Speed away, speed away with the life-giving Word, To the nations that know not the voice of the Lord; Take the wings of the morning and fly o"er the wave, In the strength of your Master the lost ones to save; He is calling once more, not a moment"s delay, Speed away! speed away! speed away!
Speed away, speed away with the message of rest, To the souls by the tempter in bondage oppressed; For the Saviour has purchased their ransom from sin, And the banquet is ready. O gather them in; To the rescue make haste, there"s no time for delay, Speed away! speed away! speed away!
"ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!"
Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould, the author of this rousing hymn of Christian warfare, a rector of the Established Church of England and a writer of note, was born at Exeter, Eng., Jan. 28, 1834. Educated at Clare College, Cambridge, he entered the service of the church, and was appointed Rector of East Mersea, Ess.e.x, in 1871. He was the author of several hymns, original and translated, and introduced into England from Flanders, numbers of carols with charming old Christmas music. The "Christian Soldiers" hymn is one of his (original) processionals, and the most inspiring.
Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before.
Christ the Royal Master Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See, His banners go!
Onward, Christian soldiers, etc.
Like a mighty army Moves the Church of G.o.d; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod; We are not divided, All one body we, One in hope, in doctrine, One in charity.
_THE TUNE._
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan, Doctor of Music, who wrote the melody for this hymn, was born in London, May 13, 1842. He gained the Mendelssohn Scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, and also at the Conservatory of Leipsic. He was a fertile genius, and his compositions included operettas, symphonies, overtures, anthems, hymn-tunes, an oratorio ("The Prodigal Son"), and almost every variety of tone production, vocal and instrumental. Queen Victoria knighted him in 1883.
The grand rhythm of "Onward, Christian Soldiers"--hymn and tune--is irresistible whether in band march or congregational worship. Sir Arthur died in London, November 22, 1900.
"O CHURCH ARISE AND SING"
Designed originally for children"s voices, the hymn of five stanzas beginning with this line was written by Hezekiah b.u.t.terworth, author of the _Story of the Hymns_ (1875), _Story of the Tunes_ (1890), and many popular books of historic interest for the young, the most widely read of which is _Zigzag Journeys in Many Lands_. He also composed and published many poems and hymns. He was born in Warren, R.I., Dec. 22, 1839, and for twenty-five years was connected with the _Youth"s Companion_ as regular contributor and member of its editorial staff. He died in Warren, R.I., Sept. 5, 1905.
The hymn "O Church, arise" was sung in Mason"s tune of "Dort" until Prof. Case wrote a melody for it, when it took the name of the "Convention Hymn."
Professor Charles Clinton Case, music composer and teacher, was born in Linesville, Pa., June, 1843. Was a pupil of George F. Root and pursued musical study in Chicago, Ill., Ashland, O., and South Bend, Ind. He was a.s.sociated with Root, McGranahan, and others in making secular and church music books, and later with D.L. Moody in evangelical work.
As author and compiler he has published numerous works, among them _Church Anthems_, the _Harvest Song_ and _Case"s Chorus Collection_.
O Church! arise and sing The triumphs of your King, Whose reign is love; Sing your enlarged desires, That conquering faith inspires, Renew your signal fires, And forward move!
Beneath the glowing arch The ransomed armies march, We follow on; Lead on, O cross of Light, From conquering height to height, And add new victories bright To triumphs won!
"THE BANNER OF IMMANUEL!"
This hymn, set to music and copyrighted in Buffalo as a floating waif of verse by an unknown author, and used in Sunday-school work, first appeared in Dr. F.N. Peloubet"s _Select Songs_ (Biglow and Main, 1884) with a tune by Rev. George Phipps.
The hymn was written by Rev. Theron Brown, a Baptist minister, who was pastor (1859-1870) of churches in South Framingham and Canton, Ma.s.s. He was born in Willimantic, Ct., April 29, 1832.
