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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
