Gently, my Savior, let me down

Gently, my Savior, let me down

Author: Rowland Hill
Published in 46 hymnals

Author: Rowland Hill

Hill, Rowland, M.A., son of Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., was born at Hawkstone, near Shrewsbury, Aug. 23,1744, and educated at Shrewsbury Grammar School, Eton, and St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1769). Taking Holy Orders, he was for a time curate of Kingston, near Taunton. Leaving his curacy, but without renouncing his Orders or his connection with the Church of England, he itinerated for some twelve years, preaching mostly in Wilts, Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, and London. At Wotton-under-Edge he built a Chapel, where he often preached, and also opened the well-known Surrey Chapel, London, in 1783. At the latter place he ministered for nearly fifty years. He took great interest in Evangelical and Mission work, was one of the founders o… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Gently, my Savior, let me down
Author: Rowland Hill
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Gently, my [Father] Saviour, let me down. R. Hill. [Death anticipated.] In the Life of the Rev. Rowland Hill, M.A., by the Rev. Edwin Sidney, 1834, Mr. Sidney says, in describing the death of Mr. Hill, "Sometimes he repeated the first verse of his own beautiful hymn, ”Gently, my Saviour, let me down"; but he does not indicate where the full text could be found, nor the date of its composition. Dr. Hatfield in his American Church Hymn Book, 1872, No. 1357, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, dates it 1832, that is, the year before Mr. Hill's death. In the American Church Praise Book, N.Y., 1882, No. 655, it is dated 1796. This is certainly an error. The hymn is essentially an old man's hymn, and Dr. Hatfield's date is consistent with this fact. The hymn was given in 3 stanzas of 4 lines in the American Universalists' Hymns for Christian Devotion, 1846, No. 536, as "Gently, my Father, let me down."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Gently, my Saviour, let me down , p. 409, i. This hymn was first printed in E. Sidney's Life of Rowland Hill , 1834, p. 404, and to it he adds the following note:— "This hymn was written by Mr. Hill for the comfort of a dying member of his Surrey Chapel congregation, who received it a few hours before death. I found it amongst his papers, in his own handwriting, and I believe it never has been printed. It is called 'The Prayer of the Dying Christian.'" The hymn is in 8 stanzas of 4 lines.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 46 of 46)
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The Church Praise Book #655

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #536

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #536

Hymns for Social Worship. 6th ed. #d65

Psalmista #d78

Psalms and Hymns for the Worship of God #d212

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Seamen's Hymns #648

Seamen's Hymns and Devotional Assistant #d181

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Social Psalmist #648

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Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #1186

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Baptist Ed.) #1186

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1186

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1186

Songs of Pilgrimage, a Hymnal for the Churches of Christ, Part I #d58

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Songs of Pilgrimage #160

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Songs of the Church #763

The Baptist Hymn and Praise Book #d124

The Book of Praise #d201

The Imperial Harmony #d76

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The Palm #105a

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The Reformed Church Hymnal #502

The Sabbath Hymn Book. Baptist ed. #d267

The Service of Song for Baptist Churches #d238

The Vestry Hymn and Tune Book #d118

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Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship #1085

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Oberlin social & sabbath school hymn book #209

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The Social and Sabbath School Hymn-Book. (5th ed.) #209

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Church Harmonies #726

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Hymns and Songs of Praise for Public and Social Worship #1294

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #1172

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #1186

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Songs for the Sanctuary #1186

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The Christian Hymn Book #1034

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The Congregational Hymn Book #1008

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The New Congregational Hymn and Tune Book, for Public, Social and Private Worship #66

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The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book #377c

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The Social Psalmist #316

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The Standard Church Hymnal #495

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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #580

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Church Psalmist #648

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Church Psalmist #648

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Church Psalmist #648

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Hymns of the Ages #638

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Hymns of the Ages #638

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