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Today in 1768 – Joseph Grigg Died

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Born around 1720, Joseph Grigg was the son of poor parents. He worked as a mechanic until he was 25 years old. (A “mechanic” in those days was a manual labourer, or an artisan.) At that point, he turned to full-time Christian ministry, becoming the assistant of a Presbyterian pastor in London. When the pastor died, Grigg retired from pastoral work. He married a wealthy widow and spent his latter years writing. At the time of his death, a friend described him as “the friend of the poor, the charm of the social circle, and the attractive and useful preacher.”

Joseph Grigg wrote quite a number of hymns, but few remain in use today. One that does is Jesus, and Shall It Ever Be, said to have been written when the author was only 10 years old. He called the hymn, Ashamed of Me, and the poetry was rather rough–understandable, given his age. For example, his opening stanza said:

Jesus! and shall it ever be!
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Scorn’d be the thought by rich and poor;
O may I scorn it more and more!

However, the basis of a powerful and important message was there. Later revisions improved upon Grigg’s poetry, while retaining his message. It issues a challenge to us to be faithful witnesses for Christ.

Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man, ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may
When I’ve no guilt to wash away;
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heav’n depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.

(2) Today in 1869 – Ernest Sellers Born

Graphic Bible in Hand

Ernest Orlando Sellers worked for a time as a surveyor and civil engineer, becoming city engineer and superintendent of public works in Lansing, Michigan. In 1895, he became a student at Moody Bible Institute. Then Sellers joined the faculty, serving in both the music and Christian education departments. Later in life he became director of music at the Baptist Bible Institute, in New Orleans. The school named the E. O. Sellers Music Building after him.

Mr. Sellers had a part in the production of the New Baptist Hymnal. He wrote a number of hymn tunes. But the one song still in common use, for which he wrote both words and music, is Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart. It is based on several verses of Scripture, including Ps. 119:105, 9  and 11.

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet,
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin,
And show me the heav’nly way.

Thy Word have I hid in my heart,
That I might not sin against Thee;
That I might not sin, that I might not sin,
Thy Word have I hid in my heart.

Forever, O Lord, is Thy Word
Established and fixed on high;
Thy faithfulness unto all men
Abideth forever nigh.

(3) Today in 1954 – Anna Russell Died

Anna Belle Russell lived in Corning, New York, where she belonged to the First Methodist Church. She and her sister Cora wrote a number of hymns. One of these is Wonderful, Wonderful Jesus, for which Ernest Sellers (see above) wrote the tune. He wrote to the author some years later to ask if there was any story behind the writing of the hymn, but she said there was nothing she could tell him. The song became a favourite of evangelist Gypsy Smith, and was much used in his meetings.

There is never a day so dreary,
There is never a night so long,
But the soul that is trusting in Jesus
Will somewhere find a song.

Wonderful, wonderful Jesus,
In the heart He implanteth a song:
A song of deliverance, of courage, of strength,
In the heart He implanteth a song.

Today in 1817 – Henry Harbaugh Born

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A farmer’s son, Henry Harbaugh worked as a carpenter, a teacher, and a writer. Then, after theological training, he became the pastor of a series of German Reformed Churches in the northeastern United States. Around 1863, he became professor of didactic and practical theology at Mercersburg Theological Seminary, the school from which he had graduated.

Ted Cottrill

Dr. Harbaugh wrote or translated several hymns, among them is a lovely little song of his own, Jesus, I Live to Thee, which became popularly known as the Mercersburg Hymn.

A personal note on this one. My father, Edward Cottrill (pictured here), was organist and choir director for Garside Bible Church (then Garside Gospel Church) in Hamilton, Ontario, for nearly 20 years. Around 1955, he wrote his own tune for Harbaugh’s hymn, and it was sung by the choir. Why not take a few moments to read the full hymn, and hear my father’s tune, Garside.

Jesus, I live to Thee,
The loveliest and best;
My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
In Thy blest love I rest.

Whether to live or die,
I know not which is best;
To live in Thee is bliss to me,
To die is endless rest.

(2) Today in 1820 – John Hopkins Born

John Henry Hopkins Jr. worked in New York City as a reporter, intending to pursue a career in law. But instead he decided to attend the General Theological Seminary there, from which he graduated in 1850. He became the seminary’s first music teacher, and edited the Church Journal, as well as serving later as a clergyman at Trinity Church, Plattsburg, New York.

