One evening, about twelve years after Gilmore
had written "He leadeth me," another
American Baptist minister, whose name to-day
takes a high place in the realm of sacred song,
was seated at a parlour organ in his home. All
that day his thoughts had been dwelling on the
glorious triumph of the Resurrection. He was
a noted musical composer, and as he sat there,
visualizing the wondrous scene, spontaneously
there came words and music, giving expression to
the thoughts that had been uppermost in his mind:
Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus, my Saviour!
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus, my Lord.
Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives for ever with His saints to reign!
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
The name of the writer of this soul-thrilling Gospel song is Robert Lowry. He was born at Philadelphia, on March 12th, 1826. At the age of seventeen he was brought to the Lord, and after a successful scholastic career at Lewisburg University, he became pastor of the West Chester Baptist Church, Pennsylvania, from which he passed to various important pastorates. Mr. Lowry died at Plainfield, New Jersey, on November 25th, 1899, in his 74th year.
Possibly the best known composition by Dr. Lowry, and one which, it is not improbable, has been sung in most of the Sunday Schools of the world, is the popular children's hymn:
Shall we gather at the river
Where bright angel-feet have trod;
With its crystal tide for ever
Flowing by the throne of God?
It was written at Brooklyn on a sultry afternoon, in July, 1864, when an epidemic amongst children was raging through the city, bringing death and sorrow into many a home.
Among other popular hymns by the same author, is the pathetic composition, "Where is my wandering boy to-night?" and that old Gospel mission favourite:
What can wash away my stain?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
A composer of marked ability, Dr. Lowry wrote the music for most of his hymns, besides setting tunes to many others which are widely sung to-day.
From Stories and Sketches of Our Hymns and Their Writers by David J. Beattie. Kilmarnock, Scotland: John Ritchie, [1934].
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