Today in 1863 – Edward Osler Died

For many years Edward Osler was a physician in England. But he later became more involved in the literary field, and was associated with the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He wrote a number of hymns, and added the final stanza to Praise the Lord, Ye Heavens Adore Him.

Praise the Lord: ye heavens, adore Him;
Praise Him, angels in the height.
Sun and moon, rejoice before Him;
Praise Him, all ye stars of light.
Praise the Lord, for He hath spoken;
Worlds His mighty voice obeyed.
Laws which never shall be broken
For their guidance He hath made.

Praise the Lord, for He is glorious;
Never shall His promise fail.
God hath made His saints victorious;
Sin and death shall not prevail.
Praise the God of our salvation;
Hosts on high, His power proclaim.
Heaven and earth and all creation,
Laud and magnify His name.

Worship, honour, glory, blessing,
Lord, we offer unto Thee.
Young and old, Thy praise expressing,
In glad homage bend the knee.
All the saints in heaven adore Thee;
We would bow before Thy throne.
As Thine angels serve before Thee,
So on earth Thy will be done.

(2) Today in 1879 – John Park Born

John Edgar Park was born in Ireland and received his early education there. After graduating from Princeton, he was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry in America in 1903. Briefly, he served in the lumber camps of the eastern United States, then became a Congregational minister, serving in a couple of churches in Massachusetts. A noted educator of his time, he was president of a women’s seminary in that state for 18 years.

Dr. Park wrote a number of hymns. We Would See Jesus (not to be confused with Anna Warner’s hymn with the same title) was written to be included in a new hymn book at the request of the publisher for something based on Jn. 12:21, which reports how some men came seeking Christ:

Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

John Park’s hymn borrows the words of the above text (“We would see Jesus,” in the KJV), relating them to the wise men seeking the newborn King (Matt. 2:1-11). But he seems to imply that these men came to the stable on Christmas night, when in reality they arrived some weeks or months later, when Joseph and Mary were living in a house, and Christ is described not as a baby, but as “the young Child.”

The remainder of the hymn deals with the Lord Jesus as a boy in Nazareth, and with His later earthly teaching and healing ministry, emphasizing the need to follow Him. (For the full text of the hymn, and a photograph of the author, see the Cyber Hymnal.)

We would see Jesus; lo! His star is shining
Above the stable while the angels sing;
There in a manger on the hay reclining;
Haste, let us lay our gifts before the King.

We would see Jesus, in the early morning,
Still as of old He calleth, “Follow Me!”
Let us arise, all meaner service scorning;
Lord, we are Thine, we give ourselves to Thee.