The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-23
EVENING OF SONGS
Services at the First Presbyterian
Church Yesterday.
LARGE CROWD WAS PRESENT
Rev. George Wade Healy. the Pas
tor. Delivers an Interesting
Talk on Hymn Writers
and Their Hymns"

last night at the Presbyterian church
to take part in the service prepared by
the pastor. The service was unique
and spiritual 1t consisted of an
Evening With Our Hymn Writers
and Their Hymns" The hymns were
all printed in a nicely arranged pro-
gramme. Before each hymn was sung
the pastor gave a short biogra phical
sketch of the writer. The following are
some of the sketches: John Newton
was born in London in 1925. He was
SNouth OF idle habits and low compan-
ions. When very young he became a
midshipman on a British man-of-wa
from which he deserted, and signed
with an African trader. At Sierra
Leone he left this ship and entered the
service of slave trader. Became the
mate of a slave ship and at 25 was
made her master. He was converted
under the influence of a Christian sea
captain. Upon a marble slab in the
church of st. Mary. woolnoth, Lom-
bard street, London, one may read:
John Newton, clerk; once an infidel
and Hbertine, a servant of slaves in
Africa, was by the rich mercy of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserv-
ed, restored, pardoned and appointed
TO preach the faith he had long labored
10 destroy near 16 years at Olney, in
Bucks; and IS years in this church."
This epitaph was prepared by him
self, and he requested that no other be
written or no monument be erected to
his memory. Little did he know the
splendid monument he was erecting to
his own memory in his imperishable
hymns. of which the following is one of
his choicest:
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds.
In believers ear;
1t soothes his sorrows. heals his
wounds,
And drives away his fear"
The next sketch was of William Cow |
per. who was wrapped in mental gloom |
but possessed a truthful heart
Over almost the entire life of Cowper
hangs. as 1t were, deep cloud of mel |
ancholy. From his boyhood he was
weak and sickly. His sensitive physical
and mental condition made him feel.
as he expressed it, that he was goaded
to madness by rough usage. He studied
law three years, after which he was ad-
mitted to the Middle Temple He was
so morbid, timid, shrinking, that rea-
son trembled in the balance. An ap-
pointment TO the clerkship of the jour
VI
tuaIy insane. He regained his health
to degree in the asylum of DR.. Cot
ton. Though devout and consecrated in
heart and life. he always harbored the
morbid belief that he was one who
could not be saved.
His hymn, God Moves In a Mys-
terious Way" says Montgomery,
was written in the twilight of depart
ing reason" 1t is said that on one &C.
casion Cowper thought that IL was the
divine will that he should go over to
the river Ouse and drown himself: but
the driver of his carriage missed his
way and on the poets return he wrote
this hymn.
This hymn had a prominent part I'm
the life of Sturgeon. A missionary.
visiting at the house of Spurgeon's
grandfather. predicted that the lad
would one day occupy Rowland Hilrs
pulpit. The missionary gave Spurgeon
sixpence TO learn the hymn, and exact
ed from him the promise that when he .
nrst stood i'm that pulpit he would an
hounce TINS hymn. The prediction was
verified and the promise was kept
The pastor told the beautiful story
OF how Charlotte Elliot wrote Just as
Am friend who was leading her
TO Christ said: Come to Him lust as
you are" Soon her new life in Christ
began and with this experience as an
inspiration the little hymn was writ
STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS
This hymn was written under affect b
ing circumstances. Rev. Dudley Tying Q
hau been engaged in the great revival y
OF 1898. On the Sunday before his n
death he had preached one of the most S
STIRRING sermons of modern times. out a
or 5,OO0 present at least 900 were CON y
Verted. ON the following Wednesday a
ne went into barn where a horse {,
power was in motion; his coat sleeve y
caught In the cogs of wheel. and his =
arm was torn out by the roots. His "
death occurred in a few hours. e
AT the hour of his death the Y. NC v
A. OF Philadelphia was holding a meet ~
Ing which he was to have addressed u
AS he was dying he sent them this ~
message: stand up for Jesus" The y
Iohowlng sunday DR.. Duffield preach
ed memorial sermon, and what is =,
now the hymn he then wrote simply as >
4 concluding exhortation. "
ABIDE WITH Me" is
Written in 1s47, by Rev. Henry Fran in
lis Lyle, when he was in the Anal M
stage OF disease. His life was one OF 81
iisappointments. His ambitions We're u
crossed, his affections were BETRAYED u
MS health failed. Though of gentle lie
birth and high scholarship, he was 70
placed in what he himself called "a OF
ireary Irish curacy." But he was not m
permitted 10 linger even there; failing
health compelled him to relinauish his ~
'harge in an attempt TO prolong his u
lie in the soothing climate of Italy ~
Before leaving for the South he gath
red his strength for the administra-
Ion OF last communion service, al
hough. as he wrote, scarcely able 10 n
crawl" Then he gave his farewell -
o the members of his flock and retired ~
o his chamber. As the evening of the
abbath day gathered its shadows. he
anne forth YEARLY. and laid in the O.,
and Of one OF his relatives this HYMN a.,
Z eight stanzas. Thus was this prayer %
l hymn born in an hour of deepest n,
arkness and bitterest dissapointment hi
BLEST BE THE TIE THAT BINDS.
Written by the Rev. John Fawcett. N,
. D.. in 1872. He had been preaching az