More Hymn Writers Anniversaries 2000

The year 1850 saw the birth of at least three people who, though largely forgotten now, made their own important contribution to English hymnody by penning at least a great hymn still sung today. Sadly, little is known about two of these three.

O breath of life, come sweeping through us was written by Elizabeth Ann Head (1850-1936). She was also known by here maiden name of Bessie Porter. The hymn was probably written in 1914 and first appeared in her Heavenly Places and other Messages in 1920. By the mid-thirties it had become a firm favourite especially at the annual Keswick Convention. Norfolk born, Mrs Head was involved in various forms of Christian work including the YMCA. Her husband was a Swansea man. The author of the tune Spiritus Vitae was a Mary Jane Hammond (1878-1964). Little is known about her.

As originally published the hymn included a fifth verse often omitted

O heart of Christ, once broken for us,

‘Tis there we find our strength and rest;

Our broken heart now solace,

And let thy waiting church be blest.

*

In tenderness he sought me appears in both Christian Hymns and Grace. Unlike the other two hymns mentioned here it does not merit inclusion in the new Praise! hymn book. It first appeared in an American hymnbook published in 1894 called The Coronation Hymnal. The author of the hymn, W Spencer Walton (1850-1906) seems to have been an associate of the author of the music, Adoniram J Gordon (1836-95). Gordon (for whom Gordon College was named) was a Baptist minister and a friend and supporter of D L Moody. He edited The Coronation Hymnal along with Arthur T Pierson.*

*

O teach me what it meaneth is sung to various tunes and contains the distinctive request

Teach me that if none other,

Had sinned, but I alone,

Yet still thy blood, Lord Jesus,

Thine only, must atone.

The author is again someone who is otherwise unknown. Her name was Lucy Ann Bennett (1850-1927) and she lived from 1850 until 1927. It again appears in both Grace and Christian Hymns. The Praise! version begins O teach me, Lord, its meaning.**

*

On November 19, 1900 the minor hymn writer, Samuel John Stone (1839-1900), died. He was born April 25, 1839 in his father’s rectory in Whitmore, Staffordshire. Educated at Charterhouse, he went on to Pembroke College, Oxford (BA, 1862; MA, 1872). After his degree he entered the Anglican ministry and became curate of Windsor. In 1879 he joined his father at St. Paul’s, Haggerston, a poverty stricken parish in London. In 1874, he succeeded his father as incumbent and remained there until 1890 when he became Rector of All-Hallows-on-the-Wall..

He wrote at least four dozen hymns. His works include Lyra Fidelium (1866), The Knight of Intercession and Other Poems (1872) Sonnets of the Christian Year (1875), Order of the Consecutive Church Service for Children, with Original Hymns (1883) and Hymns (1886). He is best remembered for his hymn The Church’s one foundation, the Church’s ‘national anthem’. He is also the author of Weary of Earth and Laden with My Sin which also appears in both Christian Hymns and Grace (but not Praise!).

The Church’s one foundation was written in 1866 partly in response to the liberal ideas being promoted by Bishop Colenso of Natal, that stirred up great consternation among the faithful. It is the ninth of the 12 hymns that appeared in his Lyra Fidelium which contained 12 hymns based on the 12 articles of the Apostles Creed. This original had seven stanzas. A revised five verse version appeared in 1868 in an appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern. A longer ten verse version was also produced later. The tune Aurelia was composed in 1864 by Samuel Wesley.

Weary of Earth is also from Lyra Fidelium. It is based on Article 10 of the Creed (Forgiveness of sins). He wrote of it as the hymn ‘Most dear to me because of the letters I have received from, or about, persons to whose joy and peace in believing it has been permitted to be instrumental in the first instance or later.’

Among his other hymns are

A Sower Went to Sow His Seed

Bear the Troubles of Thy Life

By Paul at War in Gentile Lands

By Shepherds First Was Heard

By Thy Love Which Shone

Christ the Wisdom and the Power

Dark Is the Sky That Overhangs My Soul

Deeply Dark and Deeply Still

Far Off Our Brethren’s Cry

God the Father’s Only Son

Lord of Our Soul’s Salvation

Lord of the Harvest, It Is Right

Mistful Are Our Waiting Eyes

None Else But Thee Forevermore

Round the Sacred City Gather

Through Midnight Gloom from Macedon

Weary of Earth and Laden with My Sin; 

Winter in His Heart of Gloom

Here we close with the text of another of his lesser known hymns

O Thou before Whose presence naught evil may come in,

Yet Who dost look in mercy down on this world of sin,

O give us noble purpose to set the sin bound free,

And Christlike tender pity to seek the lost for Thee.

