My Faith Looks Up To Thee

 

Ray Palmer, writer of this hymn, recorded these thoughts: “The words for these stanzas were born out of my own soul with very little effort. I recall that I wrote the verses with tender emotion. There was not the slightest thought of writing for another eye, least of all writing a hymn for Christian worship. It is well-remembered that when writing the last line, ‘Oh, bear me safe above, A Ransomed soul!’ the thought that the whole work of redemption and salvation was involved in those words, and suggested the theme of eternal praises, and this brought me to a degree of emotion, that brought abundant tears.”

Ray Palmer was born in 1808 in Little Compton, Rhode Island. His father was a judge in the community. Because of unexpected financial difficulties, he was forced to discontinue his schooling at the age of thirteen and take a job as a store clerk in Boston. He began attending the historic Park Street Congregational Church and there accepted Christ as Savior.

Soon he felt the call of God to become a minister of the gospel. He resumed his education at Andover Academy and later graduated from Yale University. He took a part-time teaching position in a private girls’ school in New York City.

For years, he had burned the candle on both ends, working as a clerk in a dry goods store, attending classes at Yale, teaching at a girl’s school in New York City, and preparing for the ministry.

Mr. Palmer copied the verses into his small notebook that he always carried with him and thought no more about the lines, except to read them occasionally for his own devotion. Two years later, he was visiting in Boston when he chanced to meet, on a busy street, his friend, Dr. Lowell Mason. In the course of the conversation, Dr. Mason asked young Palmer if he knew of any good texts that could be used for a new hymnal that Mason was in the process of compiling. Hesitatingly, Palmer showed the noted musician his little notebook. This is Palmer’s account of that meeting:

“The little book containing the poem was shown him and he asked for a copy. We stepped into a store together and a copy was made and given to him, which, without much notice, he put into his pocket.  Two or three days afterward, we met again on the street, when scarcely waiting to salute me, he earnestly exclaimed, ‘Mr. Palmer, you may live many years and do many good things, but I think you will be best known to posterity as the author of ‘My Faith Looks Up to Thee.’”

Lowell Mason had in the meantime composed a melody for this text. His prediction about this hymn certainly came true. Dr. Palmer’s entire life was characterized by a warm and passionate devotion to Christ. He was described as a healthy, cheerful, and buoyant man, greatly loved and admired by all who knew him.

Palmer believed his hymn flourished since it “embodied, in appropriate and simple language, that which is not central in all true Christian experience—the act of faith in the divine Redeemer—the entrusting of the individual soul to Him entirely and forever.”

In the early 1800s, Lowell Mason moved to Boston from Savannah, where for sixteen years he had worked in a bank while directing church choirs on the side. His early music training was in singing and structure of hymns. By the time he was 16, he was already conducting a choir and a band. He studied theory and composition with the German-born teacher, Frederick L. Abel. He started writing music and accepted a position as a church organist and choir director.

He wrote over 1600 hymns that included arrangements of previously written tunes and original works. Many of his hymns are still sung today by various church denominations. He arranged the music for the popular Christmas carol, Joy to the World. His hymns, anthems, children’s songs, and secular songs were published in numerous collections.

In addition to his pioneering work in the field of music instruction, many also consider him the “father of American church music.” He was awarded an honorary doctorate in music in 1855 from New York University.

 Verse One

“My faith looks up to Thee Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine;

Now hear me when I pray, Take all my sin away,

O let me from this day Be wholly Thine!”

Romans 1:20

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Biblehub.com, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: Godhead – His deity, divinity; divine nature, or essence. The word is not used elsewhere in the New Testament. Its meaning cannot therefore be fixed by any parallel passages. It proves the truth that the supremacy, or supreme divinity of God, was exhibited in the works of creation, and He was exalted above all creatures and things.

Studylight.org, Coffman’s Commentary on the Bible: The invisible things of Him . . . is a reference to God’s everlasting power and divinity; and Paul’s argument is that invisible things may be “seen” by the mind. The things that are made, namely, all created objects, are the things which enable the mind to comprehend what no natural eye can see, that is, His power and divinity.

Verse Two

“May Thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart, My zeal inspire;

As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,

Pure, warm and changeless be A living fire!"

Ephesians 1:7

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Studylight.org, Contending for The Faith: When we reflect on our unworthiness, we may wonder whether the depth of our sin may exhaust the supply of God’s grace and forgiveness. To this insecurity, God replies He has “riches . . . of grace.” That our redemption cost so great a price – the blood of Christ--is the supreme evidence of the riches of the divine grace. And the measure of what God does for us is nothing less than the limitless wealth of His loving favor.

 Verse Three

“While life’s dark maze I tread And griefs around me spread, Be Thou my guide;

Bid darkness turn today, Wipe sorrow’s tears away,

Nor let me ever stray From Thee aside.”

 Psalm 25:5

“Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.”

Studylight.org, Barnes’ Notes on the Whole Bible: Truth is eternal and unchanging. What God sees and regards as truth is true, because He sees things as they are; and when we have the divine estimate of anything, we understand what the thing is. Such is the perfection of His nature that we have the utmost assurance that what God regards as truth is truth; what He proclaims to be right is right.

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me . . . Meaning the Word of God, the Scriptures of truth; and the Gospel, which is the Word of truth, and truth itself, and the sense is, either that God would lead him by His Spirit more and more into all truth, as contained in His Word; or that He would lead Him by it and according to it.

 Verse Four

“When ends life’s transient dream, When death’s cold sullen stream, Shall o’er me roll,

Blest Savior, then, in love, Fear and distrust remove –

O bear me safe above, A ransomed soul.”

Isaiah 25:9

“In that day they will say, we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”

Studylight.org, Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes: The redeemed will rejoice that they are finally in the presence of God, whose rule and care they had longed to be delivered to for so long . . . Finally, hope will have given way to sight, and Old Testament saints [all saints] will rejoice because they are finally with their Savior.

In the book, “A Treasure of Hymns”, there is a story that is connected to this hymn. It is said that during the American civil war, eight soldiers met in a tent to pray. They were all worried about their lives that they decided to send a message of comfort to their families in case they died. They all copied the final stanza of this hymn which each one signed. The next morning seven of the soldiers were killed.

Palmer, a future Doctor of Theology, and Mason, a Doctor of Music, met by chance in 1830 in Boston and a hymn generally considered to be one of the finest on the subject of faith and the necessity of placing our implicit trust and confidence in the finished work of Christ was born.

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

101 More Hymn Stories, Kenneth W. Osbeck (a major portion of the story)

Christianmusicandhymns.com, Samuel Albert

Then Sings My Soul, Robert J. Morgan

Godtube.com

Umcdiscipleship.com

Cmuse.org

 By His Grace . . .

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Isaac Watts, the writer of this hymn, enjoyed children and published the first hymnal designed expressly for children. The words of this hymn speak of God making mountains rise . . . spreading the flowing seas abroad . . . and building the lofty skies. It tells of a sun that rules the day—and a moon that shines at God’s command—and stars that all obey.

These are word images that children can, at some level, understand.  Watts knew that, by singing words such as these over and over again, children would come to understand something of God’s creation, His providence, and His love.

Watts cites a biblical precedent for teaching songs to children for educational value: “The children of Israel were commanded to learn the words of the song of Moses, and we are directed in the New Testament, not only to sing ‘with grace in the heart, but to teach and admonish one another by hymns and songs.’”

Watts states that these songs “will be a constant furniture of the minds of children, that they may have something to think upon when alone and sing over to themselves. This may sometimes give their thoughts a divine turn and raise a young meditation. Thus, they will not be forced to seek relief for an emptiness of mind, out of the loose and dangerous sonnets of the age.”

This powerful hymn is not just for children, but adults are drawn to it for the glory it brings God. The majestic music makes it a joy to sing.

Not a lot is known about Watts’ early years. He was born in 1674, in England. As a teenager he complained to his father about how boring the songs of the day were. His father challenged him to write something better. Hence, a hymn writer was born. He would write at least 750 songs over the course of life.

