Behold, the Master passeth by! [St. Matthew's Day.] This is a cento by Bishop W. W. How, based upon Bishop Ken's hymn for the same day, and first published in Church Hymns, 1871, No. 183, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and Taring's Collection, 1882, No. 510. It is thus composed:—
Stanza i.—iii. Original by Bp. How.
Stanza iv.-vi. By Bishop How from Bp. Ken, whose original stanzas are:—
Ken. stanza xii. "From worldly clogs, bless'd Matthew loose,
Devoted all to sacred use,
That, Follow Me, his ear
Seem'd every day to hear,
His utmost zeal he strove to bend.
Towards Jesus' likeness, to ascend.
stanza xx. "God sweetly calls us every day,
Why should we then our bliss delay
He calls to endless light,
Why should we love the night?
Should we one call but duly heed,
It would to joys eternal lead.
stanza xxiv. "Praise, Lord, to Thee, for Matthew's call,
At which be left his wealthy all;
At Thy next call may I Myself and world deny;
Thou, Lord, even now art calling me,
I'll now leave all, and follow Thee."
Bishop Ken's hymn appeared in his Hymns for all the Festivals of the Year, 1721 (ten years after his death): and again in the same work, republished as Bishop Ken's Christian Year, by Pickering, in 1868.
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)