And teach us erring souls to win, So as our Sabbaths hasten past, When by our bed the loved ones weep, DR. IV. M. PUNSHON. 499.-Close of the Sabbath-day. ISAIAH lxvi. 23. HREE verses at the beginning of this Hymn have been omitted as superfluous. The first line is: "Millions within Thy courts have met;" and the fourth verse (here the first) begins: "Still as the light of morning broke;" the rest of the Hymn is unaltered. L.M. LORD, as the light of morning broke O'er island, continent, or deep, Thy far-spread family awoke, Sabbath all round the world to keep. From east to west, the sun surveyed, From north to south, adoring throngs; And still, when evening stretched her shade, The stars came out to hear their songs. Harmonious as the winds and seas In pure accordance to Thy throne. Book the Sixth. HYMNS ADAPTED TO TIMES, SEASONS, AND SPECIAL T OCCASIONS. HE first place in this closing section of our work must be given to Morning and Evening Hymns. Of these, and especially of the latter, there are very many; and, after a few conspicuous examples, these are on so general a level of excellence that selection is difficult. For the periods of the natural year, and the great events of ecclesiastical or social life, not a few Hymns in preceding Sections will be found appropriate; but some have a more special adaptation, and are therefore best grouped under the above general heading. A few miscellaneous Hymns complete the selection. 503.-Morning Hymn. PSALM V. 3. HE Morning, Evening, and Midnight Hymns of the saintly Bishop Ken were written for the Winchester scholars, with the admonition: "Be sure to sing the Morning and Evening Hymn in your chamber devoutly, remembering that the Psalmist upon happy experience assures you that 'it is a good thing to tell of the loving-kindness of the Lord early in the morning, and of His truth in the night season.' The Hymns are themselves a treasury of sacred verse. From their length it has usually been necessary to abridge them for purposes of worship, but in a work like the present they cannot but be inserted at full length. The grand yet simple Doxology, familiar to English-speaking Christians of every Church, was affixed by the author to all three of these Hymns. The following copy of the Hymn is taken from an edition published in 1712, the year after the bishop's death; which edition Lord Selborne supposes to contain Ken's own corrections. The chief differences are that in the first form of the Hymn the second verse begins: "Redeem thy misspent time that's past, and the ninth verse has "Glory to Thee" instead of "All praise." The word "early" was also originally written instead of "joyful" in the first verse-a form which a few hymn-books still retain. Some editions, still later than 1712, read in the beginning of the sixth verse, Awake! awake!" which is certainly not Ken's alteration, and appears, although Lord Selborne has adopted it, an obvious error. The poet is not calling on the heavenly choirs to awake; but arouses himself to join in their song.1 An interesting pamphlet published by Mr. D. Sedgwick in 1864 contains the earlier and later forms of Ken's three Hymns, with an Introduction by Lord Selborne, vindicating the authenticity of the latter. |