A sinner saved, through grace forgiven, Forgot by thee, are crowned above,— As it was said of Abel of old, so it might be said of Charles Wesley, "he being dead yet speaketh," through his hymns. CHAPTER V. Titled Hymn-Writers. THERE is in Westminster Abbey a tombstone which bears the inscription, "In the cross of Christ I glory." It marks the resting-place of an English nobleman, Sir John Bowring. He was a man of marked ability. He spoke twenty-two languages fluently, and could converse in one hundred. He was a prolific writer, and the first editor of the Westminster Review. In 1843 he entered Parliament. While a member of that body, he advocated extreme liberal measures. As a statesman he served his country in various ways. In 1854 the queen knighted him, and made him governor of HongKong. Later he became vice-admiral and superintendent of trade, east of the Ganges. In the course of his political career he concluded treaties with Holland, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and Sweden. His success was due largely to his industry. He was an indefatigable worker. Whenever his friends remonstrated with him he would reply, "I must do my work while life is left to me; I may not long be here." He was an enthusiast in whatever he did. This applies as much to his religious as to his secular life. Although a Unitarian in creed, "he was sincere in faith and evangelical in life." His real devotion is shown in his hymns. Speaking of them he said: "These hymns were not written in pursuit of fame or literary triumph. I have not tried to be original, but to be useful is my first ambition. That obtained, I am indifferent to the rest." With this high motive he wrote, "In the cross of Christ I glory, Towering o'er the wrecks of time; Gathers round its head sublime." It is not surprising that a man who wrote early in life, "God is love; His mercy brightens All the path in which we rove; should in extreme old age begin nearly every day with a new song of adoration and praise. But his religion was practical as well as devotional. Nearly every reform received his warm support. He was particularly interested in prison reform. He was also interested in young men. It was his delight to start them in an honest and suitable occupation, and then say to them: "You are now launched. Your fortune rests with yourself. I trust that, by steadiness and diligence, you will give credit to my recommendation." Another nobleman, Sir Henry W. Baker, valued the cross above all earthly treasure, for he wrote: "O what, if we are Christ's, Is earthly shame or loss? Bright shall the crown of glory be, When we have borne the cross.' The litany, beginning "Savior, when, in dust, to Thee Low we bend the adoring knee;" was written by Sir Robert Grant. At an age when many young peers lead a gay, wild life, he wrote sacred lyrics noted for their solemnity and humility. Later he entered Parliament, became a member of the privy council, and for the last four years of his life was governor of Bombay. While in Parliament he introduced a bill to remove the disabilities of the Jews. He evidently looked upon nature with a reverent eye, for he wrote in one of his hymns,— "O tell of His might, and sing of His grace, Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light; It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, He wrote another hymn on nature and revelation which he intended as a counterpart of Addison's celebrated ode. It is interesting to compare the two, stanza by stanza. Addison's hymn begins "The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Grant replies: "The starry firmament on high, And all the glories of the sky, Yet shine not to Thy praise, O Lord, Addison says again: "Soon as the evening shades prevail, |