Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

God moves in a mysterious way

Who would you expect God to use to write a great hymn?

William Cowper (1731-1800)

Christian History Magazine Issue 31: The Golden Age of Hymns

The son of the chaplain to King George II, William worked as a lawyer for several years.

At age 32, he was nominated to a position that required a public examination.

He grew fearful of that and tried to commit suicide three times—and nearly succeeded.

During his stay of eighteen months in the asylum at St. Albans, however, Cowper was converted while reading Romans.

After his release, Cowper resided in Huntingdon with the family of a Reverend Unwin.

Upon Unwin’s death, John Newton came to comfort the family, and he convinced Mrs. Unwin, her children, and Cowper to move to Olney where he lived.

The period at Olney was a time of healing and spiritual growth for Cowper.

Newton urged Cowper to serve Olney’s poor, probably in an effort to take Cowper’s mind off his depressions, poor health, paranoia, and fears of damnation.

He also convinced Cowper to write hymns for the parish’s prayer meetings.

The result was Olney Hymns (1779), which contained 348 hymns—68 by Cowper, who suffered a relapse and was unable to finish his work.

Three of his best-known works are “There Is a Fountain,” “Safely through Another Week,” and “O for a Closer Walk with God.” His famous hymn “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” was written about the time of another bout of mental illness, during which Cowper again attempted suicide.

Despite this, John Newton said of him, “I can hardly form an idea of a closer walk with God than he uniformly maintained.”

Cowper did not begin his literary career until age 50.

His translations of Homer and poems such as “John Gilpin” placed him at the forefront of English poets, and it is the literary Cowper now listed in reference books.

But perhaps Cowper’s most meaningful works were the hymns written during fits of despair.

It is said that on his deathbed he stated, “I am not shut out of heaven after all.”

God moves in a mysterious way,

    His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

    And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

    Of never failing skill;

He treasures up his bright designs,

    And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,

    The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

    In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

    But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence,

    He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

    Unfolding ev'ry hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

    But sweet will be the flow'r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

    And scan his work in vain;

God is his own interpreter,

    And he will make it plain.

It is an important lesson to learn, but a challenging one.

When we do not see how God is putting the pieces together, we are tempted to despair.

When things don’t make sense, we want to question and ask for proof, like Zechariah did when the angel told him that his wife would give birth to John.

David knew this - the shepherd boy made into a king, after his own father did not even think of putting him before the prophet.

Abraham knew it - the old man with no children that God made into the father of a nation.

But perhaps the most mysterious way that God ever worked was in Israel in the first century, beginning with Bethlehem, and marching toward a cross.

God Moves in Mysterious Circumstances

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

A Strange Place

Not Judea but Galilee

Not Jerusalem but Nazareth (the first pre-Christian reference to Nazareth, which is not mentioned in the OT, Josephus, or the Talmud was found in 1962)

Not the Temple but the home of a poor Jewish girl - hardly the site for a divine visitation

A Strange Person

;Not Caiaphas or Herod’s daughter, but the daughter of Mary

Not priestess but a teenager

Not a barren bride like Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, or even Elizabeth but a virgin

Application: when does God show up in your life?

Not usually when you are strong, but when desperation drives you to your knees.

God Moves with Mysterious Timing

Israel had been enslaved for centuries, and Mary was to be married soon

These promises were made to David 1000 years earlier

But when God begins, He moves and His work is never stopped - of His kingdom there shall be no end

Ill:

Apply:

God moves in Mysterious Plans

A Virgin

A Baby

Proof when it was not asked for

Responds not to power but to trust

Ill:

Argue: Isn’t this just an excuse for when God does what we want?

Apply:

Career: unexpected changes

Salvation - God will get stranger than the manger - He will defeat death by dying!

The Son of God coming was something they could understand.

His going to a cross was still beyond their imaginations.