For the Beauty of the Earth

This is one of my favorite hymns, especially as we come in to the wonderful season of Autumn!

Title: For the Beauty of the Earth

Tune: Dix

Meter: 7.7.7.7.7.7.

Composer: Conrad Kocher (1786-1872)

Author: Folliott S. Pierpoint (1835-1917)

     As we walk out into the world during the season of fall, we are filled with sensations that can only be described as overwhelmingly beautiful. We come out into a world full of color, full of fresh, cool, crisp, air with the smell of the harvest season lingering on our noses. The world seems a more beautiful place, even though the season of relaxation (i.e. Summer) has come to an end. As Autumn approaches, we see the different birds flying south for the winter, the fields turn from the green growth, into waves of amber color that seem to stretch on for miles in the country. It was these things that inspired the author, Folliot S. Pierpoint, to compose the text for this wonderful hymn. Born in 1835 in Bath, England, Pierpoint was an educated man, studying at Queens College in Cambridge, and graduating with a degree in Classical Honours. after he graduated, Pierpoint went out for a walk around his hometown. While out on his walk, he was so inspired by the beauty of the nature that he sat down and penned the words.
     The words to "For the Beauty of the Earth" were published when Pierpoint was at the young age of 29. He published the text in Rev. Orvy Shipley's Lyra Eucharistica in 1864, because the hymn was originally meant to be a Eucharistic Hymn for the Anglican Church (of which Pierpoint was a member of). The Chorus that was originally penned was originally read "Christ our God, to the we raise this our sacrifice of praise," but was later changed to "Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our grateful hymn of praise," in order that the hymn could be used for more than just the Eucharist. The original text had eight verses that were published, but in the most recent publications of Hymns Ancient and Modern, as well as the Presbyterian Church Hymnary, the final three verses have been removed for being "too Catholic in wording." While these churches have omitted the last three verses, they have, however, published the hymn with the original line of the chorus ("....this our sacrifice of praise.").
     The tune "Dix," was written by a man named Conrad Kocher, who was originally born in Ditzingen, Wurttemberg, Germany, where he was trained as a teacher. At the age of 17, Kocher left Germany to work as a tutor in St. Petersburg, Russia (this would have been c. 1803). Eventually, Kocher's love for composers such as Mozart and Haydn influenced him to pursue a career in music. in 1811, he moved back to Germany and settled into the town of Suttgart, Germany, where he would remain for most of his life. During the early years of his music career, the prestigious Cotta Music Firm published some of his works, and eventually sent him to study music in Italy for a period. After kocher completed his studies in Italy, he returned to Suttgart where he founded the School for Sacred Song, which encouraged the use of four part singing in the church. In his career, Kocher published two Operas, an Oratorio, and a few Sonatas. The most well known version of "Dix" came from a shortening of Kochers Treuer Heiland, wir sind hir,” found in Kocher's Stimmen aus den Reiche Gottes, (published in 1838). The final arrangement was done by William H. Monk and was published in the 1861 version of Hymns Ancient and Modern, of which Monk was the music editor for. Though Monk regretted using this tune as a pair for the text, it has proven to be a good match over the last several years. 

     This hymn is one of great praise and thanksgiving. The text talks about all the wonderful things that we have been given on this Earth, and that we should raise them up to God and be thankful for them. As we come into the season of Autumn, the wonderful beauty that envelopes us as we go out into the world is a gift from God that we should be ever thankful for. Pierpoint does however go beyond the simple aesthetics of the world, but of the beauty of friendship found in one another. There is beauty in the world all around us, and even if we cannot see it, beauty still remains in the intangible. 

The Text: 

(1) For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

(2) For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night;
Hill and vale and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

(3) For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight;
For the mystic harmony,
Linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

(4) For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child;
Friends on Earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

(5) For Thy church that evermore,
Lifteth holy hands above;
Off'ring up on ev'ry shore,
Her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

My Take on the Hymn:

      This hymn is one of great praise and thanksgiving. The text talks about all the wonderful things that we have been given on this Earth, and that we should raise them up to God and be thankful for them. As we come into the season of Autumn, the wonderful beauty that envelopes us as we go out into the world is a gift from God that we should be ever thankful for. Pierpoint does however go beyond the simple aesthetics of the world, but of the beauty of friendship found in one another. There is beauty in the world all around us, and even if we cannot see it, beauty still remains in the intangible. 

