YE souls for whom the Son did die, 2 Who spared not that Son divine? 3 Thrice blesséd souls, by heavenly love Elect, redeemed, renewed; Through endless years, below, above, 4 Lord! wouldst thou set thy love on me And choose me in thy Son? Lord! hath my heart been given to thee? Hath love in me begun? 5 Ne'er let thy smile from me depart, My heart from thee remove; Eternal Lover, teach my heart Thine own eternal love. C. M. In the Golden Chain of Praise, 1869, a book of poems by Thomas Hornblower Gill, we find the hymn above quoted. It bears the title "Electing Love." That form of evidence which is most cogent in proving that any given individual is one of the elect of God, is furnished by the indwelling of the Divine Spirit; that creates an "amazement" and a "rapture." He wonders, but he sings. By this the elect recognize each other. Under the reign of a wicked queen in Madagascar, people of different tribes, speaking differ ent languages, who had become converted to Christianity, were scattered by persecution and widely removed from their several homes. When they met together their only medium of communication was by resort to their New Testaments. Those of one tribe would point out a passage in their book, which those of the other would again find in theirs, in a different language. Thus they were not only able to converse together, to the great comfort and cheer of both, but they found that the same Spirit had given like witness to the heart of each that the saving Messiah had come to each of them. Often has this experience been repeated in substance between people of remotest parts of earth, of languages, climates, government, and degrees of civilization as widely diverse as can be. The witness of the Spirit has rested on each Christian heart, so that he can recognize the presence and work of the Messiah in all corners of the earth. In comparison with this never-varying testimony even the divine testimony of miracles is not greater. 46 This poem, by Professor Joseph Anstice, was first published in his posthumous Hymns, 1836, and contained five stanzas of six lines each. It became very widely known from its having been included in 1841 in the Child's Christian Year, and since then it has passed into general use in Great Britain and America. The poem was probably inspired by the verse of the Psalmist, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." Two men were neighbors, and each of them had a wife and several little children; and their daily labor was all they had for their support. One of these men became anxious, thinking, "If I should die or be taken ill, what will become of my wife and children?" The same thought came to the other man, but he did not feel the same anxiety about it; for said he, " God, who knows his creatures, and who watches over them, will also watch over me, my wife, and my children." One day, while the first of these men was working in the field, sad and dejected on account of his fears, he saw some birds fly into a wood, then come out, and soon after return. On going nearer he saw two nests placed side by side, and in each were some little birds just hatched, and not yet covered with feathers. When he returned to his work, he from time to time raised his eyes and looked at the birds, who went and came, carrying food to their little ones; but at the moment when one of the mothers returned with some food in her bill, a vulture seized her and carried her off, the poor mother vainly struggling in his talons and uttering piercing cries. At this sight the laborer became more anxious than before; for thought he," The death of the parent is the death of the children. My children have no one to provide for them but myself. What then will become of them if I fail them?" All day he remained gloomy and sad, and could not sleep all night. The next day, on returning to the field, he said to himself, "I should like to see the little ones of that poor birdmother; many of them are, doubtless, dead by this time." So saying, he directed his steps towards the wood; but what was his amazement, on looking into the nest, to see the little birds quite lively-not one starved among them. Struck with this sight, he hid himself to observe the cause. In a short time he heard a faint cry, and saw the remaining mother bringing in haste the food she had collected, and then distributing it impartially among all the little ones, there being sufficient for every one. Thus the little orphans were not left helpless in their misery. And the father who had distrusted Providence related in the evening what he had seen to his neighbor, who said to him, "Why need you be anxious any more? God never abandons his people; his love has resources which we cannot fathom. Let us believe, hope, and love, and go on our way in peace." O LOVE Divine! how sweet thou art! All taken up by thee? I thirst and faint and die to prove 2 Oh, that I could for ever sit My only care, delight, and bliss, 3 Oh, that I could, with favored John, The dear Redeemer's breast! 4 God only knows the love of God; In this poor stony heart! Three centos from this hymn by Rev. Charles Wesley are in as common use as the C. P. M. original, which had seven stanzas of six lines each, and, together with five other poems on the same subject, bore the title " Desiring to Love." It was first published in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1749. And now as with this grand song of love, the sentiment of which might well be accepted as the ruling passion of his life, the name of Charles Wesley disappears from our annotations, it seems fitting that the close of his great life should receive a more extensive notice. In old age Charles Wesley rode a little white horse, gray with age. It appears to have been brought every morning from the foundry-an arrangement which its master did not like, but which it was impossible to avoid. He was somewhat stouter than his brother, but not corpulent. Henry Moore says that he wore winter clothing even in summer. When he mounted his horse, "if a subject struck him, he proceeded to expand it and put it in order. This he used to write on a card in short-hand with his pencil." Not unfrequently he used to come to the house in the City Road, and having left the pony in the garden in front, he would enter, crying out " Pen and ink! pen and ink!" When these were given him, he proceeded to write out his hymn. This done, he looked around on those present, saluted them with much kindness, inquired after their health, and then gave out some short hymn. Every lover of Charles Wesley's poetry has been touched by the dying effort of his muse. For some time he had been lying quietly on his bed. At last he called for Mrs. Wesley, and asked her to write the following lines at his dictation: "In age and feebleness extreme, Who shall a sinful worm redeem? On Saturday, March 29, 1788, his happy spirit fled. Through the whole week the restlessness of death had been on him. He slept much, without refreshment. On Tuesday and Wednesday he was not entirely sensible. His end was what he particularly wished it might