In Me ye shall have peace

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

“Not always seen the wisdom and the love;
“And sometimes hard to be believed, when pain
“Wrestles with faith, and almost overcomes.
“Yet even in conflict thy sure words sustain—
“‘In Me ye shall have peace!’”

Above is the fourth stanza of what may have been the last hymn written by Horatius Bonar (and perhaps written on his deathbed, the last stanza beginning “Father the hour is come, the hour when I shall with these fading eyes behold thy face…).

A Baptist Hymn, with History

1. The bright and shining heav’nly host,
Unitedly agree:
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
They all submissive be.
 
2. They constantly engagèd be,
In what God doth allow;
But saints upon the highest key,
Will make the lowest bow.
 
3. They sing redeeming grace and love;
From what they feel and know,
Which angels, that high rank above,
Desire to look into.
 
Refrain:
 
O! what mysterious grace is this?
How should we it admire?
Which angels in the realms of bliss,
To view so much desire.

(I have not been able to find the original book, so have copied this as it has been reproduced in some hymnals. I suspect what is the refrain was originally just another stanza, changed to a refrain by a music composer.)

Thomas Nichols wrote “O! What Mysterious Grace Is This?” This hymn adores the mystery of the grace of God for sinners. The hymn being in common meter opens many possible tunes for setting it nicely.

Little is known of Nichols. He published Hymns and Anthems: Composed on Divine Subjects, Agreeable to Sacred Scripture, Inspected and approved by the Rev. Isaac Backus (Albany, NY: Charles R. & George Webster, 1793). According to David Music, this Thomas Nichols was affiliated with the New-Britain Baptist Church in Rensselaer County, New York (see also The Universal Register of the Baptist denomination in North America, 1790-1794). Music further states that the book contains “206 hymns and thirty-two anthems” which “appear to be entirely original.” The book contained a recommendation by Isaac Backus.

It is probable that this Thomas Nichols is the same Thomas Nichols who lived at Stephen Town (Stephentown), Albany County, New York in the 1790 U. S. Census. Rensselaer County would be created from Albany County in 1791. In 1796, the Thomas Nichols who compiled Hymns and Anthems published “A Discourse on Poverty & Riches, in a Medium of Gospel Doctrine.” The fact that no address was given for ordering, but that it was available for purchase at the office of the Vermont Gazette (in Bennington, Vermont) suggests that the author probably lived in that general area. Bennington is in a neighboring county of Rensselaer County, New York and is roughly 30 miles from Stephentown, New York. 

Lots of ifs are used in trying to identify this Baptist preacher and hymn book compiler. Some genealogists have a Thomas Nichols who was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island in 1723 and died in 1798 in Vermont (however, I believe the 1798 death in Vermont is confused with a different Thomas Nichols who came from Rhode Island). The birth in East Greenwich agrees with Isaac Backus’s note in his diary in 1791, “…Feb…The 15th, old Mr. Thomas Nichols, of Eastgreenwich, came here, and got me to examine and recommend a Hymn-book which he had composed, in an evangelical strain. He went away the 17th.” (Backus would only have to have been referencing where he was originally from, not where he currently lived in 1791.)

Vermont Gazette (Bennington, Vermont) Wednesday, April 20, 1796, p. 4

(This ad appeared numerous times in this period.)

If abortion is healthcare, and other quotes

The posting of quotes by human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“If abortion is healthcare, my question is: what disease are you treating?” -- Dr. Monique Wubbenhorst

“Nothing alienates the mind more from God than the indulgence of the flesh.” -- Matthew Henry (Job Commentary)

“There should be at least a part of every sermon that will suit the little ones. It is an error which permits us to forget this.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“Say not, the child may not come till he is like a man, but know that you cannot come till you are like him.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“The [1611] translation focused on finding the right English words; the [Westcott and Hort] translation focused on a new and untried Greek text.” -- David Pitman

“Culture is not the landscape that we see; it is the glasses we see through.” -- Unknown

“To burn heretics is to confess Christ in appearance but to deny him in reality.” -- Balthasar Hubmaier

“Paul recognized the power behind providence.” -- Windell Gann (1 Thessalonians Commentary)

“The Law is the needle, and the Gospel is the thread; you can’t sew without both.” -- Ray Comfort

“A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within.  He may be known by his warfare as well as by his peace.” -- J. C. Ryle

“A church exists by mission, just as a fire exists by burning.” -- Emil Brunner

Truth matters. “Better to be wrong than indifferent.” -- J. Gresham Machen

“To love Christ more is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul.” -- Elizabeth Payson Prentiss

Italics and the NKJV

Information on the New King James Version translation and italic type.

Use of Italics

Most lovers of the King James Bible know that the italicized words denote language that is not in the original Greek or Hebrew, but which is supplied by the translators to complete the sense of the English sentence. These words have always been a problem to editors because it is often hard to determine whether certain words should be considered as part of a word in the original or italicized as a supplied word. Most places, however, are clear.

In 1979, when the New Testament was published in the New King James Version, the editors and publisher agreed to do away with italics for two reasons. First was the problem mentioned above as to exactly which words should be italicized. A second problem is that today italics usually mean emphasis (or a foreign word). Occasionally, even preachers will not know the KJV tradition and emphasize the very words that have no specific words behind them in the original!

On this issue the public spoke out in no uncertain terms: “Restore the italics!” Many people feel safer with a translation if they are able to tell where the words have been added.

Two other small items of accuracy regarding italics: First, italics have been used more consistently in the New King James Version to reflect the structure and meaning of the original text. Also, some italicized words that were formerly in the King James Bible are omitted in the New King James because they are no longer needed to complete the English sense.

