THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 47
to bless God for the good news of his recovery, and entreat you to tell him, that although I cannot keep pace with him here in celebrating the high praises of our glorious Redeemer, which is the greatest grief of my heart, yet I am persuaded that when I join the glorious company above, where there will be no draw backs, none will outsing me there, because I shall not find any that will be more indebted to the wonderful riches of divine grace than I.
When Commodore Perry anchored off Japan in 1853-4, service was held on his flagship. The naval band struck up this hymn to the Old Hundredth^ while thousands listened on the shore.
Dr. Dempster, of Garrett Biblical Institute, 111., was on his way with his wife and two brother missionaries to South Africa. They were chased for three days by a pirate vessel, and when there seemed no hope of escape, all joined in singing this hymn and in prayer. The pirate ship changed her course, and left them in peace.
Hymn 4. O worship the King, all glorious above. SIR ROBERT GRANT.
Suggested by Kethc s version of Psalm civ. in the A nglo- Genevan Psalter, 1561, which begins
My Soule praise the Lord,
Speak good of His name. O Lord our great God,
How doest Thou appeare So passing in glorie
That great is Thy fame, Honour and majestie
In Thee shine most cleare.
Sir Robert s hymn appeared in Bickersteth s Church Psalmody, 1833.
Sir R. Grant, born in 1785, was the son of Mr. Charles Grant, an East India merchant, called to the English Bar, 1807 ; M.P. for Inverness, 1826 ; Governor of Bombay, 1834. He died at Dapoorie, in Western India, in 1838. Lord Glenelg published twelve of his brother s hymns and poems under the title Sacred Poems, 1839.
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