Category: Hymn

Hymn Study: There is a Fountain Filled with Blood

11/7/2016

A fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. Zechariah 13:1

Lyrics

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away,
Washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more,
Be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die,
And shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave,
Lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared,
Unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward,
A golden harp for me!
A golden harp for me,
A golden harp for me;
For me a blood bought free reward,
A golden harp for me!

’Tis strung and tuned for endless years,
And formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears
No other name but Thine;
No other name but Thine,
No other name but Thine;
To sound in God the Father’s ears
No other name but Thine.

The last two verses of the lyrics above are new to me. I found it interesting how the verses changed depending on where I found them.   Some lines were reversed in order.   Just interesting.   Other changes in this hymn can be found here.

William Cowper is the author of this beautiful hymn, when I read the story of how this hymn came about, suddenly it had more depth to it.   Oh, how Cowper struggled.   You can read the full story here.

Imagine, being in the depths of despair, knowing that you face an examination that fills you with such dread, wanting to end your life and not being successful. Imagine than having the knowledge impressed upon you about how God can erase the stain of any sin.   And thus a hymn was born.   Oh ... so many heart cries come out in hymns don't they?   When we realize fully a truth from God.

This hymn is one of them. Go on....go read his story.

Another article I read changes the story a bit...so it's hard to know what details are accurate. In this story, Cowper wrote this hymn shortly before his death after he was released from the sanitorium, when he was living a little house, with the words of Zech 13:1 filling his mind, writing this Spirit inspired hymn. (source)

Regardless of the truth of how this story came about... Cowper was a man with a delicate spirit and mind, easily moved to depression, with good friends able to help him recover.   People who cared, but more importantly, a God who kept him close, teaching him what he needed to know of him, and it came out in beautiful words.

Good eh?

Hymn Study: Rejoice the Lord is King

10/31/2016

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

Lyrics
Once again I am surprised at how many verses there are to a familiar hymn.
You will note in the first verse I have the word rejoice after mortals. This is what is says in our hymnal. Rejoice instead of Mortals.

Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals (rejoice) give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and Heav’n,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus giv’n;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!
(source)

Written by Charles Wesley it first appeared in his brother John's book Moral and Sacred Poems in 1744. In 1746, Charles published it as one of 16 selections in Hymns for Our Lord's Resurrection. It originally had six verses. (source)

As often happens with hymns, verses get dropped and such was the case with this hymn. The fourth and fifth stanzas omitted in the settings used in The UM Hymnal. Of the four stanzas used in both settings in the hymnal (numbers 715 and 716), almost nothing has been altered from the original 1746 text, a testament to the quality of Charles Wesley's poetry. (source)

Charles Wesley (along with his brother John) wrote more than 6500 hymns in the 18th century. He wrote this hymn to go along with Easter and Ascension. (source) as well as a way to encourage his Methodist brethren who were undergoing persecution.

Hymn Study: Man of sorrows, What a name

10/24/2016

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows.” Isaiah 53:3

Lyrics

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Philip Bliss, American, author of this hymn. He wrote several hymns such as Wonderful Words, Dare to be a Daniel and many more.

He grew up in a family of a music loving Christian home. He learned early the importance of prayer. He loved music and at one point in his life trespassed in order to listen to a young lady play the piano. He left home at age 11 in order to make his own way in the world, working at various trades. Between jobs and as able he attended school. It took time but eventually he got enough credits to get his teaching certificate.

At age seventeen, in 1855, he decided that he would take the final step in preparation for his life's work. ..... and finished the last requirements for his teaching credentials. .....In 1857 he met J. G. Towner who conducted a vocal school in Towanda, Pennsylvania. ..... Towner also made it possible for him to go to a musical convention in Rome, Pennsylvania, later that year. Here he met William B. Bradbury, a noted composer of sacred music. .... Bradbury had talked Philip Bliss into surrendering himself to the service of the Lord. The strong influence of these men in his life helped him to decide to be a music teacher. While still in his teens, Philip discovered that he had ability to compose music. His first composition was sent to George F. Root with this strange request, "If you think this song is worth anything, I would appreciate having a flute in exchange for it." He received the flute.(source) And so a hymn composer and music writer was born.

Originally he was part of the Methodist church, he met Lucy Young who brought him into the Presbyterian church when they married. He worked in the field of music for the rest of his life.

In 1874 he joined D. W. Whittle in evangelical work. To this cause he gave (although a poor man) the royalty of his Gospel Songs, which was worth some thirty thousand dollars. (source)

Written…shortly before his death, this was the last hymn I heard Mr. Bliss sing. It was at a meeting in Farwell Hall in Chicago [Illinois], conducted by Henry Moorehouse. A few weeks before his death Mr. Bliss visited the State prison at Jackson, Michigan, where, after a very touching address on “The Man of Sorrows,” he sang this hymn with great effect. Many of the prisoners dated their conversion from that day. (source)

He passed away early in life due to a tragic train accident. He managed to get free of the wrecked car, but found his wife trapped within, he remained with her trying to free her, but they both perished.

Hymn Study: Thou Art the Way: to Thee Alone

10/17/2016

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

Lyrics

1 Thou art the Way: by thee alone
from sin and death we flee;
and they who would the Father seek
must seek him, Lord, by thee.

2 Thou art the Truth: thy word alone
true wisdom can impart;
thou only canst inform the mind
and purify the heart.

3 Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm;
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm.

4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
grant us that Way to know,
that Truth to keep, that Life to win,
whose joys eternal flow.

George W. Doane is the author of this hymn, he was a considered an excellent poet and he wrote a few different hymns such as Fling out the Banner, let it Float as well Return and Come to God.

Mr. Doane was an American man named after president George Washington. Lived 1799-1859. He took the position of Assistant Minister at Trinity church after graduation from Union College. In 1824 Professor at Trinity college, 1828 Rector of Trinity Church in Boston. He also was Bishop of New Jersey. He founded St. Mary's hall in Burlington and also the Burlington College.

Bishop Doane was man of talent and education, as well a strong character. With a big heart, he had a great many devoted friends who remember him fondly. He had a variety of troubles in his life, which affected his later poetry. Four volumes of hymns and poetry show the work that he put forth.

This hymn is by far his most popular. Isn't it a great hymn? With Softly now the light of day being his second most popular.

Even though he was considered a fair and able administrator and disciplinarian, he was not as good in the financial department when it came to the running of St. Mary's hall and the Burlington College. He ran up rather large debts in regards to them.

I know that he had at a son named William, who also became a Bishop.

Hymn Study: Whate'er My God Ordains is Right

10/10/2016

"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Genesis 18:25

Lyrics

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate’er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I’ll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He is my friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

I have to admit, this is a relatively new hymn to me.   The truth is this: whatever, doesn't matter what it is... whatever God ordains for a person or a congregation or a country.. it is RIGHT.

A bit about the hymn though. :)

Written by Samuel Rodigast, I don't recall ever running into a hymn written by him before.   He's known to have written two hymns, one of which was translated into English.

A German, he was born in Groben in 1649, He entered the University of Jena in 1668 (M.A. 1671), and was in 1676 appointed adjunct of the philosophical faculty. In 1680 he became conrector of the Greyfriars Gymnasium at Berlin. While in this position he refused the offers of a professorship at Jena and the Rectorships of the Schools at Stade and Stralsund. Finally, in 1698, he became rector of the Greyfriars Gymnasium, and held this post till his death. (source)

This hymn was written by Rodigast in order to encourage up a very sick friend named Gastorius.   Gastorius was able to make a recovery and provided the tune for the poem, thusly turning it into a hymn. (source)

I expect we'll be singing this hymn again as it's a great hymn eh? :)

Hymn Study: Sweet Hour of Prayer

9/26/2016

Lyrics

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop and rise
To seize the everlasting prize;
And shout, while passing through the air,
"Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!"

William W. Walford is the author is this sweet, quiet hymn. We sang it this morning and church and I have to tell you, this whole week has seemed filled with the topic of prayer, two reviews done.. both on the thought of prayer, and a sermon about prayer... and this sweet hymn... think God is trying to tell me something??

There seems to be two William Walford around at the time, and which one is the author is up for some debate. (source) The same source that gave me that information also wrote these words
When not referring to matters of taste, “sweet” indicates something that is pleasant, agreeable and delightful. The word also has an older meaning–which might have been known by Mr. Walford–and that is respected, indicating that the hour of prayer is esteemed and held in high honour. All of that surely describes well our times before God’s throne.

I read that and thought wow...that adds an extra layer to this hymn doesn't it.   To not just think of how the author appreciates his time of prayer, but how he respects his time of prayer, almost like he covets this time...

THIS THIS my readers is what I need to learn to do. To covet, to deeply respect and long for, my time of prayer.   To treat it like the treasure that it is, and through that to learn to be the prayer warrior that God calls me to be.

Back to the hymn study. :)

More about Walford.
Thomas Salmon, a New York native, spent some time in Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, where he became acquainted with William. He tells this tale of what happened one day, while he was visiting the blind pastor:

"...He repeated two or three pieces which he had composed, and having no friend at home to commit them to paper, he had laid them up in the storehouse within. "How will this do?" asked he, as he repeated the following lines, with a complacent smile touched with some light lines of fear lest he subject himself to criticism. I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil, as he uttered them, and sent them for insertion in the Observer, if you should think them worthy of preservation." (source)

Walford, a blind preacher, with a prodigious memory.   Amazing isn't it?   A person, who owned a trinket shop, so easily discounted, composing hymns that are still well-known today.    God works in such interesting ways. :)

Hymn Study: Christ Whose Glory Fills the Skies

9/19/2016

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Malachi 4:2

Lyrics

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

Well... that was an interesting voyage through all kinds of different tunes for this lovely hymn, I've always known this tune to Lux Prima and wow..the others just sounded quite different to me. :) What tune do you sing this hymn too?