Fierce is our subtle foeman: the forces at his hand

With woes that none can number despoil the pleasant land;

All they who war against them, in strife so keen and long,

Must in their Saviour’s armor be stronger than the strong.

So hast Thou wrought among us the great things that we see!

For things that are we thank Thee, and for the things to be.

For bright hope is uplifting faint hands and feeble knees,

To strive beneath Thy blessing for greater things than these.

Lead on, O Love and Mercy, O Purity and Power,

Lead on till peace eternal shall close this battle hour:

Till all who prayed and struggled to set their brethren free,

In triumph meet to praise Thee, most holy Trinity.

*I subsequently discovered that Walton was born in London. Converted at 22, he began to serve the Lord full time as an evangelist, firstly in the UK then in South Africa, his first trip there being in 1888. Back in England he establish the Cape General Mission (1889) and married Kathleen Dixon, who also served in South Africa. Sadly, after only 10 months together, she died in childbirth. In 1893, he married Lena Gibson, and they continued to work in South Africa through war, famine and plague. In 1904, the mission sent the Waltons and their three children to America and Britain. As they travelled Walton was taken ill and died. He was only 56.

** Again to add to the scant information - Born in Falfield, Gloucestershire, as of 1881, she was liv­ing with her bro­ther in Hol­den­hurst, Ham­pshire. After vi­sit­ing Kes­wick con­ven­tions, be­gin­ning in 1888, she met ma­ny not­a­ble Chris­tians of the day. Among her cor­res­pond­ents were Chris­ti­na Ros­set­ti and C H Spur­geon. She was instrumental in founding All Na­tions Col­lege and Mount Her­mon Col­lege, Streat­ham Com­mon.

Hymn Writers Anniversaries 2000

The year 1800 saw the death of the great evangelical poet and hymn writer William Cowper. Cowper has often been maligned but his fame has been long established. It may be of interest to readers to know that in that very same year at least three people entered this world who, although largely forgotten now, also made their contribution to the world of hymnody through hymns that they wrote or translated that are still in use today.

John Henley (1800-1842) was the author of the children’s hymn ‘Children of Jerusalem’ (859 in Christian Hymns, number 9 in Grace). Henley was a Wesleyan Methodist and was born in Torquay in Devon on March 18, 1800. When he was just 24 he entered the ministry. Over the next 18 years he laboured in various places (including Dunster in Somerset, Witney, Sherborne and Yeovil, Lancaster and Derby). He was apparently a fine minister and made a deep impression on all who met him. Still relatively young when he began his final circuit in the Manchester area, he soon wore himself out in ceaseless labours for his Lord and despite a move to the coast, he died, in Weymouth, aged just 42. The next year his hymn appeared in C H Bateman’s Sacred Song Book for Children and the following year in Curwen’s Hymns and Chants. It was also in the Wesleyan Sunday School Hymn Book of 1879 and has appeared in many hymn books. Usually three verses are sung with the refrain. Another verse, usually omitted, reads

We have often heard and read

What the royal psalmist said:

‘Babes and sucklings’ artless lays

Shall proclaim the Saviour’s praise.’

The tune Infant praise belongs to this hymn alone and first appeared in John Curwen’s collection.

*

Descended from an ancient Cheshire family, Richard Massie (1800-1887) was born June 18, 1800, at Chester. He was the first of 22 (yes 22!) children born to the rector of St Bride’s, Coddington. Richard married, when he was 34, Mary Ann Hughes, a local girl. Sadly, she died seven years later. A man of considerable wealth with two estates, one on either side of the English and Welsh border, Massie was an eccentric. He often wore a red wig and a tall beaver hat. Having been lame at one point and needing the use of a crutch he retained it even when no longer necessary. Gardening was one of his enthusiasms but he devoted a great deal of time also to literature. We draw attention to him here because of his work in translating hymns from German. In addition to translating Luther’s Spiritual songs (1849 and 1854), he produced, in 1860 and 1864, The Lyra Domestica, which concentrated on the work of Karl Spitta (1801-1859). He died at Pulford Hall, Coddington, Cheshire, on March 11, 1887.

