(1845).12 Not only was it the first song recorded at the beginning of the movement, but it appeared at the opening salvo of The Salvation Army in many locations.13 This song also appeared in Christian Mission Hymn Book and The Salvation Army Penny Song Book, two early publications of the movement. Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Slater said: This song is not of Army origin, but surely no people have sung it so often at outdoor and indoor meetings as have Army folks. Vast numbers, hearing the pointed questions from the lips of Salvationists, have been lead to leave the way of sin and take the upward road to heaven.14
An example of the Christian Mission “processioning”, walking through the streets singing.15
The song was sung to the tune The Eden Above16 and the first verse and chorus stated17:
12
Gordon Avery, Companion to The Song Book of The Salvation Army, (London, UK: Salvationist Publishing & Supplies, 1970), 207. 13 George Scott Railton used this song when he led seven Hallelujah lasses to expand the work of The Salvation Army in New York, USA (1880). Frederick Tucker and Henry Bullard opened fire in Bombay, India with this song (September, 1882). Hanna Ouchterlony and Jenny Svenson also used the song to open the work in Stockholm, Sweden (December, 1882). George Pollard and Edward Wright used the song in the first open-air meeting in Dunedin, New Zealand (1 April, 1883). The song was used to open the work in Denmark (May, 1887), Norway (January, 1888) and Finland (November, 1889). The song also had two indirect links to The Salvation Army in Australia. First, in July 1878 James Dowdle sang this song and Edward Saunders came to the Mission and later helped commence The Salvation Army in Adelaide. Second, the song led Isaac Unsworth to the Christian Mission where he became an officer and on a brief visit to Australia met Major James Barker at Melbourne. Avery, Companion to The Song Book, 208.; Boon, Sing the Happy Song! 3&4.; Robert Sandall, The History of The Salvation Army – Volume Two, 1878-1886, (New York, USA: The Salvation Army Supplies and Purchasing Department), 1979, 247. 14 Boon, Sing the Happy Song! 3. 15 The Victory, (Melbourne, Vol. 3, No. 2, February, 1899), 60. 16 Anon, The eden above, in The Tune Book of The Salvation Army (TBSA), (London, UK: Salvationist Publishing and Supplies, 1988), Tune 593. 17 Only the first verse and chorus will be used in most cases to keep this paper as short as possible.
The Australasian Journal of Salvation Army History, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2016. Page 158