A copy of the draft of The Church of Scotland Mission Hymn Book, compiled by a committee, and sanctioned by last General Assembly for publication, has come into the writer's hands, too late to be collated for the foregoing Table. The Hymn Book, which is intended for use at Mission services -- both those of a permanent Mission, and those of Mission-weeks, including Guild, and Missionary, and other special services, for which The Church Hymnary and The Scottish Hymnal do not make sufficient provision -- contains 338 hymns, and 18 metrical Psalms and Paraphrases, all of which, so far as one can judge from a casual survey, and without the music, seem suitable for the purpose to which the book will be devoted.

The noteworthy particular in connection with this Collection, and that which demands this reference to it, is the fact that, here for the first time in the history of Scottish hymnody, we have something approaching a satisfactory representation of hymns from the Greek; and it is not lacking in significance that the book to include so many, should be a Mission Hymn Book. No one who has studied Scottish hymnody will miss the significance of this fact. If the Greek Church, which is variously characterised by its critics, be a non-missionary Church, it can at least supply hymns, if not for the ordinary services of the sanctuary, then for Mission services. Such, at any rate, would seem to be the conviction of the compilers of The Mission Hymn Book.

The thirteen hymns from the Greek contained in this book, the first lines of which are given below, include three which are presented for use for the first time, viz., (g) (i) (n), increasing the number of Greek hymns in common use from forty-one (as shewn by the [183]Table on pages 20-23) to forty-four.

(a) [184]Art thou weary, art thou languid?
(Based upon the Greek) tr. Dr. Neale.

(b) [185]Behold the Bridegroom cometh
(Midnight Office) tr. G. Moultrie.

(c) [186]Christian, dost thou see them?
([187]St. Andrew of Crete) tr. Dr. Neale.

(d) [188]Far from Thy heavenly care
([189]St. Joseph of the Studium) tr. Dr. Brownlie.

(e) [190]God of all grace, Thy mercy send
(Litany of the Deacon) tr. Dr. Brownlie.

(f) O brightness of the Eternal Father's face
([191]Sophronius) tr. E. W. Eddis.

(g) O may my soul, uncrushed by care
([192]Synesius) tr. Dr. Brownlie.

(h) [193]O Saviour, in Thy pitying grace
([194]Theoctistus) tr. R. M. Moorsom.

(i) [195]Our hearts to heaven upraising
(Morning service, Horologion) tr. Dr. Brownlie.

(k) [196]Safe home, safe home in port
(Based upon the Greek) tr. Dr. Neale.

(l) [197]Stars of the morning
([198]St. Joseph) tr. Dr. Neale.

(m) [199]Those eternal bowers
([200]St. John of Damascus) tr. Dr. Neale.

(n) [201]When glory crowned the mountain top
(Based upon the Greek) tr. Dr. Brownlie.