The book of sacred song

Preface

At the request of one, whose name, were it ;iven, would be sufficient guarantee for the soundless of the following selection of sacred poems, I lave examined the manuscript as it has been prepared for the press. The fulfilment of this pleasurable task enables me to express my cordial approval of the selection, and my belief that few persons will peruse it without profit and satisfaction.

If the present be a period in which no living poet of the highest order receives universal applause, it is one in which the treasures of the past are carefully examined, and many a mine long ago regarded as exhausted, if indeed its very existence had not well nigh passed from memory, has been

b

IV PREFACE.

anew opened and re-worked, and many a gem of surpassing brightness and worth has been thence brought into light.

This work was undertaken for the purpose of placing before the Christian public a series of sacred pieces which are not usually found in books designed for use in Public Worship, but which for sentiment and poetry alike claim to be esteemed as ' apples of gold in pictures of silver/

The arrangement adopted is chronological. The pieces are culled from the writings of various authors, whose names adorn the literary history of our country, from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the present day. There is an identity of faith, of hope, and of joy by which all may be recognized as fitting media for the expression of the experience of the members of the one Church militant here on earth — the one family of God's first-born.

A work of this kind effectively illustrates the communion of saints. For many successive generations the same inner spiritual life has been

PREFACE. v

affected by the same divine truths ; the saintly soul has been stirred by the same antagonisms of flesh and spirit, conscious of the same keen conflict between sin and grace, drawn onward by the same hopes, prompted to action by the same aspirations, and borne aloft by the same impulsive motives. The depths of sin and misery, revealed by the lens of God's word and the light of God's Spirit, enforce from the terrified spirit the groanings of unutterable despair. The mighty love displayed on Calvary, the atoning efficacy of the blood of our Saviour-God there shed, when He made His soul an offering for sin, and died the just for the unjust to bring us to God, raises from the dust of death, dispels fear, inspires with joy and peace, the blessed progeny of faith, and summons from the joyous beholder a new song, even a thanksgiving to our God. The poet's appeal to his own heart finds a ready response in ours ; and, despite the mental activity and intellectual development of the 19th century, we here find ourselves

VI PREFACE.

on the same platform of faith and hope and love with those whose spiritual condition and progress were described centuries ago. The continuous stream of hallowed poesy flows on • age after age lifts up its voice; voice after voice takes up the subject with varied rhythm and in perhaps a slightly varied key. We listen entranced by the music of the successive bards as one by one they pass before us. And when the last cadence of the reremost has died away, with bated breath we listen as if to catch from the spirit-world the echoes of their now united strains, as in that land of unsullied purity and jov they sing their song of grat-eful praise, to Him who loved them, and washed them from their sins in His own blood, and made them kings and priests unto God, with whom they shall live in heavenly light and holiness and love for ever and ever.

C. K.

Bath, November n, 1863.

Part I. Old English : Elizabethan : Stuart

DRUMMOND.

Now doth the sun appear

WOTTON.

O Thou great Power ! in whom I move

MARDLEY.

0 Lord, turn not Thy face away JONSON.

1 sing the birth was born to-night Hear me, O God !

HERBERT.

Sweet day, so cool; so calm, so bright Throw away Thy rod My stock lies dead, and no increase Teach me. my God and King Sweetest Saviour, if my soul . . ' When God at first made man

CH. HARVEY.

Great, without controversy great

PAGE

13 16 vlu CONTENTS.

DONNE. pAGE

Wilt Thou forgive that sin where I begun . . 17

SANDYS.

God is our refuge, our strong tower .. .. 18

WITHER.

Who knows, when he to go from home . . 20

Behold the sun, that seeirfd but now . . . . 21

HERRICK.

In the hour of my distress .. .. ..23

KING.

Like to the falling of a star . . . . 24

CRASHAW.

Lord ! what is man ? Why should he cost Thee . . 25 On the proud banks of great Euphrates' flood . . 27

SHIRLEY.

The glories of our blood and state . . . . 29

F. QUARLES.

Wages of Sin is death : the day is come . . 30

Ah ! whither shall I fly ? what path untrod . . 32

J. QUARLES.

In all extremes, Lord, Thou art still . . . . 33

WALLER.

The seas are quiet when the winds are o'er . . 35

MILTON.

When Faith and Love, which parted from thee never 36

When I consider how my light is spent . . . . 37

Blest pair of Syrens, pledges of heaven's joy . . 37

BAXTER.

Lord, it belongs not to my care . . . . 39

CONTENTS. IX

VAUGHAN. PAG£

When first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave . . 40

My soul, there is a country . . . . 42

MARVELL.

Where the remote Bermudas ride . . 43

ROSCOMMON (FROM TIJE LATIN).

The last loud trumpet's wondrous sound . . 45

Part II

WILLIAM AND MARY, ANNE, GEORGE I. AND II.

DRYDEN.

Creator Spirit, by whose aid . . . . . . 49

KEN.

My God, to keep my heart . . . . 51

TATE.

Bless God, my soul ! — Thou, Lord, alone . . 52

ADDISON.

The Lord my pasture shall prepare . . 54

DODDRIDGE.

Interval of grateful shade . . . . 55

CENNICK.

Jesus, my all, to heaven is gone . . . , 58

JOHN BYROM.

My spirit longeth for Thee . . . . 59

X

CONTENTS.

ANNE STEELE.

My God, my Father, blissful name HART.

Jesus, while He dwelt below

OLIVERS.

The God of Abraham praise

SEAGRAVE.

Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings

J. WESLEY (FROM TERSTEEGEN).

Thou hidden Love of God, whose height

J. WESLEY (FROM THE GERMAN).

I thirst, Thou wounded Lamb of God . . . .

J. WESLEY (FROM COUNT ZINZENDORF).

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness

J. WESLEY (FROM SCHEFFLER).

Thee will I love, my strength and tower

J. WESLEY (FROM GERHARDT).

Give to the winds thy fears . .

J. WESLEY (FROM BISHOP A. G. SPANGENBERG

High on His everlasting throne

J. WESLEY (FROM PAUL GERHARDT).

Commit thou all thy griefs

C. WESLEY.

Thou God of glorious majesty No, I would not always live Come, O Thou Traveller unknown I the good fight have fought Help, Lord, to whom for help I fly Christ, whose glory fills the skies

PAGE

86 88 89 92

93 94

CONTENTS.

Weary of wandering from my God Shrinking from the cold hand of death . . In age and feebleness extreme

GAM.BOLD.

So many years I've seen the sun

That I am Thine, my Lord and God . .

XI

PAGE 95

Part III. Period Of George III

MOSES BROWNE (FROM THE GERMAN)

'Tis not too hard, too high an aim

GRIGG.

Jesus, and shall it ever be

TOPLADY.

Happiness ! thou lovely name Lord, I feel a carnal mind When languor and disease invade Supreme High- Priest, the pilgrim's light O that my heart was right with Thee

COWPER.

The path of sorrow, and that path alone Oh ! for a closer walk with God Far from the world, O Lord ! I flee Weak and irresolute is man When darkness long has veiTd my mind -What various hindrances we meet io8

118 120 121 122 123 125

X11 . CONTENTS.

COWPER (FROM MAD. GUION). page

Long plunged in sorrow, I resign . . 126

NEWTON.

Quiet, Lord, my froward heart . . . ,# 127

One there is, above all others . . . . 128

Come, my soul, Thy suit prepare .. ..130

In every object here I see .. .. ..131

BRUCE, PUBLISHED BY LOGAN.

Where high the heavenly temple stands .. 132

Behold ! the mountain of the Lord . . 1 3 3

COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON.

The world can neither give nor take . . . . 1 3 5

C. J. LATROBE (FROM BISHOP GREGOR).

Man of sorrows, and acquainted . . ..136

KIRKE WHITE.

What is this passing scene ? . . . . 138

Awake, sweet harp of Judah, wake . . 139

Ah ! when did wisdom covet length of days . . 141

Through sorrow's night and danger's path . . 141

MARRIOTT.

A saint ! Oh would that I could claim . . . . 143

BERRIDGE.

Jesus, cast a look on me . . . . 144

CAMPBELL.

When Jordan husrfd his waters still . . . . 146

BEDDOME.

Wait, O my soul, thy Maker's will . . 147

BYRON.

A spirit pass'd before me : I beheld . . 148

The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold 149

CONTENTS. X1U

Part IV. Modern: Deceased Writers

HEBER. page

To conquer and to save, the Son of God . . 153

Beneath our feet and o'er our head . . ..154

Thou art gone to the grave, but we will not deplore

There was joy in heaven ! . . 157

BOWDLER.

Child of man, whose seed below . . 158

R. GRANT.

Lord of earth ! Thy forming hand . . . . 160

From Olivet's sequester'd seats .. ..162

KELLY.

The God of glory dwells on high .. ..164

O Zion ! when I think on thee . . . . 165

JANE TAYLOR.

There is a state unknown, unseen . . . . 166

Come, my fond, fluttering heart . . . . 168

S. M. WARING.

Plead Thou — oh plead my cause ! . . 170

How sweet shall be the incense of my prayer ! . . 172

HEMANS.

Leaves have their time to fall . . 173

O lovely voices of the sky . . . . 175

Fear was within the tossing bark . . . . 176

XIV

CONTENTS.

HUIE. page

Child of the dust ! if e'er thine eye . . . . 177

WORDSWORTH.

A bright-hair'd company of youthful slaves . . 179 But whence came they who for the Saviour Lord . . 179

Not seldom, clad in radiant vest . . . . 180

MOORE.

Fallen is thy throne, O Israel . . . . 181 SCOTT.

When Israel, of the Lord beloved . . ..183

CROLY.

The wind blows chill across those gloomy waves . . 183

CONDER.

'Tis finish'd! — Every circumstance fulfill'd .. 185

Oh, cling not, Trembler, to life's fragile bark . . 186

CAROLINE FRY.

Ask the bird that soars on high . . 188

Grace does not steel the faithful heart .. ..189

Faith, like a simple, unsuspecting child . . 191

LYTE.

Dark was my lot, and long it spurn'd . . 192

There is a safe and secret place . , . . 194

Glorious Shepherd of the sheep .. ..195

When at thy footstool, Lord, I bend . . 196

Abide with me ! Fast falls the eventide . . . . 197

MONTGOMERY.

Friend after friend departs . . . . 199

The days and years of time are fled . . , . 200

Prayer is the souPs sincere desire . . . . 202

O God unseen, but not unknown . . . . 204

Oh ! where shall rest be found . . . . 206

CONTENTS. XV

PAGE

Servant of God, well done ! . . . . 207

This shadow on the dial's face . . . . 209

Hail to the Lord's Anointed . . . . . . 211

HANKINSON.

Come, see the place where Jesus lies . . . . 213

E. B. BROWNING.

Of all the thoughts of God that are . . . . 215

The Saviour look'd on Peter. Ay, no word . . 217 It is a place where poets crown'd may feel the heart's mc cheyne.

When this passing world is done . . . . 224