Is it because
profane people or thoughtless youth made a travesty of the two next
lines--

O may my heart in tune be found
Like David's harp of solemn sound?

_THE TUNE._

Old "Portland" by Abraham Maxim, a fugue tune in F major of the canon
style, expressed all the joy that a choir could put into music, though
with more sound than skill. The choral is a relic among relics now, but
it is a favorite one.

"Sweet is the Light of Sabbath Eve" by Edmeston; Stennett's "Another Six
Days' Work is Done," sung to "Spohr," the joint tune of Louis Spohr and
J.E. Gould; and Doddridge's "Thine Earthly Sabbath, Lord, We Love"
retain a feeble hold among some congregations. And Hayward's "Welcome
Delightful Morn," to the impossible tune of "Lischer," survived
unaccountably long in spite of its handicap. But special Sabbath hymns
are out of fashion, those classed under that title taking an incidental
place under the general head of "Worship."

_COMMUNION._

"BREAD OF HEAVEN, ON THEE WE FEED."

This hymn of Josiah Conder, copying the physical metaphors of the 6th of
John, is still occasionally used at the Lord's Supper.

Vine of Heaven, Thy blood supplies
This blest cup of sacrifice,
Lord, Thy wounds our healing give,
To Thy Cross we look and live.

The hymn is notable for the felicity with which it combines imagery and
reality. Figure and fact are always in sight of each other.

Josiah Conder was born in London, September 17, 1789. He edited the
_Eclectic Review_, and was the author of numerous prose works on
historic and religious subjects. Rev. Garrett Horder says that more of
his hymns are in common use now than those of any other except Watts and
Doddridge. More _in proportion to the relative number_ may be nearer the
truth. In his lifetime Conder wrote about sixty hymns. He died Dec. 27,
1855.

_THE TUNE._

The tune "Corsica" sometimes sung to the words, though written by the
famous Von Gluck, shows no sign of the genius of its author. Born at
Weissenwang, near New Markt, Prussia, July 2, 1714, he spent his life in
the service of operatic art, and is called "the father of the lyric
drama," but he paid little attention to sacred music. Queen Marie
Antoinette was for a while his pupil. Died Nov. 25, 1787.

"Wilmot," (from Von Weber) one of Mason's popular hymn-tune
arrangements, is a melody with which the hymn is well acquainted. It has
a fireside rhythm which old and young of the s