The New King James Version: In the Great Tradition, Arthur L. Farstad, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, p. 53

Acts 23:23-24

Acts 23:23-24 And [the chief captain] called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

The transfer of Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea:

• demonstrates a standard style of letter from a captain of troops writing to a provincial governor
• reminds us how often (in the case of God’s people) that deliverance comes at the last moment, when the opposition is all prepared (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown)
• witnesses that God has instruments for every work (Matthew Henry)
• models God’s ability to use the military might of an empire to protect his gospel messengers (Ken Baker)
• accentuates that the Lord readily disappoints the best concerted schemes of iniquity (Matthew Henry)
• stands as Paul’s final departure from the city of Jerusalem

Baptism and the thief on the cross

Hebrew 9:15-17 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.

Baptist preacher David Kingdon (1934–2021) makes an argument against the Campbellite position that the thief on the cross was saved under the Old Covenant. Regardless of what you think of the argument by Kingdon and the response by Allen, Kingdom clearly made Jimmy Allen shift from forcefully identifying the time of the death of Jesus to that of the time of probating the will (which he claimed happened on Pentecost). So much for being silent where the Bible is silent (for in the context of Hebrews, it is the offering of his blood that seals the new testament, 9:23-28, rather than the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost).

David Kingdon: “The argument of our friends is that the thief on the cross was not saved under the New Covenant because the New Covenant was not yet in force, on the basis of Hebrews chapter 9, namely that the Covenant or Testament comes into force on the death of the testator – in this case Jesus Christ. So he’d not yet died; therefore, the thief on the cross was not saved under the New Covenant. Right?”

Jimmy Allen: “That’s correct.

David Kingdon: “Well, now could I ask you the question, ‘who died first, the thief or the Lord Jesus Christ?’”

See John 19:31-33.

This is a 60-second loop clip, but you should be able to shift from it to the entire video by selecting watch full video.

An appeal to Jehovah’s Witnesses

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for [Jehovah’s Witnesses] is, that they might be saved.”

Ever since I was in Junior High school with a friend who was a Jehovah’s Witness, I have had an interest in their teachings and the people. (By interest in the teachings, I mean intrigued by them, not that I favor them in any way.) I still have the green-back New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures that Bruce gave me way back when.

Of the many things believed by Jehovah’s Witnesses, perhaps the most egregious is that they deny the deity of Jesus Christ. They say they believe that by exercising faith in Jesus (and good works) they gain everlasting life. They also say “we do not worship Jesus, as we do not believe that he is Almighty God.” Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christians in the generally understood meaning of that term.

Though the deity of Christ is somewhat obscured by the New World Translation and its commentary, the teaching can be found in many places. Please consider these examples directly from your own version, the New World Translation. I present it with very little commentary so that you may solemnly and diligently examine it yourself. These are some of many verses that could be presented.

Conclusions about Jesus based on the New World Translation (follow link for online version).

Salvation is from God, Jehovah.

• Psalm 62:1-2  Indeed, I wait silently for God. My salvation comes from him. Indeed, he is my rock and my salvation, my secure refuge; I will never be greatly shaken.
• Jonah 2:9  But as for me, with the voice of thanksgiving I will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed, I will pay. Salvation is from Jehovah.”

Salvation is from Jesus.

• Acts 4:12  Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved.”
• Titus 3:4-7  However, when the kindness of our Savior, God, and his love for mankind were manifested (not because of any righteous works we had done, but because of his own mercy), he saved us by means of the bath that brought us to life and by making us new by holy spirit. He poured this spirit out richly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that after being declared righteous through the undeserved kindness of that one, we might become heirs according to a hope of everlasting life.

Conclusion: Jesus is God.

Jesus, the Word, created all things.

• John 1:3  All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence.

God created all things.

• Ephesians 3:9  and should make everyone see the administration of the sacred secret that has been hidden through the ages in God, who created all things.

Conclusion: Jesus is God.

The Son (Jesus) laid foundations of the earth.

• Hebrews 1:8-12  But about the Son, he says: “God is your throne forever and ever, and the scepter of your Kingdom is the scepter of uprightness. You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness. That is why God, your God, anointed your with the oil of exultation more than your companions.” And: “At the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; and just like a garment, they will all wear out, and you will wrap them up just as a cloak, as a garment, and they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never come to an end.”

God laid the foundations of the earth.

• Psalm 102:24-26  I said: “O my God, Do not do away with me in the middle of my life, You whose years span all generations. Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth, And the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you will remain; Just like a garment they will all wear out. Just like clothing you will replace them, and they will pass away.

Conclusion: Jesus is God.

John refers this testimony of glory to Jesus.

• John 12:37-41  Although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?”  The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: “He has blinded their eyes and has made their hearts hard, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn around and I heal them.”  Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him. (Saw whose glory? Jehovah’s: Isaiah 6:1)

Isaiah refers this testimony of glory to Jehovah.

• Isaiah 6: 9-11  And he replied, “Go, and say to this people: ‘You will hear again and again, But you will not understand; You will see again and again, But you will not get any knowledge.’  Make the heart of this people unreceptive, Make their ears unresponsive, And paste their eyes together, So that they may not see with their eyes And hear with their ears, So that their heart may not understand And they may not turn back and be healed.” At this I said: “How long, O Jehovah?” …

Conclusion: Jesus is Jehovah.

Jesus received the praise “Save” out of the mouth of children and infants, fulfilling Psalm 8:2.

• Matthew 21:15-16  When the chief priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things he did and the boys who were shouting in the temple, “Save, we pray, the Son of David!” they became indignant and said to him: “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them: “Yes. Did you never read this, ‘Out of the mouth of children and infants, you have brought forth praise’?”

The praise out of the mouth of children and infants in Psalm 8:2 was for Jehovah.

• Psalm 8:1-2  O Jehovah our Lord, how majestic your name is throughout the earth; You have set your splendor even higher than the heavens! Out of the mouth of children and infants you have established strength On account of your adversaries, To silence the enemy and the avenger.

Conclusion: Jesus is Jehovah.

Jehovah God is the first and last.

• Isaiah 44:6  This is what Jehovah says, The King of Israel and his Repurchaser, Jehovah of armies: ‘I am the first and I am the last. There is no God but me.
• Isaiah 48:12  Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called. I am the same One. I am the first; I am also the last.
• Revelation 1:8  “I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga,” says Jehovah* God, “the One who is and who was and who is coming, the Almighty.”

Jesus is the first and last.

• Revelation 1:17-18  When I saw him, I fell as dead at his feet. And he laid his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the living one, and I became dead, but look! I am living forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of the Grave.
• Revelation 2:8  “And to the angel of the congregation in Smyrʹna write: These are the things that he says, ‘the First and the Last,’ who became dead and came to life again:
• Revelation 22:13  I am the Alʹpha and the O·meʹga, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Conclusion: Jesus is Jehovah God.

Please prayerfully consider the testimony of Jesus that remains in the New World Translation, even though the translators themselves did not believe it.

• John 5:39  “You are searching the Scriptures because you think that you will have everlasting life by means of them; and these are the very ones that bear witness about me [i.e., Jesus].
• 2 Timothy 2:9  ...the word of God is not bound.

Properly understood

Church polity properly understood refers only to the organization of the local churches and their relation to other bodies. A church, then, in the Baptist view of the matter, is a local body or society of baptized believers in Christ, where the true worship of God is observed, the word of God is preached and the ordinances of the New Testament are properly administered.

Edwin Charles Dargan (1852-1930), Ecclesiology, A Study of the Churches, Louisville, KY: Charles T. Dearing, 1905, p. 22

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. (Psalm 107:29-30).

1. Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave.
Who bid’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 Christ, whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at thy word,
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.
 
3. Most Holy Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

4. O Trinity of love and pow’r,
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them where-soe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

An Englishman named William Whiting wrote “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” in 1860. It is known to many as “The Navy Hymn.” In the first three stanzas, the hymn addresses a different person of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – in reference to the sea. Then the last stanza mentions the “Trinity,” then prays for protection and extols eternal praise to the great Three-in-One. According to Fred Landon (Journal of Inland Seas, Volume XX, No. 1) Whiting “composed the hymn after passing through a violent storm in the Mediterranean in 1860. It was printed in the United States in 1870 and in 1879 a young officer, Charles J. Train, in charge of the midshipman’s choir, initiated the singing of the hymn in the chapel of the U.S. Naval Academy. It has become popularly known as ‘The Navy Hymn,’ and the first stanza is always sung at the close of each chapel service.”

Though it does not appear that Whiting specifically addressed his source of biblical inspiration, the words appear to be related to God’s protection in the dangers of the sea, as described in Psalm 107:23-32.

The hymn is included in the “For Those at Sea” section of Hymns Ancient and Modern, paired with the tune Melita by John B. Dykes. Dykes composed the tune for Whiting’s text and named it Melita (the island now known as Malta), where wrecked the ship that was carrying the apostle Paul to Rome. “And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita” (Acts 27:44-28:1).” The editors added above the hymn Psalm 107:24, “these [men] see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.”

Whiting was born in Kensington, November 1, 1825. It is currently uncertain who were his parents. He was educated at Clapham and Winchester Colleges. He was later master of Winchester College Choristers’ School for over 35 years. While there, he produced Rural Thoughts and Scenes: with Other Poems (London: Joseph Masters, 1851).

William Whiting died May 3, 1878. He and his wife, Fanny Lucas Whiting (whom he married in 1850), are buried in the West Hill Cemetery at Winchester, Hampshire, England.

Does Cinnamon Kill Ants, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• 10 Cemetery Walking Tours from Around the World -- “...if art, history, and nature are your passions, a cemetery walking tour will probably be right up your alley.”
• 20 Natural Repellents to Get Rid of Ants -- “Fortunately, there are natural and DIY ant-repellent methods to get rid of ants without calling an exterminator.”
• A challenge to Calvinism: M.T. Martin and the controversy that rocked Mississippi Baptists in the 1890s -- “The crux of the controversy was Martin’s emphasis on full assurance, which often led people who had previously professed faith and been baptized, to question their salvation...”
• Center for New Testament Restoration -- “Electronic transcriptions of every available extant Greek manuscript containing portions of the New Testament up to the year 400 AD.”
• Communities Make Small Town Charm a Priority Amid Diverse Influences -- “The small towns and cultural districts are the superstars of the Upper East Side of Texas, each with its own unique personality.”
• Directional Adverbs in our King James Bible -- “These adverbs carry precise meanings that faithfully convey the sense of the underlying Greek and Hebrew words.”
• Does Cinnamon Kill Ants? -- “Cinnamon confuses ant navigation by disrupting their scent trails.”
• First Things First -- “When reviewing the census we need to look for any variations we can think of for our ancestor’s names. ”
• Hearty egg meal -- “Salsa Verde, Hash Brown & Bacon Breakfast Skillet.”
• Ode to a Mighty Hunter -- “Texas’ diversity of colorful dragonflies and damselflies beguiles bird and butterfly watchers.”
• Should the Threat of Lawsuits Keep You from Practicing Church Discipline? -- “Discipline, when done rightly, is a form of love. It upholds the seriousness of sin, but also opens the door to restoration. The goal is not mere exclusion—it’s repentance and reconciliation.”
• The Cradle and the Cross -- “...two sabbaths followed Christ’s death, preventing the women from coming to the grave until the third day, Sunday morning.”
• The death of the university may soon be upon us. Good riddance. -- “The advent of ChatGPT two years ago has made coursework essays and online exams completely pointless.”
• The WASPs Who Flew Out of Sweetwater -- “The Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, who trained at the remote airbase, about 40 miles west of Abilene, were part of an experimental wartime program designed to free up male pilots for combat.”
• Understanding The King James Verb Suffixes (-est and -eth). -- “Understand that both forms are singular. They describe the action of a single individual.”
• Was Isaac Watts a Unitarian? Athanasian Trinitarianism and the Boundary of Christian Fellowship -- “How the wondrous doctrine of the blessed Trinity shines, through the whole of our religion, and sheds a glory upon every part of it!”
• Why Is Hot Honey Everywhere All of a Sudden — and What Is Hot Honey Anyway? -- “To get to the root of this hot honey frenzy, we need to go back in time by about two decades.”

Weep not: a funeral procession is interrupted

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.

...sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

The cancelled burial, Luke 7:11-15.

When Jesus and his disciples entered the city of Nain (v. 11), a dead man was being carried out for burial (v. 12a). A large congregation accompanied the grieving mother (v. 12c), who was a widow (v. 12b). The dead man was the only son of this widow woman (v. 12b).

Jesus saw the woman and her situation, sympathized with her, and spoke to her (v. 13). Jesus stopped the funeral procession (v. 14a). Jesus spoke to the dead (v. 14b; cf. John 5:25-29). The dead man sat up, talked, and was taken to his mother (v. 15).

The direct outcome, Luke 7:16-17.

• God was feared.
• God was glorified.
• The news was spread.

Thoughts. The Lord has the power of life and death. He is the way, the truth, and the life. In him is life. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die? Why will ye die, when the power of life is so nearby?

---

Some weep not verses:

Luke 8:52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Ecclesiastes 3:4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

Claudius Lysias

Comments on the character of Claudius Lysias, by John Reed.

In the providence of God Claudius Lysias, commander of the garrison at Jerusalem, was an honourable soldier who God used to protect Paul and to provide safe conduct on the first stage of his journey to Rome.

• Claudius was a highly competent leader: prompt, brave, reasonable, ruthless, approachable, sagacious, and thorough.
• Claudius was humane.
• Claudius developed a good relationship with Paul.
• Claudius was not perfect.

Some things worth thinking about and researching.

Ten Ministerial Mistakes

Ten Ministerial Mistakes (copied from somewhere I forgot to set down. Do not know whom to credit. Sorry.)

1. Loving the spotlight but not the secret place.
2. Treating correction as an attack rather than an advantage.
3. Wanting authority without accountability.
4. Burning bridges instead of building bridges.
5. Following societal trends rather than scriptural tenets.
6. Planning functions rather than pastoring the flock.
7. Climbing the ladder rather than condescending to wash feet.
8. Fancying fans but not treasuring teachers.
9. Preaching on Sunday but not pursuing all week.
10. Ministering to get rather than give.

Christians ministers must be in it for the outcome and not the income!

King James Bible Adverbs

The King James Bible uses six adverbs – hence, hither, thence, thither, whence, whither – that are not archaic but nevertheless used less than some other adverbs in modern times.

• Hence, adverb. From this place; from here.
• Hither, adverb. To or toward this place; to here.

• Thence, adverb. From there; from that place.
• Thither, adverb. To there; to or toward that place.

• Whence, adverb. From what place? from where?
• Whither, adverb. To what place? to where?

The adverbs whence and whither ask direction or location; the adverbs hence, hither, thence, and thither give direction or location. The “ence” forms carry the general sense out of (exit). The “ither” forms carry the sense into. Robert Hammond, pastor of Long Hill Baptist Church, has suggested this mnemonic to help remember – those with “e” think exit; those with “i” think into. Also, the beginning letters help to focus on their location – “h” here; “th” there; “wh” where.

For more information, see Directional Adverbs in our King James Bible.

The bitter and the sweet

“When you are joyful, be joyful; when you are sad, be sad. If God has given you a sweet cup, don’t make it bitter; and if He has given you a bitter cup, don’t try and make it sweet; take things as they come. One of the last lessons we learn is not to be an amateur providence—“I shall not allow that person to suffer.” Suffering, and the inevitable result of suffering, is the only way some of us can learn, and if we are shielded God will ultimately take the one who interferes by the scruff of the neck and remove him. The fingers that caress a child may also hurt its flesh; it is the power of love that makes them hurt.”

“Over The Top, Ecclesiastes 7:13-22,” Oswald Chambers, in The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers (Discovery House, 2000), p. 1226

Heaven will surely be worth it all

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1. Often I’m hindered on my way,
Burdened so heavy I almost fall; 
Then I hear Jesus sweetly say,
“Heaven will surely be worth it all.”

Refrain:

Heaven will surely be worth it all,
Worth all the sorrows that here befall;
After this life with all its strife,
Heaven will surely be worth it all.

2. Many the trials, toils and tears, 
Many a heartache may here appall;
But the dear Lord so truly says,
“Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
(Refrain)

3. Toiling and pain I will endure,
Till I shall hear the death angel call;
Jesus has promised and I’m sure,
“Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
(Refrain)

The song Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All was written by Winston Oliver Cooper (words) and Minzo Chesley Jones (music). It was copyrighted in 1946 by gospel music publisher Oren A. Parris, in the songbook Charming Refuge. It reminds us that, whatever we go through here, the glory of heaven is worth all of it.

