Cynical? Maybe…

The slogan “Exporting Democracy” summarizes the political mission of American imperialism during the presidency of Bush the elder. This slogan justifies political-military intervention against regimes that do not govern through a parliamentary structure. A preference for democracy over absolutism or “despotism” (seen as a relic of the past) is self-evident in the post-Enlightenment West but is by no means easily transposed to the Orient, where autocratic governments are not imposed from above; such governments are instead supported by much of the population, and tentative steps towards democratization are either taken in the name of religion (as at the end of the Pahlavi monarchy in Iran) or prompted by the armed forces (as in Kemalist Turkey). Moreover, the formula of “exportation” is itself strongly associated with its commercial origins and connotations and leads unfailingly to the idea that financial interests and commercial profits inform the American mission.—Mario Liverani, Assyria: The Imperial Mission, 157

Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve

249 Awake, My Soul, Stretch Every Nerve

1 Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve,
   And press with vigor on;
   A heavenly race demands thy zeal,
   And an immortal crown.
   And an immortal crown.

2 A cloud of witnesses around
   Hold thee in full survey;
   Forget the steps already trod,
   And onward urge thy way.
   And onward urge thy way.

3 'Tis God's all-animating voice
   That calls thee from on high;
   'Tis His own hand presents the prize
   To thine aspiring eye.
   To thine aspiring eye.

4 Blest Savior, introduced by Thee,
   Have I my race begun;
   And crowned with victory at Thy feet
   I'll lay my honors down.
   I'll lay my honors down.
                         Philip Doddridge
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Although I don't recall ever singing this hymn, it appears to be quite popular, occurring in over a thousand hymnals. Hymnary.org inserts a verse:

4 That prize, with peerless glories bright,
   Which shall new lustre boast
   When victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems
   Shall blend in common dust.

</idle musing>

Assyria, remorse, and fools

In a previous study, I suggested that the Assyrians, who were required to provide men for wars and expeditions from which not everyone returned, needed reassurance In relation to two problems that have always confronted soldiers in war: fear of death (open, self-evident) and repugnance of or remorse (more subliminal) for killing fellow human beings.

To counteract the fear of death, Assyrian records relate that enemies die, and their deaths are counted in the hundreds and thousands; Assyrian losses are always omitted. Remorse for killing, buried deep in the human conscience, is exorcised by the conviction that the Assyrians are not to blame for these deaths. Instead, the enemies who foolishly oppose the universal order are at fault; they are the ones who began hostilities (or at least provoked war with their attitude): they force us to kill them. There is no shortage of modern and contemporary parallels.—Mario Liverani, Assyria: The Imperial Mission, 89

<idle musing>
I had read bits and pieces of this book over the years. Back before it was published, Jim forwarded the introduction to me, which immediately sold me on how important a book it is. Because I was the marketing guy at Eisenbrauns at the time, I made sure that the introduction was posted to the book's page. I figured that anyone who read the introduction would want to read the whole thing. It's still posted; you can find it here.

We'll only dip lightly into the book for the next week or two, but if you are at all interested in empire or the Assyrians, this is an excellent resource. So many of the succeeding empires learned from the Assyrians—both positively and negatively!
</idle musing>

O Sometimes the Shadows Are Deep

245 O Sometimes the Shadows Are Deep

1 O sometimes the shadows are deep,
   And rough seems the path to the goal,
   And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep
   Like tempests down over the soul!

Refrain:
   O then to the Rock let me fly,
   To the Rock that is higher than I;
   O then to the Rock let me fly,
   To the Rock that is higher than I!

2 O sometimes how long seems the day,
   And sometimes how weary my feet;
   But toiling in life's dusty way,
   The Rock's blessed shadow, how sweet! [Refrain]

3 O near to the Rock let me keep
   If blessings or sorrow prevail,
   Or climbing the mountain way steep,
   Or walking the shadowy vale. [Refrain]
                         Erastus Johnson
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Check out his biography, linked above. This is interesting:

On the advice of his physician he took a sea voyage, embarging on the ship Gold Hunter en route from New York to California. The crew of the ship mutinied just before rounding Cape Horn and as Johnson was the only person on board who knew anything about navigation, other than the captive officers, he was pressed into service to take the ship on to its destination, San Francisco. This he was able to do successfully.

</idle musing>

Paul and the Gift, final post

The goal of Paul’s mission is the formation of communities whose distinct patterns of life bear witness to an event that has broken with normal criteria of worth. Paul expects baptism to create new life-orientations, including forms of bodily habitus that express the reality of resurrection—life in the midst of human mortality. The gift needs to be realized in unconventional practice or it ceases to have meaning as an incongruous gift. It creates new modes of obedience to God, which arise from the gift as “return” to God, but without instrumental purpose in eliciting further divine gifts. The transformative power of grace thus creates a fit between believers and God, which will be evident at the eschaton. Judgment “according to works” does not entail a new and incompatible principle of soteriology; it indicates that the incongruous gift has had its intended effect in embedding new standards of worth in the practice of those it transforms.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 569

<idle musing>
That winds up this (long) book. I hope you enjoyed it and learned from it. I know I did. I'll never look at grace the same again! Next up is a few posts from Mario Liverani, Assyria: The Imperial Mission.
</idle musing>

March on, O Soul, with Strength

243 March on, O Soul, with Strength

1 March on, O soul, with strength!
   Like those strong men of old
   Who 'gainst enthroned wrong
   Stood confident and bold;
   Who thrust in prison or cast to flame,
   Still made their glory in the Name.

