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Today in 1864 – Emily Crawford Born

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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.

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.

Today in 1760 – Nikolaus von Zinzendorf Died

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The prophet Isaiah says of God, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments” (Isa. 61:10). When the sinner trusts Christ as his personal Saviour, it is as though he has been clothed in the very righteousness of Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). Thus when God looks to see his fitness for the kingdom, He sees not the soiled garments of sin but the glorious perfections of His dear Son.

That truth captivated the imagination of a man with an imposing name. He was Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who belonged to one of the most noble and wealthy families in Saxony, Germany. Zinzendorf was a sincere Christian, who joined himself to the Moravian Brethren, a group known both for their great heart for missions, and for their inspiring sacred music. In 1739, Count von Zinzendorf went to visit and encourage some Moravian missionaries in the West Indies.

At the time of his return voyage, he wrote a hymn he called “The Believer’s Triumph” (today known as Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness). The original German text had 33 verses! The count’s friend John Wesley translated the hymn into English, omitting nine of these. (For a bit more about John Wesley, see Today in 1791.) Many modern hymnals have reduced the number of stanzas of this hymn to only four, but here are five:

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

(2) Today in 1905 – Merrill Dunlop Born

When a sinner puts his faith in the Saviour, his sins are forgiven. “In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). And when God forgives, He wipes the record clean.“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who dies, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:1, 34).

God tells Israel at one point, “I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions” (Isa. 44:22). And the prophet Micah exclaims, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity…You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:18-19). Merrill Dunlop (1905-2002) meditated on this amazing truth during the course of a long sea voyage.

After coming to Christ in his early teens, and attending Bible college, Dunlop joined the staff of the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle where he used his musical gifts in ministry. He wrote over 700 hymns and gospel songs. In 1927, Merrill Everett Dunlop set off across the Atlantic bound for Ireland on board the liner Leviathan. As he walked the deck, the words of Micah came to his mind. He says:

[I thought] upon the great dimensions of the sea–the breadth and depth, and what the Bible says about our sins–buried in those depths–removed–blotted out! Then, making it personal, I said, “My sins are blotted out, I know!”

As soon as that statement came to mind, a tune sprang to life with it, and he quickly jotted it down, adding several verses to complete the song. It was first introduced some time later in the city of Toronto, where Paul Rader, Dunlop’s pastor, held a large evangelistic campaign.

What a wondrous message in God’s Word!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
If I trust in His redeeming blood,
My sins are blotted out, I know!

My sins are blotted out, I know!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
They are buried in the depths of the deepest sea:
My sins are blotted out, I know!

Today in 1760 – Nikolaus von Zinzendorf Died

,

The prophet Isaiah says of God, “He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments” (Isa. 61:10). When the sinner trusts Christ as his personal Saviour, it is as though he has been clothed in the very righteousness of Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). Thus when God looks to see his fitness for the kingdom, He sees not the soiled garments of sin but the glorious perfections of His dear Son.

That truth captivated the imagination of a man with an imposing name. He was Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, who belonged to one of the most noble and wealthy families in Saxony, Germany. Zinzendorf was a sincere Christian, who joined himself to the Moravian Brethren, a group known both for their great heart for missions, and for their inspiring sacred music. In 1739, Count von Zinzendorf went to visit and encourage some Moravian missionaries in the West Indies.

At the time of his return voyage, he wrote a hymn he called “The Believer’s Triumph” (today known as Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness). The original German text had 33 verses! The count’s friend John Wesley translated the hymn into English, omitting nine of these. Many modern hymnals have reduced the number of stanzas of this hymn to only four, but here are five:

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
’Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.

Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

(2) Today in 1905 – Merrill Dunlop Born

When a sinner puts his faith in the Saviour, his sins are forgiven. “In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). And when God forgives, He wipes the record clean.“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who dies, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:1, 34).

God tells Israel at one point, “I have blotted out like a thick cloud your transgressions” (Isa. 44:22). And the prophet Micah exclaims, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity…You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Mic. 7:18-19). Merrill Dunlop (1905-2002) meditated on this amazing truth during the course of a long sea voyage.

After coming to Christ in his early teens, and attending Bible college, Dunlop joined the staff of the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle where he used his musical gifts in ministry. He wrote over 700 hymns and gospel songs. In 1927, Merrill Everett Dunlop set off across the Atlantic bound for Ireland on board the liner Leviathan. As he walked the deck, the words of Micah came to his mind. He says:

[I thought] upon the great dimensions of the sea–the breadth and depth, and what the Bible says about our sins–buried in those depths–removed–blotted out! Then, making it personal, I said, “My sins are blotted out, I know!”

As soon as that statement came to mind, a tune sprang to life with it, and he quickly jotted it down, adding several verses to complete the song. It was first introduced some time later in the city of Toronto, where Paul Rader, Dunlop’s pastor, held a large evangelistic campaign.

What a wondrous message in God’s Word!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
If I trust in His redeeming blood,
My sins are blotted out, I know!

My sins are blotted out, I know!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
They are buried in the depths of the deepest sea:
My sins are blotted out, I know!

Today in 1689 – Christian Von Rosenroth Died

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dawn

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth would likely be considered an unorthodox cultist today. He believed, among other things, that the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah offered proofs of the doctrines of Christianity. But even though most of us would reject his eccentric beliefs, he created an insightful hymn that is worth a look.

Dayspring of Eternity seems to relate to the Bible’s description of Christ as: “the Sun of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2), “the Dayspring from on high” (Lk. 1:78), and “the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). I usually quote only part of the hymns I discuss in this blog, but I’m going to include the full hymn this time.

Dayspring of eternity!
Hide no more Thy radiant dawning!
Light from light’s exhaustless sea,
Shine on us afresh this morning!
And dispel with glorious might
All our night.

Let Thy mercies’ morning dew
Rouse our conscience from its blindness:
Gladden life’s dry plains anew
With the rivers of Thy kindness;
Water daily us Thy flock
From the rock.

Let the glow of love destroy
Cold obedience faintly given,
Wake our hearts to love and joy
With the flushing eastern heaven;
Let us truly rise ere yet
Life hath set.

Through this dark and tearful place
Never be Thy light denied us.
O Thou glorious Sun of grace,
To yon world of gladness guide us,
When to joys that never end
We ascend!

Ah! Thou Dayspring from on high
Grant that at Thy next appearing
We who in the graves do lie
May arise, Thy summons hearing,
And rejoice in our new life,
Far from strife.

Light us to those heavenly spheres,
Sun of grace, in glory shrouded;
Lead us through this vale of tears
To the land whose days unclouded,
Purest joy, and perfect peace
Never cease.

(2) Today in 1829 – Louis Gottschalk Born

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His father was English, his mother French. At the age of 6 he began the serious study of the violin, but later turned to the piano. When he was 12, he was taken to the Conservatoire in Paris, presenting himself for examination, but the judges refused to give the boy a hearing. A decade later, he was one of the judges! No less that Frederick Chopin predicted he would become “a king of pianists.”

Louis Gottschalk has given us the tune Mercy, from a piano piece he composed called The Last Hope. It is used with the hymns Softly Now the Light of Day, and Holy Ghost, with Light Divine. (The latter is called on the video clip below, Holy Spirit, Light Divine.)

Softly now the light of day
Fades upon my sight away;
Free from care, from labour free,
Lord, I would commune with Thee.

On YouTube – Holy Spirit, Light Divine

 (3) Have I Done My Best for Jesus (Data Missing)

What exactly is a hero? Certainly Edward Spencer would qualify. He was a student at Northwestern University in 1860, when a steamer called Lady Elgin was wrecked off the shores of Lake Michigan. Despite numerous injuries from floating wreckage, he repeatedly dashed into the raging surf to rescue passengers in mortal peril. Seeing his deteriorating condition, others tried to stop him, but on he went. He is credited with saving 18 people, one by one, finally collapsing in utter exhaustion. It is reported that, as he lay all night in the infirmary, he repeated over and over, “Did I do my best, fellows? Have I done my best?”

Spencer is honoured by a plaque in the gymnasium of Northwestern University. But there are a couple of sad footnotes to his story. He was so badly injured that apparently he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. And when visited in later years he said with tears, “Not one [of those rescued] ever came back and even said thank you.” Though he undoubtedly did not rescue them in order to earn their gratitude, it is a sad commentary on our frequent failure in this area.

In 1924 Ensign Edwin Young (1895-?) heard Spencer’s story and published a song that draws a spiritual lesson from the incident. (Ensign was not a title of rank, but was Young’s first name.) Young served as Dean of the School of Music at Hardin-Simmons University, in Texas 1934-1956. His song raises the penetrating question, Have I Done My Best for Jesus?

I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calv’ry!
I know my Lord expects the best from me.

I wonder, have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand’rer to the Saviour,
The seed of precious Life I might have sown.

The refrain heaps question upon question:

How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
When He has done so much for me?

Today in 1689 – Christian Von Rosenroth Died

,

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth would likely be considered an unorthodox cultist today. He believed, among other things, that the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah offered proofs of the doctrines of Christianity. But even though most of us would reject his eccentric beliefs, he created an insightful hymn that is worth a look.

Dayspring of Eternity seems to relate to the Bible’s description of Christ as: “the Sun of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2), “the Dayspring from on high” (Lk. 1:78), and “the Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). I usually quote only part of the hymns I discuss in this blog, but I’m going to include the full hymn this time.

Dayspring of eternity!
Hide no more Thy radiant dawning!
Light from light’s exhaustless sea,
Shine on us afresh this morning!
And dispel with glorious might
All our night.

Let Thy mercies’ morning dew
Rouse our conscience from its blindness:
Gladden life’s dry plains anew
With the rivers of Thy kindness;
Water daily us Thy flock
From the rock.

Let the glow of love destroy
Cold obedience faintly given,
Wake our hearts to love and joy
With the flushing eastern heaven;
Let us truly rise ere yet
Life hath set.

Through this dark and tearful place
Never be Thy light denied us.
O Thou glorious Sun of grace,
To yon world of gladness guide us,
When to joys that never end
We ascend!

Ah! Thou Dayspring from on high
Grant that at Thy next appearing
We who in the graves do lie
May arise, Thy summons hearing,
And rejoice in our new life,
Far from strife.

Light us to those heavenly spheres,
Sun of grace, in glory shrouded;
Lead us through this vale of tears
To the land whose days unclouded,
Purest joy, and perfect peace
Never cease.

(2) Today in 1829 – Louis Gottschalk Born

Louis Moreau Gottschalk was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His father was English, his mother French. At the age of 6 he began the serious study of the violin, but later turned to the piano. When he was 12, he was taken to the Conservatoire in Paris, presenting himself for examination, but the judges refused to give the boy a hearing. A decade later, he was one of the judges! No less that Frederick Chopin predicted he would become “a king of pianists.”

Louis Gottschalk has given us the tune Mercy, from a piano piece he composed called The Last Hope. It is used with the hymns Softly Now the Light of Day, and Holy Ghost, with Light Divine. (The latter is called on the video clip below, Holy Spirit, Light Divine.)

Softly now the light of day
Fades upon my sight away;
Free from care, from labour free,
Lord, I would commune with Thee.

 (3) Have I Done My Best for Jesus (Data Missing)

What exactly is a hero? Certainly Edward Spencer would qualify. He was a student at Northwestern University in 1860, when a steamer called Lady Elgin was wrecked off the shores of Lake Michigan. Despite numerous injuries from floating wreckage, he repeatedly dashed into the raging surf to rescue passengers in mortal peril. Seeing his deteriorating condition, others tried to stop him, but on he went. He is credited with saving 18 people, one by one, finally collapsing in utter exhaustion. It is reported that, as he lay all night in the infirmary, he repeated over and over, “Did I do my best, fellows? Have I done my best?”

Spencer is honoured by a plaque in the gymnasium of Northwestern University. But there are a couple of sad footnotes to his story. He was so badly injured that apparently he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. And when visited in later years he said with tears, “Not one [of those rescued] ever came back and even said thank you.” Though he undoubtedly did not rescue them in order to earn their gratitude, it is a sad commentary on our frequent failure in this area.

In 1924 Ensign Edwin Young (1895-?) heard Spencer’s story and published a song that draws a spiritual lesson from the incident. (Ensign was not a title of rank, but was Young’s first name.) Young served as Dean of the School of Music at Hardin-Simmons University, in Texas 1934-1956. His song raises the penetrating question, Have I Done My Best for Jesus?

I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
Who died upon the cruel tree?
To think of His great sacrifice at Calv’ry!
I know my Lord expects the best from me.

I wonder, have I cared enough for others,
Or have I let them die alone?
I might have helped a wand’rer to the Saviour,
The seed of precious Life I might have sown.

The refrain heaps question upon question:

How many are the lost that I have lifted?
How many are the chained I’ve helped to free?
I wonder, have I done my best for Jesus,
When He has done so much for me?

Today in 1839 – Elisha Hoffman Born

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Elisha Albright Hoffman was a pastor and a prolific hymn writer (with over 2,000 songs to his credit). For a bit more about him, see the third item under Today in 1748. And here are just a few of Pastor Hoffman’s songs:

Are You Washed in the Blood?
Down at the Cross (Glory to His Name)
I Must Tell Jesus
Is Thy Heart Right with God?
Is Your All on the Altar?
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
When I See the Blood
What a Wonderful Saviour

It is easy to see the man’s heart for proclaiming the gospel. Repeatedly he draws our attention to the Calvary work of Christ, and the way it abundantly meets the sinner’s need. Further, there is none of the modern and unbiblical fastidiousness that avoids mention of the shed blood of Christ. To show distaste for the blood of Christ is to disrespect God who calls it “precious.”

Here are just a few of the many references to the blood of Christ in Scripture: Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; I Cor. 11:25; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:13-14; 10:19; 13:12; I Pet. 1:18-19; I Jn. 1:7; Rev. 1:5.

Hoffman joyfully proclaims the saving power of the blood of Christ. From 1878 we have Are You Washed in the Blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

And from 1891 comes What a Wonderful Saviour:

Christ has for sin atonement made
What a wonderful Saviour!
We are redeemed, the price is paid
What a wonderful Saviour!

What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Jesus!
What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord!

I praise Him for the cleansing blood
What a wonderful Saviour!
That reconciled my soul to God
What a wonderful Saviour!

(2) Today in 1873 – I Could Not Do Without Thee written

Frances Ridley Havergal was a deeply spiritual woman who pondered the truths of Scripture and gained great insight. At the age of 14 she made a life-changing commitment of her life to Christ. She wrote of this later:

There and then I committed my soul to the Saviour–and earth and heaven seemed bright from that moment.

Miss Havergal wrote many great hymns that are still found in our hymn books more than a century after they were created. But one little-known today describes the Christian’s need to trust fully in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I could not do without Thee
O Saviour of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Saviour,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

Today in 1839 – Elisha Hoffman Born

,

Elisha Albright Hoffman was a pastor and a prolific hymn writer (with over 2,000 songs to his credit). And here are just a few of Pastor Hoffman’s songs:

Are You Washed in the Blood?
Down at the Cross (Glory to His Name)
I Must Tell Jesus
Is Thy Heart Right with God?
Is Your All on the Altar?
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
When I See the Blood
What a Wonderful Saviour

It is easy to see the man’s heart for proclaiming the gospel. Repeatedly he draws our attention to the Calvary work of Christ, and the way it abundantly meets the sinner’s need. Further, there is none of the modern and unbiblical fastidiousness that avoids mention of the shed blood of Christ. To show distaste for the blood of Christ is to disrespect God who calls it “precious.”

Here are just a few of the many references to the blood of Christ in Scripture: Acts 20:28; Rom. 3:25; 5:9; I Cor. 11:25; Eph. 1:7; 2:13; Col. 1:20; Heb. 9:13-14; 10:19; 13:12; I Pet. 1:18-19; I Jn. 1:7; Rev. 1:5.

Hoffman joyfully proclaims the saving power of the blood of Christ. From 1878 we have Are You Washed in the Blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

And from 1891 comes What a Wonderful Saviour:

Christ has for sin atonement made
What a wonderful Saviour!
We are redeemed, the price is paid
What a wonderful Saviour!

What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Jesus!
What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord!

I praise Him for the cleansing blood
What a wonderful Saviour!
That reconciled my soul to God
What a wonderful Saviour!

(2) Today in 1873 – I Could Not Do Without Thee written

Frances Ridley Havergal was a deeply spiritual woman who pondered the truths of Scripture and gained great insight. At the age of 14 she made a life-changing commitment of her life to Christ. She wrote of this later:

There and then I committed my soul to the Saviour–and earth and heaven seemed bright from that moment.

Miss Havergal wrote many great hymns that are still found in our hymn books more than a century after they were created. But one that is little know today describes the Christian’s need to trust fully in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I could not do without Thee
O Saviour of the lost,
Whose precious blood redeemed me
At such tremendous cost.
Thy righteousness, thy pardon
Thy precious blood, must be
My only hope and comfort,
My glory and my plea.

I could not do without Thee,
I cannot stand alone,
I have no strength or goodness,
No wisdom of my own;
But Thou, beloved Saviour,
Art all in all to me,
And weakness will be power
If leaning hard on Thee.

Today in 1809 – William Walker Born

,

William Walker was leading congregational singing at his church by the age of 18. In partnership with his brother-in-law, Benjamin Franklin White, he also collected and arranged folk tunes, and songs from southern Appalachia camp meetings. (White published the significant songbook The Sacred Harp in 1844, which uses shaped note music notation to aid singers in learning tunes.) William Walker published The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, but for some reason he gave no credit to White for his assistance.

