THE OLD ACCOUNT WAS SETTLED LONG AGO

If you have been a regular reader of this blog you probably know how much I enjoy old quartet music.  As a young adult I loved to sing in quartets and to go to concerts given by the Blackwoods, the Imperials, the Cathedrals, the Couriers and many more.  Recently I heard this week's hymn choice on the radio and it brought back a flood of memories.  Fortunately I was able to find numerous videos of groups singing it but as is often the case, I was able to find little about its origin.  It was written by Frank M. Graham, an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church.  He served as District Superintendent in northern Georgia around 1895 to about 1915.  He was also the founder of Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina.  But that is about all I could find.  Personally I have been able to avoid much financial debt in my lifetime but I do remember the burden of paying off my college loans and our home mortgage.  I can recall the sense of freedom and relief when these accounts were finally settled and I was debt free.  The same can be said about our spiritual life.  I hope that you have experienced a time when your debt of sin was taken away and your account with God was settled.  But this was even different than my financial debts because with those I just had to work to earn the money to pay them off.  But with salvation the price, a very heavy price, was paid by Jesus Christ at Calvary.  And all that we had to do to settle this account was to accept his gift, his payment for our debt.  Now if your account was not settled long ago, today it can be.  He died, was buried, and rose again for you.  Now all you must do is to believe that He did this for you and accept that free gift.  It is His mercy that doesn't make us try to pay for our sins and it is His grace that gives us His riches at His expense.  Account settled - no more debt!

(1)  There was a time on earth, 
when in the book of Heav'
An old account was standing for sins yet unforgiv'n;
My name was at the top, and many things below,
I went unto the Keeper, and settled long ago.
Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),

Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);

And the record's clear today, 
for He washed my sins away,

When the old account was settled long ago.

(2)  The old account was large, and growing every day,

For I was always sinning, and never tried to pay;

But when I looked ahead, and saw such pain and woe,

I said that I would settle, I settled long ago.

Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),

Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);

And the record's clear today, 
for He washed my sins away,

When the old account was settled long ago.

(3)   When in that happy home, my Savior's home above,

I'll sing redemption's story, and praise Him for His love;

I'll not forget that book, with pages white as snow,

Because I came and settled, and settled long ago.

Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),

Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);

And the record's clear today, 
for He washed my sins away,

When the old account was settled long ago.

(4)   O sinner, trust the Lord, be cleansed of all your sin,

For thus He hath provided for you to enter in;

And then if you should live a hundred years below,

Up there you'll not regret it, you settled long ago.

Long ago (down on my knees), long ago (I settled it all),

Yes, the old account was settled long ago (Hallelujah!);

And the record's clear today, 
for He washed my sins away,

When the old account was settled long ago.

Listen to it here.   LISTEN