These are the four tunes used:

Day-Star, Samuel S. Wesley, 1872
Fred til Bod, Ludvig M. Lindeman, 1871
Lux Prima (Gounod), Charles F. Gounod, 1872
Ministres de l’Éternel, Genevan Psalter, 1562

Written by Charles Wesley. This hymn was originally called "A Morning Hymn".

Did you know that The 18th-century Englishman Charles Wesley (1707-1788) wrote, according to eminent 20th-century hymnologist Erik Routley, “more than 8,989 poems with over 6,000 of them qualifying as ‘hymns.’” That’s 3.4 poems per week, Routley added, “assuming him to have died in the act of writing.” (source) Not only did he write a lot of poems, he also wrote them to be theologically sound.

Hymn Study: God Be Merciful to Me

9/12/2016

Have mercy on me,O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

Psalm 51:1-2

Lyrics

1. God, be merciful to me;
On Thy grace I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

2. My transgressions I confess;
Grief and guilt my soul oppress.
I have sinned against Thy grace,
And provoked Thee to Thy face.
I confess Thy judgement just;
Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.

3. I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Savior art,
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

4. Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice,
And in gladness hear Thy voice;
From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

5. Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true.
Cast me not away from Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation's joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

6. Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee
Savior all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing Thy love
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord

Based on Psalm 51 this hymn has gone through a few changes in it's life. :) Slightly different versions appeared in three older Scottish Psalters. HymnStudies has it's complicated history explained.

Richard Redhead is believed to be the composer of the music. Beyond that I couldn't really discover who the composer was.

Hymn: Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove

9/5/2016

“The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” Romans 5:5

Lyrics:

Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quick’ning powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.

Look how we grovel here below,
Fond of these trifling toys;
Our souls can neither fly nor go
To reach eternal joys.

In vain we tune our formal songs,
In vain we strive to rise;
Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.

Dear Lord! and shall we ever live
At this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to Thee,
And Thine to us so great!

Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all Thy quick’ning powers;
Come, shed abroad the Savior’s love
And that shall kindle ours.

Written by Isaac Watts, Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, is one of several hymns written by the "Father of English Hymnody".

Isaac was born of a nonconformist father who was jailed because of his beliefs. He was educated in Southampton and his ability at verse got him noticed and sent along to higher education. From Wikipedia I learned this:
From an early age, Watts displayed a propensity for rhyme. Once, he responded when asked why he had his eyes open during prayers:

A little mouse for want of stairs
ran up a rope to say its prayers.
Receiving corporal punishment for this, he cried:

O father, father, pity take
And I will no more verses make.

Everyone assumed that he would be ordained in the Church of England but like his father he chose to become a nonconformist. (source)

He wrote most of hymns when he left the academy at 20 years old.

He ordained as a pastor at age 24 in an Independent Church. However 10 years later, he contracted a bad fever that broken his constitution, and he gained a co-pastor. He wrote a great many works. By the end of his life he had written more than 500 hymns.

Hymn Study: Saviour Teach Me Day by Day

8/28/2016

"We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Lyrics

Savior, teach me day by day
Love’s sweet lesson to obey,
Sweeter lesson cannot be,
Loving Him who first loved me.

With a child’s glad heart of love
At Thy bidding may I move,
Prompt to serve and follow Thee,
Loving Him who first loved me.

Teach me thus Thy steps to trace,
Strong to follow in Thy grace,
Learning how to love from Thee,
Loving Him who first loved me.

Love in loving finds employ,
In obedience all her joy;
Ever new that joy will be,
Loving Him who first loved me.

Thus may I rejoice to show
That I feel the love I owe;
Singing, till Thy face I see,
Of His love who first loved me.

This Sunday was the first time I had ever sung this hymn.   I thought it a great hymn and hope we sing it again soon. It fit really well with today's Sermon on God's Love.

This Hymn was written by Jane E Leeson as a children's hymn/sung prayer.   She primarily wrote poems, some of which were turned into hymns.

"She was a member of a strange and spurious sect known as the Holy Catholic Apostolic Church" this church met in Bishopgate. (source)   Later in life she joined the Roman Catholic Church.

Miss Leeson wrote 13 hymns that are remembered, this is one of her most commonly sung hymns. For information on the hymns she wrote you can visit this site. Beyond that, we don't know a whole lot more about this poet.