A. Merril Smoak, Jr., Baptist Hymnal Collection

The Hymn Book and Tunebook Collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.

Baptist Hymnals Pre-1850

(Including Christian Connexion & other immersion groups)

 

The Baptist Harp: A New Collection of Hymns for the Closet, the Family, Social Worship, and Revivals. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, (1849). First Edition. [8460]

Full brown leather with a black leather title label, small nick top of spine but otherwise fine and tight. 2 3/4 x 4 inches, decorative (eagle & stars) ink name stamp of George Henery on the ffep. 384 pp,, a few light stains, no rear free end papers. Very good. Full leather.

583 selections plus 5 Doxologies, words only.

The Baptist Harp: A New Collection of Hymns for the Closet, the Family, Social Worship, and Revivals. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, (1849). First Edition. [8652]

Full brown leather with a black leather title label, front joint with crude sewn repair, rear joint cracked. 2 3/4 x 4 inches, 384 pp,, a few light stains, text complete, text block tight. Fair.

583 selections plus 5 Doxologies, words only.

The Baptist Harp: A New Collection of Hymns for the Closet, the Family, Social Worship, and Revivals. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, (1849). First Edition. [8952]

Full brown leather, lacks the spine title label, front board nearly detached, rear joint cracked. 2 3/4 x 4 inches, 384 pp,, a few light stains, text complete, text block tight. Fair. Full leather.

583 selections plus 5 Doxologies, words only.

The Baptist Harp: A New Collection of Hymns for the Closet, the Family, Social Worship, and Revivals. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, (1849). First Edition. [9123]

Full brown leather with a black leather title label, corners rounded with a few small edge nicks, otherwise fine and tight. 2 3/4 x 4 inches. 20, 384 pp,, text counted and complete, a few light stains, rear free end paper detached and laid in. Good. Full leather.

583 selections plus 5 Doxologies, words only.

Beebe, Gilbert. The Baptist Hymn Book, comprising a large and choice collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, adapted to the Faith and Order of the Old School, or Primitive Baptists, in the United States of America; Carefully Selected from various Authors, and Published by Gilbert Beebe. Middletown, N. Y.: The Office of the "Signs of the Times", 1859. Second Stereotype Edition. [8453]

Black blind-stamped leather, edges rubbed, cover title in gilt: "Baptist Hymn Book | Beebe's Collection". 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, yellow end papers, 800 pp., light foxing, a few creased pages, tight. Very good. Full leather.

Starr B1971.

Gilbert Beebe (1800-1881), b. Norwich, Connecticut; d. Middletown, New York. Beebe was the leader of the Primitive, or Old School Baptist movement in the United States. He was pastor of churches in upstate New York, Virginia, and in Washington, D.C. He published the periodical The Signs of the Times, and The Baptist Hymnal. He operated a lucrative printing business in Middletown, NY, for many years.



“Elder Gilbert Beebe, of Middletown, N.Y., has had few equals, since the days of the apostles, in natural and spiritual abilities, in bold and faithful defense, both by tongue and pen, of great fundamental truths of the Scriptures, and in the extensiveness of his ministerial labors. During his long ministry of sixty-three years he is believed to have preached about 10,000 sermons and traveled about 200,000 miles – sent forth, not in the manner of the nineteenth century, by 'Missionary Funds, but in the manner of the first century, by the God of Grace and Providence.” - Hassell, History of the Church of God (1886).

"

“When the Division in the Baptist Churches took place, nearly 50 years ago, and the Fullerites or New School Baptist, separated, Elder Beebe remained with the Primitive Body, and became its leading advocate ... as a Preacher he was remarkable for power, having a profound knowledge of the Scriptures, and was a vigorous writer ... he retained his physical powers and mental vigor to the last, preaching the day before his death. His wife and several children survive him.” - New York Times, obituary, May 3, 1881.

Biddle, William P.; Newborn, William J. The Baptist Hymn Book; in two parts. Part I. - Containing Psalms and Hymns: Designed for Public Worship. Part II. - Containing Spiritual Songs: Principally designed for Social and Private Worship; Selected from various Authors, by William P. Biddle and William J. Newborn, Pastors of Baptist Churches in North Carolina. Washington City: Printed at the Columbian Office, By John S. Meehan, 1825. [8495]

Full leather with a brown leather title label, label & lines to spine in gilt, both joints cracked with some worming along the front, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, page edges stained yellow. "General Order No. 7. E. D. [?]" - last name illegible, on the ffep. xxiv., 662 hymns on 476 unnumbered pp. "A Form of Matrimony" on last leaf. Dark foxing; text block tight.
Fair.

Not in Starr, A Baptist Bibliography. WorldCat with 2 locations. With recommendation by O. B. Brown and Luther Rice.

"...William Phillips Biddle (1787-1853) and William J. Newborn compiled The Baptist Hymn Book...Biddle was a wealthy farmer in the eastern part of [North Carolina]; nothing more is known about Newborn. Their collection contains 674 texts, many of which repeat the British repertory assembled by Rippon. The book was published in Washington, D.C., by John S. Meehan, who as a printer in Philadelphia had produced many items for the Triennial Convention. Meehan, who later became Librarian of Congress, had moved to the District of Columbia to publish The Columbian Star, a newspaper edited by students at Columbian College."

The compilers were associated with Wake Forest Institute, and several men of the school were contributors, including William Staughton, Joseph B. Cook, Robert T. Daniel, William Dossey, Thomas Baldwin, and Richard Furman. - see Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 187-188.

The Boston Collection of Sacred and Devotional Hymns: Intended to accommodate Christians on Special and Stated Occasions. Boston: Published by Manning and Loring, 1808. First Edition. [8496]

Full leather, scuffed & worn, joints good, 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, tight. Lacking front blanks. (i)-xii., (13)-290 pp. of text; [28] pp. of thirty-three tunes printed oblong (one with a closed tear), (320)-324 pp. (Index). Defects: leaf 143-144 with closed tear; lacking leaves 145-146, 155-156.

Printed in old typeface with the long and short S, which we think is a late date for it.

Shaw & Shoemaker 14553. No. 121 in Britton & Lowens, American Sacred Music Imprints 1698-1810: A Bibliography, stwith a note pertaining to the printed music: "33 compositions for 2 voices; full text. No attribs. 1st American printing identified (Basham, Burnham, Charlestown, Fawcett, Mercer, Ophir, Rippon, Stillman, Union). 1 traced to American source (Sincerity), 22 to non-American, 10 unidentified..."

Although the title sounds generic, this is a distinctly Baptist hymnal. Recommendation by Thomas Baldwin, Joseph Clay, and Caleb Blood.

"The Baptist Churches in Boston and its vicinity have long been desirous that a small number of Hymns, suitable to be sung at the administration of Baptism, should be printed. These having been collected by the assistance of several members of those churches, the publishers thought it probable that a Collection embracing other subjects also, would be more acceptable, and might serve as a supplement to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. They have therefore selected many in addition to those on baptism...

"The numerous revivals of religion in America, which have taken place of late years in remarkable succession, through the copious out-pouring of the Spirit in different places, has rendered the demand for devotional hymns more general than heretofore; and although there are several publications extant, of a nature in many respects like to this, yet being not altogether familiar, it is hoped that no one will be offended at this additional attempt to edify and comfort serious Christians, who are seeking the means of raising their hearts in thanksgiving and praise to their Redeemer." - Advertisement.

Hymns 1-75 are on Baptism; 76-121, Lord's Supper; 122-307 are Devotional Hymns.

"[The Collection] attributes four texts to Oliver Holden, the compiler and composer of The Young Convert's Companion [1806]," and an additional seventeen are attributed to him by the use of his initial..."The tunes appended to the end of the volume are intended 'to prevent the use of some, which are not sufficiently solemn enough for the purposes of devotion,' and to provide music for 'most of the metres in the book.' The musical appendix includes thirty-three pieces set for two voices (melody and bass). None of the tunes carries an attribution, but more than two-thirds of them have been traced to earlier British or American sources." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 158-159, 257-258. 

Broaddus, Andrew. The Dover Selection of Spiritual Songs; with an Appendix of Choice Hymns, On Various Occasions: compiled by the recommendation of the Dover Association. Philadelphia & Richmond: Barrington & Haswell | Drinker & Morris, (1829). Second Edition. [8479]

Full leather, front outer hinge cracked, lacks the spine title label, 3 x 4 1/2 inches, lacks the front & back blanks. Text complete with 412 pp., one leaf partly pulled. With faint pencil inscriptions, see below. Fair. Full leather.

Possibly a later printing. Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, B5473.

Several faint pencil inscriptions, including "Mary Rawson"; "When this Cruel War is over, Praying to meet you again"; "When this Cruel War is over"; "Prospect of Death" above a hymn with that title; and a few we can't read.

Andrew Broaddus (1770-1848), b. & d. in Carolina County, Virginia; Baptist minister and author. "His love of letters and his studiousness were such that he became one of the most thorough Biblical scholars of his times...From the very beginning Mr. Broaddus was popular as a preacher. He was ordained Oct. 16, 1791...As a preacher, Mr. Broadus was the foremost man of his generation...About 1828 he prepared the "Dover Selection," and afterwards the "Virginia Selection," several of whose hymns were of his own composition, and all of which were used very extensively by the churches." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Broaddus, Andrew. The Virginia Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs; from the most approved Authors; Adapted to the various occasions of Public Worship and Social Meetings. In three parts: Part I. - Various Subjects, systematically arranged. Part II. - Adapted to Particular Occasions. Part III. - Peculiar to the Order of Public Worship. Richmond, Va.: A. Morris, 1857. New Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8455]

Full sheep with a black leather title label in gilt, gilt rules to spine, binding very good with light shelf-wear, 3 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches. 1858 & 1861 owner's signatures in pencil on the ffep, 600 clean pp., a few creased page corners. An exceptionally nice copy. Very good. Full leather.

This edition not in Starr. Editions with 600 pp. began in 1852. 710 selections, words only, with indexes.

