As an English Christian Minister as well as a theologian and logician, Isaac Watts is recognised as the “Godfather of English Hymnody” and is credited with at least 750 hymns. Many of Watts’ hymns are still used today, particularly When I Survey the Wondrous Cross and the popular Christmas carol Joy to the World.
Isaac Watts was born in Southampton in 1674 to nonconformist parents. At the time, it was illegal to go against the teachings of the Church of England and Watts’ father was imprisoned on two separate occasions. From a young age, Watts had the tendency to invent short rhymes, which angered his father who would beat him as punishment. Instead of deterring the young boy, Watts responded: “O father, father, pity take And I will no more verses make.” Watts attended the independent King Edward VI School in Southampton where he learnt Latin, Greek and Hebrew, however, due to his nonconformist background, he was not allowed to attend prestigious universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge. Instead, Watts attended the Dissenting Academy at Stoke Newington. After completing his education, Watts felt called to enter the church, becoming the pastor of Mark Lane Congregational Chapel in London. He also helped to train preachers, focusing on religious education rather than the teachings of a particular denomination. Later, Watts worked as a private tutor for a nonconformist family in Stoke Newington where he got to know their neighbours, Sir Thomas Abney and Lady Mary. Eventually, Watts moved into the Abney household where he remained for 36 years, even after the death of Sir Thomas. Watts was still living at Abney House when he passed away in 1748. Watts particularly liked the grounds at Abney Park in which the house was situated. It was here that he wrote many of his hymns, essays and educational works. Traditionally, hymns were based on the Psalms, however, Watts introduced new forms of poetry and encouraged the singing of hymns in general church services and not only for particular events and occasions. As well as hymns and poetry, Watts spent a great deal of time writing Logick, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard Against Error in the Affairs of Religion and Human Life, as well as in the Sciences, which was first published in 1724. Known as Logic for short, the book became the standard text on the subject at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale – universities that he, ironically, was not allowed to attend. Despite his nonconformist lifestyle, Watts was honoured with a monument in Westminster Abbey and a statue in Abney Park. The Church of England and the Lutheran Church remembers Watts for his ministerial service in the Calendar of the Saints on 25th November, which was the date he died at the age of 74. In Southampton, the place of his birth, the Isaac Watts Memorial United Reformed Church was built after the Second World War. Since there are so many hymns by Watts, it is impossible to list them all but there is are handful, which we still sing that are worth mentioning. Joy to the World is loosely based on Psalms 98 and 96 as well as Genesis 3:17-18. Unlike other hymns based on the Psalms, the lyrics are Watts’ interpretation and call everyone to celebrate that God has brought salvation to the world. When I Survey the Wondrous Crossis significant for being a departure from the norm, only loosely paraphrasing the Bible rather than quoting Psalms or passages. The beginning of the second stanza is the closest the hymn comes to quoting the Bible. Galatians 6:14 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whichthe world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Watts adapted this verse to read, “Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the Death of Christ my God.” Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun is an adaption of Psalm 73, which may have been written by King Solomon. Watts’ lyrics “His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,” correspond with the 8thverse of the Psalm, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” This hymn was chosen by King George III to commemorate the opening of a Christian government in the South Sea Islands. Our God, Our Help in Ages Past paraphrases Psalm 90 and is often sung at Remembrance Day services, particularly in Canada. This was the final hymn that was sung at a service on the Titanic, the morning of the day it sank. It was also sung at the funeral of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Psalm 90 is attributed to Moses, which would make it the first Psalm to be written chronologically. Other hymns by Isaac Watts include Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, This is the Day the Lord Hath Made, and I Sing the Mighty Power of God.
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John Mason Neale was an Anglican priest, scholar and hymn writer who is mostly remembered for his contributions to Christmas hymns and carols. Neale was born in London on 24thJanuary 1818 to clergyman Cornelius Neale (1789-1823) and Susannah. Neale’s younger sister Elizabeth (1822-1901) went on to found the Anglican religious order The Community of the Holy Cross.
Neale attended the independent boarding school Sherborne School in Dorset, followed by Trinity College, Cambridge where he failed to achieve an honours degree due to his lack of ability in mathematics. Nonetheless, by 22, Neale was the chaplain of Downing College, Cambridge and helped to found the Cambridge Camden Society. The society aimed to promote more Gothic architecture in churches. In 1842, Neale was ordained and became incumbent of Crawley in Sussex. Unfortunately, he did not hold this position for long because he was forced to resign due to chronic lung disease. To ease his condition, Neale spent the winter in the Madeira Islands where he concentrated on writing his theological book History of the Eastern Church. By 1846, Neale was fit to work once more and became the warden of Sackville College, a Jacobean almshouse in East Grinstead. In East Grinstead, Neale set up the Society of Saint Margaret, which was dedicated to nursing the sick. The society was run by nuns and spread throughout Britain and eventually to the USA, Haiti and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, Protestants were suspicious of the society because they associated nuns with Catholicism. In 1857, Neale was attacked at a funeral for one of the society’s sisters; however, he received little sympathy in England. Fortunately, he was better respected in the USA and received a doctorate from Trinity College, Connecticut. Due to his interest in the Eastern Church, Neale founded the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches Union in 1864. Although he endured a lot of opposition for this, he dedicated his time to translating Eastern liturgies into English. He also translated ancient, medieval, Greek and Latin hymns into English. These include All Glory, Laud and Honour, O come, O come, Emmanuel and Of the Father’s Heart Begotten. All Glory, Laud and Honour was a hymn written by Theodulf of Orléans in 820. Based on Psalm 2:1-11, the hymn was intended to be sung on Palm Sunday. Theodulf, who had once been Bishop of Orléans under the rule of Charlemagne, was in prison at the time he wrote the hymn. His imprisoner, Louis the Pious, heard Theodulf singing the song and ordered his release. He also ordered the song to be sung every Palm Sunday thereafter. Neale translated O come, O come, Emmanuel from the original Latin in 1851. The first verse began, “Draw nigh, draw nigh, Emmanuel,” but ten years later, Neale modernised the hymn, so it began, “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” The version we sing today was updated in 1906 by T. A. Lacey. O come, O come, Emmanuel is traditionally sung in the week preceding Christmas day, although some churches have adopted it as a hymn to sing throughout Advent. There are two other Christmas hymns that Neale is remembered for:
During his lifetime, Neale wrote more books than he did hymns. By his death on 6thAugust 1866, at the age of 48, Neale had written or contributed to at least twenty books. After his death, Neale was commemorated in the Calendar of the Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Anglican Churches. Henry Francis Lyte was an Anglican preacher, hymnodist and poet whose best hymns include Abide With Me, and Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven. Born on 1st June 1793, Lyte was the second son of Thomas and Anna Marie Lyte of Ednam, Scotland. His father arranged for Lyte and his older brother to attend Portora Royal School in Ulster, Ireland, but then deserted the family. Shortly after this, Lyte’s mother died, however, recognising his ability, the headteacher of the school agreed to pay Lyte’s fees and "welcomed him into his own family during the holidays." Lyte went on to study at Trinity College, Dublin, after which he took Anglican holy orders in 1815. His first curacy was in County Wexham, however, Lyte was not sure whether he was in the right vocation. Yet, the following year, Lyte experienced an evangelical conversion and began studying the Bible in earnest. By 1817, Lyte had become a curate in Cornwall where he met and married Anne Maxwell. Seven years older than her husband, Anne was a keen Methodist and the marriage worked well. They had five children, the youngest being Farnham Maxwell-Lyte, a pioneer of photography. Lyte’s daughter Emily Jeanette bore Lyte a grandson who went on to be known as Sir Henry Churchill Maxwell Lyte, the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records. From 1820 to 1822, Lyte lived and worked in Hampshire before relocating to Devon. In 1824, the family settled in Lower Brixham where he established the first Sunday school in the Torbay area, plus a Sailors’ Sunday school. The latter provided general schooling for uneducated sailors. Lyte became so popular in Lower Brixham, the church had to be enlarged. Admittedly, some people were attracted to Lyte for his good looks and personal charm, although he was slightly eccentric. He was an expert flautist who could often be found with his flute nearby. He could speak Latin, Greek and French; enjoyed literature; and had considerable knowledge of wildflowers. Yet, he still had time for his parish, predominately consisting of fishermen, and supplied every ship with a Bible. He also compiled religious songs and devotions for the men to use whilst at sea. Lyte even found time to dabble in politics, in which he took a Conservative stance, assisting Samuel Wilberforce in his request to abolish slavery in Great Britain. Lyte published a few books, mostly of poems, but also a small collection of psalms and hymns entitled The Spirit of the Psalms. With lyrics based on the Psalms, Lyte’s most famous hymn is Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide. This was written after Lyte had preached his final sermon before travelling to the continent for health reasons, from which he never returned. Based on Luke 24:29 (But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.), it became a favourite of George V and George VI. It is also the hymn the nurse Edith Cavell sang whilst she faced a German firing squad and her death. Abide With Me has been sung at every FA Cup Final since the 1927 game between Arsenal and Cardiff City. The first and last verses are traditionally sung about 15 minutes before kick-off. Rugby League followed suit, singing the hymn at every Challenge Cup Final since 1929, the first time the match took place at Wembley Stadium. Along with Abide With Me, Lyte’s top four hymns are Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven; Jesus, I my cross have taken; and Pleasant are Thy courts above. Praise, my soul is based on Psalm 103 and was sung at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen) and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It was also the first hymn sung at the funeral of former US President George H. W. Bush. Sadly, Lyte began experiencing health problems from a young age, writing the poem Declining Days when he was only 46. Before then, Lyte had been diagnosed with debilitating asthma and bronchitis, for which he sought treatment in continental Europe. As a result, his congregation began to diminish, preferring a vicar who was fit and well over one who could not guarantee he would be well enough to preach. By 1840, Lyte was spending most of his time in the south of France and Italy where the climate was better for his lungs. This meant he was unable to conduct his daughter’s wedding ceremony. Nevertheless, Lyte always appeared cheerful and interested in current affairs. He returned to England for the summer of 1847, where he preached for the final time before heading back to Italy. In November, he passed away in Nice. His final words were recorded as “Peace! Joy!” "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven; To his feet thy tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, Who like me his praise should sing?"
~ Henry Francis Lyte Augustus Montague Toplady was an Anglican cleric and hymn writer best known for the hymn Rock of Ages. Not many of his songs are sung today but he is still worth remembering for being a Calvinist and major opponent of John Wesley. Toplady was born in November 1740 in Farnham, Surrey, to Richard, an Irish commissioned officer of the Royal Marines, and Catherine. Unfortunately, Toplady’s father died from yellow fever during the War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739-42) leaving Catherine to raise their son alone. Catherine relocated to London so that Toplady could attend Westminster School from 1750 to 1755, after which they moved to Ireland. In Dublin, Toplady enrolled in Trinity College where he heard a sermon preached by James Morris, a follower of John Wesley. Inspired by this, Toplady initially followed Methodist ideas until he read a book by a Calvinist author when he was 18 years old. Following his graduation in 1760, Toplady and his mother returned to Westminster where he met several Calvinist ministers. In 1762, the Bishop of Bath and Wells appointed Toplady curate of Blagdon, in Somerset. It was whilst he was in Blagdon that he composed Rock of Ages. In 1763, Toplady was walking along the gorge of Burrington Combe in the Mendip Hills near Blagdon when he was caught in a storm. His only shelter was a fissure in the gorge and it was while he sat there waiting out the storm that the initial lyrics of Rock of Ages came to him. The hymn is also based on Psalm 94:22, which says, “But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.” The fissure that is believed to have sheltered Toplady is known today as “Rock of Ages”. Toplady was ordained as a priest in 1764 and served briefly as a curate of Farleigh Hungerford in Somerset. His next post was in Devon where he became incumbent of Harpford and Venn Ottery, which he later exchanged for the post of vicar of Broadhembury. He kept this post until his death. Although Toplady never married, he had relationships with a couple of women. The first was Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, who founded a small society of Calvinist Methodist chapels. Toplady preached in a few of her chapels but seemingly their relationship did not last. The second was Catherine Macaulay, a historian, who Toplady spent considerable time with between 1773 and 1777. During his life, Toplady wrote several books, beginning with Poems on Sacred Subjects while he was studying in Dublin. He wrote on a wide variety of topics, including animals and the natural world. In some of his works, he marvels on the behaviour of birds and his observations of nature, however, he also applied religious teachings, such as in his speech on Whether unnecessary cruelty to the brute creation is not criminal? Although he remained the vicar of Broadhembury, Toplady spent his final three years in London, preaching regularly at a French Calvinist chapel at Orange Street. This can be found behind the National Gallery. Unfortunately, Toplady was never able to return to his parish having succumbed to tuberculosis on 11th August 1778. He was buried at Whitefield’s Tabernacle on Tottenham Court Road. Hymns by Toplady, although not well known, include:
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."
~ Augustus Toplady Most people will have heard of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, however, his brother Charles was equally important. During his life, Charles wrote about 6,500 hymns, many of which are familiar today. Charles was the eighteenth child of Susanna and Samuel Wesley, born on 18th December 1707 in Epworth, Lincolnshire. Charles decided to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a rector and was ordained whilst studying at Christ Church, Oxford. Whilst at university, Charles formed a prayer group with his friends; however, his brother John later took over the group. Known for their methodical approach to Bible study, other students mocked them, calling them the “Holy Club”, “Sacramentarians”, and “the Methodists.” After university, which Charles graduated with a master’s degree in classical languages and literature, he and John followed their father into Anglican orders. In 1935, Charles and John sailed to Savannah in Georgia Colony (later State) where he was appointed secretary of Indian Affairs. He then became a chaplain at a small garrison but, after bad experiences, returned to England in August 1736. Back in England, Charles experienced an evangelical conversion, which urged him to spread the Gospel to ordinary people. Although he spent a lot of time preaching, often in the open air, Charles’ main contribution was his poetic hymns. Within these hymns, he tried to communicate several themes, including the Holy Spirit, the depravity of mankind, and the relationship between humans and God. Not only did his hymns aid the spread of Methodism, but they also had a significant influence on modern theology in general. Recognisable hymns include:
Charles Wesley’s hymns will likely be sung forever, particularly since he was listed in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1995. Two of his hymns, “Lo! He Comes…” and “Hark! The Herald…” are two of the so-called Great Four Anglican Hymns. Since Charles spent the majority of his time writing and preaching, his family often came with him on his journeys across Britain. In 1749, Charles married Sarah Gwynne, the daughter of a Welsh magistrate who had converted to Methodism. They had seven children in total, however, only three survived infancy: Charles Junior, Sarah “Sally” and Samuel. Both boys were musical prodigies and became organists and composers. Charles Junior became the personal organist of the Royal Family and Samuel became one of the most accomplished musicians in the world, earning the title “the English Mozart”. From 1756 onwards, Charles was mostly travelling between Bristol and London but, in 1771, decided to make London his permanent home. He purchased 1 Chesterfield Street (now Wheatley Street), Marylebone, where he and his family remained until Charles died in 1788. Charles Wesley died on 29th March 1788 at the age of 80. Since he still considered himself to be a member of the Church of England, despite helping to form Methodism, he was buried in the St Marylebone Parish Church graveyard. "The Bible must be the invention either of good men or angels, bad men or devils, or of God. However, it was not written by good men, because good men would not tell lies by saying 'Thus saith the Lord;' it was not written by bad men because they would not write about doing good duty, while condemning sin, and themselves to hell; thus, it must be written by divine inspiration"
~ Charles Wesley |
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