"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. 

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

Lyrics

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Sources: HymnTime.  Crich Baptist. BelieftNet.  Gospel Coalition.  Lectionary. 

"Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:33

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.  

Chorus: I surrender all,
  I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
    I surrender all.
2
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
4
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5
All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

Born into a Christian home, author Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855-1939), became a Cristian in his late teens.    He was a musician through and through, mastering 13 different instruments, as well as singing and composing music.  (source)

This song was born from resolving a conflict in his life, as Van DeVenter says

As an evangelist he travelled throughout the United States, England and Scotland, this hymn is one of 60 that he wrote.  When he retired from being an evangelist he worked as a professor of Hymnology for four years. He retired to Florida, staying active in his church.

Dr. Billy Graham wrote a tribute for him, in a book called Crusade Hymn Stories:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:14

Lyrics:

1 O Word of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky:
we praise you for the radiance
that from the Scripture's page,
a lantern to our footsteps,
shines on from age to age.


2 The church from you, dear Master,
received the gift divine;
and still that light is lifted
o'er all the earth to shine.
It is the chart and compass
that all life's voyage through,
mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
still guides, O Christ, to you.

I found two versions for the third verse:
The Scripture is a banner
before God’s host unfurled;
It is a shining Beacon
above the darkling world.
It is the Chart and Compass
that over life’s surging tide,
Mid mists and rocks and quicksands
, to You, O Christ, will guide.

OR this one which we sing in our church
It floateth like a banner
  Before God’s host unfurled;
It shineth like a beacon
  Above the darkling world;
It is the chart and compass
  That, o’er life’s surging sea,
’Mid mists and rocks and quicksands
  Still guide, O Christ, to Thee.

4 O make your church, dear Savior,
a lamp of burnished gold
to bear before the nations
your true light as of old.
O teach your wandering pilgrims
by this our path to trace
till, clouds and darkness ended,
we see you face to face.

Written by William Walsham How who was the son of William Wybergh How.  He was born Dec. 13, 1823, at Shrewsbury, and educated at Shrewsbury School and Wadham College, Oxford (B.A. 1845).

He eventually became a bishop as well as an author of several books such as the Commentary of the Four Gospels and Plain Words for Children.

He was known as the Poor Man's Bishop as he chose to serve among the slums of
London, rejecting offers to serve in prestigious churches.

How wrote 54 hymns altogether.   He said, “A good hymn should be like a good prayer—simple, real, earnest, and reverent.”  (source)

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

Lyrics

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven 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 heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

I chose two different tunes to show case this hymn, neither is the tune that we sing regularly with this hymn in our church. in fact, there are six tunes this hymn is sung too!   Amazing eh?   For more info GO HERE.  The important part is the words to the hymn though right?

Written by Charles Wesley, a prolific hymn writer, who was the 18th of 19  children, born into a musically oriented family.    He could write up to 10 lines of song per day, his brother John acting as his editor (source).   He was a preemie, thought to be born dead, lying still wrapped in wool for the first few weeks of his life.  Initially educated by his mother, he later attended Westminster School and later Oxford.

First published in 1747 in his brother John Wesley's collection, rather dauntingly entitled Hymns for those that seek, and those that have, Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ. (source)  Some think this song was inspired by a popular pagan song of the day "Fairest isle, all isles excelling".

He was ordained in 1735, ministering in Georgia for a year, then returning to England dejected at his lack of success, God used this time though to help the Wesley Brothers to be more alert to the state of their souls, leading them to deepen their faith.   His songs were wildly popular within his Methodist denomination.

Wesley frequently composed verse while riding from Church to Church on his preaching tour, jotting down rough notes so he could transcribe them later.   (source)   He was a man with a poet's heart, easily taking his thoughts and putting them into verse.

When I read that Charles Wesley wrote 8,989 hymns I was staggered.   That's A LOT OF music!!!!   He composed some of the most memorable and lasting hymns of the church: "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "And Can It Be," "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," "Soldiers of Christ, Arise," and "Rejoice! the Lord Is King!"  (source)

It's fascinating isn't it?   To learn about some of these authors of hymns?  :)

Lyrics

In sweet communion, Lord, with thee
I constantly abide;
My hand thou holdest in thine own
To keep me near thy side.

Thy counsel through my earthly way
Shall guide me and control,
And then to glory afterward
Thou wilt receive my soul.

Whom have I, Lord, in heav'n but thee,
To whom my thoughts aspire?
And, having thee, on earth is nought
That I can yet desire.

Though flesh and heart should faint and fail,
The Lord will ever be
The strength and portion of my heart,
My God eternally.

To live apart from God is death,
'Tis good his face to seek;
My refuge is the living God,
His praise I long to speak.

All I can find out about this lovely hymn/prayer is that it was written by William U. Butcher.   He was a 19th Century fellow who lived the United States.

I know, it's not much, but it is a lovely hymn and I hope you enjoyed listening to it.  :)

His children shall have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26

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 giv’n,
So seems my Savior’s cross to me,
A ladder up to Heav’n.

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 wrote the words to this hymn.  The words were published post-humously in the Family Treasury, a Scottish Presbyterian magazine, in 1872, titled Breathing on the Border.

Ms. Clephane was a Scottish lass, who lived for only 39 years.  She was a sickly lass known to have a cheery outlook on life.   She was a devout Scottish Presbyterian and in her community was known as "The Sunbeam".  She enjoyed writing poetry, unfortunately most of them were published after her death, in a magazine called The Family Treasury.    Her parents died when she was young, her father being a sherrif.  Along with her sister, she ministered to the poor and needy in her neighbourhood of Melrose.   

The publisher of "The Family Treasury" had these words to say in regards to the poem that became the hymn Beneath the Cross of Jesus.    “These lines express the experiences, the hopes and the longings of a young Christian lately released. Written on the very edge of life, with the better land fully in view of Faith, they seem to use footsteps printed in 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 Gods blessing, contribute to comfort and direct succeeding Pilgrims.” (source)

Sources:
Cyber Hymnal.   Discipleship Ministries. Lectionary.  Gaffney Ledger.

Psalm 104:1-7: “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.” 

Sources:
Share Faith. Discipleship Ministries.  Hymnary.  Christianity.com.  Wiki. Bartleby.com.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 
1 John 3:1-3

Lyrics

Behold th’amazing gift of love
The Father hath bestowed
On us, the sinful sons of men,
To call us sons of God!

Concealed as yet this honor lies,
By this dark world unknown,
A world that knew not when He came,
Even God’s eternal Son.

High is the rank we now possess;
But higher we shall rise;
Though what we shall hereafter be
Is hid from mortal eyes.

Our souls, we know, when He appears,
Shall bear His image bright;
For all His glory, full disclosed,
Shall open to our sight.

A hope so great, and so divine,
May trials well endure;
And purge the soul from sense and sin,
As Christ Himself is pure.

Yesterday morning in church I was introduced to this lovely hymn.   I've posted the lyrics we sang above, but according to Cyber Hymnal the original lyrics were quite different.   We also did not sing it to the original tune, but rather to the tune of Amazing Grace.   Our congregation is somewhat older so we often switch tunes to more familiar ones when singing a new to us hymn.

Are not the lyrics full of who God is?  And the love that he holds for us.. just amazes.

Anyways, the story behind the song?   Let's see if we can find one.  :)

This hymn was written by Isaac Watts.  Born in 1674 to a schoolmaster, he was an intelligent child, studying latin at age four and writing poetry by age 7.  He became a pastor as an adult within the Independent Church.

He was challenged by his father (who was tired of his complaints) to write hymns because he often complained as a teenager that people were so lack-lustre in their singing. 

The following week, the adolescent Isaac presented his first hymn to the church, "Behold the Glories of the Lamb," which received an enthusiastic response. The career of the "Father of English Hymnody" had begun.  (source)

His style of hymn writing wasn't without its detractors as he used different tunes other than familiar metrical ones.   He would base his hymns off psalms and verses, not using some parts, and using others which some folks found hard to understand. (source)

Isaac Watts was not a man with a strong constitution, his health often failed him, but he loved preaching and did it as often as he could.  He was an intelligent, gentle soul who wrote many hymns and books.  He wrote nearly 30 theological treatises; essays on psychology, astronomy, and philosophy; three volumes of sermons; the first children's hymnal; and a textbook on logic that served as a standard work on the subject for generations. (source)

Sources:
wholesome words. Wiley online library.  Christianity Today.  Cyber Hymnal.  Hymnary.

Revelations 19:12, “...and on His head were many crowns.”

Lyrics

Crown Him with many crowns,   The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heav’nly anthem drowns  All music but its own!
  Awake, my soul, and sing  Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King  Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Those/rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of heaven: One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit Through Him given From yonder glorious throne.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail Throughout eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,
Now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

Alternative verses
Crown Him the Virgin’s Son,   The God Incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won,   Which now His brow adorn:
  Fruit of the mystic Tree,  As of that Tree the Stem;
The Root whence flows Thy mercy free,  The Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown Him the Lord of peace,  Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,  And all be prayer and praise.
  His reign shall know no end,  And round His pierced feet
Fair flowers of glory now extend  Their fragrance ever sweet.
The full 12 verses can be found here.

To my surprise I learned that this hymn has both protestant and catholic roots, depending on who wrote which verses (or how they changed them).   It's like HUH?   Anyways, let's learn who wrote and why shan't we?  :)

 Matthew Bridges originally penned this hymn in 1851, he was a man who disliked the catholic church, wrote a book listing it's faults, yet later found himself a member of it.  But by then, this hymn was a rather popular one being sung in protestant churches as well.  So Godfrey Thring grew concerned that protestant churches were learning Catholic theology through this hymn and wrote six new verses to it, in1874 these verses were written.  Overtime the verses have become confused until the most popular verses remain sung regularly.

Go figure eh?  I found this whole thing just fascinating.   In the end we ended up with a hymn that uses three verses from one author and three verses from another, in a hymn that is just a great one full of the doctrine of God.  Isn't it great how it all works out?

Some addition resources you might want to check out.
Hymnsite. ShareFaith.  Discipleship Ministries.