To a revision there must attach many a difficulty. If revealed truth be, as it ought, the paramount condition of our expression of worship, as in all else, it is far from easy to heal the wound made in a familiar or favorite hymn, without leaving a too easily seen scar. Thus in Hymn 161 “'Tis immortality” is unhappily so equivocal, especially in this day of increasingly lax thought, that an unobjectionable alternative seems needed. “What joy His face to see"! sounds abrupt, after the smooth original; but it is adopted for want of a better line. It is hard to suppose that any person will not prefer the correction of stanzas 3 and 4, save one that objects to all amendment. There is another fact which has to be faced—the most competent hand will fail to satisfy everybody; while the least competent who has no experience can readily flatter himself that either he or his friend is able to do better than anyone.
Hymn 162 is a recent song somewhat improved in every stanza: so is the old Hymn 163; but 164 finds a place among later hymns of dismissal. Hymn 165 is little touched, but for the better. The old 148 sufficiently corrected figures as 166; its predecessor of individual experience is put later: so with Hymns 167 and 168. Hymn 169 is all the better for dropping stanza 3, with “from,” for the incongruous “in” of stanza 4 (now 3). The slight change in 170 adds somewhat to its value; and 171 is a new hymn, the old one appearing later with 172 in its present form, a prayer, for which a hymn of praise appears now. But Hymns 173-177 are substantially the same—certainly none the worse. G. Keith's Hymn 178 is reserved, and a hymn of praise substituted. Hymn 179 retains its place not a little corrected. Doddridge's “Hark! the choirs” is the new Hymn 180, the old one by J. R. Taylor following duly like 181, for which the old 339 is here given. For Hymn 182 is a fresh hymn of thanksgiving, 183 is nearly as before; but 184 seems all the better, as well as 185, both abridged: so is Hymn 186 at the beginning and end to its improvement. The following is as of old, but 188 yields to another corrected.
For the old unbelieving interpolation, there is now as Hymn 189 Sir E. D.'s fine hymn, not “Tis past” but “Far spent the dark” &c., and for 190, T. Kelly's hymn, “The stream that from” &c. Again for the old petitionary 191 is a worship hymn, and for 192 stands No. 16 of the Appendix. For the old. 193, perhaps never sung, like several here, is a new song of praise, and for 194 placed later is another fresh hymn, Hymns 195 to 199 being nearly as before. Hymn 200 is a new one, 201 has appeared elsewhere, both in place of less suitable hymns; while 202 and 203 stand their ground, but Hymn 204 (for burial), is postponed, and a short new one inserted. For the experience Hymn 205 we have the old hymn numbered 12, only the second stanza is now omitted; as 206 also has the last stanza removed, but 207 remains. For 208 is substituted No. 26 of the Appendix; but of 209 stanzas 4 and 5 are dropped as interrupting the address to our Father. The old 330 takes the place of 210, which is now Hymn 30; and 211 is still in its old position.
As the old 212 is in the Good Tidings' Hymn Book, a hymn of J. G. Deck's is here given, only omitting the stanzas 5 and 6, followed by Sir E. D.'s “Oh, what a bright” &c., and two more of Mr. Deck's. Then comes No. 13 of the Appendix as 216, and a new one for 217 which itself comes later. Hymn 218 is almost as before, but 219 gives place to one of J. G. D.'s., and 220 is the second stanza of the present hymn, 221 being reproduced with one impropriety removed. But the old 222 is itself removed for the worship hymn 20 in the Appendix; and 223, 224 remain slightly improved. For 225, which goes later, is a hymn of praise; but the first two stanzas of 226 are given, 3 and 4 being in G. T. H. book and 227 also, for which we have a hymn of worship, while 228, 229, and 230 remain more happily. Hymn 231 is postponed for a more suited one, and a hymn of Sir E. L.'s displaces the actual 232, which needs much change even so it is scarcely for worship; nor is 233, moreover, being addressed to the bride, like 255, and both therefore later. A suitable and well known hymn is now given. Hymn 234 abides, with stanza 3 omitted. Hymn 235 is a new hymn, and 236 simple praise in place of Doddridge's piece. hymn 237 retains its place, but 238 is reserved appropriately, and a new hymn of praise appears instead of it. As hymn 239 is now in G. T. H. book, we allot here No. 29 in the Appendix; and as 240 is really the beginning of 259, it is placed there, and a worship hymn given here, 241 somewhat modified, and 242 following in their old places.
In No. 2 of these brief explanatory notes, Hymn 119 was by inadvertence called Moravian, which it may perhaps be considered in its realistic style. But in fact it was written by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), a Lutheran, before the epoch of Count N. L. Zinzendorf and his friends, so prolific in hymns warmly emotional, but rather sentimental, and lacking reverence as well as depth.