James Edmeston was an English architect and surveyor by profession. He also served as the church warden at St. Barnabas, Homerton, and he strongly supported the London Orphan Asylum, visiting it frequently. It is said he wrote 2,000 hymns, one each Sunday for many years. Few remain in use. But one that is found in many hymnals is the beautiful evening hymn, Saviour, Breathe and Evening Blessing, written when he was 19 years old. You can see allusions to both Ps. 91:5 and 139:12 in these lines.
Saviour, breathe an evening blessing Ere repose our spirits seal; Sin and want we come confessing: Thou canst save, and Thou canst heal.
Though destruction walk around us, Though the arrow past us fly, Angel guards from Thee surround us; We are safe if Thou art nigh.
Though the night be dark and dreary, Darkness cannot hide from Thee; Thou art He who, never weary, Watchest where Thy people be.
(2) Today in 1819 – Joseph Scriven Born
Joseph Medlicott Scriven was born in Ireland. He emigrated to Canada in 1846 after his fiancee was drowned the night before they were to be married. He settled in Port Hope, Ontario, and lived there for the remainder of his life.
As a poem to comfort his mother who was sick back in Ireland, Scriven wrote What a Friend We Have in Jesus, in 1855. It was originally published anonymously, and Scriven did not receive credit for it for about 30 years. When asked if he wrote it, Mr. Scriven replied, “The Lord and I did it between us.”
Joseph Scriven belonged to the Plymouth Brethren, and was known in his community for his many deeds of charity. The single hymn for which he is now recognized has become one of the most popular in the English language, a great and continued blessing to tens of thousands.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Saviour, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.
William Dix’s father was a surgeon in Bristol, England. He wrote a biography of English poet Thomas Chatterton (also from Bristol). And so impressed was he with this eighteenth century author that he gave his son “Chatterton” as a middle name! William Chatterton Dix attended Bristol Grammar School in England, and later became the manager of a marine insurance company in Glasgow. An ardent Christian, he wrote several volumes of poetry and more than 40 hymns.
Mr. Dix has given us two fine Christmas carols: What Child Is This? and As with Gladness Men of Old. Lesser known, but of equal worth, is the hymn Alleluia, Sing to Jesus.
It has been claimed that What Child Is This? was taken from a longer poem called The Manger Throne, but that does not seem to be the case. Rather, it was written as an independent carol. It makes use of the old tune Greensleeves (a melody over 400 years old, that is mentioned several times in Shakespeare’s plays). For some reason recent editors have turned the last half of the first stanza into a repeated refrain for this hymn. But this misses the meaningful words of the second stanza. See if you can find a version that includes the whole song.
What Child is this who, laid to rest On Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing; Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate, Where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christians, fear, for sinners here The silent Word is pleading. Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, The cross be borne for me, for you. Hail, hail the Word made flesh, The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Mr. Dix wrote As with Gladness Men of Old on a Sunday when he was sick in bed and unable to attend church–it was a rarity for him to miss. He thought of the visit of the wise men, and of our need to offer our own gifts and worship to the Lord.
As with gladness, men of old Did the guiding star behold, As with joy they hailed its light Leading onward, beaming bright, So, most glorious Lord, may we Evermore be led to Thee.
As they offered gifts most rare At that manger rude and bare; So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, our heavenly King.
There is a lovely last stanza to the hymn that is not included in most hymnals. It brings the story of the incarnation to a fitting conclusion.
In the heavenly country bright, Need they no created light; Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown, Thou its Sun which goes not down; There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!
(2) There Are Angels Hovering Round (Data Missing)
This is another of those songs whose origins are lost in obscurity. The earliest publication I’ve seen is in a book called The Millennial Harp, published in 1843. I recall my father tell of hearing Dr. William Ward Ayre and his wife singing it as a soul-stirring duet, one hot summer night. (This would be at the Philpott Tabernacle, in Hamilton, Ontario, likely in the 1930s.)
There are many, many stanzas of this simple song. Here is the version I’m most familiar with.
Lydia Odell Baxter and her sister came to Christ with the help of Baptist missionary Eben Tucker. Following their conversion, the two helped found a local church. After Lydia married, she moved to New York City. She was an invalid, and bedridden, most of her adult life, but that didn’t stop her active mind from studying the Word of God and writing. In 1855, she published Gems by the Wayside–a book of devotional poems, and she authored a number of hymns.
In addition, Baxter often hosted meetings of Christian leaders at her home, and was a great blessing to those who gathered there. The one hymn of Lydia Baxter’s that remains in common use is Precious Name (otherwise known as Take the Name of Jesus with You). Written just four years before her death, this hymn identifies the source of her abounding joy. Note particularly the phrase in the refrain that describes Christ as the “hope of earth and joy of heaven.” (Think about it! In the words of a pastoral theology professor I had once, “That’ll preach!”)
Take the name of Jesus with you, Child of sorrow and of woe, It will joy and comfort give you; Take it then, where’er you go.
Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.
At the name of Jesus bowing, Falling prostrate at His feet, King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him, When our journey is complete.
(2) Today in 1849 – Lucy Meyer Born
Lucy Jane Rider Meyer was a lifelong educator. She was a high school teacher in Vermont, and taught at a school for freed slaves in North Carolina. Later she served as principal of a Methodist academy, and taught chemistry in a college in Illinois. After marrying Josiah Meyer, a Methodist Episcopal pastor, the two of them opened the Chicago Training School for City and Home Missions. She also founded a periodical, later named the Deaconess Advocate, and formed the Methodist Deaconess Association.
Mrs. Meyer wrote a number of hymns, and two of them are worthy of mention here: He Was Not Willing, and Ho, Everyone That Is Thirsty. Each of the four stanzas of the first song is a stinging rebuke of our complacency and inaction in Christ’s service. If your hymn book does not include it, it is worth tracking down and putting to use. (See the Cyber Hymnal.)
“He was not willing that any should perish”; Jesus enthroned in the glory above, Saw our poor fallen world, pitied our sorrows, Poured out His life for us, wonderful love! Perishing, perishing! Thronging our pathway, Hearts break with burdens too heavy to bear: Jesus would save, but there’s no one to tell them, No one to lift them from sin and despair.
“He was not willing that any should perish”; Am I His follower, and can I live Longer at ease with a soul going downward, Lost for the lack of the help I might give! Perishing, perishing! Thou wast not willing; Master, forgive, and inspire us anew; Banish our worldliness, help us to ever Live with eternity’s values in view.
In Ho, Every One That Is Thirsty, Lucy Meyer deals with the theme of soul-winning again, basing her thoughts on Isa. 55:1 and 44:3:
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price….For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
Ho! every one that is thirsty in spirit, Ho! every one that is weary and sad; Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus, All that you’re longing for: come and be glad!
“I will pour water on him that is thirsty, I will pour floods upon the dry ground; Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing; While ye are seeking Me, I will be found.”
(3) Today in 1921 – Mosie Lister Born
Thomas Mosie Lister has been involved in gospel music for over half a century. In his early years he travelled with a quartet. But as he became more in demand as a songwriter, he stopped travelling to devote his time to creating music for others to sing. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1976, and the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 1997.
In 1958 Lister was asked to write a song for legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, and he did so (though there is no evidence she ever sang it). He thought about the struggles of her people with the storms of segregation and rampant racism, and of their need to look to the Lord in faith. With these thoughts in mind he created the inspiring ‘Til the Storm Passes By. It is a song that can encourage any of us, as believers, no matter what kind of storms we are facing in our lives.
In the dark of the midnight Have I oft hid my face, While the storm howls above me, And there’s no hiding place. ‘Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry, Keep me safe ‘til the storm passes by.
Here is Southern Gospel singer, the late Vestal Goodman (1929-2003). With her powerful voice, she originally hoped to train for an operatic career, but the Lord turned her in the direction of a sacred music ministry instead. As a soloist, she became known as the Queen of Gospel Music, but Vestal also sang as a member of the Happy Goodmans. Here she is, with a stirring rendition of the above song.
John Greenleaf Whittier was born on a farm in Massachusetts. In his youth, he read a book of verse by the Scottish poet Robert Burns, which fueled his interest in writing verse. Today, he is considered to be in the ranks of America’s greatest poets.
Whittier was a Quaker (a member of the Society of Friends), and eventually gained fame as the “Quaker Poet.” He was a strong advocate for the abolition of slavery in America. (Was attacked by mobs several times because of this.) When he attended Haverhill Academy, he supported himself by teaching, and by working as a shoemaker. In 1835 Whittier was elected to the Massachusetts legislature. He also served as the editor of several publications, and published many books of his poetry.
