Through The Hymnbook

Carol Jones St.: The chimes are ringing and the bells sound so happy. Welcome, welcome to Through the Hymnbook. My name is Carol Jones St., a sister of Reverend Bert Jones. Reverend Jones, as you know, has gone to be with the Lord, but his music continues to be a blessing to all of us who tune in and share this time in Through the Hymnbook.

In this edition of Through the Hymnbook, it is going to be a very, very interesting grouping of songs called "Songs by Laymen." Do you happen to be a layman in your church? Or a laywoman, this edition of Through the Hymnbook is for you.

Many times we tend to think that a lot of hymns are written by just ministers. Ministers do write a lot of the hymns that we sing, but amazingly, a number of laymen have written interesting songs and hymns also. Sit back and enjoy as Bert plays a very interesting grouping for you entitled "Songs by Laymen." You will know a number of them. You will be able to sing right along with him and enjoy this edition.

Bert Jones: For instance, almost everybody knows this great song, "I Am Thine, O Lord." Words by Fanny Crosby, but the music by William H. Doane. Draw me nearer, and nearer, and nearer, precious Lord.

William H. Doane wrote the music for many of the Fanny Crosby songs. But he wasn't a preacher, and he wasn't even a professional musician. In fact, William H. Doane was an expert accountant. He was also an inventor with 70 patents that were registered with the US Patent Office. He was president and general manager of a woodworking firm plant in Cincinnati, Ohio.

And yet he found time to write some beautiful hymn tunes. What would "I Am Thine, O Lord" be without the hymn tune by William H. Doane? What would "Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross" be without the beautiful music that he wrote for this Fanny Crosby favorite?

Perhaps in my radio audience is a layman right now who has said, "I have nothing to offer the Lord. I have nothing to do." How do you know you have nothing to offer? Perhaps as Dr. Sanford Fillmore Bennett did, you could write a poem about heaven. Perhaps as his violinist friend who gave lessons on the violin did, you could set it to music. I don't know how the Lord could use you, but just give Him what you have.

I hope you have a Through the Hymnbook notebook. I hope you jot down notes once in a while about the hymns that we sing. This time, as we go through the hymnbook, we are looking for songs that were written not by preachers, but by laymen. A layman named James Montgomery, who for more than 30 years worked on a London newspaper. He started at the very bottom and worked his way upward.

He knew how to set the type, he knew how to do everything in a newspaper, and he knew how to write and edit. And he wrote what is one of the most beautiful, beautiful hymns on the subject of prayer. Would you have a definition of prayer? Well then, this hymn written in 1818 called "Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire" is one of the finest, finest definitions of prayer that I can think of. Let me read you some of the words. But first, let me play you the tune on a lovely carillon.

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try. Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high. Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice returning from his ways, while angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "Behold, he prays!"

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer.

Carol Jones St.: Just pausing to remind you that you are enjoying Through the Hymnbook, and the organist is the late Reverend Bert Jones. I would like to remind you that you can be in touch with us either by mail or by email. If you want to email, the address is organhymns as one word, organhymns@aol.com or Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania 16512.

Bert Jones: There lived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a man by the name of James Black who taught Sunday school class and was the president of Epworth League at his church, the old Pine Street Methodist Church of Williamsport. In 1893, when a child was missing from Sunday school, he wrote the song "When the Trumpet of the Lord Shall Sound" and "Time Shall Be No More." When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there. Later James Black gave up his carpentry work and became a publisher of hymnbooks.

Who would ever think that a man who had a hat business in New York City—he sold hats and had a hat store in Manhattan—who ever would think that he could write hymns that would bless the world? But he did. His name was Silas Vail, and he wrote the beautiful "Gate Ajar." There stands a gate ajar.

In the midst of selling hats, he wrote the beautiful music to Fanny Crosby's song, "Close to Thee." Thou, my everlasting portion, close to thee, close to thee. Such sympathetic music for those beautiful words, "Close to Thee." All along my pilgrim journey, Savior, let me walk with thee.

Hearing the beautiful celeste bells on the organ reminds me of a song about bells. It is called "When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me." It was written back in the year 1887 by a man named Dion de Marbelle. He had come to the United States from France, and he served as a circus entertainer. He worked with the Bailey and Barnum circus—it's now called Barnum and Bailey, but in those days it was the Bailey and Barnum circus.

He also worked in a show with Wild Bill Cody, and he often served as the circus drum major, leading the parade. Dion de Marbelle found the Lord Jesus Christ, and he wrote a song, a song that says, "When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me." I have a note here that when Dion de Marbelle wrote that song, he was 70 years of age. Isn't that interesting?

If a song like that could come from a circus, a fellow who was a circus drum major, I don't know how the Lord could use you, but I know He could use you. For instance, He used a gentleman who owned a music store in East Liverpool, Ohio. He sold music and musical instruments. He sold old pump organs. And Will Thompson was used of the Lord to write the beautiful song that says, "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling."

When Dwight L. Moody was lying on his deathbed, he said to Will Thompson, "Will, I would rather have written that song than any other hymn in the English language." Haven't we had a great time going through the hymnbook, looking for songs written by non-clergymen, written by laymen? May these songs inspire you to do what you could do for the Lord, too. It has been a joy playing the songs for you. Until next time, this is Bert Jones at the organ console saying I have a song in my heart, and I hope you do, too. Bye.