The Hymn:

If you cannot read music, just play the youtube video and follow along. 

Bibliography:

Guidebook, Psalter Hymnal. "DIX (Kocher)." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/tune/dix_kocher>.

Guidebook, Psalter Hymnal. "DIX (Kocher)." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/tune/dix_kocher>.

"For the Beauty of the Earth." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/text/for_the_beauty_of_the_earth>.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Here is another Hymn. This one goes out again to Father Tim Biren, thank you so much for your donation of books to my study of hymns! This one comes from the third edition of Worship, A Hymnal and Service Book for Roman Catholics.

Title: I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Tune: Duke Street

Meter: 8.8.8.8. (Long Meter)

Composer: John Hatton, (c. 1710-1793)

Author: Samuel Medley, (1738-1799)

                Often times, some of the best known works in the religious world come from people that did not begin their life in a religious way. Samuel Medley was a prime example of this, much like fellow poet John Newton. Born June 23^rd 1738 in Chestnut, England, Medley was the son of a School teacher, but none-less, he was educated privately by his grandfather. While studying with his grandfather, Medley was taught to live faithfully by Christian values, but he was not interested in following what was being taught. As he grew up, Medley became friends with boys who were not Godly, and lead sinful lives. Eventually at the age of 14 (c. 1752), Medley was given an apprenticeship with an oil-man in London, but he only lasted 3 years in with the oil-man before he began searching for a way out. After finding a loop-hole in the law, Medley discovered that a person can leave an apprenticeship and join the military service, which lead him to join the British Royal Navy. While in the Navy, Medley’s life style did not improve, but rather became even more crass and profane than before.

 In 1759, during the Seven Year’s War, Medley’s ship engaged in a naval battle with a French ship, during which Medley’s leg was severely injured. After the battle was over, Medley’s leg continued to grow worse, even to the point of potentially having to amputate the leg to save Medley’s life. One evening, the physician aboard the ship told Medley that if his leg did not improve by morning, they would have to amputate or he could face death. During the night, Medley turned back and remembered what his grandfather had taught him when he was younger, and he began to pray vigorously that his leg may be spared. The next morning, to the surprise of all on the ship, the physician examined the leg and determined that it had healed so well that amputation was no longer needed. Immediately afterwards, Medley returned to his room, found the bible his grandfather had given him, and began reading. When Medley’s ship had finally returned to England, he was sent to his grandfather’s house where he was allowed to recover. Eventually, during his recovery, Medley’s grandfather read a sermon written by Isaac Watts, which moved Medley so greatly; he immediately converted and became a Christian. After his conversion, Medley began attending the Baptist Church in Eagle Street, London. Shortly after, Medley opened a school, which he ran with great success for nearly six years, but then he found a new calling.

In 1767, Medley began preaching, and eventually he became so popular in his teachings that he was called to be Pastor at the Baptist Church in Watford, England. After five short years in Watford, Medley moved on to Byrom Street, Liverpool, where he gathered a large congregation of a 27 year period. Medley took a special interest in the souls of Seamen and Servicemen, and was so wildly popular that soon his meeting place could not sustain the number of people coming to hear him preach. After a short time, the meeting space was enlarged, but this would prove useless as the number of people coming to hear the sermons was still growing. Eventually the crowds grew so great that an entirely new building had to be constructed to allow room for everyone who wanted to hear the words of Medley. Although his career was successful, Medley fell ill and maintained his illness for quite some time. After his long fight, Medley finally passed away July 17^th 1799, but many of his hymns maintain their popularity in the Baptist Church, one of the most famous of which is “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.”

The first publication of “I Know that My Redeemer Lives,” appeared in Emma Smith’s hymnal published in 1835 with only seven short verses. Eventually the text was compressed into four longer verses, but in order to make the text fit the new musical form, the last line of the verse had to be repeated (found on some occasions). The first appearance of the tune “Duke Street,” came anonymously in Henry Boyd’s 1793 publication of Select Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes. Eventually the tune was credited to one John Hatton, of which virtually nothing is known, other than he lived on Duke Street in St. Helen, Lancaster, England. The tune is only one of many different potential tunes that can be used with this given text, but this tune is generally found to be used in the Catholic Church.

The Text:

I know that my Redeemer lives;

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, He lives, who once was dead;

He lives, my ever living Head.