Some fine hymns have been taken from Whittier’s poetical works, but he did not consider himself a hymn writer. He said, “I am not really a hymn writer for the good reason that I know nothing of music….A good hymn is the best use to which poetry can be devoted, but I do not claim that I have succeeded in composing one.” (Many would differ with him on that!)
The hymns taken from John Greenleaf Whittier’s poetry include: Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, I Know Not What the Future Hath, and Immortal Love–Forever Full. You may find the last of these listed as We May Not Climb the Heavenly Steeps. It is the same hymn, taken from the same poem, but just starting in a different place. The words “immortal love” actually begin the poem, while “We may not climb” is the opening phrase of a later stanza.
Immortal love, forever full, Forever flowing free, Forever shared, forever whole, A never ebbing sea!
We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down; In vain we search the lowest deeps, For Him no depths can drown.
But warm, sweet, tender, even yet, A present help is He; And faith still has its Olivet, And love its Galilee.
O Lord and Master of us all, Whate’er our name or sign, We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call, We test our lives by Thine.
Hymns and the Bible: For some, it seems that factors such as “Is it the newest and latest?” or “Is it one of our old favourites?” are the basis for their choice of hymnody. But I would argue that first and foremost must be this question: Is it biblical? I invite you to check out my article on the subject.
(2) Eternity! Eternity! (Data Missing)
We know nothing of the origin of the hymn Eternity! Eternity! except that it first appeared in print in 1625. Catherine Winkworth has given us the English version of the unknown author’s German original. It is a long hymn–a dozen seven-line stanzas. And its purpose is to call all to think seriously upon the finality of eternity, and consider what their eternal destiny will be. Below is a sample of this unusual song. You can see the entire hymn on the Cyber Hymnal.
Eternity! Eternity! How long art thou, Eternity! And yet to thee time hastes away, Like as the warhorse to the fray, Or swift as couriers homeward go, Or ship to port, or shaft from bow. Ponder, O Man, Eternity!
Eternity! Eternity! How long art thou, Eternity! For e’en as on a perfect sphere End nor beginning can appear, E’en so, Eternity, in thee Entrance nor exit can there be. Ponder, O Man, Eternity!
Eternity! Eternity! How long art thou, Eternity! O Man, full oft thy thoughts should dwell Upon the pains of sin and hell, And on the glories of the pure, That both beyond all time endure, Ponder, O Man, Eternity!
Aaron Robarts Wolfe was an American Presbyterian clergyman who also established a ladies’ seminary. He wrote several hymns, but only one is in common use today, Complete in Thee. It is based on Col. 2:10, “You are complete in Him,” speaking of how the Father views us as to our standing. By faith, Christians are in Christ, and have a perfectly righteous standing in God’s sight, because the righteousness of Christ has been credited to our heavenly account (cf. II Cor. 5:21).
Later, a refrain was added to Aaron Wolfe’s hymn by James M. Gray, the president of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
Complete in Thee! No work of mine May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine; Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, And I am now complete in Thee.
Yea, justified! O blessed thought! And sanctified! Salvation wrought! Thy blood hath pardon bought for me, And glorified, I too, shall be!
Dear Saviour, when before Thy bar All tribes and tongues assembled are, Among Thy chosen will I be, At Thy right hand, complete in Thee.
(2) Today in 1880 – Ira Wilson Born
Ira Bishop Wilson was taught to play the organ and the violin by his sister, and he began studying music theory in his youth. He entered Moody Bible Institute with the view of training to be a musical evangelist, but later accepted a position as a composer and editor with the Lorenz Publishing Company. There he wrote a large number of hymn arrangements, choral anthems and cantatas.
A friend named Phil Kerr came to visit him one day. Both men were gospel musicians and, at Ira’s invitation, the other man sat down at the piano to play and sing. He finished with a gospel song first introduced at a Sunday School Convention, in 1924. It has since challenged many to fuller service for Christ. Ira Wilson listened politely, but it was evident he did not know the song. His eyes widened in astonishment when Kerr said, “You wrote that. That’s one of yours.”
The song was being widely used, but its author had long forgotten it. Part of the reason is Ira Wilson’s main ministry was composing music for the lyrics of other people. Make Me a Blessing is one of the few numbers for which he wrote the words himself–back in 1909, about 35 years before the incident described. For many years, he had been a blessing without even knowing it.
Out in the highways and byways of life, Many are weary and sad; Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife, Making the sorrowing glad.
