Wordwise -- Old-Time Christian Hymns -- #2 Quiz

Answer: Build on the Rock

Franklin E. Belden was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1858, the oldest of five children. According to information on the Internet, he wrote hundreds of hymns and had the ability to write a song while a preacher was giving a message on a particular topic.

Here are the words to the hymn 'Build on the Rock':

"We'll build on the Rock, the living Rock,
On Jesus, the Rock of Ages;
So shall we abide the fearful shock,
When loud the tempest rages.

Refrain
We'll build on the Rock,
We'll build on the Rock;
We'll build on the Rock, on the solid Rock,
On Christ, the mighty Rock.

Some build on the sinking sands of life,
On visions of earthly treasure;
Some build on the waves of sin and strife,
Of fame, and worldly pleasure.

Refrain

O build on the Rock, for ever sure,
The firm and the true foundation;
Its hope is the hope which shall endure,
The hope of our salvation.

Refrain"

Answer: By and By

Fanny Crosby was a song writing machine. According to Wikipedia, she wrote more than 8,000 hymns. Crosby became blind shortly after birth and is quoted as saying she never wanted to be able to see because her disability ensured she walked closely with Jesus through her life.

Here are the words to the Gospel hymn 'By and By':

"We shall all clasp hands in glory by and by;
We shall tell redemption's story by and by;
When the voyage of life is past
We shall reach the port at last,
And our anchor safely cast by and by.

Refrain
By and by, by and by,
We shall all clasp hands in glory by and by.
We shall see our Savior's face,
And adore His wondrous grace,
We shall feel His fond embrace by and by.

We shall wake no more to sorrow by and by;
In the smile of endless morrow by and by;
Where our faith is lost in sight,
Where the Savior is the light,
We shall walk with Him in white by and by.

Refrain

We shall cross the silent river by and by;
We shall rest and dwell together by and by;
Palms of victory we shall bear
In that cloudless region fair,
And we'll know each other there by and by.

Refrain"

We shall join the angel chorus by and by,
With the dear ones gone before us by and by;
In that realm of perfect day,
Where the silver fountains play,
God will wipe all tears away by and by.

Refrain"

Answer: Abide in Thee

Joseph D. Smith wrote 'Abide in Thee' in 1869 and Francis Cunningham set the words to music. The hymn is sometimes mistaken for 'Abide With Thee' by Henry Francis Lyte.

The hymn is believed to be based on John 15:5. In the NKJV, the verse quotes Jesus as saying: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Here are the words to the Gospel hymn 'Abide in Thee':

"Abide in Thee, in that deep love of Thine,
My Jesus, Lord, Thou Lamb of God divine;
Down, closely down, as living branch with tree,
I would abide, my Lord, my Christ, in Thee.

Abide in Thee, my Savior, God, I know
How love of Thine, so vast, in me may flow:
My empty vessel running o'er with joy,
Now overflows to Thee without alloy.

Abide in Thee, nor doubt, nor self, nor sin,
Can e'er prevail with Thy blest life within;
Joined to Thyself, communing deep, my soul
Knows naught besides its motions to control.

Abide in Thee, 'tis thus alone I know
The secrets of Thy mind e'en while below;
All joy and peace, and knowledge of Thy Word,
All power and fruit, and service for the Lord."

Answer: Alive Again

Paul Rader was an evangelist based in Chicago and according to Wikipedia, he was the first nationwide radio preacher in the United States.

"Rader wrote several hymns during his lengthy career, one of which was 'Only Believe', a personal favorite of singer Elvis Presley," Wikipedia states. "Presley recorded the song in 1970 for his album Love Letters from Elvis and it was subsequently released as a single in 1971, where it spent two weeks on the chart, peaking at No. 95."

Here the words to the Gospel hymn Alive Again':

"Mary beheld Him, and 'Master!' cried,
After He came from the tomb;
Suddenly Jesus stood in their midst,
Entered the tight shut room.

Refrain
He Who was dead is alive again!
He Who was dead is alive again!
Broken the stout, icy clutches of death-
He Who was dead is alive again!

Peter beheld Him there on the shore,
Ate with Him there by the sea;
Jesus was saying, with lips once dead,
'Peter, dost thou love Me?'

Refrain

Thomas beheld Him there in the room,
Called Him his Master and Lord,
Put forth his fingers into the holes
Made by the nails and sword.

Refrain"

Answer: All Over the World

According to the Website Cyberhymnal.org Eliza E. Hewitt lived all her life in Phil­a­del­phia where she was Sun­day school sup­er­in­tend­ent at the North­ern Home for Friend­less Child­ren and lat­er at the Cal­vin Pres­by­ter­i­an Church.

More than seventy of her hymns are featured at Cyberhymnal.

Here are the words to the Gospel hymn 'All Over the World':

"Bear the good tidings all over the world,
Let the bright banner of love be unfurled,
Wherever sorrow and sin shall be found,
There let the news of salvation resound.

Refrain
All over the world,
All over the world,
Let the bright banner of love be unfurled,
All over the world.

Plant in the wilderness Sharon's sweet rose,
Blessing will follow wherever it goes;
Led, onward led by the Lord's guiding hand,
Open "fresh springs" in the dry, thirsty land.