Hopkins wrote a number of hymns, but he is best known for the carol, We Three Kings, written for a Christmas Pageant at the General Theological Seminary. The hymn is supposed to describe the visit of the wise men to the young Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 2:1-12. It is difficult to imagine, however, that a scholar of his stature could make so many mistakes in the opening line of the song–unless he simply didn’t care!

First, the biblical text nowhere tells us how many men there were. They are referred to in the plural, which could mean there were two or twenty-two. We don’t know. That there were three gifts presented  tells us nothing. (If you receive three gifts for Christmas, will that without doubt prove there were three separate gift-givers?)

Second, they were not from the “Orient,” which refers to the Far East, or Eastern Asia. Rather, they were likely from Persia (present day Iraq), in the Middle East. [A reader quite rightly corrected me on this. Before the Orient meant the Far East, it was simply applied to countries east of the Mediterranean. On this one, Hopkins was on solid ground.]

Third, they were not kings at all, but “wise men” or magi. The magi were men expert in the study of the stars. The Persians placed much faith in astrology, which is the reason they needed men trained to know the location and movement of the stars.

To Hopkins’s credit, however, he correctly identifies the symbolic meaning of the three gifts presented to Jesus. Whether the visitors fully comprehended it or not, in the providence of God, each of them is appropriate to the person of Christ.

  • As Hopkins indicates, gold speaks of Christ’s kingly majesty–“Gold I bring, to crown Him again.”
  • And “incense [frankincense] owns a Deity nigh,” because its rising smoke symbolizes prayer and worship.
  • Myrrh’s “bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom,” and points to the Lord’s death, because it was used as an embalming spice. (cf. Jn. 19:39-40).

As John Hopkins’s song says of the Lord Jesus Christ, “Glorious now behold Him arise: / King and God and Sacrifice.” At least in that, he got it right!

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Today in 312 – Constantine Converted

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Graphic Constantine

The professed conversion of the Roman emperor likely took place on this date. Constantine was a worshiper of Mithra, the Persian sun god. But on the eve of an important battle he claimed he had a vision of a cross above the setting sun, suggesting to him the superiority of Christ over Mithra. In letters of light, the cross bore the words Hoc Signo Vinces–“In this sign conquer!” And when Constantine won the battle the next day–in spite of his forces being greatly outnumbered–he believed he had received help from the Christian God, and declared himself to be a Christian. Or so the story goes.

Did he have some kind of genuine religious experience? Or was it a political ploy, conceived later, to curry the favour of Christians in the empire? Opinions differ. Not everything the emperor did afterward is consistent with his claim to faith in Christ. (He refused Christian baptism until near the end of his life.) However, he did become a strong supporter of the church. The Edict of Milan, published in 313 is a significant milestone in church history. From the latter years of the Apostolic Church (30-100 AD), until the edict, believers had endured wave after wave of persecution. But, across the Roman Empire, with the stroke of a pen, the era of the Heroic Church (100-313) ended, and that of the Institutional Church (313-590) began.

Constantine’s edict said in part:

It has pleased us to remove all conditions whatsoever…and now any one of these who wishes to observe the Christian religion may do so freely and openly, without disturbance or molestation.

Christians were now allowed to build churches and hold property. Their worship (and their sacred music) could be shared openly. But not all the changes accompanying the edict were beneficial. Constantine took leadership in summoning the bishops to discuss and rule on church business, and the line between church and state was blurred. Further, it suddenly became popular to say you were a Christian. The emperor made that claim, and it was always healthy to agree with the emperor! As a result, thousands joined the local churches, but numbers aren’t everything. Many were not truly born again, and they brought the baggage of their paganism with them.

(2) Today in 1782 – Robert Williams Born

Born in North Wales, and blind from birth, Robert Williams supported himself by his skill as a basket maker, in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He was also a capable amateur musician, and had a fine singing voice. Perhaps his blindness sharpened his memory, as is the case with many who have this disability. It was said he could write out a tune, without a mistake, after hearing it only once. Robert Williams composed the tune (Llanfair) often used with Charles Wesley’s ascension hymn, Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise. 

Christ’s return to heaven is an important event. It is recognized in the church calendar of liturgical churches, but many other congregations miss it.  The Lord Jesus Christ’s return to Glory signified the Father’s acceptance of His sacrifice. And as our great High Priest, seated at the Father’s right hand, He represents us there (Rom. 8:34; I Jn. 2:1). Wesley’s hymn on the subject alludes to the prophetic words of Ps. 24:7-10.

Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Re-ascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Circled round with angel powers, Alleluia!
Their triumphant Lord, and ours, Alleluia!
Conqueror over death and sin, Alleluia!
“Take the King of glory in! Alleluia!”

(3) Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen (Data Missing)

In 1788, the first independent African-American church was established in Savannah, Georgia. As well as singing the traditional Protestant hymns with which we are familiar, these churches developed their own genre of music that they called “Spiritual Himes.” They added new words to existing melodies, often changing the words each time the song was used!

At the time, there were laws prohibiting slaves from having drums, horns or other loud instruments. It was felt they might be used to signal rebelling slaves or call them to an illegal assembly. Instead, hand clapping and foot stomping commonly accompanied the singing.

There are various versions of the lyrics of the song Nobody Knowns the Trouble I’ve Seen. Below is a simple one. We don’t know who wrote the song, but its plaintive theme is typical of the black slave songs of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It speaks of the personal nature of each person’s struggle. We may be going through similar circumstances, but pain and suffering is an individual thing. Yet, as well as voicing the miseries of slave life, there is a gleam of Christian faith and hope in the words sometimes included in the song, “Nobody knows but Jesus.” Truly He understands our trials, and invites us to seek help at the throne of grace (cf. Heb. 4:14-16).

Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Nobody knows my sorrow;
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Glory hallelujah!
Sometimes I’m up, sometimes I’m down–
Oh, yes, Lord!
Sometimes I’m almost to the ground–
Oh, yes, Lord!
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Nobody knows but Jesus;
Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,
Glory hallelujah!

Here is a version of this spiritual sung by the incomparable Paul Robeson. Robeson (1898-1976) was a college football star, and later a stage and film actor, and an opera and concert singer. The recognition of his amazing achievements was clouded for many years by reaction to his political activism and controversial views. However, recordings of his voice demonstrate that he belongs in the highest rank as one of the greatest bass-baritones ever.

Today in 1751 – Philip Doddridge Died

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Philip Doddridge was the youngest of 20 children. (Only he and one sister survived past childhood.) In later years, he became a non-conformist clergyman in England, in addition to being known as an educator and author. As one of the dissenting clergy who did not associate themselves with the Church of England, he served an independent congregation, and tutored at a seminary for dissenting ministers from 1739 until his death.

Doddridge was also a prolific hymn writer, and quite a number of his songs are still found in our hymnals. (For more on Philip Doddridge and his hymns, see Today in 1702.) Among the hymns he gave us are:

Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve
Grace, ‘Tis a Charming Sound
Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand
How Gentle God’s Commands
O God of Bethel, By Whose Hand
O Happy Day
See Israel’s Gentle Shepherd Stand

Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand was originally headed by the words:

Help obtained of God. Acts xxvi:22
For New Year’s-Day.

And it would make a fine New Year’s song indeed! The text referenced is from the testimony of the Apostle Paul:

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

Acts 26:22-23

Great God, we sing that mighty hand
By which supported still we stand;
The opening year Your mercy shows,
That mercy crowns it ’til its close.

By day, by night, at home, abroad,
Still are we guarded by our God,
By His incessant bounty fed,
By His unerring counsel led.

With grateful hearts the past we own;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to Thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before Thy feet.

(2) Today in 1909 – Francis Pott Died

Francis Pott was an English clergyman. He wrote several original hymns, but is better known for his translation work, especially of ancient hymns in Latin and Syriac. But one original hymn of Pott’s bears mention here, as it concerns sacred music. It was written for the occasion of the dedication of a new church organ. He says, in Angel Voices Ever Singing:

Angel voices, ever singing, round Thy throne of light,
Angel harps, forever ringing, rest not day or night;
Thousands only live to bless Thee, and confess Thee Lord of might.

Thou who art beyond the farthest mortal eye can scan,
Can it be that Thou regardest songs of sinful man?
Can we feel that Thou art near us and wilt hear us? Yea, we can.

Here, great God, today we offer of Thine own to Thee;
And for Thine acceptance proffer, all unworthily,
Hearts and minds, and hands and voices, in our choicest melody.

In 1859, Francis Pott translated from Latin into English the resurrection hymn The Strife Is O’er. There is some question about the origin of the Latin song in the beginning. Some attribute it to the twelfth century. Others believe it was written by a German Jesuit in the seventeenth century. Likely its first publication, by an anonymous author, was in Colgne, in 1695.

The strife is o’er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!

The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!

Today in 1564 – Hans Hassler Born

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Hans Leo Hassler followed in his father Isaac’s footsteps as a skilled church organist. In the sermon preached at his father’s funeral, the speaker said Isaac had “carefully brought up and trained his son, Hans Leo, in the fear of God, in the free arts, and especially in the praiseworthy art of music.” The son is also considered one of the best German composers of the time.

In 1601, Hans Leo Hassler published a secular love song entitled, My Heart is Distracted by a Gentle Maid. A decade later, the tune for this ballad was adopted for use with a German hymn. Another 30 years passed, and the tune was used for a beautiful hymn by Paul Gerhardt. To enhance the singing of Gerhardt’s hymn, Johann Sebastian Bach harmonized Hassler’s tune in 1729, and it became Passion Chorale, which we still use with the English translation of Gerhardt’s reverent text, O Sacred Head Now Wounded.

I note this rather complicated history to indicate that though the music came from a secular source, long ago, it has been delivered from that association for nearly 400 years. There is a myth abroad that many (or most) of our hymn tunes began is melodies used with “barroom songs.” But such is not the case. This is one of the few examples found in most of our hymn books of a hymn tune that originally began as the melody for a secular song. Whether it was ever sung in a bar, I don’t know. But it has entirely lost any such association today.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

(2) Today in 1808 – Placide Cappeau Born

When he was only 8 years old, Placide Cappeau lost a hand in a firearms accident. He went on to become a wine merchant in the town of Roquemaure, in France, and later mayor of the town. He wrote poetry for his own enjoyment, and it is Cappeau who gave us the original French version of the carol, O Holy Night (Cantique de Noel). You can hear the great Enrico Caruso sing it here.

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Today in 1794 – William Tappan Born

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Hymn writer William Bingham Tappan was trained first as a clockmaker, in his youth. Later, he was licensed to preach by the Congregational denomination. He had a fruitful evangelistic ministry in America. Tappan also took special interest in the work of the Sunday School, and had a lifelong association with the American Sunday School Union. He published ten books of poetry, and a number of his poems were turned into hymns. William Tappen died of cholera in 1849, at the age of 55.

The hymn of his in widest use today is ‘Tis Midnight and on Olives Brow, a stirring picture of Christ in Gethsemane.

’Tis midnight, and on Olive’s brow
The star is dimmed that lately shone;
’Tis midnight, in the garden now
The suffering Saviour prays alone.

’Tis midnight, and from all removed
Emmanuel wrestles lone with fears
E’en the disciple whom He loved
Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears.

(2) Today in 1932 – Palmer Hartsough Died

Palmer Hartsough’s parents were Wells and Thankful Palmer. The son had a full life of employment and ministry for the Lord. He traveled widely for a time as a singing teacher, in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Then he opened a music studio in Rock Island, Illinois around 1877, taught vocal and instrumental music, and also directed music at a Baptist church.

In 1893 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and was employed by the Fillmore Music Company. He was later ordained as a pastor. After several brief church ministries, he became the pastor of the Baptist church in Ontario, Michigan, at the age of seventy, and had a fruitful ministry for fourteen years, until his retirement. Palmer Harsough wrote more than a thousand gospel song texts, often using the pen name Uncle Frank. Only one or two of his songs are remembered today.

Gospel musician James Fillmore wrote words and music for a song to be used at a Christian Endeavour convention. Afterward, he asked Hartsough, then a writer on the staff of Fillmore’s music company, if he could write words for the tune that would be more widely useful. Hartsough responded with the challenging gospel song I Am Resolved.

I am resolved no longer to linger,
Charmed by the world’s delight,
Things that are higher, things that are nobler,
These have allured my sight.

I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.

I am resolved, and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay,
Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,
We’ll walk the heav’nly way.

Today in 1844 – Robert Bridges Born

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Robert Seymour Bridges attended Oxford, and studied medicine at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. Later, because of ill health, he gave up his goal to become a doctor but, discovering he had a special gift for writing, he turned his career in that direction. Bridges published three volumes of poetry, several plays, and other works. He was also esteemed as a literary critic, and was named British Poet Laureate in 1913.

