There is a place of quiet rest

I’ve been reading Hebrews 4 this morning and thinking about the inheritance which so many miss. Yes they have peace through reconciliation and salvation but there is so much more. As I prepare to pray into this, this old hymn came to mind- so long since heard I had to look up words and music. I think it speaks into that peace. My thoughts on this can be found on my daily reflection on Reading Group . St Andrews Clumboor.

This song woke me early this morning a song God given the comfort much needed

In this world there are a lot of unrest and turmoil every now and then be thanks be to God God for providing us a solitude place in His heart to have a rest. All praises be to God 🙏

Matthew 11:28

This hymn was born out of tragic circumstances. Cleland McAfee (1866-1944) suffered the loss of two infant nieces to diphtheria in 1903.

McAfee was a preacher and director of the campus Presbyterian Church at College Park, Parkville, Missouri. His daughter described the account in her book, “Near to the Heart of God.” Hymnologist William J. Reynolds, quotes the account:

“The family and town were stricken with grief. My father often told us how he sat long and late, thinking of what could be said in word and song on the coming Sunday… So he wrote the little song. The choir learned it at the regular Saturday night rehearsal, and afterward they went to Howard McAfee’s home and sang it as they stood under the sky, outside the darkened, quarantined house. It was sung again on Sunday morning at the communion service… The hymn was first included in the Choir Leader, October, 1903.”

UM Hymnal editor, the Reverend Carlton R. Young, suggest that the “stanzas affirm that near to God‘s heart is a meeting place with the Savior, a place of ‘quiet rest,’ ‘comfort,’ ‘full release,’ and ‘joy and peace.’ The refrain petitions Jesus, to sustain us near to God‘s heart.“

A characteristic of gospel hymns of this era, especially those that employ an intimate language to express the relationship between the believer and God, is to repeat a short phrase several times, allowing the message to burrow deeper into the heart of the singer and to plant a little kernel of truth. In this case, the repeated phrase is “nearer to the heart of God,” which appears 12 times if all stanzas are sung and the refrain repeated after each stanza.

Uncharacteristic of gospel hymns, however, is that this hymn describes this “place of rest” in the third person. Almost invariably, other hymn writers from this era in the United States and Great Britain express the relationship to God in the first person.

The unpretentious language is descriptive in the stanzas—painting a vivid picture

(hypotyposis) of either life after death or a place where we can meet God face-to-face in prayer. The refrain finds its highest musical pitch on the word “Jesus“— calling upon the “Redeemer“ to “hold us….Near to the heart of God.“

Cleland Boyd McAfee was a native of Missouri, graduating from Park College. He returned to his alma mater, following study at Union Theological Seminary, New York, to teach and pastor the campus church, as well as direct its choir.

After serving congregations in Chicago and Brooklyn (1901-912), McAfee was appointed professor of systematic theology at McCormick Theological Seminary (1912-1930) and also served as secretary of Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions (1930-1936). He served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and authored the treatise, “The Greatest English Classic: A Study of the King, James Version of the Bible, and its Influence on Life and Literature .” This was the result of lectures delivered in 1912 for the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.

He also penned other hymns of lesser note, including “Christian Soldiers, on to Conflict,” a temperance song (1897), and “Let Us Watch and Pray in our Master’s Name“ (1917), a song about the second coming of Christ.

“Near to the Heart of God,” a simple hymn, expresses in a profound way the admonition of James 4:8, “Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh unto you.“

(Dr. Hawn, professor of sacred music at Perkins School University School of Theology, SMU).

Lovely song with which I'm founding myself sometimes singing it. Gives lots of peace an comfort, making me feel closer to God! Praise the Lord God Almighty!

I too praise our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ who through their Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts to comfort and strengthen us in times of grief and suffering.

My heart rejoices at seeing names and comments from my brothers and sisters in Christ from the different nations giving evidence to the work of God and the working out of his great commission. Looking forward to meeting you all in our heavenly home in Christ ♥️

Woke up this morning, with this song going through my mind.

I had not thought of this song in years.

This was the closing song for the programme The Voice Of Prophecy led by spesker HMS Richards snr.

One day sin will be no more.

I heard this hymn year ago and one day while visiting my elderly father he asked me to sing it to him then after he passed I sang it at his funeral 16 months ago

Then recently my mother passed away and my sister said that mum had told her that she wants me to sing it at her funeral