What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Joseph Scriven was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1819. In 1842 he graduated from Trinity College in
Dublin. The following year his fiancée
accidentally drowned a few hours before their wedding. In grief, he moved to Canada, in a little
town called Port Hope, Ontario, where he tutored children and tried to live a
quiet life of charity and Christian witness.
It was said that a person would be hard-pressed to find a person in the
vicinity of Port Hope who had not had a conversation with Mr Scriven about his
soul. He seemed eccentric to many
people, but was also very given to perform charitable works – often cutting
firewood for widows or delivering milk for the elderly crippled with
rheumatism. He gave much of his clothes
and money away to those in need – a practice he kept up with his entire life.
In 1855, when Joseph was about 35 years old, he got word
that his mother was ill. He was unable
to visit, but penned a poem he called “Pray Without Ceasing” and sent it to
her. Unbeknown to him, his mother gave
the poem to a friend who published it and set it to music. It was published as “Author Unknown” under
the title from the first line of the poem: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Joseph fell in love again, but again was taken by tragedy
in 1860 when his intended, Miss Eliza Catherine Roche, died of Tuberculosis
just prior to the wedding.
A short time prior to his death in 1896, a friend was
sitting with him and came upon a copy of the hymn and read it to him. Joseph said to him in amazement, “That’s the
poem I wrote for my mother years ago!”
He had never intended it to go beyond her.
Shortly after then, Joseph passed away. He was buried next to his lost love, Eliza,
with his feet facing her so that at the Resurrection they would arise facing
each other.
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs
to bear!
What a privilege to carry, Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain
we bear.
All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in
prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our
sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in
prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of
care?
Precious Savior still, our refuge, Take it to the Lord in
prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake Thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee; Thou wilt find a
solace there.
Morgan, Robert J., Then Sings My Soul, Nelson Publishers,
2003.
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