A Second Astounding Hymn 

Following on from my last "Post" and in the same vein I would like to speak of another hymn that touched my heart in recent months. The hymn commences with the sweet exhortation to the soul of the believer with the words: "Behold my soul thy Saviour;" It is found in "A Collection of Hymns For the Use of the Protestant Church of the United Brethren." Moravian Brethren.

To my knowledge, I have never seen the particular hymn I refer to, in the many hymnals with which I am familiar, nor in any that I have collected until I purchased a copy of the  Hymn Book mentioned above. But one Lord's Day morning when gathered to His Name alone with the saints at Corsham to "Break Bread," we sang this hymn (4 verses) from the (local) "Supplement." I was arrested by an unusual phrase of quite striking beauty." The phrase that captivated me on that occasion, directing my thoughts to the conflict in Gethsemane, reads:

"Till, through His pores in anguish,

The blood-sweat forced its way. 

As you will see, (no doubt with some difficulty,) from the poor photograph of the hymn, it actually has eight verses!

Very keen to find out about the author as our Supplement does not include names of authors, names of tunes, or any dates, I recently began my research. It proved surprising and fascinating.

Below is part of a brief biography of the Moravian brother's testimony:  

Full Name:	Gregor, Christian, 1723-1801
Birth Year:	1723
Death Year:	1801

Gregor, Christian, son of Georg Gregor, a peasant living in the Silesian village of Dirsdorf, near Peilau, was born at Dirsdorf on 1st January 1723. In 1742 he went to Herrnhut, where he was at first employed in tuition. He became leader of the music in the Moravian Brethren's congregation at Herrnhaag, in 1748, and in 1749 at Zeist; but in 1753 he returned to Herrnhut as cashier of the Moravian Brethren's Board of Direction. On 6th November 1801, he attended a meeting, held at Herrnhut, of the Board of Direction of which he had been a member from 1764. Just as he entered his house at Berthelsdorf, near Herrnhut, he was struck down with paralysis and died that same day. 

He was a man greatly beloved and respected, simple of heart, loving, earnest and hardworking; and was entrusted with many important missions and visitations. His hymns are characterised by childlike fervour of devotion to his crucified Lord. A number appeared in Des kleinen Brüder-Gesangbuchs dritter Theil, Barby, 1767; but they were mostly contributed to the Gesang-buch zum Gebrauch der evangelischen Brüder Gemeinen, Barby, 1778, of which he was the principal editor. He was also an excellent organist, and edited, in 1784, a collection of accompanying tunes for the hymnbook of 1778, contributing thereto various melodies by himself. A little volume entitled Historische Nachrteht vom Brüder-Gesangbuche des Jahres 1778, und von dessen Lieder-Verfassern, Gnadau, 1835 (2nd ed., 1851), occasionally referred to in these pages, is based on materials collected by Gregor.

   

International Tract Distribution Day (8) 

If the Lord will, as for the past seven years, we hope that on the 18th April 2024 the day will be viewed as the "International Tract Distribution Day." The object being that every believer throughout the world who is able to find the time, and may feel an exercise, will distribute at least ONE Gospel tract or similar missive on this designated day. Of course there is NO LIMIT as to how many each one may be able to deliver, but let us flood this sin-benighted world with the precious Word of God, particularly the Glad Tidings concerning His lovely Son.

I think in latter years some of the enthusiasm for this humble ministry has somewhat waned. But please recall to mind and heart the countless blessings that have resulted  from lost sinners just reading a Gospel Tract; so many have been gloriously saved as the Holy Spirit has wonderfully applied the living Word to their consciences and hearts, leading them to repentance in His goodness, and to the exercise of faith in the Son of His love. Our God has not changed! The same Word declares that there is nothing too hard for Him; no matter too wonderful for Him. 

Please, if you are able to participate, in the will of the Lord, please do so. If you are not able, but feel a like-mindedness to those who will be involved, please pray earnestly for the Lord's rich blessing and for Him to thus be glorified in the salvation of precious souls.  

Thank you for reading this brief request and simple exhortation. Please let everyone you know who would be interested in this ministry, learn of this endeavour to serve the Lord, so that they may seize the favourable opportunity to have fellowship in it.

In Him, the altogether-lovely One, our Beloved and the Lover of our soul.

Tom Wyatt

Bristol U.K.

Gathering to the name of the Lord Jesus with the saints at Corsham Gospel Hall

Corsham Wiltshire U.K.

His Unchanging Love to Usward 

Text

Ephesians 5:1. J.N.D.

Christ loved us, and delivered [gave] Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling-savour.

 Revelation 5:1. J.N.D.

To Him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in His blood.

Address

It must be observed that Christs’ sacrifice of “Himself” was first and foremost “to God;” and that His offering of Himself embraced and fulfilled the purposes of every offering and sacrifice ever made to God. And His sacrifice of Himself infinitely transcended all and every one of them as the perfect sacrifice of a sweet-smelling- savour. Nothing had ever, nor will ever prove to be a sweeter fragrance to Him.

But the purport of my feeble thoughts are concentrated upon Christ’s inexhaustible, unconditional and eternal love for His own. His love is stronger than death and even divine judgement, if I might so speak of it in reverential awe. 

“Many waters cannot quench [His] love, neither do the floods drown it,” we joy to cry with the Bride of old. S.of S. 8:7. 

I feel that the would direct our thoughts away from the various offerings and sacrifices of the old economy, even though they speak so eloquently of Christ; and indeed have been fulfilled, and are being fulfilled perfectly in Him. Therein lies their spiritual value and blessings for believers now.

I think that the Holy Spirit thus focuses our attention on the Saviour “Himself.” He would occupy our hearts with “Himself.”He would channel our thoughts and reflections toward “Himself.” He would thoroughly occupy our hearts with “Himself.” For here He is presented to us as both Offerer and Offering, Sacrifice and Victim.

To us it is the profoundest display of the unspeakably immeasurable magnitude of His love for us! He could not have loved us more! 

But for a moment in rapt contemplation of Him there nailed to Golgothas’ accursed tree we may perhaps hesitate; for the Word reads, “Christ hath loved us,” that is He has loved us once, the tense in the Greek being aorist, that is at a point in the expanse of time, whether past, present or future, especially in the past. So then He once so loved us, with a love beyond compare, comprehension, and expression! 

But of course that is not the import of the Word of the Spirit of God. It is rather His purpose to convey the wonder of His all-atoning finished work, wrought in unimaginable sacrificial, and suffering love! Ineffable love to usward, once. For that can never be repeated, and thus it is so perfectly and preciously disclosed here in the Word of God.

But He did verily “deliver Himself up, give Himself,” give His all, once for all, for ever!

But what of that love? Has it diminished since Calvary? Far be the thought! “To Him that loves us,” J.N.D. “loveth us,” R.V. Thus, He has never ceased to love us! He has loved us from all eternity! He 2loves us now, and He will never cease to love us. And He will love us throughout time and eternal ages! And best of all, He loves us in the same measure, and magnitude, and with the same ardency, and the same intensity as He did at Calvary. Indeed, He loves us there upon the Throne of God as He did on the Tree of Golgotha!

“And He has washed us from our sins in His blood,” once for all forever! And He has provided “the water” of His Word for our “feet-washing,” so as to cleanse us from all defilement that attaches to us during our earthly sojourn through this wilderness scene. Ephesians 5:26.

The substance of a "thought" that came upon my heart when "Breaking Bread" with the Lord "in the midst" of a little gathering of His own.