the otterbein hymnal for use in public and social worship. prepared by edmund s. lorenz. dayton, ohio: united brethren publishing house, . the general conference of the church of the united brethren in christ, at its session in may, , ordered,-- "that a small hymnal, adapted to general church purposes, be published soon." _advisory committee_ musical. samuel e. kumler. calvin h. lyon. mrs. a.r. shauck. judge john a. shauck literary. prof. j.p. landis, d.d., ph.d. copyright, , by w.j. shuey, agent. introduction the general conference of ordered the publication of a hymnal that should be fully adapted to the needs of our church. in compliance with these instructions, the publishing agent, rev. w.j. shuey, arranged for its issue. rev. e.s. lorenz, well and favorably known throughout the church, was asked to edit it, and, with the assistance of a thoroughly competent committee, has accomplished his task. i have carefully examined it in every part, and cannot see where any improvement can be made. it is pre-eminently a united brethren hymn-book, providing as it does for every phase of our characteristic church life. it combines the solidity and stateliness of the standard hymns of the ages, with the life and sprightliness of the modern gospel song. the most recent songs are here for the young people, while the older members of the church will hail with delight the reappearance of old songs dear to the hearts of many of us, because they are precious and good, and because our mothers sang them. meeting every need of the public service, revival and social meetings, the sunday-school, and the family, i can most cheerfully recommend this collection of hymns to our people, and trust that it will speedily be permitted to bring its help and blessing into every united brethren church in our broad land, and beyond the seas, and that it will prove one of the many tender ties that unite our widely scattered members. a. weaver, _senior bishop._ dayton, ohio, april , . preface. to he useful, a hymnal must express the peculiar type of christian life characterizing the denomination it is to serve. the church of the united brethren in christ emphasizes the necessity of christian experience--experimental religion, the fathers would have phrased it--and recognises revival effort as the characteristic phase of its church activity; hence, its hymnal must furnish ample expression for its full and varied christian experience and large facilities for revival work. in attempting to do this, the other phases of church life, which it has in common with other denominations, have not been forgotten or ignored, and it is hoped this collection of hymns and songs will be found as full and symmetrical as the church life it seeks to express. in order to meet the needs of the many stages of literary and musical culture, hymns and tunes of the highest artistic merit stand side by side with songs whose practical value and spiritual purpose must atone for lack of literary and musical grace. doubtless many favorites will be missed from these pages, but the body of popular sacred songs is so large and rich that it was impossible to include everything desirable in so small a volume. to the many brethren, whose number makes personal mention impossible, who kindly responded to a call for suggestions and advice, the thanks of the editor are due. while all could not be accepted, they have been very helpful, and have had large influence in giving character to the book. the valuable assistance furnished by the advisory committee deserves most kindly and hearty recognition. the owners of the many valuable copyright songs, in connection with which their names severally appear, will accept thanks for the kindness which so greatly enriches these pages. that this volume will prove an effective instrument in the hands of the workers of the church of the united brethren in christ for the accomplishment of great and lasting good, and bring to many hearts the same comfort and joy which its preparation brought to that of the editor, is his earnest hope and prayer. e.s.l. dayton ohio, april , . (otterbein hymnal.) table of contents worship: nos. general praise - sanctuary - sabbath day - morning and evening - holy scriptures - god, being and attributes - christ: incarnation and birth - life and character - suffering and death - resurrection and ascension - exaltation and reign - holy spirit - man's lost estate: man a sinner - atonement provided - invitation - warning - repentance - the christian life: conversion - consecration - love and praise to christ - graces and privileges - faith and trust - affliction - prayer - christian activity - christian warfare - the christian church: security and success - missions - ministry - church fellowship - ordinances - the life beyond: death - judgment - eternity and heaven - miscellaneous - the otterbein hymnal. gloria patri. glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy ghost, and to the holy ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, world without end. amen. gloria patri. glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. amen. old hundred. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) before jehovah's awful throne, ye nations, bow with sacred joy; know that the lord is god alone; he can create, and he destroy. his sovereign power, without our aid, made us of clay, and formed us men; and when like wandering sheep we strayed, he brought us to his fold again. we are his people, we his care-- our souls, and all our mortal frame; what lasting honors shall we rear, almighty maker, to thy name? we'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, high as the heavens our voices raise; and earth, with her ten thousand tongues, shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. wide as the world is thy command; vast as eternity thy love; firm as a rock thy truth shall stand, when rolling years shall cease to move. isaac watts. old hundred. l.m. _all men invited to praise god._ ( ) from all that dwell below the skies let the creator's praise arise; let the redeemer's name be sung, through every land, by every tongue. eternal are thy mercies, lord; eternal truth attends thy word; thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, till suns shall rise and set no more. your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring, in songs of praise divinely sing: the great salvation loud proclaim, and shout for joy the savior's name. in every land begin the song; to every land the strains belong; in cheerful sounds all voices raise, and till the world with loudest praise. isaac watts, . old hundred. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) awake, my soul, awake my tongue, my god demands the grateful song; let all my inmost powers record the wondrous mercy of the lord. divinely free his mercy flows, forgives my sins, allays my woes, and bids approaching death remove, and crowns me with indulgent love. his mercy, with unchanging rays, forever shines, while time decays; and children's children shall record the truth and goodness of the lord. while all his works his praise proclaim and men and angels bless his name, oh, let my heart, my life, my tongue attend, and join the blissful song! anne steele, . old hundred. l.m. _doxology._ praise god, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise father, son and holy ghost. thos. ken. lord of all being. l.m. _omnipresence._ ( ) lord of all being! throned afar, thy glory flames from sun and star; center and soul of ev'ry sphere, yet to each loving heart how near! sun of our life! thy quick'ning ray sheds on our path the glow of day; star of our hope! thy softened light cheers the long watches of the night. our midnight is thy smile withdrawn; our noontide is thy gracious dawn; our rainbow arch thy mercy's sign; all, save the clouds of sin, are thine. grant us thy truth to make us free, and kindling hearts that burnt for thee, till all thy living altars claim one holy light, one heavenly flame. oliver wendell holmes, . duke street. l.m. _the majesty of god._ ( ) come, oh, my soul, in sacred lays, attempt thy great creator's praise; but oh! what tongue can speak his fame? what mortal verse can reach the theme? enthroned amidst the radiant spheres, he glory like a garment wears; to form a robe of light divine, ten thousand suns around him shine. in all our master's grand designs, omnipotence with wisdom shines; his works, through all this wondrous frame, bear the great impress of his name. raised on devotion's lofty wing, do thou, my soul! his glories sing; and let his praise employ thy tongue, till listening worlds applaud the song. thomas blacklock, . rockingham. l.m. _life-long praise._ ( ) god of my life! through all my days my grateful powers shall sound my praise; the song shall wake with opening light, and warble to the silent night. when anxious cares would break my rest, and griefs would tear my throbbing breast, thy tuneful praises, raised on high, shall check the murmur and the sigh. when death o'er nature shall prevail, and all its powers of language fail, joy thro' my swimming eyes shall break, and mean the thanks i cannot speak. soon shall i learn th' exalted strains, which echo o'er the heavenly plains, and emulate, with joy unknown, the growing seraphs round thy throne. philip doddridge, . rockingham. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) oh, render thanks to god above, the fountain of eternal love; whose mercy firm, through ages past, hath stood, and shall forever last. who can his mighty deeds express, not only vast--but numberless? what mortal eloquence can raise his tribute of immortal praise? extend to me that favor, lord, thou to thy chosen dost afford; when thou return'st to set them free. let thy salvation visit me. tate-brady. rockingham. l.m. _god revealed in christ._ ( ) now to the lord, a noble song! awake, my soul! awake, my tongue, hosanna to th' eternal name, and all his boundless love proclaim. see where it shines in jesus' face,-- the brightest image of his grace! god, in the person of his son, has all his mightiest works outdone. grace!--'tis a sweet, a charming theme; my thoughts rejoice at jesus' name: ye angels! dwell upon the sound; ye heavens! reflect it to the ground. oh! may i live to reach the place, where he unveils his lovely face, where all his beauties you behold, and sing his name to harps of gold. isaac watts, . rockingham. l.m. _unceasing praise._ ( ) my god! my king! thy various praise shall fill the remnant of my days; thy grace employ my humble tongue, till death and glory raise the song. the wings of every hour shall bear some thankful tribute to thine ear; and every setting sun shall see new works of duty, done for thee. but who can speak thy wondrous deeds? thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds; vast and unsearchable thy ways-- vast and immortal be thy praise. isaac watts, . otterbein. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) oh, come, loud anthems let us sing, loud thanks to our almighty king! for we our voices high should raise, when our salvation's rock we praise. into his presence let us haste, to thank him for his favors past; to him address, in joyful songs, the praise that to his name belongs. oh, let us to his courts repair, and bow with adoration there; down on our knees, devoutly, all before the lord, our maker, fall. nahum tate, . park street. l.m. _joining in praise._ ( ) sweet is the work, my god! my king! to praise thy name, give thanks and sing; to show thy love by morning light, and talk of all thy truth at night. sweet is the day of sacred rest; no mortal care shall seize my breast; o may my heart in tune be found, like david's harp of solemn sound. my heart shall triumph in the lord, and bless his works, and bless his word; thy works of grace, how bright they shine! how deep thy counsels! how divine! isaac watts. harvey's chant. c. m. _the goodness of god in his works._ ( ) hail! great creator, wise and good! to thee our songs we raise; nature, through all her various scenes, invites us to thy praise. at morning, noon, and evening mild, fresh wonders strike our view; and, while we gaze, our hearts exult with transports ever new. thy glory beams in every star, which gilds the gloom of night; and decks the smiling face of morn with rays of cheerful light. and while, in all thy wondrous ways, thy varied love we see; oh, may our hearts, great god, be led through all thy works to thee. anon. . harvey's chant. c.m. _praise at all times._ ( ) my soul shall praise thee, o my god through all my mortal days, and in eternity prolong thy vast, thy boundless praise. in every smiling, happy hour, be this my sweet employ; thy praise refines my earthly bliss, and heightens all my joy. when anxious grief and gloomy care afflict my throbbing breast, my tongue shall learn to speak thy praise, and lull each pain to rest. nor shall my tongue alone proclaim the honors of my god; my life, with all its active powers, shall spread thy praise abroad. and when these lips shall cease to move, when death shall close these eyes, my soul shall then to nobler heights of joy and transport rise. o. heigenbotham. harvey's chant. c.m. _psalm ._ ( ) lift up to god the voice of praise, whose breath our souls inspired; loud, and more loud the anthem raise, with grateful ardor fired. lift up to god the voice of praise, whose goodness, passing thought, loads every minute as it flies, with benefits unsought. lift up to god the voice of praise from whom salvation flows, who sent his son, our souls to save from everlasting woes. lift up to god the voice of praise, for hope's transporting ray, which lights, through darkest shades of death, to realms of endless day. ralph wardlaw, . nicæa s, s, & s. _adoration._ holy, holy, holy! lord god almighty! early in the morning our song shall rise to thee; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty! god over all and blest eternally. holy, holy, holy! all saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, who wast, and art, and evermore shall be. holy, holy, holy! tho' the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see; only thou art holy, there is none beside thee; perfect in power, in love, and purity. holy, holy, holy! lord god almighty! all thy works shall praise thy name in earth, and sky, and sea; holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty! god over all, and blest eternally. reginald heber--_alt._ nicæa s, s, & s. _psalm ._ ( ) sing to the lord jehovah's name, and in his strength rejoice; when his salvation is our theme, exalted be our voice. with thanks approach his awful sight, and psalms of honor sing; the lord's a god of boundless might-- the whole creation's king. come, and with humble souls adore; come, kneel before his face; oh, may the creatures of his power be children of his grace. now is the time--he bends his ear, and waits for your request; come, lest he rouse his wrath, and swear, "ye shall not see my rest." isaac watts, . st. thomas. s.m. _bless the lord._ ( ) oh, bless the lord, my soul! let all within me join, and aid my tongue to bless his name, whose favors are divine. oh, bless the lord, my soul, nor let his mercies lie forgotten in unthankfulness, and without praises die. 'tis he forgives thy sins-- 'tis he relieves thy pain-- 'tis he that heals thy sicknesses, and gives thee strength again. he crowns thy life with love, when ransomed from the grave; he who redeemed my soul from hell, hath sovereign power to save. isaac watts. silver street. s.m. _psalm ._ ( ) come, sound his praise abroad, and hymns of glory sing; jehovah is the sov'reign god, the universal king. he formed the deeps unknown; he gave the seas their bound; the watery worlds are all his own, and all the solid ground. come, worship at his throne; come, bow before the lord; we are his works, and not our own; he formed us by his word. to-day attend his voice, nor dare provoke his rod; come, like the people of his choice, and own your gracious god. isaac watts, . gates of praise. _gates of praise._ lift up the gates of praise, that we may enter in, and o'er salvation's walls proclaim that christ redeems from sin. cho.--the stars may praise the hand that decks the sky above, but man alone can tell the pow'r of christ's redeeming love. god's works reveal his might, his majesty and grace; but not the tender father's love that saves a dying race. then let the voice of praise to heavenly courts ascend, till with the songs the angels sing our hallelujahs blend. to him that hath redeemed our souls from sin's dark maze; the hope and savior of mankind, be everlasting praise. m. e. servoss. leighton. s.m. _exhortation to praise._ ( ) stand up, and bless the lord, ye people of his choice! stand up, and bless the lord, your god,. with heart, and soul, and voice. though high above all praise, above all blessing high, who would not fear his holy name, and laud and magnify? oh, for the living flame from his own altar brought, to touch our lips, our minds inspire, and wing to heaven our thought! god is our strength and song, and his salvation ours; then be his love in christ proclaimed, with all our ransomed powers. james montgomery, . wilmot. s & s. _psalm ._ ( ) praise the lord, ye heavens! adore him; praise him, angels in the height! sun and moon! rejoice before him; praise him, all ye stars of light! praise the lord, for he hath spoken; worlds his mighty voice obeyed; laws, which never shall be broken, for their guidance he hath made. praise the lord, for he is glorious; never shall his promise fail; god hath made his saints victorious; sin and death shall not prevail. praise the god of our salvation, hosts on high! his power proclaim heaven and earth, and all creation! laud and magnify his name. john kempthorne, . horton. s. _psalm ._ ( ) thank and praise jehovah's name; for his mercies, firm and sure, from eternity the same to eternity endure. let the ransomed thus rejoice, gathered out of every land; as the people of his choice, plucked from the destroyer's hand. praise him, ye who know his love; praise him from the depths beneath; praise him in the heights above; praise your maker all that breathe. for his truth and mercy stand, past, and present, and to be, like the years of his right hand-- like his own eternity. james montgomery, . hallelujah! s & s. _praise the lord._ hallelujah! song of gladness; song of everlasting joy; hallelujah! song the sweetest that can angel hosts employ. cho.--praise ye the lord! sing hallelujah! praise ye the lord! sing hallelujah! praise ye the lord! sing hallelujah! praise ye the lord! hallelujah! church victorious, thou mayst lift this joyful strain; hallelujah! songs of triumph, well befit the ransomed train. hallelujah! let our voices rise to heav'n with full accord; hallelujah! ev'ry moment brings us nearer to the lord. but our earnest supplication, holy god, we raise to thee; bring us to thy blissful presence. let us all thy glory see. anon. let us praise him to-day. s & s. _the universal song._ praise to thee, thou great creator! praise to thee from ev'ry tongue; join, my soul, with ev'ry creature, join the universal song. cho.--glory to the father and the son, glory to the spirit! three in one! let us praise him, let us praise him, let us praise him to-day, and sing his loving kindness on our way. father! source of all compassion! pure, unbounded grace is thine; hail the lord of our salvation! praise him for his love divine. for ten thousand blessings given, for the hope of future joy, sound his praise thro' earth and heaven, sound jehovah's praise on high. praise to god, our great creator! father, son, and holy ghost; praise him, ev'ry living creature, earth and heav'n's united host. j. w. fawcett, . lyons. s & s. _praise of divine love._ o worship the king, all-glorious above, and gratefully sing his wonderful love; our shield and defender, the ancient of days, pavilioned in splendor and girdled with praise. thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite? it breathes in the air, it shines in the light; it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain. frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies, how tender! how firm to the end, our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend! our father and god, how faithful thy love! while angels delight to hymn thee above, the humbler creation, though feeble their lays. with true adoration shall lisp to thy praise. sir robert grant, . lyons. s & s. _salvation to god._ ye servants of god, your master proclaim, and publish abroad his wonderful name. the name, all-victorious, of jesus extol; his kingdom is glorious, and rules over all. god ruleth on high, almighty to save; and still he is nigh, his presence we have; the great congregation his triumph shall sing, ascribing salvation to jesus our king. "salvation to god, who sits on the throne," let all cry aloud, and honor the son; our savior's high praises the angels proclaim,-- fall down on their faces, and worship the lamb. c. wesley, . gerar. s.m. _the glories of the sanctuary._ ( ) how charming is the place where my redeemer god unveils the glories of his face, and sheds his love abroad! here, on the mercy seat, with radiant glory crowned, our joyful eyes behold him sit, and smile on all around. to him their prayers and cries, each contrite soul presents; and while he hears their humble sighs he grants them all their wants. give me, o lord, a place within thy blest abode; among the children of thy grace, the servants of my god. s. stennett. hendon. s. _a blessing implored._ ( ) lord! we come before thee now; at thy feet we humbly bow; oh, do not our suit disdain; shall we seek thee, lord, in vain? send some message from thy word, that may joy and peace afford; let thy spirit now impart full salvation to each heart. comfort those who weep and mourn; let the time of joy return; those that are cast down lift up, strong in faith, in love, and hope. grant that those who seek may find thee, a god sincere and kind; heal the sick, the captive free, let us all rejoice in thee. william hammond, . sicily. s, s, & s. _opening of service._ ( ) in thy name, o lord! assembling, we, thy people, now draw near; teach us to rejoice with trembling; speak, and let thy servants hear-- hear with meekness-- hear thy word with godly fear. while our days on earth are lengthened, may we give them, lord, to thee; cheered by hope, and daily strengthened, may we run, nor weary be, till thy glory without clouds in heaven we see. there, in worship, purer, sweeter, thee thy people shall adore; tasting of enjoyment greater far than thought conceived before; full enjoyment, full, unmixed, and evermore. thomas kelly, . sicily. s, s, & s. _close of service._ ( ) lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, fill our hearts with joy and peace; let us each, thy love possessing, triumph in redeeming grace; oh! refresh us, traveling through this wilderness. thanks we give and adoration, for thy gospel's joyful sound; may the fruits of thy salvation in our hearts and lives abound; may thy presence with us, evermore, be found. so, whene'er the signal's given, us from earth to call away, borne on angel's wings to heaven, glad the summons to obey, we shall surely reign with christ in endless day. walter shirley, . sicily. s, s, & s. _plea for parting blessing._ ( ) god of our salvation! hear us; bless, oh, bless us, ere we go; when we join the world, be near us, lest we cold and careless grow. savior! keep us; keep us safe from every foe. as our steps are drawing nearer to our everlasting home, may our view of heaven grow clearer, hope more bright of joys to come; and, when dying, may thy presence cheer the gloom. thomas kelly, . mendon. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) great god! attend while zion sings the joy that from thy presence springs; to spend one day with thee on earth exceeds a thousand days of mirth. might i enjoy the meanest place within thy house, o god of grace! not tents of ease, nor thrones of power, should tempt my feet to leave thy door. god is our sun, he makes our day; god is our shield, he guards our way from all th' assaults of hell and sin, from foes without and foes within. all needful grace will god bestow, and crown that grace with glory too; he gives us all things, and withholds no real good from upright souls. o god, our king! whose sovereign sway the glorious hosts of heaven obey, and devils at thy presence flee; blest is the man that trusts in thee! isaac watts, . mendon l.m. _the presence of christ._ ( ) how sweet to leave the world awhile, and seek the presence of our lord! dear savior! on thy people smile, and come, according to thy word. from busy scenes we now retreat, that we may here converse with thee: ah! lord! behold us at thy feet;-- let this the gate of heaven be. chief of ten thousand! now appear, that we by faith may see thy face; oh! speak, that we thy voice may hear and let thy presence fill this place. thomas kelly, . mendon. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) how pleasant, how divinely fair, o lord of hosts, thy dwellings are! with long desire my spirit faints, to meet the assemblies of thy saints. my flesh would rest in thine abode; my panting heart cries out for god; my god! my king! why should i be so far from all my joys and thee? blest are the souls who find a place within the temple of thy grace; there they behold thy gentler rays, and seek thy face and learn thy praise. blest are the men whose hearts are set to find the way to zion's gate; god is their strength, and through the road they lean upon their helper, god. cheerful they walk with growing strength, till all shall meet in heaven at length; till all before thy face appear, and join in nobler worship there. isaac watts, ward. l.m. _before sermon._ ( ) thy presence, gracious god! afford: prepare us to receive thy word; now let thy voice engage our ear, and faith be mixed with what we hear. distracting thoughts and cares remove, and fix our hearts and hopes above; with food divine may we be fed and satisfied with living bread. to us thy sacred word apply, with sovereign power and energy; and may we, in thy faith and fear, reduce to practice what we hear. father, in us thy son reveal; teach us to know and do thy will; thy saving power and love display. and guide us to the realms of day. john fawcett. . migdol. l.m. _acts : ._ ( ) command thy blessing from above o god, on all assembled here; behold us with a father's love, while we look up with filial fear. command thy blessing, jesus, lord! may we thy true disciples be; speak to each heart the mighty word-- say to the weakest, follow me. command thy blessing in this hour, spirit of truth! and till the place with wounding and with healing power, with quickening and confirming grace. oh, thou, our maker, savior, guide, one true, eternal god confessed; whom thou hast joined none may divide, none dare to curse whom thou hast blest. james montgomery mear. c.m. _god's presence in sanctuary_. ( ) again our earthly cares we leave, and in thy courts appear; again, with joyful feet, we come to meet our savior here. within those walls let holy peace. and love, and concord dwell; here give the troubled conscience ease-- the wounded spirit heal. the feeling heart, the melting eye. the humble mind bestow; and shine upon us from on high, to make our graces grow. may we in faith receive thy word, in faith present our prayers; and in the presence of our lord, unbosom all our cares. shew us some token of thy love, our fainting hope to raise; and pour thy blessing from above, that we may render praise. john newton, , _a._ mear. c.m. _dedication_. ( ) oh, thou, whose own vast temple stands, built over earth and sea! accept the walls that human hands have raised to worship thee. lord! from thine inmost glory send, within these walls t' abide, the peace that dwelleth without end serenely by thy side! may erring minds, that worship here, be taught the better way; and they who mourn, and they who fear, be strengthened as they pray. may faith grow firm, and love grow warm, and pure devotion rise, while, round these hallowed walls, the storm of earth-born passion dies. william c. bryant, mear. c.m. _psalm ._ ( ) how did my heart rejoice to hear my friends devoutly say-- "in zion let us all appear-- and keep the solemn day!" i love her gates, i love the road; the church, adorned with grace, stands like a palace, built for god to show his milder face. up to her courts, with joys unknown, the holy tribes repair; the son of david holds his throne, and sits in judgment there. he hears our praises and complaints; and, while his awful voice divides the sinners from the saints, we tremble and rejoice. peace be within this sacred place, and joy a constant guest! with holy gifts and heavenly grace by her attendants blest! my soul shall pray for zion still, while life or breath remains; there my best friends, my kindred, dwell, there god, my saviour, reigns. isaac watts, lisbon. s.m. _the sabbath welcomed._ ( ) welcome! sweet day of rest, that saw the lord arise! welcome to this reviving breast, and these rejoicing eyes! the king himself comes near, and feasts his saints to-day; here we may sit and see him here, and love, and praise, and pray. one day in such a place, where thou, my god, art seen, is sweeter than ten thousand days of pleasurable sin. my willing soul would stay in such a frame as this, and sit and sing herself away to everlasting bliss. isaac watts, mendebras. s & s. d. _the sabbath holy._ o day of rest and gladness, o day of joy and light! o balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright! on thee, the high and lowly, before th' eternal throne, sing holy! holy! holy! to the great three in one. on thee, at the creation. the light first had its birth; on thee for our salvation, christ rose from depths of earth. on thee, our lord, victorious, the spirit sent from heaven, and thus on thee, most glorious, a triple light was given. new graces ever gaining from this our day of rest, we reach the rest remaining to spirits of the blest; to holy ghost be praises, to father and to son; the church her voice upraises to thee, blest three in one. christopher wordsworth, . auburn. c.m. _sweet day of rest._ ( ) come, dearest lord, and feed thy sheep, on this sweet day of rest; oh, bless this flock, and make this fold enjoy a heavenly rest. welcome, and precious to my soul are these sweet days of love; but what a sabbath shall i keep when i shall rest above! i come, i wait, i hear, i pray; thy footsteps. lord. i trace; here, in thine own appointed way, i wait to see thy face. those are the sweet and precious days on which my lord i've seen; and oft, when feasting on his word, in raptures i have been. oh, if my soul, when death appears. in this sweet frame be found, i'll clasp my savior in mine arms, and leave this earthly ground. john mason, . auburn. c.m. _sabbath morn._ ( ) how sweetly breaks the sabbath dawn along the eastern skies! so, when the night of time hath gone, eternity shall rise. how softly spreads the sabbath light! how soon the gloom hath fled! so o'er the new created sight celestial bliss is spread. what quiet reigns o'er earth and sea, through all the stilly air! so calm may we this sabbath be, and free from worldly care. thus let thy peace, o lord! pervade our bosoms all our days; and let each passing hour be made a herald of thy praise. this peace of god--how full! how sweet it flows from jesus' breast; it makes our bliss on earth complete, it brings eternal rest. edwin f. hatfield, auburn. c.m. _the lord's day morning._ ( ) when the worn spirit wants repose, and sighs her god to seek, how sweet to hail the evening's close that ends the weary week! how sweet to hail the early dawn that opens on the sight, when first that soul-reviving morn sheds forth new rays of light! sweet day! thine hours too soon will cease; yet, while they gently roll, breathe, heavenly spirit, source of peace, a sabbath o'er my soul. when will my pilgrimage be done, the world's long week be o'er, that sabbath dawn which needs no sun, that day which fades no more? james edmeston, . sabbath. s, or lines. _blessing of the sabbath._ ( ) safely thro' another week, god has bro't us on our way; let us now a blessing seek, waiting in his courts to-day; day of all the week the best, emblem of eternal rest. while we seek supplies of grace through the dear redeemer's name, show thy reconciling face; take away our sin and shame; from our worldly cares set free; may we rest, this day, in thee. may the gospel's joyful sound conquer sinners, comfort saints, make the fruits of grace abound, bring relief from all complaints; thus let all our sabbaths prove, till we join the church above. john newton, . _a._ lischer. (german.) h.m. _rejoicing in the sabbath._ ( ) welcome, delightful morn! thou day of sacred rest; i hail thy kind return; lord, make these moments blest; from the low train of mortal toys i soar to reach immortal joys. now may the king descend, and fill his throne of grace; thy scepter, lord, extend, while saints address thy face! let sinners feel thy quickening word, and learn to know and fear the lord. descend, celestial dove, with all thy quickening powers; disclose a savior's love, and bless the sacred hours; then shall my soul new life obtain, nor sabbaths be indulged in vain. hayward, . spanish hymn, s, . _the day of rest._ ( ) welcome, sacred day of rest! sweet repose from worldly care; day above all days the best, when our souls for heav'n prepare; day, when our redeemer rose, victor o'er the hosts of hell; thus he vanquished all our foes; let our lips his glory tell. gracious lord! we love this day, when we hear thy holy word; when we sing thy praise, and pray, earth can no such joys afford; but a better rest remains, heav'nly sabbaths, happier days, rest from sin, and rest from pains, endless joys and endless praise. william brown, . last hope. s. _sabbath evening._ ( ) softly fades the twilight ray of the holy sabbath day; gently as life's setting sun, when the christian's course is run. night her solemn mantle spreads o'er the earth as daylight fades; all things tell of calm repose at the holy sabbath's close. peace is on the world abroad; 'tis the holy peace of god-- symbol of the peace within, when the spirit rests from sin. savior, may our sabbaths be days of peace and joy in thee, till in heav'n our souls repose, where the sabbath ne'er shall close. samuel f. smith, . lowry. l.m. _morning praise._ awake, my soul, and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run; shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise to pay thy morning sacrifice. awake, lift up thyself, my heart, and with the angels bear thy part, who all night long unwearied sing high praises to th' eternal king. glory to thee, who safe hast kept, and hast refreshed me when i slept; grant, lord, when i from death shall wake, i may of endless life partake. lord, i my vows to thee renew; scatter my sins as morning dew; guard my first springs of thought and will, and with thyself my spirit fill. bp. ken, . vigil. s.m. _morning song._ ( ) see how the morning sun pursues his shining way; and wide proclaims his maker's praise, with ev'ry bright'ning ray. thus would my rising soul its heavenly parent sing, and to its great original the humble tribute bring. serene i laid me down, beneath his guardian care; i slept, and i awoke, and found my kind preserver near. my life i would anew devote, o lord, to thee; and in thy service i would spend a long eternity. t. scott. evening prayer. s & s. _evening blessing desired._ ( ) savior, breathe an evening blessing, e'er repose our spirits seal; sin and want we come confessing, thou canst save and thou canst heal. though destruction walk around us, though the arrows past us fly; angel guards from thee surround us, we are safe if thou art nigh. though the night be dark and dreary, darkness cannot hide from thee; thou art he who, never weary, watchest where thy people be. should swift death this night o'ertake us, and our couch become our tomb, may the morn in heaven awake us, clad in bright and deathless bloom. james edmeston, . hursley. l.m. _evening hymn._ ( ) sun of my soul, thou savior dear, it is not night if thou be near; oh, may no earth-born cloud arise to hide thee from thy servant's eyes. when the soft dews of kindly sleep my weary eye-lids gently steep, be my last thought, how sweet to rest forever on my savior's breast. abide with me from morn till eve, for without thee i cannot live; abide with me when night is nigh, for without thee i dare not die. come near and bless us when we wake, ere thro' the world our way we take, till in the ocean of thy love we lose ourselves in heaven above. rev. j. keble, . eventide. s. _evening of the day._ abide with me: fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; lord, with me abide! when other helpers fail, and comforts flee, help of the helpless, oh, abide with me! not a brief glance i beg, a passing word, but as thou dwell'st with thy disciples, lord, familiar, condescending, patient, free, come, not to sojourn, but abide with me. i need thy presence every passing hour; what but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? who like thyself my guide and stay can be? thro' cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me! swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away: change and decay in all around i see; o thou, who changest not, abide with me! henry francis lyte, . eventide. s. _closing hymn._ savior, again to thy dear name we raise with one accord our parting hymn of praise; we rise to bless thee ere our worship cease, and now, departing, wait thy word of peace. grant us thy peace upon our homeward way; with thee begun, with thee shall end the day; guard thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame, that in this house have called upon thy name. grant us thy peace, lord, through the coming night; turn thou for us its darkness into light; from harm and danger keep thy children free, for dark and light are both alike to thee. john ellerton, . seymour, s. _evening devotion._ softly now the light of day fades upon my sight away; free from care, from labor free, lord, i would commune with thee. thou whose all pervading eye naught escapes without, within, pardon each infirmity, open fault, and secret sin. soon, for me, the light of day shall forever pass away; then, from sin and sorrow free, take me, lord, to dwell with thee. thou who, sinless, yet hast known all of man's infirmity; then from thine eternal throne, jesus, look with pitying eye. g.w. doane, . stockwell. s & s. _evening meditations._ silently the shades of evening gather round my lowly door; silently they bring before me faces i shall see no more. o the lost, the unforgotten, tho' the world be oft forgot! o the shrouded and the lonely! in our hearts they perish not. living in the silent hours, where our spirits only blend-- they, unlinked with earthly trouble; we, still hoping for its end. how such holy memories cluster, like the stars when storms are past; pointing up to that far heaven we may hope to gain at last. c.c. cox fading, still fading p.m., with refrain. _evening prayer_. fading, still fading, the last beam is shining; father in heaven, the day is declining; safety and innocence flee with the light, temptation and danger walk forth with the night. from the fall of the shade till the morning bells chime, shield us from danger, keep us from crime. ref.--father, have mercy, father, have mercy, father, have mercy, thro' jesus christ our lord. amen. father in heaven, o hear when we call; hear, for christ's sake, who is savior of all. feeble and fainting, we trust in thy might; in doubting and darkness thy love be our light; let us sleep on thy breast while the night taper burns, wake in thine arms when morning returns. selina huntingdon god be with you. p.m. _parting blessing._ god be with you till we meet again, by his counsels guide, uphold you, with his sheep securely fold you, god be with you till we meet again cho.--till we meet, till we meet, till we meet at jesus' feet; till we meet, till we meet, god be with you till we meet again. god be with you till we meet again, 'neath his wings securely hide you, daily manna still provide you, god be with you till we meet again. god be with you till we meet again, when life's perils thick confound you, put his arms unfailing round you, god be with you till we meet again. god be with you till we meet again, keep love's banner floating o'er you, smite death's threat'ning wave before you, god be with you till we meet again. j.e. rankin d.d. wonderful words. p.m. _words of life._ sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life, let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life, words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty. cho.--beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. christ the blessed one gives to all wonderful words of life; sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life; all so freely given, wooing us to heaven. sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life; offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life; jesus, only savior, sanctify forever. p.p. bliss. give me the bible. p.m. _the bible desired._ give me the bible, star of gladness gleaming, to cheer the wand'rer lone and tempest-tossed; no storm can hide that radiance peaceful beaming, since jesus came to seek and save the lost. cho.--give me the bible! holy message shining, thy light shall guide me in the narrow way. precept and promise, law and love combining, till night shall vanish in eternal day. give me the bible, when my heart is broken, when sin and grief have filled my soul with fear; give me the precious words by jesus spoken, hold up faith's lamp to show my savior near. give me the bible, all my steps enlighten, teach me the danger of these realms below; that lamp of safety, o'er the gloom shall brighten, that light alone the path of peace can show. give me the bible, lamp of life immortal, hold up that splendor by the open grave; show me the light from heaven's shining portal, show me the glory gilding jordan's wave. priscilla j. owens. shirland. s.m. _psalm ._ ( ) behold! the morning sun begins his glorious way; his beams thro' all the nations run, and life and light convey. but, where the gospel comes, it spreads diviner light; it calls dead sinners from the tombs and gives the blind their sight. how perfect is thy word! and all thy judgments just; forever sure thy promise, lord! and men securely trust. my gracious god! how plain are thy directions given! oh! may i never read in vain, but find the path to heaven. isaac watts, . dallas. s. _book divine._ holy bible, book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine; mine to tell me whence i came; mine to teach me what i am. mine to chide me when i rove; mine to show a savior's love; mine thou art to guide and guard; mine to punish or reward. mine to comfort in distress, suffering in this wilderness; mine to show, by living faith, man can triumph over death. mine to tell of joys to come, and the rebel sinner's doom; o thou holy book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine. john burton, . evan. c.m. _psalm ._ ( ) lord! i have made thy word my choice, my lasting heritage; there shall my noblest powers rejoice, my warmest thoughts engage. i'll read the histories of thy love, and keep thy laws in sight, while through the promises i rove, with ever fresh delight. 'tis a broad land of wealth unknown where springs of life arise; seeds of immortal bliss are sown, and hidden, glory lies. the best relief that mourners have-- it makes our sorrows blest; our fairest hope, beyond the grave, and our eternal rest. isaac watts, . evan. c.m. _the latter day._ ( ) lord! send thy word, and let it fly, armed with thy spirit's power; ten thousands shall confess its sway, and bless the saving hour. beneath the influence of its grace, the barren wastes shall rise, with sudden flowers and fruits arrayed,-- a blooming paradise. peace, with her olives crowned, shall stretch her wings from shore to shore; no trump shall rouse the rage of war, nor murderous cannon roar. lord! for these days we wait;--these days are in thy word foretold; fly swifter, sun and stars! and bring this promised age of gold. amen!--with joy divine, let earth's unnumbered myriads cry; amen!--with joy divine, let heaven's unnumbered choirs reply. thomas gibbons, . evan. c.m. _the incomparable richness of god's word._ ( ) father of mercies, in thy word what endless glory shines! forever be thy name adored for these celestial lines. here may the wretched sons of want exhaustless riches find-- riches above what earth can grant, and lasting as the mind. here the fair tree of knowledge grows, and yields a free repast; sublimer sweets than nature knows invite the longing taste. here the redeemer's welcome voice spreads heavenly peace around; and life and everlasting joys attend the blissful sound. oh, may these heavenly pages be my ever dear delight; and still new beauties may i see and still increasing light. anne steele, . devizes. c.m. _the bible our light._ ( ) how precious is the book divine, by inspiration given! bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, to guide our souls to heaven. its light, descending from above, our gloomy world to cheer, displays a savior's boundless love, and brings his glories near. it sweetly cheers our drooping hearts, in this dark vale of tears; life, light, and joy it still imparts, and quells our rising fears. this lamp, through all the tedious night of life, shall guide our way, till we behold the clearer light of an eternal day. john fawcett, . devizes. c.m. _psalm ._ ( ) how shall the young secure their hearts, and guard their lives from sin? thy word the choicest rules imparts to keep the conscience clean. 'tis like the sun, a heavenly light, that guides us all the day; and, through the dangers of the night, a lamp to lead our way. thy precepts make me truly wise; i hate the sinners' road; i hate my own vain thoughts that rise but love thy law, my god! thy word is everlasting truth; how pure is every page! that holy book shall guide our youth, and well support our age. isaac watts, . devizes. c.m. _perfection of the law and testimony._ ( ) thy law is perfect, lord of light; thy testimonies sure; the statutes of thy realm are right, and thy commandments pure. let these, o god, my soul convert, and make thy servant wise; let those be gladness to my ears-- the dayspring to mine eyes. by these may i be warned betimes; who knows the guile within? lord, save me from presumptuous crimes; cleanse me from secret sin. so may the words my lips express-- the thoughts that throng my mind-- o lord, my strength and righteousness, with thee acceptance find. c. wesley. manoah. c.m. _faithfulness._ begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme, and speak some boundless thing; the mighty works or mightier name of our eternal king. tell of his wondrous faithfulness, and sound his power abroad; sing the sweet promise of his grace, and the performing god. his very word of grace is strong, as that which built the skies; the voice that rolls the stars along, speaks all the promises. oh, might i hear thy heavenly tongue but whisper, "thou art mine!" those gentle words should raise my song to notes almost divine. isaac watts. manoah. c.m. _power_. the lord, our god, is full of might, the winds obey his will; he speaks,--and, in his heavenly height, the rolling sun stands still. rebel, ye waves, and o'er the land with threatening aspect roar; the lord uplifts his awful hand, and chains you to the shore. howl, winds of night, your force combine; without his high behest, ye shall not, in the mountain pine, disturb the sparrow's nest. his voice sublime is heard afar, in distant peals it dies; he yokes the whirlwind to his car, and sweeps the howling skies. ye nations bend--in reverence bend; ye monarchs, wait his nod, and bid the choral song ascend to celebrate your god. h. kirke white. manoah. c.m. _eternity._ great god! how infinite art thou! what worthless worms are we! let the whole race of creatures bow, and pay their praise to thee. thy throne eternal ages stood, ere seas or stars were made: thou art the ever-living god, were all the nations dead. eternity, with all its years, stands present in thy view; to thee there's nothing old appears-- great god! there's nothing new. our lives through various scenes are drawn, and vexed with trifling cares; while thine eternal thought moves on thine undisturbed affairs. great god! how infinite art thou! what worthless worms are we! let the whole race of creatures bow. and pay their praise to thee. isaac watts. italy. s & s. _the trinity adored._ ( ) come, thou almighty king! help us thy name to sing, help us to praise; father all glorious! o'er all victorious, come and reign over us, ancient of days! come, thou incarnate word! gird on thy mighty sword; our prayer attend: come, and thy people bless, and give thy word success; spirit of holiness, on us descend. come, holy comforter! thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour: thou who almighty art, now rule in every heart, and ne'er from us depart, spirit of power! to the great one in three, the highest praises be, hence, evermore! his sovereign majesty may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore. charles wesley, . all saints. l.m. _praise to the trinity_ ( ) blest be the father and his love, to whose celestial source we owe rivers of endless joy above, and rills of comfort here below. glory to thee, great son of god! from whose dear, wounded body rolls a precious stream of vital blood-- pardon and life for dying souls we give the sacred spirit praise, who, in our hearts of sin and woe, makes living springs of grace arise, and into boundless glory flow. thus, god, the father, god, the son, and god, the spirit, we adore; that sea of life and love unknown, without a bottom or a shore. isaac watts, . elizabethtown. c.m. _god incomprehensible._ ( ) thy way, o god! is in the sea, thy paths i cannot trace; nor comprehend the mystery of thine unbounded grace. 'tis but in part i know thy will; i bless thee for the sight; when will thy love the rest reveal, in glory's clearer light? here the dark veils of flesh and sense my captive soul surround; mysterious deeps of providence my wondering thoughts confound. as through a glass i dimly see the wonders of thy love; how little do i know of thee, or of the joys above! with rapture i shall soon survey thy providence and grace; and spend an everlasting day in wonder, love, and praise. john fawcett, . elizabethtown. c.m. _eternity of god._ ( ) o god! our help in ages past, our hope for years to come; our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home. under the shadow of thy throne, still may we dwell secure; sufficient is thine arm alone, and our defense is sure. before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, from everlasting thou art god, to endless years the same. a thousand ages in thy sight are like an evening gone; short as the watch that ends the night, before the rising sun. the busy tribes of flesh and blood, with all their cares and fears, are carried downward by the flood, and lost in following years. isaac watts, . elizabethtown. c.m. _divine perfections._ ( ) i sing th' almighty power of god, that made the mountains rise, that spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies. i sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day; the moon shines full at his command, and all the stars obey. i sing the goodness of the lord, that filled the earth with food; he formed the creatures with his word, and then pronounced them good. lord! how thy wonders are displayed where'er i turn mine eye! if i survey the ground i tread, or gaze upon the sky. isaac watts. dundee. c.m. _our heavenly father._ ( ) my god how wonderful thou art! thy majesty how bright! how beautiful thy mercy seat, in depths of burning light. how dread are thine eternal years, oh, everlasting lord! by prostrate spirits day and night, incessantly adored. oh, how i fear thee, living god! with deepest, tenderest fears, and worship thee with trembling hope, and penitential tears. yet i may love thee, too, o lord! almighty as thou art, for thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of this poor heart. no earthly father loves like thee, no mother, half so mild, bears and forbears as thou hast done with me, thy sinful child. father of jesus! love's reward! what rapture will it be, prostrate before thy throne to lie, and gaze and gaze on thee. frederick wm. faber, . dundee. c.m. _god's ways not understood._ ( ) god moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform; he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, he treasures up his bright designs, and works his sovereign will. ye fearful saints! fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. judge not the lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face. his purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain; god is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain. william cowper, . dundee. c.m. _majesty. ps. ._ the lord descended from above, and bowed the heavens most high; and underneath his feet he cast the darkness of the sky. on cherub and on cherubim full royally he rode; and on the wings of mighty winds came flying all abroad. he sat serene upon the floods, their fury to restrain; and he, as sovereign lord and king, forevermore shall reign. thomas sternhold, d. . triumph. l.m. _the goodness of god._ ( ) yes, god is good; in earth and sky, from ocean depths and spreading wood, ten thousand voices seem to cry, "god made us all, and god is good." the sun that keeps his trackless way, and downward pours his golden flood, night's sparkling hosts all seem to sky, in accents clear, that god is good. yes, god is good, all nature says, by god's own hand with speech endued; and man, in louder notes of praise, should sing for joy that god is good. for all thy gifts, we bless thee, lord; but chiefly for our heavenly food, thy pardoning grace, thy quickening word; these prompt our song that god is good. john h. gurney. triumph. l.m. _the eternity of god._ ( ) ere mountains reared their forms sublime, or heaven and earth in order stood, before the birth of ancient time, from everlasting thou art god. a thousand ages in their flight with thee are as a fleeting day; past, present, future, to thy sight at once their various scenes display. but our brief life's a shadowy dream-- a passing thought, that soon is o'er; that fades with morning's earliest beam, and fills the musing mind no more. to us, o lord, the wisdom give, each passing moment so to spend, that we at length with thee may live where life and bliss shall never end. isaac watts. triumph. l.m. _god seen in nature._ ( ) there is a god--all nature speaks, through earth, and air, and sea, and skies; see, from the clouds his glory breaks, when earliest beams of morning rise. the rising sun, serenely bright, throughout the world's extended frame, inscribes in characters of light his mighty maker's glorious name. ye curious minds, who roam abroad, and trace creation's wonders o'er, confess the footsteps of your god-- bow down before him and adore. anne steele triumph. l.m. _the lord god omnipotent._ ( ) the lord is king; child of the dust! the judge of all the earth is just; holy and true are all his ways; let every creature speak his praise. the lord is king! lift up thy voice, oh, earth! and all ye heavens! rejoice; from world to world the joy shall ring-- the lord omnipotent is king. the lord is king! who then shall dare resist his will, distrust his care, or murmur at his wise decrees, or doubt his royal promises? oh, when his wisdom can mistake, his might decay, his love forsake, then may his children cease to sing-- the lord omnipotent is king. josiah conder. faben. s & s. d. _god is love._ god is love; his mercy brightens all the path in which we rove; bliss he wakes, and woe he lightens: god is wisdom, god is love. chance and change are busy ever; man decays and ages move; but his mercy waneth never; god is wisdom, god is love. e'en the hour the darkest seemeth will his changeless goodness prove; from the gloom his brightness streameth: god is wisdom, god is love. he with earthly cares entwineth hope and comfort from above; everywhere his glory shineth: god is wisdom, god is love. sir john bowring, . mannheim. s & s. _the divine glory._ ( ) lord! thy glory fills the heaven; earth is with its fullness stored; unto thee be glory given, holy, holy, holy lord. heaven is still with glory ringing, earth takes up the angels' cry-- "holy, holy, holy!" singing, "lord of hosts! the lord most high!" ever thus in god's high praises, brethren! let our tongues unite; chief the heart when duty raises god-ward at his mystic rite. richard mant, . azmon. c.m. _creating wisdom._ ( ) eternal wisdom! thee we praise, thee the creation sings; with thy loved name, rocks, hills, and seas, and heaven's high palace rings. thy hand, how wide it spread the sky! how glorious to behold! tinged with a blue of heavenly dye, and starred with sparkling gold. infinite strength and equal skill shine through the worlds abroad; our souls with vast amazement fill, and speak the builder--god. but the sweet beauties of thy grace our softer passions move; pity divine, in jesus' face, we see, adore, and love. isaac watts, . azmon. c.m. _the trinity._ ( ) hail! holy, holy, holy, lord, whom one in three we know; by all thy heavenly host adored, by all thy church below. one undivided trinity with triumph we proclaim; the universe is full of thee, and speaks thy glorious name. thee, holy father, we confess; thee, holy son, adore; and thee, the holy ghost, we bless, and worship evermore. hail! holy, holy, holy lord, our heavenly song shall be supreme, essential one, adored in co-eternal thee! c. wesley, . azmon. c.m. _god is love._ ( ) come, ye that know and fear the lord, and lift your souls above; let every heart and voice accord, to sing that--god is love. this precious truth his word declares, and all his mercies prove; jesus, the gift of gifts, appears, to show that--god is love. behold his patience lengthened out to those who from him rove, and calls effectual reach their hearts, to teach them--god is love. the work begun is carried on by power from heaven above; and every step from first to last, declares that--god is love. george burder, . azmon. c.m. _god's constant goodness._ ( ) jehovah god! thy gracious power on every hand we see; oh, may the blessings of each hour lead all our thoughts to thee. thy power is in the ocean deeps, and reaches to the skies; thine eye of mercy never sleeps, thy goodness never dies. in all the varying scenes of time, on thee our hopes depend; in every age, in every clime, our father and our friend. john thompson, god is love. p.m. _praise for god's love._ come, let us all unite to sing, god is love; let heav'n and earth their praises bring, god is love; let every soul from sin awake, each in his heart sweet music make, and sing with us for jesus' sake, for god is love. ref.--god is love, god is love. come, let us all unite to sing that god is love. oh, tell us to earth's remotest bound, god is love; in christ we have redemption found, god is love; his blood has washed our sins away, his spirit turned our night to day, and now we can rejoice to say that god is love. how happy is our portion here, god is love; his promises our spirits cheer, god is love; he is our sun and shield by day, our help, our hope, our strength, and stay; he will be with us all the way; our god is love. anon. carol. c.m.d. _the angels' song._ ( ) it came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold; "peace to the earth, good-will to men, from heaven's all gracious king:" the earth in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing. still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled; and still celestial music floats o'er all the weary world; above its sad and lowly plains they bend on heavenly wing, and ever o'er its babel sounds, the blessed angels sing. o ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way, with painful steps and slow;-- look up! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing; oh, rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing! for lo! the days are hastening on, by prophet-bards foretold, when with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold! when peace shall over all the earth its final splendors fling, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing! e.h. sears, . carol. c.m.d. _a light to lighten the gentiles._ ( ) the race that long in darkness pine have seen a glorious light; the people dwell in day who dwelt in death's surrounding night. to hail thy rise, thou better sun, the gathering nations come, with joy, as when the reapers bear the harvest treasures home. to us a child of hope is born; to us a son is given; and him shall all the earth obey, and all the hosts of heaven. his name shall be the prince of peace, forevermore adored, the wonderful, the counselor, the great and mighty lord. john morrison, . christmas. c.m. _the angel's message_ ( ) while shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the lord came down, and glory shone around. "fear not," said he,--for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind,-- "glad tidings of great joy i bring to you and all mankind. "to you, in david's town, this day, is born of david's line, the savior, who is christ, the lord; and this shall be the sign: "the heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swathing bands, and in a manger laid." thus spake the seraph; and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels, praising god, and thus addressed their joyful song: "all glory be to god on high, and to the earth be peace: good-will henceforth from heaven to men begin and never cease!" nahum tate, . zerah. c.m. _the chorus of angels._ ( ) calm on the listening ear of night come heaven's melodious strains, where wild judea stretches far her silver-mantled plains. celestial choirs, from courts above, shed sacred glories there, and angels, with their sparkling lyres, make music on the air. the answering hills of palestine send back the glad reply, and greet, from all their holy heights, the day-spring from on high. "glory to god!" the sounding skies loud with their anthems ring-- "peace to the earth, good-will to men, from heaven's eternal king." edmund h. sears, . antioch. c.m. _psalm ._ ( ) joy to the world! the lord is come: let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing. joy to the earth! the savior reigns: let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, repeat the sounding joy. no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found. he rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love. isaac watts, . antioch. c.m. _christ's mission._ ( ) hark the glad sound! the savior comes-- the savior promised long; let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song. he comes, the prisoners to release, in satan's bondage held; the gates of brass before him burst, the iron fetters yield. he comes, the broken heart to bind, the bleeding soul to cure; and, with the treasures of his grace, t' enrich the humble poor. our glad hosannas, prince of peace, thy welcome shall proclaim; and heaven's eternal arches ring with thy beloved name. philip doddridge, . antioch. c.m. _jesus is god._ ( ) jesus is god! the glorious bands of holy angels sing songs of adoring praise to him, their maker and their king. he was true god in bethlehem's crib, on calvary's cross, true god; he who, in heaven, eternal reigned, in time, on earth abode. jesus is god! there never was a time when he was not; boundless, eternal, merciful, the word the sire begot. backward our thoughts through ages stretch, onward through endless bliss; for there are two eternities, and both alike are his. jesus is god! oh, could i now, but compass land and sea, to teach and tell this single truth, how happy should i be! oh, had i but an angel's voice, i would proclaim so loud, jesus, the good, the beautiful, is everlasting god. frederick wm. faber, . herald angels. s d. ( ) hark! the herald angels sing, "glory to the new-born king! peace on earth, and mercy mild, god and sinners reconciled." joyful all ye nations, rise; join the triumph of the skies! with the angelic host proclaim, christ is born in bethlehem. see, he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die; born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. veiled in flesh the godhead see; hail the incarnate deity. pleased as man with men to dwell, jesus, our immanuel. hail the heaven-born prince of peace! hail the sun of righteousness; light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. let us, then, with angels sing, "glory to the new-born king! peace on earth, and mercy mild, god and sinners reconciled." c. wesley, herald angels. s d. _glory to god._ ( ) angels rejoiced and sweetly sung at our redeemer's birth; mortals! awake: let every tongue proclaim his matchless worth. glory to god, who dwells on high, and sent his only son to take a servant's form, and die, for evils we had done! good-will to men; ye fallen race! arise, and shout for joy; he comes, with rich abounding grace to save and not destroy. lord! send the gracious tidings forth, and fill the world with light, that jew and gentile, through the earth, may know thy saving might. william hurn, . o salvation morning, s & s. _god's salvation morning._ what means this glorious radiance across judea's plain? those white-winged angels singing in such exultant strain? cho.--the king of glory cometh, earth's broken hearts to bind, and god's salvation morning hath dawned for all mankind. what means this wondrous story the holy angels tell? of one who reigned in heaven, and now on earth would dwell? why bend these eastern sages to one of lowly birth? what means this heav'nly message of love and peace on earth? ye wand'rers in earth's darkness, on ocean deep and land, hail! hail! the joyful tidings, the morning is at hand. m. e. servoss. invitation. c.m. _the forgiving one._ ( ) what grace, o lord! and beauty shone around thy steps below! what patient love was seen in all thy life and death of woe! thy foes might hate, despise, revile, thy friends unfaithful prove; unwearied in forgiveness still, thy heart could only love. oh, give us hearts to love like thee; like thee, o lord! to grieve far more for others' sins, than all the wrongs that we receive. one with thyself, may every eye, in us, thy brethren, see that gentleness and grace that springs from union, lord, with thee. edward denny, . invitation. c.m. _the true test._ we may not climb the heavenly steeps to bring the lord christ down; in vain we search the lowest deeps, for him no depths can drown. but warm, sweet, tender, even yet a present help is he; and faith has yet its olivet, and love its galilee. the healing of the seamless dress is by our beds of pain; we touch him in life's throng and press, and we are whole again. through him the first fond prayers are said our lips of childhood frame; the last low whispers of our dead are burdened with his name. o lord and master of us all, whate'er our name or sign, we own thy sway, we hear thy call, we test our lives by thine! j. g. whittier. invitation. c.m. _childhood of jesus._ ( ) in stature grows the heavenly child, with death before his eyes; a lamb unblemished, meek and mild, prepared for sacrifice. the son of god his glory hides with parents mean and poor; and he who made the heavens abides in dwelling-place obscure. those mighty hands that stay the sky no earthly toil refuse; and he who set the stars on high a humble trade pursues. he before whom the angels stand. at whose behest they fly, now yields himself to man's command, and lays his glory by. the father's name we loudly raise, the son we all adore, the holy ghost, one god, we praise, both now and evermore. anon. invitation. c.m. _a man of sorrow._ ( ) a pilgrim through this lonely world, the blessed savior passed; a mourner all his life was he, a dying lamb at last that tender heart which felt for all, for us its life-blood gave; it found on earth no resting-place. save only in the grave. such was our lord; and shall we fear the cross with all its scorn? or love a faithless, evil world that wreathed his brow with thorn? no, facing all its frowns or smiles, like him obedient still, we homeward press, through storm or calm, to zion's blessed hill. h. bonar. olivet. l.m. _the meekness of jesus._ ( ) how beauteous were the marks divine, that in thy meekness used to shine; that lit thy lonely pathway, trod in wondrous love, o son of god! oh, who, like thee, so calm, so bright, thou god of god, thou light of light! oh, who, like thee, did ever go so patient through a world of woe? oh, who, like thee, so humbly bore the scorn, the scoffs of men before? so meek, forgiving, godlike, high, so glorious in humility? e'en death, which sets the prisoner free, was pang, and scoff, and scorn to thee; yet love, through all thy torture glowed, and mercy with thy life-blood flowed. oh, in thy light, be mine to go, illuming all my way of woe! and give me ever on the road to trace thy footsteps, son of god! arthur cleveland coxe, . olivet. l.m. _the teaching of jesus._ ( ) how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound from lips of gentleness and grace, when listening thousands gathered round, and joy and reverence filled the place! from heaven he came, of heaven he spoke; to heaven he led his followers' way; dark clouds of gloomy night he broke, unveiling an immortal day. "come, wanderers, to my father's home; come, all ye weary ones, and rest;" yes, sacred teacher, we will come, obey thee, love thee, and be blest. john bowring, . olivet. l.m. _christ's example._ ( ) my dear redeemer and my lord, i read my duty in thy word; but in thy life the law appears, drawn out in living characters. such was thy truth, and such thy zeal, such deference to thy father's will, such love and meekness so divine, i would transcribe and make them mine. cold mountains and the midnight air witnessed the fervor of thy prayer; the desert thy temptations knew; thy conflict and thy victory too. be thou my pattern, make me bear more of thy gracious image here; then god, the judge, shall own my name among the followers of the lamb. isaac watts, . overberg. l.m. _the miracles of christ._ ( ) behold! the blind their sight receive; behold! the dead awake and live; the dumb speak wonders, and the lame leap, like the hart, and bless his name. thus doth th' eternal spirit own and seal the mission of the son; the father vindicates his cause, while he hangs bleeding on the cross. he dies! the heavens in mourning stood; he rises, the triumphant god! behold the lord ascending high, no more to bleed, no more to die. hence, and forever, from my heart, i bid my doubts and fears depart; and to those hands my soul resign, which bear credentials so divine. isaac watts, . overberg. l.m. _entry into jerusalem._ ( ) ride on! ride on in majesty! hark! all the tribes hosanna cry; o savior meek, pursue thy road with palms and scattered garments strowed. bide on! ride on in majesty! in lowly pomp ride on to die; o christ, thy triumphs now begin o'er captive death and conquered sin. ride on! ride on in majesty! the angel armies of the sky look down with sad and wondering eyes to see the approaching sacrifice. ride on! ride on in majesty! the last and fiercest strife is nigh; the father on his sapphire throne awaits his own anointed son. ride on! ride on in majesty! in lowly pomp, ride on to die; bow thy meek head to mortal pain, then take, o god, thy power and reign. henry hart milman, . overberg. l.m. _the transfiguration._ ( ) oh, wondrous type, oh, vision fair, of glory that the church shall share, which christ upon the mountain shows, where brighter than the sun he glows! from age to age the tale declare, how with the three disciples there, where moses and elias meet, the lord holds converse high and sweet. the law and prophets there have place, two chosen witnesses of grace; the father's voice from out the cloud proclaimed his only son aloud. with shining face and bright array christ deigns to manifest to-day, what glory shall be theirs above who joy in god with perfect love. latin. tr. by j.m. neale, . bavaria. s & s d. _christ our example._ ( ) ever would i fain be reading, in the ancient holy book, of my savior's gentle pleading, truth in ev'ry word and look. how to all the sick and tearful help was ever gladly shown; how he sought the poor and fearful, called them brothers and his own. how no contrite soul e'er sought him, and was bidden to depart; how, with gentle words he taught him, took the death from out his heart. still i read the ancient story,-- and my joy is ever new,-- how for us he left his glory, how he still is kind and true. how the flock he gently leadeth, whom his father gave him here; how his arms he widely spreadeth, to his heart to draw us near. let me kneel, my lord! before thee, let my heart in tears o'erflow, melted by thy love adore thee, blessed in thee, mid joy or woe. ger., louisa hensel, . tr., catherine winkworth, heber. c.m. _the example of christ._ ( ) behold where, in the friend of man, appears each grace divine! the virtues all in jesus meet, with mildest radiance shine. to spread the rays of heavenly light, to give the mourner joy, to preach glad tidings to the poor, was his divine employ. in the last hour of deep distress, before his father's throne, with soul resigned, he bowed, and said, "thy will, not mine, be done!" be christ our pattern and our guide, his image may we bear; oh, may we tread his sacred steps, and his bright glories share. william endfield, . wonderful love of jesus. p.m. _christ's love._ in vain in high and holy lays my soul her grateful voice would raise; for who can sing the worthy praise of the wonderful love of jesus? cho.--wonderful love! wonderful love! wonderful love of jesus! wonderful love! wonderful love! wonderful love of jesus! a joy by day, a peace by night, in storms a calm, in darkness light; in pain a balm, in weakness might, is the wonderful love of jesus. my hope for pardon when i call, my trust for lifting when i fall; in life, in death, my all in all, is the wonderful love of jesus. e.s. lorenz. olive's brow. l.m. _christ in gethsemane._ ( ) 'tis midnight; and on olive's brow the star is dimmed that lately shone; 'tis midnight; in the garden, now, the suffering savior prays alone. 'tis midnight; and, from all removed, the savior wrestles lone with fears; e'en that disciple whom he loved heeds not his master's grief and tears. 'tis midnight; and for others' guilt the man of sorrows weeps in blood; yet he that hath in anguish knelt is not forsaken by his god. 'tis midnight; and from ether plains is borne the song that angels know; unheard by mortals are the strains that sweetly soothe the savior's woe. w.b. tappan, . windham. l.m. _"why hast thou forsaken me?"_ ( ) from calvary a cry was heard-- a bitter and heart-rending cry; my savior! ev'ry mournful word bespoke thy soul's deep agony a horror of great darkness fell on thee, thou spotless holy one! and all the eager hosts of hell conspired to tempt god's only son. the scourge, the thorns, the deep disgrace, these thou could'st bear, nor once repine; but when jehovah veiled his face, unutterable pangs were thine. let the dumb world its silence break; let pealing anthems rend the sky; awake, my sluggish soul, awake! he died that we might never die. john w. cunningham, . zephyr. l.m. _consecration in view of the cross._ ( ) when i survey the wondrous cross, on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain i count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. forbid it, lord, that i should boast, save in the death of christ, my god; all the vain things that charm me most, i sacrifice them to his blood. see, from his head, his hands, his feet sorrow and love flow mingled down; did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown? were all the realms of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine. demands my soul, my life, my all. isaac watts, . miriam, s & s. double. ( ) o sacred head, now wounded! with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown; o sacred head, what glory, what bliss, till now, was thine! yet tho' despised and gory, i joy to call thee mine. what thou, my lord! hast suffered was all for sinners' gain; mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain; lo! here i fall, my savior! 'tis i deserve thy place; look on me with thy favor; vouchsafe to me thy grace. the joy can ne'er be spoken, above all joys beside, when in thy body broken, i thus with safety hide; my lord of life! desiring thy glory now to see, beside thy cross expiring, i'd breathe my soul to thee. paul gerhardt, . avon. c.m. _before the cross._ ( ) alas! and did my savior bleed? and did my sovereign die? would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as i? was it for crimes that i have done he groaned upon the tree? amazing pity! grace unknown! and love beyond degree! well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in, when christ, the mighty maker, died for man, the creature's sin! thus might i hide my blushing face while his dear cross appears; dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes to tears. but drops of grief can ne'er repay the debt of love i owe; here, lord, i give myself away; 'tis all that i can do. isaac watts, . cho.--jesus died for you, and jesus died for me, yes, jesus died for all mankind; bless god, salvation's free. cho.--help me, dear savior, thee to own, and ever faithful be; and when thou sittest on thy throne. o lord, remember me. avon. c.m. _jesus died for me._ great god, when i approach thy throne and all thy glory see; this is my stay, and this alone, that jesus died for me. how can a soul condemned to die, escape the just decree? helpless and full of sin am i, but jesus died for me. burdened with sin's oppressive chain, oh, how can i get free? no peace can all my efforts gain, but jesus died for me. and, lord, when i behold thy face, this must be all my plea; save me by thy almighty grace, for jesus died for me. w.b. bathurst, d. . cowper. c.m. _contrition at the cross._ ( ) o jesus! sweet the tears i shed, while at thy cross i kneel, gaze on thy wounded, fainting head, and all thy sorrows feel. my heart dissolves to see thee bleed, this heart so hard before; i hear thee for the guilty plead, and grief o'erflows the more. 'twas for the sinful thou didst die, and i a sinner stand; what love speaks from thy dying eye, and from each pierced hand! i know this cleansing blood of thine was shed, dear lord, for me; for me, for all--oh, grace divine!-- who look by faith on thee. ray palmer, . cowper. c.m. _resting beneath the cross._ ( ) oppressed with noon-day's scorching heat, to yonder cross i flee; beneath its shelter take my seat: no shade like this for me! beneath that cross clear waters burst, a fountain sparkling free; and there i quench my desert thirst: no spring like this for me! a stranger here, i pitch my tent beneath this spreading tree; here shall my pilgrim life be spent: no home like this for me! for burdened ones a resting-place beside that cross i see; here i cast off my weariness: no rest like this for me! h. bonar, . the cross. c.m. _the precious love._ ( ) the cross, the cross, the blood-stained cross! the hallowed cross i see; reminding me of precious blood that once was shed for me. cho.--oh, the blood, the precious blood, that jesus shed for me; upon the cross, in crimson flood, just now by faith i see. the cross, the cross, that heavy cross, my savior bore for me; it bowed him to the earth with grief on sad mount calvary the wounds, the wounds, those painful wounds; oh, they were made for me! his hands and feet, his holy head, all pierced and torn i see. the death, the death, the awful death! that jesus died for me; i heard his groans, his prayer, "forgive," his bleeding side i see. the love, the love, the matchless love, that bled upon the tree! it melts my heart, it wins my love, it brings me, lord, to thee. j.h. stockton. gorton. s.m. _our ransom paid._ ( ) our sins on christ were laid; he bore the mighty load; our ransom price he fully paid in groans, and tears, and blood. to save a world he dies; sinners, behold the lamb! to him lift up your longing eyes; seek mercy in his name. pardon and peace abound; he will your sins forgive; salvation in his name is found,-- he bids the sinner live. jesus, we look to thee;-- where else can sinners go? thy boundless love shall set us free from wretchedness and woe. j. fawcett, . gorton. s.m. _for me he died._ ( ) are there no wounds for me? hast thou received them all? how can i, lord, the anguish see, beneath which thou didst fall? 'tis over now, i know,-- that suffering life of thine; thy precious blood has ceased to flow, thou wear'st thy crown divine; but yet, i weeping see the thorns which pierced thy head; thou faint'st beneath thy cross for me, for me to death thou'rt led! meekly, with love divine, thy holy head is bent, and streams of blood, for sins of mine, flow where thy side is rent. beneath this sacred flood i bow my sinful soul; dear savior, let thy precious blood wash me and make me whole. mrs. grace webster hinsdale, . owen. s.m. _the savior's tears._ ( ) did christ o'er sinners weep, and shall our cheeks be dry? let floods of penitential grief burst forth from every eye. the son of god in tears-- the wondering angels see! be thou astonished, o my soul! he shed those tears for thee. he wept--that we might weep-- each sin demands a tear; in heaven alone no sin is found, and there's no weeping there. benjamin beddome, . toplady. s, . _rock of ages._ ( ) rock of ages, cleft for me! let me hide myself in thee: let the water and the blood, from thy side a healing flood, be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure. should my tears forever flow, should my zeal no languor know, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone; in my hand no price i bring; simply to thy cross i cling. while i draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyelids close in death, when i rise to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne-- rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. augustus m. toplady, . cho.--rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee, let me hide myself in thee. salvator mundi. s. d. _the litany._ ( ) by thy birth, and by thy tears; by thy human griefs and fears; by thy conflict in the hour of the subtle tempter's power-- savior, look with pitying eye; savior, help me, or i die. by the tenderness that wept o'er the grave where laz'rus slept; by the bitter tears that flow'd over salem's lost abode-- savior, look with thy pitying eye; savior, help me, or i die. by thy lonely hour of prayer; by the fearful conflict there; by thy cross and dying cries; by thy one great sacrifice,-- savior, look with pitying eye; savior, help me, or i die. by thy triumph o'er the grave; by thy power the lost to save; by thy high, majestic throne; by the empire all thine own,-- savior, look with pitying eye; savior, help me, or i die. sir robert grant, . rathbun. s & s. _glorying in the cross._ ( ) in the cross of christ i glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. when the woes of life o'ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me; lo! it glows with peace and joy. when the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, from the cross the radiance streaming adds more luster to the day. bane and blessing, pain and pleasure by the cross are sanctified; peace is there, that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. sir john bowring, . rathbun. s & s. _looking to the cross._ ( ) sweet the moments, rich in blessing, which before the cross i spend, life, and health, and peace possessing, from the sinner's dying friend! here i'll sit, forever viewing mercy's streams in streams of blood: precious drops, my soul bedewing, plead, and claim my peace, with god. truly blessed is this station, low before the cross to lie, while i see divine compassion floating in his languid eye. here it is i find my heaven, while upon the lamb i gaze; love i much?--i've much forgiven,-- i'm a miracle of grace. love and grief my heart dividing, with my tears his feet i'll bathe; constant still in faith abiding,-- life deriving from his death. james allen, . altered by walter shirley, . rathbun. s & s. _the price of salvation._ when i view my savior bleeding, for my sins upon the tree; oh, how wondrous!--how exceeding great his love appears to me! floods of deep distress and anguish. to impede his labors, came; yet they all could not extinguish love's eternal, burning flame. now redemption is completed, full salvation is procured; death and satan are defeated, by the sufferings he endured. now the gracious mediator, risen to the courts of bliss, claims for me, a sinful creature, pardon, righteousness, and peace! sure, such infinite affection lays the highest claims to mine; all my powers, without exception, should in fervent praises join. jesus, fit me for thy service; form me for thyself alone; i am thy most costly purchase,-- take possession of thine own. r. lee. what hast thou done for me? p.m. _return for christ's sufferings._ i gave my life for thee, my precious blood i shed, that thou mightst ransomed be, and quickened from the dead; i gave, i gave my life for thee, what hast thou given for me? my father's house of light, my glory-circled throne, i left for earthly night, for wand'rings sad and lone; i left, i left it all for thee, hast thou left aught for me? i suffered much for thee, more than thy tongue can tell, of bitterest agony, to rescue thee from hell; i've borne, i've borne it all for thee, what hast thou borne for me? and i have brought to thee, down from my home above, salvation full and free, my pardon and my love; i bring, i bring rich gifts to thee, what hast thou brought to me? frances r. havergal. come to the cross. p.m. _blessing at the cross._ come to the cross, where the savior died, look to the lamb that was crucified; turn to the mournful and tragic scene, gaze on the suffering nazarene. cho.--look at the crucified, look and live! look, for eternal life he will give. come to the cross, where the savior died, look to the lamb that was crucified. fall at the feet of the dying one, trust in the name of the father's son; wash in the fountain of jesus' blood, seek for thy cure in the healing flood. fly to the arms of his pard'ning love, cherish the hope of a crown above; taste of the sweetness of sins forgiven, lean on the promise of rest in heaven. rev. j.h. martin. near the cross. p.m. _near the cross._ jesus, keep me near the cross there a precious fountain free to all--a healing stream, flows from calvary's mountain. cho.--in the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river. near the cross, a trembling soul, love and mercy found me; there the bright and morning star shed its beams around me. near the cross, o lamb of god, bring its scenes before me; help me walk from day to day, with its shadows o'er me. near the cross i'll watch and wait, hoping, trusting ever, till i reach the golden strand, just beyond the river. fanny j. crosby. saw ye my savior? p.m. _christ's crucifixion._ saw ye my savior, saw ye my savior, saw ye my savior and god? oh! he died on calvary, to atone for you and me, and to purchase our pardon with blood. he was extended, he was extended, painfully nailed to the cross; here he bowed his head and died; thus my lord was crucified, to atone for a world that was lost. hail, mighty savior! hail, mighty savior! prince, and the author of peace! oh! he burst the bars of death, and, triumphant from the earth, he ascended to mansions of bliss. there interceding, there interceding, pleading that sinners may live; crying, "father, i have died; oh, behold my hands and side! oh, forgive them! i pray thee, forgive!" "i will forgive them, i will forgive them when they repent and believe; let them now return to thee, and be reconciled to me, and salvation they all shall receive." baca. l.m. _pardon through the sufferings of christ._ ( ) deep in our hearts let us record the deeper sorrows of our lord; behold the rising billows roll, to overwhelm his holy soul. yet, gracious god, thy power and love have made the curse a blessing prove; those dreadful sufferings of thy son atoned for sins that we have done. the pangs of our expiring lord the honors of thy law restored; his sorrows made thy justice known. and paid for follies not his own. oh, for his sake our guilt forgive, and let the mourning sinner live; the lord will hear us in his name, nor shall our hope be turned to shame. isaac watts, . baca. l.m. _peace and safety at the cross._ ( ) beneath thy cross i lay me down, and mourn to see thy bloody crown; love drops in blood from every vein; love is the spring of all thy pain. here, jesus, will i ever stay, and spend my longing hours away; think on thy bleeding wounds and pain, and contemplate thy woes again. oh, unmolested, happy rest! where inward fears are all suppressed; here i shall love, and live secure, and patiently my cross endure. wm. williams. baca. l.m. _thanks to jesus for his love._ ( ) o love! who gav'st thy life for me, and won an everlasting good through thy sore anguish on the tree, i ever think upon thy blood! o love! who unto death hast grieved for this cold heart, unworthy thine, whom the cold grave and death received, i thank thee for that grief divine. i give thee thanks that thou didst die to win eternal life for me, to bring salvation from on high: oh, draw me up through love to thee! from the german. author unknown. woodstock. c.m. _christ's triumph over death._ ( ) the morning purples all the sky, the air with praises rings; defeated hell stands sullen by, the world exulting sings. while he, the king all strong to save, rends the dark doors away, and through the breaches of the grave strides forth into the day. death's captive, in his gloomy prison past fettered he has lain; but he has mastered death, is risen, and death wears now the chain. the shining angels cry, "away with grief; no spices bring; not tears, but songs, this joyful day, should greet the rising king!" dr. a. r. thompson, . warwick. c.m. _resurrection and ascension._ ( ) hosanna to the prince of light, who clothed himself in clay, entered the iron gates of death, and tore the bars away. death is no more the king of dread, since our immanuel rose; he took the tyrant's sting away, and spoiled our hellish foes. see how the conqueror mounts aloft and to his father flies, with scars of honor in his flesh, and triumph in his eyes. there our exalted savior reigns, and scatters blessings down; our jesus fills the middle seat of the celestial throne. isaac watts, . nuremburg. s. _the lord is risen._ ( ) christ, the lord, is risen to-day, sons of men and angels say: raise your joys and triumphs high; sing, ye heavens; thou earth, reply. love's redeeming work is done; fought the fight; the battle won: lo! our sun's eclipse is o'er; lo! he sets in blood no more. vain the stone, the watch, the seal-- christ hath burst the gates of hell; death in vain forbids his rise-- christ hath opened paradise. lives again our glorious king: where, o death, is now thy sting? once he died our souls to save: where's thy victory, boasting grave? charles wesley, . pleyel's hymn. s. _resurrection and ascension._ ( ) angel! roll the rock away; death! yield up thy mighty prey; see! he rises from the tomb, glowing with immortal bloom. 'tis the savior; angels! raise fame's eternal trump of praise: let the world's remotest bound hear the joy-inspiring sound. shout! ye saints! in rapturous song, let the strains be sweet and strong; shout the son of god, this morn from his sepulcher new-born. heaven displays her portals wide; glorious hero! through them ride! king of glory! mount the throne-- thy great father's and thine own. thomas scott, . hudson. s.m. _the lord is risen._ ( ) '"the lord is risen indeed!" the grave hath lost its prey; with him shall rise the ransomed seed to reign in endless day. "the lord is risen indeed!" he lives to die no more; he lives his people's cause to plead, whose curse and shame he bore. "the lord is risen indeed!" attending angels hear; up to the courts of heaven with speed, the joyful tidings bear. then take your golden lyres, and strike each cheerful chord; join all the bright celestial choirs, to sing our risen lord. thomas kelly, . mendon. l.m. _exaltation of christ._ ( ) now for a tune of lofty praise to great jehovah's equal son; awake, my voice, in heavenly lays, and tell the wonders he hath done. sing how he left the worlds of light, and those bright robes he wore above; how swift and joyful was his flight, on wings of everlasting love. among a thousand harps and songs, jesus, the god, exalted reigns; his sacred name fills all their tongues and echoes through the heavenly plains. isaac watts, . mendon. l.m. _the lord is risen indeed._ ( ) the morning kindles all the sky; the heavens resound with anthems high; the shining angels, as they speed, proclaim, "the lord is risen indeed." vainly with rocks his tomb was barred while roman guards kept watch and ward; majestic from the spoiled tomb, in pomp of triumph he has come! when the amazed disciples heard, their hearts with speechless joy were stirred; their lord's beloved face to see, eager they haste to galilee. his pierced hands to them he shows; his face with love's own radiance glows; they with the angel's message speed, and shout, "the lord is risen indeed!" latin tr. by mrs. e. charles. harmony grove. l.m. _christ the unsetting sun._ ( ) hail! morning known among the blest, morning of hope, and joy, and love, of heavenly peace, and holy rest, pledge of the endless rest above. blest be the father of our lord, who from the dead hath brought his son; hope to the lost was then restored, and everlasting glory won. mercy looked down with smiling eye when our immanuel left the dead; faith marked his bright ascent on high, and hope with gladness raised her head. e. wardlaw, . baltzell. l.m. _my redeemer lives._ i know that my redeemer lives! what comfort this sweet sentence gives; he lives, he lives, who once was dead; he lives, my ever-living head. he lives, to bless me with his love; he lives, to plead for me above; he lives, my hungry soul to feed; he lives, to bless in time of need; he lives, to grant me rich supply; he lives, to guide me with his eye; he lives, to comfort me when faint; he lives, to hear my soul's complaint; he lives, my kind, wise, heav'nly friend; he lives, and loves me to the end; he lives, and while he lives i'll sing; he lives, my prophet, priest, and king. he lives, all glory to his name! he lives, my savior still the same-- oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives: i know that my redeemer lives. samuel medley, . dort. s & s. _glorious conqueror._ ( ) rise, glorious conqueror, rise, into thy native skies, assume thy right; and where, in many a fold, the clouds are backward rolled; pass thro' these gates of gold, and reign in light. victor o'er death and hell, cherubic legions swell the radiant strain; praises all heav'n inspire; each angel sweeps his lyre, and claps his wings of fire; thou lamb, once slain. enter, incarnate god! no feet but thine have trod the serpent down; blow the full trumpets, blow! wider your portals throw! savior, triumphant, go and take thy crown. lion of judah, hail! and let thy name prevail from age to age; lord of the rolling years, claim for thine own the spheres, for thou hast bought with tears thine heritage. matthew bridges, . harwell. s & s. d. _jesus reigns._ ( ) hark! ten thousand harps and voices sound the note of praise above; jesus reigns, and heaven rejoices; jesus reigns, the god of love; see, he sits on yonder throne; jesus rules the world alone. king of glory! reign forever-- thine an everlasting crown; nothing, from thy love, shall sever those whom thou hast made thine own; happy objects of thy grace, destined to behold thy face. savior! hasten thine appearing; bring, oh, bring the glorious day when, the awful summons hearing, heaven and earth shall pass away;-- then, with golden harps, we'll sing,-- "glory to our king!" thomas kelly, . harwell. s & s. d. _the return to heaven._ ( ) jesus comes, his conflict over,-- comes to claim his great reward; angels round the victor hover, crowding to behold their lord; haste, ye saints! your tribute bring, crown him, everlasting king. yonder throne for him erected, now becomes the victor's seat; lo, the man on earth rejected! angels worship at his feet: haste, ye saints! your tribute bring, crown him, everlasting king. day and night they cry before him,-- "holy, holy, holy, lord!" all the powers of heaven adore him, all obey his sovereign word; haste, ye saints! your tribute bring, crown him, everlasting king. thomas kelly, . harwell. s & s. d. _we live in him._ ( ) see, the conqueror mounts in triumph, see the king in royal state, riding on the clouds, his chariot, to his heavenly palace gate! hark! the choirs of angel voices joyful hallelujahs sing, and the portals high are lifted to receive their heavenly king. who is this that comes in glory, with the trump of jubilee? lord of battles, god of armies, he has gained the victory; he, who on the cross did suffer, he, who from the grave arose, he has vanquished sin and satan, he by death has spoiled his foes. thou hast raised our human nature, on the clouds to god's right hand; there we sit in heavenly places, there with thee in glory stand; jesus reigns, adored by angels; man with god is on the throne; mighty lord! in thine ascension, we by faith behold our own. christopher wordsworth, . coronation. c.m. _crown him lord of all._ ( ) all hail the power of jesus' name, let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him lord of all. crown him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this earthly ball; now hail the strength of israel's might, and crown him lord of all. ye chosen seed of israel's race, ye ransomed from the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him lord of all. sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall; go, spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him lord of all. let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him lord of all. o that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall! we'll join the everlasting song, and crown him lord of all. edward perronet, _alt._ . elizabethtown. c.m. _the sympathy of jesus._ ( ) come, let us join in songs of praise to our ascended priest; he entered heaven with all our names engraven on his breast. below he washed our guilt away, by his atoning blood; now he appears before the throne, and pleads our cause with god. clothed with our nature still, he knows the weakness of our frame, and how to shield us from the foes which he himself o'ercame. oh! may we ne'er forget his grace, nor blush to wear his name; still may our hearts hold fast his faith, our mouths his praise proclaim. anon. . elizabethtown. c.m. _perfect through suffering._ ( ) the head, that once was crowned with thorns, is crowned with glory now; a royal diadem adorns the mighty victor's brow. the highest place that heaven affords is his--is his by right; "the king of kings, and lord of lords," and heaven's eternal light. the joy of all who dwell above, the joy of all below, to whom he manifests his love, and grants his name to know. to them the cross, with all its shame, with all its grace, is given; their name--an everlasting name; their joy--the joy of heaven. they suffer with their lord below, they reign with him above; their profit and their joy--to know the mystery of his love. the cross he bore is life and health-- though shame and death to him; his people's hope, his people's wealth, their everlasting theme. thomas kelly, . elizabethtown. c.m. _christ's compassion to the weak._ ( ) with joy we meditate the grace of our high priest above; his heart is made of tenderness, his bowels melt with love. touched with a sympathy within, he knows our feeble frame; he knows what sore temptations mean, for he has felt the same. he, in the days of feeble flesh, poured out his cries and tears; and, in his measure, feels afresh what every member bears. then let our humble faith address his mercy and his power; we shall obtain delivering grace in the distressing hour. isaac watts, . the coming of the kingdom. p.m. _the lord is at hand._ there's a glorious kingdom waiting in the land beyond the sky, where the saints have been gath'ring year by year, and the days are swiftly passing that will bring the kingdom nigh, for the coming of the kingdom draweth near. cho.--oh, the coming of the kingdom draweth near; oh, the coming of the kingdom draweth near! be thou ready, o my soul, for the trumpet soon may roll, and the king in his glory shall appear. 'tis the hope of yonder kingdom, and the glory there prepared, and the looking for the savior to appear, that delivers us from bondage to the world that once ensnared, for the coming of the kingdom draweth near. with the coming of the kingdom we shall see our blessed lord, for the king ere the kingdom must appear; hallelujah to his name, who redeemed us by his blood! oh, the coming of the kingdom draweth near. oh, the world is growing weary, it has waited now so long, and the hearts of men are failing them for fear; let us tell them of the kingdom, let us cheer them with the song, that the coming of the kingdom draweth near. d. w. whittle. lebanon valley. s & s. _christ's coming desired._ ( ) come, thou long-expected jesus! born to set thy people free! from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of ev'ry nation, joy of ev'ry longing heart. born, thy people to deliver; born a child, and yet a king; born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring. by thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all-sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne. charles wesley, . the crowning day. s & s. _the day of the lord._ our lord is now rejected, and by the world disowned, by the many still neglected, and by the few enthroned, but soon he'll come in glory, the hour is drawing nigh, for the crowning day is coming by and by. cho.--oh, the crowning day is coming, is coming by and by, when our lord shall come in "power," and "glory" from on high. oh, the glorious sight will gladden, each waiting, watchful eye, in the crowning day that's coming by and by. the heavens shall glow with splendor, but brighter far than they the saints shall shine in glory, as christ shall them array, the beauty of the savior, shall dazzle every eye, in the crowning day that's coming by and by. our pain shall then be over, we'll sin and sigh no more, behind us all of sorrow, and nought but joy before, a joy in our redeemer, as we to him are nigh, in the crowning day that's coming by and by. let all that look for, hasten the coming joyful day, by earnest consecration, to walk the narrow way. by gathering in the lost ones, for whom our lord did die, for the crowning day that's coming by and by. d.w. whittle truro. l.m. _the church longing for christ._ ( ) jesus! thy church, with longing eyes for thine expected coming waits; when will the promised light arise, and glory beam from zion's gates? e'en now when tempests round us fall, and wintry clouds o'ercast the sky, thy words with pleasure we recall, and deem that our redemption's nigh. oh! come and reign o'er ev'ry land; let satan from his throne be hurled, all nations bow to thy command, and grace revive a dying world. teach us, in watchfulness and prayer, to wait for the appointed hour; and fit us by thy grace to share, the triumphs of thy conquering power. william h. bathurst, . middletown. s & s. d. _crown him lord of all._ ( ) crown his head with endless blessing, who, in god the father's name, with compassions never ceasing, comes salvation to proclaim. hail, ye saints, who know his favor, who within his gates are found; hail, ye saints, th' exalted savior, let his courts with praise resound. lo, jehovah, we adore thee; thee our savior! thee our god! from his throne his beams of glory shine through all the world abroad. jesus, thee our savior hailing thee our god in praise we own; highest honors, never failing, rise eternal round thy throne. william goode, . abt. s & s. _much forgiven._ ( ) hail! my ever blessed jesus! only thee i wish to sing. to my soul, thy name is precious, thou, my prophet, priest, and king. oh! what mercy flows from heaven! oh! what joy and happiness! love i much? i've much forgiven; i'm a miracle of grace. once with adam's race in ruin, unconcerned in sin i lay; swift destruction still pursuing, till my savior passed that way witness, all ye host of heaven! my redeemer's tenderness; love i much? i've much forgiven; i'm a miracle of grace. shout, ye bright angelic choir! praise the lamb enthroned above; whilst, astonished, i admire god's free grace, and boundless love. that blest moment i received him, filled my soul with joy and peace: love i much? i've much forgiven; i'm a miracle of grace. john wingrove, . olivet. s & s. _veni, sancte spiritus!_ ( ) come, holy ghost! in love, shed on us, from above, thine own bright ray: divinely good thou art; thy sacred gifts impart, to gladden each sad heart; oh! come to-day! come, tenderest friend, and best, our most delightful guest! with soothing power; rest, which the weary know; shade, 'mid the noontide glow; peace, when deep griefs o'erflow; cheer us, this hour! come, light serene, and still our inmost bosoms fill; dwell in each breast: we know no dawn but thine; send forth thy beams divine, on our dark souls to shine, and make us blest. exalt our low desires; extinguish passion's fires; heal every wound; our stubborn spirits bend; our icy coldness end; our devious steps attend, while heavenward bound. lat. robert ii. of france, . tr., ray palmer, . olivet. s & s. _the spirit of truth._ ( ) thou! whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight, hear us, we humbly pray, and, where the gospel's day sheds not its glorious ray, "let there be light!" thou! who didst come to bring, on thy redeeming wing, healing and sight, health to the sick in mind, sight to the inly blind;-- oh! now to all mankind, "let there be light!" spirit of truth and love, life-giving holy dove! speed forth thy flight: move o'er the water's face, bearing the lamp of grace, and, in earth's darkest place, "let there be light!" john marriott, . balerma. c.m. _breathing after the holy spirit._ ( ) come, holy spirit, heavenly dove! with all thy quickening powers,-- kindle a flame of sacred love, in these cold hearts of ours. look--how we grovel here below, fond of these trifling toys! our souls, how heavily they go, to reach eternal joys. in vain we tune our formal songs, in vain we strive to rise; hosannas languish on our tongues, and our devotion dies. dear lord! and shall we ever live, at this poor dying rate? our love so faint, so cold to thee, and thine to us so great? come, holy spirit, heavenly dove with all thy quickening powers; come, shed abroad a savior's love, and that shall kindle ours. isaac watts, . balerma. c.m. _the source of life and light._ ( ) great spirit! by whose mighty power all creatures live and move, on us thy benediction shower; inspire our souls with love. hail, source of light! arise and shine; darkness and doubt dispel; give peace and joy, for we are thine; in us forever dwell. from death to life our spirits raise; complete redemption bring; new tongues impart to speak the praise of christ, our god and king. thine inward witness bear, unknown to all the world beside; exalting, then, we feel, and own our jesus glorified. thomas howels, . arlington. c.m. _the descent of the spirit._ ( ) spirit divine! attend our prayers, and make this house thy home; descend with all thy gracious powers, oh, come, great spirit! come. come as the light; to us reveal our emptiness and woe; and lead us in those paths of life where all the righteous go. come as the fire; and purge our hearts, like sacrificial flame; let our whole soul an offering be to our redeemer's name. come as the dove; and spread thy wings, the wings of peaceful love; and let thy church on earth become blessed as the church above. come as the wind; with rushing sound and pentecostal grace; that all, of woman born, may see the glory of thy face. andrew reed, . arlington. c.m. _assurance._ why should the children of a king go mourning all their days? great comforter, descend, and bring some tokens of thy grace. dost thou not dwell in all the saints, and seal the heirs of heaven? when wilt thou banish my complaints, and show my sins forgiven? assure my conscience of her part in the redeemer's blood; and bear thy witness with my heart, that i am born of god. thou art the earnest of his love, the pledge of joys to come; and thy soft wings, celestial dove, will safe convey me home. isaac watts, . arlington. c.m. _the spirit's work._ ( ) eternal spirit! by whose power are burst the bands of death, on our cold hearts thy blessings shower, and stir them with thy breath. 'tis thine to point the heavenly way, each rising fear control, and, with a warm, enlivening ray, to melt the icy soul. 'tis thine to cheer us when distressed, to raise us when we fall; to calm the doubting, troubled breast, and aid when sinners call. 'tis thine to bring god's sacred word, and write it on our heart; there its reviving truths record, and there its peace impart. almighty spirit! visit thus our hearts, and guide our ways; pour down thy quickening grace on us, and tune our lips to praise. wm. riley bathurst, . holy spirit, faithful guide. s. d. _the guide._ holy spirit, faithful guide, ever near the christian's side; gently lead us by the hand, pilgrims in a desert land; weary souls fore'er rejoice, while they hear that sweetest voice whisper softly, wanderer come! follow me, i'll guide thee home. ever present, truest friend, ever near thine aid to lend, leave us not to doubt and fear, groping on in darkness drear, when the storms are raging sore, hearts grow faint, and hopes give o'er whisper softly, wanderer come! follow me, i'll guide thee home. when our days of toil shall cease, waiting still for sweet release, nothing left but heaven and prayer, wondering if our names were there; wading deep the dismal flood, pleading nought but jesus' blood, whisper softly, wanderer come! follow me, i'll guide thee home. m.m. wells. pleyel. s. _the holy spirit in conversion._ ( ) gracious spirit, love divine, let thy light within me shine; all my guilty fears remove, fill me full of heaven and love. speak thy pardoning grace to me, set the burdened sinner free; lead me to the lamb of god, wash me in his precious blood. life and peace to me impart! seal salvation on my heart; breathe thyself into my breast, earnest of immortal rest. let me never from thee stray, keep me in the narrow way; fill my soul with joy divine, keep me, lord, forever thine. john stocker, . zephyr. l.m. _the descent of the spirit._ ( ) spirit of pow'r, and truth, and love, who sitt'st enthroned in light above! descend, and bear us on thy wings, far from these low and fleeting things. 'tis thine the wounded soul to heal, 'tis thine to make the hardened feel; thine to give light to blinded eyes, and bid the groveling spirit rise. when faith is weak, and courage fails, when grief or doubt our soul assails, who can, like thee, our spirits cheer? great comforter! be ever near. come, holy spirit! like the fire; with burning zeal our souls inspire; come, like the south-wind, breathing balm, our joys refresh, our passions calm. come, like the sun's enlightening beam; come like the cooling, cleansing stream; with all thy graces present be:-- spirit of god! we wait for thee. william lindsay alexander, . whitefield. s.m. _the spirit's sanctifying influence._ ( ) come, holy spirit, come; let thy bright beams arise, dispel the sorrow from our minds, the darkness from our eyes. revive our drooping faith, our doubts and fears remove, and kindle in our breasts the flame of never dying love. 'tis thine to cleanse the heart, to sanctify the soul, to pour fresh life in ev'ry part, and new create the whole. dwell, spirit, in our hearts; our minds from bondage free. then shall we know, and praise, and love, the father, son, and thee. joseph hart, . fill me now. s & s. _the fullness of the spirit._ hover o'er me, holy spirit; bathe my trembling heart and brow; fill me with thy hallowed presence, come, oh, come and fill me now. cho.--fill me now, fill me now; jesus, come, and fill me now; fill me with thy hallowed presence, come, oh, come, and fill me now. thou canst fill me, gracious spirit, tho' i cannot tell thee how; but i need thee, greatly need thee, come, oh, come, and fill me now. i am weakness, full of weakness; at thy sacred feet i bow; blest, divine, eternal spirit, fill with power, and fill me now. cleanse and comfort, bless and save me; bathe, oh, bathe my heart and brow; thou art comforting and saving, thou art sweetly filling now. e.h. stokes, d.d. fill me now. s & s. _guide and comforter._ holy spirit, fount of blessing, ever watchful, ever kind, thy celestial aid possessing, prisoned souls deliverance find. seal of truth, and bond of union, source of light, and flame of love, symbol of divine communion, in the olive-bearing dove. heavenly guide from paths of error, comforter of minds distressed, when the billows fill with terror; pointing to an ark of rest. promised pledge, eternal spirit, greater than all gifts below, may our hearts thy grace inherit; may our lips thy glories show! thomas j. judkin. fill me now. s & s. _the source of consolation._ holy ghost, dispel our sadness; pierce the clouds of nature's night; come, thou source of joy and gladness, breathe thy life, and spread thy light. from the height which knows no measure, as a gracious shower descend, bringing down the richest treasure man can wish, or god can send. author of the new creation, come with unction and with power; make our hearts thy habitation; on our souls thy graces shower. hear, o hear our supplication, blessed spirit, god of peace! rest upon this congregation, with the fullness of thy grace. paul gerhardt, . tr. by j.c. jacobi, . alt. kentucky. s.m. _guilt and helplessness of man._ ( ) ah! how shall fallen man be just before his god? if he contend in righteousness, we fall beneath his rod. if he our ways should mark with strict inquiring eyes, could we for one of thousand faults a just excuse devise? all-seeing, powerful god, who can with thee contend? or who that tries the unequal strife, shall prosper in the end? ah! how shall guilty man contend with such a god? none, none can meet him and escape, but through the savior's blood. isaac watts, . kentucky. s.m. _an evil heart._ ( ) astonished and distressed, i turn mine eyes within; my heart with loads of guilt oppressed, the source of every sin. what crowds of evil thoughts, what vile affections there! envy and pride, deceit and guile, distrust and slavish fear. almighty king of saints! these tyrant lusts subdue; drive the old serpent from his seat, and all my powers renew. this done,--my cheerful voice shall loud hosannas raise; my heart shall glow with gratitude, my lips be filled with praise. benjamin beddome, . olmutz. s.m. _the reign of sin._ ( ) how heavy is the night that hangs upon our eyes, till christ with his reviving light over our souls arise. our guilty spirits dread to meet the wrath of heaven; but, in his righteousness arrayed, we see our sins forgiven. the powers of hell agree to hold our souls in vain; he sets the sons of bondage free, and breaks the cursed chain. lord, we adore thy ways to bring us near to god, thy sovereign power, thy healing grace, and thine atoning blood. isaac watts, . downs. c.m. _the need of regeneration._ ( ) how helpless guilty nature lies, unconscious of its load! the heart, unchanged, can never rise to happiness and god. can aught, beneath a power divine, the stubborn will subdue? 'tis thine, almighty spirit! thine, to form the heart anew. 'tis thine, the passions to recall, and upward bid them rise; to make the scales of error fall, from reason's darkened eyes. oh! change these wretched hearts of ours, and give them life divine; then shall our passions and our powers, almighty lord! be thine. anne steele, . downs. c.m. _pardon and sanctification in christ._ ( ) how sad our state by nature is! our sin--how deep it stains! and satan binds our captive minds, fast in his slavish chains. but there's a voice of sovereign grace sounds from the sacred word;-- "ho! ye despairing sinners! come and trust a faithful lord." my soul obeys the gracious call and runs to this relief; i would believe thy promise, lord! oh! help my unbelief. to the blest fountain of thy blood, incarnate god! i fly; here let me wash my spotted soul, from crimes of deepest dye. a guilty, weak, and helpless worm, on thy kind arms i fall; be thou my strength and righteousness my jesus, and my all. isaac watts, . downs. c.m. _man's need of the new birth._ ( ) sinners, this solemn truth regard, hear, all ye sons of men; for christ, the savior, hath declared, "ye must be born again." whate'er might be your birth or blood, the sinner's boast is vain; thus saith the glorious son of god, "ye must be born again." that which is born of flesh is flesh, and flesh it will remain: then marvel not that jesus saith, "ye must be born again." spirit of life, thy grace impart, and breathe on sinners slain: bear witness, lord, in ev'ry heart, that we are born again. john fawcett. rockbridge. l.m. _man's need of christ._ ( ) buried in shadows of the night we lie, till christ restores the light; till he descends to heal the blind, and chase the darkness of the mind. our guilty souls are drowned in tears, till his atoning blood appears; then we awake from deep distress, and sing the lord our righteousness. jesus beholds where satan reigns, and binds his slaves in heavy chains; he sets the prisoners free, and breaks the iron bondage from our necks. poor, helpless worms in thee possess grace, wisdom, power, and righteousness thou art our mighty all, and we give our whole selves, o lord, to thee. isaac watts, . melody. c.m. _law and grace._ ( ) vain are the hopes, the sons of men on their own works have built; their hearts by nature all unclean, and all their actions, guilt. let jew and gentile stop their mouths, without a murm'ring word; and the whole race of adam stand guilty before the lord. in vain we ask god's righteous law to justify us now, since to convince, and to condemn, is all the law can do. jesus! how glorious is thy grace! when in thy name we trust, our faith receives a righteousness, that makes the sinner just. isaac watts, . glorious fountain. c.m. _glorious fountain._ ( ) there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. cho.--oh, glorious fountain! here will i stay, and in thee ever wash my sins away. the dying thief rejoiced to see, that fountain in his day, and there may i, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. thou dying lamb, thy precious blood, shall never lose its power, till all the ransomed church of god, are saved to sin no more. e'er since by faith i saw the stream thy flowing wounds supply, redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till i die. and when this feeble, faltering tongue lies silent in the grave, then in a nobler, sweeter song, i'll sing thy power to save. william cowper, . siloam. c.m. _the all-sufficient grace._ ( ) when wounded sore, the stricken soul lies bleeding and unbound: one hand alone, a pierced hand, can heal the sinner's wound. when sorrow swells the laden breast, and tears of anguish flow, one heart alone, a broken heart, can feel the sinner's woe. 'tis jesus' blood that washes white, his hand, that brings relief; his heart, that's touched with all our joys, and feeleth for our grief. lift up thy bleeding hand, o lord! unseal that cleansing tide; we have no shelter from our sin, but in thy wounded side. mrs. cecil f. alexander, . siloam. c.m. _salvation._ salvation! oh, the joyful sound! what pleasure to our ears; a sovereign balm for every wound, a cordial for our fears. salvation! let the echo fly the spacious earth around, while all the armies of the sky conspire to raise the sound. salvation! o thou bleeding lamb! to thee the praise belongs: salvation shall inspire our hearts, and dwell upon our tongues. isaac watts. dunbar. s.m. _all invited._ ( ) how, vast, how full, how free, the mercy of our god! proclaim the blessed news around, and spread it all abroad. cho.--i'm glad salvation's free! i'm glad salvation's free! salvation's free for you and me, i'm glad salvation's free! how vast! "whoever will" may drink at mercy's stream, and know that faith in jesus brings salvation now to him. how full! it doth remove the stain of every sin; and makes the soul as white and pure, as though no sin had been. poor trembling sinner, come! god waits to comfort thee, come, cast thyself upon his love, so vast, so full, so free. vestry h. & t. book. boylston. s.m. _the better sacrifice._ ( ) not all the blood of beasts, on jewish altars slain, could give the guilty conscience peace, or wash away the stain. but christ, the heavenly lamb, takes all our sins away; a sacrifice of nobler name, and richer blood than they. my faith would lay her hand on that dear head of thine, while like a penitent i stand, and there confess my sin. my soul looks back to see the burden thou didst bear; while hanging on the cursed tree, and knows her guilt was there. isaac watts jesus saves. p.m. _atonement for all._ we have heard the joyful sound, jesus saves, jesus saves! spread the tidings all around, jesus saves, jesus saves! bear the news to ev'ry land, climb the steeps and cross the waves; onward! 'tis our lord's command; jesus saves, jesus saves! waft it on the rolling tide, jesus saves, jesus saves! tell to sinners far and wide, jesus saves, jesus saves! sing, ye islands of the sea, echo back, ye ocean caves; earth shall keep her jubilee; jesus saves, jesus saves! sing above the battle strife, jesus saves, jesus saves! by his death and endless life, jesus saves, jesus saves! sing it softly thro' the gloom, when the heart for mercy craves; sing in triumph o'er the tomb, jesus saves, jesus saves! give the winds a mighty voice, jesus saves, jesus saves! let the nations now rejoice, jesus saves, jesus saves! shout salvation full and free, highest hills and deepest caves; this our song of victory, jesus saves, jesus saves! priscilla j. owens. boylston. s.m. _ark of salvation._ like noah's weary dove that soared the earth around, but not a resting place above the cheerless waters found, oh, cease, my wandering soul, on restless wing to roam; all the wide world, to either pole, has not for thee a home. behold the ark of god, behold the open door; hasten to gain that dear abode, and rove, my soul, no more. there safe thou shalt abide, there sweet shall be thy rest, and every longing satisfied, with full salvation blessed. wm. a. muhlenberg. christ receiveth sinful men. s. _a joyful message._ sinners jesus will receive; sound this word of grace to all who the heavenly pathway leave, all who linger, all who fall. ref.--sing it o'er and o'er again; christ receiveth sinful men, make the message clear and plain: christ receiveth sinful men. come, and he will give you rest; trust him for his word is plain; he will take the sinfulest; christ receiveth sinful men. now my heart condemns me not, pure before the law i stand; he who cleansed me from all spot, satisfied its last demand. christ receiveth sinful men, even me with all my sin; purged from every spot and stain, heaven with him i'll enter in. arr. from neumaster, . depth of mercy. s. _the chief of sinners_ ( ) depth of mercy! can there be mercy still reserved for me? can my god his wrath forbear? me, the chief of sinners, spare? cho.--god is love; i know, i feel; jesus weeps and loves me still; jesus weeps and loves me still. i have long withstood his grace, long provoked him to his face; would not hearken to his calls; grieved him by a thousand falls. there for me the savior stands; shows his wounds and spreads his hands; god is love; i know, i feel; jesus weeps, and loves me still. now incline me to repent; let me now my fall lament; now my foul revolt deplore; weep, believe, and sin no more. charles wesley, . lenox. h.m. _the jubilee proclaimed._ ( ) blow ye the trumpet, blow! the gladly solemn sound, let all the nations know, to earth's remotest bound, the year of jubilee is come, return, ye ransomed sinners, home. jesus, our great high priest, hath full atonement made: ye weary spirits! rest, ye mournful souls! be glad; the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners! home. extol the lamb of god,-- the all-atoning lamb; redemption in his blood, throughout the world, proclaim; the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners! home. ye, who have sold for naught your heritage above! shall have it back unbought, the gift of jesus' love; the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners! home. charles wesley, . lenox. h. m. _the sacrifice._ arise, my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears; the bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears; before the throne my surety stands, my name is written on his hands. he ever lives above, for me to intercede; his all-redeeming love, his precious blood to plead; his blood atoned for all our race, and sprinkles now the throne of grace. five bleeding wounds he bears, received on calvary; they pour effectual prayers, they strongly speak for me; forgive him, o forgive, they cry, nor let that ransomed sinner die. the father hears him pray, his dear anointed one; he cannot turn away the presence of his son; his spirit answers to the blood, and tells me i am born of god. my god is reconciled, his pard'ning voice i hear, he owns me for his child, i can no longer fear; with confidence i now draw nigh, and father, abba, father, cry. all to christ i owe. s. _jesus paid it all._ i hear the savior say, thy strength indeed is small; child of weakness, watch and pray, find in me thine all in all. cho.--jesus paid it all, all to him i owe; sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow. lord, now indeed i find thy power, and thine alone, can change the leper's spots, and melt the heart of stone. for nothing good have i whereby thy grace to claim-- i'll wash my garment white in the blood of calvary's lamb. when from my dying bed my ransomed soul shall rise, then "jesus paid it all" shall rend the vaulted skies. and when before the throne i stand in him complete, i'll lay my trophies down, all down at jesus' feet. mrs. elvina m. hall. all to christ i owe. s. _rev. : ._ ( ) come to the blood-stained tree; the victim bleeding lies; god sets the sinner free, since christ, a ransom, dies. the spirit will apply his blood to cleanse thy stain; oh, burdened soul, draw nigh, for none can come in vain! dark though thy guilt appear, and deep its crimson stain, there's boundless mercy here, oh, do not still disdain. look not within for peace, within, there's nought to cheer; look up, and find release from sin, and self, and fear. what a wonderful savior. p.m. _a complete atonement._ christ has for sin atonement made, what a wonderful savior! we are redeem'd, the price is paid, what a wonderful savior! cho.--what a wonderful savior is jesus, my jesus! what a wonderful savior is jesus, my lord! i praise him for the cleansing blood, what a wonderful savior! that reconciled my soul to god, what a wonderful savior! he cleansed my heart from all its sin, what a wonderful savior! and now he reigns and rules therein, what a wonderful savior! he walks beside me in the way, what a wonderful savior! and keeps me faithful day by day, what a wonderful savior! he gives me overcoming power, what a wonderful savior! and triumph in each conflict hour, what a wonderful savior! to him i've given all my heart, what a wonderful savior! the world shall never share a part, what a wonderful savior! e. a. hoffman. wonderful grace. p.m. _divine grace._ 'tis grace, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace, this great salvation brings; the soul, delivered of its load, in sweetest rapture sings. cho.--'tis grace, 'tis grace, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful grace, 'tis grace, 'tis grace, flowing still freely for me. 'tis grace, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace, which saves the soul from sin, the power of rising evil days, and reigns supreme within. 'tis grace, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace; its streams are full and free; are flowing now for all the race, they even flow to me. rev. w. h. burrell. seeking for me. p.m. _christ's atoning work._ jesus, my savior, to bethlehem came, born in a manger to sorrow and shame; oh, it was wonderful, blest be his name, seeking for me, for me. jesus, my savior, on calvary's tree paid the great debt, and my soul he set free; oh, it was wonderful, how could it be? dying for me, for me. jesus, my savior, the same as of old, while i did wander afar from the fold, gently and long he hath plead with my soul, calling for me, for me. jesus, my savior, shall come from on high; sweet is the promise as weary years fly; oh, i shall see him descending the sky, coming for me, for me. e. e. hasty the stranger at the door. l.m. _at the door._ ( ) behold a stranger at the door, he gently knocks, has knocked before; has waited long, is waiting still; you treat no other friend so ill. cho.--oh, let the dear savior come in, he'll cleanse the heart from sin, oh, keep him no more out at the door, but let the dear savior come in. oh, lovely attitude--he stands with melting heart and loaded hands; oh, matchless kindness--and he shows this matchless kindness to his foes. but will he prove a friend indeed? he will--the very friend you need; the friend of sinners? yes, 'tis he. with garments died on calvary. rise, touched with gratitude divine, turn out his enemy and thine; that soul-destroying monster, sin, and let the heavenly stranger in. admit him, ere his anger burn-- his feet, departed, ne'er return; admit him, or the hour's at hand you'll at his door rejected stand. joseph grigg, . the stranger at the door. l.m. _why not be saved to-night?_ ( ) oh, do not let the word depart, and close thine eyes against the light; poor-sinner, harden not thy heart; thou would'st be saved, why not to-night? to-morrow's sun may never rise to bless thy long-deluded sight; this is the time, oh, then be wise! thou would'st be saved, why not to-night? our god in pity lingers still; and wilt thou thus his love requite? renounce at length thy stubborn will; thou would'st be saved, why not to-night? the world has nothing left to give, it has no new, no pure delight; oh, try the life which christians live; thou would'st be saved, why not to-night? spanish hymn. s. d. _sinners, turn!_ sinners, turn; why will ye die? god, your maker, asks you why? god, who did your being give, made you with himself to live; he the fatal cause demands; asks the work of his own hands,-- why, ye thankless creatures, why will ye cross his love, and die? sinners, turn; why will ye die? god, your savior, asks you why? he, who did your souls retrieve, died himself, that ye might live. will ye let him die in vain? crucify your lord again? why, ye ransomed sinners, why will ye slight his grace and die? sinners, turn; why will ye die? god; the spirit, asks you why? he who all your lives hath strove, urged you to embrace his love. will ye not his grace receive? will ye still refuse to live? o ye dying sinners, why, why will ye forever die? rev. c. wesley, . spanish hymn. s. d. _delay._ ( ) hasten, sinner! to be wise, stay not for the morrow's sun; wisdom, if thou still despise, harder is she to be won. hasten, mercy to implore, stay not for the morrow's sun, lest thy season should be o'er, ere this evening's stage be run. hasten, sinner! to return, stay not for the morrow's sun, lest thy lamp should fail to burn, ere salvation's work is done. hasten, sinner! to be blessed, stay not for the morrow's sun, lest perdition thee arrest, ere the morrow is begun. thomas scott, . spanish hymn. s. d. _the voice of jesus._ ( ) come, says jesus' sacred voice, come, and make my paths your choice; i will guide you to your home; weary pilgrim! hither come. thou, who, houseless, sole, forlorn, long hast borne the proud world's scorn, long hast roamed this barren waste, weary pilgrim! hither haste. ye, who, tossed on beds of pain, seek for ease, but seek in vain! ye, by fiercer anguish torn, in remorse for guilt who mourn!-- hither come, for here is found balm that flows for every wound, peace that ever shall endure, rest eternal, sacred, sure. mrs. anna l. barbauld, . why do you wait? p.m. _immediate decision._ why do you wait, dear brother, oh, why do you tarry so long? your savior is waiting to give you a place in his sanctified throng. cho.--why not? why not? why not come to him now? why not? why not? why not come to him now? what do you hope, dear brother, to gain by a further delay? there's no one to save you but jesus, there's no other way but his way. do you not feel, dear brother, his spirit now striving within? oh, why not accept his salvation, and throw off thy burden of sin? why do you wait, dear brother, the harvest is passing away, your savior is longing to bless you, there's danger and death in delay. george f. root. spanish hymn. s. d. _come and welcome._ ( ) from the cross uplifted high, where the savior deigns to die, what melodious sounds we hear, bursting on the ravished ear!-- "love's redeeming' work is done-- come and welcome, sinner, come! "sprinkled now with blood the throne-- why beneath thy burdens groan? on my pierced body laid, justice owns the ransom paid-- bow the knee, and kiss the son-- come and welcome, sinner, come! "spread for thee, the festal board-- see with richest bounty stored; to thy father's bosom pressed, thou shalt be a child confessed, never from his house to roam; come and welcome, sinner, come! "soon the days of life shall end-- lo, i come--your savior, friend! safe your spirit to convey to the realms of endless day, up to my eternal home come and welcome, sinner, come!" t. haweis, . azmon. c.m. _the gospel feast._ ( ) ye wretched, hungry, starving poor! behold a royal feast, where mercy spreads her bounteous store, for every humble guest. see, jesus stands, with open arms; he calls,--he bids you come; guilt holds you back, and fear alarms; but, see! there yet is room. room, in the savior's bleeding heart; there love and pity meet; nor will he bid the soul depart, that trembles at his feet oh! come, and with his children taste the blessings of his love: while hope attends the sweet repast of nobler joys above. there, with united heart and voice, before th' eternal throne, ten thousand thousand souls rejoice, in ecstasies unknown. and yet ten thousand thousand more are welcome still to come; ye longing souls! the grace adore, approach, there yet is room. anne steele, . azmon. c.m. _gen. : ._ there is a line by us unseen, that crosses every path, the hidden boundary between god's patience and his wrath. to pass that limit is to die, to die as if by stealth; it does not quench the beaming eye, nor pale the glow of health. oh! where is this mysterious bourne by which our path is crossed; beyond which god himself hath sworn that he who goes is lost? how far may we go on to sin? how long will god forbear? where does hope end, and where begin the confines of despair? an answer from the skies is sent,-- "ye that from god depart, while it is called to-day, repent, and harden not your heart." joseph addison alexander. azmon. c.m. _the last resolve._ ( ) come, humble sinner! in whose breast a thousand thoughts revolve: come, with your guilt and fear oppressed, and make this last resolve:-- "i'll go to jesus, though my sin like mountains round me close; i know his courts, i'll enter in whatever may oppose. "prostrate i'll lie before his throne, and there my guilt confess; i'll tell him i'm a wretch undone, without his sovereign grace. "perhaps he will admit my plea; perhaps will hear my prayer; but, if i perish, i will pray, and perish only there. "i can but perish if i go, i am resolved to try; for, if i stay away, i know i must forever die." edmund jones, . sessions. l.m. _my spirit shall not always strive._ ( ) say, sinner, hath a voice within oft whispered to thy secret soul, urged thee to leave the ways of sin, and yield thy heart to god's control? sinner! it was a heavenly voice,-- it was the spirit's gracious call; it bade thee make the better choice, and haste to seek in christ thine all. spurn not the call for life and light; regard in time the warning kind; that call thou may'st not always slight and yet the gate of mercy find. god's spirit will not always strive with hardened self-destroying men; ye, who persist his love to grieve, may never hear his voice again. sinner! perhaps this very day thy last accepted time may be: oh! should'st thou grieve him now away then hope may never beam on thee. mrs. ann b. hyde. just as thou art. l.m. _just as thou art._ ( ) just as thou art--without one trace of love, or joy, or inward grace,-- or meekness for the heav'nly place,-- oh, guilty sinner! come,--now come. thy sins i bore on calvary's tree; the stripes, thy due, were laid on me, that peace and pardon might be free;-- oh, wretched sinner! come,--now come. burdened with guilt, would'st thou be blessed? trust not the world; it gives no rest; i bring relief to hearts oppressed;-- oh, weary sinner! come,--now come. come, hither bring thy boding fears, thy aching heart, thy bursting tears; 'tis mercy's voice salutes thine ears;-- oh, trembling sinner! come,--now come. "the spirit and the bride say, come!" rejoicing saints re-echo, "come!" who faints, who thirsts, who will, may come; thy savior bids thee come,--now come. russell s. cook, , _a._ jesus is calling. p.m. _the call of christ._ jesus is tenderly calling thee home-- calling to-day, calling to-day; why from the sunshine of love wilt thou roam farther and farther away? ref.--calling to-day, calling to-day. jesus is calling, is tenderly calling to-day. jesus is calling the weary to rest-- calling to-day, calling to-day; bring him thy burden and thou shalt be blest; he will not turn thee away. jesus is waiting, oh, come to him now-- waiting to-day, waiting to-day; come with thy sins, at his feet lowly bow; come, and no longer delay. jesus is pleading, oh, list to his voice-- hear him to-day, hear him to-day; they who believe on his name shall rejoice; quickly arise and away. fanny j. crosby. goshen. s. _all things ready._ ( ) oh, turn ye, oh, turn ye, for why will ye die, when god, in great mercy, is coming so nigh? now jesus invites you, the spirit says, "come!" and angels are waiting to welcome you home. how vain the delusion, that while you delay, your hearts may grow better by staying away! come wretched, come starving, come just as you be, while streams of salvation are flowing so free. and now christ is ready your souls to receive; oh, how can you question, if you will believe? if sin is your burden, why will you not come? 'tis you he bids welcome; he bids you come home. why will you be starving, and feeding on air? there's mercy in jesus, enough and to spare; if still you are doubting, make trial and see. and prove that his mercy is boundless and free. josiah hopkins, . goshen. s. _danger of delay._ ( ) delay not, delay not; oh, sinner! draw near; the waters of life are now flowing for thee; no price is demanded, the savior is here, redemption is purchased, salvation is free. delay not, delay not; why longer abuse the love and compassion of jesus, thy god? a fountain is opened,--how canst thou refuse to wash, and be cleansed in his pardoning blood? delay not, delay not, oh, sinner! to come, for mercy still lingers and calls thee to-day; her voice is not heard in the vale of the tomb,-- her message, unheeded, will soon pass away. delay not, delay not; the spirit of grace, long grieved and resisted, may take its sad flight; and leave thee in darkness to finish thy race,-- to sink in the vale of eternity's night. thomas hastings, . he is calling. s & s. _divine sympathy._ ( ) there's a wideness in god's mercy, like the wideness of the sea; there's a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty. ref.--he is calling, "come to me;" lord, i'll gladly haste to thee. there's no place where earthly sorrows are more felt than up in heaven; there's no place where earthly failings have such kindly judgment given. for the love of god is broader than the measure of man's mind, and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind. but we make his love too narrow, by false limits of our own; and we magnify his strictness with a zeal he will not own. pining souls, come nearer jesus; come, but come not doubting thus; come with faith that trusts more freely his great tenderness for us. if our love were but more simple, we should take him at his word; and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of our lord. frederick faber, _ab._ come to jesus. ( ) come to jesus, come to jesus, come to jesus just now, just now come to jesus, come to jesus just now. he will save you. oh, believe him. he is able. he is willing. he'll receive you. call upon him. he will hear you. look unto him. he'll forgive you. flee to jesus. he will cleanse you. he will clothe you. jesus loves you. don't reject him. only trust him. hallelujah. amen. who'll be the next? p.m. _delay deplored._ who'll be the next to follow jesus? who'll be the next the cross to bear? someone is ready, someone is waiting; who'll be the next a crown to wear? ref.--who'll be the next? who'll be the next? who'll be the next to follow jesus? who'll be the next to follow jesus now? follow jesus now? who'll be the next to follow jesus-- follow his weary, bleeding feet? who'll be the next to lay ev'ry burden down at the father's mercy-seat? who'll be the next to follow jesus? who'll be the next to praise his name? who'll swell the chorus of free redemption-- sing, hallelujah! praise the lamb? who'll be the next to follow jesus, down thro' the jordan's rolling tide? who'll be the next to join with the ransomed, singing upon the other side? annie s. hawks. let him in. p.m. _the stranger at the door._ there's a stranger at the door, let him in, he has been there oft before, let him in; let him in ere he is gone, let him in, the holy one, jesus christ, the father's son, let him in. open now to him your heart, let him in, if you wait he will depart, let him in; let him in, he is your friend, he your soul will sure defend, he will keep you to the end, let him in. hear you now his loving voice? let him in, now, oh, now make him your choice let him in; he is standing at the door, joy to you he will restore, and his name you will adore, let him in. now admit the heavenly guest, let him in, he will make for you a feast, let him in; he will speak your sins forgiv'n, and when earth ties all are riven, he will take you home to heaven, let him in. rev. j. b. atchison. almost persuaded. p.m. _"almost," but lost._ ( ) "almost persuaded" now to believe; "almost persuaded" christ to receive; seems now some soul to say, "go, spirit, go thy way; some more convenient day on thee i'll call." "almost persuaded," come, come to-day; "almost persuaded," turn not away, jesus invites you here, angels are ling'ring near, pray'rs rise from hearts so dear; oh, wand'rer, come! "almost persuaded," harvest is past! "almost persuaded," doom comes at last! "almost" cannot avail; "almost" is but to fail! sad, sad that bitter wail,-- "almost," but lost! p. p. bliss. to-day. s & s. ( ) to-day the savior calls! ye wand'rers, come, oh, ye benighted souls, why longer roam? to-day the savior calls! oh, hear him now; within these sacred walls to jesus bow. today the savior calls! for refuge fly! the storm of justice falls, and death is nigh. the spirit calls to-day; yield to his power; oh, grieve him not away, 'tis mercy's hour. greenville. s, s, & s. _invitation hymn._ ( ) come, ye sinners, poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore; jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love, and pow'r; he is able, he is willing, doubt no more. now, ye needy, come and welcome; god's free bounty glorify; true belief and true repentance, every grace that brings you nigh, without money, come to jesus christ and buy. let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream; all the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him; this he gives you; 'tis the spirit's glimmering beam. come, ye weary, heavy laden, bruised and mangled by the fall; if you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all; not the righteous,-- sinners jesus came to call. joseph hart, . cho.--turn to the lord and seek salvation, sound the praise of his dear name: glory, honor, and salvation, christ, the lord, is come to reign. cho.--i will arise and go to jesus, he will embrace me in his arms, in the arms of my dear savior, oh, there are ten thousand charms! greenville. s, s, & s. _the voice of mercy._ ( ) listen, sinner! mercy hails you; with her sweetest voice she calls; bids you hasten to the savior, ere the hand of justice falls: listen, sinner! 'tis the voice of mercy calls. see! the storm of vengeance gathering o'er the path you dare to tread! hark! the awful thunders rolling loud and louder o'er your head! flee, oh, sinner! lest the lightnings strike you dead. haste, ah! hasten to the savior; sue his mercy while you may; soon the day of grace is over; soon your life will pass away, hasten sinner! you must perish, if you stay. andrew reed, . rhinehart. s & s. _penitents encouraged._ ( ) dropping souls! no longer mourn, jesus still is precious; if to him you now return, heav'n will be propitious; jesus now is passing by, calling wand'rers near him; drooping souls! you need not die, go to him and hear him! he has pardons full and free, drooping souls to gladden; still he cries--"come unto me, weary, heavy laden!" tho' your sins, like mountains high, rise, and reach to heaven, soon as you on him rely, all shall be forgiven. precious is the savior's name, all his saints adore him; he to save the dying came;-- prostrate bow before him! wand'ring sinner! now return; contrite souls! believe him! jesus calls you; cease to mourn; worship him; receive him. thomas hastings. . are you ready? s & s. _judgment day._ soon the evening shadows falling close the day of mortal life; soon the hand of death appalling draws thee from its weary strife. cho.--are you ready? are you ready? 'tis the spirit calling, why delay? are you ready? are you ready? do not linger longer, come to-day. soon the awful trumpet sounding calls thee to the judgment throne; now prepare, for love abounding yet has left thee not alone. oh, how fatal 'tis to linger! art thou ready--ready now? ready should death's icy finger lay its chill upon thy brow? priceless love and free salvation freely still are offered thee; yield no longer to temptation, but from sin and sorrow flee. j. w. slaughenhaupt. windham. l.m. _the broad road._ broad is the road that leads to death, and thousands walk together there; but wisdom shows a narrow path, with here and there a traveler. "deny thyself and take thy cross," is the redeemer's great command; nature must count her gold but dross, if she would gain this heavenly land. the fearful soul that tires and faints, and walks the ways of god no more, is but esteemed almost a saint. and makes his own destruction sure. lord, let not all my hopes be vain; create my heart entirely new-- which hypocrites could ne'er attain, which false apostates never knew. isaac watts. gorton. s.m. _the second death._ ( ) oh, where shall rest be found-- rest for the weary soul? 'twere vain the ocean depths to sound, or pierce to either pole. the world can never give the bliss for which we sigh; 'tis not the whole of life to live, nor all of death to die. beyond this vale of tears there is a life above, unmeasured by the flight of years; and all that life is love. there is a death, whose pang outlasts the fleeting breath; oh, what eternal horrors hang around the second death! lord god of truth and grace, teach us that death to shun, lest we be banished from thy face, and evermore undone. james montgomery, . no room in heaven. p.m. _shut out._ how sad would it be, if when thou didst call, all hopeless and unforgiven, the angel that stands at the beautiful gate, should answer, no room in heaven. ref.--sad, sad, sad would it be! no room in heaven for thee! no room, no room, no room in heaven for thee! how sad it would be, the harvest all past, the bright summer days all over; to know that the reapers had gathered the grain, and left thee alone forever. oh, haste thee, and fly, while mercy is near, remember the love that he gave you; the love that has sought thee is seeking thee still, and jesus now waits to save you. w. o. cushing. when the king comes in. p.m. _the final test._ called to the feast by the king are we, sitting, perhaps, where his people be, how will it fare, friend, with thee and me, when the king comes in? ref.--when the king comes in, brother, when the king comes in! how will it fare with thee and me when the king comes in? crowns on the head where the thorns have been, glorified he who once died for men, splendid the vision before us then, when the king comes in. like lightning's flash will that instant show things hidden long from both friend and foe, just what we are will each neighbor know, when the king comes in. joyful his eye shall on each one rest who is in white wedding garments dressed, ah, well for us if we stand the test, when the king comes in. endless the separation then, bitter the cry of deluded men, awful that moment beyond all ken, when the king comes in. lord, grant us all, we implore thee, grace, so to await thee each in his place, that we may fear not to see thy face when thou comest in. j.e. landor. when the door is shut. p.m. _the present invitation._ the door of salvation is open wide, and jesus invites you to come; while mercy and pardon await within, oh, enter while yet there is room. ref.--when the door once is shut, to entreat will be vain; 'twill never, no, never be opened again. the feast of the gospel awaits its guests, the day and the hour are at hand; ye hungry and perishing souls, draw near; oh, why do you doubtingly stand? dear friends, if you ever should stand without, and plead for admittance in vain, you'd think of the savior's entreating voice, and long for this moment again. m. e. servoss. hebron. l.m. _my yoke is easy, my burden light._ ( ) oh, that my load of sin were gone; oh, that i could at last submit at jesus' feet to lay it down-- to lay my soul at jesus' feet. rest for my soul i long to find; savior of all, if mine thou art, give me the meek and lowly mind, and stamp thine image on my heart. break off the yoke of inbred sin, and fully set my spirit free; i cannot rest till pure within-- till i am wholly lost in thee. fain would i learn of thee, my god; thy light and easy burden prove; the cross all stained with hallowed blood, the labor of thy dying love. i would, but thou must give the power; my heart from every sin release; bring near, bring near the joyful hour, and fill me with thy perfect peace. charles wesley, . hebron. l.m. _pardon penitently implored._ ( ) show pity, lord, o lord, forgive; let a repenting rebel live; are not thy mercies large and free? may not a sinner trust in thee? my crimes, though great, cannot surpass the power and glory of thy grace; great god, thy nature hath no bound, so let thy pard'ning love be found. oh, wash my soul from every sin, and make my guilty conscience clean; here, on my heart, the burden lies and past offenses pain mine eyes. my lips with shame my sins confess, against thy law, against thy grace; lord, should thy judgment grow severe, i am condemned, but thou art clear. yet save a trembling sinner, lord, whose hope, still hovering round thy word, would light on some sweet promise there, some sure support against despair. charles wesley, . hebron. l.m. _deprecating the withdrawal of the spirit._ ( ) stay, thou insulted spirit, stay, though i have done thee such despite, nor cast the sinner quite away, nor take thine everlasting flight. though i have steeled my stubborn heart, and still shook off my guilty fears; and vexed and urged, thee to depart, for many long rebellious years. though i have most unfaithful been, of all whoe'er thy grace received! ten thousand times thy goodness seen; ten thousand times thy goodness grieved; this only woe i deprecate; this only plague i pray remove; nor leave me in my lost estate; nor curse me with this want of love. now, lord, my weary soul release, upraise me with thy gracious hand, and guide into thy perfect peace, and bring me to the promised land. charles wesley, . woodworth. l.m. _coming in humility._ ( ) just as i am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, o lamb of god, i come! i come! just as i am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, o lamb of god, i come! i come! just as i am, tho' tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings within, and fears without, o lamb of god, i come! i come! just as i am--poor, wretched, blind; sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all i need, in thee to find, o lamb of god, i come! i come! just as i am--thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise i believe, o lamb of god, i come! i come! just as i am--thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now to be thine, yea, thine alone, o lamb of god, i come! i come! charlotte elliott, . badea. s.m. _decision._ ( ) and can i yet delay my little all to give? to tear my soul from earth away, for jesus to receive? nay, but i yield, i yield, i can hold out no more: i sink, by dying love compelled, and own thee conqueror. tho' late, i all forsake, my friends, my all resign; gracious redeemer, take, oh, take, and seal me ever thine. come and possess me whole, nor hence again remove; settle and fix my wav'ring soul with all thy weight of love. charles wesley, . i am listening. s & s. _the call answered._ do you hear the savior calling, by the wooings of his voice? do you hear the accents falling? will you make the precious choice? ref.--i am list'ning; oh, i'm list'ning just to hear the accents fall! i am list'ning; oh, i'm list'ning to the savior's gentle call! by his spirit he is wooing, softly drawing us to him, thro' the day and night pursuing, with his gentle voice to win. by the word of truth he's speaking to the wand'ring, erring ones; list! the voice the stillness breaking! hear the sweet and solemn tones! in his providential dealings, even in his stern decrees, in the loudest thunders pealing, or the murm'ring of the breeze. w. s. marshall. i do believe. c.m. _unwearied earnestness._ ( ) father, i stretch my hand to thee; no other help i know: if thou withdraw thyself from me, ah! whither shall i go? cho.--i do believe, i now believe that jesus died for me; and thro' his blood, his precious blood, i shall from sin be free. what did thine only son endure. before i drew my breath? what pain, what labor, to secure my soul from endless death! o jesus, could i this believe, i now should feel thy power; and all my wants thou would'st relieve, in this accepted hour. author of faith! to thee i lift my weary, longing eyes; oh, let me now receive that gift-- my soul without it dies. surely thou canst not let me die; oh, speak, and i shall live, and here i will unwearied lie, till thou thy spirit give. how would my fainting soul rejoice, could i but see thy face; now let me hear thy quick'ning voice, and taste thy pard'ning grace. charles wesley i do believe. c.m. _the friend of sinners._ ( ) jesus! thou art the sinner's friend; as such i look to thee; now, in the fullness of thy love, o lord! remember me. remember thy pure word of grace,-- remember calvary; remember all thy dying groans, and, then, remember me. thou wondrous advocate with god! i yield myself to thee; while thou art sitting on thy throne, dear lord! remember me. lord! i am guilty--i am vile, but thy salvation's free; then, in thine all abounding grace, dear lord! remember me. richard burnham, , _a._ brown. c.m. _approaching the mercy-seat._ ( ) approach, my soul, the mercy-seat, where jesus answers prayer; there humbly fall before his feet, for none can perish there. thy promise is my only plea, with this i venture nigh; thou call'st the burdened souls to thee, and such, o lord, am i. bowed down beneath a load of sin, by satan sorely pressed; by wars without and fears within, i come to thee for rest. oh, wondrous love! to bleed and die, to bear the cross and shame; that guilty sinners, such as i, might plead thy gracious name. john newton, . take me as i am. p.m. _no hope in self._ jesus, my lord, to thee i cry; unless thou help me, i must die; oh, bring thy free salvation nigh and take me as i am. ref.--take me as i am, take me as i am; oh, bring thy free salvation nigh, and take me as i am. helpless i am, and full of guilt, but yet for me thy blood was spilt, and thou canst make me as thou wilt, but take me as i am. i thirst, i long to know thy love, thy full salvation i would prove; but since to thee i cannot move oh, take me as i am. if thou hast work for me to do, inspire my will, my heart renew, and work both in and by me, too, but take me as i am. and when at last the work is done. the battle o'er, the victory won, still, still my cry shall be alone, oh, take me as i am. eliza h. hamilton. fix your eyes upon jesus. p.m. _the source of peace._ would you lose your load of sin? fix your eyes upon jesus; would you know god's peace within? fix your eyes upon jesus. cho.--jesus who on the cross did die, jesus who lives and reigns on high, he alone can justify; fix your eyes upon jesus. would you calmly walk the wave? fix your eyes upon jesus; would you know his pow'r to save? fix your eyes upon jesus. would you have your cares grow light? fix your eyes upon jesus; would you songs have in the night? fix your eyes upon jesus. grieving, would you comfort know? fix your eyes upon jesus; humble be when blessings flow? fix your eyes upon jesus. would you strength in weakness have? fix your eyes upon jesus; see a light beyond the grave? fix your eyes upon jesus. d. w. whittle. at the cross. c.m. _rom. : ._ ( ) i stand; but not as once i did, beneath my load of guilt; the blessed jesus bore it all-- for me his blood was spilt. i stand; but not on calvary's mount, with arms around the cross; i have been there, and left behind earth's pleasures, joys, and dross. i stand e'en now where he appears, in union with my lord; in him i'm saved, oh, wondrous thought. i read it in his word. oh, bless the lord! in him alone-- in him we are complete; we live by faith! but soon in sight our coming christ we'll greet. unknown. at the cross. c.m. _salvation at the cross._ ( ) oh, wondrous, deep, unbounded love, my savior, can it be that thou hast borne the crown of thorns and suffered death for me? cho.--at the cross, at the cross, where i first saw the light and, the burden of my heart rolled away-- it was there by faith i received my sight, and now i am happy all the day. i kneel, repenting, at thy feet, i give myself to thee; i plead thy merits, thine alone, for thou hast died for me. oh, let me plunge beneath the tide, for sinners flowing free, then rise, renewed by grace divine, and shout salvation free. and when i reach thy place above, my sweetest notes will be, redemption through a savior's name, who bled and died for me. fanny crosby, . saved by faith. p.m. _justified by faith._ i have found redemption in the savior's blood, i am saved by faith in his blood, in his blood; i am sweetly trusting in the word of god i am saved by faith in his blood. cho.--i am saved, yes, sweetly saved, i am saved by faith in the blood he shed for me, i am saved, yes, sweetly saved, i am saved by faith in his blood. oh, how sweet the story of his wondrous grace, i am saved by faith in his blood, in his blood; i will trust in jesus while i run my race, i am saved by faith in his blood. i will sing of jesus while the days go by, i am saved by faith in his blood, in his blood; i will trust his promise, on his strength rely, i am saved by faith in his blood. i will keep on singing as i march along, i am saved by faith in his blood, in his blood; in my home in glory this shall be my song, i am saved by faith in his blood. only trust him. c.m. _peace in believing._ come, ev'ry soul by sin oppressed, there's mercy with the lord; and he will surely give you rest by trusting in his word. cho.--only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now; he will save you, he will save you, he will save you now. for jesus shed his precious blood rich blessings to bestow; plunge now into the crimson flood that washes white as snow. yes, jesus is the truth, the way, that leads you into rest; believe in him without delay, and you are fully blest. come, then, and join this holy band, and on to glory go, to dwell in that celestial land, where joys immortal flow. j. h. stockton. is my name written there? p.m. _the book of life._ lord, i care not for riches, neither silver nor gold; i would make sure of heaven, i would enter the fold. in the book of thy kingdom, with its pages so fair, tell me, jesus, my savior, is my name written there? cho.--is my name written there? on the page white and fair? in the book of thy kingdom, is my name written there? lord, my sins, they are many, like the sands of the sea, but thy blood, oh, my savior, is sufficient for me; for thy promise is written, in bright letters that glow, "tho' your sins be as scarlet, i will make them like snow." oh, that beautiful city, with its mansions of light, with its glorified beings, in pure garments of white; where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair; where the angels are watching, yes, my name's written there. mrs. mary a. kidder. convert. p.m. _joy in christ._ oh, how happy are they who their savior obey, and have laid up their treasures above; tongue cannot express the sweet comfort and peace of a soul in its earliest love. that sweet comfort was mine, when the favor divine i first found in the blood of the lamb; when my heart it believed, what a joy i received, what a heaven in jesus' name. 'twas a heaven below my redeemer to know, and the angels could do nothing more than to fall at his feet, and the story repeat, and the lover of sinners adore. jesus, all the day long, was my joy and my song; o that all his salvation might see! he hath loved me, i cried, he hath suffered and died to redeem such a rebel as me. on the wings of his love i was carried above all sin and temptation and pain, and i could not believe that i ever should grieve-- that i ever should suffer again. i then rode on the sky, freely justified i, nor did envy elijah his seat; my soul mounted higher, in a chariot of tire, and the moon it was under my feet. o the rapturous height of that holy delight which i felt in the life-giving blood, of my savior possessed, i was perfectly blest, as if filled with the fullness of god. never more will i stray from my savior away, but i'll follow the lamb till i die; i will take up my cross, and count all things but loss, till i meet with my lord in the sky. charles wesley. hallowed spot. p.m. _the place of conversion._ ( ) there is a spot to me more dear than native vale or mountain; a spot to which affection's tear springs grateful from its fountain; 'tis not where kindred souls abound-- tho' that is almost heaven-- but where i first my savior found, and felt my sins forgiven. hard was my toil to reach the shore, long tossed upon the ocean, above me was the thunder's roar, beneath, the wave's commotion. darkly the pall of night was thrown around me, faint with terror; in that dark hour how did my groans ascend for years of error. sinking and panting as for breath, i knew not help was nigh me, and cried, o save me, lord, from death-- immortal jesus, hear me. then, quick as thought, i felt him mine-- my savior stood before me; i saw his brightness round me shine, and shouted glory, glory. o sacred hour, o hallowed spot! where love divine first found me; wherever falls my distant lot, my heart shall linger round thee: and as from earth i rise, to soar up to my home in heaven, down will i cast my eyes once more, where i was first forgiven. william hunter, d. d. boylston. s.m. _the need of conversion_ how solemn are the words, and yet to faith how plain, which jesus uttered while on earth-- "ye must be born again!" "ye must be born again!" for so hath god decreed; no reformation will suffice-- 'tis life poor sinners need. "ye must be born again!" and life in christ must have; in vain the soul may elsewhere go-- 'tis he alone can save. "ye must be born again!" or never enter heaven; 'tis only blood-washed ones are there-- the ransomed and forgiven. anon. it is well with my soul. p.m. _the soul redeemed._ when peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows, like sea-billows, roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. cho.--it is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul. tho' satan should buffet, tho' trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed his own blood for my soul. my sin--oh, the bliss of this glorious tho't-- my sin--not in part but the whole, is nailed to his cross and i bear it no more, praise the lord, praise the lord, oh, my soul! and, lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound, and the lord shall descend, "even so"--it is well with my soul. h.g. spafford. hallelujah! 'tis done. s. _an accomplished work._ 'tis the promise of god, full salvation to give unto him who on jesus, his son, will believe cho.--hallelujah! 'tis done, i believe on the son; i am saved by the blood of the crucified one. tho' the pathway be lonely, and dangerous, too, surely jesus is able to carry me through. many loved ones have i in yon heavenly throng; they are safe now in glory, and this is their song: little children i see standing close by their king, and he smiles as their song of salvation they sing. there are prophets and kings in that throng i behold, and they sing as they march thro' the streets of pure gold, there's a part in that chorus for you and for me, and the theme of our praises forever will be. bartimeus. s & s. _from darkness to light._ ( ) lord! i know thy grace is nigh me, thee thyself i cannot see; jesus, master! pass not by me; son of david! pity me. while i sit in weary blindness, longing for the blessed light, many taste thy loving kindness; "lord! i would receive my sight." i would see thee and adore thee, and thy word the power can give; hear the sightless soul implore thee; let me see thy face and live. ah! what touch is this that thrills me? what this burst of strange delight? lo! the rapturous vision fills me! this is jesus! this is sight! room, ye saints that throng behind him! let me follow in the way; i will teach the blind to find him who can turn their night to day. h.d. ganse. bartimeus. s & s. _the blind man healed._ ( ) "mercy, oh, thou son of david!" thus blind bartimeus prayed; "others by thy word are saved, now to me afford thine aid." many for his crying chid him,-- but he called the louder still; till the gracious savior bade him,-- "come, and ask me what you will." money was not what he wanted, though by begging used to live; but he asked, and jesus granted, alms which none but he could give. "lord! remove this grievous blindness, let mine eyes behold the day!" straight he saw, and, won by kindness, followed jesus in the way. oh! methinks i hear him praising, publishing to all around, "friends! is not my case amazing? what a savior i have found! "oh! that all the blind but knew him, and would be advised by me! surely would they hasten to him, he would cause them all to see." john newton, . sitting at the feet of jesus. p.m. oh, the peace that fills my soul, sitting at the feet of jesus; cleansed from sin, made free and whole, sitting at the feet of jesus. cho.--this is my abiding place, clothed with his abounding grace, looking upward to his face, sitting at the feet of jesus. christ is mine in storm and calm, sitting at the feet of jesus; all my wounds are filled with balm, sitting at the feet of jesus. here i rest from toil and strife, sitting at the feet of jesus; safe beneath the tree of life, sitting at the feet of jesus. come ye guilty and be healed, sitting at the feet of jesus; freely is god's love revealed, sitting at the feet of jesus. priscilla j. owens. ortonville. c.m. _prayer for entire purification._ ( ) forever here my rest shall be, close to thy bleeding side; 'tis all my hope and all my plea, "for me the savior died." my dying savior and my god, fountain for guilt and sin, sprinkle me ever with thy blood, and cleanse and keep me clean. wash me and make me thus thine own, wash me, and mine thou art! wash me, but not my feet alone, my hands, my head, my heart! th' atonement of thy blood apply till faith to sight improve, till hope in full fruition die, and all my soul be love. charles wesley, . ortonville. c.m. _the believer's rest._ ( ) lord, i believe a rest remains to all thy people known; a rest where pure enjoyment reigns, and thou art loved alone. a rest where all our soul's desire is fixed on things above; where fear, and sin, and grief expire, cast out by perfect love. oh, that i now the rest might know, believe and enter in: now, savior, now the power bestow, and let me cease from sin. remove this hardness from my heart; this unbelief remove: to me the rest of faith impart-- the sabbath of thy love. charles wesley. ortonville. c.m. _longing for christ._ ( ) oh! could i find from day to day, a nearness to my god; then should my hours glide sweet away, and live upon thy word. lord! i desire with thee to live. anew from day to day, in joys the world can never give, nor ever take away. o jesus! come and rule my heart and i'll be wholly thine; and never, nevermore depart; for thou art wholly mine. thus, till my last expiring breath, thy goodness i'll adore; and, when my flesh dissolves in death, my soul shall love thee more. benjamin cleveland, . ortonville. c.m. _self-dedication._ ( ) welcome, o savior! to my heart; possess thine humble throne; bid every rival hence depart, and claim me for thine own. the world and satan i forsake,-- to thee i all resign; my longing heart, o jesus! take, and make it all divine. oh! may i never turn aside, nor from thy bosom flee; let nothing here my heart divide-- i give it all to thee. hugh bourne, . rhine. c.m. _prayer for entire sanctification._ ( ) my god, i know, i feel thee mine, and will not quit my claim till all i have is lost in thine, and all renewed i am. i hold thee with a trembling hand, and will not let thee go, till steadfastly by faith i stand and all thy goodness know. jesus, thine all-victorious love shed in my heart abroad: then shall my feet no longer rove, rooted and fixed in god. refining fire, go through my heart, illuminate my soul; scatter thy life through every part, and sanctify the whole. charles wesley. bemerton. c.m. _self-consecration._ ( ) my god! accept my heart this day, and make it always thine, that i from thee no more may stray, no more from thee decline. before the cross of him who died, behold i prostrate fall; let every sin be crucified; let christ be all in all. may the dear blood, once shed for me, my blest atonement prove, that i, from first to last, may be the purchase of thy love. let every thought, and work, and word, to thee be ever given; then life shall be thy service, lord! and death the gate of heaven. matthew bridges, . uxbridge. l.m. _living to christ alone._ ( ) my gracious lord! i own thy right to every service i can pay, and call it my supreme delight, to hear thy dictates and obey. what is my being, but for thee, its sure support, its noblest end? thine ever-smiling face to see, and serve the cause of such a friend. i would not breathe for worldly joy, or to increase my worldly good; nor future days or powers employ, to spread a sounding name abroad. 'tis to my savior i would live, to him, who for my ransom died; nor could all worldly honor give such bliss as crowns me at his side. philip doddridge. . gratitude. l.m. _god wills our holiness._ ( ) he wills that i should holy be; that holiness i long to feel; that full divine conformity to all my savior's righteous will. see, lord, the travail of thy soul accomplished in the change of mine; and plunge me, every whit made whole, in all the depths of love divine. on thee, o god, my soul is stayed, and waits to prove thine utmost will; the promise by thy mercy made, thou canst, thou wilt in me fulfill. no more i stagger at thy power, or doubt thy truth, which cannot move; hasten the long-expected hour, and bless me with thy perfect love. charles wesley. duane street. l.m.d. _the way to god._ jesus, my all, to heav'n is gone, he whom i fixed my hopes upon; his track i see, and i'll pursue the narrow way till him i view. the way the holy prophets went, the road that leads from banishment; the king's highway of holiness; i'll go, for all his paths are peace. this is the way i long have sought, and mourned because i found it not; my grief a burden long has been, because i was not saved from sin. the more i strove against its power, i felt its weight and guilt the more; till late i heard my savior say, "come hither, soul, i am the way." lo! glad i come; and thou, blest lamb, shalt take me to thee, as i am; nothing but sin have i to give; nothing but love shall i receive. then will i tell to sinners round, what a dear savior i have found; i'll point to thy redeeming blood, and say, "behold the way to god." john cennick, duane street. l.m.d. _bought with a price._ lord, i am thine, entirely thine, purchased and saved by blood divine, with full consent thine i would be, and own thy sovereign right in me. grant one poor sinner more a place among the children of thy grace; a wretched sinner, lost to god, but ransomed by immanuel's blood. thine would i live, thine would i die, be thine through all eternity; the vow is past beyond repeal; and now i set the solemn seal. here at that cross where flows the blood, that bought my guilty soul for god, thee, my new master now i call, and consecrate to thee my all. rev. samuel davies, . _ab._ ellesdie. s & s. d. _leaving all to follow christ._ ( ) jesus, i my cross have taken, all to leave and follow thee; naked, poor, despised, forsaken, thou, from hence, my all shalt be! perish, every fond ambition, all i've sought, or hoped, or known, yet how rich is my condition, god and heaven are still my own! let the world despise and leave me-- they have left my savior too; human hearts and looks deceive me-- thou art not, like them, untrue. and while thou shalt smile upon me, god of wisdom, love, and might, foes may hate and friends disown me, show thy face and all is bright. go, then, earthly fame and treasure; come, disaster, scorn, and pain! in thy service pain is pleasure, with thy favor, loss is gain. i have called thee, abba, father, i have set my heart on thee; storms may howl, and clouds may gather-- all must work for good to thee. haste thee on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer; heaven's eternal day's before thee, god's own hand shall guide thee there. soon shall close thy earthly mission, soon shall pass thy pilgrim days; hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise. henry francis lyte, . autumn. s & s. double. _desiring sanctification._ ( ) love divine, all love excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down; fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown; jesus, thou art all compassion; pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart. breathe, oh, breathe thy holy spirit into every troubled breast, let us all thy grace inherit; let us find thy promised rest; take away the love of sinning; take our load of guilt away; end the work of thy beginning; bring us to eternal day. carry on thy new creation; pure and holy may we be; let us see our whole salvation perfectly secured by thee: change from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise. charles wesley, . autumn. s & s. double. _union with jesus._ ( ) in thy service will i ever, jesus, my redeemer, stay; nothing me from thee shall sever, gladly would i go thy way. yes, lord jesus, i am ever thine in sorrow and in joy; death the union shall not sever, nor eternity destroy. let thy light on me be shining when the day is almost gone, when the evening is declining, and the night is drawing on: bless me, oh, my savior! laying thy hands on my weary head; "here thy day is ended," saying, "yonder live the faithful dead." stay beside me, when the stillness and the icy touch of death fill my trembling soul with chillness, like the morning's frosty breath; as my failing eyes grow dimmer, let my spirit grow more bright, as i see the first faint glimmer of the everlasting light. p. spitta, . even me. s & s. _pass me not._ ( ) lord! i hear of showers of blessing, thou art scattering, broad and free; showers, the thirsty land refreshing; let their fullness fall on me. ref.--even me, even me, let their fullness fall on me. pass me not, oh, gracious father! sinful, though my heart may be; thou might'st curse me, but the rather let thy mercy fall on me. pass me not, oh, tender savior! let me love and cling to thee; i am longing for thy favor; when thou comest, call for me. pass me not, oh, mighty spirit! thou canst make the blind to see; witnesser of jesus' merit, speak the word of power to me. have i long in sin been sleeping, long been slighting, grieving thee? has the world my heart been keeping? oh! forgive and rescue me. love of god, so pure and changeless,-- blood of god, so rich and free,-- grace of god, so strong and boundless,-- magnify them all in me. elizabeth coduer, . even me. s & s. _self-consecration._ ( ) take me, oh, my father! take me, take me, save me, through thy son; that which thou would'st have me, make me, let thy will in me be done. long from thee my footsteps straying, thorny proved the way i trod; weary come i now, and praying-- take me to thy love, my god! fruitless years with grief recalling, humbly i confess my sin; at thy feet, o father! falling, to thy household take me in. freely now to thee i proffer this relenting heart of mine; freely, life and soul i offer-- gift unworthy love like thine. once the world's redeemer dying, bore our sins upon the tree; on that sacrifice relying, now i look in hope to thee. father! take me; all forgiving, fold me to thy loving breast; in thy hope forever living, i must be forever blest! ray palmer, . ferguson. s.m. _restore my peace._ ( ) o jesus! full of grace, to thee i make my moan: let me again behold thy face-- call home thy banished one. again my pardon seal, again my soul restore, and freely my backslidings heal, and bid me sin no more. thine utmost mercy show; say to my drooping soul-- in peace and full assurance go; thy faith hath made thee whole. charles wesley, . i cannot do without thee. s & s. _dependence on christ._ i cannot do without thee, o savior of the lost! whose precious blood redeemed me at such tremendous cost. cho.--i cannot, would not, dare not, could not, will not do without thee. i have no strength or goodness, no wisdom of my own. i cannot do without thee, i cannot stand alone; i have no strength or goodness, no wisdom of my own. i cannot do without thee, i do not know the way; thou knowest and thou leadest, and wilt not let me stray. i cannot do without thee, for years are fleeting fast, and soon, in solemn loneliness, the river must be passed. frances h. havergal, alt. ferguson. s.m. _absorbed in christ._ ( ) mine eyes and my desire are ever to the lord; i love to plead his promises, and rest upon his word. lord, turn thee to my soul; bring thy salvation near; when will thy hand release my feet from sin's destructive snare? when shall the sov'reign grace of my forgiving god restore me from those dangerous ways my wand'ring feet have trod? oh, keep my soul from death, nor put my hope to shame; for i have placed my only trust in my redeemer's name. isaac watts, . trusting. s. _at the cross._ ( ) i am coming to the cross; i am poor, and weak, and blind; i am counting all but dross; i shall thy salvation find. cho.--i am trusting, lord, in thee, blest lamb of calvary; humbly at thy cross i bow; save me, jesus, save me now. long my heart has sighed for thee; long has evil reigned within; jesus sweetly speaks to me-- i will cleanse you from all sin. here i give my all to thee-- friends, and time, and earthly store; soul and body thine to be-- wholly thine--forevermore. in the promises i trust; now i feel the blood applied; i am prostrate in the dust; i with christ am crucified. jesus comes! he fills my soul! perfected in love i am! i am ev'ry whit made whole; glory! glory to the lamb! wm. mcdonald. i'll live for him. p.m. _dedication of self._ my life, my love i give to thee, thou lamb of god, who died for me; oh, may i ever faithful be my savior and my god. cho.--i'll live for him who died for me, how happy, then, my life shall be! i'll live for him who died for me, my savior and my god. i now believe thou dost receive, for thou hast died that i might live; and now henceforth i'll trust in thee, my savior and my god. oh, thou who died on calvary, to save my soul and make me free, i consecrate my life to thee, my savior and my god. take my heart, dear jesus. p.m. _the offered heart._ take my heart, dear jesus, make it all thine own, let thy holy spirit break this heart of stone, and make me all thine own. cho.--take my heart, and let it be ev'ry moment more like thee; at thy feet i bow; take my heart just now, and make me all thine own. take my heart, dear jesus, make it pure and clean; let thy blood, still flowing, wash away my sin, and make me pure and clean. take my heart, dear jesus, make it white as snow; may the cleansing fountain, may the precious flow, still keep me white as snow. baltzell entire consecration. s. _self-dedication_ take my life, and let it be consecrated, lord, to thee; take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love. cho.--wash me in the savior's precious blood, the precious blood, cleanse me in its purifying flood, the healing flood, lord, i give to thee my life and all, to be thine, henceforth, eternally. take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for thee; take my voice, and let me sing always, only for my king take my lips, and let them be filled with messages for thee; take my silver and my gold-- not a mite would i withhold. take my moments and my days, let them flow in endless praise; take my intellect, and use ev'ry pow'r as thou shalt choose. take my will, and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine; take my heart,--it is thine own,-- it shall be thy royal throne. take my love,--my lord, i pour at thy feet its treasure-store! take myself, and i will be ever, only, all for thee! frances ridley havergal. draw me to thee. s & s. _nearness to christ desired._ lord, weak and impotent i stand, as fettered by an unseen hand; break thou the strong and subtle band, and draw me close to thee. cho.--draw me close to thee, savior, draw me close to thee; beneath thy wing do thou me hide, and draw me close to thee. in vain i struggle to be free; i would, but cannot, fly to thee; ope thou the prison door for me, and draw me close to thee. oh, bring me nearer, nearer still, that thine own peace my soul may fill, and i may rest in thy sweet will; lord, draw me close to thee. here, lord, i would forever bide, and never wander from thy side; beneath thy wing do thou me hide, and draw me close to thee. m.a.w. cook. draw me to thee. s & s. _clinging to christ._ ( ) o holy savior! friend unseen, since on thine arm thou bid'st me lean, help me, throughout life's changing scene, by faith to cling to thee! cho.--help me cling to thee, savior, help me cling to thee! help me, throughout life's changing scene, by faith to cling to thee! without a murmur i dismiss my former dreams of earthly bliss; my joy, my recompense be this, each hour to cling to thee! though faith and hope are often tried, i ask not, need not, aught beside; so safe, so calm, so satisfied, the soul that clings to thee! charlotte elliott. draw me nearer. p.m. _communion with christ._ i am thine, o lord, i have heard thy voice, and it told thy love to me; but i long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to thee. ref.--draw me nearer, nearer, blessed lord, to the cross where thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed lord, to thy precious, bleeding side. consecrate me now to thy service, lord, by the pow'r of grace divine; let my soul look up with a steadfast hope, and my will be lost in thine. o the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne i spend, when i kneel in pray'r, and with thee, my god, i commune as friend with friend. there are depths of love that i cannot know till i cross the narrow sea, there are heights of joy that i may not reach till i rest in peace with thee. fanny j. crosby. whiter than snow. s. _desire for purity._ lord jesus, i long to be perfectly whole; i want thee forever to live in my soul; break down ev'ry idol, cast out ev'ry foe; now wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow. cho.--whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow; now wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow. lord jesus, look down from thy throne in the skies, and help me to make a complete sacrifice; i give up myself and whatever i know-- now wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow. lord jesus, for this i most humbly entreat; i wait, blessed lord, at thy crucified feet, by faith for my cleansing, i see thy blood flow-- now wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow. lord jesus, thou seest i patiently wait; come now, and within me a new heart create; to those who have sought thee, thou never said'st no-- now wash me, and i shall be whiter than snow. james nicholson. are you washed in the blood? p.m. _resting in christ's merits._ have you been to jesus for the cleansing pow'r? are you washed in the blood of the lamb? are you fully trusting in his grace this hour? are you washed in the blood of the lamb? cho.--are you washed in the blood, in the soul-cleansing blood of the lamb? are your garments spotless, are they white as snow? are you washed in the blood of the lamb? are you walking daily by the savior's side? are you washed in the blood of the lamb? do you rest each moment in the crucified? are you washed in the blood of the lamb? when the bridegroom cometh will your robes be white, pure and white in the blood of the lamb? will your soul be ready for the mansions bright? and be washed in the blood of the lamb? lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, and be washed in the blood of the lamb; there's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, oh, be washed in the blood of the lamb. e.a. hoffman. the cleansing wave. c.m. _it cleanseth me._ oh, now i see the crimson wave, the fountain deep and wide; jesus, my lord, mighty to save, points to his wounded side. cho.--the cleansing stream i see! i see! i plunge, and oh, it cleanseth me; oh, praise the lord! it cleanseth me, it cleanseth me, yes, cleanseth me. i rise to walk in heaven's own light, above the world and sin, with heart made pure, and garments white, and christ enthroned within. amazing grace! 'tis heaven below to feel the blood applied; and jesus, only jesus know, my jesus crucified. mrs. phoebe palmer beulah land. l.m. _rest of faith._ i've reached the land of corn and wine. and all its riches freely mine; here shines undimmed one blissful day, for all my night has passed away. cho.--o beulah land, sweet beulah land, as on thy highest mount i stand, i look away across the sea, where mansions are prepared for me, and view the shining glory shore, my heaven, my home forevermore. the savior comes and walks with me, and sweet communion here have we; he gently leads me with his hand, for this is heaven's border land. a sweet perfume upon the breeze, is borne from ever vernal trees, and flowers that never fading grow where streams of life forever flow. the zephyrs seem to float to me, sweet sounds of heaven's melody, as angels, with the white-robed throng, join in the sweet redemption song. edgar page stites. the land of beulah. s & s. d. _beulah land._ i am dwelling on the mountain, where the golden sunlight gleams o'er a land whose wondrous beauty far exceeds my fondest dreams; where the air is pure ethereal, laden with the breath of flow'rs, they are blooming by the fountain, 'neath the amaranthine bow'rs. cho.--is not this land of beulah, blessed, blessed land of light? where the flowers bloom forever, and the sun is always bright. i can see far down the mountains, where i wandered weary years, often hindered in my journey by the ghosts of doubts and fears; broken vows and disappointments, thickly sprinkled all the way, but the spirit led unerring, to the land i hold to-day. i am drinking at the fountain, where i ever would abide; for i've tasted life's pure river, and my soul is satisfied; there's no thirsting for life's pleasures, nor adorning, rich and gay, for i've found a richer treasure. one that fadeth not away. tell me not of heavy crosses, nor the burdens hard to bear, for i've found this great salvation makes each burden light appear; and i love to follow jesus, gladly counting all but dross, worldly honors all forsaking for the glory of the cross. oh, the cross has wondrous glory! oft i've proved this to be true; when i'm in the way so narrow i can see a pathway thro'; and how sweetly jesus whispers: take the cross, thou need'st not fear, for i've tried this way before thee. and the glory lingers near. rev. wm. hunter. ortonville. c.m. _christ incomparable._ ( ) majestic sweetness sits enthroned upon the savior's brow; his head with radiant glories crowned, his lips with grace o'erflow. no mortal can with him compare among the sons of men; fairer is he, than all the fair who fill the heavenly train. he saw me plunged in deep distress, and flew to my relief; for me he bore the shameful cross, and carried all my grief. to heaven, the place of his abode, he brings my weary feet; shows me the glories of my god, and makes my joys complete. samuel stennett, . ortonville. c.m. _christ jesus, all in all._ ( ) i've found the pearl of greatest price! my heart doth sing for joy; and sing i must, for christ is mine! christ shall my song employ. christ is my prophet, priest, and king; my prophet full of light, my great high priest before the throne, my king of heavenly might. christ is my peace; he died for me, for me he gave his blood; and, as my wondrous sacrifice, offered himself to god. christ jesus is my all in all,-- my comfort, and my love; my life below, and he shall be my joy and crown above. john mason, . _a._ ortonville. c.m. _invitation to praise the redeemer._ ( ) oh, for a thousand tongues, to sing my great redeemer's praise, the glories of my god and king the triumphs of his grace. my gracious master, and my god, assist me to proclaim-- to spread, through all the earth abroad, the honors of thy name. jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease; 'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life, and health, and peace. he breaks the power of canceled sin, he sets the pris'ner free: his blood can make the foulest clean-- his blood availed for me. he speaks--and, list'ning to his voice new life the dead receive; the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe. hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind, behold your savior come; and leap, ye lame, for joy. charles wesley, . henry. c.m. _praise to christ._ ( ) come, let us all unite to praise the savior of mankind; our thankful hearts in solemn lays be with our voices joined. o lord! we cannot silent be; by love we are constrained to offer our best thanks to thee, our savior, and our friend. let every tongue thy goodness show, and spread abroad thy fame; let every heart with praise o'erflow, and bless thy sacred name. worship and honor, thanks and love, be to our jesus given, by men below, by hosts above, by all in earth and heaven. martin madan (?), . cambridge. c.m. _the incarnation._ ( ) awake, awake, the sacred song, to our incarnate lord; let every heart and every tongue adore th' eternal word. that awful word, that sovereign power, by whom the worlds were made; oh, happy morn--illustrious hour-- was once in flesh arrayed. to dwell with misery here below, the savior left the skies, and sunk to wretchedness and woe, that worthless man might rise. adoring angels tuned their songs, to hail the joyful day; with rapture, then, let human tongues their grateful worship pay. anne steele, st. agnes. c.m. _jesus our joy._ ( ) jesus, the very tho't of thee with sweetness fills my breast; but sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy presence rest. nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, nor can the mem'ry find a sweeter sound than thy blest name, o savior of mankind! oh, hope of ev'ry contrite heart! oh, joy of all the meek! to those who fall, how kind thou art! how good to those who seek. and those who find thee, find a bliss nor tongue nor pen can show; the love of jesus, what it is none but his loved ones know. jesus! our only joy be thou, as thou our prize wilt be; jesus! be thou our glory now, and through eternity. bernard of clairvaux, . tr. f. caswall, . st. agnes. c.m. _all-absorbing love._ ( ) o jesus, jesus, dearest lord! forgive me, if i say, for very love, thy sacred name a thousand times a day. i love thee so, i know not how my transports to control; thy love is like a burning fire within my very soul. oh, wonderful! that thou should'st let so vile a heart as mine love thee with such a love as this, and make so free with thine! o light in darkness, joy in grief! o heaven begun on earth! jesus my love, my treasure! who can tell what thou art worth? o jesus, jesus, sweetest lord! what art thou not to me? each hour brings joys before unknown, each day new liberty. frederick wm. faber, . st. agnes. c.m. _supreme love to christ._ ( ) do not i love thee, oh, my lord? behold my heart, and see; and turn each worthless idol out, that dares to rival thee. do not i love thee, from my soul? then let me nothing love; dead be my heart to every joy, which thou dost not approve. is not thy name melodious still, to mine attentive ear? doth not each pulse with pleasure thrill my savior's voice to hear? thou know'st i love thee, dearest lord! but, oh! i long to soar far from the sphere of mortal joys, and learn to love thee more. philip doddridge, . how i love jesus. c.m. _the dearest name._ ( ) there is a name i love to hear, i love to sing its worth; it sounds like music in mine ear, the sweetest name on earth. cho.--oh, how i love jesus, oh, how i love jesus, oh, how i love jesus, because he first loved me. it tells me of a savior's love, who died to set me free; it tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea. it tells me what my father hath in store for every day, and, though i tread a darksome path, yields sunshine all the way. it tells of one, whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe, who in each sorrow bears a part, that none can bear below. frederick whitfield, . how i love jesus. c.m. _the precious name._ ( ) how sweet the name of jesus sounds in a believer's ear; it soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. it makes the wounded spirit whole, and calms the troubled breast; 'tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary, rest. dear name, the rock on which i build, my shield and hiding-place; my never-failing treasure, filled with boundless stores of grace. jesus, my shepherd, savior, friend, my prophet, priest, and king, my lord, my life, my way, my end, accept the praise i bring. i would thy boundless love proclaim with every fleeting breath, so shall the music of thy name refresh my soul in death. john newton, webb. s & s. d. _the joyful prospect._ oh, when shall i see jesus, and reign with him above? and drink the flowing fountain of everlasting love? when shall i be delivered from this vain world of sin? and with my blessed jesus drink endless pleasures in? but now i am a soldier, my captain's gone before; he's given me my orders, and tells me not to fear; and if i hold out faithful, a crown of life he'll give, and all his valiant soldiers eternal life shall have. through grace i am determined to conquer, though i die, and then away to jesus on wings of love i'll fly! farewell to sin and sorrow, i bid them all adieu; and you, my friends, prove faithful, and on your way pursue. oh! do not be discouraged, for jesus is your friend; and if you lack for knowledge, he'll not forget to lend: neither will he upbraid you, though often you request; he'll give you grace to conquer, and take you home to rest. anon. webb. s & s, d. _praise to the savior._ ( ) to thee, my god and savior! my heart exulting sings, rejoicing in thy favor, almighty king of kings! i'll celebrate thy glory, with all thy saints above, and tell the joyful story of thy redeeming love. soon as the morn with roses bedecks the dewy east, and when the sun reposes upon the ocean's breast; my voice, in supplication, well-pleased thou shalt hear: oh! grant me thy salvation, and to my soul draw near. by thee, through life supported, i pass the dangerous road, with heavenly hosts escorted, up to their bright abode; there, cast my crown before thee.-- now, all my conflicts o'er,-- and day and night adore thee:-- what can an angel more? thomas haweis, . heavenly king. s. d. _rejoicing on the way._ ( ) children of the heavenly king, as we journey let us sing; sing our savior's worthy praise, glorious in his works and ways. we are trav'ling home to god, in the way our fathers trod; they are happy now, and we soon their happiness shall see. fear not, brethren; joyful stand on the borders of our land; jesus christ, our father's son, bids us undismayed go on. lord! obediently we'll go, gladly leaving all below: only thou our leader be, and we still will follow thee. john cennick, . atoning lamb. s. _delight in christ._ ( ) earth has nothing sweet or fair, lovely forms or beauties rare, but before my eyes they bring christ, of beauty source and spring. when the morning paints the skies, when the golden sunbeams rise, then my savior's form i find brightly imaged on my mind. when the day-beams pierce the night, oft i think on jesus' light,-- think,--how bright that light will be, shining through eternity. when, as moonlight softly steals, heaven its thousand eyes reveals, then i think;--who made their light is a thousand times more bright. when i see, in spring-tide gay, fields their varied tints display, wakes the thrilling thought in me, what must their creator be? lord of all that's fair to see! come, reveal thyself to me; let me, 'mid thy radiant light, see thine unveiled glories bright. ger. johann scheffler, . tr. frances elizabeth cox, . luther. s.m. _the song of the seraphs._ ( ) crown him with many crowns, the lamb upon his throne; hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own! awake, my soul! and sing of him who died for thee; and hail him as thy matchless king, through all eternity. crown him, the lord of love! behold his hands and side, rich wounds, yet visible above in beauty glorified. crown him, the lord of peace! whose power a scepter sways, from pole to pole, that wars may cease, absorbed in prayer and praise. crown him, the lord of years! the potentate of time; creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime! matthew bridges, . luther. s.m. _the song of moses and the lamb._ ( ) awake, and sing the song of moses and the lamb; wake, every heart, and every tongue! to praise the savior's name. sing of his dying love; sing of his rising power; sing how he intercedes above for those whose sins he bore. sing on your heavenly way, ye ransomed sinners! sing; sing on, rejoicing, every day, in christ, th' eternal king. soon shall ye hear him say, "ye blessed children! come;" soon will he call you hence away, and take his wanderers home. william hammond, . altered by martin madan, . greenwood. s.m. _living to god._ ( ) bless'd be thy love, dear lord! that taught us this sweet way, only to love thee for thyself, and for that love obey. oh, thou, our soul's chief hope! we to thy mercy fly; where'er we are, thou canst protect, whate'er we need, supply. whether we sleep or wake, to thee we both resign; by night we see, as well as day, if thy light on us shine. whether we live or die, both we submit to thee; in death we live, as well as life, if thine in death we be. john austin, . ariel. c.p.m. _christ's character appreciated._ ( ) oh, could i speak the matchless worth, oh! could i sound the glories forth, which in my savior shine! i'd soar and touch the heav'nly strings, and vie with gabriel while he sings, in notes almost divine. i'd sing the precious blood he spilt, my ransom from the dreadful guilt, of sin and wrath divine; i'd sing his glorious righteousness, in which all-perfect heav'nly dress my soul shall ever shine. i'd sing the characters he bears, and all the forms of love he wears, exalted on his throne; in loftiest songs of sweetest praise, i would to everlasting days, make all his glories known. well--the delightful day will come, when he, dear lord! will bring me home, and i shall see his face: there, with my savior, brother, friend, a blessed eternity i'll spend, triumphant in his grace. samuel medley, . federal street. l.m. _ashamed of me._ jesus! and shall it ever be, a mortal man ashamed of thee! ashamed of thee, whom angels praise, whose glories shine thro' endless days. ashamed of jesus! sooner far let evening blush to own a star; he sheds the beams of light divine o'er this benighted soul of mine. ashamed of jesus! that dear friend on whom my hopes of heaven depend! no; when i blush, be this my shame, that i no more revere his name. ashamed of jesus! yes, i may, when i've no guilt to wash away; no tear to wipe, no good to crave, no fears to quell, no soul to save. till then--nor is my boasting vain-- till then, i boast a savior slain! and, oh, may this my glory be that christ is not ashamed of me! joseph grigg, . _ab. and alt._ federal street. l.m. _all-engrossing love._ ( ) jesus! my heart within me burns, to tell thee all its conscious love; and from earth's low delight it turns, to taste a joy like that above. when thou to me dost condescend, in love divine, thou blessed one, the moments that with thee i spend, seem e'en as heaven itself begun. though oft these lips my love have told, they still the story would repeat; to me the rapture ne'er grows old, that thrills me, bending at thy feet. i breathe my words into thine ear; i seem to fix mine eyes on thine; and sure that thou dost wait to hear, i dare in faith to call thee mine. reign thou sole sovereign of my heart; my all i yield to thy control; oh! let me never from thee part, thou best beloved of my soul! ray palmer, . federal street. l.m. _the song of songs._ ( ) come, let us sing the song of songs, with hearts and voices swell the strain; the homage which to christ belongs;-- "worthy the lamb, for he was slain!" slain to redeem us by his blood, to cleanse from every sinful stain; and make us kings and priests to god: "worthy the lamb, for he was slain!" to him who suffered on the tree, our souls, at his soul's price, to gain, blessing, and praise, and glory be!-- "worthy the lamb, for he was slain!" come, holy spirit! from on high, our faith, our hope, our love sustain, living to sing, and dying cry,-- "worthy the lamb, for he was slain!" james montgomery, . new haven. s & s. _looking to jesus._ ( ) my faith looks up to thee, thou lamb of calvary; savior divine; now hear me while i pray; take all my guilt away; o, let me, from this day, be wholly thine. may thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart; my zeal inspire; as thou hast died for me, oh! may my love to thee pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire! while life's dark maze i tread, and griefs around me spread, be thou my guide; bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow's tears away, nor let me ever stray from thee aside. when ends life's transient dream, when death's cold, sullen stream shall o'er me roll, blest savior! then, in love, fear and distrust remove; oh! bear me safe above, a ransomed soul! ray palmer, . new haven. s & s. _jesus, my lord._ ( ) jesus, thy name i love, all other names above, jesus, my lord! oh, thou art all to me! nothing to please i see, nothing apart from thee, jesus, my lord! when unto thee i flee, thou wilt my refuge be, jesus, my lord! what need i now to fear? what earthly grief or care, since thou art ever near, jesus, my lord! soon thou wilt come again! i shall be happy then, jesus, my lord! then thine own face i'll see, then i shall like thee be, then evermore with thee, jesus, my lord! j.g. deck, . every day and hour. p.m. _nearness to christ._ savior, more than life to me, i am clinging, clinging close to thee; let thy precious blood applied, keep me ever, ever near thy side. cho.--every day, every hour, let me feel thy cleansing power; may thy tender love to me; bind me closer, closer, lord, to thee. thro' this changing world below, lead me gently, gently as i go; trusting thee, i cannot stray, i can never, never lose my way. let me love thee more and more, till this fleeting, fleeting life is o'er; till my soul is lost in love, in a brighter, brighter world above. fanny j. crosby. bethany. s & s. _love to christ desired._ ( ) more love to thee, o christ, more love to thee! hear thou the prayer i make on bended knee: this is my earnest plea-- more love, o christ, to thee! more love to thee! once earthly joy i craved-- sought peace and rest; now thee alone i seek: give what is best. this all my prayer shall be-- more love, o christ, to thee; more love to thee! then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise; this be the parting cry my heart shall raise-- this still its prayer shall be, more love, o christ, to thee! more love to thee! mrs. e.p. prentiss, . bethany. s & s. _nearer to god._ ( ) nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee; e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me. still all my song shall be nearer, my god, to thee,-- nearer to thee. though like the wanderer the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone, yet, in my dreams, i'd be nearer, my god! to thee,-- nearer to thee. there let the way appear, steps unto heaven; all that thou send'st to me, in mercy given; angels to beckon me nearer, my god! to thee,-- nearer to thee. or if, on joyful wing, cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward i fly, still all my song shall be, nearer, my god! to thee,-- nearer to thee. mrs. sarah flower adams, . hope. s & s. _parting with the world._ ( ) fade, fade, each earthly joy, jesus is mine: break ev'ry mortal tie; jesus is mine. dark is the wilderness, distant the resting-place; jesus alone can bless, jesus is mine. tempt not my soul away: jesus is mine: here would i ever stay; jesus is mine: perishing things of clay, born but for one brief day! pass from my heart away, jesus is mine. farewell, ye dreams of night! jesus is mine: mine is a dawning bright, jesus is mine: all that my soul has tried, left but a dismal void; jesus has satisfied; jesus is mine. farewell, mortality! jesus is mine: welcome, eternity! jesus is mine: welcome, ye scenes of rest! welcome, ye mansions blest! welcome a savior's breast; jesus is mine. mrs. horatius bonar, . hendon. s. _jesus a joy._ ask ye what great thing i know that delights and stirs me so? what the high reward i win? whose the name i glory in? jesus christ, the crucified. what is faith's foundation strong? what awakes my lips to song? he who bore my sinful load, purchased for me peace with god; jesus christ, the crucified. who is life in life to me? who the death of death will be? who will place me on his right with the countless hosts of light? jesus christ, the crucified. this is that great thing i know; this delights and stirs me so; faith in him who died to save, him who triumphed o'er the grave, jesus christ, the crucified. rev. b. h. kennedy, . woodworth. l.m. _ecstasy in christ._ ( ) oh, that i could forever dwell delighted at the savior's feet, behold the form i love so well, and all his tender words repeat. the world shut out from all my soul, and heaven brought in with all its bliss, oh! is there aught, from pole to pole, one moment to compare with this? this is the hidden life i prize, a life of penitential love, when most my follies i despise, and raise my highest thoughts above. when all i am i clearly see, and freely own with deepest shame; when the redeemer's love to me kindles within a deathless flame. thus would i live till nature fail and all my former sins forsake; then rise to god within the veil, and of eternal joys partake. andrew reed, . revive us again. s & s. _praise for salvation._ ( ) we praise thee, o god! for the son of thy love, for jesus who died, and is now gone above. cho.--hallelujah! thine the glory, hallelujah! amen. hallelujah! thine the glory, revive us again. we praise thee, o god! for thy spirit of light, who has shown us our savior, and scattered our night. all glory and praise to the lamb that was slain, who has borne all our sins, and has cleansed ev'ry stain. all glory and praise to the god of all grace, who has bought us, and sought us, and guided our ways. revive us again; fill each heart with thy love; may each soul be rekindled with fire from above. wm. p. mackay, . revive us again. s & s. _rejoicing in christ._ rejoice and be glad the redeemer has come! go look on his cradle, his cross and his tomb. cho.--sound his praises, tell the story, of him who was slain, sound his praises, tell with gladness, he liveth again. rejoice and be glad: for the blood has been shed; redemption is finished, the price has been paid. rejoice and be glad: for the lamb that was slain, o'er death is triumphant, and liveth again. rejoice and be glad: for our king is on high; he pleadeth for us on his throne in the sky. rejoice and be glad: for he cometh again-- he cometh in glory, the lamb that was slain. h. bonar, . welcome voice. s.m. _going on to perfection._ i hear thy welcome voice that calls me, lord, to thee for cleansing in thy precious blood that flowed on calvary. cho.--i am coming, lord! coming now to thee! wash me, cleanse me, in the blood that flowed on calvary. tho' coming weak and vile, thou dost my strength assure; thou dost my vileness fully cleanse, till spotless all and pure. 'tis jesus calls me on to perfect faith and love, to perfect hope, and peace, and trust, for earth and heaven above. 'tis jesus who confirms the blessed work within, by adding grace to welcomed grace, where reigned the power of sin. and he the witness gives to loyal hearts and free, that every promise is fulfilled, if faith but brings the plea. all hail, atoning blood! all hail, redeeming grace! all hail, the gift of christ, our lord, our strength and righteousness! rev. l. hartsough. welcome voice. s.m. _christ the guide and counselor._ ( ) jesus, my truth, my way, my sure, unerring light, on thee my feeble steps i stay, which thou wilt guide aright. my wisdom and my guide, my counselor thou art; oh, never let me leave thy side, or from thy paths depart. never will i remove out of thy hands my cause; but rest in thy redeeming love, and hang upon thy cross. oh, make me all like thee, before i hence remove; settle, confirm, and 'stablish me-- and build me up in love. charles wesley. loving kindness. l.m. _loving kindness._ ( ) awake, my soul, to joyful lays, and sing thy great redeemer's praise; he justly claims a song from me, his loving kindness, oh, how free! he saw me ruined in the fall, yet loved me notwithstanding all; he saved me from my lost estate-- his loving kindness, oh, how great! though numerous hosts of mighty foes-- though earth and hell my way oppose; he safely leads my soul along-- his loving kindness, oh, how strong! when trouble, like a gloomy cloud, has gathered thick and thundered loud, he near my soul has always stood-- his loving kindness, oh, how good! s. medley, . loving kindness. l.m. _love which passeth knowledge._ of him who did salvation bring, i could forever think and sing; arise, ye needy, he'll relieve; arise, ye guilty, he'll forgive. ask but his grace, and lo, 'tis given! ask, and he turns your hell to heaven; though sin and sorrow wound my soul, jesus, thy balm will make me whole. 'tis thee i love, for thee alone, i shed my tears, and make my moan! where'er i am, where'er i move, i meet the object of my love. insatiate to this spring i fly; i drink, and yet am ever dry; ah! who against thy charms is proof? ah, who that loves can love enough? bernard of clairvaux, tr. by a.w. boehm, the solid rock. l.m. _the sure foundation._ my hope is built on nothing less than jesus' blood and righteousness; i dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on jesus' name. cho.--on christ, the solid rock, i stand, all other ground is sinking sand. when darkness veils his lovely face, i rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the vail. his oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. when he shall come with trumpet sound. o, may i then in him be found; dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. rev. edward mote, . how can i but love him? s & s. _the exceeding love of christ._ so tender, so precious. my savior to me; so true, and so gracious, i've found him to be. ref.--how can i but love him? but love him, but love him? there's no friend above him, poor sinner, for thee. so patient, so kindly toward all of my ways; i blunder so blindly, he love still repays. of all friends the fairest and truest is he; his love is the rarest, that ever can be. his beauty, tho' bleeding and circled with thorns, is then most exceeding; for grief him adorns. j.e. rankin, d.d. my beloved, s & s. _my beloved._ o thou, in whose presence my soul takes delight, on whom in affliction i call; my comfort by day, and my song in the night, my hope, my salvation, my all. where dost thou at noon-tide resort with thy sheep, to feed in the pastures of love? and why in the valley of death should i weep, or alone in the wilderness rove? o, why should i wander an alien from thee, or cry in the desert for bread? thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see, and smile at the tears i have shed. he looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice, and myriads wait for his word; he speaks, and eternity, fill'd with his voice, re-echoes the praise of the lord. jos. swain, . de fleury. s. d _the presence of christ desired._ how tedious and tasteless the hours when jesus no longer i see! sweet prospects, sweet birds, and sweet flowers have lost all their sweetness to me: the midsummer sun shines but dim; the fields strive in vain to look gay; but when i am happy in him, december's as pleasant as may. his name yields the richest perfume, and sweeter than music his voice; his presence disperses my gloom, and makes all within me rejoice: i should, were he always so nigh, have nothing to wish or to fear; no mortal so happy as i; my summer would last all the year. content with beholding his face, my all to his pleasure resigned, no changes of season or place would make any change in my mind: while blest with a sense of his love, a palace a toy would appear; and prisons would palaces prove, if jesus would dwell with me there. dear lord, if indeed i am thine, if thou art my sun and my song, say, why do i languish and pine? and why are my winters so long? o, drive these dark clouds from my sky; thy soul-cheering presence restore; or take me unto thee on high, where winter and clouds are no more. john newton. de fleury. s. d _phil. : ._ ( ) my savior, whom absent i love, whom, not having seen, i adore whose name is exalted above all glory, dominion, and power,-- dissolve thou these bands that detain my soul from her portion in thee; ah! strike off this adamant chain, and make me eternally free! when that happy era begins, when arrayed in thy glories i shine, nor grieve any more, by my sins, the bosom on which i recline, oh! then shall the veil be removed, and round me thy brightness be poured! i shall meet him, whom absent i loved, i shall see, whom unseen i adored. and then, nevermore shall the fears, the trials, temptations, and woes, which darken this valley of tears, intrude on my blissful repose; to jesus, the crown of my hope, my soul is in haste to be gone; oh! bear me, ye cherubim, up, and waft me away to his throne! w. cowper. i need thee every hour. p.m. _need of christ._ i need thee ev'ry hour, most gracious lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. cho.--i need thee, oh, i need thee, ev'ry hour i need thee; oh, bless me now, my savior i come to thee. i need thee ev'ry hour; stay thou near by; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. i need thee ev'ry hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide, or life is vain. i need thee ev'ry hour; teach me thy will; and thy rich promises in me fulfill. i need thee ev'ry hour, most holy one; oh, make me thine indeed, thou blessed son. annie s. hawks. de fleury. s. d _altogether lovely._ ( ) my gracious redeemer i love, his praises aloud i'll proclaim: and join with the armies above, to shout his adorable name. to gaze on his glories divine shall be my eternal employ; to see them incessantly shine, my boundless, ineffable joy. he freely redeemed with his blood my soul from the confines of hell, to live on the smiles of my god, and in his sweet presence to dwell:-- to shine with the angels in light, with saints and with seraphs to sing, to view, with eternal delight, my jesus, my savior, my king! b. francis. the lily of the valley. p.m. _the abiding friend._ i have found a friend in jesus, he's everything to me, he's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; the lily of the valley, in him alone i see all i need to cleanse and make me fully whole. in sorrow he's my comfort, in trouble he's my stay, he tells me ev'ry care on him to roll. he's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, he's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. he all my griefs has taken, and all my sorrows borne; in temptation he's my strong and mighty tower; i have all for him forsaken, and all my idols torn from my heart, and now he keeps me by his power. tho' all the world forsake me, and satan tempt me sore, thro' jesus i shall safely reach the goal. he's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, he's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. he will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, while i live by faith and do his blessed will; a wall of fire about me, i've nothing now to fear, with his manna he my hungry soul shall fill. then sweeping up to glory to see his blessed face, where rivers of delight shall ever roll. he's the lily of the valley, the bright and morning star, he's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul. glory to his name. p.m. _praise to christ._ down at the cross where my savior died. down where for cleansing from sin i cried; there to my heart was the blood applied; glory to his name. cho.--glory to his name, glory to his name, there to my heart was the blood applied, glory to his name. i am so wondrously saved from sin, jesus so sweetly abides within; there at the cross where he took me in; glory to his name. oh, precious fountain that saves from sin, i am so glad, i have entered in; there jesus saves me and keeps me clean; glory to his name. come to this fountain, so rich and sweet, cast thy poor soul at the savior's feet; plunge in to-day and be made complete; glory to his name. rev. e.a. hoffman. balerma. c.m. _lamenting the absence of the spirit._ ( ) oh, for a closer walk with god! a calm and heavenly frame! a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the lamb! where is the blessedness i knew when first i saw the lord? where is the soul-refreshing view of jesus and his word? what peaceful hours i then enjoyed! how sweet their memory still! but now i find an aching void the world can never fill. return, oh, holy dove, return, sweet messenger of rest; i hate the sins that made thee mourn, and drove thee from, my breast. the dearest idol i have known, whatever that idol be, help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee. so shall my walk be close with god, calm and serene my frame; so purer light shall mark the road that leads me to the lamb. w. cowper, . balerma. c.m. _a perfect heart._ ( ) oh, for a heart to praise my god, a heart from sin set free-- a heart that always feels thy blood, so freely spilt for me;-- a heart resigned, submissive, meek, my great redeemer's throne, where only christ is heard to speak, where jesus reigns alone. oh, for a lowly, contrite heart, believing, true, and clean, which neither life nor death can part from him that dwells within;-- a heart in every thought renewed, and full of love divine; perfect, and right, and pure, and good, a copy, lord, of thine. thy nature, gracious lord, impart; come quickly from above; write thy new name upon my heart-- thy new, best name of love. charles wesley. . balerma. c.m. _triumphant grace._ ( ) amazing grace! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! i once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now i see. 'twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved: how precious did that grace appear, the hour i first believed! through many dangers, toils, and snares i have already come; 'tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. the lord has promised good to me, his word my hope secures; he will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures. evan. c.m. _the peace of god._ ( ) we bless thee for thy peace, o god deep as the soundless sea, which falls like sunshine on the road of those who trust in thee. that peace which suffers and is strong, trusts where it cannot see, deems not the trial way too long, but leaves the end with thee;-- that peace which flows serene and deep, a river in the soul, whose banks a living verdure keep; god's sunshine o'er the whole. such, father! give our hearts such peace, whate'er the outward be, till all life's discipline shall cease, and we go home to thee. anon. . varina. c.m. d. _the voice of jesus._ ( ) i heard the voice of jesus say, "come unto me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast." i came to jesus as i was, weary, and worn, and sad; i found in him a resting-place, and he has made me glad. i heard the voice of jesus say "behold! i freely give the living water; thirsty one! stoop down, and drink, and live." i came to jesus, and i drank of that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now i live in him. i heard the voice of jesus say, "i am this dark world's light; look unto me; thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright." i looked to jesus, and i found, in him my star, my sun; and, in that light of life, i'll walk till traveling days are done. horatius bonar, . dennis. s.m. _the lord's guardianship._ ( ) how gentle god's commands! how kind his precepts are! come, cast your burdens on the lord, and trust his constant care. his bounty will provide; his saints securely dwell; that hand which bears creation up, shall guard his children well. why should this anxious load press down your weary mind? oh, seek your heavenly father's throne, and peace and comfort find. his goodness stands approved, unchanged from day to day; i'll drop my burden at his feet, and bear a song away. philip doddridge, . dennis. s.m. _grace.--eph. : ._ ( ) grace! 'tis a charming sound harmonious to the ear! heaven with the echo shall resound, and all the earth shall hear. grace first contrived a way to save rebellious man; and all the steps that grace display, which drew the wondrous plan. grace led my roving feet to tread the heavenly road; and new supplies each hour i meet while pressing on to god. grace all the work shall crown, through everlasting days; it lays in heaven the topmost stone; and well deserves the praise. philip doddridge, . dennis. s.m. _adoption.--i. john : - ._ ( ) behold what wondrous grace the father has bestowed on sinners of a mortal race, to call them sons of god! nor doth it yet appear how great we must be made; but when we see our savior there, we shall be like our head. a hope so much divine may trials well endure, may purge our souls from sense and sin, as christ the lord is pure. if in my father's love i share a filial part, send down thy spirit, like a dove, to rest upon my heart. we would no longer lie like slaves beneath the throne; our faith shall abba, father! cry and thou the kindred own. isaac watts, . nettleton. s & s. _memorial of praise._ ( ) come, thou fount of ev'ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace; streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above; praise the mount--i'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love. here i'll raise mine ebenezer, hither by thy help i'm come; and i hope by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of god, he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood. oh! to grace how great a debtor daily i'm constrained to be! let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wand'ring heart to thee. prone to wander, lord, i feel it; prone to leave the god i love-- here's my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above. robert robinson, . braden. s.m. _the lord's pity._ ( ) the pity of the lord, to those that fear his name, is such as tender parents feel; he knows our feeble frame. he knows we are but dust, scattered with ev'ry breath; his anger, like a rising wind, can send us swift to death. our days are as the grass, or like the morning flow'r; if one sharp blast sweep o'er the field, it withers in an hour. but thy compassions, lord, to endless years endure; and children's children ever find thy words of promise sure. isaac watts. . refuge. s. d. _the only refuge._ ( ) jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high! hide me, o my savior, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide, o receive my soul at last! other refuge have i none; hangs my helpless soul on thee: leave, o, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me: all my trust on thee is stayed, all my help from thee i bring; cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing! thou, o christ, art all i want; more than all in thee i find; raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. just and holy is thy name, i am all unrighteousness: false and full of sin i am, thou art full of truth and grace. plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin: let the healing streams abound: make and keep me pure within. thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee: spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. charles wesley, . pilot. s. _savior, pilot me._ jesus, savior, pilot me, over life's tempestuous sea; unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treach'rous shoal; chart and compass come from thee; jesus, savior, pilot me. as a mother stills her child, thou canst hush the ocean wild; boist'rous waves obey thy will, when thou say'st to them "be still!" wondrous sov'reign of the sea, jesus, savior, pilot me. when at last i near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar 'twixt me and the peaceful rest, then, while leaning on thy breast, may i hear thee say to me, "fear not, i will pilot thee!" rev. edward hopper fulton. s. ( ) savior! teach me, day by day, love's sweet lesson to obey; sweeter lesson cannot be, loving him who first loved me. with a child-like heart of love, at thy bidding may i move; prompt to serve and follow thee, loving him who first loved me. teach me all thy steps to trace, strong to follow in thy grace; learning how to love from thee, loving him who first loved me. love in loving finds employ-- in obedience all her joy; ever new that joy will be, loving him who first loved me. miss jane e. leeson, . oriel. l.m. _contentment.--phil. : ._ ( ) o lord, how full of sweet content our years of pilgrimage are spent! where'er we dwell, we dwell with thee, in heaven, in earth, or on the sea. to us remains nor place nor time; our country is in every clime: we can be calm and free from care on any shore, since god is there. while place we seek, or place we shun, the soul finds happiness in none; but with our god to guide our way, 'tis equal joy to go or stay. could we be cast where thou art not, that were indeed a dreadful lot; but regions none remote we call, secure of finding god in all. mad. guyon. newcomer. l.m. _completeness.--col. : ._ ( ) complete in thee! no work of mine may take, dear lord, the place of thine; thy blood has pardon bought for me, and i am now complete in thee. complete in thee--no more shall sin thy grace has conquered, reign within; thy voice will bid the tempter flee, and i shall stand complete in thee. complete in thee--each want supplied, and no good thing to me denied, since thou my portion, lord, wilt be, i ask no more--complete in thee. dear savior! when before thy bar all tribes and tongues assembled are. among thy chosen may i be at thy right hand--complete in thee. a.r.w. waring. s & s. d. _safe in jesus._ ( ) in heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear, and safe is such confiding, for nothing changes here, the storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid, but god is round about me,-- and can i be dismayed? wherever he may guide me, no want shall turn me back: my shepherd is beside me, and nothing can i lack; his wisdom ever waketh, his sight is never dim, he knows the way he taketh, and i will walk with him. green pastures are before me, which yet i have not seen; bright skies will soon be o'er me, where darkest clouds have been; my hope i cannot measure, my path to life is free; my savior has my treasure, and he will walk with me. anna letitia waring, . waring. s & s. d. _light after darkness._ sometimes a light surprises the christian while he sings: it is the lord who rises with healing on his wings; when comforts are declining, he grants the soul again a season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain. in holy contemplation, we sweetly then pursue the theme of god's salvation, and find it ever new: set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say, let the unknown to-morrow bring with it what it may. wm. cowper. showers of blessing. p.m. _the promise of blessing_ "there shall be showers of blessing;" this is the promise of love; there shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the savior above. cho.--showers, showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need; mercy-drops round us are falling, but for the showers we plead. "there shall be showers of blessing;"-- precious reviving again; over the hills and the valleys, sound of abundance of rain. "there shall be showers of blessing;" send them upon us, o lord! grant to us now a refreshing, come, and now honor thy word. "there shall be showers of blessing;" oh, that to-day they might fall, now as to god we're confessing, now as on jesus we call! d.w. whittle. oh, sing of his mighty love. s. _the mighty love._ ( ) oh, bliss of the purified! bliss of the free! i plunge in the crimson tide opened for me! o'er sin and uncleanness exulting i stand, and point to the print of the nails in his hand. cho.--oh, sing of his mighty love, sing of his mighty love, sing of his mighty love, mighty to save. oh, bliss of the purified! jesus is mine! no longer in dread condemnation i pine: in conscious salvation i sing of his grace, who lifteth upon me the smiles of his face. oh, bliss of the purified! bliss of the pure! no wound hath the soul that his blood cannot cure; no sorrow-bowed head but may sweetly find rest; no tears but may dry them on jesus' breast. oh, jesus, the crucified! thee will i sing! my blessed redeemer! my god and my king; my soul, filled with rapture, shall shout o'er the grave, and triumph in death in the mighty to save. rev. f. bottome. as pants the hart. c.m. _desire for communion._ ( ) as pants the hart for cooling streams, when heated in the chase, so pants my soul, o lord, for thee, and thy refreshing grace. cho.--as pants the hart for cooling streams, so pants my soul, o lord, for thee; as pants the hart for cooling streams, so pants my soul, o lord, for thee. for thee, my god, the living god, my thirsty soul doth pine; oh, when shall i behold thy face, thou majesty divine? i sigh to think of happier days, when thou, o lord, wast nigh, when ev'ry heart was tuned to praise, and none more blest than i. why restless, why cast down, my soul? trust god, and thou shalt sing his praise again, and find him still thy health's eternal spring. henry f. lyte, . hide thou me. p.m. _safe in christ._ in thy cleft, o rock of ages, hide thou me; when the fitful tempest rages, hide thou me; where no mortal arm can sever from my heart thy love forever, hide me, o thou rock of ages, safe in thee. from, the snare of sinful pleasure hide thou me; thou, my soul's eternal treasure, hide thou me; when the world its power is wielding, and my heart is almost yielding, hide me, o thou rock of ages, safe in thee. in the lonely night of sorrow, hide thou me; till in glory dawns the morrow, hide thou me; in the sight of jordan's billow, let thy bosom be my pillow, hide me, o thou rock of ages, safe in thee. fannie j. crosby. as pants the hart. c.m. _godly sincerity.--eph. : ._ ( ) walk in the light! so shalt thou know that fellowship of love, his spirit only can bestow, who reigns in light above. walk in the light! and thou shalt find thy heart made truly his, who dwells in cloudless light enshrined, in whom no darkness is. walk in the light! and ev'n the tomb no fearful shade shall wear; glory shall chase away its gloom, for christ hath conquered there. walk in the light! and thou shalt see thy path, though thorny, bright, for god by grace shall dwell in thee, and god himself is light. bernard barton. the child of a king. _adoption._ my father is rich in houses and lands. he holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands! of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, his coffers are full, he has riches untold. cho.--i'm the child of a king, the child of a king, with jesus, my savior, i'm the child of a king. my father's own son, the savior so fair, once wandered on earth human sorrow to share: but now he is reigning forever on high, he'll give us a home in the sweet by and by. i once was an outcast stranger on earth, a sinner by choice and an "alien" by birth! but i've been "adopted," my name's written down: an heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. a tent or a cottage, why should i care? they're building a palace for me over there! tho' exiled from home, yet my glad heart can sing: all glory to god, i'm the child of a king. hattie e. buell. arr. thou thinkest, lord, of me. s & s. _divine care._ amid the trials which i meet, amid the thorns that pierce my feet, one thought remains supremely sweet, thou thinkest, lord, of me! cho.--thou thinkest, lord, of me, thou thinkest, lord, of me, what need i fear when thou art near, and thinkest, lord, of me. the cares of life come thronging fast upon my soul their shadow cast; their gloom reminds my heart at last, thou thinkest, lord, of me! let shadows come, let shadows go, let life be bright or dark with woe, i am content, for this i know, thou thinkest, lord, of me! e.s. lorenz thou thinkest, lord, of me. s & s. _plead for me._ ( ) o thou, the contrite sinner's friend, who loving, lov'st them to the end, on this alone my hopes depend that thou wilt plead for me. cho.--o savior, plead for me, o savior, plead for me, on this alone my hopes depend that thou wilt plead for me. when weary in the christian race, far off appears my resting place, and, fainting, i mistrust thy grace, then, savior, plead for me. when i have erred and gone astray, afar from thine and wisdom's way, and see no glimmering, guiding ray, still, savior, plead for me. when satan, by my sins made bold, strives from thy cross to loose my hold, then with thy pitying arms enfold, and plead, oh, plead for me! and when my dying hour draws near, darkened with anguish, guilt and fear, then to my fainting sight appear, pleading in heaven for me. charlotte elliott. hamburg. l.m. _heb. : ._ ( ) i cannot always trace the way where thou, almighty one, dost move; but i can always, always say, that god is love, that god is love. when fear her chilling mantle flings o'er earth, my soul to heaven above, as to her native home, upsprings, for god is love, for god is love. when mystery clouds my darkened path, i'll check my dread, my doubts reprove; in this my soul sweet comfort hath, that god is love, that god is love. . yes, god is love;--a thought like this can every gloomy thought remove, and turn all tears, all woes, to bliss, for god is love, for god is love. anon. ward. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) god is the refuge of his saints, when storms of sharp distress invade. ere we can offer our complaints, behold him present with his aid. let mountains from their seats be hurled down to the deep, and buried there; convulsions shake the solid world;-- our faith shall never yield to fear. there is a stream whose gentle flow supplies the city of our god; life, love, and joy still gliding through, and watering our divine abode:-- that sacred stream, thy holy word,-- that all our raging fear controls: sweet peace thy promises afford, and give new strength to fainting souls. isaac watts, . sessions. l.m. _the offices of faith._ faith is a living pow'r from heaven which grasps the promise god has given; securely fixed on christ alone, a trust that cannot be o'erthrown. faith finds in christ whate'er we need to save and strengthen, guide and feed; strong in his grace, it joys to share his cross, in hope his crown to wear. faith to the conscience whispers peace, and bids the mourner's sighing cease; by faith the children's right we claim, and call upon our father's name. such faith in us, o god, implant, and to our prayers thy favor grant; in jesus christ, thy saving son, who is our fount of health alone. anon., . elliott. s & s. _submission to divine will._ my god, my father, while i stray far from my home, in life's rough way, oh, teach me from my heart to say, "thy will be done!" if thou should'st call me to resign what most i prize--it ne'er was mine-- i only yield thee what was thine-- "thy will be done!" if but my fainting heart be blest with thy sweet spirit for its guest, my god! to thee i leave the rest-- "thy will be done!" renew my will from day to day; blend it with thine, and take away all that now makes it hard to say, "thy will be done!" then, when on earth i breathe no more the pray'r, oft mixed with tears before, i'll sing upon a happier shore, "thy will be done!" charlotte elliott, . lisbon. s.m. _the cross and crown._ ( ) oh! what, if we are christ's, is earthly shame or loss? bright shall the crown of glory be when we have borne the cross. keen was the trial once, bitter the cup of woe, when martyred saints, baptized in blood, christ's sufferings shared below. bright is their glory now, boundless their joy above, where, on the bosom of their god, they rest in perfect love. lord! may that grace be ours, like them, in faith, to bear all that of sorrow, grief, or pain may be our portion here. henry w. baker, . lisbon. s.m. _god our shepherd.--ps. ._ ( ) the lord my shepherd is; i shall be well supplied: since he is mine, and i am his, what can i want beside? he leads me to the place where heavenly pasture grows, where living waters gently pass, and full salvation flows. if e'er i go astray, he doth my soul reclaim, and guides me, in his own right way, for his most holy name. while he affords his aid, i cannot yield to fear; tho' i should walk thro' death's dark shade, my shepherd's with me there. isaac watts, . lisbon. s.m. _psalm : - ._ ( ) here i can firmly rest; i dare to boast of this, that god, the highest and the best, my friend and father is. naught have i of my own, naught in the life i lead; what christ hath given, that alone i dare in faith to plead. i rest upon the ground of jesus and his blood; it is through him that i have found my soul's eternal good. at cost of all i have, at cost of life and limb, i cling to god who yet shall save; i will not turn from him. his spirit in me dwells, o'er all my mind he reigns; my care and sadness he dispels, and soothes away my pains. he prospers day by day his work within my heart, till i have strength and faith to say, thou, god, my father art! paul gerhardt, . tr. by miss c. winkworth, . segur. s, s, & s. _through the desert._ ( ) guide me, oh thou great jehovah, pilgrim thro' this barren land; i am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand. bread of heaven, feed me till i want no more. open now thy crystal fountain, whence the healing streams do flow, let the fiery, cloudy pillar, lead me all my journey thro'; strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield. when i tread the verge of jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; foe to death and hell's destruction, land me safe on canaan's side; songs of praises, i will ever give to thee. william williams, . lisbon. s.m. _hope thou in god._ ( ) give to the winds thy fears; hope, and be undismayed; god hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, god shall lift up thy head. through waves, and clouds, and storms, he gently clears the way; wait thou his time; so shall this night soon end in joyous day. what, though thou rulest not? yet heaven, and earth, and hell proclaim,--god sitteth on the throne, and ruleth all things well. leave to his sovereign sway to choose and to command; so shalt thou wondering own, his way how wise, how strong his hand! ger., paul gerhardt, . tr. john wesley, . peterborough. c.m. _unwavering faith._ ( ) oh! for a faith that will not shrink, though pressed by every foe; that will not tremble on the brink of any earthly woe!-- that will not murmur nor complain, beneath the chastening rod, but, in the hour of grief or pain, will lean upon its god;-- a faith that shines more bright and clear when tempests rage without; that, when in danger, knows no fear, in darkness, feels no doubt;-- a faith that keeps the narrow way till life's last hour is fled, and, with a pure and heavenly ray, lights up a dying bed! lord! give us such a faith as this; and then, whate'er may come, we'll taste, ev'n here, the hallowed bliss of an eternal home. william h. bathurst, . naomi. c.m. _resignation._ ( ) father! whate'er of earthly bliss thy sovereign hand denies, accepted at thy throne of grace, let this petition rise:-- "give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur free; the blessings of thy grace impart, and let me live to thee. "let the sweet hope that thou art mine my path of life attend; thy presence through my journey shine, and bless its happy end." anne steele, . horton. s. _eternal faithfulness._ ( ) cast thy burden on the lord, only lean upon his word; thou wilt soon have cause to bless his eternal faithfulness. he sustains thee by his hand, he enables thee to stand; those whom jesus once hath loved, from his grace are never moved. heaven and earth may pass away, god's free grace shall not decay; he hath promised to fulfill all the pleasure of his will. jesus! guardian of thy flock, be thyself our constant rock; make us, by thy powerful hand, strong as zion's mountain stand. rowland hill, . the lord will provide. p.m. _divine providence._ in some way or other the lord will provide; it may not be my way, it may not be thy way, and yet in his own way, the lord will provide. at some time or other the lord will provide; it may not be my time, it may not be thy time, and yet in his own time, the lord will provide. despond then no longer, the lord will provide; and this be the token-- no word he hath spoken, was ever yet broken, the lord will provide. march on, then, right boldly the sea shall divide; the pathway made glorious with shoutings victorious, we'll join in the chorus, the lord will provide. mrs. m.a.w. cook. consolation. s. _heb. : ._ ( ) oh, eyes that are weary, and hearts that are sore! look off unto jesus, now sorrow no more! the light of his countenance shineth so bright, that here, as in heaven, there need be no night. while looking to jesus, my heart cannot fear; i tremble no more when i see jesus near; i know that his presence my safeguard will be, for, "why are you troubled?" he saith unto me. still looking to jesus, o, may i be found, when jordan's dark waters encompass me round! they bear me away in his presence to be; i see him still nearer whom always i see. then, then shall i know the full beauty and grace of jesus, my lord, when i stand face to face; shall know how his love went before me each day, and wonder that ever my eyes turned away. foundation. s. _precious promises._ ( ) how firm a foundation, ye saints of the lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word: what more can he say than to you he has said, you who unto jesus for refuge have fled? in every condition--in sickness, in health, in poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth, at home and abroad, on the land, on the sea-- as your days may demand, so your succor shall be. fear not: i am with you, o be not dismayed; i, i am your god, and will still give you aid; i'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand, upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. when through the deep waters i cause you to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not you o'erflow; for i will be with you, your troubles to bless, and sanctify to you your deepest distress. when through fiery trials your pathway shall lie, my grace, all-sufficient, shall be your supply; the flame shall not hurt you; i only design your dross to consume, and your gold to refine. e'en down to old age all my people shall prove my sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; and when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne. the soul that on jesus hath leaned for repose, i will not, i cannot desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, i'll never, no never, no never forsake. geo. keith, . safe in the arms of jesus. p.m. _hid with christ._ safe in the arms of jesus, safe on his gentle breast, there by his love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. hark! 'tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me, over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea. cho.--safe in the arms of jesus, safe on his gentle breast, there by his love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. safe in the arms of jesus, safe from corroding care, safe from the world's temptations sin cannot harm me there. free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears; only a few more trials, only a few more tears! jesus, my heart's dear refuge, jesus has died for me; firm on the rock of ages ever my trust shall be. here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o'er; wait till i see the morning break on the golden shore. fanny j. crosby. he leadeth me. l.m. _divine guidance_ he leadeth me! oh! blessed tho't, oh! words with heav'nly comfort fraught; whate'er i do, where'er i be, still 'tis god's hand that leadeth me. ref.--he leadeth me! he leadeth me! by his own hand he leadeth me; his faithful follower i would be, for by his hand he leadeth me. sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom, sometimes where eden's bowers bloom, by waters still, o'er troubled sea-- still 'tis his hand that leadeth me. lord, i would clasp thy hand in mine. nor ever murmur or repine-- content, whatever lot i see, since 'tis my god that leadeth me. and when my task on earth is done, when by thy grace, the vict'ry's won, e'en death's cold wave i will not flee, since god thro' jordan leadeth me. rev. jos. h. gilmore, . jewett. s. d. _mark : ._ ( ) my jesus, as thou wilt-- o may thy will be mine! into thy hand of love i would my all resign; through sorrow, or through joy, conduct me as thine own, and help me still to say, my lord, thy will be done! my jesus, as thou wilt-- if needy here and poor, give me thy people's bread, their portion rich and sure; the manna of thy word, let my soul feed upon, and, if all else should fail, my lord, thy will be done! my jesus, as thou wilt-- if among thorns i go, still sometimes here and there let a few roses blow. but thou, on earth, along the thorny path hast gone: then lead me after thee; my lord, thy will be done! benjamin schmolke. tr. by jane borthwick, . trusting in the promise. p.m. _the promise secure._ i have found repose for my weary soul, trusting in the promise of the savior; and a harbor safe when the billows roll, trusting in the promise of the savior. i will fear no foe in the deadly strife, trusting in the promise of the savior; i will bear my lot in the toil of life, trusting in the promise of the savior. ref.--resting on his mighty arm forever, never from his loving heart to sever, i will rest by grace in his strong embrace, trusting in the promise of the savior. i will sing my song as the days go by, trusting in the promise of the savior; and rejoice in hope, while i live or die, trusting in the promise of the savior. i can smile at grief and abide in pain, trusting in the promise of the savior; and the loss of all shall be highest gain, trusting in the promise of the savior. oh, the peace and joy of the life i live, trusting in the promise of the savior; oh, the strength and grace only god can give, trusting in the promise of the savior. whosoever will may be saved to-day, trusting in the promise of the savior; and begin to walk in the holy way, trusting in the promise of the savior. rev. h.b. hartzler. come, ye disconsolate. s. & s. _consolation offered._ ( ) come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel; here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal! joy of the desolate, light of the straying, hope when all others die, fadeless and pure-- here speaks the comforter, in god's name saying, earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure. here see the bread of life; see waters flowing forth from the throne of god, boundless in love; come to the feast prepared, come, ever knowing earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove. vs. , , by thomas moore, . vs. by thos. hastings. follow on! p.m. _following christ._ down in the valley with my savior i would go, where the flowers are blooming and the sweet waters flow; ev'rywhere he leads me i would follow, follow on, walking in his footsteps till the crown be won. ref.--follow! follow! i would follow jesus! anywhere, everywhere i would follow on! follow! follow! i would follow jesus! ev'rywhere he leads me i will follow on! down in the valley with my savior i would go, where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow; with his hand to lead me i will never, never fear, dangers cannot frighten me if my lord is near. down in the valley, or upon the mountain steep, close beside my savior would my soul ever keep; he will lead me safely, in the path that he has trod, up to where they gather on the hills of god. w.o. cushing. trusting jesus. s. _undoubting trust._ simply trusting ev'ry day, trusting thro' a stormy way; even when my faith is small, trusting jesus, that is all. cho.--trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the days go by; trusting him whate'er befall, trusting jesus, that is all. brightly doth his spirit shine into this poor heart of mine; while he leads i cannot fall, trusting jesus, that is all. singing if my way is clear; praying if the path is drear; if in danger for him call; trusting jesus, that is all. trusting him while life shall last, trusting him till earth is past; till within the jasper wall, trusting jesus, that is all. e.p. stites. a shelter in the time of storm. l.m. _divine refuge._ the lord's our rock, in him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm; secure whatever ill betide, a shelter in the time of storm. cho.--oh, jesus is a rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land, oh, jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm. a shade by day, defense by night, a shelter in the time of storm; no foes alarm, no fears affright, a shelter in the time of storm. the raging storms may round us beat, a shelter in the time of storm; we'll never leave our safe retreat, a shelter in the time of storm. o rock divine, o refuge dear, a shelter in the time of storm; be thou our helper, ever near, a shelter in the time of storm. anon, arranged. under his wings. s. _psalm ._ in god i have found a retreat, where i can securely abide; no refuge nor rest so complete; and here i intend to reside. cho.--oh, what comfort it brings, as my soul sweetly sings, i am safe from all danger while under his wings. i dread not the terror by night, no arrow can harm me by day; his shadow has covered me quite, my fears he has driven away. the pestilence walking about, when darkness has settled abroad, can never compel me to doubt the presence and power of god. the wasting destruction at noon no fearful foreboding can bring; with jesus my soul doth commune, his perfect salvation i sing. a thousand may fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; above me his wings are spread wide, beneath them in safety i stand. james nicholson. he knows it all. s & s. _divine sympathy._ he knows the bitter, weary way, the endless striving day by day, the souls that weep, the souls that pray-- he knows it all. ref.--he knows it all, the bitter, weary way; o souls that weep, o souls that pray, he knows it all. he knows how hard the fight has been, the clouds that come our lives between, the wounds the world has never seen-- he knows it all. he knows, when, faint and worn, we sink, how deep the pain, how near the brink of dark despair we pause and shrink-- he knows it all. he knows! oh, thought so full of bliss! for though on earth our joys we miss. we still can bear it, feeling this-- he knows it all. unknown. cast thy burden on the lord. cast thy burden on the lord, and he will sustain thee, and strengthen thee, and comfort thee; he will sustain thee, and comfort thee; he will sustain thee, he will comfort thee; cast thy burden on the lord! lux benigna. s. & s. _lead thou me on._ lead, kindly light, amid th' encircling gloom, lead thou me on, the night is dark, and i am far from home, lead thou me on; keep thou my feet; i do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me. i was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; i loved to choose and see my path, but now lead thou me on; i loved the garish day, and spite of fears, pride ruled my will. remember not past years. so long thy pow'r has blessed me, sure it still will lead me on; o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone; and with the morn those angel faces smile which i have loved long since, and lost awhile. cardinal j.h. newman joy cometh in the morning. p.m. _joy after weeping._ oh, weary pilgrim, lift your head, for joy cometh in the morning; for god, in his own word, hath said that joy cometh in the morning. cho.--joy cometh in the morning, joy cometh in the morning; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ye trembling saints, dismiss your fears, for joy cometh in the morning; oh, weeping mourner, dry your tears, for joy cometh in the morning. let ev'ry burdened soul look up, for joy cometh in the morning; and ev'ry trembling sinner hope, for joy cometh in the morning. our god shall wipe all tears away, for joy cometh in the morning; sorrow and sighing flee away, for joy cometh in the morning. m.m. weinland. landis. s.m. _god's tenderness in our grief._ ( ) how tender is thy hand, oh, thou beloved lord! afflictions come at thy command, and leave us at thy word. how gentle was the rod that chastened us for sin! how soon we found a smiling god, where deep distress had been! a father's hand we felt, a father's heart we knew; with tears of penitence we knelt, and found his word was true. we told him all our grief, we thought of jesus' love; a sense of pardon brought relief, and bade our pains remove. thomas hastings. retreat. l.m. _the mercy-seat._ ( ) from every stormy wind that blows, from every swelling tide of woes, there is a calm, a sure retreat;-- 'tis found before the mercy-seat. there is a place where jesus sheds the oil of gladness on our heads,-- a place, than all besides, more sweet; it is the blood-bought mercy-seat. there is a spot where spirits blend, where friend holds fellowship with friend; though sundered far, by faith they meet around one common mercy-seat. there, there, on eagle's wings we soar, and time, and sense seem all no more; and heaven comes down our souls to greet, and glory crowns the mercy-seat! oh! may my hand forget her skill, my tongue be silent, cold, and still, this bounding heart forget to beat, if i forget the mercy-seat! hugh stowell, . retreat. l.m. _design of prayer._ ( ) prayer is appointed to convey the blessings god designs to give: long as they live should christians pray; they learn to pray when first they live. if pain afflict or wrongs oppress; if cares distract, or fears dismay; if guilt deject; if sin distress; in every case, still watch and pray. 'tis prayer supports the soul that's weak, tho' thought be broken, language lame, pray, if thou canst or canst not speak, but pray with faith in jesus' name. depend on him, thou canst not fail; make all thy wants and wishes known; fear not, his merits must prevail, ask but in faith, it shall be done. joseph hart. _d._ retreat. l.m. _psalm : ._ ( ) my god, is any hour so sweet from blush of morn to evening star, as that which calls me to thy feet, the calm and holy hour of prayer? blest is the tranquil break of morn, and blest the hush of solemn eve, when on the wings of prayer up-borne, this fair, but transient, world i leave. then is my strength by thee renewed; then are my sins by thee forgiven; then dost thou cheer my solitude, with clear and beauteous hopes of heaven. no words can tell what sweet relief, there for my every want i find; what strength for warfare, balm for grief, what deep and cheerful peace of mind. lord, till i reach the blissful shore, no privilege so dear shall be, as thus my inmost soul to pour in faithful, filial prayer to thee! charlotte elliott, . sweet hour of prayer. l.m.d. _blessedness of prayer._ ( ) sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my father's throne make all my wants and wishes known: in seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief; and oft escaped the tempter's snare, by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! thy wings shall my petition bear to him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless. and since he bids he seek his face, believe his word, and trust his grace, i'll cast on him my ev'ry care and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! may i thy consolation share, till, from mount pisgah's lofty height, i view my home and take my flight: this robe of flesh i'll drop and rise to seize the everlasting prize; and shout, while passing thro' the air, farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer! rev. w.w. walford, . brown. c.m. _secret prayer._ ( ) i love to steal awhile away from ev'ry cumb'ring care, and spend the hours of setting day in humble, grateful prayer. i love in solitude to shed the penitential tear, and all his promises to plead, where none but god can hear. i love to think on mercies past, and future good implore, and all my cares and sorrows cast on him whom i adore. i love by faith to take a view of brighter scenes in heaven; the prospect doth my strength renew, while here by tempests driven. thus, when life's toilsome day is o'er, may its departing ray be calm as this impressive hour, and lead to endless day! mrs. phoebe h. brown, . brown. c.m. _graces sought in prayer._ ( ) lord! teach us how to pray aright, with reverence and with fear; though dust and ashes in thy sight, we may, we must draw near. god of all grace, we come to thee, with broken, contrite hearts, give, what thine eye delights to see, truth in the inward parts; patience, to watch, and wait, and weep, though mercy long delay; courage, our fainting souls to keep, and trust thee though thou slay. give these, and then--thy will be done-- thus strengthened with all might, we by the spirit and thy son, shall pray, and pray aright. james montgomery, . brown. c.m. _mark : ._ ( ) the savior bids thee watch and pray through life's momentous hour; and grants the spirit's quickening ray to those who seek his power. the savior bids thee watch and pray, maintain a warrior's strife; oh, christian! hear his voice to-day; obedience is thy life. the savior bids thee watch and pray, for soon the hour will come that calls thee from the earth away to thy eternal home. the savior bids thee watch and pray oh, hearken to his voice, and follow where he leads the way, to heaven's eternal joys. t. hastings. devizes. c.m. _prayer._ ( ) prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed; the motion of a hidden fire, that trembles in the breast. prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but god is near. prayer is the simplest form of speech, that infant lips can try; prayer, the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high. prayer is the christian's vital breath, the christian's native air: his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. oh, thou, by whom we come to god,-- the life, the truth, the way! the path of prayer thyself hast trod; lord! teach us how to pray. james montgomery, . marlow. c.m. _a throne of grace._ ( ) a throne of grace! then let us go and offer up our prayer; a gracious god will mercy show to all that worship there. a throne of grace! oh, at that throne our knees have often bent, and god has showered his blessings down as often as we went. a throne of grace! rejoice, ye saints! that throne is open still; to god unbosom your complaints, and then inquire his will. corbin. notting hill. c.m. _communion in prayer._ ( ) talk with us, lord, thyself reveal, while here o'er earth we rove; speak to our hearts, and let us feel the kindling of thy love. with thee conversing, we forget all time, and toil, and care: labor is rest, and pain is sweet, if thou, my god! art here. here, then, my god, vouchsafe to stay, and bid my heart rejoice: my bounding heart shall own thy sway, and echo to thy voice. thou callest me to seek thy face-- 'tis all i wish to seek; t' attend the whisperings of thy grace, and hear thee only speak. charles wesley, . aletta. s. _at the throne._ ( ) come, my soul! thy suit prepare; jesus loves to answer prayer; he himself has bid thee pray, therefore will not say thee nay. thou art coming to a king, large petitions with thee bring; for his grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much. lord! i come to thee for rest, take possession of my breast; there thy blood-bought right maintain, and without a rival reign. while i am a pilgrim here, let thy love my spirit cheer; as my guide, my guard, my friend, lead me to my journey's end. john newton, . what a friend we have in jesus. s & s. d. _the privilege of prayer._ what a friend we have in jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear; what a privilege to carry ev'rything to god in prayer! o what peace we often forfeit, o what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry ev'rything to god in prayer! have we trials and temptations? is there trouble anywhere? we should never be discouraged, take it to the lord in prayer. can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? jesus knows our ev'ry weakness, take it to the lord in prayer! are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?-- precious savior, still our refuge,-- take it to the lord in prayer. do thy friends despise, forsake thee? take it to the lord in prayer; in his firms he'll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there. unknown. the lord's prayer. _chant._ our father who art in heaven, | hallowed | be thy | name, || thy kingdom come; thy will be done in | earth, as it | is in | heaven, give us this | day our | daily bread, || and forgive us our debts, as | we for- | give our | debtors. lead us not into temptation, but de- | liver | us from | evil; || for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for | ever. | a- | men. thatcher. s.m. _i. tim. : ._ ( ) come at the morning hour, come, let us kneel and pray; pray'r is the christian pilgrim's staff to walk with god all day. at noon beneath the rock of ages, rest and pray; sweet is that shelter from the sun in weary heat of day. at evening, in thy home, around its altar, pray; and finding there the house of god, with heaven then close the day. when midnight veils our eyes, oh, it is sweet to say, i sleep, but my heart waketh, lord! with thee to watch and pray. anon. capello. s.m. _the throne of grace._ ( ) behold the throne of grace! the promise calls me near; there jesus shows a smiling face, and waits to answer prayer. that rich atoning blood, which sprinkled round i see, provides, for those who come to god, an all-prevailing plea. my soul! ask what thou wilt; thou canst not be too bold; since his own blood for thee he spilt, what else can he withhold? thine, image, lord! bestow, thy presence and thy love; i ask to serve thee here below, and reign with thee above. teach me to live by faith; conform my will to thine; let me victorious be in death, and then in glory shine. john newton, . tell it to jesus alone. p.m. _the sympathizing friend._ are you weary, are you heavy-hearted? tell it to jesus. are you grieving over joys departed? tell it to jesus alone. cho.--tell it to jesus, tell it to jesus, he is a friend that's well known; you have no other such a friend or brother! tell it to jesus alone. do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden? tell it to jesus. have you sins that to man's eye are hidden? tell it to jesus alone. do you fear the gath'ring clouds of sorrow? tell it to jesus. are you anxious what shall be to-morrow? tell it to jesus alone. are you troubled at the tho't of dying? tell it to jesus. for christ's coming kingdom are you sighing? tell it to jesus alone. j. e. rankin, d. d. maitland. c.m. _the cross and the crown._ ( ) must jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free? no, there's a cross for every one, and there's a cross for me. how happy are the saints above, who once went mourning here! but now they taste unmingled love, and joy without a tear. this consecrated cross i'll bear, till death shall set me free, and then go home my crown to wear, for there's a crown for me. upon the crystal pavement, down at jesus' pierced feet, joyful, i'll cast my golden crown, and his dear name repeat. and palms shall wave, and harps shall ring beneath heaven's arches high; the lord, that lives, the ransomed sing, that lives no more to die. oh! precious cross! oh! glorious crown! oh! resurrection day! ye angels! from the skies come down, and bear my soul away. v. . thomas shepherd, . vs. - , g. n. allen, , _a._ maitland. c.m. _the christian race._ ( ) awake, my soul--stretch every nerve, and press with vigor on; a heavenly race demands thy zeal, a bright, immortal crown. 'tis god's all-animating voice that calls thee from on high: 'tis his own hand presents the prize to thine aspiring eye. a cloud of witnesses around, hold thee in full survey: forget the steps already trod, and onward urge thy way. blest savior, introduced by thee have we our race begun; and, crowned with vict'ry, at thy feet we'll lay our laurels down. p. doddridge, . maitland. c.m. _christian charity._ ( ) blest is the man, whose softening heart feels all another's pain; to whom the supplicating eye was never raised in vain;-- whose breast expands with generous warmth, a stranger's woes to feel, and bleeds in pity o'er the wound he wants the power to heal. he spreads his kind supporting arms to every child of grief; hie secret bounty largely flows, and brings unasked relief. to gentle offices of love, his feet are never slow; he views, through mercy's melting eye, a brother in a foe. mrs. anna l. barbauld, . boylston. s.m. _the christian's life-work._ ( ) a charge to keep i have, a god to glorify; a never-dying-soul to save, and fit it for the sky:--- to serve the present age, my calling to fulfill,-- oh! may it all my powers engage-- to do my master's will. arm me with jealous care, as in thy sight to live; and, oh, thy servant, lord! prepare a strict account to give. help me to watch and pray, and on thyself rely; assured, if i my trust betray, i shall forever die. charles wesley, . boylston. s.m. _sowing and reaping._ ( ) sow in the morn thy seed, at eve hold not thy hand; to doubt and fear give thou no heed; broad-cast it o'er the land. and duly shall appear, in verdure, beauty, strength, the tender blade, the stalk, the ear, and the full corn at length. thou canst not toil in vain; cold, heat, and moist, and dry, shall foster and mature the grain, for garners in the sky. thence, when the glorious end, the day of god, shall come, the angel-reapers shall descend, and heaven cry "harvest-home!" james montgomery, . boylston. s.m. _doing good._ ( ) we give thee but thine own, whate'er the gift may be: all that we have is thine alone, a trust, o lord! from thee. o, hearts are bruised and dead, and homes are bare and cold, and lambs, for whom the shepherd bled, are straying from the fold. to comfort and to bless, to find a balm for woe, to tend the lone and fatherless is angels' work below. the captive to release, to god the lost to bring, to teach the way of life and peace, it is a christ-like thing. and we believe thy word, though dim our faith may be: whate'er for thine we do, o lord, we do it unto thee. william walsham how, . triumph. l.m. _the useful life._ ( ) go, labor on; spend, and be spent,-- thy joy to do the father's will; it is the way the master went; should not the servant tread it still? go, labor on; 'tis not for naught; thine earthly loss is heavenly gain; men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not, the master praises;--what are men? go, labor on; enough, while here, if he shall praise thee, if he deign thy willing heart to mark and cheer, no toil for him shall be in vain. toil on, and in thy toil rejoice; for toil comes rest, for exile home; soon shalt thou hear the bridegroom's voice, the midnight peal,--"behold! i come!" horatius bonar, . just as i am. l.m. _consistency.--titus : - ._ ( ) so let our lips and lives express the holy gospel we profess; so let our works and virtues shine to prove the doctrine all divine. thus shall we best proclaim abroad the honors of our savior god; when his salvation reigns within, and grace subdues the power of sin. religion bears our spirits up, while we expect that blessed hope,-- the bright appearance of the lord; and faith stands leaning on his word. isaac watts, . essex. s & s. _the responsibilities of the age._ we are living, we are dwelling, in a grand and awful time, in an age on ages telling; to be living is sublime. hark the onset! will ye fold your faith-clad arms in lazy lock? up! o up! thou drowsy soldier; worlds are charging to the shock. worlds are charging, heav'n beholding; thou hast but an hour to fight; now, the blazoned cross unfolding, on! right onward for the right. on! let all the soul within you for the truth's sake go abroad; strike! let ev'ry nerve and sinew tell on ages--tell for god. bp. arthur cleveland coxe, . triumph. l.m. _zeal.--john : ._ ( ) go, labor on, while it is day; the world's dark night is hastening on; speed, speed thy work,--cast sloth away! it is not thus that souls are won. men die in darkness at your side, without a hope to cheer the tomb; take up the torch and wave it wide-- the torch that lights time's thickest gloom. toil on, faint not;--keep watch and pray! be wise the erring soul to win; go forth into the world's highway; compel the wanderer to come in. go, labor on; your hands are weak; your knees are faint, your soul cast down; yet falter not; the prize you seek is near,--a kingdom and a crown! h. bonar, . triumph. l.m. _psalm ._ ( ) blest is the man whose heart doth move, and melt with pity to the poor; whose soul, by sympathizing love, feels what his fellow-saints endure. his heart contrives, for their relief, more good than his own hands can do; he, in the time of general grief, shall find the lord has pity too. his soul shall live secure on earth, with secret blessings on his head, when drought, and pestilence, and dearth around him multiply their dead. or, if he languish on his couch, god will pronounce his sins forgiven, will save him with a healing touch, or take his willing soul to heaven. isaac watts. . rescue the perishing. p.m. _seeking the lost._ rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of jesus, the mighty to save. cho.--rescue the perishing, care for the dying; jesus is merciful, jesus will save. tho' they are slighting him, still he is waiting, waiting the penitent child to receive. plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently, he will forgive if they only believe. down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried which grace can restore. touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, cords that were broken will vibrate once more. rescue the perishing, duty demands it; strength for thy labor the lord will provide. back to the narrow way patiently win them; tell the poor wand'rer a savior has died. fanny j. crosby. while the days are going by. p.m. _daily opportunity._ there are lonely hearts to cherish, while the days are going by; there are weary souls who perish, while the days are going by; if a smile we can renew, as our journey we pursue, oh, the good we all may do, while the days are going by. ref.--going by, going by, going by, going by, oh, the good we all may do, while the days are going by. there's no time for idle scorning, while the days are going by; let your face be like the morning, while the days are going by; oh, the world is full of sighs, full of sad and weeping eyes; help your fallen brother rise, while the days are going by. all the loving links that bind us, while the days are going by; one by one we leave behind us, while the days are going by; but the seeds of good we sow both in shade and shine will grow, and will keep our hearts aglow, while the days are going by. george cooper. i want to be a worker. p.m. _delight in god's work._ i want to be a worker for the lord, i want to love and trust his holy word; i want to sing and pray, and be busy ev'ry day in the vineyard of the lord. cho.--i will work, i will pray, in the vineyard, in the vineyard of the lord; i will work, i will pray, i will labor ev'ry day in the vineyard of the lord. i want to be a worker ev'ry day, i want to lead the erring in the way that leads to heav'n above, where all is peace and love, in the kingdom of the lord. i want to be a worker strong and brave, i want to trust in jesus' power to save; all who will truly come, shall find a happy home in the kingdom of the lord. i want to be a worker; help me, lord, to lead the lost and erring to thy word that points to joys on high, where pleasures never die, in the kingdom of the lord. isaiah baltzell. seeds of promise. c.m. _seedtime and harvest._ oh, scatter seeds of loving deeds, along the fertile field, for grain will grow from what you sow, and fruitful harvest yield. cho--then day by day along your way, the seeds of promise cast, that ripened grain from hill and plain, be gathered home at last. tho' sown in tears the weary years, the seed will surely live; tho' great the cost it is not lost, for god will fruitage give. the harvest home of god will come; and after toil and care, with joy untold your sheaves of gold will all be garnered there. jessie h. brown. we're marching to zion. s.m. _the christian journey._ come, we that love the lord, and let our joys be known, join in a song with sweet accord, and thus surround the throne. cho.--we're marching to zion, beautiful, beautiful zion, we're marching upward to zion, the beautiful city of god. let those refuse to sing who never knew our god; but children of the heavenly king may speak their joys abroad. the hill of zion yields a thousand sacred sweets, before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets. then let our songs abound, and ev'ry tear be dry; we're marching thro' immanuel's ground to fairer worlds on high. isaac watts, . work, for the night is coming. p.m. _work while it is day._ work, for the night is coming, work thro' the morning hours; work while the dew is sparkling, work 'mid springing flowers; work, when the day grows brighter, work in the glowing sun; work, for the night is coming, when man's work is done. work, for the night is coming, work thro' the sunny noon; fill brightest hours with labor, rest comes sure and soon; give ev'ry flying minute, something to keep in store; work, for the night is coming, when man works no more. work, for the night is coming, under the sunset skies; while their bright tints are glowing, work, for daylight flies; work till the last beam fadeth, fadeth to shine no more; work while the night is dark'ning, when man's work is o'er. annie l. walker. bringing in the sheaves. p.m. _spiritual harvest._ sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness, sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping, we shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. cho.--bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves; bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows, fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze; by and by the harvest and the labor ended, we shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. going forth with weeping, sowing for the master, though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves; when our weeping's over, he will bid us welcome; we shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. knowles shaw. crown after cross. p.m. _tears and joy._ light after darkness, gain after loss, strength after weariness, crown after cross, sweet after bitter, song after sigh, home after wandering, praise after cry. cho.--now comes the weeping, then the glad reaping; now comes the labor hard, then the reward. sheaves after sowing, sun after rain, sight after mystery, peace after pain, joy after sorrow, calm after blast, rest after weariness, sweet rest at last. near after distant, gleam after gloom, love after loneliness, life after tomb. after long agony, rapture of bliss; right was the pathway leading to this. frances r. havergal. i love to tell the story. s. & s. d. _the old, old story._ i love to tell the story of unseen things above, of jesus and his glory, of jesus and his love! i love to tell the story, because i know it's true; it satisfies my longings, as nothing else would do. cho.--i love to tell the story! 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of jesus and his love. i love to tell the story! more wonderful it seems, than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. i love to tell the story! it did so much for me! and that is just the reason, i tell it now to thee. i love to tell the story! 'tis pleasant to repeat what seems, each time, i tell it, more wonderfully sweet. i love to tell the story! for some have never heard the message of salvation from god's own holy word. i love to tell the story! for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. and when, in scenes of glory, i sing the new, new song, 'twill be--the old, old story that i have loved so long. miss kate hankey, . only a word. p.m. _speaking for christ._ only a word for jesus, spoken in fear with sense of need; yet, with the master's blessing, thousands that word may feed. cho.--give me a word for thee, master! give me a word for thee! to speak thy praise, some soul to raise, oh, give me a word for thee. only a word for jesus, gentle and low with falt'ring breath; yet, with the spirit's thrilling, winning a soul from death. only a word for jesus, only a wav'ring soul to hear; yet, thro' increasing ages, widen its help and cheer. only a word for jesus, feeble the love and praise appear: angels their songs are ceasing, glad this new note to hear. e. s. lorenz. is your lamp still burning? p.m. _waiting his coming._ are you christ's light bearer? of his joy a sharer? is this dark world fairer for your cheering ray? is your beacon lighted, guiding souls benighted to the land of perfect day? cho.--oh, brother, is your lamp trimmed and burning? is the world made brighter by its cheering ray? are you ever waiting for your lord's returning? are you watching day by day? is your heart warm glowing, with his love o'erflowing, and his goodness showing more and more each day? are you pressing onward, with christ's faithful vanguard, in the safe and narrow way? keep your altars burning, wait your lord's returning, while your heart's deep yearning draws him ever near; with his radiance splendid shall your light be blended when his glory shall appear? priscilla j. owens. will jesus find us watching? p.m. _faithfulness._ when jesus comes to reward his servants, whether it be noon or night, faithful to him will he find us watching, with our lamps all trimmed and bright? ref.--oh, can we say we are ready, brother? ready for the soul's bright home? say, will he find you and me still watching, waiting, waiting when the lord shall come? if at the dawn of the early morning, he shall call us one by one, when to the lord we restore our talents, will he answer thee--well done? have we been true to the trust he left us? do we seek to do our best? if in our hearts there is naught condemns us, we shall have a glorious rest. blessed are those whom the lord finds watching, in his glory they shall share; if he shall come at the dawn or midnight, will he find us watching there? fanny j. crosby. laban. s.m. _watchfulness and prayer._ ( ) my soul, be on thy guard, ten thousand foes arise: the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw thee from the skies. oh, watch, and fight, and pray; the battle ne'er give o'er; renew it boldly every day, and help divine implore. ne'er think the vict'ry won nor lay thine armor down; thy arduous work will not be done till thou obtain thy crown. fight on, my soul, till death shall bring thee to thy god; he'll take thee, at thy parting breath, to his divine abode. george heath, . laban. s.m. _the panoply of god._ ( ) soldiers of christ! arise, and put your armor on,-- strong, in the strength which god supplies, through his eternal son:-- strong, in the lord of hosts, and in his mighty power; who in the strength of jesus trusts, is more than conqueror. stand, then, in his great might, with all his strength endued; and take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of god:-- that, having all things done, and all your conflicts past, you may o'ercome through christ alone, and stand entire at last. from strength to strength go on; wrestle, and fight, and pray; tread all the powers of darkness down, and win the well-fought day. still let the spirit cry, in all his soldiers, "come," till christ, the lord, descends from high, and takes the conquerors home. charles wesley, . laban. s.m. _victory is on the lord's side._ ( ) arise, ye saints, arise! the lord our leader is: the foe before his banner flies, and victory is his. we soon shall see the day when all our toils shall cease; when we shall cast our arms away, and dwell in endless peace. this hope supports us here; it makes our burdens light: 'twill serve our drooping hearts to cheer, till faith shall end in sight:-- till, of the prize possessed, we hear of war no more; and ever with our leader rest, on yonder peaceful shore. thomas kelly, . maitland. c.m. _the sacrifices of warfare._ ( ) am i a soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? and shall i fear to own his cause, or blush to speak his name? must i be carried to the skies on flow'ry beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed thro' bloody seas? are there no foes for me to face? must i not stem the flood? is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to god? sure i must fight if i would reign; increase my courage, lord; i'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. thy saints in all this glorious war, shall conquer, though they die; they see the triumph from afar, by faith they bring it nigh. when that illustrious day shall rise, and all thy armies shine in robes of vict'ry through the skies, the glory shall be thine. isaac watts, america. s & s. _christian soldiers._ ( ) soldiers of christ are we marching to victory, marching to heaven; in his bright armor dressed, his cross our chosen crest, and for our food and rest, his word is given. tho' foes our path surround, tho' toils and cares abound, onward we tread; we hear our lord's command; we grasp each shining brand, and, like a banner grand, hope waves o'erhead. soldiers of christ are we, light, love, and liberty our battle call! till truth shall win the day, till right shall gain the sway, till sin is driven away, we fight or fall. webb. s & s. ( ) stand up, stand up for jesus, ye soldiers of the cross! lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss; from victory unto victory his army shall he lead, till every foe is vanquished. and christ is lord indeed. stand up, stand up for jesus. the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict, in this his glorious day; ye that are men! now serve him, against unnumbered foes; your courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. stand up, stand up for jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you; ye dare not trust your own; put on the gospel armor, and, watching unto prayer, where duty calls, or danger, be never wanting there. stand up, stand up for jesus: the strife will not be long; this day, the noise of battle,-- the next, the victor's song; to him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be; he, with the king of glory, shall reign eternally! george duffield, . webb. s & s. _psalm ._ ( ) god is my strong salvation; what foe have i to fear? in darkness and temptation, my light, my help is near: though hosts encamp around me, firm to the fight i stand; what terror can confound me, with god at my right hand? place on the lord reliance; my soul! with courage wait; his truth be thine affiance, when faint and desolate; his might thy heart shall strengthen, his love thy joy increase; mercy thy days shall lengthen; the lord will give thee peace. james montgomery, . yield not to temptation. p.m. _courage._ yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; each vict'ry will help you some other to win. fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; look ever to jesus, he'll carry you through. cho.--ask the savior to help you, comfort, strengthen, and keep you; he is willing to aid you, he will carry you through. shun evil companions, bad language disdain, god's name hold in rev'rence, nor take it in vain; be thoughtful and earnest, kind-hearted and true; look ever to jesus, he'll carry you through. to him that o'ercometh, god giveth a crown; through faith we shall conquer, though often cast down; he who is our savior our strength will renew; look ever to jesus, he'll carry you through. h.r. palmer. st. martin's. c.m. _founded on a rock._ ( ) with stately towers and bulwarks strong, unrivaled and alone, loved theme of many a sacred song; god's holy city shone. thus fair was zion's chosen seat, the glory of all lands; yet fairer and in strength complete, the christian temple stands. the faithful of each clime and age this glorious church compose; built on a rock, with idle rage the threat'ning tempest blows. fear not; though hostile bands alarm, thy god is thy defense; and weak and powerless every arm against omnipotence. isaac watts. st. martin's. c.m. _the church immovable._ ( ) oh! where are kings and empires now, of old that went and came? but, lord! thy church is praying yet, a thousand years the same. we mark her goodly battlements, and her foundations strong; we hear within the solemn voice of her unending song. for, not like kingdoms of the world, thy holy church, o god! though earthquake shocks are threatening her, and tempests are abroad; unshaken as eternal hills, immovable she stands, a mountain that shall fill the earth, a house not made by hands. arthur cleveland coxe, , _a._ st. martin's. c.m. _returning to zion._ ( ) daughter of zion, from the dust exalt thy fallen head; again in thy redeemer trust-- he calls thee from the dead. awake, awake, put on thy strength, thy beautiful array; the day of freedom dawns at length-- the lord's appointed day. rebuild thy walls, thy bounds enlarge, and send thy heralds forth; say to the south, give up thy charge! and, keep not back, o north! they come, they come; thine exiled bands, where'er they rest or roam, have heard thy voice in distant lands, and hasten to their home. james montgomery, . st. martin's. c.m. _little flock._ church of the ever-living god, the father's gracious choice, amid the voices of this earth how feeble is thy voice! not many rich or noble called, not many great or wise: they whom god makes his kings and priests are poor in human eyes. but the chief shepherd comes at length; their feeble days are o'er, no more a handful in the earth, a little flock no more. h. bonar, _ab._ laban. s.m. _psalm ._ ( ) i love thy kingdom, lord! the house of thine abode, the church our blest redeemer saved, with his own precious blood. i love thy church, o god! her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. for her my tears shall fall, for her my prayers ascend; to her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end. beyond my highest joy i prize her heavenly ways, her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. sure as thy truth shall last, to zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven. timothy dwight, . state street. s.m. _a revival sought._ ( ) revive thy work, o lord! thy mighty arm make bare; speak, with the voice that wakes the dead, and make thy people hear. revive thy work, o lord! disturb this sleep of death; quicken the smoldering embers now, by thine almighty breath. revive thy work, o lord! exalt thy precious name; and, by the holy ghost, our love for thee and thine inflame. revive thy work, o lord! and give refreshing showers; the glory shall be all thine own, the blessing, lord! be ours. albert midlane, . ware. l.m. _christ's everlasting kingdom._ ( ) jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run; his kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more. from north to south the princes meet, to pay their homage at his feet; while western empires own their lord, and savage tribes attend his word. to him shall endless prayer be made, and endless praises crown his head; his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise, with every morning sacrifice. people and realms of every tongue dwell on his love with sweetest song, and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on his name. blessings abound where'er he reigns; the prisoner leaps to lose his chains; the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest. let every creature rise and bring peculiar honors to our king; angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud amen! isaac watts, . ware. l.m. _the glory of the church._ ( ) triumphant zion! lift thy head from dust, and darkness, and the dead; though humbled long, awake at length, and gird thee with thy savior's strength. put all thy beauteous garments on, and let thy various charms be known; the world thy glories shall confess, decked in the robes of righteousness. no more shall foes unclean invade, and fill thy hallowed walls with dread; no more shall hell's insulting host their vict'ry and thy sorrows boast. god, from on high, thy groans will hear; his hand thy ruins shall repair; nor will thy watchful monarch cease to guard thee in eternal peace. philip doddridge, . ware. l.m. _rev. : ._ ( ) soon may the last glad song arise through all the millions of the skies-- that song of triumph which records that all the earth is now the lord's! let thrones and powers and kingdoms be obedient, mighty god, to thee! and, over land and stream and main, wave thou the scepter of thy reign! oh, let that glorious anthem swell, let host to host the triumph tell, that not one rebel heart remains, but over all the savior reigns! mrs. voke, . zion. s, s, & s. _her enemies confounded._ ( ) zion stands with hills surrounded, zion kept by power divine! all her foes shall be confounded, tho' the world in arms combine. happy zion, what a favored lot is thine! ev'ry human tie may perish, friend to friend unfaithful prove, mothers cease their own to cherish, heaven and earth at last remove; but no changes can attend jehovah's love. in the furnace god may prove thee, thence to bring thee forth more bright, but can never cease to love thee-- thou art precious in his sight: god is with thee-- god, thine everlasting light. thomas kelly, zion. s, s, & s. _the gospel herald._ ( ) on the mountain's top appearing, lo! the sacred herald stands, welcome news to zion bearing-- zion long in hostile lands: mourning captive! god himself shall loose thy bands. has thy night been long and mournful? have thy friends unfaithful proved? have thy foes been proud and scornful? by thy sighs and tears unmoved? cease thy mourning; zion still is well beloved. god, thy god, will now restore thee; he himself appears thy friend; all thy foes shall flee before thee; here their boasts and triumph end; great deliverance zion's king will surely send. thomas kelly, zion. s, s, & s. _prayer for a revival._ ( ) savior, visit thy plantation; grant us, lord, a gracious rain; all will come to desolation, unless thou return again. lord, revive us! all our help must come from thee. keep no longer at a distance; shine upon us from on high, lest, for want of thine assistance, every plant should droop and die. lord, revive us! all our help must come from thee. let our mutual love be fervent! make us prevalent in prayers; let each one, esteemed thy servant, shun the world's bewitching snares. lord, revive us! all our help must come from thee. break the tempter's fatal power, turn the stony heart to flesh, and begin, from this good hour, to revive thy work afresh. lord, revive us! all our help must come from thee. john newton, austria. s, s. d. _the glory of the church._ ( ) glorious things of thee are spoken, zion, city of our god! he, whose word cannot be broken, formed thee for his own abode; on the rock of ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? with salvation's walls surrounded, thou mayest smile at all thy foes. see! the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove; who can faint, while such a river, ever flows their thirst t' assuage?-- grace, which, like the lord, the giver, never fails from age to age. round each habitation hovering, see the cloud and tire appear, for a glory and a covering, showing that the lord is near! thus deriving from their banner, light by night, and shade by day, safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray. john newton, . austria. s, s. d. _isa. : ._ zion, dreary and in anguish, 'mid the desert hast thou strayed! oh, thou weary, cease to languish; jesus shall lift up thy head. still lamenting and bemoaning, 'mid thy follies and thy woes! soon repenting and returning, all thy solitude shall close. though benighted and forsaken, though afflicted and distressed; his almighty arm shall waken; zion's king shall give thee rest: cease thy sadness, unbelieving; soon his glory shalt thou see! joy and gladness, and thanksgiving, and the voice of melody! thos. hastings austria. s, . d. _the heralds of the gospel._ ( ) onward, onward, men of heaven bear the gospel's banner high; rest not, till its light is given, star of every pagan sky: send it where the pilgrim stranger paints beneath the torrid ray; bid the red-browed forest-ranger hail it, ere he fades away. rude in speech, or grim in feature, dark in spirit, though they be, show that light to every creature-- prince or vassal, bond or free: lo! they haste to every nation: host on host the ranks supply: onward! christ is your salvation, and your death is victory. mrs. lydia h. sigourney. baca. l.m. _save the perishing._ ( ) the heathen perish; day by day, thousands on thousands pass away! o christians, to their rescue fly, preach jesus to them ere they die! wealth, labor, talents freely give, yea, life itself, that they may live, what hath your savior done for you? and what for him will ye not do? oh, spirit of the lord! go forth, call in the south, wake up the north, from every clime, from sun to sun, gather god's children into one! j. montgomery baca. l.m. _home missions._ ( ) look from thy sphere of endless day, o god of mercy and of might! in pity look on those who stray, benighted, in this land of light. in peopled vale, in lonely glen, in crowded mart, by stream or sea, how many of the sons of men hear not the message sent from thee! send forth thy heralds, lord! to call the thoughtless young, the hardened old, a scattered, homeless flock, till all be gathered to thy peaceful fold. send them thy mighty word to speak, till faith shall dawn, and doubt depart, to awe the bold, to stay the weak, and bind and heal the broken heart. then all these wastes, a dreary scene, that make us sadden as we gaze, shall grow with living waters green, and lift to heaven the voice of praise. william c. bryant, . baca. l.m. _missionary charged and encouraged._ ( ) go, messenger of peace and love, to people plunged in shades of night, like angels sent from fields above, be thine to shed celestial light. go to the hungry--food impart; to paths of peace the wand'rer guide, and lead the thirsty, panting heart, where streams of living water glide. oh, faint not in the day of toil, when harvest waits the reaper's hand: go, gather in the glorious spoil, and joyous in his presence stand. thy love a rich reward shall find from him who sits enthroned on high: for they who turn the erring mind shall shine like stars above the sky. a. balfor baca. l.m. _ascend thy throne._ ascend thy throne, almighty king, and spread thy glories all abroad; let thine own arm salvation bring, and be thou known the gracious god. let millions bow before thy seat, let humble mourners seek thy face, bring daring rebels to thy feet, subdued by thy victorious grace. oh, let the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of the lord! let saints and angels praise thy name, be thou through heaven and earth adored. benjamin beddome. missionary chant. l.m. _the universal reign of christ._ ( ) arm of the lord! awake, awake; put on thy strength, the nation shake; and let the world, adoring, see triumphs of mercy, wrought by thee. say to the heathen, from thy throne, "i am jehovah--god alone!" thy voice their idols shall confound, and cast their altars to the ground. no more let human blood be spilt, vain sacrifice for human guilt; but to each conscience be applied the blood, that flowed from jesus' side. almighty god! thy grace proclaim in every clime, of every name, till adverse powers before thee fall, and crown the savior--lord of all. william shrubsole, . missionary chant. l.m. _mission to the heathen._ ( ) behold, the heathen waits to know the joy the gospel will bestow; the exiled captive to receive the freedom jesus has to give. come, let us, with a grateful heart, in this blest labor share a part; our prayers and offerings gladly bring to aid the triumphs of our king. our hearts exult in songs of praise, that we have seen these latter days, when our redeemer shall be known where satan long has held his throne. where'er his hand hath spread the skies, sweet incense to his name shall rise, and slave and freeman, greek and jew, by sovereign grace be formed anew. voke. missionary chant. l.m. _the gospel banner._ ( ) fling out the banner! let it float skyward and seaward, high and wide, the sun that lights its shining folds, the cross on which the savior died. fling out the banner! angels bend in anxious silence o'er the sign, and vainly seek to comprehend the wonder of the love divine. fling out the banner! heathen lands shall see from far the glorious sight; and nations, crowding to be born, baptize their spirits in its light. fling out the banner! sin-sick souls, that sink and perish in the strife, shall touch in faith its radiant hem, and spring immortal, into life. fling out the banner! let it float skyward and seaward, high and wide our glory, only in the cross, our only hope, the crucified. fling out the banner! wide and high, seaward and skyward let it shine; nor skill, nor might, nor merit, ours; we conquer only in that sign. george w. doane, . zion. s, s & s. _hopeful view._ ( ) yes, we trust the day is breaking; joyful times are near at hand; god, the mighty god, is speaking by his word in ev'ry land; when he chooses, darkness flies at his command. while the foe becomes more daring, while he enters like a flood god, the savior, is preparing means to spread his truth abroad, ev'ry language soon shall tell the love of god. oh, 'tis pleasant, 'tis reviving to our hearts, to hear, each day, joyful news, from far arriving, how the gospel wins its way, those enlight'ning who in death and darkness lay. god of jacob, high and glorious, let thy people see thy hand; let the gospel be victorious, through the world in every land; then shall idols perish, lord, at thy command. thomas kelly, . anvern. l.m. _the kingdom of christ._ great god! whose universal sway the known and unknown worlds obey; now give the kingdom to thy son; extend his power, exalt his throne. the heathen lands, that lie beneath the shades of over-spreading death, revive at his first dawning light, and deserts blossom at the sight. the saints shall flourish in his days, dressed in the robes of joy and praise; peace, like a river, from his throne, shall flow to nations yet unknown. isaac watts. missionary hymn. s & s. d. _condition of the heathen._ ( ) from greenland's icy mountains, from india's coral strand-- where afric's sunny fountains roll down their golden sand-- from many an ancient river, from many a palmy plain-- they call us to deliver their land from error's chain. shall we, whose souls are lighted by wisdom from on high, shall we to man benighted the light of life deny? salvation! oh, salvation! the joyful sound proclaim, till earth's remotest nation has learned messiah's name. waft, waft, ye winds, his story, and you, ye waters, roll, till like a sea of glory it spreads from pole to pole, till o'er our ransomed nature the lamb, for sinners slain, redeemer, king, creator, in bliss returns to reign. reginald heber, . missionary hymn. s & s. d. _home missions._ ( ) our country's voice is pleading, ye men of god, arise! his providence is leading, the land before you lies; day gleams are o'er it brightening, and promise clothes the soil; wide fields for harvest whitening, invite the reaper's toil. go where the waves are breaking on california's shore, christ's precious gospel taking, more rich than golden ore; on allegheny's mountains, through all the western vale, beside missouri's fountains, rehearse the wondrous tale. the love of christ unfolding, speed on from east to west, till all, his cross beholding, in him are fully blest. great author of salvation, haste, haste the glorious day, when we, a ransomed nation, thy scepter shall obey. mrs. g.w. anderson. webb. s & s. _success of the gospel._ ( ) the morning light is breaking, the darkness disappears: the sons of earth are waking to penitential tears. each breeze that sweeps the ocean brings tidings from afar of nations in commotion, prepared for zion's war. rich dews of grace come o'er us, in many a gentle shower, and brighter scenes before us are opening every hour; each cry, to heaven going, abundant answers brings, and heavenly gales are blowing, with peace upon their wings. see heathen nations bending before the god we love, and thousand hearts ascending in gratitude above; while sinners, now confessing, the gospel call obey, and seek the savior's blessing,-- a nation in a day. blest river of salvation! pursue thine onward way; flow thou to every nation, nor in thy richness stay:-- stay not, till all the lowly triumphant reach their home; stay not, till all the holy proclaim "the lord is come." samuel f. smith, . webb. s & s. _home missions._ ( ) go preach the blest salvation to every sinful race, and bid each guilty nation accept the savior's grace; but bear, oh, quickly bear it where thronging millions roam, and bid them freely share it, who dwell with us at home. where blooms the broad savanna, where mighty waters roll, there let the gospel banner beam hope on every soul; go where the west is teeming, and yet behold they come! the fields all ripe are gleaming for those who reap at home! our children there are dwelling, neglected and astray, whose hearts are often swelling to learn of zion's way. bear, bear to them the treasure and bid the exiles come; there is no sweeter pleasure, than preaching christ at home. sidney dyer. all around the world. s & s. _victory of the church._ see the flag of jesus o'er the earth unfurled! sabbath-schools are singing, all around the world; sunday-schools in china, india and japan, training souls for glory, by the gospel plan. cho.--lift the cross of jesus, bear the bible on; soon the world will echo, with the vict'ry won. see the flag of jesus, o'er the earth unfurled! sunday-schools are singing, all around the world. little indian diamonds, precious island pearls; learning bible lessons, happy boys and girls. afric's gold dust scattered, neath the feet of wrong, rises up in brightness, from the darkness long. sunday-schools are singing, france and spain and rome; hear their joyous music, songs of heaven and home. where the martyrs suffered, holy seed is spread; gather up these rubies, dyed in life-blood red. sunday-schools in chili, reaching down the coast; mexico is leading, gallant little host. glad brazilian children, praise to god shall sing; far-off patagonia answers christ is king. priscilla j. owens. dillenburg. s & s. _the messenger welcomed._ ( ) how beauteous on the mountains, the feet of him that brings, like streams from living fountains, good tidings of good things; that publisheth salvation, and jubilee release, to ev'ry tribe and nation, god's reign of joy and peace. lift up thy voice, oh, watchman! and shout from zion's towers, thy hallelujah chorus-- "the victory is ours!" the lord shall build up zion in glory and renown, and jesus, judah's lion, shall wear his rightful crown. break forth in hymns of gladness; oh, waste jerusalem! let songs, instead of sadness, thy jubilee proclaim; the lord in strength victorious, upon thy foes hath trod; behold, oh, earth! the glorious salvation of our god. benjamin gough, -. herold. s. _christian ministers._ ( ) soldiers of the cross! arise; gird you with your armor bright; mighty are your enemies, hard the battle ye must fight. guard the helpless, seek the strayed, soothe the troubled, banish grief; with the spirit's sword arrayed, scatter sin and unbelief. be the banner still unfurled, bear it bravely still abroad, till the kingdoms of the world are the kingdoms of the lord. william walsham how, . all hallows. c.m. _in the strength of jesus._ ( ) with thine own pity, savior, see the thronged and darkening way! we go to win the lost to thee, oh, help us, lord, we pray! thou bid'st us go, with thee to stand against hell's marshalled powers; and heart to heart, and hand to hand, to make thine honor ours. teach thou our lips of thee to speak, of thy sweet love to tell; till they who wander far shall seek and find and serve thee well. o'er all the world thy spirit send, and make thy goodness known, till earth and heaven together blend their praises at thy throne. ray palmer. all hallows. c.m. _zeal for souls.--john : ._ oh! still in accents sweet and strong sounds forth the ancient word,-- "more reapers for white harvest fields, more laborers for the lord!" we hear the call; in dreams no more in selfish ease we lie, but girded for our father's work, go forth beneath his sky. where prophet's word, and martyr's blood, and prayers of saints were sown, we, to their labors entering in, would reap where they have strown. s. longfellow. welton. l.m. _a meeting of ministers._ ( ) pour out thy spirit from on high; lord! thine assembled servants bless; graces and gifts to each supply. and clothe thy priests with righteousness. wisdom, and zeal, and faith impart, firmness with meekness from above, to bear thy people on our heart, and love the souls whom thou dost love; to watch and pray, and never faint; by day and night, strict guard to keep; to warn the sinner, cheer the saint, nourish thy lambs, and feed thy sheep. then, when our work is finished here, in humble hope, our charge resign; when the chief shepherd shall appear, o god! may they and we be thine. james montgomery, . welton. l.m. _an ordination service._ ( ) the solemn service now is done. the vow is pledged, the toil begun; seal thou, o god! the oath above, and ratify the pledge of love. the shepherd of thy people bless; gird him with thine own holiness; in duty may his pleasure be his glory in his zeal for thee. here let the ardent prayer arise, faith fix its grasp beyond the skies. the tear of penitence be shed, and myriads to the savior led. come, spirit! here consent to dwell; the mists of earth and sin dispel; blest savior! thine own rights maintain: supreme in every bosom reign. samuel f. smith, . happy day. l.m. _rejoicing in entire consecration._ ( ) oh, happy day, that fixed my choice, on thee, my savior and my god! well may this glowing heart rejoice, and tell its raptures all abroad. cho.--happy day, happy day, when jesus washed my sins away; he taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing ev'ry day! oh, happy bond, that seals my vows to him who merits all my love! let cheerful anthems fill the house, while to his altar now i move. 'tis done--the great transaction's done; i am my lord's, and he is mine; he drew me, and i followed on, rejoiced to own the call divine. now rest--my long-divided heart-- fixed on this blissful center, rest; here have i found a nobler part, here heavenly pleasures fill my breast. high heaven, that heard the solemn vow, that vow renewed shall daily hear, till, in life's latest hour, i bow, and bless in death a bond so dear. philip doddridge, . happy day. l.m. _converts welcomed._ ( ) come in, thou blessed of the lord! enter in jesus' precious name; we welcome thee, with one accord, and trust the savior does the same. those joys, which earth cannot afford, we'll seek in fellowship to prove, joined in one spirit to our lord, together bound by mutual love. and, while we pass this vale of tears, we'll make our joys and sorrows known; we'll share each other's hopes and fears, and count a brother's case our own. once more, our welcome we repeat; receive assurance of our love; oh! may we all together meet, around the throne of god above. thomas kelly, . evan. c.m. _brotherly love._ ( ) how sweet, how heavenly is the sight, when those who love the lord, in one another's peace delight, and so fulfill his word!-- when each can feel his brother's sigh, and with him bear a part; when sorrow flows from eye to eye, and joy from heart to heart; when, free from envy, scorn, and pride, our wishes all above, each can his brother's failings hide, and show a brother's love: when love, in one delightful stream, through every bosom flows; when union sweet, and dear esteem, in every action glows. love is the golden chain, that binds the happy souls above; and he's an heir of heaven, that finds his bosom glow with love. joseph swain. evan. c.m. _gen. : ._ ( ) come in, beloved of the lord, stranger nor foe art thou; we welcome thee with warm accord, our friend, our brother, now. the hand of fellowship, the heart of love, we offer thee: leaving the world, thou dost but part from lies and vanity. come with us,--we will do thee good, as god to us hath done; stand but in him, as those have stood whose faith the victory won. and when, by turns, we pass away, and star by star grows dim, may each, translated into day, be lost and found in him. james montgomery. evan. c.m. _covenant vows._ ( ) witness, ye men and angels! now, before the lord we speak; to him we make our solemn vow, a vow we dare not break;-- that, long as life itself shall last, ourselves to christ we yield; nor from his cause will we depart, or even quit the field. we trust not in our native strength, but on his grace rely; that, with returning wants, the lord will all our need supply. oh! guide our doubtful feet aright, and keep us in thy ways; and, while we turn our vows to prayers, turn thou our prayers to praise. benjamin beddome, . dennis. s.m. _love to the brethren._ ( ) blest be the tie that binds our hearts in christian love! the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. before our father's throne, we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. we share our mutual woes; our mutual burdens bear; and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear. when we asunder part, it gives us inward pain; but we shall still be joined in heart, and hope to meet again. this glorious hope revives our courage by the way; while each in expectation lives, and longs to see the day. from sorrow, toil, and pain, and sin we shall be free; and perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity. john fawcett, . dennis. s.m. _laborers in the vineyard._ ( ) and let our bodies part-- to diff'rent climes repair; inseparably joined in heart the friends of jesus are. oh, let us still proceed in jesus' work below; and following our triumphant head, to further conquests go. the vineyard of the lord before his laborers lies; and lo! we see the vast reward which waits us in the skies. oh, let our heart and mind continually ascend, that haven of repose to find, where all our labors end. charles wesley dennis, s.m. _meeting after absence._ ( ) and are we yet alive, and see each other's face? glory and praise to jesus give, for his redeeming grace. preserved by power divine to full salvation here, again in jesus' praise we join, and in his sight appear. what troubles have we seen! what conflicts have we passed! fightings without, and fears within, since we assembled last! but out of all the lord hath brought us by his love; and still he doth his help afford, and hides our life above. let us take up the cross, till we the crown obtain; and gladly reckon all things loss so we may jesus gain. charles wesley. rockingham. l.m. _the likeness of his death._ ( ) how blest the hour when first we gave our guilty souls to thee, o god; a cheerful sacrifice of love, bought with the savior's precious blood. how blest the vow we here record! how blest the grace we now receive! buried in baptism with our lord, new lives of holiness to live. how blest the solemn rite that seals our death to sin, our guilt forgiven;-- how blest the emblem that reveals god reconciled and peace with heaven. thus through the emblematic grave the glorious, suffering savior trod; thou art our pattern, through the wave we follow thee, blest son of god. s.f. smith. rockingham. l.m. _the feast of love._ ( ) my god! and is thy table spread? and does thy cup with love o'erflow? thither be all thy children led, and let them all its sweetness know. hail! sacred feast, which jesus makes! rich banquet of his flesh and blood; thrice happy he, who here partakes that sacred stream, that heavenly food! oh! let thy table honored be, and furnished well with joyful guests; and may each soul salvation see, that here its sacred pledges tastes. let crowds approach, with hearts prepared; with hearts inflamed let all attend; nor, when we leave our father's board, the pleasure or the profit end. philip doddridge, . rockingham. l.m. _jesu, dulcedo cordium!_ ( ) jesus, thou joy of loving hearts! thou fount of life! thou light of men! from the best bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to thee again. thy truth unchanged hath ever stood; thou savest those that on thee call; to them that seek thee, thou art good, to them that find thee,--all in all! we taste thee, oh, thou living bread! and long to feast upon thee still; we drink of thee, the fountain head, and thirst our souls from thee to fill. our restless spirits yearn for thee, where'er our changeful lot is cast; glad, when thy gracious smile we see, blest, when our faith can hold thee fast. o jesus! ever with us stay; make all our moments calm and bright; chase the dark night of sin away; shed o'er the world thy holy light. lat., bernard, of clairvaux, . tr., ray palmer, . aletta. s. _the bread of life._ ( ) bread of heaven, on thee we feed for thy flesh is meat indeed; ever let our souls be fed with this true and living bread. vine of heaven, thy blood supplies this blest cup of sacrifice; lord, thy wounds our healing give; to thy cross we look and live. day by day with strength supplied, thro' the life of him who died, lord of life, oh, let us be rooted, grafted, built on thee. josiah conder, . windham. l.m. _the lord's supper instituted._ ( ) 'twas on that dark, that dreadful night, when powers of earth and hell arose against the son of god's delight, and friends betrayed him to his foes. before the mournful scene began he took the bread, and blessed and brake; what love thro' all his actions ran! what wondrous words of grace he spake! "this is my body, broke for sin; receive and eat the living food;" then took the cup, and blessed the wine: "'tis the new cov'nant in my blood." "do this," he cried, "till time shall end, in mem'ry of your dying friend; meet at the table, and record the love of your departed lord." jesus, thy feast we celebrate; we show thy death, we sing thy name till thou return, and we shall eat the marriage supper of the lamb. isaac watts. dorrnance. s & s. _viewing the cross._ ( ) while, in sweet communion, feeding on this earthly bread and wine, savior, may we see thee bleeding on the cross, to make us thine. now, our eyes forever closing to this fleeting world below, on thy gentle breast reposing, teach us, lord, thy grace to know. though unseen, be ever near us, with the still small voice of love, whisp'ring words of peace to cheer us, ev'ry doubt and fear remove. bring before us all the story of thy life, and death of woe; and, with hopes of endless glory, wean our hearts from all below. edward denny, . arlington. c.m. _remembering christ._ ( ) that dreadful night before his death, the lamb, for sinners slain, did, almost with his dying breath, this solemn feast ordain. to keep the feast, lord, we have met, and to remember thee; help each poor trembler to repeat-- for me he died, for me. thy suff'rings, lord, each sacred sign to our remembrance brings; we eat the bread and drink the wine, but think on nobler things. oh, tune our tongues, and set in frame each heart that pants for thee, to sing, hosanna to the lamb, the lamb that died for me. joseph hart, d. till he come. s. _the coming joy._ "till he come!" oh, let the words linger on the trembling chords, let the "little while" between in their golden light be seen; let us think how heav'n and home lie beyond that "till he come!" when the weary ones we love enter on that rest above, when their words of love and cheer fall no longer on our ear, hush! be ev'ry murmur dumb, it is only "till he come!" clouds and darkness round us press; would we have one sorrow less? all the sharpness of the cross, all that tells the world is loss, death, and darkness, and the tomb pain us only "till he come!" see, the feast of love is spread, drink the wine and eat the bread: sweet memorials, till the lord call us round his heavn'ly board; some from earth, from glory some, severed only "till he come!" e.h.b. bickersteth, . arlington. c.m. _baptized into his death._ ( ) we long to move and breathe in thee, inspired with thine own breath, to live thy life, o lord, and be baptized into thy death. thy death to sin we die below, but we shall rise in love; we here are planted in thy woe, but we shall bloom above. above we shall thy glory share, as we thy cross have borne; e'en we shall crowns of honor wear, when we the thorns have worn. arlington. c.m. _baptism of children._ ( ) our children, lord, in faith and prayer we now devote to thee; let them thy covenant mercies share, and thy salvation see. in early days their hearts secure from worldly snares, we pray; and let them to the end endure in every righteous way. grant us before them, lord, to live in holy faith and fear; and then to heaven our souls receive and bring our children there. thanatopsis. s.m. _dying, not death._ ( ) it is not death to die,-- to leave this weary road, and, midst the brotherhood on high, to be at home with god. it is not death to close the eye long dimmed by tears, and wake, in glorious repose to spend eternal years. it is not death to fling aside this sinful dust, and rise, on strong exulting wing, to live among the just. jesus, thou prince of life! thy chosen cannot die; like thee, they conquer in the strife, to reign with thee on high. george w. bethune, . thanatopsis. s.m. _the crowning hour._ ( ) servant of god, well done! thy glorious warfare's past; the battle's fought, the race is won, and thou art crowned at last;-- of all thy heart's desire triumphantly possessed; lodged by the ministerial choir in thy redeemer's breast. in condescending love, thy ceaseless prayer he heard, and bade thee suddenly remove to thy complete reward. with saints enthroned on high, thou dost thy lord proclaim, and still to god salvation cry,-- salvation to the lamb! charles wesley. thanatopsis. s.m. _a little while._ ( ) a few more years shall roll, a few more seasons come, and we shall be with those that rest asleep within the tomb. a few more suns shall set o'er these dark hills of time, and we shall be where suns are not, a far serener clime. a few more storms shall beat on this wild rocky shore, and we shall be where tempests cease, and surges swell no more. a few more struggles here, a few more partings o'er, a few more toils, a few more tears, and we shall weep no more. 'tis but a little while and he shall come again, who died that we might live, who lives that we with him may reign. then, o my lord, prepare my soul for that great day; oh, wash me in thy precious blood, and take my sins away. horatius bonar, . st. sylvester. s & s. _death inevitable._ days and moments quickly flying blend the living with the dead; soon shall we who sing be lying, each within our narrow bed. soon our souls to god who gave them will have sped their rapid flight; able now by grace to save them, oh, that while we can we might. jesus, infinite redeemer, maker of this mighty frame, teach, oh, teach us to remember what we are, and whence we came:-- whence we came, and whither wending soon we must through darkness go, to inherit bliss unending, or eternity of woe. rev. edward caswell, . as the tree falls so must it lie; as the man lives so will he die; as the man dies, such must he be all through the days of eternity. amen. st. sylvester. s & s. _matthew : ._ ( ) jesus, while our hearts are bleeding o'er the spoils that death has won, we would at this solemn meeting, calmly say,--thy will be done. though cast down, we're not forsaken; though afflicted, not alone; thou didst give, and thou hast taken; blessed lord,--thy will be done. though to-day we're filled with mourning, mercy still is on the throne; with thy smiles of love returning, we can sing--thy will be done. by thy hands the boon was given, thou hast taken but thine own: lord of earth, and god of heaven, evermore,--thy will be done! thomas hastings. rest. l.m. _sleeping in jesus._ ( ) asleep in jesus! blessed sleep, from which none ever wakes to weep; a calm and undisturbed repose, unbroken by the dread of foes. asleep in jesus! peaceful rest, whose waking is supremely blest; no fear, no woes, shall dim the hour, which manifests the savior's power. asleep in jesus! oh, for me may such a blissful refuge be; securely shall my ashes lie, and wait the summons from on high. asleep in jesus! far from thee thy kindred and their graves may be; but thine is still a blessed sleep, from whence none ever wake to weep. mrs. margaret mackay, . rest. l.m. _the end of that man is peace._ ( ) how blest the righteous when he dies! when sinks a weary soul to rest! how mildly beam the closing eyes! how gently heaves the expiring breast! so fades a summer cloud away; so sinks the gale when storms are o'er; so gently shuts the eye of day; so dies a wave along the shore. a holy quiet reigns around, a calm which life nor death destroys; and naught disturbs that peace profound which his unfettered soul enjoys. life's labor done, as sinks the clay, light from its load the spirit flies, while heaven and earth combine to say, how blest the righteous when he dies! mrs. a.l. barbauld, . rest. l.m. _death and burial of a christian._ ( ) unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb; take this new treasure to thy trust and give these sacred relics room, to slumber in the silent dust. nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear, invades thy bounds; no mortal woes can reach the peaceful sleeper here, while angels watch the soft repose. so jesus slept; god's dying son passed through the grave, and blest the bed; rest here, blest saint, till from his throne the morning break, and pierce the shade. break from his throne, illustrious morn; attend, o earth, his sovereign word; restore thy trust; a glorious form shall then arise to meet the lord. isaac watts, . rest. l.m. _the fading flower._ ( ) so fades the lovely, blooming flower-- frail smiling solace of an hour! so soon our transient comforts fly, and pleasure only blooms to die. is there no kind, no lenient art, to heal the anguish of the heart? spirit of grace! be ever nigh, thy comforts are not made to die. bid gentle patience smile on pain, till dying hope shall live again; hope wipes the tear from sorrow's eye and faith points upward to the sky. anne steele, china. c.m. _we are confident._ ( ) why do we mourn departing friends, or shake at death's alarms? 'tis but the voice that jesus sends, to call them to his arms. are we not tending upward, too, as fast as time can move? nor would we wish the hours more slow, to keep us from our love. why should we tremble to convey their bodies to the tomb? there the dear flesh of jesus lay, and scattered all the gloom. the graves of all the saints be blessed, and softened every bed; where should the dying members rest, but with the dying head? thence he arose, ascending high, and showed our feet the way; up to the lord we, too, shall fly at the great rising-day. then let the last loud trumpet sound, and bid our kindred rise; awake! ye nations under ground; ye saints! ascend the skies. isaac watts, . china. c.m. _cheerful submission to death._ ( ) and let this feeble body fail, and let it faint or die; my soul shall quit the mournful vale, and soar to worlds on high-- shall join the disembodied saints, and find its long-sought rest; that only bliss for which it pants, in the redeemer's breast. in hope of that immortal crown i now the cross sustain; and gladly wander up and down, and smile at toil and pain. i suffer on my three-score years, till my deliverer come, and wipes away his servant's tears, and takes his exile home. charles wesley, . china. c.m. _mourning with hope._ ( ) why should our tears in sorrow flow when god recalls his own, and bids them leave a world of woe, for an immortal crown? is not e'en death a gain to those whose life to god was given? gladly to earth their eyes they close to open them in heaven. their toils are past, their work is done, and they are fully blest! they fought the fight, the victory won, and entered into rest. then let our sorrows cease to flow,-- god has recalled his own; but let our hearts, in every woe, still say, "thy will be done!" wm. h. bathurst, . frederick. s. _death not fearful._ i would not live alway; i ask not to stay where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way; the few cloudy mornings that dawn on us here are enough for life's woes, full enough for its cheer. i would not live alway; no, welcome the tomb! since jesus has lain there, i dread not its gloom; there sweet be my rest till he bid me arise, to hail him in triumph descending the skies. who, who would live alway, away from his god, away from yon heaven, that blissful abode, where the rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains, and the noontide of glory eternally reigns; where the saints of all ages in harmony meet, their savior and brethren transported to greet; while the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, and the smile of the lord is the feast of the soul? w.a. muhlenburg. thy will be done. chant _mark : ._ "thy will be | done!" || in devious way the hurrying stream of | life may | run; || yet still our grateful hearts shall say, | "thy will be | done." "thy will be | done!" || if o'er us shine a gladdening and a | prosperous | sun, || this prayer will make it more divine-- | "thy will be | done!" "thy will be | done!" || tho' shrouded o'er our | path with | gloom, | one comfort, one || is ours:--to breathe, while we adore, | "thy will be | done." sir. j. bowring, . shining shore. s & s. trochaic. _on jordan's strand._ ( ) my days are gliding swiftly by, and i a pilgrim stranger, would not detain them as they fly, those hours of toil and danger. cho.--for, oh! we stand on jordan's strand, our friends are passing over; and, just before, the shining shore we may almost discover. we'll gird our loins, my brethren dear! our heav'nly home discerning; our absent lord has left us word,-- "let ev'ry lamp be burning." should coming days be cold and dark, we need not cease our singing; that perfect rest none can molest, where golden harps are ringing. let sorrow's rudest tempest blow, each cord on earth to sever; our king says,--"come!" and there's our home, forever, oh! forever! david nelson, . shining shore. s & s. trochaic. _wayfarers._ ( ) wayfarers in the wilderness, by morn, and noon, and even, day after day, we journey on, with weary feet toward heaven. cho.--o land above! o land of love! the glory shineth o'er thee; o christ, our king! in mercy bring us thither, we implore thee! by day the cloud before us goes, by night the cloud of fire, to guide us o'er the trackless waste, to canaan ever nigher. the sea was riven from our feet, and so shall be the river; and, by the king's highway brought home, we'll praise his name forever: alexander r. thompson, . nearer home. s. _a solemn thought._ ( ) one sweetly solemn thought comes to me o'er and o'er; i'm nearer home to-day than e'er i've been before. cho.--i'm nearer my home, nearer my home, nearer my home to-day; yes, nearer my home in heav'n to-day, than ever i've been before. nearer my father's house where the blest mansions be; nearer the great white throne, nearer the crystal sea; nearer the bound where we must lay our burdens down, nearer to leave the cross, nearer to gain the crown. the waves of that deep sea roll dark before my sight, but break, the other side, upon a shore of light. oh! if my mortal feet have almost gained the brink, if i am nearer home to-day than e'en i think, father! perfect my trust, that i may rest, in death, on christ, my lord, alone, and thus resign my breath. phoebe cary, _a._ consolation. p.m. _the death of a child._ there is no flock, however watched and tended, but one dead lamb is there! there is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, but has one vacant chair! the air is full of farewells to the dying, and mournings for the dead; the heart of rachel for her children crying will not be comforted! let us be patient, these severe afflictions not from the ground arise, but oftentimes celestial benedictions assume this dark disguise. we see but dimly thro' the mists and vapors, amid these earthly damps, what seem to us but sad, funereal tapers, may be heav'ns distant lamps. she is not dead, the child of our affection, but gone unto that school where she no longer needs our poor protection, and christ himself doth rule. in that great cloister's stillness and seclusion, by guardian angels led, safe from temptation, safe from sin's pollution, she lives whom we call dead. and tho' at times, impetuous with emotion, and anguish long suppressed, the swelling heart heaves moaning like the ocean that cannot be at rest: we will be patient--and assuage the feeling we cannot wholly stay, by silence sanctifying, not concealing the grief that must have way. henry w. longfellow, . peace, be still. p.m. _submission._ peace, be still! in this night of sorrow bow; oh, my heart, contend not thou; what befalls is god's own will; peace, be still! hold thee still! tho' the father scourge thee sore, cling thou to him all the more; let him mercy's work fulfill; hold thee still! lord, my god! give me grace, that i may be thy true child, and silently own thy scepter and thy rod; lord, my god! shepherd mine! from thy fullness give me still faith to do and bear thy will till the morning light shall shine; shepherd mine! schiller. rest, weary pilgrim. s. _death of a christian._ rest, weary pilgrim, thy journey is o'er, rest, sweetly rest, on the beautiful shore; safely at last thou hast reached the bright goal, fatherland, home of the soul. never again shall thy storm-beaten breast sigh, deeply sigh, for the sweet "land of rest;" gone to the savior's bright mansion above, rest in the light of his love. rest, weary pilgrim, thy journey is o'er, rest, sweetly rest, on the beautiful shore; dangers and troubles shall harm thee no more, rest on the beautiful shore. maria straub. as fade the stars. p.m. _the life of the departed._ as fade the stars at morn away, their glory gone in perfect day, so pass away the friends we love, their presence lost in worlds above, while we o'er their slumbers are weeping. as sink the stars when night is o'er, to rise upon some other shore, so sink our precious ones from sight, in other skies to walk in light, while we sorrow's vigils are keeping. no more in east, or in the west, fade they from sight, or sink to rest; fixed firm in that celestial air, they radiant shine eternal there; our hearts up to meet them fond leaping. j.e. rankin, d.d. nettie. s & s. _consolation._ midst sorrow and care there's one that is near, and ever delights to relieve us. 'tis jesus, our friend, on whom we depend for life and for all its rich blessings. when trouble assails, his love never fails; he meets us with sweet consolation. meribah. c.p.m. _pleading for acceptance._ ( ) when thou, my righteous judge, shalt come, to take thy ransomed people home, shall i among them stand? shall such a worthless worm as i, who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand? i love to meet thy people now, before thy feet with them to bow, though vilest of them all; but--can i bear the piercing thought?-- what if my name should be left out, when thou for them shalt call? o lord, prevent it by thy grace; be thou my only hiding-place, in this th' accepted day; thy pardoning voice, oh, let me hear, to still my unbelieving fear, nor let me fall, i pray. and when the final trump shall sound, among thy saints let me be found, to bow before thy face; then in triumphant strains i'll sing, while heaven's resounding mansions ring with praise of sovereign grace. mrs. selina shirley, meribah. c.p.m. _present and future realities._ ( ) lo! on a narrow neck of land, between two boundless seas i stand,-- yet how insensible! a point of time--a moment's space-- removes me to yon heavenly place, or shuts me up in hell! o god! my inmost soul convert, and deeply on my thoughtless heart eternal things impress; give me to feel their solemn weight, and save me, ere it be too late! wake me to righteousness. be this my one great business here, with holy trembling, holy fear, to make my calling sure; thine utmost counsel to fulfill, to suffer all thy righteous will, and to the end endure! then savior! then my soul receive, transported from the earth, to live and reign with thee above; where faith is sweetly lost in sight, and hope, in full supreme delight, and everlasting love. charles wesley, . marlow. c.m. _certainty of judgment._ ( ) that awful day will surely come, th' appointed hour makes haste, when i must stand before the judge and pass the solemn test. thou lovely chief of all my joys, thou sovereign of my heart, how could i bear to hear thy voice pronounce the sound, "depart!" oh, wretched state of deep despair, to see my god remove, and fix my dreadful station where i must not taste his love! oh, tell me that my worthless name is graven on thy hands; show me some promise in thy book where my salvation stands. isaac watts, . judgment. c.m. _the judgment day._ ( ) and must i be to judgment brought, and answer in that day, for every vain and idle thought, and every word i say? yes, every secret of my heart shall shortly be made known, and i receive my just desert for all that i have done. how careful then i ought to live! with what religious fear, who such a strict account must give for my behavior here. thou awful judge of quick and dead, the watchful power bestow; so shall i to my ways take heed, to all i speak or do. charles wesley. ewing. s & s. d. _the new jerusalem._ jerusalem, the golden, with milk and honey blest! beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed: i know not, oh, i know not, what social joys are there, what radiancy of glory, what light beyond compare. they stand, those halls of zion, all jubilant with song, and bright with many an angel, and all the martyr throng; the prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene; the pastures of the blessed are decked in glorious sheen. there is the throne of david; and there, from care released, the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast; and they who, with their leader, have conquered in the light, forever and forever are clad in robes of white. bernard of cluny, . j.m. neale, tr., . swing. s & s. d. _paradise of joy._ for thee, o dear, dear country, mine eyes their vigils keep; for very love, beholding thy happy name, they weep. the mention of thy glory is unction to the breast, and medicine in sickness, and love, and life, and rest. oh, sweet and blessed country, the home of god's elect! oh, sweet and blessed country, that eager hearts expect! jesus, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest; who art, with god the father, and spirit, ever blest. bernard of cluny, . j.m. neale, tr., . immanuel's land. s & s. d. _in immanuel's land._ the sands of time are wasting, the dawn of heaven breaks; the summer morn i've sighed for, the fair, sweet morn awakes. oh, dark hath been the midnight, but day-spring is at hand, and glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. oh, christ, he is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love; the streams of earth i've tasted, more deep i'll drink above. there, to an ocean fullness, his mercy doth expand, and glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. oh, i am my beloved's, and my beloved's mine; he brings a poor, vile sinner into his house divine. upon the rock of ages my soul, redeemed, shall stand, where glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. annie ross cousin, . immanuel's land. s & s. d. _heb. : ._ jerusalem, the glorious! the glory of th' elect,-- o dear and future vision that eager hearts expect! ev'n now by faith i see thee, ev'n here thy walls discern; to thee my thoughts are kindled, and strive, and pant, and yearn! the cross is all thy splendor, the crucified, thy praise; his laud and benediction thy ransomed people raise;-- jerusalem! exulting on that securest shore, i hope thee, wish thee, sing thee, and love thee evermore! o sweet and blessed country! shall i e'er see thy face? o sweet and blessed country! shall i e'er win thy grace?-- exult, o dust and ashes! the lord shall be thy part; his only, his forever, thou shalt be, and thou art! bernard of cluny, . j.m. neale, _tr._ varina. c.m. d. _the heavenly canaan._ ( ) there is a land of pure delight, where saints immortal reign; infinite day excludes the night, and pleasures banish pain. there everlasting spring abides, and never-withering flowers; death, like a narrow sea, divides, this heavenly land from ours. sweet fields beyond the swelling flood stand dressed in living green; so to the jews old canaan stood, while jordan rolled between. but timorous mortals start and shrink to cross this narrow sea, and linger, shivering on the brink, and fear to launch away. o could we make our doubts remove, those gloomy doubts that rise, and see the canaan that we love, with unbeclouded eyes-- could we but climb where moses stood, and view the landscape o'er, not jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, should fright us from the shore. isaac watts, . varina. c.m.d. _heavenly rest in anticipation_ ( ) when i can read my title clear to mansions in the skies, i'll bid farewell to every fear and wipe my weeping eyes. should earth against my soul engage, and fiery darts be hurled, then i can smile at satan's rage. and face a frowning world. let cares like a wild deluge come let storms of sorrow fall-- so i but safely reach my home, my god, my heaven, my all. there i shall bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest, and not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast. isaac watts, . varina. c.m.d. _the society of heaven._ ( ) jerusalem! my glorious home! name ever dear to me! when shall my labors have an end, in joy, and peace, and thee? when shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls and pearly gates behold? thy bulwarks with salvation strong, and streets of shining gold? oh, when, thou city of my god, shall i thy courts ascend, where congregations ne'er break up, and sabbaths have no end? there happier bowers than eden's bloom, nor sin nor sorrow know: blest seats! through rude and stormy scenes i onward press to you. why should i shrink at pain and woe? or feel at death dismay? i've canaan's goodly land in view, and realms of endless day. jerusalem! my glorious home! my soul still pants for thee; then shall my labors have an end, when i thy joys shall see. francis baker (?), . over there. p.m. _the home over there._ ( ) oh, think of the home over there, by the side of the river of light, where the saints all immortal and fair, are robed in their garments of white. ref.--over there, over there, oh, think of the home over there; over there, over there, over there, oh, think of the home over there. oh, think of the friends over there, who before us the journey have trod, of the songs that they breathe on the air. in their home in the palace of god. ref.--over there, over there, oh, think of the friends over there; over there, over there, over there, oh, think of the friends over there. my savior is now over there, there my kindred and friends are at rest; then away from my sorrow and care, let me fly to the land of the blest. ref.--over there, over there, my savior is now over there; over there, over there, over there, my savior is now over there. i'll soon be at home over there, for the end of my journey i see; many dear to my heart, over there, are watching and waiting for me. ref.--over there, over there, i'll soon be at home over there; over there, over there, over there, i'll soon be at home over there. rev. d.w.c. huntington. sweet by and by. p.m. _the other side._ ( ) there's a land that is fairer than day and by faith we can see it afar; for the father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling-place there. cho.--in the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore; in the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. we shall sing on that beautiful shore the melodious songs of the blest, and our spirits shall sorrow no more, not a sigh for the blessing of rest. to our bountiful father above we will offer the tribute of praise, for the glorious gift of his love. and the blessings that hallow our days. we shall rest on that beautiful shore, in the joys of the saved we shall share; all our pilgrimage toil will be o'er, and the conqueror's crown we shall wear. we shall meet, we shall sing, we shall reign, in the land where the saved never die; we shall rest, free from sorrow and pain, safe at home in the sweet by and by. s.f. bennett. rest for the weary. s & s. _sweet fields of eden._ ( ) in the christian's home in glory, there remains a land of rest; there my savior's gone before me to fulfill my soul's request. cho.--there is rest for the weary, there is rest for the weary, there is rest for the weary, there is rest for you. on the other side of jordan, in the sweet fields of eden, where the tree of life is blooming, there is rest for you. he is fitting up my mansion, which eternally shall stand. for my stay shall not be transient, in that holy, happy land. pain and sickness ne'er shall enter, grief nor woe my lot shall share; but, in that celestial center, i a crown of life shall wear. death itself shall then be vanquished and his sting shall be withdrawn; shout for gladness, oh, ye ransomed hail with joy the rising morn sing, oh! sing, ye heirs of glory shout your triumph as you go; zion's gate will open for you, you shall find an entrance through. william hunter, rest for the weary. s & s. _deut. : ._ ( ) this is not my place of resting,-- mine's a city yet to come; onward to it i am hasting-- on to my eternal home. in it all is light and glory; o'er it shines a nightless day; every trace of sin's sad story, all the curse hath passed away; there the lamb, our shepherd, leads us by the streams of life along-- on the freshest pastures feeds us, turns our sighing into song. soon we pass this desert dreary, soon we bid farewell to pain; never more are sad or weary, never, never sin again! h. bonar. woodland. c.m. _heaven's joys._ ( ) there is an hour of peaceful rest to mourning wand'rers giv'n; there is a joy for souls distressed, a balm for ev'ry wounded breast-- 'tis found above--in heav'n. there is a soft, a downy bed, 'tis fair as breath of even; a couch for weary mortals spread, where they may rest the aching head, and find repose--in heav'n. there is a home for weary souls, by sin and sorrow driv'n; when tossed on life's tempestuous shoals, where storms arise, and ocean rolls, and all is drear--but heav'n. there faith lifts up her cheerful eye, to brighter prospects giv'n; and views the tempest passing by, the evening shadows quickly fly, and all serene--in heav'n. wm. b. tappan, . going home. l.m. _joyful prospect._ my heavenly home is bright and fair; nor pain nor death can enter there; its glitt'ring towers the sun outshine; that heavenly mansion shall be mine. cho.--i'm going home, i'm going home, i'm going home to die no more, to die no more, to die no more, i'm going home to die no more. my father's house is built on high; far, far above the starry sky; when from this earthly prison free, that heavenly mansion mine shall be. let others seek a home below, which flames devour, or waves o'erflow, be mine a happier lot, to own a heavenly mansion near the throne. then fail this earth, let stars decline, and sun and moon refuse to shine all nature sink and cease to be, that heavenly mansion stands for me. rev. william hunter. sweet home. s. _the eternal home._ ( ) 'mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints, how sweet to my soul is communion with saints; to find at the banquet of mercy there's room, and feel in the presence of jesus at home. cho.--home! home! sweet, sweet home! prepare me, dear savior, for glory, my home. sweet bonds that unite all the children of peace, and thrice precious jesus whose love cannot cease, tho' oft from thy presence in sadness i roam, i long to behold thee in glory at home. i sigh from this body of sin to be free, which hinders my joy and communion with thee; tho' now my temptations like billows may foam, all, all will be peace when i'm with thee at home. while here in the valley of conflict i stay, oh, give me submission and strength as my day, in all my afflictions to thee would i come, rejoicing in hope of my glorious home. david denham, . we shall meet. p.m. _the joyful anticipation._ we shall meet beyond the river, by and by, by and by; and the darkness shall be over, by and by, by and by; with the toilsome journey done, and the glorious battle won, we shall shine forth as the sun, by and by, by and by. we shall strike the harps of glory, by and by, by and by; we shall sing redemption's story. by and by, by and by; and the strains for evermore shall resound in sweetness o'er yonder everlasting shore, by and by, by and by. we shall see and be like jesus, by and by, by and by; who a crown of life will give us, by and by, by and by; and the angels who fulfill all the mandates of his will shall attend, and love us still, by and by, by and by. there our tears shall all cease flowing, by and by, by and by; and with sweetest rapture knowing, by and by, by and by; all the blest ones who have gone to the land of life and song,-- we with shoutings shall rejoin, by and by, by and by. rev. john atkinson. deliverance will come. s & s. _the conquering pilgrim._ i saw a way-worn trav'ler, in tattered garments clad, and struggling up the mountain, it seemed that he was sad; his back was laden heavy, his strength was almost gone, yet he shouted as he journeyed, deliverance will come. ref.--then palms of victory, crowns of glory, palms of victory i shall wear. the summer sun was shining, the sweat was on his brow, his garments worn and dusty, his step seemed very slow; but he kept pressing onward, for he was wending home; still shouting as he journeyed, deliverance will come. the songsters in the arbor that stood beside the way attracted his attention, inviting his delay; his watchword being "onward," he stopped his ears and run, still shouting as he journeyed, deliverance will come. i saw him in the evening, the sun was bending low, he'd overtopped the mountain and reached the vale below; he saw the golden city,-- his everlasting home,-- and shouted loud, hosanna, deliverance will come! while gazing on that city, just o'er the narrow flood, a band of holy angels came from the throne of god; they bore him on their pinions safe o'er the dashing foam, and joined him in his triumph,-- deliverance has come! i heard the song of triumph they sang upon that shore, saying, jesus has redeemed us to suffer nevermore: then, casting his eyes backward on the race which he had run, he shouted loud, hosanna, deliverance has come! j.b. matthias. home of the soul. p.m. _the beautiful land._ i will sing you a song of that beautiful land, the far away home of the soul; where no storms ever beat on the glittering strand, while the years of eternity roll. oh, that home of the soul, in my visions and dreams its bright jasper walls i can see; till i fancy but thinly the veil intervenes between the fair city and me. that unchangeable home is for you and for me, where jesus of nazareth stands, the king of all kingdoms forever is he, and he holdeth our crowns in his hands. oh, how sweet it will be in that beautiful land, so free from all sorrow and pain; with songs on our lips and with harps in our hands, to meet one another again. mrs. ellen h. gates. forever with the lord. s.m.d. _eternal blessedness._ ( ) "forever with the lord!" amen, so let it be; life from the dead is in that word, 'tis immortality. here in the body pent, absent from him i roam, yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home; nearer home, nearer home, a day's march nearer home. my father's house on high, home of my soul, how near, at times, to faith's aspiring eye thy golden gates appear. ah! then my spirit faints to reach the land i love; the bright inheritance of saints-- jerusalem above; home above, home above, jerusalem above. yet doubts still intervene, and all my comfort flies; like noah's dove, i flit between rough seas and stormy skies. anon the clouds depart, the wind and waters cease, while sweetly o'er my gladdened heart expands the bow of peace; bow of peace, bow of peace, expands the bow of peace. james montgomery, . on jordan's stormy banks. c.m. _the pleasing prospect._ ( ) on jordan's stormy banks i stand, and cast a wishful eye to canaan's fair and happy land, where my possessions lie. cho.--we will rest in the fair and happy land, just across on the evergreen shore, sing the song of moses and the lamb, by and by, and dwell with jesus evermore. o'er all those wide-extended plains shines one eternal day; there god the son forever reigns and scatters night away. when shall i reach that happy place, and be forever blest? when shall i see my father's face, and in his bosom rest? filled with delight, my raptured soul would here no longer stay; tho' jordan's waves around me roll, fearless i'd launch away. samuel stennett, . shall we gather. s & s. _the river of life._ shall we gather at the river where bright angel feet have trod; with its crystal tide forever flowing by the throne of god. cho.--yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river,-- gather with the saints at the river that flows by the throne of god. on the margin of the river washing up its silver spray, we will walk and worship ever, all the happy, golden day. ere we reach the shining river lay we ev'ry burden down; grace our spirits will deliver, and provide a robe and crown. at the smiling of the river mirror of the savior's face, saints whom death will never sever lift their songs of saving grace. soon we'll reach the silver river, soon our pilgrimage will cease; soon our happy hearts will quiver with the melody of peace. robert lowry. the future. s & s. d. _the future in god's hands._ oh, i often sit and ponder, when the sun is sinking low, where shall yonder future find me? does but god in heaven know? shall i be among the living? shall i be among the free? wheresoe'er my path be leading, savior, keep my heart with thee. cho.--oh, the future lies before me, and i know not where i'll be; but where'er my path be leading, savior, keep my heart with thee. shall i be at work, for jesus, whilst he leads me by the hand, and to those around be saying, come and join this happy band? come, for all things now are ready, come, his faithful foll'wer be; oh, where'er my path be leading, savior, keep my heart with thee. but perhaps my work for jesus soon in future may be done, all my earthly trials ended, and my crown in heaven won; then forever with the ransomed thro' eternity i'd be chanting hymns to him who bo't me with his blood, shed on a tree. miss jennie stout. going home at last. s & s. _the aged christian's delight._ the evening shades are falling, the sun is sinking fast; the holy one is calling, we're going home at last. cho.--going home at last; going home at last; the march will soon be over, we're going home at last. the road's been long and dreary, the toils came thick and fast; in body weak and weary, were going home at last. we now are nearing heaven, and soon shall be at rest; our crowns will soon be given, we're going home at last. oh, praise the lord forever, our sorrows are all past; we'll part no more, no, never; we are at home at last. rev. w. gossett. the sweet story. p.m. _christ's delight in children._ i think when i read that sweet story of old, when jesus was here among men, how he called little children as lambs to his fold, i should like to have been with them then. ref.--i should like to have been with them then; i should like to have been with them then; how he called little children as lambs to his fold, i should like to have been with them then. i wish that his hands had been placed on my head, his arms had been thrown around me, and that i might have seen his kind look when he said, "let the little ones come unto me." ref.--"let the little ones come unto me," "let the little ones come unto me," and that i might have seen his kind look when he said, "let the little ones come unto me." yet still to his footstool in prayer i may go, and ask for a share in his love; and if i now earnestly seek him below, i shall see him and hear him above. ref.--i shall see him and hear him above, i shall see him and hear him above, and if i now earnestly seek him below, i shall see him and hear him above. mrs. jemima luke, . siloam. c.m. _childhood piety._ ( ) by cool siloam's shady rill, how fair the lily grows! how sweet the breath, beneath the hill, of sharon's dewy rose! lo! such the child whose early feet the paths of peace have trod, whose secret heart, with influence sweet, is upward drawn to god. by cool siloam's shady rill the lily must decay; the rose that blooms beneath the hill must shortly fade away. and soon, too soon, the wintry hour of man's maturer age will shake the soul with sorrow's pow'r. and stormy passions rage. reginald heber, . swanwick. c.m. _a new house of worship._ ( ) god of the universe! to thee this sacred house we rear, and now, with songs and bended knee, invoke thy presence here. long may this echoing dome resound the praises of thy name, these hallowed walls to all around the triune god proclaim. here let thy love, thy presence dwell; thy glory here make known; thy people's home, oh! come and fill, and seal it as thine own. and, when the last long sabbath morn upon the just shall rise, may all who own thee here be borne to mansions in the skies. miss mary o----, . swanwick. c.m. _church opening._ arise, o king of grace, arise, and enter to thy rest; lo! thy church waits, with longing eyes, thus to be owned and blest. enter with all thy glorious train. thy spirit and thy word; all that the ark did once contain could no such grace afford. here, mighty god, accept our vows, here let thy praise be spread; bless the provisions of thy house and fill thy poor with bread. here let the son of david reign, let god's anointed shine; justice and truth his court maintain with love and power divine. here let him hold a lasting throne, and as his kingdom grows, fresh honors shall adorn his crown. and shame confound his foes. isaac watts. swanwick. c.m. _temperance meeting._ ( ) 'tis thine alone, almighty name, to raise the dead to life, the lost inebriate to reclaim from passion's fearful strife. what ruin hath intemperance wrought, how widely roll its waves! how many myriads hath it brought to fill dishonored graves! and see, o lord! what numbers still are maddened by the bowl, led captive at the tyrant's will, in bondage heart and soul! stretch forth thy hand, o god, our king! and break the galling chain; deliverance to the captive bring, and end th' usurper's reign. the cause of temperance is thine own, our plans and efforts bless; we trust, o lord! in thee alone to crown them with success. edwin f. hatfield, . let us arise. p.m. _moral reforms._ do you slumber in your tent, christian soldier, while the foe is spreading woe thro' the land? do you note his rising pow'r, growing bolder ev'ry hour? will he not our land devour while you stand? cho.--let us arise, all unite! let us arise in our might! let us arise! speak for god and the right. tho' our numbers may be few, god will lead us grandly thro' and our arms with strength endue by his might. can you sleep while homes are rent, christian soldier? are not heavens turned to hells by his pow'r? mark you not the mother's sigh? hear you not the children's cry? see you not their loved ones die ev'ry hour? can you linger in your tent, christian soldier? satan's smiling o'er your idle delay. thousands perish while you wait, while you counsel and debate; heed you not their awful fate as they stray? let us rise in holy wrath, christian soldiers, crush the evil 'neath the heel of our might! counting cost, no longer wait; forward, manhood of the state! for in god your strength is great for the right. e.s. lorenz. webb. s & s. d. _the temperance banner._ ( ) unfurl the temp'rance banner and fling it to the breeze, and let the glad hosanna sweep over land and seas; to god be all the glory for what we now behold-- oh, let the cheering story in every ear be told. the drunkard shall not perish in alcohol's dire chain, but wife and children cherish within his home again; and sobered men, repenting, will bow at jesus' feet, their thankful hearts relenting before the mercy-seat. a new-waked zeal is burning in this and every land, and thousands now are turning to join our temp'rance band; the light of truth is shining in many a darkened soul; ere long its rays combining will blaze from pole to pole. webb. s & s. d. _the crystal fountain._ ( ) from brightest crystal fountain that flows in beauty free, by shady hill and mountain fill high the cup for me! sing of the sparkling waters, sing of the cooling spring-- let freedom's sons and daughters their joyous tribute bring. from many a happy dwelling, late misery's dark abode, the joyous peal is swelling-- the hymn of praise to god, glad songs are now ascending from many a thankful heart, hope, joy, and peace are blending, and each their aid impart. we'll join the tuneful chorus and raise our song on high! the cheering view before us delights the raptured eye; the glorious cause is gaining new strength from day to day, the drunkard host is waning before cold water's sway. hebron. l.m. _corner-stone laying._ ( ) an earthly temple here we raise, lord god, our savior! to thy praise; oh! make thy gracious presence known, while now we lay its corner-stone. within the house thy servants rear, deign by thy spirit to appear; on all its walls salvation write, from corner-stone to topmost height. and when this temple, "made with hands," upon its firm foundation stands, oh! may we all with loving heart, in nobler building bear a part, where every polished stone shall be a human soul won back to thee; all resting upon christ alone,-- the chief and precious corner-stone. mrs. catherine h. johnson, . chesterfield. c.m. _prayer for the nation._ ( ) lord! while for all mankind we pray, of ev'ry clime and coast, oh! hear us for our native land,-- the land we love the most. oh! guard our shore from ev'ry foe, with peace our borders bless, with prosperous times our cities crown, our fields with plenteousness. unite us in the sacred love of knowledge, truth, and thee; and let our hills and valleys shout the songs of liberty. lord of the nations! thus to thee our country we commend; be thou her refuge and her trust, her everlasting friend. john reynell wreford, . america. s & s. _america._ ( ) my country! 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee i sing: land where my fathers died! land of the pilgrim's pride! from ev'ry mountain side let freedom ring! my native country, thee,-- land of the noble, free,-- thy name--i love; i love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; my heart with rapture thrills like that above. let music swell the breeze, and ring, from all the trees, sweet freedom's song; let mortal tongues awake; let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break,-- the sound prolong. our fathers' god! to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us, by thy might, great god, our king! samuel f. smith, . america. s & s. _our native land._ ( ) god bless our native land! firm may she ever stand, through storm and night; when the wild tempests rave, ruler of winds and wave! do thou our country save, by thy great might. for her our prayer shall rise to god above the skies; on him we wait; thou, who art ever nigh, guardian with watchful eye! to thee aloud we cry,-- god save the state! john s. dwight, . america. s & s. _the poor._ lord, from thy blessed throne, sorrow look down upon! god save the poor! teach them true liberty, make them from tyrants free, let their homes happy be! god save the poor! the arms of wicked men do thou with might restrain-- god save the poor! raise thou their lowliness, succor thou their distress, thou whom the meanest bless! god save the poor! give them stanch honesty, let their pride manly be-- god save the poor! help them to hold the right, give them both truth and might, lord of all life and light! god save the poor! nicoll. our glad jubilee. p.m. _thanksgiving anniversary._ wake, wake the song! our glad jubilee once more we hail with sweet melody, bringing our hymns of praise unto thee, o most holy lord! praise for thy care by day and by night, praise for the homes by love made so bright; thanks for the pure and soul-cheering light beaming from thy word. then wake, wake the song! our glad jubilee once more we hail with sweet melody, bringing our hymns of praise unto thee, o most holy lord! marching to zion, dear blessed home! lord! by thy mercy hither we come; guide us, we pray, where'er we may roam, keep us in thy fear; fill ev'ry soul with love all divine, now cause thy face upon us to shine; grant that our hearts may be truly thine all the coming year. then wake, wake the song! our glad jubilee once more we hail with sweet melody, bringing our hymns of praise unto thee, o most holy lord! yet once again the anthem repeat, join ev'ry voice the master to greet; love's sacrifice we lay at his feet, in his temple now. jesus accept the offering we bring, blending with song the odors of spring; still of thy wondrous love we will sing, till in heaven we bow. then wake, wake the song! our glad jubilee once more we hail with sweet melody, bringing our hymns of praise unto thee, o most holy lord! w.f. sherwin. laudo. s. _thanksgiving._ ( ) praise to god! immortal praise, for the love that crowns our days; bounteous source of ev'ry joy, let thy praise our tongues employ. for the flocks that roam the plain, yellow sheaves of ripened grain, clouds that drop their fatt'ning dews, suns that temp'rate warmth diffuse; all that spring with bounteous hand, scatters o'er the smiling land, all that lib'ral autumn pours from her rich o'erflowing stores; lord, for these our souls shall raise grateful vows and solemn praise; and when ev'ry blessing's flown, love thee for thyself alone. mrs. anna l. barbauld, . seasons. l.m. _at sea._ ( ) rocked in the cradle of the deep, i lay me down in peace to sleep; secure i rest upon the wave, for thou, o lord, hast power to save. i know thou wilt not slight my call, for thou dost mark the sparrows fall; and calm and peaceful is my sleep, rocked in the cradle of the deep. and such the trust that still were mine, though stormy winds swept o'er the brine; or though the tempest's fiery breath roused me from sleep to wreck and death. in ocean cave still safe with thee, the germ of immortality; and calm and peaceful is my sleep, rocked in the cradle of the deep. mrs. willard. let us anew. p.m. _new year._ come, let us anew our journey pursue-- roll round with the year, and never stand still till the master appear; his adorable will let us gladly fulfill, and our talents improve by the patience of hope and the labor of love. our life is a dream, our time, as a stream, glides swiftly away, and the fugitive moment refuses to stay; the arrow is flown, the moment is gone; the millenial year rushes on to our view, and eternity's near. oh, that each, in the day of his coming, may say, "i have fought my way through; i have finished the work thou didst give me to do;" oh, that each from his lord may receive the glad word, "well and faithfully done; enter into my joy and sit down on my throne" charles wesley. . index of first lines. abide with me, fast falls the eventide, a charge to keep i have, a few more years shall roll, again our earthly cares we leave, ah! how shall fallen man, alas! and did my savior bleed, all hail the power of jesus' name, "almost persuaded," now to believe, amazing grace! how sweet the sound, am i a soldier of the cross, amid the trials which i meet, and are we yet alive, and can i yet delay, and let our bodies part, and let this feeble body fail, and must i be to judgment brought, an earthly temple here we raise, angel, roll the rock away, angels rejoiced and sweetly song, a pilgrim through this lonely world, approach my soul the mercy seat, are there no wounds for me, are you christ's light-bearer, are you weary, are you heavy hearted, arise, my soul, arise, arise, o king of grace, arise, arise, ye saints, arise, arm of the lord, awake, awake, ascend thy throne, almighty king, as fade the stars at morn away, ask ye, what great thing i know, asleep in jesus! blessed sleep, as pants the hart for cooling stream, astonished and distressed, a throne of grace! then let us go, awake and sing the song, awake, awake, the sacred song, awake, my soul, and with the sun, awake, my soul, awake, my tongue, awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, awake, my soul, to joyful lays, before jehovah's awful throne, begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme, behold a stranger at the door, behold! the blind their sight receive, behold the heathen waits to know, behold! the morning sun, behold the throne of grace, behold what wondrous grace, behold where, in the friend of man, beneath thy cross i lay me down, blessed be thy love, dear lord, blest be the father and his love, blest be the tie that binds, blest is the man whose heart doth move, blest is the man, whose softening heart, blow ye the trumpet, blow, bread of heaven, on thee we feed, broad is the road that leads to death, buried in shadows of the night, by cool siloam's shady rill, by thy birth, and by thy tears, called to the feast by the king are we, calm on the listening ear of night, cast thy burden on the lord, cast thy burden on the lord, children of the heavenly king, christ has for sin atonement made, christ the lord is risen to-day, church of the ever-living god, come at the morning hour, come, dearest lord, and feed thy sheep, come, every soul, by sin oppressed, come, holy ghost, in love, come, holy spirit, come, come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, come, humble sinner, in whose breast, come in, beloved of the lord, come in, thou blessed of the lord, come, let us all unite to praise, come, let us all unite to sing, come, let us anew, come, let us join the songs of praise, come, let us sing the song of songs, come, my soul, thy suit prepare, come, oh, my soul, in sacred lays, come, says jesus' sacred voice, come, sound his praise abroad, come, thou almighty king, come, thou fount of every blessing, come, thou long-expected jesus, come to jesus, come to jesus, come to the cross where the savior, come to the blood-stained tree, come, we that love the lord, come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye, come, ye sinners, poor and needy, come ye that know and fear the lord, command thy blessing from above, complete in thee! no work of mine, crown him with many crowns, crown his head with endless blessing, daughter of zion, from the dust, days and moments quickly flying, deep in our hearts let us record, delay not, delay not; oh sinner, depth of mercy! can there be, did christ o'er sinners weep, do not i love thee, oh, my lord, do you hear the savior calling, do you slumber in your tent, down at the cross where my savior died, down in the valley with my savior, drooping souls! no longer mourn, earth has nothing sweet or fair, ere mountains reared their forms, eternal spirit! by whose power, eternal wisdom, thee we praise, ever would i fain be reading, fade, fade, each earthly joy, fading, still fading, the last beam, faith is a living pow'r from heav'n, father, i stretch my hands to thee, father of mercies, in thy word, father, whate'er of earthly bliss, fling out the banner! let it float, forever here my rest shall be, forever with the lord, for thee, o dear, dear country, from all that dwell below the skies, from brightest crystal fountain, from calvary a cry was heard, from every stormy wind that blows, from greenland's icy mountains, from the cross uplifted high, give me the bible, star of gladness, give to the winds thy fears, glorious things of thee are spoken, glory be to the father, - god be with you till we meet again, god bless our native land, god is love, his mercy brightens, god is my strong salvation, god is the refuge of his saints, god moves in a mysterious way, god of my life! through all my days, god of our salvation! hear us, god of the universe, to thee, go, labor on, spend and be spent, go, labor on, while it is day, go, messenger of peace and love, go, preach the blest salvation, grace! 'tis a charming sound, gracious spirit, love divine, great god! attend while zion sings, great god, how infinite art thou, great god, when i approach thy throne, great god, whose universal sway, great spirit, by whose mighty pow'r, guide me, o thou great jehovah, hail! great creator, wise and good, hail! holy, holy, holy lord, hail! morning known among the blest, hail, my ever blessed jesus, hallelujah! song of gladness, hark! ten thousand harps and voices, hark the glad sound! the savior comes, hark, the herald angels sing, hasten, sinner! to be wise, have you been to jesus for the, he knows the bitter, weary way, he leadeth me! oh, blessed tho't, here i can firmly rest, he wills that i should holy be, holy bible, book divine, holy ghost, dispel our sadness, holy, holy, holy! lord god almighty, holy spirit, faithful guide, holy spirit, fount of blessing, hosanna to the prince of light, hover o'er me, holy spirit, how beauteous on the mountains, how blest the hour when first we gave, how blest the righteous when he dies, how charming is the place, how did my heart rejoice to hear, how firm a foundation, ye saints, how gentle god's commands, how beauteous were the marks divine, how heavy is the night, how helpless guilty nature lies, how pleasant, how divinely fair, how precious is the book divine, how sad it would be, if when thou, how sad our state by nature is, how shall the young secure their hearts, how solemn are the words, how sweet, how heavenly is the sight, how sweetly breaks the sabbath dawn, how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound, how sweet the name of jesus, how sweet to leave the world awhile, how tedious and tasteless the hours, how tender is thy hand, how vast, how full, how free, i am coming to the cross, i am dwelling on the mountain, i am thine, o lord, i have heard, i cannot always trace the way, i cannot do without thee, i gave my life for thee, i have found a friend in jesus, i have found redemption, i have found repose for my weary soul, i heard the voice of jesus say, i hear the savior say, i hear thy welcome voice, i know that my redeemer lives, i love to steal awhile away, i love to tell the story, i love thy kingdom, lord, i need thee every hour, i saw a way-worn, trav'ler, i sing th' almighty pow'r of god, i stand, but not as once i did, i think when i read that sweet story, i want to be a worker for the lord, i will sing you a song of that beautiful, i would not live alway; i ask not to stay, in god i have found a retreat, in heavenly love abiding, in some way or other, in stature grows the heavenly child, in the cross of christ i glory, in the christian's home in glory, in thy cleft, o rock of ages, in thy name, o lord! assembling, in thy service will i ever, in vain in high and holy lays, it came upon the midnight clear, it is not death to die, i've found the pearl of greatest price, i've reached the land of corn and wine, jehovah god! thy gracious pow'r, jerusalem, my glorious home, jerusalem, the glorious, jerusalem, the golden, jesus, and shall it ever be, jesus comes, his conflict over, jesus, i my cross have taken, jesus is god! the glorious bands, jesus is tenderly calling thee home, jesus, keep me near the cross, jesus, lover of my soul, jesus, my all, to heaven is gone, jesus, my heart within me burns, jesus, my lord, to thee i cry, jesus, my savior, to bethlehem came, jesus, my truth, my way, jesus, savior, pilot me, jesus shall reign where'er the sun, jesus, the very thought of thee, jesus, thou art the sinner's friend, jesus, thou joy of loving hearts, jesus, thy church with longing eyes, jesus, thy name i love, jesus, while our hearts are bleeding, joy to the world! the lord is come, just as i am, without one plea, just as thou art, without one trace, lead, kindly light, amid the encircling, lift up the gates of praise, lift up to god the voice of praise, light after darkness, like noah's weary dove, listen, sinner! mercy hails you, look from thy sphere of endless day, lo! on a narrow neck of land, lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, lord, from thy blessed throne, lord, i am thine, entirely thine, lord, i believe a rest remains, lord, i care not for riches, lord, i have made thy word my choice, lord, i hear of showers of blessing, lord, i know thy grace is nigh me, lord jesus, i long to be perfectly whole, lord of all being! throned afar, lord, send thy word, and let it fly, lord, teach us how to pray aright, lord, thy glory fills the heaven, lord, weak and impotent i stand, lord, we come before thee now, lord, while for all mankind we pray, love divine, all love excelling, majestic sweetness sits enthroned, mercy, oh, thou son of david, mid scenes of confusion and creature, midst sorrow and care, mine eyes and my desire, more love to thee, o christ, must jesus bear the cross alone, my country! 'tis of thee, my days are gliding swiftly by, my dear redeemer and my lord, my faith looks up to thee, my father is rich in houses and lands, my god! accept my heart this day, my god and is thy table spread, my god, how wonderful thou art, my god, i know, i feel thee mine, my god, is any hour so sweet, my god, my father, while i stray, my god! my king! thy various praise, my gracious lord, i own thy right, my gracious redeemer i love, my heavenly home is bright and fair, my hope is built on nothing less, my jesus, as thou wilt, my life, my love, i give to thee, my savior, whom absent i love, my soul, be on thy guard, my soul shall praise thee, o my god, nearer, my god, to thee, not all the blood of beasts, now for a tune of lofty praise, now to the lord a noble song, oh, bless the lord, my soul, oh, bliss of the purified! bliss of the, oh, come, loud anthems let us sing, oh! could i find from day to day, oh, could i speak the matchless worth, o day of rest and gladness, oh, do not let the word depart, oh, eyes that are weary and hearts, oh, for a closer walk with god, oh, for a faith that will not shrink, oh, for a heart to praise my god, oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, o god, our help in ages past, oh, happy day, that fixed my choice, o holy savior, friend unseen, oh, how happy are they, o, i often sit and ponder, o jesus full of grace, o, jesus, jesus, dearest lord, o jesus! sweet the tears i shed, o lord, how full of sweet content, o love i who gav'st thy life for me, oh, now i see the cleansing wave, oh, render thanks to god above, o, sacred head, now wounded, oh, scatter seeds of loving deeds, oh, still in accents sweet, oh, that i could forever dwell, oh, that my load of sin were gone, oh, the peace that fills my soul, o, think of the home over there, o thou, in whose presence my soul, oh, thou, the contrite sinner's friend, oh thou, whose own vast temple stands, oh, turn ye, oh turn ye, for why, oh, weary pilgrim, lift your head, oh, what if we are christ's, o when shall i see jesus, on! where are kings and empires, oh, where shall rest be found, oh, wondrous, deep, unbounded love, oh, wondrous type, oh, vision fair, o worship the king, all-glorious above, of him who did salvation bring, one sweetly solemn thought, on jordan's stormy bank i stand, only a word for jesus, on the mountain's top appearing, onward, onward, men of heaven, oppressed with noonday's scorching, our children, lord, in faith and prayer, our country's voice is pleading, our father who art in heaven, our lord is now rejected, our sins on christ were laid, peace be still! in this night of sorrow, pour out thy spirit from on high, praise god from whom all blessings flow, praise the lord; ye heavens adore him, praise to god, immortal praise, praise to thee, thou great creator, prayer is appointed to convey, prayer is the soul's sincere desire, rejoice and be glad, the redeemer has, rescue the perishing, rest, weary pilgrim, thy journey is o'er, revive thy work, o lord, ride on! ride on in majesty, rise, glorious conqueror, rise, rocked in the cradle of the deep, rock of ages, cleft for me, safely thro' another week, safe in the arms of jesus, salvation! oh, the joyful sound, savior, again to thy dear name we raise, savior, breathe an evening blessing, savior, more than life to me, savior! teach me, day by day, savior, visit thy plantation, saw ye my savior, say, sinner, hath a voice within, see how the morning sun, see, the conqueror mounts in triumph, see the flag of jesus, servant of god, well done, shall we gather at the river, show pity, lord, o lord, forgive, silently the shades of evening, simply trusting every day, sing them over again to me, sing to the lord jehovah's name, sinners jesus will receive, sinners, this solemn truth regard, sinners, turn; why will ye die, so fades the lovely, blooming flower, softly fades the twilight ray, softly now the light of day, soldiers of christ are we, soldiers of christ! arise, soldiers of the cross! arise, so let our lips and lives express, sometimes a light surprises, soon may the last glad song arise, soon the evening shadows falling, so tender, so precious, sowing in the morning, sow in the morn thy seed, spirit divine! attend our prayers, spirit of power, and truth and love, stand up, and bless the lord, stand up, stand up for jesus, stay, thou insulted spirit, stay, sun of my soul, thou savior dear, sweet hour of prayer, sweet is the work, my god! my king, sweet the moments rich in blessing, take me, oh, my father, take me, take my heart, dear jesus, take my life and let it be, talk with us, lord, thyself reveal, thank and praise jehovah's name, that awful day will surely come, that dreadful night, before his death, the cross, the cross, the blood-stained cross, the door of salvation is open wide, the evening shades are falling, the head, that once was crowned with thorns, the heathen perish; day by day, the lord descended from above, the lord is king! child of the dust, the lord is now rejected, the lord is risen indeed, the lord my shepherd is, the lord, our god, is full of might, the lord's our rock, in him we hide, the morning kindles all the sky, the morning light is breaking, the morning purples all the sky, the pity of the lord, the race that long in darkness pine, there are lonely hearts to cherish, there is a fountain filled with blood, there is a god--all nature speaks, there is a land of pure delight, there is a line by us unseen, there is a name i love to hear, there is an hour of peaceful rest, there is a spot to me more dear, there is no flock, however watched, there's a glorious kingdom waiting, there's a land that is fairer than day, there's a stranger at the door, there's a wideness in god's mercy, there shall be showers of blessing, the sands of time are wasting, the savior bids thee watch and pray, the solemn service now is done, this is not my place of resting, thou! whose almighty word, thy law is perfect, lord of light, thy way, o god, is in the sea, thy presence, gracious god, afford, thy will be done! in devious way, till he come! oh, let the word, 'tis grace, 'tis grace, 'tis wonderful grace, 'tis midnight; and on olive's brow, 'tis the promise of god, 'tis thine alone, almighty name, to-day the savior calls, to thee, my god and savior, triumphant zion! lift thy head, 'twas on that dark, that dreadful night, unfurl the temperance banner, unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb, vain are the hopes the sons of men, wake, wake the song! our glad, walk in the light! so shall thou know, wayfarers in the wilderness, we are living, we are dwelling, we bless thee for thy peace, o god, we give thee but thine own, we have heard the joyful sound, we long to move and breathe in thee, we may not climb the heavenly steeps, we praise thee, o god, for the son, we shall meet beyond the river, welcome, delightful morn, welcome, o savior! to my heart, welcome, sacred day of rest, welcome! sweet day of rest, what a friend we have in jesus, what grace, o lord, and beauty, shone, what means this glorious radiance, when i can read my title clear, when i view my savior bleeding, when i survey the wondrous cross, when jesus comes to reward his, when peace like a river, when the worn spirit wants repose, when thou, my righteous judge, shalt, when wounded sore, the stricken soul, while in sweet communion feeding, while shepherds watched their flocks, who'll be the next to follow jesus, why do we mourn departing friends, why do you wait, dear brother, why should our tears in sorrow flow, why should the children of a king, with joy we mediate the grace, with stately towers and bulwarks, with thine own pity savior, see, witness, ye men and angels! now, work, for the night is coming, would you lose your load of sin, ye servants of god, your master proclaim, yes, god is good; in earth and sky, yes, we trust the day is breaking, ye wretched, hungry, starving poor, yield not to temptation, zion, dreary and in anguish, zion stands with hills surrounded, produced from page scans provided by internet archive and university of florida. hymns, songs, and fables, for young people. by eliza lee follen. revised and enlarged from the last edition. boston: wm. crosby and h.p. nichols, washington street. . [illustration] entered according to act of congress, in the year , by wm. crosby and h.p. nichols, in the clerk's office of the district court of the district of massachusetts. cambridge: stereotyped and printed by metcalf and company, printers to the university. preface to the first edition. by charles follen. this little book is dedicated to parents and children. most of the poems were written with no other hope, than that they would instruct or please some child. the pleasure they have given in a limited circle has tempted the writer to print them. some have never before appeared in public, but most of them have been already published in different works; some few, without the author's knowledge. it will be found that these poems are intended for children of different ages and characters. it may be objected to the book, that gay and serious pieces are bound up together; but so it is in human life and human nature, and it is essential to the healthful action of a child's mind that it should be so. the smile that overtakes its tears is as necessary to the child as the sun after a spring shower is to the young plant; and without it a blight will fall upon the opening blossom. the natural love that all have for their literary offspring, perhaps, first induced the author to bring the stray little family together. this motive was strengthened by the hope that children might love the book, and that she might have the pleasure of seeing it among their treasures, with the corners of the leaves well worn by their little fingers, and perhaps sometimes placed upon the pillow where "angels hover round." this success, which must secure to her also the approbation of parents, she does aspire after, and most earnestly desire; this, and this alone, will satisfy her; without this, she would be the first to pronounce it an unworthy offering. cambridge, may , . preface to the present edition. the present edition of hymns, songs, and fables, has been greatly enlarged, by poems either not before printed, or that have had a very limited circulation, and also by a number of translations from the german. if they should have the good fortune to add to the innocent pleasure of the young, and deserve to become associated in their minds with the pure and hallowed recollections of home, and happy early days, my highest ambition with regard to them be entirely gratified. eliza lee follen. cambridge, november , . contents. hymns. page "suffer little children to come unto me" hymn hymn for a little boy "the lord is my strength" hymn "thy will be done" sabbath day the good boy's hymn on going to bed god is good evening robinson crusoe's hymn hymn on prayer "the spirit giveth life" we never part from thee "i will arise and go to my father" evening hymn autumn the lord's day the ministry of pain "by faith ye are saved" evening prayer evening hymn lines written at midnight "hope in god" failure and success songs. the little spring the little boy's may-day song guess what i have heard spring the little boy's good-night the shepherd's sabbath-song to spring her voyage is at an end charley and his father. a ballad remember the slave home-sickness happiness children in slavery to good resolutions thanks for a pleasant day to a butterfly to nature on the death of a young companion the sabbath is here the child at her mother's grave child's song to a fountain song for an infant school the summer to a beautiful girl the little slave's wish fables. the honest bird soliloquy of ellen's squirrel the pin, needle, and scissors learned fred little roland billy rabbit to mary the old and new shoes the monkeys and the bears hymns. "suffer little children to come unto me." "let little children come to me,"-- this is what the saviour said; little children, come and see where these gracious words are read. often on these pages look,-- of the love of god they tell; 'tis indeed a holy book,-- learn to read and love it well. thus you hear the saviour speak,-- "come ye all and learn of me"; he was gentle, lowly, meek,-- so should all his followers be. when our saviour from above, from his father did descend, he took them in his arms of love, and children knew him for their friend. all little children jesus blessed,-- blessed in innocence they are; little children he caressed; praise him in your infant prayer. hymn. praise to god! o let us raise from our hearts a song of praise! of that goodness let us sing whence our lives and blessings spring. praise to him who made the light, praise to him who gave us sight, praise to him who formed the ear; will he not his children hear? praise him for our happy hours, praise him for our varied powers, for these thoughts that rise above, for these hearts he made for love, for the voice he placed within, bearing witness when we sin; praise to him whose tender care keeps this watchful guardian there. praise his mercy, that did send jesus for our guide and friend; praise him, every heart and voice, him who makes all worlds rejoice. hymn for a little boy. "what, mother, makes it seem to me, when i am all alone, as if some one could hear and see, and all my thoughts were known? "sometimes it makes me very glad, and dance and sing with joy; sometimes it makes me very sad, and frights your little boy. "o, tell me, mother, tell me why; for i have never known why 'tis i laugh, or why i cry, when i am all alone." "my child, you never are alone; there is a watchful eye to which your very thoughts are known; 'tis god is ever nigh. "he made your little heart for joy, he tunes your happy song; o, then, my little timid boy, fear only doing wrong. "for he who makes your heart so glad, who bids the good be gay, with the same love will make it sad, whene'er you disobey. "he is our father, and he hears your weakest, faintest prayer; he wipes away an infant's tears, and children are his care." "the lord is my strength." almighty father! i am weak, but thou wilt strengthen me, if from my heart i humbly seek for help and light from thee. when i am tempted to do wrong, then, father, pity me, and make my failing virtue strong; help me to think of thee! let christian courage guard my youth; that courage give to me which ever speaks and acts the truth, and puts its trust in thee. hymn. will god, who made the earth and sea, the night, and shining day, regard a little child like me, and listen when i pray? if i am hungry, poor, and cold, then will he hear my cry? and when i shall be sick and old, o, then will god be nigh? yes; in his holy word we read of his unfailing love; and when his mercy most we need, his mercy he will prove. to those who seek him, he is near; he looks upon the heart, and from the humble and sincere he never will depart. he sees our thoughts, our wishes knows, he hears our faintest prayer; where'er the faithful christian goes, he finds his father there. obedient children need not fear; god is a faithful friend, and when no other help is near, he will deliverance send. then fear not hunger, cold, or pain, but fear to disobey that power which does your life sustain, and guards you every day. "thy will be done." how sweet to be allowed to pray to god, the holy one, with filial love and trust to say,-- "father, thy will be done!" we in these sacred words can find a cure for every ill; they calm and soothe the troubled mind, and bid all care be still. o, let that will, which gave me breath and an immortal soul, in joy or grief, in life or death, my every wish control! o, could my heart thus ever pray, thus imitate thy son! teach me, o god, with truth to say,-- "thy will, not mine, be done!" sabbath day. how sweet upon this sacred day, the best of all the seven, to cast our earthly thoughts away, and think of god and heaven! how sweet to be allowed to pray our sins may be forgiven; with filial confidence to say, "father, who art in heaven"! with humble hope to bend the knee, and, free from folly's leaven, confess that we have strayed from thee, thou righteous judge in heaven! and if to make all sin depart in vain the will has striven, he who regards the inmost heart will send his grace from heaven. if from the bosom that is dear by cold unkindness driven, the heart that knows no refuge here shall find a friend in heaven. then hail, thou sacred, blessed day, the best of all the seven, when hearts unite their vows to pay of gratitude to heaven. the good boy's hymn on going to bed. how sweet to lay my weary head upon my quiet little bed, and feel assured, that all day long i have not knowingly done wrong! how sweet to hear my mother say, "you have been very good to-day!" how sweet to see my father's joy when he can say, "my dear, good boy!" how sweet it is my thoughts to send to many a dear-loved distant friend, and feel, if they my heart could see, how very happy they would be! how sweet to think that he whose love made all these shining worlds above my pure and happy heart can see, and loves a little boy like me. [illustration] god is good. thou art good! each perfumed flower, waving fields, the dark green wood, the insect fluttering for an hour,-- all things proclaim that god is good. i hear it in each breath of wind; the hills that have for ages stood, and clouds with gold and silver lined, all still repeat that god is good. each little rill, that many a year has the same verdant path pursued, and every bird, in accents clear, joins in the song that god is good. the restless sea, with haughty roar, calms each wild wave and billow rude, retreats submissive from the shore, and swells the chorus, "god is good." the countless hosts of twinkling stars, that sing his praise with light renewed; the rising sun each day declares, in rays of glory, god is good. the moon, that walks in brightness, says, that god is good! and man, endued with power to speak his maker's praise, should still repeat that god is good. evening. how beautiful the setting sun! the clouds how bright and gay! the stars, appearing one by one, how beautiful are they! and when the moon climbs up the sky, and sheds her gentle light, and hangs her crystal lamp on high, how beautiful is night! and can it be i am possessed of something brighter far? glows there a light within this breast outshining every star? yes; should the sun and stars turn pale, the mountains melt away, this flame within shall never fail, but live in endless day. this is the soul that god has given,-- sin may its lustre dim; while goodness bears it up to heaven, and leads it back to him. robinson crusoe's hymn. my heavenly father! all i see, around me and above, sends forth a hymn of praise to thee, and speaks thy boundless love. the clear blue sky is full of thee, the woods so dark and lone; the soft south-wind, the sounding sea, worship the holy one. the humming of the insect throng, the prattling, sparkling rill, the birds, with their melodious song, repeat thy praises still. and thou dost hear them every one,-- father, thou hearest me; i know that i am not alone, when i but think of thee. hymn. it was my heavenly father's love brought every being forth; he made the shining worlds above, and every thing on earth. each lovely flower, the smallest fly, the sea, the waterfall, the bright green fields, the clear blue sky,-- 'tis god that made them all. he gave me all my friends, and taught my heart to love them well, and he bestowed the power of thought, and speech my thoughts to tell. my father and my mother dear,-- he is their father too; he bids me all their precepts hear, and all they teach me, do. god sees and hears me all the day, and 'mid the darkest night; he views me when i disobey, and when i act aright. he guards me with a parent's care, when i am all alone; my hymn of praise, my humble prayer, he hears them every one. god hears what i am saying now,-- o, what a wondrous thought! my heavenly father, teach me how to love thee as i ought. on prayer. as through the pathless fields of air wandered forth the timid dove, so the heart, in humble prayer, essays to reach the throne of love. like her it may return unblest, like her again may soar, and still return and find no rest, no peaceful, happy shore. but now once more she spreads her wings, and takes a bolder flight, and see! the olive-branch she brings, to bless her master's sight. and thus the heart renews its strength, though spent and tempest-driven, and higher soars, and brings at length a pledge of peace with heaven. "the spirit giveth life." what was in the viewless wind, wild rushing through the oak, seemed to my listening, dreaming mind as though a spirit spoke? what is it to the murmuring stream doth give so sweet a song, that on its tide my thoughts do seem to pour themselves along? what is it on the dizzy height, what in each glowing star, that speaks of things beyond the sight, and questions what they are? what in the rolling thunder's voice, what in the ocean's roar, hears the grand chorus, "o, rejoice!" echo from shore to shore? what in the gentle moon doth see pure thoughts and tender love, and hears delicious melody around, below, above? what bids the savage tempest speak of terror and dismay, and wakes the agonizing shriek of guilt that fears to pray? it is this ever-living mind; this little throb of life hears its own echoes in the wind, and in the tempest's strife; to all that's sweet, and bright, and fair, its own affections gives; sees its own image everywhere, through all creation lives. it bids the everlasting hills give back the solemn tone; this boundless arch of azure fills with accents all its own. what is this life-inspiring mind, this omnipresent thought? how shall it ever utterance find for all itself hath taught? to him who breathed the heavenly flame, its mysteries are known; it seeks the source from whence it came, and rests in god alone. we never part from thee. god, who dwellest everywhere god, who makest all thy care, god, who hearest every prayer, thou who see'st the heart; thou to whom we lift our eyes. father, help our souls to rise, and, beyond these narrow skies, see thee as thou art! let our anxious thoughts be still, holy trust adore thy will, holy love our bosoms fill, let our songs ascend! dearest friends may parted be, all our earthly treasures flee, yet we never part from thee, our eternal friend. "i will arise and go to my father." help me, o god, to trust in thee, thou high and holy one! and may my troubled spirit flee for rest to thee alone. in thee alone the soul can find secure and sweet repose; and thou canst bid the desert mind to blossom as the rose. let not this spirit, formed to rise where angels claim their birth, forsake its home beyond the skies, and cling to barren earth. the bird of passage knows the sign that warns him to depart; shall i not heed the voice divine, that whispers in my heart,-- "up! plume thy wings, soar far away! no longer idly roam! fly to the realms of endless day; for this is not thy home." this still, small voice, o, may i hear! ere clouds and darkness come, and thunders in my startled ear proclaim my final doom. father! to thee my spirit cries! thy wandering child reclaim. speak! and my dying faith shall rise, and wake a deathless flame. evening hymn. thou, from whom we never part, thou, whose love is everywhere, thou who seest every heart, listen to our evening prayer. father! fill our souls with love, love unfailing, full, and free, love no injury can move, love that ever rests on thee. heavenly father! through the night keep us safe from every ill; cheerful as the morning light, may we wake to do thy will. autumn. sweet summer, with her flowers, has past, i hear her parting knell; i hear the moaning, fitful blast, sighing a sad farewell. but, while she fades and dies away, in rainbow hues she glows; like the last smile of parting day, still brightening as she goes. the robin whistles clear and shrill; sad is the cricket's song; the wind, wild rushing o'er the hill, bears the dead leaf along. i love this sober, solemn time, this twilight of the year; to me, sweet spring, in all her prime, was never half so dear. while death has set his changing seal on all that meets the eye, 'tis rapture, then, within to feel the soul that cannot die;-- to look far, far beyond this sky, to him who changes never. this earth, these heavens, shall change and die; god is the same for ever. the lord's day. this is the day when jesus woke from the deep slumbers of the tomb; this is the day the saviour broke the bonds of fear and hopeless gloom. this is indeed a holy day; no longer may we dread to die. let every fear be cast away, and tears be wiped from every eye. sorrow and pain the saviour knew; a dark and thorny path he trod; but heaven was ever in his view,-- that toilsome path led up to god. let every heart rejoice and sing; let every sin and sorrow cease; let children come this day and bring their offering of love and peace. the ministry of pain. cease, my complaining spirit, cease; know 'tis a father's hand you feel; it leads you to the realms of peace; it kindly only wounds to heal. my father! what a holy joy bursts on the sad, desponding mind, to say, when fiercest ills annoy,-- "i know my father still is kind!" this bids each trembling fear be still, checks every murmur, every sigh; patience then waits his sovereign will, rejoiced to live,--resigned to die. o blessed ministry of pain! to teach the soul its real worth; to lead it to that source again, from whence it first derived its birth. "by faith ye are saved." christian! when, overwhelmed with grief and care, thou prayest for the help that thou dost need, as shipwrecked mariner for life will plead, o, then for faith pour forth the fervent prayer! 'tis faith alone life's heavy ills can bear. o, mark her calm, far-seeing, quickening eye, full of the light of immortality! it tells of worlds unseen, and calls us there; that look of hers can save thee from despair. when sorrow, like thick darkness, gathers round, and all life's flowers are fading in the dust, faith lifts our drooping vision from the ground,-- says, that the hand that smites us yet is just; that human agony hath ever found the mighty god a never-failing trust. evening prayer. great source of being, father all-seeing! we bow before thee; our souls adore thee; help us obey thee; guide us aright; keep us, we pray thee, through the long night. thou kind, forgiving god of all living, thy power defend us, thy peace attend us, while we are closing this day in prayer, ever reposing under thy care. evening hymn. before i close my eyes to-night, let me myself these questions ask:-- have i endeavoured to do right, nor thought my duty was a task? have i been gentle, lowly, meek, and the small voice of conscience heard? when passion tempted me to speak, have i repressed the angry word? have i with cheerful zeal obeyed what my kind parents bid me do, and not by word or action said the thing that was not strictly true? in hard temptation's troubled hour, then have i stopped to think and pray, that god would give my soul the power to chase the sinful thought away? o thou who seest all my heart, wilt thou forgive and love me still! wilt thou to me new strength impart, and make me love to do thy will! lines written at midnight. translated from the german of a.g. eberhard. the sun in smiles doth dress his face, as evening comes to take his place; so looks the parting loved-one, when he means to quickly come again. with moon and stars all sparkling bright, advances now the silent night; and with the calm and gentle moon, sweet peace doth quietly come on. who at the moon and stars can gaze without a gush of love and praise? and now it is the midnight hour, and sleep asserts her soothing power. but see, the flickering light is gone, that from my neighbour's window shone; his simple household prayer is said, he rests from toil, on his hard bed. yet still the watchman wakes, and still faithful till morning watch he will; but vain, o watchman! is thy care, if god, the guardian, be not there. by my dull lamp, whose light's near gone, in my small room i sit alone, and, thinking o'er past joys and pain, a sweet contentment doth remain. he's still my trust; he, the true shepherd, never will forsake his sheep,--he watcheth ever; the mother may forget her child, but yet thus saith the lord,--"thee i will not forget." i rest in peace, i trust in thee; thy faithful eye still watcheth me; for he who ever wakes and lives to loving hearts no night e'er gives. "hope in god." translated from the german of s.a. mahlman. hope, my heart, in patience hope,-- thou at last thy flowers shalt gather; god is full of tender love,-- childlike speak thou to thy father. from believing, trusting hearts, the god of mercy ne'er departs. clouds may come, and clouds may go, rest upon his goodness always; to those joyful, sunny heights lead these rough and gloomy pathways; wakes for aye his eye of light,-- tremble not in storm and night. anchored on the eternal rock, to the heart of god fast clinging, tell him all thy deepest woes, before him all thy sorrows bringing; he is kind, and comfort gives to every sorrowing heart that lives. let true faith strong courage give; strength the helper now is sending; soon thou'lt understand his ways, soon thou'lt find thy sorrows ending. god! who life and goodness art! in patience hope in him, my heart. failure and success. it is in failure, in distress, when, reft of all, it stands alone, and not in what men call success, the noble, valiant soul is known. he who perfection makes his aim shoots at a mark he may not reach; the world may laugh, the world may blame. and what it calls _discretion_ preach. and he will fail to win the goal which low ambition makes its own; but, far beyond, his earnest soul stands in the light, though all alone. it was through insult, pain, and loss that jesus won immortal power; thus the great failure of the cross was his triumphant, glorious hour. think not of failure or success; he fails who has a low desire. up to the highest ever press, still onward, upward, higher! higher! make such thy purpose, such thy aim, that they who watch thy spirit's flight shall look to heaven from whence it came, and loose thee in celestial light. songs. the little spring. beneath a green and mossy bank there flows a clear and fairy stream; there the pert squirrel oft has drank, and thought, perhaps, 'twas made for him. their pitchers there the laborers fill, as drop by drop the crystals flow, singing their silvery welcome still to all who to the fountain go. then to the river on it glides, its tributary drop to bear, its modest head a moment hides, then rises up and sparkles there. the touching lesson on my heart falls like the gentle dews of heaven, bids me with humble love impart the little treasure god has given. for from a source as small as this full many a cup of joy may flow, and on the stream of human bliss its little ray of gladness throw. the little boy's may-day song. "the flowers are blooming everywhere, on every hill and dell, and o, how beautiful they are! how sweetly, too, they smell! "the little brooks, they dance along, and look so glad and gay; i love to hear their pleasant song, i feel as glad as they. "the young lambs bleat and frisk about, the bees hum round their hive, the butterflies are coming out,-- 'tis good to be alive. "the trees that looked so stiff and gray with green wreaths now are hung; o mother! let me laugh and play, i cannot hold my tongue. "see yonder bird spread out his wings, and mount the clear blue skies; and hark! how merrily he sings, as far away he flies." "go forth, my child, and laugh and play, and let your cheerful voice, with birds, and brooks, and merry may, cry loud, rejoice! rejoice! "i would not check your bounding mirth, my little happy boy, for he who made this blooming earth smiles on an infant's joy." guess what i have heard. dear mother, guess what i have heard! o, it will soon be spring! i'm sure it was a little bird,-- mother, i heard him sing. look at this little piece of green that peeps out from the snow, as if it wanted to be seen,-- 'twill soon be spring, i know. and o, come here, come here and look! how fast it runs along!-- here is a cunning little brook; o, hear its pretty song! i know 'tis glad the winter's gone that kept it all so still, for now it merrily runs on, and goes just where it will. i feel just like the brook, i know; it says, it seems to me,-- "good by, cold weather, ice, and snow; now girls and brooks are free." i love to think of what you said, mother, to me last night, of this great world that god has made, so beautiful and bright. and now it is the happy spring no naughty thing i'll do; i would not be the only thing that is not happy, too. spring. hark! the little birds are singing,-- winter's gone and summer's near; see, the tender grass is springing, and the flowers will soon be here. who made the winter and the spring? who painted all the flowers? who taught the little birds to sing, and made these hearts of ours? o, 'tis god! how good he is! he does every blessing give; all this happy world is his,-- let us love him while we live. the little boy's good-night. the sun is hidden from our sight, the birds are sleeping sound; 'tis time to say to all, "good night!" and give a kiss all round. good night! my father, mother, dear, now kiss your little son; good night! my friends, both far and near, good night to every one. good night! ye merry, merry birds, sleep well till morning light; perhaps if you could sing in words, you would have said, "good night!" to all my pretty flowers, good night! you blossom while i sleep; and all the stars, that shine so bright, with you their watches keep. the moon is lighting up the skies, the stars are sparkling there; 'tis time to shut our weary eyes, and say our evening prayer. the shepherd's sabbath-song. translated from the german of uhland. this is the sabbath day! in the wide field i am alone. hark! now one morning bell's sweet tone,-- now it has died away. kneeling i worship thee; sweet dread doth o'er my spirit steal, from whispering sounds of those who kneel, unseen, to pray with me. around and far away, so clear and solemn is the sky, it seems all opening to my eye; this is the sabbath day! to spring. hail! reviving, joyous spring, smiling through thy veil of showers; birds and brooks thy welcome sing,-- haste, and waken all thy flowers. hark! a sweet pervading sound! from the breathing, moving earth life is starting all around, sending joy and fragrance forth. o'er the oak's gigantic form blossoms hang their drapery; branches that defied the storm now are full of melody. there is not a silent thing in this joyous company; woods, and hills, and valleys ring with a shout of jubilee. wake, my spirit! art thou still? senseless things have found a voice; shall this throbbing heart be still, when all nature cries, "rejoice"? wake, come forth, my bounding soul! join the universal glee, yield to nature's kind control, catch her heavenly harmony. join the grateful, happy throng, cast each selfish care away; birds and brooks shall tune your song; this is nature's holiday. her voyage is at an end. hushed was the ocean's stormy roar, still as an infant's joy; there sat upon the rocky shore a father and his boy. far off they saw a gallant ship, it came from foreign lands; the boy began to dance and skip, and clap his little hands. her wished-for port is near at hand, the ship is hastening on; they hear the birds sing on the land; her voyage is nearly done. the boy's glad notes, his shouts of glee, the rocks with music fill; but now he cries,--"see, father, see! the ship is standing still." her masts are trembling from the shock. her white sails all descend; the ship has struck upon a rock,-- her voyage is at an end. the sailors hurry to and fro, all crowded is the deck; she struggles hard,--she's free;--o, no! she is indeed a wreck. the boy's young heart is full of grief: "father! what will she do? let's take the boat to her relief, o, quickly let us go!" they went,--and many a stronger hand its ready succour gave; they brought the crew all safe to land, and the cargo tried to save. the night comes on, the night is dark, more dark the billows seem; they break against the ship, and hark! the seamew's mournful scream. the boy upon his pillow lies, in sweet repose he sinks; and, as he shuts his weary eyes, on the poor ship he thinks. the sun shines o'er the watery main as it did the day before; the father and his son again are seated on the shore. with the western wind full many a boat their white sails gayly fill, they lightly o'er the blue waves float,-- but the gallant ship is still. the sailors now the mournful wreck of masts and rigging strip; the waves are playing o'er the deck of the sad and ruined ship. a crow upon the top branch stood of a lone and blasted tree; he seemed to look upon the flood with a gloomy sympathy. the boy now looks up at the bird, at the sinking vessel now; he does not speak a single word. but a shade is on his brow. now slowly comes a towering wave, and sweeps with triumph on; it bears her to her watery grave,-- the gallant ship is gone. hushed is the ocean's stormy roar, still as an infant's joy; the father sits upon the shore in silence with his boy. _cohasset shore, july, ._ charley and his father. a ballad. the birds are flown away, the flowers are dead and gone, the clouds look cold and gray around the setting sun. the trees with solemn sighs their naked branches swing; the winter winds arise, and mournfully they sing. upon his father's knee was charley's happy place, and very thoughtfully he looked up in his face; and these his simple words:-- "father, how cold it blows! what 'comes of all the birds amidst the storms and snows?" "they fly far, far away from storms, and snows, and rain; but, charley dear, next may they'll all come back again." "and will my flowers come, too?" the little fellow said, "and all be bright and new, that now looks cold and dead?" "o, yes, dear; in the spring the flowers will all revive, the birds return and sing, and all be made alive." "who shows the birds the way, father, that they must go? and brings them back in may, when there is no more snow? "and when no flower is seen upon the hill and plain, who'll make it all so green, and bring the flowers again?" "my son, there is a power that none of us can see takes care of every flower, gives life to every tree. "he through the pathless air shows little birds their way; and we, too, are his care,-- he guards us day by day." "father, when people die, will they come back in may?" tears were in charley's eye,-- "will they, dear father, say?" "no! they will never come; we go to them, my boy, there, in our heavenly home, to meet in endless joy." upon his father's knee still charley kept his place, and very thoughtfully he looked up in his face. remember the slave. mother! whene'er around your child you clasp your arms in love, and when, with grateful joy, you raise your eyes to god above, think of the negro mother, when her child is torn away, sold for a little slave,--o, then for that poor mother pray! father! whene'er your happy boys you look upon with pride, and pray to see them when you're old, all blooming by your side, think of that father's withered heart, the father of a slave, who asks a pitying god to give his little son a grave. brothers and sisters! who with joy meet round the social hearth, and talk of home and happy days, and laugh in careless mirth, remember, too, the poor young slave, who never felt your joy, who, early old, has never known the bliss to be a boy. ye christians! ministers of him who came to make men free, when, at the almighty maker's throne, you bend the suppliant knee, from the deep fountains of your soul then let your prayers ascend for the poor slave, who hardly knows that god is still his friend. let all who know that god is just, that jesus came to save, unite in the most holy cause of the forsaken slave. home-sickness. translated from the german. were i a wild, wild falcon, i'd soar away on high, and seek my father's dwelling, beyond the far blue sky. against that well-known door then i'd flap my wings with joy; my mother from the window sees and admits her boy. "dear son!" she'd say; "o, welcome! how often has my heart longed sadly to embrace thee; now here behold thou art!" thus memory still is dreaming of what can never be. my long-lost home,--the loved ones,-- these eyes may never see. happiness. what is it makes the morning bright? what gilds the evening hours? what makes our hearts seem gay and light, as if we trod on flowers? 'tis innocence that makes us gay, bids flowers grow everywhere; makes it bright sunshine every day. and every evening fair. what makes us, when we look above, see smiling angels there, and think they look on us in love, as if we were their care? 'tis that the soul, all free from sin, glows like an inward sun; and heaven above and heaven within do meet and join in one. children in slavery. when children play the livelong day, like birds and butterflies, as free and gay sport life away, and know not care nor sighs; then earth and air seem fresh and fair, all peace below, above; life's flowers are there, and everywhere is innocence and love. when children pray with fear all day, a blight must be at hand; then joys decay, and birds of prey are hovering o'er the land. when young hearts weep as they go to sleep, then all the world seems sad; the flesh must creep, and woes are deep, when children are not glad. to good resolutions. how like the morning flower ye are! which lifts its diamond head, exulting in the mead; but the rude wind shall steal its gem, shall break its tender stem, and leave it dead. frail pledges of the contrite heart, wherefore so soon decay? o, yet prolong your stay! until my soul shall boldly rise, and claim its native skies, haste not away. thanks for a pleasant day. come, let us all, with heart and voice, to god our father sing and pray; in his unceasing love rejoice, and thank him for this pleasant day. the clear blue sky looks full of love; let all our selfish passions cease! o, let us lift our thoughts above, where all is brightness, goodness, peace. if we have done a brother wrong, o, let us seek to be forgiven; nor let one discord spoil the song our hearts would raise this day to heaven. this blessed day, when the pure air is full of sweetness, full of joy,-- when all around is calm and fair,-- shall we the harmony destroy? o, may it be our earnest care to free our souls from every sin; then will each day be bright and fair, for god's pure sunshine dwells within. to a butterfly. [those who are acquainted with this little poem, translated from herder, will perceive that a slight liberty has been taken with the last two lines.] airy, lovely, heavenly thing! butterfly with quivering wing! hovering in thy transient hour over every bush and flower, feasting upon flowers and dew, thyself a brilliant blossom, too! who, with skilful fingers fine, purpled o'er those wings of thine? was it some sylph whose tender care spangled thy robes so fine and fair, and wove them of the morning air? i feel thy little throbbing heart; thou fear'st e'en now death's bitter smart. fly, little spirit, fly away! be free and joyful thy short day! image thou dost seem to me of that which i may one day be, when i shall drop this robe of earth, and wake into a spirit's birth. to nature. from the german of frederick leopold, count of stalberg. holy nature! fresh and free, let me ever follow thee; by the hand, o, lead me still, like a child, at thy sweet will. when with weariness oppressed, i will on thy bosom rest, breathe in pleasure from above, in thy mother-arms of love. o, how well it is for me thee to love, with thee to be! holy nature! sweet and free, let me ever follow thee. on the death of a young companion. farewell for a time! thou hast gone to that clime where sickness and sorrow are o'er. we loved thee when here, we shed the sad tear to think we shall see thee no more. we weep not for thee, we remember that he who made little children his care in his own fatherland will reach you his hand, and comfort and welcome you there. our tears they will flow; but do we not know that thou art released from all pain? then weep not; for he who walked on the sea has said we shall all live again. the sabbath is here. from krumacher. the sabbath is here, it is sent us from heaven; rest, rest, toilsome life, be silent all strife, let us stop on our way, and give thanks and pray to him who all things has given. the sabbath is here, to the fields let us go; how fresh and how fair! in the still morning air, the bright golden grain waves over the plain; it is god who doth all this bestow. the sabbath is here; on this blessed morn no tired ox moans, no creaking wheel groans, at rest is the plough; no noise is heard now, save the sound of the rustling corn. the sabbath is here; our seed we have sown in hope and in faith; the father he saith amen! be it so! behold the corn grow! rejoicing his goodness we'll own. the sabbath is here; his love we will sing who sendeth the rain upon the young grain. and soon all around the sickle will sound. and home the bright sheaves we will bring. the sabbath is here; in hope and in love we sow in the dust, while humbly we trust up yonder shall grow the seed which we sow, and bloom a bright garland above. the child at her mother's grave. translated from the german. in that little room of thine, sweet sleep has come to thee; ah, mother! dearest mother mine! o, call me to that room of thine! o, shut it not from me! i would so gladly be with thee, and be thy child again; 'tis cold and stormy here with me, 'tis warm, and, o, so still with thee! ah! let me, let me in! thou took'st me gladly once with thee, so gladly held my hand; o, see, thou hast forsaken me! take me this time again with thee into the heavenly land. child's song. translated from the german. when at night i go to sleep, fourteen angels are at hand;-- two on my right their watches keep; two on my left to bless me stand; two hover gently o'er my head; two guard the foot of my small bed; two wake me with the sun's first ray; two dress me nicely every day; two guide me on the heavenly road, that leads to paradise and god. to a fountain. from the german of ramler. lo! this fount is flowing ever; but the fountain prattles never. traveller! at this fountain stay; learn of it, with pure endeavour, good to do, and nothing say. song for an infant school. children go to and fro, in a merry, pretty row, footsteps light, faces bright; 'tis a happy sight. swiftly turning round and round, do not look upon the ground. follow me, full of glee, singing merrily. birds are free, so are we; and we live as happily. work we do, study too, for we learn "twice two"; then we laugh, and dance, and sing, gay as birds or any thing. follow me, full of glee, singing merrily. work is done, play's begun; now we have our laugh and fun. happy days, pretty plays, and no naughty ways. holding fast each other's hand, we're a little happy band; follow me, full of glee, singing merrily. the summer. a free translation of a german popular song. go forth, my heart, and seek the bliss of such a summer day as this, bestowed on all by heaven; the beauties of the garden see, behold! it is for thee and me its glories all are given. the trees with whispering leaves are dressed, the earth upon her dusky breast her robe of green is wearing; the flowers are blooming far and wide,-- not solomon in all his pride with them would bear comparing. the dove from out her nest doth fly; far upward in the clear blue sky the lark her way is winging; hark to the lovely nightingale! with her sweet song each hill and dale, and woods and rocks, are ringing. the hen brings out her little brood, the swallow finds her young ones food, the stork her house is keeping. the bounding stag, the timid roe, are full of joy, and to and fro, through the high grass, are leaping. the brook is tinkling as it goes, and with the myrtle and the rose its shady banks adorning; while, from the flowery mead near by, the sheep and shepherd's joyful cry salutes the early morning. the never idle troops of bees fly here and there, and where they please their honey food are quaffing; the sap is running up the vine, round the old elm its tendrils twine, and in the sun are laughing. and can i, may i, silent be? when all god's glorious works i see my soul desires to know him. when all are singing i must sing, and to the highest i must bring the tribute which i owe him. are all things here so bright and fair, and has he with a loving care my happy being given? what, in the glorious world above, where all is beauty, all is love,-- what shall i be in heaven? o, were i there! o, stood i now in that great presence! there to bow in grateful love before him, then would i with the angels raise one never-ending song of praise, and worship and adore him! to a beautiful girl. sweet flower! so young, so fresh, so fair, bright pleasure sparkling in thine eye, alas! e'en thee time will not spare, and thou must die. the heart with youthful hope so gay, that scarcely ever breathed a sigh, must weep o'er pleasures fled away, for all must die. but though the rosy cheek may fade, the virtuous wish, the purpose high, the bloom with which the soul's arrayed, shall never die. the little slave's wish. i wish i was that little bird up in the bright blue sky, that sings and flies just where he will, and no one asks him why. i wish i was that little brook that runs so swift along, through pretty flowers, and shining stones, singing a merry song. i wish i was a butterfly, without a fear or care, spreading my many-colored wings, like a flower in the air. i wish i was that wild, wild deer, that i saw the other day, who through the dark green forest flew, like an arrow far away. i wish i was that little cloud by the gentle south-wind driven, floating along so calm and bright up to the gates of heaven. i'd rather be a savage beast, and dwell in a gloomy cave, and shake the forest when i roared, than what i am,--a slave. my mother calls me her good boy, my father calls me brave; what wicked action have i done that i should be a slave? they tell me god is very good. that his right arm can save; o, is it, can it, be his will that i should be a slave? o, how much better 'tis to die, and lie down in the grave, than 'tis to be what i am now,-- a little negro slave! [illustration] fables. the honest bird. once on a time, a little bird within a wicker cage was heard, in mournful tones, these words to sing:-- "in vain i stretch my useless wing; still round and round i vainly fly, and strive in vain for liberty. dear liberty, how sweet thou art!" the prisoner sings, with breaking heart:-- "all other things i'd give for thee, nor ask one joy but liberty." he sang so sweet, a little mouse, who often ran about the house, came to his cage; her cunning ear she turned, the mournful bird to hear. soon as he ceased,--"suppose," said she, "i could contrive to set you free; would you those pretty wings give me?" the cage was in the window-seat, the sky was blue, the air was sweet. the bird with eagerness replied,-- "o, yes! my wings, and see, beside, these seeds and apples, sugar, too, all, pretty mouse, i'll give to you, if you will only set me free; for, o, i pant for liberty!" the mouse soon gnawed a hole; the bird, in ecstasy, forgot his word; swift as an arrow, see, he flies, far up, far up, towards the skies; but see, he stops, now he descends, towards the cage his course he bends. "kind mouse," said he, "behold me now returned to keep my foolish vow; i only longed for freedom then, nor thought to want my wings again. better with life itself to part, than, living, have a faithless heart; do with me, therefore, as you will, an honest bird i will be still." his heart seemed full, no more he said, he drooped his wings and hung his head. the mouse, though very pert and smart, had yet a very tender heart; she minced a little, twirled about, then thus her sentiments threw out:-- "i don't care much about your wings,-- apples and cakes are better things; you love the clouds, i choose the house; wings would look queer upon a mouse. my nice long tail is better far, so keep your wings just where they are." she munched some apple, gave a smack, and ran into her little crack. the bird spread out his wings and flew, and vanished in the sky's deep blue; far up his joyful song he poured, and sang of freedom as he soared. soliloquy of ellen's squirrel, on receiving his liberty;--overheard by a lover of nature and a friend of ellen. was that the music of the wind, that whispered in my trembling ear? and can i, free and unconfined, taste of the joys that still are dear? and can i skip from tree to tree, and fly along the flowery plain, light as the wind, as fleet, as free, and make my winter's nest again? o, yes! my joyful, trembling heart, the song you heard from yonder tree, which made awakening memory start, was the sweet sound of liberty! dear ellen, many thanks i owe for tenderest care bestowed on me; but most my gratitude will flow for your best gift,--sweet liberty! oft in your gayest, happiest hour, when all your youthful heart beats high, and, hastening on from flower to flower, you taste the sweets of liberty, the thought that you have set me free, that i can skip and dance like you, to your kind, tender heart shall be as pure a joy as e'er you knew. scarce can my wakening sense believe the sounds i hear, the sights i see; dear ellen, once again receive your squirrel's thanks for liberty. the pin, needle, and scissors. 'tis true, although 'tis sad to say, disputes are rising every day. you'd think, if no one did deny it, a little work-box might be quiet; but 'tis not so, for i did hear, or else i dreamed it, 'tis so queer, a pin and needle in the cushion maintain the following discussion. the needle, "extra fine gold-eyed," was very sharp and full of pride, and thus, methought, she did begin:-- you clumsy, thick, short, ugly pin, i wish you were not quite so near; how could my mistress stick me here? she should have put me in my place, with my bright sisters in the case." "would you were there!" the pin replied; "i do not want you by my side. i'm rather short and thick, 'tis true; who'd be so long and thin as you? i've got a head, though, of my own, that you had better let alone." "you make me laugh," the needle cried; "that you've a head can't be denied; for _you_ a very proper head, without an eye, and full of lead." "you are so cross, and sharp, and thin," replied the poor insulted pin, "i hardly dare a word to say, and wish indeed you were away; that golden eye in your poor head was only made to hold a thread; all your fine airs are foolish fudge, for you are nothing but a drudge; but i, in spite of your abuse, am made for pleasure and for use. i fasten the bouquet and sash, and help the ladies make a dash; i go abroad and gayly roam, while you are rusting here at home." "stop," cried the needle, "you're too much, you've brass enough to beat the dutch; do i not make the ladies' clothes, ere i retire to my repose? then who, forsooth, the glory wins? alas! 'tis finery and pins. this is the world's unjust decree, but what is this vain world to me? i'd rather live with my own kin, than dance about like you, vain pin. i'm taken care of every day; you're used awhile, then thrown away, or else you get all bent up double, and a snug crack for all your trouble." "true," said the pin, "i am abused, and sometimes very roughly used; i often get an ugly crook, or fall into a dirty nook; but there i lie, and never mind it; who wants a pin is sure to find it; in time i am picked up, and then i lead a merry life again. you fuss so at a fall or hurt, and, if you get a little dirt, you keep up such an odious creaking, that where you are there is no speaking; and then your lackey emery's called, and he, poor thing, is pricked and mauled, until your daintiness--o, shocking!-- is fit for what? to mend a stocking!" the needle now began to speak,-- they might have quarrelled for a week,-- but here the scissors interposed. and thus the warm debate was closed:-- "you angry needle! foolish pin! how did this nonsense first begin? you should have both been better taught; but i will cut the matter short. you both are wrong, and both are right, and both are very impolite. e'en in a work-box 'twill not do to talk of every thing that's true. all personal remarks avoid, for every one will be annoyed at hearing disagreeable truth; besides, it shows you quite uncouth, and sadly wanting in good taste. but what advantages you waste! think, pins and needles, while you may, how much you hear in one short day; no servants wait on lordly man can hear one half of what you can. 'tis not worth while to mince the matter; nor men nor boys like girls can chatter; all now are learning, forward moving, e'en pins and needles are improving; and in this glorious, busy day all have some useful part to play. go forth, ye pins, and bring home news! ye needles in your cases muse! and take me for your kind adviser, and only think of growing wiser; then, when you meet again, no doubt, something you'll have to talk about, and need not get into a passion, and quarrel in this vulgar fashion. less of yourselves you'll think, and more of others, than you did before. you'll learn, that in their own right sphere all things with dignity appear. and have, when in their proper place, peculiar use and native grace." methought the polished scissors blushed to have said so much, and all was hushed. learned fred. from the german. one short six months had scarcely gone, when, full of all he'd learned, young frederick, that hopeful son, from college home returned. to his paternal roof restored, it was not long before the learned man at table poured the treasures of his lore. "now," said the youngster, "father dear, you doubtless think you see two roasted fowls before us here; but i say there are three. "_atqui_ these roasted fowls are two, and one in two must be; _ergo_,--or logic is not true,-- these roasted fowls are three." "god bless your studies!" quoth papa; "'tis just as you have said; _this_ is for me, _that_ for mamma, the third for learned fred." little roland. translated from the german of uhland. lady bertha sat in the rocky cleft, her bitter woes to weep; little roland played in the free fresh air; his sorrows were not deep. "my royal brother, o king charles, why did i fly from thee? splendor and rank i left for love; now thou art wroth with me. "o milon, milon, husband dear! beneath the waves art thou; for love i have forsaken all, yet love forsakes me now. "o roland! thou, my dearest boy, now fame and love to me; come quickly, little roland, come! my hope rests all on thee. "go to the city, roland, go! to beg us meat and bread; and whoso gives the smallest gift, ask blessings on his head." now great king charles at table sat, in the golden hall of state; with dish and cup the servants ran, on the noble guests to wait. flute, harp, and minstrelsy now tune all hearts to joyful mood; the cheerful music does not reach to bertha's solitude. before the hall in the court-yard sat of beggars a motley throng; the meat and drink was more to them than flute, and harp, and song. the king looked out, through the open door, upon the beggar throng; through the crowd he saw a noble boy, pushing his way along. strange was the little fellow's dress, of divers colors all; but with the beggars he would not stay,-- he looked up at the hall. within the hall little roland treads, as though it were his own; he takes a dish from the royal board in silence, and is gone. the king he thinks,--"what do i see? this is a curious way"; but, as he quietly submits, the rest do nothing say. in a little while again he comes, to the king he marches up, and little roland boldly takes the royal golden cup. "halloo! stop there! thou saucy wight!" king charles's voice did ring; little roland kept the golden cup, and looked up at the king. the king at first looked angrily; but very soon he smiled:-- "you tread here in our golden hall, as in the green woods wild. "from the royal table you take a dish, as they take an apple from a tree; as with the waters of the brook, with my red wine you make free." "the peasant drinks from the running brook, on apples she may dine; my mother must have fish and game, for her is the foaming wine." "is thy mother such a noble dame as thou, my boy, dost boast, then surely has she a castle fair, and of vassals a stately host. "tell me, who may her sewer be? and who cupbearer, too?" "my own right hand her sewer is; my left, cupbearer true." "tell on; who are her faithful guards?" "my two blue eyes alway." "tell on; who is her minstrel free?" "my rosy mouth, i say." "brave servants has the dame, indeed; but does strange livery choose,-- made up of colors manifold, shining with rainbow hues." "from each quarter of the city, with eight boys i have fought; four sorts of cloth to the conqueror, as tribute, they have brought." "the best of servants, to my mind, the dame's must surely be; she is, i wot, the beggar's queen, who keeps a table free. "the noble lady should not far from my royal palace be; arise, three ladies, and three lords, and bring her in to me." little roland, holding fast the cup, from the splendid hall he hies; to follow him, at the king's command, three lords, three ladies, rise. and after now a little while, the king sees, far away, the noble ladies and the knights return without delay. the king he cries out suddenly,-- "help, heaven! see i aright? 'tis my own blood, in open hall, i have treated with cruel slight. "help, heaven! in pilgrim dress i see my sister bertha stand; so pale in my gay palace here, a beggar's staff in her hand!" lady bertha sinks down at his feet, pale image of despair; his wrath returns, and he looks on her with a stern and angry air. lady bertha quick cast down her eyes, no word to speak she tried; little roland raised his clear blue eyes,-- "my uncle!" loud he cried. "rise up, my sister bertha, rise!" the king said tenderly; "for the sake of this dear son of thine, thou shalt forgiven be." lady bertha rose up joyfully:-- "dear brother! thanks to thee; little roland shall requite the boon thou hast bestowed on me. "he of the glory of his king shall be an image fair; the colors of many a foreign realm his banner and shield shall bear. "the cup from many a royal board he shall seize with his free right hand, and safety and fresh glory bring to his sighing mother-land." billy rabbit to mary. [billy rabbit was a little rabbit which a boy caught in the woods, and gave to a little girl of the name of mary. she was very attentive to the little prisoner, gave him an abundance of good things to eat, and tried her best to make him happy; but all in vain. after many attempts, he at last succeeded in making his escape, and instantly disappeared in the woods. in the course of the day, the following letter, sealed with a sharp thorn, was received by his friend mary.] artichoke woods. you thought, my dear mary, you had billy fast, but i tried very hard, and escaped you at last; the chance was so tempting, i thought i would _nab_ it,-- it was not very naughty, i'm sure, in a rabbit. o, let not your kind heart be angry with me; but think what a joy it is to be free, to see the green woods, to feel the fresh air, to skip, and to play, and to run everywhere. the food that you gave me was pleasant and sweet, but i'd rather be free, though with nothing to eat. o, how glad they all were to see me come back, and every one wanted to give me a smack. dick knocked over brownie, and jumped over bun, and the neighbours came in to witness the fun. my father said something, but could not be heard; my mother looked at me, but spoke not a word; and while she was looking, her eyes became pink, and she shed a few tears, i verily think. to him who a hole or a palace inhabits, to all sorts of beings, to men, and to rabbits, ah! dear to us all is sweet liberty, especially, mary, to you and to me. so i hope you'll forgive me for sending this letter, to tell you i'm safe, and feel so much better, cut all sorts of capers, and act very silly, and am your devoted, affectionate billy. the old and new shoes. "good bye, get away, you ugly old things!" said a little boy once to his shoes; "all stubbed are your toes, all twisted your strings, you're wrinkled, one-sided, and loose. "but here are my new ones, so shiny and bright, they are almost as smooth as my skin; how stiff they are, too! how straight and upright! how snug my feet feel now they're in!" so saying, he gave to his old shoes a kick, and strutted with pride to the door; his unkindness had cut the old shoes to the quick, for nothing contempt can endure. "master frank, master frank, stop a while, if you please," ('twas one of the shoes he heard call); "our _soles_ cannot bear such insults as these, and your pride, sir, will soon have a fall." frank stood still with wonder and looked at the shoe, but could not see into the matter; at last he exclaimed,--"as they've nothing to do, i suppose, like poll parrot, they chatter." so he opened the door, and walked down the stairs; his shoes were too stiff to go fast; but let us observe him, and see how he fares, how repentant poor frank was at last. his shoes were so smooth that he could but just stand, so tight, that they pinched in his toes; he could only sit still, and try to look grand, and remember he had on new shoes. but fido ran in, who loved little frank, and the shoes were remembered no more; they began to cut capers, but at the first prank down tumbled poor frank on the floor. he was a brave boy, he thought not of crying, he said, "never mind," though in pain; he whistled to fido, but there is no denying he fell down again and again. he went to his bed with his heart full of sorrow; he said to the nurse,--"i should choose, if you please, when i'm dressed, my good betsey, to-morrow, to put on my easy old shoes. "see how red my toes are, and i'm all black and blue; i don't like my new shoes at all." "ah! you see," answered betsey, "what i told you was true; your shoes, master frank, are too small." his old shoes he was glad in the morning to see, and, forgetting his trouble and pain, "how happy," said he, "my poor toes will be to get into the old shoes again." the voice of the old shoe now once more was heard:-- "master frank, will you please to attend? i wish, with your leave, to say just a word,-- 'tis a word of advice from a friend. "never part with old shoes till they part from you; let your new ones be always well tried; old shoes and old friends are far better than new, and, trust me, more worthy of pride. "our strings and our toes are bad, we must own, but they can be easily mended. i have done," said the shoe, in a kind, easy tone, and it gaped as the lecture was ended. new toes and new heels now the old shoes have got, new strings, too, their beauty renew; frank wears them in peace, and has never forgot the words of the friendly old shoe. the monkeys and the bears. translated from the german of gellart. the monkeys, 'tis said, once asked of the bears, how it was that their nation so much surpassed theirs, and begged that the means they would graciously tell by which the young bears were kept hearty and well. "perhaps it may be," said one of the mothers, who seemed more considerate and wise than the others, "perhaps," said she, trembling at even the thought, "we give our dear young ones less food than we ought; we may be impatient; i have really some fears that we rock them too little, the poor little dears; our milk may cause fever, and their stomachs not suit, or perhaps they are weakened and injured by fruit. perhaps the whole mischief is caused by the air, and who 'gainst this evil can ever prepare? in their earliest years, it may poison instil, and through their whole lifetime produce every ill. perhaps it may be, before we are aware, they breathe in a pestilence, borne on the air. perhaps, for the nerves of us monkeys are weak, in jumping, or leaping, some bone they may break in their breasts." here, for weeping, she scarcely could speak, and she snatched up her little one long to her breast; with such vehement love the poor victim she pressed, that all its complainings and troubles were stilled; alas the poor mother! her pet she had killed. said the bear,--"no longer i think you need seek for the cause why your young ones are sickly and weak; it is not the milk, nor the fruit, nor the air, nor fault of the stomach, and 'tis no lack of care. your blind fondness it is that cuts short their days. how is it that we such multitudes raise? as soon as our young ones are able to run, we take them out with us to play in the sun. we take them through floods, through heat, and through cold, and so they are healthy, and live to be old." the end. a catalogue of books published by crosby & nichols, washington street, boston. crosby & nichols have for sale a general assortment of books in all the various departments of literature, comprising theological, school, juvenile, and miscellaneous books of all kinds. all periodicals, both american and foreign, supplied promptly. a liberal discount to clubs, societies, or individuals, where several are taken. _foreign books imported to order by every steamer._ boston: w.m. crosby and h.p. nichols, washington street. a list of books recently published by wm. crosby & h.p. nichols, washington street, boston. a memoir of william ellery channing, with extracts from his correspondence and manuscripts. edited by his nephew, wm. henry channing. comprised in three volumes, of from to pages each, uniform with the best edition of the works. two very superior portraits of dr. channing appear in the volumes; one from a painting by allston, the other by gambadella. price $ . . contents.--_part first_,--parentage and birth; boyhood; college life; richmond; studies and settlement. _part second_,--early ministry; spiritual growth; the unitarian controversy; middle-age ministry; european journey. _part third_,--the ministry and literature; religion and philosophy; social reforms; the antislavery movement; politics; friends; home life; notes. notices of the press. "a more interesting and instructive biographical work we have never read. high as was our opinion of channing,--of his intellectual and moral worth,--the perusal of this work has convinced us that we never duly estimated him.... his letters reveal his character more fully than his sermons and essays. in his letters he lays his heart entirely open; and no man, no matter what his opinions or prejudices, can read them without saying,--'channing was, indeed, a great and good man,--one who lived for the world!'"--_christian messenger._ "only one who was similar in purpose and temper,--who felt like aspirations, hopes, and faith,--could at all do justice to the distinguished subject. the present book must, therefore, we are sure, give us channing's character in its completeness, and true harmony and proportions of parts."--_salem observer._ "these memoirs of a great and good man will, we apprehend, obtain an uncommonly extensive circulation, not only among the denomination of christians in which he ranked himself, but with all who reverence purity of character, an enlarged philanthropy, and eminent talents, guided by virtue and piety."--_salem register._ "if we mistake not, now is the very time in god's providence when the biography of william ellery channing could best make its appearance. we have heard that a distinguished divine, of different speculative religious views from dr. channing, has recently said,--'channing is greatly needed among us at this present moment.' behold him here! we doubt not that the biography thus prepared is to make a great impression on the age that is passing, and that is yet to come."--_christian register._ sermons on christian communion. designed to promote the culture of the religious affections. edited by rev. t.r. sullivan. mo. pp. . price, $ . . this work is not confined to the subject of the lord's supper, but "forms a series of practical discourses of the persuasive kind, relating to repentance, or the duty of commencing the christian course,--to edification, or the encouragements to progressive christian improvement,--and to the eucharistic service, as affording exercise for all the grateful and devout affections of the heart in every stage of its subjection to christian discipline."--_preface._ the following is a list of the writers:-- rev. h.a. miles, lowell. " f. parkman, d.d., boston. " s. judd, augusta. " f.d. huntington, boston. " c.t. brooks, newport. " n. hall, dorchester. " j.i.t. coolidge, boston. " g.w. briggs, plymouth. " a.a. livermore, keene. " j. whitman, lexington. " j.w. thompson, salem. " h.w. bellows, new york. " e.s. gannett, d.d., boston. " a.p. peabody, portsmouth. " j. walker, d.d., cambridge. " c. robbins, boston. " g.e. ellis, charlestown. " g. putnam, d.d., roxbury. " j.h. morison, milton. " a. young, d.d., boston. " e.b. hall, d.d., providence. " s.g. bulfinch, nashua. " o. dewey, d.d., new york. " s. osgood, providence. " a. hill, worcester. " w.h. furness, d.d., philadelphia. " n.l. frothingham, d.d., boston. " e. peabody, boston. " s.k. lothrop, " " c.a. bartol, " " a.b. muzzey, cambridge. "the design of the work is admirable, and we doubt not it is admirably executed, and will promote the best interests of our churches. we chanced to open at sermon xviii., on christian education, and were pleased to see the idea of dr. bushnell's celebrated book on 'christian nurture' illustrated and urged in a sermon by dr. putnam, preached two years before dr. bushnell's book made its appearance."--_christian register._ "the tone of these sermons, their living interest, their unpremeditated variety in unity, fit them well for this purpose,--close personal influence on minds of widely differing views, united in the one great aim of a christian life. we shall probably take an early opportunity of making some selections."--_christian inquirer._ "we think the volume is upon the whole one of the best volumes of discourses ever issued from the american press."--_boston daily atlas._ the gospel narratives, their origin, peculiarities, and transmission. by rev. henry a. miles. mo. pp. . price, cents. this work is designed for families and sunday schools, and contains a comparison of each gospel with the education, life, and character of its author, and with the purpose which he had in view in its composition; as also an account of the transmission of the gospels down to our time, and the evidence of their uncorrupted preservation. "this volume by mr. miles has substantial value. it is by the circulation and use of such books that christian knowledge is to be extended, and christian faith confirmed. by a thorough study even of this small work in childhood, many persons might have the satisfaction of carrying through life a clear and connected idea of the biographies of jesus, and of the nature of the external evidence in their favor, instead of remaining in vague uncertainty on the whole subject. bringing into a simple and popular form, and small compass, information not hitherto accessible, except to a limited number of persons, the 'gospel narratives' will be interesting to the general reader, whether youthful or adult. it must, without doubt, be introduced in all our sunday schools, and will rank among the most important manuals." naomi; or boston two hundred years ago. a tale of the quaker persecution in new england. by eliza buckminster lee, author of "the life of jean paul." second edition. mo. pp. . price, cents. the first edition of this popular book was exhausted within a month after its publication. "mrs. lee has given the public a most agreeable book. her style is elevated and earnest. her sentiments, of the pure and the true. the characters are well conceived, and are presented each in strong individuality, and with such apparent truthfulness as almost to leave us in doubt whether they are 'beings of the mind,' or were real men and women who bore the parts she assigns them in those dark tragedies that stained this 'fair heritage of freedom' in the early days of massachusetts."--_worcester palladium._ "we have been exceedingly interested in this book, and recommend it as a beautiful picture of female piety and quiet heroism, set in a frame of history and tradition, that cannot fail to please every one connected, however remotely, with the land of the puritans. the accomplished author of 'the life of jean paul' has produced an american novel which we should like to see followed by others illustrative of the facts and manners of the olden time."--_christian inquirer._ the marriage offering. designed as a gift to the newly-married. edited by rev. a.a. livermore. mo. pp. . price, cents. "it was a happy thought that suggested such a volume. we were not aware before that there was so much and so various christian literature on the subject."--_christian register._ martyria; a legend, wherein are contained homilies, conversations, and incidents of the reign of edward the sixth. written by william mountford, clerk. with an introduction to the american edition, by rev. f.d. huntington. mo. pp. . price, cents. "the charm of the book lies in the elevated tone of thought and moral sentiment which pervades it. you feel, on closing the volume, as if leaving some ancient cathedral, where your soul had been mingling with ascending anthems and prayers. there is scarcely a page which does not contain some fine strain of thought or sentiment, over which you shut the book that you may pause and meditate. "we recommend the volume to our readers, with the assurance that they will find few works in the current literature of the day so well worth perusal."--_christian register._ "this is really an original book. we have seen nothing for a long time more fresh or true. the writer has succeeded wonderfully, in taking himself and his readers into the heart of the age he describes. what is more, he has uttered words and thoughts which stir up the deep places of the soul. let those read who wish to commune with the true and unpretending martyr-spirit, the spread of faith and endurance, courage, self denial, forgiveness, prayer. "of all the treatises we have ever read on marriage, we have seen none so good as one here called a 'marriage sermon'; not that we would ask any couple to hear it all on their marriage day, but we commend it to all who are married, or intend to be. the whole book is precious."--_providence journal._ "there are few religious books which breathe a finer spirit than this singular volume. the author's mind seems to have meditated deeply on the awful realities of life. in the thoughtful flow of his periods, and the grave, earnest eloquence of particular passages, we are sometimes reminded of the old english prose writers. the work is a 'curiosity' of literature, well worth an attentive perusal."--_graham's magazine._ a translation of paul's epistle to the romans, with an introduction and notes. by william a. whitwell, minister of the congregational society in wilton, n.h. mo. pp. . price, cents. "we would express a high opinion of the book, and can assure the christian reader who will compare it carefully with our common version, that he will rise up from the joint perusal of the two with a better understanding of paul than he had before."--_christian register._ christianity the deliverance of the soul and its life. by william mountford. with an introduction by rev. f.d. huntington. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "mr. mountford is full of warm religious feeling. he brings religion home to the heart, and applies it as the guide of the life."--_london inquirer._ self-formation; or the history of an individual mind: intended as a guide for the intellect through difficulties to success. by a fellow of a college. mo. pp. . price, $ . . "the publishers have done good service by bringing forward an american edition of this work. it may be most unreservedly recommended, especially to the young."--_daily advertiser._ "your gift of 'self-formation' is truly a welcome one, and i am greatly obliged to you for it. it is a work of quite original character, and i esteem it (in common with all i know of, who have read it) as possessed of very rare merit. i am glad, for the cause of good education and sound principle, that you have republished it, and i wish every young man and woman in the community might be induced to read it carefully. it is several years since i looked into it in the english edition,--but i yet retain a vivid impression of the great delight it afforded me, and i shall gladly avail of the opportunity of renewing it."--_extract from a letter._ "this is emphatically a good book, which may be read with profit by all classes, but more especially by young men, to whose wants it is admirably adapted. the american editor is no doubt right in saying, that it is almost without a question the most valuable and useful work on self education that has appeared in our own, if not in any other language."--_new york tribune._ thoughts on moral and spiritual culture. by rev. robert c. waterston. second edition, revised. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. this book has met with a ready sale in this country, and has been republished in england. a london periodical, in reviewing it, says:--"we will venture to predict that it will soon take its place on the shelves of our religious libraries, beside ware 'on the christian character,' greenwood's 'lives of the apostles,' and other works to which we might refer as standard publications, the value of which is not likely to be diminished by the lapse of time or the caprices of fashion." "the sense of duty in parents and teachers may be strengthened and elevated by contemplating the high standard which is here held up to them. the style has the great merit of being an earnest one, and there are many passages which rise into genuine eloquence and the glow of poetry."--_n.a. review._ "the lecture 'on the best means of exerting a moral and spiritual influence in schools,' no teacher, male or female, possessed of any of the germs of improvement, can read without benefit."--_hon. horace mann, secretary of the board of education._ domestic worship. by william h. furness, pastor of the first congregational unitarian church in philadelphia. third edition. mo. pp. . price, cents. "we are glad to see this book. it is a work of great and peculiar excellence. it is not a compilation from other books of devotion; nor is it made up of conventional phrases and scripture quotations, which have been so long employed as the language of prayer, that they are repeated without thought and without feeling. it is admirably adapted to the purpose for which it was written; and it may be read again and again with great interest and profit by any one, who desires to enrich his mind with the purest sentiments of devotion, and with the language in which it finds its best expression. here we have the genuine utterances of religious sensibility,--fresh, natural, and original, as they come from a mind of singular fertility and beauty, and a heart overflowing with love to god and love to man. they seem not like prayers made with hands, to be printed in a book, but _real praying_, full of spirit and life.... so remarkable is their tone of reality and genuineness, that we cannot bring ourselves to regard them as compositions written for a purpose, but rather as the actual utterances of a pure and elevated soul in reverent and immediate communion with the infinite father."--_christian examiner._ lays for the sabbath. a collection of religious poetry. compiled by emily taylor. revised, with additions, by john pierpont. mo. pp. . price, cents. "it is simple and unpretending: and though some of the pieces are probably familiar to most readers, they all breathe a pure and elevated spirit, and here and there is an exquisite effusion of genius, which answers to the holiest wants of the soul. "not only great pleasure may be derived from such a volume, but lasting and useful impressions. many are keenly alive to the harmony of verse and the fresh outbursts of poetic feeling, who would pore with delight over such a volume, and many might thus be won to high thought and serious reflection."--_christian examiner._ the young maiden. seventh edition. by rev. a.b. muzzey, author of "the young man's friend," "sunday school guide," etc., etc. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. contents.--the capacities of woman; female influence; female education; home; society; love; single life; reasons for marriage; conditions of true marriage; society of young men; first love; conduct during engagement; trials of woman and her solace; encouragements. "the sentiments and principles enforced in this book may be safely commended to the attention of women of all ranks. its purpose is excellent throughout; and as it is everywhere governed by a just and amiable spirit, we believe it is calculated to do much good."--_london atlas._ "a little work, well worthy, from its good sense and good feeling, to be a permanent and favorite monitor to our fair countrywomen."--_morning herald._ a history of sunday schools and of religious education, from the earliest times. by lewis g. pray. embellished with two engravings. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "the author has been for a long period engaged in the cause of which he has now become the historian; and if ardor, perseverance, and faithfulness in that service qualify him to write its history, we know of no one to whom it could have been more properly confided."--_portsmouth journal._ "a volume of great interest to all who have at heart the subject discussed."--_literary world._ life in the sick-room. essays, by harriet martineau. with an introduction to the american edition, by mrs. follen. second american edition. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "for the principles which it inculcates, for the exalted ideal it presents, for the renovating spirit with which it is filled, the book cannot fail to be a blessing to humanity."--_christian examiner._ euthanasy, or happy talk towards the end of life. by william mountford. author of "martyria." mo. pp. "this is a book which will prove an incalculable treasure to those who are in sorrow and bereavement, and cannot be perused by any thoughtful mind without pleasure and improvement."--_christian examiner._ the christian parent. by rev. a.b. muzzey, author of "the young maiden," &c., &c. mo. price, cents. religious consolation. edited by rev. ezra s. gannett. mo. price, cents. contents.--the good of affliction; the mourner comforted; erroneous views of death; the departed; death and sleep; immortality; trust in god under afflictions; filial trust; the future life; friends in heaven; hope; thanksgiving in affliction; trust amidst trial; life and death; the voices of the dead; to the memory of a friend; a prayer in affliction; duties of the afflicted; the mourner blessed; consolation; the dangers of adversity; trust in divine love; the promises of jesus; the believer's hope; the uses of affliction; time passing; the christian's death; the hope of immortality; god our father. thoughts; selected from the works of william ellery channing, d.d. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "this is a diamond of a volume, the purpose of which is well expressed in the following 'thought' from channing, which is put on the title-page:-- "'sometimes a single word, spoken by the voice of genius, goes far into the heart. a hint, a suggestion, an undefined delicacy of expression, teaches more than we gather from volumes of less gifted men.' "those who differ in theological views from the gifted channing will of course find many thoughts in this little volume not to their taste. but those to whom any theological views have ever done much good will nevertheless prize the book for its thoughts. thoughts they are, not faint reflections of thought. and those who would be wise above all things prize to know what can be thought on all sides of every important subject. to enrich our columns we borrow a gem or two."--_chronotype._ "a collection of noble thoughts, that may well take its place by the side of the celebrated thoughts of pascal, which have in them more of metaphysics, but less that touches the human heart. it makes a beautiful pocket volume."--_christian examiner._ "we have long desired to see a book of this kind, and now, from a slight examination, believe that it is well done. it is a beautiful collection of beautiful thoughts, and must be a welcome possession, not only for all who agree with dr. channing in his peculiar religious opinions, but for all who value lofty sentiments worthily expressed, and who by the influence of such thoughts would be strengthened to duty, or raised to a higher sphere of contemplation."--_christian register._ david ellington. by rev. henry ware, jr. with other extracts from his writings. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "mr. ware has left very few things which will do so much towards promoting the great object for which he lived and labored. the simple story of the every-day life of a good man, told as these stories are told, finds a response in the hearts of those most indifferent to the great concerns of virtue and religion; it reaches and touches what nothing else, not the eloquent preaching of an apostle, could reach and touch." christian consolations. sermons designed to furnish comfort and strength to the afflicted. by rev. a.p. peabody, pastor of the south church, portsmouth, n.h. mo. pp. . price, cents. "we welcome with almost as much surprise as satisfaction the appearance of a volume of discourses as excellent as those of mr. peabody. they are rich in thought, and of a high order of literary merit."--_n.a. review._ the general features of the moral government of god. by a.b. jacocks. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. general principles of the philosophy of nature: with an outline of some of its recent developments among the germans, embracing the philosophical systems of schelling and hegel, and oken's system of nature. by j.b. stallo, a.m., lately professor of analytical mathematics, natural philosophy, and chemistry in st. john's college, n.y. mo. pp. . price, $ . . "it grapples with the most abstruse problems, and tugs fiercely to pluck out the heart of their mystery. no difficulty is too great for the author to meet, and none seems able to upset his theory. in truth, the book is one of the most profound ever published in boston, and whatever opinion may be given regarding its principles, none can gainsay its vigor of understanding and reach of learning. the pertinent question, who reads an american book? will change somewhat its meaning, if american literature takes the abstruse direction indicated by mr. stallo's volume. in that event, our books will remain unread, not because they are too shallow, but because they are too deep."--_boston courier._ morning and evening meditations, for every day in a month. by miss carpenter (daughter of the late dr. lant carpenter). mo. pp. . price, - / cents. "the compiler of this work has rendered good service to all possessed of christian sympathies."--_literary world._ "we like its spirit, and believe it will prove an excellent closet companion for those who will faithfully use it."--_christian register._ the words of christ; from the new testament. mo. pp. . price, cents. "the compiler has most happily collected the words of christ, so that, by the slightest reference possible to the tables, every text is ascertained under the several heads. it will prove very beneficial to the biblical scholar, clergyman, and sunday-school teacher."--_christian world._ discourses on the christian spirit and life. by rev. cyrus a. bartol. second edition, revised, with an introduction. mo. pp. . price, $ . . discourses on the rectitude of human nature. by george w. burnap, d.d. mo. pp. . price, $ . . a history of jesus. by rev. william h. furness. mo. pp. . price, $ . . communion thoughts. by rev. s.g. bulfinch. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. introductory lessons on christian evidences. by archbishop whatley. mo. pp. . price, cents. religious thoughts and opinions of a statesman. by william von humboldt. mo. the stars and earth; or thoughts upon space, time, and eternity. mo. pp. . price, cents. a memoir of rev. hiram withington, with selections from his writings. mo. pp. . price, cents. ten discourses on orthodoxy. by rev. joseph h. allen, mo. pp. . price, cents. popular objections to unitarian christianity considered and answered. in seven discourses. by rev. george w. burnap. mo. pp. . price, - / cents. contents.--the position of unitarianism defined. unitarians not infidels. explaining the bible and explaining it away. unitarianism not mere morality. unitarianism evangelical christianity. unitarianism does not tend to unbelief. dr. watts a unitarian. "these topics mr. burnap treats with a freshness of thought which will render the volume acceptable to those who have a taste for reading of this sort, while its general merits place it in the class of works one would wish to see extensively circulated among those who think that unitarianism has nothing to stand upon, or that it is a doctrine full of impiety."--_christian examiner._ the miscellaneous writings of f.w.p. greenwood, d.d. mo. pp. . price, $ . . "it is a profitable book for any one to read,--partly because it communicates information and offers instruction, but chiefly because its moral tone is of the healthiest kind."--_christian examiner._ echoes of infant voices. mo. pp. . price, cents. memoir and writings of rev. james h. perkins. edited by rev. william h. channing. vols. mo. a study for young men; or a sketch of sir thomas fowell buxton. by rev. thomas binney. mo. pp. . price, cents. hymns for the sanctuary. compiled by a committee of the west boston society. mo. christian hymns for public and private worship. a collection compiled by a committee of the cheshire pastoral association. twenty-eighth edition. mo. pp. . price, cents. although this book has been published but four years, it is now used in _forty_ societies, and this fact is considered sufficient to show the estimation in which it is held, and the manner in which it has stood the test of comparison with other collections. the following are some of the peculiar merits of the christian hymns:--the number of hymns is very large; the variety of subjects and metres is very great; the hymns are better adapted for singing; the plan of arrangement is improved; and the price is very low. manuals for sabbath schools. lessons on the parables of the saviour, for sunday schools and families. by rev. f.d. huntington. mo. fourth edition. questions adapted to the text of the new testament. by c. soule cartee. mo. parts i. and ii. fourth thousand. a scripture catechism of the christian religion, stated in the words of the bible. by ephraim peabody. mo. pp. . third thousand. first book for sunday schools. fifth edition. mo. pp. . the ministry of christ. with notes and questions by rev. thomas b. fox. third edition, revised and corrected. mo. pp. . a manual on the book of acts. by rev. thomas b. fox. mo. the sunday school service-book. by hon. stephen c. phillips, president of the boston sunday school society. mo. the sunday school singing-book. by e.l. white. square mo. questions on the gospel narratives; their origin, peculiarities, and transmission. by rev. henry a. miles. mo. pp. . juvenile books. the childhood of mary leeson. by mary howitt. mo. pp. . the playmate. a pleasant companion for spare hours. embellished with more than a hundred engravings. large mo. pp. . hymns, songs, and fables. by mrs. follen. mo. pp. . the two new scholars, and other stories. mo. pp. . five years of youth; of sense and sentiment. by harriet martineau. with a preface by mrs. follen. mo. pp. . allegories and christian lessons; for children. by t.b. fox. mo. pp. . ella herbert; or self-denial. by a lady. mo. pp. . traditions of palestine. by harriet martineau. mo. pp. . the eskdale herdboy. by lady stoddart. mo. pp. . the boy of spirit. mo. pp. . when are we happiest? mo. pp. . hurra for new england! mo. pp. . how to spoil a good citizen; and other stories. by the author of "willie rogers," &c., &c. mo. pp. . mrs. tuthill's juveniles. i will be a gentleman. twelfth edition. mo. pp. . i will be a lady. twelfth edition. mo. pp. . onward! right onward! seventh edition. mo. pp. . any thing for sport. third edition. mo. pp. . the boarding-school girl. second edition. mo. pp. . a strike for freedom, or law and order, mo. * * * * * the boy of mount rhigi. by miss sedgwick. mo. pp. . the glorious stranger. mo. cousin hatty's hymns and twilight stories. mo. all for the best. by t.s. arthur. mo. bardouc. a persian tale. mo. the child's morning book. mo. * * * * * the christian examiner and religious miscellany. edited by rev. george putnam, d.d., and rev. george e. ellis. "this work, which combines literature with theology, has always sustained a high reputation for learning and ability,--nearly all the more eminent unitarians of the day having been at different times numbered among its contributors." the examiner was first issued under the superintendence of the late dr. noah worcester. it has since been edited by rev. john g. palfrey, d.d., rev. francis jenks, rev. f.w.p. greenwood, d.d., rev. james walker, d.d., rev. william ware, rev. alvan lamson, d.d., and rev. ezra s. gannett, d.d., and through its pages the writings of worcester, channing, norton, and ware have been given to the public. the christian examiner is published on the first days of january, march, may, july, september, and november, in numbers of one hundred and forty-four octavo pages each, at _four dollars_ per annum. hymns for christian devotion; especially adapted to the universalist denomination by j. g. adams and e. h. chapin. twenty-second edition. boston: abel tompkins. . preface. in presenting this work to the public, the compilers would say, that they do not intend it as a rival of any other hymn book already in existence; but, if advancement in the light of other good works be allowable, as an improvement on them all. although evidently designed in one sense for a denomination, they have also intended that it shall answer in some measure the demands of a liberal and progressive christianity--a christianity, under whatever name or pretension found, that would diffuse christ's spirit and do his works of truth and love among men. we have sought to give variety in these hymns; to have the number ample enough; and while cautious in reference to their literary character, to select those of a devotional tendency, rather than those chiefly commendable for their poetical excellence. we have intended also to pay due respect to the old hymns so justly familiar with those of every age among our worshippers, while we have not been unmindful of the new claimants of public favor. it will be perceived that there is a greater variety of hymns on several topics than in most other hymn books now in use among us; especially in reference to the philanthropic nature of our religion, and the peculiar indications of this nature in the present age. in the department of the book entitled "triumph of christianity," faithfulness in representing this great truth is designed. in all instances where the authorship of a hymn could be ascertained, it has been given. of a few hymns, however, taken from a copy of the new cambridge unitarian hymn book, kindly handed us in sheets, it was not known whether they were original or not. they appear in this book, therefore, in company with quite a number of original ones, without any special mark thus to designate them. to the friends who have so kindly aided us, by suggestions or contributions, we return our sincere thanks; and to the christian public do we now humbly dedicate this work, invoking the blessing of god upon its use, and praying that it may be welcomed by many souls seeking the aids and blessings of christian devotion. j. g. adams, e. h. chapin. _ boston, august , ._ entered according to act of congress, in the year , by abel tompkins, in the clerk's office of the district court of massachusetts. stereotyped by george a. curtis, boston. general index of subjects hymns. introduction and close of worship, to character, attributes and providence of god, to general praise, to religion of nature, to the scriptures, to christ; his character and offices, to the gospel and its invitations, to triumph of christianity, to repentance and reformation, to christian character and life, to devout exercises, to life, death and futurity, to mourning and consolation, to submission and reliance, to religious exultation, to the church and ordinances, to dedications; ordinations; installations, to associations, conventions and missionary meetings, to early religious culture, to philanthropic subjects, to seamen's hymns, to national hymns, to the seasons, annual occasions, &c. to social and domestic worship, to morning and evening hymns, to miscellaneous, to doxologies, to index of first lines. hymn above, below, where'er i gaze, according to thy gracious word, affliction is a stormy deep, again our ears have heard the voice, again our earthly cares we leave, again the lord of life and light, a glance from heaven with sweet effect, a glory gilds the sacred page, a holy air is breathing round, ah! wretched souls who strive in vain, a king shall reign in righteousness, all from the sun's uprise, all hail the power of jesus' name, all hail, ye servants of the lord, all nature dies and lives again, all nature feels attractive power, all nature's works his praise declare, all men are equal in their birth, all powerful, self-existent god, all ye nations, praise the lord, almighty former of creation's plan, almighty god, in humble prayer, almighty god, thy wondrous works, almighty king, whose wondrous hand, almighty maker, lord of all, almighty lord, before thy throne, along my earthly way, amazing, beauteous change, am i an israelite indeed, am i a soldier of the cross, amid surrounding gloom and waste, amidst a world of hopes and fears, and art thou with us, gracious lord, and can my heart aspire so high, and is the gospel peace and love, and is there, lord, a rest, and now, my soul, another year, angels! roll the rock away, another day is past, another six days' work is done, approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul, approach, thou blessed of the lord, around bethesda's healing wave, arrayed in clouds of golden light, as body when the soul has fled, as bowed by sudden storms, the rose, as earth's pageant passes by, asleep in jesus, blessed sleep, as in solemn congregation, as o'er the past my memory strays, a soldier's course, from battles won, as showers on meadows newly mown, as the evening shadows gather, as the hart with eager looks, as the sweet flower that scents the morn, as twilight's gradual veil is spread, as when the deluge waves were gone, at god's command the morning ray, at the portals of thy house, auspicious morning, hail, author of good, to thee we turn, a voice from the desert comes awful and shrill, awake, my soul, and with the sun, awake, my soul, lift up thine eyes, awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, awake our souls, away our fears, baptized into our saviour's death, before jehovah's awful throne, begin, my soul, the exalted lay, begin the high celestial strain, behold, amid his little flock, behold my servant, see him rise, behold, on zion's heavenly shore, behold th' amazing sight, behold the grace appears, behold the lofty sky, behold the morning sun, behold the path which mortals tread, behold the prince of peace, behold the saviour on the cross, behold the western evening light, behold, what wondrous grace, behold where breathing love divine, behold where in a mortal form, be it my only wisdom here, beneath our feet and o'er our head, bereft, of all, when hopeless care, beset with snares on every hand, be thou, o god, exalted high, be with me, lord, where'er i go, beyond, beyond that boundless sea, blessed be thy name forever, blessed state and happy he, bless, o bless, almighty father, bless, o lord, each opening year, blest are the humble souls that see, blest are the meek, he said, blest are the pure in heart, blest are the sons of peace, blest are the souls that hear and know, blest be the hour when friends shall meet, blest be the tie that binds, blest day of god, most calm, most bright, blest hour, when mortal man retires, blest instructor! from thy ways, blest is the hour when cares depart, blest is the man who fears the lord, blest is the man who fears the lord, blest who with generous pity glows, blest with unearthly bliss were they, blow ye the trumpet, blow, borne o'er the ocean's stormy wave, bound upon th' accursed tree, bread of heaven, on thee we feed, breathe thoughts of pity o'er a brother's fall, brethren beloved for jesus' sake, brighter shines the gospel day, brightest and best of the sons of the morning, bright was the guiding star that led, brother, hast thou wandered far, brother, rest from sin and sorrow, brother, though from yonder sky, by cool siloam's shady rill, called by the sabbath bells away, calm on the bosom of thy god, calm on the listening ear of night, can creatures to perfection find, child amidst the flowers at play, children of light, awake, children of the heavenly king, choice of god, thou blessed day, christ the lord is risen to-day, christians, brethren, ere we part, clay to clay, and dust to dust, come hither all ye weary souls, come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, come in, thou blessed of the lord, come, kingdom of our god, come, let us join our souls to god, come, let us pray, 'tis sweet to feel, come, o thou universal good, come, said jesus' sacred voice, come, shout aloud the father's grace, come, sing a saviour's power, come, sound his praise abroad, come the rich, and come the poor, come, thou almighty king, come, thou soul-transforming spirit, come to the house of prayer, come to the living waters, come, come, ye disconsolate, come, ye that love the lord, creation's sovereign lord, creator spirit, by whose light, dark was the night, and cold the ground, daughter of zion, awake from thy sadness, daughter of zion, from the dust, dear as thou wert, and justly dear, dear is the hallowed morn to me, dear lord, behold thy servants here, death has been here and borne away, death moves with victor's tread, deem not that they are blest alone, drop the limpid waters now, early, my god, without delay, eat, drink, in memory of your friend, ere mountains reared their forms sublime, ere to the world again we go, eternal god, our humbled souls, eternal source of every joy, eternal source of life and light, eternal source of light and thought, eternal wisdom, thee we praise, exalt the lord our god, faith adds new charms to earthly bliss, faith, hope and charity, these three, faith, hope and love, now dwell on earth, faith is the christian's prop, fallen is thy throne, o israel, far as thy name is known, farewell, dear friend! a long farewell, farewell, thou once a mortal, farewell, what power of words can tell, far from mortal cares retreating, far from these scenes of night, far from the world, o lord, i flee, father, adored in worlds above, father and friend, thy light, thy love, father, at this altar bending, father, at thy footstool see, father, bless thy word to all, father, breathe an evening blessing, father divine, the saviour cried, father, gathered round the bier, father, hear us when we pray, father, i know thy ways are just, father in heaven, to thee my heart, father, lo we consecrate, father of all, in every age, father of all, omniscient mind, father of all our mercies, thou, father of all, where shall we find, father of all, whose cares extend, father of faithful abraham, hear, father of light, conduct my feet, father of me and all mankind, father of mercies, god of love, father of omnipresent grace, father of our feeble race, father, once more let grateful praise, father, thy paternal care, father, to thy kind love we owe, father, united by thy grace, father, we bless the gentle care, father, we pray for those who dwell, father, whate'er of earthly bliss, father, who of old descended, fear was within the tossing bark, feeble, helpless, how shall i, for all thy saints, o god, for all who love thee and thy cause, for a season called to part, forgive us for thy mercy's sake, for thee, o god, our constant praise, forth from the dark and stormy sky, fountain of mercy, god of love, flung to the heedless winds, friend after friend departs, from early dawning light, from every stormy wind that blows, from greenland's icy mountains, from the holy mount above, from the table now retiring, from worship now thy church dismiss, from year to year in love we meet, gently, my father, let me down, give us room that we may dwell, give to the winds thy fears, glad was my heart to hear, glorious things of thee are spoken, glory be to god on high, glory to god on high, glory to thee, my god, this night, god bless our native land, god, from whom all blessings flow, god guard the poor! we may not see, god in his temple let us meet, god, in the gospel of his son, god is a spirit just and wise, god is love, his mercy brightens, god is my strong salvation, god is our refuge and defence, god moves in a mysterious way, god, my supporter and my hope, god of eternity, from thee, god of love, we look to thee, god of mercy and of wisdom, god of mercy, do thou never, god of mercy, hear our prayer, god of my life, through all its days, god of our fathers, from whose hand, god of our fathers, 'tis thy hand, god of our life, thy constant care, god of our lives, thy various praise, god of our mercy and our praise, god of the fair and open sky, god of the morning, at whose voice, god of the poor, whose listening ear, god of the universe, whose hand, god of the year, with songs of praise, god's perfect law converts the soul, god, that madest earth and heaven, god, who is just and kind, good is the heavenly king, go, messengers of peace and love, go to dark gethsemane, go to the grave in all thy glorious prime, go to the pillow of disease, go when the morning shineth, go, ye messengers of god, grace! 'tis a charming sound, gracious source of every blessing, great god, and wilt thou condescend, great god, as seasons disappear, great god, attend while zion sings, great god, at thy command, great god, at whose all-powerful call, great god, beneath whose piercing eye, great god, how infinite art thou, great god, in vain man's narrow view, great god, let all our tuneful powers, great god, my joyful thanks to thee, great god of nations, now to thee, great god, the heavens' well ordered frame, great god, the nations of the earth, great god, this sacred day of thine, great god, we sing that mighty hand, great god, where'er we pitch our tent, great god, with wonder and with praise, great god, whose universal sway, great king of glory, come, great maker of unnumbered worlds, great shepherd of the people, hear, great source of life and light, guide me, o thou great jehovah, had i the tongues of greeks and jews, hail! all hail the joyful morn, hail, great creator, wise and good, hail, love divine, joys ever new, hail, source of light, of life, and love, hail, sweetest, dearest tie that binds, hail to the lord's anointed, hail to the sabbath day, happy is he that fears the lord, happy soul, that, safe from harm, happy the heart where graces reign, happy the man whose cautious steps, happy the meek, whose, gentle breast, hark, a voice divides the sky, hark! hark! with harps of gold, hark! the glad sound, the saviour comes, hark, the song of jubilee, hark, the voice of choral song, hark! what celestial notes, hark! what mean those holy voices, hear what a saviour's voice, hear what god the lord hath spoken, hear what the voice from heaven proclaims, heaven is here, its hymns of gladness, heaven is the land where troubles cease, he dies! the friend of sinners dies, he knelt, the saviour knelt and prayed, help us, o lord, thy yoke to wear, help us to help each other, lord, herald of the lord's salvation, here, gracious god, do thou, here in the broken bread, here in thy temple, lord, we meet, he that goeth forth with weeping, he who walks in virtue's way, high in the heavens, eternal god, high in yonder realms of light, holy and reverend is the name, holy as thou, o lord, is none, holy, holy, holy lord, hosanna! lord, thine angels cry, how are thy servants blest, o lord, how beautiful the sight, how blest amid all blessing, how blest is he who fears the lord, how blest is he who ne'er consents, how blest the sacred tie that binds, how blest thy creature is, o god, how did my heart rejoice to hear, how glad the tone when summer's sun, how good and pleasant is the sight, how gracious the promise, how soothing the word, how happy is he born or taught, how honored is the place, how lovely are thy dwellings fair, how lovely are thy dwellings, lord, how pleasant, how divinely fair, how pleased and blest was i, how pleasing, lord, to see, how precious are thy thoughts of peace, how precious is the book divine, how rich thy favors, god of grace, how rich thy gifts, almighty king, how shall i praise th' eternal god, how shall the young secure their hearts, how shall we praise thee, lord of light, how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound, how sweet to bless the lord, how sweet the melting lay, how sweet the name of jesus sounds, how sweet upon this sacred day, how swift the torrent rolls, how various and how new, how welcome to the soul when pressed, if human kindness meets return, if listening as i listen still, if solid happiness we prize, i hear the voice of woe, i'll bless jehovah's glorious name, i looked upon the righteous man, i love to steal awhile away, i love thy church, o god, i may not scorn the meanest thing, imposture shrinks from light, in all my vast concerns with thee, in darkness as in light, indulgent god, whose bounteous care, in duties and in sufferings too, in god's eternity, in pleasant lands have fallen the lines, i praised the earth in beauty seen, interval of grateful shade, in the broad fields of heaven, in the cross of christ i glory, in the glad morn of life, when youth, in the morning sow thy seed, in the soft season of thy youth, in thy courts let peace be found, in trouble and in grief, o god, i sing the mighty power of god, isles of the south, awake, israel's shepherd, guide me, feed me, is there a lone and dreary hour, is there ambition in my heart, is this a fast for me, it is the one true light, i want a principle within, i want a sober mind, i want the spirit of power within, jehovah god! thy gracious power, jerusalem, my glorious home, jesus, and shall it ever be, jesus, delightful, charming name, jesus demands this heart of mine, jesus his empire shall extend, jesus, i love thy charming name, jesus invites his friends, jesus shall reign where'er the sun, jesus, the friend of man, jesus, thou source of calm repose, jesus, what precept is like thine, john was the prophet of the lord, join, all ye servants of the lord, joined in a union, firm and strong, join every tongue to praise the lord, joy to the earth! the prince of peace, joy to the world! the lord is come, kind lord, before thy face, kindred in christ, for his dear sake, king of the world! i worship thee, know, my soul, thy full salvation, lamp of our feet, whose hallowed beam, lay her gently in the dust, lead us with thy gentle sway, let all the earth their voices raise, let all the heathen writers join, let children hear the mighty deeds, let deepest silence all around, let every mortal ear attend, let monumental pillars rise, let not the wise their wisdom boast, let others boast how strong they be, let party names no more, let pharisees of high esteem, let plenteous grace descend on those, "let there be light," when from on high, let the whole race of creatures lie, let us join as god commands, let us with a gladsome mind, let zion's watchmen all awake, life is a span, a fleeting hour, lift aloud the voice of praise, lift your glad voices in triumph on high, light of life, seraphic fire, like israel's hosts to exile driven, like morning, when her early breeze, like shadows gliding o'er the plain, lo, god is here, let us adore, long as the darkening cloud abode, long be our father's temple ours, lord, before thy presence come, lord, bring me to resign, lord, deliver, thou canst save, lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, lord, from whom all blessings flow, lord, have mercy when we pray, lord, how delightful 'tis to see, lord, i believe, thy power i own, lord, i have made thy word my choice, lord, in heaven thy dwelling place, lord, in thy garden agony, lord jesus, come, for here, lord, lead the way the saviour went, lord, must we die, o let us die, lord, my times are in thy hand, lord, now we part in thy blest name, lord of the worlds above, lord of glory, king of power, lord of heaven, and earth, and ocean, lord of my life, o may thy praise, lord of the sea, thy potent sway, lord of the wide extended main, lord of the worlds below, lord, in thy zion's wall, lord, send thy word and let it run, lord, subdue our selfish will, lord, teach a little child to pray, lord, that i may learn of thee, lord, thou art good, all nature shows, lord, thou didst arise and say, lord, thou hast searched and seen me through, lord, we adore thy wondrous grace, lord, we come before thee now, lord, we believe a rest remains, lord, we have wandered from thy way, lord, when thou saidst "so let it be," lord, when thy people seek thy face, lord, while for all mankind we pray, lord, who's the happy man that may, lo, the day of rest declineth, lo, the lilies of the field, lo! the prisoner is released, loud, raise the notes of joy, lo, what a glorious sight appears, lo, what an entertaining sight, love divine, all love excelling, mark, how the swift-winged minutes fly, mark the soft falling snow, mere human power shall fast decay, messiah lord! who wont to dwell, mid homes and shrines forsaken, mighty one, before whose face, millions of souls in glory now, millions within thy courts have been, mistaken souls that dream of heaven, morning breaks upon the tomb, my country, 'tis of thee, my dear redeemer and my lord, my father, cheering name, my father, grant thy presence nigh, my father, when around me spread, my god, accept my early vows, my god, how endless is thy love my god, i now from sleep awake, my god, i thank thee, may no thought, my god, my king, thy various praise, my god, permit me not to be, my god, permit my tongue, my god, the covenant of thy love, my god, thy service well demands, my helper, god, i bless his name, my maker and my king, my shepherd is the lord on high, my soul before thee prostrate lies, my soul, be on thy guard, my soul, how lovely is the place, mysterious are the ways of god, no change of times shall ever shock, no loud avenging voice, not different food, nor different dress, not for the pious dead we weep, not for the prophet tongue of fire, not for the summer's hour alone, not in the church-yard shall he sleep, not with terror do we meet, not with the flashing steel, no warlike sounds awoke the night, no war nor battle's sound, now, gracious lord, thine arm reveal, now is the day of grace, now let our prayers ascend to thee, now, lord, the heavenly seed is sown, now pray we for our country, now the shades of night are gone, now to the lord a noble song, o bow thine ear, eternal one, o cease, my wandering soul, o come, and let th' assembly all, o come, loud anthems let us sing, o could we speak the matchless worth, o'er mountain tops the mount of god, o'er the dark wave of galilee, o father, draw us after thee, o father, though the anxious fear, o for a closer walk with god, o for a faith that will not shrink, o for a heart to praise my god, o for a prophet's fire, o for a shout of sacred joy, o for the death of those, o god, by whom the seed is given, o god, my father, and my king, o god, my helper, ever near, o god, my strength, my hope, o god of freedom, hear us pray, o god of love, with cheering ray, o god, that madest earth and sky, o god, thou art my god alone, o god, thy grace impart, o god, thy name they well may praise, o god unseen, but not unknown, o god, we praise thee, and confess, o god, whose presence glows in all, o happy day that fixed my choice, o happy is the man who hears, o happy soul that lives on high, o help us, lord, each hour of need, o here, if ever, god of love, o it is joy in one to meet, o let your mingling voices rise, o lord, another day is flown, o lord, my best desire fulfil, o lord, thy heavenly grace impart, o lord, thy perfect word, o lord, whose forming hand one blood, o may our sympathizing breasts, omniscient god, 'tis thine to know, one prayer i have, all prayers in one, one sweet flower has drooped and faded, on eyes that never saw the day, on light beams breaking from above, o not alone with outward sign, on the first christian sabbath eve, on this fair spot where nature pays, on thy church, o power divine, onward christian, though the region, onward speed thy conquering flight, on what has now been sown, on zion, his most holy mount, on zion's holy walls, open, lord, my inward ear, oppression shall not always reign, o praise ye the lord, prepare a new song, o render thanks to god above, o shut not out sweet pity's ray, o sinner, bring not tears alone, o speed thee, christian, on thy way, o spirit of the living god, o stay thy tears, for they are blest, o sweet it is to know, to feel, o that the lord would guide my ways, o thou, at whose dread name we bend, o thou, by long experience tried, o thou, enthroned in worlds above, o thou from whom all goodness flows, o thou sun of glorious splendor, o thou, to whom all creatures bow, o thou, to whom in ancient time, o thou, who art above all height, o thou, who didst ordain the word, o thou, who driest the mourner's tear, o thou, who hast at thy command, o thou, who hast spread out the skies, o thou, who on thy chosen son, o thou, whose own vast temple stands, o thou, whose power o'er moving worlds presides, o thou, whose presence went before, o timely happy, timely wise, o 'tis a lovely thing to see, o 'tis a scene the heart to move, our country is immanuel's ground, our father, ever living, our father, god, not face to face, our father in heaven, we hallow thy name, our fathers, lord, to seek a spot, our father! we may lisp thy name, our father, when beside the tomb, our father, who in heaven art, our god, our help in ages past, our god, where'er thy people meet, our heavenly father calls, our heavenly father, hear, our heaven is everywhere, our little bark on boisterous seas, our pilgrim brethren dwelling far, ours is a lovely world, how fair, our times are in thy hand, and thou, o weep not for the joys that fade, o what amazing words of grace, o what a struggle wakes within, o what is life, 'tis like a flower, o where, our saviour, sweeps the line, o who shall see the glorious day, o worship the king, all glorious above, o zion, tune thy voice, parent of all, omnipotent, part in peace! is day before us, pastor, thou art from us taken, patience, o 'tis a grace divine, peace be to this habitation, peace! the welcome sound proclaim, peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan, people of the living god, pilgrim, burdened with thy sin, pillows wet with tears of anguish, pity the nations, o our god, planted in christ the living vine, pour, blessed gospel, glorious news for man, praise for the glorious light, praise god, from whom all blessings flow, praise on thee in zion's gates, praise the lord, ye heavens adore him, praise to god, immortal praise, praise to god, immortal praise, praise to god the great creator, praise to thee, thou great creator, praise waits in zion, lord, for thee, praise ye jehovah's name, praise ye the lord, around whose throne, praise ye the lord on every height, prayer is the soul's sincere desire, prayer may be sweet in cottage homes, prepare us, lord, to view thy cross, quiet, lord, my froward heart, raise the adoring song, rejoice, the lord is king, religion can assuage, religion! in its blessed ray, remark, my soul, the narrow bounds, remember thy creator, restore, o father, to our times restore, return, my soul, unto thy rest, return, o wanderer, now return, ride on, ride on in majesty, rise, crowned with light, imperial salem, rise, rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, rise, o my soul, pursue the path, sacred day, forever blest, safely through another week, salt of the earth, ye virtuous few, salvation! o the joyful sound, saviour, thy law we love, saviour, who thy flock art feeding, say, why should friendship grieve for those, scorn not the slightest word or deed, searcher of hearts! before thy face, see from on high a light divine, see how great a flame aspires, see how he loved! exclaimed the jews, see israel's gentle shepherd stands, see lovely nature raise her head, send down thy winged angel, god, servant of god, well done, servants of christ, arise, see the leaves around us falling, see what a living stone, shine forth, eternal source of light, shine on our souls, eternal god, since o'er thy footstool here below, sing, ye redeemed of the lord, sinner, rouse thee from thy sleep, sister, thou wast mild and lovely, slavery and death the cup contains, so fades the lovely blooming flower, soft are the fruitful showers that bring, softly fades the twilight ray, softly now the light of day, soldier to the contest pressing, so let our lips and lives express, sometimes a light surprises, soon as i heard my father say, soon will our fleeting hours be past, sound the full chorus, let praises ascend, sovereign of life, before thine eye, sovereign of worlds above, sow in the morn thy seed, spirit of grace, and help, and power, stand up and bless the lord, still in shades of midnight darkness, stretched on the cross the saviour dies, suppliant, lo! thy children bend, supreme and universal light, sweet day! so cool, so calm, so bright, sweet is the bliss of souls serene, sweet is the friendly voice, sweet is the prayer whose holy stream, sweet is the scene when virtue dies, sweet is the task, o lord, sweet is the time of spring, sweet is the work, my god, my king, sweet to the soul the parting ray, swell the anthem, raise the song, talk with us, lord, thyself reveal, teach me, my god and king, teach me, o teach me, lord, thy way, teach us to feel as jesus prayed, the air of death breathes through our souls, the billows swell, the winds are high, the bird let loose in eastern skies, the bird that soars on highest wing, the christian warrior, see him stand, the darkened sky, how thick it lowers, the day is past and gone, the evils that beset our path, the fountain in its source, the glorious universe around, the god of harvest praise, the god of mercy will indulge, the god who reigns alone, the heavenly spheres to thee, o god, the heaven of heavens cannot contain, the heavens declare his glory, the heavens declare thy glory, lord, the heavens, o lord, thy power proclaim, the hoary frost, the fleecy snow, the hours of evening close, the joyful morn, my god, is come, the king of heaven his table spreads, the last full wain has come,--has come, the leaves around me falling, the long lost son, with streaming eyes, the lord descended from above, the lord is on his holy throne, the lord jehovah reigns, the lord my pasture shall prepare, the lord of glory is my light, the lord our god is clothed with might, the lord will come and not be slow, the man in life wherever placed, the mellow eve is gliding, the morning dawns upon the place, the mourners came at break of day, theories which thousands cherish, the past is dark with sin and shame, the perfect world by adam trod, the promises i sing, the radiant dawn of gospel light, there is a god, all nature speaks, there is a hope, a blessed hope, there is a land mine eye hath seen, there is a land of pure delight, there is an hour of peaceful rest, there is a pure and peaceful wave, there is a time when moments flow, there is a world we have not seen, there's a refuge of peace from the tempests that beat, there's not a star whose twinkling light, there's not a place in earth's vast round, there sprang a tree of deadly name, there was joy in heaven, the saints on earth and those above, the saviour gently calls, the saviour, what a noble flame, these mortal joys, how soon they fade, the spacious firmament on high, the spirit in our hearts, the spirit moved upon the waves, the spring, the joyous spring is come, the thing my god doth hate, the triumphs of the martyred saints, the turf shall be my fragrant shrine, the vineyard of the lord, the wandering star and fleeting wind, the year begins with promises, they who seek the throne of grace, think gently of the erring, this child we dedicate to thee, this day let grateful praise ascend, this day the lord hath called his own, this is the fast the lord doth choose, this is the first and great command, this stone to thee in faith we lay, thou art, almighty, lord of all, thou art gone to the grave, thou art, o god, the life and light, thou art the way, and he who sighs, thou book of life, in thee are found, thou fount of love and grace, thou gavest, and we yield to thee, thou faint and sick, and worn away, though lost to our sight, we may not deplore thee, thou god of hope, to thee we bow, thou god of truth and love, thou, lord, by mortal eyes unseen, thou, lord, by strictest search hast known, thou must go forth alone, my soul, thou power supreme, whose mighty scheme, thou whose wide extended sway, thrice happy soul, who, born from heaven, through all the changing scenes of life, through endless years thou art the same, through every age, eternal god, through sorrow's night and danger's way, through the day thy love has spared us, through thee we now together come, thus far the lord has led me on, thus saith the first, the great command, thus saith the high and lofty one, thus saith the lord who built the heavens, thus shall thou love th' almighty lord, th' uplifted eye and bended knee, thy kingdom, lord, forever stands, thy life i read, my dearest lord, thy name be hallowed, evermore, thy presence everlasting god, thy presence, gracious god, afford, thy ways, o lord, with wise design, times without number have i prayed, time by moments steals away, time! what an empty vapor 'tis, 'tis a point i long to know, 'tis by the faith of joys to come, 'tis done, the great transaction's done, 'tis finished, so the saviour cried, 'tis god the spirit leads, 'tis good to weep and mourn for those, 'tis gone, that bright and orbed blaze, 'tis midnight, and on olive's brow, 'tis my happiness below, to christ, the son, the father spake, to keep the lamp alive, to thee, great source of light, to thee, my god and saviour, to thee, my god, my days are known, to thee, my god! to thee i bring, 'twas god who fixed the rolling spheres, 'twas on that dark and doleful night, unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb, upon the gospel's sacred page, vital spark of heavenly flame, wait, o my soul, thy maker's will, walk in the light, so shalt thou know, watchman, tell us of the night, we bid thee welcome in the name, we bless thee for this sacred day, we come, o lord, before thy throne, we come our sabbath hymn to raise, we come to thee, o god, we come with joy and gladness, we gather in the name of god, we have met in peace together, welcome, delightful morn, welcome, sweet day of rest, we long to see that happy time, we mourn for those who toil, we praise thee if one rescued soul, were not the sinful mary's tears, whatever dims thy sense of truth, what glorious tidings do i hear, what if the little rain should say, what must it be to dwell above, what secret hand at morning light, what shall we render, bounteous lord, what though no flowers the fig-tree clothe, what though the arm of conquering death, what though the stream be dead, when abraham, full of sacred awe, when, as returns this solemn day, when before thy throne we kneel, when bending o'er the brink of life, when brighter suns and milder skies when called, o lord, to mourn the doom, when children give their hearts to god, when darkness long has veiled my mind, when dread misfortune's tempests rise, whene'er the clouds of sorrow roll, when fainting in the sultry waste, when floating on life's troubled sea, when gloomy thoughts and boding fears, when god descends with men to dwell, when god revealed his gracious name, when grief and anguish press me down, when his salvation bringing, when human hopes and joys depart, when i can read my title clear, when israel of the lord beloved, when i survey the wondrous cross, when jordan hushed his waters still, when, like a stranger on our sphere, when long the soul had slept in chains, when, lord, to this our western land, when on her maker's bosom, when overwhelmed with grief, when power divine in mortal form, when quiet in my house i sit, when shall the voice of singing, when the worn spirit wants repose, when the parting bosom bleeds, when the vale of death appears, when true religion gains a place, when verdure clothes the fertile vale, when vexing thoughts within me rise, when wakened by thy voice of power, where'er my gospel is proclaimed, where'er the lord shall build my house, where shall the child of sorrow find, where shall we go to seek and find, while here as wandering sheep we stray, while now upon this sabbath eve, while some in folly's pleasures roll, while sounds of war are heard around, while thee i seek, protecting power, while through this changing world we roam, while thus thy throne of grace we seek, while yet the youthful spirit bears, while with ceaseless course the sun, who is my neighbor? he whom thou, who shall a temple build for him, who shall towards thy chosen seat, why do we mourn departed friends, why on the bending willows hung, why should we start and fear to die, why weep for those, frail child of woe, wide as his vast dominion lies, with grateful hearts, with joyful tongues, within thy house, o lord, our god, with sacred joy we lift our eyes with songs and honors sounding loud, with stately towers and bulwarks strong, with thy pure dews and rains, would you behold the works of god, ye boundless realms of joy, ye christian heralds, go proclaim, ye followers of the prince of peace, ye realms below the skies, ye servants of the lord, ye sons of earth, arise, ye subjects of the lord, proclaim, yes, we trust the day is breaking, ye that obey th' immortal king, ye trembling souls, dismiss your fears, ye wretched, hungry, starving poor, zeal is that pure and heavenly flame, particular index of subjects. the figures designate the hymns. adoration, . adversity, rejoicing in, . affection, family, . affliction, god merciful in, . angels, song of, . ark of safety, . aspiration, devout, , , , , , , , , , , . autumn, hymn for, . b. baptism, - . infant, . beatitudes, . benevolence, active, . c. charity, , . blessedness of, . in judgment, , . charitable occasions, - , - . child's prayer, , . christ, all in all, . announced by john, . his ascension, . at the pool of bethesda, . his baptism, . his birth, , . at canaan, . his new commandment, . his coming in power, . the corner-stone, . his spiritual coronation, . on the cross, . his crucifixion, - . death and resurrection, - . desired, . his example, , , . example in forgiving, . his excellency, , . foretold, - . at sea of galilee, . glorying in, . god's image, . god's servant, . in gethsemane, - , . the hiding-place, . imitated, . jerusalem, his entry into, . his going to jerusalem, . our leader, . light of the world, . his love, . his love to enemies, . his miracles, . his mission, . his power over evil, . his poverty, . his preaching, . his preciousness, , . the resting-place, . his submissiveness, . his triumph, . his triumph desired, . the universal king, , . christianity, triumphant, , , christian armor, . blessedness, , , . burial of, , . conflict, rest, and hope, . death, view of, , . devotedness of, , . dying, to his soul, . effort, encouragement to, . fellowship, , , , . graces, . happiness, . life, . life, desire for, . life, excellence of, , . philanthropists, , - . race, , . resolution, . rest, . warfare, , . warrior, . church, an ancient, . attachment to, . exulting in god's government, . glory of, , , , . jewish and christian, . membership, , , . safety of, . communion, - . conference meeting, hymns for, , . confidence in god, , , , , . conscience, a peaceful, . consecration, . contentment, . holy, . conventions, and associations, - . corner-stone of church laid, . country, prayer for our, , , . virtuous love of, . creation, beauties of, . criminal reform, - . cross, attraction of, . of christ, . soldier of, . view of, . welcome, . d. dead, farewell to, , , . the righteous, - , . death, entrance to immortality, . of an aged christian, . of a child, , . of a christian in his prime, . of an infant, , . of a minister, - . meditation on, . of parents, . of a public man, . of the righteous, , , , , , . of a young girl, , . of the young, . universal warning of, . dedication of children, , . of churches, - . dependence on god, . devotion, daily and nightly, . habitual, . doxologies, - . e. easter, , . see resurrection of christ. eternity, glories of, . evening hymns, , - . hymn, with nature, . f. faith, dead without works, . excellence of, . hope, and charity, . living and dead, . power of, , . prayer for, , . solace of, . fast, hymns for, - . fathers, our, - , . fire, hymn on occasion of, . forgiveness, . fourth of july, hymns for, - . freedom, human, - , , . friends, not lost in death, . re-union after death, . see heaven. friendship, christian, . funeral occasion, , , . of an infant, . g. god, acknowledged in national blessings, , . acknowledged in the seasons, - . adoration of, . his altar a refuge, . his blessing invoked, . communion with, desired, , , , , . his condescension, , . the creator, , , . our creator and benefactor, . his decrees and providence, . his direction, prayer for, . dwelling in the heart, . his eternity, , . his eternity and man's frailty, . his existence, . his faithfulness, . our father, , , , . glories celebrated, . his glory, . his glory in the heaven, , . his goodness, , , . goodness and omniscience, . our help, . his holiness, , , . his incomprehensibility, , , . his infinity, . his love, . his majesty, , . his mercy to the penitent, . his omnipotence, , . his omnipresence, , , , , . his omnipresent peace, . his omniscience, , . his omniscience and omnipresence, . his paternal love, . his perfections, , . his power, wisdom, and goodness, . his presence desired, . his providence, , , . his providence illustrated in nature, . his providence mysterious, , , . seen in his works, , . our shepherd, , . source of all things, . a spirit, . his spirit invoked, , , . his truth and love invoked, . unchangeable, , . his unity, . gospel, advancing, . blessings of, , . call to the church, . feast, . fountain, . gentle influence of, . god's glory in, . light of, . power of, . progress of, , , . source of peace and rest, . triumphant, - , , , . trumpet, , . grace, breathings of, . day of, . experience of, . gratitude to god, , . grave, the sailor's, . h. harvest, hymn for, . heaven, , , . anticipated, . its bliss, . children in, . christian's home, . foretaste of, . here, - . hope of, . joys of, on earth, . march to, . prospect of, . its rest, . re-union of friends there, . saints in, , . society of, . within, . homage, and devotion, . honor rendered to all men, . hope, joyful, . rejoicing in, . star and voice, . hospital or asylum, hymn for, . house of god, , . delight in, , , . humanity, its cause hopeful, . humility, . and submission, . i. immortality, illustrated by nature, . inconstancy lamented, . independence, true, . invitation, , - , , , - . to the gospel feast, , , . invocation, , , , , , , , , , , , . israel, fall of, . j. jews, prayer of, , . remonstrance with, . restoration of, , . joy, after sorrow, . in god's presence, . judgment, private, right of, . k. kindness to the afflicted, . to the poor, . kingdom of christ, , , , , , , , , , . of god, , . knowledge of god, . l. liberality rewarded, . liberty meeting, fourth of july, . life, close of, . discipline of, . frailty and shortness of, , , , . a pilgrimage, , . god's providence in, , . illustrated, . its changes, . higher revelations in, . light, injunction to walk in, . love, brotherly, . divine invoked, . harmony of, - . law of, , . supremacy of, . the best offering, . to god, . to god and man, , . to man, . [see philanthropic subjects.] m. marriage hymns, , . martyrs, army of, . death of, . meekness, , . men, all equal, . mercy-seat, . midnight, hymn at, . minister, the faithful, . ministers, blessing invoked on, . charged and encouraged, - . conflict and burthen of, . meeting of, . missionary occasions, - . moderation, . morning hymns, - . morning or evening hymns, , . mourners, blessing of, , . comforted, , , , , , . invited to mercy-seat, . thoughts of heaven, . n. national hymns, - . nature, and the scriptures, , . and the soul, . a temple, . compared with the spiritual world, . evening hymn with, . religious influences of, . o. opportunities, use of, . ordination and installation, - . orphan asylum, hymn for, . orphan's hymn, . p. pardon, . parting, - . patience, . peace, hymns on, - . piety, active, . habitual, . pilgrims, the, . praise, , , , , . and holiness, . exhortation to, , , . from all nature, , , , . from heaven and earth, , . lowly, . perpetual, - , . universal, , - , . prayer, a call to, , , , . described, , . concerning death, . for a beneficent spirit, , , . for a holy heart, . true, . prudence, . purity of heart, , . r. redeemed, glory of, . redemption, universal, , . rejoicing in god our father, - . reliance on god, , , - , , , , - , , , , , . religion, a support in life, . at home, . blessedness of, , , . comforts of, . early, - , . quiet, . repentance, - . resignation, , , . resurrection, and spring-time, . retirement, religious, . rich and poor, . righteous and wicked, , . righteousness, , . river of life, . s. sabbath, - , , , - . delights of, , , . evening, , . hymn for, . worship, . hymn with nature, . improvement of, . morning, hymn for, . of the soul, . on earth and in heaven, . prayer for, , . welcomed, . worship, . sabbath-school hymns, - , . anniversary, , , . death of scholar, - . for fourth of july, . teacher, death of, , . saints, thanks for all, . salvation, . saturday evening, hymns for, , . schools, hymns for, - . scriptures, comfort of, , . excellence of, , - , . god praised for, . importance to the young, . light and glory of, . sufficiency of, . superiority of, . value of, . sea, hymn at, . prayer at, . seamen's hymns, - . self-distrust, . abandonment, . sick child, prayer for, . sickness and recovery, . sincerity and hypocrisy, . sinner entreated to awake, . soul, the, its beauty unfading, . spring, hymns for, - . storm at sea, . hymn on occasion of, . submission to god, , , . summer, hymns for, , . sunset, hymn at, . t. temperance hall, dedication of, . hymns, - . temptation, . compared to a storm, . thanksgiving, hymns for, - , . time, worth of, . flight of, . traveller's hymn, . treasures, earthly and heavenly, . trust in god, , , , , . truth, call of, . permanence and triumph of, . u. unity, christian, , , , - , , . v. virtue, security of, . voices of the dead, . w. war, hymn in time of, . watchfulness, and brotherly reproof, . and prayer, , . prayer for, . water of life, . widow's prayer, . winter, hymns for, , . wisdom, excellence of, . true, . woman, influence of, , . worship, . attendance on, . call to, . close of, - , . delight of, , , , , , . domestic, - , , , . evening, close of, , , . public, . social, . filial and cheerful, . invitation to, . of earth and heaven, . of the heart, , . pious, . preparation for, , . public, , , , , , , . silent, . sincere, . social, call to, , . joy of, , . universal, . y. year, close of, , , . promises of, . the new, - . youth, and autumn, . and spring-time, . youthful example, . z. zeal, true and false, . zion, encouraged, . introduction and close of worship. . s. m. bowring. humble worship when before thy throne we kneel, filled with awe and holy fear, teach us, o our god! to feel all thy sacred presence near. check each proud and wandering thought when on thy great name we call; man is nought--is less than nought: thou, our god, art all in all. weak, imperfect creatures, we in this vale of darkness dwell; yet presume to look to thee, 'midst thy light ineffable. o, receive the praise that dares seek thy heaven-exalted throne; bless our offerings, hear our pray'rs, infinite and holy one! . p. m. anonymous. solemn invocation. come, thou almighty king! help us thy name to sing; help us to praise! father all glorious, o'er all victorious, come and reign over us, ancient of days! come, thou all gracious lord! by heaven and earth adored, our prayer attend! come, and thy children bless; give thy good word success; make thine own holiness on us descend! never from us depart; rule thou in every heart, hence, evermore! thy sovereign majesty may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore. . s. m. montgomery. exhortation to praise. stand up and bless the lord, ye people of his choice; stand up, and bless the lord your god, with heart, and soul and voice. though high above all praise, above all blessing high, who would not fear his holy name, and laud and magnify? o for the living flame from his own altar brought, to touch our lips, our minds inspire, and wing to heaven our thought! there, with benign regard, our hymns he deigns to hear; though unrevealed to mortal sense, the spirit feels him near. stand up and bless the lord, the lord your god adore; stand up and bless his glorious name, henceforth for evermore. . l. m. watts. public worship. before jehovah's awful throne, ye nations, bow with sacred joy; know that the lord is god alone; he can create, and he destroy. his sovereign power, without our aid, made us of clay, and formed us men; and when, like wandering sheep we strayed, he brought us to his fold again. we are his people; we his care; our souls, and all our mortal frame: what lasting honors shall we rear, almighty maker, to thy name? we'll crowd thy gates, with thankful songs high as the heaven our voices raise; and earth, with her ten thousand tongues, shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. wide as the world is thy command; vast as eternity thy love; firm as a rock thy truth shall stand, when rolling years shall cease to move. . l. m. tate & brady. the same. o, come, loud anthems let us sing, loud thanks to our almighty king; for we our voices high should raise, when our salvation's rock we praise. into his presence let us haste, to thank him, for his favors past; to him address, in joyful songs, the praise that to his name belongs. o, let us to his courts repair, and bow with adoration there; with joy and fear devoutly all before the lord, our maker, fall! . l. m. watts. "how amiable are thy tabernacles, o lord of hosts." great god! attend, while zion sings the joy that from thy presence springs; to spend one day with thee, on earth, exceeds a thousand days of mirth. might i enjoy the meanest place within thy house, o god of grace, not tents of ease, nor thrones of power, should tempt my feet to leave thy door. god is our sun--he makes our day; god is our shield--he guards our way; all needful grace he will bestow, and crown that grace with glory too. o god! our king, whose sovereign sway the glorious hosts of heaven obey, thy willing servants may we be, for blest are they who trust in thee. . c. m. edmeston. the lord's day. when the worn spirit wants repose, and sighs her god to seek, how sweet to hail the evening's close that ends the weary week! how sweet to hail the early dawn that opens on the sight, when first that soul-reviving morn beams its new rays of light! blest day! thine hours too soon will cease yet, while they gently roll, breathe, heavenly spirit, source of peace, a sabbath o'er my soul! . c. m. codman's coll. the blessing of the sabbath. blest day of god! most calm, most bright, the first and best of days; the laborer's rest, the saint's delight, the day of prayer and praise. my saviour's face made thee to shine; his rising thee did raise; and made thee heavenly and divine beyond all other days. the first fruits oft a blessing prove to all the sheaves behind; and they who do the sabbath love, a happy week will find. this day i must to god appear; for, lord, the day is thine; help me to spend it in thy fear, and thus to make it mine. . c. m. mrs. follen. love of sabbath service. how sweet, upon this sacred day, the best of all the seven, to cast our earthly thoughts away, and think of god and heaven! how sweet to be allowed to pray our sins may be forgiven! with filial confidence to say, "father, who art in heaven!" how sweet the words of peace to hear from him to whom 'tis given to wake the penitential tear, and lead the way to heaven! and if, to make our sins depart, in vain the will has striven, he who regards the inmost heart will send his grace from heaven. . l. m. l. mrs. steele. a prayer for lord's day. great god, this sacred day of thine demands our souls' collected powers. may we employ in work divine these solemn, these devoted hours; o may our souls adoring own the grace which calls us to thy throne. hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly; where god resides appear no more; omniscient god, thy piercing eye can every secret thought explore: o may thy grace our hearts refine, and fix our thoughts on things divine. the word of life dispensed to-day invites us to a heavenly feast. may every ear the call obey; be every heart a humble guest; o bid the wretched sons of need on soul-reviving dainties feed. thy spirit's powerful aid impart; o may thy word, with life divine, engage the ear, and warm the heart; then shall the day indeed be thine; then shall our souls adoring own the grace which calls us to thy throne. . c. m. h. ware, jr. invoking god's aid. father in heaven, to thee my heart would lift itself in prayer; drive from my soul each earthly thought and show thy presence there. each moment of my life renews the mercies of my lord, each moment is itself a gift to bear me on to god. o, help me break the galling chains, this world has round me thrown, each passion of my heart subdue, each darling sin disown. o father, kindle in my breast a never dying flame of holy love, of grateful trust in thine almighty name. . h. m. hayward. invocation for lord's day morning. welcome, delightful morn, thou day of sacred rest! we hail thy glad return: lord, make these moments blest. from low delights and mortal toys we soar to reach immortal joys. now may the king descend, and fill his throne of grace; thy sceptre, lord, extend, while we address thy face. o let us feel thy quickening word, and learn to know and fear the lord. descend, celestial dove, with all thy quickening powers; disclose a saviour's love, and bless these sacred hours: then shall our souls new life obtain, nor sabbaths be enjoyed in vain. . c. p. m. day. attendance on worship. i'll bless jehovah's glorious name, whose goodness heaven and earth proclaim, with every morning light; and at the close of every day, to him my cheerful homage pay, who guards me through the night. then in his churches to appear, and pay my humble worship there, shall be my sweet employ: the day that saw my saviour rise shall dawn on my delighted eyes with pure and holy joy. with grateful sorrow in my breast, i'll celebrate the dying feast of my exalted lord; and, while his perfect love i view, his bright example i'll pursue, and meditate his word. . s. p. m. watts. delight in the house of god. how pleased and blest was i to hear the people cry, "come, let us seek our god to-day!" yes, with a cheerful zeal, we haste to zion's hill, and there our vows and honors pay. zion, thrice happy place, adorned with wondrous grace, and walls of strength embrace thee round; in thee our tribes appear, to pray, and praise, and hear the sacred gospel's joyful sound. may peace attend thy gate, and joy within thee wait, to bless the soul of every guest; the man who seeks thy peace, and wishes thine increase, a thousand blessings on him rest. . & s. m. wesley's coll. divine love. love divine, all love excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down! fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. father! thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation, enter every longing heart. breathe, o breathe thy loving spirit into every troubled breast; let us all in thee inherit, let us find thy promised rest. come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive, graciously come down, and never, never more thy temples leave. . l. m. pierpont. universal worship. o thou, to whom, in ancient time, the lyre of hebrew bards was strung, whom kings adored in song sublime, and prophets praised with glowing tongue! not now on zion's height alone thy favored worshipper may dwell; nor where, at sultry noon, thy son, sat weary, by the patriarch's well. from every place below the skies, the grateful song, the fervent prayer-- the incense of the heart--may rise to heaven, and find acceptance there. to thee shall age, with snowy hair, and strength and beauty bend the knee, and childhood lisp, with reverent air, its praises and its prayers to thee. o thou, to whom, in ancient time, the lyre of prophet-bards was strung, to thee, at last, in every clime shall temples rise, and praise be sung. . c. m. presbyterian coll. prayer for special favor. within thy house, o lord, our god, in glory now appear; make this a place of thine abode, and shed thy blessings here. when we thy mercy-seat surround, thy spirit, lord, impart; and let thy gospel's joyful sound with power reach every heart. here let the blind their sight obtain; here give the mourners rest; let jesus here triumphant reign, enthroned in every breast. here let the voice of sacred joy and humble prayer arise, till higher strains our tongues employ in realms beyond the skies. . c. m. watts. daily and nightly devotion. ye that obey the immortal king, attend his holy place; bow to the glories of his name, and sing his wondrous grace. lift up your hands by morning light, and raise your thanks on high; send your admiring thoughts, by night, above the starry sky. the god of zion cheer your hearts with rays of quickening grace: 'tis he that spreads the heavens abroad, whose presence fills the place. . s. m. montgomery. the delight of worship. glad was my heart to hear my old companions say come, in the house of god appear, for 'tis a holy day. our willing feet shall stand within thy temple-door; while young and old in many a band shall throng the sacred floor. within these walls be peace and harmony be found: zion, in all thy palaces, prosperity abound! for friends and brethren dear, our prayer shall never cease oft as they meet for worship here, god send his people peace! . s. m. e. taylor. call to the house of prayer. come to the house of prayer, o ye afflicted, come: the god of peace shall meet you there-- he makes that house his home. come to the house of praise, ye who are happy now; in sweet accord your voices raise, in kindred homage bow. ye aged, hither come, for ye have felt his love: soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb, your lips forget to move. ye young, before his throne, come, bow; your voices raise; let not your hearts his praise disown who gives the power to praise. thou, whose benignant eye in mercy looks on all-- who see'st the tear of misery, and hear'st the mourner's call-- up to thy dwelling-place bear our frail spirits on, till they outstrip time's tardy pace, and heaven on earth be won. . h. m. watts. delight in public worship. lord of the worlds above, how pleasant and how fair the dwellings of thy love, thine earthly temples, are! to thine abode my heart aspires, with warm desires to see my god. o happy souls that pray where god appoints to hear! o happy men that pay their constant service there! they praise thee still; and happy they who love the way to zion's hill. they go from strength to strength, throughout these mortal years, till each arrives at length, till each in heaven appears: o glorious seat, when god, our king, shall thither bring our willing feet! . s. hammond. a blessing humbly requested. lord, we come before thee now; at thy feet we humbly bow; o, do not our suit disdain; shall we seek thee, lord, in vain? in thine own appointed way, now we seek thee; here we stay; lord, from hence we would not go, till a blessing thou bestow. comfort those who weep and mourn; let the time of joy return; those that are cast down, lift up; make them strong in faith and hope. grant that all may seek and find thee a god supremely kind; heal the sick; the captive free; let us all rejoice in thee. . l. m. anonymous. for opening or close of service. thy presence, gracious god, afford; prepare us to receive thy word; now let thy voice engage our ear, and faith be mixed with what we hear. distracting thoughts and cares remove, and fix our hearts and hopes above; with food divine may we be fed, and satisfied with living bread. to us the sacred word apply with sovereign power and energy; and may we, in thy faith and fear, reduce to practice what we hear. father, in us thy son reveal; teach us to know and do thy will; thy saving power and love display, and guide us to the realms of day. . l. m. l. heber. seeking refuge. forth from the dark and stormy sky, lord, to thine altar's shade we fly; forth from the world, its hope and fear, father, we seek thy shelter here: weary and weak, thy grace we pray; turn not, o lord, thy guests away. long have we roamed in want and pain; long have we sought thy rest in vain; wildered in doubt, in darkness lost, long have our souls been tempest-tost: low at thy feet our sins we lay; turn not, o lord, thy guests away. . s. m. edmeston. the house of god. there's a refuge of peace from the tempests that beat, from the dark clouds that threaten, the wild wind that blows; a holy, a sweet and a lovely retreat, a spring of refreshment, a place of repose. 'tis the house of my god, 'tis the dwelling of prayer, the temple all hallowed by blessing and praise; if sorrow and faithlessness conquer me, there my heart to the throne of his grace i can raise. for a refuge like this, ah, what praises are due! for a rest so serene, for a covert so fair: ah, why are the seasons of worship so few? and why are so seldom the meetings of prayer? . & s. m. j. taylor. the fount of blessing. far from mortal cares retreating, sordid hopes, and vain desires, here our willing footsteps meeting, every heart to heaven aspires. from the fount of glory beaming, light celestial cheers our eyes, mercy from above proclaiming peace and pardon from the skies. who may share this great salvation? every pure and humble mind, every kindred, tongue, and nation, from the stains of guilt refined. blessings all around bestowing, god withholds his care from none, grace and mercy ever flowing from the fountain of his throne. . c. m. newton. a blessing sought. great shepherd of thy people, hear; thy presence now display; we kneel within thy house of prayer; o, give us hearts to pray. the clouds which veil thee from our sight, in pity, lord, remove; dispose our minds to hear aright the message of thy love. help us, with holy fear and joy, to kneel before thy face; o, make us, creatures of thy power, the children of thy grace. . s. m. j. taylor. preparation for worship. lord, before thy presence come, bow we down with holy fear; call our erring footsteps home, let us feel that thou art near. wandering thoughts and languid powers come not where devotion kneels; let the soul expand her stores, glowing with the joy she feels. at the portals of thine house, we resign our earth-born cares; nobler thoughts our souls engross, songs of praise and fervent prayers. . c. m. rippon's coll. "hallowed be thy name." holy and reverend is the name of our eternal king; thrice holy lord, the angels cry; thrice holy, let us sing. the deepest reverence of the mind pay, o my soul, to god; lift with thy hands a holy heart to his sublime abode. with sacred awe pronounce his name, whom words nor thoughts can reach; a broken heart shall please him more than the best forms of speech. thou holy god! preserve my soul from all pollution free; the pure in heart are thy delight, and they thy face shall see. . s. m. urwick's coll. pleasures of spiritual worship. how sweet to bless the lord, and in his praises join, with saints his goodness to record, and sing his power divine! these seasons of delight the dawn of glory seem, like rays of pure, celestial light, which on our spirits beam. o, blest assurance this; bright morn of heavenly day; sweet foretaste of eternal bliss, that cheers the pilgrim's way. thus may our joys increase, our love more ardent grow, while rich supplies of jesus' grace refresh our souls below. . c. m. watts. god present in the sanctuary. my soul, how lovely is the place to which thy god resorts! 'tis heaven to see his smiling face, though in his earthly courts. there the great monarch of the skies his saving power displays; and light breaks in upon our eyes with kind and quickening rays. with his rich gifts the heavenly dove descends and fills the place, while christ reveals his wondrous love, and sheds abroad his grace. there, mighty god, thy words declare the secrets of thy will; and still we seek thy mercy there, and sing thy praises still. . c. m. pratt's coll. a blessing sought. again our earthly cares we leave, and to thy courts repair; again, with joyful feet we come to meet our saviour here. the feeling heart, the melting eye, the humble mind, bestow; and shine upon us from on high, to make our graces grow. may we in faith receive thy word, in faith present our prayers, and in the presence of our lord unbosom all our cares. show us some token of thy love, our fainting hope to raise, and pour thy blessing from above, that we may render praise. . l. m. tate & brady. public worship. for thee, o god, our constant praise in zion waits, thy chosen seat; our promised altars there we'll raise, and all our zealous vows complete. o thou, who to my humble prayer didst always bend thy listening ear, to thee shall all mankind repair, and at thy gracious throne appear. our sins, though numberless, in vain to stop thy flowing mercy try; for thou wilt cleanse the guilty stain, and wash away the crimson dye. blest is the man, who, near thee placed, within thy sacred dwelling lives; whilst we at humbler distance taste the vast delight thy worship gives. . l. m. frothingham. truth and love. o god, whose presence glows in all, within, around us, and above! thy word we bless, thy name we call, whose word is truth, whose name is love. that truth be with the heart believed of all who seek this sacred place; with power proclaimed, in peace received-- our spirits' light, thy spirit's grace. that love its holy influence pour, to keep us meek, and make us free, and throw its binding blessing more round each with all, and all with thee. send down its angel to our side-- send in its calm upon the breast; for we would know no other guide, and we can need no other rest. . l. m. montgomery. invoking a blessing. lord! when thy people seek thy face, and dying sinners pray to live, hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place, and, when thou hearest, o forgive! here, when thy messengers proclaim the blessed gospel of thy son, still, by the power of his great name, be mighty signs and wonders done. but will indeed jehovah deign here to abide, no transient guest? here will the world's redeemer reign, and here the holy spirit rest? that glory never hence depart! yet choose not, lord, this house alone; thy kingdom come to every heart, in every bosom fix thy throne. . s. m. l. j. newton. a prayer for lord's day. safely through another week thou hast brought us on our way; let us now thy blessing seek, waiting in thy courts to-day: day, of all the week the best-- emblem of eternal rest. mercies multiplied each hour through the week our praise demand: guarded by almighty power, fed and guided by thy hand, may we not forgetful be, nor ungrateful, lord, to thee. while we seek supplies of grace through the dear redeemer's name, show thy reconciling face, take away our sin and shame. from our worldly cares set free, may we rest this day in thee. may the gospel's joyful sound conquer sinners, comfort saints; make the fruits of grace abound; bring relief from all complaints. thus let all our sabbaths prove, till we join the church above. . l. m. bowring. evening worship. how shall we praise thee, lord of light! how shall we all thy love declare! the earth is veiled in shades of night, but heaven is open to our prayer,-- that heaven so bright with stars and suns-- that glorious heaven which has no bound, where the full tide of being runs, and life and beauty glow around. we would adore thee, god sublime! whose power and wisdom, love and grace, are greater than the round of time, and wider than the bounds of space, o how shall thought expression find, all lost in thine immensity! how shall we seek thee, glorious mind, amid thy dread infinity! but thou art present with us here, as in thy glittering, high domain; and grateful hearts and humble fear can never seek thy face in vain. help us to praise thee, lord of light! help us thy boundless love declare; and, here within thy courts to-night, aid us, and hearken to our prayer. . c. m. mrs. barbauld. the sabbath of the soul. o father! though the anxious fear may cloud to-morrow's way, no fear nor doubt shall enter here,-- all shall be thine to-day. we will not bring divided hearts to worship at thy shrine; but each unworthy thought departs, and leaves this temple thine. then sleep to-day, tormenting cares, of earth and folly born; ye shall not dim the light that streams from this celestial morn. to-morrow will be time enough to feel your harsh control; ye shall not violate this day, the sabbath of the soul. . s. m. bowring. lowly praise. lord, in heaven, thy dwelling-place, hear the praises of our race, and, while hearing, let thy grace dews of sweet forgiveness pour; while we know, benignant king, that the praises which we bring are a worthless offering till thy blessing makes it more. more of truth, and more of might, more of love, and more of light, more of reason, and of right, from thy pardoning grace be given! it can make the humblest song sweet, acceptable, and strong, as the strains the angels' throng pour around the throne of heaven. . l. m. m. w. hale. the day of rest. this day let grateful praise ascend to thee, our father, and our friend, thee, author of this holy light, thee, throned in boundless power and might. o, let the sacred hours be given to truth, to duty, and to heaven; while trusting faith and holy love rise fervent to thy throne above. grant that our earthly sabbaths be but dawnings of eternity, to shadow forth the glorious rest, the heavenly quiet of the blest. . l. m. bathurst. improvement of the sabbath. this day the lord hath called his own; o, let us, then, his praise declare, fix our desires on him alone, and seek his face with fervent prayer. lord, in thy love we would rejoice, which bids the burdened soul be free, and, with united heart and voice, devote these sacred hours to thee. now let the world's delusive things no more our grovelling thoughts employ but faith be taught to stretch her wings, in search of heaven's unfailing joy. o, let these earthly sabbaths, lord, be to our lasting welfare blest; the purest comfort here afford, and fit us for eternal rest. . s. m. bulfinch. sabbath worship. hail to the sabbath day! the day divinely given, when men to god their homage pay, and earth draws near to heaven. lord, in this sacred hour, within thy courts we bend, and bless thy love, and own thy power, our father and our friend. but thou art not alone in courts by mortals trod; nor only is the day thine own when man draws near to god. thy temple is the arch of yon unmeasured sky; thy sabbath, the stupendous march of grand eternity. lord, may that holier day dawn on thy servants' sight; and purer worship may we pay in heaven's unclouded light. . s. m. spirit of the psalms. the delights of the sabbath. sweet is the task, o lord, thy glorious acts to sing, to praise thy name, and hear thy word, and grateful offerings bring. sweet, at the dawning hour, thy boundless love to tell; and when the night-wind shuts the flower, still on the theme to dwell. sweet, on this day of rest, to join in heart and voice, with those who love and serve thee best, and in thy name rejoice. to songs of praise and joy, be every sabbath given, that such may be our blest employ eternally in heaven. . l. m. raffles. the hour of prayer. blest hour, when mortal man retires to hold communion with his god, to send to heaven his warm desires, and listen to the sacred word. blest hour, when earthly cares resign their empire o'er his anxious breast, while, all around, the calm divine proclaims the holy day of rest. blest hour, when god himself draws nigh, well pleased his people's voice to hear, to hush the penitential sigh, and wipe away the mourner's tear. blest hour! for, where the lord resorts, foretastes of future bliss are given, and mortals find his earthly courts the house of god, the gate of heaven. . l. m. sir j. e. smith. devout worship of god. praise waits in zion, lord, for thee; thy saints adore thy holy name; thy creatures bend th' obedient knee, and, humbly, thy protection claim. thy hand has raised us from the dust; the breath of life thy spirit gave; where, but in thee, can mortals trust? who, but our god, has power to save? still may thy children in thy word their common trust and refuge see; o bind us to each other, lord, by one great tie,--the love of thee. so shall our sun of hope arise, with brighter still and brighter ray, till thou shalt bless our longing eyes with beams of everlasting day. . s. m. watts. the sabbath welcomed. welcome, sweet day of rest, that saw the lord arise; welcome to this reviving breast and these rejoicing eyes. the king himself comes near, and feasts his saints to-day; here we may sit, and see him here, and love, and praise, and pray. one day, amid the place where my dear lord hath been, is sweeter than ten thousand days of folly and of sin. my willing soul would stay in such a frame as this, till called to rise and soar away to everlasting bliss. . s. m. watts. public worship. ps. . come, sound his praise abroad, and hymns of glory sing: jehovah is the sovereign god, the universal king. he formed the deeps unknown; he gave the seas their bound; the watery worlds are all his own, and all the solid ground. come, worship at his throne; come, bow before the lord; we are his works, and not our own: he formed us by his word. to-day attend his voice, nor dare provoke his rod; come, like the people of his choice, and own your gracious god. . c. m. jervis. homage and devotion. with sacred joy we lift our eyes to those bright realms above-- that glorious temple in the skies where dwells eternal love. thee we adore, and, lord, to thee our filial duty pay; thy service, unconstrained and free, conducts to endless day. while in thy house of prayer we kneel with trust and holy fear, thy mercy and thy truth reveal, and lend a gracious ear. with fervor teach our hearts to pray, and tune our lips to sing; nor from thy presence cast away the sacrifice we bring. . l. m. newton. the lord's day. how welcome to the soul, when pressed with six days' noise, and care, and toil, is the returning day of rest, which hides us from the world awhile! how happy they, whose lot is cast where christ invites the "weary" yet; they find their sorrows quickly past, and all their burdens soon forget. though pinched with poverty at home, with sharp afflictions daily fed, it makes amends, if they can come to god's own house for heavenly bread. we thank thee for thy day, o lord! and here thy promised presence seek; open thy hand with blessings stored, and give us manna for the week. . l. m. butcher. christian worship. father of all! where shall we find a temple suited to thy praise? to thee, the uncreated mind, what earthly altar shall we raise? we'll call a multitude around, and gladly seek the house of prayer; there thy salvation we have found, and still, o god, we'll seek it there. from breast to breast the holy flame shall kindle round the sacred place: at once we'll hymn our father's name, at once we'll seek our father's face. there, heavenly father, condescend to meet us with peculiar love; and when the hymns of earth shall end, we'll give thee nobler hymns above. . l. m. pope's coll. the lord's prayer. father! adored in worlds above, thy glorious name be hallowed still; thy kingdom come with power and love, and earth, like heaven, obey thy will. lord! make our daily wants thy care; forgive the sins which we forsake: and, as we in thy kindness share, let fellow-men of ours partake. evils beset us every hour; thy kind protection we implore: thine is the kingdom, thine the power; be thine the glory evermore! . c. m. montgomery. mutual invitation. come, let us join our souls to god in everlasting bands, and seize the blessings he bestows with eager hearts and hands. come, let us to his temple haste, and seek his favor there, before his footstool humbly bow, and offer fervent prayer. come, let us share, without delay, the blessings of his grace; nor shall the years of distant life their mem'ry e'er efface. o, may our children ever haste to seek their fathers' god, nor e'er forsake the happy path their fathers' feet have trod. . c. m. milton. "the lord god is a sun and shield." ps. . how lovely are thy dwellings fair, o lord of hosts, how dear the pleasant tabernacles are where thou dost dwell so near! happy, who in thy house reside, where thee they ever praise, happy, whose strength in thee doth bide, and in their hearts thy ways. they pass through sorrow's thirsty vale, that dry and barren ground, as through a fruitful, wat'ry dale, where springs and showers abound. they journey on from strength to strength, with joy and gladsome cheer, till all before our god at length in zion do appear. for god the lord, both sun and shield, gives grace and glory bright; no good from them shall be withheld whose ways are just and right. . l. m. salisbury co. house of god. lo, god is here! let us adore, and humbly bow before his face; let all within us feel his power; let all within us seek his grace. lo, god is here! him, day and night united choirs of angels sing: to him, enthroned above all height, heaven's host their noblest homage bring. being of beings! may thy praise thy courts with grateful fragrance fill: still may we stand before thy face-- still hear and do thy sovereign will. . l. m. new york coll. sabbath day. we bless thee for this sacred day, thou who hast every blessing given, which sends the dreams of earth away, and yields a glimpse of opening heaven. lord, in this day of holy rest, we would improve the calm repose; and, in thy service truly blest, forget the world, its joys and woes. lord! may thy truth, upon the heart, now fall and dwell as heavenly dew, and flowers of grace in freshness start where once the weeds of error grew. may prayer now lift her sacred wings, contented with that aim alone which bears her to the king of kings, and rests her at his sheltering throne. . c. m. montgomery. introduction to evening worship. on the first christian sabbath eve, when his disciples met o'er his lost fellowship to grieve, nor knew the scripture yet,-- lo! in their midst his form was seen,-- the form in which he died; their master's marred and wounded mien,-- his hands, his feet, his side. then were they glad their lord to know, and hailed him, yet with fear;-- jesus, again thy presence show; meet thy disciples here. be in our midst; let faith rejoice our risen lord to view, and make our spirits hear thy voice say, "peace be unto you!" . c. m. watts. going to church. ps. . how did my heart rejoice to hear my friends devoutly say, "in zion let us all appear, and keep the solemn day!" up to her courts, with joys unknown, the holy tribes repair: the son of david holds his throne, and sits in judgment there. peace be within this sacred place, and joy a constant guest; with holy gifts and heavenly grace be her attendants blest. my soul shall pray for zion still while life or breath remains; there my best friends, my kindred, dwell; there god, my saviour, reigns. . l. m. stennett. sabbath morning. another six days' work is done, another sabbath is begun: return, my soul, enjoy thy rest, improve the day which god hath blest. o that our thoughts and thanks may rise, as grateful incense, to the skies, and draw from heaven that sweet repose, which none but he that feels it knows! this heavenly calm within the breast is the dear pledge of glorious rest, which for the church of god remains, the end of cares, the end of pains. in holy duties let the day-- in holy pleasures--pass away: how sweet, a sabbath thus to spend, in hope of one that ne'er shall end! . s. m. miss h. f. gould. the sabbath. choice of god, thou blessed day, at thy dawn the grave gave way to the power of him within, who had, sinless, bled for sin. thine the radiance to illume first, for man, the dismal tomb, when its bars their weakness owned, there revealing death dethroned. then the sun of righteousness rose, a darkened world to bless, bringing up from mortal night immortality and light. day of glory, day of power, sacred be thine every hour, emblem, earnest of the rest that remaineth for the blest! . c. m. mrs. bareauld. the lord's day morning. again the lord of life and light awakes the kindling ray, unseals the eyelids of the morn, and pours increasing day. o what a night was that which wrapped the heathen world in gloom! o what a sun which broke, this day, triumphant from the tomb! this day be grateful homage paid, and loud hosannas sung; let gladness dwell in every heart, and praise on every tongue. ten thousand differing lips shall join to hail this welcome morn, which scatters blessings from its wings to nations yet unborn. . l. m. watts. sabbath on earth and in heaven. ps. . sweet is the work, my god, my king, to praise thy name, give thanks, and sing; to show thy love by morning light, and talk of all thy truth at night. sweet is the day of sacred rest! no mortal cares shall seize my breast; o may my heart in tune be found, like david's harp of solemn sound. my heart shall triumph in the lord, and bless his works, and bless his word: thy works of grace, how bright they shine, how deep thy counsels, how divine! but i shall share a glorious part when grace hath well refined my heart, and, raised to holier courts above, i praise thee with a purer love. then shall i see, and hear, and know, all i desired or wished below; and every power find sweet employ in that eternal world of joy. . c. p. m. merrick. the sabbath and the earthly temple. the joyful morn, my god, is come, that calls me to thy sacred dome, thy presence to adore: my feet the summons shall attend, with willing steps thy courts ascend and tread the hallowed floor. with holy joy i hail the day, that warns my thirsting soul away; what transports fill my breast! for, lo! my great redeemer's power unfolds the everlasting door, and leads me to his rest! hither, from earth's remotest end, lo! the redeemed of god ascend, their tribute hither bring; here, crowned with everlasting joy, in hymns of praise their tongues employ, and hail the immortal king. . c. m. watts. longing for the house of god. early, my god, without delay, i haste to seek thy face; my thirsty spirit faints away without thy cheering grace. so pilgrims on the scorching sand, beneath a burning sky, long for a cooling stream at hand; and they must drink, or die. not life itself, with all its joys, can my best passions move, or raise so high my cheerful voice, as thy forgiving love. thus, till my last expiring day, i'll bless my god and king; thus will i lift my hands to pray, and tune my lips to sing. . l. m. heber. the worship of earth and heaven. hosanna! lord, thine angels cry: hosanna! lord, we hear reply: above, beneath us, and around, the dead and living swell the sound. o father! with protecting care meet us in this, thy house of prayer; assembled in messiah's name, thy promised blessing here we claim. but, chiefest, in our cleansed breast, eternal! let thy spirit rest; and make our secret soul to be a temple pure, and worthy thee. . l. m. watts. watchfulness and brotherly reproof. ps. . my god, accept my early vows, like morning incense, in thy house; and let my nightly worship rise sweet as the evening sacrifice. watch o'er my lips, and guard them, lord, from every rash and heedless word; nor let my feet incline to tread the guilty path where sinners lead. o may the righteous, when i stray, smite and reprove my wandering way; their gentle words, like ointment shed, shall never bruise, but cheer, my head. when i behold them prest with grief i'll cry to heaven for their relief; and by my warm petitions prove how much i prize their faithful love. . l. m. watts. the pleasure of public worship. ps. . how pleasant, how divinely fair, o lord of hosts, thy dwellings are! with long desire my spirit faints to meet the assemblies of thy saints. blest are the souls who find a place within the temple of thy grace; there they behold thy gentler rays, and seek thy face and learn thy praise. blest are the men whose hearts are set to find the way to zion's gate; god is their strength; and through the road they lean upon their helper, god. cheerful they walk with growing strength, till all shall meet in heaven at length; till all before thy face appear, and join the nobler worship there. . l. m. c. robbins. "speak, lord, for thy servant heareth." while thus thy throne of grace we seek, o god, within our spirits speak! for we will hear thy voice to-day, nor turn our hardened hearts away. speak in thy gentlest tones of love, till all our best affections move; we long to hear no meaner call, but feel that thou art all in all. to conscience speak thy quickening word, till all its sense of sin is stirred: for we would leave no stain of guile, to cloud the radiance of thy smile. speak, father, to the anxious heart, till every fear and doubt depart: for we can find no home or rest, till with thy spirit's whispers blest. . h. m. roman breviary. for a blessing on worship. here, gracious god! do thou for evermore draw nigh; accept each faithful prayer, and mark each suppliant sigh: in copious shower, on all who pray, this holy day, thy blessings pour. here may we find from heaven the grace which we implore; and may that grace once given, be with us evermore: until that day, when all the blest to endless rest are called away. . l. m. sun. school h. b. sabbath hymn. called by the sabbath bells away, unto thy holy temple, lord, i'll go, with willing mind to pray, to praise thy name and hear thy word. o sacred day of peace and joy, thy hours are ever dear to me; ne'er may a sinful thought destroy the holy calm i find in thee. dear are thy peaceful hours to me, for god has given them in his love, to tell how calm, how blest shall be the endless day of heaven above. . l. m. mrs. barbauld. the worship of the heart. when, as returns this solemn day, man comes to meet his maker, god, what rites, what honors shall he pay? how spread his sovereign's praise abroad? from marble domes and gilded spires, shall curling clouds of incense rise? and gems, and gold, and garlands deck the costly pomp of sacrifice? vain, sinful man! creation's lord thy golden offerings well may spare: but give thy heart, and thou shalt find here dwells a god who heareth prayer. . s. m. sun. school h. b. sunday evening. sacred day, forever blest! day of all our days the best! welcome hours of praise and prayer, free from toil, fatigue, and care! happy, truly happy, lord, those who hear and read thy word! happy those who dwell with thee! who thy grace and glory see. we once more have heard thy voice, lord, in thee our souls rejoice; borne by faith to worlds on high, called to reign above the sky. though this day of rest we close, still in thee our hearts repose; guide and guard us all our days: o may all our lives be praise! . s. m. l. j. taylor. invitation to pure worship. at the portals of thy house, lord, we leave our mortal cares: nobler thoughts our souls engage, songs of praise, and fervent prayers. pure and contrite hearts alone find acceptance at thy throne. hapless men, whose footsteps stray from the temple of the lord! teach them zion's heavenly way; to their feet thy light afford. let the world unite to raise solemn harmonies of praise. . l. m. l. c. wesley. worship in spirit and in truth. father of omnipresent grace! we seem agreed to seek thy face: but every soul assembled here doth naked in thy sight appear; thou know'st who only bows the knee, and who in heart approaches thee. to-day, while it is called to-day, awake and stir us up to pray; the spirit of thy word impart, and breathe the life into our heart; our weakness help, our darkness chase, and guide us by the light of grace. . l. m. doddridge. subjection to the father of spirits. eternal source of light and thought! be all beneath thyself forgot, whilst thee, great parent-mind, we own, in prostrate homage round thy throne. whilst in themselves our souls survey of thee some faint reflected ray, they wondering to their father rise: his power how vast! his thoughts how wise! o may we live before thy face, the willing subjects of thy grace; and through each path of duty move, with filial awe, and filial love. . l. m. montgomery. public worship. god in his temple let us meet, in spirit, low before him bend: here he hath fixed his mercy-seat, here on his sabbath we attend. arise into thy resting-place, thou, and thine ark of strength, o lord! shine through the veil, we seek thy face: speak, for we hearken to thy word. with righteousness thy priests array: joyful thy favored people be: let those who teach, and those who pray, let all--be holiness to thee! . l. m. l. dryden. the divine spirit implored. creator spirit, by whose light the sleeping worlds were called from night! come, visit every pious mind, come, pour thy joys on human kind; from sin and sorrow set us free, and make us temples worthy thee. plenteous in grace descend from high, rich in thy sevenfold energy; our frailty help, our vice control, thou ruler of our secret soul! and, lest our feet should haply stray protect and guide us in the way. . l. m. j. wesley. "the healthful spirit of god's grace." spirit of grace, and health, and power! fountain of light and love below! abroad thy healing influence shower; on all thy servants let it flow. inflame our hearts with perfect love; in us the work of faith fulfil: so not heaven's host shall swifter move, than we on earth to do thy will. father! 'tis thine each day to yield thy children's wants a fresh supply; thou cloth'st the lilies of the field, and hearest the young ravens cry. on thee we cast our care; we live through thee, who know'st our every need: o feed us with thy grace, and give our souls this day the living bread! . c. m. doddridge. life dedicated to god. shine on our souls, eternal god! with rays of beauty shine; o let thy favor crown our days, and all their round be thine. did we not raise our hands to thee, our hands might toil in vain; small joy success itself could give, if thou thy love restrain. with thee let every week begin; with thee each day be spent; for thee each fleeting hour improved, since each by thee is lent. thus cheer us through the checkered road, till all our labors cease, and heaven refresh our weary souls with everlasting peace. . s. m. s. f. smith. sabbath evening. softly fades the twilight ray of the holy sabbath day; gently as life's setting sun; when the christian's course is run. night her solemn mantle spreads o'er the earth, as daylight fades; all things tell of calm repose at the holy sabbath's close. peace is on the world abroad; 'tis the holy peace of god,-- symbol of the peace within, when the spirit rests from sin. still the spirit lingers near, where the evening worshipper seeks communion with the skies, pressing onward to the prize. close of worship. . l. m. anonymous. close of worship. evening. ere to the world again we go, its pleasures, cares, and idle show, thy grace once more, o god, we crave, from folly and from sin to save. may the great truths we here have heard-- the lessons of thy holy word-- dwell in our inmost bosoms deep, and all our souls from error keep. oh! may the influence of this day, long as our memory with us stay, and as an angel guardian prove, to guide us to our home above. . c. m. cappe's sel. prayer for divine direction. eternal source of life and light, supremely good and wise, to thee we bring our grateful vows, to thee lift up our eyes. our dark and erring minds illume with truth's celestial rays; inspire our hearts with sacred love, and tune our lips to praise. safely conduct us, by thy grace, through life's perplexing road; and place us, when that journey's o'er at thy right hand, o god. . s. s. & s. jay. prayer for a blessing. come, thou soul-transforming spirit, bless the sower and the seed; let each heart thy grace inherit; raise the weak, the hungry feed; from the gospel now supply thy people's need. o, may all enjoy the blessing which thy word's designed to give, let us all, thy love possessing, joyfully the truth receive, and forever to thy praise and glory live. . c. m. montgomery. after divine service. again our ears have heard the voice at which the dead shall live; o, may the sound our hearts rejoice, and strength immortal give! and have we heard the word with joy? and have we felt its power? to keep it be our blest employ, till life's extremest hour. . & s. m. bickersteth. closing hymn. israel's shepherd, guide me, feed me. through my pilgrimage below, and beside the waters lead me, where thy flock rejoicing go. lord, thy guardian presence ever, meekly kneeling, i implore; i have found thee, and would never, never wander from thee more. . s. m. peabody's coll. closing supplication. father! bless thy word to all; quick and powerful may it prove; o, may sinners hear thy call, may thy people grow in love. father, bid the world rejoice; send thy heavenly truth abroad; may the nations hear thy voice, hear it, and return to god. . c. m. bp. heber. "the seed is the word of god." o god, by whom the seed is given, by whom the harvest blest; whose word, like manna showered from heaven is planted in our breast. preserve it from the passing feet, and plunderers of the air; the sultry sun's intenser heat, and weeds of worldly care! though buried deep, or thinly strewn, do thou thy grace supply: the hope in earthly furrows sown shall ripen in the sky. . c. m. anonymous. "god giveth the increase." now, lord, the heavenly seed is sown, be it thy servants' care thy heavenly blessing to bring down by humble, fervent prayer. in vain we plant without thine aid, and water, too, in vain: lord of the harvest, god of grace, send down thy heavenly rain. then shall our cheerful hearts and tongues begin this song divine-- "thou, lord, hast given the rich increase, and be the glory thine." . l. m. h. ballou. dismission. from worship, now, thy church dismiss-- but not without thy blessing, lord; o grant a taste of heavenly bliss, and seal instruction from thy word. oft may these pleasant scenes return when we shall meet to worship thee; oft may our hearts within us burn to hear thy word, thy goodness see. and when these pleasant scenes are past, to thee, our god, o may we come, and meet th' assembled world at last, in zion, our eternal home. . h. m. j. newton. the same. on what has now been sown thy blessing, lord, bestow; the power is thine alone to make it spring and grow. do thou the gracious harvest raise, and thou alone shalt have the praise. . h. m. e. turner. thanks at the close of service. kind lord, before thy face again with joy we bow, for all the gifts and grace thou dost on us bestow. our tongues would all thy love proclaim, and chant the honors of thy name. here, in thine earthly house, our joyful souls have met; here paid our solemn vows, and felt our union sweet. for this our tongues thy love proclaim, and chant the honors of thy name. now may we dwell in peace till here again we come; and may our love increase till thou shalt bring us home. then shall our tongues thy love proclaim, and chant the honors of thy name. . & s. m. c. robbins. close of worship. evening. lo! the day of rest declineth; gather fast the shades of night-- may the sun that ever shineth, fill our souls with heavenly light. softly now the dew is falling; peace o'er all the scene is spread;-- on his children meekly calling, purer influence god will shed. while thine ear of love addressing, thus our parting hymn we sing, father, give thine evening blessing; fold us safe beneath thy wing. . c. m. kippis' coll. close of evening worship. soon will our fleeting hours be past; and, as the setting sun sinks downward in the radiant west, our parting beams be gone. may he, from whom all blessings flow, our sacred rites attend, uniting all in wisdom's ways, till life's short journey end; and as the rapid sands run down, our virtue still improve, till each receive the glorious crown of never-fading love. . l. m. heber. close of service. lord, now we part in thy blest name, in which we here together came: grant us our few remaining days to work thy will and spread thy praise. teach us in life and death to bless the lord our strength and righteousness; and grant us all to meet above; then shall we better sing thy love. . s. m. montgomery. praise from all lands. all ye nations, praise the lord; all ye lands, your voices raise; heaven and earth, with loud accord, praise the lord, forever praise. for his truth and mercy stand, past and present, and to be, like the years of his right hand, like his own eternity. praise him, ye who know his love; praise him from the depths beneath; praise him in the heights above; praise your maker, all that breathe. . l. m. watts. the joy and blessing of worship. lord, how delightful 'tis to see a whole assembly worship thee; at once they sing, at once they pray, they hear of heaven and learn the way. o, write upon our memory, lord, the text and doctrines of thy word: that we may break thy laws no more, but love thee better than before. . & s. m. s. f. adams. close of worship. part in peace! is day before us? praise his name for life and light; are the shadows lengthening o'er us? bless his care who guards the night. part in peace! with deep thanksgiving, rendering, as we homeward tread, gracious service to the living, tranquil memory to the dead. part in peace! such are the praises god, our maker, loveth best; such the worship that upraises human hearts to heavenly rest. . l. m. anonymous. close of worship. evening. while now upon this sabbath eve, thy house, almighty god, we leave 'tis sweet, as sinks the setting sun, to think on all our duties done. oh! evermore may all our bliss be peaceful, pure, divine, like this; and may each sabbath, as it flies, fit us for joy beyond the skies. . & s. m. toplady's coll. dismission. lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, hope and comfort from above; let us each, thy peace possessing, triumph in redeeming love. thanks we give, and adoration, for thy gospel's joyful sound; may the fruits of thy salvation in our hearts and lives abound. . l. m. montgomery. sunday evening. millions within thy courts have been; millions this day have bent the knee; but thou, soul-searching god! hast seen the hearts of all that worshipped thee. from east to west the sun surveyed, from north to south, adoring throngs; and still, where evening stretched her shade, the stars came forth to hear their songs. and not a prayer, a tear, a sigh, hath failed this day some suit to gain; to those in trouble thou wert nigh; not one hath sought thy face in vain. yet one prayer more;--and be it one, in which both heaven and earth accord: fulfil thy promise to thy son; let all that breathe call jesus lord! . l. m. moravian. the lord's prayer. thy name be hallowed evermore; o god! thy kingdom come with power! thy will be done, and day by day, give us our daily bread, we pray: lord! evermore to us be given the living bread that came from heaven: water of life on us bestow, thou art the source, the fountain thou. character, attributes and providence of god. . l. m. mrs. steele. being of god. there is a god--all nature speaks, through earth, and air, and sea, and skies: see, from the clouds his glory breaks, when first the beams of morning rise. the rising sun, serenely bright, o'er the wide world's extended frame inscribes, in characters of light, his mighty maker's glorious name. the flowery tribes, all blooming, rise above the weak attempts of art; their bright, inimitable dyes speak sweet conviction to the heart. ye curious minds, who roam abroad, and trace creation's wonders o'er, confess the footsteps of a god; come, bow before him, and adore. . s. m. mrs. steele. god our father. my father! cheering name! o, may i call thee mine? give me the humble hope to claim a portion so divine. whate'er thy will denies, i calmly would resign; for thou art just, and good, and wise: o, bend my will to thine! whate'er thy will ordains, o give me strength to bear still let me know a father reigns, and trust a father's care. thy ways are little known to my weak, erring sight; yet shall my soul, believing, own that all thy ways are right. my father!--blissful name! above expression dear! if thou accept my humble claim, i bid adieu to fear. . l. m. bryant. the paternal love of god. father! to thy kind love we owe all that is fair and good below; bestower of the health that lies on tearless cheeks and cheerful eyes! giver of sunshine and of rain! ripener of fruits on hill and plain! fountain of light, that, rayed afar, fills the vast urns of sun and star! yet deem we not that thus alone, thy mercy and thy love are shown; for we have learned, with higher praise, and holier names, to speak thy ways. in woe's dark hour, our kindest stay! sole trust when life shall pass away! teacher of hopes that light the gloom of death, and consecrate the tomb! . c. m. martineau's coll. omnipotence of god. 'twas god who fixed the rolling spheres, and stretched the boundless skies, who formed the plan of endless years, and bade the ages rise. from everlasting is his might, immense and unconfined; he pierces through the realms of light, and rides upon the wind. he darts along the burning sky; loud thunders round him roar; through worlds above his terrors fly, while worlds below adore. he speaks,--great nature's wheels stand still and leave their wonted round; the mountains melt; each trembling hill forsakes its ancient bound. ye worlds, and every living thing, fulfil his high command; pay grateful homage to your king, and own his ruling hand. . c. m. h. k. white. almighty power and majesty of god. the lord our god is clothed with might; the winds obey his will; he speaks, and in the heavenly height the rolling sun stands still. rebel, ye waves, and o'er the land with threatening aspect roar; the lord uplifts his awful hand, and chains you to the shore. ye winds of night, your force combine without his high behest, ye shall not, in the mountain pine, disturb the sparrow's nest. his voice sublime is heard afar; in distant peals it dies; he binds the whirlwinds to his car, and sweeps the howling skies. ye nations, bend; in reverence bend; ye monarchs, wait his nod, and bid the choral song ascend to celebrate our god. . c. m. watts. god is everywhere. in all my vast concerns with thee, in vain my soul would try to shun thy presence, lord, or flee the notice of thine eye. thine all-surrounding sight surveys my rising and my rest; my public walks, my private ways, and secrets of my breast. my thoughts lie open to the lord, before they're formed within; and ere my lips pronounce the word, he knows the sense i mean. o, wondrous knowledge, deep and high; where can a creature hide? within thy circling arms i lie, beset on every side. so let thy grace surround me still, and like a bulwark prove, to guard my soul from every ill, secured by sovereign love. . l. m. spirit of the psalms. eternity of god. ere mountains reared their forms sublime, or heaven and earth in order stood, before the birth of ancient time, from everlasting thou art god. a thousand ages, in their flight, with thee are as a fleeting day; past, present, future, to thy sight at once their various scenes display. but our brief life's a shadowy dream, a passing thought, that soon is o'er, that fades with morning's earliest beam, and fills the musing mind no more. to us, o lord, the wisdom give, each passing moment so to spend, that we at length with thee may live where life and bliss shall never end. . c. m. l. conder. where is god? beyond, beyond that boundless sea, above that dome of sky, farther than thought itself can flee, thy dwelling is on high; yet dear the awful thought to me, that thou, my god, art nigh. we hear thy voice when thunders roll through the wide fields of air; the waves obey thy dread control: yet still thou art not there. where shall i find him, o my soul, who yet is everywhere? o, not in circling depth, or height, but in the conscious breast, present to faith, though veiled from sight, there does his spirit rest. o come, thou presence infinite, and make thy creatures blest. . l. m. watts. the all-seeing god. lord, thou hast searched and seen me through; thine eye commands, with piercing view, my rising and my resting hours, my heart and flesh, with all their powers. within thy circling power i stand; on every side i find thy hand: awake, asleep, at home, abroad, i am surrounded still with god. amazing knowledge, vast and great! what large extent! what lofty height! my soul, with all the powers i boast, is in the boundless prospect lost. o may these thoughts possess my breast where'er i rove, where'er i rest! nor let my weaker passions dare consent to sin; for god is there. . l. m. l. montgomery. god good and omniscient. how precious are thy thoughts of peace, o god! to me,--how great the sum! new every morn, they never cease; they were, they are, and yet shall come, in number and in compass more than ocean's sand, or ocean's shore. search me, o god! and know my heart, try me, my secret soul survey; and warn thy servant to depart from every false and evil way: so shall thy truth my guidance be, in life and immortality. . l. m. blacklock. omniscience and omnipresence. father of all, omniscient mind, thy wisdom who can comprehend? its highest point what eye can find, or to its lowest depths descend? if up to heaven's ethereal height, thy prospect to elude, i rise, in splendor there supremely bright, thy presence shall my sight surprise. thee, mighty god, my wondering soul, thee, all her conscious powers adore, whose being circumscribes the whole, whose eyes the universe explore. thine essence fills this breathing frame; it glows in every vital part, lights up our souls with livelier flame, and feeds with life each beating heart. to thee, from whom our being came, whose smile is all the heaven we know, inspired with this exalted theme, to thee our grateful strains shall flow. . c. m. watts. infinity of god. great god, how infinite art thou! how weak and frail are we! let the whole race of creatures bow, and homage pay to thee. thy throne eternal ages stood, ere earth or heaven was made; thou art the ever-living god, were all the nations dead. eternity, with all its years, stands present in thy view; to thee there's nothing old appears, great god, there's nothing new. our lives through varying scenes are drawn, and vexed with trifling cares, while thine eternal thought moves on thine undisturbed affairs. . s. p. m. watts. the majesty of god. the lord jehovah reigns, and royal state maintains, his head with awful glories crowned, arrayed in robes of light, begirt with sovereign might, and rays of majesty around. upheld by thy commands, the world securely stands, and skies and stars obey thy word; thy throne was fixed on high ere stars adorned the sky; eternal is thy kingdom, lord. thy promises are true; thy grace is ever new; there fixed, thy church shall ne'er remove; thy saints, with holy fear, shall in thy courts appear, and sing thine everlasting love. . & s. m. bowring. god is love. god is love; his mercy brightens all the path in which we rove; bliss he wakes, and woe he lightens; god is wisdom, god is love. chance and change are busy ever; man decays, and ages move; but his mercy waneth never; god is wisdom, god is love. e'en the hour that darkest seemeth will his changeless goodness prove; from the gloom his brightness streameth, god is wisdom, god is love. he with earthly cares entwineth hope and comfort from above: everywhere his glory shineth; god is wisdom, god is love. . l. m. fergus. god the creator. the spirit moved upon the waves that darkly rolled, a shoreless sea; he spake the word, and light burst forth, a glorious, bright immensity. at his command, the mountains heaved their rocky pinnacles on high, island and continent displayed their desert grandeur to the sky. the voice of god was heard again, and lovely flowers and graceful trees appeared on every vale and plain, and perfumes floated on the breeze. the word went forth, and vast and high the heavenly orbs gave out their light, o'er all the earth and sea and sky; the rulers of the day and night. . l. m. l. montgomery's coll. omnipresence of god. above, below, where'er i gaze, thy guiding finger, lord, i view, traced in the midnight planets' blaze, or glist'ning in the morning dew: whate'er is beautiful or fair, is but thine own reflection there. and when the radiant orb of light hath tipped the mountain tops with gold smote with the blaze, my weary sight shrinks from the wonders i behold; that ray of glory, bright and fair, is but thy living shadow there. thine is the silent noon of night, the twilight eve, the dewy morn; whate'er is beautiful and bright, thy hands have fashioned to adorn. thy glory walks in every sphere, and all things whisper, "god is here." . c. m. watts. the perfections of god. how shall i praise th' eternal god, that infinite unknown? who can ascend his high abode, or venture near his throne? those watchful eyes that never sleep, survey the world around: his wisdom is a boundless deep, where all our thoughts are drowned. speak we of strength, his arm is strong, to save or to destroy: to him eternal years belong, and never-ending joy. he knows no shadow of a change, nor alters his decrees; firm as a rock his truth remains, to guard his promises. . c. m. drennan. "god is a spirit." the heaven of heavens cannot contain the universal lord; yet he in humble hearts will deign to dwell and be adored. where'er ascends the sacrifice of fervent praise and prayer, or on the earth, or in the skies, the god of heaven is there. his presence is diffused abroad through realms, through worlds unknown; who seek the mercies of our god are ever near his throne. . c. m. watts. power, wisdom and goodness of god. i sing the mighty power of god, that made the mountains rise, that spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies. i sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day; the moon shines full at his command, and all the stars obey. i sing the goodness of the lord, that filled the earth with food; he formed the creatures with his word, and then pronounced them good. there's not a plant or flower below, but makes thy glories known; and clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from thy throne. . l. m. mrs. gilman. god our father. is there a lone and dreary hour, when worldly pleasures lose their power? my father! let me turn to thee, and set each thought of darkness free. is there a time of rushing grief, which scorns the prospect of relief? my father! break the cheerless gloom, and bid my heart its calm resume. is there an hour of peace and joy, when hope is all my soul's employ? my father! still my hopes will roam, until they rest with thee, their home. the noontide blaze, the midnight scene, the dawn, or twilight's sweet serene, the glow of life, the dying hour, shall own my father's grace and power. . s. m. mme. guion. god incomprehensible. almighty former of creation's plan, faintly reflected in thine image, man; holy and just,--the greatness of whose name rules and supports this universal frame:-- whose spirit fills the infinitude of space,-- who art thyself thine own vast dwelling place;-- soul of our soul, whom yet no sense of ours discerns, eluding our most active powers:-- encircling shades attend thine awful throne, that veil thy face, and keep thee still unknown; unknown, though dwelling in our inmost part, lord of the thoughts, and sovereign of the heart! . c. m. wallace. god seen in his works. there's not a star whose twinkling light illumes the distant earth, and cheers the solemn gloom of night, but goodness gave it birth. there's not a cloud whose dews distil upon the parching clod, and clothe with verdure vale and hill, that is not sent by god. there's not a place in earth's vast round, in ocean deep, or air, where skill and wisdom are not found; for god is everywhere. around, within, below, above, wherever space extends, there heaven displays its boundless love, and power with goodness blends. . c. m. watts. god the creator. eternal wisdom, thee we praise; thee all thy creatures sing: while with thy name, rocks, hills, and seas, and heaven's high palace, ring. thy hand, how wide it spread the sky! how glorious to behold! tinged with a blue of heavenly dye, and decked with sparkling gold. thy glories blaze all nature round, and strike the gazing sight, through skies, and seas, and solid ground, with terror and delight. almighty power, and equal skill, shine through the worlds abroad, our souls with vast amazement fill, and speak the builder, god. . s. m. mrs. steele. god, our creator and benefactor. my maker and my king! to thee my all i owe: thy sovereign bounty is the spring, from whence my blessings flow. thou ever good and kind! a thousand reasons move, a thousand obligations bind my heart to grateful love. the creature of thy hand, on thee alone i live: my god! thy benefits demand more praise than tongue can give. o let thy grace inspire my soul with strength divine; let all my powers to thee aspire, and all my days be thine. . l. m. watts. the good providence of god. ps. . high in the heavens, eternal god! thy goodness in full glory shines; thy truth shall break through every cloud that veils and darkens thy designs. forever firm thy justice stands, as mountains their foundations keep; wise are the wonders of thy hands; thy judgments are a mighty deep. thy providence is kind and large; both man and beast thy bounty share; the whole creation is thy charge, but saints are thy peculiar care. life, like a fountain, rich and free, springs from the presence of my lord; and in thy light our souls shall see the glories promised in thy word. . l. m. kippis. god incomprehensible. great god! in vain man's narrow view attempts to look thy nature through; our laboring powers with reverence own thy glories never can be known. not the high seraph's mighty thought, who countless years his god has sought, such wondrous height or depth can find, or fully trace thy boundless mind. and yet thy kindness deigns to show enough for mortal minds to know; while wisdom, goodness, power divine, through all thy works and conduct shine. o, may our souls with rapture trace thy works of nature and of grace: explore thy sacred truth, and still press on to know and do thy will. . c. m. tate & brady. god unchangeable. through endless years thou art the same, o thou eternal god; each future age shall know thy name, and tell thy works abroad. the strong foundations of the earth of old by thee were laid; by thee the beauteous arch of heaven with matchless skill was made. soon may this goodly frame of things created by thy hand, be, like a vesture, laid aside, and changed at thy command. but thy perfections, all divine, eternal as thy days, through everlasting ages shine, with undiminished rays. . c. m. cowper. purposes of god developed by his providence. god moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform; he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. judge not the lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face. his purposes will ripen fast unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain; god is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain. . s. m. montgomery. "the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." in darkness as in light, hidden alike from view, i sleep, i wake within his sight, who looks existence through. from the dim hour of birth, through every changing state of mortal pilgrimage on earth, till its appointed date; all that i am,--have been,-- all that i yet may be, he sees at once, as he hath seen, and shall forever see. . c. m. browne. universal goodness of god. lord! thou art good: all nature shows its mighty author kind: thy bounty through creation flows, full, free, and unconfined. the whole, and every part, proclaims thine infinite good-will; it shines in stars, and flows in streams, and blooms on every hill. we view it o'er the spreading main, and heavens which spread more wide; it drops in gentle showers of rain, and rolls in every tide. through the vast whole it pours supplies, spreads joy through every part: o, may such love attract my eyes, and captivate my heart! my highest admiration raise, my best affections move! employ my tongue in songs of praise, and fill my heart with love! . l. m. mme. guion. the omnipresent peace of god. o thou, by long experience tried, near whom no grief can long abide;-- my lord, how full of sweet content my years of pilgrimage are spent! all scenes alike engaging prove, to souls impressed with sacred love; where'er they dwell, they dwell in thee, in heaven, in earth, or on the sea. to them remains nor place nor time; their country is in every clime; they can be calm and free from care on any shore, since god is there. while place we seek, or place we shun, the soul finds happiness in none; but with a god to guide our way, 'tis equal joy to go or stay. . c. m. eng. bap. coll. providence kind and bountiful. thy kingdom, lord, forever stands, while earthly thrones decay; and time submits to thy commands, while ages roll away. thy sovereign bounty freely gives its unexhausted store; and universal nature lives on thy sustaining power. holy and just in all its ways is providence divine; in all its works, immortal rays of power and mercy shine. the praise of god--delightful theme!-- shall fill my heart and tongue; let all creation bless his name, in one eternal song. . s. m. watts. a holy god. ps. . exalt the lord our god, and worship at his feet; his nature is all holiness, and mercy is his seat. when israel was his church, when aaron was his priest, when moses cried, when samuel prayed, he gave his people rest. oft he forgave their sins, nor would destroy their race; and oft he made his vengeance known, when they abused his grace. exalt the lord our god, whose grace is still the same; still he's a god of holiness, and jealous for his name. . c. m. tate & brady. god's condescension. o thou, to whom all creatures bow within this earthly frame, through all the world how great art thou! how glorious is thy name! when heaven, thy glorious work on high, employs my wondering sight,-- the moon, that nightly rules the sky, with stars of feebler light,-- lord, what is man, that he is blessed with thy peculiar care! why on his offspring is conferred of love so large a share? o thou, to whom all creatures bow within this earthly frame, through all the world how great art thou! how glorious is thy name! . l. m. wm. taylor. god the universal benefactor. god of the universe! whose hand hath sown with suns the fields of space, round which, obeying thy command, unnumbered worlds fulfil their race: how vast the region, where thy will existence, form, and order gives! pleased the wide cup with joy to fill, for all that grows, and feels, and lives. lord! while we thank thee, let us learn beneficence to all below; those praise thee best, whose bosoms burn thy gifts on others to bestow. . l. m. c. wesley. the holiness of god. holy as thou, o lord, is none! thy holiness is all thine own; a drop of that unbounded sea is ours, a drop derived from thee. and when thy purity we share, only thy glory we declare; and humbled into nothing own, holy and pure is god alone. sole self-existent god and lord, by all the heavenly hosts adored! let all on earth bow down to thee, and own thy peerless majesty. . s. m. drummond. unity of god. the god who reigns alone o'er earth, and sea, and sky, let man with praises own, and sound his honors high. him all in heaven above, him all on earth below, the exhaustless source of love, the great creator know. he formed the living flame, he gave the reasoning mind; then only he may claim the worship of mankind. so taught his only son, blessed messenger of grace! the eternal is but one, no second holds his place. . c. m. thomson. all-embracing providence of god. jehovah god! thy gracious power on every hand we see; o may the blessings of each hour lead all our thoughts to thee. if, on the wings of morn, we speed to earth's remotest bound, thy hand will there our footsteps lead, thy love, our path surround. thy power is in the ocean deeps, and reaches to the skies; thine eye of mercy never sleeps, thy goodness never dies. in all the varying scenes of time, on thee our hopes depend; through every age, in every clime, our father, and our friend! . c. m. beddome. the mysteries of providence. almighty god! thy wondrous works of providence and grace, an angel's perfect mind exceed, and all our pride abase. stupendous heights! amazing depths! creatures in vain explore: or, if a transient glimpse we gain, 'tis faint and quickly o'er. though all the mysteries lie concealed beyond what we can see, grant us the knowledge of ourselves, the knowledge, lord, of thee. . l. m. tate & brady. "whither shall i go from thy presence?" thou, lord, by strictest search hast known my rising up and lying down; my secret thoughts are known to thee, known long before conceived by me. o could i so perfidious be, to think of once deserting thee! where, lord, could i thy influence shun? or whither from thy presence run? if i the morning's wings could gain, and fly beyond the western main, thy swifter hand would first arrive, and there arrest thy fugitive. or should i try to shun thy sight beneath the sable wings of night, one glance from thee, one piercing ray, would kindle darkness into day. search, try, o god, my thoughts and heart, if mischief lurks in any part; correct me where i go astray, and guide me in thy perfect way. . l. m. l. w. ray. perfection of god. thou art, almighty lord of all, from everlasting still the same; before thee dazzling seraphs fall, and veil their faces in a flame, to see such bright perfections glow-- such floods of glory from thee flow. what mortal hand shall dare to paint a semblance of thy glory, lord? the brightest rainbow-tints are faint; the brightest stars of heaven afford but dim effusions of those rays of light that round jehovah blaze. the sun himself is but a gleam, a transient meteor, from thy throne; and every frail and fickle beam, that ever in creation shone, is nothing, lord, compared to thee in thy own vast immensity. but though thy brightness may create all worship from the hosts above, what most thy name must elevate is, that thou art a god of love; and mercy is the central sun of all thy glories joined in one. . l. m. watts. "canst thou find out the almighty?" can creatures to perfection find th' eternal, uncreated mind? or can the largest stretch of thought measure and search his nature out? god is a king of power unknown; firm are the orders of his throne; if he resolve, who dare oppose, or ask him why or what he does? he frowns, and darkness veils the moon the fainting sun grows dim at noon: the pillars of heaven's starry roof tremble and start at his reproof. these are a portion of his ways: but who shall dare describe his face? who can endure his light, or stand to hear the thunders of his hand? . c. h. m. anonymous. the surpassing glory of god. since o'er thy footstool here below such radiant gems are strown, o what magnificence must glow, great god, about thy throne! so brilliant here these drops of light-- there the full ocean rolls--how bright! if night's blue curtain of the sky-- with thousand stars inwrought, hung like a royal canopy with glittering diamonds fraught-- be, lord, thy temple's outer veil, what splendor at the shrine must dwell! the dazzling sun, at noon-day hour-- forth from his flaming vase flinging o'er earth the golden shower till vale and mountain blaze-- but shows, o lord, one beam of thine: what, then, the day where thou dost shine? o how shall these dim eyes endure that noon of living rays! or how our spirits so impure, upon thy glory gaze!-- anoint, o lord, anoint our sight, and fit us for that world of light. . c. m. sternhold. majesty of god. ps. . the lord descended from above, and bowed the heavens most high, and underneath his feet he cast the darkness of the sky. on cherubim and seraphim full royally he rode, and on the wings of mighty winds came flying all abroad. he sat serene upon the floods, their fury to restrain, and he, as sovereign lord and king, forevermore shall reign. . c. m. watts. decrees and providence of god. let the whole race of creatures lie abased before the lord: whate'er his mighty hand has formed he governs with a word. ten thousand ages ere the skies were into motion brought, all the long years and worlds to come stood present to his thought. trusting thy wisdom, god of love, we would not wish to know what, in the book of thy decrees, awaits us here below be this alone our fervent prayer,-- whate'er our lot shall be, or joys, or sorrows, may they form our souls for heaven and thee. . l. m. walker's coll. "god, with whom is no variableness." all-powerful, self-existent god, who all creation dost sustain! thou wast, and art, and art to come, and everlasting is thy reign! fixed and eternal as thy days, each glorious attribute divine, through ages infinite, shall still with undiminished lustre shine. fountain of being! source of good! immutable thou dost remain! nor can the shadow of a change obscure the glories of thy reign. earth may with all her powers dissolve, if such the great creator's will; but thou forever art the same, i am, is thy memorial still. . c. m. anonymous. god omnipresent. there's not a place in earth's vast round, in ocean deep, or air, where skill and wisdom are not found, for god is everywhere. around, within, below, above, wherever space extends, there heaven displays its boundless love, and power with mercy blends. then rise, my soul, and sing his name, and all his praise rehearse, who spread abroad earth's wondrous frame, and built the universe. where'er thine earthly lot is cast, his power and love declare; nor think the mighty theme too vast, for god is everywhere. . l. m. anonymous. providence mysterious. thy ways, o lord, with wise design, are framed upon thy throne above, and every dark or bending line meets in the centre of thy love. with feeble light, and half obscure, poor mortals thine arrangements view, not knowing that the least are sure, and the mysterious just and true. they neither know nor trace the way; but, trusting to thy piercing eye, none of their feet to ruin stray, nor shall the weakest fail or die. my favored soul shall meekly learn to lay her reason at thy throne; too weak thy secrets to discern, i'll trust thee for my guide alone. general praise. . l. m. tate & brady. praise to the great jehovah. be thou, o god, exalted high; and as thy glory fills the sky, so let it be on earth displayed, till thou art here, as there, obeyed. o god, our hearts are fixed and bent their thankful tribute to present; and, with the heart, the voice, we'll raise to thee, our god, in songs of praise. thy praises, lord, we will resound to all the listening nations round; thy mercy highest heaven transcends; thy truth beyond the clouds extends. be thou, o god, exalted high; and as thy glory fills the sky, so let it be on earth displayed, till thou art here, as there, obeyed. . s. m. salisbury coll. adoration. holy, holy, holy lord, be thy glorious name adored; lord, thy mercies never fail; hail, celestial goodness, hail! though unworthy, lord, thine ear, deign our humble songs to hear; purer praise we hope to bring, when around thy throne we sing. there no tongue shall silent be; all shall join in harmony; that, through heaven's capacious round, praise to thee may ever sound. lord, thy mercies never fail; hail, celestial goodness, hail! holy, holy, holy lord, be thy glorious name adored. . s. & s. grant. god glorious. o, worship the king, all glorious above, and gratefully sing his wonderful love, our shield and defender, the ancient of days, pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise. thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? it breathes in the air, it shines in the light, it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain. frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail; thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end! our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend. father almighty, how faithful thy love! while angels delight to hymn thee above, the humbler creation, though feeble their lays with true adoration shall lisp to thy praise. . c. m. hemans. invitation to offer praise. praise ye the lord; on every height songs to his glory raise; ye angel hosts, ye stars of night, join in immortal praise. o fire and vapor, hail and snow, ye servants of his will; o stormy winds, that only blow his mandates to fulfil;-- mountains and rocks, to heaven that rise fair cedars of the wood; creatures of life that wing the skies, or track the plains for food;-- judges of nations; kings, whose hand waves the proud sceptre high; o youths and virgins of the land; o age and infancy;-- praise ye his name, to whom alone all homage should be given, whose glory, from th' eternal throne, spreads wide o'er earth and heaven. . s. m. milton. praise to god. let us, with a gladsome mind, praise the lord, for he is kind; for his mercies shall endure, ever faithful, ever sure. let us sound his name abroad, for of gods he is the god; who, with all-commanding might, filled the new-made world with light; caused the golden-tressed sun all day long his course to run; and the moon to shine by night, 'mongst her spangled sisters bright. his own people he did bless, in the wasteful wilderness; he hath, with a piteous eye, viewed us in our misery. all his creatures he doth feed; his full hand supplies their need; let us, therefore, warble forth his high majesty and worth. . l. m. tate & brady. praise and holiness. o render thanks to god above, the fountain of eternal love; whose mercy firm through ages past has stood and shall forever last. who can his mighty deeds express?-- not only vast, but numberless! what mortal eloquence can raise his tribute of immortal praise? happy are they, and only they, who from thy judgments never stray; who know what's right, nor only so, but always practise what they know. extend to me that favor, lord, thou to thy chosen dost afford: when thou return'st to set them free, let thy salvation visit me. . s. m. j. taylor. the divine glories celebrated. glory be to god on high, god, whose glory fills the sky; peace on earth to man forgiven, man, the well-beloved of heaven. favored mortals! raise the song; endless thanks to god belong; hearts o'erflowing with his praise, join the hymns your voices raise. mark the wonders of his hand! power no empire can withstand; wisdom, angel's glorious theme; goodness, one eternal stream. awful being! from thy throne send thy promised blessings down; let thy light, thy truth, thy peace, bid our raging passions cease. . h. m. sacred lyrics. perpetual praise. to thee, great source of light! my thankful voice i'll raise; and all my powers unite to celebrate thy praise; and, till my voice is lost in death, may praise employ my every breath. and when this feeble tongue lies silent in the dust, my soul shall dwell among the spirits of the just; then, with the shining hosts above, in nobler strains i'll sing thy love. . l. m. h. ballou, d. the same. praise ye the lord, around whose throne all heaven in ceaseless worship waits, whose glory fills the worlds unknown-- praise ye the lord from zion's gates. with mingling souls and voices join; to him the swelling anthem raise; repeat his name with joy divine, and fill the temple with his praise. all-gracious god, to thee we owe each joy and blessing time affords,-- light, life, and health, and all below, spring from thy presence, lord of lords. thine be the praise, for thine the love that freely all our sins forgave, pointed our dying eyes above, and showed us life beyond the grave. . l. m. watts. the same. ps. . my god, my king, thy various praise shall fill the remnant of my days; thy grace employ my humble tongue till death and glory raise the song. the wings of every hour shall bear some thankful tribute to thine ear; and every setting sun shall see new works of duty done for thee. let distant times and nations raise the long succession of thy praise, and unborn ages make my song the joy and labor of their tongue. but who can speak thy wondrous deeds? thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds vast and unsearchable thy ways: vast and immortal be thy praise. . s. s. & s. m. anonymous. the same. ps. . praise ye jehovah's name; praise through his courts proclaim; rise and adore;-- high o'er the heavens above sound his great acts of love, while his rich grace we prove, vast as his power. now let the trumpet raise sounds of triumphant praise wide as his fame; there let the harp be found; organs, with solemn sound, roll your deep notes around, filled with his name. while his high praise ye sing, shake every sounding string: sweet the accord!-- he vital breath bestows: let every breath that flows his noblest fame disclose-- praise ye the lord. . h. m. tate & brady. praise from heaven and earth. ye boundless realms of joy, exalt your maker's name; his praise your songs employ above the starry frame: your voices raise, ye cherubim and seraphim, to sing his praise. let all adore the lord, and praise his holy name, by whose almighty word they all from nothing came; and all shall last, from changes free; his firm decree stands ever fast. . c. p. m. ogilvie. praise from all nature. ps. . begin, my soul, th' exalted lay; let each enraptured thought obey, and praise th' almighty's name. lo, heaven and earth and seas and skies in one melodious concert rise to swell th' inspiring theme. thou heaven of heavens, his vast abode-- ye clouds, proclaim your maker, god; ye thunders, speak his power. lo, on the lightning's rapid wings in triumph rides the king of kings: th' astonished worlds adore. ye deeps with roaring billows rise to join the thunders of the skies-- praise him who bids you roll. his praise in softer notes declare, each whispering breeze of yielding air, and breathe it to the soul. wake, all ye soaring throngs, and sing; ye cheerful warblers of the spring, harmonious anthems raise to him who shaped your finer mould, who tipped your glittering wings with gold, and tuned your voice to praise. let man, by nobler passions swayed, the feeling heart, the reasoning head, in heavenly praise employ: spread the creator's name around, till heaven's wide arch repeat the sound-- the general burst of joy. . s. & s. m. doddridge. a call to praise. o praise ye the lord--prepare a new song, and let all his saints in full concert join; with voices united the anthem prolong, and show forth his praises with music divine. let praise to the lord, who made us, ascend; let each grateful heart be glad in its king; the god whom we worship our songs will attend, and view with complacence the offering we bring. be joyful, ye saints sustained by his might, and let your glad songs awake with each morn; for those who obey him are still his delight-- his hand with salvation the meek will adorn. then praise ye the lord--prepare a glad song, and let all his saints in full concert join; with voices united the anthem prolong, and show forth his praises with music divine. . l. m. watts. universal praise. wide as his vast dominion lies, make the creator's name be known; loud as his thunders speak his praise, and sound it lofty as his throne. jehovah!--'tis a glorious word; o may it dwell on every tongue; but saints, who best have known the lord, are bound to raise the noblest song. speak of the wonders of that love which gabriel plays on every chord; from all below, and all above, loud hallelujahs to the lord. . c. m. patrick. te deum. o god, we praise thee, and confess, that thou the only lord and everlasting father art, by all the earth adored. to thee all angels cry aloud-- to thee the powers on high, both cherubim and seraphim, continually do cry-- "o holy, holy, holy lord, whom heavenly hosts obey, the world is with the glory filled of thy majestic sway." th' apostles' glorious company, and prophets, crowned with light, with all the martyrs' noble host, thy constant praise recite. the holy church throughout the world, o lord, confesses thee-- that thou eternal father art of boundless majesty. . s. & s. m. fawcett. god of our salvation. praise to thee, thou great creator; praise be thine from every tongue; join, my soul, with every creature, join the universal song. father, source of all compassion, free, unbounded grace is thine: hail the god of our salvation; praise him for his love divine. for ten thousand blessings given, for the hope of future joy, sound his praise through earth and heaven, sound jehovah's praise on high. joyfully on earth adore him, 'till in heaven our song we raise; there, enraptured, fall before him, lost in wonder, love, and praise. . h. m. george sandys. general praise. all, from the sun's uprise, unto his setting rays, resound in jubilees, the great jehovah's praise. him serve alone; in triumph bring your gifts, and sing, before his throne. man drew from man his birth, but god his noble frame built of the ruddy earth, filled with celestial flame. his sons we are; sheep by him led, preserved and fed with tender care. o to his portals press in your divine resorts: with thanks his power profess, and praise him in his courts. how good! how pure! his mercies last; his promise past, forever sure. . c. m. m. rayner. the same. hail! source of light, of life, and love, and joys that never end; in whom all creatures live and move: creator, father, friend. all space is with thy presence crowned: creation owns thy care; each spot in nature's ample round, proclaims that god is there. attuned to praise be every voice; let not one heart be sad: jehovah reigns! let earth rejoice; let all the isles be glad. then sound the anthem loud and long, in sweetest, loftiest strains; and be the burden of the song, the lord, jehovah, reigns! religion of nature. . l. m. l. watts. god revealed in his works. great god! the heavens' well ordered frame declares the glory of thy name, there thy rich works of wonder shine: a thousand starry beauties there, a thousand radiant marks appear, of boundless skill and power divine. from night to day, from day to night, the dawning and the dying light lectures of heavenly wisdom read; with silent eloquence they raise our thoughts to our creator's praise, and neither sound nor language need. yet thy divine instructions run far as the journeys of the sun: thy light and truth are known abroad; we see thy smile in nature's face, and in the pages of thy grace we read the glories of our god. . c. m. rowe. praise from all nature. begin the high, celestial strain, my raptured soul, and sing a sacred hymn of grateful praise to heaven's almighty king. ye curling fountains, as ye roll your silver waves along, repeat to all your verdant shores the subject of the song. bear it, ye breezes, on your wings, to distant climes away, and round the wide-extended world the lofty theme convey. take up the burden of his name, ye clouds, as ye arise, to deck with gold the opening morn, or shade the evening skies. long let it warble round the spheres, and echo through the sky; let angels, with immortal skill, improve the harmony;-- while we, with sacred rapture fired, the blest creator sing, and chant our consecrated lays to heaven's eternal king. . s. m. hogg. god of life. blessed be thy name forever, thou of life the guard and giver! thou canst guard thy creatures sleeping, heal the heart long broke with weeping: god of stillness and of motion, of the desert and the ocean, of the mountain, rock and river, blessed be thy name forever! thou who slumberest not nor sleepest, blest are they thou kindly keepest. god of evening's parting ray, of midnight gloom, and dawning day-- that rises from the azure sea like breathings of eternity; god of life! that fade shall never, blessed be thy name forever! . h. m. h. ballou, d. universal praise. ye realms below the skies, your maker's praises sing; let boundless honors rise to heaven's eternal king; o bless his name whose love extends salvation to the world's far ends. give glory to the lord, ye kindreds of the earth; his sovereign power record, and show his wonders forth, till heathen tongues his grace proclaim, and every heart adores his name. 't is he the mountains crowns with forests waving wide; 't is he old ocean bounds, and heaves her roaring tide; he swells the tempests on the main, or breathes the zephyr o'er the plain. still let the waters roar, as round the earth they roll; his praise for evermore they sound from pole to pole. 'tis nature's wild, unconscious song o'er thousand waves that floats along. his praise, ye worlds on high, display with all your spheres, amid the darksome sky, when silent night appears. o, let his works declare his name through all the universal frame. . c. m. lutheran coll. goodness of god in his works. hail, great creator--wise and good! to thee our songs we raise: nature, through all her various scenes, invites us to thy praise. thy glory beams in every star, which gilds the gloom of night, and decks the smiling face of morn with rays of cheerful light. great nature's god! still may these scenes our serious hours engage! still may our grateful hearts consult thy works' instructive page! and while, in all thy wondrous ways, thy varied love we see: oh, may our hearts, great god, be led through all thy works to thee. . l. m. l. montgomery's coll. the beauties of creation. ours is a lovely world, how fair thy beauties e'en on earth appear! the seasons in their courses fall, and bring successive joys. the sea, the earth, the sky, are full of thee, benignant, glorious lord of all! there's beauty in the heat of day; there's glory in the noon-tide ray; there's sweetness in the twilight shades-- magnificence in night. thy love arch'd the grand heaven of blue above, and all our smiling earth pervades. and if thy glories here be found, streaming with radiance all around, what must the fount of glory be! in thee we'll hope, in thee confide, thou, mercy's never ebbing tide, thou, love's unfathomable sea! . l. m. l. moore. all things are of god. thou art, o god, the life and light of all this wondrous world we see; its glow by day, its smile by night, are but reflections caught from thee; where'er we turn, thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. when day, with farewell beam delays among the opening clouds of even, and we can almost think we gaze, through opening vistas into heaven,-- those hues that mark the sun's decline, so soft, so radiant, lord, are thine. when night, with wings of starry gloom, o'ershadows all the earth and skies, like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume is sparkling with unnumbered eyes,-- that sacred gloom, those fires divine, so grand, so countless, lord, are thine. when youthful spring around us breathes, thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh; and every flower that summer wreathes is born beneath thy kindling eye: where'er we turn, thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. . l. m. addison. the heavens declare the glory of god. the spacious firmament on high, with all the blue ethereal sky, and spangled heavens, a shining frame, their great original proclaim. th' unwearied sun, from day to day, doth his creator's power display; and publishes to every land the work of an almighty hand. soon as the evening shades prevail, the moon takes up the wondrous tale, and nightly to the listening earth repeats the story of her birth: whilst all the stars which round her burn, and all the planets in their turn, confirm the tidings as they roll, and spread the truth from pole to pole. what though, in solemn silence, all move round this dark terrestrial ball; what though no real voice nor sound amidst their radiant orbs be found; in reason's ear they all rejoice, and utter forth a glorious voice; forever singing, as they shine,-- "the hand that made us is divine." . c. m. zinzendorf. the creator, god. lord, when thou said'st, "so let it be," the heavens were spread and shone, and this whole earth stood gloriously; thou spak'st and it was done. the whole creation still records, unto this very day, that thou art god, the lord of lords; thee all things must obey. . c. m. bowring. nature's evening hymn. the heavenly spheres, to thee, o god, attune their evening hymn; all wise, all holy, thou art praised, in song of seraphim! unnumbered systems, suns and worlds, unite to worship thee, while thy majestic greatness fills space, time, eternity. nature,--a temple worthy thee, that beams with light and love; whose flowers so sweetly bloom below, whose stars rejoice above, whose altars are the mountain cliffs that rise along the shore; whose anthems, the sublime accord of storm and ocean roar; her song of gratitude is sung by spring's awakening hours; her summer offers at thy shrine its earliest, loveliest flowers; her autumn brings its ripened fruits, in glorious luxury given; while winter's silver heights reflect thy brightness back to heaven. on all thou smil'st; and what is man before thy presence, god; a breath, but yesterday inspired, to-morrow but a clod. that clod shall mingle in the vale, but, kindled, lord, by thee, the spirit to thy arms shall spring, to life, to liberty. . l. m. l. bowring. "day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge." the heavens, o lord! thy power proclaim, and the earth echoes back thy name; ten thousand voices speak thy might, and day to day, and night to night, utter thy praise--thou lord above! thy praise, thy glory, and thy love. and nature with its countless throng, and sun, and moon, and planets' song, and every flower that light receives, and every dew that tips the leaves, and every murmur of the sea-- tunes its sweet voice to worship thee. thy name thy glories they rehearse, great spirit of the universe; sense of all sense, and soul of soul, nought is too vast for thy control; the meanest and the mightiest share alike thy kindness and thy care. . s. & s. m. heber. "consider the lilies of the field;--behold the fowls of the air." lo! the lilies of the field! how their leaves instruction yield! hark to nature's lesson given by the blessed birds of heaven! every bush and tufted tree warbles trust and piety: children, banish doubt and sorrow,-- god provideth for the morrow. one there lives, whose guardian eye guides our earthly destiny; one there lives, who, lord of all, keeps his children lest they fall: pass we, then, in love and praise, trusting him, through all our days, free from doubt and faithless sorrow,-- god provideth for the morrow. . l. m. peabody. religious influences of nature. god of the fair and open sky! how gloriously above us springs the tented dome, of heavenly blue, suspended on the rainbow's rings! each brilliant star, that sparkles through each gilded cloud that wanders free in evening's purple radiance, gives the beauty of its praise to thee. god of the rolling orbs above, thy name is written clearly bright in the warm day's unvarying blaze, or evening's golden shower of light: for every fire that fronts the sun, and every spark that walks alone around the utmost verge of heaven, were kindled at thy burning throne. god of the world, the hour must come, and nature's self to dust return; her crumbling altars must decay; her incense-fires shall cease to burn; but still her grand and lovely scenes have made man's warmest praises flow, for hearts grow holier as they trace the beauty of the world below. . s. & s. m. conder. "day unto day uttereth speech." the heavens declare his glory, their maker's skill the skies: each day repeats the story, and night to night replies. their silent proclamation throughout the earth is heard; the record of creation, the page of nature's word. there, from his bright pavilion, like eastern bridegroom clad, hailed by earth's thousand million, the sun sets forth; right glad, his glorious race commencing, the mighty giant seems; through the vast round dispensing his all-pervading beams. so pure, so soul-restoring is truth's diviner ray; a brighter radiance pouring than all the pomp of day: the wanderer surely guiding, it makes the simple wise; and evermore abiding, unfailing joy supplies. . l. m. l. heber. the visible world a shadow of the invisible. i praised the earth in beauty seen, with garlands gay of various green; i praised the sea, whose ample field shone glorious as a silver shield; and earth and ocean seemed to say, "our beauties are but for a day." i praised the sun, whose chariot rolled on wheels of amber and of gold; i praised the moon, whose softer eye gleamed sweetly through the summer sky; and moon and sun in answer said, "our years are told when we must fade." o god, o, good beyond compare! if thus thy meaner works are fair,-- if thus thy bounties gild the span of sinful earth and mortal man,-- how glorious must thy mansion be where thy redeemed shall dwell with thee. . l. m. moore. nature a temple. the turf shall be my fragrant shrine; my temple, lord, that arch of thine, my censor's breath the mountain airs, and silent thoughts my only prayers. my choir shall be the moonlight waves, when murmuring homeward to their caves, or when the stillness of the sea, e'en more than music breathes of thee. i'll seek, by day, some glade unknown. all light and silence like thy throne, and the pale stars shall be, at night, the only eyes that watch my rite. thy heaven, on which 'tis bliss to look, shall be my pure and shining book, where i can read, in words of flame, the glories of thy wondrous name. there's nothing bright, above, below, from flowers that bloom, to stars that glow, but in its light my soul can see some feature of thy deity. there's nothing dark, below, above, but in its gloom i trace thy love, and meekly wait that moment, when thy touch shall turn all bright again. the scriptures. . c. m. tate & brady. perfection of god's law. god's perfect law converts the soul, reclaims from false desires; with sacred wisdom his sure word the ignorant inspires. the statutes of the lord are just, and bring sincere delight; his pure commands, in search of truth, assist the feeblest sight. his perfect worship here is fixed, on sure foundations laid; his equal laws are in the scales of truth and justice weighed. of more esteem than golden mines, or gold refined with skill; more sweet than honey, or the drops that from the comb distil. my trusty counsellors they are, and friendly warnings give; divine rewards attend on those, who by thy precepts live. . l. m. watts. nature and scripture. ps. . the heavens declare thy glory, lord! in every star thy wisdom shines; but, when our eyes behold thy word, we read thy name in fairer lines. the rolling sun, the changing light, and nights, and days, thy power confess; but the blest volume thou hast writ reveals thy justice and thy grace. sun, moon, and stars, convey thy praise round the whole earth, and never stand; so when thy truth began its race, it touched and glanced on every land. nor shall thy spreading gospel rest till through the world thy truth has run; till christ has all the nations blest, that see the light, or feel the sun. . c. m. cowper. light and glory of the word. a glory gilds the sacred page, majestic like the sun: it gives a light to every age; it gives, but borrows none. the hand that gave it still supplies the gracious light and heat: his truths upon the nations rise; they rise, but never set. let everlasting thanks be thine, for such a bright display, as makes a world of darkness shine with beams of heavenly day. my soul rejoices to pursue the steps of him i love, till glory break upon my view in brighter worlds above. . l. m. l. spirit of the psalms. praise to god for his word. join, all ye servants of the lord, to praise him for his sacred word,-- that word, like manna, sent from heaven, to all who seek it freely given; its promises our fears remove, and fill our hearts with joy and love. it tells us, though oppressed with cares, the god of mercy hears our prayers; though steep and rough th' appointed way, his mighty arm shall be our stay; though deadly foes assail our peace, his power shall bid their malice cease. it tells who first inspired our breath, and who redeemed our souls from death; it tells of grace,--grace freely given,-- and shows the path to god and heaven: o, bless we, then, our gracious lord, for all the treasures of his word. . s. m. watts. nature and scripture. ps. . behold! the lofty sky declares its maker, god: and all his starry works on high proclaim his power abroad. ye christian lands, rejoice! here he reveals his word; we are not left to nature's voice to bid us know the lord. his statutes and commands are set before our eyes; he puts his gospel in our hands, where our salvation lies. while of thy works i sing, thy glory to proclaim, accept the praise, my god, my king, in my redeemer's name. . c. m. rippon's coll. the value of the scriptures. how precious is the book divine, by inspiration given! bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, to lead our souls to heaven. o'er all the strait and narrow way its radiant beams are cast; a light whose never weary ray grows brightest at the last. it sweetly cheers our fainting hearts in this dark vale of tears; life, light, and comfort it imparts, and calms our anxious fears. this lamp through all the dreary night of life shall guide our way, till we behold the glorious light of never-ending day. . c. m. episcopal coll. sufficiency of the scriptures. great god, with wonder and with praise on all thy works i look; but still thy wisdom, power, and grace, shine brightest in thy book. here are my choicest treasures hid; here my best comfort lies; here my desires are satisfied; and here my hopes arise. lord, make me understand thy law; show what my faults have been; and from thy gospel let me draw the pardon of my sin. . s. m. beddome. superiority of the scriptures. o lord, thy perfect word directs our steps aright; nor can all other books afford such profit or delight. celestial light it sheds, to cheer this vail below; to distant lands its glory spreads, and streams of mercy flow. true wisdom it imparts; commands our hope and fear; o, may we hide it in our hearts, and feel its influence there. . l. m. beddome. the gospel revelation. god, in the gospel of his son, makes his eternal counsels known; 'tis here his richest mercy shines, and truth is drawn in fairest lines. wisdom its dictates here imparts, to form our minds, to cheer our hearts; its influence makes the sinner live; it bids the drooping saint revive. our raging passions it controls, and comfort yields to contrite souls; it brings a better world in view, and guides us all our journey through. may this blest volume ever lie close to my heart, and near my eye, till life's last hour my soul engage, and be my chosen heritage. . c. m. watts. revelation. ps. . let all the heathen writers join to form one perfect book, great god, if once compared with thine, how mean their writings look! not the most perfect rules they gave could show one sin forgiven, nor lead a step beyond the grave; but thine conduct to heaven. i've seen an end of what we call perfection here below; how short the powers of nature fall, and can no farther go! our faith, and love, and every grace, fall far below thy word; but perfect truth and righteousness dwell only with the lord. . l. m. anonymous. the scriptures. lamp of our feet! whose hallowed beam deep in our hearts its dwelling hath, how welcome is the cheering gleam thou sheddest o'er our lowly path! light of our way! whose ways are flung in mercy o'er our pilgrim road, how blessed, its dark shades among, the star that guides us to our god. in the sweet morning's hour of prime, thy blessed words our lips engage, and round our hearths at evening time our children spell the holy page; the waymark through long distant years, to guide their wandering footsteps on, till thy last loveliest beam appears, inscribed upon the churchyard stone. lamp of our feet! which day by day are passing to the quiet tomb, if on it fall thy peaceful ray, our last low dwelling hath no gloom. how beautiful their calm repose to whom thy blessed hope is given whose pilgrimage on earth is closed by the unfolding gates of heaven! . c. m. watts. comfort from the bible. lord, i have made thy word my choice, my lasting heritage; there shall my noblest powers rejoice, my warmest thoughts engage. i'll read the histories of thy love, and keep thy laws in sight, while through the promises i rove, with ever-fresh delight. 't is a broad land of wealth unknown, where springs of life arise, seeds of immortal bliss are sown, and hidden glory lies. the best relief that mourners have, it makes our sorrows blest; our fairest hope beyond the grave, and our eternal rest. . l. m. anonymous. the same. thou book of life!--in thee are found the mysteries of my maker's will; treasures of knowledge here abound, the deepest, loftiest mind to fill. thou art a banquet;--choicest food i'll seek in thee: thou art a rock, whence pour sweet waters; every good from thee doth flow for christ's own flock. light of the world! thy beams impart to lead my feet through life's dark way; o shine on this benighted heart, nor let me from thy guidance stray. healer of all the woes of life! the balm of souls diseased; to save from all earth's pain; and end the strife of death, with victory o'er the grave! . s. m. e. taylor. the bible. it is the one true light, when other lamps grow dim, 't will never burn less purely bright, nor lead astray from him. it is love's blessed band, that reaches from the throne to him--whoe'er he be--whose hand will seize it for his own! it is the golden key unto celestial wealth, joy to the sons of poverty, and to the sick man, health! the gently proffer'd aid of one who knows and best supplies the beings he has made with what will make them blessed. it is the sweetest sound that infant years can hear, travelling across that holy ground, with god and angels near. there rests the weary head, there age and sorrow go; and how it smooths the dying bed, o! let the christian show! christ; his character and offices. . c. m. christian psalmist. the saviour foretold. behold my servant; see him rise exalted in my might! him have i chosen, and in him i place supreme delight. on him in rich effusion poured, my spirit shall descend; my truth and judgment he shall show to earth's remotest end. gentle and still shall be his voice; no threats from him proceed; the smoking flax shall he not quench, nor break the bruised reed. the feeble spark to flames he'll raise; the weak will not despise; judgment he shall bring forth to truth, and make the fallen rise. the progress of his zeal and power shall never know decline, till foreign lands and distant isles receive the law divine. . s. m. drummond. "prepare ye the way of the lord." a voice from the desert comes awful and shrill; the lord is advancing! prepare ye the way! the word of jehovah he comes to fulfil, and o'er the dark world pour the splendor of day. bring down the proud mountain though towering to heaven, and be the low valley exalted on high; the rough path and crooked be made smooth and even, for, zion! your king, your redeemer is nigh. the beams of salvation his progress illume; the lone, dreary wilderness sings of her lord; the rose and the myrtle there suddenly bloom, and the olive of peace spreads its branches abroad. . s. m. bowring. report of the watchman. watchman! tell us of the night, what its signs of promise are. traveller! o'er yon mountain's height, see that glory-beaming star. watchman! does its beauteous ray aught of joy or hope foretell? traveller! yes; it brings the day, promised day of israel. watchman! tell us of the night; higher yet that star ascends. traveller! blessedness and light, peace and truth its course portends. watchman! will its beams alone gild the spot that gave them birth? traveller! ages are its own; see, it bursts o'er all the earth. watchman! tell us of the night, for the morning seems to dawn. traveller! darkness takes its flight; doubt and terror are withdrawn. watchman! let thy wanderings cease; hie thee to thy quiet home. traveller! lo! the prince of peace, lo! the son of god, is come. . s. & s. m. cawood. song of the angels of bethlehem. hark! what mean those holy voices, sweetly sounding through the skies? lo! th' angelic host rejoices; heavenly hallelujahs rise. listen to the wondrous story which they chant in hymns of joy: "glory in the highest, glory! glory be to god most high! "peace on earth, good-will from heaven, reaching far as man is found: souls redeemed and sins forgiven:-- loud our golden harps shall sound. "christ is born, the great anointed; heaven and earth his praises sing! o, receive whom god appointed, for your prophet, priest and king." let us learn the wondrous story of our great redeemer's birth; spread the brightness of his glory, till it cover all the earth. . c. m. e. h. sears. christmas hymn. calm on the listening ear of night come heaven's melodious strains, where wild judea stretches far her silver-mantled plains! the answering hills of palestine send back the glad reply; and greet, from all their holy heights, the dayspring from on high o'er the blue depths of galilee there comes a holier calm, and sharon waves, in solemn praise, her silent groves of palm. "glory to god!" the sounding skies loud with their anthems ring,-- peace to the earth,--good-will to men, from heaven's eternal king!" light on thy hills, jerusalem! the saviour now is born! and bright on bethlehem's joyous plains breaks the first christmas morn. . s. m. e. h. chapin. the same. hark! hark! with harps of gold, what anthem do they sing?-- the radiant clouds have backward rolled, and angels smite the string. "glory to god!"--bright wings spread glist'ning and afar, and on the hallowed rapture rings from circling star to star. "glory to god!" repeat the glad earth and the sea; and every wind and billow fleet, bears on the jubilee. where hebrew bard hath sung, or hebrew seer hath trod, each holy spot has found a tongue; "let glory be to god." soft swells the music now along that shining choir, and every seraph bends his brow and breathes above his lyre. what words of heavenly birth thrill deep our hearts again, and fall like dew-drops to the earth? "peace and good-will to men!" soft!--yet the soul is bound with rapture, like a chain: earth, vocal, whispers them around, and heav'n repeats the strain. sound, harps, and hail the morn with ev'ry golden string;-- for unto us this day is born a saviour and a king! . s. h. m. t. h. bayley. the same. no loud avenging voice proclaimed messiah's birth; the son of god came down to teach humility on earth, and by his sufferings to efface the errors of a sinful race. not on a purple throne, with gold and jewels crowned, but in the meanest dwelling place the precious babe was found: yet star-directed sages came, and kneeling, glorified his name. to shepherds first was shown the promised boon of heaven, who cried, "to us a child is born-- to us a son is given!" death from his mighty throne was hurled, faith hailed salvation to the world. lord! may thy holy cross bear peace from clime to clime, till all mankind at length are freed from sorrow, shame and crime: dispel the unbeliever's gloom, and end the terrors of the tomb! . l. m. campbell. the same. when jordan hushed his waters still, and silence slept on zion's hill; when bethlehem's shepherds through the night watched o'er their flocks by starry light: hark! from the midnight hills around, a voice of more than mortal sound, in distant hallelujahs stole, wild murm'ring o'er the raptured soul. "o zion! lift thy raptured eye, the long expected hour is nigh; the joys of nature rise again, the prince of salem comes to reign. "he comes, to cheer the trembling heart, bids satan and his host depart; again the day-star gilds the gloom, again the bowers of eden bloom." . s. m. watts. the same. behold, the grace appears, the blessing promised long; angels announce the saviour near, in this triumphant song:-- "glory to god on high and heavenly peace on earth; good-will to men, to angels joy, at the redeemer's birth." in worship so divine let men employ their tongues; with the celestial host we join, and loud repeat their songs:-- "glory to god on high, and heavenly peace on earth; good-will to men, to angels joy, at our redeemer's birth." . h. m. salisbury coll. the same. hark! what celestial notes, what melody, we hear! soft on the morn it floats, and fills the ravished ear. the tuneful shell, the golden lyre, and vocal choir, the concert swell. angelic hosts descend, with harmony divine; see, how from heaven they bend, and in full chorus join! "fear not," say they; jesus, your king, "great joy we bring: is born to day." "glory to god on high! ye mortals, spread the sound, and let your raptures fly to earth's remotest bound! for peace on earth, from god in heaven, to man is given, at jesus' birth." . s. m. anonymous. the same. hail, all hail the joyful morn: tell it forth from earth to heaven, that to us a child is born, that to us a son is given. angels, bending from the sky, chanted, at the wondrous birth, "glory be to god on high, peace--good-will to man on earth." join we then our feeble lays to the chorus of the sky; and, in songs of grateful praise, glory give to god on high. . s. & s. m. heber. star of the east. brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid; star of the east,--the horizon adorning,-- guide where the infant redeemer is laid. cold on his cradle the dew-drops are shining; low lies his head with the beasts of the stall; angels bend o'er him, in slumber reclining,-- monarch, redeemer, restorer of all. say, shall we yield him in costly devotion, odors of edom, and offerings divine? gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine? vainly we offer each ample oblation, vainly with gold would his favor secure; richer by far is the heart's adoration, dearer to god are the prayers of the poor. brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid; star of the east,--the horizon adorning,-- guide where the infant redeemer is laid. . l. m. l. moore. christ's birth. arrayed in clouds of golden light, more bright than heaven's effulgent bow, jehovah's angel came by night, to bless the sleeping world below. how soft the music of his tongue! how sweet the hallowed strains he sung! good-will henceforth to man be given, the light of glory beams on earth: let angels tune the harps of heaven, and saints rejoice in shiloh's birth; in him all nations shall be blest, and his shall be a glorious rest. . c. p. m. miss roscoe. christmas hymn. o, let your mingling voices rise, in grateful rapture, to the skies, and hail a saviour's birth: let songs of joy the day proclaim, when jesus all-triumphant came to bless the sons of earth. he came to bid the weary rest, to heal the sinner's wounded breast, to bind the broken heart, to spread the light of truth around, and to the world's remotest bound the heavenly gift impart. he came our trembling souls to save from sin, from sorrow, and the grave, and chase our fears away; victorious over death and time, to lead us to a happier clime, where reigns eternal day. . c. m. doddridge. the mission of christ. hark, the glad sound! the saviour comes! the saviour promised long! let every heart prepare a throne, and every voice a song. on him the spirit largely poured, exerts its sacred fire; wisdom and might, and zeal and love, his holy breast inspire. he comes, from thickest films of vice to clear the mental ray; and on the eye-balls of the blind to pour celestial day. he comes, the broken heart to bind, the bleeding soul to cure; and with the treasure of his grace enrich the humble poor. our glad hosannas, prince of peace! thy welcome shall proclaim; and heaven's eternal arches ring with thy beloved name. . c. m. watts. the kingdom of christ. joy to the world! the lord is come! let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing! joy to the earth! the saviour reigns! let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy. no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow as far as sin is found. he rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love. . c. m. watts. john the herald of christ. john was the prophet of the lord to go before his face; the herald which the prince of peace sent to prepare his ways. "behold the lamb of god," he cries, "that takes our guilt away; i saw the spirit o'er his head, on his baptizing day. "be every vale exalted high, sink every mountain low; the proud must stoop, and humble souls shall his salvation know. "behold the morning star arise, ye that in darkness sit; he marks the path that leads to peace, and guides our doubtful feet." . c. m. exeter coll. the baptism of jesus. see, from on high, a light divine on jesus' head descend! and hear the sacred voice from heaven that bids us all attend. "this is my well-beloved son," proclaimed the voice divine; "hear him," his heavenly father said, "for all his words are mine." his mission thus confirmed from heaven, the great messiah came, and heavenly wisdom showed to man in god his father's name. the path of heavenly peace he showed that leads to bliss on high; where all his faithful followers here shall live, no more to die. . s. m. needham. christ the light of the world. behold! the prince of peace, the chosen of the lord, god's well-beloved son, fulfils the sure prophetic word. no royal pomp adorns this king of righteousness: meekness and patience, truth and love, compose his princely dress. the spirit of the lord, in rich abundance shed, on this great prophet gently lights, and rests upon his head. jesus, the light of men, his doctrine life imparts; o, may we feel its quickening power to warm and glad our hearts. cheered by its beams, our souls shall run the heavenly way; the path which christ has marked and trod, will lead to endless day. . l. m. bowring. jesus preaching the gospel. how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound from lips of gentleness and grace, when listening thousands gathered round, and joy and reverence filled the place! from heaven he came--of heaven he spoke to heaven he led his followers' way; dark clouds of gloomy night he broke, unveiling an immortal day. "come, wanderers, to my father's home, come, all ye weary ones, and rest!" yes! sacred teacher,--we will come-- obey thee, love thee, and be blest! decay, then, tenements of dust! pillars of earthly pride, decay! a nobler mansion waits the just, and jesus has prepared the way. . l. m. butcher. miracles of christ. on eyes that never saw the day christ pours the bright celestial ray; and deafened ears, by him unbound, catch all the harmony of sound. lameness takes up its bed, and goes rejoicing in the strength that flows through every nerve; and, free from pain, pours forth to god the grateful strain. the shattered mind his word restores, and tunes afresh the mental powers; the dead revive, to life return, and bid affection cease to mourn. canst thou, my soul, these wonders trace, and not admire jehovah's grace? canst thou behold thy prophet's power, and not the god he served adore? . l. m. russell. "that ye through his poverty might be rich." o'er the dark wave of galilee the gloom of twilight gathers fast, and on the waters drearily descends the fitful evening blast. the weary bird hath left the air, and sunk into his sheltered nest; the wandering beast has sought his lair, and laid him down to welcome rest. still, near the lake, with weary tread, lingers a form of human kind; and on his lone, unsheltered head, flows the chill night-damp of the wind. why seeks he not a home of rest? why seeks he not a pillowed bed? beasts have their dens, the bird its nest; he hath not where to lay his head. such was the lot he freely chose, to bless, to save the human race; and through his poverty there flows a rich, full stream of heavenly grace. . c. m. mrs. hemans. "peace! be still!" fear, was within the tossing bark, when stormy winds grew loud, and waves came rolling high and dark, and the tall mast was bowed. and men stood breathless in their dread, and baffled in their skill-- but one was there, who rose and said to the wild sea, "be still!" and the wind ceased; it ceased! that word passed through the gloomy sky, the troubled billows knew their lord, and sank beneath his eye. thou that didst rule the angry hour, and tame the tempest's mood-- oh! send, thy spirit forth in power o'er our dark souls to brood! thou that didst bow the billows' pride, thy mandates to fulfil-- speak, speak to passion's raging tide, speak and say--"peace, be still!" . l. m. l. barton. the pool of bethesda. around bethesda's healing wave waiting to hear the rustling wing, which spoke the angel nigh, who gave its virtue to that holy spring, with patience, and with hope endued were seen the gathered multitude. had they who watched and waited there been conscious who was passing by, with what unceasing anxious care would they have sought his pitying eye; and craved with fervency of soul, his power divine to make them whole! bethesda's pool has lost its power! no angel, by his glad descent, dispenses that diviner dower which with its healing waters went. but he, whose word surpassed its wave, is still omnipotent to save. . l. m. heber. the holy guest. messiah lord! who, wont to dwell in lowly shape and cottage cell, didst not refuse a guest to be at cana's poor festivity. o when our soul from care is free, then, saviour, would we think on thee; and, seated at the festal board, in fancy's eye behold the lord. then may we seem, in fancy's ear, thy manna-dropping tongue to hear, and think,--"if now his searching view each secret of our spirit knew!" so may such joy, chastised and pure, beyond the bounds of earth endure; nor pleasure in the wounded mind shall leave a rankling sting behind. . c. m. cowper. "he steadfastly set his face to go to jerusalem." the saviour, what a noble flame, was kindled in his breast, when hasting to jerusalem, he marched before the rest! good-will to men, and zeal for god, his every thought engross; he goes to be baptized with blood; he goes to meet the cross. with all his sufferings full in view, and woes to us unknown, forth to the task his spirit flew; 'twas love that urged him on. and while his holy sorrows here engage our wondering eyes, we learn our lighter cross to bear, and hasten to the skies. . l. m. milman. christ's entry into jerusalem. ride on, ride on in majesty! hark! all the tribes hosanna cry! thy humble beast pursues his road, with palms and scattered garments strowed. ride on, ride on in majesty! in lowly pomp ride on to die! o christ, thy triumphs now begin, o'er captive death and conquered sin. ride on, ride on in majesty! the winged squadrons of the sky look down with sad and wondering eyes, to see the approaching sacrifice. ride on, ride on in majesty! thy last and fiercest strife is nigh; the father on his glorious throne expects his own anointed son! . c. m. mrs. barbauld. christ's new command to his disciples. behold where, breathing love divine, our dying master stands! his weeping followers, gathering round, receive his last commands. "blest is the man whose softening heart feels all another's pain; to whom the supplicating eye was never raised in vain; "peace from the bosom of his god, my peace to him i give; and when he kneels before his throne, his trembling soul shall live. "to him protection shall be shown; and mercy from above descend on those who thus fulfil the perfect law of love." . c. h. m. hemans. the agony in gethsemane. he knelt; the saviour knelt and prayed, when but his father's eye looked, through the lonely garden's shade, on that dread agony: the lord of high and heavenly birth was bowed with sorrow unto death. he knew them all,--the doubt, the strife, the faint perplexing dread; the mists that hang o'er parting life all darkened round his head; and the deliverer knelt to pray; yet passed it not, that cup, away. it passed not, though the stormy wave had sunk beneath his tread; it passed not, though to him the grave had yielded up its dead; but there was sent him, from on high, a gift of strength, for man to die. and was his mortal hour beset with anguish and dismay? how may we meet our conflict yet in the dark, narrow way? how, but through him that path who trod? "save, or we perish, son of god." . l. m. montgomery. christ's passion. the morning dawns upon the place, where jesus spent the night in prayer; through brightening glooms behold his face, no form or comeliness is there. last eve by those he called his own, betrayed, forsaken or denied, he met his enemies alone, in all their malice, rage, and pride. but hark! he prays;--'tis for his foes; he speaks;--'tis comfort to his friends; answers;--and paradise bestows; "'tis finished!"--here the conflict ends. "truly, this was the son of god!" --though in a servant's mean disguise, and bruised beneath the father's rod, not for himself,--for man he dies. . l. m. w. b. tappan. christ in gethsemane. 't is midnight; and on olive's brow the star is dimmed that lately shone; 't is midnight; in the garden, now, the suffering saviour prays alone. 't is midnight; and from all removed, the saviour wrestles lone, with fears; e'en that disciple whom he loved heeds not his master's grief and tears. 't is midnight; and for others' guilt the man of sorrows weeps in blood; yet he that hath in anguish knelt is not forsaken by his god. 't is midnight; from celestial plains is borne the song that angels know; unheard by mortals are the strains that sweetly soothe the saviour's woe. . c. m. haweis. agony in the garden. dark was the night and cold the ground on which the lord was laid; his sweat like drops of blood ran down; in agony he prayed,-- "father, remove this bitter cup, if such thy sacred will; if not, content to drink it up, thy pleasure i fulfil." go to the garden, sinner; see those precious drops that flow; the heavy load he bore for thee; for thee he lies so low. then learn of him the cross to bear; thy father's will obey; and, when temptations press thee near, awake to watch and pray. . s. m. l. montgomery. christ our example in sufferings. go to dark gethsemane, ye that feel temptation's power, your redeemer's conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour. turn not from his griefs away, learn of jesus christ to pray. follow to the judgment-hall, view the lord of life arraigned: o the wormwood and the gall! o the pangs his soul sustained! shun not suffering, shame or loss; learn of him to bear the cross. calvary's mournful mountain climb; there, admiring at his feet, mark that miracle of time, god's own sacrifice complete: "it is finished," hear him cry; learn of jesus christ to die. early hasten to the tomb where they laid his breathless clay; all is solitude and gloom; --who has taken him away? christ is risen; he meets our eyes-- saviour, teach us so to rise. . c. m. christian psalmist. the crucifixion of christ. behold the saviour on the cross, a spectacle of woe! see from his agonizing wounds the blood incessant flow; till death's pale ensigns o'er his cheek and trembling lips were spread; till light forsook his closing eyes, and life his drooping head. 'tis finished--the messiah dies for sins, but not his own; the great redemption is complete, and death is overthrown. 'tis finished--ritual worship ends, and gospel ages run; all old things now are past away, a new world is begun. . l. m. steele. a dying saviour. stretched on the cross, the saviour dies, hark! his expiring groans arise; see, from his hands, his feet, his side, descends the sacred, crimson tide. and didst thou bleed?--for sinners bleed? and could the sun behold the deed? no; he withdrew his cheering ray, and darkness veiled the mourning day. can i survey this scene of woe, where mingling grief and mercy flow, and yet my heart so hard remain,-- unmoved by either love or pain! come, dearest lord, thy grace impart, to warm this cold, this stupid heart, till all its powers and passions move, in melting grief and ardent love. . l. m. stennett. christ suffering on the cross. "'t is finished!"--so the saviour cried, and meekly bowed his head and died: "'t is finished!"--yes, the race is run, the battle fought, the victory won. "'t is finished!"--all that heaven foretold by prophets in the days of old; and truths are opened to our view, that kings and prophets never knew. "'t is finished!"--son of god, thy power hath triumphed in this awful hour; and yet our eyes with sorrow see that life to us was death to thee. "'t is finished!"--let the joyful sound be heard through all the nations round; "'tis finished!"--let the triumph rise, and swell the chorus of the skies. . l. m. watts. christ's death and resurrection. he dies! the friend of sinners dies! lo, salem's daughters weep around! a solemn darkness veils the skies! a sudden trembling shakes the ground! come, saints, and drop a tear or two for him who groaned beneath your load! he shed a thousand drops for you-- a thousand drops of richest blood! here's love and grief beyond degree; the lord of glory dies for men;-- but lo, what sudden joys we see! jesus, the dead, revives again! the rising lord forsakes the tomb-- the tomb in vain forbids his rise; cherubic legions guard him home, and shout him welcome to the skies! . s. m. gibbons. christ's resurrection. angels, roll the rock away; death, yield up thy mighty prey; see! he rises from the tomb, glowing with immortal bloom. 't is the saviour! angels, raise fame's eternal trump of praise; let the earth's remotest bound hear the joy-inspiring sound. now, ye saints, lift up your eyes; now to glory see him rise in long triumph up the sky-- up to waiting worlds on high. praise him, all ye heavenly choirs, praise, and sweep your golden lyres; shout, o earth, in rapturous song; let the strains be sweet and strong. every note with wonder swell,-- and the saviour's triumph tell; where, o death, is now thy sting? where thy terrors, vanquished king? . s. m. collyer. the same. morning breaks upon the tomb! jesus dissipates its gloom! day of triumph through the skies, see the glorious saviour rise! christians, dry your flowing tears; chase those unbelieving fears; look on his deserted grave; doubt no more his power to save. ye who are of death afraid, triumph in the scattered shade; drive your anxious fears away; see the place where jesus lay. so the rising sun appears, shedding radiance o'er the spheres; so returning beams of light chase the terrors of the night. . c. m. watts. ascension and reign of christ. o for a shout of sacred joy to god the sovereign king! let every land their tongues employ, and hymns of triumph sing. jesus, our god, ascends on high; his heavenly guards around attend him rising through the sky, with trumpet's joyful sound. while angels shout and praise their king, let mortals learn their strains; let all the earth his honors sing; o'er all the earth he reigns. speak forth his praise with awe profound; let knowledge guide the song; nor mock him with a solemn sound upon a thoughtless tongue. . l. m. watts. example of christ. my dear redeemer, and my lord, i read my duty in thy word: but in thy life the law appears, drawn out in living characters. such was thy truth, and such thy zeal, such deference to thy father's will, such love, and meekness so divine, i would transcribe, and make them mine. cold mountains, and the midnight air, witnessed the fervor of thy prayer, the desert thy temptations knew, thy conflict, and thy victory, too. be thou my pattern; may i bear more of thy gracious image here; then god, the judge, shall own my name among the followers of the lamb. . c. m. enfield. the same. behold, where, in a mortal form, appears each grace divine; the virtues, all in jesus met, with mildest radiance shine. to spread the rays of heavenly light, to give the mourner joy, to preach glad tidings to the poor, was his divine employ. 'midst keen reproach and cruel scorn, patient and meek he stood; his foes, ungrateful, sought his life; he labored for their good. in the last hour of deep distress, before his father's throne, with soul resigned, he bowed, and said, "thy will, not mine, be done!" be christ our pattern and our guide! his image may we bear! o, may we tread his holy steps, his joy and glory share! . c. p. m. medley. excellency of christ. o, could we speak the matchless worth, o, could we sound the glories forth, which in our saviour shine, we'd soar, and touch the heavenly strings, and vie with gabriel, while he sings, in notes almost divine. we'd sing the characters he bears, and all the forms of love he wears, exalted on his throne: in loftiest songs of sweetest praise, we would, to everlasting days, make all his glories known. o, the delightful day will come, when christ our lord will bring us home and we shall see his face; then, with our saviour, brother, friend, a blest eternity we'll spend, triumphant in his grace. . l. m. doddridge. christ's submission to his father's will. "father divine," the saviour cried, while horrors pressed on every side, and prostrate on the ground he lay, "remove this bitter cup away. "but if these pangs must still be borne or helpless man be left forlorn, i bow my soul before thy throne, and say, thy will, not mine, be done." thus our submissive souls would bow, and, taught by jesus, lie as low; our hearts, and not our lips alone, would say, thy will, not ours, be done. then, though like him in dust we lie, we'll view the blissful moment nigh, which, from our portion in his pains, calls to the joy in which he reigns. . l. m. bache. "greater love hath no man than this." "see how he loved!" exclaimed the jews, as tender tears from jesus fell; my grateful heart the thought pursues, and on the theme delights to dwell. see how he loved, who travelled on, teaching the doctrine from the skies; who bade disease and pain be gone, and called the sleeping dead to rise. see how he loved, who never shrank from toil or danger, pain or death; who all the cup of sorrow drank, and meekly yielded up his breath. such love can we unmoved survey? o may our breasts with ardor glow, to tread his steps, his laws obey, and thus our warm affections show. . l. m. anonymous. "i am the way, the truth and the life." thou art the way--and he who sighs amid this starless waste of woe to find a pathway to the skies, a light from heaven's eternal glow-- by thee must come, thou gate of love, through which the saints undoubting trod, till faith discovers, like the dove, an ark, a resting-place in god. thou art the truth--whose steady day shines on through earthly blight and bloom, the pure, the everlasting ray, the lamp that shines e'en in the tomb; the light that out of darkness springs, and guideth those that blindly go; the word whose precious radiance flings its lustre upon all below. thou art the life--the blessed well, with living waters gushing o'er, which those that drink shall ever dwell where sin and thirst are known no more. thou art the mystic pillar given, our lamp by night, our light by day; thou art the sacred bread from heaven; thou art the life--the truth--the way. . l. m. l. urwick's col. christ all and in all. jesus, thou source of calm repose, all fulness dwells in thee divine; our strength, to quell the proudest foes; our light, in deepest gloom to shine; thou art our fortress, strength, and tower, our trust and portion, evermore. jesus, our comforter thou art; our rest in toil, our ease in pain; the balm to heal each broken heart, in storms our peace, in loss our gain; our joy, beneath the worldling's frown; in shame our glory and our crown;-- in want our plentiful supply; in weakness, our almighty power; in bonds, our perfect liberty; our refuge in temptation's hour; our comfort, 'midst all grief and thrall; our life in death; our all in all. . c. m. beddome. christ the resting-place. jesus! delightful, charming name! it spreads a fragrance round; justice and mercy, truth and peace, in union here are found. he is our life, our joy, our strength; in him all glories meet; he is a shade above our heads, a light to guide our feet. when storms arise and tempests blow, he speaks the stilling word; the threatening billows cease to flow, the winds obey their lord. the thickest clouds are soon dispersed, if jesus shows his face; to weary, heavy-laden souls he is the resting-place. . c. m. duncan. the spiritual coronation. all hail the power of jesus' name! let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him lord of all. ye chosen seed of israel's race,-- a remnant weak and small,-- hail him, who saves you by his grace, and crown him lord of all. let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him lord of all. o, that, with yonder sacred throng, we at his feet may fall; we'll join the everlasting song, and crown him lord of all. . s. m. doddridge. attraction of the cross. behold th' amazing sight, the saviour lifted high! behold the father's chief delight expire in agony! for whom, for whom, my heart, were all these sorrows borne? why did he feel that piercing smart, and meet that cruel scorn? for love of us he bled, and all in torture died; 't was love that bowed his fainting head, and oped his gushing side. in him our hearts unite, nor share his grief alone, but from his cross pursue their flight to his triumphant throne. . s. m. milman. "they shall look on him whom they pierced." bound upon the accursed tree, faint and bleeding, who is he? by the cheek so pale and wan, by the crown of twisted thorn, by the side so deeply pierced, by the baffled, burning thirst, by the drooping death-dewed brow. son of man! 'tis thou! 'tis thou! bound upon the accursed tree, sad and dying, who is he? by the last and bitter cry, life breathed out in agony: by the lifeless body laid in the chamber of the dead: crucified! we know thee now; son of man! 'tis thou! 'tis thou! bound upon the accursed tree, dread and awful, who is he? by the prayer for them that slew, "lord! they know not what they do;" by the sealed and guarded cave, by the spoiled and empty grave, by that clear, immortal brow, son of god! 'tis thou! 'tis thou! . c. m. beddome. following christ. in duties and in sufferings too, my lord i feign would trace, as he hath done, so would i do, sustained by heavenly grace. inflamed with zeal, 'twas his delight to do his father's will; may the same zeal my soul excite his precepts to fulfil. meekness, humility and love through all his conduct shine; o, may my whole deportment prove a copy, lord, of thine. . s. m. furness. jesus our leader. feeble, helpless, how shall i learn to live and learn to die? who, o god, my guide shall be? who shall lead thy child to thee? blesséd father, gracious one, thou hast sent thy holy son; he will give the light i need, he my trembling steps will lead. thus in deed, and thought, and word, led by jesus christ the lord, in my weakness, thus shall i learn to live and learn to die. learn to live in peace and love, like the perfect ones above;-- learn to die without a fear, feeling thee, my father, near. . l. m. h. ballou. christ's example in forgiving. teach us to feel as jesus prayed, when on the cross he bleeding hung; when all his foes their wrath displayed, and with their spite his bosom stung. for such a heart and such a love, o lord, we raise our prayer to thee; o pour thy spirit from above, that we may like our saviour be. . c. m. anonymous. god's servant. thus saith the lord who built the heavens, and bade the planets roll, who peopled all the climes of earth, and formed the human soul:-- "behold my servant; see him rise exalted in my might; him have i chosen, and in him i place supreme delight. "on him, in rich effusion poured, my spirit shall descend; my truth and judgment he shall show to earth's remotest end. "the progress of his zeal and power shall never know decline, till foreign lands and distant isles receive the law divine." . l. m. mason. the image of the invisible god. thou, lord! by mortal eyes unseen, and by thine offspring here unknown, to manifest thyself to men, hast set thine image in thy son. though jews, who granted not his claim, contemptuous turned away their face, yet those who trusted in his name beheld in him thy truth and grace. o thou! at whose almighty word fair light at first from darkness shone, teach us to know our glorious lord, and trace the father in the son. while we, thine image there displayed, with love and admiration view, form us in likeness to our head, that we may bear thine image too. . s. m. watts. christ the corner-stone. see what a living stone the builders did refuse; yet god hath built his church thereon, in spite of envious jews. the work, o lord, is thine, and wondrous in our eyes; this day declares it all divine, this day did jesus rise. this is the glorious day that our redeemer made; let us rejoice, and sing, and pray-- let all the church be glad. hosanna to the king of david's royal blood! bless him, ye saints: he comes to bring salvation from your god. we bless thine holy word, which all this grace displays; and offer on thine altar, lord, our sacrifice of praise. . l. m. s. streeter. the hiding-place. a king shall reign in righteousness, and all the kindred nations bless; the king of salem, king of peace,-- nor shall his spreading kingdom cease. in him the naked soul shall find a hiding-place from chilling wind; or, when the raging tempests beat, a covert warm, a safe retreat. in burning sands and thirsty ground, he like a river shall be found, or lofty rock, beneath whose shade the weary traveller rests his head. the dimness gone, all eyes shall see his glory, grace, and majesty; all ears shall hearken, and the word of life receive from christ the lord. . c. m. s. streeter. blessings of the gospel. what glorious tidings do i hear from my redeemer's tongue! i can no longer silence bear; i'll burst into a song: the blind receive their sight with joy; the lame can walk abroad; the dumb their loosened tongues employ; the deaf can hear the word. the dead are raised to life anew by renovating grace; the glorious gospel's preached to you, the poor of adam's race. o wondrous type of things divine, when christ displays his love, to raise from woe the sinking mind to reign, in realms above! the gospel, and its invitations. . c. m. watts. the gospel trumpet. let every mortal ear attend, and every heart rejoice; the trumpet of the gospel sounds with an inviting voice. ho! all ye hungry, starving souls, that feed upon the wind, and vainly strive with earthly toys to fill an empty mind,-- eternal wisdom has prepared a soul-reviving feast, and bids your longing appetites the rich provision taste. ho! ye that pant for living streams, and pine away and die,-- here you may quench your raging thirst with springs that never dry. the happy gates of gospel grace stand open night and day; lord, we are come to seek supplies, and drive our wants away. . c. m. cowper. "the entrance of thy word giveth light." how blest thy creature is, o god, when, with a single eye, he views the lustre of thy word, the day-spring from on high! through all the storms that veil the skies, and frown on earthly things, the sun of righteousness doth rise, with healing on his wings. the soul, a dreary province once of satan's dark domain, feels a new empire formed within, and owns a heavenly reign. the glorious orb, whose golden beams the fruitful year control, since first, obedient to thy word, he started from the goal,-- has cheered the nations with the joys his orient rays impart: but, jesus, 'tis thy light alone can shine upon the heart. . l. m. watts. gospel invitations. "come hither, all ye weary souls, ye heavy-laden sinners, come! i'll give you rest from all your toils, and raise you to my heavenly home. "they shall find rest that learn of me; i'm of a meek and lowly mind, but passion rages like the sea, and pride is restless as the wind. "blest is the man whose shoulders take my yoke, and bear it with delight; my yoke is easy to his neck, my grace shall make the burden light." jesus, we come at thy command; with faith, and hope, and humble zeal, resign our spirits to thy hand to mould and guide us at thy will. . l. m. watts. god's glory in the gospel. now to the lord a noble song! awake, my soul, awake, my tongue; hosanna, to the eternal name, and all his boundless love proclaim. the spacious earth and spreading flood proclaim the wise, the powerful god; and thy rich glories from afar sparkle in every rolling star. but in the gospel of thy son are all thy mightiest works outdone; the light it pours upon our eyes outshines the wonders of the skies. our spirits kindle in its beam; it is a sweet, a glorious theme; ye angels, dwell upon the sound; ye heavens, reflect it to the ground. . h. m. toplady. the jubilee proclaimed. blow ye the trumpet, blow, the gladly solemn sound; let all the nations know, to earth's remotest bound, the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners, home. the gospel trumpet hear, the news of pardoning grace: ye happy souls, draw near; behold your saviour's face: the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners, home. jesus, our great high priest, has full assurance made; ye weary spirits, rest; ye mourning souls, be glad: the year of jubilee is come; return, ye ransomed sinners, home. . s. & s. m. j. taylor. gospel call to the church. praise to god, the great creator, bounteous source of every joy, he whose hand upholds all nature, he whose word can all destroy! saints with pious zeal attending, now the grateful tribute raise; solemn songs, to heaven ascending, join the universal praise. here indulge each grateful feeling; lowly bend with contrite souls; here, his milder grace revealing, here no peal of thunder rolls: lo, the sacred page before us bears the promise of his love, full of mercy to restore us, mercy beaming from above. every secret fault confessing, deed unrighteous, thought of sin, seize, o seize the proffered blessing, grace from god, and peace within! heart and voice with rapture swelling, still the song of glory raise; on the theme immortal dwelling, join the universal praise. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the gospel advancing. brighter shines the gospel day on our zion's mountains; clearer has become the way to her living fountains. hark! the stirring trumpet tone hath o'er every hill-top flown; error's hosts retiring see! superstition's minions flee! from the luring haunts of sin where the soul is blighted, christ invites--come enter in to the temple lighted with the beams of pardoning love-- with the wisdom from above; leave the woes of sin behind, and a rest perpetual find. come from error's hoary shrine, jew or gentile seeking for the way of life divine-- hear this voice now speaking! willing hearts and hands prepare christ's redeeming grace to share; join our triumph-strain, and sing zion's universal king. . c. m. medley. the fountain of living waters. o, what amazing words of grace are in the gospel found! suited to every sinner's case, who hears the joyful sound. come, then, with all your wants and wounds; your every burden bring; here love, unchanging love, abounds, a deep, celestial spring. this spring with living water flows, and heavenly joy imparts; come, thirsty souls, your wants disclose, and drink with thankful hearts. . s. m. select hymns. now is the day of grace. now is the day of grace; now to the father come; the lord is calling, "seek my face, and i will guide you home." the saviour bids you speed; o, wherefore then delay? he calls in love; he sees your need; he bids you come to-day. to-day the prize is won; the promise is to save; then, o, be wise; to-morrow's sun may shine upon your grave. . c. m. mrs. steele. invitation to the gospel feast. ye wretched, hungry, starving poor, behold a royal feast, where mercy spreads her bounteous store, for every humble guest! see, jesus stands with open arms! he calls, he bids you come;-- guilt holds you back, and fear alarms,-- but see, there yet is room! come then, and with his people taste the blessings of his love; while hope attends the sweet repast, of nobler joys above. there, with united heart and voice, before the eternal throne, ten thousand thousand souls rejoice in ecstasies unknown. and yet ten thousand thousand more are welcome still to come: ye longing souls, the grace adore;-- approach, there yet is room. . s. m. hawes. the same. from the holy mount above, glowing in the light of love, what melodious sounds we hear, bursting on the ravished ear! "at the feast there yet is room-- come and welcome, sinner, come. "thou shalt be a welcome guest, by the lord divinely blest;-- in the word of truth believe,-- all thy sinful pleasures leave, and no more in darkness roam,-- come and welcome, sinner, come. "god is thy unchanging friend; he will love thee to the end, and at last thy soul convey to the realms of endless day, to a blessed spirit-home,-- come and welcome, sinner, come." . s. m. episcopal coll. the sinner entreated to awake. sinner, rouse thee from thy sleep; wake, and o'er thy folly weep; raise thy spirit, dark and dead; jesus waits his light to shed. wake from sleep; arise from death; see the bright and living path; watchful, tread that path; be wise; leave thy folly; seek the skies. leave thy folly; cease from crime; from this hour redeem thy time; life secure without delay; brief is this thy mortal day. o, then, rouse thee from thy sleep; wake, and o'er thy folly weep; jesus calls from death and night; jesus waits to shed his light. . l. m. l. anonymous. the gospel gives peace and rest. peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan hath taught these rocks the notes of woe; cease thy complaints, suppress thy groan, and let thy tears forget to flow: behold the precious balm is found, which lulls thy pain, which heals thy wound. come, freely come; by sin oppressed, unburden here the weighty load, here find thy refuge and thy rest, and trust the mercy of thy god: thy god's thy father,--glorious word! forever love and praise the lord. as spring the winter, day the night, peace sorrow's gloom shall chase away, and smiling joy, a seraph bright, shall tend thy steps and near thee stay; whilst glory weaves th' immortal crown, and waits to claim thee for her own. . s. m. l. bowring. invitation. pilgrim, burdened with thy sin, come the way to zion's gate, there, till mercy speaks within, knock, and weep, and watch and wait-- knock--he knows the sinner's cry, weep--he loves the mourner's tears, watch--for saving grace is nigh, wait--till heavenly grace appears. hark, it is thy saviour's voice! "welcome, pilgrim, to thy rest." now within the gate rejoice, safe, and owned, and bought and blest-- safe--from all the lures of vice, owned--by joys the contrite know, bought--by love and life the price, blest--the mighty debt to owe! holy pilgrim! what for thee, in a world like this, remains? from thy guarded breast shall flee fear, and shame, and doubt and pains-- fear--the hope of heaven shall fly, shame--from glory's view retire, doubt--in full belief shall die, pain--in endless bliss expire. . c. m. anonymous. the same. bright was the guiding star that led, with mild benignant ray, the gentiles to the lowly shed where the redeemer lay. but lo! a brighter, clearer light now points to his abode it shines through sin and sorrow's night to guide us to our lord. o haste to follow where it leads; the gracious call obey, be rugged wilds, or flowery meads, the christian's destined way. o gladly tread the narrow path while light and grace are given; we'll meekly follow christ on earth, and reign with him in heaven. . c. m. collyer. call to the wandering. return, o wanderer, now return, and seek thy father's face; those new desires, which in thee burn, were kindled by his grace. return, o wanderer, now return; he hears thy humble sigh; he sees thy softened spirit mourn, when no one else is nigh. return, o wanderer, now return; thy father bids thee live; go to his feet, and grateful learn how freely he'll forgive. return, o wanderer, now return, and wipe the falling tear; thy father calls--no longer mourn; 't is love invites thee near. . c. m. moore. "her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much." were not the sinful mary's tears an offering worthy heaven, when, o'er the faults of former years, she wept, and was forgiven? when, bringing every balmy sweet her day of luxury stored, she o'er her saviour's hallowed feet the precious ointment poured; were not those sweets so freely shed, that shame, those weeping eyes, and the sunk heart which inly bled, heaven's noblest sacrifice? thou that hast slept in error's sleep, o wouldst thou wake to heaven, like mary kneel, like mary weep; "love much," and be forgiven! . s. m. anonymous. to the prodigal son. brother, hast thou wandered far from thy father's happy home? with thyself and god at war? turn thee, brother, homeward come. hast thou wasted all the powers god for noble uses gave? squandered life's most golden hours? turn thee, brother, god can save! is a mighty famine now in thy heart and in thy soul? discontent upon thy brow? turn thee, god will make thee whole! fall before him on the ground, pour thy sorrow in his ear, seek him, while he may be found, call upon him, while he's near. . s. m. episcopal coll. gospel invitations. the spirit, in our hearts, is whispering, "sinner, come!" the bride, the church of christ, proclaims to all his children, "come!" let him that heareth say to all about him, "come!" let him that thirsts for righteousness, to christ, the fountain, come! yes, whosoever will, o, let him freely come, and freely drink the stream of life; 'tis jesus bids him come. lo, jesus, who invites, declares, "i quickly come:" lord, even so! i wait thine hour: jesus, my saviour, come! . c. m. watts. the blessings of the gospel. blest are the souls that hear and know the gospel's joyful sound; peace shall attend the paths they go, and light their steps surround. their joy shall bear their spirits up, through their redeemer's name; his righteousness exalts their hope, nor dares the world condemn. the lord, our glory and defence, strength and salvation gives; israel, thy king forever reigns, thy god forever lives. . c. m. doddridge. all things ready. the king of heaven his table spreads, and dainties crown the board: not paradise, with all its joys, could such delight afford. ye hungry poor, that long have strayed in sin's dark mazes, come; come from your most obscure retreats and grace shall find you room. millions of souls, in glory now, were fed and feasted here; and millions more, still on the way, around the board appear. yet are his house and heart so large, that millions more may come; nor could the whole assembled world o'erfill the spacious room. . s. m. pratt's coll. coming to christ. ye sons of earth, arise, ye creatures of a day; redeem the time--be bold--be wise, and cast your bonds away. the year of gospel grace with us rejoice to see, and thankfully in christ embrace your proffered liberty. blest saviour, lord of all, god help us to receive; obedient to thy gracious call, o, bid us turn and live. . s. m. e. turner. saviour's voice. hear what a saviour's voice, to sinners, does proclaim; o, all ye ransomed souls, rejoice in your redeemer's name. where sin and death have reigned, and all their power employed, there are his love and light maintained, and heavenly truth enjoyed. the needy, starving poor are filled with living bread; the opening of the prison door proclaims the captive freed. the thirsty, panting soul, that longs for springs of grace, beholds celestial waters roll, and floods of righteousness. my god, my saviour too, i would thy love proclaim, partake of what is brought to view, and sing thy glorious name. . s. m. watts. power of the gospel. behold, the morning sun begins his glorious way; his beams through all the nations run, and life and light convey. but where the gospel comes, it spreads diviner light; it calls dead sinners from their tombs, and gives the blind their sight. how perfect is thy word! and all thy judgments just! forever sure thy promise, lord, and we securely trust. my gracious god, how plain are thy directions given! o, may we never read in vain, but find the path to heaven. . l. m. anonymous. gospel invitation. come to the living waters, come! gladly obey your maker's call:-- return, ye weary wand'rers, home, and find his grace is free for all. see from the rock a fountain rise; for you in healing streams it rolls; money ye need not bring, nor price, ye weary, heavy-laden souls. in search of empty joys below, why toil with unavailing strife? whither, ah! whither would ye go? christ hath the words of endless life. your willing ears and hearts incline, his words believingly receive; quicken'd, you then, by faith divine, a heavenly life on earth shall live. . s. m. s. f. streeter. the same. how gracious the promise, how soothing the word that came from the lips of our merciful lord! "ye lone, and ye weary, ye sad and oppressed, come, learn of your saviour, and ye shall find rest." ye proud, from the paths of ambition depart, for meek was your master, and lowly of heart. and all who have sinned and have wandered astray, come, walk in the light and the truth and the way. ye heart-stricken sons, and ye daughters of woe, for you the fresh fountains of comfort o'erflow; your souls to the blessed redeemer unite,-- his yoke it is easy, his burden is light. . s. m. mrs. barbauld. the weary, pained, and guilty, invited. come! said jesus' sacred voice, come, and make my paths your choice; i will guide you to your home; weary pilgrim, hither come! thou who, houseless, sole, forlorn, long hast borne the proud world's scorn, long hast roamed the barren waste, weary pilgrim, hither haste! ye who, tossed on beds of pain, seek for ease, but seek in vain; ye, whose swollen and sleepless eyes watch to see the morning rise; ye, by fiercer anguish torn, in remorse for guilt who mourn, here repose your heavy care: who the stings of guilt can bear? sinner, come! for here is found balm that flows for every wound; peace that ever shall endure, rest eternal, sacred, sure. triumph of christianity. . l. m. watts. christ's kingdom among the gentiles. jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run; his kingdom stretch from shore to shore till moons shall wax and wane no more. for him shall endless prayer be made, and endless praises crown his head; his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise with every morning sacrifice. people and realms of every tongue dwell on his love with sweetest song; and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on his name. blessings abound where'er he reigns; the joyful prisoner bursts his chains; the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest. let every creature rise and bring peculiar honors to our king; angels descend with songs again and earth repeat the loud amen. . c. m. milton. the kingdom of god on earth. the lord will come, and not be slow; his footsteps cannot err; before him righteousness shall go, his royal harbinger. the nations all whom thou hast made shall come, and all shall frame to bow them low before thee, lord, and glorify thy name. truth from the earth, like to a flower, shall bud and blossom then, and justice, from her heavenly bower, look down on mortal men. thee will i praise, o lord, my god, thee honor and adore with my whole heart, and blaze abroad thy name for evermore. for great thou art, and wonders great by thy strong hand are done: thou, in thy everlasting seat, remainest god alone. . c. m. h. ballou. the same. jesus his empire shall extend; beneath his gentle sway kings of the earth shall humbly bend, and his commands obey. from sea to sea, from shore to shore, all nations shall be blest; we hear the noise of war no more,-- he gives his people rest. as clouds descend in gentle showers, when spring renews her reign; and call to life the fragrant flowers o'er forest, hill and plain;-- so jesus, by his heavenly grace, descends on man below, and o'er the millions of our race his gentle blessings flow. all that the reign of sin destroyed, the saviour shall restore; and, from the treasures of the lord, shall give us blessings more. . h. m. e. turner. the universal king. come, sing a saviour's power, and praise his mighty name; his wondrous love adore, and chant his growing fame. wide o'er the world a king shall reign, and righteousness and peace maintain. the sceptre of his grace he shall forever wield; his foes, before his face, to strength divine shall yield: the conquest of his truth shall show what an almighty arm can do. his alienated sons, by sin beguiled, betrayed, shall then be born at once, and willing subjects made: such numbers shall his courts adorn as dew-drops of the vernal morn. his realm shall ever stand, by liberal things upheld: and from his bounteous hand all hearts with joy be filled. a universe with praise shall own the countless honors of his throne. . & s. m. montgomery. blessings of christ's kingdom. hail to the lord's anointed, great david's greater son! hail! in the time appointed his reign on earth begun! he comes to break oppression, to set the captive free, to take away transgression, and rule in equity. he shall descend like showers upon the fruitful earth, and love and joy, like flowers, spring in his path to birth; before him, on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go; and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow. for him shall prayer unceasing and daily vows ascend, his kingdom still increasing,-- a kingdom without end: the tide of time shall never his covenant remove: his name shall stand forever;-- that name to us is love. . l. m. h. ballou. blessings of christ's universal reign. when god descends with men to dwell, and all creation makes anew, what tongue can half the wonders tell? what eye the dazzling glories view? zion, the desolate, again shall see her lands with roses bloom; and carmel's mount, and sharon's plain, shall yield their spices and perfume. celestial streams shall gently flow; the wilderness shall joyful be; lilies on parchéd ground shall grow; and gladness spring on every tree; the weak be strong, the fearful bold, the deaf shall hear, the dumb shall sing, the lame shall walk, the blind behold; and joy through all the earth shall ring. monarchs and slaves shall meet in love; old pride shall die, and meekness reign,-- when god descends from worlds above, to dwell with men on earth again. . c. m. anonymous. the gospel feast. on zion, his most holy mount, god will a feast prepare; and israel's sons, and gentile lands, shall in the banquet share. see to the vilest of the vile a free acceptance given! see rebels, by adopting grace, sit with the heirs of heaven! the pained, the sick, the dying, now to ease and health restored, with eager appetites partake the plenties of the board. but, o, what draughts of bliss unknown, what dainties shall be given, when, with the myriads round the throne, we join the feast of heaven! there joys immeasurably high shall overflow the soul, and springs of life, that never dry, in thousand channels roll. . s. m. anonymous. the fulness of the gentiles. "give us room, that we may dwell," zion's children cry aloud: see their numbers how they swell! how they gather like a cloud! o, how bright the morning seems! brighter from so dark a night: zion is like one that dreams, filled with wonder and delight. lo! thy sun goes down no more: god himself will be thy light: all that caused thee grief before buried lies in endless night. zion, now arise and shine; lo! thy light from heaven is come these that crowd from far are thine; give thy sons and daughters room. . l. m. anonymous. influence of the gospel like rain. as showers on meadows newly mown, jesus shall shed his blessings down; crowned with whose life-infusing drops, earth shall renew her blissful crops. the dews and rains, in all their store, drenching the pastures o'er and o'er, are not so copious as that grace which sanctifies and saves our race. as, in soft silence, vernal showers descend, and cheer the fainting flowers, so, in the secrecy of love, falls the sweet influence from above. that heavenly influence let me find in holy silence of the mind, while every grace maintains its bloom, diffusing wide its rich perfume. nor let these blessings be confined to me, but poured on all mankind, till earth's wild wastes in verdure rise, and a young eden bless our eyes. . h. m. doddridge. efficacy of the gospel. mark the soft-falling snow, and the descending rain! to heaven, from whence it fell, it turns not back again; but waters earth through every pore, and calls forth all her secret store. arrayed in beauteous green the hills and valleys shine, and man and beast are fed by providence divine: the harvest bows its golden ears, the copious seed of future years. "so," saith the god of grace, "my gospel shall descend, almighty to effect the purpose i intend; millions of souls shall feel its power, and bear it down to millions more." . s. m. h. ballou. universal redemption. in god's eternity there shall a day arise, when all the race of man shall be with jesus in the skies. as night before the rays of morning flees away, sin shall retire before the blaze of god's eternal day. as music fills the grove when stormy clouds are past, sweet anthems of redeeming love shall all employ at last. redeemed from death and sin, shall adam's numerous race a ceaseless song of praise begin, and shout redeeming grace. . l. m. l. watts. "the gentiles shall see thy righteousness." let all the earth their voices raise, to sing the choicest psalm of praise; to sing and bless jehovah's name: his glory let the heathen know, his wonders to the nations show, and all his saving works proclaim. the heathen know thy glory, lord: the wondering nations read thy word: among us is jehovah known; our worship shall no more be paid to gods which mortal hands have made; our maker is our god alone. come the great day, the glorious hour, when earth shall feel his saving power, and barbarous nations fear his name; then shall the race of man confess the beauty of his holiness, and in his courts his grace proclaim. . l. m. bowring. progress of gospel truth. upon the gospel's sacred page the gathered beams of ages shine; and, as it hastens, every age but makes its brightness more divine. truth, strengthened by the strength of thought, pours inexhaustible supplies, whence sagest teachers may be taught, and wisdom's self become more wise. more glorious still as centuries roll, new regions blest, new powers unfurled, expanding with the expanding soul, its waters shall o'erflow the world; flow to restore, but not destroy; as when the cloudless lamp of day pours out its floods of light and joy, and sweeps each lingering mist away. . l. m. watts. universal reign of christ. great god, whose universal sway the known and unknown worlds obey; now give the kingdom to thy son; extend his power, exalt his throne. the heathen lands, that lie beneath the shades of overspreading death, revive at his first dawning light, and deserts blossom at the sight. the saints shall flourish in his days, dressed in the robes of joy and praise; peace, like a river, from his throne shall flow to nations yet unknown. . s. m. pope. predicted glory of the messiah's kingdom. rise, crowned with light, imperial salem, rise! exalt thy towering head, and lift thine eyes! see heaven its sparkling portals wide display, and break upon thee in a flood of day! see a long race thy spacious courts adorn, see future sons and daughters yet unborn, in crowding ranks on every side arise, demanding life, impatient for the skies! see barbarous nations at thy gates attend, walk in thy light, and in thy temples bend! see thy bright altars thronged with prostrate kings, while every land its joyous tribute brings. the seas shall waste, the skies to smoke decay, rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away but fixed his word, his saving power remains, thy realm shall last, thy own messiah reigns. . s., s. & s. m. kelly. encouraging prospects. yes, we trust the day is breaking; joyful times are near at hand; god, the mighty god, is speaking, by his word, in every land: when he chooses, darkness flies at his command. while the foe becomes more daring, while he enters like a flood, god, the saviour, is preparing means to spread his truth abroad: every language soon shall tell the love of god. god of jacob, high and glorious, let thy people see thy hand; let the gospel be victorious, through the world, in every land; then shall idols perish, lord, at thy command. . s. & s. m. anonymous. universal hallelujah. when shall the voice of singing flow joyfully along? when hill and valley, ringing with one triumphant song, proclaim the contest ended, and him, who once was slain, again to earth descended, in righteousness to reign? then from the craggy mountains the sacred shout shall fly, and shady vales and fountains shall echo the reply: high tower and lowly dwelling shall send the chorus round, the hallelujah swelling in one eternal sound. . c. m. watts. prospect of universal blessedness. lo! what a glorious sight appears to our believing eyes! the earth and seas are passed away, and the old rolling skies. from the third heaven, where god resides that holy, happy place, the new jerusalem comes down, adorned with shining grace. "the god of glory down to men removes his blessed abode; men, the dear objects of his grace, and he, the loving god. "his own soft hand shall wipe the tears from every weeping eye; and pains and groans, and griefs and fears, and death itself shall die." how long, dear saviour, o how long shall this bright hour delay? fly swifter round, ye wheels of time, and bring the welcome day. . l. m. richards. the cloud and pillar of fire. long as the darkening cloud abode, so long did ancient israel rest; nor moved they, till the guiding lord in brighter garments stood confest. father of spirits, light of light, lift up the cloud, and rend the veil; shine forth in fire, amid that night, whose blackness makes the heart to fail. 't is done! to christ the power is given; his death has rent the veil away, our great forerunner entered heaven, and oped the gate of endless day. nor shall those mists that brood o'er time, forever blind the mental eye; they backward roll, and light sublime beams glory from our god on high. adoring nations hail the dawn, all kingdoms bless the noontide beam, and light, unfolding life's full morn, is vast creation's deathless theme. . s. m johns. the kingdom of god. come, kingdom of our god, sweet reign of light and love! shed peace, and hope, and joy abroad, and wisdom from above. over our spirits first extend thy healing reign; there raise and quench the sacred thirst, that never pains again. come, kingdom of our god! and make the broad earth thine, stretch o'er her lands and isles the rod that flowers with grace divine. soon may all tribes be blest with fruit from life's glad tree; and in its shade like brothers rest sons of one family. come, kingdom of our god! and raise thy glorious throne in worlds by the undying trod, where god shall bless his own. . s. m. ashworth. the kingdom of christ. pour, blessed gospel, glorious news for man! thy stream of life o'er springless deserts roll: thy bond of peace the mighty earth can span, and make one brotherhood from pole to pole. on, piercing gospel, on! of every heart, in every latitude, thou own'st the key: from their dull slumbers savage souls shall start, with all their treasures first unlocked by thee! tread, kingly gospel, through the nations tread! with all the civil virtues in thy train: be all to thy blest freedom captive led; and christ, the true emancipator, reign! spread, giant gospel, spread thy growing wings! gather thy scattered ones from every land: call home the wanderers to the king of kings; proclaim them all thine own;--'t is christ's command! . s. m. montgomery. christ's triumph. hark! the song of jubilee, loud as mighty thunders roar, or the fulness of the sea, when it breaks upon the shore;-- hallelujah to the lord! god omnipotent shall reign; hallelujah! let the word echo round the earth and main. hallelujah!--hark! the sound, heard through earth, and through the skies, wakes above, beneath, around, all creation's harmonies: see jehovah's banner furled, sheathed his sword; he speaks,--'t is done! and the kingdoms of this world are the kingdoms of his son. . s. m. c. wesley. the progress of the gospel. see how great a flame aspires, kindled by a spark of grace! jesus' love the nations fires, sets the kingdoms on a blaze. to bring fire on earth he came: kindled in some hearts it is: o that all might catch the flame, all partake the glorious bliss! when he first the work begun, small and feeble was his day: now the word doth swiftly run, now it wins its widening way: more and more it spreads and grows, ever mighty to prevail; sin's strong-holds it now o'erthrows, shakes the trembling gates of hell. saw ye not the cloud arise, little as a human hand? now it spreads along the skies, hangs o'er all the thirsty land! lo! the promise of a shower drops already from above! haste, o lord, and quickly pour all the spirit of thy love. . s. & s. m. a. c. thomas. the reconciliation. thou, whose wide extended sway suns and systems e'er obey! thou, our guardian and our stay, evermore adored: in prospective, lord, we see jew and gentile, bond and free, reconciled in christ to thee, holy, holy lord. thou by all shalt be confessed, ever blessing, ever blest, when to thy eternal rest, in the courts above, thou shall bring the sore oppressed; fill each joy-desiring breast; make of each a welcome guest, at the feast of love. when destroying death shall die, hushed be every rising sigh, tears be wiped from every eye, never more to fall; then shall praises fill the sky, and angelic hosts shall cry, holy, holy lord, most high, thou art all in all! . s. m. l. spirit of the psalms. glory of the church. on thy church, o power divine, cause thy glorious face to shine; till the nations from afar hail her as their guiding star; till her sons, from zone to zone, make thy great salvation known. then shall god, with lavish hand, scatter blessings o'er the land; earth shall yield her rich increase, every breeze shall whisper peace, and the world's remotest bound with the voice of praise resound. . s. & s. [peculiar.] j. g. adams. christian's song of triumph. sound the full chorus! let praises ascend to god the creator, our father and friend. sing, for the light of his truth is before us, and we will give thanks, and rejoice in his name; his banner of love in its glory waves o'er us; that love will continue forever the same. sound the full chorus, &c. praise to jehovah! give praise--let it rise from earth, in its fulness--and swell to the skies! give glory and praise! for a ransomed creation the gospel of peace in its triumph shall see; our god hath redeemed us--and christ our salvation appears, from transgression and death to make free! praise to jehovah, &c. . l. m. anonymous. gospel freedom universal. we long to see that happy time, that long-expected, blissful day, when men of every name and clime the glorious gospel shall obey. the word of god shall firm abide, though earth and hell should dare oppose; the stone cut from the mountain's side, to universal empire grows. afric's emancipated sons shall shout to asia's rapt'rous song, europe, with her unnumbered tongues, and western climes the strain prolong. from east to west, from north to south, immanuel's kingdom shall extend, and every man, in every face, shall meet a brother and a friend. . c. p. m. m. rayner. reign of christ. isa. . the radiant dawn of gospel light, the prophet saw in vision bright, and hailed th' auspicious day, when christ should all his grace disclose and cure the world of all its woes, by truth's triumphant sway. the blind their eyes shall open wide; to drink the light's o'erflowing tide, the deaf sweet music hear; the lame like bounding hart shall leap; the dumb no longer silence keep, but shout redemption near. and there shall be a holy way, in which the simple shall not stray-- the path so plain and bright. wayfaring men therein shall walk, and of their home and kindred talk, with rapture and delight. no ravenous beast in quest of prey, no lion lurking in the way, shall ever there be seen. the place where dragons lay concealed, large crops of waving grass shall yield, with reeds and rushes green. and when to zion's peaceful home the ransomed of the lord shall come, (o haste the blissful day!) glad strains shall every tongue employ in songs of everlasting joy, and sighing flee away. . h. m. doddridge. the wilderness transformed. is. : , . amazing, beauteous change! a world created new! my thoughts with transport range, the lovely scene to view: in all i trace, the work is thine; saviour divine, be thine the praise! see crystal fountains play amidst the burning sands; the river's winding way shines through the thirsty lands; new grass is seen, its carpet spreads and o'er the meads of living green. where pointed brambles grew, entwined with horrid thorn, gay flowers, forever new, the painted fields adorn; the blushing rose, in union fair, and lily there, their sweets disclose. the tyrants of the plain their savage chase give o'er; no more they rend the slain. and thirst for blood no more; but infant hands and lions yoke fierce tigers stroke, in flowery bands. o, when, almighty lord, shall these glad scenes arise, to verify thy word, and bless our wondering eyes? that earth may raise, united songs with all its tongues, of ardent praise. . s., s. & s. m. j. taylor. the gospel triumphant. still in shades of midnight darkness abject sits the pagan world; there the banner of salvation ne'er hath been by time unfurled; nor their idols from their blood-stained altars hurled. yet the promise stands securely, and messiah's reign shall spread; not in vain his glorious conquest; not in vain the saviour bled. chief immortal! god's own hand hath crowned thy head. to this blessed dispensation millions yet unborn shall fly; see the rising splendor beaming till it gilds the western sky. glorious gospel! still thy triumphs multiply. . p. m. pratt's coll. the church exulting in the government of jehovah. ye subjects of the lord! proclaim the royal honors of his name: "jehovah reigns!" be all our song. 't is he, thy god, o zion, reigns! prepare thy most harmonious strains glad hallelujahs to prolong. tremble, ye pageants of a day, formed, like your slaves, of brittle clay! down to the dust your sceptres bend; to everlasting years he reigns, and undiminished state maintains, when kings, and suns, and time shall end. so shall his favored zion live: in vain confed'rate nations strive her sacred turrets to destroy; her sov'reign sits enthroned above, and endless power and endless love ensure her safety and her joy. . c. m. montgomery. restoration of israel. daughter of zion, from the dust exalt thy fallen head; again in thy redeemer trust: he calls thee from the dead. awake, awake; put on thy strength, thy beautiful array; the day of freedom dawns at length, the lord's appointed day. rebuild thy walls, thy bounds enlarge, and send thy heralds forth; say to the south, "give up thy charge, and keep not back, o north!" they come, they come;--thine exiled bands. where'er they rest or roam, have heard thy voice in distant lands, and hasten to their home. . c. m. moore. the same. o, who shall see the glorious day, when, throned on zion's brow, the lord shall rend the veil away that hides the nations now! when earth no more beneath the fear of his rebuke shall lie, when pain shall cease, and every tear be wiped from every eye! then, judah, thou no more shalt mourn beneath the heathen's chain; thy days of splendor shall return, and all be new again. the fount of life shall then be quaffed in peace by all who come; and every wind that blows, shall waft some long-lost wand'rer home. . l. m. l. pratt's coll. prayer for the jews. father of faithful abraham! hear our earnest suit for abraham's seed: justly they claim the fervent prayer from us, adopted in their stead; who mercy, through their fall, obtain, and christ, by their rejection, gain. but hast thou finally forsook, forever cast thine own away? wilt thou not bid the murderers look on him they pierced, and weep and pray? yes! gracious lord, thy word is past-- "all israel shall be saved at last." come, then, thou great deliverer, come! the veil from jacob's heart remove: receive thine ancient people home, that, quickened by thy dying love, in their recovery we may find life from the dead for all mankind. . s. & s. s. f. smith. the missionary angel. onward speed thy conquering flight; angel, onward speed; cast abroad thy radiant light, bid the shades recede; tread the idols in the dust, heathen fanes destroy, spread the gospel's holy trust, spread the gospel's joy. onward speed thy conquering flight; angel, onward haste; quickly on each mountain's height be thy standard placed; let thy blissful tidings float far o'er vale and hill, till the sweetly-echoing note every bosom thrill. onward speed thy conquering flight; angel, onward fly: long has been the reign of night; bring the morning nigh: 'tis to thee the heathen lift their imploring wail; bear them heaven's holy gift, ere their courage fail. onward speed thy conquering flight angel, onward speed; morning bursts upon our sight-- 'tis the time decreed: jesus now his kingdom takes, thrones and empires fall, and the joyous song awakes, "god is all in all." . h. m. doddridge. the glory of the church in the latter day. is. : . o zion, tune thy voice, and raise thy hands on high; tell all the earth thy joys, and boast salvation nigh. cheerful in god, arise and shine, while rays divine stream all abroad. he gilds thy mourning face with beams that cannot fade; his all-resplendent grace he pours around thy head. the nations round thy form shall view, with lustre new divinely crowned. in honor to his name, reflect that sacred light, and loud that grace proclaim, which makes thy darkness bright; pursue his praise, till sovereign love in worlds above the glory raise. . s. & s. m. urwick's coll. desiring christ's triumph. o thou sun of glorious splendor, shine with healing in thy wing; chase away these shades of darkness; holy light and comfort bring. let the heralds of salvation round the world with joy proclaim, "death and hell are spoiled and vanquished through the great immanuel's name." take thy power, almighty saviour; claim the nations for thine own; reign, thou lord of life and glory, till each heart becomes thy throne. then the earth, o'erspread with glory, decked with heavenly splendor bright shall be made jehovah's dwelling-- as at first, the lord's delight. . h. m. brown. millennium hymn. isles of the south, awake! the song of triumph sing; let mount, and hill, and vale, with hallelujahs ring: shout, for the idol's overthrown, and israel's god is god alone. wild wastes of afric, shout! your shackled sons are free; no mother wails her child 'neath the banana-tree: no slave-ship dashes on thy shore; the clank of chains is heard no more. shout, vales of india, shout! no funeral fires blaze high; no idol song rings loud, as rolls the death-car by: the banner of the cross now waves where christian heralds made their graves. shout, hills of palestine! have you forgot the groan, the spear, the thorn, the cross, the wine-press trod alone, the dying prayer that rose from thee, thou garden of gethsemane? hail, glad, millennial day! o, shout, ye heavens above! to-day ye nations sing the song, redeeming love: redeeming love the song shall be: hail, blessed year of jubilee! . l. p. m. h. ballou. kingdom of christ. to christ, the son, the father spake: lo, ask of me, and i will make the heathen to thy sceptre bend; the utmost parts of all the earth are thine inheritance by birth, and wide thine empire shall extend. now jesus waves his sceptre high, unfurls his banners in the sky, while loud the gospel trumpets sound: his enemies with sore dismay, retire in haste and yield the day, while trophies to the lord abound. before him kings and tyrants fall, detest their crowns, and on him call, and he a pardon free doth give: the world in sin was dead before; to life the world he will restore, and in him all the world shall live. o lord, thy government shall be extended wide from sea to sea, and long thy sceptre thou shalt hold; as long as sun or moon shall shine, thou king of earth shalt reign divine, the mysteries of thy grace unfold. repentance and reformation. . s. m. milman. prayer for mercy in spiritual need. lord, have mercy when we pray strength to seek a better way; when our wakening thoughts begin first to loathe their cherished sin; when our weary spirits fail, and our aching brows are pale; when our tears bedew thy word; then, o then, have mercy, lord. lord, have mercy when we lie on the restless bed and sigh,-- sigh for death, yet fear it still; from the thought of former ill; when the dim, advancing gloom tells us that our hour is come; when is loosed the silver cord; then, o then, have mercy, lord. lord, have mercy, when we know first how vain this world below: when its darker thoughts oppress, doubts perplex, and fears distress; when the earliest gleam is given of the bright but distant heaven; then thy fostering grace afford; then, o then, have mercy, lord. . c. m. village hymns. the prodigal's return. the long-lost son, with streaming eyes, from folly just awake, reviews his wanderings with surprise; his heart begins to break. "i starve," he cries, "nor can i bear the famine in this land, while servants of my father share the bounty of his hand. "with deep repentance i'll return and seek my father's face; unworthy to be called a son, i'll ask a servant's place." far off the father saw him move, in pensive silence mourn, and quickly ran with arms of love, to welcome his return. o, let thy boundless mercy shine on my benighted soul, correct my passions, mend my heart, and all my fears control. . l. m. l. wesley's coll. imploring forgiveness and renewal of heart. forgive us for thy mercy's sake; our multitude of sins forgive; and for thy own possession take, and bid us to thy glory live; live in thy sight and gladly prove our faith by our obedient love. the covenant of forgiveness seal, and all thy mighty wonders show; our hidden enemies expel, and conquering them to conquer go, till all of pride and wrath be slain, and not one evil thought remain. o, put it in our inward parts the living law of perfect love: write the new precept on our hearts; we shall not then from thee remove, who in thy glorious image shine, thy people, and forever thine. . l. m. beddome. inconstancy lamented. the wandering star and fleeting wind are emblems of the fickle mind; the morning cloud and early dew bring our inconstancy to view. but cloud and wind and dew and star, only a faint resemblance bear; nor can there aught in nature be so changeable and frail as we. our outward walk and inward frame are scarcely through an hour the same: we vow, and straight our vows forget, and then those very vows repeat. with contrite hearts, lord, we confess our folly and unsteadfastness: when shall these hearts more stable be, fixed by thy grace alone on thee? . s. m. jervis. god's mercy to the penitent. sweet is the friendly voice which speaks of life and peace; which bids the penitent rejoice, and sin and sorrow cease. no balm on earth like this can cheer the contrite heart; no flattering dreams of earthly bliss such pure delight impart. still merciful and kind, thy mercy, lord, reveal: the broken heart thy love can bind, the wounded spirit heal. thy presence shall restore peace to my anxious breast: lord, let my steps be drawn no more from paths which thou hast blessed. . l. m. doddridge. returning to god. lord, we have wandered from thy way, like foolish sheep have gone astray, our pleasant pastures we have left, and of their guard our souls bereft. exposed to want, exposed to harm, far from our gentle shepherd's arm; nor will these fatal wanderings cease, till thou reveal the paths of peace. o seek thy thoughtless servants, lord, nor let us quite forget thy word; our erring feet do thou restore, and keep us that we stray no more. . l. m. steele. sense of sin. jesus demands this heart of mine, demands my love, my joy, my care, but ah, how dead to things divine, how cold my best affections are! 'tis sin, alas! with dreadful power, divides my saviour from my sight; o, for one happy, shining hour of sacred freedom, sweet delight! come, gracious lord; thy love can raise my captive powers from sin and death, and fill my heart and life with praise, and tune my last, expiring breath. . c. m. breviary. the true penitent. o sinner! bring not tears alone, or outward form of prayer: but let it in thy heart be known that penitence is there. to beat the breast, the clothes to rend, god asketh not of thee: thy secret soul he bids thee bend in true humility. o righteous judge! if thou wilt deign to grant us what we need; we pray for time to turn again, and grace to turn indeed. . l. m. richter. translated by j. wesley. devout penitence. my soul before thee prostrate lies; to thee, her source, my spirit flies; my wants i mourn, my chains i see; o let thy presence set me free. in life's short day, let me yet more of thy enlivening power implore; my mind must deeper sink in thee, my foot stand firm from wandering free. take full possession of my heart; the lowly mind of christ impart; i still will wait, o lord, on thee, till, in thy light, the light i see. one only care my soul should know, father, all thy commands to do; oh! deep engrave it on my breast, that i in thee alone am blest. . c. m. c. wesley. vain repentance. times without number have i prayed, "this only once forgive;" relapsing when thy hand was stayed, and suffered me to live. yet now the kingdom of thy peace, lord, to my heart restore; forgive my vain repentances, and bid me sin no more. . p. m. heber. "there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth." there was joy in heaven! there was joy in heaven! when this goodly world to frame, the lord of light and mercy came: shouts of joy were heard on high, and the stars sang from the sky, "glory to god in heaven!" there was joy in heaven! there was joy in heaven! when of love the midnight beam dawned on the towers of bethlehem; and along the echoing hill angels sang--"on earth good will, and glory in the heaven!" there is joy in heaven! there is joy in heaven! when the sheep that went astray turns again to virtue's way; when the soul by grace subdued sobs its prayer of gratitude, then is there joy in heaven! . s. m. merrick. freedom from error, guilt and folly. blest instructor! from thy ways who can tell how oft he strays? save from error's growth our mind, leave not, lord, one root behind. purge us from the guilt that lies wrapt within our heart's disguise; let us thence, by thee renewed, each presumptuous sin exclude. let our tongues, from error free, speak the words approved by thee: to thine all-observing eyes, let our thoughts accepted rise. while we thus thy name adore, and thy healing grace implore, blest instructor! bow thine ear: god our strength! propitious hear. . s. & s. m. r. palmer. for divine guidance. o god, thy grace impart! revive my fainting heart; my zeal inspire; reveal thyself to me, and may my love to thee pure, warm, and changeless be,-- a living fire. while life's dark maze i tread, and griefs around me spread, be thou my guide; bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow's tears away, nor let me ever stray from thee aside. when ends life's transient dream, when death's cold sullen stream shall o'er me roll, o father, then in love, fear and distress remove, and bear me safe above,-- a ransomed soul. . c. p. m. henry moore. pardon. soft are the fruitful showers that bring the welcome promise of the spring, and soft the vernal gale: sweet the wild warblings of the grove, the voice of nature and of love, that gladden every vale. but softer in the mourner's ear sounds the mild voice of mercy near, that whispers sins forgiven; and sweeter far the music swells, when to the raptured soul she tells of peace and promised heaven. fair are the flowers that deck the ground; and groves and gardens blooming round, unnumbered charms unfold: bright is the sun's meridian ray, and bright the beams of setting day, that robe the clouds in gold. but far more fair the pious breast, in richer robes of goodness dressed, where heaven's own graces shine; and brighter far the prospects rise, that burst on faith's delighted eyes, from glories all divine. . l. m. cowper. peace after a storm. when darkness long has veiled my mind, and smiling day once more appears, then, my creator! then i find the folly of my doubts and fears. straight i upbraid my wandering heart, and blush that i should ever be thus prone to act so base a part, or harbor one hard thought of thee. o! let me then at length be taught, what i am still so slow to learn,-- that god is love, and changes not, nor knows the shadow of a turn. sweet truth, and easy to repeat! but when my faith is sharply tried, i find myself a learner yet, unskilful, weak, and apt to slide. but, o my god! one look from thee subdues the disobedient will, drives doubt and discontent away, and thy rebellious child is still. . l. m. mrs. cotterill. for a life devoted to god's glory. o thou, who hast at thy command the hearts of all men in thy hand! our wayward, erring hearts incline to have no other will but thine. our wishes, our desires, control; mould every purpose of the soul; o'er all may we victorious be that stands between ourselves and thee. thrice blest will all our blessings be, when we can look through them to thee, when each glad heart its tribute pays of love, and gratitude, and praise. and while we to thy glory live, may we to thee all glory give, until the final summons come, that calls thy willing servants home. christian character and life. . l. m. watts. "ye shall know them by their fruits." so let our lips and lives express the holy gospel we profess: so let our works and virtues shine, to prove the doctrine all divine. thus shall we best proclaim abroad the honors of our saviour, god, when the salvation reigns within. and grace subdues the power of sin. our flesh and sense must be denied, passion and envy, lust and pride, while justice, temperance, truth and love, our inward piety approve. religion bears our spirits up, while we expect that blessed hope, the bright appearance of the lord, and faith stands leaning on his word. . c. m. gisborne. the christian's life and his hope. a soldier's course, from battles won to new-commencing strife; a pilgrim's, restless as the sun-- behold the christian's life! o! let us seek our heavenly home, revealed in sacred lore; the land whence pilgrims never roam, where soldiers war no more; where grief shall never wound, nor death, beneath the saviour's reign; nor sin, with pestilential breath, his holy realm profane; the land where, suns and moons unknown, and night's alternate sway, jehovah's ever-burning throne upholds unbroken day; where they who meet shall never part; where grace achieves its plan; and god, uniting every heart, dwells face to face with man. . l. m. e. taylor. "thou shalt love the lord thy god." "thus shalt thou love the almighty lord, with all thy heart, and soul, and mind:" so speaks to man that sacred word, for counsel and reproof designed. "with all thy heart;" no idol thing, though close around the heart it twine, its interposing shade must fling, to darken that pure love of thine. "with all thy mind;" each varied power, creative fancy, musings high, and thoughts that glance behind, before, these must religion sanctify. "with soul and strength;" thy days of ease, while vigor nerves each youthful limb, and hope and joy, and health and peace, all must be freely brought to him. . c. m. doddridge. walking with god. thrice happy souls, who, born from heaven, while yet they sojourn here, do all their days with god begin, and spend them in his fear. 'midst hourly cares, may love present its incense to thy throne; and while the world our hands employs, our hearts be thine alone. as sanctified to noblest ends, be each refreshment sought; and by each various providence some wise instruction brought. when to laborious duties called, or by temptations tried, we'll seek the shelter of thy wings, and in thy strength confide. in solid, pure delights like these, let all our days be past; nor shall we then impatient wish, nor shall we fear, the last. . s. m. heath. watchfulness and prayer inculcated. my soul, be on thy guard; ten thousand foes arise; the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw thee from the skies. o, watch, and fight, and pray; the battle ne'er give o'er; renew it boldly every day, and help divine implore. ne'er think the victory won, nor lay thine armor down: thy arduous work will not be done till thou obtain thy crown. fight on, my soul, till death shall bring thee to thy god; he'll take thee, at thy parting breath, to his divine abode. . l. m. watts. the beatitudes. blest are the humble souls that see their emptiness and poverty; treasures of grace to them are given, and crowns of joy laid up in heaven. blest are the souls that thirst for grace, hunger and long for righteousness; they shall be well supplied and fed with living streams and living bread. blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean from the defiling power of sin; with endless pleasure they shall see a god of spotless purity. blest are the men of peaceful life, who quench the coals of growing strife; they shall be called the heirs of bliss, the sons of god, the god of peace. blest are the sufferers who partake of pain and shame for jesus' sake; their souls shall triumph in the lord; glory and joy are their reward. . l. m. rippon's coll. patience. patience, o, 't is a grace divine, sent from the god of peace and love, that leans upon our father's arm, as through the wilds of life we rove. by patience, we serenely bear the troubles of our mortal state, and wait, contented, our discharge, nor think our glory comes too late. o, for this grace to aid us on, and arm with fortitude the breast, till, life's tumultuous voyage o'er, we reach the shores of endless rest. faith into vision shall resign, hope shall in full fruition die, and patience in possession end, in the bright worlds of bliss on high. . s. m. merrick. "who shall abide in thy tabernacle?" ps. . who shall towards thy chosen seat turn, o lord, his favored feet? who shall at thine altar bend? who shall zion's hill ascend? who, great god, a welcome guest, on thy holy mountain rest? he whose heart thy love has warmed, he whose will, to thine conformed, bids his life unsullied run; he whose word and thought are one; who, from sin's contagion free, lifts his willing soul to thee. he who thus, with heart unstained, treads the path by thee ordained, he shall towards thy chosen seat turn, o lord, his favored feet; he thy ceaseless care shall prove, he shall share thy constant love. . c. m. tate & brady. the same. lord, who's the happy man, that may to thy blest courts repair, not, stranger-like, to visit them, but to inhabit there? 'tis he whose every thought and deed by rules of virtue moves; whose generous tongue disdains to speak the thing his heart disproves; who never did a slander forge, his neighbor's fame to wound; nor hearken to a false report, by malice whispered round; who to his plighted vows and trust has ever firmly stood; and though he promise to his loss, he makes his promise good. the man who by this steady course has happiness ensured, when earth's foundations shake, shall stand by providence secured. . s. m. anonymous. "blessed are the meek." "blest are the meek," he said, whose doctrine is divine; the humble-minded earth possess, and bright in heaven will shine. while here on earth they stay, calm peace with them shall dwell, and cheerful hope and heavenly joy beyond what tongue can tell. the god of peace is theirs; they own his gracious sway; and yielding all their wills to him, his sovereign laws obey. o gracious father, grant, that we this influence feel, that all we hope, or wish, may be subjected to thy will. . l. m. scott. the blessing of meekness. happy the meek, whose gentle breast, clear as the summer's evening ray, calm as the regions of the blest, enjoys on earth celestial day. his heart no broken friendships sting, no storms his peaceful tent invade; he rests beneath th' almighty wing, hostile to none, of none afraid. spirit of grace, all meek and mild, inspire our breasts, our souls possess; repel each passion rude and wild, and bless us as we aim to bless. . c. m. m. w. hale. the pure heart. whatever dims thy sense of truth, or stains thy purity, though light as breath of summer air count it as sin to thee. preserve the tablet of thy thoughts from every blemish free, while the redeemer's lowly faith its temple makes with thee. and pray of god, that grace be given to tread time's narrow way:-- how dark soever it may be, it leads to cloudless day. . s. m. keble. "blessed are the pure in heart." blest are the pure in heart for they shall see our god; the secret of the lord is theirs, their soul is christ's abode. still to the lowly soul he doth himself impart, and for his temple and his throne chooseth the pure in heart. . c. m. watts. prudence. o, 't is a lovely thing to see a man of prudent heart, whose thoughts and lips and life agree to act a useful part. when envy, strife, and wars begin, in fierce, contentious souls, mark how the sons of peace come in, and quench the kindling coals. their minds are humble, mild, and meek, nor let their anger rise; nor passion moves their lips to speak, nor pride exalts their eyes. their lives are prudence mixed with love; good works employ their day; they join the serpent with the dove, but cast the sting away. . l. m. l. montgomery. humility. the bird that soars on highest wing builds on the ground her lowly nest; and she that doth most sweetly sing sings in the shade when all things rest:-- in lark and nightingale we see what honor hath humility. when mary chose the better part, she meekly sat at jesus' feet; and lydia's gently opened heart was made for god's own temple meet:-- fairest and best adorned is she whose clothing is humility. the saint that wears heaven's brightest crown in deepest adoration bends; the weight of glory bows him down then most when most his soul ascends:-- nearest the throne itself must be the footstool of humility. . c. m. watts. humility and submission. is there ambition in my heart? search, gracious god, and see; or do i act a haughty part? lord, i appeal to thee. i charge my thoughts, be humble still, and all my carriage mild; content, my father, with thy will and quiet as a child. the patient soul, the lowly mind, shall have a large reward: let saints in sorrow lie resigned, and trust a faithful lord. . l. m. watts. love to god and our neighbor. thus saith the first, the great command, "let all thy inward powers unite to love thy maker and thy god with utmost vigor and delight. "then shall thy neighbor next in place share thine affections and esteem; and let thy kindness to thyself measure and rule thy love to him." this is the sense that moses spoke; this did the prophets preach and prove, for want of this the law is broke, and the whole law's fulfilled by love. but, o, how base our passions are! how cold our charity and zeal! lord, fill our souls with heavenly fire, or we shall ne'er perform thy will. . s. m. l. h. sigourney. active piety. servants of christ, arise, and gird you for the toil; the dew of promise from the skies already cheers the soil. go where the sick recline, where mourning hearts deplore; and where the sons of sorrow pine, dispense your hallowed lore. urge, with a tender zeal, the erring child along, where peaceful congregations kneel, and pious teachers throng. be faith, which looks above, with prayer, your constant guest, and wrap the saviour's changeless love a mantle round your breast. so shall you share the wealth, that earth may ne'er despoil, and the blest gospel's saving health repay your arduous toil. . l. m. steele. example of the saviour. and is the gospel peace and love? so let our conversation be; the serpent blended with the dove, wisdom and meek simplicity. whene'er the angry passions rise, and tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, on jesus let us fix our eyes, bright pattern of the christian life! o, how benevolent and kind! how mild! how ready to forgive! be this the temper of our mind, and his the rules by which we live. dispensing good where'er he came, the labors of his life were love; if, then, we love our saviour's name thus let us our relation prove. . s. m. doddridge. "again, i say--watch!" ye servants of the lord, each in his office wait, observant of his heavenly word, and watchful at his gate. let all your lamps be bright, and trim the golden flame; gird up your loins, as in his sight, for awful is his name. watch,--'tis your lord's command; and while we speak, he's near; mark the first signal of his hand, and ready all appear. o, happy servant he, in such a posture found! he shall his lord with rapture see and be with honor crowned. . s. m. bulfinch. the use of present opportunities. children of light, awake, at jesus' call arise, forth with your leader to partake his toils, his victories. ye must not idly stand, his sacred voice who hear; arm for the strife the feeble hand, the holy standard rear. nought doth the world afford, but toil must be the price; wilt thou not, servant of the lord, then toil for paradise? awake, ye sons of light, strive till the prize be won; far spent already is the night; the day comes brightening on. . c. m. h. k. white. the christian's contest, rest, and hope. through sorrow's night and danger's way amid the deepening gloom, the soldiers of an injured king are marching to the tomb. their service done, securely laid in this their last retreat, unheeded o'er their silent dust the storms of life shall beat. yet not thus lifeless in the grave the vital spark shall lie; o'er nature's ruins it shall rise, to reach its kindred sky. then heaven's soft dew o'er every eye shall shed its mildest rays; and the long silent dust shall wake in strains of endless praise. . c. m. anonymous. the whole armor. o, speed thee, christian, on thy way, and to thy armor cling; with girded loins the call obey that grace and mercy bring. there is a battle to be fought, an upward race to run, a crown of glory to be sought, a victory to be won. o, faint not, christian, for thy sighs are heard before his throne; the race must come before the prize, the cross before the crown. . l. m. montgomery. the christian warrior. the christian warrior, see him stand in the whole armor of his god; the spirit's sword is in his hand; his feet are with the gospel shod. in panoply of truth complete, salvation's helmet on his head, with righteousness, a breastplate meet, and faith's broad shield before him spread. with this omnipotence he moves; from this the alien armies flee; till more than conqueror he proves, through christ, who gives him victory. thus strong in his redeemer's strength, sin, death and hell he tramples down,-- fights the good fight; and takes at length, through mercy, an immortal crown. . l. m. g. rogers. religion. religion! in its blessed ray all thought of hopeless sorrow flies, despair and anguish melt away where'er its healing beams arise. how dark our sinful world would be-- a flowerless desert, dry and drear! did not this light, o god, from thee its gloom dispel, its aspect cheer. oh! by it many a heart is soothed, which else would be with sorrow crushed, and many a dying pillow smoothed, and sob of parting anguish hushed. across the troubled sky of time it doth the bow of promise bend, a symbol of that cloudless clime that waits the soul when time shall end. religion! may its holy light our footsteps guide to paths of peace! our solace in deep sorrow's night, our stay as mortal powers decrease. with this our guide, we care not when death's signal to depart is given; its word shall bring our spirits then the calm and holy peace of heaven. . l. m. watts. the humble and pure accepted. thus saith the high and lofty one: "i sit upon my holy throne; my name is god, i dwell on high, dwell in my own eternity. "but i descend to worlds below; on earth i have a mansion too; the humble spirit, and contrite, is an abode of my delight. "the humble soul my words revive; i bid the mourning sinner live; heal all the broken hearts i find, and ease the sorrows of the mind. "the soul that seeks me shall obtain immortal wealth and heavenly gain; eternal life is his reward, life, and the favor of the lord." . s. m. methodist coll. a call to prayer. they who seek the throne of grace find that throne in every place; if we love a life of prayer, god is present everywhere. in our sickness, in our health; in our want or in our wealth, if we look to god in prayer, god is present everywhere. when our earthly comforts fail, when the woes of life prevail, 'tis the time for earnest prayer, god is present everywhere. then, my soul, in every strait, to thy father, come and wait; he will answer every prayer, god is present everywhere. . c. m. anonymous. secret prayer. sweet is the prayer whose holy stream in earnest pleading flows! devotion dwells upon the theme, and warm and warmer glows. faith grasps the blessing she desires; hope points the upward gaze; and love, celestial love, inspires the eloquence of praise. but sweeter far the still, small voice, unheard by human ear, when god has made the heart rejoice, and dried the bitter tear. no accents flow, no words ascend; all utterance faileth there; but christian spirits comprehend, and god accepts the prayer. . l. m. mrs. barbauld. the warfare of the soul. awake, my soul! lift up thine eyes! see where thy foes against thee rise, in long array a numerous host; awake, my soul! or thou art lost. see where rebellious passions rage, and fierce desires and lusts engage; the meanest foe of all the train has thousands and ten thousands slain. come then, my soul! now learn to wield the weight of thine immortal shield; put on the armor from above, of heavenly truth and heavenly love. the terror and the charm repel, and powers of earth and powers of hell, the man of calvary triumphed here;-- why should his faithful followers fear? . c. m. doddridge. the christian race. awake, my soul! stretch every nerve, and press with vigor on; a heavenly race demands thy zeal, and an immortal crown. a cloud of witnesses around hold thee in full survey; forget the steps already trod, and onward urge thy way. 't is god's all-animating voice that calls thee from on high; 't is his own hand presents the prize to thine aspiring eye;-- that prize with peerless glories bright, which shall new lustre boast, when victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems shall blend in common dust. . c. m. watts. christian courage and self-denial. am i a soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? and shall i fear to own his cause, or blush to speak his name? must i be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas? sure i must fight, if i would reign; increase my courage, lord! i'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. thy saints, in all this glorious war, shall conquer, though they're slain: they see the triumph from afar, and soon with christ shall reign. when that illustrious day shall rise, and all thy armies shine in robes of victory through the skies, the glory shall be thine. . l. m. watts. the christian race. awake, our souls, away, our fears; let every trembling thought be gone; awake and run the heavenly race, and put a cheerful courage on. true 'tis a strait and thorny road, and mortal spirits tire and faint; but they forget the mighty god, that feeds the strength of every saint. from thee, the overflowing spring, our souls shall drink a fresh supply, while such as trust their native strength, shall melt away, and droop, and die. swift as an eagle cuts the air, we'll mount aloft to thine abode; on wings of love our souls shall fly, nor tire amidst the heavenly road. . c. m. montgomery. what is prayer? prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire, that trembles in the breast. prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but god is near. prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try, prayer the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high. prayer is the christian's vital breath, the christian's native air, the watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, returning from his ways; while angels in their songs rejoice, and cry "behold, he prays!" . s. m. mrs. hemans. "i will that men pray everywhere." child, amidst the flowers at play, while the red light fades away; mother, with thine earnest eye ever following silently; father, by the breeze of eve called thy daily work to leave; pray! ere yet the dark hours be, lift the heart and bend the knee! traveller, in the stranger's land, far from thine own household band; mourner, haunted by the tone of a voice from this world gone; captive, in whose narrow cell sunshine hath not leave to dwell; sailor, on the darkening sea-- lift the heart and bend the knee! . s. & s. m. edin. lit. review. pray without ceasing. go when the morning shineth, go when the noon is bright, go when the eve declineth, go in the hush of night; go with pure mind and feeling, cast earthly thought away, and, in thy closet kneeling, do thou in secret pray. remember all who love thee, all who are loved by thee; pray, too, for those who hate thee, if any such there be; then for thyself, in meekness, a blessing humbly claim, and blend with each petition thy great redeemer's name. or, if 'tis e'er denied thee in solitude to pray, should holy thoughts come o'er thee when friends are round thy way, e'en then the silent breathing, thy spirit raised above, will reach his throne of glory, where dwells eternal love. o, not a joy or blessing with this can we compare,-- the grace our father gave us to pour our souls in prayer: whene'er thou pin'st in sadness, before his footstool fall; remember, in thy gladness, his love who gave thee all. . l. m. watts. "we walk by faith, not by sight." 't is by the faith of joys to come we walk through deserts dark as night; till we arrive at heaven, our home, faith is our guide, and faith our light. the want of sight she well supplies; she makes the pearly gates appear; far into distant worlds she flies, and brings eternal glories near. cheerful we tread the desert through, while faith inspires a heavenly ray; though lions roar and tempests blow, and rocks and dangers fill the way. so abraham, by divine command, left his own house to walk with god; his faith beheld the promised land, and fired his zeal along the road. . c. m. salisbury coll. the power of faith. faith adds new charms to earthly bliss, and saves us from its snares; its aid in every duty brings, and softens all our cares. the wounded conscience knows its power the healing balm to give; that balm the saddest heart can cheer, and make the dying live. wide it unveils celestial worlds, where deathless pleasures reign, and bids us seek our portion there, nor bids us seek in vain. on that bright prospect may we rest, till this frail body dies; and then, on faith's triumphant wings, to endless glory rise. . s. h. m. christian watchman. excellence of faith. faith is the christian's prop whereon his sorrows lean; it is the substance of his hope, his proof of things unseen; it is the anchor of his soul when tempests rage and billows roll. faith is the polar star that guides the christian's way, directs his wanderings from afar to realms of endless day; it points the course where'er he roam, and safely leads the pilgrim home. faith is the rainbow's form, hung on the brow of heaven, the glory of the passing storm, the pledge of mercy given; it is the bright, triumphal arch, through which the saints to glory march. . c. m. bath coll. prayer for strong faith. o, for a faith that will not shrink though pressed by every foe, that will not tremble on the brink of any earthly woe!-- that will not murmur nor complain beneath the chastening rod, but, in the hour of grief or pain, will lean upon its god;-- a faith that shines more bright and clear when tempests rage without; that when in danger knows no fear, in darkness feels no doubt;-- lord, give us such a faith as this, and then, whate'er may come, we'll taste, e'en here, the hallowed bliss of an eternal home. . c. m. sidney. hope. borne o'er the ocean's stormy wave, the beacon's light appears, when yawns the seaman's watery grave, and his lone bosom cheers. then, should the raging ocean foam, his heart shall dauntless prove, to reach, secure, his cherished home, the haven of his love. so, when the soul is wrapt in gloom, to worldly grief a prey, thy beams, blest hope, beyond the tomb, illume the pilgrim's way. they point to that serene abode where holy faith shall rest, protected by the sufferer's god, and be forever blest. . s. m. cennick. the christian rejoicing in hope. children of the heavenly king, as ye journey, sweetly sing; sing your saviour's worthy praise, glorious in his works and ways. ye are travelling home to god, in the way the fathers trod; they are happy now, and ye soon their happiness shall see. shout, ye little flock, and blest; you on jesus' throne shall rest; there your seat is now prepared, there your kingdom and reward. lord, submissive make us go, ready, leaving all below; only thou our leader be, and we still will follow thee. . c. m. h. h. hawley. the hope, the star, the voice. there is a hope, a blesséd hope, more precious and more bright than all the joyless mockery the world esteems delight. there is a star, a lovely star, that lights the darkest gloom, and sheds a peaceful radiance o'er the prospects of the tomb. there is a voice, a cheering voice, that lifts the soul above, dispels the painful, anxious doubt, and whispers, "god is love." that voice, aloud from calvary's height, proclaims the soul forgiven; that star is revelation's light; that hope, the hope of heaven. . c. m. drennan. law of love. all nature feels attractive power, a strong, embracing force; the drops that sparkle in the shower, the planets in their course. thus, in the universe of mind, is felt the law of love; the charity both strong and kind, for all that live and move. in this fine sympathetic chain all creatures bear a part; their every pleasure, every pain, linked to the feeling heart. more perfect bond, the christian plan attaches soul to soul; our neighbor is the suffering man, though at the farthest pole. to earth below, from heaven above, the faith in christ professed, more clearly shows that god is love, and whom he loves is blessed. . c. m. doddridge. the same. o, may our sympathizing breasts the generous pleasure know, kindly to share in others' joy, and weep for others' woe! where'er the helpless sons of grief in low distress are laid, soft be our hearts their pains to feel, and swift our hands to aid. o, be the law of love fulfilled in every act and thought, each angry passion far removed, each selfish view forgot! be thou, my heart, dilated wide with this kind, social grace, and, in one grasp of fervent love, all earth and heaven embrace. . c. m. watts. love to god. happy the heart where graces reign, where love inspires the breast: love is the brightest of the train, and strengthens all the rest. knowledge--alas! 'tis all in vain, and all in vain our fear; our stubborn sins will fight and reign, if love be absent there. this is the grace that lives and sings, when faith and hope shall cease; 'tis this shall strike our joyful strings in realms of endless peace. before we quite forsake our clay, or leave this dark abode, the wings of love bear us away to see our gracious god. . l. m. browne. love to all mankind. o god, my father, and my king, of all i have, or hope, the spring! send down thy spirit from above, and fill my heart with heavenly love. may i from every act abstain, that hurts or gives another pain: and bear a sympathizing part, whene'er i meet a wounded heart. and let my neighbor's prosperous state a mutual joy in me create; his virtuous triumph let me join; his peace and happiness be mine. and though my neighbor's hate i prove, still let me vanquish hate with love; and every secret wish suppress, that would abridge his happiness. let love through all my conduct shine, an image fair, though faint, of thine! thus let me his disciple prove, who came to manifest thy love. . c. m. roscoe. the two commandments. this is the first and great command-- to love thy god above; and this the second--as thyself thy neighbor thou shalt love. who is my neighbor? he who wants the help which thou canst give; and both the law and prophets say, this do, and thou shalt live. . c. m. watts. christ's love to enemies our example. god of our mercy and our praise, thy glory is our song; we'll speak the honors of thy grace with a rejoicing tongue. when christ among the sons of men in humble form was found, with cruel slanders, false and vain, they compassed him around. their miseries his compassion moved, their peace he still pursued; they rendered hatred for his love, and evil for his good. their malice raged without a cause; yet, with his dying breath, he prayed for murderers on his cross, and blest his foes in death. o, may his conduct, all divine, to us a model prove: like his, o god, our hearts incline our enemies to love. . c. m. christian psalmist. faith, hope and charity. faith, hope, and love, now dwell on earth, and earth by them is blest; but faith and hope must yield to love, of all the graces best. hope shall to full fruition rise, and faith be sight above; these are the means, but this the end, for saints forever love. . l. m. montgomery. the christian graces. faith, hope, and charity, these three, yet is the greatest charity; father of lights, these gifts impart to mine and every human heart. faith, that in prayer can never fail, hope, that o'er doubting must prevail, and charity, whose name above is god's own name, for god is love. the morning star is lost in light, faith vanishes at perfect sight, the rainbow passes with the storm and hope with sorrow's fading form. but charity, serene, sublime, beyond the reach of death and time, like the blue sky's all-bounding space, holds heaven and earth in its embrace. . c. m. watts. a living and a dead faith. mistaken souls! that dream of heaven, and make their empty boast of inward joys, and sins forgiven, while they are slaves to lust. vain are our fancies, airy flights, if faith be cold and dead; none but a living power unites to christ the living head. 't is faith that purifies the heart; 't is faith that works by love; that bids all sinful joys depart, and lifts the thoughts above. this faith shall every fear control by its celestial power, with holy triumph fill the soul in death's approaching hour. . l. m. scott. "two men went up into the temple to pray." the uplifted eye, and bended knee, are but vain homage, lord, to thee; in vain our lips thy praise prolong, the heart a stranger to the song. the pure, the humble, contrite mind, sincere, and to thy will resigned, to thee a nobler offering yields, than sheba's groves, or sharon's fields. love god and man--this great command, doth on eternal pillars stand; this did thine ancient prophets teach, and this thy well-belovéd preach. . h. m. montgomery. brotherly love. ps. . how beautiful the sight of brethren who agree in friendship to unite, and bonds of charity! 't is like the precious ointment shed o'er all his robes from aaron's head. 'tis like the dews that fill the cups of hermon's flowers; or zion's fruitful hill, bright with the drops of showers; when mingling odors breathe around, and glory rests on all the ground. for there the lord commands blessings, a boundless store, from his unsparing hands, yea, life for evermore. thrice happy they who meet above to spend eternity in love! . s. m. c. wesley. the harmony of love. lord! subdue our selfish will; each to each our tempers suit, by thy modulating skill, heart to heart, as lute to lute. sweetly on our spirits move; gently touch the trembling strings: make the harmony of love, music for the king of kings! . s. m. watts. the bond of peace. blest are the sons of peace, whose hearts and hopes are one; whose kind designs to serve and please through all their actions run. blest is the pious house where zeal and friendship meet; their songs of praise, their mingled vows, make their communion sweet. thus on the heavenly hills the saints are blest above, where joy like morning dew distils, and all the air is love. . c. m. montgomery. "the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." the glorious universe around, the heavens with all their train, sun, moon, and stars, are firmly bound in one mysterious chain. the earth, the ocean, and the sky, to form one world agree, where all that walk, or swim, or fly, compose one family. in one fraternal bond of love, one fellowship of mind, the saints below and saints above their bliss and glory find. here in their house of pilgrimage, thy statutes are their song; there, through one bright, eternal age, thy praises they prolong. . c. m. c. wesley. the church on earth and in heaven, one. the saints on earth and those above but one communion make: joined to their lord in bonds of love, all of his grace partake. one family, we dwell in him; one church above, beneath; though now divided by the stream, the swelling stream of death. one army of the living god,-- to his command we bow; part of the host have crossed the flood, and part are crossing now. o god, be thou our constant guide! and when the word is given, sustain us o'er the fearful tide, and bring us safe to heaven. . s. m. beddome. christian unity. let party names no more the christian world o'erspread; gentile and jew, and bond and free, are one in christ their head. among the saints on earth let mutual love be found; heirs of the same inheritance, with mutual blessings crowned. let envy and ill-will be banished far away; those should in holy friendship dwell, who the same lord obey. thus will the church below resemble that above; where streams of pleasure always flow, and every heart is love. . l. m. barbauld. christian friendship. how blest the sacred tie that binds in union sweet according minds! how swift the heavenly course they run, whose hearts, and faith, and hopes are one! to each the soul of each how dear! what jealous love, what holy fear! how doth the generous flame within refine from earth, and cleanse from sin! their streaming eyes together flow for human guilt and mortal woe; their ardent prayers together rise like mingling flames in sacrifice. together shall they seek the place where god reveals his awful face: how high, how strong, their raptures swell there's none but kindred souls can tell. . l. m. anonymous. charitable judgment. omniscient god, 'tis thine to know the springs whence wrong opinions flow; to judge from principles within, when frailty errs, and when we sin. who with another's eye can read, or worship by another's creed? revering thy command alone, we humbly seek and use our own. if wrong, forgive; accept, if right, whilst faithful, we obey our light, and judging none, are zealous still to follow, as to learn, thy will. when shall our happy eyes behold thy people, fashioned in thy mould? and charity our kindred prove derived from thee, o god of love? . l. m. watts. the same. not different food, nor different dress, compose the kingdom of our lord; but peace, and joy, and righteousness, faith, and obedience to his word. when weaker christians we despise, we do the gospel mighty wrong; for god, the gracious and the wise, receives the feeble with the strong. let pride and wrath be banished hence, meekness and love our souls pursue, nor shall our practice give offence to saints, the gentile or the jew. . s. m. scott. private judgment and accountability. imposture shrinks from light, and dreads the curious eye; but sacred truths the test invite, they bid us search and try. with understanding blest, created to be free, our faith on man we dare not rest, subject to none but thee. lord, give the light we need; with soundest knowledge fill; from noxious error guard our creed, from prejudice our will. the truth thou shalt impart, may we with firmness own; abhorring each evasive art, and fearing thee alone. . c. m. newton. true zeal. zeal is that pure and heavenly flame the fire of love supplies; whilst that which often bears the name, is self but in disguise. true zeal is merciful and mild, can pity and forbear; the false is headstrong, fierce and wild, and breathes revenge and war. while zeal for truth the christian warms, he knows the worth of peace; but self contends for names and forms, its party to increase. zeal has attained its highest aim, its end is satisfied, if sinners love the saviour's name,-- nor seeks it aught beside. this idol self, o lord, dethrone, and from our hearts remove; and let no zeal by us be shown but that which springs from love. . c. m. needham. moderation. happy the man whose cautious steps still keep the golden mean; whose life by wisdom's rules well formed, declares a conscience clean. to sect or party his large soul disdains to be confined; the good he loves of every name, and prays for all mankind. his business is to keep his heart; each passion to control; nobly ambitious well to rule the empire of his soul. not on the world his heart is set, his treasure is above; nothing beneath the sovereign good can claim his highest love. . l. m. sir h. wotton. the independent and happy man. how happy is he born or taught, who serveth not another's will; whose armor is his honest thought, and simple truth his highest skill; whose passions not his masters are; whose soul is still prepared for death; not tied unto the world with care of prince's ear or vulgar breath; who god doth late and early pray more of his grace than goods to lend, and walks with man from day to day, as with a brother and a friend. this man is freed from servile bands of hope to rise, or fear to fall; lord of himself, though not of lands, and having nothing, yet hath all. . c. m. logan. wisdom. o happy is the man, who hears instruction's warning voice; and who celestial wisdom makes his early, only choice. her treasures are of more esteem than east or west unfold; and her rewards more precious are than all their mines of gold. in her right hand she holds to view a length of happy days; riches with splendid honors joined, her left hand full displays. she guides the young with innocence in pleasure's path to tread; a crown of glory she bestows upon the hoary head. according as her labors rise, so her rewards increase; her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. . c. m. campbell's coll. "they shall walk and not faint." mere human power shall fast decay, and youthful vigor cease; but they who wait upon the lord in strength shall still increase. they with unwearied feet shall tread the path of life divine, with growing ardor onward move, with growing brightness shine. on eagles' wings they mount, they soar; their wings are faith and love; till, past the cloudy regions here, they rise to heaven above. . c. m. watts. hidden life of the christian. o happy soul that lives on high, while men lie grovelling here! his hopes are fixed above the sky, and faith forbids his fear. his conscience knows no secret stings, while grace and joy combine to form a life whose holy springs are hidden and divine. he waits in secret on his god; his god in secret sees; let earth be all in arms abroad, he dwells in heavenly peace. his pleasures rise from things unseen, beyond this world and time; where neither eyes nor ears have been, nor thoughts of mortals climb. he wants no pomp nor royal throne to raise his honors here; content and pleased to live unknown, till christ, his life, appear. . s. m. c. wesley. "that they also may be one in us." lord, from whom all blessings flow, perfecting the church below! steadfast may we cleave to thee; love the mystic union be. join our faithful spirits, join each to each, and all to thine: lead us through the paths of peace, on to perfect holiness. sweetly may we all agree, touched with softest sympathy: there is neither bond nor free, great nor servile, lord, in thee; love, like death, hath all destroyed rendered all distinctions void! names, and sects, and parties fall: thou, o christ, art all in all! . s. m. steele. religion a support in life. religion can assuage the tempest of the soul; and every fear shall lose its rage at her divine control. through life's bewildered way, her hand unerring leads; and o'er the path her heavenly ray a cheering lustre sheds. when reason, tired and blind, sinks helpless and afraid, thou blest supporter of the mind, how powerful is thine aid! o, let us feel thy power, and find thy sweet relief, to brighten every gloomy hour and soften every grief. . c. m. tate & brady. the righteous and the wicked. how blest is he, who ne'er consents by ill advice to walk; nor stands in sinners' ways, nor sits where men profanely talk: but makes the perfect law of god his business and delight; devoutly reads therein by day, and meditates by night. like some fair tree, which, fed by streams, with timely fruit does bend, he still shall flourish, and success all his designs attend. ungodly men, and their attempts, no lasting root shall find; untimely blasted, and dispersed like chaff before the wind. . c. m. exeter coll. the influence of habitual piety. blest is the man who fears the lord! his well established mind, in every varying scene of life, shall true composure find. oft through the deep and stormy sea the heavenly footsteps lie; but on a glorious world beyond his faith can fix its eye. though dark his present prospects be, and sorrows round him dwell, yet hope can whisper to his soul, that all shall issue well. full in the presence of his god, through every scene he goes; and, fearing him, no other fear his steadfast bosom knows. . c. m. proud. the happiness of a christian. when true religion gains a place, and lives within the mind, the sensual life subdued by grace, and all the soul refined: the desert blooms in living green, where thorns and briers grew; the barren waste is fruitful seen, and all the prospect new. o happy christian, richly blessed! what floods of pleasure roll! by god and man he stands confessed, in dignity of soul. substantial, pure, his every joy: his maker is his friend; the noblest business his employ, and happiness his end. . s. & s. m. bowring. "he that walketh uprightly, walketh surely." he who walks in virtue's way, firm and fearless, walketh surely; diligent, while yet 'tis day, on he speeds, and speeds securely. flowers of peace beneath him grow, suns of pleasure brighten o'er him; memory's joys behind him go, hope's sweet angels fly before him. thus he moves from stage to stage, smiles of earth and heaven attending; softly sinking down in age, and at last to death descending. cradled in its quiet deep, calm as summer's loveliest even, he shall sleep the hallowed sleep; sleep that is o'erwatched by heaven. . c. m. burns. the happiness of the righteous. the man, in life wherever placed, hath happiness in store, who walks not in the wicked's way, nor learns their guilty lore: nor from the seat of scornful pride casts forth his eyes abroad, but with humility and awe, still walks before his god. that man shall flourish like the trees which by the streamlets grow; the fruitful top is spread on high, and firm the root below. but he whose blossom buds in guilt shall to the ground be cast, and, like the rootless stubble, tossed before the sweeping blast. . l. m. keble. "not that thou wouldst take them out of the world, but keep them from its evil." sweet is the bliss of souls serene, when they have sworn and steadfast mean, counting the cost, in all t' espy their god, in all themselves deny. o could we learn that sacrifice, what lights would all around us rise! how would our hearts with wisdom talk, along life's dullest, dreariest walk! we need not bid, for cloistered cell, our neighbor and our work farewell, nor strive to wind ourselves too high for sinful man beneath the sky: the trivial round, the common task, would furnish all we ought to ask; room to deny ourselves; a road to bring us, daily, nearer god. . s. & s. m. cowper. joy and peace in believing. sometimes a light surprises the christian while he sings: it is the lord, who rises with healing in his wings: when comforts are declining, he grants the soul again a season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain. in holy contemplation, we sweetly then pursue the theme of god's salvation, and find it ever new: set free from present sorrow, we cheerfully can say, "e'en let the unknown morrow bring with it what it may." it can bring with it nothing, but he will bear us through: who gives the lilies clothing, will clothe his people too: beneath the spreading heavens, no creature but is fed; and he who feeds the ravens, will give his children bread. though vine, nor fig tree neither, its wonted fruit should bear; though all the field should wither, nor flocks, nor herds be there: yet god the same abiding, his praise shall tune my voice; for while in him confiding, i cannot but rejoice. . s. m. anonymous. for a right spirit. i want a sober mind, a self-renouncing will, that tramples down and casts behind the baits of pleasing ill; a soul inured to pain, to hardship, grief and loss, bold to take up, firm to sustain the consecrated cross. i want a godly fear, a quick-discerning eye, that looks to thee when sin is near, and sees the tempter fly; a spirit still prepared, and armed with jealous care, forever standing on its guard, and watching unto prayer. i want a true regard, a single, steady aim, unmoved by threatening or reward, to thee and thy great name; a zealous, just concern for thine immortal praise; a pure desire that all may learn and glorify thy grace. . s. m. watts. heavenly joy on earth. come, ye that love the lord, and let your joys be known; join in a song with sweet accord, and thus surround the throne. the sorrows of the mind be banished from the place! religion never was designed to make our pleasures less. the men of grace have found glory begun below; celestial fruits on earthly ground from faith and hope may grow. the hill of sion yields a thousand sacred sweets, before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets. then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry; we're marching through immanuel's ground, to fairer worlds on high. . s. m. miss fletcher. where is heaven? our heaven is everywhere, if we but love the lord, unswerving tread the narrow way, and ever shun the broad. 't is where the trusting heart bows meekly to its grief, still looking up with earnest faith for comfort and relief. where guileless infancy in happiness doth dwell, and where the aged one can say "he hath done all things well." wherever truth abides sweet peace is ever there; if we but love and serve the lord, our heaven is everywhere. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. heaven here. heaven is here; its hymns of gladness cheer the true believer's way, in this world where sin and sadness often change to night our day. heaven is here; where misery lightened of its heavy load is seen, where the face of sorrow brightened by the deed of love hath been: where the bound, the poor, despairing are set free, supplied and blest; where, in others' anguish sharing, we can find our surest rest. where we heed the voice of duty rather than man's praise, or rod; this is heaven,--its peace, its beauty, radiant with the smile of god. . l. m. l. mrs. case. god's kingdom here. oh, where, our saviour! sweeps the line that marks thy kingdom's holy reign? is it where northern meteors shine or gilds the cross the southern main? where breaks the dawn o'er spicy lands? or twilight sleeps on desert sands? is it where sunny skies grow dim with smoke of heathen sacrifice? or where, in costly domes, the hymn is taught on incense clouds to rise? nay, nay, thy blessed word has shown thy kingdom is the heart alone! that solemn world, whose bounds between life's mysteries of birth and death, are filled with warring hosts unseen, beings of power, though not of breath-- the spirit realm, where'er it be, is the dominion swayed by thee. wild, phantom shapes of gloom and fear, roam dimly through the haunted spot, and earth holds not a land so drear as the sad heart that owns thee not, where sorrows wound and pleasures pall, and death's dread shadow darkens all. but lift thy sceptre there, its bowers shall be serene and sweet and fair, and, as in time's primeval hours, the holy ones shall gather there, and heaven's own peace the soul o'erflow, e'en while it lingers here below. . s. m. beaumont. the heaven within. as earth's pageant passes by, let reflection turn thine eye inward, and observe thy breast; there alone dwells solid rest. that's a close immured tower, which can mock all hostile power; to thyself a tenant be, and inhabit safe and free. say not that this house is small, girt up in a narrow wall; in a cleanly, sober mind, heaven itself full room doth find. the infinite creator can dwell in it; and may not man? here, content, make thy abode with thyself and with thy god. devout exercises. . c. m. h. m. williams. habitual devotion. while thee i seek, protecting power! be my vain wishes stilled; and may this consecrated hour with better hopes be filled. thy love the power of thought bestowed; to thee my thoughts would soar; thy mercy o'er my life has flowed-- that mercy i adore! in each event of life, how clear thy ruling hand i see! each blessing to my soul more dear, because conferred by thee. in every joy that crowns my days, in every pain i bear, my heart shall find delight in praise, or seek relief in prayer. when gladness wings my favored hour, thy love my thoughts shall fill; resigned, when storms of sorrow lower, my soul shall meet thy will. my lifted eye, without a tear, the gathering storm shall see; my steadfast heart shall know no fear;-- that heart shall rest on thee! . l. m. bowring. perpetual praise. when, wakened by thy voice of power, the hour of morning beams in light, my voice shall sing that morning hour, and thee, who mad'st that hour so bright. the morning strengthens into noon; earth's fairest beauties shine more fair; and noon and morning shall attune my grateful heart to praise and prayer. when 'neath the evening western gate the sun's retiring rays are hid, my joy shall be to meditate, e'en as the pious patriarch did. as twilight wears a darker hue, and gathering night creation dims, the twilight and the midnight, too, shall have their harmonies and hymns. so shall sweet thoughts, and thoughts sublime, my constant inspirations be; and every shifting scene of time reflect, my god, a light from thee. . c. m. mrs. brown. secret prayer. i love to steal awhile away from every cumbering care, and spend the hours of setting day in humble, grateful prayer. i love to think on mercies past, and future good implore, and all my cares and sorrows cast on him whom i adore. i love by faith to take a view of brighter scenes in heaven; the prospect doth my strength renew, while here by tempests driven. thus, when life's toilsome day is o'er, may its departing ray be calm as this impressive hour, and lead to endless day. . s. m. c. wesley. prayer for self-consecration. o god, my strength, my hope, on thee i cast my care, with humble confidence look up, and know thou hearest prayer. o, for a godly fear, a quick-discerning eye, that looks to thee when sin is near, and sees the tempter fly!-- a spirit still prepared, and armed with jealous care, forever standing on its guard, and watching unto prayer! lord, let me still abide, nor from my hope remove, till thou my patient spirit guide to better worlds above. . l. m. moore. breathings of grace. like morning, when her early breeze breaks up the surface of the seas, that, in their furrows, dark with night, her hand may sow the seeds of light; thy grace can send its breathings o'er the spirit, dark and lost before; and freshening all its depths, prepare for truth divine to enter there! till david touched his sacred lyre, in silence lay the unbreathing wire; but when he swept its chords along, e'en angels stooped to hear the song. so sleeps the soul, till thou, o lord, shall deign to touch its lifeless chord; till, waked by thee, its breath shall rise in music worthy of the skies. . s. m. cowper. dependence on god. to keep the lamp alive, with oil we fill the bowl; 't is water makes the willow thrive, and grace that feeds the soul. the lord's unsparing hand supplies the living stream; it is not at our own command, but still derived from him. man's wisdom is to seek his strength in god alone; and e'en an angel would be weak, who trusted in his own. retreat beneath his wings, and in his grace confide; this more exalts the king of kings than all your works beside. in god is all our store, grace issues from his throne; whoever says, "i want no more," confesses he has none. . s. m. l. montgomery. the soul panting for god. as the hart, with eager looks, panteth for the water-brooks, so my soul, athirst for thee, pants the living god to see; when, o when, with filial fear, lord, shall i to thee draw near? why art thou cast down, my soul? god, thy god, shall make thee whole: why art thou disquieted? god shall lift thy fallen head, and his countenance benign be the saving health of thine. . l. m. henry moore. wisdom and virtue sought from god. supreme and universal light! fountain of reason! judge of right! parent of good! whose blessings flow on all above, and all below: assist us, lord, to act, to be, what nature and thy laws decree; worthy that intellectual flame, which from thy breathing spirit came! may our expanded souls disclaim the narrow view, the selfish aim; but with a christian zeal embrace whate'er is friendly to our race. o father, grace and virtue grant! no more we wish, no more we want: to know, to serve thee, and to love, is peace below,--is bliss above. . c. m. merrick. holy resignation. author of good, to thee we turn: thine ever wakeful eye alone can all our wants discern, thy hand alone supply. o, let thy love within us dwell, thy fear our footsteps guide; that love shall vainer loves expel, that fear all fears beside. and, o, by error's force subdued, since oft, with stubborn will, we blindly shun the latent good, and grasp the specious ill,-- not what we wish, but what we want, let mercy still supply: the good we ask not; father, grant; the ill we ask, deny. . l. m. l. c. wesley. prayer for the comforter. i want the spirit of power within, of love, and of a healthful mind; of power to conquer every sin, of love to god and all mankind; of health that pain and death defies, most vigorous when the body dies. o that the comforter would come, nor visit as a transient guest, but fix in me his constant home, and keep possession of my breast; and make my soul his loved abode, the temple of indwelling god! . l. m. cotton. a peaceful conscience. while some in folly's pleasures roll, and court the joys that hurt the soul, be mine that silent, calm repast, a conscience peaceful to the last. with this companion in the shade, my soul no more shall be dismayed; but fearless meet life's dreariest gloom, and the pale monarch of the tomb. amidst the various scenes of ills, each blow some kind design fulfils; and can i murmur at my god, while love supreme directs the rod? his hand will smooth my rugged way, and lead me to the realms of day; to milder skies, and brighter plains, where everlasting pleasure reigns. . l. m. watts. self-knowledge, and abstraction from earth. my god, permit me not to be a stranger to myself and thee: amidst a thousand thoughts i rove, forgetful of my highest love. why should my passions mix with earth, and thus debase my heavenly birth? why should i cleave to things below, and let my god, my saviour go? call me away from flesh and sense; thy sovereign word can draw me thence: i would obey the voice divine, and all inferior joys resign. be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn, let noise and vanity be gone: in secret silence of the mind, my heaven, and there my god, i find. . s. & s. m. anonymous. rising towards heaven. rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, thy better portion trace; rise from transitory things, towards heaven, thy native place: sun, and moon, and stars decay, time shall soon this earth remove; rise, my soul, and haste away to seats prepared above. rivers to the ocean run, nor stay in all their course; fire ascending seeks the sun,-- both speed them to their source: so a soul that's born of god pants to view his glorious face, upward tends to his abode, to rest in his embrace. . l. p. m. anonymous. christ desired. come, o thou universal good! balm of the wounded conscience, come! the hungry, dying spirit's food; the weary, wand'ring pilgrim's home; haven to take the shipwrecked in, my everlasting rest from sin! come, o my comfort and delight! my strength and health, and shield, and sun my boast, my confidence, and might, my joy, my glory, and my crown; my gospel-hope, my calling's prize, my tree of life, my paradise. . c. m. newton. "unto you who believe he is precious." how sweet the name of jesus sounds in a believer's ear! it soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. it makes the wounded spirit whole, it calms the troubled breast; 't is manna to the hungry soul, and, to the weary, rest. weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought, but when i see thee as thou art, i'll praise thee as i ought. till then i would thy love proclaim, with every fleeting breath; and may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death. . s. m. mrs. hale. the lord's prayer. our father in heaven, we hallow thy name! may thy kingdom holy on earth be the same! o give to us daily our portion of bread; it is from thy bounty that all must be fed. forgive our transgressions, and teach us to know that humble compassion which pardons each foe: keep us from temptation, from weakness and sin, and thine be the glory forever--amen. . c. m. t. whittemore. the same. our father, who in heaven art, all hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, in heaven the same. give us this day our daily bread, our debts, o lord, forgive, as we forgive our enemies and thus obedient live. into temptation lead us not, from evil keep us clean; thine is the kingdom, glory, power forevermore, amen. . s. m. montgomery. the same. our heavenly father, hear the prayer we offer now:-- thy name be hallowed far and near, to thee all nations bow. thy kingdom come; thy will on earth be done in love, as saints and seraphim fulfil thy perfect law above. our daily bread supply, while by thy word we live; the guilt of our iniquity forgive, as we forgive. from dark temptation's power our feeble hearts defend; deliver in the evil hour, and guide us to the end. thine, then, forever be glory and power divine; the sceptre, throne, and majesty of heaven and earth are thine. . c. m. anonymous. the lord's prayer. o thou, enthroned in worlds above, our father and our friend! lo, at the footstool of thy love, thy children humbly bend. all reverence to thy name be given; thy kingdom wide displayed; and, as thy will is done in heaven, be it on earth obeyed. our table may thy bounty spread, from thine exhaustless store, from day to day with daily bread,-- nor would we ask for more. that pardon we to others give, do thou to us extend; from all temptation, lord, relieve; from every ill defend. and now to thee belong, most high, the kingdom, glory, power, through the broad earth and spacious sky, both now and evermore. . s. m. dr. johnson. from boethius. seeking god. o thou, whose power o'er moving worlds presides, whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides, on darkling man in pure effulgence shine, and cheer his clouded mind with light divine. 't is thine alone to calm the pious breast with silent confidence and holy rest; from thee, great god, we spring, to thee we tend; path, motive, guide, original, and end. . s. m. watts. abba, father. behold, what wondrous grace the father has bestowed on sinners of a mortal race, to call them sons of god! nor doth it yet appear how great we must be made; but when we see our saviour here, we shall be like our head. a hope so much divine may trials well endure; may purify our souls from sin, as christ, the lord, is pure. we would no longer lie like slaves beneath the throne; our faith shall abba, father, cry, and thou the kindred own. . l. m. mrs. steele. the christian's resolve. ah wretched souls, who strive in vain, slaves to the world, and slaves to sin! a nobler toil may i sustain, a nobler satisfaction win. may i resolve, with all my heart, with all my powers, to serve the lord; nor from his precepts e'er depart, whose service is a rich reward. be this the purpose of my soul, my solemn, my determined choice, to yield to his supreme control, and in his kind commands rejoice. o may i never faint nor tire, nor, wandering, leave his sacred ways; great god! accept my soul's desire, and give me strength to live thy praise. . l. m. browne. "giving thanks to god in all things." great god! my joyful thanks to thee shall, like thy gifts, continual be: in constant streams thy bounty flows, nor end nor intermission knows. thy kindness all my comforts gives; my numerous wants thy hand relieves; nor can i ever, lord, be poor, who live on thy exhaustless store. if what i wish thy will denies, it is that thou art good and wise; afflictions, which may make me mourn, thou canst, thou dost, to blessings turn. deep, lord, upon my thankful breast, let all thy favors be imprest; and though withdrawn thy gifts should be in all things i'll give thanks to thee. . c. m. doddridge. "now are we sons of god." how rich thy favors, god of grace! how various, how divine! full as the ocean they are poured, and bright as heaven they shine. he to eternal glory calls, and leads the wondrous way to his own palace where he reigns in uncreated day. jesus, the herald of his love, displays the radiant prize, a crown of never-ending bliss, to our admiring eyes. the songs of everlasting years that mercy shall attend, which leads, through sufferings of an hour, to joys that never end. . c. m. h. h. milman. praying for divine help. o help us, lord! each hour of need thy heavenly succor give; help us in thought, and word, and deed, each hour on earth we live. o help us, when our spirits bleed, with contrite anguish sore, and when our hearts are cold and dead, o help us, lord, the more. o help us through the prayer of faith more firmly to believe; for still the more the servant hath, the more shall he receive. o help us, father! from on high; we know no help but thee; o! help us so to live and die, as thine in heaven to be. . c. h. m. anonymous. come, let us pray. come, let us pray: 'tis sweet to feel that god himself is near; that, while we at his footstool kneel, his mercy deigns to hear: though sorrows cloud life's dreary way, this is our solace--let us pray. come, let us pray: the burning brow, the heart oppressed with care, and all the woes that throng us now, will be relieved by prayer: our god will chase our griefs away; o, glorious thought!--come, let us pray. come, let us pray: the mercy-seat invites the fervent prayer. our heavenly father waits to greet the contrite spirit there: o, loiter not, nor longer stay from him who loves us; let us pray. . l. m. sir walter scott. imploring the constant presence of god. when israel of the lord beloved, out from the land of bondage came, her father's god before her moved, an awful guide in smoke and flame. by day, along th' astonished lands, the cloudy pillar glided slow; by night, arabia's crimsoned sands returned the fiery column's glow. thus, present still, though now unseen, when brightly shines the prosperous day, be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen, to temper the deceitful ray! and o, when gathers on our path, in shade and storm, the frequent night, be thou, long-suffering, slow to wrath, a burning and a shining light! . c. m. c. wesley. watchfulness. i want a principle within of jealous, godly fear; a sensibility of sin, a pain to find it near. i want the first approach to feel of pride, or fond desire; to catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire. from thee that i no more may part, no more thy goodness grieve, the filial awe, the fleshly heart, the tender conscience give. quick as the apple of the eye, o god, my conscience make! awake my soul when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake. . c. m. smart. for prudence and wisdom. father of light! conduct my feet through life's dark, dangerous road; let each advancing step still bring me nearer to my god. let heaven-eyed prudence be my guide; and, when i go astray, recall my feet from folly's path to wisdom's better way. teach me in every various scene to keep my end in sight; and while i tread life's mazy track, let wisdom guide me right. that heavenly wisdom from above abundantly impart; and let it guard, and guide, and warm, and penetrate my heart: till it shall lead me to thyself, fountain of bliss and love! and all my darkness be dispersed in endless light above. . c. m. moore. heaven desired. the bird let loose in eastern skies, returning fondly home, ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor flies where idle warblers roam. but high she shoots through air and light-- above all low delay, where nothing earthly bounds her flight, nor shadow dims her way. so grant me, god, from every snare of sinful passion free, aloft through faith's serener air to hold my course to thee. no sin to cloud, no lure to stay my soul, as home she springs; thy sunshine on her joyful way, thy freedom on her wings. . l. m. stowell. the mercy-seat. from every stormy wind that blows, from every swelling tide of woes, there is a calm, a sure retreat; 'tis found before the mercy-seat. there is a place were jesus sheds the oil of gladness on our heads,-- a place of all on earth most sweet; it is the heavenly mercy-seat. there is a scene where spirits blend, where friend holds fellowship with friend; though sundered far, by faith they meet around one common mercy-seat. there, there, on eagle wings we soar, and sin and sense molest no more; and heaven comes down our souls to greet, and glory crowns the mercy-seat. . c. m. steele. thirsting after god. when fainting in the sultry waste, and parched with thirst extreme, the weary pilgrim longs to taste the cool, refreshing stream. so longs the weary, fainting mind, oppressed with sins and woes, some soul-reviving spring to find, whence heavenly comfort flows. o, may i thirst for thee, my god, with ardent, strong desire; and still, through all this desert road, to taste thy grace aspire. then shall my prayer to thee ascend, a grateful sacrifice; my mourning voice thou wilt attend, and grant me full supplies. . s. m. newton. self-distrust. 't is a point i long to know,-- oft it causes anxious thought,-- do i love the lord, or no? am i his, or am i not? if i love, why am i thus? why this dull and lifeless frame? hardly, sure, can they be worse, who have never heard his name. if i pray, or hear, or read, sin is mixed with all i do; you that love the lord indeed, tell me, is it thus with you? yet i mourn my stubborn will, find my sin a grief and thrall; should i grieve for what i feel, if i did not love at all? father, let me love thee more, if i love at all, i pray; if i have not loved before, help me to begin to-day. . l. m. doddridge. choosing the better part. beset with snares on every hand, in life's uncertain path i stand: father divine! diffuse thy light, to guide my doubtful footsteps right. engage this roving, treacherous heart, wisely to choose the better part; to scorn the trifles of a day, for joys that none can take away. then let the wildest storms arise, let tempests mingle earth with skies, no fatal shipwreck shall i fear, but all my treasures with me bear. if thou, my saviour, still be nigh, cheerful i live, and joyful die; secure, when mortal comforts flee, to find ten thousand worlds in thee. . c. m. watts. sincerity and hypocrisy. god is a spirit just and wise, he sees our inmost mind; in vain to heaven we raise our cries, and leave our souls behind. nothing but truth before his throne with honor can appear; the painted hypocrites are known through the disguise they wear. their lifted eyes salute the skies, their bending knees the ground; but god abhors the sacrifice where not the heart is found. lord, search my thoughts, and try my ways, and make my soul sincere; then shall i stand before thy face, and find acceptance there. . c. p. m. wesley's coll. true wisdom. be it my only wisdom here, to serve the lord with filial fear, with loving gratitude; superior sense may i display, by shunning every evil way, and walking in the good. o may i still from sin depart! a wise and understanding heart, father, to me be given! and let me through thy spirit know to glorify my god below, and find my way to heaven. . l. m. l. merrick. for the understanding and influence of god's word. while here as wandering sheep we stray, teach us, o teach us, lord, thy way! dispose our hearts, with willing awe, to love thy word, to keep thy law; that, by thy guiding precepts led, our feet the paths of truth may tread. great source of light to all below! teach us thy holy will to know: teach us to read thy word aright, and make it our supreme delight; that, purged from vain desires, our mind in thee its only good may find. maker, instructer, judge of all, o hear us when on thee we call! to us, all-bounteous lord, dispense thy grace, and guiding influence! preserve us in thy holy ways, and teach our hearts to speak thy praise! . c. m. montgomery. solomon's prayer for wisdom. almighty god! in humble prayer to thee our souls we lift; do thou our waiting minds prepare for thy most needful gift. we ask not golden streams of wealth along our path to flow; we ask not undecaying health, nor length of years below. we ask not honors, which an hour may bring and take away; we ask not pleasure, pomp, and power, lest we should go astray. we ask for wisdom;--lord, impart the knowledge how to live; a wise and understanding heart to all before thee give. the young remember thee in youth, before the evil days! the old be guided by thy truth in wisdom's pleasant ways! . c. m. cowper. walking with god. o, for a closer walk with god! a calm and heavenly frame! a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the lamb! what peaceful hours i once enjoyed! how sweet their memory still! but now i find an aching void the world can never fill. return, o holy dove, return, sweet messenger of rest; i hate the sins that made thee mourn, and drove thee from my breast. the dearest idol i have known, whate'er that idol be, help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee. . c. m. doddridge. for freedom from secret sin. searcher of hearts! before thy face i all my soul display; and, conscious of its innate arts, entreat thy strict survey. if, lurking in its inmost folds, i any sin conceal, o, let a ray of light divine the secret guile reveal. if tinctured with that odious gall unknowing i remain, let grace, like a pure silver stream, wash out the hateful stain. if, in these fatal fetters bound, a wretched slave i lie, smite off my chains, and wake my soul to light and liberty. to humble penitence and prayer be gentle pity given; speak ample pardon to my heart, and seal its claim to heaven. . s. m. grünbeck. self-abandonment to god. lord! bring me to resign my doubting heart to thee; and, whether cheerful or distressed, thine, thine alone to be. my only aim be this,-- thy purpose to fulfil, in thee rejoice with all my strength, and do thy holy will. lord! thy all-seeing eye keeps watch with sleepless care: thy great compassion never fails; thou hear'st my needy prayer. so will i firmly trust, that thou wilt guide me still, and guard me safe throughout the way that leads to zion's hill. . c. m. cowper. religious retirement. far from the world, o lord! i flee, from strife and tumult far; from scenes, where sin is waging still its most successful war. the calm retreat, the silent shade, with prayer and praise agree; and seem, by thy sweet bounty, made for those who follow thee. there, if thy spirit touch the soul, and grace her mean abode; o with what peace, and joy, and love, she communes with her god. there, like the nightingale, she pours her solitary lays; nor asks a witness of her song, nor thirsts for human praise. author and guardian of my life, sweet source of light divine, and all harmonious names in one, my father--thou art mine! . c. m. j. j. gurney. silent worship. let deepest silence all around its peaceful shelter spread; so shall the living word abound, the word that wakes the dead. how sweet to wait upon the lord in stillness and in prayer! what though no preacher speak the word a minister is there: he knows to bend the heart of steel, he bows the loftiest soul; o'er all we think and all we feel, how matchless his control! and, o, how precious is his love in tender mercy given; it whispers of the blest above, and stays the soul on heaven. from mind to mind, in streams of joy, the holy influence spreads; 't is peace, 'tis praise without alloy, for god that influence sheds. to thee, o god, we still will pray, and praise thee as before; for this thy glorious gospel-day, teach us to praise thee more. . l. m. l. bowring. "help thou my unbelief." if listening, as i listen still, o god! to thine instructive word, in spite of all my spirit's will, some whispering voice of doubt is heard,-- that voice spontaneous from the soul, which nought can check and nought control; if when most earnestly i pray for light, for aid, for strength from thee, some struggling thoughts will force their way, and break my soul's serenity;-- if reason, thy best gift, will hold the sceptre only half controlled:-- help and forgive! heaven's alphabet hath many a word of mystery; i read not all thy record yet, though perseveringly i try; but teach me, lord! and none shall be more prompt, more pleased to learn of thee. . s. m. herbert. doing all to the glory of god. teach me, my god and king, in all things thee to see; and what i do in anything, to do it as for thee! to scorn the senses' sway, while still to thee i tend; in all i do be thou the way,-- in all be thou the end. all may of thee partake: nothing so small can be, but draws, when acted for thy sake, greatness and worth from thee. if done beneath thy laws, even servile labors shine; hallowed is toil, if this the cause, the meanest work divine. . s. s. & s. m. oliver. god the pilgrim's guide and strength. guide me, o thou great jehovah, pilgrim through this mortal land: i am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand: bread of heaven, feed me till i want no more. open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing streams do flow; let the fiery, cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through: strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield. when i tread the verge of jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; bear me through the swelling current; land me safe on canaan's side: songs of praises i will ever give to thee. . c. m. wreford. prayer for faith. lord! i believe; thy power i own, thy word i would obey; i wander comfortless, and lone, when from thy truth i stray. lord! i believe; but gloomy fears sometimes bedim my sight; i look to thee with prayers and tears, and cry for strength and light. lord! i believe; but oft, i know, my faith is cold and weak; strengthen my weakness, and bestow the confidence i seek! yes, i believe; and only thou canst give my soul relief; lord! to thy truth my spirit bow, help thou my unbelief! . s. m. watts. safety in god. when overwhelmed with grief, my heart within me dies; helpless and far from all relief, to heaven i lift mine eyes. o lead me to the rock that's high above my head; and make the covert of thy wings my shelter and my shade. within thy presence, lord, i ever would abide; thou art the tower of my defence, the refuge where i hide. . c. m. montgomery. prayer for grace in trial. father of all our mercies, thou in whom we move and live, hear us in heaven, thy dwelling, now, and answer, and forgive. when, harassed by ten thousand foes, our helplessness we feel, o, give the weary soul repose, the wounded spirit heal. when dire temptations gather round and threaten or allure, by storm or calm, in thee be found a refuge strong and sure. when age advances, may we grow in faith, in hope, and love, and walk in holiness below to holiness above. when earthly joys and cares depart, desire and envy cease, be thou the portion of our heart,-- in thee may we have peace. . l. m. roscoe. the solace of faith. when human hopes and joys depart, i give thee, lord, a contrite heart; and on my weary spirit steal the thoughts that pass all earthly weal. i cast above my tearful eyes, and muse upon the starry skies; and think that he who governs there still keeps me in his guardian care. i gaze upon the opening flower, just moistened with the evening shower; and bless the love which made it bloom, to chase away my transient gloom. i think, whene'er this mortal frame returns again to whence it came, my soul shall wing its happy flight to regions of eternal light. . c. m. wesleyan. for purity of heart. o, for a heart to praise my god, a heart from sin set free; a heart that always feels how good, thou, lord, hast been to me. o for a humble, contrite heart, believing, true, and clean, which neither life nor death can part from him who dwells within;-- a heart in every thought renewed, and full of love divine, perfect, and right, and pure and good, conformed, o lord, to thine. thy temper, gracious lord, impart; come quickly from above; o, write thy name upon my heart, thy name, o god, is love. . l. m. bowring. god's sustaining presence. father and friend, thy light, thy love beaming through all thy works we see; thy glory gilds the heavens above, and all the earth is full of thee. thy voice we hear, thy presence feel, whilst thou, too pure for mortal sight, involved in clouds, invisible, reignest the lord of life and light. we know not in what hallowed part of the wide heavens thy throne may be; but this we know,--that where thou art, strength, wisdom, goodness, dwell with thee. thy children shall not faint nor fear, sustained by this delightful thought,-- since thou, their god, art everywhere, they cannot be where thou art not. . s. m. episcopal coll. ark of safety. o, cease, my wandering soul, on restless wing to roam; all this wide world, to either pole, has not for thee a home. behold the ark of god; behold the open door; o, haste to gain that dear abode, and rove, my soul, no more. there, safe thou shalt abide, there, sweet shall be thy rest, and every longing satisfied, with full salvation blest. . c. m. watts. "o that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes." o that the lord would guide my ways to keep his statutes still! o that my god would grant me grace to know and do his will! o send thy spirit down to write thy law upon my heart! nor let my tongue indulge deceit, nor act the liar's part. order my footsteps by thy word, and make my heart sincere; let sin have no dominion, lord, but keep my conscience clear. make me to walk in thy commands,-- 'tis a delightful road; nor let my head, or heart, or hands, offend against my god. . c. m. t. humphries. "lord, remember me." o thou, from whom all goodness flows, i lift my soul to thee; in all my sorrows, conflicts, woes, good lord, remember me. when on my aching, burdened heart my sins lie heavily, thy pardon grant, new peace impart: good lord, remember me. when trials sore obstruct my way, and ills i cannot flee, o let my strength be as my day: good lord, remember me. and when before thy throne i stand, and lift my soul to thee, then, with the saints at thy right hand, good lord, remember me! . l. m. merrick. prayer for divine guidance. teach me, o teach me, lord! thy way; so, to my life's remotest day, by thy unerring precepts led, my willing feet its paths shall tread. informed by thee, with sacred awe, my heart shall meditate thy law; and with celestial wisdom filled, to thee its full obedience yield. give me to know thy will aright,-- thy will, my glory and delight.-- that, raised above the world, my mind in thee its highest good may find. o turn from vanity mine eye; to me thy quickening strength supply; and with thy promised mercy cheer a heart devoted to thy fear. . s. m. c. wesley. the repose of faith. happy soul, that safe from harm rests within his shepherd's arm! who his quiet shall molest? who shall violate his rest? seek, o lord, thy wandering sheep; bring me back, and lead, and keep; take on thee my every care; bear me, on thy bosom bear. let me know thy gracious voice; more and more in thee rejoice; more and more of thee receive; ever in thy spirit live:-- live, till all thy love i know, perfect in my lord below; gladly then from earth remove, gathered to the fold above. . c. m. c. wesley. a rest remaineth. lord! we believe a rest remains to all thy people known; a rest where pure enjoyment reigns;-- for thou art served alone:-- a rest where all our souls desire is fixed on things above; where fear, and sin, and grief expire, cast out by perfect love. o that we now that rest might know, believe and enter in! thou holiest! now the power bestow, and let us cease from sin. remove this hardness from our heart, this unbelief remove: the rest of perfect faith impart, the sabbath of thy love. . l. m. anonymous. angels from heaven strengthening him. lord! in thy garden agony, no light seemed on thy soul to break, no form of seraph lingered nigh, nor yet the voice of comfort spake; till, by thine own triumphant word, the victory over, ill was won; till the sweet, mournful cry was heard, "thy will, o god, not mine, be done!" lord, bring these precious moments back, when, fainting, against sin we strain; or in thy counsels fail to track aught but the present grief and pain. in weakness, help us to contend; in darkness, yield to god our will; and true hearts, faithful to the end, cheer by thine holy angels still! . c. m. steele. filial submission. and can my heart aspire so high, to say, "my father," god? lord, at thy feet, i fain would lie, and learn to kiss the rod. i would submit to all thy will, for thou art good and wise; let each rebellious thought be still, nor one faint murmur rise. thy love can cheer the darkest gloom, and bid me wait serene, till hopes and joys immortal bloom, and brighten all the scene. "my father, god," permit my heart to plead her humble claim, and ask the bliss those words impart, in my redeemer's name. . c. m. pope. universal prayer. father of all! in every age, in every clime, adored, by saint, by savage, and by sage, jehovah, jove, or lord!-- save me alike from foolish pride, or impious discontent at aught thy wisdom has denied, or aught thy goodness lent. this day be bread and peace my lot: all else beneath the sun thou knowest if best bestowed or not and let thy will be done. yet not to earth's contracted span thy goodness let me bound, or think thee lord alone of man, when thousand worlds are round. to thee whose temple is all space, whose altar, earth, sea, skies, one chorus let all beings raise, all nature's incense rise. . c. m. pope. the same. father of all, whose cares extend to earth's remotest shore, through every age let praise ascend, and every clime adore. mean though i am, not wholly so, since quickened by thy breath; lord, lead me wheresoe'er i go, through this day's life or death. teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault i see; that mercy i to others show, that mercy show to me. if i am right, thy grace impart still in the right to stay; if i am wrong, o teach my heart to find that better way. what conscience dictates to be done, or warns me not to do, this teach me more than hell to shun, that more than heaven pursue. . s. m. methodist coll. seeking god. light of life, seraphic fire, love divine, thyself impart; every fainting soul inspire; shine in every drooping heart! every mournful sinner cheer; scatter all our guilty gloom; love of god, appear, appear! to thy human temples come. come, in this accepted hour; bring thy heavenly kingdom in! fill us with thy glorious power, rooting out the seeds of sin: nothing more can we require, we will covet nothing less; be thou all our heart's desire, be our heaven--in holiness. . c. m. percy chapel coll. "thy will be done." father, i know thy ways are just, although to me unknown; o, grant me grace thy love to trust, and cry, "thy will be done." if thou shouldst hedge with thorns my path; should wealth and friends be gone; still with a firm and lively faith, i'll cry, "thy will be done." although thy steps i cannot trace, thy sovereign right i'll own; and, as instructed by thy grace; i'll cry, "thy will be done." 'tis sweet thus passively to lie before thy gracious throne, concerning everything to cry, "my father's will be done." . c. m. doddridge. confidence in god. my god! the covenant of thy love abides forever sure; and in thy matchless grace i feel my happiness secure. what though my house be not with thee as nature could desire? to nobler joys than nature gives thy servants all aspire. since thou, the everlasting god, my father art become; jesus my guardian and my friend, and heaven my final home: i welcome all thy sovereign will, for all that will is love; and when i know not what thou dost, i wait the light above. thy covenant the last accent claims of this poor faltering tongue; and that shall the first notes employ of my celestial song. . l. m. henry moore. prayer for religious principle. amidst a world of hopes and fears, a wild of cares, and toils, and tears, where foes alarm and dangers threat, and pleasures kill, and glories cheat: shed down, o lord! a heavenly ray, to guide me in the doubtful way; and o'er me hold thy shield of power, to guard me in the dangerous hour. teach me the flattering paths to shun, in which the thoughtless many run, who for a shade the substance miss, and grasp their ruin in their bliss. may never pleasure, wealth or pride, allure my wandering soul aside; but through this maze of mortal ill, safe lead me to thy heavenly hill. . l. m. christian psalmist. prayer for divine help. be with me, lord, where'er i go; teach me what thou wouldst have me do; show me my weakness,--let me see i have my power, my all from thee. enrich me always with thy love; my kind protection ever prove; thy signet put upon my breast, and let thy spirit on me rest. assist and teach me how to pray; incline my nature to obey; what thou abhorr'st that let me flee, and only love what pleases thee. o may i never do my will, but thine, and only thine, fulfil; let all my time and all my ways be spent and ended to thy praise. . c. m. anonymous. prayer for the christian temper. almighty maker! lord of all! of life the only spring! creator of unnumbered worlds! supreme, eternal king! drive from the confines of my heart impenitence and pride; nor let me, in forbidden paths, with thoughtless sinners glide. let not despair nor fell revenge be to my bosom known: oh! give me tears for others' woes, and patience for my own. feed me with necessary food; i ask not wealth or fame; give me an eye to see thy will, a heart to bless thy name. may still my days serenely pass, without remorse or care; and growing holiness my soul for life's last hour prepare. . s. m. methodist coll. for holiness. the thing my god doth hate that i no more may do, thy creature, lord, again create, and all my soul renew; abhor the thing unclean, and, sanctified by love divine, forever cease from sin. that blessed law of thine, father, to me impart; the spirit's law of life divine, o write it in my heart! implant it deep within, whence it may ne'er remove, the law of liberty from sin, the perfect law of love. thy nature be my law, thy spotless sanctity, and sweetly every moment draw my happy soul to thee. soul of my soul remain! who didst for all fulfil, in me, o lord, fulfil again my heavenly father's will. . c. m. wesley's coll. "thy kingdom come." father of me and all mankind, and all the hosts above, let every understanding mind unite to praise thy love. thy kingdom come, with power and grace to every heart of man; thy peace, and joy, and righteousness, in all our bosoms reign. the righteousness that never ends, but makes an end of sin; the joy that human thought transcends, into our souls bring in. the kingdom of established peace, which can no more remove; the perfect powers of godliness, th' omnipotence of love. . s. m. watts. seeking god. my god, permit my tongue this joy, to call thee mine; and let my early cries prevail to taste thy love divine. my thirsty, fainting soul thy mercy does implore; not travellers in desert lands can pant for water more. for life, without thy love, no relish can afford; no joy can be compared to this, to serve and please the lord. since thou hast been my help, to thee my spirit flies, and on thy watchful providence my cheerful hope relies. . l. m. montgomery. "o god, my soul thirsteth for thee." o god! thou art my god alone; early to thee my soul shall cry, a pilgrim in a land unknown, a thirsty land, whose springs are dry. yet through this rough and thorny maze, i follow hard on thee, my god; thine hand unseen upholds my ways; i lean upon thy staff and rod. thee, in the watches of the night, when i remember on my bed, thy presence makes the darkness light; thy guardian wings are round my head. better than life itself thy love, dearer than all beside to me; for whom have i in heaven above, or what on earth, compared with thee? . c. m. doddridge. the knowledge of god. shine forth, eternal source of light! and make thy glories known; fill our enlarged, adoring sight with lustre all thine own. vain are the charms, and faint the rays the brightest creatures boast; and all their grandeur and their praise is in thy presence lost. to know the author of our frame is our sublimest skill; true science is to read thy name, true life to obey thy will. for this i long, for this i pray, and following on pursue, till visions of eternal day fix and complete the view. . l. m. l. addison. god our shepherd. the lord my pasture shall prepare, and feed me with a shepherd's care; his presence shall my wants supply, and guard me with a watchful eye; my noonday walks he shall attend, and all my midnight hours defend. when in the sultry glebe i faint, or on the thirsty mountains pant, to fertile vales and dewy meads my weary, wandering steps he leads, where peaceful rivers, soft and slow, amid the verdant landscape flow. though in the paths of death i tread, with gloomy horrors overspread, my steadfast heart shall fear no ill, for thou, o lord, art with me still. thy friendly staff shall give me aid, and guide me through the dreadful shade. though, in a bare and rugged way, through devious, lonely wilds i stray, thy bounty shall my pains beguile,-- the barren wilderness shall smile, with sudden greens and herbage crowned and streams shall murmur all around. . s. m. patrick the fatherly love of god. god, who is just and kind, will those who err instruct, and to the paths of righteousness their wandering steps conduct. the humble soul he guides, teaches the meek his way, kindness and truth he shows to all who his just laws obey. give me the tender heart that mixes fear with love, and lead me through whatever path thy wisdom shall approve. oh! ever keep my soul from error, shame and guilt; nor suffer the fair hope to fail, which on thy truth is built. . l. m. j. f. oberlin. clinging to god. o lord, thy heavenly grace impart, and fix my frail, inconstant heart: henceforth my chief desire shall be to dedicate myself to thee. whate'er pursuits my time employ, one thought shall fill my soul with joy: that silent, secret thought shall be, that all my hopes are fixed on thee. thy glorious eye pervadeth space; thy presence, lord, fills every place; and wheresoe'er my lot may be, still shall my spirit cleave to thee. renouncing every earthly thing, and safe beneath thy spreading wing, my sweetest thought henceforth shall be, that all i want i find in thee. . c. m. watts. god our refuge and hope. god, my supporter and my hope, my help forever near; thine arm of mercy held me up, when sinking in despair. thy counsels, lord, shall guide my feet through this dark wilderness; thine hand conduct me near thy seat, to dwell before thy face. what if the springs of life were broke, and flesh and heart should faint? god is my soul's eternal rock, the strength of every saint. behold the sinners, that remove far from thy presence, die; not all the idol gods they love can save them when they cry. but to draw near to thee, my god, shall be my sweet employ; my tongue shall sound thy works abroad, and tell the world my joy. . c. m. montgomery. for grateful submission. one prayer i have,--all prayers in one,-- when i am wholly thine; "thy will, my god, thy will be done, and let that will be mine." all-wise, almighty, and all-good, in thee i firmly trust; thy ways, unknown or understood, are merciful and just. may i remember that to thee whate'er i have i owe; and back in gratitude from me may all thy bounties flow. thy gifts are only then enjoyed, when used as talents lent; those talents only well employed, when in thy service spent. and though thy wisdom takes away, shall i arraign thy will? no, let me bless thy name, and say, "the lord is gracious still." . l. m. montgomery. the soul returning to god. return, my soul, unto thy rest, from vain pursuits and maddening cares, from lonely woes that wring thy breast, the world's allurements, toils and snares. return unto thy rest, my soul, from all the wanderings of thy thought; from sickness unto death made whole; safe through a thousand perils brought. then to thy rest, my soul return, from passions every hour at strife; sin's works, and ways, and wages spurn, lay hold upon eternal life. god is thy rest;--with heart inclined to keep his word, that word believe; christ is thy rest;--with lowly mind, his light and easy yoke receive. . c. m. watts. invocation of the divine spirit. come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, with all thy quickening powers, kindle a flame of sacred love in these cold hearts of ours. in vain we tune our formal songs, in vain we strive to rise; hosannas languish on our tongues, and our devotion dies. dear lord! and shall we ever live at this poor dying rate? our love so faint, so cold to thee, and thine to us so great? come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, with all thy quickening powers, come, shed abroad a saviour's love, and that shall kindle ours. . c. m. beddome. for inward truth. am i an israelite indeed. without a false disguise? have i renounced my sins, and left my refuges of lies? say, does my heart unchanged remain, or is it formed anew? what is the rule by which i walk, the object i pursue? cause me, o god of truth and grace, my real state to know; if i am wrong, o set me right! if right, preserve me so! . c. m. methodist coll. seeking god. talk with us, lord, thyself reveal, while here o'er earth we rove; speak to our hearts, and let us feel the kindling of thy love. with thee conversing, we forget all time, and toil, and care; labor is rest, and pain is sweet, if thou, my god, art here. here, then, my god, vouchsafe to stay, and bid my heart rejoice; my bounding heart shall own thy sway, and echo to thy voice. . l. m. grigg. not ashamed of christ. jesus! and shall it ever be! a mortal man ashamed of thee; ashamed of thee, whom angels praise, whose glories shine through endless days! ashamed of jesus! just as soon let midnight be ashamed of noon; 'tis midnight with my soul, till he, bright morning star, bid darkness flee. ashamed of jesus! yes i may, when i've no guilt to wash away, no tear to wipe--no good to crave, no fears to quell--no soul to save. till then--nor is my boasting vain-- till then, i boast a saviour slain; and oh! may this my glory be, that christ is not ashamed of me. . s. m. c. wesley. the simplicity of christ. lord! that i may learn of thee, give me true simplicity; wean my soul, and keep it low, willing thee alone to know. of my boasted wisdom spoiled, docile, helpless as a child; only seeing in thy light, only walking in thy might. then infuse the living grace, truthful soul of righteousness; knowledge, love divine, impart,-- life eternal to my heart. . s. m. newton. docility and trust. quiet, lord, my froward heart, make me teachable and mild; upright, simple, free from art, make me as a weanéd child; from distrust and envy free, pleased with all that pleaseth thee. what thou shalt to-day provide, let me as a child receive; what to-morrow may betide, calmly to thy wisdom leave: 'tis enough that thou wilt care; why should i the burden bear? as a little child relies on a care beyond his own; knows he's neither strong nor wise fears to stir a step alone; let me thus with thee abide, as my father, guard, and guide. . l. m. beard's coll. god's care our comfort. oh! sweet it is to know, to feel, in all our gloom, our wanderings here, no night of sorrow can conceal man from thy notice, from thy care. when disciplined by long distress, and led through paths of fear and woe, say, dost thou love thy children less? no! ever-gracious father, no! no distance can outreach thine eye, no night obscure thy endless day: be this my comfort when i sigh, be this my safeguard when i stray. . s. m. mme. guion. the water of life. the fountain in its source no drought of summer fears; the farther it pursues its course, the nobler it appears. but shallow cisterns yield a scanty, short supply; the morning sees them amply filled, at evening they are dry. the cisterns i forsake, o fount of bliss, for thee! my thirst with living waters slake, and drink eternity. . c. m. rippon's coll. peace with god. father! whate'er of earthly bliss thy sovereign will denies, accepted at thy throne of grace, let this petition rise:-- "give me a calm, a thankful heart, from every murmur free; the blessings of thy grace impart, and make me live to thee. "let the sweet hope that thou art mine my life and death attend; thy presence through my journey shine, and crown my journey's end." . s. m. christian psalmist. the way of god with the spirit. 'tis god the spirit leads in paths before unknown: the work to be performed is ours; the strength is all his own. assisted by his grace, we still pursue our way; and hope at last to reach the prize, secure in endless day. 'tis he that works to will; 'tis he that works to do; his is the power by which we act, his be the glory too. . l. m. l. christian psalmist. foretaste of heaven. what must it be to dwell above, at god's right hand, where jesus reigns, since the sweet earnest of his love o'erwhelms us on these earthly plains! no heart can think, no tongue explain, what bliss it is with christ to reign. when sin no more obstructs our sight, when sorrow pains our hearts no more, how shall we view the prince of light and all his works of grace explore! what heights and depths of love divine will there through endless ages shine! this is the heaven i long to know; for this, with patience, i would wait, till, weaned from earth, and all below, i mount to my celestial seat, and wave my palm, and wear my crown, and, with the elders, cast them down. . c. m. doddridge. jesus precious to them that believe. jesus, i love thy charming name; 'tis music to my ear; fain would i sound it out so loud that earth and heaven might hear. whate'er my noblest powers can wish in thee doth richly meet; no light unto my eyes so dear, no friendship half so sweet. thy grace shall dwell upon my heart, and shed its fragrance there,-- the noblest balm of all its wounds, the cordial of its care. i'll speak the honors of thy name with my expiring breath, and, dying, clasp thee in my arms, the antidote of death. . c. m. watts. the hope of heaven. when i can read my title clear to mansions in the skies, i bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes. let cares like a wild deluge come, and storms of sorrow fall, may i but safely reach my home, my god, my heaven, my all! there shall i bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest, and not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast. life, death and futurity. . c. m. watts. "from everlasting to everlasting, thou art god." our god, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home; before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame, from everlasting thou art god, to endless years the same. a thousand ages, in thy sight, are like an evening gone; short as the watch that ends the night, before the rising sun. time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day. . l. m. cowper. the providence of life. almighty king! whose wondrous hand supports the weight of sea and land, whose grace is such a boundless store, no heart shall break that sighs for more! thy providence supplies my food, and 'tis thy blessing makes it good: my soul is nourished by thy word; let soul and body praise the lord. my streams of outward comfort came from him who built this earthly frame; whate'er i want his bounty gives, by whom my soul forever lives. either his hand preserves from pain, or, if i feel it, heals again; from strife and sorrow shields my breast, or overrules them for the best. . s. m. l. bowring. the pilgrimage of life. lead us with thy gentle sway, as a willing child is led; speed us on our forward way, as a pilgrim, lord, is sped, who with prayers and helps divine seeks a consecrated shrine. we are pilgrims, and our goal is that distant land whose bourn is the haven of the soul; where the mourners cease to mourn, where the saviour's hand will dry every tear from every eye. lead us thither! thou dost know all the way; but wanderers we often miss our path below, and stretch out our hands to thee; guide us,--save us,--and prepare our appointed mansion there! . c. m. montgomery. "looking for another country, that is an heavenly." while through this changing world we roam, from infancy to age, heaven is the christian pilgrim's home, his rest at every stage. thither his raptured thought ascends, eternal joys to share; there his adoring spirit bends, while here he kneels in prayer. oh! there may we our treasure place, there let our hearts be found; that still, where sin abounded, grace may more and more abound. henceforth our conversation be with christ before the throne; ere long, we eye to eye shall see, and know as we are known. . l. m. doddridge. redeeming the time. god of eternity! from thee did infant time its being draw; moments and days, and months, and years, revolve by thine unvaried law. silent and swift they glide away; steady and strong the current flows, lost in eternity's wide sea, the boundless gulf from whence it rose. with it the thoughtless sons of men before the rapid stream are borne on to their everlasting home, whence not one soul can e'er return. great source of wisdom! teach our hearts to know the price of every hour, that time may bear us on to joys beyond its measure and its power. . c. h. m. j. taylor. what is your life? o, what is life?--'tis like a flower that blossoms and is gone; it flourishes its little hour, with all its beauty on: death comes, and, like a wintry day, it cuts the lovely flower away. o, what is life?--'tis like the bow that glistens in the sky: we love to see its colors glow; but, while we look, they die: life fails as soon:--to-day 'tis here; to-morrow it may disappear. lord, what is life?--if spent with thee in humble praise and prayer, how long or short our life may be, we feel no anxious care: though life depart, our joys shall last when life and all its joys are past. . l. m. bowring. our times are in thy hand. our times are in thy hand, and thou wilt guide our footsteps at thy will: lord, to thy purposes we bow, do thou thy purposes fulfil! life's mighty waters roll along, thy spirit guides them as they roll; and waves on waves impetuous throng at thy command, at thy control. lord, we, thy children, look to thee, and with an humble, prostrate will, find in thine all-sufficiency a claim to love and serve thee still. . s. m. edmeston. "why sayest thou--my way is hid from the lord?" along my earthly way, how many clouds are spread! darkness, with scarce one cheerful ray, seems gathering o'er my head. yet, father, thou art love: o hide not from my view! but when i look, in prayer, above, appear in mercy through! my pathway is not hid; thou knowest all my need; and i would do as israel did,-- follow where thou wilt lead. lead me, and then my feet shall never, never stray; but safely i shall reach the seat of happiness and day. and o from that bright throne, i shall look back, and see,-- the path i went, and that alone, was the right path for me. . c. m. needham. the dead speaking to the living. rise, o my soul! pursue the path by ancient worthies trod; aspiring, view those holy men who lived and walked with god. though dead, they speak in reason's ear, and in example live; their faith, and hope, and mighty deeds, still fresh instruction give. confiding in his heavenly strength, they conquered every foe; to his almighty power and grace their crowns of life they owe. lord, may i ever keep in view the patterns thou hast given; and never wander from the road that led them safe to heaven. . c. m. barbauld. the pilgrimage of life. our country is immanuel's ground; we seek that promised soil; the songs of zion cheer our hearts, while strangers here we toil. oft do our eyes with joy o'erflow, and oft are bathed in tears; yet naught but heaven our hopes can raise, and naught but sin our fears. we tread the path our master trod: we bear the cross he bore; and every thorn that wounds our feet, his temples pierced before. our powers are oft dissolved away in ecstasies of love; and while our bodies wander here, our souls are fixed above. we purge our mortal dross away, refining as we run; but while we die to earth and sense, our heaven is here begun. . c. m. watts. "we are fearfully and wonderfully made." let others boast how strong they be, nor death nor danger fear; but we'll confess, o lord, to thee, what feeble things we are. fresh as the grass our bodies stand, and flourish bright and gay; a blasting wind sweeps o'er the land, and fades the grass away. our life contains a thousand springs, and fails if one be gone; strange! that a harp of thousand strings should keep in tune so long. but 'tis our god supports our frame, the god who built us first; salvation to the almighty name that reared us from the dust! . c. m. doddridge. "lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." these mortal joys, how soon they fade! how swift they pass away! the dying flower reclines its head, the beauty of a day. soon are those earthly treasures lost, we fondly call our own; scarce the possession can we boast, when straight we find them gone. but there are joys which cannot die, with god laid up in store; treasures beyond the changing sky, more bright than golden ore. the seeds which piety and love have scattered here below, in the fair, fertile fields above to ample harvests grow. . l. m. newton. lightning in the night. a glance from heaven, with sweet effect, sometimes my pensive spirit cheers: but ere i can my thoughts collect, as suddenly it disappears. so lightning in the gloom of night affords a momentary day; disclosing objects full in sight, which, soon as seen, are snatched away. the lightning's flash did not create the opening prospect it revealed; but only showed the real state of what the darkness had concealed. just so, we by a glimpse discern the glorious things within the veil; that, when in darkness, we may learn to live by faith, till light prevail. . c. m. j. newton. the changes of life. the evils that beset our path, who can prevent or cure? we stand upon the brink of death when most we seem secure. if we to-day sweet peace possess, it soon may be withdrawn; some change may plunge us in distress before to-morrow's dawn. disease and pain invade our health, and find an easy prey; and oft, when least expected, wealth takes wings and flies away. the gourds from which we look for fruit. produce us often pain; a worm unseen attacks the root, and all our hopes are vain. since sin has filled the earth with woe, and creatures fade and die; lord, wean our hearts from things below, and fix our hopes on high! . s. m. doddridge. "the fathers, where are they?" how swift the torrent rolls, that bears us to the sea! the tide that bears our thoughtless souls to vast eternity! our fathers, where are they, with all they called their own? their joys, and griefs, and hopes and cares, and wealth and honor gone. god of our fathers, hear, thou everlasting friend! while we, as on life's utmost verge, our souls to thee commend. of all the pious dead may we the footsteps trace, till with them, in the land of light, we dwell before thy face. . l. m. j. roscoe. the close of life. my father! when around me spread i see the shadows of the tomb, and life's bright visions droop and fade, and darkness veils my future doom; o, in that anguished hour i turn with a still trusting heart to thee, and holy thoughts still shine and burn amid that cold, sad destiny. the stars of heaven are shining on, though these frail eyes are dim with tears; the hopes of earth indeed are gone; but are not ours the immortal years? father! forgive the heart that clings thus trembling to the joys of time; and bid my soul on angel wings ascend into a purer clime. . l. m. doddridge. to god pertain the issues of life and death. sovereign of life! before thine eye, lo! mortal men by thousands die: one glance from thee at once brings down the proudest brow that wears a crown. banished at once from human sight to the dark grave's mysterious night, imprisoned in that dusty bed, we hide our solitary head. yet if my father's faithful hand conduct me through this gloomy land, my soul with pleasure shall obey, and follow where he leads the way. the friendly band again shall meet, again exchange the welcome sweet; the dear familiar features trace, and still renew the fond embrace. . c. m. heber. universal warning of death. beneath our feet and o'er our head is equal warning given: beneath us lie the countless dead, above us is the heaven! their names are graven on the stone, their bones are in the clay; and ere another day is done, ourselves may be as they. our eyes have seen the rosy light of youth's soft cheek decay, and fate descend in sudden night on manhood's middle day. our eyes have seen the steps of age halt feebly towards the tomb; and yet shall earth our hearts engage, and dreams of days to come? death rides on every passing breeze, he lurks in every flower; each season has its own disease, its peril every hour. . l. m. j. taylor. the shortness of life. like shadows gliding o'er the plain, or clouds that roll successive on, man's busy generations pass, and while we gaze their forms are gone. "he lived,--he died;" behold the sum, the abstract of the historian's page! alike, in god's all-seeing eye, the infant's day, the patriarch's age. o father! in whose mighty hand the boundless years and ages lie; teach us thy boon of life to prize, and use the moments as they fly; to crowd the narrow span of life with wise designs and virtuous deeds; and bid us wake from death's dark night, to share the glory that succeeds. . c. m. collyer. prayer for support in death. when, bending o'er the brink of life, my trembling soul shall stand, and wait to pass death's awful flood, great god, at thy command;-- thou source of life and joy supreme, whose arm alone can save, dispel the darkness that surrounds the entrance to the grave. lay thy supporting, gentle hand beneath my sinking head, and let a beam of light divine illume my dying bed. . l. m. watts. christ's presence makes death easy. why should we start and fear to die! what timorous worms we mortals are! death is the gate of endless joy, and yet we dread to enter there. the pains, the groans, and dying strife, fright our approaching souls away; still we shrink back again to life, fond of our prison and our clay. o! if my lord would come and meet, my soul should stretch her wings in haste, fly fearless through death's iron gate, nor feel the terrors as she past. jesus can make a dying bed feel soft as downy pillows are, while on his breast i lean my head, and breathe my life out sweetly there. . l. m. anonymous. deliverance from the fear of death. o god of love! with cheering ray, gild our expiring hour of day; thy love, through each revolving year, has wiped away affliction's tear. free us from death's terrific gloom, and all the fear which shrouds the tomb; heighten our joys, support our head, before we sink among the dead. may death conclude our toils and tears! may death destroy our sins and fears! may death, through jesus, be our friend! may death be life, when life shall end! crown our last moment with thy power-- the latest in our latest hour; till to the raptured heights we soar, where fears and death are known no more. . l. m. r. hill. prayer for the dying christian. gently, my father, let me down to slumber in the arms of death: i rest my soul on thee alone, e'en till my last expiring breath. soon will the storms of life be o'er, and i shall enter endless rest: there i shall live to sin no more, and bless thy name forever blest. bid me possess sweet peace within; let childlike patience keep my heart; then shall i feel my heaven begin, before my spirit hence depart. . c. m. anonymous. "yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil, for thou art with me." ps. . thou must go forth alone, my soul! thou must go forth alone, to other scenes, to other worlds, that mortal hath not known. thou must go forth alone, my soul,-- to tread the narrow vale; but he, whose word is sure, hath said his comforts shall not fail. thou must go forth alone, my soul, along the darksome way; where the bright sun has never shed his warm and gladsome ray. and yet the sun of righteousness shall rise amidst the gloom, and scatter from thy trembling gaze the shadows of the tomb. thou must go forth alone, my soul! to meet thy god above: but shrink not--he hath said, my soul, he is a god of love. his rod and staff shall comfort thee across the dreary road, till thou shalt join the blessed ones in heaven's serene abode. . s. & s. m. mrs. gilbert. prayer for support in death. when the vale of death appears, faint and cold this mortal clay, o, my father, soothe my fears, light me through the gloomy way; break the shadows, usher in eternal day;-- upward from this dying state bid my waiting soul aspire; open thou the crystal gate; to thy praise attune my lyre: then, triumphant, i will join th' immortal choir. . c. m. anonymous. the happy death. lord, must we die? o let us die trusting in thee alone! our living testimony given, then leave our dying one. if we must die, o let us die in peace with all mankind, and change these fleeting joys below for pleasures all refined. if we must die,--as die we must,-- let some kind seraph come, and bear us on his friendly wing to our celestial home! of canaan's land, from pisgah's top, may we but have a view! though jordan should o'erflow its banks, we'll boldly venture through. . l. m. montgomery. the hour of death, and entrance on immortality. o god unseen--but not unknown! thine eye is ever fixed on me; i dwell beneath thy secret throne, encompassed by thy deity. the moment comes when strength must fail, when, health and hope and comfort flown, i must go down into the vale and shade of death, with thee alone: alone with thee;--in that dread strife uphold me through mine agony, and gently be this dying life exchanged for immortality. then, when th' unbodied spirit lands where flesh and blood have never trod, and in the unveiled presence stands of thee, my saviour and my god: be mine eternal portion this, since thou wert always here with me, that i may view thy face in bliss, and be for evermore with thee. . l. m. doddridge. meditation on death. behold the path which mortals tread, down to the regions of the dead! nor will the fleeting moments stay, nor can we measure back our day. our kindred and our friends are gone; know, o my soul! this doom my own; feeble as theirs my mortal frame, the same my way, my home the same. awake, my soul, thy way prepare, and lose in this each mortal care; with steady feet that path be trod, which, through the grave, conducts to god. father! to thee my all i trust; and if thou call me down to dust, i know thy voice, i bless thy hand, and die in peace at thy command. . s. m. pope. the dying christian to his soul! vital spark of heavenly flame! quit, o quit this mortal frame! trembling, hoping, lingering, flying, o the pain, the bliss of dying! cease, fond nature, cease thy strife, and let me languish into life! hark! they whisper! angels say, "sister spirit, come away!" what is this absorbs me quite, steals my senses, shuts my sight, drowns my spirits, draws my breath? tell me, my soul, can this be death? the world recedes!--it disappears! heaven opens on my eyes!--my ears with sounds seraphic ring: lend, lend your wings! i mount, i fly! o grave! where is thy victory? o death! where is thy sting? . l. m. mrs. barbauld. death of the righteous. sweet is the scene when virtue dies! when sinks a righteous soul to rest; how mildly beam the closing eyes, how gently heaves th' expiring breast! so fades a summer cloud away, so sinks the gale when storms are o'er, so gently shuts the eye of day, so dies a wave along the shore. farewell, conflicting hopes and fears, where lights and shades alternate dwell; how bright th' unchanging morn appears! farewell, inconstant world, farewell! life's duty done, as sinks the clay, light from its load the spirit flies; while heaven and earth combine to say, "how blessed the righteous when he dies!" . c. m. peabody. the christian's death. behold the western evening light! it melts in deeper gloom; so calm the righteous sink away, descending to the tomb. the winds breathe low--the yellow leaf scarce whispers from the tree! so gently flows the parting breath, when good men cease to be. how beautiful, on all the hills, the crimson light is shed! 'tis like the peace the dying gives to mourners round his bed. how mildly on the wandering cloud the sunset beam is cast! so sweet the memory left behind, when loved ones breathe their last. and lo! above the dews of night the vesper star appears! so faith lights up the mourner's heart, whose eyes are dim with tears. night falls, but soon the morning light its glories shall restore; and thus the eyes that sleep in death shall wake, to close no more. . s. m. anonymous. dirge. clay to clay, and dust to dust! let them mingle--for they must! give to earth the earthly clod, for the spirit's fled to god. never more shall midnight's damp darken round this mortal lamp; never more shall noon-day's glance search this mortal countenance. deep the pit, and cold the bed, where the spoils of death are laid; stiff the curtains, chill the gloom, of man's melancholy tomb. look aloft! the spirit's risen-- death cannot the soul imprison; 'tis in heaven that spirits dwell, glorious, though invisible. . l. m. watts. the same. unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb! take this new treasure to thy trust, and give these sacred relics room to seek a slumber in thy dust. nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear, invade thy bounds; no mortal woes can reach the peaceful sleeper here, while angels watch the soft repose. so jesus slept; god's dying son passed through the grave, and blessed the bed; then rest, dear saint, till from his throne the morning break, and pierce the shade. break from his throne, illustrious morn! attend, o earth, his sovereign word! restore thy trust! the glorious form shall then arise to meet the lord. . c. m. watts. "blessed are the dead, who die in the lord." hear what the voice from heaven proclaims, for all the pious dead; sweet is the savor of their names, and soft their sleeping bed. they die in jesus, and are blessed; how kind their slumbers are! from sufferings and from sin released, and freed from every snare. far from this world of toil and strife, they're present with the lord! the labors of their mortal life end in a large reward. . s. m. wesley's coll. "blessed are the dead, that die in the lord." hark! a voice divides the sky! happy are the faithful dead, in the lord who sweetly die! they from all their toils are freed. ready for their glorious crown,-- sorrows past and sins forgiven,-- here they lay their burthen down, hallowed and made meet for heaven. yes! the christian's course is run; ended is the glorious strife; fought the fight, the work is done; death is swallowed up in life. when from flesh the spirit freed hastens homeward to return, mortals cry, "a man is dead!" angels sing, "a child is born!" . l. m. mrs. mackay. "asleep in christ." asleep in jesus! blessed sleep! from which none ever wakes to weep; a calm and undisturbed repose, unbroken by the dread of foes. asleep in jesus! peaceful rest! whose waking is supremely blest; no fear, no woes shall dim that hour, which manifests the saviour's power! asleep in jesus! time nor space debars this precious hiding place; on indian plains, or lapland's snows, believers find the same repose. asleep in jesus! far from thee thy kindred and their graves may be; but thine is still a blesséd sleep, from which none ever wakes to weep. . c. m. l. anonymous. the resurrection. all nature dies and lives again: the flowers that paint the field, the trees that crown the mountain's brow, and boughs and blossoms yield,-- resign the honors of their form at winter's stormy blast, and leave the naked, leafless plain a desolated waste. yet, soon reviving, plants and flowers anew shall deck the plain; the woods shall hear the voice of spring, and flourish green again. so, to the dreary grave consigned, man sleeps in death's dark gloom, until th' eternal morning wake the slumbers of the tomb. o may the grave become to me the bed of peaceful rest, whence i shall gladly rise at length, and mingle with the blessed! cheered by this hope, with patient mind i'll wait heaven's high decree, till the appointed period come when death shall set me free. . c. m. sir j. e. smith. the changes of nature types of immortality. as twilight's gradual veil is spread across the evening sky; so man's bright hours decline in shade, and mortal comforts die. the bloom of spring, the summer rose, in vain pale winter brave; nor youth, nor age, nor wisdom knows a ransom from the grave. but morning dawns and spring revives, and genial hours return; so man's immortal soul survives, and scorns the mouldering urn. when this vain scene no longer charms, or swiftly fades away, he sinks into a father's arms, nor dreads the coming day. . peculiar m. h. ware, jr. resurrection of christ. lift your glad voices in triumph on high, for jesus hath risen, and man cannot die: vain were the terrors that gathered around him, and short the dominion of death and the grave; he burst from the fetters of darkness that bound him resplendent in glory, to live and to save: loud was the chorus of angels on high,-- the saviour hath risen, and man shall not die. glory to god in full anthems of joy, the being he gave us death cannot destroy: sad were the life we must part with to-morrow, if tears were our birthright, and death were our end; but jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow, and bade us, immortal, to heaven ascend: lift, then, your voices in triumph on high, for jesus hath risen, and man shall not die. . s. m. cudworth. the same. christ, the lord, is risen to-day, sons of men and angels say; raise your songs of triumph high: sing, ye heavens, and, earth, reply. love's redeeming work is done, fought the fight, the battle won; lo our sun's eclipse is o'er; lo! he sets in blood no more. vain the stone, the watch, the seal; christ hath burst the gates of hell; death in vain forbids his rise; christ hath opened paradise. soar we now where christ hath led, following our exalted head: made like him, like him we rise; ours the cross, the grave, the skies. . c. m. sir j. e. smith. nature transitory--the soul immortal. see lovely nature raise her head, in various graces dressed; her lucid robe by ocean spread, her verdant, flowery vest. how glorious are those orbs of light, in all their bright array, that gem the ebon brow of night, or pour the blaze of day! one gem of purest ray, divine, alone disclaims her power; still brighter shall its glories shine, when hers are seen no more. her pageants pass, nor leave a trace the soul no change shall fear; the god of nature and of grace has stamped his image there. . c. m. watts. a prospect of heaven. there is a land of pure delight, where saints immortal reign; eternal day excludes the night, and pleasures banish pain. there everlasting spring abides, and never-withering flowers: death, like a narrow sea, divides this heavenly land from ours. sweet fields beyond the swelling flood stand dressed in living green: so to the jews old canaan stood, and jordan rolled between. o could we make our doubts remove,-- those gloomy doubts that rise,-- and see the canaan that we love with unbeclouded eyes. could we but climb where moses stood, and view the landscape o'er,-- not jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, should fright us from the shore. . s. m. stennett. surpassing glories of eternity. how various and how new are thy compassions, lord! each morning shall thy mercies show,-- each night thy truth record. thy goodness, like the sun, dawned on our early days, ere infant reason had begun to form our lips to praise. but we expect a day still brighter far than this, when death shall bear our souls away to realms of light and bliss. nor shall that radiant day, so joyfully begun, in evening shadows die away beneath the setting sun. how various and how new are thy compassions, lord! eternity thy love shall show, and all thy truth record. . s. & s. m. w. b. tappan. heaven anticipated. there is an hour of peaceful rest to mourning wanderers given; there is a joy for souls distressed, a balm for every wounded breast; 'tis found alone in heaven. there is a home for weary souls, by sins and sorrows driven, when tossed on life's tempestuous shoals, where storms arise, and ocean rolls, and all is drear--'tis heaven. there faith lifts up the tearless eye, the heart no longer riven,-- and views the tempest passing by, sees evening shadows quickly fly, and all serene in heaven. there fragrant flowers immortal bloom, and joys supreme are given; there rays divine disperse the gloom; beyond the dark and narrow tomb appears the dawn of heaven. . c. m. christian psalmist. the society of heaven. jerusalem! my glorious home! name ever dear to me! when shall my labors have an end in joy, and peace and thee? when shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls and pearly gates behold? thy bulwarks with salvation strong, and streets of shining gold. there happier bowers than eden's bloom, nor sin nor sorrow know: blest seats! through rude and stormy scenes i onward press to you. why should i shrink at pain and woe? or feel at death dismay? i've canaan's goodly land in view, and realms of endless day. apostles, martyrs, prophets, there, around my saviour stand; and soon my friends in christ below will join the glorious band. jerusalem! my glorious home! my soul still pants for thee; then shall my labors have an end, when i thy joys shall see. . s. m. mrs. steele. heaven. far from these scenes of night unbounded glories rise, and realms of infinite delight, unknown to mortal eyes. no cloud those regions know, forever bright and fair; for sin, the source of mortal woe, can never enter there. there night is never known, nor sun's faint, sickly ray; but glory from th' eternal throne spreads everlasting day. o may this prospect fire our hearts with ardent love! and lively faith and strong desire bear every thought above. . l. m. anonymous. the world to come. there is a world we have not seen, that wasting time can ne'er destroy, where mortal footstep hath not been, nor ear hath caught its sounds of joy. that world to come! and o how blest!-- fairer than prophets ever told; and never did an angel-guest one half its blessedness unfold. it is all holy and serene,-- the land of glory and repose; and there, to dim the radiant scene, no tear of sorrow ever flows. it is not fanned by summer gale; 'tis not refreshed by vernal showers; it never needs the moon-beam pale, for there are known no evening hours. there forms unseen by mortal eye, too glorious for our sight to bear, are walking with their god on high, and waiting our arrival there. . c. m. h. ballou. heavenly zion. behold, on zion's heavenly shore, a pure and countless band, whose conflicts and whose toils are o'er, in glorious order stand. from earth's remotest bounds they came, from tribulations great, and, through the victories of the lamb, have reached the heavenly state. hunger and thirst they know no more, from burning heats refreshed; the lamb shall feed them from his store, and give them endless rest. god all their tears shall wipe away, and they his wonders tell, while in his temple they shall stay, and god with them shall dwell. . s. m. raffles. the saints in glory. high, in yonder realms of light, dwell the raptured saints above, far beyond our feeble sight, happy in immanuel's love. happy spirits, ye are fled where no grief can entrance find, lulled to rest the aching head, soothed the anguish of the mind. 'mid the chorus of the skies, 'mid the angelic lyres above hark! their songs melodious rise,-- songs of praise to jesus' love. . s. m. r. palmer. heavenly rest. and is there, lord, a rest, for weary souls designed, where not a care shall stir the breast, or sorrow entrance find? is there a blissful home, where kindred minds shall meet, and live and love, nor ever roam from that serene retreat? forever blesséd they, whose joyful feet shall stand, while endless ages waste away, amid that glorious land. my soul would thither tend, while toilsome years are given; then let me, gracious god, ascend to sweet repose in heaven. . l. m. anonymous. the better land. there is a land mine eye hath seen, in visions of enraptured thought so bright that all which spreads between is with its radiant glory fraught;-- a land upon whose blissful shore there rests no shadow, falls no stain; there those who meet shall part no more, and those long parted meet again. its skies are not like earthly skies, with varying hues of shade and light; it hath no need of suns to rise, to dissipate the gloom of night. there sweeps no desolating wind across that calm, serene abode; the wanderer there a home may find, within the paradise of god. . c. h. m. sacred lyrics. the everlasting bliss of heaven. heaven is the land where troubles cease, where toils and tears are o'er;-- the blissful clime of rest and peace, where cares distract no more; and not the shadow of distress dims its unsullied blessedness. heaven is the dwelling-place of joy, the home of light and love, where faith and hope in rapture die, and ransomed souls above enjoy, before th' eternal throne, bliss everlasting and unknown. mourning and consolation. . l. m. bryant. "blessed are they that mourn." deem not that they are blessed alone, whose days a peaceful tenor keep; the god, who loves our race, has shown a blessing for the eyes that weep. the light of smiles shall fill again the lids that overflow with tears, and weary hours of woe and pain are earnests of serener years. o, there are days of sunny rest for every dark and troubled night! grief may abide, an evening guest, but joy shall come with early light. and thou, who o'er thy friend's low bier sheddest the bitter drops like rain, hope that a brighter, happier sphere will give him to thy arms again. for god hath marked each anguished day, and numbered every secret tear; and heaven's long age of bliss shall pay for all his children suffer here. . s. & s. m. heber. farewell to a friend departed. thou art gone to the grave; but we will not deplore thee; though sorrows and darkness encompass the tomb; the saviour has passed through its portals before thee; and the lamp of his love is thy guide through the gloom. thou art gone to the grave; we no longer behold thee, nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy side: but the wide arms of mercy are spread to enfold thee, and sinners may hope, since the saviour hath died. thou art gone to the grave; and, its mansion forsaking, perchance thy weak spirit in doubt lingered long; but the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy waking, and the sound thou didst hear was the seraphim's song. thou art gone to the grave; but we will not deplore thee; since god was thy refuge, thy guardian, thy guide; he gave thee, he took thee, and he will restore thee; and death has no sting, since the saviour hath died. . c. m. barbauld. the mourner's thoughts of heaven. not for the pious dead we weep; their sorrows now are o'er; the sea is calm, the tempest past, on that eternal shore. o, might some dream of visioned bliss, some trance of rapture, show where, on the bosom of their god, they rest from human woe! thence may their pure devotion's flame on us, on us descend; to us their strong aspiring hopes, their faith, their fervors lend. let these our shadowy path illume, and teach the chastened mind to welcome all that's left of good, to all that's lost resigned. . l. m. norton. blessedness of the pious dead. o, stay thy tears; for they are blest, whose days are past, whose toil is done: here midnight care disturbs our rest; here sorrow dims the noonday sun. how blest are they whose transient years pass like an evening meteor's flight! not dark with guilt, nor dim with tears; whose course is short, unclouded, bright. o, cheerless were our lengthened way; but heaven's own light dispels the gloom, streams downward from eternal day, and casts a glory round the tomb. o, stay thy tears: the blest above have hailed a spirit's heavenly birth, and sung a song of joy and love; then why should anguish reign on earth? . s. m. mrs. sigourney. "weep for yourselves, and for your children." we mourn for those who toil, the slave who ploughs the main, or him who hopeless tills the soil beneath the stripe and chain: for those who, in the race, o'erwearied and unblest, a host of restless phantoms chase;-- why mourn for those who rest? we mourn for those who sin? bound in the tempter's snare, whom syren pleasure beckons in to prisons of despair; whose hearts, by passions torn, are wrecked on folly's shore;-- but why in sorrow should we mourn for those who sin no more? we mourn for those who weep; whom stern afflictions bend with anguish o'er the lowly sleep of lover or of friend: but they to whom the sway of pain and grief is o'er, whose tears our god hath wiped away, o mourn for them no more! . l. m. w. j. loring. "weep not for me!" why weep for those, frail child of woe, who've fled and left thee mourning here? triumphant o'er their latest foe, they glory in a brighter sphere. weep not for them;--beside thee now perhaps they watch with guardian care, and witness tears that idly flow o'er those who bliss of angels share. or round their father's throne, above, with raptured voice his praise they sing; or on his messages of love, they journey with unwearied wing. weep, weep no more; their voices raise the song of triumph high to god; and wouldst thou join their song of praise, walk humbly in the path they trod. . s. h. m. montgomery. friends die, but to live again. friend after friend departs; who hath not lost a friend? there is no union here of hearts, that finds not here an end. were this frail world our only rest, living or dying, none were blest. there is a world above, where parting is unknown,-- a whole eternity of love and blessedness alone; and faith beholds the dying here, translated to that happier sphere. thus, star by star declines till all are passed away, as morning high and higher shines to pure and perfect day. nor sink those stars in empty night-- they hide themselves in heaven's own light. . c. m. anonymous. hope of reunion above. when floating on life's troubled sea, by storms and tempests driven, hope, with her radiant finger, points to brighter scenes in heaven. she bids the storms of life to cease, the troubled breast be calm; and in the wounded heart she pours religion's healing balm. her hallowed influence cheers life's hours of sadness and of gloom; she guides us through this vale of tears, to joys beyond the tomb. she bids the anguished heart rejoice: though earthly ties are riven, we still may hope to meet again in yonder peaceful heaven. . c. m. watts. comfort under bereavements. why do we mourn departed friends, or shake at death's alarms? 'tis but the voice that jesus sends to call them to his arms. why should we tremble to convey their bodies to the tomb? there the dear flesh of jesus lay, and left a long perfume. the graves of all his saints he blest, and softened every bed: where should the dying members rest, but with their dying head? . s. & s. m. spiritual songs. invitation to the mercy-seat. come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; come, at the mercy-seat fervently kneel: here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. joy of the desolate, light of the straying, hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure, here speaks the comforter, tenderly saying, earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure. . s. m. j. h. bancroft. the christian's burial. brother, though from yonder sky cometh neither voice nor cry, yet we know for thee to-day every pain hath passed away. not for thee shall tears be given, child of god and heir of heaven; for he gave thee sweet release; thine the christian's death of peace. well we know thy living faith had the power to conquer death; as a living rose may bloom by the border of the tomb. while we weep as jesus wept, thou shall sleep as jesus slept: with thy saviour thou shalt rest, crowned, and glorified and blest. . c. m. anonymous. peaceful death of the righteous. i looked upon the righteous man, and saw his parting breath, without a struggle or a sigh, serenely yield to death: there was no anguish on his brow, nor terror in his eye; the spoiler aimed a fatal dart, but lost the victory. i looked upon the righteous man, and heard the holy prayer which rose above that breathless form, to soothe the mourners' care, and felt how precious was the gift he to his loved ones gave,-- the stainless memory of the just, the wealth beyond the grave. i looked upon the righteous man; and all our earthly trust of pleasure, vanity, or pride, seemed lighter than the dust, compared with his celestial gain,-- a home above the sky: o, grant us, lord, his life to live, that we like him may die. . l. m. fergus. at a funeral. farewell! what power of words can tell the sorrows of a last farewell, when, standing by the mournful bier, we mingle with our prayers a tear! when memory tells of days gone by, of blighted hope and vanished joy: bright hopes that withered like a flower, cut down and faded in an hour. give forth thy chime, thou solemn bell, thou grave, unfold thy marble cell; oh earth! receive upon thy breast the weary trav'ller to his rest. oh god, extend thy arms of love, a spirit seeketh thee above! ye heav'nly palaces unclose, receive the weary to repose! . c. m. l. h. sigourney. burial of a friend. as, bowed by sudden storms, the rose sinks on the garden's breast, down to the grave our brother goes, in silence there to rest. no more with us his tuneful voice the hymn of praise shall swell; no more his cheerful heart rejoice when peals the sabbath bell. yet, if, in yonder cloudless sphere amid a sinless throng, he utters in his saviour's ear the everlasting song,-- no more we'll mourn the absent friend, but lift our earnest prayer, and daily every effort bend to rise and join him there. . c. m. houghton. the re-union of friends after death. blest be the hour when friends shall meet, shall meet to part no more, and with celestial welcome greet, on an immortal shore. sweet hope, deep cherished, not in vain, now art thou richly crowned! all that was dead revives again; all that was lost is found! the parent eyes his long-lost child; brothers on brothers gaze: the tear of resignation mild is changed to joy and praise. and while remembrance, lingering still, draws joy from sorrowing hours; new prospects rise, new pleasures fill the soul's capacious powers. their father fans their generous flame, and looks complacent down; the smile that owns their filial claim is their immortal crown. . l. m. anonymous. "not lost, but gone before." say, why should friendship grieve for those who safe arrive on canaan's shore? released from all their hurtful foes, they are not lost--but gone before. how many painful days on earth their fainting spirits numbered o'er! now they enjoy a heavenly birth; they are not lost--but gone before. dear is the spot where christians sleep, and sweet the strain which angels pour; o why should we in anguish weep? they are not lost--but gone before. . l. m. epis. coll. death of an infant. as the sweet flower that scents the morn, but withers in the rising day, thus lovely was this infant's dawn, thus swiftly fled its life away. it died ere its expanding soul had ever burnt with wrong desires, had ever spurned at heaven's control, or ever quenched its sacred fires. yet the sad hour that took the boy perhaps has spared a heavier doom,-- snatched him from scenes of guilty joy, or from the pangs of ills to come. he died to sin; he died to care; but for a moment felt the rod; then, rising on the viewless air, spread his light wings, and soared to god. . l. m. steele. the same. so fades the lovely, blooming flower, frail, smiling solace of an hour; so soon our transient comforts fly, and pleasure only blooms to die. is there no kind, no healing art, to soothe the anguish of the heart? spirit of grace, be ever nigh: thy comforts are not made to die. let gentle patience smile on pain, till dying hope revives again; hope wipes the tear from sorrow's eye, and faith points upward to the sky. . c. m. steele. death of a child. life is a span,--a fleeting hour: how soon the vapor flies! man is a tender, transient flower, that e'en in blooming dies. the once-loved form, now cold and dead, each mournful thought employs; and nature weeps, her comforts fled, and withered all her joys. hope looks beyond the bounds of time, when what we now deplore shall rise in full, immortal prime, and bloom to fade no more. cease, then, fond nature, cease thy tears; thy saviour dwells on high; there everlasting spring appears; there joy shall never die. . s. & s. m. anonymous. children in heaven. in the broad fields of heaven,-- in the immortal bowers, by life's clear river dwelling, amid undying flowers,-- there hosts of beauteous spirits, fair children of the earth, linked in bright bands celestial, sing of their human birth. they sing of earth and heaven,-- divinest voices rise to god, their gracious father, who called them to the skies: they all are there,--in heaven,-- safe, safe, and sweetly blest; no cloud of sin can shadow their bright and holy rest. . s. m. wilson. death of a young girl. what though the stream be dead, its banks all still and dry! it murmurs o'er a lovelier bed, in air-groves of the sky. what though our bird of light lie mute with plumage dim; in heaven i see her glancing bright, i hear her angel hymn. true that our beauteous doe hath left her still retreat, but purer now in heavenly snow, she lies at jesus' feet. o star! untimely set! why should we weep for thee! thy bright and dewy coronet is rising o'er the sea. . s. m. anonymous. dirge for an infant. lay her gently in the dust; grievous task, but oh! ye must! hear the sentence, "earth to earth, spirit to immortal birth;" youthful, gentle, undefiled, angels nurture now the child! upward soaring, like the dove, bearing with her chains of love; not to draw her spirit back, but to smooth her upward track: her, the youngest of thy fold, angels watch with love untold! with the rock of ages trust, that which was enshrined in dust; robed in ever-spotless white, in an atmosphere of light, by the never-failing springs rests she now her weary wings. . c. m. h. bacon. death of a child. thou gavest, and we yield to thee, god of the human heart! for bitter though grief's cup may be, thou givest but our part. o, thou canst bid our grief be stilled, yet not rebuke our tears; how large a place his presence filled! how vacant it appears! we mourn the sunshine of his smile, the tendrils of his love; oh, was he loved too well the while ere he was called above? our chastened spirits bow in prayer, and blend all prayers in one,-- give us the hope to meet him there, when life's full task is done. . c. m. mrs. hemans. death of the young. calm on the bosom of thy god, young spirit, rest thee now! e'en while with us thy footsteps trod his seal was on thy brow. dust, to its narrow house beneath! soul, to its place on high! they that have seen thy look in death, no more may fear to die. lone are the paths, and sad the bowers, whence thy meek smile is gone; but o, a brighter home than ours, in heaven is now thine own. . s. & s. m. s. f. smith. death of a young girl. sister, thou wast mild and lovely, gentle as the summer breeze, pleasant as the air of evening, when it floats among the trees. peaceful be thy silent slumber-- peaceful in the grave so low: thou no more wilt join our number; thou no more our songs shalt know. dearest sister, thou hast left us; here thy loss we deeply feel; but 'tis god that hath bereft us: he can all our sorrows heal. yet again we hope to meet thee, when the day of life is fled, then in heaven with joy to greet thee, where no farewell tear is shed. . s. & s. m. bap. memorial. burial of a christian brother. brother, rest from sin and sorrow; death is o'er and life is won; on thy slumber dawns no morrow: rest; thine earthly race is run. brother, wake; the night is waning; endless day is round thee poured; enter thou the rest remaining for the people of the lord. brother, wake; for he who loved thee,-- he who died that thou mightst live,-- he who graciously approved thee,-- waits thy crown of joy to give. fare thee well; though woe is blending with the tones of earthly love, triumph high and joy unending wait thee in the realms above. . s. m. montgomery. death of a christian in his prime. go to the grave in all thy glorious prime, in full activity of zeal and power; a christian cannot die before his time, the lord's appointment is the servant's hour. go to the grave; at noon from labor cease; rest on thy sheaves, thy harvest task is done; come from the heat of battle and in peace, soldier, go home; with thee the fight is won. go to the grave, for there thy saviour lay in death's embraces, ere he rose on high; and all the ransomed, by that narrow way, pass to eternal life beyond the sky. go to the grave:--no, take thy seat above; be thy pure spirit present with the lord, where thou for faith and hope hast perfect love, and open vision for the written word. . s. m. montgomery. on the death of an aged christian. "i have fought a good fight; i have finished my course." servant of god, well done! rest from thy loved employ: the battle fought, the victory won, enter thy master's joy. the voice at midnight came, he started up to hear; a mortal arrow pierced his frame-- he fell, but felt no fear. tranquil amidst alarms, it found him on the field, a veteran slumbering on his arms, beneath his red-cross shield his spirit, with a bound, burst its encumbering clay; his tent, at sunrise, on the ground, a darkened ruin lay. the pains of death are past, labor and sorrow cease, and, life's long warfare closed at last, his soul is found in peace. soldier of christ! well done! praise be thy new employ; and while eternal ages run, rest in thy saviour's joy. . c. m. dale. death of a christian. dear as thou wert, and justly dear, we will not weep for thee: one thought shall check the starting tear it is, that thou art free. and thus shall faith's consoling power the tears of love restrain: o, who that saw thy parting hour could wish thee here again! triumphant in thy closing eye the hope of glory shone; joy breathed in thy expiring sigh, to think the race was run. the passing spirit gently fled, sustained by grace divine; o, may such grace on us be shed, and make our end like thine. . l. m. fawcett. death of parents. the god of mercy will indulge the flowing tear, the heaving sigh, when honored parents fall around, when friends beloved and kindred die. yet not one anxious, murmuring thought should with our mourning passions blend; nor should our bleeding hearts forget their mighty, ever-living friend. parent, protector, guardian, guide, thou art each tender name in one; on thee we cast our every care, and comfort seek from thee alone. to thee, our father, would we look, our rock, our portion, and our friend, and on thy gracious love and truth with humble, steadfast hope depend. . s. m. h. s. washburn. the pastor's funeral. father, gathered round the bier, aid thy weeping children here; all our stricken hearts deplore loss of him we meet no more. tender are the rites we pay, pastor, o'er thy sleeping clay; we, who late the welcome gave, must we bear thee to thy grave? earth, unto thy faithful trust, we commit this precious dust, there, by pain no more oppressed, brother, thou wilt sweetly rest. glorious will that morning break, when the dead in christ shall wake; joy and grief our bosoms swell, brother, pastor, guide, farewell. . p. m. anonymous. death of a minister. on zion's holy walls is quenched a beacon-light, in vain the watchman calls-- "sentry! what of the night?" no answering voice is here, say--does the soldier sleep? o yes--upon the bier, his watch no more to keep. still is that heaven-touched tongue, pulseless the throbbing breast; that voice with music strung, forever put to rest. to rest? a living thought, undimmed, unquenched, he soars an essence, spirit-wrought, of yon immortal shores. peace to thee, man of god! thine earthly toils are o'er, the thorny path is trod, the shepherd trod before,-- full well he kept his word-- "i'm with thee to the end; fear not! i am the lord, thy never-failing friend!" we weave no dirge for thee, it should not call a tear to know that thou art free; thy home--it was not here! joy to thee, man of god! thy heaven-course is begun, unshrinking, thou has trod death's vale,--thy race is run. . s. & s. m. l. h. sigourney. the same. pastor, thou art from us taken in the glory of thy years, as the oak, by tempests shaken, falls ere time its verdure sears. pale and cold we see thee lying in god's temple, once so dear, and the mourner's bitter sighing falls unheeded on thine ear. all thy love and zeal, to lead us where immortal fountains flow, and on living bread to feed us, in our fond remembrance glow. may the conquering faith, that cheered thee when thy foot on jordan pressed, guide our spirits while we leave thee in the tomb that jesus blessed. . c. m. doddridge. the same. what though the arm of conquering death does god's own house invade; what though our teacher and our friend is numbered with the dead;-- though earthly shepherds dwell in dust, the aged and the young; the watchful eye in darkness closed, and dumb th' instructive tongue? th' eternal shepherd still survives, his teaching to impart: lord, be our leader and our guide, and rule and keep our heart. yes, while the dear redeemer lives, we have a boundless store, and shall be fed with what he gives, who lives for evermore. . s. & s. m. c. wesley. adieu to a departed christian friend. farewell, thou once a mortal, our poor, afflicted friend; go, pass the heavenly portal, to god, thy glorious end. the author of thy being hath summoned thee away; and faith is lost in seeing, and night in endless day. with those that went before thee, the saints of ancient days, who shine in sacred story, thy soul hath found its place. no loss of friends shall grieve thee; that--we alone must bear; they cannot, cannot leave thee, thy kind companions there. from all thy care and sorrow thou art escaped to-day; and we shall mount to-morrow, and soar to thee away. . s. m. c. wesley. the christian's death. lo! the prisoner is released, lightened of his fleshly load; where the weary are at rest, he is gathered unto god: lo! the pain of life is past, and his warfare now is o'er; death and hell behind are cast, grief and suffering are no more, yes! the christian's course is run, ended is the glorious strife; fought the fight, the crown is won, death is swallowed up of life; borne by angels on their wings, far from earth his spirit flies to the lord he loved, and sings triumphing in paradise. join we then with one accord in the new and joyful song; absent from our glorious lord we shall not continue long: we shall quit the house of clay, better joys with him to share; we shall see the realms of day, we shall meet our brethren there. . c. m. knowles. the mourner comforted. o, weep not for the joys that fade like evening lights away, for hopes that, like the stars decayed, have left thy mortal day; the clouds of sorrow will depart, and brilliant skies be given; for bliss awaits the holy heart, amid the bowers of heaven. o weep not for the friends that pass into the lonely grave, as breezes sweep the withered grass along the restless wave; for though thy pleasures may depart, and mournful days be given; yet bliss awaits the holy heart, when friends rejoin in heaven. . c. m. wilson. consolations in bereavement. the air of death breathes through our souls, the dead all round us lie; by day and night the death-bell tolls, and says, "prepare to die!" the loving ones we loved the best, like music all are gone; and the wan moonlight bathes in rest, their monumental stone. but not when the death-prayer is said, the life of life departs: the body in the grave is laid, its beauty in our hearts. this frame, o god, this feeble breath, thy hand may soon destroy; we think of thee, and feel in death a deep and awful joy. dim is the light of vanished years in glory yet to come; o idle grief! o foolish tears! when jesus calls us home. . s. m. ch. psalmody. the peaceful death of the righteous. o, for the death of those who slumber in the lord! o, be like theirs my last repose, like theirs my last reward! their ransomed spirits soar, on wings of faith and love, to meet the saviour they adore, and reign with him above. with us their names shall live through long-succeeding years, embalmed with all our hearts can give,-- our praises and our tears. . l. m. l. sarah f. adams. "and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre." the mourners came at break of day unto the garden-sepulchre; with darkened hearts to weep and pray, for him, the loved one buried there. what radiant light dispels the gloom? an angel sits beside the tomb. then mourn we not beloved dead, e'en while we come to weep and pray; the happy spirit far hath fled. to brighter realms of endless day; immortal hope dispels the gloom! an angel sits beside the tomb. submission and reliance. . c. m. anonymous. "trust ye in the lord." when grief and anguish press me down, and hope and comfort flee, i cling, o father, to thy throne, and stay my heart on thee. when clouds of dark temptation rise, and pour their wrath on me, to thee for aid i turn my eyes, and fix my trust on thee. when death invades my peaceful home, the sundered ties shall be a closer bond in time to come, to bind my heart to thee. lord,--"not my will but thine be done!" my soul from fear set free, her faith shall anchor at thy throne, and trust alone in thee. . l. m. doddridge. weeping seed-time and joyful harvest. ps. . the darkened sky, how thick it lowers! troubled with storms, and big with showers, no cheerful gleam of light appears, and nature pours forth all her tears. but seeds of ecstasy unknown are in these watered furrows sown: see the green blades, how thick they rise, and with fresh verdure bless our eyes! in secret foldings they contain unnumbered ears of golden grain: and heaven shall pour its beams around, till the ripe harvest load the ground. then shall the trembling mourner come and bind his sheaves and bear them home; the voice long broke with sighs shall sing, till heaven with hallelujahs ring. . l. m. l. grant. "he is able to save unto the uttermost." when vexing thoughts within me rise, and, sore dismayed, my spirit dies; yet he who once vouchsafed to bear the sick'ning anguish of despair, shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry, the throbbing heart, the streaming eye. when, mourning, o'er some stone i bend, which covers all that was a friend, and from his voice, his hand, his smile, divides me for a little while; thou, saviour, mark'st the tears i shed, for thou didst weep o'er lazarus dead. and oh, when i have safely past through every conflict but the last, still, still unchanging, watch beside my painful bed--for thou hast died; then point to realms of cloudless day, and wipe the latest tear away. . c. m. cotton. god, the refuge of the afflicted. affliction is a stormy deep, where wave resounds to wave; though o'er our heads the billows roll, we know the lord can save. when darkness and when sorrows rose, and pressed on every side, the lord hath still sustained our steps, and still hath been our guide. perhaps, before the morning dawn, he will restore our peace; for he who bade the tempest roar, can bid the tempest cease. here will we rest, here build our hopes, nor murmur at his rod; he's more to us than all the world, our health, our life, our god. . l. m. miss dodd. "thy will be done." my father, grant thy presence nigh to bear aloft my sinking soul, when sorrow o'er my pathway here in widely whelming waves doth roll. o, teach mine else unguarded heart, the clouds of gloomy doubt to shun, to bow unto thy chastening hand, and meekly say "thy will be done." though dark to us thy ways may seem, thy needful chastisements severe; thou dost not willingly afflict, nor grieve thy erring children here. o, teach my heart to lean on thee, to faith and resignation won, to see thy love in all its ways, and humbly say, "thy will be done." . s. m. anonymous. holy contentment. lord, my times are in thy hand: all my fondest hopes have planned to thy wisdom i resign, and would make thy purpose mine. thou my daily task shalt give; day by day to thee i live: so shall added years fulfil not my own, my father's will. fond ambition, whisper not; happy is my humble lot: anxious, busy cares, away; i'm provided for to-day. o, to live exempt from care, by the energy of prayer, strong in faith, with mind subdued, yet elate with gratitude! . l. m. l. anonymous. invocation of our father's presence. o father,--draw us after thee! so shall we run and never tire; thy presence still our comfort be, our hope, our joy, our sole desire; thy spirit grant;--for neither fear nor sin can come, while that is here. from all eternity, with love unchangeable, thou hast us viewed; before these beating hearts did move, thy tender mercies us pursued: ever with us may they abide, and close us in on every side. in suffering be thy love our peace; in weakness be thy love our power; and when the storms of life shall cease, o god! in that important hour, in death as life be thou our guide, and bear us through death's whelming tide. . c. m. heginbotham. praising god in all changes. father of mercies, god of love, my father and my god! i'll sing the honors of thy name; and spread thy praise abroad. in every period of my life, thy thoughts of love appear; thy mercies gild each transient scene, and crown each lengthening year. in all these mercies may my soul a father's bounty see: nor let the gifts thy grace bestows estrange my heart from thee. then will i close my eyes in death, free from distressing fear; for death itself is life, my god, if thou art with me there. . s. m. cowper. welcome, cross. 'tis my happiness below not to live without the cross, but the saviour's power to know, sanctifying every loss: trials must and will befall; but with humble faith to see love inscribed upon them all,-- this is happiness to me. god in israel sows the seeds of affliction, pain and toil: these spring up and choke the weeds which would else o'erspread the soil: trials make the promise sweet; trials give new life to prayer; trials bring me to his feet, lay me low, and keep me there. . l. m. anonymous. "thy will be done." when called, o lord, to mourn the doom of one affection held most dear,-- while o'er the closing, silent tomb, the bleeding heart distils the tear,-- though love its tribute sure will pay, and early streams of solace shun, still, still the humble soul would say, in lowly dust, "thy will be done." whate'er, o lord, thou hast designed to bring my soul to thee in trust, if miseries or afflictions kind,-- for all thy dealings, lord, are just,-- take all, but grant, in goodness free, that love which ne'er thy stroke should shun; support this heart and strengthen me to say in faith, "thy will be done." . c. m. doddridge. "my times are in thy hand." to thee, my god, my days are known; my soul enjoys the thought; my actions all before thy face, nor are my faults forgot. each secret breath devotion vents is vocal to thine ear; and all my walks of daily life before thine eye appear. each golden hour of beaming light is gilded by thy rays; and dark affliction's midnight gloom a present god surveys. full in thy view through life i pass, and in thy view i die; and when each mortal bond is broke, shall find my god is nigh. . c. m. tate & brady. praising god through all changes. through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my god shall still my heart and tongue employ. of his deliverance i will boast, till all who are distressed from my example comfort take, and charm their griefs to rest. the hosts of god encamp around the dwellings of the just; deliverance he affords to all who in his succor trust. o make but trial of his love! experience will decide how blest they are, and only they, who in his truth confide. . s. m. watts. trusting in god. from early dawning light till evening shades arise, for thy salvation, lord, i wait, with ever-longing eyes. remember all thy grace, and lead me in thy truth; forgive the sins of riper days, and follies of my youth. the lord is just and kind; the meek shall learn his ways, and every humble sinner find the blessings of his grace. . c. m. cowper. resignation and trust. o lord, my best desire fulfil, and help me to resign life, health and comfort to thy will, and make thy pleasure mine. why should i shrink at thy command, whose love forbids my fears? or tremble at thy gracious hand that wipes away my tears? no! let me rather freely yield what most i prize, to thee; who never hast a good withheld, or wilt withhold from me. but ah! my inmost spirit cries, still bind me to thy sway; else the next cloud that veils the skies, drives all these thoughts away. . l. m. bowring. the same. on light-beams breaking from above, the eternal course of mercy runs; and by ten thousand cords of love our heavenly father guides his sons. amidst affliction's thickest host, and sorrow's darkest, mightiest band, the heavenly cord is drawn the most, and most is felt the heavenly hand. oh, be it mine to feel, to see through earth's perplexed and varying road, the cords that link us, god, to thee, and draw us to thine own abode. . l. m. norton. trust and submission. my god, i thank thee! may no thought e'er deem thy chastisements severe; but may this heart, by sorrow taught, calm each wild wish, each idle fear. thy mercy bids all nature bloom; the sun shines bright, and man is gay; thine equal mercy spreads the gloom, that darkens o'er his little day. full many a throb of grief and pain thy frail and erring child must know: but not one prayer is breathed in vain, nor does one tear unheeded flow. thy various messengers employ; thy purposes of love fulfil; and 'mid the wreck of human joy, let kneeling faith adore thy will. . c. m. watts. confidence in god. soon as i heard my father say, "ye children, seek my grace," my heart replied without delay, "i'll seek my father's face." let not thy face be hid from me, nor frown my soul away; god of my life, i fly to thee in each distressing day. should friends and kindred, near and dear, leave me to want, or die, my god will make my life his care, and all my need supply. wait on the lord, ye trembling saints and keep your courage up; he'll raise your spirit when it faints, and far exceed your hope. . c. m. comforts of religion. when gloomy thoughts and boding fears the trembling heart invade, and all the face of nature wears a universal shade,-- religion's dictates can assuage the tempest of the soul; and every fear shall cease to rage, at her divine control. when feeble reason, tired and blind, sinks helpless and afraid, this blest supporter of the mind affords a powerful aid. o may our hearts confess her power, and find a sweet relief, to brighten every gloomy hour, and soften every grief! . l. m. tate & brady. confidence in the divine care. no change of times shall ever shock my firm affection, lord, to thee; for thou hast always been a rock, a fortress and defence to me. thou my deliverer art, my god; my trust is in thy mighty power; thou art my shield from foes abroad, at home my safeguard and my tower. to heaven i made my mournful prayer, to god addressed my humble moan, who graciously inclined his ear, and heard me from his lofty throne. who, then, deserves to be adored, but god, on whom my hopes depend? or who, except the mighty lord, can with resistless power defend? . c. p. m. cotton. contentment and resignation. if solid happiness we prize, within our breasts the jewel lies; nor need we roam abroad: the world has little to bestow; from pious hearts our joys must flow, hearts that delight in god. to be resigned, when ills betide, patient, when favors are denied, and pleased with favors given; this is the wise, the virtuous part; this is that incense of the heart, whose fragrance reaches heaven. thus through life's changing scenes we'll go, its checkered paths of joy and woe, with holy care we'll tread: quit its vain scenes without a tear, without a trouble or a fear, and mingle with the dead. . c. m. aveling. fear not. whene'er the clouds of sorrow roll, and trials whelm the mind,-- when, faint with grief, thy wearied soul no joys on earth can find,-- then lift thy voice to god on high, dry up the trembling tear, and hush the low complaining sigh: fear not; thy god is near. when dark temptations spread their snares and earth with charms allures, and when thy soul, oppressed with fears, the world's assault endures, then let thy father's friendly voice thy fainting spirit cheer, and bid thy trembling heart rejoice: fear not; thy god is near. and when the final hour shall come, that calls thee to thy rest, to dwell within thy heavenly home, a welcome, joyful guest, be calm; though jordan's waves may roll, no ills shall meet thee there; angels shall whisper to thy soul, fear not; thy god is near. . c. m. doddridge. trust in the presence and help of god. and art thou with us, gracious lord, to dissipate our fear? dost thou proclaim thyself our god, our god forever near? doth thy right hand, which formed the earth, and bears up all the skies, stretch from on high its friendly aid, when dangers round us rise? on this support our souls shall lean, and banish every care; the gloomy vale of death will smile, if god be with us there. while we his gracious succor prove, 'midst all our various ways, the darkest shades, through which we pass, shall echo with his praise. . l. m. beddome. submission. wait, o my soul, thy maker's will! tumultuous passions, all be still! nor let one murmuring thought arise; his ways are just, his counsels wise. he in the thickest darkness dwells, performs his work,--the cause conceals; but though his methods are unknown, judgment and truth support his throne. in heaven, and earth, and air, and seas, he executes his firm decrees; and by his saints it stands confessed that what he does is ever best. . c. m. burder's coll. rejoicing in adversity. what though no flowers the fig-tree clothe though vines their fruit deny, the labor of the olive fail, and fields no meat supply;-- though from the fold, with sad surprise, my flock cut off i see; though famine reign in empty stalls, where herds were wont to be;-- yet in the lord will i be glad, and glory in his love; in him i'll joy, who will the god of my salvation prove. god is the treasure of my soul, the source of lasting joy-- a joy which want shall not impair, nor death itself destroy. . c. m. anonymous. "blessed are they that mourn." in trouble and in grief, o god, thy smile hath cheered my way; and joy hath budded from each thorn that round my footsteps lay. the hours of pain have yielded good, which prosperous days refused; as herbs, though scentless when entire, spread fragrance when they're bruised. the oak strikes deeper as its boughs by furious blasts are driven; so life's vicissitudes the more have fixed my heart in heaven. all-gracious lord! whate'er my lot in other times may be, i'll welcome still the heaviest grief, that brings me near to thee. . l. m. bowring. god merciful in affliction. mysterious are the ways of god, and fear and blindness oft repine; we murmur 'neath his chastening rod, because we read not his design. impending clouds his love has spread o'er this low vale where mortals dwell; and oft we mourn his spirit fled, when adverse tempests round us swell. but in those storms that sometimes roll, our mortal dwellings dark above, whose threatening shades dismay the soul, dwells the bright presence of his love. we cannot see him--not a ray of all his glory there appears, and oft we thread our darkened way, trembling with anxious doubts and fears. yet faith still looks beyond the gloom, while hope's bright star illumes our night; pilgrims of earth! though dark the tomb, it leads to scenes of bliss and light. . c. m. moore. "he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." o thou who driest the mourner's tear, how dark this world would be, if, when deceived and wounded here, we could not fly to thee! but thou wilt heal that broken heart, which like the plants that throw their fragrance from the wounded part, breathes sweetness out of woe. when joy no longer soothes or cheers, and e'en the hope that threw a moment's sparkle o'er our tears is dimmed and vanished too; o, who would bear life's stormy doom, did not thy wing of love come, brightly wafting through the gloom our peace-branch from above? then sorrow touched by thee grows bright, with more than rapture's ray; the darkness shows us worlds of light we never saw by day. . c. m. drummond. "god is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble." bereft of all, when hopeless care would sink us to the tomb, o what can save us from despair? what dissipate the gloom? no balm that earthly plants distil can soothe the mourner's smart; no mortal hand with lenient skill bind up the broken heart. but one alone, who reigns above, our woe to peace can turn, and light the lamp of joy and love that long has ceased to burn. then, o my soul, to that one flee, to god thy woes reveal; his eye alone thy wounds can see, his hand alone can heal. . l. m. montgomery. the same. god is our refuge and defence, in trouble our unfailing aid; secure in his omnipotence, what foe can make our soul afraid? yea, though the earth's foundations rock, and mountains down the gulf be hurled, his people smile amid the shock, they look beyond this transient world. there is a river pure and bright, whose streams make glad the heavenly plains, where, in eternity of light, the city of our god remains. built by the word of his command, with his unclouded presence blessed, firm as his throne the bulwarks stand; there is our home, our hope, our rest. . c. m. anonymous. trust amid the severities of god. thou power supreme, whose mighty scheme these woes of mine fulfil, here, firm, i rest; they must be best, because they are thy will. then all i want,--o do thou grant this one request of mine,-- since to enjoy thou dost deny, assist me to resign. religious exultation. . s. & s. m. montgomery. confidence in god. ps. . god is my strong salvation; what foe have i to fear? in darkness and temptation my light, my help, is near. though hosts encamp around me, firm to the fight i stand; what terror can confound me with god at my right hand? place on the lord reliance; my soul, with courage wait; his truth be thine affiance, when faint and desolate; his might thine heart shall strengthen; his love thy joy increase; mercy thy days shall lengthen; the lord will give thee peace. . s. m. moravian. reliance on god. give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed; god hears thy sighs, god counts thy tears; god shall lift up thy head. through waves, through clouds and storms, he gently clears thy way; wait thou his time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day. he everywhere hath rule, and all things serve his might; his every act pure blessing is, his path unsullied light. thou seest our weakness, lord, our hearts are known to thee: o, lift thou up the sinking hand, confirm the feeble knee! let us, in life or death, boldly thy truth declare; and publish, with our latest breath, thy love and guardian care. . l. m. doddridge. praising god in life and in death. god of my life! through all its days my grateful powers shall sound thy praise; the song shall wake with opening light, and warble to the silent night. when anxious cares would break my rest, and griefs would tear my throbbing breast, thy tuneful praises, raised on high, shall check the murmur and the sigh. but, o, when that last conflict's o'er, and i am chained to flesh no more; with what glad accents shall i rise to join the music of the skies! soon shall i learn the exalted strains which echo o'er the heavenly plains; and emulate, with joy unknown, the glowing seraphs round thy throne. . h. m. doddridge. faithfulness of god's promise. the promises i sing, which sovereign love hath spoke; nor will the eternal king his words of grace revoke; they stand secure, and steadfast still; not zion's hill abides so sure. the mountains melt away, when once the judge appears, and sun and moon decay, that measure mortal years; but still the same, in radiant lines, the promise shines, through all the flame. . c. m. watts. salvation. salvation! o, the joyful sound! 'tis pleasure to our ears, a sovereign balm for every wound, a cordial for our fears. buried in sorrow and in sin, at death's dark door we lay; but we arise, by grace divine, to see a heavenly day. salvation! let the echo fly the spacious earth around, while all the armies of the sky conspire to raise the sound. . s. & s. m. dublin coll. praise from earth and heaven. praise the lord! ye heavens adore him; praise him, angels in the height; sun and moon rejoice before him; praise him, all ye stars of light! praise the lord, for he hath spoken; worlds his mighty voice obeyed; laws which never can be broken, for their guidance he hath made. praise the lord! for he is glorious, never shall his promise fail; god hath made his saints victorious, sin and death shall not prevail: praise the god of our salvation, hosts on high his power proclaim; heaven and earth, and all creation, praise and magnify his name! . c. m. watts. experience of god's grace. when god revealed his gracious name, and changed my mournful state, my rapture seemed a pleasing dream, the grace appeared so great. the world beheld the glorious change, and did thy hand confess; my tongue broke out in unknown strains, and sung surprising grace. the lord can clear the darkest skies, can give us day for night; make drops of sacred sorrow rise to rivers of delight. let those, who sow in sadness, wait till the fair harvest come; they shall confess their sheaves are great, and shout the blessings home. . c. m. beddome. fear not. ye trembling souls, dismiss your fears; be mercy all your theme; for mercy like a river flows, in one perpetual stream. fear not the powers of earth and hell; god will those powers restrain; his arm will all their rage repel, and make their efforts vain. fear not the want of outward good; for his he will provide, grant them supplies of daily food, and give them heaven beside. fear not that he will e'er forsake, or leave his work undone; he's faithful to his promises, and faithful to his son. . c. m. heginbotham. rejoicing in god, our father. come, shout aloud the father's grace, and sing the saviour's love; soon shall you join the glorious theme, in loftier strains above. god, the eternal, mighty god, to dearer names descends; calls us his treasure and his joy, his children and his friends. my father, god! and may these lips pronounce a name so dear? not thus could heaven's sweet harmony delight my listening ear. thanks to my god for every gift his bounteous hands bestow; and thanks eternal for that love whence all these comforts flow. . c. m. watts. the same. the lord of glory is my light, and my salvation too: god is my strength, nor will i fear what all my foes can do. one privilege my heart desires-- oh grant me an abode among the churches of thy saints, the temples of my god! there shall i offer my requests, and see thy beauty still; shall hear thy messages of love, and there inquire thy will. when troubles rise and storms appear, there may his children hide: god has a strong pavilion, where he makes my soul abide. now shall my head be lifted high above my foes around, and songs of joy and victory within thy temple sound. . s. & s. m. anonymous. the same. to thee, my god and saviour, my soul exulting sings; rejoicing in thy favor, almighty king of kings! i'll celebrate thy glory with all thy saints above. and tell the joyful story of thy redeeming love. soon as the morn with roses bedecks the dewy east, and when the sun reposes upon the ocean's breast; my voice in supplication, my saviour, thou shalt hear: o grant me thy salvation, and to my soul draw near. thy gracious love possessing in all my pilgrim road, my soul shall feel thy blessing in thy divine abode. there bowing down before thee, my every conflict o'er, my spirit shall adore thee, forever, evermore. . p. m. warren st. coll. triumph. daughter of zion, awake from thy sadness! awake! for thy foes shall oppress thee no more; bright o'er thy hills dawns the day-star of gladness, arise! for the night of thy sorrow is o'er. strong were thy foes, but the arm that subdued them and scattered their legions was mightier far; they fled like the chaff from the scourge that pursued them, vain were their steeds and their chariots of war. daughter of zion, the power that hath saved thee extolled with the harp and the timbrel should be; shout! for the foe is destroyed that enslaved thee; th' oppressor is vanquished, and zion is free. . c. m. j. q. adams. psalm . my shepherd is the lord on high; his hand supplies me still; in pastures green he makes me lie, beside the rippling rill: he cheers my soul, relieves my woes, his glory to display; the paths of righteousness he shows, and leads me in his way. though walking through death's dismal shade, no evil will i fear; thy rod, thy staff shall lend me aid, for thou art ever near: for me a table thou dost spread in presence of my foes; with oil thou dost anoint my head; by thee my cup o'erflows. thy goodness and thy mercy sure shall bless me all my days; and i, with lips sincere and pure, will celebrate thy praise: yes, in the temple of the lord forever i will dwell; to after time thy name record, and of thy glory tell. . s. & s. m. bowring. the cross of christ. in the cross of christ i glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. when the woes of life o'ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me; lo! it glows with peace and joy. when the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, from the cross the radiance streaming adds more lustre to the day. bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. . l. m. wesley's coll. glorying in christ. let not the wise their wisdom boast; the mighty glory in his might; the rich in flattering riches trust, which take their everlasting flight. the rush of numerous years bears down the most gigantic strength of man; and where is all his wisdom gone, when dust he turns to dust again? the lord, my righteousness, i praise, i triumph in the love divine, the wisdom, wealth, and strength of grace in christ through endless ages mine. . c. m. doddridge. the way to the heavenly city. sing, ye redeemed of the lord, your great deliverer sing; pilgrims, for zion's city bound, be joyful in your king. a hand divine shall lead you on through all the blissful road, till to the sacred mount you rise, and see your father, god. there garlands of immortal joy shall bloom on every head, while sorrow, sighing, and distress, like shadows all are fled. march on in your redeemer's strength, pursue his footsteps still, and let the prospect cheer your eye while laboring up the hill. . s. m. doddridge. grace first and last in salvation. grace! 'tis a charming sound! harmonious to the ear! heaven with the echo shall resound, and all the earth shall hear. grace first contrived the way to save rebellious man; and all the steps that grace display which drew the wondrous plan. grace led my roving feet to tread the heavenly road; and new supplies each hour i meet while pressing on to god. grace taught my soul to pray, and made my eyes o'erflow; 'twas grace that kept me to this day, and will not let me go. grace all the work shall crown, through everlasting days; it lays in heaven the topmost stone, and well deserves the praise. the church, and ordinances. . s. & s. m. j. newton. "glorious things spoken of zion." glorious things of thee are spoken, zion, city of our god! he whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode. on the rock of ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? with salvation's walls surrounded, thou mayst smile at all thy foes. see! the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove. who can faint while such a river ever flows their thirst t' assuage? grace, which, like the lord the giver, never fails from age to age. round each habitation hovering, see the cloud and fire appear! for a glory and a covering, showing that the lord is near. fading is the worldling's pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure none but zion's children know. . s. m. watts. safety of the church. how honored is the place where we adoring stand!-- zion, the glory of the earth, and beauty of the land. bulwarks of grace defend the city where we dwell, while walls, of strong salvation made, defy th' assaults of hell. lift up th' eternal gates; the doors wide open fling; enter, ye nations that obey the statutes of your king. here taste unmingled joys, and live in perfect peace, you that have known jehovah's name, and ventured on his grace. trust in the lord, ye saints, and banish all your fears; strength in the lord jehovah dwells, eternal as his years. . c. m. anonymous. the jewish and the christian zion. ps. . with stately towers and bulwarks strong, unrivalled and alone, loved theme of many a sacred song, god's holy city shone. thus fair was zion's chosen seat, the glory of all lands; yet fairer, and in strength complete, the christian temple stands. the faithful of each clime and age this glorious church compose; built on a rock, with idle rage the threatening tempest blows. in vain may hostile bands alarm, for god is her defence; how weak, how powerless is each arm, against omnipotence! . s. m. watts. gospel order. far as thy name is known the world declares thy praise; thy saints, o lord, before thy throne, their songs of honor raise. let strangers walk around the city where we dwell, survey with care thine holy ground, and mark the building well,-- the order of thy house, the worship of thy court, the cheerful songs, the solemn vows, and make a fair report. how decent and how wise! how glorious to behold! beyond the pomp that charms the eyes, and rites adorned with gold. the god we worship now will guide us till we die,-- will be our god while here below, and ours above the sky. . s. m. dwight. attachment to the church. i love thy church, o god; her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. for her my tears shall fall; for her my prayers ascend; to her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end. beyond my highest joy i prize her heavenly ways, her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. father and friend divine, our saviour and our king, thy hand, from every snare and foe, shall great deliverance bring. sure as thy truth shall last, to zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven. . c. m. s. f. smith. christian fellowship. planted in christ, the living vine, this day with one accord, ourselves, with humble faith and joy, we yield to thee, o lord. joined in one body may we be: one inward life partake; one be our heart; one heavenly hope in every bosom wake. in prayer, in effort, tears, and toils, one wisdom be our guide; taught by one spirit from above, in thee may we abide. around this feeble, trusting band thy sheltering pinions spread, nor let the storms of trial beat too fiercely on our head. then, when, among the saints in light, our joyful spirits shine, shall anthems of immortal praise, o lamb of god, be thine. . s. m. fawcett. christian fellowship. blest be the tie that binds our hearts in christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. before our father's throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. we share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear; and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear. from sorrow, toil, and sin, soon shall we all be free, and perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity. . s. m. montgomery. joined to god's people. people of the living god, i have sought the world around, paths of sin and sorrow trod, peace and comfort nowhere found. now to you my spirit turns,-- turns, a fugitive unblest; brethren, where your altar burns, o, receive me into rest. lonely i no longer roam, like the cloud, the wind, the wave; where you dwell shall be my home, where you die shall be my grave. . l. m. anonymous. on receiving members. lord, we adore thy wondrous grace, who crown'st the gospel with success; subjecting sinners to thy yoke, and bringing to the fold thy flock. may those who have thy truth confessed as their own faith, and hope, and rest, from day to day still more increase in faith, in love, and holiness. as living members, may they share the joys and griefs which others bear, and active in their stations prove in all the offices of love. from all temptations now defend, and keep them steadfast to the end, while in thy house they still improve, until they join the church above. . l. m. kelly. a welcome to christian fellowship. come in, thou blesséd of the lord, o, come in jesus' precious name; we welcome thee with one accord, and trust the saviour does the same. those joys which earth cannot afford, we'll seek in fellowship to prove, joined in one spirit to our lord, together bound by mutual love. and while we pass this vale of tears, we'll make our joys and sorrows known; we'll share each other's hopes and fears, and count a brother's care our own. once more our welcome we repeat; receive assurance of our love: o, may we all together meet around the throne of god above! . c. m. montgomery. a welcome to fellowship. approach thou blesséd of the lord; stranger nor foe art thou: we welcome thee with warm accord, our friend, our brother, now. the hand of fellowship, the heart of love, we offer thee: leaving the world, thou dost but part from lies and vanity. the cup of blessing which we bless, the heavenly bread we break, our saviour's blood and righteousness,-- freely with us partake. . l. m. doddridge. on joining the church. o, happy day, that fixed my choice on thee, my saviour and my lord! well may this glowing heart rejoice, and tell its raptures all abroad! o, happy bond, that seals my vows to him who merits all my love! let cheerful anthems fill the house, while to his altar now i move. now rest, my long-divided heart; fixed on this blissful centre, rest; here have i found a nobler part; here heavenly pleasures fill my breast. high heaven, that hears the solemn vow, that vow renewed shall daily hear; till in life's latest hour i bow, and bless in death a bond so dear. . c. m. doddridge. dedication of children to god and christ. see israel's gentle shepherd stand, with all-engaging charms; hark! how he calls the tender lambs, and folds them in his arms! "permit them to approach," he cries, "nor scorn their humble name; for 'twas to bless such souls as these, the lord of angels came." we bring them, lord, in thankful hands, and yield them up to thee; joyful that we ourselves are thine, thine let our offspring be. ye little flock, with pleasure hear; ye children, seek his face, and fly with transport to receive the blessings of his grace. if orphans they are left behind, god's guardian care we trust; that care shall heal our bleeding hearts, if weeping o'er their dust. . c. m. stennett. infants, living or dying, in the arms of christ. thy life i read, my dearest lord, with transport all-divine; thine image trace in every word, thy love in every line. with joy, i see a thousand charms spread o'er thy lovely face; while infants in thy tender arms receive the smiling grace. "i take these little lambs," said he, "and lay them on my breast; protection they shall find in me,-- in me be ever blest. "death may the bands of life unloose, but can't dissolve my love; millions of infant souls compose the family above." his words, ye happy parents, hear, and shout, with joys divine, "dear saviour! all we have and are shall be forever thine." . l. m. w. boston coll. dedication of children. this child we dedicate to thee, o god of grace and purity; shield it from sin and threatening wrong, and let thy love its life prolong. o, may thy spirit gently draw its willing soul to keep thy law; may virtue, piety and truth dawn even with its dawning youth. grant that, with true and faithful heart, we too may act the christian's part, cheered by each promise thou hast given, and laboring for the prize in heaven. . s. & s. m. anonymous. children commended to christ. saviour, who thy flock art feeding with the shepherd's kindest care, all the feeble gently leading, while the lambs thy bosom share,-- now, these little ones receiving, fold them in thy gracious arm; there, we know--thy word believing,-- only there, secure from harm. never, from thy pasture roving, let them be the lion's prey; let thy tenderness, so loving, keep them all life's dangerous way. then within thy fold eternal let them find a resting-place; feed in pastures ever vernal, drink the rivers of thy grace. . s. m. doddridge. christ calling children to himself. the saviour gently calls our children to his breast; he folds them in his gracious arms; himself declares them blest. "let them approach," he cries, "nor scorn their humble claim; the heirs of heaven are such as these,-- for such as these i came." gladly we bring them, lord, devoting them to thee: imploring, that, as we are thine, thine may our offspring be. . s. m. bowring. infant baptism. drop the limpid waters now on the infant's sinless brow; dedicate the unfolding gem unto him, who blessed the stem. let our aspirations be innocent as infancy; pure the prayers that force their way, as the child for whom we pray. in the christian garden we plant another christian tree; be its blossoms and its fruit worthy of the christian root. to that garden now we bring waters from the living spring; bless the tree, the waters bless, holy one! with holiness. when life's harvests all are past, oh, transplant the tree at last, to the fields where flower and tree blossom through eternity. . c. m. doddridge. hymn for baptism. baptized into our saviour's death, our souls to sin must die; with christ our lord we live anew, with christ ascend on high. there, by his father's side he sits, enthroned divinely fair, yet owns himself our brother still, and our forerunner there. rise from these earthly trifles, rise on wings of faith and love; above our choicest treasure lies,-- and be our hearts above. but earth and sin will draw us down, when we attempt to fly; lord, send thy strong, attractive power to fix our souls on high. . s. m. l. h. sigourney. baptism. saviour, thy law we love, thy pure example bless, and with a firm, unwavering zeal, would in thy footsteps press. not to the fiery pains by which the martyrs bled; not to the scourge, the thorn, the cross, our favored feet are led;-- but, at this peaceful tide, assembled in thy fear, the homage of obedient hearts we humbly offer here. . c. m. jas. newton. after baptism. let plenteous grace descend on those, who, hoping in thy word, this day have solemnly declared that jesus is their lord. with cheerful feet may they advance, and run the christian race, and, through the troubles of the way, find all-sufficient grace. lord, plant us all into thy death, that we thy life may prove,-- partakers of thy cross beneath, and of thy crown above. . l. m. doddridge. the same. 'tis done; the great transaction's done; i am my lord's, and he is mine: he drew me, and i followed on, rejoiced to own the call divine. now rest, my long divided heart; fixed on this blissful centre, rest: here have i found a nobler part; here heavenly pleasures fill my breast. high heaven, that hears the solemn vow, that vow renewed shall daily hear, till in life's latest hour i bow, and bless in death a bond so dear. . c. m. pratt's coll. before communion. prepare us, lord, to view thy cross, who all our griefs hast borne; to look on thee, whom we have pierced,-- to look on thee, and mourn. while thus we mourn we would rejoice; and, as thy cross we see, let each exclaim in faith and hope, "the saviour died for me!" . c. m. e. taylor. proper dispositions for the communion. o here, if ever, god of love! let strife and hatred cease; and every thought harmonious move, and every heart be peace. not here, where met to think on him, whose latest thoughts were ours, shall mortal passions come to dim the prayer devotion pours. no, gracious master, not in vain thy life of love hath been; the peace thou gav'st may yet remain, though thou no more art seen. "thy kingdom come;" we watch, we wait, to hear thy cheering call; when heaven shall ope its glorious gate. and god be all in all. . l. m. watts. institution of the lord's supper. 'twas on that dark, that doleful night, when all the powers of darkness rose against the son of god's delight, and friends betrayed him to his foes: before the mournful scene began, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake: what love through all his actions ran! what wondrous words of grace he spake! "this is my body broke for sin; receive and eat the living food:" then took the cup and blessed the wine,-- "'tis the new covenant in my blood." "do this," he said, "till time shall end, in memory of your dying friend; meet at my table, and record the love of your departed lord." jesus! thy feast we celebrate; we show thy death, we sing thy name, till thou return, and we shall eat the marriage supper of the lamb. . l. m. dublin coll. "this do in remembrance of me." "eat, drink, in memory of your friend!" such was our master's last request; who all the pangs of death endured, that we might live forever blest. yes, we'll record thy matchless love, thou dearest, tenderest, best of friends! thy dying love the noblest praise our hearts can offer thee transcends. 'tis pleasure more than earth can give thy goodness through these veils to see, thy table food celestial yields, and happy they who sit with thee. . s. m. bowring. a communion hymn. not with terror do we meet at the board by jesus spread; not in mystery drink and eat of the saviour's wine and bread. 'tis his memory we record, 'tis his virtues we proclaim; grateful to our honored lord, here we bless his sacred name. yes, we will remember thee, friend and saviour; and thy feast of all services shall be holiest and welcomest. . s. m. beard's coll. "and all that believed were together." acts : . restore, o father! to our times restore the peace which filled thine infant church of yore; ere lust of power had sown the seeds of strife, and quenched the new-born charities of life. o never more may differing judgments part from kindly sympathy a brother's heart; but linked in one, believing thousands kneel, and share with each the sacred joy they feel. from soul to soul, quick as the sunbeam's ray, let concord spread one universal day; and faith, by love lead all mankind to thee, parent of peace, and fount of harmony! . s. m. pratt's coll. spiritual nourishment. bread of heaven! on thee we feed, for thy flesh is meat indeed; ever let our souls be fed with this true and living bread! vine of heaven! thy blood supplies this blest cup of sacrifice; lord, thy wounds our healing give; to thy cross we look and live. day by day with strength supplied, through the life of him who died; lord of life! oh, let us be rooted, grafted, built on thee! . s. m. furness. a communion hymn. here, in the broken bread, here, in the cup we take, his body and his blood behold, who suffered for our sake. o thou, who didst allow thy son to suffer thus, father, what more couldst thou have done than thou hast done for us? we are persuaded now that nothing can divide thy children from thy boundless love, displayed in him who died;-- who died to make us sure of mercy, truth and peace, and from the power and pains of sin to bring a full release. . c. m. dale. christ blessing the bread. behold, amid his little flock, the saviour stands serene, unawed by suffering yet to be, unchanged by what hath been. still beams the light of love undimmed in that benignant eye, nor, save his own prophetic word, aught speaks him soon to die. he pours within the votive cup the rich blood of the vine, and "drink ye all the hallowed draught," he cries, "this blood is mine." he breaks the bread; then clasps his hands, and lifts his eyes in prayer, receive ye this and view by faith my body symbolled there. . c. m. anonymous. christ's law of love. ye followers of the prince of peace, who round his table draw! remember what his spirit was, what his peculiar law. the love which all his bosom filled did all his actions guide; inspired by love, he lived and taught; inspired by love, he died. and do you love him? do you feel your warm affection move? this is the proof which he demands,-- that you each other love. . s. m. paradise st. coll. the saviour commemorated. jesus, the friend of man. invites us to his board: the welcome summons we obey, and own our gracious lord. here we survey that love which spoke in every breath, which crowned each action of his life, and triumphed in his death. then let our powers unite, his sacred name to raise; let grateful joy fill every mind, and every voice be praise. and while we share the gifts which from his gospel flow, o, may our hearts to all mankind with warm affection glow. . s. m. doddridge. communion with god and christ. our heavenly father calls, and christ invites us near; with both my friendship shall be sweet, and my communion dear. god pities all my griefs; he pardons every day; almighty to protect my soul, and wise to guide my way. jesus, my living head, i bless thy faithful care; my advocate before the throne, and my forerunner there. here fix my roving heart; here wait my warmest love, till the communion be complete, in nobler scenes above. . s. & s. m. anonymous. the eucharist. as in solemn congregation we attend upon thy house, for the sweet commemoration and renewal of our vows; let thy favor, with us resting, consecrate the bread and wine; may we, of thy goodness tasting, all be filled with love divine! jesus gave the sacred token of his passion, wine and bread, symbols of his body broken, and his blood for sinners shed. to the rite we come, confessing free redemption, grace unbought; his be every name of blessing, for his love, surpassing thought! may thy counsels, king of glory! grateful awe and rapture move, as we meditate the story of the saviour's dying love; hear us, lord, of thee entreating strength to walk in jesus' ways! god of light, shine on our meeting! god of grace, accept our praise! . c. m. doddridge. room at the lord's table. millions of souls, in glory now, were fed and feasted here; and millions more, still on the way, around the board appear. yet is his house and heart so large that millions more may come; nor could the whole assembled world o'erfill the spacious room. all things are ready; come away, nor weak excuses frame; crowd to your places at the feast, and bless the founder's name. . s. m. furnesy. a communion hymn. o, for a prophet's fire, o, for an angel's tongue, to speak the mighty love of him who on the cross was hung. in vain our hearts attempt, in language meet, to tell how through a thousand sorrows burned that flame unquenchable. yet would we praise that love, beyond expression dear: come, gather round this table, then, and celebrate it here. . c. m. montgomery. "this do in remembrance of me." according to thy gracious word, in meek humility, this will i do, my dying lord, i will remember thee. thy body broken for my sake, my bread from heaven shall be; thy testamental cup i take, and thus remember thee. when to the cross i turn mine eyes, and rest on calvary, o lamb of god, my sacrifice! i must remember thee. remember thee, and all thy pains, and all thy love to me; yea, while a breath, a pulse remains, will i remember thee. . c. m. noel. "we love him because he first loved us." if human kindness meets return, and owns the grateful tie; if tender thoughts within us burn to feel that friends are nigh; o, shall not warmer accents tell the gratitude we owe to him who died, our fears to quell, and save from death and woe? while yet in anguish he surveyed those pangs he would not flee, what love his latest words displayed; "meet, and remember me." remember thee! thy death, thy shame, our sinful hearts to share! o, memory, leave no other name but his, recorded there. . s. m. watts. "whosoever will, let him come!" jesus invites his friends to meet around his board, and join in blest communion here with him their gracious lord. for us he gave his life; for us he gave his blood; to save from sin our thankless race, and bring them back to god. our heavenly father calls christ and his members one; we the young children of his grace, and he the elder son. let all our souls unite a grateful song to raise; pleasure and love fill every mind, and every voice be praise. . l. m. watts. a view of the cross. when i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain i count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. forbid it, lord, that i should boast, save in the death of christ, my lord; all the vain things that charm me most, i sacrifice them to his blood. see from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down! did e'er such love and sorrow meet? or thorns compose so rich a crown? were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. . c. m. lutheran coll. close of communion service. pity the nations, o our god, constrain the earth to come; send thy victorious word abroad, and bring the strangers home. we long to see thy churches full, that all thy faithful race may with one voice, and heart, and soul, sing thy redeeming grace. . s. & s. m. anonymous. the same. from the table now retiring, which for us the lord hath spread, may our souls, refreshment finding, grow in all things like our head. his example by beholding, may our lives his image bear; him our lord and master calling, his commands may we revere. love to god and man displaying, walking steadfast in his way,-- joy attend us in believing! peace from god, through endless day! dedications; ordinations; installations. . l. m. montgomery. on laying the corner-stone of a church. this stone to thee in faith we lay,-- we build the temple, lord, to thee, thine eye be open night and day, to guard this house from error free. here, when thy people seek thy face, and dying sinners pray to live, hear thou, in heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hearest, lord, forgive. here, when thy messengers proclaim the blesséd gospel of thy son, still by the power of his great name be mighty signs and wonders done. when children's voices raise the song, hosanna! to their heavenly king, let heaven with earth the strain prolong; hosanna! let the angels sing. thy glory never hence depart; yet choose not, lord, this house alone; thy kingdom come to every heart; in every bosom fix thy throne. . l. m. willis. dedication hymn. the perfect world by adam trod, was the first temple,--built by god; his fiat laid the corner-stone, and heaved its pillars, one by one. he hung its starry roof on high,-- the broad, illimitable sky; he spread its pavement, green and bright and curtained it with morning light. the mountains in their places stood,-- the sea, the sky,--and "all was good;" and when its first pure praises rang, the "morning stars together sang." lord! 'tis not ours to make the sea, and earth and sky a house for thee; but in thy sight our offering stands, a humbler temple, "made with hands." . l. m. pierpont. the same. o, bow thine ear, eternal one! on thee our heart adoring calls; to thee the followers of thy son have raised and now devote these walls. here let thy holy days be kept; and be this place to worship given, like that bright spot where jacob slept, the house of god, the gate of heaven. here may thine honor dwell; and here, as incense, let thy children's prayer, from contrite hearts and lips sincere, rise on the still and holy air. here be thy praise devoutly sung; here let thy truth beam forth to save, as when, of old, thy spirit hung, on wings of light, o'er jordan's wave. and when the lips, that with thy name are vocal now, to dust shall turn, on others may devotion's flame be kindled here, and purely burn! . s. m. e. h. chapin. the same. father, lo! we consecrate unto thee this house and shrine, oh! may jesus visit here, as he did in palestine. here may blind eyes see his light, deaf ears hear his accents sweet, and we, like those groups of old, sit and linger at his feet. and to learn of faith and love, strong in sorrow, pain and loss, may we come and find them here, in the garden, on the cross. like the spices that enfold him we love in rich perfume, may our thoughts embalm him here, while he slumbers in the tomb. when we watch by shrouded hopes, weeping at death's marble door, may the angels meet us here-- lo! your christ has gone before! and while we stand "looking up," in our faith and wonder lost, here send down thy spirit's power, like the tongues of pentecost. . l. m. sir j. e. smith. god's temple in the heart. who shall a temple build for him, who fills the heaven of heavens alone? who shall exalt his glorious name, fixed in his everlasting throne? yet many a lowly fane shall rise, which god himself will not disdain: he will accept the sacrifice; nor shall the offering e'er be vain. no gorgeous dome, nor boastful vow, can e'er find favor in his sight: the humble votary, meek and low,-- the holy soul, are his delight. on these his grace and mercy rest, nor from their shrines will he depart: his temple is the righteous breast; his altar is the pious heart. . h. m. o. a. skinner. dedication hymn. thou fount of love and grace, whose throne is fixed on high, unveil thy smiling face, and to our souls draw nigh; and let our prayers and praise arise, like grateful incense to the skies. this house to thee we give-- thine may it ever be-- here bid the sinner live, here set the captive free, here let thy word its beams display and safely guide to endless day. here may the stricken heart by truth be cheered and blessed, and here thy grace impart, to all by grief oppressed-- and streams of peace and plenty flow, to all who seek thy joy to know. long may these walls resound with thy salvation, lord, and grace to all abound, who hear thy holy word-- and youth and age their offerings raise. in songs of ardent, cheerful praise. . l. m. j. g. adams. dedication of a country church. on this fair spot where nature pays from hill, and vale, and flower, and tree, in morning beams, in evening rays, its homage, god of all, to thee;-- thy children meet to dedicate this temple to thy gracious name; our hearts and songs to elevate,-- thy grace and glory to proclaim. descend--and with thy spirit bless the offering; may it ever be sacred to truth and righteousness, from error's dread dominion free. here let the standard of thy word be raised and held by gospel hands; hither bring hearts with one accord, to learn and do thy great commands. and when we leave these courts below, to join the hosts in praise above, may others here rejoice to know thy boundless, everlasting love. . c. m. bryant. dedication hymn. o thou, whose own vast temple stands, built over earth and sea, accept the walls that human hands have raised to worship thee. lord, from thine inmost glory send, within these courts to bide, the peace that dwelleth, without end, serenely by thy side. may erring minds that worship here be taught the better way, and they who mourn, and they who fear, be strengthened as they pray! may faith grow firm, and love grow warm, and pure devotion rise, while round these hallowed walls the storm of earth-born passion dies! . l. m. watts. a house for god. where shall we go to seek and find a habitation for our god? a dwelling for th' eternal mind among the sons of flesh and blood? the god of jacob chose the hill of zion for his ancient rest; and zion is his dwelling still; his church is with his presence blest. here will he meet the hungry poor, and fill their souls with living bread; here sinners, waiting at his door, with sweet provision shall be fed. "here will i fix my gracious throne, and reign forever," saith the lord; "here shall my power and love be known, and blessings shall attend my word." . h. m. francis. prayer for god's presence and blessing. great king of glory, come, and with thy favor crown this temple as thy home, this people as thine own: beneath this roof, o deign to show how god can dwell with men below. here may thine ears attend our interceding cries, and grateful praise ascend, like incense to the skies: here may thy word melodious sound, and spread celestial joys around. here may our unborn sons and daughters sound thy praise, and shine, like polished stones, through long-succeeding days: here, lord, display thy saving power, while temples stand and men adore. here may the listening throng imbibe thy truth and love; here christians join the song of seraphim above; till all, who humbly seek thy face, rejoice in thy abounding grace. . l. m. e. h. chapin. the same. our father god! not face to face may mortal sense commune with thee, nor lift the curtains of that place where dwells thy secret majesty. yet whereso'er our spirits bend in rev'rent faith and humble prayer, thy promised blessing will descend, and we shall find thy spirit there. lord! be the spot where now we meet, an open gateway into heaven; here may we sit at jesus' feet, and feel our deepest sins forgiven. here may desponding care look up; and sorrow lay its burden down, or learn, of him, to drink the cup, to bear the cross, and win the crown. here may the sick and wandering soul, to truth still blind, to sin a slave, find better than bethesda's pool, or than siloam's healing wave. and may we learn, while here apart from the world's passion and its strife that thy true shrine's a loving heart, and thy best praise a holy life! . l. m. pierpont. ordination hymn. o thou, who art above all height! our god, our father, and our friend! beneath thy throne of love and light, let thine adoring children bend. we kneel in praise, that here is set a vine that by thy culture grew; we kneel in prayer, that thou wouldst wet its opening leaves with heavenly dew. since thy young servant now hath given himself, his powers, his hopes, his youth to the great cause of truth and heaven, be thou his guide, o god of truth! here may his doctrines drop like rain, his speech like hermon's dew distil, till green fields smile, and golden grain, ripe for the harvest, waits thy will. and when he sinks in death,--by care, or pain, or toil, or years oppressed,-- o god! remember then our prayer, and take his spirit to thy rest. . s. & s. m. s. f. smith. benefits of the ministry. blest is the hour when cares depart, and earthly scenes are far,-- when tears of woe forget to start, and gently dawns upon the heart devotion's holy star. blest is the place where angels bend to hear our worship rise, where kindred thoughts their musings blend, and all the soul's affections tend beyond the veiling skies. blest are the hallowed vows that bind man to his work of love,-- bind him to cheer the humble mind, console the weeping, lead the blind, and guide to joys above. sweet shall the song of glory swell, spirit divine to thee, when they whose work is finished well, in thy own courts of rest shall dwell, blest through eternity. . l. m. h. ware, jr. ordination or installation. o thou, who on thy chosen son didst send thy spirit like a dove, to mark the long expected one, and seal the messenger of love; and when the heralds of his name went forth his glorious truth to spread, didst send it down in tongues of flame to hallow each devoted head; so, lord, thy servant now inspire with holy unction from above; give him the tongue of living fire, give him the temper of the dove. lord, hear thy suppliant church to-day; accept our work, our souls possess, 'tis ours to labor, watch, and pray; be thine to cheer, sustain, and bless. . c. m. e. h. chapin. ordination hymn. o thou, who didst ordain the word, and its strong heralds send, we draw the holy veil of prayer, and in thy presence bend. to this young warrior of the cross, who takes his station here, be thou a teacher and a guide, and be thy spirit near. a pure disciple, let him tread the ways his master trod-- giving the weary spirits rest, leading the lost to god-- stooping to lend the sufferer aid, crushed sorrow's wail to hear, to bind the widow's broken heart, and dry the orphan's tear. for war with error, make him strong, and sin, the soul's dark foe-- but let him humbly seek for truth, where'er its waters flow. and when, o father, at the grave he lays his armor down, give him the victor's glistening robe, the palm-wreath and the crown. . l. m. montgomery. a pastor welcomed. we bid thee welcome in the name of jesus, our exalted head: come as a servant; so he came; and we receive thee in his stead. come as an angel, hence to guide a band of pilgrims on their way; that, safely walking at thy side, we never fail, nor faint, nor stray. come as a teacher sent from god, charged his whole counsel to declare; lift o'er our ranks the prophet's rod, while we uphold thy hands with prayer. come as a messenger of peace, filled with the spirit, fired with love; live to behold our large increase, and die to meet us all above. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. charge to a pastor. herald of the lord's salvation, watchful in thy station stand; heed the heavenly proclamation, heed the master's great command. mark old error's gathering forces compassing our zion round; know in truth thine own resources, give the trumpet's certain sound! christ proclaim in the new station, herald, now assigned to thee; that the waiting congregation god's salvation here may see. christ proclaim--no line abating of the counsel of the lord; from no promise deviating; from no precept; "preach the word." then, god's blessing resting o'er thee, and his truth, by night, by day, cloud and pillar bright before thee, shall make glad thy gospel way; till thy work well done, the greeting of the master will be given; till we rise to that one meeting-- pastor--people--all--in heaven! . s. m. e. peabody. ordination or installation. lift aloud the voice of praise! god, our father and our friend, hear the prayer and song we raise, weak, yet trusting, we would bend. lo! another servant brought to the heritage of god;-- may he teach as christ hath taught, tread the path his saviour trod. to the vineyard may he come girded with celestial might; skilled to draw thy children home, taught to give the darkened light. unto thee, a people bend,-- bind us heart to heart in love; flock and pastor, we would tend ever toward our home above. . h. m. mrs. case. the same. lord! on thy zion's wall a faithful watchman stands, and hears the solemn call of anxious, waiting bands, who seek along the waning night for heralds of thy coming light. oh, may he never sleep upon his weary post, nor shrink, though round him sweep the storm's embattled host; but, whatsoe'er the night may be, stand firm in duty and in thee! and let his visioned eye rest on the truth sublime, that sin and woe shall fly before advancing time, till in thine own eternal day the latest tear hath passed away. and when his watch is done, oh, let unclouded light, from heaven's all glorious sun gleam on his closing sight:-- that all who see his death, shall know his spirit walked with thee below. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the same. sovereign of worlds above! from thy blest throne of love, to us appear; help, as we raise to thee, prayers of humility, praises of spirits free; and wilt thou hear. be thy rich blessing shed on thy young servant's head, in this bright hour, who at thine altar stands, with trusting heart and hands, waiting thy true commands,-- seeking thy power. grant him thy wisdom, lord, and with thy mighty word armed may he be; faithful in teaching here, moved by thy holy fear,-- may his great charge be dear, father, to thee. and when, his toilings ceased, to heaven, from earth released, thou bid him come; then, where no sin-cloud lowers, be his glad theme and ours, love's high redeeming powers, man's endless home! . s. s. & s. m. l. c. browne. the same. as the evening shadows gather o'er us, from thy holy hill may thy blessing, righteous father, like the evening dew distil; and thy presence every heart with rapture fill! while in summer's warmth and beauty, we our brother set apart to the pastor's solemn duty, may thy spirit warm his heart; without measure, wisdom, strength and love impart. to perform the sacred function as thy servant we ordain, father, may the holy unction fall on him, like summer rain! make him fertile, bearing fruit like golden grain. in the path of duty guide him, firm in virtue may he stand; and from storm and peril, hide him in the hollow of thy hand; keep his footsteps till he tread the better land. when at last his toils are over, summer ended, autumn near, may he and his flock, like clover ripened for the scythe, appear; and when falling, guardian angels linger near. . s. s. & s. m. e. h. chapin. the same. father! at this altar bending, set our hearts from world-thoughts free; prayer and praise their incense blending, may our rites accepted be: father, hear us, gently draw our souls to thee. deign to smile upon this union of a pastor and a flock; sweet and blest be their communion: may he sacred truths unlock-- and this people plant their feet on christ the rock. be his life a living sermon, be his thoughts one ceaseless prayer: like the dews that fell on hermon, making green the foliage there, may his teachings drop on souls beneath his care. here may sin repent its straying, here may grief forget to weep, here may hope its light displaying, and blest faith, their vigils keep, and the dying pass from hence in christ to sleep. when _his_ heart shall cease its motion, all its toils and conflicts o'er; when _they_ for an unseen ocean, one by one, shall leave the shore; pastor, people, there--in heaven, may they meet to part no more. . c. m. h. bacon. the same. not for the prophet tongue of fire, nor voice of trumpet tone, we lift our prayer, immortal sire, for him before thy throne. we ask for wisdom's gifts and grace, the heart alive to love, the earnest zeal to save our race, all selfish aims above. lord, bless him now! by holy rite, we consecrate to thee! make to his eye the chief delight christ's prospering work to see. bold let him be for truth and man, for god and righteousness! free let him speak the gospel plan, and the whole truth confess. be cloud and fire about his way, till canaan's land is trod! then o'er his grave thy church shall say, he led us to our god! associations, conventions, and missionary meetings. . c. m. doddridge. for a meeting of ministers. let zion's watchmen all awake, and take the alarm they give: now let them, from the mouth of god, their solemn charge receive. 'tis not a cause of small import the pastor's care demands; but what might fill an angel's heart, and filled a saviour's hands. may they, that jesus whom they preach, their own redeemer see; and watch thou daily o'er their souls, that they may watch for thee. . s. & s. m. anonymous. burden and conflict of the ministry. onward, christian, though the region where thou art be drear and lone; god hath set a guardian legion very near thee,--press thou on! by the thorn-wood, and none other, is the mount of vision won; tread it without shrinking, brother! jesus trod it,--press thou on! by thy trustful, calm endeavor, guiding, cheering, like the sun, earth-bound hearts thou shalt deliver o, for their sake, press thou on! be this world the wiser, stronger, for thy life of pain and peace; while it needs thee, o, no longer pray thou for thy quick release. pray thou, christian, daily, rather, that thou be a faithful son; by the prayer of jesus,--"father, not my will, but thine, be done!" . l. m. a. balfour. ministers charged and encouraged. go, messengers of peace and love, to people plunged in shades of night; like angels sent from fields above, be yours to shed celestial light. go to the hungry,--food impart; to paths of peace the wanderer guide; and lead the thirsty panting heart where streams of living water glide. o faint not in the day of toil, when harvest waits the reaper's hand; go, gather in the glorious spoil, and joyous in his presence stand. thy love a rich reward shall find from him who sits enthroned on high; for they who turn the erring mind shall shine like stars above the sky. . s. m. wesleyan. call to labor in god's vineyard. the vineyard of the lord before his laborers lies; and, lo! we see the vast reward which waits us in the skies. o let us then proceed in god's great work below, and following our triumphant head, to further conquests go. and let our heart and mind continually ascend, that haven of repose to find, where all our labors end. what honor to behold, in that sublime abode, the patriarchs and prophets old, and all the men of god! then spend our days beneath, toiling in cheerful hope; and fearless pass the vale of death, and gain the mountain top. . l. m. episcopal coll. for laborers in god's harvest. o spirit of the living god, in all thy plenitude of grace, where'er the foot of man hath trod, descend on our degenerate race! give tongues of fire and hearts of love, to preach the reconciling word; give power and unction from above, where'er the joyful sound is heard. be darkness, at thy coming, light; confusion, order, in thy path; souls without strength inspire with might; bid mercy triumph over wrath. convert the nations; far and nigh the triumphs of the cross record; the name of jesus glorify, till every people call him lord. . s. m. byrant. a blessing invoked on christian teachers. mighty one, before whose face, wisdom had her glorious seat, when the orbs that people space sprang to birth beneath thy feet; source of truth, whose rays alone light the mighty world of mind; god of love, who from thy throne kindly watchest all mankind; shed on those, who in thy name teach the way of truth and right, shed that love's undying flame, shed that wisdom's guiding light. . l. m. h. ballou. at an annual convention. dear lord, behold thy servants, here, from various parts together meet, to tell their labors through the year, and lay the harvest at thy feet. the reapers cry, "thy fields are white, all ready to be gathered in, and harvests wave in changing light, far as the eye can trace the scene." lord, bless us while we here remain; with holy love our bosoms fill; o may thy doctrine drop like rain, and like the silent dew distil. while we attend thy churches' care o grant us wisdom from above; with prudent thought and humble prayer, may we fulfil the works of love. . l. m. hymns of zion. the same. brethren, beloved for jesus' sake, a hearty welcome here receive; may we together now partake the joys which he alone can give. may he by whose kind care we meet, send his good spirit from above, make our communion pure and sweet, and cause our hearts to burn with love. forgotten be each worldly theme, when thus we meet, to pray and praise; we but desire to speak of him, and of his holy word and ways. thus as the moments pass away, we'll love, and wonder and adore; then hasten on, the glorious day, when we shall meet to part no more. . c. m. hymns of zion. the same. joined in a union firm and strong, no foe our ranks can break; to victory we press along, and glorious warfare make. our fervent prayers shall still prevail against a host of sins; and angels every christian hail whose love a conquest wins. then let our ranks, more closely joined, with shield and buckler stand; a kingdom we at last shall find, the promised spirit-land. let all with harmony of voice, in lofty praises join; let every soul in christ rejoice, with rapture all divine. the kindling flame begins to glow, each heart grows warm with love; and we enjoy on earth below, the bliss of heaven above! o thus forever may we feel, and evermore display devotion's pure and holy zeal, in zion's chosen way. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the same. our father--ever living! once more thy children come, in joy and true thanksgiving, to this their gospel home. united--from dissension kept by thy goodness free-- again in glad convention our vows we pay to thee. the past! its ways are beaming with thy sure mercies, lord-- thy truth and grace redeeming, sent o'er the earth abroad, the hoary shrines of error have cast aside; and free from darkness, doubt, and terror its children come to thee. the present! loudly sounding, its cheering tones are heard; be our full hearts abounding in its strong hope and word! be strength and wisdom, father! bestowing what we need, truth's harvest-sheaves to gather-- christ's kingdom here to speed. the future! indications of mightier works are there:-- truth's promised revelations; thine arm of power made bare; from sin's dread reign exemption: man's life in christ, divine; the erring world's redemption; the glory, father, thine! . c. m. mrs. sawyer. the same. we gather in the name of god, and, bowing down the head, we stretch our waiting hands abroad, and humbly ask for aid: for aid, when o'er the spirit's day, thick clouds of darkness rest, that we may chase the gloom away, and light the darkened breast. for strength to lead the poor, the weak who tread the vale of years,-- for pity's hand to dry the cheek where sorrow sits in tears; for hope, the beautiful and bright, that whispers, "ne'er despond!" for faith, that through the darkest night still sees a star beyond. bold heralds of the cross, o god, undaunted send us forth; salvation be our rallying word,-- our field, the boundless earth; love on our lips, and in our soul, our labors never done; o sovereign helper! till the goal by all at last be won. . s. m. h. k. white. closing hymn at an association. christians! brethren! ere we part, every voice and every heart join, and to our father raise one last hymn of grateful praise. though we here should meet no more, yet there is a brighter shore; there, released from toil and pain, there we all may meet again. now to him who reigns in heaven be eternal glory given; grateful for thy love divine, o may all our hearts be thine! . c. m. sutton. the same. hail, sweetest, dearest tie that binds our glowing hearts in one; hail, sacred hope, that tunes our minds to sing what god hath done. it is the hope, the blissful hope, which gospel grace hath given; the hope, when days and years are past, we all shall meet in heaven. from eastern shores, from northern lands, from western hill and plain, from southern climes, the brother-bands may hope to meet again; it is the hope, the blissful hope, which love divine hath given: the hope, when life and time are o'er, we all shall meet in heaven. no hope deferred, no parting sigh, that blessed meeting knows; there friendship beams from every eye, and hope immortal grows. it is the hope, the precious hope, which boundless grace hath given: the hope, when time shall be no more, we all shall meet in heaven. . c. m. w. ward. prayer for the success of the gospel. great god, the nations of the earth are by creation thine; and in thy works, by all beheld, thy radiant glories shine. but, lord, thy greater love has sent thy gospel to mankind, unveiling what rich stores of grace are treasured in thy mind. o, when shall these glad tidings spread the spacious earth around, till every tribe and every soul shall hear the joyful sound? smile, lord, on each divine attempt to spread the gospel's rays, and build on sin's demolished throne the temples of thy praise. . s. & s. m. heber. missionary hymn. from greenland's icy mountains, from india's coral strand,-- where afric's sunny fountains roll down their golden sand,-- from many an ancient river, from many a palmy plain,-- they call us to deliver their land from error's chain. what though the spicy breezes blow soft o'er ceylon's isle; though every prospect pleases, and only man is vile; in vain with lavish kindness the gifts of god are strown; the heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone. shall we, whose souls are lighted by wisdom from on high, shall we to men benighted the lamp of life deny? salvation! o, salvation! the joyful sound proclaim, till each remotest nation has learnt messiah's name. . s. m. pratt's coll. the same. go! ye messengers of god, like the beams of morning, fly; take the wonder-working rod, wave the banner-cross on high! where th' lofty minaret gleams along the morning skies, wave it till the crescent set, and the "star of jacob" rise. go! to many a tropic isle, in the bosom of the deep; where the skies forever smile, and th' oppressed forever weep! o'er the negro's night of care pour the living light of heaven; chase away the fiend despair, bid him hope to be forgiven! when the golden gates of day open on the palmy east, wide the bleeding cross display, spread the gospel's richest feast: circumnavigate the ball, visit every soil and sea; preach the cross of christ to all-- jesus' love is full and free! . c. m. s. w. livermore. the western churches. our pilgrim brethren dwelling far,-- o god of truth and love, light thou their path with thine own star, bright beaming from above. wide as their mighty rivers flow, let thine own truth extend; where prairies spread and forests grow, o lord, thy gospel send. then will a mighty nation own a union firm and strong;-- the sceptre of th' eternal throne shall rule its councils long. . c. p. m. episcopal coll. on western missions. when, lord, to this our western land, led by thy providential hand, our wandering fathers came, their ancient homes, their friends in youth sent forth the heralds of thy truth, to keep them in thy name. then, through our solitary coast, the desert features soon were lost; thy temples there arose; our shores, as culture made them fair, were hallowed by thy rites, by prayer, and blossomed as the rose. and o, may we repay this debt to regions solitary yet within our spreading land! there brethren, from our common home, still westward, like our fathers, roam, still guided by thy hand. father, we own this debt of love; o, shed thy spirit from above, to move each christian breast, till heralds shall thy truth proclaim, and temples rise, to fix thy name, through all our boundless west! . l. m. winchell's sel. missionaries encouraged. ye christian heralds,--go, proclaim salvation in immanuel's name: to distant climes the tidings bear, and plant the rose of sharon there. he'll shield you with a wall of fire, with holy zeal your hearts inspire, bid raging winds their fury cease, and calm the savage breast to peace. and when our labors all are o'er, then shall we meet to part no more,-- meet, with the ransomed throng to fail, and crown the saviour lord of all. early religious culture. . s. m. campbell's coll. prayer for children. god of mercy, hear our prayer for the children thou hast given; let them all thy blessings share-- grace on earth and bliss in heaven. in the morning of their days may their hearts be drawn to thee; let them learn to lisp thy praise in their earliest infancy. when we see their passions rise, sinful habits unsubdued, then to thee we lift our eyes, that their hearts may be renewed. for this mercy, lord, we cry; bend thine ever-gracious ear; while on thee our souls rely, hear our prayer--in mercy hear. . c. m. bp. heber. early religion. by cool siloam's shady rill how sweet the lily grows! how sweet the breath beneath the hill of sharon's dewy rose! lo, such the child whose early feet the paths of peace have trod; whose secret heart, with influence sweet, is upward drawn to god! by cool siloam's shady rill the lily must decay; the rose that blooms beneath the hill must shortly fade away. and soon, too soon, the wintry hour of man's maturer age will shake the soul with sorrow's power, and stormy passion's rage! o thou, who giv'st us life and breath, we seek thy grace alone, in childhood, manhood, age, and death; to keep us still thine own! . s. & s. m. s. f. smith. "remember thy creator." "remember thy creator" while youth's fair spring is bright, before thy cares are greater, before comes age's night; while yet the sun shines o'er thee, while stars the darkness cheer, while life is all before thee, thy great creator fear. . c. m. watts. early piety. when children give their hearts to god, 'tis pleasing in his eyes; a flower, when offered in the bud, is no vain sacrifice. it saves us from a thousand snares to mind religion young; grace will preserve our following years, and make our virtues strong. to thee, almighty god, to thee may we our hearts resign; 'twill please us to look back and see, that our whole lives were thine. . c. m. gibbons. the same. in the soft season of thy youth, in nature's smiling bloom, ere age arrive, and trembling wait its summons to the tomb; remember thy creator, god; for him thy powers employ; make him thy fear, thy love, thy hope, thy confidence, thy joy. he shall defend and guide thy course through life's uncertain sea, till thou art landed on the shore of blessed eternity. then seek the lord betimes, and choose the path of heavenly truth: the earth affords no lovelier sight than a religious youth. . l. m. landon. permanence of early religious impressions. while yet the youthful spirit bears the image of its god within, and uneffaced that beauty wears so soon to be destroyed by sin;-- then is the time for faith and love to take in charge their precious care, teach the young eye to look above, teach the young knee to bend in prayer. the world will come with care and crime, and tempt too many a heart astray; still the seed sown in early time will not be wholly cast away. the infant prayer, the infant hymn, within the darkened soul will rise, when age's weary eye is dim, and the grave's shadow round us lies. lord, grant our hearts be so inclined, thy work to seek, thy will to do; and while we teach the youthful mind, our own be taught thy lessons too. . c. m. watts. importance of the bible to the young. how shall the young secure their hearts, and guard their lives, from sin? thy word the choicest rules imparts to keep the conscience clean. 'tis, like the sun, a heavenly light, that guides us all the day, and, through the dangers of the night, a lamp to lead our way. thy precepts make us truly wise; we hate the sinner's road: we hate our own vain thoughts that rise, but love thy law, o god! thy word is everlasting truth: how pure is every page! that holy book shall guide our youth, and well support our age. . s. m. anonymous. youth and the spring-time. sweet is the time of spring, when nature's charms appear; the birds with ceaseless pleasure sing, and hail the opening year: but sweeter far the spring of wisdom and of grace, when children bless and praise their king, who loves the youthful race. sweet is the dawn of day, when light just streaks the sky; when shades and darkness pass away, and morning's beams are nigh: but sweeter far the dawn of piety in youth; when doubt and darkness are withdrawn, before the light of truth. sweet is the early dew, which gilds the mountain tops, and decks each plant and flower we view, with pearly, glittering drops; but sweeter far the scene on zion's holy hill, when there the dew of youth is seen its freshness to distil. . c. m. episcopal coll. "remember thy creator." in the glad morn of life, when youth with generous ardor glows, and shines in all the fairest charms that beauty can disclose; deep on thy soul,--before its powers are yet by vice enslaved,-- be thy creator's lofty name and character engraved. for soon the shades of grief may cloud the sunshine of thy days; and cares and toils, an endless round, encompass all thy ways. true wisdom, early sought and gained, in age will give thee rest; o then, improve the morn of life, to make its evening blest! . s. & s. m. r. streeter. children's prayer. god of mercy and of wisdom, hear thy children's lisping cry; let thy presence, lord, be with them, teaching lessons from on high. here, beneath thy wing, we seat us, up to heaven for wisdom look; lord, in mercy deign to meet us,-- meet us in thy sacred book. since thy truth doth gild its pages, may that truth, lord, make us free; on the rock of endless ages let our faith established be. to our faith we'll add the graces, virtue, knowledge, patience, love; when on earth we leave our places, raise us all to seats above. . s. m. grey. sabbath school hymn. suppliant, lo! thy children bend, father, for thy blessing now; thou canst teach us, guide, defend,-- we are weak, almighty thou. with the peace thy word imparts, be the taught and teacher blest; in their lives and on their hearts, father, be thy laws imprest. pour into each longing mind light and knowledge from above: charity for all mankind-- trusting faith, enduring love. . s. & s. m. anonymous. opening of the school. we have met in peace together in this house of god again; constant friends have led us hither, here to chant the solemn strain, here to breathe our adoration, here the saviour's praise to sing: may the spirit of salvation come with healing in his wing. we have met, and time is flying; we shall part, and still his wing, sweeping o'er the dead and dying, will the changeful seasons bring: let us, while our hearts are lightest, in our fresh and early years, turn to him whose smile is brightest, and whose grace will calm our fears. he will aid us, should existence with its sorrows sting the breast; gleaming in the onward distance, faith will mark the land of rest: there, 'midst day-beams round him playing, we our father's face shall see, and shall hear him gently saying, "little children, come to me." . c. m. william cutter. youthful example. what if the little rain should say, so small a drop as i can ne'er refresh these thirsty fields, i'll tarry in the sky? what if a shining beam of noon should in its fountain stay, because its feeble light alone cannot create a day? doth not each rain-drop help to form the cool, refreshing shower, and every ray of light to warm and beautify the flower? go thou, and strive to do thy share-- one talent,--less than thine,-- improved with steady zeal and care, would gain rewards divine. . l. m. montgomery. sabbath school anniversary. from year to year in love we meet; from year to year in peace we part; the tongues of children uttering sweet the thrilling joy of every heart. but time rolls on; and, year by year, we change, grow up, or pass away; not twice the same assembly here have hailed the children's festal day. death, ere another year, may strike some in our number marked to fall: be young and old prepared alike; the warning is to each, to all. oft broke, our failing ranks renew; send teachers, children, in our place, more humble, docile, faithful, true, more like thy son, from race to race. . l. m. anonymous. for the close of a sabbath school. father, once more let grateful praise and humble prayer to thee ascend; thou guide and guardian of our ways, our early and our only friend. since every day and hour that's gone has been with mercy richly crowned, mercy, we know, shall still flow on, forever sure as time rolls round. hear then the parting prayers we pour, and bind our hearts in love alone; and if we meet on earth no more, may we at last surround thy throne. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. sabbath school anniversary. creation's sovereign lord! be thy glad name adored through earth and sky! hear, as in youthful days to thee we humbly raise songs of our grateful praise, holy and high! thanks for thy light so free, causing our eyes to see thy truth and grace; love, that dispels our fear, mercy, to sinners dear, life, dying souls to cheer, for all our race. thanks, that on hearts like ours thy loving kindness showers knowledge divine; o let its influence be fruitful in works for thee, causing in purity our lives to shine. bless this our childhood band, and let us ever stand truthful and strong; christians in deed and love, such as thou wilt approve, till we in worlds above thy praise prolong! . s. & s. m. s. s. choir. the same. when, his salvation bringing, to zion jesus came, the children all stood singing hosanna to his name. nor did their zeal offend him, but, as he rode along, he bade them still attend him, and smiled to hear their song. and since the lord retaineth his love for children still, though now as king he reigneth on zion's heavenly hill, we'll flock around his banner, who sits upon the throne; and cry aloud, "hosanna to david's royal son." for should we fail proclaiming our great redeemer's praise, the stones, our silence shaming, might well hosanna raise. but shall we only render the tribute of our words? no! while our hearts are tender, they, too, shall be the lord's. . s. & s. m. boston s. s. h. book. anniversary of independence. we come with joy and gladness to breathe our songs of praise, nor let one note of sadness be mingled in our lays; for 'tis a hallowed story, this theme of freedom's birth: our fathers' deeds of glory are echoed round the earth. the sound is waxing stronger, and thrones and nations hear-- proud men shall rule no longer, for god the lord is near: and he will crush oppression, and raise the humble mind, and give the earth's possession among the good and kind. and then shall sink the mountains where pride and power are crowned, and peace, like gentle fountains, shall shed its pureness round. o god! we would adore thee, and in thy shadow rest; our fathers bowed before thee, and trusted and were blest. . s. & s. m. horne. autumn warnings. see the leaves around us falling, dry and withered, to the ground; thus to thoughtless mortals calling, in a sad and solemn sound:-- "youth, on length of days presuming, who the paths of pleasure tread,-- view us, late in beauty blooming, numbered now among the dead. "what though yet no losses grieve you, gay with health and many a grace, let not cloudless skies deceive you: summer gives to autumn place." on the tree of life eternal, let our highest hopes be staid: this alone, forever vernal, bears a leaf that shall not fade. . c. m. anonymous. death of a teacher. farewell, dear friend! a long farewell! for we shall meet no more till we are raised with thee to dwell on zion's happy shore. our friend and brother, lo! is dead! the cold and lifeless clay has made in dust its silent bed, and there it must decay. farewell, dear friend, again farewell,-- soon we shall rise to thee; and when we meet, no tongue can tell how great our joys shall be. no more we'll mourn thee, parted friend, but lift our ardent prayer, and every thought and effort bend to rise and join thee there. . s. & s. m. anonymous. the same. though lost to our sight, we may not deplore thee, the clear light of faith shall illumine thy road; all through the dark valley shall angels watch o'er thee, and guide thee in peace to the home of thy god. thy heart, while on earth, in his praises delighted, thy voice ever spoke of his fatherly love; and now, by life's shadows no longer benighted, thou wilt love him and praise him in heaven above. and there may we meet when life shall be ended, all tears wiped away, and all errors forgiven, and there may our prayers together be blended in the sweet song of praise to our master in heaven. . l. m. s. s. choir. death of a scholar. we come our sabbath hymn to raise, our earnest, humble prayer to pour; one voice is hushed, its notes of praise shall mingle here with ours no more. the lips are still, the eye is dim, that brightly beamed with joy and love; the spirit, it hath gone to him who freely gave it from above. we will not weep, for jesus said, "let little children to me come;" but pray that our young hearts be led to seek our everlasting home. . c. m. boston s. s. h. book. the same. death has been here, and borne away a brother from our side: just in the morning of his day, as young as we he died. we cannot tell who next may fall beneath thy chastening rod; one must be first, but let us all prepare to meet our god. may each attend with willing feet the means of knowledge here; and wait around thy mercy seat, with hope as well as fear. lord, to thy wisdom and thy care may we resign our days; content to live and serve thee here, or die and sing thy praise. . s. & s. m. r. c. waterston. on the death of a female scholar. one sweet flower has drooped and faded, one sweet infant's voice has fled, one fair brow the grave has shaded, one dear school-mate now is dead. but we feel no thought of sadness, for our friend is happy now; she has knelt in soul-felt gladness, where the blessed angels bow. she has gone to heaven before us, but she turns and waves her hand, pointing to the glories o'er us, in that happy spirit-land. god, our father, watch above us, keep us all from danger free; do thou guard, and guide, and love us, till like her we go to thee. . c. m. anonymous. a child's prayer. lord, teach a little child to pray, and, o, accept my prayer; thou canst hear all the words i say, for thou art everywhere. a little sparrow cannot fall unnoticed, lord, by thee; and though i am so young and small, thou dost take care of me. teach me to do whate'er is right, and, when i sin, forgive; and make it still my chief delight to serve thee while i live. . l. m. s. s. h. book. god--our father. great god! and wilt thou condescend to be my father and my friend? i but a child, and thou so high, the lord of earth and air and sky! art thou my father?--let me be a meek, obedient child to thee; and try, in every deed and thought, to serve and please thee as i ought. art thou my father?--i'll depend upon the care of such a friend; and only wish to do and be whatever seemeth good to thee. art thou my father?--then, at last, when all my days on earth are past, send down and take me, in thy love, to be thy better child above. philanthropic subjects. . s. m. j. taylor. acceptable offering. father of our feeble race, wise, beneficent, and kind! spread o'er nature's ample face, flows thy goodness unconfined. musing in the silent grove, or the busy walks of men, still we trace thy wondrous love, claiming large returns again. lord, what offering shall we bring, at thine altars when we bow? hearts, the pure unsullied spring whence the kind affections flow; soft compassion's feeling soul, by the melting eye expressed; sympathy, at whose control sorrow leaves the wounded breast; willing hands to lead the blind, bind the wounded, feed the poor; love, embracing all our kind; charity, with liberal store:-- teach us, o thou heavenly king, thus to show our grateful mind, thus the accepted offering bring, love to thee and all mankind. . c. m. watts. kindness to the poor. how blest is he who fears the lord, and follows his commands, who lends the poor without reward, or gives with liberal hands. as pity dwells within his breast to all the sons of need, so god shall answer his request with blessings on his seed. in times of danger and distress, some beams of light shall shine, to show the world his righteousness, and give him peace divine. his works of piety and love remain before the lord; sweet peace on earth, and joys above, shall be his sure reward. . c. m. h. martineau. all men are equal. all men are equal in their birth, heirs of the earth and skies; all men are equal when that earth fades from their dying eyes. god meets the throngs who pay their vows in courts that hands have made, and hears the worshipper who bows beneath the plantain shade. 'tis man alone who difference sees, and speaks of high and low, and worships those, and tramples these, while the same path they go. o, let man hasten to restore to all their rights of love; in power and wealth exult no more; in wisdom lowly move. ye great, renounce your earth-born pride, ye low, your shame and fear: live, as ye worship, side by side; your brotherhood revere. . c. m. lutheran coll. charity. go to the pillow of disease, where night gives no repose, and on the cheek where sickness preys, bid health to plant the rose. go where the friendless stranger lies; to perish is his doom: snatch from the grave his closing eyes. and bring his blessing home. thus what our heavenly father gave shall we as freely give; thus copy him who lived to save, and died that we might live. . c. m. mrs. barbauld. "ye are the salt of the earth." salt of the earth! ye virtuous few who season human kind; light of the world! whose cheering ray illumes the realms of mind. where misery spreads her deepest shade your strong compassion glows; from your blest lips the balm proceeds that softens human woes. yours is the large expansive thought, the high heroic deed; exile and chains to you are dear, to you 'tis sweet to bleed. proceed! your race of glory run, your virtuous toils endure; you come commissioned from on high, and your reward is sure. . l. m. watts. all things vain without love. had i the tongues of greeks and jews, and nobler speech than angels use, if love be absent, i am found like tinkling brass, an empty sound. were i inspired to preach and tell all that is done in heaven and hell; or could my faith the world remove, still i am nothing without love. should i distribute all my store to feed the cravings of the poor; or give my body to the flame to gain a martyr's glorious name; if love to god and love to men be absent, all my hopes are vain: nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal, the works of love can e'er fulfil. . c. m. mrs. sigourney. the sower and the seed. all hail! ye servants of the lord! on mercy's mission bound; who, like the sower of the word, strew precious gifts around. what though your seed 'mid thorns be sown, where tares and brambles thrive, still one is able, one alone, to save its germ alive. ye fear, what falls on stony earth will mock your prayerful toil; but sometimes plants of holiest birth bear fruit in sterile soil. the seed that by the way-side fell, perchance you counted dead; yet birds, that sing in heaven, may tell, they on its sweetness fed. and some a hundred fold shall bear, to glorify the lord; how blessed, then, will be your care! how glorious your reward! . s. & s. m. hastings. the sower and his sheaves. he, that goeth forth with weeping, bearing still the precious seed, never tiring, never sleeping, soon shall see his toil succeed: showers of rain will fall from heaven, then the cheering sun will shine, so shall plenteous fruit be given, through an influence all divine. sow thy seed, be never weary, let not fear thy mind employ; though the prospect be most dreary, thou may'st reap the fruits of joy: lo! the scene of verdure bright'ning, see the rising grain appear; look again! the fields are whit'ning, harvest-time is surely near. . s. m. montgomery. active effort to do good. sow in the morn thy seed; at eve hold not thy hand; to doubt and fear give thou no heed; broadcast it o'er the land;-- and duly shall appear, in verdure, beauty, strength, the tender blade, the stalk, the ear, and the full corn at length. thou canst not toil in vain; cold, heat, and moist, and dry, shall foster and mature the grain for garners in the sky. . l. m. drummond. faith without works is dead. as body when the soul has fled, as barren trees, decayed and dead, is faith; a hopeless, lifeless thing, if not of righteous deeds the spring. one cup of healing oil and wine, one tear-drop shed on mercy's shrine, is thrice more grateful, lord, to thee, than lifted eye or bended knee. . c. p. m. blacklock. christian beneficence. hail, love divine! joys ever new, while thy kind dictates we pursue, our souls delighted share, too high for sordid minds to know, who on themselves alone bestow their wishes and their care. by thee inspired, the generous breast, in blessing others only blest, with kindness large and free, delights the widow's tears to stay, to teach the blind their smoothest way, and aid the feeble knee. o god, with sympathetic care, in others' joys and griefs to share, do thou our hearts incline; each low, each selfish wish control, warm with benevolence the soul, and make us wholly thine. . c. m. watts. liberality rewarded. ps. . happy is he that fears the lord, and follows his commands; who lends the poor without reward, or gives with liberal hands. as pity dwells within his breast to all the sons of need, so god shall answer his request with blessings on his seed. no evil tidings shall surprise his well-established mind; his soul to god, his refuge, flies, and leaves his fears behind. in times of general distress, some beams of light shall shine to show the world his righteousness, and give him peace divine. . c. m. watts. love and charity. let pharisees of high esteem their faith and zeal declare,-- all their religion is a dream, if love be wanting there. love suffers long with patient eye, nor is provoked in haste; she lets the present injury die, and long forgets the past. malice and rage, those fires of hell, she quenches with her tongue; hopes and believes, and thinks no ill, though she endures the wrong. love is the grace that keeps her power in all the realms above; there faith and hope are known no more, but saints forever love. . l. m. e. h. chapin. anniversary of a charitable association. when long the soul had slept in chains, and man to man was stern and cold; when love and worship were but strains that swept the gifted chords of old-- by shady mount and peaceful lake, meek and lowly stranger came, the weary drank the words he spake, the poor and feeble blessed his name. no shrine he reared in porch or grove, no vested priests around him stood-- he went about to teach, and prove the lofty work of doing good. said he, to those who with him trod, "would ye be my disciples? then evince your ardent love for god by the kind deeds ye do for men." he went where frenzy held its rule, where sickness breathed its spell of pain; by famed bethesda's mystic pool; and by the darkened gate of nain. he soothed the mourner's troubled breast, he raised the contrite, sinner's head, and on the loved ones' lowly rest, the light of better life he shed. father, the spirit jesus knew, we humbly ask of thee to-night, that we may be disciples too of him whose way was love and light. bright be the places where we tread amid earth's suffering and its poor, till we shall come where tears are shed and broken sighs are heard no more. . c. m. w. croswell. imitation of christ's kindness. lord, lead the way the saviour went by lane and cell obscure, and let our treasures still be spent, like his, upon the poor. like him, through scenes of deep distress, who bore the world's sad weight, we, in their gloomy loneliness, would seek the desolate. for thou hast placed us side by side in this wide world of ill; and that thy followers may be tried, the poor are with us still. small are the offerings we can make; yet thou hast taught us, lord, if given for the saviour's sake, they lose not their reward. . c. m. peabody. for a charitable occasion. who is thy neighbor? he whom thou hast power to aid or bless; whose aching heart or burning brow thy soothing hand may press. thy neighbor? 'tis the fainting poor, whose eye with want is dim; o enter thou his humble door, with aid and peace for him. thy neighbor? he who drinks the cup when sorrow drowns the brim; with words of high sustaining hope, go thou and comfort him. thy neighbor? 'tis the weary slave, fettered in mind and limb; he hath no hope this side the grave; go thou, and ransom him. thy neighbor? pass no mourner by; perhaps thou canst redeem a breaking heart from misery; go, share thy lot with him. . l. m. pratt's coll. the blessedness of considering the poor. ps. : - . blest who with generous pity glows, who learns to feel another's woes; bows to the poor man's wants his ear, and wipes the helpless orphan's tear! in every want, in every woe, himself thy pity, lord, shall know. thy love his life shall guard, thy hand give to his lot the chosen land; nor leave him, in the troubled day, to unrelenting foes a prey. in sickness thou shall raise his head, and make with tenderest care his bed. . l. m. j. g. adams. for a charitable meeting. god of the poor! whose listening ear is sought by want's imploring cry,-- whose bounty and whose grace are near, thy needy children to supply:-- to whom with more acceptance rise the words of mercy's voice divine, than pompous rites, or sacrifice of flocks and herds, of oil and wine. where'er the poor our aid demand, teach us with ready steps to move, give us the zealous heart and hand to do the work of christian love;-- the downcast spirit to revive, the fainting heart with joy to bless; to bid the solitary live-- the widow and the fatherless. thus will we thank thee that thy grace inclined our feet in paths to go where shines that brightness of thy face, which the obedient only know. . l. m. ch. psalmody. care of widows and orphans. thou god of hope, to thee we bow; thou art our refuge in distress; the husband of the widow thou, the father of the fatherless. the poor are thy peculiar care; to them thy promises are sure: thy gifts the poor in spirit share; o, may we always thus be poor. may we thy law of love fulfil, to bear each other's burdens here, endure and do thy righteous will, and walk in all thy faith and fear. thou god of hope, to thee we bow; thou art our refuge in distress; the husband of the widow thou, the father of the fatherless. . l. m. pratt's coll. for a charitable occasion. help us, o lord! thy yoke to wear, delighting in thy perfect will; each other's burdens learn to bear, and thus thy law of love fulfil. who sparingly his seed bestows, he sparingly shall also reap; but whoso plentifully sows, the plenteous sheaves his hands shall heap. teach us, with glad and cheerful hearts, as thou hast blessed our various store, from our abundance to impart a liberal portion to the poor. to thee our all devoted be, in whom we breathe, and move, and live: freely we have received from thee; freely may we rejoice to give. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the same. how blest, amid all blessing this changing world bestows, that soul in truth possessing pity for others' woes; ready to move and lighten the load affliction bears-- want's face with joy to brighten, in deed, as with its prayers. thus christ, the friend and servant of man, depressed and poor-- with ready soul and fervent-- with patience to endure-- lived, labored without measure in mercy's holy name, god's will his highest pleasure, our good his only fame. and those who in his spirit would seek to live and move, his virtue must inherit, and labor in his love; labor where poor, forsaken, and lowly, sufferers lie; in faith and hope unshaken; celestial ministry! god of all times and stations! teach us this lesson true,-- proclaim it to all nations in life and power anew,-- that high above all praises-- all prayers--is that unfeigned, glad offering mercy raises, by living deeds sustained! . c. m. boden. kindness to the afflicted. what shall we render, bounteous lord, for all the grace we see? the goodness feeble man can yield extendeth not to thee. to scenes of woe, to beds of pain, we'll cheerfully repair, and, with the gifts thy hand bestows, relieve the sufferers there. the widow's heart shall sing for joy; the orphan shall be glad; and hungering souls we'll gladly point to christ, the living bread. thus what our heavenly father gave shall we as freely give; thus copy him who lived to save, and died that we might live. . l. m. miss woodman. prayer for a beneficent spirit. god guard the poor! we may not see the deepest sorrows of the soul; these are laid open, lord, to thee, and subject to thy wise control. make us thy messengers to shed within the home of want and woe, the blessings of thy bounty, spread so freely on thy world below. let us go forth with joyful hand to strengthen, comfort and relieve; then in thy presence may we stand, and hope thy blessing to receive. . l. m. montgomery. for a public hospital or asylum. when, like a stranger on our sphere, the lowly jesus wandered here, where'er he went, affliction fled. and sickness reared her fainting head. demoniac madness, dark and wild, in his inspiring presence smiled; the storm of horror ceased to roll, and reason lightened through the soul. through paths of loving-kindness led, where jesus triumphed, we would tread; to all, with willing hands, dispense the crumbs of our benevolence. here the whole family of woe shall friends, and home, and comfort know; the blasted form and shipwrecked mind shall here a tranquil haven find. and thou, dread power, whose sovereign breath is health or sickness, life or death, this favored mansion deign to bless; the cause is thine--send thou success! . l. m. mrs. nichols. anniversary of an orphan asylum. our father! we may lisp that name, when lowly at thy feet we bow; thy little children lightly blame, for thou'rt our only parent now! we are a stricken, humble band, with hearts that thrill to words of love, and cling confiding to the hand that points us to a home above. though 'mong the lowly of the earth, contented with our homely fare, how cheerful was the orphan's hearth before cold death had entered there no mother's voice soothes us to rest-- no father's smile our vision greets: yet we've a home in every breast that with a tender feeling beats. and thou hast raised us many a friend, not bound by ties of kindred blood; then let our hearts in prayer ascend to thee, our father--saviour--god! . l. m. mrs. sigourney. for a temperance anniversary. we praise thee, if one rescued soul, while the past year prolonged its flight, turned, shuddering, from the poisonous bowl, to health, and liberty, and light. we praise thee, if one clouded home, where broken hearts despairing pined, beheld the sire and husband come erect and in his perfect mind. no more a weeping wife to mock, till all her hopes in anguish end; no more the trembling child to shock, and sink the father in the fiend. still give us grace, almighty king! unwavering at our posts to stand, till grateful to thy shrine we bring the tribute of a ransomed land. . s. m. m. w. hale. the same. praise for the glorious light, which crowns this joyous day; whose beams dispel the shades of night, and wake our grateful lay! praise for the mighty band, redeemed from error's chain, whose echoing voices, through our land, join our triumphant strain! ours is no conquest gained upon the tented field; nor hath the flowing life-blood stained the victor's helm and shield. but the strong might of love, and truth's all-pleading voice, as angels bending from above, have made our hearts rejoice. lord! upward to thy throne th' imploring voice we raise; the might, the strength, are thine alone! thine be our loftiest praise. . l. m. anonymous. temperance hymn. god of our fathers, 'tis thy hand hath turned the tide of death away, that rolled in madness o'er the land, and filled thy people with dismay. thy voice awaked us from our dream: thy spirit taught our hearts to feel; 'twas thy own light, whose radiant beam came down our duty to reveal. almighty parent, still in thee our spirits trust for strength divine; gird us with heaven's own energy, and o'er our paths let wisdom shine. the work of man's destruction stay; the tide of fire still backward press; drive each delusive mist away, and every humble effort bless. . s. m. p. h. sweetser. the same. hark! the voice of choral song floats upon the breeze along, chanting clear, in solemn lays,-- "man redeemed--to god the praise!" angels, strike the golden lyre! mortals, catch the heavenly fire! thousands ransomed from the grave, millions yet our pledge shall save! save from sin's destructive breath, save from sorrow, shame and death-- from intemperance and strife, save the husband, children, wife! courage! let no heart despair-- mighty is the truth we bear! forward then, baptized in love, led by wisdom from above! . l. m. sargent. the same. slavery and death the cup contains; dash to the earth the poisoned bowl! softer than silk are iron chains compared with those that chafe the soul. hosannas, lord, to thee we sing, whose power the giant fiend obeys. what countless thousands tribute bring, for happier homes and brighter days! thou wilt not break the bruised reed, nor leave the broken heart unbound: the wife regains a husband freed! the orphan clasps a father found! spare, lord, the thoughtless; guide the blind, till man no more shall deem it just to live, by forging chains to bind his weaker brother in the dust. . s. & s. m. pierpont. morning hymn for family worship. pillows, wet with tears of anguish, couches, pressed in sleepless woe, where the sons of belial languish, father, may we never know! for, the maddening cup shall never to our thirsting lips be pressed, but, our draft shall be, forever, the cold water thou hast blessed. this shall give us strength to labor, this, make all our stores increase; this, with thee and with our neighbor, bind us in the bonds of peace. for the lake, the well, the river, water-brook and crystal spring, do we now, to thee, the giver, thanks, our daily tribute, bring. . l. m. logan. god's blessing implored on the temperance cause. for all who love thee and thy cause, o lord, thy blessing we implore; who fear thy name, obey thy laws, from this to earth's remotest shore. o grant, that, freed from low desire, and filled with joy, and love, and fear, each breast may glow with holy fire, while seeking heaven, to serve thee here. pity, o god, the heedless wretch, who staggers to a dreadful grave; thy arm of love around him stretch, and show that thou art strong to save. breathe upon those who scorn our cause, thy cause, o lord, for thou hast blest; show them he honors most thy laws who loves his god and neighbor best. . l. m. mrs. sigourney. the upas tree. there sprang a tree of deadly name: its poisonous breath, its baleful dew scorched the green earth like lava-flame, and every plant of mercy slew. from clime to clime its branches spread their fearful fruits of sin and woe; the prince of darkness loved its shade, and toiled its fiery seeds to sow. faith poured her prayer at midnight hour; the hand of zeal at noon-day wrought; an armor of celestial power the children of the cross besought. behold the axe its pride doth wound; through its cleft boughs the sun doth shine; its blasted blossoms strew the ground: give glory to the arm divine. and still jehovah's aid implore, from isle to isle, from sea to sea, from peopled earth's remotest shore, to root that deadly upas tree. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. dedication of a temperance hall. 'mid homes and shrines forsaken of joy and peace divine, faint hearts new strength have taken, a light is seen to shine! its beaming revelations are shed in mercy far; a guide to all the nations-- the glorious temperance star! hushed be that wail of sadness, life, life has come again; awake the song of gladness, swell high the choral strain! the lost returns from straying in sin's destructive way; that curse is turned to praying, that night to blissful day! god of this day! our father! in humble praise to thee, within these walls we gather-- the spared, the blest, the free; to hail thy grace far-sounding-- our temple dedicate to hope and life abounding in man regenerate! rest thou within it ever, as o'er the ark of old; and here, o may we never in our great strife wax cold. nerve every arm and spirit for each successful blow, till temperance shall inherit all temples here below! . s. & s. m. pierpont. prayer for the abolition of slavery. with thy pure dews and rains, wash out, o god! the stains from afric's shore; and while her palm trees bud, let not her children's blood, with her broad niger's flood, be mingled more. quench, righteous god! the thirst, that congo's sons hath cursed-- the thirst for gold; shall not thy thunders speak, where mammon's altars reek, where maids and matrons shriek, bound, bleeding, sold? hear'st thou, o god! those chains, that clank on freedom's plains, by christians wrought? those who these chains have worn, christians from home have torn, christians have hither borne, christians have bought! lord! wilt thou not, at last, from thine own image cast away all cords, save those of love, which brings man, from his long wand'rings, back--to the king of kings,-- the lord of lords? . l. m. mrs. chapman. for faithfulness in the cause of human freedom. o god of freedom! hear us pray for steadfast hearts to toil as one; till thy pure law hath boundless sway-- thy will in heaven and earth be done. a piercing voice of grief and wrong goes upward from the groaning earth; most true and holy lord! how long?-- in majesty and might come forth. yet, lord! remembering mercy too, behold th' oppressor in his sin; make all his actions just and true, renew his wayward heart within. . l. m. anonymous. prayer for zeal and love. o lord! whose forming hand one blood to all the tribes and nations gave, and giv'st to all their daily food, look down in pity on the slave! fetters and chains and stripes remove, deliv'rance to the captives give; and pour the tide of light and love upon their souls, and bid them live. oh! kindle in our hearts a flame of zeal, thy holy will to do; and bid each one, who loves thy name, love all his bleeding brethren too. through all thy temples, let the stain of prejudice each bosom flee; and, hand in hand, let afric's train, with europe's children, worship thee. . s. & s. m. mrs. livermore. prayer for the slave. father, who of old descended from thy throne above the sky, and thine israel's rights defended, hear the bondman's anguished cry! hear how ethiopia crieth, kneeling on the blood-stained sod; and how sable afric' sigheth, lifting up her hands to god! from the grasp of strong oppression, from the tyrant's rusting chain, and from slavery's deep depression, with its life-long hours of pain; from our country's wide savannas, let the cry come up to thee, let the prayers become hosannas-- father, set thy children free! . s. m. mrs. follen. that god would hear the cries of the slave. lord! deliver; thou canst save; save from evil, mighty god! hear--oh! hear the kneeling slave, break--oh! break th' oppressor's rod. may the captive's pleading fill all the earth, and all the sky; every other voice be still, while he pleads with god on high. he, whose ear is everywhere, who doth silent sorrow see, will regard the captive's prayer, will from bondage set him free. from the tyranny within, save thy children, lord! we pray; chains of iron, chains of sin, cast forever, cast away. love to man, and love to god, are the weapons of our war; these can break the oppressor's rod-- burst the bonds that we abhor. . l. m. j. g. whittier. for a liberty meeting on the fourth of july. o thou! whose presence went before our fathers in their weary way, as with thy chosen moved of yore the fire by night--the cloud by day! when, from each temple of the free, a nation's song ascends to heaven, most holy father! unto thee, may not our humble prayer be given,-- for those to whom this day can bring, not, as to us, the joyful thrill;-- for those, who, under freedom's wing, are bound in slavery's fetters still:-- and grant, o father! that the time of earth's deliverance may be near, when every land, and tongue, and clime, the message of thy love shall hear. when smitten, as with fire from heaven, the captive's chain shall sink in dust, and to his fettered soul be given the glorious freedom of the just. . l. m. miss weston. "'tis good to be merciful." 'tis good to weep and mourn for those, crushed down by slavery's iron hand, and feel, while numbering o'er their woes, strength for the just and true to stand. 'tis good and true to say to those, who claim a right in human kind, "mercy and justice are your foes, and they shall certain triumph find." 'tis good--'tis blessed, to say to all, "arise, to help the wretched slave, upon your god for courage call, and in his strength go forth and save." lord! this is what we seek to do; grant us thy grace to do it well; help us thy glory to pursue, and of thy promises to tell. . p. m. h. ware, jr. the progress of freedom. oppression shall not always reign; there comes a brighter day; when freedom, burst from every chain, shall have triumphant way. then right shall over might prevail, and truth, like hero armed in mail, the hosts of tyrant wrong assail, and hold eternal sway. what voice shall bid the progress stay of truth's victorious car? what arm arrest the growing day, or quench the solar star? what reckless soul, though stout and strong, shall dare bring back the ancient wrong, oppression's guilty night prolong, and freedom's morning bar? the hour of triumph comes apace, the fated, promised hour, when earth upon a ransomed race her bounteous gifts shall shower. ring, liberty, thy glorious bell! bid high thy sacred banner swell! let trump on trump the triumph tell of heaven's redeeming power. . s. & s. m. milton, gardner, and dwight. peace. no war nor battle's sound was heard the earth around,-- no hostile chiefs to furious combat ran; but peaceful was the night in which the prince of light his reign of peace upon the earth began. no conqueror's sword he bore, nor warlike armor wore, nor haughty passions roused to contest wild; in peace and love he came, and gentle was the reign, which o'er the earth he spread by influence mild. unwilling kings obeyed, and sheathed the battle blade, and called their bloody legions from the field; in silent awe they wait, and close the warrior's gate, nor know to whom their homage thus they yield. the peaceful conqueror goes, and triumphs o'er his foes, his weapons drawn from armories above; behold the vanquished sit submissive at his feet, and strife and hate are changed to peace and love. . s. & s. m. e. davis. for an anniversary meeting of the friends of peace. not with the flashing steel-- not with the cannon's peal, or stir of drum, but in the bonds of love; our white flag floats above, her emblem is the dove, 'tis thus we come. the laws of christian light, these are our weapons bright, our mighty shield; christ is our leader high, and the broad plains which lie beneath the blesséd sky, our battle field. on, then, in god's great name, let each pure spirit's flame burn bright and clear: stand firmly in your lot, cry ye aloud, "doubt not," be every fear forgot, christ leads us here. so shall earth's distant lands in happy, holy bands, one brotherhood, together rise and sing, and joyful offerings bring, and heaven's eternal king pronounce it _good_. . c. m. gibbons. prayer for universal peace. lord, send thy word, and let it run, armed with thy spirit's power; ten thousand shall confess its sway, and bless the saving hour. beneath the influence of thy grace the barren wastes shall rise, with sudden greens and fruits arrayed, a blooming paradise. true holiness shall strike its root in each regenerate heart, shall in a growth divine arise, and heavenly fruits impart. peace, with her olives crowned, shall stretch her wings from shore to shore; no trump shall rouse the rage of war, nor murderous cannon roar. lord, for those days we wait;--those days are in thy word foretold; fly swifter, sun and stars, and bring this promised age of gold! . c. m. anonymous. the gospel of peace. joy to the earth! the prince of peace his banner has unfurled; let strife, and sin, and error cease, and joy pervade the world! praise ye the lord! for truth and grace his word and life display; let every soul his love embrace, and own its gentle sway. peace on the earth, good will to men, embraced the gospel plan; let that sweet strain be heard again, which angel-tones began. joy to the isles and lands afar, messiah reigns above; let every eye behold the star, the star of light and love. . c. m. mrs. livermore. peace. no warlike sounds awoke the night, announcing jesus' birth, but angels borne on wings of light, who chanted "peace to earth!" not in the warrior's armor mailed was christ the saviour found; not striving, when by wrath assailed not with the laurel crowned. but meek and lowly was his life, the gentle prince of peace, whose law condemns the hostile strife, and bids dissensions cease. then let the war-cry ne'er be rung beneath the smiling sky, nor to the clouds the banner flung that tells of victory. but let the blissful period haste, when, hushed the cannon's roar, the sword shall cease mankind to waste, and war shall be no more. . c. m. anonymous. prospect of universal peace. o'er mountain tops, the mount of god, in latter days, shall rise above the summits of the hills, and draw the wondering eyes. the beams that shine from zion's hill shall lighten every land; the king who reigns in salem's towers shall the whole world command. nor war shall rage, nor hostile strife disturb those happy years; to ploughshares men shall beat their swords, to pruning-hooks their spears. no longer host, encountering host, shall crowds of slain deplore; they'll lay the martial trumpet by, and study war no more. . s. m. lewins mead coll. the blessings of peace. peace! the welcome sound proclaim, dwell with rapture on the theme; loud, still louder, swell the strain: peace on earth, good will to men. breezes! whispering soft and low, gently murmur as ye blow, breathe the sweet celestial strain, peace on earth, good will to men. ocean's billows! far and wide rolling in majestic pride: loud still louder, swell the strain, peace on earth, good will to men. christians! who these blessings feel, and in adoration kneel; loud, still louder, swell the strain, praise to god, good will to men. . s. s. & s. m. miss fletcher. compassion for the sinning. think gently of the erring! lord, let us not forget, however darkly stained by sin, he is our brother yet. heir of the same inheritance! child of the self-same god! he hath but stumbled in the path, we have in weakness trod. speak gently to him, brother; thou yet mayst lead him back, with holy words, and tones of love, from misery's thorny track. forget not thou hast often sinned, and sinful yet must be: deal gently with the erring one, as god hath dealt with thee. . s. m. anonymous. the same. breathe thoughts of pity o'er a brother's fall, but dwell not with stern anger on his fault; the grace of god alone holds thee, holds all; were that withdrawn, thou, too, wouldst swerve and halt. send back the wand'rer to the saviour's fold; that were an action worthy of a saint; but not in malice let the crime be told, nor publish to the world the evil taint. the saviour suffers when his children slide; then is his holy name by men blasphemed and he afresh is mocked and crucified, even by those his bitter death redeemed. rebuke the sin, and yet in love rebuke; feel as one member in another's pain; win back the soul that his fair path forsook, and mighty and rejoicing is thy gain! . l. m. mrs. livermore. reclaiming power of love. jesus, what precept is like thine, "forgive, as ye would be forgiven!" if heeded, o what power divine would then transform our earth to heaven. not by the harsh or scornful word, should we our brother seek to gain, not by the prison or the sword, the shackle, or the clanking chain. but from our spirits there must flow a love that will his wrong outweigh; our lips must only blessings know, and wrath and sin shall die away. 'twas heaven that formed the holy plan to bring the wanderer back by love; thus let us win our brother, man, and imitate thee, god above! . l. m. miss fletcher. for the prisoner. father! we pray for those who dwell within the prison's gloomy cell! for those whose souls are bending low beneath the weight of guilt and woe. thy love hath kept our thorny way and saved us from sin's iron sway; our brethren in a weaker hour have yielded to temptation's power. teach us with humble hearts to feel, how darkly on our brows the seal of guilt might now perchance be set, had we the same temptation met. then while the error we would shun, we still would aid the erring one to turn from sin's unpitying sway, to virtue's fair and pleasant way. . l. m. miss edgarton. the same. oh shut not out sweet pity's ray from souls now clouded o'er by sin; touch their deep springs, and let the day of christian love flow freely in. send them kind missions, though their feet no more again the world may tread; some pulse of better life may beat in hearts that seem unmoved and dead. 'tis just that they should bear the pain of keen remorse and guilty shame; but scorn may drive to crime again-- 'tis only love that can reclaim. . s. m. miss fletcher. the same. we come to thee, o god, with hushed and solemn strain; we come to plead for those who lie bound with the prisoner's chain. o, give them contrite hearts, to feel their fearful sin, and give to us a patient faith those erring ones to win. give us to love thy law, the paths of vice to shun, but never harshly dare to spurn the suffering sinful one. . s. m. miss martineau, alt. the coming of christ in power. lord jesus, come; for here our path through wilds is laid! we watch as for the day-spring near, amid the breaking shade. lord jesus, come; for hosts meet on the battle plain: the patriot mourns, the tyrant boasts, and tears are shed like rain. lord jesus, come; for chains are still upon the slave; bind up his wounds, relieve his pains, the pining bondman save. hark! herald voices near, lead on thy happier day: come, lord, and our hosannas hear; we wait to strew thy way. come, as in days of old, with words of grace and power; gather us all within thy fold, and let us stray no more. . c. m. r. nicoll. honor all men. i may not scorn the meanest thing that on the earth doth crawl; the slave who would not burst his chain, the tyrant in his hall. the vile oppressor who hath made the widowed mother mourn, though worthless, soulless he may stand, i cannot, dare not scorn. the darkest night that shrouds the sky, of beauty hath a share: the blackest heart hath sighs to tell that god still lingers there. . c. m. whittier. the call of truth. oh! not alone with outward sign, of fear, or voice from heaven, the message of a truth divine, the call of god, is given; awakening in the human heart, love for the true and right, zeal for the christian's better part, strength for the christian's fight. though heralded by nought of fear, or outward sign or show; though only to the inward ear it whisper soft and low; though dropping as the manna fell, unseen, yet from above, holy and gentle, heed it well: the call to truth and love. . c. m. lond. inquirer. encouragement to christian effort. scorn not the slightest word or deed, nor deem it void of power; there's fruit in each wind-wafted seed, waiting its natal hour. a whispered word may touch the heart, and call it back to life; a look of love bid sin depart, and still unholy strife. no act falls fruitless; none can tell how vast its power may be; nor what results enfolded dwell within it silently. work and despair not: bring thy mite, nor care how small it be; god is with all that serve the right, the holy, true, and free. . s. m. enfield. forgiveness. i hear the voice of woe! i hear a brother's sigh! then let my heart with pity flow, with tears of love, my eye. i hear the thirsty cry! the hungry beg for bread! then let my spring its stream supply, my hand its bounty shed. the debtor humbly sues, who would, but cannot pay; and shall i lenity refuse, who need it every day? and shall not wrath relent, touched by that humble strain, my brother crying, "i repent, nor will offend again?" how else, on soaring wing, can hope bear high my prayer, up to thy throne, my god, my king, to plead for pardon there? . s. m. milman. "and he arose and rebuked the winds and sea." lord! thou didst arise and say, to the troubled waters, "peace," and the tempest died away, down they sank, the foaming seas; and a calm and heaving sleep spread o'er all the glassy deep, all the azure lake serene like another heaven was seen! lord! thy gracious word repeat to the billows of the proud! quell the tyrant's martial heat, quell the fierce and changing crowd! then the earth shall find repose, from oppressions, and from woes; and another heaven appear on our world of darkness here! seamen's hymns. . l. m. c. wesley. "they that go down to the sea in ships." lord of the wide extended main! whose power the winds and seas controls, whose hand doth earth and heaven sustain, whose spirit leads believing souls; throughout the deep thy footsteps shine; we own thy way is in the sea, o'erawed by majesty divine, and lost in thine immensity! infinite god! thy greatness spanned these heavens, and meted out the skies; lo' in the hollow of thy hand the measured waters sink and rise. thee to perfection who can tell? earth and her sons beneath thee lie, lighter than dust within thy scale, and less than nothing in thine eye. . l. m. watts. the seaman's song. would you behold the works of god, his wonders in the world abroad? with hardy mariners survey the unknown regions of the sea. they leave their native shores behind, and seize the favor of the wind; till god command, and tempests rise, that heave the ocean to the skies. when land is far, and death is nigh, bereaved of hope, to god they cry: his mercy hears their loud address, and sends salvation in distress. he bids the winds their wrath assuage, and stormy tempests cease to rage; the grateful band their fears give o'er and hail with joy their native shore. o, may the sons of men record the wondrous goodness of the lord; let them their purest offerings bring, and in the church his glory sing. . c. m. mrs. hemans. "these see the works of the lord, and his wonders in the deep." oh god! thy name they well may praise, who to the deep go down, and trace the wonders of thy ways, where rocks and billows frown. for many a fair majestic sight hath met their wandering eyes, beneath the streaming northern light or blaze of indian skies. if glorious be that awful deep, no human power can bind, what then art thou, who bid'st it keep within its bounds confined! let heaven and earth in praise unite, eternal praise to thee, whose word can rouse the tempest's might, or still the raging sea! . l. m. l. anonymous. the mariner's hymn. lord of the sea!--thy potent sway old ocean's wildest waves obey; the gale that whistles through the shrouds, the storm that drives the frighted clouds,-- if but thy whisper order peace, how soon their rude commotions cease! lord of the sea!--the seaman keep from all dangers of the deep! when high the white-capped billows rise, when tempests roar along the skies, when foes or shoals awaken fear,-- o, in thy mercy be thou near. lord of the sea!--a sea is life of care and sorrow, woe and strife! with watchful pains we steer along, to keep the right path, shun the wrong: god grant, that, when we cease to roam, we gain an everlasting home! . s. m. mrs. sigourney. the same. when the parting bosom bleeds, when our native shore recedes, when the wild and faithless main takes us to her trust again, father! view a sailor's woe-- guide us wheresoe'er we go. when the lonely watch we keep, silent on the mighty deep, while the boisterous surges hoarse bear us daily on our course, eye that never slumbers! shed holy influence on our head. when the sabbath's peaceful ray, o'er the ocean's breast doth play, though no throngs assemble there, no sweet church-bell warns to prayer, spirit! let thy presence be sabbath to the unresting sea. when in foreign lands we roam, far from kindred, far from home, stranger-eyes our conduct view, heathen-bands our steps pursue, let our conversation be fitting those who follow thee. should pale death, with arrow dread, make the ocean-cave our bed, though no eye of love might see where that shrouded grave shall be-- god! who hear'st the surges roll, deign to save the sailor's soul. . c. m. madan's coll. thanksgiving for deliverance in a storm. our little bark, on boisterous seas, by cruel tempests tossed, without one cheerful beam of hope, expecting to be lost,-- we to the lord, in humble prayer, breathed out our sad distress; though feeble, yet with contrite hearts, we begged return of peace. then ceased the stormy winds to blow; the surges ceased to roll; and soon again a placid sea spoke comfort to the soul. o, may our grateful, trembling hearts their hallelujahs sing to him who hath our lives preserved,-- our father and our king. . s. m. h. f. gould. hymn at sea. o thou who hast spread out the skies, and measured the depths of the sea, 'twixt heavens and ocean shall rise our incense of praises to thee. we know that thy presence is near while heaves our bark far from the land;-- we ride o'er the deep without fear;-- the waters are held in thy hand. eternity comes in the sound of billows that never can sleep! there's deity circling us round,-- omnipotence walks o'er the deep! o father, our eye is to thee, as on for the haven we roll; and faith in our pilot shall be an anchor to steady the soul. . l. m. cowper. temptation compared to a storm. the billows swell; the winds are high; clouds overcast my wintry sky: out of the depths to thee i call; my fears are great, my strength is small. o lord, the pilot's part perform, and guide and guard me through the storm; defend me from each threatening ill; control the waves: say, "peace! be still." . l. m. l. h. signourney. prayer at sea. prayer may be sweet in cottage homes, where sire and child devoutly kneel, while through the open casement nigh the vernal blossoms fragrant steal. prayer may be sweet in stately halls, where heart with kindred heart is blent, and upward to th' eternal throne the hymn of praise melodious sent. but he who fain would know how warm the soul's appeal to god may be, from friends and native land should turn, a wanderer on the faithless sea;-- should hear its deep, imploring tone rise heavenward o'er the foaming surge, when billows toss the fragile bark, and fearful blasts the conflict urge. naught, naught appears but sea and sky; no refuge where the foot may flee: how will he cast, o rock divine, the anchor of his soul on thee! . c. m. anonymous. the sailor's grave. not in the church-yard shall he sleep, amid the silent gloom,-- his home was on the mighty deep, and there shall be his tomb. he loved his own bright, deep blue sea, o'er it he loved to roam; and now his winding sheet shall be that same bright ocean's foam. no village bell shall toll for him its mournful, solemn dirge; the winds shall chant a requiem to him beneath the surge. for him, break not the grassy turf, nor turn the dewy sod; his dust shall rest beneath the surf, his spirit with its god. . c. m. select hymns. prayer for seamen. we come, o lord, before thy throne, and, with united pleas, we meet and pray for those who roam far off upon the seas. o, may the holy spirit bow the sailor's heart to thee, till tears of deep repentance flow like rain-drops in the sea. then may a saviour's dying love pour peace into his breast, and waft him to the port above of everlasting rest. national hymns. . s. & s. m. s. f. smith. national hymn. my country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee i sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountain side let freedom ring. my native country, thee-- land of the noble, free-- thy name--i love; i love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; my heart with rapture thrills like that above. let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song: let mortal tongues awake; let all that breathe, partake; let rocks their silence break,-- the sound prolong. our fathers' god, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing: long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us by thy might, great god, our king. . c. m. wreford. prayer for our country. lord, while for all mankind we pray, of every clime and coast, o, hear us for our native land,-- the land we love the most. o guard our shores from every foe, with peace our borders bless, with prosperous times our cities crown, our fields with plenteousness. unite us in the sacred love of knowledge, truth, and thee; and let our hills and valleys shout the songs of liberty. here may religion pure and mild smile on our sabbath hours; and piety and virtue bless the home of us and ours. lord of the nations, thus to thee our country we commend; be thou her refuge and her trust, her everlasting friend. . l. m. l. h. ware, jr. the god of our fathers. like israel's hosts to exile driven, across the flood the pilgrims fled; their hands bore up the ark of heaven, and heaven their trusting footsteps led, till on these savage shores they trod, and won the wilderness for god. then, where their weary ark found rest, another zion proudly grew; in more than judah's glory dressed, with light that israel never knew. from sea to sea her empire spread, her temple heaven, and christ her head. then let the grateful church, to-day its ancient rite with gladness keep; and still our fathers' god display his kindness, though the fathers sleep. o, bless, as thou hast blessed the past, while earth, and time, and heaven shall last. . c. m. watts. "thou shall teach them to thy children." let children hear the mighty deeds which god performed of old: which in our younger years we saw, and which our fathers told. he bids us make his glories known-- his works of power and grace; and we'll convey his wonders down to every rising race. our lips shall tell them to our sons, and they again to theirs; that generations yet unborn may teach them to their heirs. thus shall they learn, in god alone their hope securely stands; that they may ne'er forget his works, but practise his commands. . l. m. flint. "we have a goodly heritage." in pleasant lands have fallen the lines that bound our goodly heritage, and safe beneath our sheltering vines our youth is blest, and soothed our age. what thanks, o god, to thee are due, that thou didst plant our fathers here; and watch and guard them as they grew, a vineyard, to the planter dear. the toils they bore, our ease have wrought; they sowed in tears--in joy we reap; the birthright they so dearly bought we'll guard, till we with them shall sleep. thy kindness to our fathers shown in weal and woe through all the past, their grateful sons, o god, shall own while here their name and race shall last. . l. m. presbyterian coll. god acknowledged in national blessings. great god of nations, now to thee our hymn of gratitude we raise; with humble heart and bending knee, we offer thee our song of praise. here freedom spreads her banner wide, and casts her soft and hallowed ray; here thou our fathers' steps didst guide in safety through their dangerous way. we praise thee that the gospel's light through all our land its radiance sheds, dispels the shades of error's night, and heavenly blessings round us spreads. great god, preserve us in thy fear; in dangers still our guardian be; o, spread thy truth's bright precepts here, let all the people worship thee. . l. m. roscoe. remembrance of our fathers. great god! beneath whose piercing eye the world's extended kingdoms lie; whose favoring smile upholds them all, whose anger smites them, and they fall; we bow before thy heavenly throne; thy power we see, thy goodness own; but, cherished by thy milder voice, our bosoms tremble and rejoice. thy kindness to our fathers shown, their children's children long shall own; to thee with grateful hearts shall raise their tribute of exulting praise. our god, our guardian, and our friend! oh still thy sheltering arm extend; preserved by thee for ages past, for ages may thy kindness last. . c. m. c. sprague. the pilgrims. our fathers, lord, to seek a spot where they might kneel to thee, their own fair heritage forgot, and braved an unknown sea. here found their pilgrim souls repose where long the heathen roved; and here their humble anthems rose to bless the power they loved. they sleep in dust,--but where they trod, a feeble, fainting band, glad millions catch the strain, o god, and sound it through the land. . s. & s. m. pierpont. anniversary hymn. god of mercy, do thou never from our offering turn away, but command a blessing ever on the memory of this day. light and peace do thou ordain it; o'er it be no shadow flung, let no deadly darkness stain it, and no clouds be o'er it hung. may the song this people raises, and its vows to thee addressed, mingle with the prayers and praises, that thou hearest from the blest. when the lips are cold that sing thee, and the hearts that love thee dust, father, then our souls shall bring thee holier love and firmer trust. . c. m. aspland's coll. the virtuous love of country. parent of all, omnipotent! in heaven and earth below! through all creation's vast extent whose streams of goodness flow: teach me to know from whence i rose, and unto what designed; no private aims may i propose, that injure human kind. to hear my country's lawful voice may my best thoughts incline; 'tis reason's law, 'tis virtue's choice, 'tis nature's call, and thine. me from fair freedom's sacred cause may nothing e'er divide; nor grandeur, gold, nor vain applause, nor friendship false, misguide. to duty, honor, virtue true, in all my country's weal, let me my public walk pursue: so, god, thy favor deal. . s. & s. m. s. f. smith. anniversary hymn. auspicious morning, hail! voices from hill and vale thy welcome sing: joy on thy dawning breaks; each heart that joy partakes, while cheerful music wakes, its praise to bring. long o'er our native hills, long by our shaded rills, may freedom rest; long may our shores have peace, our flag grace every breeze, our ships the distant seas, from east to west. peace on this day abide, from morn till even-tide; wake tuneful song; melodious accents raise; let every heart, with praise, bring high and grateful lays, rich, full, and strong. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the same. loud raise the notes of joy; freemen, your songs employ, as well ye may;-- let your full hearts go out in the exulting shout, and with your praise devout, greet this glad day! children of lisping tongue, those whose full hearts are young lift up the song! manhood and hoary age, let naught your joy assuage, in the high theme engage, praises prolong! god of our fathers' land! long may our temples stand sacred to thee! let thy bright light divine on all the people shine, make us forever thine, from sin set free! . l. p. m. kippis. national praise and prayer. with grateful hearts with joyful tongues, to god we raise united songs; his power and mercy we proclaim: through every age, o, may we own jehovah here has fixed his throne, and triumph in his mighty name. long as the moon her course shall run, or men behold the circling sun, lord, in our land support thy reign; crown her just counsels with success, with truth and peace her borders bless, and all thy sacred rights maintain. . s. & s. m. anonymous. prayer for our country. god bless our native land, firm may she ever stand through storm and night; when the wild tempests rave, ruler of winds and wave, do thou our country save, by thy great might. for her our prayer shall rise to god above the skies; on him we wait; thou who hast heard each sigh, watching each weeping eye, be thou forever nigh;-- god save the state. . s. & s. m. christian ballads. our country. now pray we for our country, pray that it long may be the holy and the happy, and the gloriously free! who blesseth her is blesséd! so peace be in her walls; and joy in all her villages, her cottages and halls. the seasons, annual occasions, etc. . l. m. heginbotham. the god of the seasons. great god! let all our tuneful powers awake and sing thy mighty name; thy hand rolls on our circling hours, the hand from which our being came. seasons and moons revolving round in beauteous order speak thy praise; and years with smiling mercy crowned, to thee successive honors raise. each changing season on our souls its sweetest, kindest influence sheds; and every period, as it rolls, showers countless blessings on our heads. our lives, our health, our friends, we owe all to thy vast unbounded love; ten thousand precious gifts below, and hope of nobler joys above. . l. m. enfield's sel. the goodness of god in the seasons. great god! at whose all-powerful call at first arose this beauteous frame, by thee the seasons change, and all the changing seasons speak thy name. thy bounty bids the infant year, from winter storms recovered, rise; when thousand grateful scenes appear, fresh opening to our wondering eyes. o, how delightful 'tis to see the earth in vernal beauty dressed! while in each herb, and flower, and tree, thy bright perfections shine confessed! indulgent god! from every part, thy plenteous blessings largely flow; we see,--we taste;--let every heart with grateful love and duty glow. . c. m. watts. seasons. with songs and honors sounding loud, address the lord on high; o'er all the heavens he spreads his cloud, and waters veil the sky. he sends his showers of blessings down, to cheer the plains below; he makes the grass the mountains crown, and corn in valleys grow. his steady councils change the face of each declining year; he bids the sun cut short his race, and wintry days appear. on us his providence has shone, with gentle, smiling rays; o, may our lips and lives make known his goodness and his praise. . h. m. j. taylor. providence acknowledged in the seasons. rejoice! the lord is king: your lord and king adore; mortals! give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore: lift up your hearts, lift up your voice; rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. his wintry north winds blow, loud tempests rush amain; yet his thick showers of snow defend the infant grain: lift up your hearts, lift up your voice; rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. he wakes the genial spring, perfumes the balmy air; the vales their tribute bring, the promise of the year: lift up your hearts, lift up your voice rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. he leads the circling year; his flocks the hills adorn; he fills the golden ear, and loads the field with corn; o happy mortals! raise your voice; rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice. . s. m. barbauld. the seasons. praise to god, immortal praise, for the love that crowns our days! bounteous source of every joy, let thy praise our tongues employ. all that spring, with bounteous hand, scatters o'er the smiling land,-- all that liberal autumn pours from her rich o'erflowing stores,-- these to that dear source we owe whence our sweetest comforts flow; these, through all my happy days, claim my cheerful songs of praise. lord, to thee my soul should raise grateful, never-ending praise, and, when every blessing's flown, love thee for thyself alone. . l. m. doddridge. the same. eternal source of every joy! well may thy praise our lips employ, while in thy temple we appear, to hail thee sovereign of the year. wide as the wheels of nature roll, thy hand supports and guides the whole; by thee the sun is taught to rise, and darkness when to veil the skies. the flowery spring, at thy command, perfumes the air and paints the land; the summer suns with vigor shine, to raise the corn and cheer the vine. thy hand, in autumn, richly pours through all our coasts redundant stores; and winters, softened by thy care, no more the face of horror wear. seasons, and months, and weeks, and days, demand successive songs of praise; and be the grateful homage paid, with morning light and evening shade. . l. m. watts. the goodness of god in the seasons. ps. . at god's command, the morning ray smiles in the east, and leads the day; he guides the sun's declining wheels over the tops of western hills. seasons and times obey his voice; the evening and the morn rejoice to see the earth made soft with showers, laden with fruit, and dressed in flowers. the desert grows a fruitful field; abundant food the valleys yield; the valleys shout with cheerful voice, and neighboring hills repeat their joys. thy works pronounce thy power divine; o'er every field thy glories shine; through every month thy gifts appear: great god! thy goodness crowns the year. . c. m. fergus. the promises of the year. the year begins with promises of joyful days to come, of sabbath bells, of times of prayer, of thoughts on heaven, our home: of seed-time, with its gentle winds, soft dews and healthful showers, and streamlets gushing from the hills, and birds and opening flowers: of summer, with its warbling choir amid the balmy leaves; of autumn, with its fragrant herbs and fruits and bending sheaves: of countless mercies from our god, who rules the changeful years, both here and in the world of love, beyond the heavenly spheres. . s. m. watts. blessings of spring. good is the heavenly king, who makes the earth his care, visits the pastures every spring, and bids the grass appear. like rivers raised on high, the clouds, at thy command, pour out their blessings from the sky, to cheer the thirsty land. the hills, on every side, rejoice at falling showers: the meadows, dressed in all their pride, perfume the air with flowers. the ridges drink their fill, and ranks of corn appear; thy ways abound with blessings still, thy goodness crowns the year. . c. m. spring. when verdure clothes the fertile vale, and blossoms deck the spray, and fragrance breathes in every gale, how sweet the vernal day! hark! how the feathered warblers sing! 'tis nature's cheerful voice; soft music hails the lovely spring, and woods and fields rejoice. o god of nature and of grace, thy heavenly gifts impart; then shall my meditation trace spring blooming in my heart. inspired to praise, i then shall join glad nature's cheerful song, and love and gratitude divine attune my joyful tongue. . c. m. peabody. spring. when brighter suns and milder skies proclaim the opening year, what various sounds of joy arise! what prospects bright appear! earth and her thousand voices give their thousand notes of praise; and all, that by his mercy live, to god their offering raise. the streams, all beautiful and bright, reflect the morning sky; and there, with music in his flight, the wild bird soars on high. thus, like the morning, calm and clear, that saw the saviour rise, the spring of heaven's eternal year shall dawn on earth and skies. no winter there, no shades of night, obscure those mansions blest, where, in the happy fields of light, the weary are at rest. . l. m. fergus. spring-time. the spring, the joyous spring is come with lovely flowers of early bloom; the warbling birds, on every tree, fill all the air with melody. once more, unsealed, the fountains run, sparkling, beneath a brighter sun; green leaves and tender herbs arise, cheered by the glow of warmer skies. oh lord, the changes of the year at thy almighty word appear; and all the seasons, as they roll, declare thy name from pole to pole. spring showers, descending from above, bear down glad tidings of thy love, and every blossom on the tree bespeaks our gratitude to thee. . s. m. anonymous. summer. great god, at thy command, seasons in order rise: thy power and love in concert reign through earth, and seas, and skies. how balmy is the air! how warm the sun's bright beams! while, to refresh the ground, the rains descend in gentle streams. with grateful praise we own thy providential hand, while grass, and herbs, and waving corn, adorn and bless the land. but greater still the gift of thy belovéd son; by him forgiveness, peace, and joy, through endless ages run. . c. m. t. richardson. "the hymn of summer." how glad the tone when summer's sun wreathes the gay world with flowers, and trees bend down with golden fruit, and birds are in the bowers! the moon sends silent music down upon each earthly thing; and always, since creation's dawn, the stars together sing. shall man remain in silence, then, while all beneath the skies the chorus joins? no, let us sing, and while our voices rise, o, let our lives, great god, breathe forth a constant melody; and every action be a tone in that sweet hymn to thee! . s. & s. m. brit. magazine. autumn. the leaves, around me falling, are preaching of decay; the hollow winds are calling, "come, pilgrim, come away:" the day, in night declining, says i must, too, decline; the year its bloom resigning, its lot foreshadows mine. the light my path surrounding, the loves to which i cling, the hopes within me bounding, the joys that round me wing,-- all, all, like stars at even, just gleam and shoot away, pass on before to heaven, and chide at my delay. the friends gone there before me are calling from on high, and happy angels o'er me tempt sweetly to the sky: "why wait," they say, "and wither, 'mid scenes of death and sin? o, rise to glory, hither, and find true life begin." . c. m. watts. winter. the hoary frost, the fleecy snow, descend, and clothe the ground; the liquid streams forbear to flow, in icy fetters bound. when, from his dreadful stores on high, god pours the sounding hail, the man that does his power defy shall find his courage fail. god sends his word and melts the snow; the fields no longer mourn; he calls the warmer gales to blow, and bids the spring return. the changing wind, the flying cloud, obey his mighty word; with songs and honors sounding loud, praise ye the sovereign lord. . h. m. freeman. the same. lord of the worlds below! on earth thy glories shine; the changing seasons show thy skill and power divine. the rolling years are full of thee; in all we see a god appears. in winter, awful thou! with storms around thee cast; the leafless forests bow beneath thy northern blast. while tempests lower, to thee, dread king, we homage bring, and own thy power. . l. m. h. ballou. the acceptable fast. this is the fast the lord doth choose; each heavy burden to undo, the bands of wickedness to loose, and bid the captive freely go. let every vile and sinful yoke of servile bondage and of fear, by mercy, love and truth be broke; and from each eye wipe every tear. yes, to the hungry deal thy bread; bring to thine house the outcast poor; there let the fainting soul be fed, nor spurn the needy from thy door. and when thou seest the naked, spare the raiment that his wants demand; since all mankind thy kindred are, to all thy charity expand. thus did the saviour of our race: himself, the bread of life, he gave; he clothed us with his righteousness, and broke the fetters from the slave. . c. m. s. streeter. humiliation and prayer. here in thy temple, lord, we meet, and bow before thy throne; abased and guilty, at thy feet we seek thy grace alone. our sins rise up in dread array, and fill our hearts with fear; our trembling spirits melt away, but find no helper near. o, send thy pity from on high with pardon all-divine; bring now thy gracious spirit nigh, and make us wholly thine. we humbly mourn our follies past, each guilty path deplore; resolved, while feeble life shall last, to tread those paths no more. . c. m. anonymous. the same. now let our prayers ascend to thee, thou great and holy one; above the world raise thou our hearts; in us, thy will be done. o, let us feel how frail we are, how much we need thy grace; o, strengthen, lord, our fainting souls, while here we seek thy face. our sins, alas! before thee rise; thou knowest all our guilt; let not our faith, our hope, our trust, on earthly things be built. forgive our sins, thy spirit grant, let love our souls refine, and heavenly peace and holy hope assure that we are thine. . s. m. drummond. "is it such a fast that i have chosen?" "is this a fast for me?"-- thus saith the lord our god;-- "a day for man to vex his soul, and feel affliction's rod?-- "like bulrush low to bow his sorrow-stricken head, with sackcloth for his inner vest, and ashes round him spread? "shall day like this have power to stay th' avenging hand, efface transgression, or avert my judgments from the land? "no; is not this alone the sacred fast i choose,-- oppression's yoke be burst in twain, the bands of guilt unloose?-- "to nakedness and want your food and raiment deal, to dwell your kindred race among, and all their sufferings heal? "then, like the morning ray, shall spring your health and light; before you, righteousness shall shine, behind, my glory bright!" . l. m. dyer. public humiliation. great maker of unnumbered worlds, and whom unnumbered worlds adore,-- whose goodness all thy creatures share, while nature trembles at thy power,-- thine is the hand that moves the spheres, that wakes the wind, and lifts the sea; and man, who moves the lord of earth, acts but the part assigned by thee. while suppliant crowds implore thine aid, to thee we raise the humble cry; thine altar is the contrite heart, thine incense the repentant sigh. o may our land, in this her hour, confess thy hand, and bless the rod, by penitence make thee her friend, and find in thee a guardian god. . c. m. rippon's coll. public supplication. when abrah'm, full of sacred awe, before jehovah stood, and, with an humble, fervent prayer, for guilty sodom sued,-- with what success, what wondrous grace, was his petition crowned! the lord would spare, if in this place ten righteous men were found. and could a single pious soul so rich a boon obtain? great god, and shall a nation cry, and plead with thee in vain? are not the righteous dear to thee now, as in ancient times? or does this sinful land exceed gomorrah in her crimes? still we are thine; we bear thy name; here yet is thine abode: long has thy presence blessed our land: forsake us not, o god. . c. m. rippon's coll. judgments for national sins deprecated. almighty lord, before thy throne thy mourning people bend; 'tis on thy pardoning grace alone our dying hopes depend. dark judgments, from thy heavy hand, thy dreadful power display; yet mercy spares our guilty land, and still we live to pray. how changed, alas! are truths divine, for error, guilt, and shame! what impious numbers, bold in sin, disgrace the christian name! o, turn us, turn us, mighty lord; convert us by thy grace; then shall our hearts obey thy word, and see again thy face. then, should oppressing foes invade, we will not yield to fear, secure of all-sufficient aid, when thou, o god, art near. . l. m. aikin. in time of war. while sounds of war are heard around, and death and ruin strow the ground, to thee we look, on thee we call, the parent and the lord of all. thou, who hast stamped on human kind the image of a heaven-born mind, and in a father's wide embrace hast cherished all the kindred race,-- great god, whose powerful hand can bind the raging waves, the furious wind, o, bid the human tempest cease, and hush the maddening world to peace. with reverence may each hostile land hear and obey that high command, thy son's blest errand from above,-- "my creatures, live in mutual love!" . s. & s. m. montgomery. thanksgiving hymn. the god of harvest praise; in loud thanksgivings raise hand, heart, and voice; the valleys smile and sing, forests and mountains ring, the plains their tribute bring, the streams rejoice. yea, bless his holy name, and purest thanks proclaim through all the earth; to glory in your lot is duty,--but be not god's benefits forgot, amidst your mirth. the god of harvest praise; hands, hearts, and voices raise, with sweet accord; from field to garner throng, bearing your sheaves along, and in your harvest song bless ye the lord. . c. m. christian psalmist. the same. fountain of mercy, god of love, how rich thy bounties are! the rolling seasons, as they move, proclaim thy constant care. when in the bosom of the earth the sower hid the grain, thy goodness marked its secret birth, and sent the early rain. the spring's sweet influence, lord, was thine the plants in beauty grew; thou gav'st refulgent suns to shine, and mild, refreshing dew. these various mercies from above matured the swelling grain; a kindly harvest crowns thy love, and plenty fills the plain. we own and bless thy gracious sway; thy hand all nature hails; seed-time nor harvest, night nor day, summer nor winter, fails. . l. m. anonymous. the same. great god! as seasons disappear, and changes mark the rolling year, thy favor still has crowned our days, and we would celebrate thy praise. the harvest song we would repeat; "thou givest us the finest wheat;" "the joy of harvest" we have known; the praise, o lord! is all thine own. our tables spread, our garners stored, o give us hearts to bless thee, lord! forbid it, source of light and love, that hearts and lives should barren prove. another harvest comes apace; ripen our spirits by thy grace, that we may calmly meet the blow the sickle gives to lay us low. that so, when angel reapers come to gather sheaves to thy blest home, our spirits may be borne on high to thy safe garner in the sky. . l. m. brettell. harvest home. the last full wain has come,--has come! and brought the golden harvest home: the labors of the year are done: accept our thanks, all-bounteous one! for the green spring, her herbs and flowers, for the warm summer's blooming bowers, for all the fruits that flush the boughs, when russet autumn decks her brows; for the bright sun, whose fervid ray ripens the corn, and cheers the day; for the round moon, whose yellow light gilds the long labors of the night; for the rich sea of shining grain, that spreads its waves o'er hill and plain, for the cool breeze, whose light wings fan the weary, sun-burnt husbandman; for the soft herbage of the soil, for ruddy health, the child of toil; for all the good the year displays, accept, o god, our grateful praise. . s. & s. m. crosse. the sacrifice of thanksgiving. lord of heaven, and earth, and ocean, hear us from thy bright abode, while our hearts, with true devotion, own their great and gracious god. health and every needful blessing are thy bounteous gifts alone; comforts undeserved possessing, here we bend before thy throne. thee, with humble adoration, lord, we praise for mercies past; still to this most favored nation may those mercies ever last. . s. m. sacred lyrics. thanksgiving. swell the anthem, raise the song; praises to our god belong; saints and angels, join to sing praises to the heavenly king. blessings from his liberal hand flow around this happy land: kept by him, no foes annoy; peace and freedom we enjoy. here, beneath a virtuous sway, may we cheerfully obey,-- never feel oppression's rod,-- ever own and worship god. hark! the voice of nature sings praises to the king of kings; let us join the choral song, and the grateful notes prolong. . s. m. ev. magazine. "thou crownest the year with goodness." praise on thee, in zion's gates, daily, o jehovah! waits; unto thee, o god! belong grateful words and holy song. thou the hope and refuge art of remotest lands apart, distant isles and tribes unknown, 'mid the ocean-waste, and lone. thou dost visit earth, and rain blessings on the thirsty plain, from the copious founts on high, from the rivers of the sky. thus the clouds thy power confess, and thy paths drop fruitfulness: and the voice of song and mirth rises from the tribes of earth. . l. m. presbyterian coll. goodness of god celebrated. join, every tongue, to praise the lord; all nature rests upon his word; mercy and truth his courts maintain, and own his universal reign. seasons and times obey his voice; the evening and the morn rejoice to see the earth made soft with showers, enriched with fruit, and dressed in flowers. thy works pronounce thy power divine; in all the earth thy glories shine; through every month thy gifts appear; great god, thy goodness crowns the year. . l. m. l. h. sigourney. harvest. god of the year! with songs of praise and hearts of love, we come to bless thy bounteous hand, for thou hast shed thy manna o'er our wilderness. in early spring-time thou didst fling o'er earth its robe of blossoming; and its sweet treasures, day by day, rose quickening in thy blessed ray. god of the seasons! thou hast blest the land with sunlight and with showers, and plenty o'er its bosom smiles to crown the sweet autumnal hours. praise,--praise to thee! our hearts expand to view these blessings of thy hand, and on the incense-breath of love ascend to their bright home above. . l. p. m. kippis. thanksgiving for national prosperity. how rich thy gifts, almighty king! from thee our public blessings spring; th' extended trade, the fruitful skies, the treasures liberty bestows, th' eternal joys the gospel shows,-- all from thy boundless goodness rise. here commerce spreads the wealthy store, which pours from every foreign shore; science and art their charms display; religion teaches us to raise our voices to our maker's praise, as truth and conscience point the way. with grateful hearts, with joyful tongues, to god we raise united songs; his power and mercy we proclaim; this land through every age shall own, jehovah here has fixed his throne, and triumph in his mighty name. long as the moon her course shall run, or man behold the circling sun, o, still may god amidst us reign; crown our just counsels with success, with peace and joy our borders bless, and all our sacred rights maintain. . l. m. doddridge. new year's day. great god, we sing that mighty hand, by which, supported still, we stand: the opening year thy mercy shows; let mercy crown it till it close. by day, by night, at home, abroad, still we are guarded by our god; by his incessant bounty fed, by his unerring counsel led. with grateful hearts the past we own: the future, all to us unknown, we to thy guardian care commit, and peaceful leave before thy feet, in scenes exalted or depressed, be thou our joy, and thou our rest: thy goodness all our hopes shall raise, adored through all our changing days. when death shall interrupt these songs, and seal in silence mortal tongues, our helper, god, in whom we trust, in better worlds our souls shall boast. . c. m. doddridge. reflections for a new year. remark, my soul, the narrow bounds of the revolving year; how swift the weeks complete their rounds! how short the months appear! yet like an idle tale we pass the swift advancing year; and study artful ways t' increase the speed of its career. waken, o god, my trifling heart, its great concerns to see; that i may act the christian part, and give the year to thee. thus shall their course more grateful roll, if future years arise; or this shall bear my peaceful soul to joy that never dies. . s. m. newton. new year's day. while, with ceaseless course, the sun hasted through the former year, many souls their race have run, never more to meet us here: fixed in an eternal state, they have done with all below: we a little longer wait, but how little none can know. as the wingéd arrow flies, speedily the mark to find; as the lightning from the skies darts and leaves no trace behind;-- swiftly thus our fleeting days bear us down life's rapid stream: upward, lord, our spirits raise; all below is but a dream. thanks for mercies past receive; pardon of our sins renew; teach us, henceforth, how to live, with eternity in view; bless thy word to old and young; fill us with a saviour's love; when our life's short race is run, may we dwell with thee above. . l. m. doddridge. the same. my helper, god, i bless his name; the same his power, his grace the same; the tokens of his friendly care open, and crown, and close, the year. i 'midst ten thousand dangers stand, supported by his guardian hand, and see, when i survey my ways, ten thousand monuments of praise. thus far his arm hath led me on; thus far i make his mercy known; and, while i tread this mortal land, new mercies shall new songs demand. . c. m. heginbotham. new year. providential goodness. god of our lives, thy various praise our voices shall resound: thy hand directs our fleeting days, and brings the seasons round. to thee shall grateful songs arise, our father and our friend, whose constant mercies from the skies in genial streams descend. in every scene of life, thy care, in every age, we see; and constant as thy favors are, so let our praises be. still may thy love, in every scene, in every age, appear; and let the same compassion deign to bless the opening year. if mercy smile, let mercy bring our wandering souls to god: in our affliction we shall sing, if thou wilt bless the rod. . l. m. john fawcett. "he holdeth our soul in life." o god, my helper, ever near! crown with thy smile the present year; preserve me by thy favor still, and fit me for thy sacred will. my safety, each succeeding hour, depends on thy supporting power: accept my thanks for mercies past, and be my guard, while life shall last. my moments move with wingéd haste, nor know i which shall be the last: danger and death are ever nigh, and i this year perhaps may die. prepare me for the trying day; then call my willing soul away: i'll quit the world at thy command, and trust my spirit to thy hand. . c. m. newton. new year. prayer for a blessing. now, gracious lord, thine arm reveal, and make thy glory known; now let us all thy presence feel, and soften hearts of stone. from all the guilt of former sin may mercy set us free; and let the year we now begin, begin and end with thee. send down thy spirit from above, that saints may love thee more, and sinners now may learn to love, who never loved before. and when before thee we appear, in our eternal home, may growing numbers worship here, and praise thee in our room. . c. m. bp. middleton. self-examination. new year. as o'er the past my memory strays, why heaves the secret sigh? 'tis that i mourn departed days, still unprepared to die. the world, and worldly things beloved, my anxious thoughts employed; and time unhallowed, unimproved, presents a fearful void. yet, holy father! wild despair chase from my laboring breast; thy grace it is which prompts the prayer. that grace can do the rest. my life's brief remnant all be thine; and when thy sure decree bids me this fleeting breath resign, o speed my soul to thee! . s. m. newton. invocation. new year. bless, o lord, each opening year to the souls assembling here: clothe thy word with power divine, make us willing to be thine. where thou hast thy work begun, give new strength the race to run; scatter darkness, doubts, and fears, wipe away the mourners' tears. bless us all, both old and young; call forth praise from every tongue: let our whole assembly prove all thy power and all thy love! . c. m. browne. the closing year. and now, my soul, another year of my short life is past: i cannot long continue here; and this may be my last. part of my doubtful life is gone, nor will return again; and swift my fleeting moments run-- the few which yet remain! awake, my soul! with all thy care thy true condition learn; what are thy hopes--how sure, how fair, and what thy great concern? now a new space of life begins, set out afresh for heaven; seek pardon for thy former sins, through christ, so freely given. devoutly yield thyself to god, and on his grace depend; with zeal pursue the heavenly road, nor doubt a happy end. . s. m. anonymous. the same. time by moments steals away, first the hour and then the day; small the daily loss appears, yet it soon amounts to years. thus another year is flown; now it is no more our own, if it brought or promised good, than the years before the flood. but may none of us forget it has left us much in debt; who can tell the vast amount placed to every one's account! favors, from the lord received, sins, that have his spirit grieved, marked by an unerring hand, in his book recorded stand. if we see another year, may thy blessing meet us here: sun of righteousness, arise, warm our hearts and bless our eyes. . c. m. watts. the same. time! what an empty vapor 'tis! and days, how swift they are! swift as an indian arrow flies, or like a shooting star. the present moments just appear, then slide away in haste; that we can never say, they're here; but only say, they're past. our life is ever on the wing, and death is ever nigh; the moment when our lives begin we all begin to die. yet, mighty god! our fleeting days thy lasting favors share; yet, with the bounties of thy grace, thou load'st the rolling year. 'tis sovereign mercy finds us food, and we are clothed with love; while grace stands pointing out the road which leads our souls above. . l. m. watts. god eternal, and man mortal. ps. . through every age, eternal god, thou art our rest, our safe abode! high was thy throne ere heaven was made, or earth thy humble footstool laid. long hadst thou reigned ere time began, or dust was fashioned into man; and long thy kingdom shall endure, when earth and time shall be no more. a thousand of our years amount scarce to a day in thine account; like yesterday's departed light, or the last watch of ending night. death, like an overflowing stream, sweeps us away; our life's a dream, an empty tale, a morning flower cut down and withered in an hour. . l. m. doddridge. the closing year. god of our life! thy constant care with blessings crowns each opening year: these lives so frail thy love prolongs; be this the burden of our songs. how many precious souls are fled to the vast regions of the dead, since, from this day, the changing sun through his last yearly course has run! we yet survive, but who can say, or through the year, or month, or day, we shall retain this vital breath, secure from all the shafts of death? we hold our lives from thee alone, on earth, or in the worlds unknown; to thee our spirits we resign, make them and own them all as thine. great source of wisdom, teach my heart to know the price of every hour, that time may bear me on to joys beyond its measure and its power. . c. m. the same. mark how the swift-winged minutes fly, and hours still hasten on! how swift the circling months run round! how soon the year is gone! how is our debt of love increased to that sustaining power, who hath upheld our feeble frame, and blest each rolling hour. for all thy favors, o our god, thy goodness we adore; thou hast our cup with blessings filled, and made that cup run o'er. what shall befall in future life, we would not, lord, inquire: to be prepared for all thy will. be this our chief desire. . s. & s. m. estlin. reliance for the future. gracious source of every blessing! guard our breasts from anxious fears; may we still thy love possessing, sink into the vale of years. all our hopes on thee reclining, peace companion of our way; may our sun, in smiles declining, rise in everlasting day. social and domestic worship. . c. m. ancient hymns. the joy of social worship. how good and pleasant is the sight, how great the bliss they share, when christ's assembled flock unite in acts of social prayer! god thither, with paternal care, his face benignant bends; and jesus, by his spirit there, on faithful hearts descends. to such, by hallowed lips expressed, his grace confirms his word, as once cornelius' house it blest, from holy peter heard: on prayer and praise, in faith preferred, his heavenly dew is shed; and he to all, who come prepared, dispenses heavenly bread. to god, adored in ages past, enthroned in majesty,-- to god, whose worship aye shall last throughout eternity,-- to thee, great god, we bend the knee, and in the holy ghost, through christ, all glory give to thee, with all thy heavenly host. . c. m. ancient hymns. the joy of social devotion. o, it is joy in one to meet whom one communion blends, council to hold in converse sweet, and talk as christian friends. 'tis joy to think the angel train, who 'mid heaven's temple shine, to seek our earthly temples deign, and in our anthems join. but chief, 'tis joy to think that he, to whom his church is dear, delights her gathered flock to see, her joint devotions hear. then who would choose to walk abroad, while here such joys are given? "this is indeed the house of god, and this the gate of heaven!" . s. m. anonymous. for a prayer meeting. father, hear us when we pray, look in mercy from above; turn not, lord, thy face away, hear, and grant thy pardoning love. in the name of christ we come, asking grace and seeking peace, raise our hearts to heaven, our home, and from worldly cares release. pure and holy may we be, far removed all vain desire; from all hate and envy free, let our souls to thee aspire. while we love the saviour's name, and his words with zeal obey, his sweet promise we may claim;-- "he will meet us when we pray." . s. m. methodist coll. call to social worship. let us join, as god commands, let us join our hearts and hands, help to gain our calling's hope; help to build each other up; carry on the christian's strife; walk in holiness of life; faithfully our gifts improve for the sake of him we love;-- still forget the things behind; follow christ in heart and mind; toward the mark unwearied press; seize the crown of righteousness, while we walk with god in light, god our hearts will still unite; dearest fellowship we prove-- fellowship in jesus, love. still, o lord, our faith increase; cleanse from all unrighteousness: thee th' unholy cannot see: make, o make us meet for thee: every vile affection kill; root out every seed of ill; utterly abolish sin; write thy law of love within. . c. m. ancient hymns. call to social worship. o, come, and let th' assembly all to serve our god unite, and, mindful of the social call, partake the social rite. in token of the common vow, be ours, with one consent, the worship of the lowly brow, and knees devoutly bent! but chief, inflamed with heavenly fire, devotion's better part, be ours instinct with one desire, the worship of the heart! let each, let all, their prayers above, in one oblation bend, and god, the god of peace and love, on all, on each descend! . c. m. methodist coll. call to worship. father, united by thy grace, and each to each endeared with confidence we seek thy face, and know our prayer is heard. still let us own our common lord, and bear his easy yoke, a band of love, a three-fold cord which never can be broke. make us into one spirit drink; baptize into one name; and let us always kindly think, and sweetly speak the same. touched by the loadstone of thy love, let all our hearts agree; and ever towards each other move, and ever move towards thee. . s. m. wesley's coll. for brotherly love. god of love, we look to thee; let us in thy son agree; show to us the prince of peace; bid our jars forever cease. by thy reconciling love, every stumbling-block remove; each to each unite, endear; come, and spread thy banner here. make us of one heart and mind, courteous, pitiful, and kind; lowly, meek, in thought and word, altogether like our lord. let us for each other care; each the other's burden bear; to thy church the pattern give; show how true believers live. free from anger and from pride, let us thus in god abide; all the depths of love express, all the heights of holiness. let us, then, with joy remove to the family above; on the wings of angels fly; show how true believers die. . l. m. newton. meeting of christian friends. kindred in christ, for his dear sake, a hearty welcome here receive; may we together now partake the joys which only he can give. may he by whose kind care we meet, send his good spirit from above, make our communications sweet, and cause our hearts to burn with love. forgotten be each worldly theme, when christians meet together thus; we only wish to speak of him who lived, and died, and reigns, for us. we'll talk of all he did, and said, and suffered, for us here below, the path he marked for us to tread, and what he's doing for us now. . l. m. cowper. for social worship. our god, where'er thy people meet, there they behold thy mercy-seat; where'er they seek thee, thou art found, and every place is hallowed ground. for thou, within no walls confined, inhabitest the humble mind; such ever bring thee where they come, and, going, take thee to their home. here may we prove the power of prayer to strengthen faith, and sweeten care; to teach our faint desires to rise, and bring all heaven before our eyes. lord, we are few, but thou art near; nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear: o, rend the heavens, comes quickly down, and make a thousand hearts thine own! . l. m. ancient hymns. commendatory of christian union. blest with unearthly bliss were they who saw the church's infant day, and strove their christian part to bear, by sign and spirit joined with her. the truth, which christ's apostles taught, then ruled each faithful convert's thought; each aimed in unity to keep unrent th' apostles' fellowship. the bread, with rites harmonious broke, the union of all hearts bespoke; and prayer, with lips united prayed, the union of all minds displayed. o thus that christians still would live, and thus delightful witness give, how well the debt of love they know, to christ and to his church they owe! . s. & s. m. methodist coll. for union. thou god of truth and love, we seek thy perfect way, ready thy choice t' approve, thy providence t' obey; enter into thy wise design, and sweetly lose our will in thine. why hast thou cast our lot in the same age and place? and why together brought to see each other's face? to join with softest sympathy, and mix our friendly souls in thee? didst thou not make us one, that we might one remain, together travel on, and bear each other's pain; till all thy utmost goodness prove and rise renewed in perfect love? . s. m. methodist coll. for union of heart. god, from whom all blessings flow, perfecting the saints below, hear us, who thy nature share, who thy loving children are. join us, in one spirit join, let us still receive of thine: still for more on thee we call, thou who fillest all in all! closer knit us to our head; nourish us, in christ, and feed; let us daily growth receive, more and more in jesus live. move, and actuate, and guide; divers gifts to each divide: placed according to thy will, let us all our work fulfil; sweetly may we all agree, touched with softest sympathy; kindly for each other care; every member feel its share. love, like death, hath all destroyed, rendered our distinctions void! names, and sects, and parties fall: thou, o god, art all in all! . c. m. milton. the blessedness of the devout. how lovely are thy dwellings, lord, from noise and trouble free; how beautiful the sweet accord of souls that pray to thee. lord god of hosts, that reign'st on high, they are the truly blest, who only will on thee rely, in thee alone will rest. they pass refreshed the thirsty vale, the dry and barren ground, as through a fruitful, watery dale, where springs and showers abound. they journey on from strength to strength, with joy and gladsome cheer, till all before our god at length. in zion do appear. for god, the lord, both sun and shield, gives grace and glory bright; no good from him shall be withheld whose ways are just and right. . c. m. wesley's coll. for mutual edification. help us to help each other, lord, each other's cross to bear! let each his friendly aid afford, and feel his brother's care. help us to build each other up; our little stock improve; increase our faith, confirm our hope, and perfect us in love. up into thee, our living head, let us in all things grow, till thou hast made us free indeed, and spotless here below. . s. m. methodist coll. invocation. father, at thy footstool see those who now are one in thee: draw us by thy grace alone; give, o give us to thy son. jesus, friend of human kind, let us in thy name be joined; each to each unite and bless; keep us still in perfect peace. heavenly, all-alluring dove, shed thy overshadowing love; love, the sealing grace impart; dwell within our single heart. . c. m. anonymous. the love of the brethren. a holy air is breathing round, a savor from above; be every soul from sense unbound, be every spirit love. o god, unite us heart to heart, in sympathy divine, that we be never drawn apart, and love nor thee nor thine. but, by the cross of jesus taught, and all thy gracious word, be nearer to each other brought, and nearer to our lord. . c. m. watts. christian union. lo! what an entertaining sight those friendly brethren prove, whose cheerful hearts in bands unite of harmony and love! where streams of bliss from christ, the spring, descend to every soul, and heavenly peace, with balmy wing, shades and bedews the whole. 'tis pleasant as the morning dews that fall on zion's hill, where god his mildest glory shows, and makes his grace distil. . s. m. sacred lyrics. morning prayer meeting. how sweet the melting lay, which breaks upon the ear, when, at the hour of rising day, christians unite in prayer! the breezes waft their cries up to jehovah's throne; he listens to their humble sighs, and sends his blessings down. so jesus rose to pray before the morning light,-- once on the chilling mount did stay, and wrestle all the night. glory to god on high, who sends his blessings down to rescue souls condemned to die, and make his people one. . c. m. ancient hymns. social evening worship. o, 'tis a scene the heart to move, when, at the close of day, whom god unites in christian love unite their thanks to pay. what though the number be but small; whenever two or three join on the saviour's name to call, there in the midst is he. when faithful and repentant hearts his heavenly grace ensue, his grace, intreated, he imparts to many or to few. o, come, then, and, with joint accord, in social worship meet; and, mindful of the saviour's word, the saviour's boon intreat. . s. m. newton. parting hymn. for a season called to part, let us then ourselves commend to the gracious eye and heart of our ever-present friend. father, hear our humble prayer! tender shepherd of thy sheep, let thy mercy and thy care all our souls in safety keep. in thy strength may we be strong; sweeten every cross and pain; give us, if we live, ere long, here to meet in peace again. . c. m. methodist coll. the same. through thee we now together came, in singleness of heart; we met, o, jesus, in thy name, and in thy name we part. we part in body, not in mind; our minds continue one; and, each to each in jesus joined, we hand in hand go on. present we still in spirit are, and intimately nigh, while on the wings of faith and prayer we each to other fly. our life is hid with christ in god; our life shall soon appear, and shed his glory all abroad in all his members here. . l. m. doddridge. the christian farewell. thy presence, everlasting god! wide o'er all nature spreads abroad: thy watchful eyes, which cannot sleep, in every place thy children keep. while near each other we remain, thou dost our lives and souls sustain; when sep'rate, happy if we share thy smiles, thy counsels, and thy care. to thee we all our ways commit, and seek our comforts near thy feet; still on our souls vouchsafe to shine, and guard and guide us still as thine. give us in thy belovéd house, again to pay our grateful vows; or, if that joy no more be known, give us to meet around thy throne. . s. & s. m. c. wesley. domestic worship. peace be to this habitation; peace to all that dwell therein; peace, the earnest of salvation; peace, the fruit of pardoned sin; peace, that speaks the heavenly giver; peace, to worldly minds unknown; peace divine, that lasts forever; peace, that comes from god alone. jesus, prince of peace, be near us; fix in all our hearts thy home; with thy gracious presence cheer us; let thy sacred kingdom come; raise to heaven our expectation, give our favored souls to prove glorious and complete salvation, in the realms of bliss above. . l. m. doddridge & merrick. the same. ps. . blest is the man who fears the lord, and walks by his unerring word; comfort and peace his days attend, and god will ever prove his friend. to him who condescends to dwell with saints in their obscurest cell, be our domestic altars raised, and daily let his name be praised. to him may each assembled house present their night and morning vows; and children of the rising race be taught his precepts and his grace. when nature droops, our aged eyes shall see our children's children rise; till pleased and thankful we remove, and join the family above. . l. m. scott. family religion. where'er the lord shall build my house, an altar to his name i'll raise; there, morn and evening, shall ascend the sacrifice of prayer and praise. with duteous mind, the social band shall search the records of thy law; there learn thy will, and humbly bow with filial reverence and awe. here may he fix his sacred seat, and spread the banner of his love; till, ripened for a happier state, we meet the family above. . l. m. l. methodist coll. religion at home. when quiet in my house i sit thy book be my companion still; my joy thy sayings to repeat, talk o'er the records of thy will, and search the oracles divine, till every heart-felt word be mine. o may the gracious words divine mingled with all my converse be: so will the lord his follower join, and walk and talk himself with me; so shall my heart his presence prove and burn with everlasting love. oft as i lay me down to rest, o, may the reconciling word sweetly compose my weary breast, while, trusting in my gracious lord, i sink in peaceful dreams away, and visions of eternal day! rising to sing my father's praise, thee may i publish all day long; and let thy precious word of grace flow from my heart and fill my tongue; fill all my life with purest love, and join me to the church above. . s. m. watts. family affection from religious principles. how pleasing, lord! to see, how pure is the delight, when mutual love, and love to thee, a family unite! from these celestial springs such streams of comfort flow, as no increase of riches brings, nor honors can bestow. no bliss can equal theirs, where such affections meet; while mingled praise and mingled prayers make their communion sweet. 'tis the same pleasure fills the breast in worlds above; where joy like morning dew distils, and all the air is love. . c. m. taylor's coll. the family altar. great god! where'er we pitch our tent, let us an altar raise, and there, with humble frame, present our sacrifice of praise. to thee we give our health and strength, while health and strength shall last, for future mercies humbly trust, nor e'er forget the past. . c. m. barry cornwall. for a sick child. send down thy wingéd angel; god! amidst this night so wild, and bid him come where now we watch, and breathe upon our child! it lies upon its pillow, pale, and moans within its sleep, or wakeneth with a patient smile, and striveth not to weep! how gentle and how good a child it is, we know too well; and dearer to its parents' hearts than our weak words can tell. we love,--we watch throughout the night, to aid, where need may be; we hope,--and have despaired at times; but now we turn to thee! send down thy sweet-souled angel, god! amidst the darkness wild, and bid him soothe our souls to-night, and heal our gentle child! . c. m. heber. in times of domestic distress. o god, that madest earth and sky! the darkness and the day! give ear to this thy family, and help us when we pray! for wide the waves of bitterness around our vessel roar, and heavy grows the pilot's heart to view the rocky shore! the cross our master bore for us, for him we fain would bear, but mortal strength to weakness turns, and courage to despair! then mercy on our failings, lord! our sinking faith renew! and when thy sorrows visit us, o send thy patience too. . c. m. doddridge. sickness and recovery. my god, thy service well demands the remnant of my days; why was this fleeting breath renewed, but to renew thy praise? thine arms of everlasting love did this weak frame sustain, when life was hovering o'er the grave, and nature sunk with pain. i calmly bowed my fainting head on thy dear, faithful breast, and waited for my father's call to his eternal rest. back from the borders of the grave, at thy command, i come; nor will i ask a speedier flight to my celestial home. where thou appointest mine abode there would i choose to be; for in thy presence death is life, and earth is heaven with thee. . c. m. h. k. white. a family evening prayer. o lord, another day is flown, and we, a lonely band, are met once more before thy throne, to bless thy fostering hand. and wilt thou lend a listening ear to praises low as ours! thou wilt; for thou dost love to hear the song which meekness pours. o, let thy grace perform its part, and let contention cease; and shed abroad in every heart thine everlasting peace. thus chastened, cleansed, entirely thine, a flock by jesus led, the sun of holiness shall shine in glory on our head. and thou wilt turn our wandering feet, and thou wilt bless our way, till worlds shall fade, and faith shall greet the dawn of lasting day. . l. m. s. s. cutting. family hymn. evening. father, we bless the gentle care that watches o'er us day by day, that guards us from the tempter's snare, and guides us in the heavenward way:-- we bless thee for the tender love, that mingles all our hearts in one,-- the music of the soul;--above 'tis purer spirits' unison. father, 'tis evening's solemn hour, and cast we now our cares on thee; darkly the storm may round us lower,-- peace is within,--christ makes us free,-- and when life's toil and joy are o'er, and evening gathers on its sky, our circle broke,--we sing no more,-- o, may we meet and sing on high. morning and evening hymns. . l. m. keble. morning hymn. oh! timely happy, timely wise. hearts that with rising morn arise! eyes that the beam celestial view, which evermore makes all things new! new every morning is the love our wakening and uprising prove; through sleep and darkness safely brought, restored to life, and power, and thought. new mercies, each returning day, hover around us while we pray; new perils past, new sins forgiven, new thoughts of god, new hopes of heaven. if, on our daily course, our mind be set to hallow all we find, new treasures still, of countless price, god will provide for sacrifice. old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be, as more of heaven in each we see; some softening gleams of love and prayer, shall dawn on every cross and care. . l. m. bishop kenn. morning resolutions. awake, my soul! and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run; shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise to pay thy morning sacrifice. wake, and lift up thyself, my heart, and with the angels bear thy part, who all night long unwearied sing high praises to th' eternal king. in conversation be sincere; keep conscience, as the noontide, clear; think how the all-seeing god thy ways and all thy secret thoughts surveys. lord, i my vows to thee renew; scatter my sins like morning dew; guard my first springs of thought and will and with thyself my spirit fill. direct, control, suggest, this day, all i design, or do, or say, that all my powers, with all their might, in thy sole glory may unite. . c. m. montgomery. acknowledging god's hand. morning. what secret hand, at morning light, softly unseals mine eye, draws back the curtain of the night, and opens earth and sky; 'tis thine, my god,--the same that kept my resting hours from harm; no ill came nigh me, for i slept beneath th' almighty's arm. 'tis thine, my daily bread that brings, like manna scattered round, and clothes me, as the lily springs in beauty from the ground. in death's dark valley though i stray 'twould there my steps attend, guide with the staff my lonely way, and with the rod defend. may that sure hand uphold me still through life's uncertain race, to bring me to thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling-place. . s. m. episcopal coll. morning hymn. now, the shades of night are gone; now the morning light comes on; lord, may we be thine to-day, drive the shades of sin away. fill our souls with heavenly light, banish doubt, and clear our sight; in thy service, lord, to-day, may we stand, and watch and pray. keep our haughty passions bound; save us from our foes around; going out and coming in, keep us safe from every sin. when our work of life is past, o, receive us then at last; night and sin will be no more, when we reach the heavenly shore. . l. m. watts. the same. god of the morning, at whose voice the cheerful sun makes haste to rise, and like a giant doth rejoice to run his journey through the skies. from the fair chambers of the east, the circuit of his race begins, and, without weariness or rest, round the whole earth he flies and shines. o, like the sun may i fulfil the appointed duties of the day, with ready mind and active will march on and keep my heavenly way. lord, thy commands are clean and pure, enlightening our beclouded eyes, thy threatenings just, thy promise sure, thy gospel makes the simple wise. . c. m. mrs. steele. the same. lord of my life! o may thy praise employ my noblest powers, whose goodness lengthens out my days. and fills the circling hours! preserved by thy almighty arm, i passed the shades of night, serene and safe from every harm, and see returning light. while many spend the night in sighs and restless pains and woes, in gentle sleep i close my eyes and undisturbed repose. when sleep death's semblance o'er me spread, and i unconscious lay, thy watchful care was round my bed, to guard my feeble clay. o let the same almighty care my waking hours attend; from every danger, every snare, my heedless steps defend. . l. m. watts. morning or evening hymn. my god, how endless is thy love! thy gifts are every evening new; and morning mercies, from above, gently distil like early dew. thou spread'st the curtains of the night, great guardian of my sleeping hours; thy sovereign word restores the light, and quickens all my drowsy powers. i yield my powers to thy command; to thee i consecrate my days; perpetual blessings from thine hand demand perpetual songs of praise. . s. & s. m. edmeston. confidence in god's protection. father, breathe an evening blessing ere repose our spirits seal; sin and want we come confessing; thou canst save and thou canst heal. though destruction walk around us, though the arrows past us fly, angel guards from thee surround us; we are safe, if thou art nigh. though the night be dark and dreary, darkness cannot hide from thee; thou art he who, never weary, watchest where thy people be. should swift death this night o'ertake us, and command us to the tomb, may the morn in heaven awake us, clad in bright, eternal bloom. . s. m. bowring. morning or evening.--all from god. father! thy paternal care has my guardian been, my guide! every hallowed wish and prayer has thy hand of love supplied; thine is every thought of bliss, left by hours and days gone by; every hope thy offspring is, beaming from futurity. every sun of splendid ray; every moon that shines serene; every morn that welcomes day; every evening's twilight scene, every hour which wisdom brings; every incense at thy shrine; these--and all life's holiest things, and its fairest--all are thine. and for all, my hymns shall rise daily to thy gracious throne: thither let my asking eyes turn unwearied--righteous one! through life's strange vicissitude there reposing all my care, trusting still through ill and good, fixed and cheered and counselled there. . s. & s. m. sacred songs. reflections at sunset. the mellow eve is gliding serenely down the west; so, every care subsiding, my soul would sink to rest. the woodland hum is ringing the daylight's gentle close; may angels round me singing, thus hymn my last repose. the evening star has lighted her crystal lamp on high; so, when in death benighted, may hope illume the sky. in golden splendor dawning, the morrow's light shall break; o, on the last bright morning may i in glory wake. . l. m. watts. evening hymn. thus far the lord has led me on, thus far his power prolongs my days! and every evening shall make known some fresh memorial of his grace. much of my time has run to waste, and i, perhaps, am near my home; but he forgives my follies past, he gives me strength for days to come. i lay my body down to sleep; peace is the pillow for my head: while well appointed angels keep their watchful stations round my bed. faith in his name forbids my fear: o, may thy presence ne'er depart! and in the morning make me hear thy love and kindness in my heart. and when the night of death shall come, still may i trust almighty love,-- the love which triumphs o'er the tomb, and leads to perfect bliss above. . l. m. kenn. trusting god. evening hymn. glory to thee, my god, this night, for all the blessings of the light: keep me, o, keep me, king of kings, beneath the shadow of thy wings. forgive me, lord, through thy dear son the ills which i this day have done; that with the world, myself, and thee, i, ere i sleep, at peace may be. o, may my soul on thee repose, and with sweet sleep mine eyelids close! sleep that shall me more vigorous make to serve my god when i awake. be thou my guardian while i sleep; thy watchful station near me keep; my heart with love celestial fill, and guard me from th' approach of ill. lord, let my heart forever share the bliss of thy paternal care: 'tis heaven on earth, 'tis heaven above, to see thy face and sing thy love. . c. m. anonymous. evening hymn. indulgent god, whose bounteous care o'er all thy works is shown, o let my grateful praise and prayer ascend before thy throne! what mercies has this day bestowed! how largely hast thou blest! my cup with plenty overflowed, with cheerfulness my breast. now may sweet slumbers close my eyes, from pain and sickness free; and let my waking thoughts arise to meditate on thee. so bless each future day and night, till life's fond scene is o'er; at length, to realms of endless light enraptured let me soar. . l. m. keble. "abide with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent." 'tis gone, that bright and orbéd blaze, fast fading from our wistful gaze; yon mantling cloud has hid from sight the last faint pulse of quivering light. sun of my soul! thou saviour dear, it is not night if thou be near: oh may no earth-born cloud arise to hide thee from thy servant's eyes. when the soft dews of kindly sleep my wearied eyelids gently steep, be my last thought now sweet to rest forever on my saviour's breast. abide with me from morn till eve, for without thee i cannot live; abide with me when night is nigh, for without thee i dare not die. . s. m. doddridge. evening hymn. interval of grateful shade, welcome to my weary head! welcome slumbers to mine eyes, tired with glaring vanities! my great master still allows needful periods of repose: by my heavenly father blest, thus i give my powers to rest. heavenly father, gracious name! night and day his love the same! far be each suspicious thought, every anxious care forgot! thou, my ever-bounteous god, crown'st my days with various good; thy kind eye which cannot sleep, my defenceless hours shall keep. blest vicissitude to me! day and night i'm still with thee; guarded thus i sink to rest, lodged within my father's breast . s. m. curtis' coll. flight of time. another day is past, the hours forever fled, and time is bearing us away to mingle with the dead. our minds in perfect peace our father's care shall keep, we yield to gentle slumber now, for thou canst never sleep. how blesséd, lord, are they on thee securely stayed! nor shall they be in life alarmed, nor be in death dismayed. . s. m. anonymous. evening hymn. the day is past and gone; the evening shades appear; o, may we all remember well the night of death draws near! we lay our garments by, upon our beds to rest; so death shall soon disrobe us all of what is here possessed. lord, keep us safe this night, secure from all our fears; may angels guard us, while we sleep, till morning light appears! . s. & s. m. (peculiar.) kelly. an evening offering. through the day thy love hath spared us, now we lay us down to rest; through the silent watches guard us, let no foe our peace molest; father, thou our guardian be, sweet it is to trust in thee. pilgrims here on earth, and strangers, dwelling in the midst of foes,-- us and ours preserve from dangers, in thine arms let us repose, and, when life's short day is past, rest with thee in heaven at last. . s. m. missionary mag. evening hymn. lord of glory! king of power! in this lone and silent hour, while the shades of darkness rise, and the eve is on the skies, by thy blessing, as the dews, which yon shaded skies diffuse, bid our feverish passions cease; calm us with thy promised peace. wheresoe'er the brow of pain seeks oblivion's balm in vain, or the form of watchful grief knows not of the night's relief, there thy pity, softening power, there the spirit's calm restore; till each tongue, from murmuring free, wakes the hymn of praise to thee. . p. m. bp. heber. evening aspiration. god, that madest earth and heaven, darkness and light,-- who the day for toil hast given, for rest the night,-- may thine angel guards defend us, slumber sweet thy mercy send us, holy dreams and hopes attend us, this livelong night. . s. m. anonymous. evening hymn. ps. : . softly now the light of day fades upon my sight away; free from care, from labor free, lord, i will commune with thee. thou, whose all-pervading eye nought escapes, without, within: pardon each infirmity, open fault and secret sin. soon, for me, the light of day shall forever pass away; then from sin and sorrow free, take me, lord, to dwell with thee. . l. m. kenn. midnight. my god, i now from sleep awake; the sole possession of me take; from midnight terrors me secure, and guard my heart from thoughts impure. blest angels, while we silent lie, you hallelujahs sing on high; you joyful hymn the ever-blest, before the throne, and never rest. i with your choir celestial join, in offering up a hymn divine; with you in heaven i hope to dwell, and bid the night and world farewell. blest jesus, thou, on heaven intent, whole nights hast in devotion spent; but i, frail creature, soon am tired, and all my zeal is soon expired. shine on me, lord, new life impart, fresh ardors kindle in my heart: one ray of thy all-quickening light dispels the sloth and clouds of night. . s. m. conder. saturday evening. the hours of evening close; its lengthened shadows, drawn o'er scenes of earth, invite repose, and wait the sabbath dawn. so let its calm prevail o'er forms of outward care; nor thought for "many things" assail the still retreat of prayer. our guardian shepherd near his watchful eye will keep; and, safe from violence and fear, will fold his flock to sleep. so may a holier light than earth's our spirits rouse, and call us, strengthened by his might, to pay the lord our vows. . l. m. l. anonymous. the same. sweet to the soul the parting ray, that ushers placid evening in, when with the still, expiring day, the sabbath's peaceful hours begin; how grateful to the anxious breast, the sacred hours of holy rest. hushed is the tumult of this day, and worldly cares and business cease; while soft the vesper breezes play, to hymn the glad return of peace. o season blest! o moment given to turn the vagrant thoughts to heaven. oft as this hallowed hour shall come, o raise my thoughts from earthly things, and bear them to my heavenly home, on living faith's immortal wings-- till the last gleam of life decay, in one eternal sabbath day. . l. m. cunningham. sabbath morning. dear is the hallowed morn to me, when sabbath bells awake the day, and, by their sacred minstrelsy, call me from earthly cares away. and dear to me the wingéd hour, spent in thy hallowed courts, o lord! to feel devotion's soothing power, and catch the manna of thy word. and dear to me the loud amen, which echoes through the blest abode, which swells and sinks, and swells again, dies on the walls, but lives to god. oft when the world, with iron hands, has bound me in its six days' chain, this bursts them, like the strong man's bands, and lets my spirit loose again. go, man of pleasure, strike thy lyre, of broken sabbaths sing the charms; ours be the prophet's car of fire that bears us to a father's arms. . l. m. anonymous. sabbath evening. there is a time when moments flow more happily than all beside; it is, of all the times below, a sabbath of the eventide. o then the setting sun shines fair, and all below, and all above, the various forms of nature, wear one universal garb of love. and then the peace that jesus brought the life of grace eternal beams, and we, by his example taught, improve the life his love redeems. delightful scene! a world at rest; a god all love; no grief, no fear; a heavenly hope, a peaceful breast, a smile, unsullied by a tear. miscellaneous. . l. m. edwards. sabbath hymn with nature. king of the world! i worship thee: lord of the mind! the sabbath's thine:-- a contrite heart, a bended knee, to-day shall be my corn, my wine. a choral song for sacrifice will mount as fire, and heavenward own the green-leaved earth, through joys and sighs a satellite round mercy's throne. the moon comes up to wake the dew, and hang a star on every leaf; the sun can take a rainbow hue, to kiss away the meadow's grief; the wave will lay its buoyance by, to let the cloud take anchor there; earth, through her flowers, salutes the sky; the sky meets earth in balmy air. and i was born to see and say how beauty beams, without, within: from the fly, made to gild a day, to my own soul, outliving sin. even now i feel thy cherubim have come to me from thee, all-wise!-- then, silence, thou shalt be my hymn, and thought, my only sacrifice. . c. m. herbert. the soul's beauty unfading. sweet day! so cool, so calm, so bright, bridal of earth and sky, the dew shall weep thy fall to-night, for thou, alas! must die. sweet rose! in air whose odors wave, and color charms the eye, thy root is ever in its grave, and thou, alas! must die. sweet spring! of days and roses made, whose charms for beauty vie, thy days depart, thy roses fade; thou too, alas! must die. only a sweet and holy soul hath tints that never fly; while flowers decay, and seasons roll, this lives, and cannot die. . l. m. bowring. evening hymn with nature. to thee, my god! to thee i bring the evening's grateful offering; from thee, the source of joy above, flow everlasting streams of love; and all the rays of light that shine, and bless creation, lord! are thine. the morn, when stepping down the hills-- the noon, which all creation fills with glory; evening's placid fall, the twilight and the raven pall of midnight; all alike proclaim thy great, thine all impressive name. and from the little worm, whose light shines palely through the shades of night, up to the sparkling stars that run their evening rounds--or glorious sun, rolling his car to twilight's rest-- all, all in thee is bright and blest. and over all--above, below, we see thee--ever-present thou! in every wandering rill that flows, in every gentle breeze that blows; in every rising, setting sun, we trace thee--own thee--holy one! yes! in the mid-day's fervid beams, and in the midnight's shadowy dreams, in action and repose, we see, we recognize and worship thee; to thee our worthiest songs would give, and in thee die, and to thee live. . s. m. b. barton. "he shall be like a tree planted in the rivers of water." blessed state! and happy he who is like that planted tree; living waters lave his root, bends his bough with golden fruit. when the seedling from its bed first lifts up its timid head, ministry of thine must give. all on which its life can live. showers from thee must bid it thrive, breath of thine must oft revive; light from thee its bloom supplies,-- left by thee it fades and dies. thine, o lord! the power and praise which a sight like this displays; power of thine must plant it there, praise of thee it should declare. . s. m. (peculiar.) f. osgood. "enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise." approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul; nor let thy feet falter, from terror's control! god loves not the sadness of fear and mistrust; oh serve him with gladness-- the gentle, the just! his bounty is tender, his being is love, his smile fills with splendor, the blue arch above. confiding, believing, oh! enter always, "his courts with thanksgiving-- his portals with praise!" nor come to the temple with pride in thy mien; but lowly and simple, in courage serene. bring meekly, before him, the faith of a child: bow down and adore him, with heart undefiled. . l. m. miss carey. light and darkness. our father, when beside the tomb we mourn the unconscious dead below, thy angels come amid the gloom, with solace for our doubt and woe. and looking through the shades of death to that bright land where none can die, how clearly then the eye of faith beholds the portals of the sky! and they whose lives serenely even in pleasure's flowery way have kept, have never known the love of heaven, as they whose souls have mourned and wept! for stricken by the hand of woe, the soul must seek a father's love, and they who weep can only know what healing balm is found above! and one repentant hour of tears, of sweet communion and of prayer, is worth a thousand, thousand years where pleasure's thoughtless children are! and o, if ever man below draws nearer to the eternal throne, 'tis when his soul, subdued by woe, seeks refuge with its god above! . l. m. sir j. e. smith. "it is i, be not afraid." when power divine, in mortal form, hushed with a word the raging storm, in soothing accents jesus said, "lo, it is i!--be not afraid." so, when in silence nature sleeps, and his lone watch the mourner keeps, one thought, shall every pang remove-- trust, feeble man, thy maker's love. blessed be the voice that breathes from heaven, to every heart in sunder riven, when love, and joy, and hope are fled, "lo it is i!--be not afraid." . l. m. bowring. joy after sorrow. as, when the deluge-waves were gone, hills, plains, and vales in freshness burst, and nature's earliest rainbow shone on scenes more lovely than the first, loosed from the ark, a heavenly dove, the promise-branch of olive bore,-- pledge of returning peace and love that beamed more brightly than before:-- so when affliction's waters glide from the enfranchised soul away, more peaceful, pure, and sanctified, the soul emerges into day. and then, as with the olive bough the heavenly dove of old drew near, some gentle words of truth will flow, in holy music on the ear. o'er all the transient things of time, the oblivious foot of years hath trod; but all that's sacred and sublime stands steadfast as the truth of god. . s. m. bowring. pious worship. in thy courts let peace be found, be thy temple full of love; there we tread on holy ground, all serene, around, above. while the knee in prayer is bent, while with praise the heart o'erflows, tranquillize the turbulent! give the weary one repose! be the place for worship meet, meet the worship for the place; contemplation's best retreat, shrine of guilelessness and grace! as an infant knows its home, lord! may we thy temples know; thither for instruction come-- thence by thee instructed go. . l. m. cunningham. an ancient church. long be our fathers' temple ours, far hence the time in which it falls; a thousand spirits watch its bowers, a cloud of angels guard its walls. and be their shield by us possessed; lord, rear around the blest abode, the buttress of a holy breast, the rampart of a present god. . c. m. anonymous. the widow's prayer. though faint and sick, and worn away with poverty and woe, my widowed feet are doomed to stray 'mid thorny paths below. be thou, o lord, my father still, my confidence and guide: i know that perfect is thy will, whate'er that will decide. i know the soul that trusts in thee thou never wilt forsake; and though a bruiséd reed i be, that reed thou wilt not break. then keep me, lord, where'er i go, support me on my way, though, worn with poverty and woe, my widowed footsteps stray. to give my weakness strength, o god, thy staff shall yet avail; and though thou chasten with thy rod, that staff shall never fail. . c. m. anonymous. the orphan's hymn. where shall the child of sorrow find a place for calm repose? thou, father of the fatherless, pity the orphan's woes! what friend have i in heaven or earth, what friend to trust but thee? my father's dead--my mother's dead; my god, remember me! thy gracious promise now fulfil, and bid my trouble cease; in thee the fatherless shall find pure mercy, grace and peace. i've not a secret care or pain, but he that secret knows; thou, father of the fatherless, pity the orphan's woes! . s. m. bowring. "the rich and poor meet together." come the rich and come the poor, to the christian temple door; let their mingled prayers ascend to the universal friend. here the rich and poor may claim common ancestry and name; claim a common heritage, in the gospel's promise page. of the same materials wrought; by the same instructor taught; walking in life's common way; tending to the same decay. rich and poor at last shall meet at the heavenly mercy seat; where the name of rich and poor never shall be uttered more. . l. m. bowring. temptation. oh, what a struggle wakes within, when in the spirit's solitude, the tempting, treacherous thoughts of sin, in all their luring smiles intrude! 'tis then, my father! then i feel my nature's weakness, and, oppressed, like a poor trembling child i steal to thee, for safety, and for rest. beneath thy shadow let me live! be thou my friend--my father be! i bend in trust--i pray! forgive the erring child that flies to thee! . l. m. anonymous. the faithful minister. "let there be light!"--when from on high, o god, that first commandment came, forth leaped the sun; and earth and sky lay in his light, and felt his flame. "let there be light!"--the light of grace and truth, a darkling world to bless, came with thy word, when on our race broke forth the sun of righteousness. light of our souls! how strong it grows: that sun, how wide his beams he flings, as up the glorious sky he goes, with light and healing in his wings! give us that light! o god, 'tis given! hope sees it open heaven's wide halls to those who for the truth have striven; and faith walks firmly where it falls. churches no more, in cold eclipse, mourn the withholding of its rays; it gilds their gates, and on the lips of every faithful preacher plays. . p. m. moore. fall of israel. fallen is thy throne, o israel!-- silence is on all thy plains,-- thy dwellings all lie desolate,-- thy children weep in chains. where are the dews that fed thee on ethan's barren shore? that fire from heaven that led thee now lights thy path no more! lord, thou didst love jerusalem! once she was all thy own! her love thy fairest heritage, her power thy glory's throne; till evil came and blighted thy long-loved olive tree, and salem's shrines were lighted for other gods than thee. then sunk the star of solyma, then passed her glory's day, like heath that in the wilderness the wild wind whirls away. silent and waste her bowers, where once the mighty trod; and sunk those guilty towers, where baal reigned as god. . l. m. anonymous. remonstrance with the jews. why on the bending willows hung, israel! still sleeps thy tuneful string?-- still mute remains thy sullen tongue, and zion's song denies to sing? awake! thy sweetest raptures raise; let harp and voice unite their strains thy promised king his sceptre sways; jesus, thine own messiah, reigns! no taunting foes the song require: no strangers mock thy captive chain: but friends provoke the silent lyre, and brethren ask the holy strain. nor fear thy salem's hills to wrong, if other lands thy triumph share: a heavenly city claims thy song; a brighter salem rises there. by foreign streams no longer roam; nor, weeping, think of jordan's flood: in every clime behold a home, in every temple see thy god. . s. & s. m. cowper. the glory of the redeemed. hear what god the lord hath spoken, "o my people, faint and few, comfortless, afflicted, broken, fair abodes i build for you; thorns of heart-felt tribulation shall no more perplex your ways; ye shall name your walls, salvation, and your gates shall all be praise. "there, like streams that feed the garden, pleasures without end shall flow; for the lord, your faith rewarding, all his bounty shall bestow; still, in undisturbed possession, peace and righteousness shall reign: never shall you feel oppression, hear the voice of war again. "ye no more your suns descending, waning moons no more shall see; but, your griefs forever ending, find eternal noon in me; god shall rise, and shining o'er you, change to day the gloom of night; he, the lord, shall be your glory, god, your everlasting light." . c. m. ancient hymns. the noble army of martyrs. the triumphs of the martyred saints the joyous lay demand; the heart delights in song to dwell on that victorious band-- those whom the senseless world abhorred, who cast the world aside, deeming it worthless, for the sake of christ, their lord and guide. for him they braved the tyrant's rage, the scourge's cruel smart; the wild beast's fang their bodies tore, but vanquished not the heart; like lambs before the sword they fell, nor cry nor plaint expressed; for patience kept the conscious mind and armed the fearless breast. what tongue can tell the crown prepared the martyr's brow to grace? his shining robe, his joys unknown, before thy glorious face? vouchsafe us, lord, if such thy will. clear skies and seasons calm; if not, the martyr's cross to bear, and win the martyr's palm. . s. m. luther. the death of martyrs. flung to the heedless winds, or on the waters cast, their ashes shall be watched, and gathered at the last: and from that scattered dust, around us and abroad, shall spring a plenteous seed of witnesses for god. the father hath received their latest living breath; yet vain is satan's boast of victory in their death: still, still, though dead, they speak, and trumpet-tongued proclaim to many a wakening land the one availing name. . s. m. ancient hymns. thanks for all saints. for all thy saints, o god, who strove in christ to live, who followed him, obeyed, adored, our grateful hymn receive. for all thy saints, o god, accept our thankful cry, who counted christ their great reward, and strove in him to die. they all, in life and death, with him, their lord in view, learned from thy holy spirit's breath to suffer and to do. for this thy name we bless, and humbly beg that we may follow them in holiness, and live and die in thee. . s. & s. m. (peculiar.) meth. coll. quiet religion. open, lord, my inward ear, and bid my heart rejoice; bid my quiet spirit hear the comfort of thy voice; never in the whirlwind found, or where earthquakes rock the place still and silent is the sound, the whisper of thy grace. from the world of sin, and noise, and hurry, i withdraw; for the small and inward voice i wait with humble awe; silent i am now and still, dare not in thy presence move; to my waiting soul reveal the secret of thy love. . l. m. l. h. ballou, d. "a hiding-place from the wind," &c. when dread misfortune's tempests rise, and roar through all the darkened skies, where shall the anxious pilgrim gain a shelter from the wind and rain? within the covert of thy grace, o lord, there is a hiding-place, where, unconcerned, we hear the sound, though storm and tempest rage around. when, wandering o'er the desert bare of burning sands and sultry air, we've sought the cheerless region through, but found no stream to meet our view,-- 'tis then, the rivers of thy love, descending from thy throne above, supply our wants, and soothe our pain, and raise our fainting souls again. when in a weary land we tire, and our exhausted powers expire, with toil, and care, and heat oppressed, where shall our languid spirits rest? o, who could bear the blasting ray, and all the burden of the day, did not a rock in zion stand, o'ershading all this weary land! . c. m. h. ware. on opening an organ. all nature's works his praise declare to whom they all belong; there is a voice in every star, in every breeze a song. sweet music fills the world abroad with strains of love and power; the stormy sea sings praise to god-- the thunder and the shower. to god the tribes of ocean cry, and birds upon the wing; to god, the powers that dwell on high their tuneful tribute bring. like them let man the throne surround, with them loud chorus raise, while instruments of loftiest sound assist his feeble praise. great god! to thee we consecrate our voices and our skill; we bid the pealing organ wait to speak alone thy will. oh, teach its rich and swelling notes to lift our souls on high; and while the music round us floats, let earth-born passion die. . c. m. l. h. sigourney. marriage hymn. not for the summer's hour alone, when skies resplendent shine, and youth and pleasure fill the throne, our hearts and hands we join; but for those stern and wintry days of sorrow, pain, and fear, when heaven's wise discipline doth make our earthly journey drear;-- not for this span of life alone, which like a blast doth fly, and as the transient flowers of grass, just blossom, droop, and die;-- but for a being without end this vow of love we take; grant us, o god, one home at last, for thy great mercy's sake. . s. & s. m. heber. the same. when on her maker's bosom the new-born earth was laid, and nature's opening blossom its fairest bloom displayed; when all with fruits and flowers, the laughing soil was dressed, and eden's fragrant bowers received their human guest,-- no sin his face defiling, the heir of nature stood, and god, benignly smiling, beheld that all was good. yet in that hour of blessing a single want was known,-- a wish the heart distressing,-- for adam was alone. o god of pure affection, by men and saints adored, o, give us thy protection around this nuptial board. may thy rich bounties ever to wedded love be shown, and no rude hand dissever whom thou hast linked in one. . l. m. c. sprague. for the blessing of schools. o thou, at whose dread name we bend, to whom our purest vows we pay, god over all, in love descend, and bless the labors of this day. our fathers here, a pilgrim band, fixed the proud empire of the free; art moved in gladness o'er the land, and faith her altars reared to thee. here, too, to guard, through every age, the sacred rights their valor won, they bade instruction spread her page, and send down truth from sire to son. here still, through all succeeding time, their stores may truth and learning bring and still the anthem-note sublime to thee from children's children sing. . l. m. j. g. adams. dedication of a school-house. god of our fathers! from whose hand came all our lights and blessings down,-- who this devoted, favored land dost with thy choicest mercy crown! to learning and to knowledge reared-- we dedicate with prayer and praise this edifice, to thee, revered above all gods, through endless days! accept the offering--deign to dwell with thy confiding children here; the shades of ignorance dispel,-- in truth's omnipotence appear! here through successive years may come the youthful mind--fair wisdom's guest; long be this house instruction's home, when those who reared it sink to rest. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. the same. raise the adoring song! praises to god belong, in this glad hour! he who from worlds on high, spreads over earth and sky proofs of his majesty, goodness and power! praise, that instruction's voice bids the young heart rejoice in this fair land; praise, that the humblest mind wisdom's true light may find, ground on which all inclined freely may stand. source of all holiness! with thy rich favor bless this house of thine; here be true knowledge sought, here purest wisdom taught, wisdom with freedom fraught, freedom divine! . c. m. p. h. sweetser. the same. let monumental pillars rise in majesty sublime-- their granite columns shall decay before the touch of time. but mind, enlightened and refined, shall live beyond the sky, and heavenly sciences explore, when time itself shall die! a nobler monument we raise than costly marble pile-- a beacon light to lead the way from ignorance and guile. this house, with prayer, o god, we give to truth's supreme control; to virtue and progressive thought, the riches of the soul. . l. m. anonymous. the river of life. there is a pure and peaceful wave, that issues from the throne of love, whose waters gladden as they lave the bright and heavenly courts above. in living streams behold that tide through christ the rock profusely burst; and in his word, behold supplied the fount for which our spirits thirst. the pilgrim faint, who seems to sink beneath the sultry sky of time, may here repose, and freely drink the waters of that better clime. and every soul may here partake the blessings of the fount above; and none who drink will e'er forsake the crystal stream of boundless love. . s. & s. m. anonymous. the soldier of the cross. soldier, to the contest pressing, onward, let thy watchword be; god upon thee pours his blessing; what though man derideth thee! onward, though the fagot's burning by thy pathway's only light; onward, death and danger spurning; onward in the path of right! god, for all thy wants providing, armor trusty hath for thee; gird thyself, in him confiding, with the goodly panoply: righteousness thy breast defending, and thy feet with justice shod: onward; with the foe contending, wield thy sword, the word of god. thine the helmet of salvation, faith thy mighty shield shall be; and let prayer and supplication, lance and glorious falchion be; onward then, with bold contending, in the path the martyrs trod: god to thee his strength is lending; onward, in the strength of god. . c. m. anonymous. on occasion of a destructive fire. eternal god, our humbled souls before thy presence bow; with all thy wasting magazines, how terrible art thou! the flames thy messengers become, and their destruction pour, and that which we in strength had reared lies mouldered in an hour. within our pleasant places, lord, destruction rears its head, and blackened walls and smoking heaps along our streets are spread. lord, in this hour we come to thee, with awe adore thy name; yet bless the hand of guardian love, that snatched us from the flame. . c. m. e. h. chapin. during or after a great storm. amid surrounding gloom and waste, from nature's face we flee; and in our fear and wonder haste o nature's life, to thee! thy ways are in the mighty deep; in tempests as they blow; in floods that o'er our treasures sweep; the lightning; and the snow. though earth upon its axis reels, and heaven is veiled in wrath; not one of nature's million wheels breaks its appointed path; fixed in thy grasp, the sources meet of beauty and of awe; in storm or calm, all pulses beat true to the central law. thou art that law, whose will thus done in seeming wreck and blight, sends the calm planets round the sun, and pours the moon's soft light. we trust thy love; thou best dost know the universal peace; how long the stormy force should blow, and when the flood should cease. and though around our path some form of mystery ever lies, and life is like the calm and storm that checker earth and skies, through all its mingling joy and dread, permit us, holy one, by faith to see the golden thread of thy great purpose run. . c. m. addison. the traveller's hymn. how are thy servants blest, o lord! how sure is their defence! eternal wisdom is their guide, their help omnipotence. in foreign realms, and lands remote, supported by thy care, they pass unhurt through burning climes, and breathe in tainted air. thy mercy sweetens every soil, makes every region please; the hoary, frozen hills it warms, and smooths the boisterous seas. in midst of dangers, fears, and death, thy goodness i'll adore, and praise thee for thy mercies past, and humbly hope for more. . l. m. h. bacon. influence of christian woman. matt. : . "where'er my gospel is proclaimed, through the long ages yet to be, there shall this deed of love be named which she this hour hath done for me." lord, while our eyes on mary rest, and see the precious perfume poured, with thrilling power our thoughts invest the sacred record of thy word. we bring to god, in thy dear name, the tribute of our grateful praise. for many a deed, unknown to fame, where woman her true homage pays. the wife, the mother, sister, friend,-- all holy may her influence be! the sweetness of her kindness blend with temperance, truth, and charity. oh not a work is wrought in vain where love like mary's fills the heart; memorials of that love remain, a sacred influence to impart. . s. & s. m. j. g. adams. "she hath done what she could." mark : . bless, o bless, almighty father, woman's mission with our race,-- her fond strivings here to gather fruits of thy redeeming grace. though her way be not where honor wins the gazing world's acclaim, yet we bless thee that upon her rests the power of jesus' name. in that name, o father, strengthen her full heart and ready hands; may her efforts serve to lengthen christian love's encircling bands. where the mourning and the needy and the suffering faint and die, be her presence sure and speedy, mercy's blessings to supply. where old error's words are spoken, be truth's witness by her given, till, the spell of bondage broken, earth redeemed resembles heaven. . c. m. barton. "walk in the light." walk in the light! so shalt thou know that fellowship of love, his spirit only can bestow, who reigns in light above. walk in the light! and thou shalt own thy darkness passed away, because that light hath on thee shone in which is perfect day. walk in the light! and e'en the tomb no fearful shade shall wear; glory shall chase away its gloom, for christ hath conquered there! walk in the light! and thine shall be a path, though thorny,--bright: for god, by grace, shall dwell in thee, and god himself is light! . l. m. anonymous. the cause of humanity hopeful. the past is dark with sin and shame, the future dim with doubt and fear; but, father, yet we praise thy name, whose guardian love is always near! for man has striven ages long with faltering steps to come to thee, and in each purpose high and strong the influence of thy grace could see. he could not breathe an earnest prayer but thou wert kinder than he dreamed, as age by age brought hopes more fair, and nearer still thy kingdom seemed. but never rose within his breast, a trust so calm and deep as now; shall not the weary find a rest? father! preserver! answer thou! 'tis dark around, 'tis dark above, but through the shadow streams the sun; we cannot doubt thy certain love, and man's great aim shall yet be won! . s. & s. m. montgomery. joyful hope. know, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o'er sin, and fear, and care; joy to find, in every station, something still to do, or bear. think what spirit dwells within thee; think what father's smiles are thine; think what jesus did to win thee;-- child of heaven! canst thou repine? haste thee on from grace to glory, armed with faith, and winged with prayer; heaven's eternal day's before thee, god's own hand shall guide thee there: soon shall cease thine earthly mission, soon shall pass thy pilgrim days; hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise. . s. m. wesleyan. for a holy heart. great source of life and light, thy heavenly grace impart, and by thy holy spirit write thy law upon my heart. my soul would cleave to thee; let nought my purpose move; o, let my faith more steadfast be, and more intense my love! long as my trials last, long as the cross i bear, o, let my soul on thee be cast in confidence and prayer! conduct me to the shore of everlasting peace, where storm and tempest rise no more, where sin and sorrow cease. . s. & s. m. waterston. "as for the truth, it endureth and is always strong." theories, which thousands cherish, pass like clouds that sweep the sky; creeds and dogmas all may perish; truth herself can never die. from the glorious heavens above her, she has shed her beams abroad, that the souls who truly love her, may become the sons of god. worldlings blindly may refuse her, close their eyes and call it night; learned scoffers may abuse her, but they cannot quench her light! thrones may totter, empires crumble, all their glories cease to be; while she, christ-like, crowns the humble, and from bondage sets them free. god himself will e'er defend her from the fury of her foe, till she, in her native splendor, sits enthroned o'er all below. . s. m. l. anonymous. active benevolence. in the morning sow thy seed, nor at eve withhold thy hand; who can tell which may succeed, or if both alike shall stand, and a glorious harvest bear, to reward the sower's care? sow it 'mid the haunts of vice-- scenes of infamy and crime; suddenly, may paradise burst, as in the northern clime spring, with all its verdant race, starts from winter's cold embrace. sow it with unsparing hand; 'tis the kingdom's precious seed, 'tis the master's great command, and his grace shall crown the deed; he hath said, the precious grain never shall be sown in vain. . h. m. j. g. adams. death of a magistrate or public man. death moves with victor's tread in our high places, lord! the honorable dead we mourn with one accord; our souls, oppressed, before thee bow, heed thou the prayer, accept the vow. while thus we feel the rod of thine afflictive love, teach us, our fathers' god, thy justice to approve. though all thy ways we cannot trace, may we not doubt thy guardian grace. o keep us in thy hand, a chosen race for thee; and make our own loved land the true home of the free; where sin shall cease, and righteousness forever dwell, forever bless. . c. m. mrs. sigourney. true prayer. the lord is on his holy throne, he sits in kingly state; let those who for his favors seek, in humble silence wait. true prayer is not th' imposing sound that clamorous lips repeat; but the deep silence of a soul that clasps jehovah's feet. doxologies. . h. m. doxology. glory to god on high! forever bless his name; let earth, and seas, and sky his wondrous love proclaim; to him be praise and glory given by all on earth, and all in heaven. . s. m. the same. praise to god! immortal praise from the heavens, the earth, the seas! all in one vast chorus join, to extol the name divine! . l. m. the same. praise god, from whom all blessings flow! praise him, all creatures here below! praise him, above, ye heavenly throng! praise god, our father, in your song! hymns from the east _hymnological works by the same author._ hymns from the greek office books. crown vo, / net. hymns of the holy eastern church. translated from the service books; with introductory chapters on the history, doctrine, and worship of the church. crown vo, / net. alexander gardner, paisley. hymns of the greek church. being translations from the service books; with introduction and notes. crown vo, / . oliphant anderson & ferrier, edinburgh. hymns and hymn-writers of the church hymnary. crown vo, / . henry frowde, oxford university press. hymns from east and west. crown vo, / . hymns of the early church. crown vo, / . hymns of our pilgrimage. crown vo, /-. zionward: hymns of the pilgrim life. crown vo, /-. the rest of god. crown vo, / net. pilgrim songs. crown vo, /-. james nisbet & co., ltd., london. hymns from the east being centos and suggestions from the service books of the holy eastern church with introduction by the rev. john brownlie _author of_ "_hymns and hymn writers of the church hymnary_," "_hymns of the greek church_," "_hymns from the greek office books_," "_hymns of the holy eastern church_," _&c., &c._ paisley: alexander gardner publisher by appointment to the late queen victoria mcmvii london: simpkin, marshall, hamilton, kent & co., lmd. printed by alexander gardner, paisley {tois agiois en dexia, theou kai pistois en christÔ, anatithÊmi} index of first lines page introduction, morning-- now, god of light, the morn appears, up, up my soul! with gladness rise, the saffron tints appear, now glows the morn in beauty rare, evening-- when night her sable curtain spreads, a crown of gold surpassing rare, christmas-- the lord of life to earth came down, jerusalem rejoice! the best that heaven could bring, out from the rising of the sun, easter-- o woeful hour, when from the night, crown the lord of glory, o christ, when on the shameful tree, o god of love, whose mercy came, when hades held the lord of life, when thou, o christ, upon the tree, to thy cross and resurrection, light is dawning 'mong the hills, hail! rising morn, for he hath risen, we worship, lord, before thee now, heavy laden with thy grief, to thee, o christ, our god, glory shone within the gloom, when adam heard the voice of sin, within the garden's sombre shade, pentecost-- even as thou saidst, the spirit came, o may the spirit of all grace, communion-- let thy blood in mercy poured, o lord of bounty, let this bread, judgment-- when in the clouds the lord appears, the bridegroom comes, my soul awake! o judge of all, when sinful men, i brought my merits to the throne, the time is drawing nigh, aspirations-- i sought the lord at early morn, o touch my heart and bring to mind, the wealth of high estate, i lift my hands, and with my heart, arise, my soul, and gaily sing, the king shall come when morning dawns, think on me, lord, for thou art kind, because thy mercy is so great, i cannot lift mine eyes, when at thy feet oppressed, because i was brought low, o god of life, in whom we live, by thine own hand the gift was given, lord, thou art good and kind, o lord of life, when mortals call, i wandered sore distressed, god sent me to the desert wild, introduction this fourth series of hymns from the office books of the holy eastern church, differs from the preceding three in this, that the hymns are less translations or renderings, and more centos and suggestions. one cannot continue long to interest himself in any work, and receive from time to time the observations and criticisms of his fellows, without, if he have his eyes and mind open to receive impressions, feeling himself impelled to alter his methods in some particular or other. in previous volumes the author has been careful to give, for the most part, carefully executed--that is to say, truthfully rendered translations from the originals. work of that kind is useful, and absolutely necessary for certain purposes; but, unless for the hymnologist, or for the liturgiologist, it is far from being attractive. to be true, renderings can hardly be graceful, and they must lack much of the literary charm which attaches itself to productions which are more untrammelled. hence, unless, as has been said, to the few who are specialists, translations are not much in favour. they have earned a reputation, and that reputation adheres to them: they are cold and uninspiring. such is their reputation, not always just, but who can say that it has not, on the whole, been earned? perhaps it would be wrong to say that there is any prejudice against translations from the greek or any other language whatever, as such. the reluctance to welcome translations is really reluctance to welcome poems which do not find their way to the heart. for this reason there is perhaps not more than a score of translations which have won their way from permanent hymnals to a permanent place in the affections of our devout fellow-countrymen. in this connection it is to be noted that we speak of _translations_, and not of _suggestions_ such as, "art thou weary," or "o, happy band of pilgrims," and many others, which have advanced into great favour, and are termed translations, but are not. true hymns are sacred lyrics, and a lyric to be lyrical and heart appealing, must be _inevitable_. it must be the spontaneous expression of the heart of the author--an expression which _had_ to come. it is the latent secret of the power of true hymns, for what _must_ be uttered will assuredly, sooner or later, find its way to some heart. such jets of living poetry must be awaited: they cannot be forced. but a translator must deliberately sit down at his desk and work--manufacture, if you will--and endeavour to turn on the lathe of graceful culture, elegancies which readers may admire, but will never feel. perhaps translators from the greek have a singular temptation to eschew. hymns from the offices have to be created in greek, as has been pointed out in a former introduction, before they can be the source of living poetic inspiration. no doubt the necessity of forming a cento is also the privilege, but it may easily entice a translator to be satisfied with a lifeless stringing of inept fragments. all this and much more has been brought home to the writer times without number. if one would have his work to be permanently useful; if he would aim at any particular employment of his hymns, he must observe the conditions which such an aim implies. a translator who aims at the use of his work in public worship, must aim at pellucid simplicity both of phraseology and of structure; and if they are to be widely, permanently, or deservedly popular, they must be gifted with becoming grace. this cannot be done in translations pure and simple. the present collection gives the result of an experiment. the greek has been used as a basis, a theme, a motive; oriental colour, and it is to be hoped some of the oriental warmth has been preserved. now and again an oriental figure is retained, and to those who have any knowledge of the worship of the eastern church, it must be obvious that the peculiar themes of her praise are in abundant evidence. what, then, is the net result? to an unpractised eye, if no indication of the source of these hymns had been given, could anything about them have suggested their source? to the unpractised eye, nothing. but no one who knows the greek offices will travel far before he overtakes well-known landmarks. this is just as it should be. it is sufficient that a fertile source of suggestion has been found--of theme, thought, form, colour--and that from this ancient source it is possible to procure much that is beautiful for the adornment of the worship of god's house to-day. and this gratifying fact is made plain, that the themes of greek church praise are the grand themes of the praise of the church in our land and in all christian lands;--the christ in all the might and glory of his person and work: the need of our humanity, and the way in which christ met it: his miraculous birth, which is not shorn of any of its mystery, and the embellishments of the event, which are never toned down, but, in true oriental fashion, made, if possible, more dazzling: his passion and his death, and the fulness of their atoning efficacy. but, as is to be expected, the grand theme of the greek singers, as became those who, more than we have done, caught the first inspiration of their praise from the apostles, is the glorious resurrection of our lord from the dead. here, the praise of the greek church touches its highest note, and pours forth its most enchanting melody. "christ is risen," and the glad response, "he is risen indeed"--these words constitute the keynote of all that is best and most beautiful in greek worship. the knowledge and the wisdom of god are everywhere extolled, and the attribute of light is continually and cordially applied to the deity. one cannot acquaint himself with the church of the apostles, with its glowing service, and with the noble stand it has made, and still maintains, for the truth of god and for the kingdom of christ in the world, and not feel pained with the fact, so little to the credit of the church of the west, that, of our sympathy it has little or none. this is largely due to our ignorance. but is ignorance in many cases not culpable? is it not so in our case? a little more acquaintance with the eastern church would vastly alter our attitude towards it, and speedily remove most of our prejudices. more than once have we listened to depreciations of the greek church, and the epithet "stagnant" has always been incorporated as a first-rate misdemeanour of the orthodox church of the east. the assumption in the epithet is that the greek church is not missionary and aggressive, and the implication is that it has been so from earliest times. until men acquaint themselves with the history of this church, and open their eyes to facts which are readily accessible, it is useless to attempt to lift them out of their prejudices. how much did the church of the east suffer by the great roman schism of ! after, in the words of dr. a. van millingen, in his _byzantine constantinople_, having in "the empire of which new rome was the capital, defended the higher life of mankind against the attacks of formidable antagonists, and rendered eminent service to the cause of human welfare;" after having elaborated the christian doctrines and formed the creed of christendom for the world, she was shorn of much of her strength by the departure of the west. the spring, and energy, and enterprise were largely taken from her. no fault of hers that she was left with the meditative souls who could ponder the mysteries of god, but could not trade in the merchandise of the kingdom. so she was left in possession of her splendid attainment, without the aptitude to fit herself to aggressive enterprise, while rome, with all the qualifications which have fitted her for an aggressive task, has made for herself a place and a name which have eclipsed the glory of the old home. and so we forget the church of the apostles, to which we owe so much. but worse. how much did the church of the east suffer, and how much does she still suffer, by the overthrow of the empire by the turks in --by the overthrow of the empire, and the domination of a powerful, unscrupulous, and fanatical race, down through the years succeeding! how would the church in these islands have stood such fiery trials? would we have continued an enterprising missionary church through it all? it might be good for us to try to understand that, when a despotic sultan stands over you, allowing you to breathe on condition of no proselytising, the conditions are not favourable to well advertised missionary effort. all that can be done in such circumstances, and under such conditions, is to hold fast to the faith, and let the light shine, which the greek church actually does. since the tenth century, russia stands to the credit of greek missionaries. not that russia can be considered much credit in the meantime by the west; but the ground for hope in russia is the christian element that has entered into her national life. and our protestantism has not yet succeeded on the same national scale in missionary effort, a fact which ought to incline us to think less of the stagnation of the greek church. but why refer specially to russia as a product of greek missionary effort? would rome, or the church of the reformation in the west, be what they are to-day, but for the zeal and devotion of that church in bye-gone days? it is an easy matter for us in these days, with our national liberty and recognition of the christian faith; with the noble souls around us who are the products of centuries of grace; with wealth, and all that christian work calls for to its aid, to look disparagingly upon the church of the east, the mother of us all, as she lies in sore straits despoiled of her splendour, and trampled under the heel of the turk. well we know the theory of cross-bearing, but, in comparison with the church of the east from the very earliest down to the present day, we know but little of its practice. our laurels are not too firmly knit upon our brows: let us take heed, and let us exercise the grace of charity and a spirit of sympathy. but our prejudices, which are, as usual, due to imperfect knowledge, culpable or otherwise, charge this church, which claims to be orthodox, with being heretical in doctrine and worship. to put the common view, this church, which is the repository of apostolic doctrine, and from which we, in common with others, have derived, has, along with the truth, a large admixture of error, which renders her dangerous and to be avoided. we, who plume ourselves on the orthodoxy of our doctrines and purity of worship, have a remarkable facility for detecting and magnifying the errors of others: of creating them where they do not exist, and of exaggerating them where they do. this facility has this advantage, that it keeps our eyes away from ourselves and from the errors which are nearer home. like the beams of the winter sun which have little warmth in them, the line of our vision is somewhat oblique. this is a subject much too large to occupy our attention to any extent here. it may be enough to remark in regard to the major charges, that nowhere does the eastern church address worship, either to the mother of our lord, or to the saints and angels. they are venerated and invoked, but worshipped, never. worship, as we understand it, is addressed to the triune god, and to him alone. this is a rather dangerous subject to touch, and this is not the place to safely approach it; but it may suffice to say that we might be a great deal the better, and none the worse, and it might be comforting and strengthening in times of affliction and trial, to realise more than we do, that our lord wore our flesh when he sojourned with us on the earth, and that he derived his humanity from mary. we might thus even be induced to use her name with greater veneration and affection than have yet characterised our references to her, when these have had to be made, and so aid the fulfilment of her own prophecy, "behold, from henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed." and might it not be good for us to remember that there _are_ saints and angels, and that we are "compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses?" who doubts the fact? do not they who tacitly ignore the existence of the blessed dead? if any of the hymns contained in this volume should touch the heart of anyone who reads them, or, better still, at any future time, sings them, may he, as he remembers the source from which they have come, think reverently and sympathetically of the struggling church of the east. hymns from the east morning i now, god of light, the morn appears, and life revives, and beauty glows; the night has gone with all its fears, and lo! the light in brightness grows. ii thine be the glory, god of light, for all the joy from morn that springs; o may a morn dispel each night, and bless our lives with beauteous things. iii give us this day the light that dwells in every heart thy presence fills; that night with all its fears dispels, and life, and hope, and joy instils. iv then shall our nights no darkness bring, but morn, bright morn, for ever shine; and when night spreads her dusky wings, more bright shall be the light divine. v all praise to thee, the god of light; all praise to christ, the glorious son; and to the spirit, lord of might, now, and while endless ages run. i up, up, my soul! with gladness rise, and greet the ever-brightening skies. the morn hath come, sweet morn, awake! and from thy pinions slumber shake. ii pure as the morn god's presence shines; love like its beams, thy life entwines; richer the gifts thy god bestows than morning beauty can disclose. iii sweet as the breath that fans the bowers, and stirs the leaves and opening flowers, comes with the morn, the breath divine to stir thee, slumbering soul of mine. iv o thou, the morn, the light, the sun, with thee be every day begun; brightness shall clothe my life always, and fill my soul with grateful praise. v glory to thee, o christ! my lord, light of my soul, incarnate word! come with the morn, abide alway, and cheer my course to endless day. i the saffron tints appear, the morning comes--'tis here. wipe slumber from thine eyes, behold the sun arise! ii clad in his garb of gold, bright as he shone of old; beams o'er the heavens extend, shafts from his orb descend. iii sun, that in morning light rises, nor sinks in night, shine in my soul alway, make there an endless day. iv life for my deadness give; shine, that my soul may live; joy to my sorrow bring; light on thy glowing wing. v if 'neath the cloud i lie, darkness obscure my sky; yet, may my faith behold glints of the hidden gold. vi father, to thee, always, and holy ghost, be praise; glory, while ages run, to thee, o christ! our sun. i now glows the morn in beauty rare, o haste my soul to fervent prayer, and let the wings of morning raise to god the tribute of thy praise. ii the night is gone; now disappear the clouds that hung in threatening near; day comes apace, and terrors flee, for light illumes the earth and sea. iii o soul dismayed! when darkness fills the dismal days with darkling ills, rest in the calm the promise gives, that christ, thy light and glory, lives. iv morn shall appear and scatter night; light shall appear in noonday might. strong in the joy the daylight brings, soul, thou shalt rise on glowing wings. v morn of my soul, o christ, thou art; light of my life; my drooping heart sings, when thy countenance benign shines as the joys of noonday shine. evening i when night her sable curtain spreads, and darkness falls on sea and land, in silent beauty, o'er our heads, the stars shine grand. ii the orb of day his race hath run, but see what glory comes to view, as, full of radiance, one by one, the stars shine true. iii now bright their silver light appears, and reverent eyes behold the sight; hope lights the darkness of our fears-- the stars shine bright. iv when on our life the curtain falls, and fast descends a threatening night, then, lest dismay the soul appals, the stars shine bright. v o great the wisdom, great the power,-- god draws the curtains of the night, and, in the dark and lonesome hour, the stars shine bright. vi the glory and the truth of god, his lovingkindness and his care,-- such is the light he sheds abroad, his stars shine rare. i a crown of gold surpassing rare, the western hills, in beauty, wear; and earth and sea reflect the light, that fades before th' approach of night. ii o glorious sun! whose peerless ray illumes the realm of endless day, shine on a world where darkness dwells, and all the joy of day dispels. iii soft o'er the land the twilight creeps; night falls apace, and nature sleeps; o let not night my life control, and plunge in sleep my drowsy soul. iv sleep to the weary pilgrim give, but let the soul through slumber live; wake when the first faint gleam of morn tells that another day is born. v light of my life! bid night depart, sing to my soul, and cheer my heart; that morn, and noon, and night may be one beauteous day of joy to me. vi and when the brightest morn shall break, and bid the eternal day awake, o glorious sun! in radiance shine, to guard from night the realm divine. christmas carol[ ] {kai poimenes eidon to thauma,} {angelôn anymnountôn, kai legontôn;} {doxa} i the lord of life to earth came down,-- come, gaily sound his praises high; o 'twas a day of high renown, while angels praise him in the sky. _refrain._ the shepherds saw a wondrous sight, in bethlehem's fields at even, when, lo! a star, in radiance bright, shed o'er the plains its glorious light, and angel bands, harmonious quite, his praises sang from heaven. ii say, came he forth by myriads led?-- come, gaily sound his praises high; a crown of gold upon his head? while angels praise him in the sky. _refrain._ iii of earthly pomp the lord had none,-- come, gaily sound his praises high; his kingly crown had not been won, while angels praise him in the sky. _refrain._ iv a little child the lord became,-- come, gaily sound his praises high, to bear our guilt, and share our shame, while angels praise him in the sky. _refrain._ v o jesu, who in manger lay,-- come, gaily sound his praises high, make me a little child to-day, while angels praise thee in the sky. _refrain._ vi and may i come, with spirit meet,-- come, gaily sound his praises high, to lay my tribute at thy feet, while angels praise thee in the sky. _refrain._ vii to father, spirit, one with christ,-- come, gaily sound his praises high, be endless praise, whose love sufficed, while angels praise him in the sky. _refrain._ ---------- [ ]this carol has been set to excellent and appropriate music by mr. arthur henry brown, brentwood, essex, and is published by novello & co., london. it is noteworthy that mr. brown is honourably associated with eastern hymnody by his tune, _st. anatolius_, which was composed for dr. neale's rendering of the greek evening hymn, {tên hêmeran dielthôn}, "the day is past and over"; and also by _orthodoxus_ and _apostolicus_, which were composed for the ektene and the litany of the deacon respectively; and by _st. stythians_, composed for {basileu ouranie paraklête}, "o king, enthroned on high"--renderings by the present author, all of which find a place in the new edition of church hymns. carol[ ] {euphranthêti hierousalêm} i jerusalem, rejoice! keep festival and sing; all ye who dwell in zion's courts, bring forth an offering. rejoice, rejoice, jerusalem, rejoice; and sing with glee, right merrily, let every heart and voice. ii to-day the chain is loosed that long hath bound our race, the condemnation is removed through god's abounding grace. rejoice, rejoice, etc. iii the gates of heaven are wide, and satan's work undone; for she[ ] who fell beneath his power, now gives the world god's son. rejoice, rejoice, etc. iv o depth of riches great! o height of wisdom strong! o knowledge of the living god, to right such grievous wrong! rejoice, rejoice, etc. v now, let creation sing and leap, nor brook control, for christ hath come to call it back, and save each ruined soul. rejoice, rejoice, jerusalem rejoice; and sing with glee, right merrily, let every heart and voice. ---------- [ ]music by mr. arthur henry brown. [ ]woman. i the best that heaven could bring-- first fruits, an offering free-- was brought from far, when, by the star, the wise men came to thee. ii no sceptre, and no throne! the magi were amazed, as, with surprise, on humble guise and poverty, they gazed. iii but there thy god-head shone, despite the manger bed; o christ, the lord, incarnate word! 'twas there thou laid'st thy head. i out from the rising of the sun, o'er tracts of desert wild, the magi came on journey lone, to seek the heaven-born child; the star o'erhead their footsteps led, and hope their way beguiled. ii they bore him costly gifts of gold, and myrrh and spices sweet: "for he is king," they had been told, whom they would meekly greet; and they would go, in reverence low, and worship at his feet. iii o humble child, in manger laid! the wise beheld thee there, and reverently their homage paid, and gave their offerings rare. their quest was found, and to the ground they bowed the head in prayer. iv o jesu, who in manger lay, the son of god most high, let me my humble homage pay, and bring my offerings nigh, and humbly greet thee at thy feet, and low in worship lie. easter i o woeful hour! when from the night emerged in wrath satanic might, to crush the christ, whom god in heaven, to raise our fallen race, had given. ii o woeful hour! when, with the scorn of sinful men, his soul was torn; when sin exulting bowed the knee, and stung the christ with mockery. iii o woeful hour! when to the tree the christ was nailed in agony; when anguish for our sin he bore, and thorns his throbbing temples tore. iv o woeful hour! o darkest day! the god-man, still, entombed lay, for death his cruel shaft had driven to quell the hope our god had given. v o saddened soul! the night is past, the morn, bright morn, has come at last; the rage of sin its worst hath done, yet lives in power th' eternal son. vi the dark hath vanished in the light; o futile now, satanic might; sin wounded lies, and death is slain by him who lives in power again. vii hail, glorious morn! the christ hath risen; hail victor from the darkest prison! up, up, my soul! thy praises pour to christ, thy god, for evermore. i crown the lord of glory, angels, crown your king; saints whose souls he ransomed, bring your offering; let no voice be silent, laud and honour bring. ii crown the lord of glory,-- once he dwelt below, bore the cross of sorrow, drank the cup of woe; now he reigns triumphant, let your praises flow. iii crown the lord of glory,-- on the earth he wore purple robe that mocked him, thorns his brow that tore; now his griefs are ended, praise him evermore. iv crown the lord of glory, for his work is done; crown the king of glory, god's eternal son; in my life enthroned, be thy reign begun! i o christ, when on the shameful tree, thou bor'st such cruel pain for me, thine every member felt the smart, and sent its sorrows to thy heart. ii a crown of thorns thy temples tore, thy face, o christ, vile spittings bore, and cruel hands, o action base! smote thee, defiant, in the face. iii when in thy thirst, men heard thee call, thy lips were drenched with bitter gall; and to thine ears the words were borne of blasphemy and ribald scorn. iv thy hands and feet with nails were riven, the spear into thy side was driven;-- o christ, when dying on the tree, how great the pain thou bor'st for me! v now, by thy cross, almighty king, salvation to the sinner bring, and let thy sacrifice for me teach me to sacrifice for thee. i o god of love, whose mercy came to this dark world of sin and shame, and on a cross of suffering sore, that sin and shame in meekness bore. ii supreme the love the christ displayed, when he, true god, true man was made; when he was scorned, his patience then shone forth divine, with sinful men. iii did e'er such mercy lead the great to stoop from high to low estate? did e'er such love incline the heart to take the erring sinner's part? iv 'twas god who loved, 'twas god who gave his son our erring souls to save; 'tis christ that wins us by the love from earth below to heaven above. v win me, o lord, whose mercy came to this dark world of sin and shame, to that bright world whose beauties shine forever in thy love divine. vi to thee, o father, glory be, and glory, christ, god-man, to thee, and to the spirit, three in one, now, and while countless ages run. i when hades held the lord of life, the boast of sin was vaunting high; 'twas much to wound a sinless soul, but more to see the god-man die. ii when hades held the lord of life, the gates were barred to hold him fast. no prison bars so closely drawn were e'er by soul of mortal passed. iii when hades held the lord of life, rejoicing, death beheld him there;-- "now close the ancient barriers draw, and drive the prisoner to despair." iv o, blank surprise when hades shook! o, ringing joy through all the gloom! asunder fell the gates of night, and rose the conqueror from the tomb. v immortal saviour! death is dead, no more it holds the souls of men; for thou hast crushed the power of sin, and brought us back to life again. i when thou, o christ, upon the tree, wert bearing pain for sinful men, the sun, lamenting, hid his face, and clothed himself with darkness then; ii and o'er the world, when noontide came, the light grew faint and faded soon; and men in wonder saw the dark bring in the night at hour of noon. iii but, low in hades' depths there shone such light as never shone before; and prisoners saw the light of lights, and joyed to feel their bondage o'er. iv o blessed art thou, christ, our lord, for all the pain so meekly borne; the dark that hid thee in thy woe, has ushered in a glorious morn. i to thy cross and resurrection, laud and praise we humbly give; in thy death and life immortal, we will die, and ever live. ii christ incarnate! by thy manhood, thou to god hast brought me nigh; christ the humble! by thy meekness, thou hast raised my horn on high. iii source of life! o christ, the anguish borne upon the cruel tree lifts me to the bliss abiding, where from suffering, souls are free. iv endless praises, bright and thankful, christ, to thee be ever given, by the souls in sorrow singing, by the souls redeemed in heaven. i light is dawning 'mong the hills, light of light thy beams display, all the darkness chase away, light that dawned upon our ills. ii dark the day the cross was raised by the hands of cruel men; great thy load of sorrow then; angel hosts were sore amazed. iii dark the world while in the tomb, lone in death the saviour lay, till the stone was rolled away, and his rising quelled the gloom. iv fadeless now, o light of light, glory of the father, thou, shine upon thy people now, rise upon their darkest night. i hail rising morn! for he hath risen; hail light that gilds the eastern skies; for, from the bonds of darkest prison, thy first beams saw the christ arise. ii o merciful and gracious one! the gates of hades thou hast rent, and by thy rising, christ the son, no more we lie in bondage pent. iii to-day the lips of adam sing; eve hails the christ of mankind born; and patriarchs and prophets bring their hymns to greet the wondrous morn. iv and thine the glory, thine the power, by glowing hearts in praise expressed; for thine the might, this glorious hour, by which the sons of men are blessed. i we worship, lord, before thee now, for great, and good, and pure art thou. o christ, the god, our stumblings heal, and lead us all thy love to feel. ii for of thy will it pleased thee well here, in our flesh, with us to dwell, to bear the cross, that we might be from satan's servitude set free. iii wherefore we cry aloud and praise, with thankful voice, thy name always; for, o! our saviour, thou didst bring the joy that makes our souls to sing. i heavy laden with thy grief, do thy tears like raindrops flow? christ hath all thy sorrows borne long ago. ii see him in the garden, prone, while he poured his soul to god; then he bore affliction keen, and the rod. iii weary, laden with thy sin, dost thou bow beneath the load? cast the burden of thy woe, on thy god. iv see him faint beneath the load, as he bears the ghastly tree; hear his weary spirit sigh, all for thee. v sad and doubting, lo! the sun shines upon a glorious day: he is risen! come, see the place where he lay. vi glory to our suffering lord, praise to our exalted king,-- source of life and endless bliss,-- let us bring. i to thee, o christ, our god, great shepherd, who didst bear the wandering sheep that strayed back to thy shepherd care; ii who, pitying, gav'st thy life, that we might stray no more,-- to thee our hearts we raise, and thee our songs adore. iii blest spirit, source of life, from hades' fearful gloom thou brought'st the shepherd, christ, who lay in mortal tomb, iv that he might still provide, and tend, and guard, and keep, where'er his flock, abides one shepherd, of his sheep. i glory shone within the gloom, vacant eyes in wonder gazed; shook the portals of the tomb, and the prisoners stood amazed. ii "who is this in garb of light, come to chase our night away? who is this in glorious might, brings to us eternal day?" iii "back! the triumph has been won;" prone the powers of darkness lie, at the feet of god's own son, fresh from fields of victory. iv glory, glory, life is ours! hades heard the shout and feared; sin and all satanic powers saw the victor as he neared. v burst the gates and cast them down, set the sighing prisoners free; fear not though the tyrant frown, christ hath purchased liberty, vi sin is crushed and death is slain, see the cross and him who died! from the grave he rose again, who for man was crucified. vii hail! the resurrection day, hail! the gladness and the gain; "he is risen," the angels say, yea, the lord is risen again. i when adam heard the voice of sin and fell before its power, the flowers of paradise were shorn of beauty in that hour. ii and clouds obscured the heavenly light, and e'en the stars were dim; for o 'twas night, and only night, dark night 'twixt god and him. iii "o whence that flashing sword that gleams? and whence those angels there?" out from the garden of their bliss, was thrust the guilty pair. iv life is not theirs, the tree of life the cherubim surround; death dogs our guilty parents' steps, curse blasts the fertile ground. v o dreary, dreary, dark and dread, o misery of sin! "god make another garden fair, and take thy wanderers in." vi all praise to christ our glorious lord, for sin and death are slain; the gates of heaven are open wide, and life is ours again. i within the garden's sombre shade, the christ of god in anguish prayed;-- and who that agony could tell, as from his brow the blood-drops fell? ii "can you not watch one hour?" he saith, "my soul is sorrowful to death." but he alone the vigil kept, while worn disciples slumbering slept. iii o dark the cloud that threatening hung, and sore the grief his soul that wrung,-- the hate of man, the guilty name, the bitter cross, the sin and shame. iv "if i must drink this cup," he prayed, "the burden bear upon me laid, my god, i bow me to thy will, and meekly thy behest fulfil." v my soul, when to the garden led, and clouds are gathering overhead, when none the hour of anguish shares, to god direct thy earnest prayers. vi "thy will be done, thy will is best,-- even then the bitter cup is blest,-- if 'tis thy will the cup i'll drain, despite the agony of pain." pentecost {ergô, hôs palai tois mathêtais epêngeilô.} i even as thou saidst, the spirit came, in fiery tongues of living flame; and men were moved to spread abroad, the wisdom of th' incarnate god. ii and nations heard the truth, and gave their souls to him who came to save; and toiling in their sins, arose the power of satan to oppose. iii even as thou saidst; the spirit's power came at the pentecostal hour, and drooping souls with zeal were fired, and felt the life that power inspired. iv even as thou saidst, the spirit's voice spake to dull hearts, and bade rejoice; and men that dwelt in sorrow's night, felt hope awake as morning light. v even as thou saidst; his power can still our empty lives to fulness fill; can charge with hope, with zeal inspire, and kindle life, and light, and fire. vi even as thou saidst!--o spirit, come, make with thy people here thy home; in all their need thy gifts supply, and christ our lord still glorify. i o may the spirit of all grace descend and in our hearts abide, and what of good or ill betide, find in them aye a resting-place. ii there is no peace to mortals given, save when the spirit finds his rest within the secret of our breast, and there inspires the calm of heaven. iii our earthly calms a storm presage, they whisper peace, and tempests rise, and clouds obscure the brightest skies, and winds, and waves in tumult rage. iv no storm disturbs the heavenly peace, no whispering fills the soul with fears as when the brooding tempest nears, and clouds around our path increase. v 'tis lasting calm, 'tis heavenly rest; come, spirit of the living god, and in our spirits shed abroad the peace that makes the troubled blest. communion i let thy blood in mercy poured, let thy gracious body broken, be to me, o gracious lord of thy boundless love the token; thou didst give thyself for me, now i give myself to thee. ii thou didst die that i might live;-- blessed lord thou cam'st to save me; all that love of god could give, jesus by his sorrows gave me;-- thou didst give thyself for me, now i give myself to thee. iii by the thorns that crowned thy brow, by the spear wound and the nailing; by the pain and death i now claim, o christ, thy love unfailing; thou didst give thyself for me, now i give myself to thee. iv wilt thou own the gift i bring? all my penitence i give thee; thou art my exalted king, of thy matchless love forgive me;-- thou didst give thyself for me, now i give myself to thee. i o lord of bounty, let this bread be thy pure body unto me; and let the wine in symbol poured, tell of the glorious mystery;-- o let me here thy presence feel; and all my sins in mercy heal. ii i am not worthy to partake of thy pure body, gracious lord; nor of the blood so freely shed by thee, o thou incarnate word; yet grant thy presence unto me, and let me now commune with thee. judgment i when in the clouds the lord appears, and angels stand around his throne; when judgment fills the soul with fears, and none can aught of sin disown;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. ii even in thy judgment mercy shew;-- but ere that awful day awakes, make me my guilty state to know, and from my evil courses break;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. iii for thou art pitiful and kind, and thou hast died, o judge of men, that, ere the judgment, i may find the path that leads to life again;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. iv i have no penitence nor tears, i have no merit of my own; but, ah! my soul is filled with fears, and gladly would its sin disown;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. v and bring me nigh the throne of grace, that, ere the day of judgment dire, i may behold thy loving face, and flee thine all consuming ire;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. vi swift draws the day of judgment nigh; wake, wake, my soul, the judge is near! and call for mercy while thy cry can enter his inclining ear;-- spare me, o lord, thy creature spare, and let my soul thy mercy share. i the bridegroom comes! my soul, awake, and slumber from thine eyelids shake; hark! in the midnight hour the cry; bestir, my soul, for he is nigh. ii now trim your lamp, and let its light illume the darkness of the night; and with the tarrying host attend the bridegroom, as the bridegroom's friend. iii hast thou no oil? o foolish soul! why didst thou not the hours control? why in the darkness slumber still, without the oil your lamp to fill? iv go, get your oil,--but no, too late! the bridegroom's come, and closed the gate;-- "o let me knock, for he is kind, and will not leave my soul behind." v "o let me in, my lamp's aglow; how could i, lord, thy coming know? 'twas night, i slumbered,--let me in: forgive, o lord, forgive my sin." vi too late! the time has gone apace; too late, 'tis gone, the hour of grace; o soul of mine, awake, awake, and slumber from thine eyelids shake. i o judge of all, when sinful men to thy dire judgment seat are brought,-- tell not the error of my life, o tell it not. ii when bowed with grief my tears are shed, because my life with sin is fraught, to angel hosts tell not my sin, o tell it not. iii o hide the secrets of my soul, and give the pardon i have sought, and to the myriads round thy throne, o tell them not. iv o merciful and just thou art; in pity view my woeful lot, and shame me not because of sin,-- o tell it not. i i brought my merits to the throne, and set them forth in order there; i said, "o lord, thy servant own, and let his brow the garland wear; the grace and virtue of his life, he won as victor in the strife." ii the song that erstwhile filled the place, where high the throne of christ was set, grew faint, as on each pensive face joy mixed with pain, and pity met;-- their song had told the debt they owed, and how the christ his grace bestowed. iii o, silence fell, so sharp and chill,-- my soul to meanness pined and shrank, forth went my cry in accent shrill, "my lord, have i no grace to thank?" its echo dying, lingered, sank, "my lord, have i no grace to thank?" iv i saw his piercéd hands and side, i saw the thorn-wounds on his brow,-- "my lord, forgive my sinful pride, accept my sore repentance now;" then rose high heaven's adoring prayers, my grateful song went forth with theirs. i the time is drawing nigh, even now the day is near, when christ from heaven high to judgment shall appear;-- keep watch, my soul, in fear, the judge of men is near. ii then kings and princes great, the rich and poor shall meet; and high and low estate, shall gather round his feet;-- keep watch, my soul, in fear, the judge of men is near. iii no crafty words shall mar, nor sophistry distract; no parrying counsel jar with the eternal fact;-- keep watch, my soul, in fear, the judge of men is near. iv o christ, in mercy then, forbid my soul should go with lost and ruined men down to the place of woe;-- keep watch, my soul, in fear, the judge of men is near. aspirations i i sought the lord at early morn, when earth awoke to see the light; and to my soul a light was borne that quelled the darkness of my night; he heard my prayer at early morn, and light into my heart was borne. ii i sought the lord when noontide shone, and head and hand earth's duties shared; "i am thy servant, lord, alone," i said, and told him how i fared; he heard my prayer as i drew near, and kept me at my task, sincere. iii i sought the lord when evening fell, and night came gliding on apace; for i had sins my lord to tell, and he is full of pardoning grace; he heard my prayer, and bade me rest, and in his love my soul was blest. iv at morn, at noon, at night i'll pray, and thou, o lord, my prayer wilt hear, for thou art near my path alway, to aid, to comfort, or to cheer; no hour too early, none too late, to knock imploring at thy gate. v o jesus christ, to thee be praise, 'tis thou hast taught my soul to pray, for thou didst speak with god always, at morn, at noon, at close of day; and thou hast said he hears the prayer, the longing soul breathes everywhere. i o, touch my heart, and bring to mind the sin i should deplore; and give me grace, thou god most kind, that i may sin no more. ii o, touch my heart till tears run fast, in penitence sincere; and may the memories of the past teach me to walk in fear. iii for i have strayed, and thou hast sought, and i have strayed again; o, may the wanderer thou hast brought within thy fold remain. iv o, touch my heart, till love arise, and claim me for thine own; then shall i learn with glad surprise, that i am thine alone. v for love knows no divided heart, nor grudges service given; but gives the life in every part, and serves in earth and heaven. i the wealth of high estate, the silver and the gold, the glory of the great, the wisdom of the old,-- death seizes all, they pass away, for all on earth is vanity. ii why seek the vain that dies? the life begirt by death? the fame, the power that flies with the expiring breath? the good that carries ill besides, and for a fleeting hour abides? iii are there no gains that last, to bless the soul for aye, when passing things are past, and things of earth decay? are there no joys that linger long in sweetness, like a heavenly song? iv arise, my soul, arise! the husks of time disdain, and wing thee to the skies, where there is lasting gain; where moth nor rust can mock thy toil, nor subtle thief break through to spoil. v o christ, for thee we long, 'tis thee our spirits need; they only life prolong who on thy bounties feed; and they have wealth, and high estate, and endless bliss who on thee wait. i i lift my hands, and with my heart, my prayer ascends to thee; in mercy take a sinner's part, lord, send thy help to me. ii lo! in the mire of sin i lie, my raiment all defiled; o come and set me up on high, and save thy fallen child. iii i cannot cleanse the filthy stains,-- i can but mourn and sigh; do what i may, the guilt remains, i fail oft' as i try. iv in mercy, lord, thy mercy send, for merciful art thou; and prove thyself the sinner's friend,-- o come and help me now. v and let my life be ordered quite, as thou wouldst have it be; when i am wrong, o set me right,-- lord, come and succour me. vi and hold me up, lest to the mire of sin my soul return; o let thy love my spirit fire, and base affections burn. vii and glory to my god i'll give, and glory to the son, and to the spirit while i live, great, blessed, three in one. i arise, my soul, and gaily sing the praise of thine immortal king; the heavens his matchless power adore,-- awake, and sing for evermore. ii the morning dawns at his command, and lights the world o'er sea and land; and upwards, see the sun arise, to shed its glories from the skies. iii but falls the twilight o'er our heads, and night its sable curtain spreads; for all his kingly words obey,-- the dark of night, the light of day. iv o heavenly king, in every soul, the darkness of our night control; and 'mid the blackness of that night, speak thou the word, "let there be light." v and as the morn from darkness springs, to speed to earth on silent wings, a dawn more glorious shall awake, and bright upon our spirits break. vi o sun of righteousness, arise, and fill our souls with glad surprise; nor into dark of night decline, but aye at noontide brightly shine. vii all glory to the god of might, and to the son, the light of light; and to the spirit, three in one, eternal while the ages run. i the king shall come when morning dawns, and light triumphant breaks; when beauty gilds the eastern hills, and life to joy awakes. ii not as of old, a little child to bear, and fight, and die, but crowned with glory like the sun, that lights that morning sky. iii o, brighter than the rising morn, when he, victorious rose, and left the lonesome place of death, despite the rage of foes;-- iv o, brighter than that glorious morn, shall this fair morning be, when christ, our king, in beauty comes, and we his face shall see. v the king shall come when morning dawns, and earth's dark night is past;-- o, haste the rising of that morn, that day that aye shall last. vi and let the endless bliss begin, by weary saints foretold, when right shall triumph over wrong, and truth shall be extolled. vii the king shall come when morning dawns, and light and beauty brings;-- hail! christ the lord; thy people pray come quickly, king of kings. i think on me, lord, for thou art kind, and i am needy, poor, and blind, and let the gifts thou hast in store, enrich me daily, more and more. ii i have no food my soul to feed, be thou my bread of life indeed; my parchèd spirit sighs, o give the stream of life that i may live. iii my filthy raiment i disown, clothe with thy righteousness alone, and i shall walk approved by thee, clad in thy robe of purity. iv i have no strength; in evil hour i fall beneath temptation's power; be thou my strength, and i shall stand upheld by thine outstretched hand. v i cannot see the path to tread, and blindly by my sins am led; come to my blindness, give me sight that i may shape my course aright. vi i cannot live if thou deny the prayer uplifted with my cry; i cannot die,--in mercy give thy grace, that i may die or live. vii think on me, lord, for thou art kind, and i am needy, poor, and blind; and let the gifts thou hast in store, enrich me daily, more and more. i because thy mercy is so great, lord, think upon my needy state, and deign to give the help i need,-- the bread of life my soul to feed. ii they cannot live whose souls are fed on what this foolish world calls bread; for lack of food the spirit sighs, and, weak and weary, faints and dies. iii o may the hidden manna give the strength i need that i may live; and may that life be spent for thee who came and lived on earth for me. iv o jesus christ, the living bread, now at the table thou hast spread, think of me in my utmost need, and let me on thy bounties feed. i i cannot lift mine eyes, for, o, my sin is great,-- high as the hills that rise up, up to heaven's gate,-- i cannot lift mine eyes, so great my sin, so great. ii but i would smite my breast, and bow me at the cross, and well he knows the rest, my pain, my grief, my loss;-- yea, i would smite my breast, and bow me at his cross. iii mayhap when i have told the burden of my sin, he'll make my spirit bold, and speak, and soothe, and win;-- all this when i have told the burden of my sin. iv then shall i lift mine eyes, and see the sin removed, and in the radiant skies behold the well beloved;-- then shall i lift mine eyes, and see my sin removed. i when at thy feet, oppressed, the burdened sinner falls, and, woeful and distressed, upon thy mercy calls,-- o hear the penitential prayer, forgive the burdened sinner there. ii did'st thou not send the son, to shew the father's grace, to bid a world undone arise and seek his face? and wilt thou not in mercy say, "thy many sins i take away"? iii yea, thou wilt not despise the soul's uplifted prayer; nor when our hopes arise, plunge us in deep despair; but wilt forgive the evil done, through christ the well beloved son. iv o jesus christ, by thee the father's grace is found, and pardon full, and we with every good abound,-- we see thee nailed upon the tree, and know all blessing comes from thee. i because i was brought low, and sin had triumphed quite, thou god, all good, didst bow, and seek me in the night. ii and thou didst lift me up, for thou wert lifted high, when on the cross thou gav'st thyself for man to die. iii thou life, immortal life! o, full of sympathy! clothed with my flesh thou cam'st from thy felicity. iv to burst our mortal bands, and vanquish in the strife, and dead, from death arise, crowned with immortal life. v to father and to son, to thee, blest spirit, praise, here on the earth, and there where live the endless days. i o god of life, in whom we live, the bounties of thy favour give, and teach our souls to soar; that, at the source of every good, our life may find its needful food, and live for evermore. ii o lord of mercy, by whose grace the sinner seeks the father's face, and finds a welcome there; when fears the trembling soul distress, and sins the aching heart oppress, o lord of mercy, spare. iii and say to him who loves thee best, and sent thee to a world distressed, his blessing to impart,-- "hear thou the sinner's mournful cries, accept his preferred sacrifice, a broken, contrite heart." iv blest spirit, who in holy flame, at pentecost all powerful came,-- our sin-stained souls renew; and by thine all-consuming fire, consume our sin and vile desire, and make us pure and true. v to god who dwells in highest heaven, be endless praise and glory given,-- and praise to christ the son. and to the holy spirit blest, for comfort and for gifts the best,-- immortal three in one. i by thine own hand the gift was given of wealth, and hope of highest heaven; but, fool at heart, thy grace was spurned, and from my father's house i turned. ii o, hear my plaint, i cry to thee; be pitiful, and pardon me, for i have sinned; o, give me grace to seek in penitence thy face. iii yea, i repent in anguish low; give me again thy love to know; and if a servant's place remain, take me in mercy back again. i lord, thou art good and kind, and full of tender grace; now make thy countenance to shine, and let me see thy face. ii for o, my heart is sad, because my sin i know; and though i strive, i fail, and still ungodly grow. iii and all my aims are lost, and all my striving vain,-- wilt thou refresh my soul, and visit me again? iv 'tis morning when the sun upon the mountain glows; 'tis evening when the shade upon the valleys grows; v and when thy face i see, 'tis morning in my soul; but when thou turn'st away, the evening shadows roll. vi and night comes on apace, and all forlorn i sigh;-- o, bid the morning dawn, look on me lest i die. vii o, thou art good and kind, and full of tender grace; now make thy countenance to shine, and let me see thy face. i o lord of life, when mortals call, and freedom seek from earthly thrall, hear thou in heaven and save us all, in mercy, lord. ii o full of mercy, when we groan, because of sin our spirits own, hear, who for sinners didst atone, in mercy, lord. iii o full of pity, when we bear to thy blest feet our cankering care, take of our weary load a share, in mercy, lord. iv o full of grace! when sufferers tell the grief thou knowest, lord, so well, come, with the broken-hearted dwell, in mercy, lord. v when, lured by hope, our spirits rise to where thou beckonest from the skies; then, be eternal life the prize, in mercy, lord. i i wandered sore distressed, all weary and forlorn; i had no place to rest, of all my pleasures shorn,-- my thirsting spirit sighed, and in the desert cried. ii the shepherd heard my cry, who came his flock to find, and drew in mercy nigh, for he is wondrous kind; his winning voice awoke my spirit as he spoke. iii he bade my wandering cease, and gave my heart a home, that, from the bliss of peace, i might no longer roam;-- he gave me hope for fears, and lasting joy for tears. i god sent me to the desert wild, where all is parched with endless drought, for i had grown a wayward child, and now my sin had found me out;-- he sent me to the desert drear, and, ah! my soul was charged with fear. ii i wandered where the brooks were dry, while memory wove a dismal song, and to my god i raised my cry, and sang my dirge the whole day long;-- for i was in the desert drear, and, ah! my soul was charged with fear. iii the god of grace his comfort sent, and soon the desert blossomed fair, while round my path, where'er i went, sweet flowers poured forth their odours rare;-- he sent me to a desert drear, now flowers and luscious fruits appear. iv o god, when by the path of sin, we reach the land where famine reigns; and dread possesses all within, and all around are woes and pains;-- then make the world a desert rare, of joys upspringing everywhere. hymns from the morningland hymns from the morningland being translations, centos and suggestions from the service books of the holy eastern church with introduction by john brownlie, d.d. _author of_ "_hymns and hymn writers of the church hymnary_" "_hymns of the greek church_," "_hymns from the greek office books_" "_hymns of the holy eastern church_" _&c., &c._ _(sixth series)_ paisley: alexander gardner _publisher by appointment to the late queen victoria_ london: simpkin, marshall, hamilton, kent & co., lmd. printed by alexander gardner, paisley. preface this sixth series of hymns from the greek offices is sent forth in the hope that some of the flowers that bloom in the gardens of the east, in which our lord prayed and his apostles tilled, may serve to beautify the homes of the faithful in western lands. cut flowers lose their beauty and freshness soon, but not infrequently their perfume remains; and roots transplanted do not always continue to put forth leaves and blossoms in that richness which adorns them in their native soil; but if in the case of the culled flowers, which are here presented, some of their perfume may chance to linger, it will probably serve to suggest their original attractiveness. that they may, in some capacity, be used to adorn the worship of christ in our sterner clime, is the earnest prayer of the translator. j. b. trinity manse, portpatrick, _july, _. index of first lines page introduction xi hymns my god, shall sin its power maintain christmas-- hark! upon the morning breezes hail to the morn that dawns on eastern hills hail to the king, who comes in weakness now ye saints, exult with cheerful song he came because the father willed now the king immortal when o'er the world augustus reigned o light resplendent of the morn passiontide-- o wounded hands and feet when jesus to the judgment hall they brought him to the hill of death "watch with me," the master said they cried, "let him be crucified!" o darkest night that ever fell nailed to the cross the saviour dies o son of god, afflicted this be our prayer, o saviour of our souls, easter-- lo, in its brightness the morning arising in the dark of early morn glory to god! the morn appointed breaks glory to god! the christ hath left the tomb rise, o glorious orb of day ascension-- borne on the clouds, the christ arose lift up the gates borne on the wings of light pentecost-- like the beams that from the sun come, holy ghost, in might spirit of god, in love descend lord, may thy holy spirit calm o god, the holy ghost various-- when jesus to the jordan came when on the mount the lord appeared behold, the king of zion rides waving in the autumn breeze when in the clouds of heaven rest in the lord, o servant by his grace thou dost not pass a lonesome way the man who erring counsel shuns lord, a band of foes increasing light of my life, o lord, thou art from the hills the light is streaming the day declines to night lord, let us feel that thou art near come, praise with gladness, the lord of all creation penitence and love-- now, with my weeping would i cleanse my soul o god of love, on bended knee o god, in mercy hear come to the christ in tears forgive my heart its vain regrets far let me flee from worldly sin lord of mercy, at thy gate burdened with a heavy load lord of a countless throng let all the world abroad thou saviour of our sinful race where the lord reveals his presence o love of god, surpassing far o god of our salvation o jesus, when my guilty fears lord, i am thine, for thou hast died for me aspirations-- lord, let our eyes the things unseen behold wake to the songs that lips unsullied sing bring to the christ your fears lord, soothe my anxious, troubled soul surpassing great the gift of god my hope is firmly set the time is drawing near i will not yield my sword if in the cause of right i must the christ on olive's mount in prayer like music at the stilly hour o lord, thou in the hour of need my harp upon the willows, grave to thee my soul enraptured sings modern greek hymns-- christ the word! thine incarnation come, keep this feast, who holy things revere introduction critics are of three classes:--the laudatory, who, if they see anything to complain of, make no complaint; the severe, who, if they see anything deserving commendation, say nothing about it; and the discriminating, who see both and say it, and at the same time throw out hints which as a rule are both acceptable and helpful. particularly is this the case when the advice tendered confirms a growing conviction on the part of a writer. one cannot work continuously at a subject, and all the while get the thoughtful criticism of his observers, without improving his methods. from a review of a recent volume by the writer, the following is taken:--"it seems to us that it is in the adaptation, rather than strict translation, that the wealth of thought and emotion buried in the service books of the eastern church will be minted into coin of golden praise meet for sanctuary use, and comparable in worth and beauty to the splendid currency of these latter days." this is strictly true, and it is the conviction which has for some time possessed the author, with the result that he has been giving less attention to translation, or transliteration, and more attention to suggestion, adaptation, and reminiscence. one cannot spend a day with the greek service books (say with the triodion, which contains the incomparable lenten and easter offices) without having his mind filled with thoughts the most beautiful, thoughts which can sometimes be expressed in almost identical phrase with the original, but which oftener, in order to do them justice by revealing them in all their richness, require to be dwelt upon, expanded, and clothed in appropriate western phrase. this is without doubt the best way in which to deal with the praise material of the greek service books, and the present writer has set himself in this volume to act according to that conviction. here, there are fewer translations than in any former volume, and the greater number of the hymns are reminiscences of the greek. the contents of this book may be ranged under three categories:--a few translations or renderings, as literal as it is possible or desirable to make them; centos, or patchwork, _i.e._, pieces which are not versions of any particular hymn in the original, but which are made up of portions of various hymns; and suggestions, or reminiscences of the greek. in the case of the last, the best that can be said of them is that they owe their existence in the present instance, to the greek. while to the ordinary reader there may be nothing in these suggestions to indicate their source, no one who is acquainted with the praise of the eastern church will fail to detect here and there certain marks which inevitably announce their origin. in most cases initial greek headlines have been dispensed with, for the reason that they can serve no useful purpose, nor indicate with any certainty the source of any particular hymn. when one rises from a contemplation of christian worship as it is presented to him in the ancient forms of the apostolic church, it is with pain that his ears are assailed with charges which he knows to be as lacking in truth as they would be if they were levelled against ourselves. god knows how far we have all drifted from our ideal, and those who have the best excuse, not the farthest. but this offensive and ungrateful spirit is surely unbecoming on the part of those who owe so much to the church which they censure. if christian love would abound on all sides, how soon would the wounds of christ's body heal! if those deep wounds are to be bound up, it will only be by pouring in oil and wine. controversy and argument have been tried for centuries. they have failed. we must all begin where the beloved st. john so feelingly bids us,--"little children, love one another." love implies humility, and if we are humble, and stoop to love, we will find hearts all over the world only longing and praying for the balm of that divine oil. then dogmatic differences will be solved in a new manner, and much more. it is not a pleasant task to revert to the censures which are hurled against the eastern church, by critics who are obviously ignorant of her past history, and who seem to have taken no trouble to acquaint themselves with her present position; but when one is continually met with the same offensive statements, offensive because untrue, there is only one thing to be done, and that is to meet them with the truth, and refute them on every possible occasion, in the hope that in the end the truth will be vindicated. the charges have certainly not the charm of variety; they are painfully monotonous:--the greek church is "dead," and "non-missionary." certainly non-missionary, if dead! to say of any organization, church or other, that it is dead and non-progressive, is to say the worst that could be said. dead! and what are the signs of death in the eastern church? truly they are marvellously unusual. is it because she preserves the beauty, dignity, and quiet solemnity, which must ever be associated with true worship, and refuses to admit methods which are alien to it? many of our churches have become societies, or guilds (a familiar term in these days), in which are included every attraction which can appeal to the eyes of the world. a pleasant sunday afternoon, is the guise in which the worship of god is presented to men who are not attracted by the calm and rest of god's house; and the methods employed are bringing with them their inevitable results. we fear the church is in danger of forgetting that its prime function is to preserve the holy worship of god, and by its means to establish the saints in the faith; and that its mission is to go down to the world, inspiring those who are there with the spirit of christ; returning at the appointed time to observe the worship of god in his house, and bringing with it those who are weary with the toil of life, that they may be refreshed; and is allowing the world to invade its sanctuary, and scare away the spirit of true worship. it is not enough to say that present-day methods must be observed, that people will not come to church unless it conforms to the spirit of the times. the human soul will still desire to dwell in the house of the lord, to behold his beauty and to enquire, when it feels impelled by the blessed spirit of god,--when it longs for peace and spiritual refreshment which can only be found in communion with the divine. doubtless, to the pushful spirit of the age, the church which preserves in calm dignity the form of worship which has been handed down to it through the ages, and tenaciously adhered to in the midst of persecution and martyrdom, and refuses to admit the methods of the concert hall, the debating society, and the lecture room, must appear to be a dead church indeed. so be it! but, it is asked, what evidences are there that the greek church is a living church? what is she doing in the field of literature, theological in particular? and in aggressive christian work at home and abroad? from this enquiry we cannot exclude the greek church in russia, for, while in the ancient sphere of that church's operation (in greece, and turkey, and asia minor) much is being done in the domain of education in her schools and theological colleges, and in theological literature, it is in russia, where none of the grievous hindrances to activity exists which for years have frustrated many of her efforts at home, but where free scope and encouragement for its exercise are guaranteed, that most evidence of progress is seen. here is the testimony of one who cannot, _prima facie_, be deemed unprejudiced.[ ] a few years ago, father aurelio palmieri was sent to russia by the vatican to procure books and manuscripts for the russian section of the papal library at rome. he writes in the _tserkoviya viedomosto_ (december , ):--"it is time to render justice to the truth, and to put an end to those many calumnies, which are propagated against russia by envious and interested persons--persons who desire to deprive her of her influence, and to rob her of her prestige. in the russian universities, the instruction given is far more serious than that given in our own italy; and the magnificent ecclesiastical academies, all under religious influence, at st. petersburg, moscow, kieff, and kazan, make us feel a sense of sadness at the miserable and insufficient instruction that is given to our own italian clergy. let us say frankly, that in our italy, and even at rome, we possess no such establishments which for beauty of organization, capable professors, and wealth of libraries, can rival these russian ecclesiastical academies. to convince people of the truth of my assertion, i need only refer them to the superb official organs of these academies ... and set out what a vast quantity of scientific works [this father palmieri does] is brought together in these collections of russian theological writers, and how far we in italy are from giving to the study of theology the development which it receives in russia.... i invite the scholars, not only of italy, but of every nation, to make acquaintance with the innumerable collection of books now in the vatican. they will there find convincing testimony to the intensity of the intellectual work in russia, and to the scientific vitality of her church...." again, in his book, _la chiesa russa_ (florence, ), he deplores, not the ignorance of the east, but the ignorance of the west. "it is deplorable," he says, "that the intense scientific production of russia is almost totally ignored by the west.... a great nation like russia is not a negligible quantity affected by an intellectual quagmire (p. ). the russian ecclesiastical literature is rich in monographs on particular subjects, and above all in patristic theology. in this sphere of research, russian orthodoxy can even outrival the german science." such is the testimony of one of the most cultured men in italy. the question is sometimes asked, what is the greek church doing at the present time in the department of hymnody, in which her ancient offices are so rich? much; but as present day compositions are not used in the canonical services, the supply of such material is not encouraged as it would be in other circumstances, and as it is in the west, where the demand for material for congregational hymnaries is so persistent. but the greek church can boast of many hymn writers in her communion, whose compositions would do no discredit to our western hymnaries. any bookseller in athens would supply a catalogue of greek hymnological work to any interested enquirer. the writer has before him at this moment a volume of hymns, {triadikon} (athens, ), the work of bishop nektarios, who for many years was head of the great rhizareion theological college in athens. the volume contains about two hundred pieces suitable for use during the church seasons, and for general use. they were, however, composed, so the author writes, to be read reverently, or sung privately, in the household. the language of the hymns composed by present day hymn-writers has the modern flavour, and so presents difficulties which, however, the student who has a knowledge of the language of the service books can readily overcome, with the help of a grammar and dictionary of modern greek; for, while modern greek is nine-tenths similar to ancient greek (_i.e._, modern greek of the first class, for there are several classes, according to the grade of society) it has yet one-tenth which differs, and it is that tenth which causes trouble. such hymns are used at services _extra ecclesiam_,--at meetings, church schools, colleges, and monasteries, or at any other non-canonical service. they are, as a rule, set to attractive music, often by eminent musicians. the translation of two hymns from the fore-mentioned collection by bishop nektarios, are included in this volume at pp. - . so, even in the department of hymnody, the greek church is showing no signs of falling away, and, although she refuses to admit modern productions into her church services, and adheres to the hymns of her early hymn-writers (an attitude, by the way, very similar to what we in scotland maintained until very recent times, when psalms alone were permitted in our canonical services, to the exclusion of all hymns), she has yet a band of hymn-writers who uphold a noble succession, and keep adding to her treasury of praise, encouraged in their gracious work by the countenance which the church gives to its use on all possible occasions. but the commonest charge levelled against the greek church is that of being non-missionary; and the charge which is so utterly untrue, is deemed sufficient to relegate her to the limbo of the effete and worthless. the truth is, that the missionary zeal, and activity of that church, are among the most outstanding features of her history; and when we consider the terrible odds against which she has had to contend, both in europe and asia, we wonder at the success that has been achieved. let us bear in mind that the population of russia alone is about , , , that the natural increase goes on at the rate of four millions annually, and that in twenty years the population will amount to about , , . think of the mighty task laid upon the church to keep abreast of such a growth, and at the same time to keep the faith alive in the mass,--for the great majority of this vast population are attached to the orthodox church. and this is the task to which the greek church addresses herself, to carry the blessings of christianity to the farthest russian outpost, and to keep the flame alive where it has already been kindled. yet this is the church which english-speaking christians call non-missionary. "if we take the english church, for example, which prides itself on its missions, and if we exclude all its missions from the category of mission work which lie within the vast empire of england's dominions beyond the seas (that is to say, from india, africa, canada, australia, to english sailors, etc.), we would find how very few and weak english missions really are. what a poor role, then, do english missions play outside english lands! why, then, do english folk gird at the great russian church for a lack of missionary zeal when she is labouring hard in her immense county in europe and asia for christ? in siberia and asia generally she is ever spreading the faith, and that among many tribes and tongues and peoples; and she has missions in japan, china, persia, palestine, alaska, the aleoutine islands, and elsewhere."[ ] what the greek church is doing in russian dominions, she is doing also in her ancient lands, although under quite different auspices. in turkey and asia minor she keeps the flame aglow amid adverse conditions, and provides spiritual food for her vast household. besides, she is the most active missionary agency in the levant. but enough has been said. if we could only overtop the mountains of prejudice, and we fear we must add, for it is the parent of prejudice, ignorance, which divide the west from the east, we should be able to look down not upon a barren wilderness, but a fruitful vineyard, in which the servants of christ are working under the eye of their master, even as we are working in our separate sphere. let us think about these things. ---------- [ ]_vide_ an article in the _re-union magazine_, by f. w. groves campbell, ll.d., march, (london: cope & fenwick). [ ]_vide_ footnote, p. xviii. hymns "i am crucified with christ: nevertheless i live!" i my god, shall sin its power maintain, and in my soul defiant live! 'tis not enough that thou forgive, the cross must rise, and self be slain. ii then in my life thy love reveal,-- as by the christ who bore the cross, so by my sacrifice and loss, and by the bitter pangs i feel. iii o god of love, thy love declare,-- 'tis not enough that christ should die, i too, with him, in death must lie, and in my death his anguish share. iv lord, is it nothing now, to thee?-- yea, it is much, that well i know, for thou hast memory of the woe that filled thy soul at calvary. v and thou wilt come with gracious aid, when, burdened on the awful road, i fall beneath the grievous load upon my fainting spirit laid. vi nor let me feel thou hast no care, though arrows fly, and darkness fall; sin must be slain, but when i call thou art attentive to my prayer. vii o god of love, thy power disclose,-- 'tis not enough that christ should rise, i, too, must seek the brightening skies, and rise from death, as christ arose. viii and from the cross, and to the grave descend; and when the morning breaks, to life anew the soul awakes that sin nor death shall e'er enslave. ix the cross is love: the christ's, and mine;-- 'tis life to die, and death to live, and not enough that god forgive, if i would live the life divine. christmas {doxa en hypsistois theô.} i hark! upon the morning breezes, in the darkness, ere the waking, music sweet the senses pleases, soft upon the stillness breaking;-- "glory, glory!" this the singing, welcome to immanuel bringing. ii shepherds at their watch beholding angels clad in glistening whiteness, heard the wondrous news unfolding 'mid that dazzling scene of brightness;-- "glory, glory!" peace, and kindness, light is breaking on our blindness. iii glorious morn! the sun uprising, shone upon a world rejoicing; god is with us, truth surprising; list to song the message voicing,-- "glory, glory!" ages told it, heavenly voices now unfold it. iv god adored, our nature wearing! ah, such condescending meekness! stooping to a world despairing, full of pity for our weakness;-- "glory, glory!" praises swelling, god hath made with man his dwelling. {techthentos tou christou.} i hail to the morn that dawns on eastern hills, more radiant far than any earthly morn; 'tis heavenly light that all creation fills;-- the christ is born. ii mystery profound, through all the ages sealed, now, to a world all hopeless, and forlorn, in bethlehem's manger is at length revealed;-- the christ is born. iii lo, from their watch, the herdsmen raise their eyes, for, dazzling light the robe of night had torn, and angels poured their raptures from the skies,-- the christ is born. iv bring ye your gifts of gold and incense rare wise men who come, all travel-stained and worn, find ye the child, and pay your homage there;-- the christ is born. v hail to the morn, the world exulting sings; only to him, in fealty we are sworn, lord of our lives, immortal king of kings!-- the christ is born. {hoi magoi ta dôra prospherousin;} {hoi poimenes to thauma kêryttousin.} i hail to the king, who comes in weakness now, no wreath of gold encircleth his brow, lowly his state,--in lowly worship bow; hail to the king! ii born of his maiden mother, pure as snow, son of our god, begotten long ago, ere yet the stream of time began to flow; hail to the king! iii nowhere was found a shelter for his head, humble he lay, e'en where the oxen fed, no couch nor crib, a manger was his bed; hail to the king! iv herdsmen were there who heard the angels sing; wise men from far who myrrh and incense bring, no other hand bestowed an offering; hail to the king! v hail to the king! o christ upon thy throne, look on the souls which thou didst make thine own, when by thy birth and death thou did'st atone; hail to the king! {euphrainesthe dikaioi; ouranoi agalliasthe;} {skirtêsate ta orê, christou gennêthentos.} christmas. i ye saints exult with cheerful song, ye heavens be glad this morn, and let the mountains leap for joy, for christ on earth is born. ii behold the virgin mother holds the child in warm embrace,-- the one-begotten son of god, incarnate word of grace. iii and shepherds from their lonely watch, by angel guidance given, at bethlehem found the promised child, and praised the god of heaven. iv and heavenly choirs their music poured, upon the stillness, then, ascribing glory unto god, and peace on earth to men. v lo, wise men from the morningland, their costly treasures bear, and at the manger worshipped low, and laid their offerings there. vi now, with the angel host who sang, we join our thankful praise, to god the father, god the son, and holy ghost, always. {ho patêr eudokêsen,} stichera idiomela. christmas. i he came because the father willed, and from the midst of heaven's renown, the promise to our world fulfilled, and won a kingdom for his crown. ii he came because he willed to bear the burden that his love imposed; and all our lot of sorrow share, until the day in darkness closed. iii ah! angels hailed that morning bright, and in the heavens their carols sung; but god himself was hid in night, when sin and death their arrows flung. iv but not to sink beneath their power, the god-man girt him for the fray; and from the darkness of that hour, there sprang the light of endless day. v and wounded souls the triumph knew; fresh courage to the faint was given; and e'en the dead to life anew, rose in the glorious might of heaven. vi for sin was crushed, and death was slain;-- all hail, the great victorious son, who mounts the throne of heaven again, to rule the kingdom he has won. {christos ho basileus.} i now the king immortal comes to claim his own,-- shepherds at their watch by night, hail the glory of the light-- they, and they alone. ii heralds from the heaven-land, tell his advent clear;-- where the sound of hurrying feet? where the crowds come forth to greet? where the loyal cheer? iii angels, on the night winds have their carols thrown,-- theirs, the music rapturous, sweet, theirs, the songs the monarch greet, theirs, and theirs, alone. iv ah, the silent night hours, ah, the slumberers, prone,-- mortals wake, arise, adore, angels, shepherds, honours pour, they, and they, alone. v jesu, king immortal, mount thy rightful throne; loyal hearts their plaudits pour, heavenly choirs in songs adore, they, not they alone. {augoustou monarchêsantos epi tês gês,} {hê polyarchia tôn anthrôpôn epausato.} _by cassia the recluse._ menaeon dec. . i when o'er the world augustus reigned, the rule of kingships felt decay; and when our lord appeared as man, the idol shrines were swept away. ii one earthly power the people knew, one world-embracing rule obeyed; then gentiles to the godhead knelt, and undivided homage paid. iii and when the monarch's will was known, a census of the tribes was told; then, in the name of christ their god, his faithful subjects were enrolled. iv for great thy mercy is to us, o god, our king, whose rule we own, and we will render while we live, one glory to thy name alone. {nyn panta peplêrôtai phôtos.} i o light, resplendent of the morn on golden pinions upwards borne, that usherest in the day; we rise responsive to the call, as night removes her dusky pall, and speeds her flight away. ii o light, that, from the father's face, shone on our world with winning grace, when darker night prevailed; we rise to greet thine advent bright, all hail! majestic in thy might, when darkness is assailed. iii o let my soul thy rising see; from every cloud my vision free, and on my pathway shine; then shall my course, in safety trod, lead ever nearer to my god, the source of light divine. iv o jesus, morn of better day, thou light of lights, whose gladsome ray gives light, and life, and cheer; light to my soul, and life impart, and fill with joy my inmost heart, and scatter night and fear. passiontide i o wounded hands and feet! o heart, with spear thrust torn! o brow, with blood drops falling down, beneath the stinging thorn! o jesus, lord divine, why was such anguish thine? ii the angels were amazed, the sun refused his light, and they who knew that christ was god, turned from the woeful sight;-- o jesus, lord divine, why was such anguish thine? iii my soul, can'st thou not tell? why such a sacrifice? hast thou no needs, for which alone the cross can find supplies? o jesus, lord divine, why was such anguish thine? iv for thee the cross was reared; for thee the christ was slain; for thee he sojourned with the dead, and rose to life again;-- o jesus, lord divine, thus was the anguish thine. i when jesus to the judgment hall by cruel men was led, he wore a purple robe of scorn, and thorns upon his head;-- they called him king, and bowed the knee, and paid him homage, mockingly. ii "away! let him be crucified!" the impious shouts proclaim; and forth they led the son of god to die a death of shame; and passing thence amid' the crowd, beneath a ponderous cross he bowed. iii behold him nailed upon the cross and left alone to die, while from the awful scene of death his timid followers fly;-- in agony he groaned and sighed, and faint, he bowed the head, and died. iv ah, cruel death for him to die, ah, vilest death of shame,-- who, to redeem our guilty souls, from god, in pity came;-- the glory of the father's throne he left, to make our souls his own. v o jesus, to thy cross i cling, for thou, my lord, art there, who, in thy love, true man became, my load of sin to bear; and lo, i lift my eyes to heaven, for god in mercy hath forgiven. i they brought him to the hill of death where ruthless felons died, and there, upon a cross of shame, the christ was crucified; by wicked men the nails were driven, and god, in silence, looked from heaven. ii they bade him find his help in god, if he were christ indeed, and save himself, as he had saved so many in their need; such taunting words like venom stung, and god beheld the arrows flung. iii they wagged their heads in mocking scorn, and bade the christ come down,-- while from his wounds the blood-drops fell, and from the thorny crown; the spear uplifted pierced his side, and god beheld the crimson tide. iv all dark at noon, the sun refused his wonted light to shed, for sin and death had god defied, and christ his son was dead; and god had turned his face away, nor heard the christ in anguish pray. v all hail the resurrection morn! the light returns again, and christ is throned at god's right hand who once for man was slain; and god extends his pardoning grace, nor hides the brightness of his face. i "watch with me," the master said, and the night around him fell, while the snares of sin and hell, on his awful path were spread. ii but they slumbered while he prayed;-- they who were his constant care, heard no echo of his prayer, when his soul was sore dismayed. iii then he held the cup of woe, and the prayer to god was made,-- thrice in agony he prayed, that he might the draught forego. iv but the will of god was done, in the garden, on that night, and he rose in all the might of the well-beloved son. v ah, my soul, thy lord behold,-- wake from slumber, hear him pray, all thy griefs are borne away, by his agony, untold. vi and the strength of god is thine when the will of god is done in obedience, as a son, conscious of a love divine. i they cried, "let him be crucified!" and surging crowds around him pressed; with breaking heart, and soul distressed, he bore the cross on which he died. ii they cried, "let him be crucified!" and he the well-beloved son, the son of god who should have won the love he never once denied. iii they cried, "let him be crucified!" and to the wood his hands were nailed, and mocking words his ears assailed, that god, who looked from heaven, defied. iv they cried, "let him be crucified!" and when the deed of night was done, the light was blotted from the sun, and hell's abode exulting, cried. v they cried, "let him be crucified!" ah, lord, my soul with anguish burns, as to that cruel cross it turns, for 'twas for me the saviour died. i o darkest night that ever fell! before the sun had set, the light was blotted from the heavens, and death, and darkness met. ii for god had turned his face away from all the sin he bore, whom in his love to earth he sent, to bear our suffering sore. iii ah! darkest night that ever falls on soul of human race, when god in anger turns away the brightness of his face; iv then, sun and moon, and stars are lost, amid' our hopeless night; and all the radiant bliss of life is curtained from our sight. v o christ, thou art our light, and sun, our hope 'mid guilty fears; no night surrounds thy presence now, nor threatening cloud appears; vi and sin and death no longer reign, nor day to dark declines, for, from the father's face, a light of reconcilement shines. i nailed to the cross the saviour dies, while earth is moved with sore dismay, and e'en the sun, though high at noon, in anguish veils the light of day. ii then hell and darkness riot held, and sin and death combined their power to crush the christ whom sinful men had hastened to that awful hour. iii but o, 'twas darkness deeper still than o'er the earth in blackness lay, when god beheld the suffering son, and turned from him his face away. iv ah! whence that suffering? whence that woe? the horror felt by earth and sky? the victory of the powers of night, that doomed the god-man there to die? v my soul distressed, look up! behold! with light from heaven the earth is filled;-- the christ that awful conflict met, because a god of wisdom willed. vi now sin its latest shaft has hurled, and death put forth its utmost might, but, lo, the christ the conflict stood, and sin and death are vanquished, quite. vii glory to thee our souls proclaim, great son of god, thou victor strong; thy love inspires our hearts to sing, the victory fills our endless song. i o son of god, afflicted, and slain for sinful men, my soul hath oft' depicted what thou didst suffer then,-- the pain, the grief, the sighing, the burden of thy woe, the cross, the shame, the dying that filled thy life below. ii ah, why from heavenly blessing didst thou to earth descend, and share the woes distressing, to be the sinner's friend? the angels looked amazéd, while men untouched beheld the christ to souls debaséd, by love divine impelled. iii 'twas love, 'twas love unbounded, as high as heaven ascends, as deep as depths unsounded, and broad as earth extends; yea, 'twas a love undying, that suffered for my sake;-- lord, may a love replying, within my soul awake. i this be our prayer, o saviour of our souls, when night is dark, and muttering thunder rolls, for none but thee the power of hell controls,-- have mercy, lord. ii there is no help, if thou no help wilt bring; no heavenly messenger on speedy wing; hope gilds the morn, if to thy cross we cling,-- have mercy, lord. iii woeful the threats that flash from sinai's hill; dark are the fears, our guilty souls that fill; help we have none,--o then, of thy sweet will, have mercy, lord. iv strong is the arm that in our cause was raised,-- christ, be thy name to endless ages praised, who, at the hands of sinners was abased;-- have mercy, lord. v doomed to our death, the god-man bowed the head; pierced for our sins, upon the cross he bled; life is his gift, who liveth, and was dead;-- have mercy, lord; vi life, and to live, amid the bliss beyond, where souls beloved, to loving souls respond, free from all bondage in thy gentle bond,-- have mercy, lord. easter i lo, in its brightness the morning arising, gold on the hilltops in richness is spread; heaven decks the earth with a beauty surprising, light is the victor, and darkness hath fled. ii lord of the morning, our souls are awaking, flood them with beauty, and free them from gloom; morn speaks of joy, for when morning was breaking, free from death's bands thou did'st rise from the tomb. iii souls that in slumber behold not the beauty, see not the master arise in his might; hear not the call to the doing of duty, know not the rapture that thrills in the light. iv morn speaks of life,--let us rise to new living, rise with the lord to the freedom he gives, give to the world what the morning is giving, hope that was born in the darkness, and lives. v lo, in its brightness the morning arising,-- lord of the morning, our darkness dispel; shine in our souls, till, the sordid despising, rise we from earth in thy presence to dwell. i in the dark of early morn, ere the light dispelled the gloom, came the hearts with sorrow torn, weeping to the lonely tomb. ii brought they aromatics rare culled from every choicest stem, and from gardens blooming fair round thy slopes, jerusalem. iii ah, the thoughts that filled the mind, as they journeyed all alone, for the blessed lord was kind, and they loved him as their own. iv glistening in the morning grey, whence those garments fairer far than the light that hails the day in the glorious morning star? v list! their voices, heavenly, sweet, as the light clad angels say, come, behold in reverence meet, where the risen master lay. vi hail the gladness, hail the day, bring no spices, bring no tears; death has lost its power to slay, and the grave is reft of fears. i glory to god! the morn appointed breaks, and earth awakes from all the woeful past, for, with the morn, the lord of life awakes, and sin and death into the grave are cast. ii glory to god! the cross with all its shame, now sheds its glory o'er a ransomed world; for he who bore the burden of our blame, with pierced hands the foe to hell hath hurled. iii glory to god! sing ransomed souls again,-- and let your songs our glorious victor laud, who by his might hath snapped the tyrant's chain, and set us free to rise with him to god. iv darkness and night farewell! the morn is here; welcome! the light that ushers in the day; visions of joy before our sight appear, and like the clouds, our sorrows melt away. v great son of god, immortal, and renowned! brighter than morn the glory on thy brow; crowns must be won, and thou art nobly crowned, for death is dead, and sin is vanquished now. i glory to god! the christ hath left the tomb, and ere the dawn upon the earth had broke, the light of lights had burst upon its gloom, when he, our light, from death's dark sleep awoke. ii were there no eyes to gaze upon the sight? no hearts to sing, when sundered was the prison? watchers there were, who lingered through the night, angels who said, "the master hath arisen." iii where now its sting, since death itself is dead? where now the power that held the captive bound? weave laurels gay to crown the victor's head, sing carols loud till earth and heaven resound. iv break, happy morn! and let the world be glad, night is no more, and all our fears are gone; joy fills the souls that erstwhile had been sad, hope fills the tomb, where hope had never shone. v sleepers, awake! the christ from death awoke, break into song, and let the silence sing, speak to the world what language never spoke, bring from a tomb what mourners cannot bring. vi glory to god! the christ hath left the tomb, hope in our souls is shining as the sun; clouds bring no fear, for in the deepest gloom, rest we in faith,--the victory is won. i rise, o glorious orb of day,-- christ no longer fills the grave, he hath risen with power to save,-- rise, and clear our night away. ii day, by seer and psalmist sung, gladdest day for earth and heaven, for the christ, whom god had given, hath the power from hades wrung. iii clouds of darkness, bow the head, weep in raindrops in the night! sorrow now is chased from sight, for the living christ was dead. iv heaven above, and earth below,-- men and angels raise the strain, death could not the christ retain,-- let your praises endless flow. v ah, the spear, the thorns, the nails, ah, the dying and the death, and the slow expiring breath,-- but the suffering christ prevails. vi where can death bestow his prey? can he hold the lord of life? better he had shirked the strife, than have lost his power for aye. vii rise, o glorious orb of day! christ no longer fills the grave, he hath risen with power to save,-- rise, and clear our night away. ascension {anabas eis hypsos.} ascension. i borne on the clouds the christ arose to where the light celestial glows, till, farther than the eye could view, he passed the heavenly portals through. ii ended the weary life below, the painful toil, the grief, the woe; the conflict of the cross is past, and sin and death are slain at last. iii now, list the heavenly song begun by hosts in garments like the sun; lift up, lift up your heads, ye gates! the glorious king an entrance waits. iv ascended christ! in mercy yet, think of the hearts on olivet, and in thy wondrous grace restore thy living presence gone before. v and let the spirit's aid revive our waiting souls that faithful strive, till from our olivet we soar, to dwell with thee for evermore. {arate pylas.} i lift up the gates, the lord of heaven appears; thrust wide the doors, the king of glory nears; the throne is his whose arm of might o'erthrew the tyrant in the fight. ii lift up the gates,-- the gates of hades fell; thrust wide the doors, he burst the doors of hell, and prisoners in the dark abode, exulting, hailed the son of god. iii lift up the gates,-- no power his might can meet; thrust wide the doors, the foe is at his feet; the path is cleared, the prize is won, enter, thou all-victorious son. iv lift up the gates,-- they come who welcome win; thrust wide the doors, and let his followers in; they come from toil and conflict long, ten thousand times ten thousand strong. v lift up the gates,-- still valiant deeds are done; thrust wide the doors, for laurels yet are won; and when the victor sheathes his sword, receive the follower of his lord. i borne on the wings of light, behold the lord ascend, up to the portals bright where heavenly powers attend, and fling the gates of glory wide, while praises rise like flowing tide. ii back to the father's bliss from war and strife below, from toil and loneliness 'mid scenes of sin and woe;-- loud plaudits hail the victor now, who comes with triumph on his brow. iii lord, in the peace of heaven, far from our toil and pain, think of the promise given, and come to us again;-- remember, thou, the toilsome road, that brought thee to thy blest abode. iv and see the toils we bear, and hear the prayers we send; in answer to our prayers, our needy souls befriend;-- we need not languish in the night, though heaven receive thee from our sight. v o promised spirit, come, and fill the empty place, till in our heavenly home we look upon his face, who fought with us in earthly strife, and won for us immortal life. pentecost i like the beams that from the sun, pierce the blackness of the night, come to us, o promised one, spirit, light. ii pure as saints who have attained, clad in brightness for attire, cleanse our souls by vileness stained, spirit, fire. iii stronger than uplifted arm in the tumult of the fight, save our timid souls from harm, spirit, might. iv soothing as the calm that falls when the winds and billows cease, comfort us when fear appals, spirit, peace. v come, o gracious spirit, come, we would have thee for our guest, make our souls thy chosen home, spirit, blest. i come, holy ghost, in might, and make our weakness strong; renew our valour in the fight against the power of wrong. ii come, holy ghost, restore the zeal our lives have lost, and on our fainting spirits pour the grace of pentecost. iii come, holy ghost, in light our minds and hearts to cheer, and pierce the darkness of our night of ignorance and fear. iv come, holy ghost, in love, reveal the love divine, that stooped to earth from heaven above, in sympathy benign. v and while the ages run, our praise shall rise to thee; and to the father and the son, one god, eternally. i spirit of god, in love descend, and make our hearts thy place of rest, in all our need a steadfast friend to fill our store with gifts the best; ii to cleanse our souls with holy fire from sordid stains that guilt imparts, and with thy heavenly power inspire our languid zeal, and fainting hearts; iii to lift our minds to nobler things than earth from all its best can show,-- the wealth that flies on speedy wings, the fleeting joys, like sparks that glow. iv come in the hour of sore distress, when, deep the heart for comfort sighs, and with thy soothing kindliness the tear-drops wipe from weeping eyes. v "lo, i am with you to the end," thus speaks the promise of our lord; o spirit of the christ, descend, fulfil to us the gracious word. i lord, may thy holy spirit calm our troubled souls, and give them rest; and with his touch, like healing balm, allay the pain of the distressed. ii we hear the promise thou did'st make to lone disciples long ago, and peace and hope our souls o'ertake, and joy dispels our brooding woe. iii now let us feel the spirit's power, and let us hear his gracious word; fulfil to us this holy hour the promise of our dying lord. iv come, holy ghost, with warmth of love, with light of hope, and calm of peace, and raise our sense bound souls above the mocking joys of earth that cease. i o god, the holy ghost, thou lord of light appear, and, as of old, at pentecost, come to us, waiting here; and let the darkness that enshrouds, pass from our souls like passing clouds. ii o god, the holy ghost-- the choicest gifts are thine; grant us the grace we covet most, and virtues most divine; and with thy purifying fire, consume, we pray, our vain desire. iii o god, the holy ghost, with strength our weakness brace, that e'en the threatenings of a host we may with courage face; and put satanic power to flight, that bears upon our souls with might. iv o god, the holy ghost, our soul's enduring friend, for all the gifts of pentecost our grateful songs ascend;-- thee, with the father, and the son we worship, glorious three in one. various {en iordanê, baptizomenou sou kyrie,} {hê tês triados ephanerôthê proskynêsis;} _epiphany_, january i when jesus to the jordan came to honour there the rite divine, then, to the world, his awful claim was witnessed by the godhead trine. ii from heaven the father's voice declared his pleasure and paternal love; and lo! the holy ghost appeared, and wore the likeness of a dove. iii thrice holy, jesus christ, art thou, by father and by spirit blessed; we see thee at the jordan now, and hear thy godhead there expressed. iv now to the father glory be, and to the son beloved by god, and to the spirit, endlessly, in heaven and all the earth abroad. {metemorphôthês en tô orei christe ho theos,} {deixas tois mathêtais sou tên doxan sou, kathôs êdynanto.} _transfiguration_, august i when on the mount the lord appeared transfigured to the sight, his countenance was like the sun, his raiment glistened white. ii but dull the minds, and dark the eyes, on whom such glory shone; they saw not god upon the mount, they saw but man alone. iii and when the dark and cloudy days of death and sorrow came, what were their thoughts of him who hung upon the cross of shame? iv they knew not that the god of life an offering yielded there, and of his will endured for all the load of sin he bare. v lord, to the mount where thou art seen in all thy glory bright, thy servants now would wend their way to gaze upon the light, vi and there behold, in glory clad, the light to mortals given, that in the night that hid the cross, shone with the light of heaven. {idou, ho basileus sou erchetai.} palm sunday i behold, the king of zion rides, but not in vain array; the people wave their goodly palms, with garments strew the way; and loud hosannas fill the air from crowds that, surging, throng; 'tis meet to honour him who rides with cheer, and shout, and song. ii o zion, of your god beloved, the day of strife is nigh, yet comes he not with armour clad, and sword upon his thigh; the weapons of your mighty king no other hand could wield, the might of god is in his arm, the will of god his shield. iii see, on the cross, without the wall, the king immortal dies; not now hosannas fill the air,-- the shouts of hell arise; but in that hour of triumph, deemed, satanic might is slain, for he who bows the head in death, shall rise to life again. iv o zion, hail your mighty king, your palms around him wave, and strew your garments in the way of him who rides to save; and when he mounts his regal throne, by bloody conflict won, give homage to the king of heaven, god's one eternal son. {agallesthô ta drymou.} elevation of the cross menaeon, sept. i waving in the autumn breeze, clap your hands, ye forest trees, for the arms that now entwine needy souls, were stretched on thine. ii and the cross that bore the weight of the christ, creator great, by the power that still remains, all the universe sustains. iii emblem, by the church adored; might, that wields the kingly sword; glory, of the ransomed host; agony, of spirits lost. iv cross of christ! we lift our eyes and behold the sacrifice; for the arms that now entwine needy souls, were stretched on thine. judgment i when in the clouds of heaven the lord, the judge, appears, when memory brings my sin to light, and conscience fills with fears,-- in mercy, lord, have mercy then, nor rank my soul with wicked men. ii i have no plea to give, the sin is all my own, i cannot bear the searching glance nor for that sin atone; i can alone that mercy crave,-- o lord, thine erring servant save. iii didst thou not come to earth? didst thou not die for me? and all my sin in mercy bear upon the awful tree? i claim that sacrifice, and pray, turn not my erring soul away. iv the record of my sin, in mercy, lord, remove, and to a place at thy right hand call thou my soul, in love; that love divine i make my plea, o may that love encircle me. {ton piston oiketên sou, anapauson} {hôs eusplanchnos.} burial of a priest i rest in the lord, o servant by his grace, dwell in his courts, and gaze upon his face, know nought of toil, of weariness, or woe, they rest who serve, not weary, as below. ii rest in the lord, the strife of war is past, wear now the wreath of victory at last; e'en death is slain,--the cross of christ sufficed, death is not death, to those who live in christ. iii rest in the lord, the goal of life is won, to thee 'tis given to hear the glad "well done"; great their reward, who, till their lord appear, serve in the vineyard of the master, here. iv rest in the lord; none can his honour claim, they honour have, who honour most his name; thine this reward who counted gain but loss, nor felt it shame to glory in the cross. v rest in the lord; swift comes the happy time, when we who strive shall reach thy fairer clime; christ, give us welcome when the toil is past, and bring us to the bliss of heaven, at last. {makaria hê hodos, hê poreuê sêmeron, hoti} {hêtoimasthê soi topos anapauseôs.} burial of a layman i thou dost not pass a lonesome way, o soul released from mortal coil,-- thou leav'st behind the weight and toil, and thou art blessed of god to-day. ii the path thou treadest he hath trod whom heaven received from death's abode,-- he knows each turning of the road that brings the unburdened soul to god. iii it is not dark, it is not sad, it is not haunted now with fear,-- the saints have found it full of cheer, for with his comfort they were glad. iv yea, with his presence thou art blest, and light upon the path is shed, for lo, he liveth who was dead, and thou art journeying to thy rest. v 'tis we, not thou, who are distressed, for, blessed, blessed, is the way, o soul, thou journeyest to-day, that leads to everlasting rest. psalm i i the man who erring counsel shuns, nor strays where sinners meet, but in the law of god delights in meditation sweet, shall reap the happiness of those to whom the lord his favour shews. ii as tree beside the water brooks whose leaf unfading lives, and when the time appointed comes, a bounteous fruitage gives;-- so shall he prosper all his days, whose hope is in god's law always. iii not so the wicked,--they are chaff before the wind that flies, nor could they stand his searching glance, should god in judgment rise; for known to god are all the right, but wicked men shall perish quite. psalm ii morning i lord, a band of foes increasing terror to my heart would bring; for they tell my soul unceasing, that no help from god can spring. ii yet thou art my shield about me, till the time of strife is past; and though cruel foes may flout me, thou wilt hear my prayer at last. iii on my couch when night was falling, lay i down devoid of fear; and when morning light was calling, i awoke, for thou wert near. iv tens of thousands round my dwelling stand arrayed to do me harm; but my trust when foes are swelling, rests in thine almighty arm. v rise, o lord, for thou, victorious, hast the might of sin o'erthrown, and amid thy triumph glorious, bless the people thou dost own. psalm xxvii verses - i light of my life, o lord, thou art, no fear afflicts my trusting heart when, all secure in thee as in a fortress i repose, and evil men, my direst foes, are baulked that trouble me, ii hosts may encamp on every side, and pallid fear the trust deride that saves me from affright; but in the lord my hope shall last, till noise of war and strife are past, and flee the powers of night. iii to god i make this chief request, that i in his abode may rest through all my earthly days, to mark its comeliness and grace, and see the beauty of his face, whose love inspires my praise. iv there shall i dwell unseen by all, secure when days of trouble call, and evil doers mock; and he shall hide me in his tent, till all the wrath of man is spent as tempests on a rock. v therefore to thee my praise i'll give, and joyful offerings while i live my grateful soul shall bring; for thou my foes hast beaten down, with victory thou my head dost crown, and tun'st my heart to sing. morning i from the hills the light is streaming, hail, the gladsome morn! earth with busy life is teeming, for the day is born. ii dawn, thou light of lights, undying on a fairer day, all creation beautifying with thy glorious ray. iii weary eyes the hills are scanning for the early gleam; souls, thy long delay unmanning, sleep, and idly dream. iv ah, my soul, be up and doing, life will soon be done, night, the day is close pursuing to the setting sun. v and the day of god shall waken to the soul with fear, if, the call of life forsaken, we are slumbering here. vi from the hills the light is streaming, hail the gladsome morn! and the light of god is beaming,-- this, his day, is born. evening i the day declines to night, the shadows lengthening fall, and see, the deepening purple light throws on the hills its pall;-- lord, be our light when suns decline, and in our souls unclouded shine. ii still is the eventide,-- calm is the soft repose, when earthly toil is laid aside, and eyelids drooping, close; lord, let thy peace my soul possess, in everlasting restfulness. iii night of my life draws near; lord, when the light departs, be all to me that thou hast been to other trusting hearts, and in the calm that night bestows, let me in peace with thee repose. iv the night gives place to morn, the gloom shall pass away, and an eternal day be born, whose sun shall shine for aye; lord, wake me when the morn is come, and let me find with thee my home. the new year all-embracing as the greek service books are, curiously enough, strictly speaking, they contain no thanksgiving services. it has been left for the russian church to make them for the greeks to imitate. the models of the ectene and litanies are found in the euchologion, at vespers, but adaptations of their petitions to every eventuality in human life, are the work of russians, whose names, however, have not been preserved. here is an example from the thanksgiving service for the new year. i lord, let us feel that thou art near, and while we pray, in mercy hear; crown with thy love the opening year;-- have mercy, lord. ii of thy benignity, we pray, thy gracious spirit grant alway, our strife and discord to allay;-- have mercy, lord. iii may peace our inmost soul possess, and in our lives our converse bless, with unaffected kindliness;-- have mercy, lord. iv our sinful past, we here repent, with tears our wayward course lament, now, let thy pardoning grace be sent;-- have mercy, lord. v as seasons come, good lord ordain that we the fruits of earth obtain, send us the sunshine and the rain;-- have mercy, lord. vi with strength thy holy church endue, the anger of her foes subdue, the offerings of thy grace renew;-- have mercy, lord. harvest hymn i come, praise with gladness the lord of all creation, heaven tells his glory, earth his bounty shews; lowly he sought us, and won for us salvation, grace fills our lives with goodness he bestows. _refrain._ bountiful giver, thine be the praise, blessing, and honour, and glory, always. ii spring time and harvest, and cloud and summer gladness, come to our earth because his promise lives; morn smiles with beauty, and evening soothes our sadness;-- such are the treasures that his bounty gives. _refrain._ iii spring time is now, and summer with its beauty; brightness and sadness here alternate come; lord, may the flowers, and fruits of love and duty, blossom and ripen for thy harvest home. _refrain._ iv then when the angels, the reapers at the ending, gather the fruitage which our lives have grown, may we with gladness, angel toil attending, sing of the harvest at the heavenly home. _refrain._ bountiful giver, thine be the praise, blessing, and honour, and glory, always. penitence and love i now with my weeping would i cleanse my soul, and with my grief would shame my sin away; but tears no virtue have to make me whole, nor sorrow power to end sin's hateful sway. ii but yet the heart in sore distress that sighs, looks to the christ his succour to impart; and god receives the pleasing sacrifice, a broken spirit, and a contrite heart. iii nailed to the cross i see my saviour bleed,-- this is the sacrifice my soul requires; here is the cleansing, and the power i need, to quell the rising of my vain desires. iv speak to my heart, o jesus christ, who came fired by thy love, an offering for sin; and by a love enkindled at that flame, win me forever from the self within. i o god of love, on bended knee, we, guilty sinners, call on thee; now, by the cross that jesus bore, extend thy mercy, we implore. ii we have no plea to urge but this, our own exceeding sinfulness, and all the love to sinners shown who claim his merits as their own. iii ah, weary with the toil of sin, we seek thy matchless grace to win; lord, break the fetters that enslave, and let us know thy power to save. iv rise on the darkness of the way that leads from night to perfect day, and let the joy that light awakes possess the soul that sin forsakes. v o christ, to thee our praise ascends, whose love the needy soul befriends; for, by thy cross our souls are free to love and praise, eternally. i o god, in mercy hear, i lift my cry to thee, and let thy gracious help be sent in my perplexity; but thou art far away, and i am filled with shame, i cannot see thy blessed face, and fear to name thy name. ii and now a sense of guilt inspires me with dismay,-- i know that none on earth can take that awful load away; 'tis mine, the sin, 'tis mine, and mine the guilt to bear, the awful burden of the blame, the cloud of dark despair. iii is there no balm to heal? no pity that can bless?-- o god, who art so far away, be near in my distress; and heed the tears i shed, and hear my woeful cry; and since there is no hand to help, come thou in mercy nigh. iv 'twas then a voice i heard,-- it came in winning tone, across my night, from far away, to where i prayed alone; it told me of a love, that sought me long ago, and on the cross my burden bore, of sin, and guilt, and woe. v o blessed cross of christ! thou hast my need supplied, for there, upon thy outstretched arms i see the crucified; and he has sin to bear, that none can call his own,-- o christ, the sin and guilt thou bor'st, are mine, are mine, alone. i come to the christ in tears, and in his hearing tell thy sins, and griefs, and fears, the wants he knoweth well; fear not to bring a large request, he gives, and giveth of his best. ii come to the christ in tears: the contrite heart he wills; and every prayer he hears, and every vessel fills;-- we never ask, and sigh unblest, he gives, and giveth of his best. iii come to the christ in tears;-- as when the clouds depart a glorious light appears-- so joy shall flood the heart; they cannot weep who share his grace, and see the smiling of his face. i forgive my heart its vain regrets, and, as i cast my eyes behind, subdue the spirit, lord, that frets, because the light with dark is twined. ii i cannot understand the way by which unerring wisdom leads; nor do i know for what to pray, unconscious of my deepest needs. iii thou, whose almighty power upholds the stars that in their courses move,-- whose eye creation's need beholds to prompt the outflow of thy love;-- iv teach me in calm content to live 'mid all the changes life contains, assured that, love and wisdom give the blessing that for aye remains. v and in the darkness and the light, and in the gladness and the pain, make me to know that all is right, and every loss my truest gain. {porrhô ekpheuxômetha kosmou, hapan to hamartêma.} i far let me flee from worldly sin, nor look behind, but onward press; lest the deceit that lurks within, should link the soul to worldliness. ii ah! whither shall i flee, my god? there is no refuge but in thee, and thy command exceeding broad, condemns my soul's perversity. iii but in thy grace my troubled soul would find forgiveness freely given; and in thy spirit's firm control, a power to lift me nearer heaven. iv thus shall i flee from worldly sin, nor look behind, but onward press, and daily fight, and daily win the rich reward of righteousness. i lord of mercy, at thy gate, needy souls imploring pray; have we come, good lord, too late? must we turn in grief away? ii young and old thy mercy claim,-- some are early at the gate, some are late to own thy name, surely none, though late, too late! iii blessed, who with morning sun, hopeful at thy portals wait; yea, and when the day is done, blessed they who find the gate. iv ah, good lord, when thou wert here, homeless, in our world of sin, few, to give thee warmth and cheer, called their weary lord within. v sad, repenting, full of fear, hoping, doubting, still we wait; as we call, in mercy hear;-- open, lord, to us the gate. i burdened with a heavy load, lord, we come, for thou art calling; rough and toilsome is the road, and the night around is falling. ii sin, the burden that we bear, fills us with a dread to meet thee; yet, we yield not to despair, but for mercy would entreat thee. iii from the cross a glorious light falls upon our path to cheer us; and a hope on pinions bright hovers, in the darkness, near us. iv for the sake of him who bore all the sin, we come lamenting, let thy pardon now restore sinners, at thy feet, repenting. i lord of a countless throng, fair as the stars of night, won from the thrall of cruel wrong back to the good and right; thine is the praise they sing, lord of their souls, and king. ii thine was the love that sought far as their wanderings led; thine was the wondrous grace that brought life to the faint and dead; pardon for all the past, peace that shall endless last. iii lord of a countless throng sworn to be faithful aye, when, in the power that makes them strong, they stand in evil day; make us by grace, we pray, loyal and brave as they. i let all the world abroad in cheerful praise unite to bless the name of god, creator, lord of might. ii he made the sea and land, the pastures rolling wide, the mountains towering, grand, the streams that ceaseless glide; iii the cattle on the hills, the flocks afield that rove, the birds, whose music fills the silence of the grove; iv the heavens that, day and night, his matchless power declare, the sun and moon, whose light illumines everywhere. v let man, creation's lord, his rightful homage give to him whose mighty word first called his soul to live. vi and with the heavenly host, our sovereign lord adore, and son, and holy ghost, both now, and evermore. i thou saviour of our sinful race, we sing the fulness of thy grace; lord, as our songs in rapture soar, on us thy loving-kindness pour. ii there is no merit of our own, no plea to offer, save alone that thou hast died upon the tree, to set our sin-bound spirits free. iii o, when the world, in awful fear, beholds the judge of all appear, be this our joy on that dread day, that christ hath borne our sins away. iv when in the land of bliss divine, our souls in robes of beauty shine, this be our song before the throne, not ours the beauty, thine alone. v to thee, o god, be glory given, and to the christ, the king of heaven; and to the holy spirit, blest, be praise for evermore exprest. i where the lord reveals his presence, glory lights the sacred place, and the soul in adoration falls before the throne of grace. ii seraphim, and saints in wonder, lift their songs where christ is set, and employ, in sacred homage, harp, and palm, and coronet. iii light of lights, no light approacheth,-- sun, nor moon, nor stars of night, flood the noon-tide and the darkness with such radiance of delight. iv beauty of the king immortal! ere we rise to where thou art, let the glory of thy presence chase the darkness from our heart. i o love of god, surpassing far the loves that human hearts unite, far from our ken as yonder star that sheds its radiance on the night; ii high as the heavens, and deep as hell, broad as the world's infinite need,-- none but the christ that love can tell, and none its winning power impede. iii glory to god! that love exprest came in the gift our need required, and in the christ our lives are blest, and by his love are souls inspired. iv and from the manger to the cross, and at the noon-day and the night, he bore the burden of our loss, nor shunned the anguish and despite. v and 'twas the love of god he showed, when, crowned with shame, he meekly died;-- no gifts by bleeding love bestowed, so great as jesus crucified. i o god of our salvation, who in thy glorious might, didst speak, and all creation arose from brooding night; and chaos, and confusion, to form and order sped, while lo! in rich profusion the earth its beauty spread. ii o god of our salvation, thy word hath still its power, and souls in desolation are lying at this hour; speak as of old, and banish the chaos and the night, and bid their sorrows vanish before thy glorious light. iii o god of our salvation, thy word our flesh became; to free from condemnation he bore our human name, and spoke to us confiding of all the father willed; and we, with him abiding, are with his fulness filled. iv o god of our salvation, thou, christ, in mercy come, and make thy new creation thine everlasting home; and in our hearts abiding, and in thy church adored, still speak the word confiding, o jesus christ, our lord. i o jesus, when my guilty fears my wakened soul distress, and judgment for the past appears in all its awfulness,-- bid gathering clouds asunder roll, and shed thy sunshine in my soul. ii when from their long-forgotten grave my guilty deeds arise, and terror proves me yet the slave my soul would fain despise,-- from stings of memory heal my soul, and free me from sin's dire control. iii o lord, in whom my hope is set, i look in faith to thee; from sin, and guilt, and sad regret, my soul in mercy free;-- for, in that mercy, lord, i trust, and lie, repenting, in the dust. i lord, i am thine, for thou hast died for me; thy claim i own, and give myself to thee; not with the price of gold, of gold most fine hast thou redeemed my soul, and made me thine. ii thy blood was shed upon the awful tree; i marvel at the love there shown for me all loveless, and to sin and self a slave;-- thy gifts enriched me, yet i nothing gave. iii now in its wonder would my soul arise, shorn of all pride, but precious in thine eyes, who for its life thy glory laidst aside, and wore its shame, and for its purchase died; iv and fired with love, that wondrous love proclaim in life, in death, in fealty to thy name; in loving service, for such service given, here upon earth, and yonder in thy heaven. v lord, i am thine, thy love hath won my soul; now shall my life obey such sweet control;-- no, not mine own, the purchase is complete, i bring my all to lay it at thy feet. aspirations i lord, let our eyes the things unseen behold, and, 'mid the glory that like sunset dies, fair to the sight the wondrous bliss unfold that lives in beauty under cloudless skies. ii and let our ears the things unuttered hear, that silent voices to the soul can tell; that heart can whisper when a heart is near of love that scorns in uttered tones to dwell. iii teach us to know that things unseen are real, that earth no bloom of fadeless beauty gives, that far beyond the things that sense can feel, the joy of being, and of having, lives. iv lord who hast risen, nor left the world behind, daily incline our sense-bound souls to soar, till 'mong the things all hidden we may find possessions that abide for evermore. i wake to the songs that lips unsullied sing, and let their tones responsive echoes call,-- there's more to cheer us than our senses bring, and sweeter anthems than from mortals fall. ii saints in the land where sin is all unknown, where care nor sorrow can the light subdue, dwell in the glory of the heavenly throne, and voice new praise, for wonders ever new. iii wake to their praise, and let us blend with theirs songs that shall travel to a fairer clime; glad as the morn, and hallowed by our prayers, offerings of duty from the realm of time. vi one, we are one with victors gone before; songs that are ours, were theirs when in the strife; theirs shall be ours when, all our striving o'er, christ gives us entrance to immortal life. i bring to the christ your fears, and tell your sorrows there, the faintest cry he hears, and every faltering prayer; he knows your weight of woe, who dwelt with us below. ii with thought of sin opprest, does conscience smite thee sore? there is a place of rest, where sin afflicts no more; see, where the blood was spilt, the cross hath borne thy guilt. iii think you of former bliss, of happier, sunnier hours, when fragrant joys you miss, bestrewed your path like flowers? with christ more joys abound, than can on earth be found. iv mourn you a heart estranged, once kind, but now grown cold? a happy friendship changed, now that the years are old? there is a friend above, and his, a lasting love. v is there an empty room where silence broods alone, all curtained round with gloom, where once the sunlight shone? hearts that are linked below, in christ no parting know. vi bring then to christ your fears, and tell your sorrows there, the faintest cry he hears, and every faltering prayer; he knows your weight of woe, who dwelt with us below. i lord, soothe my anxious, troubled soul, and bid its doubting cease, speak to the crested waves that roll, to sink in quiet peace; and bring me to a place of rest, a haven calm and still, where every soul by sin distressed, may dwell secure from ill. ii ah! thou wert once, my blessed lord, by surging waters pressed, but thou didst speak th' almighty word and laidst them still at rest; and 'gainst thy soul the wrath of sin its tempest fury cast, but thou didst stand, serene within, till all the storm had passed. iii o christ, the hiding-place of those who face the blinding blast, and battle with a myriad woes that sweep in fury past; be thou my comfort and defence, while storm fiends wildly cry,-- my star of hope when night is dense, and dangers round me lie. i surpassing great the gift of god to erring mortals given, a way that, from their dark abode, leads to the light of heaven. ii o christ who art the living way, plant thou my feet therein, and lead me lest i go astray in luring paths of sin. iii too long i've found a sad delight in wandering from thy care, nor feared the sudden fall of night, the darkness, and the snare. iv o jesus christ, to thee my soul in conscious weakness clings; teach me to seek the kind control that peace and safety brings. v and lead me upwards day by day, till, night and danger past, i reach by thee the living way, the father's house at last. i my hope is firmly set on him whose truth abides; the lights of earth may fade and die, the hopes of earth despairing fly,-- no fear my heart betides. ii my love its ardour finds in him whose love is strong, who bought me with a price untold, more than of silver or of gold, and fills my heart with song. iii my peace its calm attains in him whose power defends; my foes may sound a loud alarm, i trust securely in the arm he for my succour lends. iv my joy its gladness sings in notes his voice awakes,-- a joy no effort can attain, that thrills alike in loss and gain, and when the world forsakes. v thou christ art all i need, of all my bliss the spring; more fulness in thy grace is found, than when the corn and wine abound, and all the world can bring. i the time is drawing near, it cannot tarry long, when they who face the conflict here, shall join the glorious throng, where gladness fills each heart, and honour crowns each brow;-- for tireless service fit me, lord, by willing service now. ii let no depressing thought my brooding mind depress; but let me hear, in winning tones, what they who serve possess, where gladness fills each heart, etc. iii let sunshine flood the soul, when threatening night descends, that i may see the light serene no sunset ever ends. where gladness fills each heart, etc. iv let strength my spirit nerve, that, with each labour done, i may, like those who serve above, see some new task begun; where gladness fills each heart, etc. v the time is drawing near,-- till that bright morning break, may i, with those who see thy face, thy will, my pleasure make: where gladness fills each heart, etc. i i will not yield my sword, i will not bow the knee, but i would hear the blessed word that calls my soul to thee; and through the din of war, and in the midst of strife, that word shall be the guiding star to lead me on to life. ii and in the midst of snares which subtle fingers lay, i shall not stumble unawares upon the upward way; but keep before my eyes the goal before me set, lest i should miss the glorious prize which loyal victors get. iii o christ, who art my king, thy cause i make mine own, till proud rebellious foes shall bring their homage to thy throne; till then my heart revive with courage brave and strong, and steel my feeble arm to strive against the power of wrong. iv when from the fateful field i hail my rightful king, to him my trusty sword i'll yield, and all my trophies bring; and he shall crown my head with honours richer far than trophies from the conquered dead, and all the spoils of war. i if in the cause of right i must, do battle with the sword, then, let me follow him i trust, my chosen king and lord. ii as captain in the mortal fight, he knows the foe i fear; his presence fires my soul with might, and fills my heart with cheer. iii if i should see him ever near, when blows unceasing fall, i shall no flaunting banner fear, nor loudest battle call. iv and in the thickest of the strife, no polished shaft i'll dread, for he preserves my soul in life, in battle shields my head. v no power shall in the fight prevail, no subtle gin ensnare, though all the hosts of hell assail, and guile the fraud prepare. vi lord, gird me with thy armour bright, and lead me forth to win, for i would battle for the right against the might of sin. i the christ on olive's mount in prayer his heart to god exprest; and as they held sweet converse there, his soul with peace was blest. ii far from the din of troubled life, the tumult, and the swell, a silence, stilling earthly strife, upon his spirit fell. iii and there a voice whose soothing tone the trusting spirit filled, came with that grace by which alone our great unrest is stilled. iv o may the blessed thought, divine, that moved the christ to prayer, our weary, anxious souls incline like peace and joy to share; v and on the mount where god is met, may we the solace know, that found his soul on olivet, who shared our life below. i like music at the stilly hour, when twilight veils the light of day, a gentle voice, with winning power, allured me from the world away. ii it made me sad, because i thought that love undying i could spurn; it made me glad, because it brought a loving message in return. iii ah, then the christ my sin revealed, and bade me cast the barrier down, and rise to things from eyes concealed, more lasting than the world's renown. iv i found the pathway to the cross, and lo, my blindness passed away, for radiant sunlight swept across the darkness that had led astray. v 'twas then that christ, in all his love, in all his beauty won my soul;-- now, for the treasures stored above, i thrust aside the world's control. i o lord, thou in the hour of need, didst succour those who sought thine aid,-- the faint revive, the hungry feed,-- and on the sick thine hand was laid. ii our needy souls thy help would crave, for faint they droop, and hungry pine,-- lord, from their mortal sickness save, and heal them by thy power divine. iii where memories weave a sombre web, and sighs reveal the heart distressed, where joys that flowed, in murmurs ebb, and buoyant souls are sore oppressed; iv come as of yore, all helpful, come, and let thy loving kindness bless, that, where the voice of praise is dumb, songs may arise of thankfulness. i my harp upon the willows, grave, in weeping days is sadly hung, for, lord, the joy thy presence gave, is from my soul in anguish wrung. ii i think upon the peaceful hours, with thy companionship to please; but now the world is shorn of flowers, and birds are mute among the trees. iii wilt thou not come as morning light? as spring that wakes the sleeping earth? as zephyrs on the tuneless night, to stir my soul to holy mirth? iv o matchless love! for me expressed, o gift of love surpassing great! wake love responsive in my breast, and make my drooping soul elate. v my heart is strung; up heart, proclaim in joyful strains the love divine, that stooped from highest heaven, and came to earth to save this soul of mine; vi to free my heart from carking cares, from trusting aught to fleshly aid; to shew me sin's seductive snares, that for unwary feet are laid. vii blest spirit of my god, return, and o'er my life resume thy sway, that love within my soul may burn, and quicken joy from day to day. i to thee my soul enraptured sings, o thou, immortal king of kings enthroned where glory shines; the garland of the praises sweet, that i would offer at thy feet, my grateful heart entwines. ii more rare thy beauty than the best by highest heaven or earth possessed; more radiant than the sun, the glory shining from thy face that fills with light the holy place, o thou immortal one! iii greater thy might than lord of war,-- thy vast dominions stretch afar beyond a kingly sway; thy hand upholds the earth and sea, and heaven, and all that therein be, thy wise decrees obey. iv but not by rule of power alone are subjects loyal to thy throne, thy love their fealty wins,-- a love that, by its winning grace allured our fallen, guilty race from their rebellious sins. v lord, by thy cross that won my soul, from bondage to benign control, my every power possess; that, daily, i my cross may bear, and find, to serve thee everywhere, is praising thee the best. vi to thee my soul enraptured sings, o thou immortal king of kings, but i would join the song, of myriad souls in realms of light, who praise their king by day and night, through all the ages long. modern greek hymns {christos ho logos me theoi sarkoumenos.} the following is a close rendering of a hymn to christ the word, taken from a collection of hymns to the three one god, by bishop nektarios, metropolitan of pentapolis (_vide_ introduction, page xxi). the hymn, which is in anapaests, is at page of the author's collection, where it bears the title, {Ã�dê eis ton kyrion hêmôn iêsoun christon.} the volume was published at athens, , and is one of many similar collections written by hymn-writers in the communion of the greek church. i christ the word! thine incarnation links my nature to thine own; by thy sore humiliation, i am lifted to thy throne; by thy suffering thou hast fired me with a zeal to sacrifice, and to noble life inspired me,-- hence my grateful songs arise. ii word of god! thy crucifixion hath upraised me from the earth; by thy death and dereliction, thou hast given me nobler birth; by thy resurrection glorious, life immortal now i own,-- hence ascend my songs victorious to thy praise, o christ the son. iii by thy hand at the creation, thou didst form me from the ground, and, to mark my kingly station, with thine image i was crowned; and that hand, when pierced and bleeding, raised me from corruption's mire, and, though all this love unheeding, decked me with divine attire. iv thou who gav'st my soul its being, breathing in me life divine, didst, by thine all-wise decreeing, unto death thy life resign; and from death my soul defending, thou didst sojourn with the dead, that thou mightst, my fetters rending, raise me up, thou glorious head! v shame be on your heads abiding, disobedient people now, who to death, and vile deriding, caused the word of god to bow! shame! for death, nor powers infernal, nor the dark of hades' gloom, could retain the king eternal in the bondage of the tomb. {deute kai mimêsômetha en tê parousê heortê.} another rendering from the greek of bishop nektarios. the original is on page of his collection, where it is entitled, {hymnos eis tên baptisin tou kyriou hêmôn iêsou christou}. the hymn is obviously based on the troparian and contakion for the feast of the theophany, or epiphany (january ), and the contakion for the feast of st. john baptist (january ). the latter contakion reads thus:-- "at thy bodily presence jordan was driven back in fear; john shook with trembling as he fulfilled his prophetic ministry; the host of angels were amazed at seeing the baptized in the flesh, and all that were in the dark shades [of hades] received light, and praised thee who hast appeared, and hast lightened everything." (menaeon, venice edition, page .) i come, keep this feast, who holy things revere, and with pure minds, your lord adore with fear. ii lo, to the jordan on this sacred day, the bridegroom from his chamber took his way. iii jordan affrighted, on its course was stayed; the baptist heard his voice and was dismayed. iv "how can i hold that sacred head of thine, o word of god, immortal, and divine?" v then, from the father, in the heaven above, the holy ghost descended as a dove. vi while on the christ the dove-like form abode, and jordan's parted waters o'er him flowed. vii "this is my son," the father spake from heaven, "who, for the lost of adam's race was given." viii illumine us, we sing, o christ the lord, glory to thee, o thou incarnate word! _by the same author. crown vo. price / each nett._ hymns of the apostolic church, being centos and suggestions from the service books of the holy eastern church. with introduction, and historical and biographical notes. hymns from the east, being centos and suggestions from the service books of the holy eastern church. with introduction. hymns from the greek office books, together with centos and suggestions. hymns of the holy eastern church, translated from the service books. with introductory chapters on the history, doctrine, and worship of the church. alexander gardner, paisley. hymns of the greek church, translated, with introduction and notes. cheap edition. crown vo. cloth. s. d. nett. hymns from the greek office books hymns from the greek office books together with centos and suggestions rendered by the rev. john brownlie author of _"the hymns and hymn-writers of the church hymnary"; "hymns from east and west"; "hymns of the greek church"; "hymns of the holy eastern church"; &c._ paisley: alexander gardner publisher by appointment to the late queen victoria mcmiv london: simpkin, marshall, hamilton, kent & co., lmd. printed by alexander gardner, paisley. {tÊ ; ekklÊsia ; tou ; christou ;} {en ; skÔtikÔ ; ethnei ;} {kai ; pasi ; tous ; ymnous ; tou ;} {siÔn ; agapÔsin ;} {anatithÊmi ;} preface the renderings contained in this volume are chosen from a quantity of material, much of which had to be set aside as, for various reasons, unsuitable. but, as can be understood, in process of reading, thoughts linked themselves to the memory, and echoes of music, much of it surpassingly sweet, lingered, and from those echoes and thoughts the centos and suggestions have been formed. the phrases containing the thoughts, and the echoes repeating the music, have been woven together to form the fabric which is shewn here. this volume is presented because the author believes that the hymnody of the west must find much of its finest enrichment in the praise literature of the church of the east. it would be presumptuous to think that these renderings and suggestions are at all a worthy expression of the noble and richly varied praise of the eastern church; but they constitute, together with those contained in two former volumes by the present author, perhaps one-half of all the pieces which have yet appeared in english verse. all the renderings in this collection appear for the first time. if any one thinks he has reason to complain of their quality, let him try to do better. the field lies untilled for any one who will work it. j. b. trinity manse, portpatrick, september , . greek index page {eleêson hêmas, kyrie heleêson hêmas,} {en tais aulais sou hymnêsô se,} {rheustoi pôs gegonamen, aphtharton eikona phoresantes,} {panta mataiotês ta anthrôpina,} {tachys eis antilêpsin, monos hyparchôn christe,} {ê ton prôton tôn angelôn,} {neumati thourgikô kyrie pantôn,} {epeskepsato hêmas exypsous ho sôtêr hêmôn,} {tên achranton eikona sou proskynoumen agathe,} {ho phôtisas tê ellampsei tês sês parousias christe,} {chairois ho zôêphoros stauros,} {sêmeron kreumatai epi xylou,} {esphragismenou tou mnêmatos,} {ho kyrios anelêphthê eis ouranous,} {eulogêtos ei, christe ho theos hêmôn,} {to ap' aiônos apokryphon,} {ek tou pneumatos sou,} {chaire kecharitômenê theotoke parthene,} {nautiôn tô salô tôn biôtikôn melêmatôn,} {hai myrophoroi gynaikes, orthrou batheos,} {kai strapheis ho kyrios eneblepse tô petrô,} {kai aneôxas hêmin paradeisou tas pylas,} {kai klausômen, kai praxômen,} {pyripnoon dexasthe pneumatos droson,} {sarki hypnôsas hôs thnêtos,} {patêr oiktirmôn,} {o plastês mou kyrios,} {ho sôtêr hêmôn, anatolê anatolôn,} {hymnoumen sou christe, to sôtêrion pathos,} {phôs ek phôtos,} {psychê mou! anasta,} {klinas ouranous, katebê,} {deute agalliasômetha tô kyriô,} {to pneuma tês alêtheias,} {ouk aphêsô hymas orphanous,} {ho ploutos kai bathos, sophias theou!} {hai myrophoroi gynaikes,} {kai ho ti an aitêsête touto poiêsô,} {me nyx edexato,} {zôtikês ex hypsous biaias pheromenês,} {exagoreusô kat' emou tên anomian mou tô kyriô,} {ên to phôs to alêthinon,} {hagios athanatos, to paraklêton pneuma,} {didou paramythian tois doulois sou,} {hoti etechthê epi gês ho amnos tou theou,} {ho de bios, skia kai enypnion,} {en tô phôti christe tou prosôpou sou,} hymns from the greek office books troparia {eleêson hêmas, kyrie heleêson hêmas} _euchologion_, p. i o destitute of all defence, we bow before thee now; in mercy let thy mercy come, for merciful art thou. ii our trusting souls in quiet repose would rest thy love within;-- o be not angry with us, lord, nor think upon our sin. iii but from thy high abode look down, with tender love the while, and save us from our foes who would our wayward hearts beguile. iv for, verily thou art our god, and we thy people all;-- hear us, the creatures of thy hand, when on thy name we call. v to god the father, god the son, all praise and glory be; and to the spirit, three in one, to all eternity. stichera idiomela {en tais aulais sou hymnêsô se} _pentecostarian_, p. i within thy courts my praise shall rise, o saviour of the world, to thee; and while i bow, will lift mine eyes, unconquered might, thy face to see; at eve, at morn, at noon, alway, all blessing lord, to thee i'll pay. ii here in thy courts, o lord, we bow, and soul and body worship give; hear us, thy faithful servants now, eternal god in whom we live; and thou the unbeginning son, and holy spirit three in one. sticheron idiomelon (from the order of the burial of priests) {rheustoi pôs gegonamen, aphtharton eikona phoresantes} _euchologion_, p. i why do we fade? who thine own image bear, who life immortal share,-- why do we fade? ii why did we err? and leave the food of life, to eat the bread of strife,-- why did we err? iii why thus deceived? and robbed of life divine, that precious gift of thine? why thus deceived? idiomela of john the monk (from the order of the burial of laymen) {panta mataiotês ta anthrôpina} _euchologion_, p. i all human things decay, for all is vanity, the silver and the gold; the glory of the great, the wealth of high estate, none can for ever hold. ii death with his icy hand, severs each earthly band, and bears us all away; vain are our earthly dreams, shadows our substance seems, and nothing lasts for aye. iii immortal christ, we cry, o let our prayers come nigh thy throne of heavenly grace; rest him whose form we miss, grant him in endless bliss a lasting dwelling place. troparia (from the order of holy unction) {tachys eis antilêpsin, monos hyparchôn christe} _euchologion_, p. i thou, lord, hast power to heal, and thou wilt quickly aid, for thou dost deeply feel the stripes upon us laid:-- thou who wast wounded by the rod uplifted in the hand of god. ii send speedy help, we pray, to him who ailing lies, that from his couch he may with thankful heart arise; through her, whose prayers availing find thine ear, o lover of mankind. iii oh, blinded are our eyes, and all are held in night; but like the blind who cries, we cry to thee for light; in penitence, o christ, we pray, give us the radiant light of day. ode v. of metrophanes (from the midnight service for the sabbath) {ê ton prôton tôn angelôn amesôs diakosmon} _parakletike_, p. i the radiance of the brightness of beauty shed by thee, descend on us who hymn thy name, sole ruling trinity. ii victorious nature hymns thee, thou orb of triple ray; for thou hast hallowed it through grace and borne its sin away. iii in faith we laud the father, the spirit and the son, one nature, one divinity, one god, yet three in one. iv to thee our god be glory, o holy trinity, both now, and while the ages run to all eternity. ode viii of metrophanes (from the midnight service for the sabbath) {neumati thourgikô kyrie pantôn} _parakletike_, p. i thy mighty word commanding, the heavens were settled high, and earth to thee responding was spread beneath the sky. ii o god of power, thy servants would seek thy power divine, that they their hearts to love thee may evermore incline. iii and gazing on the glory that shines in triple ray, our souls shall feast with gladness on thy sweet light alway. iv and of thy glory shining, and of thy ruling light, from age to age thy servants shall hymn both day and night. v to thee be lasting praises, immortal three in one,-- thou father, son, and spirit,-- now, and while ages run. exapostilarion automelon {epeskepsato hêmas exypsous ho sôtêr hêmôn} _maenon_, dec. i the early dawn awakes, the morn triumphant breaks, see, see! the brightening sky, the saviour from on high is with us here. ii and we who sat in night, rejoicing see the light; the shadows now are past, the dayspring come at last and day is near. iii for we have found the truth; the son of virgin youth, the saviour hath been born this glorious festal morn, and joys appear. troparia of the sixth hour {tên achranton eikona sou proskynoumen agathe} _horologion_, p. i before thy cross we take our place, with all our load of guilt, and plead forgiveness of thy grace because thy blood was spilt. ii for thou, to free us from our foes, didst bear that cruel cross, and by its agony and woes bring gain for all our loss. iii therefore we raise with one accord our songs right thankfully, for joy and peace, o christ our lord, we owe in full to thee. ode v (from the canon of the resurrection) {ho phôtisas tê ellampsei tês sês parousias christe} _parakletike_, p. i o christ, who art the peerless light, come with thy presence ever bright, and from the father's throne above descend to hearts that own thy love. ii thy cross no shame to mortals brings; the world with joy its glory sings; and men, o christ, before thee bow-- all hail! thy resurrection now. iii ah thou, our lord, the shepherd good, upon that cross poured forth thy blood, and with thy last expiring breath didst save thy flock from endless death. iv and death of all his power is shorn, and men to joy and peace are born, for from their sins' oppressive sway forgiveness bears their souls away. v glory to thee, o god, we bring, and to the son, our heavenly king, and to the holy ghost always, now, and throughout the endless days. stichera (from the office of the cross on quadragesima sunday) {chairois ho zôêphoros stauros} _triodion_, p. i all hail, life-bearing cross, the trophy of the good, thy bloom is fragrance on our way, thy fruit our heavenly food. ii entrance to paradise, strength of all faithful souls; the church's fortress when the foe his banner grim unrolls. iii by thee the curse is gone, and death no terror brings; we cast his power beneath our feet, and rise to heavenly things. iv o shield of our defence, and foe of all our foes; the glory of the saints of god, their crown for all their woes. v who follow christ the lord, their beauty find in thee; their harbour of salvation thou, now and eternally. antiphon {sêmeron kreumatai epi xylou ho en hydasi tên gên kreumasas} _triodion_, p. i come, mortals, come behold! he hangs upon the tree, who made the rolling sea the new formed earth uphold. ii see! he is crowned with thorns, the king of angels great, who in his high estate a glorious crown adorns. iii derided, see him wear a robe of purple dye, who robes the noon-day sky with clouds that float on air. iv the bridegroom of the bride, the son of virgin born-- with nails his hands are torn, with cruel spear his side. apolutikion (of the holy apostle thomas) {esphragismenou tou mnêmatos} _pentecostarion_, p. i o christ the god, who art our life, thou from the sealèd tomb didst rise, and where thy sad disciples mourned, appeared to them with glad surprise. ii because thy mercy, lord, is great, and all thy word to them is true, come with its power even as of old, and every sinful soul renew. iii all glory to the father be, and to the saviour, christ the son; all glory to the holy ghost, now, and while endless ages run. stichera of the ascension {ho kyrios anelêphthê eis ouranous, hina pempsê ton paraklêton tô kosmô} _pentecostarion_, p. i the lord ascended into heaven that he might from above send down the promised paraclete on mission of his love. ii and there the father for his son had decked a glorious throne; and clouds, his chariots, bore him up, that he might claim his own. iii o strangest wonder e'er beheld, since ages hoar began, the angels saw the highest place given to a son of man. iv "o all ye angels praise the lord," the holy spirit commands, "lift up your gates, ye princes high, ye nations, clap your hands." v to god the father throned on high, and to the son be praise, and to the spirit--three in one, from age to age, always. apolutikion of pentecost {eulogêtos ei, christe ho theos hêmôn} _pentecostarion_, p. i blessed art thou, o christ, our god, who to thy followers gav'st the wisdom they have shed abroad by which the world thou sav'st. ii thou gav'st to them the holy ghost as thou hadst promise given, when came the day of pentecost, as breath of god from heaven. iii and now by them, thy faithful few, the world thou gatherest in,-- as by the net those fishers drew,-- from all the woes of sin. iv to thee, o father, glory be, to thee, o christ, the son, and to the spirit, one in three, while endless ages run. theotokion {to ap' aiônos apokryphon} _triodion_, p. i o mystery, hidden from the world through all the ages past-- even to the angel hosts unknown-- is manifest at last; and thou, theotokos, hast given incarnate god, from highest heaven. ii god in his fulness wears our flesh, and from our sin and loss redeemed us by his pain and death upon the awful cross. save us, through him who cast away the bands of death, we humbly pray. ode vi. of cosmas the monk. troparia {ek tou pneumatos sou} _pentecostarion_, p. i even as thou said'st, o christ, the holy spirit came, and now our hearts possess the knowledge of thy name. ii for thou hast richly poured thy spirit on our race, to teach the father's will, and magnify thy grace. iii forth from the father, thou cam'st to our human needs, and from that source of life the holy ghost proceeds. iv all glory to our god, and to the christ, his son, and to the holy ghost, eternal three in one. theotokion {chaire kecharitômenê theotoke parthene} {mên septembrios}, p. i hail, full of grace, virgin theotokos, harbour of all who on the billows toss; refuge of those who helpless seek thy grace, hopeless and sin-stained of our fallen race. ii from thee the lord incarnate came to free those who are held in bands of misery. hail! virgin mother, for alone thou art blessèd for ever, by each human heart. iii say to the christ that strife of sin should cease, that to this world should come the bliss of peace. hail! full of grace, virgin to thee be praise, now and for ever through the endless days. hirmos (ode vi. from the poem of cosmas the monk) {nautiôn tô salô tôn biôtikôn melêmatôn} _pentecostarion_, p. i tossed on the sea of life, and sick and sore distressed, i lift my cry to thee, o lord, who giv'st the troubled rest. ii there, where the waters yawn, and cruel monsters grin, my comrades sink to depths below, all in a sea of sin. iii my earnest cry i raise, hear thou the prayer i make, and from the dark abyss of death my soul in mercy take. centos and suggestions {hai myrophoroi gynaikes, orthrou batheos} i at early dawn, with pious thought, the holy women spices brought-- for christ, their lord, was dead;-- but lo! the stone was rolled away: "where are the seals?" they wondering say, "the guard, where he was laid?" ii "why with your ointments mix your tears? why all this sighing, and those fears?" an angel near declares: "there lies the stone that barred the tomb, no longer now its solemn gloom your lord and master shares." iii "haste, haste with joy the tidings tell, the lord hath vanquished death and hell, for he, the death of death, hath burst asunder hades prison, and, first-born from the dead hath risen, even as afore he saith." iv honour to thee, o christ, we bring, thy glorious rising now we sing, victorious is thy strife; our hope, our trust, on thee we call, our joy, our strength, our god, our all, and our immortal life. {kai strapheis ho kyrios eneblepse tô petrô} i i brought my darkest sin to mind, and called it by the vilest name, and thought to fill my soul with grief, when i had charged it with the blame;-- i said, "before my god i'll fall," but sorrow came not at my call. ii i said, "ah, soul! the wrath of god shall smite the sinner with dismay, the record of thy sin is kept, and swiftly nears the reckoning day;"-- methought i heard god's thunders roll, but sorrow came not to my soul. iii "ah, stony heart! can thought of sin in all its vileness bring no tears? and canst thou hear god's thunders speak, and weep not though the reckoning nears?" i had no weeping to control, for sorrow came not to my soul. iv i looked, my saviour looked at me, o look of love no heart can bear! like raging torrents came my tears, and plunged my spirit in despair; vain, vain my weeping to control, for sorrow now hath found my soul. {kai aneôxas hêmin paradeisou tas pylas} i o god of light and glory, thy servants look to see the light that shines effulgent upon their souls from thee. ii and lo! the heavens are open, and from the throne of god, the christ, the light eternal, that glory sheds abroad. iii and eyes reflect the beauty, and hearts responding glow; for only they who see thee can in thy likeness grow. {kai klausômen, kai praxômen} i i have no tears to shed, for grief my soul hath none; my heart hath never bled, for ought that i have done; i weep not when i hear thee say that sin hath carried me away. ii i have no tears to shed; wilt thou not touch my heart, and bid sin's wounds run red, and throb with bitter smart?-- then shall i lift my prayer and say, "lord, take my many sins away." iii for thou, o lord, dost will that all should seek thy face, that thou mayest well fulfil the promise of thy grace. who ever sought thy love in vain, or failed thy pardon to obtain? {pyripnoon dexasthe pneumatos droson} i thy love hath sweetened me,-- thy love, o christ, divine, and by thy favour thou hast changed this wilful heart of mine. ii now by thy spirit's fire, consume my sins, i pray, and in my heart a love instil, that shall abide for aye. iii then shall my heart rejoice, because thou dost abide, for ever, o thou blessed one, close to thy servant's side. iv and love and joy shall be my strength while here i stay; and love, the spring of all my joy, shall live and love alway. {sarki hypnôsas hôs thnêtos} i lo! he gave himself to die, christ, our god, who came to save us; in the mortal grave to lie, that death might no more enslave us. ii on the day appointed, lo! from the grave the saviour rises, blessings endless to bestow,-- life and all its great surprises. iii hail the manger where he lay while the angel hosts adore him; hail the cross, for man that day raised, that jesu might restore him. iv hail the resurrection morn; hail the christ from death restoréd, be our praises heavenward borne, to our god by all adoréd. {patêr oiktirmôn} i have pity, lord, for thou are great, and greatness pity knows; i mourn my poor and worthless state, and all its wants and woes. ii have pity, lord, for thou art great;-- i would from sin be free, and seek thy face, 'though coming late, for thou wilt welcome me. iii have pity, lord, for thou art great, and give me strength to win; that i may gain the heavenly gate and freely enter in. iv have pity, lord, for thou art love, and by thy grace alone, i hope in thy pure house above to serve before thy throne. {o plastês mou kyrios} i formed in thine image bright, with glory on my head, i lived within thy light, and on thy bounty fed. ii but ah! that evil day! the tempter's silvery tone lured me from god away, to seek for bliss alone. iii dark came the night of sin, i mourned my woeful plight, for all was dark within, and all around was night. iv shorn of thy beauty fair, gift at my wondrous birth, hope fled before despair, gone was the joy of earth. v yea, though the prayer be vain, now will i lift mine eyes, call me, god, back again, back to thy paradise. vi came there a voice to me, yea, 'twas thy voice, my god, bidding me come to thee, up to thy pure abode. vii trusting thy mercy great, up from my woes i'll rise, seeking the golden gate opening to paradise. {ho sôtêr hêmôn, anatolê anatolôn} i come, with the load of sorrow thou art bearing, lay it on him who every burden bears; let not thy soul in trouble sink despairing, he who hath sorrowed, every sorrow shares. ii look for the morn when night is dark and weary, morning shall come when hours of night are spent; clouds hide the sun, and make the noontide dreary, gladness shall cheer you when the clouds are rent. iii look for his smile who gilds the hills at morning, surely it comes as comes the morning sun; beauty shall grace thy life with bright adorning, even as the sunlight, till thy day is done. iv then, when the morn that makes the hilltops golden round the jerusalem thy spirit gains breaks on thy view, shall come the gladness olden shared by the dwellers in those blest domains. {hymnoumen sou christe, to sôtêrion pathos} i we hymn thy triumph on the cross, thy victory o'er the grave, o christ, immortal son of god, who cam'st thy folk to save. ii for, dying on the cross, the sting of death was torn away,-- o, by thy victory over death give life to us, we pray. iii the gates of hades tottering fell, the prisoners saw the light, and forth emerging, left behind a hideous, starless night. iv o make us worthy, christ, to sing the wonders of thy power; and give us purity of heart to serve thee every hour. v all praise and glory, christ our god, to thee be ever given; one with the father, one with us on earth, and now in heaven. {phôs ek phôtos} i o light of light! when other lights are fading, then in my soul with heavenly brightness shine; "let there be light!" the night and fear upbraiding, speak thou the word and send the light divine. ii o joy of joy! when other joys are sighing, sing to my soul and bid its sadness flee; and when the songs my bitter tears are drying, come with thy gladness, and rejoice with me. iii o love of love! when other loves are dying, and hearts grow cold, and eyes that lured me frown; come to my heart, thou love, all hate defying, full of all pity to our world come down. iv o bliss of bliss! when earth and all its treasures shrink from my grasp, and leave me poor and sad; may i with christ fill up my empty measures, and in his presence reap the hopes i had. {psychê mou! anasta} i hence, slumber, from mine eyes, see, from the eastern skies the light is shed; the night has passed away, now 'tis the morn of day, darkness has fled. ii my soul from slumber free, let me thy brightness see, o light of light! may darkness from my heart, and every cloud depart, and fears of night. iii now let my hands employ the passing hours, and joy shall find my soul; thy will, o god, be done, thy path of duty run, my heart control. iv and when the sunlight dies, and in the western skies the day is spent; then on thy loving breast, o jesu, let me rest in calm content. {klinas ouranous, katebê} i the lord came down from heaven, and dwelt with us below; and in his life was given to taste our bitterest woe; our flesh he wore, its ills he bore, who came to us from heaven. ii he climbed the rugged steep to where the cross was raised; and while his followers weep, and angels are amazed, he groaned and sighed, and, wounded, died-- who climbed the rugged steep. iii he gave his life for me-- 'twas for my sin he died,-- o, that all eyes might see the saviour crucified; and give him love who dwells above, and gave his life for me. {deute agalliasômetha tô kyriô, to paron mystêrion ekdiêgoumenoi} i come, let us sing with joyful mirth the mystery of immanuel's birth, who, virgin born, is here; the middle wall no longer stands, no flaming sword in cherub's hands inspires the soul with fear. ii see, clear the pathway open lies that upward leads to paradise, where stands the tree of life; and freely may i enter in, whence i was driven by mortal sin, and worsted in the strife. iii for he, the father's only son, a glorious work hath now begun, descending from above in servant's form, though yet the son, unchanging while the ages run, to win us by his love. iv come, now, let hearts united be to laud his praises joyfully, the god-man born to-day. and let thy mercy reach us now for pitiful and kind art thou, o virgin born, we pray. {to pneuma tês alêtheias} i o christ, to thy disciples then, when eyes were sad, and hearts were sore, thy lips the cheering promise made, to comfort them for evermore. ii and now what law and prophets spake to waiting hearts in days of old, has been fulfilled: the spirit seeks the human heart, as long foretold. iii o christ, to us the promise speak, and send thy spirit in our need, that he may bless our longing hearts, and ever in thy precepts lead. iv and light the darkness of our night, till clear the path before us lies; and comfort us in sore distress, and wipe the sorrow from our eyes. v and songs of praise to thee we'll give, o god the father, christ the son, and holy spirit, while we live, and in the ages yet to run. {ouk aphêsô hymas orphanous} i may thy bright spirit, as of old, the love of christ the son unfold, and as he hangs upon the cross, reveal to men their sin and loss. ii o holy spirit, one with god, from god sent down to our abode with us abide in joy and woe, and share our sojourn here below. iii and give us comfort in our pain, be in our loss our surest gain; the christ reveal in all his love, and fit us for our home above. iv that we may serve the christ our lord, teach us to know his blessed word; our wills renew; our hearts allure, in love and service to endure. v thine be the glory, god the lord; glory to thee, incarnate word; to thee, blest spirit, praises be, from age to age eternally. {ho ploutos kai bathos, sophias theou!} i now christ the god to earth hath come, and made our dwelling place his home; and in our flesh the god-man gives the life by which his people lives. ii bound to the cross he bleeding dies, that man from sin forgiven may rise; and by the grace of god set free, live in his service endlessly. iii they who in adam sinning fell, with christ ascend with god to dwell; and through the pain the saviour bore, are freed from pain for evermore. iv and where the christ 'mong myriads bright sits on his throne of peerless light, there dwell the saints who by his grace share on the throne the victor's place. v glory to thee, our father, god, who dwell'st in heaven, thy high abode; glory to thee, o christ the son, and holy ghost, blest three in one. {hai myrophoroi gynaikes} i morn of beauty, joyous morn, hails the resurrection day, all our fears are borne away, hope into our world is born. ii see, the stone is rolled away; empty stands the silent tomb, death is dead, and gone the gloom where the risen saviour lay. iii women bear the spices, sad, in the early morning grey, but they wiped their tears away, for the angel made them glad. iv tell the tidings far abroad, "he is risen even as he said," life immortal from the dead is the gift of christ our god. v glory, glory evermore, to the christ who died to save, wresting victory from the grave, to the christ we now adore. {kai ho ti an aitêsête touto poiêsô} i o ever ready to forgive, thou merciful and mild, i long before thy face to live as trustful as a child. ii thy spirit leads me to repent, and cast my care on thee; i come to him whom thou hast sent, and bring my guilt with me. iii o ever ready to bestow the help i daily need, be thou my strength where'er i go, my present friend indeed. iv then shall i live for evermore rejoicing in thy love, and follow, if thou goest before, to better things above. {me nyx edexato} i o son of god, on thee we call, blest jesu, ere the darkness fall, come near us in thy grace; we own the sins that mar our life, and stem our efforts in the strife, and shamed we hide our face. ii the morning came, and hope was clear, and void the soul of doubt and fear; but ere the noontide shone, the light was darkened in the sky, for thickest clouds came rolling nigh, and all our peace was gone. iii and now the night is bringing dread, for guilt is resting on our head;-- o christ, our prayers hear, who bore our sorrows on the cross, who paid for us our priceless loss,-- and come in mercy near. iv give us to know thy strength is given to all who tread the path to heaven-- that we may fail to gain, and fall to rise, and forward press in light and dark, in storm and stress of fear and doubt and pain. v give us to know thy mercies wait on those who knock at heaven's gate, that none can knock in vain; for he who died for sinful men would have them come, and come again, nor fainting e'er refrain. {zôtikês ex hypsous biaias pheromenês} i the christ of god to sorrowing hearts a gracious promise made, to send to them when he departs the holy spirit's aid. ii and when the time appointed came, lo! with a rushing power, the house was filled with tongues of flame, that pentecostal hour. iii and souls received new power from god, and hearts with zeal were fired, when once the word of truth abroad the lives of men inspired. iv o comforter, the holy ghost, now, as of old, come down, and with the power of pentecost our drooping spirits crown. {exagoreusô kat' emou tên anomian mou tô kyriô} i my sin was very great, its burden bore me down, i dared not lift my eyes to god, so much i feared his frown. and sore my conscience smote, and all was sad within, for i had turned away from god, who loved me in my sin. ii i said, "i'll tell it all, the sin, the grief, the pain, mayhap he'll pardon my offence, and take me back again." and then my heart was glad, to think it might be done, if i but cast myself upon the merits of his son. iii i said, "ah god, receive the sacrifice i bring-- a broken and a contrite heart, that is my offering; and for his sake who came to bear the cross of pain, forgive the error of my life, and take me back again." iv 'twas then the heart of love that i had wounded sore, in loving accents spake to me, and bade me grieve no more; and spake the word of grace that made my spirit whole; and now the pain and grief are gone, for gladness fills my soul. {ên to phôs to alêthinon} i when the morn comes o'er the hills bringing life, and light, and gladness, scattering our night-born ills, banishing our fear and sadness; christ of god, thou light of light, banish then our inward night. ii ah! our spirits pine and die in the chill of night that binds us; and we cannot see thee nigh for the dark that inly blinds us; morning star, in beauty shine, let us see thy light benign. iii on our minds thy peace bestow, let no cruel blast distress us, ever onward as we go, may no crushing load oppress us; light of light, when night is near, give thy peace, and banish fear. iv when the noontide all ablaze fills the heaven with light supernal, and we dwell with glad amaze in the bliss of the eternal; light that cheered my life below, still thy joy and peace bestow. {hagios athanatos, to paraklêton pneuma} i the promise which the saviour made when his disciples sorrowed most, that he would send to comfort them the life inspiring holy ghost, found its fulfilment when they met upon the hallowed pentecost. ii and ever through the linked years, from then till now the gift is sure; and they who sorrow for their sin, or trial's bitter pangs endure, and they who mourn, and they who weep, find in the gift a peace secure. iii vainly we mourn our absent lord, if thou, the comforter be near; for it is thine to take of his, and make us feel that he is here; we still may joy when others grieve, and hope when threatening clouds appear. iv come, holy ghost, with us reside, let thy sweet presence calm our soul; and make us strong to fight and win, and all our wayward wills control; to give us comfort when we weep, and bind our hearts, and make them whole. {didou paramythian tois doulois sou} i when sorrow's clouds are circling near, and minds are charged with doubt and fear; when sun nor moon nor stars of light, break on the darkness of the night; then, gift of christ desired most, come to our help, o holy ghost. ii when disappointment's pangs are sore, and wounded hearts that suffering bore, break 'neath the burden by the way, and in their weakness, helpless pray; then, gift of christ desired most, come to our help, o holy ghost. iii when like a spectre gaunt and grey bereavement steals the heart away, and all is empty, poor, and bare, for those we loved were everywhere; then, gift of christ desired most, come to our help, o holy ghost. iv when for our sins we mourn and sigh, and 'neath the cross prostrated lie; when for the conscience crushed by guilt, we claim his grace whose blood was spilt; then, gift of christ desired most, come to our help, o holy ghost. v when braced, the soul resolving springs, and reaches forth to better things; and high above the world would rise, to eager snatch the offered prize; then, gift of christ desired most, come to our help, o holy ghost. {hoti etechthê epi gês ho amnos tou theou, parechôn tô kosmô tên apolytrôsin} i he came to earth who came from god, and left in heaven his blest abode, and all the joy he had; to share our lot, and all its woe, and wander homeless here below, all sorrowing and sad. ii he came to earth who came from god, and ah! our rugged paths he trod, and faint, and tired, and lone, he bore the burden of our guilt, and on a cross his blood was spilt for sinners to atone. iii he went to god who came to earth; now sing the new creation's birth, and mankind born again; for death is dead, and he who lives, eternal life to mortals gives, the faithful, true, amen. {ho de bios, skia kai enypnion} i the joy of earth is fleeting, the bliss of heaven remains; more sweet than earthly music the angel's glad refrains; and hearts of saints uprising find vent in sweetest song, and lips of saints and angels the praise of heaven prolong. ii o christ, who art for ever with those whom thou dost love, thou art the theme inspiring the choirs who dwell above; the love that brought thee earthward, the love that stooped and died, the pardon won for sinners, when thou wast crucified. iii be thee our theme who linger where thou didst sorrowing dwell; and teach our hearts to love thee, our lips to praise thee well; and when we come adoring to where thou ever art, one song shall rise exulting, from one united heart. {en tô phôti christe tou prosôpou sou} i safe in the comfort of thy grace, give me, o lord, a resting place, from every tumult free; from strife of sin, and sense of guilt, for lo, my confidence is built, most gracious lord, on thee. ii there is no other comfort nigh, and sad of heart i mourning sigh-- lord, thou alone canst aid; wilt thou my prayer in anger spurn, and from thy trembling servant turn, whose soul is sore dismayed? iii nay, if i doubting, still believe, thou wilt my faulty prayer receive, and grant the boon i crave; for 'tis thy promise i would claim, and in the all-availing name of him who came to save. iv so shall thy peace my heart control, and fill with calm my troubled soul, my every tumult still; and thus i learn to trust thee more, for billows surge, and tempests roar obedient at thy will. v and in the shining of thy face, a man shall be an hiding place, and covert from the wind; and while the tempest breaks around, i peaceful rest on tranquil ground, where thou, o lord, art kind. appendix the trisagion, or cherubic hymn, has been in use in the worship of the eastern church from the very earliest. no form of adoration is of such frequent occurrence in all the offices of the church. originally the trisagion (thrice holy), was in the exact form found in isaiah iv. , but as the years passed, additions were made to it to express doctrine both orthodox and heterodox. the accompanying form is the one found in the service books, and is in common use at the present time. the trisagion holy god, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy upon us. holy god, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy upon us. holy god, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy upon us. glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy ghost; both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. amen. all holy trinity, have mercy upon us. o lord, be gracious unto our sins; o master, forgive our transgressions; o holy, look down and heal our infirmities, for thy name's sake. lord, have mercy. lord, have mercy. lord, have mercy. glory be to the father, and to the son, and to the holy ghost; both now and ever, and to the ages of ages. amen. our father which art in heaven: hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done, as in heaven, so on the earth: give us this day our bread for support; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one; priest. for of thee is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. choir. amen. the creed of nicea, which is the confession of faith of the eastern church, was largely formulated at the council of nicea, a.d. it was based upon the ancient creed of caesarea, one phrase being added to combat the arian heresy, viz., _consubstantial_ ({homoousion}) _with the father_; and it ended with, _and in the holy ghost_. the concluding clauses were added at the council of constantinople ( a.d.). the insertion by the council of toledo ( a.d.), of _filioque_ (_and from the son_) after _from the father_, and its subsequent adoption in the west, was made the cause of the separation of eastern and western christianity, which has continued from the eleventh century till now. the creed of nicea _the confession of faith of the eastern church_ we believe in one god, the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. and in one lord jesus christ, the son of god, the only begotten, who was begotten of the father before all the ages. light of light, very god of very god, begotten, not made, consubstantial ({hymoousion}) with the father, by whom all things were made. who for men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the holy ghost, and the virgin mary, and was made man ({enanthrôpêsanta}). and was also crucified for us under pontius pilate, and suffered, and was buried. and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. and ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the father. and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and of whose kingdom there shall be no end. and in the holy ghost, the lord, the life-giver, who proceedeth from the father, who with the father and the son is together worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. we look for the resurrection of the dead. and the life in the ages to come. index of first lines all hail, life-bearing cross, all human things decay, at early dawn with pious thought, before thy cross we take our place, blessed art thou, o christ our god, come let us sing with joyful mirth, come with the load of sorrow thou art bearing, come, mortals, come, behold! even as thou saidst, o christ, formed in thine image bright, hail! full of grace, virgin theotokos, have pity, lord, for thou art great, he came to earth who came from god, holy god, holy mighty, holy immortal, hence, slumber, from mine eyes, i brought my darkest sin to mind, i have no tears to shed, lo, he gave himself to die, may thy bright spirit, morn of beauty, joyous morn, now christ the god to earth hath come, my sin was very great, o christ the god who art our life, o christ to thy disciples then, o christ who art the peerless light, o destitute of all defence, o ever ready to forgive, o god of light and glory, o light of light, when other lights are fading, o mystery hidden from the world, o son of god, on thee we call, safe in the comfort of thy grace, the christ of god to sorrowing hearts, the early dawn awakes, the joy of earth is fleeting, the lord ascended into heaven, the lord came down from heaven, the radiance of the brightness, the promise which the saviour made, thou, lord, hast power to heal, thy love hath sweetened me, thy mighty word commanding, tossed on the sea of life, we hymn thy triumph on the cross, when sorrow's clouds are circling near, when the morn comes o'er the hills, why do we fade? within thy courts my praise shall rise, appendix the trisagion, the creed of nicea, by the same author _recently published. crown vo. price s. d. net._ hymns of the holy eastern church. translated from the service books. with introductory chapters on the history, doctrine, and worship of the church. press notices. "mr. brownlie has earned for himself the title of hymnologist, and his work and research are at this day of great sterling value to all engaged in the study or collection of hymns."--_bookman._ "we have noticed favourably other works from his pen, and a volume before us entitled _hymns of the holy eastern church_ is no less deserving of commendation. a long introduction describes sympathetically, and even enthusiastically, the doctrine of the eastern church and its worship, with which mr. brownlie is evidently closely acquainted."--_church times._ "mr. brownlie is already favourably known as a translator of hymns from the greek office-books.... the introduction is well written, and should be of service in dispelling prejudice and ignorance on the subject of the church of the east."--_guardian._ "mr. brownlie has performed a confessedly difficult task.... the best part of the book is unquestionably what the author modestly calls an introduction, in which he gives, in the briefest fashion, an entirely admirable account of the history, sacraments, and worship of the eastern church."--_saint andrew._ "the author has succeeded in retaining the simplicity of the originals while presenting a polished version accommodated to the exigencies of rhyme and rhythm.... his plea for a better understanding of east by west is well informed, enthusiastic, and persuasive. the introduction is the best compendium we know in small compass of greek rite and doctrine."--_glasgow herald._ "mr. brownlie is of good repute as a hymnologist, partly through his own hymns and translations, and partly through his connection with the church hymnary, and the companion volume which tells the story of its contents.... in a valuable introduction of nearly seventy pages, he tells us of the history, doctrine, and worship of the church from whose service books the hymns have been translated, and his essay is a welcome supplement to that which preludes neale's small collection. mr. brownlie is a true catholic, and, in helping to catholicise our hymn books, he is furthering that unity of spirit which must precede ecclesiastical reunion."--_sheffield daily telegraph._ alexander gardner, paisley. indian methodist hymn-book staylim=paypa ta methodist=ts'hayilth. hymns used on the fraser river indian mission, of the methodist church, b. c. conference. to which are appended hymns in chinook, and the lord's prayer and ten commandments. translated by rev's. thos. crosby, chas. m tate, and wm. h barraclough, b.a., missionaries. compiled and printed by rev. w.h. barraclough, chilliwack, b.c. . notes the following hymns are in the chill-way-uk dialect of the language of the alkomaylum nation of indians, who live along the fraser river, from yale to the coast, and on vancouver island, at cowichan and nanaimo. the alkomaylum, (or ankomeenum, sometimes called stawlo or river language,) as spoken by the cowichans, is sweet and rythmical. the chillwayuk dialect is harsher and more guttural. the nanaimos, the yales, the sumas, the kwantuls, etc. of b.c., and the nooksaks of wash., u.s.a., each speak a slightly different dialect of the same language. ==> pronunciation. _`_ when before k, sound the letter by pressing the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and expelling the letter with a clicking sound. when before t, ts, or tz, press the tip of the tongue against the hard palate, and expel the sound as before. _kh_, is sounded by lightly pressing the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and emitting the sound in a slurring manner. _tl_, and _lth_, are sounded by pressing the tip of the tongue against the hard palate and emit as in kh. _a_, is pronounced ah; while all others are regular as in english. t.c., c.m.t., and w.h.b., at the end of each hymn, are the initials of the translators. ts'hayilth staylim arise my soul arise. canadian hymnal no. . alkomaylum whee talswal skwi-la-wal whee, wheesit ta kul see-see; ta sat-see-ul jesus aylakut telth-le-melth: tokla tl'khaylikh ska ta see-am, s'khayl talswal skwikh lay ta tchalikhs. t.c. owe-awts tokla jesus my-ate talswal skwi-la-wal, al stlay tokla see-am, e ta swas sat-see-ul; tokla jesus swas sat-see-ul ay-la-kut tomuk sawlth skwi-lawal. c.m.t. english arise, my soul arise, shake off thy guilty fears; the bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears; before the throne my surety stands; my name is written on his hands. we'll work till jesus comes. gospel hymns - complete no. . alkomaylum lay ta ay-e tumokh al stlay-kwus ka-wom, temtam kwuls lam al tus; temtam kwus tlakit talswal see-ize e ka-wom lay ta ay-e. ay-e-kwus see-ize ka tatsel ta jesus, ||:see-ize-tchit ka tatsel ta jesus,:|| lam ka-put alokh. lay-wilth kukh ta ay-e mestayokh lay, hayluk taswas skwilawal. kla al stlay-kwus lam kwatsit toklalim lay ta ay-e tumokh. owita ay-e e-tila tumokh, owe-awts telth-le-melth kham; owa-tcha staas lay ta ay-e tumokh, laysit ta sawlth see-am. c.m.t. english o land of rest, for thee i sigh, when will the moment come, when i shall lay my armor by, and dwell in peace at home. ||: we'll work till jesus comes, :|| and we'll be gathered home. i am so glad that our father. g.h. - no. . alkomaylum hayluk tal skwilawal tal mal lay ta tchee-tchilth, shkha-khayl taswas skwell tokla may awkwus-thawmikh, kukh ta ay-e stem shkha-khayl lay taswas skwell kla ewal ay-e tokla jesus stlay-il-thawmikh. ||:hayluk tal skwilawal ta jesus stlayil-thawmikh:|| jesus stlay-il-thawmikh ta-alsa. c.m.t. english i am so glad that our father in heaven tells of his love in the book he has given, wonderful things in the bible i see, this is the dearest, that jesus loves me. ||: i am so glad that jesus loves me, :|| jesus loves even me. though i forget him and wander away, still he doth love me wherever i stray; back to his dear loving arms would i flee, when i remember that jesus loves me. jesus loves me, and i know i love him, love brought him down my poor soul to redeem. yes! it was love made him die on the tree, oh! i am certain that jesus loves me. come thou fount. can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum maytla jesus ska telth-le-melth, ewis-tawlokh ta sawlth staylim; sta-a kwo stawlo taswas ay-e skwilawal, owe-awts ma-tatsel whimay ta-alsa. al stlay ta jesus, hallelujah, al stlay ta jesus osthayte tal skwell; al stlay ta jesus, a-yelokh-sthawmikh, tokla jesus stlays ta-alsa. talowa jesus christ tal stlay, ooli talowa ay-e see-am; tsukh-wemit-tchuh tomuk salawa, a-yelokh-tchuh towuk `kaw-`kie. c.m.t. english come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace, streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. i love jesus, hallelujah, &c. teach me some celestial measure, sung by ransomed hosts above; oh, the vast, the boundless treasure, of my lord's unchanging love. sweet by-and-bye. can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum lay kwa tchee-tchilth ta ay-e tumokh, awkwus-tawlokwus ta tcheetchilth-seeam, theeilth-sitawlokwus kwa ay-e shwaw-met, almit-stawlokwus tokla sawlth mal. ||: tchalal may hayluk tasawlth skwilawal, olamit `kup lay ta tchee-tchilth tumokh.:|| lay kwa tchee-tchilth ta ay-e staylim, tchalal kwus staylim skaka ta ay-e mes-tayokh, lamtcha hi owe-awts may kulth skwilawal, skwi kwuls kham lam al-tus ay-e lalam. c.m.t. english there's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, for the father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there. ||: in the sweet by-and-bye, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. :|| we shall meet, we shall sing, we shall reign in the land where the saved never die; we shall rest free from sorrow and pain, safe at home in the sweet by-and-bye. thy will be done. g.h. - no. . alkomaylum tchee-tchilth-see-am talswal lay mal, tlay talswal ke-a'tl e-tila tumokh, ay-e-kwus may e-wis-thawmikh kwulls skwell "taswas skwi-la-wal." yawswa tawtayls-thawmikh ta lee-awm, yawswa mays kulth tal skwilawal, ay-e-kwus owe-awts thuts-thawma see-am; "taswas skwilawal." c.m.t. english my god and father, while i stray far from my home, on life's rough way, oh, teach me from my heart to say, "thy will be done." what tho' in lonely grief i sigh for friends beloved, no longer nigh, submissive still would i reply, "thy will be done." renew my will from day to day, blend it with thine, and take away all that now makes it hard to say, "thy will be done." title clear. alkomaylum temtam may ay-e tal skwi-la-wal, aye-aw-wilth ta kul see-see; tchalal kwus kwatsit ay-e shwaw-met, tchalal kwus hi kwus kham. aye-kwus kween-tal ta lee-awm, tchalal-e ka wom lay ta tchee-tchilth tumokh. owe-awth may kulth tal skwi-la-wal, tomuk stem ay-e tal shwa-lay; al stlay kwus makh tokla lee-awm, ta tchee-thilth-see-am tal stlay. tchalal kwuls tsats-aye lay ta tchee-tchilth, tchalal kwuls ka-wom lay; tchalal lay hi tokla lee-awm kal-kul-aylt tal skwi-la-wal. c. m. t. english when i can read my title clear to mansions in the skies, i'll bid farewell to every fear, and wipe my weeping eyes. ||: we will stand the storm, we will anchor by-and-bye. :|| nothing but the blood of jesus. g. h. - no. . alkomaylum stem kwa ts'kwot tal skwi-la-wal, ooli ta sat-see-ul ta jesus; stem kwa may sthay-lawmikh talsa, ooli ta sat-see-ul ta jesus. o ay-e taswas sat-see nl ts'kwot talswal skwi-la-wal, owita kwa lat`z al stlay, ooli ta sat-see-ul ta jesus. owita stem aylaka-sthawmikh, owa tlaws ta ay-e talswal see-ize. owita stem may hayluk-sthawmikh, owita shwa-lays tal skwi-lawal. c.m.t. english what can wash away my stain, nothing but the blood of jesus; what can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of jesus. o precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow; no other fount i know, nothing but the blood of jesus. nothing can for sin atone, naught of good that i have done. holy spirit, faithful guide. can. hym'l. no. . alkomaylum holy spirit ewis-thawmikh, owe-awth stitaysh ta ay-e mestay-okh, kwilat-sthawmikh talowa see-am, kwus e-mikh e-tila tumokh; owe-awth hayluk tlawat tl'jeuse, tchit-tcha-lam ta ay-e a skwell, tchalkam-sthawmikh talowa tasos lam-asthawm ta ay-e lalam. osthayte talowa sawlth see-aya, owe-awth stitaysh kwus sthukh-wemit-stawlokh; hi-stukh-tchukh ta sawlth see-see, tawit-tchukh ta sawth skwi-la-wal; omays-kawlthsit tokla lee-awm, omays-kaykalam taswa skwilawal; tchalkam-sthawmikn talowa tasos lam-asthawm ta ay-e lalam. c.m.t. english holy spirit, faithful guide, ever near the christian's side, gently lead us by the hand, pilgrims in a desert land; weary souls fore'er rejoice, while they hear that sweetest voice, whispering softly, 'wanderer, come! follow me, i'll guide thee home.' stand up for jesus. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum tl'khay-likh whulam ta jesus, tl-welop soldiers ta lak-wail; ay-e-kwos os-thayte lam kweental whulam taswas shu-mal; tchalal kwos lam tl'whuluk, o tchal-tokh ta see-am; tchalal stakhail ta jesus, ka hi tokla lee-awm. c.m.t. tl'khay-likh whulam ta jesus, tl'khay-likh lay ta tokla; owita tasawlths kwawm-kwum, ooli tokla kwawm-kwum. ay-e-kwus owe-awts ts'khulth-kham whulam ta sawlth see-am; owita kwus stem sawlth see-see, owe-awts tokla my-ate-tawlokh. w.h.b. english stand up! stand up for jesus! ye soldiers of the cross! lift high his royal banner; it must not suffer loss: from victory unto victory his army will he lead, till every foe is vanquished, and christ is lord indeed. there is a fountain. g. h. - no. . alkomaylum tokla jesus swas sat-see-ul aylth ma-kwutl lay ta lak-wail; ka yawswa wat lay shaw-kwa-kwom may ay-e taswas skwi-la-wal. ta-laykwus kwuts-alokh ta ay-e stawlo sat-see-ul tokla jesus; owe-awts kwus staylim tzayte tokla, ah-tcha ow staa whulam kwus `kie. c.m.t. english there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from immanuel's veins; and sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. the dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day; and there may i, though vile as he wash all my sins away. o dying lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power, till all the ransomed church of god be saved to sin no more. jesus shall reign. alkomaylum jesus tchalal ooli see-am, lay tomuk shwa-lays lam see-akwom; tokla see-am lay tomuk shwalays tchalal may lalam ta see-am. tchalal tomuk mestay-okh ts'kulth-kham, e staylim whimay tokla see-am, tomuk mestayokh tzayte tokla e kwe-khit lay taswa lalam. t.c. english jesus shall reign where'er the sun doth his successive journeys run; his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till suns shall rise and set no more. for him shall endless prayer be made, and praises throng to crown his head; his name like sweet perfume shall rise with every morning sacrifice. let every creature rise, and bring its grateful honors to our king; angels descend with songs again, and earth prolong the joyful strain. come holy spirit, heavenly dove. alkomaylum may ska telth-le-melth holy spirit; osthayte telth-le-melth skhietl; ay-e may whee tasawlth skwi-la-wal, mistokh kwawm-kwum kwaw-kwus. yawswa talowa owa tatsel whee tasawlth skwi-la-wal; tasawlth staylim owa lam sitsaye, e skwi ta sawlth stha-kulth-kham. c.m.t. english come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, with all thy quickening powers; kindle a flame of sacred love in these cold hearts of ours. in vain we tune our formal songs, in vain we strive to rise; hosannas languish on our tongues, and our devotion dies. come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, with all thy quickening powers; come, shed abroad the savior's love, and that shall kindle ours. jesus lover of my soul. alkomaylum talowa jesus stlay-il-sthawmikh, taswa salis ay-e kwus lam; e-tila tumokh kukh lee-awm kalkulaylt tal skwi-la-wal. ay-e talowa kwallikh ta-alsa ta lee-awm owe awts tatayles; ewis talswal skwi-la-wal, lay ta tchee-tchilth a-yelokh-sthis. owita wat ay-e kwawkwit-sthawmikh, ooli talowa tchee-tchilth-see-am, ooli tchukh ay-e lasthawmikh ta-alsa, kwawmkwum stukh hi tal skwi-la-wal. talowa al shwilastukh tal skwilawal, ta lay talowa talswal kwawmkwum, ay-e-kwus tlawheets tal skwilawal, lay kwa stlupalawit taswa tl'kaylikh. c.m.t. english jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high: hide me, oh, my saviour, hide, till the storm of life be past; safe into the haven guide, oh, receive my soul at last. there is a land of pure delight. can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum tchee-tchilth tumokh owe-awts hayluk ta shwalays ta ay-e mestayokh, owe-awts see-a-kwom staa to lay, owita `kaw-`kie lay. owe-awts kweelis lay ta tchee-tchilth, ta spa-`kwom owe-awts ay-e; tla-wat owe-awts tsits-ay-e o ay-e, tchalal hayluk lay titsa. c.m.t. english there is a land of pure delight where saints immortal reign; infinite day excludes the night, and pleasures banish pain. there everlasting spring abides, and never withering flowers; death, like a narrow sea, divides that heavenly land from ours. could we but climb where moses stood, and view the landscape o'er, not jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, should fright us from the shore. jesus, the name high over all. can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum jesus, ta skwikh tchee-tchilth tumokh ta tatlee-tlup tomuk shwalays, lee-zas ta mes-tay-okh mow-`tzitl, ta lee-awm see-see lam tlow. jesus ta skwikh osthayte tsits-ay-e whulam ta kul skwi-la-wal, tokla towtamuk kul see-see awkwit tokla lee-awm. t.c. english jesus! the name high over all, in hell, or earth, or sky; angels and men before it fall, and devils fear and fly. jesus! the name to sinners dear, the name to sinners given; it scatters all their guilty fear, it turns their hell to heaven. jesus the prisoner's fetters breaks, and bruises satan's head; power into strengthless souls it speaks, and life into the dead. come every soul by sin oppressed. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum mukwat tasos taswa skwi-la-wal maytcha tasut ta tchee-tchilth-see-am, ka hayluk-sthawm, ka kawom-sthawm, stlay-il-sthawm tokla see-am. may ta jesus, may ta jesus, owe-awts tokla asthawm; ||: a-yelokh-sthawm-tcha, :|| a-yelokh-sthawm tokla. ta sat-see-ul tokla jesus a-yelokh ta sawlth skwi-la-wal; ayek's muktchit lam ta ts'khwum stawlo, e ts'kwot ta sawlth skwi-la-wal. c.m.t. english come, every soul by sin oppressed, there's mercy with the lord, and he will surely give you rest by trusting in his word. only trust him, only trust him, only trust him now; he will save you, he will save you, he will save you now. for jesus shed his precious blood rich blessings to bestow; plunge then into the crimson flood that washes white as snow. tell it to jesus. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum aytchuh tl'jeuse whulam ta whuta skwilawal? haysest ta jesus, haysest ta jesus; aytchuh kham whulam ta ay-elth skwilawal? haysest ta jesus ooli. ||: haysest ta jesus :|| osthayte a see-aya tokla, owita sta-a see-ilth a see-aya, haysest ta jesus ooli. ay makwu`tl ta skas lay ta sa-at-ses? aytchuh kwilalt ta skwaw-kwult kul see-ize? c.m.t. english are you weary, are you heavy hearted? tell it to jesus, tell it to jesus; are you grieving over joys departed? tell it to jesus alone. tell it to jesus, tell it to jesus, he is a friend well known; you have no other such a friend or brother, tell it to jesus alone. do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden? have you sins that to man's eyes are hidden? are you troubled at the thought of dying? for christ's coming kingdom are you sighing? shall we gather at the river. can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum tchalal telth-le-melth `kup lay ta stawlos ta tchee-tchilth-see-am, whaw-ay-e-im ta kas ta tchee-tchilth stawla, ta shwalays ta ay-e lee-zas. tchalal telthlemelth `kup lay ta stawlo, ta ay-e, osthayte ay-e stawlo; skaka ta ay-e mestayokh lay ta stawlo, lay ta tchee-tchilth ay-e tumokh. tchalal telthlemelth tus ta ay-e stawlo, tchalal lay hi ta sawlth see-ize; tchalal ta sawlth skwi-la-wal hayluk lay ta ay-e tumokh. c.m.t. english shall we gather at the river, where bright angel-feet have trod; with its crystal tide forever flowing by the throne of god. yes, we'll gather at the river, the beautiful, the beautiful river! gather with the saints at the river, that flows by the throne of god. soon we'll reach the silver river, soon our pilgrimage will cease; soon our happy hearts will quiver with the melody of peace. here we suffer grief and pain. alkomaylum e-tila tumokh kukh ta s`kaw-`kie, `kup telthlemelth whum lam hi, owa-lays staa lay kwa tchee-tchilth. osthayte may hayluk, hayluk, hayluk, hayluk; osthayte may hayluk, tchalal telthlemelth tus ka-wom. may see-ize tchee-tchilth-see-am, tchalalie `kie lam ay-e tumokh, so staylim ska ta ay-e. t.c. tchalal telthlemelth hayluk lay skaka ta jesus sawlth see-am, lay ta tchee-tchilth tumokh. c.m.t. english there, we shall be happy, happy, happy, happy; there, we shall be happy, when we shall meet to part no more. nearer my god to thee. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum tchee-tchilth-see-am lay mal, tchee-tchilth-see-am; ay-e-kwus shtitayse talowa, tchee-tchilth-see-am; tchalal kwus owe-awts stay-lim, ||: shtitayse talowa see-am, :|| tchee-tchilth-see-am. tchee-tchilth-see-am lay mal, tchee-tchilth-see-am; ta-wit tal skwi-la-wal, tchee-tchilth-see-am; a-yelokh tal skwi-la-wal, tchee-tchilth-see-am lay mal; shtitayse talowa see-am, tchee-tchilth-see-am. c.m.t. english nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee; e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me; still all my song shall be, nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee. come, come to jesus. g.h. - no. . alkomaylum may, may ta jesus! stlay-il-sthawm, tokla see-am, hayluk stukh taswa skwi-la-wal may, may ta jesus! may, may ta jesus! almitsthawm tokla see-am, awkwisthawm ta ay-e skwilawal, may, may ta jesus. may, may ta jesus! layilth `kie lay ta lakwail aylakut taswa skwilawal, may, may ta jesus. c.m.t. english come, come to jesus! he waits to welcome thee, o wand'rer, eagerly come, come to jesus! come, come to jesus! he waits to ransom thee, o slave! so willingly; come, come to jesus! jesus, my all, to heaven is gone. alkomaylum jesus kree `kie, lam ay-e tumokh, tokla ta-alsa skwilawal stlay; stlay ta-alsa kwatsit, maytla lam ta tsatsul ke-a'tl kwatsit tokla. maytla tl'welop lam, talsa stlay lam ta ay-e lalam, osthayte kwawmkwum owita `kie osthayte kwawmkwum, ta ay-e lalam lay hi `kaw-`kie. t.c. kla ke-a'tl ta otat ay-e mestayokh, lamtcha e-mikh aytchuh ta tl'welop, swas ke-a'tl, tokla tchee-tchilth-see-am, lamtchil talsa osthayte ay-e ke-a'tl. c.m.t. english jesus, my all, to heaven is gone, he whom i fix my hopes upon; his track i see, and i'll pursue, the narrow way, till him i view. i'm going home, i'm going home, i'm going home to die no more; to die no more, to die no more, i'm going home to die no more. the way that holy prophets went, the road that leads from banishment, the king's highway of holiness, i'll go, for all his paths are peace. psalm . can. hym'l, no. . alkomaylum muk mes-tay-okh e-tila tum-okh, stay-lim whulam ta tchee-tchilth-see-am; ay-e-kwus may `tzayte tokla see-am, muk mes-tay-okh khweekit tokla. ay-e-kwus tulokh ta tchee-tchilth-see-am, ooli see-am lay tomuk shwalays; telthlemelth swas see-ize tokla, owe-awts tokla ay-e khee-aw-tlimit-tawlokh. ay-e-kwus kut-whaylum taswas lalam kwul-awtul ay-e skwi-la-wal, ay-e-kwus maytchit tokla see-am owe-awts staa tomuk ay-e mestayokh. c.m.t. english all people that on earth do dwell, sing to the lord with cheerful voice; him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell, come ye before him, and rejoice. know that the lord is god indeed, without our aid he did us make; we are his flock, he doth us feed, and for his sheep he doth us take. how firm a foundation. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum o tchee-tchilth-see-am, talowa lay mal, lo hayluk tal skwilawal whulam talowa; kulilth tal skwilawal talowa see-am, ka aytchuh-tsukh-whee-mit-sthawmikh talsa salawa. o tchee-tchilth-see-am, talowa lay mal, lo hayluk tal skwilawal whulam talowa; ay-e-ilth tatsel ta jesus, whimay tila tumokh, lam kulstokh tal skwilawal whulam ta ay-e se-ize. c.m.t. english how firm a foundation, ye saints of the lord, is laid for your faith in his excellent word! what more can he say, than to you he hath said, to you, who for refuge to jesus have fled? "fear not, i am with thee; oh, be not dismayed! for i am thy god, i will still give thee aid; i'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand. "when through the deep waters i call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for i will be with thee thy trials to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress." there is a happy land. alkomaylum ay-e tumokh lay ta tchee-tchilth, tchawk, osthayte tchawk; lee-ilth shwalays ta ay-e mestayokh, owe-awts hayluk; o! ay-e tswas staylim, jesus a-yelokh-stawlokh, king, 'stheea-kul kwos `tzayte, tokla, owe-awts, owe-awts. awsthawm ta ay-e see-am, maytla, maytla; owa-tchuh kukh ta skwi-la-wal, maytla, maytla; o! hayluk skwi-la-wal, a-yelokh whulam tokla lee-awm, lay, ska talowa see-am, owe-awts hayluk. c.m.t. english there is a happy land, far, far away; where the bright angels stand, bright, bright as day. there, we will always sing, glory to our savior, king, loud let his praises ring, praise, praise for aye. 'tis the promise of god. g.h. - no. . alkomaylum may-tcha a-yelokh-sthawmikh tokla tchee-tchilth-see-am. o `kal al ta jesus swas mellas tokla. ||: hytch kwa tchee-tchilth-see-am, ta-alsa `kal ta jesus; may-tcha a-yelokh-sthawmikh taswas sat-see-ul tokla- :|| c.m.t. english 'tis the promise of god full salvation to give unto him who on jesus, his son will believe. ||: hallelujah, 'tis done! i believe on the son; i am saved by the blood of the crucified one. :|| tho' the pathway be lonely, and dangerous too, surely jesus is able to carry me through. many loved ones have i in yon heavenly throng, they are safe now in glory and this is their song. little children i see standing close by their king, and he smiles as their song of salvation they sing. there's a part in that chorus for you and for me and the theme of our praises forever shall be. angels hovering around. songs of salvation no. . alkomaylum almit-stawlokwus ta ay-e lee-zas, lamtcha kwe stukh ta ay-e skwulkwul, whulam ta ay-e tumokh. kukh mestayokh kwod stlay ta ay-e. c.m.t. english there are angels hovering round, to carry the tidings home, to the new jerusalem; poor sinners are coming home. come to jesus. g. h. - no. . alkomaylum maytla jesus, tila whum. tokla a-yelokh tila whum. tokla jesus stlay-il-sthawmikh. al stlay ta jesus ta-lukize. w.h.b. english come to jesus, just now. he will save you, etc. only trust him, etc. i love jesus, etc. oh i am so happy in jesus. g. h. - no. . alkomaylum o hayluk tal skwilawal ta jesus, swas satsee-ul tokla a-yelokh-sthawm; may hayluk tal skwilawal kwus staylim, osthayte tokla jesus stlay-il-sthawm. o hayluk tal skwilawal ta jesus, lay hi stukh ta kul skwilawal; o hayluk tal skwilawal ta jesus, osthayte tokla jesus stlay-il-sthawm. c.m.t. english oh, i am so happy in jesus, his blood has redeemed me from sin, i weep and i sing in my gladness, to know he is dwelling within. oh, i am so happy in jesus, from sin and from sorrow so free; so happy that he is my saviour, so happy that jesus loves me. oh, i am so happy in jesus, if earth in his love is so blest, what joy in his glorified presence, to sit at his feet as his guest. there'll be no parting. alkomaylum hayluk tal skwilawal ta ay-e tumokh, ta shwa-lays ta ay-e lee-zas; owita kwa see-ize kulth skwilawal, o kukh ta see-aya tchit lay. ||: owita kulth lam pa-tchit, :|| lay. c.m.t. english how happy every child of grace who knows his sins forgiven; this earth, he cries, is not my place, i seek my place in heaven. ||: there'll be no parting, :|| there. follow jesus. alkomaylum lamtchiltcha ska jesus, tal savior, lamtchiltcha, owe-awts al-stlay-kwus-lam ska tokla; ayekwus lamtchil lay ta aye ke-a'tl lay tomuk swile tchallal-tcha tl'whuluk whulam ta aye tumokh tchalkum, tchalkum, lamtchiltcha ta jesus, allitza muk eltchal, lamtchiltcha tokla; tchalkum, tchalkum, lamtchiltcha ta jesus, muk eltchal kwus ewis lamtchiltcha tokla. english follow, follow, i will follow jesus, anywhere, everywhere, i will follow on; follow, follow, i will follow jesus, anywhere he leads me, i will follow on. i will tell it to jesus my lord. can. hym'l no. . alkomaylum o mays tsithet tokla lee-awm, lamtchil haysest ta jesus, tal see-am; tokla lee-awm owe-awts tawtaylth, lamtchil haysest ta jesus, tal see-am. ta etila tumokh owe-awts kulth skwilawal, whulam ta whutas ah skwilawal, ka o mays tawtaylth-sthawm tokla lee-awm lamtchil haysest ta jesus, tal see-am. lamtchil haysest ta jesus, ta jesus, tal see-am, ||: lamtchil haysest ta jesus, :|| tal see-am. d.m. english when times of temptation bring sadness and gloom i will tell it to jesus my lord; the last of earth's treasures borne out to the tomb, i will tell it to jesus, my lord. this earth hath no sorrow for to-day or to-morrow, but jesus hath known it and felt long ago, and when it comes o'er me, and i'm tempted so sorely, i will tell it to jesus, my lord. i will tell it to jesus, to jesus, my lord, ||: i will tell, etc. :|| o happy day. can. hym'l. no. . alkomaylum o hayluk swile, aytchil amay ta tchee-tchilth see-am, talswal lay mal; ay-e-kwus may tzayte tokla see-am a-yelokh talswal tasos skwi-la-wal. hayluk swile, kwaw-sis amay ts'kwotis talswal skwi-la-wal; lay ewis-thawmikh kwuls stha-kulth-kham hayluk tal skwi-la-wal tomuk-swile. w.h.b. english oh, happy day that fixed my choice on thee, my savior and my god! well may this glowing heart rejoice, and tell its raptures all abroad. happy day, happy day, when jesus washed my sins away. he taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day. happy day, happy day, when jesus washed my sins away. 'tis done, the great transaction's done, i am my lord's, and he is mine; he drew me, and i followed on, charmed to confess the voice divine. now the chains of sin are broken. songs of salvation no. . alkomaylum laywilth hi ta kulilth see-ize, laytchilwilth a-yelokh osthayte; e-wilth whu-e ta ay-e skwul-kwul whimay talswal skwilawal. hallelujah! hallelujah! jesus tokla may `kie; hallelujah! hallelujah! jesus stlay-il-sthawmikh talsa. lamtchil yithum ta ay-e skwul-kwul, tilay taswas ay-e skwell; awkwus-thawmikh ta ay-e skwilawal, hytch kwa tchee-tchilth-see-am. w.h.b. english now the chains of sin are broken, i am free, i'm free! christ the word of power has spoken unto me, to me. hallelujah! hallelujah! jesus died for me; hallelujah! hallelujah! i am free, i'm free. i will tell the wondrous story of his grace and love; he hath filled my soul with glory, praise the lord above. precious savior thou dost save me alkomaylum ay-e tal skwilawal whulam ta jesus; ay-e tal skwilawal tomuk-swile; jesus tokla a-yelokh-sthawmikh; la-stlaykwus my-ate tomuk-wat. tal see-am, tal ay-e see-aya, talsa mellas swas jesus; tokla aylakut tal skwilawal, hytch kwa tchee-tchilth see-am. al stlaykwus tzayte talswal see-aya, tokla jesus swas skwikhs; kwus-litelth whul-ay ta kul see-ize, tokla `kie whimay telth-le-melth. w.h.b. english precious savior, thou dost save me-- thine, and only thine, i am-- oh, the cleansing blood has reached me; glory, glory to the lamb! glory, glory, jesus saves me! glory, glory, to the lamb! oh, the cleansing blood has reached me, glory, glory, to the lamb! yes, i will stand up for jesus, he has sweetly saved my soul; cleansed my soul from sin's corruption, sanctified and made me whole. doxology. can. hym'l. no. . alkomaylum hytch tchee-tchilth see-am awkwust 'muk stem, hytch tokla e-tila 'muk mes-tay-okh, staylim ta tl-welop lay ta tchee-tchilth, hytch ta mals, ta mellas, e ta holy spirit. c.m.t. english praise god, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise father, son, and holy ghost. "kwus-litelth whul-ay ta kul see-ize, tokla jesus `kie whimay telth-le-melth." "kahta-laylie nes-ika ma-mook masat-chie, jesus yahka chako mem-a-loos kopa ne-sika." "while we were yet sinners, christ died for us," romans, , . chinook hymns. arise my soul arise. get up nika tumtum, mash mika ma-sat-chie, jesus yahka pilpil ma-kook nika tumtum, yahka mit-lite kopa saghalie, nika nem tzum kopa yahka le-mah. jesus mit-lite sagh-alie ma-mook kla-how-yum nika. yahka delate tik-ke kopa kon-away klax-ta. nika kum-tux jesus pilpil wash konaway-klaxta tumtum. jesus kwansum yahka pray kopa yahka papa, spose mamook klahowyum nika kopa nika tumtum, 'halo mika sollex papa', kwansum jesus yahka waw-waw. have you been to jesus. spose mika tik-ke klap klosh tumtum, mika wash kopa jesus pilpil; alkie mika klosh kopa kon-away sun, mika wash kopa jesus pilpil. mika wash, mika wash, mika wash kopa jesus pilpil; mamook halo masat-chie kopa mika tumtum mika wash kopa jesus pilpil. spose mika tikke koolie kopa jesus way-hut, yahka tikke mika kwansum koolie delate. what can wash away my stain. ikta kumtux mash siah konaway nesika masat-chie, ikta kumtux mamook delate konaway nesika tumtum. kopet jesus pilpil wash nika kaw-kwa snow; o hyas klosh pilpil, halo hul-oima ikta. ikta mamook jesus mash an-kutte yahka pilpil? yahka tikke mamook delate konaway nesika tumtum. now the chains of sin are broken. alta nika kopet masat-chie, alta klosh nika tumtum; jesus, yahka waw-waw klosh kopa nika sick tumtum. hallelujah! hallelujah! jesus memaloost kopa nika; hallelujah! hallelujah! jesus hyas tikke nika. nika kwo-lan klosh waw-waw kopa jesus nika savior, yahka potlatch klosh tumtum kopa konaway-klaxta. sweet by-and-bye. nika kumtux ikt klosh illahie, kah jesus, nesika savior, mitlite; yahka mamook klahowyum nesika, yahka kwansum klosh-nanitsh nesika. alkie chako klosh nesika tumtum, kahta-laylie nesika chako saghalie-illahie. nesika sing kopa saghalie illahie, halo chako sick tumtum nesika, nesika praise nesika saghalie papa, yahka potlatch konaway-iktah kopa nesika there is a happy land. mit-lite klosh illahie, siah, siah; kah mit-lite klosh tilikum, siah, siah; oh, konaway-klaxta sing, jesus christ, nesika king, hyas nesika sing, kwansum, kwansum. klosh chako okook sun, chako, chako; ikta kwansum moxt tumtum? chako, chako; alkie nesika klosh, konamoxt mika jesus, kah halo sick-tumtum, kwansum delate. mit-lite klosh illahie, kopa saghalie; halo klaxta sick yahwa, halo memaloost; oh, kwansum klosh tumtum, kwansum, kwansum konaway-sun, oh, kwansum klosh tumtum kopa saghalie. choruses follow, follow, i will follow jesus. kimta, kimta, nika kimta jesus, kahta koolie, konaway-kah nika konamoxt; kimta, kimta, nika kimta jesus, kahta yaka elip koolie nika kimta. tell it to jesus. klosh mika waw-waw, klosh mika waw-waw kopa jesus, mika delate tilikum; halo huloima tilikum kawkwa jesus, klosh mika waw-waw kopa yaka. help me, dear savior, thee to own. oh, jesus, klosh spose mika help, nika wake skookum alta; klosh mamook haul nika konamoxt mika, kopa saghalie. appendix. the lord's prayer. our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come. thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. amen. the lord's prayer in chinook. nesika papa, mitlite kopa saghalie, klosh spose konaway tilikum mamook praise mika nem; klosh spose konaway tilikum mamook tyee mika; klosh spose konaway tilikum kopa okook illahie mamook mika tumtum, kaw-kwa klaska mamook kopa saghalie-illahie. okook sun, pe konaway-sun potlatch nesika muk-amuk; pe klosh mika mash okook ma-sa-tchie nesika mamook kopa mika, kaw-kwa nesika mash okook ma-sa-tchie hul-oi-ma tilikum mamook kopa nesika; pe klosh mika mamook help nesika, spose halo-ikta tolo nesika kopa masatchie; pe klosh mika mamook haul nesika spose halo nesika chako kla-how-yum. klosh spose kawkwa. the lord's prayer in alkomaylum. sawlth mal, lay kwa tchee-tchilth, ay-e-tcha kwus kwaw-kwa-tchits tomuk mes-tayokh taswas skwikh e-wal ay-e; ay-e-tcha-kwus tomuk mestayokh kwus titheet talowa e-wal see-am; ay-e-tcha-kwus tomuk mestayokh e-tila tumokh, kwus staa-stokh taswas skwilawal staa ta mes-tay-okh lay ta tchee-tchilth tumokh. awkwus-tawlokh til-alth-le-melth kwus elth-til tila wile; ay-e mela-kul-is-tchuh tasawlth kul-see-ize, staa-tcha-staa mela-kul-is-tchit ta kul-skwi-it-tawlokh ta ow la`tz mes-tay okh; ay-e kwawm-kwum-tchuh tila sawlth skwi-la-wal kwus owa-tchit at ow kwulam ta kul; ay-e-kwus kee-awt'la-mit-taw-lokh kwus owa-tchit tasos-it. ay-e-tcha-kwus staas. the ten commandments. thou shalt have no other gods before me. thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for i the lord thy god am a jealous god, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain: for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: but the seventh is the sabbath of the lord thy god: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the lord thy god giveth thee. thou shalt not kill. thou shalt not commit adultery. thou shalt not steal. thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's. the ten commandments in chinook. kopet ikt, nika saghalie-tyee. wake mika iskum ikta spose mamook saghalie-tyee yaka. wake mika mamook kultus yaka nem saghalie tyee. klosh nannitsh sabbath-sun. klosh nannitsh mika papa pe mika mamma. wake mika mamook memaloos klaxta. wake mika ma-mook ma-sat-chic kona-moxt klootchman. wake mika kepswalla ikta. wake mika kliminawit. wake mika mamook tumtum spose mika kepswalla huloima tilikum klaska klootchman pe iktas. the ten commandments in alkomaylum. awpul skwells kwa tchee-tchilth-see-am. oolawl-tcha kwa t-s khakha-stokh-okh. owa-tchuh ee-ise-okh kwa stem staa kwa t-s. owa-tchuh kal-kul-aylth-okh ta skwikhs kwa tchee-tchilth-see-am. ay-e-skwas kwaw-kwatchit skha-khut-lat. ay-e-skwas kwaw-kwa-tchit taswa lay mal, ka taswa lay tal. owa-tchuh kie-tokh kwa wat. owa-tchuh kwus sthee-its-tul. owa-tchuh kwus kal kwa stem tilay kwa latcha. owa-tchuh kwus ma-me`tsul kaylam. owa-tchuh kwus kwolkwul-aywal kwus sthee-its-tul, ka kwus kal kwus stem. index. angels hovering around. hymn arise my soul arise. arise my soul arise, (in chinook.) choruses come to jesus, just now. come, come to jesus. come, every soul by sin oppressed. come, holy spirit, heavenly dove. come, thou fount of every blessing. doxology. follow, follow, i will follow jesus. follow jesus, (in chinook.) happy day. have you been to jesus. (chinook) help me, dear savior. (chinook) here we suffer grief and pain. holy spirit, faithful guide. how firm a foundation. i am so glad that our father. i will tell it to jesus, my lord. jesus, lover of my soul. jesus, my all, to heaven is gone. jesus shall reign, where'er the sun. jesus, the name high over all. lord's prayer. nearer, my god to thee. nothing but the blood of jesus. nothing but the blood. (in chinook) now the chains of sin are broken. now the chains of sin, (chinook) oh, i am so happy in jesus. praise god, from whom all blessings. precious savior, thou dost save me. psalm . shall we gather at the river. stand up, stand up for jesus. sweet by-and-bye. sweet by-and-bye. (chinook.) ten commandments. tell it to jesus. tell it to jesus. (chinook.) 'tis the promise of god. title clear. there is a fountain filled with blood. there is a happy land. there is a happy land. (chinook) there is a land of pure delight. there'll be no parting. thy will be done. we'll work till jesus comes. jentsch, with help from distributed proofreaders hymns of the greek church hymns of the greek church translated with introduction and notes by john brownlie, d.d. author of 'hymns and hymn-writers of the church hymnary' edinburgh and london oliphant, anderson & ferrier _ _ some press notices "this work at its best reaches the level of absolute excellence, and the book is entitled to a warm and grateful welcome."--_record_. "mr brownlie has taste and a poetic gift, and his verses are easy and natural, rarely, if ever, betraying the fact that they are the work of a translator."--_church times_. "this dainty volume will certainly enhance his reputation."--_glasgow herald_. "it brings into dignified church-english some sixty simple and powerful hymns. the book should prove welcome to men generally interested in hymnody, and particularly to those who are ignorant of the richness of the greek liturgy."--_scotsman_. "mr brownlie has the knack of hymn-writing, and the translations from the greek which he has published in this book will be a welcome addition to english hymnology."--_athenaeum_. "mr brownlie has done eminent service as a hymnologist and translator of hymns. these translations are in smooth and flowing english verse, and the hymns are interesting both on their intrinsic merits and as representing the religious thought and emotion of an important section of the church."--_aberdeen free press_. prefatory note after ten years this, the first of five series of hymns of the greek church, is issued in cheap form in the hope that those who regard the unity of christian praise, and wish to realise it, and who seek its enrichment from the church of the apostles, may be induced to give the subject that consideration which it deserves, and which has been too long neglected. the past ten years have seen much activity in the department of church hymnody,--all sections of the church have had their hymnals under revision with varied results; but in this particular we are bound to feel satisfaction that the praise literature of the early and mediaeval church has been more fully drawn upon than at any former period, and the greek church no longer stands in the background. from this volume alone no fewer than ten renderings have been utilised by hymnal compilers, and they make together twenty appearances. this fact is mentioned to indicate an appreciation of greek hymnody which, it is hoped, may grow. j. b. fratres . carissimos . hymnologos . amicorum . felicium . amantissimos . prosequor . a . d . v . id . mai . greek index page {tês patrôas doxês sou}--(contakion), {basileu ouranie, paraklête}, {tên achranton eikona sou proskynoumen}, {deute agalliasômetha tô kyriô}--(stichera idiomela), {christos gennatai}, {ti soi prosenenkômen, christe}, {ho ouranos kai hê gê sêmeron prophêtikôs euphrainesthôsan}--(stichera idiomela), {doxa en hypsistois theô}, {sêmeron ho hadês stenôn boa}--(stichera idiomela), {kai tên phloginên rhomphaian}--(contakion), {ho monogenês hyios kai logos tou theou}, {kyrie, anabainontos sou en tô staurô}, {dia lazarou tên egersin kyrie}--(antiphon), {sêmeron grêgorei ho ioudas}--(antiphon), {ho anaballomenos phôs hôs himation}--(antiphon), {anti agathôn hôn epoiêsas, christe}--(antiphon), {kyrie, ho ton lêstên}--(antiphon), {tas hesperinas hêmôn euchas}--(stichera), {phôs hilaron hagias doxês}, {anastasin christou theasamenoi}, {ei kai en taphô katêlthes athanate}--(contakion), {idou ho nymphios erchetai en tô mesô tês nyktos}--(troparia), {ergô, hôs palai tois mathêtais epêngeilô}--(troparia), {tacheian kai stathêran didou paramythian tois doulois sou}, {deute proskynêsômen kai prospesômen autô}--(contakion), {deute laoi, tên trisypostaton theotêta proskynêsômen}, {hotan elthês ho theos epi gês}--(contakion), john of damascus (canon for easter day)-- {anastaseôs hêmera}, {deute poma piômen kainon}, {epi tês theias phylakês}, {orthrisômen orthroi batheos}, {katêlthes en tois katôtatois}, {ho paidas ek kaminou rhysamenos}, {hautê hê klêtê kai hagia hêmera}, {phôtizou phôtizou, hê nea hierousalêm}, the great collect-- {hyper tês anôthen eirênês}, the litany of the deacon-- {kyrie eleêson}, hymns from the early greek poets-- st. methodius, {anôthen, parthenoi, boês egersinekros êchos}, st. gregory, {ater archês, aperanton}, {tauta soi hêmeteroio thalysia, christe}, {se kai nyn eulogoumen}--(evening hymn), {orthrios didômi tô theô mou dexias}--(morning hymn), {epseusamên se tên alêtheian, loge}--(evening hymn), synesius, {soi nyx me pherei ton aoidon, anax}, {lypais d' astiptos psycha}, {age moi psycha}, {autos phôs ei pagaion}, introduction i. thirty-eight years ago, dr. john mason neale published his _hymns of the eastern church_ , and for the first time english readers were introduced to the priceless gems of greek hymnody. at the close of his preface he throws out a challenge which, as far as the present writer is aware, has not yet been taken up. he says: 'and while fully sensible of their imperfections, i may yet, by way of excuse rather than of boast, say, almost in bishop hall's words-- "i first adventure: follow me who list, and be the second eastern melodist."' it would be presumptuous to believe that the translations which follow are in any particular a worthy answer to that challenge; but the translator can honestly say that they are a very earnest attempt to acquaint english readers still further with the valuable praise literature which lies buried in the service-books of the greek church, and they constitute the first real attempt in that direction since dr. neale issued his collection in . ii. the renderings contained in this volume are the product of many happy hours during the past five years. no method was adopted in the work. as the translator waded through the closely printed pages of the greek offices, what appeared at first sight to be lines worthy of translation were taken up and examined, sometimes to be cast aside again because of some unremovable blemish, at other times to be moulded to the form which they now bear. of the forty-seven pieces, thirty-five appear for the first time in english verse. for the original, the translator has gone to the service-books, and for the most part has confined himself to the hymns which are to be found in the triodion, containing the lenten services; and in the pentecostarion, in which are found the hymns for the services of easter and pentecost. a few specimens are also given from other offices, particularly that for christmas. renderings from the work of the earlier greek hymn-writers are added at the end of this volume; but, unlike the hymns of the church service-books, these hymns originally are in the classical measures, and illustrate the work of the best christian poets, who in some cases wrote extensively. iii. it is a very remarkable fact, and certainly not to our credit, that, with the exception of a very few who have made the study a specialty, our educated men show a most unaccountable ignorance of the most attractive and valuable material for praise and prayer contained in the greek church service-books. we have learning more than enough, and zeal enough for the pursuit of study in other departments, but this unworked field lies fallow, and no one thinks it worth his while to cultivate it. that the study will reward the student, although not in a material sense--for the meaningless prejudice of the great mass of our people for what is local and against the thought of the stranger, no matter how beautiful it may be, is still to be reckoned with--yet in the highest sense as conferring upon him a new delight, there can be no doubt; for, after the necessary expenditure of patient application, and the passing of the initiatory stages which in every department of study are somewhat trying, the attraction will begin, and the subject become positively fascinating. to any one having the lyrical gift and the necessary qualifications for the study of greek, those service-books might prove a mine of treasure inexhaustible. in the seventeen quarto volumes which contain the greek church offices, there must be material of one kind or another for many thousands of hymns; yet, when hymnal compilers ask for hymns from the greek for their collections, they are not to be had, save in the few renderings made by dr. neale. in the most recently compiled collection for church use--_the church hymnary_--only five pieces from the greek find a place. what a humbling confession! they are the best available from the very small number of translations in our possession, which, perhaps, does not exceed one hundred and fifty pieces in all. we have not treated the latin church after that fashion. there is not a hymn of real merit in the latin which has not been translated, and in not a few cases oftener than once; with the result that the gems of latin hymnody are the valued possession of the church in all english-speaking lands. iv. one does not proceed far before making some discoveries which may account, to a certain extent, for the neglect of greek hymnody by men who are best qualified to pursue the study of it. the writers are not poets, in the true sense, and their language is not greek as we have known it. ( ) none of the hymn-writers in the service-books or out of them is a poet of more than ordinary merit; although, when john of damascus forgets his adversaries, and dispenses with his rhythmical peculiarities and gives forth the utterance of his deep emotional nature, he proves himself to be worthy of the title--the greatest of greek christian poets. ( ) the greek language lived long and died slowly, and the christian hymn-writers wrote in its decadence. it was then an instrument that has lost its fineness, and keenness, and polish--worn out and ineffective,--not the language of the men whose thoughts still charm the world, and who by its deft use gained for themselves and for their work immortality. it has little of the subtilty of expression, the variety of cadence, or the intellectual possibility, of the greek of homer, plato, and aristophanes. it is a language, moreover, crippled by the introduction of ecclesiastical and theological terms and phrases, which stubbornly refuse to lend themselves to classical rhythm. such a language cannot be expected to have attraction for men to whom the ancient poets are a delight. ( ) the hymns of the greek church are all in rhythmical prose--strangely oriental in appearance--with the exception of those by john of damascus, which are in iambics; and difficulties confront one on every page. what lines will reward the work of rendering? prayer, gospel, psalm, hymn, and exhortation follow each other, and are sometimes strangely interlaced. where does one begin and another end? then, there is meaningless repetition which must be passed over, and expressions demanding modification. the symbolism is extravagant, and sometimes a single hymn is crowded with figures the most grotesque. the mariolatry is excessive, and the hagiolatry offensive. sifting and pruning are needed before a cento can be formed which would commend itself to modern taste. but when all that is said, there remains much that is both beautiful and attractive. some of the hymns and fragments are most chaste,--beautiful and tender in their simple expression of gospel truths, which are so attractive to all true hearts, no matter by what creed dominated. ( ) the remarkable simplicity characterising those hymns constitutes, strangely it may seem, no small difficulty for the translator. the mere rendering of them into english prose is a comparatively easy task, and can be of no value to any one but the specialist, but to take the unmeasured lines and cut them to form stanzas, and in the process sacrifice nothing of their spirit to the exigencies of rhyme and rhythm, is a task by no means easy. but such drawbacks and difficulties are not insurmountable; and with the growing interest in hymnology which characterises our time, it will be strange if, in the years to come, the greek service-books are not made to yield their tribute to the praise of the christian church in the west. v. one prime characteristic of greek hymnody should be referred to. unlike the english hymn, which is intensely subjective--in some cases unhealthily so--the greek hymn is in most cases objective. god in the glory of his majesty, and clothed with his attributes, is held up to the worship and adoration of his people. christ, in his person and work, is set before the mind in a most realistic manner. his birth and its accompaniments; his life; the words he spoke, and the work he did; his passion, in all the agony of its detail; the denial of peter; the remorse of judas; the crucifixion; the darkness, the terror, the opened graves; the penitent thief; the loud cry, the death--all are depicted in plain, unmistakable language. so we have in the hymns of the greek service-books a pictorial representation of the history of redemption, which by engaging the mind appeals ultimately to the heart and its emotions. our self-regarding praise is perhaps inevitable, as being the product of the meditative spirit which has its birth, and lives in the land of the twilight; but the advantages of the objectiveness of greek hymnody are so patent, that its cultivation might be fostered by our hymn-writers, with advantage to the devotional feeling of our people and to the worship of the church. vi. the hymns as they appear in the original are distinguished by a variety of terms, the meaning in certain cases being extremely vague, and in others to be derived from the subject of the hymn, or from its form, or the time, place, or manner in which it is sung. as we have no corresponding terms in our language, it is necessary to retain the original. the following collection contains specimens of some of these. they are:-- _the canon_ ({kanôn}). this is the most elaborate form into which the praise of the greek church is cast. a canon consists, nominally, of nine odes or hymns, but the second ode is always omitted on account of the denunciations of god against israel which it contains. the canons of the great fast are made up of those rejected odes. _hirmos_ ({heirmos}) is the first stanza of each ode. it may or may not have a connection with the stanzas following, but its function is to give them their rhythmical model. _troparion_ ({troparion}). the troparia are the stanzas which follow the hirmos, and the term is doubtless derived from the verb {trepô}, to turn. the troparia _turn_ to the strophes of the hirmos, as to a model. _contakion_ ({kontakion}) is a term of uncertain origin. contakia occur after the sixth ode of a canon. they are short hymns, and the term may be derived from the latin _canticum_. _stichera_ ({stichêra}) designates a series of verses which are often taken from the psalter. _idiomelon_ ({idiomelon}). unlike troparia, which follow the model set by the hirmos, idiomela follow no model. _stichera idiomela_ are a collection of irregular verses. _antiphon_ ({antiphônon}) is, as is well known, a hymn sung alternately by the choir, which is divided for that purpose into two parts. other terms are found over hymns in the greek service-books, but there is no need to refer to them here, as no specimens of the particular hymns find a place in this collection. john brownlie. portpatrick, n.b. _may_ _th_, . {tês patrôas doxês sou} ({kontakion}) i far from thy heavenly care, lord, i have gone astray; and all the wealth thou gav'st to me, have cast away. ii now from a broken heart, in penitence sincere, i lift my prayer to thee, o lord, in mercy hear. iii and in thy blest abode give me a servant's place, that i, a son, may learn to own a father's grace. {basileu ouranie, paraklête} i o king enthroned on high, thou comforter divine, blest spirit of all truth, be nigh and make us thine. ii yea, thou art everywhere, all places far or near; o listen to our humble prayer, be with us here! iii thou art the source of life, thou art our treasure-store; give us thy peace, and end our strife for evermore. iv descend, o heavenly dove abide with us alway; and in the fulness of thy love cleanse us, we pray. {tên achranton eikona sou proskynoumen} i to thy blest cross, o christ, we come, and falling down adore thee, and humbly make confession full of all our sins before thee. ii for thou thyself art very god, and freely cam'st to save us; and in our flesh the fetters broke with which our sins enslave us. iii therefore we own with grateful hearts the joy the saviour brought us, who came to earth, and in our sins with love and pity sought us. {deute agalliasômetha tô kyriô} ({stichêra idiomela}) i o come let us adore the lord of all the earth, and in our songs of praise recount the mystery of his birth. ii the middle wall is razed, an entrance now is free; for cherubim with sword of flame no longer guard the tree. iii o paradise restored! now i shall enter in, and taste the bliss from which i fell through adam's mortal sin,-- iv for christ, the father's son, who god's true image bore, of virgin born, in low estate our human nature wore. v true god! true man! to thee our earnest prayers ascend; o, of thy loving-kindness hear, who art the sinners' friend. {christos gennatai} by st. cosmas, a.d. {ho heirmos} i christ is born, go forth to meet him, christ by all the heaven adored; singing songs of welcome, greet him, for the earth receives her lord. all ye nations shout and sing; for he comes, your glorious king. {troparion} ii once his heavenly image bearing, man has sunk to depths of sin; now defiled, debased, despairing, clad in rags and foul within; but our god, who beauty gave, lifts the soul he comes to save. iii from the height of heaven beholding, pity filled the heart of grace, and our lord, his love unfolding, made the earth his dwelling-place; and a virgin mother gave god incarnate, man to save. iv wisdom, might, and word eternal, glory of the father, thou! hid from man and powers supernal, lo, he wears our nature now! to the lord your worship bring, praise him, your victorious king. {ti soi prosenenkômen, christe} by st. anatolius, died a.d. i what shall we bring to thee? what shall our offering be on this thy natal morn? for thou, o christ, hast come to earth-- a virgin mother gave thee birth-- for our redemption born. ii the whole creation broad gives praise and thanks to god, who gave his only son; and list! the bright angelic throng their homage yield in sweetest song for peace on earth begun. iii the heavens their glory shed, the star shines o'er his head, the promised christ and king; and wise men from the lands afar, led by the brightness of the star, their treasured offerings bring. iv what shall we give thee now? lowly the shepherds bow, have we no gift to bring? our worship, lo, we yield to thee, all that we are, and hope to be-- this is our offering. {ho ouranos kai hê gê sêmeron prophêtikôs euphrainesthôsan} ({stichêra idiomela}) i in the bliss of old predicted, heaven and earth to-day rejoice; men and angels, one in spirit, shout aloud in gleeful voice; for, to those in darkness drear, god in human flesh is near. ii cave and manger show the mystery; shepherds tell the wondrous tale; bearing gifts to lay before him from the east the magi hail; taught by angel words to sing, we unworthy praises bring. iii glory be to god eternal! peace on earth its reign begin! for the one desire of nations comes to save us from our sin; freedom he will now bestow from the bondage of the foe. {doxa en hypsistois theô} by st. john of damascus, a.d. i bethlehem rejoices, hark the voices clear, singing in the starlight nearer and more near. unto god be glory, peace to men be given, this his will who dwelleth in the heights of heaven. ii heaven can not contain him, nor the bounds of earth, yet, o glorious mystery! virgin gives him birth. unto god be glory, peace to men be given, this his will who dwelleth in the heights of heaven. iii now the light ariseth in the darkened skies, now the proud are humbled and the lowly rise. unto god be glory, peace to men be given, this his will who dwelleth in the heights of heaven. {sêmeron ho hadês stenôn boa} ({stichêra idiomela} of the holy and great sabbath) i to-day the groans of hades rise,-- 'ah, better far for me the son of man had never died upon the cursèd tree! for by his power the fettered souls i held in darkest night, are carried through the sundered gates into the realm of light.' let glory now the cross adorn, hail, hail the resurrection morn! ii to-day the groans of hades rise,-- 'my might is overthrown; i took one dead, from 'mong the dead, and claimed him for mine own; but he hath crushed my ancient power; and those i held in thrall have thrown aside the chains they wore, and he hath rescued all.' let glory now the cross adorn, hail, hail the resurrection morn! iii to-day the groans of hades rise,-- 'my power is gone from me; the shepherd died upon the cross, and adam's sons are free; the bars are taken from the tomb, death can no more appal; for he who gave himself to death, by death hath rescued all.' let glory now the cross adorn, hail, hail the resurrection morn! {kai tên phloginên rhomphaian} ({kontakion}) i no longer now at eden's gate the fiery weapon gleams, but from the cross that leads to life a light alluring streams. ii and now the power of death is gone, his sting is torn away; grim hades can no longer claim his silent victory. iii for thou, o saviour, didst descend where darkness brooding lies, and bad'st the souls in bondage held return to paradise. {ho monogenês hyios kai logos tou theou} (from the liturgy of st. john chrysostom) i thou one begotten son, eternal word adored, immortal while the ages run, and our almighty lord; ii to bring salvation nigh, to vanquish death and sin, thou didst in cruel anguish die, and life for mortals win. iii save us, o christ our god, save by thy cross, we pray; thou who didst bear the father's rod, and death by dying slay. iv thou art the eternal son, one in the glorious three; co-equal praise while ages run shall ever rise to thee. {kyrie, anabainontos sou en tô staurô} ({doxa Êchos pl. d }) i when on the cruel cross the lord was lifted high, affrighted earth in terror quailed to see its maker die. ii then had the yawning caves devoured the murderous band, had not the crucified in love stretched forth his saving hand. iii thou gav'st thyself to die, dark hades to explore, to bring to souls in prison bound new life for evermore. iv o lover of mankind, to thee all glory be, for thou didst give not death, but life, when hanging on the tree. {dia lazarou tên egersin kyrie} ({antiphônon g' Êchos b'}) when lazarus rose at christ's command, and god was glorified of men, the children cried hosanna then, but judas would not understand. {Êchos ho autos} when seated with thy chosen band thou didst to thy disciples say that one, o christ, would thee betray, but judas would not understand. {ho autos} the sop revealed the traitor's hand, in answer to the question made; they saw by whom thou wert betrayed, but judas would not understand. {ho autos} the jews, o christ, thy life demand, 'twas purchased for a price like this-- for silver pieces and a kiss, but judas would not understand. {ho autos} thou, with thine own unstainèd hand, didst wash the feet, and humbly teach that such a task becometh each, but judas would not understand. {ho autos} 'watch thou and pray,' was thy command, lest, thoughtless, the disciples fall beneath the tempter's bitter thrall; but judas would not understand. {sêmeron grêgorei ho ioudas} ({antiphônon Êchos barys}) i the wily judas watches near the master's path to-day, that he may into wicked hands the eternal lord betray, who in the desert lone and dread supplied the multitudes with bread. ii to-day the wicked one denies his teacher and his friend-- once a disciple, he betrays his master in the end. for silver, see the lord is sold, who manna gave in days of old. iii {ho autos} to-day the jews on calvary a cruel cross have raised, and nailed upon that cross, their lord have wickedly abased, who made a pathway through the sea and led them from captivity. iv to-day the spear is lifted high and thrust into his side, who for his people raised his hand and wounded egypt's pride; they give him vinegar and gall, who showered down manna on them all. {ho anaballomenos phôs hôs himation} ({antiphônon i' Êchos pl. b'}) i o thou who cloth'st thyself complete with light as with a garment fair, thou bor'st the cruel, vulgar stare, unrobed before the judgment-seat. ii thou gav'st the hand its subtle power, but with the hand, o lord of grace, upon thy pallid, careworn face, they smote thee in that evil hour. iii they nailed the lord of glory high, and while he hung in awful pain, the temple veil was rent in twain, the sun refused to see him die. {anti agathôn hôn epoiêsas, christe} ({antiphônon ia' Êchos pl. b'}) for all the good performed by thee, o christ, the hebrews deemed it meet to bear thee from the judgment-seat and nail thee to the cruel tree; they gave thee vinegar and gall-- but render justice to them all. {ho autos} 'twas not enough they should betray and nail thee to the cross to die; they wagged their heads and passed thee by, and mocked thee on that woful day; in vain they strove against thee, lord-- give thou to them their due reward. {ho autos} the quaking earth inspires no dread,-- the temple veil asunder fell, the rocks were rent--still they rebel, e'en when the graves gave up their dead; but vain they strove against thee, lord-- give thou to them their due reward. {kyrie, ho ton lêstên} ({antiphônon id' Êchos pl. d }) i when thou wert crucified by men, o christ, for thy companion then thou didst accept the base and vile, whose hand was stained with blood the while; o, number us with him, we pray! thou who art good and kind alway. ii {ho autos} few were his words, but thou didst hear; his faith was great, and thou wert near; and first of men, with glad surprise, he entered opened paradise. be thou for evermore adored! the needy's prayer was not abhorred. {tas hesperinas hêmôn euchas} ({stichêra anastasima}) i our evening prayers attend, o thou that holy art; in mercy full forgiveness send to every contrite heart; for thou hast risen to set us free, and all mankind rejoice in thee. ii encompass zion round, ye people, tell his fame; let resurrection joy abound, and glory to his name; he is our lord, who from the grave arose our sinning souls to save. iii with resurrection lays ye people, come, adore, and worship him with grateful praise who lives for evermore; he is our god, who from the grave arose our sinning souls to save. iv lord, by thy passion thou sav'st men from passions base, and by thy resurrection, now dost from corruption raise. glory to thee we humbly bring, o christ, who art our heavenly king. {phôs hilaron hagias doxês} by athenogenes, a.d. i light serene of holy glory from the immortal father poured, holy thou, o blessed jesus, holy, blessed, christ the lord. ii now we see the sun descending, now declines the evening light, and in hymns we praise the father, son and spirit, god of might. iii worthy of unending praises, christ the son of god art thou; for thy gift of life eternal, see the world adores thee now. {anastasin christou theasamenoi} i we have heard the wondrous story of the resurrection morn; we have seen its matchless glory, christ the risen lord adorn. let us worship and adore him, let us now fall down before him. ii men with erring sinners found thee, found the only sinless one; and upon a cross they bound thee, for the good that thou hadst done; come, upon the cross adore him, let us now fall down before him. iii we have heard the wondrous story of the resurrection day,-- christ our god, to him be glory, for he casts death's bands away. let us worship and adore him, come and let us fall before him. iv come, ye faithful, come with gladness, to your god thanksgiving pay; for the cross was shorn of sadness on the resurrection day. let us worship and adore him, come and let us bow before him. {ei kai en taphô katêlthes athanate} ({kontakion, Êchos pl. d }) by st. john of damascus, a.d. i when, o king immortal, thou didst seek the gloom, tasting death in meekness, resting in the tomb-- on that dark and woful day, hades owned thy kingly sway. ii victor! now we hail thee, hail thee christ our god; thou hast burst the barrier of thy dark abode; on that glad and glorious day, hades owned thy kingly sway. iii they who bore the spices in the early hour, heard the salutation of the lord of power, and his followers, sore and sad, found the peace that made them glad. iv hail the king immortal! death by death is slain, and the weak and fallen rise to life again; on this glad and glorious day hades owns the victor's sway. {idou ho nymphios erchetai en tô mesô tês nyktos} ({troparia}) i behold the bridegroom cometh at the hour of midnight drear, and blest be he who watcheth when his master shall appear, but woe betide the careless one asleep when he is near! ii o soul of mine, bestir thee lest thou sink in slumber quite, and the bridegroom find thee sleeping when he cometh in his might. awake, awake to praises, for he cometh in the night. iii that fearful day approacheth, then live, o soul, aright, and watch the hour, and trim thy lamp and keep it burning bright, lest the voice be heard, 'he cometh!' in the middle of the night. iv beware when slumber binds thee, lest the bridegroom pass thee by, and thou knock without in darkness, and for grief and anguish cry; take thy lamp, with oil, and trim it, for the hour is drawing nigh. {ergô, hôs palai tois mathêtais epêngeilô} ({troparia}) by st. cosmas, died a.d. i o jesus, lover of our race, how rich the promise of thy grace to thy disciples made,-- a holy paraclete to send, to succour, comfort, and befriend with his inspiring aid. ii on earth the light is shining clear, the holy comforter is here, to all the faithful given; and now, what prophets long foretold, in all his fulness we behold the spirit sent from heaven. {tacheian kai stathêran didou paramythian tois doulois sou} i o jesus, to thy servants give the consolation they require; and when the cloud of trouble falls, with heavenly hope their souls inspire. be ever near us, christ, to bless and help us in thy faithfulness. ii as thou wert with thy saints of old, be with us, ever present, lord; unite us to thyself, we pray, as thou hast promised by thy word; then we shall glorify and laud the holy spirit sent by god. {deute proskynêsômen kai prospesômen autô} ({kontakion}) i it is a comely thing to glorify and praise our god, the everlasting word, and lord of endless days. ii the trembling cherubim before him fold their wings, and all the heavenly hosts adore the mighty king of kings. iii we would our offering give,-- o christ, to thee we pray, for thou didst break the bands of death when dawned the glorious day. iv to thee, thou three in one, ascend our songs divine; one power, one kingdom without end, and one dominion thine. v o christ, the source of light, with light my soul inspire; come, make my heart the bright abode of thy celestial fire. {deute laoi, tên trisypostaton theotêta proskynêsômen} by the emperor leo vi., died a.d. i come ye people, come adore him, god in holy trinity; god the father, son, and spirit, ever blessed unity. ii thine the glory, god almighty, to the son and spirit given, ere upon the world's creation dawned the new-born light of heaven. iii holy, holy, we adore thee, one in power, in nature one; god the father, god the spirit, god the co-eternal son. iv by the son the wide creation rose where chaos held its sway; by the spirit, god almighty swept eternal night away. v son, the father's love revealing, son, through whom the spirit came, blessed godhead! endless glory be to thine exalted name. {hotan elthês ho theos epi gês} ({kontakion Êchos a'}) i when thou shalt come, o lord, wrapt in thy glory bright, then shall the earth in terror quake, the sun withhold his light. ii when thou shalt come, o lord, then to thy judgment-bar, even as a mighty stream, shall flow the sons of men from far. iii when thou shalt come, o lord, then shall the books be spread, and from their secrets thou shalt judge the living and the dead. iv when thou shalt come, o lord, then save me by thy power, let not the flames of wrath o'ertake thy servant in that hour. v when thou shalt come, o lord, in mercy let me stand-- no guilt upon my conscience laid-- approved, at thy right hand. canon for easter day by st. john of damascus st. john of damascus john of damascus is by far the most prominent and most poetical of all the greek christian poets. he dwelt for many years in his native city of damascus, a valiant champion of orthodoxy against all comers. his influence on greek hymnody was immense, and he is held in high esteem by the greek church for his work in that department, and as a theologian. the _octoechos_, which contains the ferial office, was, it is said, arranged by john of damascus. there his canons are found, which are perhaps his greatest work in hymnody. john retired eventually to the monastery of mar saba, where he spent a life of devotion, and sang those christian hymns which have cheered and inspired so many generations of christians in the east. there he penned the 'golden canon' for easter day, which breathes the glorious hopes of the resurrection. {Ôdê a'} {anastaseôs hêmera lamprynthômen laoi;} {ho heirmos} hail the resurrection day! let the people shout for gladness; 'tis a passover of joy,-- let us banish every sadness; for, from death to endless life, christ our god his people bringeth; as from earth to heaven we rise, each his song of triumph singeth. {troparion} from our eyes the veil remove, that we may, in light transcending, see the risen lord of life, life to all in grace extending. let our ears his voice perceive; to his accents kind attending, we would hear 'all hail!' and sing, every voice in triumph blending. let the heavens above rejoice, let the earth take up the measure; all the world, and all therein, join the festival of pleasure; all things visible unite with invisible in singing; for the christ is risen indeed, everlasting gladness bringing. {Ôdê g'} {deute poma piômen kainon} {ho heirmos} come, let us drink the water new, not from the rock divinely springing, but from that pure immortal stream that from his tomb our lord is bringing. {troparion} all things in earth and heaven above are filled with light that shines supernal; so all creation keeps this feast, for he hath risen, the king eternal. with thee, o christ, i lay entombed, ere light upon this day was falling; with thee i leave death's dark abode, for thou hast risen, and thou art calling. with thee upon the cross i hung when thou wast faint, and weak, and sighing; lord, with thyself thy servant bless, in thy bright realm through years undying. {Ôdê d'} {epi tês theias phylakês} {ho heirmos} [ ]prophet of the lord, beside us, now upon the watch-tower stand; let us see the light-clad angel earthward come at god's command, telling of his power to save, who hath risen from the grave. {troparion} he was born of virgin mother, lamb of god on whom we feed; free from every spot, and blameless, yea, a passover indeed: very god his wondrous claim, and perfection is his name. as a yearling lamb he suffered, he, our blessed, saving crown; that he might from vileness cleanse us, freely was his life laid down; now, with beauty in our eyes, see the glorious sun arise. as the ark was borne in triumph, david leaped with gladness then; now before the type's fulfilment we should joy as holier men; for, omnipotent to save, christ hath left the dismal grave. ---------- [ ]habakkuk ii. . {Ôdê e'} {orthrisômen orthroi batheos} {ho heirmos} ere the morn in beauty wake, let us seek the saviour's tomb,-- not with ointment and perfume, but with songs the silence break; we shall see the christ appear, sun of righteousness to cheer. {troparion} they who dwell in death's abode, bound with fetters dark and cold, shall the saviour's love behold; they shall hail the light of day, and their gladsome foot employ in this festival of joy. go ye forth amid the gloom, and with torches burning bright cheer the darkness of the night, meet the bridegroom at the tomb; greet with songs of festal glee him who sets his people free. {Ôdê st'} {katêlthes en tois katôtatois} {ho heirmos} to depths of earth thou didst descend, o christ, to break the chain that held the sons of men enslaved, and lead them forth again; as jonah left the living grave, so cam'st thou forth, o christ, to save. {troparion} unbroken were the seals when thou didst leave the dismal tomb, even as the virgin bars remained when thou didst leave the womb; and thou hast ope'd the gates of heaven, and entrance free to all is given. o thou, my saviour and my god, who camest from above, and gav'st thyself for sinful men an offering of love! now, rising from the grave, we see our human race arise with thee. {Ôdê z'} {ho paidas ek kaminou rhysamenos} {ho heirmos} he who in the fiery furnace kept from harm the faithful three, suffering in our mortal nature, decks with life mortality,-- him, our fathers' god, we praise, blest and glorious always. {troparion} holy women bearing ointments, sought the mortal, bathed in tears; but their sorrow changed to gladness, for the living god appears; and they tell the news abroad of the risen son of god. now we celebrate the triumph, death and hades overthrown, earnest of a life unending; all the glory is thine own; god, our fathers' god, we praise, blest and glorious always. hallowed feast of holy gladness! night that waits salvation's birth, till the resurrection morning breaks with splendour on the earth, and eternal light is poured by the christ from death restored. {Ôdê Ê'} {hautê hê klêtê kai hagia hêmera} {ho heirmos} this is the chosen day of god, the brightest and the fairest, the lady thou of all the feasts, the queen of all, and rarest; now let our songs of blessing soar to thee, o christ, for evermore. {troparion} o glorious resurrection day! with fruit of vine the newest; come, let us taste the heavenly draught, and joy with joy the truest; to thee, o christ, our praises soar, who art our god for evermore. o zion, lift thine eyes, behold the lights that shine around thee from east and west, and north and south, thy children now surround thee; and in thy streets their praises soar, to thee, o christ, for evermore. almighty father! word divine! o spirit co-eternal! in persons three, in nature one, o god of power supernal! baptized in thee, our praises soar, and thee we bless for evermore. {kai psalletai hê t~h' Ôdê} {phôtizou phôtizou, hê nea hierousalêm;} {ho heirmos} shine forth, o new jerusalem! o zion, shout with glee! for now the glory of the lord is risen upon thee; o mother pure of god's own son, rejoice--his victory is won! {troparion} o dear and sweetest voice divine, o christ, thou wilt befriend, and lead thy people safely on e'en to their journey's end; thy faithful people hear thy voice, and in that steadfast hope rejoice. o christ, our sacred paschal feast, the word, the might of god,-- his wisdom most ineffable by thee is shed abroad; o may we feast on thee for aye in thy blest realm of endless day. _collects_ the ectene and the litany of the deacon these collects hold a most important place in the services of the eastern church. there are few offices in which they are not found imbedded. their catholicity is most remarkable. the suffrages are peculiar to no church service, but common to all liturgies. the people share in them by responding 'lord have mercy' at the end of each petition, and 'amen' at the close. {ektenÊ} or great collect {hyper tês anôthen eirênês, kai tês sôtêrias tôn psychôn hêmôn, tou kyriou deêthômen} i lord, to our humble prayers attend, let thou thy peace from heaven descend, and to our souls salvation send. have mercy, lord, upon us. ii rule in our hearts, thou prince of peace, the welfare of thy church increase, and bid all strife and discord cease. have mercy, lord, upon us. iii to all who meet for worship here, do thou in faithfulness draw near; inspire with faith and godly fear. have mercy, lord, upon us. iv o let thy priests be clothed with might, to rule within thy church aright, that they may serve as in thy sight. have mercy, lord, upon us. v the sovereign ruler of our land, protect by thine almighty hand, and all around the throne who stand. have mercy, lord, upon us. vi in time of war be near to aid, strong be the arm for battle made, prostrate be every foeman laid. have mercy, lord, upon us. vii let clouds and sunshine bless the earth, give fruits and flowers a timely birth, our harvests crown with peaceful mirth. have mercy, lord, upon us. viii let voyagers by land and sea in danger's hour in safety be; the suffering and the captives free. have mercy, lord, upon us. ix around us let thy shield be cast, till wrath and danger are o'erpast, and tribulation's bitter blast. have mercy, lord, upon us. {kyrie eleêson. antilabou, sôson, eleêson kai diaphylaxon hêmas} deacon. let us complete our evening supplication to the lord. choir. lord, have mercy upon us. i god of all grace, thy mercy send; let thy protecting arm defend; save us, and keep us to the end. have mercy, lord. ii and through the coming hours of night, fill us, we pray, with holy light; keep us all sinless in thy sight. grant this, o lord. iii may some bright messenger abide for ever by thy servants' side, a faithful guardian and guide. grant this, o lord. iv from every sin in mercy free, let heart and conscience stainless be, that we may live henceforth for thee. grant this, o lord. v we would not be by care opprest, but in thy love and wisdom rest;-- give what thou seest to be best. grant this, o lord. vi while we of every sin repent, let our remaining years be spent in holiness and sweet content. grant this, o lord. vii and when the end of life is near, may we, unshamed and void of fear, wait for the judgment to appear. grant this, o lord. hymns from the early greek poets not found in the service-books of the greek church st. methodius methodius, a prominent name in ecclesiastical history, and a father of the church, was born about the middle of the third century. he was first of all bishop of olympus in lycia, and, according to jerome, became ultimately bishop of tyre. he combated certain views of origen, but would seem to have been influenced not a little by the teaching of that great theologian. in his principal work, _the banquet of the ten virgins_, the hymn is found from which the following is a cento. it contains twenty-four strophes, each beginning with a letter of the greek alphabet in alphabetical order, and ending with the same refrain. methodius is said to have suffered martyrdom under diocletian about a.d. {anôthen, parthenoi, boês egersinekros êchos} i behold the bridegroom! hark the cry, the dead, awaking, rends the sky! go, virgins, he is near, your lamps all burning clear; he enters where the rising light asunder bursts the gates of night. in holy garb, with lamp aglow, to meet the bridegroom forth i go. ii the smiles of earth that turn to tears, its empty joys and foolish fears i leave, for thou dost call-- thou art my life, my all; i would thy beauty ever see, then let me, blessed, cling to thee. in holy garb, with lamp aglow, to meet the bridegroom forth i go. iii for thee i leave the world behind-- thou art my bliss, o bridegroom kind; my beauty's not mine own-- 'tis thine, o christ, alone; thy bridal-chamber i would see, in perfect happiness to be. in holy garb, with lamp aglow, to meet the bridegroom forth i go. iv o god, exalted on thy throne, who dwell'st in purity unknown, lo, now we humbly wait, throw wide the heavenly gate, and with the bridegroom, of thy grace, give us at thy right hand a place. in holy garb, with lamp aglow, to meet the bridegroom forth i go. st. gregory st. gregory gregory of nazianzus, son of gregory, bishop of nazianzus, and life-long friend of basil, bishop of caesarea, was born at nazianzus, a.d. he took up the priestly office at the earnest request of his father, and for some time was helpful to the aged bishop. the times in which gregory lived were trying times. the orthodox christians clung to the creed of nicea, and their champions did valiant battle with the arians. as an advocate and exponent of evangelical truth, gregory was summoned to constantinople in , and as bishop of that see adorned the high position with gifts and graces as brilliant as they were rare. but he was not the man for such a position at such a time. hilary, the 'hammer of the arians,' could keep the heretics at bay, and do in the latin church what gregory could not do in the greek church--maintain his position and his cause against all comers. for one thing, the retiring disposition of gregory inclined him to shrink from the din of conflict, and his high ideals weakened his hopefulness. the result was that he abandoned his position and retired to nazianzus in . deprived by death of his life-long friend, and of his brother caesarius, to whom he was bound by more than brotherly love, he retired from the world and penned those poems, some of which are among the treasures of the church catholic. he died in . the hymns of gregory are found in the second volume of the benedictine edition of his works which was published in paris in . a selection can be seen in daniel's _thesaurus_, and in the _anthologica graeca, carminum christianorum_. {ater archês, aperanton} cento from {se ton aphthiton monarchên} i o light that knew no dawn, that shines to endless day, all things in earth and heaven are lustred by thy ray; no eye can to thy throne ascend, nor mind thy brightness comprehend. ii thy grace, o father, give, that i may serve in fear; above all boons, i pray, grant me thy voice to hear; from sin thy child in mercy free, and let me dwell in light with thee. iii that, cleansed from filthy stain, i may meet homage give, and, pure in heart, behold and serve thee while i live; clean hands in holy worship raise, and thee, o christ my saviour, praise. iv in supplication meek to thee i bend the knee; o christ, when thou shalt come, in love remember me, and in thy kingdom, by thy grace, grant me a humble servant's place. v thy grace, o father, give, i humbly thee implore; and let thy mercy bless thy servant more and more. all grace and glory be to thee from age to age eternally. {tauta soi hêmeteroio thalysia, christe} cento from {christe anax, se prôton} i christ, for thee a wreath adorning weaves my raptured soul with glee, for from death this glorious morning thou hast risen triumphantly. ii from the tomb behold him rising, christ our lord whose praise is sung. death is slain; o power surprising! hades' gates are open flung. iii thou for man to earth in meekness cam'st that he new born might be; thou upon the cross in weakness diedst that he might die with thee. iv thou didst rise--we hail thee, jesus! and we leave the tomb with thee. victor, by the power that frees us, where thou art, there we would be. v hark! the highest heavens are ringing, choirs angelic lead the strain, and my opened lips in singing tell the praises forth again. an evening hymn {se kai nyn eulogoumen} i now at this evening hour, o thou, my christ, to thee, thou word of god, eternal light, all grateful praises be. ii from thee the spirit comes, third beam of peerless light, and in thyself one glorious orb the triple rays unite. iii thy word and wisdom thou to lighten man hast given, that he the splendour might reflect that shines superb in heaven; iv and having light within, might see thine image bright, and daily rise, till he himself is altogether light. a morning hymn {orthrios didômi tô theô mou dexias} i the morning breaks, i place my hand in thine, my god, 'tis thine to lead, to follow mine; no word deceitful shall i speak the while, nor shall i stain my hand with action vile. ii thine be the day with worthy labour filled, strong would i stand to do the duty willed; nor swayed by restless passion let me be, that i may give the offering pure to thee; iii else were i 'shamed when hoary age i see, shamed were this board that bears thy gifts to me: mine is the impulse; o my christ, i pray, be thou thyself to me the blessed way! an evening hymn {epseusamên se tên alêtheian, loge} i o word of truth! in devious paths my wayward feet have trod, i have not kept the day serene i gave at morn to god. ii and now 'tis night, and night within, o god, the light hath fled! i have not kept the vow i made when morn its glories shed. iii for clouds of gloom from nether world obscured my upward way; o christ the light, thy light bestow and turn my night to day! synesius synesius synesius was born about . in more particulars than one he was an outstanding man. his pedigree is said to have extended through seventeen centuries, and to have included the names of the most illustrious. not only was he of noble lineage, he was a man also of high character and brilliant attainments. he was versed in the neoplatonic philosophy, and his christianity has been called in question by no less an authority than mosheim; but how any one can read his odes and doubt the reality of his christian faith, even in the full sense of the term, as believing in the divinity of christ and in his resurrection, is hard to understand. he certainly was a good man, and knew christ and loved him. his writings prove that; and in a.d., though reluctantly, he became bishop of ptolemais. very little of his poetry has come down to us, but that little is of the highest order. he died a.d. {soi nyx me pherei ton aoidon, anax} a cento from {age moi psycha} i when darkness falls and night is here, my hymns of praise in silence rise-- this knows the moon, whose silver sphere shines in the star-bespangled skies. ii when morning breaks, and glorious day shines in the dawn and noontide fair-- this knows the sun--a grateful lay springs from my heart in fervent prayer. iii when fails the light at sunset gray, and twilight listens for my song-- this know the stars--in bright array my praises mingle with their throng. {lypais d' astiptos psycha} a cento from {hymnômen kouron nymphas} i o may my soul, uncrushed by care, direct her gaze to where thou art, and in thy splendour find, o christ, the strength of life thou canst impart. ii and freed from sin's depressing load, may i pursue the path divine, and rise above the cares of earth until my life is merged in thine. iii unsullied life thy servant grant who tunes his harp to sound thy praise, and still my life shall hymn thy love, and glory to the father raise. iv and when i rest in glory bright, the burden of my labour past, in hymns i'll praise thee more and more while the eternal ages last. {age moi psycha} i up, up, my soul, on wings of praise, no other service know; in holy strains the love express that fires the heart below. ii burn, burn, my soul, and ever be with holy ardour fired, and, strongly armed with firm resolve, be evermore inspired. iii pour forth a bloodless offering of hymns and holy lauds, and weave a garland rich and fair to crown the king of gods. {autos phôs ei pagaion} cento from {hymnômen kouron nymphas} i in the father's glory shining, jesus, light of light art thou; sordid night before thee fleeth,-- on our souls thou'rt falling now. ii framer of the world, we hail thee! thou didst mould the stars of night; earth to life thou dost awaken, saviour thou, of glorious might! iii 'tis thy hand that guides the chariot when the sun illumes the skies, and the dark of night relaxes when thou bidst the moon arise. iv at thy word the harvest ripens, flocks and herds their pasture find; earth gives bread to feed the hungry, for the hand of god is kind. v may my soul, her want perceiving, turn her gaze to where thou art, and in all thy fulness find thee food to satisfy the heart. index of first lines page behold the bridegroom cometh, behold the bridegroom! hark the cry, bethlehem rejoices, christ, for thee a wreath adorning, christ is born, go forth to meet him, come, let us drink the water new, come ye people, come adore him, ere the morn in beauty wake, far from thy heavenly care, for all the good performed by thee, god of all grace, thy mercy send, hail the resurrection day! he who in the fiery furnace, in the bliss of old predicted, in the father's glory shining, it is a comely thing, light serene of holy glory, lord, to our humble prayers attend, no longer now at eden's gate, now at this evening hour, o come let us adore, o jesus, lover of our race, o jesus, to thy servants give, o king enthroned on high, o light that knew no dawn, o may my soul, uncrushed by care, o word of truth! in devious paths, o thou who cloth'st thyself complete, our evening prayers attend, prophet of the lord, beside us, shine forth, o new jerusalem! the morning breaks, i place my hand in thine, the wily judas watches near, this is the chosen day of god, thou one begotten son, to-day the groans of hades rise, to depths of earth thou didst descend, to thy blest cross, o christ, we come, up, up, my soul, on wings of praise, we have heard the wondrous story, what shall we bring to thee? when darkness falls and night is here, when lazarus rose at christ's command, when, o king immortal, when on the cruel cross, when thou shalt come, o lord, when thou wert crucified by men, note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/ / / / / / -h.zip) the story of the hymns and tunes by theron brown and hezekiah butterworth _multae terricolis linguae, coelestibus una._ _ten thousand, thousand are their tongues, but all their joys are one._ new york, [frontispiece: thomas ken] contents. preface, v introduction, ix . hymns of praise and worship, . some hymns of great witnesses, . hymns of christian devotion and experience, . missionary hymns, . hymns of suffering and trust, . christian ballads, . old revival hymns, . sunday school hymns, . patriotic hymns, . sailor's hymns, . hymns of wales, . field hymns, . hymns, festival and occasional, . hymns of hope and consolation, indexes of names, tunes, and hymns, list of portraits. thomas ken, frontispiece oliver holden, opp. page joseph haydn, " charles wesley, " martin luther, " lady huntingdon, " augustus montague toplady, " thomas hastings, " frances ridley havergal, " reginald heber, " george james webb, " john wesley, " john b. dykes, " ellen m.h. gates, " james montgomery, " fanny j. crosby, " samuel f. smith, " william b. bradbury, " isaac watts, " george frederick handel, " philip doddridge, " lowell mason, " carl von weber, " horatius bonar, " preface. when the lapse of time and accumulation of fresh material suggested the need of a new and revised edition of mr. hezekiah butterworth's _story of the hymns_, which had been a popular text book on that subject for nearly a generation, the publishers requested him to prepare such a work, reviewing the whole field of hymnology and its literature down to date. he undertook the task, but left it unfinished at his lamented death, committing the manuscript to me in his last hours to arrange and complete. to do this proved a labor of considerable magnitude, since what had been done showed evidence of the late author's failing strength, and when, in a conference with the publishers, it was proposed to combine the two books of mr. butterworth, the _story of the hymns_ and the _story of the tunes_, in one volume, the task was doubled. the charming popular style and story-telling gift of the well-known compiler of these books had kept them in demand, the one for thirty and the other for fifteen years, but later information had discounted some of their historic and biographical matter, and, while many of the monographs were too meagre, others were unduly long. besides, the _story of the tunes_, so far from being the counterpart of the _story of the hymns_, bore no special relationship to it, only a small portion of its selections answering to any in the hymn-list of the latter book. for a personal friend and practically unknown writer, to follow mr. butterworth, and "improve" his earlier work to the more modern conditions, was a venture of no little difficulty and delicacy. the result is submitted as simply a conscientious effort to give the best of the old with the new. so far as was possible, matter from the two previous books, and from the crude manuscript, has been used, and passages here and there transcribed, but so much of independent plan and original research has been necessary in arranging and verifying the substance of the chapters that the _story of the hymns and tunes_ is in fact a new volume rather than a continuation. the chapter containing the account of the _gospel hymns_ is recent work with scarcely an exception, and the one on the _hymns of wales_ is entirely new. without increasing the size of this volume beyond easy purchase and convenient use, it was impossible to discuss the great oratorios and dramatic set-pieces, festival and occasional, and only passing references are made to them or their authors. among those who have helped me in my work special acknowledgements are due to mr. hubert p. main of newark, n.j.; messrs. hughes & son of wrexham, wales; the american tract society, new york; mr. william t. meek, mrs. a.j. gordon, mr. paul foster, mr. george douglas, and revs. john r. hague and edmund f. merriam of boston; professor william l. phelps of new haven, conn.; mrs. ellen m.h. gates of new york; rev. franklin g. mckeever of new london, conn.; and rev. arthur s. phelps of greeley, colorado. further obligations are gratefully remembered to oliver ditson & co. for answers to queries and access to publications, to the historic-and-geneological society and the custodians and attendants of the boston public library (notably in the music department) for their uniform courtesy and pains in placing every resource within my reach. theron brown. boston, may th, . introduction. augustine defines a hymn as "praise to god with song," and another writer calls hymn-singing "a devotional approach to god in our emotions,"--which of course applies to both the words and the music. this religious emotion, reverently acknowledging the divine being in song, is a constant element, and wherever felt it makes the song a worship, irrespective of sect or creed. an eminent episcopal divine, (says the _christian register_,) one trinity sunday, at the close of his sermon, read three hymns by unitarian authors: one to god the father, by samuel longfellow, one to jesus, by theodore parker, and one to the holy spirit, by n.l. frothingham. "there," he said, "you have the trinity--father, son, and holy ghost." it is natural to speak of hymns as "poems," indiscriminately, for they have the same structure. but a hymn is not necessarily a poem, while a poem that can be sung as a hymn is something more than a poem. imagination makes poems; devotion makes hymns. there can be poetry without emotion, but a hymn never. a poem may argue; a hymn must not. in short to be a hymn, what is written must express spiritual feelings and desires. the music of faith, hope and charity will be somewhere in its strain. philosophy composes poems, but not hymns. "it is no love-symphony we hear when the lion thinkers roar," some blunt writer has said. "the moles of science have never found the heavenly dove's nest, and the sea of reason touches no shore where balm for sorrow grows." on the contrary there are thousands of true hymns that have no standing at the court of the muses. even cowper's olney hymns, as goldwin smith has said, "have not any serious value as poetry. hymns rarely have," he continues. "there is nothing in them on which the creative imagination can be exercised. hymns can be little more than the incense of a worshipping soul." a fellow-student of phillips brooks tells us that "most of his verse he wrote rapidly without revising, not putting much thought into it but using it as the vehicle and outlet of his feelings. it was the sign of responding love or gratitude and joy." to produce a hymn one needs something more exalting than poetic fancy; an influence "--subtler than the sun-light in the leaf-bud that thrills thro' all the forest, making may." it is the divine spirit wakening the human heart to lyric language. religion sings; that is true, though all "religions" do not sing. there is no voice of sacred song in islamism. the muezzin call from the minarets is not music. one listens in vain for melody among the worshippers of the "light of asia." the hum of pagoda litanies, and the shouts and gongs of idol processions are not psalms. but many historic faiths have lost their melody, and we must go far back in the annals of ethnic life to find the songs they sung. worship appears to have been a primitive human instinct; and even when many gods took the place of one in the blinder faith of men it was nature worship making deities of the elements and addressing them with supplication and praise. ancient hymns have been found on the monumental tablets of the cities of nimrod; fragments of the orphic and homeric hymns are preserved in greek anthology; many of the vedic hymns are extant in india; and the exhumed stones of egypt have revealed segments of psalm-prayers and liturgies that antedate history. dr. wallis budge, the english orientalist, notes the discovery of a priestly hymn two thousand years older than the time of moses, which invokes one supreme being who "cannot be figured in stone." so far as we have any real evidence, however, the hebrew people surpassed all others in both the custom and the spirit of devout song. we get snatches of their inspired lyrics in the song of moses and miriam, the song of deborah and barak, and the song of hannah (sometimes called "the old testament magnificat"), in the hymns of david and solomon and all the temple psalms, and later where the new testament gives us the "gloria" of the christmas angels, the thanksgiving of elizabeth (benedictus minor), mary's magnificat, the song of zacharias (benedictus major), the "nunc dimittis" of simeon, and the celestial ascriptions and hallelujahs heard by st. john in his patmos dream. for what we know of the first _formulated_ human prayer and praise we are mostly indebted to the hebrew race. they seem to have been at least the only ancient nation that had a complete psalter--and their collection is the mother hymn-book of the world. probably the first form of hymn-worship was the plain-song--a declamatory unison of assembled singers, every voice on the same pitch, and within the compass of five notes--and so continued, from whatever may have stood for plain-song in tabernacle and temple days down to the earliest centuries of the christian church. it was mere melodic progression and volume of tone, and there were no instruments--after the captivity. possibly it was the memory of the harps hung silent by the rivers of babylon that banished the timbrel from the sacred march and the ancient lyre from the post-exilic synagogues. only the feast trumpet was left. but the jews sang. jesus and his disciples sang. paul and silas sang; and so did the post-apostolic christians; but until towards the close of the th century there were no instruments allowed in religious worship. st. hilary, bishop of poitiers has been called "the father of christian hymnology." about the middle of the th century he regulated the ecclesiastical song-service, wrote chant music (to scripture words or his own) and prescribed its place and use in his choirs. he died a.d. . in the church calendars, jan. th (following "twelfth night"), is still kept as "st. hilary's day" in the church of england, and jan. th in the church of rome. st. ambrose, bishop of milan, a few years later, improved the work of his predecessor, adding words and music of his own. the "ambrosian chant" was the antiphonal plain-song arranged and systematized to statelier effect in choral symphony. ambrose died a.d. . toward the end of the th century christian music showed a decline in consequence of impatient meddling with the slow canonical psalmody, and "reformers" had impaired its solemnity by introducing fanciful embellishments. gregory the great (pope of rome, - ) banished these from the song service, founded a school of sacred melody, composed new chants and established the distinctive character of ecclesiastical hymn worship. the gregorian chant--on the diatonic eight sounds and seven syllables of equal length--continued, with its majestic choral step, to be the basis of cathedral music for a thousand years. in the meantime ( ) hucbald, the flanders monk, invented _sight_ music, or written notes--happily called the art of "hearing with the eyes and seeing with the ears"; and guido arentino ( ) contrived the present scale, or the "hexachord" on which the present scale was perfected. in this long interval, however, the "established" system of hymn service did not escape the intrusion of inevitable novelties that crept in with the change of popular taste. unrhythmical singing could not always hold its own; and when polyphonic music came into public favor, secular airs gradually found their way into the choirs. legatos, with their pleasing turn and glide, caught the ear of the multitude. tripping allegrettos sounded sweeter to the vulgar sense than the old largos of pope gregory the great. the guardians of the ancient order took alarm. one can imagine the pained amazement of conservative souls today on hearing "ring the bells of heaven" substituted in church for "mear" or the long-metre doxology, and can understand the extreme distaste of the ecclesiastical reactionaries for the worldly frivolities of an a.d. choir. presumably that modern abomination, the _vibrato_, with its shake of artificial fright, had not been invented then, and sanctuary form was saved one indignity. but the innovations became an abuse so general that the council of trent commissioned a select board of cardinals and musicians to arrest the degeneration of church song-worship. one of the experts consulted in this movement was an eminent italian composer born twenty miles from rome. his full name was giovanni pietro aloysio da palestrina, and at that time he was in the prime of his powers. he was master of polyphonic music as well as plain-song, and he proposed applying it to grace the older mode, preserving the solemn beauty of the chant but adding the charming chords of counterpoint. he wrote three "masses," one of them being his famous "requiem." these were sung under his direction before the commission. their magnificence and purity revealed to the censors the possibilities of contrapuntal music in sanctuary devotion and praise. the sanction of the cardinals was given--and part-song harmony became permanently one of the angel voices of the christian church. palestrina died in , but hymn-tunes adapted from his motets and masses are sung today. he was the father of the choral tune. he lived to see musical instruments and congregational singing introduced[ ] in public worship, and to know (possibly with secret pleasure, though he was a romanist) how richly in popular assemblies, during the protestant reformation, the new freedom of his helpful art had multiplied the creation of spiritual hymns. [footnote : but not fully established in use till about .] contemporary in england with palestrina in italy was thomas tallis who developed the anglican school of church music, which differed less from the italian (or catholic) psalmody than that of the continental churches, where the revolt of the reformation extended to the tune-worship as notably as to the sacraments and sermons. this difference created a division of method and practice even in england, and extreme protestants who repudiated everything artistic or ornate formed the puritan or genevan school. their style is represented among our hymn-tunes by "old hundred," while the representative of the anglican is "tallis' evening hymn." the division was only temporary. the two schools were gradually reconciled, and together made the model after which the best sacred tunes are built. it is tallis who is called "the father of english cathedral music." in germany, after the invention of harmony, church music was still felt to be too formal for a working force, and there was a reaction against the motets and masses of palestrina as being too stately and difficult. lighter airs of the popular sort, such as were sung between the acts of the "mystery plays," were subsidized by luther, who wrote compositions and translations to their measure. part-song was simplified, and johan walther compiled a hymnal of religious songs in the vernacular for from four to six voices. the reign of rhythmic hymn music soon extended through europe. necessarily--except in ultra-conservative localities like scotland--the exclusive use of the psalms (metrical or unmetrical) gave way to religious lyrics inspired by occasion. clement marot and theodore beza wrote hymns to the music of various composers, and caesar malan composed both hymns and their melodies. by the beginning of the th century the triumph of the hymn-tune and the hymnal for lay voices was established for all time. * * * * * in the following pages no pretence is made of selecting _all_ the best and most-used hymns, but the purpose has been to notice as many as possible of the standard pieces--and a few others which seem to add or re-shape a useful thought or introduce a new strain. to present each hymn _with its tune_ appeared the natural and most satisfactory way, as in most cases it is impossible to dissociate the two. the melody is the psychological coëfficient of the metrical text. without it the verse of a seraph would be smothered praise. like a flower and its fragrance, hymn and tune are one creature, and stand for a whole value and a full effect. with this normal combination a _complete_ descriptive list of the hymns and tunes would be a historic dictionary. such a book may one day be made, but the present volume is an attempt to the same end within easier limits. chapter i. hymns of praise and worship. "te deum laudamus." this famous church confession in song was composed a.d. by ambrose, bishop of milan, probably both words and music. te deum laudamus, te dominum confitemur te aeternum patrem omnis terra veneratur tibi omnes angeli, tibi coeli et universae potestates, tibi cherubim et seraphim inaccessibili voce proclamant sanctus, sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. in the whole hymn there are thirty lines. the saying that the early roman hymns were echoes of christian greece, as the greek hymns were echoes of jerusalem, is probably true, but they were only echoes. in a.d. , st. cyprian, writing his consolatory epistle[ ] during the plague in carthage, when hundreds were dying every day, says, "ah, perfect and perpetual bliss! [in heaven.] there is the glorious company of the apostles; there is the fellowship of the prophets rejoicing; there is the innumerable multitude of martyrs crowned." which would suggest that lines or fragments of what afterwards crystalized into the formula of the "te deum" were already familiar in the christian church. but it is generally believed that the tongue of ambrose gave the anthem its final form. [footnote : [greek: peri tou thnêtou], "on the mortality."] ambrose was born in gaul about the middle of the fourth century and raised to his bishopric in a.d. . very early he saw and appreciated the popular effect of musical sounds, and what an evangelical instrument a chorus of chanting voices could be in preaching the christian faith; and he introduced the responsive singing of psalms and sacred cantos in the worship of the church. "a grand thing is that singing, and nothing can stand before it," he said, when the critics of his time complained that his innovation was sensational. that such a charge could be made against the ambrosian mode of music, with its slow movement and unmetrical lines, seems strange to us, but it was _new_--and conservatism is the same in all ages. the great bishop carried all before him. his school of song-worship prevailed in christian europe more than two hundred years. most of his hymns are lost, (the benedictine writers credit him with twelve), but, judging by their effect on the powerful mind of augustine, their influence among the common people must have been profound, and far more lasting than the author's life. "their voices sank into mine ears, and their truths distilled into my heart," wrote augustine, long afterwards, of these hymns; "tears ran down, and i rejoiced in them." poetic tradition has dramatized the story of the birth of the "te deum," dating it on an easter sunday, and dividing the honor of its composition between ambrose and his most eminent convert. it was the day when the bishop baptized augustine, in the presence of a vast throng that crowded the basilica of milan. as if foreseeing with a prophet's eye that his brilliant candidate would become one of the ruling stars of christendom, ambrose lifted his hands to heaven and chanted in a holy rapture,-- we praise thee, o god! we acknowledge thee to be the lord; all the earth doth worship thee, the father everlasting. he paused, and from the lips of the baptized disciple came the response,-- to thee all the angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein. to thee cherubim and seraphim continually do cry, "holy, holy, holy lord god of sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory!" and so, stave by stave, in alternating strains, sprang that day from the inspired lips of ambrose and augustine the "te deum laudamus," which has ever since been the standard anthem of christian praise. whatever the foundation of the story, we may at least suppose the first public singing[ ] of the great chant to have been associated with that eventful baptism. [footnote : the "te deum" was first sung _in english_ by the martyr, bishop ridley, at hearne church, where he was at one time vicar.] the various anthems, sentences and motets in all christian languages bearing the titles "trisagion" or "tersanctus," and "te deum" are taken from portions of this royal hymn. the sublime and beautiful "holy, holy, holy" of bishop heber was suggested by it. _the tune._ no echo remains, so far as is known, of the responsive chant actually sung by ambrose, but one of the best modern choral renderings of the "te deum" is the one by henry smart in his _morning and evening service_. in an ordinary church hymnal it occupies seven pages. the staff-directions with the music indicate the part or cue of the antiphonal singers by the words decani (dec.) and cantor (can.), meaning first the division of the choir on the dean's side, and second the division on the cantor's or precentor's side. henry smart was one of the five great english composers that followed our american mason. he was born in london, oct. , , and chose music for a profession in preference to an offered commission in the east indian army. his talent as a composer, especially of sacred music, was marvellous, and, though he became blind, his loss of sight was no more hindrance to his genius than loss of hearing to beethoven. no composer of his time equalled henry smart as a writer of music for female voices. his cantatas have been greatly admired, and his hymn tunes are unsurpassed for their purity and sweetness, while his anthems, his oratorio of "jacob," and indeed all that he wrote, show the hand and the inventive gift of a great musical artist. he died july , , universally mourned for his inspired work, and his amiable character. "all glory, laud and honor." _gloria, laus et honor._ this stately latin hymn of the early part of the th century was composed in a.d. , by theodulph, bishop of orleans, while a captive in the cloister of anjou. king louis (le debonnaire) son of charlemagne, had trouble with his royal relatives, and suspecting theodulph to be in sympathy with them, shut him up in prison. a pretty story told by clichtovius, an old church writer of a.d. , relates how on palm sunday the king, celebrating the feast with his people, passed in procession before the cloister, where the face of the venerable prisoner at his cell window caused an involuntary halt, and, in the moment of silence, the bishop raised his voice and sang this hymn; and how the delighted king released the singer, and restored him to his bishopric. this tale, told after seven hundred years, is not the only legend that grew around the hymn and its author, but the fact that he composed it in the cloister of anjou while confined there is not seriously disputed. gloria, laus et honor tibi sit, rex christe redemptor, cui puerile decus prompsit hosanna pium. israel tu rex, davidis et inclyta proles, nomine qui in domini rex benedicte venis gloria, laus et honor. theodulph was born in spain, but of gothic pedigree, a child of the race of conquerors who, in the th century, overran southern europe. he died in , but whether a free man or still a prisoner at the time of his death is uncertain. some accounts allege that he was poisoned in the cloister. the roman church canonized him, and his hymn is still sung as a processional in protestant as well as catholic churches. the above latin lines are the first four of the original seventy-eight. the following is j.m. neale's translation of the portion now in use: all glory, laud, and honor, to thee, redeemer, king: to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. thou are the king of israel, thou david's royal son, who in the lord's name comest, the king and blessed one. all glory, etc. the company of angels are praising thee on high; and mortal men, and all things created, make reply. all glory, etc. the people of the hebrews with palms before thee went; our praise and prayer and anthems before thee we present. all glory, etc. to thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise; to thee, now high exalted our melody we raise. all glory, etc. thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring, who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious king. all glory, etc. the translator, rev. john mason neale, d.d., was born in london, jan. , , and graduated at trinity college, cambridge, in . he was a prolific writer, and after taking holy orders he held the office of warden of sackville college, east grimstead, sussex. best known among his published works are _mediæval hymns and sequences_, _hymns for children_, _hymns of the eastern church_ and _the rhythms of morlaix_. he died aug. , . _the tune._ there is no certainty as to the original tune of theodulph's hymn, or how long it survived, but various modern composers have given it music in more or less keeping with its character, notably melchior teschner, whose harmony, "st. theodulph," appears in the new _methodist hymnal_. it well represents the march of the bishop's latin. melchior teschner, a prussian musician, was precentor at frauenstadt, silesia, about . "all praise to thee, eternal lord." _gelobet seist du jesu christ._ this introductory hymn of worship, a favorite christmas hymn in germany, is ancient, and appears to be a versification of a latin prose "sequence" variously ascribed to a th century author, and to gregory the great in the th century. its german form is still credited to luther in most hymnals. julian gives an earlier german form ( ) of the "gelobet," but attributes all but the first stanza to luther, as the hymn now stands. the following translation, printed first in the _sabbath hymn book_, andover, , is the one adopted by schaff in his _christ in song_: all praise to thee, eternal lord, clothed in the garb of flesh and blood; choosing a manger for thy throne, while worlds on worlds are thine alone! once did the skies before thee bow; a virgin's arms contain thee now; angels, who did in thee rejoice, now listen for thine infant voice. a little child, thou art our guest, that weary ones in thee may rest; forlorn and lowly in thy birth, that we may rise to heaven from earth. thou comest in the darksome night, to make us children of the light; to make us, in the realms divine, like thine own angels round thee shine. all this for us thy love hath done: by this to thee our love is won; for this we tune our cheerful lays, and shout our thanks in endless praise. _the tune._ the th century tune of "weimar" (_evangelical hymnal_), by emanuel bach, suits the spiritual tone of the hymn, and suggests the gregorian dignity of its origin. karl philip emanuel bach, called "the berlin bach" to distinguish him from his father, the great sebastian bach of saxe weimar, was born in weimar, march , . he early devoted himself to music, and coming to berlin when twenty-four years old was appointed chamber musician (kammer musicus) in the royal chapel, where he often accompanied frederick the great (who was an accomplished flutist) on the harpsichord. his most numerous compositions were piano music but he wrote a celebrated "sanctus," and two oratorios, besides a number of chorals, of which "weimar" is one. he died in hamburg, dec. , . the magnificat. [greek: megalunei hê psuchê mou ton kurion.] magnificat anima mea dominum, et exultavit spiritus meus in deo salutari meo. luke : - . we can date with some certainty the hymn itself composed by the virgin mary, but when it first became a song of the christian church no one can tell. its thanksgiving may have found tone among the earliest martyrs, who, as pliny tells us, sang hymns in their secret worship. we can only trace it back to the oldest chant music, when it was doubtless sung by both the eastern and western churches. in the rude liturgies of the th and th centuries it must have begun to assume ritual form; but it remained for the more modern school of composers hundreds of years later to illustrate the "magnificat" with the melody of art and genius. superseding the primitive unisonous plain-song, the old parallel concords, and the simple faburden (faux bourdon) counterpoint that succeeded gregory, they taught how musical tones can better assist worship with the beauty of harmony and the precision of scientific taste. musicians in italy, france, germany and england have contributed their scores to this inspired hymn. some of them still have place in the hymnals, a noble one especially by the blind english tone-master, henry smart, author of the oratorio of "jacob." none, however, have equaled the work of handel. his "magnificat" was one of his favorite productions, and he borrowed strains from it in several of his later and lesser productions. george frederic handel, author of the immortal "messiah," was born at halle, saxony, in , and died in london in . the musical bent of his genius was apparent almost from his infancy. at the age of eighteen he was earning his living with his violin, and writing his first opera. after a sojourn in italy, he settled in hanover as chapel master to the elector, who afterwards became the english king, george i. the friendship of the king and several of his noblemen drew him to england, where he spent forty-seven years and composed his greatest works. he wrote three hymn-tunes (it is said at the request of a converted actress), "canons," "fitzwilliam," and "gopsall," the first an invitation, "sinners, obey the gospel word," the second a meditation, "o love divine, how sweet thou art," and the third a resurrection song to welsey's words "rejoice, the lord is king." this last still survives in some hymnals. the doxologies. be thou, o god, exalted high, and as thy glory fills the sky so let it be on earth displayed till thou art here as there obeyed. this sublime quatrain, attributed to nahum tate, like the lord's prayer, is suited to all occasions, to all christian denominations, and to all places and conditions of men. it has been translated into all civilized languages, and has been rising to heaven for many generations from congregations round the globe wherever the faith of christendom has built its altars. this doxology is the first stanza of a sixteen line hymn (possibly longer originally), the rest of which is forgotten. nahum tate was born in dublin, in , and educated there at trinity college. he was appointed poet-laureate by king william iii. in , and it was in conjunction with dr. nicholas brady that he executed his "new" metrical version of the psalms. the entire psalter, with an appendix of hymns, was licensed by william and mary and published in . the _hymns_ in the volume are all by tate. he died in london, aug. , . rev. nicholas brady, d.d., was an irishman, son of an officer in the royal army, and was born at bandon, county of cork, oct. , . he studied in the westminster school at oxford, but afterwards entered trinity college, dublin, where he graduated in . william made him queen mary's chaplain. he died may , . the other nearly contemporary form of doxology is in common use, but though elevated and devotional in spirit, it cannot be universal, owing to its credal line being objectionable to non-trinitarian protestants: praise god from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above, ye heavenly host, praise father, son and holy ghost. the author, the rev. thomas ken, was born in berkhampstead, hertfordshire, eng., july, , and was educated at winchester school, hertford college, and new college, oxford. in he took holy orders, and seventeen years later the king (charles ii.) appointed him chaplain to his sister mary, princess of orange. later the king, just before his death, made him bishop of bath and wells. like john the baptist, and bourdaloue, and knox, he was a faithful spiritual monitor and adviser during all his days at court. "i must go in and hear ken tell me my faults," the king used to say at chapel time. the "good little man" (as he called the bishop) never lost the favor of the dissipated monarch. as macaulay says, "of all the prelates, he liked ken the best." under james, the papist, ken was a loyal subject, though once arrested as one of the "seven bishops" for his opposition to the king's religion, and he kept his oath of allegiance so firmly that it cost him his place. william iii. deprived him of his bishopric, and he retired in poverty to a home kindly offered him by lord viscount weymouth in longleat, near frome, in somersetshire, where he spent a serene and beloved old age. he died æt. seventy-four, march , (n.s.), and was carried to his grave, according to his request, by "six of the poorest men in the parish." his great doxology is the refrain or final stanza of each of his three long hymns, "morning," "evening" and "midnight," printed in a _prayer manual_ for the use of the students of winchester college. the "evening hymn" drew scenic inspiration, it is told, from the lovely view in horningsham park at "heaven's gate hill," while walking to and from church. another four-line doxology, adopted probably from dr. hatfield ( - ), is almost entirely superseded by ken's stanza, being of even more pronounced credal character. to god the father, god the son, and god the spirit, three in one. be honor, praise and glory given by all on earth and all in heaven. the _methodist hymnal_ prints a collection of ten doxologies, two by watts, one by charles wesley, one by john wesley, one by william goode, one by edwin f. hatfield, one attributed to "tate and brady," one by robert hawkes, and the one by ken above noted. these are all technically and intentionally doxologies. to give a history of doxologies in the general sense of the word would carry one through every christian age and language and end with a concordance of the book of psalms. [illustration: oliver holden] _the tune._ few would think of any music more appropriate to a standard doxology than "old hundred." this grand gregorian harmony has been claimed to be luther's production, while some have believed that louis bourgeois, editor of the french _genevan psalter_, composed the tune, but the weight of evidence seems to indicate that it was the work of guillaume le franc, (william franck or william the frenchman,) of rouen, in france, who founded a music school in geneva, . he was chapel master there, but removed to lausanne, where he played in the catholic choir and wrote the tunes for an edition of marot's and beza's psalms. died in lausanne, . "the lord descended from above." a flash of genuine inspiration was vouchsafed to thomas sternhold when engaged with rev. john hopkins in versifying the eighteenth psalm. the ridicule heaped upon sternhold and hopkins's psalmbook has always stopped, and sobered into admiration and even reverence at the two stanzas beginning with this leading line-- the lord descended from above and bowed the heavens most high, and underneath his feet he cast the darkness of the sky. on cherub and on cherubim full royally he rode, and on the wings of mighty winds came flying all abroad. thomas sternhold was born in gloucestershire, eng. he was groom of the robes to henry viii, and edward vi., but is only remembered for his _psalter_ published in , thirteen years after his death in . _the tune._ "nottingham" (now sometimes entitled "st. magnus") is a fairly good echo of the grand verses, a dignified but spirited choral in a flat. jeremiah clark, the composer, was born in london, . educated at the chapel royal, he became organist of winchester college and finally to st. paul's cathedral where he was appointed gentleman of the chapel. he died july, . the tune of "majesty" by william billings will be noticed in a later chapter. tallis' evening hymn. glory to thee, my god, this night for all the blessings of the light, keep me, o keep me, king of kings, under thine own almighty wings. this stanza begins the second of bp. ken's three beautiful hymn-prayers in his _manual_ mentioned on a previous page. _the tune._ for more than three hundred and fifty years devout people have enjoyed that melody of mingled dignity and sweetness known as "tallis' evening hymn." thomas tallis was an englishman, born about , and at an early age was a boy chorister at st. paul's. after his voice changed, he played the organ at waltham abbey, and some time later was chosen organist royal to queen elizabeth. his pecuniary returns for his talent did not make him rich, though he bore the title after of gentleman of the chapel royal, for his stipend was sevenpence a day. some gain may possibly have come to him, however, from his publication, late in life, under the queen's special patent, of a collection of hymns and tunes. he wrote much and was the real founder of the english church school of composers, but though st. paul's was at one time well supplied with his motets and anthems, it is impossible now to give a list of tallis' compositions for the church. his music was written originally to latin words, but when, after the reformation, the use of vernacular hymns, was introduced he probably adapted his scores to either language. it is inferred that he was in attendance on queen elizabeth at her palace in greenwich when he died, for he was buried in the old parish church there in november, . the rustic rhymer who indited his epitaph evidently did the best he could to embalm the virtues of the great musician as a man, a citizen, and a husband: enterred here doth ly a worthy wyght, who for long time in musick bore the bell: his name to shew was thomas tallis hyght; in honest vertuous lyff he dyd excell. he served long tyme in chappel with grete prayse, fower sovereygnes reignes, (a thing not often seene); i mean king henry and prince edward's dayes, quene marie, and elizabeth our quene. he maryed was, though children he had none, and lyv'd in love full three and thirty yeres with loyal spowse, whose name yclept was jone, who, here entombed, him company now bears. as he dyd lyve, so also dyd he dy, in myld and quyet sort, o happy man! to god ful oft for mercy did he cry; wherefore he lyves, let deth do what he can. "the god of abraham praise." this is one of the thanksgivings of the ages. the god of abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; ancient of everlasting days, and god of love. jehovah, great i am! by earth and heaven confessed, i bow and bless the sacred name, forever blest. the hymn, of twelve eight-line stanzas, is too long to quote entire, but is found in both the _plymouth_ and _methodist hymnals_. thomas olivers, born in tregynon, near newtown, montgomeryshire, wales, , was, according to local testimony, "the worst boy known in all that country, for thirty years." it is more charitable to say that he was a poor fellow who had no friends. left an orphan at five years of age, he was passed from one relative to another until all were tired of him, and he was "bound out" to a shoemaker. almost inevitably the neglected lad grew up wicked, for no one appeared to care for his habits and morals, and as he sank lower in the various vices encouraged by bad company, there were more kicks for him than helping hands. at the age of eighteen his reputation in the town had become so unsavory that he was forced to shift for himself elsewhere. providence led him, when shabby and penniless, to the old seaport town of bristol, where whitefield was at that time preaching,[ ] and there the young sinner heard the divine message that lifted him to his feet. [footnote : whitefield's text was, "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" zach. : .] "when that sermon began," he said, "i was one of the most abandoned and profligate young men living; before it ended i was a new creature. the world was all changed for tom olivers." his new life, thus begun, lasted on earth more than sixty useful years. he left a shining record as a preacher of righteousness, and died in the triumphs of faith, november, . before he passed away he saw at least thirty editions of his hymn published, but the soul-music it has awakened among the spiritual children of abraham can only reach him in heaven. some of its words have been the last earthly song of many, as they were of the eminent methodist theologian, richard watson-- i shall behold his face, i shall his power adore, and sing the wonders of his grace forevermore. _the tune._ the precise date of the tune "leoni" is unknown, as also the precise date of the hymn. the story is that olivers visited the great "duke's place" synagogue, aldgate, london, and heard meyer lyon (leoni) sing the yigdal or long doxology to an air so noble and impressive that it haunted him till he learned it and fitted to it the sublime stanzas of his song. lyon, a noted jewish musician and vocalist, was chorister of this london synagogue during the latter part of the th century and the yigdal was a portion of the hebrew liturgy composed in medieval times, it is said, by daniel ben judah. the fact that the methodist leaders took olivers from his bench to be one of their preachers answers any suggestion that the converted shoemaker _copied_ the jewish hymn and put christian phrases in it. he knew nothing of hebrew, and had he known it, a literal translation of the yigdal will show hardly a similarity to his evangelical lines. only the music as leoni sang it prompted his own song, and he gratefully put the singer's name to it. montgomery, who admired the majestic style of the hymn, and its glorious imagery, said of its author, "the man who wrote that hymn must have had the finest ear imaginable, for on account of the peculiar measure, none but a person of equal musical and poetic taste could have produced the harmony perceptible in the verse." whether the hymnist or some one else fitted the hymn to the tune, the "fine ear" and "poetic taste" that montgomery applauded are evident enough in the union. "o worship the king all glorious above." this hymn of sir robert grant has become almost universally known, and is often used as a morning or opening service song by choirs and congregations of all creeds. the favorite stanzas are the first four-- o worship the king all-glorious above, and gratefully sing his wonderful love-- our shield and defender, the ancient of days, pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise. o tell of his might, and sing of his grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy, space; his chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm. thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? it breathes in the air, it shines in the light, it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distils in the dew and the rain. frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail. thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end! our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend! this is a model hymn of worship. like the previous one by thomas olivers, it is strongly hebrew in its tone and diction, and drew its inspiration from the old testament psalter, the text-book of all true praise-song. sir robert grant was born in the county of inverness, scotland, in , and educated at cambridge. he was many years member of parliament for inverness and a director in the east india company, and was appointed governor of bombay. he died at dapoorie, western india, july , . sir robert was a man of deep christian feeling and a poetic mind. his writings were not numerous, but their thoughtful beauty endeared him to a wide circle of readers. in his brother, lord glenelg, published twelve of his poetical pieces, and a new edition in . the volume contains the more or less well-known hymns-- the starry firmament on high. saviour, when in dust to thee, and-- when gathering clouds around i view. sir robert's death, when scarcely past his prime, would indicate a decline by reason of illness, and perhaps other serious affliction, that justified the poetic license in the submissive verses beginning-- thy mercy heard my infant prayer. * * * * * and now _in age_ and grief thy name does still my languid heart inflame, and bow my faltering knee. oh, yet this bosom feels the fire, this trembling hand and drooping lyre have yet a strain for thee. _the tune._ several musical pieces written to the hymn, "o, worship the king," have appeared in church psalm-books, and others have been borrowed for it, but the one oftenest sung to its words is haydn's "lyons." its vigor and spirit best fit it for grant's noble lyric. "majestic sweetness sits enthroned." rev. samuel stennett d.d., the author of this hymn, was the son of rev. joseph stennett, and grandson of rev. joseph stennett d.d., who wrote-- another six days' work is done, another sabbath is begun. all were baptist ministers. samuel was born in , at exeter, eng., and at the age of twenty-one became his father's assistant, and subsequently his successor over the church in little wild street, lincoln's inn fields, london. majestic sweetness sits enthroned upon the saviour's brow; his head with radiant glories crowned, his lips with grace o'erflow. * * * * * to him i owe my life and breath and all the joys i have; he makes me triumph over death, he saves me from the grave. * * * * * since from his bounty i receive such proofs of love divine, had i a thousand hearts to give, lord, they should all be thine. samuel stennett was one of the most respected and influential ministers of the dissenting persuasion, and a confidant of many of the most distinguished statesmen of his time. the celebrated john howard was his parishoner and intimate friend. his degree of doctor of divinity was bestowed upon him by aberdeen university. besides his theological writings he composed and published thirty-eight hymns, among them-- on jordan's stormy banks i stand, when two or three with sweet accord, here at thy table, lord, we meet, and-- "'tis finished," so the saviour cried. "majestic sweetness" began the third stanza of his longer hymn-- to christ the lord let every tongue. dr. stennett died in london, aug. , . _the tune._ for fifty or sixty years "ortonville" has been linked with this devout hymn, and still maintains its fitting fellowship. the tune, composed in , was the work of thomas hastings, and is almost as well-known and as often sung as his immortal "toplady." (see chap. , "rock of ages.") "all hail the power of jesus' name." this inspiring lyric of praise appears to have been written about the middle of the eighteenth century. its author, the rev. edward perronet, son of rev. vincent perronet, vicar of shoreham, eng., was a man of great faith and humility but zealous in his convictions, sometimes to his serious expense. he was born in , and, though eighteen years younger than charles wesley, the two became bosom friends, and it was under the direction of the wesleys that perronet became a preacher in the evangelical movement. lady huntingdon later became his patroness, but some needless and imprudent expressions in a satirical poem, "the mitre," revealing his hostility to the union of church and state, cost him her favor, and his contention against john wesley's law that none but the regular parish ministers had the right to administer the sacraments, led to his complete separation from both the wesleys. he subsequently became the pastor of a small church of dissenters in canterbury, where he died, in january, . his piety uttered itself when near his happy death, and his last words were a gloria. all hail the power of jesus' name! let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, to crown him lord of all. ye seed of israel's chosen race, ye ransomed of the fall, hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him lord of all. sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall, go, spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him lord of all. let every tribe and every tongue that bound creation's call, now shout the universal song, the crownéd lord of all. with two disused stanzas omitted, the hymn as it stands differs from the original chiefly in the last stanza, though in the second the initial line is now transposed to read-- ye chosen seed of israel's race. the fourth stanza now reads-- let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him lord of all. and what is now the favorite last stanza is the one added by dr. rippon-- o that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall, and join the everlasting song, and crown him lord of all. _the tune._ everyone now calls it "old coronation," and it is entitled to the adjective by this time, being considerably more than a hundred years of age. it was composed in the very year of perronet's death and one wonders just how long the hymn and tune waited before they came together; for heaven evidently meant them to be wedded for all time. this is an american opinion, and no reflection on the earlier english melody of "miles lane," composed during perronet's lifetime by william shrubsole and published with the words in in the _gospel magazine_. there is also a fine processional tune sung in the english church to perronet's hymn. the author of "coronation" was oliver holden, a self-taught musician, born in shirley, mass., , and bred to the carpenter's trade. the little pipe organ on which tradition says he struck the first notes of the famous tune is now in the historical rooms of the old state house, boston, placed there by its late owner, mrs. fanny tyler, the old musician's granddaughter. its tones are as mellow as ever, and the times that "coronation" has been played upon it by admiring visitors would far outnumber the notes of its score. holden wrote a number of other hymn-tunes, among which "cowper," "confidence," and "concord" are remembered, but none of them had the wings of "coronation," his american "te deum." his first published collection was entitled _the american harmony_, and this was followed by the _union harmony_, and the _worcester collection_. he also wrote and published "mt. vernon," and several other patriotic anthems, mainly for special occasions, to some of which he supplied the words. he was no hymnist, though he did now and then venture into sacred metre. the new _methodist hymnal_ preserves a simple four-stanza specimen of his experiments in verse: they who seek the throne of grace find that throne in every place: if we lead a life of prayer god is present everywhere. sacred music, however, was the good man's passion to the last. he died in . "such beautiful themes!" he whispered on his death bed, "such beautiful themes! but i can write no more." the enthusiasm always and everywhere aroused by the singing of "coronation," dates from the time it first went abroad in america in its new wedlock of music and words. "this tune," says an accompanying note over the score in the old _carmina sacra_, "was a great favorite with the late dr. dwight of yale college ( ). it was often sung by the college choir, while he, catching, as it were, the music of the heavenly world, would join them, and lead with the most ardent devotion." "awake and sing the song." this hymn of six stanzas is abridged from a longer one indited by the rev. william hammond, and published in _lady huntingdon's hymn-book_. it was much in use in early methodist revivals. it appears now as it was slightly altered by rev. martin madan-- awake and sing the song of moses and the lamb; join every heart and every tongue to praise the savior's name. * * * * * the sixth verse is a variation of one of watts' hymns, and was added in the _brethren's hymn-book_, -- there shall each heart and tongue his endless praise proclaim, and sweeter voices join the song of moses and the lamb. the rev. william hammond was born jan. , , at battle, sussex, eng., and educated at st. john's college, cambridge. early in his ministerial life he was a calvinistic methodist, but ultimately joined the moravians. died in london, aug. , . his collection of _psalms and hymns and spiritual songs_ was published in . the rev. martin madan, son of col. madan, was born . he founded lock hospital, hyde park, and long officiated as its chaplain. as a preacher he was popular, and his reputation as a composer of music was considerable. there is no proof that he wrote any original hymns, but he amended, pieced and expanded the work of others. died in . _the tune._ the hymn has had a variety of musical interpretations. the more modern piece is "st. philip," by edward john hopkins, doctor of music, born at westminster, london, june , . from a member of the chapel royal boy choir he became organist of the michtam church, surrey, and afterwards of the temple church, london. received his doctor's degree from the archbishop of canterbury in . [illustration: joseph haydn] "crown his head with endless blessing." the writer of this hymn was william goode, who helped to found the english church missionary society, and was for twenty years the secretary of the "society for the relief of poor pious clergymen." for celebrating the praise of the saviour, he seems to have been of like spirit and genius with perronet. he was born in buckingham, eng., april , ; studied for the ministry and became a curate, successor of william romaine. his spiritual maturity was early, and his habits of thought were formed amid associations such as the young wesleys and whitefield sought. like them, even in his student days he proved his aspiration for purer religious life by an evangelical zeal that cost him the ridicule of many of his school-fellows, but the meetings for conference and prayer which he organized among them were not unattended, and were lasting and salutary in their effect. jesus was the theme of his life and song, and was his last word. he died in . crown his head with endless blessing who in god the father's name with compassion never ceasing comes salvation to proclaim. hail, ye saints who know his favor, who within his gates are found. hail, ye saints, th' exalted saviour, let his courts with praise resound. _the tune._ "haydn," bearing the name of its great composer, is in several important hymnals the chosen music for william goode's devout words. its strain and spirit are lofty and melodious and in entire accord with the pious poet's praise. joseph haydn, son of a poor wheelwright, was born , in rohron, a village on the borders of hungary and austria. his precocity of musical talent was such that he began composing at the age of ten years. prince esterhazy discovered his genius when he was poor and friendless, and his fortune was made. while music master for the prince's private chapel (twenty years) he wrote many of his beautiful symphonies which placed him among the foremost in that class of music. invited to england, he received the doctor's degree at oxford, and composed his great oratorio of "the creation," besides his "twelve grand symphonies," and a long list of minor musical works secular and sacred. his invention was inexhaustible. haydn seems to have been a sincerely pious man. when writing his great oratorio of "the creation" at sixty-seven years of age, "i knelt down every day," he says, "and prayed god to strengthen me for my work." this daily spiritual preparation was similar to handel's when he was creating his "messiah." change one word and it may be said of sacred music as truly as of astronomy, "the undevout composer is mad." near haydn's death, in vienna, , when he heard for the last time his magnificent chorus, "let there be light!" he exclaimed, "not mine, not mine. it all came to me from above." "now to the lord a noble song." when watts finished this hymn he had achieved a "noble song," whether he was conscious of it or not; and it deserves a foremost place, where it can help future worshippers in their praise as it has the past. it is not so common in the later hymnals, but it is imperishable, and still later collections will not forget it. now to the lord a noble song, awake my soul, awake my tongue! hosanna to the eternal name, and all his boundless love proclaim. see where it shines in jesus' face, the brightest image of his grace! god in the person of his son has all his mightiest works outdone. a rather finical question has occurred to some minds as to the theology of the word "works" in the last line, making the second person in the godhead apparently a creature; and in a few hymn-books the previous line has been made to read-- god in the _gospel_ of his son. but the question is a rhetorical one, and the poet's free expression--here as in hundreds of other cases--has never disturbed the general confidence in his orthodoxy. montgomery called watts "the inventor of hymns in our language," and the credit stands practically undisputed, for watts made a hymn style that no human master taught him, and his model has been the ideal one for song worship ever since; and we can pardon the climax when professor charles m. stuart speaks of him as "writer, scholar, thinker and saint," for in addition to all the rest he was a very good man. _the tune._ old "ames" was for many years the choir favorite, and the words of the hymn printed with it in the note-book made the association familiar. it was, and _is_, an appropriate selection, though in later manuals george kingsley's "ware" is evidently thought to be better suited to the high-toned verse. good old tunes never "wear out," but they do go out of fashion. the composer of "ames," sigismund neukomm, chevalier, was born in salzburg, austria, july , , and was a pupil of haydn. though not a great genius, his talents procured him access and even intimacy in the courts of germany, france, italy, portugal and england, and for thirty years he composed church anthems and oratorios with prodigious industry. neukomm's musical productions, numbering no less than one thousand, and popular in their day, are, however, mostly forgotten, excepting his oratorio of "david" and one or two hymn-tunes. george kingsley, author of "ware," was born in northampton, mass., july , . died in the hospital, in the same city, march , . he compiled eight books of music for young people and several manuals of church psalmody, and was for some time a music teacher in boston, where he played the organ at the hollis st. church. subsequently he became professor of music in girard college, philadelphia, and music instructor in the public schools, being employed successively as organist (on lord's day) at dr. albert barnes' and arch st. churches, and finally in brooklyn at dr. storrs' church of the pilgrims. returned to northampton, . "early, my god, without delay." this and the five following hymns, all by watts, are placed in immediate succession, for unity's sake--with a fuller notice of the greatest of hymn-writers at the end of the series. early, my god, without delay i haste to seek thy face, my thirsty spirit faints away without thy cheering grace. in the memories of very old men and women, who sang the fugue music of morgan's "montgomery," still lingers the second stanza and some of the "spirit and understanding" with which it used to be rendered in meeting on sunday mornings. so pilgrims on the scorching sand, beneath a burning sky, long for a cooling stream at hand and they must drink or die. _the tune._ many of the earlier pieces assigned to this hymn were either too noisy or too tame. the best and longest-serving is "lanesboro," which, with its expressive duet in the middle and its soaring final strain of harmony, never fails to carry the meaning of the words. it was composed by william dixon, and arranged and adapted by lowell mason. william dixon, an english composer, was a music engraver and publisher, and author also of several glees and anthems. he was born , and died about . lowell mason, born in medfield, mass., , has been called, not without reason, "the father of american choir singing." returning from savannah, ga., where he spent sixteen years of his younger life as clerk in a bank, he located in boston ( ), being already known there as the composer of "the missionary hymn." he had not neglected his musical studies while living in the south, and it was in savannah that he made the glorious harmony of that tune. he became president of the handel and haydn society, went abroad for special study, was made doctor of music, and collected a store of themes among the great models of song to bring home for his future work. the boston academy of music was founded by him and what he did for the song-service of the church in america by his singing schools, and musical conventions, and published manuals, to form and organize the choral branch of divine worship, has no parallel, unless it is noah webster's service to the english language. dr. mason died in orange, n.j., in . "sweet is the work, my god, my king." this is one of the hymns that helped to give its author the title of "the seraphic watts." sweet is the work, my god, my king to praise thy name, give thanks and sing to show thy love by morning light, and talk of all thy truth at night. _the tune._ no nobler one, and more akin in spirit to the hymn, can be found than "duke street," hatton's imperishable choral. little is known of the john hatton who wrote "duke st." he was earlier by nearly a century than john liphot hatton of liverpool (born in ), who wrote the opera of "pascal bruno," the cantata of "robin hood" and the sacred drama of "hezekiah." the biographical index of the _evangelical hymnal_ says of john hatton, the author of "duke st.": "john, of warrington; afterwards of st. helens, then resident in duke st. in the township of windle; composed several hymn-tunes; died in .[ ] his funeral sermon was preached at the presbyterian chapel, st. helens, dec. ." [footnote : tradition says he was killed by being thrown from a stage-coach.] "come, we that love the lord." watts entitled this hymn "heavenly joy on earth." he could possibly, like madame guyon, have written such a hymn in a dungeon, but it is no less spiritual for its birth (as tradition will have it) amid the lovely scenery of southampton where he could find in nature "glory begun below." come, we that love the lord, and let our joys be known; join in a song with sweet accord, and thus surround the throne. there shall we see his face, and never, never sin; there, from the rivers of his grace, drink endless pleasures in. children of grace have found glory begun below: celestial fruits on earthly ground from faith and hope may grow. mortality and immortality blend their charms in the next stanza. the unfailing beauty of the vision will be dwelt upon with delight so long as christians sing on earth. the hill of sion yields a thousand sacred sweets, before we reach the heavenly fields, or walk the golden streets. _the tune._ "st. thomas" has often been the interpreter of the hymn, and still clings to the words in the memory of thousands. the italian tune of "ain" has more music. it is a fugue piece (simplified in some tune-books), and the joyful traverse of its notes along the staff in four-four time, with the momentum of a good choir, is exhilarating in the extreme. corelli, the composer, was a master violinist, the greatest of his day, and wrote a great deal of violin music; and the thought of his glad instrument may have influenced his work when harmonizing the four voices of "ain." arcangelo corelli was born at fusignano, in . he was a sensitive artist, and although faultless in italian music, he was not sure of himself in playing french scores, and once while performing with handel (who resented the slightest error), and once again with scarlatti, leading an orchestra in naples when the king was present, he made a mortifying mistake. he took the humiliation so much to heart that he brooded over it till he died, in rome, jan. , . for revival meetings the modern tune set to "come we that love the lord," by robert lowry, should be mentioned. a shouting chorus is appended to it, but it has melody and plenty of stimulating motion. the rev. robert lowry was born in philadelphia, march , , and educated at lewisburg, pa. from his th year till his death, , he was a faithful and successful minister of christ, but is more widely known as a composer of sacred music. "be thou exalted, o my god." in this hymn the thought of watts touches the eternal summits. taken from the th and th psalms-- be thou exalted, o my god, above the heavens where angels dwell; thy power on earth be known abroad and land to land thy wonders tell. * * * * * high o'er the earth his mercy reigns, and reaches to the utmost sky; his truth to endless years remains when lower worlds dissolve and die. _the tune._ haydn furnished it out of his chorus of morning stars, and it was christened "creation," after the name of his great oratorio. it is a march of trumpets. "before jehovah's awful throne." no one could mistake the style of watts in this sublime ode. he begins with his foot on sinai, but flies to calvary with the angel preacher whom st. john saw in his patmos vision: before jehovah's awful throne ye nations bow with sacred joy; know that the lord is god alone; he can create and he destroy. his sovereign power without our aid made us of clay and formed us men, and when like wandering sheep we stray, he brought us to his fold again. * * * * * we'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, high as the heaven our voices raise, and earth with her ten thousand tongues shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. _tune--old hundred._ martin madan's four-page anthem, "denmark," has some grand strains in it, but it is a tune of florid and difficult vocalization, and is now heard only in old folks' concerts. * * * * * the rev. isaac watts, d.d., was born at southampton, eng., in . his father was a deacon of the independent church there, and though not an uncultured man himself, he is said to have had little patience with the incurable penchant of his boy for making rhymes and verses. we hear nothing of the lad's mother, but we can fancy her hand and spirit in the indulgence of his poetic tastes as well as in his religious training. the tradition handed down from dr. price, a colleague of watts, relates that at the age of eighteen isaac became so irritated at the crabbed and untuneful hymns sung at the nonconformist meetings that he complained bitterly of them to his father. the deacon may have felt something as dr. wayland did when a rather "fresh" student criticised the proverbs, and hinted that making such things could not be "much of a job," and the doctor remarked, "suppose _you_ make a few." possibly there was the same gentle sarcasm in the reply of deacon watts to his son, "make some yourself, then." isaac was in just the mood to take his father at his word, and he retired and wrote the hymn-- behold the glories of the lamb. there must have been a decent tune to carry it, for it pleased the worshippers greatly, when it was sung in meeting--and that was the beginning of isaac watts' career as a hymnist. so far as scholarship was an advantage, the young writer must have been well equipped already, for as early as the entering of his fifth year he was learning latin, and at nine learning greek; at eleven, french; and at thirteen, hebrew. from the day of his first success he continued to indite hymns for the home church, until by the end of his twenty-second year he had written one hundred and ten, and in the two following years a hundred and forty-four more, besides preparing himself for the ministry. no. in the edition of the first one hundred and ten, was that royal jewel of all his lyric work-- when i survey the wondrous cross. isaac watts was ordained pastor of an independent church in mark lane, london, , but repeated illness finally broke up his ministry, and he retired, an invalid, to the beautiful home of sir thomas abney at theobaldo, invited, as he supposed, to spend a week, but it was really to spend the rest of his life--thirty-six years. numbers of his hymns are cited as having biographical or reminiscent color. the stanza in-- when i can read my title clear, --which reads in the original copy,-- should earth against my soul engage and _hellish darts be hurled_, then i can smile at _satan's rage_ and face a frowning world, --is said to have been an allusion to voltaire and his attack upon the church, while the calm beauty of the harbor within view of his home is supposed to have been in his eye when he composed the last stanza,-- there shall i bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest, and not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast. according to the record,-- what shall the dying sinner do? --was one of his "pulpit hymns," and followed a sermon preached from rom. : . another,-- and is this life prolonged to you? --after a sermon from cor. : ; and another,-- how vast a treasure we possess, --enforced his text, "all things are yours." the hymn,-- not all the blood of beasts on jewish altars slain, --was, as some say, suggested to the writer by a visit to the abattoir in smithfield market. the same hymn years afterwards, discovered, we are told, in a printed paper wrapped around a shop bundle, converted a jewess, and influenced her to a life of christian faith and sacrifice. a young man, hardened by austere and minatory sermons, was melted, says dr. belcher, by simply reading,-- show pity lord, o lord, forgive, let a repenting sinner live. --and became partaker of a rich religious experience. the summer scenery of southampton, with its distant view of the isle of wight, was believed to have inspired the hymnist sitting at a parlor window and gazing across the river itchen, to write the stanza-- sweet fields beyond the swelling flood stand drest in living green; so to the jews old canaan stood while jordan rolled between. the hymn, "unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb," was personal, addressed by watts "to lucius on the death of seneca." a severe heart-trial was the occasion of another hymn. when a young man he proposed marriage to miss elizabeth singer, a much-admired young lady, talented, beautiful, and good. she rejected him--kindly but finally. the disappointment was bitter, and in the first shadow of it he wrote,-- how vain are all things here below, how false and yet how fair. miss singer became the celebrated mrs. elizabeth rowe, the spiritual and poetic beauty of whose _meditations_ once made a devotional text-book for pious souls. of dr. watts and his offer of his hand and heart, she always said, "i loved the jewel, but i did not admire the casket." the poet suitor was undersized, in habitually delicate health--and not handsome. but the good minister and scholar found noble employment to keep his mind from preying upon itself and shortening his days. during his long though afflicted leisure he versified the psalms, wrote a treatise on _logic_, an _introduction to the study of astronomy and geography_, and a work _on the improvement of the mind_; and died in , at the age of seventy-four. "o for a thousand tongues to sing." charles wesley, the author of this hymn, took up the harp of watts when the older poet laid it down. he was born at epworth, eng., in , the third son of rev. samuel wesley, and died in london, march , . the hymn is believed to have been written may , , for the anniversary of his own conversion: o for a thousand tongues to sing my great redeemer's praise, the glories of my god and king, and triumphs of his grace. the remark of a fervent christian friend, peter bohler, "had i a thousand tongues i would praise christ jesus with them all," struck an answering chord in wesley's heart, and he embalmed the wish in his fluent verse. the third stanza (printed as second in some hymnals), has made language for pardoned souls for at least four generations: jesus! the name that calms our fears and bids our sorrows cease; 'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life and health and peace. charles wesley was the poet of the soul, and knew every mood. in the words of isaac taylor, "there is no main article of belief ... no moral sentiment peculiarly characteristic of the gospel that does not find itself ... pointedly and clearly conveyed in some stanza of charles wesley's poetry." and it does not dim the lustre of watts, considering the marvellous brightness, versatility and felicity of his greatest successor, to say of the latter, with the _london quarterly_, that he "was, perhaps, the most gifted minstrel of the modern church." [illustration: charles wesley] most of the hymns of this good man were hymns of experience--and this is why they are so dear to the christian heart. the music of eternal life is in them. the happy glow of a single line in one of them-- love divine, all loves excelling, --thrills through them all. he led a spotless life from youth to old age, and grew unceasingly in spiritual knowledge and sweetness. his piety and purity were the weapons that alike humbled his scoffing fellow scholars at oxford, and conquered the wild colliers of kingwood. with his brother john, through persecution and ridicule, he preached and sang that divine love to his countrymen and in the wilds of america, and on their return to england his quenchless melodies multiplied till they made an evangelical literature around his name. his hymns--he wrote no less than six thousand--are a liturgy not only for the methodist church but for english-speaking christendom. the voices of wesley and watts cannot be hidden, whatever province of christian life and service is traversed in themes of song, and in these chapters they will be heard again and again. a watts-and-wesley scholarship would grace any theological seminary, to encourage the study and discussion of the best lyrics of the two great gospel bards. _the tunes._ the musical mouth-piece of "o for a thousand tongues," nearest to its own date, is old "azmon" by carl glaser ( - ), appearing as no. in the _new methodist hymnal_. arranged by lowell mason, , it is still comparatively familiar, and the flavor of devotion is in its tone and style. henry john gauntlett, an english lawyer and composer, wrote a tune for it in , noble in its uniform step and time, but scarcely uttering the hymnist's characteristic ardor. the tune of "dedham," by william gardiner, now venerable but surviving by true merit, is not unlike "azmon" in movement and character. though less closely associated with the hymn, as a companion melody it is not inappropriate. but whatever the range of vocalization or the dignity of swells and cadences, a slow pace of single semibreves or quarters is not suited to wesley's hymns. they are flights. professor william gardiner wrote many works on musical subjects early in the last century, and composed vocal harmonies, secular and sacred. he was born in leicester, eng., march , , and died there nov. , . there is an old-fashioned unction and vigor in the style of "peterborough" by rev. ralph harrison ( - ) that after all best satisfies the singer who enters heart and soul into the spirit of the hymn. _old peterborough_ was composed in . "lord with glowing heart i'd praise thee." this was written in by the author of the "star spangled banner," and is a noble american hymn of which the country may well be proud, both because of its merit and for its birth in the heart of a national poet who was no less a christian than a patriot. francis scott key, lawyer, was born on the estate of his father, john ross key, in frederick, md., aug. st, ; and died in baltimore, jan. , . a bronze statue of him over his grave, and another in golden gate park, san francisco, represent the nationality of his fame and the gratitude of a whole land. though a slaveholder by inheritance, mr. key deplored the existence of human slavery, and not only originated a scheme of african colonization, but did all that a model master could do for the chattels on his plantation, in compliance with the scripture command,[ ] to lighten their burdens. he helped them in their family troubles, defended them gratuitously in the courts, and held regular sunday-school services for them. [footnote : eph. : , coloss. : .] educated at st. john's college, an active member of the episcopal church, he was not only a scholar but a devout and exemplary man. lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee for the bliss thy love bestows, for the pardoning grace that saves me, and the peace that from it flows. help, o lord, my weak endeavor; this dull soul to rapture raise; thou must light the flame or never can my love be warmed to praise. lord, this bosom's ardent feeling vainly would my life express; low before thy footstool kneeling, deign thy suppliant's prayer to bless. let thy grace, my soul's chief treasure, love's pure flame within me raise, and, since words can never measure, let my life show forth thy praise. _the tune._ "st. chad," a choral in d, with a four-bar unison, in the _evangelical hymnal_, is worthy of the hymn. richard redhead, the composer, organist of the church of st. mary magdalene, paddington, eng., was born at harrow, middlesex, march , , and educated at magdalene college, oxford. graduated bachelor of music at oxford, . he published _laudes dominæ_, a gregorian psalter, , a book of tunes for the _christian year_, and is the author of much ritual music. "holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty." there is nothing so majestic in protestant hymnology as this tersanctus of bishop heber. the rt. rev. reginald heber, son of a clergyman of the same name, was born in malpas, cheshire, eng., april st, , and educated at oxford. he served the church in hodnet, shropshire, for about twenty years, and was then appointed bishop of calcutta, e.i. his labors there were cut short in the prime of his life, his death occurring in , at trichinopoly on the d of april, his natal month. his hymns, numbering fifty-seven, were collected by his widow, and published with his poetical works in . holy! holy! holy! lord god almighty! early in the morning our song shall rise to thee. holy! holy! holy! merciful and mighty, god in three persons, blessed trinity. holy! holy! holy! all the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim, falling down before thee, which wert, and art, and evermore shall be. _the tune._ grand as the hymn is, it did not come to its full grandeur of sentiment and sound in song-worship till the remarkable music of dr. john b. dykes was joined to it. none was ever written that in performance illustrates more admirably the solemn beauty of congregational praise. the name "nicæa" attached to the tune means nothing to the popular ear and mind, and it is known everywhere by the initial words of the first line. rev. john bacchus dykes, doctor of music, was born at kingston-upon-hull, in ; and graduated at cambridge, in . he became a master of tone and choral harmony, and did much to reform and elevate congregational psalmody in england. he was perhaps the first to demonstrate that hymn-tune making can be reduced to a science without impairing its spiritual purpose. died jan. , . "lord of all being, throned afar." this noble hymn was composed by dr. oliver wendell holmes, born in cambridge, mass., , and graduated at harvard university. a physician by profession, he was known as a practitioner chiefly in literature, being a brilliant writer and long the leading poetical wit of america. he was, however, a man of deep religious feeling, and a devout attendant at king's chapel, unitarian, in boston where he spent his life. he held the harvard professorship of anatomy and physiology more than fifty years, but his enduring work is in his poems, and his charming volume, _the autocrat of the breakfast table_. died jan. , . _the tune._ holmes' hymn is sung in some churches to "louvan," v.c. taylor's admirable praise tune. other hymnals prefer with it the music of "keble," one of dr. dykes' appropriate and finished melodies. virgil corydon taylor, an american vocal composer, was born in barkhamstead, conn., april , , died . chapter ii. some hymns of great witnesses. john of damascus. [greek: erchesthe, ô pistoi, anastaseôs hêmera.] john of damascus, called also st. john of jerusalem, a theologian and poet, was the last but one of the christian fathers of the greek church. this eminent man was named by the arabs "ibn mansur," son (servant?) of a conqueror, either in honor of his father sergius or because it was a semitic translation of his family title. he was born in damascus early in the th century, and seems to have been in favor with the caliph, and served under him many years in some important civil capacity, until, retiring to palestine, he entered the monastic order, and late in life was ordained a priest of the jerusalem church. he died in the convent of st. sabas near that city about a.d. . his lifetime appears to have been passed in comparative peace. mohammed having died before completing the conquest of syria, the moslem rule before whose advance oriental christianity was to lose its first field of triumph had not yet asserted its persecuting power in the north. this devout monk, in his meditations at st. sabas, dwelt much upon the birth and the resurrection of christ, and made hymns to celebrate them. it was probably four hundred years before bonaventura (?) wrote the christmas "adeste fideles" of the latin west that john of damascus composed his greek "adeste fideles" for a resurrection song in jerusalem. come ye faithful, raise the strain of triumphant gladness. * * * * * 'tis the spring of souls today christ hath burst his prison; from the frost and gloom of death light and life have risen. the nobler of the two hymns preserved to us, (or six stanzas of it) through eleven centuries is entitled "the day of resurrection." the day of resurrection, earth, tell its joys abroad: the passover of gladness, the passover of god. from death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky, our christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory. our hearts be pure from evil, that we may see aright the lord in rays eternal of resurrection light; and, listening to his accents, may hear, so calm and plain, his own, "all hail!" and hearing, may raise the victor-strain. now let the heavens be joyful, let earth her song begin, let all the world keep triumph, all that dwell therein. in grateful exultation, their notes let all things blend, for christ the lord is risen, o joy that hath no end! both these hymns of john of damascus were translated by john mason neale. _the tune._ "the day of resurrection" is sung in the modern hymnals to the tune of "rotterdam," composed by berthold of tours, born in that city of the netherlands, dec. , . he was educated at the conservatory in leipsic, and later made london his permanent residence, writing both vocal and instrumental music. died . "rotterdam" is a stately, sonorous piece and conveys the flavor of the ancient hymn. "come ye faithful" has for its modern interpreter sir arthur sullivan, the celebrated composer of both secular and sacred works, but best known in hymnody as author of the great christian march, "onward christian soldiers." hymns are known to have been written by the earlier greek fathers, ephrem syrus of mesopotamia (a.d. - ), basil the great, bishop of cappadocia (a.d. - ) gregory nazianzen, bishop of constantinople (a.d. - ) and others, but their fragments of song which have come down to us scarcely rank them among the great witnesses--with the possible exception of the last name. an english scholar, rev. allen w. chatfield, has translated the hymns extant of gregory nazianzen. the following stanzas give an idea of their quality. the lines are from an address to the deity: how, unapproached! shall mind of man descry thy dazzling throne, and pierce and find thee out, and scan where thou dost dwell alone? unuttered thou! all uttered things have had their birth from thee; the one unknown, from thee the spring of all we know and see. and lo! all things abide in thee and through the complex whole, thou spreadst thine own divinity, thyself of all the goal. this is reverent, but rather philosophical than evangelical, and reminds us of the hymn of aratus, more than two centuries before christ was born. st. stephen, the sabaite. this pious greek monk, ( - ,) nephew of st. john of damascus, spent his life, from the age of ten, in the monastery of st. sabas. his sweet hymn, known in neale's translation,-- art thou weary, art thou languid, art thou sore distrest? come to me, saith one, and coming be at rest, --is still in the hymnals, with the tunes of dykes, and sir henry w. baker ( - ), vicar of monkland, herefordshire. king robert ii. _veni, sancte spiritus._ robert the second, surnamed "robert the sage" and "robert the devout," succeeded hugh capet, his father, upon the throne of france, about the year . he has been called the gentlest monarch that ever sat upon a throne, and his amiability of character poorly prepared him to cope with his dangerous and wily adversaries. his last years were embittered by the opposition of his own sons, and the political agitations of the times. he died at melun in , and was buried at st. denis. robert possessed a reflective mind, and was fond of learning and musical art. he was both a poet and a musician. he was deeply religious, and, from unselfish motives, was much devoted to the church. robert's hymn, "veni, sancte spiritus," is given below. he himself was a chorister; and there was no kingly service that he seemed to love so well. we are told that it was his custom to go to the church of st. denis, and in his royal robes, with his crown upon his head, to direct the choir at matins and vespers, and join in the singing. few kings have left a better legacy to the christian church than his own hymn, which, after nearly a thousand years, is still an influence in the world: come, thou holy spirit, come, and from thine eternal home shed the ray of light divine; come, thou father of the poor, come, thou source of all our store, come, within our bosoms shine. thou of comforters the best, thou the soul's most welcome guest, sweet refreshment here below! in our labor rest most sweet, grateful shadow from the heat, solace in the midst of woe! oh, most blessed light divine, shine within these hearts of thine, and our inmost being fill; if thou take thy grace away, nothing pure in man will stay, all our good is turned to ill. heal our wounds; our strength renew on our dryness pour thy dew; wash the stains of guilt away! bend the stubborn heart and will, melt the frozen, warm the chill, guide the steps that go astray. _neale's translation_. _the tune._ the metre and six-line stanza, being uniform with those of "rock of ages," have tempted some to borrow "toplady" for this ancient hymn, but hastings' tune would refuse to sing other words; and, besides, the alternate rhymes would mar the euphony. not unsuitable in spirit are several existing tunes of the right measure--like "nassau" or "st. athanasius"--but in truth the "veni, sancte spiritus" in english waits for its perfect setting. dr. ray palmer's paraphrase of it in sixes-and-fours, to fit "olivet,"-- come, holy ghost in love, etc. --is objectionable both because the word ghost is an archaism in christian worship and more especially because dr. palmer's altered version usurps the place of his own hymn. "olivet" with "my faith looks up to thee" makes as inviolable a case of psalmodic monogamy as "toplady" with "rock of ages." st. fulbert. "_chori cantores hierusalem novae._" st. fulbert's hymn is a worthy companion of perronet's "coronation"--if, indeed, it was not its original prompter--as king robert's great litany was the mother song of watts' "come, holy spirit, heavenly dove;" and the countless other sacred lyrics beginning with similar words. as the translation stands in the church of england, there are six stanzas now sung, though in america but four appear, and not in the same sequence. the first four of the six in their regular succession are as follows: ye choirs of new jerusalem, your sweetest notes employ, the paschal victory to hymn in strains of holy joy. for judah's lion bursts his chains, crushing the serpent's head; and cries aloud, through death's domains to wake the imprisoned dead. devouring depths of hell their prey at his command restore; his ransomed hosts pursue their way where jesus goes before. triumphant in his glory now, to him all power is given; to him in one communion bow all saints in earth and heaven. bishop fulbert, known in the roman and in the protestant ritualistic churches as st. fulbert of chartres, was a man of brilliant and versatile mind, and one of the most eminent prelates of his time. he was a contemporary of robert ii, and his intimate friend, continuing so after the pope (gregory v.) excommunicated the king for marrying a cousin, which was forbidden by the canons of the church. fulbert was for some time head of the theological college at chartres, a cathedral town of france, anciently the capital of celtic gaul, and afterwards he was consecrated as bishop of that diocese. he died about . _the tune._ the modern tone-interpreter of fulbert's hymn bears the name "la spezia" in some collections, and was composed by james taylor about the time the hymn was translated into english by robert campbell. research might discover the ancient tune--for the hymn is said to have been sung in the english church during fulbert's lifetime--but the older was little likely to be the better music. "la spezia" is a choral of enlivening but easy chords, and a tread of triumph in its musical motion that suits the march of "judah's lion": his ransomed hosts pursue their way where jesus goes before. james taylor, born , is a doctor of music, organist of the university of oxford and director of the oxford philharmonic society. robert campbell, the translator, was a scotch lawyer, born in edinburgh, who besides his work as an advocate wrote original hymns, and in other ways exercised a natural literary gift. he compiled the excellent hymnal of the diocese of st. andrews, and this was his best work. the date of his death is given as dec. , . thomas of celano. dies irae! dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla, teste david cum sybilla. day of wrath! that day of burning, all the world to ashes turning, sung by prophets far discerning. latin ecclesiastical poetry reached its high water mark in that awful hymn. the solitaire of its sphere and time in the novelty of its rhythmic triplets, it stood a wonder to the church and hierarchy accustomed to the slow spondees of the ancient chant. there could be such a thing as a trochaic hymn!--and majestic, too! it was a discovery that did not stale. the compelling grandeur of the poem placed it distinct and alone, and the very difficulty of staffing it for vocal and instrumental use gave it a zest, and helped to keep it unique through the ages. latin hymnody and hymnography, appealing to the popular ear and heart, had gradually substituted accent for quantity in verse; for the common people could never be moved by a christian song in the prosody of the classics. the religion of the cross, with the song-preaching of its propagandists, created medieval latin and made it a secondary classic--mother of four anthem languages of western and southern europe. its golden age was the th and th centuries. the new and more flexible school of speech and music in hymn and tune had perfected rhythmic beauty and brought in the winsome assonance of rhyme. [illustration: dr. martin luther] the "dies irae" was born, it is believed, about the year . its authorship has been debated, but competent testimony assures us that the original draft of the great poem was found in a box among the effects of thomas di celano after his death. thomas--surnamed thomas of celano from his birthplace, the town of celano in the province of aquila, southern italy--was the pupil, friend and co-laborer of st. francis of assisi, and wrote his memoirs. he is supposed to have died near the end of the th century. that he wrote the sublime judgment song there is now practically no question. the label on the discovered manuscript would suggest that the writer did not consider it either a hymn or a poem. like the inspired prophets he had meditated--and while he was musing the fire burned. the only title he wrote over it was "_prosa de mortuis_," prosa (or prosa oratio)--from _prorsus_, "straight forward"--appears here in the truly conventional sense it was beginning to bear, but not yet as the antipode of "poetry." the modest author, unconscious of the magnitude of his work, called it simply "plain speech concerning the dead."[ ] [footnote : "proses" were original passages introduced into ecclesiastical chants in the th century. during and after the th century they were called "sequences" (i.e. _following_ the "gospel" in the liturgy), and were in metrical form, having a prayerful tone. "sequentia pro defunctis" was the later title of the "dies irae."] the hymn is much too long to quote entire, but can be found in _daniel's thesaurus_ in any large public library. as to the translations of it, they number hundreds--in english and german alone, and italy, spain and portugal have their vernacular versions--not to mention the greek and russian and even the hebrew. a few stanzas follow, with their renderings into english (always imperfect) selected almost at random: quantus tremor est futurus quando judex est venturus, cuncta stricte discussurus! tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulcra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum! o the dread, the contrite kneeling when the lord, in judgment dealing, comes each hidden thing revealing! when the trumpet's awful tone through the realms sepulchral blown, summons all before the throne! the solemn strength and vibration of these tremendous trilineals suffers no general injury by the variant readings--and there are a good many. as a sample, the first stanza was changed by some canonical redactor to get rid of the heathen word sybilla, and the second line was made the third: dies irae, dies illa crucis expandens vexilla, solvet saeclum in favilla. day of wrath! that day foretold, with the cross-flag wide unrolled, shall the world in fire enfold! in some readings the original "in favilla" is changed to "_cum_ favilla," "_with_ ashes" instead of "in ashes"; and "teste petro" is substituted for "teste david." _the tune._ the varieties of music set to the "hymn of judgment" in the different sections and languages of christendom during seven hundred years are probably as numerous as the pictures of the holy family in christian art. it is enough to say that one of the best at hand, or, at least, accessible, is the solemn minor melody of dr. dykes in william henry monk's _hymns ancient and modern_. it was composed about the middle of the last century. both the _evangelical_ and _methodist hymnals_ have dean stanley's translation of the hymn, the former with thirteen stanzas (six-line) to a d minor of john stainer, and the latter to a c major of timothy matthews. the _plymouth hymnal_ has seventeen of the trilineal stanzas, by an unknown translator, to ferdinand hiller's tune in f minor, besides one verse to another f minor--hymn and tune both nameless. all the composers above named are musicians of fame. john stainer, organist of st. paul's cathedral, was a doctor of music and chevalier of the legion of honor, and celebrated for his works in sacred music, to which he mainly devoted his time. he was born june , . he died march , . rev. timothy richard matthews, born at colmworth, eng., nov. , , is a clergyman of the church of england, incumbent of a lancaster charge to which he was appointed by queen alexandra. ferdinand hiller, born at frankfort-on-the-main, of hebrew parentage, was one of germany's most eminent musicians. for many years he was chapel master at cologne, and organized the cologne conservatory. his compositions are mostly for instrumental performance, but he wrote cantatas, motets, male choruses, and two oratorios, one on the "destruction of jerusalem." died may , . the very rev. arthur penrhyn stanley, dean of westminster, was an author and scholar whom all sects of christians delighted to honor. his writings on the new testament and his published researches in palestine, made him an authority in biblical study, and his contributions to sacred literature were looked for and welcomed as eagerly as a new hymn by bonar or a new poem by tennyson. dean stanley was born in , and died july th, . thomas Ã� kempis. thomas à kempis, sub-prior of the convent of st. agnes, was born at hamerkin, holland, about the year , and died at zwoll, . this pious monk belonged to an order called the "brethren of the common life" founded by gerard de groote, and his fame rests entirely upon his one book, the _imitation of christ_, which continues to be printed as a religious classic, and is unsurpassed as a manual of private devotion. his monastic life--as was true generally of the monastic life of the middle ages--was not one of useless idleness. the brethren taught school and did mechanical work. besides, before the invention of printing had been perfected and brought into common service, the multiplication of books was principally the work of monkish pens. kempis spent his days copying the bible and good books--as well as in exercises of devotion that promoted religious calm. his idea of heaven, and the idea of his order, was expressed in that clause of john's description of the city of god, rev. : , "_and his servants shall serve him_." above all other heavenly joys that was his favorite thought. we can well understand that the pious quietude wrought in his mind and manners by his habit of life made him a saint in the eyes of the people. the frontispiece of one edition of his _imitatio christi_ pictures him as being addressed before the door of a convent by a troubled pilgrim,-- "o where is peace?--for thou its paths hast trod," --and his answer completes the couplet,-- "in poverty, retirement, and with god." of all that is best in inward spiritual life, much can be learned from this inspired dutchman. he wrote no hymns, but in his old age he composed a poem on "heaven's joys," which is sometimes called "thomas à kempis' hymn": high the angel choirs are raising heart and voice in harmony; the creator king still praising whom in beauty there they see. sweetest strains from soft harps stealing, trumpets' notes of triumph pealing, radiant wings and white stoles gleaming up the steps of glory streaming; where the heavenly bells are ringing; "holy! holy! holy!" singing to the mighty trinity! "holy! holy! holy!" crying, for all earthly care and sighing in that city cease to be! these lines are not in the hymnals of today--and whether they ever found their way into choral use in ancient times we are not told. worse poetry has been sung--and more un-hymnlike. some future composer will make a tune to the words of a christian who stood almost in sight of his hundredth year--and of the eternal home he writes about. martin luther. "_ein feste burg ist unser gott._" of martin luther coleridge said, "he did as much for the reformation by his hymns as he did by his translation of the bible." the remark is so true that it has become a commonplace. the above line--which may be seen inscribed on luther's tomb at wittenberg--is the opening sentence and key-note of the reformer's grandest hymn. the forty-sixth psalm inspired it, and it is in harmony with sublime historical periods from its very nature, boldness, and sublimity. it was written, according to welles, in the memorable year when the evangelical princes delivered their protest at the diet of spires, from which the word and the meaning of the word "protestant" is derived. "luther used often to sing it in , while the diet of augsburg was sitting. it soon became the favorite psalm with the people. it was one of the watchwords of the reformation, cheering armies to conflict, and sustaining believers in the hours of fiery trial." "after luther's death, melancthon, his affectionate coadjutor, being one day at weimar with his banished friends, jonas and creuziger, heard a little maid singing this psalm in the street, and said, 'sing on, my little girl, you little know whom you comfort:'" a mighty fortress is our god, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. for still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. * * * * * the prince of darkness grim-- we tremble not for him: his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him. that word above all earthly powers-- no thanks to them--abideth; the spirit and the gifts are ours, through him who with us sideth. let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill, god's truth abideth still, his kingdom is for ever. martin luther was born in eisleben, in saxony, nov. , . he was educated at the university of erfurth, and became an augustinian monk and professor of philosophy and divinity in the university of wittenberg. in he composed and placarded his ninety-five theses condemning certain practices of the romish church and three years later the pope published a bull excommunicating him, which he burnt openly before a sympathetic multitude in wittenberg. his life was a stormy one, and he was more than once in mortal danger by reason of his antagonism to the papal authority, but he found powerful patrons, and lived to see the reformation an organized fact. he died in his birthplace, eisleben, feb. th, . the translation of the "ein feste burg," given above, in part, is by rev. frederick henry hedge, d.d., born in cambridge, march , a graduate of harvard, and formerly minister of the unitarian church in bangor, me. died, . luther wrote thirty-six hymns, to some of which he fitted his own music, for he was a musician and singer as well as an eloquent preacher. the tune in which "ein feste burg" is sung in the hymnals, was composed by himself. the hymn has also a noble rendering in the music of sebastian bach, - time, found in _hymns ancient and modern_. bartholomew ringwaldt. "great god, what do i see and hear?" the history of this hymn is somewhat indefinite, though common consent now attributes to ringwaldt the stanza beginning with the above line. the imitation of the "dies irae" in german which was first in use was printed in jacob klug's "_gesangbuch_" in . ringwaldt's hymn of the last day, also inspired from the ancient latin original, appears in his _handbuchlin_ of , but does not contain this stanza. the first line is, "the awful day will surely come," (es ist gewisslich an der zeit). nevertheless through the more than two hundred years that the hymn has been translated and re-translated, and gone through inevitable revisions, some vital identity in the spirit and tone of the one seven-line stanza has steadily connected it with ringwaldt's name. apparently it is the single survivor of a great lost hymn--edited and altered out of recognition. but its power evidently inspired the added verses, as we have them. dr. collyer found it, and, regretting that it was too short to sing in public service, composed stanzas d, d and th. it is likely that collyer first met with it in _psalms and hymns for public and private devotion_, sheffield , where it appeared anonymously. so far as known this was its first publication in english. ringwaldt's stanza and two of collyer's are here given: great god, what do i see and hear! the end of things created! the judge of mankind doth appear on clouds of glory seated. the trumpet sounds, the graves restore the dead which they contained before; prepare, my soul, to meet him. the dead in christ shall first arise at the last trumpet sounding, caught up to meet him in the skies, with joy their lord surrounding. no gloomy fears their souls dismay his presence sheds eternal day on those prepared to meet him. far over space to distant spheres the lightnings are prevailing th' ungodly rise, and all their tears and sighs are unavailing. the day of grace is past and gone; they shake before the judge's throne all unprepared to meet him. bartholomew ringwaldt, pastor of the lutheran church of longfeld, prussia, was born in , and died in . his hymns appear in a collection entitled _hymns for the sundays and festivals of the whole year_. rev. william bengo collyer d.d., was born at blackheath near london, april , , educated at homerton college and settled over a congregational church in peckham. in he published a book of hymns, and in a _service book_ to which he contributed eighty-nine hymns. he died jan, , . _the tune._ probably it was the customary singing of ringwaldt's hymn (in germany) to luther's tune that gave it for some time the designation of "luther's hymn," the title by which the music is still known--an air either composed or adapted by luther, and rendered perhaps unisonously or with extempore chords. it was not until early in the last century that vincent novello wrote to it the noble arrangement now in use. it is a strong, even-time harmony with lofty tenor range, and very impressive with full choir and organ or the vocal volume of a congregation. in _cheetham's psalmody_ is it written with a trumpet obligato. vincent novello, born in london, sept. , , the intimate friend of lamb, shelley, keats, hunt and hazlitt, was a professor of music who attained great eminence as an organist and composer of hymn-tunes and sacred pieces. he was the founder of the publishing house of novello and ewer, and father of a famous musical family. died at nice, aug. , . st. francis xavier. "_o deus, ego amo te._" francis xavier, the celebrated jesuit missionary, called "the apostle of the indies," was a spaniard, born in . while a student in paris he met ignatius loyola, and joined him in the formation of the new "society for the propagation of the faith." he was sent out on a mission to the east indies and japan, and gave himself to the work with a martyr's devotion. the stations he established in japan were maintained more than a hundred years. he died in china, dec. . his hymn, some time out of use, is being revived in later singing-books as expressive of the purest and highest christian sentiment: o deus, ego amo te. nec amo te, ut salves me, aut quia non amantes te Ã�terno punis igne. my god, i love thee--not because i hope for heaven thereby; nor yet because who love thee not must burn eternally. after recounting christ's vicarious sufferings as the chief claim to his disciples' unselfish love, the hymn continues,-- cur igitur non amem te, o jesu amantissime! non, ut in coelo salves me, aut in æternum damnes me. then why, o blessed jesus christ, should i not love thee well? not for the sake of winning heaven, nor of escaping hell; not with the hope of gaining aught, nor seeking a reward, but as thyself hast lovéd me, oh, ever-loving lord! e'en so i love thee, and will love, and in thy praise will sing; solely because thou art my god and my eternal king. the translation is by rev. edward caswall, - , a priest in the church of rome. besides his translations, he published the _lyra catholica_, the _masque of mary_, and several other poetical works. (page .) _the tune._ "st. bernard"--apparently so named because originally composed to caswall's translation of one of bernard of clairvaux's hymns--is by john richardson, born in preston, eng., dec. , , and died there april , . he was an organist in liverpool, and noted as a composer of glees, but was the author of several sacred tunes. sir walter raleigh. "give me my scallop-shell of quiet." few of the hymns of the elizabethan era survive, though the ambrosian midnight hymn, "hark, 'tis the midnight cry," and the hymns of st. bernard and bernard of cluny, are still tones in the church, and the religious poetry of sir walter raleigh comes down to us associated with the history of his brilliant, though tragic career. the following poem has some fine lines in the quaint english style of the period, and was composed by sir walter during his first imprisonment: give me my scallop-shell of quiet, my staff of faith to walk upon, my scrip of joy--immortal diet-- my bottle of salvation, my gown of glory, hope's true gage-- and thus i take my pilgrimage. blood must be my body's balmer, while my soul, like faithful palmer, travelleth toward the land of heaven; other balm will not be given. over the silver mountains where spring the nectar fountains, there will i kiss the bowl of bliss, and drink my everlasting fill, upon every milken hill; my soul will be a-dry before, but after that will thirst no more. the musings of the unfortunate but high-souled nobleman in expectation of ignominious death are interesting and pathetic, but they have no claim to a tune, even if they were less rugged and unmetrical. but the poem stands notable among the pious witnesses. mary queen of scots. "_o domine deus, speravi in te._" this last passionate prayer of the unhappy mary stuart just before her execution--in a language which perhaps flowed from her pen more easily than even her english or french--is another witness of supplicating faith that struggles out of darkness with a song. in her extremity the devoted catholic forgets her petitions to the virgin, and comes to christ: o domine deus, speravi in te; o care mi jesu, nunc libera me! in dura catena, in misera poena desidero te! languendo, gemendo, et genuflectendo adoro, imploro ut liberes me! my lord and my god! i have trusted in thee; o jesus, my saviour belov'd, set me free: in rigorous chains, in piteous pains, i am longing for thee! in weakness appealing, in agony kneeling, i pray, i beseech thee, o lord, set me free! one would, at first thought, judge this simple but eloquent cry worthy of an appropriate tone-expression--to be sung by prison evangelists like the volunteers of america, to convicts in the jails and penitentiaries. but its special errand and burden are voiced so literally that hardened hearers would probably misapply it--however sincerely the petitioner herself meant to invoke spiritual rather than temporal deliverance. the hymn, if we may call it so, is _too_ literal. possibly at some time or other it may have been set to music but not for ordinary choir service. samuel rutherford. the sands of time are sinking, * * * * * but, glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. this hymn is biographical, but not autobiographical. like the discourses in herodotus and plutarch, it is the voice of the dead speaking through the sympathetic genius of the living after long generations. the strong, stern calvinist of in aberdeen was not a poet, but he bequeathed his spirit and life to the verse of a poet of in melrose. anne ross cousin read his two hundred and twenty letters written during a two years' captivity for his fidelity to the purer faith, and studied his whole history and experience till her soul took his soul's place and felt what he felt. her poem of nineteen stanzas ( lines) is the voice of rutherford the covenanter, with the prolixity of his manner and age sweetened by his triumphant piety, and that is why it belongs with the _hymns of great witnesses_. the three or four stanzas still occasionally printed and sung are only recalled to memory by the above three lines. samuel rutherford was born in nisbet parish, scotland, in . his settled ministry was at anworth, in galloway-- - --with a break between and , when charles i. angered by his anti-prelatical writings, silenced and banished him. shut up in aberdeen, but allowed, like paul in rome, to live "in his own hired house" and write letters, he poured out his heart's love in epistles to his anworth flock and to the non-conformists of scotland. when his countrymen rose against the attempted imposition of a new holy romish service-book on their churches, he escaped to his people, and soon after appeared in edinburgh and signed the covenant with the assembled ministers. thirteen years later, after cromwell's death and the accession of charles ii. the wrath of the prelates fell on him at st. andrews, where the presbytery had made him rector of the college. the king's decree indicted him for treason, stripped him of all his offices, and would have forced him to the block had he not been stricken with his last sickness. when the officers came to take him he said, "i am summoned before a higher judge and judicatory, and i am behooved to attend them." he died soon after, in the year . the first, and a few other of the choicest stanzas of the hymn inspired by his life and death are here given: the sands of time are sinking, the dawn of heaven breaks, the summer morn i've sighed for-- the fair, sweet morn--awakes. dark, dark hath been the midnight, but dayspring is at hand; and glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. * * * * * oh! well it is for ever-- oh! well for evermore: my nest hung in no forest of all this death-doomed shore; yea, let this vain world vanish, as from the ship the strand, while glory, glory dwelleth in immanuel's land. * * * * * the little birds of anworth-- i used to count them blest; now beside happier altars i go to build my nest; o'er these there broods no silence no graves around them stand; for glory deathless dwelleth in immanuel's land. i have borne scorn and hatred, i have borne wrong and shame, earth's proud ones have reproached me for christ's thrice blesséd name. where god's seals set the fairest, they've stamped their foulest brand; but judgment shines like noonday in immanuel's land. they've summoned me before them, but there i may not come; my lord says, "come up hither;" my lord says, "welcome home;" my king at his white throne my presence doth command, where glory, glory dwelleth, in immanuel's land. a reminiscence of st. paul in his second epistle to timothy (chap. ) comes with the last two stanzas. _the tune._ the tender and appropriate choral in b flat, named "rutherford" was composed by d'urhan, a french musician, probably a hundred years ago. it was doubtless named by those who long afterwards fitted it to the words, and knew whose spiritual proxy the lady stood who indited the hymn. it is reprinted in peloubet's _select songs_, and in the _coronation hymnal_. naturally in the days of the hymn's more frequent use people became accustomed to calling "the sands of time are sinking," "rutherford's hymn." rutherford's own words certainly furnished the memorable refrain with its immortal glow and gladness. one of his joyful exclamations as he lay dying of his lingering disease was, "glory shineth in immanuel's land!" chretien (christian) urhan, or d'urhan, was born at montjoie, france, about , and died, in paris, . he was a noted violin-player, and composer, also, of vocal and instrumental music. mrs. anne ross (cundell) cousin, daughter of david ross cundell, m.d., and widow of rev. william cousin of the free church of scotland, was born in melrose (?), . she wrote many poems, most of which are beautiful meditations rather than lyrics suitable for public song. her "rutherford hymn" was first published in the _christian treasury_, . gustavus adolphus. "_verzage nicht du hauflein klein._" the historian tells us that before the battle of lutzen, during the thirty years' war ( - ), king gustavus of sweden, in the thick fog of an autumn morning, with the bohemian and austrian armies of emperor ferdinand in front of him, knelt before his troops, and his whole army knelt with him in prayer. then ten thousand voices and the whole concert of regimental bands burst forth in this brave song: fear not, o little flock, the foe who madly seeks your overthrow, dread not his rage and power: what though your courage sometimes faints, his seeming triumph o'er god's saints lasts but a little hour. be of good cheer, your cause belongs to him who can avenge your wrongs; leave it to him, our lord: though hidden yet from all our eyes, he sees the gideon who shall rise to save us and his word. as true as god's own word is true, nor earth nor hell with all their crew, against us shall prevail: a jest and by-word they are grown; god is with us, we are his own, our victory cannot fail. amen, lord jesus, grant our prayer! great captain, now thine arm make bare, fight for us once again: so shall thy saints and martyrs raise a mighty chorus to thy praise, world without end. amen. the army of gustavus moved forward to victory as the fog lifted; but at the moment of triumph a riderless horse came galloping back to the camp. it was the horse of the martyred king. the battle song just quoted--next to luther's "ein feste burg" the most famous german hymn--has always since that day been called "gustavus adolphus' hymn"; and the mingled sorrow and joy of the event at lutzen named it also "king gustavus' swan song." gustavus adolphus did not write hymns. he could sing them, and he could make them historic--and it was this connection that identified him with the famous battle song. its author was the rev. johan michael altenburg, a lutheran clergyman, who composed apparently both hymn and tune on receiving news of the king's victory at leipsic a year before. gustavus adolphus was born in . his death on the battlefield occurred nov. , --when he was in the prime of his manhood. he was one of the greatest military commanders in history, besides being a great ruler and administrator, and a devout christian. he was, during the thirty years' war (until his untimely death), the leading champion of protestantism in europe. the english translator of the battle song was miss catherine winkworth, born in london, sept. , . she was an industrious and successful translator of german hymns, contributing many results of her work to two english editions of the _lyra germania_, to the _church book of england_, and to _christian singers of germany_. she died in . the tune of "ravendale" by walter stokes (born ) is the best modern rendering of the celebrated hymn. paul gerhardt. "_befiehl du deine wege._" paul gerhardt was one of those minstrels of experience who are-- "cradled into poetry by wrong, and learn in suffering what they teach in song." he was a graduate of that school when he wrote his "hymn of trust:" commit thou all thy griefs and ways into his hands; to his sure trust and tender care who earth and heaven commands. thou on the lord rely, so, safe, shalt thou go on; fix on his work thy steadfast eye, so shall thy work be done. * * * * * give to the winds thy fears; hope, and be undismayed; god hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, he shall lift up thy head. through waves and clouds and storms he gently clears thy way; wait thou his time, so shall this night soon end in joyous day. gerhardt was born at grafenheinchen, saxony, . through the first and best years of manhood's strength (during the thirty years' war), a wandering preacher tossed from place to place, he was without a parish and without a home. after the peace of westphalia he settled in the little village of mittenwalde. he was then forty-four years old. four years later he married and removed to a berlin church. during his residence there he buried his wife, and four of his children, was deposed from the ministry because his lutheran doctrines offended the elector frederick, and finally retired as a simple arch-deacon to a small parish in lubben, where he preached, toiled, and suffered amid a rough and uncongenial people till he died, jan. , . few men have ever lived whose case more needed a "hymn of trust"--and fewer still could have written it themselves. through all those trial years he was pouring forth his soul in devout verses, making in all no less than a hundred and twenty-five hymns--every one of them a comfort to others as well as to himself. he became a favorite, and for a time _the_ favorite, hymn-writer of all the german-speaking people. among these tones of calm faith and joy we recognize today (in the english tongue),-- since jesus is my friend, thee, o immanuel, we praise, all my heart this night rejoices, how shall i meet thee, --and the english translation of his "o haupt voll blut und wunden," turned into german by himself from st. bernard clairvaux's "salve caput cruentatum," and made dear to us in rev. james alexander's beautiful lines-- o sacred head now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown. _the tune._ a plain-song by alexander reinagle is used by some congregations, but is not remarkably expressive. reinagle, alexander robert, ( - ) of kidlington, eng., was organist to the church of st. peter-in-the-east, oxford. the great "hymn of trust" could have found no more sympathetic interpreter than the musician of gerhardt's own land and language, schumann, the gentle genius of zwickau. it bears the name "schumann," appropriately enough, and its elocution makes a volume of each quatrain, notably the one-- who points the clouds their course, whom wind and seas obey; he shall direct thy wandering feet, he shall prepare thy way. robert schumann, ph.d., was born in zwickau, saxony, june , . he was a music director and conservatory teacher, and the master-mind of the pre-wagnerian period. his compositions became popular, having a character of their own, combining the intellectual and beautiful in art. he published in leipsic a journal promotive of his school of music, and founded a choral society in dresden. happy in the coöperation of his wife, herself a skilled musician, he extended his work to vienna and the netherlands; but his zeal wore him out, and he died at the age of forty-six, universally lamented as "the eminent man who had done so much for the happiness of others." gerhardt's hymn (ten quatrains) is rarely printed entire, and where six are printed only four are usually sung. different collections choose portions according to the compiler's taste, the stanza beginning-- give to the winds thy fears, --being with some a favorite first verse. the translation of the hymn from the german is john wesley's. purely legendary is the beautiful story of the composition of the hymn, "commit thou all thy griefs"; how, after his exile from berlin, traveling on foot with his weeping wife, gerhardt stopped at a wayside inn and wrote the lines while he rested; and how a messenger from duke christian found him there, and offered him a home in meresburg. but the most ordinary imagination can fill in the possible incidents in a life of vicissitudes such as gerhardt's was. lady huntingdon. "when thou my righteous judge shalt come." selina shirley, countess of huntingdon, born , died , is familiarly known as the titled friend and patroness of whitefield and his fellow-preachers. she early consecrated herself to god, and in the great spiritual awakening under whitefield and the wesleys she was a punctual and sympathetic helper. uniting with the calvinistic methodists, she nevertheless stood aloof from none who preached a personal christ, and whose watchwords were the salvation of souls and the purification of the church. for more than fifty years she devoted her wealth to benevolence and spiritual ministries, and died at the age of eighty-four. "i have done my work," was her last testimony. "i have nothing to do but to go to my father." at various times lady huntingdon expressed her religious experience in verse, and the manful vigor of her school of faith recalls the unbending confidence of job, for she was not a stranger to affliction. god's furnace doth in zion stand, but zion's god sits by, as the refiner views his gold, with an observant eye. his thoughts are high, his love is wise, his wounds a cure intend; and, though he does not always smile, he loves unto the end. her great hymn, that keeps her memory green, has the old-fashioned flavor. "massa made god big!" was the comment on dr. bellany made by his old negro servant after that noted minister's death. in puritan piety the sternest self-depreciation qualified every thought of the creature, while every allusion to the creator was a magnificat. lady huntingdon's hymn has no flattering phrases for the human subject. "worthless worm," and "vilest of them all" indicate the true pauline or oriental prostration of self before a superior being; but there is grandeur in the metre, the awful reverence, and the scene of judgment in the stanzas--always remembering the mighty choral that has so long given the lyric its voice in the church, and is ancillary to its fame: when thou, my righteous judge, shalt come to take thy ransomed people home, shall i among them stand? shall such a worthless worm as i, who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand? i love to meet thy people now, before thy feet with them to bow, though vilest of them all; but can i bear the piercing thought, what if my name should be left out, when thou for them shalt call? o lord, prevent it by thy grace: be thou my only hiding place, in this th' accepted day; thy pardoning voice, oh let me hear, to still my unbelieving fear, nor let me fall, i pray. among thy saints let me be found, whene'er the archangel's trump shall sound, to see thy smiling face; then loudest of the throng i'll sing, while heaven's resounding arches ring with shouts of sovereign grace. _the tune._ the tune of "meribah," in which this hymn has been sung for the last sixty or more years, is one of dr. lowell mason's masterpieces. an earlier german harmony attributed to heinrich isaac and named "innsbruck" has in some few cases claimed association with the words, though composed two hundred years before lady huntingdon was born. it is strong and solemn, but its cold psalm-tune movement does not utter the deep emotion of the author's lines. "meribah" was inspired by the hymn itself, and there is nothing invidious in saying it illustrates the fact, memorable in all hymnology, of the natural obligation of a hymn to its tune. apropos of both, it is related that mason was once presiding at choir service in a certain church where the minister gave out "when thou my righteous judge shalt come" and by mistake directed the singers to "omit the second stanza." mason sat at the organ, and while playing the last strain, "be found at thy right hand," glanced ahead in the hymnbook and turned with a start just in time to command, "sing the _next_ verse!" the choir did so, and "o lord, prevent it by thy grace!" was saved from being a horrible prayer to be kept out of heaven. zinzendorf. "jesus, thy blood and righteousness." nicolaus ludwig, count von zinzendorf, was born at dresden, may , , and educated at halle and wittenberg. from his youth he evinced marked seriousness of mind, and deep religious sensibilities, and this character appeared in his sympathy with the persecuted moravians, to whom he gave domicile and domain on his large estate. for eleven years he was councillor to the elector of saxony, but subsequently, uniting with the brethren's church, he founded the settlement of herrnhut, the first home and refuge of the reorganized sect, and became a moravian minister and bishop. zinzendorf was a man of high culture, as well as profound and sincere piety and in his hymns (of which he wrote more than two thousand) he preached christ as eloquently as with his voice. the real birth-moment of his religious life is said to have been simultaneous with his study of the "ecce homo" in the dusseldorf gallery, a wonderful painting of jesus crowned with thorns. visiting the gallery one day when a young man, he gazed on the sacred face and read the legend superscribed, "all this i have done for thee; what doest thou for me?" ever afterwards his motto was "i have but one passion, and that is he, and only he"--a version of paul's "for me to live is christ." jesus, thy blood and righteousness my beauty are, my glorious dress: 'midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, with joy shall i lift up my head. bold shall i stand in thy great day, for who aught to my charge shall lay? fully absolved through these i am-- from sin and fear, from guilt and shame. lord, i believe were sinners more than sands upon the ocean shore, thou hast for all a ransom paid, for all a full atonement made. nearly all the hymns of the great moravian are now out of general use, having accomplished their mission, like the forgotten ones of gerhardt, and been superseded by others. more sung in europe, probably, now than any of the survivors is, "jesus, geh voran," ("jesus, lead on,") which has been translated into english by jane borthwick[ ] ( ). two others, both translated by john wesley, are with us, the one above quoted, and "glory to god, whose witness train." "jesus, thy blood," which is the best known, frequently appears with the alteration-- jesus, thy _robe_ of righteousness my beauty _is_, my glorious dress. [footnote : born in edinburgh .] _the tune._ "malvern," and "uxbridge" a pure gregorian, both by lowell mason, are common expressions of the hymn--the latter, perhaps, generally preferred, being less plaintive and speaking with a surer and more restful emphasis. robert seagrave. "rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings." this hymn was written early in the th century, by the rev. robert seagrave, born at twyford, leicestershire, eng., nov. , . educated at cambridge, he took holy orders in the established church, but espoused the cause of the great evangelistic movement, and became a hearty co-worker with the wesleys. judging by the lyric fire he could evidently put into his verses, one involuntarily asks if he would not have written more, and been in fact the song-leader of the spiritual reformation if there had been no charles wesley. there is not a hymn of wesley's in use on the same subject equal to the one immortal hymn of seagrave, and the only other near its time that approaches it in vigor and appealing power is doddridge's "awake my soul, stretch every nerve." but providence gave wesley the harp and appointed to the elder poet a branch of possibly equal usefulness, where he was kept too busy to enter the singers' ranks. for eleven years he was the sunday-evening lecturer at lorimer's hall, london, and often preached in whitefield's tabernacle. his hymn is one of the most soul-stirring in the english language: [illustration: s. huntingdon] rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings; thy better portion trace; rise from transitory things toward heaven, thy native place; sun and moon and stars decay, time shall soon this earth remove; rise, my soul and haste away to seats prepared above. rivers to the ocean run, nor stay in all their course; fire ascending seeks the sun; both speed them to their source: so a soul that's born of god pants to view his glorious face, upward tends to his abode to rest in his embrace. * * * * * cease, ye pilgrims, cease to mourn, press onward to the prize; soon your saviour will return triumphant in the skies. yet a season, and you know happy entrance will be given; all our sorrows left below, and earth exchanged for heaven. this hymn must have found its predestinated organ when it found-- _the tune._ "amsterdam," the work of james nares, had its birth and baptism soon after the work of seagrave; and they have been breath and bugle to the church of god ever since they became one song. in _the great musicians_, edited by francis huffer, is found this account of james nares: "he was born at hanwell, middlesex, in ; was admitted chorister at the chapel royal, under bernard gates, and when he was able to play the organ was appointed deputy for pigott, of st. george's chapel, windsor, and became organist at york minster in . he succeeded greene as organist and composer to the chapel royal in , and in the same year was made doctor of music at cambridge. he was appointed master of the children of the chapel royal in , on the death of gates. this post he resigned in , and he died in , (february ,) and was buried in st. margaret's church, westminster. "he had the reputation of being an excellent trainer of boy's voices, many of his anthems having been written to exhibit the accomplishments of his young pupils. the degree of excellence the boys attained was not won in those days without the infliction of much corporal punishment." judging from the high pulse and action in the music of "amsterdam," one would guess the energy of the man who made boy choirs--and made good ones. in the old time the rule was, "birds that can sing and won't sing, must be made to sing"; and the rule was sometimes enforced with the master's time-stick. a tune entitled "excelsius," written a hundred years later by john henry cornell, so nearly resembles "amsterdam" as to suggest an intention to amend it. it changes the modal note from g to a, but while it marches at the same pace it lacks the jubilant modulations and the choral glory of the th-century piece. sir john bowring. "in the cross of christ i glory." in this hymn we see, sitting humbly at the feet of the great author of our religion, a man who impressed himself perhaps more than any other save napoleon bonaparte upon his own generation, and who was the wonder of europe for his immense attainments and the versatility of his powers. statesman, philanthropist, biographer, publicist, linguist, historian, financier, naturalist, poet, political economist--there is hardly a branch of knowledge or a field of research from which he did not enrich himself and others, or a human condition that he did not study and influence. sir john bowring was born in . when a youth he was jeremy bentham's political pupil, but gained his first fame by his vast knowledge of european literature, becoming acquainted with no less than thirteen[ ] continental languages and dialects. he served in consular appointments at seven different capitals, carried important reform measures in parliament, was minister plenipotentiary to china and governor of hong kong, and concluded a commercial treaty with siam, where every previous commissioner had failed. but in all his crowded years the pen of this tireless and successful man was busy. besides his political, economic and religious essays, which made him a member of nearly every learned society in europe, his translations were countless, and poems and hymns of his own composing found their way to the public, among them the tender spiritual song,-- how sweetly flowed the gospel sound from lips of gentleness and grace when listening thousands gathered round, and joy and gladness filled the place, --and the more famous hymn indicated at the head of this sketch. knowledge of all religions only qualified him to worship the crucified with both faith and reason. though nominally a unitarian, to him, as to channing and martineau and edmund sears, christ was "all we know of god." [footnote : exaggerated in some accounts to _forty_.] bowring died nov. , . but his hymn to the cross will never die: in the cross of christ i glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. when the woes of life o'ertake me hopes deceive, and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me; lo! it glows with peace and joy. when the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, from the cross the radiance streaming adds new lustre to the day. bane and blessing, pain and pleasure by the cross are sanctified, peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. _the tune._ ithamar conkey's "rathbun" fits the adoring words as if they had waited for it. its air, swelling through diatonic fourth and third to the supreme syllable, bears on its waves the homage of the lines from bar to bar till the four voices come home to rest full and satisfied in the final chord-- gathers round its head sublime. ithamar conkey, was born of scotch ancestry, in shutesbury, mass., may th, . he was a noted bass singer, and was for a long time connected with the choir of the calvary church, new york city, and sang the oratorio solos. his tune of "rathbun" was composed in , and published in greatorex's collection in . he died in elizabeth, n.j., april , . chapter iii. hymns of christian devotion and experience. "jesu dulcis memoria." "jesus the very thought of thee." the original of this delightful hymn is one of the devout meditations of bernard of clairvaux, a cistercian monk ( - ). he was born of a noble family in or near dijon, burgundy, and when only twenty-three years old established a monastery at clairvaux, france, over which he presided as its first abbot. educated in the university of paris, and possessing great natural abilities, he soon made himself felt in both the religious and political affairs of europe. for more than thirty years he was the personal power that directed belief, quieted turbulence, and arbitrated disputes, and kings and even popes sought his counsel. it was his eloquent preaching that inspired the second crusade. his fine poem of feeling, in fifty latin stanzas, has been a source of pious song in several languages: jesu, dulcis memoria dans vera cordi gaudia, sed super mel et omnium ejus dulcis presentia. literally-- jesus! a sweet memory giving true joys to the heart, but sweet above honey and all things his _presence_ [is]. the five stanzas (of caswall's free translation) now in use are familiar and dear to all english-speaking believers: jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast, but sweeter far thy face to see, and in thy presence rest. nor voice can sing nor heart can frame nor can the memory find, a sweeter sound than thy blest name, o saviour of mankind. the rev. edward caswall was born in hampshire, eng., july , , the son of a clergyman. he graduated with honors at brazenose college, oxford, and after ten years of service in the ministry of the church of england joined henry newman's oratory at birmingham, was confirmed in the church of rome, and devoted the rest of his life to works of piety and charity. he died jan. , . _the tune._ no single melody has attached itself to this hymn, the scope of selection being as large as the supply of appropriate common-metre tunes. barnby's "holy trinity," wade's "holy cross" and griggs' tune (of his own name) are all good, but many, on the giving out of the hymn, would associate it at once with the more familiar "heber" by george kingsley and expect to hear it sung. it has the uplift and unction of john newton's-- how sweet the name of jesus sounds in the believer's ear. "god calling yet! shall i not hear?" gerhard tersteegen, the original author of the hymn, and one of the most eminent religious poets of the reformed german church in its early days, was born in , in the town of mors, in westphalia. he was left an orphan in boyhood by the death of his father, and as his mother's means were limited, he was put to work as an apprentice when very young, at muhlheim on the ruhr, and became a ribbon weaver. here, when about fifteen years of age, he became deeply concerned for his soul, and experienced a deep and abiding spiritual work. as a christian, his religion partook of the ascetic type, but his mysticism did not make him useless to his fellow-men. at the age of twenty-seven, he dedicated all his resources and energies to the cause of christ, writing the dedication in his own blood. "god graciously called me," he says, "out of the world, and granted me the desire to belong to him, and to be willing to follow him." he gave up secular employments altogether, and devoted his whole time to religious instruction and to the poor. his house became famous as the "pilgrims' cottage," and was visited by people high and humble from all parts of germany. in his lifetime he is said to have written one hundred and eleven hymns. died april , . god calling yet! shall i not hear? earth's pleasures shall i still hold dear? shall life's swift-passing years all fly, and still my soul in slumber lie? * * * * * god calling yet! i cannot stay; my heart i yield without delay. vain world, farewell; from thee i part; the voice of god hath reached my heart. the hymn was translated from the german by miss jane borthwick, born in edinburgh, . she and her younger sister, mrs. findlater, jointly translated and published, in , _hymns from the land of luther_, and contributed many poetical pieces to the _family treasury_. she died in . another translation, imitating the german metre, is more euphonious, though less literal and less easily fitted to music not specially composed for it, on account of its "feminine" rhymes: god calling yet! and shall i never hearken? but still earth's witcheries my spirit darken; this passing life, these passing joys all flying, and still my soul in dreamy slumbers lying? _the tune._ dr. dykes' "rivaulx" is a sober choral that articulates the hymn-writer's sentiment with sincerity and with considerable earnestness, but breathes too faintly the interrogative and expostulary tone of the lines. to voice the devout solicitude and self-remonstrance of the hymn there is no tune superior to "federal st." the hon. henry kemble oliver, author of "federal st.," was born in salem, mass., march, , and was addicted to music from his childhood. his father compelled him to relinquish it as a profession, but it remained his favorite avocation, and after his graduation from harvard the cares of none of the various public positions he held, from schoolmaster to treasurer of the state of massachusetts, could ever wean him from the study of music and its practice. at the age of thirty-one, while sitting one day in his study, the last verse of anne steele's hymn-- so fades the lovely blooming flower, --floated into his mind, and an unbidden melody came with it. as he hummed it to himself the words shaped the air, and the air shaped the words. then gentle patience smiles on pain, then dying hope revives again, --became-- see gentle patience smile on pain; see dying hope revive again; --and with the change of a word and a tense the hymn created the melody, and soon afterward the complete tune was made. two years later it was published by lowell mason, and oliver gave it the name of the street in salem on which his wife was born, wooed, won, and married. it adds a pathos to its history that "federal st." was sung at her burial. this first of oliver's tunes was followed by "harmony grove," "morning," "walnut grove," "merton," "hudson," "bosworth," "salisbury plain," several anthems and motets, and a "te deum." in his old age, at the great peace jubilee in boston, , the baton was put into his hands, and the gray-haired composer conducted the chorus of ten thousand voices as they sang the words and music of his noble harmony. the incident made "federal st." more than ever a feature of new england history. oliver died in . "my god, how endless is thy love." the spirited tune to this hymn of watts, by frederick lampe, variously named "kent" and "devonshire," historically reaches back so near to the poet's time that it must have been one of the earliest expressions of his fervent words. johan friedrich lampe, born , in saxony, was educated in music at helmstadt, and came to england in as a band musician and composer to covent garden theater. his best-known secular piece is the music written to henry carey's burlesque, "the dragon of wantley." mrs. rich, wife of the lessee of the theater, was converted under the preaching of the methodists, and after her husband's death her house became the home of lampe and his wife, where charles wesley often met him. the influence of wesley won him to more serious work, and he became one of the evangelist's helpers, supplying tunes to his singing campaigns. wesley became attached to him, and after his death--in edinburgh, --commemorated the musician in a funeral hymn. in popular favor bradbury's tune of "rolland" has now superseded the old music sung to watts' lines-- my god, how endless is thy love, thy gifts are every evening new, and morning mercies from above gently distil like early dew. * * * * * i yield my powers to thy command; to thee i consecrate my days; perpetual blessings from thy hand demand perpetual songs of praise. william batchelder bradbury, a pupil of dr. lowell mason, and the pioneer in publishing sunday-school music, was born , in york, me. his father, a veteran of the revolution, was a choir leader, and william's love of music was inherited. he left his father's farm, and came to boston, where he first heard a church-organ. encouraged by mason and others to follow music as a profession, he went abroad, studied at leipsic, and soon after his return became known as a composer of sacred tunes. he died in montclair, n.j., . "i'm not ashamed to own my lord." the favorite tune for this spiritual hymn, also by watts, is old "arlington," one of the most useful church melodies in the whole realm of english psalmody. its name clings to a boston street, and the beautiful chimes of arlington st. church (unitarian) annually ring its music on special occasions, as it has since the bells were tuned: i'm not ashamed to own my lord or to defend his cause, maintain the honor of his word, the glory of his cross. jesus, my god!--i know his name; his name is all my trust, nor will he put my soul to shame nor let my hope be lost. dr. thomas augustine arne, the creator of "arlington," was born in london, , the son of a king st. upholsterer. he studied at eton, and though intended for the legal profession, gave his whole mind to music. at twenty-three he began writing operas for his sister, susanna (a singer who afterwards became the famous tragic actress, mrs. cibber). arne's music to milton's "comus," and to "rule brittannia" established his reputation. he was engaged as composer to drury lane theater, and in received from oxford his degree of music doctor. later in life he turned his attention to oratorios, and other forms of sacred music, and was the first to introduce female voices in choir singing. he died march , , chanting hallelujahs, it is said, with his last breath. "is this the kind return?" dr. watts in this hymn gave experimental piety its hour and language of reflection and penitence: is this the kind return? are these the thanks we owe, thus to abuse eternal love whence all our blessings flow? * * * * * let past ingratitude provoke our weeping eyes. united in loving wedlock with these words in former years was "golden hill," a chime of sweet counterpoint too rare to bury its authorship under the vague phrase "a western melody." it was caught evidently from a forest bird[ ] that flutes its clear solo in the sunsets of may and june. there can be no mistaking the imitation--the same compass, the same upward thrill, the same fall and warbled turn. old-time folk used to call for it, "sing, my fairweather bird." it lingers in a few of the twenty- or thirty-years-ago collections, but stronger voices have drowned it out of the new. [footnote : the wood thrush.] "thacher," (set to the same hymn,) faintly recalls its melody. nevertheless "thacher" is a good tune. though commonly written in sharps, contrasting the b flat of its softer and more liquid rival of other days, it is one of handel's strains, and lends the meaning and pathos of the lyric text to voice and instrument. "when i survey the wondrous cross." this crown of all the sacred odes of dr. watts for the song-service of the church of god was called by matthew arnold the "greatest hymn in the english language." the day the eminent critic died he heard it sung in the sefton park presbyterian church, and repeated the opening lines softly to himself again and again after the services. the hymn is certainly _one_ of the greatest in the language. it appeared as no. in watts' third edition (about ) containing five stanzas. the second line-- on which the prince of glory died, --read originally-- where the young prince of glory died. only four stanzas are now generally used. the omitted one-- his dying crimson like a robe spreads o'er his body on the tree; then am i dead to all the globe, and all the globe is dead to me. --is a flash of tragic imagination, showing the sanguine intensity of christian vision in earlier time, when contemplating the saviour's passion; but it is too realistic for the spirit and genius of song-worship. that the great hymn was designed by the writer for communion seasons, and was inspired by gal. : , explains the two last lines if not the whole of the highly colored verse. _the tune._ one has a wide field of choice in seeking the best musical interpretation of this royal song of faith and self-effacement: when i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain i count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. forbid it, lord, that i should boast save in the death of christ my god; all the vain things that charm me most, i sacrifice them to his blood. see from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down; did e'er such love and sorrow meet; or thorns compose so rich a crown? were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. to match the height and depth of these words with fitting glory of sound might well have been an ambition of devout composers. rev. g.c. wells' tune in the _revivalist_, with its emotional chorus, i.b. woodbury's "eucharist" in the _methodist hymnal_, henry smart's effective choral in barnby's _hymnary_ (no. ), and a score of others, have woven the feeling lines into melody with varying success. worshippers in spiritual sympathy with the words may question if, after all, old "hamburg," the best of mason's loved gregorians, does not, alone, in tone and elocution, rise to the level of the hymn. "love divine, all loves excelling." this evergreen song-wreath to the crucified, was contributed by charles wesley, in . it is found in his collection of , _hymns for those that seek and those that have redemption in the blood of jesus christ_. love divine all loves excelling, joy of heaven to earth come down, fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. * * * * * come almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive, suddenly return, and never, nevermore thy temples leave. * * * * * finish then thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be; let us see our whole salvation perfectly secured by thee. changed from glory into glory till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee lost in wonder, love and praise! the hymn has been set to h. isaac's ancient tune ( ), to wyeth's "nettleton" ( ), to thos. h. bailey's ( - ) "isle of beauty, fare thee well" (named from thomas moore's song), to edward hopkins' "st. joseph," and to a multitude of others more or less familiar. most familiar of all perhaps, (as in the instance of "far from mortal cares retreating,") is its association with "greenville," the production of that brilliant but erratic genius and freethinker, jean jacques rousseau. it was originally a love serenade, ("days of absence, sad and dreary") from the opera of _le devin du village_, written about . the song was commonly known years afterwards as "rousseau's dream." but the unbelieving philosopher, musician, and misguided moralist builded better than he knew, and probably better than he meant when he wrote his immortal choral. whatever he heard in his "dream" (and one legend says it was a "song of angels") he created a harmony dear to the church he despised, and softened the hearts of the christian world towards an evil teacher who was inspired, like balaam, to utter one sacred strain. rousseau was born in geneva, , but he never knew his mother, and neither the affection or interest of his father or of his other relatives was of the quality to insure the best bringing up of a child. he died july, . but his song survives, while the world gladly forgets everything else he wrote. it is almost a pardonable exaggeration to say that every child in christendom knows "greenville." "when all thy mercies, o my god." this charming hymn was written by addison, the celebrated english poet and essayist, about , in grateful commemoration of his delivery from shipwreck in a storm off the coast of genoa, italy. it originally contained thirteen stanzas, but no more than four or six are commonly sung. it has put the language of devotional gratitude into the mouths of thousands of humble disciples who could but feebly frame their own: when all thy mercies, o my god my rising soul surveys, transported with the view i'm lost in wonder, love and praise. unnumbered comforts on my soul thy tender care bestowed before my infant heart conceived from whom those comforts flowed. when in the slippery paths of youth with heedless steps i ran, thine arm unseen conveyed me safe, and led me up to man. another hymn of addison-- how are thy servants bless'd, o lord, --was probably composed after the same return from a foreign voyage. it has been called his "traveller's hymn." joseph addison, the best english writer of his time, was the son of lancelot addison, rector of milston, wiltshire, and afterwards dean of litchfield. the distinguished author was born in milston rectory, may , , and was educated at oxford. his excellence in poetry, both english and latin, gave him early reputation, and a patriotic ode obtained for him the patronage of lord somers. a pension from king william iii. assured him a comfortable income, which was increased by further honors, for in he was appointed commissioner of appeals, then secretary of the lord lieutenant of ireland, and in secretary of state. he died in holland house, kensington, near london, june , . his hymns are not numerous, (said to be only five), but they are remarkable for the simple beauty of their style, as well as for their christian spirit. of his fine metrical version of the rd psalm,-- the lord my pasture shall prepare, and feed me with a shepherd's care, --one of his earliest productions, the tradition is that he gathered its imagery when a boy living at netheravon, near salisbury plain, during his lonely two-mile walks to school at amesbury and back again. all his hymns appeared first in the _spectator_, to which he was a prolific contributor. _the tune._ the hymn "when all thy mercies" still has "geneva" for its vocal mate in some congregational manuals. the tune is one of the rare survivals of the old "canon" musical method, the parts coming in one after another with identical notes. it is always delightful as a performance with its glory of harmony and its sweet duet, and for generations it had no other words than addison's hymn. john cole, author of "geneva," was born in tewksbury, eng., , and came to the united states in his boyhood ( ). baltimore, md. became his american home, and he was educated there. early in life he became a musician and music publisher. at least twelve of his principal song collections from to are mentioned by mr. hubert p. main, most of them sacred and containing many of his own tunes. he continued to compose music till his death, aug. , . mr. cole was leader of the regimental band known as "the independent blues," which played in the war of , and was present at the "north point" fight, and other battles. besides "geneva," for real feeling and harmonic beauty "manoah," adapted from haydn's creation, deserves mention as admirably suited to "addison's" hymn, and also "belmont," by samuel webbe, which resembles it in style and sentiment. samuel webbe, composer of "belmont," was of english parentage but was born in minorca, balearic islands, in , where his father at that time held a government appointment; but his father, dying suddenly, left his family poor, and samuel was apprenticed to a cabinet-maker. he served his apprenticeship, and immediately repaired to a london teacher and began the study of music and languages. surmounting great difficulties, he became a competent musician, and made himself popular as a composer of glees. he was also the author of several masses, anthems, and hymn-tunes, the best of which are still in occasional use. died in london, . "jesus, i love thy charming name." when dr. doddridge, the author of this hymn, during his useful ministry, had finished the preparation of a pulpit discourse that strongly impressed him, he was accustomed, while his heart was yet glowing with the sentiment that had inspired him, to put the principal thoughts into metre, and use the hymn thus written at the conclusion of the preaching of the sermon. this hymn of christian ardor was written to be sung after a sermon from romans : , "who shall separate us from the love of christ?" jesus, i love thy charming name, 'tis music to mine ear: fain would i sound it out so loud that earth and heaven should hear. * * * * * i'll speak the honors of thy name with my last laboring breath, then speechless, clasp thee in my arms, the conqueror of death. earlier copies have-- the _antidote_ of death. philip doddridge, d.d., was born in london, june , . educated at kingston grammar school and kibworth academy, he became a scholar of respectable attainments, and was ordained to the non-conformist ministry. he was pastor of the congregational church at northampton, from until his death, acting meanwhile as principal of the theological school in that place. in he ceased to preach and went to lisbon for his health, but died there about two years later, of consumption, oct. , . _the tune._ the hymn has been sometimes sung to "pisgah," an old revival piece by j.c. lowry ( ) once much heard in camp-meetings, but it is a pedestrian tune with too many quavers, and a headlong tempo. bradbury's "jazer," in three-four time, is a melody with modulations, though more sympathetic, but it is hard to divorce the hymn from its long-time consort, old "arlington." it has the accent of its sincerity, and the breath of its devotion. "lo, on a narrow neck of land." this hymn of charles wesley is always designated now by the above line, the first of the _second_ stanza as originally written. it is said to have been composed at land's end, in cornwall, with the british channel and the broad atlantic in view and surging on both sides around a "narrow neck of land." lo! on a narrow neck of land, twixt two unbounded seas, i stand, secure, insensible: a point of time, a moment's space, removes me to that heavenly place, or shuts me up in hell. o god, mine inmost soul convert, and deeply on my thoughtful heart eternal things impress: give me to feel their solemn weight, and tremble on the brink of fate, and wake to righteousness. the preachers and poets of the great spiritual movement of the eighteenth century in england abated nothing in the candor of their words. the terrible earnestness of conviction tipped their tongues and pens with fire. _the tune._ lady huntingdon would have lent "meribah" gladly to this hymn, but mason was not yet born. many times it has been borrowed for wesley's words since it came to its own, and the spirit of the pious countess has doubtless approved the loan. it is rich enough to furnish forth her own lyric and more than one other of like matter and metre. the muscular music of "ganges" has sometimes carried the hymn, and there are those who think its thunder is not a whit more hebraic than the words require. "come ye sinners poor and needy." few hymns have been more frequently sung in prayer-meetings and religious assemblies during the last hundred and fifty years. its author, joseph hart, spoke what he knew and testified what he felt. born in london, , and liberally educated, he was in his young manhood very religious, but he went so far astray as to indulge in evil practices, and even published writings, both original and translated, against christianity and religion of any kind. but he could not drink at the dead sea and live. the apples of sodom sickened him. conscience asserted itself, and the pangs of remorse nearly drove him to despair till he turned back to the source he had forsaken. he alludes to this experience in the lines-- let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream; all the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him. during passion week, , he had an amazing view of the sufferings of christ, under the stress of which his heart was changed. in the joy of this experience he wrote-- come ye sinners poor and needy, --and-- come all ye chosen saints of god. probably no two hymn-lines have been oftener repeated than-- if you tarry till you're better you will never come at all. the complete form of the original stanzas is: come ye sinners poor and needy, weak and wounded, sick and sore; jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love and power. he is able, he is willing; doubt no more. the whole hymn--ten stanzas--is not sung now as one, but two, the second division beginning with the line-- come ye weary, heavy laden. rev. joseph hart became minister of jewin st. congregational chapel, london, about , where he labored till his death, may , . _the tune._ a revival song by jeremiah ingalls ( - ), written about , with an easy, popular swing and a _sforzando_ chorus-- turn to the lord and seek salvation, --monopolized this hymn for a good many years. the tunes commonly assigned to it have since been "greenville" and von weber's "wilmot," in which last it is now more generally sung--dropping the echo lines at the end of each stanza. carl maria von weber, son of a roving musician, was born in eutin, germany, . he developed no remarkable genius till he was about twenty years old, though being a fine vocalist, his singing brought him popularity and gain; but in he nearly lost his voice by accidently drinking nitric acid. he was for several years private secretary to duke ludwig at stuttgart, and in chapel-master at prague, from which place he went to dresden in as musik-director. von weber's korner songs won the hearts of all germany; and his immortal "der freischutz" (the free archer), and numerous tender melodies like the airs to "john anderson, my jo" and "o poortith cauld" have gone to all civilized nations. no other composer had such feeling for beauty of sound. this beloved musician was physically frail and delicate, and died of untimely decline, during a visit to london in . "o happy saints who dwell in light." sometimes printed "o happy _souls_." this poetical and flowing hymn seems to have been forgotten in the making up of most modern church hymnals. hymns on heaven and heavenly joys abound in embarrassing numbers, but it is difficult to understand why this beautiful lyric should be _universally_ neglected. it was written probably about , by rev. john berridge, from the text, "blessed are the dead who die in the lord," the first line of the second stanza-- released from sorrow, toil and strife, --has been tinkered in some of the older hymn-books, where it is found to read--, released from sorrows toil and _grief_, --not only committing a tautology, but destroying the perfect rhyme with "life" in the next line. the whole hymn, too, has been much altered by substituted words and shifted lines, though not generally to the serious detriment of its meaning and music. the rev. john berridge--friend of the wesleys, whitefield, and lady huntingdon--was an eccentric but very worthy and spiritual minister, born the son of a farmer, in kingston, nottinghamshire, eng., mar. , . he studied at cambridge, and was ordained curate of stapleford and subsequently located as vicar of everton, . he died jan. , . he loved to preach, and he was determined that his tombstone should preach after his voice was still. his epitaph, composed by himself, is both a testimony and a memoir: "here lie the earthly remains of john berridge, late vicar of everton, and an itinerant servant of jesus christ, who loved his master and his work, and after running his errands many years, was called up to wait on him above. "reader, art thou born again? "no salvation without the new birth. "i was born in sin, february, . "remained ignorant of my fallen state till . "lived proudly on faith and works for salvation till . "admitted to everton vicarage, . "fled to jesus alone for refuge, . "fell asleep in jesus christ,--" ( .) _the tune._ the once popular score that easily made the hymn a favorite, was "salem," in the old _psalmodist_. it still appears in some note-books, though the name of its composer is uncertain. its notes (in - time) succeed each other in syllabic modulations that give a soft dactylic accent to the measure and a wavy current to the lines: o happy saints that dwell in light, and walk with jesus clothed in white, safe landed on that peaceful shore, where pilgrims meet to part no more: released from sorrow, toil and strife, death was the gate to endless life, and now they range the heavenly plains and sing his love in melting strains. another version reads: ----and welcome to an endless life, their souls have now begun to prove the height and depth of jesus' love. "thou dear redeemer, dying lamb." the author, john cennick, like joseph hart, was led to christ after a reckless boyhood and youth, by the work of the divine spirit in his soul, independent of any direct outward influence. sickened of his cards, novels, and playhouse pleasures, he had begun a sort of mechanical reform, when one day, walking in the streets of london, he suddenly seemed to hear the text spoken "i am thy salvation!" his consecration began at that moment. he studied for the ministry, and became a preacher, first under direction of the wesleys, then under whitefield, but afterwards joined the moravians, or "brethren." he was born at reading, derbyshire, eng., dec. , , and died in london, july , . _the tune._ the word "rhine" (in some collections--in others "emmons") names a revival tune once so linked with this hymn and so well known that few religious people now past middle life could enjoy singing it to any other. with a compass one note beyond an octave and a third, it utters every line with a clear, bold gladness sure to infect a meeting with its own spiritual fervor. thou dear redeemer, dying lamb, i love to hear of thee; no music like thy charming name, nor half so sweet can be. the composer of the bright legato melody just described was frederick burgmüller, a young german musician, born in . he was a remarkable genius, both in composition and execution, but his health was frail, and he did not live to fulfil the rich possibilities that lay within him. he died in --only twenty years old. the tune "rhine" ("emmons") is from one of his marches. "while thee i seek, protecting power." helen maria williams wrote this sweet hymn, probably about the year . she was a brilliant woman, better known in literary society for her political verses and essays than by her hymns; but the hymn here noted bears sufficient witness to her deep religious feeling: while thee i seek, protecting power, be my vain wishes stilled, and may this consecrated hour with better hopes be filled. thy love the power of thought bestowed; to thee my thoughts would soar, thy mercy o'er my life has flowed, that mercy i adore. miss williams was born in the north of england, nov. , , but spent much of her life in london, and in paris, where she died, dec. , . _the tune._ wedded so many years to the gentle, flowing music of pleyel's "brattle street," few lovers of the hymn recall its words without the melody of that emotional choral. the plain psalm-tune, "simpson," by louis spohr, divides the stanzas into quatrains. "jesus my all to heaven is gone." this hymn, by cennick, was familiarized to the public more than two generations ago by its revival tune, sometimes called "duane street," long-metre double. it is staffed in various keys, but its movement is full of life and emphasis, and its melody is contagious. the piece was composed by rev. george coles, in . the fact that this hymn of cennick with coles's tune appears in the _new methodist hymnal_ indicates the survival of both in modern favor. [illustration: augustus montague toplady] jesus my all to heaven is gone, he whom i fixed my hopes upon; his track i see, and i'll pursue the narrow way till him i view. the way the holy prophets went, the road that leads from banishment, the king's highway of holiness i'll go for all thy paths are peace. the memory has not passed away of the hearty unison with which prayer-meeting and camp-meeting assemblies used to "crescendo" the last stanza-- then will i tell to sinners round what a dear saviour i have found; i'll point to his redeeming blood, and say "behold the way to god." the rev. george coles was born in stewkley, eng., jan. , , and died in new york city, may , . he was editor of the _n.y. christian advocate_, and _sunday school advocate_, for several years, and was a musician of some ability, besides being a good singer. "sweet the moments, rich in blessing." the hon. and rev. walter shirley, rector of loughgree, county of galway, ireland, revised this hymn under the chastening discipline of a most trying experience. his brother, the earl of ferrars, a licentious man, murdered an old and faithful servant in a fit of rage, and was executed at tyburn for the crime. sir walter, after the disgrace and long distress of the imprisonment, trial, and final tragedy, returned to his little parish in ireland, humbled but driven nearer to the cross. sweet the moments, rich in blessing which before the cross i spend; life and health and peace possessing from the sinner's dying friend. all the emotion of one who buries a mortifying sorrow in the heart of christ, and tries to forget, trembles in the lines of the above hymn as he changed and adapted it in his saddest but devoutest hours. its original writer was the rev. james allen, nearly twenty years younger than himself, a man of culture and piety, but a christian of shifting creeds. it is not impossible that he sent his hymn to shirley to revise. at all events it owes its present form to shirley's hand. truly blesséd is the station low before his cross to lie, while i see divine compassion beaming in his gracious eye.[ ] [footnote : "floating in his languid eye" seems to have been the earlier version.] the influence of sir walter's family misfortune is evident also in the mood out of which breathed his other trustful lines-- peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan hath taught these rocks the notes of woe, (changed now to "hath taught _these scenes_" etc). sir walter shirley, cousin of the countess of huntingdon, was born , and died in . even in his last sickness he continued to preach to his people in his house, seated in his chair. rev. james oswald allen was born at gayle, yorkshire, eng., june , . he left the university of cambridge after a year's study, and became an itinerant preacher, but seems to have been a man of unstable religious views. after roving from one christian denomination to another several times, he built a chapel, and for forty years ministered there to a small independent congregation. he died in gayle, oct. , . the tune long and happily associated with "sweet the moments" is "sicily," or the "sicilian hymn"--from an old latin hymn-tune, "o sanctissima." "o for a closer walk with god." the author, william cowper, son of a clergyman, was born at berkhampstead, hertfordshire, eng., nov. , , and died at dereham, norfolk, april , . through much of his adult life he was afflicted with a mental ailment inducing melancholia and at times partial insanity, during which he once attempted suicide. he sought literary occupation as an antidote to his disorder of mind, and besides a great number of lighter pieces which diverted him and his friends, composed "the task," an able and delightful moral and domestic poetic treatise in blank verse, and in the same style of verse translated homer's _odyssey_ and _iliad_. one of the most beloved of english poets, this suffering man was also a true christian, and wrote some of our sweetest and most spiritual hymns. most of these were composed at olney, where he resided for a time with john newton, his fellow hymnist, and jointly with him issued the volume known as the _olney hymns_. _the tune._ music more or less closely identified with this familiar hymn is gardiner's "dedham," and also "mear," often attributed to aaron williams. both, about equally with the hymn, are seasoned by time, but have not worn out their harmony--or their fitness to cowper's prayer. william gardiner was born in leicester, eng., march , , and died there nov. , . he was a vocal composer and a "musicographer" or writer on musical subjects. one aaron williams, to whom "mear" has by some been credited, was of welsh descent, a composer of psalmody and clerk of the scotch church in london. he was born in , and died in . another account, and the more probable one, names a minister of boston of still earlier date as the author of the noble old harmony. it is found in a small new england collection of , but not in any english or scotch collection. "mear" is presumably an american tune. "what various hindrances we meet." another hymn of cowper's; and no one ever suffered more deeply the plaintive regret in the opening lines, or better wrought into poetic expression an argument for prayer. what various hindrances we meet in coming to a mercy-seat! yet who that knows the worth of prayer but wishes to be often there? prayer makes the darkest clouds withdraw, prayer climbs the ladder jacob saw. the whole hymn is (or once was) so thoroughly learned by heart as to be fixed in the church among its household words. preachers to the diffident do not forget to quote-- have you no words? ah, think again; words flow apace when you _complain_. * * * * * were half the breath thus vainly spent to heaven in supplication sent, our cheerful song would oftener be, "hear what the lord hath done for me!" and there is all the lifetime of a proverb in the couplet-- satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees. tune, lowell mason's "rockingham." "my gracious redeemer i love." this is one of benjamin francis's lays of devotion. the christian welshman who bore that name was a gospel minister full of evangelical zeal, who preached in many places, though his pastoral home was with the baptist church in shortwood, wales. flattering calls to london could not tempt him away from his first and only parish, and he remained there till his triumphant death. he was born in , and died in . my gracious redeemer i love, his praises aloud i'll proclaim, and join with the armies above, to shout his adorable name. to gaze on his glories divine shall be my eternal employ; to see them incessantly shine, my boundless, ineffable joy. tune, "birmingham"--an english melody. anonymous. "blest be the tie that binds." perhaps the best hymn-expression of sacred brotherhood, at least it has had, and still has the indorsement of constant use. the author, john fawcett, d.d., is always quoted as the example of his own words, since he sacrificed ambition and personal interest to christian affection. born near bradford, yorkshire, jan. , , and converted under the preaching of whitefield, he joined the methodists, but afterwards became a member of the new baptist church in bradford. seven years later he was ordained over the baptist society at wainsgate. in he received a call to succeed the celebrated dr. gill, in london, and accepted. but at the last moment, when his goods were packed for removal, the clinging love of his people, weeping their farewells around him, melted his heart. their passionate regrets were more than either he or his good wife could withstand. "i will _stay_," he said; "you may unpack my goods, and we will live for the lord lovingly together." it was out of this heart experience that the tender hymn was born. our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. dr. fawcett died july , . tune, "boylston," l. mason; or "dennis," h.g. nägeli. "i love thy kingdom, lord." "dr. dwight's hymn," as this is known _par eminence_ among many others from his pen, is one of the imperishable lyrics of the christian church. the real spirit of the hundred and twenty-second psalm is in it, and it is worthy of watts in his best moments. timothy dwight was born at northampton, mass, may , , and graduated at yale college at the age of thirteen. he wrote several religious poems of considerable length. in he was elected president of yale college, and in he revised watts' psalms, at the request of the general association of connecticut, adding a number of translations of his own. i love thy kingdom, lord, the house of thine abode, the church our blest redeemer saved with his own precious blood. i love thy church, o god; her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. dr. dwight died jan. , . tune, "st. thomas," aaron williams, ( - .) mr. hubert p. main, however, believes the author to be handel. it appeared as the second movement of a four-movement tune in williams's collection, which contained pieces by the great masters, with his own; but while not credited to handel, williams did not claim it himself. "mid scenes of confusion." this hymn, common in chapel hymnbooks half a century and more ago, is said to have been written by the rev. david denham, about . _the tune._ "home, sweet home" was composed, according to the old account, by john howard payne as one of the airs in his opera of "clari, the maid of milan," which was brought out in london at drury lane in . but charles mackay, the english poet, in the london telegraph, asserts that sir henry bishop, an eminent musician, in his vain search for a sicilian national air, _invented_ one, and that it was the melody of "home, sweet home," which he afterwards set to howard payne's words. mr. mackay had this story from sir henry himself. mid scenes of confusion and creature complaints how sweet to my soul is communion with saints, to find at the banquet of mercy there's room and feel in the presence of jesus at home. home, home, sweet, sweet home! prepare me, dear savior for glory, my home. john howard payne, author at least, of the original _words_ of "home, sweet home," was born in new york city june , . he was a singer, and became an actor and theatrical writer. he composed the words of his immortal song in the year , when he was himself homeless and hungry and sheltered temporarily in an attic in paris. his fortunes improved at last, and he was appointed to represent his native country as consul in tunis, where he died, apr. , . "o, could i speak the matchless worth." the writer of this hymn of worshiping ardor and exalted christian love was an english baptist minister, the rev. samuel medley. he was born at cheshunt, hertfordshire, june , , and at eighteen years of age entered the royal navy, where, though he had been piously educated, he became dissipated and morally reckless. wounded in a sea fight off cape lagos, and in dread of amputation he prayed penitently through nearly a whole night, and in the morning the surprised surgeon told him his limb could be saved. the voice of his awakened conscience was not wholly disregarded, though it was not till some time after he left the navy that his vow to begin a religious life was sincerely kept. after teaching school for four years, he began to preach in , wartford in hertfordshire being the first scene of his godly labors. he died in liverpool july , , at the end of a faithful ministry there of twenty-seven years. a small edition of his hymns was published during his lifetime, in . o could i speak the matchless worth, o could i sound the glories forth which in my saviour shine, i'd soar and touch the heavenly strings and vie with gabriel while he sings, in notes almost divine! _the tune._ "colebrook," a plain choral; but with a noble movement, by henry smart, is the english music to this fine lyric, but dr. mason's "ariel" is the american favorite. it justifies its name, for it has wings--in both full harmony and duet--and its melody feels the glory of the hymn at every bar. "rock of ages cleft for me." augustus montagu toplady, author of this almost universal hymn, was born at farnham, surrey, eng., nov. , . educated at westminster school, and trinity college, dublin, he took orders in the established church. in his doctrinal debates with the wesleys he was a harsh controversialist; but his piety was sincere, and marked late in life by exalted moods. physically he was frail, and his fiery zeal wore out his body. transferred from his vicarage at broad hembury, devonshire, to knightsbridge, london, at twenty-eight years of age, his health began to fail before he was thirty-five, and in one of his periods of illness he wrote-- when languor and disease invade this trembling house of clay, 'tis sweet to look beyond my pains and long to fly away. and the same homesickness for heaven appears under a different figure in another hymn-- at anchor laid remote from home, toiling i cry, "sweet spirit, come! celestial breeze, no longer stay, but swell my sails, and speed my way!" possessed of an ardent religious nature, his spiritual frames exemplified in a notable degree the emotional side of calvinistic piety. edward payson himself, was not more enraptured in immediate view of death than was this young london priest and poet. unquestioning faith became perfect certainty. as in the bold metaphor of "rock of ages," the faith finds voice in-- a debtor to mercy alone, --and other hymns in his collection of , two years before the end came. most of this devout writing was done in his last days, and he continued it as long as strength was left, until, on the th of august, , he joyfully passed away. somehow there was always something peculiarly heartsome and "filling" to pious minds in the lines of toplady in days when his minor hymns were more in vogue than now, and they were often quoted, without any idea whose making they were. "at anchor laid" was crooned by good old ladies at their spinning-wheels, and godly invalids found "when languor and disease invade" a comfort next to their bibles. "rock of ages" is said to have been written after the author, during a suburban walk, had been forced to shelter himself from a thunder shower, under a cliff. this is, however, but one of several stories about the birth-occasion of the hymn. it has been translated into many languages. one of the foreign dignitaries visiting queen victoria at her "golden jubilee" was a native of madagascar, who surprised her by asking leave to sing, but delighted her, when leave was given, by singing "rock of ages." it was a favorite of hers--and of prince albert, who whispered it when he was dying. people who were school-children when rev. justus vinton came home to willington, ct., with two karen pupils, repeat to-day the "la-pa-ta, i-oo-i-oo" caught by sound from the brown-faced boys as they sang their native version of "rock of ages." gen. j.e.b. stuart, the famous confederate cavalry leader, mortally wounded at yellow tavern, va., and borne to a richmond hospital, called for his minister and requested that "rock of ages" be sung to him. the last sounds heard by the few saved from the wreck of the steamer "london" in the bay of biscay, , were the voices of the helpless passengers singing "rock of ages" as the ship went down. a company of armenian christians sang "rock of ages" in their native tongue while they were being massacred in constantinople. no history of this grand hymn of faith forgets the incident of gladstone writing a latin translation of it while sitting in the house of commons. that remarkable man was as masterly in his scholarly recreations as in his statesmanship. the supreme christian sentiment of the hymn had permeated his soul till it spoke to him in a dead language as eloquently as in the living one; and this is what he made of it: _toplady._ rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee; let the water and the blood, from thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power. not the labor of my hands can fulfil thy law's demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears for ever flow, all for sin could not atone, thou must save, and thou alone. nothing in my hand i bring, simply to thy cross i cling; naked, come to thee for dress, helpless, look to thee for grace: foul, i to the fountain fly; wash, me, saviour, or i die. whilst i draw this fleeting breath, when my eyestrings break in death; when i soar through tracts unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. _gladstone._ jesus, pro me perforatus, condar intra tuum latus; tu per lympham profluentem, tu per sanguinem tepentem, in peccata mi redunda, tolle culpam, sordes munda! coram te nec justus forem quamvis tota vi laborem, nec si fide nunquam cesso, fletu stillans indefesso; tibi soli tantum munus-- salva me, salvator unus! nil in manu mecum fero, sed me versus crucem gero: vestimenta nudus oro, opem debilis imploro, fontem christi quæro immundus, nisi laves, moribundus. dum hos artus vita regit, quando nox sepulcro legit; mortuos quum stare jubes, sedens judex inter nubes;-- jesus, pro me perforatus, condar intra tuum latus! the wonderful hymn has suffered the mutations common to time and taste. when i soar thro' tracts unknown --becomes-- when i soar to worlds unknown, --getting rid of the unpoetic word, and bettering the elocution, but missing the writer's thought (of the unknown _path_,--instead of going to many "worlds"). the unitarians have their version, with substitutes for the "atonement lines." but the christian lyric maintains its life and inspiration through the vicissitudes of age and use, as all intrinsically superior things can and will,--and as in the twentieth line,-- when my eyestrings break in death; --modernized to-- when my eyelids close in death, --the hymn will ever adapt itself to the new exigencies of common speech, without losing its vitality and power. _the tune._ a happy inspiration of dr. thomas hastings made the hymn and music inevitably one. almost anywhere to call for the tune of "toplady" (namesake of the pious poet) is as unintelligible to the multitude as "key" would be to designate the "star-spangled banner." the common people--thanks to dr. hastings--have learned "rock of ages" by _sound_. thomas hastings was born in washington, ct., . for eight years he was editor of the _western recorder_, but he gave his life to church music, and besides being a talented tone-poet he wrote as many as six hundred hymns. in , by invitation from twelve new york churches, he went to that city, and did the main work of his life there, dying, in , at the good old age of eighty-nine. his musical collections number fifty-three. he wrote his famous tune in . [illustration: thomas hastings] "my soul be on thy guard" strangely enough, this hymn, a trumpet note of christian warning and resolution, was written by one who himself fell into unworthy ways.[ ] but the one strong and spiritual watch-song by which he is remembered appeals for him, and lets us know possibly, something of his own conflicts. we can be thankful for the struggle he once made, and for the hymn it inspired. it is a voice of caution to others. [footnote : i have been unable to verify this statement found in mr. butterworth's "story of the hymns."--t.b.] george heath, the author, was an english minister, born in ; died . for a time he was pastor of a presbyterian church at honiton, devonshire, and was evidently a prolific writer, having composed a hundred and forty-four hymns, an edition of which was printed. _the tune._ no other has been so familiarly linked with the words as lowell mason's "laban" ( ). it has dash and animation enough to reënforce the hymn, and give it popular life, even if the hymn had less earnestness and vigor of its own. ne'er think the vict'ry won nor lay thine armor down: thy arduous work will not be done till thou hast gained thy crown. fight on, my soul till death shall bring thee to thy god; he'll take thee at thy parting breath to his divine abode. "people of the living god." montgomery _felt_ every line of this hymn as he committed it to paper. he wrote it when, after years in the "swim" of social excitements and ambitions, where his young independence swept him on, he came back to the little church of his boyhood. his father and mother had gone to the west indies as missionaries, and died there. he was forty-three years old when, led by divine light, he sought readmission to the moravian "meeting" at fulneck, and anchored happily in a haven of peace. people of the living god i have sought the world around, paths of sin and sorrow trod, peace and comfort nowhere found: now to you my spirit turns-- turns a fugitive unblest; brethren, where your altar burns, oh, receive me into rest. james montgomery, son of rev. john montgomery, was born at irvine, ayrshire, scotland, nov. , , and educated at the moravian seminary at fulneck, yorkshire, eng. he became the editor of the _sheffield iris_, and his pen was busy in non-professional as well as professional work until old age. he died in sheffield, april , . his literary career was singularly successful; and a glance through any complete edition of his poems will tell us why. his hymns were all published during his lifetime, and all, as well as his longer pieces, have the purity and polished beauty, if not the strength, of addison's work. like addison, too, he could say that he had written no line which, dying, he would wish to blot. the best of montgomery was in his hymns. these were too many to enumerate here, and the more enduring ones too familiar to need enumeration. the church and the world will not soon forget "the home in heaven,"-- forever with the lord, amen, so let it be. life from the dead is in that word; 'tis immortality. nor-- o where shall rest be found, --with its impressive couplet-- 'tis not the whole of life to live nor all of death to die. nor the haunting sweetness of-- there is a calm for those who weep. nor, indeed, the hymn of christian love just now before us. _the tune._ the melody exactly suited to the gentle trochaic step of the home-song, "people of the living god," is "whitman," composed for it by lowell mason. few christians, in america, we venture to say, could hear an instrument play "whitman" without mentally repeating montgomery's words. "to leave my dear friends." this hymn, called "the bower of prayer," was dear to christian hearts in many homes and especially in rural chapel worship half a century ago and earlier, and its sweet legato melody still lingers in the memories of aged men and women. elder john osborne, a new hampshire preacher of the "christian" (_christ-ian_) denomination, is said to have composed the tune (and possibly the words) about --though apparently the music was arranged from a flute interlude in one of haydn's themes. the warbling notes of the air are full of heart-feeling, and usually the best available treble voice sang it as a solo. to leave my dear friends and from neighbors to part, and go from my home, it affects not my heart like the thought of absenting myself for a day from that blest retreat i have chosen to pray, i have chosen to pray. the early shrill notes of the loved nightingale that dwelt in the bower, i observed as my bell: it called me to duty, while birds in the air sang anthems of praises as i went to prayer, as i went to prayer.[ ] how sweet were the zephyrs perfumed by the pine, the ivy, the balsam, the wild eglantine, but sweeter, o, sweeter superlative were the joys that i tasted in answer to prayer, in answer to prayer. [footnote : the _american vocalist_ omits this stanza as too fanciful as well as too crude] "saviour, thy dying love." this hymn of grateful piety was written in , by rev. s. dryden phelps, d.d., of new haven, and first published in _pure gold_, ; afterwards in the (earlier) _baptist hymn and tune book_. saviour, thy dying love thou gavest me, nor should i aught withhold dear lord, from thee. * * * * * give me a faithful heart, likeness to thee, that each departing day henceforth may see some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done, some wand'rer sought and won, something for thee. the penultimate line, originally "some sinful wanderer won," was altered by the author himself. the hymn is found in most baptist hymnals, and was inserted by mr. sankey in _gospel hymns no. _. it has since won its way into several revival collections and undenominational manuals. rev. sylvester dryden phelps, d.d., was born in suffield, ct., may , , and studied at the connecticut literary institution in that town. an early call to the ministry turned his talents to the service of the church, and his long settlement--comprising what might be called his principal life work--was in new haven, where he was pastor of the first baptist church twenty-nine years. he died there nov. , . _the tune._ the rev. robert lowry admired the hymn, and gave it a tune perfectly suited to its metre and spirit. it has never been sung in any other. the usual title of it is "something for jesus." the meaning and sentiment of both words and music are not unlike miss havergal's-- i gave my life for thee. "in some way or other." this song of christian confidence was written by mrs. martha a.w. cook, wife of the rev. parsons cook, editor of the _puritan recorder_, boston. it was published in the _american messenger_ in , and is still in use here, as a german version of it is in germany. the first stanza follows, in the two languages: in some way or other the lord will provide. it may not be my way, it may not be thy way, and yet in his own way the lord will provide. sei's so oder anders, der herr wird's versehn; mag's nicht sein, wie ich will, mag's nicht sein, wie du willst, doch wird's sein, wie er will: der herr wird's versehn. in the english version the easy flow of the two last lines into one sentence is an example of rhythmic advantage over the foreign syntax. mrs. cook was married to the well-known clergyman and editor, parsons cook, ( - ) in bridgeport, ct., and survived him at his death in lynn, mass. she was miss martha ann woodbridge, afterwards mrs. hawley, and a widow at the time of her re-marriage as mr. cook's second wife. _the tune._ professor calvin s. harrington, of wesleyan university, middletown, ct., set music to the words as printed in _winnowed hymns_ ( ) and arranged by dr. eben tourjee, organizer of the great american peace jubilee in boston. in the _gospel hymns_ it is, however, superseded by the more popular composition of philip phillips. dr. eben tourjee, late dean of the college of music in boston university, and founder and head of the new england conservatory, was born in warwick, r.i., june , . with only an academy education he rose by native genius, from a hard-working boyhood to be a teacher of music and a master of its science. from a course of study in europe he returned and soon made his reputation as an organizer of musical schools and sangerfests. the new england conservatory of music was first established by him in providence, but removed in to boston, its permanent home. his doctorate of music was conferred upon him by wesleyan university. died in boston, april , . philip phillips, known as "the singing pilgrim," was born in jamestown, chautauqua, co., n.y., aug. , . he compiled twenty-nine collections of sacred music for sunday schools, gospel meetings, etc.; also a _methodist hymn and tune book_, . he composed a great number of tunes, but wrote no hymns. some of his books were published in london, for he was a cosmopolitan singer, and traveled through europe and australia as well as america. died in delaware, o., june , . "nearer, my god, to thee." mr. william stead, fond of noting what is often believed to be the "providential chain of causes" in everything that happens, recalls the fact that benjamin flower, editor of the _cambridge intelligencer_, while in jail ( ) at the instigation of bp. watson for an article defending the french revolution, and criticising the bishop's political course, was visited by several sympathizing ladies, one of whom was miss eliza gould. the young lady's first acquaintance with him there in his cell led to an attachment which eventuated in marriage. of that marriage sarah flower was born. by the theory of providential sequences mr. stead makes it appear that the forgotten vindictiveness of a british prelate "was the _causa causans_ of one of the most spiritual and aspiring hymns in the christian hymnary." "nearer, my god, to thee" was on the lips of president mckinley as he lay dying by a murderer's wicked shot. it is dear to president roosevelt for its memories of the battle of las quasimas, where the rough riders sang it at the burial of their slain comrades. bishop marvin was saved by it from hopeless dejection, while practically an exile during the civil war, by hearing it sung in the wilds of arkansas, by an old woman in a log hut. a letter from pittsburg, pa., to a leading boston paper relates the name and experience of a forger who had left the latter city and wandered eight years a fugitive from justice. on the th of november, (sunday,) , he found himself in pittsburg, and ventured into the dixon theatre, where a religious service was being held, to hear the music. the hymn "nearer, my god, to thee" so overcame him that he went out weeping bitterly. he walked the floor of his room all night, and in the morning telephoned for the police, confessed his name and crime, and surrendered himself to be taken back to the boston authorities. mrs. sarah flower adams, author of the noble hymn (supposed to have been written in ), was born at harlow, eng., feb. , , and died there in . at her funeral another of her hymns was sung, ending-- when falls the shadow, cold in death i yet will sing with fearless breath, as comes to me in shade or sun, "father, thy will, not mine, be done." the attempts to _evangelize_ "nearer, my god, to thee" by those who cannot forget that mrs. adams was a unitarian, are to be deplored. such zeal is as needless as trying to sectarianize an old testament psalm. the poem is a perfect religious piece--to be sung as it stands, with thanks that it was ever created. _the tune._ in english churches (since ) the hymn was and may still be sung to "horbury," composed by rev. john b. dykes, and "st. edmund," by sir arthur sullivan. both tunes are simple and appropriate, but such a hymn earns and inevitably acquires a single tune-voice, so that its music instantly names it by its words when played on instruments. such a voice was given it by lowell mason's "bethany," ( ). (why not "bethel," instead, every one who notes the imagery of the words must wonder.) "bethany" appealed to the popular heart, and long ago (in america) hymn and tune became each other's property. it is even simpler than the english tunes, and a single hearing fixes it in memory. "i need thee every hour." mrs. annie sherwood hawks, who wrote this hymn in , was born in hoosick, n.y., in . she sent the hymn (five stanzas) to dr. lowry, who composed its tune, adding a chorus, to make it more effective. it first appeared in a small collection of original songs prepared by lowry and doane for the national baptist sunday school association, which met at cincinnati, o., november, , and was sung there. i need thee every hour, most gracious lord, no tender voice like thine can peace afford. chorus. i need thee, oh, i need thee, every hour i need thee; oh, bless me now, my saviour, i come to thee! one instance, at least, of a hymn made doubly impressive by its chorus will be attested by all who have sung or heard the pleading words and music of mrs. hawks' and dr. lowry's "i need thee, oh, i need thee." "i gave my life for thee." this was written in her youth by frances ridley havergal, and was suggested by the motto over the head of christ in the great picture, "ecce homo," in the art gallery of dusseldorf, prussia, where she was at school. the sight--as was the case with young count zinzendorf--seems to have had much to do with the gifted girl's early religious experience, and indeed exerted its influence on her whole life. the motto read "i did this for thee; what doest thou for me?" and the generative effect of the solemn picture and its question soon appeared in the hymn that flowed from miss havergal's heart and pen. i gave my life for thee, my precious blood i shed, that thou might'st ransomed be and quickened from the dead. i gave my life for thee: what hast thou given for me? miss frances ridley havergal, sometimes called "the theodosia of the th century," was born at astley, worcestershire, eng., dec. , . her father, rev. william henry havergal, a clergyman of the church of england, was himself a poet and a skilled musician, and much of the daughter's ability came to her by natural bequest as well as by education. born a poet, she became a fine instrumentalist, a composer and an accomplished linguist. her health was frail, but her life was a devoted one, and full of good works. her consecrated _words_ were destined to outlast her by many generations. "writing is _praying_ with me," she said. death met her in , when still in the prime of womanhood. _the tune._ the music that has made this hymn of miss havergal familiar in america is named from its first line, and was composed by the lamented philip p. bliss (christened philipp bliss[ ]), a pupil of dr. george f. root. [footnote : mr. bliss himself changed the spelling of his name, preferring to let the third p. do duty alone, as a middle initial.] he was born in rome, pa., jan. , , and less than thirty-nine years later suddenly ended his life, a victim of the awful railroad disaster at ashtabula o., dec. , , while returning from a visit to his aged mother. his wife, lucy young bliss, perished with him there, in the swift flames that enveloped the wreck of the train. the name of mr. bliss had become almost a household word through his numerous popular christian melodies, which were the american beginning of the series of _gospel hymns_. many of these are still favorite prayer-meeting tunes throughout the country and are heard in song-service at sunday-school and city mission meetings. "jesus keep me near the cross." this hymn, one of the best and probably most enduring of fanny j. crosby's sacred lyrics, was inspired by col. : . frances jane crosby (mrs. van alstyne) the blind poet and hymnist, was born in southeast, n.y., march , . she lost her eyesight at the age of six. twelve years of her younger life were spent in the new york institution for the blind, where she became a teacher, and in was happily married to a fellow inmate, mr. alexander van alstyne, a musician. george f. root was for a time musical instructor at the institution, and she began early to write words to his popular song-tunes. "rosalie, the prairie flower," and the long favorite melody, "there's music in the air" are among the many to which she supplied the text and the song name. she resides in bridgeport, ct., where she enjoys a serene and happy old age. she has written over six thousand hymns, and possibly will add other pearls to the cluster before she goes up to join the singing saints. jesus, keep me near the cross, there a precious fountain free to all, a healing stream, flows from calv'ry's mountain. chorus. in the cross, in the cross be my glory ever, till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river. * * * * * near the cross! o lamb of god, bring its scenes before me; help me walk from day to day with its shadows o'er me. chorus. william howard doane, writer of the music to this hymn, was born in preston, ct., feb. , . he studied at woodstock academy, and subsequently acquired a musical education which earned him the degree of doctor of music conferred upon him by denison university in . having a mechanical as well as musical gift, he patented more than seventy inventions, and was for some years engaged with manufacturing concerns, both as employee and manager, but his interest in song-worship and in sunday-school and church work never abated, and he is well known as a trainer of choirs and composer of some of the best modern devotional tunes. his home is in cincinnati, o. "i would not live alway." this threnody (we may almost call it) of w.a. muhlenberg, illustrating one phase of christian experience, was the outpouring of a poetic melancholy not uncommon to young and finely strung souls. he composed it in his twenties,--long before he became "doctor" muhlenberg,--and for years afterwards tried repeatedly to alter it to a more cheerful tone. but the poem had its mission, and it had fastened itself in the public imagination, either by its contagious sentiment or the felicity of its tune, and the author was obliged to accept the fame of it as it originally stood. william augustus muhlenberg d.d. was born in philadelphia, sept. , , the great-grandson of dr. henry m. muhlenberg, founder of the lutheran church in america. in he left his ancestral communion, and became an episcopal priest. as rector of st. james church, lancaster, pa., he interested himself in the improvement of ecclesiastical hymnody, and did much good reforming work. after a noble and very active life as promoter of religious education and christian union, and as a friend and benefactor of the poor, he died april, , , in st. luke's hospital, n.y. _the tune._ this was composed by mr. george kingsley in , and entitled "frederick" (dedicated to the rev. frederick t. gray). issued first as sheet music, it became popular, and soon found a place in the hymnals. dr. louis benson says of the conditions and the fancy of the time, "the standard of church music did not differ materially from that of parlor music.... several editors have attempted to put a newer tune in the place of mr. kingsley's. it was in vain, simply because words and melody both appeal to the same taste." [illustration: frances ridley havergal] "sun of my soul, my saviour dear." this gem from keble's _christian year_ illustrates the life and character of its pious author, and, like all the hymns of that celebrated collection, is an incitive to spiritual thought for the thoughtless, as well as a language for those who stand in the holy of holies. the rev. john keble was born in caln, st. aldwyn, april , . he took his degree of a.m. and was ordained and settled at fairford, where he began the parochial work that ceased only with his life. he died at bournmouth, march , . his settlement at fairford, in charge of three small curacies, satisfied his modest ambition, though altogether they brought him only about £ per year. here he preached, wrote his hymns and translations, performed his pastoral work, and was happy. temptation to wider fields and larger salary never moved him. _the tune._ the music to this hymn of almost unparalleled poetic and spiritual beauty was arranged from a german choral of peter ritter ( - ) by william henry monk, mus. doc., born london, . dr. monk was a lecturer, composer, editor, and professor of vocal music at king's college. this noble tune appears sometimes under the name "hursley" and supersedes an earlier one ("halle") by thomas hastings. sun of my soul, my saviour dear, it is not night if thou be near. o may no earth-born cloud arise to hide thee from thy servants' eyes. * * * * * abide with me from morn till eve, for without thee i cannot live abide with me when night is nigh, for without thee i cannot die. the tune "hursley" is a choice example of polyphonal sweetness in uniform long notes of perfect chord. the tune of "canonbury," by robert schumann, set to keble's hymn, "new every morning is the love," is deservedly a favorite for flowing long metres, but it could never replace "hursley" with "sun of my soul." "did christ o'er sinners weep?" the rev. benjamin beddome wrote this tender hymn-poem while pastor of the baptist congregation at bourton-on-the-water, gloucestershire, eng. he was born at henley, chatwickshire, jan. , . settled in , he remained with the same church till his death, sept. , . his hymns were not collected and published till . _the tune._ "dennis," a soft and smoothly modulated harmony, is oftenest sung to the words, and has no note out of sympathy with their deep feeling. did christ o'er sinners weep, and shall our cheeks be dry? let floods of penitential grief burst forth from every eye. the son of god in tears admiring angels see! be thou astonished, o my soul; he shed those tears for thee. he wept that we might weep; each sin demands a tear: in heaven alone no sin is found, and there's no weeping there. the tune of "dennis" was adapted by lowell mason from johann georg nägeli, a swiss music publisher, composer and poet. he was born in zurich, . it is told of him that his irrepressible genius once tempted him to violate the ethics of authorship. while publishing beethoven's three great solo sonatas (opus ) he interpolated two bars of his own, an act much commented upon in musical circles, but which does not seem to have cost him beethoven's friendship. possibly, like murillo to the servant who meddled with his paintings, the great master forgave the liberty, because the work was so good. nägeli's compositions are mostly vocal, for school and church use, though some are of a gay and playful nature. the best remembered of his secular and sacred styles are his blithe aria to the song of moore, "life let us cherish, while yet the taper glows" and the sweet choral that voices beddome's hymn. "my jesus, i love thee." the real originator of the _coronation hymnal_, a book into whose making went five years of prayer, was dr. a.j. gordon, late pastor of the clarendon st. baptist church, boston. while the volume was slowly taking form and plan he was wont to hum to himself, or cause to be played by one of his family, snatches and suggestions of new airs that came to him in connection with his own hymns, and others which seemed to have no suitable music. the anonymous hymn, "my jesus, i love thee," he found in a london hymn-book, and though the tune to which it had been sung in england was sent to him some time later, it did not sound sympathetic. dissatisfied, and with the ideal in his mind of what the feeling should be in the melody to such a hymn, he meditated and prayed over the words till in a moment of inspiration the beautiful air sang itself to him[ ] which with its simple concords has carried the hymn into the chapels of every denomination. [footnote : the fact that this sweet melody recalls to some a similar tune sung sixty years ago reminds us again of the story of the tune "america." it is not impossible that an unconscious _memory_ helped to shape the air that came to dr. gordon's mind; though unborrowed similarities have been inevitable in the whole history of music.] my jesus, i love thee, i know thou art mine, for thee all the pleasures of sin i resign; my gracious redeemer, my saviour art thou, if ever i loved thee, my jesus, 'tis now. * * * * * i will love thee in life, i will love thee in death, and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath, and say when the death-dew lies cold on my brow, if ever i loved thee, my jesus, 'tis now. in mansions of glory and endless delight i'll ever adore thee, unveiled to my sight, and sing, with the glittering crown on my brow, if ever i loved thee, my jesus, 'tis now. the memory of the writer returns to a day in a railway-car en route to the great columbian fair in chicago when the tired passengers were suddenly surprised and charmed by the music of this melody. a young christian man and woman, husband and wife, had begun to sing "my jesus, i love thee." their voices (a tenor and soprano) were clear and sweet, and every one of the company sat up to listen with a look of mingled admiration and relief. here was something, after all, to make a long journey less tedious. they sang all the four verses and paused. there was no clapping of hands, for a reverential hush had been cast over the audience by the sacred music. instead of the inevitable applause that follows mere entertainment, a gentle but eager request for more secured the repetition of the delightful duet. this occurred again and again, till every one in the car--and some had never heard the tune or words before--must have learned them by heart. fatigue was forgotten, miles had been reduced to furlongs in a weary trip, and a company of strangers had been lifted to a holier plane of thought. besides this melody there are four tunes by dr. gordon in his collection, three of them with his own words. in all there are eleven of his hymns. of these the "good morning in glory," set to his music, is an emotional lyric admirable in revival meetings, and the one beginning "o holy ghost, arise" is still sung, and called for affectionately as "gordon's hymn." rev. adoniram judson gordon d.d. was born in new hampton, n.h., april , , and died in boston, feb. d, , after a life of unsurpassed usefulness to his fellowmen and devotion to his divine master. like phillips brooks he went to his grave "in all his glorious prime," and his loss is equally lamented. he was a descendant of john robinson of leyden. chapter iv. missionary hymns. "jesus shall reign where'er the sun." one of watts' sublimest hymns, this hebrew ode to the final king and his endless dominion expands the majestic prophesy in the seventy-second psalm: jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run, his kingdom stretch from shore to shore till moons shall wax and wane no more. the hymn itself could almost claim to be known "where'er the sun" etc., for christian missionaries have sung it in every land, if not in every language. one of the native kings in the south sea islands, who had been converted through the ministry of english missionaries, substituted a christian for a pagan constitution in . there were five thousand of his subjects gathered at the ceremonial, and they joined as with one voice in singing this hymn. _the tune._ "old hundred" has often lent the notes of its great plain-song to the sonorous lines, and "duke street," with superior melody and scarcely inferior grandeur, has given them wings; but the choice of many for music that articulates the life of the hymn would be the tune of "samson," from handel's oratorio so named. it appears as no. in the _evangelical hymnal_. handel had no peer in the art or instinct of making a note speak a word. "joy to the world! the lord is come!" this hymn, also by watts, is often sung as a christmas song; but "the saviour reigns" and "he rules the world" are bursts of prophetic triumph always apt and stimulating in missionary meetings. here, again, the great handel lends appropriate aid, for "antioch," the popular tone-consort of the hymn, is an adaptation from his "messiah." the arrangement has been credited to lowell mason, but he seems to have taken it from an english collection by clark of canterbury. "o'er the gloomy hills of darkness." _dros y brinian tywyl niwliog._ this notable hymn was written, probably about , by the rev. william williams, a welsh calvinistic methodist, born at cefnycoed, jan. , , near llandovery. he began the study of medicine, but took deacon's orders, and was for a time an itinerant preacher, having left the established church. died at pantycelyn, jan. , . his hymn, like the two preceding, antedates the great missionary movement by many years. o'er the gloomy hills of darkness look my soul! be still, and gaze! see the promises advancing to a glorious day of grace! blessed jubilee, let thy glorious morning dawn! let the dark, benighted pagan, let the rude barbarian see that divine and glorious conquest once obtained on calvary. let the gospel loud resound from pole to pole. this song of anticipation has dropped out of the modern hymnals, but the last stanza lingers in many memories. fly abroad, thou mighty gospel! win and conquer, never cease; may thy lasting wide dominion multiply and still increase. sway thy scepter, saviour, all the world around! _the tune._ oftener than any other the music of "zion" has been the expression of william williams' missionary hymn. it was composed by thomas hastings, in washington, ct., . "hasten, lord, the glorious time." hasten, lord, the glorious time when beneath messiah's sway every nation, every clime shall the gospel call obey. mightiest kings its power shall own, heathen tribes his name adore, satan and his host o'erthrown bound in chains shall hurt no more. miss harriet auber, the author of this melodious hymn, was a daughter of james auber of london, and was born in that city, oct. , . after leaving london she led a secluded life at broxbourne and hoddesdon, in hertfordshire, writing devotional poetry and sacred songs and paraphrases. her _spirit of the psalms_, published in , was a collection of lyrics founded on the biblical psalms. "hasten lord," etc., is from ps. , known for centuries to christendom as one of the messianic psalms. her best-known hymns have the same inspiration, as-- wide, ye heavenly gates, unfold. sweet is the work, o lord. with joy we hail the sacred day. miss auber died in hoddesdon, jan. , . she lived to witness and sympathise with the pioneer missionary enterprise of the th century, and, although she could not stand among the leaders of the battle-line in extending the conquest of the world for christ, she was happy in having written a campaign hymn which they loved to sing. (it is curious that so pains-taking a work as julian's _dictionary of hymns and hymn-writers_ credits "with joy we hail the sacred day" to both miss auber and henry francis lyte. coincidences are known where different hymns by different authors begin with the same line; and in this case one writer was dead before the other's works were published. possibly the collector may have seen a forgotten hymn of lyte's, with that first line.) the tune that best interprets this hymn in spirit and in living _music_ is lowell mason's "eltham." its harmony is like a chime of bells. "let party names no more." let party names no more the christian world o'erspread; gentile and jew, and bond and free, are one in christ the head. this hymn of rev. benjamin beddome sounds like a prelude to the grand rally of the christian churches a generation later for united advance into foreign fields. it was an after-sermon hymn--like so many of watts and doddridge--and spoke a good man's longing to see all sects stand shoulder to shoulder in a common crusade. tune--boylston. "watchman, tell us of the night." the tune written to this pealing hymn of sir john bowring by lowell mason has never been superseded. in animation and vocal splendor it catches the author's own clear call, echoing the shout of zion's sentinels from city to city, and happily reproducing in movement and phrase the great song-dialogue. words and music together, the piece ranks with the foremost missionary lyrics. like the greater mason-heber world-song, it has acquired no arbitrary name, appearing in mason's own tune-books under its first hymn-line and likewise in many others. a few hymnals have named it "bowring," (and why not?) and some later ones simply "watchman." . watchman, tell us of the night. what its signs of promise are! (antistrophe) traveler, on yon mountain height. see that glory-beaming star! watchman, does its beauteous ray aught of hope or joy foretell? (antistrophe) trav'ler, yes; it brings the day, promised day of israel. watchman, tell us of the night; higher yet that star ascends. (antistrophe) trav'ler, blessedness and light peace and truth its course portends. watchman, will its beams alone gild the spot that gave them birth? (antistrophe) trav'ler, ages are its own. see! it bursts o'er all the earth. "ye christian heralds, go proclaim." in some versions "ye christian _heroes_," etc. professor david r. breed attributes this stirring hymn to mrs. vokes (or voke) an english or welsh lady, who is supposed to have written it somewhere near , and supports the claim by its date of publication in _missionary and devotional hymns_ at portsea, wales, in . in this dr. breed follows (he says) "the accepted tradition." on the other hand the _coronation hymnal_ ( ) refers the authorship to a baptist minister, the rev. bourne hall draper, of southampton (eng.), born , and this choice has the approval of dr. charles robinson. the question occurs whether, when the hymn was published in good faith as mrs. vokes', it was really the work of a then unknown youth of twenty-two. the probability is that the hymn owns a mother instead of a father--and a grand hymn it is; one of the most stimulating in missionary song-literature. the stanza-- god shield you with a wall of fire! with flaming zeal your breasts inspire; bid raging winds their fury cease, and hush the tumult into peace, --has been tampered with by editors, altering the last line to "calm the troubled seas," etc., (for the sake of the longer vowel;) but the substitution, "_he'll_ shield you," etc., in the first line, turns a prayer into a mere statement. the hymn was--and should remain--a god-speed to men like william carey, who had already begun to think and preach his immortal motto, "attempt great things for god; expect great things of god." _the tune_ is the "missionary chant," and no other. its composer, heinrich christopher zeuner, was born in eisleben, saxony, sept. , . he came to the united states in , and was for many years organist at park street church, boston, and for the handel and haydn society. in he removed to philadelphia where he served three years as organist to st. andrews church, and arch street presbyterian. he became insane in , and in november of that year died by his own hand. he published an oratorio "the feast of tabernacles," and two popular books, the _american harp_, , and _the ancient lyre_, . his compositions are remarkably spirited and vigorous, and his work as a tune-maker was much in demand during his life, and is sure to continue, in its best examples, as long as good sacred music is appreciated. to another beautiful missionary hymn of mrs. vokes, of quieter tone, but songful and sweet, dr. mason wrote the tune of "migdol." it is its musical twin. soon may the last glad song arise through all the millions of the skies. that song of triumph which records that "all the earth is now the lord's." "on the mountain top appearing." this admired and always popular church hymn was written near the beginning of the last century by the rev. thomas kelly, born in dublin, . he was the son of the hon. chief baron thomas kelly of that city, a judge of the irish court of common pleas. his father designed him for the legal profession, but after his graduation at trinity college he took holy orders in the episcopal church, and labored as a clergyman among the scenes of his youth for more than sixty years, becoming a nonconformist in his later ministry. he was a sweet-souled man, who made troops of friends, and was honored as much for his piety as for his poetry, music, and oriental learning. "i expect never to die," he said, when lord plunkett once told him he would reach a great age. he finished his earthly work on the th of may, , when he was eighty-five years old. but he still lives. his zeal for the coming of the kingdom of christ prompted his best hymn. on the mountain-top appearing, lo! the sacred herald stands, joyful news to zion bearing, zion long in hostile lands; mourning captive, god himself will loose thy bands. has the night been long and mournful? have thy friends unfaithful proved? have thy foes been proud and scornful, by thy sighs and tears unmoved? cease thy mourning; zion still is well beloved. _the tune._ to presume that kelly made both words and music together is possible, for he was himself a composer, but no such original tune seems to survive. in modern use dr. hastings' "zion" is most frequently attached to the hymn, and was probably written for it. "ye christian heroes, wake to glory." this rather crude parody on the "marseillaise hymn" (see chap. ) is printed in the _american vocalist_, among numerous samples of early new england psalmody of untraced authorship. it might have been sung at primitive missionary meetings, to spur the zeal and faith of a francis mason or a harriet newell. it expresses, at least, the new-kindled evangelical spirit of the long-ago consecrations in american church life that first sent the christian ambassadors to foreign lands, and followed them with benedictions. [illustration: the right rev. reginald heber, d.d.] ye christian heroes, wake to glory: hark, hark! what millions bid you rise! see heathen nations bow before you, behold their tears, and hear their cries. shall pagan priest, their errors breeding, with darkling hosts, and flags unfurled, spread their delusions o'er the world, though jesus on the cross hung bleeding? to arms! to arms! christ's banner fling abroad! march on! march on! all hearts resolved to bring the world to god. o, truth of god! can man resign thee, once having felt thy glorious flame? can rolling oceans e'er prevent thee, or gold the christian's spirit tame? too long we slight the world's undoing; the word of god, salvation's plan, is yet almost unknown to man, while millions throng the road to ruin. to arms! to arms! the spirit's sword unsheath: march on! march on! all hearts resolved, to victory or death. "hail to the lord's anointed." james montgomery (says dr. breed) is "distinguished as the only layman besides cowper among hymn-writers of the front rank in the english language." how many millions have recited and sung his fine and exhaustively descriptive poem,-- prayer is the soul's sincere desire, --selections from almost any part of which are perfect definitions, and have been standard hymns on prayer for three generations. english hymnology would as unwillingly part with his missionary hymns,-- the king of glory we proclaim. hark, the song of jubilee! --and, noblest of all, the lyric of prophecy and praise which heads this paragraph. hail to the lord's anointed, king david's greater son! hail, in the time appointed his reign on earth begun. * * * * * arabia's desert ranger to him shall bow the knee, the ethiopian stranger his glory come to see. * * * * * kings shall fall down before him and gold and incense bring; all nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing. the hymn is really the seventy-second psalm in metre, and as a version it suffers nothing by comparison with that of watts. montgomery wrote it as a christmas ode. it was sung dec. , , at a moravian convocation, but in he recited it at a great missionary meeting in liverpool, and dr. adam clarke was so charmed with it that he inserted it in his famous _commentary_. in no long time afterwards it found its way into general use. the spirit of his missionary parents was montgomery's christian legacy, and in exalted poetical moments it stirred him as the divine afflatus kindled the old prophets. _the tune._ the music editors in some hymnals have borrowed the favorite choral variously named "webb" in honor of its author, and "the morning light is breaking" from the first line of its hymn. later hymnals have chosen sebastian wesley's "aurelia" to fit the hymn, with a movement similar to that of "webb"; also a german b flat melody "ellacombe," undated, with livelier step and a ringing chime of parts. no one of these is inappropriate. samuel sebastian wesley, grandson of charles wesley the great hymnist, was born in london, . like his father, samuel, he became a distinguished musician, and was organist at exeter, winchester and gloucester cathedrals. oxford gave him the degree of doctor of music. he composed instrumental melodies besides many anthems, services, and other sacred pieces for choir and congregational singing. died in gloucester, april , . "from greenland's icy mountains." the familiar story of this hymn scarcely needs repeating; how one saturday afternoon in the year , young reginald heber, rector of hodnet, sitting with his father-in-law, dean shipley, and a few friends in the wrexham vicarage, was suddenly asked by the dean to "write something to sing at the missionary meeting tomorrow," and retired to another part of the room while the rest went on talking; how, very soon after, he returned with three stanzas, which were hailed with delighted approval; how he then insisted upon adding another octrain to the hymn and came back with-- waft, waft, ye winds, his story, and you, ye waters, roll; --and how the great lyric was sung in wrexham church on sunday morning for the first time in its life. the story is old but always fresh. nothing could better have emphasized the good dean's sermon that day in aid of "the society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts," than that unexpected and glorious lyric of his poet son-in-law. by common consent heber's "missionary hymn" is the silver trumpet among all the rallying bugles of the church. _the tune._ the union of words and music in this instance is an example of spiritual affinity. "what god hath joined together let no man put asunder." the story of the tune is a record of providential birth quite as interesting as that of the hymn. in , a lady in savannah, ga., having received and admired a copy of heber's lyric from england, desired to sing it or hear it sung, but knew no music to fit the metre. she finally thought of a young clerk in a bank close by, lowell mason by name, who sometimes wrote music for recreation, and sent her son to ask him if he would make a tune that would sing the lines. the boy returned in half an hour with the composition that doubled heber's fame and made his own. in the words of dr. charles robinson, "like the hymn it voices, it was done at a stroke, and it will last through the ages." "the morning light is breaking." not far behind dr. heber's _chef-d'oeuvre_ in lyric merit is the still more famous missionary hymn of dr. s.f. smith, author of "my country, 'tis of thee." another missionary hymn of his which is widely used is-- yes, my native land, i love thee, all thy scenes, i love them well. friends, connections, happy country, can i bid you all farewell? can i leave you far in heathen lands to dwell? drs. nutter and breed speak of "the morning light is breaking," and its charm as a hymn of peace and promise, and intimate that it has "gone farther and been more frequently sung than any other missionary hymn." besides the english, there are versions of it in four latin nations, the italian, spanish, portuguese and french, and oriental translations in chinese and several east indian tongues and dialects, as well as one in swedish. it author had the rare felicity, while on a visit to his son, a missionary in burmah, of hearing it sung by native christians in their language, and of being welcomed with an ovation when they knew who he was. the morning light is breaking! the darkness disappears; the sons of earth are waking to penitential tears; each breeze that sweeps the ocean brings tidings from afar, of nations in commotion, prepared for zion's war. rich dews of grace come o'er us in many a gentle shower, and brighter scenes before us are opening every hour. each cry to heaven going abundant answer brings, and heavenly gales are blowing with peace upon their wings. * * * * * blest river of salvation, pursue thy onward way; flow thou to every nation, nor in thy richness stay. stay not till all the lowly triumphant reach their home; stay not till all the holy proclaim, "the lord is come!" samuel francis smith, d.d., was born in boston in , and educated in harvard university ( - ). he prepared for the ministry, and was pastor of baptist churches at waterville, me., and newton, mass., before entering the service of the american baptist missionary union as editor of its _missionary magazine_. he was a scholarly and graceful writer, both in verse and prose, and besides his editorial work, he was frequently an invited participant or guest of honor on public occasions, owing to his fame as author of the national hymn. his pure and gentle character made him everywhere beloved and reverenced, and to know him intimately in his happy old age was a benediction. he died suddenly and painlessly in his seat on a railway train, november , in his eighty-eighth year. dr. smith wrote twenty-six hymns now more or less in use in church worship, and eight for sabbath school collections. _the tune._ "millennial dawn" is the title given it by a boston compiler, about , but since the music and hymn became "one and indivisable" it has been named "webb," and popularly _known_ as "morning light" or oftener still by its first hymn-line, "the morning light is breaking." george james webb was born near salisbury, wiltshire, eng., june , . he studied music in salisbury and for several years played the organ at falmouth church. when still a young man ( ), he came to the united states, and settled in boston where he was long the leading organist and music teacher of the city. he was associate director of the boston academy of music with lowell mason, and joint author and editor with him of several church-music collections. died in orange, n.j., nov. , . dr. webb's own account of the tune "millennial dawn" states that he wrote it at sea while on his way to america--and to secular words and that he had no idea who first adapted it to the hymn, nor when. "if i were a voice, a persuasive voice." this animating lyric was written by charles mackay. sung by a good vocalist, the fine solo air composed (with its organ chords) by i.b. woodbury, is still a feature in some missionary meetings, especially the fourth stanza-- if i were a voice, an immortal voice, i would fly the earth around: and wherever man to his idols bowed, i'd publish in notes both long and loud the gospel's joyful sound. i would fly, i would fly, on the wings of day, proclaiming peace on my world-wide way, bidding the saddened earth rejoice-- if i were a voice, an immortal voice, i would fly, i would fly, i would fly on the wings of day. charles mackay, the poet, was born in perth, scotland, , and educated in london and brussels; was engaged in editorial work on the _london morning chronicle_ and _glasgow argus_, and during the corn law agitation wrote popular songs, notably "the voice of the crowd" and "there's a good time coming," which (like the far inferior poetry of ebenezer elliot) won the lasting love of the masses for a superior man who could be "the people's singer and friend." he came to the united states in as a lecturer, and again in , remaining three years as war correspondent of the _london times_. glasgow university made him ll.d. in . his numerous songs and poems were collected in a london edition. died dec. , . isaac baker woodbury was born in beverly, mass., , and rose from the station of a blacksmith's apprentice to be a tone-teacher in the church. he educated himself in europe, returned and sang his life songs, and died in at the age of thirty-nine. a tune preferred by many as the finer music is the one written to the words by mr. sankey, _sacred songs_, no. . "speed away! speed away!" this inspiriting song of farewell to departing missionaries was written in to woodbury's appropriate popular melody by fanny j. crosby, at the request of ira d. sankey. the key-word and refrain are adapted from the original song by woodbury ( ), but in substance and language the three hymn-stanzas are the new and independent work of this later writer. speed away! speed away on your mission of light, to the lands that are lying in darkness and night; 'tis the master's command; go ye forth in his name, the wonderful gospel of jesus proclaim; take your lives in your hand, to the work while 'tis day, speed away! speed away! speed away! speed away, speed away with the life-giving word, to the nations that know not the voice of the lord; take the wings of the morning and fly o'er the wave, in the strength of your master the lost ones to save; he is calling once more, not a moment's delay, speed away! speed away! speed away! speed away, speed away with the message of rest, to the souls by the tempter in bondage oppressed; for the saviour has purchased their ransom from sin, and the banquet is ready. o gather them in; to the rescue make haste, there's no time for delay, speed away! speed away! speed away! "onward christian soldiers!" rev. sabine baring-gould, the author of this rousing hymn of christian warfare, a rector of the established church of england and a writer of note, was born at exeter, eng., jan. , . educated at clare college, cambridge, he entered the service of the church, and was appointed rector of east mersea, essex, in . he was the author of several hymns, original and translated, and introduced into england from flanders, numbers of carols with charming old christmas music. the "christian soldiers" hymn is one of his (original) processionals, and the most inspiring. onward, christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of jesus going on before. christ the royal master leads against the foe; forward into battle, see, his banners go! onward, christian soldiers, etc. * * * * * like a mighty army moves the church of god; brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod; we are not divided, all one body we, one in hope, in doctrine, one in charity. _the tune._ sir arthur seymour sullivan, doctor of music, who wrote the melody for this hymn, was born in london, may , . he gained the mendelssohn scholarship at the royal academy of music, and also at the conservatory of leipsic. he was a fertile genius, and his compositions included operettas, symphonies, overtures, anthems, hymn-tunes, an oratorio ("the prodigal son"), and almost every variety of tone production, vocal and instrumental. queen victoria knighted him in . the grand rhythm of "onward, christian soldiers"--hymn and tune--is irresistible whether in band march or congregational worship. sir arthur died in london, november , . "o church arise and sing" designed originally for children's voices, the hymn of five stanzas beginning with this line was written by hezekiah butterworth, author of the _story of the hymns_ ( ), _story of the tunes_ ( ), and many popular books of historic interest for the young, the most widely read of which is _zigzag journeys in many lands_. he also composed and published many poems and hymns. he was born in warren, r.i., dec. , , and for twenty-five years was connected with the _youth's companion_ as regular contributor and member of its editorial staff. he died in warren, r.i., sept. , . the hymn "o church, arise" was sung in mason's tune of "dort" until prof. case wrote a melody for it, when it took the name of the "convention hymn." professor charles clinton case, music composer and teacher, was born in linesville, pa., june, . was a pupil of george f. root and pursued musical study in chicago, ill., ashland, o., and south bend, ind. he was associated with root, mcgranahan, and others in making secular and church music books, and later with d.l. moody in evangelical work. as author and compiler he has published numerous works, among them _church anthems_, the _harvest song_ and _case's chorus collection_. o church! arise and sing the triumphs of your king, whose reign is love; sing your enlarged desires, that conquering faith inspires, renew your signal fires, and forward move! * * * * * beneath the glowing arch the ransomed armies march, we follow on; lead on, o cross of light, from conquering height to height, and add new victories bright to triumphs won! "the banner of immanuel!" this hymn, set to music and copyrighted in buffalo as a floating waif of verse by an unknown author, and used in sunday-school work, first appeared in dr. f.n. peloubet's _select songs_ (biglow and main, ) with a tune by rev. george phipps. the hymn was written by rev. theron brown, a baptist minister, who was pastor ( - ) of churches in south framingham and canton, mass. he was born in willimantic, ct., april , . retired from pastoral work, owing to vocal disability, he has held contributory and editorial relations with the _youth's companion_ for more than forty years, for the last twenty years a member of the office staff. between and he contributed hymns more or less regularly to the quartet and antiphonal chorus service at the ruggles st. church, boston, the "banner of immanuel" being one of the number. _the blount family_, _nameless women of the bible_, _life songs_ (a volume of poems), and several books for boys, are among his published works. the banner of immanuel! beneath its glorious folds for life or death to serve and fight we pledge our loyal souls. no other flag such honor boasts, or bears so proud a name, and far its red-cross signal flies as flies the lightning's flame. * * * * * salvation by the blood of christ! the shouts of triumph ring; no other watchword leads the host that serves so grand a king. then rally, soldiers of the cross! keep every fold unfurled, and by redemption's holy sign we'll conquer all the world. the rev. george phipps, composer of the tune, "immanuel's banner," was born in franklin, mass., dec. , , was graduated at amherst college, , and at andover theological seminary, . settled as pastor of the congregational church in wellesley, mass., ten years, and at newton highlands fifteen years. he has written many sunday-school melodies, notably the music to "my saviour keeps me company." chapter v. hymns of suffering and trust. one inspiring chapter in the compensations of life is the record of immortal verses that were sorrow-born. it tells us in the most affecting way how affliction refines the spirit and "the agonizing throes of thought bring forth glory." often a broken life has produced a single hymn. it took the long living under trial to shape the supreme experience. --the anguish of the singer made the sweetness of the song. indeed, if there had been no sorrow there would have been no song. [illustration: george james webb] "my lord, how full of sweet content." jeanne m.b. de la mothe--known always as madame guyon--the lady who wrote these words in exile, probably sang more "songs in the night" than any hymn-writer outside of the dark ages. she was born at montargis, france, in , and died in her seventieth year, , in the ancient city of blois, on the loire. a convent-educated girl of high family, a wife at the age of fifteen, and a widow at twenty-eight, her early piety, ridiculed in the dazzling but corrupt society of louis xiv's time, blossomed through a long life in religious ministries and flowers of sacred poetry. she became a mystic, and her book _spiritual torrents_ indicates the impetuous ardors of her soul. it was the way divine love came to her. she was the incarnation of the spiritualized book of canticles. an induction to these intense subjective visions and raptures had been the remark of a pious old franciscan father, "seek god in your heart, and you will find him." she began to teach as well as enjoy the new light so different from the glitter of the traditional worship. but her "aggressive holiness" was obnoxious to the established church. "quietism" was the brand set upon her written works and the offense that was punished in her person. bossuet, the king of preachers, was her great adversary. the saintly fenelon was her friend, but he could not shield her. she was shut up like a lunatic in prison after prison, till, after four years of dungeon life in the bastile, expecting every hour to be executed for heresy, she was banished to a distant province to end her days. question as we may the usefulness of her pietistic books, the visions of her excessively exalted moods, and the passionate, almost erotic phraseology of her _contemplations_, madame guyon has held the world's admiration for her martyr spirit, and even her love-flights of devotion in poetry and prose do not conceal the angel that walked in the flame. today, when religious persecution is unknown, we can but dimly understand the perfect triumph of her superior soul under suffering and the transports of her utter absorption in god that could make the stones of her dungeon "look like jewels." when we emulate a faith like hers--with all the weight of absolute certainty in it--we can sing her hymn: my lord, how full of sweet content i pass my years of banishment. where'er i dwell, i dwell with thee, in heaven or earth, or on the sea. to me remains nor place nor time: my country is in every clime; i can be calm and free from care on any shore, since god is there. and could a dearer _vade mecum_ enrich a christian's outfit than these lines treasured in memory? while place we seek or place we shun, the soul finds happiness in none; but, with a god to guide our way, 'tis equal joy to go or stay. cowper, and also dr. thomas upham, translated (from the french) the religious poems of madame guyon. this hymn is cowper's translation. _the tune._ a gentle and sympathetic melody entitled "alsace" well represents the temper of the words--and in name links the nationalities of writer and composer. it is a choral arranged from a sonata of the great ludwig von beethoven, born in bonn, germany, , and died in vienna, mar. . like the author of the hymn he felt the hand of affliction, becoming totally deaf soon after his fortieth year. but, in spite of the privation, he kept on writing sublime and exquisite strains that only his soul could hear. his fame rests upon his oratorio, "the mount of olives," the opera of "fidelio" and his nine wonderful "symphonies." "no change in time shall ever shock." altered to common metre from the awkward long metre of tate and brady, the three or four stanzas found in earlier hymnals are part of their version (probably tate's) of the st psalm--and it is worth calling to mind here that there is no hymn treasury so rich in tuneful faith and reliance upon god in trouble as the book of psalms. this feeling of the hebrew poet was never better expressed (we might say, translated) in english than by the writer of this single verse-- no change of time shall ever shock my trust, o lord, in thee, for thou hast always been my rock, a sure defense to me. _the tune._ the sweet, tranquil choral long ago wedded to this hymn is lost from the church collections, and its very name forgotten. in fact the hymn itself is now seldom seen. if it ever comes back, old "dundee" (guillaume franc - ) will sing for it, or some new composer may rise up to put the spirit of the psalm into inspired notes. "why do we mourn departed friends?" this hymn of holy comfort, by dr. watts, was long associated with a remarkable tune in c minor, "a queer medley of melody" as lowell mason called it, still familiar to many old people as "china." it was composed by timothy swan when he was about twenty-six years of age ( ) and published in in the _new england harmony_. it may have sounded consolatory to mature mourners, singers and hearers in the days when religious emotion habitually took a sad key, but its wild and thrilling chords made children weep. the tune is long out of use--though, strange to say, one of the most recent hymnals prints the hymn with a _new minor_ tune. why do we mourn departed friends, or shake at death's alarms? 'tis but the voice that jesus sends to call them to his arms. are we not tending upward too as fast as time can move? nor should we wish the hours more slow to keep us from our love. the graves of all his saints he blessed and softened every bed: where should the dying members rest but with their dying head? timothy swan was born in worcester, mass., july , , and died in suffield, ct., july , . he was a self-taught musician, his only "course of study" lasting three weeks,--in a country singing school at groton. when sixteen years old he went to northfield, mass., and learned the hatter's trade, and while at work began to practice making psalm-tunes. "montague," in two parts, was his first achievement. from that time for thirty years, mostly spent in suffield, ct., he wrote and taught music while supporting himself by his trade. many of his tunes were published by himself, and had a wide currency a century ago. swan was a genius in his way, and it was a true comment on his work that "his tunes were remarkable for their originality as well as singularity--unlike any other melodies." "china," his masterpiece, will be long kept track of as a curio, and preserved in replicates of old psalmody to illustrate self-culture in the art of song. but the major mode will replace the minor when tender voices on burial days sing-- why do we mourn departed friends? another hymn of watts,-- god is the refuge of his saints when storms of sharp distress invade, --sung to lowell mason's liquid tune of "ward," and the priceless stanza,-- jesus can make a dying bed feel soft as downy pillows are, doubly prove the claim of the southampton bard to a foremost place with the song-preachers of christian trust. the psalm (amsterdam version), "god is the refuge," etc., is said to have been sung by john howland in the shallop of the mayflower when an attempt was made to effect a landing in spite of tempestuous weather. a tradition of this had doubtless reached mrs. hemans when she wrote-- amid the storm they sang, etc. "father, whate'er of earthly bliss." this hymn had originally ten stanzas, of which the three usually sung are the three last. the above line is the first of the eighth stanza, altered from-- and o, whate'er of earthly bliss. probably for more than a century the familiar surname "steele" attached to this and many other hymns in the hymn-books conveyed to the general public no hint of a mind and hand more feminine than cowper's or montgomery's. even intelligent people, who had chanced upon sundry copies of _the spectator_, somehow fell into the habit of putting "steele" and "addison" in the same category of hymn names, and sir richard steele got a credit he never sought. but since stories of the hymns began to be published--and made the subject of evening talks in church conference rooms--many have learned what "steele" in the hymn-book means. it introduces us now to a very retiring english lady, miss anna steele, a baptist minister's daughter. she was born in , at broughton, hampshire, in her father's parsonage, and in her father's parsonage she spent her life, dying there nov. . she was many years a severe sufferer from bodily illness, and a lasting grief of mind and heart was the loss of her intended husband, who was drowned the day before their appointed wedding. it is said that this hymn was written under the recent sorrow of that loss. in and volumes of her works in verse and prose were published with her name, "theodosia," and reprinted in as "_hymns, psalms, and poems_, by anna steele." the hymn "father, whate'er," etc., is estimated as her best, though some rank it only next to her-- dear refuge of my weary soul. other more or less well-known hymns of this devout and loving writer are,-- lord, how mysterious are thy ways, o thou whose tender mercy hears, thou lovely source of true delight, alas, what hourly dangers rise, so fades the lovely blooming flower. --to a stanza of which latter the world owes the tune of "federal st." _the tune._ the true musical mate of the sweet hymn-prayer came to it probably about the time of its hundredth birthday; but it came to stay. lowell mason's "naomi" blends with it like a symphony of nature. father, whate'er of earthly bliss thy sovereign will denies, accepted at thy throne of grace let this petition rise. give me a calm and thankful heart from every murmer free. the blessings of thy grace impart, and make me live to thee. "guide me, o thou great jehovah." this great hymn has a double claim on the name of williams. we do not have it exactly in its original form as written by rev. william williams, "the watts of wales," familiarly known as "williams of pantycelyn." his fellow countryman and contemporary, rev. peter williams, or "williams of carmarthen," who translated it from welsh into english ( ) made alterations and substitutions in the hymn with the result that only the first stanza belongs indisputably to williams of pantycelyn, the others being peter's own or the joint production of the two. as the former, however, is said to have approved and revised the english translation, we may suppose the hymn retained the name of its original author by mutual consent. guide me, o thou great jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. i am weak, but thou art mighty, hold me by thy powerful hand; bread of heaven, feed me till i want no more. open thou the crystal fountain whence the healing streams do flow, let the fiery cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through. strong deliverer, be thou still my strength and shield! when i tread the verge of jordan bid my anxious fears subside; death of death, and hell's destruction, land me safe on canaan's side. songs of praises i will ever give to thee. musing on my habitation, musing on my heavenly home, fills my heart with holy longing; come, lord jesus, quickly come. vanity is all i see, lord, i long to be with thee. the second and third stanzas have not escaped the touch of critical editors. the line,-- whence the healing streams do flow --becomes,-- whence the healing waters flow, --with which alteration there is no fault to find except that it is needless, and obliterates the ancient mark. but the third stanza, besides losing its second line for-- bid the swelling stream divide, --is weakened by a more needless substitution. its original third line-- death of death, and hell's destruction, --is exchanged for the commonplace-- bear me through the swelling current. that is modern taste; but when modern taste meddles with a stalwart old hymn it is sometimes more nice than wise. it is probable that the famous hymn was sung in america before it obtained a european reputation. its history is as follows: lady huntingdon having read one of williams' books with much spiritual satisfaction, persuaded him to prepare a collection of hymns, to be called the _gloria in excelsis_, for special use in mr. whitefield's orphans' house in america. in this collection appeared the original stanzas of "guide me, o thou great jehovah." in , two years after its publication in the _gloria in excelsis_, it was republished in england in mr. whitefield's collections of hymns. the rev. peter williams was born in the parish of llansadurnen, carmarthenshire, wales, jan. , , and was educated in carmarthen college. he was ordained in the established church and appointed to a curacy, but in joined the calvinistic methodists. he was an independent of the independents however, and preached where ever he chose. finally he built a chapel for himself on his paternal estate, where he ministered during the rest of his life. died aug. , . _the tune._ if "sardius," the splendid old choral (triple time) everywhere identified with the hymn, be not its original music, its age at least entitles it to its high partnership. _the sacred lyre_ ( ) ascribes it to ludovic nicholson, of paisley, scotland, violinist and amateur composer, born ; died ; but this is not beyond dispute. of several names one more confidently referred to as its author is f.h. barthelemon ( - ). "peace, troubled soul" is the brave faith-song of a christian under deep but blameless humiliation--sir walter shirley[ ]. [footnote : see page ] _the tune._ apparently the favorite in several (not recent) hymnals for the subdued but confident spirit of this hymn of sir walter shirley is mazzinghi's "palestine," appearing with various tone-signatures in different books. the treble and alto lead in a sweet duet with slur-flights, like an obligato to the bass and tenor. the melody needs rich and cultured voices, and is unsuited for congregational singing. so, perhaps, is the hymn itself. peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan hath taught these rocks the notes of woe; cease thy complaint--suppress thy groan, and let thy tears forget to flow; behold the precious balm is found, to lull thy pain, to heal thy wound. come, freely come, by sin oppressed, unburden here thy weighty load; here find thy refuge and thy rest, and trust the mercy of thy god. thy god's thy saviour--glorious word! for ever love and praise the lord. as now sung the word "scenes" is substituted for "rocks" in the second line, eliminating the poetry. rocks give an _echo_; and the vivid thought in the author's mind is flattened to an unmeaning generality. count joseph mazzinghi, son of tommasso mazzinghi, a corsican musician, was born in london, . he was a boy of precocious talent. when only ten years of age he was appointed organist of the portuguese chapel, and when nineteen years old was made musical director and composer at the king's theatre. for many years he held the honor of music master to the princess of wales, afterwards queen caroline, and his compositions were almost numberless. some of his songs and glees that caught the popular fancy are still remembered in england, as "the turnpike gate," "the exile," and the rustic duet, "when a little farm we keep." of sacred music he composed only one mass and six hymn-tunes, of which latter "palestine" is one. mazzinghi died in , in his eightieth year. "begone unbelief, my saviour is near." the rev. john newton, author of this hymn, was born in london, july , . the son of a sea-captain, he became a sailor, and for several years led a reckless life. converted, he took holy orders and was settled as curate of olney, buckinghamshire, and afterwards rector of st. mary of woolnoth, london, where he died, dec. , . it was while living at olney that he and cowper wrote and published the _olney hymns_. his defiance to doubt in these lines is the blunt utterance of a sailor rather than the song of a poet: begone, unbelief, my saviour is near, and for my relief will surely appear. by prayer let me wrestle and he will perform; with christ in the vessel i smile at the storm. _the tune_ old "hanover," by william croft ( - ), carries newton's hymn successfully, but joseph haydn's choral of "lyons" is more familiar--and better music. "hanover" often accompanies charles wesley's lyric,-- ye servants of god, your master proclaim. "how firm a foundation." the question of the author of this hymn is treated at length in dr. louis f. benson's _studies of familiar hymns_. the utmost that need to be said here is that two of the most thorough and indefatigable hymn-chasers, dr. john julian and rev. h.l. hastings, working independently of each other, found evidence fixing the authorship with strong probability upon robert keene, a precentor in dr. john rippon's church. dr. rippon was pastor of a baptist church in london from to , and in he published a song-manual called _a selection of hymns from the best authors_, etc., in which "how firm a foundation" appears as a new piece, with the signature "k----." the popularity of the hymn in america has been remarkable, and promises to continue. indeed, there are few more reviving or more spiritually helpful. it is too familiar to need quotation. but one cannot suppress the last stanza, with its powerful and affecting emphasis on the divine promise-- the soul that on jesus has leaned for repose i will not, i will not, desert to his foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, i'll never, no never, no never forsake. _the tune._ the grand harmony of "portuguese hymn" has always been identified with this song of trust. one opinion of the date of the music writes it "about ." since the habit of crediting it to john reading ( - ) has been discontinued, it has been in several hymnals ascribed to marco portogallo (mark, the portuguese), a musician born in lisbon, , who became a composer of operas in italy, but was made chapel-master to the portuguese king. in , when napoleon invaded the peninsula and dethroned the royal house of braganza, old king john vi. fled to brazil and took marco with him, where he lived till , but returned and died in italy, in . such is the story, and it is all true, only the man's name was simao, instead of marco. _grove's dictionary_ appends to simao's biography the single sentence, "his brother wrote for the church." that the brazilian episode may have been connected with this brother's history by a confusion of names, is imaginable, but it is not known that the brother's name was marco. on the whole, this account of the authorship of the "portuguese hymn"--originally written for the old christmas church song "adeste fideles"--is late and uncertain. heard (perhaps for the first time) in the portuguese chapel, london, it was given the name which still clings to it. if proofs of its portuguese origin exist, they may yet be found. "how firm a foundation" was the favorite of deborah jackson, president andrew jackson's beloved wife, and on his death-bed the warrior and statesman called for it. it was the favorite of gen. robert e. lee, and was sung at his funeral. the american love and familiar preference for the remarkable hymn was never more strikingly illustrated than when on christmas eve, , a whole corps of the united states army northern and southern, encamped on the quemados hills, near havana, took up the sacred tune and words-- "fear not, i am with thee, o be not dismayed." lieut. col. curtis guild (since governor guild of massachusetts) related the story in the sunday school times for dec. , , and dr. benson quotes it in his book. [illustration: john wesley] "while thee i seek, protecting power." miss helen maria williams, who wrote this gentle hymn of confidence, in , was born in the north of england in . when but a girl she won reputation by her brilliant literary talents and a mental grasp and vigor that led her, like gail hamilton, "to discuss public affairs, besides clothing bright fancies and devout thoughts in graceful verse." most of her life was spent in london, and in paris, where she died, dec. , . while thee i seek, protecting power be my vain wishes stilled, and may this consecrated hour with better hopes be filled: * * * * * when gladness wings my favored hour, thy love my thoughts shall fill, resigned where storms of sorrow lower my soul shall meet thy will. my lifted eye without a tear the gathering storm shall see: my steadfast heart shall know no fear: my heart will rest on thee. _the tunes._ old "norwich," from _day's psalter_, and "simpson," adapted from louis spohr, are found with the hymn in several later manuals. in the memories of older worshipers "brattle-street," with its melodious choral and duet arranged from pleyel by lowell mason, is inseparable from miss williams' words; but modern hymnals have dropped it, probably because too elaborate for average congregational use. ignaz joseph pleyel was born june , , at ruppersthal, lower austria. he was the _twenty-fourth_ child of a village schoolmaster. his early taste and talent for music procured him friends who paid for his education. haydn became his master, and long afterwards spoke of him as his best and dearest pupil. pleyel's work--entirely instrumental--was much admired by mozart. during a few years spent in italy, he composed the music of his best-known opera, "iphigenia in aulide," and, besides the thirty-four books of his symphonies and chamber-pieces, the results of his prolific genius make a list too long to enumerate. most of his life was spent in paris, where he founded the (present) house of pleyel and wolfe, piano makers and sellers. he died in that city, nov. , . "come unto me." come unto me, when shadows darkly gather, when the sad heart is weary and distressed, seeking for comfort from your heavenly father, come unto me, and i will give you rest. this sweet hymn, by mrs. catherine esling, is well known to many thousands of mourners, as also is its equally sweet tune of "henley," by lowell mason. melody and words melt together like harp and flute. large are the mansions in thy father's dwelling, glad are the homes that sorrows never dim, sweet are the harps in holy music swelling. soft are the tones that raise the heavenly hymn. mrs. catherine harbison waterman esling was born in philadelphia, apr. , . a writer for many years under her maiden name, waterman, she married, in , capt. george esling, of the merchant marine, and lived in rio janeiro till her widowhood, in . john wesley's hymn. how happy is the pilgrim's lot, how free from every anxious thought. these are the opening lines of "john wesley's hymn," so called because his other hymns are mostly translations, and because of all his own it is the one commonly quoted and sung. john wesley, the second son in the famous epworth family of ministers, was a man who knew how to endure "hardness as a good soldier of christ." he was born june , , and studied at charterhouse, london, and at christ church, oxford, becoming a fellow of lincoln college. after taking holy orders he went as a missionary to georgia, u.s., in , and on his return began his remarkable work in england, preaching a more spiritual type of religion, and awakening the whole kingdom with his revival fervor and his brother's kindling songs. the following paragraph from his itinerant life, gathered probably from a page of his own journals, gives a glimpse of what the founder of the great methodist denomination did and suffered while carrying his evangelical message from place to place. on february , , when days were short and weather far from favorable, he set out on horseback from bristol to newcastle, a distance between three and four hundred miles. the journey occupied ten days. brooks were swollen, and in some places the roads were impassable, obliging the itinerant to go round through the fields. at aldrige heath, in staffordshire, the rain turned to snow, which the northerly wind drove against him, and by which he was soon crusted over from head to foot. at leeds the mob followed him, and pelted him with whatever came to hand. he arrived at newcastle, february , "free from every anxious thought," and "every worldly fear." how lightly he regarded hardship and molestation appears from his verses-- whatever molests or troubles life, when past, as nothing we esteem, and pain, like pleasure, is a dream. and that he actually enjoys the heroic freedom of a rough-rider missionary life is hinted in his hymn-- confined to neither court nor cell, his soul disdains on earth to dwell, he only sojourns here. god evidently built john wesley fire-proof and water-proof with a view to precisely what he was to undertake and accomplish. his frame was vigorous, and his spirit unconquerable. besides all this he had the divine gift of a religious faith that could move mountains and a confidence in his mission that became a second nature. no wonder he could suffer, and _last_. the brave young man at thirty was the brave old man at nearly ninety. he died in london, march , . blest with the scorn of finite good, my soul is lightened of its load and seeks the things above. there is my house and portion fair; my treasure and my heart are there, and my abiding home. for me my elder brethren stay, and angels beckon me away. and jesus bids me come. _the tune._ an air found in the _revivalist_ ( ), in sextuple time, that has the real camp-meeting swing, preserves the style of music in which the hymn was sung by the circuit-preachers and their congregations--ringing out the autobiographical verses with special unction. the favorite was-- no foot of land do i possess, no cottage in this wilderness; a poor wayfaring man, i lodge awhile in tents below, or gladly wander to and fro till i my canaan gain. more modern voices sing the john wesley hymn to the tune "habakkuk," by edward hodges. it has a lively three-four step, and finer melody than the old. edward hodges was born in bristol, eng., july , , and died there sept. . organist at bristol in his youth, he was graduated at cambridge and in received the doctorate of music from that university. in he went to toronto, canada, and two years later to new york city, where he was many years director of music at trinity church. returned to bristol in . "when gathering clouds around i view." one of the restful strains breathed out of illness and affliction to relieve one soul and bless millions. it was written by sir robert grant ( - ). when gathering clouds around i view, and days are dark, and friends are few, on him i lean who not in vain experienced every human pain. the lines are no less admirable for their literary beauty than for their feeling and their faith. unconsciously, it may be, to the writer, in this and the following stanza are woven an epitome of the saviour's history. he-- experienced every human pain, --felt temptation's power, --wept o'er lazarus dead, --and the crowning assurance of jesus' human sympathy is expressed in the closing prayer,-- --when i have safely passed thro' every conflict but the last, still, still unchanging watch beside my painful bed--for _thou hast died_. _the tune._ of the few suitable six-line long metre part songs, the charming russian tone-poem of "st. petersburg" by dimitri bortniansky is borrowed for the hymn in some collections, and with excellent effect. it accords well with the mood and tenor of the words, and deserves to stay with it as long as the hymn holds its place. dimitri bortniansky, called "the russian palestrina," was born in at gloukoff, a village of the ukraine. he studied music in moscow, st. petersburg, vienna, rome and naples. returning to his native land, he was made director of empress catharine's church choir. he reformed and systematized russian church music, and wrote original scores in the intervals of his teaching labors. his works are chiefly motets and concertos, which show his genius for rich harmony. died . "just as i am, without one plea." charlotte elliott, of brighton, eng., would have been well-known through her admired and useful hymns,-- my god, my father, while i stray, my god, is any hour so sweet, with tearful eyes i look around, --and many others. but in "just as i am" she made herself a voice in the soul of every hesitating penitent. the currency of the hymn has been too swift for its authorship and history to keep up with, but it is a blessed law of influence that good works out-run biographies. this master-piece of metrical gospel might be called miss elliott's spiritual-birth hymn, for a reply of dr. cæsar malan of geneva was its prompting cause. the young lady was a stranger to personal religion when, one day, the good man, while staying at her father's house, in his gentle way introduced the subject. she resented it, but afterwards, stricken in spirit by his words, came to him with apologies and an inquiry that confessed a new concern of mind. "you speak of coming to jesus, but how? i'm not fit to come." "come just as you are," said dr. malan. the hymn tells the result. like all the other hymns bound up in her _invalid's hymn-book_, it was poured from out the heart of one who, as the phrase is, "never knew a well day"--though she lived to see her eighty-second year. illustrative of the way it appeals to the afflicted, a little anecdote was told by the eloquent john b. gough of his accidental seat-mate in a city church service. a man of strange appearance was led by the kind usher or sexton to the pew he occupied. mr. gough eyed him with strong aversion. the man's face was mottled, his limbs and mouth twitched, and he mumbled singular sounds. when the congregation sang he attempted to sing, but made fearful work of it. during the organ interlude he leaned toward mr. gough and asked how the next verse began. it was-- just as i am, poor, wretched, blind. "that's it," sobbed the strange man, "i'm blind--god help me!"--and the tears ran down his face--"and i'm wretched--and paralytic," and then he tried hard to sing the line with the rest. "after that," said mr. gough, "the poor paralytic's singing was as sweet to me as a beethoven symphony." charlotte elliott was born march , , and died in brighton, sept. , . she stands in the front rank of female hymn-writers. the tune of "woodworth," by william b. bradbury, has mostly superseded mason's "elliott," and is now the accepted music of this lyric of perfect faith and pious surrender. just as i am,--thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down, now to be thine, yea, thine alone, o lamb of god, i come, i come. "my hope is built on nothing less." the rev. edward mote was born in london, . according to his own testimony his parents were not god-fearing people, and he "went to a school where no bible was allowed;" but at the age of sixteen he received religious impressions from a sermon of john hyatt in tottenham court chapel, was converted two years later, studied for the ministry, and ultimately became a faithful preacher of the gospel. settled as pastor of the baptist church in horsham, sussex, he remained there twenty-six years--until his death, nov. , . the refrain of his hymn came to him one sabbath when on his way to holborn to exchange pulpits: on christ the solid rock i stand, all other ground is sinking sand. there were originally six stanzas, the first beginning: nor earth, nor hell, my soul can move, i rest upon unchanging love. the refrain is a fine one, and really sums up the whole hymn, keeping constantly at the front the corner-stone of the poet's trust. my hope is built on nothing less than jesus' blood and righteousness. i dare not trust the sweetest frame, but only lean on jesus' name. on christ the solid rock i stand all other ground is sinking sand. when darkness veils his lovely face i trust in his unchanging grace, in every high and stormy gale my anchor holds within the veil. on christ the solid rock, etc. wm. b. bradbury composed the tune ( ). it is usually named "the solid rock." "abide with me! fast falls the eventide." the rev. henry francis lyte, author of this melodious hymn-prayer, was born at ednam, near kelso, scotland, june first, . a scholar, graduated at trinity college, dublin; a poet and a musician, the hard-working curate was a man of frail physique, with a face of almost feminine beauty, and a spirit as pure and gentle as a little child's. the shadow of consumption was over him all his life. his memory is chiefly associated with the district church at lower brixham, devonshire, where he became "perpetual curate" in . he died at nice, france, nov. , . on the evening of his last sunday preaching and communion service he handed to one of his family the manuscript of his hymn, "abide with me," and the music he had composed for it. it was not till eight years later that henry ward beecher introduced it, or a part of it, to american congregationalists, and fourteen years after the author's death it began to be sung as we now have it, in this country and england. abide with me! fast falls the eventide, the darkness deepens,--lord with me abide! when other helpers fail, and comforts flee, help of the helpless, o abide with me! * * * * * hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, o lord, abide with me! _the tune_ there is a pathos in the neglect and oblivion of lyte's own tune set by himself to his words, especially as it was in a sense the work of a dying man who had hoped that he might not be "wholly mute and useless" while lying in his grave, and who had prayed-- o thou whose touch can lend life to the dead. thy quickening grace supply, and grant me swan-like my last breath to spend in song that may not die! his prayer was answered in god's own way. another's melody hastened his hymn on its useful career, and revealed to the world its immortal value. by the time it had won its slow recognition in england, it was probably tuneless, and the compilers of _hymns ancient and modern_ ( ) discovering the fact just as they were finishing their work, asked dr. william henry monk, their music editor, to supply the want. "in ten minutes," it is said, "dr. monk composed the sweet, pleading chant that is wedded permanently to lyte's swan song." william henry monk, doctor of music, was born in london, . his musical education was early and thorough, and at the age of twenty-six he was organist and choir director in king's college, london. elected ( ) professor of the national training school, he interested himself actively in popular musical education, delivering lectures at various institutions, and establishing choral services. his hymn-tunes are found in many song-manuals of the english church and in scotland, and several have come to america. dr. monk died in . "come, ye disconsolate." by thomas moore--about . the poem in its original form differed somewhat from the hymn we sing. thomas hastings--whose religious experience, perhaps, made him better qualified than thomas moore for spiritual expression--changed the second line,-- come, at god's altar fervently kneel, --to-- come to the mercy seat, --and in the second stanza replaced-- hope when all others die, --with-- hope of the penitent; --and for practically the whole of the last stanza-- go ask the infidel what boon he brings us, what charm for aching hearts he can reveal. sweet as that heavenly promise hope sings us, "earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal," --hastings substituted-- here see the bread of life, see waters flowing forth from the throne of god, pure from above! come to the feast love, come ever knowing earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove. dr. hastings was not much of a poet, but he could make a _singable_ hymn, and he knew the rhythm and accent needed in a hymn-tune. the determination was to make an evangelical hymn of a poem "too good to lose," and in that view perhaps the editorial liberties taken with it were excusable. it was to moore, however, that the real hymn-thought and key-note first came, and the title-line and the sweet refrain are his own--for which the christian world has thanked him, lo these many years. _the tune._ those who question why dr. hastings' interest in moore's poem did not cause him to make a tune for it, must conclude that it came to him with its permanent melody ready made, and that the tune satisfied him. the "german air" to which moore tells us he wrote the words, probably took his fancy, if it did not induce his mood. whether samuel webbe's tune now wedded to the hymn is an arrangement of the old air or wholly his own is immaterial. one can scarcely conceive a happier yoking of counterparts. try singing "come ye disconsolate" to "rescue the perishing," for example, and we shall feel the impertinence of divorcing a hymn that has found its musical affinity. "jesus, i my cross have taken." this is another well-known and characteristic hymn of henry francis lyte--originally six stanzas. we have been told that, besides his bodily affliction, the grief of an unhappy division or difference in his church weighed upon his spirit, and that it is alluded to in these lines-- man may trouble and distress me, 'twill but drive me to thy breast, life with trials hard may press me, heaven will bring me sweeter rest. o, 'tis not in grief to harm me while thy love is left to me, o, 'tis not in joy to charm me were that joy unmixed with thee. tunes, "autumn," by f.h. barthelemon, or "ellesdie," (formerly called "disciple") from mozart--familiar in either. "from every stormy wind that blows." this is the much-sung and deeply-cherished hymn of christian peace that a pious manxman, hugh stowell, was inspired to write nearly a hundred years ago. ever since it has carried consolation to souls in both ordinary and extraordinary trials. it was sung by the eight american martyrs, revs. albert johnson, john e. freeman, david e. campbell and their wives, and mr. and mrs. mcmullen, when by order of the bloody nana sahib the captive missionaries were taken prisoners and put to death at cawnpore in . two little children, fannie and willie campbell, suffered with their parents. from every stormy wind that blows, from every swelling tide of woes there is a calm, a sure retreat; 'tis found beneath the mercy seat. ah, whither could we flee for aid when tempted, desolate, dismayed, or how the hosts of hell defeat had suffering saints no mercy seat? there, there on eagle wings we soar, and sin and sense molest no more, and heaven comes down our souls to greet while glory crowns the mercy seat. [illustration: john b. dykes] rev. hugh stowell was born at douglas on the isle of man, dec. , . he was educated at oxford and ordained to the ministry , receiving twelve years later the appointment of canon to chester cathedral. he was a popular and effective preacher and a graceful writer. forty-seven hymns are credited to him, the above being the best known. to presume it is "his best," leaves a good margin of merit for the remainder. "from every stormy wind that blows" has practically but one tune. it has been sung to hastings "retreat" ever since the music was made. "child of sin and sorrow." child of sin and sorrow, filled with dismay, wait not for tomorrow, yield thee today. heaven bids thee come, while yet there's room, child of sin and sorrow, hear and obey. words and music by thomas hastings. "lead, kindly light." john henry newman, born in london, feb. , --known in religious history as cardinal newman--wrote this hymn when he was a young clergyman of the church of england. "born within the sound of bow bells," says dr. benson, "he was an imaginative boy, and so superstitious, that he used constantly to cross himself when going into the dark." intelligent students of the fine hymn will note this habit of its author's mind--and surmise its influence on his religious musings. the agitations during the high church movement, and the persuasions of hurrell froude, a romanist friend, while he was a tutor at oxford, gradually weakened his protestant faith, and in his unrest he travelled to the mediterranean coast, crossed to sicily, where he fell violently ill, and after his recovery waited three weeks in palermo for a return boat. on his trip to marseilles he wrote the hymn--with no thought that it would ever be called a hymn. when complimented on the beautiful production after it became famous he modestly said, "it was not the hymn but the _tune_ that has gained the popularity. the tune is dykes' and dr. dykes is a great master." dr. newman was created a cardinal of the church of rome in the catholic cathedral of london, . died aug. , . _the tune._ "lux benigna," by dr. dykes, was composed in aug. , and was the tune chosen for this hymn by a committee preparing the appendix to _hymns ancient and modern_. dr. dykes' statement that the tune came into his head while walking through the strand in london "presents a striking contrast with the solitary origin of the hymn itself" (benson). lead, kindly light, amid th' encircling gloom, lead thou me on. the night is dark and i am far from home; lead thou me on. keep thou my feet; i do not ask to see the distant scene,--one step enough for me. * * * * * so long thy power hath bless'd me, sure it still will lead me on, o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone, and with the morn those angel faces smile which i have loved long since, and lost awhile. "i heard the voice of jesus say." few if any christian writers of his generation have possessed tuneful gifts in greater opulence or produced more vital and lasting treasures of spiritual verse than horatius bonar of scotland. he inherited some of his poetic faculty from his grandfather, a clergyman who wrote several hymns, and it is told of horatius that hymns used to "come to" him while riding on railroad trains. he was educated in the edinburgh university and studied theology with dr. chalmers, and his life was greatly influenced by dr. guthrie, whom he followed in the establishment of the free church of scotland. born in in edinburgh, he was about forty years old when he came back from a successful pastorate at kelso to the city of his home and alma mater, and became virtually chalmers' successor as minister of the chalmers memorial church. the peculiar richness of bonar's sacred songs very early created for them a warm welcome in the religious world, and any devout lyric or poem with his name attached to it is sure to be read. dr. bonar died in edinburgh, july , . writing of the hymn, "i heard the voice," etc., dr. david breed calls it "one of the most ingenious hymns in the language," referring to the fact that the invitation and response exactly halve each stanza between them--song followed by countersong. "ingenious" seems hardly the right word for a division so obviously natural and almost automatic. it is a simple art beauty that a poet of culture makes by instinct. bowring's "watchman, tell us of the night," is not the only other instance of similar countersong structure, and the regularity in thomas scott's little hymn, "hasten, sinner, to be wise," is only a simpler case of the way a poem plans itself by the compulsion of its subject. i heard the voice of jesus say, come unto me and rest, lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast: i came to jesus as i was, weary and worn and sad, i found in him a resting-place, and he has made me glad. _the tune._ the old melody of "evan," long a favorite; and since known everywhere through the currency given to it in the _gospel hymns_, has been in many collections connected with the words. it is good congregational psalmody, and not unsuited to the sentiment, taken line by line, but it divides the stanzas into quatrains, which breaks the happy continuity. "evan" was made by dr. mason in from a song written four years earlier by rev. william henry havergal, canon of worcester cathedral, eng. he was the father of frances ridley havergal. the more ancient "athens," by felice giardini ( - ), author of the "italian hymn," has clung, and still clings lovingly to bonar's hymn in many communities. its simplicity, and the involuntary accent of its sextuple time, exactly reproducing the easy iambic of the verses, inevitably made it popular, and thousands of older singers today will have no other music with "i heard the voice of jesus say." "vox jesu," from the andante in one of the quartets of louis spohr ( - ), is a psalm-tune of good harmony, but too little feeling. an excellent tune for all the shades of expression in the hymn, is the arrangement by hubert p. main from franz abt--in a flat, triple time. gentle music through the first fifteen bars, in alternate duet and quartet, utters the divine voice with the true accent of the lines, and the second portion completes the harmony in glad, full chorus--the answer of the human heart. "vox dilecti," by dr. dykes, goes farther and writes the voice in b flat _minor_--which seems a needless substitution of divine sadness for divine sweetness. it is a tune of striking chords, but its shift of key to g natural (major) after the first four lines marks it rather for trained choir performance than for assembly song. it is possible to make too much of a dramatic perfection or a supposed indication of structural design in a hymn. textual equations, such as distinguish dr. bonar's beautiful stanzas, are not necessarily technical. to emphasize them as ingenious by an ingenious tune seems, somehow, a reflection on the spontaneity of the hymn. louis spohr was director of the court theatre orchestra in cassel, prussia, in the first half of the last century. he was an eminent composer of both vocal and instrumental music, and one of the greatest violinists of europe. hubert platt main was born in ridgefield, ct., aug. , . he read music at sight when only ten years old, and at sixteen commenced writing hymn-tunes. was assistant compiler with both bradbury and woodbury in their various publications, and in became connected with the firm of biglow and main, and has been their book-maker until the present time. as music editor in the partnership he has superintended the publication of more than five hundred music-books, services, etc. "i love to steal awhile away." the burdened wife and mother who wrote this hymn would, at the time, have rated her history with "the short and simple annals of the poor." but the poor who are "remembered for what they have done," may have a larger place in history than many rich who did nothing. phebe hinsdale brown, was born in canaan, n.y., in . her father, george hinsdale, who died in her early childhood, must have been a man of good abilities and religious feeling, being the reputed composer of the psalm-tune, "hinsdale," found in some long-ago collections. left an orphan at two years of age, phebe "fell into the hands of a relative who kept the county jail," and her childhood knew little but the bitter fare and ceaseless drudgery of domestic slavery. she grew up with a crushed spirit, and was a timid, shrinking woman as long as she lived. she married timothy h. brown, a house-painter of ellington, ct., and passed her days there and in monson, mass., where she lived some twenty-five years. in her humble home in the former town her children were born, and it was while caring for her own little family of four, and a sick sister, that the incident occurred (august ), which called forth her tender hymn. she was a devout christian, and in pleasant weather, whenever she could find the leisure, she would "steal away" at sunset from her burdens a little while, to rest and commune with god. her favorite place was a wealthy neighbor's large and beautiful flower garden. a servant reported her visits there to the mistress of the house, who called the "intruder" to account. "if you want anything, why don't you come in?" was the rude question, followed by a plain hint that no stealthy person was welcome. wounded by the ill-natured rebuff, the sensitive woman sat down the next evening with her baby in her lap, and half-blinded by her tears, wrote "an apology for my twilight rambles," in the verses that have made her celebrated. she sent the manuscript (nine stanzas) to her captious neighbor--with what result has never been told. crude and simple as the little rhyme was, it contained a germ of lyric beauty and life. the rev. dr. charles hyde of ellington, who was a neighbor of mrs. brown, procured a copy. he was assisting dr. nettleton to compile the _village hymns_, and the humble bit of devotional verse was at once judged worthy of a place in the new book. dr. hyde and his daughter emeline giving it some kind touches of rhythmic amendment, i love to steal awhile away from little ones and care, --became,-- i love to steal awhile away from _every cumb'ring_ care. in the last line of this stanza-- in gratitude and prayer --was changed to-- in humble, grateful prayer, --and the few other defects in syllabic smoothness or literary grace were affectionately repaired, but the slight furbishing it received did not alter the individuality of mrs. brown's work. it remained _hers_--and took its place among the immortals of its kind, another illustration of how little poetry it takes to make a good hymn. only five stanzas were printed, the others being voted redundant by both author and editor. the second and third, as now sung, are-- i love in solitude to shed the penitential tear, and all his promises to plead where none but god can hear. i love to think on mercies past and future good implore, and all my cares and sorrows cast on him whom i adore. phebe brown died at henry, ill., in ; but she had made the church and the world her debtor not only for her little lyric of pious trust, but by rearing a son, the rev. samuel brown, d.d., who became the pioneer american missionary to japan--to which christian calling two of her grandchildren also consecrated themselves. _the tune._ mrs. brown's son samuel, who, besides being a good minister, inherited his grandfather's musical gift, composed the tune of "monson," (named in his mother's honor, after her late home), and it may have been the first music set to her hymn. it was the fate of his offering, however, to lose its filial place, and be succeeded by different melodies, though his own still survives in a few collections, sometimes with collyer's "o jesus in this solemn hour." it is good music for a hymn of _praise_ rather than for meditative verse. many years the hymn has been sung to "woodstock," an appropriate and still familiar tune by deodatus dutton. dutton's "woodstock" and bradbury's "brown," which often replaces it, are worthy rivals of each other, and both continue in favor as fit choral interpretations of the much-loved hymn. deodatus dutton was born dec. , , and educated at brown university and washington college (now trinity) hartford ct. while there he was a student of music and played the organ at dr. matthews' church. he studied theology in new york city, and had recently entered the ministry when he suddenly died, dec. , , a moment before rising to preach a sermon. during his brief life he had written several hymn-tunes, and published a book of psalmody. mrs. sigourney wrote a poem on his death. "there's a wideness in god's mercy." frederick william faber, author of this favorite hymn-poem, had a peculiar genius for putting golden thoughts into common words, and making them sing. probably no other sample of his work shows better than this his art of combining literary cleverness with the most reverent piety. cant was a quality faber never could put into his religious verse. he was born in yorkshire, eng., june , , and received his education at oxford. settled as rector of elton, in huntingdonshire, in , he came into sympathy with the "oxford movement," and followed newman into the romish church. he continued his ministry as founder and priest for the london branch of the catholic congregation of st. philip neri for fourteen years, dying sept. , , at the age of forty-nine. his godly hymns betray no credal shibboleth or doctrinal bias, but are songs for the whole earthly church of god. there's a wideness in god's mercy like the wideness of the sea; there's a kindness in his justice which is more than liberty. there is welcome for the sinner and more graces for the good; there is mercy with the saviour, there is healing in his blood. there's no place where earthly sorrows are more felt than up in heaven; there's no place where earthly failings have such kindly judgment given. there is plentiful redemption in the blood that has been shed, there is joy for all the members in the sorrows of the head. for the love of god is broader than the measure of man's mind, and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind. if our love were but more simple we should take him at his word, and our lives would be all sunshine in the sweetness of the lord. no tone of comfort has breathed itself more surely and tenderly into grieved hearts than these tuneful and singularly expressive sentences of frederick faber. _the tune._ the music of s.j. vail sung to faber's hymn is one of that composer's best hymn-tunes, and its melody and natural movement impress the meaning as well as the simple beauty of the words. silas jones vail, an american music-writer, was born oct., , and died may , . another charming tune is "wellesley," by lizzie s. tourjee, daughter of the late dr. eben tourjee. "he leadeth me! oh, blessed thought." professor gilmore, of rochester university, n.y., when a young baptist minister ( ) supplying a pulpit in philadelphia "jotted down this hymn in deacon watson's parlor" (as he says) and passed it to his wife, one evening after he had made "a conference-room talk" on the d psalm. mrs. gilmore, without his knowledge, sent it to the _watchman and reflector_ (now the _watchman_). years after its publication in that paper, when a candidate for the pastorate of the second baptist church in rochester, he was turning the leaves of the vestry hymnal in use there, and saw his hymn in it. since that first publication in the _devotional hymn and tune book_ ( ) it has been copied in the hymnals of various denominations, and steadily holds its place in public favor. the refrain added by the tunemaker emphasizes the sentiment of the lines, and undoubtedly enhances the effect of the hymn. "he leadeth me" has the true hymn quality, combining all the simplicity of spontaneous thought and feeling with perfect accent and liquid rhythm. he leadeth me! oh, blessed thought, oh, words with heavenly comfort fraught; whate'er i do, where'er i be, still 'tis god's hand that leadeth me! * * * * * lord, i would clasp thy hand in mine, nor ever murmur nor repine-- content, whatever lot i see, since 'tis my god that leadeth me. professor joseph henry gilmore was born in boston, april , . he was graduated at phillips academy, andover, at brown university, and at the newton theological institution, where he was afterwards hebrew instructor. after four years of pastoral service he was elected ( ) professor of the english language and literature in rochester university. he has published _familiar chats on books and reading_, also several college text-books on rhetoric, logic and oratory. _the tune._ the little hymn of four stanzas was peculiarly fortunate in meeting the eye of mr. william b. bradbury, ( ) and winning his musical sympathy and alliance. few composers have so exactly caught the tone and spirit of their text as bradbury did when he vocalized the gliding measures of "he leadeth me." chapter vi. christian ballads. echoes of hebrew thought, if not hebrew psalmody, may have made their way into the more serious pagan literature. at least in the more enlightened pagans there has ever revealed itself more or less the instinct of the human soul that "feels after" god. st. paul in his address to the athenians made a tactful as well as scholarly point to preface a missionary sermon when he cited a line from a poem of aratus (b.c. ) familiar, doubtless, to the majority of his hearers. dr. lyman abbot has thus translated the passage in which the line occurs: let us begin from god. let every mortal raise the grateful voice to tune god's endless praise, god fills the heaven, the earth, the sea, the air; we feel his spirit moving everywhere, and we his offspring are.[ ] he, ever good, daily provides for man his daily food. to him, the first, the last, all homage yield,-- our father wonderful, our help, our shield. [footnote : [greek: tou gar kai genos esmen.]] "rise, crowned with light." alexander pope, a roman catholic poet, born in london , died at twickenham , was not a hymnist, but passages in his most serious and exalted flights deserve a tuneful accompaniment. his translations of homer made him famous, but his ethical poems, especially his "essay on man," are inexhaustible mines of quotation, many of the lines and couplets being common as proverbs. his "messiah," written about , is a religious anthem in which the prophecies of holy writ kindle all the splendor of his verse. _the tune._ the closing strain, indicated by the above line, has been divided into stanzas of four lines suitable to a church hymn-tune. the melody selected by the compilers of the _plymouth hymnal_, and of the _unitarian hymn and tune book_ is "savannah," an american sounding name for what is really one of pleyel's chorals. the music is worthy of pope's triumphal song. the seas shall waste, the skies to smoke decay, rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away, but fixed his word; his saving power remains: thy realm shall last; thy own messiah reigns. "oh, why should the spirit?" this is a sombre poem, but its virile strength and its literary merit have given it currency, and commended it to the taste of many people, both weak and strong, who have the pensive temperament. abraham lincoln loved it and committed it to memory in his boyhood. philip phillips set it to music, and sang it--or a part of it--one day during the civil war at the anniversary of the christian sanitary commission, when president lincoln, who was present, called for its repetition.[ ] it was written by william knox, born , son of a scottish farmer. [footnote : this account so nearly resembles the story of mrs. gates' "your mission," sung to a similar audience, on a similar occasion, by the same man, that a possible confusion by the narrators of the incident has been suggested. but that mr. phillips sang twice before the president during the war does not appear to be contradicted. to what air he sang the above verses is uncertain.] the poem has fourteen stanzas, the following being the first and two last-- oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? like a swift-fleeting meteor, a fast-flying cloud a flash of the lightning, a break of the wave, he passeth from life to rest in the grave. * * * * * yea, hope and despondency, pleasure and pain, are mingled together like sunshine and rain; and the smile and the tear, the song and the dirge, still follow each other like surge upon surge. 'tis the wink of an eye; 'tis the draft of a breath from the blossom of health to the paleness of death, from the gilded saloon to the bier and the shroud, oh, why should the spirit of mortal be proud? philip phillips was born in jamestown, chautauqua co., n.y., aug. , , and died in delaware, o., june , . he wrote no hymns and was not an educated musician, but the airs of popular hymn-music came to him and were harmonized for him by others, most frequently by his friends, s.j. vail and hubert p. main. he compiled and published thirty-one collections for sunday-schools and gospel meetings, besides the _methodist hymn and tune book_, issued in . he was a pioneer gospel singer, and his tuneful journeys through america, england and australia gave him the name of the "singing pilgrim," the title of his song collection ( ). "when israel of the lord beloved." the "song of rebecca the jewess," in "ivanhoe," was written by sir walter scott, author of the waverly novels, "marmion," etc., born in edinburgh, , and died at abbotsford, . the lines purport to be the hebrew hymn with which rebecca closed her daily devotions while in prison under sentence of death. when israel of the lord beloved out of the land of bondage came her fathers' god before her moved, an awful guide in smoke and flame. * * * * * then rose the choral hymn of praise, and trump and timbrel answered keen, and zion's daughters poured their lays. with priest's and warrior's voice between. * * * * * by day along th' astonished lands the cloudy pillar glided slow, by night arabia's crimson'd sands returned the fiery column's glow. * * * * * and o, when gathers o'er our path in shade and storm the frequent night be thou, long suffering, slow to wrath, a burning and a shining light! the "hymn of rebecca" has been set to music though never in common use as a hymn. old "truro", by dr. charles burney ( - ) is a grand scotch psalm harmony for the words, though one of the unitarian hymnals borrows zeuner's sonorous choral, the "missionary chant." both sound the lyric of the jewess in good christian music. "we sat down and wept by the waters." the th psalm has been for centuries a favorite with poets and poetical translators, and its pathos appealed to lord byron when engaged in writing his _hebrew melodies_. byron was born in london, , and died at missolonghi, western greece, . we sat down and wept by the waters of babel, and thought of the day when the foe, in the hue of his slaughters, made salem's high places his prey, and ye, oh her desolate daughters, were scattered all weeping away. --written april, . it was the fashion then for musical societies to call on the popular poets for contributions, and tunes were composed for them, though these have practically passed into oblivion. byron's ringing ballad (from ii kings : )-- th' assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold, --has been so much a favorite for recitation and declamation that the loss of its tune is never thought of. another poetic rendering of the "captivity psalm" is worthy of notice among the lay hymns not unworthy to supplement clerical sermons. it was written by the hon. joel barlow in , and published in a pioneer psalm-book at northampton, mass. it is neither a translation nor properly a hymn but a poem built upon the words of the jewish lament, and really reproducing something of its plaintive beauty. two stanzas of it are as follows: along the banks where babel's current flows our captive bands in deep despondence strayed, while zion's fall in deep remembrance rose, her friends, her children mingled with the dead. the tuneless harps that once with joy we strung when praise employed, or mirth inspired the lay, in mournful silence on the willows hung, and growing grief prolonged the tedious day. like pope, this american poet loved onomatope and imitative verse, and the last line is a word-picture of home-sick weariness. this "psalm" was the best piece of work in mr. barlow's series of attempted improvements upon isaac watts--which on the whole were not very successful. the sweet cantabile of mason's "melton" gave "along the banks" quite an extended lease of life, though it has now ceased to be sung. joel barlow was a versatile gentleman, serving his country and generation in almost every useful capacity, from chaplain in the continental army to foreign ambassador. he was born in redding, ct., , and died near cracow, poland, dec. . "as down in the sunless." thomas moore, the poet of glees and love-madrigals, had sober thoughts in the intervals of his gaiety, and employed his genius in writing religious and even devout poems, which have been spiritually helpful in many phases of christian experience. among them was this and the four following hymns, with thirty-four others, each of which he carefully labelled with the name of a music composer, though the particular tune is left indefinite. "the still prayer of devotion" here answers, in rhyme and reality, the simile of the sea-flower in the unseen deep, and the mariner's compass represents the constancy of a believer. as, still to the star of its worship, though clouded, the needle points faithfully o'er the dim sea, so, dark as i roam in this wintry world shrouded, the hope of my spirit turns trembling to thee. it is sung in _plymouth hymnal_ to barnby's "st. botolph." "the turf shall be my fragrant shrine" is, in part, still preserved in hymn collections, and sung to the noble tune of "louvan," virgil taylor's piece. the last stanza is especially reminiscent of the music. there's nothing bright above, below, from flowers that bloom to stars that glow; but in its light my soul can see some feature of thy deity. "o thou who dry'st the mourner's tear" is associated in the _baptist praise book_ with woodbury's "siloam." "the bird let loose in eastern skies" has been sung in mason's "coventry," and the _plymouth hymnal_ assigns it to "spohr"--a namesake tune of louis spohr, while the _unitarian hymn and tune book_ unites to it a beautiful triple-time melody from mozart, and bearing his name. "thou art, o god, the life and light." this is the best of the irish poet's sacred songs--always excepting, "come, ye disconsolate." it is said to have been originally set to a secular melody composed by the wife of hon. richard brinsley sheridan. it is joined to the tune of "brighton" in the unitarian books, and william monk's "matthias" voices the words for the _plymouth hymnal_. the verses have the true lyrical glow, and make a real song of praise as well a composition of more than ordinary literary beauty. thou art, o god, the life and light of all this wondrous world we see; its glow by day, its smile by night are but reflections caught from thee. where'er we turn thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. * * * * * when night with wings of starry gloom o'ershadows all the earth, and skies like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume is sparkling with unnumbered eyes, that sacred gloom, those fires divine, so grand, so countless, lord, are thine. when youthful spring around us breathes, thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh, and every flower the summer wreathes is born beneath that kindling eye. where'er we turn thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. "mournfully, tenderly, bear on the dead." a tender funeral ballad by henry s. washburn, composed in and entitled "the burial of mrs. judson." it is rare now in sheet-music form but the _american vocalist_, to be found in the stores of most great music publishers and dealers, preserves the full poem and score. its occasion was the death at sea, off st. helena, of the baptist missionary, mrs. sarah hall boardman judson, and the solemn committal of her remains to the dust on that historic island, sept. , . she was on her way to america from burmah at the time of her death, and the ship proceeded on its homeward voyage immediately after her burial. the touching circumstances of the gifted lady's death, and the strange romance of her entombment where napoleon's grave was made twenty-four years before, inspired mr. washburn, who was a prominent layman of the baptist denomination, and interested in all its ecclesiastical and missionary activities, and he wrote this poetic memorial of the event: mournfully, tenderly, bear on the dead; where the warrior has lain, let the christian be laid. no place more befitting, o rock of the sea; never such treasure was hidden in thee. mournfully, tenderly, solemn and slow; tears are bedewing the path as ye go; kindred and strangers are mourners today; gently, so gently, o bear her away. mournfully, tenderly, gaze on that brow; beautiful is it in quietude now. one look, and then settle the loved to her rest the ocean beneath her, the turf on her breast. mrs. sarah judson was the second wife of the rev. adoniram judson, d.d., the celebrated pioneer american baptist missionary, and the mother by her first marriage, of the late rev. george dana boardman, d.d., ll.d., of philadelphia. the hon. henry s. washburn was born in providence, r.i., , and educated at brown university. during most of his long life he resided in massachusetts, and occupied there many positions of honor and trust, serving in the state legislature both as representative and senator. he was the author of many poems and lyrics of high merit, some of which--notably "the vacant chair"--became popular in sheet-music and in books of religious and educational use. he died in . _the tune._ "the burial of mrs. judson" became favorite parlor music when lyman heath composed the melody for it--of the same name. its notes and movement were evidently inspired by the poem, for it reproduces the feeling of every line. the threnody was widely known and sung in the middle years of the last century, by people, too, who had scarcely heard of mrs. judson, and received in the music and words their first hint of her history. the poem prompted the tune, but the tune was the garland of the poem. lyman heath of bow, n.h., was born there aug. , . he studied music, and became a vocalist and vocal composer. died july , . "tell me not in mournful numbers." longfellow's "psalm of life" was written when he was a young man, and for some years it carried the title he gave it, "what the young man's heart said to the psalmist"--a caption altogether too long to bear currency. the history of the beloved poet who wrote this optimistic ballad of hope and courage is too well known to need recounting here. he was born in portland, me., in , graduated at bowdoin college, and was for more than forty years professor of belles lettres in harvard university. died in cambridge, march , . of his longer poems the most read and admired are his beautiful romance of "evangeline," and his epic of "hiawatha," but it is hardly too much to say that for the last sixty years, his "psalm of life" has been the common property of all american, if not english school-children, and a part of their education. when he was in london, queen victoria sent for him to come and see her at the palace. he went, and just as he was seating himself in the waiting coach after the interview, a man in working clothes appeared, hat in hand, at the coach window. "please sir, yer honor," said he, "an' are you mr. longfellow?" "i am mr. longfellow," said the poet. "an' did you write the psalm of life?" he asked. "i wrote the psalm of life," replied the poet. "an', yer honor, would you be willing to take a workingman by the hand?" mr. longfellow gave the honest englishman a hearty handshake, "and" (said he in telling the story) "i never in my life received a compliment that gave me more satisfaction." the incident has a delightful democratic flavor--and it is perfectly characteristic of the amiable author of the most popular poem in the english language. the "psalm of life" is a wonderful example of the power of commonplaces put into tuneful and elegant verse. the thought of setting the poem to music came to the compiler of one of the unitarian church singing books. some will question, however, whether the selection was the happiest that could have been made. the tune is "rathbun," ithamar conkey's melody that always recalls sir john bowring's great hymn of praise. "build thee more noble mansions." this poem by dr. oliver wendell holmes, known among his works as "the chambered nautilus," was considered by himself as his worthiest achievement in verse, and his wish that it might live is likely to be fulfilled. it is stately, and in character and effect a rhythmic sermon from a text in "natural theology." the biography of one of the little molluscan sea-navigators that continually enlarges its shell to adapt it to its growth inspired the thoughtful lines. the third, fourth and fifth stanzas are as follows: year after year beheld the silent toil that spread the lustrous coil; still, as the spiral grew, he left the last year's dwelling for the new, stole with soft step the shining archway through, built up its idle door, stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more. thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee, child of the wand'ring sea, cast from her lap forlorn! from thy dead lips a clearer note is born than ever triton blew from wreathéd horn! while on my ear it rings through the deep caves of thought i hear a voice that sings, "build thee more noble mansions, o my soul. as the swift seasons roll: leave thy low-vaulted past! let each new temple, nobler than the last, shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast, till thou at length art free, leaving thy outgrown shell by life's unresting sea." dr. frederic hedge included the poem in his hymn-book but without any singing-supplement to the words. whittier's service song. it may not be our lot to wield the sickle in the harvest field. if this stanza and the four following do not reveal all the strength of john g. whittier's spirit, they convey its serious sweetness. the verses were loved and prized by both president garfield and president mckinley. on the sunday before the latter went from his canton, o., home to his inauguration in washington the poem was sung as a hymn at his request in the services at the methodist church where he had been a constant worshipper. the second stanza is the one most generally recognized and oftenest quoted: yet where our duty's task is wrought in unison with god's great thought, the near and future blend in one, and whatsoe'er is willed, is done. john greenleaf whittier, the poet of the oppressed, was born in haverhill, mass., , worked on a farm and on a shoe-bench, and studied at the local academy, until, becoming of age, he went to hartford, conn., and began a brief experience in editorial life. soon after his return to massachusetts he was elected to the legislature, and after his duties ended there he left the state for philadelphia to edit the _pennsylvania freeman_. a few years later he returned again, and established his home in amesbury, the town with which his life and works are always associated. he died in at hampton falls, n.h., where he had gone for his health. _the tune._ "abends," the smooth triple-time choral joined to whittier's poem by the music editor of the new _methodist hymnal_, speaks its meaning so well that it is scarcely worth while to look for another. sir herbert stanley oakeley, the composer, was born at ealing, eng., july , , and educated at rugby and oxford. he studied music in germany, and became a superior organist, winning great applause by his recitals at edinburgh university, where he was elected musical professor. archbishop tait gave him the doctorate of music at canterbury in , and he was knighted by queen victoria in . besides vocal duets, scotch melodies and student songs, he composed many anthems and tunes for the church--notably "edina" ("saviour, blessed saviour") and "abends," originally written to keble's "sun of my soul." "the bird with the broken pinion." this lay of a lost gift, with its striking lesson, might have been copied from the wounded bird's own song, it is so natural and so clear-toned. the opportune thought and pen of mr. hezekiah butterworth gave being to the little ballad the day he heard the late dr. george lorimer preach from a text in the story of samson's fall (judges : ) "the philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to gaza ... and he did grind in the prison-house." a sentence in the course of the doctor's sermon, "the bird with a broken pinion never soars as high again," was caught up by the listening author, and became the refrain of his impressive song. rev. frank m. lamb, the tuneful evangelist, found it in print, and wrote a tune to it, and in his voice and the voices of other singers the little monitor has since told its story in revival meetings, and mission and gospel services throughout the land. i walked through the woodland meadows where sweet the thrushes sing, and found on a bed of mosses a bird with a broken wing. i healed its wound, and each morning it sang its old sweet strain, but the bird with a broken pinion never soared as high again. i found a young life broken by sin's seductive art; and, touched with a christ-like pity, i took him to my heart. he lived--with a noble purpose, and struggled not in vain; but the life that sin had stricken never soared as high again. but the bird with a broken pinion kept another from the snare, and the life that sin had stricken saved another from despair. each loss has its compensation, there is healing for every pain but the bird with a broken pinion never soars as high again. in the tune an extra stanza is added--as if something conventional were needed to make the poem a hymn. but the professional tone of the appended stanza, virtually all in its two lines-- then come to the dear redeemer, he will cleanse you from every stain, --is forced into its connection. the poem told the truth, and stopped there; and should be left to fasten its own impression. there never was a more solemn warning uttered than in this little apologue. it promises "compensation" and "healing," but not perfect rehabilitation. sin will leave its scars. even he who "became sin for us" bore them in his resurrection body. rev. frank m. lamb, composer and singer of the hymn-tune, was born in poland, me., , and educated in the schools of poland and auburn. he was licensed to preach in , and ordained the same year, and has since held pastorates in maine, new york, and massachusetts. besides his tune, very pleasing and appropriate music has been written to the little ballad of the broken wing by geo. c. stebbins. [illustration: ellen m.h. gates] under the palms. in the cantata, "under the palms" ("captive judah in babylon")--the joint production of george f. root[ ] and hezekiah butterworth, several of the latter's songs detached themselves, with their music, from the main work, and lingered in choral or solo service in places where the sacred operetta was presented, both in america and england. one of these is an effective solo in deep contralto, with a suggestion of recitative and chant-- by the dark euphrates' stream, by the tigris, sad and lone i wandered, a captive maid; and the cruel assyrian said, "awake your harp's sweet tone!" i had heard of my fathers' glory from the lips of holy men, and i thought of the land of my fathers; i thought of my fathers' land then. another is-- o church of christ! our blest abode, celestial grace is thine. thou art the dwelling-place of god, the gate of joy divine. whene'er i come to thee in joy, whene'er i come in tears, still at the gate called beautiful my risen lord appears. --with the chorus-- where'er for me the sun may set, wherever i may dwell, my heart shall nevermore forget thy courts, immanuel! [footnote : see page .] "if you cannot on the ocean." this popular christian ballad, entitled "your mission," was written one stormy day in the winter of - by miss ellen m. huntington (mrs. isaac gates), and made her reputation as one of the few didactic poets whose exquisite art wins a hearing for them everywhere. in a moment of revery, while looking through the window at the falling snow, the words came to her: if you cannot on the ocean sail among the swiftest fleet. she turned away and wrote the lines on her slate, following with verse after verse till she finished the whole poem. "it wrote itself," she says in her own account of it. reading afterwards what she had written, she was surprised at her work. the poem had a meaning and a "mission." so strong was the impression that the devout girl fell on her knees and consecrated it to a divine purpose. free copies of it went to the cooperstown, n.y., local paper, and to the new york _examiner_, and appeared in both. from that time the history and career of "your mission" presents a marked illustration of "catenal influence," or transmitted suggestion. in the later days of the civil war philip phillips, who had a wonderfully sweet tenor voice, was invited to sing at a great meeting of the united states christian commission in the senate chamber at washington, february, , president lincoln and secretary seward (then president of the commission) were there, and the hall was crowded with leading statesmen, army generals, and friends of the union. the song selected by mr. phillips was mrs. gates' "your mission": if you cannot on the ocean sail among the swiftest fleet, rocking on the highest billows, laughing at the storms you meet, you can stand among the sailors anchored yet within the bay; you can lend a hand to help them as they launch their boats away. the hushed audience listened spell-bound as the sweet singer went on, their interest growing to feverish eagerness until the climax was reached in the fifth stanza: if you cannot in the conflict prove yourself a soldier true, if where fire and smoke are thickest there's no work for you to do, when the battlefield is silent you can go with careful tread; you can bear away the wounded, you can cover up the dead. in the storm of enthusiasm that followed, president lincoln handed a hastily scribbled line on a bit of paper to chairman seward, "near the close let us have 'your mission' repeated." mr. phillips' great success on this occasion brought him so many calls for his services that he gave up everything and devoted himself to his tuneful art. "your mission" so gladly welcomed at washington made him the first gospel songster, chanting round the world the divine message of the hymns. it was the singing by philip phillips that first impressed ira d. sankey with the amazing power of evangelical solo song, and helped him years later to resign his lucrative business as a revenue officer and consecrate his own rare vocal gift to the christian ministry of sacred music. heaven alone can show the birth-records of souls won to god all along the journeys of the "singing pilgrims," and the rich succession of mr. sankey's melodies, that can be traced back by a chain of causes to the poem that "wrote itself" and became a hymn. and the chain may not yet be complete. in the words of that providential poem-- though they may forget the singer they will not forget the song. mrs. ellen m.h. gates, whose reputation as an author was made by this beautiful and always timely poem, was born in torrington, ct., and is the youngest sister of the late collis p. huntington. her hymns--included in this volume and in other publications--are much admired and loved, both for their sweetness and elevated religious feeling, and for their poetic quality. among her published books of verse are "night," "at noontide," and "treasures of kurium." her address is new york city. _the tune._ sidney martin grannis, author of the tune, was born sept. , , in geneseo, livingston county, n.y. lived in leroy, of the same state, from to , when he removed to los angeles, cal., where several of his admirers presented him a cottage and grounds, which at last accounts he still occupies. mr. grannis won his first reputation as a popular musician by his song "do they miss me at home," and his "only waiting," "cling to the union," and "people will talk you know," had an equally wide currency. as a solo singer his voice was remarkable, covering a range of two octaves, and while travelling with members of the "amphion troupe," to which he belonged, he sang at more than five thousand concerts. his tune to "your mission" was composed in new haven, ct., in . "too late! too late! ye cannot enter now." "too late" is a thrilling fragment or side-song of alfred tennyson's, representing the vain plea of the five foolish virgins. its tune bears the name of a london lady, "miss lindsay" (afterwards mrs. j. worthington bliss). the arrangement of air, duo and quartet is very impressive[ ]. [footnote : _methodist hymnal_, no. .] "late, late, so late! and dark the night and chill: late, late, so late! but we can enter still." "too late! too late! ye cannot enter now!" "no light! so late! and dark and chill the night-- o let us in that we may find the light!" "too late! too late! ye cannot enter now!" * * * * * "have we not heard the bridegroom is so sweet? o let us in that we may kiss his feet!" "no, no--! too late! ye cannot enter now!" the words are found in "queen guinevere," a canto of the "idyls of the king." "oh, galilee, sweet galilee." this is the chorus of a charming poem of three stanzas that shaped itself in the mind of mr. robert morris while sitting over the ruins on the traditional site of capernaum by the lake of genneseret. each cooing dove, each sighing bough, that makes the eve so blest to me, has something far diviner now, it bears me back to galilee. chorus oh, galilee, sweet galilee, where jesus loved so much to be; oh, galilee, blue galilee, come sing thy song again to me. robert morris, ll.d., born aug. , , was a scholar, and an expert in certain scientific subjects, and wrote works on numismatics and the "poetry of free masonry." commissioned to palestine in on historic and archaeological service for the united order, he explored the scenes of ancient jewish and christian life and event in the holy land, and being a religious man, followed the saviour's earthly footsteps with a reverent zeal that left its inspiration with him while he lived. he died in the year , but his christian ballad secured him a lasting place in every devout memory. _the tune._ the author wrote out his hymn in and sent it to his friend, the musician, mr. horatio r. palmer,[ ] and the latter learned it by heart, and carried it with him in his musings "till it floated out in the melody you know," (to use his own words.) [footnote : see page .] chapter vii. old revival hymns. the sober churches of the "old thirteen" states and of their successors far into the nineteenth century, sustained evening prayer-meetings more or less commonly, but necessity made them in most cases "cottage meetings" appointed on sunday and here and there in the scattered homes of country parishes. their intent was the same as that of "revival meetings," since so called, though the method--and the music--were different. the results in winning sinners, so far as they owed anything to the hymns and hymn-tunes, were apt to be a new generation of christian recruits as sombre as the singing. "lebanon" set forth the appalling shortness of human life; "windham" gave its depressing story of the great majority of mankind on the "broad road," and other minor tunes proclaimed god's sovereignty and eternal decrees; or if a psalm had his love in it, it was likely to be sung in a similar melancholy key. even in his gladness the good minister, thomas baldwin, of the second baptist church, at boston, north end, returning from newport, n.h., where he had happily harmonized a discordant church, could not escape the strait-lace of a c minor for his thankful hymn-- from whence doth this union arise, that hatred is conquered by love. "the puritans took their pleasures seriously," and this did not cease to be true till at least two hundred years after the pilgrims landed or boston was founded. time, that covered the ghastly faces on the old grave-stones with moss, gradually stole away the unction of minor-tune singing. the songs of the great revival of swept the country with positive rather than negative music. even jonathan edwards admitted the need of better psalm-books and better psalmody. edwards, during his life, spent some time among the indians as a missionary teacher; but probably neither he nor david brainerd ever saw a christian hymn composed by an indian. the following, from the early years of the last century, is apparently the first, certainly the only surviving, effort of a converted but half-educated red man to utter his thoughts in pious metre. whoever trimmed the original words and measure into printable shape evidently took care to preserve the broken english of the simple convert. it is an interesting relic of the christian thought and sentiment of a pagan just learning to prattle prayer and praise: in de dark wood, no indian nigh, den me look heaben, send up cry, upon my knees so low. dat god on high, in shinee place, see me in night, with teary face, de priest, he tell me so. god send him angel take me care; him come heself and hear um prayer, if indian heart do pray. god see me now, he know me here. he say, poor indian, neber fear, me wid you night and day. so me lub god wid inside heart; he fight for me, he take my part, he save my life before. god lub poor indian in de wood; so me lub god, and dat be good; me pray him two times more. when me be old, me head be gray, den he no lebe me, so he say: me wid you till you die. den take me up to shinee place, see white man, red man, black man's face, all happy 'like on high. few days, den god will come to me, he knock off chains, he set me free, den take me up on high. den indian sing his praises blest, and lub and praise him wid de rest, and neber, neber cry. the above hymn, which may be found in different forms in old new england tracts and hymn-books, and which used to be sung in methodist conference and prayer-meetings in the same way that old slave-hymns and the "jubilee singers" refrains are sometimes sung now, was composed by william apes, a converted indian, who was born in massachusetts, in . his father was a white man, but married an indian descended from the family of king philip, the indian warrior, and the last of the indian chiefs. his grandmother was the king's granddaughter, as he claimed, and was famous for her personal beauty. he caused his autobiography and religious experience to be published. the original hymn is quite long, and contains some singular and characteristic expressions. the authorship of the tune to which the words were sung has been claimed for samuel cowdell, a schoolmaster of annapolis valley, nova scotia, , but the date of the lost tune was probably much earlier. in the early days of new england, before the indian missions had been brought to an end by the sweeping away of the tribes, several fine hymns were composed by educated indians, and were used in the churches. the best known is that beginning-- when shall we all meet again? it was composed by three indians at the planting of a memorial pine on leaving dartmouth college, where they had been studying. the lines indicate an expectation of missionary life and work. when shall we all meet again? when shall we all meet again? oft shall glowing hope expire, oft shall wearied love retire, oft shall death and sorrow reign ere we all shall meet again. though in distant lands we sigh, parched beneath a burning sky, though the deep between us rolls, friendship shall unite our souls; and in fancy's wide domain, there we all shall meet again. when these burnished locks are gray, thinned by many a toil-spent day, when around this youthful pine moss shall creep and ivy twine, (long may this loved bower remain!) here may we all meet again. when the dreams of life are fled, when its wasted lamps are dead, when in cold oblivion's shade beauty, health, and strength are laid, where immortal spirits reign, there we all shall meet again. this parting piece was sung in religious meetings as a hymn, like the other once so common, but later,-- "when shall we meet again, meet ne'er to sever?" --to a tune in b flat minor, excessively plaintive, and likely to sadden an emotional singer or hearer to tears. the full harmony is found in the _american vocalist_, and the air is reprinted in the _revivalist_ ( ). the fact that minor music is the natural indian tone in song makes it probable that the melody is as ancient as the hymn--though no date is given for either. tradition says that nearly fifty years later the same three indians were providentially drawn to the spot where they parted, and met again, and while they were together composed and sang another ode. truth to tell, however, it had only one note of gladness, and that was in the first stanza: parted many a toil-spent year, pledged in youth to memory dear, still to friendship's magnet true, we our social joys renew; bound by love's unsevered chain, here on earth we meet again. the remaining three stanzas dwell principally on the ravages time has made. the reunion ode of those stoical college classmates of a stoical race could have been sung in the same b flat minor. "awaked by sinai's awful sound." the name of the indian, samson occum, who wrote this hymn (variously spelt ockom, ockum, occam, occom) is not borne by any public institution, but new england owes the foundation of dartmouth college to his hard work. dartmouth college was originally "moore's indian charity school," organized ( ) in lebanon, ct., by rev. eleazer wheelock and endowed ( ) by joshua moore (or more). good men and women who had at heart the spiritual welfare of a fading race contributed to the school's support and young indians resorted to it from both new england and the middle states, but funds were insufficient, and it was foreseen that the charity must inevitably outgrow its missionary purpose and if continued at all must depend on a wider and more liberal patronage. samson occum was born in mohegan, new london co., ct., probably in the year . converted from paganism in (possibly under the preaching of whitefield, who was in this country at that time) he desired to become a missionary to his people, and entered eleazer wheelock's school. after four years study, then a young man of twenty-two, he began to teach and preach among the montauk indians, and in the presbytery of suffolk co., l.i., ordained him to the ministry. a benevolent society in scotland, hearing of, his ability and zeal, gave him an appointment, under its auspices, among the oneidas in , where he labored four years. the interests of the school at lebanon, where he had been educated, were dear to him, and he was tireless in its cause, procuring pupils for it, and working eloquently as its advocate with voice and pen. in he crossed the atlantic to solicit funds for the indian school, and remained four years in england and scotland, lecturing in its behalf, and preaching nearly four hundred sermons. as a result he raised ten thousand pounds. the donation was put in charge of a board of trustees of which lord dartmouth was chairman. when it was decided to remove the school from lebanon, ct., the efforts of governor wentworth, of new hampshire, secured its location at hanover in that state. it was christened after lord dartmouth--and the names of occum, moore and wheelock retired into the encyclopedias. the rev. samson occum died in , while laboring among the stockbridge (n.y.) indians. several hymns were written by this remarkable man, and also "an account of the customs and manners of the montauks." the hymn, "awaked by sinai's awful sound," set to the stentorian tune of "ganges," was a tremendous sermon in itself to old-time congregations, and is probably as indicative of the doctrines which converted its writer as of the contemporary belief prominent in choir and pulpit. awaked by sinai's awful sound, my soul in bonds of guilt i found, and knew not where to go, eternal truth did loud proclaim "the sinner must be born again. or sink in endless woe." when to the law i trembling fled, it poured its curses on my head: i no relief could find. this fearful truth increased my pain, "the sinner must be born again," and whelmed my troubled mind. * * * * * but while i thus in anguish lay, jesus of nazareth passed that way; i felt his pity move. the sinner, once by justice slain, now by his grace is born again, and sings eternal love! the rugged original has been so often and so variously altered and "toned down," that only a few unusually accurate aged memories can recall it. the hymn began going out of use fifty years ago, and is now seldom seen. the name "s. chandler," attached to "ganges," leaves the identity of the composer in shadow. it is supposed he was born in . the tune appeared about . "where now are the hebrew children?" this quaint old unison, repeating the above three times, followed by the answer (thrice repeated) and climaxed with-- safely in the promised land, --was a favorite at ancient camp-meetings, and a good leader could keep it going in a congregation or a happy group of vocalists, improvising a new start-line after every stop until his memory or invention gave out. they went up from the fiery furnace, they went up from the fiery furnace, they went up from the fiery furnace, safely to the promised land. sometimes it was-- where now is the good elijah? --and,-- he went up in a chariot of fire; --and again,-- where now is the good old daniel? he went up from the den of lions; --and so on, finally announcing-- by and by we'll go home for to meet him, [three times] safely in the promised land. the enthusiasm excited by the swinging rhythm of the tune sometimes rose to a passionate pitch, and it was seldom used in the more controlled religious assemblies. if any attempt was ever made to print the song[ ] the singers had little need to read the music. like the ancient runes, it came into being by spontaneous generation, and lived in phonetic tradition. [footnote : mr. hubert p. main believes he once saw "the hebrew children" in print in one of horace waters' editions of the _sabbath bell_.] a strange, wild pæan of exultant song was one often heard from peter cartwright, the muscular circuit-preacher. a remembered fragment shows its quality: then my soul mounted higher in a chariot of fire, and the moon it was under my feet. there is a tradition that he sang it over a stalwart blacksmith while chastising him for an ungodly defiance and assault in the course of one of his gospel journeys--and that the defeated blacksmith became his friend and follower. peter cartwright was born in amherst county, va., sept. , , and died near pleasant plains, sangamon county, ill., sept., . "the eden of love." this song, written early in the last century, by john j. hicks, recalls the name of the eccentric traveling evangelist, lorenzo dow, born in coventry, ct., october , ; died in washington, d.c., feb. , . it was the favorite hymn of his wife, the beloved peggy dow, and has furnished the key-word of more than one devotional rhyme that has uplifted the toiling souls of rural evangelists and their greenwood congregations: how sweet to reflect on the joys that await me in yon blissful region, the haven of rest, where glorified spirits with welcome shall greet me, and lead me to mansions prepared for the blest. there, dwelling in light, and with glory enshrouded, my happiness perfect, my mind's sky unclouded, i'll bathe in the ocean of pleasure unbounded, and range with delight through the eden of love. the words and tune were printed in _leavitt's christian lyre_, . the same strain in the same metre is continued in the hymn of rev. wm. hunter, d.d., ( ) printed in his _minstrel of zion_ ( ). j.w. dadmun's _melodian_ ( ) copied it, retaining, apparently, the original music, with an added refrain of invitation, "will you go? will you go?" we are bound for the land of the pure and the holy, the home of the happy, the kingdom of love; ye wand'rers from god on the broad road of folly, o say, will you go to the eden above? the old hymn-tune has a brisk out-door delivery, and is full of revival fervor and the ozone of the pines. "o cana-an, bright cana-an" was one of the stimulating melodies of the old-time awakenings, which were simply airs, and were sung unisonously. "o cana-an" (pronounced in three syllables) was the chorus, the hymn-lines being either improvised or picked up miscellaneously from memory, the interline, "i am bound for the land of cana-an," occurring between every two. john wesley's "how happy is the pilgrim's lot" was one of the snatched stanzas swept into the current of the song. an example of the tune-leader's improvisations to keep the hymn going was-- if you get there before i do,-- _i am bound for the land of cana-an!_ look out for me, i'm coming too-- _i am bound for the land of cana-an!_ and then hymn and tune took possession of the assembly and rolled on in a circle with-- o cana-an, bright cana-an! i am bound for the land of cana-an; o cana-an it is my hap-py home, i am bound for the land of cana-an --till the voices came back to another starting-line and began again. there was always a movement to the front when that tune was sung, and--with all due abatement for superficial results in the sensation of the moment--it is undeniable that many souls were truly born into the kingdom of god under the sound of that rude woodland song. both its words and music are credited to rev. john maffit, who probably wrote the piece about . "a charge to keep i have." this hymn of charles wesley was often heard at the camp grounds, from the rows of tents in the morning while the good women prepared their pancakes and coffee, and _the tune._ was invariably old "kentucky," by jeremiah ingalls. sung as a solo by a sweet and spirited voice, it slightly resembled "golden hill," but oftener its halting bars invited a more drawling style of execution unworthy of a hymn that merits a tune like "st. thomas." old "kentucky" was not field music. "christians, if your hearts are warm." elder john leland, born in grafton, mass., , was not only a strenuous personality in the baptist denomination, but was well known everywhere in new england, and, in fact, his preaching trip to washington ( ) with the "cheshire cheese" made his fame national. he is spoken of as "the minister who wrote his own hymns"--a peculiarity in which he imitated watts and doddridge. when some natural shrinking was manifest in converts of his winter revivals, under his rigid rule of immediate baptism, he wrote this hymn to fortify them: christians, if your hearts are warm, ice and cold can do no harm; if by jesus you are prized rise, believe and be baptized. he found use for the hymn, too, in rallying church-members who staid away from his meetings in bad weather. the "poetry" expressed what he wanted to say--which, in his view, was sufficient apology for it. it was sung in revival meetings like others that he wrote, and a few hymnbooks now long obsolete contained it; but of leland's hymns only one survives. gray-headed men and women remember being sung to sleep by their mothers with that old-fashioned evening song to amzi chapin's[ ] tune-- the day is past and gone, the evening shades appear, o may we all remember well the night of death draws near; --and with all its solemnity and other-worldness it is dear to recollection, and its five stanzas are lovingly hunted up in the few hymnals where it is found. bradbury's "braden," (_baptist praise book_, ,) is one of its tunes. [footnote : amzi chapin has left, apparently, nothing more than the record of his birth, march , , and the memory of his tune. it appeared as early as .] elder leland was a remarkable revival preacher, and his prayers--as was said of elder jabez swan's fifty or sixty years later--"brought heaven and earth together." he traveled through the eastern states as an evangelist, and spent a season in virginia in the same work. in he revisited that region on a curious errand. the farmers of cheshire, mass., where leland was then a settled pastor, conceived the plan of sending "the biggest cheese in america" to president jefferson, and leland (who was a good democrat) offered to go to washington on an ox-team with it, and "preach all the way"--which he actually did. the cheese weighed lbs. elder leland died in north adams, mass., jan. , . another of his hymns, which deserved to live with his "evening song," seemed to be answered in the brightness of his death-bed hope: o when shall i see jesus and reign with him above, and from that flowing fountain drink everlasting love? "awake, my soul, to joyful lays." this glad hymn of samuel medley is his thanksgiving song, written soon after his conversion. in the places of rural worship no lay of christian praise and gratitude was ever more heartily sung than this at the testimony meetings. awake, my soul, to joyful lays, and sing thy great redeemer's praise; he justly claims a song from me: his loving-kindness, oh, how free! loving-kindness, loving-kindness, his loving-kindness, oh, how free! _the tune,_ with its queer curvet in every second line, had no other name than "loving-kindness," and was probably a camp-meeting melody in use for some time before its publication. it is found in _leavitt's christian lyre_ as early as . the name "william caldwell" is all that is known of its composer, though he is supposed to have lived in tennessee. "the lord into his garden comes." was a common old-time piece sure to be heard at every religious rally, and every one present, saint and sinner, had it by heart, or at least the chorus of it-- amen, amen, my soul replies, i'm bound to meet you in the skies, and claim my mansion there, etc. the anonymous[ ] "garden hymn, as old, at least, as ," has nearly passed out of reach, except by the long arm of the antiquary; but it served its generation. [footnote : a "rev." mr. campbell, author of "the glorious light of zion," "there is a holy city," and "there is a land of pleasure," has been sometimes credited with the origin of the garden hymn.] its vigorous tune is credited to jeremiah ingalls ( - ). the lord into his garden comes; the spices yield a rich perfume, the lilies grow and thrive, the lilies grow and thrive. refreshing showers of grace divine from jesus flow to every vine, which makes the dead revive, which makes the dead revive. "the chariot! the chariot!" henry hart milman, generally known as dean milman, was born in , and was educated at oxford. in he was installed as university professor of poetry at oxford, and it was while filling this position that he wrote this celebrated hymn, under the title of "the last day." it is not only a hymn, but a poem--a sublime ode that recalls, in a different movement, the tones of the "dies irae." dean milman (of st paul's), besides his many striking poems and learned historical works, wrote at least twelve hymns, among which are-- ride on, ride on in majesty, o help us lord; each hour of need thy heavenly succor give, when our heads are bowed with woe, --which last may have been written soon after he laid three of his children in one grave, in the north aisle of westminster abbey. he lived a laborious and useful life of seventy-seven years, dying sept. , . there were times in the old revivals when the silver clarion of the "chariot hymn" must needs replace the ruder blast of occum in old "ganges" and sinners unmoved by the invisible god of horeb be made to behold him--in a vision of the "last day." the chariot! the chariot! its wheels roll in fire when the lord cometh down in the pomp of his ire, lo, self-moving, it drives on its pathway of cloud, and the heavens with the burden of godhead are bowed. * * * * * the judgment! the judgment! the thrones are all set, where the lamb and the white-vested elders are met; there all flesh is at once in the sight of the lord, and the doom of eternity hangs on his word. the name "williams" or "j. williams" is attached to various editions of the trumpet-like tune, but so far no guide book gives us location, date or sketch of the composer. "come, my brethren." another of the "unstudied" revival hymns of invitation. come, my brethren, let us try for a little season every burden to lay by, come and let us reason. what is this that casts you down. what is this that grieves you? speak and let your wants be known; speaking may relieve you. this colloquial rhyme was apt to be started by some good brother or sister in one of the chilly pauses of a prayer-meeting. the air (there was never anything more to it) with a range of only a fifth, slurred the last syllable of every second line, giving the quaint effect of a bent note, and altogether the music was as homely as the verse. both are anonymous. but the little chant sometimes served its purpose wonderfully well. "brethren, while we sojourn here." this hymn was always welcome in the cottage meetings as well as in the larger greenwood assemblies. it was written by rev. joseph swain, about . brethren, while we sojourn here fight we must, but should not fear. foes we have, but we've a friend, one who loves us to the end; forward then with courage go; long we shall not dwell below, soon the joyful news will come, "child, your father calls, 'come home.'" the tune was sometimes "pleyel's hymn," but oftener it was sung to a melody now generally forgotten of much the same movement but slurred in peculiarly sweet and tender turns. the cadence of the last tune gave the refrain line a melting effect: child, your father calls, "come home." some of the spirit of this old tune (in the few hymnals where the hymn is now printed) is preserved in geo. kingsley's "messiah" which accompanies the words, but the modulations are wanting. joseph swain was born in birmingham, eng. in . bred among mechanics, he was early apprenticed to the engraver's trade, but he was a boy of poetic temperament and fond of writing verses. after the spiritual change which brought a new purpose into his life, he was baptized by dr. rippon and studied for the ministry. at the age of about twenty-five, he was settled over the baptist church in walworth, where he remained till his death, april , . for more than a century his hymns have lived and been loved in all the english-speaking world. among those still in use are-- how sweet, how heavenly is the sight, pilgrims we are to canaan bound, o thou in whose presence my soul takes delight. "happy day." o happy day that fixed my choice. --_doddridge_. o how happy are they who the saviour obey. --_charles wesley_. these were voices as sure to be heard in converts' meetings as the leader's prayer or text, the former sung inevitably to rimbault's tune, "happy day," and the latter to a "western melody" quite as closely akin to wesley's words. edward francis rimbault, born at soho, eng., june , , was at sixteen years of age organist at the soho swiss church, and became a skilled though not a prolific composer. he once received--and declined--the offer of an appointment as professor of music in harvard college. died of a lingering illness sept, , . "come, holy spirit, heavenly dove." --_watts_. this was the immortal song-litany that fitted almost anywhere into every service. the presbyterians and congregationalists sang it in tansur's "st. martins," the baptists in william jones' "stephens" and the methodists in maxim's "turner" (which had the most music), but the hymn went about as well with one as with another. the rev. william jones ( - ) an english rector, and abraham maxim of buckfield, me., ( - ) contributed quite a liberal share of the "continental" tunes popular in the latter part of the th century. maxim was eccentric, but the tradition that an unfortunate affair of the heart once drove him into the woods to make away with himself, but a bird on the roof of a logger's hut, making plaintive sounds, interrupted him, and he sat down and wrote the tune "hallowell," on a strip of white birch bark, is more likely legendary. the following words, said to have inspired his minor tune, are still set to it in the old collections: as on some lonely building's top the sparrow makes her moan, far from the tents of joy and hope i sit and grieve alone.[ ] [footnote : versified by nahum tate from ps. : .] maxim was fond of the minor mode, but his minors, like "hallowell," "new durham," etc., are things of the past. his major chorals and fugues, such as "portland," "buckfield," and "turner" had in them the spirit of healthier melody and longer life. he published at least two collections, _the oriental harmony_, in , and _the northern harmony_, in . william tansur (tans-ur), author of "st. martins" ( - ), was an organist, composer, compiler, and theoretical writer. he was born at barnes, surrey, eng., (according to one account,) and died at st. neot's. "come, thou fount of every blessing." this hymn of rev. robert robinson was almost always heard in the tune of "nettleton," composed by john wyeth, about . the more wavy melody of "sicily" (or "sicilian hymn") sometimes carried the verses, but never with the same sympathetic unction. the sing-song movement and accent of old "nettleton" made it the country favorite. robert robinson, born in norfolk, eng., sept. , , was a poor boy, left fatherless at eight years of age, and apprenticed to a barber, but was converted by the preaching of whitefield and studied till he obtained a good education, and was ordained to the methodist ministry. he is supposed to have written his well-known hymn in . a certain unsteadiness of mind, however, caused him to revise his religious beliefs too often for his spiritual health or enjoyment, and after preaching as a methodist, a baptist, and an independent, he finally became a socinian. on a stage-coach journey, when a lady fellow-passenger began singing "come, thou fount of every blessing," to relieve the monotony of the ride, he said to her, "madam, i am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago; and i would give a thousand worlds, if i had them, if i could feel as i felt then." robinson died june , . john wyeth was born in cambridge, mass., , and died at harrisburg, pa., . he was a musician and publisher, and issued a music book, _wyeth's repository of sacred music_. "a poor wayfaring man of grief," written by james montgomery, dec., , was a hymn of tide and headway in george coles' tune of "duane st.," with a step that made every heart beat time. the four picturesque eight-line stanzas made a practical sermon in verse and song from matt. : , telling how-- a poor wayfaring man of grief hath often crossed me on my way, who sued so humbly for relief that i could never answer nay. i had no power to ask his name, whither he went or whence he came, yet there was something in his eye that won my love, i knew not why; --and in the second and third stanzas the narrator relates how he entertained him, and this was the sequel-- then in a moment to my view the stranger started from disguise the token in his hand i knew; my saviour stood before my eyes. when once that song was started, every tongue took it up, (and it was strange if every foot did not count the measure,) and the coldest kindled with gospel warmth as the story swept on.[ ] [footnote : montgomery's poem, "the stranger," has seven stanzas. the full dramatic effect of their connection could only be produced by a set piece.] "when for eternal worlds i steer." it was no solitary experience for hearers in a house of prayer where the famous elder swan held the pulpit, to feel a climactic thrill at the sudden breaking out of the eccentric orator with this song in the very middle of his sermon-- when for eternal worlds i steer, and seas are calm and skies are clear, and faith in lively exercise, and distant hills of canaan rise, my soul for joy then claps her wings, and loud her lovely sonnet sings, "vain world, adieu!" with cheerful hope her eyes explore each landmark on the distant shore, the trees of life, the pastures green, the golden streets, the crystal stream, again for joy, she claps her wings, and loud her lovely sonnet sings, "vain world, adieu!" elder jabez swan was born in stonington, ct., feb. , , and died . he was a tireless worker as a pastor (long in new london, ct.,) and a still harder toiler in the field as an evangelist and as a helper eagerly called for in revivals; and, through all, he was as happy as a boy in vacation. he was unlearned in the technics of the schools, but always eloquent and armed with ready wit; unpolished, but poetical as a hebrew prophet and as terrible in his treatment of sin. scoffers and "hoodlums" who interrupted him in his meetings never interrupted him but once. [illustration: james montgomery] the more important and canonical hymnals and praise-books had no place for "sonnet," as the bugle-like air to this hymn was called. rev. jonathan aldrich, about , harmonized it in his _sacred lyre_, but this, and the few other old vestry and field manuals that contain it, were compiled before it became the fashion to date and authenticate hymns and tunes. in this case both are anonymous. another (and probably earlier) tune sung to the same words is credited to "s. arnold," and appears to have been composed about . "i'm a pilgrim, and i'm a stranger." this hymn still lives--and is likely to live, at least in collections that print revival music. mrs. mary stanley (bunce) dana, born in beaufort, s.c., feb. , , wrote it while living in a northern state, where her husband died. by the name dana she is known in hymnology, though she afterwards became mrs. shindler. the tune identified with the hymn, "i'm a pilgrim," is untraced, save that it is said to be an "italian air," and that its original title was "buono notte" (good night). no other hymn better expresses the outreaching of ardent faith. its very repetitions emphasize and sweeten the vision of longed-for fruition. i can tarry, i can tarry but a night, do not detain me, for i am going. * * * * * there the sunbeams are ever shining, o my longing heart, my longing heart is there. * * * * * of that country to which i'm going, my redeemer, my redeemer is the light. there is no sorrow, nor any sighing, nor any sin there, nor any dying, i'm a pilgrim, etc. the same devout poetess also wrote ( ) the once popular consolatory hymn,-- o sing to me of heaven when i'm about to die, --sung to the familiar tune by rev. e.w. dunbar; also to a melody composed by dr. william miller. the line was first written-- when _i am called_ to die, --in the author's copy. the hymn (occasioned by the death of a pious friend) was written jan. , . mrs. dana (shindler) died in texas, feb. , . "joyfully, joyfully onward i move." the maker of this hymn has been confounded with the maker of its tune--partly, perhaps, from the fact that the real composer of the tune also wrote hymns. the author of the words was the rev. william hunter, d.d., an irish-american, and a methodist minister. he was born near ballymoney, county antrim, ire., may, , and was brought to america when a child six years old. he received his education in the common schools and at madison college, hamilton, n.y., (now madison university), and was successively a pastor, editor and hebrew professor. besides his work in these different callings, he wrote many helpful hymns--in all one hundred and twenty-five--of which "joyfully, joyfully," dated , is the best. it began originally with the line-- friends fondly cherished have passed on before, --and the line,-- home to the land of delight i will go. --was written,-- home to the land of bright spirits i'll go. dr. hunter died in ohio, . _the tune._ rev. abraham dow merrill, the author of the music to this triumphal death-song, was born in salem, n.h., , and died april , . he also was a methodist minister, and is still everywhere remembered by the denomination to which he belonged in new hampshire and vermont. he rode over these states mingling in revival scenes many years. his picture bears a close resemblance to that of washington, and he was somewhat famous for this resemblance. his work was everywhere blessed, and he left an imperishable influence in new england. the tune, linked with dr. hunter's hymn, formed the favorite melody which has been the dying song of many who learned to sing it amid the old revival scenes: death, with thy weapons of war lay me low; strike, king of terrors; i fear not the blow. jesus has broken the bars of the tomb, joyfully, joyfully haste to thy home. "tis the old ship of zion, hallelujah!" this may be found, vocalized with full harmony, in the _american vocalist_. with all the parts together (more or less) it must have made a vociferous song-service, but the hymn was oftener sung simply in soprano unison; and there was sound enough in the single melody to satisfy the most zealous. all her passengers will land on the bright eternal shore, o, glory hallelujah! she has landed many thousands, and will land as many more, o, glory hallelujah! both hymn and tune have lost their creators' names, and, like many another "voice crying in the wilderness," they have left no record of their beginning of days. "my brother, i wish you well." my brother, i wish you well, my brother, i wish you well; when my lord calls i trust you will be mentioned in the promised land. echoes that remain to us of those fervid and affectionate, as well as resolute and vehement, expressions of religious life as sung in the early revivals of new england, in parts of the south, and especially in the middle west, are suggestive of spontaneous melody forest-born, and as unconscious of scale, clef or tempo as the song of a bird. the above "hand-shaking" ditty at the altar gatherings apparently took its tune self-made, inspired in its first singer's soul by the feeling of the moment--and the strain was so simple that the convert could join in at once and chant-- when my lord comes i trust _i shall_ --through all the loving rotations of the crude hymn-tune. such song-births of spiritual enthusiasm are beyond enumeration--and it is useless to hunt for author or composer. under the momentum of a wrestling hour or a common rapture of experience, counterpoint was unthought of, and the same notes for every voice lifted pleading and praise in monophonic impromptu. the refrains-- o how i love jesus, o the lamb, the lamb, the loving lamb, i'm going home to die no more, pilgrims we are to canaan's land, o turn ye, o turn ye, for why will you die, come to jesus, come to jesus, just now, --each at the sound of its first syllable brought its own music to every singer's tongue, and all--male and female--were sopranos together. this habit in singing those rude liturgies of faith and fellowship was recognized by the editors of the _revivalist_, and to a multitude of them space was given only for the printed melody, and of this sometimes only the three or four initial bars. the tunes were the church's rural field-tones that everybody knew. culture smiles at this unclassic hymnody of long ago, but its history should disarm criticism. to wanderers its quaint music and "pedestrian" verse were threshold call and door-way welcome into the church of the living god. even in the flaming days of the second advent following, in - , they awoke in many hardened hearts the spiritual glow that never dies. the delusion passed away, but the grace remained. the church--and the world--owe a long debt to the old evangelistic refrains that rang through the sixty years before the civil war, some of them flavored with tuneful piety of a remoter time. they preached righteousness, and won souls that sermons could not reach. they opened heaven to thousands who are now rejoicing there. chapter viii. sunday-school hymns. _shepherd of tender youth._ [greek: stomion pôlôn adaôn] we are assured by repeated references in the patristic writings that the primitive years of the christian church were not only years of suffering but years of song. that the despised and often persecuted "nazarenes," scattered in little colonies throughout the roman empire, did not forget to mingle tones of praise and rejoicing with their prayers could readily be believed from the much-quoted letter of a pagan lawyer, written about as long after jesus' death, as from now back to the death of john quincy adams--the letter of pliny the younger to the emperor trajan, in which he reports the christians at their meetings singing "hymns to christ as to a god." those disciples who spoke greek seem to have been especially tuneful, and their land of poets was doubtless the cradle of christian hymnody. believers taught their songs to their children, and it is as certain that the oldest sunday-school hymn was written somewhere in the classic east as that the book of revelation was written on the isle of patmos. the one above indicated was found in an appendix to the _tutor_, a book composed by titus flavius clemens of alexandria, a christian philosopher and instructor whose active life began late in the second century. it follows a treatise on jesus as the great teacher, and, though his own words elsewhere imply a more ancient origin of the poem, it is always called "clement's hymn." the line quoted above is the first of an english version by the late rev. henry martyn dexter, d.d. it does not profess to be a translation, but aims to transfer to our common tongue the spirit and leading thoughts of the original. shepherd of tender youth, guiding in love and truth through devious ways; christ, our triumphant king, we come thy name to sing, hither our children bring to shout thy praise. the last stanza of dr. dexter's version represents the sacred song spirit of both the earliest and the latest christian centuries: so now, and till we die sound we thy praises high, and joyful sing; infants, and the glad throng who to thy church belong unite to swell the song to christ our king. while they give us the sentiment and the religious tone of the old hymn, these verses, however, recognize the extreme difficulty of anything like verbal fidelity in translating a greek hymn, and in this instance there are metaphors to avoid as being strange to modern taste. the first stanza, literally rendered and construed, is as follows: bridle of untaught foals, wing of unwandering birds, helm and girdle of babes, shepherd of royal lambs! assemble thy simple children to praise holily, to hymn guilelessly with innocent mouths christ, the guide of children. figures like-- catching the chaste fishes, heavenly milk, etc. --are necessarily avoided in making good english of the lines, and the profusion of adoring epithets in the ancient poem (no less than twenty-one different titles of christ) would embarrass a modern song. dr. dexter might have chosen an easier metre for his version, if (which is improbable) he intended it to be sung, since a tune written to sixes and fours takes naturally a more decided lyrical movement and emphasis than the hymn reveals in his stanzas, though the second and fifth possess much of the hymn quality and would sound well in giardini's "italian hymn." more nearly a translation, and more in the cantabile style, is the version of a scotch presbyterian minister, rev. hamilton m. macgill, d.d., two of whose stanzas are these: thyself, lord, be the bridle these wayward wills to stay; be thine the wing unwand'ring, to speed their upward way. * * * * * let them with songs adoring their artless homage bring to christ the lord, and crown him the children's guide and king. the dexter version is set to monk's slow harmony of "st. ambrose" in the _plymouth hymnal_ (ed. dr. lyman abbott, ) without the writer's name--which is curious, inasmuch as the hymn was published in the _congregationalist_ in , in _hedge and huntington's_ (unitarian) _hymn-book_ in , in the _hymnal of the presbyterian church_ in , and in dr. schaff's _christ in song_ in . clement died about a.d. . rev. henry martyn dexter, d.d., for twenty-three years the editor of the _congregationalist_, was born in plymouth, mass., aug. , . he was a graduate of yale ( ) and andover divinity school ( ), a well-known antiquarian writer and church historian. died nov. , . "how happy is the child who hears." this hymn was quite commonly heard in sunday-schools during the eighteen-thirties and forties, and, though retained in few modern collections, its sabbath echo lingers in the memory of the living generation. it was written by michael bruce, born at kinneswood, kinross-shire, scotland, march , . he was the son of a weaver, but obtained a good education, taught school, and studied for the ministry. he died, however, while in preparation for his expected work, july , , at the age of twenty-one years, three months and eight days. young bruce wrote hymns, and several poems, but another person wore the honors of his work. john logan, who was his literary executor, appropriated the youthful poet's mss. verses, and the hymn above indicated--as well as the beautiful poem, "to the cuckoo,"[ ] still a classic in english literature,--bore the name of logan for more than a hundred years. in _julian's dictionary of hymnology_ is told at length the story of the inquiry and discussion which finally exposed the long fraud upon the fame of the rising genius who sank, like henry kirke white, in his morning of promise. [footnote : hail, beauteous stranger of the wood, attendant on the spring; now heaven repairs thy rural seat, and woods thy welcome ring.] _the tune._ old "balerma" was so long the musical mouth-piece of the pious boy-schoolmaster's verses that the two became one expression, and one could not be named without suggesting the other. "balerma" (palermo) was ages away in style and sound from the later type of sunday-school tunes, resembling rather one of palestrina's chorals than the tripping melodies that took its place; but in its day juvenile voices enjoyed it, and it suited very well the grave but winning words. how happy is the child who hears instruction's warning voice, and who celestial wisdom makes his early, only choice! for she hath treasures greater far than east and west unfold, and her rewards more precious are than all their stores of gold. she guides the young with innocence in pleasure's path to tread, a crown of glory she bestows upon the hoary head. robert simpson, author of the old tune,[ ] was a scottish composer of psalmody; born, about , in glasgow; and died, in greenock, june, . [footnote : the tune was evidently reduced from the still older "sardius" (or "autumn")--_hubert p. main_.] "o do not be discouraged." written about , by the rev. john a. grenade, born in ; died . o do not be discouraged, } for jesus is your friend; } _bis_ he will give you grace to conquer, and keep you to the end. fight on, ye little soldiers, } the battle you shall win, } _bis_ for the saviour is your captain, and he has vanquished sin. and when the conflict's over, } before him you shall stand, } _bis_ you shall sing his praise forever in canaan's happy land. _the tune._ the hymn was made popular thirty or more years ago in a musical arrangement by hubert p. main, with a chorus,-- i'm glad i'm in this army, and i'll battle for the school. children took to the little song with a keen relish, and put their whole souls--and bodies--into it. "little travellers zionward" belongs to a generation long past. its writer was an architect by occupation, and a man whose piety equalled his industry. he was born in london , and his name was james edmeston. he loved to compose religious verses--so well, in fact, that he is said to have prepared a new piece every week for sunday morning devotions in his family and in this way accumulated a collection which he published and called _cottager's hymns_. besides these he is credited with a hundred sunday-school hymns. little travellers zionward, each one entering into rest in the kingdom of your lord, in the mansions of the blest, there to welcome jesus waits, gives the crown his followers win, lift your heads, ye golden gates, let the little travellers in. the original tune is lost--and the hymn is vanishing with it; but the felicity of its rhyme and rhythm show how easily it adapted itself to music. "i'm but a stranger here." the simple beauty of this hymn, and the sympathetic sweetness of its tune made children love to sing it, and it found its way into a few sunday-school collections, though not composed for such use. a young congregational minister. rev. thomas rawson taylor, wrote it on the approach of his early end. he was born at osset, near wakefield, yorkshire, eng., may , , and studied in bradford, where his father had taken charge of a large church, and at manchester academy and airesdale college. sensible of a growing ailment that might shorten his days, he hastened to the work on which his heart was set, preaching in surrounding towns and villages while a student, and finally quitting college to be ordained to his sacred profession. he was installed as pastor of howard st. chapel, sheffield, july, , when only twenty-three. but in less than three years his strength failed, and he went back to bradford, where he occasionally preached for his father, when able to do so, during his last days. he died there march , . taylor was a brave and lovely christian--and his hymn is as sweet as his life. i'm but a stranger here, heaven is my home; earth is a desert drear, heaven is my home. dangers and sorrows stand round me on every hand; heaven is my fatherland-- heaven is my home. what though the tempest rage, heaven is my home; short is my pilgrimage, heaven is my home. and time's wild, wintry blast soon will be overpast; i shall reach home at last-- heaven is my home. in his last attempt to preach, young taylor uttered the words, "i want to die like a soldier, sword in hand." on the evening of the same sabbath day he breathed his last. his words were memorable, and montgomery, who loved and admired the man, made them the text of a poem, part of which is the familiar hymn "servant of god, well done."[ ] [footnote : see page ] _the tune._ sir arthur sullivan put the words into classic expression, but, to american ears at least, the tune of "oak," by lowell mason, is the hymn's true sister. it was composed in . "dear jesus, ever at my side." one of frederick william faber's sweet and simple lyrics. it voices that temper and spirit in the human heart which the saviour first looks for and loves best. none better than faber could feel and utter the real artlessness of christian love and faith. dear jesus, ever at my side, how loving must thou be to leave thy home in heaven to guard a sinful child like me. thy beautiful and shining face i see not, tho' so near; the sweetness of thy soft low voice i am too deaf to hear. i cannot feel thee touch my hand with pressure light and mild, to check me as my mother did when i was but a child; but i have felt thee in my thoughts fighting with sin for me, and when my heart loves god i know the sweetness is from thee. [illustration: fanny j. crosby (mrs. van alstyne)] _the tune._ "audientes" by sir arthur sullivan is a gentle, emotional piece, rendering the first quatrain of each stanza in e flat unison, and the second in c harmony. "tis religion that can give." this simple rhyme, which has been sung perhaps in every sunday-school in england and the united states, is from a small english book by mary masters. in the preface to the work, we read, "the author of the following poems never read a treatise of rhetoric or an art of poetry, nor was ever taught her english grammar. her education rose no higher than the spelling-book or her writing-master," 'tis religion that can give sweetest pleasure while we live; 'tis religion can supply solid comfort when we die. after death its joys shall be lasting as eternity. save the two sentences about herself, quoted above, there is no biography of the writer. that she was good is taken for granted. the tune-sister of the little hymn is as scant of date or history as itself. no. points it out in _the revivalist_, where the name and initial seem to ascribe the authorship to horace waters.