The herald., 1897-03-14
HYMNOLOGY AND THE SECU.
LAR POETS

| II nN oAO31 AMI DE W.
LAR POETS
The casual reader is not aware how
much the world is indebted to the secu-
lar poets for its hymnology. 1t is true
that the greater part of sacred song has
come to us from those bards whose daily
| lives have been near the temple of the
| living God, but it is not less true that
the so-called poets of the world have
| contributed valuable portion. In gen.
eral the secular poet goes to Parnassus
to receive his inspiration. The storm,
as 1t sweeps in majestic fury along the
mountain peaks; the earthquake, as it
shakes like an imprisoned demon the
superintendent globe; the avalanche
as 1t bends the forest with it's resistless
might; the ocean, dark, boundless and
sublime" as it dashes with thunderous
soft undertone the old song of the sea-
these are all agencies of the secular poet.
They bring to his mind such images of
beauty. grandeur and majesty as should
translate him into the heaven of song;
but they seldom wake from his Tyre a
hymn of alteration to the author and
giver of all these things. 1t has been said
that IAN undevout astronomer is mad"
This applies with equal force to an un-
devout poet.
| The great poets of the world, whose
lays are sung as hymns of worship, have
been caught up like Paul into the third
heaven, and have heard strains to which
the inspired singer alone could give
a tongue on earth. The brow of Pisgah
is higher than Parnassus, the dews of
Hebron are sweeter than the ambrosa
of the gods; the silver stream flowing
| from the invisible throne is more re-
freshing than the fountain of Castaly;
the harp of David hanging on the will
lows, sobbing out the woes of Israel,
stirs the heart of humanity more than
| the Tyre of Homer or the Mantuan bard
The secular poet, standing on Olympus,
in the highest exaltation of his muse,
| has no grander visions than Tempean
wales, or Arcadian groves, while the re-
| ligious poet, standing on Nebo, sees the
| Canaan of God stretching out before
! him. with it's crystal rivers dancing DER
beds of pearls its every cascade wearing
of rainbows.
When we consider how vast the treas
ure house from which the religious poet
draws his materials. one can readily
see how Milton, when his earthly eyes
had been dimmed caught inspirati ton
from the epic grandeur of a war in
heaven, and wrought in higher octave
than any former poet, a song that will
"go sounding down the ages" to the
remotest records of time.
Watts and Doddridge and Wesley have
been the evangels of heaven, to frame
into immortal hymns the alteration of
the heart for its creator. How often have
these hymns been the chariots upon
which the disembodied soul has been
borne to the gates of paradise; how often
has there been but a simple interlude
between the dying notes of a Watts,
and the soul-melting harmony of the
angelic choir! Strange that this triad
of poets has furnished the greater part
of the hymnology of the Christian world
Secular poets are numerous as the leaves
that strew the winter heath, while the
priests of song only rise above the hori-
zon at remote intervals of time.
But while certain class of poets seem
to be gifted. alone, as writer's of hymns,
there are others who, after culling all
the beauties of the outer world, have
occasionally passed the gates of Eden,
and borne to earth snatches of song al
most angelic. Tom Moore, whose exquis-
ite fancy has thrown a glamour and orr
entail luxuriance over every scene which
his muse deigned to touch, has enriched
our hymnology with some of the most
delightful songs, which the Christian
heart ever sung. Is it not possible, that
some hypercritical religionists would
object to the use of the hymns of Tom
Moore in public worship? Is it not high
ly probable that many Christian hearts
have been melted with the pathos of
some of the songs of Moore, who would
have lost all their spirituality had they
Erin's gifted bard? Still, can there be
found in all our songs of worship any
thing more beautiful in its resignation,