254 THE METHODIST HYMN-BOOK ILLUSTRATED
Safe from known or secret foes,
Free from sin and Satan s thrall, God, when flesh, earth, hell oppose,
Shall keep thee safe from all.
One of Charles Wesley s noblest paraphrases.
Hymn 400. My faith looks up to Thee. RAY PALMER, D.D. (in).
This hymn was written in 1830, after Mr. Palmer had graduated at Yale College, and whilst he was a teacher in a girls school in New York. I gave form to what I felt, by writing, with little effort, the stanzas. I recollect I wrote then with very tender emotion, and ended the last line with tears. It was published in Lowell Mason s Spiritual Songs for Social Worship, 1831, entitled Self-Consecration. Dr. Lowell Mason asked Palmer if he had not a hymn to contribute to his new book. The MS. was produced from Palmer s pocket-book, and they stepped into a store to make a copy of it. Dr. Mason wrote the tune Olivet (Harlan) for the words, and told the author a few days afterwards, Mr. 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." It originally had six stanzas, but in Ray Palmer s Poetical Works only four are given. It was his first hymn, and is still the most popular of them all. Dr. Palmer wrote to Bishop Bickersteth, It was introduced into England in 1840, has been translated into other languages, and has been referred to as one of the last hymns that dying saints have sung, or desired to hear, in a great number of obituary notices that have met my eye. It has been a comfort to Christian hearts, doubtless, chiefly because it expresses in, a simple way that act which is most central in all true Christian life the act of trust in the atoning Lamb.
Hymn 401. Rock of Ages, cleft for me.
AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY, M.A.
Toplady was born at Farnham in 1740. His father, Major Toplady, was killed next year at the siege of Carthagena. The son was educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Dublin.
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