Attend, and mark the solemn fast

Representative Text

1 Attend, and mark the solemn fast
which to the Lord is dear;
disdain the false unhallow'd mask
which vain dissemblers wear.
2 Do I delight in sorrow’s dress?
saith he who reigns above;
the hanging head and rueful look,
will they attract my love?

3 Let such as feel oppression’s load
thy tender pity share:
and let the helpless, homeless poor,
be thy peculiar care.
4 Go, bid the hungry orphan be
with thy abundance blest;
invite the wand’rer to thy gate,
and spread the couch of rest.

5 Let him who pines with piercing cold
by thee be warm'd and clad;
be thine the blissful task to make
the downcast mourner glad.
6 Then, bright as morning, shall come forth,
in peace and joy, thy days;
and glory from the Lord above
shall shine on all thy ways.

Source: The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #R28

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Author: John Logan

Logan, John, son of a farmer, born at Fala, Midlothian, 1748, and educated at Edinburgh University, in due course entering the ministry of the Church of Scotland and becoming the minister of South Leith in 1770. During the time he held this charge he delivered a course of lectures on philosophy and history with much success. While he was thus engaged, the chair of Universal History in the University became vacant; but as a candidate he was unsuccessful. A tragedy, entitled Runnamede, followed. He offered it to the manager of Covent Garden Theatre, but it was interdicted by the Lord Chamberlain "upon suspicion of having a seditious tendency." It was subsequently acted in Edinburgh. In 1775 he formed one of the Committee by whom the Translati… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Attend, and mark the solemn fast
Author:	John Logan
Meter:	8.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

Isaiah 58:5-9
(hymns)

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Notes

Attend, and mark the solemn fast. John Logan and John Morison. [True Fasting.] First appeared as No. 28 in the Draft Scottish Translations and Paraphrases, 1781, as a version of Isaiah lviii. 5-9, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. In the public worship edition of that year issued by the Church of Scotland and still in use unaltered save stanza vi., l. i. In the markings by the eldest daughter of W. Cameron (q. v.), given as the joint production of Logan and Morison. From the 1781 it has passed into a few modern hymnals, and is included as No. 65 in Rorison's Hymns adapted to the Church Services, 1860. In the American Sabbath Hymn Book, 1858, stanza ii.-vi., beginning, "Do I delight in sorrow's dress," were included as No. 1148, while stanzas iii.-vi., beginning, "Let such as feel oppression's load," were included as No. 769 in Campbell's Companion Hymn Book, 1837. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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