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Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Author: Augustus M. Toplady Meter: 7.7.7.7.7.7 Appears in 2,895 hymnals Scripture: Titus 3:5 Lyrics: 1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
save from wrath and make me pure.
2 Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save and thou alone.
3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress,
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly,
wash me, Savior, or I die!
4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
when my eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Topics: Atonement; Blood of Christ; Cleansing; Our Death; Jesus Christ Death; Jesus Christ Names; Jesus Christ Refuge; Jesus Christ Savior; Salvation; Sanctification Used With Tune: TOPLADY
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Not What My Hands Have Done
Author: Horatius Bonar Meter: 6.6.8.6 D Appears in 119 hymnals Scripture: Titus 3:5 Lyrics: 1 Not what my hands have done
can save my guilty soul;
not what my toiling flesh has borne
can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.
2 Your voice alone, O Lord,
can speak to me of grace;
your power alone, O Son of God,
can all my sin erase.
No other work but yours,
no other blood will do;
no strength but that which is divine
can bear me safely through.
3 I praise the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
and with unfaltering lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
My Lord has saved my life
and freely pardon gives;
I love because he first loved me,
I live because he lives.
Topics: Commitment & Dedication; Election; Love God's Love to Us; Profession of Faith; Confession and Forgiveness; Assurance; Blood of Christ; Commitment & Dedication; Confession of Sin; Election; Forgiveness; Grace; Hope; Love God's Love to Us; Peace; Profession of Faith; Rest; Thanksgiving & Gratitude; Witness Used With Tune: LEOMINSTER
Not What My Hands Have Done
Hymn 111
Author: Isaac Watts Meter: 8.6.8.6 Appears in 119 hymnals Scripture: Titus 3:3-7 First Line: Lord, we confess our num'rous faults Lyrics:
[Lord, we confess our num'rous faults,
How great our guilt has been!
Foolish and vain were all our thoughts,
And all our lives were sin.
But, O my soul! for ever praise,
For ever love his name,
Who turns thy feet from dangerous ways
Of folly, sin, and shame.]
['Tis not by works of righteousness
Which our own hands have done;
But we are saved by sovereign grace
Abounding through his Son.]
'Tis from the mercy of our God
That all our hopes begin;
'Tis by the water and the blood
Our souls are washed from sin.
'Tis through the purchase of his death
Who hung upon the tree,
The Spirit is sent down to breathe
On such dry bones as we.
Raised from the dead we live anew;
And, justified by grace,
We shall appear in glory too,
And see our Father's face.
Hymn 111
AR HYD Y NOS
Meter: 8.4.8.4.8.8.8.4 Appears in 277 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958 Scripture: Titus 3:4-7 Tune Sources: Welsh, 18th cent. Tune Key: F Major Incipit: 17612 17567 71176 Used With Text: Go, My Children, with My Blessing
AR HYD Y NOS
LEOMINSTER
Meter: 6.6.8.6 D Appears in 167 hymnals Composer and/or Arranger: George William Martin Scripture: Titus 3:5 Tune Key: D Major Incipit: 33333 44222 32233 Used With Text: Not What My Hands Have Done
LEOMINSTER
All hail the power of Jesu's name
Author: Edward Perronet, 1726-1792 Hymnal: Common Praise #163 (2000) Meter: 8.6.8.6 Scripture: Titus 3:5 Lyrics: 1 All hail the power of Jesu's name;
let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem
to crown him Lord of all.
*2 Crown him, ye morning stars of light,
who fixed this floating ball;
now hail the Strength of Israel's might,
and crown him Lord of all.
3 Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,
who from his altar call;
praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
and crown him Lord of all.
4 Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
ye ransomed of the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
5 Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
the wormwood and the gall,
go spread your trophies at his feet,
and crown him Lord of all.
6 Let every tribe and every tongue
to him their hearts enthral,
lift high the universal song
and crown him Lord of all. Topics: Ascension; Lent IV Year B; Easter VII Year A; Proper 21 Year A Languages: English Tune Title: MILES LANE
All hail the power of Jesu's name
Rock of Ages
Author: Augustus M. Toplady, 1740-1778 Hymnal: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism #103 (2018) Meter: 7.7.7.7.7.7 Scripture: Titus 3:5 First Line: Rock of ages, cleft for me Lyrics: 1 Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
2 Could my tears for ever flow,
Could my zeal no languish know,
These for sin could not atone-
Thou must save, and Thou alone:
In my hand no price I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
3 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee. Topics: The Assembly at Worship Grace, Mercy, Assurance; Cleansing; Jesus Christ Refuge; Purity; Salvation Languages: English Tune Title: TOPLADY
Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Author: Augustus M. Toplady Hymnal: Hymns for the Living Church #149 (1974) Meter: 7.7.7.7.7.7 Scripture: Titus 3:5 Lyrics: 1 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and pow'r.
2 Not the labors of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save and Thou alone.
3 Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die!
4 While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Amen. Topics: Christ Death; Christ Love of; Christ Passion; Christ Sacrifice; Christ Suffering Languages: English Tune Title: TOPLADY
Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
Horatius Bonar
1808 - 1889 Scripture: Titus 3:5 Author of "Not What My Hands Have Done" in Psalter Hymnal (Gray) Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions.
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872
================================
Bonar, Horatius, D.D. Dr. Bonar's family has had representatives among the clergy of the Church of Scotland during two centuries and more. His father, James Bonar, second Solicitor of Excise in Edinburgh, was a man of intellectual power, varied learning, and deop piety.
Horatius Bonar was born in Edinburgh, Dec. 19th, 1808; and educated at the High School and the University of Edinburgh. After completing his studies, he was "licensed" to preach, and became assistant to the Rev. John Lewis, minister of St. James's, Leith. He was ordained minister of the North Parish, Kelso, on the 30th November, 1837, but left the Established Church at the "Disruption," in May, 1848, remaining in Kelso as a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. The University of Aberdeen conferred on him the doctorate of divinity in 1853. In 1866 he was translated to the Chalmers Memorial Church, the Grange, Edinburgh; and in 1883 he was chosen Moderator of the General Assembly of of the Free Church of Scotland.
Dr. Bonar's hymns and poems were, he tells us, composed amid a great variety of circumstances; in many cases he cannot himself recall these circumstances; they also appeared in several publications, but nearly all have boen published or republished in the following:— (i) Songs for the Wilderness, 1843-4. (2) The Bible Hymn Book, 1845. (3) Hymns, Original and Selected, 1846. (4) Hymns of Faith and Hope, First Series, 1857; Second Series, 1861; Third Series, 1866. (5) The Song of the New Creation, 1872. (6) My Old Letters, a long poem, 1877. (7) Hymns of the Nativity, 1879. (8) Communion Hymns, 1881. In addition to numerous prose works, he has also edited The New Jerusalem; a Hymn of the Olden Time, 1852, &c.
Dr. Bonar's poems—-including many beautiful lyrics, several psalm versions, and translations from the Greek and Latin, a large number of hymns, and a long meditative poem—-are very numerous, too numerous, perhaps, for their permanent fame as a whole.
Dr. Bonar's scholarship is thorough and extensive; and his poems display the grace of style and wealth of allusion which are the fruit of ripe culture. Affected very slightly by current literary moods, still less by the influence of other religious poetry, they reveal extreme susceptibility to the emotional power which the phases of natural and of spiritual life exercise; the phases of natural life being recognised chiefly as conveying and fashioning spiritual life, used chiefly for depicting spiritual life, and handled for this purpose with greater delicacy of touch than in the Olney Hymns, and with less conscious purpose than in the Christian Year. As a result of this susceptibility, and from habitual contemplation of the Second Advent as the era of this world's true bliss, his hymns and poems are distinguished by a tone of pensive reflection, which some might call pessimism. But they are more than the record of emotion; another element is supplied by his intellectual and personal grasp of Divine truth, these truths particularly:—The gift of a Substitute, our Blessed Saviour; Divine grace, righteous, yet free and universal in offer; the duty of immediate reliance upon the privilege of immediate assurance through that grace; communion with God, especially in the Lord's Supper, respecting which he insists on the privilege of cherishing the highest conceptions which Scripture warrants; and finally, the Second Advent of our Lord: by his vigorous celebration of these and other truths as the source and strength of spiritual life, his hymns are protected from the blight of unhealthy, sentimental introspection.
To sum up: Dr. Bonar's hymns satisfy the fastidious by their instinctive good taste; they mirror the life of Christ in the soul, partially, perhaps, but with vivid accuracy; they win the heart by their tone of tender sympathy; they sing the truth of God in ringing notes; and although, when taken as a whole, they are not perfect ; although, in reading them, we meet with feeble stanzas, halting rhythm, defective rhyme, meaningless Iteration; yet a singularly large number have been stamped with approval, both in literary circles and by the Church.
In Great Britain and America nearly 100 of Dr. Bonar's hymns are in common use. They are found in almost all modern hymnals from four in Hymns Ancient & Modern to more than twenty in the American Songs for the Sanctuary, N. Y., 1865-72. The most widely known are, "A few more years shall roll;" "Come, Lord, and tarry not;" "Here, O my Lord, I see Thee face to face;" "I heard the Voice of Jesus say;" "The Church has waited long;" and "Thy way, not mine, O Lord."
