Lord’s Day, Vol. 6 No. 46
O Jesus I Have Promised
O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
O let me feel Thee near me
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
This stirring hymn of prayer and dedication was written around 1866 as “Hymn for the Newly Confirmed” in honour of the confirmation of the author’s daughter and two sons. Originally it began, “O Jesus, we have promised …” The Reverend Mr Bode quizzed the young people; then he offered this compliment and challenge: “You have gladdened my heart. I wanted to be sure that you would understand what all of it meant, and knew what you are doing, according to your age and intelligence. In order to crystallize these thoughts in your minds, I have written a hymn containing the important truths I want you to remember when you are finally confirmed. It contains six stanzas of eight lines each.” After he had read the recently penned words to his children, he suggested that they select a suitable melody.
Probably because of the hymn’s length, the following three stanzas are usually omitted from modern hymnals:
O let me hear Thee speaking
In accents clear and still;
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
O let me see Thy features,
The look that once could make
So many a true disciple
Leave all things for Thy sake;
The look at that beamed on Peter
When he Thy name denied;
The look that draws Thy loved ones
Close to Thy pierced side.
O let me see Thy foot-marks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and My Friend.
The hymn first appeared in leaflet form in 1868 and then in Hymns for Public Worship (1869). The words od this beautiful hymn should prompt Christians to more faithful service to the Lord. In stanza 1 the writer, the singer, or the reader is challenged to be faithful “to the end.” It begs the presence of the great “Master and Friend.” Stanza 2 is a prayer that the Lord will shield the soul from falling prey to the dazzling sights of the world and from the attacks of foes without and within. Stanza 3 claims divine promises of His presence and repeats the earlier promise of faithful service. It also ask for grace to follow our “Master and Friend.”
John Ernest Bode, the faithful father who wrote these words, was born February 23, 1816, and was educated at Eton and Oxford. In 1841 he was ordained in the Church of England, serving six years as tutor in his college and from 1847 until 1860 as rector at Westwell, Oxfordshire. From 1863 until his death on October 6, 1874, Bode was rector at Castle Camps, Cambridgeshire, England. He published many literary works and was honoured by being asked to deliver the Bampton Lectures at Oxford. Although he is credited with three volumes of poems, he is remembered most as writer of the hymn, “O Jesus, I Have Promised.”
The tune ANGEL’S STORY appeared in 1881. The name of the tune comes from the first line of the hymn for which it was composed, “I Loved to Hear the Story Which Angel Voices Tell.” It was written by Arthur Henry Mann (1850-1929), a native of Norwich, England. Mann was chorister at Norwich Cathedral under Dr. Zechariah Buck, and he also served as organist and choir director at various colleges and churches. Many musical works and books reaped the benefits of his editorship. Mann received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oxford in 1874 and a doctorate in music in 1882. Two other tunes often used with this hymn are LLANFYLLIN, a traditional Welsh melody published in 1865, and DAY OF REST by James William Elliot (1833-1915). Elliot’s tune is first found in Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Church Hymns, set to “O Day of Rest and Gladness.” The tune may be older than 1874, however. [Extracted and edited from Treasury of Great Hymns and their stories by Guye Johnson]
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee