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John Milton

1608 - 1674 Person Name: Milton Hymnal Number: 67 Author of "Let us, with a gladsome mind" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Milton, John, was born in London, Dec. 9, 1608, and died there Nov. 8, 1674. His poetical excellences and his literary fame are matters apart from hymnology, and are fully dealt with in numerous memoirs. His influence on English hymn-writing has been very slight, his 19 versions of various Psalms having lain for the most part unused by hymnal compilers. The dates of his paraphrases are:— Ps. cxiv. and cxxxvi., 1623, when he was 15 years of ago. These were given in his Poems in English and Latin 1645. Ps. lxxx.-lxxxviii., written in 1648, and published as Nine Psalmes done into Metre, 1645. Ps. i., 1653; ii., “Done August 8, 1653;" iii., Aug. 9, 1653; iv. Aug. 10, 1653; v., Aug. 12, 1653; vi., Aug. 13, 1653; vii.Aug. 14, 1653; viii., Aug. 14, 1653. These 19 versions were all included in the 2nd ed. of his Poems in English and Latin, 1673. From these, mainly in the form of centos, the following have come into common use:— 1. Cause us to see Thy goodness, Lord. Ps. lxxxv. 2. Defend the poor and desolate. Ps. lxxxii. 3. God in the great assembly stands. Ps. lxxxii. 4. How lovely are Thy dwellings fair. Ps. lxxxiv. From this, "They pass refreshed the thirsty vale," is taken. 5. Let us with a gladsome [joyful] mind. Ps. cxxxvi. 6. O let us with a joyful mind. Ps. cxxxvi. 7. The Lord will come and not be slow. Ps. lxxxv. Of these centos Nos. 4 and 5 are in extensive use. The rest are mostly in Unitarian collections. There are also centos from his hymn on the Nativity, "This is the month, and this the happy morn" (q.v.). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Benjamin Beddome

1717 - 1795 Person Name: Beddome Hymnal Number: 137 Author of "Almighty God, thy wondrous works" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Benjamin Beddome was born at Henley-in Arden, Warwickshire, January 23, 1717. His father was a Baptist minister. He studied at various places, and began preaching in 1740. He was pastor of a Baptist society at Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, until his death in 1795. In 1770, he received the degree of M.A. from the Baptist College in Providence, Rhode Island. He published several discourses and hymns. "His hymns, to the number of 830, were published in 1818, with a recommendation from Robert Hall." Montgomery speaks of him as a "writer worthy of honour both for the quantity and the quality of his hymns." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872. ========================= Beddome, Benjamin , M.A. This prolific hymnwriter was born at Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, Jan. 23, 1717, where his father, the Rev. John Beddome, was atthat time Baptist Minister. He was apprenticed to a surgeon in Bristol, but removing to London, he joined, in 1739, the Baptist church in Prescott St. At the call of this church he devoted himself to the work of the Christian ministry, and in 1740 began to preach at Bourton-on-the-Water, in Gloucestershire. Declining invitations to remove to London or elsewhere, he continued pastor at Bourton until his death, on Sep. 3, 1795, at the age of 78. Mr. Beddome was for many years one of the most respected Baptist ministers in the West of England. He was a man of some literary culture. In 1770 he received the degree of M.A. from Providence College, Rhode Island. He was the author of an Exposition of the Baptist Catechism, 1752, in great repute at the time, and reprinted by Dr. C. Evans in 1772. It was his practice to prepare a hymn every week to be sung after his Sunday morning sermon. Though not originally intended for publication, he allowed thirteen of these to appear in the Bristol Baptist Collection of Ash & Evans (1769), and thirty-six in Dr. Rippon's Baptist Selection (1787), whence a number of them found their way into the General Baptist Hymn Book of 1793 and other collections. In 1817, a posthumous collection of his hymns was published, containing 830 pieces, with an introduction by the Rev. Robert Hall, and entitled "Hymns adapted to Public Worship or Family Devotion, now first published from the Manuscripts of the late Rev. B. Beddome, M.A." Preface dated "Leicester, Nov. 10, 1817." Some of the early copies bear the same date on the title page. Copies bearing both the 1817 and 1818 dates are in the British Museum. The date usually given is 1818. Some hymns are also appended to his Sermons, seven volumes of which were published l805—1819; and over twenty are given in the Baptist Register of various dates. Beddome's hymns were commended by Montgomery as embodying one central idea, "always important, often striking, and sometimes ingeniously brought out." Robert Hall's opinion is just, when in his "Recommendatory Preface" to the Hymns, &c, he says, p. vii.:— "The man of taste will be gratified with the beauty and original turns of thought which many of them ex¬hibit, while the experimental Christian will often perceive the most secret movements of his soul strikingly delineated, and sentiments pourtrayed which will find their echo in every heart." With the exception of a few composed for Baptisms and other special occasions, their present use in Great Britain is limited, but in America somewhat extensive. One of the best is the Ordination Hymn, "Father of Mercies, bow Thine ear." Another favourite is “ My times of sorrow and of joy," composed, by a singular coincidence, to be sung on Sunday, Jan. 14, 1778, the day on which his son died, most unexpectedly, in Edinburgh. "Let party names no more," is very popular both in Great Brit, and America. "Faith, His a precious gift," "Witness, ye men and angels, now," and the hymn for Holy Baptism, "Buried beneath the yielding wave," are also found in many collections. Beddome's popularity is, however, now mainly in America. [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] Beddome is thus seen to be in common use to the extent of about 100 hymns. In this respect he exceeds every other Baptist hymnwriter; Miss Steele ranking second. The authorities for Beddome's hymns are: (1) A Collection of Hymns adapted to Public Worship, Bristol, W. Pine, 1769, the Collection of Ash & Evans; (2) Dr. Rippon's Selections 1787, and later editions; (3) Sermons printed from the Manuscripts of the late Rev. Benjamin Beddome, M.A.,... with brief Memoir of the Author, Dunstable & Lond., 1805-1819; (4) Dr. Rippon's Baptist Register, 1795, &c.; (5) The Beddome Manuscripts, in the Baptist College, Bristol; (6) and Hymns adapted to Public Worship, or Family Devotion now first published, from Manuscripts of the late Rev. B. Beddome, A.M. With a Recommendatory Preface by the Rev. R. Hall, A.M. Lond., 1817. In his Preface, Mr. Hall gives this account of the Beddome Manuscript:— "The present Editor was entrusted several years ago with the MSS, both in prose and verse, with permission from the late Messrs. S. & B. Beddome, sons of the Author, to publish such parts of them as he might deem proper. He is also indebted to a descendant of the Rev. W. Christian, formerly pastor of the Baptist Church at Sheepshead, Leicestershire, for some of the Author's valuable hymns, which had been carefully preserved in the family. From both these sources, as well as others of less consequence, the present interesting volume has been derived." -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ======================= Beddome, Benjamin, pp. 121-124. Other hymns in common use:— 1. Great God, before Thy mercy-seat. (1817). Lent. 2. Great God, oppressed with grief and fear. (1787.) Reading H. Scripture. 3. How glorious is Thy word, 0 God. Holy Scripture. From "When Israel, &c," p. 124, i. 4. In God I ever will rejoice. Morning. From his Hymns, &c, 1817. 5. Jesus, my Lord, divinely fair. (1817.) Jesus the King of Saints. Begins with stanza ii. of “Listen, ye mortals, while I sing." 6. Rejoice, for Christ the Saviour reigns. Missions. Altered form of "Shout, for the blessed, &c," p. 123, ii. 7. Satan, the world, and sin. (1817.) In Temptation. 8. Thou, Lord of all above. (1817.) Lent. 9. Unto Thine altar, Lord. (1787.) Lent. 10. Ye saints of every rank, with joy. (1800.) Public Worship. The dates given above are, 1787 and 1800, Rippon's Selection; and 1817 Beddome's Hymns. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II