Mr. Bridges wrote a great deal about hymns and hymn writing, as well as contributing some hymns of his own. But his place in hymnody comes more from his translation work. He translated a number of hymns from German, for example, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, by Martin Janus, and Ah, Holy Jesus, How Has Thou Offended? by Johann Heerman.

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied Thee!
I crucified Thee.

And from Latin Robert Bridges has given us the fourth-century hymn by Ambrose of Milan, O Splendour of God’s Glory Bright.

O splendour of God’s glory bright,
O Thou that bringest light from light;
O Light of light, light’s living spring,
O day, all days illumining.

O Thou true Sun, on us Thy glance
Let fall in royal radiance;
The Spirit’s sanctifying beam
Upon our earthly senses stream.

(2) Today in 1862 – August Storm Born

August Ludvig Storm was a Salvation Army officer in Sweden. In 1891 he wrote a hymn of thanksgiving which is, to say the least, unusual. Unusual because it perceptively thanks the Lord for pains as well as pleasures. Most of us are ready and willing to thank the Lord for what we see as positive blessings. But it takes a deeper spiritual insight and faith to see our problems and burdens as something for which we can thank God as well.

The Apostle Paul provides an example of the latter. He reached the point where he realized that if God was glorified through his suffering, he could rejoice in that. Depending on the Lord in his times of weakness brought greater glory to God, and for that he was thankful.

A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Cor. 12:7-10

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Today in 1697 – Katharina von Schlegel Born

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Graphic Jesus on the Sea

Little is known of this hymn writer with the impressive name, Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel. She was attached to a small ducal court at Cothen, Germany. (One source says she headed an evangelical Lutheran nunnery there.) Before she died in 1768, she apparently wrote 29 hymns, but only one of them has been translated (by Jane Borthwick) and remains in common use. That is the beautiful Be Still, My Soul, which likely draws its inspiration in part from Ps. 46:10-11.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah [Think of that!]

As the Lord came to the disciples walking on the stormy sea, so He has proven Himself abundantly able to meet the needs of so many in the storms of life. Be Still, My Soul was the favourite hymn of Eric Liddell, the gold medalist in the 1924 Olympics, who later went to China as a missionary, and ended his life in a Japanese prison camp during the Second World War. It also proved a personal blessing to me at the time of a long stay in the hospital for a double surgery. Have you found it a blessing too? Post a comment and let us know.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.

The boys’ choir Libera, of St. Philip’s Church in South London, has produced a haunting video of this hymn. It juxtaposes the audio with images of British servicemen from the Second World War, making the point of the song in a powerful way. I encourage you to take a few moments to listen to this memorable performance on YouTube:

(2) More from Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is justly called “the Father of English Hymnody.” His approximately 600 hymns and paraphrases of the Psalms paved the way for Charles Wesley and others, beginning the Golden Age of English Hymnody (1700-1900). Here are two more of the songs he gave us: Come, We That Love the Lord, and Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed.

Notice the second stanza of the first hymn. It is not usually included in our hymnals, but it fits the next stanza logically. Watts had to confront many who thought only the Psalms should be sung in church, not newly written hymns. Further, the reference here to “pleasures” would have stunned many a staid Puritan in his day!

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

The sorrows of the mind
Be banished from this place!
Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.

Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad.

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

And now for something completely different. Are you familiar with Sacred Harp, shaped note singing? (The “sacred harp” is the human voice. The shaped notes involve a form of music notation in which each tone of the scale is given a unique shape.) The genre has been traced back to music in the country parishes of England, in the eighteenth century. If you’ve never heard it before, it may be a little startling! But I personally find it has a haunting quality that is memorable. Singing is unaccompanied, and singers sit around the leader, with many of them beating time themselves.

Robert Lowry added a refrain, and turned the above into a jubilant gospel song, but Watts’s version, using the traditional tune St. Thomas, should not be abandoned. And speaking of gospel song arrangements of great hymns, I have dealt elsewhere with Ralph Hudson’s mutilation of Isaac Watts’s Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed?

Briefly, Hudson’s jaunty tune, with refrain, completely ignores the somber, penitent mood of the original hymn. (Notice the second to last stanza, not usually included. It connects logically to the one that follows.) Watts originally called the hymn Godly Sorrow Arising from the Sufferings of Christ. The text should be sung with reverent awe, and the traditional tune Martyrdom suits that well.

