William R Newell – died

ON THIS DATE

William Reed Newell died 4/1/1956, at Deland, FL. He was born 5/22/1868, at Savannah, OH, a town northwest of Ashland. He attended Moody Bible Institute where his young, undisciplined life began to take shape.  He returned to OH, attended & graduated from Wooster College (southeast of Ashland) in 1891.  Neither parent’s name came to light & as no wife or children are mentioned he may (?) have not married.

Following studies at both Princeton & Oberlin he took a pastorate in Chicago (Bethesda Congregational Church).  In 1895 MBI invited Newell to be their assistant superintendent under R.A. Torrey.  While here he held Bible classes & from these came his works Romans Verse-by-Verse, Hebrews Verse-by-Verse, & The Book of Revelation.  It was also at Moody that he wrote his well-known song “At Calvary.” 

“Years I spent in vanity and pride, Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.”

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Daniel B Towner – born

ON THIS DATE 

Daniel Brink Towner was born 3/5/1850, at Rome, PA & here he began his musical training under his father, Professor J D Towner, a well-known teacher & singer.  As a teenager Daniel traveled through parts of PA, NY, OH singing bass solos.  He studied under John Howard, George Root, & James Webb.

In December 1870 he married Mary McGonigle, herself a beautiful singer. They settled in Binghamton, NY (he directed music at Centenary Methodist Church. In the ‘80s he was in Cincinnati (NY Street ME), then across the river in Covington (Union M E) before joining with D L Moody.  In ’93 he took the directorship of (what is now) Moody Bible Institute’s music department.

He composed music for 2000 hymns including “Trust & Obey” “Anywhere With Jesus” “Saved By the Blood” “At Calvary” “My Anchor Holds” & “Grace Greater Than All Our Sins.” He compiled songbooks  & wrote music textbooks. He died Oc­to­ber 3, 1919, leading singing in a revival at Long­wood, Mis­sou­ri.

“At Calvary”

Years I spent in vanity and pride, Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain

Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

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William Newell – birth, May 22, 1868

“At Calvary”

 Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary.

Refrain:

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

2.

By God’s Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary.

3.

Now I’ve given to Jesus everything,
Now I gladly own Him as my King,
Now my raptured soul can only sing of Calvary!

4.

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary

 

William Reed Newell was born this date 5/22/1868 at Savannah, Ohio.

Dwight Moody invited him to join the faculty of the Moody Bible Institute (with Dr. R. A. Torrey).  Newell had an extraordinary gift for Bible exposition. Audiences in Chicago, St. Louis and Toronto loved his weekly Bible classes.  He wrote Romans, Verse-By-Verse; Hebrews, Verse-By-Verse; and The Book of The Revelation. Newell died 4/1/1956 at De­Land, Flor­i­da.

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