Samuel Wesley

1691 - 1739 Person Name: S.l Wesley Hymnal Number: 460 Author of "The morning flowers display their sweets" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Samuel Wesley, M.A., the younger, was the eldest child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born in or near London in 1691. He received his early education from his mother, who always took a special interest in him as her firstborn. In 1704 he went to Westminster School, where he was elected King's Scholar in 1707. Westminster had, under the mastership of Dr. Busby for 55 years, attained the highest reputation for scholarship, and Samuel Wesley, as a classical scholar, was not unworthy of his school. In 1709, Dr. Spratt, Bishop of Rochester, patronised the young scholar, and frequently invited him to Bromley. In 1711 he went with a Westminster studentship to Christ Church, Oxford, and having taken his degree, returned to Westminster as an Usher. He then received Holy Orders and became an intimate friend of Bishop Atterbury, who was then Dean of Westminster. His intimacy with this prelate was a bar to his advancement, and he was bitterly disappointed at not being appointed undermaster at Westminster when that post was vacant. But he was faithful to his friend in his adversity, and the banished prelate warmly appreciated his attachment. In 1732 he was invited, without solicitation, to accept the headmastership of the Free School at Tiverton, and here he spent the remainder of his life. He strongly disapproved of John and Charles Wesley's proceedings; but though the brothers expressed their opinions to one another with characteristic frankness, the disagreement did not cause any interruption in the friendly relations between them. Samuel Wesley was universally acknowledged to be an honest, conscientious and deeply religious man. He was a most uncompromising High Churchman both in the political and the theological sense of that term; and there is no doubt that he was the mainstay of the Wesley family at Epworth. His kindness to his father and mother was unbounded, and he acted like a father to his younger brothers and sisters. He also took a great interest in works of charity, and was one of the first promoters of the Westminster Infirmary. He died at Tiverton in the 49th year of his age, Nov. 6, 1739. His epitaph in Tiverton Churchyard does not exaggerate his merits, when it describes him as— "a man for his uncommon wit and learning, For the benevolence of his temper, and simplicity of manner, Deservedly loved and esteemed by all: An excellent Preacher; But whose best sermon Was the constant example of an edifying life: So continually and zealously employed In acts of beneficence and charity, That he truly followed His blessed Master's example In going about doing good; Of such scrupulous integrity, That he declined occasions of advancement in the world, Through fear of being involved in dangerous compliances; And avoided the usual ways to preferment As studiously as many others seek them." Samuel Wesley published in 1736 A Collection of Poems on several occasions, some of which are full of a rather coarse humour, but all of a good moral and religious tendency. This work was reprinted in 1743, and again by W. Nichols in 1862. Dr. Adam Clarke specifies eight hymns of S. Wesley's composition which were in use among the Methodists of that time (1823). The Wesleyan Hymn Book of the present day contains five, the best-known of which is "The Lord of Sabbath let us praise." Six of his hymns are in common use, and are annotated as follows:— 1. From whence these dire portents around. 2. Hail, Father, Whose creating call. 3. Hail, God the Son in glory crowned. 4. Hail, Holy Ghost, Jehovah, Third. 5. The Lord of Sabbath, let ns praise. 6. The morning flowers display their sweets. -- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

John Ryland

1753 - 1825 Person Name: Ryland Hymnal Number: 168 Author of "Sovereign Ruler of the skies" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Ryland, John, D.D., son of Rev. John Collett Ryland, was born at Warwick, Jan. 29, 1753. At that time his father was Baptist minister at Warwick, but in 1759 removed to Northampton. "J. Ryland, junior," as for many years he was accustomed to subscribe himself, was in 1781 ordained co-pastor with his father at Northampton. In 1794 he accepted the presidency of the Baptist College and the pastorate of the church in Broadmead, Bristol, and these offices he retained until his death on June 25, 1825. Dr. Ryland was a man of considerable literary culture, and received the degree of D.D. from Brown University, Rhode Island. He was one of the founders of the Baptist Missionary Society, and for the three years following the death of Rev. A. Fuller, in 1815, acted as its secretary. His prose works were Memoirs of Rev. B. Hall, Arnsby (2nd ed., 1852); A candid statement of the reasons which induce Baptists to differ from their Christian brethren; and many Sermons and Charges. After his death appeared 2 vols. of Discourses, selected from his manuscripts, and entitled Pastoral Memorial. To these discourses are appended many of his hymns, with their dates. Dr. Ryland's hymns were composed at different times, from his sixteenth year to the year of his death. The earliest were published when he was 16, in his Serious Essays, 1771. These 36 hymns were never republished. Several appeared in the Gospel Magazine from 1771 to 1782, and the Protestant Magazine, 1782-83; others in Rippon's Baptist Selection, 1787; 2 in the Collection for the Monthly Prayer Meeting at Bristol, 1797 ; 2 in Andrew Fuller's Memoirs, 1831; and 25 in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825. His Hymns and Verses on Sacred Subjects, to the number of 99, were reprinted from his mss. by D. Sedgwick, and were published, with a Memoir, in 1862. The hymns are dated therein from the mss. [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] Those of Dr. Ryland's hymns now in common use include:— 1. For Zion's sake I'll not restrain. Missions. Dated 1798, and printed by D. Sedgwick from Ryland's manuscripts, 1862. 2. Had not the Lord, my soul may say [cry] . Ps. cxxiv. From his Serious Essays, 1771. It is No. 124 in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866. Not in Sedgwick's reprint. 3. Holy, holy, holy Lord, self-existent Deity. Holy Trinity. Dated 1796. It was given in the tenth edition of Rippon's Baptist Selection, 1800, Pt. 2, No. 22; in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825; and Sedgwick's reprint, 1862, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines. It is in common use in Great Britain and America. 4. Look down, my soul, on hell's domain. Gratitude for escape. This is No. 881 in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book. 1866, and dated 1777. We cannot trace it in any of Ryland's works or amongst his hymns. 5. Lord, teach a little child to pray. A Child's Prayer. Dated 1786. The note to this hymn by Dr. Ryland's son, in Sedgwick's reprint, 1862, p. 15, is:— "This and the following hymn ["God is very good to me “was composed at the request of Mrs. Fuller, wife of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, of Kettering, for the use of Miss Sarah Fuller, who died May 30th, 1789, aged six years and six months." It was published in Andrew Fuller's Memoirs, 1831, p. 442, andsin Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. 6. Now let the slumbering church awake. Activity in the Church desired. Dated "Feb. 20, 1798." Published in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825, and in Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. In Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866. 7. O Lord, I would delight in Thee. Delight in Christ. Dated "Dec. 3, 1777." Dr. Ryland added this note to the ms.:—-" I recollect deeper feelings of mind in composing this hymn, than perhaps I ever felt in making any other." It was published in Rippon's Selection 1798, No. 248; in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825; and in Sedgwick's reprint, 1862, in 7 st. of 41. It is in extensive use in its original, or an abbreviated form; or as "O Lord we would delight in Thee." In the American Methodist Episcopal Hymns, 1849; and their Hymn, 1878, st. i., ii., vi., vii. are rewritten in S. M. as "Lord, I delight in Thee." 8. Out of the depths of doubt and fear. Ps. cxxx. From the Serious Essays, 1771 (misdated in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book 1775). It is not in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825, nor in Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. 9. Rejoice, the Saviour reigns. Missions. Dated "Jan. 19, 1792." In the 10th ed. of Rippon's Selection, 1800, 422 (2nd pt.) it is given in 6 st. of 6 1., as in the Ryland ms., and then after the word "Pause" two stanzas are added on, which are not in the ms. The 6 stanzas were repeated in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825; in Sedgwick's reprint, 1862; and in Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866 (abbreviated), and other modern hymnals. 10. Sovereign Ruler of the skies. Guidance, Peace, and Security in God. Dated "Aug. 1,1777." Included in Rippon's Selection, 1787, No. 545 ; the Pastoral Memorials, 1825 ; and Sedgwick's reprint, 1862, in 9 st. of 4 1. 11. Thou Son of God, and Son of Man. Praise to God, the Son. This is undated. It was given in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825; and Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. 12. When Abraham's servant to procure. Onward, Heavenward. Dr. Ryland's son, under the date of Nov. 4, 1861, informed D. Sedgwick that this hymn "was written with a slate pencil on a rusty iron blower by moonlight, past twelve o'clock, Dec. 30, 1773," and he gives these words as a quotation from his father's manuscript. It is almost needless to add that this account does not agree with the generally received history of the hymn, as set forth in Miller's Singers and Songs, 1869, p. 313. In the May number of the Gospel Magazine, 1775, p. 235, the hymn was given in 9 st. of 4 1., with the heading" Hinder me not-—Gen. xxiv. 56," and signed "Elachistoteros." It was repeated in Rippon's Selection, 1787, No. 447; and Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. In Rippon a note is added, "This hymn may begin with 6th verse." This direction has been followed in some modern collections, the result being the hymn commonly known as "In all my Lord's appointed ways." 13. When the Saviour dwelt below. Compassion of Christ. Dated 1806. Included in the Pastoral Memorials, 1825, and Sedgwick's reprint, 1862. Dr. Ryland's hymns are plain and simple, but they lack poetry and passion, and are not likely to be largely drawn upon, for future hymnals. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Thomas Cotterill

