Phoebe Cary (1824-1871) grew up near Cincinnatti, Ohio, and became a poet. She often gave public readings of her works in New York City that were attended by such notables as P.T. Barnum, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton (so says Wikipedia). In 1852, when she was 28 years old, Phoebe wrote a poem she called "Nearer Home" that has been published in many hymnals under the title "One Sweetly Solemn Thought":
One Sweetly Solemn Thought
by Phoebe Cary (1852)
One sweetly solemn thought
Comes to me o’er and o’er;
Nearer my home today am I
Than e’er I’ve been before.
Nearer my Father’s house,
Where many mansions be;
Nearer today, the great white throne,
Nearer the crystal sea.
Nearer the bound of life
Where burdens are laid down;
Nearer to leave the heavy cross,
Nearer to gain the crown.
But lying dark between,
Winding down through the night,
Is the deep and unknown stream
To be crossed ere we reach the light.
Father, perfect my trust!
Strengthen my pow’r of faith!
Nor let me stand, at last, alone
Upon the shore of death.
Be Thee near when my feet
Are slipping o’er the brink;
For it may be I’m nearer home,
Nearer now than I think.
By subtracting the year of the poem's composition (1852) from the year of the poet's death (1871) we determine that Phoebe Cary lived for 19 more years after she wrote this poem. I am now 81, and if I live 19 more years I shall be 100 years old. The likelihood of my surviving that long, though certainly possible, is remote. In my own case, therefore, it is probably true that "it may be I'm nearer home, nearer now than I think."
People don't sing this sort of hymn much any more.
They probably ought to.
It is a good hymn. I've always enjoyed the older hymns. I hope you and Mrs. RWP are well and enjoying the warmer weather.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, so many churches are no longer singing out of hymnals and it is society's loss. Spring is always wonderful. I put out the patio chair cushions and put up the table umbrella yesterday afternoon.
DeleteWhen we are children, death seems an ocean away and we do not contemplate it. However, as we grow old, the prospect of death becomes an unavoidable issue for all of us. We must be brave as we enter the valley and live our final months and years without fear, relishing the passing days and remembering past joys more than our mistakes.
ReplyDeleteNeil, the older we get the less time we have left. Fortunately or unfortunately, as the case may be, eternity awaits.
DeleteI have, in theory though not in practice, always tried to go with the words from Thomas Ken's hymn:
ReplyDeleteRedeem the misspent moments past,
And live this day as if thy last;
Improve thy talent with due care,
For the great day thyself prepare.
DeleteGraham, once again you have broadened my world. I had to look up Thomas Ken and discovered that he wrote the Doxology.
Father, perfect my trust!
ReplyDeleteStrengthen my pow’r of faith!
Nor let me stand, at last, alone
Upon the shore of death.
What a great verse!
The great hymns are unappreciated and i'm probably becoming old and irrelevant
kylie, we are all getting older but I don't believe that we are irrelevant. You are right about the great hymns being unappreciated. I am thinking of including one occasionally here on the blog.
Delete