“Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!”

"GLORY! GLORY! HALLELUJAH!"
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His holy angels" (Matt. 16:27)

     INTRO.: A hymn which can be used to remind us that the Son of man will come in the glory of His Father with His holy angels is "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!" (#571 in Hymns for Worship, original edition only). The text was written by Julia Ward Howe, who was born on May 28, 1819, in New York City, NY. In 1848 she married Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, who in his younger days had fought in the Greek War of Independence and wrote a book about his experiences entitled Historical Sketches of the Greek Revolution. Director of the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, MA, Mr. Howe was greatly interested in humanitarian causes, and his wife followed his lead in support of such causes, including abolition. Also, she was active as a writer, and published three volumes of poetry, Passion Flowers in 1854, Words of the Hour in 1856, and Later Lyrics in 1866.

     In December of 1861, eighteen months after the American Civil War had begun, Mrs. Howe, her husband, and their minister, James Freeman Clarke, all of Boston, were visiting Washington, DC, with Gov. Andrews of Massachusetts and his wife. They were invited to watch a military review at a Union Army camp on the Potomac River some distance from the city where the federal troops were singing, "John Brown’s body lies a mouldering in the grave." The visitors noted the stirring character of the music, and Clarke suggested that Mrs. Howe could pen better lyrics for the melody. During that night, the words came to her and the poem was completed before daybreak, and she showed it to Clarke the next day. When she returned to Boston, Mrs.Howe also showed it to James T. FIelds, editor of the Atlantic Monthly, who published it in the Feb., 1862, edition under the title "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The tune (Battle Hymn or John Brown’s Body) is of obscure origin.  Often it is attributed to John William Steffe (d. 1911). He claimed to have composed it in 1855 or 1856 with the words, "Say, bummers, will you meet us," for the Goodwill Fire Company of Philadelphia, PA, whose members were known as "Bummers." However, most experts regard it as a nineteenth century American folk melody dating at least 1851 or 1852, when it was used as a campmeeting song, "Say, brothers, won’t you meet us in Canaan’s happy land," and maybe as early as 1820.

     Apparently, Steffe simply adapted the music to the words that he penned for the firemen. According to Louis Elson in National Music of America, it was known in the South long before the Civil War. perhaps originating in South Carolina. The tune was first printed with Howe’s text in the 1862 Aeolian Harp Collection edited by John Dadman. It attracted little attention until Chaplain C. C. McCabe, who later became a Methodist bishop, heard it and taught it to the 122nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. From there it spread to other troops and quickly came into use throughout the North as an expression of the patriotic emotion of the period. In later life, Mrs. Howe, a member of the Unitarian Church, became an influential public speaker and was a pioneer in women’s suffrage, social work, and pacifism. In 1870 she proposed that all the women of the world could organize to end war for all time. She died on Oct. 17, 1910, at Newport, RI.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song was not used in very many of the historic ones. The index to the 1927 revised edition of the 1921 Cross and Resurrection in Song edited by S. H. and Flavil Hall lists it at #271. However, it is not at #271; nor is anywhere in the 270s, at #261, or at #281. It might be at #217, but my copy has #s 217-221 torn out. Today it 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 as altered by the editor; the 1973 Great Inspirational Songs edited by Albert E. Brumley; the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; and Ellis J. Crum’s 1997 edition of the 1961 Best Loved Songs and Hymns edited by Ruth Winsett Shelton; as well as the original edition of Hymns for Worship, and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat (the latter using Alton Howard’s alteration). The 1977 Special Sacred Selections also edited by E. J. Crum has the same tune with a hymn, "His Church Is Marching On," by James E. Gibbons.

     Some have objected to this hymn because of its origin as a Northern battle song during the Civil War, but the words can be separated from that and sung in view of Christ’s second coming and final judgment. In fact, we once visited a congregation which used the original edition of Hymns for Worship, and this song was led in the Sunday morning service. While singing, I was reminded that while we usually associate the hymn with our nation’s history and recognize Mrs. Howe’s belief that God was judging the South for its slavery, the language is drawn directly from the scriptures so that it can be sung with regard to God’s judgment in general without reference to any specific historical event.

I. The first stanza pictures the Lord’s coming
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on."
 A. It was promised that Jesus would come again: Acts 1:11
 B. When He comes, He will judge the world, symbolized by the trampling out of the winepress of His wrath, just as He has done to various nations in history: Isa. 63:1-5, Rev. 14:17-20 & 19:15
 C. And He will loose the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, which is the word of God by which we shall be judged: Jn. 12:48, Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12-13

II. The second stanza pictures the Lord’s people
"I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps.
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on."
 A. Like an army, they are in a hundred circling camps, even as God’s people in the wilderness were encamped around the tabernacle: Exo. 14:19
 B. The building of an alter symbolizes submission to God’s will: Gen. 8:20 & 12:7, Exo. 20:24
 C. Thus, these Old Testament scenes help us to visualize the need for preparing to attack the forces of evil by keeping God and His will before our eyes. His righteous sentence for us is that "we are more than conquerors through Him who
loved us": Rom. 8:37

III. The third stanza pictures the Lord’s anger
"I have read the fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
‘As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal.’
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on."
 A. The fiery gospel is written in burnished rows of steel; it is like a burning fire in our hearts and strong like unbending steel in destroying the hosts of wickedness: Jer. 20:9, Joes 3:10
 B. God’s contemners are to be dealt with by preaching the gospel to them, and the idea that so His grace with us shall deal suggests that He will be with us as we march and face His enemies: Matt. 28:18-20
 C. The Hero born of woman is Jesus Christ, who came to crush the head of the serpent and punish all who do the will of Satan: Gen. 3:15

IV. The fourth stanza pictures the Lord’s judgment
"He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat.
O, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on."
 A. Just as God had the Israelites use trumpets, the trupmet today is the gospel message that began blowing on the day of Pentecost and ever since then has never sounded retreat: Josh. 6:20, 1 Cor. 14:8
 B. The gospel is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat, leading up to that time of final reckoning: Matt. 3:12, 13:36-43
 C. Thus, our souls and our feet should be swift and jubilant to spread that message far and wide to help men prepare: Rom. 10:14-17

V. The fifth stanza pictures the Lord’s purpose
"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on."
 A. Christ spoke of the lilies of the field because they were a part of His surroundings, and He was born across the sea: Matt. 6:28, Lk. 2:1-7, Gal. 4:4
 B. The aim of this was so that He could reveal unto us the glory of God by which we can be transfigured to be like Him: Jn. 1:14, 2 Cor. 3:18
 C. And as He died to make men holy, we should be willing even to losing our own lives in death that the message of liberty might be proclaimed: Matt. 16:25, Rom. 5:8, 2 Tim. 2:11 (many modern books change the third line to read "Let us live to make men free," and one of our editors even altered it to read, "Let us teach to make men free.")

