Joseph M. Scriven was born in Dublin, Ireland on September 10, 1819. His dad was a sea Captain and as a boy Joe dreamed of a similar life of adventure for himself. However, due to some health issues, he had to change course and instead attended the Trinity University in Dublin.
At the age of 25, Joseph was engaged to be married and looking forward to what looked to be a promising future….then tragedy struck. The day before the wedding, Joseph waited in town for his wife-to-be to arrive. Noticing she was late, he approached the bridge where she should be arriving on horseback. He got there just as her lifeless body was being pulled from the river. Her horse had spooked and flung her headlong into the raging water below.
Devastated and unable to stay in Dublin, surrounded by memories, Joseph decided to sail to Canada where he had accepted a job as tutor. Joseph became a member of the Plymouth Brethren Church in Port Hope, Canada and grew closer to the Lord as the years passed. In 1855 he heard that his beloved mother, whom he had left behind in Dublin, was facing a crisis. Unable to go to her, he wrote a poem which he hoped would bring her comfort, and sent it to her. He titled it: Pray Without Ceasing.
At the age of 40, Joseph once again fell in love and became engaged to a relative of one of his students, Eliza Roche. Eliza was beautiful, 22 years old and suffering from consumption….today known as tuberculosis. They had been engaged for almost a year and Eliza decided to join the Plymouth Church. In order to do so, baptism by submersion was required. It was a cool day in April and the lake water freezing cold the day she was baptized.
Eliza then developed a horrible case of pneumonia. Even with the best of care, her already frail body could not fight off the virus. Once again, Joseph had to lay his love to rest…just before the wedding.
Again devastated by grief, Joseph threw himself into the ministry and drew even closer to the Lord. He spent the rest of his life in Port Hope and devoted his time to charity, preaching the Gospel among the Baptists and serving others. He preached on the street corners and in the local taverns where the workers gathered.
Known by most as “Old Joe,” sometimes his preaching was not welcome and he was arrested. The constable would warn him and turn him loose, knowing he’d be back. A faith like Joe’s could not be kept silent. It was said that not a soul entered Port Hope that didn’t encounter Joseph and his message of Christ.
Joseph rented a room from a couple who owned a small dairy farm. After the man died, Joe stayed on and helped the widow by delivering milk. Money was tight, and he spent most of his meager salary to serve others. His mother had passed away two years after he’d sent her the poem. Joe’s brother sometimes sent money, but Joe used it to buy necessities for those in the community who needed them more than he did.
In August of 1886 Joe became ill. A friend insisted Joe go home with him so he could be cared for properly. One day, another friend was visiting when he saw a copy of the poem, Pray Without Ceasing, on Joe’s night stand and asked if he had written it. “The Lord and I did it together,” was Joe’s reply.
In October Joe’s condition worsened and he wandered from his room. He was found the following morning. Evidently, he had stumbled, fell into a small creek near the house and drowned in the shallow water. He was 66 years old.
The community of Port Hope mourned his death and felt his absence for some time to come. The friend who had found his poem had it published in the local paper. Other poems written by Joe had been previously published, it was discovered, but Pray Without Ceasing was not among them. Evidently Joe had intended it only for his mother and decided not to have it published.
This was not the end of the poem’s journey though. A package was sent to New York City, it’s contents wrapped in a copy of the Port Hope Guide. The recipient of the package noticed the poem and had it published again. Eventually it caught the eye of a German-American composer by the name of Charles Converse. He added music to the piece and changed the title to….What A Friend We Have in Jesus.
The song quickly became a popular hymn and continues to bring comfort and hope to all who sing or hear it. Some years later, friends of Joseph had a monument erected in his honor which still stands in Port Hope Canada. Joseph Scrivens knew that life was not about fame or fortune….it is all about serving others and sharing the love of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
