****MORE ABOUT JESUS

Eliza Hewitt was born in 1851. She graduated valedictorian of her class at the Girl’s Normal School of Philadelphia and became a school teacher. But her teaching career ended early. 

An angry student struck her in the back with a heavy slate causing a serious and painful spinal injury. She was laid up in a full-body cast for six months and remained bedridden for quite a while after that.

During that time, Eliza developed a love for God’s Word, and a desire to share His love. So, she began to sing and write. She wrote children’s poems, Sunday School literature, and children’s songs. 

She never fully recovered but, eventually, her condition improved enough that she was able to serve in Christian ministry where she remained committed to reaching children with the message of the gospel through Sunday School songs and hymns. She attended Methodist Camp meetings in New Jersey where she worked on the hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.” 

She was the superintendent of the Sunday school at the Northern Home for Friendless Children and an active member of the Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.

She developed a close friendship with Fanny Crosby, and they often met to share ideas about their hymn writing. 

When she moved to another section of Philadelphia, she joined the Calvin Presbyterian Church and was the primary department Sunday School superintendent until she died in 1920, at the age of 68.

One of her songs, MORE ABOUT JESUS, came to the attention of John Sweeney who set it to music.

There are critics who complain that this song is too repetitious. But these are not vain repetitions.  Eliza's use of repetition makes an important distinction between materialistic people and spiritually minded people.  

The world clamors for more.  They are gluttons for more fun, more food, more money, more attention, and more stuff.   In contrast, the spiritual person hungers for more of God and all that pertains to the spiritual and eternal world.

Paul, the apostle, wrote, “...what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings...”  (Phil. 3:7-10)


In her hymn, MORE ABOUT JESUS, Eliza Hewitt expresses that same kind of spiritual longing:

To know MORE about the Lord Jesus.

To show MORE of His grace to others.

To experience MORE of His saving fullness.

To understand MORE of His love.

To discern MORE of His will.

To hear MORE of His Word.

To enjoy MORE of His communion.

And to anticipate MORE of His future glory.

****HALLELUJAH! WHAT A SAVIOR

I have shared some biographical information on Philip Bliss here and here.  He was the singer, hymn-writer, composer, and evangelist who died while attempting to rescue his wife when a trestle collapsed, and their train plunged into an icy river at the bottom of a deep ravine.

One year before his tragic death, he wrote and composed one of our greatest hymns, HALLELUJAH!  WHAT A SAVIOR.

The hymn was inspired by Isaiah’s prophecy where the Messiah is described as a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”  (Isa. 53:3)

In the third stanza, Philip Bliss describes our human condition; we are guilty of sin, vile, and utterly helpless.  And there is nothing we can do about that to merit God’s forgiveness and grace.

But Jesus told Nicodemus that, “whoever believes in Him will not perish.” (John 3:16).  

That word, perish, does not mean an end of existence; it implies an eternal ruin.  Apart from the intervention of God, that condemnation is what all men are destined for because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23)

But the Man of Sorrows willingly came and subjected Himself to the shame and scoffing of both Jews and Gentiles.  And He did that to redeem us.

It’s impossible for us to begin to understand His sorrow and grief.  As God, in human flesh, only He could know the depth and horror of our sin.  The Father turned His back on the Son who took our punishment on Himself when He was crucified on the cross.  And it was there that He cried out, “It is finished!”  (Jn. 19:30)

The Greek word is tetelesti, which means paid in full.  Some of you might remember the days when merchants carried open accounts for the goods they sold.  There was a receipt spike on the counter and every time a customer’s transactions were completed, the receipts were pierced through indicating that the total amount was paid in full.

 

And that’s what happened at Calvary. “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6)  He paid for our sin.  Jesus is our “paid in full” receipt.  He was pierced and, praise God, it is finished.

And one day, when He returns for those whom He bought, we will sing a new song around His throne.  “Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God.”  (Rev. 19:1).  

HALLELUJAH!  WHAT A SAVIOR.  

****SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

William Walford was an old, blind man who owned a small novelty shop in Coleshill, England about 200 years ago. Every day he sat and whittled little trinkets and useful objects from pieces of bones that he sold in his shop.

And as he worked, he prayed, and he recited scripture. Even though he had no formal education, he had an incredible memory. He had memorized volumes of scripture that he could quote verbatim. In fact, many of his friends thought he had memorized the entire Bible.

Because he was often called to preach in a rural English church, he composed all his sermons in his head and committed them to memory. 

In 1842, an American pastor, Thomas Salmon, spent some time in Coleshill, England, where he became acquainted with William. 

He recorded this story of what happened one day, while he was visiting the blind pastor:

“…(William recited) two or three pieces (of poetry) which he had composed, and, having no friend at home to commit them to paper, he had laid them up in the storehouse within. 

“Then he asked, ‘How will this do?’ as he (recited) the lines of (another four-stanza poem).

“I rapidly wrote the lines with my pencil, as he uttered them.” 

Three years later Salmon showed it to the editor of the New York Observer and SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER was published in 1845. 

Now, that’s the story, but some mysterious doubts have been raised about the real identity of William Walford. After the poem had been set to music and became well-known, some students of hymnology tried to authenticate his authorship. They could find no one of that name who fit the description given by Salmon. They were able to locate a Rev. William Walford in a place near Coleshill, England, but he was well educated and not blind. Nevertheless, William Walford’s story and authorship are generally not disputed. 

One commenter has noted that the first stanza of this hymn reads like a good, three-point sermon outline; which would be expected from a preacher of the gospel. 

1. It addresses our present condition. In this “world of care,” we all have “seasons of distress and grief.”

2. It points to a remedy; a "SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER." 

3. And it assures us of our hope; we can “escape the tempter’s snare.”

William Walford experienced many trials and difficulties in his life and there are several references to those troubles in his hymn. 

But his remedy was always the same remedy available to all Christians. Whenever we are troubled, we can approach our God in prayer. He always has time to listen and He brings peace to our souls. 

In the fourth stanza (which is omitted from most hymnbooks) is a reference to a strange-sounding place; Mount Pisgah. It was from that mountain, that Moses was able to see the land of Israel before God took him to heaven. The imagery, there, is that one day, we will no longer need times of prayer because we will be in the very presence of our God.

****WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR

A couple years ago, in another hymn commentary, I noted that the word, AWESOME, is one of the most commonly misused words in our culture.  It is used as a synonym for “cool” or “Impressive.”

But the biblical definition implies such great fear that it causes someone to fall flat on his face and worship.  The root word, “awe” is something reserved for God alone:  Job 25:2 says, “Dominion and awe belong to God.”

In scripture, nearly every use of the word "awesome," references either God Himself, His character, or something He has done.  God describes Himself as awesome because He is unique.  There is none like Him.  He is the ONLY One who is awesome.

The Old King James Version translators understood the word to mean terrible, as in Psalm 66 which says, “Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works!... Come and see the works of God: He is terrible in His doing toward the children of men.”

An awesome God is a God to be feared.   And one of His most awesome deeds was in His judgment of sin at Calvary where His terrible, fearful, dreadful, wrath was poured out on His crucified Son for the sins of His people. 

If Jesus Christ is not your Savior, then God is your awesome, terrible enemy.

In his famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards described God’s final judgment as truly terrifying and full of fire and wrath.  And that judgment isn't just fearful; it is truly violent and eternal.  Once this judgment begins, there's no turning back.   “Your most lamentable cries and shrieks will be in vain.”

But thank God, in contradistinction, we have a Wonderful Savior. 

Like AWESOME, that word, WONDERFUL, is also misused in our common speech.  We use it to describe something that is enjoyable, pleasant, or beautiful.  It’s a word used to communicate that everything is going great and you're totally happy.  

I once knew a man who overused it to the point that casual conversations were ridiculously annoying.

Him:    “How are you doing?” 

Me:     “Not very well.”  

Him:   “Wonderful!” 

Me:     "Well, not really, after yesterday.”   

Him:   “What happened yesterday?”  

Me:    “I had a tooth extracted.”    

Him:  “Wonderful!”

The word, WONDERFUL, is used in several of our hymns and it only appears in a few places in scripture.  And, in almost every case, it is attributed to the person of Jesus, His wisdom, or His miraculous power.

 The prophet, Isaiah said,

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His NAME will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  (Isaiah 9:6)

Our Savior is wonderful, not because He is pleasant, fun, or congenial.  He is wonderful because of Who He is and what He has done.

In the hymn, WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR! Elisha Hoffman gives several examples of the wonderful things our Savior did for us; He made atonement for our sins, paid the price of our redemption, shed His own blood for our cleansing, and reconciled our souls to God.  And, now, He reigns and rules in our lives and gives us the power to overcome sin and live a triumphant life.  

****GOD OF OUR FATHERS

For seven years, I tried to make sure that the songs we sang in our church were doctrinally sound, God-centered, and appropriate in the context of my pastor’s sermons. So, I avoided using songs for special secular holidays, because most of them were inappropriate for Christian worship services.

It is easy to become distracted and focus attention on someone else or something other than God, especially around national holidays. I have seen churches waste far too much of their time with patriotic music and productions designed to rally allegiance to our country. 

On one Memorial Day Sunday, I selected this hymn because it is a reverential prayer that focuses on God.

The first stanza is not about the greatness of our forefathers or even our nation; Our Lord is the subject, and it is about His power, majesty, and greatness as He has revealed Himself in creation. He is worthy of our praise!

The second stanza reminds us that our freedoms and blessings have come by His leading and guiding. The greatness of our nation is a result of godly men who established it on God’s Word and His Laws. He is worthy of our obedience!

The third stanza refers to our conflicts, sacrifices, and wars. Our nation is not great because of our military power. It is great because our God is a mighty warrior with a strong arm. Nations rise, and nations fall, but it is God who raises them up and He takes them down. He is worthy of our loyal allegiance.

The Lord commands us, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."  (Ex. 20:2

And I think it is appropriate to honor our Christian forefathers who struggled, sacrificed, and even died to protect the blessings and freedoms that God has provided. 

And the way to honor them is to love the God they loved. To Honor His law the way they did. To struggle against those who would defy Him. To stand firm on His Word and teach it to our children.

America cannot remain free without the God of the Bible. Alexis de Tocqueville, wrote, “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and ample rivers, and it was not there; in the fertile fields, and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

I would summarize it like this; America is great because she serves a great God, and if America ever ceases to serve Him, America will cease to be great.

The fourth stanza reminds us that we still need God’s mercy and grace in our time. Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”  

And Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  

Our nation has enjoyed much prosperity and freedom because our forefathers honored the Lord. But He will not continue to bless a nation that disobeys and dishonors Him. He is Worthy of our love and trust!    

 

****GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH

William Williams intended to become a doctor until he heard the gospel.  When God saved him, he dedicated his life to Christian ministry.

 He became a deacon in the Church of England in the early 1700s.  But because he was committed to the doctrines of early Calvinistic Methodism, the church refused his ordination. 

So, encouraged by George Whitfield, he devoted himself to traveling throughout Wales, as an itinerant evangelist, preaching the gospel and establishing local fellowships of Methodists.  

Williams, who was known as the "Sweet Singer of Wales," wrote nearly 900 hymns. He wrote his first hymn, "GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH" in 1745.  It has been translated into seventy-five languages.  It is so loved in Wales that it is considered an unofficial national anthem.

The name, ‘Jehovah’ is an attempted English transliteration of the Hebrew name that God revealed to Moses.  That name is now more accurately transliterated as ‘Yahweh.’  Today, some modern hymnals use the title “Redeemer” instead, and I think it is probably fitting for the context. 

In Exodus 15, Moses and the Israelites sang; “You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.”

The imagery in this hymn is based on the accounts in Exodus where God redeemed His people from slavery and then guided and provided for them all throughout their wandering years.

After leaving Egypt, the Israelites wandered as “pilgrims through this strange, barren land.”

The fact that millions of people could remain lost for 40 years is a miracle.  The Sinai Peninsula between Egypt and the promised land of Canaan is roughly the size of W. Virginia.

As a Cub Scout, at the age of eight, I knew that the sun rose in the east and set in the west and I could locate the North Star in the night sky.  So, by fixing their eyes on the Sun and setting a straight course, they should have been able to cross that wilderness in less than a month.   But that was not God’s plan.

The first stanza speaks of “Bread from heaven.”  During their wandering, God fed them with ‘manna’, which fell from heaven each day.  (I am convinced that the manna was pizza.  you can read about that HERE.)

In the second stanza, the hymn refers to the “crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow” reminding us that God provided life-giving water from the Rock, which is a type of Christ.  And He led His people with a pillar of “fire” by night and a “cloud” by day.

Stanza three speaks of the “verge of Jordan,” the river that Israel had to cross to enter Canaan which was associated with death and destruction.  But God was their protector and “Strong Deliverer.”  Ultimately, the Promised Land was in view.

In the same way that God guided and protected His people then, Christ will bring us through this world and lead us safely to His new creation.  He is our Redeemer, our Provider, our Guide, our Protector, and our Deliverer so we can sing with assurance, “Songs of Praises, Songs of Praises I will ever give to Thee.”  

****JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME

Money is not inherently bad, and God certainly blesses some with wealth. But the Proverb warns us that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

And Mark tells us, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”  (Mark 10:25)

One day while Jesus was speaking to a crowd, He warned them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Then He told the story: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’  So, he said, ‘I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 

But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ (Luke 12:13-21)

That was a parable, but a similar situation occurred in real life.

“As (Jesus) was (walking), (a man) came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’

Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honour your father and your mother.’

He answered and said, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’

Then Jesus, said to him, “One thing you lack: Go (and) sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

But (the man) was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions” (Mk. 10:17-22).

William Thompson was also a man of great success and wealth.  He was born in 1847 and he first began writing music at the age of 16.  When a publisher offered to purchase some of his songs for about $6.00 each, he rejected the offer and started his own music company.  He sold millions of copies of his popular secular songs.  He became so wealthy that people referred to him as the “Millionaire Songwriter.”

But one day he met the evangelist, D. L. Moody, whom God used to turn his heart and change his life.  Dr. Moody challenged him and said; “William, your songs are good, but why not write some songs that will bless people’s hearts and lives and bring them to Christ?”

That’s when William realized that his business and success overshadowed his devotion to his God.  That’s the day he committed his work to his Savior and he began to write hymns to the glory of God.  And, about that day, William said, “From that day on I have written ONLY SACRED SONGS, and it’s a decision I have never regretted.”  

Some of his acquaintances believed that William Thompson wrote this song, JESUS IS ALL THE WORLD TO ME, as a personal testimony to his love for his Savior.