THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR \VRITERS 1 09
singer, and greatly delighted the old Methodists by singing after his sermons. He died at Margate in 1815. Mr. Rhodes was a man of reverend appearance, gentle manners, and cultivated mind. His portrait is in the Arminian Magazine for 1779 and 1797. He wrote several pieces for Hymns for Children and Young Persons, 1806, and Hymns for Children, 1814, compiled by Joseph Benson.
His obituary in the Minutes of Conference describes him as a man of great simplicity and integrity of mind; he was warmly and invariably attached to the whole economy of Methodism. His life was a practical explication of his faith ; and his character, both in the church and the world, was creditable to himself and honourable to religion.
Hymn 103. Jerusalem divine.
BENJAMIN RHODES (102). From his Messiah, 1787.
Hymn 104. Jesus, Thou everlasting King. ISAAC WATTS, D.D. (3).
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1709. The Coronation of Christ, and Espousals of the Church, Cant. iii. n. The first and last verses are omitted
I. Daughters of Sion, come, behold The crown of honour and of gold, Which the glad church, with joys unknown, Plac d on the head of Solomon.
6. O that the months would roll away, And bring that coronation-day ! The King of Grace shall fill the throne, With all His Father s glories on.
Mr. T. R. Allan, founder of the Allan Library, comments on the line Nor let our faith forsake its hold, The danger is not always lest we should wilfully " forsake," but lest, like a man in the waves, holding on to a plank, our strength should fail, and we should let it go. Mr. Allan s hymn-book had no names of authors, but he supplied lists and wrote names above some of the hymns. Underlining and crowded references to the Scripture passages which form the basis of the hymns show that the book was studied with only less care than his Bible itself.
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