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William Cowper

1731 - 1800 Author of "O for a closer walk with God" in The Hymnal William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"; b. Berkampstead, Hertfordshire, England, 1731; d. East Dereham, Norfolk, England, 1800) is regarded as one of the best early Romantic poets. To biographers he is also known as "mad Cowper." His literary talents produced some of the finest English hymn texts, but his chronic depression accounts for the somber tone of many of those texts. Educated to become an attorney, Cowper was called to the bar in 1754 but never practiced law. In 1763 he had the opportunity to become a clerk for the House of Lords, but the dread of the required public examination triggered his tendency to depression, and he attempted suicide. His subsequent hospitalization and friendship with Morley and Mary Unwin provided emotional stability, but the periods of severe depression returned. His depression was deepened by a religious bent, which often stressed the wrath of God, and at times Cowper felt that God had predestined him to damnation. For the last two decades of his life Cowper lived in Olney, where John Newton became his pastor. There he assisted Newton in his pastoral duties, and the two collaborated on the important hymn collection Olney Hymns (1779), to which Cowper contributed sixty-eight hymn texts. Bert Polman ============ Cowper, William, the poet. The leading events in the life of Cowper are: born in his father's rectory, Berkhampstead, Nov. 26, 1731; educated at Westminster; called to the Bar, 1754; madness, 1763; residence at Huntingdon, 1765; removal to Olney, 1768; to Weston, 1786; to East Dereham, 1795; death there, April 25, 1800. The simple life of Cowper, marked chiefly by its innocent recreations and tender friendships, was in reality a tragedy. His mother, whom he commemorated in the exquisite "Lines on her picture," a vivid delineation of his childhood, written in his 60th year, died when he was six years old. At his first school he was profoundly wretched, but happier at Westminster; excelling at cricket and football, and numbering Warren Hastings, Colman, and the future model of his versification. Churchill, among his contemporaries or friends. Destined for the Bar, he was articled to a solicitor, along with Thurlow. During this period he fell in love with his cousin, Theodora Cowper, sister to Lady Hesketh, and wrote love poems to her. The marriage was forbidden by her father, but she never forgot him, and in after years secretly aided his necessities. Fits of melancholy, from which he had suffered in school days, began to increase, as he entered on life, much straitened in means after his father's death. But on the whole, it is the playful, humorous side of him that is most prominent in the nine years after his call to the Bar; spent in the society of Colman, Bonnell Thornton, and Lloyd, and in writing satires for The Connoisseur and St. James's Chronicle and halfpenny ballads. Then came the awful calamity, which destroyed all hopes of distinction, and made him a sedentary invalid, dependent on his friends. He had been nominated to the Clerkship of the Journals of the House of Lords, but the dread of appearing before them to show his fitness for the appointment overthrew his reason. He attempted his life with "laudanum, knife and cord,"—-in the third attempt nearly succeeding. The dark delusion of his life now first showed itself—a belief in his reprobation by God. But for the present, under the wise and Christian treatment of Dr. Cotton (q. v.) at St. Albans, it passed away; and the eight years that followed, of which the two first were spent at Huntingdon (where he formed his lifelong friendship with Mrs. Unwin), and the remainder at Olney in active piety among the poor, and enthusiastic devotions under the guidance of John Newton (q. v.), were full of the realisation of God's favour, and the happiest, most lucid period of his life. But the tension of long religious exercises, the nervous excitement of leading at prayer meetings, and the extreme despondence (far more than the Calvinism) of Newton, could scarcely have been a healthy atmosphere for a shy, sensitive spirit, that needed most of all the joyous sunlight of Christianity. A year after his brother's death, madness returned. Under the conviction that it was the command of God, he attempted suicide; and he then settled down into a belief in stark contradiction to his Calvinistic creed, "that the Lord, after having renewed him in holiness, had doomed him to everlasting perdition" (Southey). In its darkest form his affliction lasted sixteen months, during which he chiefly resided in J. Newton's house, patiently tended by him and by his devoted nurse, Mrs. Unwin. Gradually he became interested in carpentering, gardening, glazing, and the tendance of some tame hares and other playmates. At the close of 1780, Mrs. Unwin suggested to him some serious poetical work; and the occupation proved so congenial, that his first volume was published in 1782. To a gay episode in 1783 (his fascination by the wit of Lady Austen) his greatest poem, The Task, and also John Gilpin were owing. His other principal work was his Homer, published in 1791. The dark cloud had greatly lifted from his life when Lady Hesketh's care accomplished his removal to Weston (1786): but the loss of his dear friend William Unwin lowered it again for some months. The five years' illness of Mrs. Unwin, during which his nurse of old became his tenderly-watched patient, deepened the darkness more and more. And her death (1796) brought “fixed despair," of which his last poem, The Castaway, is the terrible memorial. Perhaps no more beautiful sentence has been written of him, than the testimony of one, who saw him after death, that with the "composure and calmness" of the face there “mingled, as it were, a holy surprise." Cowper's poetry marks the dawn of the return from the conventionality of Pope to natural expression, and the study of quiet nature. His ambition was higher than this, to be the Bard of Christianity. His great poems show no trace of his monomania, and are full of healthy piety. His fame as a poet is less than as a letter-writer: the charm of his letters is unsurpassed. Though the most considerable poet, who has written hymns, he has contributed little to the development of their structure, adopting the traditional modes of his time and Newton's severe canons. The spiritual ideas of the hymns are identical with Newton's: their highest note is peace and thankful contemplation, rather than joy: more than half of them are full of trustful or reassuring faith: ten of them are either submissive (44), self-reproachful (17, 42, 43), full of sad yearning (1, 34), questioning (9), or dark spiritual conflict (38-40). The specialty of Cowper's handling is a greater plaintiveness, tenderness, and refinement. A study of these hymns as they stood originally under the classified heads of the Olney Hymns, 1779, which in some cases probably indicate the aim of Cowper as well as the ultimate arrangement of the book by Newton, shows that one or two hymns were more the history of his conversion, than transcripts of present feelings; and the study of Newton's hymns in the same volume, full of heavy indictment against the sins of his own regenerate life, brings out the peculiar danger of his friendship to the poet: it tends also to modify considerably the conclusions of Southey as to the signs of incipient madness in Cowper's maddest hymns. Cowper's best hymns are given in The Book of Praise by Lord Selborne. Two may be selected from them; the exquisitely tender "Hark! my soul, it is the Lord" (q. v.), and "Oh, for a closer walk with God" (q. v.). Anyone who knows Mrs. Browning's noble lines on Cowper's grave will find even a deeper beauty in the latter, which is a purely English hymn of perfect structure and streamlike cadence, by connecting its sadness and its aspiration not only with the “discord on the music" and the "darkness on the glory," but the rapture of his heavenly waking beneath the "pathetic eyes” of Christ. Authorities. Lives, by Hayley; Grimshaw; Southey; Professor Goldwin Smith; Mr. Benham (attached to Globe Edition); Life of Newton, by Rev. Josiah Bull; and the Olney Hymns. The numbers of the hymns quoted refer to the Olney Hymns. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================ Cowper, W. , p. 265, i. Other hymns are:— 1. Holy Lord God, I love Thy truth. Hatred of Sin. 2. I was a grovelling creature once. Hope and Confidence. 3. No strength of nature can suffice. Obedience through love. 4. The Lord receives His highest praise. Faith. 5. The saints should never be dismayed. Providence. All these hymns appeared in the Olney Hymns, 1779. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ===================== Cowper, W., p. 265, i. Prof. John E. B. Mayor, of Cambridge, contributed some letters by Cowper, hitherto unpublished, together with notes thereon, to Notes and Queries, July 2 to Sept. 24, 1904. These letters are dated from Huntingdon, where he spent two years after leaving St. Alban's (see p. 265, i.), and Olney. The first is dated "Huntingdon, June 24, 1765," and the last "From Olney, July 14, 1772." They together with extracts from other letters by J. Newton (dated respectively Aug. 8, 1772, Nov. 4, 1772), two quotations without date, followed by the last in the N. & Q. series, Aug. 1773, are of intense interest to all students of Cowper, and especially to those who have given attention to the religious side of the poet's life, with its faint lights and deep and awful shadows. From the hymnological standpoint the additional information which we gather is not important, except concerning the hymns "0 for a closer walk with God," "God moves in a mysterious way," "Tis my happiness below," and "Hear what God, the Lord, hath spoken." Concerning the last three, their position in the manuscripts, and the date of the last from J. Newton in the above order, "Aug. 1773," is conclusive proof against the common belief that "God moves in a mysterious way" was written as the outpouring of Cowper's soul in gratitude for the frustration of his attempted suicide in October 1773. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Isaac Watts

1674 - 1748 Author of "O That the Lord Would Guide My Ways" in The Cyber Hymnal Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary labours. He did not retire from ministerial duties, but preached as often as his delicate health would permit. The number of Watts' publications is very large. His collected works, first published in 1720, embrace sermons, treatises, poems and hymns. His "Horae Lyricae" was published in December, 1705. His "Hymns" appeared in July, 1707. The first hymn he is said to have composed for religious worship, is "Behold the glories of the Lamb," written at the age of twenty. It is as a writer of psalms and hymns that he is everywhere known. Some of his hymns were written to be sung after his sermons, giving expression to the meaning of the text upon which he had preached. Montgomery calls Watts "the greatest name among hymn-writers," and the honour can hardly be disputed. His published hymns number more than eight hundred. Watts died November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. A monumental statue was erected in Southampton, his native place, and there is also a monument to his memory in the South Choir of Westminster Abbey. "Happy," says the great contemporary champion of Anglican orthodoxy, "will be that reader whose mind is disposed, by his verses or his prose, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to men, and his reverence to God." ("Memorials of Westminster Abbey," p. 325.) --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872. ================================= Watts, Isaac, D.D. The father of Dr. Watts was a respected Nonconformist, and at the birth of the child, and during its infancy, twice suffered imprisonment for his religious convictions. In his later years he kept a flourishing boarding school at Southampton. Isaac, the eldest of his nine children, was born in that town July 17, 1674. His taste for verse showed itself in early childhood. He was taught Greek, Latin, and Hebrew by Mr. Pinhorn, rector of All Saints, and headmaster of the Grammar School, in Southampton. The splendid promise of the boy induced a physician of the town and other friends to offer him an education at one of the Universities for eventual ordination in the Church of England: but this he refused; and entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in 1690, under the care of Mr. Thomas Rowe, the pastor of the Independent congregation at Girdlers' Hall. Of this congregation he became a member in 1693. Leaving the Academy at the age of twenty, he spent two years at home; and it was then that the bulk of the Hymns and Spiritual Songs (published 1707-9) were written, and sung from manuscripts in the Southampton Chapel. The hymn "Behold the glories of the Lamb" is said to have been the first he composed, and written as an attempt to raise the standard of praise. In answer to requests, others succeeded. The hymn "There is a land of pure delight" is said to have been suggested by the view across Southampton Water. The next six years of Watts's life were again spent at Stoke Newington, in the post of tutor to the son of an eminent Puritan, Sir John Hartopp; and to the intense study of these years must be traced the accumulation of the theological and philosophical materials which he published subsequently, and also the life-long enfeeblement of his constitution. Watts preached his first sermon when he was twenty-four years old. In the next three years he preached frequently; and in 1702 was ordained pastor of the eminent Independent congregation in Mark Lane, over which Caryl and Dr. John Owen had presided, and which numbered Mrs. Bendish, Cromwell's granddaughter, Charles Fleetwood, Charles Desborough, Sir John Hartopp, Lady Haversham, and other distinguished Independents among its members. In this year he removed to the house of Mr. Hollis in the Minories. His health began to fail in the following year, and Mr. Samuel Price was appointed as his assistant in the ministry. In 1712 a fever shattered his constitution, and Mr. Price was then appointed co-pastor of the congregation which had in the meantime removed to a new chapel in Bury Street. It was at this period that he became the guest of Sir Thomas Abney, under whose roof, and after his death (1722) that of his widow, he remained for the rest of his suffering life; residing for the longer portion of these thirty-six years principally at the beautiful country seat of Theobalds in Herts, and for the last thirteen years at Stoke Newington. His degree of D.D. was bestowed on him in 1728, unsolicited, by the University of Edinburgh. His infirmities increased on him up to the peaceful close of his sufferings, Nov. 25, 1748. He was buried in the Puritan restingplace at Bunhill Fields, but a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey. His learning and piety, gentleness and largeness of heart have earned him the title of the Melanchthon of his day. Among his friends, churchmen like Bishop Gibson are ranked with Nonconformists such as Doddridge. His theological as well as philosophical fame was considerable. His Speculations on the Human Nature of the Logos, as a contribution to the great controversy on the Holy Trinity, brought on him a charge of Arian opinions. His work on The Improvement of the Mind, published in 1741, is eulogised by Johnson. His Logic was still a valued textbook at Oxford within living memory. The World to Come, published in 1745, was once a favourite devotional work, parts of it being translated into several languages. His Catechisms, Scripture History (1732), as well as The Divine and Moral Songs (1715), were the most popular text-books for religious education fifty years ago. The Hymns and Spiritual Songs were published in 1707-9, though written earlier. The Horae Lyricae, which contains hymns interspersed among the poems, appeared in 1706-9. Some hymns were also appended at the close of the several Sermons preached in London, published in 1721-24. The Psalms were published in 1719. The earliest life of Watts is that by his friend Dr. Gibbons. Johnson has included him in his Lives of the Poets; and Southey has echoed Johnson's warm eulogy. The most interesting modern life is Isaac Watts: his Life and Writings, by E. Paxton Hood. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] A large mass of Dr. Watts's hymns and paraphrases of the Psalms have no personal history beyond the date of their publication. These we have grouped together here and shall preface the list with the books from which they are taken. (l) Horae Lyricae. Poems chiefly of the Lyric kind. In Three Books Sacred: i.To Devotion and Piety; ii. To Virtue, Honour, and Friendship; iii. To the Memory of the Dead. By I. Watts, 1706. Second edition, 1709. (2) Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books: i. Collected from the Scriptures; ii. Composed on Divine Subjects; iii. Prepared for the Lord's Supper. By I. Watts, 1707. This contained in Bk i. 78 hymns; Bk. ii. 110; Bk. iii. 22, and 12 doxologies. In the 2nd edition published in 1709, Bk. i. was increased to 150; Bk. ii. to 170; Bk. iii. to 25 and 15 doxologies. (3) Divine and Moral Songs for the Use of Children. By I. Watts, London, 1715. (4) The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, And apply'd to the Christian State and Worship. By I. Watts. London: Printed by J. Clark, at the Bible and Crown in the Poultry, &c, 1719. (5) Sermons with hymns appended thereto, vol. i., 1721; ii., 1723; iii. 1727. In the 5th ed. of the Sermons the three volumes, in duodecimo, were reduced to two, in octavo. (6) Reliquiae Juveniles: Miscellaneous Thoughts in Prose and Verse, on Natural, Moral, and Divine Subjects; Written chiefly in Younger Years. By I. Watts, D.D., London, 1734. (7) Remnants of Time. London, 1736. 454 Hymns and Versions of the Psalms, in addition to the centos are all in common use at the present time. --Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================================== Watts, I. , p. 1241, ii. Nearly 100 hymns, additional to those already annotated, are given in some minor hymn-books. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ================= Watts, I. , p. 1236, i. At the time of the publication of this Dictionary in 1892, every copy of the 1707 edition of Watts's Hymns and Spiritual Songs was supposed to have perished, and all notes thereon were based upon references which were found in magazines and old collections of hymns and versions of the Psalms. Recently three copies have been recovered, and by a careful examination of one of these we have been able to give some of the results in the revision of pp. 1-1597, and the rest we now subjoin. i. Hymns in the 1709 ed. of Hymns and Spiritual Songs which previously appeared in the 1707 edition of the same book, but are not so noted in the 1st ed. of this Dictionary:— On pp. 1237, L-1239, ii., Nos. 18, 33, 42, 43, 47, 48, 60, 56, 58, 59, 63, 75, 82, 83, 84, 85, 93, 96, 99, 102, 104, 105, 113, 115, 116, 123, 124, 134, 137, 139, 146, 147, 148, 149, 162, 166, 174, 180, 181, 182, 188, 190, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 200, 202. ii. Versions of the Psalms in his Psalms of David, 1719, which previously appeared in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707:— On pp. 1239, U.-1241, i., Nos. 241, 288, 304, 313, 314, 317, 410, 441. iii. Additional not noted in the revision:— 1. My soul, how lovely is the place; p. 1240, ii. 332. This version of Ps. lxiv. first appeared in the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, as "Ye saints, how lovely is the place." 2. Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine; p. 1055, ii. In the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, Bk. i., No. 35, and again in his Psalms of David, 1719. 3. Sing to the Lord with [cheerful] joyful voice, p. 1059, ii. This version of Ps. c. is No. 43 in the Hymns & Spiritual Songs, 1707, Bk. i., from which it passed into the Ps. of David, 1719. A careful collation of the earliest editions of Watts's Horae Lyricae shows that Nos. 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, p. 1237, i., are in the 1706 ed., and that the rest were added in 1709. Of the remaining hymns, Nos. 91 appeared in his Sermons, vol. ii., 1723, and No. 196 in Sermons, vol. i., 1721. No. 199 was added after Watts's death. It must be noted also that the original title of what is usually known as Divine and Moral Songs was Divine Songs only. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) =========== See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Charles Wesley

1707 - 1788 Author of "O for a heart to praise my God" in Songs for the Lord's House Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepened, and he became one of the first band of "Oxford Methodists." In 1735 he went with his brother John to Georgia, as secretary to General Oglethorpe, having before he set out received Deacon's and Priest's Orders on two successive Sundays. His stay in Georgia was very short; he returned to England in 1736, and in 1737 came under the influence of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, especially of that remarkable man who had so large a share in moulding John Wesley's career, Peter Bonier, and also of a Mr. Bray, a brazier in Little Britain. On Whitsunday, 1737, [sic. 1738] he "found rest to his soul," and in 1738 he became curate to his friend, Mr. Stonehouse, Vicar of Islington, but the opposition of the churchwardens was so great that the Vicar consented that he "should preach in his church no more." Henceforth his work was identified with that of his brother John, and he became an indefatigable itinerant and field preacher. On April 8, 1749, he married Miss Sarah Gwynne. His marriage, unlike that of his brother John, was a most happy one; his wife was accustomed to accompany him on his evangelistic journeys, which were as frequent as ever until the year 1756," when he ceased to itinerate, and mainly devoted himself to the care of the Societies in London and Bristol. Bristol was his headquarters until 1771, when he removed with his family to London, and, besides attending to the Societies, devoted himself much, as he had done in his youth, to the spiritual care of prisoners in Newgate. He had long been troubled about the relations of Methodism to the Church of England, and strongly disapproved of his brother John's "ordinations." Wesley-like, he expressed his disapproval in the most outspoken fashion, but, as in the case of Samuel at an earlier period, the differences between the brothers never led to a breach of friendship. He died in London, March 29, 1788, and was buried in Marylebone churchyard. His brother John was deeply grieved because he would not consent to be interred in the burial-ground of the City Road Chapel, where he had prepared a grave for himself, but Charles said, "I have lived, and I die, in the Communion of the Church of England, and I will be buried in the yard of my parish church." Eight clergymen of the Church of England bore his pall. He had a large family, four of whom survived him; three sons, who all became distinguished in the musical world, and one daughter, who inherited some of her father's poetical genius. The widow and orphans were treated with the greatest kindness and generosity by John Wesley. As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly marvellous how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumours of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift. Nor must we forget his hymns for little children, a branch of sacred poetry in which the mantle of Dr. Watts seems to have fallen upon him. It would be simply impossible within our space to enumerate even those of the hymns which have become really classical. The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream. It has been the common practice, however for a hundred years or more to ascribe all translations from the German to John Wesley, as he only of the two brothers knew that language; and to assign to Charles Wesley all the original hymns except such as are traceable to John Wesley through his Journals and other works. The list of 482 original hymns by John and Charles Wesley listed in this Dictionary of Hymnology have formed an important part of Methodist hymnody and show the enormous influence of the Wesleys on the English hymnody of the nineteenth century. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================== Charles Wesley, the son of Samuel Wesley, was born at Epworth, Dec. 18, 1707. He was educated at Westminster School and afterwards at Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. In 1735, he took Orders and immediately proceeded with his brother John to Georgia, both being employed as missionaries of the S.P.G. He returned to England in 1736. For many years he engaged with his brother in preaching the Gospel. He died March 29, 1788. To Charles Wesley has been justly assigned the appellation of the "Bard of Methodism." His prominence in hymn writing may be judged from the fact that in the "Wesleyan Hymn Book," 623 of the 770 hymns were written by him; and he published more than thirty poetical works, written either by himself alone, or in conjunction with his brother. The number of his separate hymns is at least five thousand. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.

Frederick William Faber

1814 - 1863 Person Name: Frederick W. Faber Author of "Thy home is with the humble, Lord!" in Laudamus Raised in the Church of England, Frederick W. Faber (b. Calverly, Yorkshire, England, 1814; d. Kensington, London, England, 1863) came from a Huguenot and strict Calvinistic family background. He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and ordained in the Church of England in 1839. Influenced by the teaching of John Henry Newman, Faber followed Newman into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845 and served under Newman's supervision in the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. Because he believed that Roman Catholics should sing hymns like those written by John Newton, Charles Wesley, and William Cowpe, Faber wrote 150 hymns himself. One of his best known, "Faith of Our Fathers," originally had these words in its third stanza: "Faith of Our Fathers! Mary's prayers/Shall win our country back to thee." He published his hymns in various volumes and finally collected all of them in Hymns (1862). Bert Polman ================= Faber, Frederick William, D.D., son of Mr. T. H. Faber, was born at Calverley Vicarage, Yorkshire, June 28, 1814, and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, graduating B.A. in 1836. He was for some time a Fellow of University College, in the same University. Taking Holy Orders in 1837, he became Rector of Elton, Huntingdonshire, in 1843, but in 1846 he seceded to the Church of Rome. After residing for some time at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire, he went to London in 1849, and established the London "Oratorians," or, "Priests of the Congregation of St. Philip Neri," in King William Street, Strand. In 1854 the Oratory was removed to Brompton. Dr. Faber died Sept. 26, 1863. Before his secession he published several prose works, some of which were in defence of the Church of England; and afterwards several followed as Spiritual Conferences, All for Jesus, &c. Although he published his Cherwell Waterlily and Other Poems, 1840; The Styrian Lake, and Other Poems, 1842; Sir Lancelot, 1844; and The Rosary and Other Poems, 1845; and his Lives of the Saints, in verse, before he joined the Church of Rome, all his hymns were published after he joined that communion. They were included in his:— (1) A small book of eleven Hymns1849, for the School at St. Wilfrid's, Staffordshire. (2) Jesus and Mary: or, Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading, London 1849. In 1852 the 2nd edition was published with an addition of 20 new hymns. (3) Oratory Hymns, 1854; and (4) Hymns, 1862, being a collected edition of what he had written and published from time to time. Dr. Faber's account of the origin of his hymn-writing is given in his Preface to Jesus & Mary. After dwelling on the influence, respectively, of St. Theresa, of St. Ignatius, and of St. Philip Neri, on Catholicism; and of the last that "sanctity in the world, perfection at home, high attainments in common earthly callings…was the principal end of his apostolate," he says:— “It was natural then that an English son of St. Philip should feel the want of a collection of English Catholic hymns fitted for singing. The few in the Garden of the Soul were all that were at hand, and of course they were not numerous enough to furnish the requisite variety. As to translations they do not express Saxon thought and feelings, and consequently the poor do not seem to take to them. The domestic wants of the Oratory, too, keep alive the feeling that something of the sort was needed: though at the same time the author's ignorance of music appeared in some measure to disqualify him for the work of supplying the defect. Eleven, however, of the hymns were written, most of them, for particular tunes and on particular occasions, and became very popular with a country congregation. They were afterwards printed for the Schools at St. Wilfrid's, and the very numerous applications to the printer for them seemed to show that, in spite of very glaring literary defects, such as careless grammar and slipshod metre, people were anxious to have Catholic hymns of any sort. The manuscript of the present volume was submitted to a musical friend, who replied that certain verses of all or nearly all of the hymns would do for singing; and this encouragement has led to the publication of the volume." In the same Preface he clearly points to the Olney Hymns and those of the Wesleys as being the models which for simplicity and intense fervour he would endeavour to emulate. From the small book of eleven hymns printed for the schools at St. Wilfrid's, his hymn-writing resulted in a total of 150 pieces, all of which are in his Hymns, 1862, and many of them in various Roman Catholic collections for missions and schools. Few hymns are more popular than his "My God, how wonderful Thou art," "O come and mourn with me awhile," and "Sweet Saviour, bless us ere we go." They excel in directness, simplicity, and pathos. "Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling," and "O Paradise, O Paradise," are also widely known. These possess, however, an element of unreality which is against their permanent popularity. Many of Faber's hymns are annotated under their respective first lines; the rest in common use include:— i. From his Jesus and Mary, 1849 and 1852. 1. Fountain of love, Thyself true God. The Holy Ghost. 2. How shalt thou bear the Cross, that now. The Eternal Years. 3. I come to Thee, once more, O God. Returning to God. 4. Joy, joy, the Mother comes. The Purification. 5. My soul, what hast thou done for God? Self-Examination 6. O how the thought of God attract. Holiness Desired. 7. O soul of Jesus, sick to death. Passiontide. Sometimes this is divided into two parts, Pt. ii. beginning, “My God, my God, and can it be." ii. From his Oratory Hymns, 1854. 8. Christians, to the war! Gather from afar. The Christian Warfare. 9. O come to the merciful Saviour that calls you. Divine Invitation. In many collections. 10. O God, Thy power is wonderful. Power and Eternity of God. 11. O it is sweet to think, Of those that are departed. Memory of the Dead. 12. O what are the wages of sin? The Wages of Sin. 13. O what is this splendour that beams on me now? Heaven. 14. Saint of the Sacred Heart. St. John the Evangelist. iii. From his Hymns, 1862. 15. Father, the sweetest, dearest Name. The Eternal Father. 16. Full of glory, full of wonders, Majesty Divine. Holy Trinity. 17. Hark ! the sound of the fight. Processions. 18. How pleasant are thy paths, 0 death. Death Contemplated. 19. O God, Whose thoughts are brightest light. Thinking no Evil. 20. O why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Trust in God. 21. Souls of men, why will ye scatter? The Divine Call. 22. The land beyond the sea. Heaven Contemplated. 23. The thought of God, the thought of thee. Thoughts of God. 24. We come to Thee, sweet Saviour. Jesus, our Rest. In addition to these there are also several hymns in common use in Roman Catholic hymn-books which are confined to those collections. In the Hymns for the Year, by Dr. Rawes, Nos. 77, 110, 112, 117, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 128, 131, 140, 152, 154,169, 170, 174, 179, 180, 192, 222, 226, 230, 271, 272, are also by Faber, and relate principally to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Several of these are repeated in other Roman Catholic collections. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907 ================== Faber, Frederick William, p. 361, i. To this article the following additions have to be made:— 1. Blood is the price of heaven. Good Friday. (1862.) 2. Exceeding sorrowful to death. Gethsemane. This in the Scottish Ibrox Hymnal, 1871, is a cento from "O soul of Jesus, sick to death," p. 362, i., 7. 3. From pain to pain, from woe to woe. Good Friday. (1854.) 4. I wish to have no wishes left. Wishes about death. (1862.) 5. Why is thy face so lit with smiles? Ascension. (1849.) The dates here given are those of Faber's works in which the hymns appeared. In addition to these hymns there are also the following in common use:— 6. Dear God of orphans, hear our prayer. On behalf of Orphans. This appeared in a miscellaneous collection entitled A May Garland, John Philip, n.d. [1863], No. 1, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Roman Catholic Parochial Hymn Book, 1880, it begins, "O God of orphans, hear our prayer." 7. Sleep, sleep my beautiful babe. Christmas Carol. This carol we have failed to trace. 8. By the Archangel's word of love. Pt. i. Life of our Lord. This, and Pt. ii., “By the blood that flowed from Thee"; Pt. iii., "By the first bright Easter day"; also, "By the word to Mary given"; "By the name which Thou didst take"; in The Crown Hymn Book and other Roman Catholic collections, we have seen ascribed to Dr. Faber, but in the Rev. H. Formby's Catholic Hymns, 1853, they are all signed "C. M. C," i.e. Cecilia M. Caddell (p. 200, i.). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ====================== Faber, F. W., pp. 361, i.; 1562, ii. We are informed by members of Dr. Faber's family that his father was Mr. Thomas Henry Faber, sometime Lay Secretary of the Bishop of Durham. In addition to his hymns already noted in this Dictionary, the following are found in various Roman Catholic collections, viz.:— i. From St. Wilfrid's Hymns, 1849:— 1. Dear Father Philip, holy Sire. S. Philip Neri. 2. Hail, holy Joseph, hail. S. Joseph. 3. Mother of Mercy, day by day. Blessed Virgin Mary. ii. Jesus and Mary, 1849:— 4. Ah ! dearest Lord! I cannot pray. Prayer. 5. Dear Husband of Mary. S. Joseph. 6. Dear Little One, how sweet Thou art. Christmas. 7. Father and God! my endless doom. Predestination. 8. Hail, holy Wilfrid, hail. S. Wilfrid. 9. O Jesus, if in days gone by. Love of the World. 10. O turn to Jesus, Mother, turn. B. V. M. 11. Sing, sing, ye angel bands. Assum. B. V. M. iii. Jesus and Mary, 1852:— 12. All ye who love the ways of sin. S. Philip Neri. 13. Day set on Rome! its golden morn. S. Philip Neri. 14. Hail, bright Archangel! Prince of heaven. S. Michael. 15. Hail, Gabriel, hail. S. Gabriel. 16. O Flower of Grace, divinest Flower. B. V. M. 17. Saint Philip! 1 have never known. S. Philip Neri. 18. Sweet Saint Philip, thou hast won us. S. Philip Neri. Previously in the Rambler, May, 1850, p. 425. iv. Oratory Hymns, 1854:— 19. Day breaks on temple roofs and towers. Expect. of B. V. M. 20. How gently flow the silent years. S. Martin and S. Philip. 21. How the light of Heaven is stealing. Grace. 22. Like the dawning of the morning. Expect. of B. V. M. 23. Mother Mary ! at thine altar. For Orphans. 24. My God! Who art nothing but mercy and kindness. Repentance. 25. O blessed Father! sent by God. S. Vincent of Paul. 26. O do you hear that voice from heaven? Forgiveness. 27. The chains that have bound me. Absolution. 28. The day, the happy day, is dawning. B. V. M. 29. The moon is in the heavens above. B. V. M. 30. Why art thou sorrowful, servant of God? Mercy. v. Hymns, 1862:— 31. At last Thou art come, little Saviour. Christmas. 32. By the spring of God's compassions. S. Raphael. 33. Fair are the portals of the day. B. V. M. 34. Father of many children. S. Benedict. 35. From the highest heights of glory. S. Mary Magdalene. 36. Like the voiceless starlight falling. B. V. M. 37. Mary! dearest mother. B. V. M. 38. Mother of God, we hail thy heart. B. V. M. 39. O Anne! thou hadst lived through those long dreary years. S. Anne. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860. 40. O balmy and bright as moonlit night. B. V. M. 41. O Blessed Trinity! Thy children. Holy Trinity. 42. O dear Saint Martha, busy saint. S. Martha 43. O Mother, will it always be. B. V. M. 44. O vision bright. B. V. M. 45. Summer suns for ever shining. B. V. M. 46. There are many saints above. S. Joseph. Previously in Holy Family Hymns, 1860. vi. Centos and altered forms:— 47. Confraternity men to the fight. From "Hark the sound of the fight," p. 362, i. 48. Hail, sainted Mungo, hail. From No. 8. 49. I bow to Thee, sweet will of God. From "I worship Thee," p. 559, ii. 50. They whom we loved on earth. From "0 it is sweet to think," p. 362, i. 51. Vincent! like Mother Mary, thou. From No. 25. When Dr. Faber's hymns which are in common use are enumerated, the total falls little short of one hundred. In this respect he outnumbers most of his contemporaries. [Rev. James Mearns] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) -------------- See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Samuel Longfellow

1819 - 1892 Author of "Beneath The Shadow Of The Cross" in The Cyber Hymnal Longfellow, Samuel, B. A., brother of the Poet, was born at Portland, Maine, June 18, 1819, and educated at Harvard, where he graduated in Arts in 1839, and in Theology in 1846. On receiving ordination as an Unitarian Minister, he became Pastor at Fall River, Massachusetts, 1848; at Brooklyn, 1853; and at Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1860. In 1846 he edited, with the Rev. S. Johnson (q. v.), A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. This collection was enlarged and revised in 1848. In 1859 his Vespers was published, and in 1864 the Unitarian Hymns of the Spirit , under the joint editorship of the Rev. S. Johnson and himself. His Life of his brother, the Poet Longfellow, was published in 1886. To the works named he contributed the following hymns:— i. To A Book of Hymns , revised ed., 1848. 1. Beneath the shadow of the Cross. Love. 2. 0 God, thy children gathered here. Ordination. ii. To the Vespers 1859. 3. Again as evening's shadow falls. Evening. 4. Now on land and sea descending. Evening. iii. To the Hymns of the Spirit, 1864. 5. A voice by Jordan's shore. Advent. 6. Father, give Thy benediction. Ordination. 7. Go forth to life, 0 child of earth. Life's Mission. 8. God of ages and of nations. Holy Scriptures. 9. Holy Spirit, Truth divine. The Holy Spirit desired. 10. I look to Thee in every need. Trust in God. 11. In the beginning was the Word. The Word. 12. Love for all, and can it be? Lent. The Prodigal Son. 13. 0 God, in Whom we live and move. God's Law and Love. 14. 0 God, Thou Giver of all good. Prayer for Food. 15. O still in accents sweet and strong. Missions. 16. 0 Thou, Whose liberal sun and rain. Anniversary of Church dedication. 17. One holy Church of God appears. The Church Universal. 18. Out of the dark, the circling sphere. The Outlook. 19. Peace, peace on earth! the heart of man for ever. Peace on Earth. 20. The loving Friend to all who bowed. Jesus of Nazareth. 21. ’Tis winter now, the fallen snow. Winter. Of these, hymn No. 2 was written for the Ordination of E. E. Hale (q. v.), at Worcester, 1846. Several are included in Martineau's Hymns, 1873. Died Oct. 3, 1892. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907), p. 685 =============== Longfellow, S., p. 685, i. Since Mr. Longfellow's death on Oct. 3, 1892, his hymns have been collected by his niece, Miss Alice Longfellow, as Hymns and Verses(Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1904.) From this work we find many of the hymns signed Anon, in the Index to Longfellow and Johnson's Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, were his; several of these, including E. Osier's "O God unseen, yet ever near," were popular English hymns which he rewrote from his own theological standpoint. These re¬written hymns are very widely used by Unitarians and others. During the last ten years the following additional hymns by S. Long¬fellow have come into common use:— 1. Eternal One, Thou living God. Faith in God. 2. God of the earth, the sky, the sea. God in Nature. 3. God's trumpet wakes the slumbering world. Call to duty. 4. Light of ages and of nations. God in and through all time. 5. Lo, the earth is risen again. Spring. (1876.) 6. Now while we sing our closing psalm. Close of Worship. 7. O Life that maketh all things new. Unity. (1874.) 8. O Thou in Whom we live and move. The Divine Law. 9. The summer days are come again. Summer. From his hymn,"The sweet[bright] June days are come again." 10. Thou Lord of lite, our saving health. In Sickness. (1886.) Of these hymns Nos. 2, 3 appeared in the Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, and all with the dates appended in Hymns and Verses, 1904. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) ================== http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Longfellow

Ray Palmer

1808 - 1887 Author of "O Jesus, Sweet The Tears I Shed" in The Cyber Hymnal Ray Palmer (b. Little Compton, RI, 1808; d. Newark, NJ, 1887) is often considered to be one of America's best nineteenth-century hymn writers. After completing grammar school he worked in a Boston dry goods store, but a religious awakening prodded him to study for the ministry. He attended Yale College (supporting himself by teaching) and was ordained in 1835. A pastor in Congregational churches in Bath, Maine (1835-1850), and Albany, New York (1850-1865), he also served as secretary of the American Congregational Union (1865-1878). Palmer was a popular preacher and author, writing original poetry as well as translating hymns. He published several volumes of poetry and hymns, including Sabbath Hymn Book (1858), Hymns and Sacred Pieces (1865), and Hymns of My Holy Hours (1868). His complete poetical works were published in 1876. Bert Polman =================== Palmer, Ray, D.D., son of the Hon. Thomas Palmer, a Judge in Rhode Island, was born at Little Compton, Rhode Island, Nov. 12, 1808. His early life was spent at Boston, where he was for some time clerk in a dry-goods store. At Boston he joined the Park Street Congregational Church, then under the pastoral care of Dr. S. E. Dwight. After spending three years at Phillips Academy, Andover, he entered Yale College, New Haven, where he graduated in 1830. In 1835 he became pastor of the Central Congregational Church, Bath, Maine. During his pastorate there he visited Europe in 1847. In 1850 he was appointed to the First Congregational Church, at Albany, New York, and in 1865 Corresponding Secretary to the American Congregational Union, New York. He resigned in 1878, and retired to Newark, New Jersey. He died at Newark, Mar. 29, 1887. Dr. Palmer's published works in prose and verse include:-- (1) Memoirs and Select Remains of Charles Pond, 1829; (2) The Spirit's Life, a Poem, 1837; (3) How to Live, or Memoirs of Mrs. C. L. Watson, 1839; (4) Doctrinal Text Book, 1839; (5) Spiritual Improvement, 1839, republished as Closet Hours in 185; (6) What is Truth? or Hints on the Formation of Religious Opinions, 1860; (7) Remember Me, or The Holy Communion, 1865; (8) Hymns and Sacred Pieces, with Miscellaneous Poems, 1865; (9) Hymns of my Holy Hours, and Other Pieces, 1868; (10) Home, or the Unlost Paradise, 1873; and (11) Voices of Hope and Gladness, 1881. Most of Dr. Palmer's hymns have passed into congregational use, and have won great acceptance. The best of them by their combination of thought, poetry, and devotion, are superior to almost all others of American origin. The first which he wrote has become the most widely known of all. It is:— 1. My faith looks up to Thee. Faith in Christ. This hymn was written by the author when fresh from College, and during an engagement in teaching in New York. This was in 1830. The author says concerning its composition, "I gave form to what I felt, by writing, with little effort, the stanzas. I recollect I wrote them with very tender emotion, and ended the last line with tears." A short time afterwards the hymn was given to Dr. Lowell Mason for use, if thought good, in a work then being compiled by him and Dr. T. Hastings. In 1831 that work was published as Spiritual Songs for Social Worship: adapted to the use of Families, &c. Words and Music arranged by Thomas Hastings, of New York, and Lowell Mason of Boston. It is No. 141 in 4 stanzas of 8 lines, entitled "Self Consecration," and accompanied with the tune by Dr. L. Mason, there given as "My faith looks up to Thee, "but subsequently known as Olivet. (Orig. text of hymn in Thring's Collection, 1882.) It has passed into most modern collections in all English-speaking countries, and has been rendered into numerous languages. That in Latin, by H. M. Macgill (p. 708, ii.), begins "Fides Te mea spectat." 2. Fount of everlasting love. Praise for renewed Spiritual Life. This also appeared in the Spiritual Songs, &c, 1831, No. 191, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed "Praise for a Revival." The hymns which are given below are all in Dr. Palmer's Poetical Works, N. Y., 1876, and the dates appended in brackets are those given by him in that work. 3. Thou who roll'st the year around. (1832.) Close of the Year. In several American collections. 4. Away from earth my spirit turns. (1833.) Holy Communion. Appeared in Lowell Mason's Union Hymns, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Church Praise Book, N. Y.. 1882, it begins with st. ii., "Thou, Saviour, art the Living Bread." 5. Before Thy throne with tearful eyes. (1834.) Liberty of Faith. 6. Stealing from the world away. (1834.) Evening. Written at New Haven in 1834, and is very popular in America. 7. Thine [Thy] holy day's returning. (1834.) Sunday Morning. 8. Wake thee, 0 Zion. (1862.) Zion Exultant. 9. We stand in deep repentance. (1834.) Lent. This last, No. 9, in common with Nos. 10, 11, 12, is marked "original," in the Presbyterian Parish Hymns, 1843. Probably they were given to the editors of that book in manuscript, and had not previously appeared. 10. And is there, Lord, a rest? (1843.) Rest in Heaven. Written at Bath, Maine, in 1843. 11. 0 sweetly breathe the lyres above. Consecration to Christ. This was accidentally omitted from Dr. Palmer's Poetical Works, 18?6. S. W. Duffield says:— "It was written in the winter of 1842-43, at a time of revival. At the previous Communion several had been received under circumstances that made Doddridge's hymn, ‘0 happy day that fixed my choice 'a most appropriate selection. Not caring to repeat it, and needing something similar, Dr. Palmer composed the present hymn." English Hymns, N. Y., 1886, p. 432. 12. When downward to the darksome tomb. (1842.) Death Contemplated. Written at Bath, Maine, 1842. From 1843 there comes a long break, and Dr. Palmer seems to have done no more hymn-writing until called upon by Professors Park and Phelps, of Andover, for contributions to their Sabbath Hymn-Book, 1858. His hymns written for that important collection rank amongst the best that America has produced. This is specially true of the first four (Nos. 13-16) from the Latin. 13. Jesus, Thou joy of loving hearts. (l858.) Translation of a cento from "Jesu dulcis memoria" (p. 588, ii.). 14. 0 Bread to Pilgrims given. (1858.) Translation of “O esca viatorum" (q.v.). 15. 0 Christ our King, Creator Lord. (1858.) Translation of “Rex Christe, factor omnium " 16. Come Holy Ghost, in love. (1858.) Translation of “Veni Sancte Spiritus" (q.v.) 17. Jesus, these eyes have never seen. (1858.) Christ loved, though unseen. This hymn is accounted by many as next in merit and beauty to "My faith looks up to Thee." 18. Lord, my weak thought in vain would climb. (1858.) God Unsearchable. This hymn deals with the mysteries of Predestination in a reverent and devout manner. 19. Thy Father's house! thine own bright home. (1858.) Heaven. The next group, Nos. 20-27, appeared in Dr. Robinson's Songs for the Sanctuary, 1865. 20. Lord, Thou wilt bring the joyful day. (1864.) Contemplation of Heaven. Written in New York City. 21. Eternal Father, Thou hast said. (i860.) Missions. 22. Jesus, Lamb of God, for me. (1863.) Jesus, the Way of Salvation. Written in Albany, New York. 23. Take me, 0 my Father, take me. (1864.) Lent. 24. Wouldst thou eternal life obtain. (1864.) Good Friday. 25. Come Jesus, Redeemer, abide Thou with me. (1864.) Holy Communion. 26. Lord, Thou on earth didst love Thine own. (1864.) Fellowship with Christ. 27. Thou, Saviour, from Thy throne on high. (1864.) Prayer. The next four (Nos. 28-31) present another group. They appeared in D. E. Jones's Songs for the New Life, 1869, and the Reformed Dutch Hymns of the Church, N. Y., 1869. The dates of composition are from Dr. Palmer's Poems, 1876. 28. Lord, Thou hast taught our hearts to glow. (1865.) Ordination, or Meeting of Ministers. 29. When inward turns my searching gaze. (1868.) Evening. 30. 0 Jesus, sweet the tears I shed. (1867.) Good Friday. 31. Jesus, this [my] heart within me burns. (1868.) Love. The hymns which follow are from various sources. 32. 0 Christ, the Lord of heaven, to Thee. (1867.) Universal Praise to Christ. Appeared in the author's Hymns of my Holy Hours, 1867. It is a hymn of great merit, and is widely used. 33. Behold the shade of night is now receding. (1869.) A translation of "Ecce jam noctis." (p. 320, i., and Various). 34. Hid evening shadows let us all be waking. (1869.) A translation of "Nocte surgentes" (p. 809, i.). 35. I give my heart to Thee. (Aug. 20, 1868.) A translation of "Cor meum Tibi dedo," p. 262, ii. 36. Holy Ghost, that promised came. (1873.) Whitsuntide. From the author's Poems, 1876. 37. 0 Holy Comforter, I hear. The Comforter. Appeared in the Boston Congregationalist, September 7th, 1867. 38. Lord, when my soul her secrets doth reveal. (1865.) Holy Communion. Most of the foregoing hymns are in common in Great Britain, and all are found in one or more American hymnbooks of importance. [Rev. F. M. Bird, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) =================== Palmer, Ray, D.D., p. 877, i. The following original hymns by Dr. Palmer are also in common use:— 1. O Rock of Ages, since on Thee. Faith. From his Poetical Works, 1876, p. 27, where it is dated 1869. Bp. Bickersteth says "This hymn"... is "worthy of Luther." (Note Hymnal Companion, ed. 1876.) 2. Thy holy will, my God, be mine. Resignation. From his Hymns of my Holy Hours, &c, 1868, p. 47. Also in his P. Works, 1876, dated 1867. 3. We praise Thee, Saviour, for Thy grace. Holy Communion. From his Hymns and Sacred Pieces, &c, 1865. Also in P. Works, 1876, dated 1864. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ========== Ray Palmer was born at Little Compton, Rhode Island, in 1808. He studied at Phillip's Academy, Andover, Mass., and graduated at Yale College in 1830. In 1835, he was ordained pastor of a Congregational Society in Bath, Maine, from which he removed, in 1850, to the pastorate of a Congregational Society in Albany, N.Y. He has published many hymns, some of his own authorship, and some translations. He has published some sermons and reviews. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872.

William B. Tappan

1794 - 1849 Author of "There is an hour of hallowed peace" in Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church ============================= Tappan, William Bingham, was born at Beverley, Massachusetts, Oct. 29, 1794, and was apprenticed to a clockmaker at Boston in 1810. In 1815 he removed to Philadelphia, where he was engaged in business for a time. In 1822 he was engaged as Superintendent of the American Sunday School Union. In 1840 he was licensed to preach with the Congregational body, his sphere of usefulness on behalf of Sunday Schools being thereby considerably widened. He died suddenly, of cholera, at West Needham, Massachusetts, June 18,1849. His poetical works include:— (1) New England and Other Poems, 1819; (2) Poems, 1822; (3) Lyrics, 1822; (4) Poetry of the Heart, 1845; (5) Sacred and Miscellaneous Poems, 1848; (6) Poetry of Life, 1848; (7) The Sunday School and Other Poems, 1848; (8) Late and Early Poems, 1849; (9) Sacred Poems, 1849; (10) Gems of Sacred Poetry, 1860. Of these works the earliest are the most-important. His hymns in common use include the following:— 1. Holy be this as was the place. Public Worship. Included in his Lyrics, 1822; and given in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868. 2. The ransomed spirit to her home. Love. Appeared in Nettleton's Village Hymns, 1824. This is probably his best hymn. 3. There is an hour of hallowed peace. Heaven, a Place of Rest. Given in his New England and Other Poems, 1819. 4. There is an hour of peaceful rest. Heaven a Place of Rest. The author's account of this hymn in his Gems of Sacred Poetry, 1860, is that it "was written by me, in Philadelphia, in the summer of 1818, for the Franklin Gazette, edited by Richard Bache, Esq., and was introduced by him to the public in terms sufficiently flattering to a young man who then certainly lacked confidence in himself. The piece was republished in England and on the Continent, in various newspapers and magazines, and was also extensively circulated in my own native land, where it has found a place in several hymn and music-books. It was published in my first volume of Poems, at Philadelphia, in 1819, and soon after was set to music by A. P. Heinrich, Esq., in the same city." It is in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868, p. 265. 5. 'Tis midnight, and on Olive's brow. Gethsemane. Appeared in his Poems, 1822, and repeated in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868, and several hymnals. 6. Wake, isles of the south, your redemption is near. Missions. Appeared in the Lyrics, 1822. It was sung at the wharf in New Haven at the embarkation of Missionaries for the Sandwich Islands, 1822. 7. When sorrow casts its shades around us. Resignation. From his New England and Other Poems, 1819. It is in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868. 8. While the solemn note of time. Saturday Evening. Published in his Poems, 1822; repeated in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1868, and thence into Thring's Collection, 1882. [Rev F. M. Bird, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Thomas H. Gill

1819 - 1906 Author of "O wherefore Lord doth thy dear praise" in Songs for the Lord's House Gill, Thomas Hornblower, was born at Bristol Road, Birmingham, Feb. 10th, 1819. His parents belonged to English Presbyterian families which, like many others, had become Unitarian in their doctrine. He was educated at King Edward's Grammar School under Dr. Jeune, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough. He left the school in 1838, and would have proceeded to the University of Oxford, but was prevented by his hereditary Unitarianism (long since given up), which forbade subscription to the Articles of the Church of England then necessary for entrance to the University. This constrained him to lead the life of an isolated student, in which he gave himself chiefly to historical and theological subjects. Hence his life has been singularly devoid of outward incident; and its interest gathers about his hymns, and the seasons of overmastering thought and feeling which gave them birth. The only events that can be chronicled are the publications of his books (see below). It is in the singular combination of influences which has formed his character and determined his thinking that the real interest of his life consists. Here is to be found the true key to the understanding of his hymns. To his Puritan ancestry may be traced their deep religiousness; to his Unitarian training their ethical earnestness; and to his poetical temperament their freeness from conventionality. Delight in the divine songs of Watts was his earliest intellectual enjoyment; and in after years the contrast between their native force and fulness and their dwindled presentation in Unitarian hymnbooks began that estrangement from his hereditary faith which gradually became complete. These various influences mingled in his own hymns and have conspired to render him what Dr. Freeman Clarke calls him, "a more intellectual Charles Wesley." He belongs to the small company of really original hymnists. His hymns are marked by a remarkable absence of, and even opposition to, all antiquarian and sacerdotal ideas of Christianity, a keen discernment of the spirit rather than the mere letter of the Gospel; and profound thought on Scripture themes, so that some of his hymns are too subtle for use in the ordinary worship of the Church. Their style is characterized by a certain quaintness of expression reminding one of George Wither or John Mason, but modified by the influence of Watts's warmth of feeling. They have great sweetness of melody, purity of diction, and happy adaptation of metre and of style to the subject of each hymn. They are almost exclusively used by Nonconformists. Dale's English Hymnbook contains 39; the Baptist Hymnal, 19; Horder's Congregational Hymns, 11; Martineau's Hymns of Praise & Prayer, 11; and the Congregational Church Hymnal, 14. The following are Mr. Gill's published works:— (1) The Fortunes of Faith, 1841; (2) The Anniversaries (Poems in commemoration of great Men and great Events), 1858; (3) The Papal Drama (an historical essay), 1866; (4) The Golden Chain of Praise Hymns by Thomas H. Gill, 1869; (5) Luther's Birthday (Hymns), 1883; (6) The Triumph of Christ (Memorials of Franklin Howard), 1883. Mr. Gill's hymns number nearly 200. Of these, over 80 are in common use in Great Britain and America. The most widely used of these:— "Everlasting, changing never"; "O mean may seem this house of clay"; "O wherefore, Lord, doth Thy dear praise"; “Our God, our God, Thou shinest here"; "The glory of the spring, how sweet"; and "Thou biddest, Lord, Thy sons be bold"; are annotated under their respective first lines, the rest are noted below. [Rev. W. Garrett Horder] The 75 hymns which follow are all annotated from the author's manuscript notes, kindly supplied for use in this work:— 1. Ah tremblers, fainting and forlorn. Eternal Youth. Written in 1868, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 149, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. In 1873 Martineau gave stanzas iv.-ix. in his Hymns, &c, No. 256, as, "Young souls, so strong the race to run." These were repeated in the Baptist Hymnal, 1879, as No. 862. 2. Alas the outer emptiness. Consecration of the Heart. Contributed to G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1846, No. 121, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. It was introduced to the American Unitarian collections through Hedge & Huntington's Hymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, No. 619. 3. Alas these pilgrims faint and worn. Whitsuntide. Written in 1853, and first published in his Anniversaries, 1858, p. 73, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines, then in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1862, the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 107, &c. 4. Alone with Thee, with Thee alone. Worship in Solitude. Written in 1856, and first published in his Golden Chain , &c, 1869, p. 26, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. 5. And didst thou, Lord, our sorrows take? Passiontide. Written in 1849, and published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 45, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in several English collections. 6. Behold the everlasting Son. Ascension. Written in 1862, and first printed in the Hagley Magazine, and then in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1862, and the Golden Chain, 1869, p. 47, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. 7. Break, newborn year, on glad eyes break. New Year. Written in 1855, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 144, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. It is one of the most popular of the author's hymns, and is found in many collections. 8. Bright Presence! may my soul have part. Witness of the Spirit. Written in 1849, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 100, in 8 stanzas of 8 lines. It is repeated in The Songs of the Spirit, N. Y., 1871. 9. Bright Thy presence when it breaketh. Public Worship. Written in 1856, and first publised in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 27, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines. In the Baptist Hymnal, 1879, and in Dale's English Hymnbook it is in an abridged form. 10. Day divine! when sudden streaming. Whit-Sunday. Written on Whit-Sunday, 1850, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1859, and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 97, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines. In some American collections, as the Dutch Reformed Hymns of the Church, 1869, it is given as "Day divine, when in the temple." 11. Dear Lord and Master mine. Resignation. Written in 1868, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 162, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in somewhat extensive use both in Great Britain and America. 12. Dear Lord, Thou art not sorry. Passiontide. Written in 1866, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 58, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines. 13. Dear Lord, Thy light Thou dost not hide . Christian Labours . No. 125 in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, p. 178, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines on the text, "Let your light so shine before men," &c, and was written in 1855. 14. Do we only give Thee heed . Jesus the Gladdener of Life. Written in 1849, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853; and again in the Golden Chain, &c, No. 145, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines. In use in Great Britain and America. 15. Embrace your full Salvation. Heaven. Written in 1870, and first printed in The Congregationalist, 1873, in 9 stanzas of 8 lines. On including it in his English Hymnbook, 1874, Dr. Dale transposed some of the stanzas. 16. Farewell, delightful day. Sunday Evening . Written in 1867, and published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 19, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Church Praise Book, N. Y., 1882, st. i., viii., ix., are given with the alteration of the opening line as, "Holy, delightful day." Dr. Hatfield, in his Church Hymnbook, N. Y., 1872, has the same opening, but he omits stanzas iv.-vi. of the original. 17. Father, glorious with all splendour. Holy Trinity. This hymn of great merit was written in 1860, and published in the Golden Chain, &c, in 1869, No. 4, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines. In some American collections, including Hymns & Songs of Praise, N. Y., 1874, No. 17, stanzas iv., vi., vii., are given as "Father, Thine elect who lovest." 18. Father, hast Thou not on me. Eternal Love . A Trinitarian hymn on eternal love, composed in 1867, and published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 139, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines. In 1869, stanzas v.-vii. were given in the Supplement to the New Congregational Hymn Book, as "Mighty Quickener, Spirit blest." 19. Full many a smile, full many a song. Joy in God the Father. Written in 1854, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 8, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. In Dale's English Hymn Book, 1874, No. 21, st. ii., which applied personally to the author alone, was omitted. 20. How can I, Lord, abide with Thee? Prayer. “Produced in 1856. Struck with the didactic character of Cowper's and Montgomery's hymns, ‘What various hindrances we meet,’ and ‘Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,’ I greatly wished to set forth the soul's view of prayer, simply, naturally, poetically, and achieved this hymn with much aspiration and satisfaction." Printed in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 119, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed "Pray without ceasing." 21. How, Lord, shall vows of ours be sweet? Public Worship. The author's earliest hymn. It was written in 1845, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1846, No. 114, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 2. It is in several American hymnbooks. 22. Is earth too fair, is youth too bright? Consecration of Youth to God. Written in 1848, and first pub. in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 102, in 13 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "The Hymn of Youth." 23. Is not my spirit filled with Thine. God glorious in His works. "Written in the summer of 1846 among the hills and streams of Derbyshire," and first published in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 15, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "God glorious in His works." 24. Let bolder hearts the strife require. Prayer against Temptation. No. 218 in Martineau's Hymns of Praise and Prayer, 1873. It was written in 1851, and first published in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. 25. Lift thy song among the nations. National Hymn. Written in 1853, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853, in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. When repeated in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 62, an additional stanza (iii.) was given, and it was entitled "England's Hymn." It is a spirited hymn and worthy of greater circulation than it now has. The 1869 text is given in Dale's English Hymn Book, 1874, No. 1239. 26. Lord, am I precious in Thy sight. Grieve not the Holy Spirit. Composed in 1850, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853. In 1869 it was included in the Golden Chain , &c, No. 70, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in common in America. A cento is also in the Supplement to the New Congregational, 1869, No. 1095. It is composed of stanzas iii., v., vi. much altered, and not improved, and begins, "O Holy Spirit, dost thou mourn?" 27. Lord, comes this bidding strange to us ? Invitation to Rejoice. Written in 1849, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 144, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines. 28. Lord, dost Thou ne'er Thy servants bless? Free Grace. Written in 1855, on the words of Oliver Cromwell as used by him in a letter to his "beloved cousin Mrs. St. John," dated "Ely, 13th October, 1638. "Truly no poor creature hath more cause to put him self forth in the cause of his God than I. I have had plentiful wages beforehand; and I am sure I shall never earn the least mite." (Carlyle's Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, &c, Letter ii.) The hymn was first published in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. 29. Lord, from Thee, what grace and glory. National Hymn. This cento in Vince's Collection, 1870, No. 450, is from the poem, on St. George's Day, written in 1853, and published in the author'sAnniversaries, 1858, p. 47. 30. Lord, from these trembling souls of ours. Praise. Composed in 1859, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 3, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines. 31. Lord God, by Whom all change is wrought. God Eternal. Written in 1869, the keynote being the words of St. Augustine, "Immutabilis mutans omnia," and first printed in the Songs of the Spirit, N. Y., 1871. In 1874 it was included in Dale's English Hymn Book; and, in 4 stanzas, in the Baptist Hymnal, 1879. 32. Lord God of old, who wentest. Public Worship. Composed in 1868, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 30, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines. 33. Lord, if our dwelling place thou art Communion of Saints. Written in 1856, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 150, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. The hymn, "Death has no bidding to divide," in Dale's English Hymn Book, 1874, begins with stanzas ii., and omits stanzas i., iv. of this hymn. 34. Lord, in this awful fight with sin. Victory through Christ. Written in 1857, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c., 1869, No. 128, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines. 35. Lord, in Thy people Thou dost dwell. Unity of Christ and His people. Written in 1864, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 12 stanzas of 4 lines. 36. Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place. National Hymn. "Begun among the Waldenses, 1864," and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 59, in 8 stanzas of 7 lines, entitled, "The hymn of the Waldenses," and supplemented with the note, "This hymn as a whole belongs to the Waldenses only, among whom it was begun, but all the people of God have an interest in the first two and the last verses." Acting upon this suggestion of the author, these stanzas were given in the Supplement to the New Congregational, 1869, as No. 1025. 37. Lord, Thou wouldst have us like to Thee. Holiness desired. Written in 1846, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1846, No. 120, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in several American collections. 38. Lord, Thy gracious voice hath spoken. Christ our Caesar. Written in 1849, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853; and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 3 stanzas of 8 lines. 39. Lord, when I all things would possess. Humility. Written in 1850, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 111, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. In Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1873, No. 304, stanzas ii., iv., vii. are omitted. This hymn is also in common use in America. 40. Lord, when we come at Thy dear call. The Holy Ghost, the Sanctifier. No. 72 in his Golden Chain, 1869, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, was written in 1856, and is given in the Songs of the Spirit, N. Y., 1871. 41. May we not, Father, meetly mourn? Burial. No. 151 in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 9 st. of 4 lines, was written in 1855. 42. Methought my soul had learned to love. Resignation. "Composed in 1852 and first printed in Golden Chain, 1869. It came from the very depths of my own heart, was inspired by a suppressed trouble which turned out one of the greatest blessings of my life." In the Golden Chain, &c, No. 114, it is given in 7 st. of 4 lines, and is headed, "Not my will but Thine be done." 43. My God, I do not flee from Thee. Joy. Written in 1849, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c., 1869, No. 10, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. The New Congregational, 1369, No. 1119, begins with stanza ii., "Father, Redeemer, Quickener mine," and also omits stanza iv. 44. My God, my Majesty divine. Child of God. Written in 1845, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1846, No. 116, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and again, after revision, in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 135. The original text is in common use in America. 45. Not, Lord, Thine ancient works alone. Public Worship. Written in 1874, and first printed in The Congregational, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines, and entitled, "The Living God." In Dale's English Hymn Book, 1874, st. iii. is omitted. 46. Not yet I love my Lord. Lent. Written in 1868, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 86, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in several collections, including Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1873, No. 199. 47. Not yet, ye people of His grace. Here and Hereafter. A hymn on the "The Vision Beatific," No. 165, in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines. It was written in 1866, and is in American common use. 48. 0 height that doth all height excel. Written in 1853, and "was born of the words of Augustine in the outset of the Confessions, ‘Secretissime et Praesentissime,' and was the first of several hymns inspired by his wonderful antitheses about God." It was first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853, and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 13, in 9 stanzasof 4 lines. It is in English and American common use. 49. 0 Holy Ghost, Who down dost come. Whitsuntide. "Written at Malvern on Whitsunday, 1863; a day of singular spiritual enjoyment, and outward loveliness." It was first published in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 74, in 1 stanza of 4 lines, and headed, "A Breathing after the Holy Spirit," and is in several collections. In Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1873, No. 251, it begins with st. ii., "Spirit of Truth, Who makest bright," st. i. and vi. being omitted. 50. 0 not alone in saddest plight. Divine Guidance desired. Composed in 1856, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 120, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. 51. 0 not to fill the mouth of fame. A Servant of Christ. "Composed in 1849, and printed first in a small collection of poems entitled, I think, “The Violet." In 1853 it was given in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns; and in 1869, in the Golden Chain, &c, No. 121, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines. Its use is mainly confined to America. 52. 0 not upon our waiting eyes. Divine Love. Written in 1849, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 29, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. 53. 0 saints of old, not yours alone. Seeking God. Written in 1848, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853; and again, after revision, in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 126, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines. The American hymnbooks have usually the original text, but in Dale's English Hymn Book , 1875, and Holder's Congregational Hymn Book1884, the text is abridged from the Golden Chain. 54. 0 smitten soul that cares and conflicts wring. Heaven desired. Written in 1854, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869. No. 75, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. 55. 0 Spirit, sweet and pure. Constant Presence of the Holy Spirit desired. Written in 1868, and given in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, as No. 127, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines. 56. 0 time, ne'er resteth thy swift wing. Worth of Time. Written in 1855, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 98, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. 57. 0 wherefore hath my spirit leave? Spiritual Changes. "Composed with great ardour and stir of soul in 1847, and first printed in the Golden Chain, 1869," No. 85, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. 58. O'er fulness of grace, blest Britain rejoice. National Hymn. Composed in 1868, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 61, in 11 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "The Thanksgiving Song of Protestant Britain”; to which was added the words of Milton: "Let us all go, every true Protestant Briton, throughout the three kingdoms, and render thanks to God the Father of Light, and to His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 59. Saviour, needs the world no longer! Christ All in All. "Written in 1847... it was inspired partly by my contemplation of Shelley's hapless, Christless life." It was first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns 1853, and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 35, in 7 stanzas of 6 lines, and headed, "Lord, to whom shall we go." Its use is limited, and far less than its merits deserve. 60. Saviour, Who from death didst take. The Resurrection of Christ, a cause of Confidence. Written in 1856, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 96, in 5 stanzas of 6 lines. 61. Sweet Spirit, would Thy breath divine. The Holy Ghost, the Purifier, desired. Written in 1856, and given as No. 71 in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines. 62. The happy fields, the heavenly host. Heaven. Written in 1848, first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853, and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 157, in 10 stanzas of 4 lines. 63. Thy happy ones a strain begin. Joy in God. Written in 1846, and published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1846, No. 118, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines. In the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 146, the text is slightly changed. The text in common use in Great Britain and America is from the original. 64. Too dearly, Lord, hast Thou redeemed. Lent. Written in 1855, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 97, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. 65. Unto thy rest return. Lent. Written in 1866, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 92, in 6 stanzas of 8 lines. 66. We come unto our fathers'God. God our Abode. "The birthday of this hymn, November 22nd, 1868 (St. Cecilia's Day), was almost the most delightful day of my life. Its production employed the whole day and was a prolonged rapture.....It was produced while the Golden Chain was being printed, just in time to be a link therein, and was the latest, as ‘How, Lord, shall vows of ours be sweet?' was the earliest song included therein." In the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, it is No. 129, in 7 stanzas of 7 lines, and is entitled, "The People of God." 67. We triumph in the glorious grace. Citizens of Heaven. Written in 1855, and first published in his Anniversaries, 1858, and again in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 153, in 12 stanzas of 4 lines. 68. What sweetness on Thine earth doth dwell. Nature revealing God. [Summer.] Written in 1850, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. 69. When shall I, Lord, a journey take. Lent. Written in 1856, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 80, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. It is in common use in Great Britain and America. 70. Whence this naming joy that maketh! The Prodigal's Return. "Written in 1853 just before the hymn beginning 'Thrice blessed soul, who still hath made,' with the text 'Son, thou art ever with me' (Golden Chain, No. 134), which is its completement; and first printed in the Golden Chain," 1869, No. 81, in 6 stanzas of 6 lines. 71. Would the Spirit more completely? The Gifts of the Spirit. Written in 1849, and first published in G. Dawson's Psalms & Hymns, 1853; and again in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 67. in 3 stanzas of 8 lines. 72. Ye children of the Father. Spiritual Worship. Written in 1867, and first published in his Golden Chain. &c, 1869, No. 23, in 6 stanzas of 8 lines. 73. Ye of the Father loved. Praise. Written in 1862, and first published in the Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 5, in 8 stanzas of 8 lines. 74. Ye people of the Lord, draw near. Holy Communion. Written in 1855, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 127, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. 75. Ye souls, the Father's very own. Holy Diligence. Composed in 1867, and first published in his Golden Chain, &c, 1869, No. 142, in 9 stanzas of 4 lines. These hymns are usually abridged in the hymnbooks, the length of most of them being against their use in their full form. Although they are gradually growing in popular esteem, the extent of their use is much more limited than their merits deserve. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ==================== Gill, T. H. , pp. 421-3. Additional hymns to those annotated are in common use:—(l) "O dreadful glory that doth make," a cento from No. 48, p. 423, ii.; (2) "O mystery of Love Divine " (The Love of Christ); (3) " Ye souls for whom the Saviour died" (Electing Love). These are all from his Golden Chain of Praise, 1869. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ======================== Gill, T. H. , pp. 421, i.; 1565, ii. &c. During the past ten years Mr. Gill's hymns have been widely used, especially in America, the result being that the following have to be added to the long lists already annotated as above:— 1. Ah! wherefore fall my tears so fast? [The World Overcome.] Published in his Golden Chain of Praise, 1869, p. 167. The hymn, "O Thou for Whom the strife was strong," in the American Hymns for Church and Home, 1895, is composed of sts. iii.-vii. of this hymn. 2. Dear Lord, Thou bringest back the morn. [Morning.] From his Golden Chain of Praise, 1869, p. 145. 3. I would not give the world my heart. This, in the Amer.Baptist Sursum Corda, 1898, No. 379, is a cento from "With sin I would not make abode," p. 1288, ii. 4. Not only when ascends the song. This in the Amer. Hymns of the Ages, 1904, No. 80, is a cento from “0 Saints of old, not yours alone," p. 423, i. 53. 5. Walk with the Lord! along the road. Composed of sts. v., vii.-ix., of "Ah ! tremblers, fainting and for¬lorn," p. 421, ii. 1. Included in the American Unitarian Hymns for Church and Home, 1895. 6. We would not dare their bliss to mourn. This in the Amer.Unit. Hymns for Church and Home, 1895 is composed of sts. v.-viii. of "May we not, Father, meetly mourn?" p. 422, ii. 41. 7. Wherefore faint and fearful ever. [ God is for us.] Published in the 2nd edition of his Golden Chain of Praise, 1894, No. xiii., in 7 stanzas of 6 lines, and dated 1880. In Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1904, in 5 stanzas. The cento "He Who suns and worlds upholdeth," is composed of stanzas ii., iii., and vii. of the original hymn. Mr. Gill died in 1906. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

