THE TUNE.
“Welton,” by Rev. Caesar Malan—author of “Hendon,” once familiar to American singers.
Henri Abraham Cæsar Malan was born at Geneva, Switzerland, 1787, and educated at Geneva College. Ordained to the ministry of the State church, (Reformed,) he was dismissed for preaching against its formalism and spiritual apathy; but he built a chapel of his own, and became a leader with D'Aubigne, Monod, and others in reviving the purity of the Evangelical faith and laboring for the conversion of souls.
Malan wrote many hymns, and published a large collection, the “Chants de Sion,” for the Evangelical Society and the French Reformed Church. He composed the music of his own hymns. Died at Vandosurre, 1864.
“DAUGHTER OF ZION, FROM THE DUST.”
Cases may occur where an exhortation hymn earns a place with dedication hymns.
The charred fragment of a hymn-book leaf hangs in a frame on the auditorium wall of the “New England Church,” Chicago. The former edifice of that church, all the homes of its resident members, and all their business offices except one, were destroyed in the great fire. In the ruins of their sanctuary the only scrap of paper found on which there was a legible word was this bit of a hymn-book leaf with the two first stanzas of Montgomery's hymn,
Daughter of Zion, from the dust,
Exalt thy fallen head;
Again in thy Redeemer trust,
He calls thee from the dead.
Awake, awake! put on thy strength,
Thy beautiful array;
The day of freedom dawns at length,
The Lord's appointed day.
The third verse was not long in coming to every mind—
Rebuild thy walls! thy bounds enlarge!
—and even without that added word the impoverished congregation evidently enough had received a message from heaven. They took heart of grace, overcame all difficulties, and in good time replaced their ruined Sabbath-home with the noble house in which they worship today.*
* The story is told by Rev. William E. Barton D.D. of Oak Park, Ill.
If the “New England Church” of Chicago did not sing this hymn at the dedication of their new 550 / 488 temple it was for some other reason than lack of gratitude—not to say reverence.