The addition this week to my series Then Sings My Soul: The Hymns of My Youth was written in 1914 by Rufus H. McDaniel after the death of his son. (The music was written by Charles H. Gabriel that same year.) McDaniel was born January 29, 1850 in Brown County, Ohio and died February 13, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio. He was educated at Parker’s Academy in Claremont County, Ohio. He received a preaching license at age 19 and was ordained a minister of the Christian Church in 1873. After serving at various locations in Ohio, including Hamersville, Higginsport, Centerburg, Sugar Creek, and Cincinnati, he retired in Dayton. He wrote more than one hundred hymns during his life.
The hymn I’ve selected this week is one he apparently wrote after the death of his son. The lyrics are not that form of deep faith or quiet resolve that one might associate with a hymn written at such an occasion. Perhaps the chronology was mere coincidence rather than a reflection of faith in the midst of grave times.
In fact, the lyrics of the song almost reflect a kind of denial of situations around, proclaiming happiness for salvation. In my mind, it doesn’t proclaim happiness “in spite of” but almost ignoring situations, to the point where the happiness can scarce be believed as rooted in reality. Sort of that old “Christians don’t feel sorrow” kind of thinking that accompanies the shallow sentiment that Christians know only happiness and sunny skies once they just accept Jesus. Not suggesting this shallow idealism is the case with McDaniel of course; he wrote almost 100 years ago and it’s difficult to know just what all occupied his mind at the time.
In any event, I recall singing this one standing amid the rows of light-coloured pews in the church of my youth. Not what I’d call an outstanding hymn, but one that reminds me of those days in my youth nonetheless.
Since Jesus Came Into My Heart
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought
Since Jesus came into my heart;
I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,
Since Jesus came into my heart.Since Jesus came into my heart,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
Floods of joy o’er my soul like the sea billows roll,
Since Jesus came into my heart.I have ceased from my wand’ring and going astray,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And my sins which were many are all washed away,
Since Jesus came into my heart.Refrain
I’m possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And no dark clouds of doubt now my pathway obscure,
Since Jesus came into my heart.Refrain
There’s a light in the valley of death now for me,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And the gates of the City beyond I can see,
Since Jesus came into my heart.Refrain
I shall go there to dwell in that City I know,
Since Jesus came into my heart;
And I’m happy, so happy as onward I go,
Since Jesus came into my heart.Refrain
During my growing-up years, I attended both a Southern Baptist and a Pentecostal Holiness Church each week. This song is one I remember from the baptist church. I think we probably sang the first, second, and last verses as we frequently did with songs at the baptist church. However, at the pentecostal church or at home with my siblings, we would sing all the verses of songs.
“Possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure” is a wonderful phrase. I think the baptists liked that. I like to joke that the baptists did not believe in backsliding, but that the pentecostals believed it and practiced it! “I shall go there to dwell in that City I know” is another wonderful phrase of confidence in our salvation. The word joy indicates something much deeper than happiness, at least to me. Anyway, we sang the chorus with a generous fermata over the word “roll,” and a ritardando on the last line of the chorus. That gave the song some drama that appealed to me then and still does today.