May 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
281
H IS H YM N S T H E W O R L D 'S INSPIRATION ® ILLIONS in two generations have shouted “ Crowns and thrones may perish, King doms rise and wane,” but few knew anything more of the author of the battle-hymn of Chris tianity than that his name was S. Bar ing-Gould. Pew realized before he died on January 2 that he was still living and, until a few months ago, an active and aggressive factor in the religious and literary world. Yet the clergy man was a veteran in English litera ture, theology, science and art, and the author of 140 books, many of them authoritative in their special fields, and many of them of high lit erary worth. He antedated the Vic torian reign, and was still exercising his creative faculties, and still preach- ing the Gospel in the reign of her grandson. The Rev. Sabine Baring- Gould was nearly ninety years old when, for him, “ the day was over.” His passing at his ancestral home at Lew-Trenchard, England, is recorded, with long biographical accounts of his career, in the newspapers of the two hemispheres, and numerous editorials memorialize his life and works. The last of the “ squarsons”— a Word coined of squire and parson— Sabine Baring-Gould was also one of the last of the “ Great Victorians," of whom, if he was not one of the greatest, we are told, he probably stood first of all in the versatility of his genius and the variety and num ber of his writings. At the same time he was a country rector, a lord of the manor, a sermon-w-riter, a student of comparative religion, an extremely popular novelist, a poet, an authority on medieval myths and legends, and an antiquarian of note in several branches of research. A generation ago the catalogue of the library of the British Museum credited him with the authorship of more books than any other living writer, and since that time he had given to the world at least half a hundred additional vol umes, including some works of the first importance. But it is on his hymns that his fame chiefly rests. “ Onward, ; Christian Soldiers” was written on a Whit-Monday in a York shire village where young Baring- Gould was then curate, as a march ing song for a band of school chil dren. It was written in great haste for a special occasion, and its author said in after years, “ Certainly nothing has surprised me more than its great popularity.” In 1864 Baring-Gould took Holy Orders, and served under Rev. John Sharp. He secured a cottage at Hor- bury Bridge. In the downstairs room, assisted by an old muffin-man and a
wool-comber, he held a much-needed night-school every winter evening, and religious services in the room above every Sunday, the audience often overflowing down the stairs. In 1865 he opened the “ mission chapel.” For the congregation— miners, mill- workers and their families— he com posed the hymn, “Now the Day is Over." At Whitsuntide the children joined St. Peter’s School at their feast, and paraded quaint old Horbury, com mencing with a steep mile. To main tain order and put life into the climb, the gifted improvisatore, within a few minutes, struck off “ Onward, Chris tian Soldiers,” which became the fav orite hymn of the late Duke of Cam bridge. The same local conditions suggested his admirable composition, “ Through the Night of Doubt and Sor row.” His hymn, “ On the Resurrec tion Morning,” greatly comforted Queen Victoria.— Literary Digest. T H E B I B L E FOtR JAPANESE ROYALTY The American Bible Society sent from the Bible House in New York, two elegantly bound, stamped, and cased copies of the Bible, as wedding gifts to Prince Regent Hirohito, the future Emperor of Japan, and his bride, Princess Nagako Kuni. The wedding originally scheduled for last November but postponed on account of the .Great Earthquake, which took place in February. A Committee from representative Japanese Christian bodies in Japan made arrangements for the presentation of the handsome books., The wide-spread acceptance of the moral teachings of the Bible is an out standing feature of Japan’s half cen tury of development. The Christian Sunday is observed throughout the Empire. The Sunday School is al ready a national institutionK-the Royal Family contributed $25,000 to ward the expenses of the World Sun day School Convention held in Tokyo in 1920. Christian morals and ethics are permeating and silently working in every phase of life from Buddha strongholds to commercial circles. Since but one out of three hundred of the Japanese is a member of the Christian Church, the question natur ally arises, “Whence comes this Chris tian influence?” It is largely the re sult of a wide-spread circulation of the Bible. For fifty years the Ameri can Bible Society has been carrying on work in Japan. During this time, it has circulated over five million copies. Each succeeding year has witnessed a large increase in the cir culation of the Scriptures. During the first half year of 1923, more than a quarter of a million copies were cir culated, being more than during any
previous entire year. The Great Earthquake has again largely increas ed the demand far beyond the means of the Society to provide, especially' as it is so seriously handicapped by heavy losses of properties, plates, types and stocks of Scriptures, all of which must be replaced before normal supplies can be resumed.—News item. Issued by American Bible Society, ENGLAND’S LABOR GOVERNMENT One by one the nations of Europe have overthrown their autocratic gov ernments and have become more or less socialistic or democratic. And now at last England, the greatest em pire on earth, has formed a labor gov ernment. It has rightly been said that England’s new government is the first of its kind in the world. While, to all appearances, labor will be in power, this is far from so. Behind the labor party, ready to control and check its policies, stands the old order of things, and the old government in disguise. It seems to be about as clear-cut a representation of the final form of world government as could be found. Daniel 2:43 reveals the last stage of world government by predict ing that royalists will “ mingle them selves with the seed of men.” When kings and laborites once mingle to gether in the government of the great est nation in the territory of Old Rome, then the clay, mingling with the ,iron, in the feet of the great Gen tile Image of Daniel 2, seems at last to be clearly formed. But what will be the outcome of England’s new labor government? Let the Word of God answer: “ They shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Such a government in some form will no doubt exist to the very, end of the age, but it will be a government full of strife and disagreement between the royalists and the laborites. They shall not “ cleave” together.—The Faith. TWO MOMENTOUS MAY MEETINGS Both the General Conference of the Methodist Church (North) and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (North) convene this month |P-the former in Springfield, Massa chusetts, and the latter in Grand Rap ids, Michigan. Vital matters will confront both bodies, relating to the question of the inspiration and authority of the Word of God. The decisions reached will affect both church and country and largely determine their destiny.
This impending crisis is a call to every loyal believer for definite, pre vailing prayer to Him who said, “ If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The Childrens Garden (Page 285). Unique and helpful Bible studies for the children.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker