[Biblemat] hymn study, "You Never Mentioned Him to Me"

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"YOU NEVER MENTIONED HIM TO ME"
"...If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way,...his blood
will I require at thine hand" (Ezek. 33.8)

     INTRO.:  A song which emphasizes the consequences of not speaking to
warn the wicked from his way is "You Never Mentioned Him to Me" (#598 in
Hymns for Worship Revised, and #92 in Sacred Selections for the Church). 
The text was written by James Rowe (1865-1933).  A prolific gospel song
text writer who worked with many different composers, Rowe is perhaps
best remembered for "Love Lifted Me" with Howard E. Smith, as well as
"After the Shadows" and "Home of the Soul" with Samuel Beazley, "God
Holds the Future in His Hands" and "He's My King" with James D. Vaughan,
"I Walk With the King" and "I Would Be Like Jesus" with Benton D. Ackley,
"Looking to Thee" with Herschel M. Eagle, "I Have Been Redeemed" with
Stancel A. Ganus, "What Is He Worth to Your Soul?" with William B.
Walbert and Adger M. Pace, and "Wonderful Jesus" with James P. Denton,
among others.

     The tune was composed by James W. Gaines (1880-1937).  Other hymns
by Gaines that have appeared in many of our hymnbooks include "In That
Home of the Soul" from 1907, and "Take My Hand and Lead Me" from 1924. 
"You Never Mentioned Him to Me" dates from 1929.  Several of our books
have used an arrangement by Homer F. Morris for their book Favorite Songs
and Hymns copyrighted in 1939 by Stamps Baxter Music and Printing Co.

     Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the
twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the song appeared in the
1938/1944 New Wonderful Songs edited by Thomas S. Cobb; the 1943 Standard
Gospel Hymns and the 1965 Great Christian Hymnal No. 2 both edited by
Tillit S. Teddlie; the 1944 Gospel Songs and Hymns and the 1952 Hymns of
Praise and Devotion both edited by Will W. Slater; the 1959 Majestic
Hymnal No. 2 and the 1978 Hymns of Praise both edited by Reuel Lemmons;
and the 1963 Abiding Hymns edited by Robert C. Welch.  Today it may be
found in the 1971 Songs of the Church edited by Alton H. Howard; the
1978/1983 Church Gospel Songs and Hymns edited by V. E. Howard; and the
1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand; in addition to Hymns
for Worship and Sacred Selections.

     The song points us to the need to be busy in the work of sharing the
gospel with the lost.

I. Stanza 1 reminds us of the coming judgment
"When in the better land before the bar we stand, How deeply grieved our
souls may (will) be,
If any lost one there should cry in deep despair, 'You never mentioned
Him to me.'"
 A. "The bar" is an often-used poetic expression referring to judgment,
in which all shall stand: Rom. 14.10
 B. This includes God's people, and if we have any unforgiven sin against
us, our souls will surely be deeply grieved, since "justment must begin
at the house of God," and Peter asks, "If the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?": 1 Pet. 4.17-18
 C. We know that many will be lost, but in view of the coming judgment,
every child of God should work so that there will no one whom they have
known and failed to tell the gospel story who will be among that number
who shall go away into everlasting fire: Matt. 25.41

II. Stanza 2 reminds us of the need to help others prepare for judgment
"O let us spread the word where'er it may be heard, Help groping souls
the light to see,
That yonder none may say, 'You showed me not the way, You never mentioned
Him to me.'"
 A. Our obligation is to spread the word wherever it may be heard, as the
early disciples did: Acts 8.4
 B. Our purpose in doing this must be to help groping souls the light of
the gospel to see: 2 Cor. 4.3-4
 C. Therefore, we need to be helping others prepare for judgment so that
they will not hear those words, "Depart from me": Matt. 7.21-23

III. Stanza 3 reminds us of the results of helping others prepare for
judgment
"A few sweet words may guide a lost one to His side, Or turn sad eyes on
Calvary;
So work as days go by, that yonder none may cry, 'You never mentioned Him
to me.'"
 A. A few sweet words may guide a lost one to Christ: Acts 11.14
 B. The goal of these words should be to turn sad eyes on Calvary where
Christ was crucified: 1 Cor. 2.2
 C. In view of the resurrection and final judgment, this is the primary
work in which we are to be abounding for the Lord: 1 Cor. 15.50-58

     CONCL.:  The chorus
"'You never mentioned Him to me; You helped me not the light to see.     
You met me day by day and knew I was astray, Yet never mentioned Him to
me."
I have heard an objection to this song that there is no passage of
scripture which indicates that anything like this will happen at
judgment.  Since none of us has ever been to judgment, we really do not
know for sure one way or the other.  However, simply imagining what it
might be like at judgment should something like this occur should be a
powerful motivating factor to encourage us to labor in sharing the gospel
so that no one would say, "You Never Mentioned Him to Me."

      Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 544-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com

     Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth
website.  Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book
that I have written entitled Songs of Zion.  It can be ordered from the
publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com.  And
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