Southern Christian Advocate

The Hymn Book Committee and Their Work.

The committee found that making a hymn book was no small matter. No one of them had done such a work before. No one of them will be likely to do such a work again. Our former hymnal lasted over forty years. If the new one shall attain equal longevity, all the members of the committee, we trust, will be singing with the glorified saints before it shall be superseded.

The work grew on their hands. Will it be out of place for one member of the committee to speak of his colleagues?

It was deeply regretted that Dr. H. N. D. Wilson's illness deprived the committee of the benefit of his excellent judgment and ample knowledge of the wants and wishes of the Church with regard to its hymnology. But he had done his part with characteristic fidelity in the preliminary work of his section. Dr. S. K. Cox exhibited a zeal that was according to knowledge; being fully equipped and ready for service, he was an indispensable worker. The one layman of the committee, Dr. J. H. Carlisle, exhibited the learning, the breadth and the taste expected of him. Dr. W. F. Tillett proved himself laborious and widely informed on the subject in hand: his service as Secretary was admirable. Dr. C. W. Carter is one of the men that will grow on a co-worker—not very quick to speak, but usually saying the right thing at the right time, a man of clear perception and sure evangelical instinct. He was invaluable. Dr. R. H. Mahon's previous large secretarial experience, clear and positive theological opinions and untiring energy qualified him for very effective service. Dr. John H. McLean, besides his fine scholarly attainments, was specially serviceable in representing the views and needs of the large and growing constituency which he particularly represented.

Dr. W. L. C. Hunnicutt is not only a scholar and a sound Methodist theologian, but has music in his heart and head; the committee would have been incomplete without just such a man.

Dr. Carter, in his editorial correspondence with his paper, the New Orleans Christian ADVOCATE, makes mention of the remarkable unanimity of judgment developed by the comparison of the results of the antecedent labors of the several sections, and in the consideration of the many grave and delicate points that demanded the action of the committee as a whole. The unanimity was of course not absolute, for there was no little sifting, weighing and reasoning to reach satisfactory conclusions in many cases. But the parallelisms of judgment were so numerous and striking, both with regard to what to put out and what to put in, as to justify the hope that when the labors of the committee shall have been finished and given to the Church, there may be something like an equal measure of approval by our people in all parts of our connection.

The work done thus far is the preparation of the body of the hymns for the new book. It is in the hands of the Bishops for review. An important work yet remains to be done—the preparation of tunes for the volume. This will be pushed with all possible speed. All concerned—the committee, the reviewing Bishops, the printers and the binders—will unite in the endeavor to furnish the Church its new hymn book as soon as it can be done properly.

A lady once asked Mr. Wesley: "Supposing that you knew that you were to die at twelve o'clock to-morrow night, how would you spend the intervening time?" "How, madam?" he replied. "Why, just as I intend to spend it now. I should preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five to-morrow morning; after that I should ride to Tewksbury, preach in the afternoon and meet the societies in the evening. I should then repair to friend Martin's house, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at ten o'clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory."