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James Montgomery

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Poland (or Koschat), by Thomas Koschat (b. Aug. 8, 1845; d. May 19, 1914)

Note: This beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23 has been sung to a variety of tunes since it was written in 1822. Most familiar to me is Thomas Koschat’s Poland (which the Cyber Hymnal calls The Lord Is My Shepherd).

The stately flow of this melody suggests a serenity befitting the theme. (The tune requires a repeat of the last line of each stanza, which works as a means of emphasis.) The harmony of the alto part enhances it wonderfully and, at times, becomes a kind of counter melody. If it is still found on YouTube when you read this, you can find a rendition of it here.

One further note on the words. The Cyber Hymnal drops the word “the,” several times when I don’t believe it’s necessary–nor do most printings of the hymn do this. Lines where it is done: (2), line 1: “Through the valley of shadow;” (3), line 1: “In the midst of affliction;” and (4), line 4: “Through the land of their sojourn”

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

The work of shepherds with their flocks is a prominent subject in the Bible. Words such as shepherd, sheep, and flock are found over four hundred and sixty times within its pages.

There are several reasons for that. First, Israel was an agrarian society, and sheep provided both food and clothing for the people. Then there was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Beginning with Abel (Gen. 4:4), many thousands of sheep–and other animals–were sacrificed upon ancient altars. They provided a picture of the innocent dying in place of the guilty, pointing forward to the great and final sacrifice of Christ, “the Lamb of God” (Jn. 1:29).

In addition, the watchful care of the shepherd, and the proneness of sheep to wander and put themselves in danger, provides a wonderful picture of the Lord’s concern for us often wayward human beings.

It’s particularly the analogy to shepherd care that hymn writers have employed again and again. There are dozens of English hymns on the theme, some closely following the wording of Psalm 23, “The Shepherd Psalm.” Others are a paraphrase of it, or of other passages on the subject. Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us is an example, and He Leadeth Me, and The Ninety and Nine. Montgomery’s version is a paraphrase, though it follows the text quite closely.

(1) The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

The Lord Jesus is called the Shepherd of His flock several times in the New Testament. He refers to Himself as “the good Shepherd,” who gives His life to save the sheep (Jn. 10:11). He is also “that great Shepherd of the sheep” who continues to work in the lives of believers, bringing spiritual growth (Heb. 13:20-21). As “the Chief Shepherd,” He will one day reward faithful servants who do His will (I Pet. 5:2-4).

(2) Through the valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall, with my Comforter near.

(3) In the midst of affliction my table is spread;
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;
O what shall I ask of Thy providence more?

It’s not that the Christian will have no trouble in his life, no challenging obstacles, no distracting pain. But the Lord has promised sustaining grace through all these things (cf. Paul’s experience, II Cor. 12:7-10). Not only that, but we are assured of a happy ending. In all such things the Lord works continually for our good and His own glory.

(4) Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,
Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above;
I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod,
Through the land of their sojourn, Thy kingdom of love.

Questions:

  1. What aspect of the Lord’s shepherd care is especially meaningful to you?
  2. What hymns on the shepherd theme are particular favourites of yours?

Links:

We Bid Thee Welcome

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Keble, by John Bacchus Dykes (b. March 10, 1823; d. Jan. 22, 1876)

Note: The tune by Dykes is a fine one. Another that is sometimes used with this hymn is Missionary Chant, by Heinrich Christoph Zeuner (1795-1857)–who took the name of Charles Zeuner, when he came to America. His tune is also used with Ye Christian Heralds. I personally like a newer tune called Smolan, by Eldon Burkwall (1928- ). The tune is found with the present hymn in the hymnal Great Hymns of the Faith. If your congregation is familiar with the hymn O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee, you could use its tune, Maryton, by Henry Percy Smith (1825-1898). It works very well with this hymn.

Montgomery produced the hymn in 1825, and his heading tells you the purpose he intended. He called it “Induction of a Minister”–later published with the heading “On the Appointment of a Minister.” Since this is something most local churches face at some time or other, the hymn is worth noting. It goes, stanza by stanza, through various duties of a pastor. The original had six stanzas, though only three or four are commonly used today.

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

T he coming of a new pastor to a local church is a major event. And one of the things it is wise to point out, early on, is what the expectations are–both of the pastor and his family, and also those of the congregation he will serve. My first pastorate was in a little country church, and I didn’t learn until my first winter there that the pastor was expected to come over about 3:00 a.m. each Sunday morning, to get the three wood stoves fired up. (Fortunately for me, the congregation soon after voted to put in central heating!)

Expectations. Or, we might use the word perceptions. What role do people expect the pastor to fulfil? How do they perceive what his ministry will be? James Montgomery’s hymn takes us through six of these that are worthy of our thought and study: a servant, a shepherd, at teacher (cf. Exod. 17:8-13), an angel (see note below), a watchman (cf. Ezek. 33:6-7), and a messenger.

(1) We bid thee welcome in the name
Of Jesus, our exalted Head.
Come as a servant, so He came,
And we receive thee in His stead.

The ascended (“exalted”) Lord Jesus Christ is Head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23). The pastor comes as a representative of Christ, and he is there to serve, as was the Lord Jesus on earth (Mk. 10:45). Of course each of us is the be a servant of God (Rom. 12:1, 11), but this is especially emphasized with regard to pastors who are “serving as overseers” (I Pet. 5:1). The word “minister” that we used to refer to a pastor means servant.

(2) Come as a shepherd–guard and keep
This fold from harm of earth and sin;
Nourish the lambs and feed the sheep;
The wounded heal, the lost bring in.

As you will see, there is some overlap in these roles. The “shepherd” encompasses a number of them. “Shepherd the flock,” says Peter (I Pet. 5:2), a form of the Greek word poimen, which means shepherd or pastor. As pastors, we are to guard and keep the flock given into our charge. Montgomery’s original says we’re to keep them “from hell and world and sin.” However, if they are truly part of God’s flock, He has already delivered them from hell. I noticed that Great Hymns of the Faith has changed this to what I have above.

(3) Come as a teacher–sent from God,
Charged His whole counsel to declare.
Lift o’er our ranks the prophet’s rod
While we uphold thy hands with prayer.

(4) Come as an angel–hence to guide
A band of pilgrims on their way,
That, softly walking at thy side,
We fail not, faint not, turn nor stray.

In giving John messages for each of seven churches listed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, John is told to write “to the angel” of each church (e.g. Rev. 2:1). It is the Greek word aggelos, frequently translated “angel.” However, in a number of other places it is rendered “messenger” (cf. Lk. 7:24; Jas. 2:25), and I think that is the meaning here. These are the messengers from each church, each one representing the congregation, perhaps referring to the pastors.

(5) Come as a watchman–take thy stand
Upon the tower amidst the sky,
And when the sword comes on the land,
Call us to fight, or warn to fly.

(6) Come as a messenger of peace,
Filled with the Spirit, fired with love;
Live to behold our large increase
And die to meet us all above.

Questions:

  1. Which of these roles do you think is most significant, or most important for a pastor?
  2. Which of the six do you believe is the most difficult for most pastors?

Links:

Go to Dark Gethsemane

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Redhead 76, by Richard Redhead (b. March 1, 1820; d. Apr. 27, 1901)

Note: Montgomery’s text was first published in 1820, then he revised and republished it, five years later. This accounts for a number of the differences in some hymnals. Preeminent hymn historian John Julian has printed both versions in his massive two-volume Dictionary of Hymnology (pp. 430-431). Here are both the 1820 and 1825 versions of (4) so you can see some of the changes the author made.

(1820)
Early to the tomb repair,
Where they laid His breathless clay;
Angels kept their vigils there:
Who hath taken Him away?
“Christ is risen,” He seeks the skies;
Saviour! Teach us so to rise.

(1825)
Early hasten to the tomb,
Where they laid His breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom–
Who hath taken Him away?
Christ is risen–He meets our eyes;
Saviour, teach us so to rise.

The tune is sometimes called Redhead 76, because it is number 76 in the composer’s Church Hymn Tunes. As well, you may find it with one of several other names: Ajalon, Gethsemane, Petra, or simply Redhead.