[ ] [footnote : from his _sabbath bell_. horace waters, a prominent baptist layman, was born in jefferson, lincoln co., me., nov. , , and died in new york city, april , . he was a piano-dealer and publisher.] "there is a happy land far, far away" this child's hymn was written by a lover of children, mr. andrew young, head master of niddrey st. school, edinburgh, and subsequently english instructor at madras college, e.i. he was born april , , and died nov. , , and long before the end of the century which his life-time so nearly covered his little carol had become one of the universal hymns. _the tune._ a hindoo air or natural chanson, that may have been hummed in a pagan temple in the hearing of mr. young, was the basis of the little melody since made familiar to millions of prattling tongues. such running tone-rhythms create themselves in the instinct of the ruder nations and tribes, and even the south african savages have their incantations with the provincial "clicks" that mark the singers' time. with an ear for native chirrups and trills, the author of our pretty infant-school song succeeded in capturing one, and making a christian tune of it. the musician, samuel sebastian wesley, sometime in the eighteen-forties, tried to substitute another melody for the lines, but "there is a happy land" needs its own birth-music. "i have a father in the promised land." another cazonet for the infant class. instead of a hymn, however, it is only a refrain, and--like the ring-chant of the "hebrew children," and even more simple--owes its only variety to the change of one word. the third and fourth lines,-- my father calls me, i must go to meet him in the promised land, --take their cue from the first, which may sing,-- i have a saviour---- i have a mother---- i have a brother---- --and so on ad libitum. but the little ones love every sound and syllable of the lisping song, for it is plain and pleasing, and when a pinafore school grows restless nothing will sooner charm them into quiet than to chime its innocent unison. both words and tune are nameless and storyless. "i think when i read that sweet story" while riding in a stage-coach, after a visit to a mission school for poor children, this hymn came to the mind of mrs. jemima thompson luke, of islington, england. it speaks its own purpose plainly enough, to awaken religious feeling in young hearts, and guide and sanctify the natural childlike interest in the sweetest incident of the saviour's life. i think when i read that sweet story of old when jesus was here among men, how he called little children as lambs to his fold, i should like to have been with them then. i wish that his hands had been laid on my head, and i had been placed on his knee, and that i might have seen his kind look when he said, "let the little ones come unto me." this is not poetry, but it phrases a wish in a child's own way, to be melodized and fixed in a child's reverent and sensitive memory. mrs. luke was born at colebrook terrace, near london, aug. , . she was an accomplished and benevolent lady who did much for the education and welfare of the poor. her hymn--of five stanzas--was first sung in a village school at poundford park, and was not published until . _the tune._ it is interesting, not to say curious, testimony to the vital quality of this meek production that so many composers have set it to music, or that successive hymn-book editors have kept it, and printed it to so many different harmonies. all the chorals that carry it have substantially the same movement--for the spondaic accent of the long lines is compulsory--but their offerings sing "to one clear harp in divers tones." the appearance of the words in one hymnal with sir william davenant's air (full scored) to moore's love-song, "believe me, if all those endearing young charms," now known as the tune of "fair harvard," is rather startling at first, but the adoption is quite in keeping with the policy of luther and wesley. "st. kevin" written to it forty years ago by john henry cornell, organist of st. paul's, new york city, is sweet and sympathetic. the newest church collection ( ) gives the beautiful air and harmony of "athens" to the hymn, and notes the music as a "greek melody." but the nameless english tune, of uncertain authorship[ ] that accompanies the words in the smaller old manuals, and which delighted sunday-schools for a generation, is still the favorite in the memory of thousands, and may be the very music first written. [footnote : harmonized by hubert p. main.] "we speak of the realms of the blest." mrs. elizabeth mills, wife of the hon. thomas mills, m.p., was born at stoke newington, eng., . she was one of the brief voices that sing one song and die. this hymn was the only note of her minstrelsy, and it has outlived her by more than three-quarters of a century. she wrote it about three weeks before her decease in finsbury place, london, april , , at the age of twenty-four. we speak of the land of the blest, a country so bright and so fair, and oft are its glories confest, but what must it be to be there! * * * * * we speak of its freedom from sin, from sorrow, temptation and care, from trials without and within, but what must it be to be there! _the tune._ the hymn, like several of the gospel hymns besides, was carried into the sunday-schools by its music. mr. stebbins' popular duet-and-chorus is fluent and easily learned and rendered by rote; and while it captures the ear and compels the voice of the youngest, it expresses both the pathos and the exaltation of the words. george coles stebbins was born in east carleton, orleans co., n.y., feb. , . educated at common school, and an academy in albany, he turned his attention to music and studied in rochester, chicago, and boston. it was in chicago that his musical career began, while chorister at the first baptist church; and while holding the same position at clarendon st. church, boston, ( - ), he entered on a course of evangelistic work with d.l. moody as gospel singer and composer. he was co-editor with sankey and mcgranahan of _gospel hymns_. "only remembered." this hymn, beginning originally with the lines,-- up and away like the dew of the morning, soaring from earth to its home in the sun, --has been repeatedly altered since it left dr. bonar's hands. besides the change of metaphors, the first personal pronoun singular is changed to the plural. there was strength, and a natural vivacity in-- so let _me_ steal away gently and lovingly, only remembered for what _i_ have done. as at present sung the first stanza reads--, fading away like the stars of the morning losing their light in the glorious sun, thus would _we_ pass from the earth and its toiling only remembered for what _we_ have done. the idea voiced in the refrain is true and beautiful, and the very euphony of its words helps to enforce its meaning and make the song pleasant and suggestive for young and old. it has passed into popular quotation, and become almost a proverb. _the tune._ the tune (in _gospel hymns no. _) is mr. sankey's. ira david sankey was born in edinburgh, lawrence co., pa., aug. , . he united with the methodist church at the age of fifteen, and became choir leader, sunday-school superintendent and president of the y.m.c.a., all in his native town. hearing philip phillips sing impressed him deeply, when a young man, with the power of a gifted solo vocalist over assembled multitudes, but he did not fully realize his own capability till dwight l. moody heard his remarkable voice and convinced him of his divine mission to be a gospel singer. the success of his revival tours with mr. moody in america and england is history. mr. sankey has compiled at least five singing books, and has written the _story of the gospel hymns_. until overtaken by blindness, in his later years he frequently appeared as a lecturer on sacred music. the manuscript of his story of the _gospel hymns_ was destroyed by accident, but, undismayed by the ruin of his work, and the loss of his eye-sight, like sir isaac newton and thomas carlyle, he began his task again. with the help of an amanuensis the book was restored and, in , given to the public. (see page .) "saviour, like a shepherd lead us." mrs. dorothy ann thrupp, of paddington green, london, the author of this hymn, was born june , , and died, in london, dec. , . her hymns first appeared in mrs. herbert mayo's _selection of poetry and hymns for the use of infant and juvenile schools_, ( ). we are thine, do thou befriend us, be the guardian of our way: keep thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray; blessed jesus, hear, o hear us when we pray. the tune everywhere accepted and loved is w.b. bradbury's; written in . "yield not to temptation" a much used and valued hymn, with a captivating tune and chorus for young assemblies. both words and music are by h.r. palmer, composed in . yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; each vict'ry will help you some other to win. fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; look ever to jesus, he will carry you through. horatio richmond palmer was born in sherburne, n.y., april . , of a musical family, and sang alto in his father's choir when only nine. he studied music unremittingly, and taught music at fifteen. brought up in a christian home, his religious life began in his youth, and he consecrated his art to the good of man and the glory of god. he became well-known as a composer of sacred music, and as a publisher--the sales of his _song queen_ amounting to , copies. as a leader of musical conventions and in the church choral union, his influence in elevating the standard of song-worship has been widely felt. "there are lonely hearts to cherish." "while the days are going by" is the refrain of the song, and the line by which it is recognized. the hymn or poem was written by george cooper. he was born in new york city, may , --a writer of poems and magazine articles,--composed "while the days are going by" in . there are lonely hearts to cherish while the days are going by. there are weary souls who perish while the days are going by. up! then, trusty hearts and true, though the day comes, night comes, too: oh, the good we all may do while the days are going by! there are few more practical and always-timely verses than this three-stanza poem. _the tune._ a very musical tune, with spirited chorus, (in _gospel hymns_) bears the name of the refrain, and was composed by mr. sankey. a sweet and quieter harmony (uncredited) is mated with the hymn in the old _baptist praise book_ (p. ) and this was long the fixture to the words, in both sunday-school and week-day school song-books. "jesus the water of life will give." this sunday-school lyric is the work of fanny j. crosby (mrs. van alstyne). like her other and greater hymn, "jesus keep me near the cross," (noted on p. ,) it reveals the habitual attitude of the pious author's mind, and the simple earnestness of her own faith as well as her desire to win others. jesus the water of life will give freely, freely, freely; jesus the water of life will give freely to those who love him. the spirit and the bride say "come freely, freely, freely. and he that is thirsty let him come and drink the water of life." full chorus,-- the fountain of life is flowing, flowing, freely flowing; the fountain of life is flowing, is flowing for you and for me. _the tune._ the hymn must be sung as it was _made_ to be sung, and the composer being many years _en rapport_ with the writer, knew how to put all her metrical rhythms into sweet sound. the tune--in mr. bradbury's _fresh laurels_ ( )--is one of his sympathetic interpretations, and, with the duet sung by two of the best singers of the middle class sunday-school girls, is a melodious and impressive piece. "when he cometh, when he cometh." the rev. w.o. cushing, with the beautiful thought in malachi : singing in his soul, composed this favorite sunday-school hymn, which has gone round the world. when he cometh, when he cometh to make up his jewels, all the jewels, precious jewels, his loved and his own. like the stars of the morning, his bright brow adorning they shall shine in their beauty bright gems for his crown. he will gather, he will gather the gems for his kingdom, all the pure ones, all the bright ones, his loved and his own. like the stars, etc. little children, little children who love their redeemer, are the jewels, precious jewels his loved and his own, like the stars, etc. rev. william orcutt cushing of hingham, mass., born dec. , , wrote this little hymn when a young man ( ), probably with no idea of achieving a literary performance. but it rings; and even if it is a "ringing of changes" on pretty syllables, that is not all. there is a thought in it that _sings_. its glory came to it, however, when it got its tune--and he must have had a subconsciousness of the tune he wanted when he made the lines for his sunday-school. he died oct. , . _the tune._ the composer of the music for the "jewel hymn"[ ] was george f. root, then living in reading, mass. [footnote : comparison of the "jewel hymn" tune with the old glee of "johnny schmoker" gives color to the assertion that mr. root caught up and adapted a popular ditty for his christian melody--as was so often done in wales, and in the lutheran and wesleyan reformations. he baptized the comic fugue, and promoted it from the vaudeville stage to the sunday school.] a minister returning from europe on an english steamer visited the steerage, and after some friendly talk proposed a singing service--it something could be started that "everybody" knew--for there were hundreds of emigrants there from nearly every part of europe. "it will have to be an american tune, then," said the steerage-master; "try 'his jewels.'" the minister struck out at once with the melody and words,-- when he cometh, when he cometh, --and scores of the poor half-fare multitude joined voices with him. many probably recognized the music of the old glee, and some had heard the sweet air played in the church-steeples at home. other voices chimed in, male and female, catching the air, and sometimes the words--they were so easy and so many times repeated--and the volume of song increased, till the singing minister stood in the midst of an international concert, the most novel that he ever led. he tried other songs in similar visits during the rest of the voyage with some success, but the "jewel hymn" was the favorite; and by the time port was in sight the whole crowd of emigrants had it by heart. the steamer landed at quebec, and when the trains, filled with the new arrivals, rolled away, the song was swelling from nearly every car,-- when he cometh, when he cometh, to make up his jewels. the composer of the tune--with all the patriotic and sacred master-pieces standing to his credit--never reaped a richer triumph than he shared with his poet-partner that day, when "precious jewels" came back to them from over the sea. more than this, there was missionary joy for them both that their tuneful work had done something to hallow the homes of alien settlers with an american christian psalm. george frederick root, doctor of music, was born in sheffield, mass., , eldest of a family of eight children, and spent his youth on a farm. his genius for music drew him to boston, where he became a pupil of lowell mason, and soon advanced so far as to teach music himself and lead the choir in park st. church. afterwards he went to new york as director of music in dr. deems's church of the strangers. in , after a year's absence and study in europe, he returned to new york, and founded the normal musical institute. in , he removed to chicago where he spent the remainder of his life writing and publishing music. he died aug. , , in maine. in the truly popular sense dr. root was the best-known american composer; not excepting stephen c. foster. root's "hazel dell," "there's music in the air," and "rosalie the prairie flower" were universal tunes--(words by fanny crosby,)--as also his music to henry washburn's "vacant chair." the songs in his cantata, "the haymakers," were sung in the shops and factories everywhere, and his war-time music, in such melodies as "shouting the battle-cry of freedom" and "tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are marching" took the country by storm. "scatter seeds of kindness." this amiable and tuneful poem, suggested by rom. : , is from the pen of mary louise riley (mrs. albert smith) of new york city. she was born in brighton, monroe co., n.y. may , . let us gather up the sunbeams lying all along our path; let us keep the wheat and roses casting out the thorns and chaff. chorus. then scatter seeds of kindness (_ter_) for our reaping by and by. silas jones vail, the tune-writer, for this hymn, was born oct. , and died may , . for years he worked at the hatter's trade, with beebe on broadway, n.y. and afterwards in an establishment of his own. his taste and talent led him into musical connections, and from time to time, after relinquishing his trade, he was with horace waters, philip phillips, w.b. bradbury, and f.j. smith, the piano dealer. he was a choir leader and a good composer. "by cool siloam's shady rill." this hymn of bp. heber inculcates the same lesson as that in the stanzas of michael bruce before noted, with added emphasis for the young on the briefness of time and opportunity even for them. how fair the lily grows, --is answered by-- the lily must decay, --but, owing to the sweetness of the favorite melody, it was never a saddening hymn for children. _the tune._ though george kingsley's "heber" has in some books done service for the bishop's lines, "siloam," easy-flowing and finely harmonized, is knit to the words as no other tune can be. it was composed by isaac baker woodbury on shipboard during a storm at sea. a stronger illustration of tranquil thought in terrible tumult was never drawn. "o galilee, sweet galilee," whose history has been given at the end of chapter six, was not only often sung in sunday-schools, but chimed (in the cities) on steeple-bells--nor is it by any means forgotten today--on the sabbath and in social singing assemblies. like "precious jewels," it has been, in many places, taken up by street boys with a relish, and often displaced the play-house ditties in the lips of little newsboys and bootblacks during a leisure hour or a happy mood. "i am so glad" this lively little melody is still a welcome choice to many a lady teacher of fluttering five-year-olds, when both vocal indulgence and good gospel are needed for the prattlers in her class. it has been as widely sung in scotland as in america. mr. philip p. bliss, hearing one day the words of the familiar chorus-- o, how i love jesus, --suddenly thought to himself,-- "i have sung long enough of my poor love to christ, and now i will sing of his love for me." under the inspiration of this thought, he wrote-- i am so glad that our father in heaven tells of his love in the book he has given wonderful things in the bible i see, this is the dearest--that jesus loves me. both words and music are by mr. bliss. the history of modern sunday-school hymnody--or much of it--is so nearly identified with that of the _gospel hymns_ that other selections like the last, which might be appropriate here, may be considered in a later chapter, where that eventful series of sacred songs receives special notice. chapter ix. patriotic hymns. the ethnic anthologies growing out of love of country are a mingled literature of filial and religious piety, ranging from war-like pæans to lyric prayers. they become the cherished inheritance of a nation, and, once fixed in the common memory and common heart, the people rarely let them die. the "songs of the fathers" have perennial breath, and in every generation-- the green woods of their native land shall whisper in the strain; the voices of their household band shall sweetly speak again. --_felicia hemans_. ultima thule. american pride has often gloried in seneca's "vision of the west," more than eighteen hundred years ago. venient annis sæcula seris, quibus oceanus vincula rerum laxet, et ingens pateat tellus, typhisque novos detegat orbes, nec sit terris ultima thule. a time will come in future ages far when ocean will his circling bounds unbar. and, opening vaster to the pilot's hand, new worlds shall rise, where mightier kingdoms are, nor thule longer be the utmost land. this poetic forecast, of which washington irving wrote "the predictions of the ancient oracles were rarely so unequivocal," is part of the "chorus" at the end of the second act of seneca's "medea," written near the date of st. paul's first epistle to the thessalonians. seneca, the celebrated roman (stoic) philosopher, was born at or very near the time of our saviour's birth. there are legends of his acquaintance with paul, at rome, but though he wrote able and quotable treatises _on consolation_, _on providence_, _on calmness of soul_, and _on the blessed life_, there is no direct evidence that the savor of christian faith ever qualified his works or his personal principles. he was a man of grand ideas and inspirations, but he was a time server and a flatterer of the emperor nero, who, nevertheless, caused his death when he had no further use for him. his compulsory suicide occurred a.d. , the year in which st. paul is supposed to have suffered martyrdom. "the breaking waves dashed high." sitting at the tea-table one evening, near a century ago, mrs. hemans read an old account of the "landing of the pilgrims," and was inspired to write this poem, which became a favorite in america--like herself, and all her other works. the ballad is inaccurate in details, but presents the spirit of the scene with true poet insight. mr. james t. fields, the noted boston publisher, visited the lady in her old age, and received an autograph copy of the poem, which is seen in pilgrim hall, plymouth, mass. the breaking waves dashed high, on a stern and rock-bound coast, and the woods against a stormy sky, their giant branches tossed, and the heavy night hung dark, the hills and waters o'er, when a band of exiles moored their bark on the wild new england shore. not as the conqueror comes, they, the true-hearted, came; not with the roll of stirring drums, and the trumpet that sings of fame; not as the flying come, in silence and in fear,-- _they_ shook the depths of the desert's gloom with their hymns of lofty cheer. amidst the storm they sang, and the stars heard, and the sea! and the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang to the anthem of the free! the ocean eagle soared from his nest by the white waves' foam, and the rocking pines of the forest roared,--this was their welcome home! there were men with hoary hair amidst that pilgrim band,-- why had _they_ come to wither there, away from their childhood's land? there was woman's fearless eye, lit by her deep love's truth; there was manhood's brow, serenely high, and the fiery heart of youth. what sought they thus afar? bright jewels of the mine? the wealth of seas? the spoils of war?--they sought a faith's pure shrine! ay, call it holy ground, the soil where first they trod; they left unstained what there they found,--freedom to worship god! felicia dorothea browne (mrs. hemans) was born in liverpool, eng., , and died . _the tune._ the original tune is not now accessible. it was composed by mrs. mary e. (browne) arkwright, mrs. hemans' sister, and published in england about . but the words have been sung in this country to "silver st.," a choral not entirely forgotten, credited to an english composer, isaac smith, born, in london, about , and died there in . "westward the course of empire." usually misquoted "westward the _star_ of empire," etc. this poem of bishop berkeley possesses no lyrical quality but, like the ancient roman's words, partakes of the prophetic spirit, and has always been dear to the american heart by reason of the above line. it seems to formulate the "manifest destiny" of a great colonizing race that has already absorbed a continent, and extended its sway across the pacific ocean. not such as europe breeds in her decay; such as she bred when fresh and young, when heavenly flame did animate her clay, by future poets shall be sung. westward the course of empire takes its way; the four first acts already past, the fifth shall close the drama of the day: time's noblest offspring is the last. george berkeley was born march , , and educated at trinity college, dublin. a remarkable student, he became a remarkable man, as priest, prelate, and philosopher. high honors awaited him at home, but the missionary passion seized him. inheriting a small fortune, he sailed to the west, intending to evangelize and educate the indians of the "summer islands," but the ship lost her course, and landed him at newport, r.i., instead of the bermudas. here he was warmly welcomed, but was disappointed in his plans and hopes of founding a native college by the failure of friends in england to forward funds, and after a residence of six years he returned home. he died at cloyne, ireland, . the house which bishop berkeley built is still shown (or was until very recently) at newport after one hundred and seventy-eight years. he wrote the _principles of human knowledge_, the _minute philosopher_, and many other works of celebrity in their time, and a scholarship in yale bears his name; but he is best loved in this country for his _ode to america_. pope in his list of great men ascribes-- to berkeley every virtue under heaven. "sound the loud timbrel." one would scarcely guess that this bravura hymn of victory and "come, ye disconsolate," were written by the same person, but both are by thomas moore. the song has all the vigor and vivacity of his "harp that once through tara's halls," without its pathos. the irish poet chose the song of miriam instead of the song of deborah doubtless because the sentiment and strain of the first of these two great female patriots lent themselves more musically to his lyric verse--and his poem is certainly martial enough to convey the spirit of both. sound the loud timbrel o'er egypt's dark sea! jehovah hath triumphed, his people are free! sing, for the pride of the tyrant is broken; his chariots, his horsemen, all splendid and brave-- how vain was their boasting, the lord hath but spoken, and chariots and horsemen are sunk in the wave. _the tune._ of all the different composers to whose music moore's "sacred songs" were sung--beethoven, mozart, stevenson, and the rest--avison seems to be the only one whose name and tune have clung to the poet's words; and we have the man and the melody sent to us, as it were, by the lyrist himself. the tune is now rarely sung except at church festivals and village entertainments, but the life and clamor of the scene at the red sea are in it, and it is something more than a mere musical curiosity. its style, however, is antiquated--with its timbrel beat and its canorous harmony and "coda fortis"--and modern choirs have little use in religious service for the sonata written for viols and horns. it was moore's splendid hymn that gave it vogue in england and ireland, and sent it across the sea to find itself in the house of its friends with the psalmody of billings and swan. moore was the man of all men to take a fancy to it and make language to its string-and-trumpet concert. he was a musician himself, and equally able to adapt a tune and to create one. as a festival performance, replete with patriotic noise, let avison's old "sound the timbrel" live. charles avison was born at newcastle-on-tyne, . he studied in italy, wrote works on music, and composed sonatas and concertos for stringed orchestras. for many years he was organist of st. nicholas' kirk in his native town. the tune to "sound the loud timbrel" is a chorus from one of his longer compositions. he died in . "the harp that once through tara's halls." this is the only one of moore's patriotic "irish melodies" that lives wherever sweet tones are loved and poetic feeling finds answering hearts. the exquisite sadness of its music and its text is strangely captivating, and its untold story beckons from its lines. tara was the ancient home of the irish kings. king dermid, who had apostatized from the faith of st. patrick and his followers, in a.d., , violated the christian right of sanctuary by taking an escaped prisoner from the altar of refuge in temple ruadan (tipperary) and putting him to death. the patron priest and his clergy marched to tara and solemnly pronounced a curse upon the king. not long afterwards dermid was assassinated, and superstition shunned the place "as a castle under ban." the last human resident of "tara's hall" was the king's bard, who lingered there, forsaken and ostracized, till he starved to death. years later one daring visitor found his skeleton and his broken harp. moore utilized this story of tragic pathos as a figure in his song for "fallen erin" lamenting her lost royalty--under a curse that had lasted thirteen hundred years. the harp that once through tara's halls the soul of music shed, now hangs as mute on tara's walls as if that soul were fled. so sleeps the pride of former days, so glory's thrill is o'er, and hearts that once beat high for praise now feel that pulse no more. no one can read the words without "thinking" the tune. it is supposed that moore composed them both. the marseillaise hymn. ye sons of france, awake to glory! hark! hark! what millions bid you rise! the "marseillaise hymn" so long supposed to be the musical as well as verbal composition of roget de lisle, an army engineer, was proved to be only his words set to an air in the "credo" of a german mass, which was the work of one holzman in . de lisle was known to be a poet and musician as well as a soldier, and, as he is said to have played or sung at times in the churches and convents, it is probable that he found and copied the manuscript of holzman's melody. his haste to rush his fiery "hymn" before the public in the fever of the revolution allowed him no time to make his own music, and he adapted the german's notes to his words and launched the song in the streets of strasburg. it was first sung in paris by a band of chanters from marseilles, and, like the trumpets blown around jericho, it shattered the walls of the french monarchy to their foundations. the "marseillaise hymn" is mentioned here for its patriotic birth and associations. an attempt to make a religious use of it is recorded in the fourth chapter. ode on science. this is a "patriotic hymn," though a queer production with a queer name, considering its contents; and its author was no intimate of the muses. liberty is supposed to be somehow the corollary of learning, or vice versa--whichever the reader thinks. the morning sun shines from the east and spreads his glories to the west. * * * * * so science spreads her lucid ray o'er lands that long in darkness lay; she visits fair columbia, and sets her sons among the stars. fair freedom, her attendant, waits, etc. _the tune_ was the really notable part of this old-time "ode," the favorite of village assemblies, and the inevitable practice-piece for amateur violinists. the author of the crude symphony was deacon janaziah (or jazariah) summer, of taunton, mass., who prepared it--music and probably words--for the semi-centennial of simeon dagget's academy in . the "ode" was subsequently published in philadelphia, and also in albany. it was a song of the people, and sang itself through the country for fifty or sixty years, always culminating in the swift crescendo chorus and repeat-- the british yoke and gallic chain were urged upon our necks in vain; all haughty tyrants we disdain, and shout "long live america!" the average patriot did not mind it if "columbi-_ay_" and "ameri-_kay_" were not exactly classic orthoëpy. "hail columbia." this was written ( ) by judge joseph hopkinson, born, in philadelphia, , and died there, . he wrote it for a friend in that city who was a theatre singer, and wanted a song for independence day. the music (to which it is still sung) was "the president's march," by a composer named fyles, near the end of the th century. there is nothing hymn-like in the words, which are largely a glorification of gen. washington, but the tune, a concerted piece better for band than voices, has the drum-and-anvil chorus quality suitable for vociferous mass singing--and a zealous salvation army corps on field nights could even fit a processional song to it with gospel words. old "chester." let tyrants shake their iron rod, and slavery clank her galling chains: we'll fear them not; we trust in god; new england's god forever reigns. old "chester," both words and tune the work of william billings, is another of the provincial freedom songs of the revolutionary period, and of the days when the republic was young. billings was a zealous patriot, and (says a writer in moore's _cyclopedia of music_) "one secret, no doubt, of the vast popularity his works obtained was the patriotic ardor they breathed. the words above quoted are an example, and 'chester,' it is said, was frequently heard from every fife in the new england ranks. the spirit of the revolution was also manifest in his 'lamentation over boston,' his 'retrospect,' his 'independence,' his 'columbia,' and many other pieces." william billings was born, in boston, oct. , . he was a man of little education, but his genius for music spurred him to study the tuneful art, and enabled him to learn all that could be learned without a master. he began to make tunes and publish them, and his first book, the _new england psalm-singer_ was a curiosity of youthful crudity and confidence, but in considerable numbers it was sold, and sung--and laughed at. he went on studying and composing, and compiled another work, which was so much of an improvement that it got the name of _billings' best_. a third singing-book followed, and finally a fourth entitled the _psalm singer's amusement_, both of which were popular in their day. his "majesty" has tremendous capabilities of sound, and its movement is fully up to the requirements of nahum tate's verses,-- and on the wings of mighty winds came flying all abroad. william billings died in , and his remains lie in an unmarked grave in the old "granary" burying ground in the city of his birth. national feeling has taken maturer speech and finer melody, but it was these ruder voices that set the pitch. they were sung with native pride and affection at fireside vespers and rural feasts with the adopted songs of burns and moore and mrs. hemans, and, like the lays of scotland and provence, they breathed the flavor of the country air and soil, and taught the generation of home-born minstrelsy that gave us the hutchinson family, ossian e. dodge, covert with his "sword of bunker hill," and philip phillips, the "singing pilgrim." the star spangled banner. near the close of the last war with england, francis scott key, of baltimore, the author of this splendid national hymn, was detained under guard on the british flag-ship at the mouth of the petapsco, where he had gone under a flag of truce to procure the release of a captured friend, dr. william beanes of upper marlboro, md. the enemy's fleet was preparing to bombard fort mchenry, and mr. key's return with his friend was forbidden lest their plans should be disclosed. forced to stay and witness the attack on his country's flag, he walked the deck through the whole night of the bombardment until the break of day showed the brave standard still flying at full mast over the fort. relieved of his patriotic anxiety, he pencilled the exultant lines and chorus of his song on the back of a letter, and, as soon as he was released, carried it to the city, where within twenty-four hours it was printed on flyers, circulated and sung in the streets to the air of "anacreon in heaven"--which has been the "star spangled banner" tune ever since. o say, can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming, and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that the flag was still there: o say, does the star-spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? * * * * * o thus be it ever when freemen shall stand, between their loved homes and the war's desolation; blessed with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation. then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto, "_in god is our trust_." and the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. the original star-spangled banner that waved over fort mchenry in sight of the poet when he wrote the famous hymn was made and presented to the garrison by a girl of fifteen, afterwards mrs. sanderson, and is still preserved in the sanderson family at baltimore. [illustration: samuel f. smith] the additional stanza to the "star-spangled banner"-- when our land is illumined with liberty's smile, etc., --was composed by dr. o.w. holmes, in . the tune "anacreon in heaven" was an old english hunting air composed by john stafford smith, born at gloucester, eng. . he was composer for covent garden theater, and conductor of the academy of ancient music. died sep. , . the melody was first used in america to robert treat paine's song, "adams and liberty." paine, born --died , was the son of robert treat paine, signer of the declaration of independence. "stand! the ground's your own, my braves." sympathetic admiration for the air, "scots wha hae wi' wallace bled," (or "bruce's address," as it was commonly called), with the syllables of robert burns' silvery verse, lingered long in the land after the wars were ended. it spoke in the poem of john pierpont, who caught its pibroch thrill, and built the metre of "warren's address at the battle of bunker hill" on the model of "scots wha hae." stand! the ground's your own, my braves; will ye give it up to slaves? will ye look for greener graves? * * * * * in the god of battles trust: die we may, or die we must, but o where can dust to dust be consigned so well, as where heaven its dews shall shed, on the martyred patriot's bed, and the rocks shall raise their head of his deeds to tell? this poem, written about , held a place many years in school-books, and was one of the favorite school-boy declamations. whenever sung on patriotic occasions, the music was sure to be "bruce's address." that typical scotch tune was played on the highland bag-pipes long before burns was born, and known as "hey tuttie taite." "heard on fraser's hautboy, it used to fill my eyes with tears," burns himself once wrote. rev. john pierpont was born in litchfield, ct., april , . he was graduated at yale, , taught school, studied law, engaged in trade, and finally took a course in theology and became a unitarian minister, holding the pastorate of hollis st. church, boston, thirty-six years. he travelled in the east, and wrote "airs of palestine." his poem, "the yankee boy," has been much quoted. died in medford, mass., aug. , . "my country, 'tis of thee." this simple lyric, honored so long with the name "america," and the title "our national hymn," was written by samuel francis smith, while a theological student at andover, feb. , . he had before him several hymn and song tunes which lowell mason had received from germany, and, knowing young smith to be a good linguist, had sent to him for translation. one of the songs, of national character, struck smith as adaptable to home use if turned into american words, and he wrote four stanzas of his own to fit the tune. mason printed them with the music, and under his magical management the hymn made its debut on a public occasion in park st. church, boston, july , . its very simplicity, with its reverent spirit and easy-flowing language, was sure to catch the ear of the multitude and grow into familiar use with any suitable music, but it was the foreign tune that, under mason's happy pilotage, winged it for the western world and launched it on its long flight. my country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee i sing; land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountain-side let freedom ring. * * * * * let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song; let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake, let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong. our fathers' god, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us by thy might, great god, our king. _the tune._ pages, and at least two volumes, have been written to prove the origin of that cosmopolitan, half-gregorian descant known here as "america," and in england as "god save the king." william c. woodbridge of boston brought it home with him from germany. the germans had been singing it for years (and are singing it now, more or less) to the words, "heil dir im siegel kranz," and the swiss to "rufst du mein vaterland." it was sung in sweden, also, and till it was in public use in russia commonly enough to give it a national character. von weber introduced it in his "jubel" overture, and beethoven, in , copied it in c major and wrote piano variations on it. it has been ascribed to henry purcell ( ), to lulli, a french composer ( ), to dr. john bull ( ), and to thomas ravenscroft and an old scotch carol as old as . one might fancy that the biography of the famous air resembled melchizedek's. the truth appears to be that certain bars of music which might easily happen to be similar, or even identical, when plain-song was the common style, were produced at different times and places, and one man finally harmonized the wandering strains into a complete tune. it is now generally conceded that the man was henry carey, a popular english composer and dramatist of the first half of the th century, who sang the melody as it now is, in , at a public dinner given in honor of admiral vernon after his capture of porto bello (brazil). this antedates any authenticated use of the tune _ipsissima forma_ in england or continental europe. the american history of it simply is that woodbridge gave it to mason and mason gave it to smith--and smith gave it "my country 'tis of thee." "by the rude bridge." this genuinely american poem, written by ralph waldo emerson and called usually the "concord hymn," was prepared for the dedication of the battle-monument in concord, april , , and sung there to the tune of "old hundred." apparently no change has been made in the original except of a single word in the first line. by the rude bridge that arched the flood, their flag to april's breeze unfurled, here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard round the world. the foe long since in silence slept; alike the conqueror silent sleeps; and time the ruined bridge has swept down the dark stream which seaward creeps. on this green bank, by this soft stream, we set today a votive stone; that memory may their deed redeem, when, like our sires, our sons are gone. spirit, that made those heroes dare to die, and leave their children free, bid time and nature gently spare the shaft we raise to them and thee. this does not appear in the hymnals and owns no special tune. its niche of honor is in the temple of anthology, but it will always be called the "concord hymn"--and the fourth line of its first stanza is a perennial quotation. ralph waldo emerson, ll.d., the renowned american essayist and poet, was born in boston, . he graduated at harvard in , and was ordained to the unitarian ministry, but turned his attention to literature, writing and lecturing on ethical and philosophical themes, and winning universal fame by his original and suggestive prose and verse. he died april , . battle hymn of the republic. after a visit to the federal camps on the potomac in , mrs. julia ward howe returned to her lodgings in washington, fatigued, as she says, by her "long, cold drive," and slept soundly. awakening at early daybreak, she began "to twine the long lines of a hymn which promised to suit the measure of the 'john brown' melody." this hymn was written out after a fashion in the dark, by mrs. howe, and she then went back to sleep. mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord; he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; he hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword; his truth is marching on. i have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps, they have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps; i can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps; his day is marching on. i have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel; "as ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;" let the hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, since god is marching on. he has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; he is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat; oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him! be jubilant my feet! our god is marching on. in the beauty of the lilies christ was born across the sea, with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me; as he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free. while god is marching on. _the tune._ the music of the old camp-meeting refrain,-- say, brothers will you meet us? --or,-- o brother, will you meet me, (no. in the _revivalist_,) was written in , by john william steffe, of richmond, va., for a fire company, and was afterwards arranged by franklin h. lummis. the air of the "john brown song" was caught from this religious melody. the old hymn-tune had the "glory, hallelujah" coda, cadenced off with, "for ever, ever more." in - the garrison of soldiers at work on the half-dismantled defenses of fort warren in boston harbor, were fain to lighten labor and mock fatigue with any species of fun suggested by circumstances or accident, and, as for music, they sang everything they could remember or make up. john brown's memory and fate were fresh in the northern mind, and the jollity of the not very reverent army men did not exclude frequent allusions to the rash old harper's ferry hero. a wag conjured his spirit into the camp with a witticism as to what he was doing, and a comrade retorted, "marchin' on, of course." a third cried, "pooh, john brown's underground." a serio-comic debate added more words, and in the midst of the banter, a musical fellow strung a rhythmic sentence and trolled it to the methodist tune. "john brown's body lies a mould'rin' in the ground" was taken up by others who knew the air, the following line was improvised almost instantly, and soon, to the accompaniment of pick, shovel and crowbar,-- his soul goes marching on, --rounded the couplet with full lung power through all the repetitions, till the inevitable "glory, glory hallelujah" had the voice of every soldier in the fort. the song "took," and the marching chorus of the federal armies of the civil war was started on its way. mrs. howe gave it a poem that made its rusticity sublime, and the "battle hymn of the republic" began a career that promises to run till battle hymns cease to be sung. julia ward was born in new york city, may , . in she became the wife of samuel gridley howe, the far-famed philanthropist and champion of liberty, and with him edited an anti-slavery paper, the _boston commonwealth_, until the civil war closed its mission. during the war she was active and influential--and has never ceased to be so--in the cause of peace and justice, and in every philanthropic movement. her great hymn first brought her prominently before the public, but her many other writings would have made a literary reputation. her four surviving children are all eminent in the scientific and literary world. keller's american hymn. naturally the title suggests the authorship of the ode, but fate made keller a musician rather than a poet and hymnist, and the honors of the fine anthem are divided. at the grand performance which created its reputation, the hymn of dr. o.w. holmes was substituted for the composer's words. this is keller's first stanza: speed our republic, o father on high! lead us in pathways of justice and right, rulers, as well as the ruled, one and all, girdle with virtue the armor of might. hail! three times hail, to our country and flag! rulers, as well as the ruled, one and all, girdle with virtue the armor of might; hail! three times hail, to our country and flag! "flag" was the unhappy word at the end of every one of the four stanzas. to match a short vowel to an orotund concert note for two beats and a "hold" was impossible. when the great peace jubilee of , in boston, was projected, dr. holmes was applied to, and responded with a lyric that gave each stanza the rondeau effect designed by the composer, but replaced the flat final with a climax syllable of breadth and music: angel of peace, thou hast wandered too long! spread thy white wings to the sunshine of love! come while our voices are blended in song, fly to our ark like the storm-beaten dove! fly to our ark on the wings of the dove, speed o'er the far-sounding billows of song, crown'd with thine olive-leaf garland of love, angel of peace, thou hast waited too long! * * * * * angels of bethlehem, answer the strain! hark! a new birth-song is filling the sky! loud as the storm-wind that tumbles the main, bid the full breath of the organ reply, let the loud tempest of voices reply, roll its long surge like the earth-shaking main! swell the vast song till it mounts to the sky! angels of bethlehem, echo the strain! but the glory of the _tune_ was keller's own. soon after the close of the war a prize of $ had been offered by a committee of american gentlemen for the best "national hymn" (meaning words and music). mr. keller, though a foreigner, was a naturalized citizen and patriot and entered the lists as a competitor with the zeal of a native and the ambition of an artist. sometime in he finished and copyrighted the noble anthem that bears his name, and then began the struggle to get it before the public and test its merit. to enable him to bring it out before the new york academy of music, where (unfortunately) he determined to make his first trial, his brother kindly lent him four hundred dollars (which he had laid by to purchase a little home), and he borrowed two hundred more elsewhere. the performance proved a failure, the total receipts being only forty-two dollars, keller was $ in debt, and his brother's house-money was gone. but he refused to accept his failure as final. boston (where he should have begun) was introduced to his masterpiece at every opportunity, and gradually, with the help of the city bands and a few public concerts, a decided liking for it was worked up. it was entered on the program of the peace jubilee and sung by a chorus of ten thousand voices. the effect was magnificent. "keller's american hymn" became a recognized star number in the repertoire of "best" national tunes; and now few public occasions where patriotic music is demanded omit it in their menu of song.[ ] [footnote : in butterworth's "_story of the tunes_," under the account of keller's grand motet, the following sacred hymn is inserted as "often sung to it:"-- father almighty, we bow at thy feet; humbly thy grace and thy goodness we own. answer in love when thy children entreat, hear our thanksgiving ascend to thy throne. seeking thy blessing, in worship we meet, trusting our souls on thy mercy alone; father almighty, we bow at thy feet. breathe, holy spirit, thy comfort divine, tune every voice to thy music of peace; hushed in our hearts, with one whisper of thine, pride and the tumult of passion will cease. joy of the watchful, who wait for thy sign, hope of the sinful, who long for release, breathe, holy spirit, thy comfort divine. god of salvation, thy glory we sing, honors to thee in thy temple belong; welcome the tribute of gladness we bring, loud-pealing organ and chorus of song. while our high praises, redeemer and king, blend with the notes of the angelic throng, god of salvation, thy glory we sing. --_theron brown_.] it is pathetic to know that the composer's one great success brought him only a barren renown. the prize committee, on the ground that _none_ of the competing pieces reached the high standard of excellence contemplated, withheld the $ , and keller's work received merely the compliment of being judged worth presentation. the artist had his copyright, but he remained a poor man. matthias keller was born at ulm, wurtemberg, march , . in his youth he was both a musician and a painter. coming to this country, he chose the calling that promised the better and quicker wages, playing in bands and theatre orchestras, but never accumulating money. he could make fine harmonies as well as play them, but english was not his mother-tongue, and though he wrote a hundred and fifty songs, only one made him well-known. when fame came to him it did not bring him wealth, and in his latter days, crippled by partial paralysis, he went back to his early art and earned a living by painting flowers and retouching portraits and landscapes. he died in , only three years after his coliseum triumph. "god bless our native land." this familiar patriotic hymn is notable--though not entirely singular--for having two authors. the older singing-books signed the name of j.s. dwight to it, until inquiring correspondence brought out the testimony and the joint claim of dwight and c.t. brooks, and it appeared that both these scholars and writers translated it from the german. later hymnals attach both their names to the hymn.[ ] [footnote : for a full account of this disputed hymn, and the curious trick of memory which confused _four_ names in the question of its authorship, see dr. benson's _studies of familiar hymns_, pp. - ] john sullivan dwight, born, in boston, may , , was a virtuoso in music, and an enthusiastic student of the art and science of tonal harmony. he joined a harvard musical club known as "the pierian sodality" while a student at the university, and after his graduation became a prolific writer on musical subjects. six years of his life were passed in the "brook farm community." he was best known by his serial magazine, dwight's _journal of music_, which was continued from to . his death occurred in . rev. charles timothy brooks, the translator of faust, was born, in salem, mass., june , , being only about a month younger than his friend dwight. was a student at harvard university and divinity school - , and was ordained to the unitarian ministry and settled at newport, r.i. he resigned his charge there ( ) on account of ill health, and occupied himself with literary work until his death, jan. , . god bless our native land! firm may she ever stand through storm and night! when the wild tempests rave. ruler of wind and wave, do thou our country save by thy great might! for her our prayer shall rise to god above the skies; on him we wait. thou who art ever nigh, guarding with watchful eye; to thee aloud we cry, god save the state! the tune of "dort," by lowell mason, has long been the popular melody for this hymn. indeed the two were united by mason himself. it is braver music than "america," and would have carried dr. smith's hymn nobly, but the borrowed tune, on the whole, better suits "my country 'tis of thee,"--and besides, it has the advantage of a middle-register harmony easy for a multitude of voices. "thou, too, sail on, o ship of state," the closing canto of longfellow's "launching of the ship," almost deserves a patriotic hymn-tune, though its place and use are commonly with school recitations. "god of our fathers, known of old." rudyard kipling, in a moment of serious reflection on the flamboyant militarism of british sentiment during the south african war, wrote this remarkable "recessional," so strikingly unlike his other war-time poems. it is to be hoped he did not suddenly repent his christian impulse, but with the chauvinistic cry around him, "our country, right or wrong!" he seems to have felt the contrast of his prayer--and flung it into the waste-basket. his watchful wife rescued it (the story says) and bravely sent it to the london times. the world owes her a debt. the hymn is not only an anthem for peace societies, but a tonic for true patriotism. when freedom fights in self-defense, she need not force herself to "forget" the lord of hosts. god of our fathers, known of old, lord of our far-flung battle-line, beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over palm and pine; lord god of hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget. the tumult and the shouting dies, the captains and the kings depart, still stands thine ancient sacrifice, an humble and a contrite heart. lord god of hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget. far-called, our navies melt away, on dune and headland sinks the fire; lo all our pomp of yesterday is one with nineveh and tyre. judge of the nations, spare us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget. if, drunk with sight of power, we loose wild tongues that have not thee in awe, such boasting as the gentiles use or lesser breeds without the law, lord god of hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget. for heathen heart that puts her trust, in recking tube and iron shard, all valiant dust that builds on dust and guarding, calls not thee to guard, for frantic boast and foolish word thy mercy on thy people, lord! had kipling cared more for his poem, and kept it longer in hand, he might have revised a line or two that would possibly seem commonplace to him--and corrected the grammar in the first line of the second stanza. but of so fine a composition there is no call for finical criticism. the "recessional" is a product of the poet's holiest mood. "the spirit of the lord came upon him"--as the old hebrew phrase is, and for the time he was a rapt prophet, with a backward and a forward vision. providence saved the hymn, and it touched and sank into the better mind of the nation. it is already learned by heart--and sung--wherever english is the common speech, and will be heard in numerous translations, with the wish that there were more patriotic hymns of the same christian temper and strength. rudyard kipling was born in hindostan in . even with his first youthful experiments in the field of literature he was hailed as the coming apostle of muscular poetry and prose. for a time he made america his home, and it was while here that he faced death through a fearful and protracted sickness that brought him very near to god. he has visited many countries and described them all, and, though sometimes his imagination drives a reckless pen, the christian world hopes much from a man whose genius can make the dullest souls listen. _the tune._ the music set to kipling's hymn is stainer's "magdalen"--(not his "magdalina," which is a common-metre tune)--and wonderfully fits the words and enhances their dignity. it is a grave and earnest melody in d flat, with two bars in unison at "lord god of hosts, be with us yet," making the utterance of the prayer a deep and powerful finale. john stainer, doctor of music, born june , , was nine years the chorister of st. paul's, london, and afterwards organist to the university of oxford. he is a member of the various musical societies of the kingdom, and a chevalier of the legion of honor. his talent for sacred music is rare and versatile, and he seems to have consecrated himself as a musician and composer to the service of the church. * * * * * every civilized nation has its patriotic hymns. in fact what makes a nation a nation is largely the unifying influences of its common song. even the homeless hebrew nation is kept together by its patriotic psalms. the ethnic melodies would fill a volume with their story. the few presented in this chapter represent their range of quality and character--defiant as the marseillaise, thrilling as "scots' wha hae," joyful as "the star-spangled banner," breezy and bold as the "ranz de vaches," or sweet as the "switzers' song of home." chapter x. sailors' hymns. the oldest sailors' hymn is found in the th psalm, vss. - : they that go down to the sea in ships, to do business in great waters, these see the works of the lord, and his wonders in the deep, etc. montgomery has made this metrical rendering of these verses: they that toil upon the deep, and in vessels light and frail o'er the mighty waters sweep with the billows and the gale, mark what wonders god performs when he speaks, and, unconfined, rush to battle all his storms in the chariots of the wind. the hymn is not in the collections, and has no tune. addison paraphrased the succeeding verses of the psalm in his hymn, "how are thy servants blessed o lord," sung to hugh wilson's[ ] tune of "avon": when by the dreadful tempest borne high on the broken wave, they know thou art not slow to hear, nor impotent to save. the storm is laid, the winds retire, obedient to thy will; the sea that roars at thy command, at thy command is still. [footnote : hugh wilson was a scotch weaver of kilmarnock, born ; died .] "fierce was the wild billow." ([greek: zopheras trikumias]) the ancient writer, anatolius, who composed this hymn has for centuries been confounded with "st" anatolius, patriarch of constantinople, who died a.d. . the author of the hymn lived in the seventh century, and except that he wrote several hymns, and also poems in praise of the martyrs, nothing or next to nothing, is known of him. the "wild billow" song was the principle seaman's hymn of the early church. it is being introduced into modern psalmody, the translation in use ranking among the most successful of dr. john mason neale's renderings from the greek. fierce was the wild billow, dark was the night; oars labored heavily, foam glimmered white; trembled the mariners; peril was nigh; then said the god of god, "peace! it is i!" ridge of the mountain wave, lower thy crest! wall of euroclydon, be thou at rest! sorrow can never be, darkness must fly, when saith the light of light, "peace! it is i!" _the tune._ the desire to represent the antiquity of the hymn and the musical style of its age, and on the other hand the wish to utilize it in the tune-manuals for manners' homes and seamen's bethels, makes a difficulty for composers to study--and the task is still open to competition. considering the peculiar tone that sailors' singing instinctively takes--and has taken doubtless from time immemorial perhaps the plaintive melody of "neale," by j.h. cornell, comes as near to a vocal success as could be hoped. the music is of middle register and less than octave range, natural scale, minor, and the triple time lightens a little the dirge-like harmony while the weird sea-song effect is kept. a chorus of singing tars must create uncommon emotion, chanting this coronach of the storm. john henry cornell was born in new york city, may , , and was for many years organist at st. paul's chapel, trinity church. he is the author of numerous educational works on the theory and practice of music. he composed the above tune in . died march , . "ave, maris stella." one of the titles which the roman catholic world applied to the mother of jesus, in the middle ages, was "stella maris," "star of the sea." columbus, being a catholic, sang this hymn, or caused it to be sung, every evening, it is said, during his perilous voyage to an unknown land. the marine epithet by which the virgin mary is addressed is admirable as a stroke of poetry, and the hymn--of six stanzas--is a prayer which, though offered to her as to a divine being, was no doubt sincere in the simple sailor hearts of . the two following quatrains finish the voyagers' petition, and point it with a doxology-- vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum, ut videntes jesum semper collaetemur. sit laus deo patri, summo christo decus, spiritui sancto, tribus honor unus! a free translation is-- guide us safe, unspotted through life's long endeavor till with thee and jesus we rejoice forever. praise to god the father, son and spirit be; one and equal honor to the holy three. inasmuch as this ancient hymn did not attain the height of its popularity and appear in all the breviaries until the th century, its assumed age has been doubted, but its reputed author, venantius fortunatus, bishop of poitiers, was born about , at treviso, italy, and died about . though a religious teacher, he was a man of romantic and convivial instincts--a strange compound of priest, poet and _beau chevalier_. duffield calls him "the last of the classics and first of the troubadours," and states that he was the "first of the christian poets to begin that worship of the virgin mary which rose to a passion and sank to an idolatry." _tunes_ to this ancient rogation poem have been composed by aiblinger (johann caspar), bavarian, ( - ,) by proch (heinrich), austrian, ( - ,) by tadolini (giovanni), italian, ( - ,) and by many others. the "ave, maris stella" is in constant use in the romish church, and its english translation by caswall is a favorite hymn in the _lyra catholica_. "ave, sanctissima!" this beautiful hymn is not introduced here in order of time, but because it seems akin to the foregoing, and born of its faith and traditions--though it sounds rather too fine for a sailor song, on ship or shore. like the other, the tuneful prayer is the voice of ultramontane piety accustomed to deify mary, and is entitled the "evening song to the virgin." ave sanctissima! we lift our souls to thee ora pro nobis! 'tis nightfall on the sea. watch us while shadows lie far o'er the waters spread; hear the heart's lonely sigh; thine, too, hath bled. thou that hast looked on death, aid us when death is near; whisper of heaven to faith; sweet mother, hear! ora pro nobis! the wave must rock our sleep; ora, mater, ora! star of the deep! this was first written in four separate quatrains, "'tis nightfall on the sea" being part of the first instead of the second line, and "we lift our souls," etc., was "our souls rise to thee," while the apostrophe at the end read, "thou star of the deep." the fact of the modern origin of the hymn does not make it less probable that the earlier one of fortunatus suggested it. it was written by mrs. hemans, and occurs between the forty-third and forty-fourth stanzas of her long poem, "the forest sanctuary." a spanish christian who had embraced the protestant faith fled to america (such is the story of the poem) to escape the cruelties of the inquisition, and took with him his catholic wife and his child. during the voyage the wife pined away and died, a martyr to her conjugal loyalty and love. the hymn to the virgin purports to have been her daily evening song at sea, plaintively remembered by the broken-hearted husband and father in his forest retreat on the american shore with his motherless boy. the music was composed by a sister of mrs. hemans, mrs. hughes, who probably arranged the lines as they now stand in the tune. the song, though its words appear in the _parochial hymn-book_, seems to be in use rather as parlor music than as a part of the liturgy. "jesus, lover of my soul." the golden quality of this best-known and loved of charles wesley's hymns is attested by two indorsements that cannot be impeached; its perennial life, and the blessings of millions who needed it. jesus, lover of my soul let me to thy bosom fly, while the billows near me roll, while the tempest still is high. hide me, o my saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past, safe into the haven guide, o receive my soul at last! wesley is believed to have written it when a young man, and story and legend have been busy with the circumstances of its birth. the most poetical account alleges that a dove chased by a hawk dashed through his open window into his bosom, and the inspiration to write the line-- let me to thy bosom fly, --was the genesis of the poem. another report has it that one day mr. wesley, being pursued by infuriated persecutors at killalee, county down, ireland, took refuge in a milk-house on the homestead of the island band farm. when the mob came up the farmer's wife, mrs. jane lowrie moore, offered them refreshments and secretly let out the fugitive through a window to the back garden, where he concealed himself under a hedge till his enemies went away. when they had gone he had the hymn in his mind and partly jotted down. this tale is circumstantial, and came through mrs. mary e. hoover, jane moore's granddaughter, who told it many years ago to her pastor, dr. william laurie of bellefonte, pa. so careful a narrative deserves all the respect due to a family tradition. whether this or still another theory of the incidental cause of the wonderful hymn shall have the last word may never be decided nor is it important. there is "antecedent probability," at least, in the statement that wesley wrote the first two stanzas soon after his perilous experience in a storm at sea during his return voyage from america to england in . in a letter dated oct. of that year, he describes the storm that washed away a large part of the ship's cargo, strained her seams so that the hardest pumping could not keep pace with the inrushing water, and finally forced the captain to cut the mizzen-mast away. young wesley was ill and sorely alarmed, but knew, he says, that he "abode under the shadow of the almighty," and finally, "in this dreadful moment," he was able to encourage his fellow-passengers who were "in an agony of fear," and to pray with and for them. it was his awful hazard and bare escape in that tempest that prompted the following stanzas-- o thou who didst prepare the ocean's caverned cell, and teach the gathering waters there to meet and dwell; toss'd in our reeling bark upon this briny sea, thy wondrous ways, o lord, we mark, and sing to thee. * * * * * borne on the dark'ning wave, in measured sweep we go, nor dread th' unfathomable grave, which yawns below; for he is nigh who trod amid the foaming spray, whose billows own'd th' incarnate god, and died away. and naturally the memory of his almost shipwreck on the wild atlantic colored more or less the visions of his muse, and influenced the metaphors of his verse for years. the popularity of "jesus, lover of my soul" not only procured it, at home, the name of "england's song of the sea," but carried it with "the course of empire" to the west, where it has reigned with "rock of ages," for more than a hundred and fifty years, joint primate of inspired human songs. compiled incidents of its heavenly service would fill a chapter. a venerable minister tells of the supernal comfort that lightened his after years of sorrow from the dying bed of his wife who whispered with her last breath, "hide me, o my saviour, hide." a childless and widowed father in washington remembers with a more than earthly peace, the wife and mother's last request for wesley's hymn, and her departure to the sound of its music to join the spirit of her babe. a summer visitor in philadelphia, waiting on a hot street-corner for a car to fairmount park, overheard a quavering voice singing the same hymn and saw an emaciated hand caressing a little plant in an open window--and carried away the picture of a fading life, and the words-- other refuge have i none, hangs my helpless soul on thee. on one of the fields of the civil war, just after a bloody battle, the rev. james rankin of the united presbyterian church bent over a dying soldier. asked if he had any special request to make, the brave fellow replied, "yes, sing 'jesus, lover of my soul.'" the clergyman belonged to a church that sang only psalms. but what a tribute to that ubiquitous hymn that such a man knew it by heart! a moment's hesitation and he recalled the words, and, for the first time in his life, sang a sacred song that was not a psalm. when he reached the lines,-- safe into the haven guide, o receive my soul at last, --his hand was in the frozen grip of a dead man, whose face wore "the light that never was on sea or land." the minister went away saying to himself, "if this hymn is good to die by, it is good to live by." _the tune._ of all the tone-masters who have studied and felt this matchless hymn, and given it vocal wings--marsh, zundel, bradbury, dykes, mason--none has so exquisitely uttered its melting prayer, syllable by syllable, as joseph p. holbrook in his "refuge." unfortunately for congregational use, it is a duo and quartet score for select voices; but the four-voice portion can be a chorus, and is often so sung. its form excludes it from some hymnals or places it as an optional beside a congregational tune. but when rendered by the choir on special occasions its success in conveying the feeling and soul of the words is complete. there is a prayer in the swell of every semitone and the touch of every accidental, and the sweet concord of the duet--soprano with tenor or bass--pleads on to the end of the fourth line, where the full harmony reinforces it like an organ with every stop in play. the tune is a rill of melody ending in a river of song.[ ] [footnote : holbrook has also an arrangement of franz abt's, "when the swallows homeward fly" written to "jesus, lover of my soul," but with wesley's words it is far less effective than his original work. "refuge" is not a manufacture but an inspiration.] for general congregational use, mason's "whitman" has wedded itself to the hymn perhaps closer than any other. it has revival associations reaching back more than sixty years. "when marshalled on the nightly plain." perhaps no line in all familiar hymnology more readily suggests the name of its author than this. in the galaxy of poets henry kirke white was a brief luminary whose brilliancy and whose early end have appealed to the hearts of three generations. he was born at nottingham, eng., in the year . his father was a butcher, but the son, disliking the trade, was apprenticed to a weaver at the age of fourteen. two years later he entered an attorney's office as copyist and student. the boy imbibed sceptical notions from some source, and might have continued to scoff at religion to the last but for the experience of his intimate friend, a youth named almond, whose life was changed by witnessing one day the happy death of a christian believer. decided to be a christian himself, it was some time before he mustered courage to face white's ridicule and resentment. he simply drew away from him. when white demanded the reason he was obliged to tell him that they two must henceforth walk different paths. "good god!" exclaimed white, "you surely think worse of me than i deserve!" the separation was a severe shock to henry, and the real grief of it sobered his anger to reflection and remorse. the light of a better life came to him when his heart melted--and from that time he and almond were fellows in faith as well as friendship. in his hymn the young poet tells the stormy experience of his soul, and the vision that guided him to peace. when, marshalled on the nightly plain, the glittering host bestud the sky, one star alone of all the train can fix the sinner's wandering eye. hark, hark! to god the chorus breaks, from every host, from every gem, but one alone the saviour speaks; it is the star of bethlehem. once on the raging seas i rode: the storm was loud, the night was dark; the ocean yawned, and rudely blowed the wind that tossed my foundering bark. deep horror then my vitals froze, death-struck, i ceased the tide to stem, when suddenly a star arose; it was the star of bethlehem. it was my guide, my light, my all, it bade my dark forebodings cease; and through the storm and danger's thrall, it led me to the port of peace. now, safely moored, my perils o'er, i'll sing, first in night's diadem, for ever and for evermore, the star, the star of bethlehem! besides this delightful hymn, with its graphic sea-faring metaphors, two others, at least, of the same boy-poet hold their place in many of the church and chapel collections: the lord our god is clothed with might, the winds obey his will; he speaks, and in his heavenly height the rolling sun stands still. and-- oft in danger, oft in woe, onward, christians, onward go. henry kirke white died in the autumn of , when he was scarcely twenty years old. his "ode to disappointment," and the miscellaneous flowers and fragments of his genius, make up a touching volume. the fire of a pure, strong spirit burning through a consumptive frame is in them all. _the tune._ "when, marshalled on the mighty plain" has a choral set to it in the _methodist hymnal_--credited to thos. harris, and entitled "crimea"--which divides the three stanzas into six, and breaks the continuity of the hymn. better sing it in its original form--long metre double--to the dear old melody of "bonny doon." the voices of scotland, england and america are blended in it. [illustration: william b. bradbury] the origin of this caledonian air, though sometimes fancifully traced to an irish harper and sometimes to a wandering piper of the isle of man, is probably lost in antiquity. burns, however, whose name is linked with it, tells this whimsical story of it, though giving no date save "a good many years ago,"--(apparently about ). a virtuoso, mr. james millar, he writes, wishing he were able to compose a scottish tune, was told by a musical friend to sit down to his harpsichord and make a rhythm of some kind _solely on the black keys_, and he would surely turn out a scotch tune. the musical friend, pleased at the result of his jest, caught the string of plaintive sounds made by millar, and fashioned it into "bonny doon." "land ahead!" the burden of this hymn was suggested by the dying words of john adams, one of the crew of the english ship bounty who in mutinied, set the captain and officers adrift, and ran the vessel to a tropical island, where they burned her. in a few years vice and violence had decimated the wicked crew, who had exempted themselves from all divine and human restraint, until the last man alive was left with only native women and half-breed children for company. his true name was alexander smith, but he had changed it to john adams. the situation forced the lonely englishman to a sense of solemn responsibility, and in bitter remorse, he sought to retrieve his wasted life, and spend the rest of his exile in repentance and repentant works. he found a bible in one of the dead seamen's chests, studied it, and organized a community on the christian plan. a new generation grew up around him, reverencing him as governor, teacher, preacher and judge, and speaking his language--and he was wise enough to exercise his authority for the common good, and never abuse it. pitcairn's island became "the paradise of the pacific." it has not yet belied its name. besides its opulence of rural beauty and natural products, its inhabitants, now the third generation from the "mutineer missionary," are a civilized community without the vices of civilization. there is no licentiousness, no profanity, no sabbath-breaking, no rum or tobacco--and _no sickness_. john adams died in --after an island residence of forty years. in his extreme age, while he lay waiting for the end, he was asked how he felt in view of the final voyage. "land ahead!" murmured the old sailor--and his last words were, "rounding the cape--into the harbor." that the veteran's death-song should be perpetuated in sacred music is not strange. land ahead! its fruits are waving o'er the hills of fadeless green; and the living waters laving shores where heavenly forms are seen. chorus. rocks and storms i'll fear no more, when on that eternal shore; drop the anchor! furl the sail! i am safe within the veil. onward, bark! the cape i'm rounding; see, the blessed wave their hands; hear the harps of god resounding from the bright immortal bands. the authorship of the hymn is credited to rev. e. adams--whether or not a descendent of the island patriarch we have no information. it was written about . the ringing melody that bears the words was composed by john miller evans, born nov. , ; died jan. , . the original air--with a simple accompaniment--was harmonized by hubert p. main, and published in _winnowed hymns_ in . "eternal father, strong to save." this is sung almost universally on english ships. it is said to have been one of sir evelyn wood's favorites. the late william whiting wrote it in , and it was incorporated with some alterations in the standard english church collection entitled _hymns ancient and modern_. it is a translation from a latin hymn, a triune litany addressing a stanza each to father, son and holy spirit. the whole four stanzas have the same refrain, and the appeal to the father, who bids-- --the mighty ocean deep its own appointed limits keep, --varies in the appeal to christ, who-- --_walked_ upon the foaming deep. the third and fourth stanzas are the following: o holy spirit, who didst brood upon the waters dark and rude, and bid their angry tumult cease, and give, for wild confusion, peace; oh, hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea. o trinity of love and power, our brethren shield in danger's hour; from rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them wheresoe'er they go: thus evermore shall rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land to sea. william whiting was born at kensington, london, nov. , . he was master of winchester college chorister's school died in . _the tune._ the choral named "melita" (in memory of st. paul's shipwreck) was composed by dr. dykes in , and its strong and easy chords and moderate note range are nobly suited to the devout hymn. "the ocean hath no danger." this charming sailors' lyric is the work of the rev. godfrey thring. its probable date is , and it appeared in morell and howe's collection and in _hymns congregational and others_, published in , which contained a number from his pen. rector thring was born at alford, somersetshire, eng., march , , and educated at shrewsbury school and baliol college, oxford. in he succeeded his father as rector of alford. he compiled _a church of england hymnbook_ in . the ocean hath no danger for those whose prayers are made to him who in a manger a helpless babe was laid, who, born to tribulation and every human ill, the lord of his creation, the wildest waves can still. * * * * * though life itself be waning and waves shall o'er us sweep, the wild winds sad complaining shall lull us still to sleep, for as a gentle slumber e'en death itself shall prove to those whom christ doth number as worthy of his love. the tune "morlaix," given to the hymn by dr. dykes, is simple, but a very sweet and appropriate harmony. "fierce raged the tempest on the deep." this fine lyric, based on the incident in the storm on the sea of galilee, is the work of the same writer and owes its tune "st. aelred" to the same composer. the melody has an impressive rallentando of dotted semibreves to the refrain, "peace, be still," after the more rapid notes of the three-line stanzas. the wild winds hushed, the angry deep sank like a little child to sleep, the sullen waters ceased to leap. * * * * * so when our life is clouded o'er and storm-winds drift us from the shore say, lest we sink to rise no more, "peace! be still." "pull for the shore." when a shipwrecked crew off a rocky coast were hurrying to the long-boat, a sailor begged leave to run back to the ship's forecastle and save some of his belongings. "no sir," shouted the captain, "she's sinking! there's nothing to do but to pull for the shore." philip p. bliss caught up the words, and wrought them into a hymn and tune. light in the darkness, sailor, day is at hand! see o'er the foaming billows fair haven's land; drear was the voyage, sailor, now almost o'er; safe in the life-boat, sailor, pull for the shore! chorus. pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore! heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar; safe in the life-boat, sailor, cling to self no more; leave the poor old stranded wreck and pull for the shore! the hymn-tune is a buoyant allegro--solo and chorus--full of hope and courage, and both imagery and harmony appeal to the hearts of seamen. it is popular, and has long been one of the song numbers in demand at religious services both on sea and land. "jesus, saviour, pilot me." the rev. edward hopper, d.d. wrote this hymn while pastor of mariner's church at new york harbor, "the church of the sea and land." he was born in , and graduated at union theological seminary in . jesus, saviour, pilot me over life's tempestuous sea, unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal; chart and compass come from thee, jesus, saviour, pilot me! only three stanzas of this rather lengthy hymn are in common use. _the tune._ without title except "savior, pilot me." a simple and pleasing melody composed by john edgar gould, late of the firm of gould and fischer, piano dealers, phila., pa. he was born in bangor, me., april , . conductor of music and composer of psalm and hymn tunes and glees, he also compiled and published no less than eight books of church, sunday-school, and secular songs. died in algiers, africa, feb. , . "throw out the life-line." this is one of the popular refrains that need but a single hearing to fix themselves in common memory and insure their own currency and _eclat_. the rev. e.s. ufford, well-known as a baptist preacher, lecturer, and evangelist, was witnessing a drill at the life-saving station on point allerton, nantasket beach, when the order to "throw out the life-line" and the sight of the apparatus in action, combined with the story of a shipwreck on the spot, left an echo in his mind till it took the form of a song-sermon. returning home, he pencilled the words of this rousing hymn, and, being himself a singer and player, sat down to his instrument to match the lines with a suitable air. it came to him almost as spontaneously as the music of "the ninety and nine" came to mr. sankey. in fifteen minutes the hymn-tune was made--so far as the melody went. it was published in sheet form in , and afterwards purchased by mr. sankey, harmonized by mr. stebbins, and published in _winnowed songs_, . included in _gospel hymns_, nov. , . ever since it has been a favorite with singing seamen, and has done active service as one of our most stirring field-songs in revival work. throw out the life-line across the dark wave, there is a brother whom some one should save; somebody's brother! oh, who, then, will dare to throw out the life-line, his peril to share? throw out the life-line with hand quick and strong! why do you tarry, why linger so long? see! he is sinking; oh, hasten today-- and out with the life-boat! away, then away! chorus. throw out the life-line! throw out the life-line! some one is drifting away; throw out the life-line! throw out the life-line! some one is sinking today. one evening, in the midst of their hilarity at their card-tables, a convivial club in one of the large pennsylvania cities heard a sweet, clear female voice singing this solo hymn, followed by a chime of mingled voices in the chorus. a room in the building had been hired for religious meetings, and tonight was the first of the series. a strange coolness dampened the merriment in the club-room, as the singing went on, and the gradual silence became a hush, till finally one member threw down his cards and declared, "if what they're saying is right, then we're wrong." others followed his example, then another, and another. there is a brother whom some one should save. quietly the revellers left their cards, cigars and half-emptied glasses and went home. said the ex-member who told the story years after to mr. ufford, "'throw out the life-line' broke up that club." he is today one of the responsible editors of a great city daily--and his old club-mates are all holding positions of trust. a christian man, a prosperous manufacturer in a city of eastern massachusetts, dates his first religious impressions from hearing this hymn when sung in public for the first time, twenty years ago. visiting california recently, mr. ufford sang his hymn at a watch-meeting and told the story of the loss of the elsie smith on cape cod in , exhibiting also the very life-line that had saved sixteen lives from the wreck. by chance one of those sixteen was in the audience. an english clergyman who was on duty at gibraltar when an emigrant ship went on the rocks in a storm, tells with what pathetic power and effect "throw out the life-line" was sung at a special sunday service for the survivors. at one of evan roberts' meetings in laughor, wales, one speaker related the story of a "vision," when in his room alone, and a voice that bade him pray, and when he knelt but could not pray, commanded him to "throw out the life-line." he had scarcely uttered these words in his story when the whole great congregation sprang to its feet and shouted the hymn together like the sound of many waters. "there is more electricity in that song than in any other i ever heard," dr. cuyler said to mr. sankey when he heard him sing it. its electricity has carried it nearly round the world. the rev. edward smith ufford was born in newark, n.j., , and educated at stratford academy (ct.) and bates theological seminary, me. he held several pastorates in maine and massachusetts, but a preference for evangelistic work led him to employ his talent for object-teaching in illustrated religious lectures through his own and foreign lands, singing his hymn and enforcing it with realistic representation. he is the author and compiler of several sunday-school and chapel song-manuals, as _converts' praise_, _life-long songs_, _wonderful love_ and _gathered gems_. chapter xi. hymns of wales. in writing this chapter the task of identifying the _tune_, and its author, in the case of every hymn, would have required more time and labor than, perhaps, the importance of the facts would justify. peculiar interest, however, attaches to welsh hymns, even apart from the airs which accompany them, and a general idea of welsh music may be gathered from the tone and metre of the lyrics introduced. more particular information would necessitate printing the music itself. from the days of the druids, wales has been a land of song. from the later but yet ancient time when the people learned the christian faith, it has had its christian psalms. the "march of the white monks of bangor" ( th century) is an epic of bravery and death celebrating the advance of christian martyrs to their bloody fate at the hands of the saxon savages. "its very rhythm pictures the long procession of white-cowled patriots bearing peaceful banners and in faith taking their way to chester to stimulate the valor of their countrymen." and ever since the "battle of the hallelujahs"--near chirk on the border, nine miles from wrexham--when the invading danes were driven from the field in fright by the rush of the cymric army shouting that mighty cry, every christian poet in wales has had a hallelujah in his verse. through the centuries, while chased and hunted by their conquerors among the cambrian hills, but clinging to their independent faith, or even when paralyzed into spiritual apathy under tribute to a foreign church, the heavenly song still murmured in a few true hearts amidst the vain and vicious lays of carnal mirth. it survived even when people and priest alike seemed utterly degenerate and godless. the voice of walter bute ( ) rang true for the religion of jesus in its purity. brave john oldcastle, the martyr, ( ) clung to the gospel he learned at the foot of the cross. william wroth, _clergyman_, saved from fiddling at a drunken dance by a disaster that turned a house of revelry into a house of death, confessed his sins to god and became the "apostle of south wales." the young vicar, rhys pritchard ( ) rose from the sunken level of his profession, rescued through an incident less tragic. accustomed to drink himself to inebriety at a public-house--a socially winked-at indulgence then--he one day took his pet goat with him, and poured liquor down the creature's throat. the refusal of the poor goat to go there again forced the reckless priest to reflect on his own ways. he forsook the ale-house and became a changed man. among his writings--later than this--is found the following plain, blunt statement of what continued long to be true of welsh society, as represented in the common use of sunday time. of all the days throughout the rolling year there's not a day we pass so much amiss, there's not a day wherein we all appear so irreligious, so profaned as this. a day for drunkenness, a day for sport, a day to dance, a day to lounge away, a day for riot and excess, too short amongst the welshmen is the sabbath day. a day to sit, a day to chat and spend, a day when fighting 'mongst us most prevails, a day to do the errands of the fiend-- such is the sabbath in most parts of wales. meantime some who could read the language--and the better educated (like the author of the above rhymes) knew english as well as welsh--had seen a rescued copy of _wycliffs new testament_, a precious publication seized and burnt (like the bones of its translator) by hostile ecclesiastics, and suppressed for nearly two hundred years. walter bute, like obadiah who hid the hundred prophets, may well be credited with such secret salvage out of the general destruction. and there were doubtless others equally alert for the same quiet service. we can imagine how far the stealthy taste of that priceless book would help to strengthen a better religion than the one doled out professionally to the multitude by a civil church; and how it kept the hallelujah alive in silent but constant souls; and in how many cases it awoke a conscience long hypnotized under corrupt custom, and showed a renegade christian how morally untuned he was. daylight came slowly after the morning star, but when the dawn reddened it was in welcome to pritchard's and penry's gospel song; and sunrise hastened at the call of caradoc, and powell, and erbury, and maurice, the holy men who followed them, some with the trumpet of sinai and some with the harp of calvary. cambria was being prepared for its first great revival of religion. there was no rich portfolio of christian hymns such as exists to-day, but surely there were not wanting pious words to the old chants of bangor and the airs of "wild wales." when time brought howell harris and daniel rowland, and the great "reformation" of the eighteenth century, the renowned william williams, "the watts of wales," appeared, and began his tuneful work. the province soon became a land of hymns. the candles lit and left burning here and there by penry, maurice, and the owens, blazed up to beacon-fires through all the twelve counties when harris, at the head of the mighty movement, carried with him the sacred songs of williams, kindling more lights everywhere between the dee and the british channel. william williams of pantycelyn was born in , at cefncoed farm, near llandovery. three years younger than harris, (an oxford graduate,) and educated only at a village school and an academy at llwynllwyd, he was the song protagonist of the holy campaign as the other was its champion preacher. from first to last williams wrote nine hundred and sixteen hymns, some of which are still heard throughout the church militant, and others survive in local use and affection. he died jan. , , at pantycelyn, where he had made his home after his marriage. one of the hymns in his _gloria_, his second publication, may well have been his last. it was dear to him above others, and has been dear to devout souls in many lands. my god, my portion and my love; my all on earth, my all above, my all within the tomb; the treasures of this world below are but a vain, delusive show, thy bosom is my home. it was fitting that williams should name the first collection of his hymns (all in his native welsh) _the hallelujah_. its lyrics are full of adoration for the redeemer, and thanksgivings for his work. "onward ride in triumph, jesus," _marchog, jesu, yn llwyddiannus_, has been sung in wales for a century and a half, and is still a favorite. onward ride in triumph, jesus, gird thy sword upon thy thigh; neither earth nor hell's own vastness can thy mighty power defy. in thy name such glory dwelleth every foe withdraws in fear, all the wide creation trembleth whensoever thou art near.[ ] the unusual militant strain in this pæan of conquest soon disappears, and the gentler aspects of christ's atoning sacrifice occupy the writer's mind and pen. [footnote : the following shows the style of rev. elvet lewis' translation: blessed jesus, march victorious with thy sword fixed at thy side; neither death nor hell can hinder the god-warrior in his ride.] "in eden--o the memory!" _yn eden cofiaf hyny byth!_ the text, "he was wounded for our transgressions," is amplified in this hymn, and the saviour is shown bruising himself while bruising the serpent. the first stanza gives the key-note,-- in eden--o the memory! what countless gifts were lost to me! my crown, my glory fell; but calvary's great victory restored that vanished crown to me; on this my songs shall dwell; --and the multitude of williams' succeeding "songs" that chant the same theme shows how well he kept his promise. the following hymn in welsh (_cymmer, jesu fi fel'r ydwyf_) antedates the advice of dr. malan to charlotte elliott, "come just as you are"-- take me as i am, o saviour, better i can never be; thou alone canst bring me nearer, self but draws me far from thee. i can never but within thy wounds be saved; --and another (_mi dafla maich oddi ar fy ngway_) reminds us of bunyan's pilgrim in sight of the cross: i'll cast my heavy burden down, remembering jesus' pains; guilt high as towering mountain tops here turns to joyful strains. * * * * * he stretched his pure white hands abroad, a crown of thorns he wore, that so the vilest sinner might be cleansed forevermore; williams was called "the sweet singer of wales" and "the watts of wales" because he was the chief poet and hymn-writer of his time, but the lady he married, miss mary francis, was _literally_ a singer, with a voice so full and melodious that the people to whom he preached during his itineraries, which she sometimes shared with him, were often more moved by her sweet hymnody than by his exhortations. on one occasion the good man, accompanied by his wife, put up at bridgend tavern in llangefin, anglesea, and a mischievous crowd, wishing to plague the "methodists," planned to make night hideous in the house with a boisterous merry-making. the fiddler, followed by a gang of roughs, pushed his way to the parlor, and mockingly asked the two guests if they would "have a tune." "yes," replied williams, falling in with his banter, "anything you like, my lad; 'nancy jig' or anything else." and at a sign from her husband, as soon as the fellow began the jig, mrs. williams struck in with one of the poet-minister's well-known welsh hymns in the same metre,-- _gwaed dy groes sy'n c' odi fyny_ calvary's blood the weak exalteth more than conquerors to be,[ ] --and followed the player note for note, singing the sacred words in her sweet, clear voice, till he stopped ashamed, and took himself off with all his gang. [footnote : a less literal but more hymn-like translation is: jesu's blood can raise the feeble as a conqueror to stand; jesu's blood is all-prevailing o'er the mighty of the land: let the breezes blow from calvary on me. says the author of _sweet singers of wales_, "this refrain has been the password of many powerful revivals."] another hymn-- _o' llefara! addfwyn jesu_, speak, o speak, thou gentle jesus, --recalls the well-known verse of newton, "how sweet the name of jesus sounds." like many of williams' hymns, it was prompted by occasion. some converts suffered for lack of a "clear experience" and complained to him. they were like the disciples in the ship, "it was dark, and jesus had not yet come unto them." the poet-preacher immediately made this hymn-prayer for all souls similarly tried. edward griffiths translates it thus: speak, i pray thee, gentle jesus, o how passing sweet thy words, breathing o'er my troubled spirit, peace which never earth affords, all the world's distracting voices, all th' enticing tones of ill, at thy accents, mild, melodious are subdued, and all is still. tell me thou art mine, o saviour grant me an assurance clear, banish all my dark misgivings, still my doubting, calm my fear. besides his welsh hymns, published in the first and in the second and larger editions of his _hallelujah_, and in two or three other collections, william williams wrote and published two books of english hymns,[ ] the _hosanna_ ( ) and the _gloria_ ( ). he fills so large a space in the hymnology and religious history of wales that he will necessarily reappear in other pages of this chapter. [footnote : possibly they were written in welsh, and translated into english by his friend and neighbor, peter williams.] from the days of the early religious awakenings under the th century preachers, and after the ecclesiastical dynasty of rome had been replaced by that of the church of england, there were periods when the independent conscience of a few pious welshmen rose against religious formalism, and the credal constraints of "established" teaching--and suffered for it. burning heretics at the stake had ceased to be a church practice before the 's, but howell harris, daniel rowlands, and the rest of the "methodist fathers," with their followers, were not only ostracised by society and haled before magistrates to be fined for preaching, and sometimes imprisoned, but they were chased and beaten by mobs, ducked in ponds and rivers, and pelted with mud and garbage when they tried to speak or sing. but they kept on talking and singing. harris (who had joined the army in ) owned a commission, and once he saved himself from the fury of a mob while preaching--with cloak over his ordinary dress--by lifting his cape and showing the star on his breast. no one dared molest an officer of his britannic majesty. but all were not able to use st. paul's expedient in critical moments.[ ] [footnote : acts : .] william williams often found immunity in his hymns, for like luther--and like charles wesley among the cornwall sea-robbers--he caught up the popular glees and ballad-refrains of the street and market and his wife sang their music to his words. it is true many of these old welsh airs were minors, like "elvy" and "babel" (a significant name in english) and would not be classed as "glees" in any other country--always excepting scotland--but they had the _swing_, and their mode and style were catchy to a welsh multitude. in fact many of these uncopyrighted bits of musical vernacular were appropriated by the hymnbook makers, and christened with such titles as "pembroke," "arabia," "brymgfryd," "cwyfan," "thydian," and the two mentioned above. it was the time when whitefield and the wesleys were sweeping the kingdom with their conquering eloquence, and howell harris (their fellow-student at oxford) had sided with the conservative wing of the gospel reformation workers, and become a "whitfield methodist." the welsh methodists, _ad exemplum_, marched with this calvinistic branch--as they do today. each division had its christian bard. charles wesley could put regenerating power into sweet, poetic hymns, and william williams' lyrical preaching made the bible a travelling pulpit. the great "beibl peter williams" with its commentaries in welsh, since so long reverenced and cherished in provincial families, was not published till , and for many the printed word was far to seek.[ ] but the gospel minstrels carried the word with them. some of the long hymns contained nearly a whole body of divinity. [footnote : as an incident contributory to the formation of the british and foreign bible society, the story has been often repeated of the little girl who wept when she missed her catechism appointment, and told thomas charles of bala that the bad weather was the cause of it, for she had to walk seven miles to find a bible every time she prepared her lessons. see page .] the welsh learn their hymns by heart, as they do the bible--a habit inherited from those old days of scarcity, when memory served pious people instead of print--so that a welsh prayer-meeting is never embarrassed by a lack of books. an anecdote illustrates this characteristic readiness. in february, , when napoleon's name was a terror to england, the french landed some troops near fishguard, pembrokeshire. mounted heralds spread the news through wales, and in the village of rhydybont, cardiganshire, the fright nearly broke up a religious meeting; but one brave woman, nancy jones, stopped a panic by singing this stanza of one of thomas williams' hymns,-- _diuw os wyt am ddylenu'r bya_ if thou wouldst end the world, o lord, accomplish first thy promised word, and gather home with one accord from every part thine own, send out thy word from pole to pole, and with thy blood make thousands whole, and, _after that come down_. nancy jones would have been a useful member of the "singing sisters" band, so efficient a century or more afterwards. the _tunes_ of the reformation under the "methodist fathers" continued far down the century to be the country airs of the nation, and reverberations of the great spiritual movement were heard in their rude music in the mountain-born revival led by jack edward watkin in and in the local awakenings of and . later in the th century new hymns, and many of the old, found new tunes, made for their sake or imported from england and america. the sanctified gift of song helped to make a year of jubilee in south wales, nor was the same aid wanting during the plague in , when the famous presbyterian preacher, john elias,[ ] won nearly a whole county to christ. [footnote : those who read his biography will call him the "seraphic john elias." his name was john jones when he was admitted a member of the presbytery. what followed is a commentary on the embarrassing frequency of a common name, nowhere realized so universally as it is in wales. "what is his father's name?" asked the moderator when john jones was announced. "elias jones," was the answer. "then call the young man john elias," said the speaker, "otherwise we shall by and by have nobody but john joneses." and "john elias" it remained.] an accession of temperance hymns in wales followed the spread of the "washingtonian" movement on the other side of the atlantic in , and began a moral reformation in the county of merioneth that resulted in a spiritual one, and added to the churches several thousand converts, scarcely any of whom fell away. the revival of - was a local one, but was believed by many to have been inspired by a celestial antiphony. the remarkable sounds were either a miracle or a psychic wonder born of the intense imagination of a sensitive race. a few pious people in a small village of montgomeryshire had been making special prayer for an outpouring of the spirit, but after a week of meetings with no sign of the result hoped for, they were returning to their homes, discouraged, when they heard strains of sweet music in the sky. they stopped in amazement, but the beautiful singing went on--voices as of a choir invisible, indistinct but melodious, in the air far above the roof of the chapel they had just left. next day, when the astonished worshippers told the story, numbers in the district said they had heard the same sounds. some had gone out at eleven o'clock to listen, and thought that angels must be singing. whatever the music meant, the good brethren's and sisters' little meetings became crowded very soon after, and the longed-for out-pouring came mightily upon the neighborhood. hundreds from all parts flocked to the churches, all ages joining in the prayers and hymns and testimonies, and a harvest of glad believers followed a series of meetings "led by the holy ghost." the sounds in the sky were never explained; but the belief that god sent his angels to sing an answer to the anxious prayers of those pious brethren and sisters did no one any harm. whether this event in montgomeryshire was a preparation for what took place six or seven years later is a suggestive question only, but when the wave of spiritual power from the great american revival of - reached england, its first messenger to wales, rev. h.r. jones, a wesleyan, had only to drop the spark that "lit a prairie fire." the reformation, chiefly under the leadership of mr. jones and rev. david morgan, a presbyterian, with their singing bands, was general and lasting, hundreds of still robust and active christians today dating their new birth from the pentecost of and its ingathering of eighty thousand souls. a favorite hymn of that revival was the penitential cry,-- _o'th flaem, o dduw! 'r wy'n dyfod_, --in the seven-six metre so much loved in wales. unto thy presence coming, o god, far off i stand: "a sinner" is my title, no other i demand. for mercy i am seeking for mercy still shall cry; deny me not thy mercy; o grant it or i die! * * * * * i heard of old that jesus, who still abides the same, to publicans gave welcome, and sinners deep in shame. oh god! receive me with them, me also welcome in, and pardon my transgression, forgetting all my sin. the author of the hymn was thomas williams of glamorganshire, born ; died . he published a volume of hymns, _waters of bethesda_ in . the welsh minor tune of "clwyd" may appropriately have been the music to express the contrite prayer of the words. the living composer, john jones, has several tunes in the welsh revival manual of melodies, _ail attodiad_. the unparalleled religious movement of - was a praying and singing revival. the apostle and spiritual prompter of that unbroken campaign of christian victories--so far as any single human agency counted--was evan roberts, of laughor, a humble young worker in the mines, who had prayed thirteen years for a mighty descent of the heavenly blessing on his country and for a clear indication of his own mission. his convictions naturally led him to the ministry, and he went to newcastle emlyn to study. evangelical work had been done by two societies, made up of earnest christians, and known as the "forward movement" and the "simultaneous mission." beginnings of a special season of interest as a result of their efforts, appeared in the young people's prayer meetings in february, , at new quay, cardiganshire. the interest increased, and when branch-work was organized a young praying and singing band visited newcastle emlyn in the course of one of their tours, and held a rally meeting. evan roberts went to the meeting and found his own mission. he left his studies and consecrated himself, soul and body, to revival work. in every spiritual and mental quality he was surpassingly well-equipped. to the quick sensibility of his poetic nature he added the inspiration of a seer and the zeal of a devotee. like moses, elijah, and paul in arabian solitudes, and john in the dead sea wilds, he had prepared himself in silence and alone with god; and though, on occasion, he could use effectively his gift of words, he stood distinct in a land of matchless pulpit orators as "the silent leader." without preaching he dominated the mood of his meetings, and without dictating he could change the trend of a service and shape the next song or prayer on the intuition of a moment. in fact, judged by its results, it was god himself who directed the revival, only he endowed his minister with the power of divination to watch its progress and take the stumbling-blocks out of the way. by a kind of hallowed psychomancy, that humble man would detect a discordant presence, and hush the voices of a congregation till the stubborn soul felt god in the stillness, and penitently surrendered. many tones of the great awakening of heard again in - ,--the harvest season without a precedent, when men, women and children numbering ten per cent of the whole population of a province were gathered into the membership of the church of christ. but there were tones a century older heard in the devotions of that harvest-home in wales. a new england christian would have felt at home, with the tuneful assemblies at laughor, trencynon, bangor, bethesda, wrexham, cardiff, or liverpool, singing lowell mason's "meribah" or the clarion melody of edson's "lenox" to wesley's-- blow ye the trumpet, blow, the gladly solemn sound; --or to his other well-known-- arise my soul, arise, shake off thy guilty fears, the bleeding sacrifice in thy behalf appear. in short, the flood tide of and brought in very little new music and very few new hymns. "aberystwyth" and "tanymarian," the minor harmonies of joseph party and stephens; e.m. price's "st. garmon;" r.m. pritchard's, "hyfrydol," and a few others, were choral favorites, but their composers were all dead, and the congregations loved the still older singers who had found familiar welcome at their altars and firesides. the most cherished and oftenest chosen hymns were those of william williams and ann griffiths, of charles wesley, of isaac watts--indeed the very tongues of fire that appeared at jerusalem took on the cymric speech, and sang the burning lyrics of the poet-saints. and in their revival joy calvinistic wales sang the new testament with more of its johannic than of its pauline texts. the covenant of peace--christ and his cross--is the theme of all their hymns. "here behold the tent of meeting." _dyma babell y cyfarfod._ this hymn, written by ann griffiths, is entitled "love eternal," and praises the divine plan to satisfy the law and at the same time save the sinner. the first stanza gives an idea of the thought: here behold the tent of meeting, in the blood a peace with heaven, refuge from the blood-avengers, for the sick a healer given. here the sinner nestles safely at the very throne divine, and heaven's righteous law, all holy. still on him shall smile and shine. "how sweet the covenant to remember." _bydd melus gofio y cyfammod._ this, entitled "mysteries of grace," is also from the pen of ann griffiths. it has the literalness noticeable in much of the welsh religious poetry, and there is a note of pietism in it. the two last stanzas are these: he is the great propitiation who with the thieves that anguish bare; he nerved the arms of his tormentors to drive the nails that fixed him there. while he discharged the sinner's ransom, and made the law in honor be, righteousness shone undimmed, resplendent, and me the covenant set free. my soul, behold him laid so lowly, of peace the fount, of kings the head, the vast creation in him moving and he low-lying with the dead! the life and portion of lost sinners, the marvel of heaven's seraphim, to sea and land the god incarnate the choir of heaven cries, "unto him!" ann griffiths' earliest hymn will be called her sweetest. fortunately, too, it is more poetically translated. it was before the vivid consciousness and intensity of her religious experience had given her spiritual writings a more involved and mystical expression. my soul, behold the fitness of this great son of god, trust him for life eternal and cast on him thy load, a man--touched with the pity of every human woe, a god--to claim the kingdom and vanquish every foe. this stanza, the last of her little poem on the "eternal fitness of jesus," came to her when, returning from an exciting service, filled with thoughts of her unworthiness and of the glorious beauty of her saviour, she had turned down a sheltered lane to pray alone. there on her knees in communion with god her soul felt the spirit of the sacred song. by the time she reached home she had formed it into words. the first and second stanzas, written later, are these: great author of salvation and providence for man, thou rulest earth and heaven with thy far-reaching plan. today or on the morrow, whatever woe betide, grant us thy strong assistance, within thy hand to hide. what though the winds be angry, what though the waves be high while wisdom is the ruler, the lord of earth and sky? what though the flood of evil rise stormily and dark? no soul can sink within it; god is himself the ark. mrs. ann griffiths, of dolwar fechan, montgomeryshire, was born in , and died in . "she remains," says dr. parry, her fellow-countryman, "a romantic figure in the religious history of wales. her hymns leave upon the reader an undefinable impression both of sublimity and mysticism. her brief life-history is most worthy of study both from a literary and a religious point of view." [illustration: isaac watts, d.d.] a suggestive chapter of her short earthly career is compressed in a sentence by the author of "sweet singers of wales:" "she had a christian life of eight years and a married life of ten months." she died at the age of twenty-nine. in , near the centennial of her death, amid the echoes of her own hymns, and the rising waves of the great refreshing over her native land, the people of dolwar fechan dedicated the new "ann griffiths memorial chapel" to her name and to the glory of god. although the welsh were not slow to adopt the revival tones of other lands, it was the native, and what might be called the national, lyrics of that emotional race that were sung with the richest unction and _hwyl_ (as the cymric word is) during the recent reformation, and that evinced the strongest hold on the common heart. needless to say that with them was the world-famous song of william williams,-- guide me, o thou great jehovah; _arglwydd ar wain truy'r anialoch_; --and that of dr. heber evans,-- keep me very near to jesus, though beneath his cross it be, in this world of evil-doing 'tis the cross that cleanseth me; --and also that native hymn of expectation, high and sweet, whose writer we have been unable to identify-- the glory is coming! god said it on high, when light in the evening will break from the sky; the north and south and the east and the west, with joy of salvation and peace will be bless'd. * * * * * o summer of holiness, hasten along! the purpose of glory is constant and strong; the winter will vanish, the clouds pass away; o south wind of heaven, breath softly today! of the almost countless hymns that voiced the spirit of the great revival, the nine following are selected because they are representative, and all favorites--and because there is no room for a larger number. the first line of each is given in the original welsh: "dwy aden colomen pe cawn." o had i the wings of a dove how soon would i wander away to gaze from mount nebo i'd love on realms that are fairer than day. my vision, not clouded nor dim, beyond the dark river should run; i'd sing, with my thoughts upon him, the sinless, the crucified one. this is another of thomas williams' hymns. one of the tunes suitable to its feeling and its measure was "edom," by thomas evans. it was much sung in , as well as in . "caelbod yn forsec dan yr ian." early to bear the yoke excels by far the joy in sin that dwells; the paths of wisdom still are found in peace and solace to abound. the young who serve him here below the wrath to come shall never know; of such in heaven are pearls that shine unnumbered in the crown divine. written for children and youth by rev. thomas jones, of denbigh, born ; died ,--a calvinistic methodist preacher, author of a biography of thomas charles of bala, and various theological works. "dyma gariad fel y moroedd, tosturiasthan fel y lli." love unfathomed as the ocean mercies boundless as the wave! lo the king of life, the guiltless, dies my guilty soul to save; who can choose but think upon it, who can choose but praise and sing? here is love, while heaven endureth, nought can to oblivion bring. this is called "the great welsh love-song." it was written by rev. william rees, d.d., eminent as a preacher, poet, politician and essayist. one of the greatest names of nineteenth century wales. he died in . the tune, "cwynfan prydian," sung to this hymn is one of the old welsh minors that would sound almost weird to our ears, but welsh voices can sing with strange sweetness the saviour's passion on which christian hearts of that nation love so well to dwell, and the shadow of it, with his love shining through, creates the paradox of a joyful lament in many of their chorals. we cannot imitate it. "rhyfeddodau dydd yr adgyfodidd." unnumbered are the marvels the last great day shall see, with earth's poor storm-tossed children from tribulation free, all in their shining raiment transfigured, bright and brave, like to their lord ascending in triumph from the grave. the author of this easter hymn is unknown. the _most_ popular welsh hymns would be named variously by different witnesses according to the breadth and length of their observation. two of them, as a wrexham music publisher testifies, are certainly the following; "heaven and home," and "lo, a saviour for the fallen." the first of these was sung in the late revival with "stormy rapture." "o frynau caersalem ceir giveled." the heights of fair salem ascended, each wilderness path we shall see; now thoughts of each difficult journey a sweet meditation shall be. on death, on the grave and its terrors and storms we shall gaze from above and freed from all cares we shall revel (?) in transports of heavenly love. according to the mood of the meeting this was pitched in three sharps to evelyn evans' tune of "eirinwg" or with equal welsh enthusiasm in the c minor of old "darby." the author of the hymn was the rev. david charles, of carmarthen, born ; died . he was a heavenly-minded man who loved to dwell on the divine and eternal wonders of redemption. a volume of his sermons was spoken of as "apples of gold in pictures of silver," and the beautiful piety of all his writings made them strings of pearls. he understood english as well as welsh, and enjoyed the hymns not only of william and thomas williams but of watts, wesley, cowper, and newton.[ ] [footnote : the following verses were written by him in english: spirit of grace and love divine, help me to sing that christ is mine; and while the theme my tongue employs fill thou my soul with living joys. jesus is mine--surpassing thought! well may i set the world at nought; jesus is mine, o can it be that jesus lived and died for me?] "dyma geidwad i r colledig." lo! a saviour for the fallen, healer of the sick and sore, one whose love the vilest sinners seeks to pardon and restore. praise him, praise him who has loved us evermore! the little now known of the rev. morgan rhys, author of this hymn, is that he was a schoolmaster and preacher, and that he was a contemporary and friend of william williams. several of his hymns remain in use of which the oftenest sung is one cited above, and "_o agor fy llygaid i weled_:" i open my eyes to this vision, the deeps of thy purpose and word; the law of thy lips is to thousands of gold and of silver preferred; when earth is consumed, and its treasure, god's words will unchanging remain, and to know the god-man is my saviour is life everlasting to gain. "lo! a saviour for the fallen" finds an appropriate voice in w.m. robert's tune of "nesta," and also, like many others of the same measure, in the much-used minors "llanietyn," "catharine," and "bryn calfaria." "o sancteiddia f'enaid arglwydd." sanctify, o lord, my spirit, every power and passion sway, bid thy holy law within me dwell, my wearied soul to stay; let me never rove beyond thy narrow way. this one more hymn of william williams is from his "song of a cleansed heart" and is amply provided with tunes, popular ones like "tyddyn llwyn," "y delyn aur," or "capel-y-ddol" lending their deep minors to its lines with a thrilling effect realized, perhaps, only in the land of taliessin and the druids. the singular history and inspiring cause of one old welsh hymn which after various mutilations and vicissitudes survives as the key-note of a valued song of trust, seems to illustrate the providence that will never let a good thing be lost. it is related of the rev. david williams, of llandilo, an obscure but not entirely forgotten preacher, that he had a termagant wife, and one stormy night, when her bickerings became intolerable, he went out in the rain and standing by the river composed in his mind these lines of tender faith: in the waves and mighty waters no one will support my head but my saviour, my beloved, who was stricken in my stead. in the cold and mortal river he would hold my head above; i shall through the waves go singing for one look of him i love. apparently the sentiment and substantially the expression of this humble hymn became the burden of more than one christian lay. altered and blended with a modern gospel hymn, it was sung at the crowded meetings of to robert lowry's air of "jesus only," and often rendered very impressively as a solo by a sweet female voice. in the deep and mighty waters there is none to hold my head but my loving bridegroom, jesus, who upon the cross hath bled. if i've jesus, jesus only then my sky will have a gem he's the sun of brightest splendor, he's the star of bethlehem. he's the friend in death's dark river, he will lift me o'er the waves, i will sing in the deep waters if i only see his face. if i've jesus, jesus only, etc. a few of the revival tunes have living authors and are of recent date; and the minor harmony of "ebenezer" (marked "ton y botel"), which was copied in this country by the new york _examiner_, with its hymn, is apparently a contemporary piece. it was first sung at bethany chapel, cardiff, jan, , , the hymn bearing the name of rev. w.e. winks. send thy spirit, i beseech thee, gracious lord, send while i pray; send the comforter to teach me, guide me, help me in thy way. sinful, wretched, i have wandered far from thee in darkest night, precious time and talents squandered, lead, o lead me into light. thou hast heard me; light is breaking-- light i never saw before. now, my soul with joy awaking, gropes in fearful gloom no more: o the bliss! my soul, declare it; say what god hath done for thee; tell it out, let others share it-- christ's salvation, full and free. one cannot help noticing the fondness of the welsh for the - , - , and - - metres. these are favorites since they lend themselves so naturally to the rhythms of their national music--though their newest hymnals by no means exclude exotic lyrics and melodies. even "o mother dear, jerusalem," one of the echoes of bernard of cluny's great hymn, is cherished in their tongue (_o, frynian caerselem_) among the favorites of song. old "truro" by dr. burney appears among their tunes, mason's "ernan," "lowell" and "shawmut," i.b. woodbury's "nearer home" (to phebe cary's hymn), and even george hews' gently-flowing "holley." most of these tunes retain their own hymns, but in welsh translation. to find our daniel read's old "windham" there is no surprise. the minor mode--a song-instinct of the welsh, if not of the whole celtic family of nations, is their rural inheritance. it is in the wind of their mountains and the semitones of their streams; and their nature can make it a gladness as the anglo-saxon cannot. so far from being a gloomy people, their capacity for joy in spiritual life is phenomenal. in psalmody their emotions mount on wings, and they find ecstacy in solemn sounds. "a temporary excitement" is the verdict of skepticism on the reformation wave that for a twelvemonth swept over wales with its ringing symphonies of hymn and tune. but such excitements are the may-blossom seasons of god's eternal husbandry. they pass because human vigor cannot last at flood-tide, but in spiritual economy they will always have their place, "if the blossoms had not come and gone there would be no fruit." chapter xii. field hymns. hymns of the hortatory and persuasive tone are sufficiently numerous to make an "embarrassment of riches" in a compiler's hands. not a few songs of invitation and awakening are either quoted or mentioned in the chapter on "old revival hymns," and many appear among those in the last chapter, (on the _hymns of wales_;) but the _working_ songs of christian hymnology deserve a special space _as_ such. "come hither all ye weary souls," sung to "federal st.," is one of the older soul-winning calls from the great hymn-treasury of dr. watts; and another note of the same sacred bard,-- life is the time to serve the lord, --is always coupled with the venerable tune of "wells."[ ] aged christians are still remembered who were wont to repeat or sing with quavering voices the second stanza,-- the living know that they must die, but all the dead forgotten lie; their memory and their sense are gone, alike unknowing and unknown. and likewise from the fourth stanza,-- there are no acts of pardon passed in the cold grave to which we haste. [footnote : one of israel holroyd's tunes. he was born in england, about , and was both a composer and publisher of psalmody. his chief collection is dated .] "and will the judge descend?" is one of doddridge's monitory hymns, once sung to j.c. woodman's tune of "state st." with the voice of both the old and new testaments in the last verse: ye sinners, seek his grace whose wrath ye cannot bear; fly to the shelter of his cross, and find salvation there. jonathan call woodman was born in newburyport, mass., july , , and was a teacher, composer, and compiler. was organist of st. george's chapel, in flushing, l.i., and in published _the musical casket_. died january, . he wrote "state st." for william b. bradbury, in august, . "hasten sinner, to be wise" is one of the few unforgotten hymns of thomas scott, every second line repeating the solemn caution,-- stay not for tomorrow's sun, --and every line enforcing its exhortation with a new word, "to be wise," "to implore," "to return," and "to be blest" were natural cumulatives that summoned and wooed the sinner careless and astray. it is a finished piece of work, but it owes its longevity less to its structural form than to its spirit. for generations it has been sung to "pleyel's hymn." the rev. thomas scott (not rev. thomas scott the commentator) was born in norwich, eng., in , and died at hupton, in norfolk, . he was a dissenting minister, pastor for twenty-one years--until disabled by feeble health--at lowestoft in suffolk. he was the author of-- angels roll the rock away. "must jesus bear the cross alone?" this emotional and appealing hymn still holds its own in the hearts of millions, though probably two hundred years old. it was written by a clergyman of the church of england, the rev. thomas shepherd, vicar of tilbrook, born in . joining the nonconformists in , he settled first in castle hill, nottingham, and afterward in bocking, essex, where he remained until his death, january, . he published a selection of his sermons, and _penitential cries_, a book of sacred lyrics, some of which still appear in collections. the startling question in the above line is answered with emphasis in the third of the stanza,-- _no_! there's a cross for every one, and there's a cross for _me_, --and this is followed by the song of resolve and triumph,-- the consecrated cross i'll bear, till death shall set me free. and then go home my crown to wear, for there's a crown for me. * * * * * o precious cross! o glorious crown! o resurrection day! ye angels from the stars flash down and bear my soul away! the hymn is a personal new testament. no one who analyzes it and feels its christian vitality will wonder why it has lived so long. _the tune._ for half a century george n. allen, composer of "maitland," the music inseparable from the hymn, was credited with the authorship of the words also, but his vocal aid to the heart-stirring poem earned him sufficient praise. the tune did not meet the hymn till the latter was so old that the real author was mostly forgotten, for allen wrote the music in ; but if the fine stanzas needed any renewing it was his tune that made them new. since it was published nobody has wanted another. george nelson allen was born in mansfield, mass., sept. , , and lived at oberlin, o. it was there that he composed "maitland," and compiled the _social and sabbath hymn-book_--besides songs for the _western bell_, published by oliver ditson and co. he died in cincinnati, dec. , . "awake my soul, stretch every nerve!" this most popular of dr. doddridge's hymns is also the richest one of all in lyrical and spiritual life. it is a stadium song that sounds the starting-note for every young christian at the outset of his career, and the slogan for every faint christian on the way. a _heavenly_ race demands thy zeal, and an immortal crown. like the "coronation" hymn, it transports the devout singer till he feels only the momentum of the words and forgets whether it is common or hallelujah metre that carries him along. a cloud of witnesses around hold thee in full survey; forget the steps already trod, and onward urge thy way! 'tis god's all-animating voice that calls thee from on high, 'tis his own hand presents the prize to thine aspiring eye. in all persuasive hymnology there is no more kindling lyric that this. as a field-hymn it is indispensable. _the tune._ whenever and by whomsoever the brave processional known as "christmas" was picked from among the great handel's songs and mated with doddridge's lines, the act gave both hymn and tune new reason to endure, and all posterity rejoices in the blend. old "christmas" was originally one of the melodies in the great composer's opera of "ciroe" (cyrus) . it was written to latin words (_non vi piacque_) and afterwards adapted to an english versification of job : , "i was eyes to the blind." handel himself became blind at the age of sixty eight ( ). "there is a green hill far away." written in by miss cecil frances humphreys, an irish lady, daughter of major john humphreys of dublin. she was born in that city in . her best known name is mrs. cecil frances alexander, her husband being the rt. rev. william alexander, bishop of derry. among her works are _hymns for little children_, _narrative hymns_, _hymns descriptive and devotional_, and _moral songs_. died . "there is a _green_ hill" is poetic license, but the hymn is sweet and sympathetic, and almost childlike in its simplicity. there is a green hill far away without the city wall, where our dear lord was crucified who died to save us all. we may not know, we cannot tell what pains he had to bear; but we believe it was for us he hung and suffered there. [illustration: george frederick handel] _the tunes._ there is no room here to describe them all. airs and chorals by berthold tours, pinsuti, john henry cornell, richard storrs willis, george c. stebbins and hubert p. main have been adapted to the words--one or two evidently composed for them. it is a hymn that attracts tune-makers--literally so commonplace and yet so quiet and tender, with such a theme and such natural melody of line--but most of the scores indicated are choir music rather than congregational. mr. stebbins' composition comes nearest to being the favorite, if one judges by the extent and frequency of its use. it can be either partly or wholly choral; and the third stanza makes the refrain-- o dearly, dearly has he loved and we must love him too, and trust in his redeeming blood, and try his works to do. "rejoice and be glad!" this musical shout of joy, written by dr. horatius bonar, scarcely needs a new song helper, as did bishop heber's famous hymn--not because it is better than heber's but because it was wedded at once to a tune worthy of it. rejoice and be glad! for our king is on high; he pleadeth for us on his throne in the sky. rejoice and be glad! for he cometh again; he cometh in glory, the lamb that was slain hallelujah! amen. the hymn was composed in . _the tune._ the author of the "english melody" (as ascribed in _gospel hymns_) is said to have been john jenkins husband, born in plymouth, eng., about . he was clerk at surrey chapel and composed several anthems. came to the united states in . settled in philadelphia, where he taught music and was clerk of st. paul's p.e. church. died there in . his tune, exactly suited to the hymn, is a true christian pæan. it has few equals as a rouser to a sluggish prayer-meeting--whether sung to bonar's words or those of rev. william paton mackay ( )-- we praise thee, o god, for the son of thy love, --with the refrain of similar spirit in both hymns-- hallelujah! thine the glory, hallelujah! amen, hallelujah! thine the glory; revive us again; --or,-- sound his praises! tell the story of him who was slain! sound his praises! tell with gladness, "he liveth again." husband's tune is supposed to have been written very early in the last century. another tune composed by him near the same date to the words-- "we are on our journey home to the new jerusalem," --is equally musical and animating, and with a vocal range that brings out the full strength of choir and congregation. "come, sinner, come." a singular case of the same tune originating in the brain of both author and composer is presented in the history of this hymn of rev. william ellsworth witter, d.d., born in la grange, n.y., dec. , . he wrote the hymn in the autumn of , while teaching a district school near his home. the first line-- while jesus whispers to you, --came to him during a brief turn of outdoor work by the roadside and presently grew to twenty-four lines. soon after, prof. horatio palmer, knowing witter to be a verse writer, invited him to contribute a hymn to a book he had in preparation, and this hymn was sent. dr. palmer set it to music, it soon entered into several collections, and mr. sankey sang it in england at the moody meetings. dr. witter gives this curious testimony, "while i cannot sing myself, though very fond of music, the hymn sang itself to me by the roadside _in almost the exact tune given to it by professor palmer_." which proves that professor palmer had the feeling of the hymn--and that the maker of a true hymn has at least a sub-consciousness of its right tune, though he may be neither a musician nor a poet. while jesus whispers to you, come, sinner, come! while we are praying for you, come, sinner, come! now is the time to own him, come, sinner, come! now is the time to know him, come, sinner, come! "one more day's work for jesus." the writer of this hymn was miss anna warner, one of the well-known "wetherell sisters," joint authors of _the wide world_, _queechy_, and a numerous succession of healthful romances very popular in the middle and later years of the last century. her own pen name is "amy lothrop," under which she has published many religious poems, hymns and other varieties of literary work. she was born in , at martlaer, west point, n.y., where she still resides. one more day's work for jesus, one less of life for me: but heaven is nearer, and christ is dearer than yesterday to me. his love and light fill all my soul tonight. refrain:-- one more day's work for jesus, (_ter_) one less of life for me. the hymn has five stanzas all expressing the gentle fervor of an active piety loving service: _the tune_ was composed by the rev. robert lowry, and first published in _bright jewels_. the gospel hymns. these popular religious songs have been criticised as "degenerate psalmody" but those who so style them do not seem to consider the need that made them. the great majority of mankind can only be reached by missionary methods, and in these art and culture do not play a conspicuous part. the multitude could be supplied with technical preaching and technical music for their religious wants, but they would not rise to the bait, whereas nothing so soon kindles their better emotions or so surely appeals to their better nature as even the humblest sympathetic hymn sung to a simple and stirring tune. if the music is unclassical and the hymn crude there is no critical audience to be offended. the artless, almost colloquial, words "of a happily rhymed camp-meeting lyric and the wood-notes wild" of a new melody meet a situation. moral and spiritual lapse makes it necessary at times for religion to put on again her primitive raiment, and be "a voice crying in the wilderness." between the slums and the boulevards live the masses that shape the generations, and make the state. they are wage-earners who never hear the great composers nor have time to form fine musical and literary tastes. the spiritual influences that really reach them are of a very direct and simple kind; and for the good of the church--and the nation--it is important that at least this elementary education in the school of christ should be supplied them. it is the popular hymn tunes that speed a reformation. so say history and experience. once in two hundred years a great revival movement may produce a charles wesley, but the humbler singers carry the divine fire that quickens religious life in the years between. all this is not saying that the gospel hymns, as a whole, are or ever professed to be suitable for the stated service of the sanctuary. their very style and movement show exactly what they were made for--to win the hearing of the multitude, and put the music of god's praise and jesus' love into the mouths and hearts of thousands who had been strangers to both. they are the modern lay songs that go with the modern lay sermons. they give voice to the spirit and sentiment of the conference, prayer and inquiry meetings, the epworth league and christian endeavor meetings, the temperance and other reform meetings, and of the mass-meetings in the cities or the seaside camps. during their evangelistic mission in england and scotland in , dwight l. moody and ira d. sankey used the hymnbook of philip phillips, a compilation entitled _hallowed songs_, some of them his own. to these mr. sankey added others of his own composing from time to time which were so enthusiastically received that he published them in a pamphlet. this, with the simultaneous publication in america of the revival melodies of philip p. bliss, was the beginning of that series of popular hymn-and-tune books, which finally numbered six volumes. sankey's _sacred songs and solos_ combined with bliss's _gospel songs_ were the foundation of the _gospel hymns_. subjectively their utterances are indicative of ardent piety and unquestioning faith, and on the other hand their direct and intimate appeal and dramatic address are calculated to affect a throng as if each individual in it was the person meant by the words. the refrain or chorus feature is notable in nearly all. a selection of between thirty and forty of the most characteristic is here given. "hallelujah! 'tis done." this is named from its chorus. the song is one of the spontaneous thanksgivings in revival meetings that break out at the announcement of a new conversion. 'tis the promise of god full salvation to give unto him who on jesus his son will believe, hallelujah! 'tis done; i believe on the son; i am saved by the blood of the crucified one. though the pathway be lonely and dangerous too, surely jesus is able to carry me through-- hallelujah! etc. the words and music are both by p.p. bliss. the ninety and nine. the hymn was written by mrs. elizabeth cecilia clephane at melrose, scotland, early in . she was born in edinburgh, june , , and died of consumption, feb. , . the little poem was seen by mr. sankey in the _christian age_, and thinking it might be useful, he cut it out. at an impressive moment in one of the great meetings in edinburgh, mr. moody said to him in a quiet aside, "sing something." precisely what was wanted for the hour and theme, and for the thought in the general mind, was in mr. sankey's vest pocket. but how could it be sung without a tune? with a silent prayer for help, the musician took out the slip containing mrs. clephane's poem, laid it on the little reed-organ and began playing, and singing. he had to read the unfamiliar words and at the same time make up the music. the tune came--and grew as he went along till he finished the first verse. he remembered it well enough to repeat it with the second, and after that it was easy to finish the hymn. a new melody was born--in the presence of more than a thousand pairs of eyes and ears. it was a feat of invention, of memory, of concentration--and such was the elocution of the trained soloist that not a word was lost. he had a tearful audience at the close to reward him; but we can easily credit his testimony, "it was the most intense moment of my life." in a touching interview afterwards, a sister of mrs. clephane told mr. sankey the authoress had not lived to see her hymn in print and to know of its blessed mission. the first six lines give the situation of the lost sheep in the parable of that name-- there were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold; but one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold. away on the mountains wild and bare, away from the tender shepherd's care. and, after describing the shepherd's arduous search, the joy at his return is sketched and spiritualized in the concluding stanza-- but all through the mountains, thunder-riven, and up from the rocky steeps there arose a cry to the gate of heaven, "rejoice! i have found my sheep." and the angels echoed around the throne, "rejoice! for the lord brings back his own." "hold the fort!" this is named also from its chorus. the historic foundation of the hymn was the flag-signal waved to gen. g.m. corse by gen. sherman's order from kenesaw mountain to altoona during the "march through georgia," in october, . the flag is still in the possession of a.d. frankenberry, one of the federal signal-corps whose message to the besieged general said, "hold the fort! we are coming!" a visit to the scene of the incident inspired p.p. bliss to write both the words and the music. ho! my comrades, see the signal waving in the sky! reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh. "hold the fort, for i am coming!" jesus signals still; wave the answer back to heaven, "by thy grace we will!" the popularity of the song (it has been translated into several languages), made it the author's chief memento in many localities. on his monument in rome, pennsylvania, is inscribed "p.p. bliss--author of 'hold the fort.'" "rescue the perishing." few hymns, ancient or modern, have been more useful, or more variously used, than this little sermon in song from luke : , by the blind poet, fanny j. crosby, (mrs. van alstyne). it is sung not only in the church prayer-meetings with its spiritual meaning and application, but in salvation army camps and marches, in mission-school devotions, in social settlement services, in king's daughters and sons of temperance meetings, and in the rallies of every reform organization that seeks the lost and fallen. rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; weep o'er the erring ones, lift up the fallen, tell them of jesus, the mighty to save. * * * * * down in the human heart crushed by the tempter, feelings lie buried that grace can restore. touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, chords that were broken will vibrate once more. the tune is by w.h. doane, mus.d., composed in . "what a friend we have in jesus." the author was a pious gentleman of dublin, ireland, who came to canada when he was twenty-five. his name was joseph scriven, born in dublin, , and graduated at trinity college. the accidental death by drowning of his intended bride on the eve of their wedding day, led him to consecrate his life and fortune to the service of christ. he died in canada, oct. , , (sankey's _story of the gospel hymns_, pp. - .) _the tune._ the music was composed by charles crozat converse, ll.d., musician, lawyer, and writer. he was born in warren, mass., ; a descendant of edward converse, the friend of gov. winthrop and founder of woburn, mass. he pursued musical and other studies in leipsic and berlin. his compositions are numerous including concert overtures, symphonies and many sacred and secular pieces. residence at highwood, bergen co., n.j. the hymn is one of the most helpful of the gospel collections, and the words and music have strengthened many a weak and failing soul to "try again." have we trials and temptations? is there trouble anywhere? we should never be discouraged: take it to the lord in prayer. "i hear the saviour say." this is classed with the _gospel hymns_, but it was a much-used and much-loved revival hymn--especially in the methodist churches--several years before mr. moody's great evangelical movement. it was written by mrs. elvina m. hall (since mrs. myers) who was born in alexandria, va., in . she composed it in the spring of , while sitting in the choir of the m.e. church, baltimore, and the first draft was pencilled on a fly-leaf of a singing book, _the new lute of zion_. i hear the saviour say, thy strength indeed is small; child of weakness, watch and pray, find in me thine all in all. the music of the chorus helped to fix its words in the common mind, and some idea of the atonement acceptable, apparently, to both arminians and calvinists; for sunday-school children in the families of both, hummed the tune or sang the refrain when alone-- jesus paid it all, all to him i owe, sin had left a crimson stain; he washed it white as snow. _the tune._ john thomas grape, who wrote the music, was born in baltimore, md., may , . his modest estimate of his work appears in his remark that he "dabbled" in music for his own amusement. few composers have amused themselves with better results. "tell me the old, old story." miss kate hankey, born about , the daughter of an english banker, is the author of this very devout and tender christian poem, written apparently in the eighteen-sixties. at least it is said that her little volume, _heart to heart_, was published in or , and this volume contains "tell me the old, old story," and its answer. we have been told that miss hankey was recovering from a serious illness, and employed her days of convalescence in composing this song of devotion, beginning it in january and finishing it in the following november. the poem is very long--a thesaurus of evangelical thoughts, attitudes, and moods of faith--and also a magazine of hymns. four quatrains of it, or two eight-line stanzas, are the usual length of a hymnal selection, and editors can pick and choose anywhere among its expressive verses. tell me the old, old story of unseen things above, of jesus and his glory, of jesus and his love. tell me the story simply as to a little child, for i am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled. * * * * * tell me the story simply that i may take it in-- that wonderful redemption, god's remedy for sin. _the tune._ dr. w.h. doane was present at the international conference of the y.m.c.a. at montreal in , and heard the poem read--with tears and in a broken voice--by the veteran major-general russell. it impressed him so much that he borrowed and copied it, and subsequently set it to music during a vacation in the white mountains. the poem of fifty stanzas was entitled "the story wanted;" the sequel or answer to it, by miss hankey, was named "the story told." this second hymn, of the same metre but different accent, was supplied with a tune by william gustavus fischer. i love to tell the story of unseen things above, of jesus and his glory, of jesus and his love. * * * * * i love to tell the story because i know its true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. chorus. i love to tell the story; 'twill be my theme in glory; to tell the old, old story of jesus and his love. william gustavus fischer was born in baltimore, md., oct. , . he was a piano-dealer in the firm (formerly) of gould and fischer. his melody to the above hymn was written in , and was harmonized the next year by hubert p. main. the prodigal child. this is not only an impressive hymn as sung in sympathetic music, but a touching poem. come home! come home! you are weary at heart, for the way has been dark and so lonely and wild-- o prodigal child, come home! come home! come home! for we watch and we wait, and we stand at the gate while the shadows are piled; o prodigal child, come home! the author is mrs. ellen m.h. gates, known to the english speaking world by her famous poem, "your mission." _the tune_ to "the prodigal child" was composed by dr. doane in and no hymn ever had a fitter singing ally. all a mother's yearning is in the refrain and cadence. come home! oh, come home! "let the lower lights be burning!" an illustration, recited in mr. moody's graphic fashion in one of his discourses, suggested this hymn to p.p. bliss. "a stormy night on lake erie, and the sky pitch dark." 'pilot, are you sure this is cleveland? there's only one light.' 'quite sure, cap'n.' 'where are the lower lights?' 'gone out, sir.' 'can you run in?' '_we've got to_, cap'n--or die.' "the brave old pilot did his best, but, alas, he missed the channel. the boat was wrecked, with a loss of many lives. the lower lights had gone out. "brethren, the master will take care of the great lighthouse. it is our work to keep the lower lights burning!" brightly beams our father's mercy from his lighthouse evermore; but to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. chorus. let the lower lights be burning! send a gleam across the wave; some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save. both words and music--composed in --are by mr. bliss. there are wakening chords in the tune--and especially the chorus--when the counterpoint is well vocalized; and the effect is more pronounced the greater the symphony of voices. congregations find a zest in every note. "hold the fort" can be sung in the street. "let the lower lights be burning" is at home between echoing walls. the use of the song in "bethel" meetings classes it with sailors' hymns. "sweet hour of prayer." included with the _gospel hymns_, but of older date. rev. william w. walford, a blind english minister, was the author, and it was probably written about the year . it was recited to rev. thomas salmon, congregational pastor at coleshill, eng., who took it down and brought it to new york, where it was published in the new york _observer_. little is known of mr. walford save that in his blindness, besides preaching occasionally, he employed his mechanical skill in making small useful articles of bone and ivory. the tune was composed by w.b. bradbury in , and first appeared with the hymn in _cottage melodies_. sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care, and bids me at my father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. in seasons of distress and grief my soul has often found relief, and oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer. "o bliss of the purified! bliss of the free!" rev. francis bottome, d.d., born in belper, derbyshire, eng., may , , removed to the united states in , and entered the methodist ministry. a man of sterling character and exemplary piety. he received the degree of doctor of divinity at dickinson college, carlisle, pa. was assistant compiler of several singing books, and wrote original hymns. the above, entitled "o sing of his mighty love" was composed by him in . the last stanza reads,-- o jesus the crucified! thee will i sing, my blessed redeemer, my god and my king! my soul, filled with rapture shall shout o'er the grave and triumph in death in the mighty to save. chorus. o sing of his mighty love (_ter_) mighty to save! dr. bottome returned to england, and died at tavistock june , . _the tune._ bradbury's "songs of the beautiful" (in _fresh laurels_). the hymn was set to this chorus in . "what shall the harvest be?" very popular in england. mr. sankey in his _story of the gospel hymns_ relates at length the experience of rev. w.o. lattimore, pastor of a large church in evanston, ill., who was saved to christian manhood and usefulness by this hymn. it has suffered some alterations, but its original composition was mrs. emily oakey's work. the parables of the sower and of the tares may have been in her mind when she wrote the lines in , but more probably it was the text in gal. : -- sowing the seed by the daylight fair, sowing the seed by the noonday glare, sowing the seed by the fading light, sowing the seed in the solemn night. o, what shall the harvest be? lattimore, the man whose history was so strangely linked with this hymn, entered the army in , a youth of eighteen with no vices, but when promoted to first lieutenant he learned to drink in the officers' mess. the habit so contracted grew upon him till when the war was over, though he married and tried to lead a sober life, he fell a victim to his appetite, and became a physical wreck. one day in the winter of he found himself in a half-drunken condition, in the gallery of moody's tabernacle, chicago. discovering presently that he had made a mistake, he rose to go out, but mr. sankey's voice chained him. he sat down and heard the whole of the thrilling hymn from beginning to end. then he stumbled out with the words ringing in his ears. sowing the seed of a lingering pain, sowing the seed of a maddened brain, sowing the seed of a tarnished name, sowing the seed of eternal shame. o, what shall the harvest be? in the saloon, where he went to drown the awakenings of remorse, those words stood in blazing letters on every bottle and glass. the voice of god in that terrible song of conviction forced him back to the tabernacle, with his drink untasted. he went into the inquiry meeting where he found friends, and was led to christ. his wife and child, from whom he had long been exiled, were sent for and work was found for him to do. a natural eloquence made him an attractive and efficient helper in the meetings, and he was finally persuaded to study for the ministry. his faithful pastorate of twenty years in evanston ended with his death in . mrs. emily sullivan oakey was an author and linguist by profession, and though in her life of nearly fifty-four years she "never enjoyed a day of good health," she earned a grateful memory. born in albany, n.y., oct. , , she was educated at the albany female academy, and fitted herself for the position of teacher of languages and english literature in the same school, which she honored by her service while she lived. her contributions to the daily press and to magazine literature were numerous, but she is best known by her remarkable hymn. her death occurred on the th of may, . _the tune_, by p.p. bliss, is one of that composer's tonal successes. the march of the verses with their recurrent words is so automatic that it would inevitably suggest to him the solo and its organ-chords; and the chorus with its sustained soprano note dominating the running concert adds the last emphasis to the solemn repetition. the song with its warning cry owes no little of its power to this choral appendix-- gathered in time or eternity, sure, ah sure will the harvest be. "o think of the home over there." a hymn of rev. d.w.c. huntington, suggested by ps. : . it was a favorite from the first. rev. dewitt clinton huntington was born at townshend, vt., apr. , . he graduated at the syracuse university, and received the degrees of d.d. and ll.d. from genesee college. preacher, instructor and author--removed to lincoln, nebraska. o think of the home over there, by the side of the river of light, where the saints all immortal and fair are robed in their garments of white. over there, (_rep_) o think of the friends over there, who before us the journey have trod, of the songs that they breathe on the air, in their home in the palace of god. over there. (_rep_) _the tune._ the melody was composed by tullius clinton o'kane, born in delaware, o., march , , a hymnist and musician. it is a flowing tune, with sweet chords, and something of the fugue feature in the chorus as an accessory. the voices of a multitude in full concord make a building tremble with it. "when jesus comes." down life's dark vale we wander till jesus comes; we watch and wait and wonder till jesus comes. both words and music are by mr. bliss. a relative of his family, j.s. ellsworth, says the song was written in peoria, illinois, in , and was suggested by a conversation on the second coming of christ, a subject very near his heart. the thought lingered in his mind, and as he came down from his room, soon after, the verses and notes came to him simultaneously on the stairs. singing them over, he seized pencil and paper, and in a few minutes fixed hymn and tune in the familiar harmony so well known. no more heart-pangs nor sadness when jesus comes; all peace and joy and gladness when jesus comes. the choral abounds in repetition, and is half refrain, but among all gospel hymns remarkable for their tone-delivery this is unsurpassed in the swing of its rhythm. all joy his loved ones bringing when jesus comes. all praise thro' heaven ringing when jesus comes. all beauty bright and vernal when jesus comes. all glory grand, eternal when jesus comes. "to the work, to the work." one of fanny crosby's most animating hymns--with dr. w.h. doane's full part harmony to re-enforce its musical accent. mr. sankey says, "i sang it for the first time in the home of mr. and mrs. j.b. cornell at long branch. the servants gathered from all parts of the house while i was singing, and looked into the parlor where i was seated. when i was through one of them said, 'that is the finest hymn i have heard for a long time,' i felt that this was a test case, and if the hymn had such power over those servants it would be useful in reaching other people as well; so i published it in the _gospel hymns_ in , where it became one of the best work-songs for our meetings that we had." (_story of the gospel hymns_.) the hymn, written in , was first published in in "_pure gold_"--a book that had a sale of one million two hundred thousand copies. to the work! to the work! there is labor for all, for the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall, and the name of jehovah exalted shall be, in the loud-swelling chorus, "salvation is free!" chorus. toiling on, toiling on, toiling on, toiling on! (_rep_) let us hope and trust, let us watch and pray, and labor till the master comes. "o where are the reapers?" matt. : is the text of this lyric from the pen of eben e. rexford. go out in the by-ways, and search them all, the wheat may be there though the weeds are tall; then search in the highway, and pass none by, but gather them all for the home on high. chorus. where are the reapers? o who will come, and share in the glory of the harvest home? o who will help us to garner in the sheaves of good from the fields of sin? _the tune._ hymn and tune are alike. the melody and harmony by dr. george f. root have all the eager trip and tread of so many of the gospel hymns, and of so much of his music, and the lines respond at every step. any other composer could not have escaped the compulsion of the final spondees, and much less the author of "tramp, tramp, tramp," and all the best martial song-tunes of the great war. in this case neither words nor notes can say to the other, "we have piped unto you and ye have not danced," but a little caution will guard too enthusiastic singing against falling into the drum-rhythm, and travestying a sacred piece. eben eugene rexford was born in johnsburg, n.y., july , , and has been a writer since he was fourteen years old. he is the author of several popular songs, as "silver threads among the gold," "only a pansy blossom" etc., and many essays and treatises on flowers, of which he is passionately fond. "it is well with my soul." horatio gates spafford, the writer of this hymn, was a lawyer, a native of new york state, born oct. , . while connected with an institution in chicago, as professor of medical jurisprudence, he lost a great part of his fortune by the great fire in that city. this disaster was followed by the loss of his children on the steamer, ville de havre, nov. , . he seems to have been a devout christian, for he wrote his hymn of submissive faith towards the end of the same year-- when peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea-billows roll-- whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, "it is well, it is well with my soul." a friend of spafford who knew his history read this hymn while repining under an inferior affliction of his own. "if he can feel like that after suffering what he has suffered," he said, "i will cease my complaints." it may not have been the weight of mr. spafford's sorrows wearing him down, but one would infer some mental disturbance in the man seven or eight years later. "in " [writes mr. hubert p. main] "he went to jerusalem under the hallucination that he was a second messiah--and died there on the seventh anniversary of his landing in palestine, sept. , ." the aberrations of an over-wrought mind are beckonings to god's compassion. when reason wanders he takes the soul of his helpless child into his own keeping--and "it is well." the tune to spafford's hymn is by p.p. bliss; a gentle, gliding melody that suits the mood of the words. "waiting and watching for me." written by mrs. marianne farningham hearn, born in kent, eng., dec. , . the hymn was first published in the fall of in the _london church world_. its unrhythmical first line-- when mysterious whispers are floating about, --was replaced by the one now familiar-- when my final farewell to the world i have said, and gladly lain down to my rest, when softly the watchers shall say, "he is dead," and fold my pale hands on my breast, and when with my glorified vision at last the walls of that city i see, will any one there at the beautiful gate be waiting and watching for me? mrs. hearn--a member of the baptist denomination--has long been the editor of the (english) _sunday school times_, but her literary work has been more largely in connection with the _christian world_ newspaper of which she has been a staff-member since its foundation. _the tune._ the long lines, not easily manageable for congregational singing, are wisely set by mr. bliss to duet music. there is a weighty thought in the hymn for every christian, and experience has shown that a pair of good singers can make it very affecting, but the only use of the repeat, by way of a chorus, seems to be to give the miscellaneous voices a brief chance to sing. "he will hide me." (isa. : .) miss mary elizabeth servoss, the author of this trustful hymn, was born in schenectady, n.y., aug. , . when a very young girl her admiration of fanny crosby's writings, and the great and good service they were doing in the world, inspired her with a longing to resemble her. though her burden was as real, it was not like the other's, and her opportunities for religious meditation and literary work were fewer than those of the elder lady, but the limited number of hymns she has written have much of the spirit and beauty of their model. providence decreed for her a life of domestic care and patient waiting. for eighteen years she was the constant attendant of a disabled grandmother, and long afterwards love and duty made her the home nurse during her mother's protracted illness and the last sickness of her father, until both parents passed away. from her present home in edeson, ill., some utterances of her chastened spirit have found their way to the public, and been a gospel of blessing. besides "he will hide me" other hymns of miss servoss are "portals of light," "he careth," "patiently enduring," and "gates of praise," the last being the best known. when the storms of life are raging. tempests wild on sea and land, i will seek a place of refuge in the shadow of god's hand. chorus. he will hide me, he will hide me, where no harm can e'er betide me, he will hide me, safely hide me in the shadow of his hand. * * * * * so while here the cross i'm bearing, meeting storms and billows wild, jesus for my soul is caring, naught can harm his father's child. he will hide me, etc. _the tune._ an animating choral in nine-eight tempo, with a swinging movement and fugue chorus, is rather florid for the hymn, but undeniably musical. mr. james mcgranahan was the composer. he was born in adamsville, pa., july , . his education was acquired mostly at the public schools, and both in general knowledge and in musical accomplishments it may be said of him that he is "self-made." music was born in him, and at the age of nineteen, with some valuable help from men like bassini, webb, root and zerrahn, he had studied to so good purpose that he taught music classes himself. this talent, joined to the gift of a very sweet tenor voice, made him the natural successor of the lamented bliss, and, with major d.w. whittle, he entered on a career of gospel work, making between and two successful tours of england, scotland and ireland, and through the chief american cities. among his publications are the _male chorus book_, _songs of the gospel_ and the _gospel male choir_. resides at kinsman, o. "revive thy work, o lord." (heb. : .) the supposed date of the hymn is ; the author, albert midlane. he was born at newport on the isle of wight, jan. , a business man, but, being a sunday-school teacher, he was prompted to write verses for children. the habit grew upon him till he became a frequent and acceptable hymn-writer, both for juvenile and for general use. english collections have at least three hundred credited to him. revive thy work, o lord, thy mighty arm make bare, speak with the voice that wakes the dead, and make thy people hear. _the tune._ music and words together make a song-litany alive with all the old psalm-tune unction and the new vigor; and both were upon mr. mcgranahan when he wrote the choral. it is one of his successes. revive thy work, o lord, exalt thy precious name, and by the holy ghost our love for thee and thine inflame. refrain. revive thy work, o lord, and give refreshing showers; the glory shall be all thine own, the blessing shall be ours. "where is my wandering boy to-night?" this remarkable composition--words and music by rev. robert lowry--has a record among sacred songs like that of "the prodigal son" among parables. a widowed lady of culture, about forty years of age, who was an accomplished vocalist, had ceased to sing, though her sweet voice was still in its prime. the cause was her sorrow for her runaway boy. she had not heard from him for five years. while spending a week with friends in a city distant from home, her hidden talent was betrayed by the friends to the pastor of their church, where a revival was in progress, and persuasion that seemed to put a duty upon her finally procured her consent to sing a solo. the church was crowded. with a force and feeling that can easily be guessed she sang "where is my boy tonight?" and finished the first stanza. she began the second,-- once he was pure as morning dew, as he knelt at his mother's knee, no face was so bright, no heart more true, and none were so sweet as he; --and as the congregation caught up the refrain,-- o where is my boy tonight? o where is my boy tonight? my heart overflows, for i love him he knows, o where is my boy tonight? --a young man who had been sitting in a back seat made his way up the aisle and sobbed, "mother, i'm here!" the embrace of that mother and her long-lost boy turned the service into a general hallelujah. at the inquiry meeting that night there were many souls at the mercy seat who never knelt there before--and the young wanderer was one. [illustration: philip doddridge, d.d.] mr. sankey, when in california with mr. moody, sang this hymn in one of the meetings and told the story of a mother in the far east who had commissioned him to search for her missing son. by a happy providence the son was in the house--and the story and the song sent him home repentant. at another time mr. sankey sang the same hymn from the steps of a snow-bound train, and a man between whose father and himself had been trouble and a separation, was touched, and returned to be reconciled after an absence of twenty years. at one evening service in stanberry, mo., the singing of the hymn by the leader of the choir led to the conversion of one boy who was present, and whose parents were that night praying for him in an eastern state, and inspired such earnest prayer in the hearts of two other runaway boys' parents that the same answer followed. there would not be room in a dozen pages to record all the similar saving incidents connected with the singing of "where is my wandering boy?" the rhetoric of love is strong in every note and syllable of the solo, and the tender chorus of voices swells the song to heaven like an antiphonal prayer. strange to say, dr. lowry set lightly by his hymns and tunes, and deprecated much mention of them though he could not deny their success. an active christian since seventeen years of age, through his early pulpit service, his six years' professorship, and the long pastorate in plainfield, n.j., closed by his death, he considered preaching to be his supreme function as it certainly was his first love. music was to him "a side-issue," an "efflorescence," and writing a hymn ranked far below making and delivering a sermon. "i felt a sort of meanness when i began to be known as a composer," he said. and yet he was the author of a hymn and tune which "has done more to bring back wandering boys than any other" ever written.[ ] [footnote : "where is my boy tonight" was composed for a book of temperance hymns, _the fountain of song_, .] "eternity." this is the title and refrain of both mrs. ellen m.h. gates' impressive poem and its tune. o the clanging bells of time! night and day they never cease; we are weaned with their chime, for they do not bring us peace. and we hush our hearts to hear, and we strain our eyes to see if thy shores are drawing near eternity! eternity! skill was needed to vocalize this great word, but the ear of mr. bliss for musical prosody did not fail to make it effective. after the beautiful harmony through the seven lines, the choral reverently softens under the rallentando of the closing bars, and dwelling on the awe-inspiring syllables, solemnly dies away. triumph by and by. this rally-song of the christian arena is wonderfully stirring, especially in great meetings, for it sings best in full choral volume. the prize is set before us, to win his words implore us, the eye of god is o'er us from on high. his loving tones are falling while sin is dark, appalling, 'tis jesus gently calling; he is nigh! chorus. by and by we shall meet him, by and by we shall greet him, and with jesus reign in glory, by and by! we'll follow where he leadeth, we'll pasture where he feedeth, we'll yield to him who pleadeth from on high. then nought from him shall sever, our hope shall brighten ever and faith shall fail us never; he is nigh. chorus-- by and by, etc. dr. christopher ruby blackall, the author of the hymn, was born in albany, n.y., sept. , . he was a surgeon in the civil war, and in medical practice fifteen years, but afterwards became connected with the american baptist publication society as manager of one of its branches. he has written several sunday-school songs set to music by w.h. doane. _the tune_, by horatio r. palmer is exactly what the hymn demands. the range scarcely exceeds an octave, but with the words "from on high," the stroke of the soprano on upper d carries the feeling to unseen summits, and verifies the title of the song. from that note, through melody and chorus the "triumph by and by" rings clear. "not half has ever been told" this is emotional, but every word and note is uplifting, and creates the mood for religious impressions. the writer, rev. john bush atchison, was born at wilson, n.y., feb. , , and died july , . i have read of a beautiful city far away in the kingdom of god, i have read how its walls are of jasper, how its streets are all golden and broad; in the midst of the street is life's river clear as crystal and pure to behold, but not half of that city's bright glory to mortals has ever been told. the chorus (twice sung)-- not half has been told, --concludes with repeat of the two last lines of this first stanza. mr. atchison was a methodist clergyman who composed several good hymns. "behold the stone is rolled away," "o crown of rejoicing," and "fully persuaded," indicate samples of his work more or less well-known. "not half has ever been told" was written in . _the tune._ dr. otis f. presbry, the composer, was a young farmer of york, livingston co., n.y., born there the th of december, . choice of a professional life led him to berkshire medical college, where he graduated in . in after years his natural love of musical studies induced him to give his time to compiling and publishing religious tunes, with hymns more especially for sunday-schools. he became a composer and wrote the melody to atchison's words in , which was arranged by a blind musician of washington, d.c., j.w. bischoff by name, with whom he had formed a partnership. the solo is long--would better, perhaps, have been four-line instead of eight--but well sung, it is a flight of melody that holds an assembly, and touches hearts. dr. presbry's best known book was _gospel bells_ ( ), the joint production of himself, bischoff, and rev. j.e. rankin. he died aug. , . "come." one of the most characteristic (both words and music) of the _gospel hymns_--"mrs. james gibson johnson" is the name attached to it as its author, though we have been unable to trace and verify her claim. o, word of words the sweetest, o, words in which there lie all promise, all fulfillment, and end of mystery; lamenting or rejoicing, with doubt or terror nigh, i hear the "come" of jesus, and to his cross i fly. chorus. come, come-- weary, heavy-laden, come, o come to me. _the tune_, composed by james mcgranahan, delivers the whole stanza in soprano or tenor solo, when the alto, joining the treble, leads off the refrain in duet, the male voices striking alternate notes until the full harmony in the last three bars. the style and movement of the chorus are somewhat suggestive of a popular glee, but the music of the duet is flexible and sweet, and the bass and tenor progress with it not in the ride-and-tie-fashion but marking time with the title-syllable. the contrast between the spiritual and the intellectual effect of the hymn and its wakeful tune is illustrated by a case in baltimore. while moody and sankey were doing their gospel work in that city, a man, who, it seems, had brought a copy of the _gospel hymns_, walked out of one of the meetings after hearing this hymn-tune, and on reaching home, tore out the leaves that contained the song and threw them into the fire, saying he had "never heard such twaddle" in all his life. the sequel showed that he had been too hasty. the hymn would not leave him. after hearing it night and day in his mind till he began to realize what it meant, he went to mr. moody and told him he was "a vile sinner" and wanted to know how he could "come" to christ. the divine invitation was explained, and the convicted man underwent a vital change. his converted opinion of the hymn was quite as remarkably different. he declared it was "the sweetest one in the book." (_story of the gospel hymns_.) "almost persuaded." the rev. mr. brundage tells the origin of this hymn. in a sermon preached by him many years ago, the closing words were: "he who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost." mr. bliss, being in the audience, was impressed with the thought, and immediately set about the composition of what proved one of his most popular songs, deriving his inspiration from the sermon of his friend, mr. brundage. _memoir of bliss_. almost persuaded now to believe, almost persuaded christ to receive; seems now some soul to say "go spirit, go thy way, some more convenient day on thee i'll call." * * * * * almost persuaded--the harvest is past! both hymn and tune are by mr. bliss--and the omission of a chorus is in proper taste. this revival piece brings the eloquence of sense and sound to bear upon the conscience in one monitory pleading. incidents in this country and in england related in mr. sankey's book, illustrate its power. it has a convicting and converting history. "my ain countree." this hymn was written by miss mary augusta lee one sabbath day in at bowmount, croton falls, n.y., and first published in the _new york observer_, dec, . the authoress had been reading the story of john macduff who, with his wife, left scotland for the united states, and accumulated property by toil and thrift in the great west. in her leisure after the necessity for hard work was past, the scotch woman grew homesick and pined for her "ain countree." her husband, at her request, came east and settled with her in sight of the atlantic where she could see the waters that washed the scotland shore. but she still pined, and finally to save her life, john macduff took her back to the heather hills of the mother-land, where she soon recovered her health and spirits. i am far from my hame an' i'm weary aften whiles for the langed-for hame-bringing an' my father's welcome smiles. i'll ne'er be fu' content until mine eyes do see the shinin' gates o' heaven an' mine ain countree. the airt' is flecked wi' flowers mony-tinted, frish an' gay, the birdies warble blithely, for my father made them sae, but these sights an' these soun's will naething be to me when i hear the angels singin' in my ain countree. miss lee was born in croton falls in , and was of scotch descent, and cared for by her grandfather and a scotch nurse, her mother dying in her infancy. in she became the wife of a mr. demarest, and her married life was spent in passaic, n.j., until their removal to pasadena, cal., in hope of restoring her failing health. she died at los angeles, jan. , . _the tune_ is an air written in in the scottish style by mrs. ione t. hanna, wife of a banker in denver, colo., and harmonized for choral use by hubert p. main in . its plaintive sweetness suits the words which probably inspired it. the tone and metre of the hymn were natural to the young author's inheritance; a memory of her grandfather's home-land melodies, with which he once crooned "little mary" to sleep. sung as a closing hymn, "my ain countree" sends the worshipper away with a tender, unworldly thought that lingers. mrs. demarest wrote an additional stanza in at the request of mr. main. some really good gospel hymns and tunes among those omitted in this chapter will cry out against the choice that passed them by. others are of the more ephemeral sort, the phenomena (and the demand) of a generation. carols of pious joy with inordinate repetition, choruses that surprise old lyrics with modern thrills, ballads of ringing sound and slender verse, are the spray of tuneful emotion that sparkles on every revival high-tide, but rarely leaves floodmarks that time will not erase. religious songs of the demonstrative, not to say sensational, kind spring impromptu from the conditions of their time--and give place to others equally spontaneous when the next spiritual wave sweeps by. their value lingers in the impulse their novelty gave to the life of sanctuary worship, and in the christian characters their emotional power helped into being. chapter xiii. hymns, festival and occasional. _christmas._ "adeste fideles." this hymn is of doubtful authorship, by some assigned to as late a date as , and by others to the th century as one of the latin poems of st. bonaventura, bishop of albano, who was born at bagnarea in tuscany, a.d. . he was a learned man, a franciscan friar, one of the greatest teachers and writers of his church, and finally a cardinal. certainly roman catholic in its origin, whoever was its author, it is a christian hymn qualified in every way to be sung by the universal church. adeste, fideles laeti triumphantes, venite, venite in bethlehem; natum videte regem angelorum. chorus. venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus! venite, adoremus dominum. this has been translated by rev. frederick oakeley ( - ) and by rev. edward caswall ( - ) the version of the former being the one in more general use. the ancient hymn is much abridged in the hymnals, and even the translations have been altered and modernized in the three or four stanzas commonly sung. caswall's version renders the first line "come hither, ye faithful," literally construing the latin words. the following is substantially oakeley's english of the "adeste, fideles." o come all ye faithful joyful and triumphant, to bethlehem hasten now with glad accord; come and behold him, born the king of angels. chorus. o come, let us adore him, o come, let us adore him, o come, let us adore him, christ, the lord. sing choirs of angels, sing in exultation through heaven's high arches be your praises poured; now to our god be glory in the highest! o come, let us adore him! yea, lord, we bless thee, born for our salvation jesus, forever be thy name adored! word of the father now in flesh appearing; o come, let us adore him! the hymn with its primitive music as chanted in the ancient churches, was known as "the midnight mass," and was the processional song of the religious orders on their way to the sanctuaries where they gathered in preparation for the christmas morning service. the modern tune--or rather the tune in modern use--is the one everywhere familiar as the "portuguese hymn." (see page .) milton's hymn to the nativity. it was the winter wild while the heavenly child all meanly wrapped in the rude manger lies. nature in awe of him had doffed her gaudy trim with her great master so to sympathize. * * * * * no war nor battle sound was heard the world around. the idle spear and shield were high uphung. the hooked chariot stood unstained with hostile blood, the trumpets spake not to the armed throng, and kings sat still with awful eye as if they knew their sovereign lord was by. this exalted song--the work of a boy of scarcely twenty-one--is a greek ode in form, of two hundred and sixteen lines in twenty-seven strophes. some of its figures and fancies are more to the taste of the seventeenth century than to ours, but it is full of poetic and christian sublimities, and its high periods will be heard in the christmas hymnody of coming centuries, though it is not the fashion to sing it now. john milton, son and grandson of john miltons, was born in breadstreet, london, dec. , , fitted for the university in st. paul's school, and studied seven years at cambridge. his parents intended him for the church, but he chose literature as a profession, travelled and made distinguished friendships in italy, switzerland and france, and when little past his majority was before the public as a poet, author of the ode to the nativity, of a masque, and of many songs and elegies. in later years he entered political life under the stress of his puritan sympathies, and served under cromwell and his successor as latin secretary of state through the time of the commonwealth. while in public duty he became blind, but in his retirement composed "paradise lost and paradise regained." died in . _the tune._ in the old "carmina sacra" a noble choral (without name except "no war nor battle sound") well interprets portions of the th and th stanzas of the great hymn, but replaces the line-- "the idle spear and shield were high uphung." --with the more modern and less figurative-- "no hostile chiefs to furious combat ran." three stanzas are also added, by the rev. h.o. dwight, missionary to constantinople. the substituted line, which is also, perhaps, the composition of mr. dwight, rhymes with-- "his reign of peace upon the earth began," --and as it is not un-miltonic, few singers have ever known that it was not milton's own. dr. john knowles paine, professor of music at harvard university, and author of the oratorio of "st. peter," composed a cantata to the great christmas ode of milton, probably about . professor paine died apr. , . it is worth noting that john milton senior, the great poet's father, was a skilled musician and a composer of psalmody. the old tunes "york" and "norwich," in ravenscroft's collection and copied from it in many early new england singing-books, are supposed to be his. the miltons were an old oxfordshire catholic family, and john, the poet's father, was disinherited for turning protestant, but he prospered in business, and earned the comfort of a country gentleman. he died, very aged, in may, , and his son addressed a latin poem ("ad patrem") to his memory. "hark! the herald angels sing." this hymn of charles wesley, dating about , was evidently written with the "adeste fideles" in mind, some of the stanzas, in fact, being almost like translations of it. the form of the two first lines was originally-- hark! how all the welkin rings, "glory to the king of kings!" --but was altered thirty years later by rev. martin madan ( - ) to-- hark! the herald angels sing glory to the new-born king! other changes by the same hand modified the three following stanzas, and a fifth stanza was added by john wesley-- hail the heavenly prince of peace! hail the sun of righteousness! light and life to all he brings, ris'n with healing in his wings. _the tune._ "mendelssohn" is the favorite musical interpreter of the hymn. it is a noble and spirited choral from felix mendelssohn bartholdy's cantata, "gott ist licht." "joy to the world, the lord is come!" this inspirational lyric of dr. watts never grows old. it was written in . joy to the world! the saviour reigns! let men their songs employ while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy. dr. edward hodges ( - ) wrote an excellent psalm-tune to it which is still in occasional use, but the music united to the hymn in the popular heart is "antioch," an adaptation from handel's messiah. this companionship holds unbroken from hymnal to hymnal and has done so for sixty or seventy years; and, in spite of its fugue, the tune--apparently by some magic of its own--contrives to enlist the entire voice of a congregation, the bass falling in on the third beat as if by intuition. the truth is, the tune has become the habit of the hymn, and to the thousands who have it by heart, as they do in every village where there is a singing school, "antioch" is "joy to the world," and "joy to the world" is "antioch." "hark! what mean those holy voices?" this fine hymn, so many years appearing with the simple sign "cawood" or "j. cawood" printed under it, still holds its place by universal welcome. hark! what mean those holy voices sweetly sounding through the skies? lo th' angelic host rejoices; heavenly hallelujahs rise. hear them tell the wondrous story, hear them chant in hymns of joy, glory in the highest, glory, glory be to god on high! the rev. john cawood, a farmer's son, was born at matlock, derbyshire, eng., march , , graduated at oxford, , and was appointed perpetual curate of st. anne's in bendly, worcestershire. died nov. , . he is said to have written seventeen hymns, but was too modest to publish any. _the tune._ dr. dykes' "oswald," and henry smart's "bethany" are worthy expressions of the feeling in cawood's hymn. in america, mason's "amaland," with fugue in the second and third lines, has long been a favorite. "while shepherds watched their flocks." this was written by nahum tate ( - ), and after two hundred years the church remembers and sings the song. six generations have grown up with their childhood memory of its pictorial verses illustrating st. luke's christmas story. while shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the lord came down and glory shone around. "fear not" said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind, "glad tidings of great joy i bring to you and all mankind." _the tune._ modern hymnals have substituted "christmas" and other more or less spirited tunes for read's "sherburne," which was the first musical translation of the hymn to american ears. but, to show the traditional hold that the new england fugue melody maintains on the people, many collections print it as alternate tune. some modifications have been made in it, but its survival is a tribute to its real merit. daniel read, the creator of "sherburne," "windham," "russia," "stafford," "lisbon," and many other tunes characteristic of a bygone school of psalmody, was born in rehoboth, mass., nov. , . he published _the american singing book_, , _columbian harmony_, , and several other collections. died in new haven, ct., . "it came upon the midnight clear." rev. edmund hamilton sears, author of this beautiful hymn-poem, was born at sandisfield, berkshire co., mass., april , , and educated at union college and harvard university. he became pastor of the unitarian church in wayland, mass., . died in the adjoining town of weston, jan. , . the hymn first appeared in the _christian register_ in . it came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold. "peace to the earth, good will to men from heaven's all-gracious king." the world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing. still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world. above its sad and lonely plains they bend on hovering wing, and ever o'er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing. _the tune._ no more sympathetic music has been written to these lines than "carol," the tune composed by richard storrs willis, a brother of nathaniel parker willis the poet, and son of deacon nathaniel willis, the founder of the _youth's companion_. he was born feb, , , graduated at yale in , and followed literature as a profession. he was also a musician and composer. for many years he edited the _n.y. musical world_, and, besides contributing frequently to current literature, published _church chorals and choir studies_, _our church music_ and several other volumes on musical subjects. died in detroit, may , . the much-loved and constantly used advent psalm of mr. sears,-- calm on the listening ear of night come heaven's melodious strains where wild judea stretches far her silver-mantled plains, --was set to music by john edgar gould, and the smooth choral with its sweet chords is a remarkable example of blended voice and verse. "o little town of bethlehem!" phillips brooks, the eloquent bishop of massachusetts, loved to write simple and tender poems for the children of his church and diocese. they all reveal his loving heart and the beauty of his consecrated imagination. this one, the best of his _christmas songs_, was slow in coming to public notice, but finally found its place in hymn-tune collections. o little town of bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. for christ is born of mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love. o morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth! and praises sing to god the king and peace to men on earth. how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! so god imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven. no ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still the dear christ enters in. phillips brooks, late bishop of the diocese of massachusetts, was born in boston, dec. , ; died jan. , . he was graduated at harvard in , and at the episcopal divinity school of alexandria, va., . the first ten years of his ministry were spent in pennsylvania, after which he became rector of trinity church, boston, and was elected bishop in . he was an inspiring teacher and preacher, an eloquent pulpit orator, and a man of deep and rich religious life. the hymn was written in , and it was, no doubt, the ripened thought of his never-forgotten visit to the "little town of bethlehem" two years before. _the tune._ "bethlehem" is the appropriate name of a tune written by j. barnby, and adapted to the words, but it is the hymn's first melody (named "st. louis" by the compiler who first printed it in the _church porch_ from original leaflets) that has the credit of carrying it to popularity. the composer was mr. redner, organist of the church of the holy trinity, philadelphia, of which rector brooks was then in charge. lewis henry redner, born , was not only near the age of his friend and pastor but as much devoted to the interests of the sunday-school, for whose use the hymn was written, and he had promised to write a score to which it could be sung on the coming sabbath. waking in the middle of the night, after a busy saturday that sent him to bed with his brain "in a whirl," he heard "an angel strain," and immediately rose and pricked the notes of the melody. the tune had come to him just in time to be sung. a much admired tune has also been written to this hymn by hubert p. main. _palm sunday_. faure's "palm branches." _sur nos chemins les rameaux et les fleurs sont repandos--_ o'er all the way green palms and blossoms gay are strewn to-day in festive preparation, where jesus comes to wipe our tears away. e'en now the throng to welcome him prepare; join all and sing.-- jean baptiste faure, author of the words and music, was born at moulins, france, jan. , . as a boy he was gifted with a beautiful voice, and crowds used to gather wherever he sang in the streets of paris. little is known of his parentage, and apparently the sweet voice of the wandering lad was his only fortune. he found wealthy friends who sent him to the _conservatoire_, but when his voice matured it ceased to serve him as a singer. he went on with his study of instrumental music, but mourned for his lost vocal triumphs, and his longing became a subject of prayer. he promised god that if his power to sing were given back to him he would use it for charity and the good of mankind. by degrees he recovered his voice, and became known as a great baritone. as professional singer and composer at the paris _grand opera_, he had been employed largely in dramatic work, but his "ode to charity" is one of his enduring and celebrated pieces, and his songs written for benevolent and religious services have found their way into all christian lands. his "palm-branches" has come to be a _sine qua non_ on its calendar sunday wherever church worship is planned with any regard to the feasts of the christian year. _easter._ perhaps the most notable feature in the early hymnology of the oriental church was its resurrection songs. being hymns of joy, they called forth all the ceremony and spectacle of ecclesiastical pomp. among them--and the most ancient one of those preserved--is the hymn of john of damascus, quoted in the second chapter (p. ). this was the proclamation-song in the watch-assemblies, when exactly on the midnight moment at the shout of "christos egerthe!" ([greek: christos êgerthê].) "christ is risen!" thousands of torches were lit, bells and trumpets pealed, and (in the later centuries) salvos of cannon shook the air. another favorite hymn of the eastern church was the "_salve, beate mane_," "welcome, happy morning," of fortunatus. (chap. , p. .) this poem furnished cantos for easter hymns of the middle ages. jerome of prague sang stanzas of it on his way to the stake. an anonymous hymn, "_poneluctum, magdelena_," in medieval latin rhyme, is addressed to mary magdelene weeping at the empty sepulchre. the following are the d and th stanzas, with a translation by prof. c.s. harrington of wesleyan university: gaude, plaude, magdalena! tumba christus exiit! tristis est peracta scena, victor mortis rediit; quem deflebas morientem, nunc arride resurgentem! alleluia! tolle vultum, magdalena! redivivum aspice; vide frons quam sit amoena, quinque plagas inspice; fulgent, sic ut margaritæ, ornamenta novæ vitæ. alleluia! * * * * * magdalena, shout for gladness! christ has left the gloomy grave; finished is the scene of sadness; death destroyed, he comes to save; whom with grief thou sawest dying, greet with smiles, the tomb defying. hallelujah! lift thine eyes, o magdalena! lo! thy lord before thee stands; see! how fair the thorn-crowned forehead; mark his feet, his side, his hands; glow his wounds with pearly whiteness! hallowing life with heavenly brightness! hallelujah! the hymnaries of the christian church for seventeen hundred years are so rich in easter hallelujahs and hosannas that to introduce them all would swell a chapter to the size of an encyclopedia--and even to make a selection is a responsible task. simple mention must suffice of luther's-- in the bonds of death he lay; --of watts'-- he dies, the friend of sinners dies; --of john wesley's-- our lord has gone up on high; --of c.f. gellert's-- christ is risen! christ is risen! he hath burst his bonds in twain; --omitting hundreds which have been helpful in psalmody, and are, perhaps, still in choir or congregational use. "christ the lord is risen today" begins a hymn of charles wesley's and is also the first line of a hymn prepared for sunday-school use by mrs. storrs, wife of the late dr. richard salter storrs of brooklyn, n.y. wesley's hymn is sung--with or without the hallelujah interludes--to "telemann's chant," (zeuner), to an air of mendelssohn, and to john stainer's "paschale gaudium." like the old new england "easter anthem" it appears to have been suggested by an anonymous translation of some more ancient (latin) antiphony. jesus christ is risen to day, hallelujah! our triumphant holy day, hallelujah! * * * * * who endured the cross and grave. hallelujah! sinners to redeem and save, hallelujah! an anthem for easter. this work of an amateur genius, with its rustic harmonies, suited the taste of colonial times, and no doubt the devout church-goers of that day found sincere worship and thanksgiving in its flamboyant music. "an anthem for easter," in a major by william billings ( ) occupied several pages in the early collections of psalmody and "the sounding joy" was in it. organs were scarce, but beyond the viols of the village choirs it needed no instrumental accessories. the language is borrowed from the new testament and _young's night thoughts_. the lord is risen indeed! hallelujah! the lord is risen indeed! hallelujah! following this triumphant overture, a recitative bass solo repeats i cor. : , and the chorus takes it up with crowning hallelujahs. different parts, _per fugam_, inquire from clef to clef-- and did he rise? and did he rise?-- hear [the answer], o ye nations! hear it, o ye dead! then duet, trio and chorus sing it, successively-- he rose! he rose! he rose! he burst the bars of death, and triumphed o'er the grave! the succeeding thirty-four bars--duet and chorus--take home the sacred gladness to the heart of humanity-- then, then _i_ rose, * * * * * and seized eternal youth, man all immortal, hail! heaven's all the glory, man's the boundless bliss. "yes, the redeemer rose." in the six-eight syllable verse once known as "hallelujah metre"--written by dr. doddridge to be sung after a sermon on the text in st corinthians noted in the above anthem-- yes, the redeemer rose, the saviour left the dead, and o'er our hellish foes high raised his conquering head. in wild dismay the guards around fall to the ground and sink away. lewis edson's "lenox" ( ) is an old favorite among its musical interpreters. "o short was his slumber." this hymn for the song-service of the ruggles st. church, boston, was written by rev. theron brown. o short was his slumber; he woke from the dust; the saviour death's chain could not hold; and short, since he rose, is the sleep of the just; they shall wake, and his glory behold. * * * * * dear grave in the garden; hope smiled at its door where love's brightest triumph was told; christ lives! and his life will his people restore! they shall wake, and his glory behold. the music is bliss' tune to spafford's "when peace like a river." another by the same writer, sung by the same church chorus, is-- he rose! o morn of wonder! they saw his light go down whose hate had crushed him under, a king without a crown. no plume, no garland wore he, despised death's victor lay, and wrapped in night his glory, that claimed a grander day. * * * * * he rose! he burst immortal from death's dark realm alone, and left its heavenward portal swung wide for all his own. nor need one terror seize us to face earth's final pain, for they who follow jesus, but die to live again. the composer's name is lost, the tune being left nameless when printed. the impression is that it was a secular melody. a very suitable tune for the hymn is geo. j. webb's "millennial dawn" ("the morning light is breaking.") _thanksgiving._ "die felder wir pflÃ�gen und streuen." we plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by god's almighty hand, he sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes, and the sunshine and soft, refreshing rain, all, all good gifts around us are sent from heaven above then thank the lord, o thank the lord for all his love! matthias claudius, who wrote the german original of this little poem, was a native of reinfeld, holstein, born and died . he wrote lyrics, humorous, pathetic and religious, some of which are still current in germany. the translator of the verses is miss jane montgomery campbell, whose identity has not been traced. hers is evidently one of the retiring names brought to light by one unpretending achievement. english readers owe to her the above modest and devout hymn, which was first published here in rev. c.s. bere's _garland of songs with tunes_, . little is known of arthur cottman, composer to miss campbell's words. he was born in , and died in . [illustration: lowell mason] "with songs and honors sounding loud." stanzas of this enduring hymn of watts' have been as often recited as sung. he sends his showers of blessing down to cheer the plains below; he makes the grass the mountains crown, and corn in valleys grow. _the tune_, one of the chorals--if not the best--to claim partnership with this sacred classic, is john cole's "geneva," distinguished among the few fugue tunes which the singing world refuses to dismiss. there is a growing grandeur in the opening solo and its following duet as they climb the first tetra-chord, when the full harmony suddenly reveals the majesty of the music. the little parenthetic duo at the eighth bar breaks the roll of the song for one breath, and the concord of voices closes in again like a diapason. one thinks of a bird-note making a waterfall listen. "harvest home." let us sing of the sheaves, when the summer is done, and the garners are stored with the gifts of the sun. shouting home from the fields like the voice of the sea, let us join with the reapers in glad jubilee,-- _refrain._ harvest home! (_double rep._) let us chant his praise who has crowned our days with bounty of the harvest home. who hath ripened the fruits into golden and red? who hath grown in the valleys our treasures of bread, that the owner might heap, and the stranger might glean for the days when the cold of the winter is keen? harvest home! let us chant, etc. for the smile of the sunshine, again and again, for the dew on the garden, the showers on the plain, for the year, with its hope and its promise that end, crowned with plenty and peace, let thanksgiving ascend, harvest home! let us chant, etc. we shall gather a harvest of glory, we know, from the furrows of life where in patience we sow. buried love in the field of the heart never dies, and its seed scattered here will be sheaves in the skies, harvest home! let us chant, etc. thanksgiving hymn. boston, . theron brown. tune "to the work, to the work." w.h. doane. "the god of harvest praise." written by james montgomery in , and published in the _evangelical magazine_ as the harvest hymn for that year. the god of harvest praise; in loud thanksgiving raise heart, hand and voice. the valleys smile and sing, forests and mountains sing, the plains their tribute bring, the streams rejoice. * * * * * the god of harvest praise; hearts, hands and voices raise with sweet accord; from field to garner throng, bearing your sheaves along, and in your harvest song bless ye the lord. tune, "dort"--lowell mason. _morning._ "still, still with thee." these stanzas of mrs. harriet beecher stowe, with their poetic beauty and grateful religious spirit, have furnished an orison worthy of a place in all the hymn books. in feeling and in faith the hymn is a matin song for the world, supplying words and thoughts to any and every heart that worships. still, still with thee, when purple morning breaketh, when the bird waketh and the shadows flee; fairer than morning, lovelier than daylight, dawns the sweet consciousness, i am with thee. alone with thee, amid the mystic shadows the solemn hush of nature newly born; alone with thee, in breathless adoration, in the calm dew and freshness of the morn. * * * * * when sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber, its closing eyes look up to thee in prayer, sweet the repose beneath thy wings o'ershadowing, but sweeter still to wake and find thee there. _the tunes._ barnby's "windsor," and "stowe" by charles h. morse ( )--both written to the words. mendelssohn's "consolation" is a classic interpretation of the hymn, and finely impressive when skillfully sung, but simpler--and sweeter to the popular ear--is mason's "henley," written to mrs. eslings'-- "come unto me when shadows darkly gather." _evening hymns._ john keble's beautiful meditation-- sun of my soul, thou saviour dear; john leland's-- the day is past and gone; and phebe brown's-- i love to steal awhile away; --have already been noticed. bishop doane's gentle and spiritual lines express nearly everything that a worshipping soul would include in a moment of evening thought. the first and last stanzas are the ones most commonly sung. softly now the light of day fades upon my sight away: free from care, from labor free, lord i would commune with thee. * * * * * soon for me the light of day shall forever pass away; then, from sin and sorrow free, take me, lord, to dwell with thee. _the tune._ both kozeluck and j.e. gould, besides louis m. gottschalk and dr. henry john gauntlett, have tried their skill in fitting music to this hymn, but only gottschalk and kozeluck approach the mood into which its quiet words charm a pious and reflective mind. possibly its frequent association with "holley," composed by george hews, may influence a hearer's judgement of other melodies but there is something in that tune that makes it cling to the hymn as if by instinctive kinship. others may have as much or more artistic music but "holley" in its soft modulations seems to breathe the spirit of every word. it was this tune to which a stranger recently heard a group of mill-girls singing bishop doane's verses. the lady, a well-known christian worker, visited a certain factory, and the superintendent, after showing her through the building, opened a door into a long work-room, where the singing of the girls delighted and surprised her. it was sunset, and their hymn was-- softly now the light of day. several of the girls were sunday-school teachers, who had encouraged others to sing at that hour, and it had become a habit. "has it made a difference?" the lady inquired. "there is seldom any quarrelling or coarse joking among them now," said the superintendent with a smile. dr. s.f. smith's hymn of much the same tone and tenor-- softly fades the twilight ray of the holy sabbath day, --is commonly sung to the tune of "holley." george hews, an american composer and piano-maker, was born in massachusetts , and died july , . no intelligence of him or his work or former locality is at hand, beyond this brief note in baptie, "he is believed to have followed his trade in boston, and written music for some of mason's earlier books." _dedication._ "christ is our corner-stone." this reproduces in chandler's translation a song-service in an ancient latin liturgy (_angulare fundamentum_). christ is our corner-stone; on him alone we build, with his true saints alone the courts of heaven are filled, on his great love our hopes we place of present grace and joys above. o then with hymns of praise these hallowed courts shall ring; our voices we will raise the three-in-one to sing. and thus proclaim in joyful song but loud and long that glorious name. the rev. john chandler was born at witley, surrey, eng. june , . he took his a.m. degree at oxford, and entered the ministry of the church of england, was vicar of witley many years, and became well-known for his translations of hymns of the primitive church. died at putney, july , . _the tune._ sebastian wesley's "harewood" is plainer and of less compass, but zundel's "brooklyn" is more than its rival, both in melody and vivacity. "oh lord of hosts whose glory fills the bounds of the eternal hills." a hymn of dr. john mason neale-- endue the creatures with thy grace that shall adorn thy dwelling-place the beauty of the oak and pine, the gold and silver, make them thine. the heads that guide endue with skill, the hands that work preserve from ill, that we who these foundations lay may raise the top-stone in its day. _the tune._ "welton," by rev. caesar malan--author of "hendon," once familiar to american singers. henri abraham cæsar malan was born at geneva, switzerland, , and educated at geneva college. ordained to the ministry of the state church, (reformed,) he was dismissed for preaching against its formalism and spiritual apathy; but he built a chapel of his own, and became a leader with d'aubigne, monod, and others in reviving the purity of the evangelical faith and laboring for the conversion of souls. malan wrote many hymns, and published a large collection, the "_chants de sion_," for the evangelical society and the french reformed church. he composed the music of his own hymns. died at vandosurre, . "daughter of zion, from the dust." cases may occur where an _exhortation_ hymn earns a place with dedication hymns. the charred fragment of a hymn-book leaf hangs in a frame on the auditorium wall of the "new england church," chicago. the former edifice of that church, all the homes of its resident members, and all their business offices except one, were destroyed in the great fire. in the ruins of their sanctuary the only scrap of paper found on which there was a legible word was this bit of a hymn-book leaf with the two first stanzas of montgomery's hymn, daughter of zion, from the dust, exalt thy fallen head; again in thy redeemer trust, he calls thee from the dead. awake, awake! put on thy strength, thy beautiful array; the day of freedom dawns at length, the lord's appointed day. the third verse was not long in coming to every mind-- rebuild thy walls! thy bounds enlarge! --and even without that added word the impoverished congregation evidently enough had received a message from heaven. they took heart of grace, overcame all difficulties, and in good time replaced their ruined sabbath-home with the noble house in which they worship today.[ ] [footnote : the story is told by rev. william e. barton d.d. of oak park, ill.] if the "new england church" of chicago did not sing this hymn at the dedication of their new temple it was for some other reason than lack of gratitude--not to say reverence. _the sabbath_. the very essence of all song-worship pitched on this key-note is the ringing hymn of watts-- sweet is the day of sacred rest, no mortal cares disturb my breast, etc. --but it has vanished from the hymnals with its tune. is it because profane people or thoughtless youth made a travesty of the two next lines-- o may my heart in tune be found like david's harp of solemn sound? _the tune._ old "portland" by abraham maxim, a fugue tune in f major of the canon style, expressed all the joy that a choir could put into music, though with more sound than skill. the choral is a relic among relics now, but it is a favorite one. "sweet is the light of sabbath eve" by edmeston; stennett's "another six days' work is done," sung to "spohr," the joint tune of louis spohr and j.e. gould; and doddridge's "thine earthly sabbath, lord, we love" retain a feeble hold among some congregations. and hayward's "welcome delightful morn," to the impossible tune of "lischer," survived unaccountably long in spite of its handicap. but special sabbath hymns are out of fashion, those classed under that title taking an incidental place under the general head of "worship." _communion._ "bread of heaven, on thee we feed." this hymn of josiah conder, copying the physical metaphors of the th of john, is still occasionally used at the lord's supper. vine of heaven, thy blood supplies this blest cup of sacrifice, lord, thy wounds our healing give, to thy cross we look and live. the hymn is notable for the felicity with which it combines imagery and reality. figure and fact are always in sight of each other. josiah conder was born in london, september , . he edited the _eclectic review_, and was the author of numerous prose works on historic and religious subjects. rev. garrett horder says that more of his hymns are in common use now than those of any other except watts and doddridge. more _in proportion to the relative number_ may be nearer the truth. in his lifetime conder wrote about sixty hymns. he died dec. , . _the tune._ the tune "corsica" sometimes sung to the words, though written by the famous von gluck, shows no sign of the genius of its author. born at weissenwang, near new markt, prussia, july , , he spent his life in the service of operatic art, and is called "the father of the lyric drama," but he paid little attention to sacred music. queen marie antoinette was for a while his pupil. died nov. , . "wilmot," (from von weber) one of mason's popular hymn-tune arrangements, is a melody with which the hymn is well acquainted. it has a fireside rhythm which old and young of the same circles take up naturally in song. "here, o my lord, i see thee face to face." written in october, , by dr. horatius bonar. james bonar, brother of the poet-preacher, just after the communion for that month, asked him to furnish a hymn for the communion record. it was the church custom to print a memorandum of each service at the lord's table, with an appropriate hymn attached, and an original one would be thrice welcome. horatius in a day or two sent this hymn: here, o my lord, i see thee face to face, here would i touch and handle things unseen here grasp with firmer hand th' eternal grace and all my weariness upon thee lean. * * * * * too soon we rise; the symbols disappear; the feast, though not the love, is past and gone; the bread and wine remove, but thou art here nearer than ever--still my shield and sun. _the tune._ "morecambe" is an anonymous composition printed with the words by the _plymouth hymnal_ editors. "berlin" by mendelssohn is better. the metre of bonar's hymn is unusual, and melodies to fit it are not numerous, but for a meditative service it is worth a tune of its own. "o thou my soul, forget no more." the author of this hymn found in the baptist hymnals, and often sung at the sacramental seasons of that denomination, was the first hindoo convert to christianity. krishna pal, a native carpenter, in consequence of an accident, came under the care of mr. thomas, a missionary who had been a surgeon in the east indies and was now an associate worker with william carey. mr. thomas set the man's broken arm, and talked of jesus to him and the surrounding crowd with so much tact and loving kindness that krishna pal was touched. he became a pupil of the missionaries; embraced christ, and influenced his wife and daughter and his brother to accept his new faith. he alone, however, dared the bitter persecution of his caste, and presented himself for church-membership. he and carey's son were baptized in the ganges by dr. carey, dec. , , in the presence of the english governor and an immense concourse of people representing four or five different religions. krishna pal wrote several hymns. the one here noted was translated from the bengalee by dr. marshman. o thou, my soul, forget no more the friend who all thy sorrows bore; let every idol be forgot; but, o my soul, forget him not. renounce thy works and ways, with grief, and fly to this divine relief; nor him forget, who left his throne, and for thy life gave up his own. eternal truth and mercy shine in him, and he himself is thine: and canst thou then, with sin beset, such charms, such matchless charms forget? oh, no; till life itself depart, his name shall cheer and warm my heart; and lisping this, from earth i'll rise, and join the chorus of the skies. _the tune._ there is no scarcity of good long-metre tunes to suit the sentiment of this hymn. more commonly in the baptist manuals its vocal mate is bradbury's "rolland" or the sweet and serious scotch melody of "ward," arranged by mason. best of all is "hursley," the beautiful ritter-monk choral set to "sun of my soul." _new year._ two representative hymns of this class are john newton's-- while with ceaseless course the sun, --and charles wesley's-- come let us anew our journey pursue; the one a voice at the next year's threshold, the other a song at the open door. while with ceaseless course the sun hasted thro' the former year many souls their race have run nevermore to meet us here. * * * * * as the winged arrow flies speedily the mark to find, as the lightening from the skies darts and leaves no trace behind, swiftly thus our fleeting days bear we down life's rapid stream, upward, lord, our spirits raise; all below is but a dream. a grave occasion, whether unexpected or periodical, will force reflection, and so will a grave truth; and when both present themselves at once, the truth needs only commonplace statement. if the statement is in rhyme and measure more attention is secured. add a _tune_ to it, and the most frivolous will take notice. newton's hymn sung on the last evening of the year has its opportunity--and never fails to produce a solemn effect; but it is to the immortal music given to it in samuel webbe's "benevento" that it owes its unique and permanent place. dykes' "st. edmund" may be sung in england, but in america it will never replace webbe's simple and wonderfully impressive choral. charles wesley's hymn is the antipode of newton's in metre and movement. come, let us anew our journey pursue, roll round with the year and never stand still till the master appear. his adorable will let us gladly fulfil and our talents improve by the patience of hope and the labor of love. our life is a dream, our time as a stream glides swiftly away, and the fugitive moment refuses to stay. the arrow is flown, the moment is gone, the millennial year, rushes on to our view, and eternity's near. [illustration: carl von weber] one could scarcely imagine a greater contrast than between this hymn and newton's. in spite of its eccentric metre one cannot dismiss it as rhythmical jingle, for it is really a sermon shaped into a popular canticle, and the surmise is not a difficult one that he had in mind a secular air that was familiar to the crowd. but the hymn is not one of wesley's _poems_. compilers who object to its lilting measure omit it from their books, but it holds its place in public use, for it carries weighty thoughts in swift sentences. o that each in the day of his coming may say, "i have fought my way through, i have finished the work thou didst give me to do." o that each from the lord may receive the glad word, "well and faithfully done, enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne." for a hundred and fifty years this has been sung in the methodist watch-meetings, and it will be long before it ceases to be sung--and reprinted in methodist, and some baptist hymnals. the tune of "lucas," named after james lucas, its composer, is the favorite vehicle of song for the "watch-hymn." like the tune to "o how happy are they," it has the movement of the words and the emphasis of their meaning. no knowledge of james lucas is at hand except that he lived in england, where one brief reference gives his birth-date as and "about " as the birth-date of the tune. "great god, we sing that mighty hand." the admirable hymn of dr. doddridge may be noted in this division with its equally admirable tune of "melancthon," one of the old lutheran chorals of germany. great god, we sing that mighty hand by which supported still we stand. the opening year thy mercy shows; thy mercy crown it till its close! by day, by night, at home, abroad, still we are guarded by our god. as this last couplet stood--and ought now to stand--pious parents teaching the hymn to their children heard them repeat-- by day, by night, at home, abroad, _we are surrounded still with god_. many are now living whose first impressive sense of the divine omnipresence came with that line. _parting._ "god be with you till we meet again." a lyric of benediction, born, apparently, at the divine moment for the need of the great "society of christian endeavor," and now adopted into the christian song-service of all lands. the author, rev. jeremiah eames rankin, d.d., ll.d., was born in thornton, n.h., jan. , . he was graduated at middlebury college, vt., in , and labored as a congregational pastor more than thirty years. for thirteen years he was president of howard university, washington, d.c. besides the "parting hymn" he wrote _the auld scotch mither_, _ingleside rhymes_, _hymns pro patria_, and various practical works and religious essays. died . _the tune._ as in a thousand other partnerships of hymnist and musician, dr. rankin was fortunate in his composer. the tune is a symphony of hearts--subdued at first, but breaking into a chorus strong with the uplift of hope. it is a farewell with a spiritual thrill in it. its author, william gould tomer, was born in finesville, warren co., n.j., october , ; died in phillipsburg, n.j., sept. , . he was a soldier in the civil war and a writer of good ability as well as a composer. for some time he was editor of the _high bridge gazette_, and music with him was an avocation rather than a profession. he wrote the melody to dr. rankin's hymn in , prof. j.w. bischoff supplying the harmony, and the tune was first published in _gospel bells_ the same year. _funerals._ the style of singing at funerals, as well as the character of the hymns, has greatly changed--if, indeed, music continues to be a part of the service, as frequently, in ordinary cases, it is not. "china" with its comforting words--and terrifying chords--is forever obsolete, and not only that, but dr. muhlenberg's, "i would not live alway," with its sadly sentimental tune of "frederick," has passed out of common use. anna steele's "so fades the lovely, blooming flower," on the death of a child, is occasionally heard, and now and then dr. s.f. smith's, "sister, thou wast mild and lovely," (with its gentle air of "mt. vernon,") on the death of a young lady. standard hymns like watts', "unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb," to the slow, tender melody of the "dead march," (from handel's oratorio of "saul") and montgomery's "servant of god, well done," to "olmutz," or woodbury's "forever with the lord," still retain their prestige, the music of the former being played on steeple-chimes on some burial occasions in cities, during the procession-- nor pain nor grief nor anxious fear invade thy bounds; no mortal woes can reach the peaceful sleeper here while angels watch the soft repose. the latter hymn (montgomery's) is biographical--as described on page -- servant of god, well done; rest from thy loved employ; the battle fought, the victory won, enter thy master's joy. only five stanzas of this long poem are now in use. the exquisite elegy of montgomery, entitled "the grave,"-- there is a calm for those who weep, a rest for weary mortals found they softly lie and sweetly sleep low in the ground. --is by no means discontinued on funeral occasions, nor margaret mackay's beloved hymn,-- asleep in jesus, blessed sleep, --melodized in bradbury's "rest." mrs. margaret mackay was born in , the daughter of capt. robert mackay of hedgefield, inverness, and wife of a major of the same name. she was the author of several prose works and _lays of leisure hours_, containing seventy-two original hymns and poems, of which "asleep in jesus" is one. she died in . "my jesus, as thou wilt." (_mein jesu, wie du willst._) this sweet hymn for mourners, known to us here in jane borthwick's translation, was written by benjamin schmolke (or schmolk) late in the th century. he was born at brauchitzchdorf, in silesia, dec. , , and received his education at the labau gymnasium and leipsic university. a sermon preached while a youth, for his father, a lutheran pastor, showed such remarkable promise that a wealthy man paid the expenses of his education for the ministry. he was ordained and settled as pastor of the free church at schweidnitz, silesia, in which charge he continued from till his death. schmolke was the most popular hymn-writer of his time, author of some nine hundred church pieces, besides many for special occasions. withal he was a man of exalted piety and a pastor of rare wisdom and influence. his death, of paralysis, occurred on the anniversary of his wedding, feb. , . my jesus, as thou wilt, oh may thy will be mine! into thy hand of love i would my all resign. thro' sorrow or thro' joy conduct me as thine own, and help me still to say, my lord, thy will be done. the last line is the refrain of the hymn of four eight-line stanzas. _the tune._ "sussex," by joseph barnby, a plain-song with a fine harmony, is good congregational music for the hymn. but "jewett," one of carl maria von weber's exquisite flights of song, is like no other in its intimate interpretation of the prayerful words. we hear luther's "bird in the heart" singing softly in every inflection of the tender melody as it glides on. the tune, arranged by joseph holbrook, is from an opera--the overture to weber's der freischutz--but one feels that the gentle musician when he wrote it must have caught an inspiration of divine trust and peace. the wish among the last words he uttered when dying in london of slow disease was, "let me go back to my own (home), and then god's will be done." that wish and the sentiment of schmolke's hymn belong to each other, for they end in the same way. my jesus, as thou wilt: all shall be well for me; each changing future scene i gladly trust with thee. straight to my home above i travel calmly on, and sing in life or death my lord, thy will be done. "i cannot always trace the way." in later years, when funeral music is desired, the employment of a male quartette has become a favorite custom. of the selections sung in this manner few are more suitable or more generally welcomed than the tender and trustful hymn of sir john bowring, rendered sometimes in dr. dykes' "almsgiving," but better in the less-known but more flexible tune composed by howard m. dow-- i cannot always trace the way where thou, almighty one, dost move, but i can always, always say that god is love. when fear her chilling mantle flings o'er earth, my soul to heaven above as to her native home upsprings, for god is love. when mystery clouds my darkened path, i'll check my dread, my doubts reprove; in this my soul sweet comfort hath that god is love. yes, god is love. a thought like this can every gloomy thought remove, and turn all tears, all woes to bliss for god is love. the first line of the hymn was originally, "'tis seldom i can trace the way." howard m. dow has been many years a resident of boston, and organist of the grand lodge of freemasons at the tremont st. (masonic) temple. _wedding._ time was when hymns were sung at weddings, though in america the practice was never universal. marriage, among protestants, is not one of the sacraments, and no masses are chanted for it by ecclesiastical ordinance. the question of music at private marriages depends on convenience, vocal or instrumental equipment, and the general drift of the occasion. at public weddings the organ's duty is the "wedding march." to revive a fashion of singing at home marriages would be considered an oddity--and, where civil marriages are legal, a superfluity--but in the religious ceremony, just after the prayer that follows the completion of the nuptial formula, it will occur to some that a hymn would "tide over" a proverbially awkward moment. even good, quaint old john berridge's lines would happily relieve the embarrassment--besides reminding the more thoughtless that a wedding is not a mere piece of social fun-- since jesus truly did appear to grace a marriage feast o lord, we ask thy presence here to make a wedding guest. upon the bridal pair look down who now have plighted hands; their union with thy favor crown and bless the nuptial bands * * * * * in purest love these souls unite that they with christian care may make domestic burdens light by taking each a share. tune, "lanesboro," mason. a wedding hymn of more poetic beauty is the one written by miss dorothy bloomfield (now mrs. gurney), born , for her sister's marriage in . o perfect love, all human thought transcending, lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne that their's may be a love which knows no ending whom thou forevermore dost join in one. o perfect life, be thou their first assurance of tender charity and steadfast faith, of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance, with childlike trust that fears nor pain nor death. grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow, grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife, and to their day the glorious unknown morrow that dawns upon eternal love and life. tune by joseph barnby, "o perfect love." _fruition day._ "lo! he comes with clouds descending." thomas olivers begins one of his hymns with this line. the hymn is a judgment-day lyric of rude strength and once in current use, but now rarely printed. the "lo he comes," here specially noted, is the production of john cennick, the moravian. lo! he comes with clouds descending once for favored sinners slain, thousand thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train. hallelujah! god appears on earth to reign. * * * * * yea, amen; let all adore thee high on thy eternal throne. saviour, take the power and glory, claim the kingdom for thine own; o come quickly; hallelujah! come, lord, come. _the tunes._ various composers have written music to this universal hymn, but none has given it a choral that it can claim as peculiarly its own. "brest," lowell mason's plain-song, has a limited range, and runs low on the staff, but its solemn chords are musical and commanding. as much can be said of the tunes of dr. dykes and samuel webbe, which have more variety. those who feel that the hymn calls for a more ornate melody will prefer madan's "helmsley." "lo! what a glorious sight appears." the great southampton bard who wrote "sweet fields beyond the swelling flood" was quick to kindle at every reminder of fruition day. lo! what a glorious sight appears to our believing eyes! the earth and seas are passed away, and the old rolling skies. from the third heaven, where god resides, that holy, happy place, the new jerusalem comes down, adorned with shining grace. this hymn of watts' sings one of his most exalted visions. it has been dear for two hundred years to every christian soul throbbing with millennial thoughts and wishful of the day when-- the god of glory down to men removes his best abode, --and when-- his own kind hand shall wipe the tears from every weeping eye, and pains and groans, and griefs and fears, and death itself shall die, --and the yearning cry of the last stanza, when the vision fades, has been the household ? [a] of myriads of burdened and sorrowing saints-- how long, dear saviour, o how long shall this bright hour delay? fly swifter round ye wheels of time, and bring the welcome day! [footnote a: transcriber's note--this question mark is in the original. it is possibly a compositor's query which the author missed when correcting the proofs. the missing text could be "word".] _the tunes._ by right of long appropriation both "northfield" and "new jerusalem" own a near relationship to these glorious verses. ingalls, one of the constellation of early puritan psalmodists, to which billings and swan belonged, evidently loved the hymn, and composed his "new jerusalem" to the verse, "from the third heaven," and his "northfield" to "how long, dear saviour." the former is now sung only as a reminiscence of the music of the past, at church festivals, charity fairs and entertainments of similar design, but the action and hearty joy in it always evoke sympathetic applause. "northfield" is still in occasional use, and it is a jewel of melody, however irretrievably out of fashion. its union to that immortal stanza, if no other reason, seems likely to insure its permanent place in the lists of sacred song. john cole's "annapolis," still found in a few hymnals with these words, is a little too late to be called a contemporary piece, but there are some reminders of ingalls' "new jerusalem" in its style and vigor, and it really partakes the flavor of the old new england church music. jeremiah ingalls was born in andover, mass., march , . a natural fondness for music increased with his years, but opportunities to educate it were few and far between, and he seemed like to become no more than a fairly good bass-viol player in the village choir. but his determination carried him higher, and in time his self-taught talent qualified him for a singing-school master, and for many years he travelled through massachusetts, new hampshire and vermont, training the raw vocal material in the country towns, and organizing choirs. between his thirtieth and fortieth years, he composed a number of tunes, and, in published a two hundred page collection of his own and others' music, which he called the _christian harmony_. his home was for some time in newberry, vt., but he subsequently lived at rochester and at hancock in the same state. among the traditions of him is this anecdote of the origin of his famous tune "northfield," which may indicate something of his temper and religious habit. during his travels as a singing-school teacher he stopped at a tavern in the town of northfield and ordered his dinner. it was very slow in coming, but the inevitable "how long?" that formulated itself in his hungry thoughts, instead of sharpening into profane complaint, fell into the rhythm of watts' sacred line--and the tune came with it. to call it "northfield" was natural enough; the place where its melody first beguiled him from his bodily wants to a dream of the final fruition day. ingalls died in hancock, vt., april , . chapter xiv. hymns of hope and consolation. "jerusalem the golden." _urbs sion aurea._ "the seven great hymns" of the latin church are: laus patriae coelestis,--(praise of the heavenly country). veni, sancte spiritus,--(come, holy spirit) veni, creator spiritus,--(come, creator spirit) dies irae,--(the day of wrath) stabat mater,--(the mother stood by) mater speciosa,--(the fair mother.) vexilla regis.--(the banner of the king.) chief of these is the first named, though that is but part of a religious poem of three thousand lines, which the author, bernard of cluny, named "de contemptu mundi" (concerning disdain of the world.) bernard was of english parentage, though born at morlaix, a seaport town in the north of france. the exact date of his birth is unknown, though it was probably about a.d. . he is called bernard of cluny because he lived and wrote at that place, a french town on the grone where he was abbot of a famous monastery, and also to distinguish him from bernard of clairvaux. his great poem is rarely spoken of as a whole, but in three portions, as if each were a complete work. the first is the long exordium, exhausting the pessimistic title (contempt of the world), and passing on to the second, where begins the real "laus patriae coelestis." this being cut in two, making a third portion, has enriched the christian world with two of its best hymns, "for thee, o dear, dear country," and "jerusalem the golden." bernard wrote the medieval or church latin in its prime of literary refinement, and its accent is so obvious and its rhythm so musical that even one ignorant of the language could pronounce it, and catch its rhymes. the "contemptu mundi" begins with these two lines, in a hexameter impossible to copy in translation: hora novissima; tempora pessima sunt; vigilemus! ecce minaciter imminet arbiter, ille supremus! 'tis the last hour; the times are at their worst; watch; lo the judge supreme stands threat'ning nigh! or, as dr. neale paraphrases and softens it,-- the world is very evil, the times are waxing late, be sober and keep vigil, the judge is at the gate, --and, after the poet's long, dark diorama of the world's wicked condition, follows the "praise of the heavenly fatherland," when a tender glory dawns upon the scene till it breaks into sunrise with the vision of the golden city. all that an opulent and devout imagination can picture of the beauty and bounty of heaven, and all that faith can construct from the glimpses in the revelation of its glory and happiness is poured forth in the lavish poetry of the inspired monk of cluny-- urbs sion aurea, patria lactea, cive decora, omne cor obruis, omnibus obstruis, et cor et ora. nescio, nescio quae jubilatio lux tibi qualis, quam socialia gaudia, gloria quam specialis. jerusalem, the golden; with milk and honey blest; beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice opprest. i know not, o i know not what joys await us there, with radiancy of glory, with bliss beyond compare. they stand, those halls of zion, all jubilant with song,[ ] and bright with many an angel; and all the martyr throng. the prince is ever in them, the daylight is serene; the pastures of the blessed are decked in glorious sheen. * * * * * o sweet and blessed country, the home of god's elect! o sweet and blessed country, that eager hearts expect! jesu, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest, who art, with god the father, and spirit, ever blest. [footnote : in first editions, "_conjubilant_ with song."] dr. john mason neale, the translator, was obliged to condense bernard's exuberant verse, and he has done so with unsurpassable grace and melody. he made his translation while "inhibited" from his priestly functions in the church of england for his high ritualistic views and practice, and so poor that he wrote stories for children to earn his living. his poverty added to the wealth of christendom. _the tune._ the music of "jerusalem the golden" used in most churches is the composition of alexander ewing, a paymaster in the english army. he was born in aberdeen, scotland, jan. d, , and educated there at marischal college. the tune bears his name, and this honor, and its general favor with the public, are so much testimony to its merit. it is a stately harmony in d major with sonorous and impressive chords. ewing died in . "why should we start and fear to die?" probably it is an embarrassment of riches and despair of space that have crowded this hymn--perhaps the sweetest that watts ever wrote--out of some of our church singing-books. it is pleasant to find it in the new _methodist hymnal_, though with an indifferent tune. christians of today should surely sing the last two stanzas with the same exalted joy and hope that made them sacred to pious generations past and gone-- o if my lord would come and meet, my soul would stretch her wings in haste. fly fearless through death's iron gate, nor feel the terrors as she passed. jesus can make a dying bed feel soft as downy pillows are, while on his breast i lean my head and breathe my life out sweetly there. _the tune._ the plain-music of william boyd's "pentecost," (with modulations in the tenor), creates a new accent for the familiar lines. preferable in every sense are bradbury's tender "zephyr" or "rest." no coming generation will ever feel the pious gladness of amariah hall's "all saints new" in e flat major as it stirred the christian choirs of seventy five years ago. fitted to this heart-felt lyric of watts, it opened with the words-- o if my lord would come and meet, in full harmony and four-four time, continuing to the end of the stanza. the melody, with its slurred syllables and beautiful modulations was almost blithe in its brightness, while the strong musical bass and the striking chords of the "counter," chastened it and held the anthem to its due solemnity of tone and expression. then the fugue took up-- jesus can make a dying bed, --bass, treble and tenor adding voice after voice in the manner of the old "canon" song, and the full harmony again carried the words, with loving repetitions, to the final bar. the music closed with a minor concord that was strangely effective and sweet. amariah hall was born in raynham, mass., april , , and died there feb. , . he "farmed it," manufactured straw-bonnets, kept tavern and taught singing-school. music was only an avocation with him, but he was an artist in his way, and among his compositions are found in some ancient tune books his "morning glory," "canaan," "falmouth," "restoration," "massachusetts," "raynham," "crucifixion," "harmony," "devotion," "zion," and "hosanna." "all saints new" was his masterpiece. "when i can read my title clear." no sacred song has been more profanely parodied by the thoughtless, or more travestied, (if we may use so strong a word), in popular religious airs, than this golden hymn which has made isaac watts a benefactor to every prisoner of hope. not to mention the fancy figures and refrains of camp-meeting music, which have cheapened it, neither john cole's "annapolis" nor arne's "arlington" nor a dozen others that have borrowed these speaking lines, can wear out their association with "auld lang syne." the hymn has permeated the tune, and, without forgetting its own words, the scotch melody preforms both a social and religious mission. some arrangements of it make it needlessly repetitious, but its pathos will always best vocalize the hymn, especially the first and last stanzas-- when i can read my title clear to mansions in the skies i'll bid farewell to every fear and wipe my weeping eyes. * * * * * there shall i bathe my weary soul in seas of heavenly rest, and not a wave of trouble roll across my peaceful breast. "vital spark of heavenly flame." this paraphrase, by alexander pope, of the emperor adrian's death-bed address to his soul-- animula, vagula, blandula, hospes, comesque corporis, --transfers the poetry and constructs a hymnic theme. an old hymn writer by the name of flatman wrote a pindaric, somewhat similar to "adrian's address," as follows: when on my sick-bed i languish, full of sorrow, full of anguish, fainting, gasping, trembling, crying, panting, groaning, speechless, dying; methinks i hear some gentle spirit say, "be not fearful, come away." pope combined these two poems with the words of divine inspiration, "o death, where is thy sting? o grave, where is thy victory?" and made a pagan philosopher's question the text for a triumphant christian anthem of hope. vital spark of heavenly flame, quit, oh quit this mortal frame. trembling, hoping, ling'ring, flying, oh the pain, the bliss of dying! cease, fond nature, cease thy strife, and let me languish into life. hark! they whisper: angels say, "sister spirit, come away!" what is this absorbs me quite, steals my senses, shuts my sight, drowns my spirit, draws my breath, tell me, my soul, can this be death? the world recedes: it disappears: heaven opens on my eyes; my ears with sounds seraphic ring. lend, lend your wings! i mount! i fly! o grave where is thy victory? o death, where is thy sting? _the tune._ the old anthem, "the dying christian," or "the dying christian to his soul," which first made this lyric familiar in america as a musical piece, will never be sung again except at antique entertainments, but it had an importance in its day. beginning in quadruple time on four flats minor, it renders the first stanza in flowing concords largo affettuoso, and a single bass fugue, then suddenly shifting to one flat, major, duple time, it executes the second stanza, "hark! they whisper" ... "what is this, etc.," in alternate pianissimo and forte phrases; and finally, changing to triple time, sings the third triumphant stanza, andante, through staccato and fortissimo. the shout in the last adagio, on the four final bars, "o death! o death!" softening with "where is thy sting?" is quite in the style of old orchestral magnificence. since "the dying christian" ceased to appear in church music, the poem, for some reason, seems not to have been recognized as a hymn. it is, however, a christian poem, and a true lyric of hope and consolation, whatever the character of the author or however pagan the original that suggested it. the most that is now known of edward harwood, the composer of the anthem, is that he was an english musician and psalmodist, born near blackburn, lancaster co., , and died about . "your harps, ye trembling saints." this hymn of toplady,--unlike "a debtor to mercy alone," and "inspirer and hearer of prayer," both now little used,--stirs no controversial feeling by a single line of his aggressive calvinism. it is simply a song of christian gratitude and joy. your harps, ye trembling saints down from the willows take; loud to the praise of love divine bid every string awake. though in a foreign land, we are not far from home, and nearer to our house above we every moment come. * * * * * blest is the man, o god, that stays himself on thee, who waits for thy salvation, lord, shall thy salvation see. _the tune._ "olmutz" was arranged by lowell mason from a gregorian chant. he set it himself to toplady's hymn, and it seems the natural music for it. the words are also sometimes written and sung to jonathan woodman's "state st." jonathan call woodman was born in newburyport, mass., july , . he was the organist of st. george's chapel, flushing l.i. and a teacher, composer and compiler. his _musical casket_ was not issued until dec. , but he wrote the tune of "state st." in august, . it was a contribution to bradbury's _psalmodist_, which was published the same year. "ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell." dr. doddridge's "farewell" is not a note of regret. unlike bernard, he appreciates this world while he anticipates the better one, but his contemplation climbs from god's footstool to his throne. his thought is in the last two lines of the second stanza, where he takes leave of the sun-- my soul that springs beyond thy sphere no more demands thine aid. but his fancy will find a function for the "golden lamps" even in the glory that swallows up their light-- ye stars are but the shining dust of my divine abode, the pavement of those heavenly courts where i shall dwell with god. the father of eternal light shall there his beams display, nor shall one moment's darkness mix with that unvaried day. _the tune._ the hymn has been assigned to "mt. auburn," a composition of george kingsley, but a far better interpretation--if not best of all--is h.k. oliver's tune of "merton," ( ,) older, but written purposely for the words. "triumphant zion, lift thy head." this fine and stimulating lyric is doddridge in another tone. instead of singing hope to the individual, he sounds a note of encouragement to the church. put all thy beauteous garments on, and let thy excellence be known; decked in the robes of righteousness, the world thy glories shall confess. * * * * * god from on high has heard thy prayer; his hand thy ruins shall repair, nor will thy watchful monarch cease to guard thee in eternal peace. the tune, "anvern," is one of mason's charming melodies, full of vigor and cheerful life, and everything can be said of it that is said of the hymn. duffield compares the hymn and tune to a ring and its jewel. it is one of the inevitable freaks of taste that puts so choice a strain of psalmody out of fashion. many younger pieces in the church manuals could be better spared. "shrinking from the cold hand of death." this is a hymn of contrast, the dark of recoiling nature making the background of the rainbow. written by charles wesley, it has passed among his forgotten or mostly forgotten productions but is notable for the frequent use of its rd stanza by his brother john. john wesley, in his old age, did not so much shrink from death as from the thought of its too slow approach. his almost constant prayer was, "lord, let me not live to be useless." "at every place," says belcher, "after giving to his societies what he desired them to consider his last advice, he invariably concluded with the stanza beginning-- "'oh that, without a lingering groan, i may the welcome word receive. my body with my charge lay down, and cease at once to work and live.'" the anticipation of death itself by both the great evangelists ended like the ending of the hymn-- no anxious doubt, no guilty gloom shall daunt whom jesus' presence cheers; my light, my life, my god is come, and glory in his face appears. "forever with the lord." montgomery had the ambrosian gift of spiritual song-writing. whatever may be thought of his more ambitious descriptive or heroic pages of verse, and his long narrative poems, his lyrics and cabinet pieces are gems. the poetry in some exquisite stanzas of his "grave" is a dream of peace: there is a calm for those who weep, a rest for weary mortals found; they softly lie and sweetly sleep low in the ground. the storms that wreck the winter's sky no more disturb their deep repose than summer evening's latest sigh that shuts the rose. but in the poem, "at home in heaven," which we are considering--with its divine text in i thess. : --the sheffield bard rises to the heights of vision. he wrote it when he was an old man. the contemplation so absorbed him that he could not quit his theme till he had composed twenty-two quatrains. only four or five--or at most only seven of them--are now in general use. like his "prayer is the soul's sincere desire," they have the pith of devotional thought in them, but are less subjective and analytical. forever with the lord! amen, so let it be, life from the dead is in that word; 'tis immortality. here in the body pent, absent from him i roam, yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home. my father's house on high! home of my soul, how near at times to faith's foreseeing eye thy golden gates appear. i hear at morn and even, at noon and midnight hour, the choral harmonies of heaven earth's babel tongues o'erpower. the last line has been changed to read-- seraphic music pour, --and finally the hymnals have dropped the verse and substituted others. the new line is an improvement in melody but not in rhyme, and, besides, it robs the stanza of its leading thought--heaven and earth offsetting each other, and heavenly music drowning earthly noise--a thought that is missed even in the rich cantos of "jerusalem the golden." _the tunes._ nearly the whole school of good short metre tunes, from "st. thomas" to "boylston" have offered their notes to montgomery's "at home in heaven," but the two most commonly recognized as its property are "mornington," named from lord mornington, its author, and i.b. woodbury's familiar harmony, "forever with the lord." garret colley wellesley, earl of mornington, and ancestor of the duke of wellington, was born in dagan, ireland, july , . remarkable for musical talent when a child, he became a skilled violinist, organ-player and composer in boyhood, with little aid beyond his solitary study and practice. when scarcely twenty-one, the university of dublin conferred on him the degree of doctor of music, and a professorship. he excelled as a composer of glees, but wrote also tunes and anthems for the church, some of which are still extant in the choir books of the dublin cathedral died march , . "hark! hark, my soul!" the methodist reformation, while it had found no practical sympathy within the established church, left a deep sense of its reason and purpose in the minds of the more devout episcopalians, and this feeling, instead of taking form in popular revival methods, prompted them to deeper sincerity and more spiritual fervor in their traditional rites of worship. many of the next generation inherited this pious ecclesiasticism, and carried their loyalty to the old christian culture to the extreme of devotion till they saw in the sacraments the highest good of the soul. it was keble's "christian year" and his "assize sermon" that began the tractarian movement at oxford which brought to the front himself and such men as henry newman and frederick william faber. the hymns and sacred poems of these sacramentarian christians would certify to their earnest piety, even if their lives were unknown. faber's hymn "hark, hark my soul," is welcomed and loved by every christian sect for its religious spirit and its lyric beauty. hark! hark, my soul! angelic songs are swelling o'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore; how sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling of that new life where sin shall be no more. refrain angels of jesus, angels of light singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night. onward we go, for still we hear them singing "come, weary souls, for jesus bids you come," and through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing, the music of the gospel leads us home. angels of jesus. far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, the voice of jesus sounds o'er land and sea, and laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing, kind shepherd, turn their weary steps to thee. angels of jesus. _the tunes._ john b. dykes and henry smart--both masters of hymn-tune construction--have set this hymn to music. "vox angelica" in b flat, the work of the former, is a noble composition for choir or congregation, but "pilgrim," the other's interpretation, though not dissimilar in movement and vocal range, has, perhaps, the more sympathetic melody. it is, at least, the favorite in many localities. some books print the two on adjacent pages as optionals. another much-loved hymn of faber's is-- o paradise, o paradise! who doth not crave for rest? who would not see the happy land where they that loved are blest? refrain where loyal hearts and true stand ever in the light, all rapture through and through in god's most holy sight. o paradise, o paradise, the world is growing old; who would not be at rest and free where love is never cold. where loyal hearts and true. o paradise, o paradise, i greatly long to see the special place my dearest lord, in love prepares for me. where loyal hearts and true. this aspiration, from the ardent soul of the poet has been interpreted in song by the same two musicians, and by joseph barnby--all with the title "paradise." their similarity of style and near equality of merit have compelled compilers to print at least two of them side by side for the singers' choice. a certain pathos in the strains of barnby's composition gives it a peculiar charm to many, and in america it is probably the oftenest sung to the words. dr. david breed, speaking of faber's "unusual" imagination, says, "he got more out of language than any other poet of the english tongue, and used words--even simple words--so that they rendered him a service which no other poet ever secured from them." the above hymns are characteristic to a degree, but the telling simplicity of his style--almost quaint at times--is more marked in "there's a wideness in god's mercy," given on p. . [illustration: horatius bonar, d.d.] "beyond the smiling and the weeping." this song of hope--one of the most strangely tuneful and rune-like of dr. bonar's hymn-poems--is less frequently sung owing to the peculiarity of its stanza form. but it scarcely needs a staff of notes-- beyond the smiling and the weeping i shall be soon; beyond the waking and the sleeping, beyond the sowing and the reaping i shall be soon. refrain love, rest and home! sweet hope! lord, tarry not, but come. * * * * * beyond the parting and the meeting i shall be soon; beyond the farewell and the greeting, beyond the pulses' fever-beating i shall be soon. love, rest and home! beyond the frost-chain and the fever i shall be soon; beyond the rock-waste and the river beyond the ever and the never i shall be soon. love, rest and home! the wild contrasts and reverses of earthly vicissitude are spoken and felt here in the sequence of words. perpetual black-and-white through time; then the settled life and untreacherous peace of eternity. everywhere in the song the note of heavenly hope interrupts the wail of disappointment, and the chorus returns to transport the soul from the land of emotional whirlwinds to unbroken rest. _the tunes._ mr. bradbury wrote an admirable tune to this hymn, though the one since composed by mr. stebbins has in some localities superseded it in popular favor. skill in following the accent and unequal rhythms produces a melodious tone-poem, and completes the impression of bonar's singular but sweet lyric of hope which suggests a chant-choral rather than a regular polyphonic harmony. w.a. tarbutton and the young composer, karl harrington, have set the hymn to music, but the success of their work awaits the public test. "we shall meet beyond the river." the words were written by rev. john atkinson, d.d., in january, , soon after the death of his mother. he had been engaged in revival work and one night in his study, "that song, in substance, seemed," he says, "to sing itself into my heart." he said to himself, "i would better write it down, or i shall lose it." "there," he adds, "in the silence of my study, and not far from midnight, i wrote the hymn." we shall meet beyond the river by and by, by and by; and the darkness will be over by and by, by and by. with the toilsome journey done, and the glorious battle won. we shall shine forth as the sun by and by, by and by. the rev. john atkinson was born in deerfield, n.j. sept. , . a clergyman of the methodist denomination, he is well-known as one of its writers. the _centennial history of american methodism_ is his work, and besides the above hymn, he has written and published _the garden of sorrows_, and _the living way_. he died dec. , . the tune to "we shall meet," by hubert p. main, composed in , exactly translates the emotional hymn into music. s.j. vail also wrote music to the words. the hymn, originally six eight-line stanzas, was condensed at his request to its present length and form by fanny crosby. "one sweetly solemn thought." phebe cary, the author of this happy poem, was the younger of the two cary sisters, alice and phebe, names pleasantly remembered in american literature. the praise of one reflects the praise of the other when we are told that phebe possessed a loving and trustful soul, and her life was an honor to true womanhood and a blessing to the poor. she had to struggle with hardship and poverty in her early years: "i have cried in the street because i was poor," she said in her prosperous years, "and the poor always seem nearer to me than the rich." when reputation came to her as a writer, she removed from her little country home near cincinnati, o., where she was born, in , and settled in new york city with her sister. she died at newport, n.y., july , , and her hymn was sung at her funeral. her remains rest in greenwood cemetery. "one sweetly solemn thought," was written in , during a visit to one of her friends. she wrote (to her friend's inquiry) years afterwards that it first saw the light "in your own house ... in the little back third-story bedroom, one sunday after coming from church." it was a heart experience noted down without literary care or artistic effort, and in its original form was in too irregular measure to be sung. she set little value upon it as a poem, but when shown hesitatingly to inquiring compilers, its intrinsic worth was seen, and various revisions of it were made. the following is one of the best versions--stanzas one, two and three:-- one sweetly solemn thought comes to me o'er and o'er, i am nearer home to-day, than i ever have been before. nearer my father's house, where the many mansions be, nearer the great white throne, nearer the crystal sea. nearer the bound of life, where we lay our burdens down, nearer leaving the cross nearer gaining the crown. _the tune._ the old revival tune of "dunbar," with its chorus, "there'll be no more sorrow there," has been sung to the hymn, but the tone-lyric of philip phillips, "nearer home," has made the words its own, and the public are more familiar with it than with any other. it was this air that a young man in a drinking house in macao, near hong-kong, began humming thoughtlessly while his companion was shuffling the cards for a new game. both were americans, the man with the cards more than twenty years the elder. noticing the tune, he threw down the pack. every word of the hymn had come back to him with the echo of the music. "harry, where did you learn that hymn?" "what hymn?" "why the one you have been singing." the young man said he did not know what he had been singing. but when the older one repeated some of the lines, he said they were learned in the sunday-school. "come, harry," said the older one, "here's what i've won from you. as for me, as god sees me, i have played my last game, and drank my last bottle. i have misled you, harry, and i am sorry for it. give me your hand, my boy, and say that, for old america's sake, if for no other, you will quit this infernal business." col. russel h. conwell, of boston, (now rev. dr. conwell of philadelphia) who was then visiting china, and was an eye-witness of the scene, says that the reformation was a permanent one for both. "i will sing you a song of that beautiful land." one day, in the year , mrs. ellen m.h. gates received a letter from philip phillips noting the passage in the _pilgrim's progress_ which describes the joyful music of heaven when christian and hopeful enter on its shining shore beyond the river of death, and asking her to write a hymn in the spirit of the extract, as one of the numbers in his _singing pilgrim_. mrs. gates complied--and the sequel of the hymn she wrote is part of the modern song-history of the church. mr. phillips has related how, when he received it, he sat down with his little boy on his knee, read again the passage in bunyan, then the poem again, and, turning to his organ, pencil in hand, pricked the notes of the melody. "the 'home of the soul,'" he says, "seems to have had god's blessing from the beginning, and has been a comfort to many a bereaved soul. like many loved hymns, it has had a peculiar history, for its simple melody has flowed from the lips of high churchmen, and has sought to make itself heard above the din of salvation army cymbals and drums. it has been sung in prisons and in jailyards, while the poor convict was waiting to be launched into eternity, and on hundreds of funeral occasions. one man writes me that he has led the singing of it at one hundred and twenty funerals. it was sung at my dear boy's funeral, who sat on my knee when i wrote it. it is my prayer that god may continue its solace and comfort. i have books containing the song now printed in seven different languages." a writer in the _golden rule_ (now the _christian endeavor world_) calls attention to an incident on a night railroad train narrated in the late benjamin f. taylor's _world on wheels_, in which "this hymn appears as a sort of traveller's psalm." among the motley collection of passengers, some talkative, some sleepy, some homesick and cross, all tired, sat two plain women who, "would make capital country aunts.... if they were mothers at all they were good ones." suddenly in a dull silence, near twelve o'clock, a voice, sweet and flexible, struck up a tune. the singer was one of those women. "she sang on, one after another the good methodist and baptist melodies of long ago," and the growing interest of the passengers became chained attention when she began-- "i will sing you a song of that beautiful land, the far-away home of the soul, where no storms can beat on the glittering strand, while the years of eternity roll. o, that home of the soul, in my visions and dreams, its bright jasper walls i can see; till i fancy but thinly the veil intervenes between the fair city and me." "the car was a wakeful hush long before she had ended; it was as if a beautiful spirit were floating through the air. none that heard will ever forget. philip phillips can never bring that 'home of the soul' any nearer to anybody. and never, i think, was quite so sweet a voice lifted in a storm of a november night on the rolling plains of iowa." in an autograph copy of her hymn, sent to the editor, mrs. gates changes "harps" to "palms." is it an improvement? "palms" is a word of two meanings. o how sweet it will be in that beautiful land, so free from all sorrow and pain, with songs on our lips and with harps in our hands to meet one another again. "there's a land that is fairer than day." this belongs rather with "christian ballads" than with genuine hymns, but the song has had and still has an uplifting mission among the lowly whom literary perfection and musical nicety could not touch--and the first two lines, at least, are good hymn-writing. few of the best sacred lyrics have been sung with purer sentiment and more affectionate fervor than "the sweet by-and-by." to any company keyed to sympathy by time, place, and condition, the feeling of the song brings unshed tears. as nearly as can be ascertained it was in the year that a man about forty-eight years old, named webster, entered the office of dr. bennett in elkhorn. wis., wearing a melancholy look, and was rallied good-naturedly by the doctor for being so blue--webster and bennett were friends, and the doctor was familiar with the other's frequent fits of gloom. the two men had been working in a sort of partnership, webster being a musician and bennett a ready verse-writer, and together they had created and published a number of sheet-music songs. when webster was in a fit of melancholy, it was the doctor's habit to give him a "dose" of new verses and cure him by putting him to work. today the treatment turned out to be historic. "what's the matter now," was the doctor's greeting when his "patient" came with the tell-tale face. "o, nothing," said webster. "it'll be all right by and by." "why not make a song of the sweet by and by?" rejoined the doctor, cheerfully. "i don't know," said webster, after thinking a second or two. "if you'll make the words, i'll write the music." the doctor went to his desk, and in a short time produced three stanzas and a chorus to which his friend soon set the notes of a lilting air, brightening up with enthusiasm as he wrote. seizing his violin, which he had with him, he played the melody, and in a few minutes more he had filled in the counterpoint and made a complete hymn-tune. by that time two other friends, who could sing, had come in and the quartette tested the music on the spot. here different accounts divide widely as to the immediate sequel of the new-born song. a western paper in telling its story a year or two ago, stated that webster took the "sweet by and by" (in sheet-music form), with a batch of other pieces, to chicago, and that it was the only song of the lot that root and cady would not buy; and finally, after he had tried in vain to sell it, lyon and healy took it "out of pity," and paid him twenty dollars. they sold eight or ten copies (the story continued) and stowed it away with dead goods, and it was not till apparently a long time after, when a sunday-school hymn-book reprinted it, and began to sell rapidly on its account, that the "sweet by and by" started on its career round the world. this seems circumstantial enough, and the author of the hymn in his own story of it might have chosen to omit some early particulars, but, untrustworthy as the chronology of mere memory is, he would hardly record immediate popularity of a song that lay in obscurity for years. dr. bennett's words are, "i think it was used in public shortly after [its production], for within two weeks children on the street were singing it." the explanation may be partly the different method and order of the statements, partly lapses of memory (after thirty years) and partly in collateral facts. the sunday-school hymn-book was evidently _the signet ring_, which bennett and webster were at work upon and into which first went the "sweet by and by"--whatever efforts may have been made to dispose of it elsewhere or whatever copyright arrangement could have warranted mr. healy in purchasing a song already printed. the _signet ring_ did not begin to profit by the song until the next year, after a copy of it appeared in the publishers' circulars, and started a demand; so that the _immediate_ popularity implied in doctor bennett's account was limited to the children of elkhorn village. the piece had its run, but with no exceptional result as to its hold on the public, until in ira d. sankey took it up as one of his working hymns. modified from its first form in the "_signet ring_" with pianoforte accompaniment and chorus, it appeared that year in _winnowed hymns_ as arranged by hubert p. main, and it has so been sung ever since. sanford filmore bennett, born in , appears to have been a native of the west, or, at least, removed there when a young man. in he settled in elkhorn to practice his profession. died oct., . joseph philbrick webster was born in manchester, n.h. march , . he was an active member of the handel and haydn society, and various other musical associations. removed to madison, ind. , racine, wis. , and elkhorn, wis., , where he died jan. , . his _signet ring_ was published in . there's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith i can see it afar for the father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling-place there. chorus in the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore. we shall sing on that beautiful shore the melodious songs of the blest, and our spirits shall sorrow no more, nor sigh for the blessing of rest. in the sweet by and by, etc. "sunset and evening star." was it only a poet's imagination that made alfred tennyson approach perhaps nearest of all great protestants to a sense of the real "presence," every time he took the holy communion at the altar? whatever the feeling was, it characterized all his maturer life, so far as its spiritual side was known. his remark to a niece expressed it, while walking with her one day on the seashore, "god is with us now, on this down, just as truly as jesus was with his two disciples on the way to emmaus." such a man's faith would make no room for dying terrors. sunset and evening star, and one clear call for me, and may there be no moaning of the bar when i put out to sea, but such a tide as, moving, seems asleep, too full for sound and foam, when that which drew from out the boundless deep turns again home. twilight and evening bell, and after that the dark, and may there be no sadness of farewell when i embark. for though from out our bourne of time and place the flood may bear me far, i hope to see my pilot face to face when i have crossed the bar. tennyson lived three years after penning this sublime prayer. but it was his swan-song. born at somersby, lincolnshire, aug. , dying at farringford, oct. , , he filled out the measure of a good old age. and his prayer was answered, for his death was serene and dreadless. his unseen pilot guided him gently "across the bar"--and then _he saw him_. _the tune._ joseph barnby's "crossing the bar" has supplied a noble choral to this poem. it will go far to make it an accepted tone in church worship, among the more lyrical strains of verse that sing hope and euthanasia. "safe in the arms of jesus." if tennyson had the mistaken feeling (as dr. benson intimates) "that hymns were expected to be commonplace," it was owing both to his mental breeding and his mental stature. genius in a colossal frame cannot otherwise than walk in strides. what is technically a hymn he never wrote, but it is significant that as he neared the shoreless sea, and looked into the infinite, his sense of the divine presence instilled something of the hymn spirit into his last verses. between alfred tennyson singing trustfully of his pilot and fanny crosby singing "safe in the arms of jesus," is only the width of the choir. the organ tone and the flute-note breathe the same song. the stately poem and the sweet one, the masculine and the feminine, both have wings, but while the one is lifted in anthem and solemn chant in the great sanctuaries, the other is echoing isaiah's tender text[ ] in prayer meeting and sunday-school and murmuring it at the humble firesides like a mother's lullaby. [footnote : isa. : .] safe in the arms of jesus, safe on his gentle breast, there by his love o'ershaded sweetly my soul shall rest. hark! 'tis the voice of angels borne in a song to me over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea. refrain safe in the arms of jesus ( st four lines rep.). safe in the arms of jesus, safe from corroding care, safe from the world's temptations, sin cannot harm me there. free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears, only a few more trials, only a few more tears. safe in the arms of jesus. jesus, my heart's dear refuge jesus has died for me; firm on the rock of ages ever my trust shall be, here let me with patience, wait till the night is o'er, wait till i see the morning break on the golden shore. safe in the arms of jesus. --composed . _the tune._ those who have characterized the _gospel hymns_ as "sensational" have always been obliged to except this modest lyric of christian peace and its sweet and natural musical supplement by dr. w.h. doane. no hurried and high-pitched chorus disturbs the quiet beauty of the hymn, a simple _da capo_ being its only refrain. "safe in the arms of jesus" sang itself into public favor with the pulses of hymn and tune beating together. index of names. abbot, lyman, , abt, franz, , adams, e., adams, john, adams, john quincy, adams, sarah f., addison, joseph, , , adrian, (emperor), aiblinger, johan caspar, aldrich, jonathan, alexander, mrs. c.f., allen, george n., allen, j.o., almond, ----, , altenburg, johan m., ambrose, xiii, , , anatolius, apes, william, aratus, arne, thomas a., , arnold, matthew, arnold, s., atchison, john b., atkinson, john, , auber, harriet, , augustine, ix, , avison, charles, bach, emanuel, bach, sebastian, , bailey, thomas h., baker, sir henry, baldwin, thomas, barlow, joel, , barnby, joseph, , , , , , , barnes, albert, barthelemon, f.h., , basil the great, bassini, ----, beanes, william, beddome, benjamin, , beecher, henry ward, beethoven, ludwig von, , , , belcher, dr., bennett, sanford f., - benson, louis f., , bentham, jeremy, berkeley, bp. george, - bernard of clairvaux, bernard of cluny, , , , berridge, john, , , berthold of tours, beza, theodore, xvi biglow and main, billings, william, , , , , bishop, sir henry, blackall, c.r., bliss, mrs. j. worthington, bliss, philip p., , , , , , , , , , , , , bloomfield, dorothy, boardman, george dana, bohler, peter, bonaparte, napoleon, , bonar, horatius, , , , , , , bonar, james, bonaventura, , borthwick, jane, , bortniansky, dimitri, bottome, francis, bourdaloue, bourgeois, louis, bowring, sir john, , , , boyd, william, bradbury, william b., , , , , , , , , , , brady, nicholas, , , brainerd, david, breed, david r., , , , , brooks, charles t., brooks, bp. phillips, x, , brown, john, brown, phebe h., - , brown, samuel, brown, theron, , , brown, timothy h., bruce, michael, brundage, ----, bull, john, burgmÃ�ller, f., burney, charles, , burns, robert, , , bute, walter, , butterworth, hezekiah, v, vi, , , , caldwell, william, campbell, david e., campbell, jane m., campbell, robert, caradoc, ----, carey, henry, carey, william, , , caroline, (queen), cary, phebe, , , cartwright, peter, , case, charles c., caswall, edward, , , cawood, john, , celano, thomas di., , cennick, john, , , chalmers, thomas, , chandler, john, chandler, s., chapin, amzi, charlemagne, charles, david, charles, thomas, cibber, mrs., clark, jeremiah, clarke, adam, claudius, matthias, clement of alexandria, , clephane, elizabeth c., clichtovius, cole, john, , , , coles, george, , , collyer, william b., , columbus, christopher, conder, josiah, conkey, ithamar, , converse, charles crozat, conwell, russell h., cook, martha a.w., , cook, parsons, , cooper, george, corelli, arcangelo, cornell, j.b., cornell, john henry, , , corse, gen. g.m., cousin, anne r., , covert, cowdell, samuel, cowper, william, x, , , , , croft, william, crosby, fanny j., , , , , , cuyler, theodore l., cyprian of carthage, dadmun, j.w., dagget, simeon, dana, mary s.b., , dartmouth, lord, davenant, sir william, de groote, gerard, de la mothe, jeanne m.b., , de lisle, roget, denham, david, dermid, (king), dexter, henry m., , ditson, oliver, vii, dixon, william, doane, bp. george w., , doane, william h., , , , , , , , doddridge, philip, , , , , , , , , dodge, ossian e., douglas, george, vii dow, howard m., dow, lorenzo, dow, peggy, draper, bourne h., dunbar, e.w., d'urhan, christian, dutton, deodatus, dwight, h.o., dwight, john s., , dwight, timothy, , , dykes, john b., , , , , , , , , , , , edmeston, james, , edson, lewis, , edwards, jonathan, elias, john, elizabeth, (queen), elliott, charlotte, , elliot, ebenezer, ellsworth, j.s., emerson, ralph waldo, , ephrem, syrus, erbury, ----, esling, catherine, , , evans, evelyn, evans, heber, evans, john miller, evans, thomas, ewing, alexander, faber, frederick w., , , , faure, jean baptiste, fawcett, john, , findlater, mrs., fischer, william gustavus, flatman, ----, fortunatus, venantius, , foster, paul, vii franc, guillaume, francis, benjamin, frankenberry, a.d., frederick, (king), freeman, john e., frothingham, n.l., ix fulbert, bp., - gardiner, william, , gates, bernard, gates, ellen m.h., vii, , , , , , gauntlett, henry i., , gellert, c.f., george i, (king), gerhardt, paul, , , , , giardini, felice, gilmore, joseph henry, , gladstone, william e., , glaser, carl, glenelg, lord, goode, william, , gordon, a.j., , gordon, mrs. a.j., vii gottschalk, louis, gough, john b., gould, eliza, gould, john edgar, , , gould, sabine baring, grannis, sidney m., grape, john t., grant, sir robert, , , gregory nazianzen, gregory the great, (pope), xiii, xiv, , grenade, john, griffiths, ann, - griffiths, edward, griggs, ----, groote, gerald de, guido, arentino, xiv guild, curtis, gurney, mrs., gustavus adolphus, (king), - guyon, madame, , hague, john r., vii hall, amasiah, , hall, elvina m., hammond, william, handel, george frederick, , , , , hankey, kate, , hanna, ione t., harrington, c.s., harrington, karl, harris, howell, , , harris, thomas, harrison, ralph, hart, joseph, , harewood, edward, hastings, h.l., hastings, thomas, , , , , , , - , hatfield, c.f., hatton, john, hatton, john liphot, havergal, frances ridley, , havergal, william henry, hawkes, annie s., hawkes, robert, haydn, joseph, hayward, thomas, hearn, marianne farningham, , heath, george, heath, lyman, heber, bp. reginald, , , , , , hedge, frederick h., hemans, felicia, , , , , henry vii, (king), hews, george, , , hicks, john j., hilary, bp., xiii hiller, ferdinand, , hinsdale, george, hodges, edward, , holbrook, joseph p., , , holden, oliver, , holmes, o.w., , , holroyd, israel, holzman, ----, hopkins, edward, , hopkins, john, hopkinson, joseph, hopper, edward, horder, garrett, howard, john, howe, julia ward, , hucbald, xiii huffer, francis, hughes and son, vii hughes, mrs., humphreys, cecil frances, hunter, william, , , huntingdon, (lady) selina, , , , , , huntington, dewitt c., husband, john jenkins, hyatt, john, hyde, charles, ingalls, jeremiah, , , , irving, washington, isaac, heinrich, , jackson, andrew, jackson, deborah, jerome of prague, john of damascus, , , johnson, albert, johnson, mrs. james g., jones, h.r., jones, john, jones, nancy, , jones, thomas, judah, daniel ben, judson, sarah b., julian, john, keble, john, , , keene, robert, keller, matthias, , , kelly, thomas, , kempis, thomas à, ken, bp., , key, francis scott, , key, john r., king, jacob, king robert ii, , , , kingsley, george, , , , , , kipling, rudyard, - kozeluck, ----, krishna pal, lamb, frank m., , lattimore, w.o., lee, mary augusta, , lee, gen. robert e., leland, john, , , lincoln, abraham, , lindsay, miss, logan, john, longfellow, henry w., , longfellow, samuel, ix lorimer, george, louis, (king), , lowry, j.c., lowry, robert, , , , , , , loyola, ignatius, lucas, james, ludwig, duke, luke, jemima t., , lulli, ----, lummis, franklin h., luther, martin, xvi, , - , lyon, meyer, lyte, henry francis, , macgill, hamilton m., mackay, charles, mackay, margaret, mackay, william paton, madan, martin, , , , , maffit, john, main, hubert p., vi, vii, , , , , , , , , , , malan, cæsar, xvi, , , marco, (?), portugalis, , marot, clement, xvi marsh, ----, marvin, bp., mary, (queen), , mary, (princess), , mary, (virgin), , mary stuart, (queen), mason, francis, mason, lowell, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , masters, mary, maurice, ----, maxim, abraham, , , mayo, mrs. herbert, mazzinghi, joseph, , mcgranahan, james, , , mckeever, f.g., vii mckinley, william, , mcmullen, mr. and mrs., meek, william t., vii medley, samuel, , melancthon, philip, mendelssohn, felix, , , merriam, edmund f., vii merrill, abraham, d., midlane, albert, miller, james, milman, henry hart, mills, elizabeth, milton, john, , mohammed, monk, william h., , , montgomery, james, , , , , , , , , , , moody, dwight l., , , , , moore, (more), joshua, , moore, thomas, , , , - , morgan, david, mornington, garret, colley wellesley, earl of morris, robert, morse, charles h., mote, edward, mozart, johan wolfgang, , , muhlenberg, henry m., , muhlenberg, w.a., , murillo, bartolomeo, nÃ�geli, johan g., , napoleon, , nares, james, neale, john m., , , , , , nero, (emperor), newell, harriet, newman, john henry, , , newton, john, , , , , , , nicholson, ludovic, novello, vincent, , nutter, dr., oakeley, frederick, oakeley, sir. herbert s., oakey, emily, , occum, samson, - , o'kane, tullius c., oldcastle, john, oliver, henry k., , olivers, thomas, , , , osborne, john, paine, john k., paine, robert t., palestrina, xiv-xvi palmer, horatio r., , , , palmer, ray, parker, theodore, ix parry; joseph, , patrick, st., payne john howard, peloubet, f.n., penry, ----, perronet, edward, , , , phelps, a.s., vii phelps, s.d., phelps, w.l., vii philip, "king", phillips, philip, , , , , , , , , , , phipps, george, , pierpont, john, , pinsuti, pleyel, ignace, , pliny, pope, alexander, , , , powell, john, presbry, otis f., , price, dr., price, e.m., pritchard, rhys m., , proch, heinrich, purcell, henry, raleigh, sir walter, rankin, james, rankin, jeremiah e., ravenscroft, thomas, read, daniel, , reading, john, redhead, richard, redner, louis h., rees, william, reinagle, alexander r., rexford, eben e., , rhye, morgan, richardson, john, ridley, bp., riley, mary louise, rimbault, edward f., ringwaldt, bartholomew, , rippon, john, , , ritter, peter, robert ii, (king), , , roberts, evan, , , roberts, w.m., robinson, charles, , robinson, robert, , romaine, william, roosevelt, theodore, root, george f., , , , , , , rousseau, j.j., , rowe, elizabeth, rowlands, daniel, , rutherford, samuel, , , salmon, thomas, sanderson, mrs., sankey, ira d., , , - , , , , - , , , , schmolke, benjamin, schumann, robert, scott, thomas, , scott, sir walter, scriven, joseph, seagrave, robert, sears, edmund h., seneca, , servoss, mary elizabeth, , seward, william h., shepherd, thomas, sheridan, mrs. richard brinsley, shipley, dean, shirley, sir walter, , , simao, portugalis, simpson, robert, singer, elizabeth, smart, henry, , , , , , smith, mrs. albert, smith, alexander, smith, goldwin, x smith, isaac, smith, john stafford, smith, samuel francis, - , , spafford, horatio g., , spohr, l., , , , , , stainer, john, , , , stanley, (dean), arthur p., , , stead, william, , stebbins, george c., , , , , steele, anna, steffe, john w., st. fulbert, - stennett, joseph, , stennett, samuel, , stephens, ----, stephen, (st.), the sabaite, sternhold, thomas, , stevenson, ----, stokes, walter, stores, richard s., , storrs, mrs. r.s., stowe, harriet beecher, stowell, hugh, , stuart, charles m., sumner, janaziah, swain, joseph, , swan, jabez, swan, timothy, , , , tadolini, giovanni, tait, abp., tallis, thomas, xv, , tansur, william, , tarbutton, w.a., tate, nahum, , , , taylor, benjamin f., taylor, james, taylor, thomas r., , taylor, v.c., , tennyson, alfred, , - tersteegen, gerhard, teschner, melchior, theodulph, bp., , , thomas à kempis, thomas di celano, , thring, godfrey, thrupp, dorothy a., tomer, william g., toplady, a.m., , , , tourjee, eben, , , tourjee, lizzie s., tours, berthold, trajan, (emperor), tyler, mrs. fanny, ufford, e.s., , , upham, thomas, urhan, christian, vail, silas j., , , van alstyne, mrs., , , , , vernon, (admiral), victoria, (queen), , , vokes, mrs., , voltaire, von gluck, von weber, c.m., , , , wade, ----, walford, william w., walther, johan, xvi warner, anna, washburn, henry s., , waters, horace, watkin, jack e., watson, bp., watson, richard, watts, isaac, , , , , , , - , , , , - , , , , , , , , , , , wayland, francis, webb, george j., , webbe, samuel, , webster, joseph p., - wells, g.c., wentworth, (gov.), wesley, charles, , , , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , wesley, john, , , , , wesley, samuel, , wesley, samuel sebastian, , , , , wheelock, eleazer, , white, henry kirke, , - whitefield, george, , , , , , whiting, william, , whittier, john g., , whittle, d.w., william, (king), , williams, aaron, , williams, david, williams, helen m., , , williams, peter, , , , williams, thomas, , , williams, william, - , , - , , , , willis, richard storrs, , willis, nathaniel, willis, n.p., wilson, hugh, winks, w.e., winkworth, catherine, woodbridge, william c., , woodbury, isaac b., , , , , woodman, j.c., , wood, sir evelyn, wroth, william, wyeth, john, , xavier, francis, young, andrew, zerrahn, carl, zeuner, heinrich, , zinzendorf, (count), , zundel, john, , index of tunes. abends, aberystwyth, abide with me, aelred, ain, , almost persuaded, alsace, all saints, new, amaland, america, - ames, amsterdam, , anacreon in heaven, annapolis, , anthem for easter, antioch, , antiphonals, xiii anvern, arabia, ariel, arlington, , , athens, , audientes, auld lang syne, aurelia, autumn, (sardius), azmon, , babel, balerma, , battle hymn etc., - belmont, benevento, berlin, bethany, , beyond the smiling and the weeping, birmingham, bonny doon, bosworth, bower of prayer, the, bowring, boylston, , , braden, brattle street, , brest, bright canaan, , brighton, broken pinion, the, brooklyn, brown, bruce's address, , brymgfryd, buckfield, burial of mrs. judson, calm on the listening ear, (epiphany), canaan, canons, capel y ddol, carol, catharine, chester, , china, christmas, , clwyd, colebrook, columbia, come, come, my brethren, come, ye disconsolate, come, ye faithful, consolation, convention hymn, coronation, , corsica, counterpoint, xv creation, crimea, crossing the bar, crucifixion, cwyfan, cwynfan prydian, darby, dead march in "saul", dedham, , denmark, dennis, , devonshire, devotion, dies irae, dort, , , dunbar, dundee, duke street, , easter anthem, ebenezer, eden of love, , edina, edom, ein feste burg, eirinwg, ellacombe, elliott, elvy, emmons, epiphany (calm on the listening), ernan, eternity, eucharist, evan, evening song to the virgin, excelsius, fair harvard, falmouth, federal street, , fitzwilliam, forever with the lord, frederick, , from greenland's icy, ganges, , , garden hymn, the, , geneva, golden hill, , god be with you, good morning in glory, gott ist licht, greenville, , griggs, habakkuk, hail columbia, hallelujah! 'tis done! hallowell, hamburg, hanover, happy day, happy land, harewood, harmony, harmony grove, harvest home, haydn, heber, , he leadeth me, helmsley, hendon, he will hide me, hold the fort, , holley, , , holy cross, holy, holy, holy, holy trinity, home of the soul, the, , home, sweet home, horbury, hosanna, hudson, hursley, , hyfrydol, i'm glad i'm in this army, immanuel's banner, independence, innsbruck, it is well, (see index of hymns) jazer, jewett, joyfully, joyfully, , (see index of hymns) keble, keller's american hymn, - kent, kentucky, laban, lament over boston, land ahead, lanesboro, , la spezia, lenox, , leoni, let the lower lights, lisbon, lischer, llanietyn, louvan, , loving-kindness, lowell, lucas, luther's hymn, lux benigna, magdalen, magnificat, xi, xii, maitland, majesty, malvern, manoah, marseillaise, , , massachusetts, matthias, mear, melancthon, melita, milton, mendelssohn, meribah, , , , merton, , messiah, midnight mass, migdol, millennial dawn, , , missionary chant, , monson, montgomery, morecambe, morlaix, morning, morning glory, mornington, mozart, mt. auburn, mt. vernon, my ain countree, my brother i wish you well, my jesus, i love thee, , nancy jig, naomi, neale, nearer home, , nesta, nettleton, , , new durham, new jerusalem, , nicÃ�a, northfield, - norwich, , not half has ever been told, nottingham, no war nor battle sound, oak, ode on science, o do not be discouraged, old hundred, xvi, , , , olmutz, old ship of zion, one more day's work, etc., only remembered, onward, christian soldiers, , o, perfect love, ortonville, over there, palestine, palm branches, paradise, part-song, xv paschale gaudium, pentecost, peterborough, pilgrim, pisgah, plain-song, xii, pleyel's hymn, , polyphonic, xv portland, , portuguese hymn, , , precious jewels, , president's march, ranz de vaches, rathbun, , ravendale, raynham, refuge, rejoice and be glad, rescue the perishing, rest, , restoration, retreat, retrospect, revive thy work, rhine, rivaulx, rolland, , rockingham, rotterdam, russia, rutherford, safe in the arms of jesus, salem, salisbury plain, samson, sardius, (autumn), savannah, saviour, like a shepherd, , saviour, pilot me, scale, the, xiii, xiv scatter seeds of kindness, schumann, scots wha hae, sequences, (foot note [ ]), shawmut, sherburne, sicily, , siloam, , , silver street, simpson, something for jesus, songs of the beautiful, sonnet, sound the loud timbrel, speed away, spohr, stafford, star-spangled banner, the, , - state street, , st. ambrose, st. anselm, (we plow the fields), st. athanasius, st. bernard, st. botolph, st. chad, st. edmund, st. garmon, st. kevin, st. louis, st. magnus, st. petersburg, st. philip, st. thomas, , , stephens, stowe, sussex, sweet by and by, - sweet galilee, , sweet hour of prayer, switzer's song of home, tallis' evening hymn, xvi, , te deum, - telemann's chant, thacher, the bower of prayer, the broken pinion, the chariot, the dying christian, , the eden of love, , the garden hymn, , the harp that once, the hebrew children, the home of the soul, , the land of the blest, the morning light is breaking, , , the ninety and nine, the old, old story, the prodigal child, the solid rock, the star-spangled banner, there is a green hill, throw out the life-line, thydian, to the work, , toplady, , trencynon, triumph by and by, truro, , turner, uxbridge, vox angelica, vox dilecti, vox jesu, waiting and watching, walnut grove, ward, , ware, watchman, webb, , weimar, wells, wellesley, welton, we shall meet, what a friend we have what shall the harvest be, , when jesus comes, when peace like a, when shall we all meet, when the swallows homeward fly, where are the reapers, where is my wandering boy, while the days are going, whitman, , wilmot, , windham, , windsor, woodstock, woodworth, y delyn aur, york, your mission, zephyr, zion, (t. hastings), , zion, (a. hall), index of hymns. a charge to keep i have, abide with me, fast falls, adams and liberty, adeste, fideles, alas, what hourly dangers rise, all glory, laud and honor, all hail the power of jesus' name, - all praise to thee, eternal lord, almost persuaded, along the banks where babel's current, , a mighty fortress is our god, and is this life prolonged to you, and will the judge descend, angel of peace, thou has waited, angels roll the rock away, another six days' work is done , a poor wayfaring man of grief, arise, my soul, arise, art thou weary, art thou languid, as down in the sunless retreats, asleep in jesus, blessed sleep, at anchor laid remote from home, ave, maris stella, ave, sanctissima, awake and sing the song, awake my soul, stretch every nerve, awake, my soul, to joyful lays, , awaked by sinai's awful sound, battle hymn of the republic, , before jehovah's awful throne, , begone unbelief, my saviour is near, behold the glories of the lamb, behold, the stone is rolled away, be thou exalted, o my god, be thou, o god, exalted high, beyond the smiling and the weeping, blest be the tie that binds, blow ye the trumpet, blow, bread of heaven, on thee we feed, brethren, while we sojourn here, brightly beams the father's mercy, build thee more stately mansions, by cool siloam's shady rill, by the rude bridge that arched the flood, calvary's blood the weak exalteth, child of sin and sorrow, christians, if your hearts are warm, , christ is our corner stone, christ is risen! christ is risen! christ the lord is risen today, come hither, all ye weary souls, come hither, ye faithful, come, holy ghost, in love, come, holy spirit, heavenly dove, come home, come home, come, let us anew, come, my brethren, let us try, come, sinner, come, come, thou fount of every blessing, , come, thou holy spirit, come, come to jesus just now, come unto me when shadows, , come, we that love the lord, , come, ye disconsolate, , , come, ye faithful, raise the strain, come, ye sinners, poor and needy, commit thou all thy griefs, - crown his head with endless blessing, daughter of zion, from the dust, , day of wrath: that day of burning, - dear jesus, ever at my side, dear refuge of my weary soul, did christ o'er sinners weep, , die felder wir pflÃ�gen, dies irae, dies illa, - early, my god, without delay, early to bear the yoke excels, ein feste burg ist unser gott, eternal father, strong to save, fading away like the stars, father, whatever of earthly bliss, fear not, o little flock, the foe, fierce raged the tempest, fierce was the wild billow, forever with the lord, from every stormy wind, from greenland's icy mountains, , from whence doth this union arise, fully persuaded, gaude, plaude, magdalena, give me my scallop-shell of quiet, give to the winds thy fears, gloria, xii glory to thee, my god, this night, xvi, god be with you till we meet, god bless our native land, , god calling yet? , god is the refuge of his saints, god of our fathers, known of old, , god's furnace doth in zion stand, great author of salvation, great god, we sing that mighty hand, great god, what do i see and hear! guide me, o thou great jehovah, , hail columbia, happy land, hail to the lord's anointed, hallelujah! 'tis done! hark! hark, my soul! hark! the herald angels sing, hark! what mean those holy voices, hasten, lord, the glorious time, hasten, sinner, to be wise, he dies! the friend of sinners, he leadeth me, , here at thy table, lord, we meet, here behold the tent of meeting, here, o my god, i see thee, he rose! o morn of wonder! high the angel choirs are raising, holy, holy, holy, lord god, , ho, my comrades, see the signal, hora novissima, how firm a foundation, , how happy is the child who hears, how happy is the pilgrim's lot, how sweetly flowed the gospel sound, how sweet, how heavenly is the sight, how sweet the covenant to remember, how, unapproached! shall mind of man, how vain are all things here below, how vast a treasure we possess, i am far frae my hame, i am so glad that our father, i cannot always trace the way, if i were a voice, if thou wouldst end the world, if you cannot on the ocean, - i gave my life for thee, i have a father, i have read of a beautiful city, i hear the saviour say, i heard the voice of jesus say, - i'll cast my heavy burden down, i love thy kingdom, lord, i love to steal awhile away, , i love to tell the story, i'm a pilgrim, , i'm but a stranger here, , i'm going home, i'm not ashamed, in de dark wood, in eden, o the memory!, i need thee every hour, in some way or other, , in the bonds of death he lay, in the cross of christ i glory, in the deep and mighty waters, in the waves and mighty waters, i open my eyes to this vision, is this the kind return? it came upon the midnight clear, i think when i read that sweet, it may not be our lot to yield, it was the winter wild, i walked in the woodland meadows, , i will sing you a song of that, jerusalem the golden, , jesu, dulcis memoria, jesus' blood can raise the feeble, jesus, i love thy charming name, jesus, i my cross have taken, jesus, keep me near the cross, , jesus, lover of my soul, , jesus my all to heaven is gone, jesus, saviour, pilot me, jesus shall reign where'er the sun, jesus, the very thought of thee, jesus the water of life will give, jesus, thy blood and righteousness, john wesley's hymn, joyfully, joyfully onward, - joy to the world! the lord is come, , keep me very near to jesus, keller's american hymn, , land ahead! the fruits are waving, lead, kindly light, let party names no more, let tyrants shake their iron rod, let us gather up the sunbeams, let us sing of the sheaves, life is the time to serve the lord, little travellers zionward, lo! a saviour for the fallen, lo! he comes, with clouds descending, lo! on a narrow neck of land, lo! what a glorious sight appears, lord, how mysterious are thy ways, lord of all being, throned afar, lord, with glowing heart i'd praise, , love divine, all loves excelling, , love unfathomed as the ocean, magdalena, shout for gladness, magnificat anima mea, xii, majestic sweetness sits enthroned, marseillaise hymn, , , mein jesu, wie du willst, mid scenes of confusion, mine eyes have seen the glory of the, mournfully, tenderly bear on the dead, , must jesus bear the cross alone, my brother, i wish you well, my country 'tis of thee, - my god, how endless is thy love, , my god, i love thee, not because, my god, is any hour so sweet, my god, my father, while i stray, my god, my portion and my love, my gracious redeemer, i love, my hope is built on nothing less, , my jesus, as thou wilt, , my jesus, i love thee, , my lord and my god, i have trusted, my lord, how full of sweet content, , my saviour keeps me company, my soul, behold the fitness, nearer, my god, to thee, - no change of time shall ever shock, not all the blood of beasts, now to the lord a noble song, o bliss of the purified, o canaan, bright canaan, o church, arise and sing, o come, all ye faithful, o could i speak the matchless worth, o crown of rejoicing, ode on science, o deus, ego amo te, o do not be discouraged, o'er all the way green palms, o'er the gloomy hills of darkness, o for a closer walk with god, o for a thousand tongues to sing, , oft in danger, oft in woe, o galilee sweet galilee, , o had i the wings of a dove, o happy day that fixed my choice, o happy saints that dwell in light, o help us, lord; each hour of need, o how happy are they, o how i love jesus, o little town of bethlehem, o lord of hosts, whose glory fills, one more day's work for jesus, one sweetly solemn thought, on jordan's stormy banks, only remembered, on the mountain top appearing, onward, christian soldiers, , onward ride in triumph, jesus, o paradise! o paradise! o perfect love, o sacred head, now wounded, o sing to me of heaven, o the clanging bells of time, o the lamb, the loving lamb, o think of the home over there, o thou in whose presence my soul, o thou, my soul, forget no more, o thou who didst prepare, o thou who dry'st the mourner's tear, o thou whose tender mercy hears, o turn ye, o turn ye, for why, our lord has gone up on high, o when shall i see jesus, o where shall rest be found, o why should the spirit of mortal, o worship the king all glorious above, parted many a toil-spent year, patiently enduring, peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive, people of the living god, pilgrims we are to zion bound, portals of light, praise god from whom all blessings, pull for the shore, rejoice and be glad, rescue the perishing, revive thy work, o lord, rise, crowned with light, rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, rock of ages, cleft for me, safe in the arms of jesus, sanctify, o lord, my spirit, saviour, like a shepherd lead us, saviour, thy dying love, scatter seeds of kindness, scots wha hae wi wallace bled, , see gentle patience smile on pain, send thy spirit, i beseech thee, servant of god, well done, shepherd of tender youth, - show pity, lord, o lord forgive, shrinking from the cold hand of death, since jesus truly did appear, sister, thou wast mild and lovely, so fades the lovely, blooming flower, , , softly fades the twilight ray, softly now the light of day, soon may the last glad song arise, sound the loud timbrel, , speak, o speak, thou gentle jesus, speed away, speed away, spirit of grace and love divine, stand! the ground's your own, star-spangled banner, , - still, still with thee, sun of my soul, my saviour dear, sunset and evening star, sur nos chemins les rameaux, sweet hour of prayer, sweet is the day of sacred rest, sweet is the light of sabbath eve, sweet is work, my god, my king, sweet is the work, o lord, sweet the moments, rich in blessing, take me as i am, o saviour, te deum laudamus, tell me not in mournful numbers, tell me the old, old story, the banner of immanuel, , the bird let loose in eastern skies, the breaking waves dashed high, the chariot! the chariot! the day is past and gone, the day of resurrection, , the eden of love, the glory is coming, god said it, the god of abraham praise, the god of harvest praise, the harp that once thro tara's hall, , the heights of fair salem ascended, the lord descended from above, the lord into his garden comes, the lord is risen indeed, the lord our god is clothed with might, the morning light is breaking, , the ocean hath no danger, the prize is set before us, the sands of time are sinking, the turf shall be my fragrant shrine, the world is very evil, there are lonely hearts to cherish, there is a calm for those who weep, , there is a green hill far away, there is a happy land, there's a land that is fairer than day, there's a wideness in god's mercy, , there were ninety and nine, they that dwell upon the deep, thine earthly sabbaths, lord, we love, thou art, o god, the life and light, thou dear redeemer, dying lamb, thou lovely source of true delight, throw out the life-line, - 'tis finished! so the saviour cried, 'tis religion that can give, to christ the lord let every tongue, to god the father, god the son, to leave my dear friends, and from neighbors, to the work, to the work! too late! too late! triumphant zion, lift thy head, ultima thule, under the palms, unnumbered are the marvels, unto thy presence coming, unveil thy bosom faithful tomb, , up and away like the dew, urbs sion aurea, , veni, sancte spiritus, , verzage nicht, du hauflein klein, vital spark of heavenly flame, watchman, tell us of the night, we are on our journey home, welcome, delightful morn, we plow the fields and scatter, we praise thee, o god, for the son, we sat down and wept by the waters, we shall meet beyond the river, we speak of the land of the blest, westward the course of empire, what a friend we have in jesus, what shall a dying sinner do, what shall the harvest be, what various hindrances we meet, when all thy mercies, o my god, when for eternal worlds i steer, when he cometh, when he cometh, when i can read my title clear, , when gathering clouds around i view, when israel of the lord beloved, when i survey the wondrous cross, , when languor and disease invade, when marshalled on the nightly plain, when my final farewell to the world, , when our heads are bowed with woe, when peace like a river, when shall we all meet again, , when two or three with sweet accord, where is my wandering boy to-night? where now are the hebrew children? while jesus whispers to you, while shepherds watched their flocks, while thee i seek, protecting power, , while with ceaseless course the sun, why should we start and fear to die, wide, ye heavenly gates unfold, with joy we hail the sacred day, with songs and honors sounding loud, with tearful eyes i look around, ye choirs of new jerusalem, , ye christian heralds, go proclaim, , ye christian heroes, wake to glory, ye golden lamps of heaven, farewell, ye servants of god, your master proclaim, yes, my native land, i love thee, yes, the redeemer rose, your harps; ye trembling saints, * * * * * transcriber's note: obvious spelling/typographical and punctuation errors have been corrected after careful comparison with other occurences within the text and consultation of external sources. details can be found in the html version. images generously made available by the internet archive/american libraries.) a practical discourse on some principles of hymn-singing by robert bridges _price, one shilling, net_ a practical discourse on some principles of hymn-singing by robert bridges reprinted from the journal of theological studies, october, oxford: b. h. blackwell, & broad street london: simpkin, marshall, hamilton, kent & co. the author's thanks are due to the editors of the journal of theological studies, and to the publishers, messrs. macmillan, for permission to reprint. a practical discourse on some principles of hymn-singing what st. augustin says of the emotion which he felt on hearing the music in the portian basilica at milan in the year has always seemed to me a good illustration of the relativity of musical expression; i mean how much more its ethical significance depends on the musical experience of the hearer, than on any special accomplishment or intrinsic development of the art. knowing of what kind that music must have been and how few resources of expression it can have had,--being rudimental in form, without suggestion of harmony, and in its performance unskilful, its probably nasal voice-production unmodified by any accompaniment,--one marvels at his description, 'what tears i shed at thy hymns and canticles, how acutely was my soul stirred by the voices and sweet music of thy church! as those voices entered my ears, truth distilled in my heart, and thence divine affection welled up in a flood, in tears o'erflowing, and happy was i in those tears[ ].' st. augustin appears to have witnessed the beginnings of the great music of the western church. it was the year of his baptism when, he tells us, singing was introduced at milan to cheer the catholics who had shut themselves up in the basilica with their bishop, to defend him from the imperial violence: 'it was then instituted that psalms and hymns should be sung, after the manner of the eastern churches, lest the folk in the weariness of their grief should altogether lose heart: and from that day to this the custom has been retained; many, nay, nearly all thy flocks, in all regions of the world, following the example[ ].' what great emotional power st. augustin attributed to ecclesiastical music, and of what importance he thought it, may be seen in the tenth book of the _confessions_: he is there examining himself under the heads of the senses, and after the sense of smell, his chapter on the sense of hearing is as follows: 'the lust of the ears entangled and enslaved me more firmly, but thou hast loosened and set me free. but even now i confess that i do yield a very little to the beauty of those sounds which are animated by thy eloquence, when sung with a sweet and practised voice; not, indeed, so far that i am limed and cannot fly off at pleasure[ ]: and yield though i do, yet these sweet sounds, joined with the divine words which are their life, cannot be admitted to my heart save to a place of some dignity, and i hesitate to give them one as lofty as their claim[ ]. 'for sometimes i seem to myself to be allowing them undue honour, when i feel that our minds are really moved to a warmer devotion and more ardent piety by the holy words themselves when they are so sung than when they are not so sung; and when i recognize that all the various moods of our spirit have their proper tones in speech and song, by which they are, through i know not what secret familiarity, excited. but the mere sensuous delight, to which it is not fitting to resign the mind to be enervated thereby, often deceives me, whenever (that is) the delight of the senses does not so accompany the reason as to be cheerfully in submission thereto, but, having been admitted only for reason's sake, then even attempts to go before and to lead. thus i sin without knowing, but afterwards i know. 'then awhile, from too immoderate caution against this deception, i err on the side of too great severity; and sometimes go so far as to wish that all the melody of the sweet chants which are used in the davidian psalter were utterly banished from my ears, and from the ears of the church; and that way seems to me safer which i remember often to have heard told of athanasius, archbishop of alexandria, that he would have the lector of the psalm intone it with but a slight modulation of voice, so as to be more like one reading than one singing. and yet, when i remember my tears, which i shed at the hearing of the song of thy church in the first days of my recovered faith, and that now i still feel the same emotion, and am moved not by the singing but by what is sung, when it is sung with a liquid voice and in the most fitting "modulation," then (i say) i acknowledge again the great utility of the institution. 'thus i fluctuate between the peril of sensuous pleasure and the proof of wholesomeness, and am more inclined (though i would not offer an irrevocable judgement) to approve of the use of singing in the church, that, by the pleasure of the ear, weaker minds may rise to the emotion of piety. yet when it happens to me to be more moved by the music than by the words that are sung i confess that i have sinned (poenaliter peccare), and it is then that i would rather not hear the singer[ ].' what would st. augustin have said could he have heard mozart's requiem, or been present at some roman catholic cathedral where an eighteenth-century mass was performed, a woman hired from the opera-house whooping the _benedictus_ from the western gallery? it is possible that such music would not have had any ethical significance to him, bad or good. augustin lived before what we reckon the very beginnings of modern music, with nothing to entice and delight his ears in the choir but the simplest ecclesiastical chant and hymn-tune sung in unison. we are accustomed to an almost over-elaborated art, which, having won powers of expression in all directions, has so squandered them that they are of little value: and we may confidently say that the emotional power of our church music is not so great as that described by him , years ago. in fact if we feel at all out of sympathy with augustin's words, it is because he seems to over-estimate the danger of the emotion[ ]. there is something very strange and surprising in this state of things, this contrast between the primitive church with its few simple melodies that ravished the educated hearer, and our own full-blown institution with its hymn-book of some tunes, which when it is opened fills the sensitive worshipper with dismay, so that there are persons who would rather not go inside a church than subject themselves to the trial. what is the matter? what is it that is wrong with our hymnody? even where there is not such rooted disgust as i have implied, there is a growing conviction that some reform is needed in words or music, or both. assuming that the chief blame lies with the music (as, i think, might easily be proved), i propose to discuss the question of the music of our hymnody, and i shall proceed on the basis of st. augustin's principles: i am sure that they would be endorsed by any pious church-goer who had considered the subject, and they may be fairly formulated thus, _the music must express the words or sense: it should not attract too much attention to itself: it should be dignified: and its reason and use is to heighten religious emotion._ one point calls for distinction: augustin speaks of his emotion on _hearing_ the hymns and canticles; he writes as if he had had no more thought of taking part in the music himself, than we have of joining in the anthem at a cathedral; and this might lead to a misunderstanding; for there is no doubt that these hymns were sung by the people: the story is that the very soldiers who were sent to blockade the basilica, happening to be themselves catholics, joined their voices in the stanzas which st. ambrose had specially composed to disconcert the arian enemy. the ecstasy of listening to music, and the enthusiasm of a crowd who are all singing or shouting the same hymn or song are emotions of quite different nature and value. now, neglecting the rare conditions under which these emotions may be combined, we shall, as we are speaking of hymns, be concerned chiefly with the latter kind, for all will agree that hymns are that part of the church music in which it is most desirable that the congregation should join: and i believe that there would be less difference in practice if it were at all easy to obtain good congregational singing, or even anything that is worthy of the name. it seems perhaps a pity that nature should have arranged that where the people are musical (as augustin appears to have been) they would rather listen, and where they are unmusical they would all rather sing. speaking therefore of congregational hymn-singing, and conceding, as i think we must, that the essential use of such music is to heighten emotion, then, this emotional quality being the _sine qua non_ (the music being of no use without it), it follows that it is the primary consideration. if we are to have music at all, it must be such as will raise or heighten emotion; and to define this we must ask, _whose emotion?_ and _what kind of emotion?_ let us take this latter question first, and inquire what emotions it is usual, proper, or possible to express by congregational singing of hymns. william law, in his _serious call_, has an interesting, i may say amusing, chapter on the duty of all to sing, whether they have any turn or inclination for it or no. all should sing, he says, even though they dislike doing so; and i think that what he affirms of private devotion applies with greater force to public worship. it should satisfy the most ardent advocate of congregational singing, and it goes certainly to the root of the matter. 'it is so right and beneficial to devotion, has so much effect upon our hearts, that it may be insisted on as a common rule for all persons; ... for singing is as much the proper use of a psalm as devout supplication is the proper use of a form of prayer: and a psalm only read is very much like a prayer that is only looked over.... if you were to tell a person that has such a song, that he need not sing it, that it was sufficient to peruse it, he would wonder what you meant, ... as if you were to tell him that he should only look at his food, to see whether it was good, but need not eat it.... you will perhaps say that singing is a particular talent, that belongs only to particular people, and that you have neither voice nor ear for music. 'if you had said that singing is a general talent, and that people differ in that as they do in all other things, you had said something much truer. 'for how vastly people differ in the talent of thinking, which is not only common to all men, but seems to be the very essence of human nature: ... yet no one desires to be excused from thought because he has not this talent in any fine degree.... 'if a person were to forbear praying because he had an odd tone in his voice, he would have as good an excuse as he that forbears from singing psalms because he has but little management of his voice.... 'these songs make a sense (of) delight in god they awaken holy devotion: they teach how to ask: they kindle a holy flame.... 'singing is the natural effect of joy in the heart, ... and it is also the natural means of raising emotions of joy in the mind: such joy and thankfulness to god as is the highest perfection of a divine and holy life.' now though i cannot feel the force of all law's arguments nor easily bring myself to believe that a person who dislikes singing, and has no ear for music, will readily find any comfortable assistance to his private devotion from making efforts to hit off the notes of the scale; yet i feel that law's position is in the main sound, and that he has correctly specified the emotion most proper to that kind of uncultured singing which he describes: and though congregational psalm-singing necessarily involves a greater musical capacity than that assumed in law's extreme case, and may therefore have a wider field, yet we may begin by laying down that joy, praise, and thanksgiving give us the first main head of what is proper to be expressed, and we may extend this head by adding adoration and perhaps the involved emotions of awe and peace and even the attitude of contemplation. in such a subject as the classification of emotions as they may be expressed by music of one kind or another, it is plainly impossible to make any definite tabulation with which all would agree. the very names of the emotions will, to different minds, call up different associations of feeling. if any agreement could be arrived at, it would be at the expense of distinction; and all that i can expect is to have my distinctions understood, and in the main agreed with. and as i am most ready to grant to the reader his right to a different opinion on any detail, i beg of him the same toleration, and that he will rather try to follow my meaning than dwell on discrepancies which may be due to a fault of expression, or to a difference of meaning which he and i may attach to the same word. with this apology in preamble, i will attempt to make some classification of emotions as they seem to me to be the possible basis for musical expression in congregational singing. we have already one class: i would add a second, to include all the hymns which exhibit the simple attitude of prayer. a third class i would put under the head of faith. examples of this class will no doubt often cross with those of the first class, but they will specify themselves as celebrations of events of various commemoration, introducing a distinct form, namely narration, which is a very proper and effective form for general praise. also this section will include all the hymns of brotherhood and fellowship, and of spiritual conflict, with the correlative _invitatory_ and _exhortatory_ songs, as modified by what will be said later. also, lastly, under this same head of faith, the doctrinal hymns, and professions of creed whether sectarian or otherwise, which, if the definition be taken widely, make a large and popular class, well exemplified by the german hymns of the reformation, or by those of our wesleyan revival; strong with the united feeling of a small body, asserting itself in the face of opposition: concerning which we will not speak further, except to recall the fact that this kind of enthusiasm was not absent from the causes which first introduced hymns into the western church. i believe that this is a pretty full list of all the attitudes of mind that can be properly expressed by congregational singing; and if we turn to other emotions which are made the subject of church hymns, we shall, i think, see that they are all of them liable to suffer damage by being entrusted to the rough handling of general vociferation. such will be all hymns of divine affection and yearning; all laments and consolations; all descriptions of spiritual conditions which imply personal experience and feeling, as abasement, humiliation, contrition, repentance, resignation, self-devotion, conviction, and satisfaction. here i feel that many readers will be inclined to dissent from what i say, and as i shall not again recur to law, i should like, in order to show my meaning, to call up his extreme example of an unmusical person singing in private devotion. if one pictures such a case as he supposes, is it not clear, whether one imagines oneself the actor or the unwilling auditor, that while such an exhibition of joy might perhaps pass, yet a similar incompetent attempt to express any of the last-named emotions would be only ridiculous? but between this single worshipper and the congregation the incompetence seems to me only a question of degree; while in the far more considerable respect of the sincerity of the feeling in the hearts of those expressing it, law's singer has every advantage; indeed no objection on this score can be raised to him. but now suppose for a moment that he has _not_ the emotion at heart corresponding to his attempt at song, and i think the differentiation of motives for congregational singing will seem justifiable. all these last-named emotions,--which i have taken from congregational hymn-books,--and i suppose there may be more of them,--call for delicacy of treatment. a lamentation, for instance, which might seem at first sight as if it would gain force by volume, will, if it is realistic or clumsy, become unmanly, almost so as to be ridiculous, and certainly depressing to the spirit rather than purifying. in fact while many of the subjects require beautiful expression, they are also more properly used when offered as inspiring ideals; and to assume them to be of common attainment or experience is to degrade them from their supreme sanctity. but in thus ruling them unfit for general singing one must distinguish large miscellaneous congregations from small united bodies, in which a more intimate emotion may be natural: and as there is no exact line of distinction here, so there is no objection to the occasional and partial intrusion of some of these more intimate subjects into congregational hymns. to this first question then, as to what emotions are fit to be expressed by congregational music, the answer appears to be that the more general the singing, the more general and simple should be the emotion and that the universally fitting themes are those of simple praise, prayer, or faith: and we might inquire whether one fault of our modern hymn-books may not be their attempt to supply congregational music to unfitting themes. to the next question, _whose emotion_ is this congregational music to excite or heighten? the answer is plain: it is the average man, or one rather below the average, the uneducated, as st. augustin says the weaker, mind and that in england is, at least artistically, a narrow mind and a vulgar being. and it may of course be alleged that the music in our hymn-books which is intolerable to the more sensitive minds was not put there for them, but would justify itself in its supposed fitness for the lower classes. 'what use,' the pastor would say to one who, on the ground of tradition advocated the employment of the old plain-song and the ambrosian melodies, 'what use to seek to attract such people as those in my cure with the ancient outlandish and stiff melodies that pleased folk a thousand years ago, and which i cannot pretend to like myself?' or if his friend is a modern musician, who is urging him to have nothing in his church but what would satisfy the highest artistic sense of the day, his answer is the same: he will tell you that it would be casting pearls before swine; and that unless the music is 'tuney' and 'catchy' the people will not take to it. and we cannot hastily dismiss these practical objections. the very ambrosian music which is now so strange to modern ears was doubtless, when st. ambrose introduced it, much akin to the secular music of the day, if it was not directly borrowed from it: and the history of hymn-music is a history of the adaptations of profane successes in the art to the uses of the church. nor do i see that it can ever be otherwise, for the highest music demands a supernatural material; so that it would seem an equal folly for musicians to neglect the unique opportunity which religion offers them, and for religion to refuse the best productions of human art. and we must also remember that the art of the time, whether it be bad or good, has a much more living relation to the generation which is producing it, and exerts a more powerful influence upon it, than the art of any time that is past and gone. it is the same in all aspects of life: it is the book of the day, the hero or statesman of the hour, the newest hope, the latest flash of scientific light, which attracts the people. and it must be, on the face of it, true that any artist who becomes widely popular must have hit off, 'i know not by what secret familiarity,' the exact fashion or caprice of the current taste of his own generation. and this is so true that it must be admitted that it is not always the uneducated man only whose taste is hit off. in the obituary notices of such men as gladstone and tennyson the gossip will inform us, rightly or wrongly, that their 'favourite hymn[ ]' was, not one of the great masterpieces of the world,--which, alas, it is only too likely that in their long lives they never heard,--but some tune of the day: as if in the minds of men whose lives appealed strongly to their age there must be something delicately responsive to the exact ripple of the common taste and fashion of their generation. all this makes a strong case: and it would seem, since our hymn-music is to stir the emotions of the vulgar, that it must itself be both vulgar and modern; and that, in the interest of the weaker mind, we must renounce all ancient tradition and the maxims of art, in order to be in touch with the music-halls. this is impossibly absurd; and unless there is some flaw in our argument, the fault must lie in the premisses; we have omitted some necessary qualification. the qualification which we neglected is this, that _the music must be dignified_, and suitable to the meaning; and we should only have wasted words in ignoring what we knew all along, if we had not, by so doing, brought this qualification into its vital prominence, and at the same time exposed the position of those who neglect it, and the real reason of the mean condition of our church music. the use of undignified music for sacred purposes may perhaps be justified in exceptional cases, which must be left to the judgement of those who consider all things lawful that they may save some. but if from the mission service this licence should creep into the special service, and then invade every act of public worship, it must be met with an edict of unscrupulous exclusion. not that it can be truly described as thus having crept in in our time. it is always creeping, it has flourished in special habitats for four or five hundred years, and before then there is the history of palestrina's great reform of like abuses. if in our time in england we differ in any respect for the worse, it is rather in the universal prevalence of a mild form of the degradation, which is perhaps more degrading than the occasional exceptional abuses of a more flagrant kind, which cannot hide their scandal but bring their own condemnation. there is indeed no extreme from which this abuse has shrunk; perhaps the worst form of it is the setting of sacred hymns to popular airs, which are associated in the minds of the singers with secular, or even comic and amatory words[ ]: of which it is impossible to give examples, because the extreme instances are blasphemies unfit to be quoted; and it is only these which could convey an adequate idea of the licence[ ] the essence of the practice appears to be the production of a familiar excitement, with the intention of diverting it into a religious channel. but, even in the absence of secular or profane association, congregational singing, when provoked by undignified music, such as may be found in plenty in our modern hymn-books, may be maintained without the presence of religious feeling, out of mere high spirits, or as we say, 'in fun,' and may easily give rise to mockery. i have witnessed examples enough in proof of this, but if i gave them it might be thought that i wished to amuse profane readers[ ]. and though such extreme disasters may be exceptional outbursts, yet they are always but just beneath the surface, and are the inevitable outcome of the use of unworthy means. the cause of such a choice of means must be either an artistic incapacity to distinguish, or a want of faith in the power of religious emotion when unaided by profane adjuncts. what would st. augustin have ruled here, or thought of the confusion of ideas, which, being satisfied with any expression, mistakes one emotion for another? the practical question now arises. we know the need; how is it to be supplied? we require music which will reach the emotions of uneducated people, and in which they will delight to join, and in which it shall be easy to join: and it must be dignified and not secular. if we condemn and reject the music which the professional church-musicians have supplied with some popular success to meet the need, what is there to take its place? of what music is our hymn-book to be constructed, which shall be at once dignified, sacred, and popular? the answer is very simple: it is this, _dignified melody_. good melody is never out of fashion; and as it is by all confession the seal of high musical genius, so it is that form of music which is universally intelligible and in the best sense popular; and we have a rich legacy of it. what we want is that our hymn-books should contain a collection of the best ecclesiastical and sacred hymn-melodies, and _nothing but these_, instead of having but a modicum of these, for the most part mauled and illset, among a crowd of contributions of an altogether inferior kind; the whole collection being often such that if an ill-natured critic were to assert that the compilers had degraded and limited the old music in order to set off their own, it would be difficult to meet him with a logical refutation. the shortest and most practical way of treating this subject will be to give some account of the sources from which the music of such a hymn-book as i propose would be drawn. i will take these in their chronological order. first in order of time are the plain-song melodies. i have already stated the ordinary objection to these tunes, that they are stiff and out of date. now it may be likely enough that they will never be so universally popular in our country as the fine melodies invented on the modern harmonic system, yet the idea that they are not popular in character, and that modern people will not sing them, is a mistake; there is plenty of evidence on this point. nor must we judge them by the incompetent, and i confess somewhat revolting aspect in which they were offered to us by the anglo-gregorianists of thirty years ago, a presentment which has gone far to ruin their reputation; they are better understood now, and may be heard here and there sung as they should be. they are of great artistic merit and beauty; and instead of considering them _a priori_ as uncongenial on the ground of antiquity, we should rather be thinking of them that they were invented at a time when unison singing was cultivated in the highest perfection, so much so that a large number of these tunes are, on account of their elaborate and advanced rhythm, not only far above the most intelligent taste of the minds with which we have to deal, but are also so difficult of execution that there are few trained choirs in the country that could render them well. to the simpler tunes, however, these objections do not apply: in fact there are only two objections that can be urged against them, and both of these will be found on examination to be advantages. the first objection is that they are not in the modern scale. now as this objection is only felt by persons who have cramped their musical intelligence by an insufficient technical education, and cannot believe that music is music unless they are modulating in and out of some key by means of a sharp seventh;--and as the nature of the ecclesiastical modes is too long a subject, and too abstruse for a paper of this sort, even if i were competent to discuss it;--i shall therefore content myself by stating that the ecclesiastical modes have, for melodic purposes (which is all that we are considering), advantages over the modern scale, by which they are so surpassed in harmonic opportunities. even such a thoroughgoing admirer of the modern system as sir hubert parry writes on this subject, that it 'is now quite obvious that for melodic purposes such modes as the doric and phrygian were infinitely (_sic_) preferable to the ionic,' i.e. to our modern major keys[ ]. and it will be evident to every one how much music has of late years sought its charm in modal forms, under the guise of national character. the second objection is their free rhythm. they are not written in barred time, and cannot without injury be reduced to it. as this question affects also other classes of hymns, i will here say all that i have to say, or have space to say, about the rhythm of hymn-tunes; confining my remarks generally to the proper dignified rhythms. in all modern musical grammars it is stated that there are virtually only two kinds of time. the time-beat goes either by twos or some multiple of two, or by threes or some multiple of three, and the accent recurs at regular intervals of time, and is marked by dividing off the music into bars of equal length. nothing is more important for a beginner to learn, and yet from the point of view of rhythm nothing could be more inadequate. _rhythm is infinite._ these regular times are no doubt the most important fundamental entities of it, and may even lie undiscoverably at the root of all varieties of rhythm whatsoever, and further they may be the only possible or permissible rhythms for a modern composer to use, but yet the absolute dominion which they now enjoy over all music lies rather in their practical necessity and convenience (since it is only by attending to them that the elaboration of modern harmonic music is possible), than in the undesirability (in itself) or unmusical character of melody which ignores them. in the matter of hymn-melodies an unbarred rhythm has very decided advantages over a barred rhythm. in the former the melody has its own way, and dances at liberty with the voice and sense; in barred time it has its accents squared out beforehand, and makes steadily for its predetermined beat, plumping down, as one may say, on the first note of every bar whether it will or no. sing to any one a plain-song melody, _ad coenam agni_ for instance, once or twice, and then croft's th psalm[ ]. croft will be undeniably fine and impressive, but he provokes a smile: his tune is like a diagram beside a flower. now in this matter of rhythm our hymn-book compilers, since the seventeenth century, have done us a vast injury. they have reduced all hymns to the common times. their procedure was, i suppose, dictated by some argument such as this: 'the people must have what they can understand: they only understand the simple two and three time: _ergo_ we must reduce all the tunes to these measures.' or again, 'it will be easier for them to have all the tunes as much alike as possible: therefore let us make them all alike, and write them all in equal minims.' both these ideas are absolutely wrong. a hymn-tune, which they hastily assume to be the commonest and lowest form of music, actually possesses liberties coveted by other music[ ]. it is a short melody, committed to memory, and frequently repeated: there is no reason why it should submit to any of the time-conveniences of orchestral music: there is no reason why its rhythm should not be completely free; nor is there any _a priori_ necessity why any one tune should be exactly like another in rhythm. it will be learned by the ear (most often in childhood), be known and loved for its own sake, and blended in the heart with the words which interpret it: and this advantage was instinctively felt by those of our early church composers who, already understanding something of the value of barred music, yet deliberately avoided cramping the rhythms of their hymn-tunes by too great subservience to it[ ]. one of the first duties therefore which we owe to hymn-melodies is the restoration of their free and original rhythms, keeping them as varied as possible: the plain-song melodies must be left unbarred and be taught as free rhythms, and all other fine tunes which are worth using should be preserved in their original rhythm; because free rhythm is better, and its variety is good, and because the attraction of a hymn-melody lies in its individual character and expression, and not at all in its time-likeness to other tunes. this last idea has been a chief cause in the degradation of our hymns. i may conclude then that the best of these simpler plain-song tunes are very fit for congregational use. they should be offered as pure melody in free rhythm and sung in unison: their accompaniment must not be entrusted to a modern grammarian. it is well also to use most of them in their english form, the _old sarum use_ as it is called; which happily preserves to us a national tradition, in the opinion of some experts older and more correct than any known on the continent; and if the differences in our english version are not due to purity of tradition, they will have another and almost greater interest, as venerable records of the genius of our national taste. these plain-song tunes have probably a long future before them; since, apart from their merit, they are indissolubly associated with the most ancient latin hymns, some of which are the very best hymns of the church. the next class of tunes[ ] is that of the reformation hymns, english, french, and german, dating from about to some way on in the seventeenth century. the chief english group is known as _sternhold and hopkins' psalter_, which was mostly of eight-line tunes. this book was virtually put together in geneva about , and antiquarians make much of it. if stripped, however, of its stolen plumes and later additions it is really an almost worthless affair, the true history of it being as follows. a french musician named louis bourgeois, whom calvin brought with him to geneva in , turned out to be an extraordinary genius in melody; he remained at geneva about fifteen years, and in that time compiled a psalter of eighty-five tunes, almost all of which are of great merit, and many of the very highest excellence. the splendour of his work, which was merely appreciated as useful at the time, was soon obscured, for immediately on his leaving geneva, the french psalter was completed by inferior hands, whose work, being mixed in with his, lowered the average of the whole book enormously, and bourgeois' work was never distinguished until, quite lately, the period of his office was investigated and compared with the succeeding editions of his book. now the english refugees compiled their 'sternhold and hopkins' at geneva, in imitation of the french, during the time of bourgeois' residence, and took over a number of the french tunes; though they _mauled these most unmercifully_ to bring them down to the measure of their doggerel psalms, yet even after this barbarous treatment bourgeois' spoilt tunes were still far better than what they made for themselves, and sufficient not only to float their book into credit, but to kindle the confused enthusiasm of subsequent english antiquarians, whose blind leadership has had some half-hearted following. but if these french tunes, and those which are pieced in imitation of bourgeois, be extracted from this english psalter, then, with one or two exceptions, there will remain hardly anything of value[ ]. to leave the english tunes for a moment and continue the subject, we shall practically exhaust the french branch of this class by saying that our duty by them is to use a great number of bourgeois' tunes, _restoring their original form_. they are masterpieces which have remained popular on the continent from the first; thoroughly congenial to our national taste, and the best that can be imagined for solemn congregational singing of the kind which we might expect in england. the difficulty is the same that beset the old original psalter-makers, i.e. to find words to suit their varied measures. but this must be done[ ]. these tunes in dignity, solemnity, pathos, and melodic solidity leave nothing to desire. the english eight-line tunes of sternhold and hopkins we may then, with one or two exceptions, dismiss to neglect; but among the four-line 'common' tunes which gradually ousted them, there are about a dozen of high merit: these being popular still at the present day require no notice, except to insist that they should be well harmonized in the manner of their date, and generally have the long initials and finals of all their lines observed. they are much finer than any one would guess from their usual dull presentment. their manner, as loved and praised by burns, is excellent, and there is no call to alter it[ ]. contemporary with this group there is a legacy of a dozen and more fine tunes composed by tallis and orlando gibbons, the neglect or treatment of which is equally disgraceful to all concerned. as for the german tunes of the reformation, attempts to introduce the german church-chorales into anything like general use in england have never, so far as i know, been successful, owing, i suppose, to a difference in the melodic sense of the two nations. but some few of them are really popular, and more would be if they were properly presented with suitable words; and it should not be a difficult task to provide words even more suitable and kind than the original german, which seldom observes an intelligent, dignified and consistent mood. these chorales should be sung very slow indeed, and will admit of much accompaniment. bach's settings, when not too elaborate or of impossible compass in the parts, may be well used where the choir is numerically strong. he has made these chorales peculiarly his own, and, in accepting his interpretation of them, we are only acquiescing in a universal judgement, while we make an exception in favour of genius; for as a general rule (which will of course apply to those chorales which we do not use in bach's version), all the music of this reformation period must be harmonized strictly in the vocal counterpoint which prevailed at the end of the sixteenth century; since that is not only its proper musical interpretation, but it is also the ecclesiastical style _par excellence_, the field of which may reasonably be extended, but by no means contracted. it is suitable both for simple and elaborate settings, for hymns of praise or of the more intimate ideal emotions, and in a resonant building a choir of six voices can produce complete effects with it. the broad, sonorous swell of its harmonious intervals floods the air with peaceful power, very unlike the broken sea of bach's chromatics, which, to produce anything like an equal effect of sound, needs to be powerfully excited. it is necessary to insist strongly on one caution, viz. that grammar is not style, and settings which avoid modernisms are not for that reason a fair presentation of the old manner. nothing is less like a fine work of art than its incompetent imitation. and this practically exhausts, as far as i am aware, the material which this period provides. the next class will be made up of our restoration hymns, by jeremy clark, croft, and others who added to the succeeding editions of the metrical psalms. if there are not many in this class, yet the few are good; and clark must be regarded as the inventor of the modern english hymn-tune, regarded, that is, as a pure melody in the scale with harmonic interpretation of instrumental rather than true vocal suggestion. his tunes are pathetic, melodious, and of truly national and popular character, the best of them almost unaccountably free from the indefinable secular taint that such qualities are apt to introduce, and which the bad following of his example did very quickly introduce in the hands of less sensitive artists. they are suitable for evening services. after this time there followed in england, in the wake of handel, a degradation of style which is now completely discredited. diatonic flow, with tediously orthodox modulation, overburdened with conventional graces, describe these innumerable and indistinguishable productions. and just as the old tunes were related to the motets and madrigals, so are these to the verse-anthems and glees of their time. these weak ditties, in the admired manner of lord mornington, were typically performed by the genteel pupils of the local musician, who, gathered round him beneath the laughing cherubs of the organ case, warbled by abundant candlelight to their respectful audience with a graceful execution that rivalled the weekday performances of _celia's arbour_ and the _spotted snakes_. good tunes may be written at any time, for style is independent of fashion; but there are very few exceptions to the complete and unregretted disappearance of all the tunes of this date. we have then nothing left for us to do but to review the material which the revival of music in the last fifty years has given us in the way of hymns. this last group divides naturally into two main heads; first the restoration of old hymns of all kinds, with their plain, severer manner, in reaction against the abused graces; and secondly the appearance of a vast quantity of new hymns. concerning the restoration of the old hymns, we cannot be too grateful to those who pointed the right way, and, according to their knowledge and the opportunities of the taste of their day, did the best that they could. but, as our remarks under the heads of plain-song and reformation hymns will show, this knowledge, taste, and opportunity were insufficient, and all their work requires to be done afresh. we are therefore left to the examination of the modern hymns. in place of this somewhat invidious task, i propose to make a few remarks on the general question of the introduction of modern harmony into ecclesiastical music, with reference of course to hymns only. it cannot escape the attention of any one that the modern church music has for one chief differentiation the profuse employment of pathetic chords, the effect of which is often disastrous to the feelings. comparing a modern hymn-tune in this style with some fine setting of an old tune in the diatonic ecclesiastical manner, one might attribute the superiority of the old music entirely to its harmonic system; but i think this would be wrong. it is a characteristic of all early art to be _impersonal_[ ]. as long as an art is growing, artists are engaged in rivalry to develop the new inventions in a scientific manner, and individual personality is not called out. with the exhaustion of the means in the attainment of perfection a new stage is reached, in which individual expression is prominent, and seems to take the place of the scientific impersonal interest which aimed at nothing but beauty: so that the chief distinction between early and late art is that the former is impersonal, the latter personal. turning now to the subject of ecclesiastical music, and comparing thus palestrina with beethoven or mozart, is it not at once apparent that palestrina has this distinct advantage, namely, that he seems not to interfere at all with, or add anything to, the sacred words? his early musical art is impersonal, what the musicians call 'pure music'; and if he is setting the phrases of the liturgy or holy scriptures, we are not aware of any adjunct; it seems rather as if the sacred words had suddenly become musical. not so with mozart or beethoven; we may prefer their music, but it has interfered with the sacred words, it has, in fact, added a personality. it must of course be conceded that this gives a very strong if not logically an almost unassailable position to those who would confine sacred music to the ecclesiastical style. but it seems to me ridiculous to suppose that genius cannot use all good means with reserve and dignity; and if the modern church music will not stand comparison in respect of dignity and solemnity with the old, the fault must rather lie in the manner in which the new means are used, than in the means themselves; nor would i myself concede that there is no place in church for music which is tinged with a human personality; i should be rather inclined to reckon the great musicians among the prophets, and to sympathize with any one who might prefer the personality of beethoven (as revealed in his works) to that of a good many canonized seers. what is logical is that we should be careful as to what personality we admit, and see that the modern means are used with reserve. now if we examine our modern hymn-tunes, do we find any sign of that reserve of means which we should expect of genius, or any style which we could attribute to the personality of a genius? let any one in doubt try the following experiment: copy out some 'favourite tune' in the 'admired manner' of the present day, and show it to some musician who may happen not to know it, and ask him if it is not by brahms; then see how he will receive any further remarks that you may make to him on the subject of music. these new tunes are in fact, for the most part, the indistinguishable products of a school given over to certain mannerisms, and might be produced _ad libitum_, as indeed they are; just as were the tunes of the lord mornington school before described: and though the composers and compilers of these modern tunes would be the first to deride the exploded fashion, their own fashion is more foolish, and promises to be as fugitive[ ]. i have said very little in this essay on the words of hymns. i will venture to add one or two judgements here. _first_, that in the plain-song period, words and music seem pretty equal and well matched. _secondly_, that in the reformation period, and for some time onwards, the musicians did far better than the sacred poets, and have left us a remainder of admirable music, for which it is our duty to find words. _thirdly_, that the excuse which some musicians have offered for the sentimentality of their modern tunes, namely, that the words are so sentimental, is not without point as a criticism of modern hymn-words, but is of no value whatever as a defence of their practice. the interpretative power of music is exceedingly great, and can force almost any words (as far as their sentiment is concerned) into a good channel. and if music be introduced at all into public worship it must be most jealously and scrupulously guarded. it is a confusion of thought to suppose that because--as st. augustin would tell us--it is not a vital matter to religion whether it employ music or not, therefore it can be of little consequence what sort of music is used: and the attitude of indifference towards it, which has seemed to me to be almost a point of correct ecclesiastical manners, must be the expression of a convinced despair, which, in the present state of things, need not surprise. devout persons are naturally afraid of secular ideals, and shrink from the notion of art intruding into the sanctuary; and, especially if they have never learned music, they will share st. augustin's jealousy of it; and it is the more difficult to remove their objections, when what they are innocently suffering in the name of art curdles the artist's blood with horror, and keeps him away from church. the artist too, to whom we might look for help, is the _rara avis in terris_, and, in regard to his sympathy with the clergy, would often be thought by them to deserve the rest of the hexameter; but it is really to his credit that he is loth to meddle with church music. its social vexations, its eye to the market, its truckling to vulgar taste and ready subservience to a dominant fashion, which can never (except under the rarest combination of circumstances) be good;--all this is more than enough to hold him off. where then is the appeal? _quis custodiet_? the unwillingness of the clergy[ ] to know anything about music might be got over if the music could be set on a proper basis; and in the present lack of authority and avowed principles, it would be well if such of our cathedral precentors and organists as have the matter at heart would consult and work together with the purpose of instructing pastors and people by the exhibition of what is good. this is what we might expect of our religious musical foundations, which are justifying the standing condemnation of utilitarian economists so long as the stipendiaries are content indolently to follow the fortuitous traditions of the books that lie in the choir, supplemented by the penny-a-sheet music of the common shops. in the universities, too, it should be impossible for an undergraduate not to gain acquaintance with good ecclesiastical music, and this is not ensured by an occasional rare performance of half a dozen old masterpieces which are preserved in heartless compliment to antiquity. it is to such bodies that we must first look for help and guidance to give our church music artistic importance: for let no one think that the church can put the artistic question on one side. there is no escape from art; art is only the best that man can do, and his second, third, fourth or fifth best are only worse efforts in the same direction, and in proportion as they fall short of the best the more plainly betray their artificiality. to refuse the best for the sake of something inferior of the same kind can never be a policy; it is rather an uncorrected bad habit, that can only be excused by ignorance; and ignorance on the question of music is every day becoming less excusable; and the growing interest and intelligence which all classes are now showing should force on religion a better appreciation of her most potent ally. music being the universal expression of the mysterious and supernatural, the best that man has ever attained to, is capable of uniting in common devotion minds that are only separated by creeds, and it comforts our hope with a brighter promise of unity than any logic offers. and if we consider and ask ourselves what sort of music we should wish to hear on entering a church, we should surely, in describing our ideal, say first of all that it must be something different from what is heard elsewhere; that it should be a sacred music, devoted to its purpose, a music whose peace should still passion, whose dignity should strengthen our faith, whose unquestioned beauty should find a home in our hearts, to cheer us in life and death; a music worthy of the fair temples in which we meet, and of the holy words of our liturgy; a music whose expression of the mystery of things unseen never allowed any trifling motive to ruffle the sanctity of its reserve. what power for good such a music would have! now such a music our church has got, and does not use; we are content to have our hymn-manuals stuffed with the sort of music which, merging the distinction between sacred and profane, seems designed to make the worldly man feel at home, rather than to reveal to him something of the life beyond his knowledge; compositions full of cheap emotional effects and bad experiments made to be cast aside, the works of the purveyors of marketable fashion, always pleased with themselves, and always to be derided by the succeeding generation. example is better than precept; and my own venture as a compiler of a hymn-book has made it possible for me to say much that otherwise i should not have said. in _the yattendon hymnal_, printed by mr. horace hart at the clarendon press, oxford, and to be had of mr. frowde, price _s._, will be found a hundred hymns with their music, chosen for a village choir. the music in this book will show what sort of a hymnal might be made on my principles, while the notes at the end of the volume will illustrate almost every point in this essay which requires illustration, besides many others. as a complement to this essay and for advertisement of the hymnal i here give the prefaces of that book, which are as follows:-- [ ]_confess._ ix. . [ ]_ibid._ ix. . [ ]this is perhaps rather a quality proper to the sensation. [ ]'et vix eis praebeo congruentem [locum].' which might only mean 'i cannot find the right place for them.' [ ]_confess._ x. . [ ]st. augustin does not allow that a vague emotion can be religious; it must be directed. few would agree to this. [ ]i assume 'favourite hymn' to mean a sung hymn. the interest of the record must lie in its being of a heightened emotion of the same kind as that described by st. augustin in his own case, _what tears i shed_, &c. [ ]it was not an uncommon practice on the continent (say from to ), to print books of hymns to be sung to the current secular airs; and the names or first lines of these airs were set above the hymn-words as the musical direction. m. douen, in his _clément marot et le psautier huguenot_, vol. i, ch. , has given an account of some of these books; and any one who wishes to follow this branch of the subject may read his chapter. he does not notice the later italian _laude spirituali_, which might have supplied incredible monsters to his museum. [ ]besides, the main fault of these books, from which we should have to quote, is the _association_ of the music, and this is really an accident, the question before us being the _character_ of the music; so that we should require musical illustration, for though the common distinction between sacred and secular music is in the main just, yet the line cannot be drawn at the original intention, or historical origin of the music: the true differentiation lies in the character of the music, the associated sentiment being liable to change. if we were to banish from our hymn-books all the tunes which we know to have a secular origin, we should have to part with some of the most sacred and solemn compositions; and where would the purist obtain any assurance that the tunes which he retained had a better title? in the sixteenth century, when so many fine hymn-melodies were written, a musician was working in the approved manner if he adapted a secular melody, or at least borrowed a well-known opening phrase: and since the melodies of that time were composed mainly in conjunct movement, such initial similarities were unavoidable; for one may safely say that it very soon became impossible, under such restrictions, to invent a good opening phrase which had not been used before. the secular airs, too, of that time were often as fit for sacred as profane use; and if i had to find a worthy melody for a good new hymn, i should seek more hopefully among them than in the sacred music of our own century. [ ]i may give the following experience without offence. when i was an undergraduate there was a song from a comic opera by offenbach so much in favour as to be _de rigueur_ at festive meetings. now there was at the same time a counterpart of this song popular at evensong in the churches: it was sung to 'hark, hark, my soul.' i believe it is called _l'encens des fleurs_. they seemed to me both equally nauseating: it was certainly an accident that determined which should be sung at worship and which at wine. [ ]_the art of music_, by c hubert h. parry. london, , st edit. p. . [ ]and give croft the advantage of his original rhythm, not the mis-statement in _hymns ancient and modern_, no. . [ ]it would be very damaging to my desire to convince, if i should seem to deny that the mistaken practice of these hymn-book compilers was based on the solid ground of secular common-sense. if anything is true of rhythm it is this, that the common mind likes common rhythms, such as the march or waltz, whereas elaboration of rhythm appeals to a trained mind or artistic faculty. i should say that the popularity of common rhythms is due to the shortness of human life, and that if men were to live to be years old they would weary of the sort of music which robert browning describes so well-- 'there 's no keeping one's haunches still, there 's no such pleasure in life.' but hymn-melodies must not be put on that level. it is desirable to have in church something different from what goes on outside, and (as i say in the text) a hymn-tune need not appeal to the lowest understanding on first hearing. the simple free rhythms, too, are perfectly natural; they were free-born. [ ]i need only instance orlando gibbons' tune called 'angels.' the original is a most ingenious combination of rhythms; and its masterly beauty could not be guessed from the inane form into which it is degraded in _hymns ancient and modern_, no. . [ ]i omit, for want of space, mention of the late plain-song melodies (which would give a good many excellent tunes); and, for want of knowledge, the italian tunes. [ ]comparing the english with the french genevan psalter, i do not think my judgement is too severe on our own. it had a few fine tunes original to it; best of all the cxxxvii (degraded in _hymns ancient and modern_). this is of such exceptional beauty that i believe it must have been written by bourgeois for whittingham. next perhaps is lxxvii (called st in _h. a. m._), the original of which, in day, , is a fine tune, degraded already in este, , which version _h. a. m._ follows: it is said to have come from geneva. besides these, xxv and xliv, which are the only other tunes from this source in _h. a. m._, are very favourable examples, and i do not think that they will rescue the book. nor can i believe that these old english d.c.m. tunes were ever much used. they are too much alike for many of them to have been committed to memory, while all the editions which i happen to have seen are full of misprints, and the four-line tunes which drove them out were early in the field, and increased rapidly. [ ]when one turns the pages of that most depressing of all books ever compiled by the groaning creature, julian's hymn-dictionary, and sees the thousands of carefully tabulated english hymns, by far the greater number of them not only pitiable as efforts of human intelligence, but absolutely worthless as vocal material for melodic treatment, one wishes that all this effort had been directed to supply a real want. e. g. the two wesleys between them wrote thirteen octavo volumes, of some pages each, full of closely printed hymns. one must wish that charles wesley at least (who showed in a few instances how well he could do) had, instead of reeling off all this stuff, concentrated his efforts to produce only what should be worthy of his talents and useful to posterity. [ ]if old tunes are modernized out of a fine rhythm, a curious result would be likely to come about; viz. that modern tunes might be written in the old rhythm for the sake of novelty, while the old were being sung in the more modern way for the sake of uniformity. [ ]this fact is of course generally recognized. the explanation in the text is one which was elaborately illustrated by the slade professor at oxford, in his last course of lectures on painting. [ ]there is one point which i cannot pass over. it has become the practice in modern books to put marks of musical expression to the words, directing the congregation when to sing loud or soft. this implies a habit of congregational performance the description of which would make a companion picture to the organ gallery of . it seems to me a practice of inconceivable degradation: one asks in trembling if it is to be extended to the psalms. it is just as if the congregation were school-children singing to please a musical inspector, and he a stupid one. [ ]it must be due to unwillingness that comparatively so few of our clergy can take their part in the service when it is musical. village schoolmasters tell me that two hours a week is sufficient in a few months to bring all the children up to a standard of time and tune and reading at sight that would suffice a minor canon. preface to the yattendon hymnal among the old melodies which it is the chief object of this book to restore to use, some will be found which will be quite new to the public, while others will be familiar though in a somewhat different form; and since the sources whence all the tunes are taken are well known, and have been already largely drawn upon by the compilers of psalters and hymnals, any melody which is new in this book may be considered as having been hitherto overlooked or rejected, while in the alternative case it is to be understood that the original cast of the melody has at some former time been altered (frequently to suit the english common metre to which it was not at first conformable), and is now restored. the plain-song tunes, of which an account is given in the preface to the notes, and the few other old tunes which do not fall into either of the two above-mentioned classes, were included for the sake of their settings. with respect to the vocal settings in four parts it may be said that, in the numerous cases in which such settings were not added by the composer of the melody, the editors have done their best to supply the want in a suitable manner, and with some attempt towards the particular qualities of workmanship upon which much of the beauty of the old vocal counterpoint depends; and this latter aim has also governed the composition of the six tunes not derived from old sources which have been included in the work. this book is offered in no antiquarian spirit. the greater number of these old tunes are, without question, of an excellence which sets them above either the enhancement or the ruin of time, and at present when so much attention is given to music it is to be desired that such masterpieces should not be hidden away from the public, or only put forth in a corrupt and degraded form. the excellence of a nation in music can have no other basis than the education and practice of the people; and the quality of the music which is most universally sung must largely determine the public taste for good or ill. since such information as might be looked for in an introduction is given in the notes at the end of the volume, there is nothing to add here but a list of the sources and composers in order of date, which should in the eyes of musicians go far to justify this attempt. synopsis of the music in order of date plain-song melodies, sarum use, nine, nos. . . . . . . . . . ambrosian, two, nos. . . later plain-song, two, nos. . . heinrich isaac, , one tune, nos. & . from the strasbourg psalter, before , two, nos. . . german of same date, one, no. . louis bourgeois, , thirteen, nos. . . . . . . . . . . & . . & see & . christopher tye, , one, no. . from crespin's psalters, circ. , three, nos. . . . thomas tallis, , seven, nos. . . & . . . . . from the french genevan psalter, after , one, no. . a setting by claude goudimel, , no. . english, th cent, four, nos. . . . . two settings by geo. kirby, , nos. . . a setting by j. farmer, , no. . a setting by rd. allison, , no. . italian, th cent., one, no. . hans leonhard hassler, , one, no. . thos. campion, , one, no. . orlando gibbons, , eight, nos. . . . . . . . . henry lawes, , one, no. . johann crueger, , four, nos. . . . . english & scotch, - , seven, nos. . . . . . . . german, th cent, two, nos. . . jeremy clark, , nine, nos. . . . . . . . . . william croft, , four, nos. . . . . english, th cent., four, nos. . . . . j.s.bach, eight settings, mostly of earlier melodies, nos. . . . . . . . . seven new tunes by h. e. w., nos. . . . . . . . note 'the seven tunes by tallis are all transcripts of his original four-part compositions. only two of these tunes are in the common books; one of them "the ordinal" is always reset, the other "canon," which is usually sung to bp. ken's evening hymn, is completely altered, the canon being put in a different position and the harmony changed. this tune is i believe correctly edited for the first time in the y. h. and it is now thus sung at wells cathedral. 'of the eight tunes by orlando gibbons, two only (and these altered both in rhythm and harmony) appear in the common books. all gibbons' tunes are given in the y. h. with his own bass, the inner parts being supplied. 'there is a complete list of the music in the word-book of the yattendon hymnal, which is published by mr. blackwell of broad street, oxford, and may be bought for _s._ _d._' the preface to the notes the origin of this book was my attempt, when precentor of a village choir, to provide better settings of the hymns than those in use. when i gave up my office, i printed the first twenty-five hymns for the convenience of the choir, and also for the sake of the tunes by jeremy clark, which i had been at some pains to restore, and for the preservation of the tunes composed on our behalf by professor wooldridge. my choice of music had so far been limited to tunes, for which suitable words were to be found in _hymns ancient & modern_; but by the time that these first tunes were printed, i determined to continue the book free of this restriction, and, from whatever source, to provide words for tunes which i had hitherto been unable to use. i then became aware of a real cause for the absence of most of these tunes from the common hymnals: _there were no words of any kind to which they could be sung_. having already translated some of the old latin hymns for their proper melodies, i was thence led on to the more difficult task of supplying the greater need of these other tunes; the result being that over forty of these hundred hymns have english words newly written by myself. almost all of these new hymns are in some sense translations, for even where an original hymn could not be followed in its entirety, as an old latin hymn generally may be, there was usually a foundation to begin upon, and i never failed to find the music conditioning, dictating, or inspiring the remainder. i did not willingly engage in this, nor until i had searched word-books of all kinds; a fruitless labour, unless for the hope begotten thereof that my practice in versifying and my love for music may together have created something of at least relative value. the unusual method which i was constrained to follow, that is of writing words to suit existing music, has its advantages. in some cases, as will be seen in the notes to the hymns, the musician, out of despair or even contempt for the doggrel offered to him, has composed a fine tune quite independent of the words to which it was dedicated[ ], and such tunes have been silent ever since they were composed: while even when a melody has been actually inspired by a particular hymn, the attention of the composer to the first stanza has not infrequently set up a hirmos, or at least a musical scheme of feeling, which, not having been in the mind of the writer of the words, is not carried out in his other stanzas[ ]: indeed, as every one must have observed, the words of hymns have too often been written with insufficient attention to the conditions which a repetition of any music to every stanza must impose. to get rid of such discrepancies between words and music is advantageous to both, and although this treatment cannot of course be applied to english hymns,--which it is not allowable to alter, except in cases of glaring unfitness or absurdity, such as would if uncorrected cause the neglect of a good hymn[ ],--yet, where the hymn has to be translated from a foreign language, some reconstruction is generally inevitable, and it can follow no better aim than that of the mutual enforcement of words and music. and the words owe a courtesy to the music; for if a balance be struck between the words and music of hymns, it will be found to be heavily in favour of the musicians, whose fine work has been unscrupulously altered and reduced to dullness by english compilers, with the object of conforming it in rhythm to words that are unworthy of any music whatever. the chief offenders here are the protestant reformers, whose metrical psalms, which the melodies were tortured to fit, exhibit greater futility than one would look for even in men who could thus wantonly spoil fine music[ ]. the form and size of the book were determined by the type, chosen because it was the only one that i could find of any beauty; and i wished that my book should in this respect give an example, and be worthy both of the music and its sacred use[ ]. moreover a book from which two or three singers can read is more convenient in the choir than a multiplicity of small books; and the music being in full score, its intention cannot be mistaken: for it must be understood that most of these tunes are set in the manner proper for voices, but unsuitable for the piano or other keyed instrument; and the book is intended to encourage unaccompanied singing. a choir that cannot sing unaccompanied cannot sing at all; and this is not an uncommon condition in our churches, where choirs with varying success accompany the organ. a proper manner of sustained singing, and the true artistic pleasure that should govern it, will never be obtained until these conditions are reversed. there is one novelty which i am responsible for introducing, namely the four-part vocal settings of certain early plain-song melodies. the later plain-song tunes, such as no. , are, i suppose[ ], as fit for this treatment as any other tunes of the same date; but in the case of the earlier melodies, which were composed before the invention of any complete system of harmony, it is generally agreed that they should be sung in unison, in fact the more elaborate of them cannot be sung otherwise. to give four-part settings of any of these early tunes calls therefore for an explanation, which i will give as briefly as possible. when these tunes are sung, they are usually accompanied, and this implies a harmonic treatment. now the best harmonic treatment which they can have is the palestrinal, because that was the earliest complete system, and therefore the nearest to their time, and also because we may rely on the truth of its interpretation of the modes for the reason that palestrina had never heard any music that was not modal. a modern musician, if he attempts to go back beyond palestrina, must draw on his imagination, and while his aim must be to produce something artistically and technically less perfect than palestrina's system, his work, when it is done, will carry neither authority nor conviction. if then we take palestrina's harmonic interpretation of the modes, it seems to me that there can be no objection to giving vocal parts to the simpler hymns. if it is preferred to sing them in unison, the modal settings will be a guide to the accompanist. but it is my opinion that such settings as i offer will really please, and they may possibly do something to bring these tunes, which have a unique, unmatchable beauty, into favour with choirs that dislike the effort and waste of unison singing. these settings offer no difficulty of execution all; _that is necessary is that the under voices should know the melody_: and though this is not generally thought requisite in a modern hymn, it is asking nothing extra of a choir that would sing the plain-song tunes; for even if they are sung in unison, they must first be known by heart (otherwise their rhythmical freedom, which defies notation, and is indispensable to their beauty, cannot be approached), and when once a choir has got thus far, the under parts, being phrased with the melody, will easily follow it. an explanation of the notation of these settings is given in the note to hymn . congregational singing of hymns is much to be desired; but, though difficult to obtain, it is not permissible to provoke it by undignified music. its only sound musical basis is good melody: good melodies should therefore be offered to the people, such as it has been the object of this book to bring together; and they should have as much freedom and variety of rhythm as possible. if some of the good melodies are, owing to their wide compass or other difficulty, unfit for congregational singing, this is an advantage; because neither are all hymn-words equally suitable. most of the words in this book are suitable for congregational singing; some are not. a hymn-book which is intended entirely for congregational use must be faulty in one of two ways; either it will offer for congregational singing hymns whose sacred and intimate character is profaned by such a treatment, or it will have to omit some of the most beautiful hymns in the language: but congregations differ much, not only with regard to the music in which they are capable of joining, but also as to the sort of words which best express their religious emotion. in the following notes the left-hand side of the page is given to the words, the right to the music of each hymn: in the latter column will be found full information as to the text of the music, the source whence it is derived, &c., together with a careful account of every departure that has been made from the originals. it is hoped that this will not only be of general interest, but that it may inspire confidence in the text of the book, and ensure the reception which its authority demands. for the text of the music, and all the statements in the notes, i am responsible; excepting those portions of the notes which are therein assigned to their proper authorities, and in these i am responsible for the correctness of the quotations and references, in which i have done my best to secure accuracy. i owe much to the kindness of mr. w. barclay squire at the british museum; i have also to thank mr. godfrey arkwright for the loan of some rare books, and dr. chas. wood of cambridge for two settings and occasional reading of music proofs; in which latter task i gratefully record the help of mr. j. s. liddle and dr. percy buck. to mr. miles birket foster i owe the three trios by jeremy clark, and to the revs. w. h. frere and g. h. palmer the text of the plain-song melodies, and the information concerning them which is given in the following notes: it is due to the generosity with which they put their learning and judgement at my disposal that i am able to offer these tunes with the same confidence as the rest of the book. professor wooldridge, having co-operated with me throughout, has allowed his name to appear on the title page. [ ]no. is a good example of this. see also no. . [ ]no. is a good example. the line _du bist mein, und ich bin dein_, corresponds in stanza with _wenn die welt in trümmer fallt_, and in stanza with _elend, noth, kreuz, schmach und tod_. again in no. the opening phrase, _mon dieu, mon dieu_, of the twenty-second psalm needs music which conditions the other stanzas severely. again the weak apologetic latter half of the german hymn _herzliebster jesu_, no. , is irreconcilably out of the key with the pathetic grief of the beginning. cases in which caesuras and grammatical breaks are inconsistent are numberless. [ ]see note to hymn . other english hymns altered for practical purposes in this book are nos. , , , last verse of , , , and . [ ]i give illustrations of these words in notes to hymns , , , , , , and . [ ]the cheapness is not the direct cause of the ugliness of our common hymn-books, nor is their ugliness the cause of their cheapness. if many copies of a book are sold, they can be sold cheaply; if only a few, then the initial expense, which is much the same whether the book be beautiful or ugly, must be shared between those few buyers and the author. but thus it comes about indirectly for cheapness to be the cause of meanness and ugliness, because in a larger market there is greater indifference to artistic excellence of all kinds, and from habit a preference for what is inferior. in a large edition this book could be sold as cheaply as another. [ ]i state here once for all that in musical matters i offer my opinion with becoming humility. advertisement the yattendon hymnal. edited by robert bridges and professor h. ellis wooldridge. containing hymns and voice-parts. printed at the oxford university press, . may be obtained of henry frowde, oxford warehouse, amen corner, london, e.c., or through any bookseller. price, to boards, . a few copies of the folio, price , are still to be had. the word-book of the yattendon hymnal, which contains a full list of the music, and is called, _the small hymn-book,_ may be had of b. h. blackwell, broad street, oxford, or through any bookseller. price _s._ _d._ oxford: horace hart, printer to the university [transcriber's notes] i fondly remember singing from the st. gregory hymnal in grade school. looking down from the choir loft in the back of the church and standing five feet from the shouting organ pipes that stretched from floor to ceiling leaves a glorious impression on a ten year old! my skill in latin consists of two years in high school over fifty years ago. i remember most of the pronunciation, but the precise meanings and poetic meter is lost on me. i have carefully compared the printed text with the transcription, but poetic structure may be incorrect. my primary goal is to provide a source for singers and musicians who love the old latin hymns, as i do. i hope this will help spread the joy provided by these "oldies, but goodies." all the text of the lyrics and other material have been transcribed to this document for research and indexing. if you can only remember a few words of a hymn, a simple search should find the full text. the word and pdf version closely approximate the original page layout. the html version provides the original images of the pages suitable for printing and immediate use. contrary to the usual gutenberg guidelines, the page numbers are left to provide easy reference to the original pages. the page images are stored as x gif files to minimize file size and preserve fidelity. on my computer a single sheet page fills an . by inch sheet by setting the print scaling factor to %. a scaling factor of % produces a page the size of the original book ( . x . inches). some files are both facing pages because they are read and sung using both pages. these print in the original size at % scaling in either portrait or landscape format. "your results may vary." where works span several pages, the text is rendered without interruption and all the included pages are listed at the end of the work to provide a search target. the image files are named for easy access. n _p .gif is the first page ( ) of hymn number . n _p .gif is the second page ( ) of hymn number . a description of the header of each item is shown in this example: hymn number: no. occasion or advent theme: title: hark! a mystic voice is sounding en clara vox origin and tr. rev. e. caswall other notes: nicola a. montani [end transcriber's notes] the st. gregory hymnal and catholic choir book compiled, edited and arranged by nicola a. montani a complete collection of approved english and latin hymns, liturgical motets and appropriate devotional music for the various seasons of the liturgical year. particularly adapted to the requirements of choir, schools, academies, seminaries, convents, sodalities and sunday schools. singers' edition melody edition (one line music with complete text) publishers the st. gregory guild rittenhouse st. philadelphia, pa. copyright by nicola a montani british copyright secured all rights reserved printed in u.s.a. nihil obstat j. m. corrigan censor librorum philadelphia, july , imprimatur + d. j. dougherty archiepiscopus philadelphiensis approved by the music committee of the society of st. gregory of america (the society approved by the holy see by rescript no. ) very rev. leo p. manzetti; rev. john m. petter, s. t. b.; rev. simon m. yenn; rev. charles j. marshall, c. s.c. index the st. gregory hymnal english hymns alphabetical index of first lines a no. acts of faith, hope and charity afar upon a foreign shore all glory, laud and honor all ye who seek a comfort sure a message from the sacred heart angels we have heard on high as fades the glowing orb of day at the cross her station keeping ave maria! o maiden, o mother a virgin most pure as the prophets did tell b behold! behold he cometh blessed be god blessed francis, holy father blest is the faith by the first bright easter day by the blood that flowed from thee c christ the lord is risen today come holy ghost, creator come crown him with many crowns d daily, daily sing to mary (a) daily, daily sing to mary (b) dear angel! ever at my side dear crown of all the virgin-choir dear little one! how sweet thou art f faith of our fathers full of glory, full of wonders g gesu bambino glorious patron glory be to jesus god of mercy and compassion great god, whatever through thy church great saint joseph! son of david h hail, all hail, great queen of heaven hail, full of grace and purity hail, glorious saint patrick (no. ) hail, glorious saint patrick (no. ) hail, holy joseph, hail! hail, holy queen enthroned above hail, jesus, hail! hail, mary full of grace hail, queen of heaven hail, rock of ages hail, thou star of ocean hail to thee, true body! hail, virgin, dearest mary! happy we, who thus united hark! a mystic voice is sounding hark! hark! my soul hark! the herald host is singing hear thy children, gentle jesus hear thy children, gentlest mother heart of jesus! golden chalice he who once, in righteous vengeance holy god, we praise thy name holy spirit, lord of light i if great wonders thou desirest i need thee, precious jesus i see my jesus crucified j jerusalem, my happy home jerusalem the golden jesus christ is risen today jesus, creator of the world jesus, ever-loving saviour jesus, food of angels jesus, gentlest saviour jesus, jesus, come to me jesus, lord, be thou mine own jesus, my lord! behold at length the time jesus, my lord, my god, my all jesus, the very thought of thee jesus, thou art coming joseph, pure spouse of that immortal bride l lead us, great teacher paul let the deep organ swell the lay lift up, ye princes of the sky little king, so fair and sweet long live the pope lord, for tomorrow and its needs lord, help the souls which thou hast made lord, who at cana's wedding feast loving shepherd of thy sheep (the good shepherd) m man of sorrows, wrapt in grief mother of christ mother of mercy my god, accept my heart this day my god, i believe in thee my god, i hope in thee my god, i love thee n now at the lamb's high royal feast now let the earth with joy resound o o blessed father sent by god o blessed saint joseph o come, creator spirit! come o come, o come, emmanuel o dearest love divine o dear little children o food to pilgrims given o god of loveliness oh, come and mourn with me awhile o heart of jesus, heart of god o heart of jesus, purest heart o jesus christ, remember o jesus, thou the beauty art o lord, i am not worthy o most holy one o mother! most afflicted o paradise! o paradise o purest of creatures o sacred head surrounded o sing a joyous carol o thou pure light of souls that love o turn to jesus, mother, turn our father, who art in heaven out of the depths, to thee, o lord o'erwhelmed in depths of woe p praise to the holiest in the height praise we our god with joy r raise your voices, vales and mountains remember, holy mary s sacred heart! in accents burning sacred heart of jesus, fount of love saint of the sacred heart see, amid the winter's snow seek ye a patron to defend? silent night holy night sing my tongue, the saviour's glory sleep, holy babe soul of my saviour spirit of grace and union sweet agnes, holy child sweet saviour! bless us ere we go t the divine praises thee prostrate i adore the maid of france with visioned eyes the snow lay on the ground there is an everlasting home the very angels' bread the word, descending from above this is the image of the queen to christ, the prince of peace to jesus' heart all burning to the name that brings salvation u unto him for whom this day w what a sea of tears and sorrows when blossoms flowered 'mid the snows when day's shadows lengthen when morning gilds the skies whither thus in holy rapture? wondrous love that cannot falter why art thou sorrowful? y ye faithful, with gladness ye sons and daughters of the lord (no. ) ye sons and daughters of the lord (no. ) ye souls of the faithful latin hymns and motets index of first lines a no. adeste fideles adoramus te christe ( ) -a adoramus te christe ( ) -b adoramus te panem coelitum adoremus and laudate ( to ) -a-j adoro te devote ( ) -a adoro te devote ( ) -b agnus dei (mass. b. v. m.) agnus dei -- mass of the angels alleluia -d-h alma redemptoris mater alma redemptoris mater "amen dico tibi; hodie mecum" asperges me ave maria ( ) -a ave maria ( ) -b ave maria ( ) -c ave maris stella ( to ) -a-d ave regina coelorum ave regina coelorum ave verum corpus ( ) -a ave verum corpus ( ) -b ave verum corpus ( ) -c ave verum corpus ( ) -d ave verum corpus ( ) -e b beati mortui benedictus (palm sunday) benedictus with antiphon (canticle) benedictus (mass b. v. m.) benedictus missa de angelis bone pastor, panis vere -b c caligaverunt oculi mei christus factus est christus vincit concordi laetitia confirma hoc deus confitemini domino conserva me domine "consummatum est" cor, arca legem continens cor jesu sacratissimum ( ) -a cor jesu sacratissimum ( ) -b cor jesu, salus in te cor mariae immaculatum -a creator alme siderum credeo (no. ) credeo (no. ) de angelis (supplement) cum angelis et pueris d deo gratias (responses) -a to h deus in adjutorium "deus meus" e ecce lignum crucis ecce nomen domini emmanuel ecce panis angelorum ( ) -a ecce panis angelorum ( ) -b ecce quam bonum (psalm ) ecce quomodo moritur ecce sacerdos ecce vidimus eum -a ego sum (antiphon) en clara vox redarguit f forty hours' devotion (page ) programme g gloria in excelsis gloria in excelsis mass of the angels supplement gloria, laus et honor h holy saturday music hosanna filio david i ingrediente in manus tuas in monte oliveti oravit in monte oliveti inviolata ite missa est, deo gratias -j j jesu dulcis memoria ( ) -a jesu dulcis memoria ( ) -b jesu dulcis memoria ( ) -c jesu redemptor omnium ( ) -a jesu redemptor omnium ( ) -b jubilate deo k kyrie eleison (mass b. v. m.) kyrie eleison (requiem responses) -( ) kyrie eleison (mass of the angels supplement) languentibus in purgatorio lauda sion (ecce panis) -b laudate dominum laudate dominum and adoremus -a-j laudate dominum -f laudate dominum -h litany of the blessed virgin mary litany of the saints lucis creator m magnificat mass of the angels mass of the blessed virgin mary miserere illi deus miserere mei deus "mulier, ecce filius tuus" missa brevis unison, , or part chorus nunc dimittis o o bone jesu o cor jesu o emmanuel o esca viatorum ( ) -a o esca viatorum ( ) -b o filii et filiae o gloriosa virginum ( ) -a o gloriosa virginum ( ) -b omnes amici mei o quam suavis est oremus pro pontifici o sacrum convivium o salutaris hostia ( to ) -a to g o sanctissima, o piissima p palm sunday music panis angelicus ( ) -a panis angelicus ( ) -b pange lingua ( ) (tantum ergo) -a pange lingua ( ) (tantum ergo) -b parce domine "pater, dimitte illis" "pater in manus tuas" popule meus pueri hebraerum puer nobis nascitur q quae est ista quam dilecta tabernacula tua r recessit pastor noster regina coeli, jubila regina coeli laetare regina coeli gregorian supplement regnum mundi requiem mass (appendix) requiem responses ( ) resonet in laudibus responses for all occasions responses after the magnificat (page ) s sacerdos et pontifex sacris solemniis (panis angelicus) salve mater misericordiae salve regina coelitum salve regina mater salve regina mater supplement sanctae joseph patronae noster -a sanctus and benedictus (mass b. v. m.) sanctus and benedictus (palm sunday) sanctus and benedictus (mass of the angels) supplement "sitio" stabat mater ( ) -a stabat mater ( ) -b stabat mater ( ) -c sub tuum praesidium ( ) -a sub tuum praesidium ( ) -b suscipe domine t tanquam ad latronem existis tantum ergo ( to ) -a to j te deum laudamus te lucis ante terminum tenebrae factae sunt tollite hostias tota pulchra es, maria tristis est anima mea tu gloria jerusalem u una hora non potuistis vigilare unus ex discipulis meis unison mass supplement v velum templi scissum est veni, creator spiritus ( ) -a veni, creator spiritus ( ) -b veni, sancte spiritus veni sponsa christi veni, veni emmanuel vespere autem sabbati -i vespers b. v. m. (supplement) vexilla regis prodeunt ( ) ( ) ( ) -a, b, c victimae paschali laudes vidi aquam appendix--requiem mass (libera etc.) supplement--mass of the angels, vespers b. v. m., antiphons b. v. m. (simple tones), missa brevis for unison, , or , part chorus ---------- no. advent hark! a mystic voice is sounding en clara vox tr. rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani moderato . hark! a mystic voice is sounding, "christ is nigh," it seems to say. "cast away the dreams of darkness, o ye children of the day." startled at the solemn warning, let the earth-bound soul arise; christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling, shines upon the morning skies. . lo! the lamb so long expected, comes with pardon down from heav'n, let us haste, with tears of sorrow, one and all to be forgiv'n. so when next he comes with glory, wrapping all the earth in fear, may he then as our defender, on the clouds of heav'n appear. pages - copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. advent o come, o come, emmanuel! processional tr. dr. j. m. neale traditional melody "veni, o sapientiae" maestoso . o come, o come, emmanuel, and ransom captive israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the son of god appear. chorus rejoice! rejoice! o israel! to thee shall come emmanuel. . o come thou rod of jesse, free thine own from satan's tyranny; from depths of hell thy people save, and give them vict'ry o'er the grave. . o come, thou day-spring, come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here, disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death's dark shadows put to flight. . o come, o come, thou lord of might, who to thy tribes on sinai's height, in ancient times didst give the law, in cloud, and majesty and awe. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. advent behold! behold he cometh processional translated from the latin s. webbe moderato behold! behold he cometh, who doth salvation bring; lift up your heads rejoicing, and welcome zion's king; with hymns of joy we praise the lord, hosanna to th' incarnate word! hosanna to the saviour, who came on christmas morn, and, of a lowly virgin, was in a stable born; emmanuel! dear jesus, come, within thy children make thy home! yea, come in love and meekness, our saviour now to be; come to be formed in us, and make us like to thee, before the day of wrath draw near, when as our judge thou shalt appear. soon shalt thou sit in glory upon the great white throne, and punish all the wicked, and recompense thine own; when ev'ry word and deed and thought to righteous judgement shall be brought. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas ye faithful, with gladness adeste fideles traditional melody free translation by the rt. rev. hugh t. henry, litt. d., l.l.d. . ye faithful, with gladness, banishing all sadness, o come ye, o come ye to bethlehem! see to us given christ, the king of heaven! chorus while angels hover o'er him, and shepherds kneel before him o come, let us adore him, lord and king. . dear mary, his mother, give to us as brother the lord whom the angels are worshipping: god the eternal light of light supernal! . again sounding o'er us, let the angel chorus the anthem of gladness and triumph sing: "glory be given to the lord of heaven!" . our voices no blending with their songs unending, all-joyful, dear jesus, thy glory sing, be our endeavor thus to praise thee ever! page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas see, amid the winter's snow rev. e. caswall traditional melody allegretto . see, amid the winter's snow, born to us on earth below; see the tender lamb appears, promised from eternal years. chorus hail, thou ever blessed morn, hail, redemption's happy dawn! sing through all jerusalem, christ is born in bethlehem. . lo, within a manger lies he who built the starry skies; he, who throned in heights sublime, sits amid the cherubim. . sacred infant all divine, what a tender love was thine; thus to come from highest bliss, down to such a world as this. . teach, oh teach us, holy child, by thy face so meek and mild; teach us to resemble thee in thy sweet humility. . virgin mother, mary blest by the joys the fill thy breast, pray for us, that we may prove worthy of the saviour's love. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas o dear little children carol translated by sister jeanne marie traditional melody arr. by n. a. m. moderato semplice . o dear little children, o come one and all, draw near to the crib, here in bethlehem's stall, and see what a bright ray of heaven's delight our father has sent on this thrice holy night. . o see in the crib low concealing his might, see here by the rays of the clear shining light, in cleanliest swaddle the heavenly child more beauteous than legions of hosts undefiled. . he lies there, o children, on hay and on straw dear mary and joseph regard him with awe, the shepherds, adoring, bow humbly in pray'r, angelical choirs with song rend the air. . o children bend low and adore him today, o lift up your hands like the shepherds and pray, sing joyfully, children, with hearts full of love in jubilant song join the angels above. page ---------- no. christmas angels we have heard on high bishop chadwick nicola. a. montani allegro moderato . angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains, and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains. . shepherd, why this jubilee? why your rapturous strains prolong? what may the gladsome tidings be which inspire your heav'nly song? . come to bethlehem, and see him whose birth the angels sing; come, adore on bended knee christ the lord, the newborn king. . see him in a manger laid, whom the choirs of angels praise mary, joseph, lend your aid, while our hearts in love we raise. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas the snow lay on the ground old english carol rev. dr. lingard edv. grieg arr. by n. a. m. non troppo lento . the snow lay on the ground, the stars shone bright when christ our lord was born on christmas night. . 'twas mary, daughter pure of holy anne, that brought into this world the god made man. . she laid him in the stall at bethlehem; the ass and oxen shared the roof with him. . saint joseph to was by, to tend the child; to guard him, and protect his mother mild. . the angels hovered 'round, and sang this song; "venite, adoremus dominum." . and then that manger poor became a throne; for he whom mary bore was god the son. . o come then, let us join the heav'nly host, to praise the father, son and holy ghost. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas stars of glory carol dr. husenbeth s. janowska slowly . stars of glory, shine more brightly, purer be the moonlight's beam, glide, ye hours and moments, lightly, swiftly down time's deepening stream; bring the hour that banished sadness brought redemption down to earth; when the shepherds heard with gladness tidings of the saviour's birth. . see a beauteous angel soaring in the bright celestial blaze, on the shepherds, low adoring rest his mild effulgent rays; "fear not," cries the heav'nly stranger, "him whom ancient seers foretold, weeping in a lowly manger shepherds, haste ye to behold." . see the shepherd quickly rising, hast'ning to the humble stall, and the newborn infant prizing, as the mighty lord of all; lowly now they bend before him in his helpless infant state, firmly faithful, they adore him, and his greatness celebrate. . hark! the swell of heav'nly voices peals along the vaulted sky; angels sing while earth rejoices "glory to our god on high; glory in the highest heaven, peace to humble men on earth;" joy to these and bliss is given in the great redeemer's birth. page - copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas o sing a joyous carol sister m. b. from "alte katholische geistliche kirchengesang" (koln, )* * catholic melody incorrectly attributed to m. praetorius joyously . o sing a joyful carol unto the holy child, and praise with gladsome voices his mother undefiled. our gladsome voices greeting shall hail our infant king and our sweet lady listens when joyful voices sing. . who is there meekly lying in yonder stable poor? dear children, it is jesus; he bids you now adore. who is there kneeling by him in virgin beauty fair? it is our mother mary, she bids you all draw near. . who is there near the cradle, that guards the holy child? it is our father joseph chaste spouse of mary mild. dear children, oh, how joyful with them in heav'n to be! god grant that none be missing from that festivity. page ---------- no. christmas silent night, holy night fr. gruber arr. by nicola a. montani moderato . silent night, holy night! bethlehem sleeps yet what light floats around the holy pair; songs of angels fill the air strains of heavenly peace, strains of heavenly peace. . silent night, holy night! shepherds first see the light, hear the alleluias ring which the angel chorus sing "christ the savior has come christ the savior has come!" . silent night, holy night! son of god! oh, what light radiates from thy manger bed over realms with darkness spread, thou in bethlehem born, thou in bethlehem born. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas a virgin most pure, as the prophets did tell ancient carol traditional melody arr. by n. a. m. slowly . a virgin most pure, as the prophets did tell, hath brought forth a saviour, as it hath befell, to be our redeemer from death, hell and sin, which adam's transgression had wrapped us in. chorus rejoice and be merry, set sorrow aside jesus our saviour was born on this tide. . in bethlehem city in jewry it was, where joseph and mary together did pass, and there to be taxed with many one more. for caesar commanded the same should be so. . but when they had entered the city so fair, a number of people so mighty was there that mary and joseph, whose substance was small, could procure in the inn no lodging at all. . then they were constrained in a stable to lie, where oxen and asses they used there to tie; their lodging so simple they held it no scorn, but against the next morning a saviour was born. . the king of glory to this world being brought small store of fine linen to wrap him was sought; when mary had swaddled her young son so sweet, within an ox manger she laid him to sleep. . then god sent an angel from heaven so high, to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lie, and charged them no longer in sorrow to stay, because that our saviour was born on this day. . then presently after the shepherds did spy a number of angels appear in the sky; who joyfully talked and sweetly did sing, "to god be all glory, our heavenly king." page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. christmas hark! the herald host is singing e. humperdinck joyously . hark! the herald host is singing, thro' the silent holy night, tidings of great joy they're bringing, from yon starry azure height. and each heart is filled with gladness, at the message which they bring; "christ is born, forget all sadness, trust in him, your saviour king!" . and behold the stars bright glowing, shed o'er earth their radiant light, while from angels' lips are flowing anthems thro' the holy night. bright each window now is glowing, lighted by the christmas tree; and each cheek with joy is glowing, and each heart is filled with glee. . soft the messengers from heaven wing their flight from home to home; bearing lessons god hath given unto all the earth that roam. "welcome, welcome christmas evening bringing peace and love to earth!" show your gratitude, rejoicing, christians in your saviour's birth! page - ---------- no. christmas sleep, holy babe (for additional christmas hymns see hymns nos. $ and latin hymns). tr. rev. e. caswall traditional melody semplice . sleep, holy babe, upon thy mothers breast! great lord of earth and sea and sky, how sweet it is to see thee lie in such a place of rest! . sleep, holy babe, thine angels watch around; all bending low with folded wings before th'incarnate king of kings, in rev'rent awe profound. . sleep, holy babe, while i with mary gaze in joy upon that face awhile, upon the loving infant smile, which there divinely plays. . sleep, holy babe, o snatch thy brief repose; too quickly will thy slumber break, and thou to lengthened pains awake, that death alone shall close. page ---------- no. the most holy name o jesus, thou the beauty art jesu, decus angelicum st. bernard tr. rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani andante religioso . o jesus, thou the beauty art of angel worlds above; thy name is music to the heart inflaming it with love celestial sweetness unalloy'd who eat thee hunger still; who drink of thee still feel a void which naught but thee canst fill. . o my sweet jesus, hear the sighs which unto thee i send; to thee mine inmost spirit cries, my being's hope and end. stay with us lord, with thy light illume the soul's abyss; dispel the darkness of the night and fill the world with bliss. page - ---------- no . the most holy name to the name that brings salvation processional dr. j. m. neale nicola a. montani moderato . to the name that brings salvation, honor, worship, let us pay which for many a generation hid in god's foreknowledge lay. but with holy exultation we may sing aloud today. . name of gladness, name of pleasure, by this tongue ineffable name of sweetness passing measure to the ear delectable, 'tis our safeguard and our treasure, 'tis our help 'gainst sin and hell. . 'tis the name for adoration, 'tis the name of victory, 'tis the name for meditation in this vale of misery, 'tis the name for veneration by the citizens on high. . 'tis the name that whoso preaches finds it music to the ear; who in pray'r this name beseeches sweetest comfort findeth near; who its perfect wisdom reacheth heav'nly joy possesseth here. page ---------- no. the most holy name jesus the very thought of thee jesu, dulcis memoria st. bernard tr. rev. e. caswall traditional melody religioso . jesus the very though of thee, with sweetness fills my breast; but sweeter far thy face to see and in thy presence rest. . nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame nor can the mem'ry find a sweeter sound than thy blest name, o saviour of mankind. . o hope of ev'ry contrite heart, o joy of all the meek, to those who fall, how kind thou art, how good to those who seek. . jesus, our only joy be thou, as thou our prize wilt be; o jesus, be our glory now and through eternity. page ---------- no. lent and passiontide he who once, in righteous vengeance ira justa conditoris (feast of the precious blood) tr. rev. e. caswall j. mohr arr. by n. a. m. moderato . he who once, in righteous vengeance, whelm'd the world beneath the flood, once again in mercy cleansed it with the stream of his own blood, coming from his throne on high on the painful cross to die. . blest with this all saving shower, earth her beauty straight resumed; in the place of thorns and briers myrtles sprang and roses bloom'd bitter wormwood of the waste into honey changed its taste. . when before the judge we tremble, conscious of his broken laws, may this blood in that dread hour cry aloud and plead our cause; bid our guilty terrors cease, be our pardon and our peace. page copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. lent and passiontide "man of sorrows, wrapt in grief" m. bridges from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. andante mod . man of sorrows, wrapt in grief, bow thine ear to our relief; thou for us the path hast trod of the dreadful wrath of god; thou the cup of fire hast drained till its light alone remained. lamb of love! we look to thee; hear our mournful litany. . by the garden, fraught with woe, whither thou full oft wouldst go; by thine agony of prayer in the desolation there; by the dire and deep distress of that myst'ry fathomless; lord, our tears in mercy see; hearken to our litany. . by the chalice brimming o'er with disgrace and torment sore; by those lips which fain would pray that it might but pass away; by the heart which drank it dry, lest a rebel race should die be thy pity, lord our plea; hear our solemn litany. . man of sorrows! let thy grief purchase for us our relief; lord of mercy! bow thine ear, slow to anger, swift to hear; by the cross's royal road lead us to the throne of god, there for aye to sing to thee heav'n's triumphant litany. page - copyright by n. a. m. ---------- no. lent and passiontide by the blood that flowed from thee litany of the passion c. m. caddell nicola. a. montani lento ma non troppo . by the blood that flowed from thee in thy bitter agony; by the scourge so meekly borne; by thy purple robe of scorn; st chorus jesus, saviour, hear our cry! d chorus thou wert suff'ring once as we; tutti we thy children sing to thee. . by the thorns that crowned thy head; by thy sceptre of a reed; by thy footsteps faint and slow weighted beneath thy cross of woe, . by the nails and pointed spear; by thy people's cruel jeer; by thy dying pray'r which rose begging mercy for thy foes. . by the darkness thick as night blotting out the sun from sight; by the cry with which in death thou didst yield thy parting breath. . by thy weeping mother's woe; by the sword that pierced her through, when, in anguish standing by, on the cross she saw thee die. page - ---------- no. lent and passiontide oh come and mourn with me awhile jesus crucified father faber nicola a. montani andante religioso . oh come an mourn with me awhile! see, mary calls us to her side; oh come and let us mourn with her; jesus, our love, is crucified! . have we no tears to shed for him, while soldiers scoff and jews deride? ah! look how patiently he hangs; jesus, our love, is crucified! . how fast his hand and feet are nailed; his blessed tongue with thirst is tied; his failing eyes are blind with blood; jesus, our love, is crucified! . seven times he spoke, seven words of love, and all three hours his silence cried for mercy on the souls of men; jesus, our love, is crucified! . death came, and jesus meekly bowed; his failing eyes he strove to guide with mindful love to mary's face, jesus, our love, is crucified! . come take thy stand beneath the cross and let the blood from out that side fall gently on thee, drop by drop, jesus, our love, is crucified! page ---------- no. lent and passiontide sacred head surrounded "o haupt voll blut und wunden" st. bernard of clairvaux ( - ) melody by h. l. hassler ( ) adaptation as given by j. s. bach in his "st. matthew's passion" largo . o sacred head, surrounded, by crown of piercing thorn! o bleeding head, so wounded, reviled and put to scorn! death's pallid hue come o'er thee the glow of life decays, yet angel hosts adore thee, and tremble as they gaze. . i see thy strength and vigor all fading in the strife, and death, with cruel rigor, bereaving thee of life; o agony and dying! o love to sinners free! jesus, all grace supplying, o turn thy face on me! . in this thy bitter passion, good shepherd, think of me, with thy most sweet compassion, unworthy though i be; beneath thy cross abiding, forever would i rest, in thy dear love confiding, and with thy presence blest. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. lent and passiontide at the cross her station keeping stabat mater jacopone da todi. xiv cent. traditional melody from the maintzesch gesangbuch harmonized by n. a. m. not too slow . at the cross her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, close to jesus to the last. . through her heart, his sorrow sharing, all his bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed. . o that blessed one, grief laden, blessed mother, blessed maiden, mother of the all-blest one. . how she stood in desolation upward gazing on the passion of that deathless dying son. . who could see, from tears refraining, christ's dear mother uncomplaining in so great a sorrow bowed? . who, unmoved, beheld her languish underneath his cross of anguish, 'mid the fierce unpitying crowd? . for his people's sin th'all holy she beheld, the victim lowly, bleed in torments, bleed and die. . saw her well-beloved taken, saw her child in death forsaken, heard his last expiring cry. . fount of love and sacred sorrow, mother! may my spirit borrow sadness from thy holy woe. . may my spirit burn within me, love my god, and great love win me grace to please him here below. . those five wounds on jesus smitten, mother, in my heart be written, deep as in thine own they be. . thou, my savior's cross who bearest, thou, thy son's rebuke who sharest, let me share them both with thee. . in the passion of my maker be my sinful soul partaker, weep till death, and weep with thee. . mine with thee be that sad station, there to watch the great salvation, wrought upon th'atoning tree. . virgin, thou of virgins fairest, may the bitter woe thou sharest make on me impression deep. . thus christ's dying may i carry, with him in his passion tarry, and his wounds in mem'ry keep. . may his wounds transfix me wholly, may his cross and life blood holy embriate my heart and mind. . thus inflamed with pure affection, in the virgin's son protection may i at the judgment find. . when in death my limbs are failing, let thy mother's pray'r prevailing lift me, jesus, to thy throne. . to my parting soul be given entrance through the gate of heaven, there confess me for thine own. amen page - ---------- no. lent and passiontide i see my jesus crucified nicola a. montani devoto . i see my jesus crucified, his wounded hands and feet and side, his sacred flesh all rent and torn, his bloody crown of sharpest thorn. . those cruel nails, i drove them in, each time i pierced him with my sin that crown of thorns 'twas i who wove, when i despised his gracious love. . then to those feet i'll venture near, and wash them with a contrite tear, and ev'ry bleeding wound i see, i'll think he bore them all for me. . deep graven on my sinful heart, oh, never may that form depart, that with me always may abide the thought of jesus crucified. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. lent and passiontide o'erwhelmed in depths of woe saevo dolorum turbine tr. rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani moderato . o'erwhelmed in depths of woe, upon the tree of scorn hangs the redeemer of mankind, with racking anguish torn. . see! how the nails those hands and feet so tender rend; see! down his face, and neck, and breast, his sacred blood descend. . hark! with what awful cry, his spirit takes its flight; that cry, it smote his mother's heart and wrapt her soul in night. . come, fall before his cross, who shed for us his blood; who dies, the victim of pure love, to make us sons of god. . jesu! all praise to thee, our joy and endless rest; be thou our guide while pilgrims here, our crown amid the blest. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. palm sunday all glory, laud and honor from the latin of st.theodulph by dr. j. m. neale m. haydn maestoso con spirito . all glory, laud, and honor to thee redeemer, king, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. refrain all glory, laud, and honor, to thee redeemer, king, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. . thou art the king of israel, thou david's royal son, who in the lord's name comest the king and blessed one. . the company of angels are praising thee on high, and mortal men and all things created make reply. . the people of the hebrews with palms before them went; to praise and pray'r and anthems before thee we present. . to thee before thy passion they sang their hymn of praise; to thee now high exalted our melody we raise. . thou didst accept their praises, accept the pray'rs we bring, who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious king. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. eastertide jesus christ is risen today processional surrexit christus hodie translated by the rev. j. o'connor nicola a. montani joyously . jesus christ is ris'n today! (solo) alleluia! (chorus) sinners, wipe your tears away! (solo) alleluia! (chorus) he whose death upon the cross (solo) alleluia! (chorus) saveth us from endless loss. (solo) alleluia! (chorus) . see the holy women come, alleluia! bearing spices to the tomb; alleluia! hear the white-clad angel's voice alleluia! bid the universe rejoice! alleluia! . go! tell all his brethren dear, alleluia! "he is ris'n, he is not here! alleluia! seek him not among the dead; alleluia! he has risen as he said." alleluia! . glory, jesus, be to thee! alleluia! thine own might hath set thee free. alleluia! come, for primal joy restored, alleluia! let us bless our pascal lord! alleluia! copyright by n.a.m. page - ---------- no. eastertide "ye sons and daughters of the lord" (no. ) o filii et filiae processional jean tisserand ( ) tr. rev. e. caswall traditional melody from "airs sur les hymnes sacres, odes et noels," (paris ) maestoso alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . ye sons and daughters of the lord! the king of glory, king adored, this day himself from death restored. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . all in the early morning grey went holy women on their way, to see the tomb where jesus lay. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . of spices pure a precious store in their pure hands those women bore, to anoint the sacred body o'er. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . then straightway one in white they see, who saith, "ye seek the lord; but he is ris'n, and gone to galilee." alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . this told they peter, told they john, who forthwith to the tomb are gone; but peter is by john outrun. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . that selfsame night, while out of fear the doors were shut, their lord most dear to his apostles did appear. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . but thomas when of this he heard, was doubtful of his brethren's word; wherefore again there comes the lord. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . "thomas, behold my side" saith he; "my hands, my feet, my body see, and doubt not, but believe in me." alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . when thomas saw that wounded side, the truth no longer he denied; "thou art my lord and god," he cried. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . oh, blest are they who have not seen their lord, and yet believe in him: eternal life awaiteth them. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . now let us praise the lord most high, and strive his name to magnify on this great day through earth and sky: alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . whose mercy ever runneth o'er, whom men and angel hosts adore, to him be glory ever more. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! copyright by n. a. m. page - - ---------- no. eastertide "ye sons and daughters of the lord" (no. ) o filii et filiae jean tisserand (died ) tr. rev. e. caswall melody taken from the gloria of the magnificat terii toni by giovanni pierluigi da palestrina alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . ye sons and daughters of the lord! the king of glory, king adored, this day himself from death restored. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! . all in the early morning grey went holy women on their way, to see the tomb where jesus lay. alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! note: additional stanzas given in previous hymn ( ). page ---------- no. eastertide now at the lamb's royal feast ad regias agni dapes tr. rev. e. caswall nicola. a. montani allegro moderato . now at the lamb's royal feast, in robes of saintly white, we sing, thro' the red sea in safety brought by jesus our immortal king. o depth of love! for us he drains the chalice of his agony; for us a victim on the cross he meekly lays him down to die. . and as th'avenging angel pass'd of old the blood be-sprinkled door; as the cleft sea a passage gave, then closed to whelm th'egyptians o're; so christ, our paschal sacrifice, has brought us safe all perils thro', while for unleavened bread he asks, but heart sincere and purpose true. . hail, purest victim heav'n could find the pow'rs of hell to overthrow! who didst the bonds of death unbind who dost the prize of life bestow. hail, victor christ! hail, risen king! to thee alone belongs the crown; who has at the heav'nly gates unbarred, and cast the prince of darkness down. . o jesus! from the death of sin keep us, we pray; so shalt thou be the everlasting paschal joy of all the souls newborn in thee; to god the father, with the son who from the grave immortal rose, and thee, o paraclete be praise, while age on endless ages flows. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. eastertide christ the lord is risen today victimae paschali laudes translated by miss leeson nicola a. montani allegro modto . christ the lord is ris'n today; christians, haste your vows to pay; offer ye your praises meet at the paschal victim's feet; for the sheep the lamb hath bled, sinless in the sinner's stead, christ the lord is ris'n on high; now he lives, no more to die. . christ the victim undefiled, man to god hath reconciled, when in strange and awful strife met together death and life; christians, on this happy day haste with joy your vows to pay; christ the lord is ris'n on high; now he lives, no more to die. . say, o wond'ring mary, say what thou sawest on the way, "i beheld, where christ had lain, empty tomb and angels twain, i beheld the glory bright of the rising lord of light; christ my hope is ris'n again; now he lives, and lives to reign." . christ, who once for sinners bled, now the first-born from the dead, thron'd in endless might and pow'r, lives and reigns forever more. hail, eternal hope on high! hail, thou king of victory! hail, thou prince of life ador'd! help and save us, gracious lord! copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. ascension lift up, ye princes of the sky ps. xxiii translated by father aylward from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. with animation . lift up, ye princes of the sky, lift up your portals, lift them high; and you, ye everlasting gates, back on your golden hinges fly; for lo, the king of glory waits to enter in victoriously. who is the king of glory? tell, o ye who sing his praise so well. . the lord of strength and matchless might, the lord all-conquering in the fight, list, lift your portals, lift them high, ye princes of the conquered sky; and you, ye everlasting gates, back on your golden hinges fly; for lo, the king of glory waits, the lord of hosts, the lord most high. copyright by n. a. m page - ---------- no. ascension o thou pure light of souls that love salutis humanae sator translated by father caswall from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. moderato assai . o thou pure light of souls that love, true joy of ev'ry human breast, sower of life's immortal seed, our maker, and redeemer blest! . what wonderous pity thee o'ercame to make our guilty load thine own, and sinless suffer death and shame, for our transgressions to atone! . thou, bursting hades open wide, didst all the captive souls unchain; and thence to thy dread father's side with glorious pomp ascend again. . o still may pity thee compel to heal the wounds of which we die; and take me in thy light to dwell, who for thy blissful presence sigh. . be thou our guide, be thou our goal; be thou our pathway to the skies; our joy when sorrow fills our soul; in death our everlasting prize. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. pentecost holy spirit, lord of light processional tr. rev. e. caswall s. webbe ( - ) marcato . holy spirit, lord of light, from the clear celestial height, thy pure beaming radiance give. come, thou father of the poor, come with treasures which endure; come thou light of all that live. . thou, of all consolers best, thou, the soul's delightsome guest, dost refreshing peace bestow; thou in toil art comfort sweet; pleasant coolness in the heat; solace in the midst of woe. . light immortal, light divine, visit thou these hearts of thine, and our inmost being fill; if thou take thy grace away, nothing pure in man will stay; all his good is turned to ill. . thou, on those who evermore thee confess and thee adore, in thy sev'nfold gifts descend; give them comfort when they die; give them life with thee on high; give them joys that never end. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. pentecost come holy ghost, creator come veni creator spiritus translated by dryden w. a. mozart arr. from the figured bass by n. a. m. melody "o gottes lamm" koch. verz. no. moderato . come, holy ghost, creator come from thy bright heav'nly throne, come, take possession of our souls, and make them all thy own. thou who art called the paraclete, best gift of god above, the living spring, the living fire, sweet unction and true love. . thou who are sev'nfold in thy grace, finger of god's right hand; his promise teaching little ones to speak and understand. o, guide our minds with thy bless'd light with love our hearts inflame; and with thy strength, which ne'er decays, confirm our mortal frame. . through thee may we the father know, thro' thee th'eternal son, and thee, the spirit of the both, thrice blessed three in one. all glory to the father be, with his coequal son; the same to thee, great paraclete, while endless ages run. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. pentecost o come, creator spirit! come veni creator spiritus translated by father faber k. kurpinski lento . o come creator spirit come, vouchsafe to make our minds thy home and with thy heav'nly grace fulfil the hearts thou madest at thy will. . thou that are named the paraclete, the gift of god, his spirit sweet; the living fountain, fire, and love, and gracious unction from above. . the sev'nfold grace thou dost expand, o finger of the father's hand; true promise of the father, rich in gifts of tongues and various speech. . to god the father let us raise and to his only son, our praise, praise to the holy spirit be now, and for all eternity. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. pentecost spirit of grace and union qui procedis ab utroque adam of st. victor nicola a. montani moderato . spirit of grace and union! who from the father and the son dost equally proceed. inflame our hearts with holy fire our lips with eloquence inspire, and strengthen us in need. . the father and the son through thee are linked in perfect unity and everlasting love; ineffably thou dost pervade all nature; and thyself unsway'd the whole creation move. . o inexhaustive fount of light! how doth thy radiance put to flight the darkness of the mind! the pure are only pure through thee; thou only dost the guilty free, and cheer with light the blind. . lord of all sanctity and might! immense, immortal, infinite! the life of earth and heav'n! be, through eternal length of days, all honor, glory, blessing, praise, and adoration giv'n! copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the holy trinity o god of loveliness o bello dio, signor del paradiso translated by rev. e. vaughan, c. ss. r. traditional melody "schonster herr jesu" pilgrims' song dating from the time of the crusades. adapted by n. a. m. andante maestoso . o god of loveliness, o lord of heav'n above how worthy to posses my heart's devoted love! so sweet thy countenance, so gracious to behold, that one, one only glance to me were bliss untold. . thou art blest three in one, yet undivided still; thou art that one alone whose love my heart can fill. the heav'ns and earth below, were fashioned by thy word; how amiable art thou, my ever dearest lord! . to think thou art my god, o thought forever blest! my heart has overflowed with joy within my breast. my soul so full of bliss is plunged as in a sea, deep in the sweet abyss of holy charity. . o loveliness supreme, and beauty infinite; o everflowing stream, and ocean of delight; o life by which i live, my truest life above, to thee alone i give my undivided love. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the holy trinity holy god, we praise thy name te deum laudamus translated by rev. clarence walworth ( - ) melody from the "katholisches gesangbuch" ( ) maestoso . holy god, we praise thy name, lord of all, we bow before thee; all on earth thy sceptre claim; all in heav'n above adore thee, infinite thy vast domain, everlasting is thy reign, . hark! the loud celestial hymn, angel choirs above are raising! cherubim and seraphim in unceasing chorus praising; fill the heav'ns with sweet accord; holy, holy, holy lord! . holy father, holy son, holy spirit, three we name thee, while in essence only one, undivided god we claim thee; and adoring bend the knee, while we own the mystery. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. the holy trinity full of glory, full of wonders processional father faber nicola a. montani allegro moderato . full of glory, full of wonders, majesty divine 'mid thine everlasting thunders how thy lightnings shine! shoreless ocean! who shall sound thee? thine own eternity is round thee, majesty divine, majesty divine! . timeless, spaceless, single, lonely, yet sublimely three, thou art grandly, always, only god in unity! lone in grandeur, lone in glory, who shall tell thy wonderous story, awful trinity, awful trinity? . splendors upon splendors beaming change and intertwine! glories over glories streaming all translucent shine! blessings, praises, adorations greet thee from the trembling nations majesty divine, majesty divine! copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. our blessed lord i need thee, precious jesus (communion hymn) for additional communion hymns see nos. , , , , , , . from a slovak hymn arr. by n. a. m. with devotion . i need thee, precious jesus i need a friend like thee; a friend to soothe and sympathize, a friend to care for me. i need thy heart, sweet jesus, to feel each anxious care; i long to tell my ev'ry want, and all my sorrows share. . i need thy blood, sweet jesus, to wash each sinful stain; to cleanse this sinful soul of mine, and make it pure again. i need thy wounds, sweet jesus, to fly from perils near, to shelter in these hallowed clefts, from ev'ry doubt and fear. . i need thee, sweetest jesus, in thy sacrament of love; to nourish this poor soul of mine, with treasures of thy love. i'll need thee, sweetest jesus, when death's dread hour draws nigh, to hide me in thy sacred heart, till wafted safe on high. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. our blessed lord when morning gilds the skies (may jesus christ be praised) processional translated by father caswall traditional melody ( ) moderato . when morning gilds the skies, (solo voices ad lib) my heart awaking cries: may christ be praised! (chorus) alike at work and prayer: (solo voices) to jesus i repair: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! (chorus) . the sacred minster bell, it peals o'er hill and dell: may christ be praised! oh! hark to what it sings: as joyously it rings: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! . to thee, my god above, i cry with glowing love: may christ be praised! the fairest graces spring in hearts the ever sing: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! . to god the word on high, the host of angels cry: may christ be praised! may mortals, to upraise their voice in hymn of praise: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! . let earth's wide circle round in joyful notes resound: may christ be praised! let air and sea and sky, from depths to heights reply: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! . be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine: may christ be praised! be this th'eternal song, through all the ages on: may christ be praised! may christ be praised! copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. our blessed lord crown him with many crowns processional matthew bridges nicola a. montani with expression . crown him with many crowns, the lamb upon the throne; hark, how the heav'nly anthem drowns all music but its own; awake, my soul and sing of him who dies for thee, and hail him as thy matchless king thro' all eternity. . crown him the virgin's son, the god incarnate born; whose arm those crimson trophies won, which now his brow adorn! fruit of the mystic rose, as of the rose the stem; the root whence mercy ever flows, the babe of bethlehem. . crown him the lord of love: behold his hands and side, rich wounds, yet visible above in beauty glorified: no angel in the sky can fully bear that sight, but downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright. . crown him the lord of peace, whose pow'r a sceptre sways from pole to pole, that wars may cease, absorbed in pray'r and praise: his reign shall know no end, and round his pier-ced feet fair flow'rs of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet. . crown him the lord of heaven, one with the father known, and the blest spirit through him giv'n from yonder triune throne: all hail, redeemer, hail! for thou hast died for me; thy praise shall never, never fail thro'out eternity. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. our blessed lord jesus, lord, be thou mine own mondo, piu, per me non sei communion hymn st. alphonsus don lorenzo perosi tr. rev. e. vaughan, c. ss. r. moderato . jesus lord, be thou mine own; thee i long for, thee alone; all myself, i give to thee; do whate'er thou wilt with me. . life without thy love would be death, o sovereign good, to me; bound and held by thy dear chains captive now my heart remains. . thou, o god, my heart inflame, give that love which thou dost claim; payment i will ask for none; love demands but love alone. . god of beauty, lord of light, thy good will is my delight; now henceforth thy will divine ever shall in all be mine. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. our blessed lord loving shepherd of thy sheep the good shepherd processional pastor amans miss j. e. leeson ( - ) adaptation of a litany melody from catholic hymntunes (publ. ; j.m.capes) moderato . loving shepherd of thy sheep keep me, lord in safety keep; nothing can thy pow'r withstand, none can pluck me from thy hand. loving shepherd, thou didst give thine own life that i might live; may i love thee day by day, gladly thy sweet will obey. . loving shepherd, ever near, teach me still thy voice to hear; suffer not my step to stray from the strait and narrow way. where thou leadest may i go, walking in thy steps below; then before thy father's throne, jesus, claim me for thine own. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament the very angels' bread panis angelicus tr. by rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry, litt.d. p. meurers slowly . the very angels' bread doth food to men afford; the types have vanished, remains the truth adored: o wonderous mystery their banquet is the lord the poor and lowly, bond and free. . o god forever blest, o three in one, we pray: visit the longing breast enter this house of clay, and lead us through the night unto the perfect day where dwellest thou in endless light. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. the blessed sacrament soul of my saviour anima christi l. dobici slowly: with devotion . soul of my savior sanctify my breast, body of christ, be thou my saving guest; blood of my saviour bathe me in thy tide; wash me, ye waters gushing from his side. . strength and protection may his passion be, o blessed jesus, hear and answer me; deep in thy wounds, lord, hide and shelter me; so shall i never, never part from thee. . guard and defend me from the foe malign; in death's drear moments make me only thine; call me and bid me come to thee on high, where i may praise thee with thy saints for aye. page ---------- no. the blessed sacrament thee prostrate i adore (adoro te devote) st. thomas aquinas translated by father aylward, o. p. nicola a. montani moderato devoto . thee prostrate i adore, the deity that lies beneath these humble veils, concealed from human eyes; my heart doth wholly yield, subjected to thy sway, for contemplating thee it wholly faints away. chorus hail, jesus, hail; do thou, good shepherd of the sheep, increase in all true hearts the faith they fondly keep. . the sight, the touch, the taste, in thee are here deceived; but by the ear alone this truth is safe believed; i hold whate'er the son of god hath said to me; than this blest word of truth no word can truer be, . i see not with mine eyes, thy wounds, as thomas saw; yet own thee for my god with equal love and awe; oh grant me, that my faith may ever firmer be, that all my hope and love may still repose in thee. . memorial sweet, that shows the death of my dear lord; thou living bread, that life dost unto man afford; oh grant, that this my soul may ever live on thee, that thou mayst evermore its only sweetness be. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament jesus, gentlest saviour thanksgiving after communion for additional communion hymns see nos. , , , , to . father faber nicola a. montani andante semplice . jesus, gentlest saviour! god of might and pow'r! thou thyself art dwelling in us at this hour. nature cannot hold thee, heav'ns is all too strait for thine endless glory and thy royal state. . out beyond the shining of the furthest star, thou art ever stretching infinitely far. yet the hearts of children hold what words cannot, and the god of wonders loves the lowly spot. . oh, how can we thank thee for a gift like this, gift that truly maketh heav'ns eternal bliss! ah! when wilt thou always make our hearts thy home? we must wait for heaven then the day will come. . now at least we'll keep thee all the time we may; but thy grace and blessing we will keep alway. when our hearts thou leavest worthless tho' they be, give them to thy mother to be kept for thee. page ---------- no. the blessed sacrament the word, descending from above verbum supernum prodiens st. thomas aquinas translated by the rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani non troppo lento . the word descending from above, though with the father still on high, went forth upon his work of love; and soon to life's last eve drew nigh. . he shortly to a death accursed by a disciple shall be giv'n; but, to his twelve disciples, first he gives himself, the bread of heav'n. . himself in either kind he gave; he gave his flesh, he gave his blood; of flesh and blood all men are made; and he of man would be the food. . at birth our brother he became; at meat himself as food he gives; to ransom us he died in shame; as our reward, in bliss he lives. . o saving victim open wide the gate of heav'n to man below! sore press our foes from ev'ry side; thine aid supply, thy strength bestow. . to thy great name be endless praise, immortal godhead, one in three! oh, grant us endless length of days, in out true native land, with thee. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. the blessed sacrament hail to thee! true body ave verum corpus j. f. kloss translated by father caswall arr. by n. a. m. con anima hail to thee, true body sprung from the virgin mary's womb! the same that on the cross was hung, and bore for man the bitter doom! thou, whose side was pierc'd and flow'd both with water and with blood; suffer us to taste of thee, in our life's last agony. son of mary, jesus blest! sweetest, gentlest, holiest! copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. . the blessed sacrament sing, my tongue, the saviour's glory pange lingua gloriosi tr. rev. e. caswall m. haydn . sing, my tongue, the saviour's glory, of his flesh the myst'ry sing; of the blood all price exceeding shed by our immortal king, destined, for the world's redemption, from a noble womb to spring, . of a pure and spotless virgin born for us on earth below, he, as man, with man conversing, stayed, the seeds of truth to sow; then he closed in solemn order wonderously his life of woe. . on the night of that last supper, seated with his chosen band, he the paschal victim eating, first fulfills the law's command; then, as food to his apostles gives himself with his own hand. . word made flesh, the bread of nature by his word to flesh he turns; wine into his blood he changes: what through sense no change discerns? only be the heart in earnest, faith her lesson quickly learns. tantum ergo sacramentum . down in adoration falling, lo! the sacred host we hail; lo! o'er ancient forms departing, newer rites of grace prevail; faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble senses fail. . to the everlasting father, and the son who reigns on high, with the holy ghost proceeding forth from each eternally, be salvation, honor, blessing, might, and endless majesty. amen. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament jesus, my lord, my god, my all father faber nicola a. montani slowly . jesus, my lord, my god, my all! how can i love thee as i ought? and how revere this wondrous gift, so far surpassing hope or thought? refrain sweet sacrament! we thee adore! oh, make us love thee more and more. (repeat refrain ad lib) . had i but mary's sinless heart to love thee with my dearest king! oh, with what bursts of fervent praise thy goodness, jesus! would i sing! . thy body, soul, and godhead all! o mystery of love divine! i cannot compass all i have, for all thou hast and art are mine. . sound, sound his praises higher still, and come, ye angels, to our aid; 'tis god! 'tis god! the very god, whose pow'r both man and angels made! copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament jesus, food of angels communion hymn partendo dal mondo translated by father e. vaughan, c. s. s. r. ch. gounod arr. by n. a. m. andante religioso . jesus, food of angels, monarch of the heart; oh, that i could never from thy face depart! yes, thou ever dwellest here for love of me, hidden thou remainest, god of majesty. . soon i hope to see thee, and enjoy thy love, face to face, sweet jesus, in thy heav'n above. but on earth an exile my delight shall be ever to be near thee veiled for love of me. copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. the blessed sacrament o jesus christ, remember gesu sacramentato father caswall nicola a. montani with devotion . o jesus christ, remember, when thou shalt come again, upon the clouds of heaven, with all thy shining train; when ev'ry eye shall see thee in deity revealed, who now upon this altar in silence art concealed; . remember then, o saviour, i supplicate of thee, that here i bowed before thee upon my bended knee; that here i owned thy presence, and did not thee deny; and glorified thy greatness, though hid from human eye. . accept divine redeemer, the homage of my praise; be thou the light and honor and glory of my days; be thou my consolation when death is drawing nigh; be thou my only treasure through all eternity. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament wondrous love that cannot falter (hymn of the association of perpetual adoration) tr. rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry ch. gounod arr. by n. a. m. andante con espressione . wondrous love that cannot falter! jesus in the host doth dwell day and night upon the alter near to those he loves so well. refrain low in endless worship bent, praise the blessed sacrament. . angel hosts are hushed in wonder and adore with folded wings: for the lowly species under, hidden lies the king of kings. . tho' the heav'nly choir rejoices praise and sing his loving ear seeks the tribute of our voices: 'tis for us he waiteth here! . all he hath in highest heaven veiled in the host we see: and to us the care is given of his wondrous poverty. . bread of angels! who can measure all it means? this daily food and the daily granted treasure of his sacrificial blood? . bending low in adoration ever constant let us be, making jesus reparation for the worlds in constancy. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed sacrament o food to pilgrims given o esca viatorum th century h. isaak ( ) translated by rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry, litt.d. harmonized by j. s. bach slowly . o food of pilgrims given, bread of the hosts of heaven thou manna of the sky! feed with the blessed sweetness, of thy divine completeness the hearts that for thee sigh. . o fountain ruby glowing, o stream of love outflowing from jesus' pierc-ed side! this thought alone shall bless us this one desire possess us, to drink of thy sweet tide. . we love thee, jesu tender who hid'st thine awful splendor beneath these veils of grace: o let the veils be riven, and our clear eye in heaven behold thee face to face! copyright by n. a. m. page ---------- no. the sacred heart o heart of jesus, heart of god lady g. fullerton nicola. a. montani moderato . o heart of jesus, heart of god, o source of boundless love; by angels praised, by saints adored from their bright throne above. the poorest, saddest heart on earth, may claim thee for its own; o burning, throbbing heart of christ, too late, too little known. . the hearts of men are often hard and full of selfish care; but in the sacred heart we find a refuge from despair. to thee, my jesus, then i come, a poor and helpless child; and on thine own words "come to me," my only hope i build. . the world is cold, and life is sad, i crave this blessed rest of those who lay their weary heads upon thy sacred breast. for love is stronger far than death, and who can love like thee, my saviour, whose appealing heart broke on the cross for me? copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart sacred heart of jesus, fount of love from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a .m. slowly . sacred heart of jesus, fount of love and mercy, today we come thy blessing to implore; oh, touch our hearts, so cold and so ungrateful, and make them, lord, thine own forever more. refrain sacred heart of jesus! we implore, oh, makes us love thee more and more. . sacred heart of jesus! make us know and love thee, unfold to us the treasures of thy grace, that so our hearts, from things of earth up lifted, may long alone to gaze upon thy face. . sacred heart of jesus! make us pure and gentle, and teach us how to do thy blessed will; to follow close the print of thy dear footsteps, and when we fall sacred heart, oh, love us still. . sacred heart of jesus! bless all hearts that love thee, and thine own heart ever blessed be; bless us, dear lord, and bless the friends we cherish, and keep us true to mary and to thee. copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart jesus, creator of the world (auctor beate saeculi) unison or two-part chorus translated by father caswall j. d' hooghe andantino . jesus, creator of the world! of all mankind redeemed blest! true god of god! in whom we see the father's image clear expressed. . thee, saviour, love alone constrain'd to make our mortal flesh thine own; and as a second adam come, for the first adam to atone. . that self same love that made the sky, which made the sea, and stars, and earth, took pity on our misery, and broke the bondage of our birth. . o jesu! in thy heart divine may that same love forever glow, forever mercy to mankind, from that exhaustless fountain flow. . for this thy sacred heart was pierced, and both with blood and water ran; to cleanse us from the stains of guilt, and be the hope of strength of man. . to god the father, and the son, all praise, and pow'r, and glory be; with thee, o holy paraclete, henceforth through a eternity. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart to jesus' heart all burning aloys schlor nicola a. montani slowly . to jesus' heart, all burning with fervent love for men, my heart with fondest yearning shall raise its joyful strain. refrain while ages course along, blest be with the loudest song the sacred heart of jesus by ev'ry heart and tongue! . too true i have forsaken thy love by wilful sin; yet now let me be taken back by thy grace again. . as thou art meek and lowly, and ever pure of heart, so may my heart be wholly of thine the counterpart, . o that to me were given the pinions of a dove, i'd speed aloft to heaven, my jesus' love to prove. . when life away is flying, and earth's false glare is done; still, sacred heart, in dying i'll say i'm all thine own. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart heart of jesus! golden chalice processional bishop casartelli ch. gounod arr. by n. a. m. slowly with devotion . heart of jesus! golden chalice brimming with the ruddy wine, trodden in the press of fury, purest juice of truest vine, from the vineyards of engeddi, quench this thirsty heart of mine. . heart of jesus! comb of honey from the cleft of calvary's rock, sweetness coming from the strong one, dripping from the green-wood stock; famishing of death is on us: feed, oh, feed thy hungry flock! . heart of jesus! rose of sharon glist'ning with the dew of tears, all among the thorny prickles lo! thy blood-stained head appears! spread thy fragrance all around us, sweetly lulling all our fears! . heart of jesus! broken vial full of precious spikenard! alabaster vase of ointment! see, our souls are sore and hard: let thy healing virtue touch them, and from sin's corruption guards! page ---------- no. the sacred heart to christ, the prince of peace summi panentis filio processional tr. rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani with spirit . to christ, the prince of peace, and son of god most high, the father of the world to come, sing we with holy joy. deep in his heart for us the wound of love he bore; that love, wherewith he still inflames the hearts that him adore. . o jesus! victim blest! what else but love divine, could thee constrain to open thus that sacred heat of thine? o fount of endless life! o spring of water clear! o flame celestial cleansing all who unto thee draws near. . hide me in thy dear heart, for thither do i fly; there seek thy grace thro' life, in death thine immortality. praise to the father be, and sole begotten son, praise, holy paraclete, to thee while endless ages run. page ---------- no. the sacred heart o heart of jesus, purest heart (cor jesu, cor purissimum) translated by father m. russell, s. j. traditional melody con anima . o heart of jesus, purest heart, a shrine of holiness thou art; cleanse thou, my heart, so sordid cold, and stained by sins so manifold. . take from me, lord, this tepid will, which doth thy heart with loathing fill; and then infuse a spirit new, a fervent spirit, deep and true. . most humble heart of all that beat, heart full of goodness, meek and sweet, give me a heart more like to thine, and light the flame of love in mine. . but, ah, were e'en my heart on fire with all the seraphim's desire, till love a conflagration proved, not yet wouldst thou enough be loved. page ---------- no. the sacred heart o dearest love divine rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry, litt. d. nicola a. montani andante devoto . o dearest love divine, my heart to thee i give, exchanging it for thine, that thou in me may'st live. most loving and most meek, hearts only dost thou seek: o may my heart but prove a love like thine, sweet love! . who can requite the love shown in the wondrous plan, whereby the god above for me became a man? thou say'st "give me thy heart!" with it i freely part hoping that it may prove a love like thine, sweet love! . thy heart is opened wide that, freely ent'ring in, i may thy guest abide, and new life begin. this doest thou, to gain my love, and e'er retain: o may my answer prove a love like thine, sweet love! . here in thy heart i find a haven of sweet rest, an ever-quite mind, a mansion of the blest. rock that was cleft for me, behold, i fly to thee, like a world-weary dove, home to its mated love! page ---------- no. the sacred heart sacred heart! in accents burning sacred song eleanor c. donnelly (by permission) ch. gounod adapted and arr. by n. a. montani moderato . sacred heart in accents burning pour we forth our love of thee; here our hopes and here our yearnings meet and mingle tenderly. heart of mercy ever eager, all our woes and wounds to heal! heart, most patient, heart most pure! to our souls, thy depths reveal. refrain sacred heart of our redeemer! pierced with love on calvary! heart of jesus ever loving, make us burn with love of thee! praise to thee! o sacred heart! . heart of bounty thou art bringing all thy thirsting children here, where the living waters springing tell of hope and comfort near. o thou source of ev'ry blessing! sweetest, strongest, holiest, blest! be our treasure here on earth, and in heav'n be thou our rest. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart all ye who seek a comfort sure (old office of the sacred heart) translated by father caswall nicola a. montani maestoso . all ye who seek a comfort sure in trouble and distress, whatever sorrow vex the mind, or guilt the soul oppress: jesus, who gave himself for you upon the cross to die, opens to you his sacred heart; oh, to that heart draw nigh! . ye hear how kindly he invites; ye hear his words so blest: "all ye that labor, come to me, and i will give you rest." what meeker than the saviour's heart? as on the cross he lay; it did his murderers forgive, and for their pardon pray. . o heart! thou joy of saints on high, thou hope of sinners here! attracted by these loving words, to thee i lift my pray'r. wash thou my wounds in that dear blood which forth from thee doth flow, new grace, new hope, inspire; a new and better heart bestow. page - ---------- no. the sacred heart a message from the sacred heart father m. russell nicola a. montani allegro moderato . a message from the sacred heart; what may its message be? "my child, my child, give me thy heart my heart has bled for thee." this is the message jesus sends to my poor heart today, and eager from his throne he bends to hear what i shall say. . a message to the sacred heart; oh, bear it back with speed; "come, jesus, reign within my heart thy heart is all i need." thus, lord, i'll pray until i share that home whose joy thou art; no message, dearest jesus, there, for heart will speak to heart. page ---------- no. the sacred wounds there is an everlasting home m. bridges m. mattoni slowly . there is an everlasting home where contrite souls may hide, where death and danger dare not come the saviour's side. . it was cleft of matchless love open'd when he had died: when mercy hailed in worlds above that wounded side. . hail, rock of ages, pierced for me, the grave of all my pride; hope, peace and heav'n are all in thee, thy shelt'ring side. . there issued forth a double flood, the sin atoning tide, in streams of water and of blood from that dear side. . there is the only fount of bliss, in joy and sorrow tried; no refuge for the heart like this a saviour's side. . thither the church, thro' all her days points as a faithful guide; and celebrates with ceaseless praise that spear-pierced side. . there is the golden gate of heav'n, an entrance for the bride, where the sweet crown of life is giv'n through jesus' side. page ---------- no. the sacred wounds hail, rock of ages (from the hymn "there is an everlasting home" no. ) m. bridges nicola a. montani moderato (alla breve) . hail, rock of ages, pierced for me, the grave of all my pride: hope, peace and heav'n are all in thee, thy shelt'ring side. . there issued forth a double flood the sin atoning tide, in streams of water and of blood from that dear side. . there is the only fount of bliss, in joy and sorrow tried; no refuge for the heart like this a saviour's side. . there is the golden gate of heav'n, an entrance for the bride, where the sweet crown of life is giv'n, through jesus' side. page ---------- no. the precious blood hail, jesus, hail! (viva! viva! gesu) from the italian by father faber nicola a. montani con spirito . hail, jesus, hail! who for my sake sweet blood from mary's veins didst take, and shed it all for me; oh, blessed by my saviour's blood, my life, my light, my only good, to all eternity, to all eternity. . to endless ages let us praise the precious blood, whose price could raise the world from wrath and sin; whose streams our inward thirst appease, and heal the sinner's worst disease, if he but bathe therein, if he but bathe therein. . oh, to be sprinkled from the wells of christ's own sacred blood, excels earth's best and highest bliss: oh ministers of wrath divine hurt not the happy hearts that shine with those red drops of his, with those red drops of his. . ah! there is joy amid the saints, and hell's despairing courage faints when this sweet song we raise: oh louder then, and louder still, earth with one mighty chorus fill, the precious blood to praise, the precious blood to praise. page - ---------- no. the precious blood glory be to jesus (viva! viva! gesu) see also hymn no. tr. rev. e. caswall nicola a. montani allegro modto . glory be to jesus, who in bitter pains poured for me the life-blood from his sacred veins. grace and life eternal in that blood i find; blest be his compassion, infinitely kind! . blest thro' endless ages be the precious stream, which from endless torment doth the world redeem! there the fainting spirit drinks of life her fill; there, as in a fountain, laves herself at will. . abel's blood for vengeance pleading to the skies; but the blood of jesus for our pardon cries. oft as it is sprinkled on our guilty hearts, satan in confusion terror-struck departs. . oft as earth exulting wafts its praise on high, hell with terror trembles, heav'n is filled with joy. lift ye, then, your voices, swell the mighty flood; louder still, and louder praise the precious blood. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail, thou star of ocean! ave maris stella translated by father caswall m. taddei andante religioso . hail, thou start of the ocean! portal of the sky, ever virgin mother of the lord most high! . oh! by gabriel's ave, uttered long ago, eva's name reversing, 'stablish peace below. . break the captive's fetters; light on blindness pour; all our ills expelling, ev'ry bliss implore. . show thyself a mother; offer him our sighs, who for us incarnate did not thee despise. . virgin of all virgins! to thy shelter take us; gentlest of the gentle! chaste and gentle make us. . still as on we journey, help our weak endeavor; till with thee and jesus we rejoice forever. . thro' the highest heaven, to the almighty three, father son, holy spirit, one same glory be. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin ave maria! o maiden, o mother star of the sea sister m. from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. slowly: with expression . ave maria! o maiden, o mother, fondly thy children are calling on thee, thine are the graces unclaimed by another, sinless and beautiful star of the sea! refrain mater amabilis, ora pro nobis! pray for thy children who call upon thee; ave sanctissima! ave purissima! sinless and beautiful star of the sea! . ave maria! the night shades are falling, softly our voices arise unto thee, earth's lonely exiles for succor are calling, sinless and beautiful star of the sea! . ave maria! thy children are kneeling, words of endearment are murmured to thee; softly thy spirit upon us is stealing sinless and beautiful star of the sea! . ave maria! thou portal of heaven, harbor of refuge, to thee we do flee: lost in the darkness, by stormy winds driven, shine on our pathway, fair star of the sea! page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin daily, daily sing to mary (a) omni die dic mariae st. casimir translated by father bittlestone traditional melody arr. by n. a. m. with spirit . daily, daily sing of mary, sing, my soul, her praises due; all her feats, her actions worship with the hearts devotion true. lost in wond'ring contemplation, be her majesty confest! call her mother, call her virgin, happy mother, virgin blest! . she is mighty to deliver; call her, trust her lovingly: when the tempest rages round thee, she will calm the troubled sea. gifts of heaven she has given noble lady! to our race: she, the queen, who decks her subjects with the light of god's own grace. . sing my tongue, the virgin's trophies, who for us our maker bore; for the curse of old inflicted, peace and blessing to restore. sing the songs of praise unending sing the world's majestic queen. weary not nor faint in telling all the gifts she gives to men. . all my senses, heart, affections, strive to sound her glory forth: spread abroad the sweet memorials of the virgin's priceless worth: where the voice of music thrilling, where the tongue of eloquence, that can utter hymns beseeming all her matchless excellence? page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin daily, daily sing to mary (b) st. casimir processional father bittlestone nicola. a. montani allegre modto . daily, daily sing of mary, sing, my soul, her praises due; all her feats, her actions worship with the hearts devotion true. lost in wond'ring contemplation, be her majesty confest! call her mother, call her virgin, happy mother, virgin blest! call her mother, call her virgin, happy mother, virgin blest! . she is mighty to deliver; call her, trust her lovingly: when the tempest rages round thee, she will calm the troubled sea. gifts of heaven she has given noble lady! to our race: she, the queen, who decks her subjects with the light of god's own grace. she, the queen, who decks her subjects with the light of god's own grace. . sing my tongue, the virgin's trophies, who for us our maker bore; for the curse of old inflicted, peace and blessing to restore. sing the songs of praise unending sing the world's majestic queen. weary not nor faint in telling all the gifts she gives to men. weary not nor faint in telling all the gifts she gives to men. . all my senses, heart, affections, strive to sound her glory forth: spread abroad the sweet memorials of the virgin's priceless worth: where the voice of music thrilling, where the tongue of eloquence, that can utter hymns beseeming all her matchless excellence? that can utter hymns beseeming all her matchless excellence? page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin mother of mercy mater misericordiae father faber s. m. yenn andante religioso . mother of mercy, day by day, my love of thee grows more and more; thy gifts are strewn upon my way like sands upon the great seashore. thy gifts are strewn upon my way like sands upon the great seashore. . though poverty and work and woe the masters of my life may be, when times are worst who does not know darkness is light with love of thee? when times are worst who does not know darkness is light with love of thee? . but scornful men have coldly said thy love was leading me from god; and yet in this i did but tread the very path my saviour trod. and yet in this i did but tread the very path my saviour trod. . they know but little of thy worth who speak the heartless words to me, for what did jesus love on earth one half so tenderly as thee? for what did jesus love on earth one half so tenderly as thee? copyright by n. a. m. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail, all hail, great queen of heaven! our lady of lourdes processional (the melody of hymn no. "daily, daily" may be used with this text, with repetition of the last two lines of the refrain.) traditional melody ( ) "pone luctum" with spirit . hail! all hail, great queen of heaven! hail! sweet notre dame de lourdes, 'neath whose care our weary exile is from countless ills secured! refrain then let men and angels praise thee for each blessing thou'st procured, while in gladsome strains we're singing, hail! sweet notre dame de lourdes! . blest be thou above all others, mary, mistress of the spheres, star of hope, serenely beaming thro' this darksome vale of tears. . happy angels joy to own thee, o'er their choirs exalted high, thron'd in blissful light and beauty, empress of the starry sky. . as the fount is still unsealing its pure treasure softly fair, may each drop be fraught with healing, dearest mother, at thy pray'r. note: for congregational singing it is suggested that the hymn be transposed a full tone lower. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin o purest of creatures the immaculate conception father faber nicola a. montani slowly . o purest of the creatures! sweet mother, sweet maid! the one spotless womb wherein jesus was laid! dark night hath come down on us mother! and we look out for thy shining, sweet star of the sea! look out for thy shining, sweet star of the sea! . deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world, and the banners of darkness are boldly unfurl'd: and the tempest-tost church all her eyes are on thee, they look to thy shining, sweet star of the sea! they look to thy shining, sweet star of the sea! . the church doth what god had first taught her to do; he looked o'er the world to find hearts that were true; thro' the ages he looked, and he found none but thee, and he loved thy clear shining, sweet star of the sea! and he loved thy clear shining, sweet star of the sea! . he gazed on thy soul; it was spotless and fair; for the empire of sin it had never been there; none had ever owned thee, dear mother, but he, and he bless'd thy clear shining, sweet star of the sea! and he bless'd thy clear shining, sweet star of the sea! page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin whither thus, in holy rapture? quo sanctus ardor te rapit the visitation translated by the rev. e. caswall from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. joyously . wither thus in holy rapture, royal maiden, art thou bent? why so fleetly art thou speeding up the mountain's rough ascent? filled with th'eternal godhead! glowing with the spirit's flame! love it is that bears the onward, and supports thy tender frame. . lo thine aged cousin claims thee, claims thy sympathy and care; god her shame from her hath taken, he hath heard her fervent pray'r. blessed mothers! joyful meeting! thou in her, the hand of god, she in thee, with lips inspired, owns the mother of her lord. . as the sun, his face concealing, in a cloud withdraws from sight, so in mary then lay hidden he who is the world's true light. honor, glory, virtue, merit, be to thee, o virgin's son! with the father, and the spirit, while eternal ages run. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail virgin, dearest mary queen of may s. m. venn moderato . hail virgin, dearest mary! our lovely queen of may! a spotless, blessed lady, our lovely queen of may. thy children, humbly bending, surround thy shrine so dear; with heart and voice ascending, sweet mary, hear our pray'r. . behold earth's blossoms springing in beauteous form and hue. all nature gladly bring her sweetest charms to you. we'll gather fresh, bright flowers, to bind our fair queen's brow; from gay and verdant bowers, we haste to crown thee now. . hail virgin, dearest mary! our lovely queen of may, o spotless blessed lady, our lovely queen of may. and now, our blessed mother, smile on our festal day; accept our wreath of flowers, and be our queen of may. by permission copyright by s. m. yenn page ---------- no. the blessed virgin this is the image of the queen month of mary crowning hymn tr. rev. e. caswall from a slovak hymnal arr. by n.a.m joyously: moderato . this is the image of the queen who reigns in bliss above; of her who is the hope of men, whom men and angels love! most holy mary! at thy feet i bend a suppliant knee; in this thy own sweet month of may, dear mother of my god, i pray, do thou remember me. . this homage offered at the feet of mary's image here to mary's self at once ascends above the starry sphere. most holy mary! at thy feet i bend a suppliant knee; in all my joy, in all my pain, o virgin born without a stain, do thou remember me. . how fair soever be the form which here your eyes behold, its beauty is by mary's self excell'd a thousand-fold. most holy mary! at thy feet i bend a suppliant knee; in my temptations each and all from eve derived in adam's fall, do thou remember me. . sweet are the flowerets we have called this image to adorn; but sweeter far is mary's self, that rose without a thorn! most holy mary! at thy feet i bend a suppliant knee; when on the bed of death i lie, by him who did for sinners die, do thou remember me. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail! holy queen, enthroned above salve regina mater misericordiae traditional melody salve regina coelitum andante moderato . hail, holy queen, enthron'd above o maria! hail, mother of mercy and of love! o maria! refrain triumph, all ye cherubim, sing with us, ye seraphim, heav'n and earth resound the hymn: salve, salve, salve regina. . our life, our sweetness here below, o maria! our hope in sorrow and in woe, o maria! . to thee we cry, poor sons of eve, o maria! to thee we sigh, we mourn, we grieve. o maria! . this earth is but a veil of tears, o maria! a place of banishment, of fears, o maria! . turn then, most gracious advocate, o maria! t'wards us thine eyes compassionate, o maria! . when this our exile is complete, o maria! show us thy son, our jesus sweet, o maria! . o clement, gracious, mother sweet, o maria! o virgin mary, we entreat, o maria! page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail, queen of heaven ave, regina coelorum rev. dr. lingard traditional melody moderato . hail, queen of heav'n, the ocean star, guide of the wanderer here below, thrown on life's surge, we claim thy care, save us from peril and from woe. mother of christ, star of the sea, pray for the wanderer, pray for me. . o gentle, chaste, and spotless maid, we sinners make our pray'rs thro' thee; remind the son that he has paid the price of our iniquity. virgin, most pure, star of the sea, pray for the sinner, pray for me. . sojourners in this vale of tears, to thee, blest advocate, we cry, pity our sorrows, calm our fears, and soothe with hope our misery. refuge in grief, star of the sea, pray for the mourner, pray for me. . and while to him who reigns above, in god-head one, in persons three, the source of life, of grace, of love, homage we pay on bended knee do thou, bright queen, star of the sea, pray for the children, pray for me. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin remember, holy mary memorare st. bernard tr. rev. m. russell, s.j. from a slovak hymnal adapted by n.a.m. moderato . remember, holy mary, 'twas never heard or known that any one who sought thee and made to thee his moan, that any one who hastened for shelter to thy care, was ever yet abandoned and left to his despair. . and so to thee, my mother, with filial faith i call, for jesus dying gave thee as mother to us all. to thee, o queen of virgins, o mother meek, to thee i run with trustful fondness, like child to mother's knee. . see at thy feet a sinner, groaning and weeping sore ah! throw thy mantle o'er me, and let me stray no more. thy son has died to save me, and from his throne on high his heart this moment yearneth for even such as i. . all, all his love remember, and oh! remember too how prompt i am to purpose, how slow and frail to do. yet scorn not my petitions, but patiently give ear, and help me, o my mother, most loving and most dear. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hail, full of grace and purity the rosary the joyful mysteries father conway, o. p. isabella montani moderato . the annunciation: humility. hail full of grace and purity! meek handmaid of the lord, hail model of humility! chaste mother of the word. . the visitation: charity to our neighbors. by that pure love which prompted thee to seek thy cousin blest, pray that the fires of charity may burn within our breast. . the birth of christ: poverty. this blessing beg, o virgin queen, from jesus through his birth, by holy poverty to wean our hearts from things of earth. . presentation in the temple: obedience. most holy virgin maiden mild, obtain for us, we pray, to imitate thy holy child, by striving to obey. . the finding of our lord: love him and his service. by thy dear son, restored to thee, this grace for us implore, to serve our lord most faithfully, and love him more and more. . concluding verse. queen of the holy rosary, with tender love look down, and bless the hearts that offer thee this chaplet for thy crown. page - ---------- no. the blessed virgin hear thy children, gentlest mother children's hymn to our lady father stanfield m. haydn arr. by n. a. m. moderato . hear thy children, gentlest mother, pray'rful hearts to thee arise; hear us while our evening ave soars beyond the starry skies. darkling shadows fall around us, stars their silent watches keep; hush the heart oppress'd with sorrow, dry the tears of those who weep. . hear, sweet mother, hear the weary, borne upon life's troubled sea; gentle guiding star of ocean, lead thy children home to thee. still watch o'er us, dearest mother, from thy beauteous throne above; guard us from all harm and danger, 'neath thy shelt'ring wings of love. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin o most holy one o sanctissima translated by rev. j. m. raker sicilian melody arr. by n. a. m. slowly, with devotion . o most holy one, o most lowly one, dearest virgin maria! mother of fair love, home of the spirit dove ora, ora pro nobis. . help us in sadness drear, port of gladness near, virgin mother maria! in pity heading, hear our pleading, ora, ora pro nobis. . call we fearfully, sadly, tearfully, save us now, o maria! let us not languish, heal thou our anguish, ora, ora pro nobis. . mother, maiden fair, look with loving care, hear our pray'r, o maria! our sorrow feeling, send us thy healing, ora, ora pro nobis. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin mother of christ nicola a. montani not too slow (alla breve) . mother of christ, mother of christ, what shall i ask of thee? i do not sigh for the wealth of earth, for joys that fade and flee; but, mother of christ, mother of christ, this do i long to see, the bliss untold which thine arms enfold, the treasure upon thy knee. . mother of christ, mother of christ, what shall i do for thee? i love thy son with my whole strength my only king shall he be. yes, mother of christ, mother of christ, this i do ask of thee, of all that are dear or cherished here, none shall be dear as he. . mother of christ, mother of christ, i toss on a stormy sea, o lift thy child as beacon high to the port where i fain would be, then, mother of christ, mother of christ, this do i ask of thee, when the voyage is o'er, o stand on the shore and show him at last to me. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin raise your voices, vales and mountains causa nostra laetitiae st. alphonsus liguori translated by rev. e. vaughan william schultes ( - ) arr. by n. a. m. joyfully (alla breve) . raise your voices, vales and mountains, flow'ry meadows, streams and fountains, praise, o praise the loveliest maiden the creator ever made. . murm'ring brooks your tribute bringing, little birds with joyful singing, come with mirthful praises laden to your queen be homage paid. . like a sun with splendor glowing gleams thy heart with love o'erflowing, like the moon in starry heaven shines thy peerless purity. . like the rose and lily blooming, sweetly heav'n and earth perfuming stainless, spotless thou appearest: queenly beauty graces thee. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin o mother! most afflicted our mother of sorrows anonymous traditional melody ( ) lento . o mother! most afflicted, standing beneath that tree, where jesus hangs rejected on the hill of calvary! refrain o mary! sweetest mother, we love to pity thee; o! for the sake of jesus let us thy children be. . thy heart is well-nigh breaking, thy jesus thus to see, derided, wounded, dying, in greatest agony. . his livid form is bleeding, his soul with sorrow wrung, whilst thou, afflicted mother, shar'st the torments of thy son. . o mary! queen of martyrs, the sword had pierced thy heart, obtain for us of jesus in thy grief to bear apart. . o dear and loving mother! entreat that we may be near thee and thy dear jesus now and eternally page - ---------- no. saints, st. joseph o blessed saint joseph the patronage of st. joseph father faber melody from the trier gesangbuch ( ) moderato . o blessed saint joseph, how great was thy worth, the one chosen shadow of god upon earth, the father of jesus! ah then, wilt thou be, sweet spouse of our lady! a father to me? . for thou to the pilgrim art father and guide, and jesus and mary felt safe by thy side; ah, blessed saint joseph, how safe i should be, sweet spouse of our lady! if thou wert with me! . when the treasures of god where unsheltered on earth, safe keeping was found them both in thy worth; o father of jesus, be father to me, sweet spouse of our lady! and i will love thee. page ---------- no. saints, st. joseph great saint joseph! son of david du aus david's translated by bishop casartelli from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. con spirito . great saint joseph! son of david, foster father of our lord, spouse of mary ever virgin, keeping o'er them watch and ward! in the stable thou didst guard them with a father's loving care; thou by god's command didst save them from the cruel herod's snare. . three long days in grief and anguish with his mother sweet and mild, mary virgin, didst thou wander seeking the beloved child. in the temple thou didst find him: oh! what joy then filled thy heart! in thy sorrows, in thy gladness grant us, joseph, to have a part. . clasped in jesus' arms and mary's, when death gently came at last, thy pure spirit sweetly sighing from its earthly dwelling passed. dear saint joseph! by that passing may our death be like to thine; and with jesus, mary, joseph, may our souls forever shine. page - ---------- no. saints, st. joseph joseph, pure spouse of that immortal bride te joseph celebrent translated by father caswall m. mattoni devoto (alla breve) . joseph, pure spouse of that immortal bride; who shines in ever-virgin glory bright, thro' all the christian climes the praise be sung, thro' all the realms of light. . thine arms embraced thy maker newly born: with him to egypt's desert didst thou flee: him in jerusalem didst seek and find; o grief, o joy for thee. . not until after death their blissful crown other obtain, but unto thee was giv'n, in thine own lifetime to enjoy thy god as do the blest in heav'n. . grant us great trinity, for joseph's sake unto the starry mansions to attain; there, with glad tongues, thy praise to celebrate in one eternal strain. page ---------- no. saints, st. joseph hail! holy joseph, hail! father faber from the catholic songbook (st. gall ) con spirito . hail, holy joseph, hail! chaste spouse of mary hail! pure as the lily flow'r in eden's peaceful vale. hail, holy joseph, hail! prince of the house of god! may his best graces be by thy sweet hands bestowed. . hail, holy joseph, hail! comrade of angels, hail! cheer thou the hearts that faint, and guide the steps that fail. hail, holy joseph, hail! god's choice wert thou alone! to thee the word made flesh, was subject as a son. . hail, holy joseph, hail! teach us our flesh to tame, and, mary, keep the hearts that love thy husband's name. mother of jesus! bless, and bless, ye saints on high, all meek and simple souls that to saint joseph cry. page ---------- no. saints, st. patrick hail, glorious saint patrick (no. ) sister agnes from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. maestoso . hail, glorious saint patrick! dear saint of our isle, on us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile; and now thou art high in the mansions above, on erin's green valleys look down in love. . hail, glorious saint patrick! thy words were once strong against satan's wiles and a heretic throng; not less is thy might where in heaven thou art; oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part! . in the war against sin, in the fight for faith, dear saint, may thy children resist to the death; may their strength be in meekness, in penance, and pray'r, their banner the cross, which they glory to bear. . thy people, now exiles on many a shore, shall love and revere thee till time be no more; and the fire thou hast kindled shall ever burn bright, its warmth undiminished, undying its light. . ever bless and defend the sweet land of our birth, where the shamrock still blooms as when thou wert on earth, and our hearts shall yet burn, wheresoever we roam, for god and saint patrick and our native home. page - ---------- no. saints, st. patrick hail, glorious saint patrick (no. ) sister agnes ancient irish melody arr. by n. a. m. maestoso . hail, glorious saint patrick! dear saint of our isle, on us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile; and now thou art high in the mansions above, on erin's green valleys look down in love. . hail, glorious saint patrick! thy words were once strong against satan's wiles and a heretic throng; not less is thy might where in heaven thou art; oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part! . in the war against sin, in the fight for faith, dear saint, may thy children resist to the death; may their strength be in meekness, in penance, and pray'r, their banner the cross, which they glory to bear. . thy people, now exiles on many a shore, shall love and revere thee till time be no more; and the fire thou hast kindled shall ever burn bright, its warmth undiminished, undying its light. . ever bless and defend the sweet land of our birth, where the shamrock still blooms as when thou wert on earth, and our hearts shall yet burn, wheresoever we roam, for god and saint patrick and our native home. page - ---------- no. saints, st. peter seek ye a patron to defend? si vis patronum quaerere translated by father caswall nicola a. montani . seek ye a patron to defend your cause? then, one and all, without delay upon the prince of the apostles call. refrain blest holder of the heav'nly keys! thy pray'rs we all implore; unlock to us the sacred bars of heav'n's eternal door. . by penitential tears thou didst the path of life regain: teach us with thee to weep our sins and wash away their stain. . the angel touch'd thee and forthwith thy chains from off thee fell oh loose us from the subtle coils that link us close with hell. . firm rock wheron the church is based pillar that cannot bend with strength endue us; and the faith from heresy defend. page - ---------- no. saints, st. paul lead us, great teacher paul translated from the latin from a slovak hymnal slowly . lead us, great teacher paul, in wisdom's ways, and lift our hearts with thine to heav'n's high throne, till faith beholds the clear meridian blaze, and in the soul reigns charity alone. . praise, blessing, majesty, thro' endless days, be to the trinity immortal giv'n, who in pure unity profoundly sways, eternally all things in earth and heav'n. page ---------- no. saints, st. anthony of padua if great wonders thou desirest (si quaeris) translated by father aylward, o. p. melody from a slovak hymnal andante moderato . if great wonders thou desirest, hopeful to saint anthony pray; error, satan, wants the direst, death and pest his will obey, and the sick, who beg his pity, from their couches haste away. . young and old are ever singing, praises to saint anthony bringing; stormy ocean calms its passion, bonds and fetters break in twain, treasures lost and limbs disabled, these his pow'r restores again. . padua has been the witness of these deeds six hundred years; dangers flee and need must perish, grief and sorrow disappear, filling all the world with wonder, while the demons quake with fear. . glory be to god the father and to his coequal son, to the holy ghost resplendent; one in three--three in one; praise we father, son and spirit while eternal ages run. page - ---------- no. saints, st. john baptist de la salle glorious patron sr. mercedes j. lewis browne . glorious patron! low before thee kneel thy sons, with hearts aflame! and out voices blend in music, singing praises to thy name. saint john baptist! glorious patron! saint la salle we sound thy fame. . loyal to our queen and mother, at her feet didst vow thy heart, earth, and all its joys, forsaking, thou didst choose the better part. saint la salle, our glorious father, pierce our souls with love's one dart. . model of the christian teacher! patron of the christian youth! lead us all to heights of glory, as we strive in earnest ruth. saint la salle! oh, guard and guide use, as we spread afar the truth! . in this life of sin and sorrow, saint la salle, oh, guide our way, in the hour of dark temptation, father! be our spirit's stay! take our hand and lead us homeward, saint la salle, to heav'ns bright day! copyright mcmxiii by the gilbert music co. by permission page - ---------- no. saints, st, francis of assisi blessed francis, holy father patron of franciscan tertiaries from the fransciscan manual from a slovak hymnal arr by n. a. m. con anima . blessed francis, holy father, now our hearts to thee we raise, as we gather 'round thine altar, pouring forth our hymns of praise. bless thy children, holy francis, who thy mighty help implore, for in heaven thou remainest, still the father of the poor. . by thy love so deep and burning, for thy saviour crucified; by the tokens which he gave thee on thy hands and feet and side: bless thy children, holy francis, with those wounded hands of thine, from thy glorious throne in heaven where resplendently they shine. . humble follower of jesus. likened to him in thy birth, in thy way thro' life despising, for his sake the goods of earth: make us love the priceless virtue by our hidden god esteemed, make it valued, holy francis, by the souls of the redeemed. . teach us also, dear saint francis, how to mourn for ev'ry sin; may we walk in thy dear footsteps till the crown of life we win. bless thy children, holy francis, with those wounded hands of thine, from thy glorious throne in heaven, where resplendently they shine. page - ---------- no. saints, st. john the evangelist saint of the sacred heart father faber nicola a. montani andante . saint of the sacred heart, sweet teacher of the word; partner of mary's woes and fav'rite of thy lord! thou to whom grace was giv'n to stand where peter fell, whose heart could brook the cross of him it loved so well! . we know not all thy gifts; but this christ bids us see, that he who so loved all found more to love in thee. when the last evening came, thy head was on his breast, pillowed on earth where now in heav'n the saints find rest. . dear saint i stand far off with vilest sins oppressed; oh may i dare, like thee, to lean upon his brest? his touch could heal the sick, his voice could raise the dead! oh that my soul might be where he allows thy head. . the gifts he gave to thee he gave thee to impart; and i, too, claim with thee his mother and his heart. ah teach me, then, dear saint! the secrets christ taught thee, the beatings of his heart, and how it beat for me. page - ---------- no. saints, st. jeanne d' arc the maid of france, with visioned eyes rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry (written expressly for the st. gregory hymnal, all rights reserved) ancient french melody a traditional catholic melody (provencal noel) known as "marche dei rei" words of which are attributed to king rene. the noel, over two centuries old, was utilized by bizet in his incidental music to "l' arlessierne." arr. by n. a. m. . the maid of france, with visioned eyes, saw messengers from paradise and voices bore a hidden word that only by her ear was heard. refrain o blessed maid, the chant we raise that tells the meaning of thy praise: thou teachest us the lesson grand of love for god and fatherland. . the visions and the voices spoke a wondrous message: "break the yoke that burdens france, and crown your king, sweet herald of his triumphing!" . the maid believed the great command, and fought for god and native land: a model she shall ever lamp to guide her feet in court or camp. . o who shall dare her glory paint? she lived a hero, dies a saint: a model she shall ever stand of love for god and fatherland. page - ---------- no. saints, st. cecilia let the deep organ swell the lay rev. c. pise nicola. a. montani marcato . let the deep organ swell the lay, in honor of this festive day; let the harmonious choirs proclaim cecilia's ever blessed name. rome gave the virgin martyr birth, whose holy name hath filled the earth; and from the early dawn of youth, she fixed her heart on god and truth. . then from the world's bewild'ring strife, in peace she spent her holy life, teaching the organ to combine with voice, to praise the lamb divine, cecilia, with a two-fold crown adorned in heav'n, we pray look down upon thy fervent votaries here and harken to their humble pray'r. page - ---------- no. saints, st. agnes sweet agnes, holy child anonymous melody from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. andante religioso . sweet agnes, holy child, all purity, oh, may we undefiled, be pure as thee: ready our blood to shed forth as the martyrs led. the path of pain to tread, and die like thee. . o gentle patroness of holy youth, ask god all those to bless who love the truth: oh, guide us on our way unto th'eternal day, with hearts all pure and gay, dear saint, like thine. . look down and hear our pray'r from realms above, show us thy tender care, thy guiding love: oh, keep us in thy sight, till in th'unclouded light of heav'n's pure vision bright we dwell with thee. page ---------- no. saints, st. ursula afar upon a foreign shore ancient breton melody arr. by n. a. m andante religioso . afar upon a foreign shore a martyr's crown thy love did win, thy life, thy death to jesus giv'n, with him to reign forevermore refrain hail blessed saint, hail ursula! obtain for us, we pray, that love may make us martyrs too, and in our hearts hold sway. . o happy saint! upon whose way god's special love a glory cast, thy sorrows o'er thy tempest past, thou sharest his eternal day. . to god the father with the son, and holy spirit, three in one, be glory while the ages flow, from all above and all below. page - ---------- no. saints, st. vincent de paul o blessed father sent by god father faber nicola a. montani moderato . o blessed father! sent by god his mercy to dispense, thy hand is out o'er all the earth, like god's own providence. there is no grief nor care of men, thou dost not own for thine, no broken heart thou dost not fill with mercy's oil and wine. . thy miracles are works of love, thy greatest is to make room in a day for toils that weeks in other men would take. all cries of suff'ring thro' the earth upon thy mercy call, as tho' thou wert, like god himself, a father unto all. . dear saint not in the wilderness thy fragrant virtues bloom, but in the city's crowded haunts, the alley's cheerless gloom. when hunger hid itself to die, where guilt in darkness dwelt, thy pleasant sunshine can by stealth thy hand and heart were felt. . for charity anointed thee o'er want and woe and pain; and she hath crowned thee emperor of all her wide domain. vincent! like mother mary, thou art no one's patron saint; eyes to the blind, health to the sick, and life to those who faint. page - ---------- no. saints, feasts of virgins dear crown of all the virgin-choir jesu, corona virginum for unison, or two-part chorus of equal voices translated by father caswall p. piel moderato . dear crown of all the virgin-choir that holy mother's virgin son! who is, alone of womankind, mother and virgin both in one. . encircles by thy virgin band, amid the lilies thou art found; for thy pure brides with lavish hand scatt'ring immortal graces round. . and still whatever thou dost bend thy lovely steps, o glorious king, virgins upon thy steps attend, and hymns to thy glory sing. . keep us, o purity divine, from ev'ry least corruption free; our ev'ry sense from sin refine, and purify our souls for thee. . to god the father, and the son, all honor, glory, praise be giv'n; with thee, coequal paraclete! forevermore in earth and heav'n. page ---------- no. saints, feasts of apostles now let the earth with joy resound exsultet orbis gaudiis translated by father caswall lachmannov spevnicek arr. by n. a. m. joyously and with animation (alla breve) . now let the earth with joy resound; and heav'n the chant re-echo round; nor heav'n nor earth too high can raise the great apostles' glorious praise. . o ye who, throned in glory dread, shall judge the living and the dead! lights of the world forevermore! to you the suppliant pray'r we pour. . so when the world is at its end, and christ to judgement shall descend, may we be called these joys to see prepared from all eternity. . praise to the father, with the son, and holy spirit, three in one; as ever was in ages past, and so shall be while ages last. page ---------- no. angels hark! hark! my soul the pilgrims of the night father faber nicola a. montani moderato (alla breve) . hark! hark! my soul! angelic songs are swelling o'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore; how sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling of that new life where sin shall be no more! refrain angels of jesus! angels of light! singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night. . darker than night life's shadows fall around us, and, like benighted men, we miss our mark; god hides himself, and grace hath scarcely found us, ere death finds out his victims in the dark. . far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, the voice of jesus sounds o'er land and sea; and laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing, kind shepherd! turn their weary steps to thee. . angels! sing on, your faithful watches keeping, sing us sweet fragments of the songs above; while we toil on, and soothe ourselves with weeping, till life's long night shall break in endless love. page - ---------- no. angels dear angel! ever at my side the guardian angel father faber nicola a. montani semplice . dear angel! ever at my side, how loving must thou be, to leave thy home in heav'n to guide a sinful child like me. . thy beautiful and shining face, i see not, tho' so near; the sweetness of thy soft low voice too deaf am i to hear. . but when, dear spirit, i kneel down, both morn and nigh to pray'r, something there is within my heart, which tells me thou art there. . oh! when i pray thou prayest too, thy pray'r is all for me; but when i sleep, thou sleepest not, but watchest patiently. . then, for thy sake, dear angel! now more humble will i be: but i am weak, and when i fall, o weary not of me. . then love me, love me, angel dear! and i will love thee more; and help me when my soul is cast upon th'eternal shore. page ---------- no. the holy souls help, lord, the souls which thou hast made the faithful departed cardinal newman from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. andante . help, lord, the souls which thou hast made, the souls to thee so dear, in prison for the debt unpaid, of sins committed here. . these holy souls, they suffer on resigned in heart and will, until the high behest is done, and justice has its fill. . for daily falls, for pardoned crime they joy to undergo the shadow of thy cross sublime, the remnant of thy woe. . oh, by their patience of delay, their hope amid their pain, their sacred zeal to burn away disfigurement and stain. . oh, by their fire of love, not less in keenness than in flame, oh, by their very helplessness, oh, by thy own great name. . good jesus, help! sweet jesus, aid the souls to thee most dear, in prison for the debt unpaid of sins committed here. page ---------- no. the holy souls ye souls of the faithful o vos fideles animae tr. by father caswall from an italian hymn book arr. by n. a. m. moderato . ye souls of the faithful, who sleep in the lord, who yet are shut out from your final reward: o! would i could lend you assistance to fly from prison below to your palace on high. . o father of mercies, thine anger withhold; these works of thy hand in thy mercy behold: too oft from thy path they have wandered aside, but thee, their creator, they never denied. . o tender redeemer, their misery see: deliver the souls that were ransomed by thee: behold how they love thee, despite of their pain: restore them, restore them to favor again. . o spirit of grace, thou consoler divine, see how for thy presence they longingly pine, to lift, to enliven their sadness, descend; and fill them with peace and with joy in the end. page ---------- no. the holy souls o turn to jesus, mother, turn father faber from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. lento . o turn to jesus, mother! turn, and call him by his tenderest names; pray for holy souls that burn this hour amid the cleansing flames. . ah! they have fought a gallant fight; in death's cold arms they persevered; and after life's uncherry night, the arbour of their rest is neared. . they are the children of thy tears; then hasten, mother, to their aid; in pity think each hour appears an age while glory is delayed. . o mary, let thy son no more his lingering spouses thus expect: god's children to their god restore, and to the spirit his elect. . pray, then, as thou hast ever prayed; angels and souls, all look to thee; god waits thy pray'rs, for he hath made those pray'rs his law of charity. page ---------- no. the holy souls unto him, for whom this day recessional rt. rev. msgr. h. t. henry, litt. d. nicola a. montani andante religioso (non troppo lento) . unto him, for whom, this day; juste judex ultionis we in love and pity pray; donum fac remissionis refrain pie jesu domine, dona ei requiem. . when at judgement he shall stand, rex tremendae majestatis, grant him what thy love hath planned, qui salvandos salvas gratis. . he hath fought the gallant fight inter oves locum praesta, lead him on to heaven's light statuens in parte dextra. page ---------- no. the holy souls out of the depths de profundis s. webbe with devotion . out of the depths to thee, o lord, i cry, lord! gracious turn thine ear to suppliant sigh; if sins of men thou scann'st, who may stand that searching eye of thine, and chast'ning hand? . oh, bear our pray'rs and sighs, redeemer blest, and grant thy holy souls eternal rest and let perpetual light upon them shine; for tho' not spotless, still these souls are thine. . to be appeased in wrath, dear lord, is thine; thou mercy with thy justice canst combine; thy blood our countless stains can wash away: this is thy, law our hope and steadfast stay. . this god himself shall come from heav'n above, the christ! the god of mercy and of love! he comes, he comes! the god incarnate he! and by his glorious death makes all men free! page ---------- no. heaven jerusalem the golden urbs sion aurea bernard of cluny j. grabowski translated by j. m. neale arr. by n. a. m. con moto . jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest, beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice opprest; i know not--oh, i know not what joys await us there; what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare. . they stand, those halls of sion, all jubilant with song, and bright with many an angel, and all the martyr throng; the prince is ever in them, his light is always seen; the pastures of the blessed are decked in glorious sheen. . there is the throne of david, and bliss without alloy; the shout of them that triumph, the song of festal joy; and they, who with their leader have conquered in the fight, for ever and for ever are clad in robes of white. . o sweet and blessed country, the home of god's elect! o sweet and blessed country that eager hearts expect! jesu, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest; who art, with god the father, and spirit, ever blest. page - ---------- no. heaven jerusalem, my happy home l. anderson, s. j. from an italian hymnal modrato (alla breve) . jerusalem, my happy home, when shall i come to thee? when shall my sorrows have and end? thy joys when shall i see? . o happy harbor of the saints, o sweet and pleasant soil: in thee no sorrow may be found. no grief, no care, no toil. . there lust and lucre cannot dwell, there envy bears not sway, there is no hunger, heat or cold but pleasure ev'ry way. . jerusalem, jerusalem, god grant i once may see thy endless joys, and of the same, partaker, aye to be. page ---------- no. heaven o paradise! o paradise! father faber from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. moderato . o paradise! o paradise! who doth not crave for rest? who would not seek the happy land, where they that loved are blest: refrain where loyal hearts and true, stand ever in the light, all rapture thro' and thro' in god's most holy sight? . o paradise! o paradise! the world is growing old; who would not be at rest and free where love is never cold; . o paradise! o paradise! 'tis weary waiting here; i long to be where jesus is, to feel, to see him near; . o paradise! o paradise! i want to sin no more; i want to be as pure on earth as on thy spotless shore; . o paradise! o paradise! i greatly long to see the special place my dearest lord in love prepares for me; page - ---------- no. the church faith of our fathers fideles ad mortem father faber nicola. a. montani maestoso, ben marcato . faith of our fathers: living still in spite of dungeon, fire and sword; oh, how our hearts beat high with joy whene'er we hear that glorious word. refrain faith of our fathers! holy faith! we will be true to thee till death. . our fathers, chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free: how sweet would be their children's fate, if they, like them, could die for thee! . faith of our fathers! we will love both friend and foe in all our strife: and preach thee too, as love knows how by kindly words and virtuous life: page - ---------- no. the church long live the pope hymn for the pope rt. rev. msgr. hugh t. henry, litt. d. h. g. ganss maestoso . long live the pope! his praises sound again and yet again: his rule is over space and time; his throne the hearts of men: all hail! the shepherd king of rome, the theme of loving song: let all the earth his glory sing, and heav'n the strain prolong. let all the earth his glory sing, and heav'n the strain prolong. . beleaguered by the foes of earth, beset by hosts of hell, he guards the loyal flock of christ, a watchful sentinel: and yet, amid the din and strife, the clash of mace and sword, he bears alone the shepherds staff, this champion of the lord, he bears alone the shepherds staff, this champion of the lord. . his signet is the fisherman's; no sceptre does he bear; in meek and lowly majesty he rules from peter's chair: and yet from ev'ry tribe and tongue, from clime and zone, three hundred million voices sing, the glory of his throne, three hundred million voices sing, the glory of his throne, . then raise the chant, with heart and voice, in church and school and home: "long live the shepherd of the flock! long live the pope of rome!" almighty father, bless his work, protect him in his ways, receive his pray'rs, fulfil his hopes and grant him "length of days," receive his pray'rs, fulfil his hopes and grant him "length of days." page - ---------- no. the church blest is the faith father faber nicola a. montani maestoso . blest is the faith, divine and strong of thanks and praise and endless fountain, whose life is one perpetual song, high up the saviour's holy mountain. refrain oh, sion's songs are sweet to sing, with melodies of gladness laden; hark! how the harps of angels ring, hail! son of man! hail mother maiden . blest is the hope that holds to god, in doubt and darkness still unshaken, and sings along the heav'nly road, sweetest when most it seem forsaken. . blest is the love that cannot love aught that earth gives of best and brightest; whose raptures thrill like saints' above, most when its earthly gifts are lightest. page - ---------- no. for children hear thy children, gentle jesus father stanfield m. haydn arr. by n. a. m. animato . hear thy children, gentle jesus, while we breath our daily prayer, save us from all harm and danger, take us 'neath thy shelt'ring care. save us from the wiles of satan, 'mid the lone and sleepful night, sweetly may bright guardian angels keep us 'neath their watchful sight. . gentle jesus, look in pity, from thy great white throne above; all the night thy heart is wakeful, in thy sacrament of love. shades of even fast are falling, day is fading into gloom, when the shades of death fall 'round us, lead thine exiled children home. page - ---------- no. for children little king, so fair and sweet school hymn s.n.d. from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. unison . little king, so fair and sweet, see us gathered at thy feet: be thou monarch of our school, it shall prosper 'neath thy rule. we will be thy subjects true, brave to suffer, brave to do; all our hearts to thee we bring, take them, keep them, little king. . raise thy little hand to bless all our childhood's happiness; bless our sorrow and our pain, that each cross may be our gain. be thine own sweet childhood, lord, sanctify each though and word, set thy seal on ev'ry thing which we do, o little king. . be our teacher when we learn, all the hard to easy turn; be our playmate when we play, so we shall indeed be gay. keep us happy, keep us pure, while our childhood shall endure, all its days to thee we bring, bless them guard them, little king. . and when holidays have come, call thy children to thy home, in that gentle voice of thine, which we know, sweet child divine. at the gate, oh, meet us thus, as we loved thee--child like us; stretch thine hands in welcoming to thine own, o little king. page - ---------- no. for children the infant jesus when blossoms flowered 'mid the snows a christmas carol for unison chorus (gesu bambino) frederick h. martens pietro a. yon copyright by j. fischer & bro. by permission of j. fischer & bro. owners of copyright british copyright secured andante mosso . when blossoms flowered 'mid the snows upon a winter night, was born the child, the christmas rose, the king of love and light. the angels sang, the shepherds sang the grateful earth rejoiced; and at his blessed birth the stars their exultation voiced. refrain o come let us adore him, o come let us adore him, o come let us adore him, christ the lord. . again the heart with rapture glows to greet the holy night, that gave the world its christmas rose, its king of love and light. let ev'ry voice acclaim his name, the grateful chorus swell. from paradise to earth he came that we with him might dwell. page - ---------- no. for children the infant jesus dear little one! how sweet thou art christmas for additional children's hymn see no. father faber nicola a. montani andante . dear little one! how sweet thou art, thine eyes, how bright they shine; so bright, they almost seem to speak when mary's look meets thine! . how faint and feeble is thy cry, like plaint of harmless dove, when thou dost murmur in thy sleep of sorrow and of love. . when mary bids thee sleep thou sleep'st, thou wakest when she calls; thou art content upon her lap, or in the rugged stalls. . saint joseph takes thee in his arms, and smoothes thy little cheek, thou lookest up in to his face so helpless and so meek. . yes! thou art what thou seem'st to be, a thing of smiles ands tears; yet thou art god, and heav'n and earth adore thee with their fears. page ---------- no. holy communion acts of faith, hope and contrition great god, whatever through thy church from a slovak hymnal maestoso . faith great god, whatever thro' thy church thou teachest to be true, i firmly do believe it all, and will confess it, too. thou never canst deceived be, thou never canst deceive, for thou art truth itself, and thou dost tell me to believe. . hope my god, i firmly hope in thee, for thou art great and good; thou gavest us thine only son to die upon the rood. i hope thro' him for grace to live as thy commandments teach, and thro' thy mercy, when i die the joys of heav'n to reach. . love with all my heart and soul and strength, i love thee, o my lord, for thou art perfect, and all things were made by thy blest word. like me to thine own image made, my neighbor thou didst make, and as i love myself, i love my neighbor for thy sake. . contrition most holy god, my very soul with grief sincere is mov'd, because i have offended thee, whom i should e'er have lov'd. forgive me, father; i am now resolved to sin no more, and by thy holy grace to shun what made me sin before. page - ---------- no. holy communion o lord, i am not worthy nicola a. montani lento con espressione . o lord, i am not worthy that thou shoud'st come to me; but speak the words of comfort, my spirit healed shall be. . and humbly i'll receive thee, the bridegroom of my soul, no more by sin to grieve thee, or fly thy sweet control. . o mighty eternal spirit unworthy tho' i be prepare me to receive him and trust the word to me. page ---------- no. holy communion jesus, thou art coming acts before communion from a slovak hymnal moderato . jesus thou art coming, holy as thou art thou the god who made me, to my sinful heart. jesus, i believe it on thy only word; kneeling i adore thee as my king and lord. . who am i, my jesus, that thou com'st to me? i have sinned against thee, often, grievously; i am very sorry i have caused thee pain; i will never, never, wound thy heart again. . trust put thy kind arms round me, feeble as i am; thou art my good shepherd, i, thy little lamb; since thou comest, jesus, now to be my guest, i can trust thee always, lord, for all the rest. . love and desire dearest lord, i love thee, with my whole, whole heart, not for what thou givest, but for what thou art. come, oh, come, sweet saviour! come to me, and stay, for i want thee, jesus, more than i can say. . offering and petition ah! what gift or present, jesus, can i bring? i have nothing worthy of my god and king; but thou art my shepherd, i, thy little lamb; take myself, dear jesus, all i have and am. . take my body, jesus, eyes, and ears, and tongue; never let them, jesus help to do thee wrong. take my heart, and fill it full of love for thee; all i have i give thee, give thyself to me. page - ---------- no. holy communion jesus, jesus come to me hymn before communion for additional communion hymns see nos. , , , and hymns in honor of the blessed sacrament. see also "acts," nos. , , , , tr. sister jeanne marie traditional melody slowly . jesus, jesus, come to me, all my longing is for thee, of all friends the best thou art, make of me thy counterpart. . jesus, i live for thee, jesus, i die for thee, i belong to thee, for-e're in life and death. page ---------- no. confirmation my god, accept my heart this day m. bridges nicola. a. montani slowly with devotion . my god, accept my heart this day, and make it always thine, that i from thee no more may stray, no more from thee decline. . before the cross of him who dies, behold i prostrate fall; let ev'ry sin be crucified, let christ be all in all. . anoint me with thy heav'nly grace, adopt me for thine own, that i may see thy glorious face and worship at thy throne. . may the dear blood, once shed for me, my best atonement prove; that i from first to last may be the purchase of thy love! . let ev'ry thought, and work, and word, to thee be ever giv'n then life shall be thy service, lord, and death the gate of heav'n! page ---------- no. missions jesus, my lord! behold at length the time act of contrition bishop chadwick traditional melody moderato . jesus, my lord! behold at length the time when i resolve to turn away from crime. oh pardon me, jesus: thy mercy i implore; i will never more offend thee; . since my poor soul thy precious blood has cost suffer it not forever to be lost. oh pardon me, jesus: thy mercy i implore; i will never more offend thee; no, never more. . kneeling in tears, behold me at thy feet like magdalene, forgiveness i entreat. oh pardon me, jesus: thy mercy i implore; i will never more offend thee; page ---------- no. missions god of mercy and compassion rev. e. vaughan nicola a. montani moderato . god of mercy and compassion! look with pity upon me; father! let me call thee father, 'tis thy child returns to thee. refrain jesus, lord, i ask for mercy; let me not implore in vain; all my sins i now detest them, never will i sin again. . by my sins i have abandoned right and claim to heav'n above, where the saints rejoice forever in a boundless sea of love. . see our saviour, bleeding, dying, on the cross of calvary; to the cross my sins have nailed him, yet he bleeds and dies for me. page ---------- no. general jesus, ever-loving saviour hymn for a happy death franz schubert arr. by n. a. m. . jesus, ever loving saviour, thou didst live and die for me, living, i will live to love thee, dying, i will die for thee, jesus! jesus! by thy death and sorrow, help me in my agony. . when the last dread hour approaching fills my guilty soul with fear; all my sins rise up before me, all my virtues disappear. jesus! jesus! turn not thou in anger from me, mary, joseph, then be near. . mary, thou canst not forsake me, virgin mother undefiled; thou didst not abandon jesus dying, tortued and reviled. jesus! jesus! send thy mother to console me: mary, help thy guilty child! . jesus, when the cruel anguish dying on the shameful tree, all abandoned by thy father, thuo didst writhe in agony. jesus! jesus! by these three long hours of sorrow thou didst purchase hope for me. . then, by all that thou didst suffer, grant me mercy in that day; help me, mary, my sweet mother, holy joseph, near me stay. jesus! jesus! let me die, my lips repeating, jesus, mercy! mary, pray! page - ---------- no. general, the holy family happy we who thus united rev. e. vaughan "ave virgo" th century melody arr. by n. a. m. allegro moderato . happy we, who thus united join in cheerful melody; praising jesus, mary, joseph, in the "holy family." jesus, mary, joseph, help us, that we ever true may be, to the promises that bind us to the "holy family." . jesus, whose almighty bidding all created things fulfill, lives on earth in meek subjection to his earthly parents' will. sweetest infant, make us patient and obedient for thy sake, each us to be chaste and gentle, all our stormy passions break. . mary! thou alone were chosen virgin mother of thy lord: thou didst guide the earthly footsteps of the great incarnate word. dearest mother! make us humble; for thy son will take his rest in the poor and lowly dwelling of a humble sinner's breast. . joseph! thou wert called the father of thy maker and thy lord; thine it was to save thy saviour from the cruel herod's sword. suffer us to call thee father; show to us a father's love; lead us safe thro' ev'ry danger till we meet in heav'n above. page - ---------- no. general, the rosary, the glorious mysteries by the first bright easter day for the joyful mysteries see hymn no. c. m. caddell from a slovak hymnal arr. by n. a. m. allegro moderato . the resurrection by the first bright easter day, when the stone was rolled away; by the glory round thee shed at thy rising from the dead. refrain king of glory, hear our cry; make us soon thy joy to see, where enthroned in majesty countless angels sing to thee. . the ascension by thy parting blessing giv'n, as thou didst ascend to heav'n, by the cloud of living light that received thee out of sight. . the descent of the holy ghost by the rushing sound of might coming down from heaven's height; by the cloven tongues of fire, holy ghost, our hearts inspire. . the assumption of our lady see the virgin mother rise, angels bear her to the skies; mount aloft, imperial queen, plead on high the cause of men! . the coronation of our lady mary reigns upon the throne preordained for her alone; saints and angels round her sing, mother of our god and king. page - ---------- no. general, evening hymn sweet saviour! bless us ere we go father faber nicola a. montani andante ma non troppo . sweet saviour! bless us ere we go; thy word into our minds instill; and make our lukewarm hearts to glow with lowly love and fervent will. refrain thro' life's long day and deaths dark night, o gentle jesus! be our light; jesus! be our light. . the day is done; its hours have run; and thou hast taken count of all, the scanty triumphs grace hath won, the broken vow, and frequent fall. . grant us, dear lord! from evil ways true absolution and release; and bless us more than in past days with purity and inward peace. . for all we love, the poor, the sad, the sinful, unto thee we call; oh let thy mercy make us glad; thou art out jesus and our all. page - ---------- no. general, evening hymn as fades the glowing orb of day jam sol recedit igneus translated by t. j. potter s. webbe ( - ) moderato . as fades the glowing orb of day, to thee, great source of light, we pray; blest three in one, to ev'ry heart thy beams of life and love impart. . at early dawn, at close of day, to thee our vows we humbly pay; may we, 'mid joys that never end, with thy bright saints in homage bend. page ---------- no. general, evening hymn when day's shadows lengthen mane nobiscum, quoniam ad vesperascit dr. f. g. lee traditional melody arr. by n. a. m. andante . when day's shadows lengthen, jesus, be thou near: pardon, comfort, strengthen, chase away my fear; love and hope be deepen'd, faith more strong and clear. . when the night grows darkest, and the stars are pale, when the foemen gather in death's misty vale, be thou sword and buckler, be thou shield and mail. . come, thou food of angels, source of ev'ry grace, in thy father's mansions give me soon a place; that unveiled in splendor i may see thy face. . then be near me, jesus, enemies shall flee: hidden god and saviour, thou my comfort be: food, and priest, and victim, let me feed on thee. . so shall no fears chill me on that unknown shore; for in death he conquered, and can die no more. his hand guards and guides me to the heav'nly door. . bless'ed warfare over, endless rest alone; tears no more, nor sorrow, neither sigh nor moan, but a song of triumph round about the throne. page - ---------- no. general, the praise of god praise we our god with joy processional canon oakeley nicola a. montani allegro maestoso (with well-marked rhythm) . praise we our god with joy and gladness never ending; angels and saints with us their grateful voices blending. he is our father dear, o'erfilled with father's love; mercies unsought, unknown he showers from above, . he is our shepherd true, with watchful care unsleeping; on us, his erring sheep, an eye of pity keeping. he with a mighty arm the bonds of sin doth break, and to our burden'd hearths in words of peace doth speak. . bleeding, we lay, but he with soothing bands hath bound us; dark was our path, but he hath poured his light around us; graces in copious streams from that pure fountain come, down to our heart of hearts, where god hath set his home. . his word our lantern is, his peace our consolation; his sweetness all our rest, himself our great salvation! then live we all to god, rely on him in faith, be he our guide in life, our joy, our hope, in death. page - ---------- no. general praise to the holiest in the height dream of gerontius processional cardinal newman nicola a. montani with spirit . praise the holiest in the height, and in the depth be praise; in all his words most wonderful, most sure in all his ways! . o loving wisdom of our god! when all was sin and shame, a second adam to the fight and to the rescue came. . o wisest love! that flesh and blood which did in adam fail, should strive afresh against the foe; should strive and should prevail; . and that a higher gift than grace should flesh and blood refine, god's presence and his very self, and essence all divine. . o gen'rous love! the he who smote in man for man the foe, the double agony in man for man should undergo; . and in the garden secretly, and on the cross on high, should teach his brethren and inspire to suffer and to die. page - ---------- no. general lord, for tomorrow and its needs ("just for today") sister m. xavier nicola a. montani slowly . lord, for tomorrow and its needs i do not pray: keep me, my god, from stain of sin, just for today. let me both diligently work, and duly pray: let me be kind in word or deed, just for today. . let me be slow to do my will, prompt to obey: help me to mortify my flesh, just for today. let me no wrong or idle word unthinkingly say; set thou a seal upon my lips, just for today. . let me in season, lord, be grave, in season, gay; let me be faithful to thy grace, just for today. and if today my tide of life should ebb away, give me thy sacraments divine, sweet lord, today. . in purgatory's cleansing fires brief be my stay; oh, bid me, if today i die, go home today. so, for tomorrow and its needs, i do not pray; but keep me, guide me, love me, lord, just for today. page ---------- no. general why art thou sorrowful? the remembrance of mercy father faber s. m. yenn moderato . why art thou sorrowful, servant of god? and what is this dulness that hangs o'er thee now? sing the praises of jesus, and sing them aloud, and the song shall dispel the dark cloud from thy brow. sing the praises of jesus, and sing them aloud, and the song shall dispel the dark cloud from thy brow. . oh, is there a thought in the wide world so sweet, as that god has so cared for us, bad as we are, that he thinks for us, plans for us, stoops to entreat, and follows us, wander we ever so far? that he thinks for us, plans for us, stoops to entreat, and follows u, wander we ever so far? . oh, then, when the spirit of darkness comes down with clouds of uncertainties into thy heart, one look to thy saviour, one thought of thy crown, and the tempest is over, the shadows depart. one look to thy saviour, one thought of thy crown, and the tempest is over, the shadows depart. . that god hath once whispered a word in thine ear, or sent thee from heaven one sorrow for sin, is enough for a life both to banish all fear, and to turn into peace all the troubles within. is enough for a life both to banish all fear, and to turn into peace all the troubles within. page - ---------- no. general acts of faith, hope and charity for acts of contrition etc. see nos. , , and hymns for holy communion anon st. patrick's hymn book moderato (recitativo libero) (a) act of faith my god, i believe in thee, and all thy church doth teach, because thou hast said it and thy word is true. (b) act of hope my god, i hope in thee, for grace and for glory, because of thy promises, thy mercy, and thy pow'r. (c) act of charity my god, because thou art so good, i love thee with all my heart, and for thy sake. i love my neighbor as myself. page - ---------- no. our mother of sorrows passiontide and b. v. m. what a sea of tears and sorrows o quot undis lacrymarum tr. by rev. f. campbell ch. gounod arr. by n. a. m. andante religioso . what a sea of tears and sorrows did the soul of mary toss to and fro upon its billows while she wept her bitter loss; in her arms her jesus holding, torn so newly from the cross. . oh, that mournful virgin mother, see her tears how fast they flow down upon his mangled body wounded side and thorny brow; while his hands and feet she kisses, picture of immortal woe. . oft, and oft his arms and bosom, fondly straining to her own; oft, her pallid lips imprinting on each wound of her dear son: till at last in swoons of anguish, sense and consciousness are gone. . gentle mother, we beseech thee, by thy tears and troubles sore; by the death of thy dear offspring, by the bloody wounds he bore; touch our hearts with that true sorrow which affected thee of yore. page - ---------- no. general the divine praises organ sustains chords in recitations j. lewis browne slowly blessed be god! blessed be his holy name! blessed be jesus christ, true god and true man! blessed be the name of jesus; blessed be his most sacred heart, blessed jesus in the most holy sacrament of the altar! blessed be the great mother of god, mary most holy! blessed be her holy and immaculate conception; blessed be the name of mary, virgin and mother. blessed be saint joseph her most chaste spouse. blessed be god in his angels and in his saints page - ---------- no. general the lord's prayer our father, who art in heaven nicola a. montani andante religioso our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is heaven. give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. amen. page ---------- no. general hail. mary, full of grace the angelical salutation nicola a. montani devoto (slowly) con espressione hail mary, full of grace; the lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, jesus. holy mary, mother of god, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. amen. page ---------- no. holy matrimony lord, who at cana's wedding feast a. thrupp j. lewis browne moderato . lord, who at cana's wedding feast didst as a guest appear, thou, dearer far than earthly guest, vouchsafe thy presence here; . for holy thou indeed dost prove the marriage vow to be, proclaiming it a type of love between the church and thee. . the holiest vow that man can make, the golden thread of life, the bond that none may dare divide, that bindeth man to wife. . which blest by thee, whate'er betides, no evil shall destroy, thro' careworn days each care divides, and doubles ev'ry joy. . on those who at thine altar kneel, o lord, thy blessing pour, that each may wake the other's zeal to love thee more and more: . oh grant them here in peace to live, in purity and love, and, this world leaving, to receive a crown of life above. amen. copyright gilbert music co. chicago, ill. by permission page ---------- no. advent creator alme siderum d. thermignon . creator alme siderum, aeterna lux credentium, jesu, redemptor omnium, intende votis supplicum. . qui daemonis ne fraudibus periret orbis impetu amoris, actus, languidi mundi mendela factus es. . commune qui mundi nefas ut expiares, ad crucem e virginis sacrario intacta prodis victima. . cujus potestas gloriae, nomenque cum primum sonat, et coelites et inferi tremente curvantur genu. . te deprecamur, ultimae magnum diei judicem, armis supernae gratiae defende nos ab hostibus. . virtus, honor, laus, gloria deo patri cum filio, sancto simul paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. amen. page ---------- no. veni, veni emmanuel ancient chant . veni, veni emmanuel! captivum solve israel qui gemit in exilio privatus dei filio. refrain gaude, gaude, emmanuel nascetur pro te, israel. . veni, o jesu virgula! ex hostis tuos ungula de specu tuos tartari, educ, et antro barathri . veni, veni o oriens! solare nos adveniens: noctis depelle nebulas, dirasque noctis tenebras. . veni clavis davidica! regna, reclude coelica fac iter tutum supernum et claude vias inferum. page ---------- no. o emmanuel antiphonae majores second mode o emmanuel, rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium et salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos. domine deus noster. page ---------- no. en clara vox redarguit first mode antiphoale (vatican edition) . en clara vox redarguit obscura quaeque personans: procul fugentur somnia, ab alto jesus promicat. . mens jam resurgat torpida, non amplius jacens humi: sidus refulget jam novum, ut tollat omne noxium. . en agnes ad nos mittitur laxare gratis debitum: omnes simul cum lacrimis precemur indulgentiam. . ut cum secundo fulserit, metuque mundum cinxerit, non pro reatu puniat, sed nos pius tune protegat. . virtus, honor, laus, gloria deo patri cum filio, sancto simul paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. amen. page ---------- no. a christmas jesu redemptor omnium vatican antiphonale . jesu redemptor omnium, quem lucis ante originem, parem paternae gloriae, pater supremis edidit. . tu lumen et splendor patris, tu spes perennis omnium: intende quas fundunt preces tui per orbem servuli. . memento rerum conditor, nostri quod olim corporis, sacrata ab alvo virginis nascendo, formam sumpseris. . testatur hoc praesens dies, currens per anni circulum, quod solus e sinu patris mundi salus ad veneris. . hunc astra, tellus, aequora, hunc omne quod coelo subest, salutis auctorem novae novo salutat cantico. . et nos, beata quos sacri rigavit unda sanguinis, natalis ob diem tui, hymni tributum solvimus. . jesu, tibi sit gloria, qui natus es de virgine, cum patre et almo spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. amen. page ---------- no. b jesu redemptor omnium alternate setting by taler dominican monk monastery of strasbourg arr. by n. a. m. may be sung in alternate fashion with a . jesu redemptor omnium, quem lucis ante originem, parem paternae gloriae, pater supremis edidit. . tu lumen et splendor patris, tu spes perennis omnium: intende quas fundunt preces tui per orbem servuli. amen. page ---------- no. resonet in laudibus christmas song of the xiv century . resonet in laudibus cum jucundus plausibus, sion cum fidelibus. refrain apparuit quem genuit maria gaudete, gaudete, christus natus hodie! gaudete, gaudete, ex maria virgine. . sion lauda dominum salvatorem omnium virgo parit filium. . pueri concurrite nato regi psallite voce pia dicite. . natus est emmanuel quem praedixit gabriel testis est ezechiel . juda cum cantoribus gradere de foribus et dic cum pastoribus. . qui regnat in aethere, venit ovem quaerere, nolens eam perdere. page ---------- no. ecce nomen domini emmanuel ecce nomen domini emmanuel, quod annuntiatum est per gabriel, hodie apparuit in israel: per mariam virginem est natus rex. eia! virgo deum genuit, ut divina voluit clementia. in bethlehem natus est, et in jerusalem visus est, et in omnem terram honorificatus est, rex israel. page - ---------- no. adeste fideles traditional melody aedante . adeste, fideles, laeti triumphantes; venite, venite in bethlehem: natum videte regem angelorum: venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, dominum. . en grege relicto, humiles ad cunas vocati pastores approperant: et nos ovanti gradu festinebus: venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, dominum. . aeterni parentis splendorem aeternum velatum sub carne videbimus: deum infantem panis involutum: venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, dominum. . pro nobis egenum et foeno cubantem piis foveamus amplexibus: sic nos amantem quis non redamaret? venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, venite, adoremus, dominum. page - ---------- no. puer nobis nascitur david scheideman ( - ) moderato . puer nobis nascitur rector angelorum in hoc mundo pascitur dominus dominorum. . in praesepe ponitur sub foeno jumentorum cognovit bos et asinus christum regem coelorum. . hinc herodes timuit magna cum tremore infantes et pueros occidet prae dolore. . qui natus ex maria die hodierna perducat nos cum gratia ad gaudia superna. . angeli laetati sunt etiam de deo cantaverunt: gloria sit in excelsis deo. . nos de tali gaudio concinamus choro, in chordis et organo benedicamus domino. . laus et jubilatio nostro sit in ore, et semper angelicas deo dicamus gratias. page ---------- no. tollite hostias motet for two or four part chorus c. st. saens arr. by n. a. m. allegro maestoso . tollite hostias, et introite in atria ejus. . adorate, adorate dominum in atrio sancto ejus. , . laetentur coeli et exsultet terra ante faciem domini quoniam venit. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. . laetentur coeli et exsultet terra ante faciem domini quoniam venit. page ---------- no. a the holy name jesu dulcis memoria motet for four part chorus st. bernard t. l. da vittoria arr. by n. a. m. lento jesu dulcis memoria, dans vera, vera cordis gaudia, gaudia sed super mel et omnia, super mel et omnia ejus dulcis praesentia, dulcis praesentia. page ---------- no. b jesu dulcis memoria for unison or two part chorus cornelius schmuck (abridged) moderato . jesu dulcis memoria, dans vera cordis gaudia, gaudia sed super mel et omnia, ejus dulcis praesentia. . nil canitur suavius, nil auditur jucundius, nil cogitatur dulcius, quam jesus dei filius . jesu, spes paenitentibus, quam pius es petentibus! quam bonus te quaerentibus! sed quid invenientibus, . nec lingua valet dicere, nec littera exprimere: expertus potest credere, quid sit jesum diligere. . sis, jesu, nostrum gaudium, qui es futurus praemium: sit nostra in te gloria, per cuncta semper saecula. amen. page ---------- no. c jesu dulcis memoria vatican antiphonale . jesu dulcis memoria, dans vera cordis gaudia: sed super mel et omnia, ejus dulcis praesentia. . nil canitur suavius, nil auditur jucundius, nil cogitatur dulcius, quam jesus dei filius . jesu, spes paenitentibus, quam pius es petentibus! quam bonus te quaerentibus! sed quid invenientibus, . nec lingua valet dicere, nec littera exprimere: expertus potest credere, quid sit jesum diligere. . sis, jesu, nostrum gaudium, qui es futurus praemium: sit nostra in te gloria, per cuncta semper saecula. amen. page ---------- no. a lent and passiontide stabat mater ( ) sequentia jacopone da todi (d. ) traditional melody from the maintzeseh gesangbuch ( ) lento . stabat mater dolorosa juxta crucem lacrymosa, dum pendebat filius. . cujus animam gememtem, contristatam et dolentem, pertransivit gladius. . o quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta mater unigeniti! . quae moerebat et dolebat, pia mater dum videbat nati poenas inclyti. . quis est homo, qui non fleret, matrem christi si videret in tanto supplicio? . quis non posset contristari, christi matrem contemplari dolentem cum filio? . pro peccatis suae gentis vidit jesum in tormentis, et flagellis subditum. . vidit suum dulcem natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum. . eia mater, fons amoris, me sentire vim doloris fac, ut tecum lugeam. . fac ut ardeat cor meum in amando christum deum, ut sibi complaceam. . sancta mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide. . tui nati vulnerati, tam dignati pro me pati, poenas mecum divide. . fac me tecum pie flere, crucifixo condolere, donec ego vixero. . juxta crucem tecum stare, et me tibi sociare in planctu desidero. . virgo virginum praeclara, mihi jam non sis amara: fac me tecum plangere; . fac ut portem christi mortem, passionis fac consortem et plagas recolere. . fac me plagis vulnerari, fac me cruce inebriari, et cruore filii; . flammis ne urar succensus, per te virgo, sim defensus in die judicii. . christe, cum sit hinc exire da per matrem me venire ad palmam victoriae; . quando corpus morietur, fac ut animae donetur paradisi gloria. amen. page - ---------- no. b stabat mater ( ) g. m. nanini ( - ) arr. by n. a. m. moderato assai stabat mater dolorosa juxta crucem lacrymosa, dum pendebat filius. ---------- no. c stabat mater ( ) giuseppe tartini ( - ) andante stabat mater dolorosa juxta crucem lacrymosa, dum pendebat filius. page ---------- no. palm sunday music by franz schubert edited and revised by n. a. montani after the sprinkling of holy water, the palms are blessed and the choir sings the following antiphon: hosanna filio david allegro moderato hosanna filio david: benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. rex israel: hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. in monte oliveti after the singing of the lesson the following responsory is sung adagio . in monte oliveti oravit ad patrem: pater, si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste. spiritus quidem promptus est caro autem infirma: fiat volutas tua. . vigilate, et orate, orate, ut non intretis, intretis, intentationem. after the preface (with responses in ferial form, as at requiem, see no. ( )) the choir sings the sanctus and benedictus. page ---------- no. sanctus and benedictus fr. schubert adagio sanctus, sanctus, sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua, hosanna in excelsis. benedictus qui venit in nomine domini hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. pueri hebraeorum after a number of prayers and responses, at the distribution of palms, the choir sings the following antiphon. fr. schubert andante pueri hebraeorum, portantes ramos olivarum, obviaverunt domino, clamantes, et dicentes: hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. cum angelis et pueris just before the procession takes place the deacon sings; "procedamus in pace" the choir answers: "in nomine christi. amen." the following is then sung; fr. schubert allegro moderato cum angelis et pueris fideles in veniamur, triumphatori mortis clamantes: hosanna in excelsis. when the procession has reached the portal of the church two or four chanters enter and, facing the door begin the "gloria laus;" the clergy and singers outside repeat the verse. chanters sing each new stanza while the singers outside repeat the "gloria laus". at the end of the last stanza the procession enters the church the music being changed to "ingrediente." page ---------- no. gloria, laus et honor o. ravanello (abridged) moderato . gloria, laus, et honor, tibi sit rex christi redemptor: cui puerile decus prompsit hosanna pium. . israel es tu rex, davidis et inclyta proles: nomine qui in domini, rex benedicte, venis . coetus in excelsis te laudat coelicus omnis et mortalis homo, et cuncta creata simul. . plebs hebraea tibi cum palmis obvia venit: cum prece, voto, hymnis, adsumus ecce tibi. . hi tibi passuro solvebant munia laudis: nos tibi regnanti, pangimus ecce melos. . hi placuere tibi, placeat devotio nostra; rex bone, rex clemens, cui bona cuncta placent. page ---------- no. ingrediente fr. schubert andante . ingrediente domino in sanctam civitatem, hebraeorum pueri, resurrectionem vitae pronuntiantes. cum ramis palmarum hosanna clamabunt in excelsis. . cumque audisset popolus quod jesus veniret, jerosolymam, exierunt obviam ei. cum ramis palmarum hosanna clamabunt in excelsis. page ---------- no. holy week responsories in monte oliveti for two or four part chorus michael haydn ( ) edited and revised by n. a. m. andante moderato in monte oliveti oravit ad patrem: pater, si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste: spiritus quidem promptus est, caro autem infirma: fiat voluntas tua. vigilate, et orare, ut non intretis in tentationem. page - ---------- no. tristis est anima mea m. haydn revised by n. a. m. largo con espressione tristis est anima mea usque ad mortem; sustinete hic, et viglate mecum; nunc videbitis turbam, quae circumdabit me. vos fugam capietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis: ecce appropinquat hora, et filius hominis tradetur in manus peccatorum. page ---------- no. una hora non potuistis vigilare m. haydn revised by n. a. m. adagio con espressione una hora non potuistis viglare mecum, qui exhortabamini mori pro me? vel judam non videtis, quo modo non dormit, sed festinat tradere me judaeis? quid dormitis? surgite, et orate, ne intretis in tentationem. vel judam non videtis, quo modo non dormit, sed festinat tradere me judaeis? page - ---------- no. tanquam ad latronem existis m. haydn arr. by n. a. m. moderato tanquam ad latronem existis com gladiis et fustibus comprehendere me: quotidie apud vos eram in templo docens, et non me tenuistis, et ecce flagellatum ducitis ad crucufigendum. cumque injecissent manus in jesum, et tenuissent eum, dixit ad eos. quotidie apud vos eram in templo docens, et non me tenuistis, et ecce flagellatum ducitis ad crucufigendum. page - ---------- no. velum templi scissum est m. haydn edited by n. a. m. con anima velum templi scissum est, et omnis terra tremuit; latro de cruce clamabat, dicens: memento mei, domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum. petrae scissae sunt, et monumenta aperta sunt, et multa corpora sanctorum, qui dormierant, surrexerunt. et omnis terra tremuit; latro de cruce clamabat, dicens: memento mei, domine, dum veneris in regnum tuum. page - ---------- no. tenebrae factae sunt michael haydn edited by n. a. m. lento tenebrae factae sunt, dum crucifixissent jesum judaei, et circa horam nonam, exclamavit jesus voce maga: deus meus, ut quid me dereliquisti? et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum, spiritum. exclamans jesus voce magna ait: pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum, spiritum. page - ---------- no. ecce, quomodo moritur justus michael haydn edited and revised by n. a. m lento ecce, quomodo moritur justus, et nemo percipit corde; et viri justi tolluntur, et nemo considerat. a facie iniquitatis sublatus est justus: et erit in pace memoria ejus tanquam agnus coram tondente se obmutuit, et non aperuit os suum; de angustia, et de judicio sublatus est. et erit in pace memoria ejus. ecce, quomodo moritur justus, et nemo percipit corde; et viri justi tolluntur, et nemo considerat. a facie iniquitatis sublatus est justus: et erit in pace memoria ejus. page - ---------- no. unus ex discipulis meis michael haydn revised by n. a. m. andante religioso unus ex discipulis meis tradet me hodie: vae illi per quem tradar ego; melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset. qui intingit mecum in paropside, hic me traditurus est in manus peccatorum. melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset. melius illi erat, si natus non fuisset. page - ---------- no. recessit pastor noster michael haydn edited by n.a.m. andante moderato recessit pastor noster, fons aquae vivae, ad cujus transitum sol obscuratus est; nam et ille captus est, qui captivum tenebat primum hominem: hodie portas mortis et seras pariter salvator noster dirupit. destruxit quidem claustra inferni, et subvertit potentias diaboli. nam et ille captus est, qui captivum tenebat primum hominem: hodie portas mortis et seras pariter salvator noster dirupit. page ---------- no. omnes amici mei dereliquerunt me michael haydn edited by n. a. montani lento con espressione omnes amici mei dereliquerunt me, et praevaluerunt insidiantes mihi; tradidit me, quem diligebam: et terribilibus oculis plaga crudeli percutientes, aceto potabant me. inter iniquos projecerunt me, et non pepercerunt animae meae. et terribilibus oculis plaga crudeli percutientes, aceto potabant me. page ---------- no. ecce vidimus eum michael haydn arr. by n. a. m. andante sostenuto piu vivo ecce! vidimus eum non habentem speciem, neque decorem: aspectus ejus in eo non est: hic peccata nostra portavit, et pro nobis dolet; ipse autem vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras, cujus livore sanati sumus. vere languores nostros ipse tulit, et delores nostros ipse potavit. cujas livore sanati sumus. cujas levore sanati sumus. page - ---------- no. caligaverunt oculi mei michael haydn edited and revised by n. a. m. andante moderato caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo; quia elongatus est a me, qui consolabatur me. videte omnes populi: si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus. o vos omnes, qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte! si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus. caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo; quia elongatus est a me, qui consolabatur me. videte omnes populi: si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus. page - ---------- no. a lent and passiontide vexilla regis prodeunt ( ) vatican graduale . vexilla regis prodeunt: fulget crucis mysterium, quo carne carnis conditor suspensus est patibulo. . quo vulneratus insuper mucrone diro lanceae, ut nos lavaret crimine, manavit unda et sanguine. . impleta sunt quae concinit, david fideli carmine; dicens: in nationibus regnavit a ligno deus. . arbor decora et fulgida, ornata regis purpura, electa digno stipite, tam sancta membra tangere. . beata, cujus brachiis, saecli pependit pretium; statera facta corporis; praedamque tulit tartari. . o crux, ave, spes unica; hoc passionis tempore, auge piis justitiam reisque dona veniam. . te summa deus trinitas, collaudet omnis spiritus, quos per crucis mysterium, salvas, rege per saecula. amen. page ---------- no. b vexilla regis prodeunt ( ) the entire hymn may be sung to the melody given at a or if preferred may be sung alternately with this melody (l b). n. a. montani con moto . vexilla regis prodeunt: fulget crucis mysterium, quo carne carnis conditor suspensus est patibulo. . quo vulneratus insuper mucrone diro lanceae, ut nos lavaret crimine, manavit unda et sanguine. page ---------- no. c vexilla regis prodeunt ( ) traditional melody ( ) andante . vexilla regis prodeunt: fulget crucis mysterium, quo carne carnis conditor suspensus est patibulo. . quo vulneratus insuper mucrone diro lanceae, ut nos lavaret crimine, manavit unda et sanguine. . impleta sunt quae concinit, david fideli carmine; dicens: in nationibus regnavit a ligno deus. . arbor decora et fulgida, ornata regis purpura, electa digno stipite, tam sancta membra tangere. . beata, cujus brachiis, saecli pependit pretium; statera facta corporis; praedamque tulit tartari. . o crux, ave, spes unica; hoe passionis tempore, auge piis justitiam reisque dona veniam. . te summa deus trinitas, collaudet omnis spiritus, quos per crucis mysterium, salvas, rege per saecula. amen. page ---------- no. the seven last words music for the three hours' agony note: these short pieces may be sung before the principal discourse on each word and a haydn passion motet or an appropriate lenten hymn, either in english or latin may be given at the close first word: "pater, dimitte illis" ch. gounod abridged and revised by n. a. m. adagio con espressione pater, dimitte illis, non enim sciunt, quid faciunt, non enim sciunt quid faciunt. ---------- second word: amen dico tibi, hodie mecum eris in paradiso ch. gounod moderato amen dico tibi, hodie, hodie mecum eris in paradiso page ---------- no. third word: "mulier, ecce filius tuus! ecce mater tua!" ch. gounod andante mulier, mulier, ecce filius tuus! ecce mater tua! ecce mater, mater tua. page ---------- no. fourth word "deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me?" ch. gounod lento con espressione deus meus, deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me? ut quid dereliquisti me? page ---------- no. fifth word: "sitio" th. dubois revised and adapted by n. a. m. adigio (unison or solo) sitio, sitio, sitio, sitio. page ---------- no. sixth word: "consummatum est" th. dubois adapted by n. a. m. andante "consummatum est." (et inclinato capite, tradidit spiritum). "consummatum est." ---------- no. seventh word: "pater, in manus tuas" th. dubois (adapted) adagio pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. pater, in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. page ---------- no. a adoramus te christe ( ) th. dubois adagio adoramus te christe, et benedicimus tibi: adoramus te christe, et benedicimus tibi: quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. adoramus te christe, et benedicimus tibi: adoramus te christe, page ---------- no. b adoramus te christe ( ) motet for four part chorus g. p. da palestrina edited by n. a. m. lento adoramus te christe, et benedicimus tibi: quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum. qui passus es pro nobis; domine, domine, miserere nobis. page ---------- no. antiphon for good friday ecce lignum crucis at the uncovering of the cross from the vatican graduale sung three times, in successively higher keys. celebrant ecce lignum crucis, in quo salus mundi pependit. venite adoremus. page ---------- no. popule meus the following improperia is sung during the adoration of the cross. vittoria full text added by n. a. m. . popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo contristavi te? responde mihi. . quia eduxi te de terra acgypti: parasti crucem salvatori tuo. . agios theos. . sanctus deus. . agios ischyros. . sanctus fortis. . agios athanatos, eleison imas. . sanctus, immortalis miserere nobis. page - ---------- no. christus factus est pietro a. yon (written expressly for the st. gregory hymnal) lento christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem, obediens usque ad mortem. (mortem autem crucis.) ( exaltavit.) propter quod et deus, exaltavit illum, et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen. page ---------- no. holy saturday music after the blessing of the font the following order is observed: (a) the litany of the saints is sung. (b) the kyrie follows (chant or figured music without organ) then the "gloria" is intoned (c) the choir beginning with "et in terra pax" (with organ accompaniment). the epistle is sung after which the "alleluia" (d) is intoned. this is sung three times in successively higher keys by the celebrant, unaccompanied, and each time is repeated by the choir in the same key as taken by the celebrant (with accompaniment, if preferred). alleluia. confitemini domino, quoniam bonus: quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus. laudate dominum omnes gentes: et collaudate eum omnes populi. quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet in aeternum. the gospel response in then sung; see no. ( ) credo and offertory are ommitted. preface follows with usual responses (see - ) after which the sanctus and benedictus are sung. the "agnus dei" is not sung, but after the communion the choir proceeds with the following antiphon and psalm. alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. . laudate dominum omnes gentes; laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet in aeternum. . gloria patri et filio; et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper; et in saecula saeculorum. amen. alleluia (h) is repeated; then choir proceeds immediately with the antiphon "vespere." (i) vespere autem sabbati quae lucescit in prima sabbati, venit maria magdalene, et altera maria, videre sepulcrum, alleluia. to magnificat no. , after the magnificat the antiphon "vespere" (i) is repeated, the celebrant then sings "dominus vobiscum" with proper choir response, then after a short oration and another "dominus" the deacon sings the paschal "ite missa est" (j) the choir responding in the manner indicated. (k) ite missa est, alleluia, alleluia. deo gratias, alleluia, alleluia. page - - - ---------- no. eastertlde o filii et filiae jean tisserand (d. ) traditional melody . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. o filii et filiae rex coelestis, rex gloriae morte surrexit hodie. alleluia . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. et mane prima sabbati, ad ostium monumenti accesserunt discipuli. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. et maria magdalene, et jacobi, et salome venerunt corpus ungere. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. in albis sedens angelus praedixit mulieribus in galliaea est dominus. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. et joannes apostolus cucurrit petro citius, monumento venit prius. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. discipulis astantibus, in medio stetit christus, dicens: pax vobis omnibus. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. postquam audivit didymus quia surrexerat jesus, remansit fide dubius. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. vide thoma, vide latus vide pedes, vide manus, noli esse incredulus. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. quando thomas christi latus, pedes vidit atque manus, dixit: tu es deus meus. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. beati qui non viderunt, et firmiter crediderunt, vitam aeternam habebunt. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. in hoc festo sanctissimo sit laus et jubilatio, benedicamus domino. alleluia. . alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. de quibus nos humillimas devotas atque debitas deo dicamus gratias. alleluia. page - ---------- no. victimae paschali laudes sequence for easter vatican graduale first mode transposed. . victimae paschali laudes immolent christiani. . agnus redemit oves: christus innocens patri reconciliavit peccatores. . mors et vita duello conflixero mirando: dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus. . die nobis maria, quid vidisti in via? . sepulcrum christi viventis, et gloriam vidi resurgentis. . angelicos testes, sudarium, et vestes. . surrexit christus spes mea: praecedet suos in gallilaeam. . scimus christum surrexisse a mortuis vere: tu nobis victor, rex miserere. amen. alleluia. page - ---------- no. concordi laetitia sixth mode . concordi laetitia, propulsa maestitia, mariae praeconia recolat ecclesia: virgo maria. . quae felici gaudio, resurgente domino, floriut et lilium: vivum cernens filium: virgo maria. . quam concentu parili chori laudant coelici, et nos cum coelestibus, novum melos pangimus; virgo maria. . o regina virginum, votis fave supplicum, et post mortis stadium, vitae confer praemium virgo maria. . gloriosa trinitas, indivisa unitas, ob mariae merita, nos salva per saecula: virgo maria. page ---------- no. pentecost veni sancte spiritus sequence for pentecost s. webbe ( - ) moderato . veni sancte spiritus, et emitte coelitus lucis tuae radium. veni pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum, veni lumen cordium. . consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium. in labore requies, in aestu temperies, in fletu solatium. . o lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est in noxium. . lava quod est sordium, riga quod est aridum, sana quod est saucium flecte quod est rigidum, fove quod est frigidum, rege quod est devium. . da tuis fidelibus, in te confidentibus; sacrum septenarium da virtutis meritum, da salutis exium, da perenne gaudium. amen. alleluia. page ---------- no. a veni creator spiritus invocation to the holy ghost nicola a. montani moderato . veni creator spiritus, mentes tuorum visita; imple superna gratia quae tu creasti, pectora. . qui disceris paraclitus, altissimi donum dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas, et spiritalis unctio. . tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae, tu rite promissum patris, sermone ditans guttura. . accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorum cordibus, infirma nostri corporis, virtute firmans perpeti. . hostem repellas longius, pacemque donnes protinus: ducatore sic te praevio, vitemus omne noxium. . per te sciamus da patrem, noscamus atque filium, teque utriusque spiritum credamus omni tempore. . deo patri sit gloria, et filio qui a mortuis surrexit ac paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. amen. page ---------- no. b veni creator spiritus secundum usum recentiorem vatican graduale eighth mode . veni creator spiritus, mentes tuorum visita; imple superna gratia quae tu creasti, pectora. . qui disceris paraclitus, altissimi donum dei, fons vivus, ignis, caritas, et spiritalis unctio. . tu septiformis munere, digitus paternae dexterae, tu rite promissum patris, sermone ditans guttura. . accende lumen sensibus, infunde amorum cordibus, infirma nostri corporis, virtute firmans perpeti. . hostem repellas longius, pacemque donnes protinus: ducatore sic te praevio, vitemus omne noxium. . per te sciamus da patrem, noscamus atque filium, teque utriusque spiritum credamus omni tempore. . deo patri sit gloria, et filio qui a mortuis surrexit ac paraclito, in saeculorum saecula. amen. page ---------- no. a the blessed virgin ave maria salutatio angelica gregorian first mode (transposed) ave maria, gratia plena; dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus vetris tui, jesus. sancta maria, mater dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. amen. ---------- no. b ave maria for unison, two or four part chorus jacques arcadelt revised and full text added by n. a. m. andante ave maria, gratia plena; dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus vetris tui, jesus. sancta maria, mater dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. amen. ---------- no. c ave maria cesar franck rearranged for unison or two part chorus by n. a. m. lento ave maria, gratia plena; dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus vetris tui, jesus. sancta maria, mater dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. amen. page - - - ---------- no. a ave maris stella vatican antiphonale first mode (transposed) . ave maria stella, dei mater alma, atque semper virgo felix coeli porta. . sumens illud ave gabrielis ore, funda nos in pace, mutans hevae nomen. . solve vincla reis, profer lumen caecis, mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce. . monstra te esse matrem, sumat per te preces, qui pro nobis natus, tulit esse tuus. . virgo singularis, inter omnes mitis, nos culpis solutos, mites fac et castos. . vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum: ut videntes jesum, semper collaetemur. . sit laus deo patri, summo christo decus, spiritui sancto, tribus honor unus. amen. page ---------- no. b ave maris stella for unison chorus balthasar florence andante religioso . ave maria stella, dei mater alma, atque semper virgo felix coeli porta. amen. for additional verses see a ---------- no. c ave maris stella j. mohr con moto . ave maria stella, dei mater alma, atque semper virgo felix coeli porta. amen. for additional verses see a ---------- no. d ave maris stella edv. grieg adapted for two part chorus by n. a. m. con moto . ave maria stella, dei mater alma, atque semper virgo felix coeli porta. . sumens illud ave gabrielis ore, funda nos in pace, mutans hevae nomen. amen. page - ---------- no. alma redemptoris mater antiphon sung from the saturday before the first sunday in advent to the second vespers feast of the purification inclusive. ch. gounod arr. for two of four part chorus by n. a. m. andante moderato alma redemptoris mater, quae pervia coeli porta manes. et stella maris, succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo, succurre, succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo; tu quae genuisti, natura mirante tuum sanctum genitorem: virgo prius ac posterius, gabrielis abore sumens illud ave, peccatorum miserere, peccatorum miserere. clebrant:- angelus domini nuntiavit maria choir response:- et concepit de spiritu sancto after advent cel.:- post partum virgo inviolata permansisti choir:- dei genitrix intercede pro nobis. page - ---------- no. ave, regina coelorum for unison or two-part chorus of equal voices (from february second until holy thursday) nicola a. montani andante con moto ave, regina coelorum, ave, domina angelorum: salve radix, salve porta, ex qua mundo lux est orta: gaude virgo gloriosa, super omnes speciosa: vale, o valde decora, et pro nobis christum exora. cel.:- dignare me laudare te virgo sacrata. choir:- da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos. page ---------- no. regina coeli from compline, holy saturday, to none, saturday, within the octave of pentecost. antonio lotti ( - ) revised and edited for two or four part chorus by n. a. m. allegro moderato regina coeli laetare, alleluia, laetare, alleluia: quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, alleluia, resurrexit sicut dixit. alleluia, alleluia ora pro nobis, pro nobis deum. alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. v. gaude et laetare, virgo maria, alleluia. r. quia surrexit dominus vere, alleluia. page ---------- no. salve regina fr. schubert revised and edited by n. a. m. moderato assai salve, regina, mater misericordiae: vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve, et spes nostra salve. ad te clamamus, exsules, filii hevae. ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. eia ergo advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. et jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. o clemens; o pia; o dulcis virgo maria. o clemens; o pia; o dulcis virgo maria. v. ora pro nobis sancta dei genitrix. r. ut digni efficiamur promissionibus christi. page - ---------- no. o sanctissima, o piissima traditional melody sicilian moderato . o sanctissima, o piissima, dulcis virgo maria! mater amata, intemerata, ora, ora pro nobis. . tu solatium, et refugium, virgo mater maria! quidquid optamus, per te speramus; ora, ora pro nobis. . ecce debiles, perquam flebiles, salve nos, maria! tolle languores, sana dolores, ora, ora pro nobis. . virgo respice, mater, aspice, audi nos, maria! tu medicinam, portas divinam; ora, ora pro nobis. page ---------- no. regina coeli, jubila traditional melody moderato . chanters: regina coeli, jubila, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: jam pulsa cedunt nubila. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: quam digna terris gignere, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: vivis resurget funere. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: sunt fracta mortis spicula, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: jesu jacet mors subdita. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: acerbitas solatium, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: luctus redonat gaudium. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: turbata sputis lumina, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: phoebea vincunt fulgara. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: manum pedumque vulnera, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: sunt gratiarum flumina. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: transversa ligni robora tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: sunt sceptra regni fulgida. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: lucet arundo purpura, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: ut fulva terrae viscera. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: catena, clavi, lancea, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: triumphi sunt insignia. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! . chanters: ergo, maria plaudito, tutti: gaude, maria! chanters: clientibus succurrito. tutti: alleluia! laetare, o maria! page ---------- no. inviolata antiphon b. v. m. ch. gounod arranged for two part chorus by n. a. m. moderato inviolata, integra, et casta es maria, et casta es maria: quae es effecta fulgida coeli porta. o mater alma christi carissima: o mater alma christi carissima: suscipe, suscipe pia laudum praeconia. te nunc flagitant devota corda et ora: nostra ut pura pectora sint et corpora tua per precata dulcisona. tua per precata, precata dulcisona. nobis concedas veniam per saecula o benigna! o regina! o maria! quae sola inviolata permansisti. page - - ---------- no. salve mater misericordiae gregorian fifth mode refrain salve mater misericordiae, mater dei, et mater veniae, mater spei, et mater gratiae, mater plena sanctae laetitiae; o maria! . salve deus humani generis salve virgo dignior ceteris, quae virgines omnes transgrederis, et altius sedes in superis, o maria! . salve felix virgo puerpera: nam qui sedet in patris dextera, coelum regens, terram et aethera, intra tua se clausit viscera, o maria! . te creavit pater ingenitus, obumbravit te uniqenitus, foecundavit te sanctus spiritus, tu es facta tota divnitus, o maria! . te creavit deus mirabilem, te respexit ancillam humilem, te quaesivit sponsam amabilem, tibi nunquam fecit consimilem, o maria! . te beatam laudare cupiunt omnes justi, sed non sufficiunt; multas laudes de te concipiunt, sed in illis prorsus deficiunt, o maria! . esto, mater, nostrum solatium nostram esto, tu virgo gaudium; et nos tandem post hoc exsilium, laetos junge choris coelestium, o maria! page - ---------- no. a o gloriosa virginum (no. ) unison chorus melody from the "harfe davis" arr, by p. j. van damme moderato . o gloriosa virginum, sublimis inter sidera, qui te creavit parvulum lactente nutris ubere. . quod heva tristis abstulit, tu reddis almo germine: intrent ut aster flebiles, coeli recludis cardines. . tu regis alti janua, et aula lucis fulgida: vitam datam per virginem gentes redemtae plaudite. . jesu tibi sit gloria qui natus es de virgine cum patre et almo spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. amen. page ---------- no. b o gloriosa virginum (no. ) unison or two-part chorus f. de la tombelle arr. by n. a. m. andante relisioso . o gloriosa virginum, sublimis inter sidera, qui te creavit parvulum lactente nutris ubere. . quod heva tristis abstulit, tu reddis almo germine: intrent ut aster flebiles, coeli recludis cardines. amen, amen, amen. page ---------- no. salve regina coelitum unison, two or three part chorus, equal voices or four part unequal traditional melody arr by p. j. van damme devota . salve regina coelitum, o maria! sors unica terrigenum, o maria! refrain jubilate, cherubim, exsultate, seraphim! consonante perpetim: salve, salve, salve regina. . mater misericordiae, o maria! dulcis parens clementiae, o maria! . tu vitae lux fons gratiae, o maria! causa nostrae laetitiae, o maria! . spes nostra, salve, domina, o maria! exstinque nostra crimina, o maria! . ad te clamamus exsules, o maria! te nos rogamus supplices, o maria! . audi nos evae filios, o maria! in te sperantes, o maria! . eia ergo nos respice, o maria! servos tuos ne despice, o maria! . converte tuos oculos, o maria! ad nos in hoc exilio, o maria! page - ---------- no. tota pulchra es, maria motet for unison or two-part chorus balthasar florence liturgically arranged by n. a. m andante moderato tota pulchra es, maria, et macula originalis non est in te. tu gloria jerusalem. tu laetitia israel. ta honorificentia populi nostri: tu advocata peccatorum. o maria! virgo prudentissma, mater clementissima, ora pro nobis; o maria! ora pro nobis ad dominum jesum christum; ad dominum jesum christum; page - ---------- no. a sub tuum praesidium (no. ) motet for two part chorus m. haller sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta dei genitrix, nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus nostris: sed a periculis cunctis libera nos, libera nos, semper, virgo gloriosa, et benedicta, domina nostra, mediatrix nostra, advocata nostra, tuo filio nos reconsilia, tuo filio nos commenda, tuo filio nos repraesenta. ---------- no. b sub tuum praesidium (no. ) antiphon usually sung before the litany of the blessed virgin and before the "nunc dimittis." gregorian seventh mode sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta dei genitrix, nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus: sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, virgo gloriosa, et benedicta, allelulia. page - - - ---------- no. litany of the blessed virgin litaniae lauretanae unison or two part chorus nicola a.montani moderately fast kyrie eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. christe audinos. christe exaudinos. . chanters: pater de coelis deus, chorus: miserere nobis. . chanters: fili redemptor mundi deus, chorus: miserere nobis. . chanters: spiritus sancte deus, chorus: miserere nobis. . chanters: sancta trinitas unus deus, chorus: miserere nobis. . chanters: sancta maria, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: sancta dei genitrix, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: sancta virgo virginum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater christi, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater divinae gratiae, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater purissima, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater castissima, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater inviolata, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater intemerata, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater amabilis, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater admirabilis, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater boni consilii chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater creatoris chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: mater salvatoris, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo prudentissima, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo veneranda, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo praedicanda, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo potens, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo clemens, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: virgo fidelis, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: speculum justitiae, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: sedes sapientiae, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: causa nostrae laetitiae, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: vas spirituale, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: vas honorabile, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: vas insigne devotionis, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: rosa mystica, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: turis davidica, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: turis eburnea, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: domus aurea, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: foederis arca, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: janua coeli, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: stella matutina, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: salus infirmorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: refugium peccatorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: consolatrix afflictorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: auxilium christianorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina angelorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina patriarcharum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina prophetarum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina apostolorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina martyrum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina confessorum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina virginum, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina sanctorum omnium, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina sine labe originali concepta, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina sacratissimi rosarii chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: regina pacis, chorus: ora pro nobis. . chanters: agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi; chorus: parce nobis domine. . chanters: agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi; chorus: exaudinos domine; . chanters: agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi tutti: miserere nobis. v. ora pro nobis sancta dei genitrix. r. ut digni efficiamur promissionibus christi. page - - - - ---------- no. music for reception etc. veni sponsa christi for two part chorus nicola a. montani lento veni sponsa christi, veni sponsa christi, accipe coronam. quam tibi dominus praeparavit, praeparavit in aeternum. page ---------- no. the blessed virgin magnificat eighth psalm tone (solemnis) gregorian . magnificat anima mea dominum. . et exsultavit spiritus meus: in deo salutari meo. . quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. . quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus. . et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies: timentibus eum. . fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. . deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles. . esurientes implevit bonus: et divites dimisit inanes. . suscepit israel puerum suum: recordatus misericordiae suae. . sicut locutus est ad patres nostros: abraham, et semini ejus in saecula. . gloria patri et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. for the alternate verses the following falso bordone arrangement by ciro crassi may be used. (for two part chorus (or three part) equal voices.) page - ---------- no. ceremony music motets for reception, profession etc. regnum mundi for two part chorus nicola a. montani andante religioso regnum mundi, regnum mundi et omnem ornatam saeculi, contempsi propter a morem domini nostri, jesu christi. quem vidi quem amavi, in quem credidi quem dilexi. eructavit cor meum, verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea regi. quem vidi quem amavi, in quem credidi quem dilexi. elegi abjecta esse, in domo domino mei, jesu christi. quem vidi quem amavi, in quem credidi quem dilexi. gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto. v. kyrie eleison. r. christi eleison. v. pater noster. v. etne nos inducas in tentationem. r. sed libera nos a malo. v. manda deus etc. r. confirma hoc deus quod operatus es in eis. v. salvas fac etc. r. deus meus sperantes in te. v. esto nobis etc. r. a facie inimici. v. nihil proficiat etc. v. et filius iniquitatis non apponat nocere nobis. v. ora pro nobis etc. r. ut dignae efficiantur promissionibus christi. v. domine exaudi etc. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. v. dominus etc. r. et cum spiritu tuo. v. domine deus virtutem, converte nos. r. et ostende faciem tuam et salvi erimus. page - ---------- no. ceremony music etc. suscipe domine (st. ignatius) for two part chorus nicola a. montani lento suscipe domine, universam libertatem meam, accipe memoriam intellectum atque voluntatem omnem. quid quid habeo vel possideo mihi largitus es id tibi totum restituo, ac tuae prorsus voluntate trado gubernandum. amorem tui solum cum gratia tua mihi dones et dives sum satis nec aliud quid quam ultra poseo. page - ---------- no. ceremony music etc. conserva me domine psalm third tone . conserva me, domine, quoniam speravi in te. dixi domino: deus meus es tu, quoniam honorum meorum non eges. . sanctis, qui sunt in terra ejus, mirificavit omnes voluntates meas in ejus. . multiplicatae sunt infirmitates eorum postem accelleraverunt. . non congregabo conventicula eorum de sanguinibus. nec memor ero nominum eorum per labia mea. . dominus pars haereditatis meae, et calicis mei: tu es, qui restitues haereditatem meam mihi. . funes ceciderunt mihi in praeclaris, etenim haereditas mea praeclara est mihi. . benedicam dominum, qui tribuit mihi intellectum: insuper et usque ad noctem increpuerunt me renes mei. . providebam dominum in conspectu meo semper: quoniam adextris est mihi, ne commovear. . propter hoc laetatum est cor meum et exsultavit lingua mea: insuper et caro mea requiescet in spe. . quoniam non derelinques animam meam in inferno: nec dabis sanctum tuum videre corruptionem. . notas mihi fecisti vias vitae adimplebis me laetitia cum vultu tuo: delectationis in dextera tua usque infinem. . gloria patri et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. music for reception, vow day, etc. ecce quam bonum psalm for two part chorus nicola a. montani moderato . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. . sicut unguentum in capite quod descendit in barbam, barbam aaron. . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. . quod descendit in oram vestimenti ejus: sicut ros hermon, qui descendit in monte sion. . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. . quoniam illic mandavit dominus benedictonem et vitam usque in saeculum. . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. . ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum, habitare fratres in unam. page - ---------- no. ceremony music etc. quam dilecta tabernacula tua psalm seventh tone . quam dilecta tabernacula tua, domine virtutum! concupiscit, et deficit anima mea in atria domini. . cor meum et caro mea exsultaverunt in deum vivum. . etenim passer invenit sibi donum: et turtur nidum sibi, ut ponat pullos suos. . altaria tua, domine virtutum: rex meus, et deus meus. . beatus, qui habitant in domo tua, domine: in saecula saeculorum laudabunt me. . beatus vir, cujus est auxilium abs te: ascensiones in corde suo disposuit, in valle lacrimarum, in loco quem posuit. . etenim benedictionem dabit legislator ibunt de virtute in virtutem: videbitur deus deorem in sion. . domine, deus virtutum exaudi orationem meum: auribus percipe, deus jacob. . protector noster, aspice deus: et respice faciem christi tui. . quia melior est dies una in atriis tuis, super milia. . elegi agjectus esse in domo dei mei: magis quam habitare in tabernaculis peccatorum. . quia misericordiam et veritatem diligit deus: gratiam et gloriam dabit dominus. . non privabit bonis eos, qui ambulant in innocentia: domine virtutum, beatus homo, qui sperat in te. . gloria patri et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen page - ---------- no. ceremony music etc. quae est ista two part or unison chorus traditional italian chorale arr. by n. a. montani moderato quae est ista, quae est ista, quae ascendit de deserto; deliciis affluens enixa super dilectum suum? tota pulchra es, amica mea, suavis et decora. veni de libano sponsa mea veni de libano veni coronaberis. page - ---------- no. tu gloria jerusalem unison or four part chorus (for additional ceremony music see magnificat; hymns in honor of the blessed virgin, motets in honor of the bl. sacrament, te deum etc.) cesar franck adapted from the motet "quae est ista" andante religioso tu gloria jerusalem; tu laetitia israel; to honorificentia populi nostri. maria dominare nostri tu et filius tuus intercede ad dominum deum nostrum, intercede ad dominum deum nostrum, ad deum nostrum, ad dominum deum nostrum. page - ---------- music for forty hours' adoration musical programme at the exposition . mass, after which the blessed sacrament is incensed. .* procession during which the "pange lingua" is sung; after the procession the . "tantum ergo" is sung, and the blessed sacrament is incensed. the "panem de coelo, etc.," is omitted . the litany of the saints is chanted. . psalm lxix, "deus in adjutorium etc.," is intoned, then sung alternately by the clergy or choir, after which the celebrant, still kneeling, sings the versicles "salvos fac, etc." after the "domine, exaudi orationem meam" the celebrant rises and sings the prescribed orations. missa pro pace on the second day of the devotion the "missa pro pace" (mass for peace) is offered on a side altar, and the color of the vestments is violet, unless a feast of higher rank occurs prohibiting the use of this color. (see manual of forty hours' adoration pub. by ecclesiastical review, phila., pa.) at the exposition . mass, after which is sung the . litany with psalm lxix and the versicles "salvos fac, etc.," down to "dominus vobiscum" (exclusive,) after which the blessed sacrament is incensed. . * procession during which the "pange lingua" is sung. after the procession when the blessed sacrament has been placed on the altar, the . "tantum ergo" is sung, and at the "genitori" the blessed sacrament is incensed. the "panem de coelo" is intoned and the celebrant rises and sings the . orations; benediction follows. * in case the procession does not take place the "pange lingua" cannot be omitted. pange lingua; (see no. ) page ---------- no. the litany of the saints according to the vatican graduale sung on holy saturday, the rogation days, forty hours' adoration. * note: omitted on holy saturday. chanters kyrie eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. christe audinos. christe exaudinos. pater de caelis deus, miserere nobis. fili redemptor mundi deus, miserere nobis. spiritus sancte deus, miserere nobis. sancta trinitas unus deus, miserere nobis. sancta maria, ora pro nobis. sancta dei genitrix, ora pro nobis. sancte michael, ora pro nobis. sancte gabriel, ora pro nobis. sancte raphael, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti angeli et archangeli, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti beatorum spiritum ordines , ora pro nobis. sancte joannes baptista, ora pro nobis. sancte joseph, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti patriarchae et prophetae, ora pro nobis. sancte petre, ora pro nobis. sancte paule, ora pro nobis. sancte andrea, ora pro nobis. * sancte jacobe, ora pro nobis. sancte joannes, ora pro nobis. * sancte thoma, ora pro nobis. * sancte jacobe, ora pro nobis. * sancte philippe, ora pro nobis. * sancte bartholomaee, ora pro nobis. * sancte mathaee, ora pro nobis. * sancte simon, ora pro nobis. * sancte thaddaee, ora pro nobis. * sancte mathia, ora pro nobis. * sancte barnaba, ora pro nobis. * sancte luca, ora pro nobis. * sancte marce, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti apostoli et evangelistae, orate pro nobis. omnes sancti discipuli dominum, orate pro nobis. * omnes sancti innocentes, orate pro nobis. sancte stephane, ora pro nobis. sancte laurenti, ora pro nobis. sancte vincenti, ora pro nobis. * sancti fabiane et sebastiane, orate pro nobis. * sancti joannes et paula, orate pro nobis. * sancti cosma et damiane, orate pro nobis. * gervasi et protasi, orate pro nobis. omnes sancti martyres, orate pro nobis. sancte silvester, ora pro nobis. sancte gregori, ora pro nobis. * sancte ambrosi, ora pro nobis. sancte augustine, ora pro nobis. * sancte hieronyme, ora pro nobis. * sancte martine, ora pro nobis. * sancte nicolae, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti pontifices et confessores, orate pro nobis. omnes sancti doctores, orate pro nobis. sancte antoni, ora pro nobis. sancte benedicte, ora pro nobis. * sancte bernarde, ora pro nobis. sancte dominice, ora pro nobis. sancte francisce, ora pro nobis. omnes sancti sacerdotes et levitae, orate pro nobis. omnes sancti monachi et eremitae, orate pro nobis. sancta maria magdalena, ora pro nobis. sancta agatha, ora pro nobis. * sancta lucia, ora pro nobis. sancta agnes, ora pro nobis. sancta caecilia, ora pro nobis. * sancta catharina, ora pro nobis. sancte anastasia, ora pro nobis. omnes sanctae virgines et viduae, orate pro nobis. omnes sancti et sanctae dei, intercedite pro nobis. propitius esto, parce nobis domine propitius esto, exaudi nos domine ab omni malo, libera nos domine ab omni peccato, libera nos domine. * ab ira tua, libera nos domine. * a subitanea et improvisa morte, libera nos domine. * ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos domine. * ab ira, et odio, et omni mala voluntate, libera nos domine. * a spiritu fornicationis, libera nos domine. * a fulgure et tempestate, libera nos domine. * a flagello terrae motus, libera nos domine. * a peste, fame, et bello, libera nos domine. a morte perpetua, libera nos domine. per mysterium sanctae incarnationis tuae, libera nos domine. per adventum tuum, libera nos domine. per nativitatem tuam, libera nos domine. per baptismum et sanctum jejunium tuum, libera nos domine. per crucem et passionem tuam, libera nos domine. per mortem et sepulturam tuam, libera nos domine. per admirabilem ascensionem tuam, libera nos domine. per adventum spiritus sancti paracliti, libera nos domine. in dic judicii, libera nos domine. peccatores, te rogamus audinos. ut nobis parcas, te rogamus audinos. * ut nobis indulgeas, te rogamus audinos. * ut ad veram paenitentiam nos perducere digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut ecclesiam tuam sanctam regere et conservare digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut domnum apostolicum et omnes ecclesiasticos ordines' in sancta religione conservare digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut inimicos sanctae eccesiae humilare digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut regibus et principibus christianis' pacem et veram concordiam donare digneris, te rogamus audinos. * ut cuncto populo christiano pacem et unitatem largiri digneris, te rogamus audinos. * ut omnes errantes ad unitatem eccesiae recovare, et infideles universos ad evangelii lumen perducere digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut nosmetipsos in tuo sancto servitio confortare et conservare digneris, te rogamus audinos. * ut mentes nostras ad coelestia desideria erigas, te rogamus audinos. ut omnibus benefactor ibus nostris sempiterna bona retribuas, te rogamus audinos. * ut animas nostras', fratrum, propinquorum et benefactorum nostrorum' ab aeterna damnatione eripias, te rogamus audinos. ut fructus terre dare et conservare digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut omnibus fidelibus defunctis requiem aeternam donare digneris, te rogamus audinos. ut nos exaudire digneris, te rogamus audinos. fili dei, te rogamus audinos. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, parce nobis domine. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, exaudinos domine. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobs. christe audinos. christe exaudinos. on holy saturday the kyrie of the mass is begun at this point. forty hours etc. chanters proceed. kyrie eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. pater noster. et ne nos inducas in tentationem. sed libera nos a malo. page - ---------- no. deus in adjutorium psalm (small notes ending for no. .) . deus in adjutorium meum intende: domine ad adjuvandum me festina. . confundantur retrosum, et erubescant, qui querunt animam meam. . avertantur retrosum, et erubescant, qui volunt mihi mala. . avertantur statim erubescentes, qui dicunt mihi: euge, euge. . exsultent et laetentur in te omnes qui querunt te: et dicant semper: magnificetur dominus: qui diligunt salutare tuum. . ego vero egenus et pauper sum: deus adjuva me. . adjutor meus et liberator meus es tu: domine ne moreris. . gloria patri et filio, et spiritui sancto, . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. responses cel. . salvos fac servos tuos, deus meus sperantes in te. all other responses end in the following manner except no. . v. esto nobis domine turris fortitudinis. r. a facie inimici. . v. nihil proficiat inimicus in nobis. r. et filius iniquitatis non apponat nocere nobis. . v. domine non secundum peccata nostra facias nobis. r. neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuas nobis. . v. oremus pro pontifice nostro n. r. dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, + et beatum faciat eum in terra, * et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus. . v. oremus pro benefactoribus nostris. r. retribuere dignare domine, + omnibus nobis bona facientibus, propter nomen tuum, * vitam aeternam. amen. . v. oremus pro fidelibus defunctis. r. requiem aeternam dona eis domine,* et lux perpetua luceat eis. . v. requiescant in pace. r. amen. . v. pro fratribus nostris absentibus. r. salvos fac servos tuos,* deus meus, sperantes in te. (see no. ) . v. mitte eis domine auxilium de sancto. r. et de sion tuere eos. . v. domine exaudi orationem meam. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. . v, dominus vobiscum. r. et cum spiritu tuo. prayers . v. per omnia saecula saeculorum. r. amen. . v. dominus vobiscum. r. et cum spiritu tuo. . v. exaudiat nos omnipotens et misericors dominus. r. (et custodiat nos semper.) amen. . v. fidelium animae etc. r:. amen. page - - ---------- no. a the blessed sacrament motets for benediction o salutaris hostia (no. ) (verbum supernum prodiens) s. webbe ( - ) lento o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. b o salutaris hostia (no. ) duguet ( ) moderato o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. c o salutaris hostia (no. ) (verbum supernum prodiens) gregorian o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. d o salutaris hostia (no. ) unison chorus j. rheinberger abridged and arr. by n. a. m. andante o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. e o salutaris hostia (no. ) for three-part chorus (s.s.a or t.t.b.) balthasar florence arr. by n.a.m. andante religioso o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. f o salutaris hostia (no. ) nicola a. montani moderato o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. g o salutaris hostia (no. ) a. warner andante o salutaris hostia, quae coeli panis ostium: bella premunt hostilia, da robur, fer auxilium. uni trinoque domino sit sempiterna gloria, qui vitam sine termino nobis donet in patria. amen. page ---------- no. a adoro te devote (no. ) st thomas aquinas - gregorian fifth mode . adoro te devote, latens deitas, quae sub his figuris, vere latitas: tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, quia te contemplans totum deficit. . visus tactus gustus in te falitur, sed auditu solo tuto creditur: credo quidquid dixit dei filius: nil hoc veritatis verbo verius. . in cruce latebat sola deitas, ad hic latet simul et humanitas: ambo tamen credens, atque confitens, peto quod petivit latro paenitens. . plagas, sicut thomas, non intueor, deum tamen meum te confiteor: fac me tibi semper magis credere, in te spem habere, te diligere. . o memoriale mortis domini, panis vivus vitam praestans homini: praesta meae menti de te vivere, et te illi semper dulce sapere. . pie pelicane, jesu domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine, cujus una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quid ab omni scelere. . jesu, quem velatum nunc adspicio, oro fiat illud quod tam sitio: ut, te revelata cernens facie, visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. amen. page - ---------- no. b adoro te devote (no. ) ch. gounod arr. by n. a. m. lento . adoro te devote, latens deitas, quae sub his figuris, vere latitas: tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, qui te contemplans totum deficit. . visus, tactus, gustus in te falitur, sed auditu solo tuto creditur: credo quidquid dixit dei filius: nil hoc veritatis verbo verius. . in cruce latebat sola deitas, ad hic latet simul et humanitas: ambo tamen credens, atque confitens, peto quod petivit latro paenitens. . plagas, sicut thomas, non intueor, deum tamen meum te confiteor: fac me tibi semper magis credere, in te spem habere, te diligere. . o memoriale mortis domini, panis vivus vitam praestans homini: praesta meae menti de te vivere, et te illi semper dulce sapere. . pie pelicane, jesu domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine, cujus una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quid ab dulce sapere. . jesu, quem velatum nunc adspicio, oro fiat illud quod tam sitio: ut, te revelata cernens facie, visu sim beatus omni scelere. amen page ---------- no. a o esca viatorum (no. ) heinrich isaak ( - ) arr. by j. s. bach largo . o esca viatorum, o panis angelorum, o manna coelitum: esurientes ciba, dulce dine non priva, corda quaerentium. . o lympha, fons amoris, qui puro salvatoris e corde profluis; te sitientes pota, haec sola nostra vota, his una sufficis. . o jesu, tuum vultum, quem colimus occultum sub panis specie: fac ut, remoto velo, post, libera in coelo, cernamus acie. page ---------- no. b o esca viatorum (no. ) for unison or two-part chorus traditional melody arr. by p. j. van damme moderato . o esca viatorum, o panis angelorum, o manna coelitum: esurientes ciba, dulce dine non priva, corda quaerentium, corda quaerentium. . o lympha, fons amoris, qui puro salvatoris e corde profluis; te sitientes pota, haec sola nostra vota, his una sufficis, his una sufficis. . o jesu, tuum vultum, quem colimus occultum sub panis specie: fac ut, remoto velo, post, libera in coelo, cernamus acie, cernamus acie. page ---------- no. a panis angelicus (no. ) sacris solemniis moderato panis angelicus fit panis hominum; dat panis coelicus figuris terminum: o res mirabilis! manducat dominum pauper, servus, et humilis. te trina deitas unaque poscimus, sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus; per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, ad lucem quam inhabitas. amen. page ---------- no. b panis angelicus (no. ) unison, two or four-part chorus fr. lambilotte andante religioso panis angelicus fit panis hominum; dat panis coelicus figuris terminum: o res mirabilis! manducat dominum pauper, servus, et humilis. te trina deitas unaque poscimus, sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus; per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, ad lucem quam inhabitas. amen. page ---------- no. sacris solemniis (panis angelicus) for unison chorus j. mohr andante devota . sacris solemnis juncta sint gaudia, et ex praecordis sonent praeconia; recedant vetera, nova sint omnia, corda voces et opera. . noctis recolitur coena novissima, qua christus creditur agnum et azyma dedisse fratribus, juxta legitima priscis indulta patribus. . post agnum typicum, expletis epluis, corpus dominicum datum discipulis, sic totum omnibus, quod totum singulis, ejus fatemur manibus . dedit fragilibus corporis ferculum, dedit et tristibus sanguinis poculum, dicens: accipite, quod trado vasculum, omnes ex eo bibite. . sic sacrificium istud instituit, cujus officium committi voluit solis presbyteris, quibus sic congruit, ut sumant, et dent cereris. . panis angelicus fit panis hominum; dat panis coelicus figuris terminum: o res mirabilis! manducat dominum pauper, servus, et humilis. . te trina deitas unaque poscimus, sic nos tu visita, sicut te colimus; per tuas semitas duc nos quo tendimus, ad lucem quam inhabitas. amen. page - ---------- no. a ecce panis angelorum (no. ) lauda sion portuguese melody andante religioso . ecce panis angelorum, factus cibus viatorum: vere panis filiorum, non mittendus canibus. . in figuris praesignatur, cum isaac immolatur, agnus paschae deputatur, datur manna patribus. page ---------- no. b ecce panis angelorum (no. ) lauda sion vatican gradual . ecce panis angelorum, factus cibus viatorum: vere panis filiorum, non mittendus canibus. . in figuris praesignatur, cum isaac immolatur, agnus paschae deputatur, datur manna patribus. bone pastor . bone pastor, panis vere, jesu, nostri miserere: tu nos pasce, nos tuere, tu nos bona fac videre in terra viventium. . tu qui cuncta scis et vales, qui nos pascis hic mortales: tuos ibi commensales, coheredes et sodales fac sanctorum civium. amen. alleluia. page - ---------- no. adoramus te, panem coelitum for unison or two part chorus traditional melody harmonized by p. j. van damme andante adoramus te, panem coelitum, cibum vitae desursum praestitum. ave, ave, ave, coeli panis vine. laudetur in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. page ---------- no. a ave verum corpus (no. ) unison, two or four part chorus. ch. gounod liturgcally arranged by n. a. m. lento ave, ave verum corpus natum de maria virgine: vere passum, immolatum, immolatum in cruce pro homine, in cruce pro homine: cujus latus perforatum fluxit uqua et sanguine: esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine. o jesu dulcis! o jesu pie! o jesu fili mariae, o jesu fili mariae! page - ---------- no. b ave verum corpus (no. ) unison, two or four part chorus c. st. saens liturgically arranged by n. a. m. andante religioso . ave, ave verum corpus natum de maria virgine: . vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine: . cujus latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine. . esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine: . o jesu dulcis! o jesu pie! o jesu, jesu fili mariae, file mariae. page ---------- no. c ave verum corpus (no. ) w. a. mozart arr. for unison or four part chorus by n. a. m. adagio ave, ave verum corpus natum de maria virgine: vere passum, immolatum in cruce, pro homine: cujus latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine. esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine. mortis, mortis in examine. page - ---------- no. d ave verum corpus (no. ) alex. guilmant adapted and arranged for unison, two or four part chorus by n. a. m. andante moderato ave, ave verum corpus natum de maria virgine: vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine: cujus latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine. esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine. o jesu dulcis! o jesu pie! o jesu dulcis! o jesu pie! o jesu fili mariae, fili mariae! page - ---------- no. e ave verum corpus (no. ) prosa antiqua usu recepta gregorian sixth mode . ave, ave verum corpus natum de maria virgine: . vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine: . cujus latus perforatum fluxit aqua et sanguine. . esto nobis praegustatum mortis in examine: . o jesu dulcis! . o jesu pie! . o jesu fili mariae. page ---------- no. o quam suavis est antiphon. (according to the vatican edition of the antiphonale.) sixth mode o quam suavis est, domine, spiritus tuus! qui, ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstrares, pane suavissimo de coelo praestito, esurientes reples bonis, fastidiosos divites dimittens inanes. page - ---------- no. o sacrum convivium motet r. remondi arr. for unison, two or four part chorus by n. a. m. adagio (con espressione) o sacrum convivium! in quo christus sumitur: recolitur memoria passionis ejus, passionis ejus: mens impletur gratia, mens impletur gratia: et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. page ---------- no. the sacred heart o cor jesu two part chorus don lorenzo perosi adagio o cor jesu flagrans amore nostri, o cor jesu flagrans amore nostri, inflamma cor nostrum amore tui, inflamma cor nostrum amore tui. page ---------- no. cor jesu, salus in te sperantium unison or two part chorus w. schultes ( - ) abridged and arr. by n. a. m. andante sostenuto cor jesu, salus in te sperantium, miserere nobis, cor jesu spes in te morientium, miserere nobis, cor jesu deliciae sanctorum omnium, miserere, miserere nobis, page ---------- no. a invocation to the sacred heart * cor jesu sacratissimum (no. ) gregorian first mode . cor jesu sacratissimum, miserere nobis. . cor mariae immaculatum, ora pro nobis. . sanctae joseph patronae dilectissime, ora pro nobis. ---------- no. b cor jesu sacratissimum (no. ) * gregorian fourth mode cor jesu sacratissimum, miserere nobis. * note: these invocations can be sung before each verse of the "laudate dominum" (first and fourth tones) in place of the "adoremus." (no. a-d) ---------- no. plea for god's mercy parce domine usually sung before the th psalm: miserere mei deus gregorian parce domine, parce populo tuo: ne in aeternum irascaris nobis. parce domine, parce populo tuo: ne in aeternum irascaris nobis. parce domine, parce populo tuo: ne in aeternum irascaris nobis. page ---------- no. the sacred heart, ss. cordis jesu cor, arca legem continens th century melody "alta trinita." . cor, arca legem continens non servitutis veteris, sed gratiae, sed veniae, sed et misericordiae. . cor sanctuarium novi intemeratum foederis, templum vetusto sanctius, velumque scissoutilius. . te vulneratum caritas, ictu patenti voluit, amoris invisibilis, ut veneremur vulnera. . hoc sub amoris symbolo passus cruenta et mystica, utrumque sacrificium christus sacerdos obtulit. . quis non amantem redamet? quis non redemptus diligat, et corde in isto seligat aeterna tabernacula? . decus parenti, et filio sanctoque sit spiritui, quibus potestas, gloria, regnumque in omne est saeculum. amen page ---------- no. a processions, benediction, hours' pange lingua (no. ) (tantum ergo) gregorian vatican graduale third mode . pange lingua gloriosi, corporis mysterium sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium fructus vetris generosi rex effudit gentium. . nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta virgine, et in mundo conversatus, sparso verbi semine, sui moras incolatus miro clusit ordine. . in supremae nocte coenoe, recumbens cum fratribus, observata lege plene cibis in legalibus, cibum turbae duodenae se dat suis manibus. . verbum caro, panem verum verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis christi merum, et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sincerum sola fides sufficit. . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page - ---------- no. b pange lingua (no. ) (tantum ergo) gregorian (apud italos usitatum) first mode . pange lingua gloriosi, corporis mysterium sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium fructus vetris generosi rex effudit gentium. . nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta virgine, et in mundo conversatus, sparso verbi semine, sui moras incolatus miro clusit ordine. . in supremae nocte coenoe, recumbens cum fratribus, observata lege plene cibis in legalibus, cibum turbae duodenae se dat suis manibus. . verbum caro, panem verum verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis christi merum, et si sensus deficit, a firmandum cor sincerum sola fides sufficit. . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page - ---------- no. a tantum ergo (no. ) (the "pange lingua" may be sung to this and any of the melodies of the tantum ergo.) jos. h. beltjens abridged and arranged by n. a. m. andante moderato . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. b tantum ergo (no. ) arr. by n.a. m. traditional melody from ms. dated stonyhurst also epitome rit. trevir not too slow . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. c tantum ergo (no. ) for unison chorus or chorus in or parts balthasar florence arr. by n. a. m. moderato . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. d tantum ergo (no. ) choral o. ravanello moderato . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. e tantum ergo (no. ) unison or two part chorus w. a. smit andante religioso . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. f tantum ergo (no. ) m. haydn ( - ) moderato . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. g tantum ergo (no. ) melody from a slovak hymnal adapted by n. a. m. moderately fast . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. h tantum ergo (no. ) j. mohr moderato . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. i tantum ergo (no. ) unison or two part chorus th. dubois arr. by n. a. m. andante religioso . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. j tantum ergo (no. ) unison chorus nicola a. montani not too slow . tantum ergo sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. . genitori, genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit, et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. amen. page ---------- no. a benediction adoremus: laudate dominum (no. ) psalm tones instead of the "adoremus" the invocation to the sacred heart or to the holy family (no. a-b) may be sung before the "laudate dominum." gregorian vatican antiphonale first psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. b adoremus and laudate (no. ) second psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. ---------- no. c adoremus and laudate (no. ) third psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. d adoremus and laudate (no. ) fourth psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. ---------- no. e adoremus and laudate (no. ) fifth psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. f adoremus and laudate (no. ) sixth psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. ---------- no. g adoremus and laudate (no. ) seventh psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. h adoremus and laudate (no. ) eighth psalm tone adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. ---------- no. i adoremus and laudate (no. ) arr. by n. a. m. moderato adoramus in aeternum sanctissimum sacramentum. . laudate dominum omnes gentes: laudate eum omnes populi. . quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas domini manet it aeternum. . gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. pontifical ceremonies: confirmation, etc. sacerdos et pontifex sung at the entrance of the bishop, archbishop or cardinal ("ecce sacerdos" may be sung instead if preferred. ) gregorian antiphon-first mode sacerdos et pontifex, et virtutum opifex, pastor bone in populo, sic placuisti domino. responses v. protector noster --- etc. r. et respice in faciem christi tui. v. salvum fac --- etc. r. deus meus sperantem in te. v. mitte ei domine --- etc. r. et de sion tuere eum. v. nihil proficat -- etc. r. et filius iniquitatis non opponat nocere ei. v. domine exaudi --- etc. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. v. dominus vobiscum. r. et cum spiritu tuo. (oremus etc.) amen. note: during the confirmation, choir may sing appropriate hymns: veni sancte spiritus, veni creator, magnificat, etc. after the recitation of the creed, "the lord's prayer" and "hail mary" english hymns may be sung. page ---------- no. confirma hoc deus (sung after confirmation, at the washing of hands) j. rheinberger arr. by n. a. m. lento confirma hoc deus, quod operatus es in nobis, a tempo sancto tuo quod est in jerusalem. gloria patri, et filio: et spiritui sancto sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. amen. responses v. ostende nobis, etc. r. et salutare tuum da nobis. v. domine exaudi, etc. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. v. dominus vobiscum r. et cum spiritu tuo. ceremonies may terminate with singing of "te deum" (no. ) for the responses, at the pontifical blessing see no. -( ) page ---------- no. ecce sacerdos stadler arr. for unison or four part chorus by n. a. m. allegro maestoso ecce sacerdos magnus, qui in diebus suis placuit deo: ideo jurejurando fecit illum dominus crescere in plebem suam. benedictionem omnium gentium dedit illi, et testamentum suum confirmavit super caput ejus. gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. ideo jurejurando fecit illum dominus crescere in plebem suam. page - ---------- no. for the pope oremus pro pontifice unison two or four part chorus fr. schubert arr. by n. a. m. andante (alla breve) oremus pro pontifice nostro benedicte; dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum ejus. v. fiat manus tua super virum dexterae tuae. r. et super filium hominis quem confirmasti tibi. page ---------- no. christus vincit, christus regnat ancient french melody arr. by n. a. m. maestoso christus vincit, christus regnat, christus imperat. this melody dates from the year . it was sung at the closing of the council called by order of william the conqueror. gregory vii was pope and philip i king of france. to this day, in the cathedral of rouen it is customary to render this chant on all solemn pontifical feasts. page ---------- no. the holy souls: requiems languentibus in purgatorio solesmes chant sixth mode . languentibus in purgatorio, qui purgantur ardore nimio, et torquentur gravi supplicio, subveniat tua compassio: o maria. . fons est patens qui culpas abluis, omnes juvas et nullum respuis: manum tuam extende mortuis, qui sub poenis lanquent continuis: o maria. . ad te pie suspirant mortui, cupientes de poenis erui, et ad esse tuo conspectui, aeternisque gaudiis perfrui: o maria. . et cum fiet stricta discussio, in tremendo dei judicio, judicanti supplica filio, ut cum sanctis sit nobis portio: o maria. amen. page ---------- no. beati mortui motet for two or four part chorus ch. gounod. op. arr. by n. a. m. lento beati mortui in domino morientes, beati mortui in domino morientes, beati mortui in domino morientes deinceps. dicit enim spiritus, spiritus ut requiescant a laboribus suis et opera illorum, et opera illorum sequuntar illos. beati mortui in domino morientes, beati mortui in domino morientes, beati mortui in domino morientes deinceps. page ---------- no. the holy souls benedictus dominus deus israel ego sum vatican antiphonale antiphon second mode ergo dum resurrectio et vita: qui credit in me, etiam si mortuus fuerit, vivet: et omnis qui vivet et credit in me, non morietur in aeternum. . benedictus dominus deus israel: quia visitavit, et fecit redemtionem plebis suae. . et erexit cornu salutis nobis, in domo david pueri sui: . sicut locutus est per os sanctorum, qui a saeculo sunt, prophetarum ejus: . salutem ex inimicis nostris, et de manu omnium qui oderunt nos: . ad faciendam misericordiam cum patribus nostris: et memorari testamenti sui sancti. . jusjurandum, quod juravit ad abraham patrem nostrum, daturum se nobis: . ut sine timore, de manu inimicorum nostrorum liberati, serviamus illi: . in sanctitate et justitia coram ipso, omnibus diebus nostris. . et tu puer, propheta altissimi vocaberis: praeibis enim ante faciem domini parare vias ejus: . ad dandam scientiam salutis plebi ejus: in remissionem peccatorum eorum: . per viscera misericordiae dei nostris: in quibus visitavit nos, oriens ex alto: . illuminare his qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent: ad dirigendos pedes nostros in viam pacis. . requiem aeternam dona eis domine. : et lux perpetua, luceat eis. ergo dum resurrectio et vita: qui credit in me, etiam si mortuus fuerit, vivet: et omnis qui vivet et credit in me, non morietur in aeternum. page - - ---------- no. the holy souls officium defunctorum lent and holy week, etc. miserere mei deus psalm vatican antiphonale first mode (first portion is sung before the psalm) (the entire antiphon is sung at the end of psalm) exsultabunt domino ossa humiliata. first psalm tone . miserere mei deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. . et secundum multitudinem miserationem tuarum, dele iniquitatem mea. . amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me. . quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper. . tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris. . ecce enim in iniquitatibis conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea. . ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi. . asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. . auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata. . averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele. . cor mundum crea in me deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis. . ne projicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. . redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me. . docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur. . libera me de sanguinibus deus, deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam. . domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam. . quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis. . sacrificium deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum et humiliatum deus non despicies. . benigne fac domine in bona voluntate tua sion: ut aedificentur muri jerusalem. . tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes et holacausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos. . requiem aeternum dona eis domine. . et lux perpetua luceat eis. page - ---------- no. the holy souls pro defunctis miserere illi deus arr. by n. a. m. first mode adagio miserere, miserere, miserere illi deus, tu jesu christe domine veniam ei concede. . qui regnas in perpetuum, trinus et unus dominus, defuncti hujus animam de inferno tu libera. . tu vera, sancta trinitas, et unas in substantia, defuncti hujus animam cum electis agglomera. . o pia dei genitrix, maria mater virginum, intercede piissima pro hoc defuncto famulo. . tu michael archangel, continuatis precibus adesto nunc propitius pro hoc defuncto famulo. . inter chorus coelestium, inter catervas martyrum, resurgat hic in gloria ovans ad christi dexteram. miserere, miserere, miserere illi deus, tu jesu christe domine veniam ei concede. page - ---------- no. motets for festival occasions laudate dominum unison, two or four part chorus fr. schubert arr. by n. a. m. allegro moderato laudate dominum, laudate dominum, omnes gentes: laudate, laudate eum omnes populi. quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus; et veritas domini manet in aeternum. gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - - ---------- no. jubilate deo motet for two or four part chorus w. a. mozart edited and arr. by n. a. m. allegro jubilate deo omnis terra, servite, servite domino, domino in laetitia, in laetitia. laudate nomen ejus, laudate nomen ejus: quoniam suavis est dominus, est dominus. alleluia, alleluia. page - ---------- no. general o bone jesu! motet g. p. da palestrina andante o bone jesu! miserere nobis: quia tu creasti nos, tu redemisti nos sanguine tuo pretiosissimo. page ---------- no. sunday at high mass asperges me for unison, two or four part chorus sung each sunday before high mass from trinity sunday to palm sunday inclusive. nicola. a. montani celebrant asperges me. choir domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor. miserere mei, deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. * gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. asperges me. * note: on passion sunday and palm sunday the "gloria patri" etc. is omitted and repition is made from the beginning "asperges" to fine. responses cel. . ostende nobis domine misericordiam tuam. (alleluia.) . domine exaudi orationem meam. . dominus vobiscum. choir. . et salutare tuum da nobis. (alleluia.) . et clamor meus ad te veniat. . et cum spiritu tuo. . amen. page - - ---------- no. sunday at high mass vidi aquam for unison, two part or four part chorus sung before high mass on sundays from easter to pentecost inclusive. nicola a. montani allegro moderato celebrant vidi aquam choir egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluia, alleluia; et omnes, ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt, et dicent, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. confitemini domino quoniam bonus: quoniam in saeculum misericordia ejus. gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. for responses see no. (eastertide) page - - ---------- no. high mass, requiems, benediction vespers, pontifical blessing, etc. responses note: it is not permissible (according to the decrees of the congregation of rites), to accompany the celebrant on the organ at the orations, preface, or pater noster etc. the laudable custom of not accompanying the choir for the responses is also being generally observed. the key of a flat here given, is suggested as being best suited to all voices. . cel: v. dominus vobiscum choir: r. et cum spiritu tuo. . at ending of prayers sung in recto tono cel: v. per omnia saecula saeculorum. choir: r. amen. when prayers are sung with the following ending choir responds with the "amen" as indicated below. . cel.: v. per omnia saecula saeculorum. cel.: v. per christum dominum nostrum. r. amen. note: after the epistle it has been (incorrectly) the custom in certain churches for the choir to sing "deo gratias". this response (as well as the "laus tibi christi" after the gospel) is for the ministers of the mass, or acolytes only, and has never been included in the graduale and the official books in the notation of the parts to be sung by the choir. see "ecclesiastical review," (philadelphia, pa., nov., , page .) . at the gospel cel: v. dominus vobiscum choir: r. et cum spiritu tuo. cel.: v. sequentia sancti evangelii secundum matthaeum. choir: r. gloria tibi domine. . at the preface. solemn tone. sundays, holy days, etc. cel.: per omnia saecula saeculorum. choir: r. amen. cel: v. dominus vobiscum choir: r. et cum spiritu tuo. cel.: v. sursum corda. choir: habemus ad dominum. cel.: v. gratias agamus domino deo nostro. choir: r. dignum et justum est. . at the pater noster "per omnia" etc. as at no. . at the conclusion of the "pater noster:" cel.: et ne nos inducas in tentationem. choir: sed libera nos a malo. . before the "agnus dei:" "per omnia" etc. as at no. . cel v. pax domini sit semper vobiscum. choir: et cum spiritu tuo. . for requiems etc. (tonus ferialis) at the preface "per omnia" etc. (no. ) cel.: v. dominus vobiscum. choir: r. et cum spiritu tuo. cel.: v. sursum corda. choir: habemus ad dominum. cel.: v. gratias agamus domino deo nostro. choir: r. dignum et justum est. . at the end of requiem mass. choir: requiescant in pace. amen. . at the absolution = after the "libera" st chorus (tutti) kyrie eleison d chorus christe eleison st and d chorus (tutti) kyrie eleison cel: v. et ne nos inducas in tentationem. choir: r. sed libera nos a malo. cel. (a) v. a porta inferi. r. erue domine animam ejus. (animas eorum) (b) v. requiescat in pace. r. amen (c) v. domine exaudi orationem meam. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. (d) v. requiem aeternam dona ei (eis) domine. r. et lux perpetua luceat ei (eis). (e) v. requiescat (no. ) r. amen. pontifical ceremonies . at the pontifical blessing (a) v. sit nomen domini benedictum. r. ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum. (b) adjutorium nostrum in nomine domini. r. qui fecit caelum et terram. (c) benedicat vos omnipotens deus: pater, et filius, et spiritus sanctus. r. amen. benediction benediction of the blessed sacrament chanters: v. panem de coelo praestitisti eis. (alleluia.) choir. r. omne delectamentum in se habentem. (alleluia.) responses at the end of mass = toni "ite missa est" a) from holy saturday to low sunday (exclusive) eight mode deo gratias, alleluia, alleluia. b) from low sunday to the saturday after pentecost (inclusive) seventh mode deo gratias. c) for solemn feasts fifth mode deo gratias. d) for doubles (no. ) first mode deo gratias. e) (de angelis) doubles fifth mode xv. s. deo gratias. f) feasts of the blessed virgin mary first mode xii. s. deo gratias. g) for the sundays of the year (orbis factor) first mode x. s. deo gratias h) sundays in advent and lent first mode x. s. deo gratias page - - - - - - - ---------- no. vesper hymn lucis creator optime nicolaus decius - moderato . lucis creator optime, lucem dierum proferens, primordiis lucis novae mundi parans originem: . qui mane junctum vesperi diem vocari praecipis: illabitur tetrum chaos, audi preces cum fletibus. . ne mens gravata crimine, vitae sit exsul munere, dum nil perenne cogitat, seseque culpis illigat. . coeleste pulset ostium: vitale tollat praemium: vite mus omne noxium, purgemus omne pessimum. . praesta, pater piissime, patrique compar unice, cum spiritu paraclito, regnans per omne saeculum. amen. page ---------- no. compline te lucis ante terminum ad completorium severus gastorius (d. ) moderately fast . te, lucis ante terminum, rerum creator, poscimus, ut pro tua clementia, sis praesul et custodia. . procul recedant somnia, et noctium phantasmata; hostemque nostrum comprime, ne polluantur corpora. . praesta, pater piissime, patrique compar unice, cum spiritu paraclito, regnans per omne saeculum. amen. (tempore paschal, in dominicis et in festis) . deo patri sit gloria, et filio, quia mortuis surrexit, ac paraclito, in sempiterna saecula. amen. (in festis corporis christi et b. mariae virginis) . jesu, tibi sit gloria, qui natus es de virgine, cum patre et almo spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. amen. page ---------- no. compline nunc dimittis officium parvum b. m. v. canticum simeonis vatican antiphonale (for antiphon "sub tuum" see no. ) seventh tone . nunc dimittis servum tuum domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace. . quia viderunt oculi mei, salutare tuum. . quod parasti, ante faciem omnium populorum. . lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae israel. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, . sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- no. compline in manus tuas domine responsorium breve vatican antiphonale per annum sixth mode in manus tuas domine, commendo spiritum meum. in manus tuas domine, commendo spiritum meum. v. redemisti nos domine, deus veritatis. commendo spiritum meum. v. gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto, in manus tuas domine, commendo spiritum meum. v. custodi nos domine ut pupillam oculi. choir: sub umbra alarum tuarum protege nos. page ---------- no. pro gratiarum actione te deum laudamus juxta morem romanum vatican graduale harmonized by n. a. m. third mode celebrant . te deum laudamus chorus te dominum confitemur. chorus (in alternate sections) . te aeternum patrem omnis terra veneratur. . tibi omnes angeli, tibi coeli et universae potestates: . tibi cherubim et seraphim incessabili voce proclamant: . sanctus: . sanctus: . 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 majstatis: . venerandum tuum verum, et unicum filium.: . sanctum quoque paraclitum spiritum. . tu rex gloriae, christe. tu patris sempiternus es filius. . tu ad liberandum suscepturus 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. all kneel here . te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni, quos pretioso sanguine redemisti. . aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari. . 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 aeternum. responses cel. v. benedicamus patrem et filium cum sancto spiritu. choir. r. laudemus et superexaltemus eum in saecula. cel. v. benedictus es domine, in firmamento coeli. choir. r. et laudabilis, et gloriosus, et superexaltatus in saecula. cel. v. domine exaudi orationem meam. choir. r. et clamor meus ad te veniat. cel. v. dominus vobiscum. choir. r. et cum spiritu tuo. page - - - - - ---------- no. in festis b. mariae virginis mass of the blessed virgin mary cum jubilo no. ix kyrie xii century from the vatican graduale harmonized by n. a. montani first mode (transposed) with devotion but also with animation kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. page - ---------- no. gloria xi century melody seventh mode (transposed) [optional key] celebrant gloria in excelsis deo. choir et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. laudamus te. benedicimus te. adoramus te. glorificamus te. gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam. domine deus, rex coelestis, deus pater omnipotens. domine fili unigenite jesu christe. domine deus, agnus dei, filius patris. qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. qui tollis peccata mundi: suscipe deprecationem nostram. qui sedes as dexteram patris, miserere nobis. quoniam to solus sanctus. to solus dominus. tu solus altissimus, jesu christe. cum sancto spiritu, in gloria dei patris. amen. page - - - ---------- no. credo no. xv century first mode celebrant credo in unum deum. choir patrem omnipotentem factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium, et in invisibilium. et in unum dominum jesum christum, filium dei unigenitum. et ex patre natum ante omnia saecula. deum de deo, lumen de lumine, deum verum de deo vero. genitum, non factum, consubstantialem patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis. et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex maria virgine: et homo factus est. crucifixus etiam pro nobis: sub pontio pilato passus et sepultus est. et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas. et ascendit in coelum: sedat ad dexteram patris. et iterum venturus est cum gloria, judicare vivos et mortuos: cujus regni non erit finis. et in spiritum sanctum, dominum, et vivificantem: qui ex patre filioque procedit. qui cum patre et filio simul adoratur, et con glorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. et unam, sanctum catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam. confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum. et vitam venturi saeculi. amen. page - - - - - - ---------- no. sanctus and benedictus xiv century fifth mode sanctus, sanctus, sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. hosanna in excelsis. benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. agnus dei (x) xiii century fifth mode chanters or solo agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. for "deo gratias" see "responses" no. . page ---------- no. the requiem mass missa pro defunctis introit from the vatican edition of the graduale transcribed by n. a. montani sixth mode chanters tutti requiem aeternam dona eis domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. te decet hymnus deus in sion, et tibi reddetur votum in jerusalem: exaudi orationem meam, ad te omnis car veniet. requiem aeternam dona eis domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. kyrie sixth mode kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. page ---------- graduale second mode requiem aeternam dona eis domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. in memoria aeterna erit justus: ab auditione mala non timebit. (note) instead of the chant, if preferred, the "graduale" and "tractus" may be sung "recto tono": (text sung on one note) the organ giving a series of simple chords appropriately adjusted to the reciting tone. page ---------- tractus eighth mode absolve, domine, animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum. v. et gratia tua illis succorrente, mereantur evadere judicium ultionis. v. et lucis aeternae beatitudine perfrui. page ---------- sequence dies irae first mode . die irae, dies illa, solvet saeclum in favilla: teste david cum sibylla. . quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex et venturus, cuncta stricte discussurus! . tuba mirum spargens sonum per sepulcra regionum, coget omnes ante thronum. . mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura, judicanti responsura. . liber scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur . judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet apparebit: nil inultum remanebit. . quid sum miser tunc dicturus? quem patronem rogaturus? cum vix justus sit securus. . rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvan dos salvas gratis, salva me fons pietatis. . recordare jesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae: ne me perdas illa die. . quaerens me, sedisti lassus: redemisti crucem passus: tantus labor non sit casus. . juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis; ante diem rationis. . ingemisco, tamquam reus: culpa rubet vultus meus: supplicanti parce deus. . qui mariam absolvisti, et latronem exaudisti, mihi quoque spem dedisti. . preces meae non sunt dignae: sed tu bonus fac benigne, ne perenni cremer igne. . inter oves locum praesta, et ab hoedis me sequestra, statuens in parte dextra. . confutatis maledictis, flammis acribus addictis: voca me cum benedictis. . oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritum quasi cinis: gere curam mei finis. . lacrimosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla. . judicandus homo reus: huic ergo parce deus. . pie jesu domine, dona eis requiem. amen. page - - ---------- offertory domine jesu christe second mode domine jesu christe, rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni, et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum: sed signifer sanctus michael repraesentet eas in lumen sanctam: quam olim abrahae promisisti, et semini ejus. v. hostias et preces tibi domine laudis offerimus: tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, domine, de morte transire advitam. quam olim abrahae promisisti, et semini ejus. for requiem responses see no. = ( - - ) ---------- sanctus and benedictus sanctus, sanctus, sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. hosanna in excelsis. benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. hosanna in excelsis. ---------- agnus dei agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. page - - ---------- communion eighth mode lux aeterna luceat eis, domine: cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. v. requiem aeternam dona eis domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es. ---------- absolution libera me domine responsorium. first mode libera me, domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda: quando coeli movendi sunt et terra dum veneris judicare saeculum perignem. v. tremens factus sum ego et timeo, dum discussio venerit, atque ventura ira. quando coeli movendi sunt et terra. dies illa, dies irae, calamitas et miseriae, dies magna et amara valde. dum veneris judicare saeculum perignem. v. requiem aeternam dona eis domine: et lux perpetua luceat eis. libera me, domine, de morte aeterna, in die illa tremenda: quando coeli movendi sunt et terra dum veneris judicare saeculum perignem. for responses see no. ( ) page - ---------- no. the mass of the angels (missa de angelis) (viii in festis duplicibus ) with credo no. kyrie vatican gradule transcribed by n. a. montani xv-xvi century moderately fast kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. page ---------- no. gloria xvi century melody fifth mode to obtain contrast and observe the traditional antiphonal manner of rendition it is suggested that the choir be divided; one section singing the portions indicated by ( ) the other the portions designated ( ). celebrant gloria in excelsis deo. choir ( ) et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. ( ) laudamus te. ( ) benedicimus te. ( ) adoramus te. ( ) glorificamus te. ( ) gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam. ( ) domine deus, rex coelestis, deus pater omnipotens. ( ) domine fili unigenite jesu christe. ( ) domine deus, agnus dei, filius patris. ( ) qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. ( ) qui tollis peccata mundi: suscipe deprecationem nostram. ( ) qui sedes as dexteram patris, miserere nobis. ( ) quoniam to solus sanctus. ( ) to solus dominus. ( ) tu solus altissimus, jesu christe. tutti cum sancto spiritu, in gloria dei patris. amen. page ---------- no. credo iii (de angelis xvii century melody) celebrant credo in unum deum. choir ( ) patrem omnipotentem factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium, et in invisibilium. ( ) et in unum dominum jusum christum, filium dei unigenitum. ( ) et ex patre natum ante omnia saecula. ( ) deum de deo, lumen de lumine, deum verum de deo vero. ( ) genitum, non factum, consubstantialem patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. ( ) qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis. ( ) et incarnatus est de spiritu sancto ex maria virgine: et homo factus est. ( ) crucifixus etiam pro nobis: sub pontio pilato passus et sepultus est. ( ) et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas. ( ) et ascendit in coelum: sedat ad dexteram patris. ( ) et iterum venturus est cum gloria, judicare vivos et mortuos: cujus regni non erit finis. ( ) et in spiritum sanctum, dominum, et vivificantem: qui ex patre filioque procedit. ( ) qui cum patre et filio simul adoratur, et con glorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. ( ) et unam, sanctum catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam. ( ) confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. ( ) et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum. ( ) et vitam venturi saeculi. (tutti) amen. page - - - ---------- no. sanctus and benedictus xi century sixth mode ( ) sanctus, ( ) sanctus, ( ) sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. ( ) pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. ( - ) hosanna in excelsis. (soli) benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. ( - ) hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. agnus dei xv century sixth mode agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. for "ite missa est" and "deo gratias" see no. . -e page ---------- no. vespers in honor of the blessed virgin mary (can be sung in place of the proper vespers of the day) from the vatican antiphonale transcribed by n. a. m. celebrant deus in adjutorium meus intende. choir domine ad adjuvandum me festina. gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. alleluia. from septuagesima to easter the following is sung instead of the alleluia. laus tibi domine rex aeternae gloriae. page ---------- first antiphon and psalm third tone (a ending) chanter dum esset rex choir in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suavitatis. alleluia. dixit dominus (psalm ) . dixit dominus, domino meo: sede a dextris meis: . donec ponam inimicos tuos, scabellum pedum tuorum. . virgam virtutis tuae emitte dominus ex sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorem. . tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te. . juravit dominus, et non paenitebit eum: tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem melchisedech. . dominus a dextris tuis, confregit in die irae suae reges. . judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: conquassabit capita in terra multorum. . de torrente in via bibet: propterea exalta bit caput. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. dum esset rex in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suavitatis. alleluia. page - ---------- second antiphon and psalm fourth tone (a) laeva ejus sub capite meo, et dextera illius amplexabitur me. alleluia. ---------- laudate pueri (psalm ) . laudate pueri dominum: laudate nomen domini. . sit nomen domini benedictum, ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum. . a solis ortu usque ad occasum, laudabile nomen domini. . excelsus super omnes gentes dominus, et super coelos gloria ejus. . quis sicut dominus deus noster, qui in altis habitat, et humilia respicit in coelo et in terra. . suscitans a terra inopem, et de stercore erigens pauperem: . ut collocet eum cum principibus, cum principibus populi sui. . qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, matrem fili orum laetantem. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. page - ---------- third antiphon and psalm third tone (b) chanter nigra sum sed formosa, choir filiae jerusalem: ideo dilexit me rex, et introduxit me in cubiculum suum. alleluia. ---------- laetatus sum (psalm ) . laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum domini ibimus. . stantes erant pedes nostri, in atriis tuis jerusalem. . jerusalem, quae aedificatur ut civitas: cujus participatio ejus in idipsum. . illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus domini: testimonium israel ad confitendum nomini domini. . quia illic sederunt sedes in judicio, sedes super domum david. . rogate quae ad pacem sunt jerusalem: et abundantia diligentibus te: . fiat pax in virtute tua: et abundantia in turribus tuis. . propter fratres meos et proximos meos, loquebar pacem de te: . propter domum domini dei nostri, quaesivi bona tibi. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. nigra sum sed formosa, filiae jerusalem: ideo dilexit me rex, et introduxit me in cubiculum suum. alleluia. page ---------- fourth antiphon and psalm eighth tone (g) chanter jam himes transiit, choir imber abiit et recessit: surge amica mea, et veni. alleluia. ---------- nisi dominus (psalm ) . nisi dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam. . nisi dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam. . vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere: surgite postquam sederitis, qui manducatis panem doloris. . cum dederit dilectis suis somnum: . sicut sagittae in manu potentis: ita filii excussorum. . beatus vir qui implevit desiderium suum ex ipsis: non confundetur cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. jam himes transiit, imber abiit et recessit: surge amica mea, et veni. alleluia. page - ---------- fifth antiphon and psalm fourth tone chanter speciosa facta es choir et suavis in deliciis tuis, sancta dei genitrix. alleluia. ---------- lauda jerusalem (psalm ) . lauda jerusalem dominum: lauda deum tuum sion. . quoniam confortavit seras portarum tuarum: benedixit fili is tuis in te. . qui posuit fines tuos pacern: et adipe frumenti satiat te. . qui emittit eloquium suum terrae: velociter currit sermo ejus. . qui dat nivem sicut lanam: nebulam sicut cinerem spargit. . mittit crystallum suam sicut buccellas: ante faciem frigoris ejus quis sustinebit? . emittet verbum suum, et liquefaciet ea: flabit spiritus ejus, et fluent aquae. . qui annuntiat verbum suum jacob: justitias et judicia sua israel. . non fecit taliter omni nationi: et judicia sua non manifestavit eis. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. alleluia. the celebrant sings the capitulum: after which the choir sings deo gratias the hymn "ave maris stella" is then sung (see no. ) after which the following versicle and response is sung: v. dignare me laudare te virgo sacrata. r. da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos. for the second vespers the antiphon to the magnificat is then intoned by a chanter (or the celebrant) and continued by the choir. page - ---------- (for the solemn version of the magnificat see no. ) the version given below is the simple setting. ad magnificat (in ii. vesperis) antiphon chanter beatam me dicent choir omnes generationes, quia ancillam humilem respexit deus. alleluia. . magnificat anima mea dominum. . et exsultavit spiritus meus in deo salutari meo. . quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. . quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus. . et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. . fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. . deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles. . esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes. . suscepit, israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae. . sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, abraham, et semini ejus in saecula. . gloria patri, et filio, et spiritui sancto. . sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. amen. beatam me dicent omnes generationes, quia ancillam humilem respexit deus. alleluia. page - ---------- responses after the "magnificat" celebrant dominus vobiscum. choir et cum spiritu tuo. celebrant oremus. choir amen. celebrant benedicamus domino. choir deo gratias. celebrant fidelium animae. choir amen. celebrant dominus det nobis suam pacem. choir et vitam aeternam. amen. after this, one of the antiphons to our lady is sung according to the season "alma redemptoris mater," "ave regina," "regina coeli," or "salve regina." (see nos. to ). (also - ) page ---------- no. compline four antiphons in honor of the blessed virgin * note: see settings in figured style at nos to . alma redemptoris mater gregorian fifth mode chanter alma tutti redemptoris mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti, surgere qui curat populo: tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem: virgo prius ac posterius, gabrielis ab ore summens illud ave, peccatorum miserere. st response (in advent) et concepit de spiritu sancto. nd response (after christmas) dei genitrix intercede pro nobis. page ---------- no. ave regina coelorum (simplified version) (solesmes) sixth mode chanters ave regina caelorum tutti ave domina angelorum: salve radix, salve porta, ex qua mundo lux est orta. gaude virgo gloriosa, super omnes speciosa: vale, o valde decora, et pro nobis christum exora. response: da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos. page ---------- no. regina coeli gregorian sixth mode chanter regina coeli tutti laetare, alleluia: quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia: resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia: ora pro nobis deum, alleluia. response: quia surrexit dominus vere, alleluia. ---------- no. salve regina (solesmes) fifth mode chanter salve regina, tutti mater misericordiae: vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. ad te clamamus, exsules, filii hevae. ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. eia ergo. advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. et jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. o clemens, o pia, o dulcis virgo maria. response: ut digni efficiamur promissionibus christi. page - ---------- no. missa brevis a short and easy mass for unison chorus or chorus in two or three parts. nicola a. montani andante kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. christe eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. kyrie eleison. copyright by n. a. montani page ---------- gloria nicola a.montani celebrant gloria in excels is deo: choir et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. laudamus te. benedicimus te. adoramus te. glorificamus te. gratias agimus tibi, propter magnam gloriam tuam. domine deus, rex coelestis, deus pater omnipotens. domine fili unigenite jesu christe. domine deus, agnus dei, filius patris. qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. qui tollis peccata mundi: suscipe deprecationem nostram. qui sedes as dexteram patris, miserere nobis. quoniam to solus sanctus. to solus dominus. tu solus altissimus, jesu christe. cum sancto spiritu, in gloria dei patris. amen. page - ---------- no. sanctus and benedictus (for credo see nos. and ) nicola a. montani slowly sanctus, sanctus, sanctus dominus deus sabaoth. pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. hosanna in excelsis. hosanna in excelsis. hosanna in excelsis. benedictus qui venit in nomine domini. hosanna in excelsis. hosanna in excelsis. hosanna in excelsis. page ---------- no. agnus dei moderato agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. agnus dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. page page ---------- the st. gregory hymnal and catholic choir book compiled, edited and arranged by nicola a. montani published in three different editions ---------- the complete edition. organ accompaniment containing all the music and full text pages bound in blue cloth--gilt lettering--octavo size price --$ . net. postage extra ---------- the singers' edition--melody edition containing one line of music ( voices) (s.a. or t.b,) and the complete text conveniently arranged so that every syllable appears under the proper note. ( pages. bound in blue cloth)--smaller size than the complete edition. price $ . net. postage extra ---------- the word edition. book of words containing the text only--with complete set of indices--octavo size--( pages) bound in heavy and durable paper. (especially adapted for sodalities, schools and societies.) price c. (special discounts in quantities.) page [illustration: book cover.] [illustration: mother birds.] cousin hatty's hymns and twilight stories. [illustration] boston: . preface. most of the simple verses which compose this volume were written for a very dear child, with no thought beyond her gratification. they are published at the request of friends, with the hope that other children may derive the same pleasure from them as the little one for whom they were first intended. _boston, dec. , ._ contents. . the first hymn . morning hymn . evening hymn . cross looks . selfishness . the cat . study first . the baby . i am happy when i do right . the beggar girl . the girl who would not be washed . the spider . morning hymn . evening hymn . the launch . sunday . the meddlesome child . god sees me always . the ark and the dove . the bee . sunday . the pleasant world . samuel . the bird's nest . god loves us . moses . anger . what the birds say . the monkey . the sheep in heaven . twilight . the wrong story . the ballad . the child's question . sunday night . hagar and ishmael . evening hymn . the first violet . christmas . new year . evening hymn . soap-bubbles . spring . summer . autumn . winter . "give us this day our daily bread" . willie in heaven . the angels . the childhood of jesus . the fishers . the rainbow . song for may morning . the child and the flower-elf . the four gifts . the two lullabies the first hymn. [illustration] god made the bright, round sun; he made the pretty flowers; the little birds, the trees, the clouds the rain that falls in showers. he made papa, mamma, and baby brother, too; and mother says he looks from heaven, and sees each thing i do. then i must try to be pleasant, and sweet, and mild; for the good god who made me loves a kind, obedient child. [illustration] morning hymn. [illustration: letter n.] now again the yellow sun shines upon my window-pane; now anothor day's begun, i can laugh and play again. i must try to-day to be kind in all i say and do; then will god be pleased with me, and mamma will love me too. for she says that god above loves to see a little child sweet and gentle as the dove, like the pretty lamb so mild. evening hymn. [illustration: letter n.] now the sun hath gone to rest, stars are coming faint and dim, and the bird within his nest sweetly sings his evening hymn. have i tried mamma to mind? was i gentle in my play? have i been a true and kind, pleasant little girl to-day? then will god take care of me kindly, through the long dark night; bright and happy, i shall see once again the morning light. cross looks. [illustration: letter w.] why, what a frightful face is this! and what has happened, sir, amiss? come, let me wipe these tears away, and see no more cross looks to-day. if kate did throw your blocks about, she's very sorry, i've no doubt; and here she stands to tell you so, and build another house, i know. no tears and crying here must be, so have a pleasant smile for me. there, that will do,--now run away, and kindly with your sister play. i must not be selfish. [illustration] [illustration: letter w.] when i play with little children i must very gentle be; i must always do to others as i'd have them do to me. i must like to give and lend them, if they want my prettiest toy; more than my delight and pleasure i must love my playmate's joy. children who are kind and loving god above is pleased to see; let me ever this remember, ever sweet and pleasant be. [illustration] the cat. [illustration] [illustration: letter s.] stop, naughty pussy! that's not fair! jump down this minute from the chair! you've eaten my nice slice of bread. and here are only crumbs instead. i for a minute left the room to listen to the "buy a broom," and now i think it's quite too bad that you my luncheon should have had. [illustration] her mother said, "my dear, if you had done what you were told to do, and put the plate upon the shelf, you might have had the bread yourself. "but if you have no thought nor care, and leave your luncheon on a chair, you must not blame poor pussy-cat; she knows no better, dear, than that. "the one who left her bread about upon the chair, while she went out,-- the one who hangs her head for shame,-- my little girl's the one to blame!" [illustration] study first. [illustration: letter n.] no, robbie! you can go away; i am not ready yet to play; for i must learn these words to spell, that i may say my lesson well. how sad our dear mamma would look, to find that i had left my book! and if i disobeyed her so, my play would not be gay, i know. i'll learn my lesson very soon, and then i'll run with you till noon; so, robbie, you can go away, and presently i'll come and play. the baby. [illustration] we've the dearest baby sister! and so small and sweet is she, that we love to stand beside her, all her cunning ways to see. she can talk in baby language, she can laugh, and she can crow; she's the pet and she's the darling, she's the sweetest one we know. mother says that she will always be a sweet and gentle child, if, in all our actions towards her, we are loving, good, and mild. let us, then, be kind and pleasant ever to our little pet; nor to thank the god who gave her, morn and night, let us forget. [illustration] i am happy when i do right. [illustration] [illustration: letter h.] how glad it makes me feel at night, when sitting on my mother's knee, to hear her whisper "you've done right, and tried my gentle child to be." but then i feel ashamed and sad if i've been cross and disobeyed, or if my selfish way i've had when i with other children played. so if at night i'd call to mind a day of undisturbed delight, the only way that i can find is to be loving and do right. [illustration] the little beggar-girl. [illustration: signed howlands.] i've just looked from the window to see the snow come down, and make the streets look nice and white, that lately were so brown. i've seen a little beggar-girl go by in all the cold; she had no shoes nor stockings on, her dress was torn and old. how thankful i should be to god, who gives me clothes and food, a nice warm fire, a pleasant home, and parents kind and good! mamma, i'll always try to help the hungry and the poor; for those who are not warmed and fed, i pity, i am sure. the child who would not be washed [illustration: letter d.] "don't wash me, pray, mamma, today," i once heard little jennie say, "for oh! so very hard you rub, i never want to see my tub." "o, very well," her mother said; "i'll put you back again to bed; and you must in your night-gown stay, nor come down stairs at all to-day." and then i heard miss jennie cry, and beg mamma to let her try; and say, as she had done before, that she'd so naughty be no more. her mother turned and left her there; she heard her step upon the stair; but in her chamber, all day long, she staid alone, for doing wrong. she heard her sister jump and run, and longed to join her in her fun; her brother made a snow-man high; but she upon her bed must lie. she heard the merry sleigh-bells ring, and to the door come clattering; but jennie could not go to ride in night-clothes by her father's side. and glad was she, as you may guess, the next day to put on her dress; she ran and told her mother then she never would do so again. the spider. [illustration] don't kill the spider, little fred, but come and stand by me, and watch him spin that slender thread, which we can hardly see. how patiently, now up, now down, he brings that tiny line! he never stops, but works right on, and weaves his web so fine. you could not make a thread so small, if you should try all day; so never hurt him, dear, at all, but spare him in your play. [illustration] morning hymn. [illustration: letter n.] now a new day just begun, i'll try to spend it well; that i may have, when eveningcomes, no naughty deeds to tell. so through my life may every day be better than the past; that god may take me, when i die, to live in heaven at last. evening hymn. [illustration: letter t.] the sun has set behind the hill, the bird is sleeping in his nest; and now, when all around is still, i lay me down to welcome rest. may the kind god, who lives above, and watches o'er us day and night, bless us, and grant us, in his love, again to see the morning light. the launch. [illustration] [illustration: letter c.] come, sister ellen, get your hat and come away with me; my boat, all rigged with mast and sail, i want you so to see! do you upon the landing stand, while here i'll kneel and blow, so that the little "water-witch" beneath the arch may go. there! there! she's off! how fast she goes across the river wide! i'd love to sit in her myself, and o'er the water glide. when i'm a man i'll have a boat, and every sunny day, we'll take a long and pleasant sail, till daylight fades away. [illustration: hope.] sunday. [illustration: letter g.] god made the day of rest, the holy sabbath day, for us to think and talk of him, and not for work or play. i'll put away my toys safely, the night before; and sundays i'll be very still, till monday comes once more. and then mamma will say, that, though i am so small, i yet can please the great, good god, who takes care of us all. i love these sabbath days, which god to us doth give; and may i love them more and more, each day and year i live! the meddlesome child. [illustration: letter l.] little lucy was left in the room once alone, where the table was set out for tea; she looked all around, and she thought to herself that no one was there who could see. then she climbed on a chair and took off the top of the sugar-bowl, shining and bright; and there were the lumps of the sugar she loved, all looking so nice and so white! then she said to herself, "mamma never will know, if i take away only just one;" so she took it, and ate it;--it tasted so good, she thought, "but one more, and i've done." but while she was reaching her hand out for more, the chair slipped away from her feet; and poor little lucy soon wished much that she had not taken the sugar so sweet: for her head struck the floor, and made such a noise, that every one hastened to see; and all of them knew, by the sugar she held, how naughty miss lucy could be! and no one was sorry, although her poor head ached sadly because of her fall; for little girls never--so every one said-- should taste or should meddle at all. god sees me always. [illustration: letter g.] god sees me always. when i sleep, he kindly watches near; he loves the little child to keep, who tries to please him here. when i'm alone he sees me too, though no one else is by; and every naughty thing i do, he sees it from on high. he sees me, too, when i am rude, and cry, and fret, and tease; he loves to see me when i'm good and try mamma to please. then, since he sees me day and night, and is so kind to me, i must do always what is right, his gentle child must be. [illustration] the ark and the dove. [illustration: letter a.] a rain once fell upon the earth for many a day and night, and hid the flowers, the grass, the trees, the birds and beasts, from sight. the deep waves covered all the land, and mountain-tops so high; and nothing could be seen around, but water, and the sky. but yet there was one moving thing,-- a still and lonely ark,-- that, many a weary day and night, sailed o'er that ocean dark. at last, a little dove was forth from that lone vessel sent; but, wearied, to the ark again, when evening came, she bent. again she went, but soon returned, and in her beak was seen a little twig--an olive-branch-- with leaves of shining green. the waters sank, and then the dove flew from the ark once more, and came not back, but lived among the tree-tops, as before. then from the ark they all came forth, with songs of joy and praise; and once again the green earth smiled beneath the sun's warm rays. the bee. [illustration] now, ellen, stop screaming and running away, and come here and listen to me; is it true, my dear daughter, i want you to say, that you're foolishly scared by a bee? the bee is as frightened as you are, my dear, for he can't tell the way to get out; and as for his sting, that you never need fear, if you do not run crying about. if you were to catch him, why, then, i dare say you'd soon feel his sharp little sting; but if you sit still at your work or your play, be sure that no harm he will bring. so wipe off these tears and never again give way to so foolish a fright; for if you indulge it 't will cost you much pain and no one will want you in sight. [illustration] sunday. [illustration: letter t.] 't is sunday morning, dear mamma! i do not wish to play; last night i put my dolls and toys safe in my box away. i'll come and sit down by your side, while you the story tell of the good little joseph, whom his father loved so well. and of the time when waters dark covered the world around; and all but noah in his ark, beneath the waves were drowned. and of the gentle dove, that forth o'er those wide waters flew, and twice, with weary wing, returned, no resting-place in view. and how the infant moses, too, floated the nile along; and how his mother made for him the basket cradle strong. please tell these bible-stories then, and take me on your knee, and i'll sit still, my dear mamma, and listen quietly. [illustration] the pleasant world. [illustration: letter i.] i love to see the sun go down behind the western hill; i love to see the night come on, when everything is still. i love to see the moon and stars shine brightly in the sky; i love to see the rolling clouds above my head so high. i love to see the little flowers that grow up from the ground; to hear the wind blow through the trees, and make a rustling sound. i love to see the sheep and lambs so happy in their play; i love to hear the small birds sing sweetly, at close of day. i love to see them _all_, because they are so bright and fair; and he who made this pleasant world will listen to my prayer. [illustration] samuel. [illustration: i.] in bible times so long ago, and in a far-off city, too, a mother watched her only child as he in strength and beauty grew. and when his little tottering feet had scarcely learned to go alone,-- before his baby voice could speak her name, with a sweet, joyous tone,-- she took her boy and travelled on, away from home, for many a mile, that with a good and holy man her darling son might live a while; that he might learn about the god who made the earth and sea and sky; and then she left him there and turned back to her home, with many a sigh. she could not place him on her knee and tell him he was very dear; and so she made a little coat and brought it to him every year. but you, my little girl, can learn, while you are sitting close by me, of heaven, and that kind god above, who made in love each thing we see. and you should thank him every day, that you can here his goodness know; and from your pleasant, happy home, and your dear parents, need not go. the bird's nest. [illustration] what is harry thinking of, sitting on that mossy stone? all his brothers are at play; why is he so still and lone? he is musing earnestly; and the flutterings of the bird and its pleading, feeble chirp fall upon his ear unheard. well may little harry think! from the pear-tree's withered bough he has brought the pretty nest, placed within his hat-crown now. that is why he sits alone; and he hears a voice within, louder than the robin's note, crying, "harry, this is sin!" then put back the nest, my boy, so you will be glad and free, nor will hasten by in shame, when you pass that withered tree. god loves us. [illustration: letter h.] "how beautiful it is, mamma, that god should love us all; that he should listen to their prayer, when little children call! "what shall i do for him, mamma? for he's so kind to me,-- how shall i show my love to him who made bird, flower and tree?" "the only thing which you can do is this, my darling child, be always gentle, full of love, in words and actions mild. "thus you will show your love to god who is so kind to you; and you will live with him at last in his bright heaven, too." [illustration] the story of moses. [illustration: letter t.] "tell me a sunday story," a dear child said to me; and i bent down and kissed her and placed her on my knee. "once, long ago, in countries far, very far away, where the cold snow-storm never comes, and all is bright and gay, "there lived a king, so cruel, he gave this stern command, that all the little children must die, throughout the land. "but still there was one mother who kept her baby dear, and quickly hushed its crying, in silence and in fear; "but when she could no longer her precious baby hide, she did not like to throw him upon the rushing tide; "and so a little basket she made, of rushes stout, and plastered it with clay and pitch to keep the water out. "then in this basket-cradle she put the little child; and quietly he floated down among the rushes wild. "just then the king's own daughter came to the water's edge, and saw the basket floating among the grass and sedge. "she drew it from the water, and called the babe her own, and kept him till to be a man that little boy had grown. "and when you read the bible,-- which you will learn to do,-- you'll see how great and good he was, and how god loved him, too." [illustration] anger. [illustration: w.] "when a child is cross and angry, never must her voice be heard; only to herself most softly may she say this simple word, "lead us not into temptation;" that will angry thoughts remove, make her calm and still and gentle, with a spirit full of love. what the birds say. [illustration] "i hear the birds sing, mother, yet know not what they say; i've listened to them often until they flew away. "say if their words, dear mother, to you are clear and plain, or if, like me, you've listened at morn and night in vain." "we don't know what they say, dear; we think they sing their hymn at early morning sunrise, or at the twilight dim. "when softly sings the mother, within her downy nest, we think she's gently hushing her little ones to rest. "but this remember, darling, the birds are always kind; a cross or angry songster i never yet could find. "and you may learn a lesson from their sweet notes of love; like them be always gentle, and please the god above." [illustration] [illustration] the monkey. [illustration: letter o.] "o mother! here's the organ-man, and here's the monkey, too! just see his funny gown of red, and little cap of blue! "o look! he's on the window there! his cap is in his paw; and now he bows and makes a face; what can it all be for? "o, now they've dropped some money in, while, quickly as he can, see! he puts on his cap, and gives the pennies to the man. "mamma! why don't you look at him! you have not seen at all; just see him climbing up and down, with paws so brown and small! "he's gone away! o, dear mamma, why did you not come here? you never saw, in all your life, a thing one half as queer." "i'll tell you why, my little son, i do not like to see that monkey bow and jump about; 'tis no delight to me. "they've had to treat him cruelly to teach him how to play; they've had to whip and punish him and take his food away. "and that is why i do not love to see him dancing so; and if you thought of it, my boy, you'd feel with me, i know." the sheep in heaven. [illustration: letter c.] "come to the window, mother! look out, and you will see how fast these little clouds sail on, above our old elm tree! "and tell me, dearest mother, are these the sheep of heaven, that in that land are feeding, from morning until even? "how soft and white and shining! oh! say, dear mother, there is everything so gentle, so lovely and so fair?" "we cannot see them, darling, the sheep of heaven, here; and far more beautiful than this does that bright land appear. "eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor tongue of man can tell the glories of that home above, where all the good shall dwell." [illustration] twilight. [illustration: letter t.] the happiest hour of all the day to me, is always last; when both my studies and my play, my walks and work, are past. when round the bright warm fire we come, with hearts so light and free, and all within our happy home are talking quietly, then, by my dear, kind father's side i sit, or on his knee, and then i tell him i have tried his gentle girl to be. and then he says the little child is loved by every one, who has a temper sweet and mild and smiling as the sun. let me do always as i should, nor vex my father dear; and let me be as glad and good as he would have me here. [illustration] the wrong story. [illustration] "my little edward, how could you tell me a thing that was not true? and make me feel thus grieved and sad to find i have a child so bad? "and then, to do a deed so mean, and wish by that yourself to screen! would you have had me blame poor tray, and send him from the fire away? "o! never, when you've disobeyed, or by your mischief trouble made, think that a wicked act is right because you hide it from my sight. "it will be always seen by one, who knows each wrong that you have done; and i shall know it too, no doubt, for sin must always find you out. "i cannot let you here to-day with me and little sisters stay; but you must go up stairs alone, till you a better boy have grown." [illustration] the ballad. [illustration: letter c.] "come hither, little brothers, and listen now to me, and i will read a story to both, while at my knee." then johnnie's flag hung idly, and charlie hushed his drum; to hear sweet mary's story the mimic soldiers come. "'tis of a boy no larger, my little charles, than you; but he had been in battle, and all its terrors knew. "his father was a captain; he had no child beside; and while he was an infant his mother dear had died. "and so from camp to battle, from fight to camp again, had lived, this little hero, on many a bloody plain. "one day, when shouts were loudest upon the reddened field,-- when came the victor's war-cry, 'see! see! they fly! they yield!'-- "forth then, to seek his father, he went with eager joy; but with a chance ball wounded, low lay the fearless boy! "the son of a brave chieftain, he made no sigh or groan; his father's hand yet tighter he clasped within his own! "and so, when strife was ended, no more to be begun, in conquest's very moment thus fell the chieftain's son." then john took out his feather, and put his flag away; and charlie's drum was silent until another day. [illustration] the child's question. [illustration: letter w.] "what are the flowers for, mamma, that spring up fresh and bright, and grow on every hill and plain, where'er i turn my sight? "how do the flowers grow, mamma? i've pulled the leaves away, and tried to see them blossom out, on many a summer's day." "the flowers were made, my little child, that when our footsteps trod upon the green and pleasant fields, we then might think of god. "we may not see how they do grow, and bloom in beauty fair; we cannot tell how they can spread their small leaves to the air: "but yet we know that god's kind hand creates these little flowers, and makes the warm sun shine on them, and waters them with showers. "and so we love to think that he, who paints their sweet leaves thus, who sends the sunshine and the rain, has thought and care for us." sunday night. [illustration: letter t.] the holy sabbath day has fled; and has it been well spent? have i remembered what was said, and why the day was sent? may i be better all the week, for what to-day has taught; may i god's love and favor seek, and do the things i ought! hagar and ishmael. [illustration: t.] 'twas morning, and the pleasant light shone on the hills, the trees, the flowers, and made a far-off country bright, a lovely land, but not like ours. a mother led her little child forth from his father's door away; and with the flowers he played, and smiled as beautiful and bright as they. but when, at noon, the warm sun beat upon the sweet boy's forehead fair, tired and thirsty from the heat, he asked in vain for water there. the bottle, filled with water clear at early day, was empty now; the mother laid her child so dear beneath an old tree's spreading bough. she turned away, and heard the sound of water, gushing like the rain; she raised her boy from off the ground, he drank, and played and smiled again. they travelled on for many a day, the mother and her little child; and found a home, far, far away, at last, among the deserts wild. [illustration] evening hymn. [illustration] the bird within its nest has sung its evening hymn, and i must go to quiet rest, as the bright west grows dim. i see the twinkling star, that, when the sun has gone, is shining out the first afar, to tell us day is done. if on this day i've been a selfish, naughty child, may god forgive the wrong i've done, and make me kind and mild. may he still bless and keep my father, mother dear; and may the eye that cannot sleep watch o'er our pillows here, and guard us from all ill, through this long, silent night, and bring us, by his holy will, to see the morning light. the first violet. [illustration: letter s.] spring has come, dear mother! i've a violet found, growing in its beauty from the cold, dark ground. you are sad, dear mother, tears are in your eye; you're not glad to see it; mother, tell me why? i remember.--last year, where our willie lies, grew the earliest violet, blue as were his eyes. then you told me, mother, that the flowers would fade, and their withered blossoms on the earth be laid. but you said, as springtime would their buds restore, willie would in heaven be forevermore. weep no more, dear mother! violets are in bloom; and your darling willie lives beyond the tomb. [illustration] christmas. [illustration: letter l.] "little children, when rejoicing in the merry christmas morn, 'mid your sports remember ever 'tis the day that christ was born. "when on earth, the blessed saviour said, 'let children come to me,' and the little ones he folded in his arms, how tenderly!" "but the saviour is in heaven, and we cannot see him now; we cannot receive his blessing, in his presence cannot bow." "listen. in the holy bible, jesus christ tells every child that the way to gain his blessing is by being good and mild." "here on earth you may not see him; but when this short life is done, you shall live with him forever where there is no setting sun." "so remember, christmas morning, that on earth the saviour came; and that still he guards and blesses every child who loves his name." [illustration] new year. [illustration: letter i.] if i resolve, with the new year, a better child to be, 'twill do no good at all, i fear, but rather harm to me, unless i try, with every day, no angry word to speak; unless, each morn, to god i pray to keep me mild and meek. then let me try with all my might, and may god help me too, always to choose the way that's right, whatever act i do. evening hymn. [illustration: letter g.] god has kept me, dearest mother. kindly, safely, through the day: let me thank him for his goodness, ere the twilight fades away. for my home and friends i thank him, for my father, mother dear; for the hills, the trees, the flowers, and the sky so bright and clear. if i have been kind and gentle, if i've spoken what was true, or if i've been cross and selfish, he has seen and known it, too. those i love he will watch over, though they may be far away, for he loves good little children, and will hear the words they say. [illustration] soap-bubbles. [illustration: letter o.] "o george! how large your bubble is! its colors, too, how bright! just like the rainbow that we saw on high, the other night. "now throw it off, and let it float like fairies in the air! it's broken, georgie; never mind, but blow another there." their mother, just within the door, smiled at their childish play,-- a smile, but yet a thoughtful one, that seemed these words to say: "my little georgie, bubbles burst, and are but empty air; i would that you might love the things that last forever fair. "and ever may my darling kate a trusting spirit bear, and, when one cherished hope has fled, yet find another there." [illustration] spring. [illustration] i am coming, i am coming, with my carpet soft and green; i have spread it o'er the common, and a prettier ne'er was seen. soon i'll spangle it with clover, and the dandelions bright; you shall pick them in your aprons, yellow, red, and snowy white. i am coming, and the tree-tops, that all winter were so bare, you shall see, with small leaves covered, wave their branches in the air. i am coming! little children, can you tell me who am i? if not, you will soon remember, for i'm just now passing by. [illustration] summer. [illustration] [illustration: letter t.] tis summer, i know by the blue of the sky; by the trees' deeper green, as beneath them i lie; and more than all these, by the lovely wild rose that now in the woodland its pink blossom shows. now ring the sharp scythes of the mowers all day, and they spread to the air the sweet-scented hay; they pile up the wagon ere daylight is done, and singing come home with the set of the sun. i feel the warm west wind fan gently my cheek as i sit on the grass, far too happy to speak; and then in the twilight i see the faint spark of the fire-fly, flitting alone in the dark. oh! long happy days, when 'tis full of delight to roam in the meadows from morning till night! oh! summer, sweet summer! glide slowly away, for i love in your warmth and your fragrance to stay. [illustration] autumn. [illustration] here's the purple aster, and the golden-rod, and the blue fringed gentian, by the meadow sod. and the scarlet cardinal grows beside the brook, and the yellow sunflower in some sheltered nook. maple boughs are covered with their foliage red, and the withered elm leaves on the ground lie dead. and within the orchard, heavy-laden trees shower down the apples, with each passing breeze. so by these we know thee, lovely autumn time, with thy deep blue heavens, and thy snowy rime. and we gladly greet thee, with thy colors gay, though thou tell'st us summer hence hath fled away. winter. [illustration] with my breath so keen and chilling, i have stripped the branches bare; and my snow-flakes white are filling, feather-like, the frosty air. coming o'er the lofty mountains, there i left a robe of white; i have locked the sparkling fountains, i have chained the river bright. o'er the quiet valley winging, there i left my traces, too; hark! the merry sleigh-bells ringing, with their music call on you. i have come! the school-boy shouting, joyfully brings out his sled; he has seen me, nothing doubting, as across the fields he sped. i have come; but shall i find you better than the former year? if you've cast your faults behind you, i shall gladly greet you here. [illustration] "give us this day our daily bread." [illustration: letter g.] give us this day our daily bread; oh! children, when you pray, and morn and night repeat these words, think what it is you say. you never asked a piece of bread, and had that wish denied; for food to eat, and some to spare, has always been supplied. but o'er the ocean, many a cheek with want grows thin and pale; and many suffer like the boy of whom i tell this tale. he lay upon some scattered straw,-- his strength was almost gone,-- and, in a feeble voice, he cried, "give me three grains of corn!" three grains from out his jacket torn, his trembling mother drew, 'twas all she had--she gave them him, though she was starving too! be very grateful, children, then, for all that you enjoy; remembering, as you say those words, the little irish boy. [illustration] willie in heaven: [illustration: letter t.] "they tell me in a sunny land our willie is at play; and with him is a happy band of children, good and gay. "they say their shining robes of white are free from spot or stain; that there, where it is never night, they feel no grief or pain. "but willie shunned the stranger's face, when he was with us here; and in that new, though lovely place, he will be sad, i fear. "he'll miss me,--though the fields are fair, his bright eyes will grow dim; he has no little sister there; o let me go to him!" "our willie is not sad, my child; for in that heavenly home there dwells the blessed saviour mild, who bids the children come. "he loves them with a purer love, a holier, than ours; and leads them in the fields above, where spring undying flowers. "if no ungentle words you speak, no wicked actions do, and if, with every day, you seek to be more kind and true, "then, by our darling willie's side, and joined in heart and hand, forevermore shall you abide, among the angel band." the angels. [illustration: letter w.] "where are the angels, mother? though you have often said they watched at night around me, and safely kept my bed; "though every night i listen their voices low to hear, yet i have never heard them,-- where are they, mother dear? "and when the silver moonshine fills all my room with light, and when the stars are shining, so countless and so bright. "i hope to see them coming, with their fair forms, to me; yet i have never seen them,-- mother, where can they be? "i saw a cloud, this evening, red with the setting sun; it was so very lovely, i thought it might be one. "but when it faded slowly, i knew it could not be, for they are always shining; why come they not to me?" "my child, when through your window shines down the moonlight clear,-- when all is still and silent, and no kind friend is near,-- "are you not glad and happy, and full of thoughts of love? do you not think of heaven. that brighter land above? "these thoughts the angels bring you; and though the gentle tone of their sweet voices comes not when you are all alone; "yet they are always leaving, for earth, their homes on high; and though you cannot see them, you feel that they are nigh." the childhood of jesus. [illustration: letter o.] of the childhood of our saviour tells one simple verse alone; yet from that his whole behavior when he was a child, is known. he was subject to his mother, so the holy scriptures say; 'tis enough, we need no other record of him day by day. thus we, his obedience knowing, know how gentle and how mild,-- how in truth and goodness growing was our saviour from a child. little children, who endeavor like the blessed one to be, as you try, remember ever how obedient was he. if, like jesus pure and holy, you your parents' will obey, you will grow more meek and lowly, and more like him, every day. [illustration] [illustration] the fishers. [illustration: letter s.] silence! stir not! for a whisper would affright thy pretty prey; not a motion, little lisper, else the fish will glide away. hush! he's coming! he is swimming slowly round and round the bait; steady! though thine eye is brimming full of mirth that will not wait. and thy brother near thee kneeling fears to hear thy ringing shout; gently! near and nearer stealing comes the brightly spotted trout. there! thy hook has caught him surely; firmly hold thy slender rod; pull away! and then securely place him on the grassy sod. [illustration] 'neath the green boughs rustling o'er you, fish away the livelong day; and with evening's star before you, wander home at twilight gray. [illustration] the rainbow. [illustration: letter w.] "what is the rainbow, mother dear, with many-colored light? have the clouds parted just to show the floor of heaven so bright? "or is it wings of angels pure that touch along the sky? and do they come that we may see how fair is all on high? "or, mother, on that shining arch do spirits rise above? and on that bended bow ascend where all is light and love? "how beautiful must be that road! why should we call those back, who travel to the better land on such a sunny track? "why did you weep when brother died? did you not know that he on that delightful path must tread, ere he in heaven could be?" "my dearest child, we cannot know, or trace the spirit's flight, for sin and sorrow draw their veil across our mortal sight. "if--as the rainbow takes its hues of beauty from the sun-- we strive to live like christ our lord, the meek and holy one,-- "then shall we dwell in heaven's clear day, which knows nor night nor moon, for, ever, from the father's throne beams high and cloudless noon." [illustration] a song for may morning. [illustration] awake! awake! the dusky night is fading from the sky; awake! and with the early light to pleasant fields we'll hie. come with me, and i will show where the fragrant wild-flowers grow; we will weave a garland gay for our smiling queen of may. the sun peeps up behind the hills, and hark! the morning song of little birds the fresh air fills, as now we skip along. by the brook-side cold and wet, blooms the pale, white violet; there's the purple blossom, too, nodding with its weight of dew. the gentle wind just lifts the head of many a columbine; and, taken from their rocky bed, they in our wreaths shall twine. saxifrage, so small and sweet, grows in plenty at our feet; from the grass we gather up, golden bright, the buttercup. now for the trailing evergreen, that in the woodland springs, and we will crown our may-day queen with buds this fair month brings. merriest of all the year is the day we welcome here; we will sing and dance away, in our glee, this long may-day. [illustration] the child and the flower-elf. [illustration: letter i.] "i was walking, dearest mother, this morning, by the brook, and tired at last i rested me within a shady nook. "there all was still and lonely, and suddenly i heard a little voice,--a sweeter one than note of any bird. "i looked above, around me, i saw not whence it came; and yet that tone of music was calling me by name. "the violet beside me bloomed with its purple cup, and a tiny face, so lovely, amidst its leaves peeped up. "again the silver music,-- the voice i loved to hear,-- upon its sweet breath floated, and bade me not to fear. "'i am the elf,' it whispered, 'who in the violet dwells, and every blossom hides one within its fragrant cells. "'if you will list our teaching, and catch our faintest tone, your heart will be as spotless, as loving as our own.' "and then, as i was gazing, it vanished from my sight; once more the violet nodded, and sought the sunshine bright." "my darling child, the elfins that live within the flowers sweet sounds are ever breathing, to glad this world of ours. "well may we weep and sorrow, if they are silent all; then are our souls too sinful to heed their spirit call. "the pure in heart alone can hear those precious words and low; and by their lessons purer yet throughout their lives shall grow." [illustration] the four gifts. [illustration: letter a.] a new-born babe was sleeping within its cradle fair, and angel guards were keeping its peaceful slumbers there. gone was the age of fairies, and of the elfins wild, who, hovering o'er the infant's couch, were wont to bless the child. but in a distant city, fays that still glad the earth, four gentle little children, hailed with delight his birth. out spake the eldest sister, "o, let us fairies play, and give to our young brother some precious gift to-day. "sit down around the fireside, and i my gift will tell." and the little children sat them down the fancy pleased them well. again thus spake the eldest, "i 'll give him _beauty_ rare; his eyes shall be as diamonds bright, his brow like marble fair. "he shall have golden ringlets, his cheeks shall mock the rose; and he shall be the loveliest where'er his light form goes." the next replied, "oh! sister, not such a gift is mine; for beauty's charms, though lovely, must perish and decline. "i'll give him _wit_ and _talents_; in manhood he shall stand among the gifted and the wise, that bless our native land." "i'll give him _sweet good-temper_," said the third loving child; "he shall make glad our happy home by actions kind and mild." the youngest raised her wondering eyes, and said, in accents low, "i thought the gift i chose would be the first that you 'd bestow. "i'll give our little brother _obedience_ to-day, and he shall mind, with cheerfulness, all that our parents say." oh! blessed is the childish heart, in life's first opening dawn, for all its high and holy thoughts from heavenly founts are drawn. may our most valued blessings be obedience and love! our hearts, like that sweet sister's, full of teachings from above! [illustration] the two lullabies. "once songs as lullabies to thee i sung, to sleep hath sung thee now an angel's tongue." _from the german of ruckert_. [illustration: letter a.] a lovely babe was lying upon its mother's breast; and she, with soft, low music. was hushing it to rest. the song was sweet and gentle, and loving in its tone; and in its touching tenderness a mother's love was shown. and still it floated onward, with melody so deep, till closed the dark-fringed eyelids, the baby was asleep. and still beside his cradle she sang the same low hymn, till he smiled, as he was sleeping, at angel fancies dim. years passed.--the helpless infant was now a happy boy; and often rang his laughter, in notes of heartfelt joy. upon his mother's bosom i saw the child again; and his little head was drooping in weakness and in pain. back from his marble forehead the hair streamed, golden bright; but yet his dark eye sparkled with more than mortal light. and suddenly he whispered, "what music sweet i hear! 'tis not the song you used to sing at night, o mother dear! "but sweeter far, and softer, than notes you ever sung; it is as if a silver bell its pleasant chimings rung. "it tells of rest, dear mother, of slumber calm and deep; and i am worn and weary, and fain 'would sink to sleep. "darkness is closing round me-- you're fading from my sight-- i hear it still!--dear mother, kiss me once more--good-night!" he slept; but angel voices had sung his lullaby; and sweet shall be his waking in our father's home on high! [illustration] the papers of the hymn society carl f. price _editor_ ix _christian hymns of the first three centuries_ _by_ ruth ellis messenger, ph.d. the hymn society of america new york city papers of the hymn society carl f. price, _editor_ i. "the hymns of john bunyan." by louis f. benson, d.d. ii. "the religious value of hymns." by william p. merrill, d.d. iii. "the praise of the virgin in early latin hymns." by ruth ellis messenger, ph.d. iv. "the significance of the old french psalter." by professor waldo selden pratt, l.h.d., mus.d. v. hymn festival programs. vi. "what is a hymn?" by carl f. price, m.a. vii. "an account of the bay psalm book." by henry wilder foote, d.d. viii. "lowell mason: an appreciation of his life and work." by henry lowell mason. ix. "christian hymns of the first three centuries." by ruth ellis messenger, ph.d. x. addresses at the twentieth anniversary of the hymn society of america. xi. hymns of christian patriotism. xii. "luther and congregational song." by luther d. reed, d.d., a.e.d. xiii. "isaac watts and his contribution to english hymnody." by norman victor hope, m.a., ph.d. xiv. "latin hymns of the middle ages." by ruth ellis messenger, ph.d. xv. "revival of gregorian chant, its influence on english hymnody." by j. vincent higginson, mus.b., m.a. copies of these papers at _ cents each_ may be obtained from the executive secretary of the hymn society. note: inquire before ordering as some numbers are temporarily out of print. dr. reginald l. mcall, sedgwick avenue new york , n. y. copyright, , by hymn society of america reprinted _christian hymns of the first three centuries_ i. introduction there is no part of the general field of christian hymnology so baffling to the student or so full of difficulties as the one under consideration in this paper. many accounts of the subject are in existence but are far from conclusive. this is due, first of all, to the unexpected scarcity of original sources. when one views the rise of christianity from its inception to the period of the council of nicaea, , its numerical growth from a handful of original adherents to millions of followers at the time of the edict of milan, , its literary development from early scattered records to the works of the great greek and latin fathers, one cannot help inquiring, "what has become of their hymns?" another puzzling aspect of the study is the complex historical background against which the progress of christianity appears. the peace and constructive progress of the augustan era, in which christianity was founded, have often been cited as factors contributing to its evolution and spread. but this is not the whole story. the civilization of that day, especially in the eastern mediterranean lands most concerned, was largely hellenistic, of mingled greek and oriental features which were necessarily wrought into the fabric of the new religion. an understanding of pre-augustan conditions, in which these diverse historical and literary trends were merged, is essential, for without it the subject is unintelligible. a further problem which confronts the student is that of interpretation. it is well known that any general treatment of early christianity is apt to conform to the point of view of the author. the study of hymnology, like that of other features of the early church, is apt to be affected by the opinion of the commentator. it is no wonder that the field has been neglected and that the accounts of it are vague, incomplete and unsatisfactory. in fact, the task of re-examining the mass of extant records of early christianity and other relevant material, which might illuminate the subject of hymnology, seems never to have been undertaken with this purpose in view. it is, actually, too vast a project for the casual student and certainly has not been attempted here. our best accounts of early christian hymnody are often subordinated to a general history of christian hymns. this is the case with the article, entitled, hymnes, by h. leclercq, in the _dictionnaire d' archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie_, probably the best short account in any language, containing a section on the hymnology of the first three centuries.[ ] charles stanley phillips drew generously from this source for the first chapter of _hymnody, past and present_, which is written from the liturgical standpoint.[ ] independent studies are rare. among them, _die hymnendichtung des frühen christentums_ by josef kroll, a distinguished classical philologist, deserves a much wider circulation and should be translated for the benefit of english readers.[ ] in view of the dearth of available material in english, it has seemed timely to approach the whole subject from a new standpoint. in this study, the extant hymnic sources will be presented objectively. groups of hymns will be used to illustrate the types current in the period. in connection with them, the related historical and literary influences will be noted. let us abandon at once our contemporary connotation of the word _hymn_ which is derived ultimately from the hymns of ambrose, - , that is, a metrical lyric constructed in stanzas. in the pre-ambrosian period christian hymns were largely of the psalm type, to be chanted in rhythmic periods without rhyme. not only should the word _hymn_ be conceived in terms of ancient thought, but also the futile attempt to differentiate among psalms, hymns and canticles should be avoided. specialists in liturgical matters testify to the confusion existing among ancient writers in the use of these words and to the uncertainty of definition which results.[ ] it is better not to multiply difficulties but to hold fast to the actual texts which we know were used in christian worship. ii. old testament hymns at the threshold of christianity the student crosses from the literary environment of the old testament into that of the new. but in actual practice the hebrew psalms were never given up, and to this day are treasured in every branch of the faith. in the early centuries they formed the bulk of christian hymnody. references to their use appear throughout the new testament and are familiar to all. and, moreover, the influence of the hebrew psalms upon the composition of new hymns is apparent even in the gospels. keeping these important facts in mind regarding the psalms, the student may pass on to other hymnic sources in the old testament. many striking lyrical passages in the hebrew scriptures, uttered or perhaps repeated in moments of emotional fervor, were used by later worshippers to express a similar attitude toward the divine.[ ] among these may be cited the songs of moses, i will sing unto the lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously (_ex. : - _), give ear, o ye heavens, and i will speak; and hear, o earth, the words of my mouth (_deut. : - _); hannah's song of thanksgiving, my heart rejoiceth in the lord (_i sam. : - _); the great hymns in the book of isaiah, holy, holy, holy is the lord of hosts (_isa. : _), we have a strong city; salvation will god appoint for walls and bulwarks (_isa. : - _), the second part of which begins, with my soul have i desired thee in the night (_isa. : - _); jonah's song, i cried by reason of my affliction unto the lord (_jonah : - _); the song of habbakuk, o lord, i have heard thy speech, and was afraid (_hab. : - _) the apocryphal addition to the book of daniel, known as the song of the three holy children, may be considered with old testament lyrics. comprising sixty-seven verses, it was added to _daniel : _, but, strictly speaking, its date, author and original language are unknown. it is probable that it is of hebrew authorship and belongs to the first century, b. c. its use, however, is unquestioned.[ ] the first part, blessed art thou, o lord of our fathers, is the familiar _benedictus es, domine_; and the second part, o all ye works of the lord, bless ye the lord, is the _benedicite, omnia opera_. the term _canticle_, mentioned above, has been applied in a general sense to such lyrics from the old testament and also from the new. "in practice," says james mearns, "it means those songs of holy scripture which have been selected for ecclesiastical use and are appended to, or incorporated with, the psalter or other parts of the divine office."[ ] both eastern and western churches early made official use of the old testament canticles,[ ] while the greek church elaborated upon them in formal metrical compositions, called _canons_, or groups of _odes_ based upon an acrostic structure, a distinctive feature of greek hymnody from the seventh century.[ ] it was only natural that the hymnody of the old testament should have exerted a marked influence upon christian practice. the old testament tradition was very strong. familiar phraseology was ready at hand for the composition of new canticles which were often mere centos from the psalms or other portions of the hebrew scriptures. it should be recalled that christianity not only arose in the semitic environment but also was for some years localized chiefly in the oriental sections of the roman empire, and that it was affected by oriental ideas and modes of expression. even after greek and roman influences were strongly felt, hymnology retained this traditional semitic character and pagan lyrics were held in suspicion. iii. new testament hymns the transition, therefore, to the canticles of the new testament was easy and perhaps inevitable. the _benedictus_, blessed be the lord god of israel (_luke : - _), spoken by zacharias, the _nunc dimittis_, lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace (_luke : - _), by simeon, and above all the _magnificat_, my soul doth magnify the lord (_luke : - _), from the lips of the virgin mother, are among the most famous of early christian hymns, which, together with the song of the angelic host at the birth of jesus, the _gloria in excelsis_, glory to god in the highest (_luke : _), appear within the gospel narratives. in the remaining portions of the new testament other hymn fragments are found. some of these are direct quotations from known sources.[ ] in the _book of revelation ( : )_, reference is made to the words of _isaiah ( : )_, holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty, a passage which has survived in the western church in the expanded form of the _tersanctus_, and in the eastern church as the _hymnus angelicus_. in the same book (_rev. : _), the song of moses (_ex. : - _) is recalled. some passages are considered parts of familiar pieces otherwise unknown. the quotation in the _epistle to the ephesians_, awake thou that sleepest (_eph. : _), may fall into this group or be considered a free rendering of certain passages in isaiah.[ ] the "faithful sayings" from the epistles to timothy and to titus have also been viewed in this light.[ ] the passage opening for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him (_ii tim. : - _), possesses a marked lyrical character. the lines beginning who is the blessed and only potentate, the king of kings and lord of lords (_i tim. : - _), reveal poetic features of a generally oriental style, framing the old testament content. certain digressions in the epistles, in which formulas of belief or of praise rise to a sure and effective climax, have the qualities of sustained hymns: god was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory (_i tim. : _), who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;-- -- -- --(_i peter : - _), above all, who, being in the form of god, thought it not robbery to be equal with god; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant-- -- -- -- that at the name of jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord, to the glory of god the father (_philippians : - _). poetic refrains are obvious in the following: for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever (_rom. : _), unto him be glory in the church by christ jesus, throughout all ages, world without end (_eph. : _), now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise god, be honour and glory for ever and ever (_ tim. : _). the apostle paul and other writers of the new testament, who quote freely from a variety of sources, have used fragments of hymns to reinforce their teachings or with a devotional purpose. one gains from such citations a text only, or a fragment of text. singing is not implied. the apocalyptic vision of the _book of revelation_, however, contains several magnificent hymns of praise which testify not alone to the form and content of the early hymn but also to the practice of worship in song. the praises of the heavenly host are mirrored in the praises of the congregation upon earth.[ ] "and they sung a new song, saying," thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof (_rev. : - _), worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing (_rev. : - _), blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our god for ever and ever (_rev. : _), great and marvellous are thy works, lord god almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou king of saints (_rev. : - _), alleluia: for the lord god omnipotent reigneth (_rev. : _). from the point of view of the evolution of christian hymns, the hymns in the _book of revelation_ are perhaps the most significant in the new testament because they exhibit varied elements, from judaism, from christianity and from the mingling of the two.[ ] it is interesting to re-read the new testament in the search for hymns, but one should remember that the field is controversial. some commentators would suggest that the entire th chapter of _i corinthians_ is a hymn, beginning, though i speak with the tongues of men and of angels.[ ] a moderate rather than an extreme position, however, upon the identity of hymn sources in the new testament seems more likely to be productive of a genuine appreciation of the style, subject matter and number of primitive christian hymns. traces of poetic improvisation, which is so closely allied to hymnody, must be seriously considered at this point. the art of improvisation belongs to no one age or country. it happens that the greeks had practiced it for centuries and that illustrations exist from the time of homer. to the hellenized orient it was familiar. "the greeks of cilicia and of the region about antioch and tarsus," as dr. george dwight kellogg reminds us, "seem to have cultivated the art and become famous." he also suggests that the "gift of tongues" refers to this art and that paul himself possessed the poetic talent in no small degree.[ ] it is only natural to assume that, among the early christians, certain individuals would react to the influence of heightened emotion in outbursts of poetic expression. passages in the _book of acts_ may refer to the use of such hymns, for example, in the case of the gentiles at caesarea, who "speak with tongues and magnify god" (_acts : - _), or the ephesians who "spake with tongues, and prophesied" (_acts : _), or perhaps the disciples on the day of pentecost (_acts : _). irenaeus, a second century father of the church and bishop of lyons, referring to the scene at pentecost, mentions the singing of a hymn on that occasion.[ ] the nature of improvisations is fugitive. they arise from individual inspiration and, even if expressed in familiar phrases, are not remembered or recorded by the singer or hearer. to whatever degree improvisation played a part in early christian hymnody, to that same degree we lack corresponding literary survivals. possibly this is one explanation of the dearth of sources which we now deplore. on the whole, the hymnic evidence found in the new testament points to a predominant hebrew influence. both in the use of psalms and other old testament hymns and in the phraseology of new hymns, the christians found themselves more at home in the traditional forms of expression. features of style, such as parallelism, uniformity and the repetition of words or word order, were not necessarily restricted to hebrew poetry but might be found in other oriental sources--a consideration to which further attention will be given later.[ ] still we may assume that the influence of judaism in form as well as subject matter was supreme. iv. liturgical hymns christian practice reveals a third type of hebrew influence, the liturgical, which brought about the use of the psalms in public worship, together with other elements familiar in the synagogue. at the close of a service of this kind, made up of prayers, readings, psalms and preaching, the eucharist was celebrated. early writings, for example, the _apologia_ of justin martyr, ?- ,[ ] the _didache_[ ] and the _apostolic constitutions_,[ ] testify to a somewhat fixed type of worship, which, varying in details, seems to foreshadow the liturgical models of the fourth century. briefly stated, the _didache_, or _teaching of the twelve apostles_, is a second century treatise, the second part of which includes a ritual of baptism, fasting and the eucharist.[ ] a series of eucharistic prayers is here recorded, beginning, {eucharistoumen soi, pater hêmôn}, we thank thee, our father, offered at stages of the communion ritual where we approach the heart of christian worship.[ ] at this point, hymn and prayer origins merge. many christians of our own day, perhaps the majority, regard the true hymn as a prayer offered in direct address to god. throughout the history of christian hymns the two forms of worship have overlapped or been identical. hymn and prayer were also associated in ancient cults, and the chorus of a greek drama offers an illustration of the superb proportions which this act of worship may assume. charles stanley phillips, who has recently translated anew the eucharistic prayer of the _didache_, thinks of it as not a true hymn, but a source and model of hymnody.[ ] improvised eucharistic prayer was interrupted by congregational refrains which provided another opportunity for the evolution of hymns. as a matter of fact, in all ages, expressions of thanksgiving, attending the celebration of the eucharist, have inspired many of the finest hymns of the faith. the _apostolic constitutions_ is a manual in eight books, of ecclesiastical discipline, doctrine and worship, including the _didache_.[ ] dating from the fourth or fifth century, more probably the fourth, it represents the practice of an earlier period well within the scope of this study and, in the opinion of brightman, was compiled in antioch or its neighborhood.[ ] since greek was the prevailing language in the christian world of that day, it became the liturgical language of early christianity for the first three centuries. even in rome and other large cities of italy, greek was used. in italy, with these exceptions and in the western provinces, latin was employed, finally superseding greek as the official language of the western church.[ ] the following hymns appear in the seventh book of the apostolic constitutions: a morning hymn, {doxa en hypsistois theô}, _gloria in excelsis_, glory to god in the highest;[ ] an evening hymn, {aineite paides}, ye children praise the lord,[ ] which includes {soi prepei ainos}, _te decet laus_, praise becomes thee, and {nyn apolyeis ton doulon sou}, _nunc dimittis_, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; and a prayer at dinner, {eulogêtos ei}, thou art blessed, o lord, who nourishest me from my youth.[ ] in the eighth book of the _apostolic constitutions_ and also in the _liturgy of st. james_ we have the _tersanctus_, {hagios, hagios, hagios}, holy, holy, holy. in another part of the same _liturgy_ the _trisagion_ appears, {ho trisagios hymnos,}, holy god, holy mighty, holy immortal, have mercy upon us.[ ] an evening hymn, {phôs hilaron}, joyful light, is mentioned by basil in the fourth century as very old. it was sung at vespers in the eastern church:[ ] o gladsome light, o grace of god the father's face.[ ] among ancient liturgical hymns the _te deum_ should be mentioned. it is attributed to nicetas, bishop of remesiana in dacia, and dated from the end of the fourth century. it appears to be a combination of three distinct parts. the first thirteen verses, or parts one and two, probably originated earlier than the fourth century and may have been inspired by cyprian, bishop of carthage, - , who wrote in terms almost identical with the phrases of this early section, used of prophets, apostles and martyrs.[ ] biblical sources, especially the canticles, now appear as liturgical hymns, either in their original form or in an enlarged version.[ ] the use of canticles, more particularly in their variations, is of supreme interest to the hymnologist, because it offers a theory of the origin of christian hymnody apart from liturgical interpolations or from the psalms. clement of rome urged the corinthians to unite in the spirit of praise as expressed in the seraphic chorus of isaiah's vision, holy, holy, holy is the lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory, associating it with the praise of the angelic ministrants, "ten thousand times ten thousand," beheld by daniel (_dan. : _). the same hymn had been heard in the apocalyptic mysteries of the _book of revelation_. very early it was incorporated in the liturgy of the eucharist, continuing an ageless form of the praise of god from the old dispensation into the new. the evolution of the great doxology from the words of the angelic song, glory to god in the highest, to the _gloria in excelsis_ illustrates the expanding thought of the church, corresponding to the growth of the christian body within the culture of the roman empire. again, the _gloria_ illustrates hellenistic features of poetic style, bespeaking the oriental influences which had entered into greek literature.[ ] note the repetition of the clauses, we praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, of the invocation, o lord god, heavenly king, god the father almighty, o lord, the only-begotten son, jesus christ; o lord god, lamb of god, son of the father, of the relative clause, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. thou that sittest at the right hand of god the father, have mercy upon us, of the pronoun, for thou only art holy; thou only art the lord; thou only, o christ, with the holy ghost, art most high in the glory of god the father. it is quite superfluous to analyze further the values of a poetic form which has helped to make the _gloria_ one of the truly magnificent christian hymns of all ages.[ ] postponing for the present a more detailed inquiry into stylistic origins, we may regard the group of liturgical hymns here presented as a source collection of the utmost importance. it reveals not only the continuity of the old and new testament hymnology but also the evolution of worship in song into the early christian era. the fact that worship was chiefly liturgical in this period and hymns were therefore liturgical appears an inevitable conclusion. v. contemporary pagan and heretical hymns christianity expanded, as we have seen, in the environment of eastern mediterranean culture. its original heritage was that of judaism, but within the first century it had entered upon the conquest of the gentile world. as that conquest proceeded and the penetration of new ideas into pagan thought continued, a corresponding reaction of paganism upon the new faith took place. with the general aspects of this phenomenon all are familiar. it is significant here only in the field of lyrical expression. the period of pagan influence in the sense of an imprint from greek and roman literature is also the period of impact with pagan heretical ideas derived either from current philosophies or the practices of mystery religions. once more the chart and compass offered by the direct extant sources are the best guides through the cross currents of the literature in our possession. representative pagan poetry must be examined, at least of a few general types, in order to establish what influence, if any, was exerted upon contemporary christian hymns. regarding the classical influence, _per se_, a large number of greek hymns were in existence when christianity was founded,[ ] and roman lyrics were appearing in that very century. paul was obviously acquainted with the hymn of cleanthes, a stoic writer of the third century, b.c., for he quoted his words on the areopagus. the original passage to which paul refers has been translated as follows: thee it is meet that mortals should invoke, for we thine offspring are and sole of all created things that live and move on earth receive from thee the image of the one.[ ] it is evident that the christian hymns embedded in the books of the new testament were not constructed after a classical model of this type. the influence of old testament poetry was too strong, the associations of paganism repellant and, moreover, the greek poetry, familiar to the average man of that day, quite different. the older greek hymns, such as the _homeric hymns_, the _odes_ of pindar, the choruses of greek tragedy, were produced in the hellenic or pre-hellenic ages which had been followed by more than two centuries of hellenistic culture. dr. edward delavan perry, writing of hellenistic poetry, said, "other forms of poetry, particularly the lyric, both the choral and the 'individual,' died out almost completely."[ ] there remain, then, only the extant hymns of the mystery cults. in spite of many references to the use of singing in connection with these religions, very few specimens of their hymns actually survive. the mystery religion was a sacramental religion "which stressed the approach to deity through rite and liturgy after a severe probation and an oath pledging to secrecy."[ ] the leading cults were those associated with orpheus, the magna mater (cybele) and attis, mithra, serapis, isis, adonis, and especially the eleusinian mysteries, which flourished for twelve centuries, ending with their extinction by the christians in .[ ] during the period under consideration in this study isis was honored in all parts of the graeco-roman world. an authentic hymn to isis appears in the writings of apuleius (b. ), who describes a procession in honor of the goddess and gives the words of the chorus, closing, thy divine countenance and most holy deity i shall guard and keep forever in the secret place of my heart. variants of the isis cult hymn or hymns have been preserved in inscriptions; for example, a hymn of some fifty lines from cyme in aeolia, i am isis the sovereign of the whole land.[ ] liturgical survivals of the cult of mithra are almost unknown. franz cumont, the great student of mithraism, quotes one hymn fragment only, hail bridegroom, hail thou new light![ ] he is of the opinion, however, that the manichaean song mentioned by augustine, - , affords some idea of mithraic poetry. the song or hymn in question represents a chief divinity surrounded by twelve minor divinities, symbolizing the seasons, all clothed with floral tributes.[ ] cumont also suggests that hero hymns were in existence, celebrating the exploits of the gods.[ ] the so-called _liturgy of mithra_, a magic formula not considered by cumont, contains hymn fragments, one of which begins, lord, hail, potentate of the water, hail, ruler of the earth, hail, potentate of the spirit.[ ] hippolytus, a presbyter of rome who died in , in his _refutation of all heresies_, quotes certain hymns in praise of attis: whether thou art the race of saturn or happy jupiter, and i will hymn attis, son of rhea.[ ] here, as in so many cases, our information concerning pagan hymns is derived from an opponent, a christian writer and defender of orthodox religion, but this circumstance in no way affects the validity of the text. for the orphic cult which had the longest period of influence, we possess what may be termed a hymn book containing eighty-seven hymns. it has been variously dated from the third century, b.c., to the fourth or fifth century, a.d. with a mental reservation as to the relevancy of the citations, we find that some of these hymns in praise of the gods are full of dignity, for instance, mother of gods, great nurse of all, draw near, divinely honored, and regard my prayer.[ ] so debatable is the subject of the orphic hymns, both in respect to date and usage, that they offer little or no assistance to the student who is interested in a possible influence upon christian hymnology.[ ] sooner or later, one must turn to the land of egypt, if one desires a complete picture of early christian culture. the mystery of the egyptian isis, mentioned above, was one element in the background of the times, illustrative of the religious syncretism which had been fostered throughout the ptolemaic period. the identification of the egyptian thot with the greek hermes is reflected in the hermetic literature of which the _poimandres_ is the oldest known writing.[ ] from this source a hymn of praise is derived: by thy blessing my spirit is illumined, and a thanksgiving hymn, holy is god, the father of all the universe.[ ] summarizing the greek influence, both hellenic and graeco-oriental, upon christian hymnology, it is difficult, if not impossible, to trace any connection between the classic greek hymns or the hymns of mystery cults, and those of the new faith. if more sources were available, a valid conclusion might be reached. at present, a tentative conclusion involves the recognition of the vigorous protest and revolt against pagan ideas revealed in contemporary prose writings, in turn evoked by the actual pressure which was exerted upon christianity by alien cults. the twentieth century has produced an impressive literature centered about the mystery religions and the problem of their influence upon christianity; but in the field of hymnology there have been discovered only the faintest of traces. these are wholly stylistic. christian hymns which reveal the characteristics of the repetition of direct address, or of relative clauses or predicates, previously mentioned, illustrate poetic forms which are, in the final analysis, oriental rather than greek.[ ] it is a satisfaction to the classicist, who is interested in the history of this subject, that the classical meters, ignored at this period, were destined to be revived at a later date. they were used to some extent from the fourth century. it was reserved for the court poets of the carolingian circle of the ninth century to restore the old lyric meters. the sapphic meter in its horatian form not only was a favorite among medieval latin hymn writers, but also it has found an occasional imitator in the course of the centuries even to modern times.[ ] while hymn sources derived from oriental cults are extremely scanty, those originating in gnosticism are much more numerous and suggestive in their relation to christian hymnology. gnosticism is not so much the name of a particular philosophy or definite system of belief, as it is a point of view, which sought to harmonize the speculative achievement of greek thought with the oriental myths and with christian teachings. the philosophical interpretation of pagan mythology was extended to hebrew and christian tradition. thus, in accordance with the tenets of neoplatonism, the primeval being has produced the universal mind and, in turn, mind has produced the soul which in contact with evil phases of matter has lost its original purity. therefore, the soul must retrace its steps until it reaches the final stage of reunion with the origin of all being. it is easy to understand how a variety of meanings may be read into a simple statement like the above. it is also easy to understand that the possibilities of confusion arising in the first three centuries of christian history were matters of the utmost concern to contemporary christian writers and dogmatists. the period abounded in heresies and misunderstandings, to the discussion of which the ablest minds of the church were devoted. quotations from these authors furnish many of the extant hymns composed by gnostics, either within or without the christian fold. the range of literary excellence, of spiritual connotation and of intelligibility of subject matter in the so-called gnostic hymns is so wide that it is difficult to evaluate them. to the modern reader they vary from the mere rigmarole to the genuinely inspiring hymn. perhaps the best known and certainly one of the loftiest expressions of gnostic ideas is the _hymn of the soul_, which is found in the apocryphal _acts of thomas_. dating from the first half of the third century, the _acts of thomas_ recounts the missionary preaching of the apostle thomas in india. while in prison, he chants this hymn, beginning, when i was an infant child in the palace of my father.[ ] it has no connection with the narrative but relates in allegorical fashion the return of the soul, which has been awakened from its preoccupation with earthly matters, to the higher state of heavenly existence. here is a theme congenial to christian thought and orthodox in its theology when extricated from the popular concepts of the times.[ ] the actual authorship of the _hymn of the soul_, which is found in the syriac version of the _acts_ alone, is unknown, but it has been attributed to some disciple of the syrian bardesanes, a christian gnostic who lived in the second half of the second century.[ ] there seems to be no doubt that bardesanes was himself influential as a hymn writer and that he was representative of a group of poets who were beginning to employ contemporary rhythms set to melodies familiar in daily secular life.[ ] the _acts of thomas_ contains a second hymn, the damsel is the daughter of light, a poem of oriental imagery, personifying the divine wisdom as a bride.[ ] the apocryphal _acts of john_, dating from the middle of the second century, yields a third hymn, the _hymn of jesus_. in the gospel narrative of the last supper, jesus and his disciples, before going to the mount of olives, sing a hymn together. it is not identified but is generally believed to be a part of the _hallel_ or group of passover psalms, - . the writer of the _acts of john_ represents jesus as using a new hymn which opens, glory be to thee, father. it contains a long series of antitheses, as follows: i would be saved and i would save, i would be loosed and i would loose, i would be wounded and i would wound, i would be borne and i would bear, etc. the hymn concludes, a way am i to thee, a wayfarer.[ ] variants of the _hymn of jesus_ are extant, one of which has been preserved by augustine, the hymn of the priscillianists, which came to him from a correspondent in spain.[ ] hippolytus, whose _refutation of all heresies_ has been mentioned in another connection, discusses the gnostic sect of the naasenes. he quotes one of their hymns, beginning, the world's producing law was primal mind, in which jesus is represented as the guide of mankind to the attainment of celestial knowledge.[ ] the system of valentinus, a gnostic leader, is also discussed and a psalm of his authorship is quoted: i behold all things suspended in air by spirit, a didactic presentation of gnostic thought.[ ] it is composed in dactylic meter, affording another illustration of the adoption of popular rhythms in the hymnology of the heretical sects. a gnostic hymn to the highest god from a third century coptic source may be cited: thou art alone the eternal and thou art alone the deep and thou art alone the unknowable, etc.[ ] whatever impression may be created upon the modern mind by the perusal of gnostic poetry, its influence was admitted by contemporary christians and combatted by every means in their power. the gnostic leaders, unhampered by hebrew traditions of religious poetry, were able to make use of popular forms and popular concepts. they met the trend of the times more than halfway. heretical groups of all varieties of opinion were using hymns as a means of expressing their beliefs and persuading possible adherents. at the opening of the fourth century, arius appeared, the leader of the group whose theology was rejected at the council of nicaea, , and whose hymns were met and overcome by the verses of ambrose. such was the influence of heretical upon orthodox hymnody. vi. early christian hymns turning once more to the authentic christian hymns of the first three centuries and this time omitting those which appear in liturgical sources, we observe three distinct linguistic groups, the syriac, the greek and the latin. the most familiar of the syriac hymns were written by ephraem syrus (b. ), who strove to counteract the influence of the gnostic poets, especially that of his countryman, bardesanes. strictly speaking, he belongs to the first half of the fourth century but should be considered by the student who is tracing the continuity of this subject. his hymns are metrical in the sense of having lines with a fixed number of syllables and strophic divisions. an easter hymn opens thus: blessed be the messiah who has given us a hope that the dead shall rise again. a hymn for the lord's day begins, glory be to the good who hath honoured and exalted the first day of the week.[ ] it is possible that the hymns of ephraem were influenced by the syriac odes of solomon, discovered in , which were produced in the first century. whether the _odes_ themselves are of gnostic or christian origin cannot be definitely asserted but the probability of the latter is strong. for a full discussion of this most interesting but highly controversial topic the work of special commentators must be consulted.[ ] the intrinsic interest of the collection demands more than a passing comment. _ode vi_ opens, as the hand moves over the harp and the strings speak, so speaks in my members the spirit of the lord, and i speak by his love.[ ] _ode ix_, open your ears and i will speak to you, give me your souls, that i may also give you my soul.[ ] _ode xxix_, the lord is my hope: in him i shall not be confounded for according to his praise he made me, and according to his goodness even so he gave unto me.[ ] _ode xxxi_, in which jesus speaks, . come forth, ye that have been afflicted and receive joy . and possess your souls by grace; and take to you immortal life. . and they condemned me when i rose up, me who had not been condemned. . and they divided my spoil though nothing was due to them.[ ] forty-two in number, the _odes_ reveal a true inspiration, novel and significant from the religious and the literary standpoint. they preserve the tradition of the old testament hymns, yet breathe the spiritual life of the new revelation. their chief interest lies in the possibility that they illustrate a valid christian poetry of a very early date. if it is true, as the editors suggest, that the _odes_ emanate from antioch,[ ] we have further evidence of the spirit of worship in that city with which early christian liturgical forms are so closely associated. the tradition of syriac hymnody, of which these illustrations alone may be given from the early period, did not come to an end as christianity moved westward. it was continued through thirteen centuries and is preserved in the nestorian and other branches of the syrian christian church. before the main stream of hymnody in the greek language is traced, two sources from the second century will serve as an introduction. the first of these is the _epistle to diognetus_, by an unknown author, possibly a catechumen of the pauline group.[ ] it contains four selections, biblical in their phraseology, the first three of which express the redemptive mission of the son of god: as a king sends his son who is also a king, so sent he him, he did not regard us with hatred nor thrust us away, he, being despised by the people. the fourth admonishes the christian to union with the mind of god, let your heart be your wisdom.[ ] the second source is a passage from a sermon on _the soul and body_, written by melito of sardis, a bishop and philosopher who was martyred in . the author pictures all creation aghast at the crucifixion of jesus, saying, what new mystery then is this? the judge is judged and holds his peace; the invisible one is seen and is not ashamed; . . . the celestial is laid in the grave, and endureth! what new mystery is this?[ ] whether admissible as a hymn or not, this passage blends, in a most striking way, oriental and greek elements employed in the expression of christian belief. authentic greek hymnody begins with clement of alexandria, - . he is the author of a work of instruction for catechumens, the _paedagogus_, to which is appended a _hymn to christ the savior_, {hymnos tou sôtêros christou}, beginning, {stomion pôlôn}. it is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving on the part of those newly received into the church. christ is addressed in the familiar oriental imagery of the guide and shepherd, but the theme is rendered in a poetic style, which, by the use of short lines and the anapest, heightens the effect of ecstatic devotion. bridle of colts untamed, over our wills presiding; flight of unwandering birds, our flight securely guiding,-- -- -- --[ ] the modern adaptation of clement's hymn, _shepherd of tender youth_, by henry m. dexter, , while preserving in a measure the spirit of this piece, in no way reproduces the original. the {stomion pôlôn} of clement is representative of a theme which pervades christian hymnody in all ages, the joy and enthusiasm of the initiate or the admonition and encouragement addressed to the christian who stands upon the threshold of a new life. the _odes of solomon_ have been interpreted in these terms.[ ] again, the theme is preserved in the so-called amherst papyrus, which consists of a hymn of twenty-five tripartite lines, a catechism or liturgy for the newly baptized. originating in the third century, it appears in fragmentary form but sufficiently complete to make clear its language and purport, as illustrated in the following:[ ] that thou mayest receive life eternal thou hast escaped the hard law of the unjust ... . . . seek to live with the saints, seek to receive life, seek to escape the fire. hold the hope that thou hast learnt. the day that the master has appointed for thee is known to no man. . . . tell the glad tidings unto children saying: the poor have received the kingdom, the children are the inheritors.[ ] the amherst papyrus is a part of the new store of knowledge from antiquity which has been opened up within recent years by the discovery and study of papyri. this branch of archaeology and palaeography has made available new fields of research in the study of early christianity hitherto unfamiliar. in , among the oxyrhynchus papyri was discovered a fragment of a christian hymn. it appears on the back of a strip which records a grain account of the first half of the third century. the hymn has a musical setting, the earliest example of christian church music extant. the fragment consists of the conclusion only, so that the length and subject matter of the hymn as a whole are unknown. creation is enjoined to praise father, son and holy ghost, in the form of a doxology. the meter is anapestic and purely quantitative.[ ] the _hymn of thekla_, {anôthen parthenoi}, appears in the _banquet of the ten virgins_, a work of methodius, bishop of olympus and patara in lydia, who was martyred at chalcis in . it is a hymn of twenty-four stanzas sung by thekla, each followed by a refrain sung by the chorus, i keep myself pure for thee, o bridegroom, and holding a lighted torch i go to meet thee.[ ] once more, a traditional theme in christian hymnody is set forth, familiar from biblical as well as classical connotations and perpetuated either in the praise of virginity or in the form of the mystic union of christ and the church. it is customary in presenting the subject of greek hymn writers to pass from clement of alexandria to gregory of nanzianzus and synesius of cyrene, poets of the fourth century who mark the beginning of a new era beyond the limits of this study. they are mentioned here only as a reminder of the long succession of great poets who created and maintained greek hymnody throughout the ancient and medieval centuries. contemporary with the development of greek hymns, the literature of the church was moving toward its destination in latin culture. as latin became a liturgical language the service hymns, already cited, appeared in their latin form. perhaps this is one reason why the production of original latin hymns was so long postponed. it was not until the middle of the fourth century that the hymns of hilary of poitiers, the first latin hymn writer, appeared. his authentic hymns are three in number: o thou who dost exist before time is a hymn of seventy verses in honor of the trinity, the incarnate word hath deceived thee, (death) an easter hymn, and in the person of the heavenly adam, a hymn on the theme of the temptation of jesus.[ ] hilary, like his greek contemporaries, stands at the beginning of a new era, but it was ambrose, and not he, who inaugurated the tradition of the medieval latin hymn. so far no mention has been made of the fact that the early period of christian history was characterized by persecution. as a rule sporadic and intermittent, it was periodically severe. at all times christians, if not actually persecuted, were objects of suspicion to the roman government. we owe to the official zeal of pliny the younger, who was a proconsul in bithynia in , our first glimpse of christian worship from the point of view of the outsider. in a letter to the emperor trajan on the subject of the christians, he says that, as a part of their service at sunrise, they chanted a hymn, antiphonally, to christ as a god.[ ] speculation as to the identity of this hymn has never ceased among students. leclercq summarizes the theories as follows: it is a morning hymn later attributed to hilary. it is the morning hymn of the greek liturgy. it is the morning hymn of the _apostolic constitutions_. it is the great doxology.[ ] since they are all unsatisfactory as identifications, we remain in ignorance on this point. a recent study of pliny's letter by casper j. kraemer, a classicist, proposes the translation of the words _carmen dicere_, "to chant a psalm."[ ] this most interesting suggestion is in thorough harmony with our knowledge of the continuity of the use of the psalms in public worship at this time. vii. conclusion reviewing the total pagan influence, both greek and latin, upon christian hymnody, it must be understood that, in comparison with semitic pressure in its wider implication, as well as the strictly hebraic, pagan influence was relatively slight. it was a matter of centuries before the hebrew psalms were permitted any rivals whatever in the usage of worship, except other biblical citations or such poems as might be produced by unquestioned churchmen. even these were sparingly used, for _psalmi idiotici_, as the novel and original compositions were called, were forbidden by the church and a new hymnody was thus stifled at its very birth. in a period of confusion marked by the rival use of hymns on the part of the orthodox and non-orthodox, it was felt that worship must be safeguarded. only after the appearance of the modern vernacular languages in europe in the period of the ninth century, when the liturgy had been set apart in the latin tongue, was any real freedom permitted in the composition of new hymns. by that time the clergy were the poets and latin their chosen medium of expression.[ ] by the time of ambrose in the fourth century, however, greek and oriental elements had long since merged in other aspects of civilization and, in the course of time, christian hymns felt the effect of a universal development. there was a certain departure from biblical models and an emancipation from the old poetic forms in favor of the trend toward accent and rhyme. after all, a new religion had come into existence which demanded an authentic expression of a spiritual aspiration beyond that of the old testament models, just as isaac watts in the eighteenth century turned from the tradition of psalmody to an original presentment of the new revelation in christ. are we to suppose that the christians in the mediterranean world of the first three centuries, representing the average inhabitant of these lands, had no hymns except those cited above? or others like them? if they had, we are unacquainted with them. it is fair to assume that secular poetry and music eventually exerted an influence upon hymnody. at least the beginning of such influence was apparent in the adoption of popular meters by heretical poets, as well as by the orthodox.[ ] later, ambrose perpetuated aspects of popular verse and perhaps music as well.[ ] but there is no evidence at hand to support the assumption of a popular hymnody enjoyed either in connection with worship or independently of it. the problem of music is outside the province of this paper but is involved in any serious study of hymnology at any period of its development. here the student is almost totally at a loss for manuscript evidence bearing musical notation from the primitive period. the oxyrhynchus hymn is a solitary example.[ ] this does not mean that the subject is altogether obscure. many statements about christian practice, inspired by biblical precedent, are found in patristic literature. the traditions both of hebrew music and of the early church are well known. it seems clear that melody only was employed and that it was, for the most part, unaccompanied. instrumentation was opposed and forbidden in public worship of a liturgical nature.[ ] no student can leave the consideration of early christian hymnology without a sense of defeat. the past cannot be forced to yield the hidden knowledge of which it is the custodian. sources are very scanty, especially in proportion to other literary remains of early christianity. specifically, there is no collection of hymns in existence which might correspond to a modern hymnary. on the contrary, isolated examples or groups appear from place to place and from time to time in varied forms. but in one respect our evidence is sure, if not complete. springing from the culture and the vicissitudes of the age, christian hymns of the early church, as in every other stage of its development, not only express the spiritual aspiration of the time but also respond to the challenge of a new day. [ ]h. leclercq, "hymnes," _dictionnaire d' archéologie chrétienne, etc._ (paris, letouzey, ), vol. , - ; part i, _hymnographie des trois premiers siècles_, - . [ ]c. s. phillips, _hymnody, past and present_ (london, s. p. c. k., ). [ ]j. kroll, "die hymnendichtung des frühen christentums," _die antike_, ( ), - . [ ]j. mearns, _canticles of the christian church_ (cambridge, un. press, ), ; f. cabrol, "cantiques," _dictionnaire d' archéologie chrétienne, etc._, vol. ( ), . [ ]all biblical passages quoted in this paper are given in the _king james version_ of the english bible. [ ]r. h. charles, _the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha of the old testament_ (oxford, clarendon press, ), vol. i, - . [ ]j. mearns, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]f. cabrol, _op. cit._ (see note ), - . [ ]j. julian, _dictionary of hymnology_ (london, john murray, ), "canons," , . [ ]quotations from the psalms are not included in this paper. [ ]c. h. toy, _quotations in the new testament_ (new york, scribners, ), - . [ ]e. f. scott, _the pastoral epistles_ (new york, harper, no date), . [ ]j. kroll, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]m. dibelius, _a fresh approach to the new testament and early christian literature_ (new york, scribners, ), . [ ]r. reitzenstein, _die hellenistischen mysterienreligionen_ (leipzig, teubner, ), rd edition, . [ ]g. d. kellogg, _the ancient art of poetic improvisation_, a paper read at the meeting of the classical association of the atlantic states, april , ; j. kroll, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]_contra haereses_, iii, xvii, ; migne (pg), vii, - . for a recent commentator, see f. j. foakes-jackson, _the acts of the apostles_ (london, hodder and stoughton, ), - . [ ]note the citation, _i tim. : - _, _supra_, p. , in which the repetition of the relative clause produces a stylistic effect. [ ]justin martyr, _apologia pro christianis_, ; migne (pg), vi, . translation from _ante-nicene fathers_ (new york, scribners, ), i, . [ ]_didache_, xiv; translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, vii, . [ ]_apostolic constitutions_, ii, lvii; translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, vii, - . [ ]_ante-nicene fathers_, vii, - ; _catholic encyclopedia_, iv, f; _encyclopedia britannica_, eleventh edition, vii-viii, f. [ ]_didache_, ix; translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, vii, . [ ]_hymnody past and present_, - . [ ]f. e. brightman, _liturgies, eastern and western_ (oxford, clarendon press, ), vol. i, _introduction_, xvii-xxix. [ ]f. e. brightman, _supra_, xxix; see also b. s. easton, _the apostolic tradition of hippolytus_ (cambridge, un. press, ), . [ ]l. eisenhofer, _handbuch der katholischen liturgik_, vol. i, _allgemeine liturgik_ (freiburg im b., herder, ), - . [ ]_apostolic constitutions_, vii, . [ ]_supra_, vii, . [ ]_supra_, vii, . [ ]translations from _ante-nicene fathers_, vii, , . [ ]_liber de spiritu sancto_, xxix, ; migne (pg), xxxii, . see also j. mearns, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]translation by robert bridges, _yattendon hymnal_ (london, oxford un. press, ), no. . [ ]r. m. pope, "latin hymns of the early period," _theology_, ( ), ; _catholic encyclopedia_, "te deum," xiv, - ; c. w. douglas, _church music in history and practice_ (new york, scribners, ), - . [ ]f. cabrol, _op. cit._ (see note ), especially part ii, _les cantiques anciens_, - . [ ]e. norden, _agnostos theos_ (leipzig, teubner, ), . [ ]translation from _book of common prayer_ (prot. epis. church, u. s. a.), . similar effects were apparent in _i tim. : - _, _i tim. : _, _i peter : - _, quoted above. [ ]k. keyssner, _gottesvorstellung und lebensauffassung in griechischen hymnus_ (stuttgart, kohlhammer, ). in his index keyssner lists known authors of all periods, anonymous pieces (some fragments), and magical formulae or collections. [ ]e. h. blakeney, _hymn of cleanthes_ (london, s. p. c. k., ), . [ ]e. d. perry, preface to a. körte, _hellenistic poetry_, translated by j. hammer and m. hadas (new york, col. un. press, ), vii. [ ]s. angus, _religious quests of the graeco-roman world_ (new york, scribners, ), . [ ]_supra_, , , . [ ]_metamorphoses_, xi, . translation from s. angus, _mystery religions and christianity_ (new york, scribners, ), - . for the hymn from cyme see p. roussel, "un nouvel hymne à isis," _revue des Études grecques_, ( ), . [ ]cited by firmicus maternus, _de errore profanarum religionum_, ; migne (pl), xii, ; f. cumont, _textes et monuments figurés relatifs aux mystères de mithra_ (bruxelles, lamertin, ), vol. i, . [ ]_contra faustum_, xv, ; migne (pl), xlii, . [ ]cumont, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]a. dieterich, _eine mithrasliturgie_ (leipzig, teubner, ), ; translation from s. angus, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]_philosophumena_, v, iv; _die griechischen christlichen schriftsteller der ersten drei jahrhunderte, hippolytus_, vol. iii, edited by paul wendland (leipzig, hinrich, ), - . translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, v, - . [ ]t. taylor, _the mystical hymns of orpheus_ (london, dobell and reeves & turner, ), . [ ]j. geffeken, _der ausgang des griechisch-römischen heidentums_ (heidelberg, winter, ), ; m. hauck, _die hymnorum orphicorum aetate_ (dissertation, breslau, ); o. kern, _die herkunft des orphischen hymnenbuch_ in _carl robert zum . märz genethliakon_ (berlin, weidmann, ). [ ]r. reitzenstein, _poimandres_ (leipzig, teubner, ), , f. [ ]translations from s. angus, _mystery religions and christianity_, - . [ ]phillips, _hymnody past and present_, . [ ]_ut queant laxis resonare fibris_ (paulus diaconus, d. ); _herzliebster jesu, was hast du verbrochen_ (johann heerman, ); _where is the friend for whom i'm ever yearning_ (johann wallin, - ). [ ]_acts of thomas_, ix, . translation from m. r. james, _the apocryphal new testament_ (oxford, clarendon press, ), . see also b. pick, _the apocryphal acts_ (chicago, open court pub. co., ), . [ ]according to pick _op. cit._ (see note ), , it is a gnostic development of _phil. : - _. [ ]o. bardenhewer, _patrology_, translated from the nd edition by t. j. shahan (freiburg im b., herder, ), . [ ]j. kroll, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]acts of thomas, i, . translation from m. r. james, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]acts of john, , . translation from m. r. james, _op. cit._ (see note ), , . [ ]augustine, _epistula_ ccxxxvii; migne (pl), xxxiii, . see also leclercq, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]_philosophumena_, v, ; text, _op. cit._ (see note ), . translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, v, . [ ]_philosophumena_, vi, ; text, _op. cit._ (see note ), . translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, v, . [ ]e. norden, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]h. burgess, _select metrical hymns and homilies of ephraem syrus_ (london, blackader, ), - . [ ]j. r. harris & a. mingana, _the odes and psalms of solomon_, vol. i, _text_; ii, _translation_ (manchester, un. press, - ), ii, , - , ; j. r. harris, _odes and psalms of solomon_ (cambridge, un. press, ), - ; m. dibelius, _op. cit._ (see note ), - ; j. kroll, _op. cit._ (see note ), - . [ ]harris & mingana, _odes and psalms of solomon_, ii, . [ ]_supra_, . [ ]_supra_, . [ ]_supra_, . [ ]_supra_, . [ ]_ante-nicene fathers_, i, . [ ]chapters vii, ix, x, xii. translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, i, , , , . [ ]translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, viii, . [ ]poetical translation from _ante-nicene christian library_ (edinburgh, clark, ), iv, , by william wilson. a familiar poetical translation is found in b. pick, _hymns and poetry of the eastern church_ (new york, eaton & mains, ), . [ ]harris & mingana, _op. cit._ (see note ), . [ ]b. f. grenfell & a. s. hunt, _amherst papyri_ (london, frowde, - ), ; leclercq, _op. cit._ (see note ), f. [ ]translation from p. d. scott-moncrieff, _paganism and christianity_ (cambridge, un. press, ), - . [ ]b. f. grenfell & a. s. hunt, _oxyrhynchus papyri_, pt. xv (london, oxford un. press, ), no. , - ; also preface. [ ]{symposion tôn deka parthenôn}, xi, ; migne (pg), xviii, - ; translation from _ante-nicene fathers_, vi, . [ ]w. n. myers, _the hymns of saint hilary of poitiers in the codex aretinus_ (philadelphia, un. of penn., ), , , , . for a discussion of other hymns attributed to hilary see _supra_, p. and a. s. walpole, _early latin hymns_ (cambridge, un. press, ), - . [ ]_epistulae_, x, . [ ]leclercq, _op. cit._ (see note l), - . [ ]c. j. kraemer, "pliny and the early church worship," _classical philology_ ( ), - . [ ]h. f. muller, "pre-history of the mediaeval drama," _zeitschrift f. romanische philologie_ ( ), - . [ ]j. kroll, _op. cit._ (see note ), - . [ ]e. norden, "die literatur," in _vom altertum zur gegenwart_ (leipzig, teubner, ), - . [ ]grenfell & hunt, _op. cit._ (see note ), . there are recognizable notes in the diatonic hypolydian key of alypius. the mode is hypophrygian or iastian. [ ]j. quasten, _musik und gesang in den kulten der heidnischen antike und christlichen frühzeit_ (münster im w., aschendorff, ), ch. iv. transcriber's notes --in the text version, _italicized words_ are delimited by underscore characters. --in the text versions, {greek words} are delimited by curly brackets, and transliterated according to distributed proofreaders conventions. note that circumflexes (which mark long vowels) appear in latin- but are lost in ascii translation. the story of our hymns by ernest edwin ryden pastor of gloria dei lutheran church st. paul, minnesota augustana book concern rock island, illinois copyright by augustana book concern first edition, december, second edition, april, augustana book concern rock island, illinois to the sweet memory of our bonnie boy richard edward ryden who at the age of ten years went home to sing with the angels. he is not dead: he only sleeps, safe in the arms of him who keeps his lambs secure from earth's alarm, from grief and sin and foes that harm. he is not dead: he is at rest, content upon his saviour's breast; dear little child, we loved you so, but jesus loved you more, we know. he is not dead: the shepherd came to call his little lamb by name; the gentle shepherd watch will keep, while his beloved child doth sleep. he is not dead: by angel bands now welcomed to the heavenly lands, with theirs a childish voice shall sing hosannas to the children's king. he is not dead: though tears may flow, faith whispers: "it is better so." with joy we'll meet on that fair shore, where god's own children weep no more. foreword the hymn lore of the christian church offers a fascinating field for profitable research and study. to know the hymns of the church is to know something of the spiritual strivings and achievements of the people of god throughout the centuries. henry ward beecher has well said: "hymns are the jewels which the church has worn, the pearls, the diamonds, the precious stones, formed into amulets more potent against sorrow and sadness than the most famous charm of the wizard or the magician. and he who knows the way that hymns flowed, knows where the blood of true piety ran, and can trace its veins and arteries to the very heart." this volume has been inspired by a desire on the part of the author to create deeper love for the great lyrics of the christian church. in pursuing this purpose an effort has been made to present such facts and circumstances surrounding their authorship and composition as will result in a better understanding and appreciation of the hymns themselves. a hymn is a child of the age in which it was written. for this reason the author has followed a chronological arrangement in an endeavor, not only to set forth the historical background of the hymns, but also to trace the spiritual movements within the church that gave them birth. the materials contained in this volume have been gathered from sources too numerous to mention here. the author feels a special sense of gratitude for information drawn from david r. breed's "the history and use of hymns and hymn-tunes," edward s. ninde's "the story of the american hymn," and john julian's monumental work, "dictionary of hymnology." no claim is made to originality, except in the manner of presentation and interpretation. a popular style has been adopted in order to appeal to the lay reader. thus we send forth this book with the earnest prayer that it may inspire many hearts to sing with greater devotion the praises of him who redeemed us with his blood and made us to be kings and priests unto god. ernest edwin ryden. st. paul, minnesota, november , . table of contents part i: early christian hymnody the early christian chants greek and syriac hymns the rise of latin hymnody an ancient singer who glorified the cross the golden age of latin hymnody part ii: german hymnody martin luther, father of evangelical hymnody the hymn-writers of the reformation hymnody of the controversial period the king and queen of chorales hymns of the thirty years' war a hymn made famous on a battle field the lutheran te deum paul gerhardt, prince of lutheran hymnists joachim neander, the paul gerhardt of the calvinists a roman mystic and hymn-writer hymn-writers of the pietist school the württemberg hymn-writers how a great organist inspired two hymnists gerhard tersteegen, hymn-writer and mystic zinzendorf and moravian hymnody two famous hymns and some legends hymnody in the age of rationalism hymns of the spiritual renaissance part iii: scandinavian hymnody the swedish reformers and their hymns a hymn-book that failed david's harp in the northland the golden age of swedish hymnody the fanny crosby of sweden and the pietists kingo, the poet of easter-tide brorson, the poet of christmas grundtvig, the poet of whitsuntide landstad, a bard of the frozen fjords part iv: english hymnody the dawn of hymnody in england isaac watts, father of english hymnody doddridge: preacher, teacher, and hymnist wesley, the sweet bard of methodism a great hymn that grew out of a quarrel the bird of a single song england's first woman hymnist a slave-trader who wrote christian lyrics an afflicted poet who glorified god an irish poet and his hymns the hymn legacy of an english editor heber, missionary bishop and hymnist an invalid who blessed the world how hymns helped build a church a famous hymn by a proselyte of rome henry francis lyte and his swan song sarah adams and the rise of women hymn-writers a hymn written in a stage-coach an archbishop's wife who wrote hymns bonar, the sweet singer of scotland two famous translators of ancient hymns baring-gould and his noted hymn frances ridley havergal, the consecration poet a unitarian who gloried in the cross a model hymn by a model minister matheson and his song in the night part v: american hymnody the beginning of hymnody in america america's first woman hymnist thomas hastings, poet and musician francis scott key, patriot and hymnist america's first poet and his hymns the hymn-writer of the muhlenbergs the lyrics of bishop doane the quaker poet as a hymn-writer america's greatest hymn and its author samuel smith, a patriotic hymn-writer two famous christmas hymns and their author harriet beecher stowe and her hymns a hymn written on two shores a hymn that grew out of suffering a famous hymn written for sailors a tragedy that inspired a great hymn anna warner and her beautiful hymns phillips brooks and his carols women who wrote hymns for children fanny crosby, america's blind poet one of america's earliest gospel singers the lyrist of chautauqua gladden's hymn of christian service a hymn with a modern message a lutheran psalmist of today survey of american lutheran hymnody index of notable hymns alphabetical index of hymns and sources authors' and general index bibliography part i early christian hymnody the angelic hymn glory be to god on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. we praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, o lord god, heavenly king, god the father almighty. o lord, the only-begotten son, jesus christ; o lord god, lamb of god, son of the father, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer. thou that sittest at the right hand of god the father, have mercy upon us. for thou only art holy; thou only art the lord; thou only, o christ, with the holy ghost, art most high in the glory of god the father. amen. the early christian chants the first christians sang hymns. the saviour went to his passion with a song on his lips. matthew and mark agree that the last act of worship in the upper room was the singing of a hymn. "and when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of olives." how we wish that the words of that hymn might have been preserved! perhaps they have. many biblical scholars believe that they may be found in the so-called _hallel_ series in the psaltery, consisting of psalms to inclusive. it was a practice among the jews to chant these holy songs at the paschal table. fraught as they were with messianic hope, it was fitting that such a hymn should ascend to the skies in the hour when god's paschal lamb was about to be offered. the christian church followed the example of jesus and his disciples by singing from the psaltery at its worship. paul admonished his converts not to neglect the gift of song. to the ephesians he wrote: "be filled with the spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the lord." and his exhortation to the colossians rings like an echo: "let the word of christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto god." the praying and singing of paul and silas in the midnight gloom of the philippian dungeon, their feet being made "fast in the stocks," also is a revelation of the large place occupied by song in the lives of the early christians. the double reference of the apostle to "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" would indicate that the christian church very early began to use chants and hymns other than those taken from the psaltery. the younger pliny, in a.d., wrote to emperor trajan from bithynia that the christians came together before daylight and sang hymns alternately (_invicem_) "to christ as god." these distinctively christian chants were the _gloria in excelsis_, or the "angelic hymn," so called because its opening lines are taken from the song of the angels at jesus' birth; the _magnificat_, mary's song of praise; the _benedictus_, the song of zacharias, father of john the baptist; and the _nunc dimittis_, the prayer of the aged simeon when he held the christ-child in his arms. other chants that were used very early in the christian church included the _ter sanctus_, based on the "thrice holy" of isaiah : and revelation : ; the _gloria patri_, or "lesser doxology;" the _benedicite_, the "song of the three hebrew children," from the apocrypha; and the _te deum laudamus_, which is sometimes regarded as a later latin chant, but which undoubtedly was derived from a very ancient hymn of praise. eminent biblical scholars believe that fragments of other primitive christian hymns have been preserved in the epistles of paul and in other portions of the new testament. such a fragment is believed to be recorded in timothy : : he who was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory. the "faithful saying" to which paul refers in timothy : also is believed to be a quotation from one of these hymns so dear to the christians: if we died with him, we shall also live with him: if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he will also deny us: if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. it will be noted how well these passages adapt themselves to responsive, or antiphonal, chanting, which was the character of the ancient christian songs. other passages that are believed to be fragments of ancient hymns are ephesians : ; timothy : , ; james : , and revelation : - . there are strong evidences to support the claim that responsive singing in the churches of asia minor was introduced during the latter part of the first century by ignatius, bishop of antioch, a pupil of the apostle john. the _gloria in excelsis_ was used in matin services about this time, while the _magnificat_ was sung at vespers. ignatius suffered martyrdom about a.d. by being torn to pieces by lions in the circus as a despiser of the gods. liturgies also were employed very early in the worship of the christian church. an ancient service known as the "jerusalem" liturgy was ascribed to the apostle james, while the so-called "alexandrian" liturgy claimed as its author mark, fellow laborer of paul and companion of peter. there is much uncertainty surrounding these claims, however. both tertullian and origen record the fact that there was a rich use of song in family life as well as in public worship. the singing of the early christians was simple and artless. augustine describes the singing at alexandria under athanasius as "more like speaking than singing." musical instruments were not used. the pipe, tabret, and harp were associated so intimately with the sensuous heathen cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of the degenerate theatre and circus, that it is easy to understand the prejudice against their use in the christian worship. "a christian maiden," says jerome, "ought not even to know what a lyre or a flute is, or what it is used for." clement of alexandria writes: "only one instrument do we use, viz., the word of peace wherewith we honor god, no longer the old psaltery, trumpet, drum, and flute." chrysostom expresses himself in like vein: "david formerly sang in psalms, also we sing today with him; he had a lyre with lifeless strings, the church has a lyre with living strings. our tongues are the strings of the lyre, with a different tone, indeed, but with a more accordant piety." the language of the first christian hymns, like the language of the new testament, was greek. the syriac tongue was also used in some regions, but greek gradually attained ascendancy. the hymns of the eastern church are rich in adoration and the spirit of worship. because of their exalted character and scriptural language they have found an imperishable place in the liturgical forms of the christian church. as types of true hymnody, they have never been surpassed. the oldest christian hymn shepherd of tender youth, guiding in love and truth through devious ways; christ, our triumphant king, we come thy name to sing, and here our children bring to join thy praise. thou art our holy lord, o all-subduing word, healer of strife: thou didst thyself abase, that from sin's deep disgrace thou mightest save our race, and give us life. ever be near our side, our shepherd and our guide, our staff and song: jesus, thou christ of god, by thine enduring word, lead us where thou hast trod; our faith make strong. so now, and till we die, sound we thy praises high, and joyful sing: let all the holy throng who to thy church belong unite to swell the song to christ our king! clement of alexandria, about a.d. greek and syriac hymns very soon the early christians began to use hymns other than the psalms and scriptural chants. in other words, they began to sing the praises of the lord in their own words. eusebius informs us that in the first half of the third century there existed a large number of sacred songs. some of these have come down to us, but the authorship of only one is known with any degree of certainty. it is the beautiful children's hymn, "shepherd of tender youth." just how old this hymn is cannot be stated with certainty. however, it is found appended to a very ancient christian work entitled "the tutor," written in greek by clement of alexandria. clement, whose real name was titus flavius clemens, was born about a.d. he was one of the first great scholars in the christian church. an eager seeker after truth, he studied the religions and philosophical systems of the greeks, the assyrians, egyptians, and jews. in the course of time he entered the catechetical school conducted by pantaenus at alexandria, egypt, and there he became a convert to christianity. some years later clement himself became the head of the institution, which was the first christian school of its kind in the world. among the students who received instruction from clement was the famous origen, who became the greatest scholar in the ancient christian church. another of his pupils was alexander, afterwards bishop of jerusalem, and still later bishop of cappadocia. one of clement's most celebrated works was "the tutor." it was in three volumes. the first book described the tutor, who is christ himself; the second book contained sundry directions concerning the daily life and conduct; and the third, after dwelling on the nature of true beauty, condemned extravagance in dress, on the part of both men and women. two poems are appended to this work, the first of which is entitled, "a hymn to the saviour." this is the hymn known as "shepherd of tender youth." the "hymn to the saviour" in all the manuscripts in which it is found is attributed to clement himself, but some critics believe that he was merely quoting it, and that it was written by a still earlier poet. be that as it may, we do know that, aside from the hymns derived from the bible, it is the oldest christian hymn in existence, and it has always been referred to as "clement's hymn." clement was driven from alexandria during the persecution of severus in a.d. of his subsequent history practically nothing is known. it is believed he died about a.d. a number of other beautiful greek hymns have come down to us from the same period, but their date and authorship remain in doubt. longfellow has given us an exquisite translation of one of these in "the golden legend": o gladsome light of the father immortal, and of the celestial sacred and blessed jesus, our saviour! now to the sunset again hast thou brought us; and seeing the evening twilight, we bless thee, praise thee, adore thee, father omnipotent! son, the life-giver! spirit, the comforter! worthy at all times of worship and wonder! an inspiring little doxology, also by an unknown author, reads: my hope is god, my refuge is the lord, my shelter is the holy ghost; be thou, o holy three, adored! doctrinal controversies gave the first real impetus to hymn writing in the eastern church. as early as the second century, bardesanes, a gnostic teacher, had beguiled many to adopt his heresy by the charm of his hymns and melodies. his son, harmonius, followed in the father's footsteps. their hymns were written in the syriac language, and only a few fragments have been preserved. the arians and other heretical teachers also seized upon the same method to spread their doctrines. it was not until the fourth century, apparently, that any effort was made by orthodox christians to meet them with their own weapons. ephrem syrus, who has been called "the cithern of the holy spirit," was the greatest teacher of his time in the syrian church, as well as her most gifted hymnist. this unusual man was born in northern mesopotamia about a.d. his zeal for orthodox christianity was no doubt kindled by his presence at the council of nicaea in a.d., and thenceforth he was ever an eager champion of the faith. not only did he write hymns and chants, but he trained large choirs to sing them. he exerted a profound influence over the entire syrian church, and even today his hymns are used by the maronite christians. the greatest name among the greek hymnists of this period is gregory nazianzen. born in a.d., the son of a bishop, he was compelled by his father to enter the priesthood at the age of thirty-six years. he labored with much zeal, however, and eventually was enthroned by the emperor's own hand as patriarch of constantinople. through the machinations of the arians he was later compelled to abdicate his office, whereupon he retired to his birthplace. here he spent the last years of his life in writing sacred poetry of singular beauty and lofty spirit. another of the important writers of the early greek period was anatolius. concerning this man very little is known except that he lived in the seventh or eighth century. he has left about one hundred hymns, among them, at least three that are still in common use, "fierce was the wild billow," "the day is past and over," and "a great and mighty wonder." this last is a little christmas hymn of unusual charm. his description of the storm of galilee is one of the classics of greek hymnology: fierce was the wild billow, dark was the night; oars labored heavily, foam glimmered white; trembled the mariners, peril was nigh; then said the god of god, "peace! it is i." to john of damascus, who died about a.d., we are indebted for two of the most popular easter hymns in use today, namely, "the day of resurrection" and "come, ye faithful, raise the strain." further reference to these will be found in the chapter on the great translator of greek and latin hymns, john mason neale. when john of damascus forsook the world and left behind him a brilliant career to enter a monastery founded in a.d., by st. sabas, he took with him his ten-year-old nephew, stephen. the boy grew up within the walls of this cloister, which is situated in one of the deep gorges of the brook kedron, near bethlehem, overlooking the dead sea. stephen, who came to be known as the sabaite, was likewise a gifted hymnist, and it is he who has given us the hymn made famous by neale's translation: "art thou weary, art thou languid?" stephen died in a.d. the last name of importance among the great hymn-writers of the greek church is that of joseph the hymnographer, who lived at constantinople in the ninth century. it is he who wrote the hymn on angels for st. michael's day: stars of the morning, so gloriously bright, filled with celestial resplendence and light, these that, where night never followeth day, raise the "thrice holy, lord!" ever and aye. as early as the fourth century the council of laodicea had decreed that "besides the appointed singers, who mount the ambo, and sing from the book, others shall not sing in the church." how far this rule may have discouraged or suppressed congregational singing is a subject of dispute among historians. however, it is a matter of record that hymnody suffered a gradual decline in the eastern division of the christian church and eventually assumed more of a liturgical character. an ambrosian advent hymn come, thou saviour of our race, choicest gift of heavenly grace! o thou blessed virgin's son, be thy race on earth begun. not of mortal blood or birth, he descends from heaven to earth: by the holy ghost conceived, god and man by us believed. wondrous birth! o wondrous child of the virgin undefiled! though by all the world disowned, still to be in heaven enthroned. from the father forth he came, and returneth to the same; captive leading death and hell-- high the song of triumph swell! equal to the father now, though to dust thou once didst bow, boundless shall thy kingdom be; when shall we its glories see? brightly doth thy manger shine! glorious in its light divine: let not sin o'ercloud this light, ever be our faith thus bright. aurelius ambrose ( - a.d.) the rise of latin hymnody the first hymns and canticles used in the western churches came from the east. they were sung in their original greek form. it was not until the beginning of the fourth century that any record of latin hymns is found. isadore of seville, who died in the year a.d., tells us that "hilary of gaul, bishop of poitiers, was the first who flourished in composing hymns in verse." hilary, who died in the year , himself records the fact that he brought some of them from the east. his most famous latin hymn is _lucis largitor splendide_. the father of latin hymnody, however, was the great church father, aurelius ambrose, bishop of milan. it was he who taught the western church to glorify god in song. concerning this remarkable bishop, mabillon writes: "st. ambrose took care that, after the manner of the eastern fathers, psalms and hymns should be sung by the people also, when previously they had only been recited by individuals singly, and among the italians by clerks only." the father of ambrose was prefect of the gauls, and it is believed that the future bishop was born at treves about a.d. the youthful ambrose, like his father, was trained for government service, and in a.d. he was appointed consular of liguria and aemilia. during the election of a bishop in milan, a bitter conflict raged between the orthodox christians and the arians, and ambrose found it necessary to attend the church where the election was taking place in order to calm the excited assembly. according to tradition, a child's voice was heard to cry out in the church, "ambrosius!" this was accepted at once by the multitude as an act of divine guidance and the whole assembly began shouting, "ambrose shall be our bishop!" ambrose had been attracted to the christian religion but as yet had not received baptism. he therefore protested his election and immediately fled from the city. he was induced to return, however, was baptized, and accepted the high office for which he had been chosen. the story of his subsequent life is one of the most remarkable chapters in the annals of the early christian church. selling all his possessions, he entered upon the duties of his bishopric with such fervent zeal and untiring devotion that his fame spread far and wide. he early recognized the value of music in church worship and immediately took steps to introduce congregational singing. he was the author of a new kind of church music, which, because of its rhythmical accent, rich modulation, and musical flow, made a powerful appeal to the emotions. withal, because it was combined with such artless simplicity, it was easily mastered by the common people and instantly sprang into great popularity. by the introduction of responsive singing he also succeeded in securing the active participation of the congregation in the worship. empress justina favored the arians and sought to induce ambrose to open the church of milan for their use. when ambrose replied with dignity that it did not behoove the state to interfere in matters of doctrine, soldiers were sent to enforce the imperial will. the people of milan, however, rallied around their beloved bishop, and, when the soldiers surrounded the church, ambrose and his congregation were singing and praying. so tremendous was the effect of the song that the soldiers outside the church finally joined in the anthems. the effort to compel ambrose to yield proved fruitless, and the empress abandoned her plan. augustine, who later became the most famous convert of ambrose, tells of the great impression made on his soul when he heard the singing of ambrose and his congregation. in his "confessions" he writes: "how mightily i was moved by the overwhelming tones of thy church, my god! thy voices flooded my ears, thy truth melted my heart, the sacred fires of worship were kindled in my soul, my tears flowed, and a foretaste of the joy of salvation was given me." ambrose himself has left us this testimony: "they say that people are transported by the singing of my hymns, and i confess that it is true." ambrose was no respecter of persons. although he was a warm friend of the emperor theodosius, he denounced the latter's cruel massacre of the people of thessalonica, and, when theodosius came to the church of ambrose to worship, he was met at the door by the brave bishop and denied admittance. "do you," he cried, "who have been guilty of shedding innocent blood, dare to enter the sanctuary?" the emperor for eight months refrained from communion; then he applied for absolution, which was granted him after he had done public penance. he also promised in the future never to execute a death sentence within thirty days of its pronouncement. it was at milan that the pious monica experienced the joy of seeing her tears and prayers answered in the conversion of her famous son, augustine. the latter, who had come to milan in the year as a teacher of oratory, was attracted at first by the eloquence of ambrose's preaching. it was not long, however, before the word of god began to grip the heart of the skeptical, sensual youth. at length he was induced to begin anew the study of the scripture, and his conversion followed. it was on easter sunday, a.d., that he received the rite of holy baptism at the hands of bishop ambrose. there is a beautiful tradition that the _te deum laudamus_ was composed under inspiration and recited alternately by ambrose and augustine immediately after the latter had been baptized. however, there is little to substantiate this legend, and it is more likely that the magnificent hymn of praise was a compilation of a later date, based on a very ancient greek version. as athanasius was the defender of the doctrine of the trinity in the east, so ambrose was its champion in the west. it is natural, therefore, that many of the hymns of ambrose center around the deity of christ. there are at least twelve latin hymns that can be ascribed with certainty to him. perhaps his best hymn is _veni, redemptor gentium_, which luther prized very highly and which was one of the first he translated into german. the english translation, "come, thou saviour of our race," is by william r. reynolds. another advent hymn, "now hail we our redeemer," is sometimes ascribed to ambrose. the beloved bishop, whose life had been so stormy, passed peacefully to rest on easter evening, a.d. thus was seemingly granted beautiful fulfilment to the prayer ambrose utters in one of his hymns: grant to life's day a calm unclouded ending, an eve untouched by shadows of decay, the brightness of a holy deathbed blending with dawning glories of the eternal day. while ambrose was defending the faith and inditing sacred songs at milan, another richly-endowed poet was writing sublime latin verse far to the west. he was aurelius clemens prudentius, the great spanish hymnist. of his personal history we know little except that he was born a.d. in northern spain, probably at saragossa. in early life he occupied important positions of state, but in his latter years he retired to a monastery. here he exercised his high poetic gifts in writing a series of sacred latin poems. he was preeminently the poet of the martyrs, never ceasing to extol their christian faith and fortitude. bentley called prudentius the "horace of the christians." rudelbach declared that his poetry "is like gold set with precious stones," and luther expressed the desire that the works of prudentius should be studied in the schools. the finest funeral hymn ever written has come to us from the pen of this early spanish bard. it consists of forty-four verses, and begins with the line, _deus ignee fons animarum_. it is sometimes referred to as the "song of the catacombs." archbishop trench of england called this hymn "the crowning glory of the poetry of prudentius," and another archbishop, johan olof wallin, the great hymnist of sweden, made four different attempts at translating it before he produced the hymn now regarded as one of the choicest gems in the "psalm-book" of his native land. an english version, derived from the longer poem, begins with the stanza: despair not, o heart, in thy sorrow, but hope from god's promises borrow; beware, in thy sorrow, of sinning, for death is of life the beginning. a prophetic easter hymn welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say, hell today is vanquished, heaven is won today. lo, the dead is living, god for evermore! him, their true creator, all his works adore. welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say. maker and redeemer, life and health of all, thou from heaven beholding human nature's fall, thou of god the father, true and only son, manhood to deliver, manhood didst put on. hell today is vanquished; heaven is won today! thou, of life the author, death didst undergo, tread the path of darkness, saving strength to show; come then, true and faithful, now fulfil thy word; 'tis thine own third morning: rise, o buried lord! welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say. loose the souls long prisoned, bound with satan's chain; all that now is fallen raise to life again; show thy face in brightness, bid the nations see; bring again our daylight; day returns with thee! welcome, happy morning! heaven is won today! venantius fortunatus ( - a.d.) an ancient singer who glorified the cross the joyous, rhythmical church-song introduced by bishop ambrose made triumphant progress throughout the western church. for three centuries it seems to have completely dominated the worship. its rich melodies and native freshness made a strong appeal to the human emotions, and therefore proved very popular with the people. however, when gregory the great in a.d. ascended the papal chair a reaction had set in. many of the ambrosian hymns and chants had become corrupted and secularized and therefore had lost their ecclesiastical dignity. gregory, to whose severe, ascetic nature the bright and lively style of ambrosian singing must have seemed almost an abomination, immediately took steps to reform the church music. a school of music was founded in rome where the new gregorian liturgical style, known as "cantus romanus," was taught. the gregorian music was sung in unison. it was slow, uniform and measured, without rhythm and beat, and thus it approached the old recitative method of psalm singing. while it is true that it raised the church music to a higher, nobler and more dignified level, its fatal defect lay in the fact that it could be rendered worthily only by trained choirs and singers. congregational singing soon became a thing of the past. the common people thenceforth became silent and passive worshipers, and the congregational hymn was superseded by a clerical liturgy. one of the last hymnists of the ambrosian school and the most important latin poet of the sixth century was venantius fortunatus, bishop of poitiers. he was born at ceneda, near treviso, about a.d., and was converted to christianity at an early age. while a student at ravenna he almost became blind. having regained his sight through what he regarded a miracle, he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of st. martin at tours, and as a result of this journey the remainder of his life was spent in gaul. although all of the poetry of fortunatus is not of the highest order, he has bequeathed some magnificent hymns to the christian church. no one has ever sung of the cross with such deep pathos and sublime tenderness: faithful cross! above all other, one and only noble tree! none in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit thy peer may be; sweetest wood and sweetest iron! sweetest weight is hung on thee. bend thy boughs, o tree of glory! thy relaxing sinews bend; for awhile the ancient rigor that thy birth bestowed, suspend; and the king of heavenly beauty on thy bosom gently tend! thou alone wast counted worthy this world's ransom to uphold; for a shipwrecked race preparing harbor, like the ark of old; with the sacred blood anointed from the smitten lamb that rolled. and again: o tree of beauty, tree of light! o tree with royal purple dight! elect on whose triumphal breast those holy limbs should find their rest: on whose dear arms, so widely flung, the weight of this world's ransom hung: the price of humankind to pay, and spoil the spoiler of his prey. fortunatus' famous passion hymn, _pange lingua glorioso_, is also the basis for the beautiful easter hymn: praise the saviour now and ever! praise him all beneath the skies! prostrate lying, suffering, dying, on the cross, a sacrifice; victory gaining, life obtaining, now in glory he doth rise. another easter hymn, "welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say," has a triumphant ring in its flowing lines. his odes to ascension day and whitsunday are similar in character. that fortunatus had a true evangelical conception of christ and his atonement may be seen in his well-known hymn, _lustra sex qui jam peregit_: holy jesus, grant us grace in thy sacrifice to place all our trust for life renewed, pardoned sin and promised good. a tribute to the dying saviour o sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, now scornfully surrounded, with thorns thine only crown! once reigning in the highest in light and majesty, dishonored now thou diest, yet here i worship thee. how art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! how does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn! what thou, my lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners' gain; mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain. lo, here i fall, my saviour, 'tis i deserve thy place: look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace. receive me, my redeemer; my shepherd, make me thine, of every good the fountain, thou art the spring of mine! what language shall i borrow to thank thee, dearest friend, for this, thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end! o make me thine forever, and should i fainting be, lord, let me never, never, outlive my love to thee. bernard of clairvaux ( - a.d.) the golden age of latin hymnody during the middle ages, when evil days had fallen upon the church, there was very little to inspire sacred song. all over europe the gregorian chants, sung in latin, had crowded out congregational singing. the barbarian languages were considered too crude for use in worship, and much less were they regarded as worthy of being moulded into christian hymns. religious poetry was almost invariably written in latin. however, in the midst of the spiritual decay and worldly depravity that characterized the age there were noble souls whose lives shone like bright stars in the surrounding darkness. their sacred poetry, a great deal of which was written for private devotion, bears witness of their deep love for the saviour. the beautiful palm sunday hymn, "all glory, laud, and honor," was composed by bishop theodulph of orleans in a prison cell, probably in the year . the immortal _veni, creator spiritus_ also dates from the same period, being usually ascribed to rhabanus maurus, archbishop of mainz, who died in the year . the religious fervor inspired by the crusades, which began in the year , resulted in the production during the twelfth century of latin poetry of singular lyrical beauty. this may be regarded as the golden age of latin hymnody. it was during this period that the most touching of all good friday hymns, "o sacred head, now wounded," was written. it is ascribed to bernard of clairvaux, preacher of the second crusade, and one of the most brilliant of latin hymn-writers. although composed in the twelfth century, the hymn did not achieve unusual fame until five centuries later, when it was rendered into german by the greatest of all lutheran hymnists, paul gerhardt. lauxmann has well said: "bernard's original is powerful and searching, but gerhardt's hymn is still more powerful and profound, as re-drawn from the deeper spring of evangelical lutheran, scriptural knowledge and fervency of faith." gerhardt's version in turn was translated into english by james w. alexander of princeton, a presbyterian. thus, as dr. philip schaff puts it: "this classic hymn has shown in three tongues--latin, german and english--and in three confessions--roman, lutheran and reformed--with equal effect the dying love of our saviour and our boundless indebtedness to him." yet another lutheran, none other than john sebastian bach, "high priest of church music," has contributed to the fame of the hymn by giving the gripping tune to which it is sung its present form. strangely enough, this remarkable minor melody was originally a rather frivolous german folksong, and was adapted by hans leo hassler in to the hymn, "herzlich thut mich verlangen." it was bach, however, who moulded the tune into the "passion chorale," one of the world's masterpieces of sacred music. many touching stories have been recorded concerning this famous hymn. in , when christian schwartz, the great lutheran missionary to india, lay dying, his indian pupils gathered around his bed and sang in their own malabar tongue the last verses of the hymn, schwartz himself joining in the singing till his voice was silenced in death. of bernard of clairvaux, the writer of the hymn, volumes might be written. luther paid him an eloquent tribute, when he said: "if there has ever been a pious monk who feared god it was st. bernard, whom alone i hold in much higher esteem than all other monks and priests throughout the globe." probably no preacher ever exerted a more profound influence over the age in which he lived than did this cistercian monk. it was the death of his mother, when he was twenty years old, that seemed to have been the turning point in his life. the son of a burgundian knight, he had planned to become a priest, but now he determined to enter a monastery. he did not go alone, however, but took with him twelve companions, including an uncle and four of his five brothers! when he was only twenty-four years old, in the year , he founded a monastery of his own, which was destined to become one of the most famous in history. it was situated in a valley in france called wormwood, a wild region famous as a robber haunt. bernard changed the name to "clara vallis," or "beautiful valley," from which is derived the designation "clairvaux." among his pupils were men who afterwards wielded great influence in the roman church. one became a pope, six became cardinals, and thirty were elevated to the office of bishop in the church. as abbot of clairvaux, the fame of bernard spread through all christendom. he led such an ascetic life that he was reduced almost to a living skeleton. his haggard appearance alone made a deep impression on his audiences. but he also was gifted with extraordinary eloquence and deep spiritual fervor. frequently he would leave his monastery to appear before kings and church councils, always swaying them at will. during the year he traveled through france and germany, preaching a second crusade. the effect of his preaching was almost miraculous. in some instances the whole population of cities and villages seemed to rise _en masse_, flocking to the crusade standards. "in the towns where i have preached," he said, "scarcely one man is left to seven women." emperor conrad and louis, king of france, were easily won to the cause, and in the vast horde of crusaders started for the holy land. probably only one-tenth reached palestine, and the expedition resulted in failure. a miserable remnant returned home, defeated and disgraced. the blame was thrown on bernard and it was no doubt this sorrow that hastened his death, in the year . his noble good friday hymn, which in latin begins with the words, _salve caput cruentatum_, alone would have gained undying fame for bernard, but we are indebted to this gifted monk for another remarkable poem, _de nomine jesu_, from which at least three of our most beautiful english hymns have been derived. one of these is a translation by the englishman, edward caswall: jesus, the very thought of thee with sweetness fills my breast; but sweeter far thy face to see and in thy presence rest. a second by the same translator is equally beautiful: o jesus! king most wonderful, thou conqueror renowned, thou sweetness most ineffable, in whom all joys are found. the third derived from bernard's latin lyric is by the american hymnist, ray palmer: o jesus, joy of loving hearts! thou fount of life! thou light of men! from fullest bliss that earth imparts, we turn unfilled to thee again. throughout the middle ages the verses of bernard were a source of inspiration to faithful souls, and it is said that even the crusaders who kept guard over the holy sepulchre at jerusalem sang his _de nomine jesu_. a noted contemporary, bernard of cluny, shares with bernard of clairvaux the distinction of occupying the foremost place among the great latin hymn-writers. this bernard was born in morlaix in brittany of english parents very early in the twelfth century. after having entered the abbey of cluny, which at that time was the most wealthy and luxurious monastery in europe, he devoted his leisure hours to writing his famous poem, _de contemptu mundi_. this poem, which is a satire against the vices and follies of his age, contains , lines. from this poem have been derived three glorious hymns--"jerusalem the golden," "brief life is here our portion," and "for thee, o dear, dear country." other noted latin hymn-writers who followed the two bernards included thomas of celano who, in the thirteenth century, wrote the masterpiece among judgment hymns, _dies irae, dies illa_, of which walter scott has given us the english version, "that day of wrath, that dreadful day"; adam of st. victor, who was the composer of more than one hundred sequences of high lyrical order; jacobus de benedictis, who is thought to be the writer of _stabat mater dolorosa_, the pathetic good friday hymn which in its adapted form is known as "near the cross was mary weeping"; and thomas aquinas, who was the author of _lauda, sion, salvatorem_, a glorious hymn of praise. with these writers the age of latin hymnody is brought to a close. part ii german hymnody the battle hymn of the reformation a mighty fortress is our god, a trusty shield and weapon, he helps us in our every need that hath us now o'ertaken. the old malignant foe e'er means us deadly woe: deep guile and cruel might are his dread arms in fight, on earth is not his equal. with might of ours can naught be done, soon were our loss effected; but for us fights the valiant one whom god himself elected. ask ye who this may be? christ jesus, it is he, as lord of hosts adored, our only king and lord, he holds the field forever. though devils all the world should fill, all watching to devour us, we tremble not, we fear no ill, they cannot overpower us. for this world's prince may still scowl fiercely as he will, we need not be alarmed, for he is now disarmed; one little word o'erthrows him. the word they still shall let remain, nor any thanks have for it; he's by our side upon the plain, with his good gifts and spirit. take they, then, what they will, life, goods, yea, all; and still, e'en when their worst is done, they yet have nothing won, the kingdom ours remaineth. martin luther, ? martin luther, father of evangelical hymnody the father of evangelical hymnody was martin luther. it was through the efforts of the great reformer that the lost art of congregational singing was restored and the christian hymn again was given a place in public worship. luther was an extraordinary man. to defy the most powerful ecclesiastical hierarchy the world has known, to bring about a cataclysmic upheaval in the religious and political world, and to set spiritual forces into motion that have changed the course of human history--this would have been sufficient to have gained for him undying fame. but those who know luther only as a reformer know very little about the versatile gifts and remarkable achievements of this great prophet of the church. philip schaff has characterized luther as "the ambrose of german hymnody," and adds: "to luther belongs the extraordinary merit of having given to the german people in their own tongue the bible, the catechism, and the hymn book, so that god might speak _directly_ to them in his word, and that they might _directly_ answer him in their songs." he also refers to him as "the father of the modern high german language and literature." luther was divinely endowed for his great mission. from childhood he was passionately fond of music. as a student at magdeburg, and later at eisenach, he sang for alms at the windows of wealthy citizens. it was the sweet voice of the boy that attracted the attention of ursula cotta and moved that benevolent woman to give him a home during his school days. the flute and lute were his favorite instruments, and he used the latter always in accompanying his own singing. john walther, a contemporary composer who later aided luther in the writing of church music, has left us this testimony: "it is to my certain knowledge that that holy man of god, luther, prophet and apostle to the german nation, took great delight in music, both in choral and figural composition. i spent many a delightful hour with him in singing; and ofttimes i have seen the dear man wax so happy and merry in heart over the singing that it is well-nigh impossible to weary or content him therewithal. and his discourse concerning music was most noble." in his "discourse in praise of music," luther gives thanks to god for having bestowed the power of song on the "nightingale and the many thousand birds of the air," and again he writes, "i give music the highest and most honorable place; and every one knows how david and all the saints put their divine thoughts into verse, rhyme, and song." luther had little patience with the iconoclasts of his day. he wrote in the preface to walther's collection of hymns, in : "i am not of the opinion that all sciences should be beaten down and made to cease by the gospel, as some fanatics pretend, but i would fain see all the arts, and music, in particular, used in the service of him who hath given and created them." at another time he was even more emphatic: "if any man despises music, as all fanatics do, for him i have no liking; for music is a gift and grace of god, not an invention of men. thus it drives out the devil and makes people cheerful. then one forgets all wrath, impurity, sycophancy, and other vices." luther loved the latin hymns that glorified christ. he recognized, however, that they were so permeated with mariolatry and other errors of the roman church that a refining process was necessary in order to rid them of their dross and permit the fine gold to appear. moreover, the latin hymns, even in their most glorious development, had not grown out of the spiritual life of the congregation. the very genius of the roman church precluded this, for church music and song was regarded as belonging exclusively to the priestly office. moreover, since the entire worship was conducted in latin, the congregation was inevitably doomed to passive silence. brave efforts by john huss and his followers to introduce congregational singing in the bohemian churches had been sternly opposed by the roman hierarchy. the council of constance, which in burned the heroic huss at the stake, also sent a solemn warning to jacob of misi, his successor as leader of the hussites, to cease the practice of singing hymns in the churches. it decreed: "if laymen are forbidden to preach and interpret the scriptures, much more are they forbidden to sing publicly in the churches." luther's ringing declaration that all believers constitute a universal priesthood necessarily implied that the laity should also participate in the worship. congregational singing therefore became inevitable. luther also realized that spiritual song could be enlisted as a powerful ally in spreading the evangelical doctrines. during the birth throes of the reformation he often expressed the wish that someone more gifted than himself might give to the german people in their own language some of the beautiful pearls of latin hymnody. he also wanted original hymns in the vernacular, as well as strong, majestic chorales that would reflect the heroic spirit of the age. "we lack german poets and musicians," he complained, "or they are unknown to us, who are able to make christian and spiritual songs of such value that they can be used daily in the house of god." then something happened that opened the fountains of song in luther's own bosom. the reformation had spread from germany into other parts of europe, and the catholic authorities had commenced to adopt stern measures in an effort to stem the revolt. in the augustinian cloister at antwerp, the prior of the abbey and two youths, heinrich voes and johannes esch, had been sentenced to death by the inquisition for their refusal to surrender their new-born faith. the prior was choked to death in his prison cell. the two youths were led to the stake at brussels, on july , . before the faggots were kindled they were told that they might still be freed if they would recant. they replied that they would rather die and be with christ. before the fire and smoke smothered their voices, they sang the ancient latin hymn, "lord god, we praise thee." when news of the brussels tragedy reached luther the poetic spark in his soul burst into full flame. immediately he sat down and wrote a festival hymn commemorating the death of the first lutheran martyrs. it had been reported to luther that when the fires began to lick the feet of voes, witnesses had heard him exclaim, "behold, blooming roses are strewn around me." luther seized upon the words as prophetic and concluded his hymn with the lines: "summer is even at the door, the winter now hath vanished, the tender flowerets spring once more, and he who winter banished will send a happy summer." the opening words of the hymn are also significant, "ein neues lied wir heben an." although the poem must be regarded as more of a ballad than a church hymn, luther's lyre was tuned, the springtime of evangelical hymnody was indeed come, and before another year had passed a little hymn-book called "the achtliederbuch" appeared as the first-fruits. it was in that this first protestant hymnal was published. it contained only eight hymns, four by luther, three by speratus, and one probably by justus jonas. the little hymn-books flew all over europe, to the consternation of the romanists. luther's enemies lamented that "the whole people are singing themselves into his doctrines." so great was the demand for hymns that a second volume known as the "erfurt enchiridion" was published in the same year. this contained twenty-five hymns, eighteen of which were luther's. "the nightingale of wittenberg" had begun to sing. this was the beginning of evangelical hymnody, which was to play so large a part in the spread of luther's teachings. the number of hymn-books by other compilers increased rapidly and so many unauthorized changes were made in his hymns by critical editors that luther was moved to complain of their practice. in a preface to a hymn-book printed by joseph klug of wittenberg, in , luther writes: "i am fearful that it will fare with this little book as it has ever fared with good books, namely, that through tampering by incompetent hands it may get to be so overlaid and spoiled that the good will be lost out of it, and nothing kept in use but the worthless." then he adds, naively: "every man may make a hymn-book for himself and let ours alone and not add thereto, as we here beg, wish and assert. for we desire to keep our own coin up to our own standard, preventing no one from making better hymns for himself. now let god's name alone be praised and our name not sought. amen." of the thirty-six hymns attributed to luther none has achieved such fame as "a mighty fortress is our god." it has been translated into practically every language and is regarded as one of the noblest and most classical examples of christian hymnody. not only did it become the battle hymn of the reformation, but it may be regarded as the true national hymn of germany. heine called it "the marseillaise of the reformation." frederick the great referred to it as "god almighty's grenadier march." the date of the hymn cannot be fixed with any certainty. much has been written on the subject, but none of the arguments appear conclusive. d'aubigné's unqualified statement that luther composed it and sang it to revive the spirits of his friends at the diet of augsburg in can scarcely be accepted, since it appeared at least a year earlier in a hymn-book published by joseph klug. the magnificent chorale to which the hymn is sung is also luther's work. never have words and music been combined to make so tremendous an appeal. great musical composers have turned to its stirring theme again and again when they have sought to produce a mighty effect. mendelssohn has used it in the last movement of his reformation symphony; meyerbeer uses it to good advantage in his masterpiece, "les huguenots"; and wagner's "kaisermarsch," written to celebrate the triumphal return of the german troops in , reaches a great climax with the whole orchestra thundering forth the sublime chorale. bach has woven it into a beautiful cantata, while raff and nicolai make use of it in overtures. after luther's death, when melanchthon and his friends were compelled to flee from wittenberg by the approach of the spanish army, they came to weimar. as they were entering the city, they heard a little girl singing luther's great hymn. "sing on, my child," exclaimed melanchthon, "thou little knowest how thy song cheers our hearts." when gustavus adolphus, the hero king of sweden, faced tilly's hosts at the battlefield of leipzig, sept. , , he led his army in singing "ein feste burg." then shouting, "god is with us," he went into battle. it was a bloody fray. tilly fell and his army was beaten. when the battle was over, gustavus adolphus knelt upon the ground among his soldiers and thanked the lord of hosts for victory, saying, "he holds the field forever." at another time during the thirty years' war a swedish trumpeter captured the ensign of the imperial army. pursued by the enemy he found himself trapped with a swollen river before him. he paused for a moment and prayed, "help me, o my god," and then thrust spurs into his horse and plunged into the midst of the current. the imperialists were afraid to follow him, whereupon he raised his trumpet to his lips and sounded the defiant notes: "a mighty fortress is our god!" george n. anderson, a missionary in tanganyika province, british east africa, tells how he once heard an assembly of , natives sing luther's great hymn. "i never heard it sung with more spirit; the effect was almost overwhelming," he testifies. a west african missionary, christaller, relates how he once sang "ein feste burg" to his native interpreter. "that man, luther," said the african, "must have been a powerful man, one can feel it in his hymns." thomas carlyle's estimate of "ein feste burg" seems to accord with that of the african native. "it jars upon our ears," he says, "yet there is something in it like the sound of alpine avalanches, or the first murmur of earthquakes, in the very vastness of which dissonance a higher unison is revealed to us." carlyle, who refers to luther as "perhaps the most inspired of all teachers since the apostles," has given us the most rugged of all translations of the reformer's great hymn. there are said to be no less than eighty english translations, but only a few have met with popular favor. in england the version by carlyle is in general use, while in america various composite translations are found in hymn-books. carlyle's first stanza reads a sure stronghold our god is he, a trusty shield and weapon; our help he'll be, and set us free from every ill can happen. that old malicious foe intends us deadly woe; arméd with might from hell and deepest craft as well, on earth is not his fellow. the greater number of luther's hymns are not original. many are paraphrases of scripture, particularly the psalms, and others are based on latin, greek, and german antecedents. in every instance, however, the great reformer so imbued them with his own fervent faith and militant spirit that they seem to shine with a new luster. the hymns of luther most frequently found in hymn-books today are "come, thou saviour of our race," "good news from heaven the angels bring," "in death's strong grasp the saviour lay," "come, holy spirit, god and lord," "come, holy spirit, from above," "lord, keep us steadfast in thy word," "lord, jesus christ, to thee we pray," "dear christians, one and all rejoice," "out of the depths i cry to thee," and "we all believe in one true god." a metrical gloria in excelsis all glory be to thee, most high, to thee all adoration! in grace and truth thou drawest nigh to offer us salvation. thou showest thy good will toward men, and peace shall reign on earth again; we praise thy name forever. we praise, we worship thee, we trust, and give thee thanks forever, o father, for thy rule is just and wise, and changes never. thy hand almighty o'er us reigns, thou doest what thy will ordains; 'tis well for us thou rulest. o jesus christ, our god and lord, son of the heavenly father, o thou, who hast our peace restored, the straying sheep dost gather, thou lamb of god, to thee on high out of the depths we sinners cry: have mercy on us, jesus! o holy ghost, thou precious gift, thou comforter, unfailing, from satan's snares our souls uplift, and let thy power, availing, avert our woes and calm our dread; for us the saviour's blood was shed, we trust in thee to save us! nicolaus decius, , the hymn-writers of the reformation the hymns of the reformation were like a trumpet call, proclaiming to all the world that the day of spiritual emancipation had come. what they lacked in poetic refinement they more than made up by their tremendous earnestness and spiritual exuberance. they faithfully reflect the spirit of the age in which they were born, a period of strife and conflict. the strident note that often appears in luther's hymns can easily be understood when it is remembered that the great reformer looked upon the pope as antichrist himself and all others who opposed the lutheran teachings as confederates of the devil. in , when the turkish invasion from the east threatened to devastate all europe, special days of humiliation and prayer were held throughout germany. it was for one of these occasions that luther wrote the hymn, "lord, keep us steadfast in thy word." in its original form, however, it was quite different from the hymn we now sing. the first stanza ran: lord, keep us in thy word and work, restrain the murderous pope and turk, who fain would tear from off thy throne christ jesus, thy beloved son. when luther, on the other hand, sang of god's free grace to men in christ jesus, or extolled the merits of the saviour, or gave thanks for the word of god restored to men, there was such a marvelous blending of childlike trust, victorious faith and spontaneous joy that all germany was thrilled by the message. the popularity of the lutheran hymns was astonishing. other hymn-writers sprang up in large numbers, printing presses were kept busy, and before luther's death no less than sixty collections of hymns had been published. wandering evangelists were often surrounded by excited crowds in the market places, hymns printed on leaflets were distributed, and the whole populace would join in singing the songs of the reformers. paul speratus, paul eber, and justus jonas were the most gifted co-laborers of luther. it was speratus who contributed three hymns to the "achtliederbuch," the first hymn-book published by luther. his most famous hymn, "to us salvation now is come," has been called "the poetic counterpart of luther's preface to the epistle to the romans." it was the great confessional hymn of the reformation. luther is said to have wept tears of joy when he heard it sung by a street singer outside his window in wittenberg. speratus wrote the hymn in a moravian prison into which he had been cast because of his bold espousal of the lutheran teachings. immediately upon his release he proceeded to wittenberg, where he joined himself to the reformers. he later became the leader of the reformation movement in prussia and before his death in was chosen bishop of pomerania. his poetic genius may be seen reflected in the beautiful paraphrase of the lord's prayer which forms the concluding two stanzas of his celebrated hymn: all blessing, honor, thanks, and praise to father, son, and spirit, the god who saved us by his grace, all glory to his merit: o father in the heavens above, thy glorious works show forth thy love, thy worthy name be hallowed. thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as 'tis in heaven: keep us in life, by grace led on, forgiving and forgiven; save thou us in temptation's hour, and from all ills; thine is the power, and all the glory, amen! eber was the sweetest singer among the reformers. as professor of hebrew at wittenberg university and assistant to melanchthon, he had an active part in the stirring events of the reformation. he possessed more of melanchthon's gentleness than luther's ruggedness, and his hymns are tender and appealing in their childlike simplicity. there is wondrous consolation in his hymns for the dying, as witness his pious swan-song: in thy dear wounds i fall asleep, o jesus, cleanse my soul from sin: thy bitter death, thy precious blood for me eternal glory win. by thee redeemed, i have no fear, when now i leave this mortal clay, with joy before thy throne i come; god's own must die, yet live alway. welcome, o death! thou bringest me to dwell with god eternally; through christ my soul from sin is free, o take me now, dear lord, to thee! another hymn for the dying, "lord jesus christ, true man and god," breathes the same spirit of hope and trust in christ. during the years of persecution and suffering that followed the reformation, the protestants found much comfort in singing eber's "when in the hour of utmost need." justus jonas, the bosom friend of luther who spoke the last words of peace and consolation to the dying reformer and who also preached his funeral sermon, has left us the hymn, "if god were not upon our side," based on psalm . from this period we also have the beautiful morning hymn, "my inmost heart now raises," by johannes mathesius, the pupil and biographer of luther, and an equally beautiful evening hymn, "sunk is the sun's last beam of light," by nicholas hermann. mathesius was pastor of the church at joachimsthal, in bohemia, and hermann was his organist and choirmaster. it is said that whenever mathesius preached a particularly good sermon, hermann was forthwith inspired to write a hymn on its theme! he was a poet and musician of no mean ability, and his tunes are among the best from the reformation period. the example of the wittenberg hymnists was quickly followed by evangelicals in other parts of germany, and hymn-books began to appear everywhere. as early as a little volume of hymns was published at rostock in the platt-deutsch dialect. in this collection we find one of the most glorious hymns of the reformation, "all glory be to thee, most high," or, as it has also been rendered, "all glory be to god on high," a metrical version of the ancient canticle, _gloria in excelsis_. five years later another edition was published in which appeared a metrical rendering of _agnus dei_: o lamb of god, most holy, on calvary an offering; despiséd, meek, and, lowly, thou in thy death and suffering our sins didst bear, our anguish; the might of death didst vanquish; give us thy peace, o jesus! the author of both of these gems of evangelical hymnody was nicolaus decius, a catholic monk in the cloister of steterburg who embraced the lutheran teachings. he later became pastor of st. nicholas church in stettin, where he died under suspicious circumstances in . in addition to being a popular preacher and gifted poet, he also seems to have been a musician of some note. the two magnificent chorals to which his hymns are sung are generally credited to him, although there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding their composition. luther prized both hymns very highly and included them in his german liturgy. a beautiful confirmation hymn let me be thine forever, my gracious god and lord, may i forsake thee never, nor wander from thy word: preserve me from the mazes of error and distrust, and i shall sing thy praises forever with the just. lord jesus, bounteous giver of light and life divine, thou didst my soul deliver, to thee i all resign: thou hast in mercy bought me with blood and bitter pain; let me, since thou hast sought me, eternal life obtain. o holy ghost, who pourest sweet peace into my heart, and who my soul restorest, let not thy grace depart. and while his name confessing whom i by faith have known, grant me thy constant blessing, make me for aye thine own. nicolaus selnecker, , _et al._ hymnody of the controversial period many of our great christian hymns were born in troublous times. this is true in a very special sense of the hymns written by nicolaus selnecker, german preacher and theologian. the age in which he lived was the period immediately following the reformation. it was an age marked by doctrinal controversy, not only with the romanists, but among the protestants themselves. in these theological struggles, selnecker will always be remembered as one of the great champions of pure lutheran doctrine. "the formula of concord," the last of the lutheran confessions, was largely the work of selnecker. published in , it did more than any other single document to clarify the lutheran position on many disputed doctrinal points, thus bringing to an end much of the confusion and controversy that had existed up to that time. selnecker early in life revealed an artistic temperament. born in at hersbruck, germany, we find him at the age of twelve years organist at the chapel in the kaiserburg, at nürnberg, where he attended school. later he entered wittenberg university to study law. here he came under the influence of philip melanchthon, and was induced to prepare himself for the ministry. it is said that selnecker was melanchthon's favorite pupil. following his graduation from wittenberg, he lectured for a while at the university and then received the appointment as second court preacher at dresden and private tutor to prince alexander of saxony. many of the saxon theologians at this time were leaning strongly toward the calvinistic teaching regarding the lord's supper, and when selnecker came out boldly for the lutheran doctrine he incurred the hostility of those in authority. later, when he supported a lutheran pastor who had dared to preach against elector august's passion for hunting, he was compelled to leave dresden. for three years he held the office of professor of theology at the university of jena, but in he again found favor with the elector august and was appointed to the chair of theology in the university of leipzig. it was here that selnecker again became involved in bitter doctrinal disputes regarding the lord's supper, and in and he joined a group of theologians, including jacob andreae and martin chemnitz, in working out the formula of concord. upon the death of elector august the calvinists again secured ecclesiastical control, and selnecker once more was compelled to leave leipzig. after many trials and vicissitudes, he finally returned, may , , a worn and weary man, only to die in leipzig five days later. during the stormy days of his life, selnecker often sought solace in musical and poetical pursuits. many of his hymns reflect his own personal troubles and conflicts. "let me be thine forever" is believed to have been written during one of the more grievous experiences of his life. it was a prayer of one stanza originally, but two additional stanzas were added by an unknown author almost a hundred years after selnecker's death. in its present form it has become a favorite confirmation hymn in the lutheran church. selnecker's zeal for his church is revealed in many of his hymns, among them the famous "abide with us, o saviour dear." the second stanza of this hymn clearly reflects the distressing controversies in which he was engaged at the time: this is a dark and evil day, forsake us not, o lord, we pray; and let us in our grief and pain thy word and sacraments retain. in connection with his work as professor in the university of leipzig, he also served as pastor of the famous st. thomas church in that city. it was through his efforts that the renowned motett choir of that church was built up, a choir that was afterward conducted by john sebastian bach. about hymns in all were written by selnecker. in addition to these he also was author of some theological and controversial works. one of the contemporaries of selnecker was bartholomäus ringwalt, pastor of langfeld, near sonnenburg, brandenburg. this man also was a staunch lutheran and a poet of considerable ability. his judgment hymn, "the day is surely drawing near," seems to reflect the feeling held by many in those distressing times that the last day was near at hand. it was used to a large extent during the thirty years' war, and is still found in many hymn-books. another hymnist who lived and wrought during these turbulent times was martin behm, to whom we are indebted for three beautiful lyrics, "o jesus, king of glory," "lord jesus christ, my life, my light," and "o holy, blessed trinity." behm, who was born in lauban, silesia, sept. , , served for thirty-six years as lutheran pastor in his native city. he was a noted preacher and a gifted poet. his hymn on the trinity is one of the finest ever written on this theme. it concludes with a splendid paraphrase of the aaronic benediction. two of its stanzas are: o holy, blessed trinity, divine, eternal unity, god, father, son and holy ghost, be thou this day my guide and host. lord, bless and keep thou me as thine; lord, make thy face upon me shine; lord, lift thy countenance on me, and give me peace, sweet peace from thee. valerius herberger was another heroic representative of this period of doctrinal strife, war, famine, and pestilence. while pastor of st. mary's lutheran church at fraustadt, posen, he and his flock were expelled from their church in by king sigismund iii, of poland, and the property turned over to the roman catholics. nothing daunted, however, herberger and his people immediately constructed a chapel out of two houses near the gates of the city. they gave the structure the name of "kripplein christi," since the first service was held in it on christmas eve. during the great pestilence which raged in , the victims in fraustadt numbered , . herberger, however, stuck to his post, comforting the sick and burying the dead. it was during these days that he wrote his famous hymn, "valet will ich dir geben," one of the finest hymns for the dying in the german language. the hymn was published with the title, "the farewell (valet) of valerius herberger that he gave to the world in the autumn of the year , when he every hour saw death before his eyes, but mercifully and also as wonderfully as the three men in the furnace at babylon was nevertheless spared." the famous chorale tune for the hymn was written in by melchior teschner, who was herberger's precentor. other lutheran hymn-writers of this period were joachim magdeburg, martin rutilius, martin schalling and philipp nicolai. the last name in this group is by far the most important and will be given more extensive notice in the following chapter. to magdeburg, a pastor who saw service in various parts of germany and hungary during a stormy career, we owe a single hymn, "who trusts in god a strong abode." rutilius has been credited with the authorship of the gripping penitential hymn, "alas, my god! my sins are great," although the claim is sometimes disputed. he was a pastor at weimar, where he died in . schalling likewise has bequeathed but a single hymn to the church, but it may be regarded as one of the classic hymns of germany. its opening line, "o lord, devoutly love i thee," reflects the ardent love of the author himself for the saviour. it was entitled, "a prayer to christ, the consolation of the soul in life and death," and surely its message of confiding trust in god has been a source of comfort and assurance to thousands of pious souls in the many vicissitudes of life as well as in the valley of the shadow. although schalling was a warm friend of selnecker, he hesitated to subscribe to the formula of concord, claiming that it dealt too harshly with the followers of melanchthon. for this reason he was deposed as general superintendent of oberpfalz and court preacher at heidelberg. five years later, however, he was appointed pastor of st. mary's church in nürnberg, where he remained until blindness compelled him to retire. he died in . a masterpiece of hymnody wake, awake, for night is flying: the watchmen on the heights are crying, awake, jerusalem, arise! midnight's solemn hour is tolling, his chariot wheels are nearer rolling, he comes; prepare, ye virgins wise. rise up with willing feet, go forth, the bridegroom meet: alleluia! bear through the night your well trimmed light, speed forth to join the marriage rite. zion hears the watchmen singing, and all her heart with joy is springing, she wakes, she rises from her gloom; forth her bridegroom comes, all-glorious, the strong in grace, in truth victorious; her star is risen, her light is come! all hail, thou precious one! lord jesus, god's dear son! alleluia! the joyful call we answer all, and follow to the nuptial hall. lamb of god, the heavens adore thee, and men and angels sing before thee, with harp and cymbal's clearest tone. by the pearly gates in wonder we stand, and swell the voice of thunder, that echoes round thy dazzling throne. to mortal eyes and ears what glory now appears! alleluia! we raise the song, we swell the throng, to praise thee ages all along. philipp nicolai, . the king and queen of chorales at rare intervals in the history of christian hymnody, we meet with a genius who not only possesses the gift of writing sublime poetry but also reveals talent as a composer of music. during the stirring days of the reformation such geniuses were revealed in the persons of martin luther and nicolaus decius. we now encounter another, philipp nicolai, the writer of the glorious hymn, "wachet auf." nicolai's name would have been gratefully remembered by posterity had he merely written the words of this hymn; but, when we learn that he also composed the magnificent chorale to which it is sung, we are led to marvel. it has been called the "king of chorales," and well does it deserve the title. but nicolai was also the composer of the "queen of chorales." that is the name often given to the tune of his other famous hymn, "wie schön leuchtet der morgenstern." both of nicolai's great tunes have been frequently appropriated for other hymns. the "king of chorales" has lent inspiration to "holy majesty, before thee," while the "queen of chorales" has helped to glorify such hymns as "all hail to thee, o blessed morn," "now israel's hope in triumph ends," and "o holy spirit, enter in." some of the world's greatest composers have recognized the beauty and majesty of nicolai's inspiring themes and have seized upon his chorales to weave them into a number of famous musical masterpieces. the strains of the seventh and eighth lines of "wachet auf" may be heard in the passage, "the kingdoms of this world," of handel's "hallelujah chorus." mendelssohn introduces the air in his overture to "st. paul," and the entire chorale occurs in his "hymn of praise." the latter composer has also made use of the "wie schön" theme in the first chorus of his unpublished oratorio, "christus." the circumstances that called forth nicolai's two great hymns and the classic chorales to which he wedded them are tragic in nature. a dreadful pestilence was raging in westphalia. at unna, where nicolai was pastor, , villagers died of the plague between july, , and january, . during a single week in the month of august no less than victims were claimed by the messenger of death. from the parsonage which overlooked the churchyard, nicolai was a sad witness of the burials. on one day thirty graves were dug. in the midst of these days of distress the gifted lutheran pastor wrote a series of meditations to which he gave the title, "freuden spiegel," or "mirror of joy." his purpose, as he explains in his preface, dated august , , was "to leave it behind me (if god should call me from this world) as the token of my peaceful, joyful, christian departure, or (if god should spare me in health) to comfort other sufferers whom he should also visit with the pestilence." "there seemed to me," he writes in the same preface, "nothing more sweet, delightful and agreeable, than the contemplation of the noble, sublime doctrine of eternal life obtained through the blood of christ. this i allowed to dwell in my heart day and night, and searched the scriptures as to what they revealed on this matter, read also the sweet treatise of the ancient doctor saint augustine ("the city of god") ... then day by day i wrote out my meditations, found myself, thank god! wonderfully well, comforted in heart, joyful in spirit, and truly content." both of nicolai's classic hymns appeared for the first time in his "mirror of joy." as a title to "wachet auf" nicolai wrote, "of the voice at midnight, and the wise virgins who meet their heavenly bridegroom. mt. ." the title to "wie schön" reads, "a spiritual bridal song of the believing soul concerning jesus christ, her heavenly bridegroom, founded on the th psalm of the prophet david." it is said that the melody to "wie schön" became so popular that numerous church chimes were set to it. nicolai's life was filled with stirring events. he was born at mengerinhausen, august , . his father was a lutheran pastor. after completing studies at the universities of erfürt and wittenberg, he too was ordained to the ministry in . his first charge was at herdecke, but since the town council was composed of roman catholic members, he soon was compelled to leave that place. later he served at niederwildungen and altwildungen, and in he became pastor at unna. after the dreadful pestilence of there came an invasion of spaniards in , and nicolai was forced to flee. in he was chosen chief pastor of st. katherine's church in hamburg. here he gained fame as a preacher, being hailed as a "second chrysostom." throughout a long and bitter controversy with the calvinists regarding the nature of the lord's supper, nicolai was looked upon as the "pillar" of the lutheran church, and the guardian of its doctrines. he died october , . a tribute to the dying saviour ah, holy jesus, how hast thou offended, that man to judge thee hast in hate pretended? by foes derided, by thine own rejected, o most afflicted! who was the guilty? who brought this upon thee? alas, my treason, jesus, hath undone thee! 