By Thy passion on the tree, Let all our griefs and troubles cease; O! remember Calvary, And bid us go in peace. Never will we hence depart, Till Thou our wants relieve, Write forgiveness on our heart, And all Thine image give! Still our souls shall cry to Thee Till perfected in holiness; O! remember Calvary, And bid us go in peace. CHARLES WESLEY. 475. United Worship. MATTHEW Xviii. 20. T cannot be inappropriate to mark the transition from the Eucharistic Hymns to those for the Lord's day and public worship by these well-known stanzas of Cowper. The special allusions in some of the verses are explained by the fact that the Hymn was composed for the opening of a room for prayer-meetings at Olney, in 1769. Here the poet in his happier days often led the devotions. As a specimen of unwarrantable interpolations, the following additions to the Hymn, by Mr. Keble, may be quoted from the Sarum Hymnbook. After verse 4 Mr. Keble adds: "Here to the babe new born on earth By water and the Holy Ghost For Thou, within no walls confined, Dear Shepherd of Thy chosen few! Here may we prove the power of prayer, Lord, we are few, but Thou art near ; On the lone mountain side, Before the morning's light, The Man of Sorrows wept and cried, And rose refreshed with might. Oh hear us, then, for we Are very weak and frail; We make the Saviour's name our plea, And surely must prevail. C. H. SPURGEON. 477. Rest and Worship. REVELATION i. 10. HE only one of the author's many Hymns that is likely to live, and that for its tender restful tone rather than for any poetic excellence. These five verses are from a longer poem of fourteen. In many hymn-books a second verse is added by a different writer: "Come bless the Lord, whose love assigns So sweet a rest to wearied minds; Provides an antepast of heaven, And gives this day the food of seven." This inversion of the history of the manna is undoubtedly ingenious and interesting; but the addition as a whole scarcely improves the Hymn. L.M. ANOTHER six days' work is done, Another Sabbath is begun, Oh that our thoughts and thanks may rise This heavenly calm within the breast. With joy, great God, Thy works we view In holy duties let the day, DR. JOSEPH STENNETT. |