the hands of one of his family. It is the prayer of one who feels the night of death closing around him, and is not afraid while the Master stays beside him. Mr. Lyte died at Nice, Italy, on the 20th of November following.

10 The heavenly Jerusalem.

Rev. xxi and xxii.

JERUSALEM, my happy home,

Name ever dear to me!

When shall my labors have an end,
In joy and peace, and thee?

2 When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls

And pearly gates behold?
Thy bulwarks with salvation strong,
And streets of shining gold?

3 There happier bowers than Eden's bloom, Nor sin nor sorrow know:

Blest seats! through rude and stormy

scenes

I onward press to you.

4 Why should I shrink at pain and woe, Or feel at death dismay?

I've Canaan's goodly land in view.
And realms of endless day.

5 Apostles, martyrs, prophets, there
Around my Saviour stand;
And soon my friends in Christ below
Will join the glorious band.

6 Jerusalem, my happy home!

My soul still pants for thee:
Then shall my labors have an end,
When I thy joys shall see.

At the British Museum in London there is a manuscript book as old as Queen Elizabeth's time, which contains a copy of a hymn beginning like this one, and it bears the title "A Song Mad[e] by F: B: P. To the tune of Diana." Some one took the words and thoughts of a few verses out of the old hymn, and made them over into this hymn, which was printed about 1796 in a little hymn-book for the use of Eckington Church in England. James Montgomery, the poet, edited the little hymn-book, and very likely it was he who re-wrote the hymn.

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis Manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary Rest.

3 Dear Name! the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding-place,
My never-failing Treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace;

4 By Thee my prayers acceptance gain, Although with sin defiled;

Satan accuses me in vain,

And I am owned a child.

5 Jesus, my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.

6 Weak is the effort of my heart,

And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see Thee as Thou art,
I'll praise Thee as I ought.

7 Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of Thy Name
Refresh my soul in death.

It is touching to think that this hymn (by the Rev. John Newton), so filled with love and tender reverence, was written by one whose earlier life was wild and profligate, who was a deserter from the English navy, and then engaged in the slave-trade. During a terrible storm at sea he turned his back upon that old life, and gave his heart to Christ. Returning to England he was ordained to the ministry in 1764 at the age of thirty-nine, and became curate of the village of Olney. There he became intimate with the poet Cowper, and they both wrote hymns to be sung at weekly prayer meetings which Newton held in an empty house. In 1779, 348 of these hymns were published in a book called "Olney Hymns." 280 of them, including this one, were by Newton, and 68 were by Cowper. Newton lived to be eighty-two years old.

[NOTE.-Verse 5, line 1. Brother. Newton wrote it, "Husband."]

12 Mearer, my God, to Thee.

NEARER, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!

E'en though it be a cross

That raiseth me;

Still all my song shall be,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!

2 Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

3 There let the way appear,
Steps unto heaven :

All that Thou send'st to me
In mercy given :
Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!

4 Then, with my waking thoughts Bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise ;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

5 Or if on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upwards I fly,

Still all my song shall be,

Nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee!