Cyrus Silvester Nusbaum -
Lyrics &
Composer
1861-1937
Born: July 27, 1861, Middlebury, Indiana.
Died: December 27, 1937, Wichita, Kansas.
Buried: Kingman, Kansas.
HYMN
HISTORY:
Cyrus Silvester Nusbaum began his
ministry in the southwest at the a Methodist Church in 1886. He went on to become
one of the most outstanding evangelists of his
time. However, this hsdahymnalcomplete.web.app time of deep discouragement,
following Mr. Nusbaum�s first year of ministry. He gives the following
account:
I had spent
my first year in pastoral work. Having been appointed to serve as a pastor in
one of the poorest circuits in our district, I had struggled hard during the
year to take care
of the seven preaching places and congregations. It had been a most difficult
task, strenuous and discouraging, and the income pitifully small. At the end of
the conference year, my wife and I gathered our few necessary belongings, and,
with the assistance of one of our members,
we arrived at the railroad station in order to take the train to the place where
the conference was to meet that year.
Naturally, we had prayed and hoped that, at the conference, I might be appointed
to a better charge, but when the Bishop read the appointments the last night of
the conference, I was named as pastor of the same old circuit. I was with heavy
hearts that we repaired to our lodging place that night.
Mrs. Nusbaum sensibly retired early, but I remained in the little parlor with no
one to disturb me.
I was very unhappy and a spirit of rebellion seemed to possess me. About
midnight, I finally knelt in prayer beside my chair. After some struggle, a deep
peace came stealing into my heart. I told the Lord that I would be willing to
let Him have His way with me regardless of the cost.
With that feeling, of surrender to the will of God, came the inspiration for the
new song, now so well-known throughout Christendom.
�His Way With Thee� first
appeared in Gospel Praises, compiled by Kirkpatrick, Hall and Gilmour, 1899.
Although Mr. Nusbaum wrote the words and music for a number of other hymns, this one
is the most popular and the only one most commonly used today.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in
Christ,
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:13
The hymn "
His way with thee
" main theme is yielding. Everyone is the servant of
the master to whose commands he yields himself. In John Chapter 8 Jesus was speaking in the temple
and He said to those who believed on Him,
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31-32
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were
never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
John 8:33
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
John 8:34
Jesus was telling them if you continue to sin
habitually you become a servant of sin. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans Chapter 8 that to whom we
yield ourselves to that we will obey
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:16
Jesus told the crowd that they did not understand His
teachings because God was not their Father but in fact the Devil was,
"Why do ye not understand my speech? even because
ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will
do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth
in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of
it."
John 8:43-44
The question we must ask ourselves; What do I yield
myself to, sinful dispositions of my heart, in actions which will lead to death, or to new and
spiritual obedience implanted by regeneration?
In this day and age recycling is a part of everyday life. So just as junk cars are melted down and
recast into new and shiny vehicles, so to the believer has to become a new creature in Christ
Jesus.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
By accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and
repenting of your sins you can be made free of sin and become a servant unto God.
But now being made free from sin, and become
servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:22
We are all servants to the master we
serve.
...But as for me and my house, we will serve the
LORD.
Joshua 24:15