W. Oliver Cooper, as he was often known, was born in Meriwether County, Georgia in 1885, the son of Philip A. Cooper and Rachel Frances “Fannie” Wright. He taught singing schools, and wrote both hymns and music. He wrote the words “Heaven Will Surely Be Worth it All” in 1945. Cooper was taught music in various singing schools and normals. He sang in a radio quartet in Birmingham, Alabama for several years. For many years, he served as president of the Cullman County, Alabama Singing Convention. He was on the faculty at Hartford Musical Institute, and served as musical editor for Hartford Music Company’s song books. According to Hymnary.Org, Cooper also wrote using the pseudonym Oscar J. Schwab.

W. Oliver Cooper married Cammella Williford 1910. He died in 1963 at age 78, and Cammella died in 1979. They are buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery, Crane Hill, Cullman County, Alabama

Minzo Chesley Jones was born in Belle Sumter, Jefferson County, Alabama in 1888, the son of Elbert Pinkney Jones and Sarah Catherine Howton. He was music publisher, composer, and hymnwriter. Minzo married Rosa M. “Rosie” Green in 1907. They had 4 children. Rosie died in 1974 and Minzo died in 1977 at age 88. They are buried at the Valhalla Cemetery in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.

Listen to an a cappella rendition of Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All HERE.

Still thinking...

...that I thought some things.

“Some folks who object to using ‘proof texts’ have ‘no texts’ for their own doctrines.”

“Why is it that ‘Christian’ higher education often leads Christians to believe less of the Bible rather than more of the Bible?”

The inspiration of the Scriptures has no expiration of its standing.

“We do not use the Scriptures as our ‘sole resource’ – but it is the ‘sole recourse.’ There is no higher court of appeal.”

“If I read and interpret a passage of scripture and my interpretation is correct, while others who read that same passage interpret it wrongly, what makes the difference? Is it because I am more sincere, intelligent, and educated than the others are? More spiritual? What about others who are spiritual, sincere, intelligent, and educated? Will/should they read and interpret the Bible in exactly the same way I do? What makes the difference?”

“When health care becomes big business, the main business is no longer health care.”

“When you think God is four days late, he is really right on time.” -- Gospel of John, Chapter 11 (I did think of this, but thousands of others probably have also!)

“What’s the best soul food? The B-I-B-L-E.”

“Consistency is a jewel, unless you are consistently wrong!”

“Duty never ceases, and evil never sleeps.”

hate speech: Speech that is hated by the people defining it.

“Dissatisfaction rises from an unwarranted attention to circumstances. Contentment rests in a wise allegiance to God who is over the circumstances.”

If we would be faithful obeying “teach the generation following” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Psalm 48:13; 2 Timothy 2:2), there would not be a need for an every-generation update of the Bible.

“Conformity is doing what everyone else is doing, regardless of what is right. Biblical obedience is doing what is right, regardless of what everyone else is doing.”

“Cain did not become evil because he slew his brother; he slew his brother because he was evil.”

“Marriage should be a bomb shelter, not a bomb explosion.”

“If any of you could know all there is to know about me, you wouldn’t love me. You wouldn’t even like me. God knows it all, yet he loved me and sent his Son to die for my sins, that I might have everlasting life. It doesn’t get any better than that!”

Now I get me up to work;

Keep me, Lord, in all the murk.

Let me work until I die,

And then to heaven swiftly fly.

Who, look what they did there!

How 55 Verses Were Removed From the Bible and More, by Aaron Shryock.

This is an interesting article about the odd and controversial ways some translations have handled Numbers 7:12-83, determining it to be too long and repetitious and needed to be reduced for readers.

“In 1995, the American Bible Society published the Contemporary English Version. This version took the previous approaches to Numbers 7:12-83 one step further. The translators rendered this historical narrative as two lists.”

See how Numbers 7:12-83 looks in the King James Bible for a regular translation: Click HERE.

See how Numbers 7:12-83 looks in the Good News Translation: Click HERE.

See how Numbers 7:12-83 looks in the Contemporary English Version: Click HERE.

Envious Jews Plot Against Paul

Acts 23:12-24 the plot against Paul

Verses 12-13: Certain of the Jews – over forty of them – determine to kill Paul, the day after Paul’s defense and his night of encourage. These certain Jews:

• banded together
• bound themselves under a curse
• would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul
• were more than forty
• made this conspiracy

Verses 14-15: These conspirators join in plot with the priests. They explain their oath and course of action, and ask for the cooperation of the priests. The priests on the council would suggest to the chief captain that they needed to have a more perfect understanding of something concerning Paul, and that he should bring him before the council the next day. The conspirators would lay in wait, and kill Paul as the soldiers brought him to the meeting with the council.

Verse 16: The devilish plot is exposed. Paul’s nephew (his sister’s son) hears that they or will be) lying in wait to assassinate Paul. He went to the castle and told Paul what he had heard.

Verses 17-18: While his nephew is still present, Paul calls one of the centurions and tells the centurion to take the young man to the chief captain so he can tell him something. The centurion does as “Paul the prisoner” had asked.

Verses 19-21: The chief captain discerns this as a matter of secrecy and urgency, and steps aside privately with him. “privately” (κατ ιδιαν) apart, restricted or confined to only those concerned (i.e. the chief captain and Paul’s nephew). “What is that thou hast to tell me?” Paul’s nephew retells the plot as he had heard it, adding that everything is in place, only “looking for a promise from [the chief captain].”

Verse 22: “See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.” The captain charges Paul’s nephew to keep this secret, to not let anyone else know what he had told him.

Verses 23-24: The chief captain quickly formulates a plan. He will bring Paul not to the council in Jerusalem, but to Felix the governor in Cæsarea – with a great show of force. He gives the command to prepare to two centurions.

1. two hundred (200) soldiers 
2. horsemen threescore and ten (70)
3. spearmen two hundred (200)

This would be done not only with force, but also with stealth, “at the third hour of the night.” All this for one little prisoner, to “bring him safe unto Felix the governor.” The hand of God’s providence stands out in the incident. God has promised Paul will “bear witness also at Rome” and he will bring it about without fail.

• Jeremiah 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised…
• Luke 1:72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant
• Romans 4:21 and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Turned off by the church, some notes

The following notes were made by me when I listened to someone online talking about folks in our days being “turned off by the church.” I failed to write down the source, it has been awhile since I made the notes, and now I do not know who he was. Nevertheless, I am going to post the notes here, thinking they might benefit someone. (If anyone recognizes the source, please let me know.)

Why are some people turned off by the church?

• By the people.
• By the preacher.
• By the hypocrisy.
• By begging (being robbed in church)
• By the message being polluted.
• By the sexual harassment.
• By promoting everything but Jesus Christ!

3 primary problems: We have abandoned our master; we have abandoned our mission of making disciples; we have abandoned our message.

Master. (John 13:13) They hung him high, stretched him wide, and dropped him low. Low in the grave he lay, but up from the grave he arose.

Mission. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Message. (2 Timothy 4:2) If we do not know what the Bible is, then we do not know what the Bible says. If we do not know what the Bible says, then we cannot speak with authority from it.

“You can’t love Christ and hate his church.” There is a difference between frustration and hatred.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people meet other Christians before they meet Christ.” Tony Kennedy.

Updating an older verb table

Below I am updating a table that I published about 12 years ago. You should be able to select the picture and enlarge it to see it better.

For discussion of the verb endings, see Use of "-est" and "-eth" in the KJV and The verb ending "-edst".

An old disciple

“…an old disciple…” Acts 21:16

“What is it then to be ‘an old disciple?’ Surely he is one that is eldest, in having learned, from the continued teachings of God the Holy Ghost, to think less of himself, and more and more of Jesus. He advanceth the farthest in this scriptural age, who is growing in grace, by growing in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. His every day’s experience brings him more acquainted with his own unworthiness, so as to endear the infinite merit of the Redeemer. He is truly “an old disciple,” who is old in this science, of being more out of love with himself, and more in love with Jesus. For it is impossible, in this progress of the divine life, but to make advances in this exact proportion; and as the blessed Spirit exalts Christ to the view, and brings him home to the heart, by so much our self-confidence lessens; and the more glorious he appears, the more lowly we become in our own eyes. This is one rule to ascertain the real age of a disciple.

“And there is another like it: as those who have long lived in a family, best know its government, and find themselves more at home in it; so the oldest disciples in Jesus’s household will best know how to improve a long and growing acquaintance with him, be coming to him for all they want, and making his glory the one great object of all their desire. And it will prove indeed that they are faithful to their Lord's interest, when they not only lay out every thing for his praise, but receive every thing that he lays out that it may be for his glory. My soul! what sayest thou to this statement of things, in respect of the real age of the believer in Jesus? Art thou ‘an old disciple’ of thy Lord?”

Robert Hawker (1753-1827)

Christ our example in suffering

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. Matthew 26:36

No. 491. Christ our example in suffering.

1. Go to dark Gethsemane,
Ye that feel the tempter’s power,
Your Redeemer’s conflict see,
Watch with Him one bitter hour;
Turn not from his griefs away;
Learn of Jesus Christ to pray.

2. Follow to the judgment-hall,
View the Lord of life arraigned;
O the wormwood and the gall!
O the pangs his soul sustained!
Shun not suffering, shame, or loss,
Learn of Him to bear the cross.

3. Calvary’s mournful mountain climb
There adoring at his feet,
Mark the miracle of Time,
—God’s own sacrifice complete:
“It is finished”—hear the cry;
Learn of Jesus Christ to die.

4. Early hasten to the tomb,
Where they laid his breathless clay;
All is solitude and gloom,
—Who hath taken Him away?
Christ is risen—He meets our eyes:
Savior, teach us so to rise.

James Montgomery wrote the hymn “Christ our example in suffering,” following Christ from Gethsemane to Calvary. However, he does not conclude there, but ends with a stanza on his victorious resurrection.

James Montgomery was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, November 4, 1771. He was the son of Moravian Brethren missionary parents John and Mary Montgomery. They died on a West Indies mission field, while he was still a young man. He was a poet and the editor of a newspaper called the Sheffield Iris, from 1796 until about 1826.

He died at Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, April 30, 1854, and was buried in Sheffield General Cemetery. Montgomery never married.

“Christ our example in suffering” is written with 6 lines in 7s meter. It appeared as No. 491 (p. 392) in The Christian Psalmist; Or, Hymns, Selected and Original. In the “Hymns on the Passion” section of Hymns Ancient and Modern, this is Hymn 110, and is paired with the tune Gethsemane, arranged by William Henry Monk. (Some sources credit the tune to Christopher Tye) The singing of this hymn may be heard by selecting THIS LINK.

William Tyndale, and other links

The posting of links does not constitute an endorsement of the sites linked, and not necessarily even agreement with the specific posts linked.

