For the Lord’s Day – Wonderful Peace

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Due to the stressfulness of this past week, the Lord put it on my heart to choose this hymn, and post it this evening instead of waiting for tomorrow morning.  Please let this wonderful hymn be a balm to your spirit.

Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.

Refrain

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!

What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!

Refrain

I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul!

Refrain

And I think when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing
In that heavenly kingdom will be:

Refrain

Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime!

Refrain

Lyrics – Warren D. Cornell – Alas – no picture is available of brother Warren Cornell.

Born: Ap­ril 25, 1858, White­ford, Mi­chi­gan.

Died: Feb­ru­a­ry 4, 1901, Fond du Lac, Wis­con­sin.

 Cornell & Cooper wrote this song at a camp meeting near West Bend, Wisconsin:

One day while seated in the tent, Mr. Cornell, following a period of deep introspection, wrote down the thoughts with which his mind had been busied. They later proved to be parts of this hymn, Wonderful Peace. Sinking again into introspective rumination, he arose, unwittingly dropped the written verses on the tent floor and went out. When Mr. Cooper entered the tent an hour or two later he discovered the paper. He was fascinated by the theme and the accompanying verses. It so fitted his own thinking that he filled in and completed the poem. Then sitting down at the organ he composed the melody as it has since been sung.

Sanville, p. 58

Music – William Gustin Cooper

Born: July 15, 1861, Evansville, Wisconsin.

Died: October 17, 1938, Canton, Maine.

Buried: Silverbrook Cemetery, Wilmington, Delaware.

Cooper was living in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (1870); Buchanan, Michigan (1880); and Hortonville Village, Wisconsin (1900). He pastored at the Hortonville Community Baptist Church from September 1, 1897 to April 1, 1901. In May 1922, he became pastor of the Baptist church in Ira, Vermont. His works include:

  • History of the Baptist Church of Ira, Vermont, with Simon Lewis Peck (Rutland, Vermont: Tuttle Company, 1925)
  • Sacred Songs (Canton,  Maine: The Pinewood Press, 1936)

A Biblical understanding of peace begins with the Hebrew expression שָׁלוֹם (shalom), a word as rich in meaning as it is lovely in sound. In English we generally think of “peace” in terms of what it is not–as an absence of conflict, or confusion, or struggle. But shalom is defined positively, as the presence of certain qualities, such as “completeness,” “soundness,” and “wellness” (Brown, 1022). In this sense it was (and still is) used in Hebrew as an all-purpose greeting and farewell (Jewish Encyclopedia). With this in view, it becomes apparent that even when shalom is used in our sense of “peace”–the opposite of war–it is more a state of mind than of situation. One might have shalom even in the midst of all sorts of external stresses and conflicts; it is not dependent on the actions of others.

http://drhamrick.blogspot.com/2013/10/far-away-in-depths-wonderful-peace.html

2 Thessalonians 3:16

 Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

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Tis So Sweet to Trust in JesusRefrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
And to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, ‘Thus says the Lord!’RefrainO how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
‘Neath the healing, cleansing flood!RefrainYes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.RefrainI’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.Refrain

Text: Louisa M. R. Stead, c. 1850-1917
Music: William J. Kirkpatrick, 1838-1921

Trust is one of those marvelous words that can be used in many different ways. As a noun, it refers to the confidence that we have in someone or something. It can also be an account that is entitled to special treatment and special protection. As a verb, it is the act of placing confidence in someone else. Whether it is a thing or an action, though, we often speak of “levels” or “degrees” of trust. Between the best of friends there is great trust. How much do we trust others? How much do they trust us?

This week’s featured hymn was written by Louisa Stead. The story is told that she and her husband were watching their young daughter by the beach. Someone cried out for help. There was a boy in the water. Mr. Stead went to the rescue, but the frightened boy pulled him under the water in a panic. Mrs. Stead and her daughter could only watch from the beach as the boy and her husband drowned.

Stead was a poor woman and she was hardly able to provide for her daughter. One day when it seemed that all of their resources were gone, she found a gift of food and money left on her doorstep. It was on that day that she sat and wrote these words.

http://www.hymnsite.com/lection/ape05.htm

Hebrews 2:9-13

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

For the Lord’s Day – Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

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Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Charles Wesley (1707-1788)

In 1961, during the Manchester, England, crusade…just as the meetings were about to start, Billy Graham became quite seriously ill…Billy had been scheduled to speak to the ministers of London just before the crusade opened. You can imagine my feelings when he sent word that I should represent him and speak at that meeting. The British pastors are themselves thorough scholars and often brilliant preachers. And they were expecting to hear Billy Graham, not me!

At the beginning of that meeting in Westminster’s Central Hall, the ministers joined in singing this great hymn of Charles Wesley. Most of these British clergymen were also well acquainted with hymn texts and hymn tunes, and they sang gloriously. Accompanied by the grand piano and the great pipe organ and using the Welsh tune “Blaenwern,” these familiar words lifted our hearts in praise and prayer to God. I felt God’s strength evident through the singing; He blessed our meeting together despite my fears and their disappointment.

Barrows, p. 21

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/d/a/ldalexcl.htm

1 John 4:7-9

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

For the Lord’s Day – Once to Every Man and Nation

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1 Once to ev’ry man and nation Comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth and falsehood, For the good or evil side; Some great cause, some great decision, Off’ring each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever ‘Twixt that darkness and that light.

2 Then to side with truth is noble, When we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, And ’tis prosperous to be just; Then it is the brave man chooses While the coward stands aside. Till the multitude make virtue Of the faith they had denied.

3 By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, Toiling up new Calv’ries ever With the cross that turns not back; New occasions teach new duties, Ancient values test our youth; They must upward still and onward, Who would keep abreast of truth.

4 Tho’ the cause of evil prosper, Yet the truth alone is strong; Tho’ her portion be the scaffold, And upon the throne be wrong; Yet that scaffold sways the future, And, behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow, Keeping watch above His own.

Short Name:James Russell Lowell
Full Name:Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891
Birth Year:1819
Death Year:1891

Lowell, James Russell, LL.D., was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 22, 1819; graduated at Harvard College, 1838, and was called to the Bar in 1840. Professor of Modern Languages and Literature (succeeding the Poet Longfellow) in Harvard, 1855; American Minister to Spain, also to England in 1881. He was editor of the Atlantic Monthly, from 1857 to 1862; and of the North American Review from 1863 to 1872. Professor Lowell is the most intellectual of American poets, and first of her art critics and humorists. He has written much admirable moral and sacred poetry, but no hymns. One piece, “Men, whose boast it is that ye” (Against Slavery), is part of an Anti-Slavery poem, and in its present form is found in Hymns of the Spirit, 1864. Part of this is given in Songs for the Sanctuary, N.Y., 1865, as “They are slaves who will not choose.” [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] –John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) http://www.hymnary.org/person/Lowell_JR

1 Kings 18:21

 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 
How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

For the Lord’s Day – Open My Eyes, That I May See

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1 Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

2 Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

3 Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Clara H. Scott (December 3, 1841 – June 21, 1897) was an American composer, hymnwriter and publisher.[1] She was the first woman to publish a volume of anthems, the Royal Anthem Book, in 1882.[2] Scott was also well known for her hymn, Open My Eyes, That I May See, written in 1895.[3] The hymn was inspired by Psalm 119, verse 18.[4] She died in 1897 after being thrown from her carriage by a spooked horse.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_H._Scott

Psalm 119:18

 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.

For the Lord’s Day – O Perfect Love

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1 O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne,
that theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
whom thou in sacred vow dost join in one.

2 O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance
of tender charity and steadfast faith,
of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance,
with childlike trust that fears no pain or death.

3 Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife;
grant them the vision of the glorious morrow
that will reveal eternal love and life.

Short Name:Dorothy F. Gurney
Full Name:Gurney, Dorothy F., 1858-1932
Birth Year:1858
Death Year:1932

Blomfield, Dorothy F. , was born at 3 Finsbury Circus, Oct. 4, 1858. Miss Blomfield is the eldest daughter of the late Rev. F. G. Blomfield, sometime Rector of St. Andrew’s Undershaft, London, and granddaughter of the late Dr. Blomfield, Bishop of London. Her very beautiful hymn for Holy Matrimony, “O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,” was written for her sister’s marriage in 1883, and was intended to be sung to Strength and Stay, in Hymns Ancient & Modern, No. 12. Subsequently it was set as an anthem by J. Barnby for the marriage of the Duke of Fife with the Princess Louise of Wales, on July 27, 1889. In 1889 it was included in the Supplemental Hymns to Hymns Ancient & Modern, and in 1890 in the Hymnal Companion.

–John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

http://www.hymnary.org/person/Gurney_DF

Titus 2:3-5

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

For the Lord’s Day – Like a River Glorious

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Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.

Refrain

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Refrain

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Refrain

Frances Ridley Havergal

Frances Ridley Havergal was an English religious poet and hymn writer. Take My Life and Let it Be and Thy Life for Me are two of her best known hymns. She also wrote hymn melodies, religious tracts, and works for children. Wikipedia

Born: December 14, 1836, Astley, United Kingdom

Died: June 3, 1879, Caswell Bay, Bishopston, United Kingdom

When Frances Havergal was vacationing in the south of Wales, 1876, she caught a severe cold, accompanied by inflammation of the lungs. Hearing how ill she was, and that she might die, she replied, “If I am really going, it is too good to be true.” Her friends were amazed at how peacefully she received this information. She did survive that illness, and later that year she wrote the hymn “Like a River Glorious” in which she pointed to the source of her perfect peace: “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed, finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.”

Miss Havergal, a devout Bible scholar, echoed Isaiah in “Like a River Glorious” in which God promises “peace like a river.” She also incorporated Isaiah 26:3, which states “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” “Like a River Glorious” paints the picture of this peace.

Miss Havergal wrote to another hymn writer who had also written about peace. In her letter, Miss Havergal quoted Romans 5:1 “We have peace with God,” adding “It is yours already, purchased for you, made for you, sealed for you, pledged to you – by the word of the Father and the precious blood of Jesus.”

The hymn was first published in its present form with the name “Perfect Peace,” in Hymns of Consecration and Faith, 1876.”  https://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/like-a-river-glorious

Philippians 4:6-8

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

This post was dedicated to our gracious and merciful lord and savior, Jesus Christ, and to a cyber friend and follower who had gone through terrible loss, and had shared her grief and glowing testimony.

For the Lord’s Day – Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee

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1 Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.

2 O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who fall, how kind thou art!
How good to those who seek!

3 But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but his loved ones know.

4 Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
Jesus, be thou our glory now,
and through eternity.

“Down through the ages many great hymns have been written. Many of them have survived the centuries and decades and still minister to people today. This week’s choice comes from the height of the Middle Ages, the period of history often called “The Dark Ages.” The spiritual and moral darkness of the church had reached a new blackness. The institution founded by Christ some 1,000 years prior was mainly degenerate and corrupt. The moral standards of many of its prominent leaders were characterized by disgrace and shame. Yet within this system of religious confusion, God laid it upon the heart of a dedicated monk, Bernard of Clairvaux (1091- 1153) to write a devotional poem about his Lord. At an early age Bernard was known for his piety and scholarship. With his natural charms and talents, he had many opportunities open to him for a successful secular life. While still in his early 20s, however, he chose the life of a monk at the monastery of Citeaux, France. Within three years Bernard’s forceful personality, talents, and leadership qualities were recognized, and he was asked to form other branches of this order throughout Europe. Within Bernard’s lifetime, 162 other such orders were founded. One of these new monasteries was at Clairvaux, France, where Bernard was made its abbot. He remained there until his death in 1153. The English Translation of this hymn is attributed to Edward Caswall, (1814–1876). Meditate upon these great words this week which call us to love and worship Jesus, our hope and our only joy. Does the very thought of Him fill you with sweetness?”

http://barryshymns.blogspot.com/2010/09/jesus-very-thought-of-thee.html

Revelation 22:15-17

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

For the Lord’s Day – Rejoice in the Lord

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REJOICE IN THE LORD

Ron Hamilton

God never moves without purpose or plan  When trying His servant or molding a man.  Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long  In darkness He giveth a song.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord  He makes no mistakes  He knoweth the end of each path that I take  For when I am tried and purified  I shall come forth as gold.  I could not see through the shadows ahead  So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.  I bowed to the will of the Master that day  Then peace came and tears fled away.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord  He makes no mistakes  He knoweth the end of each path that I take  For when I am tried and purified  I shall come forth as gold.  Now, I can see testing comes from above  God strengthens His children and purges in love.  My Father knows best and I trust in His care  Through purging, more fruit I will bear.

Oh, rejoice in the Lord  He makes no mistakes  He knoweth the end of each path that I take  For when I am tried and purified  I shall come forth as gold.

Ron Hamilton never planned to become a pirate; it just happened, in a divine way. In 1975, the discovery of cancer in Ron’s left eye resulted in the loss of his eye. The surgeon removed the bandages a week later and presented Hamilton with a black eye patch—the real-life prop that thrust him into his role as a pirate evangelist. Everywhere he went, children pointed and exclaimed, “Look! A pirate!” “Hearing a doctor say I had cancer and may die was a very sobering experience,” he says. “Many people would see the loss of my eye and the need for wearing a patch as a great trial. But I see it as one of the greatest blessings of my life. It reminds me that God teaches us the greatest lessons in the deepest valleys.” Immediately following the loss of his eye due to cancer, Ron Hamilton penned a song based on Philippians 4:4. Its message has encouraged many folks while journeying through a dark valley.  https://www.majestymusic.com/about-majesty-music

Philippians 4:4-5

4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

p.s.  Many decades ago,  we received Patch the Pirate through A Beka Home School and it was a blessing to me and my little ones for many years, as it was considered a treat during our long hours of study.    However – there is some question as to the newer Pirate music, as it is trending towards CCM.  As always – use Biblical discretion with music, especially music for little ones.  It is better always –  to err on the side of caution.  Solid Christian music can be found on this blog, as well as some radio stations.  I recommend http://www.familyradio.com/bible-readings/streaming-audio/ with a strong caution against the regularly aired teaching of Harold Camping.  Excellent music, thrilling KJV Bible reading, and very dicey teachings.

For the Lord’s Day – Wonderful Words of Life

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Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life;
Words of life and beauty teach me faith and duty.

Refrain

Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life,
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

Christ, the blessèd One, gives to all wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life;
All so freely given, wooing us to heaven.

Refrain

Sweetly echo the Gospel call, wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life;
Jesus, only Savior, sanctify us forever.

Refrain

Philip Paul Bliss (9 July 1838 – 29 December 1876) was an American composer, conductor, writer of hymns and a bass-baritone[1]Gospel singer. He wrote many well-known hymns, including Almost Persuaded, Hallelujah, What a Saviour!, Let the Lower Lights Be Burning, Wonderful Words of Life, and the tune for Horatio Spafford‘s It Is Well with My Soul.

I car­ried that song through two sea­sons of evan­gel­is­tic work, ne­ver think­ing it pos­sessed much mer­it, or that it had the ele­ment of spe­cial use­ful­ness, par­ti­cu­lar­ly for so­lo pur­pos­es. It oc­curred to me to try it one day dur­ing the cam­paign in New Ha­ven, [Con­nec­ti­cut, 1878,] and, with the help of Mrs. Steb­bins, we sang it as a du­et. To our sur­prise the song was re­ceived with the great­est en­thu­si­asm and from that time on to the close of the meet­ings was the fa­vo­rite of all the hymns used. As an il­lus­tra­tion of the hold it got up­on the peo­ple all about that sect­ion of the count­ry, I re­ceived a let­ter from the Sec­re­ta­ry of the Con­nec­ti­cut State Sun­day School As­so­ci­a­tion of­fer­ing me what seemed an ab­surd­ly large sum of mon­ey, if I would, with Mrs. Steb­bins, come to the State Con­ven­tion and sing that one song.

George C. Stebbins, Memoirs and Reminiscences

John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

For the Lord’s Day – Tell Me The Story Of Jesus

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Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain:
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word;
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past,
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore;
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain;
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see;
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
“Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell how He’s gone back to heaven,
Up to the right hand of God:
How He is there interceding
While on this earth we must trod.
Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit
He has poured out from above;
Tell how He’s coming in glory
For all the saints of His love.

crosby_fj_1872

SONG WRITER: Fanny Crosby
MUSIC WRITER: John R. Sweney
WHEN WRITTEN: 1880

Blindness never produced self-pity in Fanny and she did not look on her blindness as a terrible thing. At eight years old she composed this little verse:

Oh, what a happy child I am, although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world contented I will be!
How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t!
So weep or sigh because I’m blind, I cannot – nor I won’t.

http://www.eaec.org/faithhallfame/fanny_crosby.htm

Acts 8:35

 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

For the Lord’s Day – All For Jesus

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All for Jesus, all for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs:
All my thoughts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.

Refrain 1:
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours;
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my days and all my hours.

Let my hands perform His bidding,
Let my feet run in His ways;
Let my eyes see Jesus only,
Let my lips speak forth His praise.

Refrain 2:
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise;
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Let my lips speak forth His praise.

Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
So enchained my spirit’s vision,
Looking at the Crucified.

Refrain 3:
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified;
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Looking at the Crucified.

Oh, what wonder! How amazing!
Jesus, glorious King of kings,
Deigns to call me His beloved,
Lets me rest beneath His wings.

Refrain 4:
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings;
All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
Resting now beneath His wings.

Short Name:Mary D. James
Full Name:James, Mary D. (Mary Dagworthy), 1810-1883
Birth Year:1810
Death Year:1883

Born: August 10, 1810, Trenton, New Jersey.
Died: October 4, 1883, New York City.
Buried: Mercer Cemetery, Trenton, New Jersey.

When she was 13 years old, James began teaching Sunday school in the Methodist Episcopal church. She became a prominent figure in the Wesleyan Holiness movement, assisting Phoebe Palmer, and often leading meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and elsewhere. She wrote about 50 hymns, and articles by her appeared in the Guide to Holiness, the New York Christian Advocate, The Contributor, The Christian Witness, The Christian Woman, The Christian Standard, and the Ocean Grove Record. Her works include:

The Soul Winner: A Sketch of Life and Fact and Incidents in the Life and Labors of Edmund J. Yard, 1883

http://www.hymnary.org/person/James_MD

Romans 12:1

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

For the Lord’s Day – There is a Balm in Gilead

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Please enjoy the wonderfully complex choir work, of this beloved hymn.  The many layers are indicative of the depth of the Savior’s eternal love and mercy for mankind. 

Refrain

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.

Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

Refrain

If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.

Refrain

Question: “What is the balm of Gilead?”

Answer: A balm is an aromatic, medicinal substance derived from plants. Gilead was an area east of the Jordan River, well known for its spices and ointments. The “balm of Gilead” was, therefore, a high-quality ointment with healing properties. The balm was made from resin taken from a flowering plant in the Middle East, although the exact species is unknown. It was also called the “balsam of Mecca.” Myrrh is taken from a similar plant—Commiphora myrrha.The Bible uses the term “balm of Gilead” metaphorically as an example of something with healing or soothing powers.

“Balm of Gilead” has three references in the Bible. In Genesis 37:25, as Joseph’s brothers contemplated how to kill him, a caravan of Ishmaelites passed by on their way to Egypt from Gilead. In their cargo were “spices, balm, and myrrh.” Jeremiah 8 records God’s warning to Judah of what Babylon would do to them. Upon hearing the news, Jeremiah laments, “Is there no balm in Gilead?” (verse 22). His question is a poetic search for hope—a plea for healing. Then, in Jeremiah 46:11, as God describes an impending judgment on Egypt, He taunts them: “Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; there is no healing for you!”

These scriptural references to the balm of Gilead have inspired many literary and cultural allusions, including references in “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe and movies such as The Spitfire Grill. Notably, “There Is a Balm in Gilead” is an African-American spiritual that compares the healing balm to the saving power of Jesus—the one true treatment that never fails to heal our spiritual wounds.

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/balm-of-Gilead.html#ixzz3PmXqTrst

“There is a Balm in Gilead,” was created by African slaves, who were made free by faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:27-29

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

For the Lord’s Day – Precious Lord, Take My Hand

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Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:

Refrain

Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand lest I fall:

Refrain

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone,
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand:

Refrain

Words: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1932. Dorsey wrote this song in Chicago, Illinois, after his wife Nettie died while giving birth to a child (who also died shortly thereafter). Dorsey sang the song for his friend, Gospel singer Theodore Frye, and Frye’s choir sang it the next Sunday at the Ebenezer Baptist Church.

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/p/l/t/pltmhand.htm

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

For the Lord’s Day – Our Great Savior

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This hymn is also known under the title “Jesus! What A Friend For Sinners!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
[or Jesus! I do now adore Him,]
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain

John Wilbur Chapman (June 17, 1859, Richmond, Indiana – December 25, 1918, New York, New York) was a Presbyterian evangelist in the late 19th Century, generally traveling with gospel singer Charles Alexander. His parents were Alexander H. and Lorinda (McWhinney) Chapman.

Chapman grew up attending Quaker Day School and Methodist Sunday School. At age 17, he made a public declaration of his Christian faith and joined the Richmond Presbyterian Church. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Lake Forest College and his seminary degree from Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his ordination into the ministry 13 April 1881, while still attending Lane. He was later awarded a Doctorate in Divinity from the College of Wooster and an LL.D. from Heidelberg University.

In May 1882, Chapman married Irene Steddon. In April 1886, she bore him a daughter, Bertha Irene Chapman. Irene Steddon Chapman died in May 1886. Chapman remarried on November 4, 1888 to Agnes Pruyn Strain; they had four children: Robert (who died in infancy), John Wilbur, Jr., Alexander Hamilton, and Agnes Pruyn. His second wife died on June 25, 1907 and Chapman married a third and final time on August 30, 1910 to Mabel Cornelia Moulton.

Chapman took on several pastorates before shifting to the evangelistic circuit. He began preaching with the legendary D. L. Moody in 1893, as well as leading many evangelistic events of his own. Among Chapman’s disciples on the evangelistic circuit was Billy Sunday.

In 1905, John H. Converse, a wealthy Presbyterian philanthropist, offered to underwrite Chapman’s expenses if he would re-enter the evangelistic field full-time. Converse also set up a trust fund so as to finance Chapman’s crusades posthumously. Chapman accepted the offer and in 1907, joined forces with popular gospel singer Charles McCallon Alexander to launch the “Chapman-Alexander Simultaneous Campaign.”

The duo assembled an impressive team of evangelists and song leaders and took to the streets. The first joint campaign was held in Philadelphia from March 12 to April 19, 1908. They partitioned the city into 42 sections covered by 21 evangelist-musicians teams. They spent three weeks on each half of the city, resulting in approximately 8000 conversions. It was at a similar Chapman-Alexander event in North Carolina that the legendary King James Only proponent, David Otis Fuller, committed to the Christian faith.

In 1909, Chapman demanded that any field evangelist who doubted the inerrancy of Scripture be removed from ministry. Chapman’s biography reports, “The first Chapman-Alexander worldwide campaign left Vancouver, British Columbia on March 26, 1909, and returned on November 26, 1909.

Read more about John Wilbur Chapman here:

http://www.hymnary.org/person/Chapman_JW

Titus 2:13-14

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14  Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

For the Lord’s Day – My Faith Looks Up to Thee

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My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Words: Ray Pal­mer, 1830.

Ray Palmer wrote these lyr­ics up­on re­ceiv­ing a vi­sion of Christ short­ly af­ter his grad­u­a­tion from Yale Un­i­ver­si­ty, while work­ing as a tu­tor at a New York school. How­ev­er, he kept them to him­self un­til meet­ing Low­ell Ma­son on a street in Bos­ton, Mas­sac­hu­setts. When Ma­son asked him to write some­thing for a new hymn­al, Palm­er dug out his old notes and pro­duced these lyr­ics, writ­ten two years ear­li­er. Af­ter tak­ing the lyr­ics home and read­ing them, Ma­son com­posed this tune. Sev­er­al days lat­er he saw Palm­er again and said:

You may live ma­ny years and do ma­ny good things, but I think you will be best known to pos­ter­i­ty as the au­thor of My Faith Looks Up to Thee.

An interesting story con­nect­ed with this hymn:

Mrs. Lay­yah Bar­a­kat, a na­tive of Syr­ia, was ed­u­cat­ed in Bei­rut and then taught for a time in Egypt. Driv­en out in 1882 by the in­sur­rect­ion of Ara­bi Pa­sha, she, with her hus­band and child, came to Amer­i­ca by way of Mal­ta and Mar­seilles. Her his­to­ry is a strange il­lus­tra­tion of God’s pro­vi­den­tial care, as they were with­out any di­rect­ion or friends in Phil­a­del­phia when they land­ed. But the Lord took them into His own keep­ing, and brought them to those who had known of her in Syr­ia. While in this coun­try she fre­quent­ly ad­dressed large au­di­enc­es, to whom her deep ear­nest­ness and brok­en but pi­quant Eng­lish proved un­u­su­al­ly at­tract­ive. Among other in­ci­dents she re­lat­ed that she had been per­mit­ted to see the con­ver­sion of her whole fam­i­ly, who were Mar­o­nites of Mount Le­ba­non. Her mother, six­ty-two years of age, had been taught ‘My Faith Looks Up to Thee’ in Ar­a­bic. They would sit on the house roof and re­peat it to­ge­ther; and when the news came back to Syr­ia that the daugh­ter was safe in Amer­i­ca, the mo­ther could send her no bet­ter proof of her faith and love than in the beau­ti­ful words of this hymn, as­sur­ing her that her faith still looked up to Christ.

Sutherland, pp. 77-9

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/y/myfluptt.htm

Ephesians 3:12

In Whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.

“The words for these stanzas were born out of my own soul with very little effort. I recall that 1 wrote the verses with tender emotion. . . . When writing the last line, “O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!” the thought that the whole work of redemption and salvation was involved in those words. . . brought me to a degree of emotion that brought abundant tears.”

Ray Palmer

For the Lord’s Day – Of the Father’s Love Begotten

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This beautiful song of praise, is characterized as “plain-song,” which was developed during the earliest centuries of the church age.  It shows influence from both the ancient singing of the Jewish synagogue, and the Greek modal style.  The heartfelt worship of the only begotten Son of God is the theme. 

1. Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the Source, the Ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.

2. Oh, that birth forever blessed
When the Virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bare the Savior of our race,
And the Babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.

3. O ye heights of heaven, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing;
Powers, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Every voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.

4. This is He whom Heaven-taught singers
Sang of old with one accord;
Whom the Scriptures of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the Long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.

5. Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore.

“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
by Aurelius C. Prudentius, 413, cento
Translated by John. M. Neale, 1818-1866
and Henry W. Baker, 1821-1977

Revelation 1:7-8

7 Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

He cometh with clouds

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

For the Lord’s Day – In Times Like These

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In times like these, we need a Savior
In times like these, we need an anchor
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock

This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the one
This Rock is Jesus, The only One
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock

In times like these oh be not idle
In times like these we need the bible
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock

That Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the one
That Rock is Jesus, The only One
Be very sure, oh you’ve gotta be sure
That your anchor holds, and it grips the Solid Rock
Your anchor it holds, and it grips the Solid Rock

In times like these, I have a Savior
In times like these, I have an anchor
I’m very sure, I’m very sure
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock

That Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the one
That Rock is Jesus, The only One
Be very sure, oh you’ve gotta be sure
That your anchor it holds, and it grips the Solid Rock

Author: Ruth Caye Jones    

Born: 1902, Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Died: August 18, 1972, Erie, Pennsylvania. A self taught pianist and organist, Ruth married Bert Jones, and together they worked in the evangelism field. In 1948, they founded a radio ministry in Erie, Pennsylvania, broadcasting a weekly family devotional program from their home called “A Visit with the Jones.”   http://www.hymnary.org/text/in_times_like_these_you_need_a_savior

Psalm 95:1-3

95 O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

For the Lord’s Day – All Your Anxiety

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Is there a heart bent o’erbound by sorrow?
Is there a life weighed down by care?
Come to the cross, each burden bearing;
All your anxiety—leave it there.

Refrain

All your anxiety, all your care,
Bring to the mercy seat, leave it there,
Never a burden He cannot bear,
Never a friend like Jesus!

No other friend so swift to help you,
No other friend so quick to hear,
No other place to leave your burden,
No other one to hear your prayer.

Refrain

Come then at once; delay no longer!
Heed His entreaty kind and sweet,
You need not fear a disappointment;
You shall find peace at the mercy seat.

Refrain

Born: No­vem­ber 16, 1871, Can­ter­bu­ry, Kent, Eng­land.

Died: Feb­ru­a­ry 16, 1949, Cheam, Sur­rey, Eng­land.

Words & Music: Ed­ward H. Joy, 1920, alt. (MI­DI, score). Joy, a Sal­va­tion Ar­my mu­si­cian, in­tro­duced the song to the Thorn­ton Heath Corps, and lat­er used it through­out Can­a­da. It was pub­lished in The Mu­sic­al Sal­va­tion­ist in 1929.

Joy joined the Sal­va­tion Ar­my (SA) in Can­ter­bu­ry, then played in the band at Folke­stone, and be­came an SA of­fi­cer in 1894. He went on serve the SA Corps at Tun­stall, then the SA In­ter­na­tion­al head­quar­ters in 1917, where he was Un­der Se­cre­ta­ry in the For­eign Of­fice. Af­ter 1919, he served as Im­mi­gra­tion Se­cre­ta­ry in west­ern Ca­na­da, and in 1932 be­came ed­i­tor-in-chief of The War Cry in South Af­ri­ca. He rose to the rank of SA col­o­nel, and re­tired in 1938.

