James Montgomery – wrote, Oct. 13, 1834

In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.
When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,
Nor for fear or favor suffer me to fall.

With forbidden pleasures would this vain world charm,
Or its sordid treasures spread to work me harm,
Bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane,
Or, in darker semblance, cross-crownedCalvary.

Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil and woe,
Or should pain attend me on my path below,
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

When my last hour cometh, fraught with strife and pain,
When my dust returneth to the dust again,
On Thy truth relying, through that mortal strife,
Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.

Today is the day, 10/13/1834, that James Montgomery penned his “In the Hour of Trial.” James Montgomery born 11/4/1771, and passing away 4/30/1854, is the author of some eleven longer works and 400 hymns.  Some of his best known lines are “PRAYER IS THE SOUL’S SINCERE DESIRE” the opening line of one of his hymns.  Mont­gom­ery called it “the most at­tract­ive hymn I ev­er wrote.” 

His best know work is an American favorite, “Angels from the realms of glory.”

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James Montgomery – wrote on this date, Oct. 13, 1834

In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me,
Lest by base denial I depart from Thee.
When Thou seest me waver, with a look recall,
Nor for fear or favor suffer me to fall.

With forbidden pleasures would this vain world charm,
Or its sordid treasures spread to work me harm,
Bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane,
Or, in darker semblance, cross-crowned Calvary.

Should Thy mercy send me sorrow, toil and woe,
Or should pain attend me on my path below,
Grant that I may never fail Thy hand to see;
Grant that I may ever cast my care on Thee.

When my last hour cometh, fraught with strife and pain,
When my dust returneth to the dust again,
On Thy truth relying, through that mortal strife,
Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.

The above poem (hymn) was penned this date 10/13/1834 by James Montgomery. 

James Montgomery was born 11/4/1771 in Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland where his father John was a minister in the Moravian Church.  In 1783, his parents were sent to the West Indies as missionaries and left James in the Moravian settlement near Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland. He passed from this life, 4/30/1854, Mount, Shef­field, Eng­land.

 Montgomery become the editor/owned of the Sheffield Iris.  In addition he wrote 400 hymns including “Hail To the Lord’s Anointed” “Angels From the Realms of Glory,” “Go to Dark Gethsemane,” “Prayer is the Souls’ Sincere Desire.”

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James Montgomery – birth, Nov. 4, 1771

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;
Prayer, the sublimest strains
That reach The Majesty on high.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air,
His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters Heav’n with prayer.

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, in deed, and mind,
While with the Father and the Son
Sweet fellowship they find.

No prayer is made by man alone
The Holy Spirit pleads,
And Jesus, on th’eternal throne,
For sinners intercedes.

O Thou by Whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
The path of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray.

James Montgomery was born this date, 11/4/1771, at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland.  His family moved to a Mo­rav­i­an set­tle­ment at Grace­hill, near Bal­ly­mena, Coun­ty An­trim, Ireland when he was about five. After attending Ful­neck Sem­in­ary in York­shire and a couple of job tries he started working for a newspaper owner.  James eventually bough him out, renamed it the “Sheffield Iris” and edited it of the next 32 years.  He supported the abolitionist cause and equally or more strongly supported the cause of the British Bible Society and foreign missions.  Montgomery is credited with writing some 400 hymns among which one finds the above and his famous “Angels from the Realms of Glory.”  He died 4/30/1854, at Shef­field, Eng­land.

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George Herbert – death, Mar. 1, 1633

“Be calm in arguing; for fierceness makes error a fault, and truth discourtesy.”

 

“Dare to be true. Nothing can need a lie: a fault which needs it most, grows two thereby.”

 

“He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven; for everyone has need to be forgiven.”

 

“The devil divides the world between atheism and superstition.”

 

“He that is not handsome at 20, nor strong at 30, nor rich at 40, nor wise at 50, will never be handsome, strong, rich or wise.”

 

George Herbert died this date (3/1/1633) Bermerton, England.  He had been born 4/3/1593, Montgomery, Wales.

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