In addition to these and others which are annotated under their respective first lines, the following are also in common use:—
From Songs for the Wilderness, No. 1, 1843.
1. For Thee we long and pray. Sunday Morning.
2. Holy Father, hear my cry. A Child's Prayer.
3. I thought upon my sins and I was sad. Christ our Peace.
4. Peace to the world, our Lord is come. A Millennial Song.
5. Spirit of everlasting grace. The Vision of Dry Bones.
ii. From Songs for the Wilderness, No. 2,1844.
6. Ho, ye thirsty, parched and fainting. Invitation.
7. 0 'tis not what we fancied it. The world renounced.
8. Sing them, my children, sing them still. Children exhorted to Praise.
9. Time's sun is fast setting. Advent.
10. Weep, pilgrim, weep, yet 'tis not for the sorrow. Faith.
11. Yes, for me, for me He careth. Christ the Elder Brother .
iii. From The Bible Hymn Book, 1845.
12. Jesus, my sorrow lies too deep. Jesus, the Great High Priest.
13. There is a Morning Star, my soul. The Morning Star.
14. This is not my place of resting. Pressing towards heaven.
iv. From Hymns, Original and Selected, 1845.
15. Let there be light, Jehovah said. Creation.
v. From Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1st series, 1857.
16. Be brave, my brother. The Fight of Faith.
17. Blessed be God, our God. Good Friday.
18. Everlasting praises. Doxology.
19. Go up, go up, my heart. Heavenly aspirations desired.
20. I close my heavy eye. Evening. Sometimes given as "We close our heavy eyes."
21. I see the crowd in Pilate's hall. Good Friday.
22. Jesus, while this rongh desert soil. Strength by the Way.
23. Jesus, Whom angel-hosts adore. The Word made Flesh. From "The Son of God, in mighty love."
24. Make haste, 0 man, to live. Exhortation to lay hold of Life.
25. No seas again shall sever. Heaven.
26. Oppressed with noonday's scorching heat. Shadow of the Cross.
27. Rest for the toiling hand. Burial. From "Lie down, frail body, here."
28. Shall this life of mine be wasted? Exhortation to Duty.
29. These are the crowns that we shall wear. Heaven.
30. Thy works, not mine, O Christ [Lord]. The Sin-bearer.
31. Where the faded flower shall freshen. Heaven.
vi. From Hymns of Faith and Hope. 2nd series, 1861.
32. Be still, my soul, Jehovah loveth Thee. Rest in the Love of God.
33. Christ has done the mighty work. Good Friday.
34. Come, mighty Spirit, penetrate. Whitsuntide.
35. Deep down beneath the unresting surge. Burial at Sea.
36. Fear not the foe, thou flock of God [thou little flock]. Battle-Song of the Church.
37. For lack of love I languish. Lent.
38. From this bleak hill of storms. Eternal Rest desired.
39. He liveth long who liveth well. The True Life.
40. Here shall death's triumph end: the rock-barred door. Easter. From "The tomb is empty: wouldst thou have it full."
41. Jesus, Sun and Shield art Thou. Jesus the First and Last.
42. Jesus, the Christ of God. Praise to Christ.
43. Light of the world, for ever, ever shining. Christ the Light of the World. From "Why walk in darkness? Has the dear light vanished?"
44. Make use of me, my God. Duty desired.
45. Not what I am, 0 Lord, but what Thou art. The Love of God.
46. 0 Light of Light, shine in. Cry of the Weary.
47. 0 love of God, how strong and true. Love of God.
48. 0 love that casts out fear. Love of God.
49. 0 strong to save and bless. Lent.
50. 0 this soul, how dark and blind. Lent.
51. Safe across the waters. Thanksgiving at end of a journey.
52. Silent, like men in solemn haste. Pressing onwards.
53. Speak, lips of mine. Exhortation to Praise.
54. The Bridegroom comes. Advent.
vii. From Hymns of Faith and Hope. 3rd series, 1866.
55. Bear Thou my burden, Thou Who bar'st my sin. Lent or Passiontide.
56. Done is the work that saves. Easter.
57. Father, our children keep. Prayer on behalf of Children.
58. Fill Thou my life, 0 Lord my God. Life's Praise.
59. Finish Thy work, the time is short. Earnest labour to the end.
60. From the Cross the blood is falling. Good Friday.
61. He called them, and they left. Obedience.
62. Help me, my [0] God to speak. Truth desired.
63. Holy Father, Mighty God. Holy Trinity.
64. How are my troubles multiplied. Ps. iii.
65. How sweetly doth He show His face Flower Service.
66. Light hath arisen, we walk in its brightness. Sustaining power of Faith.
67. Lo, God, our God has come. Christmas.
68. Lord, give me light to do Thy work. Divine guidance desired.
69. No, not despairingly. Lent.
70. Not to ourselves again. Life in Christ, or, Living unto God.
71. Now in parting, Father, bless us. Post Communion.
72. Sounds the trumpet from afar. Battle-Song of the Church.
73. Thee in the loving bloom of morn. God in all.
74. Through good report and evil, Lord. Faithfulness.
75. To Jehovah, God of might. Praise to the Father.
76. To the name of God on high. Doxology.
77. Upward, where the stars are burning. Heavenward Aspirations.
78. We take the peace which He hath won. The Gift of Peace.
79. When the weary, seeking rest. Intercession for all Conditions of Men.
viii. From The Song of the New Creation,1872.
80. For the Bread and for the Wine. Holy Communion.
81. Light of life so softly shining. Light of Life.
82. Yet there is room. The Lamb's bright hall of song. Home Missions.
ix. From Hymns of the Nativity, 1879.
83. Great Ruler of the land and sea. Sailors' Liturgy. From Communion Hymns, 1881.
84. Beloved, let us love. Brotherly Love.
In several instances these hymns are given in an abbreviated form, and sometimes alterations are also introduced. In this latter respect however Dr. Bonar has suffered less than most modern hymn-writers. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
====================
Bonar, Horatius, p. 161, i. He died at Edinburgh, July 31, 1889. In 1890 his son published a posthumous volume of his poetical pieces as Until the Day Break and other Hymns and Poems left behind. The following additional hymns are in common use:—
1. Almighty Comforter and Friend. (1866.) Whitsuntide.
2. Father, make use of me. An altered form of No. 44, p. 162, ii.
3. I ask a perfect creed. (1861.) Creed not Opinions. From this is also taken "O True One, give me truth."
4. Long, long deferred, now come at last. Marriage of the Lamb. Part of "Ascend, Beloved, to the joy." (1861.)
5. Nay 'tis not what we fancied it. (1857.) Vanity of the World.
6. No blood, no altar now. (1861.) The Finished Sacrifice.
7. No shadows yonder. (1857.) Heaven Anticipated.
8. Not with the light and vain. (1857.) Godly Companionship.
9. O Love invisible, yet infinite. (1866.) Divine Love.
10. On the great love of God I lean. (1866.) Love of God our Resting-place.
11. On Thee, O Jesus, strongly leaning. (1866.) Fellowship with Christ.
12. Peace upon peace, like wave on wave. (1866.) Divine Peace.
13. Sower divine, sow the good seed in me. (1857.) Heavenly Sowing.
14. Speaketh the sinner's sin within my heart. (1866.) Ps. xxxvi.
15. Still one in life and one in death. (1857.) Communion of Saints. Part of "'Tis thus they press the hand and part."
16. Surely, yon heaven, where angels see God's face. (1857.) Heaven Anticipated.
17. That city with the jewelled crest. (1857.) Heaven. Part of "These are the crowns that we shall wear." Another cento from the same is "Yon city, with the jewelled crest."
18. That clime is not like this dull clime of ours. (1843.) Heaven.
19. The Free One makes you free: He breaks the rod. (1857.) Freedom in Christ. From "Of old they sang the song of liberty."
20. There is a Morning-star, my soul. (1357.) Christ the Morning Star.
21. This is the day of toil. (1866.) Pressing Onwards.
22. Thy thoughts are here, my God. (1866.) Holy Scripture.
23. Till the day dawn. (1857.) Life's Journey.
24. To Him Who spread the skies. (1866.) Creation's Song.
25. Trustingly, trustingly. (1866.) Trust.
26. Unto th' eternal hills. (1866.) Ps. cxxi.
The above dates are: 1843, Songs in the Wilderness; 1857, Hymns of Faith and Hope, 1st Series; 1861, same, 2nd Ser. (not 1864); 1866, same, 3rd Ser. (not 1867), The dates 1857, 1864,1867, were given by Dr. Bonar, but the British Museum copies are 1857, 1861, 1866 respectively.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)
==============
Bonar, H., pp. 161, i.; 1554, i. The Rev. H. N. Bonar, Dr. Bonar's son, published in 1904, Hymns by Horatius Bonar, Selected and Arranged by his Son H. N. Bonar, With a brief History of some of the Hymns, &c. (London: H. Frowde). From this work we must correct the date of his Song of the New Creation to 1872. We have also enriched our pages by additional and expanded notes on several of Dr. Bonar's most widely used hymns. In his biographical notes, Mr. Bonar refers to Dr. Bonar's work as editor of the Quarterly Journal of Prophecy, begun in 1848, to which he contributed a hymn for each number. We find that the number of hymns contributed thereto is 101.
With Dr. Bonar's poetical productions great difficulty has been encountered by the historian and annotator because of his absolute indifference to dates and details. It was enough for him that he had written, and that the Church of Christ approved and gladly used what, out of the fulness of his heart, he had given her.
--Excerpt from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
Horatius Bonar
Augustus Toplady
1740 - 1778 Person Name: Augustus M. Toplady Scripture: Titus 3:5 Author of "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me" in The Worshiping Church Toplady, Augustus Montague, the author of "Rock of Ages," was born at Farnham, Surrey, November 4, 1740. His father was an officer in the British army. His mother was a woman of remarkable piety. He prepared for the university at Westminster School, and subsequently was graduated at Trinity College, Dublin. While on a visit in Ireland in his sixteenth year he was awakened and converted at a service held in a barn in Codymain. The text was Ephesians ii. 13: "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." The preacher was an illiterate but warm-hearted layman named Morris. Concerning this experience Toplady wrote: "Strange that I, who had so long sat under the means of grace in England, should be brought nigh unto God in an obscure part of Ireland, amidst a handful of God's people met together in a barn, and under the ministry of one who could hardly spell his name. Surely this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous." In 1758, through the influence of sermons preached by Dr. Manton on the seventeenth chapter of John, he became an extreme Calvinist in his theology, which brought him later into conflict with Mr. Wesley and the Methodists. He was ordained to the ministry in the Church of England in 1762, and in 1768 he became vicar of Broadhembury, a small living in Devonshire, which he held until his death. The last two or three years of his life he passed in London, where he preached in a chapel on Orange Street. His last sickness was of such a character that he was able to make a repeated and emphatic dying testimony. A short time before his death he asked his physician what he thought. The reply was that his pulse showed that his heart was beating weaker every day. Toplady replied with a smile: "Why, that is a good sign that my death is fast approaching; and, blessed be God, I can add that my heart beats stronger and stronger every day for glory." To another friend he said: "O, my dear sir, I cannot tell you the comforts I feel in my soul; they are past expression. . . . My prayers are all converted into praise." He died of consumption August 11, 1778. His volume of Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship was published in 1776. Of the four hundred and nineteen hymns which it contained, several were his own productions.
If on a quiet sea 446
Rock of ages, cleft for me 279
Hymn Writers of the Church, 1915 by Charles S. Nutter
===============================================
Toplady, Augustus Montague, M.A. The life of Toplady has been repeatedly and fully written, the last, a somewhat discursive and slackly put together book, yet matterful, by W. Winters (1872). Summarily, these data may be here given: he was born at Farnham, in Surrey, on November 4, 1740. His father, Richard Toplady, was a Major in the British array, and was killed at the siege of Carthagena (1741) soon after the birth of his son. His widowed mother placed him at the renowned Westminster school, London. By-and-by circumstances led her to Ireland, and young Augustus was entered at Trinity College, Dublin, where he completed his academical training, ultimately graduating M.A. He also received his "new birth" in Ireland under remarkable conditions, as he himself tells us with oddly mixed humility and lofty self-estimate, as "a favourite of heaven," common to his school:—
"Strange that I who had so long sat under the means of grace in England should be brought right unto God in an obscure part of Ireland, midst a handful of people met together in a barn, and by the ministry of one who could hardly spell his own name. Surely it was the Lord's doing and is marvellous. The excellency of such power must be of God and cannot be of man. The regenerating spirit breathes not only on whom but likewise, when and where and as He listeth."
Toplady received orders in the Church of England on June 6, 1762, and after some time was appointed to Broadhembury. His Psalms and Hymns of 1776 bears that he was then “B.A." and Vicar of Broadhembury. Shortly thereafter be is found in London as minister of the Chapel of the French Calvinists in Leicester Fields. He was a strong and partizan Calvinist, and not well-informed theologically outside of Calvinism. We willingly and with sense of relief leave unstirred the small thick dust of oblivion that has gathered on his controversial writings, especially his scurrilous language to John Wesley because of his Arminianism, as we do John Wesley's deplorable misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Calvinism.
Throughout Toplady lacked the breadth of the divine Master's watchword "Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us" (St. Luke ix. 50). He was impulsive, rash-spoken, reckless in misjudgment; but a flame of genuine devoutness burned in the fragile lamp of his overtasked and wasted body. He died on August 11, 1778. The last edition of his works is in 6 vols., 8 vo., 1825. An accurate reproduction of most of his genuine hymns was one of the reprints of Daniel Sedgwick, 1860. His name occurs and recurs in contemporary memoirs and ecclesiastical histories, e.g., in Tyerman's Life of John Wesley. The reader will find in their places annotations on the several hymns of Toplady, and specially on his "Rock of Ages,” a song of grace that has given him a deeper and more inward place in millions of human hearts from generation to generation than almost any other hymnologist of our country, not excepting Charles Wesley. Besides the "Rock of Ages" must be named, for power, intensity, and higher afflatus and nicer workmanship, "Object of my first desire,” and "Deathless principle arise." It is to be regretted that the latter has not been more widely accepted. It is strong, firm, stirring, and masterful. Regarded critically, it must be stated that the affectionateness with which Toplady is named, and the glow and passion of his faith and life, and yearning after holiness, have led to an over-exaltation of him as a hymnwriter. Many of his hymns have been widely used, and especially in America, and in the Evangelical hymnbooks of the Church of England. Year by year, however, the number in use is becoming less. The reason is soon found. He is no poet or inspired singer. He climbs no heights. He sounds no depths. He has mere vanishing gleams of imaginative light. His greatness is the greatness of goodness. He is a fervent preacher, not a bard. [Rev. A. B. Grosart, D.D., LL.D.]
Toplady's hymns and poetical pieces were published in his:—
(1) Poems on Sacred Subjects wherein The Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity, with many other interesting Points, are occasionally introduced. . . Dublin: Printed by S. Powell, in Crane-lane, MDCCLIX.; (2) his Psalms & Hymns for Public and Private Worship, 1776; (3) in The Gospel Magazine, 1771-1776; and (4) in Hymns and Sacred Poems on a variety of Divine Subjects, &c. D. Sedgwick's reprint, 1860. His Works, with a Memoir by W. Row, were published in 6 volumes, in 1794. Walter How was also the editor of the 2nd and some later editions of the Psalms & Hymns. He was a most careless editor, and attributed several hymns by C. Wesley and others to Toplady.
The following additional hymns in common use together with centos indicated in the sub-lines, are from:—
i. His Poems on Sacred Subjects, 1759.
1. Can my heaven-born soul submit? All for Christ.
2. Come from on high, my King and God. Holiness desired.
(1.) 0 might this worthless heart of mine.
3. Earnest of future bliss. The Witness of the Spirit.
4. From Thy supreme tribunal, Lord. Christ's Righteousness a Refuge.
(1.) The spotless Saviour lived for me.
5. Great God, Whom heaven, and earth, and sea. For Peace.
6. I saw, and lo! a countless throng. Saints' Days. Revised form in the Gospel Magazine, 1774, p. 449.
7. Immovable our hope remains. Divine Faithfulness.
8. Jesus, God of love, attend. Divine Worship. Pt. ii. is "Prayer can mercy's door unlock."
9. Jesus, Thy power I fain would feel. Lent.
10. Lord, I feel a carnal mind. Mind of Christ desired.
11. My yielding heart dissolves as wax. On behalf of Arians, &c.
(1.) 0 Jesus, manifest Thy grace.
12. Not to myself I owe. Praise for Conversion,
(1.) Not to ourselves we owe.
(2.) The Father's grace and love.
13. 0 that my heart was right with Thee. Dedication to God desired.
14. 0 Thou that hearest the prayer of faith. Christ the Propitiation.
15. 0 Thou Who didst Thy glory leave. Thanksgiving for Redemption.
16. 0 when wilt Thou my Saviour be. Trust in Jesus.
(1.) Jesus, the sinner's Rest Thou art.
17. Redeemer, whither should I flee? Safety in the Cross.
18. Remember, Lord, that Jesus bled. Pardon.
19. Surely Christ thy griefs hath borne. Redemption. Revised text in Gospel Magazine, 1774, p. 548.
(1.) Weary sinner, keep thine eyes.
(2.) Weeping soul, no longer mourn.
ii. From the Gospel Magazine.
20. Compared with Christ, in all besides. Christ All in All. Feb. 1772.
21. Eternal Hallelujahs Be to the Father given. Holy Trinity, Dec. 1774.
22. From whence this fear and unbelief. Reviving Faith, Feb. 1772.
23. How vast the benefits divine. Redemption. Dec. 1774. From this "Not for the works which we have done" is taken.
24. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? Christ All and in All, Feb. 1772. From this "If my Lord Himself reveal" is taken.
25. Jesus, immutably the same. Jesus, the True Vine. June, 1771.
All these hymns, together with "O precious blood, 0 glorious death" (Death of Christ), are in D. Sedgwick's reprint of Toplady's Hymns, &c, 1860. We have met with several other hymns to which Toplady's name is appended, but for this we can find no authority whatever.
-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
Augustus Toplady
Isaac Watts
1674 - 1748 Scripture: Titus 3:3-7 Author of "Hymn 111" in Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary labours. He did not retire from ministerial duties, but preached as often as his delicate health would permit.
The number of Watts' publications is very large. His collected works, first published in 1720, embrace sermons, treatises, poems and hymns. His "Horae Lyricae" was published in December, 1705. His "Hymns" appeared in July, 1707. The first hymn he is said to have composed for religious worship, is "Behold the glories of the Lamb," written at the age of twenty. It is as a writer of psalms and hymns that he is everywhere known. Some of his hymns were written to be sung after his sermons, giving expression to the meaning of the text upon which he had preached. Montgomery calls Watts "the greatest name among hymn-writers," and the honour can hardly be disputed. His published hymns number more than eight hundred.
Watts died November 25, 1748, and was buried at Bunhill Fields. A monumental statue was erected in Southampton, his native place, and there is also a monument to his memory in the South Choir of Westminster Abbey. "Happy," says the great contemporary champion of Anglican orthodoxy, "will be that reader whose mind is disposed, by his verses or his prose, to imitate him in all but his non-conformity, to copy his benevolence to men, and his reverence to God." ("Memorials of Westminster Abbey," p. 325.)
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872.
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Watts, Isaac, D.D. The father of Dr. Watts was a respected Nonconformist, and at the birth of the child, and during its infancy, twice suffered imprisonment for his religious convictions. In his later years he kept a flourishing boarding school at Southampton. Isaac, the eldest of his nine children, was born in that town July 17, 1674. His taste for verse showed itself in early childhood. He was taught Greek, Latin, and Hebrew by Mr. Pinhorn, rector of All Saints, and headmaster of the Grammar School, in Southampton. The splendid promise of the boy induced a physician of the town and other friends to offer him an education at one of the Universities for eventual ordination in the Church of England: but this he refused; and entered a Nonconformist Academy at Stoke Newington in 1690, under the care of Mr. Thomas Rowe, the pastor of the Independent congregation at Girdlers' Hall. Of this congregation he became a member in 1693.
Leaving the Academy at the age of twenty, he spent two years at home; and it was then that the bulk of the Hymns and Spiritual Songs (published 1707-9) were written, and sung from manuscripts in the Southampton Chapel. The hymn "Behold the glories of the Lamb" is said to have been the first he composed, and written as an attempt to raise the standard of praise. In answer to requests, others succeeded. The hymn "There is a land of pure delight" is said to have been suggested by the view across Southampton Water. The next six years of Watts's life were again spent at Stoke Newington, in the post of tutor to the son of an eminent Puritan, Sir John Hartopp; and to the intense study of these years must be traced the accumulation of the theological and philosophical materials which he published subsequently, and also the life-long enfeeblement of his constitution.
Watts preached his first sermon when he was twenty-four years old. In the next three years he preached frequently; and in 1702 was ordained pastor of the eminent Independent congregation in Mark Lane, over which Caryl and Dr. John Owen had presided, and which numbered Mrs. Bendish, Cromwell's granddaughter, Charles Fleetwood, Charles Desborough, Sir John Hartopp, Lady Haversham, and other distinguished Independents among its members. In this year he removed to the house of Mr. Hollis in the Minories. His health began to fail in the following year, and Mr. Samuel Price was appointed as his assistant in the ministry. In 1712 a fever shattered his constitution, and Mr. Price was then appointed co-pastor of the congregation which had in the meantime removed to a new chapel in Bury Street. It was at this period that he became the guest of Sir Thomas Abney, under whose roof, and after his death (1722) that of his widow, he remained for the rest of his suffering life; residing for the longer portion of these thirty-six years principally at the beautiful country seat of Theobalds in Herts, and for the last thirteen years at Stoke Newington. His degree of D.D. was bestowed on him in 1728, unsolicited, by the University of Edinburgh. His infirmities increased on him up to the peaceful close of his sufferings, Nov. 25, 1748. He was buried in the Puritan restingplace at Bunhill Fields, but a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey.
His learning and piety, gentleness and largeness of heart have earned him the title of the Melanchthon of his day. Among his friends, churchmen like Bishop Gibson are ranked with Nonconformists such as Doddridge. His theological as well as philosophical fame was considerable. His Speculations on the Human Nature of the Logos, as a contribution to the great controversy on the Holy Trinity, brought on him a charge of Arian opinions. His work on The Improvement of the Mind, published in 1741, is eulogised by Johnson. His Logic was still a valued textbook at Oxford within living memory. The World to Come, published in 1745, was once a favourite devotional work, parts of it being translated into several languages. His Catechisms, Scripture History (1732), as well as The Divine and Moral Songs (1715), were the most popular text-books for religious education fifty years ago. The Hymns and Spiritual Songs were published in 1707-9, though written earlier. The Horae Lyricae, which contains hymns interspersed among the poems, appeared in 1706-9. Some hymns were also appended at the close of the several Sermons preached in London, published in 1721-24. The Psalms were published in 1719. The earliest life of Watts is that by his friend Dr. Gibbons. Johnson has included him in his Lives of the Poets; and Southey has echoed Johnson's warm eulogy. The most interesting modern life is Isaac Watts: his Life and Writings, by E. Paxton Hood. [Rev. H. Leigh Bennett, M.A.]
A large mass of Dr. Watts's hymns and paraphrases of the Psalms have no personal history beyond the date of their publication. These we have grouped together here and shall preface the list with the books from which they are taken.
(l) Horae Lyricae. Poems chiefly of the Lyric kind. In Three Books Sacred: i.To Devotion and Piety; ii. To Virtue, Honour, and Friendship; iii. To the Memory of the Dead. By I. Watts, 1706. Second edition, 1709. (2) Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In Three Books: i. Collected from the Scriptures; ii. Composed on Divine Subjects; iii. Prepared for the Lord's Supper. By I. Watts, 1707. This contained in Bk i. 78 hymns; Bk. ii. 110; Bk. iii. 22, and 12 doxologies. In the 2nd edition published in 1709, Bk. i. was increased to 150; Bk. ii. to 170; Bk. iii. to 25 and 15 doxologies. (3) Divine and Moral Songs for the Use of Children. By I. Watts, London, 1715. (4) The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, And apply'd to the Christian State and Worship. By I. Watts. London: Printed by J. Clark, at the Bible and Crown in the Poultry, &c, 1719. (5) Sermons with hymns appended thereto, vol. i., 1721; ii., 1723; iii. 1727. In the 5th ed. of the Sermons the three volumes, in duodecimo, were reduced to two, in octavo. (6) Reliquiae Juveniles: Miscellaneous Thoughts in Prose and Verse, on Natural, Moral, and Divine Subjects; Written chiefly in Younger Years. By I. Watts, D.D., London, 1734. (7) Remnants of Time. London, 1736.
454 Hymns and Versions of the Psalms, in addition to the centos are all in common use at the present time.
--Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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Watts, I. , p. 1241, ii. Nearly 100 hymns, additional to those already annotated, are given in some minor hymn-books.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)
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Watts, I. , p. 1236, i. At the time of the publication of this Dictionary in 1892, every copy of the 1707 edition of Watts's Hymns and Spiritual Songs was supposed to have perished, and all notes thereon were based upon references which were found in magazines and old collections of hymns and versions of the Psalms. Recently three copies have been recovered, and by a careful examination of one of these we have been able to give some of the results in the revision of pp. 1-1597, and the rest we now subjoin.
i. Hymns in the 1709 ed. of Hymns and Spiritual Songs which previously appeared in the 1707 edition of the same book, but are not so noted in the 1st ed. of this Dictionary:—
On pp. 1237, L-1239, ii., Nos. 18, 33, 42, 43, 47, 48, 60, 56, 58, 59, 63, 75, 82, 83, 84, 85, 93, 96, 99, 102, 104, 105, 113, 115, 116, 123, 124, 134, 137, 139, 146, 147, 148, 149, 162, 166, 174, 180, 181, 182, 188, 190, 192, 193, 194, 195, 197, 200, 202.
ii. Versions of the Psalms in his Psalms of David, 1719, which previously appeared in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707:—
On pp. 1239, U.-1241, i., Nos. 241, 288, 304, 313, 314, 317, 410, 441.
iii. Additional not noted in the revision:—
1. My soul, how lovely is the place; p. 1240, ii. 332. This version of Ps. lxiv. first appeared in the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, as "Ye saints, how lovely is the place."
2. Shine, mighty God, on Britain shine; p. 1055, ii. In the 1707 edition of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, Bk. i., No. 35, and again in his Psalms of David, 1719.
3. Sing to the Lord with [cheerful] joyful voice, p. 1059, ii. This version of Ps. c. is No. 43 in the Hymns & Spiritual Songs, 1707, Bk. i., from which it passed into the Ps. of David, 1719.
A careful collation of the earliest editions of Watts's Horae Lyricae shows that Nos. 1, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, p. 1237, i., are in the 1706 ed., and that the rest were added in 1709. Of the remaining hymns, Nos. 91 appeared in his Sermons, vol. ii., 1723, and No. 196 in Sermons, vol. i., 1721. No. 199 was added after Watts's death. It must be noted also that the original title of what is usually known as Divine and Moral Songs was Divine Songs only.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)
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See also in:
Hymn Writers of the Church
Isaac Watts
