Lips and slips

“If your lips would keep from slips, 

Five things observe with care:

To whom you speak, of whom you speak,

And how, and when, and where.”

- William E. Norris

Why Not Now?

Too few are the garlands we weave for the living,

Too many the wreaths that are laid on the bier;

If someone has flowers or praise to be giving,

’Tis wrong to withhold while the loved one is here.

When once the dear soul from the cold clay doth vanish,

What use the sweet blossoms so lavishly spread?

One kind, loving word that the teardrops will banish,

Is better than loudest applause to the dead.

This poem “Why Not Now?” was written February 12, 1924 by Elsie Lister Ross, the paternal grandmother of Sacred Harp singer Leland Ross.

The meter is 12s.11s.D., and it can be sung to The Ash Grove or Eden of Love (#39 in The Sacred Harp, Cooper Edition), among others.

The gold and the temple, swearing

Matthew 23:16-22 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Jesus chides the religiously blind, pointing out the hypocrisy of certain traditions.[i] James Burton Coffman writes, “The Pharisees’ punctilious preoccupation with trifles appears in all its ridiculous pettiness in this passage.” These traditions made “big deals” out of the “little deals” and prized the little things over the big things. For example, the temple, as a place of religious worship, is more important than the gold in it. Apparently, an oath sworn on the temple could be invalidated – one was not held responsible – while an oath sworn on the gold of the temple was absolutely binding. Nevertheless, their tradition ignored swearing by the temple, while making swearing by the gold of the temple an egregious offense.[ii] This indicates they thought more of the gold than they did of the temple. They had a misplaced view of what was more important, and codified that in the way they applied their traditions. The follow up regarding tithing (Matthew 23:23-24) also illustrates the obsession with trivial things.[iii] In spite of plain truth, these “blind guides” became fools who were princes of pettiness.

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[i] To the previous appellation of “hypocrites,” Jesus added another – “blind guides.” They were not only personal hypocrites, but in their blindness led others into hypocrisy. Thinking themselves guides of the blind, they themselves were blind. “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14.

[ii] On swearing see also Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12.

[iii] Jesus does not condemn the practice of tithing, which was commanded under the law of Moses, but their careful and detail-oriented practice of tithing while ignoring judgment, mercy, and faith.

The Two Keys

From The Organ, Saturday, June 28, 1856

These excerpts are from a piece titled “LESSON—NO. 4” over the name INSTRUCTOR.

…Ans. We have two keys in music called major and minor key, or scales…What is the difference between the two keys?The difference between the two keys is, that in the major mode the semitones occur between the third and fourth, and 7 and 8 sounds from the key, and in the minor mode, between No. 2 & 3, and 5 & 9 from the key of the same. (sic, the printer apparently inverted the 6 as a 9, rlv)Has the semitones natural locations in the scales?They have, and their natural places are between the letters B & C, and E & F; and always occurring between the me faw, and law faw, in each transposition of the me.What are the semitones?They are half degrees or steps in the voice.

Christian doctor FIRED, 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.

