The Story of Our Hymns Part 29

Mrs. Browning, in her poem ent.i.tled "Cowper's Grave," concludes with these lines:

"O poets, from a maniac's tongue was poured the deathless singing!

O Christians, at your cross of hope a hopeless hand was clinging!

O men, this man in brotherhood your weary paths beguiling, Groaned inly while he taught you peace, and died while you were smiling."

It is a n.o.ble tribute to the deathless work of an afflicted man, and reminds us that Cowper is still singing his wondrous theme of "redeeming love," although his

"poor lisping, stammering tongue Lies silent in the grave."

A Hymn of Gracious Invitation

Come ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish; Come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel: Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.

Joy of the desolate, light of the straying, Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!

Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying, "Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot cure."

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing Forth from the throne of G.o.d, pure from above, Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing Earth has no sorrow but Heaven can remove.

Thomas Moore (1179-1852).

AN IRISH POET AND HIS HYMNS

There are probably few Protestants who, when they have sung "Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish," have been conscious of the fact that it was written by a Roman Catholic. There is indeed no place where the "communion of saints" becomes so apparent as in the hymn-books of Christendom. The authors of our great hymns have come from practically every Christian communion, proving that in every church group there are souls who are living in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Thomas Moore, the author of the hymn mentioned above, is probably better known for his ballads and other poems than for his hymns. Lovers of English lyric poetry will always remember him as the writer of "The last rose of summer," "Believe me, if all those endearing young charms," "The harp that once through Tara's halls," "Oft in the stilly night," and a number of other ballads that have lived through the years and have made the name of Thomas Moore famous.

Moore, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 28, 1779, was a man of curious make-up. True to his Celtic nature, he possessed a fiery temper that often brought him into embarra.s.sing situations.

Jeffrey, the famous critic, once aroused Moore's ire by saying unkind things about his poetry. Moore resented this and promptly challenged Jeffrey to a duel. The authorities interfered before any blood was shed.

It was then discovered that one of the pistols contained no bullet, whereupon the two men became fast friends.

Moore was one of the few men who ever made a financial success of the business of writing poetry. For "Lalla Rookh" he received $15,000 before a single copy had been sold.

Moore's hymns, thirty-two in number, first appeared in his volume of "Sacred Songs," published in 1816. Most of these hymns were written to popular airs of various nations. They have attained greater popularity in America than in Great Britain. One of the most famous of his hymns is "Sound the loud timbrel o'er Egypt's dark sea."

Like most men of poetic bent, Moore was a poor financier and business man. At one time he accepted a government position in the revenue service at Bermuda. He did not enjoy his tasks, and so he placed his duties in the hands of a deputy, while he went on a tour of America. The deputy, however, absconded with the proceeds of a ship's cargo, whereupon Moore found himself liable for the loss of $30,000.

"Come, ye disconsolate" was so changed by Thomas Hastings, the great American hymnist, that it almost became a new hymn. The second line of the first stanza, as Moore originally wrote it, was:

Come, at the shrine of G.o.d fervently kneel.

The second line of the second stanza was also changed by Dr. Hastings, the original version by Moore being:

Hope, when all others die, fadeless and pure.

The third line of the second stanza was greatly improved by the American critic. Moore's line read:

Here speaks the Comforter, in G.o.d's name saying.

But the greatest change was made in the third stanza. This was practically rewritten by Dr. Hastings. Moore's third stanza departs very radically and abruptly from true hymn style. It originally read:

Come, ask the infidel what boon he brings us, What charm for aching hearts he can reveal, Sweet is that heavenly promise Hope sings us-- Earth has no sorrow that G.o.d cannot heal.

The last three years of Moore's life were very unhappy. A nervous affliction rendered him practically helpless. His death occurred on February 26, 1852, at the age of seventy-three years.

A Beautiful Lyric on Prayer

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed; The motion of a hidden fire That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try; Prayer the sublimest strains that reach The majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, Returning from his ways; While angels in their songs rejoice And cry, "Behold, he prays!"

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, The Christian's native air; His watchword at the gates of death; He enters heaven with prayer.

O Thou, by whom we come to G.o.d, The Life, the Truth, the Way, The paths of prayer Thyself hast trod: Lord, teach us how to pray!

James Montgomery, 1818

THE HYMN LEGACY OF AN ENGLISH EDITOR

Shortly before James Montgomery died, a friend asked him, "Which of your poems will live?" He answered, "None, sir; nothing, except perhaps a few of my hymns."

Montgomery was right. Although he wrote a number of pretentious poems, they have been forgotten. But his hymns live on. A perusal of almost any evangelical hymn-book will probably reveal more hymns by this gifted and consecrated man than by any other author, excepting only Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley.

What a rich legacy was bequeathed to the Christian Church by the man who wrote "Hail to the Lord's Anointed," "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire," "Angels, from the realms of glory," "In the hour of trial," "Who are these in bright array?" "According to Thy gracious Word," "Come to Calvary's holy mountain," "Forever with the Lord," "The Lord is my shepherd, no want shall I know," "Jerusalem, my happy home," and "Go to dark Gethsemane!" Montgomery wrote about four hundred hymns in all, and nearly one-fourth of these are still in common use.

Montgomery began writing hymns as a little boy. He was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, November 4, 1771. His father was a Moravian minister, and it had been determined that the son James should also be trained for the same calling. Accordingly he was sent to the Moravian seminary at Fulneck, Yorkshire, England. The parents, however, were sent to the West Indies as missionaries, and their death there made it necessary for James to discontinue his schooling.

For a while he worked as a clerk in a store, but this was entirely distasteful to one who possessed the literary gifts of Montgomery. At the age of nineteen we find him in London with a few of his poems in ma.n.u.script form, trying to find a publisher who would print them. In this he was unsuccessful, and two years later we follow him to Sheffield, where he became a.s.sociated with Robert Gales, editor of the Sheffield Register.

Gales was a radical, and, because he displeased the authorities by some of his articles, he found it convenient in 1794 to leave England for America. Montgomery, then only twenty-three years old, took over the publication of the paper and changed its name to the Sheffield Iris.