Retired from pastoral work, owing to vocal disability, he has held contributory and editorial relations with the _Youth"s Companion_ for more than forty years, for the last twenty years a member of the office staff.
Between 1880 and 1890 he contributed hymns more or less regularly to the quartet and antiphonal chorus service at the Ruggles St. Church, Boston, the "Banner of Immanuel" being one of the number. _The Blount Family_, _Nameless Women of the Bible_, _Life Songs_ (a volume of poems), and several books for boys, are among his published works.
The banner of Immanuel! beneath its glorious folds For life or death to serve and fight we pledge our loyal souls.
No other flag such honor boasts, or bears so proud a name, And far its red-cross signal flies as flies the lightning"s flame.
Salvation by the blood of Christ! the shouts of triumph ring; No other watchword leads the host that serves so grand a King.
Then rally, soldiers of the Cross! Keep every fold unfurled, And by Redemption"s holy sign we"ll conquer all the world.
The Rev. George Phipps, composer of the tune, "Immanuel"s Banner," was born in Franklin, Ma.s.s., Dec. 11, 1838, was graduated at Amherst College, 1862, and at Andover Theological Seminary, 1865. Settled as pastor of the Congregational Church in Wellesley, Ma.s.s., ten years, and at Newton Highlands fifteen years.
He has written many Sunday-school melodies, notably the music to "My Saviour Keeps Me Company."
CHAPTER V.
HYMNS OF SUFFERING AND TRUST.
One inspiring chapter in the compensations of life is the record of immortal verses that were sorrow-born. It tells us in the most affecting way how affliction refines the spirit and "the agonizing throes of thought bring forth glory." Often a broken life has produced a single hymn. It took the long living under trial to shape the supreme experience.
--The anguish of the singer Made the sweetness of the song.
Indeed, if there had been no sorrow there would have been no song.
[Ill.u.s.tration: George James Webb]
"MY LORD, HOW FULL OF SWEET CONTENT."
Jeanne M.B. de la Mothe--known always as Madame Guyon--the lady who wrote these words in exile, probably sang more "songs in the night" than any hymn-writer outside of the Dark Ages. She was born at Montargis, France, in 1648, and died in her seventieth year, 1771, in the ancient city of Blois, on the Loire.
A convent-educated girl of high family, a wife at the age of fifteen, and a widow at twenty-eight, her early piety, ridiculed in the dazzling but corrupt society of Louis XIV"s time, blossomed through a long life in religious ministries and flowers of sacred poetry.
She became a mystic, and her book _Spiritual Torrents_ indicates the impetuous ardors of her soul. It was the way Divine Love came to her.
She was the incarnation of the spiritualized Book of Canticles. An induction to these intense subjective visions and raptures had been the remark of a pious old Franciscan father, "Seek G.o.d in your heart, and you will find Him."
She began to teach as well as enjoy the new light so different from the glitter of the traditional worship. But her "aggressive holiness" was obnoxious to the established Church. "Quietism" was the brand set upon her written works and the offense that was punished in her person.
Bossuet, the king of preachers, was her great adversary. The saintly Fenelon was her friend, but he could not shield her. She was shut up like a lunatic in prison after prison, till, after four years of dungeon life in the Bastile, expecting every hour to be executed for heresy, she was banished to a distant province to end her days.
Question as we may the usefulness of her pietistic books, the visions of her excessively exalted moods, and the pa.s.sionate, almost erotic phraseology of her _Contemplations_, Madame Guyon has held the world"s admiration for her martyr spirit, and even her love-flights of devotion in poetry and prose do not conceal the angel that walked in the flame.
Today, when religious persecution is unknown, we can but dimly understand the perfect triumph of her superior soul under suffering and the transports of her utter absorption in G.o.d that could make the stones of her dungeon "look like jewels." When we emulate a faith like hers--with all the weight of absolute certainty in it--we can sing her hymn:
My Lord, how full of sweet content I pa.s.s my years of banishment.
Where"er I dwell, I dwell with Thee, In heaven or earth, or on the sea.