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��HYMNOLOGY OF THE CHURCHES.
��cast. Of such is the hymn by Martin tory of John Gilpin," and the hymn Luther, commencing :
��commencing
��" A mighty fortress is our God.
A bulwark never failing ; Our helper he, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing : For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work our woe ; His craft and power are great. And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal."
Hymns of that cast or tone might properly be expected of the great Ger- man Reformer, but of Henry Kirke White, who died at only a little over twenty-one, we would not look for pro- ductions of heroic character. He was a native of Nottingham, England, and a young man of such rare promise, that a memoir of him was written by the poet Southey. He died in 1806. Here are three verses of a hymn by this young man that are of the heroic cast :
"The Lord, our God, is clothed with might, The winds obey his will ; He speaks, and in his heavenly height, The rolling sun stands still.
Rebel, ye waves, and o'er the land With threatening aspect roar ;
The Lord uplifts his awful hand. And chains you to the shore.
Howl, winds of night, your force com- bine —
Without God's high behest, Ye shall not, in the mountain pine.
Disturb the sparrow's nest."
And a third example is by William Shrubsole, Esq., of Sheerness, England, one of the founders of the London Missionary Society, commencing —
"' Arm of the Lord, awake, awake;
Put on. thy strength, the nations shake ; Now let the world, adoring, see Triumphs of mercy wrought by thee."
No writer of hymns, not himself a clergyman, is held in greater favor by devout people, than William Cow- per, and no poet ever wrote produc- tions so entirely dissimilar. It is one of the curiosities of English Literature, that the author of the " Diverting His-
��" Oh, for a closer walk with God ; A calm and heavenly frame ; A light to shine upon the road That leads me to .the Lamb,"
were one and the same man. Such productions of Covvper as are brought into the service of sacred song are known in his works as " Olney Hymns," because written when the author dwelt in that town with the Unwin family. These hymns are sixty-eight in number, and found in most collections. Perhaps the following is as much a favorite as any of the Olney Hymns :
" God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform ; He plants his footsteps in the sea. And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill. He treasures up Iris bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take !
The clouds ye so much dread, Are big with mercy, and will break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sen?e.
But trust him for his grace ; Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast.
Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err.
And scan his work in vain ; God is his own interpreter.
And he will make it plain."
Although the greater portion of hymns in use for church service were written by clergymen, yet laymen have written much and well. Wordsworth, Byrant, Montgomery, H. K. White, Thomas Moore (the Irish melodist), Geo. P. Morris, Browning, Addison. Dryden, Oliver W. Holmes, and W. B. Tappan are of this number, and many might lie added. Addison was one of the most eminent literary men of the age in which he lived. The Spectator (for which Addison was chief writer) , dated
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