CHAPTER II. ORIGINAL HYMN BOOK AS PUBLISHED BY MR. WESLEY -ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS IN THE PRESENT HYMN BOOK-TRANSLATIONS FROM THE GERMANCLASSIFICATION OF THE HYMNS, ACCORDING ΤΟ THEIR RESPECTIVE AUTHORS. THE Collection of Hymns, for the use of the people called Methodists, as originally published by the Rev. John Wesley, was a duodecimo volume of 504 pages, exclusive of the Index, and contained 525 hymns.* Six of these however are in the present Hymn Book divided, and each of them counted as two; namely, Hymns 24 and 25, 140 and 141, 194 and 195, 348 and 349, 365 and 366, 391 and 392. If these had been thus divided and counted in the original hymn book, the number would have been 531. Of these, eleven are totally omitted, namely Hymn 37 Saviour, if thy precious love Hymn 94 Ah! foolish world forbear *These observations are made on a copy of the Hymn Book, announced on the title page, as the Third Edition, Corrected, and published in London, 1782. Hymn 107-Friend of sinners, in thy heart, Hymn 115-0 thou, of whom I oft have heard, Hymn 116-When my relief will most display Hymn 143-Jesu, as taught by thee, I pray; Hymn 230-0 Lord our God, we bless thee now, Hymn 244-Jesu, my Lord, my God, The God supreme thou art. Hymn 245-Jesus, thou art the mighty God, The Child and Son, on us bestowed. Hymn 255-Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and one, Hymn 156 in the Original, has been transferred to the Supplement, where it now appears as Hymn 684. Deducting 12 from 531, we find there are in our present hymn book, exclusive of the Additional Hymns and the Supplement, 519 of those included in the original publication. To these have been added 21 others, making the total 540.* The following There are two distinct Hymns, both numbered 46; so that the entire number in the Volume is in reality one more than it appears to be; that is, in the body of the work 540; Hymn Book and Supplement 770. are those which have been thus introduced ; Hymns 38, 39, 66, 90, 97, 107, 111, 119, 120, 143, 149, 162, 169, 213, 228, 253, 257, 263, 276, 490, 500. On comparing the hymns omitted with those substituted for them, most persons will probably agree, that the alteration has been very much for the better. The hymns omitted, though by no means destitute of poetical merit, and superior indeed to many that have appeared in modern compilations, are generally below the standard of the Wesleyan compositions; none of them certainly of any particular excellence. Whereas among the hymns substituted are several of very superior value; some, as fine evangelical paraphrases of scripture passages (Hymns 90, 107, 111); some as being admirably adapted for public worship (Hymns 253, 257, 263); and some, as being beautifully descriptive of inward and experimental religion (Hymns 97, 143, 213, 228). Most of these 21 hymns indeed are in all respects so excellent, that the wonder is, how Mr. Wesley came to overlook or omit them, when preparing his standard collection for general use. In the hymns which are retained in the present editions, a few verses are occasionally omitted; but they are generally such as have but little to recommend them, or are objectionable on some ground or other. In Hymn 217, the second verse was: " ́Soon as I find myself forsook, The grace again is given; A sigh can reach thy heart; a look This was perhaps omitted because of the grammatical blunder in the first line-forsook instead of forsaken-but the thought in the third and fourth lines is very striking, and beautifully expressed. Hymn 251 contained originally eight verses, of which three, namely verses 4, 7, 8 have been omitted. They used to stand thus : 4. "Thy righteousness our sins keep down, And let us, in thy joy unknown, The first dominion find. 7. When shall we hear his trumpet sound, Come, King of saints, with glory crowned, 8. Judge of the anti-christian foe, And then thy thousand years below, The expression at the close of verse 4, the first dominion, though found in Holy Writ (Micah iv. 8) is obscure, and the propriety of its being thus applied is at least doubtful. Verses 7 and 8, though elegant and spirited in composition, and fully accordant with the language of Scripture, are not so well adapted for general use; and would tend rather to encourage unprofitable speculations about unfulfilled prophecy, than to promote the edification of a promiscuous assembly. In Hymn 284, one verse, the second, has been omitted; which stood thus: 2. "I cannot see thy face, and live! Then let me see thy face, and die! With eagles' eyes on thee to gaze, And plunge into the glorious blaze." This is poetry of a high order; but the language is too bold, vehement and impassioned, for common use. Hymn 287 had originally a fifth verse, and one of considerable beauty, well worthy of being perpetuated : 5. "Let me of thy life partake; O that I might know thee mine! Only to thy glory live!" To the Moravian church and to the German language we are indebted for some of the most |