Hymns for February

FEBRUARY 1

BEFORE THY THRONE, O GOD, WE KNEEL

Author: William Boyd Carpenter [1841–1918]

Date of Writing; Unknown

Music and Metre: St Petersburg or any 8.8.8.8.8.8

       

1      Before Thy throne, O God, we kneel;  2      For sins of heedless word and deed,

        Give us a conscience quick to feel,             For pride, ambitious to succeed,

        A ready mind to understand                          For crafty trade and subtle snare

        The meaning of Thy chastening hand;                   To catch the simple unaware,          

        Whate’er the pain and shame may be,                   For lives bereft of purpose high,

        Bring us, O Father, nearer Thee.                 Forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry. 

                                                    

                                        4      Let the fierce fires which burn and try

                                                Our inmost spirits purify:

                                                Consume the ill; purge out the shame;

                                                O God, be with us in the flame;

                                                A newborn people may we rise,

                                                More pure, more true, more nobly wise.

                                                                                [William Boyd Carpenter]

WILLIAM BOYD CARPENTER, Bishop of Rixon, England, wrote this hymn for Christians whose consciences needed tenderizing. It is much like the words of the psalmist in Psalm 139:23: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” There is so much packed into this hymn of confession that it is difficult to sing. It is better to meditate upon it phrase by phrase. Our lives become so busy that we lose track of sins that are accepted as normal by our society. Bishop Carpenter speaks of our need to be delivered “from love of pleasure, lust of gold, from sins which make the heart grow cold.” We need to take time to kneel humbly before our holy God, to search our hearts before Him, and to ask Him to “give us a conscience quick to feel.” William Boyd Carpenter was educated at the Royal Institution, Liverpool, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and was appointed lecturer at Cambridge in 1878.He held several curacies, was vicar of Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, from 1879 to 1884, canon of Windsor in 1882–84, and after 1884 Bishop of Ripon. In 1887 he was appointed lecturer at Oxford, and in 1895 pastoral lecturer on theology at Cambridge. In June 1901, he received an honorary doctorate of Divinity from the University of Glasgow. In 1904 and 1913 he visited the United States and delivered the Noble lectures at Harvard. He was chaplain in ordinary to Queen Victoria, Edward VII, and George V. He resigned his see in 1911 on the grounds of ill-health and became a canon and sub-dean of Westminster. He was interested in eugenic issues and served as President of the Society for Psychical Research in 1912.

FEBRUARY 2

JESUS, I AM RESTING, RESTING

Author: Jean Sophia Pigott [1845 – 1882]

Date of writing: 1876

Music & Metre: Tranquility - 8.7.8.5 D

1      Jesus, I am resting, resting                2      O, how great Thy loving-kindness,

        In the joy of what Thou art;                        Vaster, broader than the sea!

        I am finding out the greatness                   O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

        Of Thy loving heart.                                    Lavished all on me!

        Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,                Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved,

        And Thy beauty fills my soul,                    Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

        For by Thy transforming power,               Know Thy certainty of promise,

        Thou hast made me whole.                       And have made it mine.

3      Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,    4      Ever lift Thy face upon me

        I behold Thee as Thou art,                        As I work and wait for Thee;

        And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,   Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,            Satisfies my heart;                               Earth’s dark shadows flee.

        Satisfies its deepest longings,                  Brightness of my Father’s glory,      

        Meets, supplies its every need,                Sunshine of my Father’s face,          Compasseth me round with blessings:           Keep me ever trusting, resting,

        Thine is love indeed!                                  Fill me with Thy grace.

                                                                                                 [Jean Sophia Pigott]

JEAN SOPHIA PIGOTT [1845 – 1882] was the first child of William Wellesley Pole Pigott and Lucy Henrietta Trench. Her brother Thomas, a missionary to China was murdered by rebels in 1901. Jean contributed some this and some other hymns to ‘’Hymns of Consecration and Faith’’, in which this hymn was first published in 1876. We find it difficult to be at rest—to be still—in a society that is always on the move. We live in a world of ten-second sound bites and short attention spans. We are taught to be dissatisfied with what we have and to strive for more. In one of Christ’s grandest invitations, He offered rest to the weary: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,” God told the Israelites in Isaiah 30:15. If we focus on God, as this nineteenth-century British author did, we can rest, finding that He will satisfy our heart and its deepest longings, meet and supply our every need, and compass us around with blessings. In the hymns, the first four lines of the first stanza serve as the refrain.

FEBRUARY 3

WE ARE ONE BIG FAMILY

Author: Bola Omodun. Ilori [b. 1950]

Date of writing: 2011

Music & Meter: any tune of  7.7.7.7 D

      1        We are one big family                        2      ‘’Go ye all into the world

                Under the headship of God                       Make disciples of nations

                Instruments for good purpose                   Those who believe will be saved’’

                In accordance with His word.                    And this must be our vision.

                He gave us a commission                         He gave us a commission

                To reconcile men to Him                            To call others to serve Him

                Lord, lead us on in Your strength             Lord, lead us on in Your strength

                Let Your service be our theme.                 Let Your service be our theme.

                                3                              We renew our solemn vow                               

                                                                As members of Christ’s body                           

                                                                To subscribe to everything                                               

                                                                Which to the Lord is holy,                 

                                                                He gave us a commission                

                                                                To give our lives back to Him                                                                                                            Lord, lead us on in Your strength                                                                                                              Let Your service be our theme.                        

                                                                                [Bola Omodun Ilori]

THIS IS a hymn written in May 2011 and dedicated to the congregation of The Reconciliation House, Akure. It was written as a mission statement of that Church and was first published in the book ‘’THE HYMNS OF PRAISE FOR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP’’ [2^nd edition 2011]. The original has five stanzas.   RECONCILIATION means bringing together people who are at odds with each other. This is what God has done for us. We were battling him, resisting him, trying to get away from him. But through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has made peace with us. We are no longer estranged from God and need not fear condemnation. In turn, we are given the task of reconciling others to God. What a privilege God has given us to be his ambassadors in the world! What a joy it is to proclaim this message to those estranged from God!  The author wrote the hymn while working on the revision Reconciliation House’s hymnal.  It was felt that a church like that should put her mission and vision statement in a singable document. The hymn is designed to state the nature of the plan of reconciliation, and of the message with which it was entrusted. It contains an abstract or an epitome of the whole plan; and is one of those emphatic passages in which Paul compresses into a single sentence the substance of the whole plan of redemption.

FEBRUARY 4

MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST

Author: Kate B. Wilkinson [1859–1928]

Date of writing: before 1912

Music & Metre: St Leonards – 8.7.8.5

1.     May the mind of Christ my Saviour,         2.     May the love of Jesus fill me

        Live in me from day to day,                                As the waters fill the sea,

        By His love and power controlling                   Him exalting, self-abasing,

                                All I do and say.                                   This is victory.

3.     May the Word of God dwell richly,           4.     May I run the race before me

        In my heart from hour to hour                            Strong and brave to face the foe,

        So that all may see I triumph                             Looking only unto Jesus

                Only through His power.                                    As I onward go.

5.     May the peace of God my Father,            6.     May His beauty rest upon me,

        Rule my life in everything,                                 As I seek the lost to win,

        That I may be calm to comfort,                          And may they forget the channel                              Sick and sorrowing.                                    Seeing only Him.  Amen

                                                                                                [Katie Barclay Wilkinson]

ONTHE VERY first day of this year many Christians made the resolution to be more like Jesus—but where do you start? The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5, KJV). And that’s just where this hymn begins. But how does the mind of Christ become part of us? Kate Wilkinson [1859-1928]    directs us to Colossians 3:16 for the answer in the only hymn evidently written by her: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” In the third stanza Wilkinson returns to Philippians for this promise: “And the peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and your minds” (Philippians 4:7). And so the song builds. Christian growth is not instantaneous but gradual. It flows naturally from obeying God’s Word. Thomas Kempis, who wrote the Christian classic The Imitation of Christ, said, “One thing that draws back many from spiritual progress is the fear of the difficulty of the labor of the combat.” Don’t give up what you have started. Little is known about Wilkinson's life.  A daughter of me­chan­i­cal en­gin­eer Will­iam Beck­ett John­son, Kate mar­ried Fred­er­ick Bar­clay Wil­kin­son, a ca­shier, in 1891, at St. John the Evan­gel­ist An­gli­can Church, Altrin­cham, Che­shire. Kate worked with young wo­men in west Lon­don, and was ap­par­ent­ly in­volved with the Kes­wick Con­ven­tion move­ment. She was a member of the Church of England; she was involved in a ministry to girls in London and a participant in the Keswick Convention Movement.

