Father of spirits! gathered now before Thee

Father of spirits! gathered now before Thee

Author: John Bowring
Published in 10 hymnals

Representative Text

Father of Spirits! humbly bent before Thee,
Songs of glad homage unto Thee we bring;
Touched by Thy spirit, O, teach us to adore Thee;
Let Thy light attend us,
Let Thy love befriend us,
Father of our spirits, Everlasting King!

Send forth Thy mandate, gather in the nations,
Through the wide universe Thy name be known,
Millions of voices shall join in adorations,
Every soul invited,
Every voice united,
Joining to adore Thee, Everlasting One!



Source: A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #52

Author: John Bowring

James Bowring was born at Exeter, in 1792. He possessed at an early age a remarkable power of attaining languages, and acquired some reputation by his metrical translations of foreign poems. He became editor of "The Westminster Review" in 1825, and was elected to Parliament in 1835. In 1849, he was appointed Consul at Canton, and in 1854, was made Governor of Hong Kong, and received the honour of knighthood. He is the author of some important works on politics and travel, and is the recipient of several testimonials from foreign governments and societies. His poems and hymns have also added to his reputation. His "Matins and Vespers" have passed through many editions. In religion he is a Unitarian. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charl… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Father of spirits! gathered now before Thee
Author: John Bowring
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Ancient of ages! humbly bent before Thee. Sir J. Bowring. [Missions.] A short hymn on behalf of missions, of more than usual merit. It appeared in his Hymns, 1825, in 2 stanzas of 7 lines. In Miss Courtauld's Unitarian Psalms, Hymns and Anthems, London, 1860, it is given as No. 10.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 10 of 10)
Page Scan

A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (10th ed.) #52

Page Scan

Hymns of the Spirit #109

Songs of the Unity #d10

Page Scan

The Christian Hymn Book #671

The Christian Hymnal #d164

Page Scan

The Christian Hymnal #535

Page Scan

The Disciples' Hymn Book #377

The Sanctus #d65

The Tabernacle #d70

Text

A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #52

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us