1779 - 1823 Person Name: Cotterill Hymnal Number: 252 Author of "Let songs of praises fill the sky!" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Thomas Cotterill (b. Cannock, Staffordshire, England, 1779; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1823) studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, England, and became an Anglican clergyman. A central figure in the dispute about the propriety of singing hymns, Cotterill published a popular collection of hymns (including many of his own as well as alterations of other hymns), Selection of Psalms and Hymns in 1810. But when he tried to introduce a later edition of this book in Sheffield in 1819, his congregation protested. Many believed strongly that the Church of England should maintain its tradition of exclusive psalm singing. In a church court the Archbishop of York and Cotterill reached a compromise: the later edition of Selection was withdrawn, and Cotterill was invited to submit a new edition for the archbishop's approval. The new edition was published in 1820 and approved as the first hymnal for the Anglican church of that region. Cotterill's suppressed book, however, set the pattern for Anglican hymnals for the next generation, and many of its hymns are still found in modern hymnals. Bert Polman =============== Thomas Cotterill was born in 1779; studied at S. John's College, Cambridge, graduating M.A.; ordained in 1806, and enterred upon parochial work at Tutbury; afterwards removed to Lane End, where he remained for nine years among the Potteries; in 1817, became perpetual Curate of S. Paul's, Sheffield. He died in 1823. He was the author of several books; among them, "A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use, adapted to the Services of the Church of England." In the preparation of this collection (the 8th ed., 1819), he had the assistance of Montgomery, who in this work did what he condemned in others, viz., altering and remodeling other authors' hymns. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872. ====================== Cotterill, Thomas, M.A., was the son of a woolstapler at Cannock, Staffordshire, where he was born Dec. 4, 1779. After attending the local boarding-school of the Rev. J. Lomax, he proceeded to the Free School, Birmingham. He graduated at St. John's College, Cambridge (B.A. 1801, M.A. 1805), of which he became a Fellow. Taking Holy Orders, he became Curate of Tutbury in June, 1803 (not 1806, as stated by Miller in Singers & Songs of the Church). His subsequent charges were the Incumbency of Lane End, Staffordshire, 1808-17, and the Perpetual Curacy of St. Paul's Sheffield, 1817-23. He died at Sheffield Dec. 29, 1823 (not Jan. 5, 1824, as in the Gentleman’s Magazine), aged 44. His volume of Family Prayers attained to the sixth edi¬tion in 1824. As a hymn-writer, Cotterill is less known than as the compiler of a Selection of Psalms and Hymns which has had a most marked effect on modern hymnals. The first edition of that Selection was published in 1810, and the 9th in 1820. All subsequent issues were reprints of the last. The most important edition is the 8th, 1819. To that Selection Cotterill contributed at various dates 25 original hymns and versions of individual psalms. These, in common with all the hymns in the Selection, are given without author's name. Through the aid, however, of marked copies [in the collections of Brooke and Julian] and of members of Cotterill's family, we are enabled to identify most, if not all, of his original productions. In addition to those which are annotated under their first lines, we have— i. In his Selection of Psalms & Hymns for Public and Private Use, adapted to the Festivals of the Church of England, &c, 1st ed., 1810:— 1. Awake, O sword, the Father cried. Atonement. 2. Before Thy throne of grace, O Lord. Lent. 3. From Sinai's mount, in might array'd. The Law and the Gospel. 4. From Thine all-seeing Spirit, Lord. Ps. 139. 5. In all the ways and works of God. Ps. 145. 6. Out of the deeps, O Lord, we call. Ps. 130. 7. The Lord, who once on Calvary. The Intercessor. This is based on “Where high the heavenly temple stands," q. v. ii. In the Appendix to the 6th ed. of the same Selection, Staffordshire, 1815:— 8. Blessed are they who mourn for sin. Lent. 9. Father of mercies, let our songs [way, ways]. Thanksgiving. 10. I was alive without the law. Lent. 11. Lord of the Sabbath, 'tis Thy day. Sunday. iii. In the 8th edition of the same, 1819 :— 12. Help us, O Lord, Thy yoke to wear. Charity Sermons. This is sometimes given as "Lord, let us learn Thy yoke to wear," as in Kennedy, 1863, &c. 13. I love the Lord, for He hath heard. Ps. 116. 14. Lo in the East a star appears. Epiphany. This in an altered form begins in Kennedy, 1863, No. 188, with stanza ii., "The ancient sages from afar." 15. Lord, cause Thy face on us to shine. For Unity. 16. When Christ, victorious from the grave. Easter. The 9th ed. of the Selection, 1820, was practically a new work. It was compiled by Cotterill, but revised by Dr. Harcourt, the Archbishop of York, and was dedi¬cated to him. It was the outcome of the compromise in the legal proceedings over the 8th ed., 1819. The 8th ed. contained 367 hymns in addition to 128 versions of the Psalms and 6 Doxologies, the 9th only 152. Its full title was A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship, Lond., T. Cadell, 1820. It may be noted that copies of the 8th ed., 1819, are found with two distinct title-pages. One of these, accompanied with the preface, was for the general public, the second, without the preface, for the use of the congregations of St. James's and St. Paul's, Sheffield. Of Cotterill's hymns the most popular are, "O'er the realms of pagan darkness," "Let songs of praises fill the sky," and "Jesus exalted far on high," but these are not distinguished by any striking features of excellence. He was more happy in some of his alterations of older hymns, and in the com¬piling of centos. Many of the readings introduced into the great hymns of the Church first appeared in his Selection. The most notable amongst these are, "Rock of Ages," in 3 stanzas, as in Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861, the Wesleyan Hymn Book, and other collections; "Lo! He comes with clouds descending;" and “Great God, what do I see and hear." Cotterill's connection with the Uttoxeter Psalms & Hymns, 1805, is given in detail in the article on Staffordshire Hymn-books, and his lawsuit over the 8th ed. of his Selection, 1819, in the article on England Hymnody, Church of. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Helen Maria Williams

