The Story Behind the Hymn: “How Great Thou Art”

The Story Behind the Hymn: “How Great Thou Art”

Words by Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940), Written in 1885


What a wonderful hymn this is, I hope that it encourages your walk with the Lord if you are a Christian. The lyrics of the song are such a lovely reminder that we can focus on how great our Savior is. However, if  you aren't a Christian, I hope that you'll be encouraged to start your walk with the Lord and that He may guide your steps and help you in your time of need. 

I will be including the lyrics at the bottom of this message. Please look at the link below for the reference of where this information may be found on the internet. Thanks. :)

http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=12507
 

Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940)

Carl Boberg was born in Sweden as the son of a shipyard carpenter. After spending some years as a sailor, Carl had a conversion experience at the age of 19. He decided to attend a Bible school in Sweden and then accepted a pastorate in his hometown. In 1890, he began serving as the editor of an evangelistic magazine. He soon became the owner of the magazine, and he continued as its editor until 1916. According to hymnologist J. Irving Erickson, “Under [Carl’s] leadership, the periodical became an increasingly important arm of the evangelical movement.” For almost 20 years, Carl also served as a member of the Swedish Parliament. He was a popular speaker and a gifted writer. He published several collections of poetry as well as many hymns which are still sung in Sweden. Only a handful of Carl’s hymns have been translated into English – the most popular being “How Great Thou Art.” Carl wrote this hymn when he was only 26 years old. He had been walking through a spectacular thunderstorm in 1885 when he was inspired with the opening words of his poem “O Store Gud” (“O Great God”). He wrote 9 stanzas based on Psalm 145:3, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise.” A few years later, while visiting a church in Sweden, Carl was surprised to hear his poem being sung to an old Swedish folk melody.

Tune “O Store Gud,” a Swedish hymn adapted and translated by Stuart Wesley Keen Hine (1899-1989), Published in 1949

Stuart Wesley Keen Hine (1899-1989)

Stuart Hine was born in London, England. He became a Christian at the age of 14 and later became a missionary to Eastern Europe. Stuart first heard the hymn “How Great You Are” in 1933 in Ukraine where it was sung in Russian. The Swedish original had been translated into both German (1907) and Russian (1912). Stuart and his wife began singing the hymn in Russian at evangelistic meetings, but it was not until he was caught in a storm in the Carpathian Mountains that he began a “free translation” of the hymn into English. He translated nine of the verses into two and later added a third and fourth verse of his own. Hine published his version in 1949 in Grace and Peace, an evangelistic publication that circulated in at least 15 countries. Furthermore, British missionaries helped to spread the hymn to both Africa and Asia. The popularity of the hymn grew in the U.S. (and renewed interest in the hymn in Europe) through its use in the Billy Graham Crusades. “How Great Thou Art” continues to rank as a favorite hymn across the globe.

Lyrics to the Hymn

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Refrain

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Refrain

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Refrain

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain

Story Behind the Hymn: How Firm A Foundation

History of “How Firm a Foundation”

What a nice hymn with a lovely message of having a foundation of faith and belief in Jesus can be so strong and firm. It has very strong Biblical references throughout the song and has been sung by many people throughout the ages and is a popular one with many Christian singers today. To check out this page online, you may read it on this link http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11906.

Words published by John Rippon (1751-1836), Published in 1787

John Rippon (1751-1836)

This hymn was first published in a collection by John Rippon in 1787 — its authorship was attributed to a person with the initial “K.” Some scholars believe that Robert Keene, a worship leader and close friend to John, was the author. However, Keene was a hymn composer (he wrote the tunes, not the words for hymns), and since he was credited with authorship on his many tunes, it seems strange that he would not be credited with words that he penned. Ultimately, the author has yet to be identified with any certainty.
Whoever the author may have been, John Rippon is credited with popularizing the words. In 1775, John became the pastor of Carter’s Lane Baptist Church in London (a congregation that would later be pastored by the famous preacher Charles Spurgeon), where he served for over six decades. In 1787, he published his famous A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns. This collection of hymns was reprinted 27 times, in over 200,000 copies.¹ It was used by his congregation (and many others) until 1866 when Spurgeon created a collection called Our Own Hymn Book (which borrowed significantly from both Rippon and Watts).²
“How Firm a Foundation” was first printed in America in 1820, and it quickly gained popularity throughout the United States. President Andrew Jackson asked that it be sung at his bedside shortly before he died, and it was sung at the funeral of General Robert E. Lee, by his request, “as an expression of his full trust in the ways of the Heavenly Father;” it was also the favorite hymn of President Theodore Roosevelt.³ America’s love for this hymn was perhaps best revealed during the Spanish-American War — on Christmas Eve of 1898, Northerners and Southerners in the U.S. Army joined together to sing it.

Tune “Foundation” (American Folk Tune), Published in 1832


The source of the tune remains as much of a mystery as the authorship of the text. It seems that it first appeared in 1832 with the name “Protection” in A Compilation of Genuine Church Music, by Joseph Funk, and then in 1844 with the name “Bellevue” in The Sacred Harp. According to hymnologist Donald Hustad, “it is generally agreed that it was one of the most widely sung folk hymn tunes in the South.”⁴

Story Behind the Hymn: Christ Arose (Low in the Grave He Lay)

2 webpages were used in this blog message this week to provide a more detailed history of this hymn that was written by Robert Lowry who also wrote other famous hymns. References for the information below can be found on the following 2 links:
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/SongsAndHymnsOfRobertLowery.html
http ://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11725.

 

History of “Christ Arose (Low in the Grave He Lay)”:

Words and Music by Robert Lowry (1826-1899), Published in 1874

Robert Lowry (1826-1899)

Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia in 1826. As a teen, he was active in teaching Sunday school, as well as serving in the choir of his church. For college, Robert attended the University at Lewisburg, PA (now Bucknell University), and he graduated with the highest honors. He began working as a pastor, as well as a professor of literature.
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According to the Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers:

“Dr. Lowry was a man of rare administrative ability, a most excellent preacher, a thorough Bible student, and whether in the pulpit or upon the platform, always a brilliant and interesting speaker. He was of a genial and pleasing disposition, and a high sense of humor was one of his most striking characteristics. Very few men had greater ability in painting pictures from the imagination. He could thrill an audience with his vivid descriptions, inspiring others with the same thoughts that inspired him.”

While preaching was Robert’s main work for many years, he always had a deep love of music. In time, he began dedicating more effort to music and by the end of his life, he had written dozens of popular hymns and tunes such as: “Here Is Love,” “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” “Shall We Gather at the River?”, and “We’re Marching to Zion.”

This song which reminds us of the fact that Jesus, who was crucified, was also raised form the grave, is "Christ Arose."  The text often identified by its first line, "Low in the Grave He Lay," was written and the tune (He Arose) was composed both  in 1874 after Lowry had moved to preach in Lewisburg, PA, where he also served as Professor at Bucknell. During the spring of that year, he was having his evening devotions and was impressed with the events associated with Christ's resurrection. Soon he found himself in the parlor of his home and, in a very spontaneous fashion, there came forth from his thoughts the words and music for this song. It was first published the following year in a Sunday school songbook Brightest and Best of which he was co-editor with William Howard Doane (1832-1915).  This song emphasizes both the facts and the importance of the resurrection of Christ.
Stanza #1 talks about how Christ lay in the tomb waiting the resurrection day.

"Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!"

The Bible records the burial of Jesus in Joseph's new tomb (Matthew 27:57-61).  However, this was only a waiting period, because even the Old Testament had prophesied that the Messiah would be raisd from the dead (Psalms 16:9-11; cf. Acts 2:29-31). And even Jesus Himself had often predicted His own resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19).
Stanza #2 tells about how preparations were made to keep Christ's body in the tomb.

"Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus my Savior;
Vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!"

The Jewish leaders were afraid that the disciples would steal the body, so they asked Pilate to set a guard and seal the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).  They remembered His predictions of a resurrection and wanted to have all their bases covered (Matthew 12:38-40). But, of course, all their preparations were in vain, and the very thing which they sought to prevent is what they eventually claimed happened (Matthew 28:11-15).
Stanza 3 speaks of how Christ came forth from the grave.

"Death cannot keep its Prey, Jesus my Savior;
He tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!"

The simple fact is that after three days in the tomb, Jesus arose just as He said that He would (Matthew 28:1-2). Following His resurrection, He appeared to a number of people to show by many infallible proofs that He was indeed alive again (Acts 1:1-3; I Corinthians 15:3-8). And the rest of the New Testament teaches us to remember Christ's resurrection because it declared Him to be the divine Son of God (Romans 1:3-4; II Timothy 2:8).
Sometimes, song leaders may choose to have the congregation sing all three stanzas one right after another and then the chorus which triumphantly declares,

"Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes!
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!"

The resurrection of Christ from the dead is recorded in the scriptures not as some kind of allegory but as an actual event: Luke 24:6-8). And it is presented in the scripture as the basis for our hope (I Peter 1:3-4). Therefore, we can rejoice and have hope because of the fact that "Christ Arose.

History of the Hymn: Lead Me to Calvary

Hope everyone is having a blessed Resurrection Sunday/Easter today. In my humble opinion, Easter is more than just chocolate, bunnies, chicks and eggs. I hope that you will consider reading the history of this hymn for this week and reflect on the Bible story of Easter. I will try to share the Christian Easter story with you all some time this week. Thanks and God Bless! :) http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11840

 

History of “Lead Me to Calvary”

Words by Jennie Evelyn Hussey (1874-1958), Published in 1921

Jennie Evelyn Hussey (1874-1958)

In 1874, Jennie Hussey was born in rural New Hampshire (where she spent much of her life). For many years, she was the primary caregiver for an invalid sister, despite dealing with her own crippling arthritis.

Though Jennie was born into a Quaker family that went back many generations, she chose to identify with the Baptists as an adult. Since Quakers did not practice water baptism, Jennie asked to be baptized at First Baptist Church in Concord, New Hampshire. She told the pastor, “I’ve spent much of my life hidden away in the country, and I’d like to have the opportunity, before God takes me home, to tell everybody, ‘I love Jesus.’”

Jennie had been a poet since her youth, and she used this gift to beautifully declare her love for Jesus. The hymn “Lead Me to Calvary” is said to have been born out of Jennie’s painful battle with arthritis; she prayed the words of her hymn:

May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.

The remaining verses followed, and Jennie’s hymn would later appear in over 90 hymnals. Jennie continued to show her love for the Lord in poetry, and by the end of her life in 1958, she had penned dozens of hymns.

Tune “Duncannon” by William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)

William James Kirkpatrick (1838-1921)

The tune “Duncannon” was written for Jennie’s words and was named after William’s birthplace — Duncannon, Pennsylvania. As the son of a school teacher and musician, William was raised in a musical environment. William spent his life in Pennsylvania where he studied and worked in carpentry and mechanics for several years. However, he found himself devoting all of his free time to music. He was particularly skilled in violin and cello and was in constant demand at his church. By 1855, as a teenager, he chose to devote himself to sacred music, and God blessed him with a beautiful and fruitful ministry. William began composing hymns and published his first tune in 1858. By the end of his life, he had composed over 160 tunes. He also helped to edit and publish an estimated 50 hymn collections.





Lyrics to the Hymn:  Lead Me to Calvary

King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be:
Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.


Chorus:
Lest I forget Gethsemane;
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.


Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.


Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.


May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.

Source: Baptist Hymnal 2008 #251

The Story Behind The Hymn: Be Thou My Vision

I'm sorry that this message is one day late, but I hope that you'll consider reading the lovely history of this hymn. It is one of my personal favorites. The link to this hymn can be found by this link, http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11487.

 

History of “Be Thou My Vision”

Words Attributed to Saint Dallan (c. 530-598)

Saint Dallan (c. 530 – 598)

Saint Dallan’s original name was Eochaid Mac Colla. The word “dallan” means “little blind one,” and Dallan earned this nickname after supposedly losing his sight from intense study. Dallan, who was a descendant of the legendary High King Colla Uais, was a famous Irish Christian monk, poet, and scholar who is believed to have penned “Rop tú mo Baile” (Be Thou My Vision). Though Dallan was killed by pirates who broke into his island monastery, his poetry lived on for centuries in the Irish monastic tradition.
In 1905, Mary Elizabeth Byrne translated the poem into English, and in 1912, Eleanor Hull versified the text of “Be Though My Vision.” In 1927, David Evans set the hymn to the tune “Slane” (an old Irish folk tune) and published it in the Church Hymnary. “Slane” is named for a hill in County Meath, Ireland, where St. Patrick is said to have lit his famous Easter fire in 433 AD.
Legend holds that High King Logaire of Tara had decreed that no one in his kingdom could light a fire until he kicked off the pagan spring festival with a ritual fire on Tara Hill. Supposedly, Patrick defied this decree and Logaire was so fascinated by Patrick’s faith in God (as well as his willingness to risk his life in defying a powerful king) that Logaire allowed Patrick to continue his missionary work in Ireland.

 

Lyrics for “Be Thou My Vision”:

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight;
Thou my soul’s shelter, Thou my high tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

History of the Hymn: In the Cross (Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross)

History of “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross” 

http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11387

Words by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), Published in 1869

Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)

Fanny Crosby is arguably America’s best known hymn writer. Despite being blind (at just six weeks of age, she was blinded by improper treatment of an eye infection), Fanny composed around 8,000 hymns during her lifetime. Of her blindness, Fanny said:

“It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”¹

Fanny began writing verses at the age of eight. By age 15, she entered the New York City School for the Blind where she began to develop her talent. She started by writing words for secular songs, and she earned significant royalties (particularly for her popular song Rosalie, The Prairie Flower). After graduating, Fanny stayed at the School for the Blind as a teacher; for over 10 years, she taught English grammar, rhetoric, and Roman and American history.² In 1859, Fanny married Alexander Van Alstyne, a blind musician who also taught at the School for the Blind.³
Fanny was in her 40s when she was asked by composer William Bradbury to write her first hymn. It was a success, and Fanny realized that hymn writing was God’s call on her life. Hymnologist Charles Johnson records:

“As the years went by [Fanny’s] name became a magic formula for success to music composers and publishers. At one point, she was under contract to produce three hymns per week and while so doing, she still provided hymns for her composer friends, Bradbury, Root, Doane, Lowry, Sankey, and others.”⁴

In addition to hymn writing, Fanny was active as a devotional speaker and counselor until she was over 90 years old.⁵ Fanny’s gifts attracted the attention of many prominent people, including U.S. presidents. On her 85th birthday, she received a letter from President Grover Cleveland who wrote:

“My dear friend: It is more than fifty years ago that our acquaintance and friendship began; and ever since that time I have watched your continuous and interested labor in uplifting humanity, and pointing out the way to an appreciation of God’s goodness and mercy. . . . As one proud to call you an old friend, I desire to be early in congratulating you on your long life of usefulness, and wishing you in the years yet to be added to you, the peace and comfort born of the love of God. Yours very sincerely, Grover Cleveland.”⁶

Fanny spent her last few years of life at her daughter’s home in Connecticut before dying at the age of 95. Her tombstone carries the words of one of her famous hymns, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.”

Music “Near the Cross” by William Howard Doane (1832-1915)

William Howard Doane (1832-1915)

William Doane’s primary work was secular. He ran a very successful woodworking machinery plant in Ciccinnati and was a respected civic leader in the city. He also served more than 25 years as the head of the Mount Auburn Baptist Church Sunday school program.
Though William viewed music as a hobby, he produced over 2200 hymn tunes in his lifetime and edited more than 40 song books. He worked closely with Moody and Sankey in their popular evangelistic outreaches, and he was Fanny Crosby’s principal collaborator in writing gospel songs.⁷ Often, William would compose a tune and ask Fanny to come up with words. This was the case with “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.”
At his death, William left a fortune in a trust which has been used in many philanthropic causes, including the Doane Memorial Music Building at Moody Bible Institute.⁸

 

Lyrics for “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross”:

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

(Refrain)

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

(Refrain)

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

(Refrain)

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

(Refrain)

Story Behind the Hymn: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? (At the Cross)”

History of “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? (At the Cross)” http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=11343

 

Words by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), Published in 1707

Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Isaac Watts was the oldest of nine children born in England to a father, also named Isaac, who was imprisoned on more than one occasion for dissenting from the doctrine of the Anglican Church. It is said that Isaac’s mother Sarah used to nurse him while sitting on a stone outside the prison and talking with her husband through the bars.¹
Watts showed exceptional intellectual ability in his youth. By age 13, he had learned Latin, Greek, French and Hebrew. He also demonstrated his wit with rhyme at a young age. Once when asked to explain why he was disturbing the evening prayers, Watts described the mouse that was distracting him: “A mouse for want of better stairs, ran up a rope to say his prayers.”² On this occasion (or possibly another), when he was being punished for his irritating rhymes, he said, “O father, do some pity take, and I will no more verses make.”³
If Watts had been a member of the Church of England, he probably would have been sent to Oxford or Cambridge for college. Instead, he was enrolled at a school for “dissenters” in London. After leaving the Dissenting Academy at 19, Watts returned to his father’s parish, Above Bar Congregational Church, in Southampton.
Both Watts and his father found church music to be uninspiring and monotonous. The congregational singing in English-speaking churches was limited to metrical psalms. Many Christians believed that it would be offensive to God to sing anything other than the actual words of Scripture. It was Watts’ father who first challenged him to “write something better for us to sing.”⁴
After Watts presented his first song, the congregation at his father’s church responded with tremendous enthusiasm . . . so much so that they requested a new hymn every week. The next two years would become the richest hymn-writing period in Watts’ life. After these two years, Watts moved to London to work as a tutor.
In London, Watts joined the Mark Lane Independent Church. On his 24thbirthday in 1698, he preached his first sermon, and by 1702, he became the senior pastor. He retained this position for the remainder of his life and would become one of the best-known preachers in England.
Interestingly, Watts was also a reputable author of educational books on geography, astronomy, grammar and philosophy.⁵ His books were widely used in universities in the 18thcentury. However, Watts is now best known for his hymns, which were motivated by a “fervent concern about the dismal state of congregational singing.”⁶ He wrote, “While we sing the Praises of our God in his Church, we are employ’d in that part of worship which of all others is the nearest a-kin to Heaven; and ‘tis pity that this of all others should be perform’d the worst upon Earth.”⁷
Watts published a number of collections of songs and hymns. In 1707, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed” appeared in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Though the song was well-known in Great Britain, it became even more popular in America.⁸ Interestingly, Fanny Crosby, the famous American hymn writer, recounted that the song was instrumental in her conversion. While singing this song during a revival meeting in 1850, Fanny said that her “very soul was flooded with a celestial light.”⁹
Though Watts’ hymns rapidly spread across England and America, their popularity did not come without controversy. They were derogatorily referred to as “Watts’ Whims” or “songs of human composure.” One man complained, “Christian congregations shut out divinely inspired Psalms and take in Watts’ flights of fancy as if words of a poet were better than those of a prophet.”¹⁰
Fortunately, Watts’ hymns survived the controversies, and he rightly earned the title “father of English hymnody.” Many of Watts’ more than 600 hymns can still be heard in churches across the world; some of the most notable are: “Joy to the World,” “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” “We’re Marching to Zion,” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Words “Hudson” by Ralph Erskine Hudson (1843-1901), Published in 1885

Ralph Erskine Hudson (1843-1901)

Watts wrote his hymns as poems, and they were sung to a variety of tunes. Originally, the most popular tune for “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?” was an old Scottish melody. However, in 1885 Ralph Hudson, a preacher, singer, and song writer published the song with a tune (now named “Hudson”) in his collection titled Songs of Peace, Love, and Joy. He also added the now popular refrain “At the Cross” to the song. Though Ralph is credited with composing the refrain melody, hymnologist Donald Hustad records that the tune for the refrain “appears with other words and is also credited to other individuals in late 19th century publications. . . . It is a possibility that both words and melody of the refrain were commonly known and used in the campmeeting tradition, and that Hudson simply added them to his own original melody.”¹¹
Ralph was indeed active in “campmeetings” (evangelist outreaches) for a good part of his life. He was born in Ohio in 1843. When he was still a teenager, the American Civil War broke out, and Ralph enlisted in the Union Army to serve as a nurse at the General Hospital in Annapolis, Maryland. After discharge, he pursued his interest in music and taught at Mount Vernon College in Ohio. However, after five years, he left his teaching post to engage in his other passion — preaching. He was active in evangelistic outreaches and offered his services in a variety of ways (whether it be preaching, singing, or even writing music). Eventually, he established his own publishing company through which he produced several collections of songs – often setting “standard hymns to gospel song tunes, sometimes adding a refrain of his own.”¹² Ralph traveled extensively doing both evangelistic work and introducing his song collections – a wonderful gift to the churches of his time – right up until his death in 1901.

Lyrics for “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”:

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
[originally, For such a worm as I?]

(Refrain)

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—
And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine,
His Soul in anguish stood.
(Refrain)
 

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

(Refrain)

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

(Refrain)

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

(Refrain)

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.
(Refrain)