What a friend we have in Jesus -Story
Irish born Joseph
M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day
before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken,
Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada
working as a teacher, he fell in love again and became engaged to Eliza Roche,
a relative of one of his students. Once again, Joseph's hopes and dreams were
shattered when Eliza became ill and died before the wedding could take place.
Although one can
only imagine the turmoil within this young man, history tells us that his faith
in God sustained him. Soon after Eliza's death Joseph joined the Plymouth
Brethren and began preaching for a Baptist church. He never married, but spent
the remainder of his life giving all his time, money and even the clothes off
his own back to help the less fortunate and to spread the love and compassion
of Jesus wherever he went.
Around the same
time that Eliza died, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was
ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and
enclosed one of his poems entitled What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Many years later a
friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the
friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including What a Friend
We Have in Jesus. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter
of comfort to his mother, Joseph's poems were published in a book called Hymns
and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse
(1834-1918) put music to one of those poems: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
Well-known
musician and revivalist Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) was a great admirer of Joseph
Scriven. In 1875, Sankey came upon the music and words for What a Friend We
Have in Jesus. He included it as the last entry into his well-known publication
Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number 1.
After Joseph
Scriven's death, the citizens of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, where he gave so
much of himself, erected a monument to his life. The seemingly sad and obscure
life of one man resulted in so many lives being uplifted, both in his own time,
and for many years after whenever the beautiful and comforting words of What a
Friend We Have in Jesus are sung.
Click on the link
to hear the song
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we
have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege
to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we
often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do
not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and
temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be
discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a
friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our
every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and
heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior,
still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends
despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He'll
take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior,
Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord,
be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory
bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise
and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
“Greater love has
no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” ( John 15:13)