He lives to bless me with His love,

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed,

He lives to help in time of need.

He lives triumphant from the grave,

He lives eternally to save,

He lives all glorious in the sky,

He lives exalted there on high.

He lives to grant me rich supply,

He lives to guide me with His eye,

He lives to comfort me when faint,

He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears,

He lives to wipe away my tears

He lives to calm my troubled heart,

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,

He lives and loves me to the end;

He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath;

He lives, and I shall conquer death:

He lives my mansion to prepare;

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives, all glory to His Name!

He lives, my Jesus, still the same.

Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,

I know that my Redeemer lives!

My Take on the Hymn:

                This hymn is one of great praise, especially coming from someone who did not know God’s love until later in life. The story of Samuel Medley serves to show that God does not leave us alone, even when we constantly tell ourselves that we do not want, nor do we believe in, God’s love. This hymn reminds us that God does live every day in us, and that he lives for us, not just so that we may sing his praise, but that we may be saved in Him. Just the other day while in church, I thought to myself, why does God get to use us, and furthermore, why does He want to use us? There isn’t really any other answer to this question other than His love for us is so strong that he wants us to be with him eternally, and the only way to do that is to live in his way. Living like Christ and like God is not an easy task, and is something that we as humans cannot do simply on our own. It takes God and His power to allow us to live a life worthy of Him.

The Hymn:

If you can't read the music, just follow along with the Youtube video.

Here is the Youtube Video:

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "Samuel Medley." - Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/person/Medley_S>.

Graves, Dan. "Church History and Christian Timeline." Christianity.com. Christianity.com, May 2007. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. <http://www.christianity.com/ChurchHistory/11630229/>.

Chicago, Archdiocese Of. "Hymn No 445." Worship: A Hymnal and Servic Book for Roman Catholics. Third ed. Vol. Vol 1. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2001. N. 

                

Blessed Assurance: Jesus is Mine

Sorry for the delay, but here is another one for the books!

Title: Blessed Assurance: Jesus is Mine

Tune: Assurance

Numeric Outline: 9.10.9.9. with refrain

Composer: Phoebe Palmer Knapp (1839-1908)

Author: Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915)

     Many authors who are known for hymns have been ordained ministers before they started writing verse, but Fanny J. Crosby, however, was not. Although she was not ordained, she held a very prominent role in the history of the United States, Crosby was the first woman to be heard in front of the United States Senate. Born Southeast County, Putnam, New York, March 24th 1820, she became blind at only six weeks of age. She became blind because she did not receive proper treatment while she had a bout of illness. As Crosby grew older, she moved to the city of Eidgefield, Connecticut and lived there for four years, when she eventually returned to New York. At the age of 15, Crosby began her studies as the New York institution for the Blind, and later in 1847 she became a teacher there as well. During her time at the institution, Crosby spent the school vacations away in North Reading, Massachusetts, where she wrote numerous poems for Dr. Geo F. Root, professor of music at the blind institution.
     Through her years at the blind institution, Crosby came across many prominent political figures, and among them was one Henry Clay. When Crosby met with Henry Clay, she had already wrote him several poems, one of which was written to honor Clay's son who had been killed in the Civil War. Crosby says of her meeting with Clay  " When Mr. Clay came to the institution during his last visit to New York, I was selected to welcome him with a poem. Six months before he had lost a son at the battle of Monterey, and I had sent him some verses. In my address I carefully avoided any allusion to them, in order not to wound him. When I had finished he drew my arm in his, and, addressing the audience, said through his tears: ' This is not the first poem for which I am indebted to this lady. Six months ago she sent me some lines on the death of my dear son.' Both of us were overcome for a few moments. Soon, by a splendid effort, Mr. Clay recovered himself, but I could not control my tears." Over the 95 ninety-five years of Crosby's life, she penned nearly eight thousand poems in all, but not all of them were set to music. Though she never officially published collections of hymns, she did have four collections of verse that she published on her own: The Blind Girl, and Other Poems (1844), Monterey, and Other Poems (1849), A Wreath of Columbia's Flowers (1858) and finally, The Bells at Evening and Other Verses (1897). 
     The tune "Assurance," comes from the pen of one Phoebe Palmer knapp, who was born in New York, New York in 1839. From a young age, it was noted that she had considerable musical talent, and being the daughter of a well known Methodist Evangelist, Walter C. Palmer, it was no wonder she began writing gospel tunes to be used as settings for many poems. In 1855 at the young age of 16, Knapp was married to her husband John Farfield Knapp, and several years later they became founders of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. After her husbands death, Knapp was left with a considerable wealth, which she shared with many different charitable organizations throughout New York. Through her career, Phoebe Palmer Knapp wrote nearly 500 different gospel tunes, of which two remain in popular use today, "Blessed Assurance," and "Open the Gates of the Temple."