Watts, whose father was a Nonconformist, (a member of a Protestant church in England that dissents from the established Anglican Church), studied at the Dissenting Academy at Stoke Newington. He became tutor to the family of Sir John Hartopp of Stoke Newington and of Freeby, Leicestershire, and preached his first sermons in the family chapel at Freeby. He was appointed assistant to the minister of Mark Lane Independent Chapel, in London, and became full pastor in 1702. He was an inspiring preacher.

As Isaac Watts quietly pastored Mark Lane Chapel, the growing popularity of his hymns was causing a tempest. “Christian congregations have shut out divinely inspired Psalms," one man complained, “and taken in Watts' flights of fancy.” The issue of singing hymns versus Psalms split churches, including the one in Bedford, England, once pastored by John Bunyan.

In May, 1789, Rev. Adam Rankin told the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, meeting in Philadelphia: “I have ridden horseback all the way from my home in Kentucky to ask this body to refuse the great and harmful error of adopting the use of Isaac Watts’ hymns in public worship in preference to the Psalms of David.”

Watt’s reactions are not known. Dr. Samuel Johnson later reports that “by his natural temper he was quick of resentment; but, by his established and habitual practice, he was gentle, modest, and inoffensive.”

But in 1712, Isaac suffered a breakdown from which he never fully recovered. He asked his church to discontinue his salary; but they raised it and hired a co-pastor who assumed the bulk of the pastoral duties. Watts remained as pastor the rest of his life, preaching whenever he could.

A wealthy couple in the church, Sir Thomas and Lady Abney, invited him to spend a week on their estate. Isaac accepted—and lived with them until his death 36 years later. He enjoyed the children in the home, and in 1715, he published Divine and Moral Songs for Children. It sold 80,000 copies in a year and has been selling ever since. In his preface, he said, “Children of high and low degree, of the Church of England or Dissenters, baptized in infancy or not, may all join together in these songs. And as I have endeavored to sink the language to the level of a child’s understanding . . . to profit all, if possible, and offend none.”

Isaac Watts died November 25, 1748. Other favorites that Watts wrote that we all enjoy singing are “Joy to the World,” “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Verse One

"I sing the mighty power of God, That made the mountains rise,

That spread the flowing seas abroad, And built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command, And all the stars obey."

Psalm 65:5-7

"You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations."

Studylight.org, Clarke's Commentary: It is by Thy strength they have been raised, and by Thy power they are girded about or preserved. He represents the mountains as being formed and pitched into their proper places by the mighty hand of God; and shows that they are preserved from splitting, falling down, or mouldering away, as it were, by a girdle by which they are surrounded. The image is very fine. They were hooped about by the Divine power.

Genesis 1:1, 3, 9, 16

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . . . And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light . . . And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear’ . . . God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: In the fourth day's work, the creation of the sun, moon, and stars is accounted for. All these are the works of God. The stars are spoken of as they appear to our eyes, without telling their number, nature, place, size, or motions; for the Scriptures were written, not to gratify curiosity, or make us astronomers, but to lead us to God, and make us saints. The lights of heaven are made to serve Him; they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. 

Verse Two

“I sing the goodness of the Lord, that filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with His Word, And then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, Wherever I turn my eye,

If I survey the ground I tread, Or gaze upon the sky!”

Genesis 1:20, 21, 24, 29, 31

“And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky . . . And God saw that it was good . . . Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind’ And it was so . . . Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food . . .God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: The earth was emptiness, but by a word spoken, it became full of God's riches, and His they are still. Though the use of them is allowed to man, they are from God, and to His service and honor they must be used. The earth, at His command, brings forth grass, herbs, and fruits. God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the produce of the earth. If we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in Him when the streams of temporal mercies are dried up.

Verse Three

“There’s not a plant or flower below, But makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, By order from Thy Throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee Is ever in Thy care,

And everywhere that we can be, Thou God, art present there.”

 Acts 17:28a

“For in Him we live and move and have our being.”

Secretplaceministries.org: Jesus is anointed to make the presence of God real to you . . . We all live in His presence all the time . . . While God is omnipresent, and His presence is always with us, we long to experience Him in some way . . . By placing ourselves before Him in a place of adoration, we make room for Him, and through focusing our attention on Him, increase our awareness of being in the Presence of God in our lives . . . God has promised that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us and we will experience His presence in ever increasing measures . . . Abiding in the Word of God will always bring an increase in the sense of His manifest presence.

The Bible has many verses that speak about God’s mighty power. Psalm 147:5 says: “Great is our Lord and mighty in power.” Colossians 2:12 says: “And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” These verses emphasize that God’s power is limitless and that it can be trusted to bring about new life, hope, joy and peace.

I am indebted to the following resources:

Sermonwriter.com, Richard Niell Donovan

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Then Sings my Soul, Robert J. Morgan

Britannica.com

 By His Grace . . .

In The Garden

A request was made of C. Austin Miles, writer of “In the Garden,” by his boss: “I need a special kind of song for the next hymnal. It must be sympathetic in tone, breathing tenderness in every line; one that would bring hope to the hopeless, rest for the weary, and downy pillows in dying beds.” The result was: “In The Garden.”

There is no information on the early life of C. Austin Miles. We know that he attended college at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1892, he abandoned his career as a pharmacist and wrote his first Gospel song, which was published by the Hall-Mack Company. He later became editor and manager of a music publishing company and served them for 37 years.

Miles’ said of himself: “It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.”

Miles’ hobby was photography, and he built his own “darkroom” for developing his film. He discovered one day that he could read his Bible in the special “red lighting” of the darkroom. He also had an organ in the room.

He often read passages of Scripture as he waited for the developing process to finish. Since he was a musician and a songwriter, he often found himself reading with the express purpose of getting ideas for Christian songs.

An unknown source wrote this about Miles: “He looked a little like a southern colonel with his white mustache and a small flower in his lapel. His extraordinary sense of humor and dry wit could be very caustic if he thought the occasion demanded it – a truly brilliant man.”

Miles wrote the music for this hymn the same day he wrote the words. He imagined himself in the garden of the empty tomb and visualized the wonder of seeing the risen Christ. In his words: “I drew my Bible toward me; it opened at my favorite chapter, John 20, the meeting of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in Mary’s life, when she knelt before her Lord, and cried, ‘Rabboni!’

“My hands were resting in the Bible while I stared at the light blue wall. As the light faded, I seemed to be standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches.

“I awakened in full light, gripping the Bible, with muscles tense and nerves vibrating. Under the inspiration of this vision, I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has appeared.”

 Verse One

“I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses,

And the voice I hear falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.”

 Song of Solomon 2:8

“Listen! My beloved! Look! Here He comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.”

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: “She . . . knew . . . her beloved’s voice; which is known by all believers in Him, and is distinguished by them from the voice of others; by the majesty and authority of it; by the power and efficacy of it; by its directing them to Himself, and by the pleasure it gives them: and she speaks of it as being very delightful to her; it being the voice of Him whom she loved, and a voice of love, grace, and mercy, of peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation.

 Verse Two

“He speaks and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me,

Within my heart is ringing.”

 Zephaniah 3:14

“Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!”

Biblehub.com, MacLaren’s Expositions: What a wonderful rush of exuberant gladness there is in these words! . . . The very words seem to dance with joy . . . Zion is called to rejoice in God because God rejoices in her. She is to shout for joy and sing because God’s joy too has a voice and breaks out into singing. For every throb of joy in man’s heart, there is a wave of gladness in God’s. The notes of our praise are to be at once the echoes and the occasions of His. We are to be glad because He is glad: He is glad because we are so. We sing for joy, and He joys over us with singing because we do.

 Verse Three

"I’d stay in the garden with Him,

Tho’ the night around me be falling;

But He bids me go; thro’ the voice of woe,

His voice to me is calling.”

Galatians 6:10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Poole’s Commentary: Let it be our business to harm none, but to supply the necessities of all men; either with our spiritual advice and counsels, with all the assistance we can give them that may any way be of spiritual profit or advantage to them, or with our worldly goods, ministering to their necessities . . . preferring Christians before others; those that belong to the church.

Chorus

“And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own,

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other, has ever, known!”

John 10:14

“I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: The Lord Jesus knows whom He has chosen and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him.

Biblehub.com, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:  Jesus knows the hearts, the dangers, and the wants of his people, and his kindness as their Shepherd prompts Him to defend and aid them . . . He is known and loved as their Savior and Friend. They have seen their sins, and dangers: and wants; they have felt their need of a Savior; they have come to Him, and they have found Him and His doctrines to be such as they need, and they have loved Him. And as a flock follows and obeys its kind Shepherd, so they follow and obey Him who leads them beside the still waters and makes them to lie down in green pastures.

In “How Sweet the Sound,” by George Beverly Shea, he shared these words: At the beginning of time, Adam and Eve “heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day." When our Lord Jesus came to earth, died, and rose again, He took the blame for all of our sin. Now He walks with us; and just like Mary in the garden by the tomb, we hear Him. He tells us we are “His own” – what a joy as we tarry there.

  

I am indebted to the following resources:

Godtube.com

Staugustine.com, Lindsay

Umcdiscipleship.org, C. Michael Hawn

William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, The Complete Book of Hymns

 By His Grace . . .

More Love To Thee, O Christ

 

Elizabeth Payton Prentiss wrote this hymn. A native of Maine, Prentiss was described as a "bright-eyed, little woman, with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in her own happy household than in a wide circle of society."

On one occasion, Prentiss wrote, “To love Christ more is the deepest need, the constant cry of the soul . . . out in the woods, and on my bed, and out driving, when I am happy and busy, and when I am sad and idle, the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love!”

Elizabeth was the daughter of a clergyman, and she married a Presbyterian clergyman, Dr. George L. Prentiss, pastor of the Mercer Street Presbyterian Church in New York City.

Elizabeth suffered from poor health most of her life but showed promise as a writer even as a young girl. She began submitting prose and verse at age 16 to a popular national magazine for young people, and the magazine published several of her submissions.

She lived the life of a near invalid, her body often wracked with pain. It was during these times that she had to refocus her understanding of her own value and worth from doing to being: “I see now that to live for God, whether one is allowed ability to be actively useful or not, is a great thing, and that it is a wonderful mercy to be allowed even to suffer, if thereby one can glorify Him.”

During her lifetime, she wrote five books, one of which became a best-seller, Stepping Heavenward, still in print today.

“More Love to Thee, O Christ” emerged out of a time of personal tragedy. During the 1850s, she lost a child and shortly thereafter a second one Through her grief she confided in her diary, “Empty hands, a worn-out exhausted body, and unutterable longings to flee from a world that has so many sharp experiences.”

One evening when her husband and her returned from the cemetery, Elizabeth talked about her “unutterable longs to flee from a world that has had for me so many sharp experiences.” When she questioned the reality of the love of God, George replied softly, “But it is in times like these that God loves us all the more, just as we loved our own children more when they were sick or troubled or in distress.” He encouraged his wife to return God’s love.

Inspired by Sarah Adams’ hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” Prentiss began to write her own hymn in an almost identical metrical pattern. She felt inspired by something her husband had said in a sermon: “Love can keep the soul from going blind.” She thought that if love could do that, she needed more love.

She had been reflecting on Jacob’s struggles in Genesis 28:10-22. Noting how God met Jacob in a special way, she prayed earnestly for a similar experience. She found Adams’ hymn on this same theme to be of comfort.

She didn’t do anything with her poem at that time, perhaps feeling that the solace that she received from writing it was enough. But thirteen years later, she showed her poem to her husband, and he encouraged her to have it printed in leaflet form, which she did. The hymn was first published in the 1870 hymnal, “Songs of Devotion for Christian Associations.” Elizabeth Prentiss died in 1878.

William Howard Doane wrote the music for this hymn. He was born in Connecticut in 1832. Received his education in the public schools and attended the Academy at Woodstock, where he graduated in 1848.

From his early boyhood Doane was interested in music. At the age of six years, he sang frequently in public, and at the age of ten he sang in the church choir. At twelve he was considered an exceptionally fine flutist. At thirteen, he could play the double bass violin, and at fifteen, with equal skill, he could play the cabinet organ. About this time, he began composing music. 

