,,the                                   
,,hymn-,,book ,,of ,,the                
,,modern ,,church                       
,,brief ,,studies ,,of ,,hymns ,,and    
,,hymn-,,writers                        
,,the ,,thirty-,,fourth ,,fernley       
,,lecture                               
,,by                        ,,arthur ,e4
 ,,gregory1 ,d4,d4  ,,principal ,,of    
,,the ,,children',s ,,home ,,and        
,,orphanage ,,editor ,,of #8,,books     
,,for                         ,,bible   
,,students1' ,,etc4                     
,london                                 
,,charles ,h4 ,,kelly        #b1        
,,castle ,,st41 ,,city ,,road2 ,,and    
#bf1 ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,e4,c4        
#aijd                                   
,,printed ,,by                          
,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1        
,,limited1                              
,,london ,,and ,,beccles4               
,to                              ,my    
,children    #8,better than all the     
ballads     ,that ever were sung or     

said4'                                  
,,preface   ,this lecture consists of a 
series of essays introductory to the    
study of ,english hymns1 in which ,i    
have tried to give some account of the  
sources from which the ,church gathers  
its sacred songs1 and to sketch briefly 
the growth of the modern hymn-book4 ,it 
has been necessary to omit several      
sections which ,i had intended to       
include1 and this volume covers a       
portion only of the ground indicated by 
the title4 ,i may1 perhaps1 some day be 
able to carry the work a stage nearer   
completeness4  ,it may be thought that  
,i have given disproportionate space to 
certain periods and to certain          
hymn-writers4 ,if so1 ,i can only say   
that they seemed to me specially        
interesting or important4 ,in           
quotations1 especially from less-known  
writers1 ,i have taken as much liberty  
as possible1 and ,i think this is the   
redeeming feature of the lecture4 ,in   
extended quotations ,i have usually     

given the preference to hymns not       
readily accessible to the general       
reader1 and have only occasionally      
quoted hymns to be found in the         
,methodist ,hymn-book4  ,to the hymns of
 the ,wesleys ,i have given considerable
 space4 ,the subject was chosen for me  
in view of the publication of the new   
,methodist ,hymn-book1 and the occasion 
seemed to require a somewhat detailed   
survey of the early ,methodist hymns4   
,nor do ,i think that many will consider
 the attention given to them more than  
their intrinsic value justifies4        
#8,after the ,scriptures1' wrote ,dr4   
,james ,martineau1 #8the ,wesley        
,hymn-book appears to me the grandest   
instrument of popular religious culture 
that ,christendom has ever produced4'#a 
,delightful as this work has been to me1
 the book has been written under great  
pressure and amid countless             
interruptions4 ,i have had to redeem odd
 minutes and the evening hours when a   
long day's work had already been done4  

,i have to acknowledge constant         
obligation--much more extensive than is 
indicated by frequent reference--to ,dr4
 ,julian's monumental ,dictionary of    
,hymnology1 which has lightened the     
labour of research for all students of  
hymns4  ,to my friend1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,t4 ,l4 
,maggs1 ,i am under manifold obligations
 which ,i most gratefully record4 ,dr4  
,maggs read a great part of the book in 
,,ms1 and the whole in proof2 and ,i am 
also indebted to him for calling my     
attention to1 or procuring for me1 some 
important books of reference4 ,mr4 ,w4  
,garrett ,horder has also given me the  
benefit of his advice and criticism--all
 the more valuable because his judgement
 has often differed from my own4  ,it is
 a pleasure to mention the valuable help
 rendered me by some of my friends      
connected with ,the ,children's ,home1  
and especially by ,miss ,f4 ,l4 ,moon   
7now ,mrs4 ,carey71 who most kindly     
relieved me of the greater part of the  
burden of the actual preparation of the 

,,ms4 for the press4 ,my son1 ,benjamin 
,a4 ,gregory1 has prepared the ,index1  
verified quotations1 and helped me in   
many other ways4  ,no ,fernley ,lecturer
 has had a more attractive theme4 ,i    
wish its treatment had been more worthy4
 ,but with all its imperfections ,i     
trust that ,he who inhabiteth the       
praises of ,israel may deign to bless my
 little book to the edification and     
comfort of some who read it4            
,,contents     ,introduction            
#a   ,i4 ,a ,true ,hymn                 
#f   ,,ii4 ,hymns of the ,bible and the 
,early ,church                   #bi    
,,iii4 ,early ,modern ,hymns            
#fb       ,i4--,sixteenth ,century      
#fb       ,,ii4--,seventeenth ,century  
#hj   ,,iv4 ,eighteenth-century ,hymns  
#abb       ,i4--,the ,school of ,watts  
#abb       ,,ii4--,hymns of the         
,methodist ,revival                     
#aee       ,,iii4--,the ,olney ,hymns   
#bbd       ,,iv4--,addison1 ,toplady1   
and ,others                         #bdc

   ,v4 ,nineteenth-century ,hymns       
#bed       ,i4--,anglican ,hymns        
#bed       ,,ii4--,free ,church ,hymns  
#bhe       ,,iii4--,roman ,catholic     
,hymns                                  
#cae    ,conclusion                     
#cbc    ,appendix                       
#ccc    ,general ,index                 
#cci    ,index of ,hymns and ,verses    
#cdc                          ,,the     
,,hymn-,,book ,,of ,,the ,,modern       
,,church                                
,,introduction   ,the source and        
inspiration of ,christian song is the   
word of ,christ4 #8,let the word of     
,christ dwell in you richly in all      
wisdom4' ,the common phrases of common  
life cannot satisfy the soul filled with
 the ,spirit and rich with the wealth of
 ,christ's indwelling word4 ,religious  
emotion finds truer and more fitting    
expression in poetry than in prose4 ,if 
,god had not given to ,his ,church      
poets1 as well as apostles1 evangelists1
 pastors1 and teachers1 the best that is

 in us could never have been uttered4   
,words and phrases that are large enough
 for intercourse with our fellows become
 cramped and inexpressive when we speak 
to ,god4 ,praise and penitence alike    
would often be silent in the            
congregation of the saints if they could
 not at once veil and reveal their      
profoundest feelings in psalms and      
hymns4 ,poetry gives to devotion those  
robes of glory and beauty without which 
it would1 at times1 be almost unseemly  
to join in the public worship of ,god or
 to disclose the heart's secrets in the 
presence of fellow-worshippers4  ,our   
theme1 then1 is peculiarly sacred1 since
 it deals with the spiritual songs in   
which earnest and sincere men have      
uttered1 in the very presence of ,god1  
their most secret thoughts1 confessions1
 and aspirations4 ,every true hymn was  
first spoken by one man to ,god alone1  
was prayed before it was sung1 though   
now it may be heard daily from ten      
thousand voices4 ,harsh or flippant     

criticism is out of place here1 an      
irreverent impertinence1 like the       
interruption of private prayer4 ,in the 
study of hymns    ,put off thy shoes    
from off thy feet2   ,the place where   
man his ,god shall meet     ,be sure is 
holy ground4#b  ,yet ,st4 ,paul himself 
reminds us that the word of ,christ is  
to dwell wisely as well as richly in our
 hearts4 #8,let the word of ,christ     
dwell in you richly in all wisdom4'     
#8,next to a sound rule of faith1 there 
is nothing of so much consequence as a  
sober standard of feeling in matters of 
religion4'#c ,morbid1 insincere1        
fanatical1 or exaggerated emotion is as 
much to be deprecated as doctrinal      
error1 and its evils are at least as    
disastrous4 ,the diffusion of false or  
superficial sentiment in the household  
of the faith is like the spreading of a 
subtle disease which saps the strength  
and mars the beauty of devotion1 while  
error bears a charmed life if it comes  
in the words of a familiar and          

attractive hymn4 ,moreover1 it is in the
 hymns of the ,church rather than in its
 formal declarations of faith and       
doctrine that we find the truest and    
generally the most favourable revelation
 of its character4 ,hymnology is a more 
important element in the history of     
religion than most ,church historians   
and theological writers have            
recognized4#d  ,the present time is in  
many respects peculiarly appropriate for
 a consideration of the growth and      
development of the hymns of the modern  
,church4 ,we are in a state of rest or  
pause after tumult4 ,the great religious
 #8movements' of the eighteenth and     
nineteenth centuries are matters of     
history1 and we can regard even the most
 recent of them calmly and without the  
prejudice which while conflict rages    
may1 not altogether unfairly1 be        
regarded as patriotism4 ,the ,methodist 
,revival1 the ,evangelical ,awakening1  
the ,oxford ,movement1 the ,salvation   
,army ,campaign1 the ,undenominational  

,evangelism of ,messrs4 ,moody and      
,sankey1 may all be taken into account  
in considering the material and         
character of the hymn-book of the modern
 ,church4  ,again1 it is interesting to 
remember that of the hymn-writers of the
 nineteenth century few survive4 ,for   
the moment there is neither evangelist  
nor poet to give us new songs4 ,our     
fathers made hymn-books2 we re-edit     
them4 ,within the last few years the    
standard ,presbyterian1 ,baptist1       
,anglican1#e and ,methodist hymn-books  
have appeared in new and revised        
editions1 whilst in the ,arundel ,hymns 
we have the most recent ,roman ,catholic
 hymnal4 ,dr4 ,barrett's ,congregational
 ,church ,hymnal1 issued in #ahhg1 is of
 the modern type1 though it preserves   
many of the features of the older       
,nonconformist books4 ,mr4 ,garrett     
,horder's ,worship-,song represents the 
taste of an individual1 not of a        
committee or community2 but it is in    
many respects the best and most complete

 collection of the hymns of the modern  
,church4 ,these books enable us to      
discover current opinion and taste in   
regard to hymns which are worthy to take
 their place in the service of the      
,christian sanctuary1 and both in their 
unity and diversity are of great value  
as indicating the life and thought of   
the ,churches they represent4  ,in this 
lecture ,i shall attempt--  #a4 ,a brief
 preliminary inquiry into what          
constitutes a true hymn1 suited for use 
in ,christian worship4  #b4 ,a very     
brief review of the relation of the     
,hebrew ,psalter to the ,christian      
,hymnal1 and a passing glance at the    
hymns of the ,new ,testament and of the 
early ,church4  #c4 ,a more detailed    
survey of the rise and development of   
modern ,english hymns and their use in  
the ,church since the ,reformation4     
,such a study1 however unskilfully      
guided1 cannot1 ,i hope1 be altogether  
without interest or edification1 since  
it brings the student into fellowship   

with the sweetest and the saintliest    
souls1 and bids him join in spirit the  
choir invisible who praise ,god day and 
night in ,his temple4   ,i regret that  
the limits assigned to my lecture make  
it impossible to refer to translations  
from the ,greek1 ,latin1 ,german1 and   
other languages4 ,these form a most     
valuable and an increasing portion of   
all modern hymnals4 ,they furnish       
abundant material for a separate volume4
                                        
,i                              ,a ,true
 ,hymn   ,when my revered father1 more  
than thirty years ago1 delivered the    
fourth ,fernley ,lecture1 he laid this  
down as the first scriptural ,church    
principle--#8,the ,church is not a thing
 of rigid definition4' ,i may adapt that
 phrase to my own subject1 and say1 ,a  
hymn is not a thing of rigid definition4
  ,commenting on the note which closes  
the second book of ,psalms1 #8,the      
prayers ,,lxx4 hymns of ,david the son  
of ,jesse are ended1' ,st4 ,augustine   

gives this definition3    ,hymns are    
praises of ,god with singing1 hymns are 
songs containing   praises of ,god4 ,if 
there be praise1 and not praise of ,god1
 it is not   a hymn4 ,if there be       
praise1 and praise of ,god1 and it is   
not sung1   it is not a hymn4 ,it is    
necessary1 therefore1 if it be a hymn1  
that   it have these three things3 both 
praise1 and praise of ,god1 and that    
it be sung4  ,in commenting on ,ps4     
cxlviii4 he repeats this rule in almost 
the same words4 ,the definition commends
 itself at once as excellent1 and in    
regard to a large number of hymns       
adequate2 but even when the widest sense
 is given to the words it is much too   
narrow and would exclude many of the    
truest hymns4 ,indeed1 it is impossible 
to deny the title to innumerable        
compositions which do not fulfil these  
conditions4 ,many a verse of which it   
may be said1 ,this is not a hymn1       
demonstrates its right by the fact that 
it is hymned by the ,church from age to 

age4  ,st4 ,augustine's third canon may 
be accepted without hesitation4 ,a poem 
that cannot be sung may speak in the    
sublimest accents of devotion1 yet it is
 of necessity unsuited to the service of
 the ,christian choir4 ,spenser's       
#8,hymn of ,heavenly ,love' is a        
glorious example of this form of praise4
 ,indeed1 there are some stanzas which a
 skilful hand might make available for  
use in the congregation4    ,o blessd   
,well of ,love1 ,o ,flower of ,grace1   
,o glorious ,morning ,star1 ,o ,lamp of 
,light6   ,most lively image of ,thy    
,father's face1   ,eternal ,king of     
,glory1 ,lord of ,might1   ,meek ,lamb  
of ,god1 before all worlds behight1#f   
,how can we ,thee requite for all this  
good8   ,or what can prize that ,thy    
most precious blood8    ,yet nought     
,thou ask'st in lieu of all this love1  
,but love of us for guerdon of ,thy     
pain3   ,ay me6 ,what can us less than  
that behove8   ,had ,he requird life of 
us again1   ,had it been wrong to ask   

,his own with gain8   ,he gave us life1 
,he it restord lost2   ,then life were  
least1 that us so little cost4    ,but  
,he our life hath left unto us free1    
,free that was thrall1 and blessd that  
was banned2   ,nor ought demands but    
that we loving be1   ,as ,he ,himself   
hath loved us afore-hand2   ,and bound  
thereto with an eternal band1   ,him    
first to love that us so dearly bought1 
,and next our brethren to ,his image    
wrought4  ,many of ,herbert's and of    
,miss ,rossetti's poems are of the same 
type4 ,we would give much to add them to
 our hymnals1 but they would be out of  
place there4 ,they belong to the manual 
of devotion4  ,that the primary idea of 
a hymn is praise may also be granted1   
but even so #8praise' must be given an  
extensive connotation1 that it may      
include whatever directly or indirectly 
glorifies ,god4 ,st4 ,paul's            
exhortations show how much more than the
 offering of adoration is included in   
the province of ,christian song4 ,our   

hymn-book1 like the ,hebrew ,psalter1   
must have not only its songs of high    
thanksgiving1 its sacrifice of praise1  
but also its prayer of the penitent as  
he poureth out his soul unto ,god1 its  
sin-offering as well as its             
thank-offering1 its intercessions and   
meditations1 its instructions and       
exhortations1 its lighter songs and     
melodies4 #8,every feeling which enters 
into any act of true worship may fitly  
find expression in a hymn4'#g  ,dr4     
,johnson declared that sacred poetry    
must always be poor because #8the topics
 of devotion are few1 and being few are 
universally known2 but few as they are  
can be made no more4' ,to this criticism
 ,keble replied in his essay on ,sacred 
,poetry--    ,how can the topics of     
devotion be few1 when we are taught to  
make   every part of life1 every scene  
in nature1 an occasion--in other        
words1 a topic--of devotion8 ,it might  
as well be said that connubial   love is
 an unfit subject for poetry1 as being  

incapable of novelty1   because1 after  
all1 it is only ringing the changes upon
 one simple   affection1 which every one
 understands4 ,the novelty there        
consists1   not in the original topic1  
but in continually bringing ordinary    
things1 by happy strokes of natural     
ingenuity1 into new associations   with 
the ruling passion4    ,there's not a   
bonnie flower that springs     ,by      
fountain1 shaw1 or green2   ,there's not
 a bonnie bird that sings     ,but minds
 me of my ,jean4    ,why need we fear to
 extend this most beautiful and natural 
sentiment   to #8the intercourse between
 the human soul and its ,maker'8#h  ,if1
 on its subjective side1 sacred poetry  
has a wide range of topics1 how manifold
 and how magnificent are the themes     
presented by the historic facts upon    
which faith rests1 and by the great     
truths of the gospel6 ,in ,johnson's day
 no one understood how large a realm    
belonged to the ,christian singer1 but  
we have no cause to complain of sameness

 or dullness in the songs of the        
,christian choir4  ,st4 ,augustine's    
second canon need not be regarded as    
implying that every hymn must be        
formally addressed to ,god4 ,the very   
hymns 7the psalms7 upon which he was    
commenting abundantly justify our use of
 hymns which are rather uttered in the  
divine presence than actually spoken to 
,god4 ,the #ajcrd ,psalm is as truly a  
hymn of praise1 and that of ,god1 as the
 #ajdth4 ,after the same                
self-exhortation1 #8,bless the ,lord1 ,o
 my soul1' the one continues in the form
 of a devout meditation1 in which the   
consciousness that ,god hears is never  
for a moment absent2 while the other at 
once addresses #8the ,majesty on high4' 
,o ,lord my ,god1 ,thou art very great2 
,thou art clothed with honour and       
majesty4  ,both might have ended with   
,let my meditation#i be sweet unto ,him2
                                        
civ4 #cd4  or1 in the words of another  
psalm--    ,let the words of my mouth1  

and the meditation#i of my heart1 be    
acceptable in ,thy sight1   ,o ,lord1 my
 ,strength1 and my ,redeemer4           
xix4 #ad4  ,devout meditations which do 
not actually speak to ,god are amongst  
the best and most truly devotional      
hymns4 ,watts's spiritual song1         
,there is a land of pure delight1  is an
 example of the hymn which is only      
indirectly a prayer2 whilst    ,when ,i 
survey the wondrous ,cross  illustrates 
the meditation which is partly the      
communing of the soul with itself1 and  
partly 7perhaps in this case only in the
 second verse7 a direct address to ,god4
 ,yet each is a true hymn4 ,the ideal   
exercise of the ,christian hymn-writer  
is the practice of the presence of ,god4
  ,not only1 then1 are the subjects of  
sacred song infinitely varied1 but the  
forms it may assume are many4 ,in the   
poet1 as well as in the prophet1 ,god   
speaks #8in divers manners4' ,this is   
seen in ,st4 ,paul's twice repeated     
classification1 #8psalms1 hymns1        

spiritual songs1' and by the directions 
he gives for the use of song in the     
,church4  ,in the ,epistle to the       
,ephesians he writes3    ,and be not    
drunken with wine1 wherein is riot1 but 
be filled with   the ,spirit2 speaking  
one to another in psalms and hymns and  
spiritual songs1 singing and making     
melody with your heart to the   ,lord2  
giving thanks always for all things in  
the name of our ,lord   ,jesus ,christ  
to ,god1 even the ,father4  ,in the     
,epistle to the ,colossians3    ,let the
 word of ,christ dwell in you richly in 
all wisdom2 teaching   and admonishing  
one another with psalms and hymns and   
spiritual   songs1 singing with grace in
 your hearts unto ,god4 ,and whatsoever 
ye   do1 in word or in deed1 do all in  
the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 giving    
thanks to ,god the ,father through ,him4
  ,psalms are1 no doubt1 primarily1 if  
not exclusively1 those of the ,old      
,testament1 which would naturally form  
the basis of the hymn-book of the       

,christian ,church4 ,it would have been 
the worst ingratitude1 the most crass   
stupidity1 if such a treasure actually  
in their hands and in their hearts had  
not been adopted in the services of the 
first ,christian worshippers1 even      
though it must soon have been felt that 
some psalms were as little in harmony   
with the spirit of the new dispensation 
as the law which ,christ ,himself       
enlarged and enlightened4  ,hymns       
#8would more appropriately designate    
those hymns of praise which were        
composed by the ,christians             
themselves4'#aj ,of these1 as we shall  
note in the next chapter1 some fragments
 remain1 and they are specially         
characteristic of ,christian worship4   
#8,it was of the essence of the ,greek  
7hymn7 that it should be 444 addressed  
to a god or hero1 that is1 a deified    
man4'#aa ,christianity inherited the    
,hebrew psalm1 it adopted and           
consecrated the ,greek hymn4  ,ode1 or  
song1 is a more general term1 qualified 

and limited by the epithet #8spiritual1'
 and may be regarded as justifying our  
use of many modern hymns which a severe 
or narrow taste would reject4 ,bishop   
,beveridge understood it to include     
#8all sorts of songs upon any spiritual 
subject4'  ,probably the three terms    
were not very rigidly distinguished1    
though they are convenient for          
describing various classes of devotional
 poetry4 ,in the title of ,ps4 lxxv4 the
 ,,lxx4 gives the three words3 #8among  
hymns1 a psalm for ,asaph1 an ode       
concerning the ,assyrian4'#ab  ,the     
variety of form which the songs of the  
,christian temple may assume is seen to 
be of the utmost value when we consider 
how large a part the ministry of song   
has in ,christian life and worship4     
,although ,jehovah is #8exalted above   
all blessing and praise1'#ac yet does   
,he sit #8enthroned upon the praises of 
,israel4'#ad #8,praise waiteth for ,god 
in ,zion4' ,the ancient summons to      
worship is--    ,enter into ,his gates  

with thanksgiving1   ,and into ,his     
courts with praise4                     
c4 #d4  ,the walls of the city of ,god  
are called ,salvation1 and her gates    
,praise4#ae ,the mystic ,jerusalem is   
the true #8city of praise4'#af ,the one 
offering of the ,christian temple is its
 perpetual eucharist1#ag #8the sacrifice
 of praise4'#ah ,the high praises of    
,god are in the mouth of ,his saints    
because ,his love is shed abroad in     
their hearts1 and they #8cannot from    
,his praise forbear4'    ,jerusalem     
makes melody     ,for simple joy of     
heart1   ,an organ of full compass she1 
,one tuned through every part2   ,while 
not to day or night belong   ,her matins
 and her evensong1   ,the one           
thanksgiving of her song4#ai  ,whatever 
the form of the song1 its music is for  
the ear of ,god1 its melody is that of  
the heart4  ,in the ,christian ,church1 
as in the ,jewish ,temple1 we may call  
instrumental music to our aid1 and count
 its offering not unacceptable to ,god4 

,praise ,him with the sound of the      
trumpet3   ,praise ,him with the        
psaltery and harp4   ,praise ,him with  
the timbrel and dance3   ,praise ,him   
with stringed instruments and the pipe4 
,praise ,him upon the loud cymbals3     
,praise ,him upon the high-sounding     
cymbals4  ,yet all this pomp and        
circumstance of worship are but sounding
 brass and clanging cymbal unless there 
be the accompaniment of #8grace in the  
heart4'    ,praise ,him every tuneful   
string2     ,all the reach of heavenly  
art1   ,all the powers of music bring1  
,the music of the heart4#bj  ,praise    
needs #8a thousand tongues1' and even so
 would find #8eternity too short' for   
its service4   ,though ,st4 ,paul       
associates praise--thanksgiving--with   
singing in both the passages referred   
to1 it is instructive to note how       
clearly he asserts the teaching function
 of the songs of the ,church3           
#8,speaking one to another1' #8teaching 
and admonishing one another4' ,bishop   

,christopher ,wordsworth said1 as ,i    
think1 truly3    ,christian poetry ought
 to be a medium for the conveyance of   
,christian doctrine4444 ,a ,church which
 forgoes the use of hymns in   her      
office of teaching neglects one of the  
most efficacious   instruments for      
correcting error1 and for disseminating 
truth1 as   well as for ministering     
comfort and edification4#ba  ,an        
entirely opposite view is often taken1  
especially by ,dissenting writers4 ,mr4 
,horder even regards the definite       
assertion of the doctrine of the        
,trinity in ,heber's greatest hymn as   
#8its only fault4'#bb ,dr4 ,martineau   
argued that to eliminate from a hymn its
 distinctive doctrinal teaching1 and to 
#8translate' it into broader theological
 language1 was #8simply to remove an    
obstruction1' and to introduce the      
author #8to the veneration of thousands1
 to whom otherwise he must appear as a  
repulsive stranger4'#bc ,the general    
question of alterations in the text of  

hymns may be considered later4 ,at the  
moment ,i need only point out that the  
apostolic ideal of a hymn includes both 
ethical and doctrinal teaching4 ,john   
,wesley prided himself upon having given
 in his hymn-book #8a little body of    
experimental and practical divinity4'   
,the same principle may be applied to   
hymns of invitation1 of which there are 
so many in the ,methodist collection1   
and of which ,faber's #8,souls of men1  
why will ye scatter8' is the best modern
 example4 ,an off-hand criticism may    
condemn hymns addressed to our own      
souls1 to #8souls of men1' to           
#8neighbours and friends1' to #8sinners 
poor and wretched2' but they have ample 
warrant both in precept and precedent4  
,god sent ,his singers upon earth       
,with songs of sadness and of mirth1    
,that they might touch the hearts of    
men1   ,and bring them back to heaven   
again4#bd  ,the ,christian poet is a    
teacher and an evangelist4   ,passing   
from the form to the character of the   

hymn1 there are certain great principles
 concerning which there will1 ,i        
imagine1 be little difference of        
opinion4 ,the first essential in every  
hymn is surely that it be not unworthy  
of use in the service of ,god1 who is of
 purer eyes than to behold iniquity1 and
 is to be worshipped in the beauty of   
holiness4 ,there must be--  #a4         
,sincerity4--,fitness for divine service
 depends not upon beauty of form or     
expression1 but upon sincerity of       
thought4    ,the fineness which a hymn  
or psalm affords1   ,is when the soul   
unto the lines accords4#be  #8,the      
garment of praise' is the white robe of 
the pure in heart1 and1 lacking this1   
the stately anthem has less of heaven's 
music than the discordant voices of the 
village choir4  ,so ,cowper prays--     
,forgive the praise that falls so low   
,beneath the gratitude ,i owe3   ,it    
means ,thy praise1 however poor2   ,an  
angel's song could do no more4  ,so     
,keble sings--    ,childlike though the 

voices be1     ,and untunable the parts1
   ,thou wilt own the minstrelsy     ,if
 it flows from childlike hearts4        
,sincerity requires that the thoughts   
expressed should be real to the singer  
as well as to the poet4 ,they may not be
 such as would have occurred to him1 and
 the expression may be altogether beyond
 his powers of origination1 but they    
must be such as he can think in his best
 moments or may be helped to enter into 
at the hour of prayer4 ,sincerity does  
not require that all our hymns should be
 on the lowest level common to a general
 congregation1 but that the sentiment   
expressed1 the emotion presupposed or to
 be excited1 be suited to the heart of  
man in the presence of his ,father in   
heaven4 ,in the compilation of a        
hymn-book something must be left to the 
good sense and judgement of those who   
are to use it2 and there is no part of  
public worship which calls for more     
serious and intelligent consideration   
than the selection of hymns suited to   

the occasion and to the congregation4   
,it is perhaps too much to say that     
sincerity also requires that the writer 
of a hymn should be not unworthy of a   
place in the ,christian choir4 ,happily 
this question rarely arises4 ,the       
author's name is often an aid to        
devotion1 and in most hymn-books there  
is hardly a name--except ,dryden's--that
 seems wholly unfitted to this sacred   
service4  #b4 ,reverence4--#8,god is in 
heaven1 and thou upon earth3 therefore  
let thy words be few1' restrained1      
seemly4 ,the profoundest reverence1 the 
lowliest adoration1 shrinks from        
utterance when it hears and sees        
unspeakable things4 ,this is sublimely  
taught in those great lines of ,dante3  
,here memory mocks the toil of genius4  
,christ   ,beamed on that cross2 and    
pattern fails me now4   ,but whoso takes
 his cross1 and follows ,christ1   ,will
 pardon me for that ,i leave untold1    
,when in the fleckered dawning he shall 
spy   ,the glitterance of ,christ4#bf   

,even so profuse a hymn-writer as ,watts
 feels that there are times when it is  
best to #8leave untold' what the heart  
most desires to tell3    ,a solemn      
reverence checks our songs1   ,and      
praise sits silent on our tongues4  ,it 
is a less sublime1 but not less         
acceptable1 form of worship which       
attempts that which yet it knows to be  
impossible4 ,praise must be heard in    
,zion lest if men hold their peace the  
very stones should cry out4 ,nor is it  
right that awe should silence love4 ,we 
worship the ,king1 eternal1 immortal1   
invisible1 yet even so we praise ,him   
who #8like as a ,father pitieth ,his    
children'2 and when we sing praise to   
,christ as ,god1 we remember that ,he   
called ,his disciples not servants1 but 
friends4  ,dr4 ,watts utters the thought
 of many hearts in one of his finest    
hymns--      ,join all the glorious     
names       ,of wisdom1 love1 and power1
     ,that ever mortals knew1           
,that angels ever bore2   ,all are too  

mean to speak ,his worth1   ,too mean to
 set my ,saviour forth4      ,but ,o    
what gentle terms1       ,what          
condescending ways1     ,doth our       
,redeemer use1       ,to teach ,his     
heavenly grace2   ,mine eyes with joy   
and wonder see   ,what forms of love ,he
 bears for me6  ,it would be easy to    
give illustrations of offences against  
the spirit of reverence1 especially in  
hymns of the eighteenth century and the 
earlier part of the nineteenth4 ,the    
,moravian hymns in particular were often
 disfigured by the most revolting       
phrases1 so had indeed that one does not
 care to give them even the notoriety of
 emphatic condemnation4#bg ,but such    
gross offences are rare in our time1 and
 are practically unknown to ,protestant 
hymnals4 ,some of the ,romish hymns1 and
 a few in ,anglican books1 refer to the 
details of our ,lord's ,incarnation and 
,passion with irreverent and even       
indecent realism1 and those addressed to
 the ,virgin ,mary are often as bad as  

any found in the older ,moravian books4 
,we are1 on the other hand1 in some     
danger of carrying our sense of what is 
reverent too far1 and of altering       
without reason the glowing words of     
devout ,christian affection4 ,john      
,wesley shrank from including    ,jesu1 
,lover of my soul  in his ,collection4  
,the expression is quoted from ,wisd4   
xi4 #bf3 #8,but ,thou sparest all2 for  
they are ,thine1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou ,lover 
of souls'2 and he saw no objection to   
its general application as in the       
lines--    ,lover of souls1 to rescue   
mine   ,reveal the charity divine       
,that suffered in my stead4  ,canon     
,ellerton hesitated as to the propriety 
of the inclusion of this great hymn in a
 ,church hymnal1 and spoke of it as     
standing #8absolutely upon the line'    
which separates hymns for public worship
 from those of private devotion4 ,but   
the ,church in all its borders has      
decided the question1 and our heart     
tells us that the decision is right4    

,nor is it1 indeed1 a hymn solely for   
the sanctuary and the saint2 it is a    
hymn for the street and for the         
sinner4#bh  ,the epithet #8dear' is not 
one to be scattered thoughtlessly       
through hymns and prayers4 ,yet there   
are lines from which it is almost an    
impiety to remove it4 ,there is a       
language of reverent affection which has
 in it nothing of the earth4    ,come   
then1 and to my soul reveal     ,the    
heights and depths of grace1   ,the     
wounds which all my sorrows heal1       
,that dear disfigured face4  ,personally
 ,i should not touch even ,faber's      
,sweet ,saviour1 bless us e'er we go1   
though ,i wish he had used another      
epithet2 and ,i certainly could not draw
 a rough pen through ,cowper's tender   
line    ,dear dying ,lamb1 ,thy precious
 blood     ,shall never lose its power4 
,there is something due to the men who  
wrote thus4 ,if they loved much1 we     
should let them speak their love to all 
the ages in terms of strong affection1  

and our colder hearts may learn to burn 
within us as we draw near with them to  
,him who #8sought us ,himself with such 
longing and love4'  ,bad taste is an    
error of judgement1 not irreverence1 but
 it has very much the same effect upon  
the worshipper1 and it is to be         
regretted that some very great hymns1   
consecrated by ten thousand sacred      
memories1 are marred by phrases which   
will not bear comment or meditation4 ,if
 the hymn were new1 not many modern     
books would include ,cowper's lines     
,there is a fountain filled with blood1 
,drawn from ,immanuel's veins2  but     
nothing could long preserve in common   
use ,watts's verse--    ,his dying      
crimson like a robe     ,spreads o'er   
,his body on the tree2   ,then am ,i    
dead to all the globe1     ,and all the 
globe is dead to me4  #c4 ,closely      
allied to reverence is ,dignity1 the    
elevation and refinement of thought and 
language which beseem the worship of    
,god4 ,nor is it any disadvantage to the

 less enlightened or less educated in   
the ,christian assembly that they should
 learn to speak the language of the     
family of ,god4 ,dignity is not         
necessarily obscure or pompous4 ,it     
represents what is worthy of man's      
thought when it is engaged on the       
highest of all themes4 ,the intrusion   
into the most sacred moments of what is 
mean or vulgar in sound or association  
is a grievous offence4 ,hymns belong to 
the belles lettres of the literature of 
devotion2 to be familiar with them      
should be in itself a liberal education4
  #d4 ,beauty4--#8,intercourse between  
,god and the human soul1' said ,dr4     
,johnson1 #8cannot be poetical'--a      
characteristically dogmatic assertion   
for which there might be some excuse in 
his day1 but which succeeding years have
 overwhelmingly disproved4 ,a hundred   
years ago it was necessary to include in
 a hymn-book compositions that          
compensated for their lack of poetry by 
their undoubted piety1 but we have such 

a wealth of song at our disposal that   
there need be nothing poor1 prosaic1    
commonplace in our hymnals4 ,watts's    
greatest error was his excessive        
tenderness for #8vulgar capacities4'    
#e4 ,simplicity4--,we may say of great  
hymns what ,tennyson said of great      
men--they are    ,in their simplicity   
sublime4  ,heavy words are rightly to be
 regarded as fatal to a good hymn4      
,charles ,wesley was peculiarly prone to
 use words which make hymns impossible  
in public worship4 ,who desires in      
prayer or praise to use such words as   
#8consentaneous1' #8implunged1' #8choral
 symphonies'8  ,the best hymns are made 
up of short words1 and have a large     
preponderance of monosyllables4 ,the    
words1 too1 should be such as men use in
 the more serious intercourse of daily  
life4 ,it goes without saying that      
colloquialisms and words with mean      
associations are not fit for the        
sanctuary1 but the finest hymns are     
often those which the plain man         

recognizes as written in his own tongue4
  ,bishop ,ken's great hymns are models 
of simple directness of thought and     
expression1 and so are some verses of   
,pope's ,universal ,prayer4    ,what    
conscience dictates to be done1     ,or 
warns me not to do2   ,this1 teach me   
more than hell to shun1     ,that1 more 
than heaven pursue4    ,if ,i am right1 
,thy grace impart1     ,still in the    
right to stay2   ,if ,i am wrong1 oh    
teach my heart     ,to find that better 
way6    ,teach me to feel another's woe1
     ,to hide the fault ,i see2   ,that 
mercy ,i to others show1     ,that mercy
 show to me4  #f4 ,fervour4--,if there  
is no fire or glow in a hymn1 it might  
as well be prose as poetry4 ,indeed1    
many hymns are so prosaic1 so wooden1   
that it is difficult to see how they can
 ever    ,teach our faint desires to    
rise  above the dullest levels of       
devotion4 ,there should be in a hymn a  
restrained fervour1 a reverent rapture  
of poetic inspiration free from all     

admixture of the sensuous and morbidly  
emotional4 #8,be not drunken with wine  
444 but be filled with the ,spirit4'    
,quench then the altar-fires of your old
 gods1     ,quench not the fire         
within4#bi  ,nay1 rather1 if we find no 
#8minstrel rapture' for the praise of   
the ,most ,high1 may we not ask with    
,charles ,wesley--    ,why breaks not   
out the fire within1     ,in flames of  
joy1 and praise1 and love8  ,as might be
 expected1 it is among the ,anglican and
 the rationalistic communities that     
there is the greatest dread of the      
emotional in worship4 ,yet ,dr4         
,martineau is the ablest apologist for  
fervour in religious poetry4    ,the    
editor of a hymn-book will not think it 
necessary to graduate   the fervour1 the
 imaginativeness1 the grandeur of the   
compositions   admitted into his volume1
 by the cold1 level1 and prosaic        
condition   of mind which may possibly  
prevail among some who use it4 ,thus1 to
   damp the fire down to the temperature

 of the fuel1 seems to offer   but a    
small prospect of kindling anything4 ,we
 must not thus forgo   the glorious     
power which art exercises in worship4   
,its peculiar   function in connexion   
with religion is to substitute for the  
poor   and low thoughts of ordinary men1
 the solemn and vivid images of   things
 invisible that have revealed themselves
 to loftier souls1 and   to present the 
objects of faith before the general mind
 in something   of that aspect under    
which they rise up before the great     
artists of   poetry and of sound4 ,these
 gifted men are to lift us2 we are not  
to   depress them4 ,in sacred music we  
acknowledge this principle at once2   we
 confess that it is a noble thing1 when 
we think of the origin of   things1 and 
call ,god the ,creator1 to have within  
us the mighty   transitions of ,haydn's 
genius instead of our own puny dreams2  
to   have the incidents of sacred story 
glow and live before us at the   touch  
of a power like that of ,handel or of   

,spohr2 to find ourselves1   at such    
bidding1 with the #8,shepherds abiding  
in the field1' not far   from the holy  
chant falling on the midnight air2 or to
 hear in a   voice1 melting as          
,christ's1 #8,come unto ,me1 ye weary'2 
or1 as we pass   from bereavement to    
bereavement of this world1 to be        
haunted1 as   with a sudden peace1 by   
the echo of that unearthly strain1      
#8,blest   are the departed4' ,not less 
elevating is the poetry than the melody 
of faith1 when it is equally left alone 
with its first fresh power1   and not   
reduced halfway to prose as a condition 
of its entrance into   worship4#cj  ,we 
should1 perhaps1 hesitate to say that a 
,christian hymn may have the #8fine1    
careless rapture' which is the glory of 
,browning's thrush1 but we must not deny
 to it the #8inward glee' as well as the
 #8serious faith' of ,wordsworth's      
stock-dove4 ,the fervour of ,christian  
song is the bright expression of our    
glorying in the ,lord4    ,sing we      

merrily unto ,god our ,strength4#ca  #g4
 ,truth of doctrine4--,if it be allowed 
that hymns play an important part in the
 teaching of the ,church1 it is hardly  
necessary to press this point4 ,indeed1 
there is often more to be feared from   
theological pedantry than from doctrinal
 sensitiveness4 ,the essential unity of 
the faith of ,christendom is nowhere    
better illustrated than in the number of
 hymns which belong to the common       
treasure of the ,church4 ,there is      
already a union of hearts in the        
language of devotion which is the surest
 promise of the reunion of ,christendom4
 ,at the same time1 there are not a few 
hymns which must either be excluded from
 denominational hymn-books1 or be       
revised into accord with the faith of   
the congregations that are to use them4 
,i well remember the distress of a      
distinguished ,independent minister when
 ,i quoted to him ,wesley's verse--     
,ah6 ,lord1 with trembling ,i confess1  
,a gracious soul may fall from grace2   

,the salt may lose its seasoning power1 
,and never1 never find it more--  and   
the pained incredulity with which he    
deprecated my assurance that the hymn   
was still in use in our congregations4  
,i remember1 too1 how abruptly an       
eminent ,methodist minister closed his  
hymn-book and directed the congregation 
to cease singing when he found them     
approaching the last verse of one of    
,toplady's hymns--    ,yes1 ,i to the   
end shall endure1     ,as sure as the   
earnest is given1   ,more happy but not 
more secure     ,the glorified spirits  
in heaven4  ,the verses set forth       
accurately and appropriately the        
teaching of the ,churches to which the  
hymns respectively belong1 but they are 
impossible in other theological regions4
 ,a very wide range should be allowed to
 religious thought as expressed in      
hymns1 but those which contradict the   
things most surely believed in a ,church
 are rightly excluded from its hymnal4  
#h4 ,we should add1 ,i think1 if not to 

the essentials1 yet certainly to the    
virtues of a good hymn1 ,scriptural     
language4 ,our greatest prose writers   
have found in the ,english ,bible the   
most effective1 forceful1 impressive    
words2 and the hymn-writer has the      
advantage not only of its pure1 strong  
diction1 but also of the hallowed       
associations which the words of ,holy   
,scripture preserve for all ,englishmen4
                                        
,,ii                ,hymns of the ,bible
 and the ,early ,church   ,the hymn-book
 of the modern ,church is the direct    
descendant of the ,hebrew ,psalter4 ,had
 ,david and ,asaph never sung1 the hymns
 of ,watts and ,wesley1 of ,keble and   
,montgomery1 could hardly have been     
written4 ,if the praises of ,israel had 
not rung through the courts of the      
,temple1 the choir of the ,christian    
,church would have been silent4         
,primitive ,christianity struggled hard 
to free itself from the swathing-bands  
of ,jewish ritual2 but it recognized    

from the first the riches of its        
inheritance in the ,book of ,psalms4    
,there1 more than in any other          
,scripture1 the first ,christians heard 
#8the voice of ,christ and ,his         
,church4'#cb ,our ,lord ,himself joined 
in singing these ancient hymns1 and bade
 ,his disciples understand that all     
things must needs be fulfilled which    
#8were written in the 444 psalms'       
concerning ,him4 ,st4 ,paul and ,st4    
,james alike commend the singing of     
psalms1 and thus1 without controversy1  
the ,psalter was claimed by the ,church 
as her own4 ,the determination to hear  
the voice of ,christ everywhere1 led to 
extravagances of exposition which a more
 critical age cannot tolerate1 but it   
gave the psalms a firm hold upon the    
heart of ,christendom4 ,the ancient     
,scriptures would have passed away with 
the #8worldly sanctuary' had it not been
 for the witness of the priest1 the     
prophet1 and the psalmist to ,christ4   
,religious poetry and song must long    

have preceded any collection of psalms  
or hymns4 ,one would like to know who   
first1 in the far-off days1 said to his 
brother1 #8,o come1 let us sing unto the
 ,lord'2 but that unknown poet or       
musician had been famous and forgotten  
before history was born4 ,the first     
,hebrew psalm is the ,song of ,moses at 
the ,red ,sea1 the earliest of the      
triumph songs of the people of ,god1 the
 hymns which celebrate ,jehovah1 who    
ever showeth ,himself #8a ,god of       
deliverances4'#cc ,sung first to #8the  
loud timbrel by ,egypt's dark sea1' it  
becomes in the ,apocalypse the ,song of 
,moses and of the ,lamb1 chanted to the 
harps of ,god by the glassy sea mingled 
with fire4 ,at the first the singers are
 the congregation1 not yet a people1    
whom ,moses brought out of ,egypt in    
haste2 at the last they are the         
white-robed army of them that have      
gotten the victory through the blood of 
the ,lamb4    ,i will sing unto the     
,lord1 for ,he hath triumphed           

gloriously3   ,the horse and his rider  
hath ,he thrown into the sea4   ,the    
,lord is my strength and song1   ,and   
,he is become my salvation3   ,this is  
my ,god1 and ,i will praise ,him2   ,my 
father's ,god1 and ,i will exalt ,him4  
,who is like unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 among
 the gods8   ,who is like ,thee1        
glorious in holiness1   ,fearful in     
praises1 doing wonders8    ,thou shalt  
bring them in1 and plant them in the    
mountain of ,thine                      
inheritance1   ,the place1 ,o ,lord1    
which ,thou hast made for ,thee to dwell
 in1   ,the sanctuary1 ,o ,lord1 which  
,thy hands have established4   ,the     
,lord shall reign for ever and ever4#cd 
,moses1 then1 is the first singer in the
 ,christian choir2 and if to this song  
of triumph we can add the #ijth ,psalm1 
we may well place ,moses amongst the    
sweetest and the sublimest of           
hymn-writers4    ,stern ,lawgiver6 yet  
thou dost wear   ,the ,godhead's most   
benignant grace4#ce  ,but ,moses is not 

the founder of ,hebrew psalmody4 ,the   
fact that he and others may have written
 psalms does not detract from the fame  
of ,david1 #8the sweet psalmist of      
,israel4' ,it was he who won for the    
psalm a permanent place in the worship  
of ,god4 ,it is not for me to discuss   
here critical questions in regard to the
 ,davidic authorship of particular      
psalms2 but ,i venture to deprecate a   
too ready or complete acceptance of     
,wellhausen's phrase that the ,psalter  
was #8the hymn-book of the second       
temple1' as though it settled the       
question of the existence of previous   
,psalters used in the days before the   
,exile4 ,unless we are prepared to      
reject history and tradition alike1     
,david must still hold his place amongst
 the singers of the ,church of ,god4    
,there ,david stands1 with harp in hand1
   ,as master of the choir4  ,the       
builders of the great vanished cities of
 the olden time1 of its palaces and     
pyramids2 the founders of its           

monarchies1 empires1 and republics1 pass
 into oblivion or preserve at best the  
dull memorial of a name in history2 but 
#8he who sang the ,holy ,spirit's song' 
has an audience that never wearies1     
though the individual listeners pass in 
solemn and ceaseless order to the silent
 land4 ,for man is one everywhere and in
 all ages4 ,the accidents of life vary1 
but its essence abides4 #8,the universal
 ,church of ,christ hath given its      
witness that these psalms are not made  
for one age1 but for all ages2 not for  
one place1 but for all places2 not for  
one soul1 but for all souls4'#cf  ,the  
contention that ,david's history is not 
consistent with the high religious tone 
of the poems ascribed to him need not   
disturb us4 ,the man who wrote the      
,lament for ,saul and ,jonathan was no  
mere brigand chief1 but one who wore    
#8the graces that adorn a king1' and as 
a poet and a friend deserves to rank    
with ,milton and with ,tennyson4    ,how
 are the mighty fallen in the midst of  

the battle6   ,jonathan is slain upon   
thy high places4   ,i am distressed for 
thee1 my brother ,jonathan3   ,very     
pleasant hast thou been unto me3   ,thy 
love to me was wonderful1   ,passing the
 love of women4   ,how are the mighty   
fallen1   ,and the weapons of war       
perished6                               
#b ,sam4 i4 #be-bg4  ,is there not the  
same note in ,david as in ,milton1 the  
same lingering on the loved name1 the   
same reiteration of the words of sorrow8
    ,for ,lycidas is dead1 dead ere his 
prime1   ,young ,lycidas1 and hath not  
left his peer3   ,who would not sing for
 ,lycidas8      ,but1 ,o the heavy      
change1 now thou art gone1   ,now thou  
art gone1 and never must return6        
,jonathan is shrined as richly and as   
unfadingly as ,edward ,king or ,arthur  
,hallam1 and we may well believe that   
the man whom ,jonathan loved as his own 
soul loved ,god from his inmost         
heart--that the author of the ,lament   
was the singer of the #ahth ,psalm4 ,and

 if it be allowed that ,david wrote that
 song--#8the ,psalm of ,clovis and ,john
 ,wesley'#cg--;it is difficult1 merely  
on the ground of personal character1 to 
deny him any psalm in the whole book4   
,i love ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 my strength4   
,the ,lord is my rock1 and my fortress1 
and my deliverer2   ,my ,god1 my strong 
rock1 in ,him will ,i trust2   ,my      
shield1 and the horn of my salvation1 my
 high tower4   ,i will call upon the    
,lord1 who is worthy to be praised3     
,so shall ,i be saved from mine enemies4
   ,in my distress ,i called upon the   
,lord1   ,and cried unto my ,god3   ,he 
heard my voice out of ,his temple1      
,and my cry before ,him came into ,his  
ears4   ,then the earth shook and       
trembled1   ,the foundations also of the
 mountains moved   ,and were shaken1    
because ,he was wroth4    ,he bowed the 
heavens also1 and came down2   ,and     
thick darkness was under ,his feet4     
,and ,he rode upon a cherub1 and did    
fly3   ,yea1 ,he flew swiftly upon the  

wings of the wind4    ,he sent from on  
high1 ,he took me2   ,he drew me out of 
many waters4   ,he delivered me from my 
strong enemy1   ,and from them that     
hated me1 for they were too mighty for  
me4   ,they came upon me in the day of  
my calamity3   ,but the ,lord was my    
stay4   ,he brought me forth also into a
 large place2   ,he delivered me1       
because ,he delighted in me4  ,it may be
 true that the value of the psalms to   
the ,church does not depend upon the    
settlement1 one way or another1 of the  
rival claims of singers before and after
 the ,exile1 yet the question is of     
vastly more than mere literary or       
historic interest4 ,we lose much if we  
lose ,david and the psalmists of the    
kingdom from #8the glorious choir' which
 sings for ever the praises of ,israel's
 ,god and ,david's ,son4 ,and we are all
 the poorer if the sources of ,christian
 song are to be sought1 not by          
,siloa's brook that flowed   ,fast by   
the oracles of ,god1  but by the dull   

canals of ,babylon1 where the exiled    
people wept when they remembered ,zion4 
,even the most extreme of modern        
,english critics tells us that1 #8,as   
mere academical exercises1 by not merely
 unnamed but unknown individuals1 the   
psalms will neither edify the ,church   
nor charm the literary student4'#ch     
,but1 after all1 we have not yet lost   
our fellowship with the men of ,david's 
time4 ,the psalms are to us a memorial  
of the golden days of ,israel's history4
 ,they are still to us1 as to ,francis  
,davison1    ,hymns which in the ,hebrew
 tongue       ,first were sung   ,by    
,israel's sweet and royal singer4  ,or1 
to put the case in prose3    ,both      
poetry and music existed before ,david's
 time1 and poetry had   been carried to 
a high development in such compositions 
as ,exod4 xv4   and ,judges v4 ,but with
 ,david a new era of religious poetry   
commenced4 ,the personal element entered
 into it4 ,it became the   instrument of
 the soul's communion with ,god4#ci  ,it

 is this #8personal element' which makes
 the ,psalter a living book in every    
age4  ,the earlier ,hebrew psalmists1   
even when they wrote in view of the     
imposing ritual of the temple service   
with its crowded choir1 its thousand    
white-robed priests sounding their      
silver trumpets1 were never bound by a  
narrow conventional opinion as to what  
beseemed the order of public worship4   
,fettered by rule and rubric as the     
later ,jewish ,church was1 the psalmist 
as well as the prophet stands for the   
right of the individual soul to enter   
alone into the presence of ,god4        
,speak to ,him1 thou1 for ,he hears1    
,and spirit with ,spirit can meet4  ,the
 personal element is1 in some respects1 
the most precious gift of the ,psalter  
to ,christianity4 ,had the hymns of the 
mediaeval ,church1 instead of the       
,hebrew ,psalter1 been the pattern for  
modern hymn-writers1 we should have lost
 the best1 the grandest1 the most       
abiding of modern hymns4 ,but the       

revival of hymn-writing1 alike in       
,germany and in ,england1 was a result  
of the ,protestant ,reformation1 which  
set aside ecclesiastical in favour of   
,biblical precedents2 so our hymn-books 
are inspired by the ,psalter1 not the   
,breviary4 ,and this vindication of the 
rights of the individual soul we owe in 
the first instance to ,david1 or to the 
men who wrote the psalms ascribed to    
him4 ,as ,edward ,irving has said1 with 
his majestic and unrestrained eloquence3
    ,the force of his character was     
vast1 and the scope of his life was     
immense4 ,his harp was full-stringed1   
and every angel of joy and of   sorrow  
swept over the chords as he passed4     
,such oceans of affection   lay within  
his breast as could not always slumber  
in their calmness4   ,for the hearts of 
a hundred men strove and struggled      
together within   the narrow continent  
of his single heart4#dj  ,bishop        
,christopher ,wordsworth1 in the        
elaborate preface to his ,holy ,year1   

says3    ,the pronouns ,i and my are    
rarely found in any ancient ,church     
hymn4 ,but in modern hymns the          
individual often detaches and isolates  
himself from the body of the faithful1  
and in a spirit of   sentimental        
selfishness obtrudes his own feelings   
concerning   himself4#da  ,this is an   
entirely superficial criticism1 though1 
in greater or less degree1 it has been  
accepted in many modern hymn-books4 ,it 
is unsound in principle1 and contrary to
 the highest precedents1 ancient and    
modern4 ,it is the personal element that
 makes a hymn dear to the congregation  
of ,christ's flock4 ,it is the fit      
expression of profound individual       
experience that gives a hymn its charm  
for the multitude1 who can think poetry1
 but cannot write it4 ,perhaps no hymn  
of the last century has touched more    
hearts than ,newman's #8,lead1 kindly   
,light'2 yet it was written as a        
personal prayer1 giving expression to a 
special and temporary experience4 ,few  

hymns better illustrate the             
appropriateness to others of the        
experience of one4 ,in his later years1 
,newman declined1 almost querulously1 to
 be #8examined' as to what he meant     
exactly by the closing lines of his     
famous hymn1 written in a #8transient'  
state of mind1 #8when home-sick or      
sea-sick'2 but to ,mrs4 ,tait1 who      
inscribed the lines    ,and with the    
morn those angel faces smile   ,which ,i
 have loved long since and lost awhile  
beneath the portrait of the children    
taken so suddenly from the desolated    
,deanery at ,carlisle1 no lapse of years
 could ever dull their meaning4 ,the    
poet often speaks #8not of himself1' and
 his words may be truer as well as      
richer to the man who repeats than to   
the man who wrote them4 ,a formal       
service1 performed by professionals or  
by the technically #8religious1' may    
find suitable expression in general     
terms2 but the ,christian congregation  
,learns the use of ,i and me4  ,the     

grandest of all hymns1 ancient and      
modern1 throb with individual life1     
whether they soar to heaven on the wings
 of ecstasy1 or bow to earth beneath an 
overwhelming sense of sinfulness4       
,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul1   ,and all
 that is within me bless ,his holy name4
    ,have mercy upon me1 ,o ,god 444    
,blot out my transgression4    ,create  
in me a clean heart1 ,o ,god2   ,and    
renew a right spirit within me4   ,cast 
me not away from ,thy presence1   ,and  
take not ,thy ,holy ,spirit from me4    
,the ,lord is my ,shepherd1     ,i shall
 not want4    ,o happy day that fixed my
 choice   ,on ,thee1 my ,saviour and my 
,god6    ,abide with me6 fast falls the 
eventide2   ,the darkness deepens2      
,lord1 with me abide4    ,sun of my     
soul1 ,thou ,saviour dear1   ,it is not 
night if ,thou be near4    ,thou1 ,o    
,christ1 art all ,i want1   ,more than  
all in ,thee ,i find4  ,some of the most
 sublime passages in ancient chant and  
modern hymn are those in which the      

singer turns from the confession of a   
common sin or the expression of a common
 gratitude to claim a personal share in 
it4 ,even that greatest hymn of the     
,church's public worship1 the #8,te     
,deum ,laudamus1' voices at last the cry
 of the individual believer--    ,in    
,thee1 ,o ,lord1 have ,i hoped2 let me  
not be ashamed for ever4  ,so ,charles  
,wesley1 celebrating the first          
anniversary of his conversion1 sings--  
,he breaks the power of cancelled sin1  
,he sets the prisoner free2   ,his blood
 can make the foulest clean1     ,his   
blood availed for me4  ,so ,thomas      
,olivers at the end of his great anthem 
to the ,god of ,abraham adds his own    
voice to the voices of the celestial    
choir--      ,the whole triumphant host 
,give thanks to ,god most high3         
#8,hail1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy       
,ghost1'         ,they ever cry3        
,hail1 ,abraham's ,god and mine6     ,i 
join the heavenly lays4  ,the contrast  
between the liturgical hymn written for 

others to sing and the hymn of personal 
experience1 the pouring out of the soul 
before ,god1 is well illustrated in the 
,psalter2 e4g4 compare ,ps4 cxv4--      
,not unto us1 ,o ,lord1 not unto us1 but
 unto ,thy name give glory1   ,for ,thy 
mercy1 and for ,thy truth's sake4  with 
,ps4 cxvi4--    ,i love the ,lord1      
because ,he hath heard   ,my voice and  
my supplications4  ,it is in the earlier
 psalms1 though not in them exclusively1
 that we find the personal element      
conspicuous1 and it is those psalms     
which have inspired the highest forms of
 ,christian song4  ,even in psalms      
written for the congregation and with   
direct liturgical intent there is often 
the introduction of the personal        
element1 as in ,ps4 cvi4  ,in the ,book 
of ,psalms we have not only the cry of  
the seeker after ,god1 but the voice of 
the ,church in its common prayer and    
praise4 ,we find here1 too1 hymns for   
the ,sabbath day and other festivals1   
hymns in commemoration of the older     

saints1 national prayers and anthems1   
which confess the sin of the people or  
record the mighty works of ,god1 setting
 the nation's history to music4 ,indeed1
 it is difficult to discover in modern  
hymn-books any hymn which has not its   
prototype in the ,psalter1 though the   
,incarnation and its manifold revelation
 brought into ,christian life and       
thought a light that far outshines the  
brightest stars of the earlier          
dispensation4  ,like other great        
hymn-books1 the ,hebrew ,psalter grew by
 stages and gathered into its treasury  
things new and old4 ,in its final form  
it is a collection of hymns ancient and 
modern--a fusion of various hymn-books1 
in which1 as in other collections1 there
 is occasional repetition1 free         
quotation of one writer from another1   
reminiscences of familiar psalms of     
earlier psalmists1 and evidences of the 
exercise of a wide editorial discretion 
in revision and emendation4  ,we should 
like to know something of the man who   

edited the final ,collection of ,hymns  
for the use of the people called ,jews4 
,if he had written a preface1 or even a 
title-page1 he would have solved for us 
many interesting literary               
questions--though he would have added   
little to the spiritual or liturgical   
value of the ,psalter4 ,it is enough for
 us to know that the psalms as we sing  
them to-day are the ,psalms of which our
 ,lord spoke1 when ,he appealed to them 
as witnesses with ,moses and the        
prophets to ,his mission4 ,it was a     
hymn-book ready for use in the ,church  
of ,pentecost1 and was adopted in its   
worship from the beginning4   ,the      
influence of the ,psalter upon          
,christian hymnody extends far beyond   
the use of the rhythmic psalms4 ,the    
metrical versions1 which long supplied  
the place of hymn-books1 gave to the    
,psalms a double share in ,christian    
worship4 ,even to-day1 when the metrical
 ,psalter has lost its hold upon the    
,christian congregation1 many of our    

greatest hymns are versions of ,hebrew  
psalms4 ,nor is the rhythmic version    
outworn4 ,no complete order of          
,christian worship is possible which    
does not include at least some portion  
of the ,psalter in one or other of our  
three grand ,english renderings4#db     
,the birth of the ,lord ,jesus was      
marked1 as so many critical periods have
 been1 by a #8sudden blaze of song4'    
,the choir of heaven itself sang the    
#8,gloria in ,excelsis'2 ,mary chanted  
the #8,magnificat'2 ,zacharias1 the     
#8,benedictus'2 whilst ,simeon's        
swan-song1 the #8,nunc ,dimittis1'      
closed the rich though scanty hymnody of
 that great transition time4  ,the      
apostolic ,church had no ,david4 ,the   
,epistles preserve for us some few lines
 of early ,christian hymns2 but it was  
left to later times to give its         
sublimest songs to the ,christian choir4
 ,yet1 if for a moment we think of what 
might have been1 surely ,st4 ,paul could
 have written battle-songs grand as     

,luther's2 ,st4 ,luke1 an earlier       
,christian ,year2 and ,st4 ,peter might 
have sung with the simple pathos of     
,john ,newton4 ,but though other gifts  
were theirs in abundance1 the gift of   
song was not bestowed upon them2 and    
since the apostolic ,church had no poet1
 the ,new ,testament has no ,psalter4   
,nor1 indeed1 does it need one2 for     
,god's great poem1 ,his sublimest work1 
is the ,man ,christ ,jesus4    ,and so  
the ,word had breath1 and wrought       
,with human hands the creed of creeds   
,in loveliness of perfect deeds   ,more 
strong than all poetic thought4  ,but   
though the primitive ,church had no     
great hymn-book1 it had its ephemeral   
#8songs and solos1' its minor poets who 
helped many an earnest worshipper to    
draw nigh to ,god with the voice of a   
psalm4 ,indeed1 there is some reason to 
think that the ,corinthian ,church      
suffered from too great a number of     
would-be poets1 for there #8every one'  
had #8a psalm1' and ,st4 ,paul would    

obviously have liked to issue1 as ,john 
,wesley actually did1 a rule against the
 giving out of hymns of the preacher's  
own composing4  ,the fragments that     
remain of the hymns of the apostolic age
 are few and uncertain4 ,the most       
distinctly rhythmic is the short creed1 
which may have been said or sung1 found 
in #a ,tim4 iii4 #af--      1     1     
1     1     1             4             
,manifested in the flesh1   ,justified  
in the spirit1       ,seen of angels1   
,preached among the nations1   ,believed
 on in the world1       ,received up in 
glory4  ,in ,eph4 v4 #ad there are three
 lines which may have been taken from an
 ancient baptismal hymn4    1  1        
4    ,up6 ,o sleeper1   ,and arise from 
the dead1     ,and ,christ shall shine  
on thee6  ,westcott and ,hort print in  
metrical form not only these passages1  
but ,st4 ,matthew's version of the      
,lord's ,prayer1 which thus takes its   
place among the earliest ,christian     
hymns4                 1      1      1  

1                   1          4#dc     
,our ,father which art in heaven2       
,hallowed ,thy name1   ,come ,thy       
kingdom1   ,be done ,thy will     ,alike
 in heaven and on earth2   ,the bread we
 need     ,give us to-day2   ,and       
forgive us our debts1     ,as we forgive
 our debtors2   ,and lead us not into   
temptation1     ,but deliver us from    
evil4  ,it is very possible that the    
metrical structure of ,st4 ,matthew's   
version may to some extent explain its  
variations from ,st4 ,luke4  #8,the     
hymns of the ,apocalypse show1 strange  
to say1 no metrical arrangement of      
diction1'#dd but their influence upon   
,christian song has been great4 ,thus   
the ,new ,testament makes a most        
important1 though chiefly indirect1     
contribution to the hymnal of the       
,church4   ,st4 ,paul's division of     
religious poetry into #8psalms1 hymns1  
and spiritual songs' indicates the      
character and variety of the songs of   
the apostolic ,church1 but gives little 

information concerning its hymnals4 ,we 
may assume1 however1 that whilst the    
,hebrew ,psalter formed the first and   
greatest section of the songs of the    
,church1 there were also a number of    
recognized #8hymns' and #8odes1' to     
which additions might at any time be    
made4 ,by the law of spiritual selection
 these ancient hymns have passed out of 
the literature of the ,church2 they     
perished in the using1 and having served
 their own generation according to the  
will of ,god fell on sleep4  ,the       
,church universal is indebted to the    
liturgical ,churches for the inclusion  
in their ,books of ,common ,prayer of   
the psalms which heralded the dawn of   
the day of the ,son of ,man4 ,it is     
surely a narrow and superficial notion  
of divine worship which would exclude   
such canticles from our services as     
archaic or artificial4  ,how beautiful1 
for example1 is the #8,nunc ,dimittis'  
whether sung daily at eventide1 or when 
the day of life is ended and the ,lord  

now letteth ,his servant depart in      
peace6 ,it is in ,christian usage what  
the sounding of #8,the ,last ,post' is  
to the ,british soldier1 marking the    
close of the common day or sounding the 
last farewell to a comrade whose warfare
 is accomplished4 ,a petty and prosaic  
criticism may regard as unreal such     
adaptations of ancient hymns1 though    
consecrated by many centuries' use1 but 
there is as legitimate a poet's licence 
in devotion as in literature4  ,the ,old
 and ,new ,testament alike1 though the  
former more directly than the latter1   
gave to hymns a place in the worship of 
,god4 ,but the new wine of the gospel1  
which burst the wine-skins of out-worn  
ritual1 could not be contained even in  
the golden chalice of the ,psalter or   
the canticles written on its models4    
,distinctively ,christian hymns which1  
as we have seen1 are occasionally quoted
 in the ,epistles1 and are referred to  
as a recognized part of public and      
social worship1 date from the earliest  

times4 ,the famous letter of the younger
 ,pliny to ,trajan tells how those who  
were terrified into the denial of their 
,lord1 confessed no worse crime than    
that of meeting on an appointed day     
before the dawn to sing antiphonal hymns
 to ,christ as to a god4#de ,judaism had
 its ,messianic psalms1 but the hymns   
which give praise to ,christ as    ,god 
made ,man for man to die  are the glory 
of the new dispensation4 ,the early     
defenders of catholic doctrine appealed 
without hesitation to the fact that     
#8whatever psalms and hymns were written
 by the brethren from the beginning1    
celebrate ,christ the ,word of ,god by  
asserting ,his divinity4'#df  ,orthodox 
and heretic alike--perhaps the heretic  
especially--sought to win acceptance for
 his teaching1 to fix it in the memory  
of the congregation by setting it to    
music4 ,the famous heretic ,arius 7d4   
#ccf7 disseminated his doctrine in hymns
 which are said to have been written in 
metres associated with the most         

licentious songs4 ,they were answered by
 the orthodox hymns of ,ambrose4 ,later 
heretics1 like ,apollinaris1 ,bishop of 
,laodicea 7d4 #cij71 followed his       
example2 whilst ,st4 ,augustine himself 
wrote an acrostic hymn or psalm against 
,donatist error4 ,but it was in the     
beginning as it is in our own day1 a    
man's doctrinal aberrations were        
forgotten1 at least for the moment1 if  
he could write good hymns4 ,so          
,dionysius1 ,bishop of ,alexandria1     
writing against ,nepos1 #8a bishop in   
,egypt1' protests that he #8greatly     
loves' ,nepos for his skill in psalmody1
 #8by which many are still              
delighted4'#dg  ,in an often quoted     
passage in the ,confessions1 ,st4       
,augustine tells how he was affected to 
tears by the singing of #8hymns and     
canticles1' and records the introduction
 at ,milan of antiphonal singing        
#8according to the custom of the        
,eastern regions1'#dh whilst the people 
watched in the church ready1 if need    

were1 to die with their beloved bishop1 
,st4 ,ambrose4  ,ambrose of ,milan and  
,hilary of ,poictiers divide the glory  
of introducing the singing of hymns into
 the ,church of the ,west4 ,hilary      
compiled a hymn-book--,liber            
,hymnorum--which is only known to us by 
a few hymns more or less doubtfully     
ascribed to him4 ,ambrose is the first  
great ,latin hymn-writer who still lives
 in the songs of the sanctuary4 ,his    
hymns are unrhymed1 and1 as ,trench     
says1 of #8almost austere simplicity4'  
,it is as though1 building an altar to  
the living ,god1 he would   observe the 
,levitical precept1 and rear it of      
unhewn stones1 upon   which no tool had 
been lifted4 ,the great objects of faith
 in their   simplest expression are felt
 by him so sufficient to stir all the   
deepest affections of the heart1 that   
any attempt to dress them up1   to array
 them in moving language1 were merely   
superfluous4 ,the   passion is there1   
but it is latent and represt1 a fire    

burning   inwardly1 the glow of an      
austere enthusiasm1 which reveals itself
   indeed1 but not to every careless    
beholder4 ,nor do we presently fail   to
 observe how truly these poems belonged 
to their time and to the   circumstances
 under which they were produced--how    
suitably the faith   which was in actual
 conflict with and was just triumphing  
over1 the   powers of this world1 found 
its utterance in hymns such as these1   
wherein is no softness1 perhaps little  
tenderness2 but a rock-like   firmness1 
the old ,roman stoicism transmuted and  
glorified into that   nobler ,christian 
courage1 which encountered and at length
 overcame   the world4#di  ,to ,st4     
,ambrose many of the earlier ,latin     
hymns are attributed1 and the #8,te     
,deum' is known in the ,breviaries as   
#8,the ,song of ,st4 ,ambrose and ,st4  
,austin1' according to the tradition    
that it was composed and sung by them in
 alternate verses when the latter was   
baptized at ,milan4  ,the familiar      

,english translation is by an unknown   
hand4 ,grand as it is1 there are some   
verses in which a more literal rendering
 would have been still grander4 ,as the 
,latin text may not be known by some    
readers1 ,i give what may be called the 
received text--    ,te ,deum laudamus   
,te ,dominum confitemur   ,te aeternum  
,patrem omnis terra veneratur   ,tibi   
omnes ,angeli ,tibi coeli et universae  
potestates   ,tibi ,cherubim et         
,seraphim incessabili voce proclamant   
,sanctus1 sanctus1 sanctus ,dominus     
,deus ,sabaoth   ,pleni sunt coeli et   
terra majestatis gloriae ,tuae   ,te    
gloriosus ,apostolorum chorus   ,te     
,prophetarum laudabilis numerus   ,te   
,martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus   
,te per orbem terrarum sancta confitetur
 ,ecclesia   ,patrem immensae majestatis
   ,venerandum ,tuum verum et unicum    
,filium   ,sanctum quoque ,paracletum   
,spiritum   ,tu ,rex gloriae ,christe   
,tu ,patris sempiternus es ,filius   ,tu
 ad liberandum suscepisti hominem non   

horruisti ,virginis uterum   ,tu devicto
 mortis aculeo aperuisti credentibus    
regna coelorum   ,tu ad dexteram ,dei   
sedes in gloria ,patris   ,judex        
crederis esse venturus   ,te ergo       
quaesumus ,tuis famulis subveni quos    
pretioso sanguine                       
redemisti   ,aeterna fac cum ,sanctis   
,tuis gloria numerari#ej   ,salvum fac  
populum ,tuum ,domine et benedic        
haereditati ,tuae   ,et rege eos et     
extolle illos usque in aeternum   ,per  
singulos dies benedicimus ,te   ,et     
laudamus nomen ,tuum in saeculum et in  
saeculum saeculi   ,dignare ,domine die 
isto sine peccato nos custodire         
,miserere nostri ,domine miserere nostri
   ,fiat misericordia ,tua ,domine super
 nos quemadmodum speravimus in ,te   ,in
 ,te ,domine speravi non confundar in   
aeternum4  ,in the ,prayer-book version 
we miss the apostles' #8glorious choir1'
 the martyrs' #8white-robed' army2 and  
the close would1 ,i think1 have been    
even more impressive as well as more    

literal had the last lines read--    ,o 
,lord1 let ,thy mercy be showed upon us1
 even as we have hoped in               
,thee4   ,o ,lord1 in ,thee have ,i     
hoped2 let me not be ashamed for        
ever4#ea  ,in the primitive days1 before
 the rise of the medival ,papacy1 before
 the time of ,breviary and ,mass-book1  
the singing of hymns was well           
established alike in the ,east and      
,west4 ,in almost every language in     
which the gospel was preached1 hymns    
were written1 and were used not only to 
aid the devotion of the devout          
worshipper in the services of the       
,church1 but to arrest and teach the    
careless wayfarer4 ,thus ,bishop        
,aldhelm of ,sherborne #8would sit on   
the bridge1 as the people came out from 
,mass to loiter gossiping on their way  
home1 and sing them sacred lays1        
teaching them their faith1 as it were1  
in chance verses1 and enlisting in      
,god's service the national love of     
music and song4 ,it was ,alfred1 himself

 a singer1 who preserved this tale4'#eb 
,in later days1 when the ,romish worship
 had become more elaborate and formal1  
it is chiefly in the ,breviaries that we
 find the hymns of the ,church1 in      
,latin1 of course1 and as little        
understanded of the people as the rest  
of the service4 ,a large number of these
 hymns are in existence1 and whilst many
 are disfigured by the idolatrous and   
often coarse adoration offered to the   
,virgin ,mary and the saints1 and others
 dwell with dreadful particularity upon 
the details of the ,passion1 many give  
worthy and sincere expression to the    
profoundest experiences of the devout   
soul4 ,some of the best and sweetest of 
these songs1 which are often reckoned   
amongst #8ancient' hymns1 belong to the 
degenerate days of the ,papacy4 ,they   
are not only intrinsically precious1 but
 are gracious evidence that the genuine 
spirit of devotion was found1 and the   
voice of praise and prayer and penitence
 heard1 in quiet places and pure hearts1

 even in a time of general apostasy4    
,any detailed reference to              
pre-,reformation hymns would be outside 
the limits of this lecture1 but the     
translations of ,greek and ,latin hymns 
which are to be found in our modern     
hymnals will naturally claim attention  
at a later stage4  ,in concluding this  
brief and necessarily superficial       
preliminary sketch1 ,i may refer to a   
few of the ancient hymns which are      
probably little known to the ordinary   
worshipper4  #a4 ,syriac4--,these are   
chiefly known to us through the great   
teacher and writer1 ,ephraem ,syrus1 who
 died at ,edessa in #cgc4 ,his hymns    
were written to counteract the influence
 of the popular songs of the heretic    
,bardesanes1 and his son ,harmonius4    
,dr4 ,bonar1 ,mrs4 ,charles1 ,mr4       
,moorsom1 and others have translated    
several of these ,syriac hymns2 but they
 are not likely ever to win such wide   
acceptance as the ,latin or the ,greek  
hymns1 though a few are to be found in  

modern collections4 ,several of the most
 touching of ,st4 ,ephraem's hymns are  
on the death of children1 whilst others 
celebrate the hosannas of the children  
at the ,triumphal ,entry4 ,i give a     
translation1 or #8imitation1' by ,dr4   
,bonar of a hymn for the ,lord's ,day4  
,,sabbath ,,hymn    ,glory to the       
glorious ,one6   ,good and great our    
,god alone1   ,who this day hath        
glorified   ,first and best of all      
beside1   ,making it for every clime    
,of all times the sweetest time4        
,from the beginning1 day of days1   ,set
 apart for holy praise1   ,when ,he bade
 the willing earth   ,all its hidden    
stores bring forth1   ,when ,he made the
 shining heaven1   ,then to man this day
 was given4    ,on this day the ,son of 
,god   ,left ,his three days' dark      
abode1   ,in the greatness of ,his might
   ,rising to the upper light4   ,on    
this day the ,church puts on   ,glory1  
beauty1 robe1 and crown4    ,on this day
 of days1 the ,lord1   ,faithful to ,his

 ancient word1   ,on ,his burning       
chariot borne1   ,shall in majesty      
return4   ,king of kings1 ,he comes in  
might1   ,from ,his heavenly home of    
light1    ,to ,his own ,jerusalem1      
,old ,judea's brightest gem2   ,to the  
hill of ,jebus1 see1   ,king ,messiah1  
cometh ,he2   ,with ,his cross to bless 
and save1   ,with ,his cross to spoil   
the grave4    ,earth is fleeing1 fleeing
 fast1   ,and its beauty fades at last2 
,o belovd1 then1 awake1   ,bonds of     
carnal slumber break2   ,wake1 belovd1  
watch and pray   ,while remains one hour
 of day6    ,death1 it cometh2 oh       
beware6   ,judgement cometh2 oh prepare6
   ,steadfast1 steadfast let us stand1  
,for the ,judge is nigh at hand3        
,steadfast let us rest each night1      
,steadfast wake at morning light4       
,glory1 glory1 glory be1   ,gracious    
,god and ,lord1 to ,thee6   ,to the     
,father and the ,son1   ,to the ,spirit1
 ,three in ,one3   ,thus we now ,thy    
mercy praise1   ,thus through           

everlasting days4  ,in the new and      
revised edition of ,church ,hymns1 there
 is a translation by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,m4  
,moorsom of an anonymous ,syriac hymn1  
which is one of two placed under the    
heading1 #8,the ,national ,church4'     
,his the glory1 ,his the honour1        
,high and low1 recount ,his praise2     
,tell it out among the nations1     ,how
 the ,christ in ancient days   ,left    
,his home1 ,his ,father's side1         
,sought1 and found1 and won ,his ,bride4
    ,in the far-off land ,he found her1 
,and she gave to ,him her heart1   ,for 
,his love is everlasting1     ,that nor 
life nor death can part2   ,there1 to   
win her troth1 ,he died1   ,there1 for  
her1 was crucified4    ,oh1 our ,king6  
fulfil ,thy promise1     ,bring her     
where no taint of sin1   ,where no      
sadness and no blemish1     ,where no   
stain can enter in2   ,keep her ever at 
,thy side1   ,bring her home1 ,thy      
faithful ,bride4    ,perfect then1 ,thy 
new creation1     ,with the grace that  

shall endure1   ,e'en amid temptation   
growing     ,still more stately and more
 pure2   ,till by sorrow sanctified1    
,she becomes ,thy holy ,bride4    ,peace
 be hers within her temples2            
,strength be hers1 her walls to guard2  
,may her holiness and beauty     ,by no 
evil thing be marred2   ,through all    
peril1 ,saviour1 guide   ,to ,thy heaven
 ,thy crownd ,bride4  #b4 ,greek4--,what
 is often called the first ,christian   
hymn is found in the ,paedagogus1 or    
,tutor1 of ,st4 ,clement of ,alexandria 
7d4 cir4 #bab74 ,it has been translated 
into ,english by many writers4 ,dean    
,plumptre's version is the best known4  
,at the end of his treatise ,clement    
#8burst out into a kind of choral1      
dithyrambic ode1 in anapstic metre1 the 
lines very short and abrupt1 and the    
whole being more exclamatory and fervid 
than most later hymns4'    ,curb for the
 stubborn steed1   ,making its will give
 heed2   ,wing that directest right     
,the wild bird's wandering flight2      

,helm for the ships that keep   ,their  
pathway o'er the deep2   ,shepherd of   
sheep that own   ,their ,master on the  
throne1   ,stir up ,thy children meek1  
,with guileless lips to speak1   ,in    
hymn and song1 ,thy praise1   ,guide of 
their infant ways4   ,o ,king of saints1
 ,o ,lord1   ,mighty all-conquering     
,word2   ,son of the ,highest ,god1     
,wielding ,his wisdom's rod2   ,our stay
 when cares annoy1   ,giver of endless  
joy2   ,of all our mortal race1         
,saviour1 of boundless grace1           
,o ,jesus1 hear6    ,shepherd and ,sower
 ,thou1   ,now helm1 and bridle now1    
,wing for the heavenward flight   ,of   
flock all pure and bright1   ,fisher of 
men1 the blest   ,out of the world's    
unrest1   ,out of sin's troubled sea1   
,taking us1 ,lord1 to ,thee2   ,out of  
the waves of strife1   ,with bait of    
blissful life1   ,with choicest fish1   
good store1   ,drawing ,thy nets to     
shore4   ,lead us1 ,o ,shepherd true1   
,thy mystic sheep1 we sue1   ,lead us1  

,o holy ,lord1   ,who from ,thy sons    
dost ward1   ,with all prevailing charm1
   ,peril1 and curse1 and harm2   ,o    
path where ,christ hath trod1   ,o way  
that leads to ,god6   ,o ,word1 abiding 
aye1   ,o endless ,light on high1       
,mercy's fresh-springing flood1         
,worker of all things good1   ,o        
glorious ,life of all   ,that on their  
,maker call1             ,christ ,jesus1
 hear6                                4 
4 4 4 4    ,our holy tribute this1      
,for wisdom1 life1 and bliss1   ,singing
 in chorus meet1   ,singing in concert  
sweet1             ,the ,almighty's     
,son4   ,we1 heirs of peace unpriced1   
,we1 who are born in ,christ1   ,a      
people pure from stain1   ,praise we our
 ,god again1             ,lord of our   
,peace6  ,i must add one other hymn1    
though it has been often translated1 and
 is found in several modern hymn-books4 
,there is a pretty little version in    
,longfellow's ,golden ,legend1 but the  
best is ,keble's fine rendering         

published in the ,lyra ,apostolica4 ,it 
is a hymn for eventide1 and was sung at 
#8,the ,lighting of the ,lamps4' ,it has
 been sung at vespers in the ,greek     
,church for many centuries1 and is still
 in daily use4                1 1 1     
1           1         1      1  1    1  
'             1                4        
,hail6 gladdening ,light of ,his pure   
glory poured1       ,who is the immortal
 ,father1 heavenly1 blest1     ,holiest 
of ,holies--,jesus ,christ our ,lord6   
,now we are come to the sun's hour of   
rest1         ,the lights of evening    
round us shine1   ,we hymn the ,father1 
,son1 and ,holy ,spirit divine6         
,worthiest art ,thou at all times to be 
sung         ,with undefiled tongue1    
,son of our ,god1 ,giver of ,life1      
alone6   ,therefore in all the world1   
,thy glories1 ,lord1 they own4  #c4     
,latin4--,the following hymn has not    
only intrinsic value1 but peculiar      
interest on account of ,st4 ,augustine's
 reference to it as having brought to   

his eyes the kindly relief of tears1 as 
he thought of his mother laid that day  
in her grave4    ,then ,i slept and rose
 up again1 and found my sorrow          
diminished not a   little and as ,i lay 
lonely on my bed ,i recalled the        
truthful verses   of ,thy ,ambrose 444  
and ,i gave my tears1 which ,i had      
restrained till   now1 leave to flow as 
they would4  ,it is found in the        
,breviaries as a ,saturday vesper hymn1 
and is a good example of the hymns of   
,st4 ,ambrose4 ,it has much of the      
strength and simplicity of ,ken's hymns4
    ,deus1 creator omnium6   ,polique   
,rector6 vestiens   ,diem decoro lumine1
   ,noctem soporis grati1    ,artus     
solutos ut quies   ,reddat laboris usui3
   ,mentesque fessas allevet            
,luctusque solvat anxios4    ,grates    
peracto jam die   ,et noctis exortu     
preces1   ,voti reos ut adjuves1        
,hymnum canentes solvimus4    ,te cordis
 ima concinant1   ,te vox canora        
concrepet1   ,te diligat castus amor1   

,te mens adoret sobria2    ,ut1 cum     
profunda clauserit   ,diem caligo       
noctium1   ,fides tenebras nesciat1     
,et nox fide reluceat4#ec    ,dormire   
mentem ne sinas1   ,dormire culpa       
noverit2   ,castis fides refrigerans    
,somni vaporem temperet4    ,exuta sensu
 lubrico   ,te cordis alta somnient1    
,nec hostis invidi dolo   ,pavor quietos
 suscitet4    ,christum rogemus et      
,patrem1   ,christi ,patrisque          
,spiritum1   ,unum potens per omnia     
,fove precantes ,trinitas4#ed  ,the best
 ,english translation is by ,mr4 ,j4 ,d4
 ,chambers1 late ,recorder of ,new      
,sarum4 ,i take it from his beautiful   
,psalter2 or1 ,seven ,hours of ,prayer  
of the ,church of ,sarum4#ee    ,maker  
of all things6 ,god ,most ,high6        
,great ,ruler of the starry sky6        
,robing the day in beauteous light1     
,in sweet repose the quiet night2       
,that sleep may our tired limbs restore1
   ,and fit for toil and use once more2 
,may gently soothe the careworn breast1 

,and lull our anxious griefs to rest4   
,we thank ,thee for the day that's gone1
   ,we pray ,thee now the night comes   
on3   ,o help us sinners as we raise    
,to ,thee our votive hymn of praise4    
,to ,thee our hearts their music bring1 
,thee our united voices sing3   ,to     
,thee our pure affections soar1   ,thee 
may our chastened souls adore4    ,so   
when the deepening shades prevail1      
,and night o'er day hath dropped her    
veil3   ,faith may no wildering darkness
 know1   ,but night with ,faith's own   
splendour glow4    ,o sleepless ever    
keep the mind6   ,our guilt in lasting  
slumbers bind2   ,let ,faith pure       
,chastity renew1   ,and freshen sleep's 
lethargic dew4    ,from every wrongful  
passion free1   ,o may our hearts repose
 in ,thee2   ,nor envious fiend with    
harmful snare1   ,our rest with sinful  
terrors scare4    ,christ1 with the     
,father ever ,one6   ,spirit of ,father 
and of ,son6   ,god over all of mighty  
sway1   ,shield us1 great ,trinity1 we  

pray6  ,i would gladly linger awhile    
longer among these ancient hymns2 but   
except as they have passed into our     
hymnals in the last two centuries1 they 
hardly belong to my subject4            
,,literature    ,the following notes may
 be useful to some readers3--,daniel's  
,thesaurus ,hymnologicus 7,leipsic1     
#ahda-ee72 ,mone's ,hymni ,latini       
,medii ,aevi 7,freiburg1 #ahec-d-e71    
,christ's ,anthologia ,graeca           
,carminum ,christianorum2 ,trench's     
,sacred ,latin ,poetry 7#ahdi73         
,duffield's ,latin ,hymns 7#ahhi72      
,macdonald's ,latin ,hymns of the       
,wesleyan ,methodist ,hymn-book 7#ahii74
    ,neale's ,mediaeval ,hymns1 ,hymns  
of the ,eastern ,church1 c42            
,chandler's ,hymns of the ,primitive    
,church2 ,william's ,hymns from   the   
,parisian ,breviary 7#ahci72 ,chambers's
 ,lauda ,syon2 ,mant's   ,ancient ,hymns
 from the ,roman ,breviary2 ,chatfield's
 ,songs and   ,hymns of the ,greek      
,christian ,poets2 ,mrs4 ,charles's     

,christian ,life   in ,song2 ,moorsom's 
,renderings of ,church ,hymns4 ,see also
 articles   in ,dictionary of           
,hymnology1 on #8,greek1' #8,latin1' and
 #8,syriac1'   #8,hymnody1' #8,te       
,deum1' c4    ,it should be remembered  
that many of the ,breviary hymns are not
   ancient1 but belong to the sixteenth1
 seventeenth1 and eighteenth            
centuries4                              
,,iii                           ,early  
,modern ,hymns                          
,i4--,sixteenth ,century  ,before the   
,reformation ,england was rich in       
ballads1 but had practically no hymns4  
,yet there are in that earlier period a 
few great names--,cdmon1 ,aldhelm1      
,bede1 ,alfred--which are beginning to  
appear in some modern hymnals4#ef  ,it  
is usual to date ,english hymnody from  
the days of ,dr4 ,watts4 ,before his    
time1 however1 a considerable number of 
hymns had been written in ,english1 a   
fair proportion of which were of high   
poetic character1 and not unsuitable for

 public worship4 ,but the idea of a     
hymn-book had hardly entered the mind of
 the ,church4 ,many longed for #8godly  
ballads' to supplant the vain songs of  
the ,court1 the camp1 and the street1   
but for the most part they longed in    
vain4 ,we must not1 however1 overlook   
the preparation made during the         
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries4    
,the ,english ,reformation had no poet1 
no one who could give the common people 
songs such as ,luther had provided for  
the ,germans4 ,myles ,coverdale         
7#adhg-aefi71 ,bishop of ,exeter1 saw   
how great the need was2 but he could not
 supply it1 though he did his best4 ,his
 #8,ghostly ,psalms and ,spiritual      
,songs1 drawn out of the ,holy          
,scripture for the comfort and          
consolation of such as love to rejoice  
in ,god and ,his ,word1' is an          
unsuccessful attempt to render into     
,english some of the ,german hymns4 ,he 
confesses that the verses are #8rude in 
song and rhyme4' ,yet there is not      

wanting that yearning after ,god1 that  
quiet trust in ,christ1 that turning to 
,him with hope and penitence and love   
which is the note of all ,christian     
psalmody4 ,i quote a few                
verses--modernizing the spelling--from  
what is1 ,i think1 his best effort4     
,i call on ,thee1 ,lord ,jesu ,christ1  
,i have none other help but ,thee3   ,my
 heart is never set at rest1   ,till    
,thy sweet word have comforted me4      
,and steadfast faith grant me therefore1
   ,to hold by ,thy word evermore4      
,above all thing       ,never resisting 
,but to increase in faith more and more4
    ,lord1 print into my heart and mind 
,thy ,holy ,spirit with ferventness2    
,that ,i to ,thee be not unkind1   ,but 
love ,thee without feignedness4   ,let  
nothing draw my mind from ,thee1   ,but 
ever to love ,thee earnestly3       ,let
 not my heart       ,unthankfully depart
   ,from the right love of ,thy mercy4  
,give me ,thy grace1 ,lord1 ,i ,thee    
pray1   ,to love mine enemies heartily3 

,howbeit they trouble me alway1   ,and  
for ,thy cause do slander me1   ,yet1   
,jesu ,christ1 for ,thy goodness1       
,fill my heart with forgiveness1        
,that while ,i live       ,i may them   
forgive   ,that do offend me more or    
less4#eg  ,coverdale's hymns prepared   
the way for more successful efforts in  
the same direction4 ,and it is pleasant 
to remember that the brave old reformer1
 who stood by his friend and tutor1     
,robert ,barnes1 the martyr1 when he was
 summoned to appear before ,wolsey as a 
heretic1 and who devoted so many years  
to the translation of the ,holy         
,scriptures1 was one of the first who   
desired to make the ,english folk love  
godly hymns4  ,it is an ancient fashion 
to disparage ,sternhold and ,hopkins's  
version of the ,psalms1 but it was a    
great advance upon ,coverdale1 and      
#8marks an era in the history of sacred 
song4'#eh ,sternhold died in #aedi1 and 
,coverdale survived him for twenty      
years4 ,he was ,groom of the ,robes to  

both ,henry ,,viii and ,edward ,,vi4    
,probably the popularity of ,clement    
,marot's#ei ,french version may have    
suggested to ,sternhold the attempt to  
provide the ,english ,court with similar
 sacred songs instead of the profane    
ballads which pleased both ,french and  
,english courtiers4 ,henry had a sincere
 regard for him1 and remembered him in  
his will4 ,edward loved to hear these   
metrical psalms sung by their author1   
and caused them to be #8sung openly1' so
 that others might learn to love them as
 he did4 ,sternhold was a modest man1   
and did not claim any great merit for   
his songs4    #8,albeit1' he says1 in   
his dedication to ,edward ,,vi1 #8,i    
cannot give to   your ,majesty great    
loaves1 or bring into the ,lord's barn  
full   handfuls 444 ,i am bold to       
present unto your ,majesty a few crumbs 
which ,i have picked up from under the  
,lord's board4'  ,part of his version of
 ,ps4 xviii4 is usually given as the    
best example of his work4    ,o ,god1 my

 strength and fortitude1     ,of force  
,i must love ,thee4  ,there are some    
good verses in ,ps4 ix41 which are of   
the same type4    ,o ,lord1 with all my 
heart and mind     ,i will give thanks  
to ,thee2   ,and speak of all ,thy      
wondrous works     ,unsearchable of me4 
,i will be glad and much rejoice     ,in
 ,thee1 ,o ,god1 most high2   ,and make 
my songs extol ,thy name     ,above the 
starry sky4    ,for evermore in dignity 
,the ,lord doth rule and reign2   ,and  
in the seat of equity     ,true         
judgement doth maintain4    ,with       
justice ,he doth keep and guide     ,the
 world and every wight1   ,with         
conscience and with equity     ,he      
yieldeth folk their right4    ,he is    
,protector of the poor1     ,what time  
they be opprest2   ,he is in all        
adversity     ,their refuge and their   
rest4    ,all they that know ,thy holy  
name1     ,therefore do trust in ,thee2 
,for ,thou forsakest not their suit1    
,in their necessity4    ,but sure the   

,lord will not forget     ,the poor     
man's grief and pain2   ,the patient    
people never look     ,for help of ,god 
in vain4  ,the ,old ,version1 which     
bears the name of ,sternhold and        
,hopkins1 was the work of several hands4
 ,john ,hopkins was the largest         
contributor4 ,of his life little is     
known4 ,warton called him not the least 
of the ,british poets of his day1 and   
his versions are generally considered   
superior to ,sternhold's4 ,they are no  
doubt smoother1 but ,i cannot see that  
they have more poetry in them4          
,sometimes his lines are ridiculously   
divided1 and it is difficult to imagine 
that at any period they could have been 
regarded as tolerable4  ,it was1        
however1 a psalm of ,hopkins's which    
comforted ,john ,wesley after hearing a 
sermon1 of which he disapproved1 at     
,bow1 in #agch4 #8,god answered the     
thoughts of my heart1 and took away my  
fear1 in a manner ,i did not expect1    
even by the words of ,thomas ,sternhold4

 ,they were these 7sung immediately     
after the sermon7'--    ,thy mercy is   
above all things1     ,o ,god2 it doth  
excel2   ,in trust whereof1 as in ,thy  
wings1     ,the sons of men shall dwell4
    ,within ,thy house they shall be fed
     ,with plenty at their will2   ,of  
all delights they shall be sped1        
,and take thereof their fill4           
,because the well of life most pure1    
,doth ever flow from ,thee2   ,and in   
,thy light we are most sure1            
,eternal light to see4    ,from such as 
,thee desire to know1     ,let not ,thy 
grace depart2   ,thy righteousness      
declare and show     ,to men of upright 
heart4  ,william ,whittingham1 ,calvin's
 brother-in-law1 and ,knox's successor  
as pastor of the ,english congregation  
at ,geneva1 contributed about twelve    
psalms1 including the cxix41 which runs 
to over #gjj lines4 ,in #aefc he became 
,dean of ,durham1 and was excommunicated
 by the ,archbishop of ,york 7father of 
,george ,sandys74 ,he died in #aegi1 and

 was buried in the cathedral in which he
 is said to have destroyed the image of 
,st4 ,cuthbert and other ancient        
monuments which were obnoxious to his   
,puritan taste4 ,other writers were     
,john ,pullain1 another ,genevan exile2 
,robert ,wisdome1 who was frightened    
into a recantation of his #8errors' by  
,bishop ,bonner1 but shortly after      
recanted again2 ,thomas ,norton1 who    
wrote the version of ,ps4 cxlvii41      
beginning--    ,praise ye the ,lord1 for
 it is good     ,unto our ,god to sing2 
,for it is pleasant1 and to praise      
,it is a comely thing4  ,william ,kethe1
 author of #8,all people that on earth  
do dwell2' ,john ,marckant1 and ,john   
,craig4#fj ,john ,marckant1 vicar in    
#aeei of ,great ,clacton1 and of        
,shopland #aefc-h1 was the author of    
four psalms in the ,old ,version4 ,but  
he is remembered by #8,the ,lamentation 
of a ,sinner1' which is one of the      
redeeming features of the book4 ,it is  
known in modern times almost exclusively

 in ,heber's revision4 ,the original is 
admirable in its pathos and simplicity4 
,,the ,,lamentation ,,of ,a ,,sinner    
,o ,lord1 turn not ,thy face away       
,from him that lies prostrate1          
,lamenting sore his sinful life1        
,before ,thy mercy-gate4   ,which gate  
,thou openest wide to those     ,that do
 lament their sin1   ,shut not that gate
 against me1 ,lord1     ,but let me     
enter in4    ,and call me not to mine   
account1     ,how ,i have livd here2    
,for then ,i know right well1 ,o ,lord1 
,how vile ,i shall appear4   ,i need not
 to confess my life1     ,i am sure     
,thou canst tell1   ,what ,i have been1 
and what ,i am1     ,i know ,thou       
knowest it well4    ,o ,lord1 ,thou     
knowest what things be past1     ,and   
eke the things that be2   ,thou knowest 
also what is to come1     ,nothing is   
hid from ,thee4   ,before the heavens   
and earth were made1     ,thou knowest  
what things were then1   ,as all things 
else that have been since     ,among the

 sons of men4    ,and can the things    
that ,i have done1     ,be hidden from  
,thee then8   ,nay1 nay1 ,thou knowest  
them all1 ,o ,lord1     ,where they were
 done and when4   ,wherefore with tears 
,i come to ,thee1     ,to beg and to    
entreat1   ,even as the child that hath 
done ill1     ,and feareth to be beat4  
,so come ,i to ,thy mercy-gate1         
,where mercy doth abound1   ,requiring  
mercy for my sin1     ,to heal my deadly
 wound4   ,o ,lord1 ,i need not to      
repeat1     ,what ,i do beg or crave3   
,thou knowest1 ,o ,lord1 before ,i ask1 
,the thing that ,i would have4          
,mercy1 good ,lord1 mercy ,i ask1       
,this is the total sum1   ,for mercy1   
,lord1 is all my suit1     ,lord1 let   
,thy mercy come4  ,with ,sternhold and  
,hopkins began the reign of the metrical
 ,psalter4 ,the attempt to turn the     
whole book of ,psalms into verse for    
congregational use has had a curious    
fascination4 ,no one has attained more  
than very partial success1 not even     

,watts or ,keble4 ,in ,julian's long    
list of those who have essayed to render
 the ,psalms into ,english verse1 are   
many names upon which one lingers with  
interest4 ,queen ,elizabeth1 ,sir       
,thomas ,wyatt1 ,archbishop ,parker1    
,sir ,philip ,sidney and his sister1 the
 ,countess of ,pembroke1 ,bishop ,hall1 
,george ,wither1 ,george ,herbert1      
,george ,sandys1 ,john ,milton1 ,general
 ,fairfax1 ,richard ,baxter1 ,joseph    
,addison1 ,cotton ,mather1 ,christopher 
,smart1 and great numbers in more recent
 times4  ,of the multitude of these     
forgotten psalms the majority1 even of  
the best1 are but literary curiosities1 
myriads are not even curious1 they are  
simply dull4 ,a few little-known psalms 
of these early days ,i quote either for 
their own or their authors' sake4 ,the  
following by ,queen ,elizabeth is       
characteristically vigorous in          
expression4 ,i have modernized the      
spelling--                              
,,psalm ,,xiv    ,fools1 that true faith

 yet never had1   ,say in their hearts  
there is no ,god6   ,filthy they are in 
their practice1   ,of them not one is   
godly wise4    ,from heaven the ,lord on
 man did look   ,to know what ways he   
undertook2   ,all they were vague and   
went astray1   ,not one ,he found in the
 right way4    ,in heart and tongue have
 they deceit1   ,their lips throw forth 
a poisoned bait2   ,their minds are mad1
 their mouths are wode1#fa   ,and swift 
they be in shedding blood4    ,so blind 
they are no truth they know1   ,no fear 
of ,god in them will grow4   ,how can   
that cruel sort be good   ,of ,god's    
dear folk which suck the blood8    ,on  
,him rightly shall they not call1       
,despair will so their hearts appall4   
,at all times ,god is with the just1    
,because they put in ,him their trust4  
,who shall therefore from ,sion give    
,that health which hangeth on our       
belief4   ,when ,god shall take from    
,his the smart1   ,then will ,jacob     
rejoice in heart4                       

,praise to ,god6#fb  ,in the sandy      
desert of the metrical ,psalters there  
are1 however1 some wells of living      
water4 ,such are the psalms of ,sir     
,philip ,sidney and his sister1 and     
those of ,george ,sandys4 ,the metre1   
for the most part1 as well as the       
language1 makes them unsuitable for use 
in the congregation2 but ,i think many  
readers will be glad to see the         
following verses4 ,the verses from ,ps4 
xix4 are by ,sir ,philip1 and the       
version of ,ps4 xciii4 is by the        
,countess of ,pembroke4                 
,,psalm ,,xix    ,the heavenly frame    
sets forth the fame     ,of ,him that   
only thunders2   ,the firmament1 so     
strangely bent1     ,shows ,his hand    
working wonders4    ,day unto day doth  
it display1     ,their course doth it   
acknowledge3   ,and night to night      
succeeding right     ,in darkness teach 
clear knowledge4    ,there is no speech1
 nor language1 which     ,is so of skill
 bereavd1   ,but of the skies the       

teaching cries     ,they have heard and 
conceivd4    ,there he no eyne1 but read
 the line     ,from so fair book        
proceeding2   ,their words be set in    
letters great     ,for everybody's      
reading4                                
,,psalm ,,xciii    ,clothed with state  
and girt with might1     ,monarch-like  
,jehovah reigns3   ,he who earth's      
foundation pight1#fc     ,pight at      
first1 and yet sustains3     ,he whose  
stable throne disdains   ,motion's      
shock1 and ages' flight3     ,he who    
endless ,one remains1   ,one the same in
 changeless plight4    ,rivers1 yea1    
though rivers roar1     ,roaring though 
sea-billows rise2   ,vex the deep1 and  
break the shore1     ,stronger art      
,thou1 ,lord of skies4     ,firm and    
true ,thy promise lies   ,now and still 
as heretofore3     ,holy worship never  
dies   ,in ,thy house where we adore4   
,george ,sandys 7#aegg-afdc7 was a true 
poet4 ,dryden called him #8the best     
versifier of the former age1' and       

,richard ,baxter said1 #8,i must confess
 after all that1 next the ,scripture    
poems1 there are none so savoury to me  
as ,mr4 ,george ,herbert's and ,mr4     
,george ,sandys's4' ,charles the ,first 
comforted himself with ,sandys's psalms 
during his imprisonment at ,carisbrooke4
  ,he is even yet little known to our   
hymn-books1 though a few of his psalms  
make1 with a little adaptation1 good    
hymns4 ,the ,methodist ,hymn-book       
contains two--    ,thou who art         
enthroned above#fd 7,ps4 xcii474    ,ye 
who dwell above the skies 7,ps4         
cxlviii474  ,his version of ,ps4 lxvi4  
also has some good lines4 ,it begins--  
,happy sons of ,israel1   ,who in       
pleasant ,canaan dwell3   ,fill the air 
with shouts of joy1   ,shouts redoubled 
from the sky4   ,sing the great         
,jehovah's praise1   ,trophies to ,his  
glory raise4  ,these quotations must    
suffice for the psalms of the period    
between the ,old and ,new ,versions4    
,those who are interested in this not   

very attractive literature will find    
specimens of the principal ,british and 
,american writers in ,holland's         
,psalmists of ,britain 7#ahdc71 and     
,glass's ,story of the ,psalters        
7#ahhh74 ,when one looks at the two     
authorized metrical versions1 and the   
many attempts made to supplant them1 it 
is difficult to understand how the      
,church could so long have clung to the 
metrical ,psalter1 and could be so slow 
to use a hymn-book4 ,keble says of his  
own version--#8,it was undertaken1 in   
the first instance1 with a serious      
apprehension1 which has since grown into
 a full conviction1 that the thing      
attempted is1 strictly speaking1        
impossible4' ,yet scores have made the  
same fruitless effort since ,keble      
failed4  ,apart from the psalm-versions 
there are few hymns of the sixteenth    
century4 ,george ,gascoigne 7d4 #aegg71 
a lawyer1 poet1 and courtier of         
,elizabeth's day1 and a descendant of   
,sir ,william ,gascoigne1 the judge who 

committed ,henry ,v1 when ,prince of    
,wales1 to prison1 wrote a poem entitled
 #8,good ,morrow1' from which a good    
hymn has been made1 which is in many of 
the better school hymnals4    ,you that 
have spent the silent night     ,in     
sleep and quiet rest1   ,and joy to see 
the cheerful light     ,that riseth in  
the ,east2   ,now clear your voice1 now 
cheer your heart1     ,come help me now 
to sing2   ,each willing wight come bear
 a part1     ,to praise the heavenly    
,king4    ,yet as this deadly night did 
last     ,but for a little space1   ,and
 heavenly day1 now night is past1       
,doth show his pleasant face3   ,so must
 we hope to see ,god's face     ,at last
 in heaven on high1   ,when we have     
changed this mortal place     ,for      
,immortality4    ,unto which joys for to
 attain1     ,god grant us all ,his     
grace1   ,and send us1 after worldly    
pain1     ,in heaven to have a place3   
,where we may still enjoy that light1   
,which never shall decay3   ,lord1 for  

,thy mercy lend us might     ,to see    
that joyful day4#fe  ,thomas ,campion   
7#aefg-afai71 a doctor of medicine1     
wrote some lovely hymns1 #8admirable for
 their union of melodious simplicity1   
beauty1 and strong common sense4'#ff    
,josiah ,conder included one in the     
section for ,private ,worship of the    
,congregational hymn-book1 #ahcf4fg     
,never weather-beaten sail more willing 
bent to shore1   ,never tired pilgrim's 
limbs affected slumber more1   ,than my 
wearied sprite now longs to fly out of  
my troubled breast4   ,o come quickly1  
sweetest ,lord1 and take my soul to     
rest6    ,ever blooming are the joys of 
heaven's high ,paradise1   ,cold age    
deafs not there our ears nor vapour dims
 our eyes3   ,glory there the sun       
outshines1 whose beams the ,blessed only
 see4   ,o come quickly1 glorious ,lord1
 and raise my sprite to ,thee6  ,here is
 another of ,campion's hymns4    ,view  
me1 ,lord1 a work of ,thine6     ,shall 
,i then lie drowned in night8   ,might  

,thy grace in me but shine1     ,i      
should seem made all of light4          
,cleanse me1 ,lord1 that ,i may kneel   
,at ,thine altar1 pure and white3       
,they that once ,thy mercies feel1      
,gaze no more on earth's delight4       
,worldly joys1 like shadows1 fade1      
,when the heavenly light appears3   ,but
 the covenants ,thou hast made1         
,endless1 know nor days nor years4      
,in ,thy ,word1 ,lord1 is my trust1     
,to ,thy mercies fast ,i fly2   ,though 
,i am but clay and dust1     ,yet ,thy  
grace can lift me high4  ,campion is not
 mentioned in the ,dictionary of        
,hymnology1 but he deserves a place     
there4  ,one other hymn must be         
mentioned1 #8,jerusalem1 my happy home4'
 ,it is found in a ,,ms4 preserved in   
the ,british ,museum1 with the title    
#8,a ,song ,mad1 by ,f4 ,b4 ,p4 ,to the 
tune of ,diana4' ,who the author was no 
one knows1 but internal evidence        
indicates that he was a devout ,roman   
,catholic4 ,in the ,arundel ,hymns it is

 attributed to ,father ,laurence        
,anderton1 alias ,john ,beverley1 ,s4,j4
 ,the ,,ms4 has twenty-six verses1 of   
which nineteen were printed in ,london  
in #afja4 ,the hymn is probably based   
upon a passage in the ,meditations of   
,st4 ,augustine4 ,the popular modern    
hymn1 #8,jerusalem1 my happy home1'     
which is now believed to have been      
written by ,joseph ,bromehead1 ,vicar of
 ,eckington1 near ,sheffield1 was no    
doubt suggested by this hymn1 or one of 
the various versions of it1 but has     
little verbal agreement except in the   
first and last verses4 ,i give a portion
 of the original poem4    ,hierusalem1  
my happie home1     ,when shall ,i come 
to thee1   ,when shall my sorrowes haue 
an end1     ,thy ioyes when shall ,i    
see4    ,o happie harbour of the saints1
     ,o sweete and pleasant soyle1   ,in
 thee noe sorrow may be founde1     ,noe
 greefe1 noe care1 noe toyle4           
,hierusalem1 ,hierusalem1     ,god grant
 ,i once may see   ,thy endless ioyes1  

and of the same     ,partaker aye to    
bee4    ,thy wales are made of precious 
stones1     ,thy bulwarkes diamondes    
square1   ,thy gates are of right orient
 pearle1     ,exceeding riche and rare4 
,thy terrettes and thy pinnacles        
,with carbuncles doe shine1   ,thy verie
 streetes are paued with gould1         
,surpassinge cleare and fine4    ,thy   
houses are of ivorie1     ,thy windoes  
cristale cleare1   ,thy tyles are mad of
 beaten gould1     ,o ,god that ,i were 
there4    ,there ,david standes with    
harpe in hand1     ,as maister of the   
queere1   ,tenne thousand times that man
 were blest   ,that might this musicke  
hear4    ,our ,ladie singes magnificat  
,with tune surpassinge sweete1   ,and   
all the virgins beare their parts       
,sitinge aboue her feete4    ,te ,deum  
doth ,sant ,ambrose singe1     ,sant    
,augustine dothe the like2   ,ould      
,simeon and ,zacharie     ,haue not     
their songes to seeke4    ,there        
,magdalene hath left her mone1     ,and 

cheerefullie doth singe1   ,with blessed
 ,saints whose harmonie     ,in everie  
streete doth ringe4    ,hierusalem1 my  
happie home1     ,would ,god ,i were in 
thee1   ,would ,god my woes were at an  
end1     ,thy ioyes that ,i might see4  
,finis4    ,finis4#fh                   
,,iii                           ,early  
,modern ,hymns                          
,,ii4--,seventeenth ,century  ,when the 
seventeenth century opened there were1  
as we have seen1 hardly any ,english    
hymns except such as may be taken from  
metrical versions of the ,psalms4 ,with 
the new century a new era begins2 and   
though we are not yet in what ,george   
,macdonald calls #8the zone of          
hymn-writing1' we are soon able to      
gather the materials of a hymn-book of  
the modern type4 ,it would be quite     
possible to compile a very good hymnal  
from writers who preceded ,dr4 ,watts1  
if a wise editorial discretion were     
exercised in the omission of unsuitable 
verses and the revision of phrases      

offensive to modern taste4  ,amongst the
 hymn-writers of the seventeenth century
 one name is pre-eminent--,thomas ,ken  
7#afcg-agaa71 ,bishop of ,bath and      
,wells4 ,his fame rests upon his three  
great hymns--,morning1 ,evening1 and    
,midnight--for little else in his       
voluminous poetical works is suited to  
the worship of the sanctuary4 ,in all   
the ,christian choir there is no        
worthier name than that of ,thomas ,ken1
 whom neither fear nor flattery could   
move from the strait path of duty4 ,he  
lived in the spirit of his own lines--  
,let all thy converse be sincere1   ,thy
 conscience as the noonday clear2       
,think how all-seeing ,god thy ways1    
,and all thy secret thoughts surveys4   
,he spent his earlier years of ministry 
in quiet places1 amongst those who      
honoured and loved him1 but later had   
some curious experiences as ,lord       
,dartmouth's chaplain at ,tangier1 where
 he testified with his accustomed       
resolution against evil-doers and       

evil-speakers1 coming1 as ,samuel ,pepys
 records1 into collision with the       
afterwards infamous ,colonel ,kirke1    
because he preached against #8the       
excessive liberty of swearing which we  
observe here4'  ,amongst all the heroes 
of his day there was none with a more   
serene courage than #8little ,ken1' who 
would not receive ,charles's mistress at
 his house--#8,no1 not for his          
kingdom'--and thus won his bishopric in 
as unlikely and as creditable a fashion 
as ever bishopric was earned4 ,after    
that one is not surprised to find him1  
as one of the seven bishops1 saying to  
,james ,,ii1 #8,we have two duties to   
perform1 our duty to ,god and our duty  
to your ,majesty4 ,we honour you1 but we
 fear ,god4' ,nor need we wonder that1  
notwithstanding his resistance of       
,james's illegal demands1 he could not  
bring himself to take the oath of       
allegiance to ,william of ,orange4 ,ken 
always had that infirmity of noble      
souls1 #8a weakness for the weaker      

side4' ,as ,dean ,plumptre well says1   
#8,if he was in doubt it was safer1 in  
quite another sense than that in which  
others counted safety1 to take the      
losing and not the winning side4'  ,ken 
was deprived in #agia1 and the bishopric
 was offered to ,beveridge1 then        
,archdeacon of ,colchestor4 ,had ,ken   
been translated to heaven1 or to        
,canterbury1 ,beveridge would have      
accepted the preferment with delight1   
for he had no nonjuring scruples and    
wished to be a bishop4 ,but he too was a
 saint1 and not unworthy to be ,ken's   
successor2 so he would not take the     
place from which ,ken had been thrust   
out1 and waited thirteen years for      
#8preferment1' becoming ,bishop of ,st4 
,asaph in #agjd4  ,when ,ken left the   
episcopal palace1 ,lord ,weymouth       
honoured his own magnificent mansion of 
,longleat by welcoming ,ken to its      
hospitable shelter1 as ,sir ,thomas     
,abney1 in widely different             
circumstances1 made the great           

,nonconformist hymn-writer his guest    
twenty-five years later4 ,longleat was  
,ken's home for twenty years4 ,there he 
died1 after long and acute suffering1   
soothed by the writing of hymns1 and by 
the thought that they would be sung on  
earth while he praised ,god in heaven4  
',twill heighten even the joys of heaven
 to know   ,that in my verse the saints 
hymn ,god below4#fi  ,ken's hymns1 as we
 now sing them1 are selected from the   
thirty-seven verses of the originals1   
which were intended in the first place  
for the scholars of his old             
school--,winchester4 ,as in most other  
cases1 the popular selection is amply   
justified4 ,the hymns abbreviated are   
much more serviceable alike for public  
and private devotion than if they were  
transferred in extenso to our           
hymn-books4 ,like ,sternhold1 ,herbert1 
and ,watts1 ,ken was a musician1 and    
loved to accompany himself on the lute  
or organ4  ,the morning hymn1 which     
consists of fourteen verses1 falls into 

three sections1 addressed 7#a7 to the   
soul1 7#b7 to the angels1 7#c7 to ,god4 
,in the evening hymn two verses are     
addressed to the guardian angel4 ,the   
following verses from the morning hymn  
are not usually found in modern         
hymnals--    ,influenced by the ,light  
,divine1   ,let thy own light in good   
works shine3   ,reflect all ,heaven's   
propitious ways1   ,in ardent love1 and 
cheerful praise4    ,awake1 awake1#gj ye
 heavenly choir1   ,may your devotion me
 inspire1   ,that ,i1 like you1 my age  
may spend1   ,like you1 may on my ,god  
attend4    ,may ,i1 like you1 in ,god   
delight1   ,have all day long my ,god in
 sight1   ,perform1 like you1 my        
,maker's will2   ,o may ,i never more do
 ill6    ,had ,i your wings1 to heaven  
,i'd fly1   ,but ,god shall that defect 
supply1   ,and my soul winged with warm 
desire1   ,shall all day long to heaven 
aspire4    ,i would not wake1 nor rise  
again1   ,even heaven itself ,i would   
disdain2   ,wert not ,thou there to be  

enjoyed1   ,and ,i in hymns to be       
employed4    ,heaven is1 dear ,lord1    
where'er ,thou art1   ,o never then from
 me depart2   ,for to my soul 'tis hell 
to be   ,but for one moment without#ga  
,thee4  ,the special charm of ,ken's    
hymns lies in their simplicity and      
suitability4 ,in the plainest words he  
asks for just what every ,christian     
feels that he needs1 morning and        
evening1 his whole life through4 ,they  
are the first great ,english hymns1 and 
are worthy to lead the devotions of the 
,church4  ,ken's influence upon later   
poets has been great4 ,charles ,wesley1 
,keble1 and ,christopher ,wordsworth    
were1 to some extent1 inspired by his   
hymns on the ,festivals1 whilst ,newman 
desired to add ,ken to the ,calendar of 
,english saints1 and actually prepared a
 service for use on #8,ken's day4'#gb   
,archbishop ,alexander1 himself a poet1 
preaching in ,wells ,cathedral at the   
festival commemorative of the           
bicentenary of ,ken's consecration1     

said--    ,outside the ,psalter1 no     
lines have ever been so familiar to     
,english   ,christians as ,ken's        
,morning and ,evening ,hymn4 ,other     
hymns have been   more mystical1 more   
impassioned1 more imaginative--have     
perhaps   contained profounder thoughts 
in their depth1 have certainly          
exhibited richer colouring upon their   
surface4 ,but none are so   suitable to 
the homely pathos and majesty of the    
,english ,liturgy2   none are so adapted
 to the character which the ,english    
,church has   aimed at forming1 the     
sweet reserve1 the quiet thoroughness1  
the   penitence which is continuous     
without being unhopeful4 ,they are      
lines which the child may repeat without
 the painful sense that they   are      
beyond him1 and the man without the     
contemptuous sense that they   are below
 him4 ,they appeal to the man in the    
child1 and the child in   the man4 ,they
 are at once a form of devotion1 a rule 
of life1 a   breath of prayer1 a sigh of

 aspiration4 ,they are the utterances of
 a   heart which had no contempt for    
earth1 but which is at home among   the 
angels4 ,when we listen to them1 or     
repeat them with congenial   spirit1 in 
whatever climate we may be1 the roses of
 the ,english dawn   and the gold of the
 ,english sunset are in our sky4#gc     
,montgomery wrote of ,ken's three hymns 
that1 #8had he endowed three hospitals1 
he might have been less a benefactor to 
posterity4'#gd ,the importance of his   
hymns as setting a standard of          
simplicity and directness can hardly be 
overstated4 ,yet it is curious how      
slowly they won general acceptance4     
,they were not printed in the supplement
 to the ,book of ,common ,prayer till   
#ahja1 and though ,john ,wesley included
 them in his ,psalms and ,hymns1 #agch1 
he omitted them from his later          
publications and from his hymn-book4    
,dean ,plumptre1 however1 says that both
 the hymns had appeared in some of the  
earlier collections of hymns for        

congregational use by ,english clergymen
 between #agej and #agfj4 ,the three    
hymns are given in the ,moravian        
,hymn-book of #aged4  ,after ,ken the   
seventeenth century had no sweeter      
hymn-writer than ,john ,austin          
7#afac-fi71 who left ,st4 ,john's       
,college1 ,cambridge1 in #afdj1 on      
becoming a ,romanist4 ,he wrote two     
volumes of ,devotions in the ,ancient   
,way of ,offices4 ,these were #8a family
 piece among ,catholics1' and were much 
used by devout ,protestants4 ,the       
nonjuring ,bishop ,hickes edited them   
for ,protestant use1 and ,john ,wesley  
included seven of the hymns in his      
,charlestown hymn-book--a larger number 
than by any other author except ,watts4 
,austin did not complete his work4      
#8,death1 for which he had fitted his   
soul by a well-spent life1 interrupted  
his labours4444 ,when he perceived death
 immediately seizing its prey1 he gave  
up the ghost with these remarkable      
words3 444 8,now1 heartily for heaven1  

through ,jesus ,christ60'#ge  ,austin's 
hymns are used chiefly outside his own  
communion1#gf though ,romanism has no   
,english hymn-writer to compare with him
 till the time of ,faber4 ,in the       
,arundel ,hymns his verses are          
attributed to ,w4 ,austin 7a ,protestant
 contemporary74 ,the following hymn     
illustrates the similarity of ,austin   
and ,faber's writing4 ,few readers would
 guess that one of these four verses was
 written two centuries after the others4
                             ,,from     
,,death ,,to ,,life    ,jesu6 all hail4 
,who for my sin   ,didst die1 and by    
that death didst win       ,eternal life
 for me2   ,send me ,thy grace1 good    
,lord6 that ,i   ,unto the world and    
flesh may die1       ,and hide my life  
with ,thee4    ,jesu6 who on that fatal 
wood   ,poured forth ,thy life's last   
drop of blood1       ,nailed to a       
shameful cross2   ,o may we bless ,thy  
love1 and be   ,ready1 dear ,lord1 to   
bear for ,thee       ,all grief1 all    

pain1 all loss4    ,jesu6 who by ,thine 
own love slain1   ,by ,thine own power  
took'st life again1       ,and from the 
grave didst rise2   ,o may ,thy death   
our souls revive1   ,and at our death a 
new life give1       ,the life that     
never dies4    ,jesu6 who to ,thy heaven
 again   ,returned in triumph1 there to 
reign       ,of men and angels ,king2   
,o may our parting souls take flight    
,up to that land of joy and light1      
,and there for ever sing4#gg  ,in this  
hymn the first verse is from ,faber's   
series on #8,the ,life of our ,lord1'#gh
 and the rest from ,austin's #8,vespers 
for our ,blessed ,saviour4' ,wesley's   
selection from the same hymn began with 
the verse--    ,jesu6 behold three kings
 from far1   ,led to ,thy cradle by a   
star1       ,bring gifts to ,thee their 
,king3   ,o guide us by ,thy light1 that
 we   ,may find ,thy favour and to ,thee
       ,ourselves for tribute bring4#gi 
,of another hymn which ,faber might have
 written1 ,i give the first two verses--

    ,sweet ,jesu6 why1 why dost ,thou   
love     ,such worthless things as we8  
,why is ,thy heart still towards us     
,who seldom think on ,thee8    ,thy     
bounty gives us all we have1     ,and we
 ,thy gifts abuse3   ,thy bounty gives  
us even ,thyself1     ,and we ,thyself  
refuse4  ,austin's best hymns1 however1 
are1 ,i think1 one for ,monday morning1 
which ,wesley entitled #8,universal     
,praise1' and the evening hymn1 of which
 some verses will be familiar to most   
readers4                                
,,morning    ,hark1 my soul6 how every  
thing   ,strives to serve our bounteous 
,king3   ,each a double tribute pays2   
,sings its part1 and then obeys4        
,nature's chief and sweetest choir      
,him with cheerful notes admire2        
,chanting every day their lauds1#hj     
,while the grove their song applauds4   
,though their voices lower be1          
,streams have too their melody2   ,night
 and day their warbling run3   ,never   
pause1 but still sing on4    ,all the   

flowers that gild the spring1   ,hither 
their still music bring3   ,if ,heaven  
bless them1 thankful they1   ,smell more
 sweet1 and look more gay4    ,only we  
can scarce afford1   ,this short office 
to our ,lord3   ,we1 on whom ,his bounty
 flows1   ,all things gives1 and nothing
 owes4    ,wake6 for shame my sluggish  
heart2   ,wake6 and gladly sing thy     
part3   ,learn of birds1 and springs1   
and flowers1   ,how to use thy nobler   
powers4    ,call whole nature to thy    
aid1   ,since 'twas ,he whole nature    
made3   ,join in one eternal song1      
,who to one ,god all belong4    ,live   
for ever1 glorious ,lord6   ,live by all
 ,thy works adored3   ,one in ,three1   
and ,three in ,one1   ,thrice we bow to 
,thee alone4                            
,,evening      ,lord6 now the time      
returns1     ,for weary man to rest1    
,and lay aside those pains and cares    
,with which our day's opprest4      ,or1
 rather1 change our thoughts     ,to    
more concerning cares2   ,how to redeem 

our misspent time1     ,with sighs1 and 
tears1 and prayers4      ,how to provide
 for heaven1     ,that place of rest and
 peace1   ,where our full joys shall    
never fade1     ,our pleasures never    
cease4      ,blest be ,thy love1 dear   
,lord6     ,that taught us this sweet   
way1   ,only to love ,thee for ,thyself1
     ,and for that love obey4      ,o   
,thou1 our soul's chief hope6     ,we to
 ,thy mercy fly1   ,where'er we are1    
,thou canst protect2     ,whate'er we   
need1 supply4      ,whether we sleep or 
wake1     ,to ,thee we both resign2     
,by night we see as well as day1     ,if
 ,thy light on us shine4      ,whether  
we live or die1     ,both we submit to  
,thee3   ,in death we live as well as   
life1     ,if ,thine in death we be4    
,william ,austin 7d4 #afcc7 had not the 
devotional fervour of his younger       
namesake 7he does not seem to have been 
a relative1 though both were of         
,lincoln's ,inn71 but he is among the   
noteworthy hymn-writers of a time when  

hymns were few4 ,as his poems are little
 known1 ,i give a charming little hymn  
and two verses of a bright ,christmas   
carol--    ,what a gracious ,god have   
we1   ,in ,his gifts of grace how free6 
,how intent our prayers to hear1   ,and 
to them that pray how near4    ,how to  
balmy mercy prone1   ,and to kind       
compassion4   ,how regardfully ,he      
wakes1   ,for ,his chosen servants'     
sakes4    ,how ,he gives them grace to  
pray1   ,and then to their suits gives  
way4   ,how ,he prompts each good       
desire1   ,and blows up that spark to   
fire4    ,he hath set no greater task1  
,to obtain of ,him but #8,ask6'   ,no   
exacter search to find1   ,but to seek  
with humble mind4    ,no more pains     
heaven to unlock1   ,but with spotless  
hands to knock4   ,yet ,he joys to see  
man press ,him1   ,and to wrestle till  
,he bless him6#ha                       
4 4 4 4 4    ,all this night bright     
angels sing2   ,never was such          
carolling4   ,hark6 a voice which loudly

 cries1   #8,mortals1 mortals1 wake and 
rise2       ,lo6 to gladness1           
,turns your sadness2   ,from the earth  
is risen a ,sun1   ,shines all night1   
though day be done4'    ,hail1 ,o ,sun6 
,o blessd ,light1   ,sent into this     
world by night2   ,let ,thy rays and    
heavenly powers   ,shine in these dark  
souls of ours2       ,for1 most duly1   
,thou art truly   ,god and ,man1 we do  
confess2   ,hail1 ,o ,sun of            
,righteousness6#hb  ,george ,wither     
7#aehh-affg71 lawyer1 soldier1 poet1    
,cavalier1 ,roundhead1 ,puritan1        
,anglican1 was a writer of many hymns4  
,he finds a secluded corner in a few    
modern hymnals2 but had there been what 
we call hymn-books in his day1 he would 
have been a considerable contributor4   
,his hymns are more of the ,evangelical 
than the ,puritan type4 ,his songs of   
the ,church form a #8,christian ,year1' 
and some of the hymns for ,saints' days 
are much more original and poetic than  
those commonly in use4 ,here are three  

verses for--                            
,,st4 ,,matthew',s ,,day    ,for ,god   
doth not a whit respect     ,profession1
 person1 or degree2   ,but maketh choice
 of ,his elect     ,from every sort of  
men that be1   ,that none might of ,his 
love despair1   ,but all men unto ,him  
repair4    ,for those1 oh let us        
therefore pray1     ,who seem uncalld to
 remain2   ,not shunning them1 as cast  
away1     ,god's favour never to obtain3
   ,for some awhile neglected are1   ,to
 stir in us more loving care4    ,and   
for ourselves1 let us desire1     ,that 
we our avarice may shun2   ,when ,god   
our service shall require1     ,as this 
,evangelist hath done1   ,and spend the 
remnant of our days   ,in setting forth 
our ,maker's praise4  ,there is nothing 
in these simple lines of the exquisite  
beauty of ,keble's poem on ,st4         
,matthew's ,day1 one verse of which     
would reconcile the least ecclesiastical
 of us to the observance of saints'     
days--        ,there are in this loud   

stunning tide         ,of human care and
 crime1       ,with whom the melodies   
abide         ,of the everlasting chime2
       ,who carry music in their heart1 
,through dusky lane and wrangling mart2 
,plying their daily task with busier    
feet1   ,because their secret souls a   
holy strain repeat4  ,but as a hymn to  
be sung in church or to be read in the  
hour of private devotion1 ,wither's     
lines compare very favourably with those
 of ,bishop ,ken1#hc ,bishop            
,wordsworth1 and even ,dr4 ,monsell4    
,wither's hymn for ,whit ,sunday is a   
very appropriate #8devotion' for that   
festival4 ,here are four of its six     
verses--    ,exceeding faithful in ,thy 
word1     ,and just in all ,thy ways1   
,we do acknowledge ,thee1 ,o ,lord1     
,and therefore give ,thee praise3   ,for
 as ,thy promise ,thou didst pass1      
,before ,thou went'st away1   ,sent down
 ,thy ,holy ,spirit was1     ,at ,his   
appointed day4    ,now1 also1 ,blessed  
,spirit1 come1     ,unto our souls      

appear2   ,and of ,thy graces shower    
,thou some     ,on this assembly here3  
,to us ,thy dove-like meekness lend1    
,that humble we may be1   ,and on ,thy  
silver wings ascend1     ,our ,saviour  
,christ to see4    ,o let ,thy cloven   
tongues1 we pray1     ,so rest on us    
again1   ,that both the truth confess we
 may     ,and teach it other men4       
,moreover1 let ,thy heavenly fire1      
,inflamd from above1   ,burn up in us   
each vain desire1     ,and warm our     
hearts with love4    ,vouchsafe ,thou   
likewise to bestow     ,on us ,thy      
sacred peace2   ,we stronger may in     
union grow1     ,and in debates         
decrease2   ,which peace1 though many   
yet contemn1     ,reformd let them be2  
,that we may1 ,lord1 have part in them1 
,and they have part in ,thee4  ,other   
poems in this series are well worth     
preserving1 though perhaps few would    
find favour with the average            
congregation4 ,for the most part they   
run smoothly2 the language is that of   

plain men1 and the spirit of the        
festival finds happy expression in      
praise or prayer4 ,his ,communion hymn  
is intended to be sung during the       
administration4 ,it is interesting to   
find that those who are now adopting    
this custom are but reviving an ancient 
order4 #8,we have a custom among us1' he
 says1 #8that during the time of        
administering the blessed ,sacrament of 
the ,lord's ,supper there is some psalm 
or hymn sung1 the better to keep the    
thoughts of the communicants from       
wandering after vain objects4'  ,but the
 piece which is most easily adapted to  
modern use is the poem1 a paraphrase of 
,ps4 cxlvii41 which he prefixed to his  
,preparation for the ,psalter4 ,i give  
the poem as ,wither published it4 ,mr4  
,horder and ,miss ,wood#hd have shown   
how well it may be adapted to public    
worship4    ,come1 ,o come6 in pious    
lays   ,sound we ,god ,almighty's       
praise2   ,hither bring in one consent1 
,heart1 and voice1 and instrument4      

,music add of every kind2   ,sound the  
trump1 the cornet wind2   ,strike the   
viol1 touch the lute2   ,let no tongue  
nor string be mute2     ,nor a creature 
dumb be found1     ,that hath either    
voice or sound4    ,come1 ye sons of    
human race1   ,in this chorus take a    
place2   ,and amid the mortal throng1   
,be you masters of the song4   ,angels1 
and supernal powers1   ,be the noblest  
tenor yours2   ,let in praise of ,god   
the sound   ,run a never-ending round2  
,that our song of praise may be         
,everlasting as is ,he4    ,from earth's
 vast and hollow womb1   ,music's       
deepest bass may come2   ,seas and      
floods1 from shore to shore1   ,shall   
their countertenors roar1   ,to this    
concert1 when we sing1   ,whistling     
winds your descants bring2   ,that our  
song may over-climb   ,all the bounds of
 place and time1     ,and ascend from   
sphere to sphere1     ,to the great     
,almighty's ear4    ,so1 from heaven1 on
 earth ,he shall   ,let ,his gracious   

blessings fall3   ,and this huge wide   
orb we see1   ,shall one choir1 one     
temple be2   ,where1 in such a          
praise-full tone   ,we will sing what   
,he hath done1   ,that the cursd fiends 
below   ,shall thereat impatient grow4  
,then1 ,o come6 in pious lays     ,sound
 we ,god ,almighty's praise4  ,wither   
has been slow in winning his place among
 our sacred poets4 ,he was a man of war 
from his youth1 had a perilous gift of  
sarcasm1 and lacked the caution and good
 sense which were so much needed in his 
troublous times4 ,he was boycotted by   
the booksellers1 satirized by ,butler in
 ,hudibras1 by ,pope1 ,dryden1 and      
,swift1 and seemed likely to be         
forgotten1 save as the butt of a former 
age4 ,but ,southey1 ,charles ,lamb1     
,montgomery1 ,edward ,farr1 ,george     
,macdonald1 ,f4 ,t4 ,palgrave1 ,dr4     
,grosart1 among others have recognized  
his merits4 ,he was a devout man and    
courageous1 for he not only fought on   
both sides in the ,civil ,war1 but with 

rarer bravery chose to remain in ,london
 during the ,great ,plague1 and to      
render what little help he could to the 
sufferers in that awful visitation4 ,the
 king is said to have spared his life at
 ,sir ,john ,denham's good-naturedly    
contemptuous entreaty that he 7,denham7 
might not be #8the worst poet in        
,england'2 his contemporaries thought   
the prison cell a fit cage for the poet1
 but somehow he joined the lark1 and    
sang at heaven's gate4#he  ,samuel      
,crossman1 who died in #afhc1 within a  
few weeks of his appointment to the     
,deanery of ,bristol1 makes up in       
quality what he lacks in quantity4 ,of  
his nine hymns--published in #affj--two 
or three have won an assured place in   
the hymn-book of the ,church4    ,my    
life's a shade1 my days     ,apace to   
death decline4  and    ,sweet place1    
sweet place alone     ,the home of ,god 
most high4  ,they are in a minor key1   
but they speak to the heart of the      
,christian pilgrim who seeks another    

country--his true fatherland4 ,his other
 hymns are seldom met with4 ,i quote    
one1 omitting a verse4                  
,,the ,,gift             #8,if thou     
knewest the gift of ,god' 7,john iv4    
#aj74    ,this is the ,gift1 ,thy ,gift1
 ,o ,lord6     ,the token of ,thy       
dearest love3   ,the orient jewel of    
,thy ,word2     ,sent down my           
thankfulness to prove4    ,great is his 
gift in all men's eyes1     ,who gives  
himself1 his friend to save3   ,my ,lord
 does more1 for foes ,he dies1     ,this
 ,gift no parallel may have4    ,but    
,lord6 whil'st ,thou thus gav'st to     
,thine     ,others arose to vie with    
,thee3   ,the world and ,satan did      
combine1     ,and they would needs a    
giving be4    ,satan1 sin's pleasures   
offerd1     ,and almost forced them upon
 me3   ,but while they bloomed1 they    
witherd1     ,and ,lord6 ,thy ,gift my  
choice shall be4    ,then did the ,world
 its gayes present1     ,and still      
alluring cried1 ,see1 ,see6   ,here's   

that may rather give content2     ,but  
,lord6 ,thy ,gift my choice shall be4   
,these cannot give1 they'd steal away   
,from me my heaven1 my heart from ,thee3
   ,whate'er they offer1 ,i'll say nay1 
,still ,lord6 ,thy ,gift my choice shall
 be4  ,richard ,baxter 7#afae-ia7 is to 
,nonconformity what ,ken is to          
,anglicanism4 ,he might have been a     
bishop if he would1 but preferred the   
rough ways of persecution for           
conscience' sake to the pleasant paths  
of ecclesiastical preferment4 ,he wrote 
many hymns1 and attempted1 with as      
little success as others1 a metrical    
version of the psalms4 ,he is1 and will 
be1 known to our hymn-books by the      
exquisite verses taken from his long    
poem on the #8,covenant and ,confidence 
of ,faith4' ,these verses1 beginning    
,now it belongs not to my care          
,whether ,i die or live4  are in almost 
every hymn-book4 ,another of his hymns1 
in a brighter tone1 is in many          
collections--    ,ye holy angels bright4

  ,the two following are not so well    
known4 ,they are good in themselves1 and
 very characteristic of their author4   
,as for my friends1 they are not lost3  
,the several vessels of ,thy fleet1     
,though parted now1 by tempests tost1   
,shall safely in the haven meet4        
,still we are centred all in ,thee2     
,members1 though distant1 of one ,head1 
,in the same family we be1     ,by the  
same faith and ,spirit led4    ,before  
the throne we daily meet1     ,as joint 
petitioners to ,thee2   ,in spirit we   
each other greet1     ,and shall again  
each other see4    ,the heavenly hosts1 
world without end1     ,shall be my     
company above2   ,and ,thou1 my best1 my
 surest ,friend1     ,who shall divide  
me from ,thy love8  ,the three following
 verses are in ,miss ,wood's ,hymns for 
,school ,worship--a very striking       
selection of hymns suitable for         
intelligent young people4    ,lord1     
though ,thy ,church in this dark world  
,do but begin and learn ,thy praise1    

,accept both it and us through ,christ1 
,till it and us ,thy glory raise4       
,here trembling sin resists ,thy grace2 
,of joy and sorrow we partake3   ,our   
broken hearts and broken peace     ,can 
none but broken music make4    ,thy ways
 to us seem often dark1     ,thou       
crossest human wit and will3   ,we      
murmur2 but ,thou dost ,thy work2       
,that's wise and good1 which we thought 
ill4  ,if ,austin is the ,faber of the  
seventeenth century1 ,john ,mason 7d4   
#afid71 whom ,baxter called #8the glory 
of the ,church of ,england1' is its     
,newton4 ,there is in ,mason the same   
childlike simplicity which is the charm 
of the ,olney hymns1 with an added      
quaintness which belongs to the earlier 
century4 ,he is one of the minor poets  
of the sanctuary1 but in his own time he
 was amongst the best of the evangelical
 hymn-writers4 ,mason was born a        
,dissenter1 but entered the ,anglican   
,church4 ,his friend1 ,thomas ,shepherd 
7#affe-agci71 who also wrote some       

noteworthy hymns1 seceded from the      
,establishment1 and was for a few years 
pastor of the church at ,nottingham1    
where ,doddridge subsequently           
ministered4 ,of the hymns of these good 
men1 ,george ,macdonald and ,mr4 ,horder
 express a high opinion1 comparing them 
favourably with those of ,dr4 ,watts4   
,mr4 ,horder justly says that ,mason    
would have reached a higher standard had
 his lot been cast in a #8hymn-singing  
age4'  ,some of ,mason's verses are too 
racy for congregational use1 e4g4 this  
from #8,a ,song of ,praise for          
,health'--    ,their earnest cries do   
pierce the skies1     ,and shall ,i     
silent be8   ,lord1 were ,i sick as ,i  
am well1     ,thou shouldst have heard  
from me4   ,the sick have not more cause
 to pray     ,than ,i to praise my      
,king2   ,since nature teaches them to  
groan     ,let grace teach me to sing4  
,here is a verse from his #8,song of    
,praise for the ,birth of ,christ'--    
,the wakeful shepherds near their flocks

     ,were watching for the morn2   ,but
 better news from heaven was brought--  
,your ,saviour ,christ is born4   ,in   
,bethlehem the ,infant lies1     ,within
 a place obscure2   ,o little           
,bethlehem1 poor in walls     ,but rich 
in furniture6  ,one of his best hymns1  
perhaps the very best1 is               
,a ,,general ,,song ,,of ,,praise ,,to  
,,almighty ,,god    ,how shall ,i sing  
that ,majesty     ,which angels do      
admire8   ,let dust in dust and silence 
lie3     ,sing1 sing1 ye heavenly choir4
   ,thousands of thousands stand around 
,thy throne1 ,o ,god1 most high3   ,ten 
thousand times ten thousand sound       
,thy praise2 but who am ,i8    ,thy     
brightness unto them appears1           
,whilst ,i ,thy footsteps trace3   ,a   
sound of ,god comes to my ears1     ,but
 they behold ,thy face3   ,they sing    
because ,thou art their ,sun1     ,lord1
 send a beam on me3   ,for where heaven 
is but once begun1     ,there           
,hallelujahs be4    ,enlighten with     

faith's light my heart1     ,inflame it 
with love's fire1   ,then shall ,i sing 
and bear a part     ,with that celestial
 choir4   ,i shall1 ,i fear1 be dark and
 cold     ,with all my fire and light1  
,yet when ,thou dost accept their gold1 
,lord1 treasure up my mite4    ,how good
 art ,thou whose goodness is     ,our   
parent1 nurse1 and guide3   ,whose      
streams do water ,paradise     ,and all 
the earth beside6   ,thine upper and    
,thy nether springs     ,make both ,thy 
worlds to thrive3   ,under ,thy warm and
 sheltering wings     ,thou keep'st two 
broods alive4    ,thy arm of might1 most
 ,mighty ,king1     ,both rocks and     
hearts doth break2   ,my ,god1 ,thou    
canst do everything     ,but what would 
shew ,thee weak4   ,thou canst not cross
 ,thyself1 or be     ,less than         
,thyself1 or poor2   ,but whatsoever    
pleaseth ,thee1     ,that canst ,thou   
do1 and more4    ,who would not fear    
,thy searching eye1     ,witness to all 
that's true8   ,dark hell and deep      

hypocrisy     ,lie plain before its     
view4   ,motions and thoughts1 before   
they grow1     ,thy knowledge doth espy2
   ,what unborn ages are to do     ,is  
done before ,thine eye4    ,thy wisdom  
which both makes and mends     ,we ever 
much admire2   ,creation all our wit    
transcends1     ,redemption rises       
higher4   ,thy wisdom guides strayed    
sinners home1     ',twill make the dead 
world rise1   ,and bring those prisoners
 to their doom1     ,its paths are      
mysteries4  ,shepherd's poems were      
called #8,penitential ,cries1' and were 
published with ,mason's ,songs of       
,praise in #afic4 ,his best-known hymn  
begins    ,alas1 my ,god1 that we should
 be     ,such strangers to each other6  
,o that as friends we might agree1      
,and walk1 and talk together6  ,most of 
his hymns have vigour and freshness1 but
 there is generally something which     
hinders them from becoming hymns of the 
first class4 ,the following verses are  
taken from a hymn entitled1 #8,lamenting

 the ,loss of ,first ,love1' and were   
probably known to ,cowper--    ,o that  
my soul was now as fair     ,as it has  
sometimes been1   ,devoid of that       
distracting care     ,without1 and guilt
 within4    ,there was a time when ,i   
could tread     ,no circle but of love2 
,that joyous morning now is fled1       
,how heavily ,i move6    ,unhappy soul1 
that thou should'st force     ,thy      
,saviour to depart1   ,when ,he was     
pleasd with so coarse     ,a lodging in 
thy heart6    ,how sweetly ,i enjoyed my
 ,god6     ,with how divine a frame6    
,i thought1 on every plant ,i trod      
,i read my ,saviour's name4    ,o might 
those days return again1     ,how       
welcome they should be6   ,shall my     
petition be in vain1     ,since grace is
 ever free8    ,lord of my soul1 return1
 return1     ,to chase away this night2 
,let not ,thine anger ever burn2        
,god once was my delight4  ,other       
hymn-writers of this period are almost  
or entirely unknown to modern hymnals4  

,one or two names may1 however1 be      
mentioned4 ,matthew ,henry wrote a      
number of #8family hymns'2 ,benjamin    
,keach 7#afdj-agjd7 not only wrote hymns
 by the hundred1 but published a defence
 of congregational singing under the    
title--,the ,breach repaired in ,god's  
,worship4  ,william ,barton may be taken
 as a fair example of the poorer        
hymn-writers of the time4 ,there is     
little to choose between the best and   
the worst of his ,six ,centuries of     
,hymns4 ,the work was dedicated to ,sir 
,matthew ,hale1 who had spoken a good   
word for the hymns to the ,mayor and    
,aldermen of ,leicester1 in which town  
,barton had been minister of ,st4       
,martin's ,church4 ,led by ,dr4         
,julian's statement that these hymns    
#8deserve more attention from compilers 
than they have hitherto received1' ,i   
have searched them diligently1 but in   
vain4 ,i am most impressed that such    
dull productions could ever have been   
popular4  ,there is1 indeed1 something  

very pathetic in the author's evident   
satisfaction with his work and in his   
son's pride in his father's #8pious and 
laborious undertaking1' which he was led
 to attempt1 #8finding that the ancient 
usage of our speech in ,sternhold and   
,hopkins's translation was become       
obsoletely contemptuous to many people  
of this age4' ,this filial editor       
believed that the hymn-book #8would     
sufficiently manifest its excellency in 
the perusal1' a belief which the        
extensive circulation of its many       
editions may be taken to justify4       
,barton's first book1 his version of the
 ,psalms1 was published in #afdd1 and   
the last edition was printed in #agfh4  
,during a great part of that period it  
was probably the standard psalter of the
 ,nonconformist congregations4 ,his     
hymns are usually brief1 and he was     
careful to use familiar metres1 having a
 special weakness for #8delicate and    
expeditious tunes4' ,his psalms and     
hymns owed their long life to the       

poverty of rivals1 but one cannot be    
surprised that ,enoch ,watts1 in urging 
his brother #8to oblige the world by    
showing it your hymns in print1' should 
say that #8honest ,barton chimes us     
asleep4'  ,the following verses are a   
fair specimen--    ,my ,saviour1 my     
,beloved ,one1     ,is mine and ,i am   
,his2   ,chief of ten thousand ,he      
alone1     ,pure red and white ,he is4  
,made sin for us that knew no sin1      
,that so we might be made   ,the        
righteousness of ,god in ,him1     ,by  
whom the price was paid4    ,stronger   
than death ,his love is found4     ,not 
to be bought with goods3   ,nor quenched
 with waters1 nor be drowned     ,with  
whatsoever floods4   ,o draw me1 my dear
 ,saviour1     ,with these strong cords 
of love1   ,and then will we go after   
,thee     ,as fast as we can move4#hf   
,although the seventeenth century is    
poor in hymn-writers1 we find some grand
 and beautiful hymns written by poets   
and men of letters4 ,there is1 for      

instance1 ,sir ,thomas ,browne's evening
 hymn1 of which he says1 #8,this is the 
dormitive ,i take to bedward3 ,i need no
 other laudanum than this to make me    
sleep2 after which ,i close mine eyes in
 security1 content to take my leave of  
the sun1 and sleep unto the             
resurrection4'#hg    ,the night is come1
 like to the day2   ,depart not ,thou1  
great ,god away4   ,let not my sins1    
black as the night1   ,eclipse the      
lustre of ,thy light4   ,keep still in  
my horizon2 for to me   ,the sun makes  
not the day1 but ,thee4    ,thou whose  
nature cannot sleep1   ,on my temples   
sentry keep2   ,guard me 'gainst those  
watchful foes1   ,whose eyes are open   
while mine close4   ,let no dreams my   
head infest1   ,but such as ,jacob's    
temples blest4    ,while ,i do rest1 my 
soul advance3   ,make my sleep a holy   
trance2   ,that ,i may1 my rest being   
wrought1   ,awake into some holy        
thought1   ,and with as active vigour   
run   ,my course as doth the nimble sun4

    ,sleep is a death--,o make me try   
,by sleeping1 what it is to die6   ,and 
as gently lay my head   ,on my grave1 as
 now my bed4   ,howe'er ,i rest1 great  
,god1 let me   ,awake again at last with
 ,thee4    ,and thus assured1 behold ,i 
lie   ,securely1 or to wake or die4     
,these are my drowsy days2 in vain   ,i 
do not wake to sleep again3   ,o come   
that hour1 when ,i shall never   ,sleep 
again1 but wake for ever6  ,another     
great name is that of ,john ,donne1     
,dean of ,st4 ,paul's1 and friend of    
,james ,i1 who wrote one of the truest  
and most affecting hymns of that or any 
other century4 ,if its form prevents its
 being sung in modern congregations1 it 
is at least one of those spiritual songs
 which we should preserve for the hour  
of private devotion4                    
,a ,,hymn ,,to ,,god ,,the ,,father     
,wilt ,thou forgive that sin where ,i   
begun1     ,which was my sin1 though it 
were done before8   ,wilt ,thou forgive 
that sin1 through which ,i run1     ,and

 do run still1 though still ,i do       
deplore8       ,when ,thou hast done1   
,thou hast not done1             ,for ,i
 have more4    ,wilt ,thou forgive that 
sin which ,i have won     ,others to    
sin1 and made my sin their door8   ,wilt
 ,thou forgive that sin which ,i did    
shun     ,a year or two1 but wallowed in
 a score8       ,when ,thou hast done1  
,thou hast not done1             ,for ,i
 have more4    ,i have a sin of fear1   
that when ,i've spun     ,my last       
thread1 ,i shall perish on the shore2   
,but swear by ,thyself1 that at my death
 ,thy ,son     ,shall shine as ,he      
shines now1 and heretofore2       ,and1 
having done that1 ,thou hast done2      
,i fear no more4    #8,i have the rather
 mentioned this hymn1' says ,izaak      
,walton1 #8for   that he caused it to be
 set to a most grave and solemn tune1   
and to   be often sung to the organ by  
the choristers of ,st4 ,paul's ,church  
in   his own hearing2 especially at the 
evening service1 and at his   return    

from his customary devotions in that    
place1 did occasionally   say to a      
friend3 8,the words of this hymn have   
restored to me the   same thoughts of   
joy that possessed my soul in my        
sickness when ,i   composed it4 ,and1   
,o1 the power of ,church music6 that    
harmony added   to this hymn has raised 
the affections of my heart and quickened
 my   graces of zeal and gratitude2 and 
,i observe that ,i always return   from 
paying this public duty of prayer and   
praise to ,god1 with an   unexpressible 
tranquillity of mind1 and a willingness 
to leave the   world40'  ,ben ,jonson's 
lovely ,christmas hymn is to be found in
 a few hymn-books to-day4 ,is it too    
much to hope that it may yet become a   
familiar carol of the ,nativity8    ,i  
sing the ,birth was born to-night1      
,the ,author both of life and light2    
,the angels so did sound it3--   ,and   
like the ravished shepherds said1   ,who
 saw the light1 and were afraid1        
,yet searched1 and true they found it4  

,the ,son of ,god1 the eternal ,king1   
,that did us all salvation bring1       
,and freed the soul from danger2   ,he  
whom the whole world could not take1    
,the ,word1 which heaven and earth did  
make1     ,was now laid in a manger4    
,what comfort by ,him do we win1   ,who 
made ,himself the price of sin1     ,to 
make us heirs of glory6   ,to see this  
,babe1 all innocence1   ,a martyr born  
in our defence6--     ,can man forget   
this story8  ,robert ,herrick's         
7#aeia-afgd7 quaint #8,litany to the    
,holy ,spirit' yields a few verses to   
some of our best modern collections1 but
 his irrepressible humour makes several 
verses impossible1 and his references to
 #8furies in a shole1' to #8flames and  
hellish cares1' shut out others4 ,in his
 ,noble ,numbers are many fine verses   
and epigrams1 but he is not a           
hymn-writer4  ,george ,herbert          
7#aeic-afcb7 did not write hymns to be  
sung in church1 though his #8,antiphon' 
and #8,the ,elixir' are1 for love of    

their author1 found in many modern      
hymn-books1 and #8,praise' is also      
beautifully possible as a hymn4 ,yet his
 loveliest poems cannot be adapted to   
congregational use4 ,he is the greatest 
of the poets of the sanctuary1 but he is
 not a chorister4 ,john ,wesley and     
,george ,rawson tried to make ,herbert's
 poems into hymns1 but with no great    
success--though in one or two instances 
,wesley came near it4#hh ,in any        
collection of religious poetry for use  
in the hour of private devotion1        
,herbert would rank among the chief     
contributors1 and it is well that he    
should be represented in our hymn-books1
 if only that he may be remembered and  
honoured by our children4#hi ,he is the 
chief singer of a school of poets in    
which ,henry ,vaughan and ,christina    
,rossetti are distinguished and worthy  
disciples4  ,i give three of ,herbert's 
poems4 ,the first because it is an ideal
 example of his quaint but exquisite    
pathos1 and of his gracious1 humble1    

affectionate devotion to his ,lord2 the 
others because they are the most        
hymn-like of his poems4                 
,,love    ,love bade me welcome3 yet my 
soul drew back1         ,guilty of dust 
and sin4   ,but quick-eyed ,love1       
observing me grow slack         ,from my
 first entrance in1   ,drew nearer to   
me1 sweetly questioning1         ,if ,i 
lacked any thing4    ,a guest1 ,i       
answered1 worthy to be here3            
,love said1 ,you shall be he4   ,i the  
unkind1 ungrateful8 ,ah1 my ,dear1      
,i cannot look on ,thee4   ,love took my
 hand1 and smiling did reply1           
,who made the eyes1 but ,i8    ,truth1  
,lord1 but ,i have marred them3 let my  
shame         ,go where it doth deserve4
   ,and know you not1 says ,love1 who   
bore the blame8         ,my ,dear1 then 
,i will serve4   ,you must sit down1    
says ,love1 and taste my meat3          
,so ,i did sit and eat4                 
,,praise    ,king of ,glory1 ,king of   
,peace1       ,i will love ,thee3   ,and

 that love may never cease1       ,i    
will move ,thee4    ,thou hast granted  
my request1       ,thou hast heard me3  
,thou didst note my working breast1     
,thou hast spared me4    ,wherefore with
 my utmost art       ,i will sing ,thee1
   ,and the cream of all my heart       
,i will bring ,thee4    ,though my sins 
against me cried1       ,thou didst     
clear me2   ,and alone1 when they       
replied1       ,thou didst hear me4     
,seven whole days1 not one in seven1    
,i will praise ,thee4   ,in my heart1   
though not in heaven1       ,i can raise
 ,thee4    ,thou grew'st soft and moist 
with tears1       ,thou relentedst3     
,and when ,justice called for fears1    
,thou dissentedst4    ,small it is1 in  
this poor sort       ,to enrol ,thee3   
,even eternity's too short       ,to    
extol ,thee4                            
,,the ,,call    ,come1 my ,way1 my      
,truth1 my ,life3   ,such a ,way1 as    
gives us breath3   ,such a ,truth1 as   
ends all strife3   ,such a ,life1 as    

killeth death4    ,come1 my ,light1 my  
,feast1 my ,strength3   ,such a ,light1 
as shows a feast3   ,such a ,feast1 as  
mends in length3   ,such a ,strength1 as
 makes ,his guest4    ,come1 my ,joy1 my
 ,love1 my ,heart3   ,such a ,joy1 as   
none can move3   ,such a ,love1 as none 
can part3   ,such a ,heart1 as joys in  
love4  ,after ,herbert comes ,henry     
,vaughan 7#afba-ie71 #8the ,silurist1'  
or ,south ,wales man1 who says that his 
master was #8the blessed man1 ,mr4      
,george ,herbert1 whose holy life and   
verse gained many pious converts1 of    
whom ,i am the least4' ,vaughan had his 
devoted admirers1 but his verse never   
attained anything approaching to the    
popularity of ,herbert's4 ,it was long  
the fashion to ignore or disparage him1 
and it was not till ,henry ,francis     
,lyte republished his ,sacred ,poems and
 ,private ,ejaculations1 with a brief   
memoir1 that he came to his rightful    
place amongst the minor1 but not to be  
forgotten1 poets of the seventeenth     

century4 ,he was a mystic1 and had      
visions ,blake might have envied4    ,i 
saw ,eternity the other night1   ,like a
 great ring of pure and endless light1  
,all calm as it was bright3   ,and round
 beneath it1 ,time1 in hours1 days1     
years1       ,driven by the spheres1    
,like a vast shadow moved1 in which the 
world       ,and all her train were     
hurled4  ,vaughan's songs have the marks
 of the true ,christian poet--intense   
devotion to ,christ1 humility1 ecstasy4 
,his best-known hymns are--#8,my soul1  
there is a country1' and #8,up to those 
bright and gladsome hills' 7,ps4 cxxi474
 ,i give one less often quoted4         
,vaughan's title is                     
,,begging    ,king of ,mercy1 ,king of  
,love1   ,in whom ,i live1 in whom ,i   
move1   ,perfect what ,thou has begun1  
,let no night put out this ,sun4        
,grant ,i may1 my chief desire1   ,long 
for ,thee1 to ,thee aspire4   ,let my   
youth1 my bloom of days1   ,be my       
comfort1 and ,thy praise2    ,that      

hereafter1 when ,i look   ,o'er the     
sullied1 sinful book1   ,i may find ,thy
 hand therein   ,wiping out my shame and
 sin4    ,o6 it is ,thy only art   ,to  
reduce a stubborn heart3   ,and since   
,thine is victory1   ,strongholds should
 belong to ,thee4    ,lord1 then take   
it1 leave it not   ,unto my dispose or  
lot2   ,but since ,i would not have it  
mine1   ,o my ,god1 let it be ,thine4   
,the following for ,trinity ,sunday is  
very bold--    ,o holy1 blessed1        
glorious ,three1   ,eternal witnesses   
that be   ,in heaven1 ,one ,god in      
,trinity6    ,as here on earth1 when men
 withstood1   ,the ,spirit1 ,water1 and 
the ,blood1   ,made my ,lord's          
,incarnation good3    ,so let the       
antitypes in me   ,elected1 bought1 and 
sealed for free1   ,be owned1 saved1    
sainted by ,you ,three6  ,herbert and   
,vaughan were in the seventeenth century
 what ,heber and ,keble were in the     
nineteenth4    ,they set the tone of the
 ,church of ,england1 and they revealed 

with   no inefficient or temporary      
effect to the uncultured and the        
unlearned the true refinement of        
worship4 ,they united delicacy of       
taste in the choice of ornament and of  
music with culture of   expression and  
of reserve1 and they showed that this   
was not   incompatible with devoted work
 and life4#ij  ,henry ,more 7#afad-hg7  
#8the ,platonist1' whom ,professor      
,palgrave calls #8the most interesting  
figure among our poetical mystics1' owes
 his place in our hymn-books to ,john   
,wesley1 who made from one of ,more's   
#8,divine ,hymns' two numbers in his    
,collection    ,father1 if justly still 
we claim1  and a fine missionary hymn   
,on all the earth ,thy ,spirit shower1  
,the earth in righteousness renew1      
,thy kingdom come and hell's o'erpower1 
,and to ,thy sceptre all subdue4  ,john 
,norris 7#afeg-agaa71 who               
succeeded--sixty years                  
intervening--,george ,herbert as ,parson
 of ,bemerton1 was a ,platonist of the  

school of ,more1 for whom he had        
unbounded admiration1 saying    ,others 
in learning's chorus bear their part1   
,and the great work distinctly share3   
,thou our great catholic professor art1 
,all science is annexed to thy unerring 
chair4  ,john ,wesley and ,dr4          
,martineau tried to make ,norris's poems
 available for congregational use1 and  
his name is linked with those of ,ken   
and ,mason in the preface to the        
,moravian book of #aged1 but he can     
never take a place among hymn-writers4  
,bishop ,jeremy ,taylor 7#afac-fg7 wrote
 a number of hymns1 most of them being  
published in his ,golden ,grove1 but    
they are unsuited for congregational    
use4 ,his #8,advent ,hymn' has1 however1
 been adapted with admirable skill1 and 
has a place in many hymnals4 ,it is     
perhaps as good a specimen of this kind 
of #8translation' as can be found4 ,i   
give ,taylor's original first1 and      
afterwards the version of the ,sarum    
,hymnal1 which is said to have been made

 by ,earl ,nelson4 ,there is another    
good version in the ,leeds ,hymn-book1  
which has been adopted by ,mr4 ,horder  
and others4        ,,hymn ,,for         
,,advent2 ,,or ,,christ',s ,,coming ,,to
 ,,jerusalem ,,in ,,triumph             
,lord1 come away1           ,why dost   
,thou stay8   ,thy road is ready3 and   
,thy paths1 made strait1           ,with
 longing expectation wait       ,the    
consecration of ,thy beauteous feet4    
,ride on triumphantly2 behold we lay    
,our lusts and proud wills in ,thy way4 
,hosanna6 welcome to our hearts4 ,lord1 
here   ,thou hast a temple too1 and full
 as dear   ,as that of ,sion2 and as    
full of sin2   ,nothing but thieves and 
robbers dwell therein1   ,enter1 and    
chase them forth1 and cleanse the floor2
   ,crucify them1 that they may never   
more           ,profane that holy place1
       ,where ,thou hast chose to set   
,thy face4   ,and then if our stiff     
tongues shall be   ,mute in the praises 
of ,thy ,deity1       ,the stones out of

 the temple wall           ,shall cry   
aloud1 and call   ,hosanna6 and ,thy    
glorious footsteps greet4               
4 4 4 4 4    ,draw nigh to ,thy         
,jerusalem1 ,o ,lord1   ,thy faithful   
people cry with one accord3   ,ride on  
triumphantly6 ,behold we lay   ,our     
passions1 lusts1 and proud wills in ,thy
 way6    ,thy road is ready2 and ,thy   
paths1 made straight1   ,with longing   
expectation seem to wait   ,the         
consecration of ,thy beauteous feet1    
,and silently ,thy promised advent      
greet6    ,hosanna6 ,welcome to our     
hearts6 for here   ,thou hast a temple  
too1 as ,sion dear2   ,yes1 dear as     
,sion1 and as full of sin3   ,nothing   
but thieves and robbers dwell therein4  
,enter and chase them forth1 and cleanse
 the floor6   ,o'erthrow them all1 that 
they may never more   ,profane1 with    
traffic vile1 that holy place1   ,where 
,thou hast chosen1 ,lord1 to set ,thy   
face4    ,and then1 if our stiff tongues
 shall faithlessly   ,be mute in praises

 of ,thy ,deity1   ,the very temple     
stones shall loud repeat   ,hosanna6 and
 ,thy glorious footsteps greet6  ,near  
the end of the seventeenth century the  
,new ,version of the ,psalms appeared1  
under royal and episcopal sanction1 and 
began at once to supplant the ,old      
,version4 ,the authors were both        
,irishmen4 ,nahum ,tate 7#afeb-agae7 was
 a very minor poet1 who became ,laureate
 in #afij4 ,nicholas ,brady 7#afei-agbf7
 was1 like ,charles ,wesley1 a scholar  
of ,westminster and student of ,christ  
,church4 ,he entered the ,church in     
,ireland1 but in later life held various
 livings in ,england1 being at one time 
,vicar of ,stratford-on-,avon4 ,the ,new
 ,version was published in #afif4  ,many
 attempts had been made to depose the   
,old ,version from its supreme position 
as the hymn-book of the ,english        
,church1 and some by men of much greater
 gifts than ,sternhold1 ,hopkins1 or any
 of their fellows4 ,but the innate      
conservatism of ,englishmen1 and        

especially of ,english ,churchmen1 gave 
the ,old ,version a long life4          
,moreover1 no version was sufficiently  
superior to it to win wide approval     
until ,tate and ,brady produced the ,new
 ,version and secured royal             
#8permission' for its use in churches4  
,without this #8permission' it would    
probably never have dislodged the ,old  
,version1 though it owes something to   
intrinsic merit4 ,compared with the     
great hymn-writers of the eighteenth and
 nineteenth centuries1 ,tate and ,brady 
are1 as a rule1 dull1 pretentious1      
diffuse2 but as compared with their     
predecessors and the vast majority of   
their successors1 their version deserves
 more consideration than it usually     
receives4 ,even in our own day there are
 more of their psalms in our best       
hymn-books than there are of ,keble's4  
,it is unfortunate that neither of the  
authors was a man for whom it is        
possible to feel any great regard1 or in
 whom one can take an interest4  ,to say

 nothing of    ,while shepherds watched 
their flocks by night1  what ,church    
would willingly give up    ,as pants the
 hart for cooling streams1  or--        
,through all the changing scenes of     
life8  ,there is about such songs a     
gracious simplicity worthy of ,john     
,newton1 who might well have written--  
,o make but trial of ,his love1         
,experience will decide4   ,how blessed 
they are1 and only they1     ,who in    
,his truth confide4  or--    ,extend to 
me that favour1 ,lord1   ,thou to ,thy  
chosen dost afford3   ,when ,thou       
return'st to set them free1   ,let ,thy 
salvation visit me4    ,o may ,i worthy 
prove to see   ,thy saints in full      
prosperity2   ,that ,i the joyful choir 
may join1   ,and count ,thy people's    
triumph mine4  ,dr4 ,watts and the      
,wesleys did not scruple to borrow from 
the ,new ,version1 and ,watts1 with     
characteristic modesty1 is content to   
yield them #8the preference of' their   
#8poesy' in some of their compositions4 

,whatever its intrinsic merit or        
demerit1 the ,new ,version rendered an  
important service in breaking the       
monopoly enjoyed by the ,old ,version1  
and thus preparing the way for a larger 
view of ,christian psalmody4    ,one    
condemned to tread the waste of metrical
 ,psalters will consider   it an advance
 on its predecessors1 suffering more    
from its own   success than comparison  
with them4444 ,they asserted            
successfully1   and with an emphasis    
scarcely known before1 literary and     
poetical   excellence 7according to     
their light7 as a principle of          
translation1   and the precedent thus   
set was seldom ignored afterwards4#ia   
,tate1 being ,laureate1 naturally       
considered the state occasions on which 
psalms were to be used4 ,the sentiments1
 at least1 of his version of ,ps4 cl41  
which is appointed for the day of the   
,sovereign's accession1 are excellent4  
,the private slanderer shall be   ,in   
public justice doomed by me4   ,from    

haughty looks ,i'll turn aside1   ,and  
mortify the heart of pride4    ,but     
honesty1 called from her cell   ,in     
splendour at my court shall dwell4      
,who virtue's practice make their care1 
,shall have the first preferments there4
    ,no politics shall recommend   ,his 
country's foe to be my friend3   ,none  
e'er shall to my favour rise   ,by      
flattering or malicious lies4    ,all   
those who wicked courses take1   ,an    
early sacrifice ,i'll make2   ,cut off1 
destroy1 till none remain   ,god's holy 
city to profane4  ,with the publication 
of the ,new ,version a new era began4   
,it was to be the last #8authorized'    
metrical version4 ,hymns of the modern  
type were beginning to be known1 and    
soon there would be hymns in            
abundance4#ib                           
,,iv                                    
,eighteenth-century ,hymns              
,i4--,the ,school of ,watts  ,the       
greater sacred poets of the sixteenth   
and seventeenth centuries spoke1 for the

 most part1 to themselves and to ,god2  
their hymns are of the study and the    
oratory4 ,but with the eighteenth       
century a new era began4 ,its chief     
hymn-writers were ministers of religion1
 accustomed to offer prayer and praise1 
not only for themselves1 but for the    
people4 ,their hymns were for the       
congregation and the religious society4 
,they were written with the distinct    
intention of providing for common need2 
and in the ,nonconformist ,churches     
hymns supplied the place of the rejected
 liturgy1 enabling the congregation to  
unite in praise and prayer4  ,the       
earlier centuries give us many rich     
devotional poems1 few of which are      
entirely suited to the public worship of
 our time4 ,but we now reach1 what      
,george ,macdonald calls1 #8the zone of 
hymn-writing1' and are embarrassed by   
the plenteousness of the stores         
available for use in the service of the 
sanctuary4 ,moreover1 by this time      
modern ,english has become fairly       

established1 and there are few archaic  
expressions to distract the unlearned4  
,whatever may be said of the metrical   
,psalters1 no one can doubt that we are 
in an ampler1 purer air when we listen  
to ,isaac ,watts 7#afgd-agdh74 ,brighter
 days were dawning for the religious    
life of ,england1 and especially for the
 ,nonconformists4 ,yet as a babe ,isaac 
,watts was nursed by his mother as she  
sat on a stone near the door of the     
prison where his father was confined for
 conscience' sake4 ,but by the time he  
was a man the sky had cleared1 and there
 is little in his hymns to recall the   
times of trouble except the version of  
,ps4 lxxv41 #8applied to the glorious   
revolution by ,king ,william or the     
happy accession of ,king ,george to the 
throne1' in which these verses occur--  
,britain was doomed to be a slave2      
,her frame dissolved1 her fears were    
great1   ,when ,god a new supporter     
gave1     ,to hear the pillars of the   
,state4    ,no vain pretence to royal   

birth1     ,shall fix a tyrant on the   
throne2   ,god1 the great ,sovereign of 
the earth1     ,will rise and make ,his 
justice known4  ,his own life was happy1
 and its story is singularly attractive4
 ,his feeble health saved him from many 
a rough conflict1 and called forth the  
affectionate hospitality of ,sir ,thomas
 and ,lady ,abney4 ,it was seemly that  
the non-juring ,bishop ,ken should find 
a home with a peer of the realm at      
,longleat1 but ,dr4 ,watts found an even
 more congenial refuge at ,theobalds and
 at ,abney ,park4 ,there are few        
pleasanter stories than that of ,lady   
,huntingdon's calling upon ,dr4 ,watts1 
when he said to her1 #8,madam1 you have 
come to see me on a very remarkable day4
 ,this day thirty years ,i came hither  
to the house of my good friend1 ,sir    
,thomas1 intending to spend but a week  
under his hospitable roof1 and ,i have  
extended my visit to thirty long years4'
 #8,sir1' said his gracious hostess1    
,lady ,abney1 #8what you term a long    

thirty years' visit1 ,i consider as the 
shortest visit my family ever received4'
  ,if the world had dealt a little less 
kindly with the poet1 it might have been
 all the better for his poetry1 which   
lacks the vigour1 the martial music1 the
 glorious enthusiasm of ,luther and of  
,charles ,wesley4 ,he was1 it is true1  
not without at least one coarse and     
bitter adversary--,thomas ,bradbury1 a  
,nonconformist minister of some fame and
 more notoriety2 who seems1 without any 
special reason1 to have regarded ,dr4   
,watts as a suitable mark for his       
vehement and vulgar abuse4 ,he          
sneeringly forbade #8,watts's whims'#ic 
to be sung in his congregation1 and     
charged the saintly poet with           
#8burlesquing' the poetry of the most   
,high ,god4 ,he led1 if he did not      
initiate1 the charge of ,arianism4 ,had 
,watts been as ready for a theological  
fray as ,john ,wesley1 or even ,john    
,fletcher1 ,bradbury would have had     
judgement without mercy4 ,but ,watts's  

letters in reply to these reiterated    
accusations are models of ,christian    
controversy1 or rather of ,christian    
remonstrance4 ,their last encounter was 
at a meeting where ,watts's feebleness  
made it difficult for him to make       
himself heard4 #8,shall ,i speak for    
you1 ,brother ,watts8' asked ,bradbury4 
#8,well1 you have often spoken against  
me1' was the gently sarcastic reply4    
,bradbury's malice can have done ,watts 
little real harm1 except that of        
establishing the suspicion in a good    
many minds that he leaned to            
,unitarianism--a charge which has been  
repeated to our own day4 ,the mild and  
colourless character of many of ,watts's
 hymns made them favourites with        
,unitarian editors of a former time2 but
 the author of    ,not all the blood of 
beasts   ,on ,jewish altars slain1  and 
of    ,when ,i survey the wondrous      
,cross1  is not to be claimed as ,arian1
 ,unitarian1 or anything other than an  
evangelical believer4  ,our concern is  

with ,watts as a hymn-writer rather than
 as a theologian4 ,he was the first man1
 able to write good hymns1 who set      
himself seriously to secure freedom in  
worship4 ,in the meeting-house at       
,southampton he wearied of the dull and 
halting verse of ,barton1 and was not   
slow to accept his father's challenge to
 write something better4 ,if tradition  
may be relied on1 his first hymn1       
written during the week and sung on the 
following ,sunday1 was that which he    
placed first in his ,hymns and          
,spiritual ,songs1 with the title3      
,a ,,new ,,song ,,to ,,the ,,lamb ,,that
 ,,was ,,slain                          
7,rev4 v4 #f1 #h1 #i-ab47    ,behold the
 glories of the ,lamb1     ,amidst ,his 
,father's throne3   ,prepare new honours
 for ,his ,name1     ,and songs before  
unknown4    ,let elders worship at ,his 
feet1     ,the ,church adore around1    
,with vials full of odours sweet1       
,and harps of sweeter sound4    ,those  
are the prayers of the saints1     ,and 

these the hymns they raise3   ,jesus is 
kind to our complaints1     ,he loves to
 hear our praise4    ,eternal ,father1  
who shall look     ,into ,thy secret    
will8   ,who but the ,son shall take    
that book     ,and open every seal8     
,he shall fulfil ,thy great decrees1    
,the ,son deserves it well2   ,lo1 in   
,his hand the sovereign keys     ,of    
heaven1 and death1 and hell4    ,now to 
the ,lamb that once was slain1     ,be  
endless blessings paid2   ,salvation1   
glory1 joy remain     ,for ever on ,thy 
head4  ,this is far from being one of   
,watts's best hymns1 but it is vastly   
better than ,barton's best4  ,it is     
characteristic of ,dr4 ,watts that in   
the preface to his ,psalms he speaks    
courteously of his predecessors in the  
attempt to adapt the ,psalms to modern  
use4 ,he praises ,sir ,john ,denham1    
,luke ,milbourne1 ,tate and ,brady1 and1
 most of all1 ,dr4 ,patrick1 whose      
#8chief excellency1' he thought1 was    
that #8he departed further from the     

inspired words of ,scripture' than      
others had done4 ,watts's hymns were    
published ten or twelve years before the
 ,psalms1 and in his preface he delivers
 a vigorous apology for what he felt to 
be a bold venture1 but pays no          
compliment to predecessors4 ,he could   
not say1 like ,john ,wesley1 that but a 
small part were of his own composing1   
yet even his extreme modesty does not   
prevent his showing a quiet and most    
just confidence in his work as compared 
with what had been hitherto available4  
,his picture of the public worship of   
his day may comfort us in regard to the 
attractiveness of modern services4 ,he  
says--    ,while we sing the praises of 
our ,god in ,his ,church1 we are        
employed   in that part of worship which
 of all others is the nearest akin to   
heaven1 and it is pity that this1 of all
 others1 should be performed   the worst
 upon earth4 ,the gospel brings us      
nearer to the heavenly   state than all 
the former dispensations of ,god amongst

 men4 ,and in   these last days of the  
gospel we are brought almost within     
sight of   the kingdom of our ,lord2 yet
 we are very much unacquainted with the 
songs of the ,new ,jerusalem1 and       
unpractised in the work of praise4   ,to
 see the dull indifference1 the         
negligent and the thoughtless air1      
that sits upon the faces of a whole     
assembly1 while the psalm is on   their 
lips1 might tempt even a charitable     
observer to suspect the   fervency of   
inward religion2 and it is much to be   
feared that the   minds of most of the  
worshippers are absent or unconcerned4  
,perhaps   the modes of preaching1 in   
the best churches1 still want some      
degrees of reformation2 nor are the     
methods of prayer so perfect as   to    
stand in need of no correction or       
improvement4 ,but of all our   religious
 solemnities1 psalmody is the most      
unhappily managed4 ,that   very action  
which should elevate us to the most     
delightful and   divine sensations1 doth

 not only flatten our devotion1 but too 
often   awakes our regret1 and touches  
all the springs of uneasiness within    
us4  ,he goes on to protest that it was 
#8far from' his #8thoughts to lay aside 
the book of ,psalms in public worship1' 
which #8is the most noble1 most         
devotional and divine collection of     
poesy4' ,at the same time he says--     
,it must be acknowledged still that     
there are a thousand lines in it   which
 were not made for a ,church in our days
 to assume as its own4   ,there are also
 many deficiencies of light and glory   
which our ,lord   ,jesus and ,his       
apostles have supplied in the writings  
of the ,new   ,testament4 ,and with this
 advantage ,i have composed these       
spiritual   songs1 which are now        
presented to the world4 ,nor is the     
attempt   vain-glorious or presuming1   
for1 in respect of clear evangelical    
knowledge1 ,the least in the kingdom of 
heaven is greater than all   the ,jewish
 prophets4  ,such a defence of          

,christian hymns is superfluous to-day1 
but it took many long years to convince 
the ,churches that #8,when ,i survey the
 wondrous ,cross' was more suitable for 
use in ,christian worship than ,ps4 cix4
  ,when ,watts's victory was achieved it
 was only too complete4 ,in the         
congregations of his own denomination it
 was counted almost an impiety to sing  
anything but his psalms and hymns4 ,this
 extravagant and narrow loyalty to      
,watts naturally placed the ,dissenting 
congregations at a great                
disadvantage--far greater than that     
which the ,methodist societies suffered 
through the too exclusive use of        
,wesley's hymns4 ,the idea that one man 
can write the hymns of any ,church or   
congregation is long since exploded2    
indeed1 we go further1 claiming that a  
good hymn belongs to ,christendom4 ,we  
do not ask what a man's #8denomination' 
is before giving him a place in our     
hymn-books4 ,only the ,romanists1 and   
some of them faint-heartedly1 now demand

 that the writer and the singer must    
belong to the same communion4  ,watts   
has been at once unduly lauded and      
unduly depreciated4 ,keble spoke of him 
as #8no poet1' and this may be true of  
his #8poems1' but his greater hymns     
could only have been written by a poet  
of no mean order4 ,montgomery puts the  
case more justly when he calls ,watts   
#8one of the least of the poets of his  
country1' but #8the greatest name among 
hymn-writers4'#id ,professor ,palgrave  
does ,watts full justice--    ,his views
 as an ,independent were modified and   
enlarged by his sweet1   devout         
temper--may we not add1 by his gift in  
poetry8 ,and #8every   ,christian       
,church1' as ,dr4 ,johnson finely       
remarked1 #8would rejoice to   have     
adopted' one so fervently devout1 so    
faithful to his duty--we   may add1 so  
much more truly gifted by nature as a   
poet than common   ,fame has recognized4
 ,as with ,c4 ,wesley and other good    
men1 fluency1   want of taste and       

finish1 the sacrifice1 in a word1 of art
 to direct   usefulness1 have probably  
lost them those honours in literature to
   which they were born4 ,but they have 
their reward4#ie  ,the sacrifice of art 
to usefulness was much more deliberate  
in the case of ,watts than of ,wesley4  
,charles ,wesley often wrote in haste1  
with the rush and glow of a present     
inspiration1 with thoughts that must    
find expression1 and which it was easier
 to utter in poetry than in prose4      
,watts designed his hymns for the       
service of the house of ,god1 and had   
ever before him the dull man in the pew 
and the tiresome man in the singing     
gallery4 #8,i have seldom1' he          
explained1 #8permitted a stop in the    
middle of a line1 and seldom left the   
end of a line without one2 to comport   
with the unhappy mixture of reading and 
singing1 which cannot presently be      
reformed4' #8,the metaphors1' he        
continues1 #8are generally sunk to the  
level of vulgar capacities4 ,if the     

verse appears so gentle and flowing as  
to incur the censure of feebleness1 ,i  
may honestly affirm that sometimes it   
cost me labour to make it so4 ,some of  
the beauties of poesy are neglected1 and
 some wilfully defaced4' ,finally1 he   
describes his work as #8an attempt for  
the reformation of psalmody amongst the 
,churches4' ,in estimating ,watts's     
contribution to the hymn-book of the    
modern ,church1 this service must be    
gratefully recognized4 ,it may seem to  
us that he stooped too much #8to the    
level of vulgar capacities1' but in this
 he had to consider what men were able  
to bear2 and we must remember that even 
those of his hymns which were to perish 
in the using had their share in         
preparing the way for the #8nobler1     
sweeter song' in which the ,church      
praises her ,lord to-day4  ,when the    
,independent ,churches began to seek a  
wider range of choice than ,watts could 
afford1 they proceeded by way of        
supplement1 as the ,methodists did until

 #aijc4 ,dr4 ,thomas ,gibbons1 ,watts's 
affectionate but ponderous              
biographer1#if issued one in #agfi1 and 
others followed in fairly rapid         
succession1 amongst their editors being 
,george ,burder1 ,dr4 ,bengo ,collyer1  
and finally ,josiah ,conder1 whose book 
was prepared in #ahcc under the         
direction of the ,congregational        
,union4#ig ,when at length the          
,congregationalists began to compile    
completely new books1 ,watts naturally  
still exercised a preponderating        
influence--as in the excellent ,leeds   
,hymn-book of #ahec4 ,but each          
successive official or unofficial       
publication emanating from the          
,congregational ,churches has been      
marked by a great reduction in the      
number of ,watts's hymns1 so that the   
present ,congregational ,church ,hymnal 
contains fewer hymns by ,watts than were
 included by ,dr4 ,martineau in his     
,hymns for the ,church and ,home4 ,if we
 turn to the hymn-books of other        

,churches1 the reduction in the number  
of hymns by ,dr4 ,watts is even more    
striking2 e4g4 the ,church ,hymnary     
7,presbyterian7 gives only nine1 and    
,church ,hymns only fourteen4  ,at      
present it would seem as though ,dr4    
,watts were more honoured in the        
,methodist ,churches than among his own 
people1 the ,methodist and the          
,primitive ,methodist each giving a     
larger number of his pieces than either 
the ,congregational or ,baptist         
hymn-books4 ,probably the number of     
,watts's hymns in common use will be    
further reduced4 ,some inferior         
compositions still hold their place4    
,they are survivals of a time when the  
,church's hymn-book was vastly poorer   
than it is to-day4 ,but when the lowest 
point is touched1 there must ever remain
 a number of imperishable hymns which   
will be sung in the ,church of ,christ  
as long as it is militant here on earth4
  ,watts's hymns were greatly helped in 
public favour by the publication of his 

,psalms in #agai4 ,the ,dissenting      
,churches1 for the most part1 soon      
agreed with his own judgement that the  
two books were #8such a sufficient      
provision for psalmody as to answer most
 occasions of the ,christian's life4'   
,long use had made psalm-singing as a   
distinct part of the service essential1 
and it was many years before the        
,dissenting ,churches cared for a       
hymn-book which did not make the        
distinction between psalms and hymns4   
,the place of honour1 or at least of    
precedence1 was given to the ,psalms1   
and as far as possible every psalm was  
paraphrased4  ,watts's preface to ,the  
,psalms of ,david ,imitated in the      
,language of the ,new ,testament and    
,applied to the ,christian ,state and   
,worship is a vigorous manifesto1 and it
 may well have seemed to some men as    
audacious as many readers find ,wesley's
 famous preface4 ,his chief contention  
was that ,jewish psalms must be         
translated1 paraphrased1 or1 to use his 

own word1 #8imitated' in ,christian     
language before they are fit for use in 
,christian worship4 ,he specially       
emphasizes the small number of psalms   
sung at the celebration of the ,lord's  
,supper1 and1 gaining courage as he     
writes1 adds1 #8,though1 to speak my own
 sense freely1 ,i do not think ,david   
ever wrote a psalm of sufficient glory  
and sweetness to represent the blessings
 of this holy institution4'  ,acting    
upon this conviction ,watts boldly      
departed from the ideal of most of those
 who have paraphrased the ,psalter4     
,in all places ,i have kept my grand    
design in view1 and that is1 to   teach 
my author to speak like a ,christian4444
 ,i have chosen rather   to imitate than
 translate1 and thus to compose a       
psalm-book for   ,christians1 after the 
manner of the ,jewish ,psalter4444 ,i   
have not   been so curious and exact in 
striving everywhere to express the      
ancient sense and meaning of ,david1 but
 have rather expressed myself   as ,i   

may suppose ,david would have done1 had 
he lived in the days of                 
,christianity4#ih  ,not only does common
 sense confirm ,watts's general         
principle2 his own success1 partial     
though it was1 justified the new        
departure1 and from his day to ours the 
most useful and the most poetic versions
 of ,psalms are those which #8teach the 
author to speak like a ,christian4'     
,yet1 if a psalm could be dealt with    
from the ,old ,testament standpoint     
without inappropriateness to ,christian 
worship1 ,watts preferred to retain the 
original idea4 ,thus in all his versions
 of the #bcrd ,psalm he makes no        
reference to the ,good ,shepherd of the 
,new ,testament4 ,his best version--and 
it is very good--is as suitable for the 
synagogue as the meeting-house4    ,my  
,shepherd will supply my need2          
,jehovah is ,his ,name2   ,in pastures  
fresh ,he makes me feed1     ,beside the
 living stream4  ,the ,methodist        
,hymn-book omits the last verse1 which  

is given in most other collections--    
,there would ,i find a settled rest1    
,while others go and come2   ,no more a 
stranger or a guest1     ,but like a    
child at home4  ,it is a beautiful      
paraphrase of #8,thy house for ever4'   
,he felt1 however1 that his experiment  
was so novel and so likely to provoke   
adverse criticism1 that he continually  
explained or defended his versions in   
notes appended to the psalms1 which form
 a sort of running commentary4  ,watts's
 ,psalms mark the passage from          
psalm-singing to hymn-singing4 ,slowly  
but surely the distinction disappears   
from modern hymn-books1 and             
psalm-versions take their place amongst 
#8hymns4' ,this was not ,watts's design1
 but it is a part of the success of his 
enterprise4 ,if to-day we had to make   
choice of any one metrical version of   
the ,psalter for use in ,christian      
worship1 it would be impossible to find 
anything better than ,watts's4 ,indeed1 
if feeble #8aliters' 7to use ,barton's  

phrase7 and poor verses were omitted1   
the result would show how near he came  
to achieving success4  ,it is difficult 
to overstate the service rendered to the
 worship of the ,christian ,church by   
,dr4 ,watts4 ,as ,lord ,selborne says1  
#8,he was the first to understand the   
nature of the want1' and he #8led the   
way in providing for it4' ,yet it is    
easy to quote poor verses1 to find lines
 that are intolerably flat4 ,his rhymes 
are often either discordant in the      
extreme or lacking altogether4          
,sometimes he is too colloquial1 as in  
,well1 the ,redeemer's gone   ,to appear
 before our ,god4  ,perhaps no          
hymn-writer needs editing so much as    
,watts1 and certainly none has been     
edited more skilfully4 ,not a few of his
 hymns owe their place in our hymnals to
 the judicious way in which they have   
been #8improved4' ,we cannot dispute    
,dr4 ,johnson's criticism    ,the rhymes
 are not always sufficiently            
correspondent4444 ,his lines   are      

commonly smooth and easy1 and his       
thoughts always religiously   pure2 but 
who is there that1 to so much piety and 
innocence1 does   not wish for a greater
 measure of sprightliness and vigour8#ii
  ,hymn-writers are in a special degree 
affected by their surroundings4 ,there  
is an open-air life in many of the      
psalms attributed to ,david which is    
lacking in those--e4g4 the cxix4--which 
belong to a more formal age4 ,watts was 
a student1 a scholar1 a recluse1 an     
invalid1 who yet came into frequent     
contact with the ,church life of the    
,independents4 ,he could not be coarse  
or fantastic1 and he both consciously   
and conscientiously condescended to men 
of low estate4 ,the sacrifice of his own
 taste to that of the unlearned reader  
was part of his offering to the ,lord1  
and it did not cost him nothing4 ,the   
pity of it is that he misjudged and     
under-estimated the intelligence of     
those who would use his hymns4 ,it is   
but just to bear his self-imposed       

limitation in mind1 yet it must also be 
allowed that1 like many a far greater   
poet--,wordsworth1 for example--he did  
not know which were the superior and    
which the inferior pieces4 ,he believed 
his ,lyrics to be his best poetical     
work1 and possibly this may have been   
the judgement of his friendly           
contemporaries2 but the severer taste of
 later times has forgotten the ,lyrics  
while treasuring the hymns4  ,watts     
seldom writes without a consciousness of
 the congregation for whose use he      
intended his hymns4 ,the story--probably
 true--that he undertook to write one   
every week for the ,independent ,chapel 
at ,southampton explains the character  
of very many of them1 and accounts at   
once for their strength and weakness4   
,on the one hand1 he avoided the        
tiresome verbosity of ,tate and ,brady  
and the halting rhythm of ,barton and1  
on the other1 he abstained from the     
#8conceits' which are the charm of      
,herbert and ,vaughan1 but which make   

many a lovely poem impossible as a hymn4
 ,the ease and simplicity of his best   
hymns1 which no hymn-writer surpasses   
and few have attained1 endeared them to 
#8men of heart sincere1' alike among the
 unlearned and ignorant and among men of
 culture4 ,he has that sweet1 plaintive 
undertone of perplexity concerning the  
mysteries of life and death which       
touches all thoughtful souls1 and is so 
true to the inner life of one whose many
 infirmities made him die daily4 ,he had
 in large measure the rich indwelling of
 the word of ,god without which a man   
may write hymns1 but can never be one of
 ,god's great singers4 ,his hymns are   
full of scriptural phrases1 though less 
so than those of ,charles ,wesley1 and  
he has many happy and instructive       
applications of passages both from the  
,old and ,new ,testament4 ,take1 for    
instance1 one of his sacramental hymns1 
in which he uses the parable of the     
,great ,supper as a type of the ,supper 
of the ,lord--an application singularly 

appropriate1 though not often made4#ajj 
,how rich are ,thy provisions1 ,lord1   
,thy table furnished from above2   ,the 
fruits of life o'erspread the board1    
,the cup o'erflows with heavenly love4  
,we are the poor1 the blind1 the lame1  
,and help was far and death was nigh2   
,but at the gospel-call we came1        
,and every want received supply4        
,from the highway that leads to hell1   
,from paths of darkness and despair1    
,lord1 we are come with ,thee to dwell1 
,glad to enjoy ,thy presence here4      
,it cost ,him death to save our lives1  
,to buy our souls it cost ,his own1     
,and all the unknown joys ,he gives1    
,were bought with agonies unknown4#aja  
,the #8sacramentarian' element is       
naturally absent from ,watts's          
twenty-five hymns #8prepared for the    
holy ordinance of the ,lord's ,supper1' 
which are1 with a few exceptions1 much  
less solemn and impressive than those of
 ,wesley4 ,two have1 however1 a         
permanent place among our ,communion    

hymns4 ,the seventh of the series1      
#8,crucifixion to the ,world by the     
,cross of ,christ'--    ,when ,i survey 
the wondrous ,cross  is so great a hymn1
 and consecrated by so many hallowed    
associations1 that comment is           
superfluous and criticism impertinent4  
,the third1 #8,the ,new ,testament in   
the ,blood of ,christ1 or ,the ,new     
,covenant ,sealed1' is absent from the  
chief hymnals to-day with the exception 
of the ,methodist1 to which it was added
 in #ahcj4 ,it begins--    #8,the       
promise of my ,father's love     ,shall 
stand for ever good1'   ,he said2 and   
gave ,his soul to death1     ,and sealed
 the grace with blood4  ,watts wrote no 
great festival hymns to be compared with
 #8,hark6 how all the welkin rings1' or 
#8,hail the day that sees ,him rise4'   
,his best work is found in his hymns and
 spiritual songs1 some of which are     
among the most spiritual and most       
scriptural ever written4 ,the tone of   
triumph is comparatively rare1 though   

now and again1 as in #8,join all the    
glorious names1' he rises as high as    
ever ,charles ,wesley rose in his hymns 
for #8,believers rejoicing4' ,such are1 
#8,my ,god1 the spring of all my joys'2 
#8,come1 we that love the ,lord'2       
#8,jesus shall reign where'er the sun'2 
#8,come1 let us join our cheerful       
songs4'  ,to ,dr4 ,watts1 with his      
delicate health and protracted          
sicknesses1 songs in a minor key were   
peculiarly suitable1 and some of his    
most precious hymns are those which     
speak of the life to come4 ,he seldom   
writes of death as ,wesley does1 and    
such a line as    ,ah1 lovely appearance
 of death  would have been impossible to
 him2 but no ,christian poet has touched
 the sorrows of our hearts more tenderly
 or comforted the bereaved more wisely  
than he has done in such a hymn as      
,give me the wings of faith to rise2    
while    ,there is a land of pure       
delight  has voiced the thoughts of     
myriads of anxious souls1 to whom only  

#8a prospect of heaven' could make      
#8death easy4' ,watts seldom1 if ever1  
showed the ecstasy of ,charles ,wesley4 
,he never sang    ,the promised land1   
from ,pisgah's top1     ,i now exult to 
see2  but he knew that    ,could we but 
climb where ,moses stood1     ,and view 
the landscape o'er1   ,not ,jordan's    
stream nor death's cold flood           
,should fright us from the shore4       
,there are few more tender lines than   
the verse in his hymn for #8,the ,death 
and ,burial of a ,saint'--    ,the      
graves of all ,his saints ,he blessed1  
,and softened every bed3   ,where should
 the dying members rest1     ,but with  
their dying ,head8  ,but ,dr4 ,watts was
 not a man whose whole thought was      
centred on the world to come4 ,after the
 fashion not only of his own time1 but  
of the religious men of most times1 he  
speaks slightingly of earth and its     
charms2 but when he allows himself to   
dwell on its beauty and glory he writes1
 ,i think1 with a clearer and more      

poetic vision than ,wesley1 as in his   
#8,song to ,creating ,wisdom'--         
,eternal ,wisdom1 ,thee we praise4  ,the
 hymns of ,dr4 ,watts are so well known 
that it is difficult to select any that 
would worthily represent him without    
repeating what is already familiar to   
every reader4 #8,the ,cradle ,song' is  
one of the most delightful lullabies    
ever written1 and shows ,watts in a     
charming and unexpected light4    ,hush6
 my dear1 lie still and slumber2        
,holy angels guard thy bed6   ,heavenly 
blessings without number     ,gently    
falling on thy head4    ,sleep1 my babe2
 thy food and raiment1     ,house and   
home1 thy friends provide2   ,all       
without thy care or payment1     ,all   
thy wants are well supplied4    ,how    
much better thou'rt attended     ,than  
the ,son of ,god could be1   ,when from 
heaven ,he descended1     ,and became a 
child like thee6    ,soft and easy is   
thy cradle3     ,coarse and hard thy    
,saviour lay3   ,when ,his birthplace   

was a stable1     ,and ,his softest bed 
was hay4    ,blessd ,babe1 what glorious
 features1     ,spotless1 fair1 divinely
 bright6   ,must ,he dwell with brutal  
creatures8--     ,how could angels bear 
the sight6    ,was there nothing but a  
manger     ,cursd sinners could afford  
,to receive the heavenly ,stranger8     
,did they thus affront their ,lord8     
,soft1 my child--,i did not chide thee1 
,though my song might sound too hard2   
',tis thy mother sits beside thee1      
,and her arm shall be thy guard4    ,yet
 to read the shameful story1     ,how   
the ,jews abused their ,king2   ,how    
they served the ,lord of ,glory1        
,makes me angry while ,i sing4    ,see  
the kinder shepherds round ,him1        
,telling wonders from the sky6   ,there 
they sought ,him1 there they found ,him1
     ,with ,his ,virgin ,mother by4     
,see the lovely ,babe a-dressing2       
,lovely ,infant1 how ,he smiled6   ,when
 ,he wept1 the ,mother's blessing       
,soothed and hushed the holy ,child4    

,lo1 ,he slumbers in ,his manger1       
,where the hornd oxen fed2   ,peace1 my 
darling1 here's no danger2     ,here's  
no ox a-near thy bed6    ',twas to save 
thee1 child1 from dying1     ,save my   
dear from burning flame1   ,bitter      
groans1 and endless crying1     ,that   
thy blest ,redeemer came4    ,may'st    
thou live to know and fear ,him1        
,trust and love ,him all thy days2      
,then go dwell for ever near ,him1      
,see ,his face1 and sing ,his praise6   
,i could give thee thousand kisses1     
,hoping what ,i most desire2   ,not a   
mother's fondest wishes     ,can to     
greater joys aspire4#ajb  ,from ,isaac  
,watts we turn naturally to ,philip     
,doddridge 7#agjb-ea71 another name     
which is amongst the glories of the     
,nonconforming ,churches1 and of him    
also it may be said that every          
,christian ,church would rejoice to have
 adopted him4 ,he was the twentieth     
child of his parents1 was all his life  
in delicate health1 and died of         

consumption at ,lisbon1 where he was    
buried in the ,english cemetery4 ,his   
life was happy and devout from the      
earliest days1 when he learnt from his  
mother's lips the ,bible stories which  
were illustrated by the ,dutch tiles in 
the fireplace in his childhood's home in
 ,london--#8,london6 dear city of my    
youth6' ,on his father's side he was    
descended from a good stock of ,english 
gentlemen1 some of whom were men of     
renown in their own generation4 ,his    
father was a tradesmen1 but his         
grandfather was ,rector of ,shepperton  
until the ,act of ,uniformity made him a
 ,nonconformist4 ,his mother was the    
daughter of a ,protestant refugee from  
,bohemia1 whose ,bible 7,luther's       
version7 he kept as his most cherished  
possession4 ,as a child he attracted the
 notice of the ,duchess of ,bedford1 who
 offered to send him to ,oxford or      
,cambridge1 and to provide a living for 
him if he took orders in the ,church of 
,england4 ,he declined the offer1 though

 discouraged by the great ,dissenter1   
,calamy1 in his purpose of entering the 
,independent ministry4 ,but his old     
friend and pastor1 ,samuel ,clark1 of   
,st4 ,albans 7author of ,scripture      
,promises71 encouraged him1 bidding him 
come to his house and make it his home  
during his preliminary studies4  ,like  
,watts1 he was a scholar and a          
gentleman1 and was revered and loved in 
all ,churches4 ,doddridge was a man of  
broad views and wide sympathies1 and was
 honoured by the enmity of ,watts's old 
adversary1 ,thomas ,bradbury1 whose     
#8zeal and fury' in opposing            
#8,moravians and ,methodists and all who
 will not go his length in putting them 
down' he deprecated4 ,indeed1 his       
sympathy with ,methodism led less       
vehement ,dissenters than ,bradbury to  
remonstrate with him1 and when he not   
only preached at ,whitefield's          
,tabernacle1 but invited that great     
evangelist to preach in his chapel at   
,northampton1 even moderate men in his  

own communion thought he had given just 
offence to the ,nonconformist conscience
 of the day4 ,he found it necessary to  
explain and apologize for his patronage 
of the enthusiasm which sober ,churchmen
 and ,dissenters alike abhorred4  ,his  
hymns were often written to be sung in  
his own chapel at the ,castle ,hill1    
,northampton1 and were upon the subjects
 of his sermons4 ,written on the same   
principle as ,watts's hymns1 they belong
 to the same class2 and while they are  
on the whole inferior to those of       
,watts1 they make a distinct and very   
precious addition to our hymnals4 ,there
 is less variety of theme1 metre1 and   
expression in ,doddridge than in ,watts1
 but he is rarely so completely on the  
level of the #8vulgar capacities' for   
whom his great predecessor had such a   
tender regard4 ,his hymns are the       
prayers and praises of a saint1 #8they  
shine1' as ,montgomery said1 #8in the   
beauty of holiness1' and some must live 
while ,christianity endures4  ,he is    

like ,watts also in his indebtedness to 
editors4 ,the best known of the hymns   
that bear his name1 #8,o ,god of        
,bethel1' would make a fine specimen for
 a polychrome hymn-book1 though ,i      
venture to suggest that no #8higher     
critic' could pick out the portions     
supplied by the various revisers if he  
were left solely to subjective          
considerations4 ,dr4 ,julian says that  
its authorship should be thus           
described--#8,p4 ,doddridge1 ,jan4      
#agc_/ ,scottish ,trs4 and ,paraphs41   
#agde2 ,j4 ,logan1 #agha2 and ,scottish 
,paraphs41 #agha4'  ,the earliest form  
is still extant in ,doddridge's own     
handwriting4                            
,no4 ,,xxxii    ,,jacob',s ,,vow4       
,from ,gen4 xxxiii4 #bj1 #bb4           
#a    ,o ,god of ,bethel1 by whose ,hand
     ,thine ,israel still is fed   ,who 
thro' this weary ,pilgrimage     ,hast  
all our ,fathers led                    
#b    ,to thee our humble ,vows we raise
     ,to thee address our ,prayer1      