Refrain

Think of the millions who never have heard
One precious promise from God's holy Word;
Think of the lives marred and darkened by sin,
Tell them the story that brings light within.

Refrain

Oh, what a song shall in Heaven be sung!
By every nation and kindred and tongue;
Some may be there through our efforts and prayer,
Joy everlasting together we'll share.

Refrain"

Answer: Asleep in Jesus

Margaret Mackay was born 1802 in Hedge­field, In­ver­ness, Scot­land and died in Chel­ten­ham, Glou­ces­ter­shire, Eng­land in 1887. She is buried at the Cha­pel Yard Cem­e­te­ry, In­ver­ness, Scot­land, where according to the Website Cyberhymnal.org, her tombstone contains the simple message 'Sleeping in Jesus'.

Here are the words to 'Asleep in Jesus':
"Asleep in Jesus! Blessèd sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep;
A calm and undisturbed repose,
Unbroken by the last of foes.

Asleep in Jesus! Oh, how sweet,
To be for such a slumber meet,
With holy confidence to sing
That death has lost his venomed sting!

Asleep in Jesus! Peaceful rest,
Whose waking is supremely blessed;
No fear, no woe, shall dim that hour
That manifests the Savior's power.

Asleep in Jesus! Oh, for me
May such a blessèd refuge be!
Securely shall my ashes lie
And wait the summons from on high.

Asleep in Jesus! time nor space
Debars this precious "hiding place";
On Indian plains or Lapland snows
Believers find the same respose.

Asleep in Jesus! Far from thee
Thy kindred and their graves may be;
But there is still a blessèd sleep,
From which none ever wakes to weep."

Answer: Zion on the Holy Hills

The hymn is based on Psalm 87 in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament of the English Bible. Although many of the Psalms were written by David, Psalm 87 is not one of them. Scripture credits it to the 'Sons of Korah'.

William O. Perkins, 1831-1902, is credited with setting the words to music.

Here are the words to 'Zion on the Holy Hills':
"Zion, on the holy hills,
God, thy Maker, loves thee well;
All thy courts His presence fills,
He delights in thee to dwell.
Wondrous shall Thy glory be,
City blest of God, the Lord;
Nations shall be born in thee,
Unto life from death restored.

When the Lord the names shall write
Of thy sons, a countless throng,
God Most High will thee requite,
He Himself will make thee strong.
Then in song and joyful mirth
Shall thy ransomed sons agree,
Singing forth throughout the earth,
'All my fountains are in thee'."

Answer: We Three Kings

John H. Hopkins was born in Pittsburgh in 1820 and served as a journalist for a brief while before attending General Theological Seminary in New York, according to Wikipedia.

"He wrote words and music to his most famous hymn, 'We Three Kings', as part of a Christmas pageant for his nieces and nephews," Wikipedia reports. "It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Songs in 1863."

Here are the words to 'We Three Kings':

"We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

Refrain
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

Refrain

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Refrain

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain"

Answer: Yet Once Again

Albert Osborn was born in 1886 and served as the sixth general of The Salvation Army from 1946 to 1954. While rising up through the ranks in the Salvation Army, Osborn served for a number of years in New Zealand.

According to the Website Hymntime.com, Osborne wrote the words to 'Yet Once Again' for the Salvation Army's International Congress in 1914.

Here are words to 'Yet Once Again':

"Yet once again, by God's abundant mercy,
We join our song of thankfulness and praise;
Ever the light of our Redeemer's victory
Shineth before us in the world's dark ways.

Refrain
Jesus shall conquer, lift up the strain!
Evil shall perish and righteousness shall reign.

O for the time of Christ's completed mission!
Throbs of its rapture reach us as we pray;
Gleams of its glory bursting on our vision
Send us to labor, urge us on our way.

Refrain

Stretch out Thy hand, O God, and let the nations
Feel through Thine host the thrill of life divine;
Grant us, we pray, still greater revelations,
Make of these days an everlasting sign.

Refrain"

Answer: Wait on the Lord

As mentioned in the answer section to Question No. 2, Fanny Crosby is credited with writing more than 8,000 hymns. However, some people suspect that number should be substantially higher as some hymns were written under pseudonyms. It seems pseudonyms were used because if not, it would appear as if Crosby wrote almost every hymn in a given hymn book.

"She wrote so many [hymns] that she was forced to use pen names lest the hymnals be filled with her name above all others," according to Christianitytoday.com.

While Wikipedia credits her with writing more than 8,000 hymns, Christianitytoday.com claims the total number is more than 9,000.

Here are the words to 'Wait on the Lord':

"Wait on the Lord, wait patiently,
And thou shalt in Him be blest;
After the storm, a holy calm,
And after thy labor rest.

Refrain
Wait on the Lord, for whom hast thou
On earth or in heaven but He?
Over thy soul a watch He keeps,
Wherever thy path may be.

Wait on the Lord, wait cheerfully,
And He will thy youth renew;
Wait on the Lord obediently,
Whatever He bids thee do.

Refrain

Wait on the Lord, wait lovingly,
Confide in His care thy all;
Those that abide in perfect peace
No danger can e'er befall.

Refrain

Wait on the Lord, wait joyfully,
For then shall thy heart be strong;
Lo! by His hand He leadeth thee,
And thou shalt be filled with song.

Refrain"