Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns - Vyrso

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Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns - Vyrso

First Performance of Silent Night, 1818

On Christmas Eve in 1818 the song, "Silent Night" was performed for the first time. The setting was the Christmas Eve service at the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. Traditions abound concerning the circumstances of the song's composition. One of the most popular claims that the church's organ broke, so the pastor, Joseph Mohr, wrote something simple that could be played on guitar. However, a manuscript of the song was found in Mohr's handwriting that has 1816 as the year the words were written. Franz Gruber wrote the music probably in 1818, and John Freeman Young translated the original German into English in 1859 or 1863. Wikipedia gives 1859 as the year.

Whatever were the actual circumstances, it is obvious that "Silent Night" has become one of the most popular Christmas carols ever. It's popularity was seen dramatically almost a hundred years later in the trenches of World War I during the Christmas Truce of 1914. On Christmas Eve German troops began singing some of their carols , and the British responded with English carols. Both sides sang "Silent Night" in their own languages because it was one of the few carols that they all knew. It was a time of unofficial cease-fire, peace, and even camaraderie. The opponents shouted greetings to each other, came out of their trenches, and exchanged gifts before the fighting resumed a few days later.

The song's message of "the dawn of redeeming grace" arouses our desire for the noon day, when redeeming grace shines brightest at Christ's return and we have real, lasting peace.

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

A good resource on this and other hymns is Treasury of Great Hymns and Their Stories by Mrs. Guye Johnson (appears to be out of print).

First Performance of Silent Night, 1818

The Lord Will Provide | John Newton (Olney Hymns)

The church we have been attending for the past month or so is in the midst of a Bible Conference. The theme is "Grace Abounding," and both sermons today by Dr. Benton were a blessing. This evening's message was based upon John 16:33,

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

The logic of Jesus' argument, Dr. Benton explained, is that:

A) If the world is the source of our trouble (i.e. accident, adversity, and anxiety), and
B) Jesus has already overcome the world, then
C) In Christ there are no such things as accidents, adversities, and anxieties.

God's providence is at work in all incidents ("In God's world there are no 'What if's'.").
Yes, we have an Adversary, but he can not destroy us.
We have no Gospel-reason for being anxious.

We closed with the following hymn found in Olney Hymns. It seemed to fit the theme of the message very well.

Hymn 7
John Newton
10,10,11,11
The LORD will provide.

Though troubles assail
And dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail
And foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us,
Whatever betide,
The scripture assures us,
The Lord will provide.

The birds without barn
Or storehouse are fed,
From them let us learn
To trust for our bread:
His saints, what is fitting,
Shall ne’er he denied,
So long as ’tis written,
The Lord will provide.

We may, like the ships,
By tempest be tossed
On perilous deeps,
But cannot be lost.
Though Satan enrages
The wind and the tide,
The promise engages,
The Lord will provide.

His call we obey
Like Abram of old,
Not knowing our way,
But faith makes us bold;
For though we are strangers
We have a good Guide,
And trust in all dangers,
The Lord will provide.

When Satan appears
To stop up our path,
And fill us with fears,
We triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us,
Though oft he has tried,
This heart–cheering promise,
The Lord will provide.

He tells us we’re weak,
Our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek
We ne’er shall obtain,
But when such suggestions
Our spirits have plied,
This answers all questions,
The Lord will provide.

No strength of our own,
Or goodness we claim,
Yet since we have known
The Savior’s great name;
In this our strong tower
For safety we hide,
The Lord is our power,
The Lord will provide.

When life sinks apace
And death is in view,
This word of his grace
Shall comfort us through:
No fearing or doubting
With Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting,
The Lord will provide.

This hymn is coupled with William Cowper's Jehovah-Jireh, The LORD will provide (Hymn 6) based upon Genesis 22:14. This particular hymns concludes with the following two stanzas:

Blest proofs of pow’r and grace divine,

That meet us in his word!

May every deep–felt care of mine

Be trusted with the Lord.

Wait for his seasonable aid,

And though it tarry wait:

The promise may be long–delayed,

But cannot come too late.

The Lord Will Provide | John Newton (Olney Hymns)

How Welcome is the Day of Rest!

The Lord's Day
by John Newton

How welcome to the saints, when pressed
With six days noise, and care, and toil,
Is the returning day of rest,
Which hides them from the world awhile?

Now, from the throng withdrawn away,
They seem to breathe a different air;
Composed and softened by the day,
All things another aspect wear.

How happy if their lot is cast,
Where statedly the gospel sounds
The word is honey to their taste,
Renews their strength, and heals their wounds!

Though pinched with poverty at home,
With sharp afflictions daily fed;
It makes amends, if they can come
To GOD'S own house for heav'nly bread!

With joy they hasten to the place,
Where they their Savior oft have met;
And while they feast upon his grace,
Their burdens and their griefs forget.

This favored lot, my friends, is ours,
May we the privilege improve;
And find these consecrated hours,
Sweet earnests of the joys above!

We thank thee for thy day, O Lord,
Here we thy promised presence seek;
Open thine hand, with blessings stored,
And give us Manna for the week.

~from Olney Hymns, published this day in 1779

How Welcome is the Day of Rest!

America’s Songbird—Fanny Crosby

Happy birthday to Fanny Crosby, born Francis Jane Crosby on March 24, 1820 in Putnam County, New York. Miss Crosby was one of the best known women in the USA in the 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, writing at least 8000 hymns during her long life. Most of the hymnals published in America for about the last century and a half contain her work.

When Fanny was six weeks old her parents John and Mercy Crosby took her to the doctor to treat inflammation of the eyes. The man filling in for the regular family doctor recommended a treatment that ended up blinding her for life. Instead of being bitter, Fanny was thankful not to have the distractions from knowing God that sighted people have. Even her earliest writings reflect the strong Bible teaching she received during childhood from her mother and grandmother (her father died when she was one year old). At age eight she wrote these verses revealing her attitude toward her blindness:

Oh what a happy soul I am,

Although I cannot see;

I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,

That other people don't;

To weep and sigh because I'm blind,

I cannot, and I won't.

In adult life Miss Crosby became a teacher and a musician. She married a blind musician and fellow-teacher in 1858 and had a daughter, who died in infancy. Having experienced success writing poems and popular songs, she turned to writing what she is most famous for—hymns. In one of her best known hymns she writes, “I long to see my Savior first of all.” Her attitude toward God’s dealings with her really shines in her song, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me.” One line in this song states, “Can I doubt His tender mercy, who through life has been my guide?”

The hymns of Fanny Crosby indicate that she kept her childhood resolve to be content. In her hymn, “Blessed Assurance,” she exclaims, “Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest.” It was probably this testimony of contentment that led one poet to eulogize her with the words, “Our songbird has taken her flight.” The blind hymnist finally saw her Savior first of all on February 12, 1915.

Such steadfast, joyous faith comes from knowing and believing the Word of God. She accepted the Bible’s testimony about her Lord despite adverse circumstances. All the way the Savior led her, and she was able to truly testify, “For I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.”

Oh, for the insight to see as clearly as Fanny Crosby did!

____________________

For further reading:

Fanny J. Crosby: An Autobiography (Hendrickson Publishers, 2008) Forthcoming

Guye Johnson, Treasury of Great Hymns and Their Stories (BJU Press, 1986)

Wikipedia article on Fanny Crosby

America’s Songbird—Fanny Crosby