Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-12-08
A REVISED HYMNAL.
THE WORK OF A COMMITTEE OF
TWENTY-FIVE.

sive Imagery and the Gruesome-Man,
Old Favorites Remain.
The songs of Methodist Zion have
been revised. For the first time since
1878 a new hymnal has been offered fol-
congregational singing in the Metho
dist Episcopal church.
More important still, Methodism ol
America is united in its song service
for the first time since 1916. The
new book will be the hymal for more
than 4 4,SO0,0O0 Methodists. 1t has the
endorsement of all the bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal church, South.
The book is only one of several
steps being taken toward a closer af.
filiation of the two churches and the
hope is entertained that union of the
two great branches of the church may
eventually result and the harmony re-
stored that existed before slavery split
apart the denomination of the Wes.
leys. A further indication of the
friendlier feeling between the two sec
tions is that the two churches are pre-
pairing q joint catechism.
The revised hymnal Is the result oi
the labors of joint commission of q
ministers and laymen appointed in
equal numbers by the two churches
under instructions from the respective
general conferences. The committee,
in presenting the fruit of their toll,
assert the double purpose of providing
q worthy manual of song for use in
the public and private worship of AL.
mighty God, and to testify to the
world the essential unity of the two
great branches Of Episcopal Metho-
dism."
Many surprises will be found in q
perusal OF the new book. 1t contains
TIT hymns, while the hymnal which
has been in use contained 1,l17. Fur
thermore, 24O of the hymns in the re-
vised version were not in the old book,
showing that the pruning knife has
cut away GAO songs, many OF them
we'll known and lew much beloved.
The preface explains the aim of the
revision:
1--WE gladly note that the hymns of
the Wesleys are given the prominence
which justly belongs to them iu any
collection to be used by Methodists.
But the book will be found to contain
also the choicest work of the other
hymn writer's OF the eighteenth GEN.
tury, namely, Doddridge, Watts, Cow.
per, Newton, Montgomery, and a very
considerable number OF new hymns
selected after . wide examination Of
the body OF religious verse produced
during the last seventy-five years.
The hymns admitted have been selected
from the ancient and modern treas.
uries of religious poetry. They are the
expression of the sound doctrine and
healthful Christian experience and it
is believed will greatly enrich our wor.
ship and bring us into closer fellowship
with believers in all lands and in all
ages.
"Some stanzas have been wholly ex.
cluded on the ground that they contain
imagery offensive to modern taste and
others have been omitted to secure de-
sirable brevity. The com mmissiOn did
not venture to make arbitrary or capri
cious alterations.
"In only a very few cases have
hymns been divorced from the tunes
to which long use has welded them.
Many new tunes by the more eminent
modern composers Of church music
have been introduced"
The bishops close the preface by
commenting the new hymnai to the
churches with the hope that cit may
everywhere supplant those unauthor'
lied publications which often teach
what organized Methodism does not
hold, and which, by excluding the no.
bier music OF the earlier and later days
prevent the growth OF true musical
TASTE"
The first edition of the revision wal
published the first OF September by the
Methodist Book Concern at New York
Cincinnati and Nashville. The entire
first edition will include 100000 copies
and orders for half of it had been re.
ceived before the day OF publication
In the peface the bishops of the
church took occasion to rejoice thai
the hymns OF the Wesleys are given
the prominence which Justly belongs
10 them in any collection to be used
by Methodist" In fact, Charles Wesley
wrote 12l ofthe hymns, or one.sixth oi
the whole. Indeed the first two
hymns of the book are his, one begin
ming with the familiar words: cob
for q thousand tongues to sing my
great Redeemers's praise" and the
other, equally we'll known, "Come
thou Almighty King, help us Thy
name to sing!"
Isaac Watts and Philip Doddridg.
who were not Methodists, stand second
and third, with SO aud % hymns re-
spectively. John Wesley and jaime.
Montgomery are tied at 10; ther
comes John Newton with 13. Fred
erick William Faber, Roman Catho
lie priest, is next with II, the same
number as the Scotch Presby terian
DR.. Bonar. There are hymns by {
number of the Protestant Episcopa
or Anglican bishops, including Philips
Brooks, G. w. Dosne, w. c. Doane
Reginald Heber, Z. H. Bickersteth
E. R. Wilberforce, c. Wordsworth ant
w. Walsham How.
Cardinal Newman is one OF severa
Roman Catholic priests and prelate
represented. Francis Zavier is an
other, besides several of the father
and saints OF the church before tn,
Reformation. Tennyson has three
hymns. Among the American poet
are Bryant, Whittier, Holmes, Hol
land, N. P. Willis, r. w. Glider an(
Sydney Lanier. Samuel Longfellov
has three pieces but his greater broth
er, Henry Wadsworth, is not in tn
index.
Mrs. Felicia ID. Heemans, who wrot
the stanzas beginning:
Thou, in the olive shade,
. When the dark hours came on,
Didst with q breath OF heavenly aid,