At the age of 17 he entered Braze-nose College in Oxford. His first year he took the Chancellor's prize for the best Latin Poem. Two years later he took the Newdigate prize for the best English poem with his well known "Palestine." He took many other honours, his student days being a series of brilliant successes. He was elected a Fellow of All Souls in 1804. After two years of travel im Germany and Russia, southern Europe being closed to travel owing to the wars, he returned to England and wag ordained in 1807, He was appointed by his elder brother, to the living of Hodnet, near Crewe in Shropshire, where he remained for 16 years, devoting himself to the care of the parish where his father had been vicar before him. Here he ote most of his hymns. He pub-a companion to the Book of Common Prayer, containing poems sie Sundays, Saints Days, and in the Church year,—the hymn we consider this morning being written for Trinity Sunday. In 1815 he was Hampton Lecturer.
In 1822 he was appointed preacher at Lincoin's Inn. And the following year, at the age of 40, he was con-Secrated Bishop of Calcutta, with all India, Ceylon, and Australia for his diocese, His Episcopate was brief, for he died after three years work, but not before he had shown brilliant gifts as leader and administra-for. It was a strenuous life, constant travelling, preaching, confirming converts, consecrating Churches, and founding schools. The day of his death, which occurred at Trichinopoly on April 3, 1826, he preached at the Fort in the morning, afterwards confirmed 15 natives and delivered an address on confirmation. He there examined the state of the School, received address from Native Christians, paid a sick visit, and discussed the affairs of the Mission with his friend the Chaplain, and then retired to his room. Half an hour later he was found dead. His work on earth was finished.
His Work Goes On Finished no! For while his hymns are sung his influence continues—His work goes on. He was a man of most attractive personality, profound learning, and tremendous energy. Bober wrote many hymns, all characterized by real literary merit. His hymns are graceful and melodious, though often richer in imagery and more rhetorical than a Severe taste approves. Five of his hymns would find a place in most popular selection of well known and loved hymns. "Brightest and best of the sons of the morning" "The Son of God goes forth to war." "By cool Siloam's shady rill," and then, his great missionary hymn, "From Greenland's icy mountains," and the hymn we. consider this morning, "Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Ai mighty," said by Lord Tennyson to be the worlds greatest hymn.
if Reginald Bober had done nothing else except to compose these hymns, he did enough for one mortal. Under their inspiration many have gone fórth te toil to sacrifice, and to suffer for the purpose of extending the Kingdom of Christ among the men for whom he died.
Before we pass to the teaching of ihe hymn, one word about the tune. The hymn is invariably sung to Dr. Dykes setting, entitled "Nicea" which was expressly written for it. The tune takes its name from the town in Asia Minor in which sat the Ecumedical Council of 325 AD., in the course of whose deliberations the doctrine of ihe Trinity was finally elaborated. The tune is well adapted to the hymn and taken together they comprise a sacred song which has never been surpassed. As I have mentioned, the hymn was written for Trinity Sunday. Each verse begins with the Tersanctus. "The first and fourth close with the direct reference,—"God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity." The hymn is a particularly appropriate study on this Trinity Sunday, our patronal festival, and a word about the fes-rival may well preface our interpretation of the hymn, Trinity Sunday Triüity Sunday is a festival peculiar to the Western Church, and it was not until the year 1260 that it was fixed upon the Octave of Whitsunday. It is a wise ordinance that sets this day apart and calls attention to its teaching. It has been called the festival of revelation. Each other great festival calls upon us to commemorate some fact, such as the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—Some fact whereby God has been pleased to teach and bless us. Today we are called upon, not to commemorate a fact, but to contemplate a truth. A truth which is both simple and yet complex, and difficult. It is elementary and yet final. It is awful and far reaching, and yet it is most practical.
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not one of idle speculation, but a matter of supreme importance and undoubted reality. No other doctrine will explain the statements of the Holy Scriptures—Those strange ferences to.a plurality of Divine Persons, throughout the Old Testament, which stand so vividly con-feasted with an insistence upon Divine Unity, and the clear teaching of the New Testament in regard to Father, Son and Holy Spirit No other doctrine will satisfactorily explain the facts of universal religious experience. No other doctrine ity but that of "God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity" of which the poet sings. It is our glorious acknowledgement that we believe in a living God who made heaven and earth, in God who became Incarnate for our salvation, in God who dwells in our hearts by faith—That we believe in "God the Father Almighty," "In Jesus Christ our Lord," and "In the Holy Ghost, One God, but three. Creator, and Sustainer.—Redeemer, and Sanctifying Spirit.
Hymn of. Adoration The hymn is one of pure adoration, but by the choice of striking and suggestive descriptive words the author imparts his teaching as to the true nature of God, both as regards His own character, and His attitude towards men, It is most important that we should have a correct conception of God. History and experience both testify to the fact that incorrect conceptions of the Divine Being lead men into dangerous prac-rises, and often result in disaster. For instance the Gods of Greece and Rome to whom were ascribed every imaginable vice and cruelty, were reflected in the lives of their worshippers, and led ultimately to moral and spiritual anarchy and ruin. Can you show me a clean brave people who worship lustful and cruel die-ties? Can you find me a warm hearted, sympathetic man, with generous instincts, who has set up a God of Gold and worships it? Alas, like God, like worshipper. The character of a people is shaped and largely determined by the character of the Gods they worship. It is essential that we have a correct conception of God. This, Bishop Heber's hymn supplies. In striking contrast to the corrupt and cruel Gods of the heathen world our God is Holy. He is supremely a Holy God. This is the burden of the endless song which saints and angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing about the throne of God. They praise him as the Holy One, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty."
"Holy, Holy, Holy! ough the darkness hide Thee Though the eye of sinful man, Thy Only Thou art Holy, there is none beside.
glory may not see, joe Perfect in power, in love, in purity."
And' because God is Holy, He would have us be holy.—"Be ye holy, even as I am holy." We must strive after holiness—Holiness of life, which means separation from sin, complete dedication to God, and a daily growth in grave and likeness to Christ. We shall fall far short, but like the great Apostle, even as we attain, we must realize how far short we fall of the ideal and say with him, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after" The full attainment will not be reached until that day when He presents us faultless before His Father's throne in glory.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.