The following is excerpted from Transforming Congregational Singing for the 21st Century, wwwwayoflife.org -

Daniel Whittle (1840-1901) was another prolific hymn writer of the revivalist era.

He was named for the statesman Daniel Webster, whom his father admired. He had heard Webster say in a stirring speech, “It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment--independence now and independence forever!”

Whittle’s mother was an earnest, praying Christian, and he professed Christ in his youth and even worked as a superintendent of a Sunday School. Serving in the Union forces in the American Civil War, Whittle left the Christian faith of his childhood. Terribly wounded at the Battle of Vicksburg, he lost his arm and was incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp. While recuperating, he began to read the New Testament that his praying Christian mother had put into his pack as he left for the war. He read the New Testament through multiple times. One night a nurse asked him to pray with a young soldier who was dying and was crying out for help to find salvation. When Whittle replied that he was not a praying man, the nurse said, “I thought sure from seeing you read the Testament that you were a praying man. Won’t you get up and come and see him at any rate?” He did so, and the boy told him that he had lived a wicked life in the army “and now I am dying, and I am not fit to die! Pray for me. Ask Christ to save me!” Whittle said God’s Spirit spoke to his soul, “You know the way of salvation. Get right down on your knees and accept Christ, and pray for this boy.” And that is exactly what he did. He asked God to save him for Christ’s sake and to save the boy. He said, “The boy became quiet, and pressed my hand as I pleaded the promises. When I arose from my knees he was dead” (H. Pickering, Twice-Born Men: True Conversion Records).

Whittle ended his military career with the rank of major and was often called “Major Whittle.”

Through the influence of D.L. Moody, Whittle entered full-time evangelism and was assisted in music by Philip Bliss, James McGranahan, and George Stebbins. His only child, Mary (May), wed Moody’s son William. She sang solos in evangelistic crusades led by her father and Moody, wrote the music for some of her father’s hymns, and co-edited with Charles Alexander the Northfield Hymnal No. 3 (1918).

Whittle wrote about 200 hymns, using the pseudonyms El Nathan, Elias Nathan, and W.W.D. Many of his hymns are still popular, including “Christ Is All,” “The Crowning Day,” “Dying with Jesus, by Death Reckoned Mine,” “Have You Any Room for Jesus,” “I Know Whom I Have Believed,” “Moment by Moment,” “Once Far from God and Dead in Sin,” “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing,” “There’s a Royal Banner Given for Display.”

Whittle wrote the following poem one night in his final illness, when he was in too much pain to sleep. It is based on the golden bells of the high priest which announced his work of atonement in the holy of holies and his soon return from that work. This poem was never put to music.

Swift, with melodious feet,
The midnight hours pass by;
As with each passing bell so sweet,
I think, 'My Lord draws nigh.'

I see Heaven's open door,
I hear God's gracious voice;
I see the blood-washed 'round the throne,
And with them I rejoice.

It may be that these sounds
Are the golden bells so sweet
Which tell me of the near approach
Of the Heavenly High Priest's feet.

Not every night is thus;
Some nights with pain are drear.
Then I join my moan with creation's groan
And the chimes I do not hear.

But the Lord remains the same;
Faithful He must abide;
And on His word my soul I'll rest,
For He is by my side.

Some midnight sleepless saints,
Made quick by pain to hear,
Shall join the glad and welcome cry,
'The Bridegroom draweth near.'

Then I shall see His face
His beauteous image bear;
I'll know His love and wondrous grace,
And in His glory share.

So sing my soul in praise,
As bells chime o'er and o'er,
The coming of the Lord draws near,
When time shall be no more.

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“Beyond Our Sight”
Daniel Whittle
Tune: George Stebbins

1 Beyond our sight a city four-square lieth,
Above the clouds, the fogs and mists of earth;
And none but souls that Jesus purifieth
Can see its walls, or hear its holy mirth.

Refrain:
Beyond our sight, beyond our night,
Beyond this world’s sad story;
That city bright, it stands in light,
The home of all the holy.

2 Secure and strong, this heav’nly city builded
By Christ the Lamb for all the blood-wash’d throng,
Gleams fair and bright, with golden glory gilded,
For ever thrilling with triumphant song. [Refrain]

3 There, on the throne, the Lamb, once slain is seated,
The Shepherd’s joy upon His holy face;
While countless hosts, their warfare all completed,
In circling bands, lift ceaseless songs of praise. [Refrain]

4 O sor’wing souls, beneath earth’s burdens bending,
Lift up your eyes to yonder city fair;
And thro’ your tears let praise be still ascending
For rest, and home, and loved ones waiting there. [Refrain]

Music Score
https://hymnary.org/hymn/FSS1912/page/30

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‘The Hope of the Coming of the Lord” (A Lamp in the Night, a Song in Time of Sorrow”), 1896

Daniel Whittle
Tune: May Whittle Moody

1 A lamp in the night, a song in time of sorrow;
A great glad hope which faith can ever borrow
To gild the passing day, with the glory of the morrow,
Is the hope of the coming of the Lord.

Refrain
Blessed hope, blessed hope,
Blessed hope of the coming of the Lord;
How the aching heart it cheers,
How it glistens through our tears,
Blessed hope of the coming of the Lord.

2 A star in the sky, a beacon bright to guide us;
An anchor sure to hold when storms betide us;
A refuge for the soul, where in quiet we may hide us,
Is the hope of the coming of the Lord.[Refrain]

3 A call of command, like trumpet clearly sounding,
To make us bold when evil is surrounding;
To stir the sluggish heart and to keep in good abounding,
Is the hope of the coming of the Lord.[Refrain]

4 A word from the One to all our hearts the dearest,
A parting word to make Him aye the nearest;
Of all His precious words, the sweetest, brightest, clearest,
Is the hope of the coming of the Lord. [Refrain]

Music Score
https://hymnary.org/media/fetch/112656