1 0 THE METHODIST HYMNAL ANNOTATED C. M. HYMNS OF WORSHIP FOR a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise, The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of his grace! 2 My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim, To spread through all the earth abroad, The honors of thy name. 3 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. 4 He breaks the power of canceled sin, His blood can make the foulest clean; 5 He speaks, and, listening to his voice, 6 Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, Charles Wesley. This fine hymn has stood at the head of the Wesleyan Hymn Book since 1779, and has led the procession in the official book of the Methodist Episcopal Church from near its organization, in 1784. Its history is very interesting. The author's title was: "For the Anniversary Day of One's Conversion." It was written in 1739 to celebrate the first anniversary of his spiritual birth, and was published in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1740. Charles Wesley gives an account of his conversion in his Journal. He says: "Sunday, May 21, 1738. I waked in expectation of His coming. At nine my brother and some friends came and sang a hymn to the Holy Ghost. My comfort and hope were hereby increased. In about half an hour they went. I betook myself to prayer, the substance as follows: 'O Jesus, thou hast said, "I will come unto you;" thou hast said, "I will send the Comforter unto you;" thou hast said, "My Father and I will come unto you, and make our abode with you." Thou art God, who canst not lie. I wholly rely upon thy most true promise: accomplish it in thy time and manner.' Still I felt a vio lent opposition and reluctance to believe, yet still the Spirit of God strove with my own and the evil spirit till by degrees he chased away the darkness of my unbelief. I found myself convinced, I knew not how nor when, and immediately fell to intercession." The anniversary poem contained eighteen stanzas, beginning: Glory to God, and praise, and love The hymn is composed of verses 7 to 12, unaltered except for a single word. The author wrote the second line "My dear Redeemer's praise." This was changed by John Wesley to "My great Redeemer's praise." The rapture and extravagance of the first verse are explained by the preceding stanzas, especially verses 2 and 5: 2 On this glad day the glorious Sun 5 I felt my Lord's atoning blood (1) This hymn is credited to Charles Wesley on very slight evidence that he is the author. While it has long been one of the most popular and widely used hymns among American Methodists, English Methodists, strangely enough, have never given it a place in any of their official hymnals. Although it is now universally sung to Giardini's tune known as "The Italian Hymn" (called "Moscow" in England), it was written in the first instance to be sung to the familiar tune to which "God save the King" and "My country, 'tis of thee" are sung. Indeed, it was not only written to be sung to the music of what has since become the national anthem of England, but the words were composed in evident imitation of that anthem, as will be seen at a glance by comparing the omitted stanza, quoted above, with the second below: God save our gracious King, Long live our noble King, God save the King! Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the King! O Lord our God, arise, And make them fall. Thy richest gifts in store, May he defend our laws, To sing with heart and voice, God save the King! A brief history of the circumstances under which this national hymn originated will explain why in all probability the author of the noble Christian lyric written in imitation of it chose to remain unknown. The first two stanzas of this national anthem of England appeared as a song "For Two Voices" in a publication titled Harmonia Anglicana, which, though not dated, is supposed to have been published in 1743 or 1744. These stanzas are also known to have been in existence in Latin at that time and to have been used as a "Latin Chórus" in a concert given by the organist of the Chapel Royal in 1743 or 1744. On September 28, 1745, this now famous English song is known to have been sung in Drury Lane Theater, London, in honor of King George, and a few days later at Covent Garden. At both places it awakened tumultuous applause. The following month (October, 1745) the music and words, "as sung in both play- chose to remain unknown. When we rehouses," were published in the Gentle- member that this was not an original man's Magazine, with the third stanza, hymn, but something composed in unmisgiven above, added. It was thus caught up and sung by everybody, and in due course of time, by virtue of its widespread popularity rather than by any official action, it came to be recognized as the national hymn of England. So much concerning the origin of this national an them. The late distinguished English hymnologist, Daniel Sedgwick, was the first to attribute the hymn, "Come, thou Almighty King," to Charles Wesley. This he did partly on what he regarded as internal takable imitation of a popular political song of the day which was then being sung in the theaters and on the streets and at political gatherings, and which had by no means won the place of honor that it now holds as a national anthem, we can easily see why the writer preferred to remain unknown to the public. This noble and useful hymn is the most popular of all our hymns addressed to the Trinity. It is an ideal hymn for the beginning of a great Christian hymnal, as well as for opening public worship. The first verse is an invocation to God the Fa ther to come and aid the congregation in worthily praising his name and also a prayer for him to "come and reign over us." The second verse is addressed to the Incarnate Word, and invokes his presence and blessing to give the prayer and the preached word success. The third stanza invokes the presence and sacred witness of the Holy Spirit; while the last stanza finds a fitting climax in ascribing praises to the Triune God. evidence and partly because its first appearance was in an undated and anonymous half-penny leaflet containing two hymns-this, which was there titled “An Hymn to the Trinity," and another hymn known to be by Charles Wesley, beginning, "Jesus, let thy pitying eye." As the other hymn was known to be by Charles Wesley, he inferred that this unknown hymn to the Trinity was also by him. In drawing this inference he has been followed, though not without considerable hesitation and uncertainty, by numerous 3 editors of Church hymnals who have accredited it, as the editors of this Hymnal have here done, to Charles Wesley. As Charles Wesley never claimed this hymn, as it is not found in any of his published volumes, as neither he nor his brother John allude to it in any of their writings, and as it is in a meter that neither of the brothers ever used, it is impossible for us to claim with any confidence whatever that Charles Wesley is its author. We regret to be compelled to reach this conclusion; for we regard it as a truly great hymn, which we should be glad to credit to the great singer of Methodism if we could feel at all justified in doing so. We think, however, that an obvious reason can be suggested why the author COME, S. M. OME, sound his praise abroad, 2 He formed the deeps unknown; 3 Come, worship at his throne, 4 To-day attend his voice, Nor dare provoke his rod; Isaac Watts. Title, "A Psalm before Sermon." From The Psalms of David Imitated in the Lan guage of the New Testament, 1719. These are the first four stanzas unaltered. The last two are as follows: But if your ears refuse The language of his grace, And hearts grow hard like stubborn Jews, That unbelieving race; The Lord in vengeance drest Will lift his hand and swear: "You that despise my promis'd Rest Shall have no portion there." The hymn is complete without these stanzas, yet warnings are sometimes useful. The poet James Montgomery said that "Dr. Watts may almost be called the inventor of hymns in our language." Compare this hymn with that part of Psalm xcv. on which it was written: O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. 3 He by himself hath sworn; I on his oath depend. I shall, on eagles' wings upborne, To heaven ascend; I shall behold his face, I shall his power adore, And sing the wonders of his grace For evermore. 4 The goodly land I see, With peace and plenty blessed; A land of sacred liberty, And endless rest. There milk and honey flow, And oil and wine abound; 5 Before the great Three-One They all exulting stand, And tell the wonders he hath done Through all their land. The listening spheres attend, And swell the growing fame; And sing, in songs which never end, The wondrous name. 6 The whole triumphant host Hail, Abraham's God and mine!— Thomas Olivers. This remarkable hymn has a history of more than ordinary interest. It first appeared in a tract, without date, which is supposed to have been printed in 1770. The fourth edition bears the date of 1772. The title it bears is "A Hymn to the God of Abraham, in three parts: Adapted to a celebrated Air, sung by the Priest, Signior Leoni, &c, at the Jews' Synagogue, in London." There are altogether twelve stanzas, four in each part. The omitted stanzas (the third, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh) are of such literary value and such lofty poetic sentiment as to justify our reproducing them here: 3 The God of Abraham praise, Shall guide me all my happy days |