We Rest on Thee

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Cyberhymnal needs to redo their site [and stop the midi files from playing automatically], but there’s some good info there:

This hymn has a sad sto­ry as­so­ci­at­ed with it. In Jan­u­ary 1956, five mis­sion­ar­ies sang it be­fore en­ter­ing the Ecua­dor­i­an jun­gle to bring the Gos­pel to the Au­ca In­di­ans. Their names were Nate Saint, Ed Mc­Cul­ly, Jim El­li­ott, Ro­ger Yo­der­i­an, and Pe­ter Flem­ing. Af­ter the men reached the Au­cas, the In­di­ans mur­dered them on the Cur­a­ray Riv­er. How­ev­er, the sto­ry has a hap­py end­ing. Years lat­er, con­tact with the Au­cas was re-es­tab­lished, and ma­ny came to Christ, in­cluding the kil­lers, which is how first hand de­tails of the mis­sion­ar­ies’ deaths came to light.

One of the best known of the five mar­tyrs was Jim El­li­ot. A num­ber of his say­ings are still quot­ed (e.g., “He is no fool who gives what he can­not keep, to gain what he can­not lose”). El­liot’s wife Elisabeth went on to con­sid­er­a­ble fame as an au­thor and radio broad­cast­er. Her book Through the Gates of Splen­dor de­scribes the en­count­er with the Au­cas; its ti­tle comes from a line in this hymn.

Source: Cyberhymnal, http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/e/r/wereston.htm

I actually liked the original melody to this hymn once I heard it. A stolid and determined tune, albeit somewhat lugubrious. It was too late, though. The damage had already been done. Justin Brock ruined they hymn irreparably.

We Rest on Thee

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.

Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

Filed in Songs ♣ Tags: Not All the Blood of Beasts, Old Hymns, Worship Songs