associations, when in fact the editor of that hymn would have restored the ancient text, were it not for the fear of disturbing the sacred memories clustering around the established departure from it. We should not alter the original line, says the objector, because we thus divert the pious mind from the solemnity of worship to the inquiry: “Why have my favorite words been displaced?" "We should not restore the original," says the editor, "because we thereby distract the attention of the worshipper with criticisms upon the words, which appear to him strange, and perhaps inferior. The reasons for and against the accommodated style, are often nearly balanced. The balance may often be struck in favor of that style, by the fact that custom has sanctioned, or seems likely to sanction the altered form; and that a deviation from what is, or is destined to become, the common reading would give more pain than pleasure. "Go now and boast of all your stores, And tell how bright you shine," are words which would startle many a worshipper as a novelty; yet they are the original words of Watts. Men have become familiar with the line, "Let the dark benighted pagan," who would be startled at the innovation of the original line, "Let the Indian, let the negro." It is common to condemn changes like the following, but they are adopted in the Sabbath Hymn Book, partly for the reason that a majority of those who will ever use that manual, would be painfully disappointed if their favorite changes had not been retained. ORIGINAL. How terrible thy glories be! How bright thine armies shine! Where is the power that vies with thee, Or truth compared to thine! SABBATH HYMN BOOK. Great God! how high thy glories rise; Or truth compared to thine! Hymn 964. Thorns of heartfelt tribulation. Cowper. Scenes of heartfelt tribulation. O were I like a feathered dove, I'd fly, and make a long remove, etc. Hymn 199. Oh! were I like some gentle dove, Soon would I stretch my wings, And fly, and make a long remove, etc. Be thou my strength and righteousness, Be thou my strength and righteousness, My Jesus and my all. But wisdom shows a narrower path, The fearful soul that tries and faints. And to his heavenly kingdom keep May Saviour and my all. Hymn 548. But wisdom shows a narrow path, Hymn 548. The fearful soul that tires and faints. Hymn 1170. And to his heavenly kingdom take Hymn 1172. Stoop down my thoughts that use to rise. Stoop down my thoughts that used to rise. While thine eternal thought moves on, Hymn 142. While thine eternal thoughts move on, Hymn 1245. The saints above, how great their joys, The saints above, how great their joys, And bright their glories be. And thou, my God, whose piercing eye In these abstracted hours draw nigh. The eternal states of all the dead. Dear Lord, and shall we ever lie And turn each cursed idol out Yes, and I must and will esteem How bright their glories be! Hymn 590. O thou, great God! whose piercing eye, Нутп 1157. The eternal state of all the dead. Hymn 462. And turn the dearest idol out, Hymn 724. Yes; and I must and will esteem During the last forty years, multitudes of American and English worshippers have been accustomed to the following variation of one of Doddridge's hymns; the variation making the hymn more appropriate to public worship. ORIGINAL FORM. My Saviour, I am Thine, By everlasting bands; My name, my heart, I would resign: To Thee I still wonld cleave With ever-growing zeal : SABBATH HYMN BOOK. By everlasting bands; Our hearts, our souls, we would resign, To thee we still would cleave With ever-growing zeal; Let millions tempt me Christ to leave, If millions tempt us Christ to leave, They never shall prevail. His Spirit shall unite My soul to Him, my Head; Shall form me to His image bright, Death may my soul divide But love shall keep me near His side, Since Christ and we are one, If He in heaven hath fixed His throne, O let them ne'er prevail ! Thy Spirit shall unite Our souls to thee, our head; Death may our souls divide From these abodes of clay; But love shall keep us near thy side, Since Christ and we are one, Why should we doubt or fear? If he in heaven has fixed his throne, Dr. Raffles: "High in High in yon That indispensable hymn of der realms of light," consists of forty-eight lines, as published by William Bengo Collier in 1812. As published by Dr. Raffles himself, in 1853, it consists of thirty-two lines. As it ordinarily appears, in English and American hymn books, it is variously combined and altered. The following are specimen copies : WILLIAM BENGO COLLIER'S EDITION DR. RAFFLES'S OWN EDITION OF 1853. 1 High in yonder realms of light, Heaven's unfading mansions rise; Glad, within these blest abodes, Dwell the raptured saints above, Where no anxious care corrodes, Happy in Emmanuel's love. 2 Once the big unbidden tear, Stealing down the furrowed cheek, Told, in eloquence sincere, Tales of woe they could not speak ; But, these days of weeping o'er, Passed this scene of toil and pain, They shall feel distress no more, Never, never weep again. 3 'Mid the chorus of the skies, 'Mid the angelic lyres above, Hark! their songs melodious rise, Songs of praise to Jesus' love! Happy spirits! ye are fled Where no grief can entrance find Lulled to rest the aching head, Soothed the anguish of the mind. All is tranquil and serene, Calm and undisturbed repose; There no cloud can intervene, There no angry tempest blows: Every tear is wiped away, Sighs no more shall heave the breast, Night is lost in endless day, Sorrow in eternal rest. Many worshippers would be shocked at the novelty of either of the first stanzas given above; for the following appears as the first stanza in the Church Psalmody, the Presbyterian Old School and the Dutch Reformed Church Collections; Nettleton's Village Hymns, the Sabbath Hymn Book, and many other manuals. High in yonder realms of light, Happy in Immanuel's love: Once they knew, like us below, Gloomy doubts, distressing fears, Torturing pain and heavy wce. § 6. Changes in the Text, as affecting the Uniformity of Worship. A great evil resulting from the alteration of hymns is, that various forms are used by various congregations; and men, accustomed to sing from one manual, are confused by the new phrases which they find in another manual; and sometimes the same assembly utter, on the same notes, different words, or even different verses, and thus there is no distinction of sound, but "every-one hath a psalm," "hath a tongue," "hath an interpretation." This is an infelicity, and therefore manuals for song should adopt the original, partly because this is more apt to be the prevailing, form of the lyrics. But exceptions prove the wisdom of this general rule. We must not blame the original collector of the "Psalms of David," even if we adopt a common theory, that he inserted the eighteenth Psalm in a form different from the original, as found in the twenty-second chapter of second Samuel. It has been remarked by those who believe that the Book of Samuel contains the earliest copy of that song, that the first notable instance of departure from the original draught of a sacred lyric, was made by the editor of the inspired Psalms. Many persons have been "shocked," still more have been "confused," and some have been ruinously prejudiced against the revealed word, by the fact that the old songs of the temple are "altered," when cited by the apostles; and that the quotations made in the New Testament from the Old, are often so far " modified," that it is difficult, if not impossible, to recognize and identify them. We believe that, in many instances, the writers of the New Testament quoted the "changed form," simply because it had become more familiar than the original words, to the men whom the apostles immediately addressed. But the original form remains, and is now better known, and has become far more precious. to many readers, than is the Septuagint, which the writers of the New Testament have preferred to cite. There were valid reasons for accommodating the words of the old poets |