"Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?" "They are pierced to-night by many a thorn." But all through the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep, There arose a cry to the gate of heaven, 66 Rejoice! I have found my sheep." And the angels echoed around the Throne, TUNE BY IRA D. SANKEY. 87-ALMOST PERSUADED. THE sad, wistful wail of the music to which this hymn was set has made it an instrument of power to many souls. The task of clinching a decision almost crystallised into action is one of the most necessary and difficult of all the tasks of the religious teacher. In its performance, such hymns as this have proved too useful to permit their exclusion on the pedantic ground that they are not addressed to the Deity. The purists are in danger of provoking a reaction which will result in objections being taken to any hymns which are not directly addressed to those whose course may be altered by touching melody or sacred song. "ALMOST persuaded: ",now to believe "Almost persuaded" Christ to receive: Seems now some soul to say? — "Go, Spirit, go Thy way: Some more convenient day On Thee I'll call." "Almost persuaded:" come, come to-day! Jesus invites you here, Prayers rise from hearts so dear, "Almost persuaded: " harvest is past! - TUNE BY MR. BLISS. 88-TIME IS EARNEST. THIS is one of the anonymous hymns of the world. It belongs to the hortative class, appealing to those who sing it and who hear it sung. It first appeared in 1851, and has done much good. IME is earnest, passing by; TIME is pas drawing nigh: Sinner, wilt thou trifling be? Life is earnest; when 't is o'er, Wilt thou never serious be? God is earnest: kneel and pray, Christ is earnest, bids thee come; - "SHERBORNE." 89-COME, YE SINNERS, POOR AND HYMNS, say some purists, ought only to be addressed to God. They may be right in the abstract, but, as a practical fact, hymns which are addressed to the congregation are often most useful. Their utility can sometimes be measured, which is impossible in the case where the hymn is addressed to the Deity. One of these hymns which these purists would drive from the hymn-book still retains its hold on the Christian Church. It was written by one of Whitfield's converts named Joseph Hart, who is still so far from being forgotten that an obelisk was erected over his grave in Bunhill Fields so recently as 1875. It is in great use at revival services, and has been cut about extensively to suit the views of the different gospellers. COME, ye sinners, poor and wretched, Weak and wounded, sick and sore, Jesus ready stands to save you, He is willing: doubt no more. Come to Jesus Christ and buy. 'Tis the Spirit's rising beam. Come, ye weary, heavy laden, Sinners, Jesus came to call. Lo! your Saviour prostrate lies: Finished the great sacrifice. Can do helpless sinners good. Saints and angels joined in concert, Sinners here may sing the same. TUNE" COMMUNION." XII.-Joy, Love, and Peace. 90-OUR GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST. MR. ASQUITH, late Home Secretary, writes: "My favourite among hymns is, and has for a long time been, Watts's 'Our God, our Help in Ages past.' I feel sure that your collection when complete will be both interesting and useful." Watts wrote this as a paraphrase of the Ninetieth Psalm, a psalm which, as Mr. Marson reminds us, has been sung or read over the graves of our fathers ever since 1662. Burns paraphrased this psalm and failed, although he delighted in it greatly. Charles V. used to declare he preferred this to all other psalms, and Cardinal Newman makes Gerontius hear the souls in purgatory singing this psalm.. The first four verses of this psalm form the burial-song of the Russian Church. It was chanted as a dirge at the funeral of John Hampden. UR God, our help in ages past, OUR Our hope for years to come, Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure; The busy tribes of flesh and blood, Time, like an ever-rolling stream, They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day. |