8 "Thou wilt to us make known From every Thought unclean, Our JESUS till our Souls are freed From all Remains of Sin." FRO General invitation to praise God. L. M. 2 Eternal are thy mercies, Lord; 3 Your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring; 4 In every land begin the song; This hymn is found entire in the York Pocket Hymn Book, sixth edition, 1786. The first two stanzas are founded on Psalm exvii: "O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great. 2 His sovereign power, without our aid, Made us of clay, and formed us men; And when like wandering sheep we strayed, He brought us to his fold again. 3 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, High as the heavens our voices raise; And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. 4 Wide as the world is thy command; Vast as eternity thy love; Firm as a rock thy truth shall stand, When rolling years shall cease to move. ISAAC WATTS, ALT. BY J. WESLEY. A paraphrase of Psalm c: "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." 10 O HOLY, holy, holy Lord! Thou God of hosts, by all adored; The earth and heavens are full of thee, Thy light, thy power, thy majesty. 2 Loud hallelujahs to thy name, Angels and seraphim proclaim: By all the powers and thrones in heaven, Eternal praise to thee is given. 3 Apostles join the glorious throng, 4 Glory to thee, O God most high! UNKNOWN. A metrical translation of a part of Te Deum landamus. Many editions of the Hymnal attribute it to Josiah Conder, but the translator is not known. 11 Invitation to worship.-Psalm c. A L. M. LL people that on earth do dwell, 2 The Lord, ye know, is God indeed, 3 O enter then his gates with praise, 4 For why? the Lord our God is good, His truth at all times firmly stood, WILLIAM KETHE. A translation of Psalm c. It gave the name of "Old Hundred" to the tune in which it was always sung William Kethe was a Scotch clergyman of the sixteenth century. There is some doubt whether he was the author of this hymn. In the oldest edition, 1561, of the Old Version-Stern hold and Hopkins-now extant, it is marked 7. S., that is, Thomas Sternhold. In most editions of the seventeenth century it is marked 1. H., that is, John Hopkins. In the Scotch Psalter, 1564, it is marked W. K. 12 Praise to the Saviour. TESUS, thou everlasting King, L. M. Jaccept the tribute which we bring; 2 Let every act of worship be 3 The gladness of that happy day, Nor let our faith forsake its hold, 4 Let every moment, as it flies, ISAAC WATTS, ALT. From Hymns and Spiritual Songs, book i, 1707. Author's title: The Coronation of Christ, and Espousals of the Church. "I will seek him whom my soul loveth." Sol. Song, iii, 2. The first and last stanzas of the original are omitted: 1 "Daughters of Zion, come, behold The crown of honor and of gold Which the glad Church with joys unknown Placed on the head of Solomon. 6"O that the months would roll away And bring that coronation day! The King of grace shall fill the throne The author wrote "the well-deserved" instead of "thy" in the first verse, and "dear" hour in the second verse instead of "blest." In the second line of the third verse the author wrote "Our hearts would wish it long to stay," and in the last line, "Nor comfort sink," instead of "hope decline." The first line of the fourth verse was originally, "Each following minute as it flies." These changes may be improvement, but the hymn ought not to be credited to the author without being marked "altered." HYMN STUDIES. 3 Extend to me that favor, Lord, 4 0 may I worthy prove to see TATE AND BRADY. 5 Redeemer, come! I open wide 6 So come, my Sovereign! enter in, GEORG WEISSEL. This beautiful hymn was written in German, Founded on Psalm evi.. The whole hymn con-about 1630. The first stanza, indeed, the whole composed of verses tains eleven stanzas. This one, two, four, and five. The third stanza is so true and quaint, withal, that we must quote it: 3 "Happy are they and only they, The original has" Las" stood, instead of "Hath," in the first stanza. Tate and Brady were the joint authors of A New Version of the Psalms, which was authorized for use in the churches by an order of William and Mary, in 1696. Nahum Tate was poet laureate from 1690 to 1715. See No. 120. The Rev. Nicholas Brady, D.D., was a native of Ireland, and was born in 1659. He attended Westminster School, and then entered Christ Church, Oxford, but was graduated at Trinity College, Dublin. Brady was a radical Protestant, and took an active part in promoting the revolution in 1688-9. He afterward settled in London, where he obtained various preferments, and died in 1726. He published some sermons and poetical works, but his reputation was made by the New Version. 14 L L. M. Welcome to the King of glory. 2 The Lord is just, a helper tried; 3 O blest the land, the city blest, 4 Fling wide the portals of your heart; hymn, is founded on Psalm xxiv, 7: "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift The translation, as found in Lyra Germanica, "So shall your Sovereign enter in;" "And new and nobler life begin." The Christian Church is greatly indebted to Miss Winkworth for valuable translations. She lived from 1829 until 1878. The Rev. Georg Weissel was born in Prussia in 1590. In 1623 he was appointed to a charge in Königsberg, where he died in 1635. ESUS, thou soul of all our joys, JE For whom we now lift up our voice, And all our strength exert, Vouchsafe the grace we humbly claim; Compose into a thankful frame, And tune thy people's heart. 2 While in the heavenly work we join, Thy glory be our whole design, Thy glory, not our own: 3 Thee let us praise, our common Lord, 4 With calmly reverential joy, In setting forth thy love; And raise in death our triumph higher, And sing, with all the heavenly choir, That endless song above. CHARLES WESLEY. Author's title: The True Use of Music. "I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." 1 Cor. xiv, 15. This hymn is composed of the first two and last two verses of a poem of eight stanzas. ORIGINAL. Verse four, line two: "We then shall all our lives employ." From Hymns and Sacred Poems, vol. ii, 1749. 20 H EAVENLY Father, sovereign Lord, Be thy glorious name adored! 2 Though unworthy of thine ear, 3 While on earth ordained to stay, 4 Then, with angel-harps again, BENJAMIN WILLIAMS, ALT. This is found in a Unitarian Collection, Salisbury, 1778, where it begins: "Holy, holy, holy Lord." Seven lines have been altered, and two stanzas omitted. It is without name, but English hymnologists ascribe it to the Rev. Benj. Williams, minister of a Presbyterian congregation at Salisbury. 21 L Blessings implored. ORD, we come before thee now, 2 Lord, on thee our souls depend; 3 In thine own appointed way, 4 Send some message from thy word, 7. 5 Comfort those who weep and mourn; Let the time of joy return; Those that are cast down lift up; |