'Tis God's all-animating voice
That calls thee from on high,
'Tis His own hand presents the prize
To thine aspiring eye.
In all persuasive hymnology there is no more kindling lyric that this. As a field-hymn it is indispensable.
THE TUNE.
Whenever and by whomsoever the brave processional known as “Christmas” was picked from among the great Handel's Songs and mated with Doddridge's lines, the act gave both hymn and tune new reason to endure, and all posterity rejoices in the blend. Old “Christmas” was originally one of the melodies in the great Composer's Opera of “Cirœ” (Cyrus) 1738. It was written to Latin words (Non vi piacque) and afterwards adapted to an English versification of Job 29:15, “I was eyes to the blind.”
Handel, himself became blind at the age of sixty eight (1753).
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