Fanny Crosby: More Luminous

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“We were told of John Milton, who lost his eyesight from a disease caused by incessant study while he was young: but who, as the light of this world became gradually shut out, grew more and more luminous himself, with sacred lore and imagination. As we heard of the daughters who read to him, and wrote down his grand lines, and who, alas! did not seem always to appreciate the great privilege, many of us girls felt that if we could only have had our sight and assisted such a grand man as that, we would have asked not a single additional pleasure in the world.”

Fanny J. Crosby (1820-1915) in Fanny Crosby's Life-Story, by Herself (New York: Every Where Publishing Company, 1903) 40.

This is the four of seven posts from this book. Download it in PDF form freely here. For today's song, enjoy Blessed Assurance.

It is often said that people who are blind can use their remaining senses and God's help to see and discern things that sighted people cannot.

That was true with the great 17th-century English poet, John Milton. I quoted him in my high school valedictory address as his 1667 classic work, Paradise Lost, so deeply touched me.

I shared these words from his 1644 pamphlet entitled, "Of Education." He wrote, "The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him."

To make that statement, and later write Paradise Lost, Milton showed how blindness actually helped him sharpen his focus, and as a result, become more luminous.

It touches me to think John Milton did not work alone. And neither did Fanny.

It was her close friend, Phoebe Palmer Knapp, a highly accomplished composer and musician, who collaborated with her on "Blessed Assurance.".

Phoebe was also independently wealthy; her husband, Joseph Fairchild Knapp, was a successful businessman who founded the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Because of their close friendship, Phoebe frequently invited Fanny to visit her palatial home in New York, where they would talk about faith and music.

Phoebe was a lot like the biblical character in Romans 16:1-2.

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me."

If you want to collaborate with me like Phoebe did with Fanny, or like the biblical character Phoebe did with the apostle Paul, reply to this message.

Let me explain. Generosity Monk will announce a vision to spread the message of biblical generosity to every generation in every nation.

We will invite you as readers everywhere to help us in tangible and ordinary ways.

For now, pray and ask God if you should put your skills and resources to work with our growing team at Generosity Monk.

Stay tuned to learn more.