Only Trust Him

The hymn on which this week's anthem is based was written by John Stockton (1813-77). Stockton was raised a Presbyterian but converted to Methodism after a camp meeting. He went on to be a Methodist pastor and evangelist in New Jersey. In addition to his hymn “Only Trust Him,” Stockton is known as the composer of the music for the gospel song, “Glory to His Name.”

Ira Sankey, D.L. Moody’s songleader, discovered Stockton’s song in 1873 before it was published. It is said that the original lyrics in the refrain repeated the words, “Come to Jesus” three times and that Sankey altered the lyrics to the version we know: “Only trust Him.” According to some sources, Sankey is credited with composing the music and the lyrics for the refrain.

The arrangement we'll be singing was done by Andrew Duncan, the Director of Music Ministries at Fountain City United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Andrew is clearly a gifted arranger, writing for both handbells and choir. I asked him to describe his approach to arranging and the reasons behind his work on "Only Trust Him." He explained, "My motivation when arranging usually comes from the combination of a text which I feel some connection to AND a musical idea. In this case, I was working with the contemporary worship leader at our church as we went through some "classic" hymns, trying to find some that would lend themselves to a more contemporary setting. "Only Trust Him" was one we considered but did not use - however, I found myself rediscovering the contour of the melody and the core gospel message of the text. I took it back and wrote it out for my choir instead of the praise team."

The "core gospel message," as Andrew describes it, is clear in the text, and it's obvious why it would have appealed to the evangelistically-minded Sankey:

Come, every soul by sin oppressed;
There’s mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.

For Jesus shed His precious blood
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.

Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way,
That leads you into rest;
Believe in Him without delay
And you are fully blessed.

The last verse of Andrew's arrangement is one my favorite parts. It demonstrate a deft musical touch and an awareness of the text. As Andrew explains, "I always hope to present the words clearly in my arrangements - while illustrating the text with the music. For instance - "come then and join this holy band" the men present the invitation, while you can hear the "band" singing in the women's parts."

Come, then, and join this holy band,
And on to glory go
To dwell in that celestial land
Where joys immortal flow.

The ending is a beautifully tender moment, rich in texture and deep in meaning. "I remember enjoying the process of writing the ending," Andrew recalls. "Instead of "amens" in canon, being able to repeat the core message of the mercy found in Jesus. That, for me, is the heart of this hymn - reassurance that despite our flaws and failures, our trust is well-founded - there's mercy with the Lord."

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.