Phoebe Palmer Knapp – birth, Mar. 9, 1839

Oh, now I see the cleansing wave!
The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
Points to His wounded side.

Refrain

The cleansing stream I see! I see!
I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me!
Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me!
It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.

2. I rise to walk in Heav’n’s own light,
Above the world and sin,
With heart made pure and garments white,
And Christ enthroned within.

3. I see the new creation rise;
I hear the speaking blood.
It speaks! Polluted nature dies!
Sinks ’neath the cleansing flood.

4. Amazing grace! ’tis Heav’n below
To feel the blood applied,
And Jesus, only Jesus know,
My Jesus crucified.

Phoebe Palmer Knapp was born this date, 3/9/1839, in New York City.  She was the daughter of Walter C. and Phoebe Palmer.  At 16 she married Joseph Knapp, the founder of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.  Both were members of John Street Methodist Church of New York City, where Fanny Crosby was also a member.  

Phoebe Palmer Knapp published more than 500 hymn tunes.  Some think her most famous tune is that of “Blessed Assurance” by Fanny Crosby’s” but the above is her tune to accompany her mother’s poem.  Mrs. Knapp died 7/10/1908 at Po­land Springs, Maine.

Read Full Post »

John Newton – wrote, Jul. 14, 1775

“Amazing Grace”

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

 Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

 John Newton, on this date 7/14/1775, is said to have written in a letter,

“The knowledge of God cannot be attained by studious discussion on our parts;

it must be by revelation on His part.”

Read Full Post »

Phoebe Palmer Knapp – death, Jul 10, 1908

“The Cleansing Wave”

 Oh, now I see the cleansing wave!
The fountain deep and wide;
Jesus, my Lord, mighty to save,
Points to His wounded side.

 

Refrain

The cleansing stream I see! I see!
I plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me!
Oh, praise the Lord! It cleanseth me!
It cleanseth me—yes, cleanseth me.

 2.

I rise to walk in Heav’n’s own light,
Above the world and sin,
With heart made pure and garments white,
And Christ enthroned within.

3.

I see the new creation rise;
I hear the speaking blood.
It speaks! Polluted nature dies!
Sinks ’neath the cleansing flood.

4.

Amazing grace! ’tis Heav’n below
To feel the blood applied,
And Jesus, only Jesus know,
My Jesus crucified.

Phoebe Palmer Knapp died this date, 7/10/1908.   She was born, 3/9/1839, the daughter Dr. and Mrs. Wal­ter C. Palm­er (Phoebe).   At sixteen years of age she married Joseph Fair­field Knapp, an official of Met­ro­pol­i­tan Life In­sur­ance Com­pa­ny.   They were Methodists.

Read Full Post »

John Newton – death, Dec. 21, 1807

“Lord, I Approach, Thy Mercy Seat”

Lord, I approach, Thy mercy seat,
Where Thou dost answer prayer;
There humbly fall before Thy feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield, my hiding Place,
That, sheltered near Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died.

John Newton, famous for penning “Amazing Grace” also penned scores of other hymns, the present “Lord, I Approach, Thy Mercy Seat,” being one of them.  Newton died this date 12/21/1807 in London, England the same city in which was was born 7/24/1725.  He and William Cowper shared backyard fences.

Read Full Post »

William Cowper – penned this date, Dec 6, 1769

“O For a Closer Walk with God”    (stanza 2-5)

Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?

What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.

Return, O holy Dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn
And drove Thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

William Cowper on this very date wrote this hymn.  He was a back-fence neighbor to John Newton (“Amazing Grace”).  Cowper also penned “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” “God Moves in Mysterious Ways” and sixty-some more hymns.

Read Full Post »