440. There is no name so sweet on earth
George W. Bethune, 1805-62
A hymn honoring the name of Jesus. John Wesley always objected to words like “dear” and “sweet” applied to Jesus, as being too sentimental, and the terms are never so used in the New Testament. But the gospel song writers have employed them frequently and many good Christians have no hesitancy in singing them.
George W. Bethune was the son of a prominent merchant, philanthropist, and churchman in New York City. On the day of his birth he was dedicated to God by his godly parents, their prayer being that the child may “be made a faithful, honored and zealous minister of the everlasting gospel.” The son was given many educational advantages and made good use of them. He was admitted to college at 14 and graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary when only 20 years of age. After serving for a year as chaplain to the seamen in the port of Savannah, he returned north to accept the pastorate of a Dutch Reformed Church and later served churches in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and elsewhere. A man of fine literary taste and good scholarship, he was offered, but declined, the Provostship of the University of Pennsylvania and the Chancellorship of New York University. He preferred to be a preacher of the Gospel. To his son and sons-in-law, he gave this dying charge: “My sons, preach the Gospel. Tell dying sinners of a Saviour. All the rest is but folly.” He went to Florence, Italy, for his health and died there on a Sunday night after having preached in the Scottish Church in the morning on the text, “Be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee.” The following poem, found in his portfolio, was written on the Saturday before his death:
When time seems short and death is near,
And I am pressed by doubt and fear,
And sins, an overflowing tide,
Assail my peace on every side,
This thought my refuge still shall be,
I know the Saviour died for me.
His name is Jesus, and he died,
For guilty sinners crucified;
Content to die that he might win
Their ransom from the death of sin:
No sinner worse than I can be,
Therefore I know he died for me.
If grace were bought, I could not buy;
If grace were coined, no wealth have I;
By grace alone I draw my breath,
Held up from everlasting death;
Yet, since I know his grace is free,
I know the Saviour died for me.
I read God’s holy Word, and find
Great truths which far transcend my mind;
And little do I know beside
Of thoughts so high, so deep, so wide:
This is my best theology,
I know the Saviour died for me.
My faith is weak, but ’tis Thy gift;
Thou canst my helpless soul uplift,
And say, “Thy bonds of death are riven,
Thy sins by Me are all forgiven;
And thou shalt live from guilt set free,
For I, thy Saviour, died for thee.”
His body was brought to New York for burial. Among the directions he had left for his funeral was this: “Sing my own hymn, ‘It is not death to die,’ to a cheerful tune.” The request was carried out. The hymn referred to is a translation he had made of a poem by the distinguished Swiss preacher, César Malan.
MUSIC. SWEETEST NAME. The name of the tune is obviously derived from the words for which it was composed. For comments on the composer, Wm. B. Bradbury, see [Hymn 103].