VI. The sixth stanza pictures the Lord’s blessing
"He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave.
He is wisdom to the mighty; He is honor to the brave.
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave.
Our God is marching on."
 A. Some sources say that the author withdrew the sixth stanza from publication, while others regard it as an anonymous stanza later added by someone else to the other five. When the Lord comes, He will bring His people to the glory of God: Rev. 21:11, 23
 B. He shall be wisdom to the mighty as He even now is: 1 Cor. 1:26-30
 C. The Lord so blesses the earth because it is His footstool: Isa. 66:1

     CONCL.: The chorus expresses glory to God and repeats the last line of each stanza:
"Glory! glory! hallelujah! Glory! glory! hallelujah!
Glory! glory! hallelujah! His truth is marching on."
In June, 1999, an article entitled "The Battle Hymn of the Republic: Christian Hymn or Martial Music?" by Dr. Roger Crane, whose religious affiliation or beliefs I do not know, was placed on Gary’s List. I have seen the same article posted in other places too. Dr. Crane said, "As people sing this particular piece, one must wonder whether they have understood the message? Do they realize what it is they are singing? This is not a religious song; if it were, things being as they are, it couldn’t be used in the public schools [this isn’t always exactly true, WSW]. While relying heavily on Biblical symbolism, it is clearly meant as a call for war." Could it not be a call for war against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places? Crane then went on to point out that Mrs. Howe was a Unitarian and, as such, did not believe that the Bible was inspired, that Christ was the Son of God, nor in a judgment to come. Then he gave his own, rather negative, interpretation of what she was trying to say in the song, even with a claim that it promoted the death of human beings as an atonement for sin.
     Yet, not all of Dr. Crane’s conclusions are necessarily correct simply because Mrs. Howe was a Unitarian. Kenneth W. Osbeck in 101 Hymn Stories (pp. 35-36) does admit that while Julia Ward was raised in a conservative Episcoplian home, with a father who was an ardent Calvinist in his beliefs, she rebelled against such doctrines and, especially after her marriage to Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, became increasingly liberal in her religious views. Yet, he also says, "Even as a liberal thinker, however, she always maintained her belief in the presence of a personal God and His over-ruling power and truth in controlling the affairs of mankind."
     Crane then concluded, "It’s unimaginable that this particular sing has gained such wide usage within churches, especially when sung in Southern. A church might want to have some type of patriotic theme on particular holidays, but it would seem that something might be preferred more in tune with traditional Christian beliefs….It would seem that they might wish to choose music that is not offensive to those with either Northern or Southern ancestry.  More importantly, they might wish to choose something not offensive to Christians." Given the large number of "Christian" hymnbooks which have included the song through the years, it would appear that not everyone, and in fact not even a majority, among those who identify themselves as "Christians" share Crane’s objections.
     On that same day on Gary’s list, my friend Terry Benton, a gospel preacher, responded, saying, "Often a thing of scorn and shame (the cross, a thing of shameful death) can take on an entirely different meaning when thought of in a different light. No matter what the Jews and Romans meant by the cross, Christians came to glory in it and think of it in a different light. Let us see if the song, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ can be sung by Christians today." He then went on to give "another view" of the meaning of the song. Benton’s conclusion was, "A song so true, so full of meaning, and so full of victory reminders and so full of encouragement to march on with God, can be sung today in churches that really want to march on to certain victory with God.  Southern churches need not surrender such a song just because it originally had North against South overtones, because we are in a much greater battle than the physical war between the states. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty weapons and they assure us victory in a more significant battle….To us, it has nothing to do with physical, carnal war. It describes in a wonderful way the victory we have in Jesus. It is interesting that the song has changed hands. Who has more reason to sing this song that the church of the living God?" As we think about the battle between good and evil and the ultimate victory of God’s people at the second coming of Christ and the final judgment, we can say, "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!"

“Give to Our God Immortal Praise”

"GIVE TO OUR GOD IMMORTAL PRAISE"
"…For His mercy endureth forever" (Ps. 136:1)

     INTRO.: A hymn which encourages us to praise God because of His mercy which endures forever is "Give to Our God Immortal Praise" (#547 in Hymns for Worship Revised). The text, based on Psalm 136, was written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). It is thought to be the best of his three paraphrases of the Psalm published in his 1719 work The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. Many tunes have been used with it, notably one (Warrington) by Ralph Harrison that in our books is most commonly associated with Henry F. Lyte’s "Sweet Is the Solemn Voice That Calls." Another one (Abends) that fits well with it was composed by Herbert Sidney Oakeley, who was born on July 22, 1830, at Ealing in Middlesex, near London, England, the son of a Anglican minister named Herbert Oakeley.

     After being educated at Rugby and at Christ Church, Oxford University, Oakeley studied music in Lepizig, Dresden, and Bonn, Germany.  From 1865 to 1891 he taught at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, occupying the Reid Chair of Music, receiving a doctorate of music in 1871 at Canterbury and being knighted in 1876 for having composed the music used at the inauguration of the Scottish monument to the Prince Consort Albert. Also, he became Composer of Music to Queen Victoria in Scotland in 1881. This tune was produced because Oakeley did not like the music commonly used with John Keble’s "Sun of My Soul." It was published with Keble’s poem in the Irish Church Hymnal in 1874, but was later altered by Oakeley and republished, again with Keble’s text, in The Church Hymnary of 1898,

     An organist as well as a teacher, Oakeley was also a composer, one of whose better known works is the Suite in the Olden Style, op. 27, of 1893. He died on Oct. 26, 1903, at Eastbourne, England. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, Oakeley’s tune appears with Henry Twells’s "At Even, When the Sun Was Set," which most of our other books set to another tune (Eden) composed by Timothy B. Mason, in the 1986 Great Songs
Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann. Watts’s text appears with a tune (Duke Street) by John Hatton, which most of our other books use with the John Needham’s "Awake, My Tongue, Thy Tribute Bring," in the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise edited by Alton H. Howard. For Watt’s hymn, Hymns for Worship Revised uses the tune (Hursley), attributed to Peter Ritter, which is most commonly found with "Sun of My Soul." The original edition of Hymns for Worship had the words only with the suggestion to use the Ritter tune.

      The song expresses praise to God because of His greatness and what He has done.

I. Stanza 1 praises God because of His mercy and truth
"Give to our God immortal praise; Mercy and truth are all His ways.
Wonders of grace to God belong; Repeat His mercies in your song."
 A. The word "immortal" means deathless, and while each of us must die, if we serve Him our praise to God can continue even after death: 1 Cor. 15:53
 B. One reason that we praise Him is because of His mercy and truth: Ps. 89:14
 C. We also praise Him because of His wonders: Ps. 77:14

II. Stanza 2 praises God because He is greater than all lords and kings
"Give to the Lord of lords renown; The King of kings with glory crown.
His mercies ever shall endure, When lords and kings are known no more."
 A. Our God is the Lord of lords the most high above all the earth: Ps. 97:9
 B. He is also the King of kings over all the nations: Ps. 47:7-8
 C. His mercies shall endure even when the lords and kings of this earth are no more: 2 Pet. 3:10

III. Stanza 3 praises God because He built the earth and sky
"He built the earth, He spread the sky, And fixed the starry lights on high.
Wonders of grace to God belong; Repeat His mercies in your song."
 A. God is worthy to be praised because He created the heavens and earth: Gen. 1:1
 B. In His creation, He fixed the starry lights on high: Gen. 1:16
 C. This same God has shown His grace to mankind: Ps. 84:11