2 The sons of fathers we
   By whom our faith is taught
   To fear no ill, to fight.
   The holy fight they fought:
   Heroic warriors ne'er from Christ
   By any lure or guile enticed.

3 March on, O soul, with strength!
   As strong the battle rolls!
   'Gainst lies and lusts and wrongs,
   Let courage rule our soul:
   In keenest strife, Lord, may we stand,
   Upheld and strengthed by Thy hand.

4 Not long the conflict; soon
   The holy way shall cease,
   Faith's warfare ended, won
   The home of endless peace:
   Look up! the victor's crown at length:
   March on, O soul, march on, with strength.
                         George T. Coster
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Not a very popular hymn; it only occurs in 70 hymnals. When the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united to form the United Methodist Church, this was one of the hymns the EUB brought with them. A nice addition, I might add.
</idle musing>

Not a replacement

Paul’s theology is not directed against Judaism; neither does he consider assemblies of Jewish and Gentile believers as the replacement of Israel. On his reading, Israel is most truly itself when it is solely dependent on the root of God’s unconditioned mercy; and that is fully and definitively the case when it draws on the “wealth” poured out to Jew and Gentile in Christ.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 566 (emphasis original)

It's a mystery! (Tozer for Tuesday)

The first spiritual axiom I want to note is that God does everything creative and constructive. He does not do evil. Sin is a work of temporary rebellion against God, and the explanation is yet concealed. Sin is concealed; that is, the reason how the great God can be working and sin can still be in the world is concealed from us. We do not yet know because those concealed things are mystery.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 180 (emphasis original)

Am I a Soldier of the Cross (Isaac Watts)

239 Am I a Soldier of the Cross

1 Am I a soldier of the cross,
   a foll'wer of the Lamb,
   and shall I fear to own His cause,
   or blush to speak His name?

2 Must I be carried to the skies
   on flow'ry beds of ease,
   while others fought to win the prize,
   and sailed thro' bloody seas?

3 Are there no foes for me to face?
   Must I not stem the flood?
   Is this vile world a friend to grace,
   to help me on to God?

4 Sure I must fight, if I would reign;
   increase my courage, Lord!
   I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
   supported by Thy word.

5 The saints in all this glorious war
   shall conquer, though they die;
   they see the triumph from afar
   by faith's discerning eye.

6 When that illustrious day shall rise,
   and all Thine armies shine
   in robes of vict'ry thro' the skies,
   the glory shall be Thine.
                         Isaac Watts
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

When the storms of life are raging

244 When the storms of life are raging

1 When the storms of life are raging,
   Stand by me;
   When the storms of life are
  raging, Stand by me.
   When the world is tossing me
   Like a ship upon the sea,
   Thou who rulest wind and water,
   Stand by me.

2 In the midst of tribulations,
   Stand by me;
   In the midst of tribulations,
   Stand by me.
   When the hosts of hell assail,
   And my strength begins to fail,
   Thou who never lost a battle,
   Stand by me.

3 In the midst of faults and failures,
   Stand by me;
   In the midst of faults and failures,
   Stand by me.
   When I do the best I can,
   And my friends misunderstand,
   Thou who knowest all about me,
   Stand by me.

4 When I’m growing old and feeble,
   Stand by me;
   When I’m growing old and feeble,
   Stand by me.
   When my life becomes a burden,
   And I’m nearing chilly Jordan,
   O Thou Lily of the Valley,
   Stand by me.
                         Charles A. Tindley
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
This one is even less popular than yesterday's was. It only occurs in about 57 hymnals! You should take a minute or two to read the bio of the author. He was an extremely popular preacher and pastored a multiracial church long before it was common.

Hymnary.org inserts a verse:

4 In the midst of persecution,
   Stand by me;
   In the midst of persecution,
   Stand by me.
   When my foes in battle array,
   Undertake to stop my way,
   Thou who saved Paul and Silas,
   Stand by me.

It's a conversation

Paul stands among fellow Jews in his discussion of divine grace, not apart from them in a unique or antithetical position. At the same time, he stands in the midst of a debate, and none of our Jewish authors can be taken as spokesmen for a single, simple, or uncontested notion of grace.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 565, emphasis original

In the Hour of Trial

237 In the Hour of Trial

1 In the hour of trial,
   Jesus, plead for me
   lest by base denial
   I unworthy be.
   When you see me waver,
   with a look recall,
   nor for fear or favor
   ever let me fall.

2 With forbidden pleasures
   should this vain world charm
   or its tempting treasures
   spread to work me harm,
   bring to my remembrance
   sad Gethsemane
   or, in darker semblance,
   cross-crowned Calvary.

3 Should your mercy send me
   sorrow, toil, and woe,
   or should pain attend me
   on my path below,
   grant that I may never
   fail your cross to view;
   grant that I may ever
   cast my care on you.

4 When my life is ending,
   though in grief or pain,
   when my body changes
   back to dust again,
   on your truth relying,
   through that mortal strife,
   Jesus, take me, dying,
   to eternal life.
                         James Montgomery
                         Alt. by Frances A. Hutton
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I found this to be quite accurate and also humorous, from his bio at the link above:

In common with most poets and hymnwriters, Montgomery strongly objected to any correction or rearrangement of his compositions. At the same time he did not hesitate to alter, rearrange, and amend the productions of others.

