257. God is the refuge of His saints
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
Based on Psalm 46:1-5: “God is our refuge and our strength; a very present help in time of trouble,” etc., and was entitled by Watts, “The Church’s Safety and Triumph.” It is interesting to compare this free rendering of the Psalm with that of the Scotch Psalter, 1650, ([588]), where the thought of the psalm and the stately King James version combine to make up the greatest metrical form of the psalm. Martin Luther’s version of the same Psalm is found in his great hymn “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” ([549]).
For comments on Isaac Watts see [Hymn 11].
MUSIC. WARRINGTON was composed by Ralph Harrison, 1748-1810, an Englishman and son of a Presbyterian minister. Educated at Warrington Academy, he became a noted teacher of ancient languages, but maintained a keen interest in sacred music. He compiled Sacred Harmony, 2 vols., 1784-1791, a collection of psalm tunes, ancient and modern, in which were found some of his own compositions, including this tune.