9. English Hymnody.
The youthful, courageous Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, an ardent dissenter, pioneered the movement which resulted in a flood of hymns and hymnbooks in the English churches. Watts was not satisfied with the psalm singing of his time, which by now had become formal and lifeless. Parts of the psalter, he pointed out, were obviously not written in the spirit of the Gospel. “By keeping too close to David,” he wrote in one of his Prefaces, “the vail of Moses is thrown over our hearts.” Watts removed that “vail,” Christianizing the psalms and composing during his lifetime more than 600 original hymns, expressing in the language of the time, the thoughts of the worshippers. Through his influence, his age, the 18th century, became the first age of hymn singing in England.
John and Charles Wesley, following Watts, made enormous use of hymn singing in their evangelistic work, giving the movement for congregational singing a powerful impetus. Charles is said to have composed over 6,000 hymns.
From the Wesleys onward through the 19th century, the hymn writers in England became numerous. The restrictive shackles of psalm singing had been broken and the creative urge to worship in new forms resulted in a vast number of original religious lyrics and the publication of hundreds of hymnbooks. The development can be summarized here only in outline form.
English Hymnody in the Hymnary
Early—17th Century Henry Wotton, 1568-1639, “How happy is he” ([208]) George Herbert, 1593-1633, “Teach me, my God and King” ([226]) John Milton, 1608-74, “Let us with a gladsome mind” ([64]) “How lovely are Thy dwellings fair” ([592]) Thomas Ken, 1637-1711, “Awake, my soul, and with the sun” ([25]) “All praise to Thee, my God, this night” ([33]) “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow” ([618]) Joseph Addison, 1672-1719, “The spacious firmament on high” ([50]) “How are Thy servants blest” ([338]) 18th Century 1. Two Independents: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, “Father of English Hymnody” “When I survey the wondrous cross” ([105]-6) “Joy to the world! the Lord is come” ([70]) “God is the refuge of His saints” ([257]) and many others Philip Doddridge, 1702-51, “How gentle God’s commands” ([56]) (and [128], [167], [218], [383], [465]) 2. The Wesleys and their Associates: John Wesley, 1703-91, translations ([170], [226], [246], [508], [558]) Charles Wesley, 1707-88, “Bard of Methodism” “Come, Thou long-expected Jesus” ([69]) “Jesus, Lover of my soul” ([158]-9) “Love divine, all loves excelling” ([178]-9) and many others William Williams, 1717-91, “Sweet Singer of Wales” “Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah” ([160]) John Cennick, 1718-55, “Lo, He comes, with clouds” ([130]) “Jesus, my all, to heav’n is gone” ([468]) Thomas Olivers, 1725-99, “The God of Abraham praise” ([14]) Edward Perronet, 1726-92, “All hail the power of Jesus” ([3], [4], [5]) 3. A Calvinistic Antagonist of Wesley Augustus Toplady, 1740-78, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me” ([148]) 4. The Olney Hymnists: John Newton, 1725-1807, “Glorious things of thee” ([274]) “Safely through another week” ([284]) “Amazing grace! how sweet the sound” ([463]) William Cowper, 1731-1800, “God moves in a mysterious way” ([60]) “O for a closer walk with God” ([197]) “There is a fountain filled with blood” ([492]) 5. Others—18th Century: Anne Steele, 1716-78, “Father, whate’er of earthly bliss” ([251]) Joseph Grigg, c. 1720-68, “Behold a Stranger at the door” ([141]) “Jesus, and shall it ever be” ([192]) Robert Robinson, 1735-90, “Mighty God, while angels bless” ([46]) “Come, Thou fount of every blessing” ([189]) John Fawcett, 1740-1817, “Blest be the tie that binds” ([41]) “Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing” ([45]) Modern English—19th Century 1. Earliest: Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854, “Look, ye saints, the sight” ([119]) “Hark, ten thousand harps and voices” ([123]) “On the mountain top appearing” ([336]) James Montgomery, 1771-1854, “Prayer is the soul’s sincere” ([184]) “Angels, from the realms of glory” ([81]) “In the hour of trial” ([195]) and many others Robert Grant, 1779-1838, “O worship the King” ([7]) “Savior, when, in dust to Thee” ([145]) Reginald Heber, 1783-1826, “Holy, holy, holy” ([1]) “Bread of the world in mercy broken” ([304]) “From Greenland’s icy mountains” ([333]) Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871, “Just as I am, without one plea” ([458]) “O holy Savior, Friend unseen” ([233]) “My God and Father, while I stray” ([245]) Henry Milman, 1791-1868, “Ride on, ride on in majesty” ([101]) John Bowring, 1792-1872, “In the Cross of Christ I glory” ([110]) “Watchman, tell us of the night” ([66]) “God is love; His mercy brightens” ([55]) Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847, “Abide with me” ([40]) 2. The Oxford Group: John Keble, 1792-1866, “New every morning is the love” ([22]) “Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear” ([30]) Matthew Bridges, 1800-94, “Crown Him with many crowns” ([118]) John Henry Newman, 1801-90, “Lead, kindly light” ([162]-3) Richard Trench, 1807-86, “Lord, what a change within” ([183]) Frederick Faber, 1814-63, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” ([58]) “Faith of our fathers” ([154]) Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, 1823-95, “There is a green hill” ([104]) (Translators of Latin and Greek Hymns) John Chandler, 1806-76, “Christ is our Cornerstone” ([9]) “What star is this” ([87]) Edward Caswall, 1814-78, “Bethlehem, of noblest cities” ([88]) “Jesus, the very thought of Thee” ([155]) John M. Neale, 1818-66, “O come, O come Emmanuel” ([67]) “All glory, laud, and honor” ([100]) 3. Translators of German Hymns: Catherine Winkworth, 1829-78, “Wake, awake for night” ([522]) and 24 others Frances E. Cox, 1812-97, “Sing praise to God” ([512]) “Jesus lives” ([543]) Jane L. Borthwick, 1813-97, “Be still, my soul” ([54]) “My Jesus, as Thou wilt” ([250]) “Jesus, still lead on” ([574]) Sarah Borthwick Findlater, 1823-1907, “O happy home” ([358]) 4. Other Hymnists—19th Century: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-85, “Gracious Spirit,” ([174]) “O day of rest and gladness” ([285]) Horatius Bonar, 1808-89, “I heard the voice of Jesus say” ([142]) “I lay my sins on Jesus” ([444]) “When the weary, seeking rest” ([203]) and others Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92, “Strong Son of God” ([149]) “Sunset and evening star” ([265]) “Ring out, wild bells” ([379]) Henry Alford, 1810-71, “We walk by faith, and not by sight” ([152]) “Come, ye thankful people, come” ([377]) W. W. How, 1823-97, “O Jesus, Thou art standing” ([144]) “For all the saints who from their labor rest” ([317]) “O Word of God Incarnate” ([289]) and others Godfrey Thring, 1823-1903, “From the Eastern mountains” ([89]) “Thou to whom the sick and dying” ([370]) Adelaide Proctor, 1825-64, “My God, I thank Thee” ([177]) “I do not ask, O Lord” ([471]) Edward H. Bickersteth, 1825-1906, “Peace, perfect peace” ([256]) John Ellerton, 1826-93, “Savior, again to Thy dear name” ([43]) “Now the laborer’s task is o’er” ([315]) “Throned upon the awful tree” ([109]) and others S. Baring-Gould, 1834-1924, “Now the day is over” ([29]) “Onward, Christian soldiers” ([225]) Edwin Hatch, 1835-89, “Breathe on me, breath of God” ([135]) Frances R. Havergal, 1836-79, “Take my life, and let it be” ([215]) “Lord, speak to me, that I may speak” ([296]) “Thou art coming, O my Savior” ([126]) and others Samuel Stone, 1839-1900, “The Church’s one foundation” ([273]) George Matheson, 1842-1906, “O love that wilt not let me go” ([175]) Recent English Hymns Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, “Father in heav’n” ([401]) Stopford A. Brooke, 1832-1916, “Let the whole creation cry” ([49]) John Oxenham, 1852-1941, “In Christ there is no East” ([320]) “Peace in our time, O Lord” ([357]) Percy Dearmer, 1867-1936, “Remember all God’s children” ([436]) Richard Roberts, 1874—, “For them whose ways” ([166]) Laurence Housman, 1865—, “Father Eternal” ([354])