This modern song written by Sovereign Grace is one I usually have on repeat around Christmas time. The call to ‘prepare Him room’ is not only for the in-keeper as detailed in Luke’s Gospel, but the whole world, as the Messiah enters the world, changes our hearts, and saves us from our sin.
O behold, the mystery now unfolds. See the star shine on the virgin foretold. Angels sing and light up the sky, Hope rings out in a newborn’s cry; Swing wide, you ancient gates, For Christ is born today!
Refrain Prepare Him room Prepare Him room Let the King of glory enter in
God with us, the promise has come to be. This, the one the prophets were longing to see. In the darkness a blazing light, To the hungry the words of life; His kingdom now is near, For those with ears to hear.
Refrain
Oh, our hearts, as busy as Bethlehem. Hear Him knock, don’t say there’s no room in the inn. Through the cradle, cross, and grave, See the love of God displayed; Now He’s risen and He reigns, Praise the Name above all names!
This hymn was first published in 1744 in Charles Wesley’s Hymns for the Nativity of Our Lord, a little collection so popular that it was reprinted 20 times during Wesley’s lifetime. Published in two eight-line stanzas, this hymn is now generally sung in the Advent season rather than during the nativity of Christ as the title of the collection indicates. “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” has the quality of a petition—a prayer that implores Christ to be among us. Imperative verbs are used six times in the two stanzas found in the hymnal: “Come, thou long-expected Jesus”; “From our fears and sins release us”; “Let us find our rest in thee”; “Now thy gracious kingdom bring”; “Rule in all our hearts alone”; “Raise us to thy glorious throne.” The cumulative effect of these petitions is a tone of supplication. Wesley succeeds in recalling the deep longing of ancient Israel for the Messiah—the Promised One1.
Come, thou long expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth thou art; Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart.
Born thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us forever, Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to thy glorious throne.
For those of you who may follow a liturgical church calendar in your church tradition, you may have already started enjoying the Advent season. For the rest of us, December is a great time to recenter our hearts on remembering the miracle and joy of the Messiah coming into the world. The whole of December will be dedicated to Christmas/Advent hymns and carols 🙂
We start off with “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”, which is a beloved Christmas hymn that poignantly expresses the eternality of the Son of God and his divinity and coequality with the Father and the Spirit. It serves as a reminder that Jesus is the promised and long-awaited for Messiah who brings redemption to the world. With clarity and beauty, this hymn expresses both the deity and humanity of Christ. It also gives the modern church a direct connection to the doxology of the ancient church, being originally written in the 4th Century by Marcus Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (commonly known as Prudentius) – it was then translated into English in the mid 19th Century1. I love this beautiful stripped back, piano only solo version to set the tone of how I hope Christmas will be this year for us all: meditative, climatic, and joyful.
Of the Father’s love begotten ‘Ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending he, Of the things that are, that have been, And that future years shall see, Evermore and evermore.
Oh, that birth forever blessed When the virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Saviour of our race, And the babe, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed his sacred face, Evermore and evermore.
This is he whom seers and sages Sang of old with one accord, Whom the voices of the prophets Promised in their faithful word. Now he shines, the long-expected; Let creation praise its Lord, Evermore and evermore.
Let the heights of heav’n adore him, Angel hosts his praises sing, Pow’rs, dominions bow before him And extol our God and King. Let no tongue on earth be silent, Ev’ry voice in concert ring, Evermore and evermore.
Christ, to thee, with God the Father, And, O Holy Ghost, to thee Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving And unending praises be, Honor, glory, and dominion And eternal victory Evermore and evermore.
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat was first published in John Newton’s Olney Hymns, 1779. It came into early use in the hymnals and has attained to a foremost position as one of the most popular of Newton’s productions. In the Olney Hymns it is the second of two hymns headed, “The Effort.” The first hymn by Newton on this same subject begins:— “Cheer up, my soul, there is a mercy seat.”1
Approach, my soul, the mercy seat Where Jesus answers prayer; There humbly fall before his feet, For none can perish there.
Thy promise is my only plea; With this I venture nigh: Thou callest burdened souls to thee, And such, O Lord, am I.
Bowed down beneath a load of sin, By Satan sorely pressed, By war without and fears within, I come to thee for rest.