• Adam’s Original Sin -- "Many of my friends that I call brother and sister still hold to the traditional calvinistic understanding of Adam, his sin, and the imputation of sin.  I’m ok with that.  This is what we were all taught, and for some reason or another, God has given me the understanding that I have, and not the rest."
• Black pastor tells CNN’s Lemon that Trump doesn’t ‘just attack black people.’ -- "President Trump does not pick the people he attacks because of color. He attacks anybody he feels needed."
• Boys Today Aren’t Getting Enough Time Around Men -- "And if you want your boy to grow up to be a good man, he should spend a large portion of his childhood years around good men."
• Christian doctor FIRED for saying gender is determined at birth… the anti-science assault on biological reality goes ballistic -- "I believe that gender is defined by biology and genetics, and that as a Christian the Bible teaches us that God made humans male or female."
• Feel free to hate Briles and Baylor, but make sure to do your homework on the subject -- "As critical as we [media] are to your community and a democracy, we can be a lazy judgmental pack of self-important blowhards."
• Geronimo in San Antonio -- "Midday, September 10, 1886, a special train from Fort Bowie, Arizona, arrived at San Antonio’s Sunset Depot."
• Kentucky tells church giving away used glasses to homeless it is breaking law -- "For 16 years, a Kentucky church member has been giving away prescription glasses to the poor."
• ‘Major distraction’: school dumps iPads, returns to paper textbooks -- "Teachers also found the iPads were distracting and did not contribute to students’ technology skills..."
• Native Soil -- "How a simple bag of Texas dirt connects distant newborns to a beloved land."
• The First Hamburger -- "Amid uncertainty over the sandwich’s origin, Athens, Texas, holds firm to its claim."
• Trump hosts African American pastors and faith leaders at the White House -- "I have been here five different times in four or five months, so it was not damage control."
• What Lies Beneath -- "To understand Houston, one must understand Buffalo Bayou. This muddy waterway flows through the heart of the city and once drove Houston’s economy. Simply put, without Buffalo Bayou there would be no Houston."
• Yes, American Religious Liberty Is in Peril -- "Today’s administrative state is on a collision course with traditional religious communities, and the key battleground is sexual morality."
• ‘You Always Have a Friend at the White House’: Trump Sits Down With Faith Leaders -- "President Donald Trump met with inner city pastors Wednesday to discuss prison reform, workforce development and partnering with the faith-based community."
• 16 Things You Should Do To Save Money In July -- "If you’re paying more than $63 per month for auto insurance, this auto insurance comparison tool can help you check to see if you’re overpaying in a few minutes."
• 10 Cemeteries to See Before You Die -- "You know, I actually really like going to cemeteries. I know that sounds strange, but I do."

Accursed from Christ

I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ

Romans 9:1-5 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

This text expresses a sentiment (an impulse, a desire) of the heart of the not possible – that Paul might be accursed, devoted to destruction, in the stead of his kinsmen.[i] It is reminiscent of Moses’s intercession for his people, “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:32). Matthew Henry writes, “Being about to discuss the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles, and to show that the whole agrees with the sovereign electing love of God, the apostle expresses strongly his affection for his people.” His affection for his people is even more striking when we see the animosity of Paul’s people for him.

The religious Jews’ attitude and actions toward Paul.

After the young persecutor (Acts 9:2; 22:19) was converted on the road to Damascus, religious Jews[ii] began to persecute him and continued throughout his ministry.

• Jews at Damascus tried to kill him. Acts 9:22-25 
• Jews in Jerusalem sought to kill him. Acts 9:28-30
• Jews at Antioch Pisidia had Paul expelled from the region. Acts 13:45-50
• Jews at Iconium stirred up an attempt to stone Paul and Barnabas. Acts 14:1-5
• Jews from Antioch Pisidia and Iconium persuaded the people at Lystra to stone Paul. Acts 14:6-7,19
• Jews at Thessalonica caused an uproar, and Paul and Barnabas were sent away for their safety. Acts 17:1-5
• Jews from Thessalonica stirred up trouble in Berea. Acts 17:13-14
• Jews at Corinth brought Paul before the judgment seat of Gallio. Acts 18:12-13
• Jews at Ephesus spread an evil report against Paul. Acts 19:8-9
• Jews in Greece tried to accost him. Acts 20:2-3
• Jews at Jerusalem assaulted Paul with the intention to kill him. Acts 21:27-31
• Jews at Jerusalem rejected his testimony and called for his execution. Acts 22:22-23 
• Forty Jews at Jerusalem bound themselves under an oath with a curse to kill Paul. Acts 23:12,30
• Jews accused Paul in legal proceedings before the governor, Felix. Acts 24:1-6
• Jews informed Festus against Paul and asked he be brought back to Jerusalem. (Paul was still in Caesarea.) Acts 25:1-3
• Jews from Jerusalem come to Caesarea to (falsely) accuse Paul. Acts 25:6-7
• Paul related how they caught him and sought to kill him, and why. Acts 26:20-22

Paul’s attitude and actions toward the religious Jews.

God gave Paul an unique apostleship to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13), but he always loved and preached to Jews as well.

• Paul preached Christ at Damascus. Acts 9:20-22
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Salamis. Acts 13:5
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch Pisidia. Acts 13:14-16
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Iconium. Acts 14:1
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Thessalonica. Acts 17:1
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Berea. Acts 17:10
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Corinth. Acts 18:4
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Ephesus. Acts 18:19
• Paul preached in the synagogue at Ephesus (again, when he came back). Acts 19:8
• Paul preached repentance and faith to the Jews (as well as the Gentiles). Acts 20:21
• Paul claims he did nothing wrong to the Jews. Acts 25:10
• Paul preached repentance and turning to God. Acts 26:20
• Paul preached to the Jews in Rome. Acts 28:17,23

Biblical considerations and conclusions

• Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
• Romans 8:35-37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
• Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Without question, Paul was a better man than I. Paul was called of God, he endured persecution from the beginning of his calling until the end, he was faithful to his calling in much tribulation, and he never lost his love for those who hindered and persecuted him. Who couldn’t use a dose of that? Many American Christians, under the first sniff of opposition, quickly lose their love for their enemies, for their fellow-citizens, and for their kinsmen according to the flesh. “Help us, O Lord our God… Help us, O God of our salvation.”

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[i] αναθεμα, rendered accursed, (used here and in Acts 23:14, 1 Corinthians 12:3, 1 Corinthians 16:22, Galatians 1:8-9), signifies that which is devoted to destruction (damned, under a curse), and is equivalent to the Hebrew word חרם, cherem.

[ii] I struggled to find an apt description of these Jews. I chose this term because Paul described them as having a zeal toward God, but not according to knowledge. It was not all Jews that persecuted Paul. The apostles and most early disciples were Jews as well. Paul was a Jew himself, and he calls his persecutors his “kinsmen according to the flesh.” Certain zealous Jews who adhered to the Old Testament and rejected Jesus as the Messiah are those who opposed Paul.

Some more words

• bada din, noun. A notable or significant day, esp. one on which an important festival or momentous event takes place.
• brujo, noun. Originally and chiefly in Spanish-speaking contexts: a sorcerer, wizard, or witch doctor; a man who practises magic.
• credencive, adjective. Disposed to give credence; ready to believe. Also: of or relating to a disposition to give credence.
• decisory, adjective. That settles or determines a matter; decisive, determinative.
• dégringolade, noun. A quick or rapid decline or breakdown, as of a situation or circumstance; Cf. Downfall.
• doggo, adverb. Chiefly in to lie (also play) doggo: to lie flat, remain hidden; to lie quietly. Also in extended use: to keep a low profile, lie low.
• duckety, adjective. Designating a drab nondescript colour, esp. a dull brown resembling the colour of mud; of such a colour.
• ease off, verb. To become less severe or unpleasant; also ease up.
• fellifluous, adjective. Flowing with bile; (figurative) bitter, rancorous.
• footfast, noun. A prisoner in shackles.
• gamphrel, noun. A stupid or foolish person; a fool, a blockhead, an idiot.
• hashery, noun. A cheap restaurant, a hash house.
• havey-cavey, adjective. English regional (northern and north midlands). Uncertain, doubtful, wavering. Now rare.
• highball, verb, transitive. Railways slang. To give (a train or train driver) a signal to proceed. Also in extended use: to alert. Also and in earliest use intransitive.
• kif, adjective. As a general term of approval: admirable, excellent, cool.
• mono no aware, noun. In Japanese art, literary criticism, etc.: a capacity to be, or the experience of being, deeply and spontaneously moved by various poignant manifestations of nature, including human nature; esp. a sense of pathos arising from intense awareness of the impermanence of earthly things.
• oxter, noun. The armpit; (also more generally) the underside of the upper arm; the fold of the arm when bent against the body. Also: the armhole of a coat, jacket, etc.
• prepper, noun. A person who or thing which prepares or readies something; a preparer.
• tautegorical, adjective. Of a symbol (usually in mythology or religion): signifying only itself, as opposed to representing or standing for something else.
• wayfinder, noun. A person skilled in finding the route or way; a navigator. Also in extended use: a person who opens up new ways; an innovator, a trailblazer
• yolker, noun. With modifying word. An egg with a specified number of yolks, as double-yolker, triple-yolker.