1762 - 1827 Person Name: H. M. Williams Hymnal Number: 376 Author of "While thee I seek, protecting Power!" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Miss Helen Maria Williams was born in the north of England, in 1762. At the age of eighteen, she went to London, and soon after took position in the literary world, publishing several poems. Subsequently she resided in Paris, where she published works in prose and poetry. She died in 1827. The eminent French preacher, Athanase Coquerel was her nephew, and received from her his early training. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872. ================== Williams, Helen Maria, daughter of Charles Williams, an officer in the Army, was born in the North of England in 1762. Through the influence of Dr. A. Kippis whose help she sought in London, her first poem, Edwin and Eltruda, a legendary tale, was published in 1782. This was followed by An Ode on the Peace, 1783, and Pern, a Poem. These were all included in her Poems, 2 vols., 1786, 2nd edition 1791. Being connected by her sister's marriage with a French Protestant family, she resided in Paris during the period of the Revolution and the reign of Terror. There she became well known as a political writer of strong republican sympa-thies, but her too independent expressions of opinion led to her temporary imprisonment by Robespierre. Her Letters from France, 1790, were published in England and America, and in a French translation, in France. She also published Letters containing a Sketch of the Politics of France from the 31st May, 1793, till the 28th of July, 1794, 2 vols., 1795, and other works of a like kind; some additional Poems, and a translation of Humboldt's Personal Narratives of his Travels, 1815. The closing years of her life were spent at Amsterdam, in the house of her nephew, Athanase Coquerel, a pastor of the Reformed Church there. Miss Williams died in 1827. From her Poems, 1786, the following hymns have come into common use:— 1, My God, all nature owns Thy sway. Nature speaks of God. In Martineau's Hymns, 1840. 2. While Thee I seek, protecting Power. Safety in God. This hymn was in Dr. Priestley's Birmingham Collection, 1790; in Kippis's Collection, 1795; the Exeter Collection, 1801; and almost every other Unitarian collection to the present time. In the New Congregational Hymn Book , 1859, it begins "While Thee I seek, Almighty Power;" and in several collections a cento beginning "Father, in all our [my] comforts here," is given as in Stowell's Psalms & Hymns, 1831 and 1877, and several others. [Rev. Valentine D. Davis, B.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================== Williams, Helen Maria, was born in the North of England in 1762. She published a volume of poems when only twenty-one years old, and in 1786 her Poems appeared in two small volumes. She visited Paris in 1788, and lived there for some years with a sister who had married a French Protestant. This was during the period of the Revolution and the Reign of Terror. She was an outspoken republican in her sympathies, 448 and was imprisoned by Robespierre because of some of her utterances in advocacy of the Girondist cause, being released from prison only after his death, in 1794. Her Letters from France (1790 and 1795) were published in England, America, and France. They dealt with political, religious, and literary questions, and showed her to be a woman of more than ordinary intellectual strength. She published many volumes between 1786 and 1823, when her last volume appeared, titled Poems on Various Occasions, being a collection of all her previously published poems. She lived partly in England, but mostly in France, though the closing years of her life were spent in Holland in the home of a nephew who lived at Amsterdam and was pastor of the reformed Church there. Her death occurred at Paris December 14, 1827. Hymn Writers of the Church Wilbur F. Tillett and Charles S. Nutter, 1915

