Today’s hymn comes from James Harrington Evans (1785-1849), son of the Rev. Dr. Evans, priest-vicar of Salisbury Cathedral, was born. Taking Holy Orders in 1808 he remained in the Church of England until 1815, when he seceded, and became a Baptist Minister. He was the Minister of John Street Baptist Chapel, Gray’s Inn Road, London, for many years¹. J C Ryle included this hymn in his selection of hymns called “Hymns and Spiritual Songs”. Writing of this collection, Ryle says “If the three hundred hymns, which I now send forth, shall do good to the weakest lamb in Christ’s flock, and shall comfort, cheer, establish, or build up one suffering member of Christ’s mystical body, the labour which I have expended in collecting them, will be more than repaid.”² I hope this hymn is an encouragement to you to persevere today; enjoy!

Faint not, Christian! though the road
Leading to Thy blest abode
Darksome be, and dang’rous too,
Christ, thy Guide, will bring thee through

Faint not, Christian! though in rage
Satan doth thy soul engage;
Take thee faith’s anointed shield,
Bear it to the battle-field.

Faint not, Christian! though the world
Hath its hostile flag unfurled;
Hold the Cross of Jesus fast,
Thou shalt overcome at last.

Faint not, Christian! though within
There’s a heart so prone to sin;
Christ, thy Lord, is over all,
He’ll not suffer thee to fall.

Faint not, Christian! though thy God
Smite thee with the chast’ning rod;
Smite He must with Father’s care,
That He may His love declare.

Faint not, Christian! Christ is near;
Soon in glory He’ll appear;
Then shall end thy toil and strife,
Death be swallowed up of life.

¹hymnary.org/text/faint_not_christian_though_the_road
²gracegems.org/Ryle/ryle_hymns.htm

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Today’s hymn was written by Irishman Thomas Moore (1779-1852), a friend of the famous poets Lord George Gordon Byron and Percy Shelley. Following his publication of Irish Melodies(1807-1809), Moore was dubbed the “Voice of Ireland”. In spite of the popularity of the poet, it was an American educator, choral conductor, and church musician, Thomas Hastings (1784-1872), who altered the text and added a stanza, popularising it when it was published in Spiritual Songs for Social Worship (1831)¹. Enjoy!

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er you languish; 
come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel. 
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; 
earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal. 

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying, 
hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure! 
Here speaks the Comforter, in mercy saying, 
“Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot cure.” 

Here see the bread of life; see waters flowing 
forth from the throne of God, pure from above. 
Come to the feast prepared; come, ever knowing 
earth has no sorrows but heaven can remove

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-come-ye-disconsolate

Today’s hymn is a suggestion from a subscriber. Little is known about the author of this hymn. Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel was born in 1697 and the date of her death is unknown. Some hymnologists suggest that she may have become a Lutheran nun. We know her as the author of “Stille, mein Wille; dein Jesus hilft siegen” published in a collection entitled Neue Sammlung geistlicher Lieder (A new collection of spiritual songs) in 1752, one of several of her texts included there. This text appears at the time of German pietism, similar in spirit in many regards to the Wesleyan revival in England of the same era. Philipp Jacob Spener (1635-1705) led the German pietistic movement. Though not a hymn writer himself, he inspired a revival in German hymnody characterized by faithfulness to Scripture, personal experience, and deep emotional expression. Katharina von Schlegel is thought to be the leading female hymn writer of this period. The hymn comes to us via a translation by Jane L. Borthwick (1813-1897), a member of the Free Church of Scotland¹.

Be still, my soul;
The Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross
Of grief or pain;
Leave to your God
To order and provide;
In ev’ry change
He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul;
Your best, your heav’nly friend
Through thorny ways
Leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul;
Your God will undertake
To guide the future
As he has the past;
Your hope, your confidence,
Let nothing shake;
All now mysterious
Shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul;
The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled
Them while he lived below.

Be still, my soul;
When dearest friends depart
And all is darkened
In the vale of tears,
Then you will better
Know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe
Your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul;
Your Jesus can repay
From his own fullness
All he takes away.

Be still, my soul;
The hour is hast’ning on,
When we shall be
Forever with the Lord,
When disappointment,
Grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot,
Love’s purest joys restored.
Be still my soul;
When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed
We shall meet at last.

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-be-still-my-soul

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.

¹hymnary.org/text/a_mighty_fortress_is_our_god_a_bulwark

“All People That on Earth Do Dwell” is based on Psalm 100. In the Reformation, Calvin was concerned that hymns not clearly based on scripture might introduce false doctrine into the church, and so he advocated the singing of Psalms. He said that there were “no better songs nor more appropriate to the purpose (of congregational singing) than the Psalms of David which the Holy Spirit made and spoke through him.” In 1551, a Psalter was published in Geneva and in 1561, the Anglo-Genevan Psalter (an English-language Psalter) was published that included “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” set to a tune written earlier by Louis Bourgeois for Psalm 134. The words to “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” were written by William Kethe, a Scottish clergyman who had fled the persecutions of Queen Mary. His exile took him first to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Geneva. Kethe helped with the translation of the Geneva Bible in 1560 and contributed 25 psalms to the Anglo-Genevan Psalter.¹

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Serve him with joy, his praises tell,
Come now before him and rejoice!

Know that the Lord is God indeed;
He formed us all without our aid.
We are the flock he comes to feed,
The sheep who by his hand were made.

O enter then his gates with joy,
Within his courts his praise proclaim.
Let thankful songs your tongues employ.
O bless and magnify his name.

Trust that the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure.
His faithfulness at all times stood
And shall from age to age endure.

¹sermonwriter.com/hymn-stories/people-earth-dwell/

The opening stanza of this well-known hymn by Charles Wesley (1707–1788) is one of unbridled exuberance. The six-line stanza contains at least seven imperative exhortations: “Rejoice,” “give thanks,” “sing,” “Lift up your heart,” “Lift up your voice,” “Rejoice, again,” “rejoice”¹. The hymn is based on Philippians 4:4. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” The early Methodists experienced much persecution and hardship and Charles wrote this hymn, based on Paul’s words penned while to prison, to encourage them².

Rejoice the Lord is King,
Your Lord and King adore.
Mortals give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.

Refrain
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice, rejoice
Again I say, rejoice!

Jesus the Saviour reigns, 
The God of truth and love.
When he had purged our stains,
He took his seat above.

Refrain

His Kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heaven.
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus given.

Refrain

He sits at God’s right hand,
Till all His foes submit.
And bow to his command
And fall beneath his feet.

Refrain

Rejoice in glorious hope,
Jesus the judge shall come.
And take his servants up
To their eternal home.

We soon shall hear
the archangel’s voice,
The trump of God
shall sound, rejoice!

¹umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-rejoice-the-lord-is-king
²hymnswelove.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-story-behind-rejoice-lord-is-king.html

The original version of this hymn was written by John Fawcett in 1782. An orphan at the age of twelve, he was converted by the preaching of George Whitefield at the age of sixteen and began preaching soon thereafter. In 1765 Fawcett was called to a small, poor, Baptist country church in Wainsgate, Yorkshire. Seven years later he received a call from the large and influential Carter’s Lane Church in London, England. The day of departure came, and his family’s belongings were loaded on carts, but the distraught congregation begged him to stay; Fawcett continued to serve in Wainsgate and in the nearby village of Hebden Bridge for the remainder of his active ministry¹. Below includes a refrain and verse added by Connie Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near,
Thy Saviour’s gracious promise hear;
His faithful word declares to thee,
That as thy day thy strength shall be.

Let not thy heart despond, and say,
“How shall I stand the trying day?”
He has engaged by firm decree,
That as thy day thy strength shall be.

Refrain
So, sing with joy, afflicted one;
The battle’s fierce, but the victory’s won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.

Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
Thy Lord will make the tempter flee,
For as thy day thy strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in thy Redeemer’s name;
In fiery trials thou shalt see
That as thy day thy strength shall be

Added Verse:
When called to bear your weighty cross
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as your days your strength shall be.

¹hymnary.org/text/afflicted_saint_to_christ_draw_near

The writer of this hymn, Joseph Swain, was born in Birmingham, UK in 1761; after being apprenticed to an engraver, he moved to London. After a time he became a Christian, and being of an emotional poetic temperament, began to give expression to his new thoughts and feelings in hymns. In 1783 he was baptised by the Rev. Dr. Rippon, and in 1791 became minister of a Baptist congregation in East Street, Walworth in London¹. 

Come ye souls by, sin afflicted,
Bowed with fruitless, sorrow down;
By the broken, law convicted,
Through the cross, behold the crown;
Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus; Look to Jesus;
Mercy flows through Him alone.

Take His easy, yoke and wear it;
Love will make your, obedience sweet;
Christ will give you, strength to bear it,
While His grace, shall guide your feet
Safe to glory, Safe to glory, Safe to glory,
Where His ransomed captives meet.

Blessed are the, eyes that see Him,
Blest the ears that, hear His voice;
Blessed are the, souls that trust Him,
And in Him, alone rejoice;
His commandments, His commandments, His commandments
Then become their happy choice.

Sweet as home to, pilgrims weary,
Light to newly, opened eyes,
Like full springs in, deserts dreary,
Is the rest, the cross supplies;
All who taste it, All who taste it, All who taste it
Shall to rest immortal rise.

Link to my favourite version can be found here

^{1’https://hymnary.org/text/come_ye_souls_by_sin_afflicted}