Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/135

 THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 123

Then follow in quick succession

Thee, O my God and King.

O Filial Deity.

Glory be to God on high.

Peace, doubting heart, my God s I am.

Arise, my soul, arise.

Saviour, the world s and mine.

Jesu, my God and King.

Jesu, Thou art our King.

Next come side by side, all in the same measure, the Christmas hymn, which has given the Church its sweetest voice of praise over the Incarnation ; a hymn for the Epiphany ; the great Easter song, Christ the Lord is risen to-day ; the Ascension- Day hymn, Hail the day that sees Him rise ; and the hymn for Whit-Sunday, Granted is the Saviour s prayer. The Christmas hymn found its way into the New Version. It is thought that the university printer in the eighteenth century inserted it after the Psalms as a festival hymn to fill a blank space. It has retained its post of honour, despite some attempts to dislodge it. The act did much to introduce hymnody, as distinguished from metrical psalmody, into the public worship of the Church. Dr. Julian says, Amongst English hymns, it is equalled in popularity only by Toplady s &quot;Rock of Ages,&quot; and Bishop Ken s Morning and Evening Hymns, and is excelled by none. In literary merit it falls little, if anything, short of this honour.

Hymn 123. O come, all ye faithful. Latin ; translated by FREDERICK OAKELEY, D.D.

Aclcste fideles, lacti triumphantes, has been ascribed to Bona- ventura, but is probably a Latin hymn of French or German authorship, dating from the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The hymn, as given in 7 /tesaurus Animae Christianae, has eight verses. In The Evening Office of the Church, a Roman Catholic book of devotions, 1760, four verses are given, with an English translation. In England, stanzas I, 2, 7, 8 are used. The French cento generally has I, 3, 5, 6, and rarely 4.

Frederick Oakeley, born at Shrewsbury in 1802, was the youngest son of Sir Charles Oakeley, Governor of Madras. He became a Fellow of Balliol in 1827, and took a leading part in the Oxford Movement. In 1839 he was incumbent of Margaret

�� �