Though born into a titled family, English author Lucy Elizabeth Georgiana Whitmore was a committed Christian who recognized her social status was not what gave her acceptance with God. In 1824, she published Family Prayers for Every Day in the Week. The book contained 14 hymns she had written. Among them was Father, Again in Jesus’ Name We Meet, expressing a deep humility before the Lord.
Father, again in Jesus’ name we meet, And bow in penitence beneath Your feet; Again to You our feeble voices raise, To sue for mercy, and to sing Your praise.
O we would bless You for Your ceaseless care, And all Your works from day to day declare; Is not our life with hourly mercies crowned? Does not Your arm encircle us around?
Alas, unworthy of Your boundless love, Too oft with careless feet from You we rove; But now, encouraged by Your voice, we come, Returning sinners to a Father’s home.
(2) Today in 1847 – Charles Luther Born
Charles Caroll Luther was an American journalist and lay evangelist. Later, he was ordained as a Baptist clergyman. Then, other than a three-year pastorate in Connecticut, he served many more years as an evangelist. He wrote about 25 hymns, but only one is in common use today.
One day in 1877, Luther heard about a man who was dying after only being a Christian for one month. The fellow was troubled. But not at the prospect of death. What bothered him most was the wasted years of his life, and the little he’d been able to accomplish for the Lord. “I’m not afraid to die,” he said. “Jesus saves me now. But must I go empty handed?” Charles Luther’s heart was stirred by the man’s penetrating question and he wrote a gospel song about it. (The tune was composed by George Stebbins. to learn more about him, see the second item under Today in 1773.)
“Must I go, and empty handed,” Thus my dear Redeemer meet? Not one day of service give Him, Lay no trophy at His feet?
“Must I go, and empty handed?” Must I meet my Saviour so? Not one soul with which to greet Him, Must I empty handed go?
O the years in sinning wasted, Could I but recall them now, I would give them to my Saviour, To His will I’d gladly bow.
Arthur Henry Mann was a graduate of Oxford University. He became a chorister and assistant organist in several churches. In addition to composing a number of hymn tunes, he was the music editor for The Church of England Hymnal of 1894. Arthur Mann wrote the tune Angel’s Story which is commonly used for the hymn O Jesus, I Have Promised. (For more about this hymn, see the second item under Today in 1685.)
O Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end; Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my Friend; I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side, Nor wander from the pathway if Thou wilt be my Guide.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised to all who follow Thee That where Thou art in glory there shall Thy servant be. And Jesus, I have promised to serve Thee to the end; O give me grace to follow, my Master and my Friend.
(2) Today in 1851 – John Warner Born
John Allan Warner was an English clergyman who served as pastor of St. Paul’s, Southampton, and other congregations. He wrote the hymn Brothers, Joining Hand to Hand.
Brothers, joining hand to hand, In one bond united, Pressing onward to that land Where all wrongs are righted: Let your words and actions be Worthy your vocation; Chosen of the Lord, and free, Heirs of Christ’s salvation.
Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life, Who hath gone before you Through the turmoil and the strife, Holds His banner o’er you; All who see the sacred sign Press towards heav’ns portal, Fired by hope that is divine, Love that is immortal.
(3) George Atkins (Data Discovered)
George Atkins was a Methodist pastor who served in Ohio and Tennessee. He died in 1827. Other than that, little is known of him. (Data recently found indicates Atkins was born in England, Apr. 16, 1793. He died in America, Aug. 29, 1827.) He has given us one hymn, Brethren We Have Met to Worship, which is still in use. The tune, Holy Manna, was composed by William Moore, a contemporary of Atkins.
The allusion in the final stanza of the hymn actually relates to a parable Jesus told. It seems to refer to the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), when the church in glory will worship and celebrate with Christ. But the imagery in the parable suggests a circumstance that is stunning–the glorified Christ, taking upon Himself once again the role of a servant. Clearly, the passage (Lk. 12:35-40) has to do with Christ’s return, and the pertinent verse reads:
Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them (vs. 37).
Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God; Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word? All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down; Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.
Brethren, see poor sinners round you slumbering on the brink of woe; Death is coming, hell is moving, can you bear to let them go? See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down; Brethren, pray and holy manna will be showered all around.
Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him; Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin? Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found; Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.
Let us love our God supremely, let us love each other, too; Let us love and pray for sinners, till our God makes all things new. Then He’ll call us home to heaven, at His table we’ll sit down; Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.
The son of a doctor, American hymn writer Thomas Hastings grew up on a farm and had to walk 6 miles to school. He went on to train choirs, and wrote almost a thousand hymn tunes and 600 hymn texts.
Hastings wrote a number of tunes we use with our hymns: Hastings, used with Jesus, Wondrous Saviour; Toplady, to which Rock of Ages is sung; Retreat, for From Every Stormy Wind; and Ortonville used with Samuel Stennett’s Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned.
He also altered the text of Thomas Moore’s hymn Come, Ye Disconsolate, to give us the version we sing today. And Hastings wrote the words of Hail to the Brightness of Zion’s Glad Morning. Though he may have given it a different theological spin, this hymn perfectly fits the Bible’s description of the coming Millennial Kingdom and Christ’s earthly reign (cf. Isa. 2;1-4; 35:1-10).
Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning! Joy to the lands that in darkness have lain! Hushed be the accents of sorrow and mourning; Zion in triumph begins her mild reign.
Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning! Long by the prophets of Israel foretold! Hail to the millions from bondage returning! Gentiles and Jews the blest vision behold.
Lo, in the desert rich flowers are springing, Streams ever copious are gliding along; Loud from the mountain tops echoes are ringing, Wastes rise in verdure, and mingle in song.
See, from all lands, from the isles of the ocean, Praise to the Saviour ascending on high; Fallen the engines of war and commotion; Shouts of salvation are rending the sky.
(2) Today in 1958 – Robert McCutchan Died
Robert Guy McCutchan was an esteemed hymn historian, author of Our Hymnody–A Manual of the Methodist Hymnal (published in 1937). He also adapted and harmonized the tune Campmeeting, which is sometimes used with James Montgomery’s hymn, Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire. You can hear the tune on the Cyber Hymnal
For the Lord’s Supper, I encourage you to try the tune with Cowper’s There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood, adding the refrain. (See below.) There’s a bit more about Robert McCutchan in the third item under Today in 1827, and more about William Cowper in the second item under Today in 1792.
There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel’s veins; And sinners plunged beneath that flood Lose all their guilty stains.
I do believe, I will believe That Jesus died for me! That on the cross He shed His blood From sin to set me free.
Timothy Dwight began reading the Scriptures at the age of four. In adulthood, he was an ordained Congregational clergyman and became an educator and academic. He was the grandson of pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards, and a friend of George Washington. He served as a chaplain in the Connecticut Continental Brigade. When he was 22, Dwight published an epic poem (10,000 lines!) called The Conquest of Canaan, which was a strange mixture of biblical history and that of the contemporary New England of his day.
In 1795, Timothy Dwight became president of Yale University (from which he had graduated at the age of 13!). He also helped found Andover Theological Seminary. We know him in hymnody chiefly for one hymn, I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord.
I love Thy kingdom, Lord, The house of Thine abode, The church our blessed Redeemer saved With His own precious blood.
Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways, Her sweet communion, solemn vows, Her hymns of love and praise.
(2) Today in 1855 – Thomas Kelly Died
Irishman Thomas Kelly was the son of a judge. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1792. He was a strong evangelical preacher, a brilliant man of exceptional learning, but humble and gracious in spirit. He was greatly beloved by the poor in the community because of his kindness and generosity toward them.
Thomas Kelly wrote many hymns. (The Cyber Hymnal lists 128.) For a bit more about the man and his hymns, see Today in 1769. Included in these songs, and still in common use are:
Hark, Ten Thousand Harps and Voices Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious Praise the Saviour, Ye Who Know Him The Head that Once Was Crowned with Thorns
From 1809 comes the triumphant second coming hymn, Look, Ye Saints, the Sight Is Glorious. It was originally called The Second Advent, and is based on Rev. 11:15,
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
A number of tunes have been used with Kelly’s song. Coronae, by William Monk, is most familiar to me. Other books use Regent Square or Cwm Rhondda (the latter is used in the video link below).
Look, ye saints! the sight is glorious: See the Man of Sorrows now; From the fight returned victorious, Every knee to Him shall bow; Crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, Crowns become the Victor’s brow, Crowns become the Victor’s brow.