Reprise of blog quotes

Hope you are still reading the blog. Since you liked these “weird and disturbing” quotes so much, I decided to post them again, plus one more from the Bible. Enjoy!

If your mind goes blank, don’t forget to turn off the sound.

Many things are opened by mistake, but none so frequently as the mouth.

Two types of people who don’t say much: (1) those who are quiet, and (2) those who talk a lot.

One way to save face – keep the lower half of it shut.

If you get into deep water, keep your mouth shut.

The typical sermon is a swimming lesson on dry land! – Frank Viola

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. – Proverbs 21:23

Let us love one another

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 1 John 4:7

“Love is of God.” I can have no satisfaction, real satisfaction, that I am a partaker of the Spirit and grace of Christ except I feel some measure of the love of God shed abroad in my heart. I may have hopes, expectations, and evidences, fainter or brighter; but I have no sure, clear evidence in my own soul that I have the Spirit and grace of Christ there, except I am blessed with the love of God; for until love comes, there is fear which hath torment. And whilst we have fear which hath torment, there is no being made perfect in love.

You have no clear assurance in your own breast that God has loved you with an everlasting love; nor have you any bright testimony that the Spirit of God makes your body his temple until this love comes into your soul. But when the crowning blessing comes of the love of God experimentally felt and enjoyed by his own shedding of it abroad in the heart, with the communication of the Spirit of adoption to cry “Abba, Father,” that is the sealing testimony of your possession of the true spirit; for it is “a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;” and where there is this, there is also a spirit of love and affection to all the family of God.

J. C. Philpot (1802 – 1869)

Jesus, once for sinners slain

The name Joseph Hart is not as well-known as Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, but in my opinion Hart wrote some great experiential Christian hymns. Among my favorites are the Dialogue between a Believer and His Soul. Other Hart hymns I have posted are found HERE, HERE, and HERE. On Tuesday I wrote a 7s meter tune and paired it with Hart’s “Jesus, once for sinners slain,” No. 830 in William Gadsby’s A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. The tune is HERE. Hart evidently wrote this for use with communion.

“Shew the Lord’s death till he come.” 1 Corinthians 11.26, 7s.

1. Jesus, once for sinners slain,
From the dead was raised again,
And in heaven is now set down
With his Father in his throne.

2. There he reigns a King supreme;
We shall also reign with him;
Feeble souls, be not dismayed;
Trust in his almighty aid.

3. He has made an end of sin,
And his blood has washed us clean;
Fear not, he is ever near;
Now, e’en now, he’s with us here.

4. Thus assembling, we, by faith,
Till he come, show forth his death;
Of his body bread’s the sign,
And we drink his blood in wine.

5. Bread, thus broken, aptly shows
How his body God did bruise;
When the grape’s rich blood we see,
Lord, we then remember thee.

6. Saints on earth, with saints above,
Celebrate his dying love,
And let every ransomed soul
Sound his praise from pole to pole.

Death Shown Forth, 7s.

164th Anniversary of the East Texas Convention

The 164th Anniversary meeting of the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention will occur next weekend (d.v.), August 10-11, at the Henderson Civic Center in Henderson, Texas. Singing starts at 9:30 both days. For more information see HERE.

