David Gilliland, Daily Shall He Be Praised (N. Ireland: Scripture Teaching Library), 4 vols.
Reviewed by A.J. Higgins
Some of the writers and their hymns in these volumes are well known; others are less known to us. All, however, have hymns of rich spiritual value. Names such as J.N. Darby, James Montgomery and Fanny Crosby are all familiar; many others were previously unknown to me. In a day when biographies are rarely read, it is soul-stirring to be reminded of lives which were lived for God’s honor and pleasure.
The date of birth or date of death of a given hymn writer is linked with a day of the year and presented for our meditation. Each day of the calendar year will find in the hymns a fresh source of praise and worship from the pen of a hymn writer of a past age. An unexpected interest to this reviewer was to learn that several of the hymn writers were “local” to my own area, yet totally unknown to me. Also, some of the circumstances of the conversions of different writers were a reminder of the sovereign God who works in His own unique manner.
These volumes represent a huge investment of time in research alone. The history of the writers as well as the circumstances which gave birth to their hymns is detailed, adding a texture of understanding and appreciation to many of the truths expressed in their writings.
But more than history and hymnology are provided for our edification. There is deep spiritual insight provided by Mr. Gilliland in virtually every page. Each volume has an introduction well worth the expense of the books themselves. Mr. Gilliland has separated hymns into morning (Vol 2) and evening hymns (Vol 3), provided us with a rich understanding of Hebrew hymnology (Vol 4), provided hymns for the new year (Vol 1), and confirmed the great value of congregational singing (Vol 3). Volume 4 also contains an extensive bibliography for those interested in further research and an index of all the writers mentioned in the series.
David Gilliland has wed together history and hymns into a winsome narrative, adding to them his spiritual appreciation of writers and words. The reader will find a rich spiritual feast awaiting in this four-volume set.
These are available for purchase at ardsbookshop.com and gospelfolio.com.
