Surely Goodness and Mercy

This hymn was the collaboration of two well-known gospel music writers, John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith. In 1958, the two men collaborated to write a song based on Psalm 23.

Smith later recalled, “It was written after receiving a letter from a country schoolteacher who was teaching her class the 23rd Psalm. When the part ‘surely goodness and mercy’ was reached, a young boy thought it said, ‘surely good Miss Murphy shall follow me all the days of my life.’ This little incident focused our thoughts on the phrase which became the heart and title of the song.”

According to Peterson, “One day while improvising at the piano in my Montrose, PA studio, Alfred B. Smith, with whom I was associated at the time, walked in. For no particular reason that I can remember, we started to develop a new song. I would come up with a thought, then Al. In a short time ‘Surely Goodness and Mercy’ was born. I had never worked with another writer in such a manner to compose a song. Later Al and I wrote two or three other numbers like that.”

John Willard Petersen was born in Lindsborg, Kansas in 1921, into a musical Swedish family. During WWII, he served in the Air Force as a pilot, flying the notorious "China Hump" route over the Himalayas.

Following the war, he received his musical training at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music. He has since received honorary doctorate degrees from the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary and from John Brown University.

Alfred Barney Smith was born in 1916 in a small Holland Dutch community in northern New Jersey. Smiths’ early years were filled with loving care from a father and mother who loved the Lord. His mother was a stay-at-home mother who was able to spend her time encouraging and teaching her son in the three “R’s,” reading, writing, and arithmetic, to which she added the fourth "R," religion.

At an early age Smith learned the stories of David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Noah and the Ark and best of all the story of Jesus. Though his mother had never received any extensive musical training she did love to sing. The first song she taught young Smith was “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Music would be one of the most important ingredients in his childhood home. A Symphonic model phonograph manufactured by Thomas Alva Edison was purchased. With the phonograph came twenty-five records chosen by the company. At the time, little did the young parents realize how much the included records would affect the future of their young son.

When Smith was eight and a half years of age his mother began to see that her son was developing an interest in the violin. He began taking lessons on the violin and made great progress. Soon he was performing in concerts in various parts of the east including solos with various symphony orchestras.

At fourteen he was invited to a tent meeting in Hawthorne, New Jersey, where he accepted Christ as Savior. He was thrilled upon hearing the one hundred and fifty people in the tent singing “Saved, Saved, Saved” and “One Day.” That day he fell in love with Gospel music It was a love that never left him.

Smith graduated from Moody Bible Institute and attended The Philadelphia School of the Bible. He was offered a scholarship to Wheaton College. He became acquainted with Billy Graham and worked with him, Graham preaching, and Smith coordinating the music. He participated in the ministries of Singspiration and Youth for Christ.

Smith married Nancy Wilbur and they raised four children. In his later years he battled cancer. Despite this he continued to travel and minister in song and story to countless numbers, his last concert was to an audience of over 2000 people.

Verse One

“A pilgrim was I and a-wand’ring,

In the cold night of sin I did roam.

When Jesus, the kind Shepherd, found me,

And now I am on my way home.”

John 10:11

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary: Our Lord had called Himself the Door of the sheep, as being the sole way to glory, and entrance into eternal life; here He changes the thought, and calls Himself the Good Shepherd, because of what He was to do for them that believe in Him, in order to prepare them for eternal glory.

Psalm 32:6

“Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary: Because Thou art merciful; because Thou hast shown mercy to all who have truly turned to Thee and believed in Thee; everyone who fears Thee, and hears of this, shall pray unto Thee in an acceptable time, when Thou mayest be found; in the time of finding. When the heart is softened and the conscience alarmed, that is a time of finding.

Verse Two

“He restoreth my soul when I’m weary;

He giveth me strength day by day.

He leads me beside the still waters;

He guards me each step of the way.

Psalm 31:3

“Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.”

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: The psalmist desires the Lord would lead him in the way of truth and paths of righteousness, according to His Word; and guide him with His counsel, and by His Spirit, that so he might walk in the way in which he should go; and this he entreats he would do “for His name’s sake” not for any merit or worthiness in him; but for the glory of His own name, and for the honor of His free grace and mercy, for which the Lord often does many things; He defers His anger, He purges away the sins of His people, He forgives their transgressions, and remembers their sins no more, for His name’s sale.

Verse Three

“When I walk through the dark, lonesome valley,

My Savior will walk with me there;

And safely His Great Hand will lead me,

To the mansions He’s gone to prepare.”

Psalm 84:6

“As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.”

BlueletterBible.org, David Guzik: The heart for God’s house provided wisdom and strength for the life lived away from God’s house. A difficult place (such as the Valley of Baca) was transformed into a spring, complete with rain and pools of water.

 2 Corinthians 13:11

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Studylight.org, Contending for the Faith: Obeying the above traits [unity of faith, encourager, one mind, peace] will ensure that God, our Creator of love and peace, will always be with us.

Verse Four

“And I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever;

And I’ll feast at the table spread for me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,

All the days, all the days of my life.”

Luke 14:15

“When one of those at the table with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, ‘Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the Kingdom of God.’”

Studylight.org, Dr Constable’s Expository Notes: Jesus continued to use the meal in the Pharisee’s house to teach about the messianic banquet and the kingdom to come. He had taught the importance of humbling oneself to participate and had justified that requirement. Now He invited His hearers to humble themselves so they could participate and warned those who rejected His invitation of their fate.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God! The man spoke of the goodness and blessedness of the great banquet with the Messiah that was spoken of many times in the Old Testament and is known in the New Testament as the marriage supper of the Lamb. Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!

Psalm 122:1

“I rejoice with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”

BlueletterBible.org: David Guzik: We should go into the house of the LORD. It is good and important for us to gather with God’s people for prayers, worship, and receiving of God’s Word. The gathering should be formal and ordered enough so that it is regarded as a gathering of God’s house — not everyone doing their own thing, but God’s people coming together for His glory and their benefit in His house.

Revelation 19:9

“Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’”

Studylight.org, Bridgeway Bible Commentary: God’s rule has been clearly demonstrated in the destruction of the anti-Christian world system and the triumph of his persecuted people. That triumph is now pictured in a heavenly wedding feast in which the redeemed are seen as the bride of Christ. They are clothed in pure white to indicate their heavenly purity. The symbolism then changes. The redeemed, though pictured collectively as a bride, are pictured individually as those invited to share the wedding feast with Christ. John, overcome by the vision, is tempted to worship the angel who explained it to him. He is reminded that Jesus, not the angel, is the source of all these revelations.

Refrain

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,

All the days, all the days of my life.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,

All the days, all the days of my life.”

We are reminded through this hymn that just as David, we are all pilgrims through the journey of life. Charles Spurgeon wrote “The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable ‘my.’ If He is a Shepherd to no one else, He is a Shepherd to me. He cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Whatever the believer’s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.”

