He Took My Sins Away

Margaret Jenkins Harris, known professionally as M. J. Harris, was a powerhouse of the late 19th-century American Holiness movement. Born in Rushville, Illinois, in 1865, she became a formidable "song evangelist," preacher, and musician. Alongside her husband, John Harris, she traveled extensively to lead holiness meetings and revivals. While her husband preached, Margaret often provided the musical foundation, playing the organ and joining him in duets that became a signature of their ministry. However, she was far more than an accompanist; she was recognized as an effective and piercing preacher in her own right and served as a member of the Iowa Holiness Association.

Her influence reached a peak in 1901 when she and John served as the music directors for the General Holiness Convention in Chicago, a major gathering of the movement's leaders. She was also a skilled editor, compiling and refining the Glorious Gospel in Song hymnbook, which served as a primary resource for holiness congregations.

Lyrical Themes and Global Impact

Margaret J. Harris’s hymns are characterized by the "Holiness" emphasis on total sanctification, the joy of salvation, and the metaphor of entering the "Promised Land" (Canaan) as a state of spiritual maturity.

• "When I Saw the Cleansing Fountain": This is her most widely published hymn, appearing in over 90 hymnals. It focuses on the "second blessing" or the total cleansing of the heart, a core tenet of holiness theology. Its refrain, "I will praise Him! I will praise Him! Praise the Lamb for sinners slain," has become a classic anthem of evangelical worship.

• "I Long Ago Left Egypt for the Promised Land": Using the Exodus narrative, Harris wrote this as a testimony of leaving the "world" (Egypt) to live in the fullness of God's grace (Canaan). It remains a staple in denominations with roots in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition.

• "He Took My Sins Away": A joyful, rhythmic celebration of conversion and relief from the burden of guilt.

• "I Believe in the Old-Time Religion": Reflecting the movement's desire to return to the perceived fervor and simplicity of the early Methodist revivalists.

The global reach of her work is remarkable. Her hymns have been translated into numerous languages, including:

• Spanish: "Cansado y triste vine al Salvador"

• Chinese: "當我見那寶貴血泉" (Dang wo jian na bao gui xie quan)

• German: "Ich kam zu Jesus, müde und bedrückt"

• Hungarian: "Oly megterhelt, oly szomorú szívem"

Margaret Jenkins Harris died in Miami, Florida, in 1919. She is remembered as a woman who broke barriers by combining the roles of preacher and poet, providing the Holiness movement with a soundtrack of "joyful songs of salvation" that emphasized both the blood of Christ and the triumphant life of the believer.