Hymn: a song of praise to God. It seems simple, but have you ever read the stories behind the beloved lyrics of your favorite classic hymns?
Each month in 2022 we are sharing the story behind one of our favorite classic hymns. We hope these stories will encourage you and help you worship, just like the hymnist, amid hurt, hope, fear, thanksgiving, joy, or loss.
This month we’re sharing the story behind Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine!
This song was copyrighted by the composer of the tune, Mrs. Peoebe Palmer Knapp, in 1873, the year it was written by Fanny Crosby. May of Fanny Crosby’s hymnic themes were suggested by ministers wishing to have new songs on particular subjects. At other times, musicians would first compose tunes to which Crosby was asked to supply words. Such was the case with “Blessed assurance.”
The story goes, as related by Crosby herself in Memories of Eighty Years (London, 1906) that Mrs. Knapp played the tune in Fanny’s hearing once or twice asking, “What does that melody say to you?” Fanny Crosby replied with the precise words of stanza one of the hymn.
It first appeared in John R. Sweney’s Gems of Praise (Philadelphia, 1873) and was included subsequently in Ira D. Sankey’s collections. Thereby it achieved immense popularity in Great Britain as well as in the United States and Canada. It has been used with effectiveness in the Billy Graham Crusades. In 1904 it appeared for the first time in two Baptist collections, The Baptist Hymn and Praise Book (Nashville 1904, No. 350) and Doane and Kirkpatrick’s Glorious Praise (Louisville, No 16).
ASSURANCE is the name assigned to this tune by the hymnal committee for Baptist Hymnal (1956)
1 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.
2 Perfect communion, perfect delight,
visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels descending bring from above
echoes of mercy, whispers of love. [Refrain]
3 Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and bless’d,
watching and waiting, looking above,
filled with his goodness, lost in his love. [Refrain]
This story was included in Handbook to The Baptist Hymnal.