Sinners in derision scorned Him, Mocking thus the Saviour’s claim; Saints and angels crowd around Him, Own His title, praise His name; Crown Him, crown Him, Crown Him, crown Him, Spread abroad the Victor’s fame, Spread abroad the Victor’s fame.
There are many inspiring stories connected with the writing of our hymns. But it would be difficult to find a more unusual one than what happened to William Mackay.
When, at the age of seventeen, he left his humble Scottish home to attend college, his godly mother gave him a Bible in which she wrote his name and a verse of Scripture. Away from home, he began well. But as time went by he drifted further and further from the way he had been raised. He began drinking heavily. At a low point, to satisfy his thirst for whiskey, he carelessly pawned the Bible his mother had given him.
Many years went by. Eventually, MacKay completed medical training and took up his work in a city hospital. There one day the Lord met him in a special way. I imagine it started out like any other day, doing rounds, writing reports. But in one room he had an encounter that changed everything. It was a sad case. The patient was nearing the end. No hope for him. “Bring me my book!” he cried. “I need my book!” And the words seemed to echo in the flinty soul of Dr. MacKay.
Awhile later, he was told the fellow had died. And the doctor went back to the room, curious to find out what “book” had been so precious that holding it once more had been a dying man’s greatest desire. Soon his search uncovered a Bible. But not just any Bible. There inside the front cover, in his mother’s hand, was his own name, William Paton MacKay. It had been many years since he had seen it, but there could be no mistake. Someone had reclaimed the Bible from that pawn shop, and it had become a priceless treasure to a dying man.
MacKay went to his office and closed the door. He opened the Bible, slowly turning the worn and weathered pages. Many contained specially marked verses his mother hoped he would read. He was alone in that room for many hours. But when he emerged the long night of sin had been blasted away by the life-changing light of heaven. With a newly tender heart, and a desire to reclaim wasted years, he resigned his place at the hospital. After training he went on to serve the Lord as a pastor. It is W. P. MacKay who wrote the hymn Revive Us Again.
We praise Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus who died, And is now gone above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God! For Thy Spirit of light, Who hath shown us our Saviour, And scattered our night.
(2) Today in 1842 – Arthur Sullivan Born
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan is known to most of the world as the partner of William Gilbert, the team that produced a series of immensely popular comic operettas, such as H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Mikado. Sullivan had a sense of humour, but he also had a serious side. He is recognized today as one of the greatest church musicians of the Victorian era.
Sullivan gave us a number of hymn tunes still in common use: St. Gertrude (for Onward Christian Soldiers), St. Kevin (for Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain), Hanford (for My God, My Father, While I Stray, and for Jesus, My Saviour, Look on Me), and Samuel (for Hushed Was the Evening Hymn). Sir Arthur also gave us the stirring music for The Lost Chord.
Is The Lost Chord a hymn? No, not exactly (though both Adelaide Proctor, who wrote the words, and Sullivan, who composed the tune, contributed to our hymnody). And it does touch on biblical themes. The song speaks to the unique power of music to inspire and uplift the soul. (Something God knew, because He created it.) The Bible says “He has put eternity in [our] hearts” (Ecc. 3:11, NKJV), and I personally believe music will be a universal language of heaven.
The Lost Chord deals with the elusiveness of those ephemeral moments when music blesses us beyond words, times almost impossible to recover or duplicate. Yet there is an expression of hope in the soaring climax of Adelaide Proctor’s lyric that such sublime experiences await the people of God in heaven. Sir Arthur Sullivan must have had similar thoughts about his music. He wrote it while sitting at the deathbed of his brother Fred. In 1888, Sir Arthur’s tune became one of the earliest to be recorded–a recording that can still be heard on YouTube.
For your interest, I have provided links to two beautiful renditions of this song. One is strictly instrumental, by an excellent concert band.
The other version of the song is by British tenor Webster Booth. Of the many famous singers who have attempted to do justice to this piece (including Enrico Caruso and John McCormack), I believe Booth’s version is one of the best. The singing is subdued but suggests intense emotion, expressed with impeccable diction. Here, from 1939, is Webster Booth singing The Lost Chord.
(3) Today in 1910 – Lister Derricks Born
Lister Cleavant Derricks was a Baptist clergyman who served in churches in Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington DC, not only as pastor, but as choir director. He also wrote more than 300 gospel songs, most published by Stamps-Baxter during the Depression. Mr. Derricks died in 1977. He was inducted posthumously into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Several of his songs became gospel quartet standards, including We’ll Soon Be Done with Troubles and Trials, and Just a Little Talk with Jesus.
In the 1930’s he was ministering in a small, impoverished black church. They badly needed new hymn books, but had no money to purchase them. Several urged Pastor Derricks to see if he could sell some of his songs to a publisher in exchange for some hymnals. And that is how the church got 50 new hymn books, and the world got Just a Little Talk with Jesus.
I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in. And then a little light from heaven filled my soul. It bathed my heart in love, and wrote my name above, And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole.
The song Christ Receiveth Sinful Men sounds very much like the style of gospel songs written in the nineteenth century. It is a hymn of invitation, similar to Have You Any Room for Jesus? or Only Trust Him. But it was published more than a century earlier, in 1718. (For a bit about Emma Bevan, who translated it from German into English, see Today in 1827.)
Neumeister, the author of the original German hymn, was born in Hamburg, Germany. He became a pastor in 1698, and soon was known as an eloquent preacher and a defender of conservative Lutheranism. He wrote about 650 hymns, and is recognized as the originator of the church cantata. Pastor Neumeister wrote Christ Receiveth Sinful Men to be sung at the conclusion of a message on the parable of the lost sheep (Lk. 15:3-7).
Sinners Jesus will receive; Sound this word of grace to all Who the heavenly pathway leave, All who linger, all who fall.
Sing it o’er and over again; Christ receiveth sinful men; Make the message clear and plain: Christ receiveth sinful men.
Come, and He will give you rest; Trust Him, for His Word is plain; He will take the sinfulest; Christ receiveth sinful men.
I’ve included the following video clip of Neumeister’s gospel song for a reason. The video will never win the group any recording contracts, or perhaps receive much attention beyond that of a few friends. A young pastor, and a tiny congregation, sincerely doing their best to testify to their faith in Christ. And their like is multiplied hundreds, and thousands of times, across North America and around the world. It’s the megachurches that get the press. But God is glorified whenever and wherever His people meet for praise and prayer, fellowship and the study of His Word.
Three Scriptures come to mind:
Jesus promised, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).
“The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).
“It may be that the Lord will work for us [or them]. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few” (I Sam. 14:6).
May God bless each congregation, large or small, where God’s people gather and His Word is faithfully taught.
(2) Today in 1873 – Arthur Ingler Born
Not too much is known of Arthur Ingler. He apparently began his ministry as a gospel soloist, and later became a pastor with the Church of the Nazarene denomination and served a number of congregations. In 1902 he published the one gospel song for which he is known today, The Pearly White City, which is based on the description of the heavenly city in the closing chapters of the book of Revelation. Pastor Ingler died in 1935.
There’s a holy and beautiful city Whose builder and ruler is God; John saw it descending from heaven, When Patmos, in exile, he trod; Its high, massive wall is of jasper, The city itself is pure gold; And when my frail tent here is folded, Mine eyes shall its glory behold.
In that bright city, pearly white city, I have a mansion, a harp, and a crown; Now I am watching, waiting, and longing, For the white city that’s soon coming down.
No heartaches are known in that city, No tears ever moisten the eyes; There’s no disappointment in heaven, No envy and strife in the sky; The saints are all sanctified wholly, They live in sweet harmony there; My heart is now set on that city, And some day its blessings I’ll share.
The song Christ Receiveth Sinful Men sounds very much like the style of gospel songs written in the nineteenth century. It is a hymn of invitation, similar to Have You Any Room for Jesus? or Only Trust Him. But it was published more than a century earlier, in 1718.
Neumeister, the author of the original German hymn, was born in Hamburg, Germany. He became a pastor in 1698, and soon was known as an eloquent preacher and a defender of conservative Lutheranism. He wrote about 650 hymns, and is recognized as the originator of the church cantata. Pastor Neumeister wrote Christ Receiveth Sinful Men to be sung at the conclusion of a message on the parable of the lost sheep (Lk. 15:3-7).
Sinners Jesus will receive; Sound this word of grace to all Who the heavenly pathway leave, All who linger, all who fall.
Sing it o’er and over again; Christ receiveth sinful men; Make the message clear and plain: Christ receiveth sinful men.
Come, and He will give you rest; Trust Him, for His Word is plain; He will take the sinfulest; Christ receiveth sinful men.
I’ve included the following video clip of Neumeister’s gospel song for a reason. The video will never win the group any recording contracts, or perhaps receive much attention beyond that of a few friends. A young pastor, and a tiny congregation, sincerely doing their best to testify to their faith in Christ. And their like is multiplied hundreds, and thousands of times, across North America and around the world. It’s the meg-churches that get the press. But God is glorified whenever and wherever His people meet for praise and prayer, fellowship and the study of His Word.
Three Scriptures come to mind:
Jesus promised, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).
“The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7).
“It may be that the Lord will work for us [or them]. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few” (I Sam. 14:6).
May God bless each congregation, large or small, where God’s people gather and His Word is faithfully taught.
(2) Today in 1873 – Arthur Ingler Born
Not too much is known of Arthur Ingler. He apparently began his ministry as a gospel soloist, and later became a pastor with the Church of the Nazarene denomination and served a number of congregations. In 1902 he published the one gospel song for which he is known today, The Pearly White City, which is based on the description of the heavenly city in the closing chapters of the book of Revelation. Pastor Ingler died in 1935.
There’s a holy and beautiful city Whose builder and ruler is God; John saw it descending from heaven, When Patmos, in exile, he trod; Its high, massive wall is of jasper, The city itself is pure gold; And when my frail tent here is folded, Mine eyes shall its glory behold.
In that bright city, pearly white city, I have a mansion, a harp, and a crown; Now I am watching, waiting, and longing, For the white city that’s soon coming down.
No heartaches are known in that city, No tears ever moisten the eyes; There’s no disappointment in heaven, No envy and strife in the sky; The saints are all sanctified wholly, They live in sweet harmony there; My heart is now set on that city, And some day its blessings I’ll share.
Septimus Winner, a self-taught musician, ran a music store and gave lessons on various instruments. He wrote or edited over 200 music books for more than 20 different instruments, as well as producing or arranging 2,000 songs for violin and piano. Winner was the writer of many popular songs in the nineteenth century. Listen to the Mocking Bird is one of his. (He sold the rights to it for $5, and in a few years it had sold twenty million copies!) Another of Septimus Winner’s creations is the nursery song Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
The author is known in hymnody for writing Whispering Hope, a gospel song which speaks vaguely of the believer’s hope in the resurrection, based on Christ’s conquest of the grave.
Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone.
Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.
Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal. Come then, O come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, O never depart.
Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae were well-known pop singers of a generation ago. In addition to all the popular music they recorded separately, they made a fine recording of hymns together. It’s an example of clear, unaffecting singing, and a beautiful blending of voices. Here from that recording is Whispering Hope.
(2) Today in 1851 – James Gray Born
James Martin Gray served as rector of a Reformed Episcopal church in Boston. But he is best known as the dean, and then the president, of Moody Bible Institute, in Chicago. He authored many books, and is responsible for the publication of the four editions of The Voice of Thanksgiving, the official hymnals of the Institute. My father was a student at Moody back in the 1920s, and I have his copy of The Voice o Thanksgiving No. 4 before me as I write. (It was published in 1928.)
James Gray wrote many hymns. One of these, unfamiliar to me, is found on the inside cover of the volume mentioned. It is a lovely little song about prayer.
O God, I want to thank Thee That Thou hast answered prayer! I made my supplication, My anxious heart laid bare; And Thou hast kept Thy promise, And from Thy throne on high Didst bow Thine ear to hearken And grant Thy servant’s cry.
Men say that it is folly To bend the knee in prayer, Or talk to Thee as children, Or think that Thou dost care; But there is that within us– Didst Thou not put it there? That urges the petition And bids us do and dare!
(For more about Dr. Gray and another of his hymns, see Today in 1935. ) More familiar than the above is Gray’s song, Nor Silver Nor Gold, based on the words of the Apostle Peter:
You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (I Pet. 1:18-19)
Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption, Nor riches of earth could have saved my poor soul; The blood of the cross is my only foundation, The death of my Saviour now maketh me whole.
I am redeemed, but not with silver, I am bought, but not with gold; Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus, Precious price of love untold.
(3) Today in 2008 – Dottie Rambo Died
Joyce Reba Luttrell (Dottie) Rambo was a Grammy award-winning Southern Gospel singer and songwriter in the latter half of the twentieth century. She wrote over 2,500 songs, and ASCAP awarded her their Lifetime Achievement Award. But her days were not without heartache. She was troubled by severe health problems in the 1990s, and by the breakup of her marriage. Her death came as the result of a bus accident as she travelled between engagements.
Among Dottie Rambo’s best-known songs are He Looked Beyond My Fault, and We Shall Behold Him. The latter song was written in 1981. On her way to a meeting in Ohio, she observed an unusually beautiful cloud formation. It brought to mind the coming glory of Christ’s return and she immediately turned the experience into a song.
The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance; The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise. The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting; And we shall behold Him then face to face.
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory. O we shall behold Him, We shall behold Him face to face, our Saviour and Lord.
Septimus Winner, a self taught musician, ran a music store and gave lessons on various instruments. He wrote or edited over 200 music books for more than 20 different instruments, as well as producing or arranging 2,000 songs for violin and piano. Winner was the writer of many popular songs in the nineteenth century. Listen to the Mocking Bird is one of his. (He sold the rights to it for $5, and in a few years it had sold twenty million copies!) Another of Septimus Winner’s creations is the nursery song Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?
The author is known in hymnody for writing Whispering Hope, a gospel song which speaks vaguely of the believer’s hope in the resurrection, based on Christ’s conquest of the grave.
Soft as the voice of an angel, Breathing a lesson unheard, Hope with a gentle persuasion Whispers her comforting word: Wait till the darkness is over, Wait till the tempest is done, Hope for the sunshine tomorrow, After the shower is gone.
Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice, Making my heart in its sorrow rejoice.
Hope, as an anchor so steadfast, Rends the dark veil for the soul, Whither the Master has entered, Robbing the grave of its goal. Come then, O come, glad fruition, Come to my sad weary heart; Come, O Thou blest hope of glory, Never, O never depart.
Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae were well known pop singers of a generation ago. In addition to all the popular music they recorded separately, they made a fine recording of hymns together. It’s an examble of clear, unaffecting singing, and a beautiful blending of voices. Here from that recording is Whispering Hope.
(2) Today in 1851 – James Gray Born
James Martin Gray served as rector of a Reformed Episcopal church in Boston. But he is best known as the dean, and then the president, of Moody Bible Institute, in Chicago. He authored many books, and is responsible for the publication of the four editions of The Voice of Thanksgiving, the official hymnals of the Institute. My father was a student at Moody back in the 1920’s, and I have his copy of The Voice o Thanksgiving No. 4 before me as I write. (It was published in 1928.)
James Gray wrote many hymns. One of these, unfamiliar to me, is found in the inside cover of the volume mentioned. It is a lovely little song about prayer.
O God, I want to thank Thee That Thou hast answered prayer! I made my supplication, My anxious heart laid bare; And Thou hast kept Thy promise, And from Thy throne on high Didst bow Thine ear to hearken And grant Thy servant’s cry.
Men say that it is folly To bend the knee in prayer, Or talk to Thee as children, Or think that Thou dost care; But there is that within us– Didst Thou not put it there? That urges the petition And bids us do and dare!
More familiar than the above is Gray’s song, Nor Silver Nor Gold, based on the words of the Apostle Peter:
You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
I Pet. 1:18-19
Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption, Nor riches of earth could have saved my poor soul; The blood of the cross is my only foundation, The death of my Saviour now maketh me whole.
I am redeemed, but not with silver, I am bought, but not with gold; Bought with a price, the blood of Jesus, Precious price of love untold.
(3) Today in 2008 – Dottie Rambo Died
Joyce Reba Luttrell (Dottie) Rambo was a Grammy award winning Southern Gospel singer and song writer in the latter half of the twentieth century. She wrote over 2,500 songs, and ASCAP awarded her their Lifetime Achievement Award. But her days were not without heartache. She was troubled by severe health problems in the 1990’s, and by the breakup of her marriage. Her death came as the result of a bus accident as she traveled between engagements.
Among Dottie Rambo’s best known songs are He Looked Beyond My Fault, and We Shall Behold Him. The latter song was written in 1981. On her way to a meeting in Ohio, she observed an unusually beautiful cloud formation. It brought to mind the coming glory of Christ’s return and she immediately turned the experience into a song.
The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance; The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise. The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting; And we shall behold Him then face to face.
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him Face to face in all of His glory. O we shall behold Him, We shall behold Him face to face, our Saviour and Lord.
Emily May Grimes went to South Africa as a missionary in 1893. In 1904, she married Dr. T. W. W. Crawford of the Christian Missionary Society in Kikuyu, British East Africa. She has given us the hymn Speak, Lord, in the Stillness (also called The Quiet Hour). It was first published in 1920. (You can also read about the composer of the tune, Harold Green.)
Speak, Lord, in the stillness While I wait on Thee; Hushed my heart to listen, In expectancy.
Speak, O blessèd Master, In this quiet hour, Let me see Thy face, Lord, Feel Thy touch of power.
For the words Thou speakest, “They are life” indeed; Living Bread from heaven, Now my spirit feed!
(2) Today in 1910 – Anna Waring Died
Likely the most familiar and beloved poetical passage in all the Bible is the Shepherd Psalm, Psalm 23. Not surprisingly, many hymn writers have made use of all or part of it, either in direct quotation, or paraphrase, or drawing upon its themes. Hymns such as He Leadeth Me, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, and Surely Goodness and Mercy are among them. One resource lists 39 songs based on the psalm, another lists 27.
A hymn from 1850, by Anna Laetitia Waring, provides a beautiful paraphrase, or devotional meditation on the 23rd Psalm. A paraphrase of Scripture restates the sense of a passage in other words, or expresses the meaning in another way. That is what we have with In Heavenly Love Abiding, which the author entitled “Safety in God.”
Anna Waring was born into a Quaker home in Wales, but at the age of 19 she joined the Church of England. In her youth, she mastered Hebrew, and made it a lifelong practice to read from Psalms in the original language each day. She published two books of hymns. Though reportedly shy and retiring, she had a great burden for those in prison. In addition to regularly visiting men and women behind bars in Bristol, England, she supported the Discharged Prisoners Aid Society.
In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear. And safe in such confiding, for nothing changes here. The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid, But God is round about me, and can I be dismayed?
Wherever He may guide me, no want shall turn me back. My Shepherd is beside me, and nothing can I lack. His wisdom ever waking, His sight is never dim. He knows the way He’s taking, and I will walk with Him.
From 1854 comes Anna Waring’s thoughtful song, My Heart Is Resting, O My God. It is a lengthy hymn (eleven stanzas). You can see the full text in the Cyber Hymnal, but here are three stanzas:
My heart is resting, O my God— I will give thanks and sing; My heart is at the secret source Of every precious thing. Now the frail vessel Thou hast made No hand but Thine shall fill— For the waters of the Earth have failed, And I am thirsty still.
I thirst for springs of heavenly life, And here all day they rise— I seek the treasure of Thy love, And close at hand it lies. And a new song is in my mouth To long loved music set— Glory to Thee for all the grace I have not tasted yet.
Glory to Thee for strength withheld, For want and weakness known— And the fear that sends me to Thy breast For what is most my own. I have a heritage of joy That yet I must not see; But the hand that bled to make it mine Is keeping it for me.
(3) Today in 1952 – Arthur Patten Died
In 1920, American Congregational pastor and author, Arthur Bardwell Patten (1864-1952), gave us a hymn suited to Mother’s Day that parallels the older hymn, Faith of Our Fathers. (The tune St. Catherine is used for both.)
Faith of our mothers, living still In cradle song and bedtime prayer; In nursery lore and fireside love, Thy presence still pervades the air: Faith of our mothers, living faith! We will be true to thee to death.
Faith of our mothers, loving faith, Fount of our childhood’s trust and grace, Oh, may thy consecration prove Source of a finer, nobler race: Faith of our mothers, loving faith, We will be true to thee till death.
Faith of our mothers, guiding faith, For youthful longing, youthful doubt, How blurred our vision, blind our way, Thy providential care without: Faith of our mothers, guiding faith, We will be true to thee till death.
