The Hiding Place by Jehoida Brewer

Believersmagazine.com ^ | 1776 | Jehoida Brewer, "Sylvestris"

[Faith Presses On]

The Hiding Place Hail, sovereign love, which first began The scheme to rescue fallen man! Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace, That gave my soul a Hiding Place!

Against the God who built the sky I fought with hands uplifted high, Despised the mention of His grace, Too proud to seek a Hiding Place.

Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night, And fond of darkness more than light, Madly I ran the sinful race, Secure without a Hiding Place.

But thus the eternal counsel ran: "Almighty love, arrest that man!" I felt the arrows of distress, And found I had no hiding place.

Indignant justice stood in view. To Sinai’s fiery mount I flew; But justice cried, with frowning face: "This mountain is no hiding place".

Ere long a heavenly voice I heard, And Mercy’s angel soon appeared; He led me with a placid pace To Jesus, as a Hiding Place.

On Him almighty vengeance fell, Which must have sunk a world to hell. He bore it for a sinful race, And thus became their Hiding Place.

Should sevenfold storms of thunder roll, And shake this globe from pole to pole, No thunderbolt shall daunt my face, For Jesus is my Hiding Place.

A few more setting suns at most, Shall land me on fair Canaan’s coast, Where I shall sing the song of grace, And see my glorious Hiding Place.

[Faith Presses On]

A little more information about the poem at the link.

[Faith Presses On]

Could you please correct this title for me so that it reads, “The Hiding Place by Jehoida Brewer”? Thank you in advance and a blessed new year to you.

[Fiji Hill]

Authorship of this hymn is often mistakenly ascribed to Major John Andre, a British officer who was hanged as a spy (unjustly according to many historians) during the American Revolution. His remains were later brought to Britain and buried in Westminster Abbey as a recognition of a miscarriage of justice.

The hymn had been transcribed by him as a testimony to his faith two days before his execution, apparently from memory, on to a piece of paper which was found in his pocket afterwards, without any information as to its original author. Major Andre was executed on 2nd October, 1780, exactly four years after this hymn was published in the "Gospel Magazine" (October, 1776) under a pseudonym "Sylvestris" used by the author, Jehoida Brewer.

Andre was Benedict Arnold's case officer and he nearly escaped behind British lines with the information Arnold had given him on the fort at West Point, NY. Had Andre made it to British territory, the classified information he obtained from Arnold might have enabled the British to win the war.

[Fiji Hill]

This reminds me of one of my favorite hymns.

Hiding in Thee--William O. Cushing and Ira Sankey, 1877

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest Rock of Ages, I’m hiding in Thee.

Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest Rock of Ages,
I’m hiding in Thee.

[mylife]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U25ghxdfU4g

[georgiegirl]

Thank you for posting, I love it.

[Faith Presses On]

It’s interesting history. I just read more about it. Thank you for sharing.

[Faith Presses On]

I’ve never heard of that hymn. I’ll have to look that up. Thanks again.

[Faith Presses On]

Thank you for the link. I haven’t yet watched the video but will try to soon.

[Faith Presses On]

You’re welcome. I love it, too.

[Fiji Hill]

It's unfortunate that "Hiding in Thee" and other hymns by William O. Cushing and Ira Sankey, two heavyweights in the world of hymnology, are not as well known today as they once were. Cushing wrote about 300 hymns including Under His Wings" (1896), another of my favorites, which Sankey also co-wrote.

In 1871, Sankey barely escaped the Chicago Fire by rowing a boat out into Lake Michigan. The bulk of his hymn-writing came afterwards.

[Religion Moderator]

Done, title fixed.

My apologies for taking so long.