The Convention was organized in 1855 as the East Texas Musical Convention, but is now usually called the East Texas Sacred Harp Convention because of its exclusive use of The Sacred Harp.

Restoration 268a, at 2012 East Texas Convention

Sing with the spirit and with understanding

Baptist preacher and Sacred Harp composer Henry Smith Rees wrote the following letter to The Musical Million journal. The copy I have is dim in a number of places. Brackets [ ] enclose words of which I was less than certain, and the ellipsis (...) represents a word on which I would not even guess.

COWETA CO., GA., Sept. 7, 1896

                Dear Editor: — The book and other musical matter came duly to hand, but owing to my absence from home at the time, and desiring to examine the book, I have delayed answering. I am still engaged in preaching and serving churches, so that much of my time is taken up in that way and off from home.

                As to the book—CROWNING DAY—so far as I have had opportunity to examine it, I consider it splendid, and a book of rare merit. I intend to exhibit and recommend it to my churches and congregations, and if possible, induce them to order a supply. I [have a thought that if your publications] could be introduced in this section they would supplant others that are being [distributed] to some extent in these parts.

                How you get up a paper of [such ... as] the MUSICAL MILLION for the price at which you offer it is somewhat of a puzzle to me. I regard it, judging from the past and the specimen copy sent me, as among the [best] journals of the day, and worthy of reception in any community or family.

                Through this section but little teaching of music is being done, save instructional teaching in connection with literary schools, and this often by young ladies or girls with but little experience. The most of our singing is learned or caught by the ear, and when such is the case the standard is [apt] to be inaccurate or imperfect. So you can infer that we have but little trained singing in this part of the sunny South. It is true that this is an age of much singing, but whether it accords with Paul’s admonition, when he urges to sing “with the spirit and with understanding,” is a question that should be seriously pondered. I think it well to sing for recreation, but let the music correspond with that end; but when the aim is praise, let it be done in solemn form, with an uplifted heart to God.

Yours fraternally,             H. S. REES.

The tribute money

Q. What is the meaning of the tribute money in Matthew 17?

Text: Matthew 17:24-27 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

A. The tribute here is a sort of tax. Probably it is the half shekel “temple tax” of Exodus 30:11-16.[i] “Tribute” is a didrachma (δίδραχμα), which Strong’s says is equal to one-half a shekel.

Peter was often quick to answer. Here his quick answer was that, yes, his master did pay tribute.[ii] However, Jesus stops him and questions him making him think more deeply about it. If this supported the worship of the temple or synagogue, and he was really who Peter believed he was – the Son of God (Matthew 16:16) – Jesus would not actually owe or pay the tribute. It is his Father’s house! Nevertheless, Jesus said he would pay the tribute because it could be an offense or obstacle. Not all would understand why he should be exempt.

The money in the fish’s mouth is an obvious miracle.[iii] It demonstrates that, though Jesus has the position not to pay, but he has the passion and power to pay anyway – confirming what he told Peter. Interestingly, the piece of money is the Greek statera (στατῆρα), which is equal to a Jewish shekel. Therefore, it was enough to pay a half-shekel for Jesus and a half-shekel for Peter, who owed the tax. The piece of money was just enough to pay the tribute, accenting our Lord’s moderation. He had no love for temporal things, and they had no hold on him (Proverbs 15:27).

Finally, the owner of all silver and gold (Haggai 2:8) did not have the money to pay the tax. Rather he borrowed it from his creation (Genesis 1:20-23)! This reminds us that “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

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[i] It is not the Roman civil tax, discussed elsewhere (see footnote 2), but for religious service; the point of the story depends on that fact.

[ii] On another occasion, Jesus supported paying the taxes of a temporal government, Matthew 22:15–22.

