Fade, Fade Each Earthly Joy

Fade, fade each earthly joy,
Jesus is mine!
Break every tender tie,
Jesus is mine!
Dark is the wilderness,
Earth has no resting place,
Jesus alone can bless,
Jesus is mine!

Tempt not my soul away,
Jesus is mine!
Here would I ever stay,
Jesus is mine!
Perishing things of clay,
Born but for one brief day,
Pass from my heart away,
Jesus is mine!

Farewell, ye dreams of night,
Jesus is mine!
Lost in this dawning light,
Jesus is mine!
All that my soul has tried,
Left but a dismal void,
Jesus has satisfied,
Jesus is mine!

Farewell, mortality,
Jesus is mine!
Welcome eternity,
Jesus is mine!
Welcome, O loved and blest,
Welcome, sweet scenes of rest,
Welcome, my Savior’s breast,
Jesus is mine!

This song and its tune have been on the mind a bit since the past Lord’s day evening.  In fact, as the song was being hummed this afternoon one of the students proclaimed, “You have a nice voice!  Will you sing for us?”  Oh my!  Someone’s ears must be broken.  Well, of course, the answer was “No way.  You do not want to hear singing.”  But, I think that may be a rare time singing has been requested.  Actually, a select few have claimed to like Riccipediaish singing, but it is a rare breed and they may be going into extinction.

All that to say, this is a great song to ponder, though it has its puzzlements.

The song was written by Jane Bonar, the wife of Horatius Bonar.  To me, that was an intriguing fact, as I have Night of Weeping by Mr. Bonar in my stack of books to read.  Looks like a good one, one that came through many sorrows and has the purpose of encouraging profit from the affliction God allows.  The Bonars experienced the affliction of losing a number of children at young ages, which, I would guess, provided background for this hymn text.

It seems obvious that the theme of the song is that all we need is Jesus. And that is so true.  But, this is where the puzzlement comes.  What does “Jesus” mean?  Have you ever really thought about that.  Who is He?  What is He truly like?  If, amazing, He is mine, and, what is more amazing, I am His, what are the ramifications of this amazing truth?  Should it not result in radical devotion is His Words?  And not just to the external and peripheral Words, but to the essence and root of them?  And what is the essence?  Love God and love man.  Is that not who He is?  What does that look like?  Do we know?  Have you seen it?  Are you doing it?  

Should we say farewell to much we claim to know and be?  Should realize there is much essential truth that is fading in this wilderness?  

Should we strive to grip what it essentially means to exclaim, “Jesus is mine”?