 

I am indebted to the follow resources:

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Livinghymns.org

Johnwpetersonmusic.com

Allmusic.com, Jason Ankeny

Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace; 101 More Hymn Stories

By His Grace . . .

O Worship the King

This hymn is all about worshiping God for the wonders that He has done on earth. The whole theme of this hymn is the adoration of God's creation, and of God's promise to sing with the angels above.

Robert Grant was born in India, in 1779, the second son of Charles Grant. Like his father, an evangelical Christian and social reformer with a burden for global missions, Grant drew upon his deeply personal faith to guide his public life. His family relocated to England in 1790. There is no other information about his growing up years.

Among the family’s many contributions was a partnership with William Wilberforce toward the emancipation of enslaved Africans in the British Empire and an end to the slave trade.

Grant studied law at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and in 1807 passed the bar. He became a Commissioner in Bankruptcy. Between 1818 and 1832, he was an elected member of Parliament for several different Burgs. He was deeply concerned with social issues.

He married Margaret Davidson, daughter of Sir David Davidson. They had four children, two daughters and two sons.

Grant was a strong supporter of world missions and influential among evangelicals in the Church of England. He was a man of varied interests and considerable accomplishments.

Grant was asked to be governor of Bombay and accepted. He took over his new duties in 1834. As governor, he had opportunity to put his social concerns into practice, for the poverty and spiritual condition of the common people were appalling. Among his accomplishments were the opening of several new roads and inducement to commerce. Through his persistent efforts a bill was eventually passed which emancipated England’s Jews. He fought for other minority groups, too,

He held the governorship only four years, dying in the year 1838 at the young age of 59. The people came to love him. When Sir Jamshedji, a well-known Parsi (a person of the Zoroastrian faith), built a medical college, he gave it Robert Grant's name. It is the second oldest medical college in India.

The year after Robert's death in 1838, his brother Charles printed Sir Robert's twelve hymns in a slender volume called Sacred Poems. The only one which is still sung by many people is "O Worship the King."

This hymn is a paraphrase of Psalm 104. Grant’s paraphrase is a very free version of the psalm: “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty. Who covers Thyself with light as with a garment: who stretches out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds His chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh His angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed forever.” (Psalm 104:1-5, KJV)

Erik Routley, one of the most prominent hymnologists of the 20th century, said: “For sheer literary grace and beauty . . . may be one of the six finest hymns in the [English] language.”

Verse One

“O worship the King all-glorious above,

O gratefully sing His power and His love:

Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,

Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.”

Daniel 7:9

“As I looked, ‘thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.”

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: The Ancient of Days should here be capitalized as it could not possibly refer to anyone else except Almighty God; and the fact that in the New Testament (Revelation 20) it is Christ who sits on this throne, such is a natural result of the early church’s acceptance of our Lord as indeed Deity, to whom the Father has committed the judgment of all men.

Studylight.org, Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: The Ancient of Days, meaning the eternal Deity Himself.

Verse Two

“O tell of His might and sing of His grace,

Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

And dark is His path on the wings of the storm.”

1 Peter 5:6

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s Mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: A phrase expressive of His omnipotence which cannot be stayed; and which is able to cast down the proud, and dash them to pieces, as well as to exalt the humble; but to be under [His hand] in a humble manner is safe and profitable; such are hid as in the hollow of His hand, and are safe as in a pavilion, and comfortable under the shadow of His wings; and such humiliation and submission to Him, and putting themselves under His Mighty hand and care, is the way to exaltation.

Job 36:5

“God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty, and firm in His purpose.”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: Behold, God is mighty . . . This is a clear plain truth, and worthy of notice that God is mighty, the most mighty, the Almighty, as appears from His works of nature and providence; making all things out of nothing, upholding them by the word of His power . . . and from the works of redemption and grace; ransoming His people out of the hands of them that are stronger than they; converting them by the power of His grace; assisting them to do all they do in a spiritual way; supporting them under all their troubles; protecting and defending them from all their enemies; supplying all their wants, and preserving them safe to His Kingdom and glory.

Verse Three

“Your bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.”

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

Biblehub.com, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: It is one of the glorious attributes of the true God, that He can and will thus notice the needs of the mean as well as the mighty; and one of the richest of all consolations when we are afflicted, and are despised by the world, is the thought that we are not forgotten by our Heavenly Father. He who remembers the falling sparrow, and who hears the young ravens when they cry, will not be unmindful of us. “Yet the Lord thinketh on me,” was the consolation of David, when he felt that he was “poor and needy.”

Verse Four

“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In you do we trust, nor find you to fail.

Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

Isaiah 44:24

“This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by Myself.”

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: That is, Christ, the Husband of the church, and of every true believer; who secretly betrothed them to Himself in eternity, having asked Him of His Father; and, being given to Him, openly espouses them in conversion, one by one, as a chaste virgin;  which He will do more publicly in a body at the last day, when the marriage of the Lamb will be come.

Psalm 146:6

“He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—He remains faithful forever.”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The singer gives us more reasons for confidence in God. When we trust in the Lord as the Creator of all things, we realize He has power to help us and deliver us that even great men do not have.

True worship is an act by a redeemed man, the creature, toward God, His Creator, whereby his will, intellect and emotions gratefully respond to the revelation of God’s person expressed in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit illuminates the written Word to his heart. This hymn is a model for worship. Its descriptive names used in exalting the Almighty are significant: Shield, Defender, Ancient of Days, Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend. Also the vivid imagery — “pavilioned in splendor,” “girded with praise,” “whose robe is the light,” “whose canopy space,” “chariots of wrath," “wings of the storm”— aids us in the worthy praise and adoration of our Heavenly King. This hymn originally had thirty-five verses describing the magnificence of our Creator.

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

En.wikipedia.org

Etymologyofhymns.blogspot.com

Christianity.com

Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace

Umcdiscipleship.org, Dr. Hawn

Stacy Edwards. 100 Favorite Hymns

Sermonwriter.com, Richard Niell Donovan

By His Grace . . .

Fill My Cup, Lord

"Quite often I will play around with a song idea in my mind,” Richard Blanchard, the writer of this hymn said. “All of a sudden it will gel. A few of my songs have been given to me by the Lord. It took only six minutes to think up the words of 'Fill my Cup, Lord.' I was finished with the music in another 20 minutes. There have been a few moments in my life when things have come from God. There is no other way to explain them."

Blanchard’s parents were Methodist missionaries in China, where he was born in 1925. When the family returned to the United States, he grew up in Depression-era Indiana, then came south to North Carolina, where his father was an Army chaplain during World War II.

Blanchard attended Davidson College and graduated from Mercer University. He met his wife, Anne, who was a student at Wesleyan College in Macon. He then went to seminary at the Candler School of Theology. Ordained an elder in 1950, he transferred from the North Georgia Conference to the Florida Conference, serving United Methodist congregations there until his retirement in 1988.

His interest in music came from a number of sources: his mother, an accomplished pianist; from the school band where he learned to play the trombone; from a friend who taught him chords so he could play anything by ear, and from the popular music of the Big Band era. 

Blanchard’s method of composition was to write the words to his pieces after developing a thought or reading Scripture, and then to write the music “by ear” to fit the words rather than composing the melody on paper. 

In 1953, Blanchard was waiting for a couple to arrive for pre-marital counseling at Wesley Church in Coral Gables, Florida. They were late, and he was annoyed. He told his secretary he would wait thirty minutes, then he would leave. Instead of fuming, he went to a Sunday school classroom and began to doodle on the piano to kill time.

He later said, “When I was not in the mood to be used of God, God was in a mood to use me. As I waited for the young couple, God gave him the inspiring song ‘Fill My Cup, Lord.'"

Life was never to be a bed of roses for Richard Blanchard. A lung condition required two surgeries and left him with one-third of normal lung capacity. His son, Richard, was left a quadriplegic at seventeen after an accident. And after Blanchard and his wife moved to North Carolina in 2000 to be near their three grown children, they experienced their son’s death and the fatal illness of one of their daughters.

The tragic accident in which Richard and Anne's son, Rick, became a quadriplegic at age 17, had a permanent effect on Dick's life. As he grew older, hospital visitation became more important to him because of Rick's injury as well as his own health.

As Richard Blanchard looks back over his life, he declares, “Even though God chose in His providence to impair my physical being, He has in so many other ways “Filled My Cup.”

 Verse One

“Like the woman at the well I was seeking,

For things that could not satisfy;

And then I heard my Savior speaking:

Draw from My well that never shall run dry.”

Isaiah 12:3

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

Biblestudytools.com: These words are an exhortation to others, or a prophecy that they should do this; that is, apply to Christ for grace, and receive it from Him: for by “water” is meant grace, which is compared to it, because it is softening, purifying, cooling, and refreshing, and extinguishes thirst; and this is to be “drawn,” it is to be come at, though the well in which it is be deep . . . the bucket is faith that it is drawn with, and this is the gift of God; and it is in the exercise of this grace, which requires diligence, strength, and labor . . . this is exercised in the use of means, by prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and attendance on the Word and ordinances, by which faith draws hard, and receives much, and, when it does, it is attended “with joy.”

Verse Two

“There are millions in this world who are craving,

The pleasure earthly things afford;

But none can match the wondrous treasure,

That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.”

Isaiah 33:6

“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes: The Lord Himself would be the sure foundation of the blessed Zion. His people would then enter into their time in history, a time marked by salvations of many kinds, wisdom in following God’s ways, and knowledge of the truth . . . "Wisdom is the true and correct evaluation of things, whereas knowledge is the true recognition of what things are. It emphasizes the objective, whereas ’wisdom’ brings to the fore the subjective aspect” . . . Fearing the Lord will be the key to the treasures that He has laid up for His people. The practical meaning of the fear of the Lord is admitting that one’s destiny lies in His hands.

Blueletterbible.org, David Guzik: Honor, respect, and reverence towards the LORD is His treasure. It is a gift God gives us, not so we will cower in fear, but so we will rightly honor Him.

Verse Three

“So, my brother, if the things this world gave you,

Leave hungers that won’t pass away,

My blessed Lord will come and save you,

If you kneel to Him and humbly pray.”

James 4:10

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

Biblehub.com, Gill’s Exposition of the entire Bible: [This] is done, when men, before the Lord, and from their hearts, and in the sincerity of their souls, acknowledge their meanness and unworthiness, their vileness, sinfulness, and wretchedness, and implore the grace and mercy of God in Christ, as did Abraham, Jacob, Job, Isaiah, Paul, and the publican; and when they walk humbly with God, acknowledging they can do nothing without Him; owning their dependence on His grace, and ascribing all they have, and are, unto it: and He shall lift you up; this is God's usual way to lift up the meek, and exalt those that humble themselves; He lifts them from the dunghill, to set them among princes; He gives them a place, and a name in His house, better than sons and daughters; He adorns them with His grace; He clothes them with the righteousness of His Son, He grants them nearness to Himself; and at last will introduce them into His kingdom and glory.

Refrain

“Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

Bread of heaven, feed me ’til I want no more-

Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.”

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Dailyverse.knowing-Jesus.com: David expressed his joyful satisfaction and confidence in the God of his salvation, with a truth that must rejoice the heart of every sinner, saved by grace. He believed the Lord was his Refuge and Strength in every eventuality of life. David had come to so firm a faith in the Rock of his redemption, that assaults of the enemy and even death itself did not infect his peace, and he acknowledged he was held securely in the Father's hand . . . Assuredly, this is a truth that must rejoice the heart of all God's blood-bought children; a truth that each one of us can treasure in our hearts and rejoice with singing, as we look for our blessed hope and journey towards our heavenly home.

John 4:14

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Heartlight.org: So often, we settle for façade and not substance. All too frequently, we take the shortcut and miss the destination. But there is no shortcut to spiritual fulfillment. Only Jesus can supply the water that our thirsty souls desire. Only he can fill the emptiness and the ache. An amazing promise about Jesus' gift, His blessing, His refreshment, is that it is lasting. This water that Jesus gives is a spring of water, not a cistern. It is living, not static or stagnant. This water gives life, and this life provides more water. Later in His ministry, Jesus makes clear this water is the Holy Spirit. God comes to live in us through the Holy Spirit. God fills us with His life through the Holy Spirit. God cleanses and transforms us by His Spirit. God quenches our thirst with the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Umcdiscipleship.org

Richardblanchardmusic.com

Believersportal.com

En.wikipedia.org

By His Grace . . .

The Haven of Rest

I still remember resting in my bed before going to sleep each night and listening to the radio program, “Haven of Rest.” It started in 1934 and still airs today under the name of “Haven Today.”

The radio program was founded by Paul Myers, a Los Angeles radio personality and station manager. He credited the founding of Haven to hitting rock bottom: kicked out by his wife and passed out on a beach during a drunken bender. He was awakened by a ship’s bell and heard it ring out eight times at 4 a.m., signaling “all’s well.”

It was Sunday morning and Myers knew that all was not well with him. He got up and spent his last pennies on a small breakfast instead of more alcohol and went to church. He was turned away because of his appearance but went back to his cheap hotel room and started reading the Gideon’s Bible. That day he met Jesus.

After returning to his wife and family, Myers shared his new-found faith. He founded a Christian radio program called, “Haven of Rest” that began each program with the words he heard the day of his salvation: “AHOY THERE SHIPMATE … EIGHT BELLS AND ALL’S WELL.”

Today, the daily broadcast airs on more than 650 stations in North America and around the world with a daily listenership of over 500,000.

