Hello and welcome to Giants of the Faith, a podcast where we explore some of the great figures in Christian history. I’m your host, Robert Daniels. This is episode 59, the final episode of our focus on the hymnists. Today we’re going to talk about Charlotte Elliott, a hymn writer who wrote one of the most beloved hymns of all time: Just As I Am.
But before we get to that I want to recommend another podcast to you. This isn't a paid advertisement. In fact, I don’t plan to ever feature any paid promos or commercials on Giants of the Faith. Anyway, Andy Peavyhouse runs the excellent The Bright Forever where he profiles a different hymn each episode and talks about it's history, meaning, influence, background, and more. As of publishing time he's just completed season one. If you're interested in going further down the hymn rabbit hole, I encourage you to check it out at thebrightforever.com or any of the major podcast indexes. Here's a taste of what Bright Forever brings and at the end of this episode I'll include a longer preview of his show so be sure to hang around and give it a listen.
OK, with that out of the way let's move on to Charlotte Elliott. She was born on March 18, 1789, in Brighton, England. She was the granddaughter of Henry Venn, a prominent evangelical minister and leader of the Clapham Sect. Here's a brief history of the Clapham Sect - a group I'd never heard of until researching this episode but that might make an interesting bonus episode someday.
The Clapham Sect was a group of evangelical Christiansactive in England from about 1790 to 1830. They were also known as the Clapham Saints or the Claphamites. They were mostly wealthy Anglicans who lived in or near Clapham, a village south of London. Clapham, to me, is most famous for hosting the Poirot mystery The Clapham Cook. Anyway, they were led by Venn, the rector of Clapham church, and included prominent figures such as William Wilberforce, Henry Thornton, James Stephen, and Zachary Macaulay.
The Clapham Sect was famous for its social reform campaigns, especially the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. They also worked for other causes such as prison reform, prevention of cruel sports, and missionary work. They supported several societies and publications that promoted their Christian values and philanthropic goals. They were politically conservative and believed in the preservation of social order and hierarchy. They appealed to the rich and educated classes and offered religious instruction and moral improvement to the poor.
The Clapham Sect was influential in creating the emotional climate necessary for ending slavery in England and its colonies. They faced opposition and ridicule from many quarters, but they persisted in their efforts until they achieved their main objective in 1833, when Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act.
OK, back to Elliott. Charlotte's parents were Charles and Eling. She grew up in a pious and cultured family - her father was a silk merchant and two brothers were clergymen - and showed a talent for music and poetry from an early age. However, Charlotte also struggled with her health and her faith. Beginning in 1821, she suffered from chronic fatigue that made her an invalid for most of her life. She was so weak that she was often bedbound and didn't even have the strength to lift a pen to write. She also experienced doubts and fears about her salvation and her relationship with God. She felt unworthy and sinful, and often wondered if God loved her.
One day, in 1822, she met a Swiss pastor named Cesar Malan, who was visiting her family. I couldn't find any evidence that Malan did any dog whispering for the Elliotts but he a simple conversation he had with Charlotte has created ripples that have moved through church services up to today. He asked her if she was at peace with God, and she replied that she did not know how to come to him. Malan told her that she should come to him JUST AS SHE WAS, without trying to improve herself or make herself acceptable. He said that Jesus had died for her sins and would receive her with open arms if she trusted him.
This simple message struck a chord in Charlotte’s heart. She realized that she did not need to do anything to earn God’s love or forgiveness, but only to accept his grace by faith. She later wrote that this conversation was a turning point in her life, and that she felt a new joy and peace in Christ. Twelve years later, in 1834, Charlotte wrote a hymn based on her experience of coming to Jesus just as she was. She wrote it for a charity event at her brother’s church, where she was unable to attend because of her illness. She wanted to contribute something to the cause, so she sent her hymn as a gift. The hymn was titled Just As I Am, without one plea.
The hymn has six verses, each beginning with the words “Just as I am”. The first verse expresses the need for a savior and the willingness to come to him. The second verse acknowledges the blood of Christ that cleanses from sin. The third verse confesses the conflict between faith and doubt. The fourth verse affirms the promise of God to welcome all who come to him. The fifth verse declares the surrender of self to God’s will. The sixth verse anticipates the joy of heaven and the praise of God.
The hymn was published in 1836 in a collection called The Invalid’s Hymn Book, which Charlotte edited for people who were sick or suffering like herself. She contributed 112 hymns to this book, many of which reflect her personal experience of pain and comfort. Some of her other well-known hymns are Thy Will Be Done and My God and Father While I Stray.
Charlotte’s hymns soon became popular among Christians of different denominations and backgrounds. They were translated into many languages and sung all over the world. They touched the hearts of millions of people who could relate to Charlotte’s honest expression of human weakness and divine grace. One of the most famous examples of the impact of Charlotte’s hymn Just As I Am is the story of Billy Graham, the renowned evangelist who preached the gospel to millions of people in his crusades. He chose Just As I Am as his invitation hymn at the end of his sermons, inviting people to come forward and accept Christ as their savior. He said that this hymn summed up his message of salvation by grace through faith.
The song was also a favorite of Charles Spurgeon who included it in his hymn book and used the story of Elliott's conversion as an illustration of God's providence.
Charlotte Elliott died on September 22, 1871, at the age of 82. She was buried in St Andrew’s Churchyard in Hove, near Brighton. Her tombstone bears the inscription: “Just as I am - without one plea / But that Thy blood was shed for me / And that Thou bidst me come to Thee / O Lamb of God I come.”
Charlotte Elliott is a Giant of the Faith who used her gifts of poetry and music to glorify God and bless others. She overcame her challenges through the grace of God and her story reminds us to submit all to God just as we are. That's it for this episode. Thanks for listening and hang on after the outro for a preview of The Bright Future. Until next time, God bless.
RESOURCES
Christian Study Library: https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/just-i-am-%E2%80%A6-life-charlotte-elliott
Conservapedia: https://www.conservapedia.com/Charlotte_Elliott
Women of Christianity: https://womenofchristianity.com/biographical-sketch-of-charlotte-elliot/
Spurgeon.org: https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/strength-amidst-suffering-lessons-from-the-life-of-charlotte-elliott/
The Bright Forever: http://thebrightforever.com
Intro Music: Country Strumstick Mountain Hop, by Andy Slater