10. _Thou long disowned, reviled, opprest_, (Spirit of Truth) Written in January, 1860, it was included in _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1864. A cento from this hymn, altered to read, _Come Thou, with purifying fire_, was included in Stryker’s _Church Song_, 1889. Of these hymns nos. 3, 4 (selected stanzas), 7, 9 and 10 are included in _The New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, and nos. 3, 7 and 9 in _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937. J. 1035, 1589, 1700 H.W.F. Sears, Rev. Edmund Hamilton; Sandisfield, Massachusetts April 6, 1810—January 16, 1876, Weston, Massachusetts. Studied at Union College, graduated from the Harvard Divinity School in 1837. Ordained minister of the First Parish (Unitarian) of Wayland, Massachusetts, on February 20, 1839. He soon after went to Lancaster, Massachusetts; returned to Wayland, 1848-1864; and was minister of the First Parish, Weston, Massachusetts, 1866 until his death. He was author of many books and printed sermons, and of a good many poems, often hymns supplementary to his sermons. None of these, however, have come into general use, and his reputation as a hymn writer is based on his two widely used Christmas hymns, found in many hymn books. The first, _Calm on the listening ear of night_, was written in 1839. It was included as “Anon.” in _The Christian Psalter_, published in 1841 by Sears’ friend, Rev. W. P. Lunt, _q.v._ of Quincy, Massachusetts. In the _New Hymn and Tune Book_, 1914, the second line of sta. 6 The Saviour now is born! was changed to read The Prince of Peace is born! but the original reading was restored in _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937. His second hymn, _It came upon the midnight clear_, was written in 1849. One tradition about it reports that it was written at Mr. Lunt’s request and was first used at the Christmas celebration of the Sunday School in Quincy in that year. Sta. 5 of this hymn For lo! the days are hastening on By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever-circling years Comes round the age of gold; When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing has appeared in re-written forms more than once because its “backward look” to a golden age is not Biblical but is derived from the Fourth Eclogue of the poet Virgil. In the Episcopal _Hymnal_ of 1874 this is altered to read For lo, the days are hastening on By prophets seen of old, Till with the ever circling years Shall come the time foretold, When the new heaven and earth shall own The Prince of Peace their King- - - - and this version was reprinted in the Episcopal hymnals of 1892 and 1916, and passed into other collections. In the _Hymnal_, 1940, it was again altered to read