Behold the Prince of Peace

Author: John Needham

Needham, John, was the son of John Needham, Baptist Minister, of Hitchin, Herts, but the date of his birth is unknown. He would doubtless be educated by his father, who was a tutor and in repute as a learned man. In 1750 Needham became co-pastor with John Beddome at the Baptist meetinghouse in the Pithay, Bristol; but, two years later, Beddome having retired through age, a violent controversy arose in the Church with regard to a continuance of the plan of co-pastorship. As the result, Needham and a number of his friends removed to a Baptist meetinghouse in Callowhill Street, where a Mr. Foot was pastor. For a time the two societies used the same builing at different hours, but in 1755 they were united, with Mr. Needham and Mr. Foot as co-pa… Go to person page >

Behold the Prince of Peace. J. Needham. [Meekness and Tenderness of Jesus.] First published in his Hymns, &c, 1768, No. 87, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines. The form, however, in which the hymn beginning with this first line is known is a cento, thus composed:—stanzas i.-iii. as above; stanzas iv., v., "Jesus! Thou light of men," &c; from Needham's "Long had the nations sat," stanzas v., vi. In this form it is found in Sir Josiah Mason's Orphanage Hymn Book, Birmingham, 1882, and others.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)