Be thou my shield and hiding place, That, sheltered near thy side, I may my fierce accuser face, And tell him thou hast died.
O wondrous love! to bleed and die, To bear the cross and shame, That guilty sinners, such as I, Might plead thy gracious name!
Although attributed to different writers, when John Rippon published this hymn in a hymnal called “A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Pslams and Hymns (1797)”, this was included and authored by an unknown “K”. With it also carried the title “Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises”1. I remember this hymn from a Spurgeon sermon I read recently. When preaching on Hebrews 13:5, Spurgeon (who also quotes this hymn) says “I have no doubt you are aware that our translation does not convey the whole force of the original, and that it would hardly be possible in English to give the full weight of the Greek. We might render it, “He hath said, I will never, never leave thee; I will never, never, never forsake thee”…what ground there is here for faith! Let us lean upon our God with all our weight. Let us throw ourselves upon his faithfulness as we do upon our beds, bringing all our weariness to his dear rest. Now, right on our God let us cast the burdens of our bodies, and our souls, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee; I will never forsake thee.”2
How firm a foundation you saints of the lord Is laid for your faith in his excellent word. What more can he say than to you he has said To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled.
Fear not I am with you, oh be not dismayed For I am your God and will still give you aid. I’ll strengthen you, help you and cause you to stand Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call you to go The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow. For I will be with you, your troubles to bless And sanctify to you your deepest distress.
When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie My grace all-sufficient shall be your supply. The flame shall not hurt you, I only design Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to His foes. That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.
1page 136 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church 2spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/never-never-never-never-never/#flipbook/
The words of this hymn were written by F. H. Rowley and the music by Peter B. Bilhorn in 1886. Writing of the hymn, Rowley notes “I was minister of the First Baptist Church of North Adams, Massachusetts. The church and community were experiencing a period of unusual interest in religious matters, and I was assisted by a remarkable young singer by the name of Peter Bilhorn. One night after the close of the service he said, ‘Why don’t you write a hymn for me to set to music?’ During the night these verses came to me. The original poem began, ‘Can’t you sing the wondrous story?’ but when the song was first published by Sankey in 1887 the phrase was changed to “I will sing …”1. Below are two versions I hope you’ll enjoy.
I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me; how he left his home in glory for the cross of Calvary:
Refrain Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me, sing it with his saints in glory, gathered by the crystal sea.
I was lost, but Jesus found me, found the sheep that went astray, threw his loving arms around me, back into the narrow way.
Refrain
Faint was I, and fears possessed me, bruised was I from many a fall; hope was gone, and shame distressed me, but his love has pardoned all:
Refrain
Days of darkness still come o’er me, sorrow’s path I often tread, but his presence still is with me; by his guiding hand I’m led.
Refrain
He will keep me till the river rolls its waters at my feet; then He’ll bear me safely over, where the loved ones I shall meet.
Written by Martin Luther in 1529, this hymn is often referred to as “the battle hymn” of the Reformation. Many stories have been relayed about it’s use. Albert Bailey writes, “It was, as Heine said, the Marseillaise of the Reformation…It was sung in the streets…It was sung by poor Protestant emigres on their way to exile, and by martyrs at their death…Gustavus Adolphus ordered it sung by his army before the battle of Leipzig in 1631…Again it was the battle hymn of his army at Lutzen in 1632…It has had a part in countless celebrations commemorating the men and events of the Reformation; and its first line is engraved on the base of Luther’s monument at Wittenberg…An imperishable hymn! Not polished and artistically wrought but rugged and strong like Luther himself, whose very words seem like deeds” (The Gospel in Hymns, 316)1. The below version was sent through as a suggestion by a subscriber of the blog… enjoy!
A mighty Fortress is our God, A Bulwark never failing; Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God’s own choosing: Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth His Name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us: The Prince of Darkness grim, We tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, For lo! his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, No thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through Him who with us sideth: Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His Kingdom is forever.
The author of this hymn, Joachim Neander, was born in Bremen, Germany in 1650. In his early years, he lived a lusty, immoral life. Then he and a group of friends decided to attend a service conducted by a visiting preacher, Pastor Under-Eyke, and Neander was quickly converted. In his mid-20s, Neander became director of the Latin School of Dusseldorf, where he served for several years. He experienced considerable opposition there because of his pietism, and was eventually dismissed from that position. He then suffered declining health, and died at age 30. Neander’s life was tragic in the classic sense—a life of great potential cut short by an untimely death. However, he wrote 60 hymns—most during his tenure at the Latin School. Most are hymns of joyful praise, even though they were written at a time when Neander was living under considerable stress. “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” is based on Psalms 103 and 150. It was inspired not only by those psalms but also by the beauty of the hills and rivers that Neander experienced on his walks through the German countryside1. As you can imagine there are lots of versions! Below are some of my favourite.
Praise to the Lord! the Almighty, The King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, For He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near, Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord! Who o’er All things so wondrously reigneth, Shelters thee under His wings, Yea, so gently sustaineth: Hast thou not seen, How thy desires have been Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord! Who doth prosper Thy work, and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy Here daily attend thee; Ponder anew, What the Almighty can do, If with His love He befriend thee!
Praise to the Lord! Oh let all that is In me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, Come now with praises before Him! Let the Amen, Sound from His people again, Gladly for aye we adore Him!
This hymn, written by Frances Ridley Haverga, was dated 3 Nov. 1874, written in Leamington, Warwickshire, England, where her family had a home and she was returning from visiting Switzerland. But near the end of her trip in Switzerland, she had a turn of health; her sister noted, “Somehow or somewhere she caught fever, and commenced her homeward journey with dull headache and sickness.” Home was reached, shiverings and feverish symptoms rapidly set in, and she was soon utterly prostrate with typhoid fever. In spite of her illness, Frances found an incredible peace. She later explained to her sister: “All through my long illness I was very happy;… My one wish was to glorify God and to let my doctor and nurse see it”. Her hymn “Like a river glorious / is God’s perfect peace,” although not mentioned specifically here, was therefore written in the midst of terrible sickness, probably dictated to a family member, and it expresses the peace she felt in the possibility of finding heaven1.
Like a river glorious, Is God’s perfect peace; Over all victorious, in its bright increase. Perfect, yet it floweth, Fuller every day; Perfect, yet it groweth, Deeper all the way.
Refrain Stayed upon Jehovah, Hearts are fully blest. Finding as He promised, Perfect peace and rest
Hidden in the hollow Of His blessed hand; Never foe can follow, Never traitor stand. Not a surge of worry, Not a shade of care; Not a blast of hurry Touch the spirit there.
Every joy or trial Falleth from above; Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love. We may trust Him fully, All for us to do; They who trust Him wholly Find Him wholly true.
Throughout her life, E. Margaret Clarkson was plagued by pain; initially from migraines, accompanied by convulsive vomiting, and then arthritis—two ailments that accompanied her continually. This pain would be accompanied by other forms of suffering throughout her lifetime, especially severe feelings of loneliness and isolation. At the same time, Clarkson’s life was also marked by a love for hymns. She found comfort and strength in hymns, both in their contents and in the community of saints that wrote these hymns. As Clarkson later explained, through hymns she began to see the church “as one continuous, living stream of the grace of God” in which she had a place. “O Father, You are Sovereign,” was published late in Clarkson’s life in 1982, in the midst of a burst of writing after her early retirement from teaching. Severe spinal problems compelled her to retire in 1973, at the age of 58, and though plagued by pain, she wrote most of her books in the decade that followed.
O Father, you are sovereign in all the worlds you made; your mighty word was spoken, and light and life obeyed. Your voice commands the seasons and bounds the ocean’s shore, sets stars within their courses and stills the tempest’s roar.
O Father, you are sovereign in all affairs of man; no pow’rs of death or darkness can thwart your perfect plan. All chance and change transcending, supreme in time and space, you hold your trusting children secure in your embrace.
OFather, you are sovereign, the Lord of human pain, transmuting earthly sorrows to gold of heav’nly gain. All evil overruling, as none but Conqu’ror could, your love pursues its purpose– our souls’ eternal good.
O Father, you are sovereign! We see you dimly now, but soon before your triumph earth’s ev’ry knee shall bow. With this glad hope before us, our faith springs up anew: our sovereign Lord and Saviour, we trust and worship you!
Hymn of the Day 