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/s/istherah.htm

1 Peter 5:6-8

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. . .

For the Lord’s Day – The Love of God

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The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain

Words: Fred­er­ick M. Leh­man; he wrote this song in 1917 in Pas­a­de­na, Cal­i­fornia, and it was pub­lished in Songs That Are Dif­fer­ent, Vol­ume 2, 1919. The lyr­ics are based on the Jew­ish poem Had­da­mut, writ­ten in Ara­ma­ic in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Ne­hor­ai, a can­tor in Worms, Ger­ma­ny; they have been trans­lat­ed in­to at least 18 lang­uages.

One day, dur­ing short in­ter­vals of in­at­ten­tion to our work, we picked up a scrap of pa­per and, seat­ed up­on an emp­ty le­mon box pushed against the wall, with a stub pen­cil, add­ed the (first) two stan­zas and chor­us of the song…Since the lines (3rd stan­za from the Jew­ish po­em) had been found pen­ciled on the wall of a pa­tient’s room in an in­sane asy­lum af­ter he had been car­ried to his grave, the gen­er­al opin­ion was that this in­mate had writ­ten the epic in mo­ments of san­ity.

Frederick M. Lehman, “History of the Song, The Love of God,” 1948

Music: Fred­er­ick Leh­man; ar­ranged by his daugh­ter, Clau­dia L. Mays

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/o/loveofgo.htm

1 John 4:16-19

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

For the Lord’s Day – Beneath the Cross of Jesus

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Beneath the cross of Jesus I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the day.

O safe and happy shelter, O refuge tried and sweet,
O trysting place where Heaven’s love and Heaven’s justice meet!
As to the holy patriarch that wondrous dream was given,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me, a ladder up to heaven.

There lies beneath its shadow but on the further side
The darkness of an awful grave that gapes both deep and wide
And there between us stands the cross two arms outstretched to save
A watchman set to guard the way from that eternal grave.

Upon that cross of Jesus mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love and my unworthiness.

I take, O cross, thy shadow for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than the sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by to know no gain or loss,
My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross.

Elizabeth C. Clephane
http://www.hymntime.com/tch

Short Name:Elizabeth C. Clephane
Full Name:Clephane, Elizabeth Cecelia, 1830-1869
Birth Year:1830
Death Year:1869

Clephane, Elizabeth Cecilia, third daughter of Andrew Clephane, Sheriff of Fife, was born at Edinburgh, June 18, 1830, and died at Bridgend House, near Melrose, Feb. 19, 1869. Her hymns appeared, almost all for the first time, in the Family Treasury, under the general title of Breathings on the Border. In publishing the first of these in the Treasury, the late Rev. W. Arnot, of Edinburgh, then editor, thus introduced them:—

“These lines express the experiences, the hopes, and the longings of a young Christian lately released. Written on the very edge of this life, with the better land fully, in the view of faith, they seem to us footsteps printed on the sands of Time, where these sands touch the ocean of Eternity. These footprints of one whom the Good Shepherd led through the wilderness into rest, may, with God’s blessing, contribute to comfort and direct succeeding pilgrims.”

http://www.hymnary.org/person/Clephane_EC

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

For the Lord’s Day – Nearer, Still Nearer

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1. Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart,
Draw me, my Savior—so precious Thou art!
Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast.
Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest;
Shelter me safe in that Haven of Rest.

2. Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,
Naught as an offering to Jesus, my king;
Only my sinful, now contrite heart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.
Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.

3. Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine!
Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign,
All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride,
Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified.
Give me but Jesus, my Lord, crucified.

4. Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last.
Till safe in glory my anchor is cast;
Through endless ages ever to be
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee;
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #4511

Author: Mrs. C. H. Morris

Lelia N. Morris. Usage Mrs. C. H. Morris. Born: Ap­ril 15, 1862, Penns­ville, Ohio. Died: Ju­ly 23, 1929, Au­burn, New York (at her daugh­ter’s home). Buried: Mc­Con­nels­ville, Ohio. Leila Naylor Morris(1862-1929) As a child, Leila lived in Mal­ta and McCon­nels­ville, Ohio. In 1881, she mar­ried Charles H. Morris. Leila was ac­tive in the Meth­od­ist church, camp meet­ings, and song writ­ing, au­thor­ing more than 1,000 Gospel songs. When her eyes be­gan to fail in 1913, her son built a 28-foot black­board with over­sized staff lines, so she could con­tin­ue com­pos­ing. –hymntime.com/tch

http://www.hymnary.org/text/nearer_still_nearer_close_to_thy_heart

Hebrews 7:19

 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

For the Lord’s Day – I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

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“I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”
by Horatius Bonar, 1808-1899

1. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

2. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream.
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

3. I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of Life I’ll walk
Till traveling days are done.

bonar_h3

Words: Horatius Bonar, Hymns Original and Selected 1846.

Music: Vox Dilecti John B. Dykes, 1868  The key change halfway through accents the positive message of the last two lines, I came to Jesus…

The last time that Henry Ward Beecher was in his pulpit—6th March, 1887—he remained for some time at the close of the evening service listening to the choir practising, and was evidently moved by their rendering of this hymn. While sitting and listening he noticed two street arabs coming into the church to enjoy the music also. He came down, and speaking to them tenderly he drew them to his heart and kissed them. Whether this touch of humanity was due to the hymn or simply the response of his deeply emotional nature in seeing two unfortunates before him, with all their undeveloped possibilities, we cannot say, but of this we are sure, that the last grand utterance that he heard in his church was this hymn: I Heard the Voice, etc., for, a few hours afterwards the shadows of the long night fell upon his ethereal spirit; the silver cord that bound him with the outer world was loosed, and though the soul still lingered over the mortal frame which she had filled with abundant life for seventy-four years, as if loath to depart, the eyes, the senses were all but sealed, and the lips on which listening thousands had hung for half a century were silent. It was fitting that he who took such an active part in the emancipation of the slave should close his life under the inspiration of this tender hymn, and take those two street arabs to his heart as representing the humanity he loved so well!