Alas! and did my Saviour bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

Today in 1808 – Samuel Smith Born

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Samuel Francis Smith is best known in the USA as the author of the patriotic hymn, My Country, ‘Tis of Thee. But he had other hymns and other accomplishments to his credit. Smith attended Harvard University (was a classmate of Oliver Wendell Holmes there), and graduated from Andover Theological Seminary. He became a Baptist clergyman in 1832, pastoring a church in Waterville, Maine, and he served as editor of the Baptist Missionary Magazine. Francis Smith was also Professor of Modern Languages at Waterville College, and contributed material to the Encyclopedia Americana.

His hymn, The Morning Light Is Breaking, is an enthusiastic paean to the great advances in the area of world missions that he witnessed in his day. The nineteenth century has been called, in fact, the Century of Christian Missions, the period of the most rapid development in world evangelism since apostolic times. It often coincided with the imperialist expansion of the British Empire, and the two were viewed by many as being intertwined. The notion developed that lands were to be conquered in order to Christianize them.

This misconception was frequently accompanied by another. As the good news of the gospel spread far and wide, some took the theological position that they were ushering in the kingdom of Christ, and soon all the earth would own Him as Lord, and peace would prevail everywhere. Not surprisingly, some of the hymnody of the time suited this view. For example, consider the refrain of Henry Ernest Nichol’s hymn, We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations:

For the darkness shall turn to dawning,
And the dawning to noonday bright,
And Christ’s great kingdom shall come to earth,
The kingdom of love and light.

Well, yes it will. But it will not be brought in by the efforts of Christian missionaries. That is not what the Bible teaches. Rather, evil will advance and seem to threaten the very existence of truth until Christ comes to put down His enemies and usher in the kingdom by His almighty power. That is why the messianic kingdom in Daniel’s prophecy is pictured as a stone cut out without hands–meaning apart from human agency (Dan. 2:44-45). As for today, “Evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13). And things will be so bad that the Lord Jesus asks the question, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Lk. 18:8).

With this background, we can consider Samuel Smith’s hymn as an encouraging picture of missionary successes. Yes, we praise the Lord for the fruits of the gospel. But that is not a guarantee of final triumph and the universal worship of Christ brought in by our efforts. The “darkness disappears” only when the Light of the World returns. The “morning light” of Christ’s kingdom will not dawn until the Dayspring from on High comes to reign.

The morning light is breaking, the darkness disappears;
The sons of earth are waking, to penitential tears;
Each breeze that sweeps the ocean brings tidings from afar
Of nations in commotion, prepared for Zion’s war.

Rich dews of grace come o’er us, in many a gentle shower,
And brighter scenes before us, are opening every hour;
Each cry to heaven going, abundant answers brings,
And heav’nly winds are blowing, with peace upon their wings.

Christmas Carol Book

Do you have some favourite carols or Christmas hymns? If so, I believe you’ll be blessed by this book. In Discovering the Songs of Christmas, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 songs, taking us on a journey that reveals the wonder of God’s love, and the reasons for Christ’s coming. (The book might make a great gift for someone too!) There are many fascinating stories.

(2) More from Fanny Crosby

Spanning the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Frances Jane Crosby became the preeminent gospel song writer in America. Her nearly 9,000 songs also makes her the most prolific, by far. Here are a couple more of her songs: Jesus Is Calling, and What a Gathering!

Jesus is tenderly calling thee home
Calling today, calling today,
Why from the sunshine of love wilt thou roam,
Farther and farther away?

Calling today, calling today,
Jesus is calling,
Is tenderly calling today.

Jesus is waiting, O come to Him now,
Waiting today, waiting today,
Come with thy sins, at His feet lowly bow;
Come, and no longer delay.

Jesus is pleading, O list to His voice,
Hear Him today, hear Him today,
They who believe on His name shall rejoice;
Quickly arise and away.

In addition to this fine invitation hymn, Fanny has given us the following joyful anticipation of the great reunion of the saints in heaven. To see the full song, and hear the tune, check the Cyber Hymnal.

On that bright and golden morning,
When the Son of Man shall come,
And the radiance of His glory we shall see;
When from ev’ry clime and nation
He shall call His people home,
What a gath’ring of the ransomed that will be!

What a gath’ring, what a gath’ring,
What a gath’ring of the ransomed
In the summer land of love!
What a gath’ring, what a gath’ring,
Of the ransomed in that happy home above.

