him he would turn to his companion, Melanchthon, and say: "Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm". and they would sing it in this characteristic version. In 1720 a remarkable revival began in a town in Moravia. Jesuits opposed it, and the meetings were prohibited. Those who still assembled were seized and imprisoned in stables and cellars. At David Nitschmann's house, where a hundred and fifty persons gathered, the police broke in and seized the books. Not dismayed, the congregation struck up the stanza of Luther's hymn, "And though this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us; We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us." Twenty heads of families were for this sent to jail, including Nitschmann, who was treated with special severity. He finally escaped, fled to the Moravians at Herrnhut, became a bishop, and afterwards joined the Wesleys in 1735 in their expedition to Savannah, Georgia. A Shelter in the Time of Storm Words by V. J. Charlesworth Music by Ira D. Sankey "The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide, A shelter in the time of storm." I found this hymn in a small paper published in London, called "The Postman." It was said to be a favorite song of the fishermen on the north coast of England, and they were often heard singing it as they approached their harbors in the time of storm. As the hymn was set to a weird minor tune, I decided to compose one that would be more practical, one that could be more easily sung by the people. A Sinner Forgiven Words by Jeremiah J. Callahan Music by I. B. Woodbury "To the hall of the feast came the sinful and fair; "Mr. F. Markham, connected with a large and well-known piano factory, was leading an ungodly and heedless life," says a London periodical. “One day he saw an announcement that Moody and Sankey were to open a mission at St. Pancras that evening. Instantly he resolved to go and hear the singing. He and a companion reached the hall in good time, as they thought, only to find it crowded to the doors. An overflow meeting was announced at a neighboring church, and thither they went. By and by Mr. Sankey sang "To the hall of the feast came the sinful and fair.' As Markham listened, his past life seemed to rise before him; the tears rushed into his eyes; his heart seemed broken. Coming out, he asked his companion what he thought of it. 'Oh,' was the careless reply, 'he is a nice singer.' 'Is that all? It has broken my heart.' Ere long he could say, in the words of the song, 'He looked on his lost one; my sins are forgiven.' When he got home his wife was amazed at what had come over him, and could not make out where he had been. She had been converted years before, but had backslidden. She accompanied him to the mission on the following evening, and was happily received. The man became a Christian worker, and is the founder and superintendent of the Tahhall Road Factory Lads' Home and Institution. Abide With Me Words by H. F. Lyte Music by William H. Monk "Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide, The darkness deepens-Lord, with me abide." One of the many instances of the power of this hymn has been recorded by Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler: "During my active pastorate I often got better sermons from my people than I ever gave them. I recall now a most touching and sublime scene that I once witnessed in the death-chamber of a noble woman who had suffered for many months from an excruciating malady. The end was drawing near. She seemed to be catching a foregleam of the glory that awaited her. With tremulous tones she began to recite Henry Lyte's matchless hymn,' Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide.' One line after another was feebly repeated, until, with a rapturous sweetness, she exclaimed: 'Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes, Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; "As I came away from that room, which had been as the vestibule of heaven, I understood how the 'light of eventide ' could be only a flashing forth of the over whelming glory that plays forever around the throne of God." Henry Francis Lyte wrote this hymn in 1847, in his fifty-fourth year, when he felt the eventide of life approaching. For twenty years he had ministered to a lowly congregation in Devonshire. He decided to spend the next winter in Italy, on account of rapidly declining health. On a Sunday in September—in weakness, and against the advice of his friends-he preached a farewell sermon to his much-loved people, and in the evening of the same day he wrote this immortal hymn. He died a few weeks later, his last words being "Peace, joy!" All to Christ I Owe Words by Mrs. Elvina M. Hall Music by John T. Grape "I hear the Saviour say, Thy strength indeed is small." "Our church was undergoing some alterations," writes Mr. Grape, "and the cabinet organ was placed in my care. Thus afforded a pleasure not before enjoyed, I delighted myself in playing over our Sundayschool hymns. I determined to give tangible shape to a theme that had been running in my mind for some time to write, if possible, an answer to Mr. Bradbury's beautiful piece, 'Jesus paid it all.' I made it a matter of prayer and study, and gave to the public the music, now known as the tune to 'All to Christ I owe.' It was pronounced very poor by my choir and my friends, but my dear wife persistently declared that it was a good piece of music and would live. Time has proved the correctness of her judgment. Soon after the Rev. Mr. Schrick called on me to select anything new in music that I had to offer. On hearing this piece he expressed his pleasure with it, and stated that Mrs. Elvina M. Hall had written some words which he thought would just suit the music. I gave him a copy of it, and it was soon sung in several churches and well received. At the suggestion of friends, I sent a copy to Professor Theodore Perkins, and it was published in ‘Sabbath Chords.' Under the providence of God, it has been going ever since. I trust that it has not failed in the accomplishment of some good to my fellow-men, for the glory of God." On New Year's night, 1886, some missionaries were holding open-air services in order to attract passers-by to a near-by mission, where meetings were to be held later. "All to Christ I owe" was sung, and after a gentleman had given a short address he hastened away to the mission. He soon heard footsteps close behind him and a young woman caught up with him and said: "I heard you addressing the open-air meeting just now; do you think, sir, that Jesus could save a sinner like me?" The gentleman replied that there was no doubt about that, if she was anxious to be saved. She told him that she was a servant girl, and had left her place that morning after a disagreement with her mistress. As she had been wandering about the streets in the |