Morrison, pp. 221-2

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/h/e/iheardvj.htm

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

peace and comfort

29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

For the Lord’s Day – Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?

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Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
[originally, For such a worm as I?]

Refrain

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.

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.

issac Watts

Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1707;

Music: Martyrdom Hugh Wilson, 1800

[***Note from sage – you may not be familiar with this rendition – but it was the one that Fanny Crosby was referring to in 1880.   The music sung in churches today was not written until 1885 when the well known refrain was added]

  • Hudson, Ralph E. Hudson, Songs of Peace, Love and Joy (Alliance, Ohio: 1885)  It is with this tune that the hymn is known as At the Cross.

Fanny Crosby wrote of this hymn:

[In] the autumn of 1850…re­viv­al meet­ings were be­ing held in the Thir­ti­eth Street Meth­od­ist Church [, New York Ci­ty]. Some of us went down ev­ery ev­en­ing; and, on two oc­ca­sions, I sought peace at the at­lar [sic], but did not find the joy I craved, un­til one ev­en­ing, No­vem­ber 20, 1850, it seemed to me that the light must in­deed come then or ne­ver; and so I arose and went to the al­tar alone. A­fter a prayer was of­fered, they be­gan to sing the grand old con­se­cra­tion hymn, “Alas, and did my Sav­iour bleed, And did my Sov­er­eign die?” And when they reached the third line of the fourth [sic] stan­za, “Here Lord, I give my­self away,” my very soul was flood­ed with a ce­les­ti­al light. I sprang to my feet, shout­ing “hal­le­lu­jah,” and then for the first time I real­ized that I had been try­ing to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.

Crosby, p. 24

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/l/a/alasand.htm

1 Corinthians 1:18

 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For the Lord’s Day – Pass Me Not

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Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain:
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee,
Whom in Heav’n but Thee.

crosby_fj_1872

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, 1868; first ap­peared in Songs of De­vo­tion, by How­ard Doane (New York: 1870).

Music: W. How­ard Doane, 1870

As ear­nest Christ­ian pas­tor told of a young man about whom he had long felt much an­xi­e­ty, as he had seemed so un­con­cerned about his soul, and was, in re­al­i­ty, a real cause of dis­turb­ance and in­ter­rupt­ion in class­es for other young men. Meet­ing him one day, the lov­ing pas­tor sought once more to in­flu­ence him, urg­ing, “We want you for Christ and his ser­vice.” There was a cer­tain change in his man­ner which did not es­cape the eye of the pray­er­ful watch­er for souls, and—lack­ing time to do more—he seized the op­por­tun­i­ty to se­cure the pre­sence of his young friend at a Christ­ian En­dea­vor meet­ing soon to be held. True to his prom­ise he was there. When an op­por­tun­i­ty was giv­en for some of the young men to choose a song, it was seen that he was urg­ing his com­pan­ion to se­lect some par­tic­u­lar hymn. The other, yield­ing to his re­quest, asked if the hymn, “Pass me not, O gentle Sav­iour,” might be sung; and both young men joined in the sing­ing with ev­i­dent in­ter­est and heart­i­ness. Lat­er in the ev­en­ing it was re­quest­ed that all who were def­in­ite­ly on the Lord’s side would con­fess their al­le­giance by stand­ing. Where­up­on the one over whom the heart of the pas­tor was spe­cial­ly yearn­ing rose at once, and with de­ci­sion.

“Tell me about your con­ver­sion,” the thank­ful pas­tor re­quest­ed at the close of the meet­ing, when hands were clasped in glad, bro­ther­ly wel­come and re­cog­ni­tion.

“Oh, yes,” as­sent­ed the other. “It was all through that hymn we have just sung. I was work­ing on the canal at G–, and there was a meet­ing be­ing held at the Mar­in­er’s Cha­pel, near­by. The words float­ed out over the wa­ter, and from the tug where I was work­ing I could hear them plain­ly enough. When they were just go­ing to sing those lines—‘While on others Thou are call­ing, Do not pass me by!’ a great fear came over me, and I thought, ‘Oh, if the Lord were to pass me by, how ter­ri­ble it would be!’ Then and there, on the tug, I cried out, ‘O Lord, do not pass me by.’ And”—with a bright smile—“he didn’t pass me by. I am saved.’”

Sankey, pp. 218-20

http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/p/a/passment.htm

2 Peter 3:9

 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

For the Lord’s Day – Thy Way, Not Mine

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Thy way, not mine, O Lord,
However dark it be;
Lead me by Thine own hand,
Choose out the path for me.

Smooth let it be or rough,
It will be still the best;
Winding or straight, it leads
Right onward to Thy rest.

I dare not choose my lot;
I would not, if I might;
Choose Thou for me, my God,
So I shall walk aright.

Take Thou my cup, and it
With joy or sorrow fill,
As best to Thee may seem;
Choose Thou my good and ill.

Choose Thou for me my friends,
My sickness or my health;
Choose Thou my cares for me
My poverty or wealth.

The kingdom that I seek
Is Thine: so let the way
That leads to it be Thine,
Else I must surely stray.

Not mine, not mine the choice
In things or great or small;
Be Thou my Guide, my Strength
My Wisdom, and my All.

bonar_h3

Horatius Bonar

Born: De­cem­ber 19, 1808, Old Brough­ton, Ed­in­burgh, Scot­land.

Died: Ju­ly 31, 1889, Ed­in­burgh, Scot­land.

Buried: Can­on­gate church­yard.

Bonar has been called “the prince of Scot­tish hymn write­rs.” After grad­u­at­ing from the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Ed­in­burgh, he was or­dained in 1838, and be­came pas­tor of the North Par­ish, Kelso. He joined the Free Church of Scot­land af­ter the “Dis­rupt­ion” of 1843, and for a while edit­ed the church’s The Border Watch. Bonar re­mained in Kel­so for 28 years, af­ter which he moved to the Chal­mers Me­mor­i­al church in Edin­burgh, where he served the rest of his life. Bonar wrote more than 600 hymns. At a me­mor­i­al service fol­low­ing his death, his friend, Rev. E. H. Lundie, said:

His hymns were writ­ten in very var­ied cir­cum­stances, some­times timed by the tink­ling brook that bab­bled near him; some­times at­tuned to the or­dered tramp of the ocean, whose crest­ed waves broke on the beach by which he wan­dered; some­times set to the rude mu­sic of the rail­way train that hur­ried him to the scene of du­ty; some­times mea­sured by the si­lent rhy­thm of the mid­night stars that shone above him.