,and in thy kind and faithful ,breast   
,deposite all our ,care                 
#c    ,if thou thro' each perplexing    
,path     ,wilt be our constant ,guide  
,if thou wilt daily ,bread supply       
,and ,raiment wilt provide              
#d    ,if thou wilt spread thy ,shield  
around     ,till these our wand'rings   
cease   ,and at our ,father's loved     
,abode     ,our ,souls arrive in ,peace 
#e    ,to thee as to our ,covenant ,god 
,we'll our whole selves resign   ,and   
count that not our tenth alone     ,but 
all we have is ,thine4                  
,january #af1 #agc_/4ajc  ,another hymn1
 even better known and loved than this1 
at least amongst ,methodist             
congregations1 is--    ,o happy day that
 fixed my choice4  ,this also has been  
edited to its advantage4 ,it has been   
the birthday song of countless redeemed 
souls4 ,dr4 ,a4 ,b4 ,bruce says that    
,st4 ,matthew's feast1 at which #8a     
great company of publicans and of others
 sat down1' #8was a kind of poem1 saying

 for ,matthew what ,doddridge's familiar
 lines say for many another4'#ajd       
,contemporary with ,watts and           
,doddridge1 but having closer spiritual 
affinity with ,john ,bunyan1 was ,joseph
 ,hart 7#agab-fh71 whose hymns1 with two
 or three exceptions1 have almost       
disappeared from our hymnals1 though in 
older books1 and in ,spurgeon's ,our    
,own ,hymn-book1 they are fairly        
numerous4 ,to the first edition of his  
hymns he prefixed #8a brief summary     
account of the great things' ,god had   
#8done for' his #8soul1' which1 but for 
its ,calvinism1 might have been written 
by one of the early ,methodist          
preachers4 ,again and again this        
narrative recalls ,grace ,abounding1    
though ,hart has little of the vigour1  
and none of the humour1 of ,bunyan4 ,he 
was #8born of believing parents1' but   
after his conversion he #8hasted to make
 myself a ,christian by mere doctrine1  
adopting other men's opinions before ,i 
had tried them4' ,the result was1       

according to his own account1 a         
deplorable fall into the prevalent      
,antinomianism1 against which ,fletcher 
and ,wesley wrote so energetically4     
,after seven or eight years #8in this   
abominable state' he #8began by degrees 
to reform a little1' and in the week    
before ,easter1 #ageg1 he had #8an      
amazing view of the agony of ,christ in 
the garden1' which affected all his     
after life4 #8,while these horrors      
remained' he found occasional comfort at
 ,whitefield's ,tabernacle in           
,moorfields1 or his chapel in ,tottenham
 ,court ,road1 but on ,whit ,sunday     
7which was also ,charles ,wesley's ,day 
of ,pentecost71 at the ,moravian chapel 
in ,fetter ,lane1 under a sermon on     
,rev4 iii4 #aj1 he felt #8deeply        
impressed1' and hastening home found    
himself #8melting away with a strange   
softness of affection4' ,his experience 
was that of ,christian at the ,cross1   
his #8burden' under which he was        
#8almost sinking' was immediately taken 

from his shoulders4 #8,tears ran in     
streams from my eyes1 and ,i was so     
swallowed up in joy and thankfulness    
that ,i hardly knew where ,i was4'      
,after this #8reconversion' he had many 
,bunyan-like temptations1 but walked    
humbly with ,god1 and ministered till   
his death to the ,independent church in 
,jewin ,street4  ,his hymns are said1 in
 the #8advertisement' to the edition    
published after his death1 to describe  
his preaching exactly1 and they are     
evidently the fruit of his own          
experience4    ,the vicissitudes of a   
trembling faith1 the alternations of    
comfort   and depression1 the           
ever-recurring conflict between grace   
and sin1   and all the emotions of a    
soul #8ready to halt1' but knowing where
 to   look for strength1 are plentifully
 and feelingly represented4 ,but he     
has little acquaintance either with the 
joyful hope and buoyant   cheerfulness  
of ,wesley or with the #8quietness and  
confidence' of   ,keble4#aje  ,he had a 

small poetic gift1 and some of his      
hymns1 with their happy alliterations1  
quaint phrases1 easy rhythm1 and1 above 
all1 their simple piety1 have charm and 
power4 ,dr4 ,johnson's estimate of ,hart
 may be inferred from a curious         
incident4 #8,i went to church4 ,i gave a
 shilling2 and1 seeing a poor girl at   
the sacrament in a bed-gown1 ,i gave her
 privately half a crown1 though ,i saw  
,hart's hymns in her hand4'  ,the hymns 
by which he is1 and will be1 known1     
are--    ,come1 ,holy ,spirit1 come1    
,let ,thy bright beams arise4    ,come1 
ye sinners1 poor and wretched1  ,and    
,this ,god is the ,god we adore4  ,some 
of his forgotten verses have real       
epigrammatic force1 e4g4--    ,if profit
 be thy scope1     ,diffuse thy alms    
about4   ,the worldling prospers laying 
up1     ,the ,christian laying out4  ,a 
few other hymn-writers belong to the    
,dissenting ,church of the eighteenth   
century1 but they have passed or are    
passing from our modern hymn-books4     

,simon ,browne 7#afhj-agcb71 pastor of  
an ,independent church in ,old ,jewry1  
published in #agbj a supplement to      
,watts1 which shows how early ,watts    
began to be regarded as the standard    
hymn-book in ,congregational ,churches4 
,there is a pathetic interest in the    
strange affliction from which he        
suffered4 ,in #agbc he was attacked by  
highwaymen1 and defended himself with   
such vigour that his adversary1 when he 
released him1 was found to be dead4     
,browne was overwhelmed with grief1 and 
sank into a state of melancholy which   
was deepened by family bereavement4     
#8,he imagined that ,god had in a       
gradual manner annihilated in him the   
thinking substance1' yet he continued   
his ministry1 and wrote many books1     
including an exposition of the ,first   
,epistle to the ,corinthians in ,matthew
 ,henry's ,commentary4 ,his best-known  
hymn is still to be found in many       
hymn-books4    ,come1 ,holy ,spirit1    
heavenly ,dove1     ,my sinful maladies 

remove4  ,its form is altered and       
improved1 having passed through the     
hands of many editors4  ,he was also the
 author of a penitential hymn1 which is 
much more impressive when given as      
,browne wrote it in the first person    
singular4 ,in other respects editors    
have improved it by slight alterations4 
,lord1 at ,thy feet a sinner lies1      
,and knocks at mercy's door2   ,with    
heavy heart and downcast eyes     ,thy  
favour ,i implore4    ,on me the vast   
extent display     ,of ,thy forgiving   
love2   ,take all my heinous guilt away1
     ,this heavy load remove4           
,without ,thy grace ,i sink opprest1    
,down to the gates of hell3   ,o give my
 troubled spirit rest1     ,and all my  
fears dispel4    ',tis mercy1 mercy1 ,i 
implore1     ,i would ,thy pity move1   
,thy grace is an exhaustless store      
,and ,thou ,thyself art love4  ,benjamin
 ,beddome 7#agag-ie7 was for more than  
half a century a ,baptist minister at   
,bourton-on-the-,water1 refusing for the

 sake of his rustic flock the           
attractions of a call to more           
conspicuous pastorates4 #8,i would      
rather honour ,god1' he said1 #8in a    
station even much inferior to that in   
which ,he has placed me1 than intrude   
myself into a higher without ,his       
direction4' ,his hymns were written for 
his own congregation1 and usually to    
suit his sermon for the day4  ,there is 
not much to choose amongst ,beddome's   
pious verses4 ,the following lines are  
interesting since they may1 perhaps1    
have suggested ,montgomery's well-known 
hymn3    ,prayer is the breath of ,god  
in man1     ,returning whence it came2  
,love is the sacred fire within1        
,and prayer the rising flame4    ,it    
gives the burdened spirit ease1     ,and
 soothes the troubled breast2   ,yields 
comfort to the mourning soul1     ,and  
to the weary rest4    ,when ,god        
inclines the heart to pray1     ,he hath
 an ear to hear2   ,to ,him there's     
music in a sigh1     ,and beauty in a   

tear4  ,to these clerical hymn-writers  
of the school of ,watts must be added   
the name of ,anne ,steele 7#agaf-gh71   
daughter of ,william ,steele1           
timber-merchant and ,baptist minister at
 ,broughton1 ,hants4 ,miss ,steele is   
the first ,englishwoman who takes a     
permanent place amongst hymn-writers4   
,she has been called the ,miss ,havergal
 of the eighteenth century1 and so far  
as popularity and piety are concerned   
the comparison is fair4 ,she wrote under
 the name of #8,theodosia1' and her     
hymns were for a hundred years          
extensively used in ,nonconformist      
worship1 and several are to be found in 
,anglican hymnals4  ,dr4 ,watts was her 
acknowledged model4 ,she cries--    ,o  
for the animating fire   ,that tuned    
harmonious ,watts's lyre1       ,to     
sweet seraphic strains6#ajf  ,she was so
 modest and devout1 suffered and        
sorrowed so much1 that one is glad to   
know that some at least of her songs    
will take their place among the         

permanent treasures of ,christian song4 
,her hymns are generally improved by the
 omission of some verses1 and by slight 
changes2 but ,miss ,steele is never     
guilty of the clumsy and offensive      
phrases which mar so many contemporary  
hymns4 ,her best-known hymns are #8,when
 ,i survey life's varied scene1#ajg and 
#8,father of mercies1 in ,thy word4'    
,here are a few verses from a hymn on   
the text1 #8,because ,i live1 ye shall  
live also' 7,john xiv4 #ai7--    ,if my 
immortal ,saviour lives1     ,then my   
immortal life is sure2   ,his word a    
firm foundation gives3     ,here let me 
build and rest secure4    ,here let my  
faith unshaken dwell3     ,immovable the
 promise stands2   ,not all the powers  
of earth or hell     ,can e'er dissolve 
the sacred bands4    ,here1 ,o my soul1 
thy trust repose6     ,if ,jesus is for 
ever mine4   ,not death itself1 that    
last of foes1     ,shall break a union  
so divine4  ,dr4 ,john ,ryland          
7#agec-ahbe71 one of the pioneers of the

 modern missionary revival1 and a few   
others are still remembered as          
hymn-writers1 but there is little       
distinctive about their poetry4 ,indeed 
one is compelled to admit that a very   
large portion of the hymns of the school
 of ,watts are dull1 formal1 and        
prosaic4 ,for the most part they were   
written to suit particular sermons1 and 
the shades of the meeting-house are     
about them still4 ,to many of them      
,montgomery's criticism of ,beddome     
applies3 #8,his compositions are        
calculated to be far more useful than   
attractive4'  ,the #8atmosphere' was    
hardly likely to inspire enthusiasm4    
,the long struggle between ,king and    
,parliament1 ,catholic and ,protestant  
was stilled1 the ,toleration ,act       
7#afhi7 had given to orthodox           
,nonconformists a religious liberty     
unknown before1 and1 though there were  
occasional fears lest the old1 bad      
conditions should be revived1 their     
freedom became gradually larger and more

 thoroughly established4 ,watts and     
,doddridge represent the best side of   
the ,nonconformity which settled down   
after #8the glorious ,revolution' into  
sedate1 intelligent1 unaggressive1 and  
highly respectable ,churches1 rejoicing 
devoutly1 but without enthusiasm1 in the
 right to worship ,god in their own     
sanctuaries1 and to #8sit under' the    
ministry of their own pastors4 #8,then  
had the ,churches rest1 and walking in  
the comfort of the ,holy ,ghost were    
multiplied4' ,the high character and    
sound scholarship of the leading        
,nonconformist ministers compelled the  
respect and won the esteem of their     
episcopalian neighbours1 with whom they 
lived in pleasant relationships4 ,it was
 just the time for a quiet reform in    
modes of worship1 and it was in the     
years between the ,toleration ,act and  
the ,methodist ,revival that the hymn1  
already known but not yet loved1 won its
 way to a sure and increasingly         
honourable place in the service of the  

sanctuary4 ,had the hymns been more     
original and aggressive in tone1 they   
would not so readily have won the ear   
and heart of ,independent congregations 
at the beginning of the eighteenth      
century4                                
,,iv                                    
,eighteenth-century ,hymns              
,,ii4--,hymns of the ,methodist ,revival
  ,the first ,wesleyan hymn-book is     
earlier than the ,evangelical ,revival4 
,when ,john ,wesley sailed for ,georgia1
 he took with him ,herbert's ,poems1    
,watts's ,psalms and ,hymns1 and ,john  
,austin's ,offices4 ,from these and some
 other books he prepared #8the first    
hymn-book compiled for use in the       
,church of ,england4'#ajh ,it was       
published at ,charlestown in #agcg1 and 
is entitled1 ,a ,collection of ,psalms  
and ,hymns4 ,the book is a #8,christian 
week' rather than a ,christian year1    
being divided into three sections--for  
,sunday2 for ,wednesday and ,friday2 for
 ,saturday4 ,it is in many respects a   

most interesting volume4 ,there is      
little trace of #8catholic' doctrine1   
unless it be in the verses taken from   
,austin's ,office of the ,saints1 and   
there is less of sacramental teaching   
than in the present ,methodist          
,hymn-book4  ,of the seventy hymns half 
are by ,dr4 ,watts1 and amongst these   
are his version of ,ps4 c1 with         
,wesley's famous first lines--          
,before ,jehovah's awful throne1     ,ye
 nations1 bow with sacred joy2  and the 
cxlvi41 which ,wesley repeated with his 
dying breath4 ,seven hymns are by ,john 
,austin2 six are moderately successful  
attempts to make some of ,herbert's     
matchless poems available for use in    
public worship4 ,the ,wesleyan portion  
of the book consists of five hymns by   
,samuel ,wesley1 senior2 five by ,samuel
 ,wesley1 junior2 and five translations 
from the ,german by ,john ,wesley       
himself4 ,charles ,wesley's hymns are   
conspicuous by their absence4 ,probably 
the explanation is that1 as he had      

already sailed for ,england1 his ,,mss4 
were not at his brother's disposal4  ,in
 #agch1 on his return to ,england1 ,john
 ,wesley published another small        
hymn-book1 with the same title and a    
similar arrangement1 though the contents
 are different4 ,this is1 ,i think1 the 
only one of his many hymn-books in which
 ,ken's hymns are included4 ,in #agci   
the brothers issued their first joint   
publication1 #8,hymns and ,sacred       
,poems1 published by ,john ,wesley1     
,m4,a41 ,fellow of ,lincoln ,college1   
,oxford1 and ,charles ,wesley1 ,m4,a41  
,student of ,christ ,church1 ,oxford4   
,london4 ,printed by ,william ,strahan1 
and sold by ,james ,hutton1 bookseller1 
at the ,bible and ,sun without ,temple  
,bar2 ,mr4 ,bray's1 a brazier1 in       
,little ,britain1 ,m ,,dcc ,,xxxix4' ,in
 this volume ,charles ,wesley's first   
published poems appeared1 and from this 
time he is the recognized poet of the   
,revival4  ,charles ,wesley was born at 
,epworth ,rectory on ,december #ah1     

#agjg4 ,notwithstanding poverty1 debt1  
difficulty1 and persecution1 there was  
probably no more truly ,christian home  
in ,england4 ,the cultivation of        
personal religion and simple faith in   
,god found congenial soil here1 and     
doubtless in other obscure country      
parsonages4 ,the ,rector of ,epworth was
 a poet of some gifts1 which the whole  
family inherited in greater or less     
degree4 ,his eldest son--sixteen years  
older than ,charles--was a minor poet   
and hymn-writer1 and the younger members
 of the family grew up in an atmosphere 
which must have made it natural for them
 to write verses4  ,we have1 however1 no
 indication of precocious hymn-writing  
on the part of ,charles ,wesley1 nor1   
indeed1 of any poetic composition till  
he was seven-and-twenty1 when he writes 
to convey a protest against his sister's
 marriage4 ,probably he did not discover
 his special talent till he was in      
,georgia1 where the ,governor's wife    
wrote1 #8,mr4 ,wesley has the gift of   

verse1 and has written many sweet hymns1
 which we sing4'#aji  ,but if ,charles  
,wesley wrote little poetry before his  
,american mission1 he had received much 
of the training which was in due season 
to yield such abundant fruit4 ,the      
gracious influences of the ,lincolnshire
 rectory1 of the ,oxford ,methodists1 of
 his ,moravian fellow passengers1 all   
helped to mould his fervent spirit4 ,the
 poet within him could not long be      
silent1 and had already awoke when he   
received the baptism of the ,holy       
,spirit on the ,day of ,pentecost1      
#agch4 ,this was the time of his        
evangelical conversion1 when he passed  
out of the state of the anxious and     
conscientious servant into the glorious 
liberty of the child of ,god4 ,from that
 time the word of ,christ dwelt in him  
richly4 #8,the wealth of ,god'#aaj was  
bestowed upon him1 and out of the       
abundance of a heart enriched by the    
indwelling word he poured forth psalms1 
hymns1 and spiritual songs in an almost 

ceaseless stream4 ,had ,charles ,wesley 
never passed through this experience he 
would have been one of our greatest     
ecclesiastical hymn-writers1 and would  
have ranked with ,heber and ,keble1 but 
there would have been no distinctively  
,methodist hymnody1 and the ,evangelical
 ,revival would have been immeasurably  
poorer4 ,moreover1 he did very much to  
preserve the standard of good taste1 as 
well as the fervour of religious        
feeling1 in primitive ,methodism4       
,charles ,wesley1 a ,christ ,church     
student1 came to add sweetness to   this
 sudden and startling light4 ,he was the
 #8sweet singer' of the   movement4 ,his
 hymns expressed the fiery conviction of
 its converts   in lines so chaste and  
beautiful1 that its more extravagant    
features   disappeared4 ,the wild throes
 of hysteric enthusiasm passed into a   
passion for hymn-singing1 and a new     
musical impulse was aroused in   the    
people which gradually changed the face 
of public devotion   throughout         

,england4#aaa  ,charles ,wesley would   
probably have accepted ,keble's         
judgement as to the value of #8a sober  
standard of feeling in matters of       
practical religion1' but his standard   
allowed a much wider range and warmer   
glow to feeling than was possible to the
 poet of the later ,oxford ,movement4   
,both the ,wesleys shrank with the      
instinct of the scholar and the         
gentleman from extravagance and         
vulgarity4 ,their energies were often   
devoted to restraining the exuberant    
manifestations of the fervour of their  
converts2 and though they dared not deal
 too strictly with what they believed to
 be indications of genuine spiritual    
emotion1 they deprecated undue          
excitement1 and regarded hysterical     
testimonies in a very different light   
from that in which ,edward ,irving      
viewed the speaking with tongues4       
,saved from the fear of hell and death1 
,with joy we seek the things above2     
,and all ,thy saints the spirit breathe 

,of power1 sobriety1 and love4    ,pure 
love to ,god ,thy members find1         
,pure love to every soul of man2   ,and 
in ,thy sober1 spotless mind1           
,saviour1 our heaven on earth we        
gain4#aab  ,if ,charles ,wesley         
impressed himself upon the ,methodist   
,revival to its great benefit1 the      
,revival in its turn most advantageously
 affected his hymn-writing4 ,in many of 
his poems it is easy to trace the       
influence of the ,anglican ,prayer-book 
or the ,moravian prayer-meeting1 but the
 typically ,methodist hymns show little 
trace of either2 they are songs of the  
open-air service or of the class-room4  
,beecher's statement that ,charles      
,wesley's #8hymns are only ,moravian    
hymns re-sung' is more than a gross     
exaggeration4  ,in the early days of    
,methodism1 ,charles ,wesley was as     
energetic and as successful an          
evangelist as ,john4 ,he loved the stir1
 the tumult1 the triumph of those great 
outdoor gatherings1 where testimony must

 be borne before mobs who might at any  
time endanger the property and even the 
lives of preacher and hearers4 ,in this 
regard the poet of the ,evangelical     
,revival had a great advantage over the 
poet of the ,tractarian ,movement4      
,keble is one of the singers of the     
country parsonage4 ,at ,fairford and    
,hursley he found1 as ,cowper at ,olney1
    ,the calm retreat1 the silent shade1
   ,with prayer and praise agree2  but  
,charles ,wesley was moved to his       
highest flights of praise by hard-won   
victories amongst his wild hearers in   
,cornwall1 or ,moorfields1 at           
,kingswood1 or ,walsall4 ,the depths of 
his soul were moved when he saw the     
first signs of penitence in the unwonted
 tears which cut white channels in the  
begrimed faces of the colliers1 whom he 
taught to sing    ,but ,o the power of  
grace ,divine6     ,in hymns we now our 
voices raise1   ,loudly in strange      
hosannas join1     ,and blasphemies are 
turned to praise6  ,nor must we overlook

 the influence of the ,methodist        
class-meeting upon ,charles ,wesley's   
hymns4 ,that institution was of the     
essence of ,methodism4 ,it provided a   
#8,holy ,club1' or a number of holy     
clubs1 in every place where converts had
 been gathered4 ,true to his mission as 
the poet of ,methodism1 he provided     
hymns for the ,societies in their       
private meetings as well as in their    
vast evangelistic gatherings4 ,the      
hymn-book naturally begins with the     
section headed #8,exhorting and         
,beseeching to ,return to ,god1' but the
 majority of the hymns are for the      
penitent1 the mourner1 the believer1 and
 for the backslider--the man in whom old
 habits have proved too strong1 who has 
wandered back to sin1 but longs to turn 
to ,god again4 ,charles ,wesley shared  
with ,john the pastoral oversight of the
 converts1 often spending many weeks in 
,dublin1 ,newcastle1 or ,bristol1 or    
passing rapidly through ,cornwall or the
 ,black ,country1 not only preaching the

 gospel1 but carefully examining1       
encouraging1 and sifting the societies4 
,the class-meeting gave the distinctive 
tone to ,methodist devotion1 and        
,charles ,wesley was quick to sympathize
 with the varying moods of religious    
experience related by the members4 ,his 
hymns were often written for use by the 
,society in its stated gatherings or by 
,christian friends meeting socially in  
each other's houses4 ,in every revision 
of the ,methodist ,hymn-book it has been
 recognized that ample provision must be
 made for such occasions1 and that hymns
 might be very useful and1 in fact1     
extensively used though never heard in  
public worship4  ,the ,wesleys were     
singularly open to impressions from     
those whom they met1 or whose books they
 read4 ,anglican1 ,moravian1 ,mystic by 
turns1 they only gradually developed    
into ,methodists4 ,in their first joint 
publication they note that #8some verses
 444 were wrote upon the scheme of the  
,mystic divines' whom they #8had once in

 great veneration1 as the best          
explainers of the gospel of             
,christ4'#aac ,george ,herbert1 ,john   
,norris 7that other less famous parson  
of ,bemerton71 ,henry ,more1 and such   
,german hymn-writers as ,freylinghausen1
 ,christian ,friedrich ,richter1 and ,w4
 ,c4 ,dessler1 were their first masters 
of ,christian song2 but ,charles ,wesley
 soon found his own wings1 and ceased to
 belong to any school of poets1 though  
to the end traces of other men's        
writings are to be found--amounting     
occasionally to actual verbal quotation1
 e4g4 from ,milton1 ,young1 ,tate and   
,brady4  ,it is not possible to assign  
dates for the composition of many of    
,charles ,wesley's hymns after the early
 years of the ,revival1 except those    
called forth by some special occasion1  
such as the #8,earthquake ,hymns1' and  
those for the troubled days of the      
,insurrection of #agde4 ,at such times  
the hymns must have been written as a   
kind of task-work1 and the result is    

rarely more than commonplace4 ,the poet 
seemed to think it his duty1 as the     
laureate of ,methodism1 to provide      
suitable hymns for the special services 
rendered necessary by stirring events1  
and usually wrote one or two in each of 
the favourite metres4 ,these were issued
 in small pamphlets at a few pence1 and 
no doubt sold very extensively1 as did  
,john ,wesley's prose tracts1 through   
which he #8unawares became rich4'  ,it  
is difficult for a ,methodist preacher  
of the fourth generation1 whose earliest
 and most sacred associations are       
hallowed by memories of ,wesley's hymns1
 to attempt an impartial1 not to say a  
critical1 survey of them4 ,if1 then1 ,i 
seem to place too high an estimate on   
the ,wesley poetry as compared with the 
hymns of others1 ,i trust it may be     
credited rather to early training and   
inherited affection than to             
denominational partiality4  ,it may at  
once be granted that ,charles ,wesley   
wrote far too easily and too diffusely  

to secure permanent remembrance for the 
majority of his hymns4 ,hundreds1       
perhaps thousands1 might disappear      
without serious loss to the spiritual   
and devotional life of the ,church4 ,it 
may be admitted1 further1 that he did   
not know which were his best and which  
his worst productions1 and that ,john   
,wesley's editing might with advantage  
have been more severe4 ,the             
printing-press was dangerously          
convenient to ,charles ,wesley1 and the 
certainty of extensive sale for         
everything he published1 combined with  
the enthusiasm with which their people  
received what the brothers wrote1 either
 in prose or verse1 presented a         
temptation to rapid and frequent        
publication which few poets could       
resist4 ,moreover1 much that he wrote   
was designed for immediate use1 and had 
to be written1 printed1 published ere   
the occasion passed4 ,yet it is probable
 that not much would have been gained by
 elaborate revision4 ,charles ,wesley   

was too tender-hearted to treat his     
literary offspring as ,david treated the
 ,moabites1 measuring two lines to put  
to death and one full line to keep      
alive1 though both he and ,dr4 ,watts   
might not unwisely have adopted some    
such heroic measure4  ,his hymns were   
often written at white heat1 but they   
underwent constant revision by their    
author1 and generally they had a further
 revision by his brother4 ,the poet     
himself records eight revisions of his  
,short ,hymns on the ,gospels and ,acts1
 which he noted were #8finished ,april  
#bd1 #agfe1' and revised for the last   
time ,may #aa1 #aghg4  ,in his ,journal1
 ,john ,wesley records1 under date      
,december #ae1 #aghh--    ,this week ,i 
dedicated to the reading over my        
brother's works4 ,they   are short poems
 on the ,psalms1 the four ,gospels1 and 
the ,acts of the   ,apostles4 ,some are 
bad2 some mean2 some most excellently   
good2 they   give the true sense of     
,scripture1 always in good ,english1    

generally   in good verse2 many of them 
are equal to most1 if not to any1 he    
ever wrote2 but some still savour of    
that poisonous mysticism with   which we
 were both not a little tainted before  
we went to ,america4  #8,some bad1 some 
mean1 some most excellently good4' ,the 
judgement is just1 though we who are    
accustomed to our richer and more varied
 hymn-books should probably place not a 
few in a fourth class--certainly not    
#8bad' or #8mean1' yet hardly           
#8excellently good4'  ,in the ,methodist
 ,hymn-book #dbi hymns are attributed to
 ,charles ,wesley2 in the hymnals of    
other ,churches there are to be found a 
number which are unknown in ,methodism4 
,it is safe to say that of ,charles     
,wesley's hymns about #ejj are living   
still4  ,the first great service        
,wesley's hymns rendered to ,christian  
song was to raise the standard of       
feeling in matters of practical         
religion4 ,john ,wesley's emendation of 
a line of ,doddridge's may illustrate   

the influence of ,methodist hymns upon  
religious emotion4 ,doddridge wrote--   
,ye humble souls1 that seek the ,lord1  
,chase all your fears away2   ,and bow  
with pleasure down to see     ,the place
 where ,jesus lay4  ,wesley changed     
#8pleasure' into #8rapture' in the hymn1
 and ,methodism raised ,christian       
emotion from the quiet satisfaction of  
,watts1 ,doddridge1 and the elect souls 
who kept alive the faith during the drab
 years which preceded the ,revival1 to  
the ecstatic gladness of those to whom  
that great movement brought the         
brightness of a morning without clouds4 
,the largest section of the hymn-book   
was headed #8,for ,believers            
,rejoicing4' ,no other ,christian poet  
ever sang such songs1 for no other has  
ever known the joy of the evangelist as 
,charles ,wesley knew it4      ,in a    
rapture of joy     ,my life ,i employ1  
,the ,god of my life to proclaim2       
',tis worth living for this1     ,to    
administer bliss   ,and salvation in    

,jesus's name4  ,joyousness was the     
natural result of the gospel he         
preached4 ,it was the good news of the  
assurance of personal salvation4 ,here  
,john ,wesley's emendation of one of    
,watts's famous hymns may serve as an   
illustration4 ,watts wrote--      ,my   
soul looks back to see     ,the burdens 
,thou didst bear   ,when hanging on the 
cursd tree1     ,and hopes her guilt was
 there4  ,wesley shows the difference   
between ,methodism and ,calvinism by the
 change of a word--    ,and knows her   
guilt was there4  ,the ,methodist       
doctrine of ,assurance1 the revival or  
rediscovery of the doctrine of the      
,witness of the ,spirit1 gave to        
,christian experience a confidence which
 was more joyous than that of the       
#8elect4' ,the ,wesleys never slurred   
the need of repentance--deep1 poignant1 
practical2 but there is a great gulf    
between the comparatively brief pangs of
 the ,methodist penitent and the        
habitual depression of the devout       

,romanist ever searching through the    
dark places of the heart to find matter 
for confession4 ,the shades of the      
prison-house did not linger long around 
the emancipated soul4 ,coming out of the
 gloom into the sunshine the road wound 
,uphill all the way1   ,yes1 to the very
 end4  ,the redeemed of the ,lord       
returned to ,zion with singing1 with    
everlasting joy upon their heads4       
,notwithstanding all that may be said1  
and1 to some extent1 with justice1 of   
the terrors1 even the horrors1 of early 
evangelical preaching concerning death1 
hell1 and judgement1 the ,methodist     
hymns brought into ,christian worship a 
brighter and more trustful tone than it 
had known for many generations4 ,the    
,revival brought back the golden days1  
the joy of heart1 which characterized   
the ,apostolic ,church1 and the ,german 
,protestants at the ,reformation4 ,at   
the time of the ,revival the ,church of 
,england1 though largely ,arminian in   
doctrine1 was so incapable of fervour1  

so afraid of zeal1 that it had          
practically no power over the masses1   
whilst by the classes ,christianity was1
 as ,bishop ,butler said1 regarded #8not
 so much as a subject of inquiry1' but  
#8now at length discovered to be        
fictitious4'  ,in the ,establishment    
there was hardly spiritual life enough  
to put real vigour even into religious  
controversy4 ,butler's ,analogy is      
typical of the position of the          
ecclesiastical leaders of that day4     
,they were content if they could        
demonstrate that the balance of         
probabilities was in favour of          
,christianity1 and did not even desire  
to be anointed with the oil of gladness 
above their fellows4  ,the most earnest 
and aggressive of the ,nonconformists   
were stanchly ,calvinistic1 and1 by     
their most cherished beliefs1 were      
precluded from the magnificent visions  
of a redeemed world1 which were at once 
the inspiration and the attraction of   
,methodist preaching4  ,altogether      

outside theological controversy1 and1   
for the most part1 uncared for by the   
religious people of the day1 lay the    
masses1 ignorant1 degraded1 despised1   
who neither gave1 nor were expected to  
give1 heed to things higher than the    
needs of the #8mere animal4' ,of them   
,charles ,wesley only too truly said--  
,wild as the untaught ,indian's brood   
,the ,christian savages remain4  ,the   
hymns #8,exhorting and ,beseeching to   
,return to ,god' at once attracted the  
,poor outcasts of men1 whose souls were 
despised   ,and left with disdain4      
,very surely1 though very slowly1 the   
glad evangel of the hymns which offer   
pardon and holiness and heaven to all   
won its way in the ,churches4 ,it is one
 of the most precious fruits of the     
,revival that now hardly any ,church can
 forbear to sing them4 ,nor is it too   
much to say that ,methodist hymns1 even 
more than ,methodist teaching1 broke    
down the ,calvinistic idea of the       
,church--    ,we are a garden walled    

around1   ,chosen and made peculiar     
ground2   ,a little spot enclosed by    
grace   ,out of the world's wide        
wilderness4  ,again1 ,john ,wesley's    
hymns gave a great impulse1 and added a 
great sanction1 to the expression of    
personal experience in hymns4 ,they were
 unfettered by what has been well       
described as the #8old traditions of    
reserved and reticent worship4'#aad ,for
 good or ill1 there is little of reserve
 or reticence in ,charles ,wesley's     
hymns4    ,what we have felt and seen   
,with confidence we tell4  ,many poets  
of the sanctuary have felt that the most
 sacred experiences of the penitent     
sinner and of the sanctified believer   
were not to be put into words1 that to  
utter them was to expose to the coarse  
breath of the world what must perish in 
the very act of expression4 ,it was not 
without an effort that ,charles ,wesley 
broke through this #8reserve2' yet he   
did1 and that not only from a sense of  
duty1 but from a conviction that to be  

silent would be a cowardly yielding to  
the temptation to shun the reproach of  
,christ4    ,and shall ,i slight my     
,father's love8     ,or basely fear ,his
 gifts to own8   ,unmindful of ,his     
favours prove8     ,shall ,i1 the       
hallowed cross to shun1   ,refuse ,his  
righteousness to impart1   ,by hiding it
 within my heart8#aae  ,moreover1 many  
of ,charles ,wesley's hymns--especially 
the more personal--were intended to be  
sung #8secretly among the faithful1'    
rather than in the congregation4 ,they  
were written for the family gatherings  
of #8the household of the faith1' and   
thus were free from the restraints which
 might be necessary in compositions     
intended for larger and less sympathetic
 assemblies4  ,wesley's hymns           
represented and1 to a considerable      
extent1 created the specific ,methodist 
type of religious thought1 emotion1 and 
expression4 ,they were1 also1 the       
vehicle by which doctrine was conveyed  
to the minds of the uneducated masses4  

,the great truths which it was the      
mission of ,methodism to teach are      
conspicuous in the ,methodist hymns4    
,justification by ,faith1 the ,witness  
of the ,spirit1 ,universal ,redemption1 
,entire ,sanctification1 are all taught 
in ,charles ,wesley's remembered hymns  
as they are in ,john ,wesley's forgotten
 tracts4 ,if the hymns have ceased to be
 peculiarly ,methodist1 it is because   
,christian experience and teaching have 
been so largely influenced by them4  ,it
 is impossible not to compare ,charles  
,wesley with his great predecessor1     
,isaac ,watts4 ,the day has gone by in  
which rival camps or choirs seek to     
exalt the one by disparaging the other4 
,as we have seen1 ,watts's ,psalms and  
,hymns were taken by the ,wesleys on    
their mission to ,georgia1 and it can   
never be forgotten that1 with his dying 
breath1 ,john ,wesley quoted the hymn   
which1 from those early days1 had been  
included in the hymn-books prepared by  
him for congregational use4  ,watts was 

less careful of the technique of his    
poetry than ,charles ,wesley4 ,his      
rhymes are often very bad1 and          
occasionally are altogether forgotten1  
and this is true of hymns whose         
intrinsic value is such that they       
retain1 and are likely to retain1 their 
place in our hymn-books4 ,charles       
,wesley is not without sin in this      
regard1 but a really bad rhyme is       
comparatively rare in his best          
compositions4 ,he has less of poetic    
imagery than ,watts1 and has not so keen
 an eye for the beauties of the natural 
world4 ,charles ,wesley never wrote a   
hymn that1 in its own way1 compares with
    ,eternal ,wisdom6 ,thee we praise2  
nor do ,i know any verse of his which   
equals in its rich1 strong              
monosyllables1 ,watts's    ,his         
every#aaf word of grace is strong       
,as that which built the skies2   ,the  
voice that rolls the stars along        
,speaks all the promises4  ,wesley was  
apt to use long and awkward words1      

sometimes of his own coining1 rarely    
adding to the force1 and always         
detracting from the practical value of  
the hymn4  ,it must also be admitted    
that ,charles ,wesley wrote some verses 
the taste of which is dreadful1 though  
he never approaches the execrable       
coarseness of some ,moravian hymns1 or  
of the lines which ,walter ,shirley     
transfigured into #8,sweet the moments  
rich in blessing4' ,both ,watts and     
,wesley had a quiet rather than a keen  
sense of humour1 but they had little of 
that appreciation of the comic which is 
so acute in our own time4#aag  ,charles 
,wesley rarely1 if ever1 reaches the    
depth of prosaic commonplace which marks
 many of ,watts's hymns4 ,he had a more 
sensitive ear and a more cultivated     
taste1 and1 what is perhaps more to the 
point1 he had a faithful1 though        
affectionate and admiring1 critic in his
 brother4 ,when ,john ,wesley said of   
,charles that his least praise was his  
talent for poetry1 he meant1 not to     

disparage his hymns1 but to bear the    
highest testimony possible to the gifts 
and graces of his mind and character4   
,in considering somewhat in detail the  
hymns of ,charles ,wesley1 it is        
convenient to treat of them in the      
classes into which they may be broadly  
divided4 ,but even so it is obviously   
impossible to glance at more than a     
small number of his poems4              
#a4--;,hymns of the ,christian ,year    
,the idea of an elaborate classification
 according to the ,church seasons1 so   
usual in modern ,anglican hymnals1 had  
not yet become popular4 ,bishop ,ken's  
,hymns for all the ,festivals of the    
,year#aah 7published in #agba1 ten years
 after his death71 the precursor and1 to
 some extent1 the inspiration of the    
,christian ,year1 was not intended for  
use as a hymn-book4 ,wither's ,hymns and
 ,songs of the ,church 7#afbc7 provided 
for all the chief festivals1 saints'    
days1 and other occasional services4    
,about forty years later 7#affa7 ,dr4   

,eaton1 ,vicar of ,bishop's ,castle1    
,salop1 published ,the ,holy ,calendar1 
but his poems were not intended to be   
sung4 ,the ,wesleys issued a number of  
pamphlets containing hymns for the great
 festivals1 and it would not be         
difficult to select from their various  
publications a #8,christian year1' in   
which every hymn was suitable for public
 worship4 ,but the pieces would need to 
be gathered1 for the brothers did not   
contemplate the use of their hymn-books 
in ,church services2 they were designed 
for the preaching-house1 the open-air   
service1 and the class-meeting4 ,the    
,nonconformist ,churches had adopted the
 custom early in the century1 but in the
 ,church of ,england hymn-singing was   
still1 and for many years after1 an     
irregularity1 if not an offence4  ,first
 and greatest of ,charles ,wesley's     
festival hymns is the ,christmas carol  
,hark6 how all the welkin rings1        
#8,glory to the ,king of kings4'  ,it   
was published in #agci1 and is not      

impossibly one of the #8many sweet      
hymns' which were sung in the household 
of ,general ,oglethorpe4 ,whitefield    
made some popular alterations1 and      
included it in his ,collection1 in      
#agec4 ,in #aghb it found a place in the
 ,prayer-book1 after the new version of 
the ,psalms4 ,it was omitted from       
,wesley's ,collection1 but was inserted 
in the supplement of #ahcj--nearly a    
century after its composition4  ,in the 
same metre1 and not inferior1 are the   
hymns for ,easter--    #8,christ1 the   
,lord1 is risen to-day1'   ,sons of men 
and angels say6  and for ,ascension     
,day--    ,hail the day that sees ,him  
rise1   ,ravished from our wishful eyes4
  ,there are some good verses in the    
,whit ,sunday hymn--    ,granted is the 
,saviour's prayer1   ,sent the gracious 
,comforter2  and in the little-known    
hymn for the ,epiphany--    ,sons of    
men1 behold from far1   ,hail the       
long-expected ,star6#aai  but they are  
not equal to the others4  ,of ,charles  

,wesley's hymns on our ,lord's ,passion1
 the finest are those beginning    ,with
 glorious clouds encompassed round1     
,whom angels dimly see1   ,will the     
,unsearchable be found1     ,or ,god    
appear to me8                           
4 4 4 4 4    ,o ,love divine6 what hast 
thou done6     ,the immortal ,god hath  
died for me   ,the ,father's co-eternal 
,son     ,bore all my sins upon the     
tree2   ,the immortal ,god for me hath  
died6   ,my ,lord1 my ,love is          
crucified4                              
4 4 4 4 4    ,o ,thou who hast our      
sorrows borne1   ,help us to look on    
,thee and mourn1     ,on ,thee ,whom we 
have slain1   ,have pierced a thousand  
thousand times1   ,and by reiterated    
crimes     ,renewed ,thy mortal         
pain4#abj  ,the popular hymn beginning  
,all ye that pass by1         ,to ,jesus
 draw nigh3   ,to you is it nothing that
 ,jesus should die8  is1 owing to its   
cheerful metre1 hardly suited to the    
solemn services of ,good ,friday1 and   

was intended for the open air4 ,it was  
headed #8,invitation to ,sinners1' and  
was used by ,whitefield with great      
effect when preaching at the ,market    
,cross1 ,nottingham1 and elsewhere4     
,john ,wesley appointed many fast days1 
and was careful to fix them on ,friday1 
but the observance of ,lent does not    
seem to have been enforced1 or even     
strongly recommended1 in the ,methodist 
,society4 ,hymns for saints' days and   
for the minor festivals are unknown to  
the ,wesley poetry4                     
#b4 ,hymns on the ,lord's ,supper4#aba  
,this pamphlet contains #aff hymns1 many
 of which are admirable and very close  
paraphrases of passages in ,brevint's   
,christian ,sacrifice1 but others are   
independent of that devout treatise4    
,many lend themselves readily to use in 
#8catholic' services1 and have often    
been quoted as indicating high          
sacramentarian views4#abb  ,on the other
 hand1 such verses as the following must
 be taken in an entirely evangelical    

sense--    ,the cup of blessing1 blessed
 by ,thee1     ,let it ,thy blood       
impart3   ,the bread ,thy mystic body   
be1     ,and cheer each languid heart4  
4 4 4 4 4    ,with solemn faith we offer
 up1     ,and spread before ,thy        
glorious eyes1   ,that only ground of   
all our hope1     ,that precious1       
bleeding ,sacrifice1   ,which brings    
,thy grace on sinners down1   ,and      
perfects all our souls in one4          
4 4 4 4 4    ,by faith we see ,thy      
sufferings past     ,in this mysterious 
rite brought back3   ,and on ,thy grand 
oblation cast1     ,its saving benefits 
partake4  ,in these paraphrases there   
are naturally expressions which         
represent ,brevint and not the ,wesleys1
 except in so far as they indicate a    
general approval of his teaching4 ,the  
hymns which most closely follow the     
treatise are often the least happy4     
,yet1 when every deduction is made1 this
 little book is one of the most edifying
 of devotional preparations for the     

,communion4  ,these hymns have had a    
permanent influence upon ,methodist     
worship4 ,many of them were probably    
suggested by the ,order of              
,administration in the ,book of ,common 
,prayer1 the most beautiful of all the  
,anglican services4 ,both the brothers  
had a profound reverence for the ,holy  
,communion1 as the supreme act of       
,christian worship1 and constantly      
impressed upon ,methodists the duty of  
its regular observance4 ,never at any   
time was there a danger of the          
,methodist ,societies cutting themselves
 off from the ,catholic ,church by      
neglect of the ,sacraments1 or of their 
becoming an exclusively evangelistic    
organization on the plan of the         
,salvation ,army4 ,this pamphlet1 of    
which many editions were issued during  
the lifetime of ,john ,wesley1 shows how
 serious a view they desired their      
people to take of the value of this     
sacrament1 whilst its great popularity  
suggests that the intelligence of the   

,methodists of a hundred and fifty years
 ago was very much above that with which
 we are accustomed to credit them4 ,the 
republication of ,brevint's ,treatise1  
in a small series of devotional manuals1
 edited by ,dr4 ,george ,osborn1 did not
 revive interest in it1 as it might have
 done had a judicious selection from the
 hymns been included4#abc  ,several     
hymns familiar to us in other sections  
of our hymn-books were written for1 or  
included in1 this series4 ,the prayer   
for the ,church militant1 with its      
remembrance of and thanksgiving for     
those in trouble and for those who have 
#8departed this life in ,thy faith and  
fear1' probably suggested the hymn--    
,what are these arrayed in white8       
whilst the ,ter-,sanctus is the         
inspiration of--    ,lift your eyes of  
faith and see   ,saints and angels      
joined in one4  ,the thought of         
communion with the ,church triumphant   
was very precious to ,charles ,wesley1  
and there is a most beautiful and solemn

 appropriateness in the lifting of the  
eyes as well as of the heart1 when1     
having claimed in faith the forgiveness 
of sins1 we take our unchallenged place 
at the table of the ,lord4 ,the ,holy   
,communion includes fellowship with     
those who have #8crossed the flood' and 
are for ever with the ,lord4  ,nor is   
the other aspect of the communion of    
saints forgotten4 ,it is often easier   
for earnest souls to claim fellowship   
with the white-robed company of heaven  
than with those on earth who are divided
 from them by divergencies of doctrine  
and practice4 ,but if1 on the one hand1 
the ,eucharist has been a stone of      
stumbling and a rock of offence to      
theologians and ecclesiastics1 on the   
other it is the bond of union between   
all #8holding fast the ,head4'#abd ,the 
true evangelic and the typically        
,wesleyan position is well stated in the
 verse--    ,part of ,his ,church below1
     ,we thus our right maintain2   ,our
 living membership we show1     ,and in 

the fold remain1--   ,the sheep of      
,israel's fold1     ,in ,england's      
pastures fed2   ,and fellowship with all
 we hold1     ,who hold it with our     
,head4#abe  ,this is the attitude our   
,church has consistently adopted4 ,we do
 not claim exclusive privileges or      
profess that our boundaries are the     
walls of that city of ,god which lieth  
four square4 ,we are but #8part of ,his 
,church below1' but we are a part1 and  
in obedience to our dying ,lord's       
command #8we thus our right maintain4'  
,what matter though some deny the       
validity of our #8orders1' the efficacy 
of our sacraments1 our title to a place 
in the ,holy ,catholic ,church8 ,they   
may drive us from their local altars1   
but they cannot exclude us from the     
,lord's table4 ,they may deny us a place
 in that family for which our blessed   
,lord was content to be betrayed into   
the hands of sinful men4 ,what then8 ,we
 do not deny theirs4    ,fellowship with
 all we hold1   ,who hold it with our   

,head4  ,this is a note too seldom heard
 in ,communion hymns4 ,i do not remember
 to have found it so clearly put        
anywhere else1 though ,major ,turton's  
prayer for unity comes graciously near  
to it4    ,for all ,thy ,church1 ,o     
,lord1 we intercede2     ,make ,thou our
 sad divisions soon to cease2   ,draw us
 the nearer each to each1 we plead1     
,by drawing all to ,thee1 ,o ,prince of 
,peace2   ,thus may we all one ,bread1  
one ,body be1   ,through this blest     
,sacrament of ,unity4#abf  ,the         
sacramental character of the ,lord's    
,supper as the sign and pledge of the   
believer's consecration to the service  
of ,christ is represented in the hymn   
beginning--    ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy 
,ghost1     ,one in ,three1 and ,three  
in ,one1   ,as by the celestial host1   
,let ,thy will on earth be done2        
,praise by all to ,thee be given1       
,glorious ,lord of earth and heaven4    
which in some of its verses suggests the
 prayer known as the ,first             

,thanksgiving1#abg though it is based   
upon a beautiful paragraph of           
,brevint's4  ,a few hymns under the     
heading #8,after the ,sacrament' form an
 unimportant supplement1 but the long   
series really ends with a joyous song   
well-suited to be the happy close of the
 solemn commemoration of the sacrifice  
of ,calvary and the renewal of the      
,christian's oath of allegiance    ,let 
,him to whom we now belong     ,his     
sovereign right assert1   ,and take up  
every thankful song     ,and every      
loving heart4  ,this final note of glad 
thanksgiving reminds us that in our     
,communion ,service the #8,gloria in    
,excelsis' immediately precedes the     
,benediction4#abh                  #c4  
,hymns of the ,calvinistic ,controversy4
  ,from these ,communion hymns we pass  
to a series of a very different type4   
,the story of the ,calvinistic          
controversy--which seemed to show that a
 theological fountain could at the same 
time send forth sweet water and         

bitter--belongs to ,church history1 not 
to hymnology4 ,yet we cannot pass it    
over1 for none of the hymns of the      
,wesleys meant so much as those which   
proclaimed the glad tidings of a free   
and full salvation4 ,the controversy was
 civil war1 a strife among brethren1 and
 it is good to know that the love of    
,whitefield and the ,wesleys was able to
 bear1 though not without terrible      
strain1 even this sore trial4 ,from that
 great controversy we inherit the true  
eirenicon1 the agreeing to differ1 which
 is the best possible solution of many  
religious disputes4 ,whitefield and the 
,wesleys finally agreed to differ and   
continued to love4 ,but for a time there
 was #8a sharp contention so that they  
parted asunder one from the other4'  ,in
 #agdj ,john ,wesley published1 after   
some hesitation1 his sermon on #8,free  
,grace1' and added a long1 dull hymn by 
his brother on #8,universal             
,redemption4' ,in the same year the     
brothers issued a second series of      

,hymns and ,sacred ,poems1 which        
contained this and other pieces1 setting
 forth in the most emphatic terms the   
,arminian doctrine1 and condemning in   
even more emphatic terms all who        
believed in what ,calvin had called     
#8decretum horribile4' ,whitefield was  
shocked by the ,wesleyan doctrine       
itself1 and was beyond measure          
distressed by what he saw must lead to a
 breach between himself and his dearest 
friends4 ,his love and sorrow come out  
most attractively in his letters4       
#8,my dear1 dear ,brethren1' he wrote1  
#8why did you throw out the bone   of   
contention8 ,why did you print that     
sermon against predestination8   ,why   
did you1 in particular1 my dear brother 
,charles1 affix your hymn   and join in 
putting out your late hymn-book8'#abi   
,john ,wesley's sermon carefully avoided
 reference to his friend4 ,whitefield1  
however1 felt in honour bound to state  
his own views and to #8answer' ,wesley's
 sermon4 ,to this reply he added a poor 

poem by ,dr4 ,watts1 which was intended 
to balance ,charles ,wesley's hymn4     
,here are two of ,watts's verses--      
,behold the potter and the clay1     ,he
 forms ,his vessels as he please2       
,such is our ,god1 and such are we1     
,the subjects of ,his high decrees4     
,may not the sovereign ,lord on high1   
,dispense ,his favours as ,he will2     
,choose some to life while others die1  
,and yet be just and gracious still8    
,after this the battle became fast and  
furious4 ,the two pamphlets of ,hymns on
 ,god's ,everlasting ,love#acj were     
issued in #agda1 and ,whitefield was in 
despair4 ,he writes3 #8,dear brother    
,charles is more and more rash4 ,he has 
lately printed some very bad hymns4'#aca
 ,from ,whitefield's point of view they 
were undoubtedly very bad1 and even     
justify his charge that the ,wesleys    
#8dressed up' the doctrine of election  
in #8horrible colours4' ,on the other   
hand1 these hymns contain some of the   
finest specimens of evangelic           

hymn-writing to be found in the ,wesley 
poetry4  ,they may be readily divided   
into two classes1 the one vigorous and  
often bitterly satirical onslaughts upon
 the ,calvinistic position1 which are   
more in the style of #8,holy ,willie's  
,prayer' than in that of #8,jesu1 ,lover
 of my soul1' the other containing the  
proclamation of the glad tidings of     
universal redemption4 ,both elements are
 often found in the same composition4   
,this is true of the first of the hymns1
 a portion of which has been used in    
,methodist congregations for more than a
 century and a half1 and retains its    
place in the new hymn-book4 ,i print    
some verses with the original italics1  
indicating its polemic purpose4         
,father1 whose everlasting love     ,thy
 only ,son for sinners gave2   ,whose   
grace to all did freely move1     ,and  
sent ,him down a world to save4    ,help
 us ,thy mercy to extol     ,immense1   
unfathomed1 unconfined2   ,to praise the
 ,lamb who died for all1     ,the       

general ,saviour of mankind4    ,thy    
undistinguishing regard     ,was cast on
 ,adam's fallen race3   ,for all ,thou  
hast in ,christ prepared1               
,sufficient1 sovereign1 saving grace4   
,jesus hath said1 we all shall hope1    
,preventing grace for all is free3      
,and ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1     ,i will
 draw all men unto ,me4    ,arise1 ,o   
,god1 maintain ,thy cause6     ,the     
fulness of the ,gentiles call3   ,lift  
up the standard of ,thy cross     ,and  
all shall own ,thou diedst for all4#acb 
,in other hymns he employs the most     
biting1 taunting sarcasm4 ,it is        
difficult to suppose that these were    
ever sung even in the thickest of the   
fight2 but they were sown broadcast     
7price fourpence71 and were1 no doubt1  
read with ecstatic delight by those who 
were on the ,wesleys' side in the great 
controversy4 ,it is easy at this        
distance of time and circumstance to    
condemn the vehemence of the language   
used on both sides1 especially in the   

later and more acrimonious stages of the
 controversy4 ,but this was one of      
#8freedom's battles4' ,it was           
magnificent1 and it was war4 ,to the    
,wesleys the doctrine that by the       
arbitrary decree of ,god--the ,god of   
love6--children were born to a doom     
which they could neither escape nor     
deserve was hateful1 blasphemous1       
impossible4 ,if this were indeed the    
truth of ,god1 what gospel was there to 
preach8 ,let us eat and drink1 for      
to-morrow we die and meet the inevitable
 doom4 ,nor could they tolerate what    
seemed to them the smug satisfaction of 
#8the elect1' to whose certainty of     
salvation the equal certainty of the    
damnation of the reprobate added a      
pleasing flavour4 ,they would not accept
 salvation on such terms4 #8,take back1'
 ,charles ,wesley cries indignantly1    
,take back my interest in ,thy blood1   
,unless it streamed for all the race4   
,with a true controversial instinct1 the
 ,wesleys fastened upon ,calvin's phrase

 #8decretum horribile1' and1 preferring 
to transliterate rather than to         
translate1 turned again and again to    
rend it4  ,a poem describing the        
possibilities of evil in the human heart
 and mind comes to a climax thus--    ,i
 could the devil's law receive1         
,unless restrained by ,thee2   ,i could 
7good ,god67 ,i could believe     ,the  
,horrible ,decree4    ,i could believe  
that ,god is hate--     ,the ,god of    
love and grace   ,did damn1 pass by1 and
 reprobate     ,the most of human race4 
,farther than this ,i cannot go1        
,till ,tophet take me in4   ,but1 ,o1   
forbid that ,i should know     ,this    
mystery of sin4#acc  ,such were the     
amenities of religious controversy in   
the eighteenth century6  ,again1 in a   
lighter but still intensely earnest     
vein1 he caricatures his adversaries'   
teaching--    ,the righteous ,god       
consigned     ,them over to their doom1 
,and sent the ,saviour of mankind       
,to damn them from the womb3   ,to damn 

for falling short     ,of what they     
could not do1   ,for not believing the  
report     ,of that which was not true4 
,he did not do the deed--     7,some    
have more mildly raved71   ,he did not  
damn them1 but decreed     ,they never  
should be saved4  ,this effusion ends in
 a higher strain1 with a dedication of  
his own life to the proclamation of     
universal redemption--    ,my life ,i   
here present1     ,my heart's last drop 
of blood2   ,o let it all be freely     
spent     ,in proof that ,thou art good3
   ,art good to all that breathe1       
,who all may pardon have3   ,thou       
willest not the sinner's death1     ,but
 all the world wouldst save4  ,john     
,wesley tried in his brief tract on the 
,calvinistic ,controversy#acd 7#agdc7 to
 make peace with ,whitefield1 and some  
of his concessions are                  
surprising--indeed1 he afterwards       
retracted them4 ,but ,charles1 who at   
this time was in the full glow of his   
early evangelistic triumphs1 and who was

 much less of a theologian than his     
brother1 felt that he was engaged in a  
holy crusade4 ,he tried to write calmly1
 he prayed for grace to speak tenderly  
of those who were erring from the truth 
he held so dear1 but--well1 he could not
 keep silence4  ,in one of these        
hymns--a portion of which remains in the
 ,methodist ,hymn-book--he prays--    ,o
 arm me with the mind1     ,meek ,lamb6 
that was in ,thee1   ,and let my knowing
 zeal be joined     ,to fervent charity4
    ,with calm and tempered zeal        
,let me enforce ,thy call1   ,and       
vindicate ,thy gracious will1     ,which
 offers life to all4    ,thou dost not  
stand in need     ,of me to prop ,thy   
cause1   ,to assert ,thy general grace1 
or spread     ,the victory of ,thy      
cross4    ,o may ,i love like ,thee6    
,and in ,thy footsteps tread6   ,thou   
hatest all iniquity1     ,but nothing   
,thou hast made4    ,o may ,i learn ,thy
 art1     ,with meekness to reprove2    
,to hate the sin with all my heart1     

,but still the sinner love4#ace  ,these 
verses might be headed #8,a ,prayer     
before ,controversy1' but it is a shock 
to the reader on turning the page to    
find that the next verse shows how soon 
he descended from this high level4  ,the
 controversy was renewed thirty years   
later with vastly greater bitterness1   
and with much more personal feeling4    
,john ,fletcher parted in #agga from his
 ,trevecca students like the saint he   
was1 for he could no longer hold his    
place when other ,arminians were        
discharged4 #8,i cannot give up the     
possibility of the salvation of all any 
more than ,i can give up the truth and  
love of ,god4444 ,i left them all in    
peace1 the servant1 but no more the     
president of the college4'#acf  ,the    
love of ,whitefield and the ,wesleys was
 of the kind which many waters cannot   
quench2 but when ,madan1 ,romaine1      
,hervey1 and ,rowland ,hill heaped upon 
,john ,wesley's venerable head torrents 
of vulgar abuse--abuse absolutely       

impossible1 inconceivable in our milder 
mannered age#acg--;,charles felt that   
there was a point beyond which even     
,christian charity could not decently   
go4 ,his refusal to write ,hervey's     
epitaph is worthy of a ,christian       
gentleman3    ,let ,madan or ,romaine   
record his praise1   ,enough that       
,wesley's brother can forgive4  ,the    
flowing tide1 however1 was with the     
,methodists1 and though the fight was   
long1 and the victory was not wholly won
 in their day1 these hymns rendered an  
inestimable service to the cause of     
religious freedom4 ,it may be true that 
they represented ,calvin's teaching     
one-sidedly1 and at times misrepresented
 it1 but it cannot be denied that they  
pictured current ,calvinistic teaching  
accurately enough4 ,the ,wesleys saw    
clearly that1 should belief in a limited
 redemption spread in their ,society1   
they would but labour in vain and spend 
their strength for nought4 ,they might  
have gathered little coteries of devout 

folk1 strongly tinctured with what we   
now call ,plymouth ,brethrenism1 but    
they could never have founded a great   
,church1 whose chiefest glory should be 
its missionary enterprise both at home  
and in the ends of the earth4 ,the      
mission of ,thomas ,coke more than a    
hundred years ago1 the great city       
missions of our own time1 the work of   
,william ,booth1 of ,hugh ,price        
,hughes1 and ,samuel ,f4 ,collier1 would
 have been impossible had they not been 
able to say anywhere and to all--       
,sent by my ,lord1 on you ,i call2      
,the invitation is to all3   ,come1 all 
the world2 come1 sinner1 thou2   ,all   
things in ,christ are ready now6  ,the  
,wesleys reached their doctrine of      
general redemption by two paths4 ,in the
 first place1 they had been trained in  
the school of ,arminius and of ,laud1   
and had been confirmed in the faith by  
their own careful study of ,god's word4 
,but it is abundantly evident that their
 own experience had led them to believe 

in the infinite mercy of ,god4 ,charles 
,wesley1 especially1 argued with the    
profound humility of the sincere        
penitent1 that his own salvation1 of    
which he had received the undeniable    
assurance1 #8the indubitable seal1' on  
,whit-,sunday1 #agch1 was itself        
convincing evidence of the good tidings 
he proclaimed4    ,thy sovereign grace  
to all extends1     ,immense and        
unconfined3   ,from age to age it never 
ends2     ,it reaches all mankind4      
,throughout the world its breadth is    
known1     ,wide as infinity2   ,so     
wide1 it never passed by one1     ,or it
 had passed by me4#ach  ,this is a note 
which constantly recurs in the ,hymns on
 ,god's ,everlasting ,love--sometimes   
expressed quaintly and unpoetically1    
sometimes with a pathos truly sublime1  
as in these verses--    ,o let me kiss  
,thy bleeding feet1     ,and bathe and  
wash them with my tears2   ,the story of
 ,thy love repeat     ,in every drooping
 sinner's ears1   ,that all may hear the

 quickening sound1   ,since ,i1 even ,i1
 have mercy found4    ,o let ,thy love  
my heart constrain1     ,thy love for   
every sinner free2   ,that every fallen 
soul of man     ,may taste the grace    
that found out me2   ,that all mankind1 
with me1 may prove   ,thy sovereign1    
everlasting love4#aci  ,in this1 as in  
other respects1 the ,wesleyan theology  
was characteristically ,pauline4 #8,this
 is a faithful saying1 and worthy of all
 men to be received that ,jesus ,christ 
came into the world to save sinners1 of 
whom ,i am the chief4'  ,hymns of this  
class have an important place in the    
story of the ,methodist ,revival1 as    
well as in the ,calvinistic controversy4
 ,the vehemence1 the violence1 with     
which the ,wesleys asserted their       
doctrine was largely1 if not entirely1  
due to their sense of what it meant to  
the vast crowds of neglected1 ignorant1 
savage folk who listened with amazement 
to the messengers who proclaimed ,god's 
love to them4    ,sinners1 believe the  

gospel word1     ,jesus is come your    
souls to save6   ,jesus is come1 your   
common ,lord2     ,pardon ye all in ,him
 may have1   ,may now be saved1 whoever 
will2   ,this ,man receiveth sinners    
still4    ,see where the lame1 the halt1
 the blind4     ,the deaf1 the dumb1 the
 sick1 the poor1   ,flock to the ,friend
 of human kind1     ,and freely all     
accept their cure2   ,to whom doth ,he  
,his help deny8   ,whom in ,his days of 
flesh pass by8#adj  ,and again--    ,o  
unexampled ,love1     ,o all-redeeming  
,grace6   ,how freely didst ,thou move  
,to save a fallen race6   ,what shall ,i
 do to make it known   ,what ,thou for  
all mankind hast done8    ,o for a      
trumpet voice1     ,on all the world to 
call6   ,to bid their hearts rejoice    
,in ,him who died for all2   ,for all my
 ,lord was crucified1   ,for all1 for   
all my ,saviour died6#ada  ,this was a  
new voice crying in the wilderness of   
dull religious mediocrity or of         
self-satisfied religious devotion1 it   

was the clarion-cry of one that brought 
good tidings to the outcasts of ,israel4
                     #d4 ,hymns of the  
,methodist ,evangel  ,from the first the
 ,methodists made their own experience  
the starting-point of their preaching4  
,john ,wesley desired no help from any  
who had not #8the witness in himself4'  
,his itinerants must set to their seal  
that ,god is true4 #8,we are witnesses  
of these things1 and so is also the     
,holy ,ghost4' ,this personal element1  
the testimony of the man who believed   
and therefore spoke1 differentiated at  
once ,methodist preaching from the cold 
impersonal moral essays of the parish   
church4 ,but ,methodist preaching would 
not have been what it was had ,john     
,wesley's sermons rather than ,charles  
,wesley's hymns represented ,methodism  
to the masses4 ,john ,wesley's keen     
intellect held his deep religious       
fervour in check1 but ,charles took full
 advantage of the poet's licence to say 
what was in his heart without reserve   

and without modifying explanations4     
,his hymns of invitation strike a new   
note4 ,there is nothing to compare with 
them in earlier hymn-writers1 and       
comparatively little in later4 ,they are
 the battle-songs of an open-air        
preacher1 and are borne on the wings of 
the tempest that raged around the heroic
 little poet as he faced cheerily the   
rage or ridicule of the mob4 ,his metres
 are bright and lilting1 winning the ear
 of the simple and arresting the casual 
passer-by4    ,the mercy ,i feel ,to    
others ,i show1   ,i set to my seal     
,that ,jesus is true3   ,ye all may find
 favour ,who come at ,his call1   ,o    
come to my ,saviour1 ,his grace is for  
all6    ,o let me commend ,my ,saviour  
to you1   ,the publican's ,friend ,and  
,advocate too1   ,for you ,he is        
pleading ,his merits and death1   ,with 
,god interceding ,for sinners beneath4  
,and again--    ,o all that pass by1 ,to
 ,jesus draw near2   ,he utters a cry1  
,ye sinners1 give ear6   ,from hell to  

retrieve you1 ,he spreads out ,his      
hands2   ,now1 now to receive you1 ,he  
graciously stands4  ,only a preacher1   
perhaps only an open-air preacher1 could
 have written such hymns4 ,they are not 
hymns of the oratory1 of the class-room1
 or the village church2 but of that vast
 cathedral whose roof is the blue vault 
of heaven2 they are songs of            
,moorfields1 of ,kingswood1 of          
,newcastle1 and of ,gwennap4 ,perhaps of
 all ,wesley's hymns these are the most 
characteristically ,methodist4          
,comparatively few are to be found even 
yet in any but ,methodist books1 but in 
them they hold an unchallenged place1   
and belong to the whole ,methodist      
family1 which has had many a quarrel in 
,conference1 has been many a time by    
schisms rent asunder1 but has never     
faltered in its loyal and steadfast     
proclamation of the message of ,god's   
everlasting love4  ,as a general rule   
each revision of a ,nonconformist       
hymn-book renders it less distinctive of

 the denomination it represents1 and    
this is1 to some extent1 true of the new
 ,methodist hymn-book4 ,it has lost the 
section with which ,wesley's book       
opened1 #8,exhorting and ,entreating to 
,return to ,god1' but it retains almost 
all the hymns4 ,modern writers have     
seldom succeeded in hymns of this type4 
,a few1 however1 rank with the best of  
,charles ,wesley's1 who himself never   
struck a note of yearning sympathy for  
the erring more true and tender than    
,faber in his #8,come to ,jesus4'       
,souls of men6 why will ye scatter      
,like a crowd of frightened sheep8      
,foolish hearts6 why will ye wander     
,from a love so true and deep8  ,it is  
not one of the best signs of the times  
that hymns of invitation are now for the
 most part provided by ,american singers
 and are of the ephemeral class4        
,faber's exquisite lines1 set side by   
side with such a hymn as ,wesley's      
,ye neighbours and friends ,of ,jesus1  
draw near1  well illustrate the         

difference between the cheery1 hopeful1 
out-door evangel of the ,wesleys and the
 subdued earnestness of the pleading of 
the modern ,catholic or ,anglo-,catholic
 missioner4 ,i do not suggest that the  
comparison is to the advantage or       
disadvantage of either1 but only        
indicate the difference of the tone of  
the mid-eighteenth and mid-nineteenth   
century mission hymns4 ,in our day      
evangelism has lost much of its novelty1
 and men are less hopeful than they were
 of the world's conversion4 ,to the     
first ,methodists it seemed as though   
any triumph was possible to such a      
gospel as theirs1 and their battle-songs
 were all songs of victory4  ,wesley's  
hymns enshrine the history as well as   
the doctrines of ,methodism1 and few    
studies in ,methodist hymnology are more
 interesting than that of the geography 
of the hymn-book4 ,as to the local      
setting of #8,lo6 on a narrow neck of   
land' there has been much controversy1  
but it undoubtedly belongs to ,jekyl    

,island1 and not to the ,land's ,end4   
,charles ,wesley wrote to ,lady         
,oglethorpe from ,jekyl ,island in      
#agcf--    #8,last evening ,i wandered  
to the north end of the island1 and     
stood   upon the narrow point which your
 ladyship will recall as there          
projecting into the ocean4 ,the vastness
 of the watery waste1 as   compared with
 my standing place1 called to mind the  
briefness of   human life and the       
immensity of its consequences1 and my   
surroundings inspired me to write the   
enclosed hymn1 beginning    ,lo6 on a   
narrow neck of land1   ',twixt two      
unbounded seas ,i stand--    which1 ,i  
trust1 may pleasure your ladyship1 weak 
and feeble as it is   when compared with
 the songs of the sweet psalmist of     
,israel4'#adb  ,he did write a hymn at  
the ,land's ,end1 but it is of quite a  
different type4 ,it might have been     
written for ,st4 ,augustine of          
,canterbury on his landing at           
,ebbsfleet4    ,come1 ,divine ,immanuel1

 come1   ,take possession of ,thy home1 
,now ,thy mercy's wings expand1         
,stretch throughout the happy land4#adc 
,the popular hymn    ,see how great a   
flame aspires1     ,kindled by a spark  
of grace6   ,jesu's love the nations    
fires1     ,sets the kingdoms on a      
blaze--  tells of victory at            
,newcastle-on-,tyne4    ,glory to ,god1 
whose sovereign grace   ,hath animated  
senseless stones2#add  tells of triumph 
at ,kingswood1 whilst--    ,worship1 and
 thanks1 and blessing1     ,and strength
 ascribe to ,jesus6  is reminiscent of  
mobs at ,walsall and ,devizes4          
#e4 ,hymns of the ,methodist ,society   
,the duty of a ,methodist preacher was  
not simply to sow good seed broadcast1  
but to gather those who received the    
word into ,societies1 where they could  
be taught1 trained1 watched over4 ,a    
large part of ,john ,wesley's           
itinerations were for the purpose of    
confirming and sifting the ,societies4  
,in many cases they might be described  

as ,charles ,wesley1 who had an eye for 
the humorous side of people and things1 
describes the ,newcastle converts1 #8a  
wild1 loving1 staring ,society4' ,but   
the converts who remained steadfast were
 soon led to an intelligent faith and a 
life of devotion such as is possible    
only to those who are taught by educated
 men or their pupils4 ,the debt         
,methodism owes to ,oxford culture is   
inestimable4 ,the ,wesleys were never   
discouraged by the ignorance of their   
hearers1 but they were never content    
with it4 ,they had profound faith in the
 ,lord ,jesus ,christ as a teacher1 and 
prayed1 like ,st4 ,paul for his         
simple-minded converts at ,philippi1    
that love might abound in good sense and
 good taste4#ade    ,him ,prophet1 and  
,king1 ,and ,priest we proclaim1   ,we  
triumph and sing ,of ,jesus's name2     
,poor idiots#adf ,he teaches ,to show   
forth ,his praise1   ,and tell of the   
riches ,of ,jesus's grace4    ,no matter
 how dull ,the scholar whom ,he   ,takes

 into ,his school1 ,and gives him to    
see2   ,a wonderful fashion ,of teaching
 ,he hath1   ,and wise to salvation ,he 
makes us through faith4  ,to a          
generation brought up to regard         
,sankey's ,songs and ,solos as the best 
possible hymns for mission-halls and    
open-air services1 a study of ,wesley's 
hymns is a liberal education4 ,for the  
most ignorant of the converts the hymns 
were the one and only means of culture4 
,they could not read1 much of the       
preaching must have been beyond their   
comprehension1 but the hymns1 read      
slowly1 a line at a time1 soon became   
familiar1 and the favourite hymns sung  
over and over again in the house1 the   
class-room1 and the family circle1      
became a part of their very life4       
,methodist biography shows how the life 
and death of the saints has been cheered
 and sanctified by these spiritual      
songs4  ,the most important1 and by far 
the largest1 part of ,wesley's          
,collection was devoted to hymns of the 

,christian life4  ,it is divided into   
sections3 ,for ,believers ,rejoicing1   
,fighting1 ,praying1 ,watching1         
,working1 ,suffering1 ,seeking for ,full
 ,redemption1 ,saved1 ,interceding for  
the ,world4 ,it begins with his own     
translation of ,johann ,andreas ,rothe's
 great hymn    ,now ,i have found the   
ground wherein     ,sure my soul's      
anchor may remain1   ,the wounds of     
,jesus1 for my sin1     ,before the     
world's foundation slain2   ,whose mercy
 shall unshaken stay1   ,when heaven and
 earth are fled away  ,this is followed 
by his version of ,zinzendorf's hymn    
,jesu1 ,thy blood and righteousness     
,my beauty are1 my glorious dress4      
,after these ,moravian hymns are a      
number of ,charles ,wesley's1 which     
celebrate the joys of believers1 for    
#8,how should not he be glad1 whom the  
glad tidings have reached8'#adg ,it is  
often difficult to understand ,john     
,wesley's principle of classification1  
but in this section almost every hymn of

 the seventy-five is obviously well     
placed under the title #8,for ,believers
 ,rejoicing4' ,the notes of thanksgiving
 are very varied1 from the calm         
confidence of #8,now ,i have found the  
ground' to the simple songs written for 
him #8that in ,god is merry1' such as   
,o what shall ,i do ,my ,saviour to     
praise1   ,so faithful and true1 ,so    
plenteous in grace1   ,so strong to     
deliver1 ,so good to redeem   ,the      
weakest believer ,that hangs upon ,him6 
and    ,my ,god1 ,i am ,thine1 ,what a  
comfort divine1   ,what a blessing to   
know ,that my ,jesus is mine6  ,we      
cannot claim for these hymns that they  
introduce new songs to the ,christian   
choir4 ,joy and gladness are common to  
all who have found salvation through    
faith in ,christ ,jesus4 ,isaac ,watts1 
,philip ,doddridge1 ,f4 ,w4 ,faber1     
,frances ,ridley ,havergal1 and many    
more have had #8the high praises of ,god
 in their mouth4' ,from the days of the 
,hebrew psalmists until now the sense of

 infinite content which comes with the  
peace which passeth all understanding   
has been the theme of ,god's singers4   
#8,he satisfieth the longing soul and   
filleth the hungry soul with goodness4' 
,yet joyousness is a special            
characteristic of ,methodist hymns1 and 
especially of those which were written  
in the early days of the triumphs of the
 itinerant preachers4 ,no hymns rise    
higher in their exultant rapture1 none  
are more tenderly triumphant than the   
songs of ,charles ,wesley4  ,his        
,birthday hymn exhibits the happy       
enthusiasm of his evangelism4        ,my
 remnant of days       ,i spend in ,his 
praise1   ,who died the whole world to  
redeem2       ,be they many or few1     
,my days are ,his due1   ,and they all  
are devoted to ,him4  ,in other hymns he
 expresses the same joy in living in    
calmer tones4    ,the winter's night and
 summer's day   ,glide imperceptibly    
away1       ,too short to sing ,thy     
praise2   ,too few we find the happy    

hours1   ,and haste to join those       
heavenly powers1       ,in everlasting  
lays4  ,bright and inspiring as these   
pieces are1 they are in striking        
contrast with the hymns characteristic  
of minor religious movements1 and       
justify ,john ,wesley's claim that #8in 
these hymns is no doggerel4' ,that they 
are of unequal merit goes without       
saying1 but it is remarkable how many of
 them are living hymns to-day4          
,religious feeling is no more healthy   
because it loves to pray for guidance   
#8amid the encircling gloom1' or to     
describe the hosts of the ,church       
militant as #8pilgrims of the night4' ,a
 #8sober standard of feeling' must take 
into account that the darkness has      
passed and the true light now shineth4  
,yet one who knows little of early      
,methodism would be surprised to find   
how #8sober' is the tone of most of the 
hymns provided for the people called    
,methodists4 ,they are songs in which   
#8calmly reverential joy' is more often 

heard than ecstasy4 ,it is instructive  
to turn from ,mr4 ,lecky's chapter on   
#8,the ,religious ,revival1' in his     
,history of ,england in the ,eighteenth 
,century to ,wesley's hymns4 ,the       
uninstructed reader of ,mr4 ,lecky would
 expect to find here the turbid1        
involved1 hysterical expression of a    
morbid fanaticism1 but he would search  
almost in vain for illustrations of that
 side of the ,methodist ,movement4 ,it  
is true that both the ,wesleys were     
perplexed by the physical effects of    
their preaching1 and were afraid to     
treat them as mere manifestations of    
hysterical excitement4 ,but they dealt  
with them as ,st4 ,paul dealt with      
somewhat similar phenomena at ,corinth1 
and carefully avoided encouraging such  
painful and inconvenient interruptions  
of their services4 ,the hymn-book makes 
no provision for the nervously excited1 
and has no compositions of the class    
characteristic of many                  
#8revivals'--such1 for instance1 as are 

found in ,hugh ,bourne's ,hymns for     
,camp ,meetings1 ,revivals1 etc4 ,the   
novelty1 the directness of the          
preaching1 and1 no doubt1 the lack of   
education of many of the preachers      
naturally led to indiscretion in many   
places1 especially in the early days of 
the ,revival2 but it is fair to judge   
the ,wesleys' own standard of religious 
emotion by their hymns rather than by   
the extravagances of their least        
intelligent helpers4  ,charles ,wesley's
 hymn1 #8,for the ,fear of ,god1' is a  
good example of the attitude of soul he 
desired for himself and for ,methodists 
generally4    ,god of all grace and     
majesty1     ,supremely great and good6 
,if ,i have mercy#adh found with ,thee1 
,through the atoning blood1   ,the guard
 of all ,thy mercies give1     ,and to  
my pardon join   ,a fear lest ,i should 
ever grieve     ,the gracious ,spirit   
divine4    ,rather ,i would in darkness 
mourn     ,the absence of ,thy peace1   
,than e'er by light irreverence turn    

,thy grace to wantonness3   ,rather ,i  
would in painful awe     ,beneath ,thine
 anger move1   ,than sin against the    
gospel law     ,of liberty and love4    
,but ,o6 ,thou wouldst not have me live 
,in bondage1 grief1 or pain1   ,thou    
dost not take delight to grieve     ,the
 helpless sons of men2   ,thy will is my
 salvation1 ,lord2     ,and let it now  
take place1   ,and let me tremble at the
 word     ,of reconciling grace4        
,still may ,i walk as in ,thy sight1    
,my strict observer see2   ,and ,thou by
 reverent love unite     ,my child-like 
heart to ,thee2   ,still let me1 till my
 days are past1     ,at ,jesu's feet    
abide1   ,so shall ,he lift me up at    
last1     ,and seat me by ,his side4    
,perhaps there are few hymns quite of   
this type1 but the subdued and subduing 
sense of the fear of ,god pervades many 
of ,charles ,wesley's poems4 ,he dwells 
much on #8the mystic joys of penitence1'
 as in his brief meditation on ,ezek4   
xxxvi4 #bf1 #8,i will give you an heart 

of flesh4'    ,let me1 according to ,thy
 word1     ,a tender1 contrite heart    
receive1   ,which grieves#adi for having
 grieved its ,lord     ,and never can   
itself forgive2  a verse which reminds  
one of ,cardinal ,newman's saying that  
true penitence never forgives itself4   
,this1 however1 is not what ,charles    
,wesley meant1 for he of all ,christian 
poets best understood how truly the     
pardoned prodigal might make merry and  
be glad when he was safe in his         
,father's house once more4    ,lift up  
,thy countenance serene1     ,and let   
,thy happy child   ,behold1 without a   
cloud between1     ,the ,godhead        
reconciled4  ,an important series of    
hymns--so important that it demands     
separate consideration--is that which is
 found in ,sections vii4-ix4 of the     
original hymn-book4 ,they include nearly
 one hundred pieces1 and from the days  
of ,john ,wesley until the latest       
revision the section began with a hymn  
which is the most fitting introduction  

to the series1 since it sets forth with 
great simplicity the ,wesleyan doctrine 
of ,christian perfection4 ,familiar as  
this hymn is to ,methodists1 it is worth
 while to quote it in full here--       
,the thing my ,god doth hate1           
,that ,i no more may do1   ,thy         
creature1 ,lord1 again create1          
,and all my soul renew2       ,my soul  
shall then1 like ,thine1       ,abhor   
the thing unclean1   ,and1 sanctified by
 love divine1       ,for ever cease from
 sin4        ,that blessed law of       
,thine1       ,jesus1 to me impart2     
,the ,spirit's law of life divine1      
,o write it in my heart6       ,implant 
it deep within1       ,whence it may    
ne'er remove1   ,the law of liberty from
 sin1       ,the perfect law of love4   
,thy nature be my law1       ,thy       
spotless sanctity1   ,and sweetly every 
moment draw       ,my happy soul to     
,thee4       ,soul of my soul remain6   
,who didst for all fulfil1   ,in me1 ,o 
,lord1 fulfil again       ,thy heavenly 

,father's will6  ,this hymn is made up1 
as are many others1 by joining together 
verses from the ,short ,hymns on ,select
 ,passages of the ,holy ,scriptures4    
,the first verse is suggested by ,jer4  
xliv4 #d3 #8,oh1 do not this abominable 
thing that ,i hate4' ,the second and    
third by ,jer4 xxxi4 #cc3 #8,i will put 
,my law in their inward parts1 and write
 it in their hearts2 and will be their  
,god1 and they shall be ,my people4'    
,another peaceful and attractive hymn on
 the same subject is based on ,heb4 iv4 
#i3 #8,there remaineth therefore a rest 
to the people of ,god4' ,charles ,wesley
 wrote twenty-seven verses2 ,john       
,wesley selected eight1 these are       
reduced to six in the ,methodist        
,hymn-book4 ,i am inclined to think that
 a further abridgement would have been  
still wiser4 ,the four verses which     
follow are a beautiful meditation on the
 text--    ,lord1 ,i believe a rest     
remains     ,to all ,thy people known1  
,a rest where pure enjoyment reigns1    

,and ,thou art loved alone3    ,a rest1 
where all our soul's desire     ,is     
fixed on things above2   ,where fear1   
and sin1 and grief expire1     ,cast out
 by perfect love4    ,o that ,i now the 
rest might know1     ,believe1 and enter
 in6   ,now1 ,saviour1 now the power    
bestow1     ,and let me cease from sin4 
,remove this hardness from my heart1    
,this unbelief remove3   ,to me the rest
 of faith impart1     ,the ,sabbath of  
,thy love4  ,the doctrine of ,entire    
,sanctification1 as it was believed and 
taught by the ,wesleys1 is set forth in 
the hymn-book with emphasis1 but the    
expressions are rarely open to serious  
objection1 nearly every phrase having   
,scriptural precedent4 ,in early days   
,charles ,wesley had often prayed for   
death1 believing that through its gate  
alone could he find entrance into #8the 
land of rest from inbred sin4' ,in one  
of his first hymns1 published in #agci1 
he had written--    ,fain would ,i leave
 this world below1     ,of pain and sin 

the dark abode1   ,where shadowy joy or 
solid woe     ,allures or tears me from 
my ,god2   ,doubtful and insecure of    
bliss1   ,since death alone confirms me 
,his4#aej  ,but in later years he had   
outgrown this mood4 ,john ,wesley wrote 
,no against the last line of the stanza1
 and in his hymn-book gave--    ,since  
faith alone confirms me ,his4  ,the     
brothers taught that sanctification was 
progressive1 yet might be #8cut short in
 righteousness1' a phrase which they    
often quoted4 ,in one of the hymns for  
those that wait for #8full              
redemption1'#aea ,charles ,wesley       
writes--    ,surely ,i have pardon      
found1   ,grace doth more than sin      
abound1   ,god1 ,i know1 is pacified2   
,thou for me1 for me hast died2   ,but  
,i cannot rest herein1   ,all my nature 
still is sin1   ,comforted ,i will not  
be   ,till my soul is all like ,thee4   
,see my burdened1 sin-sick soul1   ,give
 me faith1 and make me whole6   ,finish 
,thy great work of grace1   ,cut it     

short in righteousness4   ,speak the    
second time1 #8,be clean6'   ,take away 
my inbred sin2   ,now the               
stumbling-block remove1   ,cast it out  
by perfect love4  ,this doctrine of what
 has been called #8the second blessing' 
is often met with in ,charles ,wesley1  
but he used expressions which ,john     
disapproved1 and would not repeat in his
 ,collection1 as in the second verse of 
the great hymn1 #8,love divine1 all     
loves excelling1' which reads--         
,breathe1 ,o breathe ,thy loving        
,spirit1     ,into every troubled       
breast2   ,let us all in ,thee inherit1 
,let us find that second rest2   ,take  
away the power of sinning1     ,alpha   
and ,omega be2   ,end of faith as its   
beginning1     ,set our hearts at       
liberty4  ,john ,fletcher suggested that
 #8power' should be altered to #8love4' 
,the ,wesleys' teaching concerning      
sanctification had an immense influence 
upon ,methodist life and thought4 #8,the
 pursuit of holiness1' to use ,dean     

,goulburn's phrase1 was the daily       
interest and delight of multitudes of   
devout souls4 ,no doubt in many cases   
there was more or less of morbid        
introspection1 but the rich treasury of 
,methodist biography witnesses to the   
saintliness of those who made the search
 for #8full redemption1' or1 as they    
delighted to say1 #8perfect love1' the  
one serious business of life4           
,important and influential as this      
section of ,wesley's ,hymns is1 not many
 of the best are found here4#aeb ,the   
finest are ,john ,wesley's translations 
from the ,german but only a few original
 compositions are of marked value4 ,some
 exceptions1 indeed1 must be made1      
notably--    ,love divine1 all loves    
excelling2  and there are many verses   
inspired by that thirst of the soul     
#8for ,god1 yea1 even for the living    
,god1' which is characteristic of no one
 ,church or age1 but of all elect souls 
restless till they find rest in ,him4   
,the varying moods of the seeker after  

,god are impressively illustrated4 ,some
 of the hymns are of a solemn and even  
sombre type1 while others are bright    
with assurance of the favour of ,god and
 the gladness of the redeemed4 ,here are
 a few verses from a                    
,,hymn ,,to ,,god ,,the ,,sanctifier    
,come1 ,holy ,ghost1 all quickening     
fire6   ,come1 and my hallowed heart    
inspire1     ,sprinkled with the atoning
 blood2   ,now to my soul ,thyself      
reveal1   ,thy mighty working let me    
feel1     ,and know that ,i am born of  
,god4    ,thy witness with my spirit    
bear1   ,that ,god1 my ,god1 inhabits   
there2     ,thou1 with the ,father1 and 
the ,son1   ,eternal ,light's co-eval   
,beam2   ,be ,christ in me1 and ,i in   
,him1     ,till perfect we are made in  
one4    ,let earth no more my heart     
divide1   ,with ,christ may ,i be       
crucified1     ,to ,thee with my whole  
soul aspire2   ,dead to the world and   
all its toys1   ,its idle pomp1 and     
fading joys1     ,be thou alone my one  

desire6    ,be ,thou my joy1 be ,thou my
 dread2   ,in battle cover ,thou my     
head1     ,nor earth nor hell ,i then   
shall fear2   ,i then shall turn my     
steady face1   ,want1 pain1 defy1 enjoy 
disgrace1     ,glory in dissolution     
near4    ,my will be swallowed up in    
,thee2   ,light in ,thy light still may 
,i see1     ,beholding ,thee with open  
face2   ,called the full power of faith 
to prove1   ,let all my hallowed heart  
be love1     ,and all my spotless life  
be praise4    ,come1 ,holy ,ghost1      
all-quickening fire1   ,my consecrated  
heart inspire1     ,sprinkled with the  
atoning blood2   ,still to my soul      
,thyself reveal1   ,thy mighty working  
may ,i feel1     ,and know that ,i am   
one with ,god6  ,of the other type two  
bright verses on #a ,chron4 xxix4 #e are
 a good example--      ,lord1 in the    
strength of grace1     ,with a glad     
heart and free1   ,myself1 my residue of
 days     ,i consecrate to ,thee4       
,thy ransomed servant1 ,i     ,restore  

to ,thee ,thine own1   ,and1 from this  
moment1 live or die     ,to serve my    
,god alone4  ,these two verses belong to
 the very extensive series of           
#f4 ,hymns on ,passages of ,holy        
,scripture  ,charles ,wesley's poetry is
 always sanctified by the word of ,god4 
,in this regard he is unsurpassed1 and  
,i think unequalled1 by any other       
writer4 ,he thought and wrote in the    
language of the ,bible1 and constantly  
weaves into his hymns the words1        
phrases1 incidents of ,holy ,scripture4 
,no one #8spiritualized' more boldly    
than he4 ,of this his most famous poem1 
#8,wrestling ,jacob1' is the great      
example4 ,many other hymns illustrate   
the same power1 e4g4 this verse1 which  
#8spiritualizes' ,peter's deliverance   
from prison--    ,long my imprisoned    
spirit lay     ,fast bound in sin and   
nature's night2   ,thine eye diffused a 
quickening ray1     ,i woke1 the dungeon
 flamed with light2   ,my chains fell   
off1 my heart was free1   ,i rose1 went 

forth1 and followed ,thee4  and this1   
which refers in the same fashion to the 
resurrection of ,lazarus--    ,buried in
 sin1 ,thy voice ,i hear1     ,and burst
 the barriers of my tomb1   ,in all the 
marks of death appear1     ,forth at    
,thy call1 though bound1 ,i come4  ,his 
more formal paraphrases are often very  
fine1 and are hymns of permanent worth4 
,such are--    ,none is like ,jeshurun's
 ,god 7,deut4 xxxiii4 #bf-bi74          
,wherewith1 ,o ,god1 shall ,i draw near 
7,mic4 vi4 #f-h74    ,away my           
unbelieving fear 7,hab4 iii4 #ag1 #ah74 
,of course ,charles ,wesley wrote many  
,psalm-versions4 ,comparatively few are 
above the average1 but there are some   
exceptions4 ,among these are the #dhth--
    ,great is our redeeming ,lord1   ,in
 power1 and truth1 and grace4  the      
#hdth--    ,how lovely are ,thy tents1  
,o ,lord6   ,where'er ,thou choosest to 
record     ,thy name1 or place ,thy     
house of prayer1   ,my soul outflies the
 angel-choir1   ,and faints1 o'erpowered

 with strong desire1     ,to meet ,thy  
special presence there4  the #abast--   
,to the hills ,i lift mine eyes1        
,the everlasting hills4  the #abeth--   
,who in the ,lord confide     ,and feel 
,his sprinkled blood1   ,in storms and  
hurricanes abide1     ,firm as the mount
 of ,god4  ,often only two or three     
verses can be taken from a long poem1 as
 in ,ps4 iii4--    ,thou1 ,lord1 art a  
shield for me4#aec  and ,ps4 ix4--      
,thee will ,i praise with all my heart4 
,here the whole psalm1 as it appears in 
the ,poetical ,works1 consists of       
fourteen verses1 most of them impossible
 for singing in a ,christian ,church1   
but there are four good verses1         
especially this1 with its tender        
trustfulness that the humble seeker must
 at length find his ,saviour--    ,a    
helpless soul that looks to ,thee   ,is 
sure at last ,thy face to see1     ,and 
all ,thy goodness to partake2   ,the    
sinner who for ,thee doth grieve1   ,and
 longs1 and labours to believe1         

,thou never1 never wilt forsake4#aed    
,the #bcrd ,psalm is also very          
beautiful1 and is worthy to take its    
place amongst the many lovely renderings
 of this sweetest of the praises of     
,israel4 ,i venture to quote the whole1 
as it is little known outside ,wesleyan 
,methodism1 and not too well known in   
our own ,church4 ,it is the #bcrd ,psalm
 read in the light of the tenth chapter 
of ,st4 ,john's ,gospel4    ,jesus the  
good ,shepherd is2     ,jesus died the  
sheep to save2   ,he is mine1 and ,i am 
,his2     ,all ,i want in ,him ,i have1 
,life1 and health1 and rest1 and food1  
,all the plenitude of ,god4    ,jesus   
loves and guards ,his own2     ,me in   
verdant pastures feeds2   ,makes me     
quietly lie down1     ,by the streams of
 comfort leads3   ,following ,him       
where'er ,he goes1   ,silent joy my     
heart o'erflows4    ,he in sickness     
makes me whole1     ,guides into the    
paths of peace2   ,he revives my        
fainting soul1     ,stablishes in       

righteousness2   ,who for me vouchsafed 
to die1   ,loves me still1--,i know not 
why6    ,unappalled by guilty fear1     
,through the mortal vale ,i go2   ,my   
eternal ,life is near2     ,thee my     
,life1 in death ,i know2   ,bless ,thy  
chastening1 cheering rod   ,die into the
 arms of ,god6    ,till that welcome    
hour ,i see1     ,thou before my foes   
dost feed2   ,bidd'st me sit and feast  
with ,thee1     ,pour'st ,thy oil upon  
my head2   ,giv'st me all ,i ask1 and   
more1   ,mak'st my cup of joy run o'er4 
,love divine shall still embrace1       
,love shall keep me to the end2         
,surely all my happy days     ,i shall  
in ,thy temple spend1   ,till ,i to ,thy
 house remove1   ,thy eternal house     
above6  ,dr4 ,watts's #8grand design' in
 his version of the ,psalter was #8to   
teach' the #8author to speak like a     
,christian4' ,charles ,wesley took ,st4 
,augustine's view1 that we ought to hear
 the voice of ,christ in all the psalms4
 ,his version of ,ps4 xlv4 is typical of

 his attitude toward the ,psalter as a  
whole4    ,my heart is full of ,christ1 
and longs     ,its glorious matter to   
declare6   ,of ,him ,i make my loftier  
songs1     ,i cannot from ,his praise   
forbear2   ,my ready tongue makes haste 
to sing   ,the beauties of my heavenly  
,king4  ,in #agfb ,charles ,wesley took 
advantage of a time of physical weakness
 to write a large number of verses1     
forming a kind of running commentary on 
the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,they are1 for   
the most part1 purely devotional2 but   
the events of the time and1 perhaps1 of 
the day on which a poem was written are 
mirrored in some of the verses4 ,in the 
preface he says--    ,many of the       
thoughts are borrowed from ,mr4 ,henry's
 ,commentary1 ,dr4   ,gell on the       
,pentateuch1 and ,bengelius on the ,new 
,testament4   ,several of the hymns are 
intended to prove1 and several to guard1
   the doctrine of ,christian           
,perfection4 ,i durst not publish one   
without the other4 ,in the latter sort  

,i use some severity4  ,on this point   
the brothers differed1 and especially as
 to the method of treating those who    
discredited the doctrine by extravagance
 in teaching or by inconsistency of     
life4  ,the ,short ,poems account for   
the enormous number of ,charles         
,wesley's hymns4 ,on the ,old ,testament
 he wrote #a1fji1 on the ,new ,testament
 #c1dia1 a total of #e1ajj poetical     
notes on the ,holy ,scripture4 ,but very
 many consist of only one verse4#aee ,by
 skilful combination some very good     
hymns have been made1 and in a few      
instances we come upon a complete hymn  
of great strength or beauty4 ,many of   
these are familiar in ,methodist        
congregations1 though probably few      
worshippers recognize the passages of   
,scripture which suggested the verses4  
,the well-known hymn    ,a charge to    
keep ,i have1  is the poet's meditation 
and prayer after reading ,lev4 viii4    
#ce3 #8,therefore shall ye abide at the 
door of the tabernacle of the           

congregation day and night seven days1  
and keep the charge of the ,lord1 that  
ye die not4' ,after reading ,lev4 vi4   
#ac3 #8,the fire shall ever be burning  
upon the altar2 it shall never go out1' 
he prays    ,o ,thou who camest from    
above     ,the pure celestial fire to   
impart1   ,kindle a flame of sacred love
     ,on the mean altar of my heart6    
,there let it for ,thy glory burn       
,with inextinguishable blaze2   ,and    
trembling to its source return1     ,in 
humble prayer and fervent praise4  ,on  
the words #8merciful and gracious' in   
,exod4 xxxiv4 #f he comments    ,mercy  
is ,thy distinguished ,name1     ,and   
suits the sinner best4  ,on the         
twenty-ninth verse of the same chapter1 
#8,moses wist not that his face shone1' 
he writes    ,thine image if ,thou stamp
 on me1   ,let others1 ,lord1 the       
brightness see1     ,by me unseen1      
unknown4  ,as these verses are buried in
 the last four volumes of the ,poetical 
,works1 ,i venture to quote a few others

 which have1 ,i think1 some special     
value1 reminding one at times of        
,herbert or ,crashaw4                   
#8,the ,lord went ,his way' 7,gen4      
xviii4 #cc74    ,unwearied let us still 
request     ,by instant prayer whate'er 
we want3   ,the patriarch from asking   
ceased1     ,before the ,almighty ceased
 to grant4              #8,o my ,lord1  
,i am not eloquent' 7,exod4 iv4 #aj74   
,how ready is the man to go     ,whom   
,god hath never sent6   ,how timorous1  
diffident1 and slow     ,god's chosen   
instrument6   ,lord1 if from ,thee this 
mark ,i have     ,of a true ,messenger1 
,by whom ,thou wilt ,thy people save1   
,and let me always fear4    ,slow of    
speech and slower still     ,of heart1  
alas6 am ,i1   ,cannot utter what ,i    
feel1     ,or speak to the ,most ,high3 
,but ,i to my ,brother look1     ,mighty
 both in word and deed3   ,he my cause  
hath undertook     ,and lives for me to 
plead4             #8,where hast thou   
gleaned to-day8' 7,ruth ii4 #ai74    ,at

 evening to myself ,i say1   ,my soul1  
where hast thou gleaned to-day1         
,thy labours how bestowed8   ,what hast 
thou rightly said or done8   ,what grace
 attained or knowledge won1       ,in   
following after ,god8         #8,oh that
 ,i knew where ,i might find ,him' 7,job
 xxxiii4 #c74    ,where but on yonder   
tree8   ,or if too rich thou art1       
,sink into poverty1   ,and find ,him in 
thine heart4                #8,israel   
served for a wife' 7,hos4 xii4 #ab74    
,while ,jacob for a wife doth wait1     
,a length of servile years   7,his love 
to ,rachel is so great7     ,as a few   
days appears3   ,and shall ,i think it  
long to stay     ,or wish my labours    
passed8   ,a thousand years are but a   
day     ,if ,christ be mine at last4    
,these verses on ,num4 xi4 #bg1 #bh are 
in a different strain4    ,eldad1 they  
said1 and ,medad there1     ,irregularly
 bold1   ,by ,moses uncommissioned dare 
,a separate meeting hold6   ,and still  
whom none1 but ,heaven1 will own1       

,men whom the world decry1   ,men       
authorized by ,god alone     ,presume to
 prophesy6    ,how often have ,i blindly
 done     ,what zealous ,joshua did1    
,impatient to the rulers run     ,and   
cried1 #8,my lords1 forbid6'   ,silence 
the schismatics2 constrain     ,their   
thoughts with ours to agree2   ,and     
sacrifice the souls of men     ,to idol 
unity6  ,john ,wesley lets this pass    
without note or comment1 but when1 on   
,num4 xvi4 #aj1 ,charles wrote          
,raised from the people's lowest lees1  
,guard1 ,lord1 ,thy preaching witnesses1
   ,nor let their pride the honour claim
   ,of sealing covenants in ,thy name4  
he notes on the first line1 #8,query8   
,j4 ,w4'  ,here our detailed            
consideration of ,charles ,wesley's     
hymns must end1 though there are many   
others over which one would be glad to  
linger4 ,some of the hymns on ,death and
 the ,future ,life are of great power1  
though some have lost and others are    
losing their hold upon ,methodist       

worshippers4 ,charles ,wesley's view of 
death is well illustrated in these      
verses1 which ,i quote the more readily 
because1 to my regret1 they are not     
found in the ,methodist ,hymn-book4 ,if 
they could not often be sung in the     
congregation1 there are times when they 
would speak the inmost feeling of the   
devout disciple4    ,o when shall we    
sweetly remove1     ,o when shall we    
enter our rest1   ,return to the ,sion  
above1     ,the mother of spirits       
distressed6    ,not all the archangels  
can tell     ,the joys of that holiest  
place1   ,when ,jesus is pleased to     
reveal     ,the light of ,his heavenly  
face4    ',tis good at ,thy word to be  
here1     ',tis better in ,thee to be   
gone1   ,and see ,thee in glory appear1 
,and rise to a share of ,thy throne4    
,to mourn for ,thy coming is sweet1     
,to weep at ,thy longer delay2   ,but   
,thou1 whom we hasten to meet1          
,shalt chase all our sorrows away4      
,this is not the tone of modern worship4

 ,it is open to the charge of that      
#8other-worldliness' of which our time  
is so impatient and knows so little1 but
 it is the language of the disciples    
whom ,jesus loves4 #8,having the desire 
to depart and be with ,christ3 for it is
 very far better4' #8,he which          
testifieth these things saith1 ,surely  
,i come quickly4 ,amen4 ,even so1 come1 
,lord ,jesus6'   ,after ,charles        
,wesley1 ,methodism had no great        
hymn-writer1 though ,thomas ,olivers    
7#agbe-ii71 one of the early preachers1 
wrote one of the finest of our hymns of 
adoration4  ,he was a man of            
considerable ability1 but ,wesley had   
more confidence in him as a corrector of
 errors of doctrine than of errors of   
the press4 ,he left ,toplady to be      
#8corrected by one that is full his     
match1 ,mr4 ,thomas ,olivers1' but he   
rejected ,olivers as assistant-editor of
 the ,arminian ,magazine1 because #8the 
errata are insufferable4'  #8,the ,god  
of ,abraham praise' was published at    

,nottingham in a pamphlet of eight      
pages1 with the title1 #8,a ,hymn to the
 ,god of ,abraham4 ,in three parts1     
adapted to a celebrated air1 sung by the
 priest1 ,signior ,leoni1 c41 at the    
,jews' ,synagogue in ,london4' ,there is
 only slight verbal resemblance between 
,olivers' version and the ,hebrew       
original4#aef ,he wrote a few other     
hymns1 not to be compared with this1 yet
 indicating considerable poetic power4  
,one of them1 #8,on the ,last           
,judgement1' was published at           
#8,leedes4' ,it contained twenty verses1
 and was afterwards altered1 and        
enlarged to thirty-six verses1          
,scripture references being given in the
 margin of almost every line4 ,some     
verses of this poem have been           
occasionally used in hymn-books1 and    
,lord ,selborne gave twelve verses in   
his ,book of ,praise4 ,it is1 however1  
little known4 ,the following are among  
the best verses4    ,come1 immortal     
,king of ,glory6     ,now with all ,thy 

saints appear2   ,while astonished      
worlds adore ,thee1     ,and the dead   
,thy clarions hear1         ,shine      
refulgent1     ,and ,thy ,deity         
maintain4    ,lo6 ,he comes with clouds 
descending3     ,hark6 the trump of ,god
 is blown3   ,and the archangel's voice 
attending1     ,makes the high          
procession known4         ,sons of      
,adam1     ,rise and stand before your  
,god6    #8,come1 ,lord ,jesus1 ,o come 
quickly1'     ,oft has prayed the       
mourning ,bride4   ,lo6 ,he answers1    
#8,i come quickly'2     ,who ,thy coming
 may abide8         ,all who loved ,him1
     ,all who longed to see ,his day4   
,come1 ,he saith1 ye heirs of glory1    
,come1 ye purchase of ,my blood1        
,claim the kingdom now before you1      
,rise and fill the mount of ,god3       
,fixed for ever1     ,where the ,lamb on
 ,sion stands4    ,now their trials all 
are ended1     ,now the dubious         
warfare's o'er1   ,joy no more with     
sorrow blended1     ,they shall sigh and

 weep no more3         ,god for ever    
,wipes the tear from every eye4         
,hail6 ,thou ,alpha and ,omega6         
,first and last of all alone4   ,he that
 is1 and was1 and shall be1     ,and    
beside whom there is none4         ,take
 the glory1     ,great ,eternal ,three  
in ,one6    ,praise be to the ,father   
given3     ,praise to the co-eval ,son3 
,praise the ,spirit1 ,one and ,seven2   
,praise the mystic ,three in ,one4      
,hallelujah6     ,everlasting praise be 
,thine4  ,john ,bakewell 7#agba-ahai71 a
 ,methodist schoolmaster1 wrote several 
hymns1 and is widely known as the author
 of #8,hail1 ,thou once despisd         
,jesus4'#aeg ,benjamin ,rhodes          
7#agdc-ahae71 converted under the       
preaching of ,whitefield1 and for many  
years a ,methodist preacher1 wrote one  
really fine hymn1 #8,my heart and voice 
,i raise4' ,another of the early        
,methodist preachers1 ,john ,murlin1    
#8the weeping prophet1' published a     
small volume of hymns1 some of which are

 quite as good as most of the           
eighteenth-century songs4               
,,iv                                    
,eighteenth-century ,hymns              
,,iii4--,the ,olney ,hymns  ,the        
contribution of evangelical ,churchmen1 
apart from the ,wesleys1 to the hymnody 
of the eighteenth century1 is slight1   
with the important exception of the     
remarkable collection of hymns issued by
 ,william ,cowper and ,john ,newton1    
which takes its title from the little   
,buckinghamshire town in which ,newton  
was for years curate for an absentee    
vicar4  ,our little ,england has been   
the mother of so many famous sons that  
it often happens that some              
out-of-the-way village or obscure       
country town is rich in memories of the 
great and good1 for    ,half of her dust
 has walked the rest   ,in poets1       
heroes1 martyrs1 sages4  ,such a spot is
 ,olney1 the town of ,cowper and of     
,cowper's ,mary1 of ,john ,newton1 and  
for a time of ,thomas ,scott1 of whom   

,newman speaks as #8the writer who made 
a deeper impression on my mind than any 
other1 and to whom 7humanly speaking7 ,i
 almost owe my soul4'#aeh ,where        
,william ,carey1 after some hesitation  
on the ground of his slight abilities1  
was #8allowed to go on preaching1' and  
finally sent forth to the ministry by   
the unanimous vote of the ,baptist      
,church1 over which ,john ,sutcliff     
presided4 ,where also ,dr4 ,h4 ,j4      
,gauntlett1 when a boy of ten1 was      
organist at the parish church4#aei  ,the
 ,olney hymns are at once the           
#8monument' of #8an intimate and        
endeared friendship' and of a memorable 
literary partnership4 #8,the old        
,african blasphemer' must have felt it  
even more a matter of thankfulness that 
he found himself collaborating with     
,william ,cowper than that he should    
become minister of the nearest church to
 the ,mansion ,house4 ,john ,newton's   
romantic story is too well known to be  
repeated here4 ,he is a unique figure in

 the ,christian choir1 and the story of 
our hymn-writers would be vastly poorer 
if his life were omitted4  ,influenced1 
as he gladly recognized1 by the mother  
who died when he was a boy of seven1 his
 soul lay open to intellectual and      
spiritual impressions1 even in the midst
 of his wanderings and sins4 ,euclid1 as
 well as ,thomas  ,kempis1 shared in the
 saving of his soul and kept him from   
sinking to the level of his companions  
and oppressors4 ,his hair-breadth       
escapes were so many and so remarkable  
that he might well regard them as       
interpositions of ,providence1          
indicating that he was #8a chosen       
vessel' whom ,god had designated to     
special work when his hour should come4 
,among the many interesting men who     
occupy secondary places in the religious
 life of the eighteenth century1 he is  
one of the most interesting and         
attractive4 ,the promise of his         
childhood blighted by the death of his  
mother1 his restless1 roving1           

adventurous manhood1 his pursuit of     
knowledge under difficulties1 his seven 
years' faithful love for ,mary ,catlett1
 thoughts of whom were never absent from
 his mind for an hour amidst all his    
#8misery and wretchedness1' the         
unegotistic frankness of his ,authentic 
,narrative1 his profound and thankful   
modesty1    ,the genuine meek humility1 
,the wonder why such love to me1  his   
genius for friendship1 his good-humoured
 perplexity as to his proper theological
 and ecclesiastical affinities1 his     
ready wit and manly tenderness1 unite to
 make ,john ,newton's a name over which 
one may well linger4  ,he was a         
,calvinist for the same reason that the 
,wesleys were ,arminians4 ,they were    
convinced that only a love divine which 
included every soul of man could have   
stooped to them4 ,newton believed that  
only ,god's determinate counsel could   
have set such wandering feet as his upon
 the rock and established his goings4   
,to such elect souls the divers ways of 

contradictory theologies blend in the   
one path which leads the sinner to the  
,saviour4 #8,the views1' he says1 #8,i  
have received of the doctrines of grace1
 are essential to my peace1 and ,i could
 not live a day or an hour without      
them4' ,he found them #8friendly to     
holiness1' and it was not in him to be  
#8ashamed of them4' ,one of his         
favourite stories was of an old woman   
near ,olney1 whose views on             
predestination suited him exactly4      
#8,ah6 ,i have long settled that point2 
for if ,god had not chosen me before ,i 
was born1 ,i am sure ,he would have seen
 nothing in me to have chosen me for    
afterwards4' ,but we can well believe   
that he was not a satisfactory          
,calvinist from the #8highest' point of 
view4 #8,there were two sorts of        
,calvinists at ,olney1' he said1 #8and  
they always reminded me of the two      
baskets of ,jeremiah's figs4'  ,his     
,churchmanship was like his ,calvinism1 
convinced but liberal1 almost           

easy-going4 ,he writes to his friend1   
,william ,bull--    ,i know not how it  
is4 ,i think my sentiments and          
experience are as   orthodox and        
,calvinistical as need be2 and yet ,i am
 a sort of   speckled bird among my     
,calvinist brethren4 ,i am a mighty good
   ,churchman1 but pass amongst such as 
a ,dissenter in prunello4 ,on the       
other hand1 the ,dissenters 7many of    
them1 ,i mean7 think me   defective1    
either in understanding or in           
conscience1 for staying   where ,i am4  
,well1 there is a middle party called   
,methodists1 but   neither do my        
dimensions exactly fit with them4444    
,but there are a   few among all parties
 who bear with me and love me1 and with 
this ,i   must be content at present4444
 ,party walls1 though stronger than the 
walls of ,babylon1 must come down in the
 general ruin when the earth   and all  
its works shall be burned up1 if not    
sooner4  ,in truth1 he also was one of  
those whom any ,church might gladly have

 adopted4 ,he would have been thoroughly
 happy and at home amongst the best of  
the ,dissenters1 he would have been an  
ideal ,methodist1 and his ,narrative    
would have given an added glory to the  
,lives of ,early ,methodist ,preachers2 
but1 notwithstanding the difficulties   
which delayed his taking orders1 he was 
in his right place as a parish          
clergyman1 and had no reason to complain
 that he was not appreciated in the     
,establishment4 ,his ,apologia shows    
that when he desired to enter the       
ministry1 ,dissenters were quite as much
 afraid of him as ,churchmen1 and were  
as unwilling to ordain him as the       
archbishop himself4#afj  ,he entered the
 ,church without any special prejudice  
in its favour1 but his conviction that  
he had taken the right step grew        
stronger year by year4 ,his defence of  
the ,prayer-book against the criticism  
of the ,dissenter who availed himself of
 ,watts's ,psalms and ,hymns is as      
effective as it is witty1 and is        

enforced by a characteristic anecdote of
 a preacher who used to compose hymns   
line by line as he announced them from  
the pulpit4    ,crito freely will       
rehearse   ,forms of praise and prayer  
in verse2   ,why should ,crito then     
suppose   ,forms are sinful when in     
prose8   ,must my form be deemed a crime
   ,merely for the want of rhyme8       
,newton's charity went a good deal      
beyond that of the ordinary evangelical 
of his own and of many a later day4 ,in 
the ,apologia he expresses with vigour  
his conviction that #8the ,lord has a   
people' among the members of the ,roman 
and ,greek ,churches4    ,i should hope 
that they who1 having themselves tasted 
that the ,lord   is gracious1 know the  
language of a heart under the influence 
of ,his   ,spirit1 would1 in defiance of
 ,protestant prejudices1 be of my mind  
if they had opportunity of perusing the 
writings of some ,papists4  ,newton was 
not one of the great men of his age1 but
 he is remarkable1 if not pre-eminent1  

for the naturalness with which he speaks
 the common tongue of the children of   
,god4 ,father ,faber1 in the preface to 
his ,hymns1 bears a somewhat reluctant  
witness to this4    ,catholics even are 
said to be sometimes found poring with a
 devout   and unsuspecting delight over 
the verses of the ,olney hymns1 which   
the author 7,faber7 himself can remember
 acting like a spell upon him   for     
years1 strong enough to be for long a   
counter influence to very   grave       
convictions1 and even now to come back  
from time to time   unbidden into the   
mind4  ,if ,faber deprecated the        
#8spell' of the ,olney hymns1 it is fair
 to remember that ,newton concludes his 
defence of devout ,catholics by saying1 
#8,however1 ,i desire to be thankful    
that ,i am not a ,papist4'  ,in #agfd   
the difficulties which beset his        
entrance to the ministry ended1 and he  
was ordained by the ,bishop of ,lincoln 
to the curacy of ,olney1 which had been 
secured for him by the ,earl of         

,dartmouth1#afa a devout and liberal    
,churchman1 commemorated in ,cowper's   
lines--    ,we boast some rich ones whom
 the gospel sways1   ,and one who wears 
a coronet and prays4  ,newton was nearly
 forty when he entered upon his first   
clerical employment4 ,a few months after
 his coming to ,olney1 ,cowper and ,mrs4
 ,unwin stayed with him at the vicarage 
for about six weeks1 and from that time 
they were bound together by the ties of 
a deep affection4 ,newton recognized    
with his usual shrewdness how much he   
was inferior to his friend in           
intellectual capacity1 but he was able  
to give to the sorely tried poet1 in his
 fits of depression1 much comfort and a 
very patient friendship4 ,when in #aggc 
one of ,cowper's worst attacks came on1 
he went to the vicarage and remained    
there for more than twelve months4 ,it  
was no light trial to ,newton1 but he   
said1 #8,i think ,i can hardly do or    
suffer too much for such a friend1' and 
#8upon the whole' he was not weary of   

his #8cross4' ,it has sometimes1 most   
ungenerously1 been charged against      
,newton that his influence tended to    
produce1 or to aggravate1 the religious 
melancholy of the poet1 but ,cowper's   
malady had been very pronounced long    
before ,newton met him4 ,richard ,cecil1
 and more recently ,canon ,overton1 have
 defended ,newton against this          
accusation4 ,cowper's morbid depression 
must have been much more trying to      
,newton than ,newton's humble1 cheerful 
faith could have been to ,cowper4       
,indeed1 his playful poems addressed to 
,john ,newton and his wife and to their 
common friend1 #8the smoke-inhaling     
,bull'--the ,independent minister of    
,newport ,pagnell1 whom ,cowper calls   
#8a man of letters and of genius4444 but
 he smokes tobacco--nothing is          
perfect'--sufficiently show how genial  
and even jovial was their friendship4   
,the fable that ,nonconformist ministers
 and ,evangelical clergymen are either  
rank hypocrites or intolerable dullards1

 though it had1 and perhaps still has1  
the support of many great authorities1  
is only believed in circles profoundly  
ignorant of them4  ,yet ,newton must    
have been greatly indebted1 especially  
as a hymn-writer1 to ,cowper4 ,his hymns
 were all written during his residence  
at ,olney1 and he had intended that his 
share in the volume should have been    
much less than ,cowper's4 ,indeed1 when 
his friend's #8long and affecting       
indisposition' occurred1 he laid the    
project aside for some time4 ,in the end
 the collection appeared with           
sixty-eight of ,cowper's and two hundred
 and eighty of ,newton's4 ,of ,cowper's 
hymns1 some few had been written before 
he went to ,olney1 e4g4 #8,the ,happy   
,change' and #8,retirement4'  ,cowper is
 the one great hymn-writer who ranks    
with the greater poets4 ,montgomery1    
,heber1 ,milman1 all wrote #8poems1' but
 their enduring poetic monument is in   
their hymns4 ,had ,cowper never written 
a hymn1 he would have had fame          

sufficient as a poet2 had he never      
written a #8poem1' he would still have  
lived through the ages as the writer of 
immortal hymns4 ,lord ,selborne says    
that ,cowper's contributions to the     
,olney collection #8are1 almost without 
exception1 worthy of his name'2 but1 as 
a fact1 many of them are prosaic and    
feeble1 apparently written as task work1
 perhaps to meet a challenge of         
,newton's1 or to follow a particular    
sermon4 ,cowper's choicest hymns are too
 well known for quotation--    ,o for a 
closer walk with ,god4   ,hark1 my soul1
 it is the ,lord4   ,sometimes a light  
surprises4   ,god moves in a mysterious 
way4   ,jesus1 where'er ,thy people     
meet4  ,newton's best are--    ,glorious
 things of thee are spoken4   ,how sweet
 the name of ,jesus sounds4   ,quiet1   
,lord1 my froward heart4   ,come1 my    
soul1 thy suit prepare4  ,and the simple
 ,spiritual songs--    ,begone1         
unbelief1 my ,saviour is near4   ,though
 troubles assail and dangers affright4  

,like ,watts1 ,doddridge1 ,beddome1 and 
many others1 ,newton wrote his hymns for
 use after preaching or for some special
 occasion1 such as the opening of a room
 at the ,great ,house for               
prayer-meetings and children's services4
 ,it was for this event that ,cowper    
wrote    ,jesus1 where'er ,thy people   
meet1  and ,newton a less effective     
hymn--    ,dear ,shepherd of ,thy       
people1 hear1     ,thy presence now     
display2   ,as ,thou hast given a place 
for prayer1     ,so give us hearts to   
pray4  ,i do not suppose that the ,olney
 hymns were often selected as a         
hymn-book for congregational use4 ,the  
range of subjects is too narrow1 and is 
so largely affected by the circumstances
 of composition1 the sadness of         
,cowper's prolonged illness1 and the    
needs of the rustic worshippers1 that it
 is1 as a whole1 more suited to private 
devotion than public worship1 though    
from it may be gathered some of the most
 beautiful of the songs of ,zion4  ,from

 twelve to twenty of the ,olney hymns   
have won a permanent place in our       
hymn-books1 but what is left is very far
 from being #8empty chaff well meant for
 grain4' ,indeed1 there are very few    
hymn-books of the eighteenth century so 
interesting as this4 ,when you have     
picked out of ,watts or ,doddridge their
 best hymns1 you find it a wearisome and
 profitless task to plod through the    
remainder4 ,an outrageous rhyme is a    
pleasing break in the dull monotony of  
the sentiment1 but the ,olney hymns1    
even at their feeblest1 have life and   
vigour1 and are often provokingly easy  
to remember4 ,their influence on modern 
hymnody has been all in favour of the   
expression of personal1 individual      
experience1 in which regard they may not
 unfairly be compared with many of the  
sublimest ,psalms4  ,in ,cowper's verses
 there are often references to his own  
depressed and anxious state of mind1 and
 pathetic prayers for deliverance or    
suggestions of comfortable thoughts4    

,she1 too1 who touched ,thee in the     
press1     ,and healing virtue stole1   
,was answered1 #8,daughter1 go in peace1
     ,thy faith hath made thee whole4'  
,concealed amid the gathering throng1   
,she would have shunned ,thy view2      
,and if her faith was firm and strong1  
,had strong misgivings too4    ,like her
 with hopes and fears we come1     ,to  
touch ,thee1 if we may3   ,oh6 send us  
not despairing home1     ,send none     
unhealed away4                          
,,the ,,contrite ,,heart    ,the ,lord  
will happiness divine     ,on contrite  
hearts bestow2   ,then tell me1 gracious
 ,god1 is mine     ,a contrite heart1 or
 no8    ,i hear1 but seem to hear in    
vain1     ,insensible as steel2   ,if   
ought is felt1 'tis only pain1     ,to  
find ,i cannot feel4    ,i sometimes    
think myself inclined     ,to love      
,thee1 if ,i could2   ,but often feel   
another mind1     ,averse to all that's 
good4    ,thy saints are comforted1 ,i  
know1     ,and love ,thy house of       

prayer2   ,i therefore go where others  
go1     ,but find no comfort there4     
,oh1 make this heart rejoice or ache1   
,decide this doubt for me2   ,and if it 
be not broken1 break--     ,and heal it1
 if it be6                              
,,the ,,waiting ,,soul    ,breathe from 
the gentle south1 ,o ,lord1     ,and    
cheer me from the north2   ,blow on the 
treasures of ,thy word1     ,and call   
the spices forth6    ,help me to reach  
the distant goal2     ,confirm my feeble
 knee2   ,pity the sickness of a soul   
,that faints for love of ,thee6    ,i   
seem forsaken and alone1     ,i hear the
 lion roar2   ,and every door is shut   
but one1     ,and that is ,mercy's door4
    ,there1 till the dear ,deliverer    
come1     ,i'll wait with humble prayer2
   ,and when ,he calls ,his exile home1 
,the ,lord shall find him there4        
,,prayer ,,for ,,patience    ,lord1 who 
hast suffered all for me1     ,my peace 
and pardon to procure1   ,the lighter   
cross ,i bear for ,thee1     ,help me   

with patience to endure4    ,the storm  
of loud repining hush1     ,i would in  
humble silence mourn2   ,why should the 
unburnt1 though burning bush1     ,be   
angry as the crackling thorn8    ,ah6   
were ,i buffeted all day1     ,mocked1  
crowned with thorns1 and spit upon1   ,i
 yet should have no right to say1       
,my great distress is mine alone4       
,let me not angrily declare     ,no pain
 was ever sharp like mine1   ,nor murmur
 at the cross ,i bear1     ,but rather  
weep1 remembering ,thine4  ,cowper's    
hymns are not all the voice of the      
penitent or of the anxious believer4 ,he
 shared ,newton's opinion as to the     
classification of ,calvinists1 and two  
of his compositions evidently refer to  
the second basket of figs4 ,they        
illustrate ,hazlitt's criticism1 #8,his 
satire is excellent4 ,it is pointed and 
forcible1 with the polished manners of  
the gentleman and the honest indignation
 of the virtuous man4'#afb ,the         
following verses are a good example of  

his satire4                         ,a  
,,living ,,and ,a ,,dead ,,faith        
,with golden bells1 the priestly vest1  
,and rich pomegranates bordered round1  
,the need of holiness expressed1        
,and called for fruit as well as sound4 
,easy indeed it were to reach     ,a    
mansion in the courts above1   ,if      
swelling words and fluent speech        
,might serve instead of faith and love4 
,but none shall gain the blissful place1
     ,or ,god's unclouded glory see1    
,who talks of free and sovereign grace1 
,unless that grace has made him free6   
,this is not a favourite strain of      
,cowper's4 ,his hymns are nearly always 
the expression of personal emotion or   
experience4 ,we may close our quotations
 from his ,olney hymns with one which   
expresses1 in his own way1 the common   
yearning of all who love our ,lord      
,jesus ,christ4                         
,,longing ,,to ,,be ,,with ,,christ     
,my ,saviour1 whom absent ,i love1      
,whom1 not having seen1 ,i adore2       

,whose name is exalted above     ,all   
glory1 dominion1 and power2    ,dissolve
 ,thou these bonds that detain     ,my  
soul from her portion in ,thee1   ,ah6  
strike off this adamant chain1     ,and 
make me eternally free4    ,oh then     
shall the veil be removed1     ,and     
round me ,thy brightness be poured1   ,i
 shall meet ,him whom absent ,i loved1  
,i shall see ,him whom unseen ,i adored4
  ,newton's contribution to the ,olney  
hymns is considerable both in quality   
and quantity4 ,his preface disarms      
criticism4    ,dr4 ,watts might1 as a   
poet1 have a right to say1 #8,that it   
cost him   some labour to restrain his  
fire1 and to accommodate himself to the 
capacities of common readers4' ,but it  
would not become me to make   such a    
declaration4 ,it behoved me to do my    
best4444 ,if the ,lord1   whom ,i serve1
 has been pleased to favour me with that
 mediocrity of   talent1 which may      
qualify me for usefulness to the weak   
and the poor   of ,his flock1 without   

quite disgusting persons of superior    
discernment1 ,i have reason to be       
satisfied4  ,it is quite refreshing to  
find a hymn-writer who describes himself
 thus4 ,they have often been modest men 
and women1 but have had a fairly good   
idea of the value of their own          
compositions4  ,newton's hymns are1 even
 more than those of ,watts or           
,doddridge1 pastoral hymns4 ,other men  
wrote for the congregation1 he wrote for
 his own particular congregation1 and   
very often with a special reference to  
one member of it4 ,we know that his     
sermons were suggested in this way4 ,if 
#8,sir ,cowper' had a bad fit1 or the   
,vicarage maid1 ,molly1 was #8perplexed 
and tempted on the point of election1'  
the kind-hearted pastor had a sermon and
 a hymn1 suited to their #8state1' ready
 on ,sunday4  ,many of ,newton's pieces 
express much more of ,cowper's          
experience than of his own4 ,in such    
lines as the following is not his eye   
upon the sad figure in #8the poet's     

corner' in the ,great ,house8    ,sure  
the ,lord thus far has brought me       
,by ,his watchful tender care1   ,sure  
'tis ,he ,himself has taught me     ,how
 to seek ,his face by prayer3           
,after so much mercy past1       ,will  
,he give me up at last8    ,in my       
,saviour's intercession     ,therefore  
,i will still confide6   ,lord1 accept  
my free confession1     ,i have sinned1 
but ,thou hast died3       ,this is all 
,i have to plead1       ,this is all the
 plea ,i need4  ,that is what he has to 
say of #8,confidence' from ,cowper's    
point of view4 ,when he speaks for      
himself he adopts a different tone4     
,oh6 ,i tremble still to think     ,how 
secure ,i lived in sin2   ,sporting on  
destruction's brink1     ,yet preserved 
from falling in4    ,come1 my           
fellow-sinners1 try1     ,jesu's heart  
is full of love6   ,oh that you1 as well
 as ,i1     ,may ,his wondrous mercy    
prove4    ,he has sent me to declare1   
,all is ready1 all is free3   ,why      

should any soul despair     ,when ,he   
saved a wretch like me8  ,perhaps it was
 with ,cowper in his mind he wrote that 
beautiful and touching hymn for private 
devotion1 which has been often most     
unjustly censured--#8',tis a point ,i   
long to know4' ,newton1 like ,bunyan1   
knew how sincere a pilgrim ,mr4 ,little 
,faith was1 and each in his own way     
sought to comfort him4 ,there is good   
robust common sense in the prayer of the
 last two verses4 ,in strength and      
beauty it does not compare with         
,cowper's hymn on the same text1        
#8,lovest thou ,me8' which ,mr4         
,gladstone reckoned one of the three    
greatest ,english hymns2 but it belongs 
to the ,christian treasury1 and has     
brought help to many4    ,lord1 decide  
the doubtful case1     ,thou who art    
,thy people's sun1   ,shine upon the    
work of grace1     ,if it be indeed     
begun4    ,let me love ,thee more and   
more1     ,if ,i love at all1 ,i pray2  
,if ,i have not loved before1     ,help 

me to begin to-day4  ,the tenderness of 
#8the old ,african blasphemer's' heart  
is nowhere more touchingly illustrated  
than in his version of ,isa4 liv4 #e-aa1
 which must surely have been written for
 ,cowper1 since it quotes and emphasizes
 the words of his own great hymn4 ,it   
has five eight-line verses1 and is      
headed #8,to the ,afflicted1 ,tossed    
with ,tempest1 and not ,comforted4'     
,pensive1 doubting1 fearful heart1      
,hear what ,christ the ,saviour says2   
,every word should joy impart1          
,change thy mourning into praise4       
,yes1 ,he speaks1 and speaks to thee4   
,may ,he help thee to believe6   ,then  
thou presently wilt see     ,thou hast  
little cause to grieve4    ,though      
afflicted1 tempest-tossed1              
,comfortless awhile thou art1   ,do not 
think thou canst be lost1     ,thou art 
graven on ,my heart4   ,all thy wastes  
,i will repair1     ,thou shalt be      
rebuilt anew2   ,and in thee it shall   
appear     ,what a ,god of love can do4 