Walker is known in hymnody today for providing the tune used with What Wondrous Love Is This, a song dating from around 1811.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

(2) Today in 1888 – Herbert Tovey Born

Near the beginning of the twentieth century, a young Bible college student named Herbert George Tovey prayed that the Lord would grant him a high and holy calling about which he could be passionate. He turned his prayer into a hymn, published in 1914, calling it A Passion for Souls. One of Tovey’s music teachers at the college (Moody Bible Institute) provided the tune. And God answered that prayer. Herbert Tovey went on to a long and fruitful ministry for the Lord Jesus,  both as a pastor and a Christian musician. His hymn is a prayer:

Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord,
A passion to save the lost;
O that Thy love were by all adored,
And welcomed at any cost.

Jesus, I long, I long to be winning
Men who are lost, and constantly sinning;
O may this hour be one of beginning
The story of pardon to tell.

Though there are dangers untold and stern
Confronting me in the way,
Willingly still would I go, nor turn,
But trust Thee for grace each day.

Today in 1809 – William Walker Born

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William Walker was leading congregational singing at his church by the age of 18. In partnership with his brother-in-law, Benjamin Franklin White, he also collected and arranged folk tunes, and songs from southern Appalachia camp meetings. (White published the significant song book The Sacred Harp in 1844, which uses shaped note music notation to aid singers in learning tunes.) William Walker published The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, but for some reason he gave no credit to White for his assistance.

Walker is known in hymnody today for providing the tune used with What Wondrous Love Is This, a song dating from around 1811.

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul.

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.

(2) Today in 1888 – Herbert Tovey Born

Near the beginning of the twentieth century, a young Bible college student named Herbert George Tovey prayed that the Lord would grant him a high and holy calling about which he could be passionate. He turned his prayer into a hymn, published in 1914, calling it A Passion for Souls. One of Tovey’s music teachers at the college (Moody Bible Institute) provided the tune. And God answered that prayer. Herbert Tovey went on to a long and fruitful ministry for the Lord Jesus,  both as a pastor and a Christian musician. His hymn is a prayer:

Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord,
A passion to save the lost;
O that Thy love were by all adored,
And welcomed at any cost.

Jesus, I long, I long to be winning
Men who are lost, and constantly sinning;
O may this hour be one of beginning
The story of pardon to tell.

Though there are dangers untold and stern
Confronting me in the way,
Willingly still would I go, nor turn,
But trust Thee for grace each day.

Today in 1815 – Ithamar Conkey Born

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Cross

Ithamar Conkey was a bass soloist, and a recognized authority on oratorio singing. He was also a gifted organist. The following interesting incident relates to a tune he contributed to our hymnals. It occurred when Mr. Conkey was organist of Central Baptist Church, in Norwich, Connecticut.

The pastor of the church had prepared a series of messages on “The Words on the Cross”–the seven significant statements Christ made as He hung upon the cross of Calvary. One particular Sunday morning during the series was especially stormy, and Mr. Conkey was upset that all of the choir stayed home, with the exception of one soprano. He was so disturbed by their seeming lack of commitment that, before the service began, he closed the organ and went home!

That afternoon, he sat down at the piano to practice. Knowing that the hymn In the Cross of Christ I Glory had been suggested for next Sunday’s service, the organist composed a new tune for it, which he named Rathbun. Twenty-four-year-old Mrs. Rathbun was the leading soprano in the choir, and I suspect she was the one singer who made it to the morning service! Her diligence is now memorialized in the tune most often used for the hymn.

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

(2) Today in 1925 – Harriet Spaeth Died

Harriet Reynolds Krauth was the daughter of hymn translator Charles Krauth. In 1880 she married Adolph Spaeth, a Lutheran pastor, and later president of the General Council of the Lutheran Church in America. Harriet Spaeth was a soloist, and also played piano and organ. She has provided translations of a number of hymns.

Mrs. Spaeth has given us an English version of Hans Sthen’s Danish hymn, Lord Jesus Christ, My Saviour Blest.

Lord Jesus Christ, my Saviour blest,
My hope and my Salvation!
I trust in Thee; deliver me from misery;
Thy Word’s my consolation.

As Thou dost will, lead Thou me still
That I may truly serve Thee,
My God, I pray, teach me Thy way to my last day
In Thy true faith preserve me.

Most heartily I trust in Thee;
Thy mercy fails me never.
Dear Lord, abide; my helper tried, Thou Crucified,
From evil keep me ever.

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