'i'>;-)fe .'(■''■'^Ml. FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ^C^B Digitized by the Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from Calvin College http://www.archive.org/details/hymnbookofmeth1859meth ec^ HYMI^ BOOK 0 F TH E 1 ^ m '3 1936 'X'^> METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH. COMPILED BY AUTHORITY OF THE aENERAL CONFERENCE OF 1858. BALTIMORE: PUBLISHED BY THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTORS OF THE BOOK CONCERN OF THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH. 1869. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, by the President and Directors of the Book Concern of the Methodist Protestant Church. ShEBWOOD & Co., PRlifTBRSi PREFACE. The General Conference of May, 1858, appointed a Committee to revise the Hymn Book of the Methodist Pro- testant Church. The Committee, in entering upon their labor, discovered a field of such extent before them that, in order to answer the expectations of the Conference and membership generally, they found it necessary to make an entirely new arrangement or classification. They deter- mined, therefore, to compile a new book. The result of nearly a year's labor is now offered to the Church, with the hope, not unreasonably entertained, that it may prove ac- ceptable. The "Arrangement of Subjects" has been simplified and adapted as far as possible to the purposes of such a table. Many long hymns contained in the old book, which on ac- count of their length were never sung, have been omitted in the new, while others have been sufficiently abridged to render them suitable for public worship, and others again, of rare poetic and spiritual excellence, have been retained entire, but, at the same time, they have been broken up into separate hymns of reasonable length. The Committee take pleasure in calling attention to sev- eral new and desirable features in the present book. Each hymn has the name of the author (so far as could be IV PREFACE. ascertaiDed) at the top, on the right hand. On the left is the name of the tune to which it may be sung, which will be found of great advantage to leaders of choirs, and to those whose duty it may become to raise the tunes for the congregation, as indicating the class of tunes suitable to the expression of the sentiment con- tained in the hymn. The hymns are numbered agree- ably to their relative positions in the book, and the paging at the top is omitted as being unnecessary. This change is adopted to prevent the confusion likely to ensue when the number of the page and the number of the hymn are both called out. •The number of Doxologies in the present compilation is very much increased. No little inconvenience was expe- rienced formerly from the paucity of these, particularly as it has been of late the custom in various evangelical churches to conclude service with a Doxology agreeing in metre with that of the final hymn sung. The present collection will admit of this without difficulty, inasmuch as the metres of all the hymns in the book have Doxologies suited to themt A collection of " Spiritual Songs" is added as an appen- dix. It was deemed desirable to have the best specimens of this class preserved in the book in common use, so that there might be no necessity for a separate collection on revival oc- casions. The poetic merits of many of them are hardly suffi- cient to entitle them to positions beside the magnificent effu- sions of Watts and Wesley, while their earnest spirituality and the familiarity of all Methodists with them forbid their being altogether omitted. Should it be thought desirable, PREFACE. 'V however, at any future time, to separate them from their present relation and to have them bound in a distinct collec- tion, it can be done without marring the unity of the book. J In addition to the usual Index, one has been added con- ^sting of the "First Line" of each stanza except the first. This will be found convenient in enabling the pos- sessor to find readily any hymn when the first line only of a stanza is remembered. There is also an Index of names of Tunes, arranged al- phabetically, which will doubtless prove acceptable to those required to raise them. "'■ The hymns have been selected with a view to their spir- ituality, their poetic beauty, and their suitableness to illus- trate the several subjects under which they are located. More than one-half the number contained in this volume have been selected from our former collection. The Com- mittee have drawn largely from the compositions of Watts and the two Wesleys for the remainder, and have generally endeavored to give them as they were originally written. Other pious authors have also contributed their share, among whom it is only necessary to mention the names of Doddridge, Heber and Montgomery. They have also availed themselves of some exquisitely beautiful efi"usions of more modern date, which have not appeared hitherto in any similar publication^ but which are no less an ornament to our Church Hymn Book than an expression of the pro- found and fervent piety of their respective authors. The Committee desire to express their many and great obligations to the following named gentlemen for their val- VI PREFACE. uable assistance in the several departments enumerated : — To David Creamer, Esq., for his assistance in verifying the hymns; to Samuel Burnet, Esq., for his assistance in the musical department, (both of the Meth. Episcopal Church ;) and to the Kev. James M. Haines, of the Virginia