His translations include If God himself be for me (Ist Gott für mich, so trete) by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) (See Christian Hymns 645). A Lutheran, Gerhardt is known as ‘The Wesley of the Fatherland’. The hymn is based on the wonderful words of Romans 8. It has been described as being as much typical of true Lutheranism as A Mighty Fortress is our God. There are many stories of how it has been a help to God’s people in times of need. Gerhardt himself lived through many sorrows both on a personal and national level. Originally containing 15 stanzas the hymn was first printed in Johann Crüger’s Praxis Pietatis Melica, published in Frankfurt in 1656. Massie’s translation dropped stanzas 4-6 and 10. Modern hymn books drop more verses.

Another example of Massie’s work is this Easter hymn by Luther. It begins

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands, for our offences given;

But now at God’s right hand he stands, and brings us life from heaven.

Wherefore let us joyful be, and sing to God right thankfully

Loud songs of Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

No son of man could conquer Death, such mischief sin had wrought us,

For innocence dwelt not on earth, and therefore Death had brought us

Into thraldom from of old and ever grew more strong and bold

And kept us in his bondage. Hallelujah!

But Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, to our low state descended,

The cause of Death he has undone, his power forever ended,

Ruined all his right and claim and left him nothing but the name,

Its sting is lost forever. Hallelujah!

Here the true Paschal Lamb we see, whom God so freely gave us;

He died on the accursed tree - so strong his love! - to save us.

See, his blood doth mark our door; faith points to it, Death passes over,

And Satan cannot harm us. Hallelujah!

*

Matthew Bridges' (1800-1894) place in this trio is chiefly due to his Crown him with many crowns (116 in Christian Hymns). However, he was the author of several other hymns (including Behold the Lamb of God; Rise, Glorious Conqueror; Bright were the mornings; First impearled head of the hosts in glory; My God, accept my heart this day and Soil not thy plumage, Gentle Dove). Most of these are found in Hymns of the Heart, published in 1848 and 1851. He produced a book of poetry in 1852. He also authored several books including The Testimony of Profane Antiquity to the Account Given by Moses of Paradise and the Fall of Man (1825) and The Passion of Jesus (1852).

Bridges was born on July 14, 1800, at The Friars, Maldon in Essex. Though raised as an Anglican and an early opponent of Romanism he was attracted to the Tractarian Movement and converted to Rome when he was 48. He later lived in Quebec, Canada, for some years, but eventually returned to England before his death at a good old age on October 6, 1894 at Sidmouth in Devon. His brother Charles wrote commentaries on the wisdom literature and Psalm 119.

As for Matthew’s most famous hymn, he is responsible for most of the verses but not all. The hymn appears in various different forms but began with six verses by Bridges. Other verses were later added, with permission, by Godfrey Thring, prebendary of Wells Cathedral, in 1880. Another verse seems to have crept in as editors have sought to make use of available material and as many as nine verses can be found.

The original was headed On his head were many crowns (Revelation 19:12) and begins, in the original, Crown him with crowns of gold. As the hymn is a meditation on the many crowns that Jesus wears there is almost limitless scope for poetic meditation. Bridges second stanza appropriately continues

Crown Him the virgin’s Son, the God incarnate born,

Whose arm those crimson trophies won which now his brow adorn;

Fruit of the mystic rose, as of that rose the stem;

The root whence mercy ever flows, the Babe of Bethlehem.

However, Thring, even more appropriately, wanted something first on the pre-incarnate Christ and so inserted the verse beginning Crown Him the Son of God, before the worlds began. Frank Colquhoun commented that the verse was not up to standard. He preferred an adaptation of Bridges above lines that included this:

The Saviour long foretold, the Branch of Jesse’s stem;

The eternal Shepherd of his fold, the Babe of Bethlehem.

Bridges’ Crown him the Lord of love, on the cross, is usually next, then Crown him the Lord of life, on the resurrection, by Thring. Then it is Bridges’ Lord of peace followed by the less common

Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,

Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,

Now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing

Their songs before Him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Finally, The Lord of years – a magnificent finale, according to Colquohoun.

The tune is Diademata (ie crowns) by the organist and composer Sir George Job Elvey, published in 1868.

This article first appeared in The Evangelical Library Bulletin