Michael Wigglesworth – birth, Oct. 18, 1631

The Day of Doom

Still was the night, Serene & Bright,
when all Men sleeping lay;
Calm was the season, & carnal reason
thought so ‘twould last for ay.
Soul, take thine ease, let sorrow cease,
much good thou hast in store:
This was their Song, their Cups among,
the Evening before.                   (stanza 1)

Michael Wigglesworth was born this date, 10/18/1631, at Wrawby, Lincolnshire  England.  He died 6/10/1705 at Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

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Alfred Lord Tennyson – birth, Aug 6, 1809

“More things are wrought by pray­er
Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice
Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life with­in the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of pray­er
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way
Bound by gold chains about the feet of God.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson was born this date, 8/6/1809 at Lincolnshire, England.  When reportedly asked what Jesus meant to him, he replied, “What the sun is to the flower, Jesus Christ is to my soul.”  

 He wrote the well known poems “Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New” “Strong Son of God, Immortal Love” “Break, Break, Break” “In Memoriam” and “Crossing the Bar” which, he requested, be always printed last in any collection of his poems.  

Tennyson, who was Poet Laureate, died 10/6/1892 at Ald­worth House, near Has­le­mere, Sur­rey, Eng­land.

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Charles Wesley – death, Mar. 29, 1788

“A Charge to Keep I Have”

 

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

 

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!

 

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

 

Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.

 

Charles Wesley died this date (3/29/1788) in London, England.  He had been born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, England, the eighteenth of nineteen children, all sons and daughters of Samuel (too often under-rated) and Susanna (perhaps a bit over-rated) Wesley. He married Sally Gwynne on April 8, 1749 and to this union were born eight little Wesleys.  His hymns and/or gospel songs exceeded 6500. 

 

A few other songs by Wesley are “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” “Jesus Lover of My Soul,” and “O for a Thousands Tongues.”

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Isaac Newton – birth, Dec. 25, 1642

Prophecies of Daniel and Apocalypse of John – Isaac Newton

 

The former part of the Prophecy related to the first coming of Christ, being dated to his coming as a Prophet; this being dated to his coming to be Prince or King, seems to relate to his second coming. There, the Prophet was consummate, and the most holy anointed: here, he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign. For Daniel‘s Prophecies reach to the end of the world; and there is scarce a Prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Christ, which doth not in something or other relate to his second coming. If divers of the antients, as ^[8] Irenæus, ^[9] Julius Africanus, Hippolytus the martyr, and Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea, applied the half week to the times of Antichrist; why may not we, by the same liberty of interpretation, apply the seven weeks to the time when Antichrist shall be destroyed by the brightness of Christ‘s coming?

                – Chapter X

 

We avoid also the doing violence to the language of Daniel, by taking the seven weeks and sixty two weeks for one number. Had that been Daniel‘s meaning, he would have said sixty and nine weeks, and not seven weeks and sixty two weeks, a way of numbering used by no nation. In our way the years are Jewish Luni-solar years, ^[11] as they ought to be;

                – Chapter X

 

Thus the Empire of the Greeks, which at first brake into four kingdoms, became now reduced into two notable ones, henceforward called by Daniel the kings of the South and North.

                – Chapter XII

Isaac Newton was a serious student of Scripture as well as a scientist – interesting combination.

He was born this day in Lincolnshire, England.  His thoughts on Daniel and Revelation can be downloaded from the net.

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