PERHAPS there is no hymn for little children better known or better loved by people of all ages than —
Jesus loves me! this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
It was written almost 100 years ago by a Sunday School teacher who used to compose hymns to well-known tunes for her class. Her name was Anna Bartlett Warner. She was born near New York in 1820, and died there at the great age of 95.
She also wrote the lovely little hymn —
Jesus bids us shine
With a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle
Burning in the night.
He looks down from heaven
To see us shine—
You in your small corner
And I in mine.
The tune, “Jesus Loves Me,” to which Anna’s lovely hymn is always sung, was composed by William B. Bradbury, the farmer’s boy, who later wrote many more fine hymn tunes.
An interesting story is told about this hymn by a missionary among the Hindus in India. After translating the simple words of the hymn into the Telegu language, he taught them to the native children in his day school. A week later, when ring through the town, he discovered one of the boys singing “Jesus Loves Me” to a crowd of men and women.
“Where did you learn that song?” someone asked.
“Over at the missionary school,” replied the boy.
“Who is Jesus, and what is the Bible?”
“Oh the Bible is the Book from God, and Jesus is the name of Him who came into the world to save us from our sins. That’s what the missionaries say,” answered the youthful singer.
No matter how old we are — six, sixteen or sixty — it is always true that —
Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let a little child come in.
ML-11/07/1971