John Taylor

Short Name: John Taylor
Full Name: Taylor, John, 1750-1826
Birth Year: 1750
Death Year: 1826

Taylor, John, born July 30, 1750, was the son of Richard Taylor, of Norwich, and grandson of Dr. John Taylor (1694-1761, the eminent Hebrew scholar, who was for many years minister of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich, and afterwards Divinity tutor at the Warrington Academy. Dr. Taylor published A Collection of Tunes in Various Airs, one of the first collections of its kind, and his grandson was one of the most musical of Unitarian hymn-writers). Young Taylor, after serving his apprenticeship in his native place, was for two years in a banking house in London, at which time he was an occasional poetical contributor to the Morning Chronicle. In 1773 he returned to Norwich, where he spent the rest of his life, first as a manufacturer, and afterwards as a wool and yarn factor. For nearly fifty years he was a deacon at the Octagon Chapel. At the time of the French Revolution he joined in the support of The Cabinet, a periodical brought out by the Liberals of Norwich, in conjunction with Dr. Enfield, William Taylor, Miss Alderson (Mrs. Opie), and others, and, as a "poet of the olden time," he contributed five poems thereto. These, and other political songs and poems relating to family events, &c, together with 50 hymns, were collected in Hymns and Miscellaneous Poems, Reprinted for Private Distribution, 1863, with a Memoir taken from the Monthly Repository of Sept. 1826, by his son, Edward Taylor, then Gresham Professor of Music. An earlier and less complete edition, containing 43 hymns, he had himself caused to be printed by his sons, Richard and Arthur Taylor, London, 1818. He died June 23, 1826. Of his hymns the following 9 were contributed to Dr. Enfield's Selection of Hymns for Social Worship, Norwich, 1795:—
1. Far from mortal cares retreating. Divine Worship.
2. Father divine, before Thy view. Divine Providence.
3. Father of our feeble race. Christian Love. This begins in Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884, and others, with st. ii., "Lord, what offering shall we bring?"
4. Glory be to God on high. Divine glories celebrated. The first stanza is by C. Wesley, and the rest are by Taylor.
5. God of mercy, God of love [grace], Hear our sad repentant song. Penitence.
6. 0 sing to the Lord a new song. Praise to the Supreme Ruler and Judge.
7. Praise to God, the great Creator. Praise to the Father. The hymn "Saints with pious zeal attending" in Hatfield's Church Hymns, &c.,N.Y., 1872, begins with line 4 of stanza i. of this hymn.
8. Raise your voice and joyful sing. Praise.
9. Rejoice, the Lord is King. Providence acknowledged in the Seasons. The first stanza and 11. 5 and 6 of all are by C. Wesley, and the rest are by Taylor.

J. Taylor edited Hymns intended to be used at the Commencement of Social Worship, London, 1802. To that collection he contributed 10 hymns, including:—
10. At the portals of Thy house. Divine Worship. In a few American collections a cento from this hymn is given as, "Lord, before thy presence come."
11. Blessed Sabbath of our [the] Lord. Sunday.
12. 0 how delightful is the road. Divine Worship.
13. Supreme o'er all Jehovah reigns.. Divine Worship. All the foregoing, except No. 8, were re-published in the Norwich Collectionof 1814. That edition contained 33 of Taylor's hymns. To the 2nd ed., 1826, he added 9 more. To R. Aspland's Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Unitarian Worship, Hackney, 1810, he contributed 26 hymns, old and new, including :—
14. Like shadows gliding o'er the plain. Time and Eternity.
15. The Mighty God who rolls [rules] the spheres. God the Preserver of Man.
These 15 are the best known of Taylor's hymns, and are largely found in Unitarian collections. See especially Dr. Martineau's Hymns, &c, of 1840, and of 1873. [Rev. Valentine D. Davis, B.A.]

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)


Texts by John Taylor (62)sort descendingAsAuthority LanguagesInstances
All hail our King ImmanuelJohn Taylor (Author)English2
As the good shepherd leads his sheepJ. Taylor (Author)3
At the portals of thy houseJohn Taylor (Author)11
Back in those days of childhoodJohn Taylor (Author)English3
Beyond cold Jordan's rolling strandJ. T. (Author)English2
Both heaven and earth were created by GodJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Brighter grows this beautiful wayJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Come, ye young, and do not spurnJohn Taylor (Author)4
Dreary clouds were gathering over us murky was the skyJ. T. (Author)English2
Exulting, rejoicing, hail the happy morningJohn Taylor (Author)8
Far out beyond the shores of time there is a bright and sunny climeJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Father divine, before thy viewJohn Taylor (Author)35
Father of our feeble raceJohn Taylor (Author)English65
Father of the human raceJ. Taylor (Author)English1
Glory be to God on high, God whose glory fills the skies (Taylor)John Taylor (Author)31
God of mercy, God of grace, Hear our sad repentant songsJohn Taylor, 1750-1826 (Author)English140
How long, sometimes, a day appearsJ. Taylor (Author)English1
I am free as a bird on the wingJohn Taylor (Author)English2
I am moving onward every passing dayJohn Taylor (Author)English2
I am sailing on life's ocean wideJ. T. (Author)English2
I am truly looking for my blessed Lord, soon He's coming back againJohn Taylor (Author)English2
I have started on a journey and I feel like going onJohn Taylor (Author)2
I once was very lonelyJohn Taylor (Author)2
I was deep in sin and trouble withinJ. T. (Author)English2
Jerusalem waŋkaŋ Iwadowaŋ kiŋ heJohn Taylor (Alterer)Dakota1
Jesus found me when I was a strangerJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Like shadows gliding over the plainJ. Taylor (Author)English54
Lord, before Thy presence comeJ. Taylor (Author)English53
Far from mortal cares retreatingJ. Taylor (Author)English128
Lord, what offering shall we bringJohn Taylor (Author)English57
Many are the beauties now waiting over yonderJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Many years ago while wanderingJohn Taylor (Author)English2
My soul is mounting the upward wayJohn Taylor (Author)English2
O how delightful is the roadMr. J. Taylor (Author)12
O sing to the Lord a new song, Let the universe join in the strainJ. Taylor (Author)English6
O the star of the eastJohn Taylor (Author)3
O ye, who seek Jehovah's faceJohn Taylor (Author)14
On a sea of exploration, once I sailed with admirationJ. T. (Author)English2
Over in that bright and sunny clime aboveJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Over the billows and ocean foamJohn Taylor (Author)English2
Praise to God, the great Creator, Bounteous source of every joyJ. Taylor (Author)English40
Prepare the appointed herald criedJohn Taylor (Author)7
Raise your voice, and joyful singJohn Taylor (Author)3
Rejoice, the Lord is King: Your Lord and King adoreRev. John Taylor (Author)English25
Revive us, revive us, O Lord, God almightyJ. Taylor (Author)2
Saints with pious zeal attendingTaylor (Author)15
Still in shades of midnight darknessJ. Taylor (Author)3
The mighty God who rolls the spheresJohn Taylor (Author)10
The things unseen O God revealJ. Taylor (Author)3
There are grand old melodies ringing in my soulJohn Taylor (Author)English2
There is a City with streets of goldJohn Taylor (Author)English2
There is a joy way down within the depths of meJ. Taylor (Author)1
There is a land so pure and sweetJohn Taylor (Author)2
There is a love, a matchless loveJ. T. (Author)English2
There is a state unknown, unseenJohn Taylor, 1750-1826 (Author)English5
There's a land afar with love lightJohn Taylor (Author)2
There's a land of beauty, just across the riverJohn Taylor (Author)English3
There's a light from above filled with wondrous loveJohn Taylor (Author)English2
There's a mighty army marching forwardJ. T. (Author)English2
Voices of dear ones so often we hearJ. T. (Author)English2
When I reach my home in Glory land I'll shine, shine, shineJ. T. (Author)English2
When Isr'l's tribes on Gibeon pouredJohn Taylor (Author)5
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