A missionary hymn written in 1832, at the beginning of the modern missionary movement. It was first published in _Spiritual Songs for Social Worship_, 1833, a volume compiled jointly by Hastings and Mason, set to the present tune by Lowell Mason. _Spiritual Songs_ was a notable volume, publishing for the first time such well-known hymns as “The morning light is breaking,” “My faith looks up to Thee,” and introducing in America, Toplady’s famous “Rock of Ages.” For comments on Thomas Hastings see Hymn 120. _MUSIC._ WESLEY, also called “Hail to the Brightness,” was written by Lowell Mason for this hymn. It is a simple, straightforward melody, whose merit as a hymn tune is unquestionable. For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12. 333. From Greenland’s icy mountains _Reginald Heber_, 1783-1826 One of the most famous missionary hymns ever written. An interesting story is attached to its origin, a detailed account of which was written by Thomas Edgeworth on the fly-leaf of a facsimile of the original manuscript as follows: On Whitsunday, 1819, the late Dr. Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph, and Vicar of Wrexham, preached a sermon in Wrexham Church in aid of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. That day was also fixed upon for the commencement of the Sunday evening lectures intended to be established in the church, and the late Bishop of Calcutta (Heber), then rector of Hodnet, the Dean’s son-in-law being together in the vicarage, the former requested Heber to write “something for them to sing in the morning”; and he retired for that purpose from the table where the Dean and a few friends were sitting to a distant part of the room. In a short time the Dean enquired, “What have you written?” Heber having then composed the three first verses, read them over. “There, there, that will do very well,” said the Dean. “No, no, the sense is not complete,” replied Heber. Accordingly he added the fourth verse, and the Dean being inexorable to his repeated request of “Let me add another; oh, let me add another!” thus completed the hymn of which the annexed is a facsimile and which has since become so celebrated. It was sung the next morning in Wrexham Church the first time. The tune to which it was sung was “’Twas when the seas were roaring,” from _The Beggar’s Opera_—a fine but somewhat incongruous selection. The words of the hymn reflect the enthusiasm and zeal of consecrated youth, eager, like Livingstone, to go out to a distant people needing help and to sacrifice life for the cause. Greatly interested in missions, Heber was offered the Bishopric of Calcutta and accepted it against the advice of his friends. After three years of strenuous, devoted labor, he was stricken with apoplexy and found dead in his bath on the evening of a busy day in which he had baptized forty-two native converts.