Make me a blessing, make me a blessing, Out of my life may Jesus shine; Make me a blessing, o Saviour I pray, Make me a blessing to someone today.
(3) Today in 1891 – John Charles Thomas Born
John Charles Thomas was one of the most popular singers of the early part of the twentieth century. Toronto music critic Clyde Gilmore described him as having a voice like a pipe organ! Another declared Thomas had one of the three greatest voices he had ever heard. The baritone was equally at home singing a part at the Metropolitan Opera, or entertaining on the concert stage. One of the first “cross-over” musicians, he sang not only a classical repertoire, but also popular songs. To get some idea of his voice, listen to the old ballad Bendemeer’s Stream, recorded in 1939.
As far as I know, he made no claim to being a born again Christian, but his father Milson Thomas was an itinerant Methodist clergyman, preaching in the mining settlements of the eastern United States. The son grew up loving the old hymns. As an adult, he had a weekly radio broadcast on which, with the King’s Men Quartet, he sang his way through the hymn book. Recordings of some of these broadcasts are still around. With his crisp diction, the message of the songs shines through. Interestingly, John Charles Thomas became the vocal coach of an up-and-coming gospel singer named George Beverley Shea.
At some point in 1934, Albert Hay Malotte heard the powerful voice of Mr. Thomas over the radio, and determined to write a song especially for him. Malotte worked at the Disney studios, creating background music for cartoons such as Silly Symphonies. But, as a Presbyterian layman and skilled organist, he also composed sacred music. The Bible passage Malotte selected to set to music in this case was this:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matt. 6:9-13, KJV)
Albert Hay Malotte’s setting of The Lord’s Prayer became popular for decades, largely due to Mr. Thomas’s recording of it. It’s still sung at weddings and other special occasions, and a basic hymn arrangement is included in some hymn books. John Charles Thomas – Prima Voce is a CD that contains the Lord’s Prayer.
Frederick Oakeley was an English pastor who worked among the poor. He is known in hymnody for translating the carol O Come, All Ye Faithful from Latin into English in 1841. However, his original began with the cumbersome, “Ye faithful, approach ye.” Thankfully, when the hymn was published in 1852, this was changed, becoming the familiar hymn found in hymnals today.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem! Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
About That “Metrical Index”: Perhaps your hymn book has at the back something called a Metrical Index, with lists of names followed by funny-looking numbers. What’s it for? How can we make practical use of it? My article will explain.
(2) Today in 1851 – Howard Grose Born
Howard Benjamin Grose was educated at the University of Chicago, and the University of Rochester. He was ordained as a Baptist minister, and served both as a university president (at the University of South Dakota), and as a professor of history at the University of Chicago. He also served as an editor of some Baptist publications, and wrote a number of books. In 1902 he wrote the dedication hymn, Give of Your Best to the Master.
Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth. Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardour Into the battle for truth. Jesus has set the example, Dauntless was He, young and brave. Give Him your loyal devotion; Give Him the best that you have.
Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth. Clad in salvation’s full armor, Join in the battle for truth.
Give of your best to the Master; Give Him first place in your heart. Give Him first place in your service; Consecrate every part. Give, and to you will be given; God His beloved Son gave. Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.
English scholar Edwin Hatch was that happy combination of great learning and simple faith. James Moffatt said of him, “Profound as his learning was, his published sermons show that his piety was as simple and unaffected as a child’s.” Dr. Hatch was professor of classics at Trinity College in Toronto for a time, then rector of the Quebec High School. He returned to England and to Oxford University in 1867, coincidentally the year of the birth of the Dominion of Canada.
Edwin Hatch was an acknowledged master of historical research. His Brampton Lectures “On the Organization of Early Christian Churches” were influential in Europe. He wrote a concordance of the Septuagint, as well as essays on biblical Greek. He wrote a few hymns as well, but only one has remained in common us, Breathe on Me, Breath of God.
The hymn is based on John 20:22, which records how the Lord Jesus met with His disciples in the upper room after His resurrection, and “He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.” No further explanation is given. This may have been a special endowment of power in preparation for Pentecost a few days later.
It is presented as a historical incident. There is no evidence that Christ’s action was ever repeated, or that it’s something to be claimed by believers today. However, we know the indwelling Spirit of God works to produce the fruit of Christlikeness in us (II Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:22-23). And we could take Hatch’s hymn simply as a prayer for the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives as Christians.
