I remember well the morning ... when in the midst of the daily cares of my home ... I was so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him either in joy or pain, these words, “I need Thee every hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me.... For myself the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experience at the time it was written, and I do not understand why it so touched the great throbbing heart of humanity. It was not until long years after, when the shadow fell over my way—the shadow of a great loss—that I understood something of the comforting in the words I had been permitted to write and give out to others in my hours of sweet security and peace. _MUSIC._ NEED. The tune was written for this hymn. The composer, Rev. Robert Lowry, 1826-99, was born in Philadelphia and educated at Bucknell University. After a few years in the Baptist ministry he became Professor of Rhetoric at his alma mater. The University gave him his doctorate in 1875. He resigned his chair in 1875 and the following year resumed the work of the ministry at Plainfield, N. J., continuing until his death. Though he had no serious training in music, Lowry wrote many tunes and edited several popular collections of hymns. He did much to encourage the gospel song movement in America. 188. Father, in Thy mysterious presence kneeling _Samuel Johnson_, 1822-82 A beautiful hymn of contrition, and prayer for the “Presence.” Samuel Johnson was born in Salem, Mass. After graduating from Harvard University and Harvard Divinity School, he became minister of the Independent Church at Lynn, Mass., where he served from 1853 to 1870. He was a fellow-student and close friend of Samuel Longfellow, the two “Sams” collaborating in the editing of _A Book of Hymns_ which passed through twelve editions and became the source of excellent hymnic material not published before. He was a Unitarian by faith. A competent scholar, he published _Oriental Religions_, the first adequate study of comparative religions by an American. _MUSIC._ HENLEY is one of Mason’s most appreciated tunes. It appeared in _The Hallelujah_, 1854, by the composer, set to the hymn “Come unto me, when shadows darkly gather.” For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12. 189. Come, thou Fount of every blessing _Robert Robinson_, 1735-90 An old hymn that has been a “fount of blessing” itself to multitudes, written only three years after the author’s conversion. It sounds a note of anxiety lest the paths of sin lure the soul away from God. The Scripture reference in the second stanza is to I Sam. 7:12: “Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped me.” For comments on the author, Robert Robinson, see Hymn 46.