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Sunday, December 30, 2018

Just as I am, Thine own to be

The following hymn appears to be patterned on the 1834-35 hymn by Charlotte Elliott, which begins with the same words. Nevertheless the repetition of the words “I come” makes Elliott’s hymn long meter, while the following is 8.8.8.6.

1. Just as I am, Thine own to be,
Friend of the young, who lovest me,
To consecrate myself to Thee,
O Jesus Christ, I come.

2. In the glad morning of my day,
My life to give, my vows to pay,
With no reserve and no delay,
With all my heart I come.

3. I would live ever in the light,
I would work ever for the right;
I would serve Thee with all my might;
Therefore, to Thee I come.

4. Just as I am, young, strong and free,
To be the best that I can be
For truth, and righteousness, and Thee,
Lord of my life, I come.

Marianne Hearn
Marianne Hearn wrote this hymn, which appeared in The Voice of Praise for Sunday School and Home, with Tunes old notation and Tonic Sol-fa (London: Sunday School Union, 1887). Marianne was born December 17, 1834, in Farningham, Kent, England, the daughter of Joseph Hearn and Rebecca Bowers. She was a Baptist, and lived in Farningham, Northampton, and Gravesend. She often wrote under the pseudonym Marianne Farningham. Hearn was a staff member of the Christian World newspaper and much of her work appeared there.  She also edited the Sunday School Times. Marianne Hearn died March 16, 1909, Barmouth, Wales, and is buried at the Billing Road Cemetery, Northampton, England.

2 comments:

Brian West said...

Thank you for posting this hymn and for your comments, which I came across while preparing to write an article on it. Perhaps I may contribute the following:

(1) Charlotte Elliott’s hymn was written as 8.8.8.6, but it appears as Long Metre when it is set to the tune WOODWORTH by William Bradbury, which requires ‘I come’ to be repeated. While that tune may be the standard tune in USA, in Britain several other tunes have been written, all 8.8.8.6 to suit Elliott’s original metre, and can be found in many hymn books. I suspect that the Long Metre tune was relatively unknown in Britain before Billy Graham brought it here with his missions in the 1950s.

(2) Hearn’s hymn was written with six verses; in addition to the ones you show above her verses 4 and 5 were

With many dreams of fame and gold,
success and joy to make me bold;
but dearer still my faith to hold:
for my whole life, I come.

And for thy sake to win renown,
and then to take my victor's crown,
and at thy feet to cast it down;
O Master, Lord, I come.

The verse beginning ‘In the glad morning’ was Hearn’s sixth.

(3) Hearn’s given names were Mary Ann; when as a young woman she needed a pseudonym for publishing her work her pastor suggested ‘Marianne Farningham’; I suspect that by that time she was called ‘Marianne’ by family and friends, though the evidence for this is circumstantial. Later in life she seems to have been known as ‘Marianne Farningham Hearn’.

R. L. Vaughn said...

Brian, thanks so much for taking time to add your information and perspective to the post about this song. I appreciate it very much. If your article about the song will be available on the web, let us know. Have a great day.