Where sin increased, grace increased all the more. ~ Romans 5:20
Julia Johnston was born in 1849 in Salineville, Ohio, a small town 18 miles west of East Liverpool. At age six her family moved to Peoria, Illinois, where her father became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. There she directed the Sunday school for 40+ years; served as president of the Missionary Society for 20 years; had books published in seven decades; and wrote 500+ hymns. However, there are only two that became well-known and have been sung throughout the years.
One of them was written three years before her death. It was originally titled, "There's A Sweet and Blessed Story," the first line of her rousing testimony of 67 years walking with the Lord. It was copyrighted in 1916 by Homer A. Hammontree. During World War I, and for the next 19 years, he was evangelist Mel Trotter's song leader. He also worked with Billy Sunday and Homer Rodeheaver. In 1936 he became head of Moody Bible Institute’s Music Department. In the ensuing years editors changed the title that became widely used in hymnals, "He Ransomed Me."
Julia knew about God's grace because she experienced it all 70 years of her life. In 1910 she expressed it in this hymn, her most well-known.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt!
Refrain
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within!
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
- Julia H. Johnston, 1910
Copied from Sing to the Lord © 1993 by Lillenas Publishing Company
Hymn commentary courtesy J. D. Sherrow
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