The Story of the Hymns and Tunes Part 75

The earth and seas are pa.s.sed away, And the old rolling skies.

From the third heaven, where G.o.d resides, That holy, happy place, The New Jerusalem comes down, Adorned with shining grace.

This hymn of Watts' sings one of his most exalted visions. It has been dear for two hundred years to every Christian soul throbbing with millennial thoughts and wishful of the day when--

The G.o.d of glory down to men Removes His best abode,

--and when--

His own kind hand shall wipe the tears From every weeping eye, And pains and groans, and griefs and fears, And death itself shall die,

--and the yearning cry of the last stanza, when the vision fades, has been the household ? [A] of myriads of burdened and sorrowing saints--

How long, dear Saviour, O how long Shall this bright hour delay?

Fly swifter round ye wheels of Time, And bring the welcome day!

[Footnote A: Transcriber's note--This question mark is in the original.

It is possibly a compositor's query which the author missed when correcting the proofs. The missing text could be "word".]

_THE TUNES._

By right of long appropriation both "Northfield" and "New Jerusalem" own a near relationship to these glorious verses. Ingalls, one of the constellation of early Puritan psalmodists, to which Billings and Swan belonged, evidently loved the hymn, and composed his "New Jerusalem" to the verse, "From the third heaven," and his "Northfield" to "How long, dear Saviour." The former is now sung only as a reminiscence of the music of the past, at church festivals, charity fairs and entertainments of similar design, but the action and hearty joy in it always evoke sympathetic applause. "Northfield" is still in occasional use, and it is a jewel of melody, however irretrievably out of fashion.

Its union to that immortal stanza, if no other reason, seems likely to insure its permanent place in the lists of sacred song.

John Cole's "Annapolis," still found in a few hymnals with these words, is a little too late to be called a contemporary piece, but there are some reminders of Ingalls' "New Jerusalem" in its style and vigor, and it really partakes the flavor of the old New England church music.

Jeremiah Ingalls was born in Andover, Ma.s.s., March 1, 1764. A natural fondness for music increased with his years, but opportunities to educate it were few and far between, and he seemed like to become no more than a fairly good ba.s.s-viol player in the village choir. But his determination carried him higher, and in time his self-taught talent qualified him for a singing-school master, and for many years he travelled through Ma.s.sachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, training the raw vocal material in the country towns, and organizing choirs.

Between his thirtieth and fortieth years, he composed a number of tunes, and, in 1804 published a two hundred page collection of his own and others' music, which he called the _Christian Harmony_.

His home was for some time in Newberry, Vt., but he subsequently lived at Rochester and at Hanc.o.c.k in the same state.

Among the traditions of him is this anecdote of the origin of his famous tune "Northfield," which may indicate something of his temper and religious habit. During his travels as a singing-school teacher he stopped at a tavern in the town of Northfield and ordered his dinner. It was very slow in coming, but the inevitable "how long?" that formulated itself in his hungry thoughts, instead of sharpening into profane complaint, fell into the rhythm of Watts' sacred line--and the tune came with it. To call it "Northfield" was natural enough; the place where its melody first beguiled him from his bodily wants to a dream of the final Fruition Day.

Ingalls died in Hanc.o.c.k, Vt., April 6, 1828.

CHAPTER XIV.

HYMNS OF HOPE AND CONSOLATION.

"JERUSALEM THE GOLDEN."

_Urbs Sion Aurea._

"The Seven Great Hymns" of the Latin Church are:

Laus Patriae Coelestis,--(Praise of the Heavenly Country).

Veni, Sancte Spiritus,--(Come, Holy Spirit) Veni, Creator Spiritus,--(Come, Creator Spirit) Dies Irae,--(The Day of Wrath) Stabat Mater,--(The Mother Stood By) Mater Speciosa,--(The Fair Mother.) Vexilla Regis.--(The Banner of the King.)

Chief of these is the first named, though that is but part of a religious poem of three thousand lines, which the author, Bernard of Cluny, named "De Contemptu Mundi" (Concerning Disdain of the World.)

Bernard was of English parentage, though born at Morlaix, a seaport town in the north of France. The exact date of his birth is unknown, though it was probably about A.D. 1100. He is called Bernard of Cluny because he lived and wrote at that place, a French town on the Grone where he was abbot of a famous monastery, and also to distinguish him from Bernard of Clairvaux.

His great poem is rarely spoken of as a whole, but in three portions, as if each were a complete work. The first is the long exordium, exhausting the pessimistic t.i.tle (contempt of the world), and pa.s.sing on to the second, where begins the real "Laus Patriae Coelestis." This being cut in two, making a third portion, has enriched the Christian world with two of its best hymns, "For Thee, O Dear, Dear Country," and "Jerusalem the Golden."

Bernard wrote the medieval or church Latin in its prime of literary refinement, and its accent is so obvious and its rhythm so musical that even one ignorant of the language could p.r.o.nounce it, and catch its rhymes. The "Contemptu Mundi" begins with these two lines, in a hexameter impossible to copy in translation:

Hora novissima; tempora pessima sunt; Vigilemus!

Ecce minaciter imminet Arbiter, Ille Supremus!

'Tis the last hour; the times are at their worst; Watch; lo the Judge Supreme stands threat'ning nigh!

Or, as Dr. Neale paraphrases and softens it,--

The World is very evil, The times are waxing late, Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate,

--and, after the poet's long, dark diorama of the world's wicked condition, follows the "Praise of the Heavenly Fatherland," when a tender glory dawns upon the scene till it breaks into sunrise with the vision of the Golden City. All that an opulent and devout imagination can picture of the beauty and bounty of heaven, and all that faith can construct from the glimpses in the Revelation of its glory and happiness is poured forth in the lavish poetry of the inspired monk of Cluny--

Urbs Sion aurea, patria lactea, cive decora, Omne cor obruis, omnibus obstruis, et cor et ora.

Nescio, nescio quae jubilatio lux tibi qualis, Quam socialia gaudia, gloria quam specialis.

Jerusalem, the golden; With milk and honey blest; Beneath thy contemplation Sink heart and voice opprest.

I know not, O I know not What joys await us there, With radiancy of glory, With bliss beyond compare.

They stand, those halls of Zion, All jubilant with song,[47]

And bright with many an angel; And all the martyr throng.

The Prince is ever in them, The daylight is serene; The pastures of the blessed Are decked in glorious sheen.

O sweet and blessed country, The home of G.o.d's elect!

O sweet and blessed country, That eager hearts expect!

Jesu, in mercy bring us To that dear land of rest, Who art, with G.o.d the Father, And Spirit, ever blest.

[Footnote 47: In first editions, "_conjubilant_ with song."]

Dr. John Mason Neale, the translator, was obliged to condense Bernard's exuberant verse, and he has done so with unsurpa.s.sable grace and melody.

He made his translation while "inhibited" from his priestly functions in the Church of England for his high ritualistic views and practice, and so poor that he wrote stories for children to earn his living. His poverty added to the wealth of Christendom.

_THE TUNE._

The music of "Jerusalem the Golden" used in most churches is the composition of Alexander Ewing, a paymaster in the English army. He was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Jan. 3d, 1830, and educated there at Marischal College. The tune bears his name, and this honor, and its general favor with the public, are so much testimony to its merit. It is a stately harmony in D major with sonorous and impressive chords. Ewing died in 1895.