The Story of the Hymns

speaks of the effect produced upon him by the singing of the hymns of Ambrose in the church of Milan: "How did I weep, O Lord! through thy hymns and canticles, touched to the quick by the voices of thy sweet-attuned church! The voices sank into mine ears, and the truths distilled into my heart, whence the affections of my devotions overflowed; tears ran down, and I rejoiced in them."

The following is the English version of the hymn as it appears in the authorized book of Common Prayer:

We praise thee, O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens, and all the powers therein

To thee cherubim and seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord, God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.

The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.

The noble army of martyrs praise thee.

The holy church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite majesty ;
Thine adorable, true. and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ;

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst humble thyself to be born of a virgin;

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy name ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

Ten thousand times ten thousand.

This spirited hymn was written by Dean Henry Alford, widely known for his learned commentary, entitled "The Greek Testament with Notes." His first religious work was written at the age of ten, and was entitled "Looking unto Jesus." In his sixteenth year he formally dedicated himself wholly to the service of God, writing in his Bible this resolution: "I do this day, as in the presence of God and my own soul, renew my covenant with God, and solemnly determine henceforth to become his, and to do his work as far as in me lies."

In 1867 he issued a collection of hymns, of which fifty-five were of his own compo sition.

Ten thousand times ten thousand,

In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light;
Tis finished, all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in.
What rush of hallelujahs

Fills all the earth and sky;

What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh;

Oh day for which creation

And all its tribes were made!
Oh joy for all its former woes
A thousand-fold repaid!
Oh then what raptured greeting
On Canaan's happy shore,
What knitting severed friendships up
Where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle
That brimmed with tears of late,
Orphans no longer fatherless,
Nor w.dows desolate.

This hymn was sung at his own funeral service.

On his tombstone was inscribed a

impressive and beautiful line which he had written for the purpose:
"THE INN OF A Traveller on his Way to Jerusalem."

That Day of wrath, that dreadful day!

Walter Scott, 1805.

"Lay of the Last Minstrel." It was translated from the "Dies iræ, Dies illa." Scott repeated a part of the Latin original on his death-bed. See page 248.

The chariot! the chariot! its wheels roll in fire. Milman.

Dean Milman, a son of Sir Francis Milman, physician to George III., was born in 1791, and was educated at Oxford. In 1821 he was installed as University Professor of Poetry at Oxford, and it was while filling this position that he wrote this celebrated hymn, under the title of "The Last Day."

The day is past and gone. John Leland. See page 86.

"Elder" Leland was an eccentric Baptist minister, born in Grafton, Mass., 1754Two verses from Watts, beginning, “And if we early rise," and "And when our days are past," are often added to this hymn in singing.

The God of Abram praise. Thomas Olivers. See page 234.

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord. Isaac Watts.

The King of glory we proclaim. James Montgomery. See page 231.

The Lord descended from above. Thomas Sternhold.

Scaliger declared that he would rather be the author of the second stanza of this hyma
than of all the works he had written.

The Lord my pasture shall prepare. Joseph Addison.
The sands of time are sinking. See page 93.

The spacious firmament on high. Joseph Addison.

The Spirit in our hearts. Henry Ustick Onderdonk.

The voice of free grace. Richard Bundsall. 1735-1824.

-The world can neither give nor take. Lady Huntingdon. See page 103.

There is a happy land. Young. See page 146.

There is a fountain filled with blood. William Cowper.

There is a land of pure delight. Isaac Watts. See page 221.

There is an hour of peaceful rest.

William B. Tappan.

An assiduous Christian worker of Boston, long connected with the American Sunday
School Union.

-There is an hour when I must part.

This hymn was written in Switzerland by Rev. Andrew Reed, an English Congrega
*ionalist minister. He said of it in his last days, "I wrote it at Geneva. It has
"
brought comfort to many, and now it brings comfort to me.'

Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love. Doddridge. See page 34.

Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore thee. Bishop Heber. This hymn was written on the death of his brother.

Thou dear Redeemer, dying Lamb. Cennick. See page 56.

Thou hidden love of God, whose height. Gerhard Tersteegen; trans lated by F. Wesley. See page 162.

Thou shalt rise, my dust, thou shalt rise. Klopstock. See page 91.

Thou whose almighty word. John Marriott, 1813.

Though nature's strength decay. James Montgomery. See page 236. Thus far the Lord hath led me on. Watts.

'Tis finished; so the Saviour cried. Samuel Stennett, 1787.

'Tis my happiness below. William Cowper.

'Tis religion that can give. Mary Masters. See page 152.

To Jesus, the crown of my hope. Cowper. See page 48.

To leave my dear friends and with neighbors to part. See page 49.
Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb. Watts.

Up to the hills I lift mine eyes. Isaac Watts.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus. Robert II. See page 68.

Vital spark of heavenly flame. Pope. See page 62.

Watchman, tell us of the night. John Bowring. See page 128.

Welcome, sweet day of rest. Isaac Watts.

We praise Thee, O God; we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. See page

This is among the earliest and grandest tones in the Christian church, having probably been composed in the fourth century. It is the work of the Latin fathers, and is especially inscribed to Augustine and Ambrose. It appears in various forme in most ancient and modern collections, and is commonly known as the "Te Deum Laudamus."

We speak of the realms of the blest. Mrs. Mills. See page 148.
What are these in bright array? James Montgomery.

What shall a dying sinner do? Watts. See page 223.

When all thy mercies, O my God. Joseph Addison. See page 50.
When gathering clouds around I view. Robert Grant.

When I can read my title clear. Isaac Watts. See page 222.

When I survey the wondrous cross.

When languor and disease invade.

Isaac Watts. See page 221.
Toplady. See page 27.

When, marshalled on the nightly plain. Henry Kirke White. See page 132 When shall we meet again? Alaric A. Watts.

Written in youth, on parting from friends.

When shall we three meet again? See page 182.

When through the torn sail the wild tempest is streaming. Reginald Heber. See page 175.

When thou, my righteous Judge, shalt come. Lady Huntingdon. See page 104.

While shepherds watched their flocks by night. Nahum Tate.

While Thee I seek, Protecting Power. Helen Maria Williams. See page 129.

While with ceaseless course the sun. John Newton. See page 134.
Why do we mourn departing friends? Watts.

Why should the children of a King.

Watts.

With one consent let all the earth. Tate and Brady.

Ye boundless realms of joy. Tate and Brady.

Ye choirs of New Jerusalem. St. Fulbert. See page 69.
St. Fulbert was one of the spiritual advisers of King Canute.
Ye virgin souls, arise. Charles Wesley. See page 108.

X. HYMN-WRITERS

AND THEIR HYMNS,

WITH THE PAGES OF THIS WORK, WHERE ANY OF THEM ARE REFERRED TO.