# The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated/Wesley Hymns and Hymn-Books

THE METHODIST HYMN-BOOK ILLUSTRATED
INTRODUCTORY
I
JOHN WESLEY is the father of Methodist hymnody. On his voyage to Georgia in 1735 he was deeply impressed by the quiet courage of the German emigrants on board. He refers in his Journal to the way in which they calmly sang on when a great sea broke over the vessel at the time they were holding service. He began to learn German three days after he went on board the Simmonds off Gravesend, 'in order to converse with the Germans', and gave his mornings from nine to twelve to this study. He was drawn into very intimate relations with the Moravians, both on board ship and at Savannah. He translated many of their hymns 'for the use of our own congregations'. In 1737, Lewis Timothy printed for him at Charlestown a Collection of Psalms and Hymns, which marks the birth of Methodist hymnody. Charles Wesley had sailed for England in October, 1736, so that he had no share in this little book. Its existence was unknown till 1878, when a copy was purchased in London for a few shillings. Some years after it was sold for £5. and in 1894 £24 was refused for it at a sale by auction. Through the kindness of Mr. W. T. Brooke, of Hackney, to whom the discovery of this treasure was due, a reprint was made in 1882. It contains forty pieces for Sunday, twenty for Wednesday or Friday, and eighteen (counting each part as a psalm or hymn) for Saturday. Half the contents are from Dr. ​Watts; seven from John Austen; six are based on Herbert's poems. The Watts selection includes—
          Before Jehovah's awful throne.
          I'll praise my Maker while I've breath.
          Praise ye the Lord: tis good to raise.
          Awake, our souls; away, our fears.
          And must this body die?
          Come, ye that love the Lord.
          O Thou that hear'st when sinners cry.
          With joy we meditate the grace.
          How sad our state by nature is!
The three hymns by Samuel Wesley junior to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are included, and his father's 'Behold the Saviour of mankind'. There are five translations from the German—
No. 14. Thou Lamb of God, Thou Prince of Peace.
    16. O God, Thou bottomless abyss.
    20. My soul before Thee prostrate lies.
    26. Jesu, to Thee my heart I bow.
    40. O Jesu, Source of calm repose.
and two hymns from Addison—
          When all Thy mercies, O my God.
          The spacious firmament on high.
Canon Ellerton says Wesley's voyage to Georgia was memorable as 'a turning-point in the history of English hymnody'. The Oxford Methodists soon became friendly with their Moravian fellow passengers. 'John Wesley's impressible nature was especially touched by the bright faith and humble, cheerful piety of these good people, who sang their beloved Lutheran hymns day by day through the most tempestuous weather. It was the first time that Anglicans and Lutherans, singers of psalms and singers of hymns, had worshipped and travelled together in familiar intercourse; and one of the results of their fellowship undoubtedly was the large extent to which hymn-singing entered into the devotions of the future Methodist Societies'.
'Hereby my passage is opened to the writings of holy men in the German, Spanish, and Italian tongues. I hope, too, some good may come to others thereby'. That is Wesley's description of one of the benefits conferred on him by the mission to Georgia. ​In 1738, after his return to England, John Wesley published a Collection of Psalms and Hymns (12mo, 84 pp., 8d. stitched). In this appeared his version from the Spanish—
          O God, my God, my all Thou art;
and from the German—
          Thou, Jesu, art our King.
          Shall I, for fear of feeble man.
          All glory to the eternal Three.
          Thou hidden love of God, whose height.
          O Thou, to whose all-searching sight.
Dr. Watts and the New Version are drawn upon freely, and Bishop Ken's three hymns are included.
Up to this moment Charles Wesley had been silent. His poetic genius really awoke on Whit Sunday, 1738, when he found the rest of faith. In the previous March he had a serious illness at Oxford, and on his recovery wrote two tender hymns. One of these, now omitted from the Methodist hymn-book, may be described as the first-fruits of his work—
          God of my life, what just return
             Can sinful dust and ashes give?
          I only live my sin to mourn;
             To love my God I only live!
After his conversion, all the springs of Charles Wesley's nature burst into song. The Hymns and Sacred Poems published by John and Charles Wesley in 1739 is a 12mo volume, pp. xvi, 223. It consists largely of selections from Gambold and Herbert. Charles Wesley's two hymns above mentioned are included, and—
          Father of Lights, from whom proceeds.
          Lord, I despair myself to heal.
          Jesu, the sinner's Friend, to Thee.
          Jesu! my great High-priest above.
The second part marks the beginning of Charles Wesley's strength. It opens with the Conversion hymn, 'Where shall my wondering soul begin?' and soon passes into a realm of pure gold.
    Here are found—
          Thee, O my God and King.
          O Filial Deity.
          And can it be, that I should gain. ​
          Glory be to God on high.
          O Thou, who when I did complain.
          Eternal Beam of Light divine.
          My God, if I may call Thee mine.
          Peace, doubting heart—my God's I am.
          Arise, my soul, arise, Thy Saviour's sacrifice!
          Saviour, the world's and mine.
          Jesu, my God and King.
          Servant of all, to toil for man.
          Summon'd my labour to renew.
Then follows the bevy of Festival Hymns, of which three are —immortal
          Hark, how all the welkin rings.
          Sons of men, behold from far.
          Christ the Lord is risen to-day.
          Hail the day that sees Him rise.
          Granted is the Saviour's prayer.
Besides some already published, the following translations by John Wesley are included :
          O Thou, who all things canst control.
          Jesu, whose glory's streaming rays.
          Into Thy gracious hands I fall..
          Commit thou all thy griefs.
          Monarch of all, with lowly fear.
          O God, what offering shall I give?
          Jesu, Thy boundless love to me.
          O God, of good the unfathomed sea.
          O God of God, in whom combine.
          Lo, God is here! let us adore.
          O Thou, whom sinners love, whose care.
          Eternal depth of love divine.
          Thee will I love, my strength, my tower.
          Come, Saviour Jesu, from above (from A. Bourignon).
Methodism had now found its sacred poet. We turn over the leaves of this volume, feeling that—
          The rock is smitten, and to future years
          Springs ever fresh the tide of holy tears
          And holy music, whispering peace
          Till time and sin together cease. ​Another volume appeared in 1740, in which we find—
          Christ, whose glory fills the skies.
          Jesu, if still the same Thou art.
          Jesu, Lover of my soul.
          Depth of mercy! can there be.
          O for a thousand tongues to sing.
          How do Thy mercies close me round!
Six of John Wesley's translations 'From the German' are included—
          Extended on a cursed tree.
          I thirst, Thou wounded Lamb of God.
          Now I have found the ground wherein.
          Holy Lamb, who Thee receive.
          High praise to Thee, all-gracious God!
          Jesu, Thy blood and righteousness.
This volume shows signs that the Evangelical Revival has begun, for it contains the 'Hymn for Kingswood Colliers'— 'Glory to God, whose sovereign grace'; and one headed, 'To be sung in a Tumult'—'Earth, rejoice; the Lord is King'. The 'Lovefeast' hymns are also here. The whole collection bears out the words of the preface, 'Some faint description of this gracious gift of God is attempted in a few of the following verses'. This volume was never separately reprinted, but was incorporated with the fourth and fifth editions of the 1739 book. Thomas Jackson says (Charles Wesley, i. 243), 'The original hymns, among which are some of the finest in the English language, display a deep pathos, with all the energy and daring of Charles s genius'.
In 1741 Wesley published A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, and two pamphlets of Hymns on God's Everlasting Love, one issued in Bristol, the other in London. In 1742 the first Methodist tune-book was published, with forty-two tunes 'as they are commonly sung at the Foundery'. The volume of Hymns and Sacred Poems for 1742 bears the names of John and Charles Wesley. The first part has one hymn from the German—'High on His everlasting throne'. In the second part appears 'Wrestling Jacob', and these favourite hymns—
          O what shall I do, my Saviour to praise?
          O heavenly King, look down from above.
          My Father, my God, I long for Thy love.
          Blessing, honour, thanks, and praise. ​
          Hark! a voice divides the sky.
          Omnipotent Lord, my Saviour and King.
          To the haven of Thy breast.
          Jesu, my strength, my hope.
          Happy soul, who sees the day.
          Blest be the dear uniting love.
          None is like Jeshurun's God.
          Vain delusive world, adieu.
          Arise, my soul, arise.
Many other hymns are also published here which have rooted themselves in the life of Methodism. The preface says that Christian perfection is 'the subject of many of the following verses'.
In 1742 Wesley issued twenty-four of the choicest pieces in the 1739 volume for twopence, to bring them within reach of the poor.
From this time the stream of publications followed almost without intermission. Every national event, every Christian Festival, called for its pamphlet of hymns. In 1747 appeared Hymns for those that seek and those that have Redemption in the Blood of Jesus Christ, which the Rev. Richard Green says 'deserves the highest place amongst the group of hymn-pamphlets of which it may be regarded as the last'. John Wesley's estimate of their value is seen from the fact that he selected twenty-four out of the fifty-two for inclusion in the Large Hymn-Book in 1780. Funeral Hymns, Hymns for the Watchnight, Graces before Meat, Hymns for Children, followed each other in quick succession.
In 1749 Charles Wesley published Hymns and Sacred Poems in two volumes. A list in his own writing shows that his friends subscribed for 1,145 copies, of which 513 were taken in London, 136 in Bristol, 129 in Ireland. Many of the Societies subscribed for the volumes. The price was 6s. The preachers acted as agents, and the money helped the poet to set up housekeeping in Bristol.
John Wesley says, 'As I did not see these before they were published, there were some things in them that I did not approve of' (Works, xi. 391). The volumes contain expositions of Scripture, memorials of events in the lives of friends and in the progress of Methodism in all parts of England. Many were addressed to his wife before and after their marriage. All the Methodists thus shared their poet's joy, or, as he aptly puts it, ​'Surely both Jesus and His disciples are bidden'. The volumes closed with the noble poem on Primitive Christianity. How well the subscribers were repaid may be seen by a glance at this list of a few of the treasures contained in the volumes—
          Thou God of glorious majesty.
          O Jesus, let me bless Thy name.
          O Love divine, how sweet Thou art.
          Saviour, Prince of Israel's race.
          O Jesus, my hope.
          Stay, Thou insulted Spirit, stay.
          All ye that pass by.
          Jesus, Thy far-extended fame.
          Jesu, let Thy pitying eye.
          How happy are they.
          Weary of wandering from my God.
          Jesu, Shepherd of the sheep.
          But can it be that I should prove.
          Omnipresent God, whose aid.
          God of my life, to Thee.
          Jesu, my Truth, my Way.
          My God, I am Thine.
          Jesus, the Conqueror, reigns.
          Soldiers of Christ, arise.
          Thou hidden Source of calm repose.
          Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go.
          God of almighty love.
          Ye neighbours, and friends Of Jesus, draw near.
          See how great a flame aspires.
          Master, I own Thy lawful claim.
          Come on, my partners in distress.
          Shepherd divine, our wants relieve.
          Come, ye followers of the Lord.
          Again we lift our voice.
          Happy soul, thy days are ended.
          Hark, how the watchmen cry!
          Ye virgin souls, arise.
          Surrounded by a host of foes.
          Jesus comes with all His grace.
          Come, let us ascend.
          And are we yet alive.
In 1762 Charles Wesley published Short Hymns on Select Passages of Scripture, in two volumes. There are 2,030 hymns, ranging over the whole Bible. The preface says, 'God, having ​graciously laid His hand upon my body, and disabled me for the principal work of the ministry, has therefore given me an unexpected occasion of writing the following hymns'. Several of them were on the subject of Christian Perfection, and John Wesley had to caution his people against being 'hurt by what they might find in these volumes contrary to the doctrine they had long received'. This referred to some peculiar expressions about spiritual darkness being sent as a means for the improvement of the Christian's graces, and other matters which showed that the poet was somewhat morbid and mystical in his teaching.
Charles Wesley took a watchful interest in his sales. He mentions that Mr. Salthouse, who was to have been his companion to Bristol, could not leave the books at London without great loss and 'disappointment of my subscribers'. J. Jones proved a broken reed, and the poet expresses his resolve to 'look after his books himself on his return to Bristol'. During the imprisonment of Earl Ferrers in 1760, Miss Shirley gave Charles Wesley a guinea for his hymns.
When he died he left three small quarto volumes of hymns and poems, a poetic version of a considerable part of the Psalms, which appeared in the Arminian Magazine. But the most interesting legacy was five quarto volumes of hymns on the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in manuscript, with notes of revision. 'Finished, April 24, 1765. Θ.Δ.' 'The revisal finished, April 24, 1774. Θ.Δ.' 'Another revisal finished, January 28, 1779. Θ.Δ.' 'A third revisal finished, February 29, 1780. Θ.Δ.' 'A fifth revisal finished, August 26, 1783. Θ.Δ.' 'A sixth finished, October 28, 1784. Θ.Δ.' 'The seventh, if not the last, January 11, 1786. Gloria Tri-uni Deo!' 'The last finished, May 11, 1787. Hallelujah.'
John Wesley thought 'some of them bad; some mean; some most excellently good. They give the true sense of Scripture, always in good English, generally in good verse. Many are equal to most, if not to any, he ever wrote; but some still savour of that poisonous mysticism, with which we were both not a little tainted before we went to America'.
Canon Ellerton says, 'No English hymn-writer approaches Charles Wesley in copiousness. Of course, in so vast a collection there must be many repetitions, and many pieces that we no longer remember or care for; but yet it is only doing justice to these famous men to say that the depth of ​spirituality, the reverent tone, and the clear grasp of truth which as a whole the hymns exhibit is truly marvellous.
We now approach the question of Methodist hymn-books. In 1741 Wesley published A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, price, bound, 1s. It contained 160 pieces. After Wesley's death, Dr. Coke doubled it by adding other hymns, and the Conference of 1816 recommended it to the 'use of our congregations on the Lord's Day forenoon.' It thus came to be known as The Morning Hymn-book. It fell into disuse on the publication of the Supplement of 1831. In 1753 John Wesley issued Hymns and Spiritual Songs, intended for the use of real Christians of all Denominations. Col. iii. 9-11 (12mo, pp. viii., 124). It was printed by William Strahan, London, and sold for 1s. It is a collection from Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739, I740, 1742. There are 84 hymns, or, counting each part separately, 114. This was the Methodist hymn-book in use from 1753 to 1780, and it continued to be used in the smaller and poorer societies long after 1780. Twenty-four editions were issued in thirty-three years. The Redemption Hymns (price 6d.) were frequently bound up with this collection. Wesley says in his preface of 1780, that when asked to prepare a new hymn-book, he replied, 'You have such a collection already (entitled Hymns and Spiritual Songs), which I extracted several years ago from a variety of hymn-books.' There was also a volume of Select Hymns, published in 1761. Wesley described it as a 'collection of those hymns which are (I think) some of the best we have published. This, therefore, I recommend preferable to all others.'
In 1780 he issued A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists (price 3s., sewed, 12mo, pp. xvi, 504). The preface is dated 'October 20, 1779'. Methodism had never lacked hymn-books. Wesley says, 'It may be doubted whether any religious community in the world has a greater variety of them.' The people were, in fact, 'bewildered in the immense variety.' A strong desire was felt for a cheap and portable book, with a sufficient selection of hymns for all ordinary occasions. Wesley took great pains with his task. 'It is not so large as to be either cumbersome or expensive; and it is large enough to contain such a variety of hymns as will not soon be worn threadbare. It is large enough to contain all the important truths of our most holy religion, ​whether speculative or practical; yea, to illustrate them all, and to prove them both by Scripture and reason; and this is done in a regular order. The hymns are not carelessly jumbled together, but carefully ranged under proper heads, according to the experience of real Christians. So that in effect this book is a little body of experimental and practical divinity. In what other publication of the kind have you so distinct and full an account of Scriptural Christianity? such a declaration of the heights and depths of religion, speculative and practical? so strong cautions against the most practical errors, particularly those that are now so prevalent? and so clear directions for making your calling and election sure, for perfecting holiness in the fear of God?' James Martineau (Life, ii. 99) abundantly confirmed that statement: 'After the Scriptures, the Wesley Hymn-book appears to me the grandest instrument of popular religious culture that Christendom has ever produced'.
After Wesley's death, the book went through a succession of alterations. In the edition of 1797, twenty-four of the hymns he selected were omitted, and sixty-five others inserted. The Conference of 1799 appointed a committee to 'reduce it to its primitive simplicity, as published in the second edition', but it was not entirely successful. Methodism had to wait till 1904, when, concurrently with the new Methodist Hymn-Book, an edition was published which is an exact reprint of the volume as it left Wesley's hands.
In 1831 a supplement was added to Wesley's hymn-book, and in 1875 it was revised, and a new supplement prepared.
