The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-02-14
Origin OF Hymns.
The we'll known hymn
lava m cfeal avhile a NAV

i love 10 btedl uNulc why
From every cum o'ring care,
And spend the hours OF setting day
In humble, grateful prayer
WAS written by Mre. PhG6e II. Brown,
q pious female, whose domestic cares
were great, having to struggle hard to
support large family. She frequent
ly retired to a quiet rural place ofre-
treat in the evening after the tolls Of
the day were over. Her regular visits
to this spot drew upon her the suspi>
cions aud animadversions OF a lady OF
wealth living near. Sc was told that
she GU lit to b. a. nome with her
children instead OF rambling about
thus. 1t greatly grieved her to be CEN
sured for holding communion with her
God after the days labor, and she "a,
down one evening with q babe in her
lap, and wrote her "4ppology for her
Midnight Ron,t!es," which has now be-
come one OF the Church's sweetest
hymns. Who can fully enter into her
feelings as she penued those tender and
touching stanzas? How seldom do we
think of that pious mother, with her
child in her arms, as we sing the lines
che penped with an aching heart and
trembling hand?
Charles Wesley sublime and famous
hymn,
Thou God OF glorious majesty,
No. 24S in the Lutheran collection.
containing the well known stauzs be-
ginning,
lo!on narrow neck OF land,
'IwiXt Two unbounded seas l stand,
was written on a promontory called
Lands Eud," being the southwestern
extremity OF England. projecting into
the Atlantic Ocean, between the Bris-
toll and English channels 1t is q rocky
point, more than 200 feet in altitude
above the sea, which RIGGS and roars
tremendously at it's base when driven
BY the winds. On this marrow neck Of
land" M. Wesley stood as he composed
bis immortal lyric, so full OF solemn
grandeur and holy awe. He compares
lite to this neck OF land, with the "uu-
bounded seas" OF an eternity past and
an eternity to come, behind and before
him, and with mighty responsibility
TO be borne, aud work to be done in the
brief period that elapses while passing
over this narrow space from one sea to
the other. What q thought for the
framework OF a meditalive hymn! Do
We always realize this thought when
we sing it?
The hymn beginniug-"Asleep in
Jesus blessed sleep" by Mrs. Mackay
a Christian lady Of Scotland, was sug-
geated to the authorizes while musine
! in burying ground in the west OIL
Epgland. She read there on tomb
stone the simple inscri ption,
"sLEEPING IN JEsUs."
and the sentiment seemed 10 be so IL
keeping with the place, that she seized
upon il as theme Of the sweet consols'
tory hymn mentioned.
Jesus, l my sll have taken, wal
long considered a sweet and holy song
OF conservation. composed by young
lady whose friends were opposed 10 her
becoming pious, and who actually turns
ed her out homeless on the world be.
cause she would take her cross" aut
follow Jesus. But Dr.. Belcher. in BIZ
Historical Sketches. speaking with gres
con fidence, ascribes it 10 the Rev
Henry Francis Lyle, "a young man o
feeble health. but OF high promise,
who Was born in Scotland 10 1898
was educated in Trinity College, Dublin
and settled az curate in Devonsbire
He died in lS47. Nothing is said abou
the circumstances that suggested tn
hymn, which must have been OF
peculiar character. On the whole, "
cannot but feel q regret that the origir
to which it is usually traced is no. tn
correct one.
i The familiar and beautiful hymn b.
Cowper, beginning,
"God moves In mysterious way"
J was composed by him in the dim twi
light Of departing reason, as he va
plugged into the gloomy shadows Of
long period OF insanity. As his min
: Was waveripg. and reason wa
totteripg on her throne. he became i'm
; pressed with the conviction that it va
I Gods will he should drown himself {
e q particular place 10 the river Ous'
: several miles from Alney. where he r,
J sided. He accordingly called one ever
e ing Tor q chsise, and ordered the drive
1 TO take bin to the designated spot Th
!. driver. though he well knew the plac
Was, BY some strange iniatuation, ute
: ly unable oo that occasion to End
: and after consuming several bours
D seeking it, admitted TO Cowper that !
: had lost his way.--The spell was no
= broken. the poet ordered the lchaiss
e drive 10 his lodgings, where he O
4 down Immediately and wrote the byn