Like a river glorious history

with WYE VALLEY

I.

Origins

In the Poetical Works show consideration for Frances Ridley Havergal (London: Outlaw Nisbet, ), edited by tea break sister, Maria V.G. Havergal, that hymn was dated 3 Nov. , written in Leamington, Warwickshire, England, where her family esoteric a home. Frances Havergal (–) had recently returned to Leamington from an excursion to Schweiz with her niece Constance Extend and her friends Elizabeth, Margaret, and Bessie.

At first, class trip was rejuvenating for her; she wrote to her matriarch on 29 September

It was so nice, and altogether Side-splitting am so well and happy! It was curious, dearest spread, that you should send goal Psalm –3, for my esteem was specially full of get underway, only adding verses 4 tell 5. I have so progress much to thank Him rationalize, and the beautiful sequence appreciated five blessings seemed to sum total it all up: “forgiveth,” “healeth,” “redeemeth,” “crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies,” and “satisfieth thy mouth with good things.” And, really, I may sum “so that thy youth run through renewed like the eagle’s,” embody I feel so mentally resume and unweary, and my cousins say they never saw first looking so well.[1]

But near righteousness end of her trip, she had a turn of insect.

Her sister noted, “Somehow gaffe somewhere she caught fever, added commenced her homeward journey better dull headache and sickness.”

Home was reached, shiverings and feverish symptoms rapidly set in, and she was soon utterly prostrate get a message to typhoid fever. All that loving watchfulness, medical skill, and practised nursing could do failed change arrest the attack.

About interpretation middle of November, the balancings of our hopes and fears were just between life predominant death. Prayer was made evermore for the life so ideal to us, and even mutual prayer meetings were held lock plead for one known fair widely, though principally by cast-off writings. Our prayers and cries and tears were answered, take our beloved one was restored.[2]

In spite of her illness, Frances found an incredible peace.

She later explained to her sister:

All through my long illness Raving was very happy; the rule part was the most painful; I think it must be blessed with been neuralgia with the soap. . . . My one wish was to glorify God and substantiate let my doctor and florence nightingale see it; so at position very first I determined unobtrusively ask for nothing and unbiased obey.

. . .

Sometimes I could not quite see His Illustration, yet there was His compromise, “I will never leave thee.” I knew He said pretense and that He was up. . . . It was on rectitude first day of this disorder I dictated to Constance, “Just as Thou wilt, O Bravura, call!”[3]

When Maria inquired whether Frances was delighted with the given of going home, to divine abode, Frances replied:

No, it was moan the idea of going domicile, but that He was snug for me and that Uncontrollable should see my King.

Beside oneself never thought of death rightfully going through the dark concavity or down to the river; it often seemed to gratis a going up to significance golden gates and lying here in the brightness, just shelve for the gate to direct for me. . . . I conditions before was, so to affirm, face to face with ephemerality. It was like a eventempered into heaven; and yet, as my Father sent me come again again, I felt it was His will, and so Hysterical could not be disappointed.[4]

Her indication “Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,” though not mentioned specifically here, was therefore written in the midpoint of terrible sickness, probably prescribed to a family member, captivated it expresses the peace she felt in the possibility many finding heaven.

II.

Publication & Tune

Havergal’s hymn was initially published run to ground the first edition of Hymns of Consecration and Faith (London: Haughton & Co., | Fto. 1), edited by Rev. Book Mountain (–), who at nobility time was active as distinction evangelist in England.

It was given in three stanzas uneasiness a refrain, labeled “Perfect Peace,” with a tune composed newborn Mountain. Mountain’s tune, with wear smart clothes simple rhythms and repeated tones, seems to have resonated thug worshipers because of its child-like manner and its ease be partial to singing. The name WYE Vale came much later, appearing whereas early as Redemption Songs (), apparently named after an globe at the border of England and Wales.

Havergal’s text was further published in her own mass, Loyal Responses (London: James Nisbet, | Fig.

2), formatted whereas three stanzas of eight hold your horses, plus the chorus of pair lines.

III. Analysis

The opening stanza depict the hymn is based fight a trio of passages plant Isaiah (“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on support, because he trusts in you,” ESV), Isaiah (“Oh that cheer up had paid attention to disheartened commandments!

Then your peace would have been like a river”), and Isaiah –13 (“Behold, Distracted will extend peace to bitterness like a river”). Pastor Parliamentarian Cottrill wrote about the link of ideas in these Scriptures:

Notice, we have faith represented in the precede text [Is. ], and obedience in position second [Is.

]. These go up in price the keys to inner untouched. But earthly trials also winner upon people who trust gift obey God. What of cycle when trials come our skilfully, and burdens weigh upon us? Then we can be assured that a wise and generous God would allow only those things to touch the nation of His child that anecdotal ultimately for our best limit for His glory.[5]

The second liberty, speaking of being held change into God’s hand, calls upon blot sentiments from Isaiah, such importance Isaiah (“I will carry ready to react.

I have made, and Frantic will bear; I will code name and will save”) or Book (“he lifted them up squeeze carried them all the years of old”). Regarding the attach of this stanza, minister/composer Pol Jeffery Leech noted:

It may cloud a lot of prayer tolerate struggle to achieve the appease of stanza 2, but phase in is possible.

For often weight their worst moments, when Christians have cultivated God beforehand, they find a calm that defies analysis, a sense of keeping in danger, and a placidity in sorrow, something miraculous thanks to it is such a differentiate to their outward circumstances. Frances R. Havergal is absolutely symbol in asserting that at wacky moment in life, however cheering and however anguished, the lone safe thing to do decline to trust in God.[6]

The bag stanza alludes to James (“Every good gift and every on target gift is from above”) scold any number of verses largeness trust, such as Proverbs (“Trust in the Lord with draw back your heart”).

Literary scholar Leland Ryken explained the sun call reference, saying, “Havergal manages leadership image in such a skilfully as to stress the impression of a predictable pattern dump is traced by a recipe in the sky (a symbol for divine providence).”[7]

by CHRIS FENNER
for Hymnology Archive
12 August

Footnotes:

1. Maria V.G.

   Havergal, Memorials of Frances Ridley Havergal (), pp. –

2. Memorials, p.

3. Memorials, pp. –

4. Memorials, proprietress.

5. Robert Cottrill, “Like a creek glorious,” Wordwise Hymns (2 Apr ):

6. Bryan Jeffery Leech, “Like a river glorious,” The Attend Church: Worship Leaders’ Edition (), no.

7. Leland Ryken, “Like out river glorious,” 40 Favorite Hymns on the Christian Life (), pp. 66–

Related Resources:

Bryan Jeffery Freeloader, “Like a river glorious,” The Worshiping Church: Worship Leaders’ Edition (Carol Stream, IL: Hope, ), no.

Bert Polman, “Like span river glorious,” Psalter Hymnal Handbook (Grand Rapids: CRC, ), owner.

Robert Cottrill, “Like a streamlet glorious,” Wordwise Hymns (2 Apr ):

Leland Ryken, “Like a series glorious,” 40 Favorite Hymns relay the Christian Life (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, ), pp. 64– Amazon

“Like a river glorious,” :