And, of course, this one was altered—but we have no information about that person and this seems to be the only hymn they altered.
</idle musing>

Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name

236 Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name

1 Savior, again to Thy dear name we raise
   With one accord our parting hymn of praise;
   We stand to bless Thee ere our worship cease,
   Then, lowly kneeling, wait Thy word of peace.

2 Grant us Thy peace upon our homeward way;
   With Thee began, with Thee shall end the day.
   Guard Thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame,
   That in this house have called upon Thy name.

3 Grant us Thy peace, Lord, through the coming night;
   Turn Thou for us its darkness into light;
   From harm and danger keep Thy children free,
   For dark and light are both alike to Thee.

4 Grant us Thy peace throughout our earthly life,
   Our balm in sorrow, and our stay in strife;
   Then, when Thy voice shall bid our conflict cease,
   Call us, O Lord, to Thine eternal peace. John Ellerton The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Cyberhymnal adds a couple of verses:

4. Grant us Thy peace—the peace Thou didst bestow
   On Thine apostles in Thine hour of woe;
   The peace Thou broughtest, when at eventide
   They saw Thy piercèd hands, Thy wounded side.
  

5. Grant us Thy peace throughout our earthly life;
   Peace to Thy church from error and from strife;
   Peace to our land, the fruit of truth and love;
   Peace in each heart, Thy Spirit from above.

</idle musing>

O Love that wilt not let me go

234 O Love that wilt not let me go

1 O Love that wilt not let me go,
   I rest my weary soul in Thee;
   I give Thee back the life I owe,
   That in Thine ocean depths its flow
   May richer, fuller be.

2 O Light that followest all my way,
   I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
   My heart restores its borrowed ray,
   That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day
   May brighter, fairer be.

3 O Joy that seekest me through pain,
   I cannot close my heart to Thee;
   I trace the rainbow through the rain,
   And feel the promise is not vain
   That morn shall tearless be.

4 O Cross that liftest up my head,
   I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
   I lay in dust life's glory dead,
   And from the ground there blossoms red
   Life that shall endless be.
                         George Matheson
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

Theologically dangerous!

It was certainly possible for some gifts to be construed as “unmerited” (as we have found both in Paul and in some other Jewish literature), but this was not a normal, and certainly not a necessary, connotation of the terms we generally translate as “grace.” In fact, an unmerited gift from God was theologically problematic, and could threaten the justice and the rationality of the universe. Although Christian theologians (and modern dictionaries) regard it as self-evident that “grace” means a benefit to the unworthy, in ancient terms this was a striking and theologically dangerous construal of the concept.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 563

Peace, Perfect Peace

229 Peace, Perfect Peace

1 Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
   The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

2 Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
   To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

3 Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?
   Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

4 Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?
   Jesus we know, and he is on the throne.

5 It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,
   and Jesus call to heaven's perfect peace.
                         Edward H. Bickersteth
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
A very simple hymn, but its message is as desperately needed today as ever. I don't ever recall singing it and it only occurs in about 390 hymnals.

Hymnary.org's biography of him says this:

Joined with a strong grasp of his subject, true poetic feeling, a pure rhythm, there is a soothing plaintiveness and individuality in his hymns which give them a distinct character of their own. His thoughts are usually with the individual, and not with the mass: with the single soul and his God, and not with a vast multitude bowed in adoration before the Almighty. Hence, although many of his hymns are eminently suited to congregational purposes, and have attained to a wide popularity, yet his finest productions are those which are best suited for private use.

Seems this was his most popular hymn.
</idle musing>

It's supposed to work that way…

Against modern notions of “altruism” we found that benefits were generally intended to foster mutuality, by creating or maintaining social bonds. This expectation of reciprocity, with its (non-legal) obligations, created cyclical patterns of gift-and-return, even where there were large differentials in power between givers and recipients.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 562

On a Hill Far Away (The Old Rugged Cross)

228 On a Hill Far Away

1 On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff'ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain:
   So I'll cherish the cross, the old rugged cross,
   Till my trophies at last I lay down;
   I will cling to the cross, the old rugged cross,
   And exchange it some day for a crown.

2 O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary. [Refrain]

3 In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see;
   For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died
   To pardon and sanctify me. [Refrain]

4 To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,
   It's shame and reproach gladly bear.
   Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I'll share. [Refrain]
                         George Bennard
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I've mused on this hymn in the past. See here and here.

I was and wasn't surprised to see that it only occurs in about 450 hymnals. He wrote the hymn in 1913. </idle musing>

Perseverance of the saints?

As we have seen, the motif of “wealth” evokes the superabundance thematized in Romans 5:12-21, and there are statements here that emphasize the priority of God’s call or gift (9:11; 11:2, 35) in a way that supports its lack of correspondence to human worth. If Paul traces here a final singularity in the purpose of God’s mercy (11:32), this is far from a principled insistence that God can only be benevolent: as we have seen, there are multiple references to God’s hardening, wrath, and severity, alongside God’s grace, both in relation to Israel (11:7—10) and in relation to Gentile believers (11:20—22). Paul’s threat that branches may be cut off if they do not remain in God’s goodness (11:17—24) calls into question any dogmatic, Augustinian commitment to “the perseverance of the saints.”—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 557 (emphasis original)

O How Happy They Are

227 O How Happy They Are

1 How happy are they,
   Who the Saviuor obey,
   And have laid up their treasure above!
   Tongue cannot express
   The sweet comfort and peace
   Of a soul in its earliest love.

2 That comfort was mine,
   When the favour divine
   I first found in the blood of the Lamb;
   When my heart it believ'd,
   O what joy I receiv'd,
   What a heaven in Jesus's name!

3 'Twas a heaven below
   The Saviour to know;
   And the angels could do nothing more
   Than to fall at his feet,
   And the story repeat,
   And the lover of sinners adore.

4 Jesus all the day long
   Was my joy and my song;
   O that all his salvation might see!
   He hath loved me, I cried,
   He hath suffer'd and died,
   To redeem such a rebel as me.

5 Oh! the rapturous height
   Of that holy delight
   Which I felt in the life-giving blood!
   Of my Saviour possest,
   I was perfectly blest,
   As if fill'd with the fulness of God.

6 Now my remnant of days
   Would I spend to his praise,
   Who hath died my poor soul to redeem.
   Whether many or few,
   All my years are his due;
   May they all be devoted to him.
                         Charles Wesley
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I don't recall ever singing this hymn, but it does a good job of capturing the first love of a believer. Would that it remained true for the rest of their (and my) life!

Hymnary.org inserts a few verses:

5 On the wings of his love
   I was carry'd above
   All sin, and temptation, and pain;
   I could not believe
   That I ever should grieve
   That I ever should suffer again.

6 I rode on the sky,
   Freely justify'd I!
   Nor envy'd Elijah his seat:
   My soul mounted higher
   In a chariot of fire,
   And the moon it was under my feet.

9 What a mercy is this!
   What a heaven of bliss!
   How unspeakably favored am I!
   Gathered into the fold,
   With believers enrolled,
   With believers to live and to die!

</idle musing

Savior, More Than Life to Me

226 Savior, More Than Life to Me

1 Savior, more than life to me,
   I am clinging, clinging close to Thee;
   Let Thy precious blood applied,
   Keep me ever, ever near Thy side.

Refrain:
   Ev'ry day, ev'ry hour,
   Let me feel thy cleansing pow'r;
   May Thy tender love to me
   Bind me closer, closer, Lord, to Thee.

2 Through this changing world below,
   Lead me gently, gently as I go;
   Trusting Thee, I cannot stray,
   I can never, never lose my way. [Refrain]

3 Let me love Thee more and more,
   Till this fleeting, fleeting life is o'er;
   Till my soul is lost in love,
   In a brighter, brighter world above. [Refrain]
                         Fanny Crosby
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Not one of her more popular hymns. It only occurs in a little over 400 hymnals. I don't recall ever singing it, but I might just be having a memory lapse.

It definitely speaks to our needs in this hour, though. But then, it speaks to every hour because life on earth is anything but certain, even in the best of times.
<idle musing>

Why supercessionism doesn't work

To believe in Christ is nothing other than to live from “the root.” If Israel’s identity was always derivative and “eccentric,” created and sustained by the calling of God, its nature is neither erased nor altered by its response in faith to God’s calling in Christ. The olive tree allegory renders impossible the claim that Israel has been superseded by Gentiles or absorbed into a non-Jewish realm known as “the church.” To the contrary, it is Gentiles who are “grafted in,” but what they join is a people and a mode of existence utterly dependent on “the gifts and the calling of God” (11:29).—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 553

When We Walk with the Lord (Trust and Obey)

223 When We Walk with the Lord

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
   What a glory He sheds on our way!
   While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
   And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:
   Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
   To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
   But our toil He doth richly repay;
   Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
   But is blessed if we trust and obey.

3. But we never can prove the delights of His love
   Until all on the altar we lay;
   For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
   Are for them who will trust and obey.

4. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
   Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
   What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
   Never fear, only trust and obey.
                         John H. Sammis
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I was very surprised to see that this hymn only occurs in about 450 hymnals. An interesting side note is that he pastored a Presbyterian church here in Red Wing for a while. He eventually ended up at BIOLA.

I mused on this hymn about ten years ago.

Hymnary.org inserts a verse, which I do recall singing, so my memory of this hymn must not be primarily from the Methodist hymnal:

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

</idle musing>

Standing on the Promises

221 Standing on the Promises

1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
   Through eternal ages let His praises ring;
   Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
   Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
   Standing, standing,
   Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
   Standing, standing,
   I'm standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
   When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
   By the living word of God I shall prevail,
   Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
   Bound to Him eternally by love's strong cord,
   Overcoming daily with the Spirit's sword,
   Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
   List'ning every moment to the Spirit's call,
   Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
   Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]
                         R. Kelso Carter
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Surprisingly, this hymn only occurs in about 420 hymnals. Well, maybe not so surprisingly, as it's more a gospel song than a hymn, but YMMV.
</idle musing>

Jesus, Priceless Treasure

220 Jesus, Priceless Treasure

1 Jesus, priceless treasure,
   source of purest pleasure,
   friend most sure and true:
   long my heart was burning,
   fainting much and yearning,
   thirsting, Lord, for you.
   Yours I am, O spotless Lamb,
   so will I let nothing hide you,
   seek no joy beside you!

2 Let your arms enfold me:
   those who try to wound me
   cannot reach me here.
   Though the earth be shaking,
   every heart be quaking,
   Jesus calms my fear.
   Fires may flash and thunder crash;
   yea, though sin and hell assail me,
   Jesus will not fail me.

