Another great hymn story from history:

Two great old gospel hymns, Christ Liveth In Me and I Know Whom I Have Believed, were written by Daniel Webster Whittle (1782-1852), a native New Englander who settled in Chicago after serving and being wounded in the Civil War. Evangelist D. L. Moody once observed, "I think that Major Whittle has written some of the best hymns of this century!"

According to the 1914 Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers, Whittle first joined the 72nd Illinois Infantry in 1861, enlisting in Company B as second lieutenant. He later was with General Sherman on his march to the sea.

"At the close of the war he was breveted 'Major' and the title was never dissociated from his name," writes author J.D. Hall. "It was when he was sent home wounded from Vicksburg, having been shot in his sword arm while leading a charge in place of his wounded captain, that he first met the man who was to so greatly influence his life — Mr. D. L. Moody."

The following is the incident in Major Whittle's own words:

"A big meeting of some kind was being held in the Tabernacle, and with some help I was able to attend, although I was still weak from loss of blood and with my arm in a sling. I was called upon to speak and as I got slowly to my feet, feeling shy and embarrassed and weak, a strong voice called out— 'Give him three cheers, boys,' and they were given with a will, for every heart was bursting with patriotism in those days and the sight of a wounded soldier in a blue uniform stirred the blood.

"And how that kindly thought and that ringing cheer stirred my blood; how grateful I was to them — and the one who called out, 'Give him three cheers,' was Moody, and that is what his friendship meant to me from that moment onward; stimulating, encouraging, appreciating in a twinkling the whole situation — the young soldier's embarrassment, his need of a friendly word of help. He was even then the born leader — 'Give him three cheers,' and they cheered."

"After the Civil War, Major Whittle went to work for the Elgin Watch Company, largely due to the influence of Moody. Whittle wrote his first hymn in 1875 — Christ is All.

Whittle once said, 'I hope that I will never write a hymn that does not contain a message — there are too many hymns that are just a meaningless jingle of words; to do good a hymn must be founded on God's Word and carry the message of God's love.'

"He also felt that the dignity of a gospel hymn deserved the best he could give, not only in material but in construction, and no rules of metre or rhythm were disregarded; he admired greatly the old church hymns and considered them a standard for all hymn writers. He composed about 200 hymns.

"The last words Whittle wrote have never been set to music; they were composed and dictated a few weeks before his death, during a night made sleepless by intense pain. The musical chiming of a little clock by his bedside made him think of the Old Testament high priest of whose approach one was warned by the [sound of the bells on the hem of his robe]. Below we give this beautiful poem:

"Swift, with melodious feet,
The midnight hours pass by;
As with each passing bell so sweet,
I think, 'My Lord draws nigh.'

"I see Heaven's open door,
I hear God's gracious voice;
I see the blood-washed 'round the throne,
And with them I rejoice.

"It may be that these sounds
Are the golden bells so sweet
Which tell me of the near approach
Of the Heavenly High Priest's feet.

"Not every night is thus;
Some nights with pain are drear.
Then I join my moan with creation's groan
And the chimes I do not hear.

"But the Lord remains the same;
Faithful He must abide;
And on His word my soul I'll rest,
For He is by my side.

"Some midnight sleepless saints,
Made quick by pain to hear,
Shall join the glad and welcome cry,
'The Bridegroom draweth near.'

"Then I shall see His face
His beauteous image bear;
I'll know His love and wondrous grace,
And in His glory share.

"So sing my soul in praise,
As bells chime o'er and o'er,
The coming of the Lord draws near,
When time shall be no more."

***** 

Born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, Whittle "was named for the statesman whom his father greatly admired — Daniel Webster," writes Hall. "There were three other boys in the family and before the outbreak of the war, they had all joined the crowds of young men who were leaving New England for the Western states and had settled in Chicago. Whittle went into the Wells Fargo Bank as cashier. He soon became interested in the Tabernacle Sunday-school, the largest in the city, and in the course of time became its superintendent.

"It would be hard to say just when he experienced his first deep interest in religious things; born of a sweet and lovely Christian mother, he probably learned while still a child what God's love and grace in the heart may mean; but it was characteristic of him that he made a definite surrender at a definite time of his heart and life to God.

"At midnight one night, when he was acting as night watchman inside the bank, he says: 'I went into the vault and, in the dead silence of that quietest of places, I gave my life to my Heavenly Father to use as He would.' This act was also characteristic of him in the way it was done; quietly and alone he settled the question with God.

It was through his work in the Tabernacle Sunday-school that he met the woman who was to become his wife — Miss Abbie Hanson. She was also a New Englander by birth."

****

According to the Cyber Hymnal website: "During the war, Whittle lost his right arm, and ended up in a prisoner of war camp. Recovering from his wounds in the hospital, he looked for something to read, and found a New Testament. Though its words resonated with him, he was still not ready to accept Christ.

