God Be With You

SONG WRITER: Jeremiah Rankin                    

MUSIC WRITER: William Tomer                     

WHEN WRITTEN: 1880

HYMN HISTORY: In 1880, Dr. Jeremiah Rankin, Pastor of First Congregational Church in Washington, D.C., was looking for a farewell hymn to close the worship service.  "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" was a possibility, but he wanted something less formal –– more engaging.

Not finding the hymn he was looking for, he set out to write it.  He took a dictionary from his bookshelf, and began looking at words such as "farewell" and "goodbye" to see if they would spark his imagination.  The definition that he found for "goodbye" included the words "God be with you" –– and so a hymn was born.

Dr. Rankin wrote a verse and chorus for his new hymn, and sent them to two people asking for a tune.  He chose the tune written by William Tomer, a part-time church musician, and was so enthusiastic that he sat down and wrote seven more verses.

BIBLE VERSE:  1 Thessalonians 5:28 – “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

HYMN LYRICS:

God be with you till we meet again;
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

Till we meet, till we meet,
Till we meet at Jesus’ feet;
Till we meet, till we meet,
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
Neath His wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
With the oil of joy anoint you;
Sacred ministries appoint you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put His arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Of His promises remind you;
For life’s upper garner bind you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Sicknesses and sorrows taking,
Never leaving or forsaking;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love’s banner floating o’er you,
Strike death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

God be with you till we meet again;
Ended when for you earth’s story,
Israel’s chariot sweep to glory;
God be with you till we meet again.

Refrain

The Solid Rock

SONG WRITER: Edward Mote                    

MUSIC WRITER: William Bradbury                     

WHEN WRITTEN: 1863

HYMN HISTORY: Sometimes the grace of God penetrates into unlikely places.  Edward Mote's parents were hostile to religion, but while still a boy Edward became a Christian through the influence of a cabinetmaker to whom he was apprenticed.  As a man, he became a skilled cabinetmaker with a successful business of his own.

Regardless of the claims of his business on his time, Mote always found time to worship God.  He was especially interested in Christian music, and one day felt inspired on the way to work to write down a verse that came to his mind.  Before the day was finished, he had completed four verses.  His new hymn began with the words, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

Not long thereafter, Mote visited a friend whose wife was ill.  It was a Sunday, and the friend mentioned that he and his wife liked to observe Sunday by singing a hymn, reading a scripture, and having prayer together.  Mote had a copy of his hymn in his pocket, so they sang it.  The friend's wife was so taken with the hymn that she requested a copy for herself.  Encouraged by her interest, Mote had copies printed –– and soon found himself the author of a beloved hymn.

  
BIBLE VERSE:  Matthew 7:24 - “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

HYMN LYRICS:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Nearer my God to Thee

SONG WRITER: Sarah Adams                    

MUSIC WRITER: Lowell Mason                     

WHEN WRITTEN: 1841

HYMN HISTORY: This hymn was written by two sisters.  Sarah Flower Adams wrote the words and her sister, Eliza Flower, wrote the music.  Together they wrote a number of hymns, but this is the only one still in common use today.

Sarah (the author of the words) enjoyed a successful career on the stage playing Lady MacBeth in Shakespearean drama, but retired from the stage due to health problems.  Not long thereafter, her sister, Eliza, came down with tuberculosis.  Sarah, determined to nurse her, came down with the disease as well, and both died at a relatively young age.

However, this hymn acknowledges the possibility of suffering but refuses to allow it to have the last word.  It says:

      "E'en though it be a cross
      that raiseth me;
      Still all my song shall be,
      nearer my God to Thee."

BIBLE VERSE:  Psalm 119:151 – “But you are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are true.”

HYMN LYRICS:

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,

still all my song shall be,

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,

darkness be over me, my rest a stone;

yet in my dreams I'd be

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;

all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;

angels to beckon me

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,

out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;

so by my woes to be

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,

sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,

still all my song shall be,

nearer, my God, to thee;

nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Take My Life and Let It Be

SONG WRITER: Frances Havergal                    

MUSIC WRITER: Henry Cesar Malan                  

WHEN WRITTEN: 1874

HYMN HISTORY: Frances Havergal (1836-1879) was an unusual woman.  The daughter of a minister, she mastered Greek and Hebrew to read the scriptures in their original languages.  Having grown up in England, she traveled in Europe and enjoyed skiing in the Swiss Alps –– an unusual recreation in the nineteenth century.  She was also an accomplished singer who sometimes sang with the Philharmonic.

Havergal was a Christian all her life, but at age 36 experienced what we might describe as a conversion experience.  A little book entitled All for Jesus made her aware of the incompleteness of her own devotion, and she rededicated her life to Christ.

Soon thereafter, she spent five days with a small group of people, some of whom were not Christians, and others of whom were lukewarm.  She spent those five days witnessing to them and praying for them, and was delighted to see her prayers answered.  By the end of that week, all ten people had devoted themselves to Christ.  That night, too excited to sleep, Havergal sat up writing this hymn, "Take My Life and Let It Be." 

BIBLE VERSE:   Leviticus 11:44 – “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground.”

HYMN LYRICS:

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.


Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Swift and beautiful for Thee.


Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Filled with messages from Thee.


Take my silver and my gold:
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.
Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.


Take my will, and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.


Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

SONG WRITER: George Matheson                    

MUSIC WRITER: Albert Peace                    

WHEN WRITTEN: June 6, 1882

HYMN HISTORY: George Matheson suffered poor eyesight from birth, and at age 15 learned that he was going blind.  Not one to be easily discouraged, he enrolled in the University of Glasgow and graduated at age 19.  He then began theological studies, and it was while pursuing those that he began totally blind.

Matheson's three sisters rose to the occasion and tutored him through his studies –– even going so far as to learn Hebrew, Greek, and Latin to be able to help their brother.  With their help he was able to complete his studies.  After graduation, he answered a call to serve as pastor of a church in Innellan, Argylshire, Scotland.  He had a successful ministry there, and was later called to serve as pastor of the much larger (2000 member) St. Bernard's Church in Edinburgh.  On the day that one of his sisters was married, Matheson wrote this hymn.  He recorded this account of that experience in his journal:

"My hymn was composed in the manse of Inellan on the evening of June 6, 1882.  I was at that time alone.  It was the day of my sister's marriage, and the rest of my family were staying overnight in Glasgow.  Something had happened to me which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering.  The hymn was the fruit of that suffering.  It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life.  I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice than of working it out myself.  I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes, and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction.  I have no natural gift of rhythm.  All the other verses I have written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.  I have never been able to gain once more the same fervor in verse."

Matheson obviously didn't intend to tell us what caused his "most severe mental suffering," but people who know his background strongly suspect that it had to do with a heartbreaking experience several years earlier.  His fiancee had broken her engagement to him, telling him that she couldn't see herself going through life married to a blind man.  Matheson never married, and it seems likely that his sister's wedding brought to memory the woman that he had loved and the wedding that he had never enjoyed.

At any rate, Matheson's "severe mental suffering" inspired him to write this hymn, "O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go."  The hymn celebrates the constancy of God's love –– "love that wilt not let me go" –– "light that follow'st all my way" –– "joy that seekest me through pain."  It concludes by celebrating "Life that shall endless be."

Matheson suffered two severe blows that could have stopped him –– the loss of his eyesight and the loss of his beloved.  In both cases, he made the best of a bad situation –– and we are all the richer for it.  As this hymn reveals, it was his faith in God that kept him going through the adversities that he suffered.  He believed that God's love would not let him go –– and that God's light would follow him all his way –– and that God's joy would seek him through his pain –– and that faith made all the difference.

BIBLE VERSE:  Romans 8:38-39 – “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

HYMN LYRICS:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

More Love to Thee

SONG WRITER: Elizabeth Prentiss                    

MUSIC WRITER: William Doane                    

WHEN WRITTEN: 1870

HYMN HISTORY: This hymn was written by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss.  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.  During her lifetime, she wrote five books, one of which became a best-seller.  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 –– and later homiletics professor at Union Theological Seminary.

In 1856, tragedy struck –– two of the Prentiss children died of illness.  Elizabeth was devastated as she tried to come to grips with her loss –– and also her sense of the unfairness that God would allow her children to die.  She and her husband talked about it at length, and his encouragement gave her some help –– but her grief was profound.  Then one day she felt inspired to write some verse inspired by something that 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.  And so she began to write.

She quickly dashed off three verses and part of a fourth verse, and then she stopped.  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 –– after completing the fourth verse.  Even then she distributed the leaflets only to a few of their friends.

BIBLE VERSE:  Philippians 1:9 – “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more.”

HYMN LYRICS:

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!

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now Thee alone I seek, give what is best.
This all my prayer shall be: More love, O Christ to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

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!

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!

Trust and Obey

SONG WRITER: John Sammis                    

MUSIC WRITER: Daniel Towner                     

WHEN WRITTEN: 1887

HYMN HISTORY: One night at a Dwight L. Moody evangelistic meeting in Brockton, Massachusetts, a young man stood up to testify about his confidence of salvation.  He said, "I am not quite sure," meaning that he wasn't really certain that God would save him from his sins –– and then he continued, "But I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey" –– meaning that he planned to trust God for his salvation and to do what he could to obey God's will.

