its real worth, it should be read without abbreviation or alteration from the orig inal. 3 Thy providence my life sustained, And all my wants redressed, While in the silent womb I lay, And hung upon the breast. 4 To all my weak complaints and cries Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned 5 Unnumbered comforts on my soul From whom those comforts flowed. 8 When worn with sickness, oft hast thou 9 Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss 12 When nature fails, and day and night My ever grateful heart, O Lord, Thy mercies shall adore. Some doubt has recently been expressed by hymnologists whether Addison were the author of this hymn. It will be seen that he does not expressly claim it. To do so was contrary to his habit. The claims of others have not been substantiated. All of this author's hymns were published in connection with his prose writings. He was practically the inventor of the Eng lish essay. This noble and much-admired metrical version of Psalm civ. appeared in Bickersteth's Church Psalmody, 1833. The author died in 1838, and the following year his eleven hymns and other poems were collected and published by his brother, Lord Glenelg, under the title, Sacred Poems, 1839, in which volume this hymn Josiah Quincy, formerly President of Har- is found. The third and sixth stanzas of vard College, lived to be ninety-two years of Christian biography furnishes many instances of the influence of this hymn upon religious experience and life. One of the most striking is the following: age. The earth, with its stores of wonders untold, He had kept a journal for many years. the original, omitted above, are here givHe was accustomed to sit in the morning in en: a large chair with a broad arm to it, which served as a desk upon which he wrote his diary. July 1, 1864, he sat down in his chair as usual. His daughter brought his journal. He at first declined to undertake his wonted task, but his daughter urged him not to abandon it. He took the book and wrote the first verse of that grateful hymn of Addison: Almighty, Thy power hath founded of old, 107 Joy C. M. HYMNS TO THE SON. OY to the world! the Lord is come; 2 Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, Repeat the sounding joy. 3 No more let sin and sorrow grow, He comes to make his blessings flow 4 He rules the world with truth and grace, Isaac Watts. Title: "The Messiah's Coming and Kingdom." It is a free rendering of the last part of Psalm xcviii.: Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousnes, shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Published in 1719, this glad Christmas song has found its way into many collections of hymns. It is a general favorite. As given here it is entire, and we find no changes except in verse three, line one, where the original has "sins and sorrows." This hymn is full of faith and Christian hope. The joy of the advent of Christ is a "joy unspeakable." No man can tell it, but this hymn comes as near giving adequate expression to that joy as can be done by human language. to tunes so popular and so well adapted to the words as "Antioch" is to this happy and joyful advent song. 108 HAR C. M. ARK the glad sound! the Saviour comes, Let every heart prepare a throne, 2 He comes, the prisoner to release, The gates of brass before him burst, 3 He comes, from thickest films of vice And on the eyes oppressed with night 4 He comes, the broken heart to bind, 5 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, Philip Doddridge. Title: "Christ's Message." This is generally regarded as Dr. Doddridge's masterpiece. It was written to be sung at the close of a Christmas sermon preached December 28, 1735. The text of the sermon, and of the hymn as well, is Luke iv. 18, 19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Its first appearance in print, so far as known, was in the Translations and Paraphrases of the Church of Scotland, published in 1745. It is also found in the author's Hymns, 1755. In the first mann Few hymns ever written have been sung script copy of the hymn (which is still preserved in the Rooker Collection) line one of the third stanza has "the thick" instead of "thickest," and line three has "the eye-balls of the blind" instead of "the eyes oppressed with night." In the fourth stanza, line two, the author wrote “bleed ing" instead of "wounded." The second and sixth stanzas of the original, omitted above, are: 2 On him the Spirit, largely poured, 6 His silver trumpets publish loud "The finest of all Doddridge's hymns," says Horder, "one of the noblest hymns ever written, alike as to style and substance. There is a mingling of boldness and tenderness, a suitability and melody in its style, that stamp it as a masterpiece." 