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.

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Edward Hopper – birth, Feb. 17, 1818

Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

While th’Apostles’ fragile bark
Struggled with the billows dark,
On the stormy Galilee,
Thou didst walk upon the sea;
And when they beheld Thy form,
Safe they glided through the storm.

Though the sea be smooth and bright,
Sparkling with the stars of night,
And my ship’s path be ablaze
With the light of halcyon days,
Still I know my need of Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When the darkling heavens frown,
And the wrathful winds come down,
And the fierce waves, tossed on high,
Lash themselves against the sky,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me,
Over life’s tempestuous sea.

As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will,
When Thou sayest to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
’Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”       (published 1871)

Edward Hopper was born this date, 2/17/1818, in New York City.  He was a grad­u­at­e of both New York Un­i­ver­si­ty and Un­ion The­o­lo­gi­cal Sem­in­a­ry.  He was or­dained a Pres­by­ter­ian min­is­ter and pas­tored Green­ville, New York, Sag Har­bor, Long Is­land, and the Church of the Land and the Sea in New York Ci­ty.  Hopper passed away 4/23/1888, also at New York Ci­ty.

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Maltie Babcock – death, May 18, 1901

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

 This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white, declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass;
He speaks to me everywhere.

 This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

 This is my Father’s world, dreaming, I see His face.
I ope my eyes, and in glad surprise cry, “The Lord is in this place.”
This is my Father’s world, from the shining courts above,
The Beloved One, His Only Son,
Came—a pledge of deathless love.

 This is my Father’s world, should my heart be ever sad?
The lord is King—let the heavens ring. God reigns—let the earth be glad.
This is my Father’s world. Now closer to Heaven bound,
For dear to God is the earth Christ trod.
No place but is holy ground.

 This is my Father’s world. I walk a desert lone.
In a bush ablaze to my wondering gaze God makes His glory known.
This is my Father’s world, a wanderer I may roam
Whate’er my lot, it matters not,
My heart is still at home.

 Maltie Davenport Babcock died this date (5/18/1901) at Naples, Italy,

 Babcock attended both Syracuse University and Auburn Theological Seminary.

He pastored a Presbyterian Church in Lockport, New York, Brown Memorial Church, in Baltimore, Maryland, and followed Henry Van Dyke at the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City.

 Babcock published nothing in his lifetime; his wife, Catherine, collected and published many of his writings after his death. This Is My Father’s World is thought to be associated with the area Babcock liked to hike in NY with a view of farms, orchards, and Lake Ontario.  He was born 8/3/1858 at Syracuse, NY.

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