Happy The Man Who Finds the Grace

Posted on by
Reply

I came across this hymn when looking for hymns related to Proverbs 9, and the personification of Wisdom and Folly.This hymn by Charles Wesley appeared in Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption, 1747. It tells of the joys that are had for those who gain wisdom, and ultimately gain Christ.

Happy the man who finds the grace,
The blessing of God’s chosen race,
The wisdom coming from above,
The faith that sweetly works by love.

Wisdom divine! who tells the price
Of wisdom’s costly merchandise?
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross compared to her.

Her hands are filled with length of days,
True riches, and immortal praise,
Riches of Christ on all bestowed,
And honour that descends from God.

To purest joys she all invites,
Chaste, holy, spiritual delights;
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her flowery paths are peace.

Happy the man who wisdom gains;
Thrice happy, who his guest retains;
He owns, and shall for ever own,
Wisdom, and Christ, and heaven, are one.

And Can It Be That I Should Gain

Posted on by
Reply

According to the editor of The Oxford Edition of the Works of John Wesley (Oxford: Clarendon, 1975-1983, vol. 7), “And Can It Be” was written immediately after Charles Wesley’s conversion (May 21, 1738). Wesley knew his Bible well prior to this time, but had not yet experienced assurance of new birth or the fulness of grace in his life. The editor also that it was probably this hymn, or “Where Should My Wond’ring Soul Begin?” that was sung late on the evening of his brother John’s Aldersgate Street conversion just three days later on May 241.

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Refrain:
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

‘Tis mystery all! Th’Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
‘Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

Refrain

He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Refrain

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

Refrain

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

1thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/charles-wesleys-and-can-it-be-background-and-scriptural-allusions/

Fairest Lord Jesus

Posted on by
Reply

There are several accounts as to the origin of the beautiful hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus.” The best known legend is that it was sung by the twelfth century German Crusaders, as they made their long, weary way to the Holy Land. Another, more credible account is that it was sung by the followers of John Hus, who were driven out of Bohemia in 1620 in the anti-Reformation purge, who settled in Silesia, now part of Poland. They had to keep their faith secret, yet had a strong tradition of hymn singing. I like the below version sung by Emu Music with updated words; enjoy!

Fairest Lord Jesus,
Ruler of all nature,
O thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish,
Thee will I honour,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.

Fair are the meadows,
Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring:
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host:
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

Beautiful Saviour!
Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour,
Praise, adoration,
Now and forevermore be thine.

1songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/fairest-lord-jesus

Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

Posted on by
Reply

Horatius Bonar was born in Edinburgh, December 19, 1808. His father was a lawyer, but he came from a long line of eminent Scottish ministers. His mother was a gentle, pious woman, and it was largely through her influence that her three sons, John, Horatius and Andrew, entered the ministry of the Church of Scotland. In one of the most squalid parts of the city he conducted services and Sunday school in a hall. The children did not seem to enjoy singing the Psalm paraphrases, which were still exclusively used by the Church of Scotland at that late date, and therefore Bonar decided to write songs of his own.Dr. Bonar wrote alot of his hymns for children; but they are so profound and intensely spiritual in their very simplicity they will always satisfy the most mature Christian mind. Bonar is ever pointing in his hymns to Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour, dwelling in simple language on the blessings of the Atonement and the willingness of God to accept all who come to Him through Christ1.

Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done;
They bid my fear depart.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ,
Can heal my bruised soul,
Thy stripes not mine, contain
The balm to make me whole.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ,
Has borne the awful load
Of sins that none in Heav’n
Or earth could bear but God.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy death, not mine, O Christ,
Has paid the ransom due;
Ten thousand deaths like mine
Would have been all too few.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

Thy righteousness, O Christ,
Alone can cover me:
No righteousness avails
Save that which is of Thee.
To whom, save Thee, who canst alone
For sin atone, Lord, shall I flee?

1ccel.org/ccel/ryden/hymnstory/hymnstory.p4.c52.html

Saviour, Like A Shepherd Lead Us

Posted on by
Reply

Little is known about Dorothy Thrupp except she wrote many hymns for children. She often. used the pseudonym “Iota” or the initials D.A.T. This hymn was included in a book she edited for children called “Hymns for the Young”. It is based on Psalm 23 and John 10, where Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd”. Ira Sankey, a famous 19th Century gospel singer who would travel with D.L. Moody, once sang this hymn at a Christmas Eve gathering. Afterwards a man approached him who was a Confederate soldier. He told the story of how he raised his gun to shoot a Union solder, when the man began to sing this hymn. Deciding to wait until he has finished singing the hymn, he then remembered his own mother used to sing this hymn to him; at the end he could not pull the trigger and kill him. The twist in the story was that the soldier who had sang the hymn was Sankey himself!1 Enjoy this one 🙂

Saviour, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favour,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Saviour,
With Thy love our bosoms fill:
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

1page 98 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

Jesus, Thine All Victorious Love

Posted on by
Reply

Written by Charles Wesley, “Jesus, Thine All Victorious Love” comes from the Wesleys’ great compendium, A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists (A Collection of Hymns).2 John Wesley, in the 1779 preface to that collection, calls it a “little body of experimental and practical divinity. This hymn stands out in that collection as an exemplary text for the Easter season. This is the fourth and last in a series of articles in the month of April exploring hymns especially appropriate for Eastertide. As with many Wesley hymns that we sing today, the four stanzas given in the are but part of a much longer hymn called “My God! I know, I feel thee mine.” The complete hymn is found in Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists in the section, “For Believers, Groaning for Full Redemption.” Atop the hymn text in the early editions sits a scripture reference to Romans 4:13, which speaks of the promise God made to Abraham and the righteousness of his faith1. Enjoy!

