The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-12-19
HYMNS sHELvED.
what the Years Have Done in Way Of
Elimination.

When one examines the new hymn
alsH that take the place Of the old-time
hymn books and see how they have been
changed within the last half century,
one may perhaps, be justified in say
ing they give strong evidence that much
Of the former severe theology has pass
ed away. For in the days when Watts
sPsalms and Hymn" were the only
means Of so-called praise, there was lit
tie but the rigors of the law arranged
in verse and sung to the accompaniment
OF the big bass VOL, and perhaps with
the addition Of flute, violin and bassoon.
Today the children and grandchildren
Of men and women who sang Watts
hymns with feryor, would look strange
nv on anyone who undertook to read
some Of them in the pulpit, and expect
a choir to sing the words. Take, for
instance, the hymn like this
@My thoughts on awful subjects roll,
Damnation and the dead
What horrors seize the guilty soul
Upon a dying bed
Lingering about these mortal shores,
She makes a long delay;
Till, like a flood with rapid force,
Death sweeps the wretch away
~Then swift and dreadful she descends
Down TO the fiery coast,
Amongst abominable fiends;
Herself a frightened ghost"
There are several other verses in the
same strain. 1t is said that so or 60
years ago minister in a Congregation
al church, not SO very far from Boston,
read this hymn, expecting, Of course,
that the choir would sing it None Of
the singers rose in their places, as none
Of them were willing to sing the
words.
There is also a tradition in family
among whose members were several dea-
cons, that when such hymns were com
mon, the babies were hushed TO sleep
10 the tune and words Of;
clark from the tombs doleful
soundl
Mine ears attend the cry
re living men, come, view the ground
Where you must shortly lie"
ad hymns shelved.
Some Familiar Hymns Given Up in the
New Collection.
The latest hymnals prepared for use
nothing like this, and, it is said, have
omitted all hymns that contain express
sions that raight be considered over
dognatic or old-lashioned. OF course,
such 18th century illusions as the above
were dropped some years ago; but in
the newest collections, some familiar
hymns are given up which win be re.
gretted, no doubt, by some Of the older
people, while the more familiar ones viii
be missed even by the young folks.
Among them is the one that has been
sung in times of NATIONAL distress since
this country became a nation, and it
would seem as if it ought to be pre-
served for the rising generation, if only
for its historic yaIne It is the solemn
God is the refuge Of his saints,
When storms Of sharp distress invade;
Ere we can offer orr complaints,
Behold him present with his aid
1t Is Watts transposition Of the 10th
psalm. simitated in the language Of
the New Testament as he puts it.
Others that are left out of the new
compilation are the well known 70 Par
adisel 0 Paradise" safely Through
Another Week, which in rather an old
1 fashioned way describes the preparation
that should be made for the Sabbath;
| Wesley's 70 for 4 Thousand Tongues to
! Sing, ''God Moves in a Mysterious
! WAY His Wonders to Perform" "HaTkl
the Sound Of Holy Voices" II Was a
1 Wandering Sheep" "ihus Far the Lord
Has Led Me On "Weary Of Earth and
1 Laden with My SIM which has brought
an immense amount Of comfort in the
past to many who headr it fThe Spa
eious Firmament on High | Love to
Steal Awhile Away" Zone Sweetly
Solemn Thought, when | Can Read
4 NV little Clear "Fhere is Land Of
Pure Delight and many others Of the
hymns that were familiar as household
words to men and women whose heads
1 are now well frosted BY time, and many
! ii whom, no doubt, are wondering why
4 they are not good enough fer the ris
ling generation, even if the old dogmas
are now ont of fahsion.
RELOCATED Like Other Worn Out Ideas
Many Win Believe.
No Doubt, too. these saine people will
believe that in dropping some OF the
GOOD old hymns sentiment and historic
value We're sacrificed to desire to
show that the aforesaid dogmas were
entirely outgrown and relegated to the
place Of other worn out ideas.
An unbiased observer with a time
yellowed "Watts. before him cannot
help noting the immense difference in
thought and theological opinions chat
loss than half century has brought,
lif this new compilation Of hymns may
be considered as an Indication