Hymn History: Blest Be the Tie the Binds

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;

3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

John Fawcett was born on January 6th, 1740. He grew up in a poor family in Yorkshire, England. Fawcett, orphaned at 12, was “bound out” to a tailor in Bradford, where he worked long hours. He learned to read and eventually mastered Pilgrim’s Progress, the devotional classic by John Bunyan. Fawcett was converted at age 16 under the ministry of George Whitefield. The evangelist passed through Bradford in 1755 and spoke from John 3:14. Fawcett later recalled, “As long as life remains, I shall remember both the text and the sermon.” He first joined the Methodists, but three years later began attending the Baptist Church in Bradford, England. Upon telling Whitefield he wanted to preach, the evangelist gave Fawcett his blessing. He was ordained a Baptist minister at Wainsgate, Yorkshire.

John 3:14 KJV 1900

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

John was asked to serve as the pastor of a small church in Wainsgate, at age 25. This describes Fawcett’s congregation at Wainsgate: “The people were all farmers and shepherds, poor as Job’s turkey; an uncouth lot whose speech one could hardly understand, unable to read or write; most of them pagans cursed with vice and ignorance and wild tempers.” The Established Church had never touched them; only the humble Baptists had sent an itinerant preacher there and he had made a good beginning. They were not able to pay much, and most of what John received as wages came in the form of wool, potatoes or other produce. When John and Mary began having children they found it difficult to make ends meet.

After serving at Wainsgate for 7 years, his reputation as a preacher grew to the extent that he was invited to substitute for the ailing pastor Dr. John Gill at Carter Lane Baptist Church in London. Upon Gill’s death, Fawcett was offered the position. The church was a very large and prestigious church in London that would be able to provide him a much larger salary.

The Fawcett family packed their household belongings and prepared to move. The day came and the congregation was in tears as John and Mary prepared to leave. Mary is quoted as saying, “I can’t stand it, John! I know not how to go.” John responded, “Lord help me Mary, nor can I stand it! We will unload the wagon!” And John is recorded to have said to the crowd gathered around them, “We’ve changed our minds! We are going to stay!” John and Mary unpacked the wagon and let the church in London know that they would not be accepting the position.

Fawcett then wrote this hymn to express his thoughts to the poor people with whom they had chosen to live and serve. The following Sunday, after their decision to remain at Wainsgate, John Fawcett preached from Luke 12:15, “A man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things he possesses.” He closed his sermon by reading the text of his new song Blest Be the Tie that Binds.

Luke 12:15 KJV 1900

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Fawcett’s own ministry continued to thrive. In 1777, a new chapel was built for him in nearby Hebden Bridge. He developed a ministry academy there and trained a new generation of pastors. His influence lasts through his support of the spread of the gospel, his voice in Christian congregational song, and his efforts in training the generation of pastors that would follow him.

John and Mary continued their ministry at Wainsgate for 54 years. Their salary was estimated to never be more than approximately £25 pounds ($200.00) per year. He lost his son Stephen to smallpox in 1774, his mother in 1782, and his daughter Sarah in 1785. These losses made Fawcett a more endearing pastor. In Fawcett, this “long-continued and heavy domestic affliction” brought about “the tenderest sympathy” towards those in his congregation who were also afflicted.

In 1811, Fawcett published his Devotional Commentary on the Holy Scriptures and was also honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree from Brown University, Providence, R.I.

Fawcett was the author of a number of religious poetry works, several of which attained a large circulation. Among John’s noteworthy writings was an essay titled, “Anger.” It became a favorite of King George III. It is said that the King offered John any gift or favor he desired. But John declined the offer with this statement: “I have lived among my own people, enjoying their love; God has blessed my labors among them, and I need nothing which even a king could supply.” Such was the heart and soul of the man who wrote these loving words. John Fawcett passed from this life on July 25th, 1817, at the age of 77.

1. Blest be the tie that binds Our hearts is Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above.

2. Before our Father’s throne We pour our ardent prayers Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one Our comforts and our cares.

3. We share each other’s woes, Our mutual burdens bear And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear.

4. When we asunder past It gives us inward pain, But we shall still be joined in heart, And hope to meet again…

Psalm 133:1–3 (KJV 1900)

Psalm 133:1–3 KJV 1900

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;

3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

How good and pleasant

Psalm 133:1 “1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Psalm 133:1 KJV 1900

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

Goodness what ought to be.

Pleasant what we want.

Our duty and delight, our job and our joy.

Unity is more than being in the same location

Psalm 135:3 “3 Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.”

Psalm 135:3 KJV 1900

3 Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Unity is rooted in the goodness and praise of God!

Like Precious Ointment

Psalm 133:2 “2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;”

Psalm 133:2 KJV 1900

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;

Fragrant and Sacred

Exodus 30:23–32 (KJV 1900)

Exodus 30:23–32 KJV 1900

23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, 24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: 25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. 26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, 27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, 28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. 29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. 30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. 31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. 32 Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

32 Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

Ran Down

More than we could ever deserve.

It is excessive; head, beard, collar.

Not negative or messy but abundant.

Like of the Dew of Hermon

Psalm 133:3 “3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.”

Psalm 133:3 KJV 1900

3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

Mount Hermon was included in Israel and is 9,000 ft tall

Mount Zion 2500 ft. Highest point in Jerusalem / where priest did their work of mediating between God and man in tabernacle

From great heights of Hermon with the snow but from the amazing place of Mt Zion the dew is used to show what our unity is like.

Why? Because the Lord has established the fact that God has established this to be true.

Want to hear more about the dew that has descended upon us?

Ephesians 2:13–18 (KJV 1900)

Ephesians 2:13–18 KJV 1900

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

The death of the cross brought peace with God and allows for a unity among those of us who have access to the Father by His death

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