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HYMN HISTORY: 321 MY JESUS I LOVE THEE This beloved hymn which so profoundly expresses the believers love and gratitude to Christ, was written by a very young man, named William Ralph Featherston. (at times spelled Featherstone) William was born on July 23, 1846 in Montreal, Canada. He was the son of John and Mary Featherston. Ralph's family were all members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Montreal. It has been told that young Featherston penned the words to this lovely hymn at the time of his conversion experience, when he was sixteen years of age. Though information about William Featherston is scarce it is believed that after it was written he sent the text to his aunt Mrs. E. Featherston Wilson living in Los Angeles, she quickly asked for its publication. The original copy of this much loved poem, in the authors boyish handwriting, is still a cherished treasure in the family. Strangely, however, the hymn text appeared anonymously with a different tune in an English hymnal, The London Hymn Book, published in 1864. A Protestant Minister once related the following story regarding this hymn "My Jesus I Love Thee," to a large audience in one of the Rev. E. P. Hammonds meetings in St. Louis. A young, talented and tender-hearted actress was passing along the street of a large city. Seeing a pale, sick girl lying upon a couch just within the half-open door of a beautiful dwelling, she entered, with the thought that by her vivacity and pleasant conversation she might cheer the young invalid. The sick girl was a devoted Christian, and her words, her patience, her submission and heaven-lit countenance, so demonstrated the spirit of her religion that the actress was led to give some earnest thought to the claims of Christianity, and was thoroughly converted, and became a true follower of Christ. She told her father, the leader of the theater troupe, of her conversion, and of her desire to abandon the stage, stating that she could not live a consistent Christian life and follow the life of an actress. Her father was astonished beyond measure, and told his daughter that their living would be lost to them and their business ruined, if she persisted in her resolution. Loving her father dearly, she was shaken somewhat in her purpose, and partially consented to fill the published engagement to be met in a few days. She was the star of the troupe, and a general favorite. Every preparation was made for the play in which she was to appear. The evening came and the father rejoiced that he had won back his daughter, and that their living was not to be lost. The hour arrived; a large audience had assembled. The curtain rose, and the young actress stepped forward firmly amid the applause of the multitude. But an unwonted light beamed from her beautiful face. Amid the breathless silence of the audience, she repeated: My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine; For Thee all the follies of sin I resign; My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou; If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, tis now. This was all. Through Christ she had conquered and, leaving the audience in tears, she retired from the stage, never to appear upon it again. Through her influence her father was converted, and through their united evangelistic labors many were led to God.

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The composer, Adoniram Judson Gordon, was born in New Hampton, New Hampshire, on April 19, 1836, and was named for the famous pioneer Baptist missionary to India-Burma. After graduating from Newton Theological Seminary, Gordon was ordained in 1863, and six years later was called to pastor the prestigious Clarendon Street Baptist Church of Boston. He became a close friend of Dwight L. Moody and was of great assistance in Moodys ministry efforts in Boston. Dr. A. J. Gordon, who was a well-known evangelist and pastor discovered and loved the lyrics of this anonymous hymn in The London Hymn Book in 1870. For several years Dr. Gordon had been working on assembling a new hymnal geared especially for baptist congregations. One day as he meditated on the anonymous English hymn, he became dissatisfied with its existing melody. It is said that soon after, in a moment of inspiration, he wrote the beautiful melody we hear today. The hymn in its present form first appeared in the hymnal, The Service of Song for Baptist Churches, complied by S. L. Caldwell and A. J. Gordon and published in 1876. The hymn has been included in nearly every Christian hymnal published to the present time. Dr. Gordon is also the composer for another popular gospel song, In Tenderness He Sought Me. Dr. A. J. Gordon died on February 2, 1895, in Boston, after a life of service to the Lord and to his fellowman

522 "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" 522 "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" is a Christian hymn written by Edward Mote, a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex. Mote wrote around 100 hymns, this one being the best known of his.

The hymn "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" was published anonymously in several hymn collections before first being attributed to Edward Mote in a collection of approximately 100 of his hymns published in 1837 under the title Hymns of Praise, A New Selection of Gospel Hymns, Combining All the Excellencies of our Spiritual Poets, with Many Originals.[1]Mote's original title for the hymn "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" in this collection was "The Immutable Basis of a Sinner's Hope" The refrain of "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" refers to the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders and builds around the metaphor of Christ as a rock is one with a firm basis in Scripture (1 Corinthians 10:4). On Christ the Solid Rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand The verses are considered as part of "gospel hymns". The first stanza is declaration of God's grace and stanzas 2 and 3 are the application of that grace in times of trouble. In the final stanza, Mote brings his hymn full circle with the ultimate realization of God's grace. There are some variations in the lyrics, but in general, the original text is adhered to. The hymn became very popular and has been subject of many interpretations and covers.

