Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/187

 THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 175

is probably due to the Hon. Walter Shirley, who revised the Collection.

Henry Moore, Wesley s friend and biographer, found peace in February, 1777. He attended a watchnight at the close of that day, and on his return to his sister s house, where he was staying, his heart was so full that he cried out, How shall I praise Thee, O Lord ! And immediately the doxology, then common among religious people, and which I had learned at the chapel, burst from my lips. I knew no other hymn of praise

Glory, honour, praise, and power, Be unto the Lamb for ever !

I sang this aloud, and, as I afterwards learned, awoke the remainder of the family, and greatly alarmed my sister, who thought that the crisis was come, and that insanity had taken place.

Hymn 221. Behold ! the mountain of the Lord.

MICHAEL BRUCE (1746-67).

This paraphrase of Isa. ii. 1-5 grew out of In latter days, the mount of God, which appeared anonymously in the Scottish Transla tions and Paraphrases, 1745.

It was by Michael Bruce, son of a Scotch weaver at Kinnesswood, where he died whilst a student for the ministry. Bruce s MS. was entrusted to John Logan, who published it as his own in 1781.

The original of 1745 reads

In latter days, the mount of God,

His sacred house shall rise Above the mountains and the hills,

And strike the wond ring eyes.

To this the joyful nations round, All tribes and tongues shall flow ;

Up to the house of God, they ll say, To Jacob s God, we ll go.

To us He ll point the ways of truth :

The sacred path we ll tread : From Salem and from Zion-hill

His law shall then proceed.

�� �