3 Hence, all worldly treasure!
   Jesus is my pleasure,
   Jesus is my choice.
   Hence, all empty glory!
   What to me your story
   told with tempting voice?
   Pain or loss or shame or cross
   shall not from my Savior move me,
   since he chose to love me.
                         Johann Franck
                         Trans. by Catherine Winkworth
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Hymnary.org adds a few verses:

2. Banish thoughts of sadness,
   for the Lord of gladness,
   Jesus, enters in;
   though the clouds may gather,
   those who love the Savior
   still have peace within.
   Though I bear much sorrow here,
   still in you lies purest pleasure,
   Jesus, priceless treasure!

3. Satan, I defy thee;
   Death, I now decry thee;
   Fear, I bid thee cease.
   World, thou shalt not harm me
   Nor thy threats alarm me
   While I sing of peace.
   God’s great pow’r guards every hour;
   Earth and all its depths adore Him,
   Silent bow before Him.

4. Evil world, I leave thee;
   Thou shalt not deceive me,
   Thy appeal is vain.
   Sin that once did bind me,
   Get thee far behind me,
   Come not forth again.
   Past thy hour, O pride and pow’r;
   Sinful life, thy bonds I sever,
   Leave thee now forever.

5. Hence, all earthly treasure!
   Jesus is my pleasure;
   Jesus is my choice.
   Hence, all empty glory!
   What to me thy story
   Told with tempting voice?
   Pain or loss or shame or cross
   Shall not from my Savior move me,
   Since He chose to love me.

</idle musing>

The future and present hope of ingrafting

Paul’s stress on the root, and on the rationale of election, is a sign that he presses to explain how Israel came to be, and in that explanation desires to understand its present crisis, its future hope, and the extraordinary supplementation to the stock of God’s “inheritance” in the form of believing Gentiles. If its source of life (its “root”) is the creative call that “raises the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (4:17), one can readily explain both the ingrafting of Gentiles and the hope that, by the power of God (11:23), Israel will be reconstituted and complete again.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 552

There is a Balm in Gilead

212 There is a balm in Gilead

Refrain:
   There is a balm in Gilead
   To make the wounded whole;
   There is a balm in Gilead
   To heal the sin-sick soul.

1 Sometimes I feel discouraged
   And think my work’s in vain,
   But then the Holy Spirit
   Revives my soul again. [Refrain]

2 If you cannot preach like Peter,
   If you cannot pray like Paul,
   You can tell the love of Jesus
   and say, “He died for all!” [Refrain]
                         American Folk Hymn
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I was very surprised to see that this hymn only occurs in about 125 hymnals. Hymnary.org inserts a verse:

2 Don’t ever be discouraged,
For Jesus is your friend;
And if you lack for knowledge,
He’ll ne'er refuse to lend. [Refrain]

</idle musing>

Grafted in

But God is grafting Gentiles not into the tree (Israel) but into the root, whose richness sustains both natural and unnatural branches, both Jews and Gentiles. Thus, for Paul, heritage is created by grace: offspring are born by promise to be children of God (9:8). It is because Israel was formed in this way from the beginning that it is first in time, with a “natural” afliliation to divine mercy. Gentiles are brought into relation not to an ethnic deity … but to the God of whom Israel is a product and a witness.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 551n75 (emphasis original)

If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

210 If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee

1. If thou but suffer God to guide thee
   And hope in Him through all thy ways,
   He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
   And bear thee through the evil days.
   Who trust in God’s unchanging love
   Builds on the rock that naught can move.

2. Only be still, and wait His leisure
   In cheerful hope, with heart content
   To take whatever the Father’s pleasure
   And all discerning love have sent;
   Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
   To Him who chose us for His own.

3. Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways,
   But do your part in conscience true;
   Trust His rich promises of grace,
   So shall they be fulfilled in you;
   God hears the call of those in need,
   The souls that trust in Him indeed.
                         Georg Neumark
                         Trans. by Catherine Winkworth
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

This one's a real mess when it come to variations—the line from the translator's biography sums it all up: "Though often altered, these translations continue to be used in many modern hymnals." Seems the original translation went as follows (per Cyberhymnal):

1. If thou but suffer God to guide thee
   And hope in Him through all thy ways,
   He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee,
   And bear thee through the evil days.
   Who trust in God’s unchanging love
   Builds on the rock that naught can move.

2. What can these anxious cares avail thee
   These never ceasing moans and sighs?
   What can it help if thou bewail thee
   O’er each dark moment as it flies?
   Our cross and trials do but press
   The heavier for our bitterness.

3. Be patient and await His leisure
   In cheerful hope, with heart content
   To take whatever thy Father’s pleasure
   And His discerning love hath sent,
   Nor doubt our inmost want are known
   To Him who chose us for His own.

4. God knows full well when time of gladness
   Shall be the needful thing for thee.
   When He has tried thy soul with sadness
   And from all guile has found thee free,
   He comes to thee all unaware
   And makes thee own His loving care.

5. Nor think amid the fiery trial
   That God hath cast thee off unheard,
   That he whose hopes meet no denial
   Must surely be of God preferred.
   Time passes and much change doth bring
   And set a bound to everything.

6. All are alike before the Highest:
   ’Tis easy for our God, We know,
   To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
   To make the rich man poor and low.
   True wonders still by Him are wrought
   Who setteth up and brings to naught.

7. Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
   Perform thy duties faithfully,
   And trust His Word: though undeserving,
   Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
   God never yet forsook in need
   The soul that trusted Him indeed.

Looking at the various incarnations of it at Hymnary.org, you can see how the hymnals have changed some verses and chosen ones they want.