The Text: 

1. 1) Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
   Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
   Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
   Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
2. 
   
3. Refrain:
4. This is my story, this is my song,
5. Praising my Savior all the day long;
6. This is my story, this is my song,
7. Praising my Savior all the day long.
8. 2) Perfect submission, perfect delight,
   Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
   Angels, descending, bring from above
   Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
9. 3) Perfect submission, all is at rest,
   I in my Savior am happy and blest,
   Watching and waiting, looking above,
   Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

My Take on the Hymn: 

    

     This hymn seems to me to be telling the story of a person who is living in the light of Christ throughout their life. The first verse talks about having a" foretaste of glory divine!" which we as Christians can get a taste of every day if we simply turn to God in prayer. The refrain is interesting as well because it says "Praising my savior all the day long," but in this instance one could take the meaning of day to be "Life," not just a 24 hour period. The second verse goes into giving ourselves to God, especially because the Kingdom of Christ is at hand. The voice of the text is having visions of the rapture and knows that the end is near, but even in this vision, the voice knows that God loves them and that God will be merciful to the righteous. The last verse talks about loving Christ with your whole heart, especially in reference to 1 Peter 1:8 which reads "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." This is one of the most important bible verses to me, because it says it all when it comes to faith. If we are patient and have faith, we will be filled with hope and filled with love that will be inexpressibly joyful. 

The Hymn:

The Music:

Here is the Music, if you can't read it, listen to the video and follow along!

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "Blessed Assurance." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/text/blessed_assurance_jesus_is_mine>.

O Word of God Incarnate

Here is another hymn! These will be a little more infrequent because I have started school once again and I no longer have much time for leisure, unfortunately. But, when I can bring you information on hymns I will do so with much happiness!

Title: O Word of God Incarnate

Tune:Munich

Numeric Outline: 76.76 D

Composer: Neuvermehrtes Gesanbuch, Meiningen (1693)

Author: William W. How (1823-1897)

     being considered the "Poor Mans Bishop," William Walsham How was offered many prestigious positions in churches across London, but he decided he was going to do the dirty work, and be a minister to the churches that were often times found int he slums. How was often seen taking public transportation from place-to-place, because it would allow him to get to know the people who would potentially be in his Perish. Not only was How considered rebellious because of his unwillingness to take calls at prestigious churches, he was also known as the preacher who did not fight against the ever growing belief in the theory of evolution. How admitted in his 1887 sermon entitled, "The Bible and Science," that there were many pieces of theoretical fact that could not be argued against. He also added that a person could not state that "[a]ll such-like speculations are straight against God's word and therefore utterly untrue (Hawn)." This was something that not all people were willing to accept, but one man, Thomas Henry Huxley, Grandfather of Aldous Huxley, did agree with How. T. H. Huxley was known as "Darwin's Bulldog," when it came to the theory of evolution and was also known as a high ranking member of the scientific debate in London. In his book Science and the Christian Tradition (Published in 1902 Posthumously), Huxley actually quotes How's sermon several times.
     Born on December 13th, 1823 to William Wybergh How in Shrewsbury, England, William Walsham How was educated in the nearby school of Shrewsbury School and Wadham College, Oxford, England graduating with a B.A. He was finally licensed to preach in 1846, William Walsham began to take holy orders in the following order: Curate of St. George's, Kidderminster, England, 1846; and of Holy Cross in Shrewsbury, England, 1848. In 1851 is was preferred to the Rectory of Wittington, England Diocese of St Asaph, and becomign Rural Dean in 1853 and finally Honorary Canon of the Cathedral in 1860. After serving there for several years, he was finally appointed Rector of St. Andrew's Undershaft, London and became the Suffragan Bishop of East London under the new title of Bishop of Bedford. Finally in 1888, one year after his famous sermon, "The Bible and Science," he became the Bishop of Wakefield. William Walsham How published only one known collection of hymns with another prominent preacher of his time, Rev. Thomas Baker Morell, under the title of Psalms and Hymns , Compiled by the Reverand Thomas Baker Morell, M.A.,...and the Reverand William Walsham How, M.A. (1854). Ten years later the book was republished in larger format and eventually a Supplement was added in 1867 to complete the book.
     The text for this hymn is based off of Psalm 119: 105, which reads  “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” The text uses several different examples from the gossip including the ever famous John 1:1, John 1:4, and John 14:6. The Tune "Munich," has a very bright and long history. The first appearance of the tune actually appears back in 1593 in Dresden, Germany, set to the text of "Wir Christenluet." The most commonly known version of the tune in the Lutheran world comes from the 1693 version found from Meiningen Gesanbuch. The latest change in the tune comes from the world famous composer Felix Mendelssohn and his adaptation of the tune as a quartet "Cast Thy Burden Unto the Lord," in his Oratorio Elijah (1846). Mendelssohn grew up in a traditional Jewish home, but eventually his family was baptized into the Lutheran church and took on the last name Bartholdy. At the age of nine, Mendelssohn had performed in his first public event ever, and 11 years later, at the age of 20, he conducted the first performance of St. Matthew's Passion since Bach's death in 1750. By doing this, Mendelssohn is credited with bringing the music of Bach back into popularity.