,it is the pastor's heart which takes up
 the very words of his friend--    ,yes1
 ,he speaks and speaks to thee1   ,may  
,he help thee to believe6  ,richard     
,cecil says that ,herbert was a         
#8favourite' of ,newton's1 and there are
 not wanting reminiscences of ,herbert  
in the ,olney hymns1 though ,newton had 
little of ,herbert's ingenuity or power1
 and he says in a few plain words what  
,herbert weaves into a quaint poem1     
bright and ever-memorable with some     
#8conceit' such as he only conceived4   
,if we set ,newton and ,herbert side by 
side1 the comparison is1 of course1 all 
in favour of ,herbert4 ,herbert speaks  
to himself and to ,god in what is an    
unknown tongue to many a good plain     
,christian4 ,newton wrote for his simple
 labouring folk at ,olney2 he is the    
poet of the rustic prayer-meeting4      
,bemerton and ,olney were both villages 
in the land of ,beulah1 but there is a  
difference in the dialect1 which is     
easily accounted for when we remember   

the contrast between the life of        
,herbert and of ,newton4 ,when they     
passed through a similar spiritual      
experience they described it in very    
different fashion1 but1 though there are
 diversities of gifts1 there is the same
 ,spirit2 there is the same             
self-distrust1 self-abhorrence2 and     
there is the same calm acceptance of the
 great salvation and its joys4 ,george  
,herbert tells his deepest1 sweetest    
experience in the final poem of ,the    
,temple4#afc ,newton tells his story in 
simple1 homely verse that is not poetry1
 but is prayer and praise expressed in  
natural rhythm4    ,dost ,thou ask me   
who ,i am8   ,ah1 my ,lord1 ,thou       
know'st my name3   ,yet the question    
gives a plea   ,to support my suit with 
,thee4    ,thou didst once a wretch     
behold1   ,in rebellion blindly bold1   
,scorn ,thy grace1 ,thy power defy3     
,that poor rebel1 ,lord1 was ,i4        
,once a sinner near despair1   ,sought  
,thy mercy-seat by prayer2   ,mercy     

heard and set him free3   ,lord1 that   
mercy came to me4    ,many years have   
passed since then1   ,many changes ,i   
have seen1   ,yet have been upheld till 
now2   ,who could hold me up but ,thou8 
,,iv                                    
,eighteenth-century ,hymns              
,,iv4--,addison1 ,toplady1 and ,others  
,a few other hymn-writers of the        
eighteenth century remain to be         
mentioned4 ,the first writer is of a    
very different class from those of the  
later years4 ,in #agab ,joseph ,addison 
published six hymns in successive       
numbers of the ,spectator4 ,one was by  
,dr4 ,watts2 the others were undoubtedly
 his own1 though the authorship has been
 claimed for others4 ,the hymns         
themselves are the work of a devout man 
of letters1 and1 without being exactly  
#8popular1' have been and still are     
extensively used4 ,they have the easy   
grace of ,addison's prose-writings1 and 
his name made them at once acceptable to
 all classes4 ,they belong to no school1

 and are used by all the ,churches4     
,the six hymns are--#8,the ,lord my     
pasture shall prepare'2 #8,when all ,thy
 mercies1 ,o my ,god'2 #8,when ,israel1 
freed from ,pharaoh's hand' 7,watts72   
#8,the spacious firmament on high'2     
#8,how are ,thy servants blest1 ,o      
,lord'2 #8,when rising from the bed of  
death4'  ,john ,cennick 7#agah-ee7 had  
much of ,newton's simplicity and        
sincerity1 though he had not his touches
 of genius or any trace of the old      
sea-farer's raciness4 ,cennick was      
#8found' by ,john ,wesley at ,reading1  
in #agci1 and was one of his earliest   
lay-preachers4 ,but he adopted          
,calvinistic views1 and soon left the   
,methodists and attached himself to     
,whitefield1 whom he served as a brother
 beloved for several years4 ,he bore    
reproach1 violence1 hardship1 with the  
courage which characterized the         
itinerants of that day of either school 
of theology4 ,he separated from ,wesley 
in #agda1 from ,whitefield in #agde1 and

 found a more congenial home among the  
,moravians4 ,he was ordained a deacon1  
and ministered in ,london and ,dublin4  
,he it was who earned for ,protestants  
of the ,methodist type the nickname of  
#8swaddlers1' so long common in         
,ireland4 #8,a name given to ,mr4       
,cennick1 first by a ,popish priest1 who
 heard him speak of a ,child wrapped in 
swaddling-clothes1 and probably did not 
know the expression was in the ,bible1 a
 book he was not much acquainted        
with4'#afd  ,cennick was vacillating1   
and apparently easily influenced by     
stronger minds than his own1 but he was 
not able to keep up a quarrel1 and1 ten 
years after his defection from ,wesley1 
wrote him an affectionate letter1 in    
which he wishes #8heartily that         
,christians conferring together had     
hindered the making that wide space     
between us and you4' ,whitefield1 though
 he had suffered a larger defection from
 his ,society than ,wesley1 bore        
,cennick no ill will1 but kept up an    

affectionate correspondence with him to 
the end4 #8,my dear ,john1' he wrote in 
#agdg1 #8,i wish thee much success1 and 
shall always pray that the work of the  
,lord may prosper in thy hands4'#afe    
,cennick continued his abundant labours 
till #agee1 when he died in ,london in  
his thirty-seventh year4  ,his          
best-known hymn is in every collection--
    ,children of the heavenly ,king1    
,as ye journey1 sweetly sing2  and      
notwithstanding the dreadful rhyme of   
its second verse--    ,thou dear        
,redeemer1 dying ,lamb  still finds a   
place in many hymn-books4  ,cennick is  
often spoken of as the author of    ,lo6
 ,he comes with clouds descending2  but 
there is very little trace of ,cennick's
 hymn in ,charles ,wesley's4 ,canon     
,ellerton calls the hymn #8a recast by  
,charles ,wesley1' and adds1            
#8,cennick's hymn is poor stuff compared
 to that into which ,wesley recast it1  
putting into it at once fire and        
tunefulness4' ,this1 however1 is an     

inaccurate statement of the facts4      
,probably ,cennick's hymn suggested     
,wesley's1 but this is the only share   
,cennick had in it4  ,cennick's hymn was
 published in #ageb1 ,wesley's in #ageh4
 ,in #agfj ,martin ,madan pieced        
together six verses1 five 7with some    
alterations7 from these two hymns1 and  
one from another of ,wesley's4 ,neither 
,cennick's original nor ,madan's can be 
compared with ,wesley's fine verses1    
which are best left as he wrote         
them4#aff ,the following is ,cennick's  
original--    ,lo6 ,he cometh1 countless
 trumpets     ,blow before ,his bloody  
sign6   ',midst ten thousand saints and 
angels1     ,see the ,crucifid shine4   
,allelujah6   ,welcome1 welcome1        
bleeding ,lamb6    ,now ,his merits by  
the harpers1     ,through the eternal   
deeps resounds6   ,now resplendent shine
 ,his nail-prints1     ,every eye shall 
see ,his wounds6         ,they who      
pierced ,him   ,shall at ,his appearing 
wail4    ,every island1 sea1 and        

mountain1     ,heaven and earth shall   
flee away6   ,all who hate ,him must1   
ashamd1     ,hear the trump proclaim    
,his day3         ,come to judgement6   
,stand before the ,son of ,man6    ,all 
who love ,him view ,his glory1          
,shining in ,his bruisd ,face3   ,his   
dear ,person on the rainbow1     ,now   
,his people's heads shall raise3        
,happy mourners6   ,now on clouds ,he   
comes6 ,he comes6    ,now redemption1   
long expected1     ,see1 in solemn pomp 
appear3   ,all ,his people1 once        
despisd1     ,now shall meet ,him in the
 air3         ,allelujah6   ,now the    
promised kingdom's come6    ,view ,him  
smiling1 now determined     ,every evil 
to destroy6   ,all the nations now shall
 sing ,him     ,songs of everlasting    
joy6         ,o come quickly6           
,allelujah6 come1 ,lord1 come6          
,augustus ,montague ,toplady 7#agdj-gh7 
was a devout clergyman1 converted       
through the preaching of a ,methodist in
 ,ireland4 ,his #8,arminian prejudices' 

received an #8effectual shock' in #ageh4
 ,his ministry at ,broad ,hembury1 and  
in the ,french ,reformed ,church1       
,leicester ,fields1 was greatly valued1 
and his sincere piety impressed all who 
knew him4  ,he was one of the most      
violent opponents of ,wesley and        
,fletcher in the ,calvinistic           
controversy1 and expressed himself in   
unmeasured terms4 ,he was a good man1   
with deep convictions and narrow views4 
,yet he touched human hearts as few     
other hymn-writers have ever done4 ,to  
have written #8,rock of ,ages' would    
have been fame enough for a much greater
 man than ,toplady4 ,it appeared in a   
curious and unpromising setting4        
,toplady was editing the ,gospel        
,magazine1 and in #aggf published a     
,spiritual ,improvement of a ,catechism 
on the ,national ,debt1 in which he     
strives to estimate the number of       
individual sins a man may be expected to
 commit in the course of his earthly    
life4    ,as we never1 in the present   

life1 rise to the mark of legal         
sanctity1 is it not fairly inferrible   
that our sins multiply with   every     
second of our sublunary durations8      
',tis too true4 ,and in this view of the
 matter1 our dreadful account   stands  
as follows3--,at ten years old1 each of 
us is chargeable with   #cae millions   
and #cf thousand sins4 ,at twenty1 with 
#fcj millions and   #gbj thousand4 ,at  
thirty1 with #idf millions and #hj      
thousand4 ,at   forty1 with #a1bfa      
millions and #ddj thousand4 ,at fifty1  
with #a1egf   millions and #hjj         
thousand4 ,at sixty1 with #a1hib        
millions and #afj   thousand4 ,at       
seventy1 with #b1bjg millions and #ebj  
thousand4 ,at   eighty1 with #b1ebb     
millions and #hhj thousand4    ,we can  
only admire and bless the ,father for   
electing us in ,christ1   and for laying
 on ,him the iniquities of us all2 the  
,son for taking   our nature and our    
debts upon ,himself1 and for that       
complete   righteousness and sacrifice  

whereby ,he redeemed ,his mystical      
,israel   from all their sins2 and the  
co-qual ,spirit for causing us 7in      
conversion7 to feel our need of ,christ1
 for inspiring us with faith   to       
embrace ,him1 for visiting us with ,his 
sweet consolations by   shedding abroad 
,his love in our hearts1 for sealing us 
to the day of   ,christ1 and for making 
us to walk in the path of ,his          
commandments4    ,a living and dying    
,prayer for the ,holiest ,believer in   
the   world4    ,rock of ,ages1 cleft   
for me1   ,let me hide myself in ,thee6 
,let the ,water and the ,blood   ,from  
,thy riven ,side which flowed1   ,be of 
,sin the double ,cure1   ,cleanse me    
from its ,guilt and ,power4#afg         
,toplady wrote a good many hymns1 but no
 other compares with this great         
universal prayer1 probably the          
best-known and best-loved hymn in the   
language4 ,he was essentially a         
,methodist1 his ,calvinism being1 one   
might almost say1 accidental4 ,his hymns

 have the tone and even the mannerisms  
of ,charles ,wesley4#afh ,many of them  
are good devotional reading4 ,the       
following verses will remind many       
readers of some well-known lines of     
,charles ,wesley--    ,o when wilt ,thou
 my ,saviour be8     ,o when shall ,i be
 clean1   ,the true1 eternal ,sabbath   
see1     ,a perfect rest from sin8      
,the consolations of ,thy word     ,my  
soul have long upheld2   ,the faithful  
promise of the ,lord     ,shall surely  
be fulfilled4    ,i look to my          
,incarnate ,god1     ',till ,he ,his    
work begin1   ,and wait 'till ,his      
redeeming blood     ,shall cleanse me   
from all sin4    ,his great salvation ,i
 shall know1     ,and perfect liberty2  
,onward to sin he cannot go1            
,whoe'er abides in ,thee3    ,added to  
the ,redeemer's fold1     ,i shall in   
,him rejoice1   ,i all ,his glory shall 
behold1     ,and hear my ,shepherd's    
voice4    ,o that ,i now the voice might
 hear     ,that speaks my sins forgiven6

   ,his word is past to give me here    
,the inward pledge of heaven4    ,his   
blood shall over all prevail     ,and   
sanctify the unclean2   ,the grace that 
saves from future hell     ,shall save  
from present sin4  ,in no part of the   
kingdom was the ,evangelical ,revival   
more influential than in ,wales4        
,whitefield1 ,howell ,harris1 and1      
perhaps more than all1 ,lady            
,huntingdon1 were the controlling minds1
 and they led the people of the         
,principality to the ,calvinistic rather
 than to the ,wesleyan ,methodists4 ,the
 quaint poetry of ,vicar ,rees          
,prichard's ,welshman's ,candle and the 
,psalms of ,archdeacon ,prys seem to    
have been the songs of the ,welsh       
,church until ,william ,williams of     
,pantycelyn arose--a great light1 well  
worthy to be called the ,watts of       
,wales4 ,his father was deacon of an    
,independent ,church1 which at one time 
met #8in a cave during the hours of     
twilight1' for fear of their enemies4   

,williams himself was studying medicine1
 and had no thought of the ministry4    
,one ,sunday morning1 as he passed      
through ,talgarth in ,breconshire1 he   
went into the parish church4 ,after the 
service the congregation gathered in the
 churchyard1 and ,howell ,harris1       
standing on a tomb-stone1 preached with 
the ,holy ,ghost and with power4 ,that  
was the hour of ,williams's conversion4 
,he prepared for the ministry of the    
,established ,church1 and was ordained  
deacon in #agdj4 ,he acted as curate of 
two small parishes for three years1 and 
then1 drawn into the current of the     
,revival under the influence of         
,whitefield1 ,david ,rowlands1 and      
,howell ,harris1 he became an earnest   
evangelist1 travelling throughout the   
,principality4 ,his hymn-writing is said
 to have been occasioned by a challenge 
of ,howell ,harris to the ,welsh        
,calvinistic preachers to write better  
hymns than their congregations then     
possessed4 ,he wrote hymns by the       

hundred1 and they won an immediate and  
enduring popularity in ,wales4 #8,what  
,paul ,gerhardt has been to ,germany1   
what ,isaac ,watts has been to ,england1
 that and more has ,william ,williams of
 ,pantycelyn been to ,wales4'#afi ,he   
was a great favourite with ,lady        
,huntingdon1 at whose suggestion he     
prepared a volume of hymns for          
,whitefield's ,orphan ,house4 ,in this  
work1 entitled ,gloria in ,excelsis1    
some of his best hymns appeared4 ,in    
modern hymn-books he is known by two    
hymns--    ,guide me1 ,o ,thou great    
,jehovah6  and    ,o'er those gloomy    
hills of darkness4  ,it is probable that
 the ,english version of his greatest   
hymn was written by himself1 and this   
seems to indicate that he suffers in    
translation1 for none of the ,english   
versions of his other poems is to be    
compared with this4 ,mr4 ,garrett       
,horder thinks that #8,guide me1 ,o     
,thou great ,jehovah' has been largely  
supplanted by #8,lead1 kindly ,light1'  

though the most recent hymn-books do not
 sustain this criticism4 ,keble         
re-wrote1 but failed to improve it2 and 
the same may be said of those who have  
made minor alterations4 ,it is1 and is  
likely to remain1 one of the great songs
 of the ,christian pilgrim in his       
progress from this world unto that which
 is to come4  ,mr4 ,elvet ,lewis has    
given several translations of hymns     
hitherto unknown to ,english people1    
which are good reading1 though perhaps  
none are likely to attain extensive use4
 ,here are two verses in ,williams's    
favourite metre--    ,much ,i love the  
faithful pilgrims1     ,who the rugged  
steeps ascend2   ,on their hands and    
knees they labour     ,to attain the    
heavenly end2       ,to the summit   ,on
 my knees shall ,i come too4    ,bruisd 
hands1 oh6 stretch ye upward1     ,tired
 feet1 walk ye with care2   ,the reward1
 the crown is yonder1     ,my           
,belovd--,he is there6       ,earth     
forsaking   ,now the journey's end is   

all4  ,here are two more in another     
metre1 and with the cheery rhythm of    
,john ,newton--    ,here ,i know myself 
a stranger1     ,and my native country  
lies   ,far beyond the ocean's danger   
,in the lands of ,paradise3   ,storms of
 trial blowing keenly     ,drive me on  
this foreign strand2   ,come1 ,o ,south 
wind1 blow serenely1     ,speed me to my
 ,fatherland4    ,now the air is full of
 balm     ,with the fragrance of the    
land2   ,and the breezes clear and calm 
,tell of ,paradise at hand3   ,come1 ye 
much-desired regions1     ,with the best
 of joy in store2   ,country of the     
singing legions1     ,let me reach thy  
restful shore6  ,williams had the spirit
 of devout enthusiasm which             
characterized the ,revival2 his         
missionary hymns1 though not among the  
best1 are among the earliest of that    
class1 and he had the rapt devotion to  
his ,lord which is ever the inspiration 
of the true hymn-writer4    ,to ,thee1  
my ,god1 my ,saviour1     ,praise be for

 ever new2   ,let people come to praise 
,thee     ,in numbers like the dew2     
,o6 that in every meadow     ,the grass 
were harps of gold1   ,to sing to ,him  
for coming     ,to ransom hosts         
untold6#agj                             
,v                                      
,nineteenth-century ,hymns              
,i4--,anglican ,hymns  ,the hymns of the
 eighteenth century are almost without  
exception by writers of the ,dissenting1
 ,methodist1 or ,evangelical schools4   
,in the nineteenth century the tide     
turns1 and though the ,nonconformists   
are not without hymn-writers of         
distinction1 the great hymns are by     
,anglicans4 ,henry ,francis ,lyte in the
 first half of the century1 ,bishop     
,bickersteth1 ,charlotte ,elliott1 and  
,miss ,havergal in the second1 represent
 the ,evangelical school4 ,heber was a  
typical ,anglican1 but he was not of the
 ,tractarian type1 and died before the  
publication of the ,christian ,year4    
,keble and ,newman were the poets of the

 ,oxford ,movement1 and gave a          
distinctive tone to much of the later   
,church hymn-writing2 but ,heber1 more  
than any other man1 did for the ,church 
of ,england what ,watts had done for the
 ,nonconformists4  ,reginald ,heber     
7#aghc-ahbf7 was a scholar and a        
gentleman1 his churchmanship was        
unimpeachable1 and his life and death   
alike served to win acceptance for hymns
 whose intrinsic worth must have secured
 the widest recognition4 ,his hymns1    
like those of ,herbert1 ,keble1 and many
 of our sweetest singers1 are hymns of  
the country parsonage1 and seem all to  
have been written whilst he held the    
family living of ,hodnet1 to which he   
was welcomed by the people as #8,master 
,reginald4' ,he was little better       
satisfied with ,tate and ,brady than    
,watts had been with ,barton1 and at one
 time contemplated using the ,olney     
hymns in his church4 ,then he projected 
a more ambitious scheme1 and hoped1 with
 the help of ,milman1 ,southey1 and     

,walter ,scott1 to provide a book which 
might1 perhaps under episcopal sanction1
 become the authorized hymnal of the    
,church4 ,but he felt the proposal a    
bold one1 and tried to prepare the way  
by the publication in the ,christian    
,observer of a few hymns which he       
described as #8part of an intended      
series appropriate to the ,sundays and  
principal holy days of the year1        
connected in some degree with their     
particular collects and gospels1 and    
designed to be sung between the ,nicene 
,creed and the sermon4' ,like other     
reformers1 he indulges in criticisms of 
the hymns then in use1 and is especially
 severe in censuring those which address
 our ,lord #8with ditties of embraces of
 passion4' ,the hymn-book was duly      
compiled1 and specimens were submitted  
to ,bishop ,howley in the hope that he  
might give it an episcopal benediction4 
,it is curious to note the apologetic   
tone in which ,heber writes4    ,the    
evil1 indeed1 if it be one1 of the      

admission of hymns into our   ,churches 
has1 by this time1 spread so widely1 and
 any attempt to   suppress it entirely  
would be so unpopular1 and attended with
 so   much difficulty1 that ,i cannot   
help thinking it would be wiser1 as     
well as more practicable1 to regulate   
the liberty thus assumed1   instead of  
authoritatively taking it away4 ,nor can
 ,i conceive any   method by which this 
object might be better obtained than by 
the   publication of a selection which  
should1 at least1 have the praise   of  
excluding whatever was improper in      
diction or sentiment2 and   might be on 
this1 if on no other ground1 thought not
 unworthy a   licence of the same kind  
as that which was given to the psalms of
   ,tate and ,brady4 ,i have the vanity 
to think that even my own   compositions
 are not inferior in poetical merit to  
those of ,tate2   and my collection will
 contain some from our older poets1     
which it   would be mockery to speak of 
in the same breath with his4 ,there are 

a few also which ,i have extracted from 
the popular collections   usually       
circulated1 which1 though ,i have not   
been able to learn   their authors1     
possess considerable merit and much     
popularity1 and   are entirely free from
 objectionable expressions4#aga  ,the   
,bishop criticized freely1 generally    
approved and advised the completion of  
the project2 but ,heber was called to   
,calcutta1 and the collection was not   
published until after his death4 ,it    
contained fifty-seven hymns of his own1 
twelve of ,milman's1 and twenty-nine    
others4 ,his object had been to obtain  
#8a well-selected and sanctioned book of
 hymns for the ,church of ,england1 to  
supersede the unauthorized and often    
very improper compositions now in use4' 
,he did not secure this1 but he prepared
 the way for something better1 and may  
justly be regarded as the first of the  
modern ,anglican hymn-writers4 ,his best
 hymns are too well known to need       
comment1 and of the rest comparatively  

few are of special value in public      
worship4 ,his hymns owe more to the     
inspiration of the ,gospels than the    
,psalms4 ,the collect or gospel for the 
day often explains and throws new light 
upon a hymn1 as in this for the ,second 
,sunday after ,trinity1 the gospel being
 the ,parable of the ,great ,supper4 ,it
 is usually regarded as a ,communion    
hymn4    ,forth from the dark and stormy
 sky1   ,lord1 to ,thine altar's shade  
we fly2   ,forth from the world1 its    
hope and fear1   ,saviour1 we seek ,thy 
shelter here3   ,weary and weak1 ,thy   
grace we pray2   ,turn not1 ,o ,lord1   
,thy guests away6    ,long have we      
roamed in want and pain1   ,long have we
 sought ,thy rest in vain2   ',wildered 
in doubt1 in darkness lost1   ,long have
 our souls been tempest-tost2   ,low at 
,thy feet our sins we lay1   ,turn not1 
,o ,lord1 ,thy guests away6  ,henry     
,hart ,milman 7#agia-ahfh71 who died    
,dean of ,st4 ,paul's1 is famous as an  
historian rather than a hymn-writer1 but

 his few hymns have a wide popularity4  
,in    ,ride on1 ride on in majesty6  he
 has shown how fine and true a hymn may 
be1 though it departs from recognized   
devotional form4 ,it is a meditation of 
a highly rhetorical kind1 and           
apostrophizes but does not address our  
,lord4 ,by some editors this is regarded
 as fatal to its inclusion in a         
collection of hymns1 but the common     
judgement of ,christian congregations is
 right4 ,it has proved itself a hymn in 
spite of all rules1 and is an excellent 
spiritual song for ,palm ,sunday4  ,in  
the year 7#ahbg7 of the publication of  
,heber's ,hymns1 written and adapted to 
the ,weekly ,church ,services of the    
,year1 ,keble issued anonymously the    
most influential devotional work of the 
nineteenth century1 ,the ,christian     
,year3 ,thoughts in ,verse for the      
,sundays and ,holy ,days throughout the 
,year4 ,like ,ken's festival hymns1 it  
was not a hymn-book1 and was not meant  
for use in ,church services1 though from

 a few of the poems verses may be taken 
which make hymns of the very best type4 
,pusey regarded it as #8the real source 
of the ,oxford ,movement1' of which     
,newman also thought ,keble #8the true  
and primary author1' though he #8ever   
considered and kept' ,july #ad1 #ahcb1  
the day when ,keble preached his sermon 
on #8,national ,apostasy1' #8as the     
start of the religious movement4' ,of   
the ,christian ,year ,newman says1      
#8,keble struck an original note1 and   
woke up in the hearts of thousands a new
 music1 the music of a school long      
unknown in ,england4' ,but the teaching 
of the ,oxford ,movement was rather     
latent than patent in the ,christian    
,year1 and it would be a great mistake  
to regard it as influencing that        
religious revival or even the ,english  
,church alone4 ,on the other hand1      
,hurrell ,froude feared that the        
authorship of the ,christian ,year would
 be attributed to a ,methodist4#agb ,it 
was as important an element in the      

,movement as ,charles ,wesley's hymns   
were in the ,evangelical ,revival4 ,in  
each case the influence extended far    
beyond those who claim the poems as     
their special heritage4  ,keble regarded
 the ,church as in a state of           
desolation1 decay1 and apostasy4 ,he    
knew nothing of the glorious optimism of
 the ,wesleys1 who saw everywhere signs 
of the speedy triumph of the gospel and 
the coming of ,christ's kingdom4 ,they  
sang    ,plague1 earthquake1 and famine1
 and tumult and war1   ,the wonderful   
coming of ,jesus declare4  ,keble's     
vision was    ,so ,famine waits1 and    
,war with greedy eyes1   ,till some     
repenting heart be ready for the skies4 
,they saw in the ingatherings to their  
scattered ,societies the assurance of   
abounding blessing    ,lo1 the promise  
of a shower     ,drops already from     
above2   ,but the ,lord will shortly    
pour     ,all the spirit of ,his love4  
,keble saw no such visions1 dreamed no  
such dreams4 ,all he dares to ask is    

,lord1 ere our trembling lamps sink down
 and die1   ,touch us with chastening   
hand1 and make us feel ,thee nigh4#agc  
,yet1 when he forgets the depression of 
the time1 and turns to the consolations 
of eternity1 he shows how firmly he     
believed his own motto1 #8,in quietness 
and in confidence shall be your         
strength4' ,he has the sure trust and   
confidence of all ,god's chosen1 and at 
times kindles into holy rapture4 ,the   
prevailing tone1 however1 is of         
sadness--the depression of the saint1   
not the perplexity of the doubter4  ,in 
#ahci ,keble published1 also            
anonymously1 his metrical version of the
 ,psalms4 ,he had intended it to be a   
substitute for ,tate and ,brady1 and had
 hoped to secure episcopal sanction for 
its use in the dioceses of ,oxford and  
,winchester4 ,it is1 however1 more      
interesting from the standpoint of the  
expositor than the hymnologist1 very few
 of its versions being adapted to       
congregational use4 ,the ,lyra          

,innocentium1 published anonymously in  
#ahdf1 is vastly inferior to his great  
work1 and has little to recommend it to 
those who are not in sympathy with the  
,high ,church ,movement4  ,after ,heber 
and ,keble all that there was of justice
 in ,montgomery's sarcastic complaint1  
that hymns had been written by #8all    
sorts of persons except poets'#agd is   
gone4 ,they were poets first1           
hymn-writers afterwards4 ,keble's       
greatest hymn is taken from his         
#8,verses for ,evening1' which begins as
 a poem1 and rises from meditation to   
praise and prayer4 ,the earlier verses  
are not suitable for a hymn-book1 but   
the beauty of the later lines is only   
fully realized when they are remembered4
    ',tis gone1 that bright and orbd    
blaze1   ,fast fading from our wistful  
gaze2   ,yon mantling cloud has hid from
 sight   ,the last faint pulse of       
quivering light4    ,in darkness and in 
weariness   ,the traveller on his way   
must press1   ,no gleam to watch on tree

 or tower1   ,whiling away the lonesome 
hour4    ,sun of my soul1 ,thou ,saviour
 dear1   ,it is not night if ,thou be   
near3   ,o may no earth-born cloud arise
   ,to hide ,thee from ,thy servant's   
eyes4  ,there is surely no more         
beautiful illustration of the way in    
which the ,christian rises from ,nature 
up to ,nature's ,god4  ,as in the case  
of so many hymns1 the part is greater   
than the whole4 ,the six verses         
universally selected are not improved by
 the addition of others--though they    
have much to commend them4  ,john ,henry
 ,newman 7#ahja-ij7 belongs to ,anglican
 hymn-writers in virtue of his #8,lead1 
kindly ,light1' though it may almost be 
described as his farewell to the ,church
 of ,england4 ,it marks at least the    
beginning of his long-drawn-out parting 
from the ,establishment4 ,few hymns have
 won a wider popularity1 and no doubt it
 has done much to accustom              
,nonconformist ,churches to sympathize  
with the poetic and emotional side of   

the ,oxford ,movement4 ,this hymn and   
the ,christian ,year made absolute want 
of sympathy with the new devotion       
impossible4 ,moreover1 the tone of      
perplexity1 the confession of           
bewilderment1 the sense of #8encircling 
gloom1' fell in with the prevailing     
spirit of religious emotion4 ,to many   
men of his own school the hymn meant    
something very different from what it   
means to the average worshipper1 who    
finds in it a comfortable sedative for  
vague religious depression4 ,i confess  
that personally the hymn does not seem  
to me as great as its reputation1 but it
 has brought help and comfort to        
myriads4 ,dr4 ,wm4 ,barry says--        
,this most tender of pilgrim songs may  
be termed the ,march of the             
,tractarian ,movement4 ,it is pure      
melody1 austere yet hopeful1   strangely
 not unlike the stanzas which ,carlyle  
has made familiar to   the whole        
,english race1 the ,mason-,song of      
,goethe1 in its sublime   sadness and   

invincible trust4 ,both are psalms of   
life1 ,hebrew or   ,northern1 chanted in
 a clear-obscure where faith moves      
onward   heroically to the day          
beyond4#age  ,newman's other great hymn1
 #8,praise to the ,holiest in the       
height1' which owes its popularity      
largely to ,mr4 ,gladstone's affection  
for it--though it is in itself a fine   
hymn--belongs to his ,romanist days4    
,there was room for the new teaching4   
,perhaps ,methodism was a little too    
buoyant1 ,evangelicalism too contented1 
and the ,church was ready for a fresh   
upheaval4  ,coincidently with the rise  
of the ,oxford ,movement came1 as we    
have seen1 the rolling away of the      
reproach of hymn-singing4 ,even the     
strongholds of the ,establishment       
capitulated1 and hymns formed an        
important part in the new propaganda4   
,stanch ,churchmen had disliked         
hymn-singing4 ,to quote ,canon          
,ellerton--    ,it came to us from an   
unwelcome source--from the ,dissenters1 

eminently from the ,methodists4 ,it was 
first adopted by those of the   clergy  
who sympathized most with them2 for many
 long years it was   that dreaded thing1
 a party badge4#agf  ,the ,evangelicals 
adopted the custom easily1 and with     
delight4 ,cowper1 ,newton1 ,toplady1    
,hervey1 ,watts1 ,doddridge1 and even   
,wesley1 were no strangers to them4 ,but
 for the ,calvinistic trouble1 they all 
minded the same things4 ,they had no    
difficulty in regard to fellowship with 
,nonconformists in worship or in work4  
,it has been the fashion to disparage   
the ,evangelicals1 and to regard the    
#8,clapham ,sect' as a coterie of       
ill-informed1 self-satisfied ,pharisees2
 but for solid1 practical ,christianity 
it would be difficult to find any       
#8school' that outrivals them4 ,the     
#8,clapham ,sect' knew little and cared 
less for priestly rights or the niceties
 of ritual4 ,they may have been slack in
 the observance of fast and vigil1 but  
they kept the fast of ,god1 breaking the

 bonds of wickedness and letting the    
oppressed go free4 ,the men who were the
 backbone of the anti-slavery movement1 
who were nursing fathers to the ,bible  
,society1 and established the ,church   
,missionary ,society1 were not          
narrow-minded bigots1 but held the true 
,catholic ,faith concerning the kingdom 
of ,god4  ,henry ,francis ,lyte         
7#agic-ahdg71 whose highest preferment  
was the ,perpetual ,curacy of ,lower    
,brixham1 ranks1 as a hymn-writer1 with 
,ken and ,keble4 ,while ministering to  
his #8dear fishermen1' he wrote many a  
lovely hymn1 and one of unsurpassed     
beauty4 #8,abide with me' was his       
swan-song4 ,he died1 like ,toplady1 of  
consumption1 and felt the pain and      
pathos of death in the prime of life4   
,in a most tender poem he has recorded  
that common but infinitely pathetic     
grief4 ,it is interesting to contrast   
the subdued sadness1 the patient        
submission of ,lyte with the triumphant 
ecstasy of ,toplady's #8,deathless      

principle1 arise4'    ,shudder not to   
pass the stream1   ,venture all thy care
 on ,him4   ,not one object of ,his care
   ,ever suffered shipwreck there4      
,saints in glory perfect made   ,wait   
thy passage through the shade2   ,ardent
 for thy coming o'er1   ,see they throng
 the blissful shore4    ,such the       
prospects that arise   ,to the dying    
,christian's eyes4   ,such the glorious 
vista1 ,faith   ,opens through the      
shades of death4#agg  ,this was the view
 of death taken by the ,evangelicals in 
the eighteenth century4 ,the gospel of  
the great ,revival brought life and     
immortality to light1 robbed death of   
all its terrors1 and made heaven seem1  
even to young men1 far better than      
earth4 ,the nineteenth century had not  
the glowing rapture of the earlier time4
 ,moreover1 its interest in works of    
,christian philanthropy1 its awakening  
to the great missionary call1 made the  
life and work of the day infinitely     
important and interesting4 ,christian   

men began to realize that heaven lay    
beyond the golden glory of the sunset   
sky1 and felt1 with those of the older  
dispensation1 that it was a calamity for
 the sun to go down while it was yet    
day4 ,lyte felt with ,anne ,bront--     
,i hoped that with the brave and strong 
,my portioned task might lie4  ,lyte's  
sorrow was not that he feared to change 
the earthly for the heavenly1 but that  
he longed to have done enduring work    
e'er the night fell4        ,why do ,i  
sigh to find   ,life's evening shadows  
gathering round my way1   ,the keen eye 
dimming1 and the buoyant mind           
,unhinging day by day8        ,is it the
 natural dread   ,of that stern lot1    
which all who live must see8   ,the     
worm1 the clay1 the dark and narrow     
bed1--       ,have these such awe for   
me8        ,can ,i not summon pride     
,to fold my decent mantle round my      
breast1   ,and lay me down at ,nature's 
,eventide1       ,calm to my dreamless  
rest8        ,as nears my soul the verge

   ,of this dim continent of woe and    
crime1   ,shrinks she to hear           
,eternity's long surge       ,break on  
the shores of ,time8        ,i want not 
vulgar fame--   ,i seek not to survive  
in brass or stone2   ,hearts may not    
kindle when they hear my name1          
,nor tears my value own2        ,but    
might ,i leave behind   ,some blessing  
for my fellows1 some fair trust   ,to   
guide1 to cheer1 to elevate my kind1    
,when ,i was in the dust2        ,within
 my narrow bed   ,might ,i not wholly   
mute or useless be2   ,but hope that    
they1 who trampled o'er my head1        
,drew still some good from me2          
,might verse of mine inspire   ,one     
virtuous aim1 one high resolve impart2  
,light in one drooping soul a hallowed  
fire1       ,or bind one broken heart2--
        ,death would be sweeter then1   
,more calm my slumber 'neath the silent 
sod1--   ,might ,i thus live to bless my
 fellow-men1       ,or glorify my ,god6 
,o ,thou6 whose touch can lend   ,life  

to the dead1 ,thy quickening grace      
supply1   ,and grant me1 swanlike1 my   
last breath to spend       ,in song that
 may not die6  ,was ever faithful prayer
 more abundantly answered8 #8,he asked  
life of ,thee1 and ,thou gavest it1 even
 length of days for ever and ever4'     
,christopher ,wordsworth 7#ahjg-he71    
,bishop of ,lincoln1 nephew of the poet1
 was of set purpose a writer of hymns   
for congregational use4 ,he taught that 
hymns should express the feeling of the 
,church1 and not of the individual      
worshipper4 ,he thought it              
#8inexpressibly shocking' that #8,jesu1 
,lover of my soul' should be sung in    
,westminster ,abbey1 at least1 so ,i    
understand his reference to #8a large1  
mixed congregation in a dissolute part  
of a populous and irreligious city4'#agh
 ,his hymns are objective1 and the      
best--e4g4 #8,o day of rest and         
gladness1' #8,see the ,conqueror mounts 
in triumph'--are very fine4 ,bishop     
,wordsworth did not #8translate any     

ancient hymns1 but attempted to infuse  
something of their spirit into' his own4
  ,the ,holy ,year was a distinct       
contribution to the literature of the   
,anglican ,revival4 ,very inferior in   
strength and beauty to the ,christian   
,year1 it was more useful to editors of 
hymn-books1 and it helped to concentrate
 interest upon the selection of hymns   
suited to the ,church year4 ,bishop     
,wordsworth kept closely to the         
,prayer-book ideal of devotion1 and some
 of his less-known poems are            
illustrative of its special teaching4 ,a
 good example is the hymn for the       
,second ,sunday in ,advent1 which he    
inscribed1 #8,christ ever coming in     
,holy ,scripture4'    ,lord1 who didst  
the ,prophets teach     ,to prepare ,thy
 way of old2   ,and by ,thine ,apostles 
preach     ,truths of wisdom manifold2  
,teach us to behold ,thee1 ,lord1       
,present in the sacred page1   ,living  
,word in written word     ,coming thus  
to every age4    ,coming in ,king       

,david's ,psalms1     ,in ,isaiah's     
trumpet-call1   ,coming in ,st4 ,john's 
deep calms1     ,coming in the fires of 
,paul4    ,coming brightly from afar    
,to the lands with darkness dim1   ,on  
the ,evangelic car     ,of ,thy fourfold
 cherubim4    ,thus1 ,o blessd ,lord1   
when we     ,on ,thy ,holy ,scriptures  
look1   ,may we ever worship ,thee1     
,coming in ,thy sacred ,book4    ,so1   
when as a scroll is past     ,heaven1   
and earth with all its strife1   ,we may
 see our names at last     ,written in  
the ,book of ,life4  ,but the ,anglican 
hymn-writers of the nineteenth century  
are too many for detailed comment in my 
fast-failing space4 ,it is a glorious   
choir1 including ,joseph ,anstice1 who  
had so powerful an influence over ,mr4  
,gladstone in his ,oxford days2#agi     
,dean ,alford1 ,dr4 ,monsell1 ,sir ,h4  
,w4 ,baker1 ,dean ,stanley1 ,bishops    
,mant1 ,how1 and ,bickersteth1 ,canon   
,bright1 ,godfrey ,thring1 ,canon       
,ellerton1 ,s4 ,j4 ,stone1 ,canon       

,twells1 ,laurence ,tuttiett1 ,s4       
,baring-,gould1 among the clergy2 ,mrs4 
,alexander1 ,charlotte ,elliott1        
,frances ,ridley ,havergal1 ,sir ,r4    
,grant1 ,w4 ,chatterton ,dix1 among the 
laity4  ,sir ,henry ,williams ,baker    
7#ahba-gg7 wrote the lovely sacramental 
version of ,ps4 xxiii43 #8,the ,king of 
love my ,shepherd is4' ,one verse he    
repeated with his dying breath--        
,perverse and foolish oft ,i strayed1   
,but yet in love ,he sought me1   ,and  
on ,his shoulder gently laid1     ,and  
home1 rejoicing1 brought me4  ,he is one
 of the simplest and most attractive of 
hymn-writers1 and the inclusion of his  
hymns in ,nonconformist hymnals is a    
great gain4 ,his greatest service to    
,anglican hymnody was the editing of    
,hymns ,ancient and ,modern--a truly    
epoch-making 7or perhaps epoch-marking7 
book4  ,while ,baker was at work in his 
,herefordshire vicarage1 ,john ,ellerton
 7#ahbf-ic7 was writing hymns and essays
 on hymns in his rural or semi-rural    

parsonages4 ,ellerton had a rare gift in
 writing for special occasions4 ,his    
great funeral hymn1 #8,now the          
labourer's task is o'er1' has a sombre  
strength which is full of comfort and   
trust4 #8,behold us1 ,lord1 a little    
space' is an ideal hymn for a week-day  
service1 and #8,in the ,name which earth
 and heaven' is the grandest of all     
hymns for the laying of the             
foundation-stone of a church4#ahj       
,without being a ,high-,churchman1      
,ellerton was a thorough-going          
,anglican1 and his poetry has the       
restraint1 the good taste1 and the      
dignity which beseem a great ,church4   
,s4 ,j4 ,stone 7#ahci-aijj71 unlike most
 clerical hymn-writers1 was not a       
country parson1 though his best hymns   
were written before he began his work in
 ,east ,london4 ,but even in its dreary 
wastes he found the true poetry of life1
 and some of his obscure parishioners at
 ,haggerston are richly shrined in his  
memorial verses4 ,i feel all the more   

moved by the triumphant tones of #8,the 
,church's one foundation1' all the more 
tenderly impressed by #8,weary of earth1
 and laden with my sin1' when ,i        
remember how dear to his heart were the 
struggling1 toiling masses of his dull  
,east ,london parish4 ,his best hymns   
are well known1 so ,i quote a sonnet    
which expresses his love for those who  
live in the crowded city4     ,from     
,windermere1 ,to the ,congregation and  
,children of ,st4 ,paul's1              
,haggerston4    ,moored by a green isle 
of ,winandermere--     ,listening the   
gentlest lapping of the wave     ,on the
 rock margin1 and the blackbirds' brave 
,soldierly antiphons1 afar and near1    
,and the wind's whispered evensong--,i  
hear     ,a sound beyond1 and sweeter as
 more grave     ,than ever paradise of  
nature gave1   ,dear to my heart of old1
 and now more dear3   ,the roar of      
,london--the deep undersong1     ,the   
myriad music of immortal souls          
,high-couraged1 much-enduring1 midst the

 long     ,drear toil and gloom and     
weariness4 ,it rolls   ,over me with all
 power1 for in its tone   ,the hearts ,i
 love in ,christ beat with my own4      
,bishop ,bickersteth demands mention1   
not only for his own beautiful hymns1   
but for his successful editing of the   
,hymnal ,companion to the ,book of      
,common ,prayer4 ,edward ,bickersteth's 
,christian ,psalmody was1 in its day1   
one of the best and most catholic       
hymnals4 ,in the ,hymnal ,companion1 his
 son provided for a later generation the
 more complete and worthy hymn-book     
which the growth of hymnody made        
possible4 ,of ,bishop ,bickersteth's own
 hymns1 a few are amongst those         
universally accepted4 ,his ,communion   
,hymn1 to the regret of many1 is absent 
from the ,methodist ,hymn-book4         
',till ,he come6' ,o let the words      
,linger on the trembling chords2   ,let 
the #8little while' between   ,in their 
golden light be seen2   ,let us think   
how heaven and home   ,lie beyond that  

',till ,he come4'    ,when the weary    
ones we love   ,enter on their rest     
above1   ,seems the earth so poor and   
vast1   ,all our life joy overcast8     
,hush1 be every murmur dumb2   ,it is   
only till ,he come4    ,clouds and      
conflicts round us press2   ,would we   
have one sorrow less8   ,all the        
sharpness of the cross1   ,all that     
tells the world is loss1   ,death1 and  
darkness1 and the tomb   ,only whisper1 
',till ,he come4'    ,see6 the feast of 
love is spread2   ,drink the wine1 and  
break the bread3   ,sweet memorials1    
till the ,lord   ,call us round ,his    
heavenly board1   ,some from earth1 from
 glory some1   ,severed only till ,he   
come4#aha  ,this aspect of the ,lord's  
,supper1 the proclamation of the ,lord's
 death 'till ,he come1' must ever be    
present to the mind of the devout       
communicant4 ,the hymn--especially in   
its last verse--is full of the gracious1
 subdued trustfulness which befits the  
,christian as he commemorates the       

,atoning ,sacrifice and looks forward to
 glad1 eternal communion with those who 
have gone before1 when once again our   
,lord ,himself shall break the bread and
 drink the wine with ,his disciples in  
the ,father's kingdom4  ,dean ,stanley  
7#ahae-ha7 was not a poet1 though he    
wrote the best ,english hymn on the     
,transfiguration4 ,i mention him here1  
however1 to quote some verses of his    
stirring national hymn1 worthy of a     
,dean of ,westminster4 ,it is of a type 
that1 ,i think1 ought to be represented 
in our hymnals1 and especially those    
intended for school use4 ,why should not
 such hymns as this and ,mr4 ,gill's    
#8,lift thy song among the nations' stir
 and consecrate the patriotism of our   
up-growing girls and boys8 ,dean        
,stanley's hymn is very long4 ,i quote  
less than half4 ,in the ,westminster    
,abbey ,hymn-book it is assigned to the 
,accession4    ,let us with a gladsome  
mind   ,praise the ,lord1 for ,he is    
kind6   ,long our island throne has     

stood1   ,planted on the ocean flood2   
,crowned with rock1 and girt with sea1  
,home and refuge of the free3   ,for    
,his mercies aye endure1   ,ever        
faithful1 ever sure4    ,on that island 
throne have sate   ,alfred's goodness1  
,edward's state2   ,princely strength   
and queenly grace1   ,lengthened line of
 royal race3   ,round that throne have  
stood of old   ,seers and statesmen1    
firm and bold2   ,burleigh's wisdom1    
,hampden's fire1   ,chatham's force in  
son and sire4    ,let us with a gladsome
 mind   ,praise the ,lord1 for ,he is   
kind3   ,him1 in homely ,english tongue1
   ,epic lay and lyric song1            
,shakespeare's myriad-minded verse1     
,milton's heavenward strains1 rehearse3 
,for ,his mercies aye endure1   ,ever   
faithful1 ever sure4    ,hither in our  
heathen night   ,came of yore the gospel
 light2   ,by the ,saviour's sacred     
story1   #8,angles' turned to angels'   
glory4   ,breaking with a gracious hand 
,ancient error's subtle band2   ,opening

 wide the sacred page1   ,kindling hope 
in saint and sage4    ,give us homes    
serene and pure1   ,settled freedom1    
laws secure2   ,truthful lips and minds 
sincere2   ,faith and love that cast out
 fear4   ,grant that light and life     
divine   ,long on ,england's shores may 
shine2   ,grant that people1 ,church1   
and throne   ,may in all good deeds be  
one4#ahb  ,of the eighteenth century1   
,miss ,steele and ,mrs4 ,barbauld are   
almost the only women whose hymns       
survive to-day4 ,in the nineteenth      
century1 however1 there are not a few   
women whose songs are likely to endure4 
,charlotte ,elliott1 ,cecil ,frances    
,alexander1 ,anna ,ltitia ,waring1 have 
written immortal hymns1 and it will be  
long ere ,frances ,ridley ,havergal is  
absent from the songs of the ,church4   
,it is safe to prophesy that #8,just as 
,i am1' #8,there is a green hill far    
away1' and #8,father1 ,i know that all  
my life1' will be sung through many     
generations--as long1 indeed1 as        

,english ,christianity endures4         
,charlotte ,elliott 7#agia-ahga71 who   
belonged to a famous evangelical ,church
 family1 is one of many who learnt in   
suffering what she taught in song4 ,her 
greatest hymn1 #8,just as ,i am1' was   
first published in the ,invalid's       
,hymn-book 7#ahcf71 and1 without her    
knowledge1 was reprinted and widely     
circulated4 ,in no other hymn has the   
sinner's way to the ,saviour been made  
more plain4 ,through the penitential    
self-despair of its earlier verses      
countless numbers of the weary and      
heavy-laden have found rest unto their  
souls1 and entered into the joyous      
confidence of its closing lines4        
,wordsworth's daughter1 ,dora1 received 
the hymn in her last illness1 and her   
husband wrote to the authoress1 #8,at   
least ten times that day she asked me to
 repeat it to her1' and every morning   
she asked for it again till the end     
came4 ,after her death it formed part of
 her mother's #8daily solitary prayer4' 

,miss ,elliott is the truest and the    
best representative of the early        
evangelical ,church hymn-writers4 ,many 
of her little-known hymns are very      
beautiful4 ,i quote two pieces1         
notwithstanding a breath of ,calvinism  
in them both1 for it is a ,calvinism    
that has good ,scripture warrant4       
#8,my soul followeth hard after ,thee'  
7,ps4 lxiii4 #h74    ,i look to ,thee1  
,i hope in ,thee1     ,i glory in ,thy  
name6   ,i make ,thy righteousness my   
plea1     ,thou all-atoning ,lamb6      
,methinks even death will welcome be1   
,that ,i1 through death1 may pass to    
,thee4    ,thou art my portion1 saith my
 soul1     ,my all in earth or heaven2  
,none but ,thyself can make me whole1   
,no name but ,thine is given   ,at which
 the gates of pearl fly wide--   ,the   
passport of the justified4    ,i know   
,thy voice--,i strive to keep     ,thy  
word within my heart2   ,though the most
 worthless of ,thy sheep1     ,still    
,thou my ,shepherd art2   ,firm as a    

rock that word shall stand1   ,none1    
none shall pluck me from ,thy hand4     
,without repentance are ,thy gifts2     
,this thought my hope sustains1   ,in   
deep distress my soul uplifts1     ,when
 sin the victory gains2   ,my faith1    
though weak1 shall never fail1   ,thy   
prayer shall even for me prevail4       
,when ,i ,thy glory shall behold1       
,and see ,thee face to face1            
,sheltered in ,thy celestial fold1      
,a sinner saved by grace4   ,what will  
it be ,thy love to adore1   ,assured ,i 
shall go out no more8  ,the following   
lines are evidently in part suggested by
 her own great hymn4 ,the text is       
#8,into ,thine hand ,i commit my spirit3
 ,thou hast redeemed me1 ,o ,lord ,god  
of truth' 7,ps4 xxxi4 #e7--    ,god of  
my life6 ,thy boundless grace           
,chose1 pardoned1 and adopted me2   ,my 
rest1 my home1 my dwelling-place6       
,father6 ,i come to ,thee4    ,jesus1 my
 hope1 my rock1 my shield6     ,whose   
precious blood was shed for me1   ,into 

,thy hands my soul ,i yield2            
,saviour6 ,i come to ,thee4    ,spirit  
of glory and of ,god6     ,long hast    
,thou deigned my ,guide to be2   ,now be
 ,thy comfort sweet bestowed6     ,my   
,god6 ,i come to ,thee4    ,i come to   
join that countless host     ,who praise
 ,thy name unceasingly4   ,blest        
,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost6     ,my
 ,god6 ,i come to ,thee4  ,frances      
,ridley ,havergal 7#ahcf-gi7 was full of
 the gladness of ,god's chosen1 and her 
songs illustrate ,faber's verse--    ,if
 our love were but more simple1     ,we 
should take ,him at ,his word1   ,and   
our lives would be all sunshine     ,in 
the sweetness of our ,lord4  ,after her 
conversion she knew nothing of ,wesley's
 experience of the #8howling            
wilderness'2 to her the night was never 
dark1 as it was to ,newman1 and she was 
never far from home4 ,her hymns overflow
 with exultant faith4    ,sweet bird6   
thy bower is ever green1     ,thy sky is
 ever clear1   ,thou hast no sorrow in  

thy song1     ,no winter in thy         
year4#ahc  ,it would1 perhaps1 be unsafe
 to predict that any of ,miss           
,havergal's hymns will rank among the   
songs that cannot die1 but they will    
certainly be long loved and sung4 ,her  
consecration hymns1 especially #8,lord1 
speak to me that ,i may speak1' are     
solemn and impressive1 and are1 perhaps1
 her best4 ,but her triumphant songs are
 often very fine1 though they are not   
always well sustained4 ,her ,advent hymn
 has the triumphant rapture of the soul 
that goes out to meet her ,lord4        
,thou art coming1 ,o my ,saviour1       
,thou art coming1 ,o my ,king1   ,in    
,thy beauty all-resplendent1   ,in ,thy 
glory all-transcendent2     ,well may we
 rejoice and sing2   ,coming6 in the    
opening east     ,herald brightness     
slowly swells2   ,coming6 ,o my glorious
 ,priest1     ,hear we not ,thy golden  
bells8    ,thou art coming2 at ,thy     
table     ,we are witnesses for this2   
,while remembering hearts ,thou meetest 

,in communion clearest1 sweetest1       
,earnest of our coming bliss1   ,showing
 not ,thy death alone1     ,and ,thy    
love exceeding great1   ,but ,thy coming
 and ,thy throne1     ,all for which we 
long and wait4  ,cecil ,frances         
,alexander 7#ahbc-ie7 may almost be     
called the first writer of real         
children's hymns4 ,dr4 ,watts was not   
happy in his ,divine and ,moral ,songs1 
and some of ,charles ,wesley's most     
horrible verses are to be found in his  
,hymns for ,children4 ,it is true that  
,watts wrote some simple lyrics which   
seem to have suited our prim little     
ancestors1 and that ,charles ,wesley    
wrote #8,gentle ,jesus1 meek and mild1' 
but even the manners and beliefs of the 
devout souls of that time cannot        
altogether excuse some of his hymns1    
which must have frightened many a poor  
little ,methodist out of his wits4      
,anne and ,jane ,taylor's ,hymns for    
,infant ,minds are too infantile1 though
 they served their generation well1 and 

led on from ,watts to ,mrs4 ,alexander4 
,the ,taylors had a happy knack of      
conveying ,scripture history and        
teaching in simple verse4 ,i do not know
 a better definition of repentance      
than--    ,repentance is to leave       
,the sins ,i loved before1   ,and show  
that ,i in earnest grieve     ,by doing 
so no more4  ,but ,mrs4 ,alexander      
combines with the winsome simplicity    
which charms and instructs a little     
child1 the power to speak to the child  
in the heart of the man4 ,never has the 
gospel story been told to children and  
to child-like souls more attractively   
than in #8,once in royal ,david's city' 
and #8,there is a green hill far away4' 
,since our ,church hymnals began to     
include a section for children1 ,mrs4   
,alexander has been a large contributor4
 ,even yet1 when we have a considerable 
number of good children's hymns1 there  
are none better than hers4 ,of course   
she wrote other hymns1 but these are her
 glory1 her most precious contribution  

to the hymn-book of the modern ,church4 
#8,her character1' says ,archbishop     
,alexander1 #8was based and moulded upon
 the best teaching of the original      
,oxford movement1'#ahd but she had      
little sympathy with mere ritualism4    
,well known and loved as many of her    
hymns are1 her collected ,poems include1
 among the less familiar pieces1 much of
 value and interest4 ,she made for the  
,irish ,church ,hymnal a fine           
translation of the ,breastplate of ,st4 
,patrick1 a hymn which belongs to the   
,celtic1 not to the ,roman ,church4     
,i bind unto myself to-day     ,the     
strong ,name of the ,trinity1   ,by     
invocation of the same1     ,the ,three 
in ,one and ,one in ,three4    ,i bind  
unto myself to-day     ,the power of    
,god to hold and lead1   ,his eye to    
watch1 ,his might to stay1     ,his ear 
to hearken to my need4   ,the wisdom of 
my ,god to teach1     ,his hand to      
guide1 ,his shield to ward1   ,the word 
of ,god to give me speech1     ,his     

heavenly host to be my guard4    ,christ
 be with me1 ,christ within me1         
,christ behind me1 ,christ before me1   
,christ beside me1 ,christ to win me1   
,christ to comfort and restore me1      
,christ beneath me1 ,christ above me1   
,christ in quiet1 ,christ in danger1    
,christ in hearts of all that love me1  
,christ in mouth of friend and          
stranger4#ahe  ,this hymn is extensively
 used in ,ireland on ,st4 ,patrick's    
day4  ,to these hymn-writers we may add 
the poetesses ,christina ,g4 ,rossetti  
and ,jean ,ingelow4 ,miss ,rossetti     
wrote very little that is really adapted
 for use in public worship4 ,there is   
much1 however1 to justify the inclusion 
in a hymn-book of such verses as1       
#8,none other ,lamb1 none other         
,name1'#ahf though they are more fitting
 for private prayer than for social     
worship4 ,the same is not equally true  
of ,miss ,ingelow's poem1 #8,and didst  
,thou love the race that loved not      
,thee8' for the verses usually selected 

form a true hymn4 ,the last verse is--  
,come1 lest this heart should1 cold and 
cast away1     ,die ere the ,guest      
adored she entertain2   ,lest eyes which
 never saw ,thine earthly day           
,should miss ,thy heavenly reign4#ahg   
,of laymen ,i can mention only a few    
names here4 ,mr4 ,w4 ,chatterton ,dix   
has written more good hymns than those  
known to our hymn-books4 ,francis       
,turner ,palgrave 7#ahbd-ig71 whose     
,treasury of ,sacred ,song is our best  
anthology1 also wrote hymns which1 it   
seems to me1 deserve a wider use than   
they have attained4 ,his best-known     
hymn1 without being of the popular type1
 is of the class which is appreciated by
 many in these days of perplexity and   
unrest4    ,thou say'st1 #8,take up thy 
cross1   ,o man1 and follow ,me'3       
,the night is black1       ,the feet are
 slack1   ,yet we would follow ,thee4   
,but oh1 dear ,lord1 we cry1   ,that we 
,thy face could see6       ,thy blessd  
face       ,one moment's space3   ,then 

might we follow ,thee6    ,dim tracts of
 time divide   ,those golden days from  
me2       ,thy voice comes strange      
,o'er years of change3   ,how can we    
follow ,thee8    ,comes faint and far   
,thy voice   ,from vales of ,galilee2   
,the vision fades       ,in ancient     
shades3   ,how should we follow ,thee8  
,ah1 sense-bound heart and blind6   ,is 
naught but what we see8       ,can time 
undo       ,what once was true8   ,can  
we not follow ,thee8    ,within our     
heart of hearts   ,in nearest nearness  
be3       ,give ,thou the sign3         
,say1 #8,ye are ,mine'2   ,lead1 and we 
follow ,thee4#ahh  ,other hymns by      
,professor ,palgrave are1 #8,o thou not 
made with hands1' #8,star of morn and   
even1' #8,thou that once on mother's    
knee4'  ,i close this section of my     
lecture with a few verses which have1 as
 far as ,i know1 not yet found a place  
in any hymnal4 ,they are from a         
,communion hymn by ,mr4 ,gladstone4     
,they may rightly be included in the    

hymns of the ,anglican ,revival4  #8,mr4
 ,gladstone's mind and heart1' says ,mr4
 ,g4 ,w4 ,e4 ,russell1 #8were already   
attuned to the new teaching1 and        
prepared to receive it1 even though he  
had not paid much attention to the      
controversy4 ,it was in #ahcf that he   
wrote his hymn on the ,holy ,communion4'
 ,mr4 ,russell gives the following      
verses--    ,here1 where ,thine angels  
overhead     ,do warn the ,tempter's    
powers away1   ,and where the bodies of 
the dead     ,for life and resurrection 
stay2   ,and many a generation's prayer 
,hath perfumed and hath blest the air2  
,oh1 lead my blindness by the hand1     
,lead me to ,thy familiar ,feast1   ,not
 here or now to understand1     ,yet    
even here and now to taste1   ,how the  
eternal ,word of ,heaven   ,on earth in 
broken bread is given4    ,we1 who this 
holy precinct round     ,in one adoring 
circle kneel1   ,may we in one intent be
 bound1     ,and one serene devotion    
feel2   ,and grow around ,thy sacred    

shrine   ,like tendrils of the deathless
 ,vine4    ,we1 who with one blest ,food
 are fed1     ,into one body may we     
grow1   ,and one pure life from ,thee1  
the ,head1     ,informing all the       
members flow2   ,one pulse be felt in   
every vein1   ,one law of pleasure and  
of pain4    ,oh1 let the virtue all     
divine1     ,the ,gift of this true     
,sabbath morn1   ,stored in my spirit's 
inner shrine1     ,be purely and be     
meekly borne2   ,be husbanded with      
thrifty care1   ,and sweetened and      
refreshed with prayer4#ahi  ,it is at   
once necessary and almost superfluous to
 say that ,i know how much has been left
 unsaid1 how many names there are       
deserving mention1 how many hymns that  
might be referred to1 but in such a     
fruitful land the gleanings are richer  
than the vintage of former years4       
,v                                      
,nineteenth-century ,hymns              
,,ii4--,free ,church ,hymns    ,the     
composing of hymns is one of the surest 

signs of spiritual life1   and the use  
of hymns is a wonderful witness of      
,christian unity2 and   the ,church of  
,england has been fertile during the    
last half-century   in the production of
 hymns which are used by all ,english   
,christians1   whilst the confederate   
,churches of the same period can hardly 
point   to any additions made by them to
 the hymns of the ,christian            
world4#aij  ,as we have seen1 the       
honours of hymn-writing during the      
period referred to are undoubtedly with 
the ,anglicans1 though ,heber and ,keble
 belong to an earlier time4 ,but this   
sweeping assertion of ,mr4 ,llewellyn   
,davis ought to have been impossible if 
he had remembered ,horatius ,bonar1     
certainly one of the greatest ,english  
hymn-writers4 ,there are also ,george   
,rawson1 ,t4 ,t4 ,lynch1 ,t4 ,h4 ,gill1 
,george ,matheson1 and1 every ,methodist
 would add1 ,william ,m4 ,bunting4  ,it 
must be remembered also that the ,free  
,churches were already rich in hymns    

when the nineteenth century dawned1     
whilst the ,tractarians had to make1    
translate1 or borrow from the           
,nonconformists1 hymns for their special
 needs4 ,methodism had an ample supply  
of hymns for such ,church festivals as  
it desired1 and the observance of       
festivals and other ecclesiastical      
occasions was only gradually adopted in 
the older ,nonconforming ,churches4     
,when at length they felt the need for  
such hymns as form the characteristic   
portions of ,anglican hymnody they were 
already to hand2 and after the first    
natural prejudice against everything    
that savoured of the ritualistic        
movement had passed away1 they found    
hymns intended to be the exclusive      
property of the ,anglicans admirably    
suited to their own newly awakened      
,church consciousness4 ,there is        
something delightful and even amusing in
 the readiness with which such hymns as 
#8,the ,church's one ,foundation' and   
#8,onward1 ,christian soldiers' have    

been adopted by all the denominations4  
,the ,baptist and the ,bible ,christian 
sing with as simple confidence as the   
highest of ,anglicans3    ,like a mighty
 army     ,moves the ,church of ,god2   
,brothers1 we are treading     ,where   
the saints have trod2   ,we are not     
divided1     ,all one body we1   ,one in
 hope1 in doctrine1     ,one in charity4
  ,they may have different thoughts as  
to ,apostolic ,succession1 but as long  
as we believe that where ,christ is     
there is the ,church such hymns belong  
to all4  ,but though ,nonconformity was 
rich in hymns and could take without    
scruple many of the ,anglican songs1 the
 nineteenth century was very far from   
being altogether barren in regard to the
 ,free ,churches4  ,two hymn-writers    
mark the transition from the eighteenth 
to the nineteenth century--,james       
,montgomery and ,thomas ,kelly4 ,they   
lived1 it is true1 into the second half 
of the last century1 but their hymns are
 an aftermath of the ,evangelical       

,revival4 ,the later ,oxford ,movement  
did not affect them1 and their songs    
might all have belonged to the earlier  
period1 save for the missionary         
enthusiasm which inspires some of their 
best efforts4  ,james ,montgomery       
7#agga-ahed7 was the son of a ,moravian 
minister1 who died in the ,west ,indies 
whilst the poet was at school4 ,he was  
born at ,irvine1 ,ayrshire1 lived for a 
time in ,ireland1 and having been       
educated at the ,brethren's school at   
,fulneck1 after a few unsuccessful      
experiments1 settled to work at         
,sheffield as assistant to the editor of
 a local newspaper4 ,he was a man of    
strong convictions1 and did not hide his
 light under a bushel4 ,he was rewarded 
by two terms of imprisonment1 which he  
turned to profitable account by writing 
poems4 ,his was the usual fate of honest
 men persecuted for righteousness' sake4
 ,montgomery's name is one of the chief 
glories of this city1#aia where he      
wrought with head and heart and hand for

 freedom and for righteousness4 #8,the  
,climbing ,boy' is a memorial of his    
part in the great philanthropic         
movements of which ,lord ,shaftesbury   
was the leader4 #8,the ,west ,indies'--a
 poem which has lines here and there    
which ,cowper or even ,william ,watson  
might have written--celebrates the time 
,when ,wilberforce1 the minister of     
grace1   ,the new ,las ,casas of a      
ruined race1   ,with angel-might opposed
 the rage of hell1   ,and fought like   
,michael1 till the dragon fell4         
#8,greenland' commemorates his inherited
 love of missions1 and the curious      
#8,thoughts on ,wheels'--a satire upon  
,state lotteries--reminds us that       
,montgomery anticipated the ,daily ,news
 in refusing to insert advertisements of
 a #8national nuisance4' ,we are        
accustomed to think of ,montgomery as a 
gracious ,moravian poet1 whose most     
appropriate place was the platform of a 
,methodist missionary meeting1 but he   
passed through storm and tempest1       

through privation and struggle1 to the  
peaceful haven of his later years4      
,montgomery was a ,moravian all his     
life1 a ,methodist the greater part of  
it1 and a ,churchman toward the end4    
,once again1 we may say1 #8,such he was 
as every ,christian ,church would       
rejoice to have adopted4' ,indeed1      
through its hymn-book1 every ,church has
 adopted him1 and in some of the best   
modern collections ,montgomery is more  
often heard than ,watts4#aib            
,montgomery cherished no illusion as to 
his poetic powers4 ,he hoped that his   
,poems might be read for a generation1  
but that his ,hymns would be his lasting
 memorial4 #8,the ,world before the     
,flood' and #8,the ,wanderer in         
,switzerland' are forgotten1 and little 
likely to be revived2 but such hymns as 
#8,hail to the ,lord's ,anointed' and   
#8,for ever with the ,lord' will be sung
 through the centuries4  ,the first of  
these is not only ,montgomery's finest  
psalm-version1 but an unsurpassed       

rendering of a triumphant ,messianic    
psalm4 ,it owes something to the        
instinctive wisdom with which the best  
verses have been selected1 and to a few 
editorial touches4#aic ,one can well    
imagine the thrill with which it was    
heard in ,pitt ,street ,chapel1         
,liverpool1 when the author recited the 
hymn at the close of a missionary       
speech1 and how ,adam ,clarke rejoiced  
to add this magnificent rendering of the
 #gbnd ,psalm to his ,commentary4 ,it   
is1 ,i think1 a finer and a much closer 
rendering of the #8,psalm for ,solomon' 
than ,watts's great version4 ,when urged
 by ,dr4 ,clarke to attempt a complete  
version of the ,psalms1 ,montgomery said
 that he feared to touch the harp of    
,zion4 ,he did1 however1 paraphrase     
about fifty or sixty psalms with more   
than average success4  ,it is sometimes 
said that #8,prayer is the soul's       
sincere desire' is not #8in the true    
sense' a hymn1 but this is to take too  
narrow a view of the term4 ,it          

excellently illustrates the way in which
 devout meditation ends in prayer4 ,had 
the last verse been omitted1 it would   
have been a religious poem1 not a hymn1 
but this throws upon all that precedes  
it the light of devotion4 ,each verse   
looks forward to the last--    ,o ,thou 
by whom we come to ,god1     ,the ,life1
 the ,truth1 the ,way6   ,the path of   
prayer ,thyself hast trod3     ,lord6   
teach us how to pray4  ,it is           
superfluous to refer to all             
,montgomery's contributions to our      
hymn-books1 but we must ever gratefully 
remember such pieces as his ,communion  
hymn    ,according to ,thy gracious     
word1  and the solemn prayer    ,in the 
hour of trial1     ,jesus1 pray for me1 
,lest by base denial     ,i depart from 
,thee4  ,it is remarkable that editors  
should have thought it necessary to     
meddle 7as indeed ,montgomery himself   
did7 with the second line of this verse1
 thinking it #8unscriptural1' although  
the very word #8pray' is taken from the 

lips of our ,lord4  ,montgomery has also
 given us a fine ,christmas carol--     
,angels1 from the realms of glory2  and 
a solemn meditation on the ,passion1    
,death1 and ,resurrection1 rising at the
 last into actual prayer--    ,early    
hasten to the tomb     ,where they laid 
,his breathless clay3   ,all is solitude
 and gloom2     ,who hath taken ,him    
away8   ,christ is risen6 ,he seeks the 
skies3   ,saviour1 teach us so to rise4 
,in ,montgomery1 as in all great        
hymn-writers1 the word of ,christ dwelt 
richly1 and his songs are full of the   
thoughts and phrases of the ,psalter and
 the ,new ,testament4 ,some of his      
sacred poems1 though unsuitable for     
congregational singing1 are good        
devotional reading4 ,i quote one such1  
which seems to me to deserve something  
better than the place he gave it in the 
,appendix to his ,poetical ,works4      
,,christ ,,the ,,purifier               
7,mal4 iii4 #b1 #c47    ,he that from   
dross would win the precious ore        

