LORD IN THE FULNESS OF MY MIGHT

LORD IN THE FULNESS OF MY MIGHT – EMHB 396

Author: Thomas H. Gill (1819-1906)

Tune: University

Bible Reference: 1st Chronicles 29 : 2

Introduction:

The words of this Hymn was written by Thomas Hornblower Gill (1819-1906). He was an English Presbyterian who become Unitarian in his doctrine later. He wrote this Hymn in 1855 and published same in his “Golden Chain of Praise” of 1869 under the leading “Early love, how good it is to close with Christ betimes”. This Hymn is based on 1st Chronicles 29:2 “Using every resource at my command. I have gathered as much as I could for building the temple of my God. Now there is enough Gold, Silver, Bronze, Iron, Wood as well as great quantities of Onyx, other precious Stones, costly Jewels and all kinds of fine Stones and Marble”.

Thomas Gill made a vow that he would be strong for the Lord and not let worldly things becloud his judgement so that he would continue to serve God whilst he has the strength and not wait till he was old. With the words of this Hymn we are encouraged to serve God and mankind when we still have the wherewithal to enjoy a fruitful and blessed life.

Please enjoy this Hymn.

EMHB 396

1. Lord, in the fullness of my might,
I would for Thee be strong:
While runneth o’er each dear delight,
To Thee should soar my song.

2. I would not give the world my heart,
And then profess Thy love;
I would not feel my strength depart,
And then Thy service prove.

3. I would not with swift-winged zeal
On the world’s errands go,
And labour up the heavenly hill
With weary feet and slow.

4. O not for Thee my weak desires,
My poorer, baser part!
O not for Thee my fading fires,
The ashes of my heart!

5. O choose me in my golden time,
In my dear joys part!
For Thee the glory of my prime,
The fullness of my heart!

6. I cannot, Lord, too early take
The covenant divine;
O ne’er the happy heart may break
Whose earliest love was Thine!


Adesegun Akitoye

http://www.repeatrichrelief.com

ETERNAL FATHER STRONG TO SAVE

ETERNAL FATHER STRONG TO SAVE – EMHB 917

Author: William Whiting (1825-1878)

Tune: Melita by Rev. John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876)

Scripture Reference: Psalm 121 : 4 “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep – The Lord shall rescue your going out and your coming in”.

Introduction:

This Hymn is known throughout the world as the ‘Sailors or Travelers Hymn’ is the work of William Whiting (1825-1878), the son of a London grocer. Educated at Winchester Training Institution, a college for teachers. He became the first master of the Choristers of Winchester College – a group of boys who were supposed to sing in the Chapel. The story goes that Whiting wrote this Hymn for one of the Winchester Choristers who was about to sail to America. In 1860, Whiting submitted this Hymn as a possible entry for the forth coming ‘Hymn Ancient and Modern’ and it was included in it’s first edition in 1861 with some modifications. Whiting himself re-wrote the entire Hymn in 1869. Some of the imagery on the Hymn seems to have been taken from John Milton’s “Paradise lost”.

“Eternal Father strong to save” has been sung on many great Naval occasions in the last hundred years. When Churchill and Roosevelt had their secret meeting in the North Atlantic during the second World War. Churchill chose it to be sung on the ship H.M.S. Prince of Wales.

The tune ‘Melita’, universally associated with this Hymn was written by Rev. John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876), who then was a Minor Canon and Precentor of Durham Cathedral. The name Melita was taken from the Biblical story of St. Paul’s journey from Caesarea to Rome (Acts 28:1) records that after a ship wreck Paul and his fellow prisoners were able to swim to the Island of Melita the name by which Malta was then known.

This Hymn was reported to be played and sung when the great ship THE TITANIC was sinking.

Please join me in doing justice to this great Hymn.

EMHB 917

1. Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

2. O Saviour, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amid its rage didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

3. O Sacred Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
Who bad’st its angry tumult cease,
And gavest light, and life, and peace:
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

4. O Trinity of love and power,
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe’er they go;
And ever let there rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Adesegun Akitoye

http://www.repeatrichrelief.com

HUSHED WAS THE EVENING HYMN

HUSHED WAS THE EVENING HYMN – EMHB 848

Author: James Drummond Burns (1823-1864)

Tune: Samuel

Bible Reference: 1st Samuel 3 : 10

Introduction:

James Burns a Scottish man wrote this Hymn in 1857 at the age of 34, during a long bout of ill health. The Hymn is based on 1st Samuel 3:10 “Speak hard for thy servant heareth”. It is listed under ‘Hymns for Children’ in the Methodist Hymn Book. This is probably because the above verse referred to little Samuel that was called by God and was asked by his master Eli to respond to the calling by the words “Lord speak for Thy servant heareth”.