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

Years ago, a pastor visited Gethsemane with some others. Later he wrote of the moving experience:

“We sat down on a rock overlooking the garden. The moon was still bright, and the venerable olive trees were casting dark shadows across the sacred ground. The silence of the night increased the solemnity. No human voice was heard, and the stillness was only broken by the occasional barking of dogs in the city. We read, by the light, [Bible] passages bearing on the agony, and James Montgomery’s solemn hymn.”

Two Hundred Hymn Stories, by Ellen Jane Lorenz, p. 38

In its four stanzas, this very fine hymn calls our attention to: Christ’s agony in Gethsemane; His illegal trial; His crucifixion; and His resurrection. From these Montgomery draws a lesson for the Christian, stated in the last line of each stanza. From Christ we learn to pray, to cling to God in times of distress and need, and to submit ourselves to the will of God (Mk. 14:36).

(1) Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour,
Turn not from His griefs away;
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

We learn to bear the cross (2), to identify with Christ and follow Him at any cost (Matt. 16:24).

(2) See Him at the judgment hall,
Beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss;
Learn of Christ to bear the cross.

We learn to die (3). Here, perhaps Montgomery means that we gain a sense of peace in death, confident that, even then, we are in the hands of a loving God (Lk. 23:46). Finally, we learn to rise (4). That we learn that Christ’s resurrection gives us the assurance that those in Christ, by faith, will one day be raised to dwell with Him (Lk. 24:26; cf. I Cor. 15:20-23). May we, as believers, learn to say with Paul, “To me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).

The lessons are important for us. And the hymn impels us onward with a series of action words. These vary slightly with revisions, but here they are in James Montgomery’s 1825 version:

¤ Go to dark Gethsemane
¤ Follow to the judgment hall
¤ Calvary’s mournful mountain climb
¤ Early hasten to the tomb

Questions:

  1. Which of the four lessons mentioned by Montgomery is hardest for you to learn?
  2. What other Easter hymns do you know that make a personal application in this way?

Links:

In the Hour of Trial

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Penitence, by Spencer Lane (b. Apr. 7, 1843; d. Aug. 10, 1903)

Note: Montgomery first published this hymn in 1834. It has undergone many alterations since, in some cases by Montgomery himself.

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

As noted in the Wordwise link at the bottom of this article, the original first line, “Jesus, pray for me,” has been considered problematic, since many have indicated there is no Bible text suggesting that Jesus prays for us in heaven. The text that inspired the hymn refers to Christ’s prayer ministry while he was on earth.

The Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

Lk. 22:31-32

But that is during the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, not after He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Nor is the Cyber Hymnal’s “Jesus, plead for me” necessarily better. His advocacy (I Jn. 2:1-2) may simply consist of His presence in heaven, as the glorified Conqueror of sin and death. It is inconceivable that He has to argue the Father into forgiving us! A later manuscript in Montgomery’s handwriting has “Jesus stand by me.” Other emendations have been tried: “Jesus help Thou me,” or “Saviour strengthen me.”

The fourth stanza has also received varied treatment. Some hymnals simply omit it. Others have changed it considerably. Montgomery’s original read:

When, in dust and ashes, to the grave I sink,
When heaven’s glory flashes o’er the shelving brink,
On Thy truth relying, through that mortal strife,
Lord, receive me, dying, to eternal life.

Another has tried the opening line of the last stanza as:

When my lamp low burning sinks to death’s last pain;
Earth to earth returning, dust to dust again;
On Thy truth relying, in that hour of strife,
Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.

Frances A. Hutton (1811-1877) changed this to what is found in the Cyber Hymnal:

(4) When my last hour cometh, fraught with strife and pain;
When my dust returneth to the dust again;
On that truth relying through that mortal strife,
Jesus take me, dying, to eternal life.

Likely it is because this reference to dying and turning to dust is considered rather morbid that some elect simply to drop the last stanza.

Dying is the fourth great challenge covered by this hymn. The other three stanzas deal with three basic problems every Christian faces: persecution, sinful pleasures, and pain.

(1) prays for aid in times of testing, when we are tempted to turn from following the Lord. That seems to relate particularly to Peter’s experience, and what the Lord mentions in the Luke passage. Peter had boasted, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble” (Matt. 26:33). Then fear caused him to deny the Lord (vs. 69-75).

(1) In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.
When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,
Nor for fear or favour suffer me to fall.

In (2) the author asks for God to remind him of all Christ endured in Gethsemane and at Calvary, when a desire for comfort and ease might cause him to abandon the will of God or spiritual values, adopting instead this world’s passing pleasures of sin (cf. Moses, Heb. 11:24-26).

(2) With forbidden pleasures would this vain world charm,
Or its sordid treasures spread to work me harm,
Bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane,
Or, in darker semblance, cross-crowned Calvary.

(3) deals with the “sorrow, toil and woe,” and the “pain” that attends every life lived out on earth. Whether it’s cancer or the common cold, we are all subject to such things. What a blessing to know that God has His good purpose in it all (Rom. 8:28), and we can cast our cares upon Him (Ps. 55:22; I Pet. 5:7).

(3) Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil and woe,
Or should pain attend me on my path below,
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

Questions:

  1. What is it that you personally struggle the most with? Will you seek the Lord’s help today for this?
  2. Is this a hymn used with understanding by your church? If not, could you suggest that?

Links:

Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Campmeeting, an early American folk melody, arranged by Robert Guy McCutchan for the Methodist Hymnal, 1935 (b. Sept. 13, 1877; d. May 15, 1958)

Note: Montgomery’s hymn was first published in 1818, for Sunday School use. Of the eight original stanzas, many hymnals now use: (1), (2), (3), (4), and (8). It is considered a masterpiece, our greatest hymn on the subject of prayer. Montgomery himself called it, “the most attractive hymn I ever wrote.” Another good option for a hymn tune is St. Agnes, by John Dykes (1823-1876), which is commonly used with Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee.

Likely three of the stanzas are omitted simply to conserve space on a hymnal page, or because editors believe most congregations wouldn’t be interested in singing all eight. (Since the stanzas are short, it does make the tune rather repetitious.) With some hymns, such omissions are not a great problem. Pick the best, and leave the rest. But the loss with this hymn is significant. Every line is rich in meaning.

Before looking at the unused stanzas, let me suggest a simple solution: use a tune that treats the hymn as consisting of four eight-line stanzas (technically called Common Metre Doubled). Several familiar ones will work nicely: All Saints New (or Cutler) used with The Son of God Goes Forth to War; Bethlehem (or Seraph) used with Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord; and Cleansing Fountain commonly used with There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood.

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

The Lord’s disciples asked one day, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 1:11). He was the perfect One to appeal to. Not only was Christ the all-wise incarnate Son of God, but the Gospels reveal Him as engaging in prayer repeatedly, both in private and in public (e.g. Mk. 1:35; 6:46; Jn. 11:41-42; 17:1-26).

James Montgomery’s hymn asks an important question that takes the disciples’ query one step further. If we are to follow Christ’s example, and also respond to the numerous exhortations to pray found in Scripture, we need to ask first of all: What is prayer?

Instead of providing a technical or theological answer, this hymn gives us a series of poetic metaphors and descriptive phrases that explore the subject in a profound way. Prayer often involves: a hidden fire, a sigh, a falling tear, an upward glance, our vital breath as believers. “Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,” sometimes spoken aloud, other times silently arising from the heart.

(1) Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

(2) Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Finally, look at what it gives us, to combine (5) and (6), and with the combining of (7) and (8), using a longer tune. In (5) and (6) there is the prayer of a sinner repenting, and the prayer of a saint in fellowship with God the Father and God the Son (cf. I Jn. 1:3).

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”
The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.

In (7) we’re reminded of the vital roll of the Holy Spirit in prayer (Rom. 8:26-27), connecting us with the One who is “the life, the truth, the way” (Jn. 14:6), our heavenly Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:25). Then (8 naturally addresses Christ Himself, renewing the request of the disciples of old that He teach us how to pray.)

No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.
O Thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

One evening, when in his nineties, Mr. Montgomery led his family in devotions, then retired for the night, passing away in His sleep. His prayer that evening constituted the last words he uttered on earth, “His watchword at the gates of death; / He enter[ed] heav’n with prayer” (4).

