Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-06-09

Zen the rapture Of pardon is mingled with fears
And the cup Of thanksgiving with ponitent tears
The festival trump calls for jubilant songs,
But my spirit her own miserere prolongs.
l would not live alway---no, welcome the tomb
Since Jesus hath lain there, dread not its gloom
Where IIc deigned to sloep, III too bow my head
An peaceful to slumbor on that hallowed bed,
Then the glorious daybreak, to follow that night
The orient CLEAN Of the angels Of light,
with their clarion call FOR the slcepcrs to rise,
And chant forth their matins away to the skies
Who would live always away from his God,
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where the rivers Of pleasure flow DER the brigh
plains,
And the noontide Of glory eternally reignsI
Where the saints Of all ages in harmony meet
Their Saviour and hrethern, transported 10 greet
While the songs Of salvation exultingly roll,
And the smile Of the Lord Is the feast Of the soul
That heavenly music what is Il / hoarl
The notes Of the harper ring sweet 10 mine car
And see, soft unfoljod those portals Of gold,
The King all arrayed in his beauty behold
o. give me, , o, give me the wings Of a dove,
To adore Him, DO near him, enrapt with his love
\ j but wait the summons, list for the word
Alleluia-Amen--cvermo with the Lord.
This poem DR.. Onderdonk abridged
into hymn of suitable length fol
church use, and submitted it TO DIR
Muhlenburg for revision. In this way
it was moulded into the form in which
it is now known and sung in every
Christian household of the land, and
was then passed upon favorably by the
subcommittee having charge of the
subject There were no changes from
the sentiment Of the original compost
ton only four lines in the new differ
from the original, and these only in a
few words, as will be seen by compari-
son between the two. As it is now
/ printed in the church hymnal it reads
THE HYMN As II is EVERYWHERE SUNG.
| weuld not live slway ask not to stay
Where storm after storm rises dark DER the way
The few lurid mornings that dawn on US hero
Arc enough for lifes woes full enough for its cheer
would not live Away thus icltercd by sin,
Temptation without and corruption within
Ben the rapture Of pardon Is mingled with fears,
And the cup Of thanksgiving with peni,ent icars.
I would not live Away no, welcome the tomb;
Since Jesus hath lain there dread not It's gloom;
There, sweet be my rest, till lie bid me arise
To hail Him in triumph descending the skies.
Who, who would live Away, away from his Col,
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where the rivers 5f pleasure now Ger the bright
plains.
Where the noontide of glory eternally roigns.
Where the saints Of all ages in harmony meet,
/ Their Saviour and brethorn, transported TO greet
While the anthems Of nature increasingly roll,
And the smile Of the Lord Is the feast Of the soul
The general committee did not meet
until 1929, and then the members as
sembled in the house of Bishop White,
in Philadelphia. The report Of the sub
committee was presented, and each of
the hymns was passed upon separately.
When this one came up one Of the
members said that it was very sweet
and pretty, but rather sentimental,
upon which il was unanimously thrown
ont. DR.. Muhlenberg, who was not
suspected as the author, voted against
it himself That he thought was the
end Of il, for the committee agreed up
on their report that night and ad-
journcd.
But the next morning DR., Onder-
donk, who had not attended on the
previous evening, called on Dr. Muh.
lonberg to inquire what had been done.
Upon being told that among the rc-
iected hymns was the one representing
their joint labors, he said "That will
never do and went about among the
members of the committee, soliciting
them TO restore the hymn in their re-
port, which accordingly they did, so
that TO him is due the credit of giving
il to the church at that time.
After these bits of history had been
examined and notes had been taken,
Dr. Muhlenberg,who had been stretch
ed on his lounge for a half hour or
more, arose and said jocosely, but still
in his quick, earnest manner 81 can
not help thinking, after reviewing
these facts, that wrote the hymn and
that Mr.. Ward did not, but ] also feel
very certain that j am sorry that |
ever had anything to do with it, for it
has given me great deal Of trouble
during the past fifty years. People
are wanting the history of it and au-
thority for its genuineness, and il has
been a burden, a great burden"
HDoctor1, said the reporter,I notice
that in Beecher's Plymouth collection
the mornings that dawn on us, here
are termed lucid instead of 'lurid.
VIII you tell me which is correct p
"Why 1urid is right Of course re
piled the venerable poet quickly, "for
that is the way il appears in all of my
works" But added he with a
smile, perhaps this man Ward wrote
their hymn for them Then he
pleasantly bade the reporter farewell.
Dr. Muhlenbcrg has written many
other hymns one Of the most popular
of which is that opening with
Shout the glad tidings cxultngly sing,
which he composed at the particular
request Of Bishop Hobart, who wanted
something that could be sung to the
tune of Avison, then popular TO the
words by Moore, "Sound the loud tim
brel.' The bishop liked the verses so
well that he had some struck Off on
loose sheets before the hymns were
published, that they might be sung in
Trinity church on Christmas dav 1909
But Of ALI the poet'a sonys the one
whicht the printer Ward wildly claimed
lis the one which has found lis wav
straicbtest 70 the popular heart and
which has become nj once n mothers
lullaby and cburcb'santhem In 1871
in his seyenty.sixth year DR. Mullen.
berg evangelical the poem of his youth.
by replacing the phrase exhibiting tbo
scntimentaiity of Younger days bv the
more sober and orthodox expressions
of age, publishing tho work through