'twas i, lord jesus, i it was denied thee: i crucified thee. lo, the good shepherd for the sheep is offered; the slave hath sinned, and the son hath suffered; for man's atonement, while he nothing heedeth, god intercedeth. for me, kind jesus, was thine incarnation, thy mortal sorrow, and thy life's oblation; thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion, for my salvation. therefore, kind jesus, since i cannot pay thee, i do adore thee, and will ever pray thee: think on thy pity and thy love unswerving, not my deserving. johann heermann, . hymns of the thirty years' war times of suffering and affliction have often brought forth great poets. this was especially true of that troublous period in european history known as the "thirty years' war." although it was one of the most distressing eras in the protestant church, it gave birth to some of its grandest hymns. it was during this dreadful period, when germany was devastated and depopulated by all the miseries of a bloody warfare, that johann heermann lived and wrought. he was born at rauden, silesia, october , , the son of a poverty-stricken furrier. there were five children in the family, but four of them were snatched away by death within a short time. johann, who was the youngest, was also taken ill, and the despairing mother was torn by fear and anguish. turning to god in her hour of need, she vowed that if he would spare her babe, she would educate him for the ministry. she did not forget her promise. the child whose life was spared grew to manhood, received his training at several institutions, and in entered the holy ministry as pastor of the lutheran church at koeben, not far from his birthplace. a few years later the thirty years' war broke out, and all of germany began to feel its horrors. four times during the period from to the town of koeben was sacked by the armies of wallenstein, who had been sent by the king of austria to restore the german principalities to the catholic faith. previous to this, in , the city was almost destroyed by fire. in it was visited by the dreadful pestilence. again and again heermann was forced to flee from the city, and several times he lost all his earthly possessions. once, when he was crossing the oder, he was pursued and nearly captured by enemy soldiers, who shot after him. twice he was nearly sabred. it was during this period, in , that his beautiful hymn, "herzliebster jesu," was first published. one of the stanzas which is not usually given in translations reflects very clearly the unfaltering faith of the noble pastor during these hard experiences. it reads: whate'er of earthly good this life may grant me i'll risk for thee; no shame, no cross shall daunt me; i shall not fear what man can do to harm me, nor death alarm me. the hymn immediately sprang into popularity in germany, perhaps through the fact that it reflected the feelings of protestants everywhere, and partly because of the gripping tune written for it in by the great musician johann crüger. heermann has been ranked with luther and gerhardt as one of the greatest hymn-writers the lutheran church has produced. because his hymns were written during such times of distress and suffering, they seemed to grip the hearts of the german people to an extraordinary degree. one of his hymns, published in under the group known as "songs of tears," is entitled "treuer wächter israel." it contains a striking line imploring god to "build a wall around us." a very interesting story is told concerning this hymn. on january , , the allied forces were about to enter schleswig. a poor widow and her daughter and grandson lived in a little house near the entrance of the town. the grandson was reading heermann's hymns written for times of war, and when he came to this one, he exclaimed, "it would be a good thing, grandmother, if our lord would build a wall around us." next day all through the town cries of terror were heard, but not a soldier molested the widow's home. when on the following morning they summoned enough courage to open their door, lo, a snowdrift had concealed them from the view of the enemy! on this incident clemens brentano wrote a beautiful poem, "draus vor schleswig." another remarkable story is recorded concerning heermann's great hymn, "o jesus, saviour dear." at leuthen, in silesia, december , , the prussians under frederick the great were facing an army of austrians three times their number. just before the battle began some of the prussians began to sing the second stanza of the hymn. the regimental bands took up the music. one of the commanders asked frederick if it should be silenced. "no," said the king, "let it be. with such men god will today certainly give me the victory." when the bloody battle ended with victory for the prussians, frederick exclaimed "my god, what a power has religion!" other famous hymns by heermann include "o christ, our true and only light," "lord, thy death and passion give" and "faithful god, i lay before thee." many other noted hymn-writers belong to the period of the thirty years' war, among them martin opitz, george weissel, heinrich held, ernst homburg, johannes olearius, josua stegmann, and wilhelm ii, duke of saxe-weimar. opitz was somewhat of a diplomat and courtier, as well as a poet. he was a man of vacillating character, and did not hesitate to lend his support to the romanists whenever it served his personal interests. however, he has left to posterity an imperishable hymn in "light of light, o sun of heaven." he is credited with having reformed the art of verse-writing in germany. he died of the pestilence in danzig in . homburg and held were lawyers. homburg was born near eisenach in , and later we find him practising law in naumburg, saxony. he was a man of great poetic talent, but at first he devoted his gifts to writing love ballads and drinking songs. during the days of the dread pestilence he turned to god, and now he began to write hymns. in he published a collection of spiritual songs. in a preface he speaks of them as his "sunday labor," and he tells how he had been led to write them "by the anxious and sore domestic afflictions by which god ... has for some time laid me aside." the lenten hymn, "christ, the life of all the living," is found in this collection. held, who practiced law in his native town of guhrau, silesia, also was a man chastened in the school of sorrow and affliction. he is the author of two hymns that have found their way into the english language--"let the earth now praise the lord" and "come, o come, thou quickening spirit." weissel, a lutheran pastor at konigsberg, has given us one of the finest advent hymns in the german language, "lift up your heads, ye mighty gates." olearius, who wrote a commentary on the bible and compiled one of the most important hymn-books of the th century, has also bequeathed to the church a splendid advent hymn, "comfort, comfort ye my people." stegmann, a theological professor at rinteln who suffered much persecution at the hands of benedictine monks during the thirty years' war, was the author of the beautiful evening hymn, "abide with us, our saviour." wilhelm ii, duke of saxe-weimar, who wrote the inspiring hymn, "o christ, thy grace unto us lend," was not only a poet and musician, but also a man of war. he was twice wounded in battle with the imperial forces, and was once left for dead. he was taken prisoner by tilly, but was released by the emperor. when gustavus adolphus came to germany to save the protestant cause, wilhelm after some hesitation joined him. however, when the duke in made a separate peace with the emperor, the swedish army ravaged his territory. johann meyfart also belongs to this period. he was a theological professor at the university of erfürt, and died at that place in . one of his hymns, "jerusalem, thou city fair and high," has found its way into english hymn books. the beautiful hymn, "o how blest are ye," which was translated into english by henry wadsworth longfellow, comes to us from the pen of simon dach, another lutheran theologian who lived during these stirring days. dach, who was professor of poetry and dean of the philosophical faculty of the university of königsberg, wrote some hymns. they are marked by fulness of faith and a quiet confidence in god in the midst of a world of turmoil and uncertainty. dach died in after a lingering illness. the first stanza of his funeral hymn reads o how blest are ye, whose toils are ended! who through death have unto god ascended! ye have arisen from the cares which keep us still in prison. tobias clausnitzer, who has bequeathed to the church the hymn, "blessed jesus, at thy word," was the chaplain of a swedish regiment during the thirty years' war. he preached the thanksgiving sermon at the field service held by command of general wrangel at weiden, in the upper palatine, on january , , after the conclusion of the peace of westphalia. he afterwards became pastor at weiden, where he remained until his death in . johann quirsfeld, archdeacon in pirna, has given us a very impressive good friday hymn, "sinful world, behold the anguish." quirsfeld died in . christian knorr von rosenroth, a noted orientalist, scientist and statesman of the seventeenth century, in addition to duties of state edited several rabbinical writings and works on oriental mysticism. he also wrote hymns, among them "dayspring of eternity," which has been referred to by one writer as "one of the freshest, most original, and spirited of morning hymns, as if born from the dew of the sunrise." he died at sulzbach, bavaria, may , , at the very hour, it is said, which he himself had predicted. the extent to which lutheran laymen of this period devoted themselves to spiritual exercises is revealed in the life of johann franck, a lawyer who became mayor of his native town of guben, brandenburg, in . to him we are indebted for the finest communion hymn in the german language, "deck thyself, my soul, with gladness." he also was the author of such gems as "light of the gentile nations," "lord, to thee i make confession," "lord god, we worship thee," "jesus, priceless treasure," and the glorious song of praise: praise the lord, each tribe and nation, praise him with a joyful heart; ye who know his full salvation, gather now from every part; let your voices glorify in his temple god on high. it was franck who began the long series of so-called "jesus hymns," which reached their fullest development in the later pietistic school of hymnists. franck held that poetry should be "the nurse of piety, the herald of immortality, the promoter of cheerfulness, the conqueror of sadness, and a foretaste of heavenly glory." his hymns reflect his beautiful spirit of christian cheerfulness and hope. the last name that we would mention is heinrich theobald schenk, a pastor at giessen. not much is known of this man except that he was the writer of a single hymn, but it is a hymn that has gained for him the thanks of posterity. there is scarcely a hymn-book of any communion today that does not contain, "who are these, like stars appearing?" schenk died in , at the age of years. the swan-song of gustavus adolphus be not dismayed, thou little flock, although the foe's fierce battle shock loud on all sides assail thee. though o'er thy fall they laugh secure, their triumph cannot long endure, let not thy courage fail thee. thy cause is god's--go at his call, and to his hand commit thine all; fear thou no ill impending; his gideon shall arise for thee, god's word and people manfully in god's own time defending. our hope is sure in jesus' might; against themselves the godless fight, themselves, not us, distressing; shame and contempt their lot shall be; god is with us, with him are we; to us belongs his blessing. johann michael altenberg, a hymn made famous on a battle field "be not dismayed, thou little flock" will always be known as the "swan-song" of the swedish hero king, gustavus adolphus. no incident in modern history is more dramatic than the sudden appearance in germany of gustavus adolphus and his little swedish army during the critical days of the thirty years' war. it was this victorious crusade that saved germany, and probably all of northern europe, for protestantism. the untimely death of the swedish monarch on the battlefield of lützen, november , , while leading his men against wallenstein's host, not only gained immortal fame for gustavus, but will always cause the world to remember the hymn that was sung by his army on that historic day. when gustavus adolphus landed in germany in with his small but well-trained army, it seemed that the protestant cause in europe was lost. all the protestant princes of germany had been defeated by tilly and wallenstein, leaders of the imperial armies, and the victors were preparing to crush every vestige of lutheranism in germany. the margrave of brandenburg and the duke of saxony, however, furnished a few troops to gustavus, and in a swift, meteoric campaign the swedish king had routed the army of the catholic league and had marched all the way across germany. in the spring of gustavus moved into the heart of bavaria and captured munich. the imperial forces who had sneered at the "snow king," as they called him, and who had predicted that he would "melt" as he came southward, were now filled with dismay. the "snow king" proved to be the "lion of the north." wallenstein rallied the catholic forces for a last stand at lützen, the battle that was to prove the decisive conflict. on the morning of november , , the two armies faced each other in battle array. dr. fabricius, chaplain of the swedish army, had been commanded by gustavus to lead his troops in worship. the king himself raised the strains of "be not dismayed, thou little flock," and led the army in singing the stirring hymn. then he knelt in fervent prayer. a heavy fog prevented the protestant forces from moving forward to the attack, and, while they were waiting for the fog to lift, gustavus ordered the musicians to play luther's hymn, "a mighty fortress is our god." the whole army joined with a shout. the king then mounted his charger, and, drawing his sword, rode back and forth in front of the lines, speaking words of encouragement to his men. as the sun began to break through the fog, gustavus himself offered a prayer, "jesus, jesus, jesus, help me today to do battle for the glory of thy holy name," and then shouted, "now forward to the attack in the name of our god!" the army answered, "god with us!" and rushed forward, the king galloping in the lead. when his aid offered him his coat of mail, gustavus refused to put it on, declaring, "god is my protector." the battle raged fiercely. for a time the outcome seemed ominous for the lutherans. at o'clock gustavus was struck by a bullet and mortally wounded. as he fell from his horse, the word spread quickly throughout the swedish lines, "the king is wounded!" it proved to be the turning point in the battle. instead of losing heart and fleeing, the swedish troops charged the foe with a fierceness born of sorrow and despair, and before the day was ended another glorious victory had been won. the protestant cause was saved, but the noble gustavus had made the supreme sacrifice. the authorship of his famous "battle-hymn" has been the subject of much dispute. the german poet and hymnologist, albert knapp, has called it "a little feather from the eagle wing of gustavus adolphus." most swedish authorities, too, unite in naming their hero king as the author. however, the weight of evidence seems to point to johann michael altenberg, a german pastor of gross sommern, thüringen, as the real writer of the hymn. it is said that altenberg was inspired to write it upon hearing of the great victory gained by gustavus adolphus at the battle of leipzig, september , , about a year before the battle of lützen. in any event, it is a matter of record that the swedish king adopted it immediately, and that he sang it as his own "swan-song" just before he died at lützen. someone has aptly said, "whether german or swede may claim this hymn is a question. they both rightly own it." rinkart's hymn of praise now thank we all our god, with hearts and hands and voices, who wondrous things hath done, in whom his earth rejoices; who from our mother's arms hath blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today. o may this bounteous god through all our life be near us, with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us; and keep us in his grace, and guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills, in this world and the next. all praise and thanks to god the father now be given, the son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven; the one eternal god, whom earth and heaven adore; for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore! martin rinkart ( - ). the lutheran te deum the last of the great lutheran hymn-writers belonging to the period of the thirty years' war was martin rinkart. except for the time of the reformation, this period was probably the greatest creative epoch in the history of lutheran hymnody. but of all the glorious hymns that were written during those stirring years, there is none that equals rinkart's famous hymn, "now thank we all our god." the date of this remarkable hymn is obscure. the claim has been made that it was written as a hymn of thanksgiving following the peace of westphalia, which in brought to an end the long and cruel war. this claim has been based on the fact that the first two stanzas are a paraphrase of the words of the high priest simeon, recorded in the apocryphal book ecclesiasticus : - : "and now let all praise god, who hath done great things, who hath glorified our days, and dealeth with us according to his loving-kindness. he giveth us the joy of our hearts, that we may find peace in israel as in the days of yore, thus he lets his loving-kindness remain with us, and he will redeem us in our day." inasmuch as this was the scripture passage on which all regimental chaplains were ordered to preach in celebration of the conclusion of peace, it has been inferred that rinkart was inspired to write his hymn at that time. it is probable, however, that these circumstances were merely a coincidence, and that the hymn was written several years previous to . in rinkart's own volume, "jesu hertz-buchlein," it appears under the title "tisch-gebetlein," or a short prayer before meals, and many believe that it was originally written for rinkart's children. it will be noticed that, while the first two stanzas are based on the passage from ecclesiasticus, the last stanza is the ancient doxology, _gloria patri_. no hymn except luther's famous "a mighty fortress is our god" has been used more generally in the lutheran church than rinkart's glorious paean of praise. in germany, where it has become the national _te deum_, it is sung at all impressive occasions. after the battle of leuthen, the army of frederick the great raised the strains of this noble hymn, and it is said that even the mortally wounded joined in the singing. in his history of the franco-prussian war, cassel tells of a stirring incident that took place on the day following the battle of sedan, where the germans had won a decisive victory over the french. a multitude of prussian troops who were marching toward paris were billeted in the parish church of augecourt. they could not sleep because of the extreme excitement of the day. suddenly a strain of music came from the organ, first very softly but gradually swelling in volume until the whole sanctuary shook. it was the grand old hymn--"nun danket alle gott!" instantly men and officers were upon their feet, singing the stirring words. then followed luther's "ein feste burg," after which the terrible strain seemed relieved, and they laid themselves down to peaceful slumber. it is recorded that the hymn was also sung at the opening of the magnificent cathedral of cologne, august , , as well as at the laying of the cornerstone of the parliament building in berlin, june , . it has also achieved great popularity in england, where it was sung as a _te deum_ in nearly all churches and chapels at the close of the boer war in . rinkart's life was a tragic one. the greater part of his public service was rendered during the horrors of the thirty years' war. he was born at eilenburg, saxony, april , . after attending a latin school in his home town, he became a student at the university of leipzig. in , by invitation of the town council of eilenburg, he became pastor of the church in the city of his birth. it was at the beginning of the thirty years' war, and, because eilenburg was a walled city, it became a refuge for thousands who had lost everything in the conflict. famine and pestilence added to the horror of the situation, and the other two pastors of the city having died, rinkart was left alone to minister to the spiritual needs of the populace. twice eilenburg was saved from the swedish army through the intercession of rinkart, first in and again in . a levy of , thaler had been made on the city by the swedish general to aid the protestant cause. knowing the impoverished condition of his townsmen, rinkart went out to the swedish camp to plead their cause, but to no avail. turning to those who were with him, rinkart exclaimed, "come, my children, we can find no mercy with men, let us take refuge with god." he then fell on his knees and uttered a fervent prayer, after which they sang the hymn of paul eber so much used in those trying days, "when in the hour of utmost need." the scene made such an impression on the swedish commander that he relented and reduced his demand to , florins or , thaler. rinkart lived only a year after the close of the bloody war. he died, a worn and broken man, in . a joyous christmas carol all my heart this night rejoices, as i hear, far and near, sweetest angel voices: "christ is born," their choirs are singing, till the air everywhere now with joy is ringing. come and banish all your sadness, one and all, great and small, come with songs of gladness; love him who with love is yearning; hail the star that from far bright with hope is burning. hither come, ye heavy-hearted, who for sin, deep within, long and sore have smarted; for the poisoned wounds you're feeling help is near, one is here mighty for their healing. faithfully thee, lord, i'll cherish, live to thee, and with thee dying, shall not perish, but shall dwell with thee forever, far on high, in the joy that can alter never. paul gerhardt, . paul gerhardt, prince of lutheran hymnists the greatest lutheran hymnist of the seventeenth century, and perhaps of all time, was paul gerhardt. not even the hymns of martin luther are used so generally throughout the christian world as those of gerhardt. more of the beautiful lyrics of this sweet singer have found their way into the english language than the hymns of any other german writer, and with the passing of years their popularity increases rather than diminishes. in the lutheran church at lübden, in germany, there hangs a life-size painting of gerhardt. beneath it is this inscription: _theologus in cribro satanae versatus_, "a divine sifted in satan's sieve." that inscription may be said to epitomize the sad life-story of germany's great psalmist. gerhardt was born march , , in gräfenhaynichen, a village near the celebrated wittenberg. his father, who was mayor of the village, died before paul reached maturity. when he was twenty-one years of age he began the study of theology at the university of wittenberg. the thirty years' war was raging, and all germany was desolate and suffering. because of the difficulty of securing a parish, gerhardt served for several years as a tutor in the home of andreas barthold, whose daughter anna maria became his bride in . it was during this period that gerhardt's poetic gifts began to flourish. no doubt he was greatly stimulated by contact with the famous musician johann crüger, who was cantor and director of music in the church of st. nicholas in berlin. in many of gerhardt's hymns were published in crüger's _praxis pietatis melica_. through the recommendation of the berlin clergy, he was appointed lutheran provost at mittenwalde, and was ordained to this post november , . six years later he accepted the position of third assistant pastor of the church of st. nicholas in berlin. his hymns continued to grow in popularity, and his fame as a preacher drew large audiences to hear him. the controversy between the lutherans and calvinists, which had continued from the days of the reformation, flared up again at this time as the result of efforts on the part of elector friedrich wilhelm of prussia to unite the two parties. friedrich wilhelm, who was a calvinist, sought to compel the clergy to sign a document promising that they would abstain from any references in their sermons to doctrinal differences. gerhardt was sick at the time, and, although he had always been moderate in his utterances, he felt that to sign such a document would be to compromise the faith. summoning the other lutheran clergymen of berlin to his bedside, he urged them to stand firm and to refuse to surrender to the demands of the elector. soon after this the courageous pastor was deposed from office. he was also prohibited from holding private services in his own home. though he felt the blow very keenly, he met it with true christian fortitude. "this," he said, "is only a small berlin affliction; but i am also willing and ready to seal with my blood the evangelical truth, and, like my namesake, st. paul, to offer my neck to the sword." to add to his sorrows, gerhardt's wife and a son died in the midst of these troubles. three other children had died previous to this, and now the sorely tried pastor was left with a single child, a boy of six years. in may, , he was called to the church at lübden, where he labored faithfully and with great success until his death, on june , . the glorious spirit that dwelt in him, and which neither trials nor persecutions could quench, is reflected in the lines of his famous hymn, "if god himself be for me," based on the latter part of the eighth chapter of romans: though earth be rent asunder, thou'rt mine eternally; not fire, nor sword, nor thunder, shall sever me from thee; not hunger, thirst, nor danger, not pain nor poverty, nor mighty princes' anger, shall ever hinder me. catherine winkworth, who has translated the same hymn in a different meter under the title, "since jesus is my friend," has probably succeeded best in giving expression to the triumphant faith and the note of transcendent hope and joy in the final stanza: my heart for gladness springs; it cannot more be sad; for very joy it smiles and sings-- sees naught but sunshine glad. the sun that lights mine eyes is christ, the lord i love; i sing for joy of that which lies stored up for me above. because of his own warm, confiding, childlike faith in god, gerhardt's hymns have become a source of special comfort to sorrowing and heavy-laden souls. they not only breathe a spirit of tender consolation but of a "joy unspeakable and full of glory." we have a beautiful example of this in his advent hymn, "o how shall i receive thee": rejoice then, ye sad-hearted, who sit in deepest gloom, who mourn o'er joys departed, and tremble at your doom; he who alone can cheer you is standing at the door; he brings his pity near you, and bids you weep no more. in gerhardt's hymns we find a transition to the modern subjective note in hymnody. sixteen of his hymns begin with the pronoun, "i." they are not characterized, however, by the weak sentimentality so often found in the hymns of our own day, for gerhardt never lost sight of the greatest objective truth revealed to men--justification by faith alone. nevertheless, because of his constant emphasis on the love of god and because his hymns are truly "songs of the heart," they possess a degree of emotional warmth that is lacking in the earlier lutheran hymns. his hymns on the glories of nature have never been surpassed. in contemplating the beauty of created things he is ever praising the creator. his famous evening hymn, "nun ruhen alle wälder," has been likened to the beauty and splendor of the evening star. in a marvelous manner the temporal and the eternal, the terrestrial and the celestial are contrasted in every stanza. it was a favorite hymn of the great german poet, friedrich von schiller, who first heard it sung by his mother as a cradle song. probably no hymn is so generally used by the children of germany as an evening prayer as this one. the most familiar english translation begins with the line, "now rest beneath night's shadow." a more recent translation of rare beauty runs: the restless day now closeth, each flower and tree reposeth, shade creeps o'er wild and wood: let us, as night is falling, on god our maker calling, give thanks to him, the giver good. the tune to which this hymn is sung is as famous as the hymn itself. it is ascribed to heinrich isaak, one of the first of the great german church musicians. it is believed to have been composed by him in , when he was leaving his native town, innsbruck, to establish himself at the court of emperor maximilian i. it was set to the plaintive words, "innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen." according to tradition, isaak first heard the beautiful melody sung by a wandering minstrel. bach and mozart regarded it as one of the sublimest of all chorales, and each is said to have declared that he would rather have been the composer of this tune than any of his great masterpieces. gerhardt wrote hymns in all. in addition to the hymns already mentioned, probably his most famous is "o sacred head, now wounded," based on the latin hymn of bernard of clairvaux. other hymns in common use are "immanuel, we sing thy praise," "holy ghost, dispel our sadness," "o enter, lord, thy temple," "shun, my heart, the thought forever," "commit thou all thy griefs," "all my heart this night rejoices," "beside thy manger here i stand," "awake, my heart, and marvel," "go forth, my heart, and seek delight," "o saviour dear," and "a pilgrim and a stranger." only the briefest mention can be made of other german lutheran hymn-writers of this period. one of these, johan rist, pastor in wedel, was crowned poet laureate of germany by emperor ferdinand iii in , and nine years later was raised to the nobility. rist wrote some hymns, but all are not of uniform excellence. among those in common use to-day are "arise, the kingdom is at hand," "help us, o lord, behold we enter," "rise, o salem, rise and shine," "o living bread from heaven," "o jesus christ, thou bread of life," "father, merciful and holy," which has also been translated "soul of mine, to god awaking," "o darkest woe," and "arise, arise ye christians." georg neumark, court poet and secretary of archives under duke wilhelm ii of saxe-weimar, has left us the hymn of trust in god: "let, o my soul, thy god direct thee," which is also known by the english translation, "if thou but suffer god to guide thee." the hymn was written in , at kiel, when, after being robbed of practically all he possessed except his prayer-book, neumark succeeded in obtaining employment as tutor in a wealthy family. he was a destitute student at the time. michael schirmer, an educator and poet who lived in berlin during the thirty years' war and for two decades after its close, is the author of a number of beautiful hymns, among them the pentecost hymn, "o holy spirit, enter in." because of poverty and afflictions suffered during a period of war and pestilence, he has been called "the german job." ahasuerus fritsch, chancellor and president of the consistory of rudolstadt, is credited with the authorship of "jesus is my joy, my all," a hymn that reflects the spirit of true evangelical piety. he died in . caspar neumann, another of gerhardt's contemporaries, has bequeathed to the church the sublime hymn, "god of ages, all transcending," the last stanza of which is unusually striking in language: say amen, o god our father, to the praise we offer thee; now, to laud thy name we gather; let this to thy glory be. fill us with thy love and grace, till we see thee face to face. neumann, who was a celebrated preacher and professor of theology at breslau from to , was the author of some thirty hymns, all of which became very popular in silesia. he was also author of a famous devotional book, "kern aller gebete." a glorious paean of praise praise to the lord, the almighty, the king of creation! o my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation! all ye who hear, now to his temple draw near, join me in glad adoration. praise to the lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee! surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee; ponder anew what the almighty can do, if with his love he befriend thee! praise thou the lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee, decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee. how oft in grief hath not he brought thee relief, spreading his wings to o'ershade thee! praise to the lord! o let all that is in me adore him! all that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him! let the amen sound from his people again; gladly for aye we adore him. joachim neander, . joachim neander, the paul gerhardt of the calvinists while all germany during the latter half of the seventeenth century was singing the sublime lyrics of paul gerhardt, prince of lutheran hymnists, the spirit of hymnody was beginning to stir in the soul of another german poet--joachim neander. this man, whose name will always be remembered as the author of one of the most glorious hymns of praise of the christian church, was the first hymn-writer produced by the reformed, or calvinistic, branch of the protestant church. hymnody in the reformed church had been seriously retarded by the iconoclastic views of calvin and zwingli. these reformers at first frowned on church choirs, organs, and every form of ecclesiastical art. even hymns, such as those used by the lutherans, were prohibited because they were the production of men. god could be worshiped in a worthy manner, according to calvin's principles, only by hymns which were divinely inspired, namely, the psalms of the old testament psaltery. this gave rise to the practice of versifying the psalms. calvin's insistence that there should be the strictest adherence to the original text often resulted in crude paraphrases. the exclusive use of the psalms explains the development of so-called "psalmody" in the reformed church as over against "hymnody" in the lutheran church. psalmody had its inception in france, where clement marot, court poet to king francis i, rendered a number of the psalms into metrical form. marot was a gifted and versatile genius, but not inclined to piety or serious-mindedness. however, his versified psalms became immensely popular with the french huguenots and exerted a great influence in the struggle between the protestants and the papal party. when marot was compelled to flee to geneva because of roman persecution, he collaborated with calvin in publishing the famous genevan psalter, which appeared in . following the death of marot in , calvin engaged theodore de beza to continue the work, and in the genevan psalter was published in completed form, containing all the psalms in versified dress. the musical editor during the greater part of this period was louis bourgeois, to whom is generally ascribed the undying honor of being the composer of probably the most famous of all christian hymn tunes, "old hundredth." the genevan psalter was translated into many languages, and became the accepted hymn-book of the reformed church in germany, england, scotland, and holland, as well as in france. in germany the most popular version was a translation by ambrosius lobwasser, a professor of law at königsberg, who, oddly enough, was a lutheran. for more than years lutheran hymn-writers had been pouring out a mighty stream of inspired song, but the voice of hymnody was stifled in the reformed church. then came joachim neander. his life was short--he died at the age of thirty--and many of his hymns seem to have been written in the last few months before his death; but the influence he exerted on the subsequent hymnody of his church earned for him the title, "the gerhardt of the reformed church." neander's hymns are preeminently hymns of praise. their jubilant tone and smooth rhythmical flow are at once an invitation to sing them. they speedily found their way into lutheran hymn-books in germany, and from thence to the entire protestant world. neander's most famous hymn, "praise to the lord, the almighty," with its splendid chorale melody, grows in popularity with the passing of years, and promises to live on as one of the greatest _te deums_ of the christian church. joachim neander was born in bremen, germany, in . he came from a distinguished line of clergymen, his father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather having been pastors, and all of them bearing the name joachim neander. young joachim entered the academic gymnasium of bremen at the age of sixteen years. it seems that he led a careless and profligate life, joining in the sins and follies that characterized student life in his age. in the year , when neander was twenty years old, he chanced to attend services in st. martin's church, bremen, where theodore under-eyck had recently come as pastor. two other students accompanied neander, their main purpose being to criticize and scoff at the sermon. however, they had not reckoned with the spirit of god. the burning words of under-eyck made a powerful impression on the mind and heart of the youthful neander, and he who went to scoff came away to pray. it proved the turning point in the spiritual life of the young student. under the guidance of under-eyck he was led to embrace christ as his saviour, and from that time he and under-eyck were life-long friends. the following year neander became tutor to five young students, accompanying them to the university of heidelberg. three years later he became rector of the latin school at düsseldorf. this institution was under the supervision of a reformed pastor, sylvester lürsen, an able man, but of contentious spirit. at first the two men worked together harmoniously, neander assisting with pastoral duties, and preaching occasionally, although he was not ordained as a clergyman. later, however, he fell under the influence of a group of separatists, and began to imitate their practices. he refused to receive the lord's supper on the grounds that he could not partake of it with the unconverted. he induced others to follow his example. he also became less regular in his attendance at regular worship, and began to conduct prayer meetings and services of his own. in the church council of düsseldorf investigated his conduct and dismissed him from his office. fourteen days after this action was taken, however, neander signed a declaration in which he promised to abide by the rules of the church and school, whereupon he was reinstated. there is a legend to the effect that, during the period of his suspension from service, he spent most of his time living in a cave in the beautiful neanderthal, near mettmann, on the rhine, and that he wrote some of his hymns at this place. it is a well-established fact that neander's great love for nature frequently led him to this place, and a cavern in the picturesque glen still bears the name of "neander's cave." one of the hymns which tradition declares was written in this cave bears the title "unbegreiflich gut, wahrer gott alleine." it is a hymn of transcendent beauty. one of the stanzas reads: thee all the mountains praise; the rocks and glens are full of songs of thee! they bid me join my lays, and laud the mighty rock, who, safe from every shock, beneath thy shadow here doth shelter me. many of neander's hymns are odes to nature, but there is always a note of praise to nature's god. witness, for instance: heaven and earth, and sea and air, all their maker's praise declare; wake, my soul, awake and sing, now thy grateful praises bring! "here behold me, as i cast me," a penitential hymn by neander, has found favor throughout all christendom. in neander's spiritual friend, pastor under-eyck, invited him to come to bremen and become his assistant in st. martin's church. although his salary was only thalers a year and a free house, neander joyfully accepted the appointment. the following year, however, he became sick, and after a lingering illness passed away may , , at the age of only thirty years. during his illness he experienced severe spiritual struggles, but he found comfort in the words, "it is better to hope unto death than to die in unbelief." on the day of his death he requested that hebrews : be read to him. when asked how he felt, he replied: "the lord has settled my account. lord jesus, make also me ready." a little later he said in a whisper: "it is well with me. the mountains shall be moved, and the hills shall tremble, yet the grace of god shall not depart from me, and his covenant of peace shall not be moved." a hymn classic by scheffler thee will i love, my strength, my tower, thee will i love, my joy, my crown; thee will i love with all my power, in all thy works, and thee alone; thee will i love, till thy pure fire fill all my soul with chaste desire. i thank thee, uncreated sun, that thy bright beams on me have shined; i thank thee, who hast overthrown my foes, and healed my wounded mind; i thank thee, whose enlivening voice bids my freed heart in thee rejoice. uphold me in the doubtful race, nor suffer me again to stray; strengthen my feet with steady pace still to press forward in thy way; that all my powers, with all their might, in thy sole glory may unite. thee will i love, my joy, my crown; thee will i love, my lord, my god; thee love beneath thy smile or frown, beneath thy scepter or thy rod. what though my flesh and heart decay? thee shall i love in endless day. johann scheffler, . a roman mystic and hymn-writer in johann scheffler we have the singular example of a man who forsook the lutheran church to become a romanist, but whose hymns have been adopted and sung by the very church he sought to oppose and confound. scheffler was a contemporary of gerhardt and neander. he was born in breslau, silesia, in . his father, stanislaus scheffler, was a polish nobleman who had been compelled to leave his native land because of his lutheran convictions. young scheffler became a medical student at strassburg, leyden, and padua, returning to oels, silesia, in to become the private physician to duke sylvius nimrod of württemberg-oels. during his sojourn in foreign lands he had come in contact with the writings of various mystics and he began to lean strongly toward their teachings. at oels he began to flaunt his separatist views by absenting himself from public worship and the lord's supper. when the lutheran authorities refused to permit the publication of some poems he had written, because of their strong mystical tendencies, scheffler resigned his office and betook himself to breslau, where he joined himself to a group of jesuits. here he pursued the study of the medieval mystics of the roman catholic church, and in was confirmed as a member of that communion. at this time he took the name of angelus silesius, probably after a spanish mystic named john ab angelis. in he was ordained a priest of the roman church. he became a prolific writer and took special delight in directing bitter polemics against the church of his childhood. of these writings, it has been well said: "he certainly became more roman than the romans; and in his more than fifty controversial tractates, shows little of the sweetness and repose for which some have thought he left the lutheran church." scheffler, however, was a poet of the first rank. his poems, always tinged by the spirit of mysticism, sometimes attain to sublime heights, and again they descend to a coarse realism, particularly when he describes the terrors of judgment and hell. his hymns, on the other hand, are almost uniformly of a high order. they are marked by a fervent love for christ the heavenly bridegroom, although the imagery, largely based on the song of solomon, is sometimes overdrawn, almost approaching the sensual. few of his hymns reveal his catholic tendencies, and therefore they were gladly received by the protestants. indeed, they came into more general use among the lutherans than among the catholics. they were greatly admired by count von zinzendorf, who included no less than of them in his moravian collection. the mysticism of scheffler often brought him dangerously near the border-line of pantheism. vaughn, in his "hours with the mystics," compares scheffler with emerson, and declares that both resemble the persian sufis. something of scheffler's pantheistic ideas may be seen in the following lines: god in my nature is involved, as i in the divine; i help to make his being up, as much as he does mine. and again in this: i am as rich as god; no grain of dust that is not mine, too: share with me he must. duffield, commenting on these astonishing lines, observes, "we need not wonder that this high-flown self-assumption carried him to the door of a jesuit convent. it is in the very key of much that passes with romanist theology for heavenly rapture and delight in god." the pantheistic views of scheffler may be discerned even in his dying prayer: "jesus and christ, god and man, bridegroom and brother, peace and joy, sweetness and delight, refuge and redemption, heaven and earth, eternity and time, love and all, receive my soul." however, we must agree with albert knapp in his judgment of scheffler's beautiful hymns, that "whencesoever they may come, they are an unfading ornament of the church of jesus christ." the gem among them is "thee will i love, my strength, my tower." others that have come into general use are "earth has nothing sweet or fair," "thy soul, o jesus, hallow me," "come, follow me, the saviour spake," "jesus, saviour, come to me," "thou holiest love, whom most i love," and "loving shepherd, kind and true." a gem among pietistic hymns o jesus, source of calm repose, thy like no man nor angel knows, fairest among ten thousand fair! e'en those whom death's sad fetters bound, whom thickest darkness compassed round, find light and life, if thou appear. renew thine image, lord, in me, lowly and gentle may i be; no charms but these to thee are dear; no anger may'st thou ever find, no pride, in my unruffled mind, but faith, and heaven-born peace, be there. a patient, a victorious mind, that life and all things casts behind, springs forth obedient to thy call, a heart that no desire can move, but still to praise, believe, and love, give me, my lord, my life, my all! johann anastasius freylinghausen, . hymn-writers of the pietist school spiritual revivals in the christian church have always been accompanied by an outburst of song. this was true of the reformation, which witnessed the birth of the lutheran church, and it was also characteristic of the pietistic movement, which infused new life and fervor into that communion. the pietistic revival, which in many respects was similar to the puritan and wesleyan movements in england, had its inception in germany in the latter part of the th century and continued during the first half of the th century. it quickly spread to other lutheran countries, particularly scandinavia, and its influence has been felt even to the present time. the leader of the movement was philipp jacob spener, pastor of st. nicolai church, in berlin. spener, although a loyal and zealous son of the lutheran church, was not blind to the formalism and dead orthodoxy which had overtaken it following the thirty years' war and which threatened to dry up the streams of spiritual life. to stimulate spiritual endeavor and personal piety, spener and his followers organized bible study groups. they also encouraged private assemblies for mutual edification. these were known as _collegia pietatis_, which gave rise to the name, "pietists." august hermann francke, the foremost disciple of spener, succeeded the latter as leader of the movement. the university of halle, where francke was called as professor in , became the center of pietism. here francke laid the foundations for the remarkable philanthropic and educational institutions that made his name known throughout the christian world. it began in when the great-hearted man opened a room in his own house for the instruction of poor children. within a few years he had established his great orphanage, a high school, and a home for destitute students. the orphans' home was erected on a site where there had been a beer and dancing garden. when francke began he had no money, nor did he receive any support from the state, but as the marvelous work progressed funds poured in from all quarters. in the year of his death, , more than , children were receiving care and instruction from teachers. altogether, some , graduates of theology left halle during francke's career, "men imbued with his spirit, good exegetes, and devoted pastors, who spread their doctrines all over germany, and in the early decades of the th century occupied a majority of the pulpits." halle also became the cradle of the modern missionary movement. from this place, in , bartholomew ziegenbalg and henry plütschau, were sent forth as the first missionaries to india, nearly a century before william carey left england for the same field. at halle the youthful count von zinzendorf became a pupil under francke and received the inspiration that in later years led to the establishment of the far-reaching missions of the moravians. to halle the founder of methodism, john wesley, came in , shortly after his conversion in london, in order to become more familiar with the teachings of luther and the pietists. the secret of the marvelous success of francke's efforts may be read in the simple inscription on the monument erected to his memory in front of the famous orphanage at halle. it reads: "he trusted in god." neither francke nor spener were hymn-writers of note, although each composed a few songs. the pietist movement, however, gave birth to a great revival in hymnody in germany, both in lutheran and reformed circles. at halle it was johann anastasius freylinghausen who not only became the representative hymnist of the pietists, but also succeeded francke as head of the great halle institutions. freylinghausen was a student at the university of jena when he first heard the preaching of francke. shortly afterward he followed him to halle, and in became francke's colleague. he preached at vesper services, conducted midweek meetings, taught classes in the orphanage school, and delivered lectures on homiletics. he served without salary for ten years, since francke was obliged to use all his income for the support of his institutions of mercy. in freylinghausen married francke's only daughter. at her baptism as an infant he had been her sponsor, and she had received his name, johanna anastasia. it was after francke's death in that the halle institutions reached their highest development under the direction of freylinghausen. when the latter died in , he was buried beside his beloved friend. freylinghausen's "geistreiches gesangbuch" became the standard hymn-book of the pietistic movement. the first edition appeared in and contained hymns. a second hymn-book was published in , containing additional hymns. the two collections were combined in by g. a. francke and published as one hymn-book, containing , hymns and tunes. freylinghausen was the author of forty-four of these hymns, and is also said to have composed some of the melodies. the hymns of freylinghausen are the most worthy of all those produced by the pietistic school. they are marked by genuine piety, depth of feeling, rich christian experience, and faithfulness in scriptural expression. the tunes employed, however, were often a distinct departure from the traditional lutheran chorales, and were not always suited to congregational worship. freylinghausen's most famous hymn, "o jesus, source of calm repose," was greatly admired by john wesley, who translated it into english in . the so-called "jesus hymns," which reached their greatest development among the pietists, find their sweetest expression in freylinghausen's: who is there like thee, jesus, unto me? none is like thee, none above thee, thou art altogether lovely; none on earth have we, none in heaven like thee. it is not strange that from halle, from whence such mighty missionary influences flowed, should also go forth the first protestant missionary hymn. it was in that karl heinrich von bogatzky, while working among the orphans of the franckean institutions, wrote his famous hymn, "awake, thou spirit, who didst fire." bogatzky, who came from a noble hungarian family, was disowned by his father when he chose to enroll as a theological student at halle rather than to prepare for a career as an army officer. his health failed him, however, and he was unable to enter the ministry. for many years he devoted himself to hymn-writing and devotional literature. he also traveled as a lay preacher. because of his noble birth he was able to exert a considerable influence in the higher circles of german society. from to his death in , he lived at the halle orphanage. he was the author of some hymns, but few of them possess the poetic and spiritual fire of his missionary hymn. two of its glorious stanzas read: awake, thou spirit, who didst fire the watchmen of the church's youth, who faced the foe's envenomed ire, who day and night declared thy truth, whose voices loud are ringing still, and bringing hosts to know thy will. o haste to help, ere we are lost! send preachers forth, in spirit strong, armed with thy word, a dauntless host, bold to attack the rule of wrong; let them the earth for thee reclaim, thy heritage, to know thy name. johann jacob rambach was another important hymn-writer of this period. the son of a cabinet maker of halle, young rambach attended the free school established by francke and came under the direct influence of the great pietist leader. like many a youth, however, he felt that his education was complete at the age of thirteen years, at which time he left school to work in his father's shop. the lord, on the other hand, seems to have had other plans for the lad, and it was not long before young rambach suffered a dislocated ankle. confined to his bed for several weeks, he again turned to his books, and, before he had recovered, the desire to resume his studies took possession of him. rambach eventually became one of the outstanding theologians of halle, as well as preacher at the school church. in he removed to giessen to become superintendent and first professor of theology. here he found conditions vastly different from those at halle. he was particularly grieved over the fact that his preaching did not seem to bear fruit. often his efforts to bring about healthier spiritual conditions met with opposition and scoffing on the part of his adversaries. he died in at the early age of forty-two years--from intense sorrow over the spiritual indifference of his flock, so it has been said. rambach wrote many splendid hymns, among them the confirmation hymn, "baptized into thy name most holy." his fame rests principally on his work as a hymnologist, however. during his life-time he published a number of collections from all sources. these hymns were chosen with fine discrimination, and rambach was the first hymn editor to make a distinction between hymns for congregational worship and those particularly suited for private devotion. the beautiful advent hymn, "rejoice, all ye believers," as well as the epiphany hymn, "o saviour of our race," also date from the pietistic period. both hymns apparently were written in by laurentius laurentii, cantor and director of music in the lutheran cathedral at bremen. laurentii was not only a splendid musician, but also a hymn-writer of high order, and no less than thirty-four of his hymns were included in the freylinghausen collections. other hymnists of the pietistic school include christian scriver, writer of the famous devotional book, "seelenschatz;" gottfried arnold, a noted church historian; ernst gottlieb woltersdorf, founder of an orphanage at bunzlau, and christian richter, a pious physician and an associate of francke. few of their hymns, however, are in common use today. a hymn of longing for christ o son of god, we wait for thee, we long for thine appearing; we know thou sittest on the throne, and we thy name are bearing. who trusts in thee may joyful be, and see thee, lord, descending to bring us bliss unending. we wait for thee, 'mid toil and pain, in weariness and sighing; but glad that thou our guilt hast borne, and cancelled it by dying. hence, cheerfully may we with thee take up our cross and bear it, till we the crown inherit. we wait for thee; here thou hast won our hearts to hope and duty; but while our spirits feel thee near, our eyes would see thy beauty; we fain would be at rest with thee in peace and joy supernal, in glorious life eternal. we wait for thee; soon thou wilt come, the time is swiftly nearing; in this we also do rejoice, and long for thine appearing. o bliss 'twill be when thee we see, homeward thy people bringing, with ecstasy and singing! philipp friedrich hiller, . the wÜrttemberg hymn-writers the pietistic movement quickly made its influence felt in all parts of germany. in some quarters, especially in the latter stages of the movement, it assumed more radical forms. sometimes it developed into emotionalism and mysticism. the hymns were often of a subjective type, which led the worshiper to think more about his own inner processes and feelings than to direct his thoughts to him alone who can redeem and sanctify. some of the pietistic hymnists, notably woltersdorf, were given to the use of inordinate language and even sensuous descriptions for the purpose of arousing intense emotion. in one of woltersdorf's passion hymns, he dwells morbidly on every detail of the physical sufferings of christ, and in another hymn he borrows scheffler's figure which likens the soul to a bee deriving sustenance from the crimson wounds of christ. on the other hand, the pietistic hymn is exemplified in its highest and noblest form in the writings of the so-called württemberg school of hymnists, the chief exponent of which was philipp friedrich hiller. württemberg was blessed with the famous scholar and theologian, johann albrecht bengel, whose sound doctrinal views and profound understanding of human nature not only led to a healthy development of pietism in southern germany, but also left a lasting impression on all the theological students who came under his influence at the training schools at denkendorf, near esslingen. hiller was one of these. hiller's hymns and those of the other württemberg hymnists never indulge in the weak emotional effusions of which the later halle hymn-writers were often guilty. hiller was a man sorely tried in the school of adversity. shortly after he began his pastorate at steinheim, in , he lost his voice and was unable to continue his pulpit duties. however, he believed implicitly in the pauline teaching that "to them that love god all things work together for good," and, when his voice became silent, his spirit began to sing hymns richer and sweeter than ever. witness, for example, the note of tenderness in the last stanza of his baptismal hymn, "god, in human flesh appearing": feeble is the love of mother, father's blessings are as naught, when compared, my king and brother, with the wonders thou hast wrought; thus it pleased thy heavenly meekness; pleasing also be my praise, till my songs of earthly weakness burst into celestial lays. hiller was a prolific writer, his hymns numbering no less than , in all. most of these were written for his devotional book, "geistliches liederkästlein," a work that holds an honored place beside the bible in many pious homes in southern germany. indeed, it has been carried by german emigrants to all parts of the world. it is related that when a germany colony in the caucasus was attacked by a fierce circassian tribe about a hundred years ago, the parents cut up their copies of the "liederkästlein" and distributed its leaves among their children who were being carried off into slavery. hiller's hymns, though simple in form and artless in expression, have retained a strong hold on the people of württemberg and are extensively used to this day. among the more popular are "o boundless joy, there is salvation," "jesus christ as king is reigning," and "o son of god, we wait for thee." hiller's rule for hymn-writing, as set forth in one of his prefaces, could be followed with profit by many modern writers of sentimental tendencies. he says: "i have always striven for simplicity. bombastic expressions of a soaring imagination, a commonplace and too familiar manner of speaking of christ as a brother, of kisses and embraces, of individual souls as the particular bride of christ, of naive and pet images for the christ-child,--all these i have scrupulously avoided, and serious-minded men will not blame me if, in this respect, i have revered the majesty of our lord." another representative of the württemberg school was baron christoph carl ludwig von pfeil, a diplomat of high attainments and noble, christian character. in september, , he was appointed by frederick the great as prussian ambassador to the diets of swabia and franconia. he was created a baron by emperor joseph ii shortly afterwards. pfeil began writing hymns at the age of eighteen years and continued it as his chief diversion throughout life. he was a prolific writer, his published hymns numbering about . he was a warm friend of bengel, who wrote the introduction to one of pfeil's hymn collections. pfeil wrote hymns on various phases of civil life. his hymn on the christian home is typical: o blest the house, whate'er befall, where jesus christ is all in all; yea, if he were not dwelling there, how poor and dark and void it were! the silesian pastors, johann andreas rothe and johann mentzer, also may be regarded as belonging to the more conservative pietistic hymn-writers. rothe was pastor at berthelsdorf, having been brought there through the influence of count von zinzendorf, who had heard him preach in silesia. the moravian community of herrnhut formed a part of rothe's parish, and he took a keen interest in the activities of zinzendorf and his followers. however, when rothe, in , found it necessary to report to the ecclesiastical authorities that the moravians were deviating from sound lutheran doctrine, the friendship between him and zinzendorf ceased, and rothe found it advisable to remove to thommendorf, where he died in . rothe wrote approximately forty hymns, the most famous of which is "now i have found the ground wherein." this hymn was greatly admired by john wesley and was translated by him in . because it first appeared in the moravian hymn-book, the lutherans suspected that zinzendorf was the author. upon discovering that it was by rothe, they quickly adopted it. the first stanza reads: now i have found the ground wherein my soul's sure anchor may remain: the wounds of jesus, for my sin before the world's foundation slain; whose mercy shall unshaken stay when heaven and earth are fled away. mentzer, who has given us the beautiful hymn, "o would, my god, that i could praise thee," was born at jahmen, silesia, in . for thirty-eight years he was pastor at kemnitz, saxony, at which place he wrote his hymns, about thirty in number. there is an exalted strain in his hymns of praise: o all ye powers that he implanted, arise, keep silence thus no more, put forth the strength that he hath granted, your noblest work is to adore; o soul and body, be ye meet with heartfelt praise your lord to greet. this hymn sometimes begins with the line, "o that i had a thousand voices." a noble hymn of worship light of light, enlighten me, now anew the day is dawning; sun of grace, the shadows flee, brighten thou my sabbath morning. with thy joyous sunshine blest, happy is my day of rest! fount of all our joy and peace, to thy living waters lead me; thou from earth my soul release, and with grace and mercy feed me. bless thy word, that it may prove rich in fruits that thou dost love. kindle thou the sacrifice that upon my lips is lying; clear the shadows from mine eyes, that, from every error flying, no strange fire may in me glow that thine altar doth not know. let me with my heart today, holy, holy, holy, singing, rapt awhile from earth away, all my soul to thee upspringing, have a foretaste inly given, how they worship thee in heaven. benjamin schmolck, . how a great organist inspired two hymnists while all the hymn-writers of germany in the early part of the eighteenth century were more or less influenced by the pietistic movement, there were some who nevertheless refused to be carried away by the emotional extravagances of which some of the halle song-writers were often guilty. in the hymns of these more conservative psalmists we find a happy blending of objective teaching and a warm, personal faith that reminds us of the earlier hymns of gerhardt. the chief representatives of this more typical lutheran school were benjamin schmolck, a beloved pastor and a poet of rare ability, and erdmann neumeister, creator of the church cantata. it was the age in which john sebastian bach lived and wrought, and this prince of lutheran organists, whose title of "high priest of church music" has never been disputed, gave of his musical genius to help make the hymns of schmolck and neumeister immortal. next to gerhardt, there is no german hymnist whose name is so frequently found in hymn-books today as that of schmolck. born at brauchitzdorf, silesia, where his father was pastor, he was sent to school at lauban at the age of sixteen. after an absence of five years the young man returned home and was invited to fill his father's pulpit. the sermon he preached so pleased the father that he determined to send him to the university of leipzig to study for the ministry. in he returned to brauchitzdorf to be ordained as his father's assistant. in schmolck became pastor of friedenskirche at schweidnitz, in silesia. according to the terms of the peace of westphalia in , all of the churches in this district had been turned over to the catholics, and only a "meeting-house," built of timber and clay and without tower or bells, was allowed to the lutherans. here schmolck labored patiently for thirty-five years under the most trying circumstances, not even being permitted to administer communion to the dying except by consent of the catholic authorities. schmolck's hymns and spiritual songs, numbering , in all, brought him fame all over germany. many have been translated into english. his fervent love for the saviour is beautifully reflected in the hymn: my jesus, as thou wilt! o may thy will be mine! into thy hand of love i would my all resign; through sorrow or through joy, conduct me as thine own, and help me still to say, "my lord, thy will be done!" "light of light, enlighten me," a noble hymn of praise and adoration, has been happily wedded to a glorious chorale by bach. other hymns that have won renown throughout the christian world include "open now thy gates of beauty," "welcome, thou victor in the strife," "blessed jesus, here we stand," "what our father does is well," "my god, i know that i must die," "hallelujah, lo, he wakes," "my truest friend abides in heaven," and "precious word from god in heaven." the joyous spirit in many of schmolck's hymns may be seen reflected in the beautiful temple hymn: open now thy gates of beauty, zion, let me enter there. where my soul in joyful duty waits for him who answers prayer; o how blessèd is this place, filled with solace, light, and grace! neumeister followed the example of schmolck in becoming an ardent champion of the older, conservative lutheranism. although he was greatly influenced as a youth by the writings of francke, he later became convinced that there were dangerous tendencies in the halle and herrnhut movements, and he did not hesitate to issue violent polemics against them. his hymns, on the other hand, offer a curious contrast to his other writings. often they reveal a warmth and tenderness of feeling that would have merited a place for them in any pietistic hymn-book. this may be seen in the hymn, "jesus sinners doth receive," which has also been translated "sinners may to christ draw near:" "jesus sinners doth receive!" word of surest consolation; word all sorrow to relieve, word of pardon, peace, salvation! naught like this can comfort give: "jesus sinners doth receive!" neumeister became pastor of st. james church in hamburg in , where he remained for forty-one years until his death in . his fame does not rest merely upon his hymns, although he wrote in all, but neumeister will also be remembered as the originator of the church cantata. in this new field of musical art he was fortunate in having the coöperation of such a genius as bach. bach belonged to the fifth generation of a remarkable family of musicians. as many as thirty-seven of the family are known to have held important musical positions. john sebastian, who is by far the greatest musician the protestant church has produced, was born in eisenach, on march , . the greater part of his life was spent in leipzig, where he labored from until his death in as cantor of the thomas school and director of music at the thomas and nicolai churches. bach's devotion to the lutheran church has been likened to that of palestrina to the catholic church. there is no loftier example of musical genius dedicated to the service of the christian religion than we find in the life of bach. he felt that his life was consecrated to god, to the honor of his church, and to the blessing of mankind. although it was the age when the opera was flourishing in europe, bach gave no attention to it, but devoted all his remarkable talent to church music. as master of the organ, bach has never been equaled. his chorales and passion music also belong in a class by themselves. a famous critic has written: "mozart and beethoven failed in oratorio, schubert in opera; the italian operas of gluck and handel have perished. even in the successful work of these men there is a strange inequality. but upon all that bach attempted--and the amount of his work is no less a marvel than its quality--he affixed the stamp of final and inimitable perfection." with the passing of years, bach's genius is being recognized more and more throughout the christian church. the performance of his cantatas by the catholic schola cantorum of paris "is one of the many testimonies to the universality of the art of this son of lutheranism." there is something in his mighty productions that touches the deepest chords of religious emotion, regardless of creed or communion. a hymn on the mystical union thou hidden love of god, whose height, whose depth unfathomed no man knows, i see from far thy beauteous light, inly i sigh for thy repose: my heart is pained, nor can it be at rest; till it find rest in thee. is there a thing beneath the sun that strives with thee my heart to share? ah! tear it thence, and reign alone, the lord of every motion there. then shall my heart from earth be free, when it hath found repose in thee. o hide this self from me, that i no more, but christ in me, may live! my base affections crucify, nor let one favorite sin survive; in all things nothing may i see, nothing desire, or seek, but thee. each moment draw from earth away my heart that lowly waits thy call! speak to my inmost soul, and say: "i am thy love, thy god, thy all!" to feel thy power, to hear thy voice, to taste thy love, be all my choice! gerhard tersteegen, . gerhard tersteegen, hymn-writer and mystic while benjamin schmolck must be regarded as the greatest of lutheran hymn-writers in germany during the eighteenth century, gerhard tersteegen holds the same distinction among german reformed hymnists. except for the wesleys in england, no man during his age exerted so great a spiritual influence in evangelical circles of all lands as did tersteegen. in some respects his religious views bordered on fanaticism, but no one could question his deep sincerity and his earnest desire to live the life hidden with christ in god. born at mörs, rhenish prussia, november , , tersteegen was only six years old when his father died. it had been the plan of his parents that he should become a reformed minister, but the death of the father made it impossible for the mother to carry out this purpose. at the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to a merchant, and four years later entered business on his own account. although he was only twenty years old at this time, he began to experience seasons of deep spiritual despondency. this lasted for nearly five years, during which time he changed his occupation to that of silk weaving, since he desired more time for prayer and meditation. it was not until the year , while on a journey to a neighboring town, that light seemed to dawn on his troubled soul, and he was filled with the assurance that god's grace in christ jesus was sufficient to atone for all sin. in the joy and peace which he had found, he immediately wrote the beautiful hymn, "how gracious, kind and good, my great high priest, art thou." from this time until the close of his life, tersteegen began to devote his energies more and more to religious work and literary activities. an independent religious movement known as "stillen im lande" had begun about this time, and he soon became known as a leader among these people. tersteegen had already ceased to associate with his friends in the reformed church, and had gone over to religious mysticism. in one of his strange spiritual moods he wrote what he called "a covenant between himself and god" and signed it with his own blood. finally he gave up business pursuits entirely, and his home became the refuge of multitudes of sick and spiritually troubled people. it came to be known as the "pilgrim's hut," from the fact that many found a temporary retreat there, as well as spiritual help and guidance. tersteegen also traveled extensively in his own district, and made frequent visits to holland to hold meetings there. tersteegen never married, and for this reason he was accused of teaching celibacy. several sects, including the moravians, sought to induce him to become one of their number, but he steadfastly refused to identify himself with any organized church body. he died at mülheim, april , . tersteegen's hymns, as well as his other writings, reflect his spirit of mysticism. his soul was imbued with the sense of the nearness of god, and, through a life of spiritual communion and a renunciation of the world, he developed a simplicity of faith and a child-like trust that found beautiful expression in his hymns. two of these, "thou hidden love of god whose height" and "lo, god is here, let us adore," made a deep impression on john wesley, who translated the former during his visit to georgia in . wesley became familiar with tersteegen's hymns through contact with moravian pilgrims who were crossing the atlantic on the same ship on which he sailed. "lo, god is here, let us adore" has several english versions, including "god is in his temple" and "god himself is present." another of tersteegen's hymns, "god calling yet! shall i not hear?" is one of the most stirring calls to repentance in all the realm of christian hymnody. it was rendered into english by mrs. sarah borthwick findlater in the series of translations known as "hymns from the land of luther." other noted hymns by tersteegen include "jesus, whom thy church doth own," "o love divine, all else transcending," and "triumph, ye heavens," the latter a christmas lyric of exultant strain. tersteegen's conception of the high place which hymnody should occupy in christian worship is revealed in his writings. he says: "the pious, reverential singing of hymns has something angelic about it and is accompanied by divine blessing. it quiets and subdues the troubled emotions; it drives away cares and anxieties; it strengthens, refreshes and encourages the soul; it draws the mind unconsciously from external things, lifts up the soul to joyful adoration, and thus prepares us to worship in spirit and in truth. we should sing with the spirit of reverence, with sincerity, simplicity and hearty desire.... when you sing, o soul, remember that you are as truly communing with the holy and omnipresent god as when you are praying. consider that you are standing in spirit before the throne of god with countless thousands of angels and spirits of the just and that you are blending your weak praises with the music of heaven. serve the lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." following a heavenly leader jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won, and although the way be cheerless, we will follow, calm and fearless. guide us by thy hand to our fatherland! if the way be drear, if the foe be near, let not faithless fear o'ertake us, let not faith and hope forsake us; for through many a foe to our home we go! when we seek relief from a long-felt grief, when temptations come alluring, make us patient and enduring, show us that bright shore where we weep no more! jesus, still lead on, till our rest be won; heavenly leader, still direct us, still support, console, protect us, till we safely stand in our fatherland! nicolaus ludwig, count zinzendorf, zinzendorf and moravian hymnody the church of the moravian brethren is famous for two things: its missionary zeal and its love for church music. it owes both of these distinguishing characteristics to its great founder and patron leader, nicolaus ludwig, count von zinzendorf. not only was this very unusual man a gifted writer of hymns, but he was also an ardent exponent of foreign missions. zinzendorf was only ten years old when his soul was fired with a passionate desire to do something to help win the world for christ. he was a pupil at the famous pietist school of francke at halle, germany, at the time, and through his endeavors a mission society known as "the order of the grain of mustard seed," was organized among the lads of his own age. a few years later he chanced to see a copy of sternberg's masterpiece, "ecce homo," depicting christ wearing his crown of thorns before pilate and the jewish mob. beneath the famous picture were inscribed the words: this have i done for thee; what hast thou done for me? from that moment zinzendorf took as his life motto: "i have but one passion, and that is he and only he." on his wedding day, in , he and his young bride decided to renounce their rank and to dedicate their lives to the task of winning souls for christ. the lord took them at their word. in that same year a number of protestant refugees from moravia, who had been compelled to leave their homes because of roman catholic persecution, arrived in saxony and found refuge on zinzendorf's large estate. they were a remnant of the bohemian brethren, a heroic religious communion which dated back to the days of the noble martyr, john huss. though relentlessly hunted and persecuted for more than three centuries, this early evangelical body had continued to maintain its existence in the form of secret religious circles known as "the hidden seed." under the protection of count zinzendorf, the little band of moravian refugees established a religious center which they called "herrnhut." zinzendorf, who was a lutheran, induced them to adopt the augsburg confession as a statement of their doctrine, but they continued to exist as an independent church body. people from all over europe, hearing that religious freedom was enjoyed on the zinzendorf estates, flocked to herrnhut in large numbers to escape persecution, and it soon became a flourishing colony. in zinzendorf accepted ordination as a bishop of the brethren, and thus became the real leader of the organization. he immediately began to impart his own missionary zeal to the moravian movement. two of the earliest missionaries, david nitschmann and leonard dober, were sent to the island of st. thomas, in the west indies, to preach the gospel to the negro slaves. the blacks were so embittered because of the cruel treatment received at the hands of their taskmasters that they refused to listen to the missionaries, and very little progress could be made. at last, in order to gain their confidence, dober sold himself as a slave and shared their hardships with them. he soon died, however, as a result of this deed. the story of his heroic sacrifice so moved the heart of prime minister wilberforce of england that he forthwith determined to begin the movement which eventually led to the emancipation of all slaves in the british empire. missionary zeal continued to flourish among the moravians, and the little colony of herrnhut became known as one of the most famous missionary centers of christendom. every one of its members felt that he possessed no permanent habitation in this world, and was prepared every day to be sent to any part of the globe. though still a small organization today, the moravian church has never lost its missionary spirit. it is claimed that for every fifty-eight members of the church at home, there is one missionary in foreign lands. when carey went to india, the moravians already had missionaries in the pagan world. zinzendorf was a great lover of music. even as a boy, he wrote hymns. the first was written at the age of twelve, and he was still producing hymns in , the year of his death. altogether, he is credited with the authorship of more than , lyrics. his most famous is "jesus, still lead on," which is also known as "jesus, lead the way." john wesley was a great admirer of zinzendorf's hymns and has given us the beautiful english translation of "jesus, thy blood and righteousness." james montgomery, the noted english hymnist, was a member of the moravian communion. a glorious hymn of adoration beautiful saviour! king of creation! son of god and son of man! truly i'd love thee, truly i'd serve thee, light of my soul, my joy, my crown. fair are the meadows, fair are the woodlands, robed in flowers of blooming spring; jesus is fairer, jesus is purer; he makes our sorrowing spirit sing. fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high; jesus shines brighter, jesus shines purer than all the angels in the sky. beautiful saviour! lord of the nations! son of god and son of man! glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and for evermore be thine! münster gesangbuch, . two famous hymns and some legends every hymn has a story. ofttimes, however, the origin is obscure, and it is difficult to trace its birth out of the misty past. again there are so many legends that have gathered around the great lyrics of the ages, many of them generally accepted, that it becomes a painful process to get rid of these excrescences. two beautiful german hymns, "schönster herr jesu" and "stille nacht! heilige nacht!" may serve to illustrate these difficulties. in innumerable hymn-books the former hymn, sometimes translated "beautiful saviour" and sometimes "fairest lord jesus," is designated as "the crusaders' hymn." the hymn was first introduced to american worshipers by richard storrs willis, who included it in his "church chorals and choir studies," published in . it was accompanied with this explanation: "this hymn, to which the harmony has been added, was lately ( ) discovered in westphalia. according to the traditionary text by which it is accompanied, it was wont to be sung by the german knights on their way to jerusalem. the only hymn of the same century which in point of style resembles this is one quoted by burney from the chatelaine de coucy, set about the year , very far inferior, however, to this." in a london hymn-book, "heart melodies" by morgan and chase, the same error is repeated. there it is referred to as "crusader's hymn of the twelfth century. this air and hymn used to be sung by the german pilgrims on their way to jerusalem." "for these statements," writes james mearns, "there does not seem to be the shadow of foundation, for the air referred to has not been traced earlier than , nor the words than ." the hymn appeared anonymously in the "münster gesangbuch" of , where it was published as the first of "three beautiful selected new hymns." in a book of silesian folk songs, published in leipzig in , the text is found in altered form and the beautiful melody to which it is now sung is given for the first time. both text and melody, it is explained in this book, were taken down from oral recitation in the district of glaz, in lower silesia. from these facts we are compelled to draw the conclusion that this glorious hymn of adoration to the saviour probably dates back to the seventeenth century, while the melody is undoubtedly a silesian folk song of much later origin. the english translation, "beautiful saviour," has come to us from the pen of joseph a. seiss, the noted lutheran preacher of philadelphia. "silent night, holy night" also is a hymn around which numerous legends have clustered. the most unfortunate of these deals with its origin. according to this story, the hymn was written on a christmas eve by a "mr. mohr," whose wife that very day had gone to celebrate christmas in heaven. in an adjoining room the grief-stricken husband and father could see his little motherless children sleeping. outside the house of mourning the stillness of the night was broken suddenly by the singing of christmas carolers. they were singing the very songs his wife and children used to sing. now, he thought, she is blending her voice with the angels. then came the inspiration for the hymn, and in a few moments he had penned the now famous "stille nacht." this is a very touching story, but its fatal defect lies in the fact that "mr. mohr" was a roman catholic priest. the true story of the origin of the hymn has much less of the emotional appeal. the author, joseph mohr, was born at salzburg, austria, december , . he was ordained as a priest at the age of twenty-three, becoming assistant at laufen, near his native city. it was here, three years later, that the beautiful christmas carol was written. it seems that a shipowner at oberndorf named maier and his wife had invited the young priest to be their guest at a pre-christmas party. as a special surprise for the priest, maier had invited some wandering minstrels to stage a crude representation of the christmas story as recounted in the bible. the thoughtful hospitality of the maier couple and the touching simplicity of the festival play so stirred the heart of mohr that, instead of going straightway home, he climbed the so-called "totenberg," (mountain of the dead) overlooking oberndorf, and stood in silent meditation. the silence of the night, the starry splendor of the winter sky, the murmur of the salzach river thrilled his soul. quickly he descended to his parish house, and late that night wrote the words of "stille nacht." the next day he hurried to his friend and co-worker, franz gruber, organist and school teacher, and asked him to write music for his lines. the latter eagerly embraced the opportunity, and thus was given to the world one of the most exquisite of christmas carols. a classical harvest hymn we plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by god's almighty hand; he sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine, and soft, refreshing rain. he only is the maker of all things near and far; he paints the wayside flower, he lights the evening star; the winds and waves obey him, by him the birds are fed; much more to us, his children, he gives our daily bread. we thank thee, then, o father, for all things bright and good, the seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food; no gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts, but that which thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts. matthias claudius, . hymnody in the age of rationalism in religion, as in other things, the pendulum often swings from one extreme to the other. scarcely had the pietistic movement run its course before the rationalistic tendencies which had thrown religious thought into confusion in france and england began to make their appearance in germany. rationalism was an attempt to subject all revealed religion to the test and judgment of the human reason. that which seemed to contradict reason was rejected as superstitious and untrue. strangely enough, the university of halle, which had been the citadel of pietism, became the stronghold of rationalism in germany. christian wolff and johann semler, noted philosophers of halle, were leaders in the movement. it was not their purpose to establish a new religion of reason, but to "purge" christianity of the things that seemed unreasonable. but the results of the movement were devastating. the miracles of the bible that could not be explained by natural causes were rejected as "fables." christ was robbed of his glory as a divine saviour and was regarded only as a teacher of morals. religion became merely the knowledge of god and the pursuit of virtue. what remained of christianity was a mere shadow: a hypothesis concerning god and immortality, and a teaching of external morality, the attainment of which was largely a matter of man's own efforts. rationalism cast its blight over the hymnody of all europe, but particularly in germany. it was the golden age of german literature, but such geniuses as goethe, schiller, lessing and wieland were not filled with the christian zeal of earlier poets, and they wrote no hymns. most of the hymns that were produced were so tinged with the spirit of the "new theology" that they contained no elements of vitality to give them permanent value. the rationalists were not satisfied with criticizing the bible; they also sought to "purge" the hymn-books. the old hymns of luther, heermann, selnecker, and gerhardt were so completely altered that a noted german hymnologist, albert knapp, was moved to observe ironically: "the old hymns were subjected to a kind of transmigration of soul by which their spirits, after having lost their own personality, entered into other bodies." only a few writers, such as friedrich gottlieb klopstock, balthasar münter, christian gellert and matthias claudius, wrote hymns of any abiding worth. klopstock, the german milton, whose epic, "messiah," thrilled germany as had no other poetic work in centuries, essayed to write a few hymns, but he soared too high. his hymns lacked simplicity of style and were too emotional and subjective to be used for public worship. only two english translations are familiar--"blessed are the heirs of heaven," a funeral hymn, and "grant us, lord, due preparation," a communion hymn. klopstock spent nearly twenty years of his life at the danish court, having been invited there by king fredrik v through the influence of count von bernstorff, who had become greatly interested in the epic, "messiah." the danish monarch gave the poet an annual pension in order to assist him in completing his famous poem without being oppressed by financial worries. in klopstock returned to hamburg, where he died in . gellert, who was born in hainichen, saxony, july , , intended to become a lutheran pastor. after completing his theological course at the university of leipzig, however, he found it difficult to deliver sermons without the use of a manuscript, and therefore decided to take up teaching. in he became a member of the faculty of the university of leipzig, where he remained until his death in . among his pupils were many famous men of germany, including goethe and lessing. gellert's hymns, although influenced by the age in which he lived, are singular for their genuine, evangelical utterance. it is said that he never attempted to write a hymn except when he was in the proper frame of mind, and only after a season of prayer. his easter hymn, "jesus lives! thy terrors now," has gained great popularity, both in england and in america. in the former country it has been sung at the funerals of some of england's greatest churchmen. his communion hymn also breathes a spirit of true faith in christ: crushed by my sin, o lord, to thee i come in my affliction: o full of pity, look on me, impart thy benediction. my sins are great, where shall i flee? the blood of jesus speaks for me; for all my sins he carried. matthias claudius, the author of the splendid hymn, "we plow the fields and scatter," like gellert, had intended to prepare himself for the lutheran ministry. while attending the university of jena, however, the rationalistic teachings with which he came in contact caused him to lose interest in religion, and he decided to take up journalism instead. in he became editor of a newspaper at darmstadt, at which place he became acquainted with goethe and a group of freethinking philosophers. stricken by a serious illness, claudius began to realize something of the spiritual emptiness of the life he had been living, and in his hour of need he turned again to his childhood faith. when he had recovered, he gave up his position and removed to wandsbeck, where he edited the "wandsbecker bote" in a true christian spirit. in the life-story of claudius we may discern something of the reaction that was already taking place in many quarters against the deadening influence of rationalism. men were hungering for the old evangel of salvation, and there were evidences everywhere of the dawn of a happier day. although claudius' poems were not essentially church hymns, they were lyrics that seemed to strike anew some of the strings of gerhardt's harp. this is seen especially in his surpassingly beautiful ode to evening, "the silent moon is risen," written in the same spirit and meter as gerhardt's famous evening hymn. the first stanza has been translated: the silent moon is risen, the golden star-fires glisten in heaven serene and bright; the forest sleeps in shadow, and slowly off the meadow a mist is curling, silver-white. another stanza, reflecting something of claudius' own spiritual groping and, at the same time, confessing the futility of all human efforts to attain moral perfection, reads: we, poor, frail mortals, groping, half fearing and half hoping, in darkness seek our way; our airy cobwebs spinning with erring and with sinning, far from the mark we sadly stray. in the lyrics of claudius we may observe a transition from the spiritually impoverished hymn production of the rationalistic period to a new type of hymnody, giving expression to the old rugged faith in a more elegant form. men's souls could no longer be satisfied with the dry husks of philosophical speculation and were turning again to the bread of god which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world. balthasar münter was another faithful witness to the truth in this unhappy age of widespread skepticism and unbelief. born at lübeck in , he became lutheran court pastor at gotha and afterwards of the german church of st. peter in copenhagen. he was the writer of about hymns, many of which were set to tunes composed for them by the greatest musicians of the day. among the best known hymns of münter are "lord, thou source of all perfection," "full of reverence, at thy word," "behold the man! how heavy lay," and "woe unto him who says, there is no god." a picture of a christian home o happy home, where thou art loved the dearest, thou loving friend and saviour of our race, and where among the guests there never cometh one who can hold such high and honored place! o happy home, where two, in heart united, in holy faith and blessed hope are one, whom death a little while alone divideth, and cannot end the union here begun! o happy home, whose little ones are given early to thee in humble faith and prayer, to thee, their friend, who from the heights of heaven guides them, and guards with more than mother's care. o happy home, where each one serves thee lowly, whatever his appointed work may be, till every common task seems great and holy, when it is done, o lord, as unto thee! o happy home, where thou art not forgotten when joy is overflowing, full and free, o happy home, where every wounded spirit is brought, physician, comforter, to thee. and when at last all earthly toil is ended, all meet thee in the blessed home above, from whence thou camest, where thou hast ascended-- thine everlasting home of peace and love. carl johann philipp spitta, . hymns of the spiritual renaissance in the early part of the nineteenth century a great spiritual revival swept over germany and other parts of evangelical europe. in some respects it resembled the earlier pietistic movement in germany and the wesleyan revival in england, except that it was more conservative than either. in germany the old orthodox conservatives and the more radical pietists joined forces to fight rationalism, and the union was of benefit to both groups. there were many influences that contributed to the overthrow of rationalism. chief among these was the widespread suffering and distress in germany, both physical and spiritual, following the napoleonic wars. jacobs has well said: "when earthly props fall and temporal foundations crumble, men turn, almost perforce, to god." the downfall of napoleon and the great empire he had founded was an object lesson to the world of the transitory character of all things material. the great thinker, immanuel kant, also helped to undermine the walls of rationalism by pointing out the limitatations of the human reason. he was followed by the famous theologian, friedrich schleiermacher, who taught that the seat of religion is not to be found in either the reason or will, but in feeling--"the feeling of absolute dependence upon god." the way was thus paved for the zealous efforts of claus harms, who in , the th anniversary of the reformation, published a new set of ninety-five theses and called upon his countrymen to return again to the pure evangelical teachings of luther. spring-time always brings song-birds and flowers. it was spring-time in the religious life of germany, and the sweet notes of evangelical hymnody again were heard throughout the land. carl johann philipp spitta was the greatest german hymn-writer of the nineteenth century. he was born august , , in hannover. his father, who was a descendant of a huguenot family that fled from france during the catholic persecutions, died when carl was only four years old. his mother was a christian jewess, and it is a beautiful tribute to her fostering care that the finest hymn ever written on the christian home came from the pen of her son. no doubt it was the memory of his childhood home that led spitta to write: o happy home, whose little ones are given early to thee in humble faith and prayer, to thee, their friend, who from the heights of heaven guides them, and guards with more than mother's care. spitta began to write verse at the age of eight. it was his mother's ambition that he should study for the ministry, but, because of his frail health, it was decided that he should become a watchmaker, and a younger brother was sent to school instead. the latter died, however, and now carl was given his opportunity. he completed his theological studies in , taught school for four years in lüne, and in he was ordained to the lutheran ministry. during his university days, spitta had become a bosom friend of heinrich heine, the famous poet and prose writer. when the latter visited spitta at lüne, however, and scoffed at holy things in the presence of spitta's pupils, the friendship came to an abrupt end. it was about this time that spitta passed through a deep spiritual experience, the result of which was the composition of some of his finest hymns. writing to a friend in , he says, "in the manner in which i formerly sang, i sing no more. to the lord i dedicate my life, my love, and likewise my song. he gave to me song and melody. i give it back to him." spitta's hymns aroused unparalleled enthusiasm. his "psalter und harfe," first published in , appeared in a second and larger edition the following year. thereafter a new edition appeared every year, and by no less than fifty-five editions had been published. a second collection of hymns was printed in , and by it had passed through forty-two editions. the popularity of spitta's hymns also spread to other lands, and a large number are found in english and american hymn-books. spitta's child-like faith and his fervent love to the saviour may be seen reflected in such a hymn as: i know no life divided, o lord of life, from thee: in thee is life provided for all mankind and me; i know no death, o jesus, because i live in thee; thy death it is that frees us from death eternally. other well-known hymns from this consecrated writer are "o come, eternal spirit," "by the holy hills surrounded," "i place myself in jesus' hands," "thou, whose coming seers and sages," "we are the lord's: his all-sufficient merit," "how blessed from the bonds of sin," "we praise and bless thee, gracious lord," "brethren, called by one vocation," "withhold not, lord, the help i crave," "o blessed sun, whose splendor," and "say, my soul, what preparation." the beloved german psalmist passed away suddenly while seated at his desk, september , . most noted among the contemporaries of spitta was albert knapp, who, although his hymns never met with the popular favor that attended spitta's efforts, nevertheless excelled the latter as a poet. knapp was born at tübingen, july , , and was educated for the lutheran ministry in the university at that place. his most important post after ordination was at st. leonard's church in stuttgart, where he served from until his death in . knapp was not only a hymnist but also a hymnologist. perhaps the greatest service he rendered his church was the editing of a collection of more than , of the great hymns of germany. this monumental work, known as "evangelischer lieder-schatz," is the most comprehensive hymn collection ever published in german, and is a veritable gold-mine of the classics of protestant hymnody. knapp has been severely criticized, however, for the liberties he took in revising the hymns of some of the older writers. the best known of his own works is a baptismal hymn, "father, who hast created all." a hymn for church dedication begins with the line, "o god, whom we as father know." carl bernhard garve, a moravian pastor, also contributed a number of compositions to the hymns of this period, the best known of which is the beautiful tribute to the holy scripture: thy word, o lord, like gentle dews, falls soft on hearts that pine; lord, to thy garden ne'er refuse this heavenly balm of thine. watered by thee, let every tree forth-blossom to thy praise, by grace of thine bear fruit divine through all the coming days. garve served congregations in amsterdam, ebersdorf, berlin, and neusalz. he spent the last years of his life in herrnhut, where he died in . garve was the most important among the later moravian hymn-writers. many of his hymns have been adopted by other communions, particularly the lutheran church. to friedrich adolf krummacher, a reformed pastor, we owe the highly prized hymn: thou art the way, the truth, the life from heaven, this blest assurance thou to us hast given; o wilt thou teach us, lord, to win thy pleasure in fullest measure? krummacher was a teacher of theology in the reformed university of duisburg. after the battle of jena in duisburg was taken from prussia by napoleon and the salaries of the professors were cut off. krummacher continued to lecture, however, until his class consisted of one student! he afterwards served as pastor in a number of cities, finally accepting appointment to st. ansgarius church in bremen. he died in bremen in . of the more modern hymn-writers of germany the best known is karl von gerok, chief court preacher at stuttgart, where he died as recently as . an eloquent preacher and able writer, he attained fame principally through the publication in of a collection of poems known as "palmblätter." this work received a marvelous circulation in germany, and by no less than editions had been printed. although most of gerok's compositions are poems rather than hymns, a few have found their way into hymn-books. a devotional hymn by von gerok reads: holy, holy, holy, blessed lord, all the choirs of heaven now adore thee; o that i might join that great white host, casting down their golden crowns before thee. look on me, a creature of the dust, pity me, though i have naught of merit; let me bring to thee for jesus' sake humble praises of a contrite spirit. bend thine ear, dear lord, and hear my prayer; cleanse me in thy blood for sinners given; deck me in the robe of spotless white thou hast promised to thy bride in heaven. part iii scandinavian hymnody a hymn in luther's style our father, merciful and good, who dost to thee invite us, o cleanse us in our saviour's blood, and to thyself unite us! send unto us thy holy word, and let it guide us ever; then in this world of darkness, lord, shall naught from thee us sever: grant us, o lord, this favor! o god and man, christ jesus blest! our sorrows thou didst carry. our wants and cares thou knowest best, for thou with us didst tarry. o jesus christ, our brother dear, to us and every nation thy spirit send, let him draw near with truth and consolation, that we may see salvation. come, holy ghost, thy grace impart, tear satan's snares asunder. the word of god keep in our heart, that we its truth may ponder. then, sanctified, for evermore, in christ alone confiding, we'll sing his praise and him adore, his precious word us guiding to heavenly joys abiding. olavus petri, . the swedish reformers and their hymns the reformation fires kindled by luther and his contemporaries in wittenberg spread with amazing rapidity to all parts of europe. in the year that luther nailed his famous theses on the chapel door at wittenberg, two brothers--olavus and laurentius petri--arrived from sweden to study at the university made famous by luther and melanchthon. they were sons of a village blacksmith at Örebro, sweden. in they returned to their native land, full of reforming zeal. olavus was the more fiery of the two brothers, and he lost no time entering into the political and spiritual storm that was threatening to break over their country. in the stockholm massacre the following year olavus almost lost his life when he cried out in protest at the cruel beheading of his friend, the bishop of strengnäs. only the intervention of a wittenberg acquaintance, who asserted that olavus was a german citizen, saved the young man from a similar fate. the massacre had been instigated by roman intrigue. olavus preached boldly against the sale of indulgences and other abuses of the papal church, and, when the swedish revolution placed gustavus vasa on the throne in , the young reformer found a powerful ally in the new monarch. despite protests of the ecclesiastical authorities, the king ordered a pulpit placed in the cathedral church of stockholm and gave olavus permission to preach to the populace in the native tongue. the following year the two brothers were summoned to appear before the papal authorities at upsala, but, when neither threats nor bribes could induce them to desist from their high-minded purpose, they were placed under the ban. this, however, made them only the more determined to carry out their reformation plans. laurentius andreae, archdeacon of strengnäs, also had been converted to the principles of the reformation and powerfully espoused the cause championed by the petri brothers. in he was appointed by gustavus vasa as chancellor to the king, and it was largely through his influence that the lutheran teachings were approved by the diet af vesterås in . the younger of the petri brothers, laurentius, was named archbishop of upsala, primate of sweden, in . the swedish reformers were apt pupils of luther and quickly made use of the same spiritual weapons in their own country that he had found so effective in germany. it is significant that the word of god and a hymn-book in the vernacular were given to the swedish people in the same year. it was in that laurentius andreae published his translation of the new testament in swedish, and simultaneously olavus petri issued a little hymn-book entitled, "swedish hymns or songs." this marked the beginning of evangelical hymnody in sweden. the little book contained only ten hymns, five of which are believed to have been original productions of olavus petri himself, and the other five translations from luther's first hymn-book of . although no copy of the first swedish hymn-book is now known to exist, it is believed that petri's beautiful hymn, "our father, merciful and good," appeared in this historic collection. it occurs in a second edition, called "a few godly songs derived from holy writ," published by the swedish reformer in . a few fragmentary pages of this hymn-book were discovered in . how far olavus petri had imbibed the spirit of luther is reflected not only by the fiery zeal with which he proclaimed the doctrines of the reformation in sweden, but also in the character of his hymns. "our father, merciful and good" is so strongly suggestive of luther's style that it was regarded for a long time as a translation of one of luther's hymns. it is now known that there is no such hymn of german origin. most of petri's hymns, however, are translations of german or latin originals. one of these is the beautiful advent hymn: now hail we our redeemer, eternal son of god, born in the flesh to save us, and cleanse us in his blood. the morning star ascendeth, light to the world he lendeth, our guide in grief and gloom. although this hymn was translated by petri from the german, it is believed that it dates back to a latin hymn by ambrose in the fourth century. another of latin origin is the glad easter hymn: blest easter day, what joy is thine! we praise, dear lord, thy name divine, for thou hast triumphed o'er the tomb; no more we need to dread its gloom. petri, like luther, never ceased praising god for restoring his word to the church through the reformation. this may be seen in one of his more polemic hymns, which is regarded as original. a translation by ernst w. olson reads: thy sacred word, o lord, of old was veiled about and darkened, and in its stead were legends told, to which the people harkened; thy word, for which the people yearned, the worldlings kept in hiding, and into human fables turned thy truth, the all-abiding. now thanks and praise be to our lord, who boundless grace bestoweth, and daily through the sacred word his precious gifts forthshoweth. his word is come to light again, a trusty lamp to guide us; no strange and divers teachings then bewilder and divide us. the last hymn-book published by olavus petri appeared in . it contained some thirty new hymns, most of them translations from german sources. in addition to his labors in the realm of hymnody, petri must also be credited with the authorship of the swedish church-book, which appeared in . he was the creator of the liturgy of the church of sweden. his hymnological endeavors were continued by his brother laurentius, who, as archbishop, brought out in , and later in , the most important of all the earlier hymn-books of the swedish church. laurentius is sometimes given the title, "father of swedish hymnody," but the honor more rightly belongs to his older brother, olavus. the latter years of olavus were darkened through an unfortunate misunderstanding with the swedish king. as a consequence of the reformer's sturdy opposition to gustavus vasa's plan to make himself the head of the church, he fell into royal disfavor. when a plot against the king's life was discovered in , olavus was convicted of having guilty knowledge of it, and was condemned to die. through the intervention of the populace of stockholm, he was pardoned, but the king never forgave him. he was permitted to resume his work in , and continued to preach the gospel with great zeal until his death in . a model hymn of invocation o lord, give heed unto our plea, o spirit, grant thy graces, that we who put our trust in thee may rightly sing thy praises. thy word, o christ, unto us give, that grace and power we may receive to follow thee, our master. touch thou the shepherd's lips, o lord, that in this blessed hour he may proclaim thy sacred word with unction and with power; what thou wouldst have thy servant say, put thou into his heart, we pray, with grace and strength to say it. let heart and ear be opened wide unto thy word and pleading; our minds, o holy spirit, guide by thine own light and leading. the law of christ we would fulfil, and walk according to his will, his word our rule of living. jesper swedberg ( - ). a hymn-book that failed when the swedish colonists along the delaware gathered in their temples to worship god in the latter part of the th century, they sang songs from a hymn-book the use of which had been prohibited in sweden. it was the much-mooted hymn-book of jesper swedberg. originally published by the author in and intended for the church of sweden, it immediately came under suspicion on the ground that it contained unorthodox teachings and was promptly confiscated. this, however, did not hinder the authorities from sending the book in large quantities to america, and it was used on this side of the atlantic for many years. swedberg, who was born near falun, sweden, in the year , was the first important hymnist of his native land. from the days of the reformation no noteworthy advance had been made in swedish hymnody until swedberg began to tune his lyre. the official "psalm-book" had been revised on several occasions, but the upsala edition of contained only hymns, far too few to meet the needs of church worship and private devotion. it was in that swedberg received the royal commission to prepare a new hymn-book. he was fortunate in having the aid of such gifted poets as haqvin spegel, petrus lagerlöf, israel kolmodin and jacob boethius in the execution of his task. the new book, containing swedish hymns and a few in latin, made its appearance in . a large edition was printed, the financial cost of which was borne largely by swedberg himself. it met with immediate opposition, particularly from bishop carl carlsson, who charged that the hymn-book contained "innumerable heresies of a theological, anthropological, christological, soteriological and eschatological nature." it was enough. king karl xi immediately appointed a new commission to revise swedberg's work, with the result that hymns were omitted and six new hymns added. it was printed in and remained in use as the "psalm-book" of the church of sweden for more than a century, until it was succeeded in by wallin's masterpiece. the unsold copies of the first edition, about , in number, were confiscated and stored away. from time to time quantities of these books were sent to the swedish colonists in america, for whose "preservation in the true faith," as the hymnologist söderberg ironically remarks, "the swedish authorities seemed less concerned." swedberg felt the slight keenly and often made significant references in his diary regarding those who had been instrumental in rejecting his work. one of these notations tells how the cathedral of upsala was destroyed by fire in , and how the body of archbishop o. svebilius, although encased in a copper and stone sarcophagus, was reduced to ashes. "but my hymn-books," he adds, "which were only of paper, unbound and unprotected, were not even scorched by the flames." the final form in which his hymn-book was published nevertheless still retained so many of his own hymns, and the entire book was so impregnated with his own spirit, that it has always been known as "swedberg's psalm-book." a noted critic has called it "the most precious heritage he left to his native land." it was swedberg who wrote the sublime stanza that has become the doxology of the church of sweden: bless us, father, and protect us, be our souls' sure hiding-place; let thy wisdom still direct us, light our darkness with thy grace! let thy countenance on us shine, fill us all with peace divine. praise the father, son, and spirit, praise him all that life inherit! swedberg was elevated to the bishopric of skara in . he died in , universally mourned by the swedish people. haqvin spegel, who collaborated with swedberg in the preparation of his hymn-book, was the more gifted poet of the two. it was he who, by his hymns, fixed the language forms that subsequently became the model for swedish hymnody. although spegel never stooped to sickly sentimentality, his hymns are so filled with the spirit of personal faith and fervent devotion that they rise to unusual lyric heights. a sweet pastoral fragrance breathes through the hymn, "we christians should ever consider," as the following stanza testifies: the lilies, nor toiling nor spinning, their clothing how gorgeous and fair! what tints in their tiny orbs woven, what wondrous devices are there! all solomon's stores could not render one festival robe of such splendor as modest field lilies do wear. his communion hymn, "the death of jesus christ, our lord," is a classic example of how spegel could set forth in song the objective truths of the christian faith. the death of jesus christ, our lord, we celebrate with one accord; it is our comfort in distress, our heart's sweet joy and happiness. he blotted out with his own blood the judgment that against us stood; he full atonement for us made, and all our debt he fully paid. that this is so and ever true he gives an earnest ever new, in this his holy supper, here we taste his love, so sweet, so near. for his true body, as he said, and his own blood, for sinners shed, in this communion we receive: his sacred word we do believe. o sinner, come with true intent to turn to god and to repent, to live for christ, to die to sin, and thus a holy life begin. spegel was given the highest ecclesiastical honor bestowed by his country when he was created archbishop in . he died three years later. among the other hymn-writers who contributed hymns to swedberg's noted book was jacob arrhenius, professor of history in the university of upsala. this man, who devoted a great deal of his time to the financial affairs of the university, was also a richly-endowed spiritual poet. the intimate tenderness with which he sang the saviour's praise had never before been attained in swedish hymnody. it was he who wrote: jesus is my friend most precious, never friend did love as he; can i leave this friend so gracious, spurn his wondrous love for me? no! nor friend nor foe shall sever me from him who loves me so; his shall be my will forever, there above, and here below. wallin's sublime morning hymn again thy glorious sun doth rise, i praise thee, o my lord; with courage, strength, and hope renewed, i touch the joyful chord. on good and evil, lord, thy sun is rising as on me; let me in patience and in love seek thus to be like thee. may i in virtue and in faith, and with thy gifts content, rejoice beneath thy covering wings, each day in mercy sent. safe with thy counsel in my work, thee, lord, i'll keep in view, and feel that still thy bounteous grace is every morning new. johan olof wallin, . david's harp in the northland when longfellow translated tegnér's swedish poem, "children of the lord's supper," he introduced johan olof wallin to the english-speaking world in the following lines: and with one voice chimed in the congregation, and sang an anthem immortal of the sublime wallin, of david's harp in the northland. wallin is scandinavia's greatest hymnist and perhaps the foremost in the entire christian church during the nineteenth century. the swedish "psalm-book" of , which for more than a century has been the hymn-book of the swedish people in the homeland and in other parts of the world, is in large measure the work of this one man. of the hymns in this volume, are original hymns from his pen, are revisions by wallin, twenty-three are his translations, and thirteen are semi-originals based on the hymns of other authors. in brief, no less than of the hymns of the "psalm-book" reflect the genius of this remarkable writer. early in life wallin began to reveal poetic talent. born at stora tuna, dalarne province, in , he overcame the handicaps of poverty and poor health and at the age of twenty-four he had gained the degree of doctor of philosophy at the university of upsala. in , and again in , he won the chief prize for poetry at the university. in he was ordained to the lutheran ministry. very soon he began to attract attention by his able preaching. in he was transferred to stockholm, and in he became dean of vesterås. in he was elevated to the bishopric, and thirteen years later became primate of the church of sweden when he was made archbishop of upsala. he died in . as early as wallin had begun to publish collections of old and new hymns. he possessed the rare ability of translating sacred poetry of other lands in such a way that often the translation excelled the original in virility and beauty. in a commission was appointed by the swedish parliament to prepare a new hymn-book to succeed that of jesper swedberg, which had been in use for more than a century. wallin was made a member of this body. within three years the commission presented its labors in the form of a first draft. however, it did not meet with universal favor, nor was wallin himself satisfied with the result. by this time wallin's genius had been revealed so clearly that the commission was moved to charge him with the entire task of completing the "psalm-book." he gladly undertook the work and on november , , he was able to report that he had finished his labors. a few minor changes were subsequently made, but on january , , the new hymn-book was officially authorized by king karl xiv. it has remained in use until the present day. unfortunately, wallin's hymns have not become generally known outside of his own native land. it is only in recent years that a number have been translated into english. one of these is his famous christmas hymn, which for more than a century has been sung in every sanctuary in sweden as a greeting to the dawn of christmas day. the first stanza reflects something of the glory of the christmas evangel itself: all hail to thee, o blessed morn! to tidings long by prophets borne hast thou fulfilment given. o sacred and immortal day, when unto earth, in glorious ray, descends the grace of heaven! singing, ringing sounds are blending, praises sending unto heaven for the saviour to us given. although wallin reverenced the old traditional hymns of the church in spite of their many defects in form and language, he was unrelenting in his demand that every new hymn adopted by the church should be tested by the severest classical standards. "a new hymn," he declared, "aside from the spiritual considerations which should never be compromised in any way, should be so correct, simple and lyrical in form, and so free from inversions and other imperfections in style, that after the lapse of a hundred years a father may be able to say to his son, 'read the psalm-book, my boy, and you will learn your mother tongue!'" the profound influence which wallin's hymns have exerted over the swedish language and literature for more than a century is an eloquent testimony, not only to his poetic genius, but also to the faithfulness with which he adhered to the high standards he cherished. the charge has sometimes been made that a number of wallin's hymns are tinged by the spirit of rationalism. it is true that in his earlier years the great swedish hymnist was strongly influenced by the so-called "new theology," which had swept over all europe at that time. his poems and hymns from this period bear unmistakable marks of these rationalizing tendencies. even some of the hymns in the first part of the "psalm-book," dealing with the person and attributes of god, are not entirely free from suspicion. however, as wallin became more and more absorbed in his great task, his own spiritual life seems to have been deepened and a new and richer note began to ring forth from his hymns. in this change was made manifest in an address wallin delivered before the swedish bible society, in which he declared war on rationalism and the "new theology," and took his stand squarely upon the faith and confessions of the lutheran church. he said: "so far had we traveled in what our age termed 'enlightenment' and another age shall call 'darkness,' that the very word of god ... was regarded as a sort of contribution to the ancient history which had already served its purpose and was needed no more." the atonement of christ now became the central theme in his hymn-book, the pure evangelical tone of which may be heard in one of his own hymns: there is a truth so dear to me, i'll hold it fast eternally, it is my soul's chief treasure: that jesus for the world hath died, he for my sins was crucified-- o love beyond all measure! o blessed tidings of god's grace, that he who gave the thief a place to paradise will take me and god's own child will make me! kind shepherd, son of god, to thee mine eyes, my heart, so yearningly, and helpless hands are lifted. from thee i strayed; ah, leave me not, but cleanse my soul from each dark blot, for i am sore afflicted. a wandering sheep, but now restored, ah, bear me to thy fold, dear lord, and let me leave thee never, o thou who lovest ever! again we find him giving expression to faith's certainty in a stanza that has become very dear to the swedish people: blessed, blessed he who knoweth that his faith on thee is founded, whom the father's love bestoweth of eternal grace unbounded, jesus christ, to every nation a redeemer freely given, in whose name is our salvation, and none else in earth or heaven. the poetic utterance and exalted language of wallin's hymns made him the hymnist _par excellence_ for festival days, as witness the quotation above from his christmas hymn and the following stanza from his ascension hymn: to realms of glory i behold my risen lord returning; while i, a stranger on the earth, for heaven am ever yearning. far from my heavenly father's home, 'mid toil and sorrow here i roam. his metrical version of the _te deum laudamus_ is also an impressive example of the poetic genius of this master psalmist: jehovah, thee we glorify, ruler upon thy throne on high! o let thy word through all the earth be heard. holy, holy, holy art thou, o lord! thou carest gently for thy flock; thy church, firm-founded on the rock, no powers dismay until thy dreadful day. holy, holy, holy art thou, o lord! all nations, in her fold comprised, shall bow their knees unto the christ, all tongues shall raise their orisons and praise: holy, holy, holy art thou, o lord! around thy throne the countless throng at last in triumph swell the song, when cherubim shall answer seraphim: holy, holy, holy art thou, o lord! although a hymn usually loses much of its original expression in translation, something of the rare beauty in wallin's poetry is still apparent in the following: where is the friend for whom i'm ever yearning? my longing grows when day to night is turning; and though i find him not as day recedeth, my heart still pleadeth. his hand i see in every force and power, where waves the harvest and where blooms the flower; in every breath i draw, my spirit burneth: his love discerneth. when summer winds blow gently, then i hear him; where sing the birds, where rush the streams, i'm near him; but nearer still when in my heart he blesses me with caresses. o where such beauty is itself revealing in all that lives, through all creation stealing, what must the source be whence it comes, the giver? beauty forever! other noble hymns by the swedish archbishop recently translated into english include "behold, the joyful day is nigh," "guardian of pure hearts," "i know in whom i trust," "great joy and consolation," "he lives! o fainting heart, anew," "mute are the pleading lips of him," "thine agony, o lord, is o'er," "a voice, a heavenly voice i hear," "heavenly light, benignly beaming," "father of lights, eternal lord," "in my quiet contemplation," "jerusalem, lift up thy voice," "jesus, lord and precious saviour," "o blessed is the man who stays," "o let the children come to me," "strike up, o harp and psaltery," "watch, my soul and pray," and "again thy glorious sun doth rise." wallin's "psalm-book" has aroused the greatest admiration wherever it has become known. the hymnologists of germany, including mohnike, knapp, weiss and wackernagel, have given it undivided praise. mohnike declared, "this is undoubtedly the most excellent hymn-book in the entire evangelical church, and, if translated, it would become the hymn-book for all christian people." knapp concurs by saying, "the scriptural content of this book is clothed in the most beautiful classical language; there is nothing in evangelical germany to equal it." a vision of christ's triumph thy scepter, jesus, shall extend as far as day prevaileth. thy glorious kingdom, without end, shall stand when all else faileth, thy blessed name shall be confessed, and round thy cross, forever blest, shall kings and people gather. the child when born to thee we take, to thee in death we hasten; in joy we often thee forsake, but not when sorrows chasten. where truth and virtue are oppressed, where sorrow dwells, pain and unrest, thy help alone availeth. come, jesus, then, in weal and woe, in life and death be near us; thy grace upon our hearts bestow, and let thy spirit cheer us, for every conflict strength afford, and gather us in peace, o lord, when all the world thou judgest. frans michael franzén, the golden age of swedish hymnody archbishop wallin was not alone in the preparation of that masterpiece of northern hymnody known as the "swedish psalm-book of ." although the lion's share of the task fell to the lot of the gifted psalmist, he was aided by a number of the greatest spiritual poets in scandinavian history. it was the golden age in swedish hymnody, when such men as franzén, hedborn, geijer, Åström, afzelius and nyström were singing "the glories of the lamb." foremost in this unusual group was the beloved frans michael franzén, a lyric poet of singular talent. born at uleaborg, finland, in , he held a number of positions at the university of Åbo, and later removed to sweden, where he became pastor of st. clara church, in stockholm, and eventually bishop of hernösand. he died in . franzén early became associated with wallin and exerted a strong influence over the latter. though not as prolific a writer as wallin, the hymns of franzén are rich in content and finished in form. because of their artless simplicity it has been said that "the cultured man will appreciate them and the unlettered man can understand them." among the most popular are two evening hymns--"the day departs, yet thou art near" and "when vesper bells are calling." the latter is a hymn of solemn beauty: when vesper bells are calling the hour of rest and prayer, when evening shades are falling, and i must hence repair, i seek my chamber narrow, nor my brief day deplore, for i shall see the morrow, when night shall be no more. o take me in thy keeping, dear father, good and just, let not my soul be sleeping in sin, and pride, and lust. if in my life thou guide me according to thy will, i may in death confide me into thy keeping still. the voice of gracious invitation heard in franzén's communion hymn, "thine own, o loving saviour," has called millions of hungering souls to the lord's supper. his hymn for the first communion of catechumens, "come, o jesus, and prepare me," is also regarded as the most appealing of its kind in swedish hymnody. the stirring note in his hymn of repentance, "awake, the watchman crieth," reveals franzén as a poet of power and virility as well as a writer of the more meditative kind. the same solemn appeal, although expressed in less severe language, is also heard in his other call to repentance: ajar the temple gates are swinging, lo! still the grace of god is free. perhaps when next the bells are ringing the grave shall open unto thee, and thou art laid beneath the sod, no more to see this house of god. franzén was recently accorded a unique honor in america when his soul-gripping advent hymn, "prepare the way, o zion," was made the opening hymn in the hymnal of the augustana synod. this hymn-book contains more translations of swedish hymns than any other volume published in america. when we add to the hymns already mentioned such beautiful compositions as "thy scepter, jesus, shall extend," "look to jesus christ thy saviour," and "the little while i linger here," it will readily be understood why franzén ranks so high among the foremost hymnists of the north. to samuel johan hedborn, another of wallin's contemporaries, posterity will ever be grateful for "holy majesty, before thee," a magnificent hymn of praise that for loftiness of poetic sentiment and pure spiritual exaltation has probably never been excelled. the first stanza suggests something of the heavenly beauty of this noble hymn: holy majesty, before thee we bow to worship and adore thee; with grateful hearts to thee we sing. earth and heaven tell the story of thine eternal might and glory, and all thy works their incense bring. lo, hosts of cherubim and countless seraphim sing, hosanna, holy is god, almighty god, all-merciful and all-wise god! hedborn, who was the son of a poverty-stricken swedish soldier, was born in heda, sweden, in the year . he began his career as a school teacher, served for a while as court preacher, and finally became pastor at askeryd, where he died in . he was a gifted writer, and his lyric poetry and folk-songs struck a responsive chord in swedish hearts. in he published a collection of hymns, and in the following year a second volume appeared. it is claimed that the christo-centric note in hedborn's hymns profoundly influenced wallin and helped to establish the latter in the orthodox lutheran teaching. in addition to the sublime _te deum_ mentioned above, two other hymns of hedborn have been given english dress. one of these is the beautiful epiphany hymn, "now israel's hope in triumph ends"; the other is the communion hymn, "with holy joy my heart doth beat." erik gustav geijer, professor of history in upsala university, was another of the poetic geniuses of this golden age in swedish hymnody. he was born at ransäter, värmland, sweden, in the same year that witnessed hedborn's birth-- . like hedborn, he also published a little collection of hymns in which immediately focused attention upon him as a poet of unusual ability. although his hymns do not rise to the artistic heights attained by his other poems, it is believed that geijer purposely avoided high-sounding phrases as unworthy of the dignity and spirit of hymnody. his passion hymn, "thy cross, o jesus, thou didst bear," is a gripping portrayal of the conquering power of the saviour's sacrificial love. there is likewise a glorious note of victory heard in his easter hymn: in triumph our redeemer is now to life returned. all praise to him who, dying, hath our salvation earned! no more death's fetter galls us, the grave no more appalls us, for jesus lives again. in glory thou appearest, and earth is filled with light; with resurrection radiance the very tomb is bright; there's joy in heavenly places when o'er all earthly races the dawn of mercy breaks. in the preparation of the "psalm-book," there was no one on whom archbishop wallin leaned so heavily for help and counsel as johan Åström, parish priest in simtuna and altuna. this man, who was born in , was a lyric poet of unusual ability, and wallin valued his judgment very highly, even to the extent of seeking his criticism of his own hymns. eighteen of the hymns in the "psalm-book" are from Åström's pen. many of them, however, are unfortunately tinged by the spirit of rationalism, from which influence Åström had not quite been able to free himself. instead of emphasizing trust in the saviour's merits as the true way to eternal life, there is a strong suggestion in Åström's hymns that the heavenly goal is achieved by walking in the saviour's footsteps. witness, for example: lord, disperse the mists of error, in thy light let me see light; give thou me that faith and visior whereby i may walk aright, in my saviour's path discerning, through this vale of doubt and strife, footsteps to eternal life. we are immeasurably indebted to Åström, however, for the present form of the glorious all saints' hymn, "in heaven above, in heaven above." this hymn, in which we almost may discern something of the celestial radiance and beauty of the heavenly country, is ranked as one of the finest hymns in the swedish "psalm-book." it is more than three centuries old, dating back in its original form to . it was written by l. laurentii laurinus, parish pastor in häradshammar, at the time of his wife's death, and was appended to the funeral sermon preached by a brother pastor. Åström recognized the rare beauty of the hymn and through his poetic genius it was clothed in immortal language. william maccall, a scotchman, has in turn rendered it into english in such a faithful manner that much of its original beauty is preserved. in heaven above, in heaven above, where god our father dwells: how boundless there the blessedness! no tongue its greatness tells: there face to face, and full and free, ever and evermore we see-- we see the lord of hosts! in heaven above, in heaven above, what glory deep and bright! the splendor of the noon-day sun grows pale before its light: the mighty sun that ne'er goes down, around whose gleam clouds never frown, is god the lord of hosts. in heaven above, in heaven above, no tears of pain are shed: there nothing e'er shall fade or die; life's fullness round is spread, and like an ocean, joy o'erflows, and with immortal mercy glows our god the lord of hosts. in heaven above, in heaven above, god hath a joy prepared which mortal ear hath never heard, nor mortal vision shared, which never entered mortal breast, by mortal lips was ne'er expressed, o god the lord of hosts! arvid afzelius, court chaplain and pastor at enköping, was another member of this remarkable group of swedish hymnists that contributed to the "psalm-book" of wallin. afzelius, who was an authority on folk songs, has given us the inspiring hymn of praise beginning: unto the lord of all creation thy voice, my soul, in anthems raise. let every heart a fit oblation bring unto him with songs of praise. o contemplate in humbleness the power and riches of his grace. johan hjertén, an obscure country pastor at hellstad, was the author of six hymns in the "psalm-book," among them the devotional hymn, "jesus, in my walk and living." it is said that the artless simplicity of his hymns provided an excellent pattern for the other writers of his day, many of whom were fond of the grandiloquent phrases so characteristic of the rationalist hymnody. the last name of this group we would mention is that of a layman, per olof nyström. this man, who was a high naval officer, wrote many excellent hymns, among them a devotional lyric that for more than a hundred years has been cherished almost as a national prayer by the pious folk of sweden. its first stanza reads: o fount of truth and mercy, thy promise cannot fail; what thou hast said must ever in heaven and earth prevail; "call upon me in trouble, and i will help afford." yea, to my latest moment, i'll call upon thee, lord. a longing for home jerusalem, jerusalem, thou city ever blest, within thy portals first i find my safety, peace, and rest. here dangers always threaten me, my days in strife are spent, and labor, sorrow, worry, grief, i find at best their strength. no wonder, then, that i do long, o blessed home, for thee, where i shall find a resting-place, from sin and sorrow free; where tears and weeping are no more, nor death, nor pain, nor night, for former things are passed away, and darkness turned to light. now all for me has lost its charm which by the world is praised, since on the cross, through faith, i saw my saviour jesus raised; my goal is fixed, one thing i ask, whate'er the cost may be, jerusalem, jerusalem, soon to arrive in thee. carolina vilhelmina (sandell) berg ( - ). the fanny crosby of sweden and the pietists as will be noted in a subsequent chapter, the nineteenth century witnessed the phenomenon of gifted christian women assuming a place of primary importance among the foremost hymn-writers of the church. just as england had its charlotte elliott and frances havergal, and america had its fanny crosby, so sweden had its lina sandell. the rise of women hymn-writers came simultaneously with the great spiritual revival which swept over america and evangelical europe in successive tidal waves from to . in sweden the religious renaissance received its first impulse, no doubt, from lutheran germany. however, the wesleyan movement in england and america also began to make its influence felt in wider circles, and the coming to stockholm of such a man as george scott, an english methodist, gave added impetus to the evangelical movement which was already under way. carl olof rosenius, sweden's greatest lay preacher and the most prominent leader in the pietistic movement in that country, was one of scott's disciples, although he remained faithful to the lutheran doctrine and a member of the established church to the close of his life. it was in the midst of the rosenius movement that lina sandell became known to her countrymen as a great song-writer. she was born october , , at fröderyd, her father being the parish pastor at that place. she was a frail child who preferred to spend her hours in her father's study rather than join her comrades in play. when she was twenty-six years old, she accompanied him on a journey to gothenburg, but they never reached their destination. at hästholmen the vessel on which they sailed gave a sudden lurch and the father fell overboard, drowning before the eyes of his devoted daughter. this tragedy proved a turning point in lina sandell's life. in the midst of her grief she sought comfort in writing hymns. her songs seemed to pour forth in a steady stream from the depths of a broken heart. fourteen of her hymns were published anonymously the same year ( ) in a christian periodical, _budbäraren_. although she lived to write hymns in all, these fourteen from the pen of the grief-stricken -year-old girl have retained a stronger hold on the hearts of her countrymen than most of her later productions. among these "first-fruits" born in sorrow are such hymns as: "saviour, o hide not thy loving face from me," "others he hath succored," and children of the heavenly father safely in his bosom gather; nestling bird nor star in heaven such a refuge e'er was given. the remarkable popularity which lina sandell's hymns attained within a comparatively short time was due to a large extent to the music written for them by oskar ahnfelt, a "spiritual troubadour" of his day. ahnfelt not only possessed the gift of composing pleasing melodies that caught the fancy of the swedish people, but he traveled from place to place throughout the scandinavian countries and sang them to the accompaniment of a guitar. miss sandell once said: "ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people." the inspiration for her songs came to miss sandell at sundry times and places. sometimes in the midst of the noise and confusion of the city's streets, she would hear the words of a new song. sometimes she would awake in the still hours of the night with the verses of a hymn ringing in her ears. by her bedside she always kept a slate on which she might instantly record these heaven-born thoughts. in miss sandell was married to a stockholm merchant, c. o. berg, but she continued to sign her hymns with the initials, "l. s." by which she was familiarly known throughout sweden. she died on july , . not only ahnfelt, but also jenny lind helped to make lina sandell's hymns known. the "swedish nightingale" was herself a pietist and found great delight in listening to the preaching of rosenius and the singing of ahnfelt. at these conventicles the marvelous singer who had gained the homage of two continents sat with common workingmen on crude benches and joined with her sweet voice in singing the pietist hymns. ahnfelt, in visiting the home of the great singer, spoke of his ambition to publish these hymns. when jenny lind learned that financial difficulties stood in the way, she quickly provided the necessary funds, and so the first edition of "ahnfelt's songs," which in reality were mostly the hymns of lina sandell and rosenius, was made possible. rosenius and ahnfelt encountered much persecution in their evangelical efforts. king karl xv was petitioned to forbid ahnfelt's preaching and singing. the monarch refused until he had had an opportunity to hear the "spiritual troubadour." ahnfelt was commanded to appear at the royal palace. being considerably perturbed in mind as to what he should sing to the king, he besought lina sandell to write a hymn for the occasion. she was equal to the task and within a few days the song was ready. with his guitar under his arm and the hymn in his pocket, ahnfelt repaired to the palace and sang: who is it that knocketh upon your heart's door in peaceful eve? who is it that brings to the wounded and sore the balm that can heal and relieve? your heart is still restless, it findeth no peace in earth's pleasures; your soul is still yearning, it seeketh release to rise to the heavenly treasures. the king listened with tears in his eyes. when ahnfelt had finished, the monarch gripped him by the hand and exclaimed: "you may sing as much as you like in both of my kingdoms!" mention has already been made of the hymns of rosenius. these, like the songs of lina sandell, were likewise a powerful factor in the spread of the evangelical movement in sweden. rosenius was the son of a parish pastor in norrland, sweden. from the time of his birth, february , , he was dedicated by his pious parents to the holy ministry. after having pursued studies for a short time at upsala university, however, he became disgusted with the low moral and spiritual standards existing among the students, and for a while his own faith was severely shaken. during these spiritual difficulties he came in contact with george scott, the methodist evangelist in stockholm, and eventually he began to hold meetings as a "lay preacher." in scott and rosenius began the publication of _pietisten_, a religious monthly that was destined to play a most important part in the spiritual revival in sweden. when scott was constrained the same year to leave sweden because of violent opposition to his movement, rosenius became his successor, not only as editor of _pietisten_, but also as the outstanding leader among those who were trying to bring about the dawn of a new spiritual day. rosenius centered his activity in the swedish capital, preaching and writing. he also traveled extensively throughout the country, and so the movement spread. numerous lay preachers, known as "läsare," sprang up everywhere, holding private meetings in homes and in so-called "mission houses" that were built nearby the parish churches. agitation for separation from the established church found no sympathy with rosenius, who stood firmly on the lutheran doctrine and regularly took communion at the hands of its ordained ministers. "how long do you intend to remain within the church?" he once was asked. "as long as jesus is there," was the answer of rosenius. "but how long do you think he will be there?" "as long as men are there born anew, for that is not the work of the devil." in rosenius, together with many earnest-minded ecclesiasts and leaders in the established church, organized the national evangelical foundation, which originally was intended to promote home and inner mission activities. it subsequently embraced the cause of foreign missions also and became one of the greatest spiritual influences emanating from scandinavia. rosenius died in , at the age of fifty-two. his hymns, like those of lina sandell, became known largely through the musical genius of ahnfelt. everywhere "ahnfelt's songs" were on the lips of the so-called "believers." emigrants from sweden to america brought them with them to the new world, where they were a source of solace and strength in the midst of spiritual and material difficulties. perhaps no song verse was heard more often in their humble gatherings than the concluding stanza of rosenius' hymn, "with god and his mercy, his spirit, and word": o shepherd, abide with us, care for us still, and feed us and lead us and teach us thy will; and when in thy heavenly fold we shall be, our thanks and our praises, our thanks and our praises we'll render to thee. then there is that other hymn by rosenius, so dear to thousands of pious souls, "i have a friend, so patient, kind, forbearing," as well as that other one which miss anna hoppe has so beautifully rendered into english: o precious thought! some day the mist shall vanish; some day the web of gloom shall be unspun. a day shall break whose beams the night shall banish, for christ, the lamb, shall shine, the glorious sun! although the songs of lina sandell and rosenius do not attain to the poetic excellence and spiritual power of the noble hymns of wallin's "psalm-book," it is a significant fact that seven of lina sandell's and three of rosenius' songs were included in an appendix adopted in . this appendix is the first authorized change in archbishop wallin's masterpiece in years. the hymns of the "psalm-book" still remain unchanged, however, as they came from his hand in . although a number of commissions have endeavored since to make revisions of wallin's work, their proposals have been consistently rejected. the addition of hymns in the form of an appendix was a compromise adopted by the church of sweden in . it was sanctioned by the king and authorized for tentative use in the churches beginning nov. , , thus being given precedence over a revision made by a commission and sanctioned by the church but indefinitely deferred. in the appendix hymn-writers of the reformed church are represented for the first time in the swedish "psalm-book." among the reformed hymns found there may be mentioned joachim neander's "lobe den herren," sarah flower adams' "nearer, my god, to thee," henry francis lyte's "abide with me, fast falls the eventide," john marriot's "thou, whose almighty word," and lydia baxter's "there is a gate that stands ajar." classical lutheran hymns, such as gerhardt's "o sacred head, now wounded" and luther's "lord, keep us steadfast in thy word," have also been added, while other lutheran writers, such as the great danish hymnists, brorson and grundtvig, and the norwegian psalmist, landstad, are given recognition. then there is the beautiful christmas hymn, "silent night, holy night," by the catholic priest, joseph mohr. the more important of recent swedish hymnists are johan alfred eklund, bishop of karlstad, who is represented by thirty-six hymns in the appendix; svante alin, pastor at sventorp, eleven of whose hymns are included; the late edvard evers, pastor in norrköping and a writer of some note, who contributed twelve hymns, and erik söderberg, writer and publicist, who is the author of seven. eleven hymns by two of finland's great poets, johan ludvig runeberg and zachris topelius, are also found in the appendix. kingo's sunrise hymn the sun arises now in light and glory, and gilds the rugged brow of mountains hoary; be glad, my soul, and lift thy voice in singing to god from earth below, thy heart with joy aglow and praises ringing. like countless grains of sand, beyond all measure, and wide as sea and land is heaven's treasure of grace which god anew each day bestoweth, and which, like pouring rain, into my soul again each morning floweth. keep thou my soul today from sin and blindness; surround me on my way with loving-kindness, and fill my heart, o god, with joy from heaven; i then shall ask no more than what thou hast of yore in wisdom given. thou knowest best my needs, my sighs thou heedest; thy hand thy children feeds, thine own thou leadest; what should i more desire, with thee deciding the course that i must take than follow in the wake where thou art guiding? thomas kingo ( - ). kingo, the poet of easter-tide denmark's first great hymnist, thomas kingo, hailed from the land of robert burns. his grandfather, who also bore the name of thomas, emigrated from scotland to denmark near the end of the th century to become a tapestry weaver for christian iv. the boy who was destined to become one of denmark's most famous spiritual bards was born in slangerup, december , . at the age of six years he entered the latin school of his native city, and ten years later became a student of the school in frederiksborg. the principal of this institution, albert bartholin, discovered unusual gifts in the lad and took him into his own home. after completing theological studies at the university, he returned in to his native city of slangerup as lutheran parish pastor. about this time he began to attract attention as a writer of secular poetry. it was not until , however, that his first collection of hymns appeared under the title, "spiritual songs, first part." the profound impression created by this production is evidenced by the fact that in he was elevated from an obscure parish to the bishopric of the diocese of fyen. kingo had dedicated his "spiritual songs" to christian v, and thus had attracted the attention of the danish monarch. in his "address" to the king, kingo deplored the fact that the danish people in their worship had depended so largely upon hymns of foreign origin. "the soul of the danes," he added significantly, "is not so bound and impoverished but that it can soar as high toward heaven as that of other peoples, even if it be not upborne by strange and foreign wings." the second part of his "spiritual songs" appeared in , this collection being dedicated to the danish queen. many of kingo's hymns were written to be sung to popular folk melodies. in justification of this practice the poet wrote: "if a pleasing melody set to a song of sodom delights your ear, how much more, if you are a true child of god, should not that same melody delight your soul when sung to a song of zion!" in his dedicatory address to queen charlotte, the poet of scotch forebears gave expression to his great love for the danish language, praised her for her heroic efforts to master the language before coming to denmark as its queen, and ironically flayed certain foreign courtiers who for "thirty years had eaten the bread of the fatherland in the service of the king without making an effort to learn thirty danish words." by this time the danish people had come to a full realization that a poet of the first magnitude had risen in their midst. in june, , kingo was created a member of the nobility, and in he received the honorary degree of doctor of theology. the following year came the royal appointment to prepare a hymn-book for the church of denmark. the king's decree specifically stated that kingo should include a number of his own hymns, but he was directed to make few changes in the old, traditional hymns, and "under no circumstances to alter the meaning of luther's hymns." the first part of kingo's new book appeared in . it met with a storm of disapproval that was not altogether unmerited. of the hymns in this book, were by kingo himself. members of the danish court who had been objects of kingo's merciless satire now found an opportunity to secure revenge. kingo's book, which had been published at his own expense, was rejected, and soren jonassen, dean of roskilde, was appointed to take over the task. his work, which was completed in , did not contain a single one of kingo's hymns! it too was promptly disapproved. a commission was then appointed by the king to supervise the work, and again kingo came into favor. the new hymn-book, which was officially approved in , was based largely on kingo's work, and contained of his original hymns. although kingo lived to see his life-work crowned with success, he never recovered from the indignity and humiliation he had suffered. his death occurred on october , . the day before his death, he exclaimed: "tomorrow, lord, we shall hear glorious music." kingo has been called "the poet of easter-tide." a biographer declares that kingo was "in love with the sun," and that he regarded light as the "true element." this is reflected in his morning hymns, which are among the finest songs of praise ever written. it may also be seen in his easter hymns, one of which begins with the words, "like the golden sun ascending." however, kingo could also dwell on the theme of christ's passion with gripping pathos: such a night was ne'er before, even heaven has shut its door; jesus, thou our sun and light, now must bear the shame of night. and in this: see how, in that hour of darkness, battling with the evil power, agonies untold assail him, on his soul the arrows shower; and the gardens flowers are wet with the drops of bloody sweat from his anguished frame distilling-- our redemption thus fulfilling. when the commission appointed by the danish king was revising his hymn-book, kingo pleaded that his lenten hymns might be retained. among the most soul-stirring of these in the famous hymn, "over kedron jesus treadeth." in its original form it contained fourteen stanzas. although objective in character, kingo's hymns never fail to make a strong personal appeal. witness, for example, the following from his good friday hymn: on my heart imprint thine image, blessed jesus, king of grace, that life's riches, cares, and pleasures never may thyself efface; this the superscription be: jesus, crucified for me, is my life, my hope's foundation, and my glory and salvation. other hymns of kingo that have been translated into english include "praise to thee and adoration," "dearest jesus, draw thou near me," "he that believes and is baptized," "o dearest lord, receive from me," "i come, invited by thy word," "softly now the day is ending," and "the sun arises now." grundtvig, a later danish hymn-writer, pays kingo this tribute: "he effected a combination of sublimity and simplicity, a union of splendor and fervent devotion, a powerful and musical play of words and imagery that reminds one of shakespeare." the great white host behold a host, arrayed in white, like thousand snow-clad mountains bright, with palms they stand--who are this band before the throne of light? lo, these are they, of glorious fame, who from the great affliction came, and in the flood of jesus' blood are cleansed from guilt and blame; now gathered in the holy place their voices they in worship raise, their anthems swell where god doth dwell 'mid angels' songs of praise. despised and scorned, they sojourned here, but now, how glorious they appear! these martyrs stand a priestly band, god's throne forever near. so oft, in troubled days gone by, in anguish they would weep and sigh; at home above, the god of love the tears of all shall dry. they now enjoy their sabbath rest, the paschal banquet of the blest; the lamb, their lord, at festal board himself is host and guest. then hail, ye mighty legions, yea, all hail! now safe and blest for aye; and praise the lord, who with his word sustained you on the way. ye did the joys of earth disdain, ye toiled and sowed in tears and pain; farewell, now bring your sheaves, and sing salvation's glad refrain. swing high your palms, lift up your song, yea, make it myriad voices strong: eternally shall praise to thee, god, and the lamb, belong! hans adolph brorson, . brorson, the poet of christmas no scandinavian hymn has attained such popularity in recent years as "behold a host." this sublime "glory song" was first given to the world after its writer, hans adolph brorson, had gone to join the "host, arrayed in white" that sings "before the throne of light." it was published by his son in a collection entitled "hans adolph brorson's swan-song," which appeared in , a year after the famous danish hymn-writer had gone to his final rest. the collection contained seventy hymns, all written in the last year of the poet's life. brorson was a product of the pietistic movement emanating from halle, in germany. born june , , at randrup, denmark, he early came under the influence of the great spiritual awakening which was then sweeping through the lutheran church. brorson's father was a lutheran pastor, and all of his three sons, including the hymn-writer, entered the service of the church. brorson's first pastorate was in his native city of randrup, a place he dearly loved and to which he often returned in later life when he found himself oppressed by manifold cares. it was during his ministry in randrup that brorson began to write his first hymns. he speaks of the eight years spent at this place as the happiest in his life. in he was called to become danish preacher at tonder, where he labored side by side with johan herman schrader, who was also a hymnist of some note. because of the mixed danish and german population of tonder, a curious situation existed in the church worship. although brorson preached in danish, the congregation sang in german! to remedy this, brorson, in , wrote a number of his famous christmas hymns, among them 'den yndigste rose er funden,' one of the most exquisite gems in sacred poetry. a free rendering of four of its eleven stanzas by august w. kjellstrand follows: the sweetest, the fairest of roses i've found. among thorns it reposes: 'tis jesus, my soul's dearest treasure, of sinners a friend above measure. e'er since the sad day when frail mortals were thrust from fair eden's bright portals, the world has been dark, full of terror, and man dead in sin, lost in error. then mindful of promises given, god sent from the gardens of heaven a rose, 'mid the thorns brightly blowing, and freely its fragrance bestowing. wherever this rose tree is grounded, the kingdom of god there is founded; and where its sweet fragrance is wafted, there peace in the heart is engrafted. as kingo was known among the danes as "the poet of easter," so brorson from this time was hailed as "the poet of christmas." in brorson was appointed by christian vi to become bishop of the diocese of ribe. it is said that the danish monarch upon meeting brorson at a certain occasion inquired of him if he was the author of the hymn, "awake, all things that god has made." when the poet modestly answered in the affirmative, so the story runs, the king promised him the bishopric. when erik pontoppidan, later bishop of bergen, was appointed to revise kingo's hymnal, which for forty years had served the churches of denmark and norway, he found his task a comparatively simple one through the valuable assistance rendered by brorson. kingo's hymns were changed only slightly, and the greater part of the new material was from brorson's pen. the later years of the poet were darkened by sad experiences. in the year that brorson was elevated to the bishopric, his beloved wife died while giving birth to their thirteenth child. this and other troubles served to make him melancholy in spirit, but he did not cease to compose poems of rarest beauty. his thoughts, however, turned more and more toward heaven and the blessedness of the life hereafter. a celestial radiance is reflected in the hymns of his "swan-song." this is particularly true of "behold, a host arrayed in white," a lyric that has become a favorite in america as well as in europe through its association with edvard grieg's famous adaptation of a norwegian folk song. brorson's earnest character and pious nature made him deeply concerned about the salvation of souls. many of his poems and hymns contain solemn warnings touching on the uncertainty of life and the need of seeking salvation. his gripping hymn, "jeg gaar i fare, hvor jeg gaar," gave archbishop wallin, the great swedish hymnist, the inspiration for his noble stanzas: i near the grave, where'er i go, where'er my pathway tendeth; if rough or pleasant here below, my way at death's gate endeth. i have no other choice; between my griefs and joys my mortal life is ordered so: i near the grave, where'er i go. i go to heaven, where'er i go, if jesus' steps i follow; the crown of life he will bestow, when earth this frame shall swallow. if through this tearful vale i in that course prevail, and walk with jesus here below, i go to heaven, where'er i go. other well-known hymns by brorson are "thy little ones, dear lord, are we," "o father, may thy word prevail," "o watch and pray," "life's day is ended," "my heart, prepare to give account," "by faith we are divinely sure," "children of god, born again of his spirit," "o seek the lord today," "i see thee standing, lamb of god," "stand fast, my soul, stand fast," "jesus, name of wondrous grace," and "who will join the throng to heaven?" brorson's childlike spirit may be seen reflected in the first of these, a children's christmas hymn: thy little ones, dear lord, are we, and come thy lowly bed to see; enlighten every soul and mind, that we the way to thee may find. with songs we hasten thee to greet, and kiss the dust before thy feet; o blessed hour, o sweetest night, that gave thee birth, our soul's delight. now welcome! from thy heavenly home thou to our vale of tears art come; man hath no offering for thee, save the stable, manger, cross, and grave. jesus, alas! how can it be so few bestow a thought on thee, or on the love, so wondrous great, that drew thee down to our estate? o draw us wholly to thee, lord, do thou to us thy grace accord, true faith and love to us impart, that we may hold thee in our heart. a prayer to the holy spirit holy spirit, come with light, break the dark and gloomy night with thy day unending; help us with a joyful lay greet the lord's triumphant day now with might ascending. comforter, so wondrous kind, noble guest of heart and mind, fix in us thy dwelling. give us peace in storm and strife, fill each weary heart and life with thy joy excelling. make salvation clear to us, who, despite our sin and cross, are in thee confiding. lest our life be void and vain, with thy light and love remain aye in us abiding. raise or bow us with thine arm, break temptation's evil charm, clear our clouded vision. fill our hearts with longings new, cleanse us with thy morning dew, tears of deep contrition. thou who givest life and breath, let our hope in sight of death blossom bright and vernal; and above the silent tomb let the easter lilies bloom, signs of life eternal. nikolai grundtvig ( - ). grundtvig, the poet of whitsuntide nikolai f. s. grundtvig was the last and greatest of the celebrated triumvirate of danish hymn-writers. as kingo was the bright star of the th century and brorson of the th century, so grundtvig shone with a luster all his own in the th century. the "poet of easter" and the "poet of christmas" were succeeded by the "poet of whitsuntide." the appellation given to grundtvig was not without reason, for it was he, above all others, who strove mightily in denmark against the deadening spirit of rationalism which had dried up the streams of spirituality in the church. no one as he labored with such amazing courage and zeal to bring about the dawn of a new day. nor did grundtvig strive in vain. before his life-work was ended, fresh pentecostal breezes began to blow, the dry bones began to stir, and the church, moved by the spirit of god, experienced a new spiritual birth. the spirit of rationalism had worked havoc with the most sacred truths of the christian religion. as some one has said, "it converted the banner of the lamb into a blue-striped handkerchief, the christian religion into a philosophy of happiness, and the temple dome into a parasol." under the influence of the "new theology," ministers of the gospel had prostituted the church worship into lectures on science and domestic economy. it is said that one minister in preaching on the theme of the christ-child and the manger developed it into a lecture on the proper care of stables, and another, moved by the story of the coming of the holy women to the sepulcher on the first easter morning, delivered a peroration on the advantages of getting up early! god was referred to as "providence" or "the deity," christ as "the founder of christianity," sin as "error," salvation as "happiness," and the essence of the christian life as "morality." grundtvig's father was one of the few lutheran pastors in denmark who had remained faithful to evangelical truth. the future poet, who was born in udby, september , , had the advantage, therefore, of being brought up in a household where the spirit of true christian piety reigned. it was not long, however, before young grundtvig, as a student, came under the influence of the "new theology." although he planned to become a minister, he lost all interest in religion during his final year at school, and finished his academic career "without spirit and without faith." a number of circumstances, however, began to open his eyes to the spiritual poverty of the people. morality was at a low ebb, and a spirit of indifference and frivolity banished all serious thoughts from their minds. it was a rude shock to his sensitive and patriotic nature to observe, in , how the population of copenhagen laughed and danced while the danish fleet was being destroyed by english warships and the capital city itself was being bombarded by the enemy. in he preached his famous probation sermon on the striking theme, "why has the word of god departed from his house?" the sermon produced a sensation, and from this time grundtvig came to be known as a mystic and fanatic. his career as a pastor was checkered, but throughout his life he exerted a powerful influence by his literary activity as well as by his preaching. his poetry and hymns attracted so much attention that it was said that "kingo's harp has been strung afresh." grundtvig's strongest hymns are those that deal with the church and the sacraments. the divine character of the church is continually stressed, for christ not only founded it, but, as the living word, he is present in it and in the sacraments unto the end of time. "built on the rock, the church doth stand" is probably his most famous hymn. grundtvig was more concerned about the thought he was trying to convey than the mode of expression; therefore his hymns are often characterized by strength rather than poetic beauty. they are also so deeply tinged by national spirit and feeling that they lose much of the color and fragrance of their native heath when translated. that grundtvig could rise to lyrical heights is revealed especially in his festival hymns. there is a charming freshness in the sweet christmas hymn: chime, happy christmas bells, once more! the heavenly guest is at the door, the blessed words the shepherds thrill, the joyous tidings, "peace, good will." o let us go with quiet mind, the gentle babe with shepherds find, to gaze on him who gladdens them, the loveliest flower of jesse's stem. come, jesus, glorious heavenly guest, keep thine own christmas in our breast, then david's harp-strings, hushed so long, shall swell our jubilee of song. the danish hymnologist brandt has pointed out the distinctive characteristics of his country's three great hymnists by calling attention to their favorite symbols. that of kingo was the sun, brorson's the rose, and grundtvig's the bird. kingo extols christ as the risen, victorious saviour--the sun that breaks through the dark shades of sin and death. brorson glorifies christ as the friend of the spiritually poor and needy. they learn to know him in the secret prayer chamber as the rose that spreads its quiet fragrance. grundtvig's hymns are primarily hymns of the spirit. they laud the holy spirit, the giver and renewer of life, who bears us up on mighty wings toward the mansions of light. among danes and norwegians there are few hymns more popular than grundtvig's hymn on the church. the first stanza reads: built on the rock the church doth stand, even when steeples are falling; crumbled have spires in every land, bells still are chiming and calling; calling the young and old to rest, but above all the soul distressed, longing for rest everlasting. other noted hymns by grundtvig include "love, the fount of light from heaven," "as the rose shall blossom here," "the lord to thee appealeth," "splendid are the heavens high," "a babe is born in bethlehem," "from the grave remove dark crosses," "o let thy spirit with us tarry," "fair beyond telling," "this is the day that our father hath given," "hast to the plow thou put thy hand," "the peace of god protects our hearts," "o wondrous kingdom here on earth," "with gladness we hail this blessed day," "he who has helped me hitherto," and "peace to soothe our bitter woes." because of his intensive efforts to bring about reforms in the educational methods of his day, grundtvig became known as "the father of the public high school in scandinavia." in , when he celebrated his golden jubilee as pastor, grundtvig was given the title of bishop. the good old man passed away peacefully on september , , at the age of eighty-nine years. he preached his last sermon on the day before his death. a distinguished contemporary of grundtvig's who also gained renown as a danish hymn-writer was bernhardt severin ingemann, author of the famous hymn, "through the night of doubt and sorrow." ingemann was born in falster, denmark, in , the son of a lutheran pastor, soren ingemann. the father died when bernhardt was years old, but the mother made it possible for the gifted lad to receive a liberal education. at the age of years he published his first volume of poems, and three years later his famous epic, "the black knights," appeared. a number of dramas followed, and in he was appointed lector of danish language and literature at the academy of soro. here he remained for forty years, writing novels, secular poetry and hymns. he was a warm friend of grundtvig's, who constantly encouraged him in his literary efforts. ingemann's "morning hymns" appeared in , and in his "hymns of worship" was published. in he was charged with the task of completing the "psalm book for church and private devotion," edited by the ministerial conference at roskilde. a norwegian miserere before thee, god, who knowest all, with grief and shame i prostrate fall; i see my sins against thee, lord, the sins of thought, of deed, and word, they press me sore, i cry to thee; o god, be merciful to me! o lord, my god, to thee i pray: o cast me not in wrath away, let thy good spirit ne'er depart, but let him draw to thee my heart, that truly penitent i be; o god, be merciful to me! o jesus, let thy precious blood be to my soul a cleansing flood; turn not, o lord, thy guest away, but grant that justified i may go to my house with peace from thee; o god, be merciful to me! magnus brorstrup landstad, . landstad, a bard of the frozen fjords this is the story of a man whose chance purchase of two books at an auction sale for the sum of four cents was probably the means of inspiring him to become one of the foremost christian poets of the north. magnus brorstrup landstad was a poverty-stricken student at the university of christiania (now oslo), norway, when he happened to pass a house in which a sale of books was being conducted. moved by curiosity, he entered the place just as a package of old books was being offered. we will let him tell the remainder of the story: "i made a bid of four cents, the deal was made, and i walked home with my package. it contained two volumes in leather binding. one was 'freuden-spiegel des ewigen lebens' by philipp nicolai. on the last few pages of this book four of nicolai's hymns were printed. the other book was bishop a. arrebo's 'hexaemeron, the glorious and mighty works of the creation day.' in this manner two splendid hymn collections, one german and the other danish-norwegian, unexpectedly came into my possession. i was not acquainted with either of these works before. nicolai's hymns made a deep impression on me, and i at once attempted to translate them.... my experience with these hymn collections, i believe, gave me the first impetus in the direction of hymn writing. furthermore, it gave me a deeper insight into the life and spirit of the old church hymns." two of the hymns of nicolai that landstad attempted to translate were "wachet auf, ruft uns die stimme" and "wie schön leuchtet der morgenstern," noble classics that have never been excelled. the young student was so successful in his rendering of the former hymn that it subsequently found a place in the norwegian church hymnary. landstad was born october , , in maaso, finnmarken, norway, where his father was pastor of the lutheran church. this parish is at the extreme northern point of norway, and so landstad himself wrote, "i was baptized in the northernmost church in the world." later the family moved to oksnes, another parish among the frozen fjords of the norse seacoast. "the waves of the icy arctic," he writes poetically, "sang my cradle lullaby; but the bosom of a loving mother warmed my body and soul." the stern character of the relentless north, with its solitude, its frozen wastes, its stormy waters and its long months of winter darkness, no doubt left a profound and lasting impression upon the lad whose early years were spent in such environments. the napoleonic wars were also raging, and it was a time of much sorrow and suffering among the common people. when the boy was nine years old the family removed to vinje. although they continued to suffer many hardships, the natural surroundings at this place were more congenial, and in summer the landscape was transformed into a magic beauty that must have warmed the heart and fired the childish imagination of the future hymnist. magnus was the third in a family of ten children. although sorely pressed by poverty, the father recognized unusual talent in the boy, and at the age of twenty years he was sent to the university in christiania. during his first year at the institution two of his brothers died. young landstad was greatly cast down in spirit, but out of the bitterness of this early bereavement came two memorial poems that are believed to represent his first attempt at verse-writing. in he completed his theological studies at the university and the following year he was appointed resident vicar of the lutheran church at gausdal. during his pastorate at this place he wrote his first hymn. in he became pastor at kviteseid, where he continued the writing of hymns and other poems. five years later he became his father's successor as pastor of the parish at seljord. it was here, in , that he published his first work, a book of daily devotions that has been highly prized among his countrymen. for centuries norway and denmark had been closely connected politically and culturally. the lutheran church was, moreover, the state church of both countries. as a consequence of this relationship norway had always looked to denmark for its hymn literature, and no hymnist of any note had ever risen in the northern country. now, however, it began to dawn on the norwegians that a native singer dwelt in their own midst. the political ties with denmark having been broken as a result of the napoleonic wars, the spirit of nationalism began to assert itself and the demand for a new hymn-book for the church of norway constantly grew stronger. in the norwegian ecclesiastical authorities requested landstad to undertake the task, but not until four years later could he be prevailed upon to assume the arduous duties involved in so great an endeavor. in the first draft of his "kirke-salmebog" was published. it did not meet with universal approval. in defense of his work, landstad wrote: "we must, above all, demand that our hymns possess the elements of poetic diction and true song. we must consider the historical and churchly elements, and the orthodox objectivity which shows respect for church tradition and which appreciates the purity, clearness, and force of confession. but the sickly subjectivity, which 'rests' in the varying moods of pious feelings and godly longings, and yet does not possess any of the boldness and power of true faith such as we find in luther's and kingo's hymns--this type of church hymn must be excluded. finally, we must also emphasize the aesthetic feature. art must be made to serve the church, to glorify the name of god, and to edify the congregation of worshipers. but it must always be remembered that art itself is to be the servant and not the master." nevertheless, landstad continued for several years to revise his own work, and in the hymn-book was finally published and authorized for use in the church of norway. within a year it had been introduced into of the parishes of the country. in landstad retired from active service after the norwegian parliament had unanimously voted him an annual pension of , crowns in appreciation of the great service he had rendered his country. he died in christiania, october , . among the hymns of landstad that have been translated into english are, "i know of a sleep in jesus' name," "i come to thee, o blessed lord," "there many shall come from the east and the west," "when sinners see their lost condition," and "before thee, god, who knowest all." although landstad's hymns do not attain to lofty poetic heights, they are marked by a spirit of unusual intimacy, deep earnestness, and a warmth of feeling that make a strong appeal to the worshiper. part iv english hymnody ken's immortal evening hymn glory to thee, my god, this night, for all the blessings of the light: keep me, o keep me, king of kings, beneath thine own almighty wings. forgive me, lord, for thy dear son, the ill that i this day have done: that, with the world, myself, and thee, i, ere i sleep, at peace may be. teach me to live, that i may dread the grave as little as my bed; to die, that this vile body may rise glorious at the judgment day. o then shall i in endless day, when sleep and death have passed away, with all thy saints and angels sing in endless praise to thee, my king. thomas ken, . the dawn of hymnody in england owing to the strong prejudice in the reformed church to hymns of "human composure," the development of hymnody in england, as well as other countries where calvin's teachings were accepted, was slow. crude paraphrases of the psalms, based on the genevan psalter, appeared from the hands of various versifiers and were used generally in the churches of england and scotland. it was not until , more than a century after luther had published his first hymn-books, that england's first hymn-writer was born. he was bishop thomas ken. this first sweet singer in the early dawn of english hymnody holds the distinction of having written the most famous doxology of the christian church. it is the so-called "long meter" doxology: praise god, from whom all blessings flow; praise him, all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly host; praise father, son, and holy ghost. his sublime evening hymn, "glory to thee, my god, this night," is ranked as one of the four masterpieces of english praise. his beautiful morning hymn, "awake, my soul, and with the sun," is scarcely less deserving of high distinction. as originally written, both hymns closed with the famous doxology given above. bishop ken looms as a heroic figure during turbulent times in english history. left an orphan in early childhood, he was brought up by his brother-in-law, the famous fisherman, izaak walton. ken's name has been found cut in one of the stone pillars at winchester, where he went to school as a boy. when, in , the wife of william of orange, the niece of the english monarch, asked charles ii, king of england, to send an english chaplain to the royal court at the hague, ken was selected for the position. however, he was so outspoken in denouncing the corrupt lives of those in authority in the dutch capitol that he was compelled to leave the following year. charles thereupon appointed him one of his own chaplains. ken continued to reveal the same spirit of boldness, however, rebuking the sins of the dissolute english monarch. on one occasion, when charles asked the courageous pastor to give up his own dwelling temporarily in order that nell gwynne, a notorious character, might be housed, ken answered promptly: "not for the king's kingdom." instead of punishing the bold and faithful minister, charles so admired his courage that he appointed him bishop of bath and wells. charles always referred to ken as "the good little man" and, when it was chapel time, he would usually say: "i must go in and hear ken tell me of my faults." when charles died, and the papist james ii came to the throne, ken, together with six other bishops, was imprisoned in the tower of london. although he was acquitted, he was later removed from his bishopric by william iii. the last years of his life were spent in a quiet retreat, and he died in at the age of seventy-four years. he had requested that "six of the poorest men in the parish" should carry him to his grave, and this was done. it was also at his request that he was buried under the east window of the chancel of frome church, the service being held at sunrise. as his body was lowered into its last resting-place, and the first light of dawn came through the chancel window, his friends sang his immortal morning hymn: awake, my soul, and with the sun thy daily stage of duty run. shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise to pay thy morning sacrifice. wake and lift up thyself, my heart, and with the angels bear thy part, who all night long unwearied sing high praise to the eternal king. all praise to thee, who safe hast kept, and hast refreshed me while i slept: grant, lord, when i from death shall wake, i may of endless life partake. it is said that after bishop ken had written this hymn, he sang it to his own accompaniment on the lute every morning as a part of his private devotion. although he wrote many other hymns, only this one and his evening hymn have survived. the two hymns were published in a devotional book prepared for the students of winchester college. in this work bishop ken urged the students to sing the hymns devoutly in their rooms every morning and evening. the historian macaulay paid ken a beautiful tribute when he said that he came as near to the ideal of christian perfection "as human weakness permits." it was during the life-time of bishop ken that joseph addison, the famous essayist, was publishing the "spectator." addison was not only the leading literary light of his time, but a devout christian as well. from time to time he appended a poem to the charming essays which appeared in the "spectator," and it is from this source that we have received five hymns of rare beauty. they are the so-called "creation" hymn, "the spacious firmament on high," which haydn included in his celebrated oratorio; the traveler's hymn, beginning with the line, "how are thy servants blest, o lord"; and three other hymns, almost equally well-known: "the lord my pasture shall prepare," "when rising from the bed of death," and "when all thy mercies, o my god." the latter contains one of the most striking expressions in all the realm of hymnody: through all eternity to thee a joyful song i'll raise: but oh, eternity's too short to utter all thy praise! in the essay introducing this hymn, addison writes: "if gratitude is due from man to man, how much more from man to his maker. the supreme being does not only confer upon us those bounties which proceed immediately from his hand, but even those benefits which are conveyed to us by others. any blessing which we enjoy, by what means soever derived, is the gift of him who is the great author of good and the father of mercies." the traveler's hymn, "how are thy servants blessed, o lord," was written after addison's return from a perilous voyage on the mediterranean. in addition to his literary pursuits, addison also occupied several important positions of state with the english government. he died on june , , at the age of forty-seven. when he was breathing his last, he called for the earl of warwick and exclaimed: "see in what peace a christian can die!" the hymns of addison and bishop ken may be regarded as the heralds of a new day in the worship of the reformed church. while addison was still writing his essays and verses for the "spectator," isaac watts, peer of all english hymnists, was already tuning his lyre of many strings. psalmody was beginning to yield to hymnody. the pearl of english hymnody when i survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain i count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. forbid it, lord, that i should boast, save in the death of christ, my god; all the vain things that charm me most, i sacrifice them to his blood. see, from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down! did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown! were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a tribute far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. isaac watts, . isaac watts, father of english hymnody by universal consent the title, "father of english hymnody," is bestowed upon isaac watts. english hymns had been written before the time of watts, notably the beautiful classics of ken and addison; but it remained for the genius of watts to break the iron rule of psalmody in the reformed church which had continued uninterrupted since the days of calvin. watts was born in southampton, england, july , . his father was a "dissenter," and twice was imprisoned for his religious views. this was during the time when isaac was still a baby, and the mother often carried the future poet in her arms when she went to visit her husband in prison. when isaac grew up, a wealthy man offered to give him a university education if he would consent to become a minister in the established church. this he refused to do, but prepared instead for the independent ministry. early in life young watts had revealed signs of poetic genius. as a boy of seven years he had amused his parents with his rhymes. as he grew older he became impatient with the wretched paraphrases of the psalms then in use in the reformed churches. these views were shared generally by those who possessed a discriminating taste in poetry. "scandalous doggerel" was the term applied by samuel wesley, father of the famous wesley brothers, to the versified psalms of sternhold and hopkins, who had published the most popular psalm-book of the day. when young watts ventured to voice his displeasure over the psalm-singing in his father's church in southampton, one of the church officers retorted: "give us something better, young man." although he was only eighteen years old at the time, he accepted the challenge and wrote his first hymn, which was sung at the following sunday evening services. the first stanza seems prophetic of his future career: behold the glories of the lamb amidst his father's throne; prepare new honors for his name, and songs before unknown. the hymn met with such favorable reception that the youthful poet was encouraged to write others, and within the next two years he produced nearly all of the hymns that constituted his famous collection, "hymns and spiritual songs," published in . this was the first real hymn-book in the english language. twelve years later he published his "psalms of david," a metrical version of the psalter, but, as he himself stated, rendered "in the language of the new testament, and applied to the christian state and worship." indeed, the psalms were given such a distinctively christian flavor that their old testament origin is often overlooked. witness, for example, the opening lines of his rendition of the seventy-second psalm: jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run. in addition to being a preacher and a poet, watts was an ardent student of theology and philosophy, and wrote several notable books. always frail in health from childhood, his intense studies finally resulted in completely shattering his constitution, and he was compelled to give up his parish. during this period of physical distress, the stricken poet was invited to become a guest for a week in the home of sir thomas abney, an intimate friend and admirer. the friendship continued to grow, and inasmuch as watts did not improve in health, he was urged to remain. he finally so endeared himself to the abney family that they refused to let him go, and he who had come to spend a week remained for the rest of his life--thirty-six years! the great hymnist died on november , , and was buried at bunhill fields, london, near the graves of john bunyan and daniel defoe. a monument to his memory was placed in westminster abbey, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an englishman. to isaac watts we are indebted for some of our most sublime hymns. "when i survey the wondrous cross" has been named by matthew arnold as the finest hymn in the english language, and most critics concur in the judgment. certainly it is one of the most beautiful. john julian, the noted hymnologist, declares that it must be classified with the four hymns that stand at the head of all english hymns. other hymns of watts continue to hold their grip on the christian church after the passing of two centuries. no christmas service seems complete without singing his beautiful paraphrase of the ninety-eighth psalm, "joy to the world, the lord is come!" another hymn, "o god, our help in ages past," based on the ninetieth psalm, is indispensable at new year's time. then there is the majestic hymn of worship, "before jehovah's awful throne," as well as the appealing lenten hymn, "alas, and did my saviour bleed?" and who has not been stirred by the challenge in "am i a soldier of the cross?" other hymns by watts include such favorites as "there is a land of pure delight," "come, holy spirit, heavenly dove," "o that the lord would guide my ways," "my dear redeemer and my lord," "how beauteous are their feet," "come, sound his praise abroad," "my soul, repeat his praise," "o bless the lord, my soul," "lord of the worlds above," "lord, we confess our numerous faults," "in vain we seek for peace with god," "not all the blood of beasts," "so let our lips and lives express," "the lord my shepherd is," and "when i can read my title clear." although watts never married, he deeply loved little children, and he is the author of some of the most famous nursery rhymes in the english language. the profound genius that produced "o god, our help in ages in past" also understood how to appeal to the childish mind by means of such happy little jingles as, "how doth the little busy bee" and "let dogs delight to bark and bite," as well as by the exquisite cradle-song: hush, my dear, lie still and slumber; holy angels guard thy bed; heavenly blessings without number gently falling on thy head. sleep, my babe, thy food and raiment, house and home, thy friends provide; all without thy care or payment, all thy wants are well supplied. how much better thou'rt attended than the son of god could be, when from heaven he descended, and became a child like thee. soft and easy is thy cradle, coarse and hard thy saviour lay, when his birthplace was a stable, and his softest bed the hay. seeking the heavenly prize awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, and press with vigor on; a heavenly race demands thy zeal, and an immortal crown. a cloud of witnesses around hold thee in full survey: forget the steps already trod, and onward urge thy way. 'tis god's all-animating voice that calls thee from on high; 'tis his own hand presents the prize to thine aspiring eye: that prize with peerless glories bright which shall new luster boast, when victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems shall blend in common dust. blest saviour, introduced by thee, have i my race begun; and, crowned with victory, at thy feet i'll lay my honors down. philip doddridge ( - ). doddridge: preacher, teacher and hymnist philip doddridge was one of england's gifted evangelical preachers. like the wesley brothers, he came from a large family. while there were nineteen children in the wesley family, philip doddridge was the last of twenty children. the religious background of the doddridge family was significant. although his father was an oil merchant in london, his grandfather had been one of the independent ministers under the commonwealth who were ejected in . both of his parents were pious people, and philip, who was born june , , was brought up in a religious atmosphere. he was such a delicate child that his life was despaired of almost from birth. his parents died while he was yet quite young, but kind friends cared for the orphan boy and sent him to school. because he revealed such unusual gifts as a student, the duchess of bedford offered to give him a university training on condition that he would become a minister of the church of england. this, however, philip declined to do, and he entered a nonconformist seminary instead. at the age of twenty-one years he was ordained as pastor of the independent congregation at kibworth, england. six years later he began his real life work at northampton, where he served as the head of a theological training school and preached in the local congregation. to this school came young men from all parts of the british isles and even from the continent. most of them prepared to become ministers in the independent church. doddridge himself was practically the whole faculty. among his subjects were hebrew, greek, algebra, philosophy, trigonometry, logic, and theological branches. as a hymn-writer doddridge ranks among the foremost in england. he was a friend and admirer of isaac watts, whose hymns at this time had set all england singing. in some respects his lyrics resemble those of watts. although they do not possess the strength and majesty found in the latter's hymns, they have more personal warmth and tenderness. witness, for instance, the children's hymn: see israel's gentle shepherd stand with all-engaging charms; hark! how he calls the tender lambs, and folds them in his arms. note also the spiritual joy that is reflected in the hymn so often used at confirmation: o happy day, that stays my choice on thee, my saviour and my god! well may this glowing heart rejoice, and tell its raptures all abroad. something of doddridge's own confiding trust in god is expressed in the beautiful lines: shine on our souls, eternal god! with rays of beauty shine; o let thy favor crown our days, and all their round be thine. did we not raise our hands to thee, our hands might toil in vain; small joy success itself could give, if thou thy love restrain. other noted hymns by doddridge include such gems as "hark, the glad sound, the saviour comes," "great god, we sing that mighty hand," "o fount of good, to own thy love," and "father of all, thy care we bless." doddridge wrote about four hundred hymns. most of them were composed for use in his own congregation in connection with his sermons. none of them was published during his life-time, but manuscript copies were widely circulated among the independent congregations in england. the fact that about one-third of his hymns are still in common use on both sides of the atlantic bears witness of their unusual merit. though doddridge struggled under the burden of feeble health, his life was filled with arduous duties. when he was only forty-eight years old it became apparent that he had fallen a victim to tubercular infection. he was advised to leave england for lisbon, portugal. lacking funds for the voyage, friends in all parts of england came to his aid. the journey was undertaken, but on october , , he died at lisbon. a hymn of the ages jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high! hide me, o my saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past; safe into the haven guide: o receive my soul at last! other refuge have i none; hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me! all my trust in thee is stayed, all my help from thee i bring: cover my defenseless head with the shadow of thy wing. thou, o christ, art all i want; more than all in thee i find. raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind. just and holy is thy name, i am all unrighteousness; false and full of sin i am, thou art full of truth and grace. plenteous grace with thee is found, grace to cover all my sin; let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within. thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of thee: spring thou up within my heart, rise to all eternity. charles wesley, . wesley, the sweet bard of methodism every great religious movement has witnessed an outburst of song. this was particularly true of the lutheran reformation in germany and other lands and of the methodist revival in england. john and charles wesley, like martin luther, understood something of the value of sacred song in impressing religious truths upon the hearts and minds of men. while john wesley was undoubtedly a preacher of marvelous spiritual power, the real secret of the success of the wesleyan movement more likely must be sought in the sublime hymns written by his brother charles. with isaac watts, charles wesley holds the foremost place in the realm of english hymnody. no less than , hymns are said to have been written by this "sweet bard of methodism." naturally they are not all of the highest order, but it is surprising how many of them rise to real poetic excellence. of the hymns in the wesleyan hymn book, are from the pen of charles wesley! wesley did not write hymns merely as a duty, nor yet as a pastime. his soul seemed filled with music and poetry, and when his genius became touched by the divine spark of christ's spirit, it burst into full flame. it has been said of franz schubert that "he had to write music." the same was true of charles wesley. when his soul was full of song, he had to give expression to it by writing his immortal hymns. the inspiration came to him under all sorts of conditions. some of his hymns were written on horseback, others in a stage-coach or on the deck of a vessel. even as he was lying on his deathbed, at the age of eighty years, he dictated his last hymn to his faithful and devoted wife. it begins with the words, "in age and feebleness extreme." charles wesley was the next to the youngest of nineteen children born to rev. samuel wesley and his remarkable wife susannah. the father, who was a clergyman in the church of england, possessed more than ordinary literary gifts. he is the author of at least one hymn that has survived the passing of time, "behold, the saviour of mankind." the mother presided over the rectory at epworth, where both of the distinguished sons were born, and also looked after the education of the younger children of the large family. concerning this very unusual mother and the spiritual influence she exerted over her children, volumes have been written. poverty and other tribulations descended upon the epworth rectory like the afflictions of job. the crowning disaster came in , when the wesley home was completely destroyed by fire. john, who was only six years old at the time, was left behind in the confusion and when the entire house was aflame he was seen to appear at a second-story window. the agonized father fell upon his knees and implored god to save his child. immediately a neighbor mounted the shoulders of another man and managed to seize the boy just as the roof fell in. thus was spared the child who was destined to become the leader of one of the greatest spiritual movements in the christian church. while john and charles were students at oxford university, they became dissatisfied with the spiritual conditions existing among the students. soon they formed an organization devoted to spiritual exercises. because of their strict rules and precise methods, they were nicknamed "the methodists," a name that afterwards became attached to their reform movement. the hymns of charles wesley are so numerous that only a few of the more outstanding can be mentioned here. "hark! the herald angels sing," "love divine, all love excelling" and "jesus, lover of my soul" form a triumvirate of hymns never surpassed by a single author. add to these such hymns as "a charge to keep i have," "arise, my soul, arise," "christ, whose glory fills the sky," "come, thou long-expected jesus," "soldiers of christ, arise," "hail the day that sees him rise," and "suffering son of man, be near me," and it will readily be understood why the name of charles wesley is graven in such large letters in the hymnody of the christian church. "jesus, lover of my soul" is generally recognized as the finest hymn of wesley. this is all the more remarkable since it was one of the earliest written by him. it was first published in in a collection of hymns known as "hymns and sacred poems, by john and charles wesley." this was at the beginning of the wesleyan movement, which soon began to spread like fire all over england. there are several stories extant as to the origin of the hymn. the most trustworthy of these tells how the author was deeply perplexed by spiritual difficulties one day, when he noticed through his open study window a little song bird pursued by a hungry hawk. presently the bird fluttered exhausted through the window and straight into the arms of wesley, where it found a safe refuge. pondering on this unusual incident, the thought came to wesley that, in like manner, the soul of man must flee to christ in doubts and fears. then he took up his pen and wrote: jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly. the reference to the "tempest" and the "storm of life" may have been prompted by the memory of an earlier experience, when he and his brother john were on their way to the colony of georgia on a missionary journey. it was in the year the brothers formed a friendship with a band of moravians who were sailing on the same ship for america. during the crossing a terrible tempest was encountered and for a while it was feared the ship would sink. while all of the other passengers were filled with terror, the wesleys were impressed by the calmness and courage of the moravians, who sang hymns in the midst of the raging storm. seeking for a reason for their spiritual fortitude, the brothers found that the moravians seemed to possess a positive certainty of salvation through faith in jesus christ. the wesleys also made the sad discovery that they themselves did not really possess this assurance, but had been trying to work out their salvation by methods of their own. john wesley later made the confession that he and his brother had gone to georgia to convert the people there, whereas they themselves had need to be converted! upon their return to london the brothers fell in with other moravians, and through them they became familiar with luther's teachings. charles came to a saving faith in christ during a severe illness, and a week later his brother had a similar spiritual experience. it was on may , , that john wesley attended a meeting in aldersgate street, where some one was reading luther's preface to the epistle to the romans. then for the first time light dawned on his soul, and he found peace with god through christ. soon afterwards john wesley left for halle, germany, the seat of the pietist movement, in order to become more familiar with the teachings of luther and the evangelical methods of the pietists. at halle he also became deeply imbued with missionary zeal. upon his return to england he launched, with john whitefield, the greatest spiritual movement his country had ever known. revivals flamed everywhere. no buildings were large enough to house the crowds that gathered to hear the evangelists, and, because the english clergy were hostile to the movement, most of the meetings were held in the open air. charles at first aided in preaching, but eventually devoted his time mainly to hymns. it is estimated that john wesley held no less than forty thousand preaching services, and traveled nearly a quarter of a million miles. it was he who said, "the world is my parish." john wrote some original hymns, but his translations of german hymns are more important. we are indebted to him for the english versions of paul gerhardt's "commit thou all thy griefs," tersteegen's "thou hidden love of god whose height," freylinghausen's "o jesus, source of calm repose," zinzendorf's "jesus, thy blood and righteousness," and scheffler's "thee will i love, my strength, my tower." charles wesley died march , , after fifty years of service to the church. the day before he was taken ill, he preached in city road chapel, london. the hymn before the sermon was watts' "i'll praise my maker, while i've breath." the following evening, although very sick, he amazed his friends by singing the entire hymn with a strong voice. on the night of his death he tried several times to repeat the hymn, but could only say, "i'll praise--i'll praise--," and with the praise of his maker on his lips, he went home to god. john wesley survived his brother three years, entering his eternal rest on march , . the text of his last sermon was, "seek ye the lord while he may be found." whether charles wesley or isaac watts should be accorded first place among english hymnists has been a subject of much dispute. the fact is that each occupies a unique position, and the one complements the other. while watts dwells on the awful majesty and glory of god in sublime phrases, wesley touches the very hem of christ's garment in loving adoration and praise. dr. breed compares the two in the following striking manner: "watts is more reverential; wesley more loving. watts is stronger; wesley sweeter. watts appeals profoundly to the intellect; wesley takes hold of the heart. watts will continue to sing for the pauls and peters of the church; wesley for the thomases and the johns. where both are so great it would be idle to attempt to settle their priority. let us only be grateful that god in his gracious providence has given both to the church to voice the praises of various classes." henry ward beecher uttered one of the most beautiful of all tributes to "jesus, lover of my soul" when he said: "i would rather have written that hymn of wesley's than to have the fame of all the kings that ever sat on the earth. it is more glorious. it has more power in it. i would rather be the author of that hymn than to hold the wealth of the richest man in new york. he will die. he _is_ dead, and does not know it.... but that hymn will go singing until the last trump brings forth the angel band; and then, i think, it will mount up on some lip to the very presence of god." george duffield, author of "stand up, stand up for jesus," called wesley's lyric "the hymn of the ages." no one will ever know how much help and consolation it has brought to souls in affliction. allan sutherland tells of the following pathetic incident: "on an intensely warm day, as i stood on the corner of a sun-baked street in philadelphia, waiting for a car to take me to the cool retreats of fairmount park, i heard a low, quavering voice singing, with inexpressible sweetness, 'jesus, lover of my soul.' looking up to an open window whence the sound came, i saw on the sill a half-withered plant--a pathetic oasis of green in a desert of brick and mortar--and resting tenderly and caressingly upon it was an emaciated hand. i could not see the person to whom the voice and hand belonged, but that was unnecessary--the story was all too clearly revealed: i knew that within that close, uncomfortable room a human soul was struggling with the great problem of life and death, and was slowly but surely reaching its solution; i knew that in spite of her lowly surroundings her life was going out serenely and triumphantly. i shall never forget the grave, pathetic pleading in the frail young voice as these words were borne to me on the oppressive air: other refuge have i none; hangs my helpless soul on thee; leave, ah, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me!" another hymn of the ages rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee: let the water and the blood from thy riven side which flowed be of sin the perfect cure, save me, lord, and make me pure. not the labors of my hands can fulfil thy law's demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone. nothing in my hand i bring, simply to thy cross i cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, i to the fountain fly: wash me, saviour, or i die! when i draw this fleeting breath, when my eyelids close in death, when i soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne, rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. august toplady, . a great hymn that grew out of a quarrel although isaac watts' beautiful hymn, "when i survey the wondrous cross," is regarded by most critics as the finest hymn in the english language, toplady's "rock of ages" holds the distinction of being the most popular. perhaps no hymn ever written has so gripped the hearts of christians of all communions as this noble hymn. a british magazine once invited its readers to submit a list of the hundred english hymns that stood highest in their esteem. a total of , persons responded, and "rock of ages" was named first by , . we have tried the same experiment with a group of bible students, and "rock of ages" easily headed the list. augustus montague toplady, the writer of this hymn, was born on november , , at farnham, england. his father, a major in the english army, was killed the following year at the siege of carthagena. the widowed mother later removed to ireland, where her son was educated at trinity college, dublin. it was during this period of his life that augustus, then sixteen years of age, chanced to attend an evangelistic service held in a barn. the preacher was an unlettered layman, but his message so gripped the heart of the lad that he determined then and there to give his heart to god. of this experience toplady afterward wrote: "strange that i who had so long sat under the means of grace in england should be brought right unto god in an obscure part of ireland, amidst a handful of people met together in a barn, and by the ministry of one who could hardly spell his own name. surely it was the lord's doing and is marvelous." toplady was ordained at the age of twenty-two as a minister of the church of england. he was frail of body, and after some years he was stricken with consumption. it was while fighting the ravages of this disease that he wrote his famous hymn, two years before his death. the hymn first appeared in the march issue of the _gospel magazine_, of which toplady was editor, in the year . it was appended to a curious article in which the author attempted to show by mathematical computation how dreadful is the sum total of sins committed by a man during a lifetime, and how impossible it is for a sinner to redeem himself from this debt of guilt. but christ, who is the sinner's refuge, has paid the entire debt. it was this glorious thought that inspired him to sing: rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. for some years john wesley, the great founder of methodism, and toplady had been engaged in a theological dispute. toplady was a confirmed calvinist and was intolerant of wesley's arminian views. both men were intemperate in their language and hurled unseemly and sometimes bitter invectives at each other. wesley characterized toplady as a "chimney-sweep" and "a lively coxcomb." toplady retorted by calling wesley "pope john" and declaring that his forehead was "petrified" and "impervious to a blush." there are reasons for believing that the article in the _gospel magazine_ by toplady to which we have alluded was for the purpose of refuting wesley's teachings, and that "rock of ages" was written at the conclusion of the article as an effective way of clinching the argument. in our day, when we find "rock of ages" on one page of our hymnals and charles wesley's "jesus, lover of my soul," on the next, it is hard to understand the uncharitable spirit that existed between these servants of christ. perhaps, had they really understood each other, they were more in accord than they suspected. nevertheless, god is able to use the most imperfect of human instruments for his praise, and surely "rock of ages" has been the means of bringing multitudes to god through christ. its strength lies undoubtedly in the clear and simple manner in which it sets forth the glorious truth that we are saved by grace alone, through the merits of christ. even a child can understand the meaning of the words, nothing in my hand i bring, simply to thy cross i cling. or these, not the labors of my hands can fulfil thy law's demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save, and thou alone. in this comforting and triumphant faith toplady himself passed into glory in his thirty-eighth year. a few hours before his death he exclaimed: "my heart beats every day stronger and stronger for glory. sickness is no affliction, pain no curse, death itself no dissolution." his last words were: "my prayers are all converted into praises." during his illness some friends had expressed the hope that he might soon be restored. toplady shook his head. "no mortal man can live," he said, "after the glories which god has manifested to my soul." at another time he told how he "enjoyed a heaven already in his soul," and that his spiritual experiences were so exalted that he could ask for nothing except a continuation of them. before his death toplady had requested that he be buried beneath the gallery over against the pulpit of totenham court chapel. strangely enough, this building was intimately associated with the early history of methodism. it was built by whitefield, and here also wesley preached whitefield's funeral sermon. perhaps it was toplady's way of expressing the hope that all the bitterness and rancor attending his controversy with wesley might be buried with him. "rock of ages" has been translated into almost every known language, and to all peoples it seems to bring the same wondrous appeal. an old chinese woman was trying to do something of "merit" in the eyes of her heathen gods by digging a well twenty-five feet deep and fifteen in diameter. she was converted to christianity, and when she was eighty years old, she held out the crippled hands with which she had labored all her life and sang: "nothing in my hands i bring." a missionary to india once sought the aid of a hindu to translate the hymn into one of the numerous dialects of india. the result was not so happy. the opening words were: very old stone, split for my benefit, let me get under one of your fragments. this is a fair example of the difference between poetry and prose. the translator was faithful to the idea, but how common-place and unfortunate are his expressions when compared with the language of the original! the coronation hymn all hail the power of jesus' name! let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him lord of all. ye seed of israel's chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall, hail him, who saves you by his grace, and crown him lord of all. hail him, ye heirs of david's line, whom david lord did call; the lord incarnate, man divine, and crown him lord of all. sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall; go, spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him lord of all. let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him lord of all. o that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall! we'll join the everlasting song, and crown him lord of all. edward perronet, . the bird of a single song some men gain fame through a long life of work and achievement; others through a single notable deed. the latter is true in a very remarkable sense of edward perronet, author of the church's great coronation hymn, "all hail the power of jesus' name." "perronet, bird of a single song, but o how sweet!" is the charming tribute of bishop fess in referring to this inspired hymn and its author. although perronet was a man of more than ordinary ability, his name probably would have been lost to posterity had he not written the coronation hymn. an associate of the wesleys for many years, perronet also wrote three volumes of sacred poems, some of unusual merit. all of them, however, have been practically forgotten except his one immortal hymn. so long as there are christians on earth, it will continue to be sung, and after that--in heaven! perronet came from a distinguished line of french protestants who had found refuge in england during times of religious persecution in their homeland. his father, rev. vincent perronet, was vicar of shoreham. both father and son, though ardent supporters of the established church, became intensely interested in the great evangelical revival under whitefield and the wesleys. at one time young perronet traveled with john wesley. much opposition had been stirred up against the wesleyan movement, and in some places the preachers were threatened by mobs. concerning these experiences, wesley makes the following notation in his diary: "from rockdale we went to bolton, and soon found that the rockdale lions were lambs in comparison with those of bolton. edward perronet was thrown down and rolled in mud and mire. stones were hurled and windows broken." on another occasion it is recorded that wesley wanted to hear perronet preach. the author of our hymn, however, seems to have been somewhat reluctant about preaching in the presence of the great reformer. wesley, nevertheless, without consulting perronet, announced in church that the young man would occupy the pulpit on the following morning. perronet said nothing, but on the morrow he mounted the pulpit and explained that he had not consented to preach. "however," he added, "i shall deliver the best sermon that has ever been preached on earth," whereupon he read the sermon on the mount from beginning to end, adding not a word of comment! "all hail the power of jesus' name" has been translated into almost every language where christianity is known, and wherever it is sung it seems to grip human hearts. one of the most remarkable stories of the power of this hymn is related by rev. e. p. scott, a missionary to india. having learned of a distant savage tribe in the interior to whom the gospel had not yet been preached, this missionary, despite the warnings of his friends, packed his baggage and, taking his violin, set out on his perilous venture. after traveling several days, he suddenly came upon a large party of the savages who surrounded him and pointed their spears at him. believing death to be near, the missionary nevertheless took out his violin and with a prayer to god began to sing "all hail the power of jesus' name!" he closed his eyes as he sang, expecting every moment to be pierced through with the threatening spears. when he reached the stanza, "let every kindred, every tribe," he opened his eyes. what was his surprise to see every spear lowered, and many of the savages moved to tears! he remained for two years and a half, preaching the story of redemption and leading many of the natives to jesus. when he was about to return to america on furlough, they pleaded, "o missionary, come back to us again!" he did so, and finally passed away in the midst of these people who had learned to love the man who had brought them the gospel of christ. it is interesting to know that, while the people of both england and america prize this hymn very highly, they sing it to different melodies. the tune used in america is called "coronation" and was composed by a carpenter of charlestown, mass., by the name of oliver holden. this man was very fond of music and spent his spare time in playing a little organ on which he composed his tunes. the organ may still be seen in boston. thus an english minister and an american carpenter have united in giving the world an immortal hymn. perronet died january , . his last words were: "glory to god in the height of his divinity! glory to god in the depth of his humanity! glory to god in his all-sufficiency! into his hands i commend my spirit." two other hymn-writers who, like perronet, were associated with the wesleyan movement may be mentioned in this connection. they were john cennick and william williams. like perronet, too, each was the author of one great hymn, and through that hymn their names have been preserved to posterity. cennick, who was of bohemian ancestry, first met john wesley in . of that meeting wesley has the following notation in his diary: "on friday, march , i came to reading, where i found a young man who had in some measure known the powers of the world to come. i spent the evening with him and a few of his serious friends, and it pleased god much to strengthen and comfort them." for a while cennick assisted wesley as a lay preacher, but in he forsook the methodist movement on account of wesley's "free grace" doctrines and organized a society of his own along calvinistic lines. later he joined himself to john whitefield as an evangelist, but finally he went over to the moravians, in which communion he labored abundantly until his death in at the early age of thirty-seven years. to cennick we are indebted for the majestic hymn on the theme of christ's second coming, "lo! he comes, with clouds descending." james king, in his "anglican hymnology," gives this hymn third place among the hymns of the anglican church, it being excelled in his estimation only by bishop ken's "all praise to thee, my god, this night" and wesley's "hark! the herald angels sing." cennick has also bequeathed to the church the lovely hymn, "children of the heavenly king." though he wrote and published many more hymns, they are mostly of an inferior order. williams, a welshman by birth, has also left a hymn that has gone singing down through the centuries. it is the rugged and stirring hymn that sets forth in such striking imagery the experiences of the israelites in the wilderness, "guide me, o thou great jehovah." williams, who earned the title of the "watts of wales," wrote the hymn originally in welsh. of him it has been said that "he did for wales what wesley and watts did for england, or what luther did for germany." his first hymn-book, "hallelujah," was published in , when he was only twenty-seven years old. the welsh hymnist originally intended to enter the medical profession, but, after passing through a spiritual crisis, he was ordained as a deacon in the church of england. because of his free methods of evangelism, he was denied full ordination, and later identified himself with the wesleyan revival. like cennick and perronet, however, he soon forsook the wesleys, and now we find him a calvinistic methodist, having adopted wales as his parish. he was a powerful preacher and an unusual singer, and for forty-five years he carried on a blessed work until, on january , , he passed through "the swelling current" and was landed "safe on canaan's side." in praise of the word of god father of mercies, in thy word what endless glory shines! forever be thy name adored for these celestial lines. here the redeemer's welcome voice spreads heavenly peace around; and life and everlasting joys attend the blissful sound. o may these heavenly pages be my ever dear delight; and still new beauties may i see, and still increasing light. divine instructor, gracious lord, be thou forever near; teach me to love thy sacred word, and view my saviour there. anne steele, . england's first woman hymnist while isaac watts was working on his immortal version of "psalms of david," a baby girl was born to a baptist minister at broughton, fifteen miles away. the baby was anne steele, destined to become england's first woman hymn-writer. this was in . her father, who was a merchant as well as a minister, served the church at broughton for sixty years, the greater part without pay. the mother died when anne was only a babe of three years. from childhood the future hymnist was delicate in health, and in she suffered a hip injury which made her practically an invalid for life. the hardest blow, however, came in , when her lover, robert elscourt, was drowned on the day before he and anne were to have been married. the grief-stricken young woman with heroic faith nevertheless rose above her afflictions and found solace in sacred song. it is believed that her first hymn, a poem of beautiful resignation, was written at this time: father, whate'er of earthly bliss thy sovereign will denies, accepted at thy throne, let this my humble prayer arise: give me a calm and thankful heart, from every murmur free; the blessings of thy grace impart, and make me live to thee. let the sweet hope that thou art mine my life and death attend, thy presence through my journey shine, and crown my journey's end. that the lord heard her prayer may be attested by the fact that she became the greatest hymn-writer the baptist church has produced. throughout her life she remained unmarried, living with her father and writing noble hymns. in her first poems appeared in print under the pen name of "theodosia." her father at this time makes the following notation in his diary: "this day nanny sent part of her composition to london to be printed. i entreat a gracious god, who enabled and stirred her up to such a work, to direct it and bless it for the good of many. i pray god to make it useful, and keep her humble." the book proved immensely popular, and the author devoted the profits from its sale to charity. miss steele is the author of hymns and paraphrases of the psalms. that many of them breathe a spirit of melancholy sadness is not to be wondered at, when we consider the circumstances under which they were written. although they do not rise to great poetic heights, their language is so artless and simple they seem to sing their way into the heart of the worshiper. when trinity episcopal church of boston, in , printed its own hymn-book of hymns, fifty-nine of them, or more than one-third, were selected from miss steele's compositions. the fact that so many of them are still found in the hymnals of today is another testimony of their worth. among the more famous hymns from her pen are: "father of mercies, in thy word," "how helpless guilty nature lies," "dear refuge of my weary soul," "o thou whose tender mercy hears," "thou only sovereign of my heart," and "thou lovely source of true delight." england's pioneer woman hymnist fell asleep in november, , her last words being, "i know that my redeemer liveth." her epitaph reads: silent the lyre, and dumb the tuneful tongue, that sung on earth her great redeemer's praise; but now in heaven she joins the angelic song, in more harmonious, more exalted lays. the decades during which miss steele lived and wrought were remarkable for the number of hymn-writers of her own communion who flourished in england. in addition to miss steele, the baptist church produced such hymnists as samuel medley, samuel stennett and john fawcett. benjamin beddome also was a prolific writer of this period, but his hymns are not of a high order. medley lived a dissipated life in the navy until he was severely wounded in battle in . the reading of a sermon led to his conversion, and he later became pastor of a baptist congregation in liverpool. his most famous hymns are "o could i speak the matchless worth" and "awake, my soul, to joyful lays." stennett in succeeded his father as pastor of a baptist church in london, where he gained fame as a preacher. his best hymns are "majestic sweetness sits enthroned" and "'tis finished, so the saviour cried." fawcett was minister of an humble baptist congregation in wainsgate when, in , he received a call to a large london church. he preached his farewell sermon and had loaded his household goods on wagons, when the tears of his parishioners constrained him to remain. a few days later he wrote the tender lyric, "blest be the tie that binds." among his other hymns are "how precious is the book divine" and "lord, dismiss us with thy blessing." the name above all names how sweet the name of jesus sounds in a believer's ear! it soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. it makes the wounded spirit whole, and calms the troubled breast; 'tis manna to the hungry soul, and to the weary rest. dear name! the rock on which i build, my shield and hiding-place; my never-failing treasury, filled with boundless stores of grace. by thee my prayers acceptance gain, although with sin defiled: satan accuses me in vain, and i am owned a child. weak is the effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought; but when i see thee as thou art, i'll praise thee as i ought. till then i would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath; and may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death. john newton, . a slave-trader who wrote christian lyrics in one of england's famous old churches there is a tablet marking the last resting-place of one of its rectors, and on the tablet this epitaph: "john newton, _clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slavers in africa, was, by the rich mercy of our lord and saviour jesus christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy_." this inscription, written by newton himself before his death, tells the strange story of the life of the man who wrote "how sweet the name of jesus sounds," and scores of other beautiful hymns. newton was born in london, july , . his father was a sea captain. his mother, a deeply pious woman, though frail in health, found her greatest joy in teaching her boy scripture passages and hymns. when he was only four years old he was able to read the catechism. the faithful mother often expressed the hope to her son that he might become a minister. however, when the lad was only seven years of age, the mother died, and he was left to shift largely for himself. on his th birthday he joined his father at sea, and made five voyages to the mediterranean. through the influence of evil companions and the reading of infidel literature, he began to live a godless and abandoned life. being pressed into the navy when a war seemed imminent, young newton deserted. he was captured, however, and flogged at the mast, after which he was degraded. at this point his life teems with reckless adventures and strange escapes. falling into the hands of an unscrupulous slave-dealer in africa, he himself was reduced practically to the abject condition of a slave. in his misery he gave himself up to nameless sins. the memory of his mother, however, and the religious truths which she had implanted in his soul as a child gave his conscience no peace. the reading of "the imitation of christ," by thomas à kempis, also exerted a profound influence over him, and a terrifying experience in a storm at sea, together with his deliverance from a malignant fever in africa, served to bring the prodigal as a penitent to the throne of mercy. after six years as the captain of a slaveship, during which time newton passed through many severe struggles in trying to find peace with god through the observance of a strict moral life, he met on his last voyage a pious captain who helped to bring him to a truer and deeper faith in christ. for nine years at liverpool he was closely associated with whitefield and the wesleys, studying the scriptures in hebrew and greek, and occasionally preaching at religious gatherings of the dissenters. in he was ordained as curate of olney, where he formed the famous friendship with the poet william cowper that gave to the world so many beautiful hymns. it was at newton's suggestion that the two undertook to write a hymn-book. the famous collection known as "the olney hymns," was the result of this endeavor. of the hymns in this book, cowper is credited with sixty-six, while newton wrote the remainder. "how sweet the name of jesus sounds" appeared for the first time in this collection. it is a hymn of surpassing tenderness, and ranks among the finest in the english language. other notable hymns, by newton are: "come, my soul, thy suit prepare," "approach, my soul, the mercy-seat," "while with ceaseless course the sun," "one there is above all others," "for a season called to part," "safely through another week," "on what has now been sown," "may the grace of christ our saviour," "though troubles assail us, and dangers affright," "day of judgment, day of wonders," and "glorious things of thee are spoken." newton's life came to a close in london in , after he had served for twenty-eight years as rector of st. mary woolnoth. among his converts were numbered claudius buchanan, missionary to the east indies, and thomas scott, the bible commentator. in , when his eyesight began to fail and he could no longer read his text, his friends advised him to cease preaching. his answer was: "what! shall the old african blasphemer stop while he can speak?" when he was nearly eighty years old it was necessary for a helper to stand in the pulpit to help him read his manuscript sermons. one sunday newton had twice read the words, "jesus christ is precious." "you have already said that twice," whispered his helper; "go on." "john," said newton, turning to his assistant in the pulpit, "i said that twice, and i am going to say it again." then the rafters rang as the old preacher shouted, "_jesus christ is precious_!" newton's whole life may be said to be summed up in the words of one of his appealing hymns: amazing grace! how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! i once was lost, but now am found-- was blind, but now i see. a hymn on god's providence god moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform: he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, he treasures up his bright designs, and works his sovereign will. ye fearful saints, fresh courage take: the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. judge not the lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face. his purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour. the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his works in vain. god is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain. william cowper, . an afflicted poet who glorified god paul once wrote to the corinthians: "god chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong." in a very special sense this truth was exemplified in the life of the poet william cowper. if god ever made use of a frail instrument through which to glorify himself, he did it in this man. feeble in health from childhood, with a sensitive, high-strung mind that ever was on the point of breaking, he still worked and wrought in such a way that his sad and feverish life certainly was not lived in vain. cowper was born at great berkhamstead, england, in . his father was an english clergyman. his mother died when the child was only six years old. even as a youth, he was distressed by frequent mental attacks. he once wrote pathetically: "the meshes of that fine network, the brain, are composed of such mere spinner's threads in me that when a long thought finds its way into them it buzzes, and twangs, and bustles about at such a rate as seems to threaten the whole contexture." in the previous sketch we related how the famous friendship between the poet and john newton led to the joint publication of "the olney hymns." newton's idea in suggesting this project was not merely "to perpetuate the remembrance of an intimate and endeared friendship," as he states in the preface of the noted collection, but also to occupy cowper's mind, which already had given signs of approaching madness. in , two years after the two friends had begun "the olney hymns," cowper passed through a mental crisis that almost ended in tragedy. obsessed with the idea that it was the divine will that he should offer up his life by drowning himself in the ouse river, the afflicted poet ordered a post chaise, and instructed the driver to proceed to a certain spot near olney, where he planned to leap into the river. when he reached the place, cowper was diverted from his purpose when he found a man seated at the exact place where he had intended to end his life. returning home, he is said to have thrown himself on his knife, but the blade broke. his next attempt was to hang himself, but the rope parted. after his recovery from this dreadful experience, he was so impressed by the realization of god's overruling providence that he was led to write the hymn, "god moves in a mysterious way." it is regarded by many critics as the finest hymn ever written on the theme of god's providence. james t. fields declares that to be the author of such a hymn is an achievement that "angels themselves might envy." that god had a purpose in sparing the life of the sorely tried man is made clear when we learn that cowper lived for twenty-seven years after passing through this crisis. although he continued to experience some distressing periods, it was during these years that he wrote some of his most beautiful hymns. among these are "o for a closer walk with god," "sometimes a light surprises," "jesus, where'er thy people meet," "in holy contemplation," and "there is a fountain filled with blood." the latter hymn has often been criticized because of its strong figurative language. the expression, "a fountain filled with blood," has proved so offensive to modern taste that many hymn-books have omitted this touching hymn. dr. ray palmer, writer of "my faith looks up to thee," opposed these views vigorously. he once wrote: "such criticism seems to us superficial. it takes the words as if they were intended to be a literal prosaic statement. it forgets that what they express is not only poetry, but the poetry of intense and impassioned feeling, which naturally embodies itself in the boldest metaphors. the inner sense of the soul, when its deepest affections are moved, infallibly takes these metaphors in their true significance, while a cold critic of the letter misses that significance entirely. he merely demonstrates his own lack of the spiritual sympathies of which, for fervent christian hearts, the hymn referred to is an admirable expression." certainly it is a hymn that has spread blessings in its path, and countless are the stories of how it has broken down the resistance of hardened human hearts. one of these tells how a belfast minister once visited a mill where two hundred girls were employed, many of them from his own congregation. one girl, when she saw her pastor entering, began to sing "there is a fountain filled with blood." other girls took up the lines, and soon the glorious song was ringing above the noise of all the looms. the manager, who was an unbeliever, was so moved that he seized his hat and ran from the building. later he confessed to the minister, "i never was so hard put to it in all my life. it nearly broke me down." cowper also wrote a number of secular poems that achieved great fame. "the task," has been called "one of the wisest books ever written, and one of the most charming." another poem, "john gilpin," is a very happy and mirthful narrative. although cowper's mother died in his early childhood, he never forgot her. when he was fifty-six years old, a cousin sent him a miniature of his mother. in acknowledging the gift, he wrote: "i had rather possess my mother's picture than the richest jewel in the british crown; for i loved her with an affection that her death, fifty years since, has not in the least abated." cowper died in . three years before his death, he lost his lifelong comforter and friend, mrs. morley unwin, who had cared for him with the solicitude of a mother. the sorrow was almost too great for his feeble nature, and he again sank into deepest gloom. at times he thought god had forsaken him. only at intervals was he able to resume his literary work. his last poem was "the castaway," written march , . through all his spiritual and mental depression, however, he was ever submissive to the will of god. but the time of release for this chastened child of god was at hand. bishop moule tells the story of his departure thus: "about half an hour before his death, his face, which had been wearing a sad and hopeless expression, suddenly lighted up with a look of wonder and inexpressible delight. it was as if he saw his saviour, and as if he realized the blessed fact, 'i am not shut out of heaven after all!' this look of holy surprise and of joyful adoration remained until he had passed away, and even as he lay in his coffin the expression was still there. one who saw him after death wrote that 'with the composure and calmness of the face, there mingled also a holy surprise.'" mrs. browning, in her poem entitled "cowper's grave," concludes with these lines: "o poets, from a maniac's tongue was poured the deathless singing! o christians, at your cross of hope a hopeless hand was clinging! o men, this man in brotherhood your weary paths beguiling, groaned inly while he taught you peace, and died while you were smiling." it is a noble tribute to the deathless work of an afflicted man, and reminds us that cowper is still singing his wondrous theme of "redeeming love," although his "poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave." a hymn of gracious invitation come ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel: here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. joy of the desolate, light of the straying, hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure! here speaks the comforter, tenderly saying, "earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure." here see the bread of life; see waters flowing forth from the throne of god, pure from above, come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove. thomas moore ( - ). an irish poet and his hymns there are probably few protestants who, when they have sung "come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish," have been conscious of the fact that it was written by a roman catholic. there is indeed no place where the "communion of saints" becomes so apparent as in the hymn-books of christendom. the authors of our great hymns have come from practically every christian communion, proving that in every church group there are souls who are living in the grace that is in christ jesus. thomas moore, the author of the hymn mentioned above, is probably better known for his ballads and other poems than for his hymns. lovers of english lyric poetry will always remember him as the writer of "the last rose of summer," "believe me, if all those endearing young charms," "the harp that once through tara's halls," "oft in the stilly night," and a number of other ballads that have lived through the years and have made the name of thomas moore famous. moore, who was born in dublin, ireland, may , , was a man of curious make-up. true to his celtic nature, he possessed a fiery temper that often brought him into embarrassing situations. jeffrey, the famous critic, once aroused moore's ire by saying unkind things about his poetry. moore resented this and promptly challenged jeffrey to a duel. the authorities interfered before any blood was shed. it was then discovered that one of the pistols contained no bullet, whereupon the two men became fast friends. moore was one of the few men who ever made a financial success of the business of writing poetry. for "lalla rookh" he received $ , before a single copy had been sold. moore's hymns, thirty-two in number, first appeared in his volume of "sacred songs," published in . most of these hymns were written to popular airs of various nations. they have attained greater popularity in america than in great britain. one of the most famous of his hymns is "sound the loud timbrel o'er egypt's dark sea." like most men of poetic bent, moore was a poor financier and business man. at one time he accepted a government position in the revenue service at bermuda. he did not enjoy his tasks, and so he placed his duties in the hands of a deputy, while he went on a tour of america. the deputy, however, absconded with the proceeds of a ship's cargo, whereupon moore found himself liable for the loss of $ , . "come, ye disconsolate" was so changed by thomas hastings, the great american hymnist, that it almost became a new hymn. the second line of the first stanza, as moore originally wrote it, was: come, at the shrine of god fervently kneel. the second line of the second stanza was also changed by dr. hastings, the original version by moore being: hope, when all others die, fadeless and pure. the third line of the second stanza was greatly improved by the american critic. moore's line read: here speaks the comforter, in god's name saying. but the greatest change was made in the third stanza. this was practically rewritten by dr. hastings. moore's third stanza departs very radically and abruptly from true hymn style. it originally read: come, ask the infidel what boon he brings us, what charm for aching hearts he can reveal, sweet is that heavenly promise hope sings us-- earth has no sorrow that god cannot heal. the last three years of moore's life were very unhappy. a nervous affliction rendered him practically helpless. his death occurred on february , , at the age of seventy-three years. a beautiful lyric on prayer prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed; the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast. prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try; prayer the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high. prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, returning from his ways; while angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "behold, he prays!" prayer is the christian's vital breath, the christian's native air; his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. o thou, by whom we come to god, the life, the truth, the way, the paths of prayer thyself hast trod: lord, teach us how to pray! james montgomery, the hymn legacy of an english editor shortly before james montgomery died, a friend asked him, "which of your poems will live?" he answered, "none, sir; nothing, except perhaps a few of my hymns." montgomery was right. although he wrote a number of pretentious poems, they have been forgotten. but his hymns live on. a perusal of almost any evangelical hymn-book will probably reveal more hymns by this gifted and consecrated man than by any other author, excepting only isaac watts and charles wesley. what a rich legacy was bequeathed to the christian church by the man who wrote "hail to the lord's anointed," "prayer is the soul's sincere desire," "angels, from the realms of glory," "in the hour of trial," "who are these in bright array?" "according to thy gracious word," "come to calvary's holy mountain," "forever with the lord," "the lord is my shepherd, no want shall i know," "jerusalem, my happy home," and "go to dark gethsemane!" montgomery wrote about four hundred hymns in all, and nearly one-fourth of these are still in common use. montgomery began writing hymns as a little boy. he was born at irvine, ayrshire, scotland, november , . his father was a moravian minister, and it had been determined that the son james should also be trained for the same calling. accordingly he was sent to the moravian seminary at fulneck, yorkshire, england. the parents, however, were sent to the west indies as missionaries, and their death there made it necessary for james to discontinue his schooling. for a while he worked as a clerk in a store, but this was entirely distasteful to one who possessed the literary gifts of montgomery. at the age of nineteen we find him in london with a few of his poems in manuscript form, trying to find a publisher who would print them. in this he was unsuccessful, and two years later we follow him to sheffield, where he became associated with robert gales, editor of the sheffield register. gales was a radical, and, because he displeased the authorities by some of his articles, he found it convenient in to leave england for america. montgomery, then only twenty-three years old, took over the publication of the paper and changed its name to the sheffield iris. montgomery, however, proved as indiscreet as gales had been, and during the first two years of his editorship he was twice imprisoned by the government, the first time for publishing a poem in commemoration of "the fall of bastille," and the second time for his account of a riot at sheffield. in he published a volume of poems called "prison amusements," so named from the fact that some of them had been written during his imprisonment. in later years the british government granted him a pension of $ , per year in recognition of his achievements and perhaps by way of making amends for the indignity offered him by his two imprisonments. in montgomery's hymns we may hear for the first time the missionary note in english hymnody, reflecting the newly-awakened zeal for the evangelization of the world which had gripped the english people. the baptist missionary society had been organized in ; carey had gone to india as its great apostle; and in the english church missionary society had been formed. in the fervor aroused for foreign missions in england we may discern a continuation of the impulses which went forth from the pietistic movement at halle, germany, nearly a century earlier, when bartholomew ziegenbalg and henry plütschau were sent from that cradle of the modern missionary movement as the first missionaries to india. we may also see something of the influences emanating from the great moravian missionary center at herrnhut. john wesley visited both these places before he began his great revival in england, and became deeply imbued with zeal for missions. moravian contact with england had resulted in the formation of many moravian societies, and it was one of these that had sent montgomery's parents as missionaries to the west indies. it was not without reason, therefore, that montgomery became the first english hymnist to sound the missionary trumpet. he could never forget that his parents had given their lives in bringing the gospel to the wretched blacks of the west indies. his father's grave was at barbadoes and his mother was sleeping on the island of tobago. and for the same reason, montgomery was a bitter opponent of slavery. the first missionary note is heard in montgomery's great advent hymn, "hail to the lord's anointed," written in . one of the stanzas not usually found in hymn-books reads: kings shall fall down before him, and gold and incense bring; all nations shall adore him, his praise all people sing; for he shall have dominion o'er river, sea, and shore, far as the eagle's pinion or dove's light wing can soar. two other missionary hymns are "lift up your heads, ye gates of brass" and "hark! the song of jubilee." the latter sweeps along in triumphant measures: he shall reign from pole to pole, with illimitable sway; he shall reign, when like a scroll yonder heavens have passed away; then the end: beneath his rod man's last enemy shall fall: hallelujah! christ in god, god in christ, is all in all! although "jerusalem, my happy home!" ranks highest among the hymns of montgomery, judged by the standard of popular favor, his hymn on prayer and "forever with the lord" have aroused the most enthusiasm on the part of literary critics. julian says of the latter that "it is full of lyric fire and deep feeling," and dr. theodore cuyler declares that it contains four lines that are as fine as anything in hymnody. this beautiful verse reads: here, in the body pent, absent from thee i roam, yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home. montgomery's last words were words of prayer. after his usual evening devotion on april , , he went to sleep, a sleep from which he never woke on earth. and so was fulfilled in his own experience the beautiful thought contained in his glorious hymn on prayer: prayer is the christian's vital breath, the christian's native air, his watchword at the gates of death-- he enters heaven with prayer. a sublime hymn of adoration holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty! early in the morning our song shall rise to thee: holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty; god in three persons, blessed trinity! holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns upon the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be. holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee, though the eyes of sinful man thy glory may not see, only thou art holy: there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love, in purity. holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty! all thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea: holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty; god in three persons, blessed trinity! reginald heber, . heber, missionary bishop and hymnist in the glorious hymns of reginald heber, missionary bishop to india, we find not only the noblest expression of the missionary fervor which in his day was stirring the church, but also the purest poetry in english hymnody. christians of all ages will gratefully remember the name of the man who wrote the most stirring of all missionary hymns, "from greenland's icy mountains," as well as that sublime hymn of adoration, "holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty!" the latter was regarded by alfred tennyson as the world's greatest hymn. born april , , at malpas, cheshire, england, heber was educated at oxford, where he formed the friendship of sir walter scott. his gift for writing poetry revealed itself in this period of his life, when he won a prize for a remarkable poem on palestine. it is said that heber, who was only seventeen years old at the time, read the poem to scott at the breakfast table, and that the latter suggested one of the most striking lines. following the award of the prize, for which young heber had been earnestly striving, his parents found him on his knees in grateful prayer. for sixteen years heber served in the obscure parish of hodnet as a minister of the church of england. it was during this period that all of his hymns were written. he was also engaged in other literary activities that brought him some fame. all this while, however, he nourished a secret longing to go to india. it is said that he would work out imaginary journeys on the map, while he hoped that some day he might become bishop of calcutta. his missionary fervor at this time is also reflected in the famous hymn, "from greenland's icy mountains," written in . the allusions to "india's coral strand" and "ceylon's isle" are an indication of the longings that were running through his mind. his earnest prayer was answered in , when at the age of forty years he was called to the episcopate as bishop of calcutta. after three years of arduous work in india, the life of the gifted bishop was cut short. during this period he ordained the first native pastor of the episcopal church--christian david. a man of rare refinement and noble christian personality, heber was greatly beloved by all who knew him. "one of the best of english gentlemen," was the tribute accorded him by thackeray. it was not until after his death, however, that he leaped into fame through his hymns. the story of how "from greenland's icy mountains" was written reveals something of the poetic genius of heber. it seems that he was visiting with his father-in-law, dr. shipley, vicar and dean of wrexham, on the saturday before whitsunday, . the dean, who was planning to preach a missionary sermon the following morning, asked young heber to write a missionary hymn that could be sung at the service. the latter immediately withdrew from the circle of friends to another part of the room. after a while the dean asked, "what have you written?" heber replied by reading the first three stanzas of the hymn. the dean expressed satisfaction, but the poet replied, "no, no, the sense is not complete." and so he added the fourth verse--"waft, waft, ye winds, his story"--and the greatest missionary hymn of the ages had been born. the story of the tune to which the hymn is sung is equally interesting. a christian woman in savannah, georgia, had come into possession of a copy of heber's words. the meter was unusual, and she was unable to find music to fit the words. learning of a young bank clerk who was said to be gifted as a composer, she sent the poem to him. within a half hour it was returned to her with the beautiful tune, "missionary hymn," to which it is now universally sung. the young bank clerk was none other than lowell mason, who afterwards achieved fame as one of america's greatest hymn-tune composers. the marvel is that both words and music were written almost in a moment--by real inspiration, it would seem. bishop heber's hymns are characterized chiefly by their lyrical quality. they are unusually rich in imagery. this may be seen particularly in his beautiful epiphany hymn, "brightest and best of the sons of the morning." in some respects the hymns of heber resemble the later lyrics of henry francis lyte, writer of "abide with me, fast falls the eventide." they ring, however, with a much more joyous note than the hymns of lyte, in which are always heard strains of sadness. we have already referred to tennyson's estimate of heber's hymn to the holy trinity. it should be observed that this great hymn is one of pure adoration. there is nothing of the element of confession, petition or thanksgiving in it, but only worship. its exalted language is scriptural throughout, indeed it is the word of the most high. it is doubtful if there is a nobler hymn of its kind in all the realm of hymnody. the tune to which it is always sung, "nicaea," was written by the great english composer, rev. john b. dykes, and is comparable to the hymn itself in majesty. other fine hymns by heber include "the son of god goes forth to war," "god that madest earth and heaven," "o thou, whose infant feet were found," "when through the torn sail," "bread of the world in mercy broken," and "by cool siloam's shady rill." altogether heber wrote fifty-seven hymns, all of which were published in a single collection after his death. it is said that every one of them is still in use, a rare tribute to the genius of this consecrated writer. heber's life was closely paralleled in many respects by another great hymn-writer who lived in the same period. his name was sir robert grant. he was born two years later than the gifted missionary bishop and, like heber, died in india. although he did not enter the service of the church but engaged in secular pursuits, he was a deeply spiritual man and his hymns bear testimony of an earnest, confiding faith in christ. between his hymns and those of heber there is a striking similarity. the language is chaste and exalted. the rhythm is faultless. the lines are chiseled as perfectly as a cameo. the imagery is almost startling in its grandeur. take, for example, a stanza from his magnificent hymn, "o worship the king": o tell of his might, and sing of his grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; his chariots of wrath the deep thunder-clouds form, and dark is his path on the wings of the storm. there is something beautifully tender in that other hymn of grant's in which he reveals childlike trust in christ: when gathering clouds around i view, and days are dark, and friends are few, on him i lean, who, not in vain, experienced every human pain; he sees my wants, allays my fears, and counts and treasures up my tears. nor would we forget his other famous hymn, "saviour, when in dust to thee," based on the litany. when we learn that the man who wrote these hymns was never engaged in religious pursuits, but that his whole life was crowded with arduous tasks and great responsibilities in filling high government positions, we have reason to marvel. sir robert grant was born in the county of inverness, scotland, in . his father was a member of parliament and a director of the east india company. the son also was trained for political life, and, after graduating from cambridge university in , he began the practice of law. in he was elected to parliament, five years later became privy counselor, and in he was named governor of bombay. he died at dapoorie, in western india, in . while a member of parliament, sir robert introduced a bill to remove the restrictions imposed upon the jews. the historian macaulay made his maiden speech in parliament in support of this measure. brief mention should also be made here of another of bishop heber's contemporaries who gained undying fame by a great hymn. he was john marriott, a minister of the church of england, whose missionary hymn, "thou, whose almighty word," is ranked among the finest in the english language. marriott was born in , three years before heber's birth, and he died in , a year before the death of the famous missionary bishop. a hymn that wins souls just as i am, without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, o lamb of god, i come, i come! just as i am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, o lamb of god, i come, i come! just as i am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears, within, without, o lamb of god, i come, i come! just as i am, poor, wretched, blind; sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all i need, in thee i find, o lamb of god, i come, i come! just as i am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve, because thy promise i believe, o lamb of god, i come, i come! just as i am; thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now to be thine, yea, thine alone, o lamb of god, i come, i come! charlotte elliott, . an invalid who blessed the world "just as i am" will doubtlessly be sung to the end of time, and as often as christians sing it they will praise god and bless the memory of the woman who wrote it--charlotte elliott. this hymn will have a greater value, too, when we know something of the pain and effort that it cost the writer to produce it. miss elliott was one of those afflicted souls who scarcely know what surcease from suffering is. though she lived to be eighty-two years old, she was never well, and often endured seasons of great physical distress. she could well understand the sacrifice made by one who strikes the strings with fingers that ache and bleed. of her own afflictions she once wrote: "he knows, and he alone, what it is, day after day, hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost overpowering weakness, languor and exhaustion, to resolve not to yield to slothfulness, depression and instability, such as the body causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined to take for my motto: 'if a man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.'" but god seemed to have had a purpose in placing a heavy cross upon her. her very afflictions made her think of other sufferers like herself and made her the better fitted for the work that he had prepared for her--the ministry of comfort and consolation. how beautifully she resigned herself to the will of god may be seen in her words: "god sees, god guides, god guards me. his grace surrounds me, and his voice continually bids me to be happy and holy in his service, just where i am." "just as i am" was written in , and appeared for the first time in the second edition of "the invalid's hymn book," which was published that year and to which miss elliott had contributed pieces. the great american evangelist, dwight l. moody, once said that this hymn had probably touched more hearts and brought more souls to christ than any other ever written. miss elliott's own brother, who was a minister in the church of england, himself wrote: "in the course of a long ministry, i hope to have been permitted to see some fruit of my labors; but i feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister's." it is said that after the death of miss elliott, more than a thousand letters were found among her papers, in which the writers expressed their gratitude to her for the help the hymn had brought them. the secret power of this marvelous hymn must be found in its true evangelical spirit. it sets forth in very simple but gripping words the all-important truth that we are not saved through any merit or worthiness in ourselves, but by the sovereign grace of god through faith in jesus christ. it also pictures the utter helplessness and wretchedness of the human soul, and its inability to rise above its own sins; but very lovingly it invites the soul to come to him "whose blood can cleanse each spot." the hymn was born out of the author's personal spiritual experiences. though a daughter of the church, brought up in a pious home, it seems that miss elliott had never found true peace with god. like so many other seeking souls in all ages, she felt that men must do something themselves to win salvation, instead of coming to christ as helpless sinners and finding complete redemption in him. when dr. caesar malan, the noted swiss preacher of geneva, came to visit the elliott home in brighton, england, in , he soon discovered the cause of her spiritual perplexity, and became a real evangelical guide and counsellor. "you have nothing of merit to bring to god," he told her. "you must come just as you are, a sinner, to the lamb of god that taketh away the sin of the world." throughout the remainder of her life, miss elliott celebrated every year the day on which her friend had led her to christ, for she considered it to be her spiritual birthday. although it was fourteen years later that she wrote her immortal hymn, it is apparent that she never forgot the words of dr. malan, for they form the very core and essence of it. the inspiration for the hymn came one day when the frail invalid had been left alone at the home of her brother. she was lying on a couch and pondering on the words spoken by dr. malan many years before, when suddenly the whole glorious truth of salvation as the free gift of god flashed upon her soul. then came the heavenly gift. rising from her couch, she wrote: just as i am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidd'st me come to thee, o lamb of god, i come, i come! miss elliott was the author of some hymns. perhaps her finest, aside from her great masterpiece, is "my god, my father, while i stray." by common consent, miss elliott is given first place among english women hymn-writers. the sun that ne'er goes down sun of my soul, thou saviour dear, it is not night if thou be near; o may no earthborn cloud arise to hide thee from thy servant's eyes. when the soft dews of kindly sleep my wearied eyelids gently steep, be my last thought, how sweet to rest forever on my saviour's breast. abide with me from morn till eve, for without thee i cannot live; abide with me when night is nigh, for without thee i dare not die. if some poor wandering child of thine have spurned today the voice divine, now, lord, the gracious work begin; let him no more lie down in sin. watch by the sick; enrich the poor with blessings from thy boundless store; be every mourner's sleep tonight, like infant's slumber, pure and light. come near and bless us when we wake, ere through the world our way we take; till in the ocean of thy love we lose ourselves in heaven above. john keble, . how hymns helped build a church many of the classic hymns of the christian church have been derived from devotional poems that were never intended as hymns by their writers. this is true of the beautiful morning hymn, "new every morning is the love," and the equally beautiful evening hymn, "sun of my soul, thou saviour dear." both of these gems in the treasury of hymnody have been taken from one of the most famous devotional books ever written--john keble's "the christian year." keble was born at fairford, england, april , , the son of a country vicar. the only elementary training he received was at the hands of his gifted father, but at the age of fifteen years he was ready to enter oxford university. here he distinguished himself as a brilliant scholar, and at the age of twenty-three he was ordained as a clergyman of the church of england. he remained as a tutor at oxford for a number of years, but when his mother died he returned to fairford to assist his father. although he received a number of tempting offers at this time, he preferred to labor in this obscure parish, where he might be of help and comfort to his father and his two sisters. it was not until , when his father died and the home was broken up, that keble accepted the vicarage of hursley, another humble and scattered parish, with a population of , people. he married in the same year, and here he and his devoted wife labored until , when they passed away within six weeks of each other. it was in , when keble was only twenty-seven, that he yielded to the strong entreaties of his father and many of his friends and consented to publish the volume of poems known as "the christian year." the verses follow the church calendar, and it was the author's desire that the book should be a devotional companion to the book of common prayer. for this reason it has been called "the prayer book in poetry." keble was so modest concerning his work that he refused to permit the volume to bear his name, and so it was given to the world anonymously. the work was a marvelous success. from to , a year after the author's death, the book had passed through one hundred and nine editions. keble used a large part of the proceeds derived from the sales of his book in helping to rebuild the church at hursley. he also was instrumental in having churches built at otterbourne and ampfield, hamlets that belonged to his parish. religious leaders, as well as literary critics, have been unanimous in rendering tribute to this remarkable volume. dr. arnold, the great schoolmaster of rugby, speaking of keble's poems, says: "nothing equal to them exists in our language. the knowledge of scripture, the purity of heart, and the richness of poetry, i never saw equaled." "it is a book," says canon barry, "which leads the soul up to god, not through one, but through all of the various faculties which he has implanted in it." and dr. pusey adds: "it taught, because his own soul was moved so deeply; the stream burst forth, because the heart that poured it out was full; it was fresh, deep, tender, loving, because he himself was such; he was true, and thought aloud, and conscience everywhere responded to the voice of conscience." the publication of "the christian year" brought keble such fame that, in , he was elected professor of poetry at oxford. he did not remove thither, but in he preached at oxford his famous sermon on "national apostasy" which is credited with having started the so-called "oxford movement." this movement had its inception in the earnest desire on the part of many prominent leaders of the church of england, including john newman, to bring about a spiritual awakening in the church. they looked askance at the evangelistic methods of the wesleyan leaders and turned to the other extreme of high church ritualism. all england was profoundly stirred by a series of "tracts for the times," written by newman and his friends, among them keble. a disastrous result of the movement was the desertion of newman and a large number of others to the church of rome; but keble shrank from this final step and remained a high church episcopalian. although a great part of his later life was occupied with religious controversy, we would like to remember keble as a consecrated christian poet and an humble parish pastor. for more than thirty years he labored faithfully among his people, visiting from house to house. if it was impossible for a candidate to attend confirmation instruction during the day, keble would go to his house at night, armed with cloak and lantern. he gave each candidate a bible, in which he had marked the passages that were to be learned. these bibles were highly prized, and some of them are to be found in hursley to this day. it was noticed that, whenever the vicar prepared to read and explain a passage of scripture, he would first bow his head and close his eyes while he asked for the guidance of the holy spirit. keble's famous morning hymn, "new every morning is the love," is taken from a poem of sixteen verses. the first line reads, "o timely happy, timely wise." it contains the two oft quoted stanzas that ought to be treasured in the heart of every christian: the trivial round, the common task, will furnish all we ought to ask, room to deny ourselves; a road to bring us daily nearer god. only, o lord, in thy dear love fit us for perfect rest above; and help us this, and every day, to live more nearly as we pray. the evening hymn is also taken from a longer poem, in which the author first describes in graphic words the setting of the sun: 'tis gone! that bright and orbéd blaze, fast fading from our wistful gaze; yon mantling cloud has hid from sight the last faint pulse of quivering light. in darkness and in weariness the traveler on his way must press, no gleam to watch on tree or tower, whiling away the lonesome hour. then comes the beautiful and reassuring thought: sun of my soul! thou saviour dear, it is not night if thou be near! o may no earthborn cloud arise to hide thee from thy servant's eyes. the peculiar tenderness in keble's poetry is beautifully illustrated in the second stanza: when the soft dews of kindly sleep my wearied eyelids gently steep, be my last thought, how sweet to rest forever on my saviour's breast. other familiar hymns by keble are "the voice that breathed o'er eden," "blest are the pure in heart," and "when god of old came down from heaven." the hymn of a perplexed soul lead, kindly light, amid th' encircling gloom, lead thou me on! the night is dark, and i am far from home; lead thou me on! keep thou my feet; i do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me. i was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; i loved to choose and see my path; but now lead thou me on! i loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, pride ruled my will. remember not past years! so long thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on o'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone, and with the morn those angel faces smile, which i have loved long since, and lost awhile. john henry newman, . a famous hymn by a proselyte of rome when the children of israel were about to resume the march from mount sinai and moses had received the command to lead the people into the unknown wilderness, we are told in exodus that moses hesitated. "see," said the great leader, "thou sayest unto me, 'bring up this people': and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me." and god answered, "my presence shall go with thee, and i will give thee rest." it was this sublime thought of the guiding presence of god that gave to john henry newman the inspiration for "lead, kindly light." there was much of tragedy in the strange life of newman. he was born in london, the son of a banker, february , . it is said that he was extremely superstitious as a boy, and that he would cross himself, after the custom of roman catholics, whenever he entered a dark place. he also came to the conclusion that it was the will of god that he should never marry. he graduated from trinity college, oxford, at the age of nineteen, and four years later was ordained as a minister of the church of england. he soon began to be attracted by roman catholic teachings and to associate with leaders of that communion. in he was in poor health, and determined to go to italy. this was the year of the famous "oxford movement," which was destined to carry so many high anglicans into the roman communion. while in rome he came still further under the influence of the romanists, who lost no opportunity to take advantage of his perplexed state of mind. leaving rome, he went down to sicily, where he was stricken with fever and was near death. after his recovery, his one thought was to return to his native shores. he writes: "i was aching to get home; yet for want of a vessel was kept at palermo for three weeks. at last i got an orange-boat bound for marseilles. we were becalmed a whole week on the mediterranean sea. then it was (june , ) that i wrote the lines: 'lead, kindly light.'" the hymn, therefore, may be said to be the work of a man who found himself in deep mental, physical, and spiritual distress. newman was greatly dissatisfied with conditions within his own church. in his perplexity he scarcely knew where to turn, but he had no intention at this time, as he himself states, to forsake the church of england for the roman catholic communion. this step was not taken by him until twelve years later. "lead, kindly light" was published for the first time in "the british magazine," in the month of march, . it bore the title, "faith--heavenly leadings." two years later he printed it with the title, "light in the darkness," and the motto, "unto the godly there ariseth up light in the darkness." at a later date he published it under the title, "the pillar of the cloud." newman ascribed its popularity as a hymn to the appealing tune written for it in by dr. john b. dykes. as to its poetic qualities there has been the widest divergence of opinion. while one critic has called it "one of the outstanding lyrics of the nineteenth century," william t. stead observes, caustically, that "it is somewhat hard for the staunch protestant to wax enthusiastic over the invocation of a 'kindly light' which led the author straight into the arms of the scarlet woman of the seven hills." the hymn has often been attacked on the ground that it is not definitely christian in character. in this respect it is similar to mrs. adams' famous hymn, "nearer, my god, to thee." when the parliament of religions convened in chicago a few years ago, newman's hymn was the only one sung by representatives of all creeds from every part of the world. bishop bickersteth of england, feeling the need of the christian note in the hymn, added the following stanza: meantime along the narrow rugged path thyself hast trod, lead, saviour, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my god to rest for ever after earthly strife in the calm light of everlasting life. this was done, said bishop bickersteth, "from a deep conviction that the heart of the belated pilgrim can only find rest in the light of light." the additional stanza, however, has not come into general use. many interpretations have been given to the closing lines, and with the morn those angel faces smile, which i have loved long since, and lost awhile. some have believed that newman by "angel faces" had in mind loved ones lost through death. yet others are convinced that the author had reference to the actual visions of angels which are said to have come to him in youth, and the loss of which greatly grieved him in later life. newman himself, in a letter written january , , refused to throw further light on the lines, pleading that he had forgotten the meaning that he had in mind when the hymn was written forty-six years before. rome honored its distinguished proselyte by making him a cardinal. it is said, however, that newman was never again a happy man after having surrendered the faith of his fathers. he died at birmingham, england, august , , at the age of eighty-nine years. a disciple of newman's, frederick william faber, may be mentioned in this connection, for the lives of the two men were strangely intertwined. faber, who was the son of an english clergyman, was born at yorkshire, june , . he was graduated from oxford in , and became a minister of the english church at elton in . while at oxford he came under the influence of the "oxford movement" and formed a deep attachment for newman. it was inevitable, therefore, that he too should be carried into the roman church, which communion he joined in . for some years he labored with newman in the catholic church of st. philip neri in london. he died in at the age of forty-nine years. faber wrote a large number of hymns, many of them before his desertion to the church of rome. others, written after his defection, containing eulogies of mary and petitions addressed to the saints, have been changed in order to make them suitable for protestant hymn-books. his inordinate use of the word "sweet", and his familiar manner of addressing christ as "sweet saviour" has called down harsh criticism on his hymns as sentimental and effeminate. however, such hymns as "there's a wideness in god's mercy," "hark, hark, my soul! angelic songs are swelling," "o saviour, bless us ere we go," "o paradise, o paradise," and "faith of our fathers, living still" have probably found a permanent place in the hymn-books of the church universal, and will be loved and cherished both for their devotional spirit and their poetic beauty. faber wrote "faith of our fathers" after his defection to the church of rome. in its original form the author expressed the hope that england would be brought back to the papal fold. the opening lines, as faber wrote them, were: faith of our fathers! mary's prayers shall win our country back to thee. a hymn written in the shadows abide with me! fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens; lord, with me abide! when other helpers fail, and comforts flee, help of the helpless, o abide with me! swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; change and decay in all around i see; o thou who changest not, abide with me! i need thy presence every passing hour: what but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? who like thyself my guide and stay can be? through cloud and sunshine, o abide with me! i fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless: ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness. where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory? i triumph still, if thou abide with me! hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes, shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, o lord, abide with me! henry francis lyte, . henry francis lyte and his swan song many a man who has labored in obscure places, practically unnoticed and unpraised by his own generation, has achieved a fame after his death that grows in magnitude with the passing years. when henry francis lyte died in , he was little known beyond his humble seashore parish at lower brixham, england; but today, wherever his beautiful hymns are sung throughout the christian world, he is gratefully remembered as the man who wrote "abide with me." in response to a questionnaire sent to american readers recently by "the etude," a musical magazine, , out of nearly , persons who replied named "abide with me" as their favorite hymn. it easily took first rank, displacing such older favorites as "rock of ages" and "jesus, lover of my soul." how often we have sung this hymn at the close of an evening service, and a settled peace has come into our hearts as we have realized the nearness of him who said, "and lo! i am with you always." yet, this is not in reality an evening hymn. its theme is the evening of life, and it was written when lyte felt the shadows of death gathering about his own head. we catch his meaning in the second stanza: swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away. lyte was always frail in health. he was born in scotland, june , , and was early left an orphan. nevertheless, despite the handicap of poverty, he struggled through college, and on three occasions won prizes with poems. his first ambition was to become a physician, but during his college days he determined to enter the ministry. the death of a young friend, a brother clergyman, brought about a profound change in the spiritual life of lyte. called to the bedside of his friend to give him consolation, he discovered to his sorrow that both he and the dying man were blind guides who were still groping for light. through a prayerful search of the scriptures, however, they both came to a firm faith in christ. lyte wrote of his friend: "he died happy under the belief that though he had deeply erred, there was _one_ whose death and sufferings would atone for his delinquencies, and that he was forgiven and accepted for his sake." concerning the change that came into his own life, he added: "i was greatly affected by the whole matter, and brought to look at life and its issue with a different eye than before; and i began to study my bible and preach in another manner than i had previously done." for nearly twenty-five years after this incident lyte labored among humble fisherfolk and sailors of the parish at lower brixham, and his deep spiritual zeal and fervor led him to overtax his physical powers. from time to time he was obliged to spend the winters in more friendly climes. in the autumn of he wrote to a friend that the swallows were flying southward, and he observed, "they are inviting me to accompany them; and yet alas; while i am talking of flying, i am just able to crawl." the sunday for his farewell service came. his family and friends admonished him not to preach a sermon, but the conscientious minister insisted. "it is better," he said, "to _wear_ out than to _rust_ out." he did preach, and the hearts of his hearers were full that day, for they seemed to realize that it would probably be the last time they would hear him. the faithful pastor, too, seemed to have a premonition that it would be his last sermon. the service closed with the lord's supper, administered by lyte to his sorrowing flock. "though necessarily much exhausted by the exertion and excitement of this effort," his daughter afterward wrote, "yet his friends had no reason to believe that it had been hurtful to him." this was september , . that afternoon he walked out along the shore to watch the sun as it was setting in a glory of crimson and gold. it was a peaceful, beautiful sabbath evening. returning to his home, he shut himself up in his study for the brief space of an hour, and when he came out, he handed a near relative the manuscript containing the famous hymn, "abide with me." he also had composed a tune of his own for the words, but this never came into general use. during the following week lyte left his beloved england for italy. however, he got no farther than nice, in france, where he was obliged to discontinue his journey. here he passed away november of the same year. his last words were, "joy! peace!" and then he fell asleep. a little cross marks his grave in the english cemetery at nice, for he was buried there. every year hundreds of pilgrims visit his grave and tell touching stories of how lyte's hymn brought them to faith in christ jesus. it was lyte's life-long wish that he might leave behind him such a hymn as this. in an earlier poem he had voiced the longing that he might write some simple strain, some spirit-moving lay, some sparklet of the soul that still might live when i was passed to clay.... o thou! whose touch can lend life to the dead, thy quick'ning grace supply, and grant me, swanlike, my last breath to spend in song that may not die! lyte's prayer was fulfilled. as long as men shall worship the crucified and risen lord, so long will they continue to sing the sad and beautiful words of lyte's swan song. in lyte we have a hymn-writer of the first rank. indeed, he is comparable to any of england's greatest hymnists, not excepting watts or wesley. his hymns are real lyrics, scriptural in language, rich in imagery, and exalted in poetic conception. "in no other author," says an eminent authority, "is poetry and religion more exquisitely united." aside from the sublime hymn we have mentioned, lyte has given to the church such noble lyrics as "jesus, i my cross have taken," "pleasant are thy courts above," "praise, my soul, the king of heaven," "god of mercy, god of grace," "my spirit on thy care," "as pants the hart for cooling streams," and "o that the lord's salvation." the latter hymn is one of the few ever written that voice a prayer for the salvation of israel. the poetic rapture to which lyte's poetry sometimes rises is most beautifully reflected in his hymn of adoration: praise, my soul, the king of heaven; to his feet thy tribute bring; ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like thee his praise should sing? alleluia! alleluia! praise the everlasting king! praise him for his grace and favor to our fathers in distress; praise him, still the same as ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless: alleluia! alleluia! glorious in his faithfulness! a woman's gift to the church nearer, my god, to thee! nearer to thee! e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! though, like the wanderer, the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone, yet in my dreams i'd be nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! there let my way appear steps unto heaven; all that thou sendest me in mercy given; angels to beckon me nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! then with my waking thoughts, bright with thy praise, out of my stony griefs bethel i'll raise, so by my woes to be nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards i fly; still all my song shall be, nearer, my god to thee, nearer to thee! sarah adams, . sarah adams and the rise of women hymn-writers nineteenth century hymnody was characterized by an extraordinary number of women hymn-writers. it is significant that this development came, as we have noted in a previous chapter, with the great spiritual revivals which aroused evangelical europe and america from to . it was also coincident with the general movement resulting in the enlargement of women's influence and activity in all spheres of human endeavor. in the realm of hymnody women have become the chief exponents of church song. dr. breed has pointed out that the large increase of women hymnists, as well as the preponderance of hymn translations, is indicative of a period of decadence in sacred song. while this is probably true of the latter half of the nineteenth century, which saw the rise of the so-called "gospel song," we must cheerfully recognize the fact that such women as charlotte elliott, sarah adams, cecil alexander and frances havergal in england and mary lathbury, anna warner, catherine esling, harriet beecher stowe, phoebe gary, elizabeth prentiss and fanny crosby in america have contributed some of the most precious gems to the treasure-store of christian hymns. indeed, the hymnody of the church would have been immeasurably poorer had these consecrated women failed to make use of their heaven-born talent. and, although we must deplore the apparent fact that "original utterance in sacred song is departing from the church," we must be forever grateful to such gifted women as catherine winkworth and the borthwick sisters, who, through their excellent translations, gave to the english-speaking world some of the choicest pearls of german hymnody. charlotte elliott was the forerunner of the long line of women hymnists. then came sarah flower adams, the writer of "nearer, my god, to thee," one of the greatest sacred lyrics ever given to the world, and probably the finest ever written by a woman. sarah flower was born at harlow, england, february , , the daughter of benjamin flower, editor of the cambridge "intelligencer." the mother died when sarah was only five years old. a sister, eliza, was a gifted musician, while sarah early showed talent along literary lines. in later years eliza wrote music for the hymns of her sister. sarah was fond of the stage. she believed that it could be made to teach great moral truths as well as the pulpit. her dreams of becoming an actress, however, failed to materialize because of poor health. in she became the wife of john bridges adams, a civil engineer, after which she made her home in london. her health was seriously impaired through caring for her sister, who died a consumptive in , and she survived her less than two years. her great hymn was written in . it was published the following year in a volume of hymns and anthems edited by her pastor, rev. william johnson fox. this man was a unitarian, and for this reason mrs. adams has also been classified with that sect. it is said, however, that she became a baptist near the close of her life. other hymns written by her indicate that she had arrived at a living faith in christ. perhaps the many trials she suffered proved in the end to be the means of bringing her to the saviour. and thus was fulfilled in her own life the beautiful lines: e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me. "nearer, my god, to thee" has probably aroused more discussion than any other hymn. because it is based entirely on the story of jacob at bethel and omits reference to christ, it has been called more unitarian than christian. many efforts have been made, but without much success, to write a substitute hymn with a definite christian note. in bishop how of london wrote a hymn, the first stanza of which reads: nearer, o god, to thee! hear thou our prayer; e'en though a heavy cross fainting we bear. still all our prayer shall be nearer, o god, to thee, nearer to thee! prof. henry eyster jacobs of philadelphia, in , also wrote a version: nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! through word and sacrament thou com'st to me. thy grace is ever near, thy spirit ever here drawing to thee. the hymn was a favorite with william mckinley, the martyred president. when he was dying, his attending physician heard him murmur, "'nearer, my god, to thee, e'en though it be a cross,' has been my constant prayer." that sweet story of old i think, when i read that sweet story of old, when jesus was here among men, how he called little children as lambs to his fold, i should like to have been with them then. i wish that his hand had been placed on my head, that his arm had been thrown around me, and that i might have seen his kind look when he said, "let the little ones come unto me." yet still to his footstool in prayer i may go, and ask for a share in his love; and if only i earnestly seek him below, i shall see him and hear him above. in that beautiful place he has gone to prepare for all who are washed and forgiven, full many dear children are gathering there, "for of such is the kingdom of heaven" but thousands and thousands who wander and fall never heard of that heavenly home: i should like them to know there is room for them all, and that jesus has bid them to come. and o how i long for that glorious time, the sweetest and brightest and best, when the dear little children of every clime shall crowd to his arms and be blest! jemima luke, . a hymn written in a stage-coach some one has said, "let me write the songs of a nation, and i care not who may write its laws." it is a wise saying; for who can estimate the influence of the songs we sing, especially the songs of children? there is no better way to teach christian truths to children than to have them sing those truths into their hearts and souls. when jemima luke sat in an english stage-coach in composing the lines of a little poem that had been ringing in her mind, she could scarcely have known she was writing a hymn that would gladden the hearts of thousands of children in many years to come. but that is how she wrote "i think when i read that sweet story of old," and that is the happy fate that was in store for her labor of love. her maiden name was jemima thompson. her father was a missionary enthusiast, and she herself was filled with zeal for mission enterprises. even as a child, at the age of thirteen, she was an anonymous contributor to "the juvenile magazine." when she was twenty-eight years old she visited a school where the children had been singing a fine old melody as a marching song. "what a lovely children's hymn it would make," she thought, "if only there were suitable religious words for it." she hunted through many books for the words she desired, but could find none that satisfied her. some time later, as she was riding in a stage coach with nothing to occupy her, she thought of the tune again. taking an old envelope from her pocket, she recorded on the back of it the words that have come to be loved on both sides of the atlantic, and some day probably will be sung by the children of all the world. when she returned home, she taught the words and the melody to her sunday school class. her father, who was superintendent of the school, chanced to hear them one day. "where did that hymn come from?" he asked. "jemima made it!" was the proud answer of the youngsters. without telling his daughter about it, the father sent a copy of the words to the "sunday school teachers' magazine," and in a few weeks it appeared for the first time in print. since that time it has continued to find a place year after year in almost every juvenile hymnal published in the english language. the last stanza of the hymn, which begins with the words, "but thousands and thousands who wander and fall," was added subsequently by the author, who desired to make it suitable for missionary gatherings. her interest in foreign missions continued unabated throughout her life. at one time she was accepted as a missionary to the women of india, but poor health prevented her from carrying out her purpose. however, she edited "the missionary repository," the first missionary magazine for children, and numbered among her contributors such famous missionaries as david livingstone, robert moffatt and james montgomery. in she married a minister, rev. samuel luke. after his death in she devoted much of her time to promoting the erection of parsonages in parishes that were too poor to provide them for their pastors. when an international convention of the christian endeavor society was held in baltimore in , mrs. luke sent the following message to the young people: "dear children, you will be men and women soon, and it is for you and the children of england to carry the message of a saviour's love to every nation of this sin-stricken world. it is a blessed message to carry, and it is a happy work to do. the lord make you ever faithful to him, and unspeakably happy in his service! i came to him at ten years of age, and at ninety-one can testify to his care and faithfulness." she died in at the age of ninety-three years. although she wrote a great deal of inspiring christian literature, it is only her beautiful "sweet story of old" that has come down to us. redemption's story in a hymn there is a green hill far away, without a city wall, where the dear lord was crucified, who died to save us all. we may not know, we cannot tell, what pains he had to bear; but we believe it was for us he hung and suffered there. he died that we might be forgiven, he died to make us good, that we might go at last to heaven, saved by his precious blood. there was no other good enough to pay the price of sin; he only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in. o dearly, dearly has he loved, and we must love him too, and trust in his redeeming blood, and try his works to do. cecil frances alexander, . an archbishop's wife who wrote hymns shortly before the death in of archbishop william alexander, primate of the anglican church in ireland, he remarked that he would be remembered as the husband of the woman who wrote "the roseate hues of early dawn" and "there is a green hill far away." the humble prelate was right. although he occupied an exalted position in the church less than two decades ago, few people today recall his name. but who has not heard the name of cecil frances humphreys alexander, who, in spite of multitudinous duties as wife and mother, found time to be a parish worker among the poor and to write hymns that shall never die? when cecil frances was only a little girl, she began to reveal poetic talent. because her father was an officer in the royal marines and rather a stern man, she was not sure that he would be pleased with her efforts and therefore she hid her poems under a carpet! when he finally discovered what his nine-year-old daughter was busying herself with, he set aside a certain hour every saturday evening, at which time he read aloud to the family the poems she had written. the family numbered among its friends none other than john keble, writer of the famous collection of devotional poems known as "the christian year," and he, too, gave encouragement to the youthful poet. in , at the age of twenty-five, she published a volume of hymns for little children that probably has never been excelled by a similar collection. two years later she became the bride of rev. william alexander, afterwards bishop of derry and raphoe, and later archbishop of armaugh. he was rector of a country parish in the county of tyrone at the time, and there was much poverty among his people. among these needy folk the young minister's wife moved about like a ministering angel. a beautiful tribute to her memory from the pen of her husband reads: "from one poor home to another, from one bed of sickness to another, from one sorrow to another, she went. christ was ever with her, and in her, and all felt her influence." but the poetic spark within her was not permitted to languish. even when children began to bless this unusual household and the cares of the mother increased, her harp was tuned anew and sweeter songs than ever began to well up from her joyous, thankful heart. practically all of the four hundred hymns and poems written by mrs. alexander were intended for children, and for this reason their language is very simple. at the same time she succeeds in teaching some of the most profound truths of the christian faith. witness, for example, the simple language of "there is a green hill far away." a child has no difficulty in comprehending it, and yet this precious hymn sets forth in a most touching way the whole story of the atonement. he died that we might be forgiven, he died to make us good, that we might go at last to heaven, saved by his precious blood. again, the infinite value of the sacrifice which christ made when he, the sinless one, died for sinners is expressed in these simple, appealing words: there was no other good enough to pay the price of sin, he only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in. archbishop alexander mentioned two hymns by which his wife's name, and incidentally his own, would be remembered. he might have added several others, such as the challenging hymn, "jesus calls us; o'er the tumult," or the two beautiful children's hymns, "once in royal david's city" and "all things bright and beautiful." and among her splendid poems he might have mentioned the sublime verses entitled "the burial of moses." her own spirit of confiding trust in god is reflected in the lines: o lonely tomb in moab's land! o dark beth-peor's hill! speak to these curious hearts of ours, and teach them to be still; god has his mysteries of grace, ways that we cannot tell; he hides them deep, like the secret sleep of him he loved so well. mrs. alexander died in at the age of seventy-two years. she was buried in londonderry, ireland. at archbishop alexander's funeral sixteen years later "the roseate hues of early dawn" was sung in londonderry cathedral, and when the body was lowered into the grave the mourners sang, "there is a green hill far away." during the years when mrs. alexander was penning her beautiful lyrics, three other women were giving hymns to the english people in another way. they were catherine winkworth and the sisters jane borthwick and sarah borthwick findlater, all three of whom had conceived a deep love for the wonderful hymns of germany and were translating them into their native tongue. miss winkworth, who is the foremost translator of german hymns, was born in london, september , . her "lyra germanica," published in , met with such favorable reception that a second series was issued in . her "christian singers of germany" was published in . miss winkworth possessed a marvelous ability of preserving the spirit of the great german hymns while she clothed them in another language. it was she who gave us in english dress such magnificent hymns as rinkart's "now thank we all our god," luther's "out of the depths i cry to thee," decius' "all glory be to god on high," neander's "praise to the lord, the almighty, the king of creation," schmolck's "open now thy gates of beauty," and gerhardt's "all my heart this night rejoices." miss winkworth, more than any other one person, is responsible for having aroused in england and america an appreciation of the treasure store of german hymnody. she died in . the two borthwick sisters, jane laurie and sarah, were born in edinburgh, scotland, the former in and the latter in . they came from an old scotch family. sarah married a rev. eric findlater and lived for a time in perthshire. the borthwick sisters collaborated in the preparation of the translations entitled "hymns from the land of luther." these appeared first in and continued in four series until . although it is difficult to distinguish the individual work of the sisters, jane is generally credited with the translation of such noble hymns as zinzendorf's "jesus, still lead on," and schmolck's "my jesus, as thou wilt," while sarah is believed to be the translator of tersteegen's "god calling yet," spitta's "o happy home, where thou art loved the dearest," schmolck's "my god, i know that i must die," and a large number of other famous german hymns. jane borthwick died in , and her younger sister followed her ten years later. the voice of jesus i heard the voice of jesus say: "come unto me and rest; lay down, thou weary one, lay down thy head upon my breast." i came to jesus as i was, weary, and worn, and sad; i found in him a resting-place, and he has made me glad. i heard the voice of jesus say, "behold, i freely give the living water, thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live." i came to jesus and i drank of that life-giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now i live in him. i heard the voice of jesus say, "i am this dark world's light; look unto me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright." i looked to jesus, and i found in him my star, my sun; and in that light of life i'll walk, till traveling days are done. horatius bonar, . bonar, the sweet singer of scotland one of scotland's most earnest soul-winners was also its greatest hymnist. he was horatius bonar, a name that will be forever cherished by all who are filled with a fervent love for the saviour and who find that love so beautifully expressed in the spiritual songs of the noble scotchman. like the hymns of mrs. alexander, dr. bonar wrote his songs for children; but they are so profound and intensely spiritual in their very simplicity they will always satisfy the most mature christian mind. no matter how old we become, our hearts will ever be stirred as we sing the tender words: i long to be like jesus, meek, loving, lowly, mild; i long to be like jesus, the father's holy child. i long to be with jesus, amid the heavenly throng, to sing with saints his praises, to learn the angels' song. the subjective, emotional element is strongly present in the hymns of bonar. in this respect there is a striking resemblance to the hymns of the great german writer, benjamin schmolck. both use the name "jesus" freely, and both become daringly intimate, yet the hymns of neither are weak or sentimental. in bonar we behold the strange anomaly of a man with a strong physique and powerful intellect combined with the gentle, sympathetic nature of a woman and the simple, confiding faith of a child. the warmth and sincerity of his personal faith in christ may be seen reflected in all his hymns. "i try to fill my hymns with the love and light of christ," he once said, and certainly he has drawn many souls to the saviour by the tenderness of their appeal. bonar is ever pointing in his hymns to christ as an all-sufficient saviour, dwelling in simple language on the blessings of the atonement and the willingness of god to accept all who come to him through christ. in these days of modernistic teachings when practically all stress is placed on "living the christ-life" while the meritorious work of christ on behalf of the sinner is largely ignored and forgotten, it would be salutary for the church to listen anew to such words as these: upon a life i have not lived, upon a death i did not die, another's life; another's death: i stake my whole eternity. not on the tears which i have shed; not on the sorrows i have known: another's tears; another's griefs: on them i rest, on them alone. jesus, o son of god, i build on what thy cross has done for me; there both my death and life i read; my guilt, my pardon there i see. lord, i believe; o deal with me as one who has thy word believed! i take the gift, lord, look on me as one who has thy gift received. bonar was born in edinburgh, december , . his father was a lawyer, but he came from a long line of eminent scottish ministers. his mother was a gentle, pious woman, and it was largely through her influence that her three sons, john, horatius and andrew, entered the ministry of the church of scotland. andrew became a noted bible commentator. after completing his course at the university of edinburgh, horatius began mission work in leith, under rev. james lewis. in one of the most squalid parts of the city he conducted services and sunday school in a hall. the children did not seem to enjoy singing the psalm paraphrases, which were still exclusively used by the church of scotland at that late date, and therefore bonar decided to write songs of his own. like luther, he chose happy tunes familiar to the children, and wrote words to fit them. his first two hymns were "i lay my sins on jesus" and "the morning, the bright and beautiful morning." still others were "i was a wandering sheep" and "a few more years shall roll." needless to say, the children sang and enjoyed them. at this time, also, he wrote his first hymn for adults, "go, labor on! spend and be spent!" it was intended to encourage those who were working with him among the poor of his district. after four years bonar was ordained as a minister of the church of scotland, assuming charge of a new church at kelso. he was a man of prayer, and his first sermon to his people was an exhortation to prayer. it is said that a young servant in his home was converted by his prayers. hearing his earnest supplications from his locked study, she thought: "if he needs to pray so much, what will become of me, if i do not pray!" many stories are related of his methods of dealing with seeking souls. a young man who was troubled by a grievous sin came to bonar for help. the latter told him that god was willing to forgive and that the blood of jesus his son cleanseth from all sin. the despairing young man seemed unable to believe the gospel message, however, and continually reminded bonar of the greatness of his transgression. finally an inspiration came to the pastor. "tell me," he demanded, "which is of greater weight in the eyes of god--your sin, black as it is, or the blood of jesus, shed for sinners?" light dawned on the soul of the troubled young man, and he cried joyfully, "oh, i am sure the blood of jesus weighs more heavily than even my sin!" and so he found peace. bonar was a man of boundless energy. when he was not preaching, he was writing hymns or tracts or books. one of his tracts, "believe and live," was printed in more than a million copies, and the late queen victoria of england was much blessed by it. his hymns number about , and the fact that at least are in common use today is a testimonial to their worth. dr. bonar never used his hymns in his own church worship, but when, on a certain occasion near the close of his life, he broke the rule, two of his elders showed their emphatic disapproval by walking out of church. perhaps the finest hymn we have received from his pen, if we except "i lay my sins on jesus," is "i heard the voice of jesus say." other familiar hymns are "thy works, not mine, o christ," "not what my hands have done," "blessing, and honor, and glory, and power," "all that i was, my sin, my guilt," "thy way, not mine, o lord," and "a few more years shall roll." in dr. bonar married miss jane lundie, and for forty years they shared joy and sorrow. she, too, was a gifted writer, and it is she who has given us the beautiful gem, "fade, fade, each earthly joy." sorrow was one of the means used by the lord to enrich and mellow the life of bonar. five of his children died in early years. it required much of divine grace in such experiences to write lines like these: spare not the stroke; do with us as thou wilt; let there be naught unfinished, broken, marred. complete thy purpose, that we may become thy perfect image, o our god and lord. bonar himself was sorely afflicted during the last two years of his life. he died in , deeply mourned by all scotland as well as by christians throughout the world who had come to know him through his tracts and hymns. at his funeral one of his own hymns was sung. it was written on the theme of his family motto, "heaven at last." what a city! what a glory! far beyond the brightest story of the ages old and hoary: ah, 'tis heaven at last! christ himself the living splendor, christ the sunlight mild and tender; praises to the lamb we render: ah, 'tis heaven at last! now, at length, the veil is rended, now the pilgrimage is ended, and the saints their thrones ascended: ah, 'tis heaven at last! broken death's dread bands that bound us, life and victory around us; christ, the king, himself hath crowned us; ah, 'tis heaven at last! the dayspring from on high o very god of very god, and very light of light, whose feet this earth's dark valley trod, that so it might be bright! our hopes are weak, our foes are strong, thick darkness blinds our eyes; cold is the night, and o we long for thee, our sun, to rise! and even now, though dull and gray, the east is brightening fast, and kindling to the perfect day that never shall be past. o guide us till our path be done, and we have reached the shore where thou, our everlasting sun, art shining evermore! we wait in faith, and turn our face to where the daylight springs, till thou shalt come our gloom to chase, with healing on thy wings. john mason neale, . two famous translators of ancient hymns little more than a century ago--in the year , to be exact--there was born in the great city of london a child who was destined to become an unusual scholar. he was christened john mason neale, a name that may be found today throughout the pages of the world's best hymn-books. when he was only five years old, his father died, and, like so many other men who have achieved fame, he received the greater part of his elementary training from a gifted mother. at cambridge university, which he entered at an early age, he became a brilliant student, leading his classes and winning numerous prizes. after his graduation he was ordained as a minister in the church of england. his interest in the ancient hymns of the christian church led him to spend much time in the morning lands of history, particularly in greece. to him, more than any one else, we owe some of the most successful translations from the classical languages. by his sojourn in eastern lands, he seems to have been enabled to catch the spirit of the greek hymns to such a degree that his translations read almost like original poems. for instance, in order to do justice to the famous easter hymn of john of damascus, written some time during the eighth century, neale celebrated easter in athens and heard the "glorious old hymn of victory," as he called it, sung by a great throng of worshipers at midnight. the result is his sublime translation: the day of resurrection! earth, tell it out abroad! the passover of gladness, the passover of god! from death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky, our christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory. another very famous translation from the greek by neale is the hymn: art thou weary, art thou languid, art thou sore distressed? "come to me," saith one, "and, coming, be at rest." this hymn is often regarded as an original by neale, but the author was st. stephen the sabaite, a monk who received his name from the monastery in which he spent his life, that of st. sabas, near bethlehem, overlooking the dead sea. st. stephen, who was born in a.d., had been placed in the monastery at the age of ten years by his uncle. he lived there more than half a century until his death in a.d. neale was equally successful in the translation of ancient latin hymns. perhaps the most notable is his rendering of bernard of cluny's immortal hymn: jerusalem, the golden, with milk and honey blest! beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed: i know not, o i know not, what blissful joys are there, what radiancy of glory, what light beyond compare! so facile was neale in the art of writing either english or latin verse, that he often astounded his friends. it is said that on one occasion john keble, author of "the christian year," was visiting him. absenting himself from the room for a few minutes, neale returned shortly and exclaimed: "i thought, keble, that all your poems in 'the christian year' were original; but one of them, at least, seems to be a translation." thereupon he handed keble, to the latter's amazement, a very fine latin rendering of one of keble's own poems. he had made the translation during his absence from the room. but neale did not confine himself to translations. he also wrote a large number of splendid original hymns. he was fond of writing hymns for holy days and festivals of the church year. the hymn printed in connection with this sketch is for advent. "oh thou, who by a star didst guide," for epiphany, and "blessed saviour, who hast taught me," for confirmation, are among his other original hymns. because of his "high church" tendencies, accentuated no doubt by the influence of the "oxford movement," neale incurred the suspicion of some that he leaned toward the church of rome. however, there is nothing of roman error to be found in his hymns. the evangelical note rings pure and clear, and for this reason they will no doubt continue to be loved and sung through centuries yet to come. neale died august , , at the age of forty-eight years, trusting in the atoning blood of christ, and with the glorious assurance expressed in his version of st. stephen's hymn: if i still hold closely to him, what hath he at last? "sorrow vanquished, labor ended, jordan passed." if i ask him to receive me, will he say me nay? "not till earth and not till heaven pass away." another englishman who gained renown by translations of the old classical hymns of the church was edward caswall. he was a contemporary of neale, and, like the latter, came under the influence of the "oxford movement," which cost the church of england some of its ablest men. while neale, however, remained faithful to his own communion, caswall resigned as a minister of the english church and became a romanist. he was made a priest in the congregation of the oratory, which cardinal newman had established in birmingham, a position he continued to fill until his death in . two of the most beautiful hymns in the english language--"jesus, the very thought of thee" and "o jesus, king most wonderful"--were derived by caswall from the famous latin poem, _de nomine jesu_, by bernard of clairvaux. of the former hymn dr. robinson has said: "one might call this poem the finest in the world and still be within the limits of all extravagance." among other fine translations from the latin by caswall are "hark! a thrilling voice is sounding" and "glory be to jesus." he also has given us some hymns from the german, including the exquisite morning hymn, "when morning gilds the skies." this is such a free rendering, however, that it may rather be regarded as an original hymn by caswall. three of its stanzas read: when morning gilds the skies, my heart, awaking, cries, may jesus christ be praised! alike at work and prayer, to jesus i repair; may jesus christ be praised! in heaven's eternal bliss the loveliest strain is this, may jesus christ be praised! let air, and sea, and sky from depth to height reply, may jesus christ be praised! be this, while life is mine, my canticle divine, may jesus christ be praised! be this the eternal song through all the ages on, may jesus christ be praised! a great marching song onward, christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of jesus going on before. christ, the royal master, leads against the foe; forward into battle, see, his banners go! at the sign of triumph satan's armies flee; on, then, christian soldiers, on to victory! hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise; brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise. crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, but the church of jesus constant will remain; gates of hell can never 'gainst that church prevail; we have christ's own promise, and that cannot fail. onward, then, ye people! join our happy throng, blend with ours your voices in the triumph-song; glory, laud, and honor unto christ the king, this through countless ages men and angels sing. sabine baring-gould, . baring-gould and his noted hymn when rev. sabine baring-gould, on whitsunday, , sat up a greater portion of the night to compose a hymn, he did not realize he was writing words that would be sung through the centuries; but that no doubt will be the result of his zeal. the hymn he wrote was "onward, christian soldiers." the story is an interesting one. at that time baring-gould was minister of the established church at lew-trenchard, england. on whitmonday the children of his village were to march to an adjoining village for a sunday school rally. "if only there was something they could sing as they marched," the pastor thought, "the way would not seem so long." he searched diligently for something suitable but failed to find what he wanted. finally he decided to write a marching song. it took the greater part of the night to do it, but the next morning the children's pilgrimage was made the lighter and happier by "onward, christian soldiers." commenting on the hymn some thirty years later, the author said: "it was written in great haste, and i am afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. certainly, nothing has surprised me more than its popularity." in this instance, as in many others that might be mentioned, the tune to which it is inseparably wedded, has no doubt contributed much to make it popular. sir arthur seymour sullivan, the great english organist who wrote "the lost chord," in composed the stirring music now used for baring-gould's hymn. objection has sometimes been voiced against the hymn because of its martial spirit. however, it should be noted that this hymn gives not the slightest hint of warfare with carnal weapons. the allusion is to spiritual warfare, and the warrior is the christian soldier. we are reminded throughout this hymn of paul's martial imagery in the sixth chapter of ephesians, where he tells us that "our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," and admonishes us to put on "the whole armor of god." we also recall the same apostle's exhortation to timothy to "war the good warfare," and to "fight the good fight of faith." it is salutary to be reminded by such a hymn as this of the heroic character of the christian life. the follower of jesus is not to sit with folded hands and sing his way into paradise. a sickly, sentimental religion has no more place in the christian church today than it had in those early days when apostles and martyrs sealed their faith with their life-blood. baring-gould's hymn seems almost an exultant answer to isaac watts' challenging stanza: must i be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas? we sometimes hear it said that the church of christ has fallen on evil days, and more than one faithful soul fears for the future. baring-gould has reminded us here of christ's "own promise" that, though kingdoms may rise and fall, his kingdom shall ever remain, for the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. during a desperate battle between the french and austrians in the napoleonic wars, a french officer rushed to his commander and exclaimed, "the battle is lost!" quietly the general answered, "one battle is lost, but there is time to win another." inspired by the commander's unconquerable optimism, the french army renewed the struggle and snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat. that has ever been the history of the church of christ. baring-gould was one of england's most versatile ministers. in addition to his hymn-writing, he was a novelist of considerable reputation. for many years he regularly produced a novel every year. his "lives of the saints" in fifteen volumes, his "curious myths of the middle ages" and his "legends of the old testament" are all notable works. it is said that he did all his writing in long hand without the aid of a secretary. he once declared that he often did his best work when he felt least inclined to apply himself to his task. he never waited for an "inspiration," but plunged into his work and then stuck to it until it was finished. the beautiful evening hymn, "now the day is over," is also from baring-gould's pen, and, to show his versatility, he also composed the tune for it. he was also the translator of bernhardt severin ingemann's famous danish hymn, "through the night of doubt and sorrow." despite his arduous and unceasing labors, baring-gould lived to the ripe old age of ninety years. he died in , but his hymn goes marching on. a rapturous hymn of adoration o saviour, precious saviour, whom, yet unseen, we love; o name of might and favor, all other names above: we worship thee, we bless thee, to thee alone we sing; we praise thee and confess thee, our holy lord and king. o bringer of salvation, who wondrously hast wrought, thyself the revelation of love beyond our thought; we worship thee, we bless thee, to thee alone we sing; we praise thee and confess thee, our gracious lord and king. in thee all fulness dwelleth, all grace and power divine; the glory that excelleth, o son of god, is thine. we worship thee, we bless thee, to thee alone we sing; we praise thee and confess thee, our glorious lord and king. o grant the consummation of this our song above, in endless adoration and everlasting love; then shall we praise and bless thee where perfect praises ring, and evermore confess thee, our saviour and our king. frances ridley havergal, . frances ridley havergal, the consecration poet the beauty of a consecrated christian life has probably never been more perfectly revealed than in the life of frances ridley havergal. to read the story of her life is not only an inspiration, but it discloses at once the secret of her beautiful hymns. she lived her hymns before she wrote them. this sweetest of all english singers was born at astley, worcestershire, december , . she was such a bright, happy and vivacious child that her father, who was a minister of the church of england and himself a hymn-writer of no mean ability, called her "little quicksilver." her father was also a gifted musician, and this quality too was inherited by the daughter, who became a brilliant pianist and passionately fond of singing. however, because she looked upon her talents as gifts from god to be used only in his service, she would sing nothing but sacred songs. her sunshiny nature became even more radiant following a deep religious experience at the age of fourteen. of this she afterwards wrote: "i committed my soul to the saviour, and earth and heaven seemed brighter from that moment." at the age of eighteen she was confirmed. it is evident that she looked upon her confirmation as one of the most blessed experiences of her life, for when she returned home she wrote in her manuscript book of poems: "thine for ever" oh! thine for ever, what a blessed thing to be for ever his who died for me! my saviour, all my life thy praise i'll sing, nor cease my song throughout eternity. she also wrote a hymn on confirmation, "in full and glad surrender." this hymn her sister declared was "the epitome of her life and the focus of its sunshine." four years later, while pursuing studies in düsseldorf, germany, miss havergal chanced to see sternberg's celebrated painting, _ecce homo_, with the inscription beneath it: this have i done for thee; what hast thou done for me? this was the same painting that once made such a profound impression on the youthful mind of count zinzendorf. miss havergal was likewise deeply moved, and immediately she seized a piece of scrap paper and a pencil and wrote the famous hymn: i gave my life for thee, my precious blood i shed, that thou might'st ransomed be, and quickened from the dead. i gave my life for thee: what hast thou given for me? she thought the verses so poor after she had read them over that she tossed them into a stove. the piece of paper, however, fell out untouched by the flames. when she showed the words to her father a few months later, he was so touched by them he immediately composed a tune by which they could be sung. this seems to have been one of the great turning points in the life of the young hymnist. her hymns from this period reveal her as a fully surrendered soul, her one ambition being to devote all her talents to christ. she did not consider herself to be a poet of a high order, but so filled was she with the love of christ that her heart overflowed with rapturous praise. indeed, her hymns may be said to be the record of her own spiritual experiences. always she was proclaiming the evangel of full and free salvation through jesus' merits to all who believe. she is often referred to as "the consecration poet." this is an allusion to her famous consecration hymn, written in : take my life, and let it be consecrated, lord, to thee. take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. the circumstances that led to the writing of this hymn are interesting. miss havergal was spending a few days in a home where there were ten persons, some of them unconverted, and the others rather half-hearted christians who seemed to derive no joy from their religion. a great desire came upon her that she might be instrumental in bringing them all to true faith in christ. her prayer was wonderfully answered, and on the last night of her stay her heart was so filled with joy and gratitude she could not sleep. instead, she spent the night writing the consecration hymn. her prayer, "take my silver and my gold; not a mite would i withhold," was not an idle petition with her. in august, , she wrote to a friend: "the lord has shown me another little step, and of course i have taken it, with extreme delight. 'take my silver and my gold,' now means shipping off all my ornaments to the church missionary house (including a jewel cabinet that is really fit for a countess), where all will be accepted and disposed of for me. i retain a brooch or two for daily wear, which are memorials of my dear parents, also a locket containing a portrait of my dear niece in heaven, my evelyn, and her two rings; but these i redeem, so that the whole value goes to the church missionary society. nearly fifty articles are being packed up. i don't think i ever packed a box with such pleasure." in addition to her other accomplishments, miss havergal was a brilliant linguist, having mastered a number of modern languages. she was also proficient in greek and hebrew. her sister records that she always had her hebrew bible and greek new testament at hand when she read the scriptures. the study of the bible was one of her chief joys. during summer she began her bible reading at seven in the morning, and in winter at eight o'clock. when, on cold days, her sister would beg her to sit near the fire, she would answer: "but then, marie, i can't rule my lines neatly. just see what a find i've got. if one only searches, there are such extraordinary things in the bible!" her bible was freely underscored and filled with notations. she was able to repeat from memory the four gospels, the epistles, revelation and all the psalms, and in later years she added isaiah and the minor prophets to the list. miss havergal was only forty-two at the time of her death, on june , . when her attending physician told her that her condition was serious, she replied, "if i am really going, it is too good to be true!" at the bottom of her bed she had her favorite text placed where she could see it: "the blood of jesus christ his son cleanseth us from all sin." she also asked that these words be inscribed upon her coffin and on her tombstone. once she exclaimed: "splendid! to be so near the gates of heaven!" and again, "so beautiful to go! so beautiful to go!" she died while singing: jesus, i will trust thee, trust thee with my soul; guilty, lost, and helpless, thou hast made me whole: there is none in heaven or on earth like thee; thou hast died for sinners, therefore, lord, for me! some of the more popular hymns by miss havergal, aside from those already mentioned, are: "o saviour, precious saviour," "i am trusting thee, lord jesus," "thou art coming, o my saviour," "lord, speak to me, that i may speak," and "singing for jesus, our saviour and king." while she was writing the hymns that were destined to make her famous, another remarkable young woman, "fanny" crosby, america's blind hymn-writer, was also achieving renown by her hymns and songs. miss havergal and miss crosby never met, but each was an ardent admirer of the other, and on one occasion the english poet sent a very touching greeting to the american hymn-writer. it read: dear blind sister over the sea, an english heart goes forth to thee. we are linked by a cable of faith and song, flashing bright sympathy swift along: one in the east and one in the west singing for him whom our souls love best; "singing for jesus," telling his love all the way to our home above, where the severing sea, with its restless tide, never shall hinder and never divide. sister! what shall our meeting be, when our hearts shall sing, and our eyes shall see! the emblem that survives in the cross of christ i glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. when the woes of life o'ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy, never shall the cross forsake me; lo! it glows with peace and joy. when the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way, from the cross the radiance streaming adds new luster to the day. bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. john bowring, . a unitarian who gloried in the cross among the great hymns of the cross, sir john bowring's classic, "in the cross of christ i glory," occupies a foremost place. this is all the more remarkable when we are reminded that bowring was known as a unitarian, a communion which not only denies the deity of christ, but ignores the true significance of the cross. and yet he has given us a hymn that every evangelical christian rejoices to sing, for it is a hymn that magnifies the cross and makes it the very center of the christian religion. in justice to bowring it ought to be stated that he himself was "a devoted and evangelical believer," and that his connection with the unitarian church was merely accidental and nominal. when he died, in , the opening line of his famous hymn was inscribed in bold letters upon his tombstone: in the cross of christ i glory knowing these things, every true christian will cherish an inner conviction that the man who wrote so beautiful a tribute to christ and the cross did not really die but only fell asleep, trusting in the atoning death of a saviour who is god. bowring was a learned man, especially famed as a linguist. he is said to have been able to speak twenty-two languages fluently, and was able to converse in at least one hundred different tongues. he found special delight in translating poems from other languages. his published works contain translations from bohemian, slavonic, russian, servian, polish, slovakian, illyrian, teutonic, esthonian, dutch, frisian, lettish, finnish, hungarian, biscayan, french, provencal, gascon, italian, spanish, portuguese, catalonian and galician sources. sir john was particularly fond of the study of hymns. even at the age of eighty years he was said to begin the day with some new song of thanksgiving. in addition to all his other accomplishments, bowring had a very distinguished career in english politics. he was twice a member of the british parliament. later he became consul general for the english government at hong kong, china. during this period he chanced to sail down the chinese coast to macao, where nearly years earlier the portuguese explorer, vasco da gama, had built an imposing cathedral. the structure had been wrecked by a typhoon, but the tower still remained, and surmounting it a great bronze cross, sharply outlined against the sky. far above the wreckage surrounding it, the cross seemed to bowring to be a symbol of christ's kingdom, glorious and eternal, living through the centuries while other kingdoms have come and gone. so inspired was he by the sight, the words of the hymn seemed to suggest themselves to him at once, and in a short while a famous poem had been written. the plan of the hymn is interesting. the first stanza declares the cross of christ to be the central fact in divine revelation and the one theme in which the christian never ceases to glory. the second stanza pictures the cross as the christian's refuge and comfort in time of affliction, while the third tells how it also adds luster to the days of joy and sunshine. the final stanza summarizes these two ideas, and the hymn closes by telling of the eternal character of the peace and joy that flow from the cross. an interesting story is told of this hymn in connection with the boxer uprising in china. all foreigners in peking had been besieged by the infuriated chinese for several weeks. when the allied troops finally reached the city and the terrible strain was ended, the christian missionaries gathered in the temple of heaven, the remarkable pagan shrine where the emperor of china was accustomed to worship, and, lifting up their voices in thanksgiving, the messengers of the cross sang: in the cross of christ i glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. sir john bowring eventually became governor of hong kong, and wielded great influence in the orient. he did much to promote christian benevolences and other enterprises for the good of the peoples in the far east. when his health began to fail, his friends warned him to cease some of his activities, but in vain. his answer was, "i must do my work while life remains to me; i may not long be here." he was often gratified to hear his hymns sung at unexpected times and in unusual places. in he wrote a poem beginning with the words, "watchman, tell us of the night." he did not know it was being used as a hymn until ten years later, when he heard it sung by christian missionaries in turkey. among other hymns of bowring that have come into general use is the beautiful one beginning with the words: god is love; his mercy brightens all the path in which we rove; bliss he wakes, and woe he lightens: god is wisdom, god is love. a hymn that opens hearts o jesus, thou art standing outside the fast-closed door, in lowly patience waiting to pass the threshold o'er: shame on us, christian brothers, his name and sign who bear: o shame, thrice shame upon us, to keep him standing there! o jesus, thou art knocking; and lo, that hand is scarred, and thorns thy brow encircle, and tears thy face have marred: o love that passeth knowledge, so patiently to wait! o sin that hath no equal, so fast to bar the gate! o jesus, thou art pleading in accents meek and low, "i died for you, my children, and will ye treat me so?" o lord, with shame and sorrow we open now the door; dear saviour, enter, enter, and leave us nevermore. william walsham how, . a model hymn by a model minister it is a significant fact that many of the greatest hymns of the church have been written by pastors who have been noted for their zeal in winning souls. their hymns have been a part of their spiritual stratagem to draw the wayward and erring into the gospel net. bishop william walsham how, one of the more recent hymnists of england, is a shining example of true devotion in a christian shepherd. bishop how once gave a striking description of the characteristics which he believed should be found in an ideal minister of the gospel. "such a minister," he said, "should be a man pure, holy, and spotless in his life; a man of much prayer; in character meek, lowly, and infinitely compassionate; of tenderest love to all; full of sympathy for every pain and sorrow, and devoting his days and nights to lightening the burdens of humanity; utterly patient of insult and enmity; utterly fearless in speaking the truth and rebuking sin; ever ready to answer every call, to go wherever bidden, in order to do good; wholly without thought of self; making himself the servant of all; patient, gentle, and untiring in dealing with the souls he would save; bearing with ignorance, wilfulness, slowness, cowardice, in those of whom he expects most; sacrificing all, even life itself, if need be, to save some." those who knew how best said it was almost a perfect description of his own life and character. when queen victoria, in , made him bishop of bedford, with east london as his diocese, he was tireless in his efforts to alleviate conditions in that poverty-stricken district. when he first began his work in the slums, people would point to him and say, "there goes a bishop." but as they came to know him better, they said, "there goes _the_ bishop." and finally, when they learned to love him, they exclaimed, "there goes _our_ bishop." bishop how's most celebrated hymn is "o jesus, thou art standing." it is based on the impressive words of the saviour in the book of revelation, "behold, i stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, i will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." though the language of the hymn is commonplace, there are striking expressions here, as in how's other hymns, that arrest the attention of the worshiper. in the first stanza we are reminded that there are many nominal christians bearing "his name and sign" who yet are keeping the waiting, patient saviour outside a "fast-closed door." in the succeeding verse we are told that it is sin that bars the gate. then there is the concluding stanza with its gripping appeal, picturing the surrender of the human heart to the pleading christ. the imagery in the hymn was, no doubt, suggested by holman hunt's celebrated painting, "the light of the world." this was executed by hunt in , while the hymn by how was written twelve years later. those who are familiar with the hunt masterpiece will remember how it pictures the saviour standing patiently and knocking earnestly at a fast-closed door. the high weeds, the tangled growth of vines, as well as the unpicked fruit lying on the ground before the door, suggest that it has not been opened for a long time. a bat is hovering in the vines overhead. ruskin tells us that the white robe worn by the heavenly stranger shows us that he is a prophet, the jeweled robe and breastplate indicate a priest, and the crown of gold a king. the crown of thorns is now bearing leaves "for the healing of the nations." in his scarred hand he carries a lighted lantern, signifying "the light of the world." when holman hunt's picture was first exhibited, it excited considerable comment. some one, however, ventured the criticism that there was a fault in the painting inasmuch as hunt had forgotten to indicate a latch on the door. "there is no mistake," said the great artist. "i did not put a latch on the outside of the door because it can only be opened from within. the lord jesus christ himself cannot enter an unwilling heart; it must be opened to him. he must be invited to enter." bishop how's hymn pictures in language what holman hunt put into his celebrated canvass. "o jesus, thou art standing" is not the only famous hymn written by bishop how. his lovely new year's hymn, "jesus, name of wondrous love," and his all saints' hymn, "for all the saints who from their labors rest," have won a place forever in english hymnody. "o word of god incarnate," "we give thee but thine own" and "summer suns are glowing" also have found their way into a large number of the standard hymn-books. the talented bishop died in the year , mourned not only by those who had learned to love him because of his noble christian character, but also by those who had come to know him through his beautiful hymns. with the passing of only three decades since his death, there is increasing evidence that bishop how will be numbered among the great hymn-writers of the christian church. a blind man's hymn of faith o love that wilt not let me go, i rest my weary soul in thee: i give thee back the life i owe, that in thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be. o light that followest all my way, i yield my flickering torch to thee: my heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine's blaze its day may brighter, fairer be. o joy that seekest me through pain, i cannot close my heart to thee: i trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be. o cross that liftest up my head, i dare not ask to fly from thee: i lay in dust life's glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red life that shall endless be. george matheson, . matheson and his song in the night the most recent of english hymn-writers to gain recognition in the standard hymn-books of the church is george matheson. the fame of this man will probably rest on a single hymn, "o love that wilt not let me go," written on a summer evening in . a deeper appreciation and understanding will be felt for this hymn when we know that it is truly a "song in the night," for matheson was blind when he wrote it. born in glasgow, scotland, march , , matheson enjoyed partial vision as a boy. however, after he entered glasgow university at the age of fifteen, his sight began to fail and he became totally blind. nevertheless, in spite of this handicap, he was a brilliant scholar and graduated with honor in . having decided to enter the ministry, he remained four additional years for theological studies. it was while he was parish minister at innellan, a seaport summer resort in scotland, that the famous hymn was written. he tells the story in his own words: "it was written in the manse of my former parish (innellan) one summer evening in . it was composed with extreme rapidity; it seemed to me that its construction occupied only a few minutes, and i felt myself rather in the position of one who was being dictated to than an original artist. i was suffering from extreme mental distress, and the hymn was the fruit of pain." many conjectures have been made regarding the cause of the "mental distress" from which the author was suffering. because of the opening line, "o love that wilt not let me go," it has been suggested that matheson had been bitterly disappointed in his hopes of marrying a young woman to whom he had become deeply attached. it is said that her refusal to marry him was due to his blindness. although this story cannot be vouched for, there are many significant hints in the hymn to his sad affliction, such as the "flickering torch" and the "borrowed ray" in the second stanza, the beautiful thought of tracing "the rainbow through the rain" in the third stanza, and the "cross" referred to in the final stanza. the hymn is so artistically constructed and is so rich in poetic thought and symbolic meaning, it will well repay careful study. despite his handicap, dr. matheson was blessed with a fruitful ministry. a devoted sister who had learned greek, latin and hebrew in order to aid him in his theological studies remained his co-worker and helper throughout life. in all of his pastoral calls she was his constant guide. during the early part of his ministry, he wrote all his sermons in full. he possessed such a remarkable memory that after a sermon had been read to him twice, he was able to repeat it perfectly. after he had followed this practice for twelve years, he suffered a complete collapse of memory one sunday in the midst of a sermon. unable to proceed, he calmly announced a hymn and sat down. at the conclusion of the singing he told the congregation what had happened, and then preached a sermon of great appeal from another text. after a ministry at innellan lasting for eighteen years, he was called as pastor of st. bernard's church in edinburgh. here he remained for thirteen years, attracting large multitudes by his preaching. the later years of his life were spent in literary work. he was the author of several volumes in prose, among them a very fine devotional book called "moments on the mount." he fell asleep august , , to await the break of eternity's dawn, confident in the assurance that ... the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be. part v american hymnody the first american hymn i love thy zion, lord, the house of thine abode; the church our blest redeemer saved with his own precious blood. i love thy church, o god; her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand. for her my tears shall fall; for her my prayers ascend: to her my cares and toil be given, till toils and cares shall end. beyond my highest joy i prize her heavenly ways, her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise. jesus, thou friend divine, our saviour and our king, thy hand from every snare and foe shall great deliverance bring. sure as thy truth shall last, to zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven. timothy dwight, . the beginnings of hymnody in america the rise of hymnody in america ran parallel with the development of hymn-singing in england. the puritans who came from holland in the mayflower in were "separatists" from the church of england, hence they used a psalm-book of their own, published by henry ainsworth at amsterdam in . this was the book that cheered their souls on the perilous crossing of the atlantic and during the hard and trying years that followed their landing at plymouth. amid the storm they sang, and the stars heard and the sea; and the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang with the anthems of the free. this was also the book that comforted priscilla, when john alden stole in and found that open wide on her lap lay the well-worn psalm-book of ainsworth. the later puritans who came directly from england, on the other hand, were not "separatists," hence they brought with them the psalm-book of sternhold and hopkins, which was the version of the psaltery approved at that time by the established church. the wretched paraphrases of the psalms in both the ainsworth and the "orthodox" version of sternhold and hopkins eventually led to an insistent demand among the new england puritans for an entirely new psalm-book which should also adhere more closely to the hebrew original. the result was the famous "bay psalmist" of , which was the first book printed in british america. the puritan editors of this first attempt at american psalmody cared no more for poetic effect than did their brother versifiers across the waters. this they made quite plain in the concluding words of the preface to the "bay psalmist": "if therefore the verses are not always so smooth and elegant as some may desire or expect; let them consider that god's altar needs not our pollishings: ex. , for wee have respected rather a plaine translation, than to smooth our verses with the sweetness of any paraphrase, and soe have attended to conscience rather than elegance, fidelity rather than poetry, in translating the hebrew words into english language, and david's poetry into english meetre: that soe wee may sing in sion the lords songs of praise according to his own will; untill hee take us from hence, and wipe away all our tears, & bid us enter into our masters joye to sing eternall halleluiahs." the editors scarcely needed to apprise the worshiper that he should not look for artistic verses, for a glimpse within its pages was sufficient to disillusion any one who expected to find sacred poetry. the metrical form given the th psalm is an example of the puritan theologians' contempt for polished language: the rivers on of babilon there when wee did sit downe: yea even then wee mourned, when wee remembred sion. our harps wee did hang it amid, upon the willow tree. because there they that us away led in captivitee, required of us a song, & thus askt mirth: us waste who laid, sing us among a sions song, unto us then they said. the lords song sing can wee? being in strangers land. then let loose her skill my right hand, if i jerusalem forget. let cleave my tongue my pallate on, if minde thee doe not i: if chiefe joyes o'er i prize not more jerusalem my joye. nevertheless, strange as it may seem, the "bay psalmist" passed through twenty-seven editions, and was even reprinted several times abroad, being used extensively in england and scotland. gradually, however, psalmody began to lose its hold on the reformed churches, both in europe and america, and hymnody gained the ascendancy. the publication in of the epoch-making work of isaac watts, "hymns and spiritual songs," was the first step in breaking down the prejudice in the calvinistic churches against "hymns of human composure." in america the great awakening under jonathan edwards, which began in and which received added impetus from the visit of john whitefield in , also brought about a demand for a happier form of congregational singing. then came the influence of the wesleyan revival with its glorious outburst of song. jonathan edwards himself, stern puritan that he was, was finally forced to confess that it was "really needful that we should have some other songs than the psalms of david." accordingly hymn singing grew rapidly in favor among the people. the first attempt to introduce hymns in the authorized psalm-books was made by joel barlow, a chaplain in the revolutionary war. instructed by the general association of congregational churches of connecticut to revise watts' "psalms of david" in order to purge them of their british flavor, he was likewise authorized to append to the psalms a collection of hymns. he made a selection of seventy hymns, and the new book was published in . it was received with delight by the presbyterians, but the congregationalists who had sponsored it were thoroughly dissatisfied. as an example of the morbid character of puritan theology, edward s. ninde has called attention to the fact that while barlow failed to include wesley's "jesus, lover of my soul" or watts' "when i survey the wondrous cross," he did select such a hymn by watts as "hark, from the tombs, a doleful sound," and another beginning with the lines, my thoughts on awful subjects roll, damnation and the dead. a second attempt to make a complete revision of watts' "psalms of david" was decided upon by the congregational churches, and this time the task was entrusted to timothy dwight, president of yale college. dwight, who was a grandson of jonathan edwards, was born in . he entered yale at the age of thirteen and graduated with highest honors in . at the outbreak of the revolutionary war he was commissioned a chaplain and throughout the conflict he wrote songs to enthuse the american troops. in he was elected president of yale college, in which position he served his alma mater for twenty years. dwight exhibited a spirit of bold independence when he added to the revised "psalms" by watts a collection of two hundred and sixty-three hymns. of these hymns, one hundred and sixty-eight were also by watts, indicating the hold which that great hymnist retained on the english-speaking world. other hymn-writers represented in dwight's book included stennett, doddridge, cowper, newton, toplady, and charles wesley. only one of the latter's hymns was chosen, however, and toplady's "rock of ages" was not included! dwight himself wrote thirty-three paraphrases of the psalms, but they were so freely rendered that they are properly classified as original hymns. among these is his splendid version of the th psalm, "i love thy zion, lord," which may be regarded as the earliest hymn of american origin still in common use today. it is usually dated , which is the year when dwight's work was published. dwight, who will always be remembered as the outstanding figure in the beginnings of american hymnody, died in . the story of his life is an inspiring one, illustrating how his heroic qualities conquered despite a "thorn in the flesh." a chronicler records that "during the greater part of forty years he was not able to read fifteen minutes in the twenty-four hours; and often, for days and weeks together, the pain which he endured in that part of the head immediately behind the eyes amounted to anguish." the hymn of a wounded spirit i love to steal awhile away from every cumbering care, and spend the hour of setting day in humble, grateful prayer. i love in solitude to shed the penitential tear, and all his promises to plead where none but god can hear. i love to think of mercies past, and future good implore, and all my cares and sorrows cast on him whom i adore. i love by faith to take a view of brighter scenes in heaven; the prospect doth my strength renew, while here by tempests driven. thus when life's toilsome day is o'er, may its departing ray be calm as this impressive hour and lead to endless day. phoebe hinsdale brown, . america's first woman hymnist less than twenty years after timothy dwight's hymns were published, a very poor and unpretentious american woman began to write lyrics that have been treasured by the church until this present day, nor will they soon be forgotten. her name was phoebe hinsdale brown, and the story of her life is the most pathetic in the annals of american hymnody. "as to my history," she wrote near the end of her life, "it is soon told; a sinner saved by grace and sanctified by trials." she was born at canaan, n. y., may , . both parents died before she was two years old and the greater part of her childhood was spent in the home of an older sister who was married to a keeper of a county jail. the cruelties and privations suffered by the orphaned child during these years were such that her son in later years declared that it broke his heart to read of them in his mother's diary. she was not permitted to attend school, and could neither read nor write. she was eighteen years old before she escaped from this bondage and found opportunity to attend school for three months. this was the extent of her education within school walls. in , at the age of twenty-two, she married timothy h. brown, a house painter. he was a good man, but extremely poor. moving to ellington, mass., they lived in a small, unfinished frame house at the edge of the village. four little children and a sick sister who occupied the only finished room in the house added to the domestic burdens of mrs. brown. in the summer of a pathetic incident occurred that led to the writing of her most famous hymn. there being no place in her crowded home where she might find opportunity for a few moments of quiet prayer and meditation, she would steal away at twilight to the edge of a neighboring estate, where there was a magnificent home surrounded by a beautiful garden. "as there was seldom any one passing that way after dark," she afterwards wrote, "i felt quite retired and alone with god. i often walked quite up to that beautiful garden ... and felt that i could have the privilege of those few moments of uninterrupted communion with god without encroaching upon any one." but her movements had been watched, and one day the lady of the mansion turned on her in the presence of others and rudely demanded: "mrs. brown, why do you come up at evening so near our house, and then go back without coming in? if you want anything, why don't you come in and ask for it?" mrs. brown tells how she went home, crushed in spirit. "after my children were all in bed, except my baby," she continues, "i sat down in the kitchen, with my child in my arms, when the grief of my heart burst forth in a flood of tears. i took pen and paper, and gave vent to my oppressed heart in what i called 'my apology for my twilight rambles, addressed to a lady.'" the "apology," which was sent to the woman who had so cruelly wounded her began with the lines: yes, when the toilsome day is gone, and night, with banners gray, steals silently the glade along in twilight's soft array. then continued the beautiful verses of her now famous "twilight hymn:" i love to steal awhile away from little ones and care, and spend the hours of setting day in gratitude and prayer. seven years later, when dr. nettleton was preparing his volume of "village hymns," he was told that mrs. brown had written some verses. at his request she brought forth her "twilight hymn" and three other lyrics, and they were promptly given a place in the collection. only a few slight changes were made in the lines of the "twilight hymn," including the second line, which was made to read "from every cumbering care," and the fourth line, which was changed to "in humble, grateful prayer." four stanzas were omitted, otherwise the hymn remains almost exactly in the form of the "apology." one of the omitted stanzas reveals a beautiful christian attitude toward death. mrs. brown wrote: i love to meditate on death! when shall his message come with friendly smiles to steal my breath and take an exile home? one of the other hymns by mrs. brown included in "village hymns" is a missionary lyric, "go, messenger of love, and bear." this was written a year earlier than her "twilight hymn." her little son samuel was seven years old at the time, and the pious mother's prayer was that he might be used of the lord in his service. it was the period when the english-speaking world was experiencing a tremendous revival of interest in foreign missions, and in her heart she cherished the fond hope that her own boy might become a messenger of the gospel. then came the inspiration for the hymn: go, messenger of love, and bear upon thy gentle wing the song which seraphs love to hear, the angels joy to sing. go to the heart with sin oppressed, and dry the sorrowing tear; extract the thorn that wounds the breast, the drooping spirit cheer. go, say to zion, "jesus reigns"-- by his resistless power he binds his enemies with chains; they fall to rise no more. tell how the holy spirit flies, as he from heaven descends; arrests his proudest enemies, and changes them to friends. her prayer was answered. the son, samuel r. brown in sailed as a missionary to china, and eleven years later, when japan was opened to foreigners, he was transferred to that field. he was the first american missionary to the japanese. mrs. brown died at henry, illinois, october , . she was buried at monson, mass., where some thirty years of her life had been spent. her son, the missionary, has written this beautiful tribute to her memory: "her record is on high, and she is with the lord, whom she loved and served as faithfully as any person i ever knew; nay, more than any other. to her i owe all i am; and if i have done any good in the world, to her, under god, it is due. she seems even now to have me in her hands, holding me up to work for christ and his cause with a grasp that i can feel. i ought to have been and to be a far better man than i am, having had such a mother." a triumphant missionary hymn hail to the brightness of zion's glad morning! joy to the lands that in darkness have lain! hushed be the accents of sorrow and mourning, zion in triumph begins her glad reign. hail to the brightness of zion's glad morning, long by the prophets of israel foretold! hail to the millions from bondage returning! gentiles and jews the blest vision behold. lo, in the desert rich flowers are springing, streams ever copious are gliding along; loud from the mountain-tops echoes are ringing, wastes rise in verdure, and mingle in song. hark, from all lands, from the isles of the ocean, praise to jehovah ascending on high; fallen the engines of war and commotion, shouts of salvation are rending the sky. thomas hastings. thomas hastings, poet and musician high among the names of those who in the early days of america labored to raise the standard of hymnody must be inscribed the name of thomas hastings, doctor of music. poet and musician by nature, hastings may truly be said to have devoted his entire life to the elevation of sacred song. the story of his life is typical of the struggles and hardships of many american pioneers who conquered in spite of the most adverse circumstances. born at washington, conn., october , , young hastings removed with his parents to clinton, n. y., when he was only twelve years old. the journey was made in ox-sleds through unbroken wilderness in the dead of winter. the frontier schools of those days offered little opportunity for education, but the eager lad trudged six miles a day to receive the instruction that was given. a passionate fondness for music was first satisfied when he secured a musical primer of four pages costing six pence. the proudest moment in his life came when he was named leader of the village choir. it was not until he was thirty-two years old that hastings was able to secure employment as a music teacher, but from that time until his death, in , he devoted all his energies to the work he loved. hastings was ever tireless in contending that good music should have a recognized place in religious worship. from to , during which time he edited the western recorder, in utica, n. y., he had an excellent opportunity to spread his views on music. in the latter year twelve churches in new york city jointly engaged his services as choir director, and for the remainder of his life hastings made the great american metropolis his home. though seriously handicapped by eye trouble, hastings produced a prodigious amount of work. it is claimed that he wrote more than one thousand hymn tunes. he also published fifty volumes of church music. some of the finest tunes in our american hymnals were composed by him. who has not found inspiration in singing that sweet and haunting melody known as "ortonville"? and how can we ever be sufficiently grateful for the tune called "toplady," which has endeared "rock of ages" to millions of hearts? besides these there are at least a score of other beautiful hymn tunes that have been loved by the singing church for nearly a century, any one of which would have won for the composer an enduring name. through the composing of tunes, hastings was led to write words for hymns. more than six hundred are attributed to him, although many were written anonymously. "hail to the brightness of zion's glad morning" is generally regarded as his best hymn. it strikingly reflects the spirit of the missionary age in which hastings lived. another very popular and stirring missionary hymn, written by hastings in , is a song of two stanzas: now be the gospel banner in every land unfurled; and be the shout, hosannah! reechoed through the world; till every isle and nation, till every tribe and tongue, receive the great salvation, and join the happy throng. yes, thou shalt reign forever, o jesus, king of kings! thy light, thy love, thy favor, each ransomed captive sings: the isles for thee are waiting, the deserts learn thy praise, the hills and valleys, greeting, the songs responsive raise. a hymn with the title, "pilgrimage of life," though very simple, is singularly beautiful and very tender in its appeal. the first stanza reads: gently, lord, o gently lead us, pilgrims in this vale of tears, through the trials yet decreed us, till our last great change appears. hastings did not cease writing and composing hymns until three days before his death. it is said that more of his hymns are found in the standard church hymnals of america than those of any other american writer. their survival through almost a century is a testimony to their enduring quality. key's hymn of praise lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee for the bliss thy love bestows, for the pardoning grace that saves me, and the peace that from it flows. help, o god, my weak endeavor; this dull soul to rapture raise; thou must light the flame, or never can my love be warmed to praise. praise, my soul, the god that sought thee, wretched wanderer, far astray; found thee lost, and kindly brought thee from the paths of death away; praise, with love's devoutest feeling, him who saw thy guilt-born fear, and, the light of hope revealing, bade the blood-stained cross appear. lord, this bosom's ardent feeling vainly would my lips express; low before thy footstool kneeling, deign thy suppliant's prayer to bless; let thy grace, my soul's chief treasure, love's pure flame within me raise; and, since words can never measure, let my life show forth thy praise. francis scott key, . francis scott key, patriot and hymnist francis scott key is known to every american child as the author of our national anthem, "the star spangled banner"; but his fame as a christian hymnist has not gone abroad to the same degree. and yet, as the author of "lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee," he ranks among the foremost of american hymn-writers. key lived during the stirring days of our country's early history. his father was an officer in the continental army who fought with distinction during the revolutionary war. francis was born at frederick, maryland, august , . after receiving a legal education he began to practice law in washington, and served as united states district attorney for three terms, holding that office at the time of his death. the story of how he came to write "star spangled banner" scarcely needs to be repeated. it was during the war of that key was authorized by president madison to visit the british fleet near the mouth of the potomac in order to obtain the release of a friend who had been captured. the british admiral granted key's request, but owing to the fact that an attack was about to be made on fort mchenry, which guarded the harbor of baltimore, key and his party were detained all night aboard the truce-boat on which they had come. it was a night of great anxiety. a fierce bombardment continued during the hours of darkness, and as long as the shore fortifications replied to the cannonading, key and his friends were certain that all was well. toward morning, the firing ceased, and they were filled with dark forebodings. the others went below to obtain some sleep, but key continued to pace the deck until the first streaks of dawn showed that the "flag was still there." his joy was so unbounded that he seized a piece of paper, and hastily wrote the words of his famous anthem. it was not completed until later in the day, when he reached baltimore and joined in the victorious joy that filled the city. while "star spangled banner" is not a christian hymn, there are noble sentiments in it that reveal the writer at once as a devout christian, and this was eminently true of key. as a member of the protestant episcopal church he held a lay reader's license, and for many years read the service and visited the sick. he also conducted a bible class in sunday school. although he lived in a slave state, he was finally moved by conscientious scruples to free his slaves. he also did much to alleviate conditions among other unfortunate blacks. when the protestant episcopal church in appointed a committee to prepare a new hymn-book for that body, key was made a lay member of it. another member of the committee was dr. william muhlenberg, who in that same year had published a little hymnal for use in his own congregation. it was in this hymnal, known as "church poetry", that key's beautiful hymn, "lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee," was first published. in dr. muhlenberg's hymn-book the hymn had only three stanzas, and that is the form in which it has since appeared in all other hymnals. in , however, key's autograph copy of the hymn was discovered, and it was found that the hymn originally had four stanzas. the missing one reads: praise thy saviour god that drew thee to that cross, new life to give, held a blood-sealed pardon to thee, bade thee look to him and live. praise the grace whose threats alarmed thee, roused thee from thy fatal ease, praise the grace whose promise warmed thee, praise the grace that whispered peace. another excellent hymn, "before the lord we bow", was written by key in for a fourth of july celebration. a bronze statue of key, placed over his grave at frederick, md., shows him with his hand outstretched, as at the moment when he discovered the flag "still there," while his other hand is waving his hat exultantly. bryant's home mission hymn look from thy sphere of endless day, o god of mercy and of might! in pity look on those who stray benighted, in this land of light. in peopled vale, in lonely glen, in crowded mart, by stream or sea, how many of the sons of men hear not the message sent from thee! send forth thy heralds, lord, to call the thoughtless young, the hardened old, a scattered, homeless flock, till all be gathered to thy peaceful fold. send them thy mighty word to speak, till faith shall dawn, and doubt depart, to awe the bold, to stay the weak, and bind and heal the broken heart. then all these wastes, a dreary scene that makes us sadden, as we gaze, shall grow with living waters green, and lift to heaven the voice of praise. william cullen bryant, . america's first poet and his hymns william cullen bryant, america's first great poet, was also a hymn-writer. although he did not devote much of his thought and genius to sacred lyrics, he wrote at least two splendid hymns that merit a place in every hymn collection. the one, "thou, whose unmeasured temple stands," is a church dedication hymn of rare beauty; the other, "look from thy sphere of endless day," is unquestionably one of the finest home mission hymns ever written. born at cummington, mass., november , , he was educated at williams college to be a lawyer. it was his writing of "thanatopsis" as a boy of seventeen years that gave the first notice to the world that america had produced a great poet. it is said that when the lines of "thanatopsis" were submitted to richard h. dana, editor of the "north american review," he was skeptical. "no one on this side of the atlantic," he declared, "is capable of writing such verses." bryant was brought up in a typical new england puritan home. family worship and strict attendance at public worship was the rule in the bryant household. every little while the children of the community would also gather in the district schoolhouse, where they would be examined in the catechism by the parish minister, a venerable man who was loved by old and young alike. while yet a little child bryant began to pray that he might receive the gift of writing poetry. no doubt he had been influenced to a large degree in this desire by the fact that his father was a lover of verse and possessed a splendid library of the great english poets. the youthful bryant was taught to memorize the noble hymns of isaac watts, and when he was only five years old he would stand on a chair and recite them to imaginary audiences. early in life bryant came under the influence of the unitarian doctrines which were then sweeping through new england as a reaction against the stern, harsh teachings of puritanism. when he was only twenty-six years old he was invited to contribute to a volume of hymns then in course of preparation by the unitarians. he responded by writing five hymns. six years later he wrote "thou, whose unmeasured temple stands" for the dedication of the second unitarian church of new york city. he usually attended the first congregational unitarian church of that city. about thirty years later, however, when bryant was sixty-four years old, a profound change occurred in his religious convictions. during a trip abroad his wife became critically ill in naples. at first her life was despaired of, but when she finally was on the road to recovery bryant sent for a warm friend of the family, rev. r. c. waterston, who was in naples at the time. the latter tells of his meeting with the aged poet in the following words: "on the following day, the weather being delightful, we walked in the royal park or garden overlooking the bay of naples. never can i forget the beautiful spirit that breathed through every word he (bryant) uttered, the reverent love, the confiding trust, the aspiring hope, the rooted faith.... he said that he had never united himself with the church, which, with his present feeling, he would most gladly do. he then asked if it would be agreeable to me to come to his room on the morrow and administer the communion, adding that, as he had never been baptized, he desired that ordinance at the same time. "the day following was the sabbath, and a most heavenly day. in fulfilment of his wishes, in his own quiet room, a company of seven persons celebrated together the lord's supper.... previous to the breaking of bread, william cullen bryant was baptized. with snow-white head and flowing beard, he stood like one of the ancient prophets, and perhaps never, since the days of the apostles, has a truer disciple professed allegiance to the divine master." twenty years after this experience, in the last year of the poet's life, he made some contributions to the methodist episcopal hymnal. a revision of one of the hymns which he had written in for the unitarian hymnal reveals his changed attitude toward the lord jesus christ. for the unitarian book he had written: deem not that they are blest alone whose days a peaceful tenor keep; the god who loves our race has shown a blessing for the eyes that weep. for the methodist hymn-book he changed the third line to read: the anointed son of god makes known. the hymn was sung in its changed form at the poet's funeral, as well as another beautiful hymn entitled "the star of bethlehem," written in for the semi-centennial of the church of the messiah in boston. an exquisite baptismal hymn saviour, who thy flock art feeding with the shepherd's kindest care, all the feeble gently leading, while the lambs thy bosom share. now, these little ones receiving, fold them in thy gracious arm; there, we know, thy word believing, only there secure from harm. never, from thy pasture roving, let them be the lion's prey; let thy tenderness, so loving, keep them through life's dangerous way. then, within thy fold eternal, let them find a resting place, feed in pastures ever vernal, drink the rivers of thy grace. william augustus muhlenberg, . the hymn-writer of the muhlenbergs william augustus muhlenberg, one of america's early hymn-writers, came from a most distinguished family. his great grandfather, henry melchior muhlenberg, was the "patriarch of the lutheran church in america," having come to these shores from germany in , and being the founder in that year of the first permanent lutheran organization in the new world. a son of the patriarch and grandfather of the hymn-writer bore the name of frederick augustus muhlenberg. he, too, was a lutheran minister, but during the stirring days of the revolutionary period he entered into the political affairs of the struggling colonies. he was president of the convention which ratified the constitution of the united states and also served as first speaker of the new house of representatives. his brother, rev. peter muhlenberg, was also a distinguished patriot. when the revolution broke out, he was serving a congregation at woodstock, va. it was he who stood in the pulpit of his church and, throwing aside his clerical robe, stood revealed in the uniform of a continental colonel. "there is a time to preach and a time to pray," he cried, "but these times have passed away. there is a time to fight, and that time has now come!" thereupon he called upon the men of his congregation to enlist in his regiment. before the war ended he had risen to the rank of major general. william augustus muhlenberg, the hymn-writer, was born in philadelphia in . since the german language was then being used exclusively in the german lutheran churches, he and his little sister were allowed to attend christ episcopal church. in this way william augustus drifted away from the church of his great forbears, and when he grew up he became a clergyman in the episcopal communion. it is evident that muhlenberg brought something of the spirit of the "singing church" into the church of his adoption, for in he issued a tract with the title, "a plea for christian hymns." it appears that the episcopal church at this time was using a prayer-book that included only fifty-seven hymns, and no one felt the poverty of his church in this respect more keenly than did muhlenberg. two years later the general convention of the episcopal body voted to prepare a hymn-book, and muhlenberg was made a member of the committee. one of his associates was francis scott key, author of "star spangled banner." as a member of the committee muhlenberg contributed four original hymns to the new collection. they were "i would not live alway," "like noah's weary dove," "shout the glad tidings, triumphantly sing," and "saviour, who thy flock art leading." the latter is a baptism hymn and is one of the most exquisite lyrics on that theme ever written. although muhlenberg never married, he had a very deep love for children. no service seemed so hallowed to him as the baptism of a little child. it is said that shortly after his ordination, when asked to officiate at such a rite, muhlenberg flushed and hesitated, and then asked a bishop who was present to baptize the babe. the latter, however, insisted that the young clergyman should carry out the holy ordinance, and from that day there was no duty that afforded muhlenberg more joy. muhlenberg often expressed regret that he had written "i would not live alway." it seems that the poem was called into being in , following a "heart-breaking disappointment in the matter of love." muhlenberg was a young man at the time, and in his later years he sought to alter it in such a way that it would breathe more of the hopeful spirit of the new testament. he contended that paul's words, "for me to live is christ" were far better than job's lament, "i would not live alway." however, the hymn as originally written had become so fixed in the consciousness of the church, that all efforts of the author to revise it were in vain. nearly all the hymns of muhlenberg that have lived were written during his earlier years. his later ministry centered in new york city, where he was head of a boys' school for a number of years, and later rector of the church of the holy communion. he soon became an outstanding leader in the great metropolis. after having founded st. luke's hospital, the first church institution of its kind in new york city, he spent the last twenty years of his life as its superintendent. his death occurred when he was past eighty years. it is said that when the end was drawing near, the hospital chaplain came to his bedside to pray for his recovery. "let us have an understanding about this," said the dying muhlenberg. "you are asking god to restore me and i am asking god to take me home. there must not be a contradiction in our prayers, for it is evident that he cannot answer them both." the way, the truth, and the life thou art the way; to thee alone from sin and death we flee, and he who would the father seek, must seek him, lord, by thee. thou art the truth; thy word alone sound wisdom can impart; thou only canst inform the mind, and purify the heart. thou art the life; the rending tomb proclaims thy conquering arm; and those who put their trust in thee nor death nor hell shall harm. thou art the way, the truth, the life; grant us that way to know, that truth to keep, that life to win whose joys eternal flow. george washington doane, . the lyrics of bishop doane critics will forever disagree on the subject of the relative merits of great hymns. bishop george washington doane's fine hymn, "thou art the way; to thee alone," has been declared by some to be the foremost of all hymns written by american authors. dr. breed, on the other hand, declares that it is "by no means the equal" of other hymns by doane. another authority observes that it "rather stiffly and mechanically paraphrases" the passage on which it is founded, while edward s. ninde rejects this conclusion by contending that although "metrical expositions of scriptures are apt to be stilted and spiritless ... this one is a success." ninde, however, does not agree that it is "the first of american hymns," reserving this honor, as do most critics, for ray palmer's "my faith looks up to thee." bishop doane was born in trenton, n. j., may , . this was the year in which george washington died. the future hymn-writer was named after the great patriot. at the age of nineteen he was graduated by union college with the highest scholastic honors. after teaching for a season, he became pastor of trinity episcopal church, boston, mass., the church afterwards made famous by phillips brooks. when only thirty-three years old he was elevated to the bishopric of new jersey, which position he held until his death in . by this time he had already won fame as a hymn-writer. it was in , at the age of twenty-five, that doane published a little volume of lyrics entitled "songs by the way." one of the hymns in this collection was the beautiful paraphrase, "thou art the way; to thee alone." this hymn alone would have been sufficient to have perpetuated the name of the young poet, but there was another gem in the same collection that will always be treasured by those who love christian song. it is the exquisite evening hymn: softly now the light of day fades upon my sight away; free from care, from labor free, lord, i would commune with thee. among the many achievements of this versatile bishop was the founding of saint mary's hall, a school for young women, at burlington, n. j. doane lies buried in the neighboring churchyard, and it is said that the students on every wednesday evening at chapel services sing "softly now the light of day" as a memorial tribute to the founder of the institution. both of these hymns were quickly recognized as possessing unusual merit, and almost immediately found their way into christian hymn-books. today there is scarcely a hymnal published in the english language that does not contain them. but bishop doane's fame does not rest on these two hymns alone. he was destined to write a third one, equally great but of a very different character from the other two. it is the stirring missionary hymn: fling out the banner! let it float skyward and seaward, high and wide; the sun that lights its shining folds, the cross, on which the saviour died. it was written in in response to a request from the young women of st. mary's hall for a hymn to be used at a flag-raising. the third stanza is one of rare beauty: fling out the banner! heathen lands shall see from far the glorious sight, and nations, crowding to be born, baptize their spirits in its light. the hymn, as may be surmised, is based on the passage from the psaltery: "thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth." bishop doane was a zealous advocate of missions. it was during his childhood that the modern missionary movement had its inception and swept like a tidal wave over the christian world. "fling out the banner" is a reflection of the remarkable enthusiasm that filled his own soul and that revealed itself in his aggressive missionary leadership. indeed, he became known in his own church as "the missionary bishop of america." a son, william c. doane, also became one of the most distinguished bishops of the episcopal church. writing of his father's rare gifts as a hymnist, he declares that his heart was "full of song. it oozed out in his conversation, in his sermons, in everything that he did. sometimes in a steamboat, often when the back of a letter was his only paper, the sweetest things came." the quaker poet's prayer dear lord and father of mankind, forgive our feverish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. in simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the syrian sea, the gracious calling of the lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee. o sabbath rest by galilee! o calm of hills above, where jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity interpreted by love. drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. breathe through the heat of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire, speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, o still, small voice of calm. john greenleaf whittier, . the quaker poet as a hymn-writer of all american poets, there is none who is so genuinely loved as john greenleaf whittier. a man of the people, a true american, and full of the milk of human kindness, whittier's poetry reflects so much of his own character that it will never lose its singular charm and beauty. whittier's life is a story of struggle. he was born of humble quaker parents at haverhill, mass., december , . instead of receiving the advantages of an education, he knew of nothing but drudgery and hard work throughout his childhood. but the poetic spark was in him even as a child. one day, when a small boy, he sat before the kitchen fire and wrote on his slate: and must i always swing the flail and help to fill the milking pail? i wish to go away to school; i do not wish to be a fool. no doubt it was the memory of these childhood experiences that later inspired him to write with such depth of feeling and understanding the lines of "the barefoot boy": blessings on thee, little man, barefoot boy, with cheek of tan! with thy turned-up pantaloons, and thy merry whistled tunes; with thy red lips, redder still kissed by strawberries on the hill; with the sunshine on thy face, through thy torn brim's jaunty grace: from my heart i give thee joy-- i was once a barefoot boy! through hard work he managed to save enough to attend haverhill academy two seasons. though this was the extent of his scholastic training, he never ceased to be a student. a wandering scotchman who chanced to visit the quiet quaker home and sang such rollicking (!) lyrics as "bonny doon," "highland mary," and "auld lang syne" kindled the boy's imagination. he immediately borrowed a copy of burns' poems from the village schoolmaster, and now for the first time he seriously began to think of becoming a poet. when he was only twenty-five years old he had already begun to attract attention by his poetry. he had also achieved some success in politics and was planning to run for congress. soon, however, came the call of the abolition movement, and whittier, always true to his quaker conception of "the inner voice," determined to sacrifice all of his political ambitions to become a champion of the slaves. it was not long before he was recognized as preëminently the poet of anti-slavery, as phillips was its orator, mrs. stowe its novelist, and sumner its statesman. the fervor with which he threw himself into the cause may be seen reflected in the stirring lines of his poems written in those days, notably "the star of bethlehem." however, since his anti-slavery poems are more vehement than inspiring, and as the events which suggested them were temporary, they will be read with constantly waning interest. the vigor with which he espoused the abolition cause stirred up deep resentment among his enemies. at philadelphia, where he published "the pennsylvania free-man," the office of the paper was attacked by a mob and burned. but whittier was not dismayed. when daniel webster in made his notable defense of the fugitive slave law in the united states senate, whittier wrote "ichabod" in reply. at a time when the abolition movement seemed to be losing, rather than gaining, ground, the poet gave expression to his faith in god in the beautiful poem, "seed-time and harvest." his duty, as he saw it, was to sow the seed; god would take care of the harvest. because the quakers do not sing in their services, whittier knew little of music. however, he once wrote: "a good hymn is the best use to which poetry can be devoted, but i do not claim that i have succeeded in composing one." and yet, the poems of whittier, notably "our master" and "the eternal goodness," have been the source of some of the finest hymns in the english language. there are at least seventy-five hymns now in use that bear his name. practically all of them are extracts from longer poems. "dear lord and father of mankind," "i bow my forehead to the dust," and "we need not climb the heavenly steeps" are among the best loved of whittier's hymns. probably his most famous poem is "snowbound." whittier died in . his last words were, "love--love to all the world." a friend bent over the dying man and whispered the words of his poem, "at last." palmer's famous hymn my faith looks up to thee, thou lamb of calvary, saviour divine; now hear me while i pray, take all my guilt away, o let me from this day be wholly thine. may thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire; as thou hast died for me, o may my love for thee pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire. when life's dark maze i tread, and griefs around me spread, be thou my guide; bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow's tears away, nor let me ever stray from thee aside. when ends life's transient dream, when death's cold, sullen stream shall o'er me roll, blest saviour, then, in love, fear and distrust remove; o bear me safe above, a ransomed soul. ray palmer, . america's greatest hymn and its author although a number of america's great poets wrote hymns, it was not given to any one of them to compose america's finest christian lyric. bryant wrote "look from thy sphere of endless day," whittier was the author of "dear lord and father of mankind," holmes composed "o love divine, that stooped to share," and longfellow has given us "i heard the bells of christmas day;" but, beautiful as these hymns are, none of them can compare with "my faith looks up to thee." this, "the most precious contribution which american genius has yet made to the hymnology of the christian church," came from the pen of a very humble but gifted minister, ray palmer. palmer, who was born at little compton, r. i., november , , was a direct descendant of john alden and his good wife, priscilla. one of his forebears was william palmer, who came to plymouth in . through pressure of poverty ray found it necessary to leave home at the age of thirteen, after having received a grammar education. for two years he clerked in a boston dry goods store, during which time he passed through some deep spiritual experiences, with the result that he gave his heart to god. friends who recognized unusual gifts in the young man urged him to attend school. eventually he graduated from phillips andover academy and from yale. for a while he taught in new york and new haven, but in he was ordained to the congregational ministry. he served a congregation in bath, maine, for fifteen years, and another at albany, n. y., for a like period, after which he became corresponding secretary of the american congregational union, a position which he held until , when he was compelled to retire because of failing health. it was while he was teaching in new york city that "my faith looks up to thee" was written. he was only twenty-two years old at the time, and he had no thought when writing it that he was composing a hymn for general use. he tells in his own account of the hymn how he had been reading a little german poem of two stanzas, picturing a penitent sinner before the cross. deeply moved by the lines, he translated them into english, and then added the four stanzas that form his own hymn. the words of the hymn, he tells us, were born out of his own spiritual experience. "i gave form to what i felt, by writing, with little effort, the stanzas," he said. "i recollect i wrote them with very tender emotion, and ended the last lines with tears." "a ransomed soul!" who would not have been moved to deep emotion after having written a poem with such a sublime closing line! this happened in the year , almost a hundred years ago. palmer copied the poem into a little note-book which he constantly carried in his pocket. frequently he would read it as a part of his private devotion. it never seemed to occur to him that it might some day be used as a hymn. but god was watching over that little poem. one day as palmer was walking along the busy streets of boston, he chanced to meet lowell mason, the famous musician and composer of savannah, ga. mason was compiling a hymn-book at the time and asked palmer, who had established something of a reputation as a poet, if he could give him some words for which he could compose music. palmer remembered the poem in his note-book, and, while the two men stepped into a nearby store, a copy of the poem was made and given to mason. when the two men met again a few days later, mason exclaimed: "dr. palmer, you may live many years and do many good things, but i think you will be best known to posterity as the author of 'my faith looks up to thee.'" mason wrote the beautiful tune known as "olivet" for the hymn, and perhaps the music contributed as much as the words to endear it to the hearts of millions. certainly here is an instance where words and music are wedded, and should never be parted asunder. palmer wrote many other splendid hymns. some of his most famous are translations from the latin. his rendering of the noted hymn of bernard of clairvaux, "o jesus, joy of loving hearts," is a gem of wondrous beauty. it has become a favorite communion hymn. in his ministry palmer laid much emphasis on the lord's supper, and many of his hymns were written for communion services. he once said, in a communion address: "when the cares and the business of life have hurried me hither and thither with no little distraction of mind, i love to come back again, and sit down before the cross, and gaze on the blessed sufferer with silent, tender memories. it is like coming once more into the sunshine after long walking through gloom and mist." palmer's whole life was characterized by a warm, almost passionate, devotion to christ. his faith in the saviour was so childlike and strong that it enabled him to rise above all external burdens and trials. something of his personal love to christ may be seen beautifully reflected in his hymn, "jesus, these eyes have never seen," which was his own favorite and which many regard as inferior only to "my faith looks up to thee." it is such an appealing lyric, we feel we must quote it in full. jesus, these eyes have never seen that radiant form of thine! the veil of sense hangs dark between thy blessed face and mine! i see thee not, i hear thee not, yet art thou oft with me! and earth hath ne'er so dear a spot as where i meet with thee. like some bright dream that comes unsought, when slumbers o'er me roll, thine image ever fills my thought, and charms my ravished soul. yet though i have not seen, and still must rest in faith alone, i love thee, dearest lord, and will, unseen, but not unknown. when death these mortal eyes shall seal, and still this throbbing heart, the rending veil shall thee reveal, all glorious as thou art. palmer looked upon his hymns as gifts from heaven, and therefore he refused to accept money for their use. he insisted, however, that those who published his hymns should print them exactly as they were written. he regarded the somewhat common practice of tampering with texts as "immoral." palmer died in . on the day before he breathed his last, he was heard repeating feebly the last stanza of his favorite hymn: when death these mortal eyes shall seal, and still this throbbing heart, the rending veil shall thee reveal, all glorious as thou art. a hopeful missionary lyric the morning light is breaking; the darkness disappears; the sons of earth are waking to penitential tears; each breeze that sweeps the ocean brings tidings from afar, of nations in commotion, prepared for zion's war. see heathen nations bending before the god we love, and thousand hearts ascending in gratitude above; while sinners, now confessing, the gospel call obey, and seek the saviour's blessing, a nation in a day. blest river of salvation, pursue thine onward way; flow thou to every nation, nor in thy richness stay; stay not till all the lowly triumphant reach their home: stay not till all the holy proclaim: "the lord is come!" samuel francis smith, . samuel smith, a patriotic hymn-writer nearly a century has now elapsed since our national hymn, "america," was written, and, despite all efforts to displace it by other anthems, it seems to retain its hold on the hearts of the people. samuel francis smith will always be gratefully remembered as the author of this hymn, but we should not lose sight of the fact that the new england pastor who gave his country such an inspiring patriotic song has also given to the christian church some of the choicest gems in her hymnody. associated with "my country, 'tis of thee" will be the stirring missionary hymn, "the morning light is breaking," the two being regarded as the foremost of dr. smith's poetical works. both were written in the winter of , when he was only twenty-four years old. he was a student at andover theological seminary at the time. altogether dr. smith contributed nearly hymns to american hymnody, many of them on missionary themes. they were written in an era that witnessed a remarkable revival of interest in foreign missions. the famous "haystack meeting" at williams college, which marked the beginning of the modern missionary movement in america, was held in , just two years before smith was born. smith himself, while a theological student at andover, caught the spirit of the times and felt constrained to become a missionary. at this time reports came from adoniram judson in burmah that, after years of painful disappointment and failure, the light was breaking, and multitudes were turning to christ. smith was fired with hopeful enthusiasm, and it was in this spirit of glad exultation that he sat down to write his immortal missionary hymn: the morning light is breaking, the darkness disappears; the sons of earth are waking to penitential tears. many other missionary hymns came from the gifted writer in succeeding years, and immediately after his graduation from andover he became editor of a missionary magazine, through which he wielded a great influence. when the "lone star" mission in india was in danger of being abandoned because of lack of funds, smith did much to save it by writing a poem with the title, "lone star." another missionary hymn by him begins with the line, "onward speed thy conquering flight." however, it does not attain to the poetic heights of "the morning light is breaking," which has been compared to heber's "from greenland's icy mountains" in spiritual fervor and literary merit. another interesting hymn written by smith during his student days is called "the missionary's farewell." the first stanza reads: yes, my native land, i love thee; all thy scenes, i love them well; friends, connections, happy country, can i bid you all farewell? can i leave you, far in heathen lands to dwell? although dr. smith never carried out his earlier resolve to become a missionary, he visited many foreign fields and had the satisfaction of hearing his own hymns sung in many tongues. referring to "the morning light is breaking," he once wrote: "it has been a great favorite at missionary gatherings, and i have myself heard it sung in five or six different languages in europe and asia. it is a favorite with the burmans, karens and telugus in asia, from whose lips i have heard it repeatedly." a son of the distinguished hymn-writer became a missionary to the burmans. dr. smith filled many important pulpits in new england during his long and illustrious career. at one time he was a professor in modern languages. he was an unusual linguist, being familiar with fifteen tongues. in , a year before his death, he was still vigorous in mind and body, writing and preaching, although he was eighty-six years old. it was in this year that he was found looking around for a textbook that would enable him to begin the study of russian. it was in this year, too, that he wrote one of his finest hymns, for a church dedication. founded on thee, our only lord, on thee, the everlasting rock, thy church shall stand as stands thy word, nor fear the storm, nor dread the shock. for thee our waiting spirits yearn, for thee this house of praise we rear; to thee with longing hearts we turn; come, fix thy glorious presence here. come, with thy spirit and thy power, the conqueror, once the crucified; our god, our strength, our king, our tower, here plant thy throne, and here abide. accept the work our hands have wrought; accept, o god, this earthly shrine; be thou our rock, our life, our thought, and we, as living temples, thine. the celebrated hymnist happily has left a personal account of how he wrote "america." lowell mason, the composer, had given him a collection of german books containing songs for children with the request that smith should examine them and translate anything of merit. "one dismal day in february, ," he wrote long afterward, "about half an hour before sunset, i was turning over the leaves of one of the music books when my eye rested on the tune which is now known as 'america.' i liked the spirited movement of it, not knowing it at that time to be 'god save the king.' i glanced at the german words and saw that they were patriotic, and instantly felt the impulse to write a patriotic hymn of my own, adapted to the tune. picking up a scrap of waste paper which lay near me, i wrote at once, probably within half an hour, the hymn 'america' as it is now known everywhere. the whole hymn stands today as it stood on the bit of waste paper, five or six inches long and two and a half wide." dr. smith was a member of the celebrated harvard class of , to which oliver wendell holmes also belonged. the latter wrote a poem for one of the class reunions, in which he referred to the distinguished hymn-writer in the following lines: and there's a nice youngster of excellent pith-- fate tried to conceal him by naming him smith; but he shouted a song for the brave and the free-- just read on his medal, 'my country,' 'of thee.' on november , , the venerable pastor and poet was called suddenly to his eternal home. he died as he was taking a train from boston to preach in a neighboring town. a pearl among christmas carols it came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold; "peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all-gracious king:" the world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing. still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heavenly music floats o'er all the weary world; above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing, and ever o'er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing. and ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow-- look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing: o rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing! for lo! the days are hastening on by prophet-bards foretold, when with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold; when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing. edmund hamilton sears, . two famous christmas hymns and their author to be the writer of one great hymn classic on the nativity is an enviable distinction, but to be the author of two immortal christmas lyrics is fame that has probably come to only one man, and he an american. his name was edmund hamilton sears, and so long as christians celebrate christmas, they will sing the two hymns he wrote--"it came upon a midnight clear" and "calm on the listening ear of night." strangely enough, an interval of sixteen years separated the writing of the two hymns. sears had just graduated from union college at the age of twenty-four when he wrote "calm on the listening ear of night." it appeared in the "boston observer," and was immediately recognized as a poem of unusual merit. oliver wendell holmes spoke of it as "one of the finest and most beautiful hymns ever written." sixteen years elapsed, and then at christmas time in the christian world was delighted to find in the "christian register" another lyric, "it came upon the midnight clear," which many believe is superior to the earlier hymn. the language of this hymn is so surpassingly lovely and its movement so rhythmical, it fairly sings itself. there is, in fact, a close resemblance between the two hymns, and yet they are different. while the earlier hymn is largely descriptive, the later one is characterized by a note of joyous optimism and triumphant faith. in sears' "sermons and songs" he published the one at the beginning, and the other at the close, of a sermon for christmas eve on tim. : . each of the two hymns had five stanzas in its original form. the fourth stanza of the older hymn is usually omitted. it reads: light on thy hills, jerusalem! the saviour now is born; more bright on bethlehem's joyous plains breaks the first christmas morn; and brighter on moriah's brow, crowned with her temple-spires, which first proclaim the new-born light, clothed with its orient fires. the stanza omitted from the second christmas hymn sounds the only minor note heard in that otherwise hopeful and joyous lyric: yet with the woes of sin and strife the world hath suffered long; beneath the angel-strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong; and man, at war with man, hears not the love song which they bring: o hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing! sears was a native of new england, having been born in berkshire county, massachusetts, in . he completed his theological course at harvard divinity school in , whereupon he entered the unitarian church, serving as a pastor for nearly forty years. surprise has often been expressed that a unitarian could write such marvelous hymns on the nativity; but sears was a unitarian in name rather than in fact. he leaned strongly toward swedenborgian teachings, and believed implicitly in the deity of christ. in addition to his hymns, he wrote a few works in prose. his books on "regeneration," "foregleams of immortality," and "the fourth gospel the heart of christ" were widely read in his day. these have now been almost entirely forgotten, but his two great hymns go singing through the years. they are found in practically all standard hymn-books, although the final stanza of "it came upon the midnight clear" is often altered. sears died in . mrs. stowe's hymn masterpiece still, still with thee, when purple morning breaketh, when the bird waketh, and the shadows flee; fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight, dawns the sweet consciousness, i am with thee! alone with thee, amid the mystic shadows, the solemn hush of nature newly born; alone with thee, in breathless adoration, in the calm dew and freshness of the morn. when sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber, its closing eye looks up to thee in prayer; sweet the repose beneath thy wings o'ershading, but sweeter still to wake and find thee there. so shall it be at last, in that bright morning, when the soul waketh, and life's shadows flee; o for that hour when fairer than the dawning shall rise the glorious thought, i am with thee! harriet beecher stowe, harriet beecher stowe and her hymns through the fame that her book, "uncle tom's cabin," brought her, the name of harriet beecher stowe has become almost a household word on both sides of the atlantic. but not many, perhaps, are familiar with mrs. stowe the hymn-writer. and yet she wrote a number of hymns that are worthy of finding a place in the best of collections. indeed, for sheer poetic beauty there is probably not a single american lyric that can excel "still, still with thee, when purple morning breaketh." it was her brother, henry ward beecher, who introduced mrs. stowe as a hymn-writer, when he included three of her hymns in the "plymouth collection," which he edited in . one of the three was the hymn mentioned above; the other two were "that mystic word of thine, o sovereign lord" and "when winds are raging o'er the upper ocean." like the wesley family in england, the beecher family became one of the most famous in religious and literary circles in america. harriet beecher was born in litchfield, conn., june , . her father was the noted dr. lyman beecher, a distinguished clergyman of his day. her mother, a very devout christian, died when harriet was less than four years of age. her dying prayer was that her six sons might be called into the ministry. that prayer was answered, and the youngest of them, henry ward beecher, who was only a boy when the mother died, became one of america's greatest preachers. we do not know what the dying mother's prayer for her daughter was, but we do know that harriet beecher achieved fame such as comes to few women. even as a child she revealed a spiritual nature of unusual depth. an earnest sermon preached by her father when she was fourteen made such an impression on her youthful heart that she determined to give herself wholly to christ. she tells of the experience in these words: "as soon as my father came home and was seated in his study, i went up to him and fell in his arms, saying, 'father, i have given myself to jesus, and he has taken me.' i never shall forget the expression of his face as he looked down into my earnest childish eyes; it was so sweet, so gentle, and like sunlight breaking out upon a landscape. 'is it so?' he said, holding me silently to his heart, as i felt the hot tears fall on my head. 'then has a new flower blossomed in the kingdom this day.'" in the father removed to cincinnati, ohio, where he became president of lane theological seminary. here harriet married prof. calvin e. stowe, a member of the faculty. many misfortunes and sorrows came into her life, but always she was sustained by her strong faith in god, and she bore them with unusual christian fortitude. in her infant boy was snatched from her by the dreadful cholera scourge. her husband, broken in health, was in an eastern sanatorium at the time, and all the cares and anxieties of the household fell upon the shoulders of the brave young wife. a letter written to her husband, dated june , , gives a graphic description of the plague as it was then raging in cincinnati. she wrote: "this week has been unusually fatal. the disease in the city has been malignant and virulent. hearse drivers have scarce been allowed to unharness their horses, while furniture carts and common vehicles are often employed for the removal of the dead. the sable trains which pass our windows, the frequent indications of crowding haste, and the absence of reverent decency have, in many cases, been most painful.... on tuesday, one hundred and sixteen deaths from cholera were reported, and that night the air was of that peculiarly oppressive, deathly kind that seems to lie like lead on the brain and soul. as regards your coming home, i am decidedly opposed to it." under date of july , she wrote again: "at last it is over and our dear little one is gone from us. he is now among the blessed. my charley--my beautiful, loving, gladsome baby, so loving, so sweet, so full of life, and hope and strength--now lies shrouded, pale and cold, in the room below.... i write as though there were no sorrow like my sorrow, yet there has been in this city, as in the land of egypt, scarce a house without its dead. this heart-break, this anguish, has been everywhere, and when it will end god alone knows." the succeeding years brought other tragedies to the sorely tried family. in the eldest son, henry, pride of his mother's heart, was drowned at the close of his freshman year at dartmouth college. then came the civil war with its bloody battles. at gettysburg a third son, fred, was wounded in the head by a piece of shrapnel. although it did not prove fatal, his mental faculties were permanently impaired. through all these afflictions the marvelous faith of mrs. stowe remained firm and unshaken. many years afterwards, in looking back upon these bitter experiences, she wrote: "i thank god there is one thing running through all of them from the time i was thirteen years old, and that is the intense unwavering sense of christ's educating, guiding presence and care." it was in the midst of these dark tragedies that mrs. stowe wrote a hymn entitled "the secret." when winds are raging o'er the upper ocean, and billows wild contend with angry roar, 'tis said, far down, beneath the wild commotion, that peaceful stillness reigneth evermore. far, far beneath, the noise of tempests dieth, and silver waves chime ever peacefully; and no rude storm, how fierce soe'er it flieth, disturbs the sabbath of that deeper sea. so to the heart that knows thy love, o purest! there is a temple sacred evermore, and all the babble of life's angry voices dies in hushed stillness at its sacred door. far, far away, the roar of passion dieth, and loving thoughts rise calm and peacefully; and no rude storm, how fierce soe'er it flieth, disturbs that deeper rest, o lord, in thee! o rest of rests! o peace serene, eternal! thou ever livest, and thou changest never; and in the secret of thy presence dwelleth fulness of joy, forever and forever. it was the writing of "uncle tom's cabin" that brought world-wide fame to this unusual mother. the family had moved from cincinnati to brunswick, maine, where professor stowe had accepted a position in the faculty of bowdoin college. there were six children now and the father's income was meager. in order to help meet the family expenses, mrs. stowe began to write articles for a magazine known as the "national era." she labored under difficulties. "if i sit by the open fire in the parlor," she wrote, "my back freezes, if i sit in my bedroom and try to write my head and my feet are cold.... i can earn four hundred dollars a year by writing, but i don't want to feel that i must, and when weary with teaching the children, and tending the baby, and buying provisions, and mending dresses, and darning stockings, i sit down and write a piece for some paper." the passage of the fugitive slave act aroused the deepest feeling among abolitionists in the north. while living in cincinnati her family had aided the so-called "underground railway," by which runaway slaves were helped in their efforts to reach the canadian boundary. now mrs. stowe's spirit burned within her. "i wish," she writes at this period, "some martin luther would arise to set this community right." it was then she conceived the idea of writing "uncle tom's cabin." in the month of february, , while attending communion service in the college church at brunswick, the scene of the death of uncle tom passed before her mind like the unfolding of a vision. when she returned home she immediately wrote down the mental picture she had seen. then she gathered her children around her and read what she had written. two of them broke into violent weeping, the first of many thousands who have wept over "uncle tom's cabin." the first chapter was not completed until the following april, and on june it began to appear in serial form in the "national era." she had intended to write a short tale of a few chapters, but as her task progressed the conviction grew on her that she had been intrusted with a holy mission. afterwards she said: "i could not control the story; it wrote itself." at another time she remarked: "the lord himself wrote it, and i was but the humblest of instruments in his hand. to him alone should be given all the praise." mrs. stowe received $ for her serial story! however, scarcely had the last instalment appeared when a boston publisher made arrangements to print it in book form. within one year it had passed through editions, and four months after the book was off the press the author had received $ , in royalties. almost in a day mrs. stowe had become one of the most famous women in the world, and the specter of poverty had been banished forever. "uncle tom's cabin" exerted a profound influence not only over the american people, but its fame spread to europe. the year following its publication jenny lind came to america. asked to contribute to a fund mrs. stowe was raising for the purpose of purchasing the freedom of a slave family, the "swedish nightingale" gladly responded, also writing a letter to mrs. stowe in the following prophetic vein: "i have the feeling about 'uncle tom's cabin' that great changes will take place by and by, from the impression people receive from it, and that the writer of that book can fall asleep today or tomorrow with the bright, sweet consciousness of having been a strong means in the creator's hand of having accomplished essential good." tributes like this came to mrs. stowe from the great and lowly in all parts of the world. concerning jenny lind's singing, mrs. stowe wrote to her husband from new york: "well, we have heard jenny lind, and the affair was a bewildering dream of sweetness and beauty. her face and movements are full of poetry and feeling. she has the artless grace of a little child, the poetic effect of a wood-nymph." mrs. stowe died in at the ripe age of eighty-four. not long before her death she wrote to a friend: "i have sometimes had in my sleep strange perceptions of a vivid spiritual life near to and with christ, and multitudes of holy ones, and the joy of it is like no other joy--it cannot be told in the language of the world.... the inconceivable loveliness of christ!... i was saying as i awoke: 'tis joy enough, my all in all, at thy dear feet to lie. thou wilt not let me lower fall, and none can higher fly." bishop coxe's missionary hymn saviour, sprinkle many nations, fruitful let thy sorrows be; by thy pains and consolations draw the gentiles unto thee. of thy cross the wondrous story, be it to the nations told; let them see thee in thy glory, and thy mercy manifold. far and wide, though all unknowing, pants for thee each mortal breast: human tears for thee are flowing, human hearts in thee would rest. thirsting as for dews of even, as the new-mown grass for rain, thee they seek, as god of heaven, thee as man, for sinners slain. saviour, lo, the isles are waiting, stretched the hand, and strained the sight, for thy spirit, new-creating, love's pure flame, and wisdom's light. give the word, and of the preacher speed the foot, and touch the tongue, till on earth by every creature, glory to the lamb be sung. arthur cleveland coxe, . a hymn written on two shores "saviour, sprinkle many nations" has been called the "loveliest of missionary hymns." the praise is scarcely too great. all the elements that make a great hymn are present here. scriptural in language and devotional in spirit, it is fervent and touching in its appeal and exquisitely beautiful in poetic expression. it was given to the church by arthur cleveland coxe, an american bishop, in , and since that time it has made its victorious course around the world. a study of the hymn is interesting. the first stanza at once suggests the words of jesus, uttered in the last week of his life, when greek pilgrims in jerusalem came seeking for him: "and i, if i be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." in the second stanza the author no doubt had in mind the immortal words of st. augustine: "thou, o lord, hast made me for thyself, and my heart can find no rest till it rest in thee." and in the final stanza we find almost an echo of the thought expressed by paul in romans: "how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" curiously enough, this beautiful missionary lyric was written on two shores of the atlantic. it was on good friday, in the year , that the first stanza was written by bishop coxe at his home in hartford, conn. for lack of time, however, or because the needed inspiration did not come to him the unfinished manuscript was laid aside. the next year he visited england, and one day, while wandering about the campus of magdalen college, oxford, the thought flashed through his mind that he had never completed the hymn. finding a scrap of paper and a pencil, he sat down to write, and in a few moments the touching words of the two concluding stanzas were composed, and the hymn was sent on its way to stir the heart of the world. bishop coxe was not primarily a hymn-writer. his fame rests chiefly on his religious ballads. it was in , when a young student of twenty-two, that he published his first volume, entitled "christian ballads." these are mostly moral poems, impressive and challenging in character, but not usually suitable as hymns. one of them, however, bearing the name of "chelsea," has yielded the famous hymn, "o where are kings and empires now?" an interesting story is told concerning this hymn. in the general conference of the evangelical alliance was held in new york city. it was a period when many scientific objections had been raised regarding the value of prayer, and many anxious souls were fearful that the faith of the church was being shaken to its foundations. president woolsey of yale university gave the opening address. after he had referred to the wave of skepticism that had swept over the world, particularly in regard to prayer, he looked out upon the assembly with a quiet, confident smile lighting his features, and then quoted the first stanza of bishop coxe's hymn: o where are kings and empires now, of old that went and came? but, lord, thy church is praying yet, a thousand years the same. "for a moment," writes an eye-witness, "there was silence. in another moment the full significance of the reference had flashed on every mind, and the response was instantaneous and universal. shouts, waving of handkerchiefs, clapping of hands, stamping of feet--i never knew anything like it. round after round continued, until the storm of applause ended in a burst of grateful tears. no one doubted that the church still believed in prayer and that the tempest had passed without the loss of a sail." in the same volume of "christian ballads" there appears another little poem, most appealing in its simplicity: in the silent midnight-watches, list--thy bosom door! how it knocketh, knocketh, knocketh, knocketh, evermore! say not 'tis thy pulse is beating: 'tis thy heart of sin; 'tis thy saviour knocks, and crieth, "rise, and let me in!" for a time coxe gave promise of becoming the "john keble of america," but after his election as a bishop in the episcopal church, pressing duties interfered with his literary work, and in later years he wrote few poems. bishop coxe was the son of a noted presbyterian minister, rev. samuel h. cox. he was born in menham, n. j., in . after his graduation from the university of the city of new york, he decided to leave the presbyterian church and to enter the episcopalian fold. at the same time he added an "e" to the end of his name, much to his father's displeasure! he died in at the age of seventy-eight years. the hymn of a consecrated woman more love to thee, o christ, more love to thee; hear thou the prayer i make on bended knee; this is my earnest plea, more love, o christ, to thee, more love to thee. once earthly joy i craved, sought peace and rest; now thee alone i seek, give what is best; this all my prayer shall be, more love, o christ, to thee, more love to thee. then shall my latest breath whisper thy praise; this be the parting cry my heart shall raise; this still its prayer shall be, more love, o christ, to thee, more love to thee. elizabeth payson prentiss, . a hymn that grew out of suffering the fruits of a sanctified life are often seen long after the person who lived that life has ceased from earthly strivings. this was true in a very special sense of elizabeth payson prentiss, author of "more love to thee, o christ." although it is fifty years since mrs. prentiss went home to glory, her beautiful christian life still radiates its spirit of trust and hope through her hymns and devotional writings. as a child she was blessed with an unusual home. her father, edward payson, was one of new england's most famous clergymen, revered and beloved by thousands because of his saintly life. it is said that after his death the name of "edward payson" was given in baptism to thousands of children whose parents had been blessed through his consecrated ministry. the daughter, who was born in , was much like her father. spiritually minded from childhood, she possessed unusual gifts as a writer. when she was only sixteen years old she contributed verses and prose to "the youth's companion." later she taught school at portland, me., her birthplace, and in ipswich, mass., and richmond, va., at each place being greatly beloved by her pupils. in she became the bride of rev. george l. prentiss, who later was a professor in union theological seminary, new york city. her home life was beautiful. those who knew her best, described her as "a very bright-eyed little woman, with a keen sense of humor, who cared more to shine in her own happy household than in a wide circle of society." but all the while she was carrying a heavy burden. throughout life she was a sufferer, and scarcely knew what it meant to be well. chronic insomnia added to her afflictions, but as her body languished under physical chastening her spirit rose above pain and tribulation, daily growing more radiant and beautiful. it was out of these trying experiences that she wrote her famous story, "stepping heavenward." the purpose of the book, as she herself explained, was "for strengthening and comforting other souls." it met with instant success, more than , copies being sold. it also was translated into many foreign languages. another story, "the flower of the family," likewise became very popular. it was as poet and hymn-writer, however, that mrs. prentiss was destined to achieve fame. her volume, "religious poems," numbering one hundred and twenty-three, breathes a spirit of fervent devotion to christ. "to love christ more," she said, "is the deepest need, the constant cry of my soul.... out in the woods, and on my bed, and out driving, when i am happy and busy, and when i am sad and idle, the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love!" it is easy to understand how such a longing should finally find expression in her most famous hymn, "more love to thee, o christ." the hymn in reality was the prayer of her life. it was born in during a time of great physical suffering and spiritual anxiety. it was written in great haste, and the last stanza was left incompleted. not until thirteen years later did mrs. prentiss show it to her husband. she then added a final line with a pencil and gave it to the printer, intending it only for private distribution. the following year, however, the "great revival" swept over america, and the hymn sprang into popularity everywhere. when in august, , the mortal remains of the sanctified singer were lowered into the grave, a company of intimate friends stood with bared heads and sang "more love to thee, o christ." the whole christian world seemed to join in mourning her death. from far-off china came a message of sympathy to the bereaved husband in the form of a fan on which christian chinese had inscribed the famous hymn in native characters. after her death the following verse was found written on the flyleaf of one of her favorite books: one hour with jesus! how its peace outweighs the ravishment of earthly love and praise; how dearer far, emptied of self to lie low at his feet, and catch, perchance, his eye, alike content when he may give or take, the sweet, the bitter, welcome for his sake. a hymn of the sea jesus, saviour, pilot me over life's tempestuous sea; unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal; chart and compass came from thee: jesus, saviour, pilot me. as a mother stills her child, thou canst hush the ocean wild; boisterous waves obey thy will when thou say'st to them, "be still!" wondrous sovereign of the sea, jesus, saviour, pilot me. when at last i near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar 'twixt me and the peaceful rest, then, while leaning on thy breast, may i hear thee say to me, "fear not, i will pilot thee." edward hopper, . a famous hymn written for sailors it does not surprise us that the writer of "jesus, saviour, pilot me" was the pastor of a sailors' church. rev. edward hopper, who for many years was minister of the church of sea and land in new york harbor, had in mind the daily life of the seamen attending his church when he wrote his famous lyric. a hymn on the theme of the stormy sea, picturing jesus as the divine pilot--this, he felt, would appeal to sailors and be a source of constant comfort and encouragement. perhaps hopper got his idea from charles wesley. it was a common practice of the great english hymn-writer to compose hymns that were particularly adapted to the audiences he addressed. when he visited the men who worked in the portland quarries in england, he wrote the hymn containing the lines: strike with the hammer of thy word, and break these hearts of stone. in any event, hopper's beautiful hymn at once sprang into popular use, not only with sailors, but with christians everywhere. it appeared for the first time anonymously in "the sailors' magazine," but several hymn-books adopted it. it was not until , nine years after it was published, however, that the author's name became known. in that year the anniversary of the seamen's friend society was held in broadway tabernacle, new york city, and hopper was asked to write a hymn for the occasion. he responded by producing "jesus, saviour, pilot me," and the secret was out. hopper wrote several other hymns, but only this one has lived. like edward perronet, the author of "all hail the power of jesus' name," he was "a bird of a single song." we could have wished that the fires of inspired genius had continued to burn with both of these men. here, however, apply the words: "happy is the man who can produce one song which the world will keep on singing after its author shall have passed away." the author of "jesus, saviour, pilot me" was a child of the city. he was born in america's great metropolis, new york city, in the year . his father was a merchant. his mother was a descendant of the huguenots, the persecuted french protestants. he was educated for the ministry, and, after serving several churches in other places, he returned to new york in to begin his work among the men who go down to the sea in ships. he remained as pastor of the church of sea and land until his death in , and we scarcely need to add that his ministry was singularly successful. the beautiful prayer in the third stanza of hopper's hymn was answered in his own passing. he was sitting in his study-chair, pencil in hand, when the final summons came. on the sheet before him were found some freshly written lines on "heaven." thus was fulfilled in his own death the beautiful prayer expressed in the final stanza of his hymn: when at last i near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar 'twixt me and the peaceful rest, then, while leaning on thy breast, may i hear thee say to me, "fear not, i will pilot thee." a rally hymn of the church stand up, stand up for jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss; from victory unto victory his army he shall lead, till every foe is vanquished, and christ is lord indeed. stand up, stand up for jesus, the trumpet call obey; forth to the mighty conflict in this his glorious day: ye that are men, now serve him against unnumbered foes; your courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose. stand up, stand up for jesus, stand in his strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own; put on the gospel armor, and watching unto prayer, where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. stand up, stand up for jesus, the strife will not be long; this day the noise of battle, the next the victor's song: to him that overcometh, a crown of life shall be; he with the king of glory shall reign eternally. george duffield, a tragedy that inspired a great hymn the christian church has many stirring rally hymns, but none that is more effective when sung by a large assembly than george duffield's "stand up, stand up for jesus." who has not been moved to the depths of his soul by the inspiring words and resounding music of this unusual hymn? a tragedy lies in its background. it was in the year , and a great spiritual awakening was gripping the city of philadelphia. men referred to this revival afterwards as "the work of god in philadelphia." one of the most earnest and zealous leaders in the movement was a young pastor, dudley a. tyng, not quite thirty years old. because of his evangelical convictions and his strong opposition to slavery he had shortly before been compelled to resign as rector of the church of the epiphany, and in he had organized a little congregation that met in a public hall. in the midst of the revival in he preached a powerful sermon at a noon-day meeting in jayne's hall to a gathering of , men. his text was exodus : : "go now, ye that are men, and serve the lord." it is said that the effect was overwhelming, no less than a thousand men giving themselves to the lord. a few weeks later the young pastor was watching a corn-shelling machine when his arm was caught in the machinery and terribly mangled. though every effort was made to save his life, he died within a few hours. shortly before the end came he cried to the friends who were gathered about him, "sing, sing, can you not sing?" he himself then began the words of "rock of ages," with the others trying to join him in the midst of their grief. when his father, the distinguished clergyman, stephen h. tyng, bent over him to ask if he had a last message for his friends, the dying soldier of the cross whispered: "tell them to stand up for jesus!" rev. george duffield, also of philadelphia and a close friend of the greatly lamented tyng, felt that the words were too impressive to be lost. on the following sunday he preached a sermon in his own church on ephesians : , "stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." as he concluded his sermon, he read the words of a poem he had written, "stand up, stand up for jesus." not only did duffield preserve the dying words of his devoted friend, but it will be noted that the second stanza also contains the challenge of tyng's last revival sermon: "go now, ye that are men, and serve the lord." the superintendent of duffield's sunday school printed the words of the poem for distribution among his scholars. one of these leaflets found its way to a religious periodical, where it was published. soon it began to appear in hymn-books, being generally set to a tune composed by george j. webb a few years earlier. it is said that the first time the author heard it sung outside of his own church was in , when the christian men in the army of the james sang it in their camp, just before they were about to enter into a bloody battle. as originally written, the hymn contained six stanzas. the second and fifth are omitted from most hymn-books. these stanzas read: stand up, stand up for jesus, the solemn watchword hear; if while ye sleep he suffers, away with shame and fear; where'er ye meet with evil, within you or without, charge for the god of battles, and put the foe to rout. stand up, stand up for jesus, each soldier to his post: close up the broken column, and shout through all the host: make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain, and prove to all around you that death itself is gain. the omission of these lines is really no loss, since they sink far beneath the literary level of the remaining verses. they also carry the military imagery to needless length. a hymn of spiritual yearning we would see jesus, for the shadows lengthen across this little landscape of our life; we would see jesus, our weak faith to strengthen for the last weariness, the final strife. we would see jesus, the great rock-foundation whereon our feet were set by sovereign grace: nor life nor death, with all their agitation, can thence remove us, if we see his face. we would see jesus: other lights are paling, which for long years we have rejoiced to see; the blessings of our pilgrimage are failing: we would not mourn them, for we go to thee. we would see jesus: this is all we're needing; strength, joy, and willingness come with the sight; we would see jesus, dying, risen, pleading; then welcome day, and farewell, mortal night. anna bartlett warner, . anna warner and her beautiful hymns in the last week of our saviour's life, a very beautiful and touching incident occurred in the city of jerusalem. the evangelist john tells the story in the following words: "now there were certain greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast: these therefore came to philip, who was of bethsaida of galilee, and asked him, saying, sir, we would see jesus. philip cometh and telleth andrew: andrew cometh, and philip, and they tell jesus. and jesus answereth them, saying, the hour is come, that the son of man should be glorified." it was the petition of these gentile pilgrims from the land of the spartans and athenians that inspired an american young woman to write one of our beautiful hymns, "we would see jesus." her name was anna bartlett warner, and for almost a century she lived at a beautiful retreat in the hudson river known as constitution island, under the very shadows of the great military academy at west point. she had a sister named susan who achieved even greater literary fame than she, but it is anna's name, after all, that will live on and be cherished for her songs. we wonder if any child in america during the last half century has not learned to know and to love the little hymn-- jesus loves me, this i know, for the bible tells me so. children throughout the world are singing it now, and missionaries tell us that the simplicity of its message also makes a wonderful appeal to the newly-converted heathen. this hymn is one of the reasons why the name of anna warner will never be forgotten. an exquisite lullaby, also written by miss warner, begins with the words, "o little child, lie still and sleep." two volumes of sacred song were composed by this gifted young woman. the first bore the title, "hymns of the church militant," and was published in . the second, called "wayfaring hymns, original and translated," appeared in . "we would see jesus" was included in the first of these collections. it appears, however, that it was written at least seven years before its publication. an interesting item from her sister susan's diary, under date of february , , tells of the impression the hymn made on her when she first read it. she writes: "the next day, sunday, in the afternoon, anna had been copying off some hymns for emmelin's book, and left them with me to look over. i had not read two verses of 'we would see jesus,' when i thought of anna, and merely casting my eye down, the others so delighted and touched me that i left it for tears and petitions. i wished anna might prove the author--and after i found she was, i sat by her a little while with my head against her, crying such delicious tears." another hymn that has found a place in many hearts bears the title, "the song of the tired servant." it was inspired by a letter received by miss warner from a friend who was a pastor, in which he spoke of the weariness he felt after the tasks of an arduous day, but of the joy that his soul experienced in serving the master. the first stanza reads: one more day's work for jesus, one less of life for me! but heaven is nearer, and christ is dearer than yesterday, to me; his love and light fill all my soul tonight. although the two warner sisters lived in a corner apart from the busy world, they made their influence felt in widespread circles. they felt a particular responsibility in reference to the many thousands of young men from all parts of the united states who were being trained at west point for service in the army, and for many years they conducted a bible class for the cadets. military honors were accorded each of the sisters when they were buried. anna warner was ninety-five years old when she died in . a famous christmas carol o little town of bethlehem how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by; yet in thy darkness shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight. for christ is born of mary, and gathered all above, while mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love. o morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth, and praises sing to god the king, and peace to men on earth. how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! so god imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven. no ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him still, the dear christ enters in. o holy child of bethlehem! descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today. we hear the christmas angels the great glad tidings tell: o come to us, abide with us, our lord immanuel! phillips brooks, . phillips brooks and his carols phillips brooks was a great man. not only was he a giant in stature, but he possessed a great mind and a great heart. also, he was a great preacher--one of america's greatest--and he just missed being a great poet. indeed, the flashes of poetic genius revealed in the few verses he wrote indicate that he might have become famous as a hymn-writer had he chosen such a career. his poetic gift had its roots in childhood. phillips was brought up in a pious new england home. every sunday the children of the brooks household were required to memorize a hymn, and, when the father conducted the evening devotion on the lord's day, the children recited their hymns. when phillips was ready to go to college, he could repeat no less than two hundred hymns from memory. in his later ministry this knowledge proved to be of inestimable value, and he frequently made effective use of hymn quotations in his preaching. but, more than that, the childhood training unconsciously had made of him a poet! "o little town of bethlehem," his most famous christmas carol, was written for a sunday school christmas festival in , when brooks was rector of holy trinity episcopal church in philadelphia. he was only thirty-two years old at the time. three years earlier he had visited the holy land, and on christmas eve he had stood on the star-lit hills where the shepherds had watched their flocks. below the hills he had seen the "little town of bethlehem," slumbering in the darkness just as it had done in the night when jesus was born. later he had attended midnight services in the church of the nativity in bethlehem. he could never entirely forget the impressions of that sublime night, and, when he was asked in to write a christmas hymn for his sunday school, he put down on paper the song that long had been ringing in his mind. the beautiful tune "st. louis," to which the hymn is usually sung, also has an interesting story. it was composed by lewis h. redner, who was organist and sunday school superintendent of dr. brooks' church. when brooks asked redner to write a suitable tune for the words, the latter waited for the inspiration that never seemed to come. christmas eve arrived and redner went to sleep without having written the tune. in the middle of the night, however, he dreamed that he heard angels singing. he awoke with the melody still sounding in his ears. quickly he seized a piece of paper, and jotted it down, and next morning he filled in the harmony. redner always insisted that the hymn tune was "a gift from heaven," and those who have learned to love its exquisite strains are more than willing to believe it! phillips brooks, though he never had a family of his own, possessed a boundless love for children. that, perhaps, is one reason why the christmas season so fascinated him, and why he wrote so many christmas carols for children. one of these is famous for its striking refrain, "everywhere, everywhere, christmas tonight." "the voice of the christ-child" is the title of another christmas carol. he also wrote a number of easter carols, among them, "god hath sent his angels." but phillips brooks not only made a strong appeal to children; it was not long before the great and learned men of america began to realize that a great preacher and prophet had risen among them. there was need of such a spiritual leader, for unitarianism had threatened to engulf all new england. in its beginnings this movement was merely a protest against the stern and forbidding aspects of the christian religion as it had been exemplified in new england puritanism. it grew more and more radical, however, until the deity of christ was denied. the old-fashioned religion of "christ and him crucified" was all but forgotten in the intellectual circles of new england when a young man thirty-four years of age began preaching in trinity church, boston. he was preaching jesus christ, but he was presenting him in a new and wonderful light. crowds began to fill the church. even sedate old harvard was stirred. that was the beginning of the ministry of phillips brooks in boston, a ministry that made him famous throughout the land. it marked the turning point in religious tendencies in new england, and perhaps was the most potent factor in checking the spread of the unitarian doctrine. brooks was later elevated to a bishopric in his church. he died in . it is said that when a little girl of five years was told by her mother that "bishop brooks has gone to heaven," the child exclaimed, "oh, mamma, how happy the angels will be!" the story that never grows old i love to hear the story which angel voices tell, how once the king of glory came down to earth to dwell. i am both weak and sinful, but this i surely know, the lord came down to save me, because he loved me so. i'm glad my blessed saviour was once a child like me, to show how pure and holy his little ones should be; and if i try to follow his footsteps here below, he never will forget me, because he loves me so. to sing his love and mercy my sweetest songs i'll raise! and though i cannot see him, i know he hears my praise; for he has kindly promised that even i may go to sing among his angels, because he loves me so. emily huntington miller, . women who wrote hymns for children everybody loves the hymns the children sing. and that, perhaps, is the reason why emily huntington miller's name will not soon be forgotten, for the hymns she wrote were children's hymns indeed--hymns that came from the heart of one who understood the heart of a child. the daughter of a methodist clergyman, emily huntington was born in brooklyn, conn., october , . the spiritual and cultural influence of a new england parsonage was not lost on this little child, who early in life began to reveal unusual literary gifts. it was very unusual in those days for young women to attend college, but emily enrolled at oberlin college and graduated in the class of . ten years later she became one of the editors of "_the little corporal_," a very popular magazine for children. each month she contributed a poem to this publication. like all other contributors, she often found it difficult to have her poem ready each month on the required day. one month in she was handicapped by illness. the final day came, and her poem was not written. in spite of her weakness, she aroused herself to the task. the inspiration seemed to come immediately, and, so she tells us, "in less than fifteen minutes the hymn was written and sent away without any correction." the hymn referred to was "i love to hear the story." almost immediately it sprang into popularity. in england it was admitted in to "hymns ancient and modern," the hymn-book of the church of england. this was a very unusual honor, since very few hymns of american origin have been included in that famous collection. it is said that no one was more surprised at the popularity achieved by the hymn than the author herself. another of her hymns that has won a place in the hearts of the smaller children is the sweet little gem: jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light like a little candle burning in the night; in the world is darkness, so we must shine, you in your small corner, and i in mine. another of her hymns for children, though not so well known as the other two mentioned, possesses unusual merit: father, while the shadows fall, with the twilight over all, deign to hear my evening prayer, make a little child thy care. take me in thy holy keeping till the morning break; guard me thro' the darkness sleeping, bless me when i wake. emily huntington became the wife of prof. john e. miller in . after his death she became dean of the woman's college of northwestern university, in which position she exerted a blessed influence over large numbers of young women. she died in . another american woman who at this time was also writing hymns for children was mrs. lydia baxter. although born at petersburg, n. y., september , , it was not until nearly fifty years later that she seems to have begun to exercise her gifts as a song writer. her "gems by the wayside" were published in , after which she became a frequent contributor to hymn collections for sunday schools and evangelistic services. mrs. baxter may be regarded as one of the forerunners of the gospel hymn movement of america. her lyrics fall short of the severer standards required in a true hymn, and for this reason few of her hymns have been admitted to the authorized collections of the principal church communions. however, the woman who wrote "take the name of jesus with you" and "there is a gate that stands ajar" will not soon be forgotten by pious christians, even though the author receives scant notice at the hands of hymnologists. it is a significant fact that in the church of sweden included a translation of the latter hymn in the appendix to its "psalm-book," one of the most conservative hymn collections in christendom. mrs. baxter died in new york, june , . a hymn of sweet consolation safe in the arms of jesus, safe on his gentle breast, there by his love o'ershaded, sweetly my soul shall rest. hark! 'tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me, over the fields of glory, over the jasper sea. safe in the arms of jesus, safe from corroding care, safe from the world's temptations, sin cannot harm me there. free from the blight of sorrow, free from my doubts and fears; only a few more trials, only a few more tears! jesus, my heart's dear refuge, jesus has died for me; firm on the rock of ages ever my trust shall be. here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o'er; wait till i see the morning break on the golden shore. frances jane crosby, . fanny crosby, america's blind poet blindness is not always an affliction. if it serves to give the soul a clearer vision of christ and of his redeeming love, as it did with fanny crosby, it may rather be regarded as a blessing. america's most famous hymn-writer could never remember having seen the light of day, nevertheless her life was one of the most happy and fruitful ever lived. always she radiated a sweet and cheerful spirit, refusing to be pitied, while her soul poured out the songs that brought joy and salvation to countless multitudes. born of humble parents at southeast, n. y., march , , she was only six weeks old when, through the application of a poultice to her eyes, her sight was forever destroyed. such a disaster would have cast a perpetual gloom over most lives, but not so with fanny crosby. even at the age of eight years she gave evidence not only of her happy optimism but also of her poetic genius by penning the following cheerful lines: o what a happy soul am i! although i cannot see, i am resolved that in this world contented i will be. how many blessings i enjoy, that other people don't; to weep and sigh because i'm blind, i cannot, and i won't! when she was fifteen years old she entered the institution for the blind in new york city, where she soon began to develop her remarkable talent for writing verse. at first she wrote only secular songs. one of these, "rosalie, the prairie flower," brought the blind girl nearly $ , in royalties. strange to state, it was not until she was forty-one years old that her first hymn was written. it was in that she met the famous composer, w. b. bradbury, and it was at his request that she made her first attempt at hymn-writing. her first hymn began: we are going, we are going, to a home beyond the skies, where the fields are robed in beauty, and the sunlight never dies. she now felt that she had found her real mission in life, and she wrote that she was "the happiest creature in all the land." until her death in , hymns flowed from her inspired pen in a ceaseless stream. for a long time she was under contract to furnish her publishers, biglow & main, with three hymns every week. it has been estimated that no less than , hymns and songs were written by this unusual woman. not all of her hymns possess high poetical excellence. in fact, they have been subjected to the most severe criticism. john julian, the english hymnologist, with his usual candor, declares that "they are, with few exceptions, very weak and poor, their simplicity and earnestness being their redeeming features." however, whether we consider her hymns of high poetic standard or not, the fact remains that no one has written more hymns that are being sung and loved today than fanny crosby. certainly the hymnody of the christian church is infinitely richer for "pass me not, o gentle saviour," "sweet hour of prayer," "safe in the arms of jesus," "all the way my saviour leads me," "jesus is tenderly calling thee home," "i am thine, o lord," "rescue the perishing," "speed away," "blessed assurance, jesus is mine," "jesus keep me near the cross," "some day the silver cord will break," and scores of other inspiring gems that have come to us from this blind genius. practically all her hymns are very subjective in character. although this is doubtless an element of weakness, it probably explains their unusual personal appeal. it was the prayer of miss crosby that she might win a million souls for christ, and there are many who believe that her prayer has been more than realized. a strong scriptural note is heard in most of her hymns. when she was yet a child, she committed to memory the first four books of the old testament, as well as the four gospels, and this proved a rich treasure store from which she drew in later life. fanny crosby's fault apparently lay in the fact that she was too prolific a writer. most of her songs were composed in a few minutes. often the lines came as rapidly as they could be dictated. it was this circumstance that led dr. s. w. duffield to observe rather facetiously that "it is more to her credit as a writer that she has occasionally found a pearl than that she has brought to the surface so many oyster shells." however, before his death he evidently had altered his opinion, for he wrote: "i rather think her talent will stand beside that of watts or wesley, especially if we take into consideration the number of hymns she has written." certainly there are many pearls among the , songs she wrote, and perhaps none has given more solace to broken hearts than "safe in the arms of jesus." often the themes of her hymns were suggested to her by publishers or musical composers. at other times a musician would play a tune for her and ask her to write words for it. it was in that william h. doane, the popular hymn composer, came to her one day and said: "fanny, i have a tune i would like to have you hear." he played it for her, and she exclaimed, "that says 'safe in the arms of jesus!'" she went to her room immediately, and within half an hour the words had been written. although fanny crosby never permitted the fact of her blindness to make her life gloomy, there are many touching allusions in her hymns to her affliction. "all the way my saviour leads me" suggests how much a guiding hand means to the blind. the same thought appears in the song, "god will take care of you," especially in the lines, tenderly watching, and keeping his own, he will not leave you to wander alone. there also are pathetic passages in her hymns that reflect the hope that some day the long night of blindness would be ended--in heaven. here let me wait with patience, wait till the night is o'er; wait till i see the morning break on the golden shore. that is also the constant refrain heard in the exquisite hymn, "some day the silver cord will break." and i shall see him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace. nevertheless, she never permitted any one to express sympathy on account of her blindness. once a scotch minister remarked to her, "i think it is a great pity that the master, when he showered so many gifts upon you, did not give you sight." she answered: "do you know that, if at birth i had been able to make one petition to my creator, if would have been that i should be made blind?" "why?" asked the surprised clergyman. "because, when i get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my saviour," was the unexpected reply. at a summer religious conference in northfield, mass., miss crosby was sitting on the platform when the evangelist, dwight l. moody, asked her for a testimony concerning her christian experience. at first she hesitated, then quietly rose and said: "there is one hymn i have written which has never been published. i call it my soul's poem, and sometimes when i am troubled i repeat it to myself, for it brings comfort to my heart." she then recited: some day the silver chord will break, and i no more as now shall sing: but, the joy when i shall wake within the palace of the king! and i shall see him face to face, and tell the story--saved by grace. the sight of her uplifted face, with its wistful expression, made a deep impression upon the vast audience, and many were moved to tears. in miss crosby married alexander van alstyne, a blind musician, wherefore she is often referred to as mrs. frances jane van alstyne. she died on february , . the call of the gospel song sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life, let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life. words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty; beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. christ, the blessed one, gives to all wonderful words of life; sinner, list to the loving call, wonderful words of life. all so freely given, wooing us to heaven, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. sweetly echo the gospel call, wonderful words of life; offer pardon and peace to all, wonderful words of life. jesus, only saviour, sanctify forever, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. philip p. bliss ( - ). one of america's earliest gospel singers among hymn-books that have exerted a profound influence over the spiritual lives of christian people none has probably achieved greater fame or wider circulation than the volume known as gospel hymns. it was issued in a series of six editions, but now is usually found combined in a single book. philip p. bliss, the subject of this chapter, was the first editor of gospel hymns. associated with him in the publication of the first two editions was the renowned ira d. sankey, who gained world-wide fame through his evangelistic campaigns with dwight l. moody. the story of the life of bliss reads like romance. like many a poor lad endowed with love for the artistic, he was compelled to struggle almost all his life for the opportunity that finally came to him. born at rome, pa., in , he early revealed a passion for music when, as a boy, he made crude instruments on which he tried to produce tones. the story is told of how philip, when a ragged and barefoot boy of ten years, heard piano music for the first time. so entranced did he become that he entered the home unbidden, and stood listening at the parlor door. when the young woman at the instrument ceased playing, the child who hungered for music cried: "o lady, play some more!" instead of complying with the request, the startled young woman is said to have invited young bliss to leave the house forthwith! although he received practically no musical education, except from occasional attendance at a singing school, he wrote his first song at the age of twenty-six years. it was called "lora vale," and because of its popular reception, bliss was encouraged to devote all his time to writing songs and giving concerts. bliss usually wrote both the words and music of his hymns. his work was done very quickly, the inspiration for the whole song, text and melody, being born in his mind at once. any incident of an unusually impressive nature would immediately suggest a theme to his mind. he heard the story of a shipwreck. the doomed vessel was abandoned, and the captain ordered the sailors to exert their utmost strength to "pull for the shore." immediately he wrote his well-known song with the words as a refrain. one night he listened to a sermon in which the preacher closed with the words, "he who is almost persuaded is almost saved, but to be almost saved is to be entirely lost." he went home from the service and wrote "almost persuaded," a hymn that is said to have brought more souls to christ than anything else bliss ever composed. in he heard major whittle, an evangelist, tell the story of how the message, "hold the fort!" was signalled to the besieged garrison at allatoona pass. the words suggested the passage from revelations : , "that which ye have, hold fast till i come." the result was one of his most famous gospel songs, the chorus of which runs: "hold the fort, for i am coming," jesus signals still, wave the answer back to heaven,-- "by thy grace we will." other popular songs by bliss are "whosoever heareth, shout, shout the sound," "i am so glad that our father in heaven," "there's a light in the valley," "sing them over again to me," "let the lower lights be burning," "free from the law, oh, happy condition," "down life's dark vale we wander" and "where hast thou gleaned today?" these songs, like the greater number of the gospel hymns, do not possess high literary merit. the most that can be said for them is that they are imaginative and picturesque. they are usually strong in emotional appeal. the same is true of the tunes composed for them. they are usually very light in character, with a lilt and movement that make them easily singable, but lacking in the rich harmony found in the standard hymns and chorales. no doubt there will always be a certain demand for this type of religious song, and a few of the gospel hymns will probably live on, but the present trend in all of the principal christian denominations is toward a higher standard of hymnody. a terrible tragedy brought the life of the gospel singer to a close in his thirty-eighth year. he had visited the old childhood home at rome, pa., at christmas time in , and was returning to chicago in company with his wife when a railroad bridge near ashtabula, ohio, collapsed on the evening of december . their train plunged into a ravine, sixty feet below, where it caught fire, and one hundred passengers perished miserably. bliss managed to escape from the wreckage, but crawled back into a window in search for his wife. that was the last seen of him. the song-writer's first name was originally "philipp." he disliked the unusual spelling, however, and in later years he used the extra "p" as a middle initial. chautauqua vesper hymn day is dying in the west; heaven is touching earth with rest: wait and worship while the night sets her evening lamps alight through all the sky. refrain: holy, holy, holy, lord god of hosts! heaven and earth are full of thee! heaven and earth are praising thee, o lord most high! lord of life, beneath the dome of the universe, thy home, gather us who seek thy face to the fold of thy embrace, for thou art nigh. while the deepening shadows fall, heart of love, enfold us all; through the glory and the grace of the stars that veil thy face, our hearts ascend. when forever from our sight pass the stars, the day, the night, lord of angels, on our eyes let eternal morning rise, and shadows end. mary artimisia lathbury, , . the lyrist of chautauqua those who have had the privilege of attending a vesper service in the great chautauqua institution auditorium on the shores of beautiful lake chautauqua, n. y., have come away with at least one impression that is lasting. it is the singing by the vast assembly of mary lathbury's famous vesper hymn, "day is dying in the west." this beautiful evening lyric, which was written especially for the chautauqua vesper hour, has been called by a distinguished critic "one of the finest and most distinctive hymns of modern times," and there are few who will not concur in his judgment. the "lyrist of chautauqua" was born in manchester, n. y., august , . as a child she began to reveal artistic tendencies. she developed a special talent in drawing pictures of children, and her illustrations in magazines and periodicals made her name widely known. she also wrote books and poetry, illustrating them with her own sketches. very early in life she felt constrained to dedicate her talent to christian service. she tells how she seemed to hear a voice saying to her: "remember, my child, that you have a gift of weaving fancies into verse, and a gift with the pencil of producing visions that come to your heart; consecrate these to me as thoroughly and as definitely as you do your inmost spirit." an opportunity to serve her lord in a very definite way came in , when dr. john h. vincent, then secretary of the methodist sunday school union, employed her as his assistant. the chautauqua movement had just been launched the previous year and the formal opening on the shores of the beautiful lake from which the institution has received its name took place on august , . dr. vincent became the outstanding leader of the movement, and he began to make use of miss lathbury's literary talent almost immediately. dr. jesse lyman hurlbut, historian of chautauqua, writes: "in dr. vincent's many-sided nature was a strain of poetry, although i do not know that he ever wrote a verse. yet he always looked at life and truth through poetic eyes. who otherwise would have thought of songs for chautauqua and called upon a poet to write them? dr. vincent found in mary a. lathbury a poet who could compose fitting verses for the expression of the chautauqua spirit." the beautiful evening hymn, "day is dying in the west," was written in , at dr. vincent's request, for the vesper services which are held every evening. it originally consisted of only two stanzas, and it was not until ten years later that miss lathbury, at the strong insistence of friends, added the last two stanzas. we are happy that she did so, for the last two lines, with their allusion to the "eternal morning" when "shadows" shall end, bring the hymn to a sublime conclusion. it was also in that she wrote another hymn of two stanzas that has shared in the fame that has come to her evening hymn. it was composed for the chautauqua literary and scientific circle, and miss lathbury called it "a study song." its beautiful reference to the sea of galilee is made the more interesting when we are reminded that the hymn was written on the shores of lovely lake chautauqua. the hymn is particularly adapted for bible study, and it is said that the great london preacher, g. campbell morgan, always announced it before his mid-week discourse. the hymn reads: break thou the bread of life, dear lord, to me, as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea; beyond the sacred page i seek thee, lord; my spirit pants for thee, o living word! bless thou the truth, dear lord, to me, to me, as thou didst bless the bread by galilee; then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall; and i shall find my peace, my all-in-all! miss lathbury was greatly esteemed, not only for her lovely lyrics which have given inspiration to thousands of souls, but also for her gentle, christian character. there was an indescribable charm about her personality, and she exerted an abiding influence over those who came in contact with her devout and consecrated spirit. she died in new york city in . in his footsteps o master, let me walk with thee in lowly paths of service free; tell me thy secret, help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care. help me the slow of heart to move by some clear winning word of love; teach me the wayward feet to stay, and guide them in the homeward way. teach me thy patience; still with thee in closer, dearer company, in work that keeps faith sweet and strong, in trust that triumphs over wrong. in hope that sends a shining ray far down the future's broadening way, in peace that only thou canst give, with thee, o master, let me live! washington gladden, . gladden's hymn of christian service for more than half a century, until his death in , the name of washington gladden was known throughout the length of the country as one of america's most distinguished clergymen. a prolific writer, his books and his magazine contributions were widely read by the american people. like most literary productions, however, his books and pamphlets have already been largely forgotten. it is only a little hymn, written on a moment's inspiration, that seems destined to preserve gladden's name for posterity. that hymn is "o master, let me walk with thee." the author was born in pottsgrove, pa., february , . after his graduation from williams college in , he was called as pastor to a congregational church in brooklyn. in he removed to columbus, o., where he remained as pastor until , a period of thirty-two years. during these years he exerted a profound influence, not only over the city of columbus, but in much wider circles. gladden was deeply interested in social service, believing that it is the duty of the christian church to elevate the masses not only spiritually and morally, but in a social and economic sense as well. by sermons, lectures and by his writings, he was ever trying to bring about more cordial relationship between employer and employee. gladden was often the center of a storm of criticism on the part of those who charged him with liberalism. his beautiful hymn, written in , seems to be in part an answer to his critics. it originally consisted of three stanzas of eight lines each. the second stanza, which was omitted when the poem was first published as a hymn, indicates how keenly gladden felt the condemnation of his opponents: o master, let me walk with thee before the taunting pharisee; help me to bear the sting of spite, the hate of men who hide thy light, the sore distrust of souls sincere who cannot read thy judgments clear, the dulness of the multitude, who dimly guess that thou art good. dr. gladden always insisted that he was nothing but a preacher, and he gloried in his high calling. in spite of busy pastorates, however, he always found time to give expression to his literary talent. at one time he was a member of the editorial staff of the new york independent. later he was an editor of the "sunday afternoon," a weekly magazine. it was in this magazine that "o master, let me walk with thee" was first published. the writer had no idea of composing a hymn when it was written, and no one was more surprised than he at its popularity. he himself agreed that the second stanza quoted above was not suitable for hymn purposes. whatever judgment may be passed on dr. gladden's liberalistic views, it will be agreed that he looked upon christianity as an intensely practical thing; and, if he underestimated the value of christian dogma, it was because he emphasized so strongly the necessity of christian life and practice. he was always buoyed up by a hopeful spirit, and he believed implicitly that the kingdom of light was gradually overcoming the forces of evil. in one of his last sermons, he said: "i have never doubted that the kingdom i have always prayed for is coming; that the gospel i have preached is true. i believe ... that the nation is being saved." something of his optimism may be seen reflected in the words of his hymn. a hymn of the city where cross the crowded ways of life, where sound the cries of race and clan, above the noise of selfish strife, we hear thy voice, o son of man! in haunts of wretchedness and need, on shadowed thresholds dark with fears, from paths where hide the lures of greed, we catch the vision of thy tears. from tender childhood's helplessness, from woman's grief, man's burdened toil, from famished souls, from sorrow's stress, thy heart has never known recoil. the cup of water given for thee still holds the freshness of thy grace; yet long these multitudes to see the sweet compassion of thy face. o master, from the mountain-side, make haste to heal these hearts of pain, among these restless throngs abide, o tread the city's streets again, till sons of men shall learn thy love and follow where thy feet have trod; till glorious from thy heaven above shall come the city of our god. frank mason north, . a hymn with a modern message among the more recent hymns that have found their way into the hymn-books of the christian churches in america, there is none that enjoys such popularity and esteem as frank mason north's hymn, "where cross the crowded ways of life." it is a hymn of the highest order, beautiful in thought and unusually tender in expression. it is typical of the trend in modern hymns to emphasize the church's mission among the lowly and the fallen. from beginning to end this hymn is a picture of the modern city with its sins and sorrows and spiritual hunger. we see the city as the meeting place of all races and tongues; we hear the din and noise of selfish striving; we behold the haunts of poverty and sin and wretchedness; we catch a glimpse of the sufferings of helpless childhood, of woman's secret griefs and man's ceaseless toil. and all these multitudes are hungering for christ! north has, consciously or unconsciously, made a striking distinction between mere social service work, which aims at the alleviation of human need and suffering, and inner mission work, which seeks to help men spiritually as well as physically. "the cup of water" is never to be despised, but when it is given in christ's name it has double value; for it is christ himself, after all, that men need, and it is only christ who can truly satisfy. social service can never take the place of salvation. what a beautiful prayer is that contained in the fifth stanza, where the master is entreated to "tread the city's streets again!" and then, as a fitting climax to this whole remarkable poem, comes the triumphant thought expressed in the final lines of the coming of the new jerusalem from above--"the city of our god." north was well qualified to write such a hymn. he himself was a child of the city, having been born in america's greatest metropolis in . his early education, too, was received in new york city and after his graduation from wesleyan university in he served several congregations in the city of his birth. in he was made corresponding secretary of the new york city church extension and missionary society and in he was elected a corresponding secretary of the methodist episcopal board of foreign missions. thus, almost his whole life has been devoted to missionary activities at home and abroad. it was in , in response to a request from the methodist hymnal committee, that north wrote his celebrated hymn. he tells the story in the following words: "my life was for long years, both by personal choice, and official duty, given to the people in all phases of their community life. new york was to me an open book. i spent days and weeks and years in close contact with every phase of the life of the multitudes, and at the morning, noon and evening hours was familiar with the tragedy, as it always seemed to me, of the jostling, moving currents of the life of the people as revealed upon the streets and at great crossings of the avenues; and i have watched them by the hour as they passed, by tens of thousands. this is no more than many another man whose sympathies are with the crowd and with the eager, unsatisfied folk of the world, has done. "as i recall it, i came to write the hymn itself at the suggestion of professor c. t. winchester, who, as a member of the committee on the new hymnal, was struggling with the fact that we have so few modern missionary hymns. he said to me one day, 'why do you not write us a missionary hymn?' i wrote what was in my thought and feeling.... that it has found its way into so many of the modern hymnals and by translation into so many of the other languages, is significant not as to the quality of the hymn itself but as to the fact that it is an expression of the tremendous movement of the soul of the gospel in our times which demands that the follower of christ must make the interest of the people his own, and must find the heart of the world's need if he is in any way to represent his master among men." another lovely hymn by north was written in . the first stanza reads: jesus, the calm that fills my breast no other heart than thine can give; this peace unstirred, this joy of rest, none but thy loved ones can receive. the spirit of this hymn reminds us very much of the two classic hymns of bernard of clairvaux--"o jesus, joy of loving hearts" and "jesus, the very thought of thee." the last line quoted above is evidently inspired by a line from the latter hymn. a gripping hymn by a girl o'er jerusalem thou weepest in compassion, dearest lord! love divine, of love the deepest, o'er thine erring israel poured, crieth out in bitter moan, "o loved city, hadst thou known this thy day of visitation, thou wouldst not reject salvation." by the love thy tears are telling, o thou lamb for sinners slain, make my heart thy temple dwelling, purged from every guilty stain! o forgive, forgive my sin! cleanse me, cleanse me, lord, within! i am thine since thou hast sought me, since thy precious blood hath bought me. o thou lord of my salvation, grant my soul thy blood-bought peace. by the tears of lamentation bid my faith and love increase. grant me grace to love thy word, grace to keep the message heard, grace to own thee as my treasure, grace to love thee without measure. anna hoppe, . a lutheran psalmist of today it is gratifying to know that the spirit of hymnody is not dead, and that still today consecrated men and women are being inspired to "sing new songs unto jehovah," in milwaukee, wis., lives a young woman who for several years has been attracting wide-spread attention by her christian lyrics. her name is anna hoppe, and the hymns she writes suggest strongly something of the style and spirit of the lutheran hymns of a by-gone age. born of german parents in milwaukee in , she began to write verse in early childhood. most of them were on patriotic themes, such as washington, lincoln, the battle of gettysburg, and paul jones. "at the age of about eleven," miss hoppe tells us, "i wrote a few lines on angels." it was at the age of twenty-five years, however, that she began in earnest the writing of spiritual poetry. many of her poems were published in religious periodicals and aroused much interest. in the hymnal of the augustana synod, published in , twenty-three of her hymns were included. since that time a collection of her hymns under the title, "songs of the church year," has appeared. in eight of her lyrics were published in the "american lutheran hymnal." as a prolific writer of hymns, miss hoppe probably has no equal in the lutheran church today. her unusual talent seems all the more remarkable when it is known that she is practically self-educated. after she had finished the eighth grade in the milwaukee public schools, she entered a business office. since that time she has worked continuously, and has received the benefit of only a few months' training at evening schools. at present she is employed in the office of the westinghouse company. her hymns are composed in the midst of the stress and hurry of modern life. "many of my hymns," she writes, "have been written on my way to and from church, and to and from work. i utilize my lunch hours for typing the hymns and keeping up correspondence. i used to do quite a bit of writing on sunday afternoons, but now we have a layman's hour in our church at that time, and i do not like to miss it. i also attend our fundamentalist bible lectures, jewish mission meetings, and the like. still i find a minute here and there in which to jot down some verse." although few of miss hoppe's hymns rise to heights of poetic rapture, they are characterized by a warmth of feeling and fervency of spirit that make them true lyrics. they are thoroughly scriptural in language, although they sometimes become too dogmatic in phraseology. a deep certainty of faith, however, breathes through their lines and saves them from becoming prosaic. one of her most beautiful hymns is for new year's. its opening stanza reads: jesus, o precious name, by heaven's herald spoken, jesus, o holy name, of love divine the token. jesus, in thy dear name this new year we begin; bless thou its opening door, inscribe thy name within. a hymn for epiphany reflects something of the same spirit of adoration: desire of every nation, light of the gentiles, thou! in fervent adoration before thy throne we bow; our hearts and tongues adore thee, blest dayspring from the skies. like incense sweet before thee, permit our songs to rise. the final stanza of her ascension hymn is full of poetic fire: ascend, dear lord! thou lamb for sinners slain, thou blest high priest, ascend! o king of kings, in righteousness e'er reign, thy kingdom hath no end. thy ransomed host on earth rejoices, while angels lift in song their voices. ascend, dear lord! her fidelity to scriptural language may be seen in the following simple verses: have ye heard the invitation, sinners ruined by the fall? famished souls who seek salvation, have ye heard the loving call? hark! a herald of the father bids you of his supper taste. round the sacred table gather; all is ready; sinners, haste! o ye chosen, have ye slighted this sweet call to you proclaimed? lo! the king hath now invited all the halt, the blind, the maimed: come, ye poor from out the highways, come, a feast awaits you, come! leave the hedges and the byways, hasten to the father's home. we have heard thee call, dear father, in thy word and sacrament; round thy festal board we'll gather till our life's last day is spent. ours the risen saviour's merit, ours the bounties of thy love, ours thy peace, till we inherit endless life in heaven above. miss hoppe speaks in glowing terms of the spiritual impressions received in childhood from pious parents and a consecrated pastor, the sainted john bading, who both baptized and confirmed her. her father died in . "he was a very pious lutheran," she writes, "and so is mother. they often spoke of afternoon prayer meetings they attended in germany." some of her hymns not already mentioned are, "by nature deaf to things divine," "heavenly sower, thou hast scattered," "how blest are they who through the power," "lord jesus christ, the children's friend," "o dear redeemer, crucified," "o precious saviour, heal and bless," "o'er jerusalem thou weepest," "precious child, so sweetly sleeping," "repent, the kingdom draweth nigh," "the sower goeth forth to sow," "thou camest down from heaven on high," "thou hast indeed made manifest," "thou lord of life and death," "thou virgin-born incarnate word," "o lord, my god, thy holy law," "jesus, thine unbounded love," "he did not die in vain," "i open wide the portals of my heart," "rise, my soul, to watch and pray," "o joyful message, sent from heaven," "o thou who once in galilee," and "thou goest to jerusalem." she is the translator of "o precious thought! some day the mist shall vanish," a hymn from the swedish, as well as some eighty gems from german hymnody. thirty-two of her german translations appeared in "the selah song book," edited by adolf t. hanser in . many of miss hoppe's hymns have been written on the pericopes of the church year. she has consistently refused to have her hymns copyrighted, believing that no hindrance should be put in the way of any one who desires to use them. up to nearly hymns had appeared from miss hoppe's pen. her ambition is to write a thousand original christian lyrics. a song of victory rise, ye children of salvation, all who cleave to christ, the head! wake, arise, o mighty nation, ere the foe on zion tread: he draws nigh, and would defy all the hosts of god most high. saints and heroes, long before us, firmly on this ground have stood; see their banner waving o'er us, conquerors through the saviour's blood! ground we hold whereon of old fought the faithful and the bold. fighting, we shall be victorious by the blood of christ our lord; on our foreheads, bright and glorious, shines the witness of his word; spear and shield on battlefield, his great name; we cannot yield. when his servants stand before him, each receiving his reward-- when his saints in light adore him, giving glory to the lord-- "victory!" our song shall be, like the thunder of the sea. justus falckner, . survey of american lutheran hymnody it is a significant fact that the first lutheran pastor to be ordained in america was a hymn-writer. he was justus falckner, author of the stirring hymn, "rise, ye children of salvation." falckner, who was born on november , , in langenreinsdorf, saxony, was the son of a lutheran pastor at that place. he entered the university of halle in as a student of theology under francke, but for conscientious reasons refused to be ordained upon the completion of his studies. together with his brother daniel he became associated with the william penn colony in america and arranged for the sale of , acres of land to rev. andreas rudman, who was the spiritual leader of the swedish lutherans along the delaware. through rudman's influence falckner was induced to enter the ministry, and on november , , he was ordained in gloria dei lutheran church at wicacoa, philadelphia. the ordination service was carried out by the swedish lutheran pastors, rudman, erik björk, and andreas sandel. falckner was the first german lutheran pastor in america, and he also had the distinction of building the first german lutheran church in the new world--at falckner's swamp, new hanover, pa. later he removed to new york, where for twenty years he labored faithfully among the german, dutch, and scandinavian settlers in a parish that extended some two hundred miles from albany to long island. it seems that falckner's hymn, "rise, ye children of salvation," was written while he was a student at halle. it appeared as early as in "geistreiches gesangbuch," and in it was given a place in freylinghausen's hymn-book. there is no evidence that falckner ever translated it into english. since the lutheran church in america to a large extent employed the german and scandinavian languages in its worship, it was content for nearly two hundred years to depend on hymn-books originating in the old world. not until the latter half of the nineteenth century were serious efforts made to provide lutheran hymn-books in the english language. writers of original hymns were few in number, but a number of excellent translators appeared. through the efforts of these translators, an increasing number of lutheran hymns from the rich store of german and scandinavian hymnody are being introduced in the hymn-books of this country. pioneers in this endeavor about half a century ago were charles porterfield krauth, noted theologian and vice-provost of the university of pennsylvania; joseph a. seiss, of philadelphia, pastor and author, to whom we are indebted for the translation of "beautiful saviour" and "winter reigns o'er many a region"; and charles william schaeffer, philadelphia theologian, who translated held's "come, o come, thou quickening spirit" and rambach's beautiful baptism hymn, "father, son, and holy spirit." mrs. harriet krauth spaeth also belongs to this group, her most notable contribution being the translation of the medieval christian hymn, "behold, a branch is growing." later translators of german hymns were matthias loy, for many years president of capital university, columbus, ohio; august crull, professor of german at concordia college, fort wayne, ind., and conrad h. l. schuette, professor of theology at capital university and later president of the joint synod of ohio. loy was not only a translator but also an author of no mean ability. among his original hymns that seem destined to live are "jesus took the babes and blessed them," "i thank thee, jesus, for the grief," and "o great high priest, forget not me." his splendid translations include such hymns as selnecker's "let me be thine forever," schenck's "now our worship sweet is o'er" and hiller's "god in human flesh appearing." from schuette we have received in english dress behm's "o holy, blessed trinity," while crull's most successful translations are homburg's "where wilt thou go, since night draws near?" and ludaemilia elizabeth of schwartzburg-rudolstadt's beautiful hymn, "jesus, jesus, jesus only." among the living translators of german hymns, h. brueckner, professor at hebron college, hebron, nebraska, takes first rank. in the american lutheran hymnal, published in by a lutheran intersynodical committee, he is represented by some seventy translations from the german, three from the french, and four original hymns. although brueckner's work is too recent to be properly evaluated, his hymns reveal evidences of genuine lyrical quality and true devotional spirit. other successful translators of german hymns are john caspar mattes, lutheran pastor at scranton, pa.; emmanuel cronenwett, pastor emeritus at butler, pa., and paul e. kretzmann, of concordia seminary, st. louis, mo., lutheran theologian and commentator. to mattes we are indebted for the english version of gotter's "friend of the weary, o refresh us" and albinus' "smite us not in anger, lord." cronenwett and kretzmann have written a number of excellent original hymns in addition to their translations. the american lutheran hymnal contains nine of these by the former and seventeen from the pen of the latter. cronenwett's hymns are chiefly didactic, but occasionally he soars to lyrical heights, as in "of omnipresent grace i sing." among kretzmann's best efforts are "lead on, o lord" and "praise and honor to the father." a note of praise to the holy trinity is heard in practically all of kretzmann's hymns. the foremost translator of swedish hymns is ernst w. olson, office editor of augustana book concern, rock island, ill. from his gifted pen we have received the english version of such gems as wallin's "all hail to thee, o blessed morn," "from peaceful slumber waking," "jerusalem, lift up thy voice," "mute are the pleading lips of him," and "heavenly light, benignly beaming"; franzén's "ajar the temple gates are swinging," "come, o jesus, and prepare me," and "when vesper bells are calling"; söderberg's "in the temple where our fathers," geijer's "in triumph our redeemer," petri's "now hail we our redeemer" and "thy sacred word, o lord, of old," and carl olof rosenius' "with god and his mercy, his spirit and word." olson has also written a number of excellent original hymns, including "mine eyes unto the mountains," "behold, by sovereign grace alone," and "glorious yuletide, glad bells proclaim it." other translators of swedish hymns include claude w. foss, professor of history at augustana college, rock island, ill.; victor o. peterson, formerly with the same institution, but now deceased; george h. trabert, lutheran pastor at minneapolis, minn.; augustus nelson, lutheran pastor at gibbon, minn.; olof olsson, for many years president of augustana college, and august w. kjellstrand, who until his death in was professor of english at the same institution. among the finest contributions by foss are translations of nyström's "o fount of truth and mercy," hedborn's "with holy joy my soul doth beat," and franzén's "thy scepter, jesus, shall extend." nelson has given us beautiful renderings of franzén's "prepare the way, o zion" and "awake, the watchman crieth," and wallin's "jesus, lord and precious saviour." peterson is the translator of arrhenius' "jesus is my friend most precious" and wallin's advent hymn, "o bride of christ, rejoice." olsson, who was one of the earliest translators of swedish lyrics, has given us franzén's communion hymn, "thine own, o loving saviour," and another on the lord's supper by spegel, "the death of jesus christ, our lord." kjellstrand's version of hedborn's sublime hymn of praise, "holy majesty, before thee," is one of the most successful efforts at converting swedish hymns into the english language. to these translators should also be added the name of anders o. bersell, for many years professor of greek at augustana college, who gave poetic english form to lina sandell's "jerusalem, jerusalem" and rutström's "come, saviour dear, with us abide." a number of translators and writers besides those here named made new contributions to the hymnal of the augustana synod published in . about twenty-five years ago a group of literary men within the norwegian lutheran synods undertook the task of translating some of the gems of danish and norwegian hymnody. among these were c. doving, now a city missionary in chicago; george t. rygh, also residing at the present time in chicago; c. k. solberg, pastor of st. paul's lutheran church, minneapolis, minn.; o. t. sanden, and o. h. smedby, former lutheran pastor at albert lea, minn., now deceased. doving's masterpiece undoubtedly is his translation of grundtvig's "built on the rock, the church doth stand," although he will also be remembered for his rendering of holm's "how blessed is the little flock," and landstad's "before thee, god, who knowest all." rygh's contribution consists of the translation of such hymns as grundtvig's "peace to soothe our bitter woes," kingo's "our table now with food is spread," landstad's "speak, o lord, thy servant heareth," boye's "o light of god's most wondrous love," and brun's "heavenly spirit, all others transcending." sanden has translated brun's "the sun has gone down," while smedby has left us a fine version of boye's "abide with us, the day is waning." while solberg has translated some hymns, he is known better as a writer of original lyrics. among these are "lift up your eyes, ye christians," "fellow christians, let us gather," and "o blessed light from heaven." foremost among recent translators of danish hymns are j. c. aaberg, pastor of st. peter's danish lutheran church, minneapolis, minn., and p. c. paulsen, pastor of golgotha danish lutheran church, chicago, ill. in the american lutheran hymnal there are nineteen translations by aaberg, while paulsen is represented by a like number. through the efforts of these men, both of whom possess no mean poetic ability, many of the finest hymns of brorson, kingo, grundtvig, ingemann, vig, and pawels have been introduced to american lutherans. paulsen is the author of three original hymns, "blest is he who cries to heaven," "take my heart, o jesus," and "let us go to galilee," while aaberg has written "there is a blessed power." one of the most richly endowed hymn-writers in the lutheran church today is a. f. rohr, pastor at fremont, o. from his pen we have received such hymns as "eternal god, omnipotent," "lord of life and light and blessing," "from afar, across the waters," and "living fountain, freely flowing." for poetic expression and graceful rhythm his hymns are unsurpassed by any contemporary writer. he also combines such depth of feeling with the lyrical qualities of his hymns, they no doubt possess enduring qualities. witness the following hymn: living fountain, freely flowing in the sheen of heaven's day, grace and life on us bestowing, wash thou all our sins away. fountain whence alone the living draw the life they boast as theirs, by thy grace, a gift whose giving life of life forever shares. who thy mighty depths can measure? who can sound, with earthly line, thy profundity of treasure, thy infinity divine? they who quaff thy wave shall never thirst again; for springing free in their hearts, a fount forever thou to them of life shall be. may we drink of thee rejoicing, till on heaven's sinless shore we thy virtues shall be voicing with the blest for evermore. samuel m. miller, dean of the lutheran bible institute, minneapolis, minn., is the writer of a number of spiritual songs and hymns that have become popular in bible conference circles. among his hymns are "in the holy father's keeping" and "when jesus comes in glory." w. h. lehmann, superintendent of home missions in the american lutheran church, has written "take thou my life, dear lord," and "beneath thy cross i stand," the latter a passion hymn of rare beauty: beneath thy cross i stand and view thy marrèd face; o son of man, must thou thus die to save a fallen race? alone thou bear'st the wrath that should on sinners fall, while from thy holy wounds forthflows a stream of life for all. o lamb of god so meek, beneath thy cross i bow: heart-stricken, all my sins confess-- o hear, forgive me now! o son of god, look down in mercy now on me and heal my wounds of sin and death, that i may live to thee! index of notable hymns especially presented in this volume the angelic hymn glory be to god on high. the oldest christian hymn shepherd of tender youth.