Questions:

  1. The hymn makes over a dozen (two-line) statements about prayer. With which one(s) do you especially identify?
  2. This hymn, combined with appropriate Scripture texts, would provide a wonderful outline for a discussion on prayer. Is there a group with which you could try this?

Links:

According to Thy Gracious Word

Words: James Montgomery (b. Nov. 4, 1771; d. Apr. 30, 1854)
Music: Martyrdom (also called Avon), by Hugh Wilson (b. Dec. 2, 1766; d. Aug. 14, 1824)

Note: The Cyber Hymnal gives several possibilities for tunes that can be used with this hymn, with Martyrdom by Scottish musician Hugh Wilson listed first. I have also seen Manoah used. The latter melody is from a collection of church music published by Henry Greatorex, but the actual composer of the music is disputed.

James Montgomery, for thirty-two years the editor of a newspaper called The Sheffield Iris, was also a hymn writer of note. The Cyber Hymnal lists 180 of his hymns. Various ones will be familiar, depending on a local church’s traditional background and the hymnal used. Here are a few of Montgomery’s songs:

  • According to Thy Gracious Word
  • Angels from the Realms of Glory
  • Go to Dark Gethsemane
  • Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
  • In the Hour of Trial
  • Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire
  • The Lord Is My Shepherd
  • Stand Up and Bless the Lord
  • We Bid Thee Welcome in the Name

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

The present very fine Communion hymn, as published in 1825, had six stanzas. Some books use only four ((1), (2), (5), (6)), others include all six. The text is based on the words of the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Lk. 22:19). It’s a command, repeated in First Corinthians 11:25 that believers continue to memorialize what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary, and that we continue to do so until He comes again (I Cor. 11:26).

We all struggle to remember–to call to mind all kinds of things. Sometimes, we sheepishly refer to our efficient “forgetteries,” or we’ll say, “I have a good memory; it’s just short!” The failure to bring certain things to mind can be a minor inconvenience, like going shopping and forgetting to take along our shopping list. Other forgotten things can be more significant.

I was on a long bus trip one time. The bus stopped for a break, and we all got out for ten or fifteen minutes. Then, we were on our way again. But for some reason, the one in charge forgot to take a count. Many miles down the road, someone said, “Where’s Jack?” It was assumed for awhile that he must be in the washroom at the back of the bus. But more time passed, and finally we came to the conclusion that he’d been left behind at our last stop. There was no other choice but to go back. It turned out that Jack had wandered off to make a phone call, and missed the bus’s departure. No real harm was done, and we had a good laugh at his expense.

A more serious incident is recorded in the book of Genesis, where Joseph, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wicked wife, was cast into prison. Pharaoh’s chief butler was in prison too and, when he was finally released, Joseph asked him to appeal to Pharaoh on his behalf (Gen. 40:14). But we read that “the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (vs. 23), and Joseph languished in prison for two more years (Gen. 41:1, 9).

Still greater would be the shame of one of God’s blood-bought children forgetting what Christ did to save him or her. Our present access to God and our eternal glory were purchased at dreadful cost by the sufferings of the Lamb of God. Not only that, but in neglecting the Lord’s Supper we are failing to obey the command of the Lord to do so until He returns.

There’s another failure involved too, a failure to witness to our faith in Christ. By participating at the Table of the Lord, we “proclaim the Lord’s death” (I Cor. 11:26). It means we preach and teach about Christ and the meaning of His death on the cross and its importance to us. (The same Greek word is used in Colossians 1:28, when Paul declares, “Him we preach.”)

Knowing the fallibility of our memories, and the importance of keeping Calvary before us, it is worthwhile to make the kind of sincere pledge that Montgomery does in his hymn.

(1) According to Thy gracious word,
In meek humility,
This will I do, my dying Lord,
I will remember Thee.

(2) Thy body, broken for my sake,
My bread from heav’n shall be;
The testamental cup I take,
And thus remember Thee.

Questions:

  1. What are some reasons why a person might grow neglectful of the Lord’s Supper?
  2. What are some practical values in consistently participating in this ceremony?

