Hymn Stories of the Twentieth CenturyHart, William J. (William John)
Religion
Hymn Stories of the Twentieth Century
Hart, William J. (William John)
Hymns, English -- History and criticism
The soldiers lifted the flag from the casket, “and held it a few inches”
above the lid when the burial service occurred at Luxembourg. The 63rd
Psalm (General Patton’s favorite passage of Scripture) was intoned by
Chaplain Edwin R. Carter. The military men bared their heads, and the
service closed with the Lord’s Prayer. “With the ending of the prayer,
the soldiers folded the flag and handed it to Mrs. Patton.... A bugle
sounded taps for the fallen leader.... The Russian, British and French
generals, their great coats gleaming with medals, held themselves
strictly in salute until Mrs. Patton turned to leave.” The body of the
American general was now resting beside that of an American private.
Details will gradually be forgotten by those who witnessed them, or
followed the reports in the daily newspapers; but Americans will love to
recall the favorite hymns of a beloved military leader who participated
in a most significant manner in the events of World War II.
CHAPTER VII
HYMNS THAT CHANGED LIVES
Twice it has been my privilege to go to the Fiji Islands, the second
time just passing through on the ship. I never forgot the things told me
on my first visit. A hundred years ago all over the island of Tonga the
people were cannibals, but I saw Christian schools and colleges, in one
of which I addressed 400 girls, from 13 to 19 years of age, who worked
up to matriculation standard. When I had finished speaking they sang to
me a Fijian farewell song. Then I saw these 400 big girls in their blue
tunics scampering over the green, skin ebony black, teeth ivory white.
Their parents were all slaves; their grandparents cannibals, but these
girls burst into spontaneous singing and the words they sang were:
“What a wonderful change in my life has been made,
Since Jesus came into my heart!”
—_Rev. Norman Dunning, at the Sudan Interior Mission._
—_The Christian Herald, London._
Presiding at a great meeting in City Road Chapel, London, in 1933, when
the object was to inform the audience what was being done among the men
of the army, the navy, and the air force by the churches, Mr. Joseph
Rank opened by giving his own experience. One Sunday evening he went to
hear the famous and eloquent Hugh Price Hughes, who long conducted a
successful mission in London. Before he began to preach, the company
sang:
“’Tis the promise of God, full salvation to give
Unto him who on Jesus, His son, will believe.
“Hallelujah, ’tis done! I believe on the Son;
I am saved by the blood of the crucified One.”
“While singing it with the rest,” said Mr. Rank, “the question came to
me, ‘Can you truthfully say that?’ By the time we came to the chorus
again, I had the peace that passeth understanding. I had the same warmed
heart that John Wesley got, that Luther got, and that thousands of
others got in the same way, through believing in Jesus Christ.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account