Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/169

 THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 157

College, Cambridge. The son had a brilliant career at that college ; became Senior Classic and a Fellow. He travelled in Greece and published his Athens and Attica, 1836. In 1838 he was elected head master of Harrow, in 1844 Canon of West minster, and in 1869 Bishop of Lincoln. He died in 1885. He wrote the Memoirs of his uncle, William Wordsworth the poet, and many other works.

The Holy Year, 1862, contains hymns for all the Church seasons: 117 are his own, and in later editions they were increased to 127. Dr. Wordsworth regarded it as the first duty of a hymn-writer to teach sound doctrine, and thus to save souls. 1 He set himself to deal impartially with every subject, so that some of his hymns are almost in the nature of task work. He drew his inspiration from Scripture, and delighted to find Christ everywhere in the New Testament.

Dr. Julian thinks this hymn one of the bishop s finest compositions, the nearest approach in style and treatment to a Greek Ode known to us in the English language. The amount of Holy Scripture compressed into these forty lines is wonder ful. Prophecy, Types, Historical Facts, Doctrinal Teaching, Ecstatic Praise, all are here ; and the result is one grand rush of holy song.

Bishop Wordsworth s hymns were composed in the train, or when walking and riding. If he was unable to sleep at night, he would often get up and write a few verses. They were written on the backs of envelopes, small scraps of sermon paper, or the margin of any book he might be reading. He wrote very rapidly, but spared no pains in correcting his work.

Hymn 188. Holy Ghost, Illuminator.

CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, D.D. (187).

The second part of Hymn 187. In the first edition of the Holy Year the whole is given as one hymn. In the later editions it is divided into two parts.

Hymn 189. Hail, Thou once despisod Jesus! JOHN BAKEWELL.

Ver. I and the first halves of verses 3 and 4 appeared in A Collection of Hymns addressed to the Holy, Holy, Holy, Triune God, I 757&amp;gt; 7 2 pages. The four verses are given in Madan s Psalms and

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