.

Renounce thy works and ways, with grief,
And fly to this divine relief;
Nor Him forget, who left His throne,
And for thy life gave up His own.

Eternal truth and mercy shine
In Him, and He Himself is thine:
And canst thou then, with sin beset,
Such charms, such matchless charms forget?

Oh, no; till life itself depart,
His name shall cheer and warm my heart;
And lisping this, from earth I'll rise,
And join the chorus of the skies.

_THE TUNE._

There is no scarcity of good long-metre tunes to suit the sentiment of
this hymn. More commonly in the Baptist manuals its vocal mate is
Bradbury's "Rolland" or the sweet and serious Scotch melody of "Ward,"
arranged by Mason. Best of all is "Hursley," the beautiful Ritter-Monk
choral set to "Sun of My Soul."

_NEW YEAR._

Two representative hymns of this class are John Newton's--

While with ceaseless course the sun,

--and Charles Wesley's--

Come let us anew our journey pursue;

the one a voice at the next year's threshold, the other a song at the
open door.

While with ceaseless course the sun
Hasted thro' the former year
Many souls their race have run
Nevermore to meet us here.

* * * * *

As the winged arrow flies
Speedily the mark to find,
As the lightening from the skies
Darts and leaves no trace behind,
Swiftly thus our fleeting days
Bear we down life's rapid stream,
Upward, Lord, our spirits raise;
All below is but a dream.

A grave occasion, whether unexpected or periodical, will force
reflection, and so will a grave truth; and when both present themselves
at once, the truth needs only commonplace statement. If the statement is
in rhyme and measure more attention is secured. Add a _tune_ to it, and
the most frivolous will take notice. Newton's hymn sung on the last
evening of the year has its opportunity--and never fails to produce a
solemn effect; but it is to the immortal music given to it in Samuel
Webbe's "Benevento" that it owes its unique and permanent place. Dykes'
"St. Edmund" may be sung in England, but in America it will never
replace Webbe's simple and wonderfully impressive choral.

Charles Wesley's hymn is the antipode of Newton's in metre and movement.

Come, let us anew our journey pursue,
Roll round with the year
And never stand still till the Master appear.
His