Simon Browne

1680 - 1732 Person Name: Browne Hymnal Number: 19 Author of "Wherewith shall I approach the Lord" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Simon Browne was born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, about 1680. He began to preach as an "Independent" before he was twenty years of age, and was soon after settled at Portsmouth. In 1716, he became pastor in London. In 1723, he met with some misfortunes, which preyed upon his mind, and produced that singular case of monomania, recorded in the text-books of Mental Philosophy; he thought that God had "annihilated in him the thinking substance, and utterly divested him of consciousness." "Notwithstanding," says Toplady, "instead of having no soul, he wrote, reasoned, and prayed as if he had two." He died in 1732. His publications number twenty-three, of which some are still in repute. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872. ================== Browne, Simon. A contemporary of Dr. Watts, born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, cir. 1680, and died in 1732. After studying for the Independent Ministry under the Rev. John Moore, of Bridgewater, he became pastor of an Independent charge in Portsmouth, and then, in 1716, of the Independent-Chapel in Old Jewry, London. His lateryears were clouded by a peculiar malady, under the influence of which "he imagined that God had in a gradual manner annihilated in him the thinking substance, and utterly divested him of consciousness." It is supposed that the death of a highwayman at his hands during a violent struggle, followed by that of his wife and son a short time after, had much to do in producing this sad result. Whilst thus contending that he had no power to think, he produced a work in defence of Christianity, another in defence of the Trinity, a third as an Exposition of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, and a fourth in the form of a Dictionary. His publications number over 20. Of these works, he is known to hymnology through his:— Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books, designed as a Supplement to Dr. Watts, &c, 1720, 2nd edition 1741, 3rd edition 1760. It contains 166 hymns, 7 doxologies, and a Preface of some historical interest. In the old collections Simon Browne's hymns (all of which are from the above collection) held a prominent position, but in modern hymnals they are fast passing out of use. The best known and most widely used are "Come, Holy [gracious] Spirit, Heavenly Dove," "O God, on Thee we all depend," and "Lord, at Thy feet we sinners lie." In addition the following are also in common use:— 1. Eternal God, Almighty Cause. Unity of God. 2. Eternal God, of beings First. God all in all . 3. Frequent the day of God returns. Sunday. 4. Great First of beings, Mighty Lord. Creation. 5. Great God, my joyful thanks to Thee. Thanksgiving. 6. Great God, Thy peerless excellence. Imitation of God. 7. Great Lord of earth and seas and skies. Providence. 8. Great Ruler of the earth and sky. Providence. 9. Hail, Holy Spirit, bright, immortal, Dove. Whitsuntide. 10. Hail, happy day, the [thou] day of holy rest. Sunday. 11. I cannot shun the stroke of death. Death. 12. Lord, Thou art good; all nature shows. Divine Goodness. 13. Lord, what a feeble frame is ours. Frailty of Life. 14. O God, on Thee we all depend. Confidence in God. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Anna L. Barbauld