[iii] Though perhaps only a miracle of omniscience rather than a miracle of creation. That is, Jesus knowing the money was in the fish’s mouth and providing that Peter catch that particular fish, as opposed to creating the coin in the fish’s mouth as Peter caught it. It matters little, in that the God who can do one can do the other. Compare Matthew 9:5.

Easton on Predestination

This word is properly used only with reference to God’s plan or purpose of salvation [I disagree, rlv].  The Greek word rendered “predestinate” is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29,30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5,11; and in all of them has the same meaning.They teach that the eternal, sovereign, immutable, and unconditional decree or “determinate purpose” of God governs all events. This doctrine of predestination or election is beset with many difficulties. It belongs to the “secret things” of God. But if we take the revealed word of God as our guide, we must accept this doctrine with all its mysteriousness, and settle all our questionings in the humble, devout acknowledgment, “Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.”

For the teaching of Scripture on this subject let the following passages be examined in addition to those referred to above; Genesis 21:12; Exodus 9:16; 33:19; Deuteronomy 10:15; 32:8; Joshua 11:20; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Chronicles 6:6; Psalm 33:12; 65:4; 78:68; 135:4; Isaiah 41:1-10; Jeremiah 1:5; Mark 13:20; Luke 22:22; John 6:37; 15:16; 17:2,6,9; Acts 2:28; 3:18; 4:28; 13:48; 17:26; Romans 9:11,18,21; 11:5; Ephesians 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:2.

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Once in Christ, in Christ forever

C. H. Spurgeon:

“Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37

No limit is set to the duration of this promise. It does not merely say, “I will not cast out a sinner at his first coming,” but, “I will in no wise cast out.” The original reads, “I will not, not cast out,” or “I will never, never cast out.” The text means, that Christ will not at first reject a believer; and that as He will not do it at first, so He will not to the last.

But suppose the believer sins after coming? “If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” But suppose that believers backslide? “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him.” But believers may fall under temptation! “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” But the believer may fall into sin as David did! Yes, but He will “Purge them with hyssop, and they shall be clean; He will wash them and they shall be whiter than snow;” “From all their iniquities will I cleanse them.”

“Once in Christ, in Christ for ever,
Nothing from His love can sever.”
​

“I give unto My sheep,” saith He, “eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand." What sayest thou to this, O trembling feeble mind? Is not this a precious mercy, that coming to Christ, thou dost not come to One who will treat thee well for a little while, and then send thee about thy business, but He will receive thee and make thee His bride, and thou shalt be His for ever? Receive no longer the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption whereby thou shalt cry, Abba, Father! Oh! the grace of these words: “I will in no wise cast out.”

From Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening Devotionals

I searched for the hymn referenced by Spurgeon, and have yet to find it. I found something similar in the second stanza of Hymn 634, page 634 in John Dobell’s A New Selection of Seven Hundred Evangelical Hymns, 1810:
2. Once in Christ, in Christ forever;
This the gospel-scheme declares; 
Death, nor hell, nor sin shall sever 
Jesus from his chosen heirs;
Blest in Jesus,
Members of his mystic frame.

There is a different version referenced in James Smith’s 1850 Daily Bible readings for the Lord's Household:
Once in Christ, in Christ for ever, 
This the gospel scheme declares; 
Satan, death, nor hell shall sever
Jesus from his chosen heirs: 
Blest in Jesus, 
Life, eternal life, is theirs.

Things fall together, 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 when possible.)

"Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together." -- attributed to Marilyn Monroe

"In our constitutional structure, our rule of upholding the law’s original meaning is reason enough to correct course." -- Clarence Thomas

"When faced with a demonstrably erroneous precedent, my rule is simple: We should not follow it."--  Clarence Thomas

"We come to the Lord as we are, but not to stay as we are." -- Richard Dowsett

"Sin exists, but does not exist outside of God’s control." -- Heard

"God uses imperfect people who are in imperfect situations to do His perfect will." -- Heard

"God uses imperfect people. That never excuses our imperfections." -- Heard

"The secret formula of the saints: When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord’s choicest wines." -- Samuel Rutherford

“The author of Ecclesiastes has taught me that it is folly to suppose that you can plan life and master it, and you will get hurt if you try. You must acknowledge the sovereignty of God and leave the wisdom to him.” -- J. I. Packer

"[God] does not belong to the class of existing things: not that He has no existence, but that he is above all existing things, nay even above existence itself." -- John, of Damascus

It is not the critic who counts

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt, from his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech on April 23, 1910

The Name of Jesus is So Sweet

Tampa Weekly Tribune, Thursday, September 3, 1914 page 6, column 6

1. The name of Jesus is so sweet,
I love its music to repeat;
It makes my joys full and complete,
The precious name of Jesus!

2. I love the name of Him whose heart
Knows all my griefs, and bears a part;
Who bids all anxious fears depart –
I love the name of Jesus.

3. That name I fondly love to hear,
It never fails my heart to cheer;
Its music dries the falling tear –
Exalt the name of Jesus.

4. No word of man can ever tell
How sweet the name I love so well;
Oh, let its praises ever swell,
Oh, praise the name of Jesus.

Refrain:
“Jesus,” Oh, how sweet the name!
“Jesus,” ev’ry day the same;
“Jesus,” let all saints proclaim
Its worthy praise forever.

Baptist minister William Clark Martin (1864-1914) wrote this hymn. He was born December 25, 1864, at Hightstown, New Jersey. He pastored a number of Baptist churches, and died August 30, 1914, while living in Florida. Martin was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Ft. Myers, Florida, from 1912 until the time of his death. He is buried at the Fort Myers Cemetery. His wife Etta lived until 1941 and is buried at the Wood River Cemetery in Richmond, Washington County, Rhode Island. Elder Martin has a cenotaph there as well.

One early source for this song is Choice Hymns No. 1: for Use in the Church, Sunday-school, Young People’s Societies..., with the tune by E. S. Lorenz.

Camden Post-Telegram, Tuesday, September 15, 1914, page 5, column 2

Explanation of Meter, from The Baptist Standard Hymnal

The following explanation of Meter (the author prefers the spelling “Metre” which we do not as commonly use nowadays) is taken from The Baptist Standard Hymnal, with Responsive Reading: a New Book for All Services, edited by Mrs. A. M. (Willa Ann) Townsend and published in 1924 by the Sunday School Board of the National Baptist Convention (page 6). The explanation is presumably written by the editor.

Follow the link above to also see some examples that are on the page. The examples are helpful, but contain some markings I was unable to reproduce.

METRE— EXPLAINED 

The term Metre or Meter, is a Greek word and properly belongs to poetry, from whence it is transferred to music. Metre is the Measure, or the Standard by which the long and short syllables in the verses of a hymn are rhythmically and definitely arranged into groups of syllables called poetic “Feet.” Each “Foot,” having a distinctive name, is to poetry what a measure is, in many respects, to music. Very little is known of the actual way Greek verse was adapted to singing tones, yet it is safe to assume that every long syllable was sung to a longer tone and every short syllable to a shorter tone. Modern verse is set to a larger variety of patterns of long and short tones, provided that the “Accented” Syllables match with “Accented” Tones. The regular recurrence of the “Accent” constitutes and determines the Metre of the line or verse. In a modern Hymnal a very large number of forms may be represented but the form of every hymn-tune depends on the verse-form to which it belongs. Out of four or five types of “Feet,” developed the fundamental rhythm of modern music and its types of Metre. Of the many recognized “Feet,” Iambic with lines sometimes of 10 or more syllables, Dactylic, Amphibrachic, Anapestic and Trochial are the chief types. Trochial, having the greatest extension in the variety. Syllables of two and three “Feet” are called Simple Feet. When there are four, five and six syllables in a word they are reckoned as “Double” or “Compound Feet,” though often they are resolved Into Single Feet. The most frequently used Meters are: Common Metre (C. M.), Common Hallelujah Metre (C. H. M.), Long Metre (L. M.), Long Particular Metre (L. P. M.), Hallelujah Metre (H. M.), (Short Metre (S. M.), Short Particular Metre (S. P. M.) 7s; 8s; 8s 7s; 8s 7s 4s; 10s; 10s 11s; 11s; 12s.

