James Merrick

Short Name: James Merrick
Full Name: Merrick, James, 1720-1769
Birth Year: 1720
Death Year: 1769

Merrick, James , M.A., was born in 1720, and educated at Oxford, where he became a Fellow of Trinity College. He entered Holy Orders, but his health would not admit of parish work. He died at Reading, 1769. His publications include:—

(1) Messiah, a Divine Essay. Humbly dedicated to the Reverend the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and the Visitors of the Free School in Reading. By James Merrick, Ætat. 14, Senior Scholar of the School at their last Terminal Visitation, the 7th of October, 1734. Reading. (2) The Destruction of Troy. Translated from the Greek of Tryphiodorus into English Verse, with Notes, &c. 1742. (3) Poems on Sacred Subjects. Oxford . 1763. (4) The Psalms of David Translated or Paraphrased in English Verse. By James Merrick, M.A., late Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. Reading. J. Carnan and Co. 1765. 2nd ed. 1766. A few only of these paraphrases were divided into stanzas. In 1797 the Rev. W. D. Tattersall pulished the work "Divided into stanzas for Parochial Use, and paraphrased in such language as will be intelligible to every capacity . . . with a suitable Collect to each Psalm from the Works of Archbishop Parker."

Merrick's paraphrases, although weak and verbose, were in extensive use in the early part of the present century, both in the Church of England and with Nonconformists. They have, however, fallen very much into disuse. Those in modern hymn-books, mainly in the form of centos, include:—
1. Blest Instructor, from Thy ways. Ps. xix.
2. Descend, O Lord! from heaven descend. Ps. cxliv. (In time of National Peril.)
3. Far as creation's bounds extend. Ps. cxlv.
4. God of my strength, the wise, the just. Ps. xxxi.
5. He who with generous pity glows. Ps. xli.
6. How pleasant, Lord.Thy dwellings are. Ps. lxxxiv.
7. Lift up your voice and thankful sing. Ps. cxxxvi.
8. Lo, my Shepherd's hand divine. Ps. xxiii.
9. Lord, my Strength, to Thee I pray. Ps. xxviii.
10. My heart its noblest theme has found. Ps.xlv.
11. O let me, [gracious] heavenly Lord extend. Ps. xxxix.
12. O turn, great Ruler of the skies. Ps. li.
13. Praise, O praise the Name divine. Ps. cl.
14. Sing, ye sons of [men] might, O sing. Ps. xxix.
15. Teach me, O teach me, Lord, Thy way. Ps. cxix.
16. The festal morn, my [O] God, is come. Ps. cxxii, (Sunday Morning.)
17. The morn and eve Thy praise resound. Ps. lxv. (Harvest.)
18. To Thy pastures, fair and large. Ps. xxiii.

From his Poems on Sacred Subjects, 1763, the following centos have also come into common use: --
19. Author of good, to Thee we turn. Resignation.
20. Eternal God, we look to Thee. Resignation.
21. 'Tis enough, the hour is come. Nunc Dimittis.

John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)


Texts by James Merrick (104)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
All glory to the eternal Three! Thee, Father, thee, O Son, and theeMerrick (Author)English3
Almighty Ruler of the skiesJames Merrick (Author)English4
Arise, great God, and let Thy graceJames Merrick (Author)English27
Arise, ye people, and adoreJames Merrick (Author)English3
Arise, ye people, clap the handJames Merrick (Author)5
As, on the verge of youth, my mindJames Merrick (Author)1
As pants the hart for cooling springs, When heated in the chaseJames Merrick (Author)English139
As pants the hart for cooling streams, When heated in the chaseRev. H. F. Lyte (Alterer)English1
As pants the wearied hart for cooling springsJames Merrick (Author)English1
Author of good, to Thee we come [turn]James Merrick (Author)English48
Awake, my soul, to hymns of praiseJames Merrick (Author)English11
Before Messiah’s presence meetJames Merrick (Author)English2
Behold the fool, whose heart deniesJames Merrick (Author)5
Behold the rising dawn appearJames Merrick (Author)6
Behold the new born infant grievedJames Merrick (Author)9
Beneath God's terrors doomed to groanMerrick (Author)8
Blest instructor, from thy waysJames Merrick (Author)English58
Blest is the man who fears the LordMerrick (Author)1
Blest is the man who fears the Lord, His well established mindJames Merrick (Author)English2
Blest, who with generous pity glowsAnon. (Author)15
Come sinners attend, And make no delayJ. Merrick (Author)English1
Creation's God on him thee aloneJames Merrick (Author)2
Creation's God on thee aloneJames Merrick (Author)3
Eternal God! we look to TheeRev. J. Merrick (Author)English27
Far as creation's bounds extendJames Merrick (Author)English14
Far hence each superstition vainMerrick (Author)12
Father of all, my soul defendMerrick (Author)4
Father of all! our souls defendMerrick (Author)2
God bids, and lo! a burning wasteJames Merrick (Author)English2
God of my strength! to thee I cryJames Merrick (Author)14
Great God, our haughty foes repelJames Merrick (Author)5
Great God, our Strength, to thee we cryJames Merrick (Author)9
Heavenly Teacher from thy waysJames Merrick (Author)3
How long shall Jacob's offspring proveJames Merrick (Author)2
How sweet Thy dwellings, Lord, how fairJames Merrick (Author)English8
How vast thy works, almight LordJames Merrick (Author)3
How well our great Preserver knowsJames Merrick (Author)16
Immortal King, through earth's wide frameJames Merrick (Author)3
In devious paths awhile I trodMerrick (Author)5
Incumbent on the bending skyJames Merrick (Author)6
La tago venis de l' Sinjor'James Merrick, 1720-69 (Author)2
Let sinners take their courseJames Merrick (Author)English3
Lift your voice, and joyful singJames Merrick (Author)25
Lo, my shepherd's hand divine!James Merrick (Author)19
Lord, hast thou called me by thy graceJames Merrick (Author)5
Lord, my strength, to Thee I prayJames Merrick (Author)English3
May God his favoring ear inclineMerrick (Author)6
Mercy, judgment, now my tongue Merrick (Author)5
My grateful tongue, immortal kingMerrick (Author)English6
My heart its noblest theme hath foundJames Merrick (Author)1
My reigns, my fabric’s every partJames Merrick, 1720-1769 (Author)English2
நத்யப்பிதாவே உம்மையே (Nityappitāvē um'maiyē)James Merrick (Author)Tamil2
O come, behold a scene of dreadJames Merrick (Author)6
O hear me, Lord, to thee I callMerrick (Author)17
O let me, heavenly Lord, extendJames Merrick (Author)English23
O tell to all whom earth sustainsMerrick (Author)5
O turn, great Ruler of the skiesMerrick (Author)English45
Of mortal life how short the dateJames Merrick (Author)7
O how my fears the dangers moveMerrick (Author)9
On God my steadfast hopes relyJames Merrick (Author)5
On thee, great Ruler of the skiesJames Merrick, 1720-1769 (Author)1
Our festal morn is come!James Merrick (Author)2
Our life advancing to its closeJames Merrick (Author)8
Author of good, we rest on TheeJames Merrick (Author)English59
Placed on the verge of youth, my mindJames Merrick (Author)16
Praise, O praise the name divineJames Merrick (Author)34
See! roused by discord’s fierce alarmsJames Merrick (Author)English2
Shepherd of Israel, bow Thine earJames Merrick (Author)English2
Sing to the Lord a joyful song, Earth to His praise the note prolongJames Merrick (Author)English7
Sing, ye sons of might, O singMerrick (Author)7
'Tis enough, the hour is comeMerrick (Author)11
Teach me, O teach me, Lord, Thy wayJames Merrick (Author)English41
Teach us, O teach us, Lord Thy wayJames Merrick (Author)English2
The festal morn, my God, is comeJames Merrick (Author)English40
The joyful morn, my God, is comeMerrick (Author)English22
The Lord, the almighty Monarch spakeMerrick (Author)4
The morn and eve thy praise resoundJames Merrick (Author)5
Thine eyes in me the sheep beholdJames Merrick (Author)6
Thine is the throne, beneath thy reignMerrick (Author)8
Thy foes succeeding times shall ownJames Merrick (Author)English2
Thy name, O God, my heart avowsJames Merrick (Author)5
’Tis God, whose all disposing swayJames Merrick (Author)English2
To him who condescends to dwellMerrick (Author)4
To thee, great God, I will discloseJames Merrick (Author)3
To thee, great God, my knees I bendMerrick (Author)4
To Thy pastures fair and largeJames Merrick (Author)English154
Vast are thy works, almighty LordMerrick (Author)2
Welcome the hope of Israel's race, The Messenger of truth and graceMerrick (Author)9
What eyes, like thine, eternal sireJames Merrick (Author)7
What joy, while thus I view the dayJames Merrick (Author)4
When from the verge of youthJames Merrick (Author)3
When overwhelmed with pain and grief, Helpless and far from all reliefJames Merrick (Author)English4
While here as wandering sheep we strayMerrick (Author)15
While through life's pilgrimage I strayJames Merrick (Author)3
Who O Lord, when life is overJames Merrick (Author)English12
Who shall toward thy chosen seatMerrick (Author)22
With joy shall I behold the dayJames Merrick (Author)English13
With patient hope my God I soughtJames Merrick (Author)3
With what delight, great God, I traceJames Merrick, 1720-1769 (Author)English2
Ye nations hear, ye sons of earthMerrick (Author)5
Ye servants of the eternal KingMerrick (Author (partly from))7
Ye servants of your God, his fameJames Merrick (Author)English6
Ye tribes of earth, in God rejoiceJames Merrick (Author)English1
Ye works of God, on him aloneJames Merrick (Author)12
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