Philip Doddridge D. D. , was born in London, June 26, 1702. Educated at Kingston, Grammar School, and Kibworth Academy, he became a renowned scholar having numerous attainments and was ordained to the Non-conformist ministry. He was pastor of the Congregational Church at North Hampton, from 1729 until his death, as well as being the acting principal of the theological school in that place. In 1749 he stopped preaching, and went to Lisbon for his health, but died there about two years later of tuberculosis, October 26, 1752.
One day, as he was preparing for a sermon, he was strongly impressed by what he wrote. While his heart was still touched by the contents of the sermon that had inspired him, he decided to put thoughts into meter, and write a hymn for the conclusion of the sermon. The hymn was written to be sung after a sermon from Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? “
Jesus I love that charming name,
‘Tis music to mine ear,
Fain would I sound it out so loud
The earth and heaven to hear.
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I’ll speak the honor of Thy name
With my last laboring breath,
Then speechless, clasp Thee I’m my arms,
The conqueror of death.
"And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ might tabernacle over me." (2 Corinthians 12:9) Recovery Version
“His grace is sufficient for us”
"I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20) Recovery Version
“no longer I who live, Christ lives in me”. “ l live in faith, the faith of the Son of God”. Not my faith but the Son of God’s faith.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace unto me did not turn out to be in vain, but, on the contrary, I labored more abundantly than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10) Recovery Version
“Not my trying, struggling, but by the grace of God I am what I am. ”
“His grace unto was not in vain”
“I labor more abundantly, yet not I but the grace of God which is with me. ”
Hallelujah! Christ is our all-sufficient grace. Christ lives in us. Christ is our faith. Christ our living, our grace, grace!
"Grace is the manifestation of the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Regardless of what subject the Bible touches, it is concerned with the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—being manifested as grace consummating in the New Jerusalem. This is the highest and central revelation shown to us in the entire New Testament." (The Experience of God's Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ's Life, Chapter 5, LSM)
As to this hymn #248 (English #312) in the Chinese hymnal (which has only three verses), brother Witness Lee described as "... This hymn concerning grace contains expressions that cannot be found in ordinary Christian books. What is grace? Grace is actually God Himself." (The Experience of God's Organic Salvation Equaling Reigning in Christ's Life, Chapter 5, LSM) Here is an unofficial singable version (near literal translation from Chinese) which I hope could help us appreciate grace even more:
1. Grace came in place of sin,
In my spirit to reign,
Delivering me from pow'r of sin,
From corrupt nature freed.
(Chorus)
All sufficient grace!
Never powerless!
'Tis Christ in my spirit lives,
His grace I thus receive.
2. Grace enables my feet,
To tread the heav'nly path;
His grace is timely, bountiful,
And never failing thus.
3. O what a grace is this!
God incarnate is He,
God manifested in the flesh,
God who is now in me.
(Chorus)
By Thy grace, O God,
I am what I am!
Grace manifested in me,
Eternal portion be.
I used to think that grace was something that we only took in time of need or trouble. But this is not the case. Grace is God coming into us, adding Himself into us to be our supply and that this supply becomes the very element by which we live day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. This is what it means to walk before God in perfection and to experience God as El-shaddai
Thank God for leading me to this blessed website; and thank God for the Godly wisdom given to the brethren who came up with this inspired idea. This is my first requested song and what a blessing to my soul! Thank God for saving and keeping me only by HIS GRACE.
In Colossians 3:16 Paul exhorted the believers in Colossae to sing with grace in their hearts when the word of Christ dwelt in them richly in all wisdom by their teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. We are short in our experience of Christ because we do not sing that much with grace in our hearts. We do not have much experience of teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Mostly we sing only when we come together. We need to sing in our daily life. Perhaps a wife could sing to her husband, "All sufficient grace!/Never powerless!/It is Christ who lives in me,/In His exhaustlessness" (Hymns, #312). Then the husband can sing another chorus. If a husband says to his wife, "Dear, you should not give your long face to me so many times every day" the wife may say, "Then you should not come back home so late every day!" Instead of speaking in this corrupt way, the husbands and wives should sing and minister grace to each other.
We live by grace. The grace for the believers' living is spoken of in Romans 1:7 and in the beginning of all of Paul's other Epistles except Hebrews. In our Christian living, our daily life, we need the grace. Everyone has a problem with his temper. No one can overcome his temper except by grace. Who can be humble? We are always proud. We can be humble only by grace. The Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Cor. 12:9). "All sufficient grace!/Never powerless!" (Hymns, #312).
When circumstances arise to cause us to react, we have to tell ourselves to be quiet, be slow, and wait. We should not say anything or express any kind of attitude for a short time. Then the grace of God will be applied to us, and we will spontaneously become humble. Who can control his loose speaking? Some people speak quickly all the time. It is impossible to control our tongue without grace. Proverbs speaks repeatedly about the taming of the tongue. If we can control our tongue, we can reduce ninety percent of our sinfulness. The tongue can never be controlled by us in our own strength. We need the grace of God for overcoming in all the details of our daily living.
This hymn concerning grace contains expressions that cannot be found in ordinary Christian books. What is grace? Grace is actually God Himself. Then what is God? God is the New Jerusalem. However, whether it is grace or God or the New Jerusalem, actually they are just one.
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Since we are speaking concerning God's righteousness, why do we refer to a hymn on God's grace? My intention, my burden, is to show you that the entire Bible speaks of only one thing—grace, which is God, who is the New Jerusalem. Grace is the manifestation of the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Regardless of what subject the Bible touches, it is concerned with the Triune God in His embodiment in three aspects—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—being manifested as grace consummating in the New Jerusalem. This is the highest and central revelation shown to us in the entire New Testament. Hence, we cannot touch the righteousness of God without touching grace. God's righteousness and God's grace are not two different things. Romans 5:17 refers to both the abundance of grace and the abundance of righteousness. Righteousness always accompanies grace and is its result.