The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-25
RELIGIOUS EXERCISES.
Rev. Mr.. Scudder Tells
Stories About FaVorite
Hymns.
THE REV. Mr.. BRETT's DOCTRINE.
A Tabernacle Congregation Hears
the Claims of the Reformed
Church.

-
Pastor Scudder held novel and inter-
esting service at the Tabernacle last
night, the announcement of which drew
one of the largest congregations that has
filed that edifice in some time. 1t was q
praise service Of song.
= A number of the favorite church hymns
were selected, and after interesting COM
ments upon the authors and the causes
that led to the writing Of the respective
hymns. they were sung by choir of at
least thirty voices, the congregation join
ing with vim and spirit seldom heard
outside of an old-fashioned Methodist re-
yival.
The first hymn announced was the
Coronation This hymn, the pastor
explained was written by the Rev. T..
Perronett in 1870. He was co-laborer
with Charles Wesley. He was a great
violinist, and at one time saved his life
by playing this same tune on his violin
while attacked by savages, among whom
he was laboring as missionary The
thoughts which eliminated in the pro-
duction of this poem had been inspired
while preaching to these sayages. The
pastor drew lesson from the story and
instruments in the sanctuary. The con-
gregation caught the enthusiasm and the
hymn was spiritedly sung
'sPALESTINE."
The pastor next contrasted the origins
of two Of the most celebrated hymns of
the Church. PALESTINE was written by
Bishop Heber, who when a boy was so
thoroughly acquainted with the Bible
that he used to prompt his father, who
was great minister. He was SO charita-
BILE and would so rob himself TO give to
others while off at school that his mother
was obliged to sew bank notes inside his
clothes where he would have hard time
to find them. Paradise" was a prize
poem. When first read the applause was
such. as no young student had ever re-
ceived at the college. He was found some
moments later by his mother upon his
knees thanking God that it had been
success. He is the author of ffty-nine
hymns. From Greenland's Icy Noun
tains" was hastily dashed off in response
to a request for q new and appropriate
hymn at certain missionary service.
In contrast to this Mr.. Scudder next
spoke of a song which he said had floated
more people into heaven than any other,
and would be sung in the church for cen
turies to come, written by q poor boy,
son of an English mechanic, Joseph
Griggs. The congregation was invited to
sing:-
Jesus, and snail IL ever De,
mortal man ashamed Of thee"
A travelling layman preaching in a
barn in a small town of Ireland, con-
yerted A. M. Toplady, the author of
Rock of Ages.
"I GAVE MY LIFE FOR LHEE."
Frances r. Havergal wrote song II
Gave NV Life for Thee" when a young
girl She threw her first copy of it into
the fire because she thought 1t was of no
account. Something seemed to tell her
the words might accomplish some good.
A few days after she visited an old in
valid lady, and while censoling her,
pulled the poem from her pocket and
lady, and she prophesied its popularity.
HE Leadeth Me- was written by J. H.
Gilmore when professor in Rochester
University, New York.
my FAITH LOOKS UP TO THEE"
I'm New York, some years ago" said
Mr.. Scudder, Il knew poor young theo-
logical student, Knight of the Paper
Collar, as we used to call each other. His
implicit faith in God during moment of
abstraction, as much in the way of
amusement as of consolation, led him to
pen the lines beginning with My faith
looks up to Thee He carried it in his
pocket for several days. The poor theo-
logical student was Ray Palmer, who af
terward became d. d."
The pastor gave the history of the
origin of the hymn Just as 1 Am With
out one Plea" 1t was written by Char
lotte Elliott in 1889, who was an invalid
for forty years. "a physician came to her
bedside one day and said, I've something
better for you than medicine He
showed her the hymn. She recognized it
as one she had written herself"
'BLEsT BE THE TIE THAT BINDS"
In 1880. when Whitfield was passing
through the country like firebrand, he
converted John Fawcett, who felt called
to the pulpit and was assigned tc an in
significant parish at q salary of $500 a
year. He became attached to the peo-
pie, who were also warmly attached to
him. He preached there for num-
Der of years, when he was
offered a more remunerative pastorate.
His household goods were packed in
wagons and the family were about to de-
part. His congregation gathered about
him to say farewell and express their re-
grets that he was to leave them He was
SO overcome with emotion that he ordered
his wagons to be unpacked and remained
with those people for the rest of his days.
In this incident originated the thought
that led him to produce "Blest be the
Tie that Binds.
The congregation was dismissed last
night after heartily singing that hymn.
The pastor announced that like service