graduated at Trinity College, Cambridge,
England, in 1830; was ordained to the min-
istry in 1835; was appointed to the Bishopric
of Lincoln in 1869, where he died, March 20,
1885. He was the nephew of William Words-
worth, the poet. He was scholarly, as is evi-
denced by his Commentary Upon the Old
Testament, in which he followed the Author-
ized Version, and upon the New Testament
in Greek. His writings were patristic to the
last degree in spirit and quotation; at times
he was polemic and not always courteous to
his brethren of other names. He seems, after
he was elevated to an ecclesiastical eminence
in the Established Church, to have narrowed
in temper and grown bigoted in feeling. He
made a deliberate attempt to prevent the
Methodist preachers from using the title of
"Reverend," as if this were the exclusive
privilege of the Episcopal clergy. But he
must have had seasons of amiability, for he
composed some of the best hymns that have
of late been given to the churches at large.
This one appears in a collection he published,
containing 127 that were his own; that was
called The Holy Year; or, Hymns for Sun-
days, Holy Days and other Occasions Through-
out the Year, and was issued in 1862. There
this one is found as the first, with six stanzas.
56
Foretastes of Heaven.

THE dawn of God's new Sabbath
Breaks o'er the earth again,

As some sweet summer morning
After a night of pain.

It comes as cooling showers

To cheer a thirsting land,

As shades of clustered palm-trees

'Mid weary wastes of sand.

2 Lord, we would bring our burden
Of sinful thought and deed,

In thy pure presence kneeling
From bondage to be freed;
Our heart's most bitter sorrow
For all our work undone,
So many talents wasted,

So few true conquests won.

3 Yet still, O Lord long-suffering,
Still grant us in our need
Here in thy holy presence
The saving name to plead;
And on thy day of blessings,
Within thy temple walls,
To foretaste the pure worship
Of Zion's golden halls:-

4 Until in joy and gladness
We reach that home at last.

When life's short week of sorrow

And sin and strife is past. When angel-hands have gathered The first ripe fruit for thee, O Father, Son, and Spirit, Most Holy Trinity!

75, 6s, D.

Mrs. Ada Cambridge Cross published in 1866 a book of poetry entitled Hymns on the Holy Communion, and, later on, a volume

called Hymns on the Litany. She is the daughter of Henry Cambridge, and was born at St. Germains, Norfolkshire, England, November 21, 1844. She was in 1869 married to Rev. George Frederick Cross of Coleraine, Victoria, in Australia. Two years later her husband was ordained to the ministry of the Episcopal Church, and in 1877 became the incumbent of that parish on the other side of the world, where he now resides. For years this hymn bore only her maiden name, by which she was more widely known.

gational Church for fifteen years. He was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Albany from 1850 to 1865. He then acted as secretary of the American Congregational Union, and resided several years in New York City. Subsequently he was engaged in pastoral work in the Belleville Avenue Church of Newark, N. J., until his death, March 29, 1887. Thus he lived full of honors, labored with unusual success, and went to his rest loved and wept by all.

This little hymn has been made to suffer somewhat of late years from its close association with its popular neighbor, “O day of rest and gladness." These two have been printed together over and over on the same page, and set to the tune "Mendebras," ever since 1865. The compiler of the Songs for the Sanctuary found Dr. Wordsworth's piece upon the cover of a religious tract in London, and introduced it to the American public in that of his earliest popular collection; and the page was completed by this of Dr. Ray Palmer, obtained in manuscript. That page has done valiant service in many other books since.

WHILE We lowly bow before thee,
Wilt thou, gracious Saviour, hear?

We are poor and needy sinners,
Full of doubt and full of fear;
Gracious Saviour,

Make us humble and sincere. 2 Fill us with thy Holy Spirit; Sanctify us by thy grace;

Ob, incline us more to love thee,
And in dust our souls abase.
Hear us, Saviour,

And unvail thy glorious face.

3 None in vain did ever ask thee For the Spirit of thy love;

Hear us, then, dear Saviour, hear us; Grant an answer from above; Blessed Saviour,

Hear and answer from above.

8s, 75, 4.

Daniel Clement Colesworthy was a layman in the Congregational Church, a printer by occupation, and for a long time edited the Portland Tribune. He removed to Boston afterwards, and became known to the singers in our American Zion by the publication of a diminutive book of Sabbath-School Hymns about the year 1833. This was followed by others, in which real merit was disclosed. He was born in Portland, Me., in 1810. The present hymn was chosen from Rev. Elias Nason's Collection, published in 1857, to which it may have been contributed. It is a simple, devout, and useful prayer. The author was still living in Boston, 1885.

Rev. John Pierpont was a Unitarian clergyman by profession, well remembered and reputed as one of our established American poets. John Neal, another poet of fame like his own, was at one time his partner in the dry goods business in the city of Baltimore. The author of this hymn was born in Litchfield, Conn., April 6, 1785; he was graduated at Yale College in 1804. In 1809 he studied law, in 1812 he was admitted to the bar, and practiced for a while in Newburyport, Mass. Then for a season he went into trade. In 1816 he studied for the ministry, and was pastor of the Hollis Street Church in Boston for many years. Subsequently he went to Troy, N. Y., and then to Medford, Mass., where he preached for ten years more. In 1861 he volin Massachusetts, and was engaged in actual unteered as chaplain of a regiment recruited service in the Civil War, although he was then seventy-five years of age. The writer of this notice was happy in making his acquaintance during one of his vacations in the White Mountains. He was then old but active, full of enthusiasm, gentle and amiable, wonderful in conversation and widely familiar with literature, a most attractive gentleman of the old school of manners, winning friends with all who learned to know him. His death occurred soon after this, suddenly, at Medford. August 27, 1866. His hymns and his poems

were of the first rank in excellence.

61

Glory, glory,

While eternal ages run!

2 Glory be to him who loved us,
Washed us from each spot and stain;
Glory be to him who bought us,
Made us kings with him to reign:
Glory, glory

To the Lamb that once was slain ! 3 Glory, blessing, praise eternal!

Thus the choir of angels sings; Honor, riches, power, dominion! Thus its praise creation brings: Glory, glory,

Glory to the King of kings.

It is characteristic for many truly devout Christians, like Rev. Dr. Horatius Bonar, the author of this hymn, to interrupt the course of their writing or arguing by a sudden burst of simple praise, growing up out of the thoughts with which their hearts are distended. To us the interjection seems irrelevant, but to them it is a part of the actual necessities of the po

64

sition. Here is a hymn that merely utters an ascription of Glory to God" over and over with a tireless repetition. Poetic and enthusiastic natures will often do that. John gives a calm prosaic introduction to the Apocalypse;

but the moment he seems to see the visions he has had, and which he is now going to record, his pen rushes into a doxology of matchless force and beauty; he cannot be hindered, he must sing: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." And so Paul, though he is lost in the mysteries of theology, breaks into a poem: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" We talk of ejaculatory prayer—a habit of lifting brief sentences of supplication when we are so situated that we cannot pause for a retreat to our accustomed closets of devotion. It might be to our spiritual advantage to educate ourselves into a similar habit of ejaculatory adoration, so that we could indulge in an impromptu doxology as well.

Tasting of enjoyment greater

Than they could conceive before;
Full enjoyment.

Full, unmixed, and evermore.

This hymn was written by Rev. Thomas Kelly in 1815. With a full ring of delightful devotion it lifts every spiritually-minded believer into the heights of Sabbath praise. It was one of the most thoughtful remarks of William E. Gladstone that the religious observance of the Lord's Day "is a main prop of the religious character of a country. From a moral, social, and physical point of view the observance of the Sabbath is a duty of absoBut to the Christian the consequence."

lute

observance of the Sabbath is not only a duty and a privilege, but the richest joy. To him the Sabbath is a type of that rest which remains for the people of God, and he can say Sunday! to me it has been invaluable." So with Wilberforce, "Oh, what a blessing is careful was this good man of the sacredness of the Lord's Day that once, when the English Parliament was fixed to meet on Monday, January 16, 1800, he, immediately upon hearing it, wrote to Mr. Percival, and remonstrated against its being held on that day on account of the Sunday traveling which it would occasion. The time was immediately changed to the following Thursday, in answer to his re

And for ever

To thy praise and glory live.

Rev. Jonathan Evans was a minister of the English Independent or Congregational Church. He was born at Coventry in 1749. In his youth he was an artisan of the humblest class and worked in a ribbon factory. In his character he seems to have been wild and wicked, and his life was of no credit to him. But he had been brought up in ignorance, and was associated with profligate companions. In 1776 he was brought under conviction of sin, and turned his steps towards the better counsel of the religious people connected with the West Orchard Street Chapel; they pointed him to Christ, and he became a devoted follower of Jesus as his new master. He was a business man, but he displayed excellent gifts as an exhorter and evangelist, and he was active and industrious in all spiritual work.

Before long he began to preach. Rev. George Burder became the pastor of that small congregation, and this young man delivered the sermon at his installation. In 1784 he fitted up a boat-house on the bank of the canal at Foleshill, near Coventry, and invited the villagers to come freely to worship. This grew into a chapel, and when the church, duly organized, summoned him to the care of it he was publicly ordained to the pastorate which his indefatigable labors had made needful. There he remained for the rest of his life. He studied medicine somewhat in the intervals of his toil, so that he could help the poor without need of charge when they were sick. When Burder's Collection appeared some of his pieces, published in the Gospel Magazine, were inserted. This one annotated here was given to the world in Rippon's Selection. He died full of years and beloved by his people, August 31, 1809.

3 When the fervent heart is glowing,
Holy Spirit, hear that prayer:
When the song of praise is flowing,
Let that song thine impress bear;
Holy Spirit,

Let that song thine impress bear.

This hymn was written by Rev. Dr. Samuel Francis Smith, the well-known author of The date af"My Country, 't is of thee." fixed to its composition is 1834. It was doubtless prepared for some occasion of protracted service, some gathering of a large body of people. It was the custom, thirty years ago, to introduce the autumn and winter work with a continuous assemblage of church members; it was believed that united prayer would stimulate the graces of true believers, and fervid exhortations would arouse the laggard ones to fresh duty; and it was always understood that, when the saints came back to faithful activity, the Holy Spirit. would surely answer with energy in the conversion of souls. "No doubt," writes good William Gurnall, the famous divine of the seventeenth century; no doubt the prayers which the faithful put up to heaven from under their private roofs are very acceptable to God; but if a saint's single voice in prayer be so sweet to his ear, much more the church choir, his saints' prayers in concert together. A father is glad to see any one of his children, and makes him welcome when he visits him; but much more when they come together; the greatest feast when they all meet at his house."

66

2

Let us devote this consecrated day
To learn his will, and all we learn obey;
So shall he hear when fervently we raise
Our supplications and our songs of praise.

3 Father in heaven! in whom our hopes confide,
Whose power defends us and whose precepts guide,
In life our Guardian and in death our Friend,
Glory supreme be thine till time shall end.

Rev. William Mason was an English Episcopalian, the incumbent of Aston, and at one He was born time a chaplain to George III. at Kingston-on-Hull in 1725, entered St. John's College in Cambridge, 1742, in due course graduating with honor. For thirtytwo years he was precentor and canon residentiary of York Minster, and rector of Aston, where he died April 5, 1797. An edition of his works was issued in 1811, in the first volume of which this hymn appears, showing that some changes have been made since.

3 For by his word the heaven and earth were
made,

The earth's foundation also firmly laid;
All things were done at his divine command,
And shall throughout all ages surely stand.

4 Therefore let all in heaven and earth agree
To sing his praise in perfect unity;
Yea, let his servants all, with one accord,
With joyful hallelujahs praise the Lord.

The compiler of Laudes Domini found this hymn in the Temple Choral Service Book, edited and compiled by E. J. Hopkins, the well-known organist of the Inner and Middle Temple in London. Its author is thus far unknown. It seems to be one of those pieces that have become traditional in the ancient psalters, and are kept because of their strange style as monuments of a hymnody long since superseded. Rev. S. W. Duffield reckons it as having been produced in the seventeenth century. It is a version of Psalm 95, and appears also as a Long Meter hymn.

2 Lord, we would bless thee for thy ceaseless care,
And all thy work from day to day declare:
Is not our life with early mercies crowned?

Does not thine arm encircle us around?

3 Alas! unworthy of thy boundless love,

Too oft with careless feet from thee we rove;
But now, encouraged by thy voice, we come,
Returning sinners to a Father's home.

4 Oh, by that name in which all fullness dwells,
Oh, by that love which every love excels,
Oh, by that blood so freely shed for sin,
Open blest mercy's gate and take us in.

The author of this truly excellent hymn was a titled lady in England. Her whole name was Lucy Elizabeth Georgiana Whitmore, and she was the wife of W. W. Whitmore, living in Dudmaston, in Shropshire. Her father was Orlando, the second Baron Bradford; so, like Lady Huntingdon she came of a noble line. We are reminded at once of the saying credited to this older authoress of hymns, that she "thanked God often for the letter M ; for the Scripture did not say not any, but, not many mighty, not many noble, are called." Lady Whitmore was born January 22, 1792, and died March 17, 1840. Her one hymn was found at the close of a small volume of pray

2 Why throb, my heart? why sink, my saddening soul?

Why droop to earth, with various woes oppressed? My years shall yet in blissful circles roll,

And peace be yet an inmate of this breast.

3 Lord, thy sure mercies, ever in my sight,
My heart shall gladden through the tedious day;
And midst the dark and gloomy shades of night,
To thee, my God, I'll tune the grateful lay.

4 Why faint, my soul? why doubt Jehovah's aid?
Thy God the God of mercy still shall prove;
Within his courts thy thanks shall yet be paid-
Unquestioned be his faithfulness and love!

Rev. Robert Lowth, D. D., was born at Winchester in England, November 27, 1710. He was graduated at Oxford 1734, and at once took orders in the English Established Church. After rapid advancement along the line of preferment, he became Bishop of St. David's in 1766, and in the same year of Oxford, and in 1777 of London. He was tendered in 1783 the highest honor of all, the Archbishopric of Canterbury; but this he declined because of family afflictions and the advance of years. He died November 3, 1787. This hymn he wrote in Latin, and we use the translation made by George Gregory. is a version of Psalm 42.

It

IOS.

HAIL, happy day! thou day of holy rest,
What heavenly peace and transport fill my breast!
When Christ, the God of grace, in love descends,
And kindly holds communion with his friends.

2 Let earth and all its vanities be gone,
Move from my sight, and leave my soul alone;
Its flattering, fading glories I despise,
And to immortal beauties turn my eyes.

3 Fain would I mount and penetrate the skies,
And on my Saviour's glories fix my eyes;
Oh, meet my rising soul, thou God of love,
And waft it to the blissful realms above!

In

Rev. Simon Browne was the honored and useful pastor of an Independent Church in Old Jewry, London. He was born about 1680 in Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, England. He is said to have begun his active work as a preacher when only twenty years of age. 1716 he left a flourishing charge in Portsmouth, in order to go up to London. There, with Dr. Watts for his neighbor in Berry Street, he commenced the pastorate which he relinquished in 1723; at this time he was afflicted in mind with the notion that he was no longer able to think. He thought, he reasoned, he argued, and to his perfect satisfaction he proved, that he was unable to con