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[Illustration: IRA D. SANKEY]
HYMNS
_In Human Experience_
[Illustration: Decoration]
by
_WILLIAM J. HART, D.D._
[Illustration: Decoration]
[Illustration: Harper & Brothers]
Publishers _HARPER & BROTHERS_
_New York and London_ 1931
_Copyright, 1931, by Harper & Brothers. Printed in the U. S. A. First
Edition_ _D-F_
To
_My Wife and Daughters_
[Illustration: Decoration]
THE GOOD OLD HYMNS
_There's lots of music in 'em, the hymns of long ago;
An' when some gray-haired brother sings the ones I used to know
I sorter want to take a hand--I think o' days gone by--
"On Jordan's stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye."_
_There's lots of music in 'em--those dear, sweet hymns of old,
With visions bright of lands of light and shining streets of gold;
And I hear 'em ringing--singing, where memory dreaming stands,
"From Greenland's icy mountains to India's coral strands."_
_We hardly needed singin' books in them old days: we knew
The words, the tunes, of every one, the dear old hymn book through!
We had no blaring trumpets then, no organs built for show;
We only sang to praise the Lord, "from whom all blessings flow."_
_An' so I love the dear old hymns, and when my time shall come--
Before the light has left me and my singing lips are dumb--
If I can only hear 'em then, I'll pass, without a sigh,
"To Canaan's fair and happy land, where my possessions lie!"_
--Frank L. Stanton in _The Atlanta Constitution_
_CONTENTS_
Preface xi
I. A Singing Faith 1
II. Songs in the Night 29
III. Hymns Mothers Loved 52
IV. When Preachers Sing 67
V. Songs of Soldiers 80
VI. Heard within Prison Walls 95
VII. The Music of Submerged Lives 103
VIII. Songs of Salvation 113
IX. "The Old Rugged Cross" 127
X. Hymns of Youth 136
XI. Hymns As Prayers 153
XII. Songs of the Negroes 165
XIII. Christmas and Easter Melodies 173
XIV. Funeral Music 188
XV. Hymns on Patriotic Occasions 204
Index of Hymns 217
PREFACE
Half a million hymns, it is estimated, are written in more than two
hundred languages and dialects in which Christianity is preached. Some
of these are translations, but many are original expressions of the
Christian faith. This extraordinary production is an impressive
testimony from Christian experience.
Having for many years made a study of the influence of hymns in human
experience, I have during that time gleaned material from newspapers,
periodicals (both American and British) and books; and to both the
authors and the publishers of these I here express my indebtedness.
Little is said in this volume concerning the origin of hymns and tunes,
or of their place in literature. These aspects of the subject are well
discussed in "The English Hymn" by Louis F. Benson, "The Hymn as
Literature" by J. B. Reeves, "The Story of the Hymns and Tunes" by T.
Brown and H. Butterworth, "The Evolution of the English Hymn" by F. J.
Gillman, "Stories of Great Hymns of the Church" by Silas H. Paine,
"English Hymns: Their Authors and History" by S. W. Duffield, and many
others.
The chief purpose of this volume is to show how hymns have been actually
used, and how people have been helped by them in different circumstances
of life. Each chapter has a brief introduction bearing on the special
topic, and the various incidents are linked together in a manner which
gives continuity to the whole.
Some of this material was used in addresses at church services, and also
in Chapel Addresses at the Northern New York Summer School for
Ministerial Training. As dean of this school the author desires to
associate both the members of the faculty and the student body with this
volume. Their expressed appreciation of the incidents which they heard,
and their urgent request for the publication of the same, encouraged me
to complete this work.
I desire to make special mention of the assistance received from the
Rev. Oscar L. Joseph, Litt. D. His wise counsel has been invaluable.
Furthermore, he has edited the volume with the utmost care, and its
final form is the result of his experience as an author and his
painstaking labors. The introductory notes in each chapter were also
written by Dr. Joseph and these constitute an important feature of the
volume.
