150. My faith looks up to Thee
Ray Palmer, 1808-87
This hymn was written when the author had just left Yale at the age of 21 and was looking forward to his lifework in the Congregational ministry. The origin of the hymn is given in Duffield’s English Hymns, as follows:
The hymn was written in 1830, but not published (as a hymn) until 1882. The author was in New York City, “Between his college and theological studies,” and was in poor health, and a teacher in a ladies’ school. Dr. Palmer says: “I gave form to what I felt by writing, with little effort, the stanzas. I recollect I wrote them with very tender emotion, and ended the last lines with tears.” The manuscript was then placed in a pocket-book, where it remained for some time. Its true discoverer was Lowell Mason, the musician, who asked young Palmer if he had not some hymn or hymns to contribute to his new book. The pocket-book was produced and the little hymn, then between two and three years old, and never previously utilized, though it had been in print as a poem, was brought to light. Dr. Mason was attracted by it, and desired a copy. They stepped together into a store (it was in Boston), and the copy was made and taken away without further comment. On carefully reading the hymn at home, Dr. Mason was so interested that he wrote for it the tune “Olivet,” to which it is usually sung. Two or three days later, he again met the author in the street, and scarcely waiting to salute him, he said, “Mr. Palmer, you may live many years, and do many good things, but I think you will be best known to posterity as the author of ‘My Faith looks up to Thee.’”
The hymn appeared first in Spiritual Songs for Social Worship, 1831, by Thomas Hastings and Lowell Mason. It has been translated into many languages on the mission fields.
MUSIC. OLIVET. For comments on the composer, Lowell Mason, see [Hymn 12].