The Text:

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 hallowed page, 
 a lantern to our footsteps, 
 shines on from age to age. 

2. The church from you, our Savior, 
 received the gift divine, 
 and still that light is lifted 
 o'er all the earth to shine. 
 It is the sacred vessel 
 where gems of truth are stored; 
 it is the heaven-drawn picture 
 of Christ, the living Word. 

3. 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 o'er life's surging tide, 
 mid mists and rocks and quicksands, 
 to you, O Christ, will guide. 

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

   

The Hymn:

Below I will post the Music, I suggest listening to the video while reading along with the music. If you can't read music, don't worry at all, just follow the text underneath and hopefully it will make sense!

Bibliography:

Julian, John. "William Walsham How." - Hymnary.org. The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/person/How_WW>.

Church, Christian Reformed. "MUNICH (Mendelssohn)." Hymnary.org. Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2012. <http://www.hymnary.org/tune/munich_mendelssohn>.

Hawn, C. Michael. " The United Methodist Portal." Â The United Methodist Portal. History of Hymns, 24 July 2009. Web. 31 Aug. 2012. <http://www.umportal.org/article.asp?id=5630>.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Here is a hymn for this wonderful Sunday!

Title: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Tune: Nettleton

Numeric Outline: 87.87.87.87

Composer: J. Wyeth, Repository of Sacred Music, Part II 1813

Author: Robert Robinson (1735-1790)