Andrew Broaddus (1770-1848), b. & d. in Carolina County, Virginia; Baptist minister and author. "His love of letters and his studiousness were such that he became one of the most thorough Biblical scholars of his times...From the very beginning Mr. Broaddus was popular as a preacher. He was ordained Oct. 16, 1791...As a preacher, Mr. Broadus was the foremost man of his generation...About 1828 he prepared the "Dover Selection," and afterwards the "Virginia Selection," several of whose hymns were of his own composition, and all of which were used very extensively by the churches." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Broaddus, Andrew. The Virginia Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs; from the most approved Authors; Adapted to the various occasions of Public Worship and Social Meetings. In three parts: Part I. - Various Subjects, systematically arranged. Part II. - Adapted to Particular Occasions. Part III. - Peculiar to the Order of Public Worship. Richmond, Va.: A. Morris, 1854. New Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8465]

Full red morocco with elaborate gilt decoration, 5 raised bands to spine, binding very good with light shelf-wear, 3 x 4 1/4 inches. Yellow waxed end papers, "Ann H. Palmore, Virginia" on ffep; "A. H. Trusty, Pine Valley, Miss. December 18, 1887" in pencil on front pastedown.  600 pp., tight. DEFECTIVE: Lacking pp. 468-474. Good.

Anna Bell (née Palmore) married John Thomas Trusty in 1867, at Yalobusha, Mississippi; it was her second marriage. She was perhaps a war widow, having married William A. Bell in 1861, also in Yalobusha. During the American Civil War John Thomas Trusty fought with the Fifteenth Mississippi Volunteer Infantry, Company F. He was wounded at the battle of Shiloh and at Corinth, and was taken prisoner at Nashville, under General Hood. An A. H. Trusty - the signer of this book - is listed among Ann Trusty's household members in the 1910 census, age 75, possibly a brother-in-law. Further genealogical research could be done, see The Trusty Generation of Two Brothers James G. Trusty and John W. Trusty, Edited by Jesse B. Trusty.

Andrew Broaddus (1770-1848), b. & d. in Carolina County, Virginia; Baptist minister and author. "His love of letters and his studiousness were such that he became one of the most thorough Biblical scholars of his times...From the very beginning Mr. Broaddus was popular as a preacher. He was ordained Oct. 16, 1791...As a preacher, Mr. Broadus was the foremost man of his generation...About 1828 he prepared the "Dover Selection," and afterwards the "Virginia Selection," several of whose hymns were of his own composition, and all of which were used very extensively by the churches." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Broaddus, Andrew. The Virginia Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs; from the most approved Authors; Adapted to the various occasions of Public Worship and Social Meetings. In three parts: Part I. - Various Subjects, systematically arranged. Part II. - Adapted to Particular Occasions. Part III. - Peculiar to the Order of Public Worship. Richmond, Va.: A. Morris, 1858. New Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8475]

DEFECTIVE COPY with detached binding & lacking 2 leaves of index. The calf covers are separated from the text block, all of one piece. Black leather title label & gilt lines to spine, 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches. Lacks all blanks, begins at half-title page. 597 pp., last leaf nearly detached. Lacks pp. 598-600, which are the index to the Miscellaneous section. Acceptable. Full leather.

A defective copy of a scarce Southern hymnal.

Andrew Broaddus (1770-1848), b. & d. in Carolina County, Virginia; Baptist minister and author. "His love of letters and his studiousness were such that he became one of the most thorough Biblical scholars of his times...From the very beginning Mr. Broaddus was popular as a preacher. He was ordained Oct. 16, 1791...As a preacher, Mr. Broadus was the foremost man of his generation...About 1828 he prepared the "Dover Selection," and afterwards the "Virginia Selection," several of whose hymns were of his own composition, and all of which were used very extensively by the churches." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Buck, William C. The Baptist Hymn Book: Original and Selected. In two Parts. The first part is intended especially for public worship, and is judiciously arranged under appropriate heads, Doctrinal, Practical, and Experimental. With an Index, a Table of Contents, and a Table of Scripture References. The second part is intended for social worship, and is similarly arranged, &c. Published for the use of the Southern and Western Baptist Churches. Louisville, [KY]: J. Eliot & Co., 1842. First Edition. [9396]

Leather binding, front joint cracked, lacks the back board, 14 cm, (5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches). Frontispiece with engraved vignette of harp & trumpet, scripture texts forming the acrostic ABAPTISTHYMNBOOK forward and backward (see pics). xxiv. pp. of introductory material, followed by 878 selections in the first part, and 201 selections in the second part, with a iii.-pp. Index. The pages are not numbered consecutively, but bear the hymn numbers in order. The text is complete with no missing pages. The text block is tight, is foxed, with several sections remaining unopened. Two leaves with a chip in the bottom margin not affecting any text. Good.

Words only, no music.

"In his roles as pastor of Louisville's East Baptist Church and editor of the Baptist Banner and Western Pioneer, William C. Buck (1790-1872) was influential among Baptists in the West. He titled his 1842 collection The Baptist Hymn Book, hoping that it would have national appeal. Buck knew the field. Acknowledging the popularity in the South and West of the books by Miller and Dupuy, he criticized their selection and editing of material. He also mentions the collections of Rippon and Winchell, but he complained that the hymns they contained were too long and that they did not supply enough material for social worship.

"The Baptist Hymn Book is a large collection, designed to serve preachers by providing for any occasion or subject. As with many of its predecessors, its 1,079 texts are divided into two sections...A second edition was published two years later. In its preface, Buck reported that he had sold 10,000 copies of the first printing, mostly in the Mississippi Valley..." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 198.

Buck, William C. The Baptist Hymn Book: Original and Selected. In two Parts. The first part is intended especially for public worship, and is judiciously arranged under appropriate heads, Doctrinal, Practical, and Experimental. With an Index, a Table of Contents, and a Table of Scripture References. The second part is intended for social worship, and is similarly arranged, &c. Published for the use of the Southern and Western Baptist Churches. Revised and Enlarged. Louisville, [KY]: Printed by Monsarrat & Co., 1847. [8625]

Leather binding, front board crudely resewn to book, lacks the back board & front blanks. 4 1/4 x 2 1/2 inches. [i]-xxv, [1]-598, 603-674, 679-680 [detached].  Defective: lacking pp. 599-602, 675-678, 681-682. Fair. leather bound .

Words only, no music.

"In his roles as pastor of Louisville's East Baptist Church and editor of the Baptist Banner and Western Pioneer, William C. Buck (1790-1872) was influential among Baptists in the West. He titled his 1842 collection The Baptist Hymn Book, hoping that it would have national appeal. Buck knew the field. Acknowledging the popularity in the South and West of the books by Miller and Dupuy, he criticized their selection and editing of material. He also mentions the collections of Rippon and Winchell, but he complained that the hymns they contained were too long and that they did not supply enough material for social worship.

"The Baptist Hymn Book is a large collection, designed to serve preachers by providing for any occasion or subject. As with many of its predecessors, its 1,079 texts are divided into two sections...A second edition was published two years later. In its preface, Buck reported that he had sold 10,000 copies of the first printing, mostly in the Mississippi Valley, and that this new edition was stereotyped into two sizes...This edition made corrections and added texts to the second part of the book. Among the new items in the book were a few by Buck himself." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 198.

Burdett, Staunton S. The Baptist Harmony; being A Selection of Choice Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Social Worship. Philadelphia: E. W. Miller, 1842. Stereotype Edition. [8954]

Full leather, both boards held on by crude sewn repairs, ffep loose and laid in, 12 cm (4 3/4 x 3 inches). 448 pp., text complete, some dark foxing & stains. 504 selections; words only. Fair. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, B7292.

Staunton S. Burdett (1804-1852), the first pastor of New Hope Baptist Church near Lancasterville, South Carolina.

"His The Baptist Harmony, an anthology of 504 texts, was published in 1834 by T. W. Ustick of Philadelphia. In the brief preface to the book, Burdett offers 'an apology for multiplying the number of Hymn Books; since there is such a variety among our churches.' He has done so, he states, 'to present the churches with a suitable, useful, convenient, and cheap' book that reflects 'the number of precious revivals of religion, and the great increase to our churches, and the constitution of new churches.'...A second edition of Baptist Harmony was published in 1832, and that second edition was replicated in a stereotype edition in 1842." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 191-192.

Buzzell, John. Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, selected for the use of the United Churches of Christ, commonly called Free Will Baptist, and for Saints of all Denominations. Kennebunk: Printed by James K. Remich, for John Buzzell and Elias Libby, 1823. First Edition. [8497]

Full leather, scuffed and worn yet with good joints, unreadable remnant of title label on spine, 3 x 5 inches. Front end paper soiled, lacks one front and both back blanks. Signed "Sarah Morrell" on the fly page. Pencil inscription opposite tp: "This is my Grandma Sarah Morrells book. Published by my great-grandfather John Buzell, signed Sadie Tingle[?]." (i)-vi., (7)-348 pp., text complete. A center gathering - pp. 197-212 - is pulled and detached with no loss. Many dog-eared tips, a few short closed tears, foxing. Good.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography no. B8596.  WorldCat with 14 locations.  It was reprinted in Rochester, NY, twice (1827 & 1831).  WC locates 2 copies of the 1827 edition and 4 of the 1831.

"John Buzzell (1798-1863), one of the leaders of the Free Will Baptist Connection after the death of Benjamin Randall, published a collection of 350 texts...This has been called 'the first denominational hymn-book' of the Free Will Baptists, though it was apparently issued as a private effort on Buzzell's part...[It] has been noted' that 'the largest group of hymns [in it] addresses the subject of salvation, with several texts articulating 'the Freewill message of free choice.' Some of the latter take particular aim at the doctrines of their Calvinistic fellows including one titled 'Freedom of the Human Will.'" - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 228.

John Buzell (1798-1863), b. Barrington, New Hampshire; d. Parsonsfield, Maine. In 1790 he opened a school near the home of Benjamin Randall, and through his influence Buzzell became a Free Will Baptist, began preaching in 1791, and was ordained in 1792. He became an influential and successful minister, both as an itinerant and in a settled pastorate. He promoted foreign mission work and education. He was one of the founders of the seminary at Parsonsfield, the first school of his denomination. He was the co-founder and first editor of the denominations Morning Star newspaper. He opposed the admission of Elias Smith to the denomination due to Smith's heretical doctrines concerning the divinity of Christ and that of the annihilation of the wicked.

"He is said to have had a hand in publishing the Life of John Colby, and is known to have written the Life of Benjamin Randall. He published the first denominational Hymn-book in 1823, and was one of the association which established the Morning Star, and for several years was one of its editors...From the day of Benjamin Randall's death, John Buzzell was pre-eminently the executive and representative man of the connection, through a course of many years." - Barrett, Memoirs of Eminent Preachers of the FreeWill Baptist Denomination (1874). 

Clark, John. The Ebenezer Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, with an Appendix consisting of Miscellaneous Pieces; Compiled by John Clark, of Virginia. Baltimore: Sherwood & Co., 1856. First Edition. [9397]

Full leather binding, all of one piece but separated from the text block, both covers & spine decorated in gilt, small dig at center of front board, page edges all gilt, 14 cm (5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches). xii., 1-230, 239-668 pp., shaken at end of book with several detached leaves. DEFECTIVE: lacking 4 leaves, pp. 231-238. Poor.

The scarce first edition.

"The compilation consists of 550 hymns, 100 Spiritual songs, and 46 Miscellaneous Pieces in the Appendix, which, it is believed, will be quite sufficient for all necessary purposes, whether in public or social worship." - author's Preface.

Elder John Clark (1804-1882) b. Clark's Mountain, Virginia, a Primitive Baptist minister and author; he edited Zion's Advocate for some thirty years.

Clark, John. The Ebenezer Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, with an Appendix consisting of Miscellaneous Pieces; Compiled by John Clark, of Virginia. Philadelphia: Henry B. Ashmead, 1858. (Second Edition). [8474]

Full leather binding with elaborate gilt designs, rubbed & worn, two small chips at bottom of spine, 3 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches, outer hinges good, all page edges gilt. End paper hinges front and back are torn, free end papers back and front are missing. xii., 668 generally clean pp., text complete, text block tight but has slipped a little in the binding. Some foxing, corner creases. Acceptable. Hardcover.

An 1858 printing of the second edition of 1857.

Elder John Clark (1804-1882) b. Clark's Mountain, Virginia, a Primitive Baptist minister and author; he edited Zion's Advocate for some thirty years.

Couch, William. A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Merry Christian, and for the Comforting of Mourners in Zion. Andover, N. H.: Printed by Ebenezer Chase, for the Compiler, 1819. First Edition. [8971]

Without the blue wrapper (remnant only), 13 cm (5 1/8 x 4 inches), 64 pp., last leaf tattered. Defective: lacking 3 leaves (pp. 19-22, 35-36). Advert for books sold by Chase at bottom of last page. Fair. Pamphlet.

OCLC with 3 locations (Dartmouth, U. of NH, Brown).

34 selections with a table of first lines.

The "Merry Christian" in the title likely refers to James 5:13, "Is any merry? let him sing psalms."

William Couch (1775-1856), b. Hopkinton, NH; d. Salisbury, NH. We have been unable to find additional information about Couch; the content indicates that he was Freewill Baptist.

We believe that many of these are original hymns, for we find them not at hymnarydotorg. For search purposes, here are the first lines of the first five: 1. "For thee my God, I thirst I mourn"; 2. "What wond'rous love in Christ above"; 3. "How happy's our devotion Whilst we in Jesus dwell"; 4. "While Shepherds slumber'd with their flocks; They in amazement soon awoke"; 5. "Be gone, ye earthly charms away; Ye cause my heart to wander".

The printer, Rev. Ebenezer Chase (1785-1866).  He was ordained in 1810 as a Freewill Baptist minister; he was also an author and publisher, issuing the Religious Informer at Andover, N. H. In later life he joined with the Congregationalists due to the objections of the Freewill Baptist conference over his habit of writing out his sermons. His entry into printing was unplanned, and due to the scattered nature of his congregation. "He became interested in the art of printing. He used some old type and a press of his own construction and learned to print without assistance; a good example of a self-trained printer, equal to any task from that of editor to that of printer's 'devil.' A master of the art wrote: 'His was a remarkable sample and no one would expect such neatness but from a regular printer.' - Eastman, History of the Town of Andover, New Hampshire, 1751-1906, p. 389.

Courtney, John. The Christian's Pocket Companion; being A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs; for The Use of Christians: A number never before published; By John Courtney, Sen. Richmond, [Virginia]: John Courtney, Jun., 1805. [8508]

Late 19th century binding, brown morocco, 3 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches, both joints cracked and fragile. Small ex-lib paper label label base of spine, ink inventory number within. Pages edges stained red, later endpapers, title leaf with amateur repair to lower corner with partial loss of wood engraved border, text unaffected. Red dye has bled into the upper margin of some leaves, early repair to the bottom of pp. iii-iv, affecting two words of text. xiii, [1 blank], [1]-130. Imperfect: complete collation is xiii, 134, 178, this copy lacking more than half of the pages called for. Poor. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, CC1675. Shaw & Shoemaker 8257; calling for 178 pp., which is the second half of the book, Spiritual Songs. Worldcat with 1 location.

First published with a slightly different title in 1802 as The Christian's pocket companion : being a collection of the newest and most admired spiritual songs, now made use of by the United Baptists in Virginia, with only 103, [3] pp.

In the preface to this edition, dated 1805, the author jousts with the Methodists, who, he says, will allow the use of no other hymnals but those approved by their Bishops, and that they are forbidden from singing hymns and spiritual songs of their own composition. "Hence, it appears necessary, that this LITTLE BOOK should be dedicated principally to the BAPTIST CHURCH. - But while the Compiler flatters himself that it will be extensively useful to this class of Christians, he hopes, there are other Religious Communities, what me be benefited by the use of these excellent Hymns and Spiritual Songs."

John Courtney (ca. 1740-1824), b. King & Queen Co., Virginia; d. Richmond, Virginia. His father died when he was a lad, and John became apprenticed to a carpenter. He was converted about the year 1774, and became a Baptist minister. He was the second pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, serving from 1788 to 1824.

Several anecdotes survive of his ministry in Richmond. He was known among his people as "Father Courtney," and it is said the the first missionary work among prisoners in Richmond was his, due to his shouting being able to be heard within the city jail. He caused a split in his congregation due to his throwing out the new-fangled Sunday School and not allowing them to meet in the church on the Lord's Day.

And lastly, "he compiled a hymnal, and when Father Courtney observed that the folks in the pews were more engrossed in the hymnal than in his sermon, he confiscated the hymnals." see Fred Anderson, A mystery about Father Courtney, Baptist News Global, April 13, 2006.

Cushman, E. A New Collection of Hymns, for Conference Meetings, and for Private Devotion.  Selected from the most approved Authors.  Second Edition, Revised and improved from the first Edition, By the Rev. E. Cushman.  Hartford: Printed and Published by Roberts & Burr.  1821.

Full calf, red calf title label, gilt lines to spine, 1 1/4 inch split to front joint, 3 x 5 1/4 inches, tight.  Inscription on ffep, "Elizabeth L. Edmands Book, Bought in the year of Our Lord 1827, Feb. 10th."    222 pp.: few pp. bound out of order, but complete; one bottom corner chipped affecting a couple of letters.

Some sermons by Rev. Cushman are in Starr's Baptist Bibliography, but not this hymnal. Not in Music & Richardson.

Several hymns on baptism show that the compiler believed in immersion, and in believers-only baptism.

Rev. Cushman may be only the reviser and not the compiler. There is no preface or introduction and so no additional information is available from the hymnal itself. The original copyright was given to B. & J. Russell of Hartford, CT, in 1817. We find a record of it being published by them in that same year.

Elisha Cushman (1788-1838), b. Kingston, Maine; d. Hartford, Connecticut. A "lineal descendant of Robert Cushman, one of the Pilgrim Fathers. Was converted in this twentieth year and shortly thereafter was licensed to the Christian ministry by the Kingston Baptist Church. Pastor of the Hartford, Connecticut, Baptist Church until 1825. Was the first editor of The Christian Secretary, starting in 1822. Later served as pastor of New Market Street Baptist Church, Philadelphia, 1825-1829; Stratford Baptist Church, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1829-1831; and First Baptist Church, New Haven, 1831-1835." - Roper, Dictionary of North American Hymnology online.

Cushman, E. A New Collection of Hymns, for Conference Meetings, and for Private Devotion; Selected from the most approved Authors. Hartford: Printed and Published by Roberts & Burr, 1821. Second Edition, Revised and improved from the first Edition, By the Rev. E. Cushman. [8628]

Full calf, several creases to the binding including one in the middle of the spine, 5 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches. "Bena Baldwin's Property, Branford" in brown ink on ffep. 222 pp., collated and complete. Some wear to the margins from use; no damage to the text. Good. Full calf.

Some sermons by Rev. Cushman are in Starr's Baptist Bibliography, but not this hymnal. Not in Music & Richardson.

Several hymns on baptism show that the compiler believed in immersion, and in believers-only baptism.

Rev. Cushman may be only the reviser and not the compiler. There is no preface or introduction and so no additional information is available from the hymnal itself. The original copyright was given to B. & J. Russell of Hartford, CT, in 1817. We find a record of it being published by them in that same year.

Elisha Cushman (1788-1838), b. Kingston, Maine; d. Hartford, Connecticut. A "lineal descendant of Robert Cushman, one of the Pilgrim Fathers. Was converted in this twentieth year and shortly thereafter was licensed to the Christian ministry by the Kingston Baptist Church. Pastor of the Hartford, Connecticut, Baptist Church until 1825. Was the first editor of The Christian Secretary, starting in 1822. Later served as pastor of New Market Street Baptist Church, Philadelphia, 1825-1829; Stratford Baptist Church, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1829-1831; and First Baptist Church, New Haven, 1831-1835." - Roper, Dictionary of North American Hymnology online. 

Davis, Gustavus F.  The Young Christian's Companion, being a Selection of Hymns particularly adapted to private Devotion and Conference Meetings.  Boston: True and Greene, Printers.  1826.

Red leather spine, marbled paper boards, worn and scuffed, top of spine chipped with 1/2 inch loss, back outer hinge split 2 inches at top.  3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, lacks the front blanks, 108, iv. pp.

"Gustavus Fellows Davis (1797-1836) compiled The Young Christian's Companion during his pastorate in South Reading, Massachusetts.  His brief preface conveys the purpose and spirit of the collection:

In this selection efforts have not been made to find the best poetical effusions, but to bring within a small compass those 'Spiritual Songs' which are in general use among us, but now so scattered in different books as to render the use of them inconvenient.  In this place 'the time of the singing of birds,' (of new and joyful converts,) 'is come.'  For their benefit this little work is particularly intended.  It is hoped, however, that as revivals are multiplying in this region, 'The Young Christian's Companion' may be found useful to a greater extent by assisting 'the Children of Zion' in other places to sing, in evanglic [sic] strains, the praises of their exalted king.

"Its 108 texts are principally related to the stages of Christian experience.  Included are folk hymns and text from eighteenth-century English evangelicals." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 174.

Davis, R. Hymns composed on Several Subjects and on Divers Occasions: In Five Parts, with a Table for each Part. London: Printed by T. R., 1738. The Fifth Edition, Corrected. [9932]

Full leather with blind borders, very worn yet intact; 14.5 x 8.5 cm (5 3/4 x 3 1/4 inches). Begins p. iii. Lacks the title page and any introduction. iii-vi, (1)-102, 105-170, lacking an unknown number of end leaves. The text is mutilated; almost every page is torn, and many are torn with loss of text. Poor.

The author, title and edition were written on a piece of paper laid in the book. We are selling this as found.

Richard Davis (1658-1714), born in Cardiganshire, Wales. He was for some years the master of a grammar school in London.

"In 1690 he received an invitation to the pastorate from the Independent Church at Rothwell (or Rowell) in Northamptonshire, and with this church he spent the remaining 24 years of his life. He was a remarkable man, and, in connection with his Evangelistic labours in the region round about, anticipated Wesly's institution of lay-preachers. he pub. a volume of 168 hymns. The date of the 1st ed. is unknown...A 7th ed. was published in 1748, with a recommendatory preface by Dr. John Gill, who in his youth had received much spiritual stimulus and guidance from Mr. Davis.

"However acceptable these hymns may have been to the villagers of the midland counties of England 190 years ago, they are too defective in metre, and altogether too uncouth in style for use now, and are of interest only to the student of early English hymnody." - W. R. S., in Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology.

Dodge, Daniel. A Selection of Hymns & Psalms, from the most approved authors; principally from Watts & Rippon: together with Originals. Wilmington, [Delaware]: Published by Mathew B. Lockerman; Joseph Jones, Printer, 1808. First Edition. [8499]

Full calf, 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, spine in gilt with "Dodge's Selections," several signatures by John and Ruth Craig dated 1810. Complete text: [iv], (ix)-xxiv, 434 unnumbered pages, table of scriptures at end. Some closed tears, stains. Good. Full calf.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, D2180. Shaw & Shoemaker 14879. WorldCat with 6 locations.

Daniel Dodge (1775-1851), "...at the time pastor of First Baptist Church of Wilmington, Delaware, issued A Selection of Hymns and Psalms in 1808, combining Watts and Rippon to make a volume more convenient for its users. The addition of new literature is noted in the description on its title page: 'principally from Watts & Rippon: together with Originals.' The book contains 428 hymns and thirteen doxologies, and duplicate's Rippon's topical organization. Dodge indicated the source from which he had taken each text, naming either the section and hymn number from Watts, the number in 'J.R.'s Selection,' or another collection." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 158. 

Dowling, John. Conference Hymns: A New Collection of Hymns, designed especially for Conference and Prayer Meetings, and Family Worship. New York: Edward H. Fletcher, 1849. Fourth Thousand. [8482]

Teal cloth spine, paper over boards, paper worn with some loss, 3 x 4 1/2 inches, 304 pp., counted and complete. Two inscriptions on the front end papers: "Vincy Miller's Book given by Phebe Miller, Wallingford, Connecticut" and "Vincy Ann Miller was the sister of Mr. E. B. Miller & is buried in Bloomington cemetery." Good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, D2452. WorldCat with 7 locations.

"In 1849 John Dowling (1807-1878), a native of England who emigrated to America in 1832, published Conference Hymns: A New Collection of Hymns. Dowling served as pastor of churches in Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. At the time of the publication of A New Collection of Hymns, he was pastor of the Berean Baptist Church in New York City.

"The stated purposes of his book are, 'in the first place, to add to the life and spirituality of the Conference and the Prayer Meeting; and, secondly, to be an acceptable pocket companion to the Christian, in the family or in the closet' (preface). The contents include 360 numbered items, grouped into 'hymns adapted to revival melodies,' 'the missionary concert,' 'baptism,' 'miscellaneous,' and 'voluntary stanzas,' the last-named consisting mainly of single- or two-stanza texts. One of the hymns in the miscellaneous category is 'Sweet Hour of Prayer,' attributed to 'Walford, the Blind Preacher': this was apparently the first publication of the text in a United States hymnal. Eight texts are attributed to Dowling himself, and he is credited with altering four others. While music is not included, suggested tunes are listed for a few hymns." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 221-222. 

Dowling, John. Conference Hymns: A New Collection of Hymns, designed especially for Conference and Prayer Meetings, and Family Worship. New York: Edward H. Fletcher, 1853. Thirteenth Thousand. [8485]

Black blindstamped cloth, title in gilt to spine, joints fine, a few nicks at the corner tips & spine ends, 3 x 4 1/2 inches. 304, 15, (1) pp., counted and complete.

Publisher's advert in green ink pasted to the r. pastedown, "Baptist Sabbath School Depository". Very good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, D2454. WorldCat does not locate this 1853 printing of the first edition.

This printing has the addition of a Declaration of Faith (15 pp.) and a Covenant (1 p.).

"In 1849 John Dowling (1807-1878), a native of England who emigrated to America in 1832, published Conference Hymns: A New Collection of Hymns. Dowling served as pastor of churches in Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. At the time of the publication of A New Collection of Hymns, he was pastor of the Berean Baptist Church in New York City.

"The stated purposes of his book are, 'in the first place, to add to the life and spirituality of the Conference and the Prayer Meeting; and, secondly, to be an acceptable pocket companion to the Christian, in the family or in the closet' (preface). The contents include 360 numbered items, grouped into 'hymns adapted to revival melodies,' 'the missionary concert,' 'baptism,' 'miscellaneous,' and 'voluntary stanzas,' the last-named consisting mainly of single- or two-stanza texts. One of the hymns in the miscellaneous category is 'Sweet Hour of Prayer,' attributed to 'Walford, the Blind Preacher': this was apparently the first publication of the text in a United States hymnal. Eight texts are attributed to Dowling himself, and he is credited with altering four others. While music is not included, suggested tunes are listed for a few hymns." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 221-222.

Dupuy, Starke.  Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected.  Sixth Edition.  New-York: Printed for the Publisher.  1829.

Full leather, crudely rebacked, very worn, the book opens stiffly, 3 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches.  Lacks the front blanks, one remains at end. 430 pp., text complete and in good condition - a few minor edge tears, chips.

Starr mentions several editions in his Baptist Bibliography.  The only edition found at WorldCat published before Peck's 1843 reprint is the Frankfort, KY printing of 1811.  That has only one location, AAS.

Dupuy's Preface is undated, written in Tennessee. 

"The popularity of Dupey's Selection may be attributed in large measure to its inclusion of a significant number of folk hymns-texts valued more for their hearty expression than for their poetic craft.  The experimental value invested in these texts was aided by their coupling in practice with sturdy folk tunes...The enduring value of Dupuy's hymnal may be seen from the publication of a revised edition by J. M. Peck in 1843.  In his preface, Peck hailed Dupuy as 'a worthy, pious and devoted minister of the Gospel, in Kentucky and Tennessee, for many years - much respected by the Baptist denomination, to which he belonged, and by Christians general.'" - Music & Richardson, "I will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 193-195.

Starke Dupuy (ca. 1779-1840) b. Powatan Co., Virginia; d. Fayette Co., Tennessee.  His father was one of the early Baptist preachers in Powhatan Co.; about 1788 the family moved to Woodford Co., Kentucky, where his father raised a church at Buck Run.  In 1797 the family moved to Selby Co., Kentucky, and shortly thereafter Starke Dupuy felt the call to preach.  His first hymnal was published in 1811, and in 1812 he founded The Kentucky Missionary and Theological Magazine, a short-run periodical (4 issues) that is now rare.  The journal of Luther Rice (Nov. 24, 1815), mentions Dupuy living "near Shelbyville."  He moved to West Tennessee by 1825, serving as superintendent of an Academy.  It was observed that Dupuy gave up preaching due to problems with his throat and voice.

"Dupuy's Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs proved to be one of the most widely used Baptist hymnals of its time.  Dupuy himself revised the hymnal twice, and it was published in 22 editions...Dupuy's hymnal seems to have been especially popular in Kentucky and Tennessee, but it penetrated northern states as well.  Indeed, the book was in use at the Pigeon Creek (Primitive) Baptist Church in Illinois where young Abraham Lincoln was an occasional attender." - David W. Music, Starke Dupuy: Early Baptist Hymnal Compiler, in Singing Baptists: Studies in Baptist Hymnody in America (1984).

 

Dyer, Sidney. The South Western Psalmist: A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs for the use of Baptist Churches. Louisville: Hulls & Shannon | A. C. James, Stereotyper, 1851. [8470]

Full leather with black leather title label, gilt lines to spine, 3 x 4 3/4 inches, top of spine worn even with textblock, corners worn through, short crack top of back outer hinge, all still tight. Lacks the front fly page; 384 pp., text complete. Foxing, smudges, corner of rear blank torn with loss. Rear end papers with pencil writing & scribbles. Small blue paper piece pasted to rear paste-down, inscribed in blue ink, "Mary Ann Beaslys Book, 1852." Beneath it in pencil reads, Mary A. Beasley was born Jan 10th, 1836; died Dec 29, 1908.) Good.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, only records the second edition of 1852. WorldCat only records the edition of 1852, published by Morton & Griswold.

16 of Dyer's own hymns are included in this hymnal.

Sidney Dyer (1814-1898) b., White Creek, New York; d. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Army for about nine years, beginning in 1831. He was ordained a Baptist minister in 1842. Dyer "served as a missionary to the Choctaw Indians, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Indianapolis, and district secretary of the American Baptist Publication Society. His The South Western Psalmist was copyrighted in 1851 and published in 1852." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 223

[NOTE: The footnote in Music & Richardson records the 1852 edition, published by Morton & Griswold, as the first. They do not reference our copy here published by Hulls & Shannon with the date of 1851 on the tp.]

Dyer was pastor of churches in Brownsville, NY, and in Indianapolis. From 1859 to 1885 he was District Secretary of the American Baptist Publication Society. He wrote about a dozen books, as well as many hymns.

In his preface Dyer laments the lack of a suitable hymnal for the Baptists in the South and West, and says that although there are Northern hymnals sometime available, but that they contain some things of a local nature to the North, and are unsuitable for Kentucky and several other South Western states. 

Earle, A. B. Revival Hymns. Boston: James H. Earle, 1870. [10173]

Maroon cloth with gilt title to front, light edgewear, 15 x 9.5 cm (6 x 4 inches). Lacks the ffep (blank), 64 pp., pencil jottings at the head of some hyns, probably indicating the tune. Good. Hardcover.

109 selections, words only.

Absalom Backus Earle (1812-1895), b. Carlton, New York; d. Newton, Massachusetts. Earle worked on his father's farm until 18 years of age, was self-taught, and became an American Baptist minister. “A. B. Earle was born in Charlton, New York. He was converted at the age of sixteen and began preaching two years later. He spent the next three years studying and preaching. At the age of twenty-one he was ordained at Amsterdam, New York.  After pastoring there for five years, Earle felt led by the Lord to enter the evangelistic ministry. The next fifty-eight years of his life were spent holding meetings in the United States (every state) and Canada. He held 39,330 services, traveled 370,000 miles, led 160,000 souls to Christ, and earned a total of $65,520 for his sixty-four years of ministry. He influenced 400 men to enter the ministry.” – Canton Baptist Website.

Elliott, John; Stevens, Samuel.  The Latest Collection of Original and Select Hymns and Spiritual Songs.  By John Elliott, and Samuel Stevens, Elders and Preachers of the Free-Will Baptist Society in the city of New-York.  New-York: Printed by Largin & Thompson.  1813.

Worn plain calf, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, we think with the paste-down front and back separated from the boards; three blanks at front, one at back, outer joints fine, book is tight. 

Inscribed on the ffep: "Isaac S. Mandeville Book, Remember O, yew santz Devine,"

Not in Starr.  Shaw & Shoemaker 28416.  WorldCat with 9 locations.

Foster, Robert. General Collection: Hymns, Original and Selected, for the use of Christians. Portsmouth, N. H.: Printed and Sold at the Office of the Christian Herald | Stereotyped by Smith, Reed & Gaylord..Boston, 1828. [8456]

Full calf with gilt titles & decoration to spine, small wormhole at base, binding rubbed, intact with no cracks, attractive. 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches, 448 generally clean pp., silverfish damage to the rear blanks. Very good. Full calf.

Dowling, Hymn and Gospel Song Books of the Restoration Movement: A Bibliography, p. 62. First published 1824; "Note: This is the first part of what was designed as a Portsmouth Collection."

Foster determined after attending the seventh United States Christian Conference, to produce this hymnal.

"He would gratefully acknowledge the kindness of Elder David Millard, and others who have aided him in this work, and hopes it will contribute to the comfort, edification, and upbuilding of Christians in the new and living way, till they shall come to the New Jerusalem, and with the hundred and forty and four thousand, and an innumerable company sing, the new song forever and ever." - Preface. 

Fraternity of Baptists. The Christians Duty, exhibited in a series of Hymns, Collected from various Authors, Designed for the Worship of God, And for the Edification of Christians; Recommended, To the Serious of all Denominations, by the Fraternity of Baptists. Germantown, [PA]: Printed by Peter Leibert, 1801. Second Edition, Improved. [8490]

Full leather, scuffed, worn, with the back board nearly detached, 4 x 6 1/4 inches. Signature clipped from the top of the ffep, religious poem in brown ink on ffep, Psalm 145: 8&9 written on the f. fly. Tp with decorative border. (iv.), 1-330 pp., ii-xxv (tables), 1-31 & Hymns), (1) Index. Lacking leaf 331-i, which is the last page of the first group of hymns and the first page of the table; and the rear free blanks. Text good with light stains, foxing. Good.

Shaw & Shoemaker 307. WorldCat with 8 locations.  Last sale recorded at RareBookHub is in a 1923 Anderson Galleries catalogue, "An apparently unrecorded Leibert imprint, six years later than any listed by Seidensticker."  Recorded now by Hinks.

First published in 1791. The hymnal of the Pennsylvania "Dunkers," or German Anabaptists, later called "The Fraternity of Baptist Brethren (1836), now known as the Church of the Brethren. The first congregation in America was formed at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1723. see Hinks, Brethren Hymn Books and Hymnals, 1720-1884, pp. 39-45.

The first edition was the first English language Brethren hymnal. It was reprinted five times between 1791 and 1825.  This second edition has 365 hymns (words only); the first edition had 352.

"Peter Leibert (1727-1812) was a Germantown, Pa., printer. A wealthy Baptist Dunker, Leibert served as an officer in a Germantown fire company and was one of the managers chosen to erect the Concord school house in 1775. Leibert's daughter Mary married Michael Billmeyer, his partner from 1785 to 1787, with whom he published the bi-weekly newspaper Germantauner Zeitung from February 6, 1785, to August 7, 1787. Leibert and Billmeyer also published the German language edition of the proceedings of the Pennsylvania Assembly

"Leibert printed almanacs, government documents, children's books, and other secular texts, but he was primarily a publisher of religious works, mostly, but not exclusively, in German. Although primarily a publisher, Leibert also sold a variety of sundry items, including pencils, slates, a cork-screw, window glass, broad cloth, an ink stand, ink powder and various pigments, oil, a gimlet, lamp black, paint brushes, putty, alum, lottery boxes, sponges, glue, among other things." - American Antiquarian Society online. 

Fraternity of Baptists. The Christians Duty, exhibited in a series of Hymns, Collected from various Authors, Designed for the Worship of God, And for the Edification of Christians; Recommended, To the Serious of all Denominations, by the Fraternity of Baptists. Germantown, [PA]: Published by John Leibert | Billmeyer - Printer, 1825. Fourth Edition, Improved. [8666]

Full leather, boards bowed, 14 cm (5 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches), joints good, "Select Hymns" with gilt lines to spine. Lacks the front free end papers; title page stained, margin edges to first several leaves tattered. (iv.), [1]-331 p., (i-xxv) tables; 1-118 Hymns, (v.) tables. Top margin damaged from p. 325 of the first book, through the tables, to p. 34 of the second, including some text of the top lines. Text block tight, pages collated and complete, light to dark staining throughout. Fair.

Bound with: A Selection of Hymns, from various Authors, supplementary for the Use of Christians. Separate title page, same imprint as above - this is the 1-118 (v.) page count above.

"The Christian's Duty was first published in 1791. The hymnal of the Pennsylvania "Dunkers," or German Anabaptists, later called "The Fraternity of Baptist Brethren (1836), now known as the Church of the Brethren. The first congregation in America was formed at Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1723. see Hinks, Brethren Hymn Books and Hymnals, 1720-1884, pp. 39-45.

The first edition was the first English language Brethren hymnal. It was reprinted five times between 1791 and 1825. This fourth edition has 365 hymns (words only); the first edition had 352.

[Freewill Baptist]  Moulton, A. K.; Curtis, Silas; Fullonton, John; et al. The Psalmody: A Collection of Hymns for Public and Social Worship; Compiled by order of the Freewill Baptist General Conference. Dover, N. H.: Freewill Bap. Print. Establishment, 1853. First Edition. [8458]

Black leather, blind-stamped pattern to covers, "Psalmody" in gilt to spine, 3 x 4 3/4 inches, edges rubbed yet tight and intact with no cracks. 637 pp., a little foxing, a few corner tips turned. "1853" in ink on the tp. Very good. Full leather.

The Committee which produced this hymnal through the authorization of the Fourteenth General Conference consisted of A. K. Moulton, Silas Curtis, John Fullonton, M. J. Steere, Jonathan Woodman, P. S. Burbank, and Oren B. Cheney.

Words only, no music. 

[Freewill Baptist Connection]. Sacred Melodies for Conference & Prayer Meetings and for Social and Private Devotion. Dover: The Trustees of the Freewill Baptist Connection | Wm. Burr, Printer, 1842. Fifth Edition. [8471]

Full leather binding, gilt lines to spine, a little worming to the back cover, rubbed yet with no cracks, tight. "P. L. Hinkley, Canton, Portage Co., Ohio" in blue ink on the front fly page. 192 pp., text pages complete, lacks the rear blanks. Some edge tears and chipping in the margins; 4 chips are large enough to remove letters/words. Good. Full leather.

189 selections plus 6 choruses; words only, no music. 

Freeman, Enoch W. A Selection of Hymns: including A Few Originals, designed to Aid the Friends of Zion in their Private and Social Worship. [Exeter, NH]: [John C. Gerrish], (1829). First Edition. [8655]

Olive leather spine with gilt lines & "Freeman's Hymns." Scuffed marbled boards, joints with crude sewn repair, 12 cm (4 3/4 x 3 inches). [4], 288 pp. Leaves complete but with several torn edges affecting some text. Contents worn and well-used. Fair.

The title page has no proper imprint; publishing info gleaned from the copyright page, Advertisement, and another first edition in our catalogue. We have compared this with an 1829 Exeter imprint by Gerrish, and the page numbers and other matter match, but the title page here is without the printer's imprint. It is the true tp however, with the copyright information on the verso.

This appears to be a very early printing with the publisher's imprint erroneously left off the title page - all other aspects of the title page are identical to the other 1829 edition in our catalogue - the Advertisement page has a few periods lacking that are in the (probably) later printing of this first edition.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, Fo1235.

"The work of revival which has been carried forth in this town for more than three years past, and which is still progressing, seems to call for a greater number and a more extensive variety of hymns than are usually found in collections of this kind...Care has been taken to select those hymns which are best adapted to be sung in 'times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.' It is fondly hoped that this book may be useful as an instrument in exciting and perpetuating those glorious revivals of pure religion which so signally characterize this age in which Zion is breaking forth on every side in songs of praise." - Author's Advertisement.

Enoch Weston Freeman (1798-1835), of First Baptist Church, Lowell, Massachusetts. "This collection of 286 texts was reprinted several times over the next few years, indicating that the revival continued and that the choices Freeman made proved useful. The book's first hymn, one of seven by the compiler, shows in punctuation and typeface, as much as in vocabulary, the tone of urgency that characterized this movement..." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 172.

Freeman, Enoch W.  A Selection of Hymns: including A Few Originals, designed to Aid the Friends of Zion in their Private and Social Worship.  Exeter, N. H.: John C. Gerrish.  1829.  First Edition.

Full leather, "Freeman's Hymns" on edge-chipped spine label, worn with some loss at the edges and ends, ink stains to covers, 3 x 5 1/4 inches, binding remains tight.  "S. C. James" in brown ink on top closed page edge; "Sally C. James, Sept 5, 1831" in pencil on front fly page.  Lacks the ffep. (iv), 288 pp., complete.  One leaf (pp. 110-111) with small hole in text; leaf (pp. 183-184) with closed tear. 

286 selections plus index.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, Fo1235.

"The work of revival which has been carried forth in this town for more than three years past, and which is still progressing, seems to call for a greater number and a more extensive variety of hymns than are usually found in collections of this kind...Care has been taken to select those hymns which are best adapted to be sung in 'times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.'  It is fondly hoped that this book may be useful as an instrument in exciting and perpetuating those glorious revivals of pure religion which so signally characterize this age in which Zion is breaking forth on every side in songs of praise." - Author's Advertisement.

Enoch Weston Freeman (1798-1835), of First Baptist Church, Lowell, Massachusetts. "This collection of 286 texts was reprinted several times over the next few years, indicating that the revival continued and that the choices Freeman made proved useful.  The book's first hymn, one of seven by the compiler, shows in punctuation and typeface, as much as in vocabulary, the tone of urgency that characterized this movement..." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 172.

Freeman, Enoch W. A Selection of Hymns: including A Few Originals, designed to Aid the Friends of Zion in their Private and Social Worship. Exeter, N. H.: Published by Abel Brown and Laban A. Tyler, 1830. Second Edition. [8507]

Full leather, "Freeman's Selection" on leather spine label, worn & scuffed with some surface loss at the spine ends, 3 x 5 inches. "Eliza Dudley's Property, Sandbornton, August 21st, 1830" in brown ink on the ffep. 288 pp. text complete, lacks the rear blanks. Good. Full leather.

First published 1829 in Exeter, by John C. Gerrish. Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, has four editions between 1829 and 1831, yet does not cite this second Exeter edition.

"The work of revival which has been carried forth in this town for more than three years past, and which is still progressing, seems to call for a greater number and a more extensive variety of hymns than are usually found in collections of this kind...Care has been taken to select those hymns which are best adapted to be sung in 'times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.' It is fondly hoped that this book may be useful as an instrument in exciting and perpetuating those glorious revivals of pure religion which so signally characterize this age in which Zion is breaking forth on every side in songs of praise." - Author's Advertisement.

Enoch Weston Freeman (1798-1835), of First Baptist Church, Lowell, Massachusetts. "This collection of 286 texts was reprinted several times over the next few years, indicating that the revival continued and that the choices Freeman made proved useful. The book's first hymn, one of seven by the compiler, shows in punctuation and typeface, as much as in vocabulary, the tone of urgency that characterized this movement..." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 172.

Freeman, Enoch W. A Selection of Hymns: including A Few Originals, designed to Aid the Friends of Zion in their Private and Social Worship. Exeter, [NH]: Leonard Russell, 1832. [8890]

Full leather, red leather title label, joints cracked with the front board nearly detached, leather chipped at top of spine. 11.5 cm (4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches), top corner of first two leaves torn with loss, affecting some words. 288 pp., text complete, lacking all blank free end papers.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, Fo1238. The first edition was issued in 1829.

"The work of revival which has been carried forth in this town for more than three years past, and which is still progressing, seems to call for a greater number and a more extensive variety of hymns than are usually found in collections of this kind...Care has been taken to select those hymns which are best adapted to be sung in 'times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.' It is fondly hoped that this book may be useful as an instrument in exciting and perpetuating those glorious revivals of pure religion which so signally characterize this age in which Zion is breaking forth on every side in songs of praise." - Author's Advertisement.

Enoch Weston Freeman (1798-1835), of First Baptist Church, Lowell, Massachusetts. "This collection of 286 texts was reprinted several times over the next few years, indicating that the revival continued and that the choices Freeman made proved useful. The book's first hymn, one of seven by the compiler, shows in punctuation and typeface, as much as in vocabulary, the tone of urgency that characterized this movement..." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 172.

 

Fuller, C. M. A Selection of Hymns from the Most Approved Authors: particularly designed to be used in, and for the promotion of, Revivals of Religion; In Christian Conference Meetings. Together with the Articles of Faith & Church Covenant, As Contained in the Scriptures. Auburn & Utica: Ivison & Terry | Bennett and Bright, 1838. Third Edition. [8454]

Full brown leather with a black calf title label in gilt, 3 x 4 1/4 inches, small chip at head of spine, corners worn through, thin crack 1 inch long at the top of both outer hinges, covers still well-attached. 19th century folding newspaper clipping of a poem by James Montgomery, The Stranger and His Friend, tipped in on front pastedown. (xiii.), 224 pp., lacks a rear blank. Tight, generally clean, faint tidemark on the last few leaves. Very good. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, Fo1936. WorldCat with five locations.

184 hymns total, words only; 12 pages of additional hymns were added to this third edition. The Articles of Faith & Church Covenant are pp. (215)-224.

The author was the pastor of the Baptist Church in Elbridge, Onondaga Co., New York, within the "Burned Over District" of the Finney revivals. The first edition, with title A Collection of Hymns was published in 1830 or 31, and is mentioned in the Cayuga Association Minutes of 1831. see Starr Fo1933.

Cyrenus Metcalf Fuller (1791-1865), b. Grafton, Vermont; d. Darien, Wisconsin. Fuller's parents were Congregationalist, but in 1813 he was baptized by immersion; he was licensed to preach in 1814, and ordained by the Baptist Church in Dorset, Vermont, in 1818. He remained as pastor there until 1827, when he accepted a call to the Baptist Church in Elbridge, New York, just west of Syracuse. After 12 years of ministry in that place, he became pastor of the congregation at Pike, New York.

"In 1843 he entered the service of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, and held this position until 1861. he traveled as a financial agent in twenty-six States of the Union, and extensively in the British possessions, - in all about 120,000 miles...His ministry was pre-eminently useful. While a settled pastor he baptized about 1000 persons into the churches...He did much in bringing the work of home missions prominently before the Baptist denomination. He was highly esteemed among the ministers and churches, not only for his works' sake, but also for his personal virtues and character." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Gillette, A. D. Hymns for Social Meetings; selected by A. D. Gillette. Philadelphia: Fidelio Buckingham Graham, Publisher | King & Baird, Printers, 1842. First Edition. [8672]

Black calf spine with black textured boards, title & lines in gilt to spine, 11 cm (4 1/4 x 3 inches), joints rubbed and good, spine ends & corners frayed/rounded. Contemporary signature, "W. A. Houston's Book" in brown & blue ink on the ffep. 160 pp., 16 pp. Appendix, text complete. Light tidemarks in the inner margins throughout; top corner tip of the leaves nibbled througout. Good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, G1292, with date of 1843. Words only; no music.

"Two prayer meeting hymnals from the early 1840s are notable both for the higher aims and their compilers...In 1843 [our copy, 1842] Abram D. Gillette compiled Hymns for Social Meetings...This book was...the work of a young minister whose career proved to be long and influential. At the time, Gillette (1807-1882) was pastor of Eleventh Baptist Church in Philadelphia. [He] included hymns about foreign missions - a strong interest of prayer groups in congregations and the binding force of many of the societies." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing The Wondrous Story", p. 176.

Goddard, Josiah.  A New and Evangelical Collection of Sacred Hymns, taken from the best and most approved Authors, both in Europe and America, designed for the use of Christians, and suited to almost every occasion of Public and Private Worship.  Copy-right secured according to law.  Pittsfield, [MA]: Printed by Phinehas Allen.  1809.

Full leather, back board detached, text block split near the center, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.   Defects: lacking leaf 229-230; pp. 253-312 tattered, damaged, or missing; lacking 445-446; text ends at p. 502, lacking last leaf of index.

Shaw & Shoemaker 17635.  WorldCat with 7 locations.

