JUST AS I AM WITHOUT ONE PLEA – EMHB 353
Author: Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871)
Tune: Misericordia by H. Smart (1813 -1879)
Biblical Reference: “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out” – (John 6:37)
Introduction:
This ever popular Evangelical Hymn, which has both a great simplicity and considerable emotional power was the work of a remarkable woman who spent fifty years of her life as a confirmed invalid.
Charlotte Elliot (1789 – 1871) was the grand-daughter of the Rev. Henry Venn, one of the members of the famous Clapham Sect which gathered around William Wilberforce. Rev. Venn Elliot was an Evangelical Clergyman. At the age of thirty-two Charlotte was stricken by an illness which continued to afflict her for the rest of her life. Although largely confined to bed, she lived to be eighty-two years old and wrote many Hymns with titles like The invalids Hymn Book, Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted.
Just as I am was written in 1834, when Charlotte’s brother Harry was raising money to build a College in Britain to educate the daughters of poor clergymen.
The whole Elliot house-hold was busily engaged in organizing a bazaar to raise money for the proposed school and Charlotte, sitting in her sickroom felt particularly useless and helpless. As she sat alone a sense of peace and contentment came over her and in that spirit, she wrote the verses which have brought comfort and strength to so many.
For the opening phrase of each verse she drew on words which had been addressed to her twelve years earlier by a visiting Swiss Evangelist, Dr. Cesar Malan. In response to a protestation of her unworthiness to come to Christ, he had told her to come to the Saviour ‘Jesus as you are’ Dora Williams Wordsworth – her daughter, asked for it to be read to her every morning as she lay dying at her fathers’ house – this brought her a great deal of spiritual benefit.
EMHB 353
1. Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!
2. Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come!
3. Just as I am, though tossed about,
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come!
4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come!
5. Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
With welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come!
6. Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down-
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come!
7. Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Author: Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871)
Tune: Misericordia by H. Smart (1813 -1879)
Biblical Reference: “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out” – (John 6:37)
Introduction:
This ever popular Evangelical Hymn, which has both a great simplicity and considerable emotional power was the work of a remarkable woman who spent fifty years of her life as a confirmed invalid.
Charlotte Elliot (1789 – 1871) was the grand-daughter of the Rev. Henry Venn, one of the members of the famous Clapham Sect which gathered around William Wilberforce. Rev. Venn Elliot was an Evangelical Clergyman. At the age of thirty-two Charlotte was stricken by an illness which continued to afflict her for the rest of her life. Although largely confined to bed, she lived to be eighty-two years old and wrote many Hymns with titles like The invalids Hymn Book, Hours of Sorrow Cheered and Comforted.
Just as I am was written in 1834, when Charlotte’s brother Harry was raising money to build a College in Britain to educate the daughters of poor clergymen.
The whole Elliot house-hold was busily engaged in organizing a bazaar to raise money for the proposed school and Charlotte, sitting in her sickroom felt particularly useless and helpless. As she sat alone a sense of peace and contentment came over her and in that spirit, she wrote the verses which have brought comfort and strength to so many.
For the opening phrase of each verse she drew on words which had been addressed to her twelve years earlier by a visiting Swiss Evangelist, Dr. Cesar Malan. In response to a protestation of her unworthiness to come to Christ, he had told her to come to the Saviour ‘Jesus as you are’ Dora Williams Wordsworth – her daughter, asked for it to be read to her every morning as she lay dying at her fathers’ house – this brought her a great deal of spiritual benefit.
EMHB 353
1. Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!
2. Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come!
3. Just as I am, though tossed about,
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fighting and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come!
4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need, in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come!
5. Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
With welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come!
6. Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down-
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come!
7. Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Adesegun Akitoye
No comments:
Post a Comment