In her lifetime, she was better known for novels with titles like Anna Cavaye; or, The Ugly Princess and Prudence Winterburn. Yet Sarah Doudney’s numerous writings are remembered today mostly for her sacred poetry, particularly her hymn “The Master Hath Come.”1No doubt aided in its enduring popularity by its association with the delightful Welsh folk tune ASH GROVE.
Doudney was born near Portsmouth, England, but grew up in a small village further inland in Hampshire. She showed an interest in writing from an early age, and her poem “The Lesson of the Water-Mill,” written when she was only 15, became a popular song in America. She was also a frequent contributor to periodicals and newspapers, and her novels were particularly popular among women and children. According to hymnologist John Julian, her sacred poetry is among the least numerous of her writings, though “greater use, however, may be made of what she has written than has been done.”2John Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, vol. 1 (New York: Dover Publications, 1957), 307.
Much of her poetry is scattered throughout magazine articles, and therefore difficult to find. However, in 1871 she published a collection of poetry called Psalms of Life. Included in this set is “The Master Hath Come,” a text prompted by Martha’s words to Mary in John 11:28, “The Master is come, and calleth for thee” (KJV).
The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march ’neath Christ’s banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.
The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God’s Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Savior and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
Press onward, look upward, through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow their King.
The Master hath called us, in life’s early morning,
With spirits as fresh as the dew on the sod:
We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning,
To cast in our lot with the people of God:
The Master hath called us, His sons and His daughters,
We plead for His blessing and trust in His love;
And through the green pastures, beside the still waters,
He’ll lead us at last to His kingdom above.
The hymn uses the metaphor of a journey to describe the Christian life, much as John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress does. The first stanza speaks of the glories of the rewards awaiting the followers of Jesus Christ. Love for Christ compels us to follow the footsteps He makes, and His love for us unites us by faith under His banner. Rest awaits His children, His chosen ones, whom Jesus has “called . . . out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9).
However, the hymn text does not shy away from challenges of the life of faith.3In his commentary on Hebrews, biblical scholar Ben Witherington III titles Hebrews 11 not the “Hall of Faith” but “The Rough Ride to the Kingdom.” This description could apply to the second … Continue reading
Dangers and sorrows lurk around every bend of the path, and the sky overhead may never reveal the sun. Why keep following a path like this? With God’s Holy Spirit as our comfort and guide, we can in faith and confidence follow the Savior and not turn back. Then the text takes a somewhat surprising turn: “though doubt and temptation may compass our journey, we cheerfully sing.” Sing? Yet this is how David responded to the dangers and sorrows of being on the run for his life when pursued by King Saul: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!” (Psalm 57:7–8). Confidence and unity in the face of enemies is “a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God” (Phil 1:28). Doudney’s text alludes to Acts 14:22, where Paul encourages the new believers in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra by telling them that their trials should be not unexpected: “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
The third stanza states a clear break with the world. Acceptance from the world is fickle, its smiles quickly changing to scorning. Instead the singer affirms a permanent identification with God and His people. In Doudney’s words, we “cast in our lot with the people of God.” Like Ruth, we say to God’s people, “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Whatever befall, we are God’s and He is ours. Whatever happens to these people happens to me, because I too am God’s child.
In an allusion to Psalm 23, the hymn closes with the image of the Good Shepherd leading His sheep to their eternal home. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear any evil, because God is with us. And if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom 8:38–39) With our future home secure and the love of God to guarantee His promises, we can remind our fellow sheep, our fellow travelers, “Press onward, look upward! Through much tribulation, the children of Zion must follow their King.”
References
| 1 | No doubt aided in its enduring popularity by its association with the delightful Welsh folk tune ASH GROVE. |
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| 2 | John Julian, A Dictionary of Hymnology, vol. 1 (New York: Dover Publications, 1957), 307. |
| 3 | In his commentary on Hebrews, biblical scholar Ben Witherington III titles Hebrews 11 not the “Hall of Faith” but “The Rough Ride to the Kingdom.” This description could apply to the second stanza of this hymn, as well. |