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 THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN.

&quot; Lo ! He comes with clouds descending.&quot; No. 418.

The part C. Wesley had in the production of this hymn is stated in the article &quot; John Cennick.&quot; The hymn was given by C. Wesley in his &quot; Hymns of Intercession for all Mankind,&quot; 1758. At that time England, as well as nearly the whole of Europe, was at war. The tract contains forty hymns suited to the circumstances of the country, including hymns for the fleet and army, for prisoners and enemies, as well as hymns for the King and the authorities.

&quot; Ye virgin souls, arise.&quot; No. 422.

This is one of the &quot; Hymns for the Watchnight,&quot; ahout 1744. The last verse

&quot; Then let us wait to hear,

The trumpet s welcome sound,&quot; &c.,

gave a true expression to the feeling of religious excitement and expectation felt by the midnight worshippers. Crowther, in his &quot; Portraiture of Methodism,&quot; says on this subject, &quot; A.D. 1742. The first watchnight was held in London. The custom origi nated with the colliers of Kingswood, near Bristol, who had been in the habit, when slaves to sin, of spending every Saturday night at the alehouse. They now devoted that night to prayer and singing of hymns. Mr. W T esley, hearing of this, and of the good that was done, resolved to make it general. At first he ordered watchnights to be kept once a month, when the moon was at the full, and afterwards fixed them for once a quarter.&quot; &quot; Thou God of glorious Majesty.&quot; No. 424.

Charles Wesley visited the Land s-end, in July, 1743, about the time this piece was written ; and it has been supposed that the peculiar nature of the scenery there, where a neck of land stretches out between the Bristol and English channels, sug gested the imagery of verse two

&quot; Lo ! on a narrow neck of land, Twixt two unbounded seas I stand.&quot;

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