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John Greenleaf Whittier

1807 - 1892 Person Name: John G. Whittier, 1807-1892 Author of "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" in Hymnbook for Christian Worship Whittier, John Greenleaf, the American Quaker poet, was born at Haverhill, Massachusetts, Dec. 17, 1807. He began life as a farm-boy and shoemaker, and subsequently became a successful journalist, editor and poet. In 1828 he became editor of the American Manufacturer (Boston), in 1830 of the New England Review, and an 1836 (on becoming Secretary to the American Anti-Slavery Society) of the Pennsylvania Freeman. He was also for some time, beginning with 1847, the corresponding editor of the National Era. In 1840 he removed to Amesbury, Massachusetts, where most of his later works have been written. At the present time [1890] he lives alternately at Amesbury and Boston. His first poetical piece was printed in the Newburyport Free Press in 1824. Since then his publications have been numerous, including:— Voices of Freedom, 1833; Songs of Labour, and other Poems, 1850; Ballads and other Poems, London, 1844; The Panorama, and other Poems, 1856; In War Time, 1863; Occasional Poems, 1865; Poetical Works, 1869; Complete Poetical Works, 1876; The Bay of the Seven Islands, and other Poems, 1883, &c. From his numerous poems the following hymns have been compiled, and have come into common use, more especially amongst the American Unitarians:— 1. All as God wills, Who wisely heeds. Trust. This begins with stanza xi. of Whittier's poem, "My Psalm." in his workThe Panorama, and other Poems, 1856 (Complete Poetical Works, Boston, 1876, p. 179), and is given in Lyra Sacra Americana , 1868; Border's Congregational Hymns, 1884, &c. 2. All things are Thine: no gift have we. Opening of a Place of Worship. Written for the Opening of Plymouth Church, Minnesota, 1872 ( Complete Poetical Works , p. 281). In Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 3. Another hand is beckoning us. Bereavement. From his poem " Gone," written in 1845 (Complete Poetical Works, p. 106). In Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 4. Dear Lord and Father of mankind. Calmness in God desired. From his poem “The Brewing of Soma," beginning with stanza xii. (Complete Poetical Works p. 266). In Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 5. God giveth quietness at last. Death and Burial. This begins with stanza xvii. of his poem, “The Singer," written in 1871 (Author's MS.), and included in the Complete Poetical Works, 1876, p. 265. In Martineau's Hymns, 1875. 6. Hast thou, 'midst life's empty noises. The Purpose of Life. Written in 1842. It is in Longfellow and Johnson's Unitarian Book of Hymns, Boston, 1846, and several other later American collections. Also in Lyra Sacra Americana, 1864. 7. I ask not now for gold to gild. Resignation. From his poem "The Wish of To-Day." Written in 1848 (Author's MS.). In Hedge and Huntingdon's Unitarian Hymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, 1853; the Laudes Domini, 1884, and other collections. 8. Immortal love, for ever full. The Love of Jesus. This poem, entitled “Our Master," appeared in Whittier's work, The Panorama, and other Poems, 1856, in 35 stanzas of 4 lines; in Schaff’s Christ in Song, 1869-70, p. 117; and in the Complete Poetical Works, 1876, p. 231, and others. From this poem the following centos have come into common use:— (1) Immortal love for ever full. In the 1890 edition of the Hymnal Companion and others. (2) 0 Lord and Master of us all. Begins with stanza xvi. (3) 0 Love! O Life! our faith and sight. Begins with stanza xxiv. In several American hymnals, including the Unitarian Hymn [and Tune Book ], Boston, 1868, and others. (4) Our Friend, our Brother, and our Lord. Begins with stanza xxxiv. In Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884, &c. (5) We faintly hear, we dimly see. Begins with stanza xxvi. In Barrett's Congregational Church Hymnal, 1887. (6) We may not climb the heavenly steeps. Begins with stanza v. In Laudes Domini, 1884; the Primitive Methodist Hymnal, 1887, &c. The use of these centos shows that the hymnic element in the original poem is of a high and enduring order. 