O safe to the rock that is higher than I

In 1876, in his early retirement, William Cushing responded to a request from Ira D Sankey for a new hymn to help in his gospel work. Having prayed to be given something that might glorify God, he wrote it in Moravia, New York, and it was published the following year in Welcome tidings, compiled by Sankey, Lowry, and Doane. Later it was one of the author’s 8 hymns to appear in Sacred Songs and Solos, where it is headed by Psalm 31:2; this is one of many possible ‘rock’ references, though the hymn is closer to, and depends on, Psalm 61:2 . He wrote of the hymn that ‘it is the outgrowth of many tears, many heart conflicts and soul yearnings, of which the world can know nothing … The history of many battles is behind it’. Perhaps with greater personal force to the earlier writer for whom the ‘seabillows rolled’ more literally, that phrase comes also in 804, written 3 years before. Changes made here come at 1.3–4 (from ‘… thine would I be/ … hiding in thee’); 2.2–4 (‘… casts o’er me its power/ … on its wide heaving sea,/ … hiding in thee’); and stz 3 (‘How oft in … / … breathed out … / … O thou Rock …’). The original refrain, now omitted, read ‘Hiding in thee, hiding in thee!/ Thou blest Rock of ages, I’m hiding in thee.’

The hymn was launched to Sankey’s tune SHELTER, including the refrain. For Linda Mawson’s new ABBEY WOOD, see notes to 795.

b Hingham Center, Mass, USA 1823, d Lisbon, New York, 1902 or 1903. Ordained as a minister of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, he served several New York pastorates (listed by Gordon Taylor as Searsburg, Auburn, Brookley, Buffalo and Sparta) until his relatively early retirement in 1870. By that time he had virtually lost his voice through an illness which prevented him from further preaching, possibly aggravated by the death of his wife. He then turned his gifts towards writing hymns of which more than 300 are known, many having been set to music by Robert Lowry, Ira Sankey (both qv) and other N American composers. 8 hymns featured in Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos, 3 are included in the Song Book of the Salvation Army, 1986, and one has enjoyed much popularity in the 20th c. But When he cometh, when he cometh to make up his jewels was once very popular, is still very moving, and features in some current evangelical books. No.887.