FEBRUARY 5

MY LIFE WAS GIVEN FOR THEE

[Altered to THY LIFE WAS GIVEN FOR ME]

Author: Frances Ridley Harvegal [1836-1879]

Date of writing: 1858

Music & Metre: Baca - 6.6.6.6.6.6

1      My   life was given for thee        2              My Father’s home of light

        My  blood, for thee, wast shed                  My rainbow-circled throne

        And quickened from the dead.                  Were left for earthly night

        That thou might ransomed be                   For wanderings sad and lone.

        My  life was given for thee                         Yea, all was left for thee,

        What have thou  given for Me?                 Have thou left aught for  Me?           

       

3.     I have much  borne for  thee,     4.             O let thy  life be given                                         More than thy  tongue can tell,                          Thy  years for me be spent,                        Of bitterest agony,                                               World-fetters all be riven

        To rescue thee from hell                            And joy with suffering blend .

        I suffered all for thee,                                  I gave Myself for thee,                                         What have thou borne for Me?                         O   give thyself to me.   Amen 

                                                                                                [Frances Ridley Havergal]

"IN FRANCES RIDLEY HARVEGAL’S manuscript copy, she gives this title, 'I did this for thee; what hast thou done for Me?' Motto placed under a picture of our Saviour in the study of a German divine. On Jan. 10, 1858, she had come in weary, and sitting down she read the motto, and the lines of her hymn flashed upon her. She wrote them in pencil on a scrap of paper. Heading them over she thought them so poor that she tossed them on the fire, but they fell out untouched. Showing them some months after to her father, he encouraged her to preserve them, and wrote the tune Baca specially for them. The hymn was printed on a leaflet, 1859, and in Good Words, Feb., 1860. Published also in The Ministry of Song, 1869. Though Ridley consented to the alterations in Church Hymns, she thought the original more strictly carried out the idea of the motto, ‘I gave My life for thee, What hast thou done for Me?'" HAVERGAL’S FATHER, William Henry Havergal, was an Anglican rector in Worcestershire. An accomplished musician who wrote about one hundred hymns, he instilled in his daughter a lifelong passion for knowledge. Ridley, a sickler, was educated in boarding schools in England and Germany, where she learned several modern languages plus Greek and Hebrew. The theology of her poetry is mildly Calvinistic but not dogmatic. Her poems communicate a simple, childlike faith, yet they are still profound. She gave the Church some of her best hymns, which are current as they were more than more than a century ago.

FEBRUARY 6

SINNERS TURN, WHY WILL YOU DIE

Author: Charles Wesley [1707 -1788]

Date of writing 1741

Music  & Metre: Martyn, Aberystwyth 7.7.7.7 D

        1      Sinners turn, why will you die           2      Sinners turn, why will you die  

God your Maker asks you why                 God your Saviour asks you why

God who did your being give                    God who did your soul retrieve

Made you with Himself to live,                  Died Himself that you might live.]

Ha the fatal cause demand,                      Why you let Him die in vain,

Ask the work of His own hands                 Crucified your Lord again,]

Why ye thankless creatures, why             Why you ransomed, sinners why

Will you cross His cross and die?            Will you slight His grace and die?

       

                                3              Sinners turn, why will you die                          

                                God the Spirit asks you why                             

                                He who all live has strove,                                

                                Wooed you to embrace His love.                    

                                Will you not His grace receive                         

                                Will you still refuse to live,                                

                                Why you long-sought sinners, why?                              

                                                Will you grieve your Lord and die?                 

                                                                [Charles Wesley]

THIS HYMN was written by Charles Wesley in 1741, based on Ezekiel’s entreaty to the House of Israel in his prophesy to the nation [Ezekiel 33:11]. The original text consisted of fourteen stanzas of eight-line poem. Apart from God, human behavior degenerates into total wickedness. But the Bible tells us that God grieves over fallen humanity, suggesting that God still loves us even though we are sinful. He would not grieve if he did not long for us to obey him. His love for us is so great that he even sent his own Son to die so that we might be reunited with him. We dare not neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3). Let us examine our life for sin, which grieves God, and let us confess it, knowing that our loving Father will forgive us and remember it no more. Call upon God for it, and he will give it: for as sure as you earnestly call on God through Christ to save you, so surely you shall be saved; and the effect will so speedily follow, that God is pleased to attribute that in some sort to yourselves, which is done by his grace alone; because ye earnestly call upon him for it, come in the right way to receive it, and are determined never to rest till you have it. This is one of the best known hymns of Charles Wesley, who wrote well over 6,000 hymns.

FEBRUARY 7

BROTHER, SISTER, LET ME SERVE YOU

Author: Frederick George Root [1820-1895]

Date of writing: 1870

Music & Metre; Invitation – Peculiar metre

                        1      Come to the Savior, make no delay--
Here in His Word He has shown us the way;
Here in our midst He’s standing today,
Tenderly saying, “Come!”

                                Chorus:  Joyful, joyful will the meeting be,                                     
When from sin our hearts are pure and free,
And we shall gather, Savior, with Thee,
In our eternal home.

2  “Suffer the children!” O hear His voice! 3 Think once again, He’s with us today;
Let ev’ry heart leap forth and rejoice,          Heed now His blest command, and obey;
And let us freely make Him our choice:       Hear now His accents tenderly say,
Do not delay, but come. (Chorus)                “Will you, My children, come”

There is this story written by a Presbyterian minister, “In 1879 I was as­sist­ing in re­viv­al meet­ings in Dan­ville, Cal­i­forn­ia “The meet­ings were well at­tend­ed and good in­ter­est was ex­hib­it­ed, but for a long time there were no con­ver­sions. In the neigh­bor­hood there was a man who, with his wife and child­ren, at­tend­ed the church re­gu­lar­ly, and he was one of its lib­er­al sup­port­ers. They were most ex­cel­lent peo­ple, but could not be in­duced to pro­fess Christ, and did not call them­selves Christ­ians. One day, while the men were hold­ing ser­vic­es in the church the wo­men were hav­ing a pray­er-meet­ing in the manse nearby. In the course of the meet­ing they sang ‘Come to the Sav­iour, make no de­lay.’ The sing­ing over, they were about to en­gage in pray­er, when the la­dy above re­ferred to asked them to sing the last verse of this hymn…The la­dy was great­ly af­fect­ed and when the sing­ing ceased she said with deep emo­tion: ‘Yes, I will not stay away any long­er.’ The wo­men were all deep­ly moved, and prayed and praised God with warm hearts. When the word reached the men they were great­ly en­cour­aged at the good news. A re­viv­al fol­lowed, and at the close of a touch­ing ser­vice a few days lat­er, when a call was made for per­sons to desire to unite with the church, this la­dy and her hus­band were the first to re­spond. They were fol­lowed by some of their own child­ren and ma­ny other per­sons—in all twen­ty-one. This hymn seemed to have been the means of reach­ing the wife’s heart, and of open­ing the way for the bless­ing which fol­lowed.”  Dr. F. G. Root was noted more as a music composer than a hymn writer. This looks to be most popular of his writings.

FEBRUARY 8

JESUS YOUR BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Author: Nicolaus von Zinzendorf (1700–1760)

Translated by John Wesley (1703–1791)

Date of writing: 1739

Music and Metre: any suitable LM – 8.8.8.8

1      Jesus, Your blood and righteousness 2  Bold shall I stand in Your great day,

        My beauty are, my glorious dress;           For who ought to my charge shall lay?

        Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,   Fully absolved through these I am,

        With joy shall I lift up my head.                 From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

3      Lord, I believe Your precious blood,        4      Lord, I believe were sinners more

        Which, at the mercy seat of God,             Than sands upon the ocean shore,

        Forever does for sinners plead,               Thou hast for all a ransom paid,

        For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.                For all a full atonement made.

                                                                                                [Nicolaus von Zinzendorf

                                                                                                                Tr. John Wesley]

COUNT NICOLAUS von Zinzendorf was one of the most remarkable persons in church history. He was born into a wealthy family in Saxony, Germany, educated at the best universities, and named counselor of the State of Saxony, but he chose to be associated with the Moravians, devout believers who had been exiled from Austria. Of the two thousand hymns he wrote, this is perhaps the best known. The original poem had ten stanzas. His hymns were personal because he was a passionate promoter of what he called “Christianity of the heart.” They were also Christ centered because his life motto was, “I have but one passion, and that is He and only He.” This hymn was based on Romans 3:25-25. We know that God is the author of our free justification, because it pleased him: and Christ is he who suffered punishment for our sins, and in whom we have remission of them: and the means by which we apprehend Christ is faith.  In short, the result is the setting forth of the goodness of God, that by this means it may appear that he is indeed merciful, and faithful in his promises, as he that freely, and of grace alone, justifies the believers. The name of blood reminds us of the symbol of the old sacrifices, and that the truth and substance of the sacrifices is in Christ. The translator, John Wesley, the brother of Charles Wesley, was born in1703. He was educated at the London, and Oxford. and graduated M.A. in 1726. After his ordination he went, in 1735, on a mission to Georgia. The mission was not successful, and he returned to England in 1738. With his brother and few others initiated the Methodist congregation. From that time, his life was one of great labour, preaching the Gospel, and publishing his commentaries and other theological works. He died in London, in 1791

               

FEBRUARY 9

PRAISE TO THE HOLIEST IN THE HEIGHT

Author: John Henry Newman [1801-1890]

Date of writing: 1865

Music & Metre: Gerontius, Beatitudo, CM

1.     Praise to the Holiest in the height        2. O loving wisdom of our God,                            And in the depth be praise,                                       When all was sin and shame                In all His words most wonderful                                            A second Adam to the fight                        Most sure in all His ways.                          And to the rescue came.

3.     O wisest love, that flesh and blood      4. And that a higher gift than grace     

        Which did in Adam fail,                              Should flesh and blood refine                           Should strive afresh against the foe                                God’s presence, and His very self

        Should strive and should prevail.             And essence all-divine

5.     O gracious love! That He who smote  6. And in the garden secretly

        In Man for man the foe,                               And on the Cross on high,                                 The double agony in man                         Should teach His brethren, and inspire

        For man should undergo.                          To suffer and to die.

                                                                                                [John Henry Newman]

JOHN HENRY NEWMAN’S life [1801-1890] was spent first in Anglican Church and later in the Roman Catholic Church where he became a cardinal. After ordination in 1824, he became convinced that liberalism was the enemy of respect for God, defining it as the rejection of authority, subjecting to human judgment God’s Word. He also argued that the Protestant principle of private interpretation of the Bible led to sanctioning rebellion, and that belief in the forgiveness of sin by faith in Christ only produced moral and religious indifference. The only hope he saw for defense of the faith and the Bible was in the catholic religion of the church fathers. The Roman Church could not offer that, for it had added corruptions during the Middle Ages. He believed that a Catholic Church of England, which the Reformation had recognized and Thirty-nine Articles of faith accepted, was the logical defense. This hymn of his meditated on the disobedience of Adam and Eve and how they felt shame at their nakedness and tried to hide it. Their efforts were futile, however, for God was aware of their sin. Yet he still had concern for them and gave them clothing, a foreshadowing of the divine grace that he would bestow on his people through his Son. He has promised to dress us with clothing of salvation and array us in robes of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10). The hymn was first published in the author's Verses on Various Occasions, in 1868. It forms part of a poem of some length, entitled The Dream of Gerontius. This Dream describes the journey of a disembodied soul from the body to its reception in Purgatory.

FEBRUARY 10

HANDLE HOLY THINGS WITH CARE,

Author: Bola Omodun Ilori [b.1950]

Date of Writing: 2010

.

1         Handle Holy things with care,           2.     Handle Holy things with care,

        You that stand before the Lord,                                As spelt in the Holy Writ    

        Make yourself acceptable                          Purge yourself of sinful thoughts,                     Keeping by the Holy Word                .               All such that make you unfit.

3.     Handle Holy things with care,           4.     Handle Holy things with care,,

        Keep burning the altar light                       Make righteousness your watchword

        Wash your hands of every stain,              Wear garments fit for the feast

        Rid your mind of every spite                      At the table of our Lord

       

                        5      Handle Holy things with care,

                                                Keep off things that are banal                                                                                                           Deeds that are condemnable                                                                                                       For you are a priest royal.. Amen

                                                                                [Bola Omodun Ilori]

WHY WERE there so many specific guidelines for the priests? The Israelites would have been quite familiar with priests from Egypt. Egyptian priests were mainly interested in politics. They viewed religion as a way to gain power. Thus, the Israelites would have been suspicious of the establishment of a new priestly order. But God wanted his priests to serve him and the people. Their duties were religious—to help people draw near to God and worship him. They could not use their position to gain power because they were not allowed to own land or take money from anyone. All these guidelines reassured the people and helped the priests accomplish their purpose .Apathy is one of the greatest enemies of worship. When we treat God’s works as common and ordinary, we profane his holy name. When we recognize the greatness of God and his deeds, we give him true worship. Such worship enables God to accomplish his work in us, for it is the Lord who frees us from bondage and makes us holy. Let us never take God’s love and deeds for granted but instead remember his kindness and praise him for our salvation. This hymn, written by Rev. Canon Bola Omodun Ilori in 2010, is an inspiration based on Leviticus 22:2."Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name by what they dedicate to Me: I am the LORD”. It has been published in the Church of Nigeria Hymnal.

FEBRUARY 11

LAMB OF GOD! OUR SOULS ADORE YOU,

Author: James G. Deck 1802-1884

Date of writing1841

Music & Metre: Deerhurst, Hyfrydol  8.7.8.7D

1.     Lamb of God! Our souls adore You,        2.             Lamb of God! Your Father’s bosom

        While upon Your face we gaze;                               Ever was Your dwelling place;

        There the Father’s love and glory            His delight, in Him rejoicing,

        Shine in all their brightest rays;                                One with Him in power and grace;

        Your Almighty power and wisdom           Oh, what wondrous love and mercy!

        All creation’s works proclaim;                   Lord, You lay Your glory by;

        Heaven and earth alike confess You      And for us You come from heaven

        As the ever great “I AM.”                             As the Lamb of God to die.

                                               

3.     Lamb of God! When we behold You       4.             Lamb of God You soon in glory

        Lowly in the manger laid,                           Will to this sad earth return;                               Wandering as a homeless stranger                All Your foes shall quake before You,

        In the world Your hands had made;         All that now despise You mourn;     

        When we see You in the garden              Then Your saints all gathered to You,             In Your agony of blood                       With You  in Your kingdom reign;                           At Your grace we are confounded,  Yours  the praise and Yours the glory,            Holy, spotless, Lamb of God!                   Lamb of God, for sinners slain! Amen.

                                                                                                [James G. Deck]

IN ISAIAH 53, the prophet compares the Messiah to a quiet lamb. He also reminds us that we have all gone astray “like sheep,” but that this lamblike Servant will bear the weight of our sins. That fits, of course, with the Jewish tradition of sacrifice. An animal was offered in place of the person; the animal died so the person could live. At the first Passover, it was the blood of a slain lamb, swabbed on the doorposts, which saved the Israelites from the angel of death. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he called him the Lamb of God. Already Jesus’ atoning death was on the horizon. It came soon enough, three Passovers later, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. The Lamb figures prominently in the book of Revelation. This Lamb is not a victim but a victor. The Lamb receives songs of praise and ends this book with an invitation to His wedding feast. The Lamb, in sacrifice and triumph, is at the center of our faith. Praise Him. James G. Deck had his education which included military training in Paris before obtaining a military commission with the British East India Company where he served from 1824 to 1826. Joining the Plymouth Brethren he was baptized by full immersion and also resigned his commission, and became an evangelist for the movement. Deck's sons and descendants were involved in both "open" and "exclusive" assemblies and one son was the first New Zealand Brethren missionary in 1877.

