“When This Passing World Is Done”

"WHEN THIS PASSING WORLD IS DONE"
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (Jas. 5:8)

     INTRO.: A hymn which reminds us that the coming of the Lord is drawing ever nearer at which time we shall stand before Him in judgment is "When This Passing World Is Done." The text was written by Robert Murray McCheyne, who was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, on May 21, 1813, the son of Adam McCheyne, and educated at Edinburgh University. Becoming a Presbyterian minister in 1835, he served for a year as an assistant at Larbert near Stirling, and then began work in 1836 with the St. Peter’s Established Church in Dundee. It is said that he was regarded as one of the most spiritually minded ministers in the Church of Scotland. This particular hymn was first printed as a poem entitled "I Am Debtor" with nine stanzas of six lines each in the Scottish Christian Herald, May 20, 1837. In 1839 he made a trip to Palestine with the Mission of Enquiry to the Jews from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. After returning from Palestine, he died at Dundee, just a couple of months shy of his thirtieth birthday, on Mar. 25, 1843, of unknown causes which baffled all of his physicians.

     Following McCheyne’s death, his hymns, some of which had been written in Palestine, appeared Songs of Zion to Cheer and Guide Pilgrims on Their Way to the New Jerusalem by the late Rev. R. M. McCheyne, Dundee compiled posthumously in 1843, and his Memoir and Remains were published in 1844 by Andrew A. Bonar. Both of these also included "When This Passing World Is Done." A couple of tunes have been used with the song.  Most denominational books have one (Mt. Zion) composed by Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-1900). However, all of our books set it to a tune (Spanish Hymn or Madrid) which is traditional Spanish melody arranged by Benjamin Carr (1769-1831). In 1825 Carr secured a copyright for variations which he had composed for a popular air of the time. He published it in 1826 under the title "Spanish Hymn Arranged and Composed for the Concerts of the Musical Fund of Philadelphia by Benjamin Carr, the Air from an Ancient Spanish Melody." The flyleaf indicates that the music was first performed in 1824. It was first used as a hymn tune in M. Burgoyne’s 1827 Collection of Metrical Versions.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the 1922 edition of the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1–three stanzas with words only; a fourth stanza and the tune were added in the 1925 edition) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson. The same tune was used with George W. Conder’s hymn "All Things Praise Thee" in the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Today "When This Passing World Is Done" may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church, the 1990 Songs of the Church 21st C. Ed., and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise all edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat, the 2007 Sumphonia Hymn Supplement edited by Steve Wolfgang, and the 2009 Favorite Songs of the Church edited by Robert J. Taylor Jr.

     The song mentions several things related to the coming of the Lord and how that should affect us here.

I. Stanza 1 refers to the end of the world
"When this passing world is done, When has sunk yon glaring sun,
When I stand with Christ on high, Looking o’er life’s history–
(The original read: "When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story," but was changed to fit the music)
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe."
 A. Someday this passing world will be done: 2 Pet. 3:10
 B. Then, we shall stand with Christ on high: Phil. 1:23
 C. And at that time, we shall fully realize how much we are truly debtors to Him: Rom. 8:12

II. Stanza 2 refers to our walk here in this life
"Oft I walk beneath the cloud, Dark as midnight’s gloomy shroud;
But when fear is at the height, Jesus comes, and all is light–
Blessed Jesus! bid me show Doubting saints how much I owe."
 A. Walking beneath the cloud of midnight’s gloomy shroud represents the troubles of this life: Job 14:1
 B. Such troubles often bring fear: Jn. 20:19
 C. However, Jesus is the light who drives away our fear: Jn. 8:12

III. Stanza 3 refers to standing before the throne
"When I stand before the throne, Dressed in beauty not my own,
When I see Thee as Thou art, Love Thee with unsinning heart–
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe."
 A. At judgment we shall stand before the throne: Matt. 25:31-32
 B. The righteous will be dressed in beauty not their own but in robes made white by the blood of the Lamb: Rev. 7:14
 C. Then we shall see the Lord as He truly is: 1 Jn. 3:1-2

IV. Stanza 4 refers to the praise of heaven
"When the praise of heaven I hear, Loud as thunders to the ear,
Loud as many waters’ noise, Sweet as harp’s melodious voice–
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe."
 A. The praise of heaven is described as being like the voice of loud thunder: Rev. 14:1-2
 B. It is also described as being like the sound of many waters: Rev. 19:6
 C. And it is described as being like the sweet melody of the harp: Rev. 15:1-2

V. Stanza 5 refers to being chosen by the Savior
"Chosen not for good in me, Wakened up from wrath to flee,
(The original read, "Waked from coming wrath to flee.")
Hidden in the Savior’s side, By the Spirit sanctified–
Teach me, Lord, on earth to show, By my love, how much I owe."
 A. God chose us not for any good in and of ourselves but because of His love according to the good pleasure of His will: Eph. 1:4-5
 B. Those who respond to God’s choice are hidden in the Savior’s side: Col. 3:1-3
 C. Also they are sanctified by the Spirit: 1 Cor. 6:9-11

VI. Stanza 6 refers to the need to understand how much we owe here on earth
"E’en on earth, as through a glass, Darkly let Thy glory pass;
Make forgiveness feel so sweet, Make Thy Spirit’s help so meet–
E’en on earth, Lord, make me know Something of how much I owe."
 A. Here on earth, it is as though the Lord’s glory passes only darkly as through a glass: 1 Cor. 13:12
 B. However, even here we can feel that forgiveness is so sweet: Col. 1:13-14
 C. And even here we can find the Spirit’s help so meet: Rom. 8:18-27

     CONCL.: Here are the stanzas not included:
2. "When I hear the wicked call, On the rocks and hills to fall,
When I see them start and shrink On the fiery deluge brink–
Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then, how much I owe."
8. "Oft the nights of sorrow reign: Weeping, sickness, sighing, pain;
But a night Thine anger burns, Morning comes and joy returns–
God of comforts! bid me show To Thy poor how much I owe."
9. "When in flowery paths I tread, Oft by sin I’m captive led;
Oft I fall, but still arise: Jesus comes, the tempter flies–
Blessed Spirit! bid me show Weary sinners all I owe."
I have seen stanzas #s 8 and 9 in reverse order, and the stanza beginning "Oft I walk beneath the cloud" is actually #7, but the Sumphonia Hymn Supplement places it after #1 and before #3 as indicated above, so I have followed that order. I was born and raised in Ohio and in fact spent a goodly number of my located preaching years in the state. Among brethren there, this song is often known as the "Ohio State University" hymn because the same tune is used for the OSU Alma Mater song. However, I was singing it as a hymn long before I knew that, having paid very little attention to college sports. As a hymn, it reminds us of the need to be prepared for that day "When This Passing World Is Done."