WPC C͵9D4^K<JedN0^=4e~lv_Η $Ct{[Uƣc؎~6$G} {]䴘_IEFjObCRI˝ 26\[?,M! Z: 8]YdۘkDdwI[Xf hP},j#4Gq&^/Řk|ZÏn*J5ßcGiHH}SzeaZ~l׻:ɣ[uiJRWV3<wB?Mާic2b@,>I؜XYCT- SsӔ?k8uANU*Yc1֡7xzpG5rPM =jfS%'h4~ݸ #!UN %% 0:+^ ew@q4 mNMicrosoft Fax,22,0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularX($USUS.,n* [[ [ [ U  N*ing3|xU  !USUS.,  _HeritageSabbathOctober20,2001 StoryofHymn1  x   ONJORDANSSTORMYBANKS $ t     ThefirstprintingofthishymnwasinJohn_Rippon_sSelectionofHymns,London,1787,  < undertheheading HeavenAnticipated.Theoriginalhadeightfourlinestanzas.Therefrainwasaddedmuchlater.  Thisfigureofcrossingtheswelling,stormyriverofJordanbeforedeathandenteringtheheavenlyCanaantoenjoyeternallifeisnotstrictlyBiblical.ItisparalleltotheexperienceoftheIsraelitesinJoshuastime,whocametocrosstheJordanRiverandfoundthebanksflooded(seeJoshua3).TheLordcausedthewaterstostopflowingsothattheIsraelitescouldpassoverintoCanaansland.AnotherincidentassociatedwiththeJordanandwithdeathandeternallifeconcernsthetranslationoftheprophetElijah.HewascrossingtheJordanintheotherdirection,fromJerichoeastward.Againamiracleoccurredwasperformed,forElijahsmotethewaterswithhismantleandheand_Elisha_wentoverondryground(2Kings2:8).InneithercasewasthereastruggleagainstJordanswaves.WeowethisfiguretoJohnBunyansusageinPilgrimsProgress,whenallthetrumpetssounded  forChristianfromtheothersideashemadeatriumphantcrossingofthewaterybarrierbetweenhimandtheDelectableCountry.  John_Rippon_Ԁ(17511836)wasbornatTiverton,Devon,England,andpreparedfortheministryatBaptistCollege,Bristol.HewasthepastorofCarterLaneBaptistChurchinLondonfor63years!Hismostsignificantcontributionto_hymnody_Ԁwasacollectionofhymnsheputtogetherin1787,ASelectionofHymnsFromtheBestAuthors,IntendedasanAppendixtoDr.Wattss l PsalmsandHymns. V   Samuel_Stennett_,bornatExeter,England,in1727,alsowasaBaptistminister.HesucceededhisfatheraspastoroftheSeventhDayBaptistChurchinLittleWildStreet,London,in1758,andservedthereuntilhisdeath.Holdingaprominentpositionamongthe dissentingministersofLondon,hewasrespectedbythestatesmenofhistimeforhisstandonreligiousliberty,atenetstronglyheldbyBaptists,whowereconsideredhereticsbytheestablishedChurchofEngland.HewasapersonalfriendofKingGeorgeIII,andnotonlypreachedregularlyonseventhdaySabbaths,butalsofortheotherBaptistsonSundays.Hispublishedworksincludesermons,pamphlets,and38hymnsin_Rippon_sbook.In1763hewashonoredwithaD.D.degreebytheUniversityofAberdeen,Scotland.HediedinLondonAugust25,1795.  Itisundoubtedlythedelightfulmusicof "     PromisedLand  "  PROMISEDLAND   thathasmadethishymnsopopularsinceitfirstappearedinWilliamWalkersSouthernHarmony,1835,wherecreditisgiven $( $ toMissM.Durham.Nothingaboutherisknown.William SingingBillyWalker(18091875)wasaBaptistlaymanandsingingschoolteacherofSouthCarolina,whowrotesome25tunesforhissuccessfulbook,ofwhich600,000copiesweresoldin30years.Anallday singthatstartedin1884,usingthisbook,isstillcarriedoninBenton,Kentucky,everyfourthSundayinMay.    "AdaptedfromWayneHooperandEdwardE.White,CompaniontotheSeventhday R)$) AdventistHymnal     ,  ReviewandHeraldPublishingAssociation,1988,pp.570,571.Usedby <*%* permission.