- Beulah Land
:"This is the gospel hymn by Edgar Page Stites; for the Southern gospel song "Sweet Beulah Land" by Squire Parsons, see here"
"Beulah Land" is a well-known gospel hymn written by Edgar Page Stites (1836-1921) in either 1875 or 1876. The hymn, Stites' most popular, is set to music written by John R. Sweney (1837-1899). The hymn concludes with the chorus:
:"O Beulah land, sweet Beulah land!":"As on thy highest mount I stand,":"I look away across the sea":"Where mansions are prepared for me":"And view the shining glory shore":"My heaven, my home forever more."
The hymn derives from King James Version of Isiah 62:4; "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called "Hephzibah" and thy land "Beulah"; for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married."
The verse is in reference to the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon in which the Jews shall no longer be called "Forsaken", but "Hephzibah" (My Delight Is in Her), and Jerusalem shall no longer be called "Desolate", but "Beulah" (Married). This implies that the Jews have turned back to the worship of God.
Background of hymn
Edgar Page Stites was born at Cape May, New Jersey, where his ancestors had settled after coming over on the Mayflower. Edgar was converted to Christ at the age of 19 during the great revival of Philadelphia, often called the Awakening of 1857 and 1858. Shortly thereafter, he joined the Methodist Church of Cape May and became a local “lay pastor.” As a home missionary, he also was involved in the starting of new churches in the South Jersey area.
In 1869, Stites, along with other Methodist ministers and laymen, founded the “Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association” to run a Methodist camp meeting south of Ocean Grove, New Jersey. By 1875, the camp was quite active. Popular hymn writers of the day would visit each summer:
Ira D. Sankey , William H. Doane,William J. Kirkpatrick , John R. Sweeney, Eliza E. Hewitt,Fanny Crosby , and others.One version of the origin of "Beulah Land" has it written for the Ocean Grove Camp in 1875. John R. Sweney, composer of the music, was the camp song leader, which lends credibility to this version.
A differing version of the origin of the hymn was given some years later by Sites himself:
"It was in 1876 that I wrote ‘Beulah Land.’ I could write only two verses and the chorus, when I was overcome and fell on my face. That was one Sunday. On the following Sunday I wrote the third and fourth verses, and again I was so influenced by emotion that I could only pray and weep. The first time it was sung was at the regular Monday morning meeting of Methodists in Philadelphia. Bishop McCabe sang it to the assembled ministers. Since then it is known wherever religious people congregate. I have never received a cent for my songs. Perhaps that is why they have had such a wide popularity. I could not do work for the Master and receive pay for it."
Other References
Alternative Piano Artist
Tori Amos wrote a song also entitled "Beulah Land" which was aB-side on her1998 albumFrom the Choirgirl Hotel .In the final moments of the opera
The Ballad of Baby Doe , the title character (referring to her husband) sings "In the circle of his arms I am safe in Beulah Land."External links
* [http://www.songtime.com/hymn/hymn0605.htm Camp meeting origin]
* [http://www.chapelbethany.org/afterthoughts/4-26-06.html Stites version with lyrics]
* [http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/e/beulah2.htm Beulah Land from CyberHymnal.org]
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