,bends o'er the crucible an earnest eye1
   ,the subtle1 searching process to    
explore1     ,lest the one brilliant    
moment should pass by   ,when in the    
molten silver's virgin mass   ,he meets 
his pictured face as in a glass4        
,thus in ,god's furnace are ,his        
children tried2     ,thrice happy they  
who to the end endure6   ,but who the   
fiery trial may abide8     ,who from the
 crucible come forth so pure1   ,that   
,he1 whose eyes of flame look through   
the whole1   ,may see ,his image perfect
 in the soul8    ,not with an evanescent
 glimpse alone1     ,as in that mirror  
the refiner's face1   ,but1 stampt with 
heaven's broad signet1 there be shown   
,immanuel's features1 full of truth and 
grace--   ,and round that seal of love  
this motto be1   #8,not for a moment1   
but eternity6'  ,thomas ,kelly          
7#agfi-ahed71 who was in ,ireland what  
,williams of ,pantycelyn was in ,wales1 
wrote nearly #hjj hymns1 the vast       
majority of which belong to the same    

class as the masses of the forgotten    
hymns of pious ,dissenting pastors in   
the eighteenth century4 ,they are often 
redeemed from absolute dullness only by 
his love for curious rhymes1 e4g4 #8hers
 is' and #8mercies4' ,he illustrates    
abundantly how easy it is to have rhyme 
and rhythm without a suggestion of      
poetry1 as in this verse--    ,spread   
abroad the joyful sound1     ,fly in all
 directions2   ,speak to all the world  
around1     ,men of all complexions4    
,it is amazing that a man who could at  
times write so well should1 as a rule1  
write so feebly4 ,yet ,kelly's hymns    
have had a great popularity1 and a few  
are firmly fixed in all our hymn-books4 
,his best are--#8,look1 ye saints1 the  
sight is glorious1' #8,through the day  
,thy love hath spared us1' #8,we sing   
the praise of ,him who died1' #8,the    
,head that once was crowned with        
thorns1' and that most inspiring and    
comforting missionary valediction1      
#8,speed ,thy servants1 ,saviour1 speed 

them4'  ,josiah ,conder 7#aghi-ahee7 was
 a poet and an expert editor4 ,his      
,congregational ,hymn-book 7#ahcf7 marks
 a new era in the devotional service of 
,nonconformity4 ,he was in some cases a 
grievous sinner in regard to            
alterations1 and was often very unhappy 
in his emendations4#aid ,some of his    
original poems are very beautiful1      
especially his short hymns and his      
versions of ,prayer-book collects1 e4g4 
#8,bread of heaven on ,thee ,i feed1'   
and the beautiful paraphrase of the     
,collect for the ,fifth ,sunday after   
,trinity1 with which the ,methodist     
,hymn-book closes4 ,conder belongs to   
both centuries4 ,his hymns are often of 
the dull didactic type of the earlier   
time1 but he caught something of the    
spirit of the later day4 ,of his longer 
hymns the following is a good specimen4 
,it is found in many hymnals4    ,how   
shall ,i follow ,him ,i serve8     ,how 
shall ,i copy ,him ,i love8   ,nor from 
those blessd footsteps swerve1          

,which lead me to ,his seat above8      
,privations1 sorrows1 bitter scorn1     
,the life of toil1 the mean abode1      
,the faithless kiss1 the crown of       
thorn1--     ,are these the consecrated 
road8    ',twas thus ,he suffered1      
though a ,son1     ,foreknowing1        
choosing1 feeling all2   ,until the     
perfect work was done1     ,and drunk   
the bitter cup of gall4    ,lord6 should
 my path through suffering lie1         
,forbid it ,i should e'er repine2       
,still let me turn to ,calvary1     ,nor
 heed my griefs1 remembering ,thine4    
,oh1 let me think how ,thou didst leave 
,untasted every pure delight1   ,to     
fast1 to faint1 to watch1 to grieve1    
,the toilsome day1 the homeless night3--
    ,to faint1 to grieve1 to die for me6
     ,thou camest not ,thyself to       
please3   ,and1 dear as earthly comforts
 be1     ,shall ,i not love ,thee more  
than these8    ,yes6 ,i would count them
 all but loss1     ,to gain the notice  
of ,thine eye3   ,flesh shrinks and     

trembles at the cross1     ,but ,thou   
canst give the victory4  ,thomas ,toke  
,lynch 7#ahah-ga71 an ,independent      
minister1 whose delicate health often   
interrupted his labours1 published in   
#ahee a little book of poems which      
roused an extraordinary storm4 ,it is   
difficult to understand how such an     
inoffensive book as ,the ,rivulet could 
make any great sensation1 but the       
theological mind was more sensitive1 if 
not more restless1 than it is to-day4   
,the #8,rivulet ,controversy1' in which 
the redoubtable ,dr4 ,john ,campbell was
 the prime mover1 is long forgotten1 but
 a few of the hymns survive4 ,the best  
known is1 #8,gracious ,spirit1 dwell    
with me4'#aie ,lynch is an important    
contributor to ,congregational and      
,baptist hymnals1 but he is practically 
unknown to ,anglican books1 and is not  
represented in the ,presbyterian ,church
 ,hymnary4  ,lynch was of the new and   
broader school of thought1 and his      
hymns1 which he is said to have designed

 as a supplement to ,watts1 are of an   
entirely different cast from those of   
the earlier day1 though their teaching  
is familiar enough in our time4 ,i make 
a brief quotation1 which is more likely 
to be welcome to-day than it was half a 
century ago4    ,if love in any heart   
arise1   ,and stir the tongue1 and light
 the eyes1   ,and speed the foot1 and   
fill the hand2   ,then1 ,christian1 thou
 must understand   ,that1 though        
unthought of1 ,god is there2   ,so of   
denying ,him beware4    ,if ,little-more
 makes haste to bless   ,his troubled   
neighbour ,little-less1   ,and poor men 
to the poorer give1   ,weak ones the    
weaker help to live1   ,the sad those   
sadder still console2   ,then ,god is   
working in the soul4    ,if the grown   
man forgoes his bread   ,that little    
mouths may first be fed2   ,and patient 
women serve the men   ,who care for them
 but now and then1   ,and love keeps    
warm without a fire2   ,o1 then1 the    
grace of ,god admire4    ,two strangers 

ocean may divide   ,who yet shall       
bridegroom be and bride1   ,and ,god    
unknown to souls may be   ,who love ,him
 will eternally2   ,but all true hearts 
our ,father knows1   ,and will to them  
,his truth disclose4  ,george ,rawson   
7#ahjg-hi7 has won a wider recognition  
than any other ,english ,nonconformist  
hymn-writer of the century1 except      
,montgomery4 ,he was a solicitor in     
,leeds1 and took part in the preparation
 of the ,leeds ,hymn-book4 ,his         
,communion hymn1 #8,by ,christ redeemed1
 in ,christ restored1' his ,evening     
hymn1 #8,god the ,father1 be ,thou      
near1' and his ,litany of the ,holy     
,spirit1 #8,come to our poor nature's   
night1' are his most beautiful          
contributions to our hymnals1 but       
several of his less-known poems are     
bright1 simple1 and melodious4 ,his     
version of ,ps4 lxxxiv4 would have been 
better known if ,lyte's had not been    
written4  ,thomas ,hornblower ,gill's   
7b4 #ahai7 is a very distinct voice in  

the choir4 ,he will1 ,i fear1 have but a
 small place in the hymn-books of the   
future1 though there is an individuality
 and force in many of his hymns which   
make them singularly attractive4        
,unfortunately1 he often uses an unusual
 word or phrase which diverts the       
worshipper's mind from what is said to  
the form in which it is expressed4      
,again1 he is too fond of the epithets  
#8dear' and #8sweet1' which is the more 
to be regretted1 as his hymns are never 
what ,wesley called #8namby-pambycal1'  
but have a fine1 robust tone1 and often 
a stirring rhythm4 ,he has much of the  
,puritan spirit4 ,one of his best hymns1
 #8,lord1 in the fulness of my          
might1'#aif has for its text ,cromwell's
 saying1 #8,how good it is to close with
 ,christ betimes4' ,in the              
,congregational and ,baptist books ,mr4 
,gill is largely represented4 ,i hope   
the inclusion of a few of his hymns in  
the ,methodist ,hymn-book will make him 
known to a still wider circle4 ,i have  

marked many of his hymns for quotation1 
for they have been dear to me from my   
boyhood1 when ,i made acquaintance with 
them through ,george ,dawson's          
hymn-book4 ,those ,i quote are chosen1  
not because they are specially suitable 
for use in public worship1 but because  
there is so much of force and freshness 
in both thought and expression4 ,the    
hymn on #8,free ,grace' has also a motto
 from ,cromwell--#8,i have had plentiful
 wages beforehand1 and ,i am sure ,i    
shall never earn the least mite4'       
,lord6 dost ,thou ne'er ,thy servants   
bless     ,until their work is done8    
,dost ,thou withhold ,thy tenderness    
,till they the meed have won8    ,lord6 
dost ,thou reckon with ,thine own       
,like taskmasters below8   ,first must  
the handiwork be shown8     ,wilt ,thou 
the wages owe8    ,nay1 ,lord6 to ,thy  
dear servants fall     ,the wages long  
before2   ,the ,taskmaster ,celestial   
,hath paid them o'er and o'er4    ,how  
can they reckon up the grace     ,each  

hour1 each minute brings8   ,how store  
,thy gifts8 how find a place     ,for   
all their precious things8    ,hath not 
the ,son their ransom paid1     ,and    
brought them near to ,god8   ,yes6 hath 
not the sweet ,spirit made     ,their   
souls ,his dear abode8    ,o boundless  
treasure all unearned6     ,o wages     
given for nought6   ,bestowed ere once  
their hearts have yearned1     ,ere once
 their hands have wrought4    ,with     
eager love these souls may burn1        
,these hands their utmost strain2       
,still1 ,lord1 one mite they cannot     
earn2     ,thy love doth grace remain4  
,o6 mourn ,thy servants that there fall 
,no earnings to their lot8   ,because   
,thy grace hath given them all1         
,lord1 can they give ,thee nought8      
,thine own no heavenly burden spare6    
,withhold no task divine1   ,and let our
 eager love declare     ,the unbought   
grace of ,thine4  ,my last quotation is 
made for the sake of its quaint1 sturdy1
 half-humorous ,independency4 ,the text 

is1 #8,render unto ,caesar the things   
that are ,caesar's4'    ,lord6 ,thy     
gracious voice hath spoken1     ,lord6  
,thy faithful ones obey2   ,not by us be
 rudely broken     ,christ's command or 
,caesar's sway6   ,god too greatly      
cannot task us1     ,tribute glad we    
bring the ,lord2   ,service slight must 
,caesar ask us1     ,tribute small can  
we afford4    ,yet each holier soul     
desireth     ,nobler ,caesars to appear2
   ,each diviner hour requireth         
,powers and thrones more glorious here4 
,all our tribute1 all our treasure1     
,we would spend where we can love2      
,jesus6 come and be our ,caesar6        
,sovereign here as ,lord above4    ,low 
before ,thy kingdom's splendour         
,make the world's poor kingdoms bow6    
,lord1 to ,thee our all we render--     
,thou our gracious ,caesar1 ,thou6      
,thy mild monarchy victorious     ,half 
,thy word shall needless make1   ,our   
least service shall be glorious--       
,all our tribute ,god shall take4  ,i   

have already referred to ,mr4 ,gill's   
national hymn    ,lift thy song among   
the nations1     ,england of the ,lord  
beloved1  which is based on the text1   
#8,he hath not dealt so with any nation4
 ,praise ye the ,lord4'#aig  ,a few     
other hymns by ,english ,nonconformist  
writers may be found1 some1 e4g4 ,thomas
 ,binney's #8,eternal ,light1' being of 
a very high order4 ,mr4 ,spurgeon wrote 
a good many hymns and psalm-versions1   
but they are not likely to be widely    
used4 ,one1 intended as a paraphrase of 
,ps4 xli41 might1 perhaps1 find a place 
among hymns of ,philanthropy1 where our 
hymnals are still weak4    ,jesus1      
poorest of the poor1     ,man of        
sorrows1 ,child of grief6   ,happy they 
whose bounteous store     ,ministered to
 ,thy relief4    ,jesus1 though ,thy    
head is crowned1     ,crowned with      
loftiest majesty1   ,in ,thy members    
,thou art found     ,plunged in deepest 
poverty4    ,happy they who wash ,thy   
feet1     ,visit ,thee in ,thy distress2

   ,honour great and labour sweet1      
,for ,thy sake the saints to bless4     
,thou wilt deeds of love repay2         
,grace shall generous hearts reward     
,here on earth1 and in the day     ,when
 they meet their reigning ,lord4#aih    
,bernard ,barton 7#aghd-ahdi71 the      
,quaker poet1 is best known by his hymn 
on the ,holy ,scriptures--#8,lamp of our
 feet1 whereby we trace4' ,to my mind   
his best hymn is the bright song of the 
,christian soldier4    ,he who would win
 a warrior's fame   ,must shun1 with    
ever-watchful aim1       ,entangling    
things of life2   ,his couch the earth1 
heaven's arching dome   ,his airy tent1 
his only home       ,the field of       
martial strife4    ,unwearied by the    
battle's toil1   ,uncumbered by the     
battle's spoil1       ,no dangers must  
affright2   ,nor rest seduce to slothful
 ease1   ,intent alone his chief to     
please1       ,who called him forth to  
fight4    ,soldier of ,christ1 if thou  
wouldst be   ,worthy that epithet1 stand

 free       ,from time's encumbering    
things2   ,be earth's enthralments      
feared1 abhorred1   ,knowing thy leader 
is the ,lord1       ,thy chief the ,king
 of kings4  ,methodism has not in later 
days been rich in hymn-writers4 ,after  
,thomas ,olivers there is but one great 
name1 that of ,william ,m4 ,bunting     
7#ahje-ff74 ,little as he is known      
outside his own ,church1 his hymns are  
amongst the best loved and best used in 
,wesleyan ,methodism4 ,i cannot but     
think that some day he will be          
recognized as one of the glorious choir 
of the universal ,church4 ,he was an    
extremely delicate man1 and his natural 
bent was pensive and self-depreciatory4 
,he once said to a friend1 #8,there is  
one thing ,i shall miss in heaven1 the  
mystic joys of penitence4' ,his great   
penitential hymn1    ,holy ,spirit6 pity
 me1   ,pierced with grief for grieving 
,thee1  even if it be thought too       
personal for use in public worship--,i  
do not think it is--might well be placed

 among hymns for private devotion4 ,in  
the services of a minister's #8quiet    
day' it would be most impressive4       
,blessd are the pure in heart1   ,they  
have learned the angel art1   ,while on 
earth in heaven to be1   ,god1 by sense 
unseen1 to see1  though not a direct    
prayer1 is a long meditation1 the kind  
of spiritual song which ought to be in  
all our hymn-books4 ,his ,baptismal hymn
 is very fine4    ,o crucified1         
triumphant ,lord6     ,thy sceptre and  
,thy cross we own2   ,and1 taught by    
,thine apostle's word1     ,repose our  
faith on ,thee alone4    ,the sign of   
faith ordained by ,thee     ,we ,thy    
confessors scorn to shun2   ,all men our
 fellowship shall see1     ,our ,lord1  
our faith1 our symbol1 one4  ,it is one 
of the strongest if not the tenderest of
 hymns for infant baptism1 and will bear
 comparison with ,dean ,alford's1 #8,in 
token that thou shalt not fear1' with   
this advantage1 that it is not addressed
 to the infant1 but to ,him whose ,name 

is named upon it4  ,william ,morley     
,punshon's 7#ahbd-ha7 ,sabbath ,chimes  
suffered from comparison with the       
,christian ,year1 but his hymns for     
,sunday morning and evening--especially 
the latter--are not unworthy of a place 
amongst the many good hymns we include  
under this heading4 ,both are wisely    
shortened in hymn-books4 ,some readers  
will be glad to see the following verses
 from the ,sabbath ,evening hymn as they
 were originally published1 though ,i do
 not suggest that the familiar cento is 
not better for use in the congregation4 
,we woke to-day with anthems sweet   ,to
 sing before the mercy-seat1   ,and1 ere
 the darkness round us fell1   ,we bade 
the grateful vespers swell4    ,whate'er
 has risen from heart sincere1   ,each  
upward glance of filial fear1   ,each   
litany1 devoutly prayed1   ,each gift   
upon ,thine altar laid2    ,each tear1  
regretful of the past1   ,each longing  
o'er the future cast1   ,each brave     
resolve1--each spoken vow1--   ,jesus1  

our ,lord6 accept them now4    ,whate'er
 beneath ,thy searching eyes   ,has     
wrought to spoil our sacrifice2   ,aught
 of presumption1 over bold1   ,the dross
 we vainly brought for gold2    ,if we  
have knelt at alien shrine1   ,or       
insincerely bowed at ,thine1   ,or      
basely offered blind and lame1   ,or    
blushed beneath unholy shame2           
,or1--craven prophets1--turned to flee  
,when duty bade us speak for ,thee2--   
',mid this sweet stillness1 while we    
bow1   ,jesus1 our ,lord6 forgive us    
now4    ,oh1 let each following ,sabbath
 yield   ,for our loved work an ampler  
field1   ,a sturdier hatred of the      
wrong1   ,a stronger purpose to grow    
strong4#aii  ,the ,methodist ,hymn-book 
contains contributions from several     
,methodist writers new to our authorized
 hymnal4 ,of those still living ,i will 
say nothing1 but ,i cannot pass over the
 name of ,james ,smetham 7#ahba-hi71    
whose tender1 solemn lines1 #8,while    
ebbing nature grieves1' though they may 

rarely be sung in public1 will be prized
 by many4 ,another of his hymns is in a 
different key4 ,it is1 perhaps1 more    
suitable for congregational use--       
,show me1 ,lord1 that ,thou art love    
,in confirmed tranquillity1   ,like the 
silent sky above1     ,let my craving   
spirit be2   ,dwell in life as vast and 
still1   ,in the sunlight of ,thy will4 
,thou who fillest all in all1           
,knowing that ,i wander here1   ,thou   
wilt hearken when ,i call1     ,i will  
wait till ,thou appear4   ,angels in    
,thy smile are blest2   ,smile1 and     
,thou wilt give me rest4    ,see the    
lilies of the field6     ,they are all  
endued by ,thee3   ,thou their innocence
 wilt shield2     ,but ,thou carest more
 for me3   ,for like summer verdure1 ,i 
,live and grow1 but cannot die4         
,since on me ,thou hast conferred       
,this dread gift of endless life1   ,let
 my spirit walk prepared     ,for its   
brief and mortal strife2   ,rushing then
 into ,thy breast1   ,thou wilt smile1  

and ,i shall rest4  ,the weakness of    
this hymn lies in the word #8rushing' in
 the fourth verse1 which breaks in upon 
the quietness and confidence of the     
poem4  ,mark ,guy ,pearse has written   
several good hymns for children4 ,they  
are1 as ,dr4 ,julian says1 #8of         
exceptional merit4' ,four are in the    
,methodist ,sunday ,school ,book4 ,his  
,christmas carol1 #8,the fierce wind    
howls about the hills1' has a quaint1   
old-world simplicity and ruggedness that
 is both picturesque and affecting4 ,his
 most carefully wrought hymn is a       
beautiful song of praise4 ,the first two
 lines in each verse are its special    
charm4 ,many readers will be glad to see
 it here1 though it is well known in    
,methodist ,sunday schools4    ,saviour1
 for ,thy love we praise ,thee1         
,love that brought ,thee down to earth2 
,like the angels we would praise ,thee1 
,singing welcome at ,thy birth2         
,let ,thy star1 through all our gloom1  
,guide us to ,thy manger home4          

,saviour1 for ,thy life we praise ,thee1
     ,life that brings us from the dead2
   ,like the children we would praise   
,thee3     ,lay ,thine hands upon our   
head4       ,call us1 as ,thou didst of 
old1       ,little lambs into ,thy fold4
    ,saviour1 for ,thy death we praise  
,thee1     ,death that is our hope of   
life2   ,like the ransomed we would     
praise ,thee1     ,who have passed      
beyond the strife4       ,wash us in    
,thy cleansing blood1       ,make us    
kings and priests to ,god4    ,saviour1 
for ,thy love we praise ,thee1     ,love
 that lifts us up to ,thee2   ,with the 
angels let us praise ,thee1     ,joining
 in their minstrelsy2       ,all our    
love for ever telling1       ,and the   
mighty chorus swelling1                 
,praise the ,lord6  ,benjamin ,gough    
7#ahje-gg7 was a local preacher and a   
very minor poet1 yet he is not the least
 of ,methodist hymn-writers4 ,he was an 
echo1 not a voice1 but won much wider   
acceptance than most of the later       

,methodist poets4 ,dr4 ,littledale      
included a number of his hymns in the   
,people's ,hymnal1 and he is represented
 in several good hymn-books both in this
 country and ,america4 ,his best hymns  
are #8,awake1 awake1 ,o ,zion' and      
#8,uplift the blood-stained banner4'    
,though the ,english ,free ,churches are
 poor in hymn-writers1 the balance is   
amply redressed in ,scotland4 ,horatius 
,bonar 7#ahja-hi7 is one of the great   
singers of the century1 and some of his 
hymns1 e4g4 #8,i heard the voice of     
,jesus say1' are surely immortal4 ,he   
rightly named his poems #8hymns of faith
 and hope'2 they look for and haste unto
 the coming of the ,day of ,christ4 ,his
 ,communion hymn1 #8,here1 ,o my ,lord1 
,i see ,thee face to face1' and #8,a few
 more years shall roll1' with some      
others1 are in all great collections4   
,few modern books have less than ten of 
his hymns1 and many have from twelve to 
twenty4 ,he was also a successful       
translator1 though his fame rests on his

 original hymns4 ,if ,i quote few of his
 verses1 it is only because they are so 
well known4 ,the ,second ,advent filled 
a large place in his thought and        
teaching4 ,the following lines1 to which
 he prefixed a quotation from ,st4      
,augustine1 #8,the world has grown old1'
 are very characteristic--    ,come1    
,lord1 and tarry not1     ,bring the    
long-looked-for day2   ,oh1 why these   
years of waiting here1     ,these ages  
of delay8    ,come1 for ,thy saints     
still wait1     ,daily ascends their    
sigh2   ,the ,spirit and the ,bride say1
 ,come3     ,dost ,thou not hear the    
cry8    ,come1 for creation groans1     
,impatient of ,thy stay1   ,worn out    
with these long years of ill1     ,these
 ages of delay4    ,come1 for ,thy foes 
are strong2     ,with taunting lip they 
say1   #8,where is the promised advent  
now1     ,and where the dreaded day8'   
,come1 for love waxes cold1     ,its    
steps are faint and slow2   ,faith now  
is lost in unbelief1     ,hope's lamp   

burns dim and low4    ,come1 for the    
corn is ripe2     ,put in ,thy sickle   
now1   ,reap the great harvest of the   
earth1     ,sower and reaper ,thou6     
,come1 and make all things new1         
,build up this ruined earth2   ,restore 
our faded ,paradise1     ,creation's    
second birth4    ,come1 and begin ,thy  
reign     ,of everlasting peace2        
,come1 take the kingdom to ,thyself1    
,great ,king of righteousness4#bjj      
,fewer and less easily adapted to       
congregational use are the sacred songs 
of ,dr4 ,george ,matheson1 whose        
best-known hymn is probably the most    
widely appreciated of any written in the
 last quarter of a century4 ,it must be 
familiar to most readers1 but as it is  
not found in the ,methodist ,hymn-book1 
,i give it here--    ,o ,love that wilt 
not let me go1     ,i rest my weary soul
 on ,thee2   ,i give ,thee back the life
 ,i owe1   ,that in ,thine ocean depths 
its flow     ,may richer1 fuller be4    
,o ,light that followest all my way1    

,i yield my flickering torch to ,thee2  
,my heart restores its borrowed ray1    
,that in ,thy sunshine's blaze its day  
,may brighter1 fairer be4    ,o ,joy    
that seekest me through pain1     ,i    
cannot close my heart to ,thee2   ,i    
trace the rainbow through the rain1     
,and feel the promise is not vain       
,that morn shall tearless be4    ,o     
,cross that liftest up my head1     ,i  
dare not ask to fly from ,thee2   ,i lay
 in dust life's glory dead1   ,and from 
the ground there blossoms red     ,life 
that shall endless be4  ,very different 
are his verses on ,brotherhood1 which   
are not on the ordinary lines of a hymn1
 but make an excellent song for a       
gathering of working-men1 for a         
temperance meeting1 or for #8united'    
gatherings of many kinds4 ,it is at     
least thoroughly modern4    ,come1 let  
us raise the common song--     ,day's   
beams are breaking2   ,shadows have     
parted hearts too long1     ,light in   
the east is waking4    ,come1 let us    

clasp united hands--     ,love's rays   
are falling2   ,sea too long divides the
 lands1     ,kindred claims are calling4
    ,come1 let us lift a common prayer--
     ,one hope combines us2   ,we are   
made hard by selfish care1     ,mutual  
grief refines us4    ,come1 let us lift 
our brother's load--     ,christ's cross
 is o'er us2   ,ours shall fall upon the
 road     ,when ,heaven's is seen before
 us4    ,come1 let us win our brother's 
love2     ,love's warm revealing        
,melts the ice that will not move       
,by the frost's congealing4    ,come1   
let us lift our brother's stain2        
,hope's power shall cherish   ,dreams of
 daysprings not in vain     ,wherein the
 spot shall perish4  ,dr4 ,walter ,c4   
,smith's is not a familiar name in our  
hymn-books4 ,only editors who are       
willing to leave the beaten track will  
find his poems #8true hymns4' ,the      
,baptist ,church ,hymnal1 which is      
perhaps the most catholic and the most  
literary of our modern books1 gives six 

of his hymns1 while the ,presbyterian   
and the ,methodist have none4 ,but many 
of his poems are good hymns1 though     
perhaps they appeal to a limited circle4
 ,his ,thoughts and ,fancies for ,sunday
 ,evenings has long stood close to my   
study chair1 and ,i do not think there  
is any book 7except ,george ,herbert7 ,i
 have so often read after the day's work
 is done4 ,his hymns have the true      
patience and the happy trustfulness     
which are the strength and inspiration  
of ,christian service4 ,here are three  
verses from the poem on ,ps4 cxviii4    
#a--    ,why should ,i always pray1     
,although ,i always lack8   ,were 't not
 a better way     ,some praise to render
 back8   ,the earth that drinks the     
plenteous rain   ,returns the grateful  
cloud again4    ,we should not get the  
less     ,that we remembered more   ,the
 truth and righteousness     ,thou      
keep'st for us in store3   ,in heaven   
they do not pray--they sing1   ,and they
 have wealth of everything4    ,and it  

would be more meet     ,to compass ,thee
 with song1   ,than to have at ,thy feet
     ,only a begging throng1   ,who take
 ,thy gifts and then forget   ,alike    
,thy goodness and their debt4  ,my next 
quotation is well worthy of a place     
beside ,bishop ,bickersteth's #8,come ye
 yourselves apart1' and with the most   
impressive and consoling of hymns for   
,christian workers4    ,oft1 ,lord1 ,i  
weary in ,thy work1     ,but of ,thy    
work ,i do not tire1   ,although ,i toil
 from dawn till dark1   ,from matins of 
the early lark     ,until his even-song 
expire4    ,ah6 who that tends the altar
 fire1     ,or ministers the incense    
due1   ,or sings ,thy praises in the    
choir1   ,or publishes good news1 could 
tire     ,of that he loves so well to   
do8    ,sweet is the recompense it      
brings--     ,the work that with        
good-will is done2   ,for all the heart 
with gladness sings1   ,and all the     
fleeting hours have wings1     ,and all 
the day is full of sun4    ,and if he   

labour not in vain1     ,if souls are by
 his message stirred1   ,if he can      
comfort grief and pain1   ,or bring     
repentant tears like rain     ,by force 
of his entreating word1    ,the hand may
 weary at its task1     ,and weary he   
may drag his feet2   ,the weary frame   
may long to bask   ,in needful rest2 but
 do not ask     ,the heart to weary of  
its beat4  ,to these quotations--and    
they are few compared with those ,i     
would like to make--,i must add ,dr4    
,smith's singularly solemn and beautiful
 prayer1 which in the ,baptist ,church  
,hymnal is appointed for the close of   
the ,communion ,service4 ,it is unique  
among sacramental hymns4    ,if any to  
the feast have come     ,who were not   
bidden1 ,lord1 forgive2   ,they were not
 of our ,father's home1     ,yet in ,thy
 mercy let them live4    ,if any came in
 doubt or fear1     ,o may they carry   
peace away2   ,let heaven to them be    
calm and clear1     ,still brightening  
to the perfect day4    ,and who in ,zion

 mourning were1     ,o give them songs  
of praise to ,thee2   ,and who were full
 of anxious care1     ,o set them from  
their burden free4    ,all those who    
never sat before     ,at this dear table
 of ,thy grace1   ,o may they love ,thee
 more and more1     ,and serve ,thee in 
,thy ,holy ,place4    ,and they who     
ne'er again shall see     ,the day of   
our communion dawn1   ,prepare them1    
,lord1 to feast with ,thee     ,at      
tables which are never drawn4           
,forgive us all our wandering thought1  
,our little love1 our feeble faith2     
,and may we meet1 our battle fought1    
,beyond the realms of sin and death4    
,from these great ,scotch hymn-writers  
,i turn for a moment to the ,unitarian  
contribution to the ,church's hymn-book4
 ,here it must be said that the best    
comes to us from ,america1 where the    
,unitarians claim ,oliver ,wendell      
,holmes1 ,james ,russell ,lowell1       
,samuel ,longfellow1 and ,samuel        
,johnson4 ,in ,england we have ,sir     

,john ,bowring 7#agib-ahgb72 and ,sarah 
,flower ,adams 7#ahje-dh71 whose        
#8,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee' has a sure
 place among the best-loved hymns4 ,mrs4
 ,adams also wrote two beautiful little 
hymns suited for the close of service1  
each beginning1 #8,part in peace1' and  
was an important contributor to ,w4 ,j4 
,fox's ,hymns and ,anthems for the use  
of the ,south ,place ,religious         
,society1 one of the most curious of    
modern hymnals4 ,mr4 ,page ,hopps has   
written some good hymns1 which are      
widely used4 ,his child's prayer1       
#8,father1 lead me day by day1' is      
beautiful in its strong simplicity4 ,dr4
 ,james ,martineau wrote a few hymns    
which ,i cannot but think are included  
in evangelical hymn-books more out of   
respect for their author than for their 
actual devotional or poetic value4 ,the 
best known is #8,thy way is in the deep1
 ,o ,lord4' ,i quote one less often     
found--    #8,where is your ,god8' they 
say3     ,answer them1 ,lord most holy6 

,reveal ,thy secret way     ,of visiting
 the lowly3       ,not wrapped in moving
 cloud1         ,or nightly-resting     
fire2       ,but veiled within the      
shroud         ,of silent high desire4  
,come not in flashing storm1     ,or    
bursting frown of thunder3   ,come in   
the viewless form     ,of wakening love 
and wonder2--       ,of duty grown      
divine1         ,the restless spirit1   
still2       ,of sorrows taught to shine
         ,as shadows of ,thy will4    ,o
 ,god6 the pure alone1--     ,e'en in   
their deep confessing1--   ,can see     
,thee as their own1     ,and find the   
perfect blessing3       ,yet to each    
waiting soul         ,speak in ,thy     
still small voice1       ,till broken   
love's made whole1         ,and saddened
 hearts rejoice4                        
,v                                      
,nineteenth-century ,hymns              
,,iii4--,roman ,catholic ,hymns         
,english ,romanism has shared in the    
revival of hymnody1 and has been greatly

 enriched by the men who1 to quote ,mr4 
,moorsom's delightful record of ,faber1 
#8left the ,church of ,england for the  
,roman schism in ,england4' ,from       
,austin to ,faber1 ,romanism has hardly 
any ,english hymn-writers4 ,some of the 
,latin hymns by ,english writers have an
 alluring rhythm1 the ideal tone of a   
,christmas carol4 ,it is easy to        
understand how popular they might be in 
the vernacular4 ,here is a bright       
lilting verse from a thirteenth-century 
hymn3    ,gabriel to ,mary went1     ,a 
mighty message bare he2   ,deep in awe  
the maiden bent     ,to hear the first  
,hail ,mary6#bja  ,richard ,crashaw 7d4 
#afej7 was a poet1 but scarcely a       
hymn-writer1 though from his #8,hymn of 
,st4 ,thomas' a good cento may be made4 
,with all the powers my poor heart hath 
,of humble love and loyal faith1   ,thus
 low1 my hidden ,life1 ,i bow to ,thee1 
,whom too much love hath bowed more low 
for me4    ,faith is my force3 ,faith   
strength affords   ,to keep pace with   

,thy powerful words1   ,and words more  
sure1 more sweet than they1   ,love     
could not think1 ,truth could not say4  
,help1 ,lord1 my faith1 my hope         
increase1   ,and fill my portion in ,thy
 peace3   ,give love for life2 nor let  
my days   ,grow but in new powers to    
,thy praise4    ,o dear memorial of that
 ,death1   ,which lives still and allows
 us breath6   ,rich1 royal food6        
,bountiful bread6   ,whose use denies us
 to the dead4    ,come1 ,love6 come1    
,lord6 and that long day   ,for which ,i
 languish1 come away6   ,when glory's   
sun faith's shades shall chase1   ,and  
for ,thy veil give me ,thy face4#bjb    
,robert ,southwell 7d4 #aeie7 did not   
write so good a hymn as this1 but       
several of his very striking poems are  
included in the ,arundel book--#8,the   
,burning ,babe1' #8,new ,prince1 new    
,pomp1' #8,a ,child my choice4'  ,early 
in the nineteenth century efforts were  
made to provide ,english hymn-books for 
,romanists4 ,father ,haydock 7#ahbc7    

even adapted some of the hymns of       
,wesley1 ,watts1 ,montgomery1 and other 
,protestants1 but the effort does not   
seem to have been appreciated4#bjc      
,frederick ,william ,faber 7#ahad-fc7   
did for ,english ,romanists what ,watts 
had done for ,nonconformists more than a
 hundred years earlier4 ,he is the      
,watts and ,wesley of ,romanism4 ,faber 
#8went over' in #ahdf1 after a brief    
ministry in the ,anglican ,church4 ,he  
lamented that ,catholics had not #8the  
means of influence which one school of  
,protestantism has in ,wesley's1        
,newton's1 and ,cowper's hymns1 and     
another in the more refined and engaging
 works of ,oxford writers4' ,as #8an    
,english son of ,st4 ,philip' ,neri1 he 
claimed to be following in the steps of 
that #8right merry saint' in his attempt
 to provide #8,english ,catholic hymns  
fitted for singing4' #8,st4 ,philip     
devised a changeful variety of spiritual
 exercises and recreations1 which       
gathered round him the art and          

literature1 as well as the piety of     
,rome1 and was eminently qualified to   
meet the increased appetite for the word
 of ,god1 for services in the           
vernacular1 for hymn-singing and        
prayer-meetings4' ,these last words have
 a fine ,methodist flavour1 and increase
 one's sympathy with their writer4 ,but 
it must be admitted that ,faber was a   
thorough-going ,romanist4 ,he believed  
that #8,god raised up our dear and      
blessed ,father1 ,st4 ,philip 444 just  
as the heresy of ,protestantism was     
beginning to devastate the world4'#bjd  
,faber's hymns must not be judged simply
 by our ,protestant versions1 but we may
 be thankful that he gave a new and     
better tone to the hymn-singing of the  
,roman ,church4 ,his best hymns1 with   
their exquisite yearning tenderness1 are
 so dear to us that there is no need to 
speak of them2 they speak the language  
of the ,christian heart1 and he who     
sings thus sings the ,holy ,spirit's    
song4  ,it must be admitted1 however1   

that we have taken the best of ,faber   
into our hymnals1 and the residue is    
not--from the ,protestant standpoint--of
 great value4 ,what one may call the    
lighter songs of ,roman ,catholic       
psalmody are so little known to us that 
,i quote1 as a favourable illustration  
of a class of hymn that bulks largely in
 ,romanist books1 two verses of ,faber's
 song for ,st4 ,patrick's ,day4 ,one can
 readily imagine that such a hymn would 
be popular in ,ireland1 and serve to    
keep alive the legend of ,st4 ,patrick4 
,all praise to ,saint ,patrick who      
brought to our mountains     ,the gift  
of ,god's faith1 the sweet light of ,his
 love6   ,all praise to the shepherd who
 showed us the fountains     ,that rise 
in the heart of the ,saviour above6     
,for hundreds of years1             ,in 
smiles and in tears1   ,our saint hath  
been with us1 our shield and our stay2  
,all else may have gone1                
,saint ,patrick alone1   ,he hath been  
to us light when earth's lights were all

 set1     ,for the glories of faith they
 can never decay2   ,and the best of our
 glories is bright with us yet1     ,in 
the faith and the feast of ,saint       
,patrick's ,day4    ,there is not a     
saint in the bright courts of ,heaven   
,more faithful than he to the land of   
his choice2   ,oh1 well may the nation  
to whom he was given1     ,in the feast 
of their sire and apostle rejoice6      
,in glory above1             ,true to   
his love1   ,he keeps the false faith   
from his children away3             ,the
 dark false faith1             ,that is 
worse than death1   ,oh1 he drives it   
far off from the green sunny shore1     
,like the reptiles which fled from his  
curse in dismay2   ,and ,erin1 when     
error's proud triumph is o'er1     ,will
 still be found keeping ,saint          
,patrick's ,day4  ,edward ,caswall      
7#ahad-gh71 who resigned his ,anglican  
living in #ahdg1 was received into the  
,roman ,church in #ahej4 ,he is a more  
successful translator than composer1 his

 best original hymn being #8,days and   
moments quickly flying4' ,his           
translations from the ,latin and ,german
 are in all our hymnals4  ,romish       
hymnals contain many prayers for the    
reconversion of ,england4 ,there is     
something pathetic in such lines as     
these in a hymn of ,father ,potter's--  
,oh6 yet once more1 o'er ,english       
fields1     ,the glorious ,cross shall  
wave2   ,the solace of the broken heart1
     ,the standard of the brave4    ,oh1
 isle of ,saints6 oh1 ,mary's dower6    
,how long ere this shall be8   ,when    
wilt thou rise1 throw off thy chains1   
,and once again be free8  ,but if our   
,romish brethren sing thus1 why should  
not we teach our children ,mr4 ,gill's  
stirring hymn1 which includes the lines 
,sing how ,he ,his ,england crownd1     
,when ,he loosed the yoke of ,rome8     
,have we not as good cause for praise as
 they for prayer8  ,one turns from the  
study of ,romish hymn-books with a sense
 of having travelled in a far country1  

where yet there is much to remind one of
 the home-land4 ,there is a great gulf1 
as we thankfully acknowledge1 between   
even the ,high ,anglican and the        
,romanist--a considerable portion of the
 ,romish hymn-book is1 and we trust ever
 will be1 impossible to the bulk of     
,english ,christians4 ,on the other     
hand1 one can neglect the chaff and     
gather golden grain1 for saintly        
,romanists have a genius for devotion4  
,it is much to be wished that the       
readiness with which we have adopted    
hymns from ,roman ,catholic sources had 
been reciprocated4 ,but almost all the  
great ,english hymns are missing from   
,catholic hymnals4 ,the ,arundel editors
 admit translations by ,dr4 ,neale1 and 
even ,miss ,winkworth1 but no original  
hymns save those by writers of their own
 faith4 ,mr4 ,tozer1 in his ,catholic   
,hymns1 includes ,charlotte ,elliott's  
#8,thy ,will be done1' and gives the    
author's name1 but ,i am afraid he did  
not know she was a ,protestant--though  

,i hope he did4  ,naturally1 ,faber and 
,caswall are the chief contributors2 and
 books that contain their hymns and     
those of ,matthew ,bridges1 ,adelaide   
,anne ,procter1 and ,j4 ,h4 ,newman1    
cannot be without much spiritual wealth4
 ,the two collections ,i have named give
 a very hopeful impression concerning   
the future of ,roman ,catholic hymnody2 
though they are practically innocent of 
,protestant hymns1 they contain many    
which are ,catholic1 and not ,roman4    
,indirectly1 the use of such books must 
prepare the way for a greater freedom in
 worship and a nearer approximation to  
the general company of believers4  ,i   
will close this slight sketch with two  
verses by ,cardinal ,manning3    ,death 
has for me no fears2 its bitter pains   
,shall never from my ,king my heart     
divide3   ,faithful to ,him till death  
my will remains2     ,i nothing fear1   
with ,jesus at my side4    ,jesus1 my   
,lord6 my only hope and shield2     ,no 
powers of ill before ,thee can abide2   

,i trust in ,thee upon the battlefield2 
,i nothing fear1 with ,jesus at my      
side6#bje  ,here our study must perforce
 break off1 for the limits assigned to  
my lecture have been already exceeded4  
,several important subjects must be     
omitted4 ,american hymns take a         
comparatively inconspicuous place in our
 ,church hymnals1 but have a large space
 in collections of songs for mission    
services and undenominational           
gatherings4  ,translations from the     
,greek1 ,latin1 and ,german furnish many
 of our finest and most popular hymns4  
,in regard to modern hymn-books1 the    
,german are the older1 and indeed many  
of the ,latin hymns are actually of a   
later date than those of ,luther and    
even ,paul ,gerhardt4 ,john ,wesley's   
intercourse with the ,moravians         
introduced him to the ,german hymns1 and
 his translations are almost as         
important a feature in our hymn-books as
 ,charles ,wesley's original            
compositions4 ,miss ,winkworth's ,lyra  

,germanica is one of the great          
devotional works of the nineteenth      
century4  ,the ,oxford ,movement drew   
attention to the hymns of the ,greek and
 ,roman ,churches1 and ,hymns ,ancient  
and ,modern popularized many hymns      
suitable to the worship of all the      
,churches4 ,bishop ,mant1 ,isaac        
,williams1 ,edward ,caswall1 and ,dr4   
,neale led the way in translating these 
hymns into ,english verse1 and they     
quickly secured a large place in        
hymn-books4 ,not only have they great   
historic interest1 but they give us some
 of the sublimest and the sweetest of   
our hymns of penitence and praise1      
ranging from the solemn tones of the    
#8,dies irae' to the lovely lyrics of   
,bernard of ,clairvaux1 #8,jesu1 the    
very thought of ,thee4' ,no survey of   
the hymn-book of the modern ,church can 
be complete without reference to them1  
but ,i am compelled to pass them by with
 only this brief mention4               
,,conclusion   ,our study of ,english   

hymns has carried us through three      
centuries and a half--from the rough1   
halting lines of ,coverdale to the      
smooth and easy rhythm of the           
hymn-writers of to-day4  ,from          
,sternhold and ,hopkins to the modern   
hymn-book is a long and delightful      
journey4 #8,i envy not in any mood' the 
man who finds in devotional poetry only 
matter for criticism4 ,if it be true    
that the heart makes the theologian1 it 
is more true that the heart makes the   
hymnologist4  ,the earlier stages of our
 study may yield little actual fruit in 
the shape of hymns which a modern editor
 would delight to add to his hymn-book4 
,but it yields much in the way of       
inspiration1 bringing us into communion 
with men like ,herbert1 ,donne1 ,sandys1
 ,vaughan1 and1 in his measure1         
,wither--men who might have lived the   
courtier's life had they not chosen to  
serve the ,king of kings4 ,so far as    
their poems are concerned1 it is a mere 
accident that ,herbert and ,donne were  

in orders4 ,they are not clerical       
hymn-writers1 but1 like others of their 
school1 are poets of the inner and      
individual life4 ,they touch our hearts1
 not because they have written what     
expresses the common need of a          
congregation1 but because they speak in 
graceful form what most of us can feel  
but could never put into words4 ,campion
 and the two ,austins represent the     
devout laymen of the professional       
class--men who might1 if they pleased1  
have been mere men of the world4 ,it    
would be quite possible to discuss      
,english hymns with scarce a mention of 
such names1 but1 it seems to me1 that in
 losing them our study would lose its   
richest charm4  ,ken may be considered  
the first of the ,anglican1 ,mason of   
the ,evangelical1 and ,watts of the     
,dissenting hymn-writers4 ,they wrote1  
not simply for their own delight or     
relief1 but for the sake of others4 ,ken
 had no immediate successors1 though he 
is the founder of the school of ,heber1 

,lyte1 ,keble1 and ,ellerton4 ,mason's  
immediate successors were ,shepherd1    
,newton1 and ,cowper2 ,watts was the    
first of a long succession of the later 
,puritans4  ,it is usual to call the    
eighteenth century the golden age of    
hymn-writing2 but ,i am not sure that   
this will be the final verdict4 ,i      
confess that in many respects ,i find   
both the earlier and the later period   
more attractive4 ,if we leave out of the
 account ,wesley's hymns1 many of which 
owe their long use in the ,methodist    
,churches to other than poetic          
considerations1 the vast majority of the
 eighteenth-century hymns have          
disappeared from modern use4 ,it is     
interesting to compare the hymn-books of
 #agej-ahej with those issued within the
 last twenty years4 ,rippon's           
,selection1 in its various editions2    
,collyer's ,hymns2 ,dobell's ,new       
,selection of ,nearly ,eight ,hundred   
,evangelical ,hymns2 ,bickersteth's     
,christian ,psalmody2 and ,snepp's      

,songs of ,grace and ,glory1 compared   
with the most recent hymn-books1 show   
not only what great additions have been 
made to the treasury of ,christian song1
 but how many hymns once regarded as    
almost indispensable are now forgotten1 
and are never likely to be revived4 ,the
 formal1 didactic1 preaching hymns1 so  
popular a hundred years ago1 have been  
steadily losing ground4 ,they not only  
fail to touch the heart of present-day  
worshippers1 they have no element of    
distinction1 nothing that could or      
should give them a permanent place in   
the songs of the ,church of ,christ4    
,hymns of the period before ,watts are  
much more common in twentieth-century   
hymn-books than in those of the         
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries1 but
 the hymns characteristic of the        
eighteenth century are rapidly          
disappearing4 ,they were written to meet
 the needs of the ,dissenting           
meeting-house and the ,evangelical      
,revival4 ,but among them are many which

 voice the experience1 #8not of an age1 
but of all time'2 they speak the        
language of the soul that seeks and     
finds and follows the ,saviour4         
,nineteenth-century hymns were largely  
affected by the great ,anglican         
,revival--a much wider term than #8the  
,oxford ,movement4' ,the best known and 
loved of the hymns of the last eighty   
years are those which1 in one way or    
other1 emphasize the idea of the        
,church1 which help the worshipper to   
realize that he belongs to that ,holy   
,church which1 throughout all the ages  
and in all lands1 acknowledges ,god to  
be the ,lord4 ,it is one of the         
unexpected and undesired fruits of the  
,anglican ,revival that every           
denomination now claims its place in an 
undivided ,church4 ,the longing for     
unity which led the ,tractarians first  
to look and then to move toward ,rome1  
led the ,free ,churches to reconsider   
their own position1 and to seek for a   
larger and more scriptural conception of

 the ,church4 ,a narrow ,calvinism had1 
on the one hand1 kept many coldly       
isolated from their brethren2 and1 on   
the other1 a narrow fervour1 a too      
literal belief that ,methodism1 and     
,methodism alone1 was ,christianity in  
earnest1 made others keep themselves    
warm by their own firesides1 under the  
impression that their neighbours sat by 
cold hearths or crouched over           
smouldering embers4 ,for this           
estrangement of brethren1 the earlier   
hymn-books are to some extent           
responsible4 ,the spirit of ,christian  
charity1 of genial mutual appreciation1 
has wonderfully developed since         
denominational hymn-books became shining
 evidences of unity in diversity4 ,some 
of ,wesley's earlier hymn-books         
illustrate this1 and it is to be        
regretted that he did not make a more   
liberal use of the work of other men    
when he issued his final hymn-book for  
the people called ,methodists4 ,the     
earliest great catholic ,collection with

 which ,i am acquainted is the ,moravian
 book of #aged4bjf ,disfigured as it is 
by a number of the bad ,moravian hymns1 
it yet deserves a place--considering the
 time at which it was issued--beside    
,palgrave's ,treasury of ,sacred ,song4 
,it was a by no means unsuccessful      
effort to do for the ,moravians of the  
mid-eighteenth century what the         
,methodist ,hymn-book has done for our  
own ,church at the beginning of the     
twentieth century4 ,it gathers into one 
volume most of the best hymns of other  
,churches1 while preserving those       
peculiarly suited to the needs and      
tastes of its own members4  ,in this    
regard the hymn-books of the ,methodist 
and of the ,anglican ,church represent a
 different type from those of the       
principal ,nonconformist ,churches4 ,the
 latter include very little that is     
distinctive of the ,churches for whose  
use they are prepared4 ,where they      
differ it is usually a matter of taste1 
not of doctrine4 ,the ,presbyterian1    

,baptist1 and ,congregational books     
might be used by any or all of these    
,churches4 ,and there is much to be said
 in defence of the elimination of       
denominational characteristics4  ,on the
 other hand1 there is1 ,i believe1 more 
to be said in favour of the hymn-book   
which is designed to aid the ,church in 
its specific work and teaching4 ,it     
would be impossible to exaggerate the   
influence of ,wesley's ,hymns upon the  
,methodist ,churches4 ,and there can be 
no question that ,hymns ,ancient and    
,modern has had an immense influence1   
both for good and ill1 upon the         
,anglican ,revival4 ,it was originally  
issued in #ahfa1 when the ,movement was 
taking firm hold of the clergy1 and     
beginning to change the whole tone of   
the teaching and the whole spirit of    
public worship in hundreds of parishes4 
,its success was enormous1 only         
paralleled by that of ,watts and        
,wesley4 ,the title was in itself a     
confession of faith in the new          

,movement4 ,the first edition was1 in   
comparison with the popular hymnals of  
the ,evangelicals1 a marked advance     
toward ,high ,church worship2 but it is 
very modest and tentative when compared 
with its latest edition4 ,i say nothing 
of its doctrine1 for ,i have no space   
for criticism4 ,i commend the principle 
upon which the work was done--the       
education of the worshipper in the faith
 and practice which the compilers       
believed to be most truly in accordance 
with the ,divine ideal of the ,church4  
,on the same general principle the      
,methodist ,hymn-book has been compiled4
 ,it is made1 not for other people1 but 
for ourselves4 ,some friendly critics   
see1 #8with a scornful wonder1' the     
number of ,charles ,wesley's hymns which
 still survive1 and talk of             
superstitious reverence for a name4 ,but
 they do not understand that these      
hymns1 perhaps especially those which   
are unknown to other ,churches1 enshrine
 what we regard as most precious in     

,methodist life and teaching4 ,from a   
literary or poetic point of view1 it may
 be that our hymn-book is inferior to   
the ,baptist1 the ,presbyterian1 and the
 ,congregational1 and perhaps especially
 to such a book as ,mr4 ,horder's       
,worship-,song4 ,but the hymn-book of a 
living1 working ,church should not be   
constructed on purely literary lines4   
,it is not a treasury of religious      
poetry1 not a sacred anthology1 but a   
book of common prayer and praise1 for   
use in particular congregations4  ,next 
to ,hymns ,ancient and ,modern the most 
influential of nineteenth-century       
hymn-books is ,sacred ,songs and ,solos1
 the chief memorial of the mission of   
,moody and ,sankey4 ,they introduced the
 lighter ephemeral songs which suited   
large undenominational gatherings1 and  
caught the ear and reached the heart of 
the man and the child in the street4 ,i 
cannot regret that few of these ditties 
find their way into ,church hymnals2 yet
 ,i am not ashamed to admit that in many

 an ,east ,end meeting ,i have been     
thankful for #8,sankey's ,hymns4' ,in   
any review of ,english hymns this       
popular collection cannot be overlooked4
   ,i have spoken of the advantage of   
diversity in ,church hymnals1 but there 
remains a further and very interesting  
question4 ,how far does the study of    
hymns and hymn-books encourage the hope 
of a reunion of hearts in the ,church of
 ,god1 rent1 as it now is1 by many      
unhappy divisions8  ,in an ,appendix ,i 
give a list of nearly a hundred and     
sixty hymns1 which are found in the four
 representative ,non-episcopal hymnals  
and in one or both of two representative
 ,anglican books4 ,these hymns are the  
foundation material of what may be      
called the hymn-book of the modern      
,church4 ,canon ,ellerton said1 #8,the  
study of ,nonconformist hymn-books does 
not encourage me in any hopes of what is
 sometimes called ,home ,reunion4' ,my  
own study of modern hymn-books leads to 
an opposite conclusion4 ,it is a        

commonplace of hymnology that in all    
good hymn-books you find contributions  
from men of widely different theological
 schools4 ,but it is not in the fact    
that the choir of the ,church includes  
,watts1 ,wesley1 ,heber1 ,montgomery1   
,newman1 ,keble1 ,lyte1 ,charlotte      
,elliott1 ,mrs4 ,alexander1 ,faber1 ,s4 
,j4 ,stone1 ,caswall1 ,bonar1 ,rawson1  
,neale1 and others1 that ,i see the most
 hopeful sign4 ,a still more notable and
 instructive sign of the times is that  
alike in the most familiar and in the   
most solemn moments of life we draw nigh
 to ,god with the same words4 ,our      
morning and our evening hymns1 our      
,christmas carols and our ,easter       
anthems1 are one4 ,in the time of utmost
 need we turn to the ,saviour with the  
same cry--    ,just as ,i am1 without   
one plea   ,but that ,thy blood was shed
 for me1   ,and that ,thou bidd'st me   
come to ,thee1       ,o ,lamb of ,god1  
,i come4  ,our battle-songs1 our        
penitential prayers1 our hymns of       

adoration1 are the same4 ,we even tell  
the story of our conversion in the same 
words--    ,i heard the voice of ,jesus 
say1     ,come unto ,me and rest4  ,we  
teach our children to sing the same     
songs in school and in the family4      
,even more impressive is the fact that  
in the ,holy ,communion the same hymns  
are sung in the great cathedral1 where  
men kneel before the high altar1 and in 
the homely village chapel1 where simple 
folk sit down at the ,lord's ,table4    
,charles ,wesley the poet of ,methodism1
 ,doddridge the ,nonconformist pastor1  
,montgomery the ,moravian bookseller1   
,rawson the ,congregational lawyer1     
,bonar the ,scotch ,presbyterian1       
,bickersteth the ,anglican bishop1 are  
the writers whose hymns are common to   
all ,englishmen as they break the bread 
and drink the wine in memory of their   
,redeemer's death4  ,we know no         
distinction of creed or ,church when we 
sing--    ,come1 let us join our friends
 above1     ,that have obtained the     

prize2  and we are all one as we entrust
 our dead to the ,lord of ,life--       
,father1 in ,thy gracious keeping1      
,leave we now ,thy servant sleeping4    
,and when1 wearied of earth and longing 
to depart and be with ,christ1 we lift  
our eyes to the eternal city1 our       
,father's house on high1 the hymns of   
,st4 ,bernard of ,cluny or of ,samuel   
,crossman are on the lips of all--    ,o
 happy place1 when shall ,i be1   ,my   
,god1 with ,thee to see ,thy face8      
,there are many times when1 amid the    
strife of tongues1 we feel that reunion 
is a dream never to be fulfilled2 but   
already we have found common ground in  
lowly ministries to the poor and the    
distressed4 ,and they who are labourers 
together in the humblest and divinest   
tasks1 also join in the songs which1    
even on earth1 none but the redeemed can
 sing4 ,in the service of love1 in the  
prayer of penitence1 and in the         
sacrifice of praise1 we are already one 
in ,christ ,jesus4  ,our goal1 too1 is  

the same1 our diverse ways converge as  
we draw nearer to ,god and ,heaven4     
#8,many ways have one end4'             
,jerusalem1 where song nor gem          
,nor fruit nor waters cease1     ,god   
bring us to ,jerusalem1       ,god bring
 us home in peace2   ,the strong who    
stand1 the weak who fall1   ,the first  
and last1 the great and small1   ,home  
one by one1 home one and all6           
,,appendix   ,the following hymns are in
 the ,baptist1 ,congregational1         
,methodist1 and ,presbyterian           
,hymn-books4 ,they are also in ,hymns   
,ancient and ,modern1 or ,church ,hymns4
 ,hymns which are in ,hymns ,ancient and
 ,modern1 but not in ,church ,hymns1 are
 marked 992 those in ,church ,hymns1 but
 not in ,hymns ,ancient and ,modern1 are
 marked 4                               
,a   ,a few more years shall roll       
,bonar   ,abide with me3 fast falls the 
eventide                        ,lyte   
,according to ,thy gracious word        
,montgomery   ,all glory1 laud1 and     

honour                   ,theodulph of  
,orleans   ,all hail1 the power of      
,jesus' name                            
,perronet   ,all praise ,glory to ,thee1
 my ,god1 this night                    
,ken   ,around the throne of ,god in    
heaven                  ,anne ,shepherd 
,art thou weary1 art thou languid       
,neale   ,as with gladness men of old   
,dix   ,at even1 ere the sun was set    
,twells   ,awake1 my soul1 and with the 
sun                               ,ken  
,b   ,before ,jehovah's awful throne    
,watts   99,behold us1 ,lord1 a little  
space                          ,ellerton
   ,bread of the world1 in mercy broken 
,heber   ,brief life is here our portion
                    ,bernard of ,cluny  
,brightest and best of the sons of the  
morning               ,heber   ,brightly
 gleams our banner                      
,potter and others   ,by ,christ        
redeemed1 in ,christ restored           
,rawson                                 
,c   ,children of the heavenly ,king    

,cennick   ,christ the ,lord is risen   
to-day                                  
,wesley   ,christ1 whose glory fills the
 sky                           ,wesley  
,christian1 seek not yet repose         
,c4 ,elliott   ,come1 ,holy ,ghost1 our 
hearts inspire                          
,wesley   ,come1 let us join our friends
 above                        ,wesley   
,come1 my soul1 thy suit prepare        
,newton   ,come to our poor nature's    
night                                   
,rawson   ,come unto ,me1 ye weary      
,dix   ,come1 ye thankful people1 come  
,alford   ,commit thou all thy griefs   
,paul ,gerhardt   ,creator ,spirit6 by  
whose aid                      ,tr4     
,john ,dryden                           
,d   ,days and moments quickly flying   
,caswall and others                     
,e   ,eternal ,father1 strong to save   
,whiting                                
,f   ,for ever with the ,lord           
,montgomery   ,for the beauty of the    
earth                                   

,pierpoint   ,forth in ,thy name1 ,o    
,lord1 ,i go                            
,wesley   ,forward6 be our watchword    
,alford   ,from all that dwell below the
 skies                         ,watts   
,from ,greenland's icy mountains        
,heber                                  
,g   ,gentle ,jesus1 meek and mild      
,wesley   ,go to dark ,gethsemane       
,montgomery   ,god moves in a mysterious
 way                                    
,cowper   ,god save our ,gracious ,king 
,anon4   ,god1 that madest earth and    
heaven               ,heber and ,whately
   ,gracious ,spirit1 ,holy ,ghost      
,c4 ,wordsworth   ,guide me1 ,o ,thou   
great ,jehovah                          
,w4 ,williams                           
,h   ,hail1 ,thou once despised ,jesus  
,bakewell   ,hail to the ,lord's        
,anointed                               
,montgomery   99,hark6 hark1 my soul6   
angelic songs are swelling              
,faber   ,hark1 my soul6 it is the ,lord
                               ,cowper  

,hark6 the herald angels sing           
,wesley   ,here1 ,o my ,lord1 ,i see    
,thee face to face                      
,bonar   ,holy1 holy1 holy1 ,lord ,god  
,almighty                               
,heber   ,how sweet the name of ,jesus  
sounds                          ,newton 
,i   ,i heard the voice of ,jesus say   
,bonar   ,i think1 when ,i read that    
sweet story of old              ,j4     
,luke   ,it came upon the midnight clear
                             ,sears     
,j   ,jerusalem1 my happy home          
,j4 ,bromehead   ,jerusalem the golden  
,bernard of ,cluny   ,jesus calls us3   
o'er the tumult                    ,c4  
,f4 ,alexander   ,jesus1 ,i my cross    
have taken                              
,lyte   ,jesus lives6 no longer now     
,gellert   ,jesu1 ,lover of my soul     
,wesley   ,jesus shall reign where'er   
the sun                           ,watts
   ,jesus1 the very thought of ,thee    
,bernard of ,clairvaux   ,jesus1        
where'er ,thy people meet               

,cowper   ,just as ,i am1 without one   
plea                          ,c4       
,elliott                                
,l   ,lead1 kindly ,light1 amid the     
encircling gloom               ,newman  
,lead us1 heavenly ,father1 lead us     
,j4 ,edmeston   ,let us with a gladsome 
mind                                    
,milton   ,lo6 ,he comes with clouds    
descending                              
,wesley   ,lord1 dismiss us with ,thy   
blessing                      ,j4       
,fawcett   ,lord1 ,i hear of showers of 
blessing                         ,codner
   ,lord1 it belongs not to my care     
,baxter   ,lord of our life1 and ,god of
 our salvation              ,lwenstern  
,lord of the worlds above               
,watts   ,lord1 speak to me1 that ,i may
 speak                       ,havergal  
,lord1 ,thy word abideth                
,baker   ,love ,divine1 all loves       
excelling                               
,wesley                                 
,m   ,my ,god and ,father1 while ,i     

stray                        ,c4        
,elliott   ,my ,god1 how wonderful ,thou
 art                                    
,faber                                  
,n   ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee         
,s4 ,f4 ,adams   ,now thank we all our  
,god                           ,martin  
,rinckart   ,now the day is over        
,s4 ,baring-,gould   ,now the labourer's
 task is o'er                           
,ellerton                               
,o   ,o come1 all ye faithful1 joyful   
and triumphant      ,tr4 ,f4 ,oakeley   
99,o come and mourn with me awhile      
,faber   ,o come1 ,o come1 ,immanuel    
,tr4 ,neale   ,o day of rest and        
gladness                           ,c4  
,wordsworth   ,o for a closer walk with 
,god                                    
,cowper   99,o for a heart to praise my 
,god                             ,wesley
   99,o for a thousand tongues to sing  
,wesley   ,o ,god of ,bethel1 by whose  
hand                                    
,doddridge   99,o help us1 ,lord6 each  

hour of need                            
,milman   ,o ,jesus1 ,i have promised   
,bode   99,o ,lord1 be with us when we  
sail                            ,dayman 
,o ,lord of heaven and earth and sea    
,c4 ,wordsworth   ,o love ,divine1 how  
sweet thou art                          
,wesley   ,o sacred ,head once wounded  
,paul ,gerhardt   ,o timely happy1      
timely wise                             
,keble    ,o ,word of ,god incarnate    
,walsham ,how   99,o worship the ,king  
all-glorious above                      
,r4 ,grant   ,oft in danger1 oft in woe 
,white and ,maitland   ,once in royal   
,david's city                           
,c4 ,f4 ,alexander   ,onward6 ,christian
 soldiers                         ,s4   
,baring-,gould   ,our blest ,redeemer1  
ere ,he breathed                        
,h4 ,auber   ,our day of praise is done 
,ellerton   ,our ,god1 our help in ages 
past                                    
,watts                                  
,p   ,peace1 perfect peace1 in this dark

 world of sin8       ,bickersteth       
,pleasant are ,thy courts above         
,lyte   ,praise1 my soul1 the ,king of  
heaven                           ,lyte  
,praise to our ,god1 whose bounteous    
hand                  ,ellerton         
,praise to the ,holiest in the height   
,newman                                 
,r   ,rejoice1 the ,lord is ,king       
,wesley   ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me  
,toplady                                
,s   99,safely1 safely gathered in      
,dobree   ,saviour1 again to ,thy dear  
name we raise                  ,ellerton
   ,saviour1 blessed ,saviour           
,thring   ,saviour1 breathe an evening  
blessing                     ,edmeston  
,saviour1 sprinkle many nations         
,a4 ,c4 ,coxe   ,saviour1 when in dust  
to ,thee                             ,r4
 ,grant   ,soldiers of ,christ1 arise   
,wesley   99,souls of men1 why will ye  
scatter                           ,faber
   99,stand up6 stand up for ,jesus     
,duffield   ,sun of my soul1 ,thou      