When the blest, who sleep in Jesus,
At His bidding shall arise
From the silence of the grave, and from the sea,
And with bodies all celestial
They shall meet Him in the skies,
What a gath’ring and rejoicing there will be!

O the King is surely coming,
And the time is drawing nigh,
When the blessèd day of promise we shall see;
Then the changing “in a moment,”
“In the twinkling of an eye,”
And forever in His presence we shall be.

Today in 1892 – Harold Loes Born

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Mr. Loes adopted the middle name Dixon in honour of A. C. Dixon, the pastor of Moody Church, becoming Harry Dixon Loes. He studied music at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, the American Conservatory of Music, the Metropolitan School of Music, and the Chicago Musical College. After serving as a musician in various churches, he joined the music faculty of Moody.

Harry Dixon Loes sometimes wrote both words and music for songs, as he did for All things in Jesus. But he also supplied tunes for the lyrics of others (e.g. for Avis Christiansen’s Blessed Redeemer, and Love Found a Way).  And Loes wrote the tune for a simple 1924 gospel song by Alfred Barrett, Jesus Won My Heart. As the Bible says, “The love of Christ compels us” (II Cor. 5:14). It becomes a great motivating factor in our lives, prompting things such as a holy walk and faithful service.

I am walking in the narrow way,
I am living for Jesus every day;
I have peace that never will depart,
Since Jesus won my heart.

(2) Today in 1908 – Stuart Hamblen Born

Wonderfully saved from a life of drunkenness and profanity, Carl Stuart Hamblen made an impact with his many gospel songs. He was in­duct­ed in­to the Coun­try/West­ern Song­writers Hall of Fame in 1970, and the Tex­as Coun­try Mu­sic Hall of Fame in 2001. Mr. Hamblen died in 1989. It Is No Secret is his best-known song. Another of his songs, Until Then expresses the Christian’s hope of heaven with colourful imagery. Many years ago, I sang it with a staff choir in a concert given at our church camp in Ontario.

My heart can sing when I pause to remember,
A heartache here is but a stepping stone
Along a trail that’s winding always upwards;
This troubled world is not my final home.

But until then my heart will go on singing;
Until then, with joy I’ll carry one–
Until the day my eyes behold the city,
Until the day God calls me home.

This weary world, with all its toil and trouble,
May take its toll of misery and strife;
The soul of man is like a waiting falcon:
When it’s released, it’s destined for the skies.

(3) Today in 1913 – Mary Lathbury Died

Mary Artemisia Lathbury was the daughter of a Methodist clergyman, and her two brothers were pastors also.  Mary herself is described as a glowing Christian with a gentle, loving manner.

Graphic Loaf of Bread

She was both a professional artist and a poet of note. She was also involved in the Chautauqua Movement, a religious and cultural institution that had a great impact on nineteenth century America. Its main conference grounds were in New York State, on beautiful Lake Chautauqua [Shuh-TAWK-wuh]. Thousands gathered in the summer months to listen to gifted musicians and hear stirring speeches. Bible study was a part of the program as well. Mary Lathbury became known as the Poet Laureate of Chautauqua. In that capacity Miss Lathbury has given us two beautiful songs.

During His years on earth, the Lord Jesus called Himself “the bread from heaven,” “the bread of God” and “the bread of life” (Jn. 6:32, 33, 35). That image of divine accessibility and abundance was on the mind of Mary Lathbury when she penned the words of her hymn, Break Thou the Bread of Life. At the request of Dr. John Vincent, the founder of Chautauqua, she wrote this hymn, simply calling it A Study Song. It now takes its title from the opening line.

Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;
My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word!

Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with Thee above;
Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love.

Mary Lathbury also produced a majestic hymn celebrating the glories of setting sun, and the anticipation of an eternal dawn, in 1877, when she was asked to write a hymn that would provide a suitable closing for the day’s activities. She wrote the words, and the music director, William Fisk Sherwin, supplied the tune–which he called Evening Praise. The poetess drew her inspiration from the beauties of the setting sun across the lake. In fact the hymn was first sung by campers gathered in a cluster of boats out on water at sunset.

Day is dying in the west;
Heav’n is touching earth with rest;
Wait and worship while the night
Sets the evening lamps alight
Through all the sky.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heav’n and earth are full of Thee!
Heav’n and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord most high!

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