Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-11
sI WOULD NOT LIVE AWAY

II would not live Away; ask not to stay,
Where storm after storm rises dark Ger the way
Where, seeking for rest We but hover sCound,
Like the pstriarch's bird, and no resting Is
found;
Where Hope, when she paints her gray bow in
the air,
Leaves its briniance to fade in the night of de-
And joys fleeing angel ne'er sheds a glad ray,
Save the CLEAN Of the plumage that bears him
away
i'I would not live alwsy-thus fettered by SIM
without and corruption Within
In a moment Of strength II sever the chain,
Scarce the victory is mine, ere I'm captive
Fen The rapture of pardon is mingled with fears,
And the cup of thanksgiv wing with renitent tears;
The festival trump calls for jubilant songs,
But my spirit her own miSsreTc prolOngs.
81 would not live alway-no, welcome the tomb;
Since Jesus hath lain there, 1 dread not It's
Where He deigned to sleep III too bow my head,
All peaceful 10 slumber 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 sleepeis 70 rise
And chant forth their mathis, away to the skies.
s.whO would live Away, away from his God,
Away from yOn heaven, that blissful abode
Where the rivers Of pleasure flow Ger the bright
And the noontide of glory eternally reignE;
Where the saints Of al ages in harmony meet
Their Saviour and brethren, transported TO
WHITE the songs Of salvation e1ultingly roll,
And the smile OF the Lord is the feast Of the
soul?
ssThst heavenly musici what is it heaT2
The notes Of tie harper ring sweet IN mine earl
And see, soft unfolding, those portals Of gold,
The Ming all arrayed in His beauty behold!
e1n r=fHnrrz Nf q nTTa
To adore Him, be near Him. enrapt with bis
hut wait the summons, 1 list for the word
leluia-Amen-eyermOre with the Lord"
In 1926 The General Convention of the
Episcopal Church appointed a committee
TO prepare a collection Of hymns, to be
added TO the fifty-six, then the whole num-
Der attached to the Prayer-bOOk. This
measure was in consequence Of an awaken
ell interest in hymnOlOgy, brought about
by articles on Church Poetry" and "a
Plea for Christian Hymns" addressed to
the authorities of the Church by DR..
Muhlenberg through the religious press.
He was CHOSEN by the convention as one Of
the committee, and the Rev. DR.. ii. Oader-
donk, the rector of ST. AIMS in Brooklyn, as
another. The poem 81 would not live al
way,;"Dr. Onderdonk abridged into hymn
Of Suitable length for divine worship and
submitted to DR.. MuhlenbeTg for revision.
There were no changes fIOm the sentiment
of the original composition; only four lines
in the new differed from the original, and
those in a few words, as viii be seen by
comparison between the two. As 1t IS now
printed in the "Church Hymnal" it reads:
81 would not live Away; ask not TO stay
Where storm after storm rises dark DER the way
The few luriu mornings that dawn on us here
Arc enough for IiIe's woes, full enough for its
cheer.
al would not live Away, thus fettered by sin,
Termination without and corruption Within
Fen the rapture OF pardon Is mingled with Tears,
And the cup OF thanksgiving with penitent Tears
81 would not live Away; no, welcome the tomb;
since Jesus hath lain there, 1 dread not its
TbeEs' sweet be my rest, TIL He bid me arise
TO han Him in triumph, descending the skies.
.who, who would live Away, away from his God,
AWAY from Won heaven, that blissful abode,
Where the rivers Of pleasure how Ger the bright
Ulains
And the no0ntide Of glory eternslly reigns;
oyVbere the saints of all ages in harmony Ii u, t,
Their Savior and brethren, transported TO gr"'t
While the anthems OF rapture Increasingly lt.i,
And the smile Of the Lord Is the feast OF 'hs
sOul?H
The general committee did not nee;
until 1923, and then the membe-s Assem-
bled in the house Of Bishop White in Philt-
delyhia. The report Of the sub committee
was presented, aud each Of the hymns was
passed upon separately. When this one
came I'D one Of the members said II Was
very sweet and pretty, but rather senitmen-
tai, upon which il was unanimously
thrown out. DR.. Muhlenberg, who was
not suspected as the author, voted against
himself. That be supposed was the end OF
il. for the committee agreed upon their re-
lott that night and adjourned.
But the next morning DR.. OcderdOnE
who had not attended on the previous eve
ming, called on DR.. Muhleuberg 10 enquire
| what had been done. Upon being told thai
among the rejected hymns was the one rep
resentinE their joint labOis, be said: "Ihai
will never do" and went about among The
members of the cODmittes, soliciting
! them to restore the hymn in their report
which accordingly they did, 50 that to hin
is due the credit Of giving ii to the churct
/ at that time.
DR.. MuhlenbeTg is still living, beinl
nearly eighty years Of ace. The following
brief sketch Of the author Of 81 would no
| live Away will not prove UnlnteTestlhg u
those with whom the hymn is tavOrlte
DIR. Muhleuberg's full name is William
| Auqustus. He was born in Philadelphia
| in 1896, aud is the gredt-gTands On Of th
Rev. Henry MelchiOr Muhlenberg, the tOun
der Of the German Lutheran Church II
America. He is the grandson
too. Of Gen. Peter Muhlenberg
the patriot clergyman who on
hundred years ago was settled in Wood
stock, Va, aud who, mounting his pulp!
CBe Sunday morning early in the Revoiu
ton, preacbed his last sermon, upon th
duties which men owe 20 their country
saving, in conclusion, "There is time 70
ali things "a time TO preach and time {
fght-and row is the time to fight, Wit
| which word he stripped off his cleTlcl
gown, appeared in full uniform, read III
commission as colonel in the America
army, and straightTsy formed a regimen
among his parishiOners. From this granC
sire down DR.. Muhlenberg inherit
the remarkable energy tEat hs
made his life so useful. ID
was ordained a clergyman Of u
Episcopal Church about 1920. He pTeache
for some time in Lancaster, Pa, froI
which place he removed TO Flushing, L. l
ard thence TO New York, where be becam
rector OF tine Church Of the Holy Con
munion, memorial church built by Il
sister. But his greatest work is st. Luke
Hospital, which he projected and built, il
craasing a fund Of $50, in 1916, to oy
! S2OOO0J in 1857, and since its completiC
he has presided over it IS superintendel
aud chaplain, occupying suite OF larg
= nodestly furnished rooms in the first stOr
= aud worshipped by all officers and patient
THE DECLINE OF DANCING IN
o LONDON.
e md. Conway writes to the CmciIni
t Commercial:
D.. Somehow London seems to have
q tired Of dancing. When the Shah W