Links:

Today in 1854 – James Montgomery Died

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James Montgomery was born in Scotland. He was the son of Moravian missionaries to the West Indies, where both husband and wife died. Young Montgomery seemed to drift in his early years. He attended a Moravian school, but the brethren were dissatisfied with his progress. They apprenticed him to a baker, but he ran away. Montgomery then secured a position in a ship’s chandler’s shop (a dealer in candles, soap, oils and paints). He left that job behind too. He tried to find a publisher in London for some poems he had written, but failed. Then he went to Sheffield and began work at The Sheffield Register (a newspaper).  Eventually, he became editor of the paper and worked there for 31 years.

James Montgomery contributed many fine hymns to our traditional hymnody. Angels from the Realms of Glory is considered his best, but he also wrote Stand Up and Bless the Lord, Go to Dark Gethsemane, and We Bid Thee Welcome.

Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter’s power;
Your Redeemer’s conflict see, watch with Him one bitter hour,
Turn not from His griefs away; learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

See Him at the judgment hall, beaten, bound, reviled, arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall! O the pangs His soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss; learn of Christ to bear the cross.

We Bid Thee Welcome is an unusual hymn. It is a challenge and petition from a congregation, addressed to their pastor. (It works very well at an induction service for a new pastor.)

We bid thee welcome in the name
Of Jesus, our exalted Head.
Come as a servant, so He came,
And we receive thee in His stead.

Come as a shepherd—guard and keep
This fold from hell and world and sin;
Nourish the lambs and feed the sheep;
The wounded heal, the lost bring in.

Come as a teacher—sent from God,
Charged His whole counsel to declare.
Lift o’er our ranks the prophet’s rod
While we uphold thy hands with prayer.

(2) Today in 1868 – Safe in the Arms of Jesus written

The author of the words of this song is Frances van Alstyne. We know her better as Fanny Crosby, but ten years before she had married a musician named Alexander van Alstyne. Amazingly, both of them were blind. It is estimated that Fanny Crosby wrote close to 9,000 hymns. The exact total may never be known, because she used a bewildering assortment of pen names. Dozens of them. For instance, if you see hymns by Carrie Bell, or Louise W. Tilden, or Leah Carleton, or Edna Forest, you are looking at the work of Fanny Crosby!

On April 30th, 1868, composer William Doane (no relation to George Washington Doane) paid Fanny a call. With hardly a “How’d you do?” Doane said, “I have exactly forty minutes before my train leaves for Cincinnati. Here’s a melody. Can you write words for it?” And seating himself at the little pump organ he played it. At once she exclaimed, “Why that tune says ‘Safe in the Arms of Jesus.’ I will see what I can do.” Fanny started to work, continuing for a few minutes. “At the end of that time,” she says, “I recited the words. Mr. Doane copied them. And had time to catch his train!”

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea.

Safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast
There by His love o’ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest.

Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages, ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is over;
Wait till I see the morning break on the golden shore.

(3) Today in 1946 – John Thomas Died

John Edmond Thomas was raised on farms in Texas and Arkansas. When his father died in 1875, being the eldest son, he took over the role of supporting the family. He also began music training and eventually entered a career in music in 1890. He helped to found the Trio Music Company, and went on to establish the Quartet Music Company. Thomas was a teacher, composer, music compiler and publisher for over 40 years. One gospel song for which he wrote both words and music is We Shall Rise. It became a popular male quartet piece.

In the resurrection morning,
When the trump of God shall sound,
We shall rise, Hallelujah! we shall rise!
Then the saints will come rejoicing
And no tears will e’er be found,
We shall rise, Hallelujah! we shall rise.

We shall rise, Hallelujah!
We shall rise! Amen!
In the resurrection morning,
When death’s prison bars are broken,
We shall rise, Hallelujah! We shall rise.

In the resurrection morning,
We shall meet Him in the air,
We shall rise, Hallelujah! we shall rise!
And be carried up to glory,
To our home so bright and fair,
We shall rise, Hallelujah! we shall rise!

Here is a massed men’s choir of a hundred or so voices singing this gospel song. The presentation is a bit ragged in spots, but I’m assuming they had little time to rehearse. (On a personal note, I attended a conference in this church, some years ago.)