be-peace. No fiend," he said to his wife, "was permitted to approach me." Some one observed that the valley of the shadow of death was hard to be passed. Not with Christ," was his answer. He spoke to all his children with affection and hope of their salvation. Samuel Bradburn sat up with him the night but one before his death. His mind was calm as a summer evening. On the Saturday all the family stood round his bed. The last words which they could catch from his lips were "Lord, my heart, my God!" With his hand lying in his daughter's, the old saint passed home so gently that the watchers did not know when the spirit fled. 905 Bought with a Price. WHEN I had wandered from his fold, His love the wanderer sought; When slave-like into bondage sold, His blood my freedom bought; Therefore that life, by him redeemed, 2 For I am his, and he is mine, When sunk in sorrow, I despaired, 3 Therefore the joy, by him restored, Another of the lyrics of Rev. John S. B. Monsell, and published together with many others in his Hymns of Love and Praise, 1863, It bears the title "The Love of God," and reiterates the old and blessed truths of the gospel. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price," I. Corinthians 6:19, 20. And again I. Peter 1:17-19: "Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." We found this excellent hymn in Church Melodies, 1858; but Dr. Hastings could not remember who made it nor whence he quoted it. We put it into Songs of the Church, 1862, and have continued it in one or two compilations since; and still have never seen any name attached to it. The stanzas are all found in Dr. Allon's Supplement to the Congrega tional Hymn Book, 1868; but it stands mournC. M. D. fully nameless. Most pastors would welcome its use when preaching upon Philippians 4:7. for it fitly voices the beautiful benediction: And the peace of God, which passeth all 2 Our eyes see dimly till by faith anointed, 3 Choose for us, God! nor let our weak preferring 4 Let us press on, in patient self-denial, Our crown beyond the cross. This is the most widely used of the hymns of William Henry Burleigh, and is to be found in the very best collections on both sides of the sea. It first appeared in the Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868. Sometimes it requires more real piety to be still under commonplace worries, to be patient in prosaic drudgeries, than to go straight into battle. A great many Christians are dissatisfied unless they can be set about doing some big thing. Simon Peter comes exactly within our range-a great, honest, loving soul, but often self-conscious and melodramatic. He told Jesus Christ once that he would lay down his life for his sake. That was rash and unnecessary. Better have kept still till he was asked. There was going to be room enough for endurance and valor that night, without wasting it in brag. Jesus rebuked him-predicted the denial instead, and warned him sternly. Peter felt himself misused at least misunderstood. He meant even Jesus should do him justice. He gets hold privately of a sword, and follows valiantly on. He intends to show he had been literally in earnest. So he marches through the shadows in a military way towards Gethsemane, sword drawn in preparation. Only he meets nobody, and of course has no fight. And time soothes him a little. The Jerusalem evening took down his fever on the walknights are chill and cooling there out-ofdoors. By the time he reached the shade of the olives he was considerably calmed. Then Jesus said suddenly-not fight-but just wait here. The eager Peter was put at commonplace watching. And he that was going to die just now for Christ's dear sake simply fell asleep the moment he was left alone at his post. When the good Lord wants any of Joseph Stammers, the author of this favorite hymn, was born at Bury St. Edmunds, England, in 1801, and received a legal education. After practising in London for a time, he was called to the Bar in 1833. He died in London, May 18, 1885. He wrote a few hymns for the Lyra Britannica, which have not retained a place in general use, but this poem will cause his name to be long remembered. It was contributed in 1830 to the Cottage Magazine, a small serial which was conducted by Rev. Mr. Buckworth, vicar of Dewsbury. 918 Loving and Loved. 2 Things that once caused wild alarms Cannot now disturb my rest, Closed in everlasting arms, Care, and doubt, and self resign, 3 His for ever, only his! Who the Lord and me can part? Ah, with what a rest of bliss Christ can fill the loving heart! Heaven and earth may fade and flee, First-born light in gloom decline: But while God and I shall be, I am his and he is mine. 78. D. We kept this fine piece of poetry in our scrap-book for many years. It came out of some unremembered newspaper, and it had no name of its own. Dr. Parker has a good scheme for a sermon in one of his volumes: "The anonymous ministries of the Bible." It DAY by day the manna fell: mine. 2 Lord, my times are in thy hand; Not mine own-my Father's will. 3 Fond ambition, whisper not; Oh, to live exempt from care By the energy of prayer: Strong in faith, with mind subdued, Yet elate with gratitude! JOSIAH CONDER. 7s. D. As the fourth of six metrical paraphrases of portions of the Lord's Prayer, this hymn was given in Josiah Conder's work, The Choir Oratory, 1837, though it appeared My stately a year earlier in his CongregaA-Book. It is in general use in Cat Rustam and America. The Scriptural shivace is to Exodus 16:21. In studying the account of the manna sent to the Israelite hose in the wilderness the scholars of Rabbi what once asked him: "Why did not sad trash enough manna to Israel for ***** All *t we time?" Then the teacher said: "I will answer you with a parable Once there was a king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying hira the entire sum on a fixed day. It soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day in the year when the father ever saw his son. So the king changed his plan, and gave his son day by day that which sufficed for the day. And noa the son visited his father every morning Thus God dealt with Israel." My every step shall then be well defined, Albert Midlane was born at Newport in the Isle of Wight, January 23, 1825, and has resided there for many years, being engaged in business. He began to write hymns while still quite young, and the number has now reached more than three hundred, many of which are in common use. They have appeared in magazines and mission hymn-books, and several volumes of them have been compiled. The one quoted here was written in April, 1884, and published in the Friendly Visitor of July, 1885, and later in the Primitive Methodist Hymnal, 1887. Rev. John Wesley once cried out: "In every age and country Satan has whispered to those who began to taste of the powers of the world to come, To the desert! To the wilderness! Most of our little flock at Oxford were tried with this, my brother and I in particular. Nay, but I say, 'To the Bible! To the Bible! and there you will learn, as you have time, to do good unto all men.' 924 |