You should take a couple of minutes to read the biography of the German author of the hymn. He knew a bit about hardship and trusting.
</idle musing>

"Required to live the life they have been given"

Paul does not perfect the efficacy of grace as a form of monergism, because it is clear for him from the baptismal event that the very life in which the believer acts and decides is a life sourced, established, and upheld by Christ (a “life from the dead”). Within this frame, and on this basis, plenty of statements can be made regarding believers as responsible agents who are required to present their bodies in one direction rather than another. Christian obedience is thus vital, but only ever in a responsive mode: it arises in conjunction with faith and gratitude as the answer to a prior gift. The gift is entirely undeserved but strongly obliging: it creates agents who are newly alive, required to live the life they have been given.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 518

<idle musing>
I really like that: "Required to live the life they have been given." That sums up discipleship and Christianity, doesn't it?
</idle musing>

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

208 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

1 'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   and to take him at his word;
   just to rest upon his promise,
   and to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Refrain:
   Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
   How I've proved him o'er and o'er!
   Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
   O for grace to trust him more!

2 O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   just to trust his cleansing blood;
   and in simple faith to plunge me
   neath the healing, cleansing flood! [Refrain]

3 Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   just from sin and self to cease;
   just from Jesus simply taking
   life and rest, and joy and peace. [Refrain]
                        Louisa M. R. Stead
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I was surprised to find that this only occurs in about 450 hymnals. Granted, the theology isn't very deep, but it's a solid gospel hymn. We could use more people trusting in the final verse, "from sin and self to cease," that's for sure! Especially in our narcissistic world of social media.

You should take the time to read the biography of the author.
</idle musing>

One gift

Hence, the obligation now incumbent on believers is not to “gain” grace (or salvation), nor to win another installment of grace. There is a single χάρισμα of eternal life ([Rom] 6:23) that runs from the Christ-event to eternity (cf. 8:32), not a series of “graces” won by increases in sanctification. Paul certainly expects that the moral incongruity at the start of the Christian life will be reduced over time, as the believers’ slavery to righteousness draws them toward holiness (6:19). In that sense, what began as a morally incongruous gift will be completed as a morally congruous gift.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 517–18

Burn the bridges! (Tozer for Tuesday)

If we become worshipers of God, God will honor us in the hour in which we live. I think we ought to insist that we adore God and that we cannot adore Him until we are purged from our sins, illuminated by a fiery baptism, have renounced the world and all of its deceptions and then offer ourselves on an altar, ready to die. If we burn the bridge and give it all up, then there will be born in our hearts adoration—worship of the Lord Jesus Christ.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 174

Be Not Dismayed (God Will Take Care of You)

207 Be Not Dismayed

1 Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
   God will take care of you;
   Beneath His wings of love abide,
   God will take care of you.

Refrain:
   God will take care of you,
   Through ev'ry day,
   O’er all the way;
   He will take care of you,
   God will take care of you.

2 Through days of toil when heart does fail,
   God will take care of you;
   When dangers fierce your path assail,
   God will take care of you. [Refrain]

3 All you may need He will provide,
   God will take care of you;
   Nothing you ask will be denied,
   God will take care of you. [Refrain]

4 No matter what may be the test,
   God will take care of you;
   Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
   God will take care of you. [Refrain]
                         Civilla D. Martin
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
This hymn is better known by its chorus than the verses. It occurs in about 425 hymnals, which surprises; I thought it would be more popular. This was her first hymn, written in 1904. She is also the author of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." She is reputed to have written several hundred hymns, but she only put her initials on them, so it is difficult to chase them.
</idle musing>

Live in what's already true!

When Paul turns from description to exhortation ([Rom] 6:11–13; 8:12–13), what he expects from believers is not that they create a new existence, but that they express what has already been created by and in Christ. Whatever may be said in the indicative is true of them only because it is true already of Christ; that primary reality can be neither created nor revoked. The secondary reality, their derivation from Christ, exists in a form that is contrary to its surrounding habitat: life in the midst of death. And such a life only subsists to the extent that it is active. To “present yourselves as alive from the dead” (6:13) and to “put to death the deeds of the body” (8:13) are the positive and negative poles of a demand to practice or exercise the new life that has been given. That new life cannot be said to be active within believers unless it is demonstrably acted out by them.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 503 (emphasis original)

God of the Ages, by Whose Hand

206 God of the Ages, by Whose Hand

Elizabeth Burrowes
The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
This hymn, written in 1958, only occurs in five hymnals. It's still under copyright and so I can't legally post it here. Take a look at the bio linked to above; she was involved in interracial work back in the early 1960s. She died in 1975.
</idle musing>

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

205 All the Way My Savior Leads Me

1. All the way my Savior leads me
   What have I to ask beside?
   Can I doubt His tender mercy,
   Who through life has been my Guide?
   Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
   Here by faith in Him to dwell!
   For I know, whate’er befall me,
   Jesus doeth all things well;
   For I know, whate’er befall me,
   Jesus doeth all things well.

2. All the way my Savior leads me,
   Cheers each winding path I tread,
   Gives me grace for every trial,
   Feeds me with the living Bread.
   Though my weary steps may falter
   And my soul athirst may be,
   Gushing from the Rock before me,
   Lo! A spring of joy I see;
   Gushing from the Rock before me,
   Lo! A spring of joy I see.

