The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-20
"NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE"
Interesting History of the Famous
Old Song.

From the Philadelphia North Ameri-
can, Sept. Is.
The hymn Nearer, My God to
Thee" which will be sung in all Amer
lean churches tomorrow, in the First
NJ. E. Church in Canton, where the
funeral services over the late Presi-
dent will be held. and the words of
which Mr.. Mckinley repeated just be-
fore his death, has an interesting his
tory.
Perhaps no hymn, since the publica-
ton of Perronet's "All Hail the Power
of Jesus Name" in 1885, has received
so wide and deserving a popularity. 1t
finds place in all collections of hymns
in the English tongue, and is favor
lite alike in Trinitarian and Unitarian
churches. 1t has been translated into
many languages, and has followed the
triumphs of the Gospel in heather
lands.
Best of It's Kind.
1t Is the best metrical expression of
the desire for a more intimate spirit
ual acquaintance with God, and the
riches of His grace, that we have in
modern psalmody. 1t is a fresh and
touching expression of the same yearn-
ing aspirations toward God that we
prize in Cowper's "Oh, for a closer
walk with God which 1t succeeded in
popular favor 1t expresses a willing
ness to know God through the disci-
pine of affection.
Its imagery embraces the associa-
lions of one of the most sublime and
interesting religious experiences re-
corded in the early Hebrew Scriptures,
Jacobs vision at Luz. And he lighted
upon a certain place" says the scrip
ture of Jacobs wanderings, land tar
ried there all night, because the sun
was set; and he took of the stones of
that place and put them for his pill
lows, and lay down in that place to
sleep. And he dreamed, and beh old a
ladder set up on the earth, and the
top of 1t reached to heaven; and be-
hold the angels of God ascending and
descending on it,
Reproduction.
The hymn almost literally reproduces
this delightful passags:
Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
MY rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee.
The Scriptural account of the awak-
ening of Jacob on the morning after
the vision is as wildly brought to
mind in the figures in the fourth stan
"a;
Then with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise;
out of my stony grief
Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be
! Nearer, my God. to Thee,
Nearer to Thee
Mrs. Sarah Flower Adams, author of
the hymn, was daughter of Benjamin
Flower, an English writer and editor.
She was born in 1905. Her mother, a
woman of culture, died early in life.
There were two daughters, Sarah and
Eliza The strongest attachment ex-
listed between them. Both possessed
the fine feelings of their mother, and
were fond of books, music, poetry and
art.
The Two Sisters.
Their aesthetic tastes ruled even in
childhood. and girlhood to them was a
glowing season of aspiration and ex-
pectancy. Eliza turned her attention to
music and musical composition, and her
sister to religious poetry They were
| Unitarian in their church relations, but
their piety was gagged by devotional
feeling and high religious attachments.
rather imam Dy denomlnatlOnal require
ments or sectarian views.
Eliza Flower" says a critic, Eat
tanned higher rank in musical COM
position than before her time had been
reached by any of her sex" Sarah
| Flower made the composition of poetry
her occupation, while her sister pur-
sued her musical studies. In 1884 she
married William Bridges Adams, an
eminent engineer and a contributor to
the best periodical literature.
Her First Poem.
In 1S41 she published a dramatic poem
in five acts, entitled Viva Perpetua, "
in which she portrays the religious life
sufferings, strong faith and endurance
of the early martyrs.
The hymn, Nearer My God to Thee, "
was a record of her own religious ex-
perience, and was written as a me-
mortal of answered prayer, probably
without any expectation that II would
be of public service. 1t was furnished
with thirteen other Hymns to Charles
Fox's collection of Hymns and An
ITEMS" published in London in 1S4l.
The cares of married life In nowise
abated the gifted sister. Regarding xvi
via Perpetua" as the fruit OF their
joint aspirations and studies, she de-
dicates IL to her sister in lines in which
occur the following tender sentiment: