1 30 OUR HYMXS :
straint on all thy actions, make thee delight in His most holy ways. A title to the joys of an eternal world is purchased for thee by His obedience in life and death, and is that righteousness He will freely give here, which, whilst I am writing this, my heart importunately prays Him to give thee, reader, as the ines timable merit of His death."
This collection, after receiving previous additions, had reached three hundred and seventeen hymns in the fourth edition ; the probable date of which is 1772. It was in this fourth edition that there appeared, for the first time, the striking and well- known hymn by the countess
" Oh ! when my righteous Judge shall come."
This, slightly altered, is given as No. 423 in the "New Con gregational Hymn Book." The name of the authoress is omitted. It is part second of a piece on the Judgment-day, which has a first part of five verses, beginning :
" We soon shall hear the midnight cry."
About the year 1774, her collection underwent a final revision by her brother-in-law, the Hon. and Rev. Walter Shirley, also one of our hymn-writers.
Although the countess was not much known as a hymn-writer, yet it is proved beyond doubt that she was the author of a few hymns of great excellence. Her biographer acknowledges this, although he has not spoken of it in his work, and it is known that a list of her own hymns existed, but was unfortunately lost. Dr. Doddridge, writing to his wife in 1748, speaks of preaching in her family, and hearing her sing, and adds : "I have stolen a hymn, which I steadfastly believe to be written by good Lady Huntingdon, and which I shall not fail to communicate to you." The countess -had remarked the religious value of hymns to the Methodists in their work of revival, and she gave attention to the subject of psalmody, and obtained the services of an eminent Italian, Giardini, to make some suitable tunes. Horace Walpole
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