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. "Sunday, May 21, 1738. 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, Thou art and make our abode with you." God, who canst not lie. wholly rely upon thy most true promise: accomplish it in thy time and manner.' Still I felt a violent opposition and reluctance to believe, yet still the Spirit of God strove with my own and the evil spirit till by degrees he chased I found away the darkness of my unbelief. 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 second stanza of the original hymn, omitted above, is: Jesus, our Lord, arise, And make them fall: Let thine almighty aid 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, 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, 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 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 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 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 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. it now holds as a national anthem, we can So much concerning the origin of this national an- easily see why the writer preferred to remain unknown to the public. them. 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 ther to come and aid the congregation in first verse is an invocation to God the Faworthily praising his name and also a prayer for him to "come and reign over us." The second verse is addressed to the and blessing to give the prayer and the Incarnate Word, and invokes his presence 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 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 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 reacan be suggested why the author son to the Triune God. 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 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 |