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John Brownlie
1857 - 1925 Translator of "Glory to God! The morn appointed breaks" Brownlie, John, was born at Glasgow, Aug. 6, 1857, and was educated at Glasgow University, and at the Free Church College in the same city. In 1884 he was licensed by the Presbytery of Glasgow; in 1885 he became Assistant Minister of the Free Church, Portpatrick, and on the death of the Senior Minister in 1890 he entered upon the full charge of the Church there. He has interested himself in educational matters, became a Member of the local School Board in 1888, a governor of Stranraer High School in 1897, and Chairman of the governors in 1901. His hymnological works are:—
1. The Hymns and Hymnwriters of the [Scottish] Church Hymnary, 1899. This is a biographical, historical, and critical companion to that hymnal, and is well done and accurate.
2. Hymns of Our Pilgrimage, 1889; Zionward; Hymns of the Pilgrim Life, 1890; and Pilgrim Songs, 1892. These are original hymns. The Rest of God, 1894, a poem in three parts.
3. Hymns of the Early Church, Being Translations from the Poetry of the Latin Church, arranged in the Order of the Christian Year . . . 1896.
4. Hymns from East and West, Being Translations from the Poetry of the Latin and Greek Churches . . . 1898.
5. Hymns of the Greek Church, Translated with Introduction and Notes, 1900. Second Series: Hymns of the Holy Eastern Church, Translated from the Service Books, with Introductory Chapters on the History, Doctrine and Worship of the Church, 1902. Third Series: Hymns from the Greek Office Books, Together with Centos and Suggestions, 1904. Fourth Series: Hymns from the East, Being Centos and Suggestions from the Office Books of the Holy Eastern Church, 1906.
Of Mr. Brownlie's original hymns the following have come into common use:—
1. Ever onward, ever upward. Aspiration. From Pilgrim Songs, 3rd Series, 1892, p. 11.
2. Girt with heavenly armour. The Armour of God. Pilgrim Songs, 3rd Series, 1892, p. 49.
3. Hark! the voice of angels. Praise. Pilgrim Songs, 3rd Series, 1892, p. 57.
4. O bind me with Thy bonds, my Lord. The Divine Yoke. From Hymns of our Pilgrimage, 1889, p. 27.
5. O God, Thy glory gilds the sun. Adoration. From Zionward, &c, 1890, p. 33.
6. Spake my heart by sorrow smitten. Seeking God. From Pilgrim Songs, 3rd series, 1892, p. 25.
7. The flowers have closed their eyes. Evening Pilgrim Songs, 3rd series, 1892, p. 6tf.
8. There is a song which the angels sing. The Angels' Song. A cento from the poem The Best of God, 1894, p. 36.
9. Thou art my Portion, saith my soul. God, the Portion of His People. From Pilgrim Songs, 1892, p. 45.
10. Close beside the heart that loves me. Resting in God. This is one of the author's "Suggestions " based upon the spirit rather than the words of portions of the Greek Offices. It was given in Hymns of the Holy Eastern Church, 1902, p. 128.
Mr. Brownlie's translations from the Latin have been adopted in the hymnals to a limited extent only, mainly because the ground had been so extensively and successfully covered by former translators. With the translations from the Greek the case was different, as for popular use few translations were available in addition to the well known and widely used renderings by Dr. Neale. Mr. Brownlie's translations have all the beauty, simplicity, earnestness, and elevation of thought and feeling which characterise the originals. Their suitability for general use is evidenced in the fact that the number found in the most recently published hymn-books, including Church Hymns, 1903, The New Office Hymn Book, 1905, and The English Hymnal, 1906, almost equal in number those by Dr. Neale.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
John Brownlie
Samuel Wesley
1691 - 1739 Composer of "GIBEON" in The Cyber Hymnal 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)
Samuel Wesley
