Star-spangled Banner." The common
people--thanks to Dr. Hastings--have learned "Rock of Ages" by _sound_.

Thomas Hastings was born in Washington, Ct., 1784. For eight years he
was editor of the _Western Recorder_, but he gave his life to church
music, and besides being a talented tone-poet he wrote as many as six
hundred hymns. In 1832, by invitation from twelve New York churches, he
went to that city, and did the main work of his life there, dying, in
1872, at the good old age of eighty-nine. His musical collections number
fifty-three. He wrote his famous tune in 1830.

[Illustration: Thomas Hastings]

"MY SOUL BE ON THY GUARD"

Strangely enough, this hymn, a trumpet note of Christian warning and
resolution, was written by one who himself fell into unworthy ways.[12]
But the one strong and spiritual watch-song by which he is remembered
appeals for him, and lets us know possibly, something of his own
conflicts. We can be thankful for the struggle he once made, and for the
hymn it inspired. It is a voice of caution to others.

[Footnote 12: I have been unable to verify this statement found in Mr.
Butterworth's "Story of the Hymns."--T.B.]

George Heath, the author, was an English minister, born in 1781; died
1822. For a time he was pastor of a Presbyterian Church at Honiton,
Devonshire, and was evidently a prolific writer, having composed a
hundred and forty-four hymns, an edition of which was printed.

_THE TUNE._

No other has been so familiarly linked with the words as Lowell Mason's
"Laban" (1830). It has dash and animation enough to reenforce the hymn,
and give it popular life, even if the hymn had less earnestness and
vigor of its own.

Ne'er think the vict'ry won
Nor lay thine armor down:
Thy arduous work will not be done
Till thou hast gained thy crown.

Fight on, my soul till death
Shall bring thee to thy God;
He'll take thee at thy parting breath
To His divine abode.

"PEOPLE OF THE LIVING GOD."

Montgomery _felt_ every line of this hymn as he committed it to paper.
He wrote it when, after years in the "swim" of social excitements and
ambitions, where his young independence swept him on, he came back to
the little church of his boyhood. His father and mother had gone to the
West Indies as missionaries, and died there. He was forty-three years
old when, led by divine light, he sought readmission to the Moravian
"meeting" at Fulneck, and anchored ha