Today in 1816 – Angels from the Realms published

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James Montgomery wrote about 400 hymns. Quite a few of them are still found in our hymnals today. Among them are the following:

According to Thy Gracious Word
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
In the Hour of Trial
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire
Stand Up and Bless the Lord
We Bid Thee Welcome in the Name

Montgomery wrote Angels from the Realms of Glory–considered his finest hymn–for publication in the Christmas Eve edition of the Sheffield Iris, the newspaper of which he was the editor.

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

I invite you to listen to two outstanding versions of this carol. Both make use of the tune Gloria, to which we sing Angels We Have Heard on High, rather than the tune Regent Square traditionally used with Angels from the Realms of Glory. (For me, Gloria becomes a bit too repetitious. I prefer Regent Square.) The video clip below features a cascade of beautiful sound by the King’s College Choir. But you owe it to yourself to listen to the magnificent Mormon Tabernacle Choir rending, here, complete with bells, and the stunning voice of Sissel Kyrkjebo, Norway’s wonderful gift to the world of music. (A voice of great range and crystal clarity, right to the final high B flat.)

Annie Johnson Flint

(2) Today in 1866 – Annie Flint Born

Annie Johnson Flint was one of America’s greatest devotional poets. The daughter of Eldon Johnson, she lost both her parents at the age of 6, and was adopted by a childless couple named Flint. She trained as a teacher, and was also a skilled pianist with hopes of a future career on the concert stage. Then came the sudden and severe onset of crippling arthritis. In a short time, not only were her fingers painfully bent and swollen, but she found it difficult to walk. The disease left her bedridden for the rest of her life.

But when God closes one door, He will open another. While still a small child, she had trusted Christ as her Saviour, and over the years her spiritual insight seemed to grow deeper and deeper. Prevented from a musical expression of her artistic gifts, Miss Flint began writing poetry. When she could no longer grip a pen, she used a typewriter, punching the keys with her knuckles. Before her death in 1932, Miss Flint had produced books of verse that have been a blessing to many ever since.

Several of her poems have become gospel songs. And given the severe trials she experienced, they are moving testimonies to the grace of God. I encourage you to check out the full text of both of the following in the Cyber Hymnal. They are rich with spiritual meaning. From 1919 comes God Hath Not Promised.

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labour, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

An undated poem, He Giveth More, has also been set to music. Here is the second stanza and the refrain:

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

(3) Today in 1949 – William Poole Died

William Charles Poole put his faith in Christ at the age of 11, and became a Methodist clergyman in the United States in the early part of the twentieth century. With the encouragement of hymn writer Charles Gabriel, he wrote many hymn texts. Among those in common use today are Sunrise Tomorrow, and  Just When I Need Him Most.

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near,
Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

Just when I need Him most,
Just when I need Him most,
Jesus is near to comfort and cheer,
Just when I need Him most.

Just when I need Him, Jesus is true,
Never forsaking all the way through;
Giving for burdens pleasures anew,
Just when I need Him most.

Today in 1771 – James Montgomery Born

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Hymn writer James Montgomery justifiably appears a number of times on these pages. Over the last couple of centuries, his songs have blessed countless thousands. Among them are:

According to Thy Gracious Word
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed
In the Hour of Trial
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire
Stand Up and Bless the Lord
We Bid Thee Welcome in the Name

James Montgomery

Renowned hymn historian, John Julian, in his massive Dictionary of Hymnology (covering 30,000 hymns!) writes most glowingly of the man. It is a tribute which might be said to describe the ideal hymn writer, as far as that attainment is possible by mere mortals. Julian says of Montgomery:

His ear for rhythm was exceedingly accurate and refined. His knowledge of Holy Scripture was most extensive. His religious views were broad and charitable. His devotional spirit was of the holiest type. With the faith of a strong man he united the beauty and simplicity of a child. Richly poetic without exuberance, dogmatic without uncharitableness, tender without sentimentality, elaborate without diffusiveness, richly musical without apparent effort, he has bequeathed to the church of Christ wealth which could only have come from a true genius and a sanctified heart.

Prayer is the Soul’s Sincere Desire was written in 1818 at the request of another clergyman. Some have criticized it as being merely a series of statements about prayer. Nevertheless, what statements they are! There is some wonderful teaching in its eight stanzas. The early part of the hymn is especially descriptive of the kind of urgent heart-prayers for which there are sometimes no articulate words. But the Holy Spirit hears the pain of our hearts and interprets it for us before God’s throne (Rom. 8:26-27) Here is a sampling from the hymn.

