Lo, the glory! Lo, the splendor

William Penfro Rowlands was born on the 19th of April 1860 in Llys y Frân, a small village in Pembrokeshire in Wales. He was a composer

and also a schoolteacher. He adopted ”Penfro“ as his middle name in honor of his native country.

He was a talented musician from an early age, and at 17, he became the precentor

(a person who leads in congregational singing) of the Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Gwastad. William gained a teaching post at the Pentre-poeth Boys’ School and remained there until 1881, when he moved to Morriston. He also became the precentor of the Bethania Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, and later the same post at the Tabernacle Independent Chapel between 1892 and 1919. Here he conducted a large choir at Morriston United Choral Society regularly for many years. Rolands also played in many churches. He is most well known for composing the hymn-tune Blaenwern, which he wrote in 1905 and which was arranged for brass band in 2008. He named the piece after a Blaenwern Farm near Tufton. This is where Rowlands was sent to stay with a family, who were friends . He was ill, and it was thought that the fresh air here would help him recover. He named this tune in their honor.

It is often used as a setting for Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. This is popular at weddings, including that of Prince William and Catherine Middleton and at the blessing of Prince Charles and Camila Parker Bowls. Furthermore, in October 2005, it was voted as one of the top 10 favorite hymns in Britain. William Rowlands died on October 22, 1937 in Swansea. He is buried in the city’s Morriston Cemetery and a memorial stone was unveiled close to where he was born in 1998.

Praise the Lord that the earth will soon be freed from Satan’s rule and it will be blessed with Christ’s sovereign reign!

Come Lord Jesus. Bring in your kingdom. Come as the stone cut out without hands. Crush the worldly rule. Put the enemy away. Gain the earth! Praise the Lord!

Amen brother "So count it all joy when you face persecution, rejection and mistreatment because you have within you Someone who can stand the test. And this One will rule for all to see."

It is not the seemingly comfortable times that we joy in, Lord live out your life within us to joy in the face of persecution, rejection and mistreatment because we have you within our being. Praise you you are able to stand the test. You O Lord will rule for all to see. Lord Jesus we say we love You Lord. Amen. Lord increase Yourself within our being today and in all saints the world over. Amen.

What a blessing, Christ in me the victorious One! Daily I live in oneness with Him, fighting and claiming the victory from the enemy! Moving on with His sovereign reign, and Christ be magnified in me, His kingdom be manifested on earth! Halleluyah!

I like this hymn because it is true. The tune applied to this hymn matches the seriousness of the words. You know we really have to pay a price. Our gaining Christ so that His Kingdom will be manifested in us is not easy or cheap. You have to really go through a lot to gain the true strength of His life. So count it all joy when you face persecution, rejection and mistreatment because you have within you Someone who can stand the test. And this One will rule for all to see.