The hour of my departure’s come

The following hymn is “Hymn V” of five hymns included in the back of Translations and Paraphrases, in Verse, of Several Passages of Sacred Scripture. Collected and Prepared by a Committee of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, in order to be sung in Churches (Edinburgh: J. Dickson, 1781). This book addresses in its “Advertisement” the movement in the Church of Scotland to include singing more Scripture in addition to the Psalms, first publishing something in the year 1745.

“…it has been the general sentiment of devout persons, that it would be of advantage to enlarge the Psalmody in public worship, by joining with the Psalms of David some other passages of Scripture, both from the Old and the New Testament…”

These words below were (apparently) written by Michael Bruce. He was the son of a Scottish weaver. Bruce was born March 27, 1746 at Kinrossshire in Scotland, March 27, 1746. He studied at Edinburgh University, and there met John Logan (1748-1788). He studied at the Theological Hall of the Associate Synod under John Swanston. His purpose was to enter the ministry, but he died of consumption at age 21 on July 5, 1767, before fulfilling that purpose. He was buried at Portmoak Churchyard Kinross, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.

There let me sleep forgotten in the clay,

When death shall shut these weary aching eyes,

Rest in the hopes of an eternal day,

Till the long night’s gone, and the last morn arise.

Michael Bruce wrote poetry and hymns. Several of his poems were published posthumously under the title Poems on Several Occasions (Edinburgh: J. Robertson, 1770). This hymn is fitting for his circumstance, but for all of us as well. When God calls, when the hour of our departure’s come, may we gladly hear and answer his call and depart to him in peace.

1. The hour of my departure’s come;
I hear the voice that calls me home;
At last, O Lord! let trouble cease,
And let thy servant die in peace.

2. The race appointed I have run;
The combat’s o’er, the prize is won;
And now my witness is on high,
And now my record’s in the sky.

3. Not in mine innocence I trust;
I bow before thee in the dust;
And through my Saviour’s blood alone
I look for mercy at thy throne.

4. I leave the world without a tear,
Save for the friends I held so dear;
To heal their sorrows, Lord, descend,
And to the friendless prove a friend.

5. I come, I come, at thy command,
I give my spirit to thy hand;
Stretch forth thine everlasting arms,
And shield me in the last alarms.

6. The hour of my departure’s come;
I hear the voice that calls me home:
Now, O my God! let trouble cease,
Now let thy servant die in peace.

An unfortunate controversy (which apparently is still debated) surrounds this hymn, is explained by John Julian (A Dictionary of Hymnology, Volume 1, 1907, pp. 187-189).

The names of Michael Bruce and John Logan are brought together because of the painful controversy which has long prevailed concerning the authorship of certain Hymns and Paraphrases of Holy Scripture which are in extensive use in the Christian Church both at home and abroad. During the latter years of Bruce’s short life he wrote various Poems, and also Hymns for a singing class at Kinnesswood, which were well known to his family and neighbours, and were eventually copied out by Bruce himself in a quarto ms. book, with the hope that some day he might see them in print. Immediately upon his death, in 1767, Logan called upon his father and requested the loan of this book that he might publish the contents for the benefit of the family. This was granted. Not till three years afterwards did a certain work, containing seventeen poems, and entitled Poems on Several Occasions, by Michael Bruce, 1770, appear, with a Preface in which it was stated that some of the Poems were by others than Bruce. Bruce’s father immediately pointed out the absence from the volume of certain hymns which he called his son’s “Gospel Sonnets,” and members of the singing class at Kinnesswood also noted the absence of hymns with which they were familiar. Letters of remonstrance and demands for the return of the quarto manuscript book of Bruce by the father remaining unanswered, led him eventually to see Logan in person. No book was forthcoming, a few scraps of ms. only were returned, and Logan accounted for the absence of the book by saying he feared “that the servants had singed fowls with it.” For a time the matter rested here, only to be revived with renewed interest by the publication, in 1781 (14 years after the death of Bruce, and 11 after the Poems, &c, were issued), of Poems. By the Rev. Mr. Logan, One of the Ministers of Leith. In this volume, an “Ode to the Cuckoo,” a poem of exquisite beauty, and other poetical pieces which appeared in the Poems on Several Occasions, by Michael Bruce, were repeated, and claimed as his own by Logan. In addition, certain Hymns and Paraphrases were included, most of which were of sterling merit, and poetical excellence. It has been shown, we think, most conclusively by Dr. Mackelvie in his Life of Bruce prefixed to the Poems, 1837 and by Dr. Grosart in his Works of M. Bruce, 1865, that the “Ode to the Cuckoo,” “Lochleven,” and other poetical pieces were taken from ms. book of M. Bruce. The Hymns and Paraphrases, most of which were included in the Translations and Paraphrases during the same year, were also claimed for Bruce...

Julian’s conclusion was that certain hymns were without doubt written by Bruce rather than Logan, while some others were unclear. For those that were unclear, including “The hours of my departure’s come” (which he said Dr. Grosart claims for Bruce), Julian (seemingly somewhat reluctantly) gave to Logan “as the defendant” on “the benefit of the doubt.” Some publications solve the problem (or avoid the issue) by simply crediting it to the book Scottish Paraphrases. I come down on the side of Michael Bruce.

This hymn does not seem to have become associated with any one particular tune. Being in Long Meter, it will not be hard for one to choose a good hymn to sing it with. In The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book, for Public Worship (Philadelphia, PA: American Baptist Publication Society, 1871), music editor John M. Evans set it below the tune Rest by William B. Bradbury.

3 Views of Baptist Origins

“A Roundtable Discussion on Baptist Origins” in The Journal of Baptist Studies, Volume 3 (2009) contains articles representing three different historical views of the origin of Baptists.

• The Successionism View of Baptist History, by James R. Duval -- “There is an identity problem among present-day Baptists and the gulf seems to be widening.”
• The Spiritual Kinship Theory of Baptist Origins, by W. Glenn Jonas Jr -- “The spiritual kinship theory was a type of Baptist successionism although different than Landmarkism.”
• A Brief Defense of the English Separatist Origins of Modern Baptists, by James M. Renihan -- “The question of Baptist origins is like a carpet worn thin from more than a century of debate and discussion.”

Baptizing babies (or not) in the first century

I recently heard a Roman Catholic apologist make the statement below about infant baptism. He was referencing the lack of early historical evidence for infant baptism; and the possibility that the apostles’ did not institute the practice “because of how baptism is described in the writings of the first 150 years of church history.” He said:

“Most of the apostles would have died before most Christians were born from Christian parents rather than being converts to the faith as adults.” (Trent Horn)

I found that statement unbelievably astounding from an intelligent academic theologian and debater. I may be a little simple, but it seems to me within the realm of logic that any average Christian couple could have a baby within nine months of their conversion. No need for most of the apostles to be dead. (Certainly, this is not the sole argument he makes on the subject, but it was one that he made that I could not believe he made.)

Research on James Robert McEwin

James Robert McEwin was a songwriter and singing school teacher who seems to mysteriously disappear after about 1902-03. McEwin was born in Texas in 1868, the son of William McEwin and Catherine Reynolds of Lamar County, Texas. He married Elizabeth Ledbetter in 1897 in Jack County, Texas. In 1899 he was a vocal music teacher, also organizing a string band. The McEwin family was living in Jack County in 1900, when the U. S. Federal census was taken. J. R. is listed as a “teacher of music.” He was active in teaching Eureka Normal Music Schools. Here’s a link showing one of his advertisements (Jacksboro Gazette, August 16, 1900), advertising with S. J. Oslin in the summer of 1900, at Post Oak, in Jack County:

J. R. McEwin and his wife divorced in 1905. A divorce was granted and she was given custody of the children (Jacksboro Gazette, September 21, 1905, p. 3). She remarried, to Benjamin Franklin Page. However, what happened to J. R. McEwin? Perhaps he died before the 1910 census, or perhaps he will turn up elsewhere? There is one story that he was accidentally killed in Arkansas, that he was mistaken for someone else.

It seems that J. R. McEwin was very active at the end of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, then just disappears. In her divorce suit in 1905 (Jacksboro News, August 3, 1905, p. 5), Lizzie McEwin claimed she had not had not seen or communicated with J. R. McEwin since February 25, 1901. He is listed as an associate compiler on Songs of Glory No. 2, by J. S. Torbett, which must have first been printed in 1902. Even if he and his wife divorced, it seems that he should show up somewhere in a census, in newspapers about teaching singing schools, or in publishing more books somewhere. This could lend credence to the story about his being accidentally killed in Arkansas.

This McEwin family site gives a possible story of what happened to J. R. McEwin, as well as a picture:

“James Robert McEwin was born about 1868 and died after 1895. He was a music teacher. He was killed in Arkansas, according to a family story. Annie McEwin, the widow of Edgar McEwin reported that James was mistaken for someone else and shot as he got off a train. His belongings were shipped back to his brother, John, whose family had them for a long time afterwards. John was Annie McEwin’s father-in-law.”

If this link works properly, it will show 16 times that J. R. McEwin is mentioned in The Musical Million periodical. (The later ones are simply his name included in continuing advertisements for Songs of Glory No. 2.) Perhaps some day the conclusion of his story will be revealed.

Bad news and Good news

As someone has well said, “There can be no good news until we first accept the bad news.” The bad news is that man is a habitual hereditary sinner separated from God.

• heart is evil (Genesis 8:21; Jeremiah 17:9)
• gone aside, filthy, not good (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3)
• righteousnesses are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)
• spiritually sick (Luke 5:31-32)
• rebellious children (Isaiah 30:1; Luke 15:11-32)
• lost (Luke 15:24; 19:10)
• in darkness (Acts 26:18)
• under the power of Satan (Acts 26:18)
• God’s enemies (Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
• servants of sin (Romans 6:22)
• influenced and led astray by dumb idols (1 Corinthians 12:2)
• spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:4-6)
• slaves to those who by nature are not gods (Galatians 4:8)
• dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1, 5)
• by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3)
• having darkened understanding (Ephesians 4:18)
• separated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:18)
• were darkness (Ephesians 5:8)
• under the power of darkness (Colossians 1:13)
• alienated from God (Colossians 1:21)
• enemies of God (Colossians 1:21)
• idol worshippers (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
• subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:15)
• not a people; had not obtained mercy (1 Peter 2:10)
• sheep going astray (1 Peter 2:25)

The good news is “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

[Note: This list inspired and developed from a list started by Bill Muehlenberg.]

Why Become a Baptist

David M. Ramsey, brought up in a strict Presbyterian household, left his home in Greenville County, South Carolina around 1875 to attend high school at the Carswell Institute in Anderson County, South Carolina. The principal of the school was a young Baptist preacher, E. R. Carswell.

“Soon after I entered the Carswell institute, the young Baptist preacher in a spirit of pleasantry asked his Presbyterian pupil for a good text for a sermon on infant baptism which he intended to preach the following Sunday, stipulating to use the very strongest one favoring this custom which might be produced. The terms were agreed to and at once the search began in good earnest. The boy chuckled over the embarrassing predicament which the preacher and congregation would find themselves in the next Sunday.

“But soon the subject became distressingly serious. One of the first passages turned to of course was, ‘But Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ To my surprise there was not a word here about any kind of baptism. The Baptist minister could do all this for his own babe next Sunday at the close of his sermon, if he thinks there is nothing sacrilegious in a poor mortal man’s imitating the Divine Redeemer in bestowing a blessing. So one after another of the familiar passages were examined with similar results. The household baptisms mentioned in the New Testament failed me for they possessed no remotest hint that infants were present. On the contrary, I remember very distinctly that in every case studied in my crude way the startling fact came out prominently that there was proof that each one baptized had previously exercised faith for himself. The concordance was patiently consulted but no relief came. About Friday the preacher insisted on having his text. I think now that there was in his eye a twinkle of almost cruel pleasure over my discomfiture and awkwardness as I made my lame excuses of absence from books and counseling friends, lack of time, etc. With the assurance on my part that he should hear from me again on this subject, the preacher was left to select his own text according to his liking.”

The Baptist principal’s experiment struck its mark. Over time the Presbyterian youth gave in to the Bible’s teaching and the Spirit’s conviction, became a Baptist and surrendered to the ministry. Excerpted from Baptist Why and Why Not, pp. 395-396.

Our Mortal State

Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.

The following hymn by Isaac Watts is the “Sixth Part” of his paraphrase of Psalm 89 “verse 47, &c.” which he called “Mortality and Hope.—A Funeral Psalm.” It was published in The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament. The name makes clear the intent, to warn of the mortality of man – life how short and frail – but to also point to the hope that is found in Jesus Christ and his resurrection! The subtitle suggests this as an appropriate song or reading at a funeral.

1. Remember, Lord, our mortal state;
How frail our life! how short the date!
Where is the man that draws his breath,
Safe from disease, secure from death?

2. Lord, while we see whole nations die,
Our flesh and sense repine and cry;
Must death for ever rage and reign?
Or, hast thou made mankind in vain?

3. Where is the promise to the just?
Are not thy servants turned to dust?
But faith forbids these mournful sighs,
And sees the sleeping dust arise.

4. That glorious hour, that dreadful day
Wipes the reproach of saints away,
And clears the honour of thy word;
Awake our souls, and bless the Lord.

Isaac Watts (1674–1748) was an English independent (dissenting) minister, theologian, and hymn writer. Because of his prolific, original, and splendid poetry, he has been designated the “Father of English hymnody.” Watts was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England in 1674. He served as a pastor at the Mark Lane Congregational Chapel in London from about 1702 to 1712, but resigned due to poor health. He accepted an invitation from Sir Thomas Abney and Lady Mary Abney to live in Stoke Newington, where he remained the rest of his life.

In addition to hymns (for which he is best remembered), Watts also wrote on theology and logic. He died in 1748, in Stoke Newington and was buried in Bunhill Fields. Some of his best-known hymns include “Joy to the World,” “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past.”

The hymn is Long Meter and the recommended tune in some later printings of Watts’s “Psalms of David” is Pleyel’s (but apparently not the Pleyel’s we know in Sacred Harp, since it is a different meter). In The Sacred Harp 1991 Edition, two stanzas of this hymn were paired with the new tune Granville, written by Sacred Harp singer Judy Hauff of Chicago, Illinois.

Which service?

A pastor was at his church house one weekday morning looking around. He heard a noise out in the foyer and he went out to see what it was. He saw a little boy looking around at everything. So the preacher said, “Son, would you like me to show you around our building?”

The little boy replied, “I sure would!” 

The preacher began to show the boy around. They came to a place in a hallway where there was a plaque. The plaque had a lot of names on it. The little boy asked, “Who, who are all these people?” 

The pastor answered, “Those are the names of the ones who died in the service.”

The little boy looked very puzzled. He thought awhile and finally he asked, “Was that the morning service or the evening service?”

Probably some good information to know!

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