ent sinner before the
cross. Deeply moved by the lines, he translated them into English, and
then added the four stanzas that form his own hymn.

The words of the hymn, he tells us, were born out of his own spiritual
experience.

"I gave form to what I felt, by writing, with little effort, the
stanzas," he said. "I recollect I wrote them with very tender emotion,
and ended the last lines with tears."

"A ransomed soul!" Who would not have been moved to deep emotion after
having written a poem with such a sublime closing line!

This happened in the year 1832, almost a hundred years ago.

Palmer copied the poem into a little note-book which he constantly
carried in his pocket. Frequently he would read it as a part of his
private devotion. It never seemed to occur to him that it might some day
be used as a hymn.

But God was watching over that little poem. One day as Palmer was walking
along the busy streets of Boston, he chanced to meet Lowell Mason, the
famous musician and composer of Savannah, Ga. Mason was compiling a
hymn-book at the time and asked Palmer, who had established something of
a reputation as a poet, if he could give him some words for which he
could compose music. Palmer remembered the poem in his note-book, and,
while the two men stepped into a nearby store, a copy of the poem was
made and given to Mason.

When the two men met again a few days later, Mason exclaimed: "Dr.
Palmer, you may live many years and do many good things, but I think you
will be best known to posterity as the author of 'My faith looks up to
Thee.'"

Mason wrote the beautiful tune known as "Olivet" for the hymn, and
perhaps the music contributed as much as the words to endear it to the
hearts of millions. Certainly here is an instance where words and music
are wedded, and should never be parted asunder.

Palmer wrote many other splendid hymns. Some of his most famous are
translations from the Latin. His rendering of the noted hymn of Bernard
of Clairvaux, "O Jesus, Joy of loving hearts," is a gem of wondrous
beauty. It has become a favorite communion hymn.

In his ministry Palmer laid much emphasis on the Lord's Supper, and many
of his hymns were written for communion services. He once said, in a
communion address: "When the cares and the business of life have hurried
me hither and thither with no little distraction of mind, I love to come
back again, and sit down before the cross, and gaze on the blessed
Sufferer with