Ministers and laity alike, it is believed, will find this book of value.
My hope is that it may help towards a renewed emphasis upon the value of
Christian experience, and a broader recognition of the rich heritage
which Christianity has in its songs.
William J. Hart
_Utica, New York_
1931
_Hymns In Human Experience_
CHAPTER I
_A Singing Faith_
Christianity came to the world on the wings of song. From that memorable
night when the angels celebrated the divine grace in "Glory to God in
the Highest" up to the present day, song has been a powerful agency in
spreading the Gospel of Redemption. Consider the influence of hymns in
leading people to God, in giving courage to the depressed, hope to the
disappointed, comfort to the sorrowing, guidance to the perplexed; in
creating and confirming faith; in inspiring for the performance of duty
and for steadfastness in fidelity.
The hymn holds a premier place in the literature of poetry, but it is
much more than poetry. "It belongs with the things of the spirit, in the
sphere of religious experience and communion with God." Some of the best
hymns which have touched and transformed the depths of human life may
not meet the tests of literary critics. But more important than such
academic standards is the conclusive proof that these writings have
animated and sustained faith, hope and love. They have done this more
effectively than any other means employed to produce these exhilarating
and virtuous qualities of Christian character.
It is true that Christianity came out of a religion which has its rich
heritage in the Psalter. Indeed, this is the world's greatest hymn book;
its sentences of prayer and praise have captured the hearts of
generations of pious souls and ministered to their religious and moral
needs. It is equally true that Christianity has liberated song far more
effectively than any other religion. Of all the liturgical aids to
private and public worship hymns are the most popular because of their
freedom from any sectarian note and their wholesome ability to rouse
emotion and direct life in ways of humane service.
This chapter is a selection of incidents which illustrate how hymns have
voiced the deep instincts of the soul under a variety of circumstances.
They witness to the power of the Gospel to soothe, calm and sustain in
ways hardly otherwise possible. They show how hymns are woven into the
fabric of life and that in times of pressure they express the latent and
active emotions which give evidence of the real worth and dignity of
human personality.
Tastes differ about hymns, but many will agree with these two men
concerning:
The Supreme Hymn
Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes were once discussing what they
considered the best hymn ever written. Holmes said that the hymns
published by the various churches were mere bits of
cabinet-work--phrases from the Scriptures or from devotional writers
such as Thomas à Kempis being patched together in metrical form. Emerson
signified his assent; and then Holmes, rising, continued, "In my opinion
the greatest hymn ever written is this:
'Thou hidden love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed, no man knows,
I see from far Thy beauteous light,
Inly I sigh for Thy repose:
My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest, till it finds rest in Thee.'"
"I know, I know!" exclaimed Emerson. "That is the supreme hymn."
Its author was Gerhard Tersteegen, one of the most prolific of German
hymn writers. It was translated by John Wesley when he was in Savannah,
Georgia, in 1736. It must have made a profound impression upon Holmes
who wrote the hymn:
"Lord of all being, throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Center and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!"
Harry Lauder, in _Roamin' in the Gloamin'_,[1] refers to it as "that
gorgeous bit of poetic imagery," and adds that Holmes would have been
the greatest hymn writer in the world had he only written some more.
The reference to John Wesley recalls an interesting incident:
When Two Hymn-Writers Met
On a fine summer's day in the first half of the eighteenth century a
traveler on horseback, crossing one of the lovely hills of Derbyshire in
England, was aroused from his meditations by the voice of singing.
Pausing to listen, these words came on the still air from the valley
below:
"Could we but climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o'er,
Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore."
Instantly, in a clear voice, the traveler sent ringing down the hills
the glad response in his brother's words:
"The promised land, from Pisgah's top,
I now exult to see:
My hope is full, O glorious hope!
Of immortality."
And then the two greatest little men in all England, John Wesley and
Isaac Watts, met and talked together of the deep things of God.
How indebted we are to these two men for the enrichment of English
hymnody! Watts sang of the majesty of God while Charles Wesley, the
brother of the founder of Methodism, magnified the love of God, but all
three were one in purpose. We join with Watts in singing, "Jesus shall
reign where'er the sun," and with the same enthusiasm we sing with
Charles Wesley, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul."
How profoundly Watts had influenced his contemporaries is seen in
John Wesley's Last Hymn
The great evangelist had reached the age of eighty-eight and his passing
hence was in a cloud of glory. Arnold Lunn thus describes it in his book
_John Wesley_:[2] "The end was very beautiful. He lingered for three
days, surrounded by those who loved him. No pain, only a growing sense
of weakness, and a tranquil acceptance of the inevitable. He slept much
and spoke little, but sometimes the dying flame flickered up, and the
inner light which had changed the face of England glowed with its old
intensity. On the afternoon before he died, he surprised his friends by
bursting into song:
'I'll praise my Maker while I've breath,
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers.'
He sang two verses and then sank back exhausted. These lines were from
Watts' well-known hymn. Some hours passed as Wesley continued to sink,
and with ebbing strength his last words of triumphant faith were: "The
best of all is, God is with us."
Such a consciousness of the divine presence has sustained many others.
Here is one instance entitled:
Singing Their Farewell
Having spent forty years in educational work in England, a Scotch
schoolmaster and his wife moved back to their native land to spend their
days of retirement. Since they were active in one of the local churches,
the membership came together for a farewell service. When they came to
sing the closing hymn, choice was made of an arrangement of Psalm 34.[3]
Doubtless the aged couple going into the sunset period of life
afterwards recalled the words which they and their friends in Christian
service sang that evening:
"Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.
. . . . . . . . .
Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then
Have nothing else to fear;
Make you His service your delight,
He'll make your wants His care."
Cheerful and encouraging words were these in which to voice a farewell.
The happy outlook of a faith which breaks out in song impressed me when
I was a patient
In the Hospital
Christmas was near, and I was a patient in a hospital away from home.
The attending physician informed me that Dr. William D. Marsh, the
founder of "The League of the Kindly Tongue," an organization which has
a large membership in the United States as well as in some other
countries, was in the same hospital on the floor below. The day he was
discharged, he came to visit me. During the conversation he stated that
he had recently been relearning and trying to live a hymn which he found
very precious. It was one of Toplady's:
"If, on a quiet sea,
Toward heaven we calmly sail,
With grateful hearts, O God, to Thee,
We'll own the favoring gale."
Special reference was made to the last verse:
"Teach us, in every state,
To make Thy will our own;
And when the joys of sense depart,
To live by faith alone."
Such was the hymn beloved by the man who endeavored to enlist men and
women to bring their daily conversation into harmony with the Golden
Rule.
This experience brought to my mind the gracious sufficiency of Him whom
every believer confesses as
"Sun of My Soul"
Years of constructive service were given by Dr. Charles N. Sims to the
important task of building up Syracuse University. It was during the
time of the early struggles of the development of that institution that
he served heroically as the Chancellor. Later there followed some years
of pulpit activity. Then came the time of retirement from educational
and pastoral leadership, and he returned to his native state of Indiana
to spend the eventide of life.
When it was evident that the time of his home-going was near, a member
of the family went to the piano and played the hymn he greatly loved.
Softly also it was sung:
"Sun of my soul, thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near."
The second stanza was reached:
"When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My wearied eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought, how sweet to rest
Forever on my Saviour's breast."
Relatives, looking on the peaceful form, then observed that he had
quietly answered the call of his Lord, and that the spirit had gone to
the home of many mansions.
Here is an incident which recalls one of the bitter tragedies of the
ocean. See also page 30.
Their Last Sing-Song
Permission was obtained from the purser of the _Titanic_ to hold a song
service in the saloon one Sunday evening. The Rev. E. C. Carter, of
Whitechapel, London, a clergyman of the Anglican Church, was in charge.
A young Scotch engineer presided at the piano.
The passengers were asked to make their selections. It was significant
that many of the hymns chosen had to do with dangers at sea. There was a
hushed tone with which all sang: "For those in peril on the sea."
The service lasted until after ten o'clock, with wishes exchanged by all
that they might soon reach the end of their pleasant voyage by landing
in New York. Little did they realize at the time that only a few miles
ahead lay one peril on the sea in the iceberg that sank the great liner.
The leader of this service and his wife were among the hundreds who
perished ere the dawn of the next day.
The power of hymns to calm and sustain is seen in
Other Refuge Have I None
An air raid of the enemy threatened the destruction of a munitions
factory "somewhere in England" where thousands of women were working,
according to Mrs. Burnett Smith. A very tense feeling prevailed, for it
was realized that the worst might happen at any moment. Nerves began to
break a little, while sobs and screams were being heard. Then some one
in a far corner began softly to sing:
"Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly."
The others quickly joined in the song until all were singing softly and
quietly. The danger passed, and the women were unharmed.
One can imagine the courage of that group of women rising as they
prayerfully sang the words:
"Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee:
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing."
Their help in giving the fortitude of faith is illustrated by
An Unforgotten Song
A British writer has told us of an evening which he spent at a
fashionable watering place in Scotland. The visitors were seated in the
drawing-room, spending the evening in a leisurely manner in reading or
conversing.
Presently two ladies walked up to the piano, one to sing, the other to
play her accompaniment. Conversation still continued, as the air was
played over. But as soon as the words were reached, a hush fell upon the
audience. The piece was Topliff's setting of "Remember now thy Creator
in the days of thy youth." The drawing-room was a large one, capable of
seating some hundreds of people, and furnished in a way calculated to
deaden sound. Yet every word was heard distinctly.
The man who tells the story says that next to him was sitting a man,
apparently from the west of England, "endowed with a wise and gracious
Christlike spirit, the fruit of many years' experience in his Master's
service." This man listened with rapt attention. Then he turned to his
neighbor, and whispered in a hushed voice, "I can tell by the way that
girl sings that she is a Christian."
The narrator of the incident, anxious to know more about the young lady,
learned something of her experience. He records it as follows: "She had
been engaged to be married to a medical man--a very fine Christian. One
day, when he was staying at a place far distant from the home of his
fiancée, he was suddenly stricken with typhoid fever, and died almost
immediately. The lady was not told about it till after the funeral was
over. The shock was so great that she was prostrated for some days. When
she was able to get about again, her lovely voice, her greatest gift,
was gone. Something like paralysis of the throat prevented her speaking
above a whisper. Many months after, the voice gradually came back. When
she was able to sing once more with her old power, she made a solemn vow
that she would devote her voice very specially to God's service.
Thenceforth her most treasured possession was the Bible of her beloved.
I saw it. It was crowded with notes from cover to cover, for the book
was woven into its owner's life."
The secret of such a faith is finely expressed in
Sounding the Silver Trumpet
"I had read in the biography of Sir Edward Burne-Jones a legend which he
had noted," said Dr. R. G. Gillie. "When Lucifer was cast out of the
Holy City he founded a kingdom of his own, and one of his retainers,
greatly caring, asked what he missed most now that he was shut out of
Heaven. Pondering, the Prince of Evil paused and answered: 'I miss the
sound of the silver trumpets in the morning.' According to the legend
all the glad populace was called each day to labor and achievement by
silver trumpets."
"Today on weary nations
The heavenly manna falls;
To holy convocations
The silver trumpet calls."
The response to this call is touchingly related in an incident:
Grandchildren of Cannibals Praised God
Stirring reports were brought back from Africa by Mr. W. J. W. Roome
when he went there in 1929 for the British and Foreign Bible Society.
The main station of the great English Baptist Mission on the Congo is at
Yakusu. When Mr. Roome arrived at this point the children of the
mission, who were the grandchildren of cannibals, greeted him by singing
Lyte's great hymn.
"Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me His praise should sing?
Praise Him! praise Him! praise Him! praise Him!
Praise the everlasting King!"
The irrepressible faith in missionary work was recently advertised by
A Song Which Belted the Globe
Over four thousand women attended a communion service in Columbus, Ohio,
October 30, 1929. It was held in connection with the sixtieth
anniversary of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and was thus described by Eloise Andrews Woolever in
_The Christian Advocate_:
"The last great day opened with the communion service at 6:45, conducted
by Bishop William F. McDowell. At 4:30 on that dark, rainy morning eight
hundred women were standing on the steps of Memorial Hall. For nearly
three hours the procession passed forward to receive the broken bread
from the brass communion plates sent from Korea, and to drink the wine
from the Chinese communion cups, and to stand a moment in prayer. And in
the solemn hush one thought of the communion services being held around
the world on this day, when the communion song, 'The Light of the World
is Jesus,' would belt the globe."
This is the theme, announced with variations, concerning
The Wondrous Story
A company of friends were in the _Sunday School Times_ party which took
a trip by water from Philadelphia to the Pacific coast. In an article on
"Cruising to California," in 1930, Dr. Charles G. Trumbull related the
following:
"They were gathered together on the after-deck of the steamer, singing
the old hymns. Night had come down over the ocean, the myriad stars of a
tropical sky were twinkling overhead, and more than one of the Sunday
School Times party who were joining in the singing were thanking God for
the precious memories the old hymns brought them. Stewards and
stewardesses in the service of the ship were on deck near by, resting in
steamer chairs, enjoying the cool breezes and listening to the hymns.
"It was interesting to note the deep interest with which the passengers
on board listened to the singing of the old hymns. Some joined in; the
lips of others were seen moving as words of the hymn were being
repeated; one man removed his eyeglasses to wipe a certain mistiness
from his eyes, then he rather timidly asked that a certain hymn might be
sung, 'I Will Sing the Wondrous Story.'"
Some incidents are parables of life as when a congregation
Sang Amid the Darkness
Many years ago the Bishop of Ripon preached at Harrowgate on the text,
"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children
of light" (John 12:36). Earnestly and impressively he presented Christ
as the Light of the World. Those away from Christ were pictured as being
out in the darkness. Tenderly urging the congregation to come into the
light, he announced the hymn, "Abide With Me!" The large congregation
had joined with the choir in singing the first line:
"Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide,"
when every light in the church suddenly went out.
Without a moment of pause, however, the choir continued to follow the
organ, and sang:
"The darkness deepens--Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me!"
While singing the next lines, a few of the gas jets were lit. These
words were:
"Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;"
But the lights feebly flickered and died, and the congregation, again in
darkness, continued:
"Change and decay in all around I see:
O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!"
But the choir sang on to the end. When they reached the last stanza some
of the gas jets were burning; and in the dim light the words were
stirringly appealing:
"Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes:
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies:
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee:
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!"
_The Christian Advocate_ gives two illustrations of the popularity of
the hymn,
"God Will Take Care of You"
A blind man was seen crossing the street at a dangerous place in the
Bronx, New York City. When a friend approached he saw that the lips of
the blind man were moving, and as he listened he heard him singing
softly, "God will take care of you." When the friend made himself known
to the blind man he carelessly inquired, "Why are you singing that
hymn?" He replied: "The reason is that I must cross this dangerous
crossing just ahead of me in about a minute, and I was thinking that
possibly one of the many wagons or trucks might strike me and I would
get killed. But the thought came to me that even if it did occur my soul
would go straight to God. And if He led me across all right it would be
just another evidence of His care of me. So I just could not help
singing to myself, 'God will take care of you.' Hallelujah!"
A young woman who had lost both her husband and little daughter, and was
left to support herself in sorrow, took a slip of paper on which was
written the song, "God will take care of you," and pinned it over the
place where she did her dishwashing, and testified to the great comfort
the song brought to her.
A different kind of testimony, both interesting and exceptional, is
given in
A Sexton's Tribute to a Singer
Traveling amid the great artificial lakes in the Elan Valley, from which
Birmingham receives its water supply from the Welsh mountains, the
visitor had pointed out to him by the driver a little church on the
hillside. The visitor was interested in the "little sanctuary, nestling
among the green mountains," and confessed that he liked to think of
places which recall the words, "It's quiet down here... And God is very
near." Being a newspaper man, however, he was particularly impressed by
a somewhat garbled version of the time when Dame Clara Butt sang in the
little building. Later, in London, he had the opportunity of hearing the
story from Dame Clara Butt herself. She was motoring with some friends
through the valley beyond Llandrindod Wells and espied this simple and
tiny church, without spire or tower, standing alone on the hillside. It
seemed so like a little private sanctuary that she exclaimed, "I wish
that little church were mine!" and halted the car, and crossed the river
to have a closer look.
It happened that a service was almost due, and the sexton and an old
companion were there; so the visitors were able to enter the sanctuary.
They remained in silence a few minutes, when one of the party, pointing
to the little organ, asked Dame Clara to play it and sing. She shook her
head; the request was repeated; the impulse came and the singer sat at
the instrument, and sang the opening lines of Liddle's setting of "Abide
With Me."
In a few minutes she was conscious that the old sexton was chiming in
with notes which harmonized; but, as the great voice rang through the
little church, he stopped to listen, for nothing like it had ever been
heard there. When the last notes died away, he said, "But who is this
lady who has sung to us?"
When he was told he held up his hands, and with tears falling,
exclaimed, "The great Madame Clara Butt has come to our little church
and sung to us!" Then pointing upward, he said reverently: "Ah! They
heard that up there!"
This tribute, coming from the sexton who had himself once sung in Welsh
choirs, was all the more gratifying because it was simple and
spontaneous.
Here is an interesting sidelight upon
The Author of "Beulah Land"
Edgar Page Stites, the author of "Beulah Land" and many other popular
hymns, was a local deacon of the Methodist Episcopal Church and served
as a supply preacher in Dakota. At the outbreak of the Civil War he
lived in Richmond, Virginia. After enlisting he was stationed in
Philadelphia and had charge of feeding the troops which passed through
that city. At the time of his death in Cape May he was the oldest
insurance agent in New Jersey.
During his retirement he once wrote to a friend: "I am whittling away on
my eighty-second year. Have written a great many songs the last fifty
years signed 'Edgar Page,' which is the front of my name. I was enabled
by great spiritual help to write 'Beulah Land' in 1876, at Philadelphia.
I was wonderfully converted sixty-five years ago this month [November,
1852] and am still on board the old ship Zion."
"Uncle Joe" Cannon, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, once met
Mr. Stites in Cape May and told him he would rather have written "Beulah
Land" than to have been President of the United States. Chaplain McCabe
was the first to introduce this now famous hymn to the public, singing
it at a ministers' meeting in Philadelphia. Since then it has been sung
around the world and during the World War it was a general favorite of
the soldiers overseas.
And another sidelight upon the writer of
A Hymn of Consecration
Miss Frances Ridley Havergal was visiting a home in Cavendish Square,
London, where the aristocracy live. She was to be a guest for five days.
Knowing that several members of this family were not rejoicing
Christians, she made a prayer, "Lord, give me _all_ in this house." The
way was opened through her singing and she entranced everyone in this
home. The father, mother, children and servants were all brought clear
into the Kingdom of joy and peace before she left. On the last night of
her visit she was too happy to sleep, and spent the greater portion of
it in meditation and prayer. Then it was that there came to her the hymn
which she wrote with buoyant feeling,
"Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee,"
ending with the line, "Ever, only, all for Thee."
The energy and endurance of this singing faith come from the Holy
Spirit. I quote a description of a singular event in Heidelberg,
Germany, written for _The Christian Advocate_ by Professor J. Newton
Davies. It might be called
Kindling the Torches at the Bonfire
"On a June evening, the student corporations of the university, a
thousand strong, assembled on the banks of the Neckar to celebrate the
coming of summer. Each student carried in his hand an unlighted torch.
At a given signal, they marched, singing, across the old bridge, and up
the steep path to the Bismarck tower, where a bonfire blazed. At this
bonfire each man lighted his torch, and then continued his march to the
valley below. The thousand burning torches glinting through the dark fir
trees were an unforgettable sight.
"In Jerusalem, at Pentecost, the fires of a religious enthusiasm were
kindled, at the blaze of which a small band of Christians lighted the
unlit torches of their personalities. With loins girt, and lamps lit,
that gallant group of torchbearers set forth, singing songs of victory
and triumph, to herald the advent of a New Day. As we today, nineteen
centuries afterward, look back on their astonishing victories, we cannot
but fervently join in Charles Wesley's prayer:
'O Thou, who camest from above,
The pure celestial fire to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
On the mean altar of my heart!
There let it for Thy glory burn,
With inextinguishable blaze,
And trembling to its source return,
In humble love and fervent praise.'"
One of the hymns which stirs our spirits for valiant endeavor is
"Onward, Christian Soldiers"
The Rev. S. Baring Gould was the author of one hundred and forty books,
showing versatility of genius in these works of religion, fiction,
folklore, mythology, travel, biography, art. Many of these writings will
doubtless be forgotten when a hymn which he improvised and wrote in
great haste, as a marching song for a band of schoolchildren in his
parish, will continue to be remembered. About this hymn, "Onward,
Christian Soldiers," the author once wrote, "Certainly nothing has
surprised me more than its great popularity."
The universal appeal of this hymn has justly made it a heritage of
Christian civilization. It belongs to every church and nation and no one
thinks of the author as an Anglican rector but as a large-hearted soul,
which he truly was. It is sung by surpliced choir boys in the
incense-laden air of Roman Catholic churches; and by lads without
vestments in the plain country church; by the Knights of Columbus and by
the Knights Templar; by Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and every
other denomination. Indeed, it is used by all Christians as a rallying
call and it will so continue till the church militant becomes the Church
triumphant.
The romance of American history is impressively illuminated by
A Shrine Created by a Song
"There's a church in the valley by the wildwood"--this song has been
sung for threescore years and more in all the world. It has furthermore
made famous "The Little Brown Church in the Vale," located in the
village of Nashua, Iowa. The associations of this sanctuary go back to
early pioneer days when the settlers contributed lumber, logs, stone and
labor for its erection. Dr. W. S. Pitts, a physician who had helped to
build this church, was inspired to write the song.
The railroad came in 1868 to Nashua and the Little Brown Church began to
thrive as the population had now increased to about a thousand. Dr.
Pitts taught a singing school in Bradford, a few miles away. It was
necessary to have an organ but the only instrument in all this region
was in the Little Brown Church. His song at once gained popularity.
Jubilee singers took it up and concert companies carried it all over
America and Europe. It was even heard in New Zealand, Australia and
South America.
The song was then forgotten and with the drift of the population away
from the country the Little Brown Church was abandoned. But about
twenty-five years ago the old song was revived and an interest in the
little church was quickened. It was restored to its original condition,
largely due to the song it had inspired. Every year thousands of
visitors go to Nashua to see it. It has also become a sort of Gretna
Green, for over five hundred couples have been married there. Indeed,
the church is largely supported by these fees and it continues to do the
work of a real country church. Seldom have a church and a song been so
closely identified as in this instance.