Elisha A. Hoffman (1839–1929) was a Presbyterian pastor and writer of more than 2,000 hymns including “Down at the Cross,” “Are you Washed in the Blood?” and “I Must Tell Jesus.”
Born May 7, 1839, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, Hoffman was the son of Francis and Rebecca Hoffman. His father was a pastor for more than 60 years.
Hoffman completed public school in Philadelphia and graduated from Union Seminary in New Berlin, Pennsylvania. Ordained in 1873, he served as a Presbyterian pastor from 1880 until 1922 in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.
Composer
Hoffman’s principal fame comes from his composing more than 2,000 hymns. His musical instruction came from his father’s church and at home. The Hoffman family had a daily family worship time in the morning and evening, and hymn singing was a part of it.
“Are you Washed in the Blood?” is one of his famous hymns. He wrote the words and music in 1878. The song is a reminder that Jesus died on the cross as an atonement for our sins and is an invitation to salvation through Jesus.
The chorus emphasizes the message: “Are you washed in the blood?/ In the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb?/ Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?/ Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?”
‘Glory to His name’
Hoffman also wrote “Down at the Cross” in 1878. He was reading in the Bible about the crucifixion of Jesus and how Jesus had been the atonement for our sins. His heart was filled with such gratitude that he wrote the words of the hymn, including the chorus: “Down at the cross where my Savior died/ Down where for cleansing from sin I cried/ There to my heart was the blood applied/ Glory to His name!” John Stockton wrote the music.
One day in the early 1890s, Hoffman visited a parishioner of his church near Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The woman was distressed and discouraged. He urged her to tell Jesus about her problems. She began repeating the words, “Yes, I must tell Jesus.” When Hoffman arrived home, he promptly wrote the words and tune to “I Must Tell Jesus.” The words of the chorus express that only Jesus can help us with our trials: “I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus/ I cannot bear my burdens alone/ I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!/ Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.”
Hoffman labored for the Lord until his death on Nov. 25, 1929, in Chicago.
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