The writer, James Burns tried to capture this event in his imagination “Hushed was the evening hymn, the temple courts were dark the lamp was burning dim…… when suddenly a voice divine rang through the silence of the shrine”. He went on to ask God to give him Samuel’s ear so as to be able to hear when God calls. Samuel’s heart to be able to obey God. Samuel’s mind, resigned to God in life and earth and the ability to read with childlike eyes truth that are hidden from the wise.

James Burns wrote a few more Hymns especially during periods of ill-health and died in 1864 at the age of 41.

As we sing this Hymn, let us like Burns ask God to make us as receptive as Samuel to His call.

EMHB 848

1. Hushed was the evening hymn,
The temple courts were dark,
The lamp was burning dim
Before the sacred ark,
When suddenly a voice divine
Rang through the silence of the shrine.

2. The old man, meek and mild,
The priest of Israel, slept;
His watch the temple child,
The little Levite, kept:
And what from Eli’s sense was sealed
The Lord to Hannah’s son revealed.

3. O give me Samuel’s ear,
The open ear, O Lord,
Alive and quick to hear
Each whisper of Thy word;
Like him to answer at Thy call,
And to obey Thee first of all.

4. O give me Samuel’s heart,
A lowly heart, that waits
Where in Thy house Thou art
Or watches at Thy gates
By day and night-a heart that still
Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

5. O give me Samuel’s mind,
A sweet unmurmuring faith,
Obedient and resigned
To Thee in life and death,
That I may read with childlike eyes
Truths that are hidden from the wise.

Adesegun Akitoye
http://www.repeatrichrelief.com

WE GIVE THEE BUT THINE OWN

WE GIVE THEE BUT THINE OWN – EMHB 923

Author: William Walsham How (1823-1897)

Tune: Cambridge

Bible Reference: 1st Chronicles 29 : 14

Introduction:

The writer of this Hymn, William W. How was described as one of the most conscientious and well loved of all Victorian Clergymen. He was educated in Shrewsbury in England where his father was a Solicitor. He started writing Hymns as a young boy for services which he held with his brother and stepsister. He was ordained in 1846 and after several refusals, he became the Bishop of the new Industrial Diocese of Wakefield in West Yorkshire in 1889.

How wrote about Fifty-four Hymns.

The above Hymn was written in 1864 and was based on 1st Chronicles 29:15. “All things come from thee and of thine own have we given thee”.

William How reminds us that all that we have belongs to God when we give anything to him, we are only giving back some of what has been given us. He asks God to bless us with his bounties so as to give him our first fruits and also to believe God’s word though our faith is small, we should remember that whatever we give to God already belongs to Him.

Please join me in singing this melodious Hymn with a heart of thanksgiving.

EMHB 923

1. We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

2. May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our first-fruits give.

3. O hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs, for whom the Shepherd bled,
Are straying from the fold.

4. To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.

5. The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.

6. And we believe Thy word,
Though dim our faith may be,
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.

Adesegun Akitoye

http://www.repeatrichrelief.com

I TO THE HILL WILL LIFT MINE EYES

I TO THE HILL WILL LIFT MINE EYES – EMHB 625

The Scottish Psalter (1650)

Tune: Agnes by John B. Dykes (1823-1876)

Bible Reference: Psalm 121 : 1-3

Introduction;

The words of this Hymn were written by F. Bland Tucker and was based on Psalm 121 vs 1-3 “I look up to the mountain does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. He will not let you stumble, the one who watches over you will not slumber”.

Christians throughout history have wanted to obey the Biblical injunction to praise the Lord using Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs. John Calvin quoting Augustine wrote “We shall not find better songs nor more fitting for the purpose than the Psalms of David which the Holy Spirit spoke. But the Psalms were originally written in Hebrew and when translated they don’t typically have the rhyme or rhythm for easy singing”.

In the early 1640s Francis Rouse and English Puritan rendered all 150 Psalms from the Hebrew into Metric English. The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland meeting in Edinburgh, took Rouse’s translation and submitted it to Revision Committees. These Committees spent six years working painstakingly as if creating a new translation of the Bible. Finally in 1650 the Scottish Psalter was accepted by the Congregation.

Let us lift up our voices in praise of God who made heaven and earth who will keep our going out and coming in, and preserve us from all ill now and forever.

EMHB 625

1. I to the hills will lift mine eyes,
From whence doth come mine aid;
My safety cometh from the Lord,
Who heaven and earth hath made.

2. Thy foot He’ll not let slide, nor will
He slumber that thee keeps:
Behold, He that keeps Israel,
He slumbers not, nor sleeps.

3. The Lord thee keeps, the Lord thy shade
On thy right hand doth stay:
The moon by night thee shall not smite,
Nor yet the sun by day.

4. The Lord shall keep thy soul; He shall
Preserve thee from all ill:
Henceforth thy going out and in
God keep for ever will.

Adesegun Akitoye

http://www.repeatrichrelief.com