the fact that, though they were great admirers of Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, they were less dominated by them than the Independents, to whose company Dr. Watts belonged. Whilst the earliest English hymnists were stronger in poetic thought than doctrinal precision, those of this period are more doctrinal and experimental than poetic. This is, indeed, with a few exceptions, one of the least poetic and lyric periods in the history of hymnody, and, apart from the Olney, and such hymns as "Rock of Ages," and "All hail the power of Jesu's name," comparatively few of its hymns are likely to retain a permanent place in the Church's song. It was, indeed, a dull age as regarded poetry generally. It was not till the latter part of the time that the poems of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats saw the light, and still later before their influence was widely felt. Hymnody is largely affected by the current poetry. But it is probable that the religious ideas of the age covered by this chapter prevented the poetry then in existence exerting its full influence on hymn writers. The range of reading of the ministry in Nonconformist churches (and to their ministers we owe the larger part of the hymns of this period), was more exclusively theological than in our day, and thus the poetic afflatus was little nourished, as now, by the study of poetry. In many a hymnist of succeeding times, we shall discover the true poet: men who not only gave themselves to the production of poetry, but even in their hymn writing worked with the poet's spirit. To this narrow range of sympathy and of reading is due the dulness and sameness which must strike everyone acquainted with any considerable number of the hymns of the age covered by this chapter. 136 CHAPTER XIV. INCREASE OF POETIC ELEMENTS. WE now come to a time at which the influence of Isaac Watts, and, in a less degree, of Charles Wesley, over hymnody, has somewhat waned, and in which the influence of contemporary poetry begins to make itself felt in an increasing degree, whilst the more general culture of the age becomes apparent in the hymns that are produced. This is less evident in the earlier writers of this period, but becomes more so as the time goes on. To this we owe the variety of style and metre, the distinctiveness of theme, the greater finish, and the more poetic touches which distinguish our modern hymnody. These are not so apparent in the first writer of this period to which I refer (Thomas Kelly), but are markedly so in the second (James Montgomery), and others which follow. Thomas Kelly (1769-1855), only son of Judge Kelly, of the Irish Bench, was driven from the Established Church of Ireland by the opposition of the then Archbishop of Dublin to Evangelical doctrine. At first Mr. Kelly's ministry was carried on in private houses; but, at length, York Street Chapel, Dublin, was erected for the exercise of his ministry, on what were virtually the lines of Independency. He was the author of a large number of hymns, larger even than Dr. Watts. His completed book contains seven hundred and sixty-seven. Like all voluminous hymn writers, there are many-most, we may say that are not remarkable. But scattered over the volume there are hymns of great excellence. Of one of these, "We sing the praise of Him who died," Lord Selborne has said: "I doubt whether Montgomery ever wrote anything quite equal to this." This seems to me exaggerated praise, since James Montgomery must be ranked as one of the greatest of English hymnists. But still, at his best, Kelly is very good as a hymnist. Though we cannot subscribe to Lord Selborne's praise of the hymn he names, it is an exceedingly good one, fine in sentiment, and lyric in expression. In the Supplement to the "New Congregational Hymn Book," it was the subject of, perhaps, a more extraordinary alteration than any hymn which could be named, although many have suffered much at the hands of incompetent editors. In the original, the verse reads thus "Inscribed upon the cross we see, In shining letters, GOD IS LOVE. which was changed to the following "Inscribed upon the cross we see, For God is Love and God is Light." The verse, as thus amended, is "darkly bright" indeed, but there is more of darkness than brightness. Quite equal to this hymn are "The head that once was crowned with thorns," "Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious," and "We've no abiding city here," whilst his Evening Hymn, "Through the day Thy love has spared us," is one of the most tenderly beautiful for that season. Thomas Kelly deserves, and will probably long hold, a place of honour in the hymnody of the Church, but to doubt, as Lord Selborne has done, whether Montgomery ever wrote anything quite equal to his hymn on the Cross, shows an exaggerated estimate of Kelly, and a want of appreciation of Montgomery, who certainly holds a far higher place in the Christian Choir. He did not write nearly as many hymns as Kelly, probably because he had a much higher conception of what is essential to a good hymn. Would that this had been the case with hymnists generally, and that they had the grace to commit to the flames such of their hymns as were either echoes of previous ones, or but the mere rhymed prose, with which the hymnal stores of the Church are so sadly encumbered. To scarcely any hymnist does this remark apply with less force than to James Montgomery (1771-1854), who came of a Moravian stock, and received his education at Fulneck, in Yorkshire. He had been designed for the ministry of that body, but was probably kept therefrom by a certain diffidence and shyness of nature which prevented him from even becoming a member of the Moravian Church till he was over forty years of age. Το this peculiarity of his nature some of the excellences of his hymns may, perhaps, be ascribed. Too many of the hymnists have been of the bolder and more assertive type of character, and so their verses lack the tenderness and quiet reserve which add so much beauty to hymns. For variety, clearness, strength, suitability of form to subject, Montgomery's hymns have rarely, if ever, been excelled. An unusually large proportion of those he wrote has passed into use and favour. I found as many worthy of a place in public worship as in the far more voluminous productions of Dr. Watts. But for the prejudice in favour of Dr. Watts as the real founder of English hymnody-for which, indeed, he deserves high honourMontgomery would, I believe, be ranked above him. Where can grander missionary hymns be found than his "O Spirit of the living God," and "Hark! the song of Jubilee." They move the heart like the sound of a trumpet. Where shall we find a nobler version of a Psalm than his of the 72nd, "Hail to the Lord's Anointed;" or if we turn to those of a more subdued type, how compact and yet tender is "When on Sinai's top I see;" how suggestive and impressive, "O where shall rest be found;" how pathetic, "According to Thy gracious word;" how comprehensive in its scope, how catholic in its sympathy, "Millions within Thy courts have met." In all these there is a unity of thought, a clearness of utterance, a purity of style, a healthiness of religious tone, ranking them amongst the choicest treasures of the Church's song. If Charles Wesley is more subjectively lyrical, Montgomery is more objectively clear and impressive. His writings did much to elevate and purify the taste of the Church in relation to hymnody. He seems to have been conscious that his real success had been as a hymnist rather than as a poet, since, when asked by a Whitby solicitor, "Which of your poems will live?" he replied, "None, sir; nothing, except, perhaps, a few of my hymns." Mrs. Voke was an ardent friend of missions. Most of her hymns owe their origin to this feeling. Two of them, at a time when missionary hymns were much |