What Think Ye?

In this posting I want to show how an old song changed over the years and is significant. What think ye?

Original Words: George At­kins - 1819

Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.

Brethren, see poor sinners round you slumbering on the brink of woe;
Death is coming, hell is moving, can you bear to let them go?
See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down;
Brethren, pray and holy manna will be showered all around.

Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him;
Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found;
Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.

Is there here a trembling jailer, seeking grace, and filled with tears?
Is there here a weeping Mary, pouring forth a flood of tears?
Brethren, join your cries to help them; sisters, let your prayers abound;
Pray, Oh pray that holy manna may be scattered all around.

Let us love our God supremely, let us love each other, too;
Let us love and pray for sinners, till our God makes all things new.
Then He’ll call us home to Heaven, at His table we’ll sit down;
Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.

Daily's Hymn Book (1879)

BRETHREN, we have met to worship, And adore the Lord our God:
Will you pray with all your power, While we try to preach the word?
All is vain, unless the Spirit Of the Holy One comes down;
Let us pray that holy manna May be scattered all around.

Look, and see poor sinners round you Trembling (slumbering) on the brink of woe;
Death is coming; how alarming! (hell is moving) Can you bear to let them go?
Let us tell them of the Saviour: Tell them that he may be found;
(See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down)
Let us pray that holy manna May be scattered all around.

Is there here a trembling jailer, Seeking grace, and filled with fears,
Is there here a weeping Mary, Pouring forth a flood of tears?
Let us join our prayers (cries) to help them; Let our faith and love abound;
Let us pray that holy manna May be scattered all around.

Let us love our God supremely; Let us love each other too;
Let us love and pray for sinners, Till our God their souls renew (till our God makes all things new);
Then we'll love them still the better Take them to our kind embrace,
Journey with them on to glory, There to sing redeeming grace
(Then He’ll call us home to Heaven, at His table we’ll sit down;
Christ will gird Himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.)

Old School Hymnal (1983)

No changes in the first paragraph

Second Paragraph

1. "Sinners" from the original and from Daily's hymnal but "mourners" in the OS hymnal.

2. Also minor changes such as leaving out the words "brethren" and "sisters"

3. "Death is coming, hell is moving, can you bear to let them go? See our fathers and our mothers, and our children sinking down"

becomes

"Fearing, trembling as they go, Longing for a consolation; Will you comfort them or no?  Let us tell them of the Savior; Tell them that he will be found"

Third Paragraph

Minor changes as mentioned

Fourth Paragraph

1. "Till our God their souls renew" or "till our God makes all things new"

becomes

"Till their Savior they can view"

Cannot anyone see the change in doctrine reflected by these changes in this old song?