Notes - Spiritual Songs, Morrish edition, 1882

J. N. Darby.

The following notes, amongst other details and incidents of interest, give the grounds upon which the dates have been assigned. The earlier dates are only approximately given. The later Hymns, with the exception of "The Hope of Day," were all written during Mr. Darby's residence in Pau, in the years 1879 to 1881, when the thought of Hymns addressed to "The Father," was much present to his mind. Hymns from pp. 41 to 77 are given in the order in which they were written in Mr. Darby's manuscript book.

[The numbering is the pagination of the Morrish edition of 1882.]

*The Hymns thus indicated, were all written at Pau, in the same year, 1879.

1. "What powerful, mighty Voice, so near,"

The date of this Hymn is, it is thought, somewhere about the year 1832; but being uncertain, is placed in brackets.

7. "Oh ! the joy of the salvation"

This Hymn was dictated by Mr. Darby, to a friend, while confined to his bed in a dark room, during the intervals of a severe and prolonged attack of gout in the eye, about the year 1835.

A selection from it, was published in the following year, in "The Christian Hymn Book, 2nd Edition (T. B. Rowe, Plymouth), 1836," but with considerable variations, introduced by Mr. Wigram (as in other of Mr. Darby's Hymns), to make the Hymn more suitable for singing purposes.

These variations are shown by the italics, in the following text, which is taken from "The Christian Hymn Book;" the printing and punctuation being given as there found:-

"Hark! ten thousand voices crying

'Lamb of God!' with one accord,

Thousand thousand saints replying,

Wake at once the echoing chord.

*

'Praise the Lamb,' the chorus waking,

All in heav'n together throng,

Loud and far each tongue partaking,

Rolls around the endless song.

Grateful incense this, ascending

Ever to the Father's throne,

Ev'ry knee to Jesus bending,

All the mind in heav'n is one.

All the Father's counsels claiming

Equal honour to the Son,

All the Son's effulgence beaming,

Makes the Father's glory known.

By the Spirit all pervading,

Hosts unnumber'd round the Lamb,

_Crown'd with light and joy un_fading,

Hail Him as the great 'I am.'

Joyful now the full creation

Rests in undisturb'd repose,

Blest in Jesu's full salvation,

Sorrow now, nor thraldom knows.

V. 6, 1. I. - "Full" in "The Christian Hymn Book," is changed to "new" in "Hymns for the Poor of the Flock (1, Warwick Square, London), 1838," - to avoid the recurrence of the word "full" in the 3rd line; and this is followed in other Hymn Books.

*

Hark! the heav'nly notes again!

Loudly swells the song of praise,

Throughout creation's vault, Amen!

Amen, responsive joy doth raise."

The complete Hymn, as given in this Collection, was not published in its original form, till it appeared in "The Present Testimony, vol. ix. (Groombridge, 5, Paternoster Row, London), 1857."

11. "Rise, my soul! Thy God directs thee;"

This Hymn was written in Switzerland, when a large number of Christians left the Swiss Free Church ("L'Eglise Libre"), after some lectures that Mr. Darby had given on the Book of Exodus.

It was first published in "The Christian Hymn Book, 3rd Edition, 1837."

14. "Rest of the saints above,"

This was first published, on Mr. Darby's return from Switzerland in 1845, in the form of a leaflet (T. B. Bateman, 1, Ivy Lane, London) ; and afterwards, in "The Prospect, vol. i. (S. Barber, Smith Street, Guernsey), 1848."

18. "O Lord, Thy love's unbounded!"

Written on the top of a coach, while trying to recall a Hymn by Mr. Deck, beginning with the same words, well known to many.

It appeared on the same leaflet with the above; and in "The Prospect, vol. i. 1848."