1743 - 1825 Person Name: Mrs. Barbauld Hymnal Number: 23 Author of "Sleep, sleep to-day, tormenting cares" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) Barbauld, Anna Laetitia, née Aikin, daughter of the Rev. John Ailrin, D.D., a dissenting minister, was b. at Kibworth-Harcourt, Leicestershire, June 20, 1743. In 1753 Dr. Aikin became classical tutor at a dissenting academy at Warrington. During her residence there she contributed five hymns to Dr. W. Enfield's Hymns for Public Worship, &c, Warrington, 1772. In the following year these were included in her Poems, Lond., J. Johnson, 1773. In May, 1774, Miss Aikin was married to the Rev. Rochemont Barbauld, a descendant of a French Protestant family, and a dissenting minister. For some years Mr. Barbauld conducted, in addition to his pastoral work, a boarding school at Palgrave, Suffolk. From this he retired in 1785. In 1786 he undertook the charge of a small congregation at Hampstead, and from thence he passed to the dissenting chapel (formerly Dr. Price's) at Newington Green, in 1802. He d. Nov. 11, 1808. Mrs. Barbauld continued to reside in the neighbourhood until her death, March 9, 1825. In the latter part of the same year her niece published The Works of Anna Laetitia Barbauld, with Memoir, by Lucy Aikin, 2 vols., Lond., Longman, 1825. As a writer of hymns Mrs. Barbauld was eminently successful. Their use, however, with the exception of five contributed to Dr. W. Enfield's collection, is almost exclusively confined to the Unitarian hymnals of Great Britain and America. Including these hymnals, the whole of her hymns are still in common use. These hymns appeared thus:— i. In Dr. W. Enfield's Hymns, &c., 1772. 1. Again the Lord of life and light. Easter. 2. Awake, my soul, lift up thine eyes. Conflict. 3. Behold, where breathing love divine. Christian Charity. 4. Jehovah reigns, let every nation hear. God's Dominion. A part of this was given in Collyer's Sel., 1812, No. 586, as:— 5. This earthly globe, the creature of a day. 6. Praise to God, Immortal praise. Harvest. ii. Poems, 1773 (Preface dated Dec. 1, 1772). The whole of the above, and also:— 7. God of my life and author of my days. To God the Father. This is an “Address to the Deity," in 80 1. It is given in Martineau's Collection, 1840 and 1873. From it the following centos were given in Collyer's Selection> 1812:— 8. God, our kind Master, merciful as just. 9. If friendless in the vale of tears I stray. iii. Poems revised 1792. 10. Come, said [says] Jesus' sacred voice. Invitation. 11. How blest the sacred tie that binds. Christian Fellowship. 12. Lo where a crowd of pilgrims toil. Pilgrimage of Life. From this is taken:— 13. Our country is Immanuel's ground [land]. iv. Leisure Hour Improved (Ironbridge), 1809. 14. Sweet is the scene when virtue dies. Death. v. Supplement to the Unitarian Coll. of Kippis, Bees, and others, 1807. 15. When as returns the solemn day. Sunday. 16. Sleep, sleep to day, tormenting cares. Sunday. 17. How may earth and heaven unite. Worship. vi. Works, with Memoir, 1825. In vol. i. most of the above are reprinted, and the following are added :— 18. Joy to the followers of the Lord. Joy. (c. 1820.) 19. Pure spirit, O where art thou now. Bereavement. This is dated 1808. 20. Salt of the earth, ye virtuous few. Salt of the Earth. 21. When life as opening buds is sweet. Death. This is dated " November, 1814." The more important of these hymns are annotated in this Dictionary under their first lines. Mrs. Barbauld's Hymns in Prose for Children, originally published in 1781, were long popular and have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and other languages. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) =================== Barbauld, Anna L., p. 113, ii. No. 18 on p. 114, i.,should be dated circa 1820. Another hymn in common use from Mrs. Barbauld's Works, &c, 1825, is, "O Father! though the anxious fear" (E. Taylor, p. 1117, in error). --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

Henry Kirke White

1785 - 1806 Person Name: H. K. White Hymnal Number: 95 Author of "The Lord our God, is full of might" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) White, Henry Kirke, a gifted English poet who died early in life, was born in Nottingham, England, March 21, 1785. Very early he manifested a remarkable love for books and a decided talent for composition. But his parents were poor, and he was apprenticed in early boyhood to a stocking weaver, from which uncongenial servitude he escaped as soon as he could and began the study of law; but later he was converted and felt called to the ministry. The story of his conversion from deism to Christianity is briefly but beautifully told in the poem titled "The Star of Bethlehem." He entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1805 as a servitor; but died October 19, 1806, in the second year of his college course, when only twenty-one years of age. In 1803 he published a small volume of poems. Some of them are very fine, but no doubt he would have produced others far better if he had lived to the ordinary age of man. His rare poetic genius, his victory over skepticism and subsequent faith and piety, his hard struggle with poverty and early death invest the story of his life with more than ordinary pathos. His hymns, ten in number, appeared in Collyer's Collection, 1812. Oft in danger, oft in woe 412 The Lord our God is clothed with 99 When marshaled on the mighty 124 Hymn Writers of the Church, 1911 ============================ White, Henry Kirk, remarkable both for the early development of his genius and for the untimely termination of his brief life of splendid promise, was born at Nottingham, March 21, 1785. His father was a butcher, but his mother must have been a superior woman, since for a number of years she successfully conducted a boarding-school for girls. The writing-master in her establishment was for some time Henry's teacher, and under his instruction he made remarkable progress in Latin and other subjects. At the age of 13 he composed the lines "To an early Primrose," which were subsequently printed with his poems. At 14 he left school, and was put to the stocking-frame in order to learn prac¬tically the business of a hosier; but, disliking the employment, he was removed to an attorney's office in Nottingham, with a view to the legal profession. All his spare time was now devoted to literary pursuits, the acquisition of languages, and the composition of poetical and other contributions for the periodicals of the day. At the age of 15 he obtained from the Monthly Preceptor a silver medal for a translation from Horace, and a pair of globes for the best description of an imaginary tour from London to Edinburgh. When only 17 he was encouraged to publish his Clifton Grove and other Poems, which were certainly excellent as the compositions of a mere boy. About this time he was inclined to scepticism, but. through the perusal of Scott's Force of Truth and the arguments and appeals of a young friend, R. W. Almond (afterwards Rector of St. Peter's, Nottingham), he was led to earnest faith in Christianity. His well-known hymn "When marshall'd on the nightly plain" is understood to be a figurative description of his spiritual experience at this period. He now desired to become a Christian minister, and through the generosity of his employers he was released from his articles in 1804. With the help of the Rev. C. Simeon and other friends, he became a student of St. John's College, Cambridge. There he speedily distinguished himself, and the highest honours seemed within his grasp; but over application to study destroyed his health, and he fell ill and died Oct. 19, 1806, in the 22nd year of his age. Universal regret was expressed at his untimely end. Southey published his Remains, accompanied by a short memoir. Lord Byron composed some beautiful lines on the sad event. Josiah Conder and others wrote commemorative verses. The entire literary young manhood of England and America seemed moved with sympathy. A monumental tablet, with a medallion by Chantrey, was erected in All Saints Church, Cambridge, at the expense of a citizen of Boston, in the United States. Ten hymns are ascribed to H. K. White, which were printed by the Rev. Dr. W. B. Collyer in his Supplement to Dr. Watts's Psalms & Hymns, London, 1812. Of these four of the most popular are annotated as follows: "Awake, sweet harp of Judah, wake"; "Christians, brethren, ere we part"; "Much in sorrow, oft in woe"; “When marshalled on the nightly plain." These are all in extensive use. The rest, all in common use at the present time, are:— 1. 0 Lord, another day has flown. Evening. From this the hymn "0 let Thy grace perform its part" is taken. 2. 0 Lord, my God, in mercy turn. Penitence and Faith. 3. The Lord our God is full [clothed in] of might. Divine Sovereignty. 4. The Lord our God is Lord of all. Divine Sovereignty. 5. Through sorrow's night and danger's path. The Resurrection. Sometimes given as "When sorrow's path and danger's road." 6. What is this passing scene? Human Frailty. This hymn consists of selected stanzas from his “Ode on Disappointment." [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