Although not listed anywhere, I believe he must have been familiar with the hymn “The Haven of Rest.” The first verse pictures the soul as being in exile on life’s sea, and many people we know are in that condition today.

The writer of “The Haven of Rest” was Henry Lake Gilmour who lived in the United Kingdom. Born in 1836 at Londonderry, Ireland, he emigrated to America as a teenager, thinking he wanted to learn navigation. When he reached the United States, he landed in Philadelphia and decided to seek his fortune in America.

He started working as a painter, then served in the America Civil War, where he was captured and spent several months in Libby Prison, Richmond VA.

After the war he trained as a dentist and did that for many years. He married Letitia Pauline Howard in 1858. In 1869 he moved to New Jersey and helped found the Methodist church. He served as Sunday School Superintendent and, for four decades, directed the choir at the Pittman Grove Camp Meeting, also working as song leader at camp meetings in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland, and Ridgeview Park, Pennsylvania.

There are no accounts of when he wrote this hymn. Gilmour was an editor, author, and composer, editing and/or publisher of 25 gospel song books. Gilmour died in Delair, New Jersey, after a buggy accident.

The tune for “The Haven of Rest” was composed by George D. Moore. He was born in the 1800s and died in the 1900s. He was an itinerant evangelist in New Jersey, Pennsylvania in the latter 1800s.

Verse One

“My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,

So burdened with sin and distressed,

Till I heard a sweet voice saying “Make Me your choice,”

And I entered the haven of rest.”

Hebrews 4:1

“Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.”

Christianity.com, Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary: As God finished His work, and then rested from it, so He will cause those who believe, to finish their work, and then to enjoy their rest. This rest is, a rest of grace, and comfort, and holiness, in the gospel state. And a rest in glory, where the people of God shall enjoy the end of their faith, and the object of all their desires. The rest . . . is a heavenly rest, which remains to the people of God, and is opposed to a state of labor and trouble in this work. It is the rest they shall obtain when the Lord Jesus shall appear from heaven . . . God has always declared man’s rest to be in Him, and His love to be the only real happiness of the soul; and faith in His promises, through His Son, to be the only way of entering that rest.

Verse Two

“I yielded myself to His tender embrace,

And faith taking hold of the Word,

My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul:

The haven of rest is my Lord.”

Hebrews 6:19

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”

Biblehub.com, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers: A beautiful image, introduced for a moment only to set forth the security of the soul, though tossed by the waves of trouble. This symbol of hope, so familiar to us in Christian art, is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but is found in Greek proverbial sayings, and (it is said) appears on ancient coins.

Studylight.com, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: Hope is the great anchor, or stabilizer, of the human soul; and that hope for the Christian is Christ the Lord, who has entered into that which is beyond the veil, that is, into heaven itself; and this corresponds to the actions of the ancient high priest who was typical of Christ in that he went into the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, in the tabernacle. The aptness of the figure of an anchor appears in the fact that an anchor is not doing any good at all as long as it is visible. It is only when it disappears in the deep beneath that it stabilizes and protects the ship; how beautiful is the imagery of Christ’s also being out of sight from Christians, having disappeared into the unseen world, but who is nevertheless connected with Christians by the strong and effective cable of His love, just as the anchor, though unseen, is connected to the ship by a mighty chain.

Verse Three

“The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,

Has been the old story so blest,

Of Jesus Who’ll save who-so-ever will have,

A home in the haven of rest.”

John 6:40

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Studylight.org, Clarke Commentary: Lest they should take a wrong meaning out of his words, as many have done since, He tells them that, far from any person being excluded from His mercy, it was the will of God that everyone who saw Him might believe and be saved. The power, without which they could not believe, He freely gave them; but the use of that power was their own. God gives the grace of repentance and faith to every man; but He neither repents nor believes for any man. Each must repent for his own sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus, through the grace given, or perish.

Verse Four

“Oh, come to the Savior, He patiently waits,

To save by His power divine;

Come, anchor your soul in the haven of rest,

And say, ‘My Beloved is mine.’”

2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary: It is not slackness, remissness, nor want of due displacement at sin, that induced God to prolong the respite of ungodly men; but His long-suffering, His unwillingness that any should perish; and therefore He spared them, that they might have additional offers of grace, and be led to repentance to deplore their sins, implore God’s mercy, and find redemption through the blood of the Lamb.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The truth is that God will keep His promise, and without delay according to His timing. Any perceived delay from our perspective is due to the longsuffering of God, who allows man as much time as possible to repent . . . Many of those who are Christians today are happy that Jesus didn’t return ten years, or five years, or two years, or even two months ago. There is a compassionate purpose in God’s timing.

Refrain

“I've anchored my soul in the haven of rest,

I'll sail the wide seas no more;

The tempest may sweep o'er the wild stormy deep,

In Jesus I'm safe evermore.”

1 John 5:18

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them.”

Studylight.org, Bridgeway Bible Commentary: Sin is not a characteristic of Christians, because Christ keeps them from coming under the power of Satan. Since they belong to God, their lives are different from those of worldly people. John repeats that Jesus Christ, the Son of God who died for sinners, is the true God and He gives believers eternal life

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: The New English Bible stresses that the Christian’s safety is not of himself but of the Lord. Jesus promised that He would be with His followers "even unto the end of the world" and a glimpse of that providence is in this.

Studylight.org, Contending for the Faith: Jesus takes watchful care of the Christian, guards him, and helps him to overcome the temptations of sin. We can accomplish anything "through Christ who strengthens us." The Christian has Someone on his side, a divine One. There is great comfort in knowing that our security in spirituality does not depend entirely on ourselves; we have the assistance of a divine helper. "The Christian has an active enemy, but he has also a watchful Guardian" (quoted by Barclay 144-145).

If your soul has never entered the haven of rest, now is the time to do so. The Savior patiently waits and will save by His power divine.  "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."  Hebrews 6:19.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Hymnary.org, John Perry

Barryshymns.blogspot.com

En.wikipedia.org

Haventoday.org

By His Grace . . . 

Sweet Beulah Land

 

In the Christian allegory “Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan, Beulah Land is a place of peace near the end of the Christian life, on the border of the Celestial City. The River of Death separates Beulah from the New Jerusalem, the city on a hill.

Squire Parsons, contemporary writer and singer, is the writer of this hymn. He was born in Newton, West Virginia, in 1948, to Squire and Maysel Parsons. He was introduced to music by his grandfather, Will, and his father, who was a choir director and deacon at Newton Baptist Church.  Squire’s father taught him to sing using shaped notes.

Parsons surrendered his heart to Christ at age 9 and began his song writing ventures 11 years later. He studied music at West Virginia University Institute of Technology where he majored in voice and bassoon. Following graduation, he accepted a teaching position at Hannan High School in West Virginia and served as music director at various churches.

While still a student, he was employed as a bass soloist for Christ United Methodist Church, in Charleston, West Virginia. He later said it was a wonderful experience because he was exposed to the Christian classics, which influenced some of his later writing.

In 1975, Parsons was ordained as a minister at Trinity Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. He joined the Kingsmen Quartet in 1975 and toured with them for four years before embarking on a solo career.

One of the songs his father led the congregation in singing was a song called, “Is This the Land of Beulah.” Parson said: “It seemed my father’s face would glow and the entire congregation seemed to be swept up into a wonderful prospect of the eternal land about which they were singing. That image stayed with me for years. My father was looking into Beulah Land as he sang.”

Years later, Parson was driving to a teaching job and thinking back to that service in the little church, humming the same sweet song. Just as he topped one of the mountains, he was faced with a view of the brilliant sun and all its glory. He suddenly began to sing again, only this time it was a different song, one he had never heard before. He was singing the chorus to what became his most known song, “Sweet Beulah Land.”

When he got to the school he sat down and wrote a verse to go with the chorus. He then put the song away and another five years went by before he wrote the second verse. He recorded the song, and it launched him into the ministry of traveling as a gospel singer and songwriter.

In later years he was the lead singer of “The Squire Parsons Trio.” He and his wife, Linda, live in Leicester, North Carolina. He has survived leukemia and open-heart surgery. In April 2019, Parsons announced his retirement from touring due to declining health after “life-saving surgery.”

“Sweet Beulah Land” was written in 1973 and recorded in 1979. In 1981 it became a #1 song and was awarded Song of the Year by the Singing News Fan Awards. From there it was recorded by countless artists.

Among Parson’s most popular compositions are: “The Master of the Sea,” “Walk On,” “I Sing Because,” and “Sweet Beulah Land.” His music has been sung by many great gospel singers in our lifetime.

Jim Brady, who sings with his wife, Melissa, and is now back with The Booth Brothers said: “Squire’s music was the soundtrack of my childhood. It is a direct reflection of his deep walk with the Lord.”

Verse One

“I’m kind of homesick for a country,

To which I’ve never been before.

No sad goodbyes will there be spoken,

For time won’t matter anymore.”

Philippians 1:23b

“I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.”

Biblehib.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The apostle’s difficulty was not between living in this world and living in heaven; between these two there is no comparison; but between serving Christ in this world and enjoying Him in another. Not between two evil things, but between two good things; living to Christ and being with Him. See the power of faith with Christ, we shall escape sin and temptation, sorrow and death, forever. But those who have most reason to desire to depart, should be willing to remain in the world as long as God has any work for them to do. And the more unexpected mercies are before they come, the more of God will be seen in them.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: Paul knew that death was not a defeat to the Christian. It is merely a graduation to glory, a net gain for the Christian.

Isaiah 62:4

“No longer will they call you Deserted or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”

Studylight.com, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible: But thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; the former of these was the name of Hezekiah’s mother, and a fit name for the church of Christ, who is pleasant to Him for delights. The latter clause explains “Beulah” which signifies “married,” as the church secretly was to Christ from all eternity.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah: The days of Forsaken and Desolate will one day pass. There will come a day when Zion and God’s people will know that God delights in them (Hephzibah means “My delight is in her”. There will come a day when Zion and God’s people will know the unbroken presence and love of God, as a wife should know the presence and love of her husband (Beulah means “Married”). “With such economy of words and beauty of imagery Isaiah depicts the loving unanimity that characterize Zion and her intimate union with the Lord – which foresees as the marriage of the Lamb.”

 Verse Two

“I’m looking now, just across the river,

To where my faith, shall end in sight.

There’s just a few more days to labor,

Then I will take my heavenly flight.”

 

Psalm 46:4

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The psalmist pictured the abundant, constant provision of a river for Jerusalem. The image is significant because Jerusalem does not in fact have such a river, only a few small streams. Yet the prophets anticipated the day when a mighty river would flow from the temple itself. The future reality is already in the mind of the psalmist.

Revelation 22:1

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: In the New Jerusalem; the happy abode of the redeemed. The phrase “water of life” means living or running water, like a spring or fountain, as contrasted with a stagnant pool. The allusion here is doubtless to the first Eden, where a river watered the garden, and as this is a description of Eden recovered, or Paradise regained, it was natural to introduce a river of water also, yet in such a way as to accord with the general description of that future abode of the redeemed. It does not spring up, therefore, from the ground, but flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. Perhaps, also, the writer had in his eye on the description in Ezekiel 47:1-2, where a stream issues from under the temple, and is parted in different directions. Closely allied with this is the picture so common in Scripture of the fountain of life.

Studylight.org, Barclay’s Daily Bible Study: This picture has many sources in the Old Testament. At its back is the river which watered the Garden of Eden and made it fruitful (Genesis 2:8-16). Still closer is Ezekiel’s picture of the river which issued from the Temple (Ezekiel 47:1-7). The Psalmist sings of the river whose streams make glad the city of God (Psalms 46:4). “A fountain,” says Joel, “shall come forth from the house of the Lord” (Joel 3:18). “Living waters,” says Zechariah, “shall flow out from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:8).

Refrain

“Beulah Land, I’m longing for you,

And some day on thee I’ll stand.

There my home shall be eternal,

Beulah Land, sweet Beulah Land.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Studylight.org, Clarke’s Commentary: God has deeply rooted the idea of eternity in every human heart; and every considerate man sees, that all the operations of God refer to the endless duration . . . And it is only in eternity that man will be able to discover what God has designed by the various works He has formed.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: The Preacher understood that man has an awareness and a longing for the eternal, and that God has put this in their hearts. We can say that eternity is in our hearts because we are made in the image of an eternal God . . . “God made man in His image; and nothing more surely attests to the greatness of our origin that those faculties of the soul which are capable of yearning for, conceiving, and enjoying the Infinite, the Immortal, and the Divine . . . Every appetite in nature and grace has its appropriate satisfaction.” (Meyer)

This hymn’s powerful lyrics convey a deep longing for a place called Beulah Land, a spiritual home that offers eternal peace and joy. The song expresses a desire to leave behind the troubles and sorrows of this world and embrace the promise of a heavenly destination.

The depth and emotion captured in the lyrics of “Sweet Beulah Land” resonate with many listeners, providing comfort and hope in times of struggle and uncertainty. It offers solace to those who long for a better world, free from pain and suffering. The song encourages believers to keep their faith strong,

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Backstorysongs.com, David Yardley

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Staugustine.com

OldTimeMusic.com, Marcella Patrick

En.wikipedia.org

By His Grace . . .

 

Room at the Cross for You

 

Ira F. Stanphill, writer of this hymn, traveled by covered wagon as a child from Arkansas to New Mexico, then later moved to Oklahoma and Kansas. He was born on February 14, 1914, in New Mexico. His parents were musical people and always active in church work.

The family settled in Coffeyville, Kansas, where he received his high school and college education. He was converted to Christ at the age of 12 and was called to the Christian ministry, while attending the Assembly of God church. At age 15 he became host of a radio program.

Even though he had only a year of piano instruction, Ira’s natural musical ability soon made him proficient in piano, organ, ukelele, and the accordion.

At 17 he wrote his first gospel song and traveled for several years with evangelists. Stanphill began preaching at 22 in revival meetings and later served pastorates in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

One of his unique practices during a meeting was to produce a new gospel song from suggested titles received from the audience. This one was penned in 1945, as a result of such a suggestion given to him on a Sunday morning. While he did not write the song during the sermon, he returned home that afternoon and when he cleaned out the scraps of paper from his pocket, he became impressed with this title, quickly writing both words and music.

Stanphill said that he wrote gospel songs because he loves God and God loves him; that most of his songs were the outgrowth of real experiences, and that he thought that they appealed to people because he also had trials, heartaches, and sorrows, so he knew what he wrote about. 

Stanhill retired in 1979 and became active in an itinerant music ministry.  A few of his titles that are familiar and still performed today include “Suppertime,” “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,” “I Walk with His Hand in Mine,” and “We’ll Talk It Over.” His death occurred less than two months shy of his eightieth birthday in Overland Park, Kansas, on December 30, 1993. 

The hymn focuses our attention on the blessings of the cross. Stanza one points out that the cross brings to mankind the grace of God by which we can be saved. Stanza two points out that the cross brings us into friendship with Jesus by which He welcomes us. Stanza three points out that the cross brings us the love of Christ by which He cleanses us. The chorus lets us know that regardless of how many come to the cross, there is always room for all who wish to be saved.

The message of God’s great love displayed at Calvary is designed to move the lost to obey and receive salvation.  Christians should resolve to invite needy sinners to come, reminding them that there’s room at the cross for you.

“Room at the Cross for You” was used as the closing theme of the national broadcast Revival Time for many years. Only eternity will reveal the number who have been directed to Christ through this one gospel hymn that reminds us that there is always room at the cross for one more sinner.

Verse One

“The cross upon which Jesus died,

Is a shelter in which we can hide;

And its grace so free is sufficient for me,

And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.”

 Psalm 143:9

“Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: The Hebrew is, “I hide myself with Thee”; that is, I take refuge with Thee; I put myself under Thy protection; I make myself thus secure, as Thou art secure.

Studylight.org, Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible: David, upon perceiving the imminent danger to which he was exposed, betook himself to the covert of God’s shadow, and concealed himself under the protection of it. This seems a very natural rendering . . . that David, instead of having recourse to various quarters for relief, was satisfied to have God cognizant of his case, and called upon Him in a hidden manner and apart.

Studylight.org, Dr. Constables Expository Notes: David wanted guidance from God . . . deliverance from his enemies . . . teaching from God’s Spirit who would provide safe direction . . . and restoration from the attacks of his enemies. Each of these petitions also contains some reference to trust in God . . . Even when God’s people sin, they can appeal to the Lord for help and restoration on the basis of His faithfulness and righteousness. This psalm beautifully combines humble requests and appreciation for God’s character.

Verse Two

“Tho millions have found Him a friend,

And have turned from the sins they have sinned,

The Savior still waits to open the gates,

And welcomes a sinner before it’s too late.”

 

John 15:14

“You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes: “Friend” is a relative term such as “abiding” or “fellowship.” A person can be a casual friend, a close friend, or an intimate friend depending on his or her love and loyalty. Likewise, all believers are God’s friends in one sense, but abiding believers are His friends on a deeper level because they seek to obey Him consistently . . . What is the difference between a servant of God and an intimate friend of God? Jesus proved to His disciples that they were His friends as well as His servants but pointing out that a master shares His plans with His friends but not with His slaves.

Psalm 118:20

“This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter.”

Blueletterbible.com, Matthew Henry: The psalmist desires admission into the sanctuary of God, there to celebrate the glory of Him that cometh in the name of the Lord: Open to me the gates of righteousness . . . those that would enter into communion with God in holy ordinances must become humble suitors to God for admission. And when the gates of righteousness are opened to us, we must go into them, must enter into the holiest and praise the Lord. Our business within God’s gates is to praise God; therefore we should long till the gates of heaven be opened to us, that we may go into them to dwell in God’s house above, where we shall be still praising Him. 

Verse Three

“The hand of my Savior is strong,

And the love of my Savior is long;

Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain,

The blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every stain.”

 1 Peter 5:6

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Poole’s Commentary: The mighty hand of God means God’s omnipotence, which sometimes is called a strong hand, a mighty hand, the right hand of power, by which He is able to beat down those that are proud and high, and to defend or exalt those that are humble and lowly.

Jeremiah 31:3

“The Lord appeared to us [Israel] in the past saying: “[Yes] I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: God assured Israel of this by starting with “Yes” . . . the love it describes is God’s love for every believer. “You must go back beyond your birth, beyond Calvary and Bethlehem, beyond the fall of man and the Garden of Eden, and as you stand looking out into the immensity of eternity, dare to believe that you were loved and chosen in Christ, the object of God’s most tender solicitude and pity.” (Meyer)

Refrain

“There’s room at the cross for you,

There’s room at the cross for you,

Tho millions have come, There’s still room for one,

Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.”

John 14:2

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes: There are many dwelling places, meaning “to abide” or “remain” in heaven. . . The picture that Jesus painted of heaven is a huge building with many rooms or suites of rooms in which people reside. The emphasis is not on the lavishness of the facility as much as its adequacy to accommodate all believers.

“There’s Room at the Cross for You” continues to live on and change lives. In the book, “Stories Behind 50 Southern Gospel Favorites” by Lindsay Terry, a story is told of Willard Cantelon, an evangelist, and Al Garr, his song leader. They were holding a crusade when a young man, lost in depression and having decided to end it all with suicide, walked by during the service on his way to a nearby bridge to take his life. He heard Garr singing “There’s Room at the Cross for You” and was so gripped by the message that he stopped and walked inside. His life was forever changed, and he gave his life to God. The man would later become an evangelist in his own right.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

101 More Hymn Stories, Kenneth W. Osbeck

En.wikipedia.org

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Collegeoftheopenbible.com

Hymmstudiesblog.wordpress.com

Amazing Grace, Kenneth W. Osbeck

By His Grace . . .

Majesty

 

There are many attributes of the Lord that should prompt our response of adoration and worship: His holiness, His power, His love, His mercy, His grace. This hymn reminds us that Christ’s dominion over principalities, His power, and His absolute majesty in heaven are for the benefit of all who trust and follow Him here and now.

This is a popular contemporary song by Jack Hayford. Most of us can remember hearing and singing it in earlier years.  It was written in 1977 on a trip to Great Britain.

