The tradition of Syriac hymnody, of which these illustrations alone may be given from the early period, did not come to an end as Christianity moved westward. It was continued through thirteen centuries and is preserved in the Nestorian and other branches of the Syrian Christian Church. Before the main stream of hymnody in the Greek language is traced, two sources from the second century will serve as an introduction. The first of these is the _Epistle to Diognetus_, by an unknown author, possibly a catechumen of the Pauline group.[72] It contains four selections, biblical in their phraseology, the first three of which express the redemptive mission of the Son of God: As a king sends his son who is also a king, so sent He Him, He did not regard us with hatred nor thrust us away, He, being despised by the people. The fourth admonishes the Christian to union with the mind of God, Let your heart be your wisdom.[73] The second source is a passage from a sermon on _The Soul and Body_, written by Melito of Sardis, a bishop and philosopher who was martyred in 170. The author pictures all creation aghast at the crucifixion of Jesus, saying, What new mystery then is this? The Judge is judged and holds his peace; The Invisible one is seen and is not ashamed; . . . The Celestial is laid in the grave, and endureth! What new mystery is this?[74] Whether admissible as a hymn or not, this passage blends, in a most striking way, oriental and Greek elements employed in the expression of Christian belief. Authentic Greek hymnody begins with Clement of Alexandria, 170-220. He is the author of a work of instruction for catechumens, the _Paedagogus_, to which is appended a _Hymn to Christ the Savior_, {Hymnos tou soteros Christou}, beginning, {Stomion polon}. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving on the part of those newly received into the Church. Christ is addressed in the familiar oriental imagery of the guide and shepherd, but the theme is rendered in a poetic style, which, by the use of short lines and the anapest, heightens the effect of ecstatic devotion. Bridle of colts untamed, Over our wills presiding; Flight of unwandering birds, Our flight securely guiding,-- -- -- --[75]