or limited. What definition would you use that would fit the Lord Jesus?
  2. What is the most beautiful thing about Christ to you personally?

Links:

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

Words: Vernon John Charlesworth (b. Apr. 28, 1839; d. Jan. 5, 1915)
Music: Ira David Sankey (b. Aug. 28, 1840; d. Aug. 13, 1908)

Note: The Wordwise links at the bottom of this article tell what is known of Vernon Charlesworth, and give more information on Ira Sankey. The Cyber Hymnal link gives you pictures of both men. Mr. Charlesworth wrote the original text around 1880. Five years later, Ira Sankey says he saw it printed in a small London paper called The Postman. It was being sung by the fishermen on the north coast of England, to what Sankey called “a weird minor tune.” He wrote the more singable melody, and likely added the refrain himself.

(1) The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.

Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
Oh, Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
A shelter in the time of storm.

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

The twin images of a storm, and a sheltering rock, are used frequently in Scripture to depict the trials and troubles of the believer’s life, and the protecting care of the Lord. It’s not surprising that many of these appear in the book of Psalms, which is a book representing the devotional life of the saints–and it was also the hymn book of Israel, and the early church.

“Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication….I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest” (Ps. 55:1, 8). “The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid” (Ps. 18:4). “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them” (Ps. 89:9). “You…still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples” (Ps. 65:7). “He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven” (Ps. 107:29-30).

“To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock” (Ps. 28:1). “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….In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Ps. 62:2, 7). “The LORD has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge” (Ps. 94:22).

We should further note that the Lord Jesus Christ is described as a rock, and as the foundation and chief cornerstone of the church (Eph. 2:19-20; I Pet. 2:6-7). “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11). The Apostle Paul also says that He is the same One who aided Israel in the wilderness: “That Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:4). Whenever we find ourselves tossed about by the storms of life, it is a wonderful comfort to know that the Lord of the storm is with us (cf. Matt. 8:23-27).

(4) O Rock divine, O Refuge dear,
A shelter in the time of storm;
Be Thou our helper ever near,
A Shelter in the time of storm.

Questions:

  1. What are some of the “storms” we commonly face in our lives, physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, financial, and so on?
  2. What kind of storms are you facing in your life today? Take a look once more at the Scriptures quoted above, and make them your own prayer to the Lord?

Links:

We’re Marching to Zion

Words: Isaac Watts (b. July 17, 1674; d. Nov. 25, 1748)
Music: Marching to Zion, by Robert Lowry (b. March 12, 1826; d. Nov. 25, 1899)

Note: Watts’ original hymn had ten stanzas, of which four are usually used in modern hymnals ((1), (3), (9) and (10)). Watts had “But favourites of the heavenly King,” in stanza 3. More usually today it’s written as “But children of the heavenly King.”

There are two distinctly different versions of this hymn–sometimes put side by side in hymnals. One uses a tune written by James Mountain, and includes a refrain, as below. The common tune for the other is St. Thomas (also called Williams) by Aaron Williams (1731-1776), which has no refrain. I’ve made use of both over the years. At the Wordwise link below, you can hear an example of the haunting Sacred Harp shaped note singing of this hymn (to yet another tune).

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

Twice in this hymn (in stanzas (2) and (6), omitted today) Watts uses the word “pleasures.” From (2) we have:

Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.

Perhaps that shocked the Puritans of his time, who often thought of their religion as necessarily austere and sober. (Another author speaks of “the grimness of much eighteenth-century nonconformist piety.”) But delight in the Lord fitted Watts’s own understanding of the Scriptures. He saw the Christian walk as one of joy and rejoicing, by the grace of God. His original title for the song was, “Heavenly Joy on Earth.”

In his book, An Annotated Anthology of Hymns, J. R. Watson makes this comment:

This is Isaac Watts in the mood of a seventeenth century Puritan, journeying with his friends (‘Come we’) toward the Celestial City, as Bunyan had described it shortly before in The Pilgrim’s Progress.

J. R. Watson

One wonders whether the opening words of (3) were intentional: “Let those refuse to sing, / Who never knew our God,” meaning to suggest that if a professing Christian was morose and lugubrious, perhaps it was because he didn’t really have a personal relationship with the Lord! We need to be sensitive to those in painful situations though, and compassionate. When Christians are going through difficult trials, we need to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15).

In quite another vein, many years ago, the choir in a New England church took offence when a stranger, leading the service in the absence of the pastor, disregarded some of their traditional rules. In retaliation, they refused to sing the hymns during the service. That is, they did so until the visitor asked all to sing stanza (3) of Watts’s song. It’s reported that it had the desired effect on the choir!

In the words of Edgar Stites’s gospel song Beulah Land, this earth is “heaven’s borderland,” for God’s people, where we surely can experience a foretaste of heavenly joys. Christ came that we might have abundant life (Jn. 10:10). And the resurrection of Christ brought “great joy” to His followers (Matt. 8:6-9). We serve a risen Saviour! Appropriately the joy and rejoicing the believer is mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament (e.g. Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Gal. 5:22; Col. 1:11; I Thess. 1:6). As to the future, we’re to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2).

(1) Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
Join in a song with sweet accord
And thus surround the throne,
And thus surround the throne.

We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.

(10) Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground,
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground,
To fairer worlds on high,
To fairer worlds on high.

Questions:

  1. The Christian life can have both its joys and sorrows. What are some of the reasons for each?
  2. What kind of misunderstanding (or misapplication of Scripture) has led some to conclude that the Christian life is to be a sober, joyless affair?

Links:

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