Josiah Goddard (1768-1836) a Baptist pastor in Conway, Massachusetts.  In 1798 he published A New and Beautiful Collection of Select Hymns (Conway: Theodore Leonard).  This 1809 hymnal, A New and Evangelical Collection of Sacred Hymns, differs from his prevous ones.  "Though it resembles Rippon's Selection by opening with Samuel Stennett's 'To God the universal king,' contains much of the same material, and is carefully ordered, its 529 hymns are arranged differently.  The first of its three large divisions, 'Containing hymns of various metres on different subjects, suited to public worship,' subdivides 353 hymns under thirty-three topics.  The second part contains ninety-one hymns for baptism and communion, while the third includes sixty-two spiritual songs.  There follows and appendix of thirty-three texts." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 168.

Goddard, Josiah. A New and Evangelical Collection of Sacred Hymns, taken from the best and most approved authors, both in Europe and America, Designed for the Use of Christians, and suited to almost every Occasion of Public and Private Worship. Pittsfield: Printed by Phinehas Allen, 1809. First Edition. [9568]

A defective copy of a scarce hymnal. A complete copy would have 504 pp. This copy has the title page leaf, then 11-14, 23-240, 243-286, 289-486. Two leaves are detached, many are torn, a few torn with significant loss of text. Full worn leather binding, 14.5 cm (5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches). Poor. Full leather.

Josiah Goddard (1768-1836) a Baptist pastor in Conway, Massachusetts. In 1798 he published A New and Beautiful Collection of Select Hymns (Conway: Theodore Leonard). This 1809 hymnal, A New and Evangelical Collection of Sacred Hymns, differs from his previous ones.

"Though it resembles Rippon's Selection by opening with Samuel Stennett's 'To God the universal king,' contains much of the same material, and is carefully ordered, its 529 hymns are arranged differently. The first of its three large divisions, 'Containing hymns of various metres on different subjects, suited to public worship,' subdivides 353 hymns under thirty-three topics. The second part contains ninety-one hymns for baptism and communion, while the third includes sixty-two spiritual songs. There follows and appendix of thirty-three texts." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 168.

 

Graves, Absalom. Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs, including some Never Before in Print; Carefully Selected, Arranged & Published, by the late Absalom Graves. Cincinnati: Lodge, L'Hommedieu & Hammond, Printers, 1829. Second Edition. [8466]

Full leather with maroon leather title label - "Graves' Hymns", title label with small chip, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, binding rubbed but very good with no cracks. 1835 inscriptions on the front blanks, transcribed below. (i)-iv, (5)-415. P. 286 misnumbered as p. 250; contents complete & good with a few closed tears, creases, pencil check marks, foxing. Two leaves torn with loss in bottom margin, not affecting text. Bound in at the end is an appendix on the life of the author, (1)-15 pp. Good. Full calf.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, G2962. WorldCat lists three locations.

Inscription on ffep: "March the 15 1835, Mary B. Hymer, Her Hym [sic] Book." Beneath is written: "Present by her to Benj. Belmer Sept 9th 1870 on her death bed. Died Sept. 19th 1870. B. B."

On the verso of the ffep, probably in Mary's hand, "O that day when freed from sinning, I shall see thy Lovely Face, richly clothd [sic] in blood washt Linen, I shall sing thy saving grace." And opposite, on the free fly page, "Come dear Lord no longer tary [sic], take my raptured sole [sic] away, Send thine angle [sic] down to Carry, me to relms [sic] of endless day."

The appendix is A Short Account of the Life and Death of the late Rev. Absalom Graves.

The author's preface was written from Bullittsburg, Boone Co., Kentucy, dated 1825. A Baptist church was founded there in 1794.

Selections from Watts, Newton, Medley, Doddridge, Steele, Stennett, Fawcett, Edmund Jones, Beddome, Needham, J. L. Holman (Ho, all ye sons of sin and woe), Cregg, Cowper, Wesley, Hart, Scott, Addison, Leeland, President Davies, Dr. Turner, Hewitt (If I perish, I will go, Trembling, to the Saviour's feet), Biggs' Collection.

Absalom Graves (1768-1826), b. Culpepper, Virginia; d. Bullitsburgh, Kentucky. He was converted in 1788 through the ministry of Rev. George Eve, at Rapidan, and baptized by him and united with the Baptist church there. In 1797 he moved to Boone Co., Kentucky, and united with the church at Bullitsburgh. He began his ministry in 1810 and during his pastorate the congregation benefited from several revivals. Graves' written death-bed testimony is included in the appended pamphlet.

"...distinguished for his zeal, piety, and great success...He held some civil offices, the duties of which he discharged with wisdom and fidelity. He was licensed to preach in 1810, ordained in 1812, and became the stated preacher at Bullittsburg and some other churches, laboring extensively as an evangelist. He was among the first in Kentucky to espouse the cause of foreign missions, and was a zealous co-laborer of Luther Rice in this work. He compiled a hymn-book, known as 'Graves's Hymns," that became popular. - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Griggs, H. A. The General Baptist Hymn Book: containing a selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs for Christian Worship, with several Original Pieces. Louisville, KY: Published by the Compiler | (Stereotyped and Printed by Morton & Griswold, Louisville, Ky), 1852. First Edition. [8487]

Full leather binding, black title label to spine, boards detached, 3 x 5 inches. Binding covered in a linsey-woolsey cloth, hand stitched over the boards. Lacks front and rear blanks. 550 pp. of hymns, text complete and good with old stains, a few mostly illegible notes, and some edge-wear; Index of hymns pp. 551-565 mutilated with loss.  Fair.

Not in Starr's Baptist Bibliography. No mention in either Reynolds or Music & Richardson. No record at WorldCat, AAS, or LOC. Rare.

651 Hymns, words only, metre noted.

Elder H. A. Griggs was associated with the General Baptist Churches in Kentucky.

"We, the Committee appointed by Liberty, Union, and Cumberland Associations of General Baptists, to examine a Hymn Book, compiled by Elder H. A. Griggs...do hereby cheerfully recommend the Book to the public, and to our own denomination in particular." - Benoni Stinson, Miles Frasure, W. W. Jenkins, and Robert Cary.

Guernsey, A. A. A Collection of Hymns, Adapted to various occasions, but more particularly designed for Conference and Prayer Meetings, An also, the Articles of Faith and Covenant, Embraced in substance by the Baptist denomination, as taught in God's word; By A. A. Guernsey, Pastor of the Baptist Church, Strongsville, Cuyahoga Co., O. Clveland [sic], Ohio: M. C. Younglove, 1843. First Edition. [8506]

Full leather, joints good, worn with fraying at the corners & ends, 3 x 4 3/4 inches, tight, lacks the front blanks. Damp & mold stains on the front pastedown, title page, and next few leaves. Foxing & lighter stains elsewhere. (1)-xii., main text numbers follow the hymns and not the number of pages - 176 texts on 209 pp., (7) pp. of articles of faith & covenant. Fair.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, G4298. WorldCat lists 3 locations.

A revival-oriented hymnal published near the height of the Finney extravagances in the "Burned Over District" of Western New York. The author's Preface states that not all churches would use the expressions contained herein, "but it may with confidence, be said, that a very happy union exists throughout the churches, in the adoption of the doctrines here expressed, and many of them in Western N. York, and elsewhere, in this form of expression. With ardent prayer, that this little book, comprising thirty hymns, particularly adapted to Sabbath Schools, and twenty to Baptismal occasions, and one hundred and twenty-six to conference and prayer meetings, of rare production, and most commonly in use, for such occasions among the Saints, may do good, it is submitted to all who love the praise of God..." (iv.)

The confession, while retaining Calvinist orientation, also includes this statement: "it is the duty of all to repent and believe immediately; and all that prevents their repentance, faith and salvation, is their own criminal opposition to God and holiness."

Handy, Jarius.  A Selection of Hymns, for Conference Meetings, designed for the use of Baptist Churches.  Buffalo: Steele & Faxon, 1831.

Jairus Handy (1803-1831), b. Brookfield, NY; d. Fredonia, NY.  A class of 1826 graduate of the Theological Seminary of Hamilton, NY (now Colgate U.), he served brief pastorates in the New York villages of Mayville, Dunkirk, Buffalo, and Fredonia. - A general catalogue of Colgate university: issued in October MCMXIX at Hamilton, New York. P. 305.

Hart, J. Hymns, &c. composed on various subjects. London: Printed and Sold by J. Chalmers, Old-Street, for the Author's Daughter; and sold by her at No. 15, St. Mary-at-Hill, 1793. The Thirteenth Edition: With the Author's Experience, the Supplement, and Appendix. [9064]

Full leather, front board detached, rear joint cracked, text block split into two pieces. 13.1 cm (5 3/8 x 3 1/4 inches), (9v.), xxii., 231m (viii.), text complete. One leaf tipped in at back, "Christ a Hiding Place,) not as old as the book as the text is in modern font (no long "s"). One leaf torn at the bottom with the piece laid in, another leaf torn yet with all of the pieces still attached. Poor.

The Preface is an account of the author's struggles of soul, dark gloominess, and redemption through Christ. It carries the date of 1759, when the book was first published.

"This [book] is specifically mentioned in a journal entry dated 2 May 1779 by James Manning, president of Rhode Island College (now Brown University) and pastor of First Baptist Church, Providence." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 86.

"‘Hart’s hymns’, said a Mr H. Belcher, ‘are diamond fields. They sparkle with great thoughts. He is the most spiritual of the English hymn writers.'" - Evangelical Times online.

Joseph Hart (1712-1768), English independent minister and hymn-writer. Awakened during the times of Wesley and Whitefield, he traced his spiritual awakening to a sermon Whitefield preached in his local parish; he remained a firm Calvinist to the end of his days.

Hart, J. Hymns, composed on various subjects. Brunswick, (Me.): Printed and for sale by Griffin & Weld, 1822. Fourth Edition, revised and corrected.  [8500]

Full leather, worn, front hinge cracked and holding by cords, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, bookplate of Brown U., Harris Collection, small "withdrawn" stamp on Preface page, remnants of lending slip on rear pastedown. xxiii., [1], (1)-228 generally clean pp., includes index. Good.

WorldCat with 5 locations.

The Preface is an account of the author's struggles of soul, dark gloominess, and redemption through Christ. It carries the date of 1759, when the book was first published.

"This [book] is specifically mentioned in a journal entry dated 2 May 1779 by James Manning, president of Rhode Island College (now Brown University) and pastor of First Baptist Church, Providence." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 86.

"‘Hart’s hymns’, said a Mr H. Belcher, ‘are diamond fields. They sparkle with great thoughts. He is the most spiritual of the English hymn writers.'" - Evangelical Times online.

Joseph Hart (1712-1768), English independent minister and hymn-writer. Awakened during the times of Wesley and Whitefield, he traced his spiritual awakening to a sermon Whitefield preached in his local parish; he remained a firm Calvinist to the end of his days.

Miss Harvey, now Mrs. Stevens; Harvey, Herman. Hymns and Spiritual Songs, on Different Subjects, Collected from a variety of Authors. By Miss Harvey, now Mrs. Stevens; To which is added, A Collection Suitably adapted to the edification of Christians, and the public worship of God, by Herman Harvey, and others. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by Peter Stewart, 1806. [9813]

Very worn paper over card, leather repair over spine, 12 x 7 cm (4 3/4 x 2 3/4 inches). (1)-10, 15-32, 41-98, 101-116, 119-142 pp. Shaken, with 8 missing leaves as noted; two leaves with crude sewn repairs, leaves edge-worn and dark. "Phebe Brown, her book, January 1, 1809" on rfep. Poor. Hardcover.

Several signatures on the front end papers, with this poem on the verso of the tp: "Sarah Lewis is my name, so Intend it Shall remain, until I meet a hansom man, then I will Change it if I Can."

There are 46 hymns in the first part, and 44 in the second part. Words only, no music.

"The compilers were the children of Deacon Obed Harvey (usually spelled "Hervey" where they lived) of Durham, New York. Herman (also spelled Hermon) was pastor of the Baptist church there for more than thirty years. Of the many excellent and interesting hymns in their frequently printed collection, one that especially catches the eye (in Herman's part of the book) is 'The Virginian song, about the glorious day." [p. 74 in this copy]. This piece is by John Leland..." - Steel & Hulan, The Makers of the Sacred Harp, p. 68.

Other interesting things - "The Mountain Song; or, Honor to the Hills" p. 57; "A Poem, composed by Justice Hull, on his call to preach the Gospel" p. 69; "By Truman Beman, Elder of the Baptist Church of Christ, at Renselaerville and Berne, composed to be sung at the funeral of his third wife, who departed this life, April 8th, 1803, in the 24th year of her age" p. 70; "A Virginia Lady's Experience" p. 93; "A few lines occasioned by a great Earthquake, 16th. of Nov. 1755, p. 132.

 

Hill, Benjamin. Hymns of Zion; being a Selection of Hymns for Social Worship, compiled chiefly for the use of Baptist Churches. New-Haven: Durrie and Peck | Baldwin & Treadway, Printers. 1829 [First Edition]

Full leather binding, red leather title label, gilt lines to spine, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, no cracks or other damage to the binding. White ink call numbers to spine & internal ink stamps (Colgate Rochester Divinity School); page edges dyed yellow, ink stamps on each.  Old ink name stamp of Elecia B. Titus, Rush, on the ffep & tp.  Inscription on ffep, "Ann J. Beardsley, her Book, Presented by a friend, Trumbull, August 19th, 1830."  256 pp., complete; light foxing, tight.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, H3794.  WorldCat with 2 locations.

Benjamin Munro Hill (1793-1881), Pastor of the Baptist Church in New Haven at the time of this compilation. The Preface which introduces this volume contains apologies by Hill for some of the crudeness of the selections, and, after saying hymns were added with reluctance, says, "But those hymns possess a great local popularity, and could not have been omitted without opposing the wishes of many valuable men."

Hill was noted for his 1829 Sermon delivered before the Legislature of the State of Connecticut, entitled, The Moral Responsibility of Civil Rulers.

Hill, Benjamin. Hymns of Zion; being a Selection of Hymns for Social Worship, compiled chiefly for the use of Baptist Churches. New-Haven: Durrie and Peck | Stereotyped by A. Chandler, 1832. Second Edition. [8468]

Full leather binding, red leather title label, gilt lines to spine, 2 1/4 x 4 inches, no cracks or other damage to the binding. Most of the ffep is cut away; there is a narrow 1/2 inch hole in the front fly page. Second fly page inscribed in brown ink, "Mrs. Lavinia Buck, Salisbury, 1832." 256 pp., complete. Some sections shaken, a few tattered page edges & creased corners. Good.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, H3795. The first edition was published in 1829; the second edition was first published in 1830.

Benjamin Munro Hill (1793-1881), Pastor of the Baptist Church in New Haven at the time of this compilation. The Prefaces (first & second) which introduce this volume contain apologies by Hill for some of the crudeness of the selections, and, after saying hymns were added with reluctance, says, "But those hymns possess a great local popularity, and could not have been omitted without opposing the wishes of many valuable men."

Hill was noted for his 1829 Sermon delivered before the Legislature of the State of Connecticut, entitled, The Moral Responsibility of Civil Rulers.

Hill, Benjamin. Hymns of Zion; being a Selection of Hymns for Social Worship, compiled chiefly for the use of Baptist Churches. New-Haven: Durrie and Peck | Stereotyped by A. Chandler, 1832. Second Edition. [8656]

Full leather binding, strip of leather torn from front & spine, gilt lines to spine, 10 cm (4 x 2 1/4 inches), joints good. Lacks the ffep. 256 pp., foxing, tight, complete. . Good. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, H3795. The first edition was published in 1829; the second edition was first published in 1830.

Benjamin Munro Hill (1793-1881), Pastor of the Baptist Church in New Haven at the time of this compilation. The Prefaces (first & second) which introduce this volume contain apologies by Hill for some of the crudeness of the selections, and, after saying hymns were added with reluctance, says, "But those hymns possess a great local popularity, and could not have been omitted without opposing the wishes of many valuable men."

Hill was noted for his 1829 Sermon delivered before the Legislature of the State of Connecticut, entitled, The Moral Responsibility of Civil Rulers.

Himes, Paul; Wilson, Jonathan. A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors; By Elders Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson. Greenfield, Mass: Printed by Ansel Phelps, 1817. First Edition. [8522]

Full calf, 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches, joints fine, lacks the front & rear blanks, title page torn with loss at top corner. 314 (of 324) pp., lacking the ending of the final hymn and the entire table of first lines; leaf 177-78 torn with loss of a few letters; several leaves with closed tears or chips with no loss of text. Good. Full leather.

Shaw & Shoemaker 41044.

"Baptist congregations in this period had an active devotional life beyond Sunday worship. Evangelistic meetings, revivals, conference meetings, and social worship all called for less formal hymnody, often characterized as 'spiritual songs.' Collections of these texts, often linked with folk tunes, were also used for services in churches that worshiped in a more popular style...The continuance of the awakenings is reflected in the Selection of Hymns [Greenfield MA: Ansel Phelps, 1817) by Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson. The compilers, identified simply as 'Elders' on the title page, assembled 221 texts. The orientation of the book is exemplified by hymn 58, 'Come all who are New Lights indeed,' which uses the term 'New Light(s)' sixteen times in eleven stanzas. Anna Beeman's 'What think ye, my friends, of the preaching of John' and 'In Jordan's tide the baptist stands.' which uses the word 'immersion' to describe the baptism of Jesus, are other examples of the book's emphasis on the new birth and the rite of Christian initiation. This book was reprinted in 1818 and 1823." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 166 & 169.

Himes, Paul; Wilson, Jonathan. A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors; By Elders Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson. Greenfield, Mass: Clark and Hunt | (C. J. Newcomb, Printer, Deerfield), 1818. [8501]

Full leather, brown leather title label, worn & rubbed but with no cracks, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, lacks all blanks, text block with primitive stitch repair, some leaves tattered, some closed tears, foxing. Misnumbered, with p. 46 then p. 65, with no loss of text or leaves; p. 175 skips to p. 179 with no loss (verso & recto of same leaf), then repeats nos. 177-179 on different text pp.; leaf 207-208 torn with loss 25% affecting many lines; small chip pp. 231-132 affecting edge of 3 lines; pill-sized hole leaf pp. 289-90; ends p. 358 (of 360), lacking the last 2 pp. of the Index. Good. Full leather.

Shaw & Shoemaker 44320.

"Baptist congregations in this period had an active devotional life beyond Sunday worship. Evangelistic meetings, revivals, conference meetings, and social worship all called for less formal hymnody, often characterized as 'spiritual songs.' Collections of these texts, often linked with folk tunes, were also used for services in churches that worshiped in a more popular style...

"The continuance of the awakenings is reflected in the Selection of Hymns [Greenfield MA: Ansel Phelps, 1817] by Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson. The compilers, identified simply as 'Elders' on the title page, assembled 221 texts. The orientation of the book is exemplified by hymn 58, 'Come all who are New Lights indeed,' which uses the term 'New Light(s)' sixteen times in eleven stanzas. Anna Beeman's 'What think ye, my friends, of the preaching of John' and 'In Jordan's tide the baptist stands.' which uses the word 'immersion' to describe the baptism of Jesus, are other examples of the book's emphasis on the new birth and the rite of Christian initiation. This book was reprinted in 1818 and 1823." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 166 & 169. 

Himes, Paul; Wilson, Jonathan.  A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors; by Elders Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson.  Third Edition, Revised and Improved by Elder P. Himes.  Greenfield, Mass.: Printed and Published by Denio, Clark & Tyler.  1823.

Worn leather binding, black title label, stain at the bottom of both covers, small hole front bottom, joints good, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches.  Several 1830's signatures on the front end papers.  324 pp., text complete, lacks the rear blanks, a few edge tears/chips, light stain on many text pp.

"Baptist congregations in this period had an active devotional life beyond Sunday worship.  Evangelistic meetings, revivals, conference meetings, and