--_clement of alexandria._ an ambrosian advent hymn come, thou saviour of our race.--_aurelius ambrose._ a prophetic easter hymn welcome, happy morning!--_venantius fortunatus._ a tribute to the dying saviour o sacred head, now wounded.--_bernard of clairvaux._ the battle hymn of the reformation a mighty fortress is our god.--_luther._ a metrical gloria in excelsis all glory be to thee, most high.--_nicolaus decius._ a beautiful confirmation hymn let me be thine forever.--_nicolaus selnecker._ a masterpiece of hymnody wake, awake, for night is flying.--_philipp nicolai._ a tribute to the dying saviour ah, holy jesus, how hast thou offended.--_johann heermann._ the swan song of gustavus adolphus be not dismayed, thou little flock.--_johann michael altenberg._ rinkart's hymn of praise now thank we all our god.--_martin rinkart._ a joyous christmas carol all my heart this night rejoices.--_paul gerhardt._ a glorious paean of praise praise to the lord, the almighty.--_joachim neander._ a hymn classic by scheffler thee will i love, my strength, my tower.--_johann scheffler._ a gem among pietistic hymns o jesus, source of calm repose.--_johann anastasius freylinghausen._ a hymn of longing for christ o son of god, we wait for thee.--_philipp friedrich hiller._ a noble hymn of worship light of light, enlighten me.--_benjamin schmolck._ a hymn on the mystical union thou hidden love of god.--_gerhard tersteegen._ following a heavenly leader jesus, still lead on.--_nicolaus ludwig count zinzendorf._ a glorious hymn of adoration beautiful saviour. a classical harvest hymn we plow the fields.--_matthias claudius._ a picture of a christian home o happy home, where thou art loved the dearest.--_carl johann spitta._ a hymn in luther's style our father, merciful and good.--_olavus petri._ a model hymn of invocation o lord, give heed unto our plea.--_jesper swedberg._ wallin's sublime morning hymn again thy glorious sun doth rise.--_johan olof wallin._ a vision of christ's triumph thy scepter, jesus, shall extend.--_frans michael franzén._ a longing for home jerusalem, jerusalem.--_carolina vilhelmina sandell berg._ kingo's sunrise hymn the sun arises now.--_thomas kingo._ the great white host behold, a host arrayed in white.--_hans adolph brorson._ a prayer to the holy spirit holy spirit, come with light.--_nicolai grundtvig._ a norwegian miserere before thee, god, who knowest all.--_magnus brorstrup landstad._ ken's immortal evening hymn glory to thee, my god, this night.--_thomas ken._ the pearl of english hymnody when i survey the wondrous cross.--_watts._ seeking the heavenly prize awake, my soul, stretch every nerve.--_philip doddridge._ a hymn of the ages jesus, lover of my soul.--_charles wesley._ another hymn of the ages rock of ages, cleft for me.--_augustus m. toplady._ the coronation hymn all hail the power of jesus' name.--_edward perronet._ in praise of the word of god father of mercies.--_anne steele._ the name above all names how sweet the name of jesus sounds.--_john newton._ a hymn on god's providence god moves in a mysterious way.--_william cowper._ a hymn of gracious invitation come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish.--_thomas moore._ a beautiful lyric on prayer prayer is the soul's sincere desire.--_james montgomery._ a sublime hymn of adoration holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty.--_reginald heber._ a hymn that wins souls just as i am, without one plea.--_charlotte elliott._ the sun that ne'er goes down sun of my soul, thou saviour dear.--_john keble._ the hymn of a perplexed soul lead, kindly light.--_john henry newman._ a hymn written in the shadows abide with me! fast falls the eventide.--_henry francis lyte._ a woman's gift to the church nearer, my god, to thee.--_sarah adams._ that sweet story of old i think, when i read that sweet story of old.--_jemima luke._ redemption's story in a hymn there is a green hill far away.--_cecil frances alexander._ the voice of jesus i heard the voice of jesus say.--_horatius bonar._ the dayspring from on high o very god of very god.--_john mason neale._ a great marching song onward, christian soldiers.--_sabine baring-gould._ a rapturous hymn of adoration o saviour, precious saviour.--_frances ridley havergal._ the emblem that survives in the cross of christ i glory.--_john bowring._ a hymn that opens hearts o jesus, thou art standing.--_william walsham how._ a blind man's hymn of faith o love that wilt not let me go.--_george matheson._ the first american hymn i love thy zion, lord.--_timothy dwight._ the hymn of a wounded spirit i love to steal awhile away.--_phoebe hinsdale brown._ a triumphant missionary hymn hail to the brightness of zion's glad morning.--_thomas hastings._ key's hymn of praise lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee.--_francis scott key._ bryant's home mission hymn look from thy sphere of endless day.--_william cullen bryant._ an exquisite baptismal hymn saviour, who thy flock art feeding.--_william augustus muhlenberg._ the way, the truth, and the life thou art the way, the truth, the life.--_george washington doane._ the quaker poet's prayer dear lord and father of mankind.--_john greenleaf whittier._ palmer's famous hymn my faith looks up to thee.--_ray palmer._ a hopeful missionary lyric the morning light is breaking.--_samuel francis smith._ a pearl among christmas carols it came upon the midnight clear.--_edmund hamilton sears._ mrs. stowe's hymn masterpiece still, still with thee.--_harriet beecher stowe._ bishop coxe's missionary hymn saviour, sprinkle many nations.--_arthur cleveland coxe._ the hymn of a consecrated woman more love to thee, o christ.--_elisabeth payson prentiss._ a hymn of the sea jesus, saviour, pilot me.--_edward hopper._ a rally hymn of the church stand up, stand up for jesus.--_george duffield._ a hymn of spiritual yearning we would see jesus.--_anna bartlett warner._ a famous christmas carol o little town of bethlehem.--_phillips brooks._ the story that never grows old i love to hear the story.--_emily huntington miller._ a hymn of sweet consolation safe in the arms of jesus.--_frances jane crosby._ the call of the gospel song sing them over again to me.--_philip p. bliss._ chautauqua vesper hymn day is dying in the west.--_mary artimisia lathbury._ in his footsteps o master, let me walk with thee.--_washington gladden._ a hymn of the city where cross the crowded ways of life.--_frank mason north._ a gripping hymn by a girl o'er jerusalem thou weepest.--_anna hoppe._ a song of victory rise, ye children of salvation.--_justus falckner._ alphabetical index of hymns and sources page a babe is born in bethlehem a charge to keep i have a few more years shall roll , a great and mighty wonder a mighty fortress is our god , a pilgrim and a stranger a voice, a heavenly voice i hear abide with me, fast falls the eventide , , , abide with us, our saviour abide with us, the day is waning according to thy gracious word again thy glorious sun doth rise , agnus dei ah, holy jesus, how hast thou offended ajar the temple gates are swinging , alas, and did my saviour bleed alas, my god, my sins are great all blessing, honor, thanks, and praise all glory be to god on high , , all glory be to thee, most high , all glory, laud, and honor all hail the power of jesus' name , , , all hail to thee, o blessed morn , all my heart this night rejoices , , all praise to thee, my god, this night all that i was, my sin, my guilt all the way my saviour leads me all things bright and beautiful almost persuaded amazing grace! how sweet the sound am i a soldier of the cross angels, from the realms of glory approach, my soul, the mercy seat arise, arise, ye christians arise, my soul, arise arise, the kingdom is at hand art thou weary , ascend, dear lord as pants the hart for cooling streams as the rose shall blossom here awake, all things that god has made awake, my heart, and marvel awake, my soul, and with the sun , awake, my soul, stretch every nerve awake, my soul, to joyful lays awake, the watchman crieth , awake, thou spirit, who didst fire , baptized into thy name most holy beautiful saviour , , , before jehovah's awful throne before thee, god , , behold, a branch is growing behold a host, arrayed in white , , behold, by sovereign grace alone behold the glories of the lamb behold, the joyful day is nigh behold the man! how heavy lay behold, the saviour of mankind benedicite benedictus be not dismayed, thou little flock , , , beneath thy cross i stand beside thy manger here i stand blessed assurance, jesus is mine blessed, blessed, he who knoweth blessed jesus, at thy word blessed jesus, here we stand blessed saviour, who hast taught me blessing, and honor, and glory, and power bless us, father, and protect us blest are the pure in heart blest be the tie that binds blest easter day, what joy is thine blest is he who cries to heaven bread of the world in mercy broken break thou the bread of life brethren, called by one vocation brief life is here our portion built on the rock, the church doth stand , , by cool siloam's shady rill by faith we are divinely sure by nature deaf to things divine by the holy hills surrounded calm on the listening ear of night , chime, happy christmas bells, once more children of god, born again of his spirit children of the heavenly father children of the heavenly king christ, the life of all the living christ, whose glory fills the sky come, follow me, the saviour spake come, holy spirit, from above come, holy spirit, god and lord come, holy spirit, heavenly dove come, my soul, thy suit prepare come, o come, thou quickening spirit , come, o jesus, and prepare me , come, saviour dear, with us abide come, sound his praise abroad come, thou long-expected jesus come, thou saviour of our race , , come to calvary's holy mountain come, ye disconsolate , come, ye faithful, raise the strain comfort, comfort ye my people commit thou all thy griefs , crushed by my sin, o lord, to thee day is dying in the west , day of judgment, day of wonders dayspring of eternity de contemptu mundi de nomine jesu , dear christians, one and all rejoice dear lord and father of mankind , , dear refuge of my weary soul dearest jesus, draw thou near me deck thyself, my soul, with gladness deem not that they are blest alone den yndigste rose er funden desire of every nation despair not, o heart, in thy sorrow deus ignee fons animarum dies irae, dies illa down life's dark vale we wander earth has nothing sweet or fair ein feste burg , eternal god, omnipotent everywhere, everywhere, christmas tonight fade, fade, each earthly joy fair beyond telling fairest lord jesus , , faith of our fathers, living still , faithful cross! above all other faithful god, i lay before thee father, merciful and holy father of all, thy care we bless father, whate'er of earthly bliss father of lights, eternal lord father of mercies, in thy word , father, son, and holy spirit father, while the shadows fall father, who hast created all fellow christians, let us gather fierce was the wild billow fling out the banner! let it float , for all the saints who from their labors rest , for a season called to part for thee, o dear, dear country forever with the lord , founded on thee, our only lord free from the law, o happy condition friend of the weary, o refresh us from afar, across the waters from greenland's icy mountains , , from peaceful slumber waking from the grave remove dark crosses full of reverence, at thy word gently, lord, o gently lead us gloria in excelsis, a metrical , gloria in excelsis , gloria patri , glorious things of thee are spoken glorious yuletide, glad bells proclaim it glory be to god on high glory be to jesus glory to thee, my god, this night , god calling yet! shall i not hear , god hath sent his angels god himself is present god, in human flesh appearing , god is love; his mercy brightens god is in his temple god moves in a mysterious way , god of ages, all transcending god of mercy, god of grace god save the king god that madest earth and heaven god will take care of you go forth, my heart, and seek delight go, labor on! spend and be spent! go, messenger of love, and bear , go to dark gethsemane good news from heaven the angels bring great god, we sing that mighty hand great joy and consolation great white host, the , , guardian of pure hearts guide me, o thou great jehovah hail the day that sees him rise hail to the brightness of zion's , hail to the lord's anointed hallelujah, lo, he wakes hark! a thrilling voice is sounding! hark, from the tombs a doleful sound hark, hark, my soul! angelic songs hark, the glad sound, the saviour comes hark! the herald angels sing , hark! the song of jubilee hast to the plow thou put thy hand have ye heard the invitation heaven and earth, and sea and air heavenly light, benignly beaming , heavenly sower, thou hast scattered heavenly spirit, all others transcending he did not die in vain he lives! o fainting heart, anew he that believes and is baptized he who has helped me hitherto help us, o lord, behold we enter here behold me, as i cast me herzlich thut mich verlangen herzliebster jesu hold the fort, for i am coming holy ghost, dispel our sadness holy, holy, holy, blessed lord holy, holy, holy, lord god almighty , , holy majesty, before thee , , how art thy servants blest, o lord how beauteous are their feet how blessed from the bonds of sin how blessed is the little flock how blest are they who through the power how doth the busy little bee how gracious, kind and good, my great high priest how helpless guilty nature lies how precious is the book divine how sweet the name of jesus sounds , , hush, my dear, lie still and slumber i am so glad that our father in heaven i am thine, o lord i am trusting thee, lord jesus i bow my forehead to the dust i come, invited by thy word i come to thee, o blessed lord i gave my life for thee i have a friend, so patient, kind, forbearing i heard the bells of christmas day i heard the voice of jesus say , i know in whom i trust i know no life divided i know of a sleep in jesus' name i lay my sins on jesus , i love thy zion, lord , i love to hear the story ff i love to steal awhile away , , i near the grave, where'er i go i open wide the portals of my heart i place myself in jesus' hands i see thee standing, lamb of god i thank thee, jesus, for thy grief i think, when i read that sweet story ff i was a wandering sheep i would not live alway , i'll praise my maker, while i've breath if god himself be for me if god were not upon our side if thou but suffer god to guide thee immanuel, we sing thy praise in age and feebleness extreme in death's strong grasp the saviour lay in heaven above, in heaven above , in holy contemplation in my quiet contemplation in the cross of christ i glory ff in the holy father's keeping in the temple where our fathers in the hour of trial in the silent midnight watches in thy dear wounds i fall asleep in triumph our redeemer , in vain we seek for peace with god it came upon the midnight clear ff jeg gaar i kare, hvor jeg gaar jehovah, thee we glorify jerusalem, jerusalem , jerusalem, lift up thy voice , jerusalem, my happy home , jerusalem the golden , jerusalem, thou city fair and high jesus bids us shine jesus calls us; o'er the tumult jesus christ as king is reigning jesus, i my cross have taken jesus, i will trust thee jesus is my friend most precious , jesus is my joy, my all jesus is tenderly calling thee home jesus, jesus, jesus only jesus, keep me near the cross jesus, lead the way , jesus lives! thy terrors now jesus, lord and precious saviour , jesus, lover of my soul , , , , , , jesus loves me, this i know , jesus, name of wondrous grace jesus, name of wondrous love jesus, o precious name jesus, priceless treasure jesus, saviour come to me jesus, saviour, pilot me ff jesus shall reign where'er the sun jesus sinners doth receive jesus, still lead on , , jesus, the very thought of thee , , jesus, these eyes have never seen jesus, thine unbounded love jesus, thou joy of loving hearts (o jesus, joy of loving hearts) jesus, thy blood and righteousness , jesus took the babes and blessed them jesus, where'er thy people meet jesus, whom thy church doth own joy to the world, the lord is come just as i am, without one plea ff lauda, sion, salvatorem lead, kindly light, amid th' encircling gloom ff lead on, lord let dogs delight to bark and bite let me be thine forever , let, o my soul, thy god direct thee let the earth now praise the lord let the lower lights be burning let us go to galilee life's day is ended lift up your eyes, ye christians lift up your heads, ye gates of brass lift up your heads, ye mighty gates light of light, enlighten me , light of light, o sun of heaven light of the gentile nations like noah's weary dove like the golden sun ascending living fountain, freely flowing lobe den herren , , lo, god is here, let us adore lo, he comes, with clouds descending look from thy sphere of endless day ff, look to jesus christ thy saviour lord, dismiss us with thy blessing lord, disperse the mists of error lord god, we praise thee lord god, we worship thee lord jesus christ, my life, my light lord jesus christ, the children's friend lord, jesus christ, to thee we pray lord jesus christ, true man and god lord, keep us in thy word and work lord, keep us steadfast in thy word , , lord of life and light and blessing lord of the worlds above lord, speak to me lord, thou source of all perfection lord, thy death and passion give lord, to thee i make confession lord, we confess our numerous faults lord, with glowing heart i'd praise thee ff love divine, all love excelling love, the fount of light from heaven loving shepherd, kind and true lustra sex qui jam peregit magnificat , majestic sweetness sits enthroned may the grace of christ our saviour mine eyes unto the mountains more love to thee, o christ ff mute are the pleading lips of him , my country, 'tis of thee , , my dear redeemer and my lord my faith looks up to thee , ff my god, i know that i must die , my god, my father, while i stray my heart, prepare to give account my hope is god my inmost heart now raises my jesus, as thou wilt , my soul, repeat his praise my spirit on thy care my thoughts on awful subjects roll my truest friend abides in heaven nearer, my god, to thee , , ff near the cross was mary weeping new every morning is the love not all the blood of beasts not what my hands have done now be the gospel banner now hail we our redeemer , , now i have found the ground wherein now our worship sweet is o'er now israel's hope in triumph ends , now rest beneath night's shadow now thank we all our god , , , now the day is over nunc dimittis nun danket alle gott , , nun ruhen alle walder , o bless the lord, my soul o blessed is the man who stays o blessed light from heaven o blessed sun, whose splendor o blest the house, whate'er befall o boundless joy, there is salvation o bride of christ, rejoice o christ, our true and only light o christ, thy grace unto us lend o come, eternal spirit o could i speak the matchless worth o darkest woe o dear redeemer, crucified o dearest lord, receive from me o enter, lord, thy temple o for a closer walk with god o fount of good, to own thy love o fount of truth and mercy , o gladsome light o god, our help in ages past , o god, whom we as father know o great high priest, forget not me o happy home where thou art loved the dearest , , o happy day, that stays my choice o holy, blessed trinity , , o holy spirit, enter in , o how blest are ye , o how shall i receive thee o jesus, saviour dear o jesus christ, thou bread of life o jesus, joy of loving hearts , , o jesus! king most wonderful , o jesus, king of glory o jesus, source of calm repose , , o jesus, thou art standing o joyful message, sent from heaven o lamb of god, most holy o let the children come to me o let thy spirit with us tarry o light of god's most wondrous love o little child, lie still and sleep o little town of bethlehem ff o living bread from heaven o love divine, all else transcending o love divine, that stooped to share o love that wilt not let me go ff o lord, devoutly love i thee o lord, give heed unto our plea o lord, my god, thy holy law o master, let me walk with thee , o paradise, o paradise o precious saviour, heal and bless o precious thought! some day the mist shall vanish , o sacred head, now wounded , , , o saviour, bless us ere we go o saviour dear o saviour of our race o saviour, precious saviour , o seek the lord today o shepherd, abide with us, care for us still o son of god, we wait for thee , o that i had a thousand voices o that the lord would guide my ways o that the lord's salvation o thou, who by a star didst guide o thou who once in galilee o thou, whose infant feet were found o thou whose tender mercy hears o timely happy, timely wise o tree of beauty, tree of light o very god of very god o watch and pray o where are kings and empires now , o wondrous kingdom here on earth o word of god incarnate o worship the king o would, my god, that i could praise thee o'er jerusalem thou weepest , of omnipresent grace i sing on my heart imprint thine image on what has now been sown once in david's royal city one more day's work for jesus one there is above all others onward, christian soldiers ff onward speed thy conquering flight open now thy gates of beauty , others he hath succored our father, merciful and good , , our table now with food is spread out of the depths i cry to thee , over kedron jesus treadeth pange lingua glorioso pass me not, o gentle saviour peace to soothe our bitter woes , pleasant are thy courts above praise and honor to the father praise, my soul, the king of heaven , praise the lord, each tribe and nation praise the saviour praise to thee and adoration praise to the lord, the almighty , , prayer is the soul's sincere desire , precious child, so sweetly sleeping precious word from god in heaven , prepare the way, o zion , rejoice, all ye believers repent, the kingdom draweth nigh rescue the perishing rise, my soul, to watch and pray rise, o salem, rise and shine; rise, ye children of salvation , , rock of ages, cleft for me ff, , , safely through another week safe in the arms of jesus , salve caput cruentatum saviour, o hide not thy loving face from me saviour, sprinkle many nations , saviour, when in dust to thee saviour, who thy flock art feeding , say, my soul, what preparation schönster herr jesu , , see israel's gentle shepherd stand shepherd of tender youth , , shine on our souls, eternal god shout the glad tidings shun, my heart, the thought forever silent night, holy night sinful world, behold the anguish sing them over again to me , singing for jesus, our saviour sinners may to christ draw near smite us not in anger, lord so let our lips and lives express softly now the day is ending softly now the light of day soldiers of christ, arise some day the silver cord will break , sometimes a light surprises soul of mine, to god awaking spare not the stroke speak, o lord, thy servant heareth speed away splendid are the heavens high stabat mater dolorosa stand fast, my soul, stand fast stand up, stand up for jesus ff stars of the morning stille nacht! heilige nacht , , still, still with thee , strike up, o harp and psaltery strike with the hammer of thy word suffering son of man, be near me summer suns are glowing sun of my soul, thou saviour dear , , , sunk is the sun's last beam of light sweet hour of prayer sweet saviour, bless us ere we go take my heart, o jesus take my life, and let it be take the name of jesus with you take thou my life, dear lord te deum, german te deum laudamus , , ter sanctus that day of wrath, that dreadful day that mystic word of thine, o sovereign lord the day departs, yet thou art near the day is past and over the day of resurrection , the day is surely drawing nigh the death of jesus christ, our lord , , the kingdoms of this world the last rose of summer the little while i linger here the lord is my shepherd the lord my shepherd is the lord my pasture shall prepare the lord to thee appealeth the morning light is breaking , , the morning, the bright and beautiful morning the peace of god protects our hearts the restless day now closeth the roseate hues of early dawn , the silent moon is risen the son of god goes forth to war the sower goeth forth to sow the spacious firmament on high the sun arises now , the sun has gone down the sweetest, the fairest of roses the voice of the christ-child the voice that breathed o'er eden thee will i love, my strength, my tower , , there is a blessed power there is a fountain filled with blood , there is a gate that stands ajar , there is a green hill far away , , there is a land of pure delight there is a truth so dear to me there many shall come from the east and the west there's a light in the valley there's a wideness in god's mercy thine agony, o lord, is o'er thine own, o loving saviour , this is the day that our father hath given thou art coming, o my saviour thou art the way; to thee alone , , thou camest down from heaven on high thou art the way, the truth, the life from heaven thou goest to jerusalem thou hast indeed made manifest thou hidden love of god, whose height , , thou holiest love, whom most i love thou lord of life and death thou lovely source of true delight thou only sovereign of my heart thou virgin-born incarnate word thou whose almighty word , thou, whose coming seers and sages thou, whose unmeasured temple stands , though troubles assail us and dangers affright through the night of doubt and sorrow thy cross, o jesus, thou didst bear thy little ones, dear lord, are we thy sacred word, o lord, of old thy scepter, jesus, shall extend , , thy soul, o jesus, hallow me thy way, not mine, o lord thy word, o lord, like gentle dews thy works, not mine, o christ 'tis finished, so the saviour cried 'tis gone! that bright and orbed blaze to realms of glory i behold to us salvation now is come triumph, ye heavens unbegreiflich gut, wahrer gott alleine unto the lord of all creation upon a life i have not lived valet will ich dir geben veni, creator spiritus veni, redemptor gentium wachet auf (wake, awake, for night is flying) , , , wake, awake, the night is flying , , , , watch, my soul, and pray watchman, tell us of the night we all believe in one true god we are going, we are going we are the lord's: his all-sufficient merit we christians should ever consider we give thee but thine own we would see jesus , we need not climb the heavenly steeps we plow the fields and scatter , we praise and bless thee, gracious lord welcome, happy morning , welcome, thou victor in the strife what a city! what a glory what our father does is well when all thy mercies, o my god when gathering clouds around i view when god of old came down from heaven when i can read my title clear when i survey the wondrous cross , , when in the hour of utmost need , when jesus comes in glory when morning gilds the skies when rising from the bed of death when sinners see their lost condition when through the torn sail when vesper bells are calling , when winds are raging o'er the upper ocean , where cross the crowded ways of life , where hast thou gleaned today where is the friend for whom where wilt thou go, since night draws near while with ceaseless course the sun who are these in bright array who are these, like stars appearing who is there like thee who trusts in god, a strong abode who will join the throng to heaven whosoever heareth, shout, shout the sound wie schön leuchtet der morgenstern , , , winter reigns o'er many a region with gladness we hail this blessed day with god and his mercy, his spirit, and word , with holy joy my heart doth beat , withhold not, lord, the help i crave woe unto him who says, there is no god authors' and general index aaberg, j. c., f. abney, sir thomas, . abolition movement, , , . achtliederbuch, , . adam of st. victor, . adams, sarah, , , , ff. adams, sarah flower, . addison, joseph, , , , . a few godly hymns derived from holy writ, . afzelius, arvid, , . ahnfelt, oskar, ff. ahnfelt's songs, . ainsworth, henry, . albinus, . alden, john, . alexander, archbishop william, . alexander, bishop of jerusalem, . alexander, cecil, , , ff, . alexander, james w., . alexandrian liturgy, . alin, svante, . altenberg, johann m., , . ambrose, , , , , , , . america, , . american hymnody, ff. american lutheran church, . american lutheran hymnal, , , , . american lutheran hymnody, ff. america's first woman hymnist, ff. american translators of lutheran hymns, ff. america's greatest hymn, ff. anatolius, . anderson, george n., . andreae, jacob, . andreae, laurentius, . anglican hymnology, . angelic hymn, , . antichrist, pope as, . aquinas, thomas, . arians, , , , . arminianism, . arnold, dr., . arnold, gottfried, . arnold, matthew, . arrebo, bishop a., . arrhenius, jacob, , , . Åström, johan, , , . athanasius, . augsburg confession, . augustana synod hymnal, , , . augustine, , , , , . bach, john s., , , , ff. baptist church, greatest hymnist of, . baptist missionary society, . bardesanes, . baring-gould, sabine, , ff. barlow, joel, . battle hymn of the reformation, . baxter, lydia, , . bay psalmist, ff. beddome, benjamin, . beecher, henry ward, , . beecher, lyman, . beethoven, . behm, martin, , . believe me, if all those endearing young charms, . bentley, . bengel, johann a., , . berg, carolina v. (sandell), , ff, . bernard of clairvaux, , , , , , , , , , . bernard of cluny, , . bersell, anders o., . beza, theodore de, . bickersteth, bishop, . björk, erik, . bliss, philip p., , ff. borthwick sisters, , , , . boer war, . boethius, jacob, . bogatzky, karl h. von, . bohemian brethren, . bonar, andrew, . bonar, horatius, , ff. bourgeois, louis, . bowring, john, , ff. boxer uprising, . boye, . brandenburg margrave of, . brandt, . breed, dr., , . brentano, clemens, . brooks, phillips, , ff. brorson, hans adolph, , , ff, , , . brown, samuel r., , . brown, phoebe hinsdale, . browning, mrs., . brueckner, h., . bruun, . bryant, william cullen, , ff, . buchanan, claudius, . budbäraren, . bunyan, john, . burial of moses, . burney, . burns, robert, , . calvin, , , , . calvinistic methodist, . cantata, church, , . cantus romanus, . carey, william, , , . carlyle, thomas, . cary, phoebe, . carlsson, bishop carl, . catholic league, . catholic schola cantorum, . cassel, . caswall, edward, , , . cennick, john, . charles ii, king of england, . chautauqua movement, . chautauqua vesper hymn, , ff. chelsea, . chemnitz, martin, . cholera plague, . christaller, . christian ballads, , . christian singers of germany, . christian iv, king of denmark, . christian v, king of denmark, . christian vi, king of denmark, . christian year, the, keble's, ff. christus, oratorio, . chrysostom, . civil war, . claudius, matthias, , , , , . clausnitzer, tobias, . clement of alexandria, , , . collegia pietatis, . cologne, cathedral of, . conrad, emperor, . consecration poet, , . controversial period, ff. copenhagen, bombardment of, . coronation hymn, , . cotta, ursula, . council of constance, . council of laodicea, . council of nicaea, . cowper, william, , , ff, . cox, samuel h., . coxe, arthur cleveland, , ff. creation hymn, . cronenwett, emanuel, f. crosby, fanny, , , , ff. crosby, fanny, of sweden, ff. cruger, johann, , . crull, august, . crusades, , , . crusaders' hymn, , . curious myths of the middle ages, . cuyler, theodore, . dach, simon, . d'aubigne, . dana, richard h., . david, christian, . decius, nicolaus, , , , . defoe, daniel, . delaware swedes, , , . diet of augsburg, . doane, george washington, , ff. doane, william c., . doane, william h., . dober, leonard, . doddridge, philip, , ff, . doving, c., . doxology of the church of sweden, . doxology, long meter, . draus vor schleswig, . duffield, s. w., , . duffield, george, , , ff. dwight, timothy, , ff. dykes, john b., , . early christian chants, , , , , . early christian hymnody, ff. east india company, . eastern church, , , . eber, paul, , , , . ecce homo, sternberg's, . edwards, jonathan, , . eklund, alfred, . elliott, charlotte, , , ff, , . emerson, . english hymnody, ff. england's first woman hymnist, . ephrem syrus, . erfurt enchiridion, . esch, johannes, . esling, catherine, . eusebius, . evangelischer lieder-schatz, . evers, edvard, . faber, frederick w., , . fabricius, . falckner, daniel, . falckner, justus, , , . father of evangelical hymnody, . father of public high school in scandinavia, . father of swedish hymnody, . fawcett, john, . ferdinand iii, emperor, . fess, bishop, . fields, james t., . findlater, sarah borthwick, , , . first american hymn, . first german lutheran church, . first german lutheran pastor, . first missionary hymn, . formula of concord, , , . fortunatus, venantius, , , . foss, claude w., f. fox, william johnson, . franck, johann, , . francis i, king of france, . francke, august hermann, ff, . francke, g. a., , , , . franco-prussian war, . franzén, frans m., , ff, f. frederick the great, , , , . fredrik v, king of denmark, . freuden spiegel, , . freylinghausen, johann a., , , , , , . friedrich wilhelm, elector of prussia, . fritsch, ahasuerus, . fugitive slave law, , . garve, carl b., . geijer, erik g., , , . geistliches liederkästlein, . geistreiches gesangbuch, , . gellert, christian, , . gems by the wayside, . genevan psalter, . gerhardt, paul, , , , ff, , , , , , , , . german hymnody, ff. gerok, karl von, , . gettysburg, battle of, . gladden, washington, , ff. gluck, . goethe, , , . golden age of latin hymnody, ff. golden age of swedish hymnody, . golden legend, . gospel hymn movement, , ff, ff. gospel magazine, . gotter, . grant, sir robert, , . greek and syriac hymns, , , , , . gregorian music, . gregory nazianzen, . gregory the great, . grieg, edvard, . gruber, franz, . grundtvig, nikolai, , , ff, . gustavus adolphus, , , , , , . gustavus vasa, , , . halle institutions, ff, , . halle movement, , , . hallel series, . hallelujah chorus, . handel, , . hanser, adolf t., . harmonius, . harms, claus, . hassler, hans leo, . hastings, thomas, , , ff. havergal, frances, , , ff. haydn, . haystack meeting, . heber, reginald, , ff, . hedborn, samuel j., , , , . heermann, johann, , , , . heine, , . held, heinrich, , , . herberger, valerius, . hermann, nicholas, . hernösand, bishop of, . herrnhut, , , . herrnhut movement, . hexaemeron, bishop a. arrebo's, . hilary of gaul, . hiller, philipp p., , ff, . holden, oliver, . holm, . holmes, oliver wendell, , , . homburg, ernst, , , . hoppe, anna, , , ff. hopper, edward, , ff. how, bishop, , , ff. huguenots, , . hunt, holman, , . hurlburt, jesse lyman, . huss, john, . hymn of praise, . hymn to the saviour, . hymnal of the augustana synod, , , . hymns and sacred poems, by john and charles wesley, . hymns and spiritual songs, watts, , . hymns of worship, . hymn-book, wesleyan, . ichabod, . ignatius, . imitation of christ, . ingemann, bernhardt s., , , . inner mission work, . innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen, . invalid's hymn book, . isaak, heinrich, . isadore of seville, . jacob of misi, . jacobs, . jacobs, henry eyster, . jacobus de benedictis, . james ii, king of england, . jerome, . jerusalem liturgy, . jesu hertz-buchlein, . jesus hymns, , , . john of damascus, , , . jonas, justus, , , . jonassen, soren, . joseph the hymnographer, . judson, adoniram, . julian, john, , . justina, empress, . kaisermarsch, . kant, immanuel, . karl xi, king of sweden, . karl xiv, king of sweden, . karl xv, king of sweden, , . keble, john, , ff, , . keble of america, . kempis, thomas à, . ken, bishop thomas, , ff, , . key, francis scott, , ff, . king james, . king and queen of chorales, ff. kingo, thomas, , ff, , , , , . kirke-salmebog, . kjellstrand, a. w., . klopstock, friedrich g., . klug, joseph, . knapp, albert, , , , , . kolmodin, israel, . krauth, charles porterfield, . kretzmann, paul e., f. kripplein christi, . krummacher, friedrich a., . lagerlöf, petrus, . lalla rookh, . landstad, magnus b., , , ff, . läsare, . lathbury, mary, , , ff. latin hymnody, ff, , . laurentii, laurentius, . laurini, m. laurentii, . lauxmann, . legends of the old testament, . leipzig, battle of, . lehmann, w. h., . les huguenots, . lessing, , . leuthen, battle of, . lind, jenny, , . lion of the north, . lives of the saints, . livingstone, david, . lobwasser, ambrosius, . longfellow, h. w., , , , . louis, king of france, . loy, matthias, . ludaemilia elizabeth, . luke, jemima, , ff. lürsen, sylvester, . luther, martin, , , , - , - , , , , , , , - , , , , , , , , . lutheran chorale, . lutheran martyrs, . lützen, battle of, , , . lyra germanica, . lyte, henry francis, , , , ff. mabillon, . macao, . macaulay, , . maccall, william, . magdeberg, j., . malan, caesar, . marriot, john, , . martyrs, poet of, . maronite christians, . marot, clement, , . marseillaise of the reformation, . mason, lowell, , , . mathesius, johannes, . matheson, george, , ff. mattes, john caspar, . maurus, rhabanus, . maximilian, emperor, . mckinley, william, . mearnes, james, . medley, samuel, . melanchthon, philip, , , , , . mendelssohn, , . mentzer, johann, . methodism, ff. methodist hymnal, , . meyerbeer, . meyfart, johann, . miller, emily huntington, , ff. miller, samuel m., . mirror of joy, , . missionary bishop of america, . missionary hymn, . modern missionary movement, , , . moffatt, robert, . mohr, joseph, , , . mohnike, . moments on the mount, . montgomery, james, , , ff, . monica, . moody, dwight, , , . moore, thomas, , ff. moravian hymnody, , , ff, , . moravian movement, . moravians, , , ff, , , . morgan, g. campbell, . morning hymns, . moule, bishop, . mozart, , . muhlenberg, frederick a., . muhlenberg, henry melchior, . muhlenberg, peter, . muhlenberg, william, , , ff. munter, balthasar, , . münster gesangbuch, , . mysticism, , , . napoleon, , . napoleonic wars, , . national apostasy, . neale, john mason, , , ff. neander, joachim, , ff, , . neander's cave, . nelson, augustus, . nettleton, dr., . neumann, caspar, , . neumark, georg, . neumeister, erdmann, ff. newman, john, , , ff. new testament fragments, , . new theology, , , . newton, john, , ff, . nicolai, philipp, , , , ff, . ninde, edward s., , . nitschmann, david, . north, frank mason, , ff. nyström, per o., , , . oldest christian hymn, . old hundredth, . olearius, johannes, , . olivet, . olney hymns, , , . olson, ernst w., , . olsson, olof, . order of grain of mustard seed, . origen, , . ortonville, . our master, . oxford movement, , , , , . oxford university, . palestrina, . palmblätter, . palmer, ray, , , , , ff. pantaenus, . parliament of religions, . passion chorale, . passion music, bach's, . patriarch of american lutheran church, . paulsen, p. c., . pawels, . penn colony, . perronet, edward, , ff, . petri, laurentius, ff. peterson, victor o., f. petri, olavus, , ff, . pfeil, baron christoph c. l. von, . pietisten, . pietistic hymnology, , ff, , , . pietistic movement, ff, , , , , , , . pietists of sweden, ff. pilgrim's hut, . pliny, . plütschau, , . plymouth, . poet of christmas, , . poet of easter-tide, . poet of whitsuntide, . pontoppidan, erik, . praxis pietatis melica, . prentiss, elizabeth, , , ff. prudentius, aurelius clemens, . priscilla, , . psalm book, swedish, , , - , , , , , , , . psalm book for church and private devotion, . psalmody, , , , , ff. psalms of david, watts', , . psalter und harfe, . puritan movement, , - , , . pusey, dr., . quaker poet, , ff. queen of chorales, , , . quirsfeld, johann, . raff, . rambach, johann j., , , . rationalism, ff, , , , , , . redner, lewis h., . reformation, hymn-writers of, ff. reformation symphony, . reformed hymnody, , , ff, , , ff, ff. renaissance, spiritual, ff, , . reynolds, william r., . revolutionary war, . richter, christian, . ringwalt, b., . rinkart, martin, - , . rise of latin hymnody, . rist, johann, . robinson, dr., . rohr, a. f., . rosenius, carl o., , ff, . rosenroth, christian k. von, . rostock hymn-book, . rothe, johann a., . runeberg, johan ludvig, . ruskin, . rudman, andreas, . rutilius, martin, . rutström, . rygh, george, t., . sacred songs, moore's, . sandel, andreas, . sandell, lina (see berg). sanden, o. t., . sankey, ira d., . saxony, duke of, . scandinavian hymnody, ff. schaeffer, charles william, . schaff, philip, , . schalling, martin, . scheffler, ff, , . schenck, heinrich, , . schiller, friedrich von, , . schirmer, michael, . schleiermacher, friedrich, . schmolck, benjamin, ff, , , . schrader, johan herman, . schubert, , . schwartz, christian, , . schuette, conrad h. l., . scott, e. p., . scott, george, , , . scott, sir walter, , . scott, thomas, . scriver, christian, . sears, edmund h., ff. sedan, battle of, . seelenschatz, , . seiss, joseph a., , . selah song book, . selnecker, nicolaus, ff, , . semler, johann, . severus, . syriac hymns, , , . shakespeare, . sheffield iris, . sigismund, king of poland, . silesius, angelus, . skara, bishopric of, . smedby, o. h., . smith, samuel francis, ff. snowbound, . snow king, . social service, . söderberg, erik n., , , . solberg, c. k., . songs by the way, . songs of tears, . songs of the church year, . spaeth, harriet krauth, . spanish hymnist, . spectator, the, ff. spegel, haqvin, ff, . spener, philipp j., . speratus, paul, , . spiritual songs, kingo's, , . spitta, carl j. p., ff, . st. louis, . st. paul, overture to, . st. sabas, , . star spangled banner, ff, . stead, william t., . steele, anne, . stegmann, josua, , . stennett, samuel, , . stephen the sabaite, , , . stepping heavenward, . sternberg, , . sternhold and hopkins, , . stillen im lande, . stockholm massacre, . strengnäs, bishop of, . stowe, calvin e., , . stowe, harriet beecher, , , ff. sufis, . sullivan, sir arthur seymour, . sutherland, allan, . svebilius, archbishop, . swan song, brorson's, , . swan song of gustavus adolphus, . swedberg, jesper, ff. swedberg's psalm-book, , . swedish church-book, . swedish hymns or songs, . swedish nightingale, . swedish reformers, ff. te deum, lutheran, . tennyson, alfred, . tersteegen, gerhard, ff, , . tertullian, . teschner, melchior, . thackeray, . thanatopsis, . the black knights, . the christian year, keble's, ff, , . the eternal goodness, . the lost chord, . theodosius, . theodulph of orleans, . thirty years' war, , ff, , ff, , , . thomas of celano, . tilly, , , . topelius, zacharias, . toplady, augustus, ff, , . trabert, george h., . tracts for the times, . trajan, . trench, archbishop, . treuer wächter israel, . turkish invasion, . tyng, dudley a., . uncle tom's cabin, , ff. under-eyck, theodore, , . unitarian hymnal, . unitarian movement, . uppsala, archbishop of, , . uppsala, cathedral of, . uppsala, university of, , , . vanalstyne, frances jane (see fanny crosby). vasco da gama, . victoria, queen, , . vig, . village hymns, . vincent, john h., , . voes, heinrich, . wackernagel, . wagner, . wallenstein, , , . wallin, archbishop johan olof, , ff, , , , , , , ff. walther, john, . walton, isaac, . warner, anna b., , ff. warner, susan, ff. waterston, r. c., . watts, isaac, ff, , , , , , , , , , , , , . wayfaring hymns, . webb, george j., . webster, daniel, . weiss, . weissel, george, , . wesley, charles, ff, , , , , . wesley family, . wesley, john, , , , , , ff, , , , , , . wesley, samuel, , . wesley, susannah, . wesleyan movement, , , , ff, , , , . westphalia, peace of, , , . western church, ff. whitefield, john, , , , , , . whittier, john greenleaf, ff, . wieland, . wilberforce, prime minister, . wilhelm ii, duke of saxe-weimar, , , . william iii, . william of orange, . williams, john, , . willis, richard storrs, . winkworth, catherine, , , , . wolff, christian, . woltersdorf, ernst g., , . wrangel, general, . württemberg hymnists, ff. ziegenbalg, bartholomew, , . zinzendorf, count von, , , , ff, , , . zwingli, . bibliography donahue, daniel joseph--_early christian hymns._ duffield, samuel a. w.--_english hymns: their authors and history._ --_latin hymn-writers and their hymns._ hunton, william lee--_favorite hymns._ benson, louis f.--_studies in familiar hymns._ --_the english hymn._ hatfield, edwin francis--_the poets of the church._ hogue, wilson t.--_hymns that are immortal._ stead, william t.--_hymns that have helped._ lightwood, james t.--_hymn-tunes and their story._ price, carl fowler--_one hundred and one hymn stories._ --_more hymn stories._ reeves, jeremiah b.--_the hymn as literature._ stebbins, george coles--_reminiscences and gospel hymn stories._ von jolizza, w. k.--_das lied und seine geschichte._ dickinson, edward--_music in the history of the western church._ bonar, horatius--_hymns of faith and hope._ bacon, mary schall--_hymns that every child should know._ beckman, johan wilhelm--_försök till svensk psalmhistoria._ wells, amos r.--_a treasure of hymns._ lambert, james f.--_luther's hymns._ k., j. m.--_bright talks on favorite hymns._ smith, robert e.--_modern messages from great hymns._ dahle, john--_library of christian hymns._ nothstein, ira o.--_my church, vol. v._ söderberg, e. n.--_den kristna psalmen._ ekman, e. j.--_inre missionens historia._ laurin, sigfrid--_oscar ahnfelt._ stephenson, george m.--_religious aspects of swedish immigration._ skaar, j. n.--_norsk salmehistorie._ breed, david r.--_the history and use of hymns and hymn-tunes._ ninde, edward s.--_the story of the american hymn._ julian, john--_dictionary of hymnology._ polack, w. g.--_favorite christian hymns._ forsander, n.--_olavus petri._ tait, gilbert--_the hymns of denmark._ winkworth, catherine--_lyra germanica._ borthwick, jane--_hymns from the land of luther._ jacobs, charles m.--_the story of the church._ welsh, alfred h.--_development of english literature and language._ terry, benjamin--_a history of england._ kurtz--_church history._ lövgren, n.--_church history._ cope, henry f.--_one hundred hymns you ought to know._ a book of hymns for public and private devotion. fifteenth edition. boston: ticknor and fields. m dccc lxvi. entered according to act of congress, in the year , by wm. d. ticknor & company, in the clerk's office of the district court of massachusetts. preface. among the hymns in the following collection will be found many which are not of the commonly recognized metres. some of these are already set to music of their own. others can readily be adapted by the choir-leader to the simple chants which are now generally found in our collections of sacred music. an asterisk prefixed to the author's name indicates that some change has been made in the hymn by the present compilers. the titles of the supplementary hymns in the present edition have been introduced _within_ the original table of contents, instead of forming a separate series at the end. boston, april , . index of first lines. hymn. according to thy gracious word, acquaint thee, o spirit, acquaint thee with god, affliction's faded form draws nigh, ages, ages have departed, a holy air is breathing round, all around us, fair with flowers, all from the sun's uprise, all men are equal in their birth, all-seeing god! 'tis thine to know, all ye nations, praise the lord, almighty father! thou hast many a blessing, almighty god! in humble prayer, almighty spirit, now behold, am i a soldier of the cross, an offering at the shrine of power, another day its course has run, another hand is beckoning us, approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul, as down in the sunless retreats of the ocean, as every day thy mercy spares, as oft, with worn and weary feet, as the hart, with eager looks, as the sun's enlivening eye, author of good, we rest on thee, a voice from the desert, a voice upon the midnight air, awake, my soul! lift up thine eyes, awake, my soul! stretch every nerve, awake, our souls, away, our fears, a wondrous star our pioneer, bear on, my soul! the bitter cross, before jehovah's awful throne, behold, night's shadows fade, behold, the prince of peace, behold the son, how bright, be near us, o father, through night's silent hour, beneath the shadow of the cross, beneath the thick but struggling clouds, beneath thy trees to-day we meet, be still! be still! for all around, be still, my heart! these anxious cares, be thou, o god, by night, by day, birds have their quiet rest, bless, o lord, each opening year, blessed be thy name forever, blessed, blessed are the dead, blest are the pure in heart, bread of heaven, on thee we feed, breast the wave, christian, when it is strongest, brightest and best of the sons of the morning, brother, hast thou wandered far, brother, the angels say, brother, thou art gone before us, brother, though from yonder sky, brother, will you slight the message, burden of shame and woe, by cool siloam's shady rill, by earth hemmed in, by earth oppressed, call the lord thy sure salvation, calm on the bosom of thy god, calm on the listening ear of night, cheek grow pale, but heart be vigorous, child, amidst the flowers at play, christ to the young man said, clay to clay, and dust to dust, climb we the mountain afar, come at the morning hour, come, kingdom of our god, come, said jesus' sacred voice, come, thou almighty king, come to jesus, o my brothers, come to me, thoughts of heaven, come to the house of prayer, come to the land of peace, come unto me, when shadows darkly gather, "come who will," the voice from heaven, come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish, come, ye who love the lord, commit thou all thy griefs, creator of all, through whose all-seeing might, cross, reproach and tribulation, darkness o'er the world was brooding, dark were the paths our master trod, daughter of zion, awake from thy sadness, daughter of zion! from the dust, day by day the manna fell, dear as thou wast, and justly dear, deem not that they are blest alone, down the dark future; through long generations, earth's busy sounds, and ceaseless din, ere to the world again we go, eternal and immortal king, eternal god! almighty cause, ever patient, loving, meek, every bird that upward springs, fading, still fading, the last beam is shining, faint the earth, and parched with drought, faint not, poor traveller, though the way, fare thee well, our fondly cherished, far from mortal cares retreating, far from the world, o lord, i flee, father, adored in worlds above, father and god of all mankind, father divine, the saviour cried, father divine, this deadening power control, father divine, our wants relieve, father! glorify thy name, father, glory be to thee, father in heaven to whom our hearts, father, in thy mysterious presence kneeling, father, in thy presence now, father! i wait thy word. the son doth stand, father, i will not pray, father of light, conduct our feet, father of mercies! god of peace, father of might, my bonds i feel, father of spirits, humbly bent before thee, father, source of every blessing, father, supply my every need, father supreme! thou high and holy one, father, there is no change to live with thee, father, this slumber shake, father! thy paternal care, father! thy wonders do not singly stand, father, to thy kind love we owe, father! to us thy children, humbly kneeling, father, united by thy grace, father! we bless the gentle care, father! we look up to thee, father, whate'er of earthly bliss, father, when o'er our trembling hearts, father, who art on high, father, who in the olive shade, fear was within the tossing bark, feeble, helpless, how shall i, flung to the heedless winds, followers of christ! arise, for all thy saints, o god, forever with the lord, for mercies past we praise thee, lord, forth from the dark and stormy sky, forth went the heralds of the cross, fountain of life, and god of love, from all that dwell below the skies, from every fear and doubt, o lord, from foes that would our land devour, from greenland's icy mountains, from the recesses of a lowly spirit, from zion's holy hill there rose, gently fall the dews of eve, give to the winds thy fears, glorious things of thee are spoken, glory be to god on high, glory to god, whose witness-train, god comes with succor speedy, god, in the high and holy place, god is in his holy temple, god is love; his mercy brightens, god is our refuge and our strength, god made all his creatures free, god moves in a mysterious way, god of all grace, we come to thee, god of eternity! from thee, god of mercy! god of love, god of my life, whose gracious power, god of our fathers, by whose hand, god of the changing year, whose arm of power, god of the earnest heart, god of the ocean, earth and sky, god of the prophet's power, god of the year! with songs of praise, god's angels, not only on high do they sing, god that madest earth and heaven, go in peace! serene dismission, gone is the hollow murky night, go, preach the gospel in my name, go, suffering pilgrim of the earth, go to dark gethsemane, go to the grave in all thy glorious prime, go when the morning shineth, great god, and wilt thou condescend, great god, the followers of thy son, great ruler of all nature's frame, grows dark thy path before thee, guide us, lord, while hand in hand, hallelujah! best and sweetest, hark! the glad sound, the saviour comes, hark! through the waking earth, hasten, lord, to my release, hast thou, midst life's empty noises, hath not thy heart within thee burned, hear, father, hear our prayer, hear what god, the lord, hath spoken, heave, mighty ocean, heave, heaven is a state of rest from sin, heavenly father, to whose eye, he knelt, the saviour knelt and prayed, he lived as none but he has lived, heralds of creation! cry, here, in this place of prayer, he sendeth sun, he sendeth shower, he was there alone, when even, holy and reverend is the name, holy father, thou hast taught me, holy, holy, holy lord god almighty, holy son of god most high, holy spirit, source of gladness, house of our god, with cheerful anthems ring, how beauteous were the marks divine, how blest the righteous when he dies, how dear is the thought, that the angels of god, how gentle god's commands, how glad the tone when summer's sun, how happy is be, born or taught, how little of ourselves we know, how long, o lord, his brother's blood, how shall we praise thee, lord of light, how sweet, how calm, this sabbath morn, how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound, hush the loud cannon's roar, i am free! i am free! i have broken away, i cannot always trace the way, if love the noblest, purest, best, if on our daily course our mind, in pleasant lands have fallen the lines, in the broad fields of heaven, in the cross of christ we glory, in the morning i will pray, in the saviour's hour of death, in thy courts let peace be found, in time of tribulation, in trouble and in grief, o god, in vain we thus recall to mind, i saw on earth another light, israel's shepherd, guide us, feed us, is there a lone and dreary hour, is this a fast for me, i thirst! o grant the waters pure, it is a faith sublime and sure, it is finished! glorious word, it is finished! man of sorrows, it is the hour of prayer, it was no path of flowers, i want a principle within, i want the spirit of power within, jesus shall reign where'er the sun, jesus, we thy promise claim, jesus, while he dwelt below, jews were wrought to cruel madness, joy! joy! a year is born, joy to the world! the lord is come, launch thy bark, mariner, leader of israel's host, and guide, lead us with thy gentle sway, let me not wander comfortless, let the world despise and leave me, lift your glad voices in triumph on high, light of life, seraphic fire, like morning, when her early breeze, like shadows gliding o'er the plain, lo! god is here; let us adore, lo! my shepherd's hand divine, lord! before thy presence come, lord! deliver; thou canst save, lord! dismiss us with thy blessing, lord! from thy blessed throne, lord! have mercy when we pray, lord! i believe a rest remains, lord! i believe; thy power i own, lord! in heaven, thy dwelling-place, lord! in whose might the saviour trod, lord jesus, come! for here, lord, lead the way the saviour went, lord of the families below, lord of the sabbath, hear our vows, lord of the wide-extended main, lord of the worlds above, lord of the world, who hast preserved, lord, once our faith in man no fear could move, lord! subdue our selfish will, lord! thou didst arise and say, lord! thy glory fills the heaven, lord! what offering shall we bring, lord! when thine ancient people cried, lord! whom winds and seas obey, lo! the lilies of the field, love divine, all love excelling, love on! love on! but not the things that own, lowly and solemn be, many a power within earth's bosom, mark the soft-falling snow, may freedom speed onward, wherever the blood, meet and right it is to sing, men! whose boast it is that ye, mighty god! the first, the last, mighty one! whose name is holy, my dear redeemer, and my lord, my father, when around me spread, my god! all nature owns thy sway, my god! in life's most doubtful hour, my god! in morning's radiant hour, my god, i thank thee! may no thought, my god, my father, while i stray, my god, my strength, my hope, my god, permit me not to be, my soul, be on thy guard, my soul no more shall strive in vain, nature hath seasons of repose, nay, tell us not of dangers dire, nearer, my god, to thee, no human eyes thy face may see, no more, on earth no more, none loves me, father, with thy love, not in the name of pride, not in this simple rite alone, not only doth the voiceful day, not that thy boundless love, my god, not to the terrors of the lord, not with the flashing steel, now from the altar of our hearts, now gird your patient loins again, now host with host assembling, now let our voices join, now that the sun is beaming bright, now the shades of night are gone, o, almighty god of love, o be not faithless! with the morn, o come and dwell in me, o, draw me, father, after thee, o'er silent field and lonely lawn, o'er the mount and through the moor, o fairest born of love and light, of all the thoughts of god that are, o father, humbly we repose, o father, lift our souls above, o father, though the anxious fear, o for a faith that will not shrink, o for a heart to praise my god, o from these visions dark and drear, o give thanks to him who made, o god, by whom the seed is given, o god! i thank thee that the night, o god! the darkness roll away, o god! thy children, gathered here, o god! to thee our hearts would pay, o god! to thee who first hast given, o god! we praise thee, and confess, o god! who knowest how frail we are, o god, whose presence glows in all, oh god, that mad'st the earth and sky, o, he whom jesus loved has truly spoken, o, heaven is where no secret dread, o help us, lord! each hour of need, o here, if ever, god of love, o holy father, 'mid the calm, o, if thy brow serene and calm, o know ye not that ye, o let my trembling soul be still, o lord! how happy should we be, o lord! through thee we own, o lord! thy heavenly grace impart, o love! how cheering is thy ray, o lovely voices of the sky, on earth was darkness spread, one cup of healing oil and wine, one prayer i have, all prayers in one, o, not alone on the mount of prayer, o, not alone with outward sign, "o, not for these alone i pray," o not to crush with abject fear, o not when the death-prayer is said, on the dark wave of galilee, on the dewy breath of even, onward, christian, though the region, onward speed thy conquering flight, open, lord, mine inward ear, oppression shall not always reign, o pure reformers! not in vain, o, richly, father, have i been, o sacred head, now wounded, o say not, think not, heavenly notes, o send me not away! for i would drink, o source divine, and life of all, o speed thee, christian, on thy way, o spirit, freed from earth, o spirit of the living god, o stay thy tears! for they are blest, o still trust on, if in the heart, o suffering friend of human kind, o thou, at whose divine command, o thou, at whose rebuke, the grave, o thou from whom all goodness flows, o thou great friend to all the sons of men, o thou great spirit, who along, o thou, in whom the weary find, o thou, the primal fount of life and peace, o thou, to whom in ancient time, o thou, who all things dost control, o thou, who driest the mourner's tear, o thou, who hast at thy command, o thou, who hast thy servants taught, o thou, who in the garden's shade, o thou, whose own vast temple stands, o thou, whose power o'er moving worlds presides, o thou, whose power stupendous, o thou, whose presence went before, our blest redeemer, ere he breathed, our country is immanuel's ground, our father, god! not face to face, our father, through the coming year, our father! we thank thee for sleep, our god is a spirit, and they who aright, our heavenly father, hear, our pathway oft is wet with tears, out of the depths of woe, o what though our feet may not tread where christ trod, o where are kings and empires now, o where shall rest be found, o who shall say he knows the folds, part in peace! is day before us, partners of a glorious hope, peace of god, which knows no measure, pour, blessed gospel, glorious news for man, pour forth the oil,--pour boldly forth, praise and thanks and cheerful love, praise the lord, when blushing morning, praise the lord, ye heavens adore him, praise to god, immortal praise, prayer is the soul's sincere desire, prayer is to god the soul's sure way, press on, press on! ye sons of light, prisoners of hope, be strong, be bold, quiet from god! how beautiful to keep, quiet, lord, my froward heart, rejoice in god alway, return, my soul, unto thy rest, rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, saviour, i my cross have taken, scorn not the slightest word or deed, "see how he loved," exclaimed the jews, see israel's gentle shepherd stand, see the lord, thy helper, stand, send kindly light amid the encircling gloom, shall we grow weary in our watch, shine on our souls, eternal god, sing, ye redeemed of the lord, slavery and death the cup contains, sleep not, soldier of the cross, slowly, by god's hand unfurled, songs of praise the angels sang, sons of men, behold from far, soul! celestial in thy birth, source of light and life divine, sow in the morn thy seed, speak gently,--it is better far, speak with us, lord, thyself reveal, spirit of peace and love and power, suppliant, lo! thy children bend, supreme and universal light, supreme disposer of the heart, sweet is the light of sabbath eve, sweet is the prayer whose holy stream, sweet morn! from countless cups of gold, teach me, my god and king, teach us to pray, tell me not, in mournful numbers, thanks, thanks unto god! who in mercy hath spoken, thanks to god for those who came, that blessed law of thine, that might of faith, o lord, bestow, the aged sufferer waited long, the breaking waves dashed high, the bud will soon become a flower, the darkened sky, how thick it lowers, the daylight is fading o'er earth and o'er ocean, the dead are like the stars by day, the dove, let loose in eastern skies, the earth all light and loveliness, the fountain in its source, the glorious universe around, the heavenly spheres to thee, o god, the kings of old have shrine and tomb, the land our fathers left to us, the light pours down from heaven, the lord descended from above, the lord is my shepherd, no want shall i know, the lord our god is full of might, the mourners came, at break of day, the ocean looketh up to heaven, the offerings to thy throne which rise, the past is dark with sin and shame, the peace which god bestows, there cometh o'er the spirit, there is a book, who runs may read, there is a state unknown, unseen, there is a world we have not seen, there's a strife we all must wage, there's nothing bright above, below, the saints on earth and those above, the spirit in our hearts, the spirits of the loved and the departed, the uplifted eye and bended knee, the winds are hushed; the peaceful moon, the world may change from old to new, they who on the lord rely, they who seek the throne of grace, think gently of the erring one, thirsting for a living spring, this child we dedicate to thee, this world is not a fleeting show, thou art gone to the grave; but we will not deplore thee, thou art, o god, the life and light, though lonely be thy path, fear not, for he, though wandering in a strange land, thou givest thy sabbath, lord! the din is stilled, thou hidden love of god, whose height, thou, infinite in love, thou lord of hosts, whose guiding hand, thou, lord, who rear'st the mountain's height, thou most be born again, thou seest my feebleness, thou that art strong to comfort, look on me, thou, whose almighty word, through all the various shifting scene, through all this life's eventful road, throughout the hours of darkness dim, through thee as we together came, thus said jesus, "go and do, thy bounteous hand with food can bless, "thy kingdom come," the heathen lands, thy presence, ever-living god, thy servants in the temple watched, thy servant's sandals, lord, are wet, thy way is on the deep, o lord, thy will be done! in devious way, thy will be done! i will not fear, 'tis my happiness below, 'tis not the gift, but 'tis the spirit, "to god be glory! peace on earth!" to him who children blest, to prayer, to prayer!--for the morning breaks, to thee, o god in heaven, to thee, the lord almighty, to the father's love we trust, to thine eternal arms, o god, triumphant zion! lift thy head, turn, child of doubt, estranged from god, turn not from him who asks of thee, unchangeable, all-perfect lord, unto thy temple, god of love, up to the throne of god is borne, wait on the lord, ye heirs of hope, was it in vain that jesus prayed, watchman, tell us of the night, we all, o father, all are thine, we bless thee for this sacred day, weep thou, o mourner, but in lamentation, we follow, lord, where thou dost lead, we join to pray, with wishes kind, we love the venerable house, we love this outward world, we pray for truth and peace, westward, lord, the world alluring, we wait in faith; in prayer we wait, we will not weep; for god is standing by us, we would leave, o god, to thee, what precept, jesus, is like thine, what shall we ask of god in prayer, when arise the thoughts of sin, when, blest redeemer, thou art near, when from the jordan's gleaming wave, when grief and anguish press me down, when in silence o'er the deep, when in thine hour of conflict, lord, when israel of the lord beloved, when long the soul had slept in chains, when on devotion's seraph wing, when my love to christ grows weak, when the parting bosom bleeds, when thirst for power or for gold, when with error bewildered, our path becomes dreary, where ancient forests widely spread, where for a thousand miles, where is thy sting, o death, while shepherds watched their flocks by night, while sounds of war are heard around, while thee i seek, protecting power, while the stars unnumbered roll, while yet the youthful spirit bears, who is thy neighbor? he whom thou, who shall behold the glorious day, why, thou never-setting light, wilt thou not visit me, within thy courts have millions met, with silence only as their benediction, wouldst thou in thy lonely hour, yea! i will extol thee, ye joyous ones! upon whose brow, ye servants of the lord, yes! prayer is strong, and god is good, contents. hymns. hymns of worship. opening hymns, - , - . prayers, - , - . praise, - , - . closing hymns, - , - . god. his being, . wisdom, . truth and love, . love, - . fatherly care, , . present everywhere, - . in nature, - . in the soul, , . communion with god, in prayer, - . providence, - . jesus christ. his advent and birth, - . mission, - . life and miracles, - . spirit and teaching, - . suffering, - . crucifixion, - . resurrection, , . communion hymns. remembrance of jesus, , , , , . strength from his sufferings, - . cross of christ, . presence of jesus, , , , . bread of heaven, . one in christ, , , , , . christ the way, the truth and the life, . christ a quickening spirit, . invitations, - . parting hymns, , . christianity and the kingdom of heaven. preaching of the gospel, - . the word, - . the angel of the lord, . coming of god's kingdom, - , , , , . song of the redeemed, . the church everlasting, . the church triumphant, - , . christianity, . equality, . unity, , . brotherhood, . peace, , , . hope of man, , , . liberty, , . reformers, . vision of the kingdom of heaven, , - , - . the inward character. spiritual influences, - , , . penitence, - . inward struggle, - , - . aspirations and spiritual desires, - , - . coming to god, , . self-consecration, - , . the new birth, - . trust in god, - , - . faith, - , - . watchfulness, . patience, . independence, . purity, , . calmness, . charity, - . earnestness, . the outward life. prayer for love, . prayer and action, . faith and works, . love to man, - , . meaning of life, - . action, - . the sower, . conflict, - , - . the cross, - . affliction, - . death, - . the spiritual world, - . various occasions. morning, - , , . evening, - , - , . night, , - . family worship, - . sabbath, - . baptism, - . marriage, , . dedication, , . ordination, - , . fast, , . new year, , , . spring, - . summer, , . thanksgiving, . for harvest, - . christmas, . seasons, . close of the year, - , . funeral hymns, - . for a charitable occasion, , , . the poor, . the prisoner, . missions, - . for a peace meeting, - . in time of war, , . temperance hymns, , . the ancient church, . a meeting of ministers, , . the reformer's vow, . the reformers, . martyrs, - . at sea, , , . christian mariner, . prayer for the sailor, . husbandman's hymn, . in a storm, . remembrance of our fathers, . our country, , . american slavery, - , , . redeeming power of love, , . miscellaneous. children, - . christian pilgrim, . spiritual world, . christmas, . gethsemane, . communion of saints, . law and love, . prayer and labor, . strength from struggle, . the heavenly guide, . light for all, . a summer festival, . a morning hymn, . an evening hymn, . sabbath evening, . seasons for prayer, . glad worship, . praise, . the lord is in his holy temple, . god, . hymn of thanksgiving, . the good shepherd, . calm trust, . the one god, . in a storm, . one in christ, . hymn of the last supper, . consolation, . the elder scripture, . rest, . the pilgrim fathers, . he giveth his beloved sleep, . hymns. i. public worship. . s. m. *emily taylor. invitation. come to the house of prayer, o ye afflicted, come! the god of peace shall meet you there, he makes that house his home. come to the house of praise, ye who are happy now; in sweet accord your voices raise, in kindred homage bow. ye aged, hither come, for ye have felt his love; soon shall ye lift a holier song in fairer courts above. ye young, before his throne, come, bow; your voices raise; let not your hearts his praise disown, who gives the power to praise. thou, whose benignant eye in mercy looks on all; who seest the tear of misery, and hear'st the mourner's call; up to thy dwelling-place bear our frail spirits on, till they outstrip time's tardy pace, and heaven on earth be won. . p. m. h. ware. call to prayer. to prayer, to prayer!--for the morning breaks, and earth in her maker's smile awakes; his light is on all below and above, the light of gladness, and life, and love: o, then, on the breath of this early air, send upward the incense of grateful prayer. to prayer!--for the day that god has blest comes tranquilly on with its solemn rest; it speaks of creation's early bloom,-- it speaks of the prince who burst the tomb: then summon the spirit's exalted powers, and devote to heaven the hallowed hours. awake, awake, and gird up thy strength, to join christ's holy band at length; to him who unceasing love displays, whom the powers of nature unceasingly praise; to him thy heart and thy hours be given, for a life of prayer is the life of heaven. . s. m. *watts. cheerful worship. come, ye who love the lord! and let your joys be known; join in a song with sweet accord, and thus surround his throne. the sorrows of the mind be banished from this place! religion never was designed to make our pleasures less. the sons of god have found that heaven begins below: celestial fruits, on earthly ground, from faith and hope may grow. then let our sorrows cease, and every tear be dry; we're travelling through the paths of peace to fairer worlds on high. . l. m. anonymous. the house of god. be still! be still! for all around, on either hand, is holy ground: here in his house, the lord to-day will listen, while his people pray. thou, tost upon the waves of care, ready to sink with deep despair, here ask relief, with heart sincere, and thou shalt find that god is here. thou who hast laid within the grave those whom thou hadst no power to save, believe their spirits now are near, for angels wait while god is here. thou who hast dear ones far away, in foreign lands, 'mid ocean's spray, pray for them now, and dry the tear, and trust the god who listens here. thou who art mourning o'er thy sin, deploring guilt that reigns within, the god of peace is ever near; the troubled spirit meets him here. . s. m. seeking god. thirsting for a living spring, seeking for a higher home, resting where our souls must cling, trusting, hoping, lord, we come. glorious hopes our spirit fill, when we feel that thou art near: father! then our fears are still, then the soul's bright end is clear. life's hard conflict we would win, read the meaning of life's frown; change the thorn-bound wreath of sin for the spirit's starry crown. make us beautiful within by thy spirit's holy light: guard us when our faith burns dim, father of all love and might! . l. m. heber. the sanctuary. forth from the dark and stormy sky, lord, to thine altar's shade we fly; forth from the world, its hope and fear, father, we seek thy shelter here: weary and weak, thy grace we pray; turn not, o lord! thy guests away. long have we roamed in want and pain, long have we sought thy rest in vain; wildered in doubt, in darkness lost, long have our souls been tempest-tost: low at thy feet our sins we lay; turn not, o lord! thy guests away. . c. m. springfield coll. the sabbath of the soul. o father, though the anxious fear may cloud to-morrow's way, no fear nor doubt shall enter here; all shall be thine to-day. we will not bring divided hearts to worship at thy shrine; but each unworthy thought departs, and leaves this temple thine. sleep, sleep to-day, tormenting cares, of earth and folly born; ye shall not dim the light that streams from this celestial morn. to-morrow will be time enough to feel your harsh control; ye shall not violate this day, the sabbath of the soul. . & s. m. wesleyan. love divine. love divine, all love excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down! fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. father! thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation, enter every longing heart. breathe, o, breathe thy loving spirit into every troubled breast; let us all in thee inherit, let us find thy promised rest. come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive; graciously come down, and never, never more thy temples leave! . & s. m. j. taylor. seeking god's presence. far from mortal cares retreating, sordid hopes, and fond desires, here our willing footsteps meeting, every heart to heaven aspires. from the fount of glory beaming, light celestial cheers our eyes; mercy from above proclaiming peace and pardon from the skies. who may share this great salvation?-- every pure and humble mind; every kindred, tongue, and nation, from the dross of guilt refined: blessings all around bestowing, god withholds his care from none; grace and mercy ever flowing from the fountain of his throne. every stain of guilt abhorring, firm and bold in virtue's cause, still thy providence adoring, faithful subjects to thy laws, lord! with favor still attend us, bless us with thy wondrous love; thou, our sun and shield, defend us; all our hope is from above. . l. m. gaskell. "it is good to be here." unto thy temple, god of love, once more we come with willing feet, to raise our thoughts this world above, and thy paternal blessing meet. may all thy purest presence feel, and silent keep each vain desire; with humble hearts before thee kneel, and unto holier strength aspire. may all be bound in bonds more true to thee, who art our life and light, that through each path which we pursue, we still may keep thy love in sight. and may we, when the day shall close, review its course without a fear; and, nearer heaven than when it rose, feel it is good to have been here. . s. m. j. taylor. acceptable offerings. lord! what offering shall we bring, at thine altars when we bow? hearts, the pure, unsullied spring, whence the kind affections flow: willing hands, to lead the blind, heal the wounded, feed the poor; love, embracing all our kind, charity, with liberal store. teach us, o thou heavenly king, thus to show our grateful mind, thus the accepted offering bring, love to thee and all mankind. . s. m. anonymous. the place of prayer. here, in this place of prayer, father! thy face we seek: grant us that blessed peace to share, known to the pure and meek. come then to holy prayer, souls that seem lost in night; leave to the lord your heavy care, who giveth life and light. come with a trusting prayer, though fears press down your souls; the saviour's promise, "i am there," each saddening fear controls. here, in this place of prayer, let hearts in union meet: come, cast the load you cannot bear low at the saviour's feet. then from this house of prayer shall mingling praise be given, and angels, 'mid the holy air, shall bear the notes to heaven. . l. m. anonymous. the lord is in his holy temple. lo! god is here; let us adore, and humbly bow before his face; let all within us feel his power, let all within us seek his peace. lo! god is here; him day and night united choirs of angels sing; to him, enthroned above all height, heaven's host their noblest praises bring. being of beings! may our praise thy courts with grateful incense fill: still may we stand before thy face, still hear and do thy sovereign will. more of thy presence, lord! impart; more of thine image may we bear: o, fix thy throne in every heart, and reign without a rival there. . s. m. bowring. the temple. in thy courts let peace be found, be thy temple full of love; here we tread on holy ground, all serene, around, above. while the knee in prayer is bent, while with praise the heart o'erflows, tranquillize the turbulent! give the weary one repose! be the place for worship meet, meet the worship for the place; contemplation's blest retreat, shrine of guilelessness and grace! as an infant knows its home, lord! may we thy temples know; hither for instruction come, hence by thee instructed go. . s. m. gray. supplication. suppliant, lo! thy children bend, father, for thy blessing now; thou canst teach us, guide, defend; we are weak, almighty thou! with the peace thy word imparts be the taught and teacher blessed; in our lives, and in our hearts, father! be thy laws impressed. pour into each longing mind, light and knowledge from above: charity for all mankind, trusting faith, enduring love. . h. m. *watts. how amiable are thy tabernacles. lord of the worlds above, how pleasant and how fair the dwellings of thy love, thine earthly temples are! to thine abode my heart aspires, with warm desires to see my god. the sparrow for her young with pleasure seeks a nest, and wandering swallows long to find their wonted rest: my spirit faints, with equal zeal to rise and dwell among thy saints. o happy souls that pray to him that heareth prayer! o happy men that pay their constant service there! they praise thee still; and happy they who love the way to zion's hill. they go from strength to strength, though oft through pain and tears, till each arrives at length, till each in heaven appears: o glorious seat! our god and king shall thither bring our willing feet. . s. m. j. taylor. devotion. lord, before thy presence come, bow we down with holy fear; call our erring footsteps home, let us feel that thou art near. wandering thoughts and languid powers come not where devotion kneels; let the soul expand her stores, glowing with the joy she feels. at the portals of thine house, we resign our earth-born cares; nobler thoughts our souls engross, songs of praise and fervent prayers. . l. m. watts. hundredth psalm. before jehovah's awful throne, ye nations bow with sacred joy; know that the lord is god alone; he can create, and he destroy. his sovereign power, without our aid, gave life to clay, and formed us men; and when like wandering sheep we strayed, he brought us to his fold again. we are his people, we his care, our souls and all our mortal frame: what lasting honors shall we rear, almighty maker, to thy name? we'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs; high as the heavens our voices raise; and earth, with her ten thousand tongues, shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. wide as the world is thy command, vast as eternity thy love, firm as a rock thy truth shall stand, when rolling years shall cease to move. . c. m. bowring. the heart's worship. the offerings to thy throne which rise, of mingled praise and prayer, are but a worthless sacrifice, unless the heart be there. upon thine all-discerning ear let no vain words intrude; no tribute but the vow sincere,-- the tribute of the good. our offerings will indeed be blest, if sanctified by thee; if thy pure spirit touch the breast with its own purity. o, may that spirit warm each heart to piety and love, and to life's lowly vale impart some rays from heaven above. . p. m. barton. worship in spirit. our god is a spirit, and they who aright would offer the worship he loveth, in the heart's holy temple will seek with delight the spirit the father approveth. this, this is the worship the saviour made known when she of samaria found him by the patriarch's well, sitting weary, alone, with the stillness of noontide around him. he having once entered hath shown us the way, o god! how to worship before thee, not with the vain forms of that earlier day, but in spirit and truth to adore thee. . s. m. wesleyan. the light of life. light of life, seraphic fire! love divine, thyself impart: every fainting soul inspire; enter every drooping heart: every mournful spirit cheer, scatter all our doubt and gloom; father, in thy grace appear, to thy human temples come! come in this accepted hour, bring thy heavenly kingdom in; fill us with thy glorious power, rooting out the seeds of sin: nothing more can we require, we can rest in nothing less: be thou all our heart's desire, all our joy and all our peace. . s. m. bowring. every good gift from the father. father! thy paternal care has my guardian been, my guide: every hallowed wish and prayer has thy hand of love supplied: thine is every thought of bliss, left by hours and days gone by; every hope thine offspring is, beaming from futurity. every sun of splendid ray; every moon that shines serene; every morn that welcomes day; every evening's twilight scene; every hour which wisdom brings; every incense at thy shrine; these,--and all life's holiest things, and its fairest,--all are thine. and for all, my hymns shall rise daily to thy gracious throne: thither let my asking eyes turn unwearied, righteous one! through life's strange vicissitude there reposing all my care; trusting still, through ill and good, fixed, and cheered, and counselled there. . l. m. frothingham. for spiritual influences. o god, whose presence glows in all within, around us, and above! thy word we bless, thy name we call, whose word is truth, whose name is love. that truth be with the heart believed of all who seek this sacred place; with power proclaimed, in peace received, our spirit's light, thy spirit's grace. that love its holy influence pour, to keep us meek, and make us free; and throw its binding blessing more round each with all, and all with thee. send down its angel to our side; send in its calm upon the breast; for we would know no other guide, and we can need no other rest. . l. m. h. ware. coming together in the name of jesus. great god! the followers of thy son, we bow before thy mercy-seat, to worship thee, the holy one, and pour our wishes at thy feet. o, grant thy blessing here to-day! o, give thy people joy and peace! the tokens of thy love display, and favor, that shall never cease. we seek the truth which jesus brought; his path of light we long to tread; here be his holy doctrines taught, and here their purest influence shed. may faith, and hope, and love abound; our sins and errors be forgiven; and we, from day to day, be found children of god, and heirs of heaven. . l. m. bowring. evening worship. how shall we praise thee, lord of light! how shall we all thy love declare! the earth is veiled in shades of night, but heaven is open to our prayer,-- that heaven, so bright with stars and suns, that glorious heaven which has no bound, where the full tide of being runs, and life and beauty glow around. we would adore thee, god sublime, whose power and wisdom, love and grace, are greater than the round of time, and wider than the bounds of space. help us to praise thee, lord of light! help us thy boundless love declare; and, while we fill thy courts to-night, aid us, and hearken to our prayer. . l. m. w. h. burleigh. evening worship. o holy father! 'mid the calm and stillness of this evening hour, we would lift up our solemn psalm to praise thy goodness, and thy power for over us, and over all, thy tender mercies still extend, nor vainly shall thy children call on thee, our father and our friend! kept by thy goodness though the day, thanksgiving to thy name we pour; night o'er us, with its stars,--we pray thy love, to guard us evermore! in grief, console; in gladness, bless; in darkness, guide; in sickness, cheer; till, in the saviour's righteousness, before thy throne our souls appear! . p. m. anonymous. "teach us to pray." teach us to pray! o father, we look up to thee, and this our one request shall be, teach us to pray! teach us to pray! a form of words will not suffice, the heart must bring its sacrifice: teach us to pray! teach us to pray! to whom shall we thy children turn? teach thou the lesson we would learn, teach us to pray! teach us to pray! to thee alone our hearts look up, prayer is our only door of hope, teach us to pray! . s. m. montgomery. "after this manner pray ye." our heavenly father, hear the prayer we offer now: thy name be hallowed far and near, to thee all nations bow. thy kingdom come; thy will on earth be done in love, as saints and seraphim fulfil thy perfect law above. our daily bread supply, while by thy word we live; the guilt of our iniquity forgive as we forgive. from dark temptation's power our feeble hearts defend; deliver in the evil hour, and guide us to the end. thine, then, forever be glory and power divine; the sceptre, throne, and majesty of heaven and earth are thine. . c. m. c. wesley. "thy kingdom come." father and god of all mankind, and all the hosts above, let every understanding mind unite to praise thy love. thy kingdom come, with power and grace, to every heart of man; thy peace, and joy, and righteousness, in all our bosoms reign. the righteousness that never ends, but makes an end of sin; the joy that human thought transcends, now to our souls bring in: the kingdom of established peace, which can no more remove; the perfect powers of godliness, the omnipotence of love. . s. m. *conder. "give us our daily bread." day by day the manna fell; o, to learn this lesson well! still by constant mercy fed, give us, lord, our daily bread. "day by day," the promise reads; daily strength for daily needs; cast foreboding fears away; take the manna of to-day. lord, our times are in thy hand; all our sanguine hopes have planned to thy wisdom we resign, and would mould our wills to thine. thou our daily task shalt give; day by day to thee we live; so shall added years fulfil not our own, our father's will. o, to live exempt from care, by the energy of prayer; strong in faith, with mind subdued, glowing yet with gratitude! . c. m. *montgomery. a prayer. god of all grace, we come to thee, with humble, prayerful hearts; give what thine eye delights to see, truth in the inward parts: give deep humility; the sense of holy sorrow give: a strong, desiring confidence, to hear thy voice and live: patience, to watch, and wait, and weep, though mercy long delay; courage, our fainting souls to keep, and trust thee, though thou slay. give these,--and then thy will be done! thus strengthened with all might, we, in the spirit of thy son, shall pray, and pray aright. . c. m. montgomery. a prayer. what shall we ask of god in prayer? whatever good we want; whatever man may seek to share, or god in wisdom grant. father of all our mercies,--thou in whom we move and live! hear us in heaven, thy dwelling, now, and answer, and forgive. when harassed by ten thousand foes, our helplessness we feel, o, give the weary soul repose, the wounded spirit heal! when dire temptations gather round, and threaten or allure, by storm or calm, in thee be found a refuge strong and sure. when age advances, may we grow in faith, in hope, and love; and walk in holiness below to holiness above. . & s. m. * for divine strength. father, in thy mysterious presence kneeling, fain would our souls feel all thy kindling love; for we are weak, and need some deep revealing of trust and strength and calmness from above. lord, we have wandered forth through doubt and sorrow, and thou hast made each step an onward one; and we will ever trust each unknown morrow,-- thou wilt sustain us till its work is done. in the heart's depths a peace serene and holy abides, and when pain seems to have her will, or we despair,--o, may that peace rise slowly, stronger than agony, and we be still! now, father, now, in thy dear presence kneeling, our spirits yearn to feel thy kindling love; now make us strong, we need thy deep revealing of trust and strength and calmness from above. . l. m. gaskell. seeking strength. o god! who knowest how frail we are, how soon the thought of good departs; we pray that thou wouldst feed the fount of holy yearning in our hearts. let not the choking cares of earth the precious springs of life o'ergrow; but, ever guarded by thy love, still purer may their waters flow. to thee, with sweeter hope and trust, be every day our spirits given; and may we, while we walk on earth, walk more as citizens of heaven. . c. m. anonymous. drawing near to god. from every fear and doubt, o lord, in mercy set us free, while in the confidence of prayer our hearts draw near to thee! in all our trials, struggles, joys, teach us thy love to see, which by the discipline of life would draw us unto thee. our lives, devoted to thy will, our sacrifice shall be, and then will death, whene'er it come, but draw us nearer thee. . l. m. w. scott. the pillar and cloud. when israel, of the lord beloved, out from the land of bondage came, her fathers' god before her moved, an awful guide in smoke and flame. by day, along the astonished lands the cloudy pillar glided slow; by night, arabia's crimsoned sands returned the fiery column's glow. thus present still, though now unseen, when brightly shines the prosperous day, be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen, to temper the deceitful ray! and, o, when gathers on our path in shade and storm the frequent night, be thou, long-suffering, slow to wrath, a burning and a shining light! . c. m. smart. prayer for wisdom. father of light! conduct our feet through life's dark, dangerous road; let each advancing step still bring us nearer to our god. let heaven-eyed prudence be our guide; and when we go astray, recall our feet from folly's paths to wisdom's better way. that heavenly wisdom from above abundantly impart; and let it guard, and guide, and warm, and penetrate each heart; till it shall lead us to thyself, fountain of bliss and love! and all our darkness be dispersed in endless light above. . l. m. mrs. cotterill. living to the glory of god. o thou, who hast at thy command the hearts of all men in thy hand! our wayward, erring hearts incline to know no other will but thine. our wishes, our desires, control; mould every purpose of the soul; o'er all may we victorious be that stands between ourselves and thee. thrice blest will all our blessings be, when we can look through them to thee; when each glad heart its tribute pays of love, and gratitude, and praise. and while we to thy glory live, may we to thee all glory give, until the final summons come, that calls thy willing servants home. . l. m. anonymous. the peace of god. o father! lift our souls above, till we find rest in thy dear love; and still that peace divine impart which sanctifies the inmost heart, and makes each morn and setting sun but bring us nearer to thy throne. may we our daily duties meet, tread sin each day beneath our feet, and win that strength which doth thy will and seeth thee, and so is still; and fixed on thy sustaining arm, find daily food and know no harm. help us with man in peace to live, our brother's wrong in love forgive, and day and night the tempter flee through strength which comes alone from thee! thus will our spirits find their rest, in thy deep peace forever blest. . & s. m. mrs. hemans. the heart's inspiration. father, who art on high! weak is the melody of harp or song to reach thy gracious ear, unless the heart be there, winging the words of prayer with its own fervent faith, or suppliant tear. o, let thy spirit move o'er those who bend in love, be thou amidst them as a heavenly guest; so shall our cry have power to win from thee a shower of healing gifts for every wounded breast. o, let thy breath once more within the soul restore thine own first image, holiest and most high! as a clear lake is filled with hues of heaven instilled, down to the depths of its calm purity. . c. m. h. ware, jr. for god's presence. father in heaven, to whom our hearts would lift themselves in prayer, drive from our souls each earthly thought, and show thy presence there. each moment of our lives renews the mercies of the lord; each moment is itself a gift to bear us on to god. help us to break the galling chains this world has round us thrown; each passion of our hearts subdue, each cherished sin disown. o father! kindle in our souls a never-dying flame of holy love, of grateful trust, in thine almighty name. . c. m. doddridge. doing all to god. shine on our souls, eternal god, with rays of beauty shine; o, let thy favor crown our days, and all their round be thine! did we not raise our hands to thee, our hands might toil in vain; small joy success itself could give if thou thy love restrain. with thee let every week begin, with thee each day be spent, for thee each fleeting hour improved, since each by thee is lent. midst hourly cares may love present its incense at thy throne; and while the world our hands employs, our hearts be thine alone. . c. m. montgomery. prayer for wisdom. almighty god, in humble prayer to thee our souls we lift; do thou our waiting minds prepare for thy most needful gift. we ask not golden streams of wealth along our path to flow; we ask not undecaying health, nor length of years below: we ask not honors, which an hour may bring and take away; we ask not pleasure, pomp, or power, lest we should go astray: we ask for wisdom: lord, impart the knowledge how to live: a wise and understanding heart to all before thee give. the young remember thee in youth, before the evil days! the old be guided by thy truth in wisdom's pleasant ways! . l. m. h. moore. manliness and freedom. supreme and universal light! fountain of reason! judge of right! parent of good! whose blessings flow on all above, and all below: assist us, lord, to act, to be, what nature and thy laws decree; worthy that intellectual flame, which from thy breathing spirit came. our moral freedom to maintain, bid passion serve, and reason reign, self-poised and independent still on this world's varying good or ill. no slave to profit, shame, or fear, o, may our steadfast bosoms bear the stamp of heaven,--an upright heart, above the mean disguise of art! may our expanded souls disclaim the narrow view, the selfish aim; but with a christian zeal embrace whate'er is friendly to our race. o father! grace and virtue grant; no more we wish, no more we want: to know, to serve thee, and to love, is peace below,--is bliss above. . c. m. methodist. made perfect in love. father, united by thy grace, and each to each endeared, with confidence we seek thy face, and know our prayer is heard. touched by the loadstone of thy love, let all our hearts agree; and ever towards each other move, and ever move towards thee. grant this, and then from all below insensibly remove! our souls their change shall scarcely know, made perfect first in love. to us the ministry be given, which angels have above; for love can make on earth a heaven, and heaven is only love. . & s. m. *j. f. clarke. prayer for strength. father, to us thy children, humbly kneeling, conscious of weakness, ignorance, sin and shame, give such a force of holy thought and feeling, that we may live to glorify thy name: that we may conquer base desire and passion that we may rise from selfish thought and will, o'ercome the world's allurement, threat, and fashion, walk humbly, gently, leaning on thee still. let all thy goodness by our minds be seen, let all thy mercy on our souls be sealed, lord, if thou wilt, thy power can make us clean, o, speak the word! thy servants shall be healed. . & s. m. ancient hymns. thrice holy. "lord, thy glory fills the heaven; earth is with its fulness stored; unto thee be glory given, holy, holy, holy lord!" heaven is still with anthems ringing; earth takes up the angels' cry, "holy, holy, holy," singing, "lord of hosts, the lord most high!" ever thus in god's high praises, brethren, let our tongues unite, whilst our thoughts his greatness raises, and our love his gifts excite. with his seraph train before him, with his holy church below, thus unite we to adore him, bid we thus our anthem flow:-- "lord, thy glory fills the heaven; earth is with its fulness stored; unto thee be glory given, holy, holy, holy lord! thus, thy glorious name confessing, we adopt the angels' cry, 'holy, holy, holy,'--blessing thee, the lord our god most high!" . s. m. *montgomery. songs of praise. songs of praise the angels sang, heaven with hallelujahs rang, when, creation's work begun, spake the lord, and it was done. songs of praise awoke the morn, when the prince of peace was born; songs of praise arose, when he captive led captivity. heaven and earth must pass away, songs of praise shall crown that day; god will make new heavens and earth, songs of praise shall hail their birth. and shall man alone be dumb, till that glorious kingdom come? no; his heart delights to raise psalms and hymns and songs of praise. saints below, with heart and voice, still in songs of praise rejoice, learning here, by faith and love, songs of praise to sing above. . p. m. heber. thrice holy. holy, holy, holy lord god almighty! early in the morning our song shall rise to thee; holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty! all thy works shall praise thy name in earth, sky, and sea. holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee, casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee, thou who wast, and art, and evermore shalt be! holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see, only thou art holy, there is none beside thee, infinite in power, in love, and purity! . c. m. patrick. te deum. o god! we praise thee, and confess that thou the only lord and everlasting father art, by all the earth adored. to thee all angels cry aloud; to thee the powers on high, both cherubim and seraphim, continually do cry: "o holy, holy, holy lord, whom heavenly hosts obey, the world is with the glory filled of thy majestic sway." the apostles' glorious company, and prophets crowned with light, with all the martyrs' noble host, thy constant praise recite. the holy church throughout the world, o lord, confesses thee, that thou the eternal father art, of boundless majesty. . & s. m. dublin coll. praise ye the lord. praise the lord! ye heavens adore him! praise him, angels in the height; sun and moon rejoice before him; praise him, all ye stars of light! praise the lord, for he hath spoken; worlds his mighty voice obeyed; laws, which never can be broken, for their guidance he hath made. praise the lord! for he is glorious; never shall his promise fail; god hath made his saints victorious, sin and death shall not prevail: praise the god of our salvation, hosts on high his power proclaim; heaven and earth, and all creation, praise and magnify his name! . p. m. *bowring. glad homage. father of spirits! humbly bent before thee, songs of glad homage unto thee we bring; touched by thy spirit, o, teach us to adore thee; let thy light attend us, let thy love befriend us, father of our spirits, everlasting king! send forth thy mandate, gather in the nations, through the wide universe thy name be known, millions of voices shall join in adorations, every soul invited, every voice united, joining to adore thee, everlasting one! . s. m. j. taylor. glory to god. glory be to god on high, god whose glory fills the sky! peace on earth to man forgiven, man, the well-beloved of heaven! favored mortals, raise the song; endless thanks to god belong; hearts o'erflowing with his praise, join the hymns your voices raise. mark the wonders of his hand; power, no empire can withstand; wisdom, angels' glorious theme; goodness, one eternal stream! gracious being! from thy throne send thy promised blessings down; let thy light, thy truth, thy peace, bid our selfish passions cease. . s. m. bowring. lowly praise. lord, in heaven, thy dwelling-place, hear the praises of our race, and, while hearing, let thy grace dews of sweet forgiveness pour; while we know, benignant king, that the praises which we bring are a feeble offering, till thy blessing makes it more. more of truth, and more of might, more of love, and more of light, more of reason, and of right from thy pardoning grace be given! this can make the humblest song sweet, acceptable, and strong, as the strains the angels' throng pour around the throne of heaven. . p. m. hogg. praise to the god of nature. blessed be thy name forever, thou of life the guard and giver! thou who slumberest not nor sleepest, blest are they thou kindly keepest! god of stillness and of motion, of the rainbow, and the ocean, of the mountain, rock, and river, blessed be thy name forever! god of evening's peaceful ray! god of every dawning day, rising from the distant sea breathing of eternity; thine the flaming sphere of light, thine the darkness of the night! god of life, that fade shall never! glory to thy name forever! . l. m. anonymous. perpetual praise. my god! in morning's radiant hour to thee will i lift up my heart; the shades of night obey thy power, and at thy sun's bright beams depart. father and guardian! to thy shrine the life thou shieldest will i bring; all, great creator! all is thine; the heart my noblest offering! the morning light shall see my prayer, the noonday calm shall know my praise; and evening's still and fragrant air my grateful hymn to thee shall raise. so shall sweet thoughts and hopes sublime my constant inspirations be; and every shifting scene of time reflect, my god, a light from thee! . s. m. gaskell. doxology. father! glory be to thee, source of all the good we see! glory for the blessed light rising on the ancient night! glory for the hopes that come streaming through the silent tomb! glory for thy spirit given, guiding us in peace to heaven! . & s. m. bickersteth. closing hymn. israel's shepherd, guide us, feed us, through our pilgrimage below, and beside the waters lead us, where thy flock rejoicing go. lord, thy guardian, presence ever, meekly kneeling, we implore; we have found thee, and would never, never wander from thee more. . l. m. chr. psalmist. the heavenly guardian. as every day thy mercy spares will bring its trials or its cares, o father, till my life shall end, be thou my counsellor and friend! teach me thy statutes all divine, and let thy will be always mine! when each day's scenes and labors close, and wearied nature seeks repose, with pardoning mercy, richly blest, guard me, my father, while i rest; and as each morning sun shall rise, o, lead me onward to the skies! . & s. m. sarah f. adams. peace be with you. part in peace! is day before us? praise his name for life and light; are the shadows lengthening o'er us? bless his care who guards the night. part in peace! with deep thanksgiving, rendering, as we homeward tread, gracious service to the living, tranquil memory to the dead. part in peace! such are the praises god, our maker, loveth best; such the worship that upraises human hearts to heavenly rest. . & s. m. anonymous. the peace of god. peace of god, which knows no measure, heavenly sunlight of the soul, peace beyond all earthly treasure, come and all our hearts control! come, almighty to deliver! naught shall make us then afraid; we will trust in thee forever, thou on whom our hope is stayed! . s. m. beard's coll. prayer for guidance. guide us, lord! while, hand in hand, journeying toward the better land; foes we know are to be met, snares the pilgrim's path beset; clouds upon the valley rest, rough and dark the mountain's breast; and our home may not be gained, save through trials well sustained. guide us, while we onward move, linked in closest bonds of love, striving for the holy mind, and the soul from sense refined; that when life no longer burns, and the dust to dust returns, with the strength which thou hast given we may rise to thee and heaven. god of mercy! on thee, all humbly for thy guidance call; save us from the evil tongue, from the heart that thinketh wrong, from the sins, whate'er they be, that divide the soul from thee. god of grace! on thee we rest; bless us, and we shall be blest. . l. m. watts. doxology. from all that dwell below the skies let the creator's praise arise! let the redeemer's name be sung, through every land, by every tongue! eternal are thy mercies, lord! eternal truth attends thy word; thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, till suns shall rise and set no more. . & s. m. anonymous. go in peace. go in peace!--serene dismission to the loving heart made known, when it pours in deep contrition prayer before the eternal throne. go in peace! thy sins forgiven, christ hath healed thee, set thee free every spirit-fetter riven, go in peace, and liberty! saviour! breathe this benediction o'er our spirits while we pray; let us part in sweet conviction thou hast blessed our souls to-day. . c. m. heber. the seed of the word. o god, by whom the seed is given, by whom the harvest blest; whose word, like manna showered from heaven, is planted in our breast; preserve it from the passing feet, and plunderers of the air; the sultry sun's intenser heat, and weeds of worldly care! though buried deep, or thinly strewn, do thou thy grace supply; the hope, in earthly furrows sown, shall ripen in the sky. . l. m. gaskell. walking with god. through all this life's eventful road, fain would i walk with thee, my god, and make thy presence light around, and every step on holy ground. each blessing would i trace to thee, in every grief thy mercy see; and through the paths of duty move, conscious of thine encircling love. and when the angel death stands by, be this my strength, that thou art nigh; and this my joy, that i shall be with those who dwell in light with thee. . l. m. doddridge. christian farewell. thy presence, ever living god! wide through all nature spreads abroad; thy watchful eyes, which never sleep, in every place thy children keep. while near each other we remain, thou dost our lives and powers sustain; when separate, we rejoice to share thy counsels, and thy gracious care. to thee we now commit our ways, and still implore thy heavenly grace; still cause thy face on us to shine, and guard and guide us still as thine. give us within thy house to raise again united songs of praise; or, if that joy no more be known, give us to meet around thy throne. . c. m. anonymous. for guidance and protection. god of our fathers! by whose hand thy people still are blest, be with us through our pilgrimage, conduct us to our rest. through each perplexing path of life our wandering footsteps guide; give us each day our daily bread, and raiment fit provide. o, spread thy sheltering wings around, till all our wanderings cease, and at our fathers loved abode our souls arrive in peace. to thee, our father and our god, we our whole souls resign; and thankful own, that all we are and all we have is thine. . s. m. *newton. god ever near. as the sun's enlivening eye shines on every place the same; so the lord is always nigh to the souls that love his name. when they move at duty's call, he is with them by the way; he is ever with them all, those who go and those who stay. from his holy mercy-seat nothing can their souls confine; still in spirit they may meet, and in sweet communion join. father, hear our humble prayer! tender shepherd of thy sheep, let thy mercy and thy care all our souls in safety keep. in thy strength may we be strong; sanctify each cross and pain; give us, if thou wilt, ere long here to meet in peace again. . , , & s. m. anonymous. dismission. lord! dismiss us with thy blessing, hope and comfort from above; let us each, thy peace possessing, triumph in redeeming love: still support us while in duty's path we move. thanks we give, and adoration, for the gospel's joyful sound; may the fruits of thy salvation in our hearts and lives abound; may thy presence with us evermore be found! ii. god. . l. m. lange. the most high god. unchangeable, all-perfect lord! essential life's unbounded sea! what lives and moves, lives by thy word; it lives and moves and is, from thee! whate'er in earth, or sea, or sky, or shuns, or meets, the wandering thought, escapes, or strikes, the searching eye, by thee was to existence brought. high is thy power above all height, whate'er thy will decrees is done; thy wisdom, holiness and might can by no finite mind be known. what our dim eyes could never see, is plain and naked in thy sight; what thickest darkness veils, to thee shines clearly as the morning light; thine, lord, is holiness, alone: justice and truth before thee stand: yet, nearer to thy sacred throne, love ever dwells at thy right hand. and to thy love and ceaseless care, father! this light, this breath, we owe; and all we have, and all we are from thee, great source of life! doth flow. . s. m. gaskell. the all-seeing god. mighty god! the first, the last! what are ages, in thy sight, but as yesterday when past, or a watch within the night? all that being ever knew, far, far back, ere time had birth, stands as clear within thy view as the present things of earth. all that being e'er shall know on, still on, through farthest years, all eternity can show, bright before thee now appears. in thine all-embracing sight, every change its purpose meets, every cloud floats into light, every woe its glory greets. whatsoe'er our lot may be, calmly in this thought we'll rest,-- could we see as thou dost see, we should choose it as the best. . & s. m. bowring. god is truth and love. god is love; his mercy brightens all the path in which we move; bliss he wakes, and woe he lightens; god is wisdom, god is love. chance and change are busy ever; man decays, and ages move; but his mercy waneth never; god is wisdom, god is love. e'en the hour that darkest seemeth will his changeless goodness prove; from the gloom his brightness streameth; god is wisdom, god is love. he with earthly cares entwineth hope and comfort from above; everywhere his glory shineth; god is wisdom, god is love. . p. m. anonymous. god is love. i cannot always trace the way where thou, almighty one, dost move, but i can always, always say that god is love. when fear her chilling mantle throws o'er earth, my soul to heaven above, as to her native home, upsprings, for god is love. when mystery clouds my darkened path, i'll check my dread, my doubts reprove; in this my soul sweet comfort hath, that god is love. yes, god is love;--a thought like this can every gloomy thought remove, and turn all tears, all woes, to bliss, for god is love. . l. m. sterling. love supreme in god. o source divine, and life of all, the fount of being's wondrous sea! thy depth would every heart appall, that saw not love supreme in thee. we shrink before thy vast abyss, where worlds on worlds eternal brood; we know thee truly but in this, that thou bestowest all our good. and so, 'mid boundless time and space, o, grant us still in thee to dwell, and through the ceaseless web to trace thy presence working all things well! nor let thou life's delightful play thy truth's transcendent vision hide; nor strength and gladness lead astray from thee, our nature's only guide. bestow on every joyous thrill thy deeper tone of reverent awe; make pure thy children's erring will, and teach their hearts to love thy law! . l. m. * god known through love. no human eyes thy face may see; no human thought thy form may know; but all creation dwells in thee, and thy great life through all doth flow! and yet, o strange and wondrous thought! thou art a god who hearest prayer, and every heart with sorrow fraught to seek thy present aid may dare. and though most weak our efforts seem into one creed these thoughts to bind, and vain the intellectual dream, to see and know the eternal mind,-- yet thou wilt turn them not aside, who cannot solve thy life divine, but would give up all reason's pride to know their hearts approved by thine. and thine unceasing love gave birth to our dear lord, thy holy son, who left a perfect proof on earth, that duty, love, and truth are one. so, though we faint on life's dark hill, and thought grow weak, and knowledge flee, yet faith shall teach us courage still, and love shall guide us on to thee! . s. m. jones very. god's fatherly care. father! there is no change to live with thee; save that in christ i grow from day to day; in each new word i hear, each thing i see, i but rejoicing hasten on my way. the morning comes, with blushes overspread, and i, new-wakened, find a morn within; and in its modest dawn around me shed, thou hear'st the prayer and the ascending hymn. hour follows hour, the lengthening shades descend; yet they could never reach as far as me. did not thy love its kind protection lend, that i, thy child, might sleep in peace with thee. . l. m. bryant. loving-kindness of god. father, to thy kind love we owe all that is fair and good below; bestower of the health that lies on tearless cheeks and cheerful eyes! giver of sunshine and of rain! ripener of fruits on hill and plain! fountain of light, that rayed afar, fills the vast urns of sun and star! who send'st thy storms and frosts to bind the plagues that rise to waste mankind; then breathest, o'er the naked scene, spring gales, and life, and tender green. yet deem we not that thus alone, thy mercy and thy love are shown; for we have learned, with higher praise, and holier names, to speak thy ways. in woe's dark hour, our kindest stay! sole trust when life shall pass away! teacher of hopes that light the gloom of death, and consecrate the tomb! . s. m. jones very. god not afar off. father! thy wonders do not singly stand, nor far removed where feet have seldom strayed; around us ever lies the enchanted land, in marvels rich to thine own sons displayed. in finding thee are all things round us found! in losing thee are all things lost beside! ears have we, but in vain sweet voices sound, and to our eyes the vision is denied. open our eyes that we that world may see! open our ears that we thy voice may hear! and in the spirit-land may ever be, and feel thy presence with us always near; no more to wander 'mid the things of time, no more to suffer death or earthly change; but-with the christian's joy and faith sublime, through all thy vast, eternal scenes to range. . c. m. montgomery. the earth full of god god, in the high and holy place, looks down upon the spheres; yet in his providence and grace to every eye appears. he bows the heavens; the mountains stand, a highway for our god: he walks amidst the desert-land; 'tis eden where he trod. the forests in his strength rejoice; hark! on the evening breeze, as once of old, the lord god's voice is heard among the trees. in every stream his bounty flows, diffusing joy and wealth; in every breeze his spirit blows,-- the breath of life and health. his blessings fall in plenteous showers upon the lap of earth, that teems with foliage, fruits, and flowers, and rings with infant mirth. if god hath made this world so fair, where sin and death abound, how beautiful beyond compare will paradise be found! . l. m. pierpont. every place a temple. o thou, to whom, in ancient time, the lyre of hebrew bards was strung; whom kings adored in songs sublime, and prophets praised with glowing tongue: not now on zion's height alone thy favored worshippers may dwell; nor where, at sultry noon, thy son sat weary, by the patriarch's well. from every place below the skies, the grateful song, the fervent prayer,-- the incense of the heart,--may rise to heaven, and find acceptance there. to thee shall age, with snowy hair, and strength, and beauty, bend the knee; and childhood lisp, with reverent air, its praises and its prayers to thee! o thou, to whom, in ancient time, the lyre of prophet bards was strung, to thee, at last, in every clime, shall temples rise, and praise be sung! . s. m. methodist. god everywhere present. they who seek the throne of grace find that throne in every place; if we live a life of prayer, god is present everywhere. in our sickness and our health, in our want, or in our wealth, if we look to god in prayer, god is present everywhere. when our earthly comforts fail, when the woes of life prevail, 'tis the time for earnest prayer;-- god is present everywhere. then, my soul, in every strait to thy father come, and wait; he will answer every prayer;-- god is present everywhere. . l. m. moore. god in all. there's nothing bright, above, below, from flowers that bloom to stars that glow, but in its light my soul can see some feature of the deity. there's nothing dark, below, above, but in its gloom i trace thy love, and meekly wait the moment when thy touch shall make all bright again. the heavens, the earth, where'er i look, shall be one pure and shining book, where i may read, in words of flame, the glories of thy wondrous name. . l. m. moore. god's presence in nature. thou art, o god, the life and light of all this wondrous world we see; its glow by day, its smile by night, are but reflections caught from thee: where'er we turn, thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. when day, with farewell beam, delays among the opening clouds of even, and we can almost think we gaze through golden vistas into heaven, those hues that make the sun's decline so soft, so radiant, lord, are thine. when night, with wings of starry gloom, o'ershadows all the earth and skies, like some dark, beauteous bird, whose plume is sparkling with unnumbered eyes, that sacred gloom, those fires divine, so grand, so countless, lord, are thine. when youthful spring around us breathes, thy spirit warms her fragrant sigh; and every flower the summer wreathes is born beneath thy kindling eye: where'er we turn, thy glories shine, and all things fair and bright are thine. . c. m. whittier. nature's worship. the ocean looketh up to heaven, as 'twere a living thing; the homage of its waves is given, in ceaseless worshipping. they kneel upon the sloping sand as bends the human knee; a beautiful and tireless band, the priesthood of the sea. the mists are lifted from the rills, like the white wing of prayer; they kneel above the ancient hills, as doing homage there. the forest-tops are lowly cast o'er breezy hill and glen, as if a prayerful spirit passed on nature as on men. the sky is as a temple's arch: the blue and wavy air is glorious with the spirit march of messengers at prayer. . l. m. h. m. williams. god in nature. my god! all nature owns thy sway; thou giv'st the night and thou the day: when all thy loved creation wakes, when morning, rich in lustre, breaks, and bathes in dew the opening flower, to thee we owe her fragrant hour; and when she pours her choral song, her melodies to thee belong. or when, in paler tints arrayed, the evening slowly spreads her shade, that soothing shade, that grateful gloom, can, more than day's enlivening bloom, still every fond and vain desire, and calmer, purer thoughts inspire; from earth the longing spirit free, and lead the softened heart to thee. as o'er thy work the seasons roll, and soothe, with change of bliss, the soul, o, never may their smiling train pass o'er the human sense in vain! but, oft as on their charms we gaze, attune the wondering soul to praise; and be the joys that most we prize the joys that from thy favor rise! . l. m. wreford. god in his works and word. god of the ocean, earth, and sky, in thy bright presence we rejoice; we feel thee, see thee ever nigh, and gladly hear thy gracious voice. we feel thee in the sunny beam; we see thee walk the mountain waves; we hear thee in the murmuring stream, and when the tempest wildly raves. god on the lonely hills we meet, god, in the vale and fragrant grove, while birds and whispering winds repeat, that god is there,--the god of love. we meet thee in the pensive hour when wearied nature sinks to rest; when dies the breeze, and sleeps the flower and peace is given to every breast. we see thee when, at eve, afar we upward lift our wondering sight, we see thee in each silent star that glorifies the gloom of night. but better still, and still more clear, thee in thy holy son we see; there thy own glorious words we hear, and learn the way to heaven and thee. . l. m. fox's hymns. the great temple. though wandering in a stranger-land, though on the waste no altar stand, take comfort! thou art not alone, while faith hath marked thee for her own. wouldst thou a temple? look above,-- the heavens stretch over all in love; a book? for thine evangel scan the wondrous history of man. and though no organ-peal be heard, in harmony the winds are stirred; and there the morning stars upraise their ancient songs of deathless praise. . l. m. w. h. burleigh. the heavens declare the glory of god. not only doth the voiceful day thy loving kindness, lord! proclaim, but night, with its sublime array of worlds, doth magnify thy name. yea, while adoring seraphim before thee bend the willing knee, from every star a choral hymn goes up unceasingly to thee. day unto day doth utter speech, and night to night thy voice makes known; through all the earth, where thought may reach, is heard the glad and solemn tone; and worlds, beyond the farthest star whose light hath reached a human eye, catch the high anthem from afar, that rolls along immensity. . l. m. bulfinch. voice of god in the soul. hath not thy heart within thee burned at evening's calm and holy hour, as if its inmost depths discerned the presence of a loftier power? hast thou not heard 'mid forest glades, while ancient rivers murmured by, a voice from forth the eternal shades, that spake a present deity? and as, upon the sacred page, thine eye in rapt attention turned o'er records of a holier age, hath not thy heart within thee burned? it was the voice of god that spake in silence to thy silent heart; and bade each worthier thought awake, and every dream of earth depart. voice of our god, o, yet be near! in low, sweet accents, whisper peace; direct us on our pathway here, then bid in heaven our wanderings cease. . c. m. jones very. the light from within. i saw on earth another light than that which lit my eye come forth, as from my soul within, and from a higher sky. its beams still shone unclouded on, when in the distant west the sun i once had known had sunk forever to his rest. and on i walked, though dark the night, nor rose his orb by day; as one to whom a surer guide was pointing out the way. 'twas brighter far than noonday's beam, it shone from god within; and lit, as by a lamp from heaven, the world's dark track of sin. . s. m. anonymous. silent worship. wouldst thou in thy lonely hour praises to the eternal pour? i will teach thy soul to be temple, hymn, and harmony. sweeter songs than poets sing thou shalt for thine offering bring; softly murmured hymns, that dwell in devotion's deepest cell. know that music's holiest strain loves to linger, loves to reign, in that calm of quiet thought which the passions trouble not. wouldst thou in thy lonely hour praises to the eternal pour? thus thy soul may learn to be temple, hymn, and harmony. . & s. m. methodist. quiet worship. open, lord, mine inward ear, and bid my heart rejoice; bid my quiet spirit hear the comfort of thy voice; never in the whirlwind found, or where earthquakes rock the place, still and silent is the sound, the whisper of thy grace. from the world of sin, and noise, and hurry, i withdraw; for the small and inward voice i wait with humble awe; silent am i now and still, will not in thy presence move; to my waiting soul reveal the secret of thy love! . c.m. cowper. retirement. far from the world, o lord! i flee, from strife and tumult far; from scenes where sin is waging still its most successful war. the calm retreat, the silent shade, with prayer and praise agree; and seem by thy sweet bounty made, for those who follow thee. there, if thy presence cheer the soul, and grace her mean abode, o, with what peace, and joy, and love, she communes with her god! there, like the nightingale, she pours her solitary lays; nor asks a witness of her song, nor thirsts for human praise. author and guardian of my life, sweet source of light divine, and,--all harmonious names in one,-- my father! thou art mine! . c. m. h. m. williams. habitual devotion. while thee i seek, protecting power! be my vain wishes stilled; and may this consecrated hour with better hopes be filled. thy love the powers of thought bestowed; to thee my thoughts would soar; thy mercy o'er my life has flowed; that mercy i adore! in each event of life, how clear thy ruling hand i see! each blessing to my soul more dear, because conferred by thee. in every joy that crowns my days, in every pain i bear, my heart shall find delight in praise, or seek relief in prayer. when gladness wings my favored hour, thy love my thoughts shall fill; resigned, when storms of sorrow lower, my soul shall meet thy will. my lifted eye, without a tear, the gathering storm shall see; my steadfast heart shall know no fear; that heart shall rest on thee! . p. m. moore. the heart's prayer. as, down in the sunless retreats of the ocean, sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see, so, deep in my soul, the still prayer of devotion, unheard by the world, rises, silent, to thee, my god! silent, to thee,-- pure, warm, silent, to thee. as still to the star of its worship, though clouded, the needle points faithfully o'er the dim sea, so, dark when i roam, in this wintry world shrouded, the hope of my spirit turns, trembling, to thee, my god! trembling, to thee,-- true, sure, trembling, to thee. . & s. m. anonymous. pray without ceasing. go when the morning shineth, go when the noon is bright, go when the eve declineth, go in the hush of night; go with pure mind and feeling, put earthly thoughts away, and, in god's presence kneeling, do thou in secret pray. remember all who love thee, all who are loved by thee; pray, too, for those who hate thee, if any such there be; then for thyself, in meekness, a blessing humbly claim, and blend with each petition thy great redeemer's name. or, if 'tis e'er denied thee in solitude to pray, should holy thoughts come o'er thee when friends are round thy way, e'en then, the silent breathing thy spirit lifts above will reach his throne of glory, where dwells eternal love. o, not a joy or blessing with this can we compare,-- the grace our father gives us to pour our souls in prayer: whene'er thou pin'st in sadness, on him who saveth, call! remember, in thy gladness, his love who gave thee all. . s. m. mrs. hemans. all must pray. child, amidst the flowers at play, while the red light fades away; mother, with thine earnest eye, ever following silently; father, by the breeze of eve called thy daily toil to leave; pray! ere yet the dark hours be, lift the heart, and bend the knee! traveller in the stranger's land, far from thine own household band; mourner, haunted by the tone of a voice from this world gone; captive, in whose narrow cell sunshine hath not leave to dwell; sailor, on the darkening sea, lift the heart, and bend the knee! ye that triumph, ye that sigh, kindred by one holy tie, heaven's first star alike ye see; lift the heart, and bend the knee! . c. m. montgomery. what is prayer? prayer is the soul's sincere desire, unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire, that trembles in the breast. prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but god is near. prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try; prayer, the sublimest strains that reach the majesty on high. prayer is the christian's vital breath, the christian's native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. prayer is the contrite sinner's voice returning from his ways; while angels in their songs rejoice, and cry, "behold, he prays!" in prayer, on earth, the saints are one; they're one in word and mind; when with the father and the son sweet fellowship they find. o thou by whom we come to god, the life, the truth, the way, the path of prayer thyself hast trod; lord, teach us how to pray! . l. m. hart. prayer the life of the soul. prayer is to god the soul's sure way; so flows the grace he waits to give; long as they live should christians pray; they learn to pray when first they live. if pain afflict, or wrongs oppress, if cares distract, or fears dismay, if guilt deject, if sin distress, in every need, still watch and pray. 'tis prayer supports the soul that's weak, though poor and broken be its word; pray if thou canst, or canst not, speak; the breathings of the soul are heard. depend on him; thou shalt prevail; make all thy wants and wishes known; fear not, his mercy will not fail; ask but in faith, it shall be done. . c. m. anonymous. silent prayer. sweet is the prayer whose holy stream in earnest pleading flows; devotion dwells upon the theme, and warm and warmer glows. faith grasps the blessing she desires, hope points the upward gaze; and love, untrembling love, inspires the eloquence of praise. but sweeter far the still, small voice, heard by no human ear, when god hath made the heart rejoice, and dried the bitter tear. nor accents flow, nor words ascend; all utterance faileth there; but listening spirits comprehend, and god accepts the prayer. iii. jesus christ. . s. m. bowring. advent. watchman! tell us of the night, what its signs of promise are; traveller! o'er yon mountain's height, see that glory-beaming star! watchman! does its beauteous ray aught of hope or joy foretell? traveller! yes; it brings the day, promised day of israel! watchman! tell us of the night, higher yet the star ascends; traveller! blessedness and light, peace and truth, its course portends. watchman! will its beams alone gild the spot that gave them birth? traveller! ages are its own; see, it bursts o'er all the earth. watchman! tell us of the night, for the morning seems to dawn; traveller! darkness takes its flight; doubt and terror are withdrawn. watchman! let thy wanderings cease; hie thee to thy quiet home; traveller! lo! the prince of peace, lo! the son of god, is come. . s. m. drummond. "prepare ye the way of the lord!" a voice from the desert comes awful and shrill; the lord is advancing; prepare ye the way! the word of jehovah he comes to fulfil, and o'er the dark world pour the splendor of day. bring down the proud mountain, though towering to heaven, and be the low valley exalted on high; the rough path and crooked be made smooth and even, for, zion! your king, your redeemer, is nigh. the beams of salvation his progress illume, the lone, dreary wilderness sings of her god; the rose and the myrtle there suddenly bloom, and the olive of peace spreads its branches abroad. . & s. m. gaskell. the dayspring from on high. darkness o'er the world was brooding sadder than egyptian gloom; souls by myriads lay in slumber deep as of the sealed tomb. earth had lost the links which bound it to the throne of light above; yet an eye was watching o'er it, and that eye was full of love. like a glorious beam of morning, straight a ray pierced through the cloud, spirits mightily awakening from their dark and heavy shroud. still that ray shines on and brightens, chasing mist and gloom away; happy they on whom it gathers with its full and perfect day! . c. m. patrick. the nativity. while shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the lord came down, and glory shone around. "fear not," said he,--for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind,-- "glad tidings of great joy i bring to you and all mankind. "to you, in david's town, this day is born, of david's line, the saviour, who is christ the lord; and this shall be the sign: "the heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swathing bands, and in a manger laid." thus spake the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels, praising god, who thus address their joyful song: "all glory be to god on high, and to the earth be peace! good-will henceforth, from heaven to men, begin and never cease!" . c. m. e. h. sears. the birth-song of christ. calm on the listening ear of night come heaven's melodious strains, where wild judea stretches far her silver-mantled plains! celestial choirs from courts above shed sacred glories there; and angels, with their sparkling lyres, make music on the air. the answering hills of palestine send back the glad reply; and greet, from all their holy heights, the dayspring from on high. o'er the blue depths of galilee there comes a holier calm, and sharon waves, in solemn praise, her silent groves of palm. "glory to god!" the sounding skies loud with their anthems ring, "peace to the earth, good-will to men from heaven's eternal king!" light on thy hills, jerusalem! the saviour now is born! and bright on bethlehem's joyous plains breaks the first christmas morn. . p. m. mrs. hemans. hymn for christmas. o lovely voices of the sky, which hymned the saviour's birth, are ye not singing still on high, ye that sang, "peace on earth"? to us yet speak the strains, wherewith, in time gone by, ye blessed the syrian swains,-- o voices of the sky! o clear and shining light, whose beams, that hour, heaven's glory shed around the palms, and o'er the streams, and on the shepherds' head! be near, through life and death, as in that holiest night of hope, and joy, and faith; o clear and shining light! o star which led to him whose love brought down man's ransom free! where art thou?--'midst the host above may we still gaze on thee? in heaven thou art not set, thy rays earth may not dim; send them to guide us yet, o star which led to him! . & s. m. heber. epiphany. brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid! star of the east, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant redeemer is laid! say, shall we yield him, in costly devotion, odors of edom, and offerings divine? gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean, myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine? vainly we offer each costly oblation; vainly with gifts would his favor secure: richer by far is the heart's adoration; dearer to god are the prayers of the poor. brightest and best of the sons of the morning, dawn on our darkness, and lend us thine aid! star of the east, the horizon adorning, guide where our infant redeemer is laid. . c. m. doddridge. mission of christ. hark! the glad sound! the saviour comes, the saviour promised long; let every heart prepare a home, and every voice a song. on him the spirit, largely poured, abides with holy fire; wisdom and might, and zeal and love, his sacred breast inspire. he comes the prisoners to release, in wretched bondage held; the gates of brass before him burst, the iron fetters yield. he comes, the broken heart to bind, the bleeding soul to cure, and, with the treasures of his grace, enrich the humble poor. our glad hosannas, prince of peace! thy welcome shall proclaim; and heaven's eternal arches ring with thy beloved name. . c. m. watts. christ's coming. joy to the world! the lord is come! let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing. joy to the earth! the saviour reigns! let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy. no more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow as far as sin is found. he rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love. . s. m. c. wesley. the star of bethlehem. sons of men, behold from far, hail the long-expected star! star of truth, that, 'mid the night, guides bewildered man aright. mild it shines on all beneath, piercing through the shades of death, scattering error's wide-spread night, kindling darkness into light. nations all, remote and near, haste to see your lord appear; haste, for him your hearts prepare, meet him manifested there! there behold the dayspring rise, pouring light on mortal eyes; see it chase the shades away, shining to the perfect day. . s. m. needham. the prince of peace. behold, the prince of peace, the chosen of the lord, god's well beloved son, fulfils the sure prophetic word! no royal pomp adorns this king of righteousness; meekness and patience, truth and love, compose his princely dress. the spirit of the lord, in rich abundance shed, on this great prophet gently lights, and rests upon his head. jesus, the light of men! his doctrine life imparts; o, may we feel its quickening power to warm and glad our hearts! cheered by its beams, our souls shall run the heavenly way; the path which christ has marked and trod will lead to endless day. . l. m. anonymous. tempted as we are. as oft, with worn and weary feet, we tread earth's rugged pathway o'er, the thought how comforting and sweet,-- christ trod this very path before; our wants, our weaknesses, he knows, from life's first dawning to its close. if we, beneath temptation's stress, do fight against dark powers within, so, in judea's wilderness, christ wrestled with the thoughts of sin, when, in a weary, lonely hour, the tempter came with all his power. so, tried as i, this earth he trod, knew every human ill but sin, and though the holiest son of god, as i am now so hath he been; jesus, my saviour! look on me; for help and strength i turn to thee! . s. m. bulfinch. "the works which i do bear witness of me." holy son of god most high! clothed in heavenly majesty, many a miracle and sign, in thy father's name divine, manifested forth thy might in the chosen people's sight. but, o saviour! not alone thus thy glory was made known; with the mourner thou didst grieve, every human want relieve; far thy matchless power above stands the witness of thy love. thou, who by the open grave, ere thy voice was raised to save, didst with those fond sisters shed tears above the faithful dead; even thy word of might appears less resistless than thy tears. lord! it is not ours to gaze on thy works of ancient days; but thy love, unchanged and bright, more than all those works of might, more than miracle or sign, makes us ever, ever thine. . c. m. mrs. hemans. christ stilling the tempest. fear was within the tossing bark, when stormy winds grew loud; and waves came rolling high and dark, and the tall mast was bowed. but the wind ceased,--it ceased,--a word passed through the gloomy sky; the troubled billows knew their lord, and sank beneath his eye. and slumber settled on the deep, and silence on the blast; they sank as flowers that fold to sleep when sultry day is past. o thou that in its wildest hour didst rule the tempest's mood, send now thy spirit forth in power o'er our dark souls to brood! thou that didst bow the billows' pride, thy mandate to fulfil, speak, speak to passion's raging tide, speak, and say, "peace, be still!" . c. m. bulfinch. the pool of bethesda. the aged sufferer waited long upon bethesda's brink; till hopes, once rising warm and strong, began in fears to sink; and heavy were the sighs he drew, and fervent was his prayer, for he, with safety full in view, still languished helpless there. his hope grew dim; but one was nigh who saw the sufferer's grief; that gentle voice, that pitying eye, gave promise of relief. each pang that human weakness knows obeyed that powerful word; he spake, and lo! the sick arose, rejoicing in his lord. father of jesus, when oppressed with grief and pain we lie, and, longing for thy heavenly rest, despair to look on high, o, may the saviour's words of peace within the wounded heart bid every doubt and suffering cease, and strength and joy impart! . c. m. bulfinch. christ walking on the sea. lord, in whose might the saviour trod the dark and stormy wave, and trusted in his father's arm, omnipotent to save; when darkly round our footsteps rise the floods and storms of life, send thou thy spirit down to still the dark and fearful strife. strong in our trust, on thee reposed, the ocean-path we'll dare, though waves around us rage and foam, since thou art present there. . p. m. bowring. "he was there alone." he was there alone, when even had round earth its mantle thrown, holding intercourse with heaven: he was there alone. there his inmost heart's emotion made he to his father known; in the spirit of devotion musing there alone. so let us, from earth retiring, seek our god and father's throne; and, to other scenes aspiring, train our hearts, alone. . l. m. bowring. jesus teaching the people. how sweetly flowed the gospel's sound from lips of gentleness and grace, when listening thousands gathered round, and joy and reverence filled the place. from heaven he came, of heaven he spoke, to heaven he led his followers' way; dark clouds of gloomy night he broke, unveiling an immortal day. "come wanderers, to my father's home, come, all ye weary ones, and rest!" yes, sacred teacher, we will come, obey thee, love thee, and be blest. decay, then, tenements of dust! pillars of earthly pride, decay! a nobler mansion waits the just, and jesus has prepared the way. . s. m. anonymous. the mind which was in christ jesus. ever patient, loving, meek, holy saviour, was thy mind; vainly in myself i seek likeness to my lord to find; yet the mind that was in thee may be, must be, formed in me. since such griefs were thine to bear, for each sufferer thou couldst feel, every mourner's burden share, every wounded spirit heal. saviour, let thy grace in me form that mind which was in thee. when my pain is most intense, let thy cross my lesson prove; let me hear thee even thence; breathing words of peace and love; thus thy grace shall form in me the same mind which was in thee. . s. m. barbauld. christ's invitations. come, said jesus' sacred voice, come and make my paths your choice; i will guide you to your home; weary pilgrim! hither come. thou who, houseless, sole, forlorn, long hast borne the proud world's scorn, long hast roamed the barren waste, weary pilgrim! hither haste. ye who, tossed on beds of pain, seek for ease, and seek in vain; ye whose swoln and sleepless eyes watch to see the morning rise; ye, by fiercer anguish torn, in remorse for guilt who mourn, here repose your heavy care; who the stings of sin can bear? sufferer! come, for here is found balm that flows for every wound; peace that ever shall endure, rest eternal, sacred, sure. . c. m. gaskell. spirit of jesus. o, not to crush with abject fear the burdened soul of man did jesus on the earth appear, and open heaven's high plan: he came to bid him find repose, and god his father know; and thus with love to raise up those that once were bowed low. o, not in coldness nor in pride his holy path he trod; 'twas his delight to turn aside and win the lost to god; and unto sorrowing guilt disclose the fount whence peace should flow; and thus with love to raise up those that once were bowed low. o, not with cold, unfeeling eye did he the suffering view; not on the other side pass by, and deem their tears untrue; 'twas joy to him to heal their woes, and heaven's sweet refuge show; and thus with love to raise up those that once were bowed low. . l. m. bache. "behold how he loved him." "see how he loved!" exclaimed the jews, when jesus o'er his lazarus wept; my grateful heart the words shall use, while on his life my eye is kept. see how he loved, who travelled on, teaching the doctrine from the skies; who bade disease and pain be gone, and called the sleeping dead to rise. see how he loved, who, firm yet mild, with patience bore the scoffing tongue; though oft provoked, yet ne'er reviled, nor did his greatest foe a wrong. see how he loved, who never shrank from toil or danger, pain or death; who all the cup of sorrow drank, and meekly yielded up his breath. . l. m. a. c. coxe. divine beauty of christ's character. how beauteous were the marks divine, that in thy meekness used to shine, that lit thy lonely pathway, trod in wondrous love, o son of god! o, who like thee,--so calm, so bright, so pure, so made to live in light? o, who like thee did ever go so patient through a world of woe? o, who like thee so humbly bore the scorn, the scoffs, of men before? so meek, forgiving, godlike, high, so glorious in humility? the bending angels stooped to see the lisping infant clasp thy knee, and smile, as in a father's eye, upon thy mild divinity. and death, which sets the prisoner free, was pang and scoff and scorn to thee; yet love through all thy torture glowed, and mercy with thy life-blood flowed. o, in thy light be mine to go, illuming all my way of woe; and give me ever on the road to trace thy footsteps, son of god! . l. m. brettell. the life of jesus. he lived as none but he has lived, that wisest teacher from above; he died as none but he has died,-- his every act an act of love. his fervent piety was breathed to the lone waste, the desert hill; and in the haunts of men he sought to do his heavenly father's will. he preached the gospel to the poor, beside the couch of anguish stood, consoled the sufferer, healed the sick, and went about still doing good. with sinners he conversed, and gave peace to the weary, troubled mind; yet free from stain till life's last hour, in him his foes no fault could find. born 'midst the humblest sons of earth, all earth's temptations he withstood; and yet all human praise renounced, declaring god alone is good. . p. m. anonymous. he had not where to lay his head. birds have their quiet nest, foxes their holes, and man his peaceful bed; all creatures have their rest, but jesus had not where to lay his head. and yet he came to give the weary and the heavy-laden rest; to bid the sinner live, and soothe our griefs to slumber on his breast. let the birds seek their nest, foxes their holes, and man his peaceful bed; come, saviour, in my breast come and repose thine oft rejected head! come! give me rest, and take the only rest on earth thou lov'st, within a heart that for thy sake shall purify itself from every sin. . l. m. russell. through his poverty made rich. on the dark-wave of galilee the gloom of twilight gathers fast; and o'er the waters heavily sweeps cold and drear the evening blast. still near the lake, with weary tread, lingers a form of human kind; and on his lone, unsheltered head, flows the chill night-damp of the wind. why seeks he not a home of rest? why seeks he not the pillowed bed? beasts have their dens, the bird his nest;-- he hath not where to lay his head. such was the lot he freely chose, to bless, to save, the human race; and through his poverty there flows a rich, full stream of heavenly grace. . l. m. *gaskell. christ the sufferer. dark were the paths our master trod, yet never failed his trust in god; cruel and fierce the wrongs he bore, yet he but felt for man the more. unto the cross in faith he went, his father's willing instrument; upon the cross his prayer arose in pity for his ruthless foes. o, may we all his kindred be, by holy love and sympathy; still loving man through every ill, and trusting in our father's will! . l. m. bulfinch. christ the sufferer. o suffering friend of human kind! how, as the fatal hour drew near, came thronging on thy holy mind the images of grief and fear. gethsemane's sad midnight scene, the faithless friends, the exulting foes, the thorny crown, the insult keen, the scourge, the cross, before thee rose. did not thy spirit shrink dismayed, as the dark vision o'er it came; and though in sinless strength arrayed, turn, shuddering, from the death of shame? onward, like thee, through scorn and dread, may we our father's call obey, steadfast thy path of duty tread, and rise, through death, to endless day. . l. m. doddridge. "thy will, not mine, be done." "father divine!" the saviour cried, while horrors pressed on every side, and prostrate on the ground he lay, "remove this bitter cup away. "but if these pangs must still be borne, or helpless man be left forlorn, i bow my soul before thy throne, and say,--thy will, not mine, be done!" thus our submissive souls would bow, and, taught by jesus, lie as low; our hearts, and not our lips alone, would say,--thy will, not ours, be done! . l. m. anonymous. "let this cup pass from me." a voice upon the midnight air, where kedron's moonlit waters stray, weeps forth in agony of prayer, "o father, take this cup away!" ah, thou who sorrow'st unto death, we conquer in thy mortal fray; and earth for all her children saith, "o god, take not this cup away!" o lord of sorrow, meekly die; thou'lt heal or hallow all our woe; thy peace shall still the mourner's sigh; thy strength shall raise the faint and low. great chief of faithful souls, arise; none else can lead the martyr band, who teach the soul how peril flies, when faith, unarmed, uplifts the hand. o king of earth, the cross ascend; o'er climes and ages 'tis thy throne; where'er thy fading eye may bend, the desert blooms and is thine own. thy parting blessing, lord, we pray; make but one fold below, above; and when we go the last, lone way, o, give the welcome of thy love. . c. h. m. mrs. hemans. the agony in the garden. he knelt; the saviour knelt and prayed, when but his father's eye looked, through the lonely garden's shade, on that dread agony; he poured in prayer his suppliant breath, bowed down with sorrow unto death. the sun went down in fearful hour; the heavens might well grow dim, when this mortality had power thus to o'ershadow him; that he who came to save might know the very depths of human woe. he knew them all,--the doubt, the strife, the faint, perplexing dread; the mists that hang o'er parting life all darkened round his head; and the deliverer knelt to pray; yet passed it not, that cup, away. it passed not, though the stormy wave had sunk beneath his tread; it passed not, though to him the grave had yielded up its dead; but there was sent him, from on high, a gift of strength, for man to die. and was his mortal hour beset with anguish and dismay? how may we meet our conflict yet in the dark, narrow way? how, but through him that path who trod? save, or we perish, son of god! . & s. m. bulfinch. bearing the cross. burden of shame and woe! how does the heart o'erflow at thought of him the bitter cross who bore! but we have each our own, to others oft unknown, which we must bear till life shall be no more. and shall we fear to tread the path where jesus led, the pure and holy one, for man who died? or shall we shrink from shame, endured for jesus' name, our glorious lord, once spurned and crucified? then, 'mid the woes that wait on this our mortal state, patience shall cheer affliction, toil, and loss, and though the tempter's art assail the struggling heart, still, saviour! in thy name we bear the cross. . s. m. bulfinch. the crucifixion. in the saviour's hour of death, bound upon the cross of fear, while his quick and struggling breath spoke the fatal moment near, while his proud, triumphant foes mocked the sufferings that he bore, then his loving spirit rose more sublime than e'er before. he has taught us to forgive, by his words in days gone by; he has taught us how to live; can he teach us how to die? listen! as the cross they raise, one brief prayer ascends to heaven; for his murderers he prays,-- father, may they be forgiven! . p. m. w. j. fox. stabat mater. jews were wrought to cruel madness, christians fled in fear and sadness, mary stood the cross beside. at its foot her foot she planted, by the dreadful scene undaunted, till the gentle sufferer died. poets oft have sung her story; painters decked her brow with glory; priests her name have deified; but no worship, song, or glory, touches like that simple story,-- "mary stood the cross beside." and when under fierce oppression goodness suffers like transgression, christ again is crucified. but if love be there, true-hearted, by no grief or terror parted, mary stands the cross beside. . s. m. bulfinch. "it is finished." it is finished! glorious word from thy lips, our suffering lord! words of high, triumphant might, ere thy spirit takes its flight. it is finished! all is o'er; pain and scorn oppress no more. now, no more foreboding dread shades the path thy feet must tread; no more fear, lest in thine hour pain should patience overpower; on the perfect sacrifice not a stain of weakness lies. champion! lay thine armor by; 'tis thine hour of victory! all thy toils are now o'erpast; thou hast found thy rest at last; all hath faithfully been done, and the world's salvation won. . p. m. h. ware. easter hymn. lift your glad voices in triumph on high, for jesus hath risen, and man cannot die. vain were the terrors that gathered around him, and short the dominion of death and the grave; he burst from the fetters of darkness that bound him, resplendent in glory, to live and to save. loud was the chorus of angels on high,-- "the saviour hath risen, and man shall not die." glory to god, in full anthems of joy; the being he gave us death cannot destroy. sad were the life we must part with to-morrow, if tears were our birthright, and death were our end; but jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow, and bade us, immortal, to heaven ascend. lift, then, your voices in triumph on high, for jesus hath risen, and man shall not die. . & s. m. anonymous. "let there be light." on earth was darkness spread, one boundless night; "let there be light," god said,-- and there was light! there hung a deeper gloom o'er quick and dead, but jesus burst the tomb, and darkness fled. god by his word arrayed darkness with light; god by his son displayed day without night. for thee, o man, arose creation's ray; for thee, too, brighter glows salvation's day. the beams first poured on earth for mortals shone; the light of later birth immortals own. iv. remembrance of christ. . c. m. montgomery. "in remembrance of me." according to thy gracious word, in meek humility, this will i do, my dying lord, i will remember thee. thy body, broken for my sake, my bread from heaven shall be; thy testamental cup i take, and thus remember thee. gethsemane can i forget? or there thy conflict see, thine agony and bloody sweat, and not remember thee? when to the cross i turn mine eyes, and rest on calvary, o lamb of god, my sacrifice! i must remember thee;-- remember thee, and all thy pains, and all thy love to me; yea, while a breath, a pulse, remains, will i remember thee. . p. m. whittier. watching with jesus. o thou, who in the garden's shade didst wake thy weary ones again, who slumbered at that fearful hour, forgetful of thy pain,-- bend o'er us now, as over them, and set our sleep-bound spirits free, nor leave us slumbering in the watch our souls should keep with thee! . p. m. f. h. hedge. strength from the cross. "it is finished!" man of sorrows! from thy cross our frailty borrows strength to bear and conquer thus. while extended there we view thee, mighty sufferer! draw us to thee; sufferer victorious! not in vain for us uplifted, man of sorrows, wonder-gifted! may that sacred emblem be; lifted high amid the ages, guide of heroes, saints, and sages, may it guide us still to thee! still to thee! whose love unbounded sorrow's depths for us has sounded, perfected by conflicts sore. honored be thy cross forever; star, that points our high endeavor whither thou hast gone before! . & s. m. *mrs. miles. looking unto jesus. it was no path of flowers, which, through this world of ours, beloved of the father, thou didst tread; and shall we in dismay shrink from the narrow way, when clouds and darkness are around it spread? o thou, who art our life, be with us through the strife; thy holy head by earth's fierce storms was bowed; raise thou our eyes above, to see a father's love beam, like a bow of promise, through the cloud. and, o, if thoughts of gloom should hover o'er the tomb, that light of love our guiding star shall be; our spirits shall not dread the shadowy way to tread, friend, guardian, saviour, which doth lead to thee. . s. m. montgomery. made perfect through suffering. go to dark gethsemane, ye that feel temptation's power, your redeemer's conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour; turn not from his griefs away, learn of jesus christ to pray! follow to the judgment-hall, view the lord of life arraigned; o the wormwood and the gall! o the griefs his soul sustained! shun not suffering, shame, or loss; learn of him to bear the cross! calvary's mournful mountain climb; there, admiring at his feet, mark that miracle of time, love's own sacrifice complete; "it is finished," hear him cry; learn of jesus christ to die! . s. m. anonymous. strength through christ's sufferings. when my love to christ grows weak, when for deeper faith i seek, then in thought i go to thee, garden of gethsemane! there i walk amid the shades, while the lingering twilight fades, see that suffering, friendless one weeping, praying there alone. when my love for christ grows weak, when for stronger faith i seek, hill of calvary! i go to thy scenes of fear and woe;-- there behold his agony, suffered on the bitter tree; see his anguish, see his faith; love triumphant still in death. then to life i turn again, learning all the worth of pain, learning all the might that lies in a full self-sacrifice. . & s. m. bowring. glorying in the cross. in the cross of christ we glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. when the woes of life overtake us, hopes deceive, and fears annoy; never shall the cross forsake us, lo! it glows with peace and joy! when the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon our way; from the cross the radiance streaming adds more lustre to the day. bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide. in the cross of christ we glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time; all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime. . l. m. emily taylor. looking to jesus. if love, the noblest, purest, best, if truth, all other truth above, may claim return from every breast, o, surely jesus claims our love! there's not a hope with comfort fraught, triumphant over death and time, but jesus mingles in that thought, forerunner of our course sublime. his image meets us in the hour of joy, and brightens every smile; we see him, when the tempests lower, each terror soothe, each grief beguile. we see him in the daily round of social duty, mild and meek; with him we tread the hallowed ground, communion with our god to seek. we see his pitying, gentle eye, when lonely want appeals for aid; we hear him in the frequent sigh, that mourns the waste that sin has made. we meet him at the lowly tomb, and weep where jesus wept before; and there, above the grave's dark gloom, we see him rise,--and weep no more. . l. m. *watts. the divine example. my dear redeemer, and my lord, i read my duty in thy word; but in thy life the law appears drawn out in living characters. such was thy truth, and such thy zeal, such deference to thy father's will, such love, and meekness so divine, i would transcribe, and make them mine. cold mountains, and the midnight air, witnessed the fervor of thy prayer; the desert thy temptations knew, thy conflict, and thy victory too. be thou my pattern; may i bear more of thy gracious image here; and, by the paths which thou hast trod, press on to holiness and god. . s. m. gaskell. christ who strengtheneth me. when arise the thoughts of sin, when the world our hearts would win, when, to selfish pleasure given, droops the love that blooms for heaven; lord, we would remember thee,-- thou wilt our redeemer be. when, with footsteps faint and slow, duty's upward path we go; when, by toils and hardship pressed, round we turn to look for rest; lord, we would remember thee, thou our guide and strength wilt be. when the way grows dark and drear, when, beset by doubt and fear, we can see no beam of light struggling through the thickening night; lord, we would remember thee, thou our comforter wilt be. . c. m. gaskell. following after jesus. in vain we thus recall to mind the cross our master bore, unless a holier strength we find, and love his spirit more. may we, like him, though thanked with ill; insulted, and withstood, in hope and patience labor still to do our brethren good. like him may we, unmurmuring, go our heaven-appointed way, and learn, 'midst gathering storms of woe, "god's will be done!" to say. . s. m. whittier. christ present in the spirit. o, what though our feet may not tread where christ trod, nor our ears hear the dashing of galilee's flood, nor our eyes see the cross that he bowed him to bear, nor our knees press gethsemane's garden of prayer! yet, loved of the father! thy spirit is near to the meek and the lowly and penitent here; and the voice of thy love is the same, even now, as at bethany's tomb, or on olivet's brow. o, the outward has gone, but in glory and power the spirit surviveth the things of an hour; unchanged, undecaying, its pentecost flame on the heart's secret altar is burning, the same. . c. m. emily taylor. "i pray not for these alone." "o, not for these alone i pray," the dying saviour said; though on his breast that moment lay the loved disciple's head; though to his eye that moment sprung the kind, the pitying tear for those that eager round him hung, his words of love to hear. no, not for them alone he prayed;-- for all of mortal race, whene'er their fervent prayer is made, where'er their dwelling-place. sweet is the thought, when here we meet, his feast of love to share; and, 'mid the toils of life, how sweet the memory of his prayer! . l. m. gaskell. bearing with us the dying of jesus. not in this simple rite alone may calvary's cross to us be shown; but may we turn, in many an hour, to feel its soul-constraining power. when indolence would have its will, and selfish ease would keep us still, then to the saviour may we look, and meet his eye's serene rebuke. when men have done us cruel wrong, and angry thoughts are rising strong, may we with softened hearts turn there, and learn the lord's forgiving prayer. when sin looks tempting in our eyes, may jesus on the cross arise, and ask if we will him forsake, and wear the chains he died to break. when pain, or sickness, or distress, our fainting souls would overpress, to him on calvary looking still, may we find strength to bear god's will. . s. m. pratt's coll. bread of heaven. bread of heaven, on thee we feed, for thy flesh is meat indeed; ever let our souls be fed with this true and living bread. vine of heaven, thy blood supplies this blest cup of sacrifice; lord, thy wounds our healing give; to thy cross we look and live. day by day with strength supplied, through the life of him who died, lord of life, o, let us be rooted, grafted, built on thee! . l. m. anonymous. the presence of jesus. when, blest redeemer, thou art near, the soul enjoys a sacred peace: thy presence calms our every fear, and gives from every doubt release. be with us now, in truth and love, in strength that conquers every sin; o, cleanse, and bless, and lift above, and may thy cross our hearts still win. in suffering may we strength receive from memory of thy victory won; in doubt our drooping hopes revive;-- thus be thy presence with us shown! be ever near our spirits, lord; and, drawn by sympathy, may we still, through thy cross, thy life, thy word, in faith and love come near to thee! . s. m. c. wesley. presence of jesus. not in the name of pride or selfishness we're met; from worldly paths we turn aside, and worldly thoughts forget. jesus, we look to thee, thy promised presence claim! thou in the midst of us shalt be, assembled in thy name. present we know thou art; but, o, thyself reveal! now, lord, let every bounding heart thy peace and gladness feel! o, may thy quickening voice the death of sin remove; and bid our inmost souls rejoice in hope of perfect love! . s. m. t. parker. christ the way, the truth and the life. o thou great friend to all the sons of men, who once appeared in humblest guise below, sin to rebuke, to break the captive's chain, and call thy brethren forth from want and woe; we look to thee! thy truth is still the light, which guides the nations, groping on their way, stumbling and falling in disastrous night, yet hoping ever for the perfect day. yes! thou art still the life; thou art the way the holiest know;--light, life, and way of heaven! and they who dearest hope, and deepest pray, toil by the light, life, way, which thou hast given. . c. m. anonymous. one in christ. a holy air is breathing round, a fragrance from above; be every soul from sense unbound, be every spirit love. o god, unite us heart to heart, in sympathy divine, that we be never drawn apart, and love not thee nor thine; but, by the cross of jesus taught, and all thy gracious word, be nearer to each other brought, and nearer to the lord. . c. m. emily taylor. communion. o, here, if ever, god of love! let strife and hatred cease; and every thought harmonious move, and every heart be peace. not here, where met to think of him whose latest thoughts were ours, shall mortal passions come to dim the prayer devotion pours. no, gracious master, not in vain thy life of love hath been; the peace thou gav'st may yet remain, though thou no more art seen. thy kingdom come! we watch, we wait, to hear thy cheering call; when heaven shall ope its glorious gate, and god be all in all. . & s. m. anonymous. invitation. "come who will," the voice from heaven, like a silver trumpet, calls; "come who will,"--the church hath given back the echo from its walls. come, to rivers ever flowing from the high, eternal throne; come, where god, his gifts bestowing, in the church on earth is known. heavenly music! he who listens, longing for his spirit's home, while his eye with rapture glistens, yearning says,--"i come, i come!" . & s. m. anonymous. "come unto me." come unto me, when shadows darkly gather, when the sad heart is weary and distrest, seeking for comfort from your heavenly father, come unto me, and i will give you rest! ye who have mourned when the spring-flowers were taken, when the ripe fruit fell richly to the ground, when the loved slept, in brighter homes to waken, where their pale brows with spirit-wreaths are crowned; large are the mansions in thy father's dwelling, glad are the homes that sorrows never dim; sweet are the harps in holy music swelling, soft are the tones which raise the heavenly hymn; there, like an eden blossoming in gladness, bloom the fair flowers the earth too rudely pressed; come unto me, all ye who droop in sadness, come unto me, and i will give you rest. . , , & s. m. anonymous. the weary and heavy-laden. come to jesus, o my brothers, come in this accepted hour; jesus ready stands to save you, full of pity, love, and power; he is able, he is willing,--doubt no more. let not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream; all the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him; this he gives you,-- 'tis the spirit's struggling beam. come, ye weary, heavy laden; wait not,--'tis your saviour's call; if you tarry till you're better, you will never come at all. not the righteous, sinners, jesus came to call. . p. m. moore. come, ye disconsolate. come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; come, at the shrine of god fervently kneel! here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. joy of the desolate, light of the straying, hope, when all others die, fadeless and pure, here speaks the comforter, in god's name saying, earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure. here see the bread of life; see waters flowing forth from the throne of god, living and pure; come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure. . c. m. anonymous. parting hymn. through thee as we together came, in singleness of heart, and met, o jesus! in thy name, so in thy name we part. nearer to thee our spirits lead, and still thy love bestow, till thou hast made us free indeed, and spotless, here below. when to the right or left we stray, leave us not comfortless, but guide our feet into the way of everlasting peace. . & s. m. briggs' coll. benediction. the peace which god bestows through him who died and rose, the peace the father giveth through the son, be known in every mind, the broken heart to bind, and bless each traveller as he journeys on. ye who have known to weep, where your beloved sleep; ye who have raised the deep, the bitter cry-- god's blessing be as balm, the fevered heart to calm, and wondrous peace the troubled mind supply. ere daily strifes begin the war without, within, the god of love, with spirit and with power, now on each bended head his deepest blessing shed, and keep us all through every troubled hour. v. christianity and the kingdom of heaven. . c. m. gaskell. the heralds of the cross. forth went the heralds of the cross, no dangers made them pause; they counted all the world but loss, for their great master's cause. through looks of fire, and words of scorn, serene their path they trod; and to the dreary dungeon borne, sang praises unto god. friends dropped the hand they clasped before, love changed to cruel hate; and home to them was home no more; yet mourned they not their fate. in all his dark and dread array, death rose upon their sight; but calmly still they kept their way, and shrank not from the fight. they knew to whom their trust was given, they could not doubt his word; before them beamed the light of heaven, the presence of their lord. o, may a faith as true be ours, and shed as pure a light of peace across the darkest hours, and make the last one bright! . s. m. *johns. the preachers of the word. thanks to god for those who came in the saviour's glorious name; who upon the green earth trod but to teach the truth of god. for the great apostles, first, who from life's endearments burst, going from the cross, and then leading to the cross again: for the next, who meekly poured willing blood to serve the lord; fearless bore the racks of pain, felon's death, or captive's chain; and for all, from shore to shore, who the blessed tidings bore; all who wrought for liberty when 'twas treason to be free. ye, who now, in better days, live to spread your maker's praise, shedding, each man's home around, light that consecrates the ground; teachers of the word of light, go forth in your master's might! speed your embassy where'er life has grief, or death has fear! . s. m. ancient hymns. thanks for all saints. for all thy saints, o god, who strove in christ to live, who followed him, obeyed, adored, our grateful hymn receive. for all thy saints, o god, accept our thankful cry, who counted christ their great reward, and yearned for him to die. they all, in life and death, with him, their lord, in view, learned from thy holy spirit's breath to suffer and to do. for this thy name we bless, and humbly pray that we may follow them in holiness, and live and die in thee. . s. m. anonymous. the word of god. god of the prophets' power! god of the gospel's sound! move glorious on,--send out thy voice to all the nations round. with hearts and lips unfeigned, we bless thee for thy word; we praise thee for the joyful news of our ascended lord. o, may we treasure well the counsels that we hear, till righteousness and solemn joy in all our hearts appear. water the sacred seed, and give it large increase; may neither fowls, nor rocks, nor thorns, prevent the fruits of peace. and though we sow in tears, our souls at last shall come, and gather in our sheaves with joy, at heaven's great harvest-home. . h. m. doddridge. the gospel. mark the soft falling snow and the diffusive rain! to heaven, from whence it fell, it turns not back again; till, watering earth through every pore, it calls forth all her secret store. arrayed in beauteous green, the hills and valleys shine, and man and beast are fed by providence divine: the harvest bows its golden ears, the copious seed of future years. "so," saith the god of grace, "my gospel shall descend, almighty to effect the purpose i intend; millions of souls shall feel its power, and bear it down to millions more." . s. m. moore. christianity. behold the sun, how bright from yonder east he springs, as if the soul of life and light were breathing from his wings. so bright the gospel broke upon the souls of men; so fresh the dreaming world awoke in truth's full radiance then. before yon sun arose, stars clustered through the sky; but, o, how dim, how pale, were those, to his one burning eye! so truth lent many a ray, to bless the pagan's night; but, lord, how faint, how cold, were they, to thy one glorious light! . l. m. emily taylor. thy kingdom come! "thy kingdom come!" the heathen lands, in error sunk, thy presence crave; and victims bound by tyrant hands implore thee, father, come and save! "thy kingdom come!" each troubled mind in doubt and darkness calls for thee; for thou hast eyes to give the blind, and strength to set the captive free. thy reign of peace and love begin! too oft the christian's sacred name is stained by wrath and shamed by sin; o, come, assert the gospel's claim! o, never in that righteous cause our hearts be slow, our voices dumb; upon the glorious theme we pause, and fervent pray, "thy kingdom come!" . c. m. gaskell. thy kingdom come! o god! the darkness roll away which clouds the human soul, and let the bright, the perfect day, speed onward to its goal. let every hateful passion die, which makes of brethren foes; and war no longer raise its cry, to mar the world's repose. let faith, and hope, and charity, go forth through all the earth; and man, in heavenly bearing, be true to his heavenly birth. yea, let thy glorious kingdom come of holiness and love, and make this world a portal meet for thy bright courts above. . s. m. *h. martineau. the coming of christ in power. lord jesus, come! for here our path through wilds is laid; we watch, as for the dayspring near, amid the breaking shade. lord jesus, come! for hosts meet on the battle-plain; our holiest hopes seem vainest boasts, and tears are shed like rain. lord jesus, come! the slave still bears his heavy chains; their daily bread the hungry crave, while teem the fruitful plains. hark! herald voices near lead on thy happier day; come, lord, and our hosannas hear! we wait to strew thy way. come, as in days of old, with words of grace and power; gather us all within thy fold, and let us stray no more! . & s. m. marriott. let there be light. thou, whose almighty word chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight! hear us, we humbly pray, and where the gospel day sheds not its glorious ray, let there be light! thou, who didst come to bring, on thy redeeming wing, healing and sight! health to the sick in mind, light to the inly blind, o, now to all mankind let there be light! descend thou from above, spirit of truth and love, speed on thy flight! move o'er the waters' face, spirit of hope and grace, and in earth's darkest place let there be light! blessed and glorious three, thrice holy trinity, wisdom, love, might! boundless as ocean's tide, rolling in fullest pride, through the world, far and wide, let there be light! . c. m. *moore. the latter day. who shall behold the glorious day, when, throned on zion's brow, the lord shall rend the veil away which hides the nations now! when earth no more beneath the fear of his rebuke shall lie; when pain shall cease, and every tear be wiped from every eye. then shall the world no longer mourn beneath oppression's chain; the days of splendor shall return, and all be new again. the fount of life shall then be quaffed in peace by all who come, and every wind that blows shall waft some long-lost exile home. . l. m. watts. christ's kingdom. jesus shall reign where'er the sun does his successive journeys run; his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more. for him shall endless prayer be made, and praises throng to crown his head; his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise with every morning sacrifice. people, and realms, of every tongue, dwell on his love with sweetest song; and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on his name. blessings abound where'er he reigns; the prisoner leaps to loose his chains; the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest. let every creature rise and bring peculiar honors to our king; angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud amen! . s. m. ashworth. triumph of the gospel. pour, blessed gospel, glorious news for man! thy stream of life o'er springless deserts roll: thy bond of peace the mighty earth can span, and make one brotherhood from pole to pole. on, piercing gospel, on! of every heart, in every latitude, thou own'st the key: from their dull slumbers savage souls shall start, with all their treasures first unlocked by thee! tread, kingly gospel, through the nations tread! with all the noblest virtues in thy train: be all to thy blest freedom captive led; and christ, the true emancipator, reign! spread, giant gospel, spread thy growing wings! gather thy scattered ones from every land: call home the wanderers to the king of kings: proclaim them all thine own;--'tis his command! . l. m. anonymous. hymn of the church triumphant. triumphant zion! lift thy head from dust, and darkness, and the dead; though humbled long, awake at length and gird thee with thy saviour's strength! put all thy beauteous garments on, and let thine excellence be known; decked in the robes of righteousness, thy glories shall the world confess. no more shall foes unclean invade, and fill thy hallowed walls with dread; no more shall sin's insulting host their victory and thy sorrows boast. thy god on high has heard thy prayer, his hand thy ruin shall repair; nor will thy watchful monarch cease to guard thee in eternal peace. . c. m. montgomery. daughter of zion. daughter of zion! from the dust exalt thy fallen head; again in thy redeemer trust, he calls thee from the dead. awake, awake! put on thy strength, thy beautiful array; the day of freedom dawns at length, the lord's appointed day. rebuild thy walls, thy bounds enlarge, and send thy heralds forth; say to the south, "give up thy charge, and keep not back, o north!" they come, they come;--thine exiled bands, where'er they rest or roam, have heard thy voice in distant lands, and hasten to their home. . & s. m. newton. the church everlasting. glorious things of thee are spoken, zion, city of our god! he whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode. on the rock of ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? with salvation's walls surrounded, thou may'st smile at all thy foes. see! the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove. who can faint while such a river ever flows their thirst to assuage? love, which, like the lord, the giver, never fails from age to age. round each habitation hovering, see the cloud and fire appear! for a glory and a covering, showing that the lord is near: thus deriving from their banner light by night and shade by day, safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray. . l. m. whittier. christianity. o fairest-born of love and light, yet bending brow and eye severe on all which pains the holy sight, or wounds the pure and perfect ear,-- the generous feeling, pure and warm, which owns the rights of all divine, the pitying heart, the helping arm, the prompt self-sacrifice, are thine! beneath thy broad, impartial eye, how fade the lines of caste and birth! how equal in their sufferings lie the groaning multitudes of earth! still to a stricken brother true, whatever clime hath nurtured him; as stooped to heal the wounded jew the worshipper of gerizim. in holy words which cannot die, in thoughts which angels leaned to know, christ gave thy message from on high, thy mission to a world of woe. that voice's echo hath not died; from the blue lake of galilee, from tabor's lonely mountain-side, it calls a struggling world to thee. . c. m. h. martineau. christian equality. all men are equal in their birth, heirs of the earth and skies; all men are equal, when that earth fails from their dying eyes. god greets the throngs who pay their vows in courts their hands have made; and hears the worshipper who bows beneath the plantain shade. 'tis man alone who difference sees, and speaks of high and low; and worships those, and tramples these, while the same path they go. o, let man hasten to restore to all their rights of love! in power and wealth exult no more, in wisdom lowly move. ye great! renounce your earth-born pride; ye low! your shame and fear; live, as ye worship, side by side; your brotherhood revere. . c. m. bulfinch. "that they may be one." was it in vain that jesus prayed for those he came to save, when darkly o'er his path was laid the shadow of the grave? hath jesus loved and prayed in vain? o doubting heart, be still! yet holds the lord his glorious reign, despite of wrong and ill. though nations with their battle-cries profane the almighty's name, though bigots to the offended skies their own wild wrath proclaim,-- thousands, in every christian land, have never bowed the knee in worship to the idol-band of strife and perfidy. and these are one;--though some may bend before the virgin's shrine, while others' prayers and thanks ascend, father! alone at thine,-- yet they are one; if through their hearts the soul of love be poured, as swells some strain of various parts, yet all in sweet accord. . s. m. johns. human brotherhood. hush the loud cannon's roar, the frantic warrior's call! why should the earth be drenched with gore? are we not brothers all? want, from the wretch depart! chains, from the captive fall! sweet mercy, melt the oppressor's heart,-- sufferers are brothers all. churches and sects, strike down each mean partition-wall! let love each harsher feeling drown,-- christians are brothers all. let love and truth alone hold human hearts in thrall, that heaven its work at length may own, and men be brothers all. . c. m. gaskell. peace. how long, o lord, his brother's blood shall man in battle spill? how long that mandate be withstood, which cries, "thou shalt not kill?" how long shall glory still be found in scenes of cruel strife, where misery walks, a giant crowned, crushing the flowers of life? o, hush, great god! the sounds of war, and make thy children feel that he, with thee, is noblest far, who toils for human weal;-- and though forgotten, he alone can be a christian true who would his foes as brethren own, and still their good pursue. . s. m. milman. he rebuked the wind and the sea. lord! thou didst arise and say to the troubled waters, peace! and the tempest died away; down they sank, the foaming seas, and a calm and heaving sleep spread o'er all the glassy deep; all the azure lake serene like another heaven was seen. lord! thy gracious word repeat to the billows of the proud! quell the tyrant's martial heat, quell the fierce and changing crowd! then the earth shall find repose from oppressions, and from woes; and an imaged heaven appear in the world of darkness here. . l. m. * the hope of man. the past is dark with sin and shame, the future dim with doubt and fear; but, father, yet we praise thy name, whose guardian love is always near. for man has striven, ages long, with faltering steps to come to thee, and in each purpose high and strong the influence of thy grace could see. he could not breathe an earnest prayer, but thou wast kinder than he dreamed, as age by age brought hopes more fair, and nearer still thy kingdom seemed. but never rose within his breast a trust so calm and deep as now;-- shall not the weary find a rest? father, preserver, answer thou! 'tis dark around, 'tis dark above, but through the shadow streams the sun; we cannot doubt thy certain love; and man's true aim shall yet be won! . s. m. anonymous. behold, he cometh. hark! through the waking earth, hark! through the echoing sky, herald of freedom's birth, there comes a glorious cry. the triple chains that bind fall from the weary limb, and from the down-crushed mind, as soundeth that high hymn. unto man's waiting heart it saith,--"arise, be strong! bear thou an earnest part against all forms of wrong. "wouldst live in earth as lives the glorious one above? he for thy model gives himself, and he is love. "love in each brother man the god who loveth him; revere the stamp of heaven, however marred and dim. "bid fear give place to love; bid doubt and passion cease; be every word of hate forever hushed in peace." sound, sound through all the earth! sound through the echoing sky! proclaim the world's new birth; proclaim the lord is nigh! . s. m. *montgomery. the liberty of the sons of god. god made all his creatures free; life itself is liberty; god ordained no other bands than united hearts and hands. sin the primal charter broke,-- sin, itself earth's heaviest yoke; tyranny with sin began, man o'er brute, and man o'er man. but a better day shall be, life again be liberty, and the wide world's only bands love-knit hearts and love-linked hands. so shall every slavery cease, all god's children dwell in peace, and the new-born earth record love, and love alone, is lord. . p. m. h. ware. freedom. oppression shall not always reign; there comes a brighter day, when freedom, burst from every chain, shall have triumphant way. then right shall over might prevail, and truth, like hero armed in mail, the hosts of tyrant wrong assail, and hold eternal sway. what voice shall bid the progress stay of truth's victorious car? what arm arrest the growing day, or quench the solar star? what reckless soul, though stout and strong, shall dare bring back the ancient wrong, oppression's guilty night prolong, and freedom's morning bar? . c. m. *whittier. the reformers. o pure reformers! not in vain your trust in human kind; the good which bloodshed could not gain, your peaceful zeal shall find. the truths ye urge are borne abroad by every wind and tide; the voice of nature and of god speaks out upon your side. the weapons which your hands have found are those which heaven hath wrought, light, truth, and love,--your battle-ground, the free, broad field of thought. o, may no selfish purpose break the beauty of your plan, nor lie from throne or altar shake your steady faith in man. press on! and if we may not share the glory of your fight, we'll ask at least, in earnest prayer, god's blessing on the right. . & s. m. cowper. the kingdom of heaven. hear what god, the lord, hath spoken; o my people, faint and few, comfortless, afflicted, broken, fair abodes i build for you; scenes of heartfelt tribulation shall no more perplex your ways; you shall name your walls salvation, and your gates shall all be praise. there, in undisturbed possession, peace and righteousness shall reign; never shall you feel oppression, never hear of war again; god shall rise, and, shining o'er you, change to day the gloom of night; he, the lord, shall be your glory, god your everlasting light. vi. the christian character. . p. m. sp. of psalms. the holy spirit. our blest redeemer, ere he breathed his tender, last farewell, a guide, a comforter, bequeathed, with us to dwell. he came, in tongues of living flame, to teach, convince, subdue; all powerful as the wind he came, as viewless too. he came sweet influence to impart, a gracious, willing guest, while he can find one humble heart wherein to rest. and his that gentle voice we hear, soft as the breath of even, that checks each fault, that calms each fear and speaks of heaven. and every virtue we possess, and every victory won, and every thought of holiness, are his alone. spirit of purity and grace, our weakness pitying see; o, make our hearts thy dwelling-place, and worthier thee! . s. m. anonymous. the spirit saith "come!" the spirit in our hearts is whispering, "wanderer, come!" the bride, the church of christ, proclaims to all his children, "come!" let him that heareth say to all about him, "come!" let him that thirsts for righteousness, to christ, the fountain, come! yes, whosoever will, o, let him freely come, and freely drink the stream of life; 'tis jesus bids you come. lo! jesus, who invites, declares, "i quickly come!" lord, even so! i wait thine hour; jesus, my saviour, come! . s. m. anonymous. the prodigal. brother, hast thou wandered far from thy father's happy home, with thyself and god at war? turn thee, brother, homeward come! hast thou wasted all the powers god for noble uses gave? squandered life's most golden hours? turn thee, brother, god can save! is a mighty famine now in thy heart and in thy soul? discontent upon thy brow? turn thee, god will make thee whole! he can heal thy bitterest wound, he thy gentlest prayer can hear; seek him, for he may be found; call upon him; he is near. . l. m. beard's coll. turn, child of doubt. turn, child of doubt, estranged from god! to error's joyless waste betrayed; no light will there illume thy road, no friendly voice will give thee aid. o, turn, and leave that cheerless waste! the shade of death,--the maze of woe! there is a path that leads to rest, a fount of life is given below. thy friend, thy lord, from heaven revealed, the lost, the erring, to recall, that sacred fountain hath unsealed; with voice of love he speaks to all. he bids the dying wanderer turn, to walk in duty's way, and live; he speaks to wounded souls that mourn, he speaks,--to heal and to forgive. . s. m. briggs' coll. come home! soul! celestial in thy birth, dwelling yet in lowest earth, panting, shrinking to be free, hear god's spirit whisper thee. thus it saith; in accents mild,-- "weary wanderer, wayward child, from thy father's earnest love still forever wilt thou rove? "turn to hope, and peace, and light, freed from sin, and earth, and night; i have called, entreated thee, in my mercies gentle, free. "human soul, in love divine i have sought to make thee mine; still for thee good angels yearn; human soul, return, return!" . c. m. whittier. the call. o, not alone with outward sign of fear, or voice from heaven, the message of a truth divine, the call of god, is given; awakening in the human heart love for the true and right, zeal for the christian's better part, strength for the christian's fight. though heralded by naught of fear, or outward sign, or show; though only to the inward ear it whisper soft and low; though dropping as the manna fell, unseen, yet from above, holy and gentle, heed it well,-- the call to truth and love. . s. m. anonymous. acquaint thee with god. acquaint thee, o spirit, acquaint thee with god, and joy, like the sunshine, shall beam on thy road; and peace, like the dew, shall descend round thy head, and sleep, like an angel, shall visit thy bed. acquaint thee, o spirit, acquaint thee with god, and he shall be with thee when fears are abroad; thy safeguard in danger that threatens thy path, thy joy in the valley and shadow of death. . s. m. johns. thou must be born again. thou must be born again! such was the solemn word to him who came, not all in vain, by night to seek his lord. thou must be born again! but not the birth of clay; the immortal seed must thence obtain deliverance into day. thou, in thy inmost mind, must own the same control; the same regenerating wind must move and guide thy soul. thou canst not choose but trace the steps the master trod, if once thou feel his truth and grace, a conscious child of god. the mortal's birth is past; the immortal's birth must be; seek well and thou shalt find at last that blest nativity. . s. m. *john taylor. a penitential hymn. god of mercy! god of love! hear our sad, repentant songs; listen to thy suppliant ones, thou, to whom all grace belongs! deep regret for follies past, talents wasted, time misspent; hearts debased by worldly cares, thankless for the blessings lent;-- foolish fears and fond desires, vain regrets for things as vain; lips too seldom taught to praise, oft to murmur and complain;-- these, and every secret fault, filled with grief and shame, we own; humbled at thy feet we bow, seeking strength from thee alone. god of mercy! god of love! hear our sad, repentant songs; o, restore thy suppliant ones, thou to whom all grace belongs! . s. m. anonymous. the broken shield. o, send me not away! for i would drink, even i, the weakest, at the fount of life; chide not my steps, that venture near the brink, weary and fainting from the deadly strife. went i not forth undaunted and alone, strong in the majesty of human might? lo! i return, all wounded and forlorn, my dream of glory lost in shades of night. was i not girded for the battle-field? bore i not helm of pride and glittering sword? behold the fragments of my broken shield, and lend to me thy heavenly armor, lord! . c. m. furness. the penitent son. o, richly, father, have i been blest evermore by thee! and morning, noon, and night thou hast preserved me tenderly. and yet the love which thou shouldst claim to idols i have given; too oft have bound to earth the hopes that know no home but heaven. unworthy to be called thy son, i come with shame to thee, father!--o, more than father, thou hast always been to me! help me to break the heavy chains the world has round me thrown, and know the glorious liberty of an obedient son. that i may henceforth heed whate'er thy voice within me saith, fix deeply in my heart of hearts a principle of faith,-- faith that, like armor to my soul, shall keep all evil out, more mighty than an angel host, encamping round about. . s. m. milman. lord, have mercy. lord, have mercy when we pray strength to seek a better way; when our wakening thoughts begin first to loathe their cherished sin; when our weary spirits fail, and our aching brows are pale; then thy strengthening grace afford; then, o, then, have mercy, lord! lord, have mercy when we know first how vain this world below; when its darker thoughts oppress, doubts perplex, and fears distress; when the earliest gleam is given of the bright but distant heaven; then thy strengthening grace afford; then, o, then, have mercy, lord! . l. m. * i will arise and go unto my father. to thine eternal arms, o god, take us, thine erring children, in; from dangerous paths too boldly trod, from wandering thoughts and dreams of sin. those arms were round our childish ways, a guard through helpless years to be; o leave not our maturer days, we still are helpless without thee! we trusted hope and pride and strength: our strength proved false, our pride was vain, our dreams have faded all at length,-- we come to thee, o lord, again! a guide to trembling steps yet be! give us of thine eternal powers! so shall our paths all lead to thee, and life smile on like childhood's hours. . l. m. flint's coll. the strength of the erring. yes! prayer is strong, and god is good; man is not made for endless ill; the offending soul, in darkest mood, hath yet a hope, a refuge still. thou, god, wilt hear; these pangs are meant to heal the spirit, not destroy; and even remorse, for chastening sent, when thou commandest, works for joy. . c. m. *wreford. prayer for increase of faith. lord! i believe; thy power i own thy word i would obey; i wander comfortless and lone, when from thy truth i stray. lord! i believe; but gloomy fears sometimes bedim my sight; i look to thee with prayers and tears, and cry for strength and light. lord! i believe; but oft, i know, my faith is cold and weak; make strong my weakness, and bestow the confidence i seek! yes, i believe; and only thou canst give my soul relief; lord! to thy truth my spirit bow, help thou my unbelief! . c. m. bartrum. my god, remember me. o, from these visions dark and drear, kind father, set me free; i struggle yet with darkness here,-- my god, remember me! refresh my drooping soul with grace and quickening energy; still running, toiling in the race,-- my god, remember me! some cheering ray of hope impart, sweet influence from thee; and raise this feeble, drooping heart,-- my god, remember me! for the inheritance in light, on trembling wings i flee; with sins, and doubts, and fears, i fight,-- my god, remember me! . c. m. milman. prayer for help. o, help us, lord! each hour of need thy heavenly succor give; help us in thought, in word, in deed, each hour on earth we live. o, help us, when our spirits bleed, with doubt and anguish sore; and when our hearts are cold and dead, o, help us, lord, the more. o, help us, through the prayer of faith, more firmly to believe; for still the more the servant hath, the more shall he receive. o, help us, father! from on high; we know no help but thee; o, help us so to live and die, as thine in heaven to be! . s. m. russian. in doubt. why, thou never-setting light, is thy brightness veiled from me? why does this unwonted night cloud thy blest benignity? i am lost without thy ray; guide my wandering footsteps, lord! light my dark and erring way to the noontide of thy word. . c. m. humphries. good lord, remember me. o thou, from whom all goodness flows, i lift my soul to thee; in all my sorrows, conflicts, woes, good lord, remember me! when on my aching, burdened heart my sins lie heavily, thy pardon grant, new peace impart; good lord, remember me! when trials sore obstruct my way, and ills i cannot flee, o, let my strength be as my day; good lord, remember me! when worn with pain, disease, and grief, this feeble body see; grant patience, rest, and kind relief; good lord, remember me! when in the solemn hour of death i wait thy just decree, be this the prayer of my last breath,-- good lord, remember me! and when before thy throne i stand, and lift my soul to thee, then, with the saints at thy right hand, good lord, remember me! . p. m. mrs. follen. lord, to whom shall we go? when, with error bewildered, our path becomes dreary, and tears of despondency flow, when the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is weary, despairing,--to whom shall we go? when the thirsting soul turneth away from the springs of the pleasures this world can bestow, and sighs for another, and flutters its wings, impatient,--to whom shall it go? o, blest be that light which has parted the clouds, and a path to the wanderer can show; that pierces the veil which the future enshrouds, and tells us to whom we should go! . c. m. bulfinch. help thou our unbelief. father, when o'er our trembling hearts doubt's shadows gathering brood, when faith in thee almost departs, and gloomiest fears intrude; forsake us not, o god of grace, but send those fears relief; grant us again to see thy face; lord, help our unbelief! when sorrow comes, and joys are flown, and fondest hopes lie dead, and blessings, long esteemed our own, are now forever fled; when the bright promise of our spring is but a withered leaf, lord, to thy truths still let us cling; help thou our unbelief! and when the powers of nature fail upon the couch of pain, nor love nor friendship can avail the spirit to detain; then, father, be our closing eyes undimmed by tears of grief; and, if a trembling doubt arise, help thou our unbelief! . s. m. furness. christ who strengtheneth me. feeble, helpless, how shall i learn to live and learn to die? who, o god, my guide shall be? who shall lead thy child to thee? blessed father, gracious one, thou hast sent thy holy son; he will give the light i need, he my trembling steps will lead. through this world, uncertain, dim, let me ever learn of him; from his precepts wisdom draw, make his life my solemn law. thus in deed, and thought, and word, led by jesus christ the lord, in my weakness, thus shall i learn to live and learn to die; learn to live in peace and love, like the perfect ones above;-- learn to die without a fear, feeling thee, my father, near. . l. m. anonymous. angels from heaven strengthening him. when in thine hour of conflict, lord, the tempter to thy soul was nigh, or when that bitter cup was poured in thy deep garden-agony,-- not then, when uttermost thy need, seemed light across thy soul to break; no seraph form was seen to speed, nor yet the voice of comfort spake; till, by thine own triumphant word, the victory over ill was won; until the voice of faith was heard, "thy will, o god, not mine, be done!" lord, bring those precious moments back, when fainting against sin we strain; or in thy counsels fail to track aught but the present grief and pain. in weakness, help us to contend; in darkness, yield to god our will; and true hearts, faithful to the end, cheer by thine holy angels still! . s. m. montgomery. in temptation. hasten, lord, to my release; haste to help me, o my god! foes like armed bands increase;-- turn them back the way they trod. dark temptations round me press, evil thoughts my soul assail; doubts and fears, in my distress, rise, till flesh and spirit fail. thou mine only helper art, my redeemer from the grave; strength of my desiring heart, father! helper! haste to save! . & s. m. anonymous. spiritual blessings. almighty father! thou hast many a blessing in store for every erring child of thine; for this i pray,--let me, thy grace possessing, seek to be guided by thy will divine. not for earth's treasures, for her joys the dearest, would i my supplications raise to thee; not for the hopes that to my heart are nearest, but only that i give that heart to thee. i pray that thou wouldst guide and guard me ever; cleanse, by thy power, from every stain of sin; i will thy blessing ask on each endeavor, and thus thy promised peace my soul shall win. . l. m. montgomery. the soul's rest. return, my soul, unto thy rest, from vain pursuits and maddening cares; from lonely woes that wring thy breast, the world's allurements, toils, and snares. return unto thy rest, my soul, from all the wanderings of thy thought; from sickness unto death made whole; safe through a thousand perils brought. then to thy rest, my soul, return, from passions every hour at strife; sin's works, and ways, and wages, spurn, lay hold upon eternal life. god is thy rest; with heart inclined to keep his word, that word believe; christ is thy rest; with lowly mind, his light and easy yoke receive. . l. m. moravian. seeking god. thou hidden love of god, whose height, whose depth unfathomed, no man knows; i see from far thy beauteous light, inly i sigh for thy repose. my heart is pained; nor can it be at rest, till it find rest in thee. thy secret voice invites me still the sweetness of thy yoke to prove; and fain i would; but though my will seem fixed, yet wide my passions rove; yet hindrances strew all the way; i aim at thee, yet from thee stray. 'tis mercy all, that thou hast brought my mind to seek her peace in thee; yet, while i seek, but find thee not, no peace my wandering soul shall see. o, when shall all my wanderings end, and all my steps to thee-ward tend! is there a thing beneath the sun, that strives with thee my heart to share? ah! tear it thence, and reign alone, the lord of every motion there! then shall my heart from earth be free, when it hath found repose in thee. . p. m. anonymous. lead thou me on! send kindly light amid the encircling gloom, and lead me on! the night is dark, and i am far from home; lead thou me on! keep thou my feet: i do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me. i was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; i loved to choose and see my path; but now lead thou me on! i loved day's dazzling light, and, spite of fears, pride ruled my will: remember not past years! so long thy power hath blessed me, surely still 'twill lead me on through dreary doubt, through pain and sorrow, till the night is gone, and with the morn those angel faces smile which i have loved long since, and lost awhile. . l. m. watts. devout retirement and meditation. my god! permit me not to be a stranger to myself and thee; amidst a thousand thoughts i rove, forgetful of my highest love. why should my passions mix with earth, and thus debase my heavenly birth? why should i cleave to things below, and let my god, my saviour, go? call me away from flesh and sense; one sovereign word can draw me thence; i would obey thy voice divine, and all inferior joys resign. be earth, with all her strife, withdrawn; let noise and vanity be gone; in secret silence of the mind, my heaven, and there my god, i find. . l. m. moravian. aspiration. o, draw me, father, after thee! so shall i run and never tire; with gracious words still comfort me; be thou my hope, my sole desire; free me from every weight; nor fear nor sin can come, if thou art near. from all eternity, with love unchangeable thou hast me viewed; ere knew this beating heart to move, thy tender mercies me pursued; ever with me may they abide, and close me in on every side. in suffering be thy love my peace; in weakness be thy love my power; and when the storms of life shall cease, o father! in my latest hour, in death as life, be thou my guide, and draw me closer to thy side. . l. m. c. wesley. spiritual needs. i want the spirit of power within, of love, and of a healthful mind: of power to conquer every sin; of love to god and all mankind; of health that pain and death defies, most vigorous when the body dies. o, that the comforter would come, nor visit as a transient guest, but fix in me his constant home, and keep possession of my breast; and make my soul his loved abode, the temple of indwelling god! . c. m. c. wesley. watchfulness. i want a principle within of jealous, godly fear; a sensibility to sin, a pain to find it near. i want the first approach to feel of pride, or fond desire; to catch the wandering of my will, and quench the kindling fire. from thee that i no more may part, no more thy goodness grieve, the filial awe, the fleshly heart, the tender conscience give. quick as the apple of an eye, o god, my conscience make! awake my soul, when sin is nigh, and keep it still awake. . s. m. c. wesley. spiritual wants. my god, my strength, my hope, on thee i cast my care, with humble confidence look up, and know thou hear'st my prayer. give me on thee to wait, till i can all things do; on thee, almighty to create, almighty to renew. i want a sober mind, a self-renouncing will, that tramples down and casts behind the baits of pleasing ill; a soul inured to pain, to hardship, grief, and loss, bold to take up, firm to sustain, the consecrated cross. i want a godly fear, a quick-discerning eye, that looks to thee when sin is near, and bids the tempter fly; a spirit still prepared, and armed with jealous care, forever standing on its guard, and watching unto prayer. i want a true regard, a single, steady aim, unmoved by threatening or reward, to thee and thy great name; this blessing above all, always to pray, i want: out of the deep on thee to call, and never, never faint. i rest upon thy word; the promise is for me; my succor and salvation, lord, shall surely come from thee; but let me still abide, nor from my hope remove, till thou my patient spirit guide into thy perfect love. . s. m. montgomery. the soul thirsting for god. as the hart, with eager looks, panteth for the water-brooks, so my soul, athirst for thee, pants the living god to see; when, o, when, without a fear, lord, shall i to thee draw near? why art thou cast down, my soul? god, thy god, shall make thee whole; why art thou disquieted? god shall lift thy fallen head, and his countenance benign be the saving health of thine. . s. m. montgomery. seeking rest. o, where shall rest be found, rest for the weary soul? 'twere vain the ocean depths to sound, or pierce to either pole: the world can never give the rest for which we sigh; 'tis not the whole of life to live, nor all of death to die. in thee we end our quest; alone are found in thee the life of perfect love,--the rest of immortality. . c. m. c. wesley. there remaineth a rest for the people of god. lord, i believe a rest remains, to all thy people known; a rest where pure enjoyment reigns, and thou art loved alone. a rest, where all our soul's desire is fixed on things above; where fear, and sin, and grief expire, cast out by perfect love. o, that i now that rest might know, believe, and enter in; now, father, now the power bestow, and let me cease from sin. remove all hardness from my heart, all unbelief remove; to me the rest of faith impart, the sabbath of thy love. . s. m. c. wesley. desire for holiness. that blessed law of thine, father, to me impart;-- the spirit's law of life divine, o, write it in my heart! implant it deep within, whence it may ne'er remove,-- the law of liberty from sin, the perfect law of love. thy nature be my law, thy spotless sanctity, and sweetly every moment draw my happy soul to thee. . c. p. m. anonymous. self-renunciation. o lord! how happy should we be, if we could leave our cares to thee, if we from self could rest, and feel at heart that one above, in perfect wisdom, perfect love, is working for the best. for when we kneel and cast our care upon our god in humble prayer, with strengthened souls we rise; sure that our father, who is nigh to hear the ravens when they cry, will hear his children's cries. o, may these trustless hearts of ours the lesson learn from birds and flowers, and learn from self to cease,-- leave all things to our father's will, and, on his mercy, leaning still, find, in each trial, peace! . s. m. montgomery. forever with the lord. forever with the lord! so, father, let it be; life from the dead is in that word, 'tis immortality. here in the body pent, absent from thee i roam; yet nightly pitch my moving tent a day's march nearer home. my father's house on high! home of my soul, how near at times to faith's foreseeing eye thy golden gates appear! i hear at morn and even, at noon and midnight hour, the choral harmonies of heaven earth's babel-tongues o'erpower. and then i feel, that he, remembered or forgot, the lord, is never far from me, though i perceive him not. forever with the lord! father, if 'tis thy will, the promise of that blessed word even here to me fulfil. be thou at my right hand, then can i never fail; uphold thou me, and i shall stand; help, and i must prevail. . l. m. montgomery. heaven. heaven is a state of rest from sin; but all who hope to enter there must here that holy course begin, which shall their souls for rest prepare. clean hearts, o god, in us create! right spirits, lord, in us renew! commence we now that higher state, now do thy will as angels do. in jesus' footsteps may we tread, learn every lesson of his love; and be from grace to glory led, from heaven below to heaven above. . l. m. wesleyan. desire for union with god. o love, how cheering is thy ray! all pain before thy presence flies; care, anguish, sorrow, melt away, where'er thy healing beams arise: o father! nothing may i see, and nought desire or seek, but thee. unwearied may i this pursue, dauntless to this high prize aspire; each hour within my soul renew this holy flame, this heavenly fire; and day and night be all my care to guard the sacred treasure there. o, that i as a little child may follow thee, and never rest, till sweetly thou hast breathed a mild and lowly mind into my breast! nor ever may we parted be, till i become as one with thee. still let thy love point out my way; how wondrous things that love hath wrought! still lead me, lest i go astray; direct my word, inspire my thought; and if i fall, soon may i hear thy voice, and know thy love is near. . s. m. *newton. for a childlike spirit. quiet, lord, my froward heart; make me loving, meek, and mild, upright, simple, free from art; make me as a little child; from distrust and envy free; pleased with all that pleaseth thee. what thou shalt to-day provide let me as a child receive; what to-morrow may betide calmly to thy wisdom leave; 'tis enough that thou wilt care; why should i the burden bear? as a little child relies on a care beyond his own, knows beneath his father's eyes he is never left alone; so would i with thee abide, thou my father, guard, and guide! . s. m. briggs' coll. walking with god. father, i will not pray freedom from earthly ill; but may thy peace be o'er my way with its dove-pinion still! o, let a sense of thee, of thy sustaining love, my bosom-guest forever be, where'er i rest or move! a heavenly light serene, with its unfading beams, within my trusting heart be seen, more bright than childhood's dreams! so let me walk with thee, thy presence round my way; made by thine aiding spirit free; thy love, my joy and stay. . l. m. miss bremer. thirst for living waters. i thirst!--o, grant the waters pure which they who drink shall thirst no more; o give me of that living stream, which ever flows, with heavenly gleam, forth from the presence of our god, through fields by holy angels trod! i thirst!--o bounteous source of truth, give coolness to my fevered youth; make the sick heart more strong and wise; take spectral visions from mine eyes; o, let me quench my thirst in thee, and pure, and strong, and holy be! i thirst!--o god, great source of love! infinite life streams from above. o, give one drop, and let me live! the barren world has naught to give; no solace have its streams for me; i thirst alone for heaven and thee. . p. m. jones very. desires for god's presence. wilt thou not visit me? the plant beside me feels thy gentle dew; each blade of grass i see, from thy deep earth its quickening moisture drew. wilt thou not visit me? thy morning calls on me with cheering tone; and every hill and tree lend but one voice, the voice of thee alone. come! for i need thy love, more than the flower the dew, or grass the rain; come, like thy holy dove, and let me in thy sight rejoice to live again. yes! thou wilt visit me; nor plant nor tree thine eye delights so well, as when, from sin set free, man's spirit comes with thine in peace to dwell. . & s. m. anonymous. aspiration. rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, thy better portion trace! rise, from transitory things, towards heaven, thy native place! sun, and moon, and stars decay; time shall soon this earth remove; rise, my soul, and haste away to seats prepared above! rivers to the ocean run, nor stay in all their course; fire, ascending, seeks the sun; both speed them to their source; so the spirit, born of god, pants to view his glorious face; upward tends to his abode, to rest in his embrace. . p. m. sarah f. adams. nearer to thee. nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! e'en though it be a cross that raiseth me; still all my song shall be,-- nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! though, like the wanderer, the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone; yet in my dreams i'd be nearer, my god, to thee,-- nearer to thee! there let the way appear, steps unto heaven; all that thou sendest me, in mercy given; angels to beckon me nearer, my god, to thee,-- nearer to thee! then with my waking thoughts, bright with thy praise, out of my stony griefs, bethel i'll raise; so by my woes to be nearer, my god, to thee,-- nearer to thee! or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward i fly; still all my song shall be,-- nearer, my god, to thee, nearer to thee! . s. m. mme. guion. living waters. the fountain in its source no drought of summer fears; the further it pursues its course, the nobler it appears. but shallow cisterns yield a scanty, short supply; the morning sees them amply filled, at evening they are dry. the cisterns i forsake, o fount of life, for thee! my thirst with living waters slake, and drink eternity. . l. m. *mrs. steele. self-consecration. my soul no more shall strive in vain, slave to the world, and slave to sin! a nobler toil i will sustain, a nobler satisfaction win. i will resolve, with all my heart, with all my powers, to serve the lord; nor from his precepts e'er depart, whose service is a rich reward. o, be his service all my joy! around let my example shine, till others love the blest employ, and join in labors so divine. o, may i never faint nor tire, nor, wandering, leave his sacred ways; great god! accept my soul's desire, and give me strength to live thy praise. . l. m. oberlin. self-dedication. o lord, thy heavenly grace impart, and fix my frail, inconstant heart; henceforth my chief desire shall be to dedicate myself to thee. whate'er pursuits my time employ, one thought shall fill my soul with joy; that silent, secret thought shall be, that all my hopes are fixed on thee. thy glorious eye pervadeth space; thy presence, lord, fills every place; and, wheresoe'er my lot may be, still shall my spirit cleave to thee. renouncing every worldly thing, and safe beneath thy sheltering wing, my sweetest thought henceforth shall be, that all i want i find in thee. . c. p. m. jane roscoe. self-consecration. o god, to thee, who first hast given to mortal frame the spark of heaven, i consecrate my powers; thine is its hoped eternity, and thine its earthly life shall be, through years, and days, and hours. here at thy shrine i bow, resigned each struggling passion of my mind, with all its hopes and fears; to bend each thought to thy control is the one wish that fills my soul, through all my future years. . s. m. *gaskell. the new birth. i am free! i am free! i have broken away, from the chambers of night, to the splendors of day; all the phantoms that darkened around me are gone, and a spirit of light is now leading me on. earth appeareth in garments of beauty new drest; brighter thoughts, brighter feelings, spring forth in my breast; happy voices are floating in music above; all creation is full of the glory of love. god of truth! it is thou who hast shed down each ray of the sunshine that blesses and gladdens my way; from the depths of my spirit, to thee will i give ever-thankful affection, as long as i live. . & s. m. episcopal coll. song of the redeemed. father, source of every blessing, tune my heart to grateful lays! streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for ceaseless songs of praise. teach me some melodious measure, sung by raptured saints above; fill my soul with sacred pleasure, while i sing redeeming love. thou didst seek me when a stranger, wandering from the fold above; thou, to save my soul from danger, didst redeem me with thy love. by thy hand restored, defended, safe through life thus far i've come; safe, o lord, when life is ended, bring me to my heavenly home. . s. m. bulfinch. born again. o lord! through thee we own a new and heavenly birth, kindred to spirits round thy throne, though sojourners of earth. how glorious is the hour, when first our souls awake, through thy mysterious spirit's power, and of new life partake. with richer beauty glows the world, before so fair; her holy light religion throws, reflected everywhere. the life which thou hast given, o lord! shall never end; the grave is but the path to heaven, and death is now our friend. . s. m. montgomery. god our shepherd. the lord is my shepherd, no want shall i know; i feed in green pastures, safe folded i rest; he leadeth my soul where the still waters flow, restores me when wandering, redeems when opprest. through the valley and shadow of death though i stray, since thou art my guardian, no evil i fear; thy rod shall defend me, thy staff be my stay; no harm can befall with my comforter near. in the midst of affliction my table is spread; with blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o'er; with perfume and oil thou anointest my head; o, what shall i ask of thy providence more? let goodness and mercy, my bountiful god, still follow my steps till i meet thee above; i seek, by the path which my forefathers trod through the land of their sojourn, thy kingdom of love. . s. m. sp. of the psalms. he shall give his angels charge over thee. they, who on the lord rely, safely dwell, though danger's nigh; lo, his sheltering wings are spread o'er each faithful servant's head. vain temptation's wily snare; they shall be the father's care; harmless flies the shaft by day, or in darkness wings its way. when they wake, or when they sleep, angel guards their vigils keep; death and danger may be near faith and love can never fear. . l. m. german. the child of god. none loves me, father, with thy love, none else can meet such needs as mine; o, grant me, as thou shall approve, all that befits a child of thine! from every doubt and fear release, and give me confidence and peace. give me a faith shall never fail, one that shall always work by love; and then, whatever foes assail, they shall but higher courage move more boldly for the truth to strive, and more by faith in thee to live: a heart, that, when my days are glad, may never from thy way decline, and when the sky of life grows sad, may still submit its will to thine,-- a heart that loves to trust in thee, a patient heart, create in me! . l. m. gaskell. faith in god's love. o father! humbly we repose our souls on thee, who dwell'st above, and bless thee for the peace which flows from faith in thine encircling love. though every earthly trust may break, infinite might belongs to thee; though every earthly friend forsake, unchangeable thou still wilt be. though griefs may gather darkly round, they cannot veil us from thy sight; though vain all human aid be found, thou every grief canst turn to light. all things thy wise designs fulfil, in earth beneath, and heaven above, and good breaks out from every ill, through faith in thine encircling love. . l. m. *dyer. all things work for good. we all, o father, all are thine; all feel thy providential care; and, through each varying scene of life, alike thy constant love we share. and whether grief oppress the heart; or whether joy elate the breast; or life still keep its little course; or death invite the heart to rest;-- all are thy messengers, and all thy sacred pleasure, lord, obey; and all are training man to dwell nearer to heaven, and nearer thee. . l. m. *bowring. resignation. o let my trembling soul be still, while darkness veils this mortal eye, and wait thy wise and holy will, though wrapped in fears and mystery: i cannot, lord, thy purpose see; yet all is well since ruled by thee! when, mounted on thy clouded car, thou send'st thy darker spirits down, i can discern thy light afar, thy light sweet beaming through their frown; and, should i faint a moment, then i think of thee, and smile again. so, trusting in thy love, i tread the narrow path of duty on; what though some cherished joys are fled? what though some flattering dreams are gone? yet purer, nobler joys remain, and peace is won through conquered pain. . & s. m. *c. wesley. trust. see the lord, thy keeper, stand, omnipotently near; lo! he holds thee by the hand, and banishes thy fear; shadows with his wings thy head; guards from all impending harms; round thee and beneath are spread the everlasting arms. god shall bless thy going out, shall bless thy coming in; kindly compass thee about, and guard from every sin. lean upon thy father's breast; he thy quiet spirit keeps; rest in him, securely rest; thy guardian never sleeps. o, my soul, unceasing pray, and in thy god confide! he our faltering steps shall stay, nor suffer us to slide: he is still our sure defence, we his ceaseless care shall prove, kept by watchful providence and ever-waking love. . s. m. moravian. reliance. commit thou all thy griefs and ways into his hands, to his sure trust and tender care, who earth and heaven commands; who points the clouds their course, whom winds and seas obey; he shall direct thy wandering feet, he shall prepare thy way. no profit canst thou gain by self-consuming care; to him commend thy cause,--his ear attends the softest prayer. then on the lord rely, so safe shall thou go on; fix on his work thy steadfast eye, so shall thy work be done. . c. m. alford. god our refuge. psalm xlvi. god is our refuge and our strength, when trouble's hour is near; a very present help is he; therefore we will not fear. although the pillars of the earth shall clean removed be, the very mountains carried forth, and cast into the sea; although the waters rage and swell, so that the earth shall shake; yea, and the solid mountain roots shall with the tempest quake; there is a river that makes glad the city of our god; the tabernacle's holy place of the most high's abode. the lord is in the midst of her, removed she shall not be; because the lord our god himself shall help her speedily. the lord our strength and refuge is, when trouble's hour is near; a very present help is he; therefore we will not fear. . s. m. moravian. be of good courage. give to the winds thy fears! hope and be undismayed! god hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears; god shall lift up thy head. through waves, through clouds and storms, he gently clears thy way; wait thou his time, so shall the night soon end in joyous day. he everywhere hath rule, and all things serve his might; his every act pure blessing is, his path, unsullied light. thou comprehend'st him not; yet earth and heaven tell, god sits as sovereign on the throne; he ruleth all things well. thou seest our weakness, lord, our hearts are known to thee; o, lift thou up the sinking hand, confirm the feeble knee! let us, in life or death, boldly thy truth declare; and publish, with our latest breath, thy love and guardian care. . s. m. anonymous. rejoice in the lord alway. rejoice in god alway; when earth looks heavenly bright, when joy makes glad the livelong day, and peace shuts in the night. rejoice when care and woe the fainting soul oppress; when tears at wakeful midnight flow, and morn brings heaviness. rejoice in hope and fear; rejoice in life and death; rejoice when threatening storms are near, and comfort languisheth. when should not they rejoice, whom christ his brethren calls; who hear and know his guiding voice, when on their hearts it falls? so, though our path is steep, and many a tempest lowers, shall his own peace our spirits keep, and christ's dear love be ours. . s. m. *doddridge. god will provide. how gentle god's commands! how kind his precepts are! come, leave your burdens to the lord, and trust his constant care. his bounty will provide; ye shall securely dwell; the hand that bears creation up shall guard his children well. o, why should anxious thought press down your weary mind? come, seek your heavenly father's face, and peace and gladness find. his goodness stands for all unchanged from day to day; we'll drop our burden at his feet, and bear a song away. . c. m. cowper. the mysteries of god's providence. god moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform; he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, he treasures up his vast designs, and works his sovereign will. ye fearful saints! fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and will break in blessings on your head. judge not the lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face. his purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower. blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain; god is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain. . c. m. merrick. "he knoweth what ye have need of." author of good, we rest on thee; thine ever watchful eye alone our real wants can see, thy hand alone supply. in thine all-gracious providence our cheerful hopes confide; o, let thy power be our defence, thy love our footsteps guide! and since, by passion's force subdued, too oft, with stubborn will, we blindly shun the latent good, and grasp the specious ill,-- not what we wish, but what we want, thy mercy still supply! the good unasked, o father, grant; the ill, though asked, deny! . l. m. collett. reliance. through all the various shifting scene of life's mistaken ill or good, thy hand, o god! conducts, unseen, the beautiful vicissitude. thou givest with paternal care, howe'er unjustly we complain, to all their necessary share of joy and sorrow, health and pain. all things on earth, and all in heaven, on thine eternal will depend; and all for greater good were given, would man pursue the appointed end. be this my care!--to all beside indifferent let my wishes be; passion be calm, and dumb be pride, and fixed my soul, great god! on thee. . c. m. anonymous. trust in the lord. when grief and anguish press me down, and hope and comfort flee, i cling, o father, to thy throne, and stay my heart on thee. when death invades my peaceful home, the sundered ties shall be a closer bond, in time to come, to bind my heart to thee. lord, not my will, but thine, be done! my soul, from fear set free, her faith shall anchor at thy throne, and trust alone in thee. . p. m. anonymous. thy will be done. my god, my father, while i stray far from my home on life's rough way, o, teach me from my heart to say, thy will, my god, be done! though dark my path, and sad my lot, let me be still, and murmur not, but breathe the prayer divinely taught, thy will, my god, be done! what though in lonely grief i sigh for friends beloved, no longer nigh? submissive still would i reply, thy will, my god, be done! if thou shouldst call me to resign what most i prize,--it ne'er was mine,-- i only yield thee what is thine; thy will, my god, be done! should pining sickness waste away my life in premature decay, in life or death teach me to say, thy will, my god, be done! renew my will from day to day, blend it with thine, and take away whate'er now makes it hard to say, thy will, my god, be done! . l. m. sarah f. adams. thy will be done! he sendeth sun, he sendeth shower; alike they're needful for the flower; and joys and tears alike are sent to give the soul fit nourishment: as comes to me or cloud or sun, father, thy will, not mine, be done! can loving children e'er reprove with murmurs whom they trust and love? creator! i would ever be a trusting, loving child to thee as comes to me or cloud or sun, father, thy will, not mine, be done! o, ne'er will i at life repine! enough that thou hast made it mine. when falls the shadow cold of death, i yet will sing, with parting breath,-- as comes to me or shade or sun, father, thy will, not mine, be done! . p. m. bowring. thy will be done! thy will be done! in devious way the hurrying stream of life may run; yet still our grateful hearts shall say thy will be done! thy will be done! if o'er us shine a gladdening and a prosperous sun, this prayer shall make it more divine:-- thy will be done! thy will be done! though shrouded o'er our path with gloom, one comfort, one, is ours,--to breathe, while we adore, thy will be done! . l. m. mrs. gilman. a father's care. is there a lone and dreary hour, when worldly pleasures lose their power;-- my father! let me turn to thee, and set each thought of darkness free. is there a time of racking grief, which scorns the prospect of relief; my father! break the cheerless gloom, and bid my heart its calm resume. is there an hour of peace and joy, when hope is all my soul's employ;-- my father! still my hopes will roam, until they rest with thee, their home. the noontide blaze, the midnight scene, the dawn, or twilight's sweet serene, the glow of health, the dying hour, shall own my father's grace and power. . s. m. heber. consider the lilies. lo, the lilies of the field! how their leaves instruction yield! hark to nature's lesson given by the blessed birds of heaven! every bush and tufted tree warbles trust and piety:-- mortals, banish doubt and sorrow, god provideth for the morrow. one there lives, whose guardian eye guides our earthly destiny; one there lives, who, lord of all, keeps his children lest they fall: pass we, then, in love and praise, trusting him through all our days, free from doubt and faithless sorrow,-- god provideth for the morrow. . s. m. jones very. the son. father! i wait thy word. the sun doth stand beneath the mingling line of night and day, a listening servant, waiting thy command, to roll rejoicing on its silent way. the tongue of time abides the appointed hour, till on our ear its solemn warnings fall; the heavy cloud withholds the pelting shower,-- then, every drop speeds onward at thy call. the bird reposes on the yielding bough, with breast unswollen by the tide of song;-- so does my spirit wait thy presence now, to pour thy praise in quickening life along. . s. m. bowring. "father! glorify thy name!" father! glorify thy name! whatsoe'er our portion be, wheresoever led by thee, if to glory,--if to shame,-- father! glorify thy name! let thy name be glorified! if in doubt and darkness lost, hope deceived and purpose crost, naught amiss can e'er betide,-- let thy name be glorified! father! glorify thy name! vain and blind our wishes are; this can be no idle prayer, this can be no worthless claim,-- father! glorify thy name! . l. m. c. wesley. god leads us right. leader of israel's host, and guide of all who seek the land above, beneath thy shadow we abide, the cloud of thy protecting love; our strength thy grace, our rule thy word, our end the glory of the lord. by thine unerring spirit led, we shall not in the desert stray, we shall not full direction need, nor miss our providential way; as far from danger as from fear, while love, almighty love, is near. . s. m. *cowper. the cross. 'tis my happiness below not to live without the cross, but the saviour's power to know, sanctifying every loss: trials must and will befall; but with humble faith to see love inscribed upon them all,-- this is happiness to me. god in israel sows the seeds of affliction, pain, and toil; these spring up, and choke the weeds which would else o'erspread the soil; trials make our faith sublime, trials give new life to prayer, lift us to a holier clime, make us strong to do and bear. . & s. m. anonymous. taking up the cross. saviour! i my cross have taken, all to leave, and follow thee; though by all things else forsaken, thou shall my redeemer be. perish every fond ambition, all i've sought, or hoped, or known, yet, how rich is my condition! god and heaven are still mine own. know, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o'er sin, and fear, and care; joy to find, in every station, something still to do and bear. think what spirit dwells within thee; think what father's smiles are thine; think that jesus died to win thee; child of heaven, canst thou repine? haste thee on from cross to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer; heaven's eternal day's before thee, god's own hand shall lead thee there. . c. m. moore. faith. the dove, let loose in eastern skies, returning fondly home, ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor flies where idle warblers roam; but high she shoots through air and light, above all low delay, where nothing earthly bounds her flight, nor shadow dims her way. so grant me, lord, from every snare and stain of passion free, aloft, through faith's serener air, to urge my course to thee: no sin to cloud, no lure to stay, my soul, as home she springs; thy sunshine on her joyful way, thy freedom on her wings! . c. m. sarah f. adams. the strength of hope. the world may change from old to new, from new to old again; yet hope and heaven, forever true, within man's heart remain. the dreams that bless the weary soul, the struggles of the strong, are steps towards some happy goal, the story of hope's song. hope leads the child to plant the flower, the man to sow the seed; nor leaves fulfilment to her hour,-- but prompts again to deed. and ere upon the old man's dust the grass is seen to wave, we look through falling tears, to trust hope's sunshine on the grave. o, no! it is no flattering lure, no fancy weak or fond, when hope would bid us rest secure in better life beyond. nor love, nor shame, nor grief, nor sin, her promise may gainsay; the voice divine hath spoke within, and god did ne'er betray. . c. m. chr. register. faith triumphant over sorrow. not that thy boundless love, my god, sheds blessing on my way, and gilds as with a heavenly beam the darkness of earth's day,-- not now for breath of summer flowers, for smiles of sunny skies, the still, small voice of gratitude shall to thine ear arise. i bless thee for the ministry of sorrow's lonely hour, when darkly o'er my stricken head i see the storm-clouds lower; thy love can still the billows' roar, and whisper, "peace; be still!" while faith doth on thy promise rest, and bless the father's will. the shadow and the storm must come; o, grant that faith divine which triumphs o'er the might of grief, and moulds man's will to thine! in hours of deepest gloom, mine eye one blessed ray can see; a sunlit side that cloud must have, which hides thy face from me. . l. m. jane roscoe. the bitter cup. thy will be done! i will not fear the fate provided by thy love; though clouds and darkness shroud me here, i know that all is bright above. the stars of heaven are shining on, though these frail eyes are dimmed with tears; and though the hopes of earth be gone, yet are not ours the immortal years? father! forgive the heart that clings, thus trembling, to the things of time; and bid the soul, on angel wings, ascend into a purer clime. there shall no doubts disturb its trust, no sorrows dim celestial love; but these afflictions of the dust, like shadows of the night, remove. that glorious life will well repay this life of toil and care and woe; o father! joyful on my way, to drink thy bitter cup, i go. . s. m. doddridge. i say unto you, watch! ye servants of the lord! each in your office wait, observant of his heavenly word, and watchful at his gate. let all your lamps be bright, and trim the golden flame: gird up your loins, as in his sight; for holy is his name. watch! 'tis your lord's command; and while we speak, he's near: mark the first signal of his hand, and ready all appear. o happy servant he in such a posture found! he shall his lord with rapture see, and be with honor crowned. . p. m. whittier. patience. shall we grow weary in our watch, and murmur at the long delay, impatient of our father's time and his appointed way? o, oft a deeper test of faith than prison-cell, or martyr's stake, the self-renouncing watchfulness of silent prayer may make. we gird us bravely to rebuke our erring brother in the wrong; and in the ear of pride and power our warning voice is strong. easier to smite with peter's sword than watch one hour in humbling prayer; life's great things, like the syrian lord, our hearts can do and dare: but, o, we shrink from jordan's side, from waters which alone can save; and murmur for abana's banks and pharpar's brighter wave. o thou, who in the garden's shade didst wake thy weary ones again, who slumbered at that fearful hour, forgetful of thy pain,-- bend o'er us now, as over them, and set our sleep-bound spirits free, nor leave us slumbering in the watch our souls should keep with thee! . l. m. wotton. independence. how happy is he born or taught who serveth not another's will; whose armor is his honest thought, and simple truth his highest skill; whose passions not his masters are; whose soul is still prepared for death; not tied unto the world with care of public fame or private breath; who god doth late and early pray more of his grace than goods to lend, and walks with man, from day to day, as with a brother and a friend! this man is freed from servile bands of hope to rise, or fear to fall; lord of himself, though not of lands, and having nothing, yet hath all. . s.m. johns. purity. o! know ye not that ye the temple are of god? revere the earth-built shrine, where he should find a meet abode! immortal man, keep pure thyself, that mystic shrine; let hate of all that's dark endure, and love of all divine. let saintly thoughts be shown in act by saintly things; like glories through the temple thrown, from cherub's curtained wings. let life, a holy stream, its fountain holy show; reflecting, with a softened gleam, heaven's purity below. . s. m. keble. the pure in heart. blest are the pure in heart, for they shall see our god; the secret of the lord is theirs; their soul is his abode. still to the lowly soul god doth himself impart, and for his temple and his throne doth choose the pure in heart. . s. m. anonymous. "if he giveth quiet, who can make trouble?" quiet from god! how beautiful to keep this treasure, the all-merciful hath given; to feel, when we awake and when we sleep, its incense round us, like a breath from heaven! to sojourn in the world, and yet apart; to dwell with god, and still with man to feel; to bear about forever in the heart the gladness which his spirit doth reveal! who shall make trouble, then? not evil minds which like a shadow o'er creation lower; the soul which peace hath thus attunéd finds how strong within doth reign the calmer's power. what shall make trouble? not the holy thought of the departed; that will be a part of those undying things his peace hath wrought into a world of beauty in the heart. what shall make trouble? not slow-wasting pain, nor even the threatening, certain stroke of death; these do but wear away, then break, the chain which bound the spirit down to things beneath. . l. m. jane roscoe. judge not. o, who shall say he knows the folds which veil another's inmost heart,-- the hopes, thoughts, wishes, which it holds, in which he never bore a part? that hidden world no eye can see,-- o, who shall pierce its mystery? there may be hope as pure, as bright, as ever sought eternity,-- there may be light,--clear, heavenly light, where all seems cold and dark to thee; and when thy spirit mourns the dust, there may be trust,--delightful trust. go, bend to god, and leave to him the mystery of thy brother's heart, nor vainly think his faith is dim, because in thine it hath no part; he, too, is mortal,--and, like thee, would soar to immortality. and if in duty's hallowed sphere, like christ, he meekly, humbly bends,-- with hands unstained, and conscience clear, with life's temptations still contends,-- o, leave him that unbroken rest, the peace that shrines a virtuous breast! but if his thoughts and hopes should err, still view him with a gentle eye,-- remembering doubt, and change, and fear, are woven in man's destiny; and when the clouds are passed away, that truth shall dawn with brightening day. . c. m. miss fletcher. kindly judgment. think gently of the erring one! o, let us not forget, however darkly stained by sin, he is our brother yet! heir of the same inheritance, child of the self-same god, he hath but stumbled in the path we have in weakness trod. speak gently to the erring ones! we yet may lead them back, with holy words, and tones of love, from misery's thorny track. forget not, brother, thou hast sinned, and sinful yet may'st be; deal gently with the erring heart, as god hath dealt with thee. . c. m. anonymous. speak gently. speak gently,--it is better far to rule by love than fear; speak gently,--let no harsh word mar the good we may do here. speak gently to the young,--for they will have enough to bear; pass through this life as best they may, 'tis full of anxious care. speak gently to the aged one, grieve not the careworn heart; the sands of life are nearly run, let them in peace depart. speak gently to the erring ones; they must have toiled in vain; perchance unkindness made them so; o, win them back again! speak gently,--'tis a little thing, dropped in the heart's deep well; the good, the joy, that it may bring, eternity shall tell. . c. m. jones very. kind words. turn not from him who asks of thee a portion of thy store; thou poor in worldly goods may'st be, yet canst give what is more. the balm of comfort thou canst pour into his grieving mind, who oft is turned from wealth's proud door, with many a word unkind. does any from the false world find naught but reproach and scorn? does any, stung by words unkind, wish that he ne'er was born? do thou raise up his drooping heart, restore his wounded mind; though naught of wealth thou canst impart yet still thou may'st be kind. and oft again thy words shall wing backward their course to thee, and in thy breast will prove a spring of pure felicity. . c. m. anonymous. "neither do i condemn thee." o, if thy brow, serene and calm, from earthly stain is free, view not with scorn the erring one,-- he once was pure like thee. o, if the smiles of love are thine, its joyous ecstasy, shun not the poor forsaken one,-- he once was loved like thee! and still, 'mid shame, and guilt, and woe, one being loves him still, who, blessing thee, hath poured on him the world's extremest ill. he knows the secret lure which led those youthful steps astray; he knows that they who holiest are might fall from him away. then, with the love of him who said "go thou, and sin no more," save, save, the sinner from despair, and peace and hope restore. . l. m. scott. charitable judgment. all-seeing god! 'tis thine to know the springs whence wrong opinions flow,-- to judge, from principles within, when frailty errs, and when we sin. who, among men, great lord of all, thy servant to his bar shall call? judge him, for modes of faith, thy foe, or doom him to the realms of woe? who with another's eye can read, or worship by another's creed? trusting thy grace, we form our own, and bow to thy commands alone. if wrong, correct; accept, if right; while, faithful, we improve our light, condemning none, but zealous still to learn and follow all thy will. . & s. m. bowring. the spirit giveth life. 'tis not the gift, but 'tis the spirit with which 'tis given, that on the gift confers a merit, as seen by heaven. 'tis not the prayer, however boldly it strikes the ear; it mounts in vain, it falls but coldly if not sincere. 'tis not the deeds the loudest lauded that brightest shine; there's many a virtue unapplauded, and yet divine. 'tis not the word that sounds the sweetest that's soonest heard; a sigh, when humbled thou retreatest, may be preferred. the outward show may be delusive,-- a cheating name; the inner spirit is conclusive of worth or shame. vii. the christian life. . p. m. bulfinch. prayer and action. o, not alone on the mount of prayer must the christian serve his god; but the burden of daily life must bear, and tread where his saviour trod. yet with him through every changing scene doth the spirit of prayer abide; when earth is lovely, and heaven serene, that spirit his course shall guide. and when the storm rages, and woe and wrath would an earth-born courage quell, he knows that his god is around his path, and ordereth all things well. . l. m. drummond. faith and works. one cup of healing oil and wine, one tear-drop shed on mercy's shrine, is thrice more grateful, lord, to thee, than lifted eye or bended knee. in true and genuine faith we trace the source of every christian grace; within the pious heart it plays, a living fount of joy and praise. kind deeds of peace and love betray where'er the stream has found its way; but where these spring not rich and fair, the stream has never wandered there. . s. m. w. roscoe. the golden rule. thus said jesus:--"go and do as thou wouldst be done unto:" here thy perfect duty see, all that god requires of thee. wouldst thou, when thy faults are known, wish that pardon should be shown? be forgiving, then, and do as thou wouldst be done unto. shouldst thou helpless be and poor, wouldst thou not for aid implore? think of others, then, and be what thou wouldst they should to thee. for compassion if thou call, be compassionate to all; if thou wouldst affection find, be affectionate and kind. if thou wouldst obtain the love of thy gracious god above, then to all his children be what thou wouldst they should to thee. . c. m. peabody. who is my neighbor? who is thy neighbor? he whom thou hast power to aid or bless; whose aching heart or burning brow thy soothing hand may press. thy neighbor? 'tis the fainting poor, whose eye with want is dim; o, enter thou his humble door, with aid and peace for him. thy neighbor? he who drinks the cup when sorrow drowns the brim; with words of high, sustaining hope, go thou and comfort him. thy neighbor? 'tis the weary slave, fettered in mind and limb; he hath no hope this side the grave; go thou and ransom him. thy neighbor? pass no mourner by; perhaps thou canst redeem a breaking heart from misery; go, share thy lot with him. . c. m. r. c. trench. the law of love. kings, iv. . pour forth the oil,--pour boldly forth; it will not fail, until thou failest vessels to provide which it may largely fill. make channels for the streams of love, where they may broadly run; and love has overflowing streams, to fill them every one. but if at any time we cease such channels to provide, the very founts of love for us will soon be parched and dried. for we must share, if we would keep that blessing from above; ceasing to give, we cease to have;-- such is the law of love. . c. m. anonymous. words and deeds. beneath the thick but struggling clouds, we talk of christian life; the words of jesus on our lips, our hearts with man at strife. traditions, forms, and selfish aims, have dimmed the inner light; have closely veiled the spirit-world and angels from our sight. strong souls and willing hands we need, our temple to repair; remove the gathering dust of years, and show the model fair. we slumber while the present calls, but darkness grows with rest; wouldst thou see truth? to action wake,-- do the divine behest. . p. m. anonymous. heaven on earth. this world is not a fleeting show, for man's illusion given; he that hath soothed a widow's woe, or wiped an orphan's tear, doth know there's something here of heaven. and he who walks life's thorny way with feelings calm and even, whose path is lit, from day to day, by virtue's bright and steady ray, feels something here of heaven. he that the christian course hath run, and all his foes forgiven, hath measured out this life's short span in love to god and love to man, on earth has tasted heaven. . c. h. m. barton. blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. o, be not faithless! with the morn cast thou abroad thy grain! at noontide faint not thou forlorn, at evening sow again! blessed are they, whate'er betide, who thus all waters sow beside. thou knowest not which seed shall grow, or which may die, or live; in faith, and hope, and patience, sow! the increase god shall give, according to his gracious will,-- as best his purpose may fulfil. o, could our inward eye but view, our hearts but feel aright, what faith, and love, and hope, can do, by their celestial might, we should not say, till these be dead, the power of miracle is fled. . s. m. mrs. case. love on! love on! love on! but not the things that own the fleeting beauty of a summer day; truth, virtue, spring from god's eternal throne, nor quit the spirit when it leaves the clay: love them! love them! love on! love on! though death and earthly change bring mournful silence to a darkened home; still let the heart rest where no eye grows strange, where never falls a shadow from the tomb: love there! love there! love on! love on! the voice of grief and wrong comes from the palace and the poor man's cot; bid the proud bend, and bid the weak be strong, and life's tired pilgrim meekly bear his lot: give strength! give peace! love on! love on! and though the evening still wear the stern clouds that veiled thy noonday sun, with changeless trust, with calm, unwavering will, work! bravely work! till the last hour be done: love god! love man! . l. m. anonymous. not faithless, but believing. o, still trust on, if in the heart a holy inspiration rest,-- though painful be the chosen part, with doubts, and fears, and cares opprest! o, shrink not, brothers, though christ's call demand our youth, our strength, our all! no offering is made in vain; some human soul shall feel our love; e'en weary hours of toil and pain shall help to lift our souls above: and may our recompense be given, in leading many souls to heaven! and still trust on! with trembling hand, 'tis ours a little seed to sow; it springs at the divine command,-- shall, if god will, to ripeness grow; beauty and fragrance it shall bring, and breathe an everlasting spring. . c. m. jones very. as ye sow, so shall ye reap. the bud will soon become a flower, the flower become a seed; then seize, o youth, the present hour,-- of that thou hast most need. do thy best always,--do it now,-- for in the present time, as in the furrows of a plough, fall seeds of good or crime. the sun and rain will ripen fast each seed that thou hast sown; and every act and word at last by its own fruit be known. and soon the harvest of thy toil rejoicing thou shalt reap; or o'er thy wild, neglected soil go forth in shame to weep. . p. m. whittier. the purpose of life. hast thou, 'midst life's empty noises, heard the solemn steps of time, and the low, mysterious voices of another clime? early hath life's mighty question thrilled within thy heart of youth, with a deep and strong beseeching,-- what, and where, is truth? not to ease and aimless quiet doth the inward answer tend; but to works of love and duty, as our being's end. earnest toil and strong endeavor of a spirit which within wrestles with familiar evil and besetting sin; and without, with tireless vigor, steady heart, and purpose strong, in the power of truth assaileth every form of wrong. . s. m. chr. psalmist. all work divine. teach me, my god and king, in all things thee to see; and what i do in anything, to do it as for thee! to scorn the senses' sway, while still to thee i tend; in all i do be thou the way; in all be thou the end. all may of thee partake; nothing so small can be, but draws, when acted for thy sake, greatness and worth from thee. if done beneath thy laws, e'en servile labors shine; hallowed is toil, if this the cause; the meanest work divine. . l. m. sterling. divine meaning in humble things. thou, lord, who rear'st the mountain's height, and mak'st the cliffs with sunshine bright; o, grant that we may own thy hand no less in every grain of sand! with forests huge, of dateless time, thy will has hung each peak sublime; but withered leaves beneath the tree have tongues that tell as loud of thee. teach us that not a leaf can grow, till life from thee within it flow; that not a grain of dust can be, o fount of being! save by thee; that every human word and deed, each flash of feeling, will, or creed, hath solemn meaning from above, begun and ended all in love. . l. m. keble. seeing god in all. if on our daily course our mind be set, to hallow all we find, new treasures still, of countless price, god will provide for sacrifice. old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be, as more of heaven in each we see; some softening gleam of love and prayer shall dawn on every cross and care. o could we learn that sacrifice, what light would all around us rise! how would our hearts with wisdom talk along life's dullest, dreariest walk! the trivial round, the common task, will furnish all we ought to ask; room to deny ourselves, a road to bring us daily nearer god. . l. m. doddridge. forms vain without the spirit. the uplifted eye and bended knee are but vain homage, lord, to thee: in vain our lips thy praise prolong, the heart a stranger to the song. can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal, the breaches of thy precepts heal? or fasts and penance reconcile thy justice, and obtain thy smile? the pure, the humble, contrite mind, sincere, and to thy will resigned, to thee a nobler offering yields than sheba's groves, or sharon's fields. love god and man,--this great command doth on eternal pillars stand; this did thine ancient prophets teach, and this thy well-beloved preach. . & s. m. anonymous. life's work. all around us, fair with flowers, fields of beauty sleeping lie; all around us clarion voices call to duty stern and high. thankfully we will rejoice in all the beauty god has given; but beware it does not win us from the work ordained of heaven. following every voice of mercy with a trusting, loving heart; let us in life's earnest labor still be sure to do our part. now, to-day, and not to-morrow, let us work with all our might, lest the wretched faint and perish in the coming stormy night. now, to-day, and not to-morrow,-- lest, before to-morrow's sun, we too, mournfully departing, shall have left our work undone. . c. m. anonymous. effort. scorn not the slightest word or deed, nor deem it void of power; there's fruit in each wind-wafted seed, that waits its natal hour. a whispered word may touch the heart, and call it back to life; a look of love bid sin depart, and still unholy strife. no act falls fruitless; none can tell how vast its power may be, nor what results infolded dwell within it silently. work on, despair not; bring thy mite, nor care how small it be; god is with all that serve the right, the holy, true, and free. . s. m. *bulwer. the minister of love. o'er the mount and through the moor glide the christian's steps secure; day and night, no fear he knows; lonely, but with god, he goes: for the coat of mail, bedight in his spotless robe of white; for the sinful sword, his hand bearing high the olive-wand. through the camp, and through the court, through the dark and deadly fort, on the mission of the dove, speeds the minister of love; by his word the wildest tames, and the world to god reclaims; war, and wrath, and famine cease, hushed around his path of peace. . c. m. m. b. lamar. the christian reformer. nay, tell us not of dangers dire that lie in duty's path; a warrior of the cross can feel no fear of human wrath. where'er the prince of darkness holds his earthly reign abhorred, sword of the spirit, thee we draw, and battle for the lord. we go! we go, to break the chains that bind the erring mind, and give the freedom that we feel to all of human kind. but, o, we wear no burnished steel, and seek no gory field; our weapon is the word of god, his promise is our shield. and still serene and fixed in faith, we fear no earthly harm; we know it is our father's work, we rest upon his arm. . & s. m. longfellow. psalm of life. tell me not, in mournful numbers, life is but an empty dream; for the soul is dead that slumbers, and things are not what they seem. life is real! life is earnest! and the grave is not its goal; dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul. not enjoyment, and not sorrow, is our destined end and way; but to act, that each to-morrow find us further than to-day. lives of true men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us footprints on the sands of time; footprints which perhaps another, sailing o'er life's solemn main, a forlorn and shipwrecked brother, seeing, shall take heart again. let us, then, be up and doing, with a heart for any fate; still achieving, still pursuing, learn to labor and to wait. . c. m. *watts. the soldier of the cross. am i a soldier of the cross, and pledged to bear its shame? and shall i fear to own christ's cause, or blush to speak his name? must i be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others fought to win the prize, and sailed through bloody seas? are there no foes for me to face? must i not stem the flood? shall sloth and faintness win thy peace, o thou, the martyr's god? the fearless heart thou wilt sustain; increase my courage, lord! i'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. the saints in all this glorious war shall conquer, though they die; they see the triumph from afar, and seize it with their eye. when thy illustrious day shall rise, and all thy armies shine in robes of victory through the skies, the glory shall be thine. . l. m. gaskell. press on! press on, press on! ye sons of light, untiring in your holy fight, still treading each temptation down, and battling for a brighter crown. press on, press on! through toil and woe, with calm resolve, to triumph go, and make each dark and threatening ill yield but a higher glory still. press on, press on! still look in faith to him who vanquished sin and death; then shall ye hear god's word, "well done!" true to the last, press on, press on! . & s. m. * the conflict of life. onward, christian, though the region where thou art be drear and lone; god hath set a guardian legion very near thee,--press thou on! listen, christian, their hosanna rolleth o'er thee,--"god is love." write upon thy red-cross banner, "upward ever,--heaven's above." by the thorn-road, and none other, is the mount of vision won; tread it without shrinking, brother! jesus trod it,--press thou on! by thy trustful, calm endeavor, guiding, cheering, like the sun, earth-bound hearts thou shall deliver; o, for their sake, press thou on! be this world the wiser, stronger, for thy life of pain and peace; while it needs thee, o, no longer pray thou for thy quick release; pray thou, christian, daily, rather, that thou be a faithful son; by the prayer of jesus,--"father, not my will, but thine, be done!" . s. m. gaskell. sleep not as do others. sleep not, soldier of the cross! foes are lurking all around; look not here to find repose, this is but thy battle-ground. up! and take thy shield and sword; up! it is the call of heaven; shrink not faithless from thy lord, nobly strive as he hath striven. break through all the force of ill; tread the might of passion down; struggle onward, upward still, to the conquering saviour's crown! . c. m. doddridge. forgetting the things behind. awake, my soul! stretch every nerve, and press with vigor on; a heavenly race demands thy zeal, and an immortal crown. a cloud of witnesses around hold thee in full survey; forget the steps already trod, and onward urge thy way. 'tis god's all-animating voice that calls thee from on high; 'tis his own hand presents the prize to thine aspiring eye;-- that prize with peerless glories bright, which shall new lustre boast, when victors' wreaths and monarchs' gems shall blend in common dust. . c. m. anonymous. the whole armor of the lord. o, speed thee, christian, on thy way! and to thine armor cling; with girded loins the call obey that love and mercy bring! there is a battle to be fought, an upward race to run, a crown of glory to be sought, a victory to be won. o, faint not, christian! for thy sighs are heard before god's throne; the race must come before the prize, the cross before the crown. . p. m. staughton. onward and upward. breast the wave, christian! when it is strongest; watch for day, christian! when the night's longest; onward and onward still be thine endeavor; the rest that remaineth will be forever. fight the fight, christian! jesus is o'er thee; run the race, christian! heaven is before thee; he who hath promised faltereth never; the love of eternity flows on forever. lift the eye, christian! just as it closeth; raise the heart, christian! ere it reposeth; thee from the love of christ nothing shall sever; mount when the work is done,--praise god forever! . l. m. mrs. barbauld. the christian warfare. awake, my soul! lift up thine eyes; see where thy foes against thee rise, in long array, a numerous host; awake, my soul! or thou art lost. here giant danger threatening stands, mustering his pale, terrific bands; there, pleasure's silken banners spread, and willing souls are captives led. see where rebellious passions rage, and fierce desires and lusts engage; the meanest foe of all the train has thousands and ten thousands slain. come, then, my soul! now learn to wield the weight of thine immortal shield; put on the armor from above of heavenly truth and heavenly love. the terror and the charm repel, and powers of earth, and powers of hell; the man of calvary triumphed here; why should his faithful followers fear? . s. m. bulfinch. struggle. there's a strife we all must wage, from life's entrance to its close; blest the bold who dare engage! woe for him who seeks repose! honored they who firmly stand, while the conflict presses round; god's own banner in their hand, in his service faithful found. what our foes? each thought impure passions fierce, that tear the soul; every ill that we can cure; every crime we can control; every suffering which our hand can with soothing care assuage; every evil of our land; every error of our age. on, then, to the glorious field! he who dies his life shall save; god himself shall be our shield, he shall bless and crown the brave. . & s. m. miss bremer. suffering and action. cheek grow pale, but heart be vigorous! body fall, but soul have peace! welcome, pain! thou searcher rigorous! slay me, but my faith increase. sin, o'er sense so softly stealing; doubt, that would my strength impair; hence at once from life and feeling!-- now my cross i gladly bear. up, my soul! with clear sedateness read heaven's law, writ bright and broad, up! a sacrifice to greatness, truth, and goodness,--up to god! up to labor! from thee shaking off the bonds of sloth, be brave! give thyself to prayer and waking; toil some fainting heart to save! . l. m. roscoe. the pilgrim. go, suffering pilgrim of the earth, go, conscious of thy heavenly birth, and, 'midst the storms that round thee rise, retrace thy journey to the skies. what though the wild winds rage around? thou wilt not tremble at the sound; what though the waters o'er thee roll? they touch not thine immortal soul. see where, arrayed on either hand, the direful train of passions stand; see hatred, envy, bar thy way, and foes more subtle still than they. but, robed in innocence and truth, from all temptation guard thy youth; and from thy vestment's sacred bound shake the dread fiends that cling around. go with pure heart and steadfast eyes, strive on till that bright morn shall rise that gives thee to thy blest abode, to rest forever with thy god. . l. m. norton. fellowship of his sufferings. faint not, poor traveller, though the way be rough, like that thy saviour trod; though cold and stormy lower the day, this path of suffering leads to god. nay, sink not, though from every limb are starting drops of toil and pain; thou dost but share the lot of him with whom his followers are to reign. christian! thy friend, thy master, prayed, while dread and anguish shook his frame, then met his sufferings undismayed; wilt thou not strive to do the same? o, thinkest thou his father's love shone round him then with fainter rays than now, when, throned all height above, unceasing voices hymn his praise? go, sufferer, calmly meet the woes which god's own mercy bids thee bear; then, rising as thy saviour rose, go, his eternal victory share. . l. m. newton. trust in god. be still, my heart! these anxious cares to thee are burdens, thorns, and snares, they cast dishonor on thy lord, and contradict his gracious word. brought safely by his hand thus far, why wilt thou now give place to fear? how canst thou want if he provide, or lose thy way with such a guide? did ever trouble yet befall, and he refuse to hear thy call? and has he not his promise past, that thou shalt overcome at last? he who has helped me hitherto will help me all my journey through, and give me daily cause to raise new trophies to his endless praise. . s. m. gaskell. refuge in god. we would leave, o god, to thee, every anxious care and fear; thou the troubled thought canst see, thou canst dry the bitter tear. thou dost care for us, we know,-- care with all a father's love; thou canst make each earthly woe work to higher bliss above. on this faith we fain would rest; strengthen thou its blessed power! steadfast keep it in our breast, through each dark and trying hour. . l. m. morpeth. the use of tears. how little of ourselves we know, before a grief the heart has felt! the lessons that we learn of woe make strong the soul, as well as melt. the energies too stern for mirth, the reach of thought, the strength of will, 'mid cloud and tempest have their birth, though blight and blast their course fulfil. and yet 'tis when it mourns and fears, the laden spirit feels forgiven; and through the mist of falling tears we catch the clearest glimpse of heaven. . l. m. bryant. blessed are they that mourn. deem not that they are blest alone whose days a peaceful tenor keep; the god who loves our race has shown a blessing for the eyes that weep. the light of smiles shall fill again the lids that now o'erflow with tears, and weary hours of woe and pain are earnests of serener years. o, there are days of hope and rest for every dark and troubled night! and grief may bide, an evening guest, but joy shall come with morning light. and ye, who o'er a friend's low bier now shed the bitter drops like rain, know that a brighter, happier sphere will give him to your arms again. . l. m. norton. my god, i thank thee! my god, i thank thee! may no thought e'er deem thy chastisements severe; but may this heart, by sorrow taught, calm each wild wish, each idle fear. thy mercy bids all nature bloom; the sun shines bright, and man is gay; thine equal mercy spreads the gloom that darkens o'er his little day. full many a throb of grief and pain thy frail and erring child must know; but not one prayer is breathed in vain, nor does one tear unheeded flow. thy various messengers employ; thy purposes of love fulfil; and, 'mid the wreck of human joy, let kneeling faith adore thy will. . l. m. doddridge. weeping seedtime; joyful harvest. the darkened sky, how thick it lowers! troubled with storms, and big with showers, no cheerful gleam of light appears, but nature pours forth all her tears. yet let the sons of god revive; he bids the soul that seeks him live, and from the gloomiest shade of night calls forth a morning of delight. the seeds of ecstasy unknown are in these watered furrows sown; see the green blades, how thick they rise, and with fresh verdure bless our eyes! in secret foldings they contain unnumbered ears of golden grain; and heaven shall pour its beams around, till the ripe harvest load the ground. then shall the trembling mourner come, and bind his sheaves, and bear them home, the voice long broke with sighs shall sing, till heaven with hallelujahs ring. . l. m. n. y. coll. affliction, god's angel. affliction's faded form draws nigh, with wrinkled brow and downcast eye; with sackcloth on her bosom spread, and ashes scattered o'er her head. but deem her not a child of earth; from heaven she draws her sacred birth; beside the throne of god she stands to execute his kind commands. the messenger of love, she flies to train us for our sphere, the skies; and onward as we move, the way becomes more smooth, more bright the day. her weeds to robes of glory turn, her looks with kindling radiance burn; and from her lips these accents steal,-- "god smites to bless, he wounds to heal!" . s. m. *mrs. howitt. in affliction. thou that art strong to comfort, look on me! i sit in darkness and behold no light; over my soul the waves of agony have gone, and left me in a rayless night. a bruised and broken reed sustain! sustain! divinest comforter, to thee i fly, to whom no soul hath ever fled in vain; support me with thy love, or else i die. father, what'er i had, it all was thine; a god of mercy thou hast ever been; o, help me what i most loved to resign, and if i murmur, count it not for sin. my soul is strengthened now, and it shall bear all that remains, whatever it may be; and from the very depths of my despair i will look up, o god, and trust in thee! . c. m. *barton. at evening there shall be light. our pathway oft is wet with tears, our sky with clouds o'ercast, and worldly cares and worldly fears go with us to the last;-- not to the last! god's word hath said, could we but read aright: o pilgrim! lift in hope thy head, at eve it shall be light! though earth-born shadows now may shroud our toilsome path a while, god's blessed word can part each cloud, and bid the sunshine smile. if we but trust in living faith, his love and power divine, then, though our sun may set in death, his light shall round us shine. when tempest-clouds are dark on high, his bow of love and peace shines beauteous in the vaulted sky, token that storms shall cease. then keep we on, with hope unchilled, by faith and not by sight, and we shall own his word fulfilled,-- "at eve it shall be light." . c. m. anonymous. god's way is on the deep. thy way is on the deep, o lord! e'en there we'll go with thee; we'll meet the tempest at thy word, and walk upon the sea. poor tremblers at his rougher wind, why do we doubt him so? who gives the storms a path will find the way our feet shall go. a moment may his hand seem lost, drear moment of delay;-- we cry, "lord, help the tempest-tost!" and safe we're borne away. o happy soul, of faith divine! thy victory how sure! the love that kindles joy is thine, the patience to endure. . h. m. mrs. miles. in affliction. thou, infinite in love! guide this bewildered mind, which, like the trembling dove, no resting-place can find on the wild waters,--god of light, through the thick darkness lead me right! bid the fierce conflict cease, and fear and anguish fly; let there again be peace, as in the days gone by: in jesus' name i cry to thee, remembering gethsemane. fain would earth's true and dear save me in this dark hour; and art not thou more near? art thou not love and power? vain is the help of man,--but thou canst send deliverance even now. though through the future's shade pale phantoms i descry, let me not shrink dismayed, but ever feel thee nigh; there may be grief, and pain, and care but, o my father! thou art there. . c. m. anonymous. resignation. in trouble and in grief, o god, thy smile hath cheered my way; and joy hath budded from each thorn that round my footsteps lay. the hours of pain have yielded good which prosperous days refused; as herbs, though scentless when entire, spread fragrance when they're bruised. the oak strikes deeper as its boughs by furious blasts are driven; so life's tempestuous storms the more have fixed my heart in heaven. all gracious lord! whate'er my lot in other times may be, i'll welcome still the heaviest grief that brings me near to thee. . s. m. sarah f. adams. dews and tears. gently fall the dews of eve, raising still the languid flowers; sweetly flow the tears that grieve o'er a mourner's stricken hours. blessed dews and tears that yet lift us nearer unto heaven! let us still his praise repeat, who in mercy all hath given. . s. m. anonymous. the strength of the lonely. though lonely be thy path, fear not, for he who marks the sparrow fall is guarding thee; and not a star shines o'er thy head by night, but he hath known that it will reach thy sight. and not a grief can darken or surprise, swell in thy heart, or dim with tears thine eyes, but it is sent in mercy and in love, to bid thy helplessness seek strength above. . l. m. jane roscoe. light in darkness. my father, when around me spread i see the shadows of the tomb, when life's bright visions droop and fade, and darkness veils the days to come,-- o, in that anguished hour i turn with a still trusting heart to thee, and holy thoughts arise and burn amid that cold, sad destiny! they fill my soul with heavenly light, while all around is pain and woe; and strengthened by them, in thy sight, father, to drink thy cup i go. . c. m. anonymous. consolation. let me not wander comfortless, my father, far from thee; but still beneath thy guardian wing in holy quiet be. the storms of grief, the tears of woe, soothed by thy love, shall cease; and all the trembling spirit breathe a deep, unbroken peace. the power of prayer shall o'er me shed a deep, celestial calm; more soft than evening's twilight dews, my soul shall feel its balm. for there thy still, small voice shall speak thy great, thy boundless love; and tears and smiles, and grief and joy, shall lift my soul above. . s. m. anonymous. the meaning of sorrow. we love this outward world, its fair sky overhead,-- its morning's soft, gray mist unfurled, its sunsets rich and red. but there's a world within that higher glory hath; a life the immortal soul must win,-- the life of joy and faith. for this the father's love doth shade the world of sense, the bounding play of health remove, and dim the sparkling glance; that, though the earth grows dull and earthly pleasures few, the spirit gain its wisdom full to suffer and to do. holy its world within, unknown to sound or sight,-- the world of victory o'er sin, of faith, and love, and light. . & s. m. anonymous. the mourner. weep thou, o mourner! but in lamentation let thy redeemer still remembered be; strong is his arm, the god of thy salvation, strong is his love to cheer and comfort thee. cold though the world be, in the way before thee wail not in sadness o'er the darkling tomb; god in his love still watcheth kindly o'er thee, light shineth still above the clouds of gloom. dimmed though thine eyes be with the tears of sorrow night only known beneath the sky of time, faith can behold the dawning of a morrow glowing in smiles of life and joy sublime. change, then, o mourner, grief to exultation; firm and confiding should thy spirit be; strong is his arm, the god of thy salvation, strong is his love to cheer and comfort thee. . p. m. mrs. hemans. for strength. father! who in the olive shade, when the dark hour came on, didst, with a breath of heavenly aid, strengthen thy son; o, in the anguish of our night, send us down blest relief; and to the chastened, let thy might hallow the grief! and thou, that, when the starry sky saw the dread strife begun, didst teach adoring faith to cry, "thy will be done!"-- by thy meek spirit, thou, of all that e'er have mourned the chief, our saviour! when the stroke doth fall, hallow our grief! . & s. m. whittier. the angels of grief. with silence only as their benediction, god's angels come where, in the shadow of a great affliction, the soul sits dumb. yet would we say, what every heart approveth,-- our father's will, calling to him the dear ones whom he loveth, is mercy still. not upon us or ours the solemn angel hath evil wrought; the funeral anthem is a glad evangel; the good die not! god calls our loved ones, but we lose not wholly what he has given; they live on earth in thought and deed, as truly as in his heaven. . c. m. wilson. angels. o, not when the death-prayer is said, the life of life departs; the body in the grave is laid, its beauty in our hearts. at holy midnight, voices sweet, like fragrance, fill the room; and happy ghosts, with noiseless feet, come brightening through the gloom. we know who sends the visions bright, from whose dear side they came; we veil our eyes before thy light, we bless our father's name! this frame, o god, this feeble breath, thy hand may soon destroy; we think of thee, and feel in death a deep and holy joy. dim is the light of vanished years in glory yet to come; o idle grief, o foolish tears, when jesus calls us home! . p. m. mrs. hemans. the cry of the afflicted. lowly and solemn be thy children's cry to thee, father divine! a hymn of suppliant breath, owning that life and death alike are thine. o father, in that hour when earth all helping power shall disavow; when spear, and shield, and crown, in faintness are cast down, sustain us thou! by him who bowed to take the death-cup for our sake, the thorn, the rod; from whom the last dismay was not to pass away, aid us, o god! and now beside the grave, we call on thee to save, father divine! hear, hear our suppliant breath; keep us, in life and death, thine, only thine! . & s. m. gaskell. life in death. thanks, thanks unto god! who in mercy hath spoken the truths which have pierced through the spirit's sad gloom; whose love with the light of its presence hath broken the darkness which hung o'er the desolate tomb. what now shall affright us? a father almighty keeps watch round our footsteps wherever we go; his mercy is sleepless,--his wisdom unfailing,-- he knoweth each want and regardeth each woe. where now is death's terror? he comes as an angel to carry the spirit away to its rest; the gloom which he weareth is lost in the message he brings from the being who loveth us best. may we live ever true to the hopes he hath given, while they shed o'er our path a still holier light; ever making us nearer and nearer to heaven, more pure our affections, our spirits more bright. . l. m. norton. o, stay thy tears! o, stay thy tears! for they are blest whose days are past, whose toil is done; here midnight care disturbs our rest, here sorrow dims the morning sun. for laboring virtue's anxious toil, for patient sorrow's stifled sigh, for faith that marks the conqueror's spoil, heaven grants the recompense,--to die. how blest are they whose transient years pass like an evening meteor's flight, not dark with guilt, nor dim with tears, whose course is short, unclouded, bright! o, cheerless were our lengthened way, but heaven's own light dispels the gloom, streams downward from eternal day, and sheds a glory round the tomb! then stay thy tears,--the blest above have hailed a spirit's heavenly birth, sung a new song of joy and love; then why should anguish reign on earth? . l. m. sarah f. adams. the angel at the tomb. the mourners came, at break of day, unto the garden sepulchre, with saddened hearts to weep and pray for him, the loved one, buried there. what radiant light dispels the gloom? an angel sits beside the tomb. the earth doth mourn her treasures lost, all sepulchred beneath the snow, when wintry winds and chilling frost have laid her summer glories low; the spring returns, the flow'rets bloom,-- an angel sits beside the tomb. then mourn we not beloved dead, e'en while we come to weep and pray; the happy spirit hath but fled to brighter realms of heavenly day; immortal hope dispels the gloom;-- an angel sits beside the tomb. . & s. m. bowring. blessed are the dead. blessed, blessed are the dead in the lord who die; radiant is the path they tread upward to the sky. all their deeds of virtue done, deeds of peace and love, now are stars of glory strewn, lighting them above. . s. m. bowring. o death, where is thy sting? where is thy sting, o death? grave! where thy victory? the clod may sleep in dust beneath, the spirit will be free! both man and time have power o'er suffering, dying men; but death arrives, and in that hour the soul is freed again. then, death, where is thy sting? and where thy victory, grave? o'er your dark bourn the soul will spring to him who loves to save. . l. m. mrs. barbauld. his end is peace. how blest the righteous when he dies! when sinks a trusting soul to rest, how mildly beam the closing eyes, how gently heaves the expiring breast! so fades a summer cloud away; so sinks the gale when storms are o'er; so gently shuts the eye of day; so dies a wave along the shore. a holy quiet reigns around, a calm which life nor death destroys; and naught disturbs that peace profound which his unfettered soul enjoys. farewell, conflicting hopes and fears, where lights and shades alternate dwell! how bright the unchanging morn appears! farewell, inconstant world, farewell! life's duty done, as sinks the clay, light from its load the spirit flies; while guardian angels gently say, "how blest the righteous when he dies!" . s. m. *mrs. howitt. he is risen. o spirit, freed from earth, rejoice, thy work is done! the weary world's beneath thy feet, thou brighter than the sun! arise, put on the robes that the redeemed win; now sorrow hath no part in thee, thou sanctified within! awake, and breathe the air of the celestial clime! awake to love which knows no change, thou who hast done with time! awake, lift up thine eyes! see, all heaven's host appears! and be thou glad exceedingly,-- thou, who hast done with tears. ascend! thou art not now with those of mortal birth; the living god hath touched thy lips, thou who hast done with earth! . s. m. gaskell. no more! "no more, on earth no more, shall beam for us that eye; closed in a strange forgetfulness forever it must lie. "no more, on earth no more, shall we behold that face; within the mournful halls of death must be its dwelling-place. "no more, on earth no more, shall those dear lips be heard; cold silence there hath fixed its seal, breathed is their latest word." 'tis so fond nature mourns affection's broken ties; but faith stands forth, she points on high, serenely she replies:-- "no more, in heaven no more, that eye is dim with tears; but bright, and brighter still, the scene before its view appears. "no more, in heaven no more, that face a shadow bears; but looks of light, born of a bliss unknown to earth, it wears. "no more, in heaven no more, that voice is faint with pain; it mingles with angelic bands, in their enraptured strain. "no more, in heaven no more, the parting grief is known; but love has all eternity to look through as its own." . c. m. barton. the dead. the dead are like the stars by day, withdrawn from mortal eye, yet holding unperceived their way through the unclouded sky. by them, through holy hope and love, we feel, in hours serene, connected with a world above, immortal and unseen. for death his sacred seal hath set on bright and bygone hours; and they we mourn are with us yet, are more than ever ours;-- ours, by the pledge of love and faith, by hopes of heaven on high; by trust, triumphant over death, in immortality. . p. m. anonymous. the departed. the spirits of the loved and the departed are with us, and they tell us of the sky, a rest for the bereaved and broken-hearted, a house not made with hands, a home on high; holy monitions,--a mysterious breath,-- a whisper from the marble halls of death. they have gone from us, and the grave is strong, yet in night's silent watches they are near; their voices linger round us, as the song of the sweet bird that lingers on the ear, when, floating upward in the flush of even, its form is lost from earth and swallowed up in heaven. . s. m. anonymous. are they not all ministering spirits? how dear is the thought, that the angels of god may bow their bright wings to the world they once trod; will leave the sweet songs of the mansions above, to breathe o'er our bosoms some message of love! they come, on the wings of the morning they come, impatient to lead some poor wanderer home; some sinner to save from his darkened abode, and lay him to rest in the arms of his god. they come when we wander, they come when we pray, in mercy to guard us wherever we stray; a glorious cloud, their bright witness is given; encircling us here are these angels of heaven. . c. m. *j. h. perkins. spiritual presence. it is a faith sublime and sure, that ever round our head are hovering, on noiseless wing, the spirits of the dead. it is a faith sublime and sure, when ended our career, that it will be our ministry to watch o'er others here; to bid the mourners cease to mourn, the trembling be forgiven, to bear away from ills of clay the deathless soul to heaven. . c. m. jane taylor. the unseen world. there is a state unknown, unseen, where parted souls must be; and but a step doth lie between that world of souls and me. i see no light, i hear no sound, when midnight shades are spread; yet angels pitch their tents around, and guard my quiet bed. the things unseen, o god, reveal; my spirit's vision clear, till i shall feel, and see, and know, that those i love are near. impart the faith that soars on high, beyond this earthly strife; that holds sweet converse with the sky, and lives eternal life. . p. m. anonymous. ministering angels. brother, the angels say, peace to thy heart! we, too, o brother, have been as thou art,-- hope-lifted, doubt-depressed, seeing in part, tried, troubled, tempted, sustained, as thou art. brother, they softly say, be our thoughts one; bend thou with us and pray, "thy will be done!" our god is thy god; he willeth the best; trust him as we trusted-- rest as we rest! ye, too, they gently say, shall angels be; ye, too, o brothers, from earth shall be free: yet in earth's loved ones ye still shall have part, bearing god's strength and love to the torn heart. thus when the spirit, tried tempted and worn, finding no earthly aid, heavenward doth turn,-- come these sweet angel-tones, falling like balm, and on the troubled heart steals a deep calm. . c. m. mrs. miles. foretaste of heaven. when, on devotion's seraph wing, the spirit soars above, and feels thy presence, father, friend, god of eternal love! the joys of earth, how swift they fade before that living ray, which gives to the rapt soul a glimpse of pure and perfect day! a gleam of heaven's own light, though now its brightness scarce appears through the pale shadows that are spread around our earthly years; but thine unclouded smile, o god! fills that all-glorious place, where we shall know as we are known, and see thee, face to face. . s. m. briggs' coll. the angels' call. come to the land of peace! from shadows come away; where all the sounds of weeping cease, and storms no more have sway! fear hath no dwelling here; but pure repose and love breathe through the bright, celestial air the spirit of the dove. come to the bright and blest, gathered from every land; for here thy soul shall find its rest, amidst the shining band. in this divine abode change leaves no saddening trace; come, trusting spirit, to thy god, thy holy resting-place! . c. m. briggs' coll. a vision of heaven. o, heaven is where no secret dread may haunt us by its power; where from the past no gloom is shed upon the present hour. and there the living waters flow along the radiant shore; the soul, now wandering here, shall know its burning thirst no more. the burden of the stranger's heart, which here unknown we bear, like the night-shadow shall depart with our first wakening there. and, borne on eagle's wings afar, free thought shall claim its dower, from every sphere, from every star, of glory and of power. viii. various occasions. . p. m. sterling. a hymn of morning. sweet morn! from countless cups of gold, thou liftest reverently on high more incense fine than earth can hold, to fill the sky. where'er the vision's boundaries glance, existence swells with living power, and all the illumined earth's expanse inhales the hour. in man, o morn! a loftier good, with conscious blessing, fills the soul,-- a life by reason understood, which metes the whole. to thousand tasks of fruitful hope, with skill against his toil, he bends, and finds his work's determined scope where'er he wends. from earth and earthly toil and strife to deathless aims his soul may rise, each dawn may wake to better life, with purer eyes. such grace from thee, o god, be ours, renewed with every morning's ray, and freshening still with added flowers each future day. to man is given one primal star; one dayspring's beam has dawned below; from thine our inmost glories are, with thine we glow. like earth awake and warm and bright, with joy the spirit moves and burns; so up to thee, o fount of light, our light returns. . s. m. episcopal coll. morning hymn. now the shades of night are gone; now the morning light is come: lord, may we be thine to-day; drive the shades of sin away. fill our souls with heavenly light, banish doubt, and clear our sight; in thy service, lord, to-day, may we stand, and watch, and pray. keep our haughty passions bound; save us from our foes around; going out and coming in, keep us safe from every sin. . s. m. furness. morning hymn. in the morning i will pray for god's blessing on the day; what this day shall be my lot, light or darkness, know i not. should it be with clouds o'ercast, clouds of sorrow, gathering fast, thou, who givest light divine, shine within me, lord, o, shine! show me, if i tempted be, how to find all strength in thee, and a perfect triumph win over every bosom sin. keep my feet from secret snares, keep mine eyes, o god, from tears! every step thy love attend, and my soul from death defend! . c. m. st. ambrose. morning hymn. now that the sun is beaming bright, implore we, bending low, that he, the uncreated light, may guide us as we go. no sinful word, nor deed of wrong, nor thoughts that idly rove, but simple truth be on our tongue, and in our hearts be love. and while the hours in order flow, securely keep, o god, our hearts, beleaguered by the foe that tempts our every road. and grant that to thine honor, lord, our daily toil may tend; that we begin it at thy word, and in thy favor end. . l. m. pierpont. morning hymn for a child. o god! i thank thee that the night in peace and rest hath passed away, and that i see in this fair light my father's smile, that makes it day. be thou my guide, and let me live as under thine all-seeing eye; supply my wants, my sins forgive, and make me happy when i die. . p. m. heber. evening aspiration. god that madest earth and heaven, darkness and light! who the day for toil hast given, for rest the night! may thine angel guards defend us, slumber sweet thy mercy send us, holy dreams and hopes attend us, this livelong night! . s. m. st. gregory. evening hymn. source of light and life divine! thou didst cause the light to shine; thou didst bring thy sunbeams forth o'er thy new-created earth. shade of night and morning ray took from thee the name of day: now again the shades are nigh, listen to thy children's cry! may we ne'er, by guilt depressed, lose the way to endless rest; may no thoughts, corrupt and vain, draw our souls to earth again. rather help them still to rise where our dearest treasure lies; help us in our daily strife, make us struggle into life! . l. m. *wordsworth. sunset hymn. up to the throne of god is borne the voice of praise at early morn, and he accepts the reverent hymn sung as the light of day grows dim. look up to heaven! the obedient sun already through his course hath run; he cannot halt or go astray, but our immortal spirits may. lord, since his rising in the east, if we have faltered or transgressed, guide, from thy love's abundant source, what yet remains of this day's course. help with thy grace, through all life's day, our upward and our downward way; and glorify for us the west, when we shall sink into our rest. . p. m. anonymous. vespers. fading, still fading, the last beam is shining; father in heaven! the day is declining; safety and innocence flee with the light, temptation and danger walk forth with the night; from the fall of the shade till the morning bells chime, shield us from danger and keep us from crime! father! have mercy, through jesus christ our lord! amen! father in heaven! o, hear, when we call, through jesus christ, who is saviour of all! fainting and feeble, we trust in thy might; in doubting and darkness thy love be our light! let us sleep on thy breast while the night taper burns, and wake in thy arms when the morning returns. father! have mercy, through jesus christ our lord! amen! . s. m. *furness. the light of stars. slowly, by god's hand unfurled, down around the weary world falls the darkness; o, how still is the working of his will! mighty spirit, ever nigh! work in me as silently; veil the day's distracting sights, show me heaven's eternal lights. living stars to view be brought in the boundless realms of thought; high and infinite desires, flaming like those upper fires! holy truth, eternal right, let them break upon my sight; let them shine serene and still, and with light my being fill. . l. m. pierpont. evening hymn for a child. another day its course hath run, and still, o god! thy child is blest; for thou hast been by day my sun, and thou wilt be by night my rest. sweet sleep descends, mine eyes to close; and now, while all the world is still, i give my body to repose, my spirit to my father's will. . l. m. doddridge. the eternal sabbath. lord of the sabbath, hear our vows, on this thy day, in this thy house; and own, as grateful sacrifice, the songs which from thy churches rise. thine earthly sabbaths, lord, we love; but there's a nobler rest above; to that our longing souls aspire, with earnest hope and strong desire. no more fatigue, no more distress; nor sin nor death shall reach the place; no groans to mingle with the songs which warble from immortal tongues. no rude alarms of raging foes; no cares to break the long repose; no midnight shade, no clouded sun, but sacred, high, eternal noon. o long expected day, begin; dawn on these realms of woe and sin! fain would we leave this weary road, and pass through death, to rest with god. . c. m. christian hymns. sabbath morning. how sweet, how calm, this sabbath morn! how pure the air that breathes! how soft the sounds upon it borne! how light its vapor wreathes! it seems as if the christian's prayer, for peace and joy and love, were answered by the very air that wafts its strain above. let each unholy passion cease, each evil thought be crushed, and every care that mars our peace in faith and love be hushed. . l. m. *montgomery. sabbath evening. within thy courts have millions met, millions this day before thee bowed; their faces heavenward were set, their vows to thee, o god! they vowed. still as the light of morning broke o'er island, continent, and deep, thy far-spread family awoke, sabbath all round the world to keep. from east to west the sun surveyed, from north to south, adoring throngs; and still where evening stretched her shade the stars came forth to hear their songs. and not a prayer, a tear, a sigh, hath failed this day some suit to gain; to hearts that sought thee thou wast nigh nor hath one sought thy face in vain. the poor in spirit thou hast fed, the feeble soul hath strengthened been. the mourner thou hast comforted, the pure in heart their god have seen. and thou, soul-searching god! hast known the hearts of all that bent the knee, and all their prayers have reached thy throne, in soul and truth who worshipped thee. . c. m. * baptism. when from the jordan's gleaming wave came forth the sinless one, a voice athwart the heavens flashed, "lo! my beloved son!" the baptist, gazing on his face, with the soul's radiance bright, beheld upon his sacred head a snow-white dove alight. now with baptismal waters touched, thy children, father, see! while heart and soul, and mind and strength, they consecrate to thee. send down on them thy holy dove, thy spirit undefiled; be each in purity and faith thy well-beloved child! o help them in the wilderness to conquer doubt and sin; to see above them still thy peace, and hear thy voice within! . l. m. w. boston coll. baptism of a child. this child we dedicate to thee, o god of grace and purity! shield it from sin and threatening wrong, and let thy love its life prolong. o, may thy spirit gently draw its willing soul to keep thy law; may virtue, piety, and truth, dawn even with its dawning youth! we, too, before thy gracious sight, once shared the blest baptismal rite, and would renew its solemn vow, with love, and thanks, and praises, now. grant that, with true and faithful heart, we still may act the christian's part, cheered by each promise thou hast given, and laboring for the prize in heaven. . s. m. disciples' h. b. baptism of a child. to thee, o god in heaven, this little one we bring, giving to thee what thou hast given, our dearest offering. into a world of toil these little feet will roam, where sin its purity may soil, where care and grief may come. o, then, let thy pure love, with influence serene, come down, like water, from above, to comfort and make clean! . s. m. disciples' h. b. baptism of children. to him who children blest, and suffered them to come, to him who took them to his breast, we bring these children home. to thee, o god, whose face their spirits still behold, we bring them, praying that thy grace may keep, thine arms enfold. and as this water falls on each unconscious brow, thy holy spirit grant, o lord, to keep them pure as now! . c. m. gaskell. marriage hymn. we join to pray, with wishes kind, a blessing, lord, from thee, on those who now the bands have twined, which ne'er may broken be. we know that scenes not always bright must unto them be given; but let there shine o'er all the light of love, and truth, and heaven. still hand in hand, their journey through, meek pilgrims may they go; mingling their joys as helpers true, and sharing every woe. in faith, and trust, and heart, the same, the same their home above; may each in each still feed the flame of pure and holy love. . s. m. anonymous. marriage hymn. father, in thy presence now has been pledged the nuptial vow; heart to heart, as hand in hand, linked in one thy children stand. god of love! this union bless, not with earth's low happiness; but with joys whose heavenly spring shall diviner raptures bring. may these blended souls be found firm in duty's active round; daily every burden share, nightly seek thy shadowing care. when against their trembling forms shoot the arrows of life's storms; or when age and sickness wait heralds at life's parting gate;-- in the fulness of belief, may they look beyond the grief; and together fearless tread in the path where thou shall lead. . l. m. norton. dedication of a church. where ancient forests widely spread, where bends the cataract's ocean-fall; on the lone mountain's silent head, there are thy temples, god of all! the tombs thine altars are; for there, when earthly loves and hopes have fled, to thee ascends the spirit's prayer, thou god of the immortal dead! all space is holy, for all space is filled by thee;--but human thought burns clearer in some chosen place, where thine own words of love are taught. here be they taught; and may we know that faith thy servants knew of old, which onward bears, through weal or woe, till death the gates of heaven unfold. nor we alone; may those whose brow shows yet no trace of human cares hereafter stand where we do now, and raise to thee still holier prayers. . c. m. bryant. dedication hymns. o thou, whose own vast temple stands built over earth and sea, accept the walls that human hands have raised to worship thee! lord, from thine inmost glory send, within these courts to bide, the peace that dwelleth, without end, serenely by thy side! may erring minds that worship here be taught the better way; and they who mourn, and they who fear, be strengthened as they pray. may faith grow firm, and love grow warm, and pure devotion rise, while round these hallowed walls the storm of earth-born passion dies. . c. m. * ordination hymn. o god! thy children, gathered here, thy blessing now we wait; thy servant, girded for his work, stands at the temple's gate. a holy purpose in his heart has deepened calm and still; now from his childhood's nazareth he comes, to do thy will. o father! keep his soul alive to every hope of good; and may his life of love proclaim man's truest brotherhood! o father! keep his spirit quick to every form of wrong; and in the ear of sin and self may his rebuke be strong! and as he doth christ's footsteps press, if e'er his faith grow dim, then, in the dreary wilderness, thine angels strengthen him! and give him in thy holy work patience to wait thy time, and, toiling still with man, to breathe the soul's serener clime. o grant him many hearts to lead into thy perfect rest; bless thou him, father, and his flock: bless! and they shall be blest! . c. m. * ordination. go, preach the gospel in my name, said he of bethlehem: teach of a crown more glorious than earthly diadem. teach ye as i have taught, in love; be hate unthought, unspoken; bind up the bleeding heart, nor let the bruised reed be broken. if any scorn you for the truth which ye shall publish free, think of the lonely midnight hour in dark gethsemane: think of my prayers on olivet, my musings by the sea; and though the heavy chain may bind, that truth shall make you free. . l. m. * ordination. thy servant's sandals, lord, are wet with jordan's wave but lately met, and in that sacred river fall the olden thoughts, the spirit's pall. he stands upon the holy land, and angels take his trustful hand; the jordan sanctifies his breast, and christ now leads him to his rest. his rest? his battle! he must win fair zion's gate through ranks of sin; why are these words, this solemn show, if sin be not his deadly foe? there gathers here no heavenly host; no fiery tongues of pentecost,-- no gentle dove with winnowing wings the spirit to thy servant brings. the still, small voice hath called him here, and thus is god himself most near:-- my people, lift your hearts in prayer, and keep your god forever there. . s. m. drummond. a public fast. "is this a fast for me?" thus saith the lord our god; "a day for man to vex his soul, and feel affliction's rod? "no; is not this alone the sacred fast i choose: oppression's yoke to burst in twain, the bands of guilt unloose? "to nakedness and want your food and raiment deal, to dwell your kindred race among, and all their sufferings heal? "then, like the morning ray, shall spring your health and light; before you, righteousness shall shine, around, my glory bright!" . & s. m. italian. prayer of a stricken people. o thou, whose power stupendous upholds the earth and sky, thy grace preserving send us,-- to thee, o lord! we cry. from wilds of fearful error, wherein we darkly stray, oppressed with doubt and terror, for saving aid we pray. o god of mercy, hear us! our pain, our sorrow, see; thy healing pity spare us, and bring us home to thee! . s. m. anonymous. the new year. joy! joy! a year is born; a year to man is given, for hope, and peace, and love, for faith, and truth, and heaven. though earth be dark with care, with death and sorrow rife, yet toil, and pain, and prayer, lead to our higher life. behold, the fields are white! no longer idly stand! go forth in love and might; man needs thy helping hand. thus may each day and year to prayer and toil be given, till man to god draw near, and earth become like heaven. . c. m. gaskell. a new year. our father! through the coming year we know not what shall be, but we would leave without a fear its ordering all to thee. it may be we shall toil in vain for what the world holds fair, and all its good we thought to gain deceive, and prove but care. it may be it shall darkly blend our love with anxious fears, and snatch away the valued friend, the tried of many years. it may be it shall bring us days and nights of lingering pain, and bid us take our farewell gaze of these loved haunts of men. but calmly, lord, on thee we rest; no fears our trust shall move; thou knowest what for each is best, and thou art perfect love. . s. m. anonymous. the god of spring. praise and thanks and cheerful love rise from everything below, to the mighty one above, who his wondrous love doth show: praise him, each created thing! god, your father! god of spring! praise him, trees so lately bare; praise him, fresh and new-born flowers; all ye creatures of the air; all ye soft-descending showers: praise, with each awakening thing, praise your maker,--god of spring! praise him, man!--thy fitful heart let this balmy season move to employ its noblest part, softest mercy, sweetest love,-- blessing, with each living thing, god the bounteous,--god of spring! . & s. m. w. v. spring. there cometh o'er the spirit, with each returning year, the thought that thou, the father, art ever to us near; with hope of life dispelling the death that winter brought; and flowers and fruits foretelling, with fragrant beauty fraught. 'tis this which calls thy children in sweet accord to raise, beneath thy blue-domed temple, one general hymn of praise to thee, the ever-living, the universal king, who never ceasest giving each good and perfect thing. the streamlet from the mountain,-- it speaketh, lord, of thee, as from its snow-capped fountain it rushes to the sea; the gentle dew descending, and cloud's refreshing shower,-- o god, our heavenly father, all, all, proclaim thy power. . & s. m. anonymous. hymn of spring. praise the lord, when blushing morning wakes the blossoms fresh with dew! when the world, again created, beams with beauties fair and new! praise the lord, when early breezes come so fragrant from the flowers! praise, thou willow by the brookside! praise, ye birds, among the bowers! praise the lord! and may his blessing guide us in the way of truth, keep our feet from paths of error, make us holy in our youth. praise the lord, ye hosts of heaven! angels, sing your sweetest lays! all things utter forth his glory! sound your great creator's praise! . c. m. j. richardson. the hymn of summer. how glad the tone when summer's sun wreaths the gay world with flowers, and trees bend down with golden fruit, and birds are in their bowers! the morn sends silent music down upon each earthly thing; and always since creation's dawn the stars together sing. shall man remain in silence, then, while all beneath the skies the chorus joins? no, let us sing, and while our voices rise, o, let our lives, great god, breathe forth a constant melody; and every action be a tone in that sweet hymn to thee! . c. m. mrs. miles. summer. the earth, all light and loveliness, in summer's golden hours, shines, in her bridal vesture clad, and crowned with festal flowers, so radiantly beautiful, so like to heaven above, we scarce can deem more fair that world of perfect bliss and love. is this a shadow faint and dim of that which is to come! what shall the unveiled splendor be of our celestial home, where waves the glorious tree of life, where streams of bliss gush free, and all is glowing in the light of immortality! . c. m. anonymous. seed-time and harvest shall not cease. fountain of life, and god of love! how rich thy bounties are! the rolling seasons, as they move, proclaim thy constant care. when in the bosom of the earth the sower hid the grain, thy goodness marked its secret birth, and sent the early rain. the spring's sweet influence, lord, was thine, its mild, refreshing showers; thou gav'st the ripening suns to shine, and summer's golden hours. thy quickening life, forever near, matured the swelling grain;-- the bounteous harvest crowns the year, and plenty fills the plain. with thankful hearts we trace thy way through all our smiling vales; thou, by whose love, nor night nor day, seed-time nor harvest, fails! . & s. m. *doddridge. thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth. house of our god, with cheerful anthems ring, while all our lips and hearts his mercies sing; the fruitful year his bounties shall proclaim, and all its days be vocal with his name. the lord is good, his mercy never-ending, his blessings in perpetual showers descending. the earth, enlightened by his rays divine, brought forth the grass, the corn, and oil, and wine; crowned with his goodness, let the people meet, and lay their thankful offerings at his feet; with grateful love that hand divine confessing, which on each heart bestoweth every blessing. his mercy never ends; the dawn, the shade, still see new beauties through new scenes displayed; succeeding ages bless this sure abode, and children lean upon their fathers' god: the soul of man, through its immense duration, drinks from this source immortal consolation. burst into praise, my soul! all nature, join! angels and men, in harmony combine! while human years are measured by the sun, and while eternity its course shall run, his goodness, in perpetual showers descending, exalt in songs and raptures never-ending! . l. m. mrs. sigourney. the year crowned with goodness. god of the year! with songs of praise, and hearts of love, we come to bless thy bounteous hand, for thou hast shed thy manna o'er our wilderness. in early spring-time thou didst fling o'er earth its robe of blossoming; and its sweet treasures, day by day, rose quickening in thy blessed ray. god of the seasons! thou hast blest the land with sunlight and with showers; and plenty o'er its bosom smiles, to crown the sweet autumnal hours. praise, praise to thee! our hearts expand, to view these blessings of thy hand, and on the incense-breath of love ascend to their bright home above. . c. m. bowring. the hymn of the seasons. the heavenly spheres to thee, o god, attune their evening hymn; all-wise, all-holy, thou art praised in song of seraphim. unnumbered systems, suns, and worlds, unite to worship thee, while thy majestic greatness fills space, time, eternity. nature, a temple worthy thee, beams with thy light and love; whose flowers so sweetly bloom below, whose stars rejoice above; whose altars are the mountain-cliffs that rise along the shore; whose anthems, the sublime accord of storm and ocean-roar. her song of gratitude is sung by spring's awakening hours; her summer offers at thy shrine its earliest, loveliest flowers; her autumn brings its golden fruits, in glorious luxury given; while winter's silver heights reflect thy brightness back to heaven. . s. m. emily taylor. the changing year. god of the changing year, whose arm of power in safety leads through danger's darkest hour,-- here in thy temple bow thy children down, to bless thy mercy, and thy might to own. thine are the beams that cheer us on our way, and pour around the gladdening light of day; thine is the night, and the fair orbs that shine to cheer its hours of darkness,--all are thine. if round our path the thorns of sorrow grew, and mortal friends were faithless, thou wast true did sickness shake the frame, or anguish tear the wounded spirit, thou wast present there. o, lend thine ear, and lift our voice to thee; where'er we dwell, still let thy mercy be; from year to year, still nearer to thy shrine draw our frail hearts, and make them wholly thine! . c. m. gaskell. close of the year. o god! to thee our hearts would pay their gratitude sincere, whose love hath kept us, night and day, throughout another year. of every breath, and every power, thou wast the gracious source; from thee came every happy hour which smiled along its course. and if sometimes across our path a cloud its shadows threw, thou didst not waft it there in wrath, but loving-kindness true. for joy and grief alike we pay our thanks to thee above; and only pray to grow each day more worthy of thy love. . l. m. *john taylor. the worth of years. like shadows gliding o'er the plain, or clouds that roll successive on, man's busy generations pass; and while we gaze, their forms are gone. o father, in whose mighty hand the boundless years and ages lie, teach us thy boon of life to prize, and use the moments as they fly;-- to crowd the narrow span of life with wise designs and virtuous deeds; and so shall death but lead us on to nobler service that succeeds. . p. m. *milman. funeral hymn. brother, thou art gone before us, and thy saintly soul is flown, where tears are wiped from every eye, and sorrows are unknown; from the burden of the flesh, and from care and fear, released, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. sin no more can taint thy spirit, nor can doubt thy faith assail; thy soul its welcome has received, thy strength shall never fail; and thou'rt sure to meet the good, whom on earth thou lovedst best, where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest. to the grave thy body bearing, low we place it mid the dead; and lay the turf above it now, and seal its narrow bed; but thy spirit soars away, free, among the faithful blest, where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. . c. m. whittier. not lost, but gone before. another hand is beckoning us, another call is given; and glows once more with angel steps the path that leads to heaven. o, half we deemed she needed not the changing of her sphere, to give to heaven a shining one, who walked an angel here. unto our father's will alone one thought hath reconciled; that he whose love exceedeth ours hath taken home his child. fold her, o father, in thine arms, and let her henceforth be a messenger of love between our human hearts and thee. still let her mild rebukings stand between us and the wrong, and her dear memory serve to make our faith in goodness strong. . s. m. j. h. bancroft. the christian's burial. brother, though from yonder sky cometh neither voice nor cry, yet we know for thee to-day every pain hath passed away. not for thee shall tears be given, child of god, and heir of heaven; for he gave thee sweet release; thine the christian's death of peace. well we know thy living faith had the power to conquer death; as a living rose may bloom by the border of the tomb. brother, in that solemn trust, we commend thy dust to dust; in that faith we wait, till, risen, thou shalt meet us all in heaven. while we weep as jesus wept, thou shalt sleep as jesus slept; then with jesus thou shalt rest, crowned, and glorified, and blest. . s. m. anonymous. funeral hymn. clay to clay, and dust to dust! let them mingle,--for they must! give to earth the earthly clod, for the spirit's fled to god. never more shall midnight's damp darken round this mortal lamp; never more shall noonday's glance search this mortal countenance. look aloft! the spirit's risen; death cannot the soul imprison: 'tis in heaven that spirits dwell, glorious, though invisible. thither let us turn our view; peace is there, and comfort too; there shall those we love be found, tracing life's eternal round. . c. m. dale. "weep not." dear as thou wast, and justly dear, we would not weep for thee; one thought shall check the starting tear,-- it is--that thou art free. and thus shall faith's consoling power the tears of love restrain; o, who that saw thy parting hour could wish thee here again? gently the passing spirit fled, sustained by grace divine; o, may such grace on us be shed, and make our end like thine! . s. m. montgomery. death in manhood. go to the grave in all thy glorious prime, in full activity of zeal and power: a christian cannot die before his time; the lord's appointment is the servant's hour. go to the grave; at noon from labor cease; rest on thy sheaves, thy harvest work is done; come from the heat of battle, and in peace, soldier, go home; with thee the field is won. go to the grave, for there thy saviour lay, in death's embraces, ere he rose on high; and all the ransomed, by that narrow way, pass to eternal life beyond the sky. go to the grave,--no, to thy home above; be thy pure spirit present with the lord, where thou for faith and hope hast perfect love, and open vision for the written word. . & s. m. heber. the resurrection and the life. thou art gone to the grave;--but we will not deplore thee, though sorrows and darkness encompass the tomb; the saviour has passed through its portals before thee, and the lamp of his love is thy guide through the gloom. thou art gone to the grave: we no longer behold thee, nor tread the rough paths of the world by thy side; but the wide arms of mercy are spread to enfold thee, and sinners may hope, since the sinless hath died. thou art gone to the grave; and, its mansion forsaking, perchance thy tried spirit in doubt lingered long; but the sunshine of heaven beamed bright on thy waking, and the song that thou heard'st was the seraphim's song. thou art gone to the grave; but we will not deplore thee, since god was thy refuge, thy guardian, thy guide; he gave thee, he took thee, and he will restore thee; and death has no sting, since the saviour hath died. . c. m. mrs. hemans. death of the young. calm on the bosom of thy god, fair spirit, rest thee now! e'en while with us thy footstep trod, his seal was on thy brow. dust, to its narrow house beneath! soul, to its home on high! they that have seen thy look in death no more may fear to die. lone are the paths, and sad the hours, since thy meek spirit's gone; but, o, a brighter home than ours, in heaven, is now thine own! . & s. m. briggs' coll. death of a child. fare thee well, our fondly cherished! dear, dear blossom, fare thee well! he who lent thee hath recalled thee, back with him and his to dwell. like a sunbeam through our dwelling shone thy presence, bright and calm; thou didst add a zest to pleasure; to our sorrows thou wast balm. yet while mourning, o our lost one, come no visions of despair! seated on thy tomb, faith's angel saith, thou art not, art not there. where, then, art thou? with the saviour, blest, forever blest, to be; 'mid the sinless little children who have heard his "come to me." passed the shades of death's dark valley, thou art leaning on his breast, where the wicked may not enter, and the weary are at rest. plead, that in a father's mercy all our sins may be forgiven; angel! plead, that thou may'st greet us, ransomed, at the gates of heaven. . s. m. anonymous. funeral hymn of a child. to the father's love we trust that which was enshrined in dust; while we give the earth to earth, finds the soul its heavenly birth. angels wait the angel child, gentle, young, and undefiled. said not oft those pleading eyes that they longed for purer skies? did not oft the falling tear speak of roughening billows here? prayed we not that she might rest on her heavenly father's breast? give the spirit, then, to god, and its vesture to the sod; life, henceforth, shall have a ray kindled ne'er to pass away, and a light from angel eyes draw us upward to the skies. . & s. m. anonymous. children in heaven. in the broad fields of heaven,-- in the immortal bowers, by life's clear river dwelling, amid undying flowers,-- there hosts of beauteous spirits, fair children of the earth, linked in bright bands celestial, sing of their human birth. they sing of earth and heaven,-- divinest voices rise to god, their gracious father, who called them to the skies: they all are there,--in heaven,-- safe, safe, and sweetly blest; no cloud of sin can shadow their bright and holy rest. . & s. m. pierpont. for a charitable occasion. mighty one, whose name is holy, thou wilt save thy work alive, and the spirit of the lowly thou wilt visit and revive. what thy prophets thus have spoken, ages witness as they roll; bleeding hearts and spirits broken, touched by thee, o god, are whole. by thy pitying spirit guided, jesus sought the sufferer's door; comfort for the poor provided, and the mourner's sorrows bore;-- so thy mercy's angel, bending, heard a friendless prisoner's call, and through night's cold vault descending, loosed from chains thy servant paul. father, as thy love is endless, working by thy servants thus, the forsaken and the friendless deign to visit, e'en by us; so shall each, with spirit fervent laboring with thee here below, be declared thy faithful servant, where there's neither want nor woe. . & s. m. nicoll. god save the poor! lord, from thy blessed throne, sorrow look down upon! god save the poor! teach them true liberty, make them from tyrants free, let their homes happy be! god save the poor! the arms of wicked men do thou with might restrain,-- god save the poor! raise thou their lowliness, succor thou their distress, thou whom the meanest bless! god save the poor! give them stanch honesty, let their pride manly be, god save the poor! help them to hold the right, give them both truth and might, lord of all life and light! god save the poor! . & s. m. heber. missionary hymn. from greenland's icy mountains, from india's coral strand, where afric's sunny fountains roll down their golden sand; from many an ancient river, from many a palmy plain, they call us to deliver their land from error's chain. what though the spicy breezes blow soft o'er ceylon's isle; though every prospect pleases, and only man is vile? in vain with lavish kindness the gifts of god are strewn; the heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone. shall we, whose souls are lighted by wisdom from on high, shall we to men benighted the lamp of life deny? salvation! o salvation! the joyful sound proclaim, till earth's remotest nation shall learn messiah's name. . & s. m. anonymous. "how beautiful upon the mountains." where, for a thousand miles, the sweet ohio smiles, on bed of sand; where prairies blossom broad, fair gardens sown by god, and lakes their ocean-flood pour from his hand; where sleep in rest profound, beneath each ancient mound, a buried race; there, brother, go and teach; from heart to heart shall reach thy free and earnest speech of heavenly grace. where the tall forest waves above those mouldering graves, god's truth declare; while his first temples spread their arches o'er thy head, lift, o'er the slumbering dead, the voice of prayer. while rolls the living tide, down alleghany's side, its ceaseless flood; upon the mountains, there, how beautiful appear the feet of those who bear tidings of good! o thou, whose suns and rains upon those mighty plains fall evermore; send down the dews of peace, the sun of righteousness, and let thy light increase from shore to shore! . & s. m. a. c. coxe. western missions. westward, lord, the world alluring, has thy risen day-star beamed, and, the sinking soul assuring, o'er the world's wide ocean streamed. westward, still, the midnight breaking, westward, still, its light be poured! heathen thy possession making, utmost lands thy dwelling, lord! westward, where the waving prairie, dark as slumbering ocean, lies, let thy starlight, son of mary, o'er the shadowed billows rise! here be heard, ye herald voices, till the lord his glory shows, and the lonely place rejoices with the bloom of sharon's rose. where the wilderness is lying, and the trees of ages nod, westward, in the desert crying, make a highway for our god. westward, till the church be kneeling in the forest aisles so dim, and the wild-wood's arches pealing with the people's holy hymn. . & s. m. e. davis. for a peace meeting. not with the flashing steel, not with the cannon's peal, or stir of drum; but in the bonds of love, our white flag floats above; her emblem is the dove;-- 'tis thus we come. the laws of christian light,-- these are our weapons bright, our mighty shield; christ is our leader high; and the broad plains which lie beneath the blessed sky, our battle-field. what is that great intent on which each heart is bent, our hosts among? it is that hate may die, that war's red curse may fly, and war's high praise for aye no more be sung. on, then, in god's great name! let each pure spirit's flame burn bright and clear; stand firmly in your lot, cry ye aloud, doubt not, be every fear forgot; christ leads us here! so shall earth's distant lands, in happy, holy bands, one brotherhood, together rise and sing, gifts to one altar bring, and heaven's eternal king pronounce it good. . & s. m. * in time of war. lord, once our faith in man no fear could move; now save it from despair! the trial comes; strengthen the might of love: father, thou hearest prayer! thou hearest; and we hear, above this din, thy blessed word sound clear: "i purge this land from slavery and sin; the reign of heaven draws near." o, never falter, ye who strive to bring in men the heavenly birth; for still the angel hosts unfaltering sing, "peace to the weary earth!" o, never falter! peace must come by pain; heaven is not found, but won; hold the dark angel till he moulds again the peace he hath undone. we know not, lord, what storms and trials strong must work our world's new birth; but we will toil, with this for working-song,-- "peace to the weary earth!" peace to the weary, struggling, sin-sick earth! peace to the heart of man! storm shall bring calm; that high reward is worth all we must bear, or can. . & s. m. longfellow. peace on earth. down the dark future, through long generations, the sounds of war grow fainter and then cease; and, like a bell with solemn, sweet vibrations, i hear once more the voice of christ say, "peace!" peace! and no longer, from its brazen portals, the blast of war's great organ shakes the skies; but beautiful as songs of the immortals, the holy melodies of love arise. . c. m. anonymous. glory to god, through peace on earth. "to god be glory! peace on earth!" let us repeat again the hymn that hailed the saviour's birth,-- "peace and good will to men!" good will to men! o god, we hail this of thy law the sum; for as this shall o'er earth prevail, so shall thy kingdom come! . c. m. r. w. emerson. the house our fathers built to god. we love the venerable house our fathers built to god; in heaven are kept their grateful vows, their dust endears the sod. here holy thoughts a light have shed from many a radiant face, and prayers of tender hope have spread a perfume through the place. and anxious hearts have pondered here the mystery of life, and prayed the eternal spirit clear their doubts and aid their strife. from humble tenements around came up the pensive train, and in the church a blessing found, which filled their homes again. for faith, and peace, and mighty love, that from the godhead flow, showed them the life of heaven above springs from the life below. they live with god, their homes are dust; but here their children pray, and, in this fleeting lifetime, trust to find the narrow way. on him who by the altar stands, on him thy blessing fall! speak through his lips thy pure commands, thou heart, that lovest all! . c. m. j. weiss. epiphany. a wondrous star our pioneer, we left the mystic land where heaven-nurtured childhood slept, where yet old visions stand. o god! the land of dreams we left, repose we left for aye, and followed meekly to the place where our redeemer lay. that humble manger we have found; the world his cradle is; his life is hidden far below its sins and miseries. the world throws wide its brazen gates; with thee we enter in; o, grant us, in our humble sphere, to free that world from sin. we have one mind in christ our lord to stand and point above; to hurl rebuke at social wrong; but all, o god, in love. the star is resting in the sky; to worship christ we came; the moments haste; o, touch our tongues with thy celestial flame! the truest worship is a life; all dreaming we resign; we lay our offerings at thy feet,-- our lives, o christ, are thine! . l. m. * the children of the cross. thou lord of hosts, whose guiding hand hast brought us here, before thy face, our spirits wait for thy command, our silent hearts implore thy peace! those spirits lay their noblest powers, as offerings, on thy holy shrine; thine was the strength that nourished ours; the children of the cross are thine. while watching on our arms, at night, we saw thine angels round us move: we heard thy call, we felt thy light, and followed, trusting to thy love. and now, with hymn and prayer we stand, to give our strength to thee, great god! we would redeem thy holy land, that land which sin so long has trod. send us where'er thou wilt, o lord, through rugged toil and wearying fight; thy conquering love shall be our sword, and faith in christ our truest might. send down thy constant aid, we pray; be thy pure angels with us still; thy truth, be that our firmest stay; our only rest, to do thy will. . c. m. nicoll. the reformers. an offering at the shrine of power our hands shall never bring; a garland on the car of pomp our hands shall never fling; applauding in the conqueror's path our voices ne'er shall be; but we have hearts to honor those who bade the world go free! praise to the good, the pure, the great, who made us what we are,-- who lit the flame which yet shall glow with radiance brighter far! glory to them in coming time, and through eternity, who burst the captive's galling chain, and bade the world go free! . l. m. mrs. hemans. earth's nameless martyrs. the kings of old have shrine and tomb in many a minster's haughty gloom; and green, along the ocean-side, the mounds arise where heroes died; but show me on thy flowery breast, earth! where thy nameless martyrs rest! the thousands that, uncheered by praise, have made one offering of their days; for truth, for heaven, for freedom's sake, resigned the bitter cup to take; and silently, in fearless faith, have bowed their noble souls to death. o, haply all around lie strewed the ashes of that multitude! it may be that each day we tread where thus devoted hearts have bled, and the sweet flowers the children sow take root in holy dust below. what though no stone the record bears of their deep thoughts and lonely prayers, may not our inmost hearts be stilled, with knowledge of their presence filled, and by their lives be taught to prize the meekness of self-sacrifice? . s. m. luther. the martyrs' ashes. flung to the heedless winds, or on the waters cast, their ashes shall be watched, and gathered at the last; and from that scattered dust, around us and abroad, shall spring a plenteous seed of witnesses for god. the father hath received their latest living breath; yet vain is satan's boast of victory in their death; still, still, though dead, they speak, and, trumpet-tongued, proclaim to many a wakening land the one prevailing name. . c. m. moravian. the noble army of martyrs. glory to god! whose witness-train, those heroes bold in faith, could smile on poverty and pain, and triumph even in death. o, may that faith our hearts sustain, wherein they fearless stood when, in the power of cruel men, they poured their willing blood. god, whom we serve, our god, can save; can damp the scorching flame, can build an ark, or smooth the wave, for such as love his name. yea, should it even to man appear, at times, as though the lord forsook his chosen servants here, we yet will trust his word. lord! if thine arm support us still with its eternal strength, we shall o'ercome the mightiest ill, and conquerors prove, at length. . s. m. graham. god with us on the deep. heave, mighty ocean, heave! and blow, thou boisterous wind! onward we swiftly glide, and leave our home and friends behind. away, away we steer, upon the ocean's breast; and dim the distant heights appear, like clouds along the west. there is a loneliness upon the mighty deep; and hurried thoughts upon us press, as onward still we sweep. but there is hope and joy, wherever we may be; danger nor death can e'er destroy our trust, o god, in thee! then wherefore should we grieve or what have we to fear? though home and friends and life we leave, our god is ever near. sweep, mighty ocean, sweep! ye winds, blow foul or fair! our god is with us on the deep, our home is everywhere. . p. m. mrs. southey. the mariner's hymn. launch thy bark, mariner! christian, god speed thee! let loose the rudder bands, good angels lead thee! set thy sails warily, tempests will come; steer thy course steadily, christian, steer home! look to the weather bow, breakers are round thee; let fall thy plummet now, shallows may ground thee. reef in thy foresail there; hold the helm fast; so,--let the vessel wear,-- by swept the blast. slacken no sail yet, at inlet or island; straight for the beacon steer,-- straight for the highland; crowd all the canvass on, cut through the foam;-- christian! cast anchor now; heaven is thy home! . & s. m. sterling. the husbandman's hymn. many a power within earth's bosom, noiseless, hidden, works beneath; hence are seed and leaf and blossom, golden ear and clustered wreath. wind and frost, and hour and season, land and water, sun and shade,-- work with these, as bids thy reason, for they work thy toil to aid. sow thy seed and reap in gladness! man himself is all a seed; hope and hardship, joy and sadness, slow the plant to ripeness lead. . l. m. flint. remembrance of our fathers. in pleasant lands have fallen the lines that bound our goodly heritage, and safe beneath our sheltering vines our youth is blest, and soothed our age. what thanks, o god, to thee are due, that thou didst plant our fathers here, and watch and guard them as they grew, a vineyard to the planter dear! the toils they bore our ease have wrought; they sowed in tears,--in joy we reap; the birthright they so dearly bought we'll guard, till we with them shall sleep. thy kindness to our fathers shown, in weal and woe, through all the past, their grateful sons, o god, shall own, while here their name and race shall last. . & s. m. heber. prayer for our country. from foes that would our land devour; from guilty pride and lust of power; from wild sedition's lawless hour; from yoke of slavery; from blinded zeal, by faction led; from giddy change, by fancy bred; from poisoned error's serpent head; good lord, preserve us free! . l. m. whittier. the day of freedom. o thou, whose presence went before our fathers in their weary way, as with thy chosen moved of yore the fire by night, the cloud by day! when, from each temple of the free, a nation's song ascends to heaven, most holy father, unto thee now let our humble prayer be given. sweet peace be here; and hope and love be round us as a mantle thrown, as unto thee, supreme above, the knee of prayer is bowed alone. and grant, o father, that the time of earth's deliverance may be near, when every land, and tongue, and clime, the message of thy love shall hear;-- when, smitten as with fire from heaven, the captive's chain shall sink in dust, and to his fettered soul be given the glorious freedom of the just. . c. m. * american slavery. the land our fathers left to us is foul with hateful sin; when shall, o lord, this sorrow end, and hope and joy begin? what good, though growing might and wealth shall stretch from shore to shore, if thus the fatal poison-taint be only spread the more? wipe out, o god, the nation's sin, then swell the nation's power; but build not high our yearning hopes, to wither in an hour! no outward show nor fancied strength from thy stern justice saves; there is no liberty for them who make their brethren slaves! . s. m. j. r. lowell. anti-slavery hymn. men! whose boast it is that ye come of fathers brave and free, if there breathe on earth a slave, are ye truly free and brave? if ye do not feel the chain, when it works a brother's pain, are ye not base slaves indeed, slaves unworthy to be freed? is true freedom but to break fetters for our own dear sake, and with leathern hearts forget that we owe mankind a debt? no! true freedom is to share all the chains our brothers wear, and with heart and hand to be earnest to make others free. they are slaves, who fear to speak for the fallen and the weak; they are slaves, who will not choose hatred, scoffing, and abuse, rather than, in silence, shrink from the truth they needs must think; they are slaves, who dare not be in the right with two or three. . l. m. caroline sewall. remember them who are in bonds. lord, when thine ancient people cried, oppressed and bound by egypt's king, thou didst arabia's sea divide, and forth thy fainting israel bring. lo, in these latter days, our land groans with the anguish of the slave: lord god of hosts! stretch forth thy hand, not shortened that it cannot save. roll back the swelling tide of sin, the lust of gain, the lust of power; the day of freedom usher in: how long delays the appointed hour? as thou of old to miriam's hand the thrilling timbrel didst restore, and to the joyful song her land echoed from desert to the shore; o let thy smitten ones again take up the chorus of the free,-- praise ye the lord! his power proclaim, for he hath conquered gloriously! . , , & s. m. *montgomery. slavery. ages, ages have departed, since the first dark vessel bore afric's children, broken-hearted, to this far-off western shore; she, like rachel, weeping, for they were no more. millions, millions have been slaughtered in the fight and on the deep; millions, millions more have watered, with such tears as captives weep, fields of labor where their wasted bodies sleep. mercy, mercy, vainly pleading, rends her garments, smites her breast, till a voice from heaven proceeding gladden all the waiting west: "come, ye weary! come, and i will give you rest!" tidings, tidings of salvation! brothers, rise with one accord, purge the plague-spot from our nation, till, unto their rights restored, slaves no longer, all are freemen in the lord! . p. m. *montgomery. watch for the morning. climb we the mountain afar, in the still hour of even; led by yon beautiful star, first of the daughters of heaven: darkness yet covers the face of the deep; spirit of freedom! go forth in thy might, break the slave's bondage like infancy's sleep, the moment when god shall say, let there be light! gaze we meanwhile for the day, praying in thought while we gaze; watch for the morning's first ray; prayer then be turned into praise! shout to the valleys, behold ye the morn, long, long desired, but denied to our sight; lo, myriads of slaves into men are new-born; the word was omnipotent, and there is light! . l. m. *whittier. mercy and not sacrifice. o thou, at whose rebuke, the grave back to warm life the sleeper gave, who, waking, saw with joy, above, a brother's face of tenderest love;-- thou, unto whom the blind and lame, the sorrowing, and the sin-sick came; the burden of thy holy faith was love and life, not hate and death. o, once again thy healing lay on the blind eyes which know thee not, and let the light of thy pure day shine in upon the darkened thought! o, touch the hearts of men, and show the power which in forbearance lies; and let them feel that mercy now is better than old sacrifice! . l. m. *mrs. livermore. redeeming power of love. what precept, jesus, is like thine,-- forgive, as ye would be forgiven! in this we see the power divine, which shall transform our earth to heaven. o, not the harsh and scornful word the victory over sin can gain, not the dark prison, or the sword, the shackle, or the weary chain. but from our spirits there must flow a love that will the wrong outweigh; our lips must only blessings know, and wrath and sin shall die away. 'twas heaven that formed the holy plan to win the wanderer back by love; thus let us save our brother, man, and imitate our god above. ix. miscellaneous. . c. m. keble. teaching little children. o, say not, think not, heavenly notes to childish ears are vain,-- that the young mind at random floats, and cannot reach the strain. was not our lord a little child, taught by degrees to pray, by father dear and mother mild instructed day by day? and loved he not of heaven to talk with children in his sight, to meet them in his daily walk, and to his arms invite? and though some tones be weak and low, what are all prayers beneath, but cries of babes, that cannot know half the deep thought they breathe? in his own words we christ adore; but angels, as we speak, higher above our meaning soar than we o'er children weak. and yet his words mean more than they, and yet he owns their praise; o, think not that he turns away from infants' simple lays! . c. m. heber. the holy child. by cool siloam's shady rill how sweet the lily grows! how sweet the breath, beneath the hill, of sharon's dewy rose! lo, such the child whose early feet the paths of peace have trod; whose secret heart, with influence sweet, is upward drawn to god! o thou who giv'st us life and breath, we seek thy grace alone, in childhood, manhood, age, and death, to keep us still thine own! . c. m. flint's coll. suffer little children to come unto me. see israel's gentle shepherd stand with all-engaging charms! hark, how he calls the tender lambs, and folds them in his arms! "suffer the little ones," he says, "forbid them not to come; of such is heaven; and souls like these shall find in heaven their home." we bring them, lord, with thankful hands, and yield them up to thee; joyful that we ourselves are thine, thine let our offspring be! . c. m. briggs' coll. remember thy creator in the days of thy youth. ye joyous ones! upon whose brow the light of youth is shed, o'er whose glad path life's early flowers in glowing beauty spread; forget not him whose love hath poured around that golden light, and tinged those opening buds of hope with hues so softly bright. thou tempted one! just entering upon enchanted ground, ten thousand snares are spread for thee, ten thousand foes surround: a dark and a deceitful band, upon thy path they lower; trust not thine own unaided strength to save thee from their power. thou whose yet bright and joyous eye may soon be dimmed with tears, to whom the hours of bitterness must come in coming years; teach early thy confiding eye to pierce the cloudy screen, to look above the storms of life, eternally serene. . l. m. l. e. landon. feed my lambs! while yet the youthful spirit bears the image of its god within, and uneffaced that beauty wears, which may too soon be stained by sin; then is the time for faith and love to take in charge their precious care,-- teach the young heart to look above, teach the young lips to speak in prayer. the world will come with care and crime, and tempt too oft that heart astray; still the seed sown in early time shall not be wholly cast away. the infant prayer, the infant hymn, within the darkened soul will rise, when age's weary eye is dim, and the grave's shadow round us lies. the infant hymn is heard again, the infant prayer is breathed once more; reclasping thus the broken chain, we turn to all we loved before. . l. m. anonymous. a child's prayer. great god! and wilt thou condescend to be my father and my friend? i but a child,--and thou so high, the lord of earth and air and sky! art thou my father?--let me be a meek, obedient child to thee; and try, in word and deed and thought, to serve and please thee as i ought. art thou my father?--i'll depend upon the care of such a friend; and only wish to do and be whatever seemeth good to thee. art thou my father?--then, at last, when all my days on earth are past, send down, and take me, in thy love, to be thy better child above. . c. m. mrs. barbauld. the christian pilgrim. our country is immanuel's ground; we seek that promised soil; the songs of zion cheer our hearts, while strangers here we toil. oft do our eyes with joy o'erflow, and oft are bathed in tears; but only heaven our hopes can raise, and sin alone, our fears. we tread the path our master trod; we bear the cross he bore; and every thorn that wounds our feet his temples pierced before. the flowers that spring along the road we scarcely stoop to pluck; we walk o'er beds of shining ore, nor waste one wishful look. we purge our mortal dross away, refining as we run; and while we die to earth and sense, our heaven is here begun. . c. m. briggs' coll. the spiritual world. there is a world we have not seen, that time can ne'er destroy, where mortal footstep hath not been, nor ear hath heard its joy. there is a world,--and o how blest! fairer than prophets told; and never did an angel guest one half its peace unfold. and this pure world is ever bright with radiance all its own; the streams of uncreated light flow round it from the throne. look not abroad with roving mind to seek that fair abode; it comes, where'er the lowly find the perfect peace of god. . c. m. croswell. hymn for christmas. now gird your patient loins again, your wasting torches trim! the chief of all the sons of men, shall we not welcome him? fill all his courts with sacred songs, and from the temple wall wave garlands o'er the joyful throngs that crowd his festival! and still more freshly in the mind store up the hopes sublime which then were born for all mankind, so blessed was the time; and, underneath these hallowed eaves, a saviour will be born in every heart that him receives, on his triumphal morn. . s. m. grant. the garden of gethsemane. jesus, while he dwelt below, as divine historians say, to a place would often go, near to kedron's brook that lay: in this place he loved to be, and 'twas named gethsemane. 'twas a garden, as we read, at the foot of olivet, low and proper to be made the redeemer's lone retreat: when from noise he would be free, then he sought gethsemane. thither, by their master brought, his disciples likewise came; there the heavenly truths he taught often set their hearts on flame: therefore they, as well as he, visited gethsemane. oft conversing here they sat; or might join with christ in prayer; o, what blest devotion that, when the lord himself is there! all things there did so agree to endear gethsemane. full of love to man's lost race, on the conflict much he thought; this he knew the destined place, and he loved the sacred spot: therefore jesus chose to be often in gethsemane. . c. m. c. wesley. the communion of saints. the saints on earth and those above but one communion make; joined to their lord in bonds of love, all of his grace partake. one family, we dwell in him; one church above, beneath; though now divided by the stream, the narrow stream of death. one army of the living god, to his command we bow; part of the host have crossed the flood and part are crossing now. o god, be thou our constant guide! then, when the word is given, bid thou death's flood its waves divide, and land us safe in heaven. . c. m. watts. law and love. not to the terrors of the lord, the tempest, fire, and smoke; not to the thunder of that word which god on sinai spoke;-- but we are come to zion's hill, the city of our god, where milder words declare his will, and spread his love abroad. behold the great, the glorious host of angels, clothed in light! behold the spirits of the just, whose faith is turned to sight! in such society as this, my weary soul would rest; for he who dwells where jesus is must be forever blest. . p. m. j. h. perkins. prayer and labor. by earth hemmed in, by earth oppressed, 'tis hard to labor,--hard to pray; and of the week, for prayer and rest, we've but one sabbath day. but purer spirits walk above, who worship alway; who are blest with an upspringing might of love that makes all labor, rest. father, while here, we would arise in spirit to that realm; and there be every act a sacrifice, and every thought a prayer! . & s. m. anonymous. strength from struggle. grows dark thy path before thee? press on! still undismayed; heaven shines resplendent o'er thee, though earth be wrapped in shade. and god, thy trust, hath given, with word from swerving free, the angels of high heaven a charge concerning thee. then though thy feet may falter even at early morn, and from hope's burning altar the light may be withdrawn,-- yet from thy self-prostration thou shalt awake in power; from tears and lamentation, to conquest every hour. strong in thy perfect weakness, thy strength shall never fail; mighty in holy meekness, thine arm shall still prevail. . c. m. german. the heavenly guide. when thirst for power or for gold hath led our souls astray; when, blind, by blinder guides we're told, "lo, here thou'lt find the way;" look down, o father, from above; set us from error free; teach us to serve thee here in love, and find our home in thee. when faith thy guidance humbly takes, and seeks thy will to do, clear light upon our pathway breaks, the world to guide us through. thy spirit send, our souls to keep; thy wisdom make our own; and though our way leads through the deep, we wander not alone. . & s. m. anonymous. light for all. the light pours down from heaven, and enters where it may; the eyes of all earth's children are cheered with one bright day. so let the mind's true sunshine be spread o'er earth as free, and fill men's waiting spirits, as the waters fill the sea. the soul can shed a glory on every work well done; as even things most lowly are radiant in the sun. then let each human spirit enjoy the vision bright; the truth which comes from heaven shall spread like heaven's own light; till earth becomes god's temple; and every human heart shall join in one great service, each happy in his part. . c. m. j. weiss. for a summer festival. beneath thy trees to-day we met, amid thy summer flowers; and every heart is blessing yet these happy, fleeting hours. but creeping shades to vespers call, and timely lore impart, to make our latest shadows fall from sunshine in the heart. yes, even so; the summer leaf, the summer flowers, declare their childlike, chastening belief, that thou dost make them fair. o, let us cherish nature's creed, and live and bloom to thee; for only childlike hearts, we read, can grace eternity. . p. m. anonymous. morning hymn. our father! we thank thee for sleep, for quiet and peaceable rest; we bless the kind care that doth keep thy children from being distressed: o, how in their weakness shall children repay thy fatherly kindness, by night and by day? our voices shall utter thy praise, our hearts shall o'erflow with thy love; o, teach us to walk in thy ways, and lift us earth's trials above! the heart's true affection is all we can give; in love's pure devotion, o, help us to live! so long as thou seest it right that here upon earth we should stay, we pray thee to guard us by night, and help us to serve thee by day; and when all the days of this life shall be o'er, receive us in heaven, to serve thee the more. . l. m. goethe. even-tide. o'er silent field and lonely lawn her dusky mantle night hath drawn; at twilight's holy, heartfelt hour, in man his better soul hath power. the passions are at peace within, and stilled each stormy thought of sin; the yielding bosom, overawed, breathes love to man, and love to god. . l. m. edmeston. sabbath evening. sweet is the light of sabbath eve, and soft the sunbeam lingering there; those sacred hours this low earth leave, wafted on wings of praise and prayer. the time, how lovely and how still! peace shines and smiles on all below; the plain, the stream, the wood, the hill, all fair with evening's setting glow! season of rest! the tranquil soul feels thy sweet calm, and melts in love; and while these sacred moments roll, faith sees a smiling heaven above. thou god of mercy, swift to hear, more swift than man to tell his need; be thou to us, this evening, near, and to thy fount our spirits lead! . s. m. briggs' coll. seasons for prayer. come at the morning hour, come, let us kneel and pray; prayer is the christian pilgrim's staff to walk with god all day. at noon, beneath the rock of ages, rest and pray; sweet is that shelter from the sun in the weary heat of day. at evening, in thy home, around its altar, pray; and finding there the house of god, with heaven then close the day. when midnight veils our eyes, o, it is sweet to say, i sleep, but my heart waketh, lord, with thee to watch and pray. . s. m. mrs. osgood. glad worship. approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul, nor let thy feet falter from terror's control; god loves not the sadness of fear and mistrust; o, serve him with gladness,--the loving and just! his bounty is tender, his being is love; his smile fills with splendor the blue arch above; confiding, believing, o, enter always his courts with thanksgiving, his portals with praise! come not to his temple with pride in thy mien but lowly and simple, in courage serene; bring meekly before him the faith of a child, bow down and adore him with heart undefiled! . s. m. montgomery. praise ye the lord. heralds of creation! cry,-- praise the lord, the lord most high! heaven and earth! obey the call; praise the lord, the lord of all. for he spake, and forth from night sprang the universe to light; he commanded,--nature heard, and stood fast upon his word. praise him, all ye hosts above; spirits perfected in love! sun and moon! your voices raise; sing, ye stars! your maker's praise. earth! from all thy depths below, ocean's hallelujahs flow; lightning, vapor, wind, and storm, hail and snow! his will perform. birds! on wings of rapture soar, warble at his temple's door; joyful sounds from herds and flocks, echo back, ye caves and rocks! high above all height his throne; excellent his name alone; him let all his works confess! him let all his children bless! . & s. m. anonymous. "the lord is in his holy temple." god is in his holy temple: thoughts of earth, be silent now, while with reverence we assemble, and before his presence bow. he is with us now and ever, when we call upon his name, aiding every good endeavor, guiding every upward aim. god is in his holy temple;-- in the pure and holy mind; in the reverent heart and simple; in the soul from sense refined: then let every low emotion banished far and silent be! and our souls, in pure devotion, lord, be temples worthy thee! . s. m. dr. johnson. god. o thou whose power o'er moving worlds presides, whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides! on darkling man in pure effulgence shine, and cheer the clouded mind with light divine! 'tis thine alone to calm the pious breast with silent confidence and holy rest; from thee, great god! we spring, to thee we tend, path, motive, guide, original, and end! . s. m. episcopal coll. thanksgiving hymn. praise to god, immortal praise, for the love that crowns our days! bounteous source of every joy, let thy praise our tongues employ! all to thee, our god, we owe, source whence all our blessings flow! all the blessings of the fields, all the stores the garden yields, flocks that whiten all the plain, yellow sheaves of ripened grain;-- lord, for these our souls shall raise grateful vows and solemn praise! all that spring with bounteous hand scatters o'er the smiling land, all the plenty summer pours, autumn's rich, o'erflowing stores;-- lord, for these our souls shall raise grateful vows and solemn praise! peace, prosperity, and health, private bliss and public wealth, knowledge, with its gladdening streams, pure religion's holier beams;-- lord, for these our souls shall raise grateful vows and solemn praise! . s. m. merrick. the heavenly shepherd. lo, my shepherd's hand divine! want shall never more be mine. in a pasture fair and large he shall feed his happy charge, and my couch with tenderest care 'midst the springing grass prepare when i faint with summer's heat, he shall lead my weary feet to the streams that, still and slow, through the verdant meadow flow: when through devious paths i stray, he shall teach the better way though the dreary vale i tread, by the shades of death o'erspread, i shall walk from terror free, while each needed strength i see by thy rod and staff supplied; this my guard, and that my guide. thou my plenteous board hast spread; thou with oil refreshed my head; filled by thee, my cup o'erflows; for thy love no limit knows; and unto my latest end thou my footsteps shalt attend. . c. m. episcopal coll. calm trust. father, whate'er of earthly bliss thy sovereign will denies, accepted at thy throne, let this, my humble prayer, arise:-- give me a calm and thankful heart, from every murmur free; the blessings of thy grace impart, and make me live to thee;-- let the sweet hope that thou art mine my life and death attend, thy presence through my journey shine, and bless my journey's end. . l. m. *browne. the one god. eternal god! almighty cause of earth, and seas, and worlds unknown! all things are subject to thy laws; all things depend on thee alone. thy glorious being singly stands, of all within itself possessed; by none controlled in thy commands, and in thyself completely blessed. worship to thee alone belongs, worship to thee alone we give; thine be our hearts, and thine our songs, and to thy glory may we live. o, spread thy truth through every land, in every heart thy love be known; subdue the world to thy command, and, as thou art, reign god alone. . c. m. sternhold "he bowed the heavens and came down." the lord descended from above, and bowed the heavens most high, and underneath his feet he cast the darkness of the sky. on cherubim and seraphim full royally he rode, and on the wings of mighty winds came flying all abroad. he sat serene upon the floods, their fury to restrain; and he as sovereign lord and king for evermore shall reign. . l. m. j. richardson. one in christ. from zion's holy hill there rose a fount divine, that ever flows; heaven's smile is on its waters shed, by heaven's own dews the fount is fed. that stream of truth--a silver thread, scarce known, save by its fountain-head-- now onward pours, a mighty flood, and fills the new-formed world with good. where'er that living fountain flows, new life its healing wave bestows, and man, from sin's corruptions free, inspires with its own purity. a spirit, breathed from zion's hill, in holy hearts is living still,-- that comforter from heaven above, the presence of celestial love. o, may this spirit ever be our bond of peace and unity! thus shall we teach, as christ began, through love, the brotherhood of man. . c. m. *pierpont. the hymn of the last supper. the winds are hushed; the peaceful moon looks down on zion's hill; the city sleeps; 'tis night's calm moon, and all the streets are still. how soft, how holy, is the light! and hark! a sweet, low song, as gently as these dews of night, floats on the air along. affection's wish, devotion's prayer, are in that holy strain; and hope and love and trust are there, and triumph, won through pain. 'tis jesus and his faithful few that soul-deep hymn who pour;-- o christ! may we the song renew, and learn to love thee more. . c. m. moore. consolation. o thou who driest the mourner's tear, how dark this world would be, if, when deceived and wounded here, we could not fly to thee! but thou wilt heal the broken heart, which, like the plants that throw their fragrance from the wounded part, breathes sweetness out of woe. when joy no longer soothes or cheers, and e'en the hope that threw a moment's sparkle o'er our tears is dimmed and vanished too; o, who would bear life's stormy doom, did not thy wing of love come, brightly wafting through the gloom our peace-branch from above? then sorrow, touched by thee, grows bright, with more than rapture's ray; the darkness shows us worlds of light we never saw by day. . c. m. keble. the elder scripture. there is a book, who runs may read, which heavenly truth imparts; and all the lore its scholars need, pure eyes and loving hearts. the works of god, above, below, within us, and around, are pages in that book, to show how god himself is found. the glorious sky, embracing all, is like the father's love; wherewith encompassed, great and small in peace and order move. the dew of heaven is like his grace; it steals in silence down; but where it lights, the favored place by richest fruits is known. two worlds are ours; 'tis only sin forbids us to descry the mystic heaven and earth within, plain as the earth and sky. thou, who hast given me eyes to see and love this sight so fair, give me a heart to find out thee, and read thee everywhere! . s. m. sterling. rest. o thou, the primal fount of life and peace, who shedd'st thy breathing quiet all around, in me command that pain and conflict cease, and tune to music every jarring sound. make thou in me, o god, through shame and pain, a heart attuned to thy celestial calm; let not the spirit's pangs be roused in vain, but heal the wounded breast with soothing balm! so, firm in steadfast hope, in thought secure, in full accord with all thy works of joy, may i be nerved to labors high and pure, and thou thy child to do thy work employ. in one who walked on earth, a man of woe, was holier peace than even this hour inspires; from him to me let inward quiet flow, and give the might my failing will requires. so this great universe,--so he, and thou, the central source and wondrous bound of things, may fill my heart with rest as deep as now to land and sea and air thy presence brings. . p. m. mrs. hemans. the pilgrim fathers. the breaking waves dashed high on a stern and rock-bound coast, and the woods against a stormy sky their giant branches tossed, and the heavy night hung dark, the hills and waters o'er, when a band of exiles moored their bark on the wild new england shore. not as the conqueror comes, they, the true-hearted, came; not with the roll of the stirring drums, and the trumpet that sings of fame. not as the flying come, in silence and in fear; they shook the depths of the desert's gloom with their hymns of lofty cheer. amidst the storm they sang; and the stars heard, and the sea! and the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang to the anthem of the free. the ocean eagle soared from his nest by the white wave's foam, and the rocking pines of the forest roared,-- this was their welcome home! what sought they thus afar? bright jewels of the mine? the wealth of seas, the spoils of war? they sought a faith's pure shrine! ay, call it holy ground, the soil where first they trod! they have left unstained, what there they found: freedom to worship god. . l. p. m. e. b. barrett. he giveth his beloved sleep. psalm cxxvii. . of all the thoughts of god, that are borne in upon our souls afar along the psalmist's music deep, o, tell me if there any is, for gift or grace, surpassing this,-- "he giveth his beloved sleep." o earth, so full of dreary noises! o men, with wailing in your voices! o delved gold, the wailers' heap! o strife, o curse, that o'er it fall! god makes a silence through you all,-- he giveth his beloved sleep. his dews drop mutely on the hill, his cloud above it saileth still, though on its slope men toil and reap; more softly than the dew is shed, or cloud is floated overhead, he giveth his beloved sleep. supplement. . & s. m. anonymous. invocation. come, thou almighty king! help us thy name to sing, help us to praise! father all-glorious, o'er all victorious, come and reign over us, ancient of days! come, thou eternal word, by heaven and earth adored, our prayer attend! come and this people bless; give to thy truth success; spirit of holiness, on us descend! come, holy comforter, thy sacred witness bear in this glad hour! thou who almighty art, rule now in every heart, never from us depart, spirit of power! . c. m. orig. hymns. the hour of prayer. earth's busy sounds and ceaseless din wake not this morning air! a holy calm should welcome in this solemn hour of prayer. now peace, be still, unhallowed care, and hushed within the breast! a holy joy should welcome there this happy day of rest. each better thought the spirit knows, this hour, the spirit fill! and thou, from whom its being flows, o, teach it all thy will! then shall this day, which god hath blest, hallow life's every hour, and bear us to our better rest, eternal, perfect, sure. . c. m. alford. sincere worship. o thou, who hast thy servants taught that not by words alone, but by the fruits of holiness, the life of god is shown; while in thy house of prayer we meet, and call thee god and lord, give us a heart to follow thee, obedient to thy word! when we our voices lift in praise, give thou us grace to bring an offering of unfeigned thanks, and with the spirit sing. and in the dangerous path of life uphold us as we go; that with our lips and in our lives thy glory we may show. . & s. m. anonymous. come, holy spirit! holy spirit, source of gladness, shine amid the clouds of night; o'er our weariness and sadness breathe thy life, and shed thy light! send us thine illumination, banish all our fears at length, rest upon this congregation, spirit of unfailing strength! let that love, which knows no measure, now in quickening showers descend, bringing us the richest treasure man can wish or god can send; hear our earnest supplication, every struggling heart release, rest upon this congregation, spirit of eternal peace! . l. m. mrs. gilman. the day of rest. we bless thee for this sacred day, thou who hast every blessing given, which sends the dreams of earth away, and yields a glimpse of opening heaven. rich day of holy, thoughtful rest, we would improve the calm repose; and, in god's service truly blest, forget the world, its joys and woes. lord! may thy truth, upon the heart, now fall and dwell as heavenly dew, and flowers of grace in freshness start where once the weeds of error grew. may prayer now lift her sacred wings, contented with that aim alone which bears her to the king of kings, and rests her at his sheltering throne. . & s. m. anonymous. the sabbath. thou givest thy sabbath, lord; the din is stilled of man's unquiet care; a sacred calm, with thy deep presence filled, breathes through the silent air. o leave us not, through long and darkened hours, in night of woe and sin, but shed thy sabbath with its radiant powers upon the world within. purge from our hearts the stains so deep and foul, of wrath and pride and care; send thine own holy calm upon the soul, and bid it settle there. banish this craving self that still has sought lord of the soul to be; teach us to turn to fellow-men our thought; teach us to turn to thee! teach us to love thy creatures great and small to live as in thine eye; thou who hast freely given thy love to all;-- thou who to all art nigh! . l. m. alford. the seed of the word. o thou, at whose divine command good seed is sown in every land, thy holy spirit now impart, and for thy word prepare each heart! not 'mid the thorns of worldly thought, nor soon by passing plunderers caught, nor lacking depth the root to feed, may we receive thy spirit's seed; but may it, where thy sowers toil, fall in a good and honest soil; and springing up from firmest root, through patience, bear abundant fruit. . l. m. e. h. chapin. the gate of heaven. our father god! not face to face may mortal sense commune with thee, nor lift the curtains of that place where dwells thy secret majesty. yet whereso'er our spirits bend in rev'rent faith and humble prayer, thy promised blessing will descend, and we shall find thy spirit there. lord! be the spot where now we meet an open gateway into heaven; here may we sit at jesus' feet, and feel our deepest sins forgiven. here may desponding care look up; and sorrow lay its burden down, or learn, of him, to drink the cup, to bear the cross, and win the crown. here may the sick and wandering soul to truth still blind, to sin a slave, find better than bethesda's pool, or than siloam's healing wave. and may we learn, while here apart from the world's passion and its strife; that thy true shrine's a loving heart, and thy best praise a holy life! . p. m. anonymous. o father! hear. hear, father, hear our prayer! thou who art pity where sorrow prevaileth, thou who art safety when mortal help faileth, strength to the feeble and hope to despair, hear, father, hear our prayer! hear, father, hear our prayer! wandering alone in the land of the stranger, be with all travellers in sickness or danger, guard thou their path, guide their feet from the snare: hear, father, hear our prayer! hear thou the poor that cry! feed thou the hungry and lighten their sorrow, grant them the sunshine of hope for the morrow; they are thy children, their trust is on high: hear thou the poor that cry! dry thou the mourner's tear! heal thou the wounds of time-hallowed affection; grant to the widow and orphan protection; be in their trouble a friend ever near; dry thou the mourner's tear! hear, father, hear our prayer! long hath thy goodness our footsteps attended; be with the pilgrim whose journey is ended: when at thy summons for death we prepare, hear, father, hear our prayer! . p. m. bowring. prayer of a lowly spirit. from the recesses of a lowly spirit, our humble prayer ascends; o father! hear it, upsoaring on the wings of awe and meekness; forgive its weakness! we see thy hand; it leads us, it supports us: we hear thy voice; it counsels and it courts us: and then we turn away; and still thy kindness forgives our blindness. o how long-suffering, lord! but thou delightest to win with love the wandering; thou invitest, by smiles of mercy, not by frowns or terrors, man from his errors. father and saviour! plant within each bosom the seeds of holiness; and bid them blossom in fragrance and in beauty bright and vernal, and spring eternal. then place them in thine everlasting gardens, where angels walk, and seraphs are the wardens; where every flower escaped through death's dark portal, becomes immortal. . l. m. anonymous. the lord's prayer. father, adored in worlds above! thy glorious name be hallowed still; thy kingdom come in truth and love; and earth, like heaven, obey thy will. lord, make our daily wants thy care; forgive the sins which we forsake; in thy compassion let us share, as fellow-men of ours partake. evils beset us every hour; thy kind protection we implore, thine is the kingdom, thine the power, the glory thine forever more. . c. m. anonymous. hallowed be thy name. holy and reverend is the name of our eternal king; thrice holy, lord! the angels cry; thrice holy, let us sing. the deepest reverence of the mind pay, o my soul, to god; lift with thy hands a holy heart to his sublime abode. with sacred awe pronounce his name, whom words nor thoughts can reach; a reverent heart shall please him more than the best forms of speech. thou holy god! preserve my soul from sinful passion free; and, pure in heart, may i behold a god of purity! . l. m. heber. give us each day our daily bread. thy bounteous hand with food can bless the bleak and barren wilderness, and thou hast taught us, lord, to pray for daily bread from day to day. and o, when through the wilds we roam that part us from our heavenly home; when, lost in danger, want, and woe, our faithless tears begin to flow; do thou thy gracious comfort give, by which alone the soul can live; and grant thy children, lord, we pray, the bread of life from day to day! . s. m. conder. deliver us from evil. heavenly father! to whose eye future things unfolded lie; through the desert when i stray let thy counsels guide my way. leave me not, for flesh is frail, where fierce trials would assail; leave me not in darkened hour, to withstand the tempter's power. lord! uphold me day by day; shed a light upon my way; guide me through perplexing snares; care for me in all my cares. should thy wisdom, lord, decree trials long and sharp for me, pain, or sorrow, care or shame,-- father! glorify thy name. let me neither faint nor fear, feeling still that thou art near; in the course my saviour trod, tending home to thee, my god. . & s. m. gaskell. thine is the glory forever. to thee, the lord almighty, our noblest praise we give, who all things hast created, and blessest all that live; whose goodness, never-failing through countless ages gone, forever and forever shall still keep shining on. . h. m. sandys. praise ye the lord. all, from the sun's uprise unto his setting rays, resound in jubilees the great creator's praise! him serve alone; in triumph bring your gifts, and sing before his throne! man drew from man his birth; but god his noble frame, (built of the ruddy earth,) filled with celestial flame. his sons we are, by him are led, preserved and fed with tender care. then to his portals press in your divine resorts; with thanks his power profess, and praise him in his courts. how good! how pure! his mercies last; his promise past is ever sure. . s. m. conder. o give thanks unto the lord! o, give thanks to him who made morning light and evening shade; source and giver of all good, nightly sleep and daily food: quickener of our wearied powers, guard of our unconscious hours! o, give thanks to nature's king, who made every breathing thing; his our warm and sentient frame; his the mind's immortal flame; o, how close the ties that bind spirits to the eternal mind! o give thanks with heart and lip, for we are his workmanship, and all creatures are his care; not a bird that cleaves the air falls unnoticed;--but who can speak the father's love to man! o give thanks for him who came, in a mortal, suffering frame, temple of the deity;-- came to bear our souls on high; in the path himself hath trod, leading back his saints to god. . & s. m. anonymous. thanksgiving. meet and right it is to sing, in every time and place, praises to our heavenly king, the god of truth and grace. join we then in sweet accord, all in one thanksgiving join; holy, holy, holy lord, eternal praise be thine! thee, the first-born sons of light, in choral symphonies, praise alway, day without night, in songs that never cease. and with them our hearts aspire, on the wings of faith and love, vying with the heavenly choir, who chant thy praise above. still they sing, with glory crowned, thanksgiving to thy name; lower if our voices sound, our hymn is still the same; "glory be to god on high!" so the song of angels ran, and our voices still reply, "good-will on earth to man!" . , & s. m. breviary. hallelujah, for the lord reigneth. hallelujah! best and sweetest of the hymns of praise above; hallelujah! thou repeatest, angel-host, these notes of love; this ye utter, while your golden harps ye move. hallelujah! strains of gladness comfort not the faint and worn; hallelujah! sounds of sadness best become the heart forlorn: our offences we with bitter tears must mourn. but our earnest supplication, holy god! we raise to thee; visit us with thy salvation, make us all thy peace to see! hallelujah! ours at length this strain shall be. . s. m. montgomery. praise the lord! all ye nations, praise the lord; all ye lands, your voices raise; heaven and earth, with loud accord, praise the lord, forever praise. for his truth and mercy stand, past, and present, and to be, like the years of his right hand, like his own eternity. praise him, ye who know his love; praise him, from the depths beneath; praise him in the heights above; praise your maker, all that breathe! . c. m. martineau's coll. closing hymn. o thou great spirit! who along the waters first did move, and straight, from warring chaos sprung light, harmony and love; upon our waiting spirits brood, bid all their discord cease, and breathe upon the troubled soul thy last, best gift of peace! . l. m. c. wesley. the bread of life. father, supply my every need; sustain the life thyself hast given; oh! grant the never-failing bread, the manna that comes down from heaven! the gracious fruits of righteousness, thy blessings' unexhausted store, in me abundantly increase, nor ever let me hunger more! . s. m. bowring. the pilgrim's prayer. lead us with thy gentle sway, as a willing child is led; speed us on our upward way, as a pilgrim, lord, is sped, who with prayers and helps divine seeks a consecrated shrine. lead us, father! thou dost know all the way; but, wanderers, we often miss our way below, and stretch out our hands to thee; guide us, save us, and prepare our appointed mansion there! . l. m. univ. coll. close of worship. ere to the world again we go, its pleasures, cares, and idle show, thy grace once more, o god, we crave, from folly and from sin to save. may the great truths we here have heard-- the lessons of thy holy word-- dwell in our inmost bosoms deep, and all our souls from error keep. oh! may the influence of this day long as our memory with us stay, and as an angel guardian prove, to guide us to our home above. . c. m. anonymous. peace be unto this house. lord of the families below! to thee our prayers we send; do thou from danger and from woe this dwelling-place defend. here let thy peace, o father, rest; here let thy love abide! our every joy in thee more blest, each sorrow sanctified. may our petitions when we meet, and every secret prayer, come up before thy mercy-seat, and find acceptance there. teach us, with hearts made one in love, to do thy pure commands; and give us, in thy time, above, a house not made with hands. . s. m. c. wesley. brotherly love. lord! subdue our selfish will; each to each our tempers suit, by thy modulating skill, heart to heart, as lute to lute. sweetly on our spirits move; gently touch the trembling strings; make the harmony of love, music for the king of kings! . s. m. anonymous. the hour of prayer. it is the hour of prayer: draw near and bend the knee, and fill the calm and holy air with voice of melody! o'erwearied with the heat and burden of the day, now let us rest our wandering feet, and gather here to pray. the dark and deadly blight that walks at noontide hour, the midnight arrow's secret flight, o'er us have had no power: but smiles from loving eyes have been around our way, and lips on which a blessing lies have bidden us to pray. o, blessed is the hour that lifts our hearts on high! like sunlight when the tempests lower, prayer to the soul is nigh; though dark may be our lot, our eyes be dim with care, these saddening thoughts shall trouble not this holy hour of prayer. . l. m. anonymous. hymn of a household. for mercies past we praise thee, lord, the fruits of earth, the hopes of heaven, thy helping arm, thy guiding word, and answered prayers, and sins forgiven. whene'er we tread on danger's height, or walk temptation's slippery way, be still, to lead our steps aright, thy word our guide, thine arm our stay! be ours thy blessed presence still; united hearts, unchanging love; no thought that contradicts thy will, no wish that centres not above! and since we must be parted here, support us when the hour shall come; dry gently thou the mourner's tear, rejoin us in our heavenly home. . c. m. anonymous. family evening worship. now from the altar of our hearts let warmest thanks arise; assist us, lord, to offer up our evening sacrifice. this day our god has been our sun, our keeper and our guide, his arm around our weakness thrown, his angels at our side. moments and mercies multiplied have made up all the day; moments came fast, but mercies were more swift and free than they. new hours, new blessings, and new joys, do a new song require; till we can praise thee as we should, accept our hearts' desire! . l. m. s. s. cutting. family hymn. evening. father, we bless the gentle care that watches o'er us day by day, that guards us from the tempter's snare, and guides us in the heavenward way:-- we bless thee for the tender love that mingles all our hearts in one,-- the music of the soul;--above 'tis purer spirits' unison. father, 'tis evening's solemn hour, and cast we now our cares on thee; darkly the storm may round us lower, peace is within,--christ makes us free;-- and when life's toil and joy are o'er, and evening gathers on its sky, our circle broke,--we sing no more,-- o, may we meet and sing on high. . l. m. moore. the spirit of god moved upon the waters. like morning, when her early breeze breaks up the surface of the seas, that, in their furrows, dark with night, her hand may sow the seeds of light; thy grace can send its breathings o'er the spirit, dark and lost before; and freshening all its depths, prepare for truth divine to enter there! till david touched his sacred lyre, in silence lay the unbreathing wire, but when he swept its chords along, e'en angels stooped to hear the song. so sleeps the soul, till thou, o lord, shall deign to touch its lifeless chord; till, waked by thee, its breath shall rise in music worthy of the skies. . , & s. m. anonymous. calls of the spirit. brother, will you slight the message sent in mercy from above? every sentence, o how tender, every line how full of love! heavenly accents full of strength and peace and love! tempted souls, they bring you succor; fearful hearts, they quell your fears; and with deepest consolation chase away the falling tears; tender heralds, blessed he their word who hears! holy angels, hovering round us! waiting spirits! speed your way, hasten to the court of heaven, tidings bear without delay, that our spirits glad the message will obey. . l. m. anonymous. in spiritual deadness. o thou, who all things dost control, chase this dead slumber from my soul! with reverent joy, with loving awe, give me to keep thy perfect law. o, let a ray from thy pure light pierce through the gathering shades of night! touch my cold breast with heavenly fire, and holy conquering faith inspire. this deadly slumber when i feel afresh upon my spirit steal, then, lord, descend with quickening power, and wake me, that i sleep no more! . l. m. wesleyan. seeking rest. o thou, in whom the weary find alone their permanent repose; send light into my doubting mind, relieve my fears, assuage my woes; o let my soul on thee be cast, till sin's fierce tyranny be past. far, far from thee, o god, removed, long have i wandered to and fro; o'er earth in endless circles roved, nor found whereon to rest below; back unto thee, at last, i fly: save! for the waters still are high. selfish pursuits and pleasure's maze, the things of earth, for thee i leave; pat forth thy hand, thy hand of grace, into the ark of love receive; take this poor fluttering soul to rest, and still it, father, on thy breast. fill with inviolable peace; 'stablish in faith my restless heart; in thee let all my wanderings cease, from thee may i no more depart; never again from thee remove, loved with an everlasting love! . s. m. dr. tuckerman. my heaven in thee. father divine, this deadening power control, which to the senses binds the immortal soul; o break this bondage, lord! i would be free, and in my soul would find my heaven, in thee. my heaven in thee! o god, no other heaven to the immortal soul can e'er be given; o, let thy kingdom now within me come, and as above, so here, thy will be done! my heaven in thee, o father, let me find-- my heaven in thee, within a heart resigned; no more, of heaven and bliss, my soul, despair, for where my god is found, my heaven is there. . s. m. wesleyan. watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. father, this slumber shake from off my heavy soul! say to me now,--awake! awake! and i will make thee whole! touch with thy strengthening hand; arouse me in this hour; and make me fully understand the thunder of thy power. give me on thee to call; always to watch and pray, lest i into temptation fall, and cast my shield away. for each assault prepared and watchful may i be, forever standing on my guard, and looking unto thee. . s. m. c. wesley. for help in temptation. thou seest my feebleness; father! be thou my power, my help and refuge in distress, my fortress and my tower! give me to trust in thee; be thou my sure abode; my helm and sword and buckler be, my saviour and my god! myself i cannot save, myself i cannot keep; but strength in thee i surely have, whose eyelids never sleep. my soul to thee alone, for always, i commend; thou lovest me, father, as thine own, and lovest to the end. . s. m. c. wesley. aspiration. o come and dwell in me, spirit of power within! and bring thy glorious liberty from sorrow, fear and sin. the inward, deep disease, spirit of health, remove! spirit of perfect holiness! spirit of perfect love! hasten the joyful day which shall all sin consume; when old things shall be done away, and all things new become! . c. m. wesleyan. desires for holiness. o, for a heart to praise my god, a heart from sin set free; a heart that always feels how good, thou, lord, hast been to me. o for an humble, trustful heart, believing, true, and clean, which neither life nor death can part from him who dwells within;-- a heart in every thought renewed, and full of love divine, perfect, and right, and pure, and good, conformed, o lord, to thine. thy spirit, gracious lord, impart; come quickly from above; o, write thy name upon my heart! thy name, o god, is love. . s. m. mrs. hemans. for heavenly thoughts. come to me, thoughts of heaven! my fainting spirit bear on your bright wings, by morning given, up to celestial air, away, far, far away, from thoughts by passion given, fold me in pure, still, cloudless day, o blessed thoughts of heaven! come in my tempted hour, sweet thoughts! and yet again o'er sinful wish and memory, shower your soft effacing rain; waft me where gales divine with dark clouds ne'er have striven; where living founts forever shine; o blessed thoughts of heaven! . c. m. bath coll. prayer for faith. o, for a faith that will not shrink though pressed by every foe, that will not tremble on the brink of any earthly woe! a faith that shines more bright and clear when tempests rage without; that when in danger knows no fear, in darkness feels no doubt;-- lord, give us such a faith as this, and then, whate'er may come, we'll taste, e'en here, the hallowed bliss of an eternal home. . c. m. montgomery. prayer for submission. one prayer i have,--all prayers in one, when i am wholly thine; thy will, my god, thy will be done, and let that will be mine. all-wise, almighty, and all-good, in thee i firmly trust; thy ways, unknown or understood, are merciful and just. may i remember that to thee whate'er i have i owe; and back in gratitude from me may all thy bounties flow. thy gifts are only then enjoyed, when used as talents lent; those talents only well employed, when in thy service spent. and though thy wisdom takes away, shall i arraign thy will? no, let me bless thy name, and say "the lord is gracious still." a pilgrim through the earth i roam, of nothing long possessed, and all must fail when i go home, for this is not my rest. . c. m. c. wesley. for the divine presence. speak with us, lord; thyself reveal, while here on earth we rove; speak to our hearts, and let us feel the kindlings of thy love. with thee conversing, we forget all toil and time and care; labor is rest, and pain is sweet, if thou art present there. here then, our god, be pleased to stay, and bid our hearts rejoice; our bounding hearts shall own thy sway, and echo to thy voice. thou callest us to seek thy face; thy face, o god, we seek, attend the whispers of thy grace, and hear thee inly speak. . c. m. wesley. struggling upward. father divine, our wants relieve in this our evil day; to all thy tempted children give the power to watch and pray. long as our fiery trials last, long as the cross we bear, o, let our souls on thee be cast, in never-ceasing prayer! thy spirit of untroubled peace give us in faith to claim, to wrestle till we see thy face, and know thy hidden name. till thou thy perfect love impart, till thou thyself bestow, be this the cry of every heart,-- i will not let thee go; i will not let thee go, unless thou tell thy name to me; with all thy great salvation bless, and make me all like thee. then let us, on the mountain top, behold thine unveiled face, where faith in sight is swallowed up, and prayer in endless praise. . & s. m. wesleyan. longing for rest in god. o almighty god of love! thy holy arm display; send us succor from above, against the evil day; arm our weakness with thy power; put thy strength our hearts within; be our stronghold and our tower against the assaults of sin. could we of thy strength take hold, and always feel thee near, confident, divinely bold, our souls would know no fear. nothing could their firmness shock; though the gates of hell assail, were we built upon the rock they never could prevail. thou would'st, in the trying hour, a sure protection be, guard us from temptation's power, and fix our souls on thee. lord, on thee our trust is placed; never thence may we remove; in the arms of love embraced, thine everlasting love. . s. m. * why art thou cast down, my soul? we pray for truth and peace; with weary hearts we ask some rest in which our souls may cease from life's perplexing task. we weep--yet none is found; we weep--yet hope grows faint;-- and deeper in its mournful sound goes up our wild complaint. only to living faith the promises are shown; and by the love that passes death the rest is won alone. be ours the earnest heart, be ours the steady will, to work in silent trust our part; for god is working still. then newer lights shall rise above these clouds of sin, and heaven's unfolding mysteries to glad our souls begin. our hearts from fear and wrong shall win their full release, with god's own might forever strong, and calm with god's own peace. . c. m. anonymous. prayer for faith. that might of faith, o lord! bestow, which cannot ask in vain; which will not let the angel go until the prayer it gain. on me the faith divine bestow which doth the mountain move; and all my spotless life shall show the omnipotence of love. and, father, when i doubt that i can live, and sin no more; then if on thee i dare rely, the faith shall bring the power. . l. m. anonymous. for self-renunciation. father of might, my bonds i feel, and long for perfect liberty; i would deny my selfish will, and, father, give up all to thee! o, with thy strength my weakness fill! that strength shall every foe subdue; the doubts that tempt, the sins that kill, the wishes to the cross untrue. a sinless mind in me reveal, thy spirit's fulness, lord, impart! till all my spotless life shall tell the abundance of a loving heart. so shall i own thy perfect sway, and, sitting humbly at thy feet, thy law with all my heart obey, and all my soul to thee submit. . & s. m. anonymous. dedication to god. holy father, thou hast taught me i should live to thee alone; year by year, thy hand hath brought me on through dangers oft unknown. when i wandered, thou hast found me; when i doubted, sent me light; still thine arm has been around me, all my paths were in thy sight. in the world will foes assail me, craftier, stronger far than i; and the strife may never fail me, well i know, before i die. therefore, lord, i come, believing thou canst give the power i need; through the prayer of faith receiving strength,--the spirit's strength indeed. i would trust in thy protecting, wholly rest upon thine arm, follow wholly thy directing, thou mine only guard from harm! keep me from mine own undoing, help me turn to thee when tried, still my footsteps, father, viewing, keep me ever at thy side! . l. m. doddridge. the patient waiting upon god. wait on the lord, ye heirs of hope, and let his word support your souls; well can he bear your courage up, and all your foes and fears control. he waits his own well-chosen hour the intended mercy to display; and his paternal pities move, while wisdom dictates the delay. blest are the humble souls that wait with sweet submission to his will; harmonious all their passions move, and in the midst of storms are still;-- still, till their father's well-known voice wakens their silence into songs; then earth grows vocal with his praise, and heaven the grateful shout prolongs. . l. m. c. wesley. god our deliverer. god of my life, whose gracious power through varied deaths my soul hath led, or turned aside the fatal hour, or lifted up my sinking head! in all my ways thy hand i own, thy ruling providence i see: assist me still my course to run, and still direct my paths to thee. whither, oh whither should i fly, but to my loving father's breast; secure within thine arms to lie, and safe beneath thy wings to rest! i have no skill the snare to shun, but thou, o god, my wisdom art; i ever into ruin run: but thou art greater than my heart. foolish, and ignorant, and blind, lead me a way i have not known; bring me where i my heaven may find, the heaven of loving thee alone. . c. m. * the power of trust. my god! in life's most doubtful hour, in sharpest pains of death, who waits on thee hath peace and power; thou present help of faith! thy crown of joy upon his head, thy light upon his face, through storms and strife thy christ could tread, on to the happy place. and though the cross were sharp and high, the lifted lord could see the souls he loved drawn nearer by his love's last energy. help me, o god! to seek--to win, through struggles and through prayer, the faith which frees my soul from sin, and brings thy blessing there. so shall my cross of conquered shame my fainting brothers raise, so thy triumphant mercy flame around my path of praise. and earth, with all its pain and toil, by love's pure presence blest, shall wear the calm celestial smile of heaven's eternal rest. . c. m. anonymous. through cross to light. bear on, my soul! the bitter cross of every trial here shall lift thee to thy heaven above, but shall not enter there. bear on, my soul! on god rely; deliverance will come; a thousand ways the father hath to bring his children home. and thou, my heavenly friend and guide, hast kindly led me on; taught me to rest my fainting head upon thy heart alone. so comforted and so sustained, with dark events i strove, and found, when rightly understood, all, messengers of love. . & s. m. * the might of faith. we will not weep; for god is standing by us, and tears will blind us to the blessed sight; we will not doubt,--if darkness still doth try us, our souls have promise of serenest light. we will not faint,--if heavy burdens bind us, they press no harder than our souls can bear, the thorniest way is lying still behind us, we shall be braver for the past despair. o, not in doubt shall be our journey's ending, sin with its fears shall leave us at the last, all its best hopes in glad fulfilment blending, life shall be with us when the death is past. help us, oh father!--when the world is pressing on our frail hearts, that faint without their friend, help us, oh father! let thy constant blessing strengthen our weakness,--till the joyful end. . & s. m. montgomery. faith. call the lord thy sure salvation, rest beneath the almighty's shade; in his secret habitation dwell, nor ever be dismayed! there no tumult can alarm thee, thou shalt dread no hidden snare, guile nor violence shall harm thee, in eternal safeguard there. there, though winds and waves are swelling, god, thy hope, shall bear through all; plague shall not come nigh thy dwelling, thee no evil shall befall. he shall charge his angel legions watch and ward o'er thee to keep, though thou walk through hostile regions, though in desert wilds thou sleep. since, with pure and firm affection, thou on god hast set thy love, with the wings of his protection he shall shield thee from above. . & s. m. moravian. bearing the reproach of christ. cross, reproach, and tribulation, ye to me are welcome guests, when i have this consolation, that my soul in jesus rests. the reproach of christ is glorious; those who here his burden bear in the end shall prove victorious, and eternal gladness share. bear then the reproach of jesus, ye who live a life of faith! lift triumphant songs and praises, even in martyrdom and death. bonds and stripes, and evil story, are our honorable crowns; pain is peace, and shame is glory, gloomy dungeons are as thrones. . & s. m. anonymous. faith. let the world despise and leave me,-- once they left my saviour too; let all human hopes deceive me, thou wilt never be untrue; and whilst thou shalt smile upon me, god of wisdom, love and might! foes may hate and friends disown me, yet the darkness shall be light. go, then, earthly fame and treasure; come, disaster, scorn and pain! in thy service pain is pleasure, with thy favor loss is gain. i have learned to call thee father, i have fixed my heart on thee; storms may howl and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me. man may trouble and distress me, 'twill but drive me to thy breast; life with trials hard may press me, thou canst give me sweetest rest. o, 'tis not in grief to harm me, while thy love is left to me; o, 'twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with thee! . l. m. doddridge. seeing the invisible. eternal and immortal king! thy peerless splendors none can bear; but darkness veils seraphic eyes, when god with all his glory's there. yet faith can pierce the awful gloom, the great invisible can see; and with its tremblings mingle joy, in fixed regard, great god! to thee. then every tempting form of sin, shamed in thy presence, disappears; and all the glowing raptured soul the likeness it contemplates, wears. o ever conscious to my heart! witness to its supreme desire: behold it presseth on to thee, for it hath caught the heavenly fire. this one petition would it urge-- to bear thee ever in its sight; in life, in death, in worlds unknown, its only portion and delight! . c. m. breviary. faith, hope, and love. supreme disposer of the heart! thou, since the world was made, hast the blest fruits of holiness to holy hearts displayed. here, hope and faith their links unite with love in one sweet chain; but when all fleeting things are past, love shall alone remain. o love! o true and fadeless light! and shall it ever be, that after all our toils and tears thy sabbath we shall see? 'mid thousand fears and dangers now we sow our seed, with prayer, but know that joyful hands shall reap the shining harvests there. o god of justice, god of power! our faith and hope increase, and crown them, in the future years, with endless love and peace. . s. m. wesleyan. christian love. father! we look up to thee; let us in thy love agree; thou, who art the god of peace, bid contention ever cease. make us of one heart and mind, self-forgetful, true and kind; strong, yet meek in thought and word, like thy son, our blessed lord. let us for each other care, each the other's burden bear; ready, when reviled, to bless; studious of the law of peace. father! all our souls inspire, fill us with love's sacred fire; guided by that blessed light, order all our steps aright. free from anger, free from pride, let us thus in thee abide; all the depths of love express,-- all the heights of holiness. . s. m. montgomery. the sower. sow in the morn thy seed, at eve hold not thy hand; to doubt and fear give thou no heed, broadcast it o'er the land! beside all waters sow, the highway furrows stock, drop it where thorns and thistles grow, drop it upon the rock! the good, the fruitful ground expect not here nor there; o'er hill and dale and plain 'tis found, go forth, then, everywhere! and duly shall appear, in verdure, beauty, strength, the tender blade, the stalk, the ear, and the full corn at length. thou canst not toil in vain; cold, heat, and moist and dry, shall foster and mature the grain for garners in the sky; then when the glorious end, the day of god, shall come, the angel-reapers shall descend, at heaven's great harvest-home. . l. m. watts. press onward to the mark. awake, our souls, away, our fears; let every trembling thought be gone. awake and run the heavenly race, and put a cheerful courage on. true 'tis a strait and thorny road, and mortal spirits tire and faint; but they forget the mighty god, that feeds the strength of every saint. from thee, the overflowing spring, our souls shall drink a fresh supply, while such as trust in human strength shall melt away, and droop, and die. swift as an eagle cuts the air, we'll mount aloft to thine abode; on wings of love our souls shall fly, nor tire amidst the heavenly road. . s. m. anonymous. the whole armor of god. followers of christ! arise, and put your armor on, strong in the strength which god supplies to each obedient son. stand forth in his great might, with all his strength endued; but take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of god. and, above all, lay hold of faith's victorious shield; armed with that adamant and gold, ye cannot lose the field. leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul; take every virtue, every grace, and consecrate the whole. that having all things done, and conquered in the strife, to nobler service ye pass on, and an undying life! . s. m. heath. conflict. my soul, be on thy guard; ten thousand foes arise; the hosts of sin are pressing hard to draw thee from the skies. o, watch, and strive, and pray; the battle ne'er give o'er; renew it boldly every day, and help divine implore. ne'er think the victory won, nor lay thine armor down: thy arduous work will not be done till thou obtain thy crown. fight on, my soul, till death shall bring thee to thy god; he'll take thee, at thy parting breath, to his divine abode. . s. m. neale. bearing the cross. every bird that upward springs bears the cross upon his wings; we without it cannot rise upward to our native skies. every ship that meets the waves by the cross their fury braves; we, on life's wide ocean tossed, if we have it not are lost. hope it gives us when distrest, when we faint it gives us rest; satan's craft, and satan's might, by the cross are put to flight. that from sin earth might be free, jesus bore it; so must we; ne'er through faintness lay it down: first the cross, and then the crown! . c. m. heber. in the day of distress. oh god, that mad'st the earth and sky, the darkness and the day, oh listen to thy children's cry, and help us when we pray! for wide the waves of bitterness around our vessel roar, and heavy grows the burdened heart, to view the rocky shore. the cross our master bore for us, for him we fain would bear; but mortal strength to weakness turns, and courage to despair! have mercy on our failings, lord! our sinking faith renew! and when his sorrows visit us, o send his patience too. . c. m. doddridge. god tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. great ruler of all nature's frame, we own thy power divine; we hear thy breath in every storm, for all the winds are thine. wide as they sweep their sounding way, they work thy sovereign will; and awed by thy majestic voice, confusion shall be still. thy mercy tempers every blast to those who seek thy face; and mingles with the tempest's roar the whispers of thy grace. those gentle whispers let me hear, till all the tumult cease; and gales of paradise shall lull my weary soul to peace. . s. m. montgomery. the bow in the cloud. out of the depths of woe, to thee, o lord, i cry; darkness surrounds thee, but i know that thou art ever nigh. like them whose longing eyes watch till the morning star, though late and seen through tempests, rise, heaven's portals to unbar,-- like them i watch and pray; and though it tarry long, catch the first gleam of welcome day then burst into a song. glory to god above! the waters soon will cease; for lo, the swift returning dove brings home the sign of peace. though storms thy face obscure, and dangers threaten loud, thy holy covenant is sure; thy bow is in the cloud! . & s. m. montgomery. in time of tribulation. in time of tribulation, hear, lord, our earnest cries; with humble supplication to thee the spirit flies. remembered songs of gladness, through night's lone silence brought, strike notes of deepest sadness, and stir desponding thought. hath god cast off forever? can time his truth impair? his tender mercy never shall we presume to share? hath he his loving-kindness shut up in bitter wrath? no! it is human blindness, that cannot see his path. we'll call to recollection the years of thy right hand, and, strong in thy protection, again through faith we stand. thy way is in great waters, thy footsteps are not known; but let earth's sons and daughters confide in thee alone! through the wild sea thou leddest thy chosen flock of yore; still on the wave thou treadest, and thy redeemed pass o'er. . & s. m. montgomery. i will extol thee, o lord! yea, i will extol thee, lord of life and light! for thine arm upheld me, turned my foes to flight. i implored thy succor, thou wast swift to save, to heal my wounded spirit, and bring me from the grave. grief may, like the pilgrim, through the night sojourn, yet shall joy, to-morrow, with the sun return. thou hast turned my mourning into minstrelsy; girded me with gladness, set from thraldom free. thee my ransomed powers henceforth shall adore; thee, my great deliverer, bless forevermore! . s. m. breviary. morning hymn. behold, night's shadows fade, and morn is in the skies! to him by whom all things were made our aspirations rise. to break this deathly trance help us, our god, our stay! give the freed spirit utterance, its languors charm away! so sin shall cease to reign, so safety shall be nigh; rend, spirit blest, the heavy chains of death, in victory! . c. m. anonymous. morning hymn. be thou, o god, by night, by day, my guard, my guide from sin, my life, my trust, my light divine, to keep me pure within. pure as the air, when day's first light a cloudless sky illumes, and active as the lark that soars till heaven shines round its plumes. so may my soul, upon the wings of faith, unwearied rise, till at the gate of heaven it sings, 'midst light from paradise. . & s. m. anonymous. vesper hymn. the daylight is fading o'er earth and o'er ocean, the sun has gone down o'er the slumbering sea; and now, in the hush of life's fitful commotion, we lift our tired spirits, blest saviour, to thee. for oft would'st thou wander alone on the mountain, as eventide spread her dark wing o'er the wave; now, filling our souls from thy light's ceaseless fountain; be near in the darkness, to bless and to save. and oft as the tumult of life's heaving billow shall toss our frail bark driving wild o'er night's deep, let thy guarding wing be stretched over our pillow, and shield us from evil, though death watch our sleep. . & s. m. anonymous. vespers. father supreme! thou high and holy one, to thee we bow; now, when the labor of the day is done, devoutly, now. from age to age unchanging, still the same all-good thou art; hallowed forever be thy reverend name in every heart! when the glad morn upon the hills was spread, thy smile was there; now, as the darkness gathers overhead, we feel thy care. night spreads her shade upon another day forever past; so o'er our faults, thy love, we humbly pray a veil may cast. silence and sleep, o'er hearts by earth distrest, now sweetly steal; so every fear that struggles in the breast shall faith conceal. thou through the dark will watch above our sleep with eye of love; and thou wilt wake us, when the sunbeams leap the hills above. o, may each heart its gratitude express as life expands, and find the triumph of its happiness in thy commands! . & s. m. martineau's coll. evening hymn. on the dewy breath of even thousand odors mingling rise, borne like incense up to heaven,-- nature's evening sacrifice. with her fragrant offerings blending, let our glad thanksgivings be to thy throne, o lord, ascending,-- incense of our hearts to thee. thou, whose favors without number all our days with gladness bless, let thine eye, that knows no slumber, guard our hours of helplessness. then, though conscious we are sleeping in the outer courts of death, safe beneath a father's keeping, calm we rest in perfect faith. . s. m. doddridge. night. while the stars unnumbered roll round the ever-constant pole, far above these spangled skies all my thoughts to god shall rise. from on high he shall impart secret comfort to my heart; he in these serenest hours guide my spiritual powers. he his spirit doth diffuse, sweeter far than midnight dews; lifting all my thoughts above, on the wings of faith and love. what if death my sleep invade;-- should i be of death afraid? whilst encircled by thine arm, death may strike, but cannot harm. visions brighter than the morn greet the deathless spirit born; see, the guardian angel nigh waits to waft my soul on high! with thy heavenly presence blest, death is life, and labor, rest; welcome sleep or death to me, still secure, for still with thee! . s. m. breviary. even-song. be near us, o father! through night's silent hour; impart to our slumbers thy calmness divine; drop rest on our lids like the dew on the flower, that even our still sleep may have something of thine. o watch o'er our couch; drive the tempter away; from the sins that corrupt and betray keep us free; that nor fancy shall wander, nor passion shall stray, and we dream not a thought that's displeasing to thee. and grant, when deep sleep o'er our senses shall close, that the heart may still watch, all unclouded and clear; guard, guard still thy children; and bless the repose that, stainless of sin, is untouched by a fear. then still to thee, father, our praises we pay; still to thee we will offer love's infinite store; send down thy pure spirit, even now while we pray; be with us, and keep us, and bless, evermore! . c. m. breviary. our guard by night. lord of the world, who hast preserved us safely through this day, now guard us in the silent night, and in all time, we pray! be present, in thy peace, to those who as thy suppliants wait; blot out the record of our sin; our gloom illuminate! let not, amid our hours of sleep, life's enemy steal in; let not a vision of the night have power to whisper sin. guard every avenue from guile, when slumber seals our eyes; and guiltless as we laid us down, so guiltless let us rise. . s. m. breviary. hymn of night. creator of all! through whose all-seeing might this ponderous globe to its hour is true, thou glad'st us each morn with the vision of light, and at eve on our lids pourest slumber like dew. the toils of the day are now brought to their end, and night is preparing her balm for our eyes; our strength, lord, encourage, our weakness defend; hear our prayers as they spring, and our hymns as they rise! we beseech of thee now, when dim night over all is enfolding her shroud and resuming her sway, that thy grace still may shine, 'mid the glooms that appal, as a star to our eyes, and a lamp to our way. though our bodies may sleep, let our souls be awake, keep them free from the deadness that guilt only knows; be the dream of the night pure as day, for thy sake, and the calm of thy paradise on our repose! from all stain of crime let our bosoms be free, and still rest on our god, unpolluted and clear; so the tempter shall flee; nor our slumbers endure one pang of remorse or one shudder of fear. . l. m. breviary. night-watches. throughout the hours of darkness dim, still let us watch and raise the hymn; and in deep midnight's awful calm, pour forth the soul in deepest psalm. amid the silence, else so drear, think the almighty leans to hear; well pleased to list, at such a time, the wakeful heart, in praise sublime. still watch and pray and raise the hymn, throughout the hours of darkness dim! god will not spurn the humblest guest, but give us of his holy rest. glory to god, who is in heaven! praise to his blessed son be given! thee, holy spirit, we implore, be with us now and evermore! . s. m. wesleyan. communion hymn. jesus, we thy promise claim; we are met in thy dear name; in the midst do thou appear, manifest thy presence here! sanctify us, lord, and bless; breathe thy spirit, give thy peace; thou thyself within us move; make our feast a feast of love! give to us thy humble mind, patient, fearless, just and kind; meek and lowly let us be, full of goodness, full of thee. still, o lord, our faith increase, give to us the fruits of peace, utterly abolish sin, write thy law of love within. hence may all our actions flow, love, the proof that christ we know; mutual love the token be, lord, that we have walked with thee! love, thine image, love impart, stamp its impress on each heart, only love to us be given, lord, we ask no other heaven. . s. m. wesleyan. communion hymn. partners of a glorious hope, lift your hearts and voices up! nobly let us bear the strife, keep the holiness, of life; still forget the things behind, follow christ in heart and mind, to the mark unwearied press, seize the crown of righteousness. jesus, fill us with thy love, never from our souls remove, heart to heart unite and bless, keep us in thy perfect peace! in our lives our faith be known, faith by holy actions shown; faith that mountains can remove, faith that always works by love. . & s. m. german. o sacred head! o sacred head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, so scornfully surrounded, with thorns thine only crown; how art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! how do those features languish which once were fair as morn! what language shall i borrow to thank thee, dearest friend, for this thy dying sorrow, this love that knew no end! o, make me thine forever! and should i fainting be, lord, let me never, never, outlive my love to thee! . l. m. anonymous. christ a quickening spirit. we follow, lord, where thou dost lead, and, quickened, would ascend to thee, redeemed from sin, set free indeed into thy glorious liberty. we cast behind fear, sin and death; with thee we seek the things above; our inmost souls thy spirit breathe, of power, of calmness, and of love. the power, 'mid worldliness and sin, to do, in all, our father's will; like thee, the victory to win, and bid each tempting voice be still. the calmness perfect faith inspires, which waiteth patiently and long; the love which faileth not, nor tires, triumphant over every wrong. thus through thy quickening spirit, lord, thy perfect life in us reveal, and help us, as we live to god, still more and more with man to feel. . c. m. * the new commandment. beneath the shadow of the cross, as earthly hopes remove, his new commandment jesus gives, his blessed word of love. o bond of union, strong and deep! o bond of perfect peace! not even the lifted cross can harm, if we but hold to this. then, jesus, be thy spirit ours! and swift our feet shall move to deeds of pure self-sacrifice, "and the sweet tasks of love." . l. m. doddridge. close of the year. god of eternity! from thee did infant time his being draw; moments and days, and months and years, revolve by thine unvaried law. silent and swift they glide away: steady and strong the current flows, lost in eternity's wide sea, the boundless gulf from which it rose. great source of wisdom! teach our hearts to know the price of every hour, that time may bear us on to joys beyond its measure and its power. . s. m. newton. new year. bless, o lord, each opening year to the souls assembling here: clothe thy word with power divine, make us willing to be thine. where thou hast thy work begun, give new strength the race to run; scatter darkness, doubts, and fears, wipe away the mourner's tears. bless us all, both old and young; call forth praise from every tongue: let our whole assembly prove all thy power and all thy love! . l. m. anonymous. thanksgiving hymn. father of mercies! god of peace! being whose bounties never cease! while to the heavens, in grateful tones, ascend our mingled orisons, listen to these, the notes of praise, which we, a happy people, raise! our hamlets, sheltered by thy care, abodes of peace and plenty are; our tillage by thy blessing yields an hundred fold from ripened fields: and flowing grain, and burthened vine, are tokens of thy love divine. the cradled head of infancy doth owe its tranquil rest to thee; youth's doubting step, man's firmer tread, in years mature, by thee are led; secure may trembling age, oh lord! lean on its staff, thy holy word. teach us these blessings to improve, teach us to serve thee, teach to love; exalt our hearts, that we may see the giver of all good in thee; and be thy word our daily food, thy service, lord, our greatest good. . s. m. mary w. hale. christmas. when in silence, o'er the deep, darkness kept its deathlike sleep, soon as god his mandate spoke, light in wondrous beauty broke. but a beam of holier light gilded bethlehem's lonely night, when the glory of the lord, mercy's sunlight, shone abroad. "peace on earth, good-will to men." burst the glorious anthem then; angels, bending from above, joined that strain of holy love. floating o'er the waves of time, comes to us that song sublime, bearing to the pilgrim's ear words to soothe, sustain, and cheer. for creation's blessed light, praise to thee, thou god of might! seraph-strains thy name should bless for the sun of righteousness! . p. m. longfellow. ordination. christ to the young man said: "yet one thing more, if thou wouldst perfect be; sell all thou hast and give it to the poor, and come and follow me!" within this temple, christ again, unseen, those sacred words has said; and his invisible hands to-day have been laid on a young man's head. and evermore beside him on his way, the unseen christ shall move, that he may lean upon his arm and say, "dost thou, dear lord, approve?" beside him at the marriage feast shall be, to make the scene more fair; beside him in the dark gethsemane of pain and midnight prayer. o holy trust! o endless sense of rest! like the beloved john, to lay his head upon the saviour's breast, and thus to journey on! . s. m. c. wesley. at sea. lord! whom winds and seas obey, guide us through the watery way; in the hollow of thy hand, hide and bring us safe to land. father, let our faithful mind rest, on thee alone reclined: every anxious thought repress, keep our souls in perfect peace. keep the friends whom now we leave; bid them to each other cleave; bid them walk on life's rough sea, bid them come, by faith, to thee. save, till all these tempests end, all who on thy love depend; waft our happy spirits o'er; land us on the heavenly shore. . s. m. mrs. sigourney. prayer for the sailor. when the parting bosom bleeds, when their native shore recedes, when the wild and faithless main takes them to her trust again, father! view the sailor's woe-- guide them wheresoe'er they go. when the lonely watch they keep, silent on the mighty deep, while the boisterous surges hoarse bear them daily on their course, eye that never slumbers! shed holy influence on their head. when the sabbath's peaceful ray o'er the ocean's breast doth play, though no throngs assemble there, no sweet church-bell warns to prayer, spirit! let thy presence be sabbath to the unresting sea. when the raging billows dark thunder round the storm-tossed bark, thou who on the whelming wave didst the loved disciples save, thou canst hear them when they pray,-- jesus, saviour, be their stay! . l. m. c. wesley. the sailor's hymn. lord of the wide-extended main! whose power the winds and seas controls, whose hand doth earth and heaven sustain, whose spirit leads believing souls; throughout the deep thy footsteps shine; we own thy way is in the sea, o'erawed by majesty divine, and lost in thine immensity! thy wisdom here we learn to adore, thine everlasting truth we prove, the wondrous heights of boundless power, the unfathomable depths of love. infinite god, thy greatness spanned these heavens, and meted out the skies; lo! in the hollow of thy hand the measured waters sink and rise. and here thine unknown paths we trace, which dark to human eyes appear: while through the mighty waves we pass faith only sees that god is here. . c. m. h. k. white. in a storm. the lord our god is full of might, the winds obey his will; he speaks, and in his heavenly height the rolling sun stands still. rebel, ye waves! and o'er the land with threatening aspect roar; the lord uplifts his awful hand, and chains you to the shore. howl, winds of night! your force combine; without his high behest, ye shall not in the mountain pine disturb the sparrow's nest. ye nations bend, in reverence bend; ye monarchs, wait his nod, and bid the choral song ascend to celebrate our god! . l. m. e. h. chapin. for a charitable occasion. when long the soul had slept in chains and man to man was stern and cold; when love and worship were but strains that swept the gifted chords of old-- by shady mount and peaceful lake, a meek and lowly stranger came, the weary drank the words he spake, the poor and suffering blessed his name. he went where frenzy held its rule, where sickness breathed its spell of pain; by famed bethesda's mystic pool, and by the darkened gate of nain. he soothed the mourner's troubled breast, he raised the contrite sinner's head, and on the loved ones' lowly rest the light of better life he shed. father, the spirit jesus knew we humbly ask of thee to-night, that we may be disciples too of him whose way was love and light. bright be the places where we tread amid earth's suffering and its poor, until that day when tears are shed, and broken sighs are heard, no more. . c. m. w. croswell. he went about doing good. lord, lead the way the saviour went, by lane and cell obscure, and let our treasures still be spent, like his, upon the poor. like him, through scenes of deep distress, who bore the world's sad weight, we, in their gloomy loneliness, would seek the desolate. for thou hast placed us side by side in this wide world of ill; and that thy followers may be tried, the poor are with us still. . & s. m. e. h. chapin. triumph of temperance. now, host with host assembling, the victory we win; lo! on his throne sits trembling that old and giant sin; like chaff by strong winds scattered, his banded strength has gone, his charmed cup lies shattered, and still the cry is--"on." our fathers' god, our keeper! be thou our strength divine! thou sendest forth the reaper, the harvest all is thine. roll on, roll on this gladness, till, driven from every shore, the drunkard's sin and madness shall smite the earth no more! . l. m. sargent. temperance hymn. slavery and death the cup contains; dash to the earth the poisoned bowl! softer than silk are iron chains compared with those that chafe the soul. hosannas, lord, to thee we sing, whose power the giant fiend obeys; what countless thousands tribute bring, for happier homes and brighter days! thou wilt not break the bruised reed, nor leave the broken heart unbound; the wife regains a husband freed! the orphan clasps a father found! spare, lord, the thoughtless; guide the blind; till man no more shall deem it just to live by forging chains to bind his weaker brother in the dust. . & s. m. whittier. true worship and undefiled. o, he whom jesus loved has truly spoken! the holier worship, which god deigns to bless, restores the lost, and heals the spirit-broken, and feeds the widow and the fatherless. then, brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother! for where love dwells, the peace of god is there; to worship rightly is to love each other; each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer. follow, with reverent steps, the great example of him whose holy work was doing good: so shall the wide earth seem our father's temple, each loving life a psalm of gratitude. thus shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangor of wild war-music o'er the earth shall cease; love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger, and in its ashes plant the tree of peace. . s. m. j. g. adams. the angel in the prison. god's angels! not only on high do they sing, and soar through our skies with invisible wing; but here, on the earth, where in wretchedness lie its sin-stricken children to struggle and die. they come, in their mercy and power, to dispel the spectres of gloom from the prisoner's cell; in love's name to say to the stricken one there, that god still hath ear, and an answer to prayer. and strong grows the heart of the outcast--and soon in that dim prison come the pure light-gleams of noon; the resolve and the faith of the sinner forgiven, send him back to the world with a heart seeking heaven. god's angels! love speed them o'er earth's wide domain! new aids to impart, and new triumphs to gain; till the wrathful and wrong from our world shall retire, and humanity's groans in her praises expire. for the promise of truth--though the doubting deny-- is, that love shall prevail in the earth as on high; its life-waters healing, wherever they flow, with the angels above, or the angels below. . l. m. aikin. in time of war. while sounds of war are heard around, and death and ruin strew the ground, to thee we look, on thee we call, the parent and the lord of all. thou, who hast stamped on human kind the image of a heaven-born mind, and in a father's wide embrace hast cherished all the kindred race; great god! whose powerful hand can bind the raging waves, the furious wind, o bid the human tempest cease, and hush the maddening world to peace. with reverence may each hostile land hear and obey that high command, thy son's blest errand from above-- "my children, live in mutual love!" . s. m. mrs. follen. prayer for the slave. lord! deliver; thou canst save; save from evil, mighty god! hear--oh! hear the kneeling slave; break--oh! break th' oppressor's rod. may the captive's pleading fill all the earth, and all the sky; every other voice be still, while he pleads with god on high. he, whose ear is everywhere, who doth silent sorrow see, will regard the captive's prayer, will from bondage set him free. from the tyranny within, save thy children, lord! we pray; chains of iron, chains of sin, cast, forever cast away. love to man, and love to god, are the weapons of our war; these can break th' oppressor's rod-- burst the bonds that we abhor. . s. m. whittier. freedom. may freedom speed onward, wherever the blood of the wronged and the guiltless is crying to god; wherever from kindred, torn rudely apart, comes the sorrowful wail of the broken of heart. wherever the shackles of tyranny bind in silence and darkness the god-given mind, there, lord, speed it onward! the truth shall be felt, the bonds shall be loosened, the iron will melt. help us turn from the cavil of creeds, to unite once again for the poor, in defence of the right, unappalled by the danger, the shame, or the pain, and counting each trial for truth as our gain. . p.m. anonymous. daughter of zion. daughter of zion, awake from thy sadness! awake! for thy foes shall oppress thee no more; bright o'er thy hills dawns the day-star of gladness, arise! for the night of thy sorrow is o'er. strong were thy foes, but the arm that subdued them and scattered their legions, was mightier far; they fled like the chaff from the scourge that pursued them; vain were their steeds and their chariots of war. daughter of zion, the power that hath saved thee extolled with the harp and the timbrel should be; shout! for the foe is destroyed that enslaved thee; th' oppressor is vanquished, and zion is free. . s. m. johns. the kingdom of love. come, kingdom of our god, sweet reign of light and love! shed peace, and hope, and joy abroad, and wisdom from above. over our spirits first extend thy healing reign; there raise and quench the sacred thirst, that never pains again. come, kingdom of our god! and make the broad earth thine; stretch o'er her lands and isles the rod that flowers with grace divine. soon may all tribes be blest with fruit from life's glad tree; and in its shade like brothers rest, sons of one family. . c. m. montgomery. unity. the glorious universe around, the heavens with all their train, sun, moon and stars, are firmly bound in one mysterious chain. the earth, the ocean, and the sky, to form one world agree; where all that walk, or swim, or fly, compose one family. god in creation thus displays his wisdom and his might; while all his works with all his ways harmoniously unite. in one fraternal bond of love, one fellowship of mind, the saints below and saints above their bliss and glory find. here, in their house of pilgrimage, thy statutes are their song; there, through one bright, eternal age, thy praises they prolong. lord, may our union form a part of that thrice happy whole; derive its pulse from thee the heart, its life from thee the soul. . p. m. anonymous. peace everywhere. nature hath seasons of repose; her slumbering clouds and quiet sky; and many a bright-faced stream that flows forever noiselessly. the stormy winds are hushed to rest, and hang self-poised upon their wings; and nursed on mother nature's breast, flowers lie like sleeping things. the ocean, that in mountains ran, spreads boundlessly without a wave; and is it only said of man, his peace is in the grave? oh! for the coming of the end, the last long sabbath-day of time, when peace from heaven shall descend, like light, on every clime. for men in ships far off at sea shall hear the happy nations raise the song of peace and liberty, and overflowing praise. mankind shall be one brotherhood; one human soul shall fill the earth, and god shall say, "the world is good as when i gave it birth." . l. m. montgomery. the kingdom of god. o spirit of the living god, in all thy plenitude of grace, where'er the foot of man hath trod, descend on our benighted race! be darkness, at thy coming, light; confusion, order, in thy path; souls without strength inspire with might; bid mercy triumph over wrath. o spirit of the lord! prepare all the round earth her god to meet; breathe thou abroad like morning air, till hearts of stone begin to beat. baptize the nations; far and nigh the triumphs of the cross record; thy name, o father, glorify, till every people call thee lord. . c. m. a. c. coxe. the church everlasting. o where are kings and empires now of old that went and came? but holy church is praying yet, a thousand years the same. mark ye her holy battlements, and her foundations strong; and hear within, her solemn voice, and her unending song. for not like kingdoms of the world the holy church of god! though earthquake shocks are rocking her, and tempests are abroad; unshaken as eternal hills, unmovable she stands,-- a mountain that shall fill the earth, a fane unbuilt by hands. . c. m. sp. of psalms. the day-spring from on high. thy servants in the temple watched the dawning of the day, impatient with its earliest beams their holy vows to pay; and chosen saints far off beheld that great and glorious morn, when the glad day-spring from on high auspiciously should dawn. on us the sun of righteousness its brightest beams hath poured; with grateful hearts and holy zeal, lord, be thy love adored; and let us look with joyful hope to that more glorious day, before whose brightness sin and death, and grief, shall flee away. . s. m. doddridge. the pilgrim's hymn. now let our voices join, to form one pleasant song: ye pilgrims in god's holy way, with music pass along! how straight the path appears, how open and how fair! no lurking snares to entrap our feet, no fierce destroyer there! but flowers of paradise in rich profusion spring; the sun of hope shines on our path, and dear companions sing. all glory to his name, who drew the shining trace; to him who leads the wanderers on, and cheers them with his grace. subdue the nations, lord! teach all their kings thy ways; that earth's full choir the notes may swell, and heaven resound the praise. . & s. m. anonymous. the angel of the lord. onward speed thy conquering flight, angel, onward speed! cast abroad thy radiant light, bid the shades recede; tread the idols in the dust, heathen fanes destroy, spread the gospel's love and trust, spread the gospel's joy. onward speed thy conquering flight, angel, onward fly! long has been the reign of night, bring the morning nigh. unto thee earth's sufferers lift their imploring wail; bear them heaven's holy gift ere their courage fail. onward speed thy conquering flight, angel, onward speed! morning bursts upon our sight, lo, the time decreed! now the lord his kingdom takes, thrones and empires fall, and the joyous song awakes, god is all in all. . s. m. * the reformer's vow. god of the earnest heart, the trust assured and still, thou who our strength forever art,-- we come to do thy will! upon that painful road by saints serenely trod, whereon their hallowing influence flowed, would we go forth, o god! 'gainst doubt and shame and fear in human hearts to strive, that all may learn to love and bear, to conquer self, and live; to draw thy blessing down, and bring the wronged redress, and give this glorious world its crown, the spirit's godlikeness. no dreams from toil to charm, no trembling on the tongue;-- lord, in thy rest may we be calm, through thy completeness, strong! thou hearest while we pray; o deep within us write, with kindling power, our god, to-day, thy word,--"on earth be light!" . l. m. anonymous. be strong, fear not. prisoners of hope! be strong, be bold; cast off your doubts, disdain to fear! the day which prophets have foretold, and saints have longed for, draweth near: our god shall in his kingdom come; prepare your hearts to make him room! o ye of fearful hearts, be strong! your downcast eyes and hands lift up; doubt not, nor cry "o god, how long?" hope to the end, in patience hope! o never from your faith remove; ye cannot fail, for god is love! lord, we have faith; we wait the hour which to the earth thy kingdom brings; when thou, in love, and joy, and power, shalt come and make us priests and kings: when man shall be indeed thy son, and thy pure will on earth be done. . c. m. anonymous. he maketh all things new. almighty spirit, now behold a world by sin destroyed! creative spirit, as of old move on the formless void! give thou the word--the healing sound shall quell the deadly strife, and earth again, like eden crowned, bring forth the tree of life. if sang the morning stars for joy when nature rose to view, what strains shall angel harps employ, when thou shalt all renew! . c. m. anonymous. the morning. we wait in faith, in prayer we wait, until the happy hour when god shall ope the morning gate, by his almighty power. we wait in faith, and turn our face to where the day-light springs; till he shall come earth's gloom to chase, with healing on his wings. and even now, amid the gray, the east is brightening fast, and kindling to that perfect day which never shall be past. we wait in faith, we wait in prayer, till that blest day shall shine, when earth shall fruits of eden bear, and all, o god, be thine! o, guide us till our night is done! until, from shore to shore, thou, lord, our everlasting sun, art shining evermore! . & s. m. montgomery. lo! he cometh. god comes, with succor speedy, to those who suffer wrong; to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong; he comes to break oppression, and set the captive free, to take away transgression, and rule in equity. he shall come down, as showers upon the thirsty earth; and joy and hope, like flowers, spring in his path to birth. before him, on the mountains, shall peace, the herald, go, and righteousness, in fountains, from hill to valley flow. to him shall prayer unceasing, and daily vows, ascend; his kingdom still increasing, a kingdom without end. the tide of time shall never his covenant remove; his name shall stand forever; his great, best name of love. . c. m. doddridge. the holy way. sing, ye redeemed of the lord, your great deliverer sing; pilgrims, for zion's city bound, be joyful in your king. see the fair way his hand hath raised, how holy and how plain! nor shall the simplest travellers err, nor ask the trace in vain. no ravening lion shall destroy, nor lurking serpent wound; pleasure and safety, peace and praise, through all the path are found. a hand divine shall lead you on through all the blissful road, till to the sacred mount you rise, and see your smiling god. there, garlands of immortal joy shall bloom on every head; while sorrow, sighing, and distress, like shadows all are fled. . s. m. anonymous. the prophet's vision. faint the earth, and parched with drought, make the waters, lord, gush out! streams of love our thirst to bless, starting in the wilderness. long we wait thy peace to know: father, bid the waters flow, make the thirsty land a pool, make man's suffering spirit whole. hark! the wastes have found a voice; loneliest deserts now rejoice, when the lord his presence shows, lo, they blossom like the rose; see! this barren earth of ours buds and puts forth fruits and flowers, flowers of eden, fruits of peace, love and joy and righteousness! . l. m. *j. wesley. thy will be done on earth as in heaven. spirit of peace and love and power, fountain of life and light below, abroad thy healing influence shower, o'er all the nations let it flow. inspire our hearts with perfect love; in all the work of faith fulfil; so not heaven's host shall swifter move, than we on earth, to do thy will. father, 'tis thine each day to yield thy children's wants a fresh supply; thou clothest the lilies of the field, and hearest the young ravens cry. to thee we pray; for all must live by thee, who knowest their every need-- pray for the world, that thou wilt give all human hearts thy living bread. in faith we wait and long and pray, to see that time, by prophets told, when nations, new-born into day, shall be ingathered to thy fold. we cannot doubt thy gracious will, thou mighty, merciful and just! and thou wilt speedily fulfil the word in which thy servants trust. . c. m. breviary. brightening unto the perfect day. gone is the hollow, murky night, with all its shadows dun; o shine upon us, heavenly light, as on the earth the sun! pour on our hearts thy heavenly beam, in radiance sublime! retire before that ray supreme, ye sins of elder time! lo, on the morn that now is here no night shall ever fall; but faith shall burn, undimmed and clear, till god be all in all. this is the dawn of infant faith; the day will follow soon, when hope shall breathe with freer breath, and morn be lost in noon; for to the seed that's sown to-day a harvest time is given, when charity with faith to stay, shall make on earth a heaven. glory be to god on high: and on earth peace: good will to men.