Doane was converted in 1847, and in 1851, he was baptized by Rev. Frederic Denison, and united with the Central Baptist Church in Norwich, Connecticut. Doane devoted himself to musical composition, and many of his tunes are as familiar as household words. The music to "Tell Me the Old, Old Story" was composed while riding in a stagecoach from Montreal to the White Mountains. 

Doane has composed more than six hundred Sunday-school songs, at least one hundred and fifty church and prayer-meeting hymns, and two hundred and fifty other songs and ballads, beside anthems and cantatas. He died in 1915.

 Verse One

   “More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee;

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!”

Psalm 95:6

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.”

Biblehub.com, The Treasury of David: The adoration is to be humble. The “joyful noise” is to be accompanied with lowliest reverence. We are to worship in such style that the bowing down shall indicate that we count ourselves to be as nothing in the presence of the All-Glorious Lord . . . Posture is not everything, yet it is something; prayer is heard when knees cannot bend, but it is seemly that an adoring heart should show its awe by prostrating the body and bending the knee.”

Verse Two

“Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;

Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best;

Thus all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!”

Matthew 6:33 

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Biblestudytools.com. Kristi Woods: Seeking Him above all else indicates trust in our God when it could easily be misplaced elsewhere . . . Jesus states more than a simple command that pinpoints the worries of this world. And don’t miss that God wraps up this passage with a promise: When we seek Him first, He gives us exactly what we need. We can trust Him . . . Everything about Him rings with goodness, faithfulness, grace and mercy. And our Father desires that we draw close to Him, for He longs to pour this goodness out on us.

 Verse Three

“Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain;

Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain,

When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!"

1 Peter 1:6-7 

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” 

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: Hope, in the world’s phrase, refers only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, built upon sand, and the worldling’s hopes of heaven are blind and groundless conjectures. But the hope of the sons of the living God is a living hope; not only as to its object, but as to its effect also. It enlivens and comforts us in all distresses, enables us to meet and get over all difficulties. Mercy is the spring of all this; yea, great mercy and manifold mercy. And this well-grounded hope of salvation is an active and living principle of obedience in the soul of the believer. The matter of a Christian’s joy is the remembrance of the happiness laid up for him. It is incorruptible, it cannot come to nothing, it is an estate that cannot be spent.

 Verse Four

“Then shall my latest breath whisper Thy praise;

This be the parting cry my heart shall raise;

This still its prayer shall be: More love, O Christ, to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!”

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 

"O death, where is you victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Biblehub.com, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary: Death never shall appear in the regions to which our Lord will bear His risen saints. Therefore, let us seek the full assurance of faith and hope, that in the midst of pain, and in the prospect of death, we may think calmly on the horrors of the tomb; assured that our bodies will there sleep, and in the meantime our souls will be present with the Redeemer. Death may seize a believer, but it cannot hold him in its power. How many springs of joy to the saints, are opened by the death and resurrection, the sufferings and conquests of the Redeemer!

During Elizabeth Prentiss’ darkest hours, her husband said: “This is our opportunity to show forth in our lives that which we have been preaching and teaching and believing together for so many years. It is in times like these that God loves us all the more.”

Good advice for us all. More love to Thee, O Christ!

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Umcdiscipleship.org

Dianaleaghmatthews.com

Hymnary.org

Hishymnhistory.blogspot.com

Wholesomwords.com

Baptist Hymn Writers and Their Hymns by Henry S. Burrage

By His Grace . . .

Hallelujah Chorus

We all are enraptured by the words and music of this worshipful and exciting melody that was composed by George Frideric Handel. Handel’s name is well known and admired for his composition of the “Messiah” and many other compositions. Yet there is an unsung hero regarding this thrilling and emotional work. Charles Jennens, the creator of this libretto.

Charles Jennens, Jr., a friend of Handels, gave him a libretto, an assembled text, for a sacred work. It was essentially an assembly of Bible verses, focused on the Messiah, both from the Old and New Testaments. He is the one who carefully gleaned through the King James Bible and assembled the verses. These words are what Handel composed his glorious melody to accompany.

Jennens assembled his biblical texts for “Messiah” to prove the life of Jesus had been prophesied in the Old Testament. It was not just convention or tradition that made Christianity vital – Christianity was an eternal truth.

The libretto of “Messiah“ consists of 73 verses from the King James Version of the Bible—42 from the Old Testament, 31 from the New—all pointing to Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ . . . the Anointed One . . . the Messiah.

Rev. John Moore is a music minister who has directly participated in 300 performances of “Messiah”—either as a conductor, singer, or trumpet player. Moore said: “The Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition, had come into being, and there were many people that were rejecting Christianity. And Deism was the religion of the elite. And there was one man named Charles Jennens who wanted to counteract that. He provided the libretto, and as a result, this incredible masterpiece of music with a Christian emphasis has been a major work throughout the centuries since it was written.”

Jennens was born in 1700.  He was brought up in Leicestershire, England, the son of Charles Jennens and his second wife. He was schooled at Balliol College in Oxford but did not graduate. 

Jennens never married. He was described as being melancholic and extravagant. He devoted himself to the arts, both as a collector and music patron.

Handel and Jennens became close friends. Handel visited him frequently at Gopsall Hall and provided the specifications for an organ for his home. Gopsall Hall was built for Jennen’s father, in a park of 300 acres, to house his fine art collection. Jennens died in 1773. He was an English landowner and patron of the arts.

Now to our famous composer. George Frideric Handel was born in 1685, in Germany, spending the majority of his life in England. His father tried to discourage his musical interests, preferring that he enter the legal profession. His mother bought him a harpsichord, which they kept up in the attic, secret from his father. It was the organ, harpsichord and violin that captured his heart.

By the time he was twelve, Handel wrote his first musical work. Once, accompanying his father to the court of Duke Johann Adolf, George wandered into the chapel, found the organ, and started improvising. The startled Duke exclaimed, “Who is this remarkable child?”

After his father’s death, Handel tried to study law, but he had no interest. So, he studied music at the University of Halle.

By his twenties, he was the talk of England and the best-paid composer on earth. He opened the Royal Academy of Music. Londoners fought for seats at his every performance, and his fame soared around the world.

But the glory passed. Audiences dwindled. His music became outdated, and he was thought of as an old fogey. Newer artists eclipsed the aging composer. One project after another failed, and Handel, now bankrupt, grew depressed. The stress brought on a case of palsy that crippled some of his fingers. “Handel’s great days are over,” wrote Frederick the Great. “His inspiration is exhausted.”

Handel seemed all washed up—with his best days behind him. But writing “Messiah” proved to be the positive turning point in his life. He was 56 years old.

One morning Handel received by post a manuscript from his friend, Charles Jennens. It was a word-for-word collection of various biblical texts about Christ. The opening words from Isaiah 40 moved Handel: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people . . .”

On August 22, 1741, he shut the door of his London home and started composing music for the words. Twenty-three days later, the world had “Messiah.” “Whether I was in the body or out of the body when I wrote it, I know not,” Handel later said, trying to describe the experience.

Handel composed “Messiah” without getting much sleep or even eating much food. When his assistants brought him his meals, they were often left uneaten. His servants would often find him in tears as he composed. When he completed the “Hallelujah Chorus” he reportedly told his servant, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with His company of angels.”

“Messiah” opened in London to enormous crowds on March 23, 1743. King George II, who was present that night, surprised everyone by leaping to his feet during the “Hallelujah Chorus.”

From that day on audiences have stood in reverence during the stirring words: “Hallelujah! For He shall reign forever and ever.”

Handel’s fame was rekindled and even after he lost his eyesight, he continued playing the organ for performances of his oratorios until his death in London, April 14, 1759.

In his lifetime, Handel eloquently composed 42 operas; 29 oratorios; 16 organ concerts; over 120 cantatas, trios, and duets; and numerous musical pieces. Of his over 200 masterpieces, the most famous piece is the “Messiah”

Section One

“Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Revelation 19:6

"Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns’.”

Studylight.org, Barclay’s Daily Study Bible: “Hallelujah” literally means “Praise God.” Although “Hallelujah” appears only here in the Bible, it occurs in a translated form frequently, beginning in Psalm 106, carrying through to Psalm 118 . . . God is praised because salvation, glory, and power belong to Him. Each of these three great attributes of God should awaken its own response in the heart of man. The salvation of God should awaken the gratitude of man; the glory of God should awaken the reverence of man; the power of God is always exercised in the love of God and should, therefore, awaken the trust of man. Gratitude, reverence, trust—these are the essential elements of real praise.

Section 2

“The kingdom of this world,

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ, and of His Christ,

And He shall reign forever and ever,

For ever and ever, forever and ever.”

Revelation 22:5

“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.”

Bibleref.com: God's servants will reign forever and ever . . . When God creates a new heaven and a new earth, He gives redeemed mankind the privilege of ruling with Christ over His creation. Paul told the young pastor, Timothy: "If we endure, we will also reign with Him" (2 Timothy 2:12).

Enduringword.com, David Guzik: There shall be no more night there: Heaven will be a place where the darkness of this age will be forever gone. The light is not artificial, even from the sun – God Himself is the light . . . They shall reign forever and ever: Heaven will be a place where God’s people enjoy an eternal reign, in contrast to the limited duration of the Millennium. It will never end.

Section 3

“King of kings, and Lord of lords,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

And Lord of lords,

And He shall reign,

And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings, forever and ever,

And Lord of lords,

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Revelation 17:14

“They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Studylight.org, Barne’s Notes on the Whole Bible: He has supreme power over all the earth, and all kings and princes are subject to his control. 

Studylight.org, Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible: God and Creator, to whom the kingdom of nature and providence belongs; and by office, as Mediator, being made higher than the kings of the earth; hence He is more than a match for them, they cannot stand before Him.

Studylight.org, Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible: He has, both by nature and by office, supreme dominion and power over all things; all the powers of earth and hell are subject to His check and control.

Section 4

"And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings! And Lord of lords!

And He shall reign forever and ever,

King of kings! And Lord of lords!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!"

The word “Hallelujah” is defined as “a song or shout of praise to God.” In Handel’s great chorus, the words are joyous, victorious, accompanied by trumpets and drums. However, “Hallelujah” can reflect a quieter devotion meant to usher you into the experience of praising who God is and what God’s done. “Hallelujah” first appears in the Book of Psalms.

“Hallelujah” sounds so much more beautiful than simply just “Praise the Lord.” “Hallelujah” is almost music already, even without a musical setting.” Markus Rathey, Professor, Germany

The word “Hallelujah” can bring tears. Psalms merge elements of poem, song and glorification.” Dr. Dikkon Eberhart, Crosswalk.com

“Psalm 112 is titled “Hallelujah.” It speaks of the happiness of the saints, because it redounds [contributes greatly to a person's credit or honor] to the glory of God, and whatever we have the pleasure of He must have the praise of.” Matthew Henry, Blueletterbible.org

We stand for the singing of the “Hallelujah Chorus,” and it always brings tears to my eyes. Especially when you know the group that is singing these beautiful words believes in and worships God.

This chorus is a gift from our loving God. It may be the most worshipful music ever created. For the few minutes we stand and listen, it’s as if we are brought into the very presence of God. It will last through the end of time.

Ron Johnston, on Smallchurchconnections.com, tells the following story: “There is a story told about Queen Victoria during her coronation week when she was still a young woman. The new Queen was attending a performance of “Messiah” when it was announced that, as was traditional, everyone, with the exception of the Queen, would stand at the beginning of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” As was commanded, when the chorus began, everyone rose with their heads bowed out of respect.

"As the choir sang those famous words, the Queen was deeply moved. Her lips trembled, tears came to her eyes and her body shook. Finally, as the chorus reached its pinnacle with the words “King of kings and Lord of lords” the queen couldn’t remain seated any longer. She rose to her feet and stood with her head bowed for the remainder of the Chorus. One person’s comment was that she never did anything more noble, or more royal, through her reign as queen." 

 

I am indebted to the following resources:

Providenceforum.org, Jerry Mewcombe, Executive Director Providence Forum

Robert J Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, Special Edition

Playpiano.com, Duane

latimes.com, By Deborah Netburns, Staff writer

Thetabernaclechoir.org

Theglobeandmail

By His Grace . . .