Hayford and his wife, Anna, traveled through the land of Great Britain from the south country and Wales to the northern parts of Scotland. It was the year of Queen Elizabeth’s 25th anniversary of her coronation. Symbols of royalty were abundantly present.

Hayford left this account of the writing of the hymn: “In 1977 while traveling in Great Britain I developed interest in the actions and symbols of the royal family, relating them to Christ and His kingdom . . . I was completely caught up in the emotion of the occasion.

“As I walked among the people, I sensed a feeling of grandeur and nobility. And yet, as I looked about, I sensed that even though individuals are greatly used in the course of man's existence on this earth, there is a greater power, the one who is the Author of our destiny.

“I sensed the deep appreciation in the hearts of the people for their leaders who stood with them in dark hours. As I observed those things there came to my mind a feeling that Christ wants His church to have such a sense of loyalty and fellowship, because He must be our guide in good times and bad.

“One word seemed to continually charge to the forefront: MAJESTY! Yet, the things I saw seemed but a paltry reminder of the royal legacy we enjoy as we worship the majesty of our Risen Lord.”

“Majesty” describes the Kingly and Gloriously regal nature of our Savior. It is a statement of the fact that our worship, when begotten in spirit and in truth, can align us with His throne in such a way that His Kingdom authority flows to us—to overflow us, to free us and channel through us. We are rescued from death, restored to the inheritance of sons and daughters, qualified for victory in battle, against the adversary, and destined for the Throne forever in His presence.

We need to cultivate a sense of the Majestic Presence of God. He is a close Friend, but He is also the Majestic, Holy Awesome God of the universe and we need constant reminding not to take His Royal Presence lightly. In this short song we are called to recognize His Majesty and then ascribe the Glory due His name.”

Jack William Hayford was born in Los Angeles in 1934, the eldest child of Jack Hayford Sr. and Dolores Farnsworth Hayford. His parents were not Christians and didn’t turn to prayer when infant Jack developed a condition in the tendons of his neck that could have been fatal.

A Farnsworth cousin, however, walked into a Foursquare church in Long Beach, California, knowing the Pentecostal denomination founded by Aimee Semple McPherson believed in miracles and that one of the four “squares” of the gospel that the church taught was healing. The cousin gave the church a note with Hayford’s name and diagnosis and asked the people there to pray. They said they would.

“The next day, my parents began to notice that things had changed,” Hayford said, sharing his testimony 80 years later. “Within the next few days, the doctor said, ‘This baby is well. There is nothing wrong with him.’

“Not only did the doctor declare me well, he refused to take the money from my parents for the few payments he was going to charge, because, he said, ‘I had nothing to do with the healing of this baby.  This has to have been something God did.’

“Hayford’s parents praised God for the healing. A year later, they went to the same church and went forward to accept Jesus as the congregation sang, ‘Whoever Will May Come.’”

Hayford grew up in the Foursquare Pentecostal tradition, attending L.I.F.E. Bible College (now Life Pacific College), graduating in 1956 and completing his studies at Azusa Pacific University in 1970.

In 1969 Hayford became pastor of the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California, which was then a struggling, aging congregation with only 20 members. He was also dean of students at L.I.F.E. and agreed to lead the congregation on a temporary basis for six months.

But after receiving a call to a much larger congregation, he decided to stay with the smaller church in Van Nuys. By 1980 it had been renamed “The Church on the Way” and membership was over 3,500.

Hayford retired as pastor in 1999. He was a prolific writer with at least 55 books. He’s received numerous awards as a pastor and author, and has received honorary doctorates from Oral Roberts University, California Graduate School of Theology and Life Pacific College. Hayford died at the age of 88 in 2023.

“Majesty, worship His Majesty,

Unto Jesus, be all glory, honor and praise!

Majesty, Kingdom authority, flows from His throne,

Unto His own, His anthem raise.

So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus.

Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King.

Majesty, worship His Majesty,

Jesus who died, now glorified,

King of all kings."

Psalm 93:1

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.”

Blueletterbible.com, David Guzik: This psalm was written in all likelihood after some deliverance Jehovah wrought for His people, but through the open window the singer, consciously or unconsciously, saw the far distance light of another day in which the Kingdom of God will be set up in His might, and the song of an established order shall be the anthem of His praise . . . God is adorned with the garments fitting His sovereignty; He is clothed with majesty and strength . . . Majesty has to do with dignity, authority of sovereign power, stateliness, and grandeur. God’s strength and majesty are not only displayed by His person, but also by what He does. In his strength, majesty, and genius, God has constructed a world that is firmly established and cannot be moved – unless He moves it.

Hebrews 1:3

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Studylight.org, Contending for the Faith: The “radiance” of His glory in the Greek refers to the “shining or beaming forth of the glory, the display of it to the world.” Jesus, being the radiance of God’s glory, means He is a manifestation of the glory of God. He reflects the majesty of God; He perfectly reflects God’s “glory” meaning God’s “magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace.” He reflects majesty in the sense of the absolute perfection of the deity . . . Jesus makes the invisible God visible.

2 Peter 1:16

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.”

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: The “we” here refers to Peter, James and John, the three apostles with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration . . . Peter’s mention of the transfiguration in this context shows that he regarded it as “an event foreshadowing the power and majesty of the second advent and which could be regarded as a pledge of the glory to be revealed at the second coming.”

Micah 5:4

“He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: As John says, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-Begotten of His Father”; and He saith, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth”; so that the divine glory should shine through the majesty of His teaching, the power of His Grace, upholding His own, and the splendor of the miracles wrought by Him and in His Name.

Isaiah 24:14

“They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.”

Studylight.org, Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible: The great devotion of this remnant [Israel]   . . . they shall lift up their voice; they shall sing for joy in their deliverance . . . Those that rejoice in the Lord can rejoice in tribulation, and by faith may be in triumph when all about are in tears. They shall sing to the glory and praise of God, shall sing not only for the mercy but for the majesty of the Lord . . . The majesty of the Lord, which is a matter of terror to wicked people, furnishes the saints with songs of praise . . . it is much for the honor of God if those who fear Him rejoice in Him, and praise Him, even in the most melancholy times.

Sing it with a full heart, filled with happiness and joy!

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Amazing Grace, by Kenneth W. Osbeck

Umcdiscipleship.org

Staugustine.com, Staff Writer

Wordandwork.org

Blueletterbible.orghristianitytoday.com

By His Grace . . .

The Little Brown Church in the Vale

 

Inspiration can strike anywhere, even during a stagecoach stop to change the horses. That’s what happened to William S. Pitts in 1857 traveling to see his soon-to-be bride.

The town was old Bradford, Iowa. Taking a walk while waiting for the stagecoach, Pitts came upon an empty lot surrounded by wildwoods and the Cedar River. He thought it would be a nice spot for a church.

When he was back home in Wisconsin, he penned a poem and put the manuscript away. He later set it to music and then forgot about the song. He called it, “The Church in the Wildwood.”

In the years of 1859 and 1860 the good people of Bradford were determined to build a church. Pitts returned to the area with his wife, Ann Eliza Warren, in 1862 and there discovered a church being erected where he had imagined it to be. The land had been donated by the family that owned it.

By the early winter of 1864 the building was ready for dedication. The church was painted brown because that was the cheapest paint to be found.

Pitts was holding a singing school nearby at Bradford Academy, and the class went there one evening. Pitts had them sing his song at the dedication of the new church. There were no seats, so rude seats were improvised. His song had never been sung before by anyone but himself.

Soon afterwards Pitts took the manuscript to Chicago, where it was published, and the hymn became known as, “The Little Brown Church in the Vale.”

William S Pitts was an American physician and composer, born in New York in the 1830. His parents were descended from New England Puritans of English and Scottish ancestry. Pitts was the eighth of nine children and had musical ability from an early age, taking formal music lessons from a graduate of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society.

At age nineteen Pitts traveled with his family to Wisconsin where he worked as a rural schoolteacher. He then moved to Chicago to enroll in Rush Medical College. To pay his enrollment fees, he sold the rights to the song to a music publisher for $25. He completed medical school, graduating in 1868, and practiced medicine in Fredericksburg until 1906.

Pitts joined Fredericksburg Baptist Church in 1871.  His first wife died in 1886, and Pitts remarried to Mrs. M.A. Grannis in 1887, and they moved to Clarion, Iowa in 1906.

His second wife died in 1909, and Pitts moved to Brooklyn, New York, to be with his son, William Stanley Bates. Pitts died in Brooklyn in 1918, and was buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Fredericksburg, Iowa.

The little brown church was open until 1888, and then closed due to an economic downturn in the town. The Society for the Preservation of The Little Brown Church was founded. By 1914, services were again held in the church. Shortly afterward, the small congregation experienced a revival that attracted new attention to it and the song.

The church has become a popular tourist spot and remains so today. It attracts thousands of visitors every year to see The Little Brown Church in the Vale. There have now been over 74,000 weddings performed there through the years.

Verse One

“There’s a church in the valley by the wildwood,

No lovelier spot in the dale;

No place is so dear to my childhood,

As the little brown church in the vale.”

2 Timothy 3:14-15

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Studylight.org, Bridgeway Bible Commentary: From childhood he has been guided by the Scriptures, and his faith in those Scriptures gives him assurance in his salvation. He must maintain this confidence, knowing that the Scriptures are divinely given and that they are God’s means of instructing people in right belief and right living. Those who are well instructed in the Scriptures will always be ready when an opportunity arises to do good.

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: It is a maxim with the Jews, that when a child was five years of age, it was proper to teach him the Scriptures. Timothy’s mother being a Jewess, trained him up early in the knowledge of these writings, with which he became very conversant, and under divine influence and assistance, arrived at a large understanding of them.

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: It was as if Paul wrote this: “Timothy, you learned these things. Right now you firmly believe them. Now, you have to continue in the things which you have learned. The important thing is to abide in them, to continue in them, to never let them go.”

Verse Two

“How sweet on a clear, Sabbath morning,

To list to the clear ringing bell;

Its tones so sweetly are calling,

Oh, come to the church in the vale.”

Psalm 143:8

"Let the morning bring me a word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: Early, speedily; with the first rays of the morning. Let it be, as it were, the first thing in the day; the first thing that is done. The idea is not that he would wait for another day, but that he would interpose as the very first act – as when one enters on a day.

Psalm 33:2

“Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to Him on the ten-stringed lyre.”

Biblestudytools.com, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Religious songs are the proper expressions of thankful praise . . . the best you have,  not that which by frequent use is worn, thread-bare, but that which being new, is most likely to move the affections, a new song for new mercies and upon every new occasion, for those compassions which are new every morning.”

Verse Three

“There, close by the church in the valley,

Lies one that I love so well;

She sleeps, sweetly sleeps, ‘neath the willow,

Disturb not her rest in the vale.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: Here is comfort for the relations and friends of those who die in the Lord. Grief for the death of friends is lawful; we may weep for our own loss, though it may be their gain. Christianity does not forbid, and grace does not do away, our natural affections. Yet we must not be excessive in our sorrows; this is too much like those who have no hope of a better life. Death is an unknown thing, and we know little about the state after death; yet the doctrines of the resurrection and the second coming of Christ, are a remedy against the fear of death, and undue sorrow for the death of our Christian friends; and of these doctrines we have full assurance. It will be some happiness that all the saints shall meet and remain together for ever; but the principal happiness of heaven is to be with the Lord, to see Him, live with Him, and enjoy Him forever.

Verse Four

“There, close by the side of that loved one,

To trees where the wildflowers bloom.

When the farewell hymn shall be chanted,

I shall rest by her side in the tomb.”

Psalm 62:8

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.”

Ryan Owens, on Oldtimemusic.com tells it this way: The Little Brown Church in the Vale is not just a physical location; it represents a spiritual sanctuary where all are welcome, regardless of their backgrounds, struggles, or past mistakes. The hymn’s universal message of love and acceptance resonates with listeners, reminding them of the power of faith to unite and uplift even in the most challenging times . . . it represents a place where individuals can find refuge, fellowship, and unwavering love.

Verse Five

“From the church in the valley by the wildwood,

When day fades away into night,

I would fain from this spot in my childhood,

Wing my way to the mansions of light.”

John 14:2

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: Jesus spoke with complete confidence about heaven, here spoken of as His Father’s house. Jesus didn’t wonder about the life beyond this earth; He knew it and told His disciples that there was room for all in heaven . . . Whatever dwelling place God has for us in heaven, it will be as glorious as a mansion . . . many mansions . . . Love prepares a welcome. With love, expectant parents prepare a room for the baby. Jesus prepares a place for His people because He loves them and is confident of their arrival.

Refrain

“Come to the church in the wildwood,

Oh, come to the church in the dale,

No spot is so dear to my childhood,

As the little brown church in the vale.”

Hebrew 3:6

“But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: Christ was the Master of this house, of His church, His people, as well as their Maker . . . Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and sovereign Ruler of the Church.  There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but steadfastness and perseverance therein to the end. Every meditation on His person and His salvation will suggest more wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.

Studylight.com, Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible: Think of the house of God. He laid the foundations of it, even before the world was, provided the blueprints of it in the dispensation of Moses, and extended it upward and outward to include all the families of man in the church of Christ; and, finally, He shall present all to Himself in the glorious fulfillment of the everlasting Kingdom at the last day.”

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Worthydetours.com, Jeanette Simpson

Hymntime.com

Bluegrasstoday.com, Richard Thompson

En.wikipedia.org

Oldtimemusic.com, Ryan Owens 

By His Grace . . .