44. O Savior, bless us ere we go
Frederick W. Faber, 1814-63
A hymn for the close of evening worship.
Frederick W. Faber was educated at Oxford and became a minister in the Church of England. He began his parish work at Elton where he became a forceful preacher and was known for his fine Christian character and lovely spirit. Church attendance increased, the parish grew, and the people who had been known for their intemperance and immorality were now reputed for their thrift and good behavior.
Under the influence of John Henry Newman, Faber changed his views and joined the Roman Catholic Church. After a trip to Rome, he lived at Birmingham where he formed, with eight others, a community called “Brothers of the Will of God.” Later he moved to London where he continued his service in the Catholic Church until his death at the age of forty-nine. He wrote many theological and devotional books but is best known for his hymns of which he wrote 150, among which are such favorites as “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” ([58]) and “Faith of our fathers” ([154]). His hymns are numbered among the treasures of English hymnody. They are devotional in spirit and with slight alterations appropriate for use in all Christian churches.
MUSIC. SURREY is a beautiful tune which became immediately popular and has remained so, especially in England. The composer, Henry Carey, 1692-1743, was a teacher in boarding schools and private families in England. He composed a large number of secular songs and was only incidentally a writer of church music.
45. Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing
John Fawcett, 1740-1817
This popular dismission hymn is ascribed to the English Baptist minister, John Fawcett, who is best known as the author of “Blest be the tie that binds.” The hymn has undergone some alteration with the passing of the years. The third stanza originally read:
“So whene’er the signal’s given