FEBRUARY 12

GRACIOUS SPIRIT, HOLY  GHOST

Author: Christopher Wordsworth

Date of writing: 1862

Music & Metre: Capetown, Charity: 7.7.7.5

1      Gracious Spirit, Holy Ghost,              2      Faith, that mountains could remove,
Taught by Thee we covet most                Tongues of earth or heaven above,
Of Thy gifts of Pentecost                            Knowledge—all things—empty prove,
Holy, heavenly Love.                                  Without heavenly Love.

3      Though I as a martyr bleed,              4      Love is kind, and suffers long
Give my goods the poor to feed,              Love is meek, and thinks no wrong,
All is vain—if Love I need;                         Love than death itself more strong;
Therefore, give us Love.                            Therefore, give us Love.

5      Prophecy will fade away,                   6      Faith will vanish into sight;
Melting in the light of day,                          Hope be emptied in delight;
Love will ever with us stay;                        Love in heaven will shine more bright;
Therefore, give us Love.                            Therefore, give us Love.

7      Faith and Hope and Love we see    8      From the overshadowing
Joining hand in hand agree;                     Thy gold and silver wing
But the greatest of the three,                     Shed on us, who to Thee sing,
And the best, is Love.                                 Holy, heavenly Love.

MOST CHRISTIANS know and cherish Paul’s famous chapter on love. But when we understand this passage in its larger context—a discussion of public worship—it takes on a still richer meaning. The love that flows from God is the lifeblood of the church. It should affect every action, every word, every gift we bring to public worship. If we do not reflect God’s love to others as we gather together, then even the most tremendous talents we offer will be of little value in the eternal scope of life. Christopher Wordsworth--nephew of the great lake-poet, Bishop William Wordsworth--was born in 1807. He was educated at Winchester, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A., with high honours, in 1830; M.A. in 1833; D.D. in 1839. He was elected Fellow of his College in 1830, and public orator of the University in 1836; received Priest's Orders in 1835; head master of Harrow School in 1836; Canon of Westminster Abbey in 1844; Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge in 1847-48; Vicar of Stanford-in-the-Vale, Berks, in 1850; Archdeacon of Westminster, in 1865; Bishop of Lincoln, in 1868. His writings are numerous, and some of them very valuable. Most of his works are in prose. His "Holy Year; or, Hymns for Sundays, Holidays, and other occasions throughout the Year," was published in 1865, and contains 127 hymns.

FEBRUARY 13

THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOUR

Author: Mary Bowler Peters: [1813-1856]

Date of Writing: 1874

Music & Metre ArYhd Y Nos,  Southgate: 8.4.8.4.8.8.8.4

                1.     Through the love of God our Saviour, All will be well.        

                        Free and changeless is His favour, All will be well.

                        Precious is the blood that healed us Perfect is the grace that sealed us,                               Strong the hand stretched forth that shield us, All will be well.

       

                2.     Though we pass through tribulations, All will be well.

                        Christ has purchased full salvation, All will be well.

                        Fruitful, if in Christ abiding, Holy through the Spirit’s guiding,                                                                            Happy still in God confiding, All will be well.

                3.     We expect a bright tomorrow, All will be well.

                        Faith can sing through days of sorrow, All will be well.

                        On our Father’s love relying Jesus every need supplying,

                        Then in living or in dying, All will be well.

                                                                [Mary Bowler Peters]

The Shunimite woman [2 Kings 4] displayed a very strong faith in God and submission to his authority! Though the heaviest family affliction that could befall her and her husband had now taken place; yet, believing that it was a dispensation of Providence which was in itself neither unwise nor unkind, she said, “It is well with me, with my husband, and with my child”. We may farther remark that, in her days, the doctrine of reprobate infants had not disgraced the pure religion of the God of endless compassion. She had no doubts concerning the welfare of her child, even with respect to another world; and who but a pagan or a stoic can entertain a contrary doctrine?. Though nothing really shows why, or what the author was passing through when she wrote this poem, it is a source of strengthening faith. Mary Peters, née Bowly, daughter of Richard Bowly, of Cirencester, was born in 1813, and subsequently married to the Rev. John McWilliam Peters, sometime Rector of Quennington, Gloucestershire, and died at Clifton, July 29, 1856. Her prose work, The World’s History from the Creation to the Accession of Queen Victoria, was published in seven volumes. Several of her hymns were contributed to the Plymouth Brethren's Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, London, D. Walther, 1842. These with others, 58 in all, were published by Nisbet& Co., London, 1847, as Hymns intended to help the Communion of Saints. Dr. Walker introduced several from these collections into his Cheltenham Psalms & Hymns, 1855. Many of these have been repeated in Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872. and other Church of England hymnbooks

FEBRUARY 14

BLEST BE THE TIE

Author: John Fawcett [1740–1817]

Date of writing: 1782

Music & Metre: Denis, Boylston SM [6.6.8.6]

1              Blest be the tie that binds           2      Before our Father’s throne               

                Our hearts in Christian love              We pour our ardent prayers

                The fellowship of kindred minds      Our fears, our hopes. Our aims are one         Is like to that above                             Our comfort and our care.

3              We share each other’s woes    4      When we asunder part

                Our mutual burdens bear                  It gives us inward pain

                And often for each other flows          But we shall still be joined in heart

                The sympathizing tear                        And hope to meet again

                                5      From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

                                                                [John Fawcett]     

ORPHANED WHEN he was twelve, then forced to work fourteen hours a day in a sweatshop, John Fawcett learned to read by candlelight. He was converted at sixteen under the preaching of George Whitefield, and he was ordained a Baptist minister at the age of twenty-five. He began his ministry at a poor church in Wainsgate in Northern England. The small congregation could only afford to pay him a minimal salary, partly in potatoes and wool. After seven years of ministry, Fawcett received a call to the prestigious Carter’s Lane Church in London. But as he was saying his farewells and saw the tears on the faces of his people. The wa­gons were load­ed with his books and fur­ni­ture, and all was rea­dy for the de­part­ure, when his pa­rish­ion­ers gath­ered around him, and with tears appealed to him not to leave them. His wife said, “Oh John, John, I can­not bear this.” “Neither can I,” ex­claimed the good pas­tor, “and we will not go. Un­load the wa­gons and put ev­ery­thing as it was be­fore.” His de­ci­sion was hailed with great joy by his peo­ple, and he wrote the words of this hymn in com­mem­o­ra­tion of the event. This song, and “God be with you un­til we meet again,” are the most use­ful fare­well hymns in the world.

FEBRUARY 15

QUITE AMAZING, GOD’S LOVE TO MAN

Author: Bola Omodun. Ilori [b. 1950]

Date of writing: 2013

Music & Meter: Any suitable LM – 8.8.8.8.

1      Quite amazing!, God’s love to men,    2  Quite amazing! The shining light,

        Displayed in His Son, Christ Jesus,         Into which He has gathered His own,

        The King, who offered Himself as            Leading us forth in its brightness,

        Paschal Lamb that was slain for us.        Bringing us nearer to His throne

3      Quite amazing! The gift of life               4  Quite amazing! The Great Shepherd,

        Hope of glory, everlasting                          Who laid down His life for His sheep,

        Awaiting His faithful servants;                   In exchange for abundant life

        Those that stand firm, and unflinching.   For us, and in His safety keep.

5      Quite amazing! The saving grace,       6. Quite amazing! The word of truth,

        Which turns us from sinners to saints,     Contained in the laws He gave us

        To inherit life eternal,                                  As enlightened by His Spirit,

        Saving us from death and its pains.         Showing us the heavenly course.

                                7.     Quite amazing! Let us praise Him,

                                        Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

                                        In our calling, in our service,

                                        Today, and evermore, be it.

                                                                [Bola Omodun Ilori]

.

