Month: March 2021

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Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

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Joseph Hart was a prodigal. Born of Christian parents in 1712, he learned early to fear God and follow His laws. But the world attracted him and his focus shifted to baser things. The early training seems to have been wasted and his life took a decidedly anti-Christian turn. He didn’t just leave his faith, he aggressively attacked it through the things he published.

God still pursued him and Joseph wrestled with God for years. Eventually he turned again to the God who loved him. This time the struggle was between “Earning his salvation”, and “Assuming on God’s grace”. Neither extreme was Biblically sound and eventually he came to a saving knowledge of the one who saves us not because of our merit, but because of His grace. He also bids us to follow him, by leaving our old ways behind. But here I will let him tell you in his own words.

“He hath plucked me from the lowest Hell. He hath plucked me as a brand out of the fire! He hath proved himself stronger than I, and his goodness superior to all my unworthiness. He gives me to know…that without Him I can do nothing…Though an enemy, He calls me his friend; though a traitor a child; though a beggared prodigal, He clothes me with the best robe; and has put a ring of endless love and mercy on my hand,…He secretly shows me His bleeding wounds; and softly and powerfully, whispers to my soul: ‘I am thy great salvation.’ His free distinguishing grace is the bottom on which is fixed the rest of my poor weary tempted soul…When my dry empty barren soul is parched with thirst, He kindly bids me come to Him, and drink my fill at the fountain head. In a word He empowers me to say with experimental evidence, ‘where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.’ Amen and Amen.”

He struggled with assurance of salvation until one Easter he was confronted again by the God who loved him. After being overwhelmed by the suffering Christ he wrote the following hymn. For God uses even our wanderings to Honor Him. He became a preacher in London about 1760. Think of Joseph Hart as you read the words. They are a powerful testimony.

(The chorus was added later by an unknown author. The original tune was also replaced.)

(Joseph Hart 1712-1768)

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy weak and wounded, sick and sore,

Jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity love and power.

Chorus: I will arise and go to Jesus, He will embrace me in His arms.

In the arms of my dear Savior, Oh, there are ten thousand charms.

Come, ye thirsty, come and welcome, God’s free bounty glorify

True belief and true repentance every grace that brings you nigh.

Let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream;

All the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him.

Chorus

Come, ye weary, heavy laden lost and ruined by the fall.

If you tarry till you’re better, you will never come at all.

I will rise and go to Jesus! He will save me from my sin.

By the riches of his merit, there is joy and life in him.

Chorus

View Him prostrate in the garden on the ground your Maker lies.

On the bloody tree behold Him sinner will not this suffice?

Lo the incarnate God ascended pleads the merit of His blood

Venture on Him, venture wholly. Let no other trust intrude.

Chorus

For further study: C. H. Spurgeon often quoted from Hart in his sermons. The above hymn being his favorite. He applied it to Hebrews 7:25 “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

(Above information taken from “The Story of the Hymns and Tunes” by Theron Brown and Hezekiah Butterworth – copyright 1906 – American Tract Society. and “www.biblicalstudies.org.uk” – Joseph Hart and his hymns by Peter C. Rae Cowdenbeath. His source was “Hart’s hymns” – Palmer’s edition of 1863.)

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Hymn of Trust – (Give to the Winds Thy Fears)

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Paul Gerhardt’s life was not an easy one. He was a preacher without a parish, tossed from place to place, (Mittenwalde & Berlin) Four of his children died, and at some point his wife also. He had been dismissed from his last church because of disagreements with the Elector Fredrick. He wandered from place to place for two years.

The following hymn was written while he was staying at a wayside inn, homeless and discouraged. After completing it he was finally offered a parish in Lubben where he stayed until his death.

He wrote 123 hymns and was a favorite hymn-writer of the German-speaking people.

Hymn of Trust – (Give to the Winds Thy Fears)

Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676)/William H. Walter

Give to the winds thy fears, hope and be undismayed;

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears; God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears the way;

Wait thou His time, so shall this night soon end in joyous day.

Who points the clouds their course, whom wind and seas obey;

He shall direct thy wandering feet, He shall prepare thy way.

Leave to His sov’reign sway to choose and to command,

So shalt thou wond’ring own His way, how wise, how strong His hand!

Thou seest our weakness, Lord, our hearts are known to Thee;

O lift Thou up the sinking heart, confirm the feeble knee.

Commit thou all thy griefs and ways into His hands;

To His sure trust and tender care Who earth and heaven commands.

Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare,

And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.

For further study: I Peter 5:6-7; Philippians 4:6-7; Psalm 125:1; Psalm 37

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Be Thou My Vision

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The older I get the more I struggle with my voice. It doesn’t always cooperate. I had given up putting any more songs up, but then I ran across this quote by Henry Van Dyke.

“Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best.”

So today I am asking you to sing with me. This is also a nod to my Irish Son-in-law, Joshua. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Be Thou My Vision

Ancient Irish Melody – Translated by Eleanor H. Hull (1860-1935) versified by Mary E. Bryne (1880-1931)

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art –

Thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one;

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for my fight; Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight,

Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tow’r: Raise Thou me heav’n-ward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always;

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Son!

Heart of my own heart, Whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

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Castles and Cats

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A few years ago my husband and I visited Wales with our youngest daughter. We rented a flat, sight unseen, through the internet. After arriving in Conway by train we found our way to the flat and unlocked the door with the key that had been sent to us. We unpacked, bought some groceries at the market and settled in for a few days.

The location was perfect. We could walk anywhere we wanted and we could see the castle from some of the rear windows. We went to bed expecting to explore as much as we could in the morning.

I woke in the middle of the night to hear my husband yelling.

Get off of me!

My bleary eyes quickly focused on a big cat resting on his chest. My husband threw it onto the floor, but it jumped right back on the bed.

He picked the cat up and put it outside on the street. We went back to bed a little shaken, but unharmed. A few minutes later the cat was back.

What in the world…do they give cats their own keys in Wales? My husband put him outside again and this time he shut our bedroom door as well. We slept through the rest of the night without incident.

Imagine our surprise when we opened our bedroom door in the morning to see the cat, again. She came in and swiftly jumped on the bed, like she belonged there. We were puzzled by her presence. We thought maybe the owners had a cat they failed to tell us about. A kind of spy to make sure we didn’t do damage to their property. We tolerated her, wondering if we should feed her? We didn’t.

When we left to explore for the day, we put her out and carefully locked the door behind us…again.

We explored the castle, did some shopping, ate lunch did more shopping and came home tired.

The cat was there to greet us…inside the flat.

That’s when we noticed the back door had a “cat door” built into it. It didn’t matter how many times we put the cat out and locked the door. The cat would continue to come back in.

I tried contacting the owner, asking her if they had a cat. She didn’t get back to me until after we had left Conway. She informed us that they did not have a cat, and she hoped we hadn’t let a wild cat into the flat. (There seem to be several in this town.) She was more than a little angry.

Her response puzzled me. You can say you don’t want cats, but if you have a cat door they are going to find their way in. That’s like leaving a trail of cheese into your house and then being surprised when mice show up.

I know there are lessons to be learned from all of this. I will let you jump to your own conclusions… excuse me while I seal up some cat doors.