"Shortly after, a hospital orderly woke him and said a dying prisoner wanted someone to pray with him. Whittle demurred, but the orderly said, 'But I thought you were a Christian; I have seen you reading your Bible.' Whittle then agreed to go.

"He recorded what took place at the dying youth’s bed side: 'I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed earnestly for the boy. He became quiet and pressed my hand as I prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior, used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon. I hope to meet him in heaven.'

*****

In his own account of Whittle's life, Al Maxey reveals, "His mother was especially troubled by her son's departure for combat. Years later Whittle would write, 'My dear mother was a devout Christian, and parted from me with many a tear, and followed me with many a prayer. She had placed a New Testament in a pocket of the haversack that she'd arranged for me.'

"It was in the POW camp that Daniel truly began to awaken to the spiritual needs in his life. He later wrote, 'We had many engagements, and I saw many sad sights, and in one of the battles I was knocked out, and that night my arm was amputated above the elbow. As I grew better, having a desire for something to read, I felt in my haversack, which I had been allowed to keep, and found the little Testament that my mother had placed there. I read right through the book --- Matthew, Mark, Luke, to Revelation. Every part was interesting to me, and I found to my surprise that I could understand it in a way I never had before. When I had finished Revelation, I began at Matthew, and read it through again. And so for days I continued reading, and with continued interest; and still with no thought of becoming a Christian, although I could see clearly from what I read the way of salvation through Christ.'

"The Holy Spirit had laid the foundation for an event that would now transform his life. Whittle wrote, 'While in this state of mind, yet still with no purpose or plan to repent and accept the Savior, I was awakened one midnight by the nurse, who said: 'There is a boy in the other end of the ward, one of your men, who is dying. He has been begging me for the past hour to pray for him, or to get someone to pray for him, and I can't stand it. I am a wicked man, and can't pray, so I have come to get you.'

"Whittle protested, saying that he too was a wicked man and unable to pray for another. To this the nurse responded, 'I thought sure from seeing you read your Testament that you were a praying man. And you are the only man in the ward that I have not heard curse. What shall I do?! There is no one else for me to go to. I can't go back there alone. Won't you get up and come and see him at any rate?'

Whittle continued, 'Moved by his appeal, I arose from my cot, and went with him to the far corner of the room. A fair-haired boy, only seventeen or eighteen, lay there dying. There was a look of intense agony upon his face as he fastened his eyes upon me.'

"The boy admitted to Whittle that he had been raised in the church by Christian parents, but had acted wickedly while in the army. Now that he was dying he was afraid, and needed someone to pray for him. It was at that point that Daniel Whittle said he dropped to his knees beside that bed and not only prayed for this boy, but also for himself and his own sins, asking the Lord to accept them both.

*****

"Whittle's daughter May (1870-1963) married Moody's son William, and in due time the Major made the decision to leave secular work and devote his life to evangelism, proclaiming God's grace and liberty in Jesus. In those days, evangelistic campaigns (at least the far more successful ones) were noted for both their preaching and singing. Thus, Whittle teamed up with the Christian hymn writer and singer Philip P. Bliss [see my tribute to this saintly man in Reflections #283]. Their first gospel meeting was held in Waukegan, Illinois, on March 24-26, 1874. It was during this meeting that Philip Bliss sang one of his most famous hymns -- Almost Persuaded -- which had a tremendous impact upon the crowd.

"The fame of the preaching/singing team of Whittle and Bliss grew and grew, until finally it was requested they bring their evangelistic ministry to England. Moody urged them to accept this invitation, and so they agreed. Their plans were to hold a meeting in Chicago, at Moody's congregation, shortly after Christmas of 1876, and then leave for a preaching tour of England. 

"Unfortunately, Bliss and his wife were killed in a tragic train wreck just a few days after Christmas. Whittle went immediately to the scene of this great tragedy and remained there for three days searching for any sign of personal effects. He would later lament, 'We found nothing! They have gone, as absolutely and completely gone as if translated like Enoch.'

"The fire following the train wreck left no sign of either Bliss or his wife. The following year (in 1877), Whittle wrote/edited The Memoirs of Philip P. Bliss, which is the primary reference source on the life of this great man. Following the death of Bliss, Whittle teamed up with singer/musician James McGranahan, and then later with George O. Stebbins.

"In association with these two men, Whittle made several evangelistic trips to Europe, and they also traveled extensively across America preaching the Gospel. Numerous men and women found freedom in Christ through their work.

"In addition to being a powerful proclaimer of Truth, Major Whittle was also quite an accomplished hymn writer. Some of his hymns are still sung today in countless Christian congregations throughout the world. Such beloved classics as There Shall Be Showers of Blessing, I Know Whom I Have Believed, There's A Royal Banner, and Why Not Now? all came from the inspired pen of this talented brother in Christ, uplifting the souls of saints years after his own passing from this life."