ON SATURDAY August 24, 2013, a friend and colleague of the author buried his mother at the St. Patrick’s Anglican Church, Owo, Ondo State Nigeria. The theme of the sermon delivered at the service was “God’s amazing love for man”. The preacher was the Rt. Revd. James AdedayoOladunjoye, the Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Owo. Bishop Oladunjoye is a member of the Editorial Board of the Church of Nigeria Hymnal, of which the author is serving as the secretary/consultant.  Despite man’s failure, God still cares very much about him, to the point of making for his redemption through Jesus Christ. The Psalmist appreciates this more than anybody else. “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his fee”.[Psalm 8:4-6]. When we look at the vast expanse of creation, we wonder how God could be concerned for people who constantly disappoint him. Yet God created us only a little lower than himself or the angels! The next time you question your worth as a person, remember that God considers you highly valuable. We have great worth because we bear the stamp of the Creator.

FEBRUARY 16

IN WEAKNESS AND TRIAL,

Author Richard de Courcy [1743-1803]

Date of writing: 1856

Music & metre: Montgomery or any 11.11.11.11

                1              In weakness and trial, with God we may plead

                                No fear of denial we’re sure to succeed

                                For though we oft grieve Him, His promise is clear

                                And love will believe Him, our Father will hear.

       

                2              ‘Gainst the giant-like might of our foes we can bring

                                As our weapons of fight, but a stone and sling,

                                Should this have dismayed us, our souls it may cheer,

                                That called on to aid us, our Father will hear.

                3              Our calls may be weak as the voice of a child,

                                And much that we speak may by sin be defiled,

                                Yet Christ for us pleading, we may persevere

                                Through Him interceding our Father will hear. Amen.

                                                                [Richard de Courcy]

IN A STATE OF probation everything may change; while we are in this life we may stand or fall: our standing in the faith depends on our union with God; and that depends on our watching unto prayer, and continuing to possess that faith that works by love. The highest saint under heaven can stand no longer than he depends upon God and continues in the obedience of faith.  He that ceases to do so will fall into sin, and get a darkened understanding and a hardened heart: Paul’s encouragement to believers about the temptations they would face did not minimize the danger that awaited them. In fact, these words come after a long passage about the sad fate of those who were destroyed by their carnal cravings. But if we are depending on God for our daily strength, he will provide a way for us to stand up against temptation. Richard de Courcy, M.A., born in Ireland in 1743, and educated in Trinity College, Dublin. Having received Deacon's Orders, he became in 1767, curate to the Rev. Walter Shirley; but his theological views being obnoxious to the Archbishop of Dublin, he was refused ordination and inhibited from preaching. These circumstances led to his being invited by Lady Huntingdon to England, and his joining her band of preachers. After some time, through Lady Huntingdon's influence, he was ordained by the Bishop of Lichfield. In 1770 he became curate of Sawbury, Salop, and in 1774, Vicar of St.Alkmond's, Shrewsbury. The latter he retained to his death in 1803. His theological views, work, and other matters concerning him are dwelt upon with some detail in the Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon, 1839.

FEBRUARY 17

JESUS DEAR, NOW MAKE ME WHOLE

Author: Alex OluAjayi

Date of writing: 1992

Music & Metre: Any suitable 7.7.7.7

1      Jesus dear, now make me whole,    2      You are Life, and you alone,            

        Wash me clean, even my soul,                                 Can revive a heart of stone,

        To You, pure than I will go,                        Fix my eyes upon Your Cross,

        Saved from sins of years ago.                   Twill bring gains from any loss.

3      In Your matchless purity,                    4      Penitent, I lisp my prayers,

        In the life of charity,                                     To Your holy all-knowing ears,

        In Your lone Gethsemane,                        Take me, teach me, hear me, Lord,

        Let me glean a sight of heaven.                               Shed on me Your precious blood.

5      Then with You, my soul shall rise,   6.     Glory be to the, Father,

        From its fears and sore despairs,             And to the Son, our Saviour,

        You Lord, conquered Calvary,                  To the Spirit Redeemer,

        Thence to reign in majesty.                       Trinity, Alleluia.

                                                                                                [Alex OluAjayi]

On the last day of  Lent, specifically on the Easter eve, April 18, 1992, the author on his way to Nottingham, England for the Easter break, when on the train he suddenly remembered that he had not produced any hymn as suggested by his sister, Dr. MrsKemiAjayi. There and then he took on the only available writing material – a railway brochure – and with the spiritual enrichment derived through the Lenten season meditations, in services as the St Paul’s Cathedral and his Parish, Church, St. Bartholomew, Sydenham, the Alex started writing this hymn [which was his first] around 3.00 p.m. completing the first three stanzas before arriving Nottingham. He finished the last three verses around 6.30 p.m. with his grand-daughter, a six-year old Ademiloju reading and singing the lines with him, to the tune St Bees. An early copy was sent to the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, the Very Revd. DrEric  Evans who praised the effort and advised the the hymn be published. The hymn was first used in Nigeria, at All Saints’ Church Yaba, Lagos on Advent Sunday, 1992 as Ablution Hymn. The author, Chief Alex OluAjayi is a renowned poet, administrator, and a stauch member of the Young Men Christian Association. This hymns is based on Mark 1:41.

FEBRUARY 18

HAPPY THE HOME WHEN GOD IS THERE,

Author: Henry Ware Jr.[1794-1843]

Date of writing: Not known but published 1846

Music & Metre: St Agnes CM -  8.6.8.6

                                1.             Happy the home when God is there,                              

                                                And love fills every breast;                                

                                                When one their wish, and one their  prayer, 

                                                And one their heavenly rest.            

       

                                2.             Happy the home where prayer is  heard,

                                                And praise is wont to rise;   

                                                Where parents love the sacred Word            

                                                And all its wisdom prize.

       

3.     Happy the home where Jesus’ name      4.  Lord, let us agree in our homes,    

        Is sweet to every ear;                                  This blessed peace to gain;                              Where children early lisp His fame,         Unite our hearts in love to You,     

        And parents hold Him dear.                      And love to all will reign. Amen       

                                                                                                                [Henry Ware, Jr.]

ON a television show, two ministers disagreed over the influence of the media on children. But then the host skeptically asked, “Can a three-year-old really know anything about Jesus?” Suddenly the ministers were in complete agreement. “Yes!” said both; and one added, “My children learned early on that Jesus loved them. ”Christians may have serious debates over how we should relate to the world around us. But let us all agree on this: The home should be a place bathed in the love of Christ. Let us teach our children early that Jesus loves them. Let them “lisp His fame” from an early age. As this hymn indicates, this is done not through indoctrination, but by example. When parents exhibit a genuine love for the Lord, children will see and learn. They will still have to make their own choices, but at least they will have lived in a home where God was an important part of the family. That memory will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Son of a Un­i­tar­i­an min­is­ter, Ware at­tend­ed Har­vard and be­came an as­sist­ant teach­er at Ex­e­ter Acad­e­my in New Hamp­shire. In 1815, the Bos­ton Un­i­tar­i­an As­so­ci­a­tion li­censed him to preach, and in 1817, he was or­dained and be­came pas­tor of the Se­cond Church in Bos­ton, Mass­a­chu­setts. He was Pro­fess­or of Pul­pit El­o­quence and Pas­tor­al Care at the Har­vard Div­in­i­ty School, 1829-1842. He al­so ed­it­ed the Christ­ian Di­sci­ple (later re­named the Christ­ian Ex­amin­er), and ran the So­ci­e­ty for Re­li­gious Im­prove­ment at Har­vard Un­i­ver­si­ty (his fa­ther was on the fa­cul­ty there, as well). A two vol­ume Mem­oir and a four vol­ume Works were pub­lished three years af­ter his death.

FEBRUARY 19

STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD

 Author: James Montgomery  [1771-1854]

Date of writing 1824,

Music & Metre: St Thomas or any suitable SM – 6.6.8.6

1         Stand up and bless the Lord,                    2  Though high above all praise,

Ye people of His choice;                                Above all blessing high,

Stand up and bless the Lord your God       Who would not fear His holy name,

With heart and soul and voice.                     And laud and magnify?

