The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-10-15
Jesus, Lover OF MY Soul.

Jesus, Lover OF My Soul.
This hymn is acknowledged to be the
most generally accepted and beloved OF
all Christian hymns. 1t is said that one !
day, in the year ITO, Charles Wesley was |
sitting at his desk in his room when a
little bird pursued by a hawk few into
the room and took refuge in his bosom.
The poet took up his pen and wrote
these immortal verses.
Henry Ward Beecher, when speaking
of his fathers love for this hymn, once
said II would rather have written
that hymn of Wesley's, Jesus, lover OF
nv soul,' than to have the fame of all
the kings that ever ruled on the earth.
1t is more glorious. 1t has more power
in it. / would rather be the author OF
that hymn than hold the wealth of the
richest man in New York He is dead,
and does not know it. He will pass al
ter little while out of mems thoughts.
What will there be to say of him? What
will he have done that will stop trouble
or encourage hope? His money will go
to his heirs, and they will divide it. And
theywill die and it will go to their heirs
In three or four generations everything
comes to the ground again for redistrib-
ution. But that hymn will go on sing
ing until the last trump brings forth
from every land the children of God,
and then it will mount up on some lip
to the very presence of God"
Some one has compiled a list of emf
nent men who were known to repeat
this hymn when dying. Theologians
and scholars of every creed are in this
list.
Dr. Herrick johnson gives an incident
of his hospital work during the war. He
came upon a drummer boy, who was
wounded unto death.
ssWhata can do for you, my brave fell
low.n
''Sing Jesus, lover of my soul >"
A wounded soldier lying near took up
the words and began to sing them, while
the drummer boy, too weak to sing, re-
peated them as hi> dying prayer. and
while they were on his lips his soul took
It's 1l1Si1b 10 TIE DOSOH Vi JESUS
In the winter of 1872 a Christian work
er in New York visited Bellevue Hospit-
al He was urged by the attendants to
see an English sailor in one of the wards
who was near death and then unable TO
speak. The good man leaned over his
bed and softly repeated this hymn in
his dull ear. There was no sign that the
dying man heard the blessed words, and
the visitor went away. About midnight,
however, the sailor aroused, and with a
clear voice said
Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom hy;''
and continued until he had repeated the
entire hymn. He then added other
verses of hymns, and suduenly died
''Who can TELL" says Duffield. chow
great bridge has been thrown by those
familiar words across the gulf of memo
ry. and how great a comfort they may
have brought to his dying hour??'
A lady in Norwich, England, went to
l.-ar famous preach at the Tabernacle
She was in great distress of mind and
had determined to attend divine service
,,nce more, and she intended, if she Oh
aimed no peace, then to drown herself
che first hymn that the preacher an
r+ounced was, Jesus, lover of my soul, "
which so startled her, and suited her
condition, that she supposed that she
mad read this hymn for her sake,' for
she was sure some one had informed him
..f her state of mind. AS result of this
experience she was hopefully converted
One beautiful evening, in the summer
of 1881, a party of northern tourists
formed part of large company gather
I'd on the deck of an excursion steamer
sailing down the historic Potomac. A
gentleman, who has since gained a ma
tional reputation as singing evange>
list, had been delighting the party with
his happy rendering of familiar hymns,
the last being that petition SO dear to
every Christian heart, Jesus, lover of
my SOUL" The singer gave the first two
verses with such feeling and emphasis
as thrilled every heart. A hush had
broken till a gentleman made his way
from the outskirts of the crowd to the
side of the singer and said
''Beg your pardon, stranger, but were
you actively engaged in the late war?'
"Yes, sir,' the man of song answered,
II fought under General Grant,
81 did my. fighting on the other side,"
continued the first speaker, g and AIN
quite sure l was very near you one
bright night, eighteen years ago this very
month. 1t was much such night as
this. If | am not mistaken you were on
guard duty. We of the South had bust
ness on hand, and you were of the enemy
was selected by the commander, be-
cause | had the reputation as sure
shot, to creep near your post of duty.
The shadows hid me. Ny weapon was
in my hand. As you paced back and
forth you were humming the tune of the
hymn you have just sung. l raised my
gun and aimed it at your heart Then
out upon the air rang the words
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing
Your prayer was wered. | couldn't
fire after that, and there was no attack
made upon your camp that night. l
felt sure when heard you sing this eve
ming that you were the man whose life |
was spared from takingn
The singer grasped the hand Of the
Southerner, and said with much emo
ton:
II remember the night very well, and
remember distinctly the feeling of
depression and loneliness with which |
went forth to my duty. knew my post
was one of great danger, and | was more
detected than | remember to have been
at any time during the service. | paced
my lonely beat, thinking of home and
friends, and all that life holds. Then
the thought of Gods's care for all that
He had created came to me with peculiar