The Gospel of your grace

Arthur T Pierson’s hymn, in contrast with the preceding one, appears only in 3 other current books, though it may be known to users of Golden Bells from 1890 onwards. Hymns of Faith retained it in 1964, as did GH followed by the 1986 New Redemption Hymnal. All these except HF (which adds no Scripture texts) head it with part of John 3:16; more than this single verse is included in the hymn, and the final stz refers, encouragingly, to Mark 9:24. The author is better known in Britain for his no.972, and even in his native N America this text has not lasted so well. Apart from the dropping (as in GH) of numerous quotation marks, the main changes from the original come in what is effectively its refrain, from ‘That/For whosoever will believe …’ 2.4 was ‘bids …’ and the final stz read ‘Lord, help … / Give me the peace of faith,/ to rest … / on what the gospel saith.’ Although (or because?) the author succeeded C H Spurgeon at London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle, the hymn has not found a place in PHRW.

James McGranahan’s GOSPEL GRACE (or THE GOSPEL OF THY GRACE) is set to the words in all the above books; ST GODRIC (312) is another possibility. But T B Stephenson’s HANNAH, chosen here, takes the hymn further from the ‘gospel song’ style. It is the only tune of his to appear in any current book.

b New York, USA 1837, d 1911. (His second Christian name was that of the N American hymnwriting evangelist William Tappan, 1794–1849.) Hamilton Coll, NY, and Union Theol Seminary. Ordained in the Presbyterian ch at 23, he held a series of pastoral appointments in New York state, Detroit, Indianapolis and Philadelphia (Penns). While at this last he began a savings scheme which grew into the city’s first Penny Savings Bank. Following these ministries he launched into his evangelistic travels while also continuing a prolific teaching and writing career. In 1891 he came to London, briefly succeeding C H Spurgeon (qv) as Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, 1891–93. Not at that time but a few years later, at the age of 59, he was persuaded of his need of believer’s baptism by immersion; on submitting to this ordinance he resigned from the presbytery of Philadelphia. He spoke at the Keswick Convention, then a rare American voice in that Lakeland setting. He also promoted the Student Volunteer Movement which from 1886 onwards appealed for recruits for overseas mission—a role partly taken over later by IVF/UCCF. His theology leaned towards dispensationalism, the division of biblical and church history into distinct periods each with its own principles, and he advised on what became known as ‘The Scofield Bible’. In periodicals and books he left a considerable body of writing; he heard Geo Müller preach at Bristol in the latter’s 95th year (1896), and 3 years later wrote a biography George Müller of Bristol and his Witness to a Prayer Hearing God. But among fellow-evangelicals and Pentecostals (as in Sankey) two of his hymns have proved the most memorable items. Nos.706, 972*.