For a last word of history nothing can be found elsewhere which is quite so well expressed, and so entirely true, as that which Dr. Tiffany has written in his "History of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America," as follows: "The Convention of 1892, which completed the revision of the Prayer Book, adopted also a hymnal, compiled by a committee of singular culture and ability, under the leadership of Bishop W. C. Doane, of Albany, who both by paternal heritage and native poetic gifts was fitted to be its chairman. "Lacking space for a fuller treatment of the history of the hymnal, there are a few names especially which must be gratefully associated with it. Apart from Dr. Muhlenberg, whose service has been before mentioned in this relation, the first is that of Bishop George Burgess, of Maine, who was one of the best literary scholars the Church has ever known, and who brought his wide culture and distinct poetical talent to bear upon the subject between the years 1857 and 1865. His influence was marked and salutary. Another name is that of the Rt. Rev. A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D., Bishop of Western New York, a co-laborer with Bishop Burgess, and a poet likewise, who, by his 'Christian Ballads' has set the church bells chiming in many a household, and who has bestowed a goodly heritage upon the Church in his own noble hymns, which at times, as in that on the Church, vibrate with a lyric ring akin to Campbell's, and again, as in that on Christ's humility, recall the meditative sweetness of Keble. With these two poet prelates, Bishop Howe, of Central Pennsylvania, associated his ample learning and cultivated taste; and in this last hymnal, compiled under the supervising care of Bishop Doane, all previous efforts have found their fitting culmination. As regards both prayer and praise, the Church in this last decade has been amply endowed for a reverent and glowing service to Almighty God." "Suffer briefly some final words of exhortation:" I. In the life of Robert Bickersteth, Bishop of Ripon, we read: "After dinner on Sundays there was a custom, handed down from Acton and Sapcote traditions, and continued long after the elder children at Ripon had left the parental roof, pressure of his great pain. No sooner was the fierce spasm past than he rose, seated himself once more at his desk, and resumed his labor till seized by another intolerable spasm. And thus the day would wear on, labor and anguish alternating many times; until at last, utterly exhausted by the weary conflict, he would lie still and prostrate on the ground." This is one story; there are many others like it. How true is Shelley's utterance: Most wretched men Are cradled into poetry by wrong, They learn in suffering what they teach in song. The best of our hymns tell of heavenly light and strength afforded to struggling souls. Hence their power. III. The stamp of truest catholicity, the catholicity of the heart, is upon our hymnal. It has welcomed words of celestial song from writers belonging to the historic churches. It has clasped to its heart the lays of Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Lutherans; nor in doing so, has it failed to find a place for the "Quaker" poet, Bernard Barton, the "Irvingite," E. W. Eddis, and the "Plymouth Brother," J. G. Deck. If a motto were needed for "The hymnal revised and enlarged, as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and ninety-two," it might well be, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." IV. St. Paul declares: "I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with the understanding also." So, with the Spirit and with the understanding in happy unison, let us devoutly cry: 492 One sole baptismal sign, One Lord, below, above, One faith, one hope divine, One only watchword, Love: From different temples though it rise, |