HOW TO KNOW WHAT METRE TO ADAPT 

Common Metre 

Common Metre is known by a stanza of four lines composed of one short unaccented syllable and one long accented syllable in each poetical foot. The syllables being in number and order as follows: 8, 6, 8, 6, that is, there are 8 syllables in first and third lines and 6 syllables in the second and fourth lines.

Iambic Feet — C. H. M. 

Common Hallelujah Metre is a stanza of six lines, each poetical foot consisting of one short unaccented syllable and one long accented syllable. The syllables each being in number and order as follows: 8, 8, 6, 8, 8, 6.

Iambic Feet — L. M.

Long Metre consists of four lines, of which each foot contains one short unaccented and one long accented syllable. Each line contains 8 syllables.

Iambic Feet — L. P. M. 

Long Particular Metre differs from Long Metre only in having six lines Instead of four, each of which contains 8 syllables.

Iambic Feet — H. M. 

Hallelujah Metre is a stanza of 6 lines with one short unaccented syllable, and one long accented syllable in each poetical measure or Musical foot. The syllables of each being in number and order as follows: 6, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8.

Iambic Feet — S. M. 

Short Metre consists of a stanza of four lines whose poetic foot is composed of two syllables — a short or unaccented syllable followed by a long or accented syllable. The syllables in number and order are as follows: 6, 6, 8, 6.

Iambic Feet — S. P. M. 

Short Particular Metre consists of six lines whose poetic foot is made up of two syllables — one short or unaccented followed by a long or accented syllable. The syllables in number and order are 6, 6, 8, 6, 6, 8.

Trochaic Feet — 7s

A stanza of Sevens consists of four lines with a poetic foot containing one long and one short syllable. The accented syllable followed by an unaccented syllable. Each line contains 7 syllables.

Trochaic Feet — 7s 6s 

A stanza with a Metre thus designated consists of eight lines in Trochaic and Iambic feet.

Anapestic Feet — 8s 

A stanza of four lines with a poetical foot containing two short syllables followed by one long syllable, is known as 8s. Each line contains eight syllables and is marked 8s.

Trochaic Feet — 8s 7s 

Eights and Sevens consists of four lines with a poetic foot containing one long and one short syllable; an accented syllable is followed by an unaccented one and designated thus: 8s 7s. The syllables are as follows: 8, 7, 8, 7.

Trochaic Feet — 8s 7s 4s 

A Metre designated 8, 7, 4, differs from the Metre 8s 7s only in that it contains six lines instead of four lines; the syllables being in number and order as follows: 8, 7, 8, 7, 4, 7.

Anapestic Feet — 10s 11s 

10s 11s Metre consists of a stanza of 4 lines with 2 short syllables followed by a long syllable. The syllables in number and order are 10, 10, 11, 11, or six lines with a poetical foot consisting of one short unaccented and one long accented syllable thus: 10, 10, 10, 11, 11.

Anapestic Feet — 11s 

A Metre designated 11s, consists of a stanza of four lines with a poetical foot containing 2 short syllables followed by a long syllable, each line containing eleven syllables.

Anapestic Feet — 12s 

A Metre of twelves consists of a stanza of four lines, each containing twelve syllables with two short syllables followed by a long syllable, composing the poetical foot.

Dactylic Feet 

is just the reverse of the Anapestic, being composed of one long accented syllable followed by two short unaccented syllables.

Amphibrachic Feet 

is represented by three syllables. The first and third syllables are short, the middle syllable is long.