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HE Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
The quaint accents of Shakespearean English pervade many of the old and classic hymns of the Church to the dismay of the modern society that disdains all things formal and classical. Even though the old hymns may seem quaint to some, it should also be observed the religion they reflect is likewise quaint and old fashioned. The religion of Jesus Christ is quaint and foreign to those who regard the opinions of man above those truths expounded by the Lord – His is the truly Old Time religion that the world rejects.
Perhaps the greatest recommendation of the biblical veracity of any hymn can be attributed, not only to the words, but to the spiritual life of its composer. If so, the merits of the life of Philip Dodderidge highly recommend his hymn as one of the finest of ADVENT hymns. Dodderidge (1702-1751) suffered much of his adult life from tuberculosis – a disease that eventually led to his death. But Dodderidge chose the high road for his ministry and not the easy path. He was a Scottish Non-Conformist minister and prolific hymn writer who suffered persecution for his faith. Offered a scholarship to Oxford leading to ordination in the Church of England, Dodderidge declined and, instead, took the role of a minister in a very poor parish in Northhampton. As his illness became more pronounced, Lady Huntingdon offered to send him to Lisbon where the climate might be more suitable. Dodderidge responded: “I can as well go to heaven from Lisbon as from Northampton.” He died in Lisbon shortly after his arrival. But Philip Dodderidge left us a legacy of more than 400 uplifting hymns, including this present one. The tune is Bristol taken from Ravenscroft Psalter Book (1755).
The hymn is sung to the tune of Bristol in the 1940 Hymnal as Hymn 7. It deals more, than any other Advent hymn, with the mission of the coming Lord.
The Redeemer’s Message
(The title Dodderidge labelled this hymn)
Hark, The Glad Sound!
Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
the Savior promised long;
let ev'ry heart prepare a throne
and ev'ry voice a song.
He comes the priso0ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before him burst,
the iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of his grace,
to enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
your welcome shall proclaim,
and heav'n’s eternal arches ring,
with your beloved name.
1 HARK the glad sound ! the Saviour comes — The Saviour, promised long: Let every heart prepare a throne, And every voice a song. The first Good News of the Gospel occurred not in the days of John the Baptist, but far earlier in Genesis 3:15 and later through the Promise made to Abraham and declared by the prophets of His coming. It is the Promise that gave hope to Israel through centuries of bondage and tribulation. The Throne of God is prepared in the hearts of all who are called and chosen by His grace. 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (1 Corintians 3:16-17)
2 He comes,—the pris'ners to release, In Satan's bondage held ; The gates of brass before him burstThe iron fetters yield. As indicated in the introductory verse, our Lord Jesus Christ came to make us free from the bondage of the law and sin – not to exempt us from obedience to the law, but rather to enable our obedience through Love. Just as He led Israel out of bondage in Goshen of Egypt, so He leads us out of the bondage of sin by paying our penalty for sin. The only freedom we can enjoy in this life – the only liberty that endures – is found in Christ alone for it is He that proclaims Liberty to nations and peoples.
3 He comes, - the broken heart to bind, The bleeding soul to cure; And, with the treasures of his grace, T' enrich the humble poor. He that has Christ and many things has not more than he who has Christ alone for all our true treasures are vested in Him. A genuine response to the Gospel is seldom heard by the rich and powerful, but more readily received by the poor of the land. Their hearts hunger for the need that will fill their souls with joy without earthly riches. Like the widow’s mite, their treasures are on deposit beyond the Gates of Splendor where nether moth nor rust can destroy.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of peace! Thy welcome shall proclaim; And heaven's eternal arches ring With thy beloved name. Unlike the wavering multitudes who welcomed Christ on His last visit to Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna in the highest, and whose allegiance faded in hours of the moment, those who are found faithful to the end shall rightfully shout Hosanna as their redemption draws near at the return of Christ in power and great glory. There is no other name under Heaven by which men can be saved!