     Much like the baby Christ, this man of note came from a family that was not of any kind of importance. Born September 27th, 1735 in Swaffham, Norfolk, England, Robert Robinson was a child of low parentage. When Robinson was only eight years old, his family moved to the nearby town of Scarning, where only a few short months later, Robinson's father passed away. His mother, who was always considered to be a Godly woman, had always dreamed of her son becoming a clergyman of the church, but because of their depth of poverty, Robert was indentured at the age of 15 (1749) to a barber and a hair dresser in London, England. Because Robinson was such a bookworm, his master thought he was more interested in reading all day rather than doing his actual profession. In 1752, Robinson was released from his state of being indentured even though he had almost passed his position as apprentice into becoming a master. While out for a walk with his friends one day, he came across a fortune teller who seemed to have been drunk. To have some fun with the fortune teller, he and his friends decided they were going to let the woman predict their futures, all the while they would make fun of her for her outrageous comments. When it came time for Robinson's future to be told, it was foreseen that he would live to see his children and his grandchildren grow up. This got to Robinson and made him think quite a bit.
     After hearing what the fortune teller had said to him, Robinson threw himself even deeper into his reading to try and educate himself even more. He was so engrossed in learning more, that one day he went to hear the prominent preacher, George Whitefield, give a sermon on Mathew 3: 7. This particular passage warns people of the wrath of God that is coming one day to this Earth, and with it, the end of time. This particular sermon seemed to strike a chord with Robinson, and it haunted him for several years. Almost six years after hearing the sermon, Robinson wrote a letter to Whitefield proclaiming that he had lived in the dark for almost three years, but in his 20th year of living, he found the glory of God. In one of Robinson's personal books, there was a note written on a blank page in Latin that read "Robertus, Michaelis Mariseque Robinson filius. Natus Swaffhami, comitatu Norfolciae, Saturni die Sept. 27, 1735. Renatus Sabbati die, Maii 24,1752, per predicationem potentem Georgii Whitefield. Et gustatis doloribus renovationis duos annosque septem absolutionem plenam gratuitamque, per sanguinem pretiosum Jesu Christi, inveni (Tuesday, December 10, 1755) cui sit honor et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen." The text roughly translated means "Robert, the son of Michael Robinson Mariseque. Born Swaffhami, county of Norfolk, on Saturday September. 27, 1735. Rene on Saturday, May 24.1752, by the powerful preaching of George Whitefield. And tasted the pain of renewal for two years, seven full absolution gratuitamque through blood for the precious Lord Jesus Christ, I have found (Tuesday, December 10, 1755) to whom be honor and glory for ever and ever., Amen." It was only a short two years later that Robinson penned the text to "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," to share his excitement and his belief in the wonders of Christ.
     After his awakening, Robinson remained in London until 1758, where he attended sermons read but several Evangelical preachers, some of whom were Gil and Wesley. Earlier in 1758, Robinson had been invited as a Calvanistic Methodist to oversee a congregation in Mildenhall, Norfolk, but it wasn't until January 8th 1759 that Robins actually accepted the call to preach at a Baptist Church in Cambridge and gave his first sermon. At first, this call was only to fill in the position for just that Sunday, but his popularity grew so much that he was requested over and over again, until he finally gave in and accepted the call to be the Minister of the church in 1761. From that point on, Robinson began to write several different works that would dig into the history of each of the different churches he was a part of. Because of the extensive amount of research he had done between 1781 and 1790, regarding the history of being Baptized and the Baptist Church, he finally retired early in 1790. It was June 9th, 1790 when all of his work had caught up with him, and Robinson finally passed away. 
     The history of the tune "Nettleton" is fairly rocky, in that no one really knows where it came from for sure. Ashel Nettleton was an American born preacher who studied at Yale University and finally graduated with his Doctorate in Divinity in 1809. In 1811, he was finally licensed to preach, and in 1817, he was ordained. Though he was an ordained minister, he never actually settled into one call over a congregation. Though he didn't have a congregation of his own, his sermons played a large part in the Second Great Awakening period throughout the young and growing America. The Tune "Nettleton," was found written down in his collection Village Hymns, published in 1824, and because there was no other information as to where the tune had come from, Nettleton was given credit for the tune. It was later discovered that while he was out preaching, Nettleton would write down many of the tunes he had heard and had published them in this collection.

The Text:

(1) Come Thou fount of every blessingTune my heart to sing Thy graceStreams of mercy, never ceasingCall for songs of loudest praiseTeach me some melodious sonnetSung by flaming tongues abovePraise the mount, I'm fixed upon itMount of Thy unchanging love
(2) Here I raise my EbenezerHere there by Thy help I comeAnd I hope by Thy good pleasureSafely to arrive at homeJesus sought me when a strangerWandering from the fold of GodHe to rescue me from dangerInterposed His precious blood
(3) Oh, to grace how great a debtorDaily I’m constrained to beLet that grace now, like a fetterBind my wandering heart to TheeProne to wander, Lord I feel itProne to leave the God I loveHere’s my heart, oh, take and seal itSeal it for Thy courts above
(4) Come Thou fount of every blessingTune my heart to sing Thy graceStreams of mercy, never ceasingCall for songs of loudest praiseTeach me some melodious sonnetSung by flaming tongues abovePraise the mount, I’m fixed upon itMount of Thy unchanging love.
 My Take on the Hymn: 

     This hymn is one that shows that God has promised us his love. Even when we are not following the wants of Christ, and we are living for ourselves as a people selfish in everything that we have, God still calls us home and wants us to be with Him. We must not forget that we can run from God, but one way or another He will find us. God loves us and wants us to be happy, whether we like it or not, He plays a part in our every day lives and the things that we are given. We should be thankful to God for the things that we are given, and we should also be thankful for the things that we are denied, because no matter how hard it may seem right now, it has been done for a reason. 