109 HAR 8s, 7s. ARK! what mean those holy voices, Sweetly sounding through the skies? Lo! the angelic host rejoices; Heavenly hallelujahs rise. 2 Listen to the wondrous story, Which they chant in hymns of joy: "Glory in the highest, glory, Glory be to God most high! 3 Peace on earth, good will from heaven, Heaven and earth his praises sing; 5 Hasten, mortals, to adore him; Hark! what mean those holy voices, In verse four he wrote in line two, “Heaven and earth his glory sing;” and in line three: "Glad receive whom God appointed." Each stanza in the original was followed by a "Hallelujah." These changes were without doubt made by Dr. Thomas Cotterill for his Sheffield Collection, 1819. Lyra Britannica gives an additional stanza: Let us learn the wondrous story From angels bending near the earth 2 Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled, And still their heavenly music floats 3 Yet with the woes of sin and strife 4 And ye, beneath life's crushing load, O rest beside the weary road, 5 For lo! the days are hastening on When with the ever-circling years Second Adam from above, Reinstate us in thy love. 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 H. Sears. "Peace on Earth" is the title of this hymn, which first appeared in the Christian Register, of Boston, in December, 1850, though it had been sent to Dr. Morrison, the editor, a year before this, in December, 1849. "I was very much delighted with it," writes Dr. Morrison, "and before it came out in the Register I read it at a Christmas celebration of Dr. Lunt's Sunday school in Quincy. I always feel that, however poor my Christmas sermon may be, the reading and singing of this hymn are enough to make up HAR "Glory to the newborn King; 2 Christ, by highest heaven adored, Pleased as man with men to appear, 3 Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Born that man no more may die; Charles Wesley. Title: "Hymn for Christmas Day." It has ten stanzas in all, and is found in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739. The first couplet has been changed. Wesley wrote: Hark how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of kings. The change was made by the Rev. Martin Madan in 1760, and was adopted by John Wesley in some of his collections. At the session of the Joint Commission held at Plymouth, Mass., Bishop Hoss, in speaking of changes of text, made this striking remark: "The professional hymn tinker is an odious creature." That is true, yet some changes are for the better. Here is a case where the hymn-mender has improved Charles Wesley. The original of verse four, line five, is: "Adam's likeness, Lord, efface." Who is responsible for the weakening of that line is more than this writer can tell. This is the first and only hymn by Charles Wesley that was ever included in the English Book of Common Prayer. Of this hymn Dr. Julian says: This hymn is found in a greater number of hymn books, both old and new, than any other of C. Wesley's compositions; and amongst English hymns it is equaled in popularity only by Toplady's "Rock of Ages" and Bishop Ken's morning and evening hymns, and is excelled by none. 3 In the light of that star Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King! 4 We rejoice in the light, And we echo the song That comes down through the night Ay ! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring, 5 Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Mercy calls you, break your chains: Worship Christ, the newborn King. Title: "Christmas." Unaltered and entire. It was contributed to Thomas Cotterill's Selection, 1819. This cannot be called a hymn except by courtesy. It is a Christmas song, a dignified call to "worship Christ." A hymn And we greet in his cradle our Saviour and is "An ode or song of praise." (Web King! Josiah G. Holland. From the author's Complete Poetical Writings, New York, 1879, where it bears the title "A Christmas Carol." There are few things that have come from the pen of this gifted and versatile author that bear the marks of poetic genius in a higher degree than this bright and beautiful Christmas song. This is, we believe, the first use of this carol in any large Church hymnal. 113 A 8, 7s. 61. NGELS, from the realms of glory, Wing your flight o'er all the earth; Ye who sang creation's story, Now proclaim Messiah's birth: Come and worship, 2 Shepherds, in the field abiding, 3 Sages, leave your contemplations, Worship Christ, the newborn King. 4 Saints, before the altar bending, ster.) This poem is an exhortation to "angels," "shepherds," "sages," "saints," and "sinners" to come and worship Christ, "the newborn King." It may properly be called a spiritual song, a term of wide significance, a song very appropriate for the Christmas season. 114 BRIGH 11s, 10s. RIGHTEST 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. 2 Cold on his cradle the dewdrops are shining; Low lies his head with the beasts of the stall; Angels adore him, in slumber reclining, Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all. 3 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, and gold from the mine? 4 Vainly we offer each ample 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. 5 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. Reginald Heber. |