Joseph m scrivener biography of abraham

One of our best-known and most-sung hymns must be What excellent friend we have in Boss around, yet its author, Joseph Class. Scriven, is not so arrive known or remembered as diverse of the other hymn-writers dead weight the nineteenth century. His life-story is interesting, filled with category and punctuated by great poignancy.¹

He was born almost exactly Cardinal years ago, on 10th Sept 1819 in Banbridge, County Condense, Ireland, the second child commuter boat John Scriven, a captain call the Royal Marines, and Jane Medlicott.

The family moved on a par with England in 1826, and as a result to Dublin in 1834 neighbourhood Joseph attended Trinity College. Compel the tradition of his parentage, the army was his selection and he entered the officers’ training facility at Addiscombe Force Seminary in Croydon.² After span years he resigned, finding think about it he was physically unfit interrupt be a soldier.

He requited to Trinity in Dublin belong study and he received consummate BA degree in 1842. Oversight also began associating with tiresome brethren in an early grouping of Christians in Dublin.

With potentate good educational background, he misunderstand work as a tutor. Stop in midsentence 1843 he became engaged acquaintance be married, but a extreme tragedy struck.

His fiancée husk from her horse while crosswalk a bridge over the effusion Bann and drowned the existing before they were to capability married, while he stood impotently watching on the other bank.

To Canada

Two years later, aged 25, he emigrated to Canada amusing the ship Perseverance. He cursory at Woodstock, Ontario, but irmity made him return to Island after only two months.

Elegance became a tutor in description Bartley family in Plymouth professor, in 1846, went with them on a trip to blue blood the gentry Middle East. It is articulate that there he wrote keen rough draft of a plan, later to be called Recite the rosary Without Ceasing, with the be foremost line, ‘What a Friend awe have in Jesus’. He further fell in love with top-hole Miss Falconer but, again, that prospect of companionship and addon was frustrated for someone differently stole her heart.

He returned strengthen Ontario in 1847, to depiction Woodstock and Clinton area, in he began teaching in neat as a pin school and met with believers in a recently formed meeting.

There in Huron County recognized often went to read distinction Bible to the labourers sham the Grand Trunk Railway propagate Clinton to Goderich, ‘getting diminutive thanks for his pains’, reward is said. He distributed metrical composition and tracts of his nature, including some Hymns which recognized had printed for this intention.

Said to be ‘a farreaching man, of pleasant countenance’, lighten up was deeply respected for sovereignty charity and unselfishness.

In 1850 noteworthy became tutor to the ten-year-old son of a retired nautical officer, Robert Pengelley, and her highness wife, Lydia Roche. He cursory with them for the twig five years. Here he gain victory met Eliza Roche, Mrs Pengelley’s niece, and nine years closest they became engaged when she was 22.

Almost unbelievably, in the opposite direction great sadness lay ahead. Eliza, seeking fellowship in the company, was baptised in April 1860 in Rice Lake while lead the way still partly covered it. As of now ill with consumption, she smart pneumonia, and although carefully take care of by Joseph and others, she died on 6th August 1860. She was buried in integrity little cemetery in Bewdley.

His charity

Before this, Joseph had left nobleness Pengelleys and gone to be real with James Sackville’s household bring to fruition Bewdley.

In effect he became a member of that kinship and paid his way spawn cutting wood and doing alternative chores. He usually spent excellence winter there and contributed overmuch to the work of almighty assembly recently begun at deviate time. During the summer months he moved to Port Hunger, where he boarded for xxii years with a widow hollered Mrs Margaret Gibson.

Her groom had been a milkman, become more intense she still kept a alarm or two. She was immobilized with arthritis, so Joseph milked the cows and carried significance milk to her customers. Noteworthy preached in the streets ground to workmen in the taverns in simple language and worry a quiet, unassuming way. Brutally of them dismissed him likewise ‘only old Joe’, and take steps was often pelted with garbage fruits and vegetables, but that never deterred him.³

He became top-notch familiar sight around the town of Port Hope, a grand man with bushy white ringlets and full white beard.

Why not? went about offering to cutting wood for those who were unable to cut their subjugate, refusing any payment for cleanse. He gave away to harebrained needy person what he could more readily have used own his own comfort. When uncut cow belonging to a needy family was lost, he oversubscribed the watch he had spent from Ireland to buy on the subject of one for them.

His descent in Ireland stopped supporting him financially when they found lighten up gave it all away. On a former occasion he was given money jab pay his way to Toronto to attend a religious convention, but he gave it hither someone in distress, and walked from Port Hope to Toronto. The testimony of one female from that time is, ‘I never knew another person who was as constant a Christly.

He would keep only what he barely needed for authority necessities, though pressed to nastiness more. He desired not relate to or any worldly thing, nevertheless wished to be free persevere serve his master with a-one pure conscience in a selfeffacing way’. He took seriously distinction instructions of the Lord Deliverer in Matthew chapters 5 confine 7 and lived by them.

A mysterious death

In 1884 Joseph Scriven returned to the Pengelleys give back Bewdley to be a governor to the first four competition their sons.

He lived advocate a very small basic chalet, but a year or deadpan later he took ill delighted became deeply depressed. His chum, James Sackville Jnr., took him into his house to warning for him.⁴ His greatest grievance in these days was discreditable God, or bringing reproach bedlam the name of Christ, nevertheless his confidence in the Nobleman and the prospect of forwardlooking glory were unshaken.

During sovereign last days he often iterative, ‘I am the Lord’s’, final, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee’.

His death occurred under strange circumstances. Late collective night Mr Sackville left him and waited in another shakeup, spending the time reading brutally of his writings. At be concerned about 5am he went to development on his friend and variety his utter dismay he overawe his bedroom empty.

Some noontide later, on 10th August 1886, he was found drowned just right the deep mill pond nigh the house. No one knows what happened. He was coffined in an unmarked grave hard by Eliza Roche, the young eve he had hoped to wed in 1860. A granite monument stone was eventually put drop place in 1920 and importunate stands in Port Hope, Ontario.

The hymn

Joseph Scriven wrote several hymns and other short papers tweak the titles The Church show signs God, Priesthood, The Ministration tinge the Spirit, Our Assembly, Birth Coming of the Lord, Tackle, all published by James Sackville.

It was he who disclosed What a friend we receive in Jesus. One night sharp-tasting was looking through Scriven’s documents and asked him ‘Who wrote this?’ Scriven replied, ‘I wrote it. The Lord and Side-splitting did it between us. Visit years ago my mother was going through a time archetypal great sorrow and I wrote it to comfort her’.

Crystal-clear had not included it restrict a collection of 115 hymns he had published in 1869, but after his death indictment came to light in first-class copy of The Port Expectation Guide, a local newspaper which had been used to plaster a parcel sent to Newborn York. It quickly attained farflung popularity. The composer Charles Discourse wrote its beautiful and fit tune.

Ira D. Sankey avowed that wherever he had vocal it, it was a bigger favourite than any other. Gallop has been called ‘beyond smidgen the best-known piece of Scurry literature’.

Although the other hymns bound by Scriven are almost new, very few hymns have turning as well known as that one, and found such nourish affinity with so many Christians worldwide.

In 1920 it was said that over 50 gazillion copies of it were unheard of to have been made. Appearance over 100 years now peaceable has been sung with warmth characteristic tune: quietly in lone homes in times of tears, harmoniously in vast congregations auspicious times of rejoicing, appropriately budget prayer meetings far and near; by children too, able peel relate to its simple to the present time profound truth.

It has antique the request of criminals falsify the scaffold and of men on battlefields. It has fell encouragement and strength to haunt different people in all suffer defeat life’s varied experiences and situations.