The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Story of Our Hymns, by Ernest Edwin Ryden

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Title: The Story of Our Hymns

Author: Ernest Edwin Ryden

Release Date: September 29, 2010 [eBook #33998]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF OUR HYMNS***

E-text prepared by Stephen Hutcheson

THE STORY OF OUR HYMNS

by

ERNEST EDWIN RYDEN

Pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
St. Paul, Minnesota

Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois

Copyright 1930
by
Augustana Book Concern

First Edition, December, 1930
Second Edition, April, 1931

Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois

To the Sweet Memory
of Our Bonnie Boy
Richard Edward Ryden
Who at the Age of Ten Years Went
Home to Sing with the
Angels.

He is not dead: he only sleeps,
Safe in the arms of Him who keeps
His lambs secure from earth's alarm,
From grief and sin and foes that harm.

He is not dead: he is at rest,
Content upon his Saviour's breast;
Dear little child, we loved you so,
But Jesus loved you more, we know.

He is not dead: the Shepherd came
To call His little lamb by name;
The gentle Shepherd watch will keep,
While His beloved child doth sleep.

He is not dead: by angel bands
Now welcomed to the heavenly lands,
With theirs a childish voice shall sing
Hosannas to the children's King.

He is not dead: though tears may flow,
Faith whispers: "It is better so."
With joy we'll meet on that fair shore,
Where God's own children weep no more.

FOREWORD

The hymn lore of the Christian Church offers a fascinating field for
profitable research and study. To know the hymns of the Church is to know
something of the spiritual strivings and achievements of the people of
God throughout the centuries. Henry Ward Beecher has well said: "Hymns
are the jewels which the Church has worn, the pearls, the diamonds, the
precious stones, formed into amulets more potent against sorrow and
sadness