Devotion on Hymns of the Church (Look ye Saints, the Sight is Glorious #105), 12 May 2015 Anno Domini
(A Hymn for ASCENSION)
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (Rev 7:9-16)
I do not believe it necessary to point out the evangelical propensities of the author of this wonderful hymn of militant ardor and sentiment. This is another of the hymns, all of which are classical for their biblical meaning and beauty, of the 1940 Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church (a Church now fallen into sheer apostasy). It will be profitable to examine the life of the author of this hymn (pub 1809), the Rev. Thomas Kelly, 1769-1855. More than two hundred years ago, this young man aspired to the Bar of England. Having graduated Trinity College in Dublin, he was admitted to the Bar in London. Soon after, the Holy Ghost sank an anchor and a hook into the heart of Thomas Kelly and drew him into the calling in which God would have him walk. He was an earnest and ardent evangelistic minister having been received in Holy Orders in 1792. Because of his evangelistic preaching, he was inhibited from preaching in Dublin by Archbishop Robert Fowler (Archbishop of Dublin – even then a force at friends with the devil). Eventually, he planted churches in the Free Church.
Rev. Kelly has been described in the following words by his publisher:
“Mr. Kelly was a man of great and varied learning, skilled in the Oriental tongues, and an excellent Bible critic. He was possessed also of musical talent, and composed and published a work that was received with favour, consisting of music adapted to every form of metre in his hymn-book. Naturally of an amiable disposition and thorough in his Christian piety, Mr. Kelly became the friend of good men, and the advocate of every worthy, benevolent, and religious cause. He was admired alike for his zeal and his humility; and his liberality found ample scope in Ireland, especially during the year of famine.”
It seems a bit amazing that men trained in other professions in former days were more fervent in preaching and demonstrated greater learning in the Bible than those ninety-day wonders we see in our modern pulpits parading as ‘doctors’ of theology or divinity
The tune used in the 1940 Hymnal is Coronae by William H. Monk (1871).
Look, ye Saints! the Sight is Glorious
Look, ye saints! the sight is glorious:
see the Man of Sorrows now;
from the fight returned victorious,
every knee to him shall bow;
crown him, crown him,
crown him, crown him,
crowns become the Victor’s brow.
Crown the Savior! angels, crown him;
rich the trophies Jesus brings;
in the seat of power enthrone him,
while the vault of heaven rings;
crown him, crown him,
crown him, crown him,
crown the Savior King of kings.
Sinners in derision scorned him,
mocking thus the Savior’s claim;
saints and angels crowd around him,
own his title, praise his name;
crown him, crown him,
crown him, crown him,
spread abroad the Victor’s fame.
Hark, those bursts of acclamation!
hark, those loud triumphant chords!
Jesus takes the highest station;
O what joy the sight affords!
crown him, crown him,
crown him, crown him,
King of kings and Lord of lords!
Our Bible text upon which this hymn is based bares the evangelistic principles of the Gospel. There are not any people, distinguished by racial considerations, that are the people of God; but it is those precious souls who possess, and profess, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who are the People of God and “the called according to His purpose.”
“Look, ye saints! the sight is glorious: see the Man of Sorrows now; from the fight returned victorious,
every knee to him shall bow; crown him, crown him, crown him, crown him, crowns become the Victor’s brow.”
The saints to which this first verse makes reference is not those before whom the Roman Church kneels and begs intercession and indulgent – it is those saints who take up their crosses daily in following the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:12, et al.) Truly, if there is any glory to behold, it is that of seeing our Lord beaten, mocked, crucified, and buried; and then, on the third day, burst forth from the tomb with blinding and resplendent light! It is to know that He has conquered death and Hell, and Hell’s favored mentor – the Devil! It is glorious, and WILL be glorious, to behold Him at the Right Hand of the Father soon to return leading the armies of Heaven on a great white Charger. Every knee shall bow at that day, and every tongue shall confess Him as Lord of all – many in jubilance and many more in utter despair! He is not truly given a Crown, but has earned MANY crowns, being King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
“Crown the Savior! angels, crown him; rich the trophies Jesus brings; in the seat of power enthrone him, while the vault of heaven rings; crown him, crown him, crown him, crown him, crown the Savior King of kings.” We have no power to crown Christ except in our own hearts. He will either be our King and Sovereign, or He shall be our stern Judge and Avenger. The Revelator describes our Savior best with reference to this stanza: “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:11-16)
“Sinners in derision scorned him, mocking thus the Savior’s claim; saints and angels crowd around him,
own his title, praise his name; crown him, crown him, crown him, crown him, spread abroad the Victor’s fame.” Even those scornful Pharisees and Scribes, the Roman Cohorts, Governor Pontius Pilate, and all such as bear unrepented sin; and all who stood about the cross then, as now, mocking the Lord of Glory, shall KNOW Him as Lord. The saints “own” His title by claiming Him as their Lord, Savior, and King. Those who have rejected Christ either by stubborn disregard of the Holy Ghost, or through willful sinning after knowing Him, shall be relegated to the other lot: “26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Heb 10:26-27) When I was a very small lad of 2 years age during the last days of World War II, I remember the jubilant victory celebration at the announcement of surrender of the German Reich to the Allied Forces. I did not understand what all of that meant, but I remember my mother and older sister dancing, shouting, and singing that “Dad is coming home!” That is the reaction to VICTORY. It is not something that we keep hushed about, but shout and proclaim that victory which all that belong to Christ have in His VICTORY!
“Hark, those bursts of acclamation! hark, those loud triumphant chords! Jesus takes the highest station;
O what joy the sight affords! crown him, crown him, crown him, crown him, King of kings and Lord of lords!” If there are any reading this devotion that remember the victory parades and celebrations of our returning, heroic armies at the conclusion of hostilities and victory in Europe and the Pacific; or the hero’s welcome given General Douglas MacArthur when recalled from Korea by a man half his worth; you will understand that we not only proclaim victory, but we honor and celebrate that victory by whom it comes. In the case of the Christian, that is not less than the Lord Jesus Christ! Our victory celebration in Christ is unlike that victory over an enemy at war. It is a CONTINUAL and CONSTANT celebration. At dawn’s early light, and at the twilight’s last gleaming, we hail and herald that victory we share in Christ as His Church and people. One day soon, it will be in dramatic and awe-inspiring fervor that we shall behold the skies rolled back as a scroll, and the Victorious Christ descending to judge both the quick and the dead.
Have you done so proclaimed your King and Lord, friends?