William Bengo Collyer

1782 - 1854 Person Name: Collyer Hymnal Number: 233 Author of "Morning breaks upon the tomb!" in A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) William Bengo Collyer was born at Blackheath Hill, in 1782, and studied at Homerton College. Before completing his twentieth year he became pastor of a Congregational society at Peckham, continuing in that position through his life. He died in 1854. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1808. For many years he was one of the most popular Dissenting ministers in London. He published many hymns and some works on theology. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872. =================== Collyer, William Bengo, D.D., born at Blackheath, April 14, 1782, educated at Homerton College, where, when 16 years old, he was enrolled as a student for the ministry. At 20 he began his ministry at Peckham on Dec. 17, 1801 ordained pastor of a small church consisting of ten communicants. From 1814 to 1826 he was also pastor of a Church meeting in Salters' Hall. On June 17, 1817, a new chapel was opened for him at Peckham. There, from the time of his settlement in 1801, he laboured with great success and honour until Dec. 11, 1853, on which clay he preached for the last time. He died Jan. 8, 1854. Dr. Collyer was eminent in his day as an eloquent Evangelical preacher, when formalism in worship, and Arianism in doctrine, prevailed. He was a man of amiable disposition, polished manners, and Christian courtesy; popular with rich and poor alike. He was the author of a series of lectures on Divine Revelation, in seven volumes: Scripture Facts, Prophecies, Miracles, Parables, Doctrines, Duties, Comparisons. Dr. Collyer compiled a hymn-book with the title, Hymns partly collected and partly original, designed as a supplement to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, 1812. It was intended at first for the use of his own congregation only, and was to include many hymns composed by himself, to be sung after sermons which he had preached to them, but he was led to alter the plan. It comprises 979 hymns, 6 choruses, and 4 doxologics, arranged in groups according to their authors, and not subjects. Of this number 57 were written by Dr. Collyer, and are for the most part short descriptive or didactic poems, religious or moral essays in verse, and not hymns addressed to the Creator and Redeemer. Some of them are devoid of Christian truth, and are poems of nature or of sentiment. Some of them were written during the hard and sorrowful times of the wars of Bonaparte, and relate to famine and national calamity. Several were prepared for the public meetings of missionary and benevolent societies, which had their origin in his time. He also published Services suited to the Solemnization of Matrimony, Baptism, &c, 1837, which contained 89 of his hymns, &c.; Hymns for Israel, a Tribute of Love for God's Ancient People, 1848 (41 hymns). In Dr. Leifchild's Original Hymns, 1843, there are also 39 of his compositions. Many of his pieces appeared in the Evangelical Magazine, and were also appended to his numerous published Sermons. A few of his hymns are still in common use, including. "Another fleeting day is gone"; "Assembled at Thy great command"; "O Jesu, in this solemn hour"; "O Thou, the helpless orphan's hope"; "Return, O wanderer, return," and the fine cento, "Great God, what do I see and hear." [Rev. F. J. Faulding, D.D.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ====================== Collyer, William Bengo, p. 243, ii. The following hymns by Dr. Collyer are also in common use:— 1. Another fleeting day is gone. Evening. (1812.) 2. 0 Jesus, in this solemn hour. Reception of Church Officers. (1842.) 3. O Thou, the helpless orphan's hope. On Behalf of Orphans. In the Evangelical Magazine, 1808, p. 48. 4. See the clouds upon the mountain. Sunday Morning. (1842.) 5. Soft be the gently breathing notes. Praise to the Redeemer. (1812.) 6. Softly the shade of evening falls. Evening. (1812.) From this, “Soon shall a darker night descend" is taken. 7. Thou Prince of glory slain for me. Good Friday. (1812.) The date 1812 is that of his Collection, and 1842 of Leifchild's Original Hymns. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)