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Sylvanus Dryden Phelps
Born: May 15, 1816, Suffield, Connecticut.
Died: November 23, 1895, New Haven, Connecticut.
Phelps attended the Connecticut Literary Institute, Brown University (graduated 1844), and Yale Divinity School. After ordination, he pastored at the First Baptist Church in New Haven, Connecticut (1854-1882), and the Jefferson Street Baptist Church, Providence, Rhode Island (1876). Later, he became editor of The Christian Secretary. His son was preacher, author and professor William Lyons Phelps.
Music: Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
On Phelps’ 70th birthday, Lowry wrote him: It is worth living 70 years even if nothing comes of it but one such hymn as:
"Savior! Thy dying love
Thou gavest me;
Nor should I aught withhold,
Dear Lord, from Thee".
Happy is the man who can produce one song which the world will keep on singing after the author shall have passed away. May the tuneful harp preserve its strings for many a long year yet, and the last note reach us only when it is time for the singer to take his place in the heavenly choir.
From cyberhymnal.org
Amen, Amen! This is a great hymn of the Faith that our Temple Choir Director, Gordon Leavitt selected for yesterday's worship service.
1 comment:
Well! I wasn't born in Saskatchewan, but my wife and I have lived here for the past 22 years--and are great Riders fans.
It was your title, quoting the lovely hymn by Sylvanus Phelps, that caught my attention today. (This is the 115th anniversary of his death.)
Glad to hear of your concern over the deterioration of church music, and I sadly concur. My daily hymn blog, Wordwise Hymns, is an attempt to affirm hymn lovers, and help those unfamiliar with them to make some new discoveries. (Over 70,000 visitors from about 175 countries show that there is a need!) If you enjoy the subject, I encourage you to drop by regularly.
And if you’ll excuse a brief “commercial:” If you do not have a good book on the subject of our Christmas carols, I encourage you to take a look at my own, Discovering the Songs of Christmas. In it, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 carols and Christmas hymns. The book is available through Amazon, or directly from Jebaire Publishing. (Might make a great gift too!)
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