Through The Hymnbook

Guest (Male): The cheerful chimes have been ringing, and that means it's time to go into the organ loft for that special program entitled Through the Hymnbook. In this edition of Through the Hymnbook, the late Reverend Bert Jones will be playing from a rather small paperback songbook that was entitled Showers of Blessings. It has 136 songs, and guess what the first song in the book is going to be?

That's right, you guessed it, There Shall Be Showers of Blessing. What an appropriate song for number one. I know you all know it, so sing right along as Bert plays.

Bert Jones: I hope you heard the raindrops of showers of blessing coming down your way as it's song number one in the book, Showers of Blessing. Here in the book, they give us the scriptural reference for that phrase, there shall be showers of blessing.

From Ezekiel chapter 34 verse 26: "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in season; there shall be showers of blessing." Then from Ephesians 1:3, this Bible verse is also here: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

A great Gospel song based on a great scriptural promise, There Shall Be Showers of Blessing. Song number two in the book is One Day, written by the great evangelist J. Wilbur Chapman. One day when heaven was filled with His praises, one day when sin was as black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin.

One day living He loved me, dying He saved me, buried He carried my sins far away, rising He justified freely forever, and one day He's coming, oh glorious day. Beautiful, beautiful song. Listen as I play it for you now. This song tells the entire life story of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is one of those songbooks in which you can just start playing and play almost every song through the book, and most people would know most of the songs. This delightful Gospel songbook called Showers of Blessing has been given to the Through the Hymnbook library by Joseph and Anna McCloskey of Alliance, Ohio.

Mrs. McCloskey writes that this book was used for many, many years at the famous Sebring Holiness Camp Meeting in Sebring, Ohio, and therefore it has very precious memories for her and for her family from many times when they went to camp meeting and sang from this delightful songbook.

Mrs. McCloskey also says that her own special favorite in the book is number 47, the song Constantly Abiding, written by Anna Sebring Murphy. Mrs. McCloskey tells me something that I never knew before. Mrs. Will Murphy, or Anna Sebring Murphy, was the daughter of the founder of Sebring, Ohio.

It is said that she urged her father to give the land on which would be built the famous Sebring Camp Meeting, and it's been in operation almost eight decades. The song she wrote is a beautiful song with a great message. As it says: "There's a peace in my heart that the world never gave, a peace it cannot take away.

Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud, I've a peace that has come there to stay. Constantly abiding, constantly abiding, Jesus is mine. Constantly abiding, constantly abiding, rapture divine. He never leaves me lonely, He whispers oh so kind: I will never leave thee, Jesus is mine."

I told you this book was one in which you could just play on and on and on and play almost every page and most people would know most of the songs. I've played song number one, There Shall Be Showers of Blessing. I've played song number two, One Day.

I've played song number 47, Constantly Abiding, as requested by Joseph and Anna McCloskey of Alliance, Ohio, who gave the book to the library. Now we come to song number three, and you should know this one too: Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. I play it on the Dad Jones Memorial chimes.

The words were written by Augustus M. Toplady, a very famous preacher in the Anglican Church. He preached wonderful sermons, such wonderful sermons that his congregation published 28 volumes of his sermons. I've never read one of his sermons, have you?

Yet the whole world knows the song, some 200 years old, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee. Song number four in the songbook is the great camp meeting song Living By Faith. I do not know what others may do, but I am living by faith.

Living by faith in Jesus alone. The next song in the book is the song Satisfied. It tells the story of one who has searched long to find happiness in life but has never found it, and then at last found the well of living water in Jesus Christ and sings out: Hallelujah, I have found Him whom my soul so long has craved. Satisfied.

Guest (Male): We are just pausing to let you know that you're enjoying Through the Hymnbook, a special time of music when Reverend Bert Jones goes through various hymnbooks and shares the music with you, and sometimes tells a little bit about how a particular song was written.

In this edition of Through the Hymnbook, Bert is sharing with you some of the lovely music from a book entitled Showers of Blessings. Remember that you can contact us either by email by writing organhymns@aol.com or Post Office Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, zip code 16512.

Bert Jones: Next in the book comes the song Sweeter As The Years Go By. I'm not skipping any songs, I'm playing straight through the first 10 pages and almost every song is one that most of you would know. This song speaks of the delight of experiencing Jesus Christ that is sweeter as the years go by.

The child of God who has lived any time for Jesus Christ will sing Sweeter As The Years Go By. Sweeter as the years go by, Jesus' love is sweeter, sweeter as the years go by. What a nice book this book called Showers of Blessing, and this particular copy was used for many, many years, I am told, at the famous Sebring Holiness Camp Meeting in Sebring, Ohio.

This was a gift to the Through the Hymnbook library by Joseph and Anna McCloskey of Alliance, Ohio. Next in the book comes the great song by Thoro Harris, All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus.

The next song is the great camp meeting favorite called He Brought Me Out of the Miry Clay. It is based on the testimony of the Psalmist in Psalm 40, that the Psalmist says He has brought me out of the deep miry clay and have placed me on a rock to stay and hath put a new song in my heart.

That describes the life of the one who meets Jesus Christ, brought up out of the miry clay and set on the rock to stay. No wonder people love to sing it, and oh how they do sing it in camp meeting time.

Guest (Male): What a special joy it has been to have you in the organ loft enjoying a time of music entitled Through the Hymnbook. Remember that if at any time you would be interested in information regarding either tapes, cassettes, or CDs with the music of Reverend Bert Jones, be sure to write and ask for the details.

The address is Through the Hymnbook, Post Office Box 575, Erie, Pennsylvania, and the zip code 16512. You can also reach us by email, just address organhymns@aol.com. It's been a joy to have you in the organ loft and this particular edition as Bert has featured so many beautiful songs from the paperback book entitled Showers of Blessing. Hope you've received them.