There's not a star whose twinkling light [ray]

There's not a star whose twinkling light [ray]

Author: James Cowden Wallace
Tune: THERE'S NOT A STAR
Published in 73 hymnals

Author: James Cowden Wallace

Wallace, James Cowden, was born at Dudley, circa 1793. He was brother of the Rev. Robert Wallace (1791-1880), Professor of Theology in Manchester New College, and author of Antitrinitarian Biography. J. C. Wallace was Unitarian minister at Totnes, 1824, and afterwards at Brighton and Wareham. He died at Wareham in 1841. He was a prolific hymnwriter, and contributed various other poetical pieces to the Monthly Repository. In a Selection of Hymns for Unitarian Worship, by R. Wallace, Chesterfield, 1822, there are 13 of his hymns, and in the 2nd edition of the same, 1826, there are 29 more. There are also 10 of his hymns in the Dukinfield Selection of Psalms & Hymns for Christian Worship, 1822 (still in use), and 64 in Beard's Collection of H… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: There's not a star whose twinkling light [ray]
Author: James Cowden Wallace
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

There's not a star whose twinkling light. J. C. Wallace. [God seen in Nature.] This hymn appeared in A Supplement to the 4th edition of Robert Aspland's Selection of Psalms and Hymns for Unitarian Worship, London: Rowland Hunter, 1825, No. 48, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "The Creator seen in his Works." As it has undergone rearrangement and enlargement, we give the opening line of each stanza:—

Stanza i. “There's not a star whose twinkling light."
Stanza ii. "There's not a cloud whose dews distil."
Stanza iii. "There's not a place in earth's vast round.”
Stanza iv. “Around, beneath, below, above."
Stanza v, “Then rise, my soul! and sing His name."

In J. R. Beard's Unitarian Collection of Hymns, &c, Lond.: J. Green, 1837, to which Mr. Wallace contributed more than sixty hymns, this hymn was given in 6 stanzas, and is rearranged thus:—

i. "There's not a place." ii. "There's not of grass." iii. "There's not a tempest." iv. “There's not a star." v. "Around, beneath." vi. "Then rise, my soul."

In the new edition of Mr. Beard's Collection, 1860, another arrangement with changes is introduced, which leaves the hymn thus:—

i. “There's not a tint that paints the rose." ii. "At early dawn." iii. "There's not of grass." iv. "There's not a tempest" v. " There's not a star." vi. "There's not a cloud." vii. "There's not a place." viii. "Around, beneath." ix. "Then rise, my soul."

From these outlines the construction of the hymns, "There's not a place," &c, and "There's not a tint," &c, as in Curwen's Child’s Own Hymn Book, Major's Book of Praise, the Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book and many others, including American collections, may easily be traced, and a reference to Aspland's and Beard's works, as above, will correct the text. In Major's Book of Praise for Home & School the author is said to be John Aikman Wallace, and in the Prim. Methodist Sunday School Hymn Book, 1879, Heber, but both are in error.

—John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 73 of 73)

The Child's Pocket Companion, Being a Selection of Choice Hymns for Sabbath School, with an Analysis to Most of Them #d62

Union Hymns. Rev. #d388

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America #d517

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The Psalmist #126

The Sabbath School Singing Book #d64

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Hymns for Public Worship #249

Union Hymns. Rev. #d401

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. #11

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Ocean Melodies, and Seamen's Companion #93a

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The American Vocalist #303a

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The Christian Melodist #333

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The Psalmist #126

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The Baptist Psalmody #37

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The School Hymn-Book #152

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Sabbath School Songs #27b

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The Psalmody #144

Hymns for Children and Young Persons #d426

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #300

Sunday School Hymn Book #d160

Zion's Hymns, for the Use of the Original Free-Will Baptist Church of North Carolina #d262

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Mission Songs #152

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d906

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Sunday-School Hymns #54

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The Harp #1

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #300

The Harmoniad and Sacred Melodist #d134

The Spirit Minstrel. 2nd ed. #d86

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #26

Liturgy and Hymns for Sunday Schools #d167

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The Sacred Lyre #49

General Baptist Hymn Book #d469

Hymns and Poetry for the Young #d127

The Southern Psalmist #d823

Hymns, Selected and Original, for Sunday Schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church #d435

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The Harp. 2nd ed. #a1

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The Sunday School Liturgy. (4th ed.) #34

The Star of the East #d181

Youthful Voices #d217

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Songs for Social and Public Worship #446

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Songs for Social and Public Worship #471

The Canadian Warbler #d157

The Sabbath School Gem #d96

Sunday School Hymn Book #d437

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #122

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected. (7th ed.) #S4

Prayers and Hymns for the Church and the Home #d695

Glad Tidings #d89

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The Jubilee Harp #764

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Hymns of the "Jubilee Harp" #a764

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A Manual of Devotion and Hymns for the House of Refuge, City of New York #25

Sabbath Songs for Children's Worship #d166

The Casket of Sunday School Melodies, Complete. Compiled from Caskets Nos.1 and 2 with Several Additional Pieces #d176

Jubilant Voices #d195

Songs of Joy #d121

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The Eclectic Sabbath School Hymn Book #197

Grammar School Hymn Book #d263

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #122

The Southern Psalmist. New ed. #d867

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The Baptist Praise Book #180

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The New Baptist Psalmist and Tune Book #6

Schools Lyrics #d213

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Church Harmonies #243

Hymns for the Use of the Brethren in Christ #d499

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Songs for Sunday Schools and Gospel Meetings #26

The School Hymn and Tune Book #d187

Songs for the School #d165

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The Public School Hymnal #105

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Christian Praise #107

Songs of Christian Praise with Music #d554

Hymnal and Ritual Services for the Union Gospel Church #d103

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The Christian hymnal #291

The Public School Hymnal, for the Use of High Schools and Seminaries. New and enl. ed. #d244

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