The Somerset reporter., 1888-05-24

Such pcrNcr>ion of this noble hymn
1 is enough To make the good Bishop turn
/ in his grave; and if spirits cotdd RAJ
from the summer land With what a
sturdy knock of Indignation would the
reverend composer a>sail the ears of his
profaue parodi>t>. Speaking of spirits
recalls the following verse, which smack-
of chain lightning and the Atlantic cable.
There, i pulse of magnetic life flowing
In dtthc-- summer bands,
Aud it, loom ct pul@iug batteries
Is working Ivy ~pint hands.
Such spiritual thmole-rigging is ,ng
gestive of sending and receiving tele-
grams to and from the celestial city; aud
who. in this progressive age, is bold
enough to assert the feat may not yet be
accomplished: This profane mingImg OF
earthly business and heavenly joy Is Ger
tainly ill-advi,rd. Why should the gate
he left aiar for the qualification of our
curiosity. or Hung wide open for our con-
venicncc, if this profanin@ of the mystic
rcs is to reveal lleShly kind of heaven,
gross and tire>Ome. 1t is not difficult 10
discover the inspiration of the Koran in
the conception of ~Hch a paradise a- i
described in the following
Prrduuied hyro, mfti,uc in -ph,te,
We catch i.uut 4le.8H- cot hli---
OF sweet control at SOUL Ger soul,
When seated los Cod own ki--.
This is the heavenly bliss which is
promised IL, Imagery which in the
Apocalypse is expressed by hints and
alinpse,, and is always imagery and not
deliucatiun, being kept within the sober
bounds of good taste, is simply pralaned
when it is pursued into minute and trivial
detail. For example, that simple phrase,
"clothed with white robes is full Of
pathetic aud ton Ter beauty, nor is it easy
to miss the significance of the gracious
hopes expressed in it, But when As in
certain hymn Of our acquaintance, one
is set to singing over and over again in
the iteration of chorus.
White robes, clean rohcs Whit rubt~, clean robes,
Whternbes, clean robes We shall Wrlr,
there is danger of assocatin9 the memo
ry of earthly washing days with the idea
of celestial purity, and we have an un-
comfortable suspicion that the true Splr-
it of poetry is being tortured.
Not only is the poctical element lack
iug in many modern hymn, lint a want
of sense is also painfully apparent, one
writer in IA collection of hymns profess
cdly "winnowed' refers 10 the Saviour
rs the Prince of his (the writer's peace,
and furthermore adds that lie stood all
bcWldcred with wonder. which Is rs
srnSclceS aS though he had said he stood
all painted with paint Anothcrremarks
n am the door and by WAY Of proof
adds: come in, come III Is doors
generally do.
one striking popularity of modern
HYMNS is that the name Of cod rarely oc-
ours in them. We are made acquainted
with angels, seraphs, chcruhlms aud
| ,.lt, it. 4
comparatively few instances, the name Of
the Creator is, perhaps wisely omitted.
The chief reason for this noticeable
omission doubtless lies in the fact that
many hymns are composed by individuals
who have little genuine lpvc for cod, and
no particular desire to assist in Christian
worship
How was il in former times; In those
days scarcely hymn was written or sung
that did not contain MANY direct reirrenc-
Is To the Almighty; from which W infer
thar the writers were Christian men and
women who, through sincere lote If God
wcrc inspired to write songs ~ Ills
praise, Such people could not he p men
tioning His name. Many of The old
hymns are true accounts of their writers
Christian experience. of this number i
that ,oul-insprng composition Begin
uing:
I,-u-. my cross hltc tl4bs-i.
All 10 leave and t...Hs l.s'.
Could the author of the Spiritual Tel
cgraph have written this: w thnk
not. To furnish such "A production il
na.,.l , youn,, lady win, mad iu>r ,1ined
am .vnrriinentnl KNOWLEDGE. of religion OF
in other words, knew what she wa~ talk
u4 about Another old fashioned de
.,rf,,tivr HYMN rommru,.r~
it,..1.5-I...-....... ......
By Cd aud t1 III, fu..-..#- -r..t.
lIcsduc ID. iisthf., wHefs. hs LIS
And waited Ter al '''i gay
This Is concise and AT the saHf tme
explicit. The neat verse l. III cluaaA
good TASTE.
y Stone nl- fur his pillow Ind.
an l.f s.t -'o4 i. ,. - ''> Il.
And thg b.uc heavens aboea TN, ge.aai.
-.
cism indeed that led ON, la lind FAM
III ~ 4,,.,.i.. method e t.li,,.,., a.. :.
Nitlt 'H'N N'"l''' NJ '''" - '''''4- " F''it
Bible Story.
There i a HYMN. whose name we nee
So, ,,,,,tf,, ,,ni.n#,c,,,r. M. f.u.,,,.;,,,
NJ NV -
NtI-NIltteu N'''''
My l1thef'S H'o,e en- high,
>t,i'.ss T.. lin ,.,.i,ine. -,
It. golden gi'e- appear.
An, then nay pint r1i>
TIL. briegt inI.,.ii5r,,' at 4tint-
Jerusalem iba>,.
II,rc +. trur sentiment uuit.l with 80,
.ihin I.,crintion Thr Fsfhrr.. Lan.o +