• William Tyndale: the Apostle of England -- “The Bible was an unknown book to all but the elite clergy.”
• The “Racial Reconciliation” Movement Is Over. Good—Progressives Ruined It. -- “No one was going to submit to moral browbeating for the sins of other people (in different time zones and different centuries) forever.”
• The Historical Story of External Factors Perverting the Meaning of Church -- “What the Bible says the church is, is what it is, regardless of what occurs in the world or what men may say or have said that it is.”
• Strong’s Concordance – a Good Tool Gone Bad -- “...the ‘dictionary’ in the back of Strong’s is not really a dictionary at all, and should not be used to find the ‘real, true, or root meaning’ of a word...”
• “Shepherds for Sale” Turns up the Heat on Gavin Ortlund -- “This won’t be the last Big Eva effort to try to discredit Megan’s book by relying almost exclusively on rhetoric and name recognition over reason and logic.”
• Sharpening My Knowledge -- “On a recent trip to the Panhandle, I found myself entangled in the history of the so-called devil’s rope.”
• Plain Reasons for Keeping to the Authorised Version -- “Why should we keep to the Authorised Version of the Bible in preference to the many modern versions now available?”
• Matt Maher: Building the One-World Church Through Music -- “Maher’s stated goal in ministry is to bring together all denominations and build the ‘one-world church’...”
• “Land of Promise: The First Fifty Years of Baptists in the Pacific Northwest.” Baptist History & Heritage, Volume 52, No. 1 -- “This paper summarizes the first fifty years of Baptist work in the Pacific Northwest, beginning with the formation of the first Baptist church in 1844 to the proliferation of Baptist associations and conventions and the rejection for affiliation by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1894.”
• John Owen and the Traditional Protestant View of the Hebrew Old Testament -- “It is forgotten today because the traditional Protestant view of Scripture has been discarded, completely by critical scholars and partially by evangelical scholars.”
• Home of the Brave -- “The long-awaited National Medal of Honor Museum in North Texas tells the stories of our nation’s greatest heroes.”
• Heaven in Houston -- “There I sat, in total silence, on the campus of Houston’s Rice University, surrounded by dozens of other people just staring at the ceiling.”
• Careful on that there Bridge! -- “1931 was a banner year for the construction of free bridges across the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas.”
• All Quiet Along the Potomac -- “And other poems by Ethelinda ‘Ethel Lynn’ Elliot Beers”
• A Twist on Cornbread -- “Meet the East Texan who turned her childhood snack into a hit sandwich.”

DTS, not conservative

For some reason there is a wide perception that Dallas Theological Seminary is a bastion of evangelical conservatism. I believe it has been quite some time since they were even close enough to reach out and still touch conservatism. Regardless, I recently ran across this rank representation of how bad it has gotten, taken from a chapel message at DTS.

“Dr. Frank Glover, a regent at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS…touted the story of Kimpa Vita, a Congolese woman who claimed to be possessed by ‘Saint Anthony,’ who she claimed was equal to God in Heaven. She claimed to die each weekend and travel to Heaven, sharing extrabiblical, direct revelations. She commanded celibacy from her cult members but fornicated with a follower and successfully aborted two of the three resulting pregnancies. When I highlighted this promotion of heterodox figures, DTS scrubbed the chapel from its archives but made no public statement. Glover remains on its Board Of Regents today.”

“The ‘Racial Reconciliation’ Movement Is Over,” Center for Baptist Leadership

The Lord stood by him

Acts 23:11 the Lord with Paul

Verse 11: “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

During the night, following this incident, the Lord “stood by” Paul and encouraged him. Would this trip be his last, the end of the journey? No, “Be of good cheer, Paul.” He received amazing words of hope and joy, words of celebration, consolation, and inspiration:

• Matthew 9:2 …be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
• Mark 6:50 …Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
• John 16:33 …be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
• Acts 27:25 …be of good cheer: for I believe God…

This experience strengthens Paul’s resolve. The Lord is with him. The Lord promises him that just as he had testified of him in Jerusalem, he would also testify of him in Rome. If Paul believes it “shall be even as it was told me,” he knows – despite whatever he might go through in Jerusalem, his future does not end at Jerusalem. Rome had been Paul’s focus, his goal (cf. Acts 19:21). Alexander MacLaren observes Paul’s “faithful witnessing is rewarded by further witnessing.”[1]

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[1] Expositions Of Holy Scripture: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/maclaren/acts/23.htm

The Dimensions of God’s Love

The Dimensions of God’s Love

Ephesians 3:14-19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

What is its breadth?

• Its size in general; extent; reaches to all—whether Jew or Gentile.
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
• 2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

What is its length?

• From everlasting to everlasting.
• Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
• Psalm 90:2 ...from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 1 John 4:8 ...God is love.

What is its depth?

• Reaches from the highest heaven and down to the lowest hell; rescues from the depth of hell (Proverbs 9:18) and resurrects from the depth of the grave (John 5:28).
• Proverbs 25:3 The heaven for height, and the earth for depth
• Psalm 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.  (cf. Deut. 32:22). 

What is its height?

• What but the love of God in Jesus Christ, exalted far above all
• Psalm 102:19-20 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death...
• Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

ALL CAPS in the King James Bible

Q. Why does the King James Bible print certain things in block all capital letters, such as “I AM THAT I AM” and “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN”?

A. As far as I know, the translators did not leave a direct explanation of their reason for using ALL CAPS. Therefore, we must learn and discern by research and comparison. I have found that there are about 25 places that have a section or word that is printed in ALL CAPS (Exodus 3:14; 6:3; 28:36; 39:30; Deuteronomy 28:58; Psalm 68:4; 83:18; Isaiah 12:2; 26:4; Jeremiah 23:6; Daniel 5:25-28; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12; 14:20; Matthew 1:21; 1:25; 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 1:31; 2:21; 23:38; John 19:19; Acts 17:23; Revelation 17:5; 19:16). This counting excludes all the places in the Old Testament where LORD translates JHVH [יהוה] (LORD – Small Caps or ALL CAPS, a printer’s style choice – translates the name Jehovah or the shortened form Jah).

Comparing all these cases, we find that this print style is used for emphasis, in two categories: (1) the name of God; (2) something written or engraved on something. It could be said that sometimes the categories overlap, with the “name written.”

Emphasis on the name of God.

• Exodus 3:14 I AM THAT I AM
• Exodus 3:14 I AM 
• Exodus 6:3 JEHOVAH
• Deuteronomy 28:58 THE LORD THY GOD
• Psalm 68:4 JAH
• Psalm 83:18 JEHOVAH
• Isaiah 12:2 JEHOVAH
• Isaiah 26:4 JEHOVAH
• Jeremiah 23:6 THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
• Zechariah 3:8 BRANCH
• Zechariah 6:12 BRANCH
• Matthew 1:21 JESUS
• Matthew 1:25 JESUS
• Luke 1:31 JESUS
• Luke 2:21 JESUS

Emphasis on an inscription, something written.

• Exodus 28:36 HOLINESS TO THE LORD
• Exodus 39:30 HOLINESS TO THE LORD
• Daniel 5:25 MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
• Daniel 5:26-28 MENE | TEKEL | PERES
• Zechariah 14:20 HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD
• Matthew 27:37 THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS
• Mark 15:26 THE KING OF THE JEWS
• Luke 23:38 THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS
• John 19:19 JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS
• Acts 17:23 TO THE UNKNOWN GOD
• Revelation 17:5 MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
• Revelation 19:16 KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS

You should be able to select the above photo and enlarge it.

Note 1: I write “about 25” considering some Bible publishers may have varied in the use of ALL CAPS (and some may possibly use Small Caps where others use ALL CAPS).

Note 2: When JEHOVAH or JAH is translated specifically in reference to God’s name, it is capitalized. When Jehovah or Jah is included in some other name (a person or place), it is not capitalized.

Note 3: Exodus 17:15 was initially an exception to this, with what can be considered a printer’s error capitalizing JEHOVAH in Jehovah-nissi. That was later corrected to correspond with the other uses (Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-shalom).

Note 4: Jesus was not initially capitalized in Matthew 1:21-25 and Luke 1:31, 2:31. This was standardized in ALL CAPS at least by the 1682 Cambridge printing.

If you notice any errors or have any thoughts on this, please let me know.

A Wayfaring Man without a Guide

Now then the Church must heare Christs voice: Christs sheepe will heare his voice. Iohn. 10.16. They wil neither heare nor follow a stranger, ver. 5. Christs voice is not to be heard but in the Scriptures: therefore other doctrine must not be receiued of the Church, than is taught and deliuered in the Scriptures.[i] This directly impugneth the popish opinion of unwritten traditions: which they bring in beside, yea contrary to the scriptures, which they hold, not to conteyne all things necessary to saluation. But the Apostle saith otherwise, that the Scriptures are able to make one wise unto saluation: and to make the man of God perfectly prepared to every good worke, 2. Timoth. 3.15,17. If perfect wisedome then bee found in the scriptures, what need is there of any other additions: whatsoeuer is added to that which is perfect, sheweth a defect and is superfluous: Therefore Tertullian saith excellently, Nobis curiositate non est opus post Christum Iesum, nec inquisitione post Euangelium:[ii] Wee need no curious invention after Christ, nor no inquisition after (or beside) the Gospell. If any will search further, he is like a wayfaring man without a guide in a desert country, and as a shippe on the sea without a Pilot: to leave the scripture is a way to error, not a stay from erring as he againe worthily saith. Credunt sine scripturit, vt credant aduersus scripturas: They beleeue without Scripture, that they may beleeue against Scripture.

Andrew Willet, A Treatise of Salomons Mariage (London: Imprinted by F.K. for Thomas Mann the elder and William Welby 1612), pp. 8-9.

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[i] The scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation.
[ii] Praescript. advers. haeretie.

A Prayer for Ministers

This hymn is a prayer for ministers, written by English Baptist pastor Benjamin Beddome (1717-1795). It may well be sung with Hamburg, Hebron, or many other good Long Meter tunes.

1. Father of mercies, bow thine ear,
Attentive to our earnest prayer;
We plead for those who plead for thee;
Successful pleaders may they be!

2. How great their work, how vast their charge,
Do thou their anxious souls enlarge:
Their best acquirements are our gain,
We share the blessings they obtain.

3. Clothe thou with energy divine
Their words, and let those words be thine;
To them thy sacred truth reveal,
Suppress their fear, inflame their zeal.

4. Teach them aright to sow the seed,
Teach them thy chosen flock to feed;
Teach them immortal souls to gain,
Nor let them labour, Lord, in vain.

5. Let thronging multitudes around,
Hear from their lips the joyful sound,
In humble strains thy grace adore,
And feel thy new-creating power.

6. Let sinners break their massy chains,
Distressèd souls forget their pains;
Let light through distant realms be spread,
And Zion rears her drooping head.

Benjamin Beddome was born at Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, January 23, 1717. He was the son of a Baptist preacher, John Beddome who was ministering at Henley-in-Arden at the time Benjamin was born. The younger Beddome also became a Baptist preacher, beginning his ministry around 1740. He authored several discourses (including Exposition of the Baptist Catechism) in addition to his hymns – which number was over 800. His hymns were written to be sung after his sermons on the Lord’s Day morning. Benjamin Beddome died September 23, 1795 at Bourton-upon-the-Water, Cotswold District, Gloucestershire, England, and is buried there in the St. Lawrence Churchyard.

In 1818 a collection of Beddome’s hymns was published, called Hymns Adapted to Public Worship, or Family Devotion (London: Burton and Briggs, 1818), possibly produced at the instigation of Robert Hall, and at least with his recommendation. This poetry is Hymn No. 700, placed in the section “Spread of the Gospel” under the heading “Prayer for Ministers.” It has six stanzas in Long Meter. Montgomery says Beddome is a “writer worthy of honour both for the quantity and the quality of his hymns.”

This hymn does not seem to have been “captured” by one main tune. It has been printed in song books with the following tunes and others: All Saints, Federal Street, Hebron, Wareham, et al.

[Note: Massy in the first line of stanza six seems to be used as a synonym for massive, heavy, weighty.