That special word – grace – certainly had a potency that these authors could not ignore, because it accomplished so much. Philip Doddridge and Augustus Toplady sometime later (Doddridge and Toplady were 18th Century natives of England [see its flag here]) penned their verses to say that “Grace, ‘Tis a Charming Sound”, not just because they wanted to convey something that was audibly pleasant, but also to enumerate the various means by which this Godly gift had moved them. They would probably say their list is not exhaustive by any means, for each person on the planet who has ever lived – though we all experience His grace in many common ways – is unique and touched by Him in his or her particular circumstances. My sins may not be the same as yours, at least not exactly. And so, His imprint on me can motivate me in a personal way. A gift like grace doesn’t wear out, either.
Neither Doddridge nor Toplady shared what specifically prompted their penned verses to express their inmost feelings about grace, including what particular personal issues they confronted which only Christ could mend. Philip was a ‘Nonconformist’ or ‘Dissenter’ in his ministry, meaning that he had moved apart from the official Church of England in order to minister to independent congregations, thereby incurring undoubtedly the disdain of the religious establishment. His many hymns, numbering between three and four hundred, were never published during his lifetime, but only by others after he was gone. Could these two life experiences have affected Philip and his vision of grace? Unknown, is the short answer. As for Augustus, he was a predestination Calvinist, putting him at odds with people like the Wesleys and the concept of human free will and responsibility in salvation. This was a disagreement that endured for the last decade of his life. But, this hadn’t stopped Augustus from recognizing grace, evidently, earlier in the mid-1750s, when he proclaimed his ‘awakening’ and eventual understanding of grace doctrines that had been hidden from him previously. And yet, his personal differences with the Wesleys and their adherents hung on, even at his own deathbed. Life experiences, like those of Philip and Augustus, do not in and of themselves speak of misdeeds, but they do indicate where challenges exist for us mortals. These details regarding Philip and Augustus are part of recorded history, but what about the unknown details of them? Both Philip and Augustus must have had many reasons, peculiar to themselves, wherein God could reach them individually with His supernatural gift. That could be said of each of us, no? That must be why they used that word grace 11 times throughout their verses, to underscore its variety of contexts.
Grace has a number of characteristics, as Philip and Augustus detailed. It sounds enchanting, ‘charming’, in their own words (v.1), probably especially to those whose sins are so great that they can barely believe their guilt can be expunged. But, in fact it can save rebels through its many avenues (v.2). It records yours and my names in God’s ledger, by way of a Lamb who salves deep hurts (v.3). It steers my path (v.4), and inhabits my innards to prompt me to pray (v.5). In fact, the grip that these two men felt was so strong, that it lasted all their lives, and right into eternity (v.5-6). Grace was an inspirator (v.7), you might even say a respirator, because it was and is a gift breathed into these two Englishmen, and everyone else who might have sung their words and ingested the message. They sum it up very simply, and yet so sturdily, that grace arrives exclusively through One named Jesus who chose to die. Have you heard of and held out your hands for this gift?
See more information on the song story in these sources: The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006; and Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications, 1990.
See here for all of the hymn’s original verses: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/g/r/a/c/gracetis.htm
Read here about one of the authors: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/d/o/d/d/doddridge_p.htm and here about the other author: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/t/o/p/l/toplady_am.htm
Read here also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Doddridge and here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Toplady
Read here also about the primary author: https://hymnary.org/person/Doddridge_Philip
See here for information on the flag image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_England.svg …This work has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. This applies worldwide. In case this is not legally possible: The copyright holder grants any entity the right to use this work for any purpose, without any conditions, unless such conditions are required by law….found inside this document -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
No comments:
Post a Comment