Our God sits enthroned in the heavens, not only in majestic power and authority, but also in beautiful splendor and love. What mere mortal could ever hope to be admitted into that throne room? In our vile sinfulness, we could never expect that we could come anywhere near that heavenly chamber. We should see ourselves to be like the Israelites at Mount Sinai who were warned not to approach that holy site, upon pain of instant death, and the Jews of Jesus’ day who knew never to dare enter into the Holy of Holies in the temple. And yet, because of Christ, our God not only grants us access to that control room of the universe (as John Piper has described it), but actually invites us to come inside, assuring us that we will be welcomed.
When we come, we discover that we are not only welcomed, but deeply loved with a love that transcends any human affection we could ever know this side of heaven. In Hebrews 4:16, the Lord tells us, Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. When we come, He greets us with open arms, and with hands still bearing the marks of His crucifixion, that incredible act that proved His love for His elect. We draw near to the one who intercedes for us night and day, who knows all our cares, and who (as J. I. Packer has said in his marvelous book, “Knowing God”) has so closely tied His happiness with ours that our presence brings Him joy. Here’s how Packer expressed it.
God was happy without humans before they were made; he would have continued happy had he simply destroyed them after they had sinned; but as it is he has set his love upon particular sinners, and this means that, by his own free voluntary choice, he will not know perfect and unmixed happiness again till he has brought every one of them to heaven. He has in effect resolved that henceforth for all eternity his happiness shall be conditional upon ours.
When we come into His presence in worship, in study, in meditation, we discover just how real that affection is. In the language of this next hymn study,
My name is graven on His hands,
my name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heaven He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart,
“Before the Throne of God Above” was written in 1863 by Charitie Lees Smith Bancroft (1841 – 1923). She was the daughter of an Irish Anglican clergyman who, after serving as rector of two congregations became canon of Derry Cathedral and then was appointed professor of biblical Greek at Trinity College, Dublin. Charitie’s poetic abilities were evident at a young age as her religious poetry was published in several periodicals. The beloved hymn-writer Frances Ridley Havergal, author of “Like a River Glorious,” included one of Charitie’s hymns in an 1881 collection. J. C. Ryle, evangelical bishop of Liverpool, included one of hers in a hymnal he published. Her most famous hymn is “Before the Throne of God Above.” It was printed in a handful of hymnals, most notably the one that Charles Spurgeon produced for his Metropolitan Tabernacle in 1883.
Charitie married Arthur Edward Bancroft at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Edinburgh on October 21, 1869, three years after her famous hymn was composed. He was a naval officer. Charitie emigrated to the US in 1877. She and her husband lived in Battletown, Clark County, Virginia for a short time. By 1881 they had returned to the British Isles settling in Christchurch, Hampshire, England, probably to be near his family due to deteriorating health. He died in April 22, 1881, leaving her to inherit a considerable amount of wealth as his widow.
The following November, she married again. He new husband, Edmund Wollaston Parkinson, was a surgeon who had recently become a widower. A month after their wedding, he filed for bankruptcy, possible due to alcoholism and depression from grief. He moved briefly to Philadelphia in 1882, and then went back to England where he wound up committed to an asylum at least twice. In 1890 he found a job assisting a physician, but his poor mental health became unbearable and he committed suicide by poisoning himself with prussic acid.
In the 1880s, Charities obtained a divorce from Parkinson and reverted to her Bancroft name. She visited the US once more in 1884 to visit her brother George who had emigrated to the San Francisco Bay area in 1879. After returning to England, she again came to the US, arriving in New York from Liverpool on the ship Britannic on November 22, 1886. She settled in Oakland, California where she became a naturalized US citizen on September 28, 1887. She put her energy into prison ministry, first in the county jail, and then in 1890 was granted access to San Quentin prison. Around 1889 she established a transitional boarding home for ex-convicts, which is how she met her next husband.
Frank de Cheney became one of the residents in this home run by the now-wealthy elderly lady. Before long he had found his way into her heart. They married on June 1, 1891. He had attempted to kill a policeman in Wisconsin and fled from justice to start a new life in California. But very soon he was arrested for forgery and sentenced to San Quentin for two years. Charitie’s brother became very alarmed when he learned of their relationship and urged his sister not to marry this man. His efforts only served to bring matters to a crisis, for she presented her lover with a ranch at Half Moon Bay before marrying him. Since she was nearly 30 years older than he, it would appear that he had married her for her money.
She sold the boarding house in Oakland and moved with him to Half Moon Bay, where she bought a second house for her brother, George, and his wife, Susan. By 1900, Charitie and Frank were living in San Mateo, living in the same house as her brother and his wife and their son. Her marriage to Frank seriously deteriorated. They separated in 1901 after a dispute, and Frank moved to Reno, Nevada. He filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion on April 6, 1915. For years, Frank was a familiar figure in local gambling establishments. He listed Charitie’s strong religious feelings and his agnosticism as a chief cause of their failure to live happily. He liked the social life of the city, including the theater. Her nephew later testified that she had never attended a theater in her life. It was Frank’s opinion that it had been a “sympathy match,” occurring just after a long illness on his part, during which time she had been quite attentive to him. Discussions about a marital reconciliation were fruitless, and she said that their marriage had been a mistake. They last saw each other two days before the San Francisco earthquake on April 18, 1906.
By 1910, Charitie was living by herself in San Mateo, with a summer home at Moss Beach. In 1920 she was living in Oakland with her brother Thomas, who had emigrated to San Francisco in 1903 from Sydney, Australia. She died in Oakland on January 20, 1923, at the age of 81.
How amazing that a lady whose life would know so much disappointment would be able to write words of such glorious joy before the Lord. “Before the Throne of God” was written in 1863, while she was still living in the British Isles and before she married Arthur Bancroft, whose name she retained after her two other marriages ended in such sadness. Her hymn became fairly popular during the 1870s, but then lay nearly dormant for almost 100 years before it began to reappear in hymnals in the 1970s. It was most often paired with traditional hymn tunes that work well with long meter, like “Sweet Hour of Prayer.”
Its most recent revival came when Vikki Cook of Sovereign Grace Worship, wrote a new tune for this text in 1997. It has been made popular from recordings by Sovereign Grace Music (featuring Kristyn Getty) and Shane and Shane. This renaissance has spread widely through contemporary and traditional music. The theology of the hymn is based on Hebrews 4:14-16.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Here we sing of Christ as our advocate and intercessor. Many times our struggles in the Christian life come from failing to realize the significance of our position before God’s throne as His beloved children, precious in His sight. These three glorious themes are prominent in the hymn’s lyrics.
- Christ is our intercessor and advocate before the Father.
- There is no guilt or condemnation for those who are in Christ.
- Jesus is the prefect propitiation for our sins and will keep us to the end.
Charitie originally entitled the hymn “Advocate.” It is written throughout in the first person, so that as I sing this, I can claim it for myself. I have a strong and perfect plea.
Stanza 1 places me in the very throne room of God. But I have no fear, because standing beside me is Jesus Himself, my great High Priest. Though I am guilty, Jesus will not only plead my case. He already has my name “graven on His hands” and “written on His heart.” Paul asks in Romans 8, “who can lay any charge against God’s elect?” “No tongue, whether in heaven or hell, “can bid me thence depart.” What glorious assurance!
Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav’n He stands No tongue can bid me thence depart,
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
Stanza 2 turns my attention to my own heart. Satan still has a voice there, and reminds me of my guilt. And oh, how much guilt there is! Satan has more than enough evidence to crush me in despair. But when he tries to do so, I look upward to see the smiling face of the Savior who died in my place, who suffered the punishment I deserved and satisfied divine justice. God Himself assures me that I have been pardoned
When Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me,
To look on Him and pardon me.
Stanza 3 calls me to look above to the risen Lamb and see in Him “my perfect, spotless righteousness.” My sin has been imputed to Him and His righteousness has been imputed to me. This involves the doctrine of my “union with Christ.” I was “in Him” when He died, I was “in Him” when He rose, and I am “in Him” now as He sits enthroned as “King of glory and of grace.” He has purchased me, so that “my life is hid with Christ on high.” What wonderful truths!
Behold Him there! The risen Lamb, My perfect, spotless righteousness;
The great unchangeable “I AM,” The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die, My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ, my Savior and my God,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
Here is the congregation singing the hymn at Grace Community Church where John MacArthur has been pastor many years.
Here is a beautiful acapella rendition of this hymn by the group Glad.