Annual Conference, for preparing the Index of first lines. In conclusion, they desire to commend the present work to the favorable acceptance of the Church, with the assur- ance that no labor or care which it was in their power to bestow has been spared to render it suitable for devotion, and in all particulars what the Church has a right to expect from their hands. JosiAH Varden, John J. Murray, E. Y. Reese, Luther Martin, Edmund Gr. Waters. PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT. PAGE I. God in Nature 9 II. Divine Attributes 15 III. Divine Government and Providence 31 IV. Christ — Birth of Christ 48 Life of Christ 59 Death of Christ 66 Resurrection and Glory of Christ 81 V. The Holy Spirit 98 VI. The Holy Scriptures 113 VII. Institutions of the Gospel — The Sabbath 121 The Church 132 The Ministry 146 Baptism 150 Lord's Supper 153 VIIL Sin 158 IX, Warnings 164 X. Invitations 177 XI. Christian Experience — Penitence 197 Justification by Faith 236 Communion with God 262 Duties and Trials 297 Unfaithfulness Mourned 324 VIU PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT. XII. Means of Grace — Public Worship 837 , Social Worship 382 " Domestic Worship 400 Prayer 419 XIII. Death 432 XIV. Prospect of Heaven 457 XY. Resurrection and Judgment 478 XVI. Special Occasions 490 Thanksgiving 492 Watch-night 495 New Year 498 1 Sunday Schools 502 Meetings for the Poor 507 Missionary 509 DoxoLoaiEs 516 Miscellaneous Spiritual Songs 521 HYMisrs. I. GOD IN N A TURE. 1 Alfreton. L. M. Steele. Thei^e is a God. THERE is a God — all nature speaks, Through earth and air, and sea and skies ; See, from the clouds his glory breaks, When earliest beams of morning rise. The rising sun, serenely bright, Throughout the world's extended frame, Inscribes in characters of light His mighty Maker's glorious name. Ye curious minds, who roam abroad, And trace creation's wonders o'er, Confess the footsteps of your God ; — Bow down before him, and adore. Arhngton. CM. Opie. All Jus icorks praise Him. THERE is a voice in every gale, A tongue in every flower. Which tells, 0 Lord, the wondrous tale Of thy almighty power; The birds, that rise on quiv'ring wing, Proclaim their Maker's praise, And all the mingling sounds of spring To thee an anthem raise. B 9 GOD IN NATURE. 2 Shall I be mute, great God, alone^ 'Midst nature's loud acclaim ? Shall not my heart, with answering tone, Breathe forth thy holy name ? All nature's debt is small to mine : Nature shall cease to be; Thou gavest — proof of love divine — Immortal life to me. 3 Watchman. S. M. Watts. His JSlame is glorious. A LMTGHTY Maker, God, -Tl How wondrous is thy name ; Thy glories how diffused abroad, Through the creation's frame. 2 Nature in every dress Her humble homage pays, And finds a thousand ways t' express Thine undissembled praise. 3 My soul would rise and sing To her Creator too; Fain would my tongue adore my King, And pay the worship due. 4 Create my soul anew, Else all my worship's vain ; This wretched heart will ne'er be true Until 'tis formed again. 5 Descend, celestial fire, And seize me, from above; Melt me in flames of pure desire, A sacrifice to love. 6 Let joy and worship spend The remnant of my days, And to my God my soul ascend In sweet perfumes of praise. 10 GOD IN NATURE. M Winchester. L. M. Addison. ^ The Maker Divine. THE spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. 2 The unwearied sun, from day to day, Doth his Creator's power display. And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand. 3 Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nis-htlv to the listenin^^ earth Repeats the story of her birth : 4 While all the stars that round her burn^ And all the planets in their turn. Confirm the tidings as they roll. And spread the truth from pole to pole. 5 What though, in solemn silence, all Move round the dark terrestrial ball? What though no real voice nor sound Amid the radiant orbs be found ? 6 In reason's ear they all rejoice, * And utter forth a glorious voice, For ever singing as they shine. The hand that made us is divine. 5 Barby. C. M. Simon Brown. All tilings created for His glory. GREAT First of beings! mighty Lord Of all this wondrous frame! Produced by thy creating word. The world from nothing came. 11 GOD IN NATURE. 2 Thy voice sent forth the high command, 'Twas instantly obeyed ; And through thy goodness all things stand, Which by thy power were made. 3 Lord! for thy glory shine the whole; They all reflect thy light : For this in course the planets roll, And day succeeds the night. 4 For this the sun dispenses heat And beams of cheering day; And distant stars, in order set. By night thy power display. 5 For this the earth its produce yields ; For this the waters flow ; And blooming plants adorn the fields, And trees aspiring grow. 6 Inspired with praise, our minds pursue This wise and noble end — That all we think, and all we do, Shall to thine honor tend. 6 Woodstock. C. M. Montgomery. The God of Nature and of Grace. rpHE God of nature and of grace JL In all his works appears ; His goodness through the earth we trace. His grandeur in the spheres. 2 Behold this fair and fertile globe. By him in wisdom planned ; 'Twas he who girded, like a robe. The ocean round the land. 3 Lift to the arch of heaven your eye. Thither his path pursue ; His glory, boundless as the sky, O'erwhelms the wondering view. 12 GOD IN NATURE. -J How excellent, 0 Lord, thy name, In all creation's lines ; Spread through eternity, thy fame With risin