"I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey."  Daniel Towner was the song leader for that meeting.  He was so impressed by the young man's testimony that he wrote down those words and stuck them in his pocket.  Later, he wrote a friend, John Sammis.  In his letter, he told about the young man's testimony and included the young man's words:  "I am not quite sure, but I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey."

Sammis quickly transformed those words into a hymn chorus:  "Trust and obey, For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey." Soon he had five stanzas to go with the chorus, and he sent them to Towner, who composed the tune that we still sing today.

BIBLE VERSE:  Romans 16:26 – “But has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith.”

HYMN LYRICS:

When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,

but our toil he doth richly repay;

not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,

but is blest if we trust and obey.

(Refrain)

But we never can prove

the delights of his love

until all on the altar we lay;

for the favor he shows,

for the joy he bestows,

are for them who will trust and obey.

              

(Refrain)

Then in fellowship sweet

we will sit at his feet,

or we'll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

(Refrain) 

Softly and Tenderly

SONG & MUSIC WRITER: Will L. Thompson                   

WHEN WRITTEN: 1880

HYMN HISTORY: Thompson was a Christian, and while attending a Dwight L. Moody evangelistic meeting decided to devote himself to writing and promoting Christian music.  He wrote "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling" in 1880.  It quickly became popular as a hymn of invitation in evangelistic meetings, and was soon incorporated into church hymnals as well.  Thompson wrote "Jesus is All the World to Me" in 1904, and it became quite popular as well.  He was as successful with Christian music as he had been earlier with secular music.  I am told that he sold two million books of quartet music.

Dwight L. Moody, the most famous evangelist of his day, used "Softly and Tenderly" as an invitation hymn in his meetings.  Thompson visited Moody as the latter was dying, and Moody told him, "Will, I would rather have written 'Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling' than anything I have been able to do in my life" –– quite a tribute from someone as accomplished as Moody.

Even though he became quite rich, Thompson continued to live a life of service.  He supported various civic and religious activities generously.  He was also aware of the fact that small town people had very little exposure to good music, so he loaded a piano on a horse-drawn wagon and went through small Ohio towns giving concerts of his music.

BIBLE VERSE:  Matthew 10:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

HYMN LYRICS:

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—
Calling for you and for me;
Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—
Watching for you and for me!

Refrain:

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading—
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies—
Mercies for you and for me?

Refrain

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—
Coming for you and for me!

Refrain

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—
Pardon for you and for me!


Refrain

The Old Rugged Cross

SONG & MUSIC WRITER: George Bennard                    

WHEN WRITTEN: 1913

HYMN HISTORY: George Bennard (1873-1958) was born in Youngstown, Ohio, but his family moved to Iowa, where he accepted Christ as his savior at a revival meeting sponsored by the Salvation Army.  George's coal-miner father died when George was sixteen.  George had hoped to become an evangelist, but instead went to work as a coal-miner to support his mother and sisters. 

Some years later, Bennard moved to Chicago, married, and began an evangelistic ministry with the Salvation Army.  Later still, he was ordained as an evangelist by the Methodist Church, and traveled through the northern states carrying out his ministry. In December, 1912, he was struggling with some sort of personal problem, which led him to reflect on Christ's suffering on the cross.  He later wrote, "I saw the Christ of the cross as if I were seeing John 3:16 leave the printed page, take form, and act out the meaning of redemption."

BIBLE VERSE:  Philippians 2:8 – “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

HYMN LYRICS:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

the emblem of suffering and shame;

and I love that old cross where the dearest and best

for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,

till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

and exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,

has a wondrous attraction for me;

for the dear Lamb of God left his glory above

to bear it to dark Calvary.

(Refrain)

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

a wondrous beauty I see,

for 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

to pardon and sanctify me.

(Refrain)

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,

its shame and reproach gladly bear;

then he'll call me some day to my home far away,

where his glory forever I'll share.

(Refrain)

O For a Thousand Tongues

SONG WRITER: Charles Wesley                    

MUSIC WRITER: Charles Glazer                     

WHEN WRITTEN: 1739

HYMN HISTORY: "O For a Thousand Tongues" is one of many hymns written by Charles Wesley.  He and his brother, John, became friends with a group of Moravian Christians as they returned by ship to England from the American colonies.  One of the Moravian leaders was a man named Peter Bohler -- a man that the Wesleys much admired for his deep faith.  Bohler made the comment, "Oh, Brother Wesley, the Lord has done so much for my life.  Had I a thousand tongues, I would praise Christ Jesus with every one of them."  Those words inspired Wesley to write this hymn.

BIBLE VERSE:  Psalm 35:28 – “Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.”

HYMN LYRICS:

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.