The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-06-22
Lamb which is sung about the

May Jesus Christ be praised;
Alike at work and prayer
To Jesus l repair; |
May Jesus Christ be praised.
BE this. while life is mine,
NV canticle Divine, |
May Jesus Christ be praised;
Be this the eternal song, |
Through all the ages on,
May Jesus Christ be praised"
A mind charged with the great
hymns Of the church is refined n
educated and ennobled. When these
lofty lines are memoriZed the whole
fibre of ones thinking is affected.
Not only SO: the mastery Of h great
hymns imparts the essential body of
Christian doctrine. To know the
hymns is to know the Gospel. More
persons get their practical theology
through hymns than through SER
mons.
Some hymns, possessed alike by all
| branches of the Christian church,
| Protestant n Catholic, are freight
ed with precious accretions of cen
turtles. They seem to come down
| through years fragrant with memo
ries of the devoted souls that ave
| sung them; and we can almost see
1 llC 1OOOu ~ IA AAAOAA
| asteries, the peasants in village
churches, the prosecuted Christians
on the moors and in caves, the great
| companies Of worshippers in stately
! cathedrals soldiers drawn up in bat
tie array, modern college students in
conventions, all singing, in the same
spirit, such songs as ancient Bernard
Of Cluny's,
"TeruSalem the golden
With milk and honey blest."
Disputation promotes disagree
ment; song creates unity. All the di-
verse branches of Christendom sing
the same songs. The attempt at a
controversial hymnody has always
failed. True, "Rock of Ages was
written by Toplady to clinch a, SER
mon against the Methodists; and
Charles Wesley's "Jesus Lover of Ny
SOUP was penned as a reply thereto.
AS arguments they were futile; for
they both are now found in the hymn
books Of Episcoplians and Method
lists. They belong to the common
faith of all Christendom. When the
truest exhibition Of essential unity
that the world knows; for
I'VE are not divided, all one body we,
One in faith and doctrine, one in
!. charity"
. The popular gospel songs are is
!, SUED in new editions every few
! months; for ninety-nine one hun.
, dredths Of them are too anaemic te
! live long. But the Psalms Of Israe
2 are still being sung after three thou.
. sand years. In songs as in the othe1
things of life. n should choose onl.
q the best. The tested hymns Of tn,
: church should not be set aside fol
Brighten the Corner is a goo<
marching tune, but my Faith Look
q Up to Thee" is good music to liv.
and die by. Young Peoples Societie
should make a place in their worship
o for the grand old hymns, as we'll a
q for the lesser songs Of current inter
! est.
. Every noble hymn embalms tn
= spirit of a human life at it's best.
Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse Of care,
o And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
-Longfellow.
A true hymn is an attempt to ez
=, press the inexpressible. The wastes
70 emotions are vague. The spirit c
alteration and communion o
words. No great love has ever bee
fully expressed. So it is that in wol
ship we turn to the hymns and sin
with old Isaac Watts.
m Come, we that love the Lord.
no And let our joys be known;
Jo1n in a sons with sweet accord.
no And thus surround the throne.
LET those refuse to sing
That never knew our God:
lg, But children Of the heavenly King
all May Speak their joys abroad.'0
SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.
rs. -
ms He knows not hi. - --