PAGE CONTENTS Bishops' PREFACE TO THE HYMNAL .. Special Subjects and Occasions THE METHODIST HYMNAL ANNOTATED HYMNS OF WORSHIP C. M. "Sunday, May 21, 1738. I waked in expec tation of His coming. At nine my brother and FOR a thousand tongues to sing some friends came and sang a hymn to the My great Redeemer's praise, Holy Ghost. My comfort and hope were The glories of my God and King, hereby increased. In about half an hour they The triumphs of his grace! went. I betook myself to prayer, the sub2 My gracious Master and my God, stance as follows: 'O Jesus, thou hast said, Assist me to proclaim, "I will come unto you;" thou hast said, “I To spread through all the earth abroad, will send the Comforter unto you ;" thou hast The honors of thy name. said, "My Father and I will come unto you, and make our abode with you." Thou art 3 Jesus! the name that charms our fears, God, who canst not lie. I wholly rely upon That bids our sorrows cease ; thy most true promise : accomplish it in thy 'Tis music in the sinner's ears, time and manner.' ... Still I felt a vio'Tis life, and health, and peace. lent opposition and reluctance to believe, yet 4 He breaks the power of canceled sin, still the Spirit of God strove with my own He sets the prisoner free; and the evil spirit till by degrees he chased His blood can make the foulest clean; away the darkness of my unbelief. I found His blood availed for me. myself convinced, I knew not how nor when, and immediately fell to intercession." 5 He speaks, and, listening to his voice, New life the dead receive: The anniversary poem contained eightThe mournful, broken hearts rejoice; The humble poor believe. een stanzas, beginning: 6 Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, Glory to God, and praise, and love Be ever, ever given. The hymn is composed of verses 7 to 12, author wrote the second line “My dear This fine hymn has stood at the head Redeemer's praise.” This was changed by of the Wesleyan Hymn Book since 1779, John Wesley to "My great Redeemer's and has led the procession in the official praise." book of the Methodist Episcopal Church from near its organization, in 1784. The rapture and extravagance of the Its first verse are explained by the preceding history is very interesting. stanzas, especially verses 2 and 5: The author's title was: “For the Anni 2 On this glad day the glorious Sun tersary Day of One's Conversion.” It| Of Righteousness arose; was written in 1739 to celebrate the first On my benighted soul he shone, anniversary of his spiritual birth, and And filled it with repose. was published in Hymns and Sacred 5 I felt my Lord's atoning blood Poems, 1740. Close to my soul applied ; Charles Wesley gives an account of his Me, me he loved—the Son of God; conversion in his Journal. He says: For me, for me he died. (1) 6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 6, 4. not only written to be sung to the music COME, thou Almighty King, of what has since become the national U Help us thy name to sing, anthem of England, but the words were Help us to praise ! composed in evident imitation of that anFather all-glorious, O'er all victorious, them, as will be seen at a glance by comCome, and reign over us. paring the omitted stanza, quoted above, Ancient of days! 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, Scatter his enemies, And make them fall. Frustrate their knavish tricks, Confound their politics; On him our hearts we fix: God save the King ! Thy richest gifts in store, On him be pleased to pour; Long may he reign ! May he defend our laws, And ever give us cause To sing with heart and voice, God save the King! A brief history of the circumstances un. omitted above, is: der which this national hymn originated Jesus, our Lord, arise, will explain why in all probability the au. Scatter our enemies, thor of the noble Christian lyric written And make them fall: in imitation of it chose to remain unLet thine almighty aid Our sure defense be made, known. The first two stanzas of this naOur souls on thee be staid: tional anthem of England appeared as a Lord, hear our call ! song "For Two Voices” in a publication This hymn is credited to Charles Wes-titled Harmonia Anglicana, which, though ley on very slight evidence that he is the not dated, is supposed to have been pubauthor. While it has long been one of the lished in 1743 or 1744. These stanzas are most popular and widely used hymns also known to have been in existence in among American Methodists, English | Latin at that time and to have been used Methodists, strangely enough, have never as a "Latin Chorus” in a concert given by given it a place in any of their official the organist of the Chapel Royal in 1743 hymnals. Although it is now universally or 1744. On September 28, 1745, this now sung to Giardini's tune known as “The famous English song is known to have Italian Hymn" (called “Moscow” in En- been sung in Drury Lane Theater, Longland), it was written in the first instance don, in honor of King George, and a few to be sung to the familiar tune to which days later at Covent Garden. At both “God save the King” and “My country, places it awakened tumultuous applause. 