Page:Our Hymns.djvu/195

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THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 175

This is his 568th.

" Did Christ o er sinners weep." No. 502.

This is his 587th. The original has only the first three verses. Some later writer has ventured to add the fourth.

" Faith ! tis a precious grace-" No. 539. This is his 165th.

" Let party names no more." No. 819.

This is his 638th. It is given with slight alterations. Like the others, it shows the author s main excellence to be his skill in preserving the unity of each hymn, grouping all the ideas around one central subject. The hymn also shows the excellent spirit of the writer.

" Witness ye men and angels ; now ! " No. 835. This is his 647th.

" Each other we have owned." No. 843. This is given with the omission of one verse. It is his 665th.

" Father of mercies, bow Thine ear." No. 892. This admirable ordination hymn is his 700th.

JAMES MERRICK, M.A. 17201769.

THIS sacred poet, coming after Tate and Brady, prepared a new version of the Psalms, for which royal sanction was sought, but not obtained. It contained some excellent pieces, but was spoiled by its excess of verbiage. It was entitled, " The Psalms Translated, or Paraphrased, in English Verse, 1765." In 1797 the Rev. W. D. Tattersall published an edition "divided into stanzas for parochial use." In some instances he found it necessary to alter the author s language. Merrick was a great classical scholar, and a fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. Lord

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