3      O for the living flame                                   4  God is our strength and song,

        From His own altar brought,                          And His salvation ours;

        To touch our lips, our minds inspire,               Then be His love in Christ proclaimed

        And wing to heaven our thought!                 With all our ransomed powers.

                                5      Stand up and bless the Lord;

                                        The Lord your God adore;

                                        Stand up and bless His glorious name,

                                        Henceforth forevermore.

                                                                        [John Montgomery]

STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD was written by J. Montgomery for the Sheffield Red Hill Wesleyan Sunday School Anniversary, held on Mar. 15, 1824; and also used at the Whitsuntide gathering of the Sheffield Wesleyan Sunday School Union, on the Whit-Monday of that year.It is based on Nehemiah 9:5, where the Levites say to the people, “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”  As a newspaper editor in Sheffield, England, James Montgomery was known as an outspoken advocate of many humanitarian causes. In fact, he was imprisoned twice for his editorials. He wrote against slavery and promoted democracy in government. Though a gentle man by nature, he was not afraid to champion unpopular causes. He didn’t see why anyone who was a Christian should be ashamed to stand up and say so. It is one thing to stand up for God in church, or to proclaim God’s praise on the steps of the temple as the Levites did, but it is another thing to proclaim Him in the workplace. But that’s just what editor James Montgomery did. And so must we. The ed­it­ing of Montgomery’s  pa­per, the com­po­si­tion and pub­li­ca­tion of his po­ems and hymns, the de­liv­ery of lec­tures on po­e­try in Shef­field and at the Roy­al In­sti­tu­tion, Lon­don, and the ad­vo­ca­cy of for­eign mis­sions and the Bi­ble So­ci­e­ty, gave great va­ri­e­ty, but very lit­tle of stir­ring in­ci­dent in his life, though he did find time to write 400 hymns. In 1833, Mont­gom­ery re­ceived a roy­al pen­sion of £200 per year.

FEBRUARY 20

SOFTLY AND TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING

Author: William Lamartine Thompson (1847–1909)

Date of writing: 1880

Music & Meter: Peculiar Metre

1         Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling for you and for me;

See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,

Watching for you and for me.

Refrain           Come home, come home,

Ye who are weary, come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home!

2      Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,

Pleading for you and for me?

Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,

Mercies for you and for me?

3      O for the wonderful love He has promised,

Promised for you and for me!

Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,

Pardon for you and for me.

WILL THOMPSON was called the bard of Ohio. From his home in East Liverpool, Ohio, he went to New York City to sell some of the secular songs he had written. Music dealers picked them up, and soon people across the country were singing “My Home on the Old Ohio” and “Gathering Shells from the Seashore.” He made so much money from his compositions that newspapers called him “the millionaire songwriter.” But Thompson, a Christian, soon began concentrating on hymnwriting and set up his own firm for publishing hymnals. Two million copies of his gospel quartet books were sold. Sometime around 1880, when Thompson was thirty-three years old, he wrote this invitation hymn, “Softly and Tenderly.” Recognizing that many people in the smaller towns of America would never hear evangelists like Moody or singers like Sankey, “the millionaire songwriter” loaded an upright piano on a two-horse wagon and drove into the Ohio countryside to sing his gospel songs in the hamlets and villages of his state.This hymn was sung in the Acad­e­my Award win­ning mo­vie Trip to Boun­ti­ful (1985), and at a me­mor­i­al ser­vice for Amer­i­can ci­vil rights lead­er Mar­tin Lu­ther King, at the Eb­e­ne­zer Bap­tist Church, At­lan­ta, Georg­ia, Ap­ril 8, 1968.

FEBRUARY 21

SONGS OF THANKFULNESS AND PRAISE

Author: Christopher Wordsworth [1807–1885]

Date of writing: 1862

Music & Metre: Thanksgiving : 7.7.7.7 D

1      Songs of thankfulness and praise,   2      Manifest at Jordan’s stream,

        Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,                  Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;

        Manifested by the star                                And at Cana, wedding guest,

        To the sages from afar;                              In Thy Godhead manifest;

        Branch of royal David’s stem                    Manifest in power divine,

        In Thy birth at Bethlehem;                          Changing water into wine;

        Anthems be to Thee addressed,              Anthems be to Thee addressed,

        God in man made manifest.                      God in man made manifest.

                                3      Manifest in making whole

                                        Palsied limbs and fainting soul;

                                        Manifest in valiant fight,

                                        Quelling all the devil’s might;

                                        Manifest in gracious will,

                                        Ever bringing good from ill;

                                        Anthems be to Thee addressed,

                                        God in man-made manifest.

                                                                [Christophe Wordsworth]

CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, wrote this hymn in five stanzas. It was published in his Holy Year (1862) John 3:13-17 with the heading "Sixth Sunday after Epiphany." It is a recapitulation of the successive manifestations of Christ, which have already been presented in the services of the former weeks throughout the season of Epiphany; and anticipation of that future great and glorious Epiphany, at which Christ will be manifest to all, when he will appear again to judge the world. The didactic text teaches the meaning of Epiphany–the manifestation of Christ in his birth. Christopher Wordsworth a scholar, and his uncle, the famous poet William Wordsworth. Christopher became a school headmaster, church vicar, and eventually a bishop in the Church of England. As a Greek scholar, he wrote a commentary on the Bible. But his uncle’s poetic spark was in him too, and he wrote more than a hundred hymns for church use. Wordsworth tried to combine teaching and poetry in his hymns. He wanted his hymns to teach about Jesus and to call those who sang them to praise Him. This hymn, for instance, succinctly surveys Christ’s early ministry, from birth to baptism, from first miracle to temptation. But as it teaches about the person of Christ, it also calls us to praise Him. The key word in this hymn is manifest. God made Himself manifest—He revealed Himself—in Jesus. For this He deserves our constant praise.

FEBRUARY 22

SAVIOUR LIKE A SHEPHERD LEAD US

Author: [Attributed to]Dorothy Thrupp 1779-1847

Date of writing: 1838

Music & Metre: Bradbury 8.7.8.7.8.7

1.     Saviour like a shepherd lead us       2.     We are Yours, O Lord befriend us  

        Much we need Your tender care              Be the Guardian of our way,                             In Your pleasant pasture feed us,            Keep Your flock from sin, defend us       

        For our use Your folds prepare,               Seek us when we go astray.

        Blessèd Jesus,  Blessèd Jesus,               Blessèd Jesus, Blessèd Jesus, 

        You have bought us; Yours we are.         Hear, O hear us when we pray.

       

3.     You have promised to receive us     4.     Early let us seek Your favour

        Poor and sinful though we be;                  Early let us do Your will.

        You have mercy to relieve us                    Blessèd Lord and only Saviour

        Grace to cleanse, and power free,           With Your love our bosoms fill

        Blessèd Jesus, Blessèd Jesus,                Blessèd Jesus, Blessèd Jesus

        From the world and sin to flee.                 You have loved us, love us still.                                                                                                               [Dorothy A. Thrupp]                            

OF ALL THE NAMES and titles given to Jesus, perhaps the most beloved is Shepherd, a title Jesus gave himself in John 10. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, guards His sheep, and even gives His life for His sheep. Scripture also says that He knows His sheep by name. The authorship of this hymn is a matter of some doubt. It was first published in a book of songs and poems by Dorothy Thrupp of Paddington Green, England. The poems that she contributed are followed by her initials, D.A.T., but this one has no initials. Either she forgot to initial it, or it came from another source. Dorothy Thrupp’s book was Hymns for the Young, and so the hymn is often identified as a children’s hymn, though its message applies to people of all ages. Scriptural allusions are drawn from Psalm 23 as well as John 10, but perhaps the key phrase is the line “Thou hast bought us, Thine we are,” taken from 1 Corinthians 6:20. What a privilege to have a Shepherd like Jesus, who bought us with His life, who guides us day by day, and who knows us by name. ‘"Saviour, like a Shepherd, lead us" appears again in 1838, in Mrs. Herbert Mayo's Selections of Hymns and Poetry for the use of Infant and Juvenile School, No. 171; and again in the edition of 1846, but without signature. As in that collection several hymns and poems are signed "D. A. T.," it is clear that Mrs. Mayo did not regard the hymn as Miss Thrupp's production. The most that we can say is that the evidence is decidedly against Miss Thrupp, and somewhat uncertain with regard to Lyte as the writer of the hymn. Its use is extensive both in G. Britain and America. [William T. Brooke

FEBRUARY 23

REVIVE THY WORK O LORD

Author: Albert Midlane : 1825-1909

Date of writing: 1858

Music & Metre: Revive Thy Work     - DSM

1.     Revive Thy work, O Lord                           2.     Revive Thy work O Lord           

        Thy mighty arm make bare                                Create soul-thirst for Thee,

        Speak with the voice that raise the dead        And hungering for the bread of life          And make Thy people hear.                              O may our spirits be.

                Revive Thy work, O Lord,                                  Revive Thy work O Lord

                While here to Thee we bow                              Give power unto Thy word

        Descend, O gracious Lord, descend               Grant that Thy blessèd Gospel may        O come and bless us now.                                In living faith be heard.                                                          

                                3.             Revive Thy work, O Lord

                                                Exalt Thy precious name

                                                And by the Blessed Spirit, our love

                                                For Thee and Thine inflame

                                                                Revive Thy work O Lord

                                                                And give refreshing showers

                                                The glory shall be all Thy own

                                                The blessing, Lord, be ours. Amen

                                                                [Albert Midlane]

REVIVE THY WORK, O LORD, Thy mighty arm make bare. Was written by A. Midlane, and was first published in the British Messenger, in October, 1858, and again in the Evangelical Hymn Book , 1860, and again in a large number of hymnals in Great Britain and America. The original text is usually given with the change of stanza v. 1. 2, "Give pentecostal showers," to "And give refreshing showers," as in the Hymnal Companion, No. 150. It is one of the most popular of Mr. Midlane's hymns. Albert, Midlane, was born at Newport, Isle of Wight, Jan. 23, 1825, and was engaged in business in that town for many years. To his Sunday school teacher he ascribes the honour of prompting him to poetic efforts: and the same teacher did much to shape his early life. His first printed hymn, "Hark! in the presence of our God," was written in September, 1842, at Carisbrooke Castle, and printed in the Youth’s Magazine in November of the same year. Since then he has written over 300, and of these a large proportion are in common use. Of the hymns contained in these works nearly 200 have been in common use, the most popular being "There's a Friend for little children." The hymn-books, however, in which many of them are found are usually very small, are used in what are commonly known as Gospel Missions,

FEBRUARY 24

CHRIST OUR SURE FOUNDATION

AuthorUnknown

Date of writing  7th-8th  cent Latin

Translator: John mason Neale 1818-1866

Date of translation:  1861

Music and Metre: Westminster: Abbey or Regent Square 8.7.8.7.8.7

1.     Christ is made the sure foundation, 2      To this temple, where we call You

        Christ the Head and corner stone            Come, O Lord of hosts today

        Chosen of the Lord, and precious            With Your grace and  loving-kindness            Binding all the Church in one;                          Hear Your servants, as they pray                               Holy Zion’s help for ever                    And Your fullest benediction                             And her confidence alone.                                                Shed within its wall always.

3.     Here vouchsafe to all Your servants        4.     Laud and honour to the Father

        What they ask of You to gain                    Laud and honour to the Son,                            What they  gain from You for ever                    Laud and honour to the Spirit                                      With Your blessing  to retain,                            Ever Three and ever One,                

        And hereafter in Your glory                       One in might, and One in glory                        Evermore with You to reign..                     While unending ages run.  Amen

                                                                                 [7th-8th  cent Latin Tr. JM Neale]

THE GREAT BUILDINGS of the world take our breath away with their amazing height and striking architecture. Yet each one rests upon an unseen foundation that shoulders their immense weight. Without this foundation, the building would collapse. Likewise, the structure of our life stands secure only when it is built upon God and his precepts. Upon this sure foundation we can build a life characterized by salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Let us exalt God through a firmly established life of reverence and obedience to him. This hymn is drawn from a Latin meditation on the New Jerusalem. Some scholars think the original work may have been used as a dedication for a new church building. But in this translation, John Neale clearly identified the “temple” as the people of the church. This is where Christ lives, not in walls of stone, but in the hearts of people whose lives belong to Him. Neale was a scholar in the Church of England. Though he had poor health, he ran churches, colleges, and charities. But his greatest contribution to the church was in hymnology. He unearthed a treasure trove of ancient Latin and Greek hymns, which he translated for church use. Many are widely sung today. In this way, Neale helped to “bind together” the church, new and old. Though his own body was a frail temple, he used it tirelessly to strengthen that other temple of God, the church.

FEBRUARY 25

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

Author: K.;  at­trib­ut­ed var­i­ous­ly to John Keene,

Kirk­ham, and John Keith.

Date of writing: 1787

Music & metre: AdesteFideles – 11.11.11.11

                                1              How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,

                                Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

                                What more can He say than to you He has said,

                                To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2                              “Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed,

                                For I am your God, and will still give you aid;

                                I’ll strengthen you help you, and cause you to stand,

                                Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

3                              “When through the deep waters I call you to go,

                                The rivers of woe shall not you overflow;

                                For I will be with you, your troubles to bless,

                                And sanctify to your deepest distress.

4                              “When through fiery trials your pathways shall lie,

                                My grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply;

                                The flame shall not hurt you; I only design

                                Your dross to consume, and your gold to refine.

                                [“K”]

BASED ON ISAIAH 43: 1-5, this text was given the heading “Exceeding great and precious Promises. II Peter 3:4” [sic. II Peter 1:4] in John Rippon's A Selection of Hymns (1787). The author was listed simply as "K" Although some scholars are not convinced of this attribution, "K" presumably refers to Richard Keen, song leader in the London Church where Rippon was minister. "How Firm a Foundation" is a noble text, full of comfort for God's people whose "foundation" of faith is rooted in the Word and whose lives experience divine protection when they face "deep waters" and "fiery trials..A Baptist minister, Rippon (b. Tiverton, Devonshire, England, 1751; d. London, England, 1836) was called to the Baptist Church in Carter Lane, London, in 1772 as an interim pastor. After becoming head pastor, he stayed in that position for sixty-three years. He also edited the Baptist Annual Register (1790-1802). His main contribution to hymnody was his compiling of A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended As an Appendix to Dr. Watts' Psalms and Hymns (1787)

FEBRUARY 26

O GOD, THE ROCK OF AGES.

Author: Edward Henry Bickersteth [1825-1906]

Date of writing: 1860

Music & metre: Greenland of any suitable 7.6.7.6 D

1.     O God, the Rock of Ages,                  2.     O Lord who cannot slumber,

        Who evermore has been                           Whose light  grows never  pale,

        What time the tempest rages                    Teach us aright to number                               

        Our dwelling-place serene.                       Our years before they fail.

        Before Thy first creation,                            On us Thy mercy lighten   

        O Lord, the same as now,                          On us Thy goodness rest,                

        To endless generations                             And let Thy Spirit brighten                

        The Everlasting, Thou.                               The hearts which Thou hast blessed.

3.     Our years are like the shadows        4.     Lord, crown our faith’s endeavour

        On sunny hills that lie,                                                With beauty and with grace,                              Or grasses in the meadows                      Till, clothed in light for ever,                      That blossom but to die.                     We see Thee  face to face.               

        A sleep, a dream, a story,                          A joy no language measures                            By strangers quickly told                    A fountain brimming o’er      

        An unremaining glory,                                                An endless flow of pleasures                            Of things that soon are old.                       An ocean without shores. Amen.                                                                                                                              [Edward Henry Bickersteth]            

Bishop Edward Henry Bickersteth was a son of an Anglican priest who was a missionary to West Africa and later resident Secretary of CMS. Henry was born in January 1825 and died in 1906. Most of his hymns were written when he was the rector of Christ Church, Hampstead.  His familiarity with the Bible text appears in the imagery of this hymn which theme is Isaiah Genesis 49:24.  Several passages in the Old Testament refer to God as a rock. This fitting metaphor calls to mind several attributes: He is firm and unmoving; he is unchanging; he is strong; when all else is uncertain, he remains steady and sure; and lastly, he is our defense, for in him we find refuge and safety. Give praise to the Rock of our salvation, for he shelters us from foes and calamities. Cling to him, for he will not be moved. Some of his other hymns include ‘’Peace, Perfect Peace’’ and ‘’Pray, Always Pray’’ O God, the Rock of Ages. Bishop E. H. Bickersteth. In his note to this hymn in his annotated edition of his Hymnal Companion, 1880he says that "this hymn was written by the Editor (1860),"but in his work. The Two Brothers, &c, 1871, it is dated "1862." It was included in the English Presbyterian Psalms & Hymns, 1867; the Hymnal Companion, 1870 and 1876; and the author's From Year to Year, 1883. Its use has extended to America and other English-speaking countries.

FEBRUARY 27

CHRIST IS OUR CORNERSTONE

[AN­GU­LAR­IS FUN­DA­MENT­UM LA­PIS];

Author:  Un­known, 6th or 7th Cen­tu­ry

Translator:  John Chandler [1806-1876]

Date of translation 1837

Music and metre: Harewood; 6.6.6.6.8.8

1.     Christ is our Corner-stone                 2.     O then with hymns of praise,

        On Him alone we build                              These hallowed courts shall ring,

        With His true saints alone,                         Our voices we will raise    

        The courts of heaven are filled,                                The Three-in One to sing,

        On His great love our hopes we place    And thus proclaim in joyful song

        Of present grace and joys above.            Both loud and long  that glorious name.

3.     Here, gracious God, do Thou           4.     Here may we gain from heaven                       For evermore draw nigh;                   The grace which we implore.

        Accept each faithful vow                            And may that grace, once given

        And mark each suppliant sigh                  Be with us evermore,

        In copious shower on all who pray          Until that day when all the blessed,                 Each holy day Thy blessings pour.  To endless rest are called away.

                                                                                [Tr. J Chandler]

PETER ASSERTS that Jesus Christ is the living cornerstone upon which the whole church is built. The word stone usually evokes imagery of some- thing that is anything but living—“stone cold faith,” for instance. But our faith is built upon a Saviour, who is very much alive. Christ’s church is alive as well, for Peter calls us “living stones” who are being built into a spiritual temple for the Lord. Let us rejoice that we worship the living cornerstone, Jesus Christ. This is a translation of a seventh or eighth century  Latin hymn probably taken from the Paris Breviary of 1643. The original text was in two parts both used as separate hymns. This is traditionally a hymn of dedication.  John Chandler, one of the most successful translators of hymns was born in Surrey, England on June 16, 1806,. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, B.A. 1827, M.A. 1830. Ordained deacon in 1831 and priest in 1832, he succeeded his father as the patron and vicar of Whitley, in 1837. His first volume, entitled The Hymns of the Primitive Church, now first Collected, Translated and Arranged, 1837, contained 100 hymns, for the most part ancient, with a few additions from the Paris Breviary of 1736. Other publications include a Life of William of Wykeham, 1842, and Horaesacrae: prayers and meditations from the writings of the divines of the Anglican Church, 1854, as well as numerous sermons and tracts.  He died in 1876

FEBRUARY 28

ROCK OF AGES CLEFT FOR ME

Author: Augustus Toplady [1740–1778]

Date of writing: 1779

Music: Redhead, Toplady: 7.7.7.7.7.7

1.     Rock of Ages cleft for me                   2.     Not the labour of my hands

        Let me hide myself in Thee.                      Can fulfill Thy law’s demand.           

        Let the water and the blood                       Could my zeal no respite know       

        From Thy riven side which flowed           Could my tears for ever flow,            

        Be of sin the double cure,                          All for sin could not atone,                 Cleanse me from its guilt and power.              Thou must save, and Thou alone.

3.     Nothing in my hand I bring                4.     While I draw this fleeting breath

        Simply to Thy Cross I cling                        While mine eyelids close in death

        Naked, come to Thee for dress                                When I soar through tracts unknown               Helpless look to Thee for grace,      See Thee on Thy judgment throne                          Foul, I to the fountain fly                     Rock of Ages cleft for me                  

        Wash me, Saviour, or I die.                       Let me hide my self in Thee. Amen

                                                [Augustus M Toplady]

WE OFTEN HEAR that the Lord is our rock, but we don’t always realize what this means. A rock in ancient Israel provided security in two ways: It served as a bulwark against attacking armies, and it provided an immovable foundation for great buildings SIR Will­iam Hen­ry Wills, in a let­ter to Dean Le­froy, pub­lished in the [Lon­don] Times in June, 1898, says ‘Top­la­dy was one day over­tak­en by a thun­der­storm in Bur­ring­tonCoombe, on the edge of my prop­er­ty, Blag­don, a rocky glen run­ning up in­to the heart of the Men­dip range, and there, tak­ing shel­ter be­tween two mass­ive piers of our na­tive lime­stone rock, he penned the hymn, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me”, There is a pre­ci­pi­tous crag of lime­stone a hun­dred feet high, and right down its cen­tre is the deep re­cess in which Top­la­dy shel­tered.’ It may seem strange that such a sedate hymn as “Rock of Ages” was written by a feisty man named Toplady. Converted under a Methodist evangelist while attending the University of Dublin, Toplady decided to prepare for the ministry. Though impressed with the spirit of Methodism, he strongly disagreed with the Wesleys’ Arminian theology and waged a running battle with them through tracts, sermons, and even hymns. “Wesley,” said Toplady, “is guilty of Satan’s shamelessness.” Wesley retorted, “I do not fight with chimney sweeps!” Toplady wrote “Rock of Ages” to conclude a magazine article in which he emphasized that, just as England could never repay its national debt, so humans through their own efforts could never satisfy the eternal justice of God. He died of tuberculosis and overwork at the age of thirty-eight, two years after he published his own hymnal.

FEBRUARY 29

LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT, AMID THE ENCIRCLING GLOOM;

Author: John Henry Newman (1801–1890)

Date of writing: 1833

Music & Metre: Lux Benigna, Sandos 10. 4. 10. 4. 10. 10

        1.     Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom; Lead Thou  me  on.

                The night is dark, and I am far from home,  Lead Thou  me  on.

                                Keep Thou  my feet, I do not ask to  see,

                                The distant scene, one step enough for me

        2.     I was not ever thus, nor prayed that  Thou—  Should lead me on.           

                I love to choose  and see my path, but  now, Lead Thou  me on..                                                             I loved  the garish day, and spite the  fears,    

                                Pride rule my will remember not past years.

        3.     So long Thy power  has blessed me, sure it  still; Will lead me on.

                O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till;The night is gone.

                                And with the morn those angel faces  smile

                                Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile  Amen               

                                [John Henry Newman]

OFTEN WE ARE REMINDED of light’s importance when the electricity fails during the night and we are forced to stumble around in the dark. Once we find a flashlight, however, we maneuver through the house with greater confidence and certainty than before. In a similar way, God is our light, illuminating our way and alerting us to potential danger around us. His light reveals our sin as well, so that we may confess it and find forgiveness. As the Lord’s brilliant presence floods our soul, it dispels the darkness of our doubt and despair, and we receive confidence in our Lord and Savior. In 1833 John Henry Newman, a leader in the Church of England, went to visit Catholic leaders in Italy. There he contracted Sicilian fever and boarded a ship back to England. But a lack of wind kept the ship motionless in the Mediterranean, and a dense fog left them unable to navigate. Restless and sick, Newman penned the words of this hymn. Along with his desire for physical health, he wanted to see spiritual recovery in the Church of England. And he wanted the ship to get moving! Finally, the ship’s captain pointed heavenward and said, “The star is shining tonight. If a wind rises, we can chart our course. At night one little star is sufficient.” Newman took that as a divine assurance. He later wrote that he had been looking for dazzling sunlight to guide him through his life, “but He sent me the kindly light of a star to show me the way one step at a time.”

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