Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/175

 THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 163

Hymn 201. Ye virgin souls, arise.

CHARLES WESLEY (i).

Hymns for the Watchnight (1746?), No. 10; Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1749, Works, v. 284. Three verses are omitted.

Mr. Everett says, in describing the last hours of Sammy Hick, that As evening drew on, his speech began to falter; yet every sentence uttered by those around appeared to be understood ; and when that hymn was sung, &quot;Ye virgin souls, arise,&quot; he entered into the spirit of it ; especially when the friends came to

The everlasting doors

Shall soon the saints receive.

At the first line of this verse he lifted his dying hand, and waved it round till it fell by his side ; still feebly raising and twining round his forefinger, as the arm was stretched on the bed, betokening his triumph over the &quot; last enemy,&quot; and showing to those who were with him that he was, to use language previously employed by him, going &quot;full sail towards the harbour.&quot;

Hymn 202. Behold, behold, the Bridegroom nigh ! EDWARD JOHN BRAILSFORD.

The Rev. E. J. Brailsford was born in Birmingham in 1841, and is the son of a builder and architect. He was educated in the Wesleyan Connexional School, Dublin, and resided in Ireland ten years. He was a student at Didsbury, and after wards in Edinburgh University. He began the Methodist Mission in Blairgowrie, N.B., and stayed there six years.

Most of the hymns Mr. Brailsford has published were written in Ilkley, Wharfedale. Four Lord, I will follow on, O God of Truth, speak Thou Thy Holy Word, As sets the sun while clouds grow bright, and Behold, behold, the Bridegroom nigh were written for the Gatecliff Chant-Book, widely used in parts of the West Riding.

While in Yorkshire he published Only a Woman s Hair, a tale of Yorkshire village life. Other short tales have followed. Hymn 202 is an Advent hymn, keeping closely to the story of

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