A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship
Encyclopedia
A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship is a hymn
book compiled by William Gadsby
, a minister of the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists
in England
. First published in the 19th century, it is still in current use.
. Gadsby published a later edition in 1838. After his death a further enlarged edition was published including a second supplement selected by J C Philpot, another Strict Baptist Minister.
stream of Protestant
thought.
Joseph Hart
(219); William Gadsby (173); Isaac Watts
(145) John Berridge
(72); John Newton
(63) John Kent
(51); Charles Wesley
(41); Thomas Kelly (34); Samuel Medley (31); Anne Steele
(27); Augustus M. Toplady (24); Richard Burnham (22); Henry Fowler (20); William Cowper
(18); Joseph Swain (18); Daniel Herbert (12); Benjamin Beddome (10); John Fawcett (10); William Hammond (10); John Stevens (9); John Adams (9); Phillip Doddridge (8); John Cennick
(6).
There are other authors with fewer hymns in this book, as well as 8 anonymous contributions.
1 IMMORTAL honours rest on Jesus' head;
My God, my Portion, and my Living Bread;
In him I live, upon him cast my care;
He saves from death, destruction, and despair.
2 He is my Refuge in each deep distress;
The Lord my strength & glorious righteousness;
Through floods and flames he leads me safely on,
And daily makes his sovereign goodness known.
3 My every need he richly will supply;
Nor will his mercy ever let me die;
In him there dwells a treasure all divine,
And matchless grace has made that treasure mine.
4 O that my soul could love and praise him more,
His beauties trace, his majesty adore;
Live near his heart, upon his bosom lean;
Obey his voice, and all his will esteem.
The third line of the last verse certainly echoes the thought of Charles Wesley's hymn Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine, with the line "Eternally held in Thy heart".
Another example from William Gadsby illustrates the Calvinistic flavour of this book. Hymn number 530 describes election in Calvinistic language.
1 ELECTION is a truth divine,
As absolute as free;
Works ne'er can make the blessing mine;
'Tis God's own wise decree.
5 Nor law, nor death, nor hell, nor sin,
Can alter his decree;
The elect eternal life shall win,
And all God's glory see.
, 895 pp.; hardback, 895 pp.; and a Kivar edition, 473 pp.
The hymn book is used by the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists in England and the United States and a few Old School or Primitive Baptist
churches in the United States. Many of the Strict Baptists use the Companion Tune Book, a musical score of 1011 hymn tune
s designed as a companion to Gadsby’s hymn book. The hymn book was never widely used in churches outside the UK
, but there is some renewed interest in it among Reformed Baptist
s as devotional poetry.
Gadsby also published Nazarene's Songs, containing about 250 of his own hymns.
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
book compiled by William Gadsby
William Gadsby
William Gadsby was a hymnwriter and Baptist pastor.For 38 years Gadsby was pastor of the Strict Baptist church at Manchester and a well-known minister in his day. He travelled over 60,000 miles, many of them on foot and preached nearly 12,000 sermons...
, a minister of the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists
Strict Baptists, also known as Particular Baptists, are Baptists who believe in a Calvinist or Reformed interpretation of Christian soteriology. The Particular Baptists arose in England in the 17th century and took their namesake from the doctrine of particular redemption.-Further reading:*History...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. First published in the 19th century, it is still in current use.
History
It was first published in 1814 in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Gadsby published a later edition in 1838. After his death a further enlarged edition was published including a second supplement selected by J C Philpot, another Strict Baptist Minister.
Contents
This hymnal contains 1156 hymns (words only) by various authors. These are primarily, but not exclusively, from the CalvinisticCalvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
stream of Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
thought.
Authors
The edition currently available includes the following authors, here listed by number of hymns used.Joseph Hart
Joseph Hart
Joseph Hart was an 18th-century Calvinist minister in London. His works include "Hart's Hymns", a much-loved hymn book amongst evangelical Christians throughout its lifetime of over 200 years, which includes the well-known hymn, "Come ye sinners, poor and needy".One of Joseph Hart's early...
(219); William Gadsby (173); Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
(145) John Berridge
John Berridge
John Berridge was an English evangelical revivalist and hymnist.He was born in Kingston, Nottinghamshire and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. He was the son of a wealthy grazier in Nottinghamshire. In 1749, he was ordained to the parish of Stapleford, near Cambridge. In 1755 he became Vicar...
(72); John Newton
John Newton
John Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of...
(63) John Kent
John Kent
Kent was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1805, arrived in Newfoundland in 1820 and started working for his uncle Patrick Morris. He was influential in establishing a large Irish population on the island. He was elected to the first House of Assembly in 1832 as a Liberal. John Kent was a champion of...
(51); Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Anglican clergyman John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley , and father of musician Samuel Wesley, and grandfather of musician Samuel Sebastian Wesley...
(41); Thomas Kelly (34); Samuel Medley (31); Anne Steele
Anne Steele
Anne Steele , English hymn writer, was born at Broughton, Hampshire.The drowning of her betrothed, a Mr. Elscourt, a few hours before the time fixed for her marriage deeply affected an otherwise quiet life, and her hymns rather emphasize the less optimistic phases of Christian experience...
(27); Augustus M. Toplady (24); Richard Burnham (22); Henry Fowler (20); William Cowper
William Cowper
William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. In many ways, he was one of the forerunners of Romantic poetry...
(18); Joseph Swain (18); Daniel Herbert (12); Benjamin Beddome (10); John Fawcett (10); William Hammond (10); John Stevens (9); John Adams (9); Phillip Doddridge (8); John Cennick
John Cennick
John Cennick was an early Methodist and Moravian evangelist and hymnwriter. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England to an Anglican family and raised in the Church of England....
(6).
There are other authors with fewer hymns in this book, as well as 8 anonymous contributions.
Examples of Gadsby's own writing
Gadsby's own hymns are of a high standard. For example, number 667 is worthy of Watts and Wesley, both highly regarded for their hymn writing abilities.1 IMMORTAL honours rest on Jesus' head;
My God, my Portion, and my Living Bread;
In him I live, upon him cast my care;
He saves from death, destruction, and despair.
2 He is my Refuge in each deep distress;
The Lord my strength & glorious righteousness;
Through floods and flames he leads me safely on,
And daily makes his sovereign goodness known.
3 My every need he richly will supply;
Nor will his mercy ever let me die;
In him there dwells a treasure all divine,
And matchless grace has made that treasure mine.
4 O that my soul could love and praise him more,
His beauties trace, his majesty adore;
Live near his heart, upon his bosom lean;
Obey his voice, and all his will esteem.
The third line of the last verse certainly echoes the thought of Charles Wesley's hymn Thou Shepherd of Israel, and mine, with the line "Eternally held in Thy heart".
Another example from William Gadsby illustrates the Calvinistic flavour of this book. Hymn number 530 describes election in Calvinistic language.
1 ELECTION is a truth divine,
As absolute as free;
Works ne'er can make the blessing mine;
'Tis God's own wise decree.
5 Nor law, nor death, nor hell, nor sin,
Can alter his decree;
The elect eternal life shall win,
And all God's glory see.
Availability
The hymnal is currently available in these editions : "Buckram" (standard pew edition), 936p., ISBN 978-0-9510796-2-1; Large print version, 636p., ISBN 978-0-9510796-5-2; Large print (leather), 936p., ISBN 978-0-9510796-3-8,; leather binding and India paperIndia paper
India paper is a type of paper which from 1875 has been based on bleached hemp and rag fibres, that produced a very thin, tough opaque white paper. It has a basis weight of 20 pounds, yet bulks 1,000 pages to the inch....
, 895 pp.; hardback, 895 pp.; and a Kivar edition, 473 pp.
The hymn book is used by the Gospel Standard Strict Baptists in England and the United States and a few Old School or Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptist
Primitive Baptists, also known as Hard Shell Baptists or Anti-Mission Baptists, are conservative, Calvinist Baptists adhering to beliefs that formed out of the controversy among Baptists in the early 1800’s over the appropriateness of mission boards, bible tract societies, and temperance...
churches in the United States. Many of the Strict Baptists use the Companion Tune Book, a musical score of 1011 hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
s designed as a companion to Gadsby’s hymn book. The hymn book was never widely used in churches outside the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but there is some renewed interest in it among Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptist
Reformed Baptists are Baptists that hold to a Calvinist soteriology. They can trace their history through the early modern Particular Baptists of England. The first Reformed Baptist church was formed in the 1630s...
s as devotional poetry.
Gadsby also published Nazarene's Songs, containing about 250 of his own hymns.