Cushing’s parents were Un­i­tar­i­ans, and his ear­ly train­ing was along these lines. Af­ter en­ter­ing the min­is­try, his first pas­tor­ate was at Sears­burg, New York. He mar­ried in 1854, and went on to serve in Au­burn, Brook­lyn, Buf­falo, and Spar­ta, New York. Af­ter his wife died in 1870 and his health de­clined, he re­tired from the mi­nis­try and be­gan writ­ing hymns. He com­plet­ed over 300 in his life­time.

Cushing was an ex­emp­lary Christ­ian, ever mind­ful of the suf­fer­ing of others. Once he gave $1,000—all he had, an enor­mous sum in those days—to a blind girl so she could get an ed­u­ca­tion.

Sources

Lyrics

1. Beautiful Val­ley of Eden
2. Do They Know?
3. Fair Is the Morn­ing Land
4. Floral Praise
5. Follow On
6. Gathering Home to the Si­lent Shore
7. Hiding in Thee
8. Home at Last
9. I Am Resting So Sweet­ly in Je­sus Now
10. I Am Wait­ing by the Ri­ver
11. Name of Je­sus, The
12. No Hope in Je­sus
13. Ring the Bells of Hea­ven
14. There’ll Be No Dark Val­ley
15. To Be There
16. Under His Wings
17. We Are Watch­ing
18. When He Com­eth
19. When Je­sus Comes