It is pleasant for us to discover, having again and again to pay our grateful tribute to the Hollis family, that Watts, when his health broke down in his early ministry at Girdler's Hall of which Nonconformist place of assembly mention has already been made-found a peaceful, comforting, congenial home in the house of Mr. Thomas Hollis. The poetic genius of the author of some of the finest hymns in our language could not be narrowly confined by rigid dogmatic bands. His capacity of appealing to Churchmen as well as Dissenters, to the uneducated and the highly refined alike, proved his breadth of mind and largeness of heart. It is even recorded that a charge of Arianism was brought against him in consequence of his "Speculations on the Human Nature of the Logos." Whether his magnificent hymn of the character and offices of Christ be the more Arian or the more orthodox, it cannot but be profoundly appreciated by all who esteem Christ-Saviour, Redeemer, Prophet, Counsellor, Shepherd, High Priest, Advocate. What an exultant strain resounds in this opening verse : "Join all the glorious names All are too mean What more touching expression could be given, as in a later verse, to the tender devotion of the loving disciple? "I love my Shepherd's voice, He calls their names, The tender lambs." Does not this allusion to the Shepherd, at once recall that other exquisite hymn ? 66 The Lord my Shepherd is, I shall be well supplied; Since He is mine, and I am his, What can I want beside?" As an illustration of the great effect often produced by even the recital, apart from the inspiring singing of, Watts' hymns the following incident may be given-Dr. Doddridge on one occasion wrote to Dr. Watts, they being fast friends, that he had preached to a number of plain country folk in a large barn. The sermon was from Heb. vi. 12, and at the close he announced and read Watts' hymn, "Give me the wings of faith to rise." The effect, he tells Dr. Watts, was deep and pervading. Many of the audience were in tears. These," he continues, were most of them poor people who work for their living." They had found in that hymn the interpretation of their own emotions. After describing the "saints above" in verse one, the second verse touches the troubled soul to the quick : "Once they were mourning here below, And wet their couch with tears; They wrestled hard, as we do now, With sins, and doubts, and fears." What favourites are the following with all Christians : "Lord, Thou hast searched and seen me thro'." My dear Redeemer and my Lord." "Come ye that love the Lord.' 66 Blest are the sons of peace." "How pleasant, how divinely fair." "When I survey the wondrous Cross," The last named hymn includes that verse, so distinguished for grandeur of conception and exalted pression : "Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Demands my soul, my life, my all." ex The concluding verse, again, of the hymn beginning : 66 Sing to the Lord with joyful voice," carries a sublimity of imagination and profoundity of sentiment unsurpassed, worthy, indeed, of the choir of heaven itself : "Wide as the world is Thy command, Firm as a rock thy truth must stand, When rolling years shall cease to move." Difficult is it to resist quoting more and more of those 718 Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. They are as familiar to us as Household Words." We have sung them, and committed them to heart from our childhood. They will abide in our hearts to cheer, to inspire, to console to the very end, and usher us at last, as the poet so beautifully, so touchingly expresses the rapt assurance, into our " Eternal Home." Blessed, thrice blessed those old congregations, that, Sunday after Sunday, were so rejoiced, exalted, comforted, by uniting in these all glorious and glowing strains. Let us hearken, then, in imagination, to Parson Allard, as he gives out the opening hymn in that old Meeting-house, and with one heart and one voice respond : 66 Come, we that love the Lord, The sorrows of the mind Be banish'd from the place : To make our pleasures less." |