'tis of thee" are sung. Indeed, it was 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 takable imitation of a popular political up and sung by everybody, and in due song of the day which was then being course of time, by virtue of its widespread sung in the theaters and on the streets popularity rather than by any official ac- and at political gatherings, and which had tion, it came to be recognized as the na by no means won the place of honor that tional hymn of England. So much con it now holds as a national anthem, we can cerning the origin of this national an easily see why the writer preferred to rethem. main unknown to the public. The late distinguished English hymnol This noble and useful hymn is the most ogist, Daniel Sedgwick, was the first to popular of all our hymns addressed to the Trinity. It is an ideal hymn for the beattribute the hymn, “Come, thou Almighty King," to Charles Wesley. This he did ginning of a great Christian hymnal, as partly on what he regarded as internal well as for opening public worship. The first verse is an invocation to God the Faevidence and partly because its first ap ther to come and aid the congregation in pearance was in an undated and anony worthily praising his name and also a mous half-penny leaflet containing two prayer for him to “come and reign over hymns—this, which was there titled "An us." The second verse is addressed to the Hymn to the Trinity," and another hymn Incarnate Word, and invokes his presence known to be by Charles Wesley, begin and blessing to give the prayer and the ning, “Jesus, let thy pitying eye.” As the preached word success. The third stanza other hymn was known to be by Charles invokes the presence and sacred witness Wesley, he inferred that this unknown of the Holy Spirit; while the last stanza hymn to the Trinity was also by him. In finds a fitting climax in ascribing praises drawing this inference he has been fol to the Triune God. lowed, though not without considerable hesitation and uncertainty, by numerous 3 S. M. editors of Church hymnals who have ac COME, sound his praise abroad, credited it, as the editors of this Hymnal U And hymns of glory sing: have here done, to Charles Wesley. Jehovah is the sovereign God, The universal King. As Charles Wesley never claimed this hymn, as it is not found in any of his pub 2 He formed the deeps unknown; lished volumes, as neither he nor his He gave the seas their bound; The watery worlds are all his own, brother John allude to it in any of their And all the solid ground. writings, and as it is in a meter that neither of the brothers ever used, it is impos 3 Come, worship at his throne, sible for us to claim with any confidence Come, bow before the Lord ; We are his works, and not our own; whatever that Charles Wesley is its au He formed us by his word. thor. We regret to be compelled to reach 4 To-day attend his voice, this conclusion; for we regard it as a tru. Nor dare provoke his rod; ly great hymn, which we should be glad Come, like the people of his choice, to credit to the great singer of Methodism And own your gracious God. if we could feel at all justified in doing so. Isaac Watts. We think, however, that an obvious rea- Title, “A Psalm before Sermon.” From son can be suggested why the author | The Psalms of David Imitated in the Lan ful. The poet James Montgomery said that 5 Before the great Three-One They all exulting stand, “Dr. Watts may almost be called the in And tell the wonders he hath done ventor of hymns in our language.” Com Through all their land. pare this hymn with that part of Psalm The listening spheres attend, And swell the growing fame; xcv. on which it was written: And sing, in songs which never end, . The wondrous name. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salva 6 The whole triumphant host tion. Give thanks to God on high ; Let us come before his presence with "Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto They ever cry: him with psalms. Hail, Abraham's God and mine!-For the Lord is a great God, and a great I join the heavenly lays— King above all gods. All might and majesty are thine, In his hand are the deep places of the And endless praise. earth: the strength of the hills is his also. Thomas Olivers. The sea is his, and he made it: and his This remarkable hymn has a history of hands formed the dry land. more than ordinary interest. It first apO come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. peared in a tract, without date, which is supposed to have been printed in 1770. 6, 6, 8, 4. D. The fourth edition bears the date of 1772. The God of Abraham praise, The title it bears is "A Hymn to the God 1 Who reigns enthroned above; of Abraham, in three parts: Adapted to a Ancient of everlasting days, celebrated Air, sung by the Priest, Signior And God of love; Leoni, &c, at the Jews' Synagogue, in Jehovah, Great I AM, By earth and heaven confessed; London.” There are altogether twelve I bow and bless the sacred name, stanzas, four in each part. The omitted Forever blessed. stanzas (the third, fifth, seventh, eighth, 2 The God of Abraham praise, tenth, and eleventh) are of such literary At whose supreme command value and such lofty poetic sentiment as From earth I rise, and seek the joys to justify our reproducing them here: At his right hand: 3 The God of Abraham praise, Whose all-sufficient grace Shall guide me all my happy days In all his ways: |