Jesus, thine all-victorious love
shed in my heart abroad;
then shall my feet no longer rove,
rooted and fixed in God.

O that in me the sacred fire
might now begin to glow;
burn up the dross of base desire
and make the mountains flow!

O that it now from heaven might fall
and all my sins consume!
Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call,
Spirit of burning, come!

Refining fire, go through my heart,
illuminate my soul;
scatter thy life through every part
and sanctify the whole.

1umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-jesus-thine-all-victorious-love-wesley

Rejoice, Believer, In The Lord

Posted on by
3

This is another hymn I came across in my daily devotional while reading a hymnal. Written by John Newton and included in his Olney Hymns book in 1779, this one was written under the heading of Perseverance. This hymn can easily be used to encourage yourself, as well as other believers, when trials come and difficulties arise. Why don’t you save this hymn and then come back to it once you meet a trial? I’m sure it will encourage your soul. Enjoy!

Rejoice, believer, in the Lord,
Who makes your cause his own;
The hope that’s built upon his word
Shall ne’er be overthrown.

Though many foes beset your road,
And feeble is your arm,
Your life is hid with Christ in God
Beyond the reach of harm.

Weak as you are, you shall not faint
Or fainting shall not die!
For Jesus, strength of ev’ry saint,
Will aid you from on high.

Though unperceived by mortal sense,
Faith sees him always near!
A guide, a glory, sure defense;
Then what have you to fear?

As surely as he overcame
And triumphed once for you,
So surely you that love his name
Shall in him triumph too.

Near The Cross

Posted on by
Reply

In 1869, Fanny Crosby was shown a tune by William Doane, for which she wrote this text. The text and tune were published together in Bright Jewels for the Sunday School in 1869. The first line of each stanza contains the phrase “near the cross,” emphasizing the value of Christ’s redeeming work there. Each stanza has a slightly different aspect of the main theme. The first stanza describes redemption through Jesus’ blood, and the second, the need of humanity for salvation. The third stanza is a prayer that the Christian would always remember God’s love as shown on the cross, and the fourth looks forward to heaven1. Enjoy

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

Refrain
In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.

Refrain

Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.

Refrain

Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Refrain

1hymnary.org/text/jesus_keep_me_near_the_cross

Jesus, My Great High Priest

Posted on by
Reply

This hymn is written by Isaac Watts in 1709, who no doubt draws inspiration from Hebrews, where Jesus is clearly and profoundly portrayed as our great high priest. Christ not only intercedes to God on our behalf as the high priests of Israel did, but by offering his blood as the sacrifice for our sins, guarantees us full peace, pardon and forgiveness. This version by Kirk Ward also has an added refrain; enjoy!

Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered his blood and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside.
His pow’rful blood did once atone,
And now it pleads before the Throne.

To this dear Surety’s hand
Will I commit my cause;
He answers and fulfills
His Father’s broken laws.
Behold my soul at freedom set;
My Surety paid the dreadful debt.

Refrain
Now I approach the throne
And I have confidence;
Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered his blood and died.
Now I approach the throne,
And I have confidence;
Jesus, my great High Priest
offered his blood and died,
For me.

My Advocate appears
For my defense on high;
The Father bows his ears
And lays his thunder by.
Not all that hell or sin can say
Shall turn his heart, his love, away.

Refrain

Should all the hosts of death
And pow’rs of hell unknown
Put their most dreadful forms
Of rage and mischief on,
I shall be safe, for Christ displays
His conqu’ring pow’r and guardian grace.

Refrain

Be Thou My Vision

Posted on by
1

According to mythology, when St. Patrick was a missionary in Ireland in the 5th century, King Logaire of Tara decreed that no one was allowed to light any fires until a pagan festival was begun by the lighting of a fire on Slane Hill. In a move of defiance against this pagan ritual, St. Patrick did light a fire, and, rather than execute him, the king was so impressed by his devotion that he let Patrick continue his missionary work. Three centuries later, a monk named Dallan Forgaill wrote the Irish poem, “Rop tú mo Baile” (“Be Thou my Vision), to remember and honor the faith of St. Patrick. Forgaill was martyred by pirates, but his poetry lived on as a part of the Irish monastic tradition for centuries until, in the early 20th century, Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the poem into English, and in 1912, Eleanor Hull versified the text into what is now a well-loved hymn and prayer that at every moment of our lives, God would be our vision above all else1. There are lots of versions of this song it’s hard to pick one!

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord.
Born of thy love, thy child may I be,
thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.

Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r.
Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
Ruler of heaven, my treasure thou art.

“*True Light of heaven, when vict’ry is won
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

*Alternate phrase: “High King”

1hymnary.org/text/be_thou_my_vision_o_lord_of_my_heart