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The spiritual value of these hymns by J. N. Darby is such that they are worthy of the prayerful and meditative consideration of every lover of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mr. Darby's own remark as to them was: "They are real. They are not composed; perhaps one."
Writing of hymns, Mr. Darby says, "We have the positive direction of Scripture to speak to one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; but [these] mean compositions rhythmically and metrically arranged, so that I judge the use of such compositions is scripturally authorised. I would add that I think the spiritual mind will detect at once what is really given of the Spirit in such compositions and what is not, even when merely added to make up the measure or rhyme.
"'Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.' It enters into the affections, because that is the character of hymns and spiritual songs. It is not so much knowledge written down like a sermon, but it is where the heart answers in its affections to the revelation of Christ; perhaps something that I have heard in a meeting when Christ has been unfolded: it is the Holy Ghost raising up the affections in answer to the revelation of Christ. Then there is the expression of the heart that has received it in the affections of the new man, answering to this in the praise and adoration that it produces. It may not be the reproduction of the same ideas, but it is the adoration of the heart that is drawn out towards the Person that has been revealed."
How truly these hymns accord with what was in Mr. Darby's own mind on the subject will be readily discerned by those who read them in a prayerful spirit, and it is desired that they may serve to develop the affections of the people of God towards our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. This was Mr. Darby's own desire as expressed in a letter only two months before his departure to be with Christ. The letter is dated February 1882 and reads:
"It is a great thing to have developed affections. Some are much more demonstrative than others, but it is not merely this, but the development of the affections themselves within, by what is in the Object of them. Still it comes to my mind that it is a great thing to have concentrated affections, Christ forming them, so that in having Him in our hearts, we may know what is in His; and what a blessing that is. I get at His heart, and know what is there, and that there is that personal affection there. And after all He loves us personally; but He loves us perfectly in this, that whatever He enjoys He brings us into the enjoyment of. That chapter (John 17) is greatly the expression of it, as putting us in the same place as He is in Himself. But we must know Him to know what His love is; and it will suffice for ever. But this joy in His love, which is to us known to be unchangeable, is by the Holy Ghost."
"Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." - John 15:16.