The Hymn:

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

Here is another hymn, I was reading The Imitation of Christ, and one of the chapters mentioned Christ taking up his cross and dying for us, which brought me to this hymn that is usually sung during the season of Lent. Enjoy!

Title: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

Tune: Kingsfold

Numeric Outline: 86.86.86.86

Composer: Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)

Author: Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)

     To say that Horatius Bonar had a family history of serving in the Church of Scotland would be an understatement. With Nearly 364 years of service in the church, it was no question what would become of Horatius at some point in his life. Horatius was born December 19th, 1808 to James Bonar who was at the time the Solicitor of Excise in Scotland. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Horatius stayed in his hometown and studied at the local High School and the University where, in 1837, he was ordained in the church, and became an assistant to Rev. John Lewis, Minister of St. James's, Leith, Scotland. In November of that same year, Bonar left St. James and became Minister of North Perish, Kelso, Scotland. In 1843, because of a "great disruption," in the church, Bonar left the his position at North Perish and joined the Free Church of Scotland. In 1853, the University of Aberdeen conferred upon Bonar the Doctorate of Divinity, which eventually would lead him back to Edinburgh in 1866, when he was placed at Chalmers Memorial Church, The Grange, Edinburgh. This was Bonar's last call, but in 1883, he was chosen to be the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. He was well known for being a poet, but he was not very well known as a preacher.
     The works of Bonar have been published in several different texts including The Bible Hymnal (1845), Hymns of Faith and Hope (first series 1857, second series, 1861, and third series, 1866), all of which contained numerous texts. It is believed that because Bonar had composed so many different texts, it was impossible for his work to become infamous as a whole, but individual hymns have stood the test of time and remain famous today. In his works, one can recognize his use of many different allusions, but also that he was affected greatly by the emotions found not only in the spiritual life, but in the natural life as well. Nearly 100 of Bonar's hymns are commonly used in Great Britain and the United States today.
     Though it is not well known, the tune Kingsfold is known as an old English folk song. The tune is written in e minor, but also can be considered a modal tune. It wasn't until Ralph Vaughn Williams heard the folk song in Kingsfold, Sussex, England, that the tune was actually named. After Vaughn Williams at heard the tune, he decided that he was going to arrange the tune so that it may be set to the text of "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say," in his collection English Hymnal, published in 1906. The tune is not well known, but by itself it is a strong and dignified tune which can be sung either with melody alone and be just a haunting as if it were sung in harmony.

The Text:

(1) I heard the voice of Jesus say,"Come unto me and rest;Lay down, thou weary one, lay downThy 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 giveThe living water; thirsty one,Stoop down and drink, and live."I came to Jesus, and I drankOf 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 foundIn him my Star, my Sun;And in that light of life I'll walk,Till trav'ling days are done.

My Take on the Hymn:
     
     Trusting that Jesus will be there for you when you need it most is one of the hardest demands that God has for us. Jesus is with us all of our days, but before we can find the comfort of Jesus, we must be called to him. In one of my favorite bible verses (Matthew 11: 27), Jesus says "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him," which tells us that knowing Jesus and knowing God is in itself not a right, but a gift from the Holy Trinity. The hymn is all about hearing the voice of Jesus call to the voice of the text, and after Jesus was heard, the voice of the text had lost all weariness and hopelessness because they believed in the power of Christ. As a reminder to us everyday, the third verse says "I am this dark world's Light," which tells us that with the coming of the dawn, Christ is reborn in us each and every day! Everything that is earthly and made by humans has an expiration date, everything decays. From the moment a child is born, their clock begins ticking and does not stop, a car just off the assembly line starts to age, a piano just made begins to age, even the steel structures that seem to jet into the skies above begin to decay. The only thing on this earth that does not age any more than one day, is Jesus' love and our faith in Him. With the coming of dawn on each new day, our faith is reborn in us so that we may live and discover God's love for us yet again! 

The Hymn:

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

After several days of "subtle," hints about this hymn, this one goes out to my Father, David.

Title: Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Tune: Melita

Numeric Outline: 88.88.88.88

Composer: John B. Dykes ( 1823-1876)

Author: William Whiting (1825-1878)

     This hymn is packed full of history for both the United States of America, and for England. The hymn "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," is often called "The Hymn for her Majesty's Royal Navy," or as we here in the U.S.A. like to call it, "The Naval Hymn." This hymn was one of President Franklin Roosevelt's favorites, thus it was played at his funeral in 1945, but also because he had served as Secretary of the Navy. Another famous performance is when the Navy Band played the hymn while the body of President John F. Kennedy was being carried up the steps of Capitol Hill so he could "Lie in State." Before he became president, J.F.K. was a member of the Navy, serving as a PT boat commander in WWII. Though this hymn is used mainly by both England and the U.S.A. as military hymns, the text was originally written for a student of William Whiting who was headed to America across the sea.
     William Whiting was born in Kensington, England on November 1st, 1825,  and was educated in nearby Chapham and Winchester Schools. Because he was considered to be gifted musically, Whiting eventually became the Master of the Winchester Chorister's School where he wrote a number of different poems. He wrote two complete volumes of Poems that were published in Rural Thoughts (1851), and in another collection Edgar Thorpe, or The Warfare of Life (1867). Though these collections contained many different poems, the only hymn in which Whiting has any notoriety is "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The Tune "Melita," is actually a reference to the biblical nation of Malta, where the apostle Paul arrived after his ship sank according the book of Acts (chapter 28). The Island of Malta still exists today and is part of the British Common Wealth of Nations. Though not probably not related at all, but important to my father that it be mentions, the name Melita is a popular brand of coffee filters.
     Composer John Bacchus Dykes was born on March 10th, 1823 in the town of Hull England . John Dykes was the fifth child to William Hey Dykes, and Elizabeth Dykes (he was the third son). By the age of 10, he was so musically gifted that he had become the Assistant Organist at St. Johns Church in Drypool, Hull, where his grandfather, Rev. Thomas Dykes, was Vicar. Throughout his life he learned the violin and piano, and went on to study them at Wakefield and St. Catherine's College in Cambridge, where he earned his BA in Classics in 1847. While he was in Cambridge, he co founded the Cambridge University Musical Society, and would eventually become ordained as Curate of Malton in 1847 as well. After several years in Malton, Dykes moved on and became Cannon of Durham Cathedral and eventually the Precentor from 1849-1862. Eventually Dykes moved on and became Vicar of St. Oswald's in Durham in 1862, and remained in this calling until his death in 1876. Though Dykes is very well known for the tune "Melita," sung almost exclusively to the text of "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," he had composed nearly 300 different hymn tunes spread across several different hymnals. During the main part of his life, Dykes experienced great success with his hymns, but in recent times, he has lost some momentum. In the Hymns Ancient and Modern Revised (published in 1950), Dykes had nearly 31 tunes published, but in the new standard version of the same hymnal (Published in 1983), Dykes only has 15 tunes published.

The Text:


(1) Eternal Father, strong to save, 
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,  
Who bidst the mighty ocean deep 
Its own appointed limits keep; 
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, 
For those in peril on the sea!  

(2) O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard 
And hushed their raging at Thy word, 
Who walked'st on the foaming deep, 
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep; 
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, 
For those in peril on the sea! 

(3) Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood 
Upon the chaos dark and rude, 
And bid its angry tumult cease, 
And give, for wild confusion, peace; 
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, 
For those in peril on the sea!  

(4) O Trinity of love and power! 
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;  
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,  
Protect them wheresoe'er they go; 
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee 
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea. 

My Take on the Hymn:

     I find this hymn to be one of praise and one of asking for help. The first part of each verse seems to praise the works that God has done, especially when Jesus calmed the stormy seas in front of his disciples (Mark 4: 36-41), while the second half of the verse seems to ask for God to be with them as they cry for His help. This hymn is a reminder that God is master of all and if we only thank Him and praise His name, we will be saved from all the troubles us. The story of Jesus rebuking the waves contains much more than just the face value of the text. This verse is a metaphor for every day life, where we will come upon vicious storms and waves that seem as if they will over take us and carry us away. Even though the disciples were scared for their lives, they had Jesus with them in the boat. The metaphor translated can be seen as follows: the boat, our heart, the waves, life around us. If we trust in Jesus, the waves that are coming to turn our hearts over will cease to exist, because Christ can command them to stop, and we will be saved. Every day we should remember the Christ is a part of our life, and, with out him, we would not be nearly as blessed and as protected as we are through Him!

The Hymn: