When Men, Pretending To Be Wise

When men, pretending to be wise

Author: John Needham
Tune: DALEHURST
Published in 1 hymnal

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 When men, pretending to be wise,
Forsook plain nature’s rule,
Their minds in endless mazes lost,
The man became the fool.

2 Tho’ nature showed the One supreme,
Fancy soon marred her book;
And for the God that made the world,
His various works mistook.

3 Sun, moon, and stars, are first adored,
Then man is made divine;
Each people form their guardian god,
And bow before his shrine.

4 The nations still more stupid grow,
And turn to very stocks;
The learned Egyptian’s god behold,
It is a grazing ox.

5 Blush, Israel, blush, the chosen seed
Into like madness run;
Israel first saved, then bid to hear
The Lord their God was one.

6 Their gods above, and gods below,
Let heathen nations frame;
One is our God, and Father, too,
Jehovah is His name.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #9464

Author: John Needham

Needham, John, was the son of John Needham, Baptist Minister, of Hitchin, Herts, but the date of his birth is unknown. He would doubtless be educated by his father, who was a tutor and in repute as a learned man. In 1750 Needham became co-pastor with John Beddome at the Baptist meetinghouse in the Pithay, Bristol; but, two years later, Beddome having retired through age, a violent controversy arose in the Church with regard to a continuance of the plan of co-pastorship. As the result, Needham and a number of his friends removed to a Baptist meetinghouse in Callowhill Street, where a Mr. Foot was pastor. For a time the two societies used the same builing at different hours, but in 1755 they were united, with Mr. Needham and Mr. Foot as co-pa… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: When men, pretending to be wise
Title: When Men, Pretending To Be Wise
Author: John Needham
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Source: Hymns Devotional and Moral on Various Subjects (Bristol, England: S. Farley, 1768)
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #9464
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

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The Cyber Hymnal #9464

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