3. All the way my Savior leads me,
   Oh, the fullness of His love!
   Perfect rest to me is promised
   In my Father’s house above.
   When my spirit, clothed immortal,
   Wings its flight to realms of day
   This my song through endless ages:
   Jesus led me all the way;
   This my song through endless ages:
   Jesus led me all the way.
                         Fanny J. Crosby
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I was surprised to learn that this hymn only occurs in 324 hymnals—and that it didn't appear in the earlier Methodist hymnal. I remember singing a lot as a kid; maybe it was in one of the Sunday school songbooks?
</idle musing>

We Thank Thee, Lord

203 We Thank Thee, Lord

1. We thank Thee, Lord, Thy paths of service lead
   To blazoned heights and down the slopes of need;
   They reach Thy throne, encompass land and sea,
   And he who journeys in them walks with Thee.

2. We’ve sought and found Thee in the secret place
   And marveled at the radiance of Thy face;
   But often in some far off Galilee
   Beheld Thee fairer yet while serving Thee.

3. We’ve felt Thy touch in sorrow’s darkened way
   Abound with love and solace for the day;
   And, ’neath the burdens there, Thy sovereignty,
   Has held our hearts enthralled while serving Thee.

4. We’ve seen Thy glory like a mantle spread
   O’er hill and dale in saffron flame and red;
   But in the eyes of men, redeemed and free,
   A splendor greater yet while serving Thee.
                         Calvin W. Laufer
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Can't say as I remember ever singing this hymn, and it only occurs in 31 hymnals. The bio linked to above contains this interesting statement: "His books were popular in their time but today are seen as somewhat superficial." Hymnary.org adds a verse:

5. Show us the paths in which Thou wouldest lead
   To blazoned heights or down the slopes of need;
   For both alike encompass land and sea,
   And he who journeys in them walks with Thee.

</idle musing>

Thought for the day

"Being a book evangelist is an occupational hazard when you're a bookseller."—Shelf Awareness

<idle musing>
Ain't that the truth!
</idle musing>

Luther's bad exegesis of Romans 6–8

Luther attempted in several ways to express the permanent, and structurally basic, incongruity of grace in the life of a believer, most famously in the phrase simul justus et peccator. The strongest exegetical base for that notion comes from Romans 6-8, but it draws on what now seems to most a faulty reading of Romans 7-8 as a dialectical depiction of two dimensions of the Christian life. If, to the contrary, 7:7-25 describes life “in the flesh” before becoming a believer (cf. 7:5), not a continuing aspect of the believer’s life, Luther’s simul . . . peccator looks less convincing.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 501–2

<idle musing>
Personally, I never bought into Luther's bad exegesis. A book was recently published that takes a look at the exegesis of Romans 7 over the years: Conquerors Not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life, by Joseph R. Dodson. Take a look at it.
</idle musing>

O thou who art the Shepherd

201 O thou who art the Shepherd

O thou who art the Shepherd
   of all the scattered sheep,
   who lovest all thy lost ones
   on every mountain steep,
   create in us a yearning
   for those whom thou dost seek,
   the hopeless and the burdened,
   the helpless and the weak.

We would be thy disciples
   and all the hungry feed,
   nor seek our own salvation
   apart from other's need.
   These, Father, are thy children
   thou sendest us to find;
   help us by deeds of mercy
   to show that thou art kind.

Awake in us compassion,
   O Lord of life divine;
   create in us thy spirit;
   give us a love like thine.
   Help us to seek thy kingdom
   that cometh from above,
   and in thy great salvation,
   show forth thy boundless love.
                         John W. Shackford
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
Not exactly a popular hymn. It only occurs in 4 hymnals and is the only hymn the author ever wrote. It is definitely a social gospel hymn; it's first appearance was in a publication entitled Seven New Social Welfare Hymns. I don't recall ever singing it, and it didn't make the cut into the newer Methodist hymnal.
</idle musing>

The gift is inseparable from the Giver

The gift which is being bestowed here [in salvation] is never at any time separable from its Giver. It partakes of the character of power, in so far as God himself enters the arena and remains in the arena with it. Thus personal address (Anspruch), obligation (Verpflichtung) and service (Dienst) are indissolubly bound up with the gift. When God enters the arena, our experience is that he maintains his lordship even in his giving; indeed it is his gifts which are the very means by which he subordinates us to his lordship and makes us responsible beings.—Kaesemann, “The Righteousness of God,” 174, cited in J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 499

What Shall I Render to My God

196 What Shall I Render to My God

1. What shall I render to my God
   For all His mercy’s store?
   I’ll take the gifts He hath bestowed,
   And humbly ask for more.

2. The sacred cup of saving grace
   I will with thanks receive,
   And all His promises embrace,
   And to His glory live.

3. My vows I will to His great name
   Before His people pay,
   And all I have, and all I am,
   Upon His altar lay.

4. The God of all redeeming grace
   My God I will proclaim,
   Offer the sacrifice of praise,
   And call upon His name.

5. Praise Him, ye saints, the God of love,
   Who hath my sins forgiven,
   Till, gathered to the church above,
   We sing the songs of Heaven.
                         Charles Wesley
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing
Not one of Wesley's better-known hymns; this one only occurs in 25 hymnals. I don't recall ever singing it. Cyberhymal inserts two verses:

4. Thy lawful servant, Lord, I owe
   To Thee whate’er is mine,
   Born in Thy family below,
   And by redemption thine.

5. Thy hands created me, Thy hands
   From sin have set me free,
   The mercy that hath loosed my bands
   Hath bound me fast to Thee.

</idle musing>

A good reason to refuse payment

It is probably because he did not want to be seen as the donor of the gospel (putting its recipients under obligation to him, rather than to God) that he refused to take fees while founding a church.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 498n7

Lord, speak to me (Havergal)

195 Lord, speak to me

1 Lord, speak to me that I may speak
   In living echoes of your tone.
   As you have sought, so let me seek
   Your erring children, lost and lone.

2 Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
   The wand'ring and the wav'ring feet.
   Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
   Your hungry ones with manna sweet.

3 Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
   The precious truths which you impart.
   And wing my words that they may reach
   The hidden depths of many a heart.

4 Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord,
   Until my very hearts o'erflows
   In kindling thought and glowing word,
   Your love to tell, your praise to show.

5 Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,
   Just as you will, and when, and where
   Until your blessed face I see,
   Your rest, your joy, your glory share.
                         Frances Havergal
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

This is no license to sin

Already in [Romans] 5:12–21 there are indications that the Christ-gift is not morally vacuous, an unconditional gift that winks at human sin: it contains transformative power. The recipients of this grace are said to receive the gift of righteousness (5:17) and to be constituted righteous (5:19): where sin once reigned, now grace reigns “through righteousness” to bring about eternal life (5:21). The language of “reigning” (βασιλεύω) figures grace as a counteracting power whose authority replaces that of sin; far from offering a license for sin, the Christ-gift establishes an alternative regime of power.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 497

Popularity vs. discipleship (Tozer for Tuesday)

When a man is converted, he ought to renounce his old life. We are members of a new creation, born from above, sons of the Father, joint heirs with the Son. Heaven is our home, hallelujah is our language, and we belong to a little company—a minority group despised and rejected of men.

Instead of that, Christianity has become popular. Evangelicalism has become popular and consequently, it is dead.—A.W. Tozer, Reclaiming Christianity, 171

In Christ there is no east or west

192 In Christ there is no east or west

1 In Christ there is no east or west,
   in him no south or north,
   but one great fellowship of love
   throughout the whole wide earth.

2 In Christ shall true hearts ev’rywhere
   their high communion find.
   His service is the golden cord
   close binding humankind.

3 Join hands, then, people of the faith,
   whate’er your race may be.
   All children of the living God
   are surely kin to me.

4 In Christ now meet both east and west,
   in him meet south and north.
   All Christly souls are joined as one
   throughout the whole wide earth.
                         John Oxenham
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I had forgotten that John Oxenham was a penname for William Arthur Dunkerley. He had several children, at least one of whom also wrote under the Oxenham penname. This hymn occurs in about 330 hymnals. It was always a favorite of mine growing up—and remains so to this day. It speaks of the universalness of the faith.
</idle musing>

Transformation

God’s grace is displayed in the midst of human unrighteousness, not because God is morally indifferent (that would undermine his capacity to judge the world, [Rom] 3:6), but because he intends to transform the human condition. As apostle to the Gentiles, Paul is perpetually conscious of the incongruity of grace as gift to the ungodly and disobedient; but his goal is not their continuing disobedience, but “the obedience of faith” (1:5). Deriving from faith, this obedience is the product of a life created through God’s incongruous gift; as obedience, it is committed to patterns of behavior that befit its new allegiance. That the life of a believer thus remains an incongruous gift at the same time as it conforms to the holiness of God is a paradox we shall carry into the study of Romans 5-8.—J. M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift, 492

At Length There Dawns the Glorious Day

189 At Length There Dawns the Glorious Day

1 At length there dawns the glorious day
   By prophets long foretold;
   At length the chorus clearer grows
   That shepherds heard of old.
   The day of dawning Brotherhood
   Breaks on our eager eyes,
   And human hatreds flee before
   The radiant eastern skies.

2 For what are sundering strains of blood,
   Or ancient caste and creed?
   One claim unites all men in God
   To serve each human need.
   Then here together, brother-men,
   We pledge the Lord anew
   Our loyal love, our stalwart faith,
   Our service strong and true.

3 One common faith unites us all,
   We seek one common goal,
   One tender comfort broods upon
   The struggling human soul.
   To this clear call of Brotherhood
   Our hearts responsive ring;
   We join the glorious new crusade
   Of our great Lord and King.
                         Ozora S. Davis
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

>idle musing
A powerful postmillennial hymn, which makes sense when you discover that he was president of Chicago Theological Seminary from 1909–1929. I don't recall ever singing it. It occurs in a mere 62 hymnals. Some insert a chorus:

To this clear call of brotherhood
Our hearts responding sing:
We join the glorious new crusade
Of our great Lord and King.

</idle musing>

Servant of all, to toil for man

186 Servant of all, to toil for man

1. Servant of all, to toil for man
   Thou didst not, Lord, refuse;
   Thy majesty did not disdain
   To be employed for us.

2. Son of the carpenter, receive
   This humble work of mine;
   Worth to my meanest labor give,
   By joining it to Thine.

3. End of my every action Thou,
   In all things Thee I see;
   Accept my hallowed labor now,
   I do it unto Thee.

4. Thy bright example I pursue,
   To Thee in all things rise;
   And all I think or speak or do
   Is one great sacrifice.

5. Careless through outward cares I go,
   From all distraction free;
   My hands are but engaged below,
   My heart is still with Thee.
                         Charles Wesley
                         The Methodist Hymnal 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I don't recall ever singing this Wesley hymn and it only occurs in a dozen hymnals. That's an amazingly low number for a Wesley hymn! Even Hymnary.org doesn't list any variants to it.
</idle musing>