Breathe on me, breath of God, Fill me with life anew, That I may love what Thou dost love, And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God, Until my heart is pure, Until with Thee I will one will, To do and to endure.
(2) Today in 1847 – Henry Lyte Preached Last Sermon
Henry Francis Lyte was an esteemed and godly English pastor. He wrote many hymns, including Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, and Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken, but the most familiar by far is the lovely Abide with Me.
Lyte suffered from asthma, and toward the end of his life contracted tuberculosis. As his condition deteriorated, he reluctantly agreed to move to the south of France, in hopes that the warmer climate would help. When he preached his last sermon, he was so weak he had to be assisted into the pulpit. In the evening of the same day he placed in the hands of a relative the text of this hymn, along with a tune he had written for it. (It is now sung to Eventide, a tune by William Henry Monk.)
Unfortunately, the change of climate did little help Henry Lyte. He died and was buried in Nice, France, less than 3 months after he left England. But his stirring prayer hymn lives on long after him.
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
This prayer echoes the words of two disciples (possibly husband and wife) long ago. Following Christ’s resurrection, they met Him on the road to the village of Emmaus where their home was. There, “they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to stay with them” (Lk. 24:29). A poetic answer to Lyte’s plea was written by an anonymous World War One soldier. As though the Lord Jesus is speaking, it says, in part:
I will abide, though night is drawing nigh; Though cloud and darkness now obscure the sky. I know thy sorrows, see thy falling tear, Give Me thine hand, for I am ever near.
A little while, and then it will be light; Thy faith shall be exchanged for perfect sight; No fears to vex thee, nothing to molest, For thou shalt be with Me in perfect rest.
Sometimes called Gregory the Great, this man expanded the influence of the papal see, and his rule marked the beginning of the era of the Roman Church which would last for about a thousand years, until the Reformation. (This period also roughly corresponds to what we know as the Middle Ages.) An able administrator, Gregory was the first bishop of Rome to assume broad political powers. He involved himself in politics, appointing heads of cities, negotiating treaties, mustering troops when he felt they were needed.
In his Dialogues, Gregory wrote about the early saints, telling fantastic tales about their miraculous powers–accounts that went far beyond Scripture. He promoted the veneration of body parts, clothing, and other relics of these departed individuals. He taught that the Lord’s Supper is not simply a memorial ceremony, but that it actually repeats and carries on the work of Calvary. He believed in purgatory, and taught that masses should be said for the aid of the dead.
Gregory is credited with originating or popularizing the form of church music now called Gregorian Chants (or plainsong chants), though he did not write all of them himself. These simple songs, with their long drawn-out phrases, still evoke a sense of calm reverence. They contrast markedly with the secular music of the time. Not all of them would be acceptable doctrinally to Bible-believing Christians, but many would. For example, there is:
Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.
Christ became obedient for us unto death, even to the death, death on the cross.
Apart from the unbiblical doctrines he espoused, the most harmful thing Gregory did was to take singing away from the congregation, turning it over to the clergy and trained singers. He made no provision for gathered believers to participate in this way, and they became mere spectators of the music. It took the Reformation to restore this important element of worship and fellowship to the people.
On the musical side of things, the hymn tune Hamburg (often used with When I Survey the Wondrous Cross) was adapted by Lowell Mason from a Gregorian Chant. And Gregory’s words for a chant called Rex Christe, factor omnium, were translated from Latin by Ray Palmer in 1858, and turned into a congregational hymn that begins:
O Christ, our King, Creator, Lord, Saviour of all who trust Thy Word, To them who seek Thee ever near, Now to our praises bend Thine ear.
Praise the Lord for the gift of song! And praise the Lord we can unite in song as a fellowship of believers. “Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name” (Ps. 30:4). “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of saints” (Ps. 149:1). “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16).
(2) Caedmon’s Hymn (Data Missing)
Suppose we were to look for the very first hymn in the English language. For a formal expression of praise, we can go no further back than the work of a shepherd named Caedmon, in Northumbria (England).
Ruins of Whitby Abbey
Caedmon lived around the end of the 7th century. (The generally accepted date of his death is AD 680.) His poetry, written in Old English is unreadable today, except by scholars. But the words of Caedmon’s Hymn deserve recognition, all the same, because this is the first example of English literature of any kind for which we know the author.
Until quite late in life, Caedmon showed no musical ability. Sometimes, this became an embarrassment. At times of feasting, a harp would be passed around the company of those gathered, with each person invited to play and sing a song. When his turn approached, Caedmon would make a hasty exit, embarrassed and humiliated because he had nothing to offer.
But on one such evening, he went to the stable (for which he was responsible), where he lay down and fell asleep. It is reported–whether fact or fancy–that he dreamed that night of an angelic visitor who asked him to sing. “What must I sing?” Caedmon asked, in his dream. “Sing about the beginning of created things,” was the response.
When he awoke, it is said the shepherd found himself able to compose a hymn praising the God of creation. It was to be the first of many offerings from his pen. The Abbess Hilda, of nearby Whitby Abbey, recognized his gifts, and invited him to join the community as a lay-brother. He spent the remainder of his life there, writing poems about events in biblical history. Today, a monument near the ruins of the abbey praises him as “The Father of English Sacred Song.” Caedmon’s Hymn begins:
Nu sculon herigean heofonrices weard, Meotodes meahte and his modgeþanc.
Strange though it may seem, that is an early form of the English language! (English has changed enormously over 13 centuries!) If you would like to hear how the original sounded, you can hear the hymn read here. And below is a rough updating of the text.
Now we must praise the Keeper of heaven’s kingdom, The power of the Creator, and His intention, The work of the Father of glory, How for each of the wonders The eternal Lord established a beginning. He first shaped for the sons of men Heaven as a roof, the holy Maker; Then the inhabited world mankind’s Guardian, The eternal Lord, made afterwards, Solid ground for men, the All-powerful created.
Though difficult to translate smoothly, this hymn expresses a number of key biblical truths. It recognizes the existence of God, His eternality, and His role as Creator (cf. Ps. 90:2; Heb. 11:3). It lauds His power, and owns His sovereign lordship (cf. Dan. 4:34-35). It recognizes His wisdom, and His gracious provision for the human family (cf. Ps. 145:9; Matt. 5:45).
Charles Davis Tillman worked as a house painter, and as the travelling salesman for a music company in the United States. He also sang on a travelling peddler’s wagon advertising “Wizard Oil,” a quack medicine that claimed it could cure rheumatism.
A picture sent to me by a boyhood friend now living in Arizona. Lorne is waving from the caboose–though difficult to see.
In addition, early on, Tillman helped his father in evangelistic work, beginning his own career as a singing evangelist at the age of 26. He eventually formed his own music company and published 20 gospel song collections. He was the first to publish the spiritual Gimme That Old Time Religion, after hearing a black congregation singing it at a camp meeting in South Carolina.
Charles Tillman also wrote the tune for the song for which he is best known now, Life’s Railway to Heaven. Some suggest a Mormon poet named Eliza Roxcy Snow Young had a part in it. She did write a poem called Truth Reflects Upon Our Senses which uses the same refrain as the present gospel song. But that is all we know.
The song uses the analogy of a journey by rail to tell how the Lord can help believers through the dangers and difficulties of life. It has long been a favourite of railroaders, and Bev Shea and others have made recordings of it. The song is still found in some collections of gospel songs.
Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that’s brave; We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave; Watch the curves, the fills, the tunnels; never falter, never quail; Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.
Blessèd Saviour, Thou wilt guide us, Till we reach that blissful shore; Where the angels wait to join us In Thy praise forevermore.
You will roll up grades of trial; you will cross the bridge of strife; See that Christ is your Conductor on this lightning train of life; Always mindful of obstruction, do your duty, never fail; Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.
This is one of those songs with a vague theology that can satisfy evangelical believers because of what can be read into it. But it has also been recorded by many Country artists (Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis) who, as far as I know, have made no claim to being Christian. They see it simply as a “religious” number to include among other songs in an album because it will “sell.” Having said that, I believe the singer below is sincere.
(2) In Thee, Lord, Have I Put My Trust (Data Missing)
In contrast with the previous song, this very old hymn (1533) comes across like a biblical psalm, rich in devotional meaning. (See the Cyber Hymnal for the full text and the tune–which has an unusual metre.)
The hymn was written by Adam Reissener, the German original being entitled In dich hab ich gehoffet, Herr. Catherine Winkworth has given us the English translation. We know little of Reissener. He was born in 1496, and died about 1575, so he lived through the early years of the Protestant Reformation in Germany. He wrote over 40 hymns.
In Thee, Lord, have I put my trust, Leave me not helpless in the dust, Let not my hope be brought to shame, But still sustain, Through want and pain, My faith that Thou art aye the same.
Incline a gracious ear to me, And hear the prayers I raise to Thee, Show forth Thy power and haste to save! For woes and fear Surround me here, Oh swiftly send the help I crave!
Thy Word hath said, Thou art my Rock, The Stronghold that can fear no shock, My help, my safety, and my life, Howe’er distress And dangers press, What then shall daunt me in the strife?
3) Today in 1887 Jessie Seymour Irvine died.
Jessie’s father was a pastor in the Scottish parish of Donottar. He later moved with his family to the village of Crimond in the northeast of Scotland, where Pastor Irvine served a church for thirty years. According to her sister, Jessie created, in 1871, a beautiful hymn tune fitting the 23rd Psalm. However, knowing no music theory, she passed it on to a tobacco merchant and musician named David Grant to harmonize. The result is the tune Crimond, named after the town. Some books have given Grant the credit for writing the melody, but most hymnals now identify Jessie Irvine (1836-1887) as the composer. The text of Psalm 23 used with it comes from the Scottish Psalter of 1650.
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie In pastures green; He leadeth me The quiet waters by.
American preacher, Edward Payson Hammond, was converted to Christ through the singing of Isaac Watts’s hymn, Alas, and Did My Saviour Bleed? He became an evangelist who ministered not only in America, but in Scotland, and on the European Continent, as well as in Egypt, and Palestine. He was especially interested in children, and became known as the Children’s Evangelist.
Mr. Hammond reports that in a meeting at Utica, New York, he explained how the Lord Jesus loves us, and how He gave Himself to die for our sins. He says, “I noticed a bright-looking girl bursting into tears.” After the meeting, he was privileged to lead her to faith in the Saviour. The day after, he received a note from her hand which said:
I think I have found the dear Jesus, and I do not see how I could have rejected him so long. I think I can sing with the rest of those who have found him, Jesus is mine [i.e. Fanny Crosby’s Blessed assurance, Jesus Is Mine]. The first time I came to the meetings I cried, but now I feel like singing all the time.
It was that last statement that inspired Edward Hammond to write the song Praise Him all the Time (sometimes called Singing All the Time). It was a favourite of Charles Spurgeon’s.
I feel like singing all the time, My tears are wiped away; For Jesus is a friend of mine, I’ll serve Him every day.
I’ll praise Him, praise Him, Praise Him all the time! Praise Him, praise Him, I’ll praise Him all the time!
When on the cross my Lord I saw, Nailed there by sins of mine; Fast fell the burning tears; but now, I’m singing all the time.
The wondrous story of the Lamb, Tell with that voice of thine, Till others, with the glad new song Go singing all the time.
(2) Today in 1925 – John Moore Born
Some experiences in our lives stand out as especially memorable. That happens to hymn writers too. And they are able to bless us all by describing what they experienced or learned in a hymn that many can enjoy.
In 1952, a young pastor visited a critically ill sailor in a Glasgow hospital. After chatting with him a few minutes, the pastor, whose name was John Moore, reached in his bag for a tract he might leave with him. What came to hand was a little summary of John Bunyan’s classic story, The Pilgrim’s Progress.
On the front was a picture of Pilgrim coming to the cross with an enormous sack tied to his back. Pastor Moore explained how the weight of sin rolled off Pilgrim’s back at the cross. “And do you feel that kind of burden on your heart today?” asked the visitor. The young man nodded, with tears running down his cheeks. The pastor prayed with him, and was privileged to lead him to faith in Christ that day.
Back home, John M. Moore (1925- ) could not get the thrill of the experience out of his mind. “His burden is lifted!” he said to himself. And taking a piece of paper, he began to write the words and music for a song which, he reports, just seemed to flow from his pen.
Days are filled with sorrow and care, Hearts are lonely and drear; Burdens are lifted at Calvary– Jesus is very near.
Cast your care on Jesus today, Leave your worry and fear; Burdens are lifted at Calvary– Jesus is very near.
The choir in the following clip sits down to sing–which was new to me. And the gentleman who sings one verse as a solo forgets his words, much to the amusement of a woman near him. Nevertheless, it’s an adequate rendering of Pastor Moore’s hymn.
After traveling back and forth across the Atlantic a number of times on speaking tours, Pastor Moore emigrated to Canada, where he served as a Baptist pastor in the Toronto area. He continued writing hymns, including Why Did They Nail Him to Calvary’s Tree?
