Today is the birthday of Henry Jeffreys Zelley, born in 1859 in Mount Holly, New Jersey. He was educated at the Methodist-founded Pennington Seminary and later Taylor University, and was ordained a Methodist minister in 1882.
Zelley was very active in the New Jersey Conference of the Methodist church, and served at different times as its statistical secretary, treasurer and as a trustee. He also became a trustee of the Pennington Seminary. The Companion to the Baptist Hymnal (1976) notes that his career was "marked with evangelistic fervor."
This fervor is probably related to his writing of gospel songs, reportedly more than 1500 (though only 95 of those are listed here. He is most known for Heavenly Sunlight, which I wrote about last summer. That song is found in 142 American hymnbooks, according to Hymnary.org, but this one is found in 49, not a bad number. As you may recall, I like hymns and songs about the Exodus, and this one references the story of the miraculous parting of the Red Sea from Exodus 14.When Israel out of bondage came,
A sea before them lay;
But God reached down a mighty hand,
And rolled the sea away.
Refrain
Then forward still, with determined will,
Though the billows dash and spray.
With a steady tread we will push ahead;
God rolls the sea away.
Before me was a sea of doubt,
So great I feared to pray;
My heart’s desire my Maker read,
And rolled the sea away.
Refrain
When sorrows deep, like stormy waves,
Were dashing o’er my way,
God once again in mercy came,
And rolled the sea away.
Refrain
And when I reach the sea of death,
For saving grace I’ll pray;
I know that God will quickly come,
And roll the sea away.
Refrain
Henry J. Zelley, 1896; alt.
Tune: EXODUS (C.M. with refrain)
Henry Lake Gilmour, 1896
This feels like a good song for the rapidly passing summer, though I know it has been and probably still is sung all year round. The theme of “heavenly sunlight” is found in several other gospel songs but this one caught on more firmly than all the others. One reason for that may have been that it was played weekly on The Old Fashioned Revival Hour, a radio program hosted by evangelist Charles E. Fuller from 1937 to 1968 (though he changed the refrain to “heavenly sunshine”).
Walking in sunlight all of my journey;
Over the mountains, through the deep vale;
Jesus has said, “I’ll never forsake you,”
Promise divine that never can fail.
Refrain
Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight,
Flooding my soul with glory divine:
Hallelujah, I am rejoicing,
Singing praises, Jesus is mine.
Shadows around me, shadows above me,
Never conceal my Savior and Guide;
Christ is my joy, in whom is no sadness;
Ever I’m walking at Jesus' side.
Refrain
In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing,
Pressing my way to mansions above;
Singing God's praises, gladly I’m walking,
Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.
Refrain
Henry J. Zelley, 1899; alt.
Tune HEAVENLY SUNLIGHT (10.9.10.9 with refrain)
George H. Cook, 1899 Methodist minister Henry Zelley is supposed to have written a large number of gospel songs, but this is probably the only one he'll be known for. Even less than that is known about composer George Cook; they may have shared a New Jersey connection since Cook lived for a time in Ocean Grove on the shore, home of a long-running series of Methodist camp meetings. It's possible they may have known Emily Divine Wilson through those meetings.
