HYMNS | There's Power in the Blood

Lewis Edgar Jones

Lewis Edgar Jones USA 1865-1936. Born in Yates City, IL, his family moved near Davenport, IA, where he lived on a farm until age 21. He went into business for awhile, and attended the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He was a classmate of evangelist, Billy Sunday. After graduating, he worked for the YMCA in Davenport, IA; Fort Worth, TX (1915, as general secretary); and Santa Barbara, CA (1925 as general secretary). Hymn writing was his avocation, and he wrote 200+, advising that many came from pastors’ sermons. He married Lora May Wright (1872-1950), and they had a daughter, Frances Ellen (1897-1982). He died in Santa Barbara,

This hymn was one of those that was formative in my own young life. As a then member of the Salvation Army I both sang and played this inspiring song and its frequency of use during my life has seared it into my memory. Many decades later I am encouraged and uplifted by its unrestrained testimony to the power of what our Saviour, Jesus Christ did on Calvary's hill.  

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o'er evil a victory win?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain: 

There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide–
There's wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be whiter, yes brighter than snow?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow–
There's wonderful power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus, your King?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood. 

 This stirring hymn written in 1899 is sung and played beautifully by the pupils of Fountain View Christian school in British Columbia, Canada. The fact that young people can bring such youthful enthusiasm to a hymn that is more than 120 year's old is so encouraging. As I prepared this blog entry it was on a cold rainy day in January and I was not particularly high spirited about things. This all changed when I found this YouTube video and I found myself singing it through that otherwise dark and dreary day. 

Citations:

Lewis E. Jones (1865-1936): both the lyricist and composer of this
Lewis E. Jones life story: https://hymnary.org
Image of Lewis E. Jones: Ron West

HYMNS | My Jesus I love Thee

William R. Featherston

There have been a number of beautiful Love songs  written to express our adoration of Jesus our Saviour. This hymn by William R. Featherston ranks as one of the most poignant and moving. At around his 16th. birthday he wrote a poem expressing his love and devotion to the one he had given his life to just one year earlier. His poem was later to become the much loved hymn, My Jesus I love Thee. Featherston died tragically at the young age of 26 and it is of course conjecture what other wonderful hymns would have flowed from his pen had he lived longer.

The hymn has become a firm favourite in the Salvation Army and the International Staff Songsters bring a deep meditative flavour to this beautiful performance. 

It is a hymn that demands a great deal of attention when listening to it and I have found it to be a powerful source of meditation that leads me into prayer.

HYMNS | In the Secret of Thy Presence

 
General Albert Orsborn was the sixth person to lead the work of the Salvation Army. He did so between the years of 1946 - 1954. He was no stranger to suffering losing two wives to ill health. The second passed away after just one year of them being together.  His walk with God was intimate and it earned him the title of "The General next to God". His commitment to God  was evident in the contents of more than 20 hymns he wrote for the Salvation Army Song Book.

 He had the ability of cramming so much into each individual verse, an example of this and one that is perhaps my favourite of all of them, is the beautiful, "In the Secret of Thy  Presence".

In the secret of Thy presence,

Where the pure in heart may dwell,

Are the springs of sacred service

And a power that none can tell.

There my love must bring its offering,

There my heart must yield its praise,

And the Lord will come, revealing

All the secrets of His ways.

In the secret of Thy presence,

In the hiding of Thy power,

Let me love Thee, let me serve Thee,

Every consecrated hour.

More than all my lips may utter,

More than all I do or bring,

Is the depth of my devotion

To my Saviour, Lord and King.

Nothing less will keep me tender;

Nothing less will keep me true;

Nothing less will keep the fragrance

And the bloom on all I do!

Blessèd Lord, to see Thee truly,

Then to tell as I have seen –

This shall rule my life supremely;

This shall be the sacred gleam.

Sealed again is all the sealing,

Pledged again my willing heart,

First to know Thee, then to serve Thee,

Then to see Thee as Thou art.

Roger Manchester UK

HYMNS | O Boundless Salvation

William Booth

 1 O boundless salvation! deep ocean of love

O fulness of mercy, Christ brought from above,

The whole world redeeming, so rich and so free,

Now flowing for all men, come, roll over me!

2 My sins they are many, their stains are so deep,

And bitter the tears of remorse that I weep;

But useless is weeping; thou great crimson sea,

Thy waters can cleanse me, come, roll over me!

3 My tempers are fitful, my passions are strong,

They bind my poor soul and they force me to wrong;

Beneath thy blest billows deliverance I see,

O come, mighty ocean, and roll over me!

4 Now tossed with temptation, then haunted with fears,

My life has been joyless and useless for years;

I feel something better most surely would be

If once thy pure waters would roll over me.

5 O ocean of mercy, oft longing I’ve stood

On the brink of thy wonderful, life-giving flood!

Once more I have reached this soul-cleansing sea

I will not go back till it rolls over me.

6 The tide is now flowing, I’m touching the wave,

I hear the loud call of the mighty to save;

My faith’s growing bolder, delivered I’ll be;

I plunge ‘neath the waters, they roll over me.

7 And now, hallelujah! the rest of my days

Shall gladly be spent in promoting his praise

Who opened his bosom to pour out this sea

Of boundless salvation for you and for me.

The Christian Hymnal is studied with songs depicting the sheer majesty and omnipotence of God. The truth is that they can, on their own,  only ever paint a small fraction of the subject they seek to describe. These "Anthems", for that is what they invariably become, bring us exuberantly before His throne with words like "O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing" and "Jesus, the Name high over All" to name a couple. They have, of course, become firm favourites throughout the Christian Church. 

 

William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, wrote a wonderful hymn that falls into this category. His song, "O Boundless Salvation" likens Salvation to an all consuming ocean with phrases like "Deep ocean of love" and "Come, roll over me", to mention a couple. The video demonstrates the international nature of the Christian Church and in particular this organisation. 

HYMNS | Just as I Am

Charlotte Elliot 

Just as I am—without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee—

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

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, I come.

Just as I am—though tossed about

With many a conflict, many a doubt,

Fightings and fears within, without—

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

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, I come.

Just as I am—Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe—

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am—Thy love unknown

Hath broken every barrier down;

Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone—

O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

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, I come!

Charlotte Elliott suffered debilitating illness and bouts of deep depression. Her question concerning her usefulness was always with her. I’m convinced it was. With this glorious hymn of hers, ringing in their ears, hundreds and thousands of people came to our Savior when they walked from where they were sitting in the auditorium or stadium to the front of the stage where Billy Graham and his team were there to welcome them to their encounter with God.

HYMNS | He Giveth More Grace

Annie Johnson Flint

1. He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

2. When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Refrain

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

 The last two lines of the second verse are quite amazing in that they seem to indicate that, to enjoy the fullness of God's giving we have to have reached the end of ourselves. Another way of looking at it is, perhaps, that the measure of His giving is commensurate on the depth of our need.

HYMNS | Near the Cross

Fanny Crosby

Jesus, keep me near the cross,

There a precious fountain—

Free to all, a healing stream—

Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

Refrain:

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever;

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and Mercy found me;

There the bright and morning star

Sheds its beams around me.

Near the cross! I'll watch and wait,

Hoping, trusting ever;

Till I reach the golden strand,

Just beyond the river

The first two lines of the second verse describe so well our condition when we come to Him at the Cross. They also demonstrate, beautifully His attitude towards us.