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains
That reach the Majesty on high.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heav’n with prayer.

James Montgomery has also given us a fine version of the Lord’s Prayer, slightly paraphrasing the text of Matt. 6:9-13. The metre is 6.6.8.6, and the tune Trentham (traditionally used for Breathe on Me, Breath of God) works will with it. Albert Hay Malotte’s setting of the prayer is more often used as a solo (though some hymnals contain an arrangement of it). Montgomery’s version makes the prayer more accessible for congregational use.

Our heav’nly Father, hear
The prayer we offer now,
Thy name be hallowed far and near;
To Thee all nations bow.

Thy kingdom come; Thy will
On earth be done in love
As saints and seraphim fulfil
Thy holy will above.

Our daily bread supply
While by Thy Word we live.
The guilt of our iniquity
Forgive as we forgive.

From dark temptation’s power,
From Satan’s wiles, defend.
Deliver in the evil hour
And guide us to the end.

Thine shall forever be
Glory and power divine;
The sceptre, throne, and majesty
Of heaven and earth are Thine.

(2) Today in 1804 – Benjamin Kennedy Born

(Some sources gave the date of his birth as November 6th.)

Benjamin Hall Kennedy was an English scholar of note, and an Anglican clergyman. He wrote Latin textbooks, and published editions of the classics. He also wrote his own metrical version of many psalms, as well as translating the hymns of others. One of the latter is a hymn of Johann Schwedler, published posthumously in 1741, which Kennedy translated from the original German as Ask Ye What Great Thing I Know.

Reading this hymn, I’m reminded of the words of the blind man whom Jesus healed. The Jewish leaders questioned him, trying to trip him up and get him to join them in condemning Christ. “We know that this Man is a sinner,” they said. To which the formerly blind man replied, “Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see” (Jn. 9:24-25). Even though we keep studying and keep learning, there are many things about the Scriptures, about God, and about the Christian life, that we do not know. But rather than fretting over them, we need to testify to what we do know! And we need to live by what we know, and keep on learning more. If we do, we’ll discover, as Schwedler did, that Christ is central to it all.

Ask ye what great thing I know,
That delights and stirs me so?
What the high reward I win?
Whose the name I glory in?
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

What is faith’s foundation strong?
What awakes my heart to song?
He who bore my sinful load,
Purchased for me peace with God,
Jesus Christ, the Crucified.

Today in 1834 – In the Hour of Trial written

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James Montgomery wrote this hymn with Luke 22:31-32 in mind, and the words of Jesus to Peter: “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” the song begins:

In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.
When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,
Nor for fear or favor suffer me to fall.

Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil, and woe;
Or should pain attend me on my path below;
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

We know that the Lord Jesus prayed much while on earth. The Gospels show us that. But does He pray for us now? Even James Montgomery seems to have been uncertain about that. A year later, he rewrote the opening line as: “In the hour of trial, / Jesus, stand by me.” The Holy Spirit prays for us (Rom. 8:26-27). But Christ’s advocacy with the Father on our behalf seems more related to the eternal effectiveness of His payment for our sins (I Jn. 2:1-2). And it is the Spirit of God who strengthens us in trials (Eph. 3:16). Even so, there is much to recommend at least the sentiment of this hymn.

The following piano rendition is interesting–and probably brilliant. But the sprightly jazz stylings seem completely at odds with the text of this sober hymn. As I have pointed out numerous times, the text of our hymns is their most important element. It should be both biblical and clear. Then, think of the words as a great painting, and the music as the frame. The frame should help to draw our attention to the painting, and enhance its meaning, not be distracting, or carrying a complete different message. Skilled as this performance is, it utterly fails in that regard.

(2) Today in 1877 – Who Is on the Lord’s Side? written

Written by Frances Ridley Havergal, the original title of this hymn was Home Missions. Miss Havergal took her inspiration from the declaration of loyalty by a member of David’s army. “Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: ‘We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.’” (I Chron. 12:18). She thought of it as applying to Christians working and warring under their Commander, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,
Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side.
By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

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