Luke 16:10

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Friday Proverb – Praise or Punishment?

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Unruly behavior is one thing – unruly mouths are another.  Using our mouths to glorify Him is wisdom, which only comes from Him.

Proverbs 10:13

 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found:

Lion_Lamb

Any wisdom that comes forth from our mouths comes from Him.  Having understanding is different than having knowledge.  The depth of our understanding will be commensurate to our walk with Him.  Many sheeple devote their energies to earning advanced degrees or to studying the evil antics of politicians.  From a humanistic perspective, they could be identified as having great knowledge.  Yet – they do not have understanding.  No passage in Scripture expresses this  difference better than the following:

Job 42:5-6

5 I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth Thee.

6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

In the forty-two chapters of the Book of Job, he makes an arduous journey from  the mere knowledge of God – to the true understanding of God.  When Job submits – he receives understanding. 

but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

lake of fire

At its very essence – the above verse means exactly what it says . . .  rejecting Jesus Christ demonstrates a complete void of understanding. 

Friday Proverb – Love People, Hate Sin

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Is that a tired and trite old saying – “Hate the sin, love the sinner?”  The ecumenical church movement has hijacked the Biblical definition of love, and morphed it into a mushy, weak-willed tolerance.  Tolerance is not love!  Oh you who say that God is Love, must also recognize that God is Truth – and His Truth can not lie.  And His Truth will not allow us to lie to ourselves.  We can dig into this even deeper. . .

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirreth up strifes:

westboro baptist church

The infamous Westboro Baptist Church perfectly typifies this Proverb.  Their hatred has consumed them, and causes people outside the faith to make assumptions about others who carry the name of Baptist.  Hatred blinds us to the Truth – the Truth of the Gospel, which includes the truth of our own sin.  Hatred causes families to fall apart, and continuous strife between people for every reason under the sun.  If there is no forgiveness – there is hatred, resentment, bitterness, and misery.  Often lasting a lifetime.

Do you have someone you hate?  Perhaps you were abused or neglected, and have good reason.  But the hatred and bitterness you hold for that person or people, will eat away inside you, causing internal strife – and stealing your inner peace.

but love covereth all sins.

holding hands

Wow.  Take a good long look at the above picture.  That is an aged parent and adult child clasping hands.  It isn’t always a parent that has hurt us – sometimes it’s a sibling, neighbor, employer, teacher, friend, spouse,  religious leader, peers, coworker, some corrupt entity or other . . .  no matter what the source – the resentment and hatred is the same.  It could be something like a  visceral hatred of the government – to the girl who made fun of you in 7th grade.   Only when you let that go – and allow yourself to forgive (we’re not saying you will forget) and  stop holding so tightly to the hatred that is sustaining  you  –  can you experience the Perfect Love that covereth all sins.

You can’t do it on your own, pray to Him for help, and He will relieve you of that burden.  Once you are relieved of that terrible canker eating away at you, you will feel the covering of that sin like a soothing blanket, and the terror and anguish and hatred of whoever or whatever was the recipient of that hatred (deserving or not) will fade away like yesterdays clouds on a sunny day.

It is His love, and His love alone, that makes this possible. 

1 John 4:17-19

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

1 Corinthians 13:7

 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

forgiveness

If you do not forgive – your unforgiveness will grow and fester into hate.

Let His perfect love cast out that resentment, and feel the freedom of His perfect love.  Love does not require you to become someone’s doormat – love frees you from hatred.  Your view will change – and you will see the the person you hated – as a miserable sinner who needs salvation.  Suddenly, things that seemed really important will diminish, and the Gospel and the sharing of it, will become what is most important to you.

Friday Proverb – A Well of Life or a Cesspool of Violence?

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Oh,  the power of the tongue to commit good and evil!  Wars have been waged over verbal missteps.  Studies show that children parrot what their parents say -good or bad.  Throughout Scripture, we are taught to speak with measure and care.  The unsaved will judge the entire church and the Godhead  by what just one Christian says!  It is so important, that there are dozens and dozens of verses relating to what people say with their mouths, not just their actions. 

Proverbs 10:11

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life:

water in a weary land

With our words we can encourage, comfort, teach, edify, and otherwise do great things through the Righteousness of Christ.  We can ask Him to speak through us – to use us to glorify Him.  The only righteousness the believer can possess is the Righteousness of Jesus Christ – it is His Holy Spirit working through us that allows our words to be a well of life.  And done in His Spirit – our words can do the work we are here for.    We can worship Him – and we can witness about Him.  All with words.  And at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be rewarded for what we have done with words.

When we talk about the gospel to the unsaved – we are giving someone a lifeline – we are giving living water  from the well of life – Jesus Christ! 

The second half of this Proverb must be fairly important, because it is repeated twice in Proverbs 10.

but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

great white throne judgment 2

Once again we see that the wicked will not be able to speak to defend themselves.  Right now – it seems that the wicked are in great power, and have control of the air waves, and all media.  Scripture assures us that this will not last much longer.  And these scorners and mockers of Jesus Christ will not be allowed to speak at the Great White Throne Judgment when the charges are made against them.  No lawyers to speak for them, or juries to empathize with them.    Jesus Christ is the Judge, and Jury.

Revelation 20:11-13

11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Please don’t delay getting right with the LORD.  Now is the right time to find Him – not after you are dead.  After this life is over – there is an eternity – and it is up to you to choose how you will spend it.  That is the free- will given to man by God.  We must choose Him.  And we must come to Him by the way He specifies in His Word  – the Bible.  If you would like to talk to us about it – please email at:

vinevigil@gmail.com