"

THE LATIN HYMN-WRITERS and their HYMNS," 'THE HEAVENLY LAND,"

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1886, by
FUNK & WAGNALLS,

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D.C.

ENGLISH HYMNS.

A BROKEN heart, my God, my King. -WATTS.

It is one of the truest tests of a hymn when it is found to possess the power of awakening and stimulating devotion. Dr. Doddridge on one occasion wrote to Dr. Watts that he had preached to a number of plain country folk in a large barn. The sermon was from Heb. 6: 12, and at its close he announced and read the hymn, "Give me the wings of faith to rise." The effect-he tells Dr. Watts was deep and pervading. The clerk, who acted as precentor, could scarcely utter the words, and many of the audience were in tears. "These," he continues, were most of them poor people who work for their living." They had found in the language of the hymn-as many have found in the words of this which is before us—the interpretation of their emotions.

The present piece is Dr. Watts's version of Ps. 51-the third part, L. M. He entitled it "The Backslider Restored; or, Repentance and Faith in the Blood of Christ."' It originally possessed eight stanzas.

A CHARGE to keep I have. -WESLEY.

This hymn is based on Lev. 8: 35; a fact which was definitely proven by Mr. James Grant in the Christian Standard, about 1872. Calvinists and Arminians had been in controversy over the views contained in it, and the debate had been somewhat acrimonious. The doctrine taught is that of obedience that we should : abide at the door of the congregation, and keep the charge of the Lord." It is No. 188 of Charles Wesley's Short Scripture Hymns, 1762. The tune he selected for it was Olney."

A FEW more years shall roll. - BONAR.

From Hymns of Faith and Hope, First Series, 1857. Its title is "A Pilgrim's Song," and it has six stanzas. Of that stanza commencing " A few more Sabbaths here," Dr. Bonar says, in a foot-note: "The old Latin hymn expresses this well :

'Illic nec Sabbato succedit Sabbatum,

Perpes laetitia sabbatizantium !'"'

The Latin is Peter Abelard's, for whom see "The Latin Hymn Writers and their Hymns," where there is a full account of the discovery of Abelard's hymns.

The present hymn ranks in popularity next to Dr. Bonar's "I lay my sins on Jesus." In the original form it contains six stanzas, the chorus varying only by a single word in each case, as "great" day, "blest" day, " calm" day, "sweet" day, and "glad" day.

A MIGHTY fortress is our God. - HEDGE, tr.

There is no grander hymn in the German tongue than the "Ein Feste Burg" of Martin Luther. It has been frequently rendered into English, and these versions have been collected (1883) by Rev. Leonard W. Bacon, D.D., and published as an accompaniment to the Four Hundredth Commemoration of the great Reformer's birth. We venture to add to these another rendering, which has met with favor among Luther's fellow-countrymen resi dent in the United States.

A firm defence our God is still,
A trusty guard and weapon;
He bears us free from every ill
Which unto us can happen.
That old devilish foe
Strives us to overthrow;
Great might and cunning art
Arm him in every part;

On earth no one can match him.

By our own might is nothing done,
We are too soon forsaken;

Yet fights for us that Righteous One,
Whom God Himself has taken.

Το

CHARLES SEYMOUR ROBINSON, D.D., LL.D.,

Whose Laudes Domini furnished a Basis for the Present
Work, as his Advice and Urgency have promoted
its Progress, this Compendium of Biography,
Incident and Religious Suggestion

is now cordially

DEDICATED.