BOOK I Hymns for Worship and Praise (continued 5)

The hymn voices the aspirations of multitudes of Christians. In time of sorrow and death it points to the life beyond as the true goal of all our earthly striving.

For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.

MUSIC. NEARER HOME, also called “Montgomery,” was composed for this hymn and was published in The Choral Advocate, 1852. The composer, Isaac Baker Woodbury, 1819-58, was an American singer, teacher of music, composer of hymn tunes and sacred songs, and editor of Musical Review. His career was cut short by his death at the early age of thirty-nine.

262. Jerusalem the golden

Bernard of Cluny, 12th century

Tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66

“And the city was pure gold” Rev. 21:21.

This hymn is from a Latin manuscript of 3,000 lines entitled “De Contemptu Mundi” (On Contempt of the World), written by Bernard of Cluny while he was a monk at the famous monastery of Cluny, France, c. 1145. Practically nothing is known of him except his authorship 161 of this poem. Two other hymns, “Brief life is here our portion,” and “For thee, O dear, dear country,” not in the Hymnary, are taken from the same poem. The original was not written as a hymn at all but as a “bitter satire on the fearful corruption of the age,” especially of the Church of Rome, in contrast to which the author paints the joys of the new Jerusalem. The author employed throughout the unusually difficult meter known as “dactylic hexameter with tailed rhymes,” of which Bernard himself says: “Unless the Spirit of wisdom and understanding had flowed in upon me, I could not have put together so long a work in so difficult a meter.” The reading of the Latin stanzas best reveal the rhythm and music of the original:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

For comments on the translator, John M. Neale, see Hymn 67.

MUSIC. EWING, composed for “For thee, O dear, dear country” (see above), was originally in triple time and named, “St. Bedes.” In Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861, it was set to the present words and the tune changed to common time without the consent of the composer. Ewing disliked the change and expressed himself thus: “In my opinion the alteration of the rhythm has very much vulgarized my little tune. It now seems to be a good deal like a polka. I hate to hear it.” In spite of the composer’s opinion, the tune is generally accepted in its revised form and considered preferable to the original.

Alexander Ewing, 1830-95, of Aberdeen, Scotland, was a skilled musician. One evening after choir practice, he modestly introduced what he called his first effort at writing a hymn tune, offering copies of the voice parts, and asking the choir to sing it over. This was done, the choir liked it, and the tune EWING was launched on its long and popular career.

162

263. Jerusalem the golden

Bernard of Cluny, 12th century

Tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66

For comments on this hymn see No. 262.

MUSIC. URBS BEATA (The City Beautiful) was composed in 1887 for these words. The composer found words for the refrain by repeating lines 1, 6, 7, and 8 of the first stanza. It makes a first-rate choir number. To keep up the proper tempo it should be sung with two beats to the measure. When the tune is used for congregational singing, the high notes in the refrain are intended to be sung by the sopranos in the choir.

The composer, George LeJeune, 1842-1904, was the son of a well-known musical family in London. He began his musical career in Canada; later he studied with Joseph Barnby. His great work was done as church organist and organ recitalist at St. John’s Chapel of Trinity Parish, New York City, where he served 28 years.

264. One sweetly solemn thought

Phoebe Cary, 1824-71

A poem in contemplation of heaven, written in 1852, entitled, “Nearer Home,” with no thought of its being used as a hymn. In fact its original irregular rhythm hardly permitted it to be sung. The words have been changed to fit the short-meter tune, and have become popular as a hymn. Upon reading the story of how the hymn was instrumental in the conversion of two gamblers in China, who, after betting and drinking and card playing, decided upon a change of life and consecrated themselves to Christian work, Miss Cary wrote to a friend:

I enclose the hymn and story for you, not because I am vain of the notice, but because I thought you would feel a peculiar interest in them when you knew the hymn was written eighteen years ago (1852) in your house. I composed it in the little, back, third-story bedroom on Sunday morning after coming from church, and it makes me happy to think that any word I could say has done a little good in the world.

Phoebe Cary was born on a farm near Cincinnati, Ohio. Her early days were a struggle with hardship and poverty. “I have cried in the street because I was poor,” she wrote in her later and more prosperous years, “and the poor always seem nearer to me than the rich.” With her sister Alice Carey, she published a small volume of verse in 1849, then the two moved to New York City where they became quiet but influential leaders in literary society. Their friendship with Whittier was a noted factor in the lives of the Carey sisters. Phoebe was a member of the Church of the Pilgrims in New York, and later attended the Church of the Stranger in the same city.

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MUSIC. DULCE DOMUM is an arrangement from the composer’s popular song, “One sweetly solemn song,” later published as an anthem.

Robert Steele Ambrose, 1824-1908, born in England, came with his parents to Canada in his first year. He prepared himself for the musical profession and became organist successively in churches in Guelph, Kingston, and Hamilton, Ontario. He is known best by the above-mentioned song.

265. Sunset and evening star

Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92

A song of immortality, written in ten minutes in the author’s eighty-first year. It is always printed at the end of Tennyson’s poems. Tennyson once said: “I can hardly understand how any great, imaginative man, who has lived, suffered, thought and wrought, can doubt of the soul’s continuous progress in the after life.”

The poem was written on an October day in 1889, as the poet was crossing from Aldworth to Farringford. Tennyson’s son wrote in his Memoir of his father, concerning its origin:

Before he reached Farringford he had the moaning of the bar in his mind, and after dinner he showed me this poem written out. I said: “That is the crown of your life’s work.” He answered: “It came in a moment.” He explained the “Pilot” as “that Divine and Unseen who is always guiding us.” A few days before my father’s death, in 1892, he said to me: “Mind you put ‘Crossing the Bar,’ at the end of all editions of my poems.” My father considered Edmund Lushington’s translation into Greek of “Crossing the Bar” one of the finest translations he had ever read.

MUSIC. CROSSING THE BAR was composed for these words. The tune, in the nature of an unaccompanied quartet anthem, may be sung with freedom in regard to time and shading.

For comments on the composer, Joseph Barnby, see Hymn 21.

266. Blest be the everlasting God

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

A paraphrase of I Peter 1:3-5.

The original by Watts was published in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707, from which it was taken over unchanged into the Scottish Paraphrases of 1745 and of 1751. In the final 1781 edition, the third stanza was omitted and the fourth altered from

The improvements are attributed to William Cameron, 1751-1811, 164 who, as a young licentiate, was entrusted with the final revision of the Scottish Paraphrases.

For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.

MUSIC. ST. STEPHEN (ABRIDGE) is described by Archibald Jacob as a “beautifully fluent and graceful melody ... in the best 18th-century style of this class of tune.” It appeared originally in A Collection of Psalm Tunes in Three Parts ... by Isaac Smith, c. 1770, under the name ABRIDGE, by which it continues to be known in England. In Sacred Harmony for Use in St. George’s, Edinburgh, 1820, it appeared under the name ST. STEPHEN, with slight modification of the last line.

Isaac Smith, c. 1725-c. 1800, was a London linen-draper with a taste for music. He composed and published a number of Psalm-tunes which long remained popular, though ABRIDGE is almost the only one now left of his compositions. Smith named his tunes after localities in and about London. ABRIDGE was the name of a small village near Epping Forest, in Essex.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

267. Forward through the ages

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

A hymn expressing the unity of God’s people in their labor for the Kingdom through the ages. “The goodly fellowship of the prophets” is set forth here with power and poetic beauty.

For comments on Frederick L. Hosmer see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. ONWARD, with its strong rhythm and moving power, lends itself well for processional use, resembling in this respect the tune “St. Gertrude” (225), for which the present hymn was written.

No information is at hand concerning the composer, J. W. Barrington.

268. Thy Kingdom come, on bended knee

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

One of the few hymns written on the petition, “Thy Kingdom come,” in the Lord’s Prayer. Canon Percy Dearmer speaks of this as “one of the noblest hymns in the language.” It is a fervent prayer for the day when there shall be more justice, knowledge, peace, and righteousness on the earth.

The hymn was written June 21, 1891, for the commencement of the Meadville Theological School, Pennsylvania.

For comments on Frederick L. Hosmer see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. IRISH, also called “Dublin,” appeared first in 165 Hymns and Sacred Poems, published in Dublin in 1749. The composer is not known. It is a smooth, triple-time tune which young people love to sing. Its name is misleading, for there is no indication of an Irish origin other than, as stated, its appearance in a book published in Dublin.

269. Come, Kingdom of our God

John Johns, 1801-47

A prayer for the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth, based on the petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.”

Rev. John Johns, English Presbyterian minister, was known for many years in Liverpool as the “minister to the poor.” He was a man of fine poetic gifts and published several volumes of poetry but is remembered for his life of service among the poor.

MUSIC. ST. THOMAS is one of the oldest and best tunes of the church. It has good rhythm, graceful form, and a strong forward movement to give it unusual singing merit.

The composer, Aaron Williams, of Welsh descent, was born in London in 1731, and died there in 1776. He was composer, engineer, publisher, music teacher, and clerk of the Scotch Church, London Wall. He published a number of important collections of tunes: The Universal Psalmodist, 1763, and New Universal Psalmodist, 1770, in which the above tune appeared.

270. Thy Kingdom come, O Lord

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

Another hymn on the petition, “Thy Kingdom come,” in the Lord’s Prayer, setting forth its coming in relation to the unity of nations. Compare Hosmer’s other hymn on the Kingdom (268) where the emphasis is on righteousness and justice. This is an appropriate hymn for use in gatherings concerned with Christian unity and world friendship.

For comments on Frederick L. Hosmer see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. INVITATION. For comments on the composer of this tune see Hymn 112.

271. Thy Kingdom come, O God

Lewis Hensley, 1824-1905

Another of the few hymns that have been written on the petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come.” See Hymns 268, 269, 270.

Lewis Hensley had a distinguished career at Trinity College, Cambridge, England, as student and then six years as fellow and tutor. He became a minister in the Church of England and for a time was Rural Dean.

166

MUSIC. ST. CECILIA was composed for Dr. Bonar’s hymn, “Thy way, not mine, O Lord” (252), appearing with these words in The Merton Tune Book, Oxford, 1863.

The composer, Rev. Leighton George Hayne, 1836-83, was educated at Oxford, took holy orders in 1861, was appointed conductor of the chorus of the University and public examiner in the School of Music, and then served for a time as organist of Eton College. The last 12 years of his life were spent as minister in various churches. He wrote many hymn tunes and edited, with Rev. H. W. Sargeant, The Merton Tune Book.

272. Before Jehovah’s awful throne

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

A paraphrase of Psalm 100, revised by John Wesley.

The original text by Watts began:

Wesley, considering this an unpromising initial stanza, omitted it, and changed the second stanza, lines 1 and 2, from

to

Wesley severely condemned the practice of changing another’s hymns, but in this case his own “transgression” resulted in a greatly improved hymn.

The word “awful” in the first line is spelled “awe-full” in some hymnals in order to convey more nearly its original meaning.

For comments on Isaac Watts, see Hymn 11.

MUSIC. PARK STREET was composed by Frederick M. A. Venua, 1788-1872, an eminent French organist, a native of Paris. It is a favorite tune in America where it is invariably associated with this hymn by Watts.

THE CHURCH

273. The Church’s one foundation

Samuel J. Stone, 1839-1900

A truly great hymn, honoring the church of Christ and longing for its prosperity. The author, then a young curate of 27 years in the 167 Church of England, was so stirred by the attacks made on the church in his time that he determined to write a series of twelve hymns on the Apostles’ Creed. This one is based on the article, “I believe in the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints.” The controversy which then raged in England concerning the nature of the inspiration of the Scriptures is reflected in the third stanza, the author leaning strongly on the conservative side.

Samuel J. Stone was a clergyman of the Church of England, born in Staffordshire, and educated at Oxford. He served various churches, finally succeeding his father at St. Paul’s, Haggerston, London. For twenty years he had a fruitful ministry in this East End parish among the poor and depraved, before moving to another part of the city to another church. He is the author of many hymns and translations and published several volumes of poetry.

MUSIC. AURELIA (signifying “golden”) one of our most stately tunes, combining ease of singing with churchly dignity, was written for the hymn, “Jerusalem the golden” (262). It was set to the present hymn in Hymns Ancient and Modern and did much to carry the hymn into the churches. It has become one of the great processional hymns of the church.

Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1810-76, grandson of Charles Wesley, was like his father, Samuel Wesley, a great English composer and organist. He had a consuming love of the outdoors, as well as of music, and was passionately fond of fishing. He was outspoken in his demands for reform in the music of the church and was, consequently, frequently at odds with his superiors. Wesley received inadequate recognition for the contributions he made to the music of his time.

274. Glorious things of thee are spoken

John Newton, 1725-1807

Based on Psalm 87:3: “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God,” and other passages, especially Isaiah 33:20, 21, and Exodus 13:22.

It is one of our best hymns on the Church and, says Julian, “It ranks with the first hymns in the language.” In ordinary use the omission of the third stanza is desirable. Augustine Smith suggests in Lyric Religion that “the last score should always be repeated, the second time sung broader and fuller, building into a superb climax.”

John Newton is remembered among the hymn writers because of the radical change that took place in his life at conversion. Born in London, his only schooling was from his eighth to his tenth year. He went to sea at eleven, his godly mother following the profligate youth with her prayers. As a midshipman in the navy he deserted his post, was captured, and reduced to a common seaman, and later became a 168 servant of a slave dealer in Africa. He was converted at 23 after an awful night steering a water-logged ship in the face of death. Though converted, he retained certain blind spots in his social outlook and he continued as a slave dealer. This hymn was written when he was on a voyage from Sierra Leone, Africa, with a load of slaves shackled closely together and being taken to London or America to be sold. “I have never had such sweet communion with Jesus as I had on that voyage,” he wrote. This may seem like hypocrisy, but it must be remembered that slavery was a common practice and that only a few people of the time understood clearly its complete denial of the spirit of Christ. It may be that future generations will see in our times evils that flourished unchallenged while we prayed and sang according to the light we had. In 1750, Newton married Mary Catlett, a noble and pious woman, and a godsend in his life. In 1755, he settled down as customs officer in Liverpool, becoming at the same time greatly interested in Wesley and Whitefield and other evangelical leaders. Three years later he became a minister in the Church of England, and in 1764, he began a distinguished career as curate at Olney, where he was associated with his friend, William Cowper, the poet. The two were joint authors of the Olney Hymns, 1779. After sixteen years in Olney, he moved to London where for 28 years he did faithful and successful work as rector of St. Mary Woolnoth. He wrote his own epitaph which is found on a plain marble tablet near the vestry door of his church in London:

John Newton, Clerk Once an Infidel and Libertine, A servant of slaves in Africa, Was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Preserved, restored, and pardoned, And appointed to preach the Faith He had long labored to destroy, Near 16 years at Olney in Bucks And ... years in this church On Feb. 1, 1750, he married Mary, Daughter of the late George Catlett Of Catham, Kent. He resigned her to the Lord who gave her On 15th of December, 1790

MUSIC. AUSTRIAN HYMN is founded on a Croatian melody. It was used in Germany as the tune of “Deutschland über alles.” Joseph Haydn, 1732-1809, made a setting of it to be sung at the Emperor’s birthday, Feb. 12, 1797, to the words, “Gott erhalte Franz der Kaiser.” 169 The tune was a great favorite of Haydn and he used it as a theme in one of the movements in his famous “Emperor Quartet,” No. 76.

For comments on Franz Joseph Haydn, see Hymn 27.

275. I love Thy Kingdom, Lord

Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817

Based on Psalm 137:5, 6: “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.” It is rated high among all the hymns on the church and is probably the earliest American hymn in use today.

Timothy Dwight, the great president of Yale, was the grandson of Jonathan Edwards and shared in a large measure the intellectual brilliance of the Edwards family. A precocious youth, he entered Yale College at 13 and graduated at 17. An outstanding personality of his time, he was honored for his sound scholarship, elected a member of the Massachusetts legislature, and served as minister of the Congregational Church at Greenfield, Conn. From 1795 until his death in 1817, he was President of Yale, simultaneously holding the Chair of Theology. His presence at Yale changed the whole moral and religious attitude of the campus, there having been only four or five professed Christians at the college, according to Prof. W. W. Sweet, when he became president. At the request of the General Association of Congregational Churches in Connecticut and with the concurrence of the Presbyterian General Assembly, he revised The Psalms of David, by I. Watts, a work which was used in the Presbyterian and Congregational Churches of Connecticut for over 30 years.

Dwight did a prodigious amount of work in spite of a serious physical handicap. His eyesight, for the greater part of forty years, was so poor that his reading was done only with the greatest of difficulty and with frequent and agonizing pain behind the eyeballs.

MUSIC. STATE STREET. For comments on this tune see Hymn 246.

276. O where are kings and empires now

Arthur C. Coxe, 1818-96

From a larger poem by Coxe, entitled “Chelsea,” containing ten stanzas of eight lines each. It is a hymn of confidence that the church, built on a solid foundation, will survive all earthly kings and empires and will be able to withstand every earthly foe.

Arthur Cleveland Coxe was born at Clifton Springs, N. Y.; graduated from the University of New York and General Theological Seminary; and then became the rector successively of St. John’s Church, Hartford, Conn.; Grace Church, Baltimore; and Calvary Church, New 170 York City. In 1865, he was elected Bishop of Western New York. He was a member of the Hymnal Commission for the Protestant Episcopal Church, which compiled the Hymnal of 1872, but refused, out of modesty, permission to include in that work any of his own hymns.

MUSIC. ST. ANNE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 61.

277. Christ is made the sure foundation

Latin, 6th or 7th century

Tr. John M. Neale, 1818-66

From Part II of an ancient Latin hymn of the 6th or 7th century beginning: “Urbs beata Hierusalem.” The author is not known. The first verse reflects Ephesians 2:20-21: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.”

The hymn is often used at the dedication of churches, stanzas 3 and 4 being especially appropriate for that purpose.

Dr. Neale’s translation of the hymn, in nine stanzas, appeared in his Medieval Hymns, 1851. Our hymn is a selection of stanzas 5, 6, 7, and 8, of his translation, with some changes in the words. The Latin of our first three stanzas is as follows:

For comments on John M. Neale see Hymn 67.

MUSIC. REGENT SQUARE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 81.

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THE HOUSE OF GOD

278. Lord of our life, and God of our salvation

Philip Pusey, 1799-1855

Based on Matthäus von Löwenstern, 1594-1648

One of the “songs of the night,” the original of which was written out of the bitter experiences of the Thirty Years’ War in Germany. It tells of the peril to which the Reformed Church was then exposed but expresses confidence that the church, founded upon the Rock, will prevail against evil.

Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, son of a saddler, had musical and business ability which won him recognition and employment by the Duke of Münsterberg and the Emperors Ferdinand II and his son Ferdinand III. He wrote about 30 hymns and set them to melodies of his own composition. His hymn, named “Sapphic Ode. For Spiritual and Temporal Peace,” in 1644, is as follows:

The English version by Pusey is not a translation of the German but rather a free paraphrase. Philip Pusey, brother of Edward Pusey, the famous leader in the Oxford Movement, was educated at Oxford. After graduating he settled on his estate and devoted himself largely to agriculture. He wrote extensively on agricultural subjects and was one of the founders of the Royal Agriculture Society. Later he became a member of Parliament. He wrote this hymn to portray the state of the Church of England at the time, which he described as being “assailed from without, enfeebled and detracted from within, but on the eve of a great awakening.”

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MUSIC. INTEGER VITAE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 59.

279. Dear Shepherd of Thy people

John Newton, 1725-1807

A hymn composed for a prayer meeting.

John Newton and William Cowper, the English poet, instituted prayer meetings at Olney where the two labored together in a famous ministry, Newton as minister of the church, and Cowper as his voluntary assistant. The prayer meetings were attended in such large numbers that it became necessary to move the services into a large room. For the first meeting in this new room, each of the men prepared a special hymn, the one by Newton being our hymn, with his first, third, and seventh stanzas omitted.

For further comments on John Newton see Hymn 274.

MUSIC. DURHAM appeared in Ravenscroft’s Psalter, 1621, set to Psalms 28 and 76, and marked as a “Northern Tune.” The Scottish Psalter of 1635 includes it among the Common Tunes.

280. Again, as evening’s shadow falls

Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92

“Vesper Hymn” is the title which this hymn bears in the author’s volume, Vespers, 1859, a small book of songs prepared for use in evening services. In a letter dated Feb. 11, 1890, Longfellow wrote, “My two favorites among my hymns are the vesper hymn, ‘Again, as evening’s shadow falls,’ and the one beginning, ‘I look to Thee in every need’” (244).

For comments on Samuel Longfellow see Hymn 28.

MUSIC. GERMANY. For comments on this tune see Hymn 222.

281. We love the place, O God

William Bullock, 1798-1874

Henry W. Baker, 1821-77

Based on Psalm 26:8: “Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth.” The hymn was written by William Bullock, then a young sailor-missionary, for the dedication of a mission chapel at Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, in 1827. Seventy years later, when a new church located on the same site was dedicated, this hymn as revised by H. W. Baker, was once more sung. The sermon preached by Bullock at the opening of the chapel was read to the people.

Wm. Bullock was educated at Christ’s Hospital and then entered the 173 Royal Navy. While on a survey of the coast of Newfoundland, he decided to devote himself to missionary work in that colony. He did this and served 32 years under the Society for Propagating the Gospel. He became Dean of Nova Scotia at Halifax. In 1854, he published Songs of the Church which, he said, were “written amid the various scenes of missionary life, and are intended for the private and domestic use of Christians in new countries deprived of all public worship.”

For comments on Henry W. Baker, reviser of the hymn see Hymn 143.

MUSIC. QUAM DILECTA was composed for this hymn in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861.

The composer, Henry L. Jenner, 1820-98, was a curate in the Anglican Church. After serving various churches in England, he was consecrated first Bishop of Dunedin, New Zealand, 1866. He was one of the Cambridge group which revived interest in ecclesiology, ancient hymnology, plainsong, etc.

282. Unto Thy temple, Lord, we come

Robert Collyer, 1823-1912

A hymn describing the church as the home of “rich and poor, bond and free, great and small.” It is suitable for the general worship service and especially for the dedication of a church.

Information concerning the author, Robert Collyer, has not been traced. Julian’s Dictionary notes a William Collyer, 1782-1854, eminent English evangelical preacher who was ordained for a small church of ten communicant members. He is described as a man of “amiable disposition, polished manners, Christian courtesy, and popular with rich and poor alike; who labored in the church with great success and honor until his death.” He wrote numerous hymns. Was our hymn written by a son brought up with his father’s noble conception of the church?

MUSIC. MENDON. For comments on this tune see Hymn 211.

THE LORD’S DAY

283. The dawn of God’s dear Sabbath

Ada Cross, 1844-?

A hymn on the Sabbath, picturing the day as a time when weary souls may turn from daily toil to refresh themselves with the water of life drawn from the wells of salvation.

Ada Cross was born in England, November 21, 1844, the daughter of Henry Cambridge. She married an Australian, the Rev. George F. Cross, and spent most of her life in Australia where her husband was minister of the Anglican Church in Coleraine, Victoria. She was interested 174 in the liturgy of the Church and issued several collections of hymns.

MUSIC. ENDSLEIGH is credited to Salvatore Ferretti, 1817-74, concerning whom no information has been traced. The arrangement was made by James Turle, 1802-82, an English teacher of music, a distinguished organist, and composer of hymn tunes, chants, and anthems. For sixty-three years he was connected with Westminster Abbey in London. He was endowed, it is said, with unusually large hands so that he could easily span an octave and a half with one hand. His sole musical interest was in serving the church.

284. Safely through another week

John Newton, 1725-1807

This hymn was composed by Newton for use on Saturday evening. To give it wider usefulness, the verses were slightly changed to make them suitable for the Sunday morning service.

For comments on John Newton see Hymn 274.

MUSIC. SABBATH was written for this hymn in 1824.

For comments on the composer, Lowell Mason, see Hymn 12.

285. O day of rest and gladness

Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-85

A hymn which serves to keep vividly before us the meaning and value of the Lord’s Day. It appears as the opening hymn in the author’s The Holy Year, 1862, where it is entitled “Sunday.” It is based on Psalm 118:24: “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

For comments on Christopher Wordsworth see Hymn 174.

MUSIC. MENDEBRAS was written for this hymn in 1839. It is an arrangement by Lowell Mason of a German folk song.

For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12.

286. Again returns the day of holy rest

William Mason, 1725-97

The author of this Lord’s Day hymn was the Rev. William Mason, an English Episcopalian, born at Kingston-on-Hull. He graduated with honors from St. John’s College, Cambridge; received ordination, served as one of the chaplains of King George III, and at the time of death he had been for 32 years the Precentor and Canon of York. A man of high literary attainments, and a friend of Thomas Gray, he edited that poet’s works in 1775 and later wrote the memoirs of Gray. The latter was done in the gossiping style, imitated later by Boswell when he wrote the Life of Samuel Johnson. Mason wrote four volumes of poetry and won recognition from Johnson as one of the British poets.

175

The present hymn, by which the author is best remembered, is found at the end of Volume I of the Works of William Mason, M. A., Precentor of York and Rector of Aston, 1811.

Our author is not to be confused with his contemporary of the same name, 1719-91, who succeeded Toplady in the editorship of The Gospel Magazine and who was also a minister and hymn writer.

MUSIC. ELLERS. For comments on this tune and its composer, Edward J. Hopkins, see Hymn 43.

287. This is the day of light

John Ellerton, 1826-93

A worshipful Sabbath day hymn, breathing the spirit of rest, light, and peace, written in 1867.

For comments on the author, John Ellerton, see Hymn 43.

MUSIC. FRANCONIA. For comments on this tune see Hymn 205.

288. Break Thou the bread of life

Mary A. Lathbury, 1841-1913

This gem, entitled, “Study Song,” was written for the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle and for Bible Study groups, but it also has a wider use. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan used this hymn every Sunday for many years immediately before the sermon. It is not a communion hymn although it is often used for that purpose. The breaking of bread refers to the feeding of the multitude beside the Sea of Galilee and not to the Last Supper; and the “bread of life” is the teaching of Jesus.

For comments on Mary Lathbury see Hymn 31.

MUSIC. BREAD OF LIFE is a popular American tune, sincere and simple in style, written for this hymn and indissolubly associated with it.

For comments on the composer, William F. Sherwin, see Hymn 31.

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

289. O Word of God Incarnate

W. W. How, 1823-97

A hymn addressed to Christ, the Word of God Incarnate, setting forth in a succession of beautiful figures—a lantern, the golden casket, a banner, a beam, chart and compass—the value of the written word, and the duty of the Church to carry the light of God’s word, both as incarnate and written, to the nations. It was written in 1867, headed by the text Prov. 6:23: “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” The author himself was a living witness to the power of the Word. His definition of a minister shows the high ideal he had of the preacher of the Word, and, incidentally, is an accurate description of his own life:

A man pure, holy, and spotless in his life; a man of much prayer; in character meek, lowly, and infinitely compassionate; 176 of tenderest love to all; full of sympathy for every pain and sorrow, and devoting his days and nights to lightening the burdens of humanity; utterly patient of insult and enmity; utterly fearless in speaking the truth and rebuking sin; ever ready to answer every call, to go wherever bidden in order to do good; wholly without thought of self; making himself the servant of all; patient, gentle, and untiring in dealing with the souls he would save; bearing with ignorance, wilfulness, slowness, cowardice in those of whom he expects most; sacrificing all, even life itself, if need be, to save some.

For further comments on W. W. How, see Hymn 144.

MUSIC. MUNICH, “one of the most beautiful and perfectly constructed of tunes,” is of German origin and is known in Germany as “Königsberg Choral.” It appeared first in Lobsingende Harffe, 1682. The composer is unknown. Mendelssohn used the tune as the basis for his fine chorale, “Cast thy burden on the Lord,” in his oratorio, Elijah.

290. Thy Word is like a garden, Lord

Edwin Hodder, 1837-1904

The metaphors used in this hymn to describe the Word of God are very suggestive: “a garden,” “a deep, deep mine,” “a starry host.”

Edwin Hodder was born in England but migrated at 19 years of age to New Zealand where he was one of a pioneer group of idealists who introduced progressive sociological ideas for which that country is noted. He returned to England where he was engaged in the civil service from 1861 until his retirement in 1897. Hodder wrote biographies and devotional works, and in 1863 issued The New Sunday School Hymn Book which contained twenty-seven of his own hymns, including this one.

MUSIC. FOREST GREEN is an arrangement of an English folk song called, “The Ploughboy’s Dream.” R. Vaughan Williams, 1872-, who arranged the tune is England’s leading living composer. He has collected and edited for publication many folksongs and carols, written several symphonies for the orchestra, and has composed numerous choral works.

Some good hymnals use this tune as the setting for Phillips Brooks’ popular Christmas carol, “O little town of Bethlehem.”

291. The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Here is an unusual rendering of Psalm 19, which Watts entitled, “The Books of Nature and of Scripture.” In the Psalm itself we find the Book of Nature in the first half and the Book of Scripture in the 177 second half of the psalm. Instead of following this order, Watts sets the one over in couplets against the other, so that the first two lines of each stanza have to do with nature, the last two with Scripture.

For comments on Isaac Watts, see Hymn 11.

MUSIC. UXBRIDGE. This tune is by the American composer and teacher of music, Lowell Mason. The psalm tune “Burford” (228) is also named “Uxbridge” in some books.

For comments on Mason see Hymn 12.

292. Lord, Thy word abideth

Henry W. Baker, 1821-77

A hymn on the Scriptures, written for Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861.

For comments on Henry W. Baker see Hymn 143.

MUSIC. RAVENSHAW is from Ein Neu Gesangbüchlein, 1531, the earliest German hymn book of the Bohemian Brethren, edited by Michael Weisse. The melody is older and was associated with a Latin hymn, Ave Hierarchia, coelestis et pia. The present arrangement is by William H. Monk. For comments on Monk see Hymn 40.

For a note on the Bohemian Brethren and Michael Weisse see Hymn 544.

THE MINISTRY

293. Shine Thou upon us, Lord

John Ellerton, 1826-93

A hymn for teachers.

For comments on John Ellerton, see Hymn 42.

MUSIC. BROUGHTON. For comments on the composer of this melody, Thomas Hastings, see Hymn 120.

294. O still in accents sweet and strong

Samuel Longfellow, 1819-92

The author’s title of this hymn is, “Behold the Fields are White.”

For comments on Samuel Longfellow see Hymn 28.

MUSIC. BELMONT. For comments on this tune see Hymn 197.

295. Pour out Thy Spirit from on high

James Montgomery, 1771-1854

Written in 1833 for the Rev. J. Birchell, clergyman in the Church of England, who published it in his Selection of Hymns. It was printed in the same year in Edward Bickersteth’s Christian Psalmody. For comments on Bickersteth see Hymn 256. The hymn’s original title was, 178 “For a Meeting of Clergy.” It is not intended to be sung by a body of people as a prayer for ministers but as a prayer hymn to be sung by ministers themselves.

For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.

MUSIC. MELCOMBE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 22.

296. Lord, speak to me, that I may speak

Frances R. Havergal, 1836-79

“A Worker’s Prayer” is Miss Havergal’s title of this hymn and the text associated with it is Rom. 14:7: “None of us liveth to himself and no one dieth to himself.” It was composed April 28, 1872, at Winterdyne.

For comments on Frances Havergal see Hymn 126.

MUSIC. CANONBURY, a favorite tune found in nearly all hymn books, is from Robert Schumann’s Nachtstücke, Op. 23.

Robert Schumann, 1810-56, greatest of the early German Romantics, was born in Zwickau, Saxony. He wrote symphonies and chamber music but is known best for his amazingly fine piano works and songs. His wife, Clara Wieck Schumann, one of the greatest piano players the world has produced, was devoted to him, as were also his children. Schumann became mentally ill, attempted unsuccessfully to drown himself in the Rhine, and was cared for in a hospital for two years before his death. He had a gift for journalism and wrote books and magazine articles on music.

297. Thou who Thyself didst sanctify

George Rawson, 1807-89

An appropriate hymn for use in ordination to the Christian ministry or dedication to other forms of Christian service.

George Rawson, an English Congregational layman, was born at Leeds where he practiced law many years. He had a considerable knowledge of music and was a gifted hymn writer. He rendered valuable assistance to his own denomination as well as to the Baptists in the preparation of hymn books for use in the church. A shy, retiring man, of sincere piety, he at first published his hymns, a considerable collection, anonymously, but later had to acknowledge his identity. About 50 of his hymns are still in use.

(The name is misspelled “Dawson” in the Hymnary.)

MUSIC. DUNDEE (or FRENCH) is one of the twelve Common Tunes appearing in the Scottish Psalter, The CL Psalms of David, &, Edinburgh, 1615, where it is named “French Tune.” Its first appearance in an English Psalter is in Ravencroft’s Whole Book of Psalms, 1621, where it is called “Dundy.” It is one of the best known of the psalm tunes 179 and its smooth, flowing melody has enjoyed great popularity.

For comments on the Scottish Psalter see Hymn 575.

CONSECRATION OF CHILDREN

298. Gracious Savior, gentle Shepherd

Jane Eliza Leeson, 1807-1882

John Keble, 1792-1866

A hymn for the children’s consecration service, evolved by John Keble from three hymns—“Shepherd in thy bosom, folded,” “Loving Shepherd of Thy sheep” (429), and “Infant sorrow, infant weakness,” written by Jane Eliza Leeson. Keble took the main ideas of these hymns and rewrote them into a hymn of five stanzas, two of which are omitted here.

Jane Eliza Leeson was born in London and died there. She had rare gifts in writing for children, and published several books of hymns—Infant Hymnings, and Hymns and Scenes of Childhood—specially for children. Very little is known of her life, except that she was a prominent figure in the Catholic Apostolic Church and that some of her hymns were supposedly “prophetical utterances,” prompted by the Holy Spirit, at public services, which she “delivered slowly with short pauses between the verses.” Late in life she united with the Roman Catholic Church.

For comments on John Keble, see Hymn 22.

MUSIC. MANNHEIM is from the source mentioned in the note on Hymn 174. The present form of the melody is much altered from the original.

299. All hidden lie the future ways

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

A lyrical phrasing of the emotions that arise in the hearts of parents as they contemplate the faring forth of little children into the hidden future.

For comments on the author, Frederick L. Hosmer, see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. NUN SICH DER TAG GEENDET HAT is a tune set to various hymns in the Gesangbuch mit Noten.

For comments on the composer, Aaron Williams, see Hymn 269.

300. A little child the Savior came

William Robertson, 1820-64

A Scotch Presbyterian minister, William Robertson, contributed this hymn to the Church of Scotland’s Hymns for Public Worship in 1861. The author, keenly interested in hymnody and Scotch psalmody, was 180 a member of the Hymnal Committee of the Church of Scotland in 1851, 1853, and 1857.

MUSIC. ALSTONE was composed by C. E. Willing, 1830-1904, for the children’s hymn, “We are but little children weak,” in Hymns Ancient and Modern, Appendix, 1868. Willing was chorister of Westminster Abbey and held various responsible positions as organist and choral conductor in England.

BAPTISM

301. Come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

The original poem of six stanzas is from Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1749, where it was entitled, “At the Baptism of Adults.”

Wesley’s second line of the first stanza read

which was changed to “ordained by Thee” for the Collection of 1780. The awkward expression, “Effectuate now the sacred sign,” Wesley’s second line of stanza 3, was changed to “Effectual make the sacred sign,” by the editors of the hymn book in 1849.

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. SO LANGE JESUS BLEIBT DER HERR is a familiar melody, of unknown origin, from the Gesangbuch mit Noten.

302. I’m not ashamed to own my Lord

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

This hymn is based on II Timothy 1:8-12.

James Moffatt writes that when Henry Drummond was on his death bed, Nov. 7, 1897, his friend, Dr. Hugh Barbour, played several hymn tunes to him without gaining any response. Then he tried the Old Scots melody of “Martyrdom” to which Drummond beat time with his hand and joined in the words, “I’m not ashamed to own my Lord.” When the hymn was done, he said, “There’s nothing to beat that, Hugh.”

For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.

MUSIC. DEDHAM. The tune is attributed to William Gardiner, 1770-1853, an Englishman of whom nothing much of importance is known except that he published Sacred Melodies in 1812, a collection of excellent tunes, which was expanded to six volumes published in 1815.

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THE LORD’S SUPPER

303. Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face

Horatius Bonar, 1808-89

Entitled by the author, “This Do in Remembrance of Me.”

It is a famous communion hymn, emphasizing, in keeping with the Reformed tradition, the thought that Christ Himself presides at His Table. All His followers are therefore welcome.

Three members of the Bonar family became eminent ministers in the Free Church of Scotland (Presbyterian)—Andrew in Glasgow; John in Greenock; and Horatius in Edinburgh. Horatius was accustomed to visit his brother John once a year at the communion service. Hymns were still not permitted to be sung in the church, but an original poem was invariably read after the communion. This hymn was written by Horatius Bonar at the request of his brother John for the occasion of such a visit in October, 1855. It has become a widely used communion hymn in all churches.

For further comments on Horatius Bonar see Hymn 129.

MUSIC. LANGRAN, known in England as “St. Agnes,” is named after the composer, James Langran, 1835-1909, London organist and composer, who wrote this music for “Abide with me” (40). It was published separately in 1861 and two years later appeared in Psalms and Hymns adapted to the services of the Church of England, with accompanying tunes selected and revised by John Foster.

The hymn is also sung to “Ellers” (See 43 or 286).

304. Bread of the world, in mercy broken

Reginald Heber, 1783-1826

“A quiet communion hymn full of loveliness and warm reality of faith.”—Reeves.

This popular communion hymn by Bishop Heber was published posthumously with the title, “Before the Sacrifice.”

For comments on Reginald Heber see Hymn 1.

MUSIC. EUCHARISTIC HYMN, a tune “beautiful in its simplicity,” has always been associated with this hymn by Heber. The composer, John Sebastian Bach Hodges, 1830-1915, son of the illustrious organist, Edward Hodges, was born in Bristol, England, but came to America when eight years old. He received his education at Columbia University and General Theological Seminary, New York City, and became a noted minister in the Protestant Episcopal Church. He had excellent musical knowledge and founded in Baltimore the earliest choir school in the United States. He also did much work on the various revisions of the Episcopal hymnal.

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305. According to Thy gracious word

James Montgomery, 1771-1854

One of the best-loved and most useful of communion hymns, profound, yet simple. It appeared first in Montgomery’s Christian Psalmist, 1825, and has since passed into the hymn books of all denominations of evangelical Christians. The words of Luke 22:19 furnish the scriptural basis of the hymn: “This do in remembrance of me.”

For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.

MUSIC. ST. JOHN, more properly called “St. John’s, Westminster,” was composed by James Turle, 1802-82.

For comments on James Turle see Hymn 283.

306. Bread of the world, in mercy broken

Reginald Heber, 1783-1826

The Church Hymnary, London, 1927, has the following practical note at the bottom of the page where this hymn appears:

As this hymn consists of one verse only, it is suggested that it be sung twice over: once by the choir alone, and again by choir and people in unison. It may also be used as a short motet for unaccompanied singing by the choir.

For further comments on this hymn see No. 304.

MUSIC. RENDEZ À DIEU was composed or adapted by L. Bourgeois for the French Genevan Psalter, where it was set to Psalm 118. In the Scottish Psalter of 1564, the tune was again used to John Craig’s version of the same Psalm. It is described in Songs of Praise Discussed as being “in some ways the finest of all the early psalm tunes ... perfectly proportioned ... a tune which gives the true ‘spinal thrill’; of its kind it is unsurpassed.”

For comments on L. Bourgeois see Hymn 34.

307. Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest

George W. Briggs, 1875—

Based on the account of the supper at Emmaus, Luke 24:28-31:

And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

183

It stresses the doctrine that Christ Himself is the celebrant at the Lord’s Supper.

George Wallace Briggs is a Cambridge scholar, an outstanding preacher, educator, writer, and editor in the Anglican church. He has composed a number of hymns (See 570) and hymn tunes.

MUSIC. BIRMINGHAM is from F. Cunningham’s A Selection of Psalm Tunes, 2d ed., 1834, where it is set to the words, “Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly dove.” Cunningham published an earlier collection of psalm tunes in 1826.

308. I hunger and I thirst

John S. B. Monsell, 1811-75

A simple, tender, communion hymn which ought to have a wider use.

John Samuel Bewley Monsell was educated at Trinity College, Dublin; labored for a number of years in the church in Ireland; and then became vicar of Egham in the Diocese of Worcester, England, and finally rector of St. Nicholas, Guildford. His home life at Guildford is described as having been “full of the beauty of holiness, with genial brightness and gaity playing like sunshine over all the troubles of life.” His life came to a tragic end when he fell from the roof of the church while it was being rebuilt. He composed about 300 hymns and is the author of many other poetic works.

MUSIC. MAINZ (MARIA JUNG UND ZART) originally appeared in a Catholic book, Ausserlesene Catholische, Geistliche Kirchengesänge von Pfingsten, biss zum Advent, Cologne, 1632. It was slightly changed and printed in its present form in Psalteriolum Harmonicum Sacrarum Cantilenarum, 1642.

309. Author of life divine

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

This fine communion hymn is from Hymns on the Lord’s Supper, 1745, by John and Charles Wesley. It is attributed in many hymnals to Charles, but there is no conclusive evidence to show which of the two brothers wrote it. The thought of the hymn is said to be in full accord with John’s teaching concerning the Holy Communion.

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. WESLEY. The original source of this tune has not been traced. In the English Hymnal it is set to the words, “Behold a little child.” The tune should not be confused with Lowell Mason’s of the same name (See 332).

184

310. By Christ redeemed, in Christ restored

George Rawson, 1807-89

Written in 1857 and published first in a Baptist book, Psalms and Hymns, 1858.

Julian comments: “It is a hymn of more than usual excellence and has attained to a greater position in modern hymnals than any other of the author’s numerous compositions.”

The refrain, “Until He come,” is reminiscent of I Cor. 11:26: “For as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death, till he come.”

For comments on George Rawson see Hymn 297.

MUSIC. IN MEMORIAM. For comments on the composer of this tune, Frederick Charles Maker, 1844-1927, see Hymn 112.

311. Bread of heaven, on Thee we feed

Josiah Conder, 1789-1855

The hymn appeared in the author’s Star of the East, 1821, as “Bread of heaven, on Thee I feed.” The first person singular was altered to the plural throughout, and other changes made, improving the original.

For comments on Josiah Conder see Hymn 247.

MUSIC. ALETTA is by the American composer of popular church and Sunday school music, William B. Bradbury, 1816-68. For further comments on Bradbury see Hymn 103.

Conder’s hymn may also be sung to “Nicht so traurig” (538).

MARRIAGE

312. O perfect Love, all human thought transcending

Dorothy Blomfield Gurney, 1858-1932

Doxology added by John Ellerton, 1826-93

A singularly appropriate hymn for a Christian wedding. The author, Dorothy Gurney, born near London in 1858, was the daughter of Rev. Frederick Blomfield, a minister of the Anglican Church. She married a minister’s son, Gerald Gurney, and with her husband, united with the Roman Catholic Church in 1919. Mrs. Gurney has given the following account of the writing of this popular hymn for holy matrimony:

We were all singing hymns one Sunday evening and had just finished “O Strength and Stay,” the tune to which was an especial 185 favorite of my sister’s, when someone remarked what a pity it was that the words should be unsuitable for a wedding. My sister, turning suddenly to me, said: “What is the use of a sister who composes poetry if she cannot write me new words to this tune?” I picked up a hymn-book and said: “Well, if no one will disturb me, I will go into the library and see what I can do.” After about fifteen minutes I came back with the hymn, “O perfect Love,” and there and then we all sang it to the tune of “Strength and Stay.” It went perfectly, and my sister was delighted, saying that it must be sung at her wedding. For two or three years it was sung privately at many London weddings, and then it found its way into the hymnals. The writing of it was no effort whatever after the initial idea had come to me of the twofold aspect of perfect union, love and life; and I have always felt that God helped me to write it.

It is the most popular wedding hymn extant.

For comments on John Ellerton, who added the third stanza, see Hymn 42.

MUSIC. PERFECT LOVE is from an anthem composed by Joseph Barnby for the marriage of Princess Louise of Wales to the Duke of Fife, July 27, 1889. The anthem has been sung at many subsequent royal weddings.

For comments on Joseph Barnby see Hymn 21.

BURIAL OF THE DEAD

313. Safe in the arms of Jesus

Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915

Written April 30, 1868, at the request of W. H. Doane, composer of the tune to which it was to be sung. The hymn and tune were published first in Songs of Devotion for Christian Associations, 1870. It is a tender lyric which has given peace and satisfaction to many who have faced death and especially to mothers who have lost children.

Fanny Crosby, born in Putnam County, N. Y., became blind when six weeks old as the result of an application of a warm poultice to her eyes. She was educated in the New York (City) Institute for the Blind and there served as a teacher for a time. In 1858, she was married to Alexander van Alstyne, a blind musician. Miss Crosby began writing verses when a child of eight years and throughout her long life showed a marvelous facility for expression in poetry, which resulted in the writing of nearly 6,000 hymns besides many secular poems. Many of her hymns were written for W. H. Doane, Robert Lowry, Philip Phillips, Ira Sankey, and others who were editors of evangelistic song books. She is best known by her maiden name but also wrote under her married 186 name and 216 noms de plume. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Ten of her hymns are in the Hymnary.

MUSIC. SAFE IN THE ARMS, also known as “Refuge,” was composed by William Howard Doane, 1832-1916, a manufacturer of wood-working machinery in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a member of the Baptist Church and served many years as superintendent of the Sunday school in his church. A music enthusiast, he published 35 collections of song books and composed numerous hymn tunes, anthems, and cantatas. In 1875, Denison University, Granville, Ohio, conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Music.

314. Asleep in Jesus....

Margaret Mackay, 1802-87

Written by Margaret Mackay, wife of a distinguished officer in the English army. She composed numerous hymns and poems, but none is so widely known as this tender lyric so often used as a funeral hymn, which she entitled, “Burial of the Dead.” The hymn was suggested by an inscription she saw on a tombstone in the burying ground of Pennycross Chapel, a rural spot in Devonshire:

One stanza, the fifth, has been omitted. It reads:

The hymn was first published in The Amethyst, 1832, in Edinburgh.

MUSIC. REST. For comments on the composer, William B. Bradbury, see Hymn 103.

315. Now the laborer’s task is o’er

John Ellerton, 1826-93

Written for Church Hymns, 1871, by John Ellerton, distinguished hymnist of the Church of England. His biographer has written concerning this hymn:

We now come to the loveliest and most loved of Mr. Ellerton’s hymns. It has been sung and will continue to be sung at the graveside of princes, divines, statesmen, poets, artists, authors, as well as many a Christian labourer of humble life.

For comments on John Ellerton see Hymn 42.

MUSIC. REQUIESCAT was written for this hymn. It appeared first in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1875. For comments on the composer, John B. Dykes, see Hymn 1.

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316. O Lord of life, where’er they be

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

This hymn, a source of comfort and courage to many mourners, was composed by Hosmer in 1888 for the Easter service in his own church in Cleveland, Ohio.

The note of triumph runs throughout the hymn, each stanza ending with a jubilant “Allelujah.” It was written to be sung with Palestrina’s tune, “Victory.”

For comments on Frederick Hosmer see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. VICTORY. For comments on this tune see Hymn 116.

BURIAL OF THE DEAD

317. For all the saints

William W. How, 1823-97

The original, in eleven stanzas, was published in 1864 in Hymns for Saints’ Days, by a layman, Lord Nelson. One of the omitted stanzas reads:

For comments on William How see Hymn 144.

MUSIC. SARUM. The tune was composed for the Sarum Hymnal, 1869, for these words by Bishop How. It is also known as “St. Philip” and “For All the Saints.”

For comments on the composer, Joseph Barnby, see Hymn 21.

318. We cannot think of them as dead

Frederick L. Hosmer, 1840-1929

Written in 1876 after the death by drowning of a young member of the church of which the author was minister.

For comments on the author, Frederick L. Hosmer, see Hymn 72.

MUSIC. ST. FLAVIAN is from the English Psalter of 1562 which was printed by John Day in London. The present is the first half, with some alterations, of the tune set to Psalm 132.

319. Come, let us join our friends above

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

The first of a group of Funeral Hymns, published in 1759. It sets forth the assurance that friends gone before are not lost to those who mourn,

188

This hymn, one of Wesley’s greatest, has had wide use throughout the English speaking world in times of sorrow and loss of loved ones. It is an exposition of the words of the ancient Creed, “I believe in the communion of saints.”

The third and fourth verses, containing the idea of One Church, are among the finest in the whole range of hymnody.

The hymn was a great favorite of John Wesley. It so happened that he gave it out to be sung at a service he was conducting, at the very hour of the death of his brother Charles, giving the hymn a peculiarly pathetic interest.

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. DUNDEE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 297.

CHURCH UNITY

320. In Christ there is no East or West

John Oxenham, 1852-1941

A poem of human brotherhood, carrying a fine missionary message much needed in our day. It is written in the spirit of St. Paul—“where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all and in all,” Col. 3:11. It stands in striking contrast to Kipling’s more narrow nationalism in his “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”

This hymn which has now found its way into most modern hymn books was written for a missionary pageant, The Pageant of Darkness and Light, which the London Missionary Society asked the author to write, for use in connection with a great missionary exhibition in London, an affair which ran for a month and did much to stimulate interest in missions in all the churches. Oxenham wrote the libretto and planned the scenes for the pageant. The composer of the music, Hamish MacCunn, sent to him in a hurry one day for a few verses to fill in a gap. To this request Oxenham responded with the beautiful, simple lines, “No East or West.”

John Oxenham, English publisher, poet, and novelist, was born in Manchester. He wrote this poem in 1908; and in 1939 sent the hymn, “Peace in our time” (357) with a personal letter to the editors of the Hymnary. The name John Oxenham is a nom de plume for William Arthur Dunkerley. For some years Dunkerley was engaged in business, in the interest of which he travelled extensively in Europe and Canada, and lived in France and the United States. He once investigated the possibilities of cotton growing and sheep raising in the Southern States 189 but decided against the venture. He began writing as a relief from business, and then, later, dropped business in favor of writing.

MUSIC. ST. PETER, also known as “St. Peter’s, Oxford,” was composed for Psalm 118, by Alexander R. Reinagle, 1799-1877, distinguished organist for thirty-one years in St. Peter’s-in-the-East Church, Oxford. The tune derives its name from the church which the composer served so long. It appeared in Psalm Tunes for the Voice and the Pianoforte, published by Reinagle in 1830. It is a majestic tune and should be sung in moderate time with strong rhythmic accent.

321. Jesus, Lord, we look to Thee

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

Four simple, lovely stanzas setting forth the unity of believers in Christ.

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. MÜDE BIN ICH, GEH ZUR RUH. For comments on this tune see Hymn 254.

322. All praise to our redeeming Lord

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

A favorite and appropriate hymn for use at religious reunions and conference gatherings. Wesley entitled it, “At meeting of Friends.”

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. ARMENIA was composed by Sylvanus Billings Pond, 1792-1871, Albany, N. Y., a piano manufacturer. Billings wrote many fine tunes and in 1841 issued the United States Psalmody, in which this tune appeared.

323. How sweet, how heavenly is the sight

Joseph Swain, 1761-96

A beautiful hymn of Christian love, suggesting lines by Alice Carey:

It appeared in the author’s Walworth Hymns, 1792, entitled, “The Grace of Christian Love.”

Joseph Swain, English Baptist minister and hymn writer, lost his parents early in life and was apprenticed to an engraver. He led a careless, frivolous life until his conversion at the age of twenty-two, when he became a fervent Christian. He qualified for the Baptist ministry and began serving as minister of a congregation in East Street, Walworth, in 1791. His poetic gifts, formerly given worldly and superficial expression, were now turned with great effect to his evangelistic 190 appeals. His short ministry of five years, cut off by a lamented early death, was very successful.

MUSIC. REMEMBER ME. For comments on Asa Hull, composer of the tune, see Hymn 232.

MISSIONS

324. The morning light is breaking

Samuel F. Smith, 1808-95

A great missionary hymn, though a little too optimistic. It was written in 1832 while the author was a student in Andover Theological Seminary. After reading an inspiring account by Adoniram Judson of his great missionary work in Burma, Smith put his enthusiasm for missions into these verses, now sung in all the churches.

Rev. Samuel F. Smith, Harvard graduate in the class with Oliver Wendell Holmes, became the foremost American Baptist hymn writer of the 19th century. He is the author of numerous hymns but is best known by “My country, ’tis of thee” and the present hymn. His desire to be a missionary himself was never fulfilled, but his son volunteered for the service and became the successor to Judson in the great work in Burma. “The morning light is breaking” has been translated into many tongues. In a letter dated March 17, 1883, the author said of this hymn: “I have heard versions of it sung in Karen, Burman, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, German, and Telegu.” Dr. Smith was a great linguist. He taught modern languages for a time in Colby College and had a familiarity with no less than fifteen languages. It is said that at the age of 86 he was seeking a suitable textbook to use in the study of the Russian language. He served as minister of Baptist churches at Waterville, Me., and Newton Center, Mass., and was secretary of the Baptist Missionary Union for 15 years.

MUSIC. WEBB. For comments on this tune and its composer, George J. Webb, see Hymn 65.

325. Far and near the fields are teeming

J. O. Thompson

A popular missionary hymn based on Luke 10:2: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.”

No information has been found concerning the author, J. O. Thompson, or the composer of the tune, J. B. O. Clemm. The song appeared in The Epworth Hymnal, edited by John H. Vincent, afterward a Bishop, and published by Phillips and Hunt, Methodist Publishers, New York, in 1885. It was copyrighted by them as of that year.

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326. Father, whose will is life and good

Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, 1851-1920

A prayer for the sick, and for physicians engaged in medical missionary work.

The hymn first appeared in A Missionary Hymn Book, 1922, published by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, in London. The author, Rev. Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley, was an influential minister and educator in the Church of England. He spent much of his life in the Lake District in northern England, and, being a man of public spirit and a lover of nature, he championed the rights of the people in securing for public use in perpetuity many beautiful tracts of the Lake District and other parts of the country. His friends remembered him as one “who, greatly loving the fair things of nature and of art, set all his love to the service of God and man.”

MUSIC. “TALLIS,” says William H. Havergal in Notes on Certain Tunes, is “simplicity itself. A child may sing the tune, while manly genius will admire it.”

For comments on the composer, Thomas Tallis, see Hymn 33.

327. Christ for the world we sing

Samuel Wolcott, 1813-86

The author of this hymn, Samuel Wolcott, born at South Windsor, Conn., graduated from Yale at 20, spent two years in Syria as a missionary, and then, on account of failing health, returned to the United States where he served as pastor in various Congregational churches. The hymn was suggested to him by a motto, “Christ for the World and the World for Christ,” made from branches of evergreen, in a Cleveland church where a Y.M.C.A. convention was held. One night, walking home from the convention to which he was a delegate, the words of the hymn took form. Yankton College, South Dakota, has adopted it as the opening hymn for each term of school.

MUSIC. MALVERN. For comments on this tune and its composer, John Roberts, see Hymn 131.

328. O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling

Mary A. Thomson, 1834-1923

One of the strongest and most useful missionary hymns in the English language.

Mary Ann Faulkner was born in London but came to this country as a girl and became the wife of John Thomson, Librarian of the Free Library, in Philadelphia. A member of the Protestant Episcopal Church, her hymns, about forty in all, were published in The Churchman, New York, and in The Living Age, Chicago.

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Of the origin of this missionary hymn, Mrs. Thomson has written:

I wrote the greater part of the hymn, “O Zion, haste,” in the year 1868. I had written many hymns before, and one night, while I was sitting up with one of my children who was ill of typhoid fever, I thought I should like to write a missionary hymn to the tune of the hymn beginning, “Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling,” as I was fond of that tune; but as I could not then get a refrain I liked, I left the hymn unfinished, and about three years later I finished it by writing the refrain which now forms part of it. By some mistake 1891 is given instead of 1871 as the date of the hymn in the (Episcopal) Hymnal. I do not think it is ever sung to the tune for which I wrote it. Rev. John Anketell told me, and I am sure he is right, that it is better for a hymn to have a tune of its own, and I feel much indebted to the composer of the tune TIDINGS for writing so inspiring a tune to my words.

She was mistaken in the last sentence, for Walch’s tune, strangely enough, was composed for the words “Hark, hark my soul” (260).

MUSIC. TIDINGS was written, as stated above, for the hymn, “Hark, hark my soul! Angelic songs are swelling” (260), by James Walch, 1837-1901, an English composer and organist. The tune was never accepted for that hymn, because there already were several good tunes for it in use. In the providence of God, it found this hymn. The union was favored from the beginning and continues so today.

329. Word of Life, most pure, most strong

Jonathan F. Bahnmaier, 1774-1841

Tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78

One of the best and most useful hymns for foreign missions.

The original poem has six stanzas, our hymn comprising the last three, translated by Catherine Winkworth. The German text is found at No. 551, the hymn there being a free translation by Percy Dearmer.

For comments on Catherine Winkworth see Hymn 236.

Jonathan F. Bahnmaier was born at Oberstenfeld where his father, J. C. Bahnmaier, was town preacher. He received his education at Tübingen and became assistant, in 1798, to his father. Later he had an appointment as Professor of Education and Homiletics at Tübingen but resigned in 1819 to become dean and town preacher at Kirchheim-unter-Teck, a post he held until his death. Bahnmaier was greatly interested in education, missions, and Bible societies and was on the committee which compiled the Württemberg Gesangbuch, published after his death in 1842. One other of his hymns, “Jesu als du wiederkehrtest,” entitled, “Prayer after School,” has been translated into English.

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MUSIC. MOZART is adapted from the “Kyrie” of the Twelfth Mass by the famous composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-91.

For comments on Mozart see Hymn 179.

330. O Spirit of the living God

James Montgomery, 1771-1854

One of the greatest missionary hymns in the English language. It was composed for a missionary service held in Leeds, England, June 4, 1823, and was entitled, “The Spirit Accompanying the Word of God.” Its lyric beauty, its burning passion for the spread of the gospel, combined with its dignity and healthy-mindedness make it an extraordinarily useful hymn. Setting forth and emphasizing the relation of the Holy Spirit to the work of missions, it fills an important place in the Hymnary.

For comments on James Montgomery see Hymn 62.

MUSIC. ALSTONE. For comments on this tune see Hymn 300.

331. Fling out the banner! let it float

George W. Doane, 1799-1859

A stirring missionary hymn entitled, “Missions, Home and Foreign.”

It is based on Psalm 60:4: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.”

The hymn was written in response to a request from the young women at St. Mary’s Hall, Burlington, N. J., a girls’ college founded by Bishop Doane, to be sung at a flag raising. The author, writing what has become a widely known hymn, gave the occasion a far wider significance than the girls had foreseen.

Bishop George Doane, a zealous advocate of missions, was known in his own church as “the missionary bishop of America.” The modern missionary movement arose and spread in his lifetime. The hymn reflects Doane’s enthusiasm and aggressive missionary leadership.

For further comments on the author see Hymn 36.

MUSIC. WALTHAM—also known as “Doane” and “Camden”—was written by John Baptiste Calkin, 1827-1905, English pianist and organist, professor of music, and composer of church music, both instrumental and vocal. The tune with its martial swing lends itself well for use as a processional.

332. Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning

Thomas Hastings, 1784-1872

A missionary hymn written in 1832, at the beginning of the modern missionary movement. It was first published in 194 Spiritual Songs for Social Worship, 1833, a volume compiled jointly by Hastings and Mason, set to the present tune by Lowell Mason. Spiritual Songs was a notable volume, publishing for the first time such well-known hymns as “The morning light is breaking,” “My faith looks up to Thee,” and introducing in America, Toplady’s famous “Rock of Ages.”

For comments on Thomas Hastings see Hymn 120.

MUSIC. WESLEY, also called “Hail to the Brightness,” was written by Lowell Mason for this hymn. It is a simple, straightforward melody, whose merit as a hymn tune is unquestionable.

For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12.

333. From Greenland’s icy mountains

Reginald Heber, 1783-1826

One of the most famous missionary hymns ever written. An interesting story is attached to its origin, a detailed account of which was written by Thomas Edgeworth on the fly-leaf of a facsimile of the original manuscript as follows:

On Whitsunday, 1819, the late Dr. Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph, and Vicar of Wrexham, preached a sermon in Wrexham Church in aid of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. That day was also fixed upon for the commencement of the Sunday evening lectures intended to be established in the church, and the late Bishop of Calcutta (Heber), then rector of Hodnet, the Dean’s son-in-law being together in the vicarage, the former requested Heber to write “something for them to sing in the morning”; and he retired for that purpose from the table where the Dean and a few friends were sitting to a distant part of the room. In a short time the Dean enquired, “What have you written?” Heber having then composed the three first verses, read them over. “There, there, that will do very well,” said the Dean. “No, no, the sense is not complete,” replied Heber. Accordingly he added the fourth verse, and the Dean being inexorable to his repeated request of “Let me add another; oh, let me add another!” thus completed the hymn of which the annexed is a facsimile and which has since become so celebrated. It was sung the next morning in Wrexham Church the first time.

The tune to which it was sung was “’Twas when the seas were roaring,” from The Beggar’s Opera—a fine but somewhat incongruous selection.

The words of the hymn reflect the enthusiasm and zeal of consecrated youth, eager, like Livingstone, to go out to a distant people needing help and to sacrifice life for the cause. Greatly interested in missions, 195 Heber was offered the Bishopric of Calcutta and accepted it against the advice of his friends. After three years of strenuous, devoted labor, he was stricken with apoplexy and found dead in his bath on the evening of a busy day in which he had baptized forty-two native converts.

The much-discussed second stanza, omitted in the Hymnary because of its seeming low estimate of man, is as follows:

The hymn is widely used among German speaking people in the following translation made by Dr. Ch. G. Barth, 1799-1862:

MUSIC. MISSIONARY HYMN, like the hymn to which it is sung, was written in a few minutes time. Miss Mary W. Howard of Savannah, Ga., read the words in the American edition of The Christian Observer, of February, 1823, and was so impressed with them that she requested a young bank clerk who had gone to Georgia from New England, to write a tune for them. He complied, and in a half hour handed her the tune which is now sung all over the world. The clerk was Lowell Mason. For further comments on Mason see Hymn 12.

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334. We have heard the joyful sound

Priscilla Jane Owens, 1829—c. 99

A missionary hymn written for the anniversary of a Sunday school in Baltimore in which the author had been a worker for many years.

Priscilla Jane Owens, of Scottish and Welsh descent, was born and died in Baltimore where she was a public school teacher and an untiring worker in the Sunday school. Most of her hymns were written for children’s services.

MUSIC. JESUS SAVES was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick, 1838-1921, a native of Duncannon, Pa. He was a regimental musician during the Civil War and was skilled as an organist, gospel singer, and composer, and was editor and publisher of gospel songs.

335. We’ve a story to tell to the nations

Colin Sterne, 1862-1928

A popular missionary hymn, breathing the spirit of Christ’s great commission: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

The message of the hymn, in which lies the hope of the nations, is summarized in the chorus.

The words and music are by the same person, Henry Ernest Nichol, who was born at Hull, England, December 10, 1862. He always signed his correct name to a tune, and the anagram “Colin Sterne,” to a hymn. Oxford University gave him his degree in music. His compositions, many of them for the church, have the simplicity and directness of the folk song. The tune here forms a splendid musical setting for the words and may be sung variously, as a solo, duet, all the voices in unison, or in four parts.

336. On the mountain top appearing

Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854

Based on Isa. 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings.” The hymn was written after the good news came from the island of Tahiti that the first little band of mission workers sent there by the London Missionary Society, was kindly received by the natives, their message heard and welcomed, and that there was every prospect for the success of the mission. Hearing the news, Rev. Thomas Kelly wrote this hymn, entitling it, “On the Good News from Tahiti.” The London Missionary Society met soon afterward for an enthusiastic gathering where this hymn was first sung.

For comments on Thomas Kelly see Hymn 119.

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MUSIC. ZION. This tune is also used with the hymn, “Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,” but it is better suited to the present hymn.

For comments on the composer, Thomas Hastings, see Hymn 120.

337. Ye Christian heralds, go proclaim

Bourne H. Draper, 1775-1843

A hymn, originally of four stanzas, written as a farewell to missionaries.

The author, Rev. Bourne H. Draper, was born of a Church of England family, near Oxford, England. He joined the Baptist Church while employed as a printer’s apprentice at the Clarendon Press, Oxford. He trained himself for the Baptist ministry and became pastor of the Baptist Church at Chipping-Norton. A man of great piety and poetic gift, he wrote numerous books for children as well as devotional works and volumes of sermons.

MUSIC. MISSIONARY CHANT appeared in the composer’s American Harp, 1835, where it was identified with this hymn. Concerning the composition of the tune, Zeuner said: “I was sitting on one of those seats on Boston Commons on a most beautiful moonlight evening, all alone, with all the world moving about me, and suddenly ‘Missionary Chant’ was given me. I ran home as fast as ever I could and put it on paper before I should forget.”

Charles Heinrich Christopher Zeuner, 1795-1857, a native of Germany, came to America at the age of 29 and settled in Boston. His musical ability was soon recognized, and he was made president of the Handel and Haydn Society, and later its conductor. He published a book, American Harp, of nearly 400 pages of tunes, in 1832, mostly his own compositions. He moved to Philadelphia where he served as organist of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and later of the Arch Street Presbyterian Church. Due to harsh criticism of his playing, he became despondent and took his own life one November day at a lonely spot in the woods. Zeuner was never married and had no relatives in this country.

338. How are Thy servants blest

Joseph Addison, 1672-1719

A hymn of the Christian traveller, particularly descriptive of the experience of many Christian missionaries. It is known as the “Traveller’s Hymn” and has been found useful as a part of the daily devotions by Christians journeying in foreign lands.

It appeared in ten stanzas in the Spectator for September 20, 1712, at the end of an article on “Greatness,” with special reference to the greatness and awesomeness of the sea. The hymn was “made by a 198 gentleman upon the conclusion of his travels.” Returning in 1700 from the terrors of a voyage on the Mediterranean Sea, Addison gives here, years afterwards, a picture of his own trying experiences. The second stanza describes some of the hardships through which he passed. The omitted stanzas (3, 4, 5, 7, 8) of the hymn picture the storm at sea, its subsidence, and the traveller’s trust in God. They are as follows:

3.

4.

5.

7.

8.

For comments on Joseph Addison see Hymn 50.

MUSIC. KILMARNOCK appeared in England as a Psalm tune in Parochial Psalmody: a New Collection of the Most Approved Psalm Tunes.... By J. P. Clark, Second Edition, 1831.

The composer, Neil Dougall, 1776-1862, son of a shipwright, went to school until he was 15, then took to the sea. Three years later he met with an accident which resulted in the loss of his eyesight and his right arm. He then took up the study of music and for 45 years was a successful teacher of singing classes. He wrote about 100 psalm and hymn tunes.

339. See how great a flame aspires

Charles Wesley, 1707-88

A rousing missionary hymn which Wesley wrote after preaching to the coal miners at Newcastle. The imagery of the great flame was suggested by the night scene—the glow in the sky from the blazing fires 199 connected with the mines. The climax of the hymn, stanza 4, was inspired by an incident in the life of Elijah. When his servant returned the seventh time from looking toward the sea from the housetop, he reported: “Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man’s hand!... And it came to pass in the meantime that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain” (I Kings 18:41-45).

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

MUSIC. BENEVENTO is an adaptation from a motet on the words, “Tibi omnes angeli” by Samuel Webbe, 1740-1816, a London organist and composer.

340. The whole wide world for Jesus

J. Dempster Hammond, 1719-83

The watchword, “the whole wide world for Jesus,” brings to mind the motto, “The evangelization of the world in this generation,” which served to inspire the Student Volunteer Movement in the days of John R. Mott, Robert E. Speer, and Sherwood Eddy. Two world wars have shaken the foundations of the missionary enterprise, but those closest to the movement still declare the motto to be both a possibility and an obligation. The missionary forces are making resolute plans for giving the Gospel to the entire world.

No information is at hand concerning the author, J. Dempster Hammond.

MUSIC. THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. The composer, John H. Maunder, was born in Chelsea, England, in 1858, and died in 1920. He received his musical education at the Royal Academy of Music in London; held various musical appointments and became a well-known and popular accompanist for vocalists. As a composer, he was widely known for his anthems, cantatas, and services which have met with wide approval. His A Song of Thanksgiving, a cantata, has been quite popular in this country, as have several of his anthems. In the secular field he has written much excellent choral music, one of the best being his “The Song of Thor.”

341. Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Founded on the last part of Psalm 72, this is the earliest of the great English hymns on missions. It is sung by all Christian congregations in the homelands and has probably been translated into a greater number of languages and dialects than any other English hymn.

Watts did not hesitate to use the name of Jesus in interpreting the Psalm. On this point, he wrote in the preface to his Psalms:

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Where the original runs in the form of prophecy concerning Christ and his salvation, I have given an historical turn to the sense; there is no necessity that we should always sing in the obscure and doubtful style of prediction, when the things foretold are brought into the open light by a full accomplishment.

“Peculiar honors” in stanza 5 means honors appropriate to the various peoples who bring them.

For comments on Isaac Watts see Hymn 11.

MUSIC. DUKE STREET. This is a psalm tune by John Hatton (d. 1793), a native of Warrington, England, of whom little is known. The tune appeared first in A Select Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Glasgow, 1793. It has long been associated with this hymn, although other tunes—“Old Hundredth,” “Warrington,” and “Truro”—have also been used with it.

342. Lord of light, whose name outshineth

Howell Elvet Lewis, 1860—

Based on the petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

The hymn was written for the Congregational Hymnary (England), 1916. A note by the author explains his purpose in the hymn:

The hymn was written to declare that in doing God’s will, active co-operation is as much needed as humble resignation. Charlotte Elliott, in her hymn, “My God and Father, while I stray,” had expressed the latter thought beautifully. My hope was to supplement her hymn as best I could.

(Miss Elliott’s hymn is found at No. 245).

Howell Elvet Lewis, of Welsh birth, became an influential leader in English Congregationalism. He served as minister of the Welsh Tabernacle, King’s Cross, London, and was at one time chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. He is the author of a number of volumes of poems and biography.

MUSIC. HAST DU JESU RUF VERNOMMEN appears anonymously in the Gesangbuch mit Noten, set to a missionary hymn beginning with these words. By repeating the first four lines of the first stanza of the present hymn the refrain was made possible.

The tune was written by John R. Sweney, 1837-99, a native of West Chester, Penna., who received his degrees of Mus. Bac. and Mus. Doc. at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, Chester, Penna. Sweney was a skilled choir leader, violinist, and pianist. He collaborated with Wm. J. Kirkpatrick in the production and publishing of numerous gospel hymn tunes and hymnals. After the Civil War, he taught music in the school from which he received his degrees and became well known 201 as a song-leader at summer religious assemblies, especially at Ocean Grove, N. J.

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LIFE—THE NATION

343. O beautiful for spacious skies

Katharine Lee Bates, 1859-1929

A beautiful poem expressing genuine love for America and faith in human brotherhood. The historical accuracy of the second and third stanzas may be questioned. To one familiar with New England theocracy, it is clear that the Pilgrims were not, as the poet suggests, the champions of freedom of thought and religion. On the contrary, they were intolerant of any form of opposition, whether religious or political.

The hymn is less limited to the New England landscape than “My country, ’tis of thee,” and probably for that reason has overshadowed the latter as a popular national hymn.

Katharine Lee Bates, born in Falmouth, Mass., was educated at Wellesley College where she later became Professor of English. She is the author of many books.

A folder published by the author, giving the exact title and words of the hymn, also contains interesting data concerning its origin and history:

America the Beautiful was written in its original form, more literary and ornate than the present version, in the summer of 1893. I was making my first trip west. After visiting at Chicago the World’s Fair, where I was naturally impressed by the symbolic beauty of the White City, I went on to Colorado Springs. Here I spent three weeks or so under the purple range of the Rockies, which looked down with surprise on a summer school. This had called to its faculty several instructors from the east, Dr. Rolfe coming from Cambridge to teach Shakespeare, Professor Todd from Amherst for lectures on Astronomy, Professor Katharine Coman from Wellesley for a course in Economics. My own subject, which seemed incongruous enough under that new and glowing sky, was English Religious Drama.

We strangers celebrated the close of the session by a merry expedition to the top of Pike’s Peak, making the ascent by the only method then available for people not vigorous enough to achieve the climb on foot nor adventurous enough for burro-riding. Prairie wagons, their tail-boards emblazoned with the traditional slogan, “Pike’s Peak or Bust,” were pulled by horses up to the half-way house, where the horses were relieved by mules. We were hoping for half an hour on the summit, but two of our party became so faint in the rarified air that we were bundled into the wagons again and started on our downward 202 plunge so speedily that our sojourn on the peak remains in memory hardly more than one ecstatic gaze. It was then and there, as I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies, that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind. When we left Colorado Springs the four stanzas were pencilled in my note-book, together with other memoranda, in verse and prose, of the trip. The Wellesley work soon absorbed time and attention again, the note-book was laid aside, and I do not remember paying heed to these verses until the second summer following, when I copied them out and sent them to The Congregationalist, where they first appeared in print July 4, 1895. The hymn attracted an unexpected amount of attention. It was almost at once set to music by that eminent composer, Silas G. Pratt, and re-published with his setting, in Famous Songs, issued in 1895 by the Baker and Taylor Company. Other tunes were written for the words and so many requests came to me, with still increasing frequency, to permit its use in various publications and for special services that, in 1904, I re-wrote it, trying to make the phraseology more simple and direct.