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Charlotte Elliott

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Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was a Christian poet and hymn writer, best known for her hymn, Just As I Am, written in 1834.

Early life

Charlotte Elliott was a daughter and granddaughter, as well as a sister and niece of pious Anglican clergy.[1] As a young woman Elliott was a gifted portrait artist and writer of humorous verse.[2]

Later life

Suddenly, in her early thirties, Elliott suffered a serious illness that left her weak and depressed.[3] She was unable to go out, or to attend church. During her illness, a well-known preacher, Dr. Caesar Malan of Switzerland visited her and asked her if she had peace with God. She resented the question and refused to talk about it. She complained loudly that if God really loved her, He would not have allowed such an illness. Her family was so embarrassed by her outburst that they all left the room, leaving her alone with the evangelist. A few days later she apologized to Dr. Malan, saying she needed to clean up her life before becoming a Christian. Dr. Malan answered, "Come just as you are." That day Charlotte yielded her life to Christ. She found salvation and peace of heart, even though her health did not improved.[4]

Charlotte continued to struggle from time to time with feelings of uselessness. One day when she was 45, her clergyman brother was planning a special fund-raising program for a school. He was trying to educate the daughters of poor clergy. As the whole household buzzed around her, Charlotte wanted so much to help, but she was unable. The day of the program came and everyone went to it, leaving her alone. In her struggles, she began to reflect on her conversion experience. The words to "Just As I Am" flowed easily out of her heart.[5] Originally the poem was published in tract form without her byline. One day, her doctor gave her a copy, not realizing that she was the author. He told her copies were being sold and the money used to help the school her brother was working to establish. Charlotte could not hold back the tears as she realized God was using her after all. In the end, her poem brought in more money than all the other fund-raisers the family had done combined.[6] Charlotte died in 1871 at 82 years of age.

Hymns

Elliott's most famous hymn, "Just As I Am" was written 14 years after her conversion in 1834 in Brighton, England, recalling the words of Dr. Malan that had brought her to Christ. She was 45 years old.[7] The hymn has eight verses, but only four or five are commonly sung today. It was originally published in 1836 with 114 of her other hymns, in The Invalid's Hymn Book. In her lifetime, she wrote 150 hymns, published in five books.


Legacy

Toward the end of her brother's ministry, he said he had been allowed by God to see some of the fruit of his long ministry, but that he felt that far more had been accomplished by the one famous hymn of his invalid sister, Just As I Am.Christian writer Lorella Rouster has written that Elliott's hymn, "Just As I Am" is "an amazing legacy for an invalid woman who suffered from depression and felt useless in God's service."[8] Hymnody historian Kenneth Osbeck said it had "touched more hearts and influenced more people for Christ than any song ever written."[9] Billy Graham said this hymn was sung as he struggled to come to Christ in 1937 under the ministry of evangelist Mordecai Ham, remembering that all eight verses were sung, and he finally found the courage to come to Christ on the last verse.[10] He said the Billy Graham team used the hymn as an invitation in almost every one of their crusades because it rings with a strong positive note, it keeps repeating the affirmative response, "O Lamb of God, I come," and it "presents the strongest possible Biblical basis for the call of Christ," repeating many of the reasons a person should respond.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Evelyn Bence, Spiritual Moments with the Great Hymns, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1997
  2. ↑ William J. Petersen & Ardythe Petersen, The Complete Book of Hymns, Tyndale House, Carol Stream, IL, 2006, p. 345.
  3. ↑ The Complete Book of Hymns, Tyndale House, Carol Stream, IL, 2006, p. 345.
  4. ↑ Lorella Rouster, "The Story of 'Just As I Am', Sunday School Times & Gospel Herald, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH, Summer 2007, p. 50
  5. ↑ Lorella Rouster, "The Story of 'Just As I Am', Sunday School Times & Gospel Herald, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH, Summer 2007, p. 50
  6. ↑ Lorella Rouster, "The Story of 'Just As I Am', Sunday School Times & Gospel Herald, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH, Summer 2007, p. 50
  7. ↑ Billy Graham, Crusader Hymns & Hymn Stories, 1967, p. 34
  8. ↑ Lorella Rouster, "The Story of 'Just As I Am', Sunday School Times & Gospel Herald, Union Gospel Press, Cleveland, OH, Summer 2007, p. 50
  9. ↑ 101 Hymn Stories, Kregel
  10. ↑ Billy Graham, Crusader Hymns & Hymn Stories, 1967, p. 33
  11. ↑ Graham, p. 33