W. Arnold

1768 - 1832 Person Name: William Arnold Composer of "ALEXANDRIA" in The Hymnal

Joseph Hoskins

1745 - 1788 Author of "In Thy great name, O Lord, we come" in Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes Hoskins, Joseph, was born in 1745, but at what place is unknown. He was a Congregational Minister, who for ten years laboured with great success at Castle Green Chapel, Bristol, and died Sept. 28, 1788, aged 43. During the three years previous to his death ho had written 384 hymns, which in the year following, after correction and revision, were published by Messrs. Moody & Bottomley, Congregational Ministers. The book is entitled, Hymns on Select Texts of Scripture and Occasional Subjects (Bristol, 1789). From this work the following hymns are in common use:— 1. Alas! my [the] Lord my Life is gone. Spiritual darkness and death. 2. Great Light of life, Thou nature's Lord. God, the True Light. 3. In Thy great Name, 0 Lord, we come. Divine Worship. 4. 0 how the hearts of those revive. Joy in Salvation. 5. Prisoners of sin and Satan too. Hope. 6. Saviour of sinners, deign to shine. Christ's light desired. 7. The time is short, ere all that live. Shortness of Time. Hoskins's hymns are said to have been greatly esteemed by his friends and hearers, but they have little poetic merit. [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology ====================== Hoskins, J., p. 535, ii. Additional pieces from his Hymns, &c, 1789, in common use, in America include:— (1) "Let thoughtless thousands choose the road" (Life in Christ), p. 312; (2) "To-day the Saviour rose" (Easter), p. 364; (3) "Behold, behold the Lamb of God" (Invitation!), p. 242. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II ============ Hoskins, Joseph, pp. 535, ii., 1571, ii. The following additional hymns by Hoskins are in The New Psalms and Hymns (Presbyterian), Richmond, Va., 1901:— 1. It shall be well, let sinners know. The Promises of God. 2. Sinners, behold the Lamb of God. The Atonement; and in the Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes ... of the Evang. Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, 1899:— 3. On Christ, by faith, my soul would live, from "Let thoughtless thousands," &c. p. 1571, ii. These hymns are from his Hymns, &c, 1789. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)