The fact that the early publications of the Wesley's bear the name of both brothers has made it difficult to distinguish between their work. Dr. Osborn said that 'his own inquiries had led him to think it likely that Mr. John Wesley contributed more largely to these joint publications than is commonly supposed; and that the habit of attributing almost everything found in them to his brother, is scarcely consistent with a due regard to accuracy' (Poetical Works, viii. xv.).
Against this may be set John Wesley's statement in the preface of the Large Hymn-book, 1780: 'But a small part of these hymns is of my own composing'. Richard Watson, in the first edition of his Life of Wesley, actually attributed all the translations to Charles; and though he modified this in a later edition, he still held that there was internal evidence of Charles Wesley's manner. Miss Wesley, however, doubted ​whether (Jackson's Charles Wesley, ii. 456) her father knew German. Dr. Julian says, 'It has been the common practice for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his journals and other works. In this Dictionary, this course has been adopted throughout'. That principle has been followed in the index to The Methodist Hymn-Book for 1904. It is possible that more light may yet be thrown on this difficult question; but if John Wesley suffers injustice, substantial justice is at last done to his brother. The Evangelical Revival seems to have silenced John Wesley's muse, whilst it woke up Charles to a poetic fervour which only ceased with his last breath.
He had begun to write poetry in Georgia. General Oglethorpe's wife told her husband's father, in a letter from America, that Charles Wesley was staying with them. She added, 'he has the gift of verse, and has written many sweet hymns which we sing'. On his return to England, he was making poetry from his conversion to his death-bed. On March 15, 1744, he was summoned to Wakefield to answer a foolish charge of disloyalty, and wrote on the way a hymn in which he committed himself into the hands of his Master; when he won the day, he poured out his gratitude in a hymn of thanksgiving. He rode with a loose rein, jotting down his thoughts on a card. He tells his wife, 'I crept on, singing or making hymns, till I got unawares to Canterbury.'
Canon Ellerton says, 'As time went on, the hymn-writing passed almost entirely from the hands of John Wesley into those of the younger brother'. The Rev. John Kirk reckoned that in 'the Selection which the brothers left behind them for use throughout the Wesleyan congregations,' out of 771 hymns, 626 were by Charles and 33 by John Wesley.
The only time when we clearly see John Wesley burst into poetry is when Grace Murray was torn from him. John Wesley's contribution to Methodist worship-song was that unlocking of the treasures of German hymnody in which he was a pioneer. His fine taste and sound judgement, which were greatly needed in dealing with the luscious Moravian hymns, were also employed in the revision of his brother's work, to its advantage and to the formation of a high standard in such matters in Methodist circles. His words (Sermon 117, Works, vii. ​294) written in August, 1789, show how careful he was to avoid any expression that savoured of familiarity in addressing God.
In the Index of 1875 Charles Wesley's name only appeared once, as Mr. C. L. Ford points out, 'in an introductory note, not very conspicuous, which probably not one in a thousand reads'. Also, the 'W' used in cases of uncertainty, and in one case where there is no doubt at all, 'Jesu, Lover of my soul', is misleading. For in almost all these cases the probability is very largely in favour of Charles Wesley's authorship.
For some years a strong desire had been felt for the revision of the 1875 hymn-book, and in 1900 the Conference appointed a Committee to consider the principles on which it should be carried out. After careful consideration, it was felt that it would be impossible to retain Wesley's Large Hymn-book in its, separate form, as many pieces in it had passed out of use, and no satisfactory arrangement could be secured if two books, an old and a new, were thus set side by side. The Committee therefore recommended that an entirely new arrangement should be adopted. Conference approved this recommendation. Great regret was felt that so venerable a Methodist manual of devotion and of theology—'a mirror of the spiritual activities of the Evangelical Revival—a poetical Pilgrim s Progress', should thus be recast, but provision was made that it should be issued as a separate volume in the exact form it left John Wesley's hands. The Conference of 1901 appointed a Committee of Revision, which acted with the friendly co-operation of representatives of the Methodist New Connexion and the Wesleyan Reform Union. The Methodist Church of Australasia also joined in the work by correspondence.
The Committee had first to decide what hymns should be excluded from the new collection. The utmost care was used to retain every hymn that had endeared itself to the Methodist people or become recognized as an embodiment of Methodist theology. In many cases the omission of a verse or verses rescued a whole hymn from hopeless neglect. It was found that about 300 hymns might safely be omitted. When this difficult part of its task had been done, the Committee set itself to study hymn-books and other sources from which new hymns might be drawn. Special pains were taken to make adequate provision for the growing requirements of public worship in all its parts, especially for the Lord's Day and the Seasons, the needs of children and young people, and the varied ​aspects of Christian service and philanthropy in all their modern developments. The addition of the Canticles has greatly enriched Methodist services.
Sir Henry H. Fowler paid fitting tribute at one meeting to the pre-eminent service rendered by the Rev. W. T. Davison, D.D., as chairman of the Committee. 'His tact, his impartiality, his appreciation of strongly conflicting opinions, his vast and varied knowledge of hymnology, and his unflinching loyalty to Methodism, are only some of the qualifications which added distinction to a memorable Presidency'. The work of the Rev. Nehemiah Curnock as senior secretary of the Hymn-book Committee and secretary of the Tune-book Committee was invaluable, and earned the special thanks of the Conference. An enormous amount of labour was put into the preparation of indexes. The Index of Texts in the 1875 Hymn-book contained 2,000 references to its 5,000 verses; the present index has about 5,600, though the hymns have a hundred fewer verses. References to the Apocrypha have been added, and intimation given where the Prayer-book Version of the Psalms bears more directly on the hymns than the Authorized Version. Mr. H. Arthur Smith, M.A., on whom, with the Rev. G. A. Bennetts, B.A., and Mr. Tombleson, the burden of preparing this Index fell, says, 'To preachers who are careful in their choice of hymns bearing upon their subject and text, the benefit of such references will be obvious enough. In many cases, indeed, it will be found that the Bible texts referred to are quoted as having suggested the language rather than the thought of the hymn. If such cases are not a direct help to the preacher as such, they are certainly of interest to the student, especially to the student of the Wesley poetry, illustrating, as they do, the poet's method and mental processes. Extensive as this collection of texts now is, it might have been added to indefinitely, for there are many cases in which every line of a verse of Wesley glances at a distinct passage of Scripture'.
The Rev. H. Arnaud Scott had the main responsibility of preparing the Index of Subjects, and here also our Church will reap the benefit of much laborious work. The Biographical Index, the Alphabetical Index, and the Index to the Verses were prepared by the present writer as one of the Secretaries. Dr. Davison was responsible for the Preface and the arrangement of the hymns, and the headings of the various sections which so skilfully blend the new headings with the old, and preserve ​on many a page the phrases so long and happily familiar in Methodist worship.
The task of revising the old hymns so as to remove expressions which might distract attention or offend a modern taste was not the least anxious part of the Committee's work. It has been done with the minimum of change, yet it has added materially to the value and effectiveness of the book.
The Tune-book Committee took the utmost possible care in the adaptation of tunes to the hymns. It was an untold advantage to have so distinguished a musical editor as Sir Frederick Bridge, and he entered with enthusiasm into the great task of moulding Methodist music for a generation. He secured the co-operation of nearly all the leaders in the musical profession of the day— Sir C. H. H. Parry, Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Sir George C. Martin, Sir Charles V. Stanford, Sir Walter Parratt, Dr. Keeton of Peterborough, Dr. Peace of Liverpool, Dr. Bridge of Chester, Mr. W. G. Alcock, among many others. 'There is no man, no matter how great his distinction in the musical world, who has not counted it an honour to be asked to write tunes for the Wesley hymns'. The Appendix of old tunes such as 'Diadem', 'Calvary', 'Sovereignty', 'Lydia', and 'Praise', is a very happy feature of the book, and these will often be used for special services.
The Rev. A. E. Sharpley thinks the outstanding glory of the book will be the fine treatment of those old Charles Wesley hymns which, associated with specially composed tunes by writers of the highest order, will renew their youth, and with a new lease of life will ring out again their fervid message, needed as much in this twentieth century as in the eighteenth, so that the characteristic doctrines of Methodism, emphasized by these old hymns, and fragrant with their breath of " revival," will once more become popular in our churches, and resound again throughout the land'. The old tunes which the Wesleys sang, reset in some cases by the skilful hand of Sir F. Bridge, will become increasingly popular.