IV. Stanza 4 praises God because He created the sun and moon
"He fills the sun with morning light; He bids the moon direct the night.
His mercies ever shall endure, When suns and moons shall shine no more."
 A. Also in creation, He made the sun to give light to the day: Ps. 19:1-6
 B. In addition, He made the moon to direct the night: Ps. 8:3-4
 C. Yet His mercies shall endure even when suns and moons are gone: Heb. 1:10-12

V. Stanza 5 praises God because He sent His Son to save us
"He sent His Son with power to save From guilt, and darkness, and the grave.
Wonders of grace to God belong; Repent His mercies in your song."
 A. This mighty God loved us so much that He sent His Son: Jn. 3:16
 B. His purpose in sending His Son is to save us from guilt, darkness, and the grave: Matt. 1:21
 C. Therefore, we should repeat His mercies in song continually: Ps. 69:30

VI. Stanza 6 praises God because He guides us to heaven
"Through this vain world He guides our feet, And leads us to His heavenly seat;
His mercies ever shall endure, When this vain world shall be no more."
 A. Because of His love, He also seeks to guide our feet through this vain world: Ps. 73:24
 B. His goal in this is to lead us to His heavenly seat where we shall obtain eternal life: Matt. 7:13-14
 C. Even then His mercies ever shall endure when this vain world is no more: Matt. 24:35

     CONCL.: The poem was originally in eight stanzas. The two omitted stanzas are as follows:
5. "The Jews He freed from Pharaoh’s hand, And brought them to the promised land.
Wonders of grace to God belong; Repeat His mercies in your song."
6. "He saw the Gentiles dead in sin, And felt His pity work within.
His mercies ever shall endure, When death and sin shall reign no more."
As we consider all that God has done for mankind physically and spiritually and what He will do for His people eternally, there is every reason in the world for us to "Give to Our God Immortal Praise."

“Give Me Thy Heart”

"GIVE ME THY HEART"
"…Give Me thine heart…" (Prov. 23:26)

     INTRO.: A song which exhorts us to give our hearts to the Lord is "Give Me Thy Heart" (#270 in Hymns for Worship Revised, and #579 in Sacred Selections for the Church). The text was written by Eliza Edmunds Stites Hewitt (1851-1920). Other hymns by her include "A Blessing in Prayer," "For Christ and the Church," "More About Jesus," "Stepping in the Light," "There Is Sunshine in My Soul," "When We All Get to Heaven," "Who Will Follow Jesus?", and "Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?"  The tune (Zeruiah or Bourne) for "Give Me Thy Heart" was composed, under the penname of Anna (Annie) F. Bourne by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921). The song was copyrighted in 1898 by Kirkpatrick and first published in the 1900 Pentecostal Praises by Hall-Mack of Philadelphia, PA. Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, it appeared in the 1917 Selected Revival Hymns published by F. L. Rowe; and the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by Tillit S. Teddlie.  Today it 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; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship and Sacred Selections.

     This is one of the few gospel songs following a "trinitarian" formula, and it tells us what each person in the Godhead might say to encourage us to come for salvation. I.

Stanza 1 expresses the call from the Father
"’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Father above:
No gift so precious to Him as our love.
Softly He whispers wherever thou art,
‘Gratefully trust me, and give Me thy heart.’"
 A. The Father is Jehovah God who dwells in heaven: Matt. 6:9
 B. No gift is so precious to Him as our love, so He wants us to love Him with all our heart: Matt. 22:37
 C. When we do that, it shows that we gratefully trust Him: Ps. 37:3-5

II. Stanza 2 expresses the call from the Savior
"’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Savior of men,
Calling in mercy again and again;
‘Turn now from sin, and from evil depart.
Have I not died for thee? Give Me thy heart.’"
 A. The Savior of men is Jesus Christ, who came to save His people from their sin: Matt. 1:21
 B. He calls us that we might receive the mercy of God for our salvation: Tit. 3:5
 C. To make this possible, He died for us: Rom. 5:8

III. Stanza 3 expresses the call from the Spirit
"’Give Me thy heart,’ says the Spirit divine;
‘All that thou hast, to my keeping resign.
Grace more abounding is mine to impart;
Make full surrender and give Me thy heart.’"
 A. The Spirit divine is the Comforter who came to make known all truth through the apostles: Jn. 16:7-13
 B. He wants us to resign all that we have to His keeping, not laying up treasures on earth but in heaven, knowing that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also: Matt. 6:19-21
 C. We make this full surrender to Him by obeying the word which is His sword to accomplish His work: Eph. 6:17

     CONCL.: The chorus repeats the basic thought of each stanza, that the Lord wants us to dedicate our lives unto Him
and be separate from this world.
"’Give Me thy heart, Give me thy heart;’
Hear the soft whisper, wherever thou art.
From this dark world, He would draw thee apart,
Speaking so tenderly, ‘Give Me thy heart.’"
This song is useful to help faithful Christians understand their need to love the Lord with all their heart, but it is often used as an invitation hymn to remind all people that if they are lost in sin or have wandered away from the Lord, our gracious God continues to call them as long as they have life and breath, saying, "Give Me Thy Heart."

“From All That Dwell Below the Skies”

"FROM ALL THAT DWELL BELOW THE SKIES"
"O praise the Lord, all ye nations…" (Ps. 117:1)

     INTRO.: A hymn that exhorts all nations to give praise to the Lord is "From All That Dwell Below the Skies." The text of stanzas 1 and 2 was written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). It is the second of three paraphrases of Psalm 117 in Watts’s Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament published in 1719. Since it has only two stanzas, its brevity has caused many editors to find additional stanzas.  The text of stanzas 3 and 4 is taken from A Pocket Hymn-Book, Designed as a Constant Companion for the Pious, Collected from Various Authors, c. 1780-1781, published by Robert Spence, a Methodist class leader and bookseller in York, England. The stanzas were included without attribution in Spence’s work and today are generally identified as anonymous. Sometimes John Wesley is given as the author of stanza 3 or stanza 4 or both, and sometimes Spence is credited with stanza 3. Stanza 5, a doxology, was added by WIlliam Walsham How (1823-1897).

     Many tunes have been used with this hymn, notably one (Duke Street) by John Hatton which in our books is used with "Awake, My Tongue, My Tribute Bring," and another (Old Hundredth) attributed to Louis Bourgeois from the Genevan Psalter usually associated with "All People That on Earth Do Dwell." Some books have still another one (Deus Tuorum Militum), a French church melody used with the Latin office hymn for martyrs taken from the Grenoble Antophoner of 1753 (some sources say 1868). Mary Stulken wrote, "During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, concurrent with the ‘modernization’ of the Breviaries, there arose in France a new kind of church tune. Although generally not clearly cast in a regular rhythmic meter, these tunes were more measured than the older plain-chant and were also in modern major and minor modes. Some of the tunes were adapted from older plainsong melodies, others from secular tunes; but the origins of most of the melodies have not yet been discovered. These French melodies made their way to England…."

     This one was  adapted as a hymn tune in 1906 for The English Hymnal by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). The modern harmonization was made in 1908 for The Oxford Hymnbook by Basil Harwood (1859-1949).  Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the text of "From All That Dwell Below the Skies" appeared in the 1963 Christian Hymnal with a new tune (Southside) composed by the editor, J. Nelson Slater. Today it may be found in the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann with an anonymous tune (Lasst Uns Erfreuen) from the 1623 Geistliche Kirchengesang of Cologne, Germany, most often used with "All Creatures of Our God and King."

     The song encourages us to give praise to the Creator and to our Redeemer throughout the earth.

I. Stanza 1 tells everyone to praise the Lord
"From all that dwell below the skies Let the Creator’s praise arise;
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung Through every land, by every tongue."
 A. The command is addressed to "all that dwell below the skies" or everyone on earth: Ps. 100:1
 B. We should let the Creator’s praise arise, and it is God who created the heavens and the earth: Gen. 1:1
 C. We should also let the Redeemer’s name be sung, and it is in Christ that we have redemption: Eph. 1:7

II. Stanza 2 says that the Lord’s mercies are eternal
"Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord; Eternal truth attends Thy word.
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, Till suns shall rise and set no more."
 A. We should praise God for His eternal mercies: Ps. 119:41
 B. We should also praise God for His eternal truth: Ps. 119:142
 C. This praise should last till sun and moon are no more: Ps. 72:5

III. Stanza 3 praises the Lord for His salvation
"Your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring; In songs of praise divinely sing.
The great salvation loud proclaim, And shout for joy the Savior’s name."
 A. Our hearts should overflow with a goodly theme: Ps. 45:1
 B. That theme should be the great salvation: Heb. 2:3
 C. The Savior, of course, is Jesus Christ the Lord: 1 Jn. 4:14

IV. Stanza 4 reminds us that one way to praise the Lord is in cheerful sounds
"In every land begin the song; To every land the strains belong.
In cheerful sounds all voices raise, And fill the world with loudest praise."
 A. God wants people to sing songs to Him: Ps. 28:7
 B. Such songs should be voiced in cheerful sounds: Ps. 95:1-2
 C. The purpose of these songs is to fill the world with loudest praise for God: Ps. 9:14

V. Stanza 5 expresses praise the the Father, Son, and Spirit
"All praise to God the Father be; All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore, Forever and forever more."
 A. We should praise God the Father: Matt. 6:9
 B. We should praise the Son: Jn. 5:23
 C. And we should praise the Spirit: 2 Cor. 13:14

     CONCL.: At one time, nearly all English speaking churches sang only the Psalms, first using the Anglo-Genevan Psalters brought back from Geneva, then the "Old Version" Psalter of Sternhold and Hopkins, and finally the "New Version" of Tate and Brady. For many years after the established Anglican churches stopped using them, the Puritans, Non-conformists, Independents, or Congregationalists among whom Watts worked continued to use them, and his paraphrases were wildly popular in their day. However, Watts also introduced "hymns of human composure," but even after the Independent English churches gave up the Psalms, the Scottish churches continued to use them. And many of them are still preserved for our use today. In fact, a lot of "hymns" by Isaac Watts that are in our books are actually taken from his Psalm paraphrases. While there is nothing wrong with singing "hymns of human composure," it is still good to go back to the Psalms from time to time, recapture their devotional spirit, and make sure that God is given praise "From All That Dwell Below the Skies."

“For Christ and the Church”

"FOR CHRIST AND THE CHURCH"
"Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25)

     INTRO.: A song which reminds us how Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it is "For Christ and the Church" (#550 in Hymns for Worship Revised). The text was written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (1851-1920). She produced many well known gospel songs, such as "More About Jesus," "Sunshine in My Soul," and "When We All Get to Heaven."  The tune was composed by WIlliam James Kirkpatrick (1883-1921). The song was first published in 1890 but I have not been able to locate any information as to the origin of publication.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, it appeared in the 1948 Christian Hymns No. 2 and the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 both edited by L. O. Sanderson; the 1959 Majestic Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons; the 1952 Hymns of Praise and Devotion edited by Will W. Slater; the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch; and the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by
Tillit S. Teddlie. Today it may be found in the 1971 Songs of the Church edited by Alton H. Howard; the 1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns (not the original 1978 edition) edited by V. E. Howard; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns for Worship and the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat.

     The song mentions some things that each Christian should do for the Lord and for His body.

I. Stanza 1 tells us to let our voices ring
"’For Christ and the church’ let our voices ring;
Let us honor the name of our own blessed King.
Let us work with a will in the strength of youth,
And loyally stand for the kingdom of truth."
 A. The reason that we need to let our voices ring is to honor the name of our King: Jn. 5:23
 B. However, we honor Him not only by our voices but also by working for His cause: Jn. 9:4
 C. Thus, honoring Christ also means standing loyally for His kingdom, which is His church: Matt. 16:18-19

II. Stanza 2 tells us to make our earnest prayer
"’For Christ and the church" be our earnest prayer;
Let us follow His banner, the cross daily bear.
Let us yield, wholly yield, to the gospel’s power,
And serve faithfully every day, every hour."
 A. We should pray for God’s help to bear the cross: Matt. 16:24
 B. We should pray for God’s help to yield wholly to the gospel’s power as servants of obedience unto righteousness: Rom. 6:16-18
 C. We should pray for God’s help to serve Him faithfully every day and hour: Rev. 2:10

III. Stanza 3 tells us to make willing offerings
"’For Christ and the church’ willing offerings make,
Time and talents and gold for the dear Master’s sake;
We will render the best we can bring to Him,
The heart’s wealth of love that will never grow dim."
 A. These offerings include time, talents, and, yes, even gold: 1 Cor. 16:1-2
 B. The amount is not really important; the important thing is that we give God the best that we can bring by first giving ourselves: 2 Cor. 8:5, 9:6-7
 C. The motivation behind such giving is that we love Him with all our hearts: Matt. 22:37

IV. Stanza 4 tells us to cast aside all hindrances
"’For Christ and the church’ let us cast aside,
By conquering grace, chains of self, fear, and pride;
May our lives be enriched by an aim so grand,
Then happy the call to the Savior’s right hand."
 A. To grow spiritually in Christ, we must lay aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking: 1 Pet. 2:1-2
 B. Having put such things away, we must then keep our minds on the grand aim or goal toward which the Lord points us: Phil. 3:12-14
 C. By doing this, we meet God’s conditions upon which we can have the hope of being called to the Savior’s right hand and hearing Him say, "Well done": Matt. 24:21

     CONCL.: The chorus reemphasizes the importance of both Christ, our Redeemer, and the church, His bride.
"For Christ, our dear Redeemer,
For Christ, the crucified;
For the church His blood hath purchased,
The church, His holy bride."
While doing some research on this song, I came across a blog in which comments were made about various hymns that have been sung among churches of Christ. One wrote, "I’ve been wondering, When we sing ‘For Christ and the "Church" let our voices ring,’ is this scriptual? I’m thinking of the word church. What is the new Testament Church? Have I gone off the deep end by micro- analyzing? Who knows." Someone responded in agreement, saying, "Well, I been thinking about something…that anything that takes our attention away from God is idolatry. And, I’m inclined to agree. So if the church is between us and God, where does that put us? I ain’t downgrading the church, you hear, just wondering if some of our BLIND dedication to the church at Large, (I think thats somewhere in Minnesota, by the way), doesn’t stem back to our Catholic background. You all take it from here." Here are my thoughts. I certainly agree that anything which comes between us and God is idolatry, and it is quite possible for a person to have an unscriptural view of the church that makes blind devotion to it more important than actually serving God. However, I do NOT see that in the song at all. Rather, the emphasis is actually on Christ as our Redeemer and the church as His bride, the kingdom of truth.  At the same time, it is simply impossible to have a relationship with the Head, who is Christ, apart from being in His body, which is the church. Someone else replied with a different, and I think appropriate, thought, noting, "“For Christ and the Church let our voices ring; Let us honor the name of our own blessed King.’ I really wonder what motive has led to this great song of praise which cries out for unity being omitted from Songs of Faith and Praise and other newer ‘praise’ oriented hymnals.  When sung with enthusiasm and faith, it moves the heart: ‘For Christ, our dear Redeemer! For Christ, the Crucified! For the Church his blood has purchased, the church, his holy bride.’ Maybe it was ruined by bad songleaders or maybe cynical, burned believers don’t want to be reminded that Christ purchased the church, to which all the saved belong. Maybe it’s just a copyright problem. It’s still a shame it’s not in more of the newer hymnals." Since the song has been in the public domain for many, many years, I would guess that maybe the problem is cynical folks who no longer believe that Christ purchased the church to which all the saved belong. In any event, scriptural teaching emphasizes that true believers will dedicate themselves to living "For Christ and the Church."

“Father, We Thank Thee”

"FATHER, WE THANK THEE"
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart….Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:27-29)

     INTRO.: A hymn which encourages us to be more loving every day both to God and man is "Father, We Thank Thee." The text of stanzas 1 and 2 is usually attributed to Rebecca J. Weston (1835-1895). I have been unable to locate any further information about this author except that she obviously lived in the nineteenth century. The most commonly used tune (Onslow or Batchellor) was composed by Daniel Batchellor, who was born on Nov. 23, 1845, somewhere in England. At some time, he emigrated to the United States. A Quaker, he produced children’s songs and musical instruction books, such as The Tonic Sol-fa Music Course for Schools with Thomas Charmbury, for the S. R. Winchell and Co. of Chicago, IL, from 1884 to 1886. "Father, We Thank Thee for the Night," with Weston’s two stanzas and Batchellor’s music, was first published around 1884 or 1885 in the Manual for Teachers and originally copyrighted by The National Sunday School Union. By 1920, Batchellor was a widower, living with his  daughter Marian and her family in Baltimore, MD. By 1930, they had moved to Washington, DC. He died on Jan. 19, 1934, at Philadelphia, PA. The text of stanza 3 was written by Helen K. Noordewier. It is dated 1949.  The only place I have ever seen this third stanza is in the 1990 Trinity Hymnal Revised edited by James W. Scott and published by Great Commission Publications of Suwanee, GA, for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Presbyterian Church in America, where the text is "modernized" ("Father, we thank You…") and the Batchellor melody is said to have been arranged by E. R. B. in 1904.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song, with Weston’s two stanzas and Batchellor’s tune, appeared in the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. The two-stanza text was used with an anonymous tune of unknown origin in the 1921 Great Songs of the Church (No. 1) and the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 both edited by E. L. Jorgenson; the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by Tillit S. Teddlie; the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 edited by L. O. Sanderson; and the 1978 Hymns of Praise edited by Reuel Lemmons. Today this version 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; 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. Both Praise for the Lord and Songs of Faith and Praise say that this melody comes from Jorgenson’s Great Songs of the Church, 1921. My only copy of Great Songs No. 1 is the 1925 edition, which does have it, but Forrest M. McCann in Hymns and History does not list it for any edition of Great Songs from 1921 to 1925, but only for the 1937 and 1975 editions (Great Songs No. 2–apparently an oversight). I have written a new text, beginning "Father, we bless Thee for the day," to fit this anonymous tune.

     The song both gives thanks to God for His blessings and asks His help in obeying His will.

I. Stanza 1 offers thanks for all that God has done for us
"Father, we thank Thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light;
For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the world so fair."
 A. Certainly we should be thankful to God for His goodness: 2 Sam. 22:50
 B. We can thank Him both for the night in which we can sleep and for the morning in which we can awake: Ps. 113:3
 C. And we can thank Him for food and loving care: Acts 14:17

II. Stanza 2 asks the Lord to help us be good and loving
"Help us to do the things we should, To be to others kind and good;
In all we do, in work or play, To love Thee better day by day."
(Most sources have, "To grow more loving every day.")
 A. We should surely ask the Lord to help us do the things that we should because only those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven: Matt. 7:21
 B. One of those things is to be kind and good to others: Eph. 4:32
 C. Indeed, it is by keeping God’s commandments, including kindness to others, that we show how much we love God: 1 Jn. 5:3

III. Stanza 3 asks the Lord to help us obey Him in both word and deed
"Lord, keep our lips from sin today; Help us to trust and to obey.
Lord, keep our feet from evil ways, And fill our hearts with joy and praise."
 A. It is important to ask the Lord to keep our lips from sin: Ps. 141:3
 B. In fact, it should be our aim to obey the Lord in all things: Heb. 5:8-9
 C. This will include keeping our feet from evil ways because the Lord hates feet that run to mischief: Prov. 6:16-19

      CONCL.: Even though many would consider this simply a "children’s song," it would be an appropriate song to sing at the beginning of a morning worship service, as we have awakened to another day of praise, and also at the close of an evening service as we prepare for another night under God’s watchful care. But whether night or day, as we consider all the good and perfect gifts that our God has provided for us, our response should always be, "Father, We Thank Thee."

“Father of Heaven”

"FATHER OF HEAVEN"
"The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoset: and these three are one" (1 Jn. 5:7)

     INTRO.: A hymn which both offers praise to and asks blessings from the Father in heaven, as well as the Word or Son and the Spirit or Holy Ghost is "Father of Heaven (#646 in Hymns for Worship Revised). The text was written by Edward J. Cooper, who was born in 1770, and received his schooling at Queen’s College. A "Grand Compounder" and Fellow of All Soul’s College at Oxford, he received his B. A. degree on Dec. 17, 1792. In the Oxford list of graduates, his name is "starred" so as to indicate that he took precedence over others in point of social standing. A "compounder" was one who paid extraordinary fees, proportioned to his estate, for the degrees which he took from the university. Becoming a minister with the Anglican Church, Cooper served at Hamstall Ridware from 1799 to 1809 and Yoxhall from 1809 to 1833, both in Staffordshire. Soon after 1800, a number of small hymnbooks were produced in Staffordshire for use in local churches. The first of these was A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use (the Uttoxeter Collection) published at Uttoxeter in 1805. Cooper, who was one of the editors along with Jonathan Stubbs, Thomas Cotterill, and Thomas Gisborne, contributed two hymns–"Father of Heaven" and "This Is the Day the Lord Hath Blest," simply marked "Cooper."

     The next known appearance of "Father of Heaven" seems to have been in Portions of the Psalms, Chiefly Selected from the Versions of Merrick and Watts, with Occasional Hymns, Adapted to the Service of the Church, for Every Sunday in the Year (the Ashbourne Collection), published in 1808 also at Uttoxeter, where it is identified as anonymous. In some editions of Cotterill’s Selection of Psalms and Hymns which began in 1810, the name J. Cooper is appended. In 1811, Cooper put out his own Selection of Psalms and Hymns (the Lichfield Collection) for use in the church at Yoxhall, with a second edition coming in 1823. Both of these included the hymn, which is based on the litany and consisted of three original stanzas. The fourth, a doxology, was first added in the 1861 Hymns Ancient and Modern. Also, Cooper published seven volumes of Practical and Familiar Sermons, which passed through many editions, and died in 1833, about a quarter of a century after the publication of the hymn. In the Free Church Hymn-Book of 1882, there is a note that the hymn is attributed to Cooper on the authority of an aged minister who knew him personally, John Wakefield of Hughley in Salop, and this has been confirmed by Cooper’s own son, Henry Gisborne Cooper.

     Several tunes have been used or suggested with the hymn, including one (Rivaulx) composed in 1866 by John Bacchus Dykes. Most books have a tune (Quebec, Hesperus, or Venn) that was composed in 1854 or 1859 by Henry Baker (1835-1910). In 1861 it was submitted to the London Penny Post which was searching for a new tune for "Sun of My Soul" by John Keble. With Keble’s text it was first published in John Grey’s 1866 Hymnal for Use in the English Church. Today, that tune is most often associated with the hymn "Father and Friend, Thy Light," written in 1824 by John Bowring. Another similar tune (St. Crispin) that works well with "Father of Heaven" was composed in 1862 by George Job Elvey (1816-1893). Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "Father of Heaven" has appeared to my knowledge only in Hymns for Worship. Earlier editions had words only with the suggestion to use the tune (Maryton) composed by Henry Percy Smith commonly associated with Washington Gladden’s hymn "O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee." The Revised edition sets the text to the Baker melody, which is also used for for Charles W. Everest’s "Take Up Your Cross."

     The hymn calls upon all three persons in the Godhead to bless us.

I. Stanza 1 tells us that the Father will extend His pardoning grace
"Father in heaven, whose love profound A ransom for our souls hath found,
Before Thy throne we humbly bend; To us Thy pardoning love extend."
 A. God the Father dwells in heaven: 1 Ki. 8:30
 B. This God loves us so much that He sent His Son as a ransom for our souls: Matt. 20:28
 C. Therefore, we can be assured that God, as a loving Father, is willing to pardon our sins: Ps. 103:8-13

II. Stanza 2 tells us that the Son will extend His saving grace
"Almighty Son, incarnate Word, Our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord,
Before Thy throne we humbly bend; To us Thy saving grace extend."
 A. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word: Jn. 1:1, 14
 B. Also, He is our Prophet, Priest, and Redeemer, because He is our Lord: 1 Cor. 8:6
 C. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is that He came to save sinners: 1 Tim. 1:12-15

III. Stanza 3 tells us that the Holy Spirit will extend His quickening power
"Eternal Spirit, by whose breath The soul is raised from sin and death,
Before Thy throne we humbly bned; To us Thy quickening power extend."
 A. The Holy Spirit is also called the Eternal Spirit: Heb. 9:14
 B. His breath is what will raise us both from sin and finally from death: Rom. 8:11
 C. The Spirit quickens or gives live to all who obey the words that He has revealed: Jn. 6:63-68

IV. Stanza 4 tells us that the Father, Son, and Spirit will all extend their gifts
"Jehovah Father, Spirit, Son–Mysterious Godhead, Three in One,
Before Thy throne we humbly bend; Grace, pardon, life to us extend."
 A. Jesus referred to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Matt. 28:19
 B. The fact that these three persons are one in their deity and their purpose is often what we mean by the word "Godhead": Acts 17:20, Rom. 1:20, Col. 2:9 (KJV)
 C. We should express our praise to the Lord God Almighty for all that He has done for us: Rev. 4:8-11

     CONCL.: The original in the third line of each stanza may have read, "Before Thy throne we sinners bend," but the few books which have the song and where I was able to check say, "Before Thy throne we humbly bend." God the Father planned our redemption even before the foundation of the world. Jesus the Son executed that plan by dying on the cross for our sins. The Holy Spirit has revealed that plan in the scriptures.  Therefore, we should continually bow in humble gratefulness before the throne of the "Father of Heaven."

“Father, Lead Me Day by Day”

"FATHER, LEAD ME DAY BY DAY"
"Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness…; make Thy way straight before my face" (Ps. 5:8)

     INTRO.: A song which asks God to lead us by His righeousness in the way that is straight before His face is "Father, Lead Me Day by Day."  The text was written by John Page Hopps, who was born on Nov. 6, 1834, in  London, England. After attending the General Baptist College in Leicester, England, he served as a minister at Hgglescote and Ibstock, both in Leicestershire, then in 1856 he became assistant minister with George Dawson at the Church of the Savior in Birmingham. Following four years there, he worked with Unitarian churches in Sheffield, Dunkinfield, Glasgow, Leicester, and London, retiring in 1909. The author of several books an pamphlets, including volumes of sermons and lectures, he also edited the monthly Truthseeker from 1863 to 1887 and helped to compile a number of hymnbooks, such as Hymns for Public Worship and the Home in 1858; Hymns of Faith and Progress in 1865; Hymns for Public Worship in 1873; One Hundred Hymns for Sunday Schools in 1873; Hymns, Chants, and Anthems for Public Worship in 1877, which first included "Father, Lead Me Day by Day" in seven stanzas under the heading "A Child’s Prayer for Divine Guidance;" The Children’s Hymn Book in 1879; The Young People’s Book of Hymns in 1881; and six different editions of Hymns for Special Services before his death at Shepperton in Middlesex, England, on Apr. 6, 1911.

     John Julian noted that Hopps himself produced various hymns, some of considerable merit, which appeared in Congregational, Bapatist, Unitarian, and other collections, listing five among the best known. The other four are "Cold and Cheerless, Dark and Drear;" "Father, Let Thy Kingdom Come;" "God Bless the Little Children;" and "We Praise Thee Oft for Hours of Bliss." Several tunes have been used with "Father, Lead Me Day by Day" including one (Lyne) from the 1760 Magdalen Chapel Hymns, another (New Calabar) by John D. Farrer, and still another in 1928 by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel. The only one of our books to have the hymn used a tune (Posen) that was composed by Georg Christoph Strattner (1655-1704). It was first published in the fifth edition, dated 1691, of Joachim Neander’s Bundeslieder, which Strattner edited. The modern arrangement was made by Johann A. Freylinghausen (1670-1739). It is dated 1705. 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 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater; the same tune was used with the hymn "Prince of Peace, Control My Will" by Mary  Ann Barber in the 1966 Christian Hymns No. 3 edited by L. O. Sanderson.

     This lovely song looks to God for guidance in several areas of our lives.

I. Stanza 1 seeks God to lead us in our daily lives
"Father, lead me day by day Ever in Thine own sweet way.
Teach me to be pure and true; Show me what I ought to do."
 A. Serving God is something that must be done day by day as Jesus says that we must take up the cross daily: Lk. 9:23
 B. Every day God has a way in which He wants to lead us: Matt. 7:13-14
 C. Therefore, we must look to Him to learn what we ought to do: Acts 10:6

II. Stanza 2 seeks God to lead us in danger
"When in danger, make me brave; Make me know that Thou canst save.
Keep me save by Thy dear side; Let me in Thy love abide."
 A. There are times when all of us find ourselves in situations which are dangerous: Acts 27:9
 B. In those times, we need to ask the Lord to help us to be strong and of good courage: Josh. 1:6-9
 C. The Lord will do this if we strive to abide in His love: Jn. 15:10

III. Stanza 3 seeks God to lead us in temptation
"When I’m tempted to do wrong, Make me steadfast, wise, and strong;
And when all alone I stand, Shield me with Thy mighty hand."
 A. All of us are tempted to do wrong from time to time, so we should pray that the Lord will lead us away from temptation: Matt. 6:13
 B. Instead of yielding, we should pray that the Lord will give us wisdom to help us endure temptation: Jas. 1:5, 12-15
 C. In this way the Lord will be our shield to protect us: Ps. 3:3

IV. Stanza 4 seeks God to lead us in joy
"When my heart is full of glee, Help me to remember Thee,
Happy most of all to know That my Father loves me so."
 A. There are time when our hearts are full of glee: Jas. 5:13
 B. However, we must be careful not to be like Israel and when we are experiencing the joys of life forget God: Deut. 6:10-12
 C. Rather, we should always take our greatest delight in the fact that God loves us so: Jn. 3:16

V. Stanza 5 seeks God to lead us in our relations with others
"May I see the good and bright, When they pass before my sight;
May I hear the heavenly voice, When the pure and wise rejoice."
 A. While we are responsible to God as individuals, no one lives or dies only to himself because the Lord has made us so that we have relationships with others: Rom. 14:7
 B. Therefore, when we see good in others, we should approve the things that are excellent: Phil. 1:10
 C. And we should rejoice in all good things with those who rejoice: Rom. 12:15

VI. Stanza 6 seeks God to lead us in our journey to heaven
"May I do the good I know, Be Thy loving child below,
Then at last go home to Thee, Evermore Thine own to be."
 A. Not only must we approve what is good in others, we must do that which is good ourselves: Jas. 4:17
 B. This is what is required of those who would be identified as children of God below: 1 Jn. 3:1
 C. And if we live as His children here, we can at last go home to be with Him in heaven: 1 Pet. 1:3-5

     CONCL.: Most books that have the hymn omit the final three stanzas, although the Gabriel version omits stanzas four, five, and six. The omitted stanza here is number five:
"When my work seems hard and dry, May I press on cheerily;
Help me patiently to bear Pain and hardship, toil and care."
Armin Haeussler said of this song, "The words are simple: the sentiment is childlike; the spirit, one of untroubled faith in the Heavenly Father.  It is the most popular hymn by this author." Indeed, when both a child and an adult, as I travel along life’s pathway, I should be making constant request of God, saying, "Father, Lead Me Day by Day."

“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”

"EVERY TIME I FEEL THE SPIRIT"
"…Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit…" (Rom. 8:15-16)

     INTRO.: A song which reminds us that we have received the Spirit of adoption which bears witness with our spirit is "Every Time I Feel the Spirit." The text is an Afro-American spiritual. William B. Smith wrote that this "spiritual describes the power and energy released in black devotion to the God of emotion. Black people have never had any concept of a God who could not be felt. It is this feeling of the spirit of God that renders the black religious experience [given its distinctive spontaneity] incomparable to any other." The tune (Pentecost) is an Afro-American spiritual melody. Arrangements have been made in 1986 by William Farley Smith for the United Methodist Publishing House for the 1989 United Methodist Hymnal and in 1990 by Melva W. Costen as found in the 2001 Worship and Rejoice hymnal published by Hope Publishing Co. 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 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater. Today it may be found in the 1977 Special Sacred Selections edited by Ellis J. Crum in a 1935 arrangement by Fred S. Martin for the Stamps Baxter Music Co.

     The song emphasizes the importance of letting the Spirit direct our lives.

I. Stanza 1 says that He will help us get to heaven
"Chilly waters, running cold, Chill the body not the soul.
Not but one train on this track, Runs to heaven and right back."
 A. Many versions say, "Jordan River, running cold." This is reminiscent of the crossing of the Jordan River by the Israelites: Josh. 3:14-17
 B. The fact that cold water can chill the body but not the soul might make us think of Jesus’s statement that we should not fear those who can kill the body but not the soul: Matt. 10:28
 C. Just as the Israelites crossed Jordan into Canaan, someday we shall cross the river of death, but there is only one way to obtain eternal life: Matt. 7:13-14

II. Stanza 2 says that He will reveal the Lord’s word to us
"On the mountain my Lord spoke; From His mouth came fire and smoke.
All around me looked so fine; Asked the Lord if it was mine."
 A. God spoke to the Israelites on the mountain with fire and smoke: Exo. 19:16-20
 B. However, today God speaks to us through His Son who sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into all truth that they might write the scriptures to reveal God’s will to us: Jn. 16:13, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 1:1-2 & 12:18-24
 C. As we look around at this world, we see that God has placed many find things here for us to enjoy, and the Spirit’s word tells us that all things are ours: 1 Cor. 3:21-23

III. Stanza 3 says that He will lead us
"I have sorrow, I have woe, I have heartaches here below.
But while God leads I’ll not fear, For I know that He is near."
(For the last line, one version has, "For I’m sheltered by His care.")
 A. Yes, in this life we have sorrow, woe, heartaches, and other kinds of trouble: Job 14:1
 B. However, we can look to God who through the truth revealed by His Spirit will lead us: Ps. 25:5
 C. Therefore, if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us: Jas. 4:7-8

IV. Stanza 4 says that He will strengthen us
"Down the valley I feel weak When the devil tries to speak.
He is crafty, full of lies; Need the Spirit to be wise."
 A. There are situations that everyone faces in life when he or she is weak and feeble: Heb. 12:12-13
 B. At such times, the devil will speak to us, and we must remember that He is full of lies: Jn. 8:44
 C. Thus, we need to turn to that which the Spirit has revealed in order to be wise and stand against the wiles of the devil: Eph. 6:14-17

V. Stanza 5 says that He will help us overcome temptation
"Satan tempts me all in vain; With my Jesus I remain.
In the valley, on my knees, I ask my Lord, ‘Mercy, please.’"
 A. Satan is the tempter: Matt. 4:3
 B. However, if we remain with Jesus and follow His example, we can resist the devil: 1 Pet. 2:21-22, 5:8-9
 C. Therefore, whenever we face temptation we should be on our knees asking the Lord’s mercy to help us overcome: Matt. 6:13

     CONCL.: It may be the case here, as it often is with other folk songs, that stanzas have had a tendency to evolve over time. The
different websites that I checked to do research on this song have great variations in the wording. One version has the following lines:
"Old St. Peter, at the gate, Says, ‘Come, sinner, don’t be late.’"  The simple chorus says,
"Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray."
This is usually repeated. Some might object to the idea of "feeling" the Spirit. Certainly we must recognize that we cannot determine truth based on how we feel about something, because feelings can be deceptive. There are cases where people thought that they "felt the Spirit" when it was actually the spirit of false teaching or even their own lusts that they felt. At the same time, if one is genuinely following the truth as revealed by the Spirit in the written word, he will, or should be able to, feel the Spirit moving in his heart. And this does not necessarily refer to something direct, mysterious, or even miraculous that is "better felt than told," but merely the influence of the Spirit working through the word that the individual has been taught. Surely it should be my "holy desire" that I can be moved to pray, praise God, or give thanks "Every Time I Feel the Spirit."

“Eternal Father, Strong to Save”

"ETERNAL FATHER, STRONG TO SAVE"
"Thou rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them" (Ps. 89:9)

     INTRO: A hymn which praises God for His power to rule the raging of the sea and still the waves is "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." The text was written by William Whiting, who was born on Nov. 1, 1825, at Kensington in London, England. Educated at Clapham and at King Alfred’s College in Winchester, he became Master of Winchester College Choristers’ School in 1842 because of his musical abilities and held that post for 36 years, until his death. This school was the place where the choristers were trained for singing in the college chapel. Sixteen in number, the group was created by the founder of Winchester College, William Wyckham, in 1392. In addition to their singing, the boys served tables in the college hall and were allowed to study with the regular college students.

     The author of volumes of poetry, such as Rural Thoughts and Scenes in 1851, Whiting also contributed hymns to various collections. "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" was produced in 1860 as a poem for a student who was about to sail for America. It is the only one of Whiting’s hymns to survive in common usage. The tune (Melita) was composed for this text by John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876). The song first appeared in the musical edition of the 1861 Hymns Ancient and Modern, with the text slightly altered. Another of Whiting’s works was Edgar Thorpe, or the Warfare of Life in 1867. Another version of "Eternal Father, Strong to Save," this time revised by the author himself, was published in the appendix to the 1869 SPCK Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship. Whiting died at Winchester in Hampshire, England, on May 3, 1878.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" appeared in the 1937 Great Songs of the Church No. 2 edited by E. L. Jorgenson; and the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 edited by Tillit S. Teddlie. The same tune was used with Anne Richter’s "We Saw Thee Not" in the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater; and with Samuel Medley’s "His Loving Kindness" in the 1966 Christian Hymns No.  3 edited by L. O. Sanderson. Today Whiting’s song with Dykes’s melody may be found in the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann; the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John. P. Wiegand; and the 1994 Songs of Faith and Praise edited by Alton H. Howard; in addition to the 2007 Sacred Songs of the Church edited by William D. Jeffcoat.

     The song reminds us of the need to seek God’s favor upon those who travel.

I. Stanza 1 is addressed to the Father
"Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
(The original read, "Whose arm doth bind;"
some modern books read "Does bind.")
Who biddest the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea."
 A. God is the eternal Father, who is strong to save because He is faithful to do His will: 1 Thess. 5:24
 B. It is He whose arm is able to bind the restless wave: Ps. 107:23-30
 C. As the Creator, He has bidden the mighty ocean deep to keep its own appointed limits: Job 38:8-11

II. Stanza 2 is addressed to Christ
"O Christ, whose voice the waters heard,
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
(Original–"O Savior, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard")
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amid the storm (its rage) didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea."
 A. Christ is the Savior who participated in the creation of all things: Jn. 1:1-3
 B. As the divine Son of the Father, He demonstrated His power over the sea by walking on the foaming deep: Mk. 6:45-51
 C. Thus, even during a storm, He could be at peace and sleep amid the raging: Mk. 4:35-41

III. Stanza 3 is addressed to the Holy Spirit
"O (Most) Holy (Sacred) Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the waters (chaos) dark and rude,
And bid their (Who baddest its) angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild, confusion peace:
(Original–"And gavest light and life and peace")
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea."
 A. All of our books (except Songs of Faith and Praise, which uses the version with Spencer’s replacement stanzas as noted below) omit this stanza, as explained by Forrest M. McCann in the handbook to Great Songs Revised, Hymns and History, "according to the custom of our original editor (E. L. Jorgenson) of not including addresses to the Holy Spirit" (however, oddly enough, Great Songs Revised does have OTHER hymns addressed to the Holy Spirit).  The reason that some object to song which address the Spirit is that they say that it is too much like praying to the Spirit. Each one will have to develop His own convictions on this matter, but since praying and singing are identified as two separate acts of worship, it seems to me that one can sing a song addressed to the Holy Spirit, calling upon Him to do what the scriptures teach that He will do, without actually praying to Him: 1 Cor. 14:15
 B. It was the Holy Spirit who brooded upon the waters following the creation of the earth: Gen. 1:1-2
 C. This activity of the Spirit seemed to have been a prelude to the creation of light, life, and peace: Gen. 1:3, 20, 31

IV. Stanza 4 is addressed to the Trinity
"O Trinity of love and power,
Our brethren (family) shield in danger’s hour;
(Updated versions read "Your children")
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them (us) wheresoe’er they (we) go.
Thus evermore shall (And ever let there) rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea."
 A. The word "Trinity," though rejected by some, can simply be thought of as a word to describe the fact that God exists in three separate but united persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Matt. 28:19
 B. In this fashion, God is asked to protect those who travel the sea, just as He did Paul and those with him on their voyage to Rome: Acts 28:1
 C. The song ends with a call for mankind to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and praise Him throughout all the earth: Ps. 107:31-32

     CONCL.: Because of the revisions, different hymnbooks will have varying readings, depending on which source was used. In the United States, this song is known as "The Navy Hymn" because of its use by the United States Navy. In fact, its opening lines are inscribed over the chancel of the chapel at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. It was a favorite hymn of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was sung at his funeral.  It was also played by the Navy Band at the funeral and by the Marine Band at the burial of John F. Kennedy. Because the modern transportation now operates in other spheres than the waters, two new stanzas to replace Whiting’s stanzas 2 and 3 were written about land and air by Robert Nelson Spencer for the 1937 Missionary Service Book.
2. "O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain
O’er which our traffic runs amain
By mountain pass or valley low,
Wherever, Lord, Thy brethren go,
Protect them by Thy guarding hand
From every peril on the land."
3. "O Spirit, whom the Father sent
To spread abroad the firmament;
O Wind of heaven, by Thy might
Save all who dare the eagle’s flight,
And keep them by Thy watchful care
From every peril in the air."
Spencer also made alterations to the first stanza ("Almighty" instead of "Eternal") and the last stanza, ending the song with "Glad praise from air and land and sea." This version appears in some modern hymnbooks which wish to "update" older hymns. The song can be thought of as asking for God’s protection over those going overseas to preach the gospel. In it both praise for God’s power and a request for His safety are addressed to the "Eternal Father, Strong to Save."