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Our Children, Lord, in Faith and Prayer

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1 Our children, Lord, in faith and prayer,
we now devote to thee;
let them thy cov'nant mercies share
and thy salvation see.

2 Such helpless babes thou didst embrace
while dwelling here below;
to us and ours, O God of grace,
the same compassion show.

3 In early days their hearts secure
from worldly snares, we pray;
O let them to the end endure
in ev'ry righteous way.

Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #191

Author: Thomas Haweis

Thomas Haweis (b. Redruth, Cornwall, England, 1734; d. Bath, England, 1820) Initially apprenticed to a surgeon and pharmacist, Haweis decided to study for the ministry at Oxford and was ordained in the Church of England in 1757. He served as curate of St. Mary Magdalen Church, Oxford, but was removed by the bishop from that position because of his Methodist leanings. He also was an assistant to Martin Madan at Locke Hospital, London. In 1764 he became rector of All Saints Church in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, and later served as administrator at Trevecca College, Wales, a school founded by the Countess of Huntingdon, whom Haweis served as chaplain. After completing advanced studies at Cambridge, he published a Bible commentary and a volume… Go to person page >

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Col. 2:11-13
st. 2 = Mark 10:13-16

A prayer asking for God's covenant faithfulness on the children we baptize, this song is adapted from a baptism text written by Thomas Haweis (b. Redruth, Cornwall, England, 1734; d. Bath, England, 1820) and published in the enlarged edition of his Carmina Christo (1808). The Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee made some significant changes in the text to express more modern Reformed theological ideas about baptism.

Initially apprenticed to a surgeon and pharmacist, Haweis decided to study for the ministry at Oxford and was ordained in the Church of England in 1757. He served as curate of St. Mary Magdalen Church, Oxford, but was removed by the bishop from that position because of his Methodist leanings. He also was an assistant to Martin Madan at Locke Hospital, London. In 1764 he became rector of All Saints Church in Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, and later served as administrator at Trevecca College, Wales, a school founded by the Countess of Huntingdon, whom Haweis served as chaplain. After completing advanced studies at Cambridge, he published a Bible commentary and a volume on church history. Haweis was strongly interested in missions and helped to found the London Mission Society. His hymn texts and tunes were published in Carmino Christo, or Hymns to the Savior (1792, expanded 1808).

Liturgical Use:
Infant baptism.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Notes

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Col. 2:11-13
st. 2 = Mark 10:13-16

A prayer asking for God's covenant faithfulness on the children we baptize, this song is adapted from a baptism text written by Thomas Haweis (b. Redruth, Cornwall, England, 1734; d. Bath, England, 1820) and published in the enlarged edition of his Carmina Christo (1808). The Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee made some significant changes in the text to express more modern Reformed theological ideas about baptism.

InitiallyRead More

Tune

NAOMI (Nägeli)ST. PETER (Reinagle)BELMONT (Gardiner)OtherHighcharts.com
Frequency of use
NAOMI (Nägeli)

NAOMI was a melody that Lowell Mason (PHH 96) brought to the United States from Europe and arranged as a hymn tune; the arrangement was first published in the periodical Occasional Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1836). Some scholars have attributed the original melody to Johann G. Nageli (PHH 315), but there…

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ST. PETER (Reinagle)

Composed by Alexander R. Reinagle (b. Brighton, Sussex, England, 1799; d. Kidlington, Oxfordshire, England, 1877), ST. PETER was published as a setting for Psalm 118 in Reinagle's Psalm Tunes for the Voice and Pianoforte (c. 1836). The tune first appeared with Newton's text in Hymns Ancient and Mode…

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BELMONT (Gardiner)

This tune has been mis-attributed to various other composers, but is clearly the work of the above-named composer.

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Timeline

Appearance of this hymn in hymnals18501860187018801890190019101920193019401950196019701980199020002010050100Percent of hymnalsHighcharts.com

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The Cyber Hymnal #5449
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
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Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #270
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
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Instances

Instances (1 - 11 of 11)
TextPage Scan

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #632

TextPage Scan

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #632

TextFlexScoreAudio

Lift Up Your Hearts #805

Text

Moravian Book of Worship #409

Praise! psalms hymns and songs for Christian worship #933

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #270

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5449

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #375

TextPage Scan

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #376

Text

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #413

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #191

Include 36 pre-1979 instances
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