,saviour dear                           
,keble   ,sweet ,saviour1 bless us ere  
we go                            ,faber 
,t   ,the ,church's one foundation      
,stone   ,the day is past and over      
,anatolius   ,the ,god of ,abraham      
praise                                  
,olivers   ,the ,head that once was     
crowned with thorns                     
,kelly   ,the ,king of ,love my         
,shepherd is                            
,baker   ,the radiant morn hath passed  
away                           ,thring  
,the roseate hues of early dawn         
,c4 ,f4 ,alexander   ,the ,son of ,god  
goes forth to war                       
,heber   ,there is a book who runs may  
read                            ,keble  
99,there is a fountain filled with blood
                      ,cowper   ,there  
is a green hill far away                
,c4 ,f4 ,alexander   ,there is a land of
 pure delight                           
,watts   ,there is no sorrow1 ,lord1 too
 light                      ,crewdson   

,there's a ,friend for little children  
,midlane   ,thine arm1 ,o ,lord1 in days
 of old                                 
,plumptre   ,this is the day of light   
,ellerton   ,thou art gone up on high   
,toke   ,thou didst leave ,thy throne   
,e4 ,e4 ,s4 ,elliott   ,thou hidden     
,love of ,god1 whose height             
,tersteegen   ,thou to whom the sick and
 dying                                  
,thring   ,thou whose almighty word     
,marriott   ,through the day ,thy love  
has spared us                           
,kelly   ,through the night of doubt and
 sorrow                     ,ingemann   
,thy way1 not mine1 ,o ,lord            
,bonar   ,to ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 our hearts
 we raise                          ,dix 
,w   ,we give ,thee but ,thine own      
,walsham ,how   ,we plough the fields   
and scatter                 ,matthias   
,claudius   ,we saw ,thee not when ,thou
 didst come                             
,gurney   ,weary of earth and laden with
 my sin                         ,stone  

,when ,god of old came down from heaven 
,keble   ,when ,i survey the wondrous   
cross                             ,watts
   99,when morning gilds the skies      
,tr4 ,e4 ,caswall   ,when the weary1    
seeking rest                            
,bonar                                  
,,footnotes   #a;,james ,martineau1 vol4
 ii4 p4 #ii4  #b;,christian ,year       
7,fifth ,sunday in ,lent74  #c;,ibid4   
7,preface74  #d#8,the general ,church   
histories mostly neglect or ignore      
hymnology1     which is the best        
reflection of ,christian life and       
worship4'--,schaff3 ,mediaeval          
,christianity1 ii4 #djc4 ,see also      
,lilly's ,christianity and ,modern      
,civilization1 ch4 v41 #8,the ,age      
of ,faith4'  #e;,church ,hymns 7revised 
edition1 #aijc74 ,a new edition of      
,hymns     ,ancient and ,modern is being
 prepared4  #f,ordained4  #g;,john      
,ellerton3 ,principles of ,hymn-book    
,construction1 p4 #bbh4  #h,keble's     
,occasional ,papers and ,reviews1 #ahgg1

 p4 #ib4 ,this essay1 a     review of   
,josiah ,conder's ,star in the ,east1   
was published in the     ,quarterly     
,review1 #ahbe4 ,the quotation from     
,burns will remind     many readers of  
,keble's own lines 7,third ,sunday in   
,lent7--      ,there's not a strain to  
,memory dear1       ,nor flower in      
classic grove1     ,there's not a sweet 
note warbled here1       ,but minds us  
of ,thy love4  #i,the words rendered    
#8meditation' in these verses are not   
the same4     ,the one perhaps suggests 
the devout meditation which is murmured 
half aloud1 the other silent converse or
 communing with oneself4                
#aj,lightfoot's ,colossians4            
#aa,trench's ,synonyms of ,new          
,testament4  #ab    1   '1    '4        
#ac,neh4 ix4 #e4  #ad,ps4 xxii4 #c      
7,r4,v471 margin4  #ae;,isa4 lx4 #ah4   
#af;,cf4 ,jer4 xlix4 #be4  #ag;,cf4     
,eph4 v4 #bj3  4  #ah;,heb4 xiii4 #ae4  
#ai;,c4 ,g4 ,rossetti4  #bj;,c4 ,wesley4
  #ba,the ,holy ,year1 pp4 xxxii41      

xxxiii4  #bb,the ,hymn ,lover1 p4 #adf4 
#bc;,hymns of the ,christian ,church and
 ,home 7,preface74  #bd,longfellow's    
,the ,singers4  #be;,herbert's ,a ,true 
,hymn4  #bf;,cary's ,dante1 ,par4 xiv4  
#bg,there is an article in the ,journal 
of ,sacred ,literature for ,july        
#ahfd1 on #8,eccentricities of          
,hymnology3 ,early ,moravian            
,hymn-books1'     which gives abundant  
illustrations to justify ,southey's     
statement     that #8the most           
characteristic parts of the ,moravian   
hymns are too     shocking to be        
inserted here' 7,life of ,wesley74      
#bh#8,viatrix1' in an article on #8,the 
,tramp ,ward1' in the     ,contemporary 
for ,may #aijd1 says1 #8,i have         
discovered that this     78,lead1 kindly
 ,light07 and 8,abide with me10 with    
8,jesu1 ,lover of     my soul30 are     
tramps' favourites4'  #bi,matthew       
,arnold's ,progress4 ,these lines were  
altered1 much for     the worse1 in     
later editions4  #cj,martineau's ,hymns 

for ,church and ,home 7,preface74       
#ca,ps4 lxxxi4 #a 7,p4,b4,v474  #cb,st4 
,augustine on ,ps4 lviii4  #cc,ps4      
lxviii4 #bj 7,r4,v471 #8,god is unto us 
a ,god of deliverances4'  #cd;,exod4 xv4
 #8,the song is1 of course1 incorporated
 by ,e from an     earlier source1      
perhaps from a collection of national   
poems4444     ,probably1 however1 the   
greater part of the song is ,mosaic1 and
 the     modification or expansion is   
limited to the closing verses2 for      
the triumphant tone which pervades it is
 just such as might     naturally have  
been inspired by the event which it     
celebrates4'--,driver's ,literature of  
the ,old ,testament4  #ce,wordsworth's  
,ode to ,duty4  #cf;,edward ,irving's   
,the ,book of ,psalms1 ,works1 i4 p4    
#daj4  #cg;,cheyne4  #ch;,cheyne4       
#ci,kirkpatrick's ,psalms 7,cambridge   
,bible74  #dj;,irving's ,introduction to
 ,horne's ,psalms1 ,works1 vol4 i4 p4   
#daf     7slightly abridged74  #da,the  
,holy ,year1 p4 xxxviii4 ,the ,bishop   

refers in a note to #8one     modern    
hymn1 beginning1 8,my ,god1 the spring  
of all my joys10 and     consisting only
 of twelve 7sic7 lines1 in which the    
pronouns ,i     and my occur no less    
than eleven times4' ,he might have added
     that in the twelve lines of ,ps4   
xxiii4 personal pronouns occur          
seventeen times1 and that #8,my ,god'   
occurs fifty-eight times in the         
,psalter4  #db,there are1 of course1    
,psalms of the ,old ,testament not      
included in     the ,psalter admirably  
adapted for ,christian worship4 ,see    
,part ,,ii4     of ,dr4 ,barrett's      
,congregational ,church ,hymnal4        
#dc#8,we have been especially glad to   
mark the essentially metrical           
structure of the ,lord's ,prayer in ,st4
 ,matthew's ,gospel1 with its           
invocation1 its first triplet of single 
clauses1 with one common     burden1    
expressed after the third but implied   
after all1 and its     second triplet of
 double clauses1 variously antithetical 

in form     and sense4'--,westcott and  
,hort1 ,introduction1 p4 #cbj4          
#dd,w4,h41 ,introduction1 p4 #cbj4      
#de#8;,adfirmabant autem1 hanc fuisse   
summam vel culpae suae vel     erroris1 
quod essent soliti stato die ante lucem 
convenire1     carmenque ,christo1 quasi
 deo1 dicere secum invicem4'--,pliny1   
,ep4     x4 #ig4  #df;,eusebius3        
,ecclesiastical ,history1 x4 #bh        
7,bohn's translation74  #dg;,eusebius1  
vii4 #bd4  #dh;,confessions1 ii4 pp4    
vi41 vii4  #di,trench's ,sacred ,latin  
,poetry1 pp4 #ha1 #hb4  #ej#8,most old  
,,mss4 read munerari4 ,the common       
reading1 8in gloria     numerari10 does 
not appear to be found in any ,,mss41   
but is in     many 7not all7 printed    
editions of the ,breviary from about    
#adia     onwards4 ,mr4 ,gibson suggests
 that it is not so much due to the      
natural confusion of letters as to the  
well-known words added by     ,gregory  
the ,great to the canon of the ,mass in 
electorum tuorum     jubeas grege       

numerari4'--,dictionary of ,hymnology1  
p4 #aaba4  #ea;,cf4 ,pss4 xxxiii4 #bb2  
xxxi4 #a2 lxxi4 #a 7,p4,b4,v4  ,r4,v474 
#eb;,hutton's ,english ,saints1 p4 #bjh4
  #ec,the ,sarum ,breviary reads1 ,et   
nox fidei luceat4  #ed,mone's ,hymni    
,latini1 i4 #cha4  #ee,masters1 #aheb4  
#ef;,church ,hymns1 #ehf1 ,cdmon1 ,tr4  
,r4 ,m4 ,moorsom2 #bab1 ,bede1 ,tr4 ,c4 
,s4 ,calverly4  #eg;,coverdale's        
,remains 7,parker ,society1 #ahdf74 ,the
 original is a     ,german hymn         
beginning ,ich ruf zu dir1 ,herr ,jesu  
,christ4 ,miss     ,winkworth1 in her   
,chorale ,book1 described it as         
anonymous1 but     ,julian ascribes it  
to ,johannes ,agricola 7#adib-aeff74    
,miss     ,winkworth's translation      
begins1 #8,lord1 hear the voice of my   
complaint1' ,rev4 ,a4 ,tozer-,russell's1
 #8,lord1 ,jesus ,christ1 ,i cry to     
,thee4'  #eh,miller's ,singers and      
,songs of the ,church4  #ei#8,we mention
 the name of ,clement ,marot1 important 
here chiefly for     the influence he   

might have had4 ,for he translated the  
,psalms into     ,french verse1 put them
 to tunes1 and set the ,court singing   
them4     ,let us think for a moment    
what ,england owes to those sweet and   
simple hymns which it is our godly      
fashion to sing in the churches     and 
in the homes from earliest childhood1   
and which form a link to     connect our
 religion with our daily life4 ,let us  
only try to think     what we should be 
without these4 ,and then give praise to 
,marot1     for it was he who gave to   
,france what should have been the       
foundation and beginning of a national  
book of praise and service     of song1 
had not the bigots1 the stupid          
mischievous bigots1     stopped the     
singing because they pretended to see   
heresy in the     words--,david's words4
 ,and ,france is without hymns to this  
day4'--,besant's ,essays and            
,historiettes1 #8,the ,failure of the   
,french ,reformation1' p4 #gh4  #fj;,a  
full and interesting account of the ,old

 ,version is given in     ,julian4      
,holland's notices of these writers are 
also good4  #fa,wode or wood1           
,anglo-,saxon  mad1 violent4  #fb#8,this
 literary curiosity occurs at the end of
 a book entitled1 ,a     godly          
,medytacion of the ,christian ,soule1   
c41 compyled in     ,frenche1 by ,lady  
,margarite1 ,quene of ,naverre4 ,this   
psalm is     reprinted in ,park's       
edition of ,the ,royal and ,noble       
,authors of     ,great                  
,britain4'--,farr's ,select ,poetry of  
the ,reign of ,queen     ,elizabeth     
7,parker ,society71 #ahce4  #fc,pight   
pitched1 laid4  #fd,this hymn appeared  
in ,bickersteth's ,christian ,psalmody  
in three     verses1 of which ,miller   
says1 #8two stanzas bear no resemblance'
 to     ,sandys's original4 ,the        
,methodist ,hymn-book cento is much     
nearer     to ,sandys1 though it has    
many variations4  #fe;,farr's ,select   
,poetry of the ,reign of ,queen         
,elizabeth4 ,the poem     has ten       

verses4 ,most are unsuited for          
congregational use1 as may     be judged
 from the following lines3--      ,the  
carrion crow1 that loathsome beast1     
,which cries against the rain1     ,both
 for her hue and for the rest       ,the
 devil resembleth plain3     ,and as    
with guns we kill the crow1       ,for  
spoiling our relief1     ,the devil so  
must we o'erthrow       ,with gunshot of
 belief4  #ff,palgrave's ,treasury of   
,sacred ,song1 p4 #ccc4 ,palgrave gives 
five     of his poems4  #fg;,condor     
gives three verses1 but the third is    
very inferior to     these4 ,the two ,i 
quote are included by ,professor        
,palgrave and ,mr4     ,quiller-,couch  
in their anthologies4 ,conder apparently
 did not know     the author's name4 ,he
 took the verses from an #8old          
collection4'  #fh;,from a ,,ms4 in the  
,british ,museum4 ,cf4 the very full and
     interesting article in ,julian1 p4 
#ehj4  #fi,life of ,ken1 ii4 p4 #bja4   
#gj;,altered later to #8,i wake1 ,i     

wake4'  #ga;,altered to #8void of4'     
#gb,plumptre's ,life of ,ken1 vol4 ii4  
p4 #bfh4  #gc,plumptre's ,life of ,ken1 
vol4 ii4 p4 #bhh4  #gd;,christian       
,psalmist1 ,preface1 xviii4  #ge,preface
 to ,austin's ,devotions1 ,edinburgh1   
#aghi4  #gf;,dictionary of ,hymnology1  
,article3 #8,roman ,catholic ,hymnody4' 
#gg;,arundel ,hymns1 #gg4  #gh,poems    
7#ahgb71 p4 #fb4  #gi;,i quote ,austin's
 text4 ,wesley's changes do not improve 
it4  #hj,this hymn is from the ,office  
for ,monday ,lauds4  #ha;,from ,farr's  
,select ,poetry of the ,reign of ,james 
,i4  #hb,presbyterian ,hymnal1 #eca4    
#hc,ken's hymn for ,st4 ,matthew's ,day 
was edited by ,bishop ,walsham ,how1    
and in that form appears in ,hymns      
,ancient and ,modern1 and in     ,church
 ,hymns4  #hd,worship ,song1 #ae2       
,school ,hymns1 #f4  #he,there is a good
 sketch of ,wither in ,willmott's ,lives
 of the     ,sacred ,poets1 and an      
excellent biographical introduction by  
,mr4     ,edward ,farr in ,the ,hymns   

and ,songs of the ,church 7,library of  
,old     ,authors74 ,both these volumes 
give striking portraits1 the latter     
one of the poet in his twenty-first     
year1 surrounded by the     punning     
motto1 #8,i grow and wither both        
together4'  #hf;,barton did not always  
reach so high a level4 ,one of his      
versions     of the #8,te ,deum' is in  
this fashion--      ,the blest ,apo-    
stles glorious company1     ,do praise  
,thy ho-       ly ,name continually4    
#hg,religio ,medici4  #hh,the best      
illustration is the hymn beginning      
,saviour1 if ,thy precious love1        
,could be merited by mine4      ,no4 #cg
 in the first edition of ,wesley's      
,hymns1 ,no4 #bd in the     last4 ,i am 
sorry it was omitted from the ,methodist
 ,hymn-book4  #hi,there is a delightful 
chapter on ,george ,herbert in ,lady    
,mc,dougall's ,songs of the ,church4    
#ij;,introductory ,essay1 by ,j4 ,h4    
,shorthouse1 to ,unwin's facsimile      
reprint of ,the ,temple4  #ia;,julian1  

#8,psalters1 ,english1' p4 #iai4        
#ib,the story of the ,scotch psalms and 
paraphrases ,i must leave4 ,it is       
well told in outline in ,julian4 ,the   
,scotch version has few     literary or 
poetic graces1 but it has held the heart
 and guided     the mind of many        
generations1 to whom it has been        
infinitely more     precious than the   
smoother and more poetic verses of      
,addison1     ,heber1 and ,keble could  
ever be4  #ic,this small witticism was  
repeated by ,romaine in the preface to  
his     ,treatise on ,psalmody1 though  
he had the good sense to strike it      
out of his second edition1 at the       
request1 it is said1 of ,lady           
,huntingdon4  #id,preface to ,christian 
,psalmist4  #ie,treasury of ,sacred     
,song1 p4 #cdi4  #if,watts has been     
unfortunate in his biographers4 ,mr4    
,paxton ,hood's     book is lively and  
interesting1 but its style is amazingly 
slovenly4 ,here is a curious sentence3  
#8,his daughter and sole     heiress1   

,margaret1 married ,thomas1 ,duke of    
,norfolk1 so the estate     descended to
 the ,howard family1 and became the     
,duke's place2 he     lost his head2    
passing to his eldest son1 he sold it in
 #aeib to     the mayor1 corporation1   
and citizens of ,london4' ,the writer   
adds1     navely1 #8,this is a singular 
piece of history' 7p4 #ee74             
#ig;,julian1 ,article3 #8,congregational
 ,hymnody4'  #ih,preface to ,psalms4    
,dr4 ,martineau justified his own       
editing of     ,watts's hymns by this   
sentence4 #8,every adaptation of a      
,jewish     psalm to ,christian worship 
affords an instance of theological      
adaptation2 and the same rule which is  
applied to ,dr4 ,watts's     hymns when 
their ,trinitarianism is expelled1      
,watts himself has     systematically   
applied to ,david's writings1 in        
reforming and     spiritualizing their  
,judaism4'--,preface to ,hymns for the  
,christian     ,church and ,home4       
#ii,lives of the ,poets4  #ajj,one of   

,wesley's ,communion hymns begins--     
,come to the supper1 come1     ,sinners1
 there still is room4  #aja,the hymn has
 seven verses4 ,it is given with slight 
alterations1     and the omission of one
 verse in ,barrett's ,congregational    
,church     ,hymnal1 #dig4  #ajb;,henry 
,ward ,beecher included this song in his
 ,plymouth     ,collection4             
#ajc;,julian1 p4 #hca4  #ajd,the        
,training of the ,twelve1 p4 #bd4       
#aje#8;,joseph ,hart1' by the late ,rev4
 ,b4 ,a4 ,gregory1 ,m4,a41 ,city ,road  
,magazine1 ,december #ahgf4  #ajf,poems 
by ,theodosia1 vol4 ii4 7#aghj74        
#ajg,often begins in hymn-books with the
 third verse1 #8,and ,o ,father         
whate'er of earthly bliss4'             
#ajh;,julian1 p4 #ccb4  #aji,telford's  
,charles ,wesley1 p4 #bde4  #aaj;,cf4   
,lightfoot's ,colossians1 i4 #bg1 iii4  
#af4  #aaa;,green's ,history of the     
,english ,people4  #aab,short ,hymns1 #b
 ,tim4 i4 #g4  #aac;,hymns and ,sacred  
,poems 7#agci74  #aad;,church ,hymns    

7#aijc71 ,preface4  #aae,this verse is  
from the #8hymn on my conversion1'      
mentioned by ,c4     ,wesley in his     
,journal1 ,may #bc1 #agch4 ,it was      
written at ,mr4     ,bray's1 ,little    
,britain4 ,five verses are in the       
,methodist     ,hymn-book1 #ceh4        
#aaf,watts wrote #8very4' #8,every' is  
,wesley's emendation4  #aag;,i quote the
 following verse as an illustration3 in 
doing so there     is no risk of        
spoiling a hymn dear to anybody3--      
,exempted from the general doom1        
,the death which all are born to know2  
,enoch obtained his heavenly home       
,by faith1 and disappeared below4       
#aah,reprinted by ,pickering in #ahfh as
 #8,bishop ,ken's ,christian     ,year4'
  #aai,these hymns are in ,hymns and    
,sacred ,poems 7#agci74 ,the ,epiphany  
hymn is in ,church ,hymns1 #aae1 with   
alterations4  #abj;,cf4 ,paradise ,lost1
 bk4 #a4      ,that with reiterated     
crimes1 he might     ,heap on himself   
damnation4      ,i cannot refrain from  

saying how much ,i regret the omission  
of     this hymn from the ,methodist    
,hymn-book4 ,it is retained by the      
,american ,methodist ,episcopal1        
,primitive ,methodist1 and others1      
though the ,primitive ,methodist most   
unfortunately changes     #8flaming'    
into #8loving' eyes in verse #c1        
apparently overlooking     the reference
 to #8,his eyes were as a flame of      
fire4'  #aba;,hymns on the ,lord's      
,supper1 by ,john and ,charles ,wesley1 
presbyters of the ,church of ,england4  
,with a preface concerning the          
,christian ,sacrament and ,sacrifice1   
extracted from ,dr4 ,brevint1           
,bristol4 ,printed by ,felix ,farley1 ,m
 ,,dcc ,,xlv4  #abb;,canon ,carter's    
,altar ,hymnal has eight of ,wesley's   
hymns4 ,he     also ascribes to ,c4     
,wesley ,miss ,leeson's translation of  
,victimae     ,paschali4      #8,christ1
 the ,lord1 is risen to-day1'           
,christians1 haste your vows to pay4    
#abc,the whole book was reprinted1 in   

#ahga1 with ,wesley's ,companion     for
 the ,altar 7extracted from ,thomas     
,kempis71 and an     ,introduction by   
,mr4 ,w4 ,e4 ,dutton1 under the title1  
,the     ,eucharistic ,manuals of ,john 
and ,charles ,wesley4 ,mr4 ,dutton's    
design was to show that #8the ,wesleys  
held opinions and taught     doctrines  
now known as ,catholic1 yet far in      
advance of the times     in which they  
lived1 and very different from the      
doctrines taught     by that body of men
 now called by their name4' ,i may also 
mention     another interesting book1   
now out of print1 ,mr4 ,warrington's    
,echoes of the ,prayer-book in ,wesley's
 ,hymns4  #abd;,col4 ii4 #ai4           
#abe,methodist ,hymn-book1 #gbi4        
#abf;,hymns ,ancient and ,modern1 #eec4 
,altar ,hymnal1 #aea4  #abg;,cf4 #8,and 
here we offer and present unto ,thee1 ,o
 ,lord1 ourselves1     our souls and    
bodies2' with verse iv41 #8,take my soul
 and body's     powers1' ,methodist     
,hymn-book1 #efb4  #abh#8,the ordinary  

position of the #8,gloria in ,excelsis' 
in ancient     liturgies was at the     
beginning1 not at the end of the office4
 ,it     so stood in our own ,liturgy   
down to #aeeb1 when it was placed at    
the end of the service4444 ,it may be   
truly said that there is no     ,liturgy
 in the world which has so solemn and   
yet so magnificent a     conclusion as  
our own4'--,proctor and ,maclear's      
,introduction to the     ,book of       
,common ,prayer4  #abi,tyerman's        
,whitefield1 vol4 i4 p4 #dfe4           
#acj,poetical ,works1 vol4 iii4         
#aca,tyerman's ,whitefield1 vol4 i4 p4  
#dgh4  #acb,the hymn has seventeen      
verses1 some of which are1 as           
,whitefield     says1 #8very bad4'      
,methodist ,hymn-book1 #fe4  #acc,wesley
 ,poetry1 vol4 iii4 p4 #fj4  #acd,works1
 vol4 xiii4  #ace,poetical ,works1 vol4 
iii4 p4 #gh2 ,methodist ,hymn-book1     
#dce4  #acf,tyerman's ,wesley's         
,designated ,succession1 vol4 i4 p4 #hh1
 #hi4  #acg;,cf4 ,tyerman's ,wesley and 

,horne's ,history of the ,free          
,churches4  #ach,poetical ,works1 vol4  
iv4 p4 #ddf4  #aci;,ibid41 vol4 iii4 p4 
#bc4  #adj,poetical ,works1 vol4 iii4 p4
 #ba4  #ada;,ibid41 vol4 iii4 p4 #gc4   
#adb,telford's ,charles ,wesley1 p4     
#bde4  #adc,poetical ,works1 vol4 v4 p4 
#acc4  #add,methodist ,hymn-book1 #cff4 
,wesley himself closed this hymn with   
,ken's doxology4  #ade;,cf4 ,phil4 i4   
#i4  #adf;,i am inclined to think there 
is a reference here to the        of    
,acts iv4 #ac4  #adg,trench's ,notes on 
the ,parables4  #adh;,charles ,wesley   
wrote favour4 ,john ,wesley improved    
both the     sense and sound by changing
 the word to mercy4  #adi,poetical      
,works1 vol4 x4 p4 #eg4 ,charles ,wesley
 wrote bleeds2     the change to grieves
 was made in ,john ,wesley's hymn-book4 
#aej,poetical ,works1 vol4 i4 p4 #ej4   
#aea;,hymns and ,sacred ,poems 7#agdi72 
,poetical ,works1 vol4 v4 p4     #cjf4  
#aeb,wesley included forty-nine hymns   
under the heading1 #8,for     ,believers

 ,groaning for ,full ,redemption1' and  
twenty-six under the     heading1       
#8,believers ,brought to the ,birth4'   
,these sections were1     later1 united 
under the title1 #8,seeking for ,full   
,redemption4' ,the     ,methodist       
,hymn-book has forty-four1 of which     
thirty-seven are     ,charles ,wesley's1
 three translations by ,john ,wesley1   
two by ,miss     ,havergal1 one by ,dr4 
,bonar1 and one by ,t4 ,monod4          
#aec,methodist ,hymn-book1 #ije4        
#aed;,ibid41 #hh4  #aee,the hymn1       
#8,when quiet in my house ,i sit1'      
,methodist ,hymn-book1     #bfd1 is made
 up of ,nos4 #cjj-cjc in the ,short     
,poems4  #aef;,julian1 p4 #aadi4        
#aeg;,julian1 p4 #dgh1 thinks that      
,bakewell wrote a very small portion    
of this hymn4 ,some readers will be     
interested to know that more     than   
thirty years ago a great-grandson of    
,john ,bakewell's was     selling       
newspapers in the streets of a town in  
the ,north of     ,england--friendless1 

homeless1 ragged1 and in delicate       
health4 ,he     came to ,the ,children's
 ,home1 and grew up worthy of his remote
     ancestors4 ,he became an architect1
 and did some excellent work1     but   
died in early manhood of consumption4   
#aeh;,apologia4  #aei,see ,wright's     
,town of ,cowper4  #afj;,john ,wesley   
was very indignant at the refusal of    
ordination to     ,john ,newton1 but was
 probably too loyal to the ,church to   
suggest     his becoming a ,methodist   
preacher4--,journal1 ,march #bj1 #agfj4 
#afa;,it was to the first ,lord         
,dartmouth that ,ken1 on the            
recommendation of ,pepys1 became        
chaplain in the ,tangier ,expedition    
of #afhc4 ,his character may be judged  
from a letter1 in which he     writes   
that he has #8to answer to ,god for the 
preservation of so     many souls ,he   
hath been pleased to place under my     
care4'--,plumptre's ,life of ,ken4      
#afb;,hazlitt's ,english ,poets1 p4     
#abc4  #afc,supra1 p4 #aaa4             

#afd,wesley's ,journal1 ,may #be1 #agej4
  #afe,tyerman's ,whitefield1 ii4 #agd4 
#aff;,julian1 p4 #fha1 gives the three  
versions4  #afg;,julian1 p4 #iga4 ,the  
three-verse cento1 dear to ,methodists1 
is     slightly varied from that of     
,thomas ,cotterill1 of ,sheffield4      
#afh;,in early hymn-books there is often
 confusion between ,wesley and          
,toplady4 ,at the end of his reprint of 
,toplady's ,poetical     ,remains1      
,sedgwick gives a list of seventeen     
hymns of ,charles     ,wesley's1        
attributed to ,toplady4  #afi;,elvet    
,lewis's ,sweet ,singers of ,wales1 p4  
#bi4  #agj,lewis's ,sweet ,singers1 ch4 
iii4 ,there are other ,welsh singers    
included in this little book who deserve
 to be more widely known1     but my    
limited space does not allow further    
quotation4  #aga,smith's ,heber1 p4 #hd4
  #agb;,it is curious how widespread the
 fear of ,methodism was4 ,crabbe        
added to his beautiful and touching     
lines1 beginning      ,pilgrim1         

burthened with thy sin1     ,come the   
way to ,zion's gate1      a note        
explaining that it had been suggested to
 him that #8this     change from        
restlessness to repose in the mind of   
,sir ,eustace is     wrought by a       
,methodistic call4' ,he protests1       
however1 that #8though     evidently    
enthusiastic in respect to language1'   
they #8are not     meant to convey any  
impropriety of sentiment4'  #agc;,advent
 ,sunday4  #agd,this was written in     
#ahbe1 two years before the publication 
of     ,heber's ,hymns and of the       
,christian ,year4  #age;,barry's        
,newman1 pp4 #ea1 #eb4  #agf;,john      
,ellerton1 p4 #ahe4  #agg,lyte wrote    
some verses1 #8,the ,dying ,christian to
 his ,soul1' which     are in a much    
more triumphant strain1 but they are not
 equal to     ,toplady's poem4          
#agh;,holy ,year1 xi4 ,dr4 ,wordsworth  
was then 7#ahfb7 ,canon of              
,westminster4  #agi#8;,conversation of  
an hour and a half with ,anstice on     

practical     religion1 particularly as 
regards our own situation4 ,i bless and 
praise ,god for his presence            
here4'--,morley's ,gladstone1 vol4 i4   
pp4 #ee1 #ef4  #ahj;,it is omitted from 
the ,methodist ,hymn-book4 ,it was ,no4 
#iij in     the former book1 and is in  
the ,presbyterian 7#dfi7 and ,baptist   
7#fda74  #aha,this hymn is not in ,hymns
 ,ancient and ,modern1 but it is in     
,church ,hymns1 ,presbyterian1 ,baptist1
 ,congregational1 ,horder's1            
,primitive ,methodist1 and many other   
hymn-books4  #ahb,westminster ,abbey    
,hymn-book1 #bhh2 ,young ,people's      
,hymnal1 #afa4  #ahc,michael ,bruce's   
#8,ode to the ,cuckoo4'  #ahd,preface to
 ,poems1 p4 xviii4  #ahe,the hymn has   
seven verses1 ,poems1 p4 #ei4           
#ahf,methodist ,hymn-book1 #ebj4        
#ahg;,congregational ,hymnal1 #abg2     
,baptist ,hymnal1 #abh4  #ahh,the last  
lines differ from the usual version4    
,the change was made     by ,professor  
,palgrave himself1 and1 at his wish1 the

 verse was     given in this form in the
 ,young ,people's ,hymnal4  #ahi,the    
,household of ,faith1 p4 #h4  #aij#8,the
 ,church1 ,dissent1 and ,nation1'       
,national ,review1 ,july #aijc4         
#aia,this lecture was delivered in      
,sheffield4  #aib;,cf4 ,church ,hymnary 
7,presbyterian71 ,church ,hymns         
7,s4,p4,c4,k471     ,westminster ,abbey 
,hymn-book4  #aic,the most important of 
these is in the last line4 ,montgomery  
wrote     first1 #8,his name--what is   
it8 ,love4' ,he was1 of course1         
dissatisfied with this anti-climax1 and 
altered the line to #8,that     name to 
us is ,love4' ,but the change in ,hymns 
,ancient and ,modern     7said to be    
,keble's7 is a great improvement1 #8,his
 changeless name     of ,love4' ,it is  
remarkable that ,montgomery did not     
include this     hymn in his ,christian 
,psalmist4  #aid;,he made a most        
unpoetic recast of ,wesley's #8,all ye  
that pass by'2     but in the ,index he 
is too honest to give ,wesley's name1   

and 7,i     presume7 had too much       
self-respect to give his own4 ,many     
alterations in hymns make one sympathize
 with ,miss ,ailie's notice1            
#8,persons who come to steal the fruit  
are requested not to walk on     the    
flower-beds' 7,barrie's ,sentimental    
,tommy74  #aie;,a verse of this hymn is 
omitted in the ,methodist ,hymn-book4   
,the     hymn is1 ,i think1 improved by 
the omission4      ,silent ,spirit1     
dwell with me1     ,i myself would quiet
 be2     ,quiet as the growing blade    
,which through earth its way has made2  
,silently1 like morning light1          
,putting mists and chills to flight4    
#aif,this hymn is usually rearranged in 
our hymn-books4 ,our first     verse is 
sixth in the original4  #aig,the only   
collection in which1 so far as ,i know1 
this hymn has     been included1 is the 
,young ,people's ,hymnal4 ,it is an     
excellent     school-hymn4  #aih,our    
,own ,hymn-book1 #da4 ,the hymn has six 
verses4 ,the ,baptist     ,hymnal gives 

a hymn of ,spurgeon's for an early      
morning     prayer-meeting 7#fcc74      
#aii,this verse is given in ,horder's   
,worship-,song ad in the     ,primitive 
,methodist ,hymn-book4  #bjj;,hymns of  
,faith and ,hope4 ,first ,series4       
#bja;,arundel ,hymns4 ,tr4 ,father      
,o',connor from the ,latin--            
,angelus ad ,virginem     ,subintrans in
 conclave     ,virginis formidinem      
,demulcens inquit1 ,ave6                
#bjb;,crashaw's ,english ,poems         
7,tutin's edition71 vol4 ii4 #fj4 ,i    
have     made two slight changes to suit
 the metre or indicate the     connexion
 of thought4 ,the poem has fifty-six    
lines4  #bjc;,julian1 p4 #ige 7#8,r4 ,c4
 ,hymnody'74  #bjd;,faber's ,hymns1     
,preface4  #bje;,arundel ,hymns1 #ade4  
#bjf;,a ,collection of ,hymns of the    
,children of ,god in all ,ages1 ,from   
the ,beginning till ,now4 ,in ,two      
,parts4 ,designed chiefly for the ,use  
of the ,congregations in union with the 
,brethren's ,church4 ,london4           

,printed1 and to be had at all the      
,brethren's ,chapels4 ,m ,,dcc ,,liv4   
,,general ,,index                       
,a   ,abney1 ,sir ,thomas and ,lady1    
#hb1 #abc   ,adams1 ,s4 ,f41 #cac       
,addison1 ,joseph1 #bdc   ,aldhelm1 #ea1
 #fb   ,alexander1 ,archbishop1 quoted1 
#he   ,alexander1 ,c4 ,f41 #bgi         
,alfred1 #fb   ,ambrose1 ,st41 #di      
,american hymns1 #cba   ,anderton1      
,laurence1 #gg   ,anstice1 ,joseph1 #bfi
   ,arnold1 ,matthew1 quoted1 #bd       
,arundel ,hymns1 #d1 #gg1 #hf1 #caf     
,augustine1 ,st41 #f ff41 #aj1 #bi1 #dg1
 #dh   ,austin1 ,john1 #hf ff41 #aee1   
#aef1 #cae   ----1 ,william1 #hf1 #ij   
,b   ,baker1 ,sir ,h4 ,w41 #bfi         
,bakewell1 ,john1 #bbc   ,baptist       
,church ,hymnal1 #caj1 #cab1 #cbi       
,barbauld1 ,mrs41 #bgd   ,barry1 ,dr4   
,wm41 quoted1 #bfb   ,barton1 ,b41 #cjj 
----1 ,wm41 #ajd ff4   ,baxter1         
,richard1 #ih ff4   ,beddome1 ,benjamin1
 #aea   ,bede1 #fb   ,beecher1 ,h4 ,w41 
#afj   ,beveridge1 ,bishop1 #ac1 #hb    

,bickersteth1 ,bishop1 #bga   ,binney1  
,thomas1 #cjj   ,bowring1 ,sir ,j41 #cac
   ,bradbury1 ,thomas1 #abd1 #add       
,brady1 ,nicholas1 #aah   ,brevint's    
,christian ,sacrifice1 #agf             
,bromehead1 ,john1 #gg   ,brown1 ,simon1
 #adi   ,browne1 ,sir ,thomas1 #ajf     
,bruce1 ,dr4 ,a4 ,b41 #adg   ,bruce's   
,ode to the ,cuckoo1 #bgh   ,bull1 ,wm41
 #bbg1 #bca   ,bunting1 ,w4 ,m41 #cja   
,butler1 ,bishop1 #afg                  
,c   ,cdmon1 #fb   ,calvinistic         
,controversy1 #ahb ff4   ,campion1      
,thomas1 #gf   ,carey1 ,wm41 #bbe       
,carter's ,altar ,hymnal1 #agf          
,caswall1 ,e41 #cai   ,cennick1 ,john1  
#bdd   ,chambers's ,psalter of ,sarum1  
#ei   ,cheyne1 ,canon1 #cc1 #ce         
,children's hymns1 #bgi   ,christian    
,year1 #bed1 #beh   ,church ,hymns1 #d  
n41 #ed1 #acb   ,clapham ,sect1 #bfc    
,clarke1 ,adam1 #bhi   ,class-meeting1  
,methodist1 #afa   ,clement's           
,paedagogus1 #ee   ,condor1 ,josiah1 #i1
 #gf n41 #aca1 #bic   ,congregational   

,church ,hymnal1 #d1 #gf1 #acb1 #cbi    
,contemporary ,review1 #ba n4           
,coverdale1 ,myles1 #fc ff4   ,cowper1  
,wm41 #ag1 #ba1 #bbd ff41 #bbg          
,crabbe1 ,george1 #bei n4   ,craig1     
,john1 #fh   ,crashaw1 ,richard1 #cae   
,crossman1 ,samuel1 #ig                 
,d   ,dante1 quoted1 #ah   ,dartmouth1  
,earl of1 #bcj   ----1 ,lord1 #ha1 #bcj 
,david1 #cb ff4   ,david's ,lament1 #cc 
,davison1 ,francis1 #ce   ,davis1 ,rev4 
,l41 quoted1 #bhe   ,denham1 ,sir ,john1
 #ig   ,dix1 ,w4 ,c41 #bha   ,doddridge1
 ,philip1 #adc ff4   ,donne1 ,john1     
#ajg1 #cbc   ,driver's ,literature of   
the ,old ,testament1 #ca n4   ,dutton's 
,eucharistic ,manuals1 #agh n4          
,dionysius1 ,bishop1 #dg                
,e   ,eaton's ,holy ,calendar1 #agc     
,elizabeth1 ,queen1 #ga   ,ellerton1    
,john1 #h1 #bj1 #bde1 #bfc1 #bfi1 #cbd  
,elliott1 ,c41 #bge   ,ephesians v4     
#ad41 #dd   ,ephraem ,syrus1 #eb        
,f   ,faber1 ,f4 ,w41 #af1 #ba1 #aie1   
#bbi1 #cag ff4   ,farr's ,select        

,poetry1 #gb1 #ge   ,fletcher1 ,john1   
#ahi1 #bji   ,fox's ,hymns and ,anthems1
 #cac   ,f4 ,b4 ,p41 #gg                
,g   ,gascoigne1 ,george1 #gd           
,gauntlett1 ,dr4 ,h4 ,j41 #bbe          
,gibbons1 ,dr4 ,t41 #aca   ,gill1 ,t4   
,h41 #bgc1 #bif ff4   ,gladstone1 ,w4   
,e41 #bhc   ,glass's ,story of the      
,psalters1 #gd   #8,gloria in           
,excelsis1' #aha   ,gough1 ,benjamin1   
#cjf   ,grace ,abounding1 #adg   ,greek 
hymns1 #ee   ,green1 ,j4 ,r41 quoted1   
#aeh   ,gregory1 ,b4 ,a41 quoted1 #adi  
,h   ,harris1 ,howell1 #bea   ,hart1    
,john1 #adg ff4   ,havergal1 ,f4 ,r41   
#bgg   ,haydock1 ,father1 #caf          
,hazlitt's ,english ,poets1 #bcf        
,heber1 ,bishop1 #ae1 #bed ff41 #bef    
,henry1 ,matthew1 #ajd   ,herbert1      
,george1 #aaj1 #bdb1 #cbc   ,herrick1   
,robert1 #aji   ,hervey1 ,james1 #ahi   
,hilary of ,poictiers1 #dh   ,holland's 
,psalmists of ,britain1 #gd   ,hood's   
,life of ,watts1 #aca n4   ,hopkins1    
,john1 #fd   ,hopps1 ,page1 #cac        

,horder1 ,w4 ,garrett1 #d1 #ae1 #ie1    
#cbi   ,hutton's ,english ,saints1 #ej  
,hymns1 #ab   ,hymns ,a4  ,m41 #d n41   
#cbi                                    
,i   ,ingelow1 ,jean1 #bha   ,irving1   
,edward1 #ca1 #cf1 #aei                 
,j   ,johnson1 ,dr41 #h1 #i1 #bc1 #acf1 
#adi   ,jonson1 ,ben1 #aji   ,julian1   
,dr41 #ej1 #abj1 #ade1 #bbc n4          
,k   ,keach1 ,benjamin1 #ajd   ,keble1  
,john1 #b1 #i1 #ag1 #abi1 #afj1 #agc1   
#beh ff4   ,kelly1 ,thomas1 #bib   ,ken1
 ,thomas1 #bd1 #hj ff41 #ic1 #agc       
,kethe1 ,william1 #fh   ,kirkpatrick's  
,psalms1 #ce                            
,l   ,latin ,hymns1 #eh   ,lecky's      
,history of ,england1 #bjb   ,leeds     
,hymn-book1 #aca1 #bif   ,lewis's ,sweet
 ,singers of ,wales1 #bea ff4           
,longfellow's ,golden ,legend1 #eg      
,lord's ,prayer1 ,the1 #dd   ,lynch1 ,t4
 ,t41 #bid ff4   ,lyra ,apostolica1 #eg 
,lyte1 ,h4 ,f41 #aac1 #bfd ff41 #cbd    
,m   ,madan1 ,martin1 #bdf   ,manning1  
,cardinal1 #cba   ,marckant1 ,john1 #fh 

,marot1 ,clement1 #fe   ,martineau1 ,dr4
 ,james1 #ae1 #be1 #acb1 #acd1 #cac     
,mason1 ,john1 #ajj ff4   ,matheson1    
,dr4 ,george1 #cjh ff4   ,methodist     
,hymn-book1 #d1 #gc1 #acd1 #afa1 #afe1  
#ahh1 #cbg1 #cbh   ,milman1 ,h4 ,h41    
#beg   ,milton's ,lycidas1 #cc          
,montgomery1 ,james1 #he1 #abi1 #bhg ff4
   ,moorsom1 ,r4 ,m41 #ed1 #fb n41 #cae 
,moravian ,hymn-book1 #ai n41 #hf1 #cbg 
,more1 ,henry1 #aae   ,morley's         
,gladstone1 #bfi   ,moses1 ,song of1    
#cj1 #ce   ,murlin1 ,john1 #bbc         
,n   ,nelson1 ,earl1 #aaf   ,nepos1 #dg 
,newman1 ,j4 ,h41 #cg1 #hd1 #beh1 #bfa  
,newton1 ,john1 #bbd ff41 #bbi1 #bch    
,new ,version1 #aag ff4   ,norris1      
,john1 #aae1 #afb   ,norton1 ,thomas1   
#fh   #8,nunc ,dimittis1' #df           
,o   ,ode1 #ab   ,old ,version1 #fd ff4 
,olivers1 ,thomas1 #ci1 #bba   ,olney   
,hymns1 #bbd ff41 #bee                  
,p   ,palgrave1 ,f4 ,t41 #gf n41 #aae1  
#abi1 #bha1 #cbg   ,paradise ,lost1 #age
 n4   ,patrick's ,st41 ,breastplate1    

#bhj   ,pearse1 ,m4 ,g41 #cje           
,pembroke1 ,countess of1 #gb    1 #eg   
,pliny1 #df1 #dg   ,plumptre1 ,dean #hb 
,pope's ,universal ,prayer1 #bd         
,potter1 ,father1 #cai   ,presbyterian  
,church ,hymnary1 #acb1 #caj1 #cbi      
,prichard1 ,rees1 #bej   ,prys1         
,archdeacon1 #bej   ,psalms1 #ab   ----1
 ,book of1 #ca ff4   ,psalm xviii41 #cc 
---- cl41 #ad   ,pullain1 ,john1 #fh    
,punshon1 ,w4 ,m41 #cjb                 
,r   ,rawson1 ,geo41 #bif   #8,rivulet  
,controversy1' #bid   ,romaine1 #abd n41
 #ahi   ,rossetti1 ,c4 ,g41 #ad1 #bha1  
#ccb   ,russell's ,household of ,faith1 
#bhc   ,ryland1 ,dr4 ,john1 #aec        
,s   ,sandys1 ,george1 #gc1 #cbc        
,sankey1 ,i4 ,d41 #c1 #cbi   ,schaff's  
,mediaeval ,christianity1 #c n4         
,selborne1 ,lord1 #ace1 #bcb            
,shepherd1 ,thomas1 #ajc1 #cbd          
,shirley1 ,walter1 #aga   ,shorthouse1  
,j4 ,h41 #aad   ,sidney1 ,sir ,philip1  
#gb   ,smetham1 ,james1 #cjd   ,smith1  
,dr4 ,w4 ,c41 #caj ff4   ,southwell1    

,robert1 #caf   ,spenser1 ,edmund1 #g   
,spurgeon1 ,c4 ,h41 #adg1 #cjj          
,stanley1 ,dean1 #bgc   ,steele1 ,anne1 
#aeb1 #bgd   ,sternhold1 ,thomas1 #fd   
ff4   ,stone1 ,s4 ,j41 #bgj   ,syriac   
hymns1 #eb                              
,t   ,tait1 ,mrs41 #ch   ,tate1 ,nahum1 
#aag   ,taylor1 ,a4 and ,j41 #bgi       
----1 ,jeremy1 #aaf   #8,te ,deum1' #ci1
 #di   ,telford's ,charles ,wesley1     
#aeg1 #aif   ,tennyson1 quoted1 #bc1 #dc
   #a ,timothy iii4 #af41 #dc           
,toplady1 ,a4 ,m41 #bg1 #bba1 #bdg ff41 
#bfd   ,tozer's ,catholic ,hymns1 #cbj  
,trench's ,sacred ,latin ,poetry1 #dh   
,turton1 ,major1 #ahj                   
,v   ,vaughan1 ,henry1 #aab1 #cbc       
,w   ,watts1 ,isaac1 #aa1 #ah1 #ai1 #bb1
 #bg1 #abc ff41 #abg1 #abh1 #acc1 #ace1 
#agj   ,walton1 ,izaak1 quoted1 #ajh    
,wellhausen1 #ca   ,wesley1 ,charles1   
#bj1 #bc1 #be1 #bg1 #ci1 #aeg ff41 #aif 
,wesley's ,charlestown ,hymn-book1 #aee 
,wesley's ,hymns on ,god's ,everlasting 
,love1 #ahc1 #aia   ,wesley's ,hymns of 

the ,calvinistic ,controversy1 #ahb     
,wesley's ,hymns of the ,christian      
,year1 #agb   ,wesley's ,hymns on the   
,lord's ,supper1 #agf   ,wesley's ,hymns
 of the ,methodist ,evangel1 #aic       
,wesley's ,hymns of the ,methodist      
,society1 #aih   ,wesley's ,hymns on our
 ,lord's ,passion1 #agd   ,wesley's     
,hymns on ,passages of ,holy ,scripture1
 #baa   ,wesley1 ,john1 #ae1 #aee ff4   
,wesley's ,journal1 #fg1 #afd1 #bbh1    
#bdd   ,westcott and ,hort1 #dd1 #de    
,weymouth1 ,lord1 #hb   ,whitfield1     
,george1 #agd1 #age1 #ahb ff41 #bde     
,whittingham1 ,wm41 #fh   ,williams1    
,wm41 #bej   ,wisdome1 ,robert1 #fh     
,wither1 ,george1 #ib ff41 #agc1 #cbc   
,wood's ,school ,hymns1 #hb             
,wordsworth1 ,bishop ,c41 #ae1 #cg1 #bfg
   ,wordsworth's ,ode to ,duty1 #ca     
,,index ,,of ,,hymns ,,and ,,verses     
,a   ,,page   ,abide with me            
#ba   ,according to ,thy gracious word  
#bij   ,a charge to keep ,i have        
#baf   ,a helpless soul that looks to   

,thee                               #bac
   ,ah6 ,lord1 with trembling ,i confess
                                #bg     
,alas1 my ,god1 that we should be       
#ajc   ,all praise to ,st4 ,patrick     
#cah   ,all ye that pass by             
#age   ,and didst ,thou love            
#bha   ,and shall ,i slight my ,father's
 love8                             #afi 
,angels from the realms of glory        
#bia   ,angelus ad ,virginem            
#cae   ,as for my friends1 they are not 
lost                              #ii   
,as pants the hart for cooling streams  
#aai   ,at evening to myself ,i say     
#bah   ,away1 my unbelieving fear       
#bab                                    
,b   ,before ,jehovah's awful throne    
#aef   ,begone1 unbelief1 my ,saviour is
 near                             #bcb  
,behold the glories of the ,lamb        
#abf   ,behold the potter and the clay  
#ahc   ,behold us1 ,lord1 a little space
                                  #bgj  
,blessd are the pure in heart           

#cjb   ,breathe from the gentle south1  
,o ,lord                            #bce
   ,breathe1 ,o breathe ,thy loving     
,spirit                             #bjh
   ,britain was doomed to be a slave    
#abc   ,buried in sin1 ,thy voice ,i    
hear                                    
#bab   ,but ,o the power of grace       
,divine                                 
#afj   ,by faith we see ,thy sufferings 
past                              #agg  
,c   ,children of the heavenly ,king    
#bde   ,christ1 the ,lord1 is risen     
to-day                                  
#agd   ,christ the ,lord is risen       
to-day1 ,christians haste               
#agf   ,clothed with state and girt with
 might                            #gc   
,come1 ,divine ,immanuel1 come          
#aig   ,come1 ,holy ,ghost1 all         
quickening fire                         
#baj   ,come1 ,holy ,spirit1 come       
#adi   ,come1 ,holy ,spirit1 heavenly   
,dove                                   
#aej   ,come1 immortal ,king of glory   

#bbb   ,come1 let us join our cheerful  
songs                             #adj  
,come1 let us raise the common song     
#cji   ,come1 ,lord1 and tarry not      
#cjg   ,come1 my soul1 thy suit prepare 
#bcb   ,come1 my ,way1 my ,truth1 my    
,life                                   
#aab   ,come1 ,o come1 in pious lays    
#ie   ,come then1 and to my soul reveal 
#ba   ,come to the supper1 come         
#ach   ,come1 we that love the ,lord    
#adj   ,come1 ye sinners1 poor and      
wretched                                
#adi   ,curb for the stubborn steed     
#ee                                     
,d   ,days and moments quickly flying   
#cah   ,dear dying ,lamb1 ,thy precious 
blood                               #ba 
,dear ,shepherd of ,thy people1 hear    
#bcc   ,death has for me no fears       
#cba   ,deus1 ,creator omnium           
#eh   ,dost ,thou ask me who ,i am8     
#bdb   ,draw near to ,thy ,jerusalem1 ,o
 ,lord                                  
#aag                                    

,e   ,early hasten to the tomb          
#bia   ,eldad1 they said1 and ,medad    
there                                   
#bai   ,eternal ,wisdom6 ,thee we praise
                              #ada1 #aga
   ,exceeding faithful in ,thy word     
#ic   ,exempted from the general doom   
#agb   ,extend to me that favour1 ,lord 
#aai                                    
,f   ,fain would ,i leave this world    
below                              #bjg 
,father1 if justly still we claim       
#aae   ,father of mercies1 in ,thy word 
#aec   ,father1 whose everlasting love  
#ahd   ,fools that true faith yet never 
had                              #aga   
,for all ,thy ,church1 ,o ,lord1 we     
intercede                         #ahj  
,for ever with the ,lord                
#bhi   ,for ,god doth not a whit respect
                                   #ib  
,forth from the dark and stormy sea     
#beg                                    
,g   ,gabriel to ,mary went             
#cae   ,give me the wings of faith to   

rise                               #adj 
,glorious things of ,thee are spoken    
#bcb   ,glory to ,god1 whose sovereign  
grace                              #aig 
,glory to the glorious ,one             
#ec   ,god moves in a mysterious way    
#bcb   ,god of all grace and majesty    
#bjc   ,god of my life1 ,thy boundless  
grace                              #bgg 
,gracious ,spirit1 dwell with me        
#bie   ,granted is the ,saviour's prayer
                                  #agd  
,great is our redeeming ,lord           
#bab   ,guide me1 ,o ,thou great        
,jehovah                                
#bea                                    
,h   ,hail6 gladdening ,light           
#eh   ,hail the day that sees ,him rise 
#agd   ,hail to the ,lord's ,anointed   
#bhi   ,happy sons of ,israel           
#gd   ,hark6 how all the welkin rings   
#agc   ,hark1 my soul6 how every thing  
#hh   ,hark1 my soul1 it is the ,lord   
#bcb   ,he that from dross would win the
 precious ore                    #bia   

,he who would win a warrior's fame      
#cja   ,here ,i know myself a stranger  
#beb   ,here1 where ,thine angels       
overhead                                
#bhc   ,hierusalem1 my happie home      
#gg   ,him ,prophet1 and ,king          
#aih   ,his every word of grace is      
strong                                  
#aga   ,his the glory1 ,his the honour  
#ed   ,holy ,spirit1 pity me            
#cjb   ,how are ,thy servants blest1 ,o 
,lord                               #bdb
   ,how lovely are ,thy tents1 ,o ,lord 
#bac   ,how ready is the man to go      
#bah   ,how rich are ,thy provisions1   
,lord                                   
#ach   ,how shall ,i copy ,him ,i serve 
#bic   ,how shall ,i sing that ,majesty 
#aja   ,how sweet the name of ,jesus    
sounds                                  
#bcb   ,hush1 my dear1 lie still and    
slumber                             #ada
                                    ,i  
,i bind unto myself to-day              
#bhj   ,i call on ,thee1 ,lord ,jesu    

,christ                                 
#fc   ,i could the devil's law receive  
#ahf   ,i hoped that with the brave and 
strong                           #bfe   
,i look to thee1 ,i hope in ,thee       
#bgf   ,if any to the feast have come   
#cab   ,if love in any heart arise      
#bie   ,if my immortal ,saviour lives   
#aec   ,if profit be thy scope          
#adi   ,in a rapture of joy             
#aff   ,in the hour of trial            
#bia   ,in the ,name which earth and    
heaven                                  
#bgj   ,influenced by the ,light ,divine
                                    #hc 
,j   ,jerusalem makes melody            
#ad   ,jerusalem1 where song nor gem    
#ccb   ,jerusalem1 my happy home        
#agg   ,jesu1 all hail1 ,who for my sin 
#hg   ,jesu1 ,lover of my soul          
#bj1 #ci1 #ahd1 #bfg   ,jesu1 ,thy blood
 and righteousness                      
#bjj   ,jesus1 poorest of the poor      
#cjj   ,jesus shall reign where'er the  
sun                               #adj  

,jesus the good ,shepherd is            
#bad   ,jesus1 where'er ,thy people meet
                             #bcb1 #bcc 
,join all the glorious names            
#ai1 #aci                               
,k   ,king of ,glory1 ,king of ,peace   
#aaa   ,king of ,mercy1 ,king of ,love  
#aac                                    
,l   ,lead1 kindly light                
#ba n41 #cg1 #bfa   ,let ,him to whom we
 now belong                             
#aha   ,let me1 according to ,thy word  
#bjd   ,let us with a gladsome mind     
#bgc   ,lift thy song among the nations 
#bii   ,lift up ,thy countenance serene 
#bje   ,lift your eyes of faith1 and see
                                 #agh   
,lo6 ,he comes with clouds descending   
#bde   ,lo6 ,he cometh1 countless       
trumpets                                
#bdf   ,lo6 on a narrow neck of land    
#aif   ,long my imprisoned spirit lay   
#bab   ,lord1 at ,thy feet a sinner lies
                                  #ahj  
,lord1 come away                        

#aaf   ,lord1 dost ,thou ne'er ,thy     
servants bless                          
#big   ,lord1 ,i believe a rest remains 
#bjf   ,lord1 in the strength of grace  
#baa   ,lord1 now the time returns      
#ij   ,lord1 ,thou hast suffered all for
 me                              #bcf   
,lord1 though ,thy ,church in this dark 
world                       #ajj        
,lord1 ,thy gracious voice hath spoken  
#bii   ,lord1 who didst the ,prophets   
teach                               #bfh
   ,love bade me welcome                
#aaa   ,love divine1 all loves excelling
                            #bjh1 #bji  
,m   ,maker of all things6 ,god most    
high                                #fj 
,moored by a green isle of ,winandermere
                           #bga   ,much 
,i love the faithful pilgrims           
#beb   ,my ,god1 ,i am ,thine           
#bjj   ,my ,god1 the spring of all my   
joys                                #adj
   ,my heart is full of ,christ1 and    
longs                            #bae   

,my life's a shade1 my days             
#ig   ,my ,saviour1 my ,beloved ,one    
#ajf   ,my ,saviour1 whom absent ,i love
                                   #bcg 
,my ,shepherd will supply my need       
#acd   ,my soul looks back to see       
#aff                                    
,n   ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee         
#cac   ,never weather-beaten sail       
#gf   ,none is like ,jeshurun's ,god    
#bab   ,not all the blood of beasts     
#abe1 #aff   ,now ,i have found the     
ground wherein                          
#aii   ,now it belongs not to my care   
#ii   ,now the labourer's task is o'er  
#bgj1 #cca                              
,o   ,o all that pass by                
#aid   ,o arm me with the mind          
#ahh   ,o blessed well of love          
#g   ,o crucified1 triumphant ,lord     
#cjb   ,o'er those gloomy hills of      
darkness                                
#bea   ,o for a closer walk with ,god   
#bcb   ,oft1 ,lord1 ,i weary in ,thy    
work                                    

#caa   ,o ,god1 my strength and         
fortitude                               
#fe   ,o ,god of ,bethel1 by whose hand 
#adf   ,o happy day that fixed my choice
                             #ci1 #adg  
,o1 ,i tremble still to think           
#bci   ,o holy1 blessed1 glorious ,three
                                  #aad  
,o let me kiss ,thy bleeding feet       
#aia   ,o ,lord1 turn not ,thy face away
                                    #fi 
,o ,lord1 with all my heart and mind    
#ff   ,o ,love divine6 what hast ,thou  
done6                              #age 
,o make but trial of ,his love          
#aai   ,o that my soul were now as fair 
#ajc   ,o ,thou not made with hands     
#bhb   ,o ,thou who camest from above   
#bag   ,o ,thou who hast our sorrows    
borne                                   
#age   ,o unexampled ,love              
#aib   ,o what shall ,i do ,my ,savour  
to praise                               
#bjj   ,o when shall we sweetly remove  
#bbj   ,o when wilt ,thou my ,saviour be

                                   #bdi 
,o yet once more o'er ,english fields   
#cai   ,on all the earth ,thy ,spirit   
shower                                  
#aae   ,onward ,christian soldiers      
#bhf                                    
,p   ,part of ,his ,church below        
#agi   ,pensive1 doubting1 fearful heart
                                 #bdj   
,perverse and foolish oft ,i strayed    
#bfi   ,pilgrim1 burthened with thy sin 
#bei   ,praise ye the ,lord1 for it is  
good                                #fh 
,prayer is the breath of ,god in man    
#aea   ,prayer is the soul's sincere    
desire                              #bij
                                    ,q  
,quiet1 ,lord1 my froward heart         
#bcb                                    
,r   ,raised from the people's lowest   
lees                             #bai   
,repentance is to leave                 
#bgi   ,ride on1 ride on in majesty     
#beg   ,rock of ,ages1 cleft for me     
#bdh                                    

,s   ,saved from the fear of hell and   
death                            #aei   
,saviour1 for ,thy love we praise ,thee 
#cje   ,see how great a flame aspires   
#aig1 #bei   ,sent by my ,lord1 on you  
,i call                                 
#aij   ,she1 too1 who touched ,thee in  
the press                          #bcd 
,show me1 ,lord1 that ,thou art love    
#cjd   ,shudder not to pass the stream  
#bfd   ,sinners1 believe the gospel word
                                 #aib   
,sometimes a light surprises            
#bcb   ,sons of men1 behold from far    
#agd   ,souls of men1 why will ye       
scatter8                           #af1 
#aie   ,star of morn and even           
#bhb   ,sun of my soul1 ,thou ,saviour  
dear                                 #ci
   ,sure the ,lord thus far has brought 
me                            #bci      
,surely ,i have pardon found            
#bjh   ,sweet ,jesu6 why1 why dost ,thou
 love                               #hh 
,sweet place1 sweet place alone         

#ig   ,sweet ,saviour1 bless us ere we  
go                                 #ba  
,t   ,the ,church's one foundation      
#bgj1 #bhf   ,the cup of blessing       
blessed by ,thee                        
#agf   ,the graves of all ,his saints   
,he blessed                             
#ada   ,the heavenly frame sets forth   
the fame                            #gb 
,the ,lord my pasture shall prepare     
#adc   ,the ,lord will happiness divine 
#bcd   ,the mercy ,i feel to others ,i  
show                                #aid
   ,the night is come like to the day   
#ajg   ,the private slanderer shall be  
#abj   ,the promise of my ,father's love
                                  #aci  
,the promised land from ,pisgah's top   
#adj   ,the righteous ,god consigned    
#ahg   ,the spacious firmament on high  
#bcd   ,the thing my ,god doth hate     
#bje   ,the wakeful shepherds near their
 flocks                          #aja   
,the whole triumphant host              
#ci   ,the winter's night and summer's  

day                              #bja   
,thee will ,i praise with all my heart  
#bac   ,their earnest cries do pierce   
the skies                          #aja 
,there are in this loud stunning tide   
#ic   ,there is a fountain filled with  
blood                             #bb   
,there is a land of pure delight        
#aa1 #adj   ,thine image1 if ,thou stamp
 on me                                  
#bag   ,this ,god is the ,god we adore  
#adi   ,this is the gift1 ,thy gift1 ,o 
,lord                                #ih
   ,thou art coming1 ,o my ,saviour     
#bgh   ,thou dear ,redeemer1 dying ,lamb
                                   #bde 
,thou1 ,lord1 art a shield for me       
#bac   ,thou say'st1 #8,take up thy     
cross'                                  
#bhb   ,thou that once on mother's knee 
#bhb   ,though troubles assail1 and     
dangers affright                        
#bcb   ,through all the changing scenes 
of life                          #aai   
,thy mercy is above all things          

#fg   ,thy sovereign grace to all       
extends                                 
#aia   ,thy way is in the deep1 ,o ,lord
                                   #cad 
,till ,he come1 ,o let the words        
#bgb   ',tis gone1 that bright and orbed
 blaze                            #fa   
,to the hills ,i lift mine eyes         
#bac   ,to ,thee1 my ,god1 my ,saviour  
#bec                                    
,u   ,unwearied1 let us still request   
#bag                                    
,v   ,view me1 ,lord1 a work of ,thine  
#gf                                     
,w   ,we are a garden walled around     
#afh   ,we woke to-day with anthems     
sweet                                   
#cjc   ,weary of earth1 and laden with  
my sin                            #bgj  
,what a gracious ,god have we           
#ia   ,what are these arrayed in white  
#agh   ,what conscience dictates to be  
done                               #bd  
,when all ,thy mercies1 ,o my ,god      
#bdc   ,when ,i survey life's varied    

scene                                   
#aec   ,when ,i survey the wondrous     
,cross                        #aa1 #abe1
 #aci   ,when ,israel1 freed from       
,pharaoh's hand                         
#bdc   ,when rising from the bed of     
death                                   
#bdc   ,where but on yonder tree        
#bah   #8,where is your ,god8' they say 
#cad   ,wherewith1 ,o ,god1 shall ,i    
draw near                               
#bab   ,while ,jacob for a wife doth    
wait                                    
#bah   ,while shepherds watched their   
flocks                             #bai 
,who in the ,lord confide               
#bac   ,why do ,i sigh to find          
#bfe   ,why should ,i always pray       
#caj   ,wilt thou forgive that sin      
#ajh   ,with all the powers my poor     
heart hath                              
#cae   ,with glorious clouds encompassed
 round                           #agd   
,with golden bells the priestly vest    
#bcg   ,with solemn faith we offer up   

#agg   ,worship and thanks and blessing 
#aif                                    
,y   ,ye holy angels bright             
#ii   ,ye humble souls that seek the    
,lord                               #afe
   ,ye neighbours and friends of ,jesus 
#aie   ,yes1 ,i to the end shall endure 
#bg   ,you that have spent the silent   
night                              #ge  
,,the ,,end                             
,,printed ,,by                          
,,william ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1        
,,limited1                              
,,london ,,and ,,beccles4               
,transcriber's ,notes   --,retained     
publication information from the printed
 edition3 this   e,book is public-domain
 in the country of publication4         
--,silently corrected a few palpable    
typos4  --,in the text versions only1   
text in italics is delimited by         
underscores4