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"My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" also served as the basis of other well known hymns such as "Solid Rock" that uses the same refrain. The song "Solid Rock" to which Mote's words are most commonly set was composed by William B. Bradbury in 1863. Many times, both "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" and "Solid Rock" hymns are sung together as a medley. "Solid Rock" is also often sung as a medley with "In Christ Alone" written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. Desperation Bandhave released a similarly-titled song "Solid Rock" on their 2009 album Light Up the World. But the track is a completely different song (both in lyrics and in music), but uses the expression "On Christ this solid rock I stand / All other ground is sinking sand" in the bridge of the song. Hillsong Musicreleased a worship song in 2012 entitled "Cornerstone", the verses of which are taken from "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" but with a completely different refrain and melody. 529 UNDER HIS WINGS
If $100,000 was your whole life savings, would you give every penny of it to someone in need? William O. Cushing did something like that. In the nineteenth century, when $1,000 was a lot of money, he gave his entire life savings to pay for the education of a blind girl. That is not what he is remembered for, however. His fame is as a hymnwriter. One of his earliest hymns was the song, "When He Cometh," which compared Christiansto jewels whom Christ would gather when he came. Other notable hymns were written after he had experienced great grief and loss. But that is getting ahead of the story. William Orcutt Cushing was born in Hingham, Massachusetts on this date, December 31, 1823.His parents raised him as a Universalist, but by reading the Bible for himself as a teenager, he became an orthodox believer. At eighteen he was convinced the Lord wanted him to become a minister and he trained for it. His first pastorate was at Searsburg, New York. There he met and married Rena Proper in 1854 (which was also the year he wrote "When He Cometh"). After that he served in Auburn, Brooklyn, Buffalo and Sparta, New York. With the decline of his wife's health, William returned with her to Searsburg where she died in 1870. After that, "creeping paralysis" stole his voice and prevented him from preaching any longer. He pleaded with the Lord to allow him to continue to serve in some capacity.

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His prayer was granted. He wrote over 300 hymns. Some of these are still beloved by the church. "Follow on" was written in 1878 to a tune by Robert Lowry. "Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus; anywhere, everywhere..." it promises. "Under His Wings," printed and sung by Ira Sankey, sprang out of Cushing's personal suffering and was suggested by Psalm 17:8, "Hide me under the shadow of your wings." Another of his famous hymns "Ring the Bells of Heaven" was written before his deep troubles had descended upon him. Composer George F. Root had sent him the tune. Cushing felt it needed joyful words and mused on it all day before the words came to him. Cushing died in 1902 but his songs live on.

286 WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE Some people are born with a gift for words. When coming from their mouths or pens, words are tremendously powerful. They bring good news and bad news. They make us laugh and they make us cry. They can build people up or tear them down. Philip Bliss (1838-1876) had a gift for words. His story is incredible. The writer of hundreds of hymns and poems, he grew up mostly in Pennsylvania. He had very little schooling through age ten, and he left home at the age of eleven to make a living for himself. He worked mostly in lumber yards and logging camps. Despite the rowdy environment that he lived in, he became a regular participant in Methodist camp meetings and revival services because of the strong faith that his parents had instilled in him. He made time between jobs to attend school and study music. By the time he was eighteen, Bliss had completed all of the requirements to receive teaching credentials, and he took a job as a schoolmaster. From that point, Bliss' path began to cross with many of the best known Christian evangelists, hymn writers, and composers of his time. He received voice instruction from J.G. Towner and guidance from William B. Bradbury. He met D.L. Moody during a revival in Chicago, and was invited by Moody to become his music director. Bliss turned the offer down, and Moody teamed up with Ira Sankey instead. In the years that followed, Bliss would combine with Sankey to prepare many hymns and hymn collections. A month before his untimely death at the age of 38, Bliss was approached by Horatio Spafford, the writer of It Is Well With My Soul. At Spafford's request, Bliss composed the tune for that famous hymn. From humble beginnings and unlikely surroundings, Bliss used his God given gift of words to share the message of salvation in a way that few others can. This week's featured hymn focuses on words. They are "beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life." Enjoy these words, a gift from God to Philip Bliss, and a gift from both of them to all of us: 1. Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life; let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life; words of life and beauty 2. Christ, the blessed one, gives to all wonderful words of life; sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life; all so freely given,

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teach me faith and duty. (Refrain) 3. Sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life; offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life; Jesus, only Savior, sanctify forever. (Refrain)

wooing us to heaven. (Refrain) Refrain: Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.

May God's wonderful words of life bring joy to you today and every day.