9. It may not be our lot to wield. Duty and its Reward. This begins with stanza iv. of his poem "Seedtime and Harvest." Written circa 1850 (Author's MS.). Given in his Complete Poetical Works, p. 114. The hymn is in Laudes Domini, 1884, and other American collections. 10. May freedom speed onward, wherever the blood. Freedom. In the 1848 Supplement to the Boston Book of Hymns, Boston, No. 582, Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, and other collections. In Whittier's Poetical Works, Boston, 1869, p. 68, it is given as, “Right onward, O speed it! Wherever the blood”. 11. Now is the seed-time; God alone. Self-Sacrifice. In the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, No. 683. 12. 0 backward-looking son of time. New and Old. This begins with stanza xix. of his poem "The Reformer," and is given in this form in the Boston Hymns for the Church of Christ, Boston, 1853, No. 835, and again in later collections. In full in the Complete Poetical Works, p. 78. 13. 0 beauty, old yet ever new. The Law of Love. This in the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, begins with stanza xxi. of his poem on “The Shadow and the Light,” given in full in the Complete Poetical Works , p. 173. 14. 0 fairest-born of love and light. American National Hymn. This is from his poem "Democracy," which is dated "Election Day, 1843," and is in his Ballads and other Poems, London, 1844, p. 214, and his Complete Poetical Works, p. 82. 15. 0, he whom Jesus loves has truly spoken. True Worship. This in the 1848 Supplement to the Boston Book of Hymns, 1848, No. 578, begins with stanza xi. of his poem on “Worship," given in full in his Complete Poetical Works, p. 96. The poem is dated by the Author, 1848 (Author's MS.). 16. 0 holy Father, just and true. Freedom. "Lines written for the Celebration of the third Anniversary of British Emancipation at the Broadway Tabernacle, N. Y., First of August, 1837." (Complete Poetical Works, p. 47.) It was included in the Unitarian Christian Hymns, Boston, 1844, and has been repeated in later collections. 17. 0 Maker of the Fruits and Flowers. Flower Services. This begins with stanza iv. of his "Lines for the Agricultural and Horticultural Exhibition at Amesbury and Salisbury, Sep. 28, 1858," as given in his Complete Poetical Works , p. 183. It is in the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, and as "O Painter of the fruits and flowers," in Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 18. O not alone with outward sign. Divine Invitation. This begins with stanza ii. of his poem, "The Call of the Christian," given in his Ballads and other Poems, London, 1844, p. 185, and his Complete Poetical Works, p. 73. The hymn appeared in the Boston Book of Hymns, 1846, and again in later collections. 19. O pure Reformers, not in vain. Freedom. This begins with stanza xii. of his poem "To the Reformers of England," as given in his Complete Poetical Works, p. 77. The hymn was included in the Boston Book of Hymns, 1846, and has been repeated in later collections. 20. O sometimes gleams upon our sight. Old and New. This is taken from his poem "The Chapel of the Hermits," 1852 (in 94 stanzas of 4 lines), and begins with stanza xi. (Comp. Poetical Works, p. 115.) The cento was given in the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, and repeated in later collections. 21. O Thou, at Whose rebuke the grave. Mercy. This was given in the Boston Book of Hymns, 1848, No. 44l. 22. O [God] Thou, Whose presence went before. National Hymn. This hymn is dated by the author 1834 (Author's MS.), and was written for the Anti-slavery Meeting at Chatham Street Chapel, New York, "on the 4th of the 7th month, 1831." It is No. 750 in the Unitarian Christian Hymns, 1844. It is sometimes given as “0 God, whose presence went before." 23. 0, what though our feet may not tread where Christ trod. Presence of Christ's Spirit. The author dates this 1837 (Author's MS.). It is No. 150 in the Boston Book of Hymns, 1846. In their Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, No. 652, it begins: "0, wherefore the dream of the earthly abode." Both centos are from his poem “Poledom." 24. Shall we grow weary in our watch? Patience, or Resignation. This begins with stanza x. of his poem "The Cypress-Tree of Ceylon." (Complete Poetical Works, p. 84.) This form of the text was given in the Boston Book of Hymns, 1846, No. 278, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, and again in Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884, in 3 stanzas. 25. Sport of the changeful multitude. Persecution. This begins with line 6 of stanza x. of his poem "Ezekiel," and was given in the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, No. 65lines In full in Complete Poetical Works, p. 67. 26. The green earth sends its incense up. Worship of Nature. The author dates this 1845 (Author's MS.). It is from his poem “The Worship of Nature," and was given in this form in the Boston Hymns for the Church of Christ, 1853, No. 193. The cento "The harp at Nature's advent strung," in the Unitarian Hymn [and Tune] Book, Boston, 1868, No. 195, is from the same poem. The cento No. 321 in the Boston Hymns of the Spirit, 1864, is also (altered) from this poem. 27. The path of life we walk today. The Shadowing Rock. This in the Boston Hys. of the Spirit, 1864, begins with stanza i. of his poem on "The Rock in El Gh'or," which the author dates 1859 (Author's MS.). In full in Complete Poetical Works, p. 180. 28. Thine are all the gifts, 0 God. Children's Missions, or Ragged Schools. Written for the Anniversary of the Children's Mission, Boston, 1878. It is given in Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 29. Thou hast fallen in thine armour. Death. From his poem "To the memory of Charles B. Storrs, late President of Western Reserve College," published in his Ballads and other Poems, London, 1844, p. 84. Dated by the author 1835 (Author's MS.). Abridged form in the Hymns of the Spirit, 1864. 30. To-day, beneath Thy chastening eye. Seeking Rest. This begins with stanza iv. of his poem, "The Wish of To-Day," dated by the author 1847 (Author's MS.), and given in full in his Complete Poetical Works, p. 114. The cento is in Martineau's Hymns, 1873, and others. 31. We see not, know not; all our way. Resignation. "Written at the opening of the Civil War, 1861" (Author's MS.), and included in his In War Time, 1863, and his Complete Poetical Works, p. 190. In full in the Prim. Methodist Hymnal, 1887. 32. When on my day of life the night is falling. Old Age. Written in 1882 (Author's MS.), and included in his work The Bay of the Seven Islands, and other Poems, 1883. In Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884. 33. With silence only as their benediction. Death. 1845. "Written on the death of Sophia Sturge, sister of Joseph Sturge, of Birmingham, England" (Author's MS.). It is in several collections, including Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1873; Horder's Congregational Hymns, 1884, and others. Notwithstanding this extensive use of portions of Mr. Whittier's poems as hymns for congregational use, he modestly says concerning himself: "I am really not a hymn-writer, for the good reason that I know nothing of music. Only a very few of my pieces were written for singing. A good hymn is the best use to which poetry can be devoted, but I do not claim that I have succeeded in composing one." (Author's MS.) We must add, however, that these pieces are characterized by rich poetic beauty, sweet tenderness, and deep sympathy with human kind. -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ======================== Whittier, J. G, p. 1277, i. In addition to the large number of this author's hymns already annotated from his own manuscript, the following have also come into use, mainly in the form of centos from his poems, during the past ten years:— i. From Poems, 1850:— 1. O brother man! Fold to thy heart thy brother. [Brotherly Love.] From his poem, “Worship." Written in 1848, and published in Poems, 1850. ii. From Songs of Labour, and Other Poems, 1850;— 2. Bowed down in lowliness of min. [Resignation.] From the poem “The Wish of To-day." iii. From The Chapel of the Hermits, and Other Poems, 1853:— 3. O, sometimes glimpses on our sight. [Light in Darkness.] First published in The National Era, 1851, and again as above, 1853. In The Pilgrim Hymnal, N.Y. 1904, it begins " 0 sometimes gleams upon our sight," and in Hymns of the Ages, 1904, "Yet sometimes glimpses on my sight"; see p. 1277, ii. 20. iv. From The Panorama, and Other Poems, 1856:— 4. Thou, 0 most compassionate. [Divine Compassion.] This cento is from the poem "My Dream," and is dated 1855. v. From Home Ballads and Poems, 1860:— 5. I mourn no more my vanished years. [Life's Review.] A cento from "My Psalm," dated 1859, opening with st. i. 6. No longer forward nor behind. This begins with st. iii. of "My Psalm." 7. O hearts of love, O souls that turn. [Life from, Christ.] A cento from the poem, "The Overheart." 8. O Love Divine, Whose constant beam. [Divine Love Universal.] From the poem, "The Shadow and the Light." The form in which it is given in The Pilgrim Hymnal, 1904, first appeared in The Independent, Nov. 1860. 9. Once more the liberal year laughs out. [Autumn.] From his "For an Autumn Festival," 1859. vi. From In War Time, and Other Poems, 1864:— 10. I can only urge the plea. [Cry for Mercy.] A cento from “Andrew Rykman’s Prayer,” dated 1863. 11. What Thou wilt, O Father, give. Also from “Andrew Kykman's Prayer." vii. From The Tent on the Beach, and Other Poems, 1867:— 12. I bow my forehead to [in] the dust. St. ix., &c. 13. I know not what the future hath. St. xvi., &c. 14. I long for household voices gone. St. xv., &c. 15. I see the wrong that round me lies. St. x., &c. 16. Who fathoms the Eternal Thought. St. iv., &c. 17. Yet, in the maddening maze of things. St. xi., &c. These centos are taken from the poem, "The Eternal Goodness," which is dated 1865. viii. From Among the Hills, and Other Poems, 1869:— 18. For ever round the mercy-seat. [God's Love and Man's Unfaithfulness.] From the poem, “The Answer." ix. From The Pennsylvania Pilgrim, and Other Poems, 1873:— 19. Best for the weary hands is good. [Daily Renewal.] This is from "My Birthday," which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, 1871, and again as above, 1873. x. From Hazel Blossoms, 1875:— 20. All things [gifts] are Thine, p. 1277, i. 2. The church for which this was written, in 1873, was Plymouth Church, St. Paul, Minn. The hymn was included in Hazel Blossoms, 1875. 21. We need love's tender lessons taught. [Love.] From Child-Songs," in Hazel Blossoms, opening with st. ix. xi. From The Bay of the Seven Islands, 1883:— 22. As from the lighted hearths behind me. [Anticipation of the Future.] This begins with st. iii. of the poem, "What the Traveller said at Sunset." xii. Additional Notes:— 23. Lord, for the things we see. [Public Gatherings.] This hymn is from "Poledom," 1837. 24. Not always as the whirlwind's rush. [Call to the Ministry.] Published in The Poetical Writings, 1857, Vol. i., p. 254, and again in the Oxford edition of his Poetical Works, 1904, p. 455. It is dated 1833. 25. Sound over all waters, [The Coming Kingdom.) This, in Horder's Worship Song, 1905, is from Whittier's Complete Poetical Works, Boston, 1876, p. 280, where it is dated 1873. 26. Take courage, Temperance workers. [Temperance.] Mr. Pickard, Whittier's literary executor, cannot trace this hymn in any of the author's writings, and we also are at fault. 27. The harp at Nature's advent strung. [Nature's acknowledgement of God.] Dr. Charles L. Noyes, one of the editors of The Pilgrim Hymnal, 1904, writes us concerning this hymn: "It was first published in its present form [as in the American hymn-books] in 1867 in The Tent on the Beach." But a hymn almost identical was written when Whittier was in his teens, and published in the Haverhill Gazette, October 5, 1827. The same poem appeared in The Palladium, 1829. It was revised for The Tent on the Beach, 1867 (p. 1278, i. 26). 28. We see not, know not; all our way, p. 1278, i. 31. This hymn, written in 1861, first appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, 1862, vol. 10, p. 235. 29. Wherever through the ages rise. [Love is universal.] Opens with line 1 of a section in the poem "Miriam," in Miriam, and Other Poems, 1871, p. 13. 30. Who calls Thy glorious service hard? [Duty.] This begins with st. iii. of his poem "Seedtime and Harvest," noted on p. 1277, ii. 9. 31. O Lord and Father of mankind. This is a slightly altered form of "Dear Lord and Father of mankind." p. 1277, i. 4. The poem, “Our Master," stated on p. 1277, i., No. 8, as having appeared in The Panorama, 1856, in error, was given in The Tent on the Beach, and Other Poems, Boston, 1867, pp. 143-152. In compiling the foregoing, we have been materially assisted by Mr. Pickard, the poet's literary executor, and the Rev. Dr. Charles L. Noyes, of Somerville, Mass. Whittier died at Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, Sep. 7, 1892. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907) ======================= See also in: Hymn Writers of the Church

William Cowper

1731 - 1800 Person Name: W. Cowper, 1731-1800 Author of "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" in Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"; b. Berkampstead, Hertfordshire, England, 1731; d. East Dereham, Norfolk, England, 1800) is regarded as one of the best early Romantic poets. To biographers he is also known as "mad Cowper." His literary talents produced some of the finest English hymn texts, but his chronic depression accounts for the somber tone of many of those texts. Educated to become an attorney, Cowper was called to the bar in 1754 but never practiced law. In 1763 he had the opportunity to become a clerk for the House of Lords, but the dread of the required public examination triggered his tendency to depression, and he attempted suicide. His subsequent hospitalization and friendship with Morley and Mary Unwin provided emotional stability, but the periods of severe depression returned. His depression was deepened by a religious bent, which often stressed the wrath of God, and at times Cowper felt that God had predestined him to damnation. For the last two decades of his life Cowper lived in Olney, where John Newton became his pastor. There he assisted Newton in his pastoral duties, and the two collaborated on the important hymn collection Olney Hymns (1779), to which Cowper contributed sixty-eight hymn texts. Bert Polman ============ Cowper, William, the poet. The leading events in the life of Cowper are: born in his father's rectory, Berkhampstead, Nov. 26, 1731; educated at Westminster; called to the Bar, 1754; madness, 1763; residence at Huntingdon, 1765; removal to Olney, 1768; to Weston, 1786; to East Dereham, 1795; death there, April 25, 1800. The simple life of Cowper, marked chiefly by its innocent recreations and tender friendships, was in reality a tragedy. His mother, whom he commemorated in the exquisite "Lines on her picture," a vivid delineation of his childhood, written in his 60th year, died when he was six years old. At his first school he was profoundly wretched, but happier at Westminster; excelling at cricket and football, and numbering Warren Hastings, Colman, and the future model of his versification. Churchill, among his contemporaries or friends. Destined for the Bar, he was articled to a solicitor, along with Thurlow. During this period he fell in love with his cousin, Theodora Cowper, sister to Lady Hesketh, and wrote love poems to her. The marriage was forbidden by her father, but she never forgot him, and in after years secretly aided his necessities. Fits of melancholy, from which he had suffered in school days, began to increase, as he entered on life, much straitened in means after his father's death. But on the whole, it is the playful, humorous side of him that is most prominent in the nine years after his call to the Bar; spent in the society of Colman, Bonnell Thornton, and Lloyd, and in writing satires for The Connoisseur and St. James's Chronicle and halfpenny ballads. Then came the awful calamity, which destroyed all hopes of distinction, and made him a sedentary invalid, dependent on his friends. He had been nominated to the Clerkship of the Journals of the House of Lords, but the dread of appearing before them to show his fitness for the appointment overthrew his reason. He attempted his life with "laudanum, knife and cord,"—-in the third attempt nearly succeeding. The dark delusion of his life now first showed itself—a belief in his reprobation by God. But for the present, under the wise and Christian treatment of Dr. Cotton (q. v.) at St. Albans, it passed away; and the eight years that followed, of which the two first were spent at Huntingdon (where he formed his lifelong friendship with Mrs. Unwin), and the remainder at Olney in active piety among the poor, and enthusiastic devotions under the guidance of John Newton (q. v.), were full of the realisation of God's favour, and the happiest, most lucid period of his life. But the tension of long religious exercises, the nervous excitement of leading at prayer meetings, and the extreme despondence (far more than the Calvinism) of Newton, could scarcely have been a healthy atmosphere for a shy, sensitive spirit, that needed most of all the joyous sunlight of Christianity. A year after his brother's death, madness returned. Under the conviction that it was the command of God, he attempted suicide; and he then settled down into a belief in stark contradiction to his Calvinistic creed, "that the Lord, after having renewed him in holiness, had doomed him to everlasting perdition" (Southey). In its darkest form his affliction lasted sixteen months, during which he chiefly resided in J. Newton's house, patiently tended by him and by his devoted nurse, Mrs. Unwin. Gradually he became interested in carpentering, gardening, glazing, and the tendance of some tame hares and other playmates. At the close of 1780, Mrs. Unwin suggested to him some serious poetical work; and the occupation proved so congenial, that his first volume was published in 1782. To a gay episode in 1783 (his fascination by the wit of Lady Austen) his greatest poem, The Task, and also John Gilpin were owing. His other principal work was his Homer, published in 1791. The dark cloud had greatly lifted from his life when Lady Hesketh's care accomplished his removal to Weston (1786): but the loss of his dear friend William Unwin lowered it again for some months. The five years' illness of Mrs. Unwin, during which his nurse of old became his tenderly-watched patient, deepened the darkness more and more. And her death (1796) brought “fixed despair," of which his last poem, The Castaway, is the terrible memorial. Perhaps no more beautiful sentence has been written of him, than the testimony of one, who saw him after death, that with the "composure and calmness" of the face there “mingled, as it were, a holy surprise." Cowper's poetry marks the dawn of the return from the conventionality of Pope to natural expression, and the study of quiet nature. His ambition was higher than this, to be the Bard of Christianity. His great poems show no trace of his monomania, and are full of healthy piety. His fame as a poet is less than as a letter-writer: the charm of his letters is unsurpassed. Though the most considerable poet, who has written hymns, he has contributed little to the development of their structure, adopting the traditional modes of his time and Newton's severe canons. The spiritual ideas of the hymns are identical with Newton's: their highest note is peace and thankful contemplation, rather than joy: more than half of them are full of trustful or reassuring faith: ten of them are either submissive (44), self-reproachful (17, 42, 43), full of sad yearning (1, 34), questioning (9), or dark spiritual conflict (38-40). The specialty of Cowper's handling is a greater plaintiveness, tenderness, and refinement. A study of these hymns as they stood originally under the classified heads of the Olney Hymns, 1779, which in some cases probably indicate the aim of Cowper as well as the ultimate arrangement of the book by Newton, shows that one or two hymns were more the history of his conversion, than transcripts of present feelings; and the study of Newton's hymns in the same volume, full of heavy indictment against the sins of his own regenerate life, brings out the peculiar danger of his friendship to the poet: it tends also to modify considerably the conclusions of Southey as to the signs of incipient madness in Cowper's maddest hymns. Cowper's best hymns are given in The Book of Praise by Lord Selborne. Two may be selected from them; the exquisitely tender "Hark! my soul, it is the Lord" (q. v.), and "Oh, for a closer walk with God" (q. v.). Anyone who knows Mrs. Browning's noble lines on Cowper's grave will find even a deeper beauty in the latter, which is a purely English hymn of perfect structure and streamlike cadence, by connecting its sadness and its aspiration not only with the “discord on the music" and the "darkness on the glory," but the rapture of his heavenly waking beneath the "pathetic eyes” of Christ. Authorities. Lives, by Hayley; Grimshaw; Southey; Professor Goldwin Smith; Mr. Benham (attached to Globe Edition); Life of Newton, by Rev. Josiah Bull; and the Olney Hymns. The numbers of the hymns quoted refer to the Olney Hymns. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================ Cowper, W. , p. 265, i. Other hymns are:— 1. Holy Lord God, I love Thy truth. Hatred of Sin. 2. I was a grovelling creature once. Hope and Confidence. 3. No strength of nature can suffice. Obedience through love. 4. The Lord receives His highest praise. Faith. 5. The saints should never be dismayed. Providence. All these hymns appeared in the Olney Hymns, 1779. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907) ===================== Cowper, W., p. 265, i. Prof. John E. B. Mayor, of Cambridge, contributed some letters by Cowper, hitherto unpublished, together with notes thereon, to Notes and Queries, July 2 to Sept. 24, 1904. These letters are dated from Huntingdon, where he spent two years after leaving St. Alban's (see p. 265, i.), and Olney. The first is dated "Huntingdon, June 24, 1765," and the last "From Olney, July 14, 1772." They together with extracts from other letters by J. Newton (dated respectively Aug. 8, 1772, Nov. 4, 1772), two quotations without date, followed by the last in the N. & Q. series, Aug. 1773, are of intense interest to all students of Cowper, and especially to those who have given attention to the religious side of the poet's life, with its faint lights and deep and awful shadows. From the hymnological standpoint the additional information which we gather is not important, except concerning the hymns "0 for a closer walk with God," "God moves in a mysterious way," "Tis my happiness below," and "Hear what God, the Lord, hath spoken." Concerning the last three, their position in the manuscripts, and the date of the last from J. Newton in the above order, "Aug. 1773," is conclusive proof against the common belief that "God moves in a mysterious way" was written as the outpouring of Cowper's soul in gratitude for the frustration of his attempted suicide in October 1773. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)

Benjamin Beddome

1717 - 1795 Person Name: Beddome Author of "How great, how solemn is the work" in Primitive Baptist Hymn and Tune Book 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

E. Margaret Clarkson

1915 - 2008 Person Name: Margaret Clarkson, b. 1915 Author of "Our Cities Cry to You, O God" in Sing! A New Creation

Ruth C. Duck

b. 1947 Author of "When God Restored Our Common Life" in Psalms for All Seasons

Carl P. Daw Jr.

b. 1944 Author of "Sing Praise to God, Whose Mighty Acts (Psalm 9)" in Glory to God Carl P. Daw, Jr. (b. Louisville, KY, 1944) is the son of a Baptist minister. He holds a PhD degree in English (University of Virginia) and taught English from 1970-1979 at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. As an Episcopal priest (MDiv, 1981, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennesee) he served several congregations in Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. From 1996-2009 he served as the Executive Director of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada. Carl Daw began to write hymns as a consultant member of the Text committee for The Hymnal 1982, and his many texts often appeared first in several small collections, including A Year of Grace: Hymns for the Church Year (1990); To Sing God’s Praise (1992), New Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1996), Gathered for Worship (2006). Other publications include A Hymntune Psalter (2 volumes, 1988-1989) and Breaking the Word: Essays on the Liturgical Dimensions of Preaching (1994, for which he served as editor and contributed two essays. In 2002 a collection of 25 of his hymns in Japanese was published by the United Church of Christ in Japan. He wrote Glory to God: A Companion (2016) for the 2013 hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Emily Brink

Jan Struther

1901 - 1953 Person Name: Jan Struther, 1901-1953 Author of "When Stephen, full of power and grace" in The Hymnal 1982 Jan Struther, given name: Joyce Torrens-Graham [sic Joyce Anstruther] (b. Westminster, London, England, 1901; d. New York, NY, 1953) wrote many poems and essays under the pen name of Jan Struther (derived from her mother's maiden name, Eva Anstruther). In addition to her pen name, Struther also had the married names of Mrs. Anthony Maxtone Graham and, from a second marriage, Mrs. Adolf Kurt Placzek. During World War II she moved with her children to New York City and remained there until her death. In England she is best known for her novel Mrs. Miniver (1940), which consists of sketches of British family life before World War II. Immensely popular, the book was later made into a movie. Struther also wrote comic and serious poetry, essays, and short stories, published in Betsinda Dances and Other Poems (1931), Try Anything Twice (1938), The Glass Blower (1941), and, posthumously, The Children's Bells (1957). Songs of Praise (1931) included twelve of her hymn texts. Bert Polman

Hal H. Hopson

b. 1933 Arranger of "SALVATION" in Christian Worship Hal H. Hopson (b. Texas, 1933) is a prolific composer, arranger, clinician, teacher and promoter of congregational song, with more than 1300 published works, especially of hymn and psalm arrangements, choir anthems, and creative ideas for choral and organ music in worship. Born in Texas, with degrees from Baylor University (BA, 1954), and Southern Baptist Seminary (MSM, 1956), he served churches in Nashville, TN, and most recently at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas. He has served on national boards of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians and the Choristers Guild, and taught numerous workshops at various national conferences. In 2009, a collection of sixty four of his hymn tunes were published in Hymns for Our Time: The Collected Tunes of Hal H. Hopson. Emily Brink

G. W. Briggs

1875 - 1959 Person Name: George Wallace Briggs, 1875-1959 Author of "O God, in Whom We Live and Move" in Hymnbook for Christian Worship George Wallace Briggs is a Canon of Worcester Cathedral and one of the most distinguished British hymn writers and hymnologists of today. Six of his hymns appear in the Episcopal Hymnal of 1940 (American). Another hymn on the Bible entitled "Word of the living God" was written for the 25th Anniversary of the British Bible Reading Fellowship and was sung in Westminster Abbey on June 5, 1947. It has been widely used since that time. Canon Briggs is a leading member of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He is also the composer of several hymn times, six of which have appeared in British hymnals. In addition to his work as a clergy man of the Church of England and an hymnologist, he has interest himself actively in the field of religious education, being largely responsible for two books with wide circulation in Britain, "Prayers and Hymns for used in Schools" and "The Daily Service." These books have had great influence on the worship practices of British schools, public and private. It is of historic interest that he is the author of one of the prayers used at the time of the famous meeting of Churchill and Roosevelt on H.M.S. Prince of Wales in 1941 when the Atlantic Charter was framed. --Ten New Hymns on the Bible, 1952. Used by permission.

Edmund Jones

1722 - 1765 Person Name: Rev. Edmund Jones (1722-1768) Author of "Come, humble sinner, in whose breast" in Hymns of the Ages Jones, Edmund, son of the Rev. Philip Jones, Cheltenham, was born in 1722, and attended for a time the Baptist College at Bristol. At the age of 19 he began to preach for the Baptist Congregation at Exeter, and two years afterwards he became its pastor. In 1760 he published a volume of Sacred Poems. After a very-useful ministry he died April 15, 1765. From an old manuscript record of the Exeter Baptist Church, it appears that it was under his ministry in the year 1759, that singing was first introduced into that Church as a part of worship. As a hymn-writer he is known chiefly through:— Come, humble sinner, in whose breast. This hymn appeared in Rippon's Baptist Selection, 1181, No. 355, in 1 stanza of 4 lines, and headed, "The successful Resolve—'I will go in unto the King,' Esther iv. 16." It has undergone several changes, including:— 1. "Come, sinner, in whose guilty breast." In the Methodist Free Church Sunday School Hymn Book, 1860. 2. “Come, trembling sinner, in whose breast." This is in a great number of American hymn-books. 3. “Come, weary sinner, in whose breast." Also in American use. Miller, in his Singers & Songs of the Church, 1869, p. 333, attributes this hymn to a Welsh Baptist hymn-writer of Trevecca, and of the same name. Rippon, however, says in the first edition of his Selection that Edmund Jones, the author of No. 333, was pastor of the Baptist Church at Exon, Devon. This decides the matter. [Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ================ Jones, Edmund, p. 605, ii. In The Church Book, by L. W. Bacon, N. Y., 1883, No. 279 begins with stanzas ii. of Jones's hymn, "Come, humble sinner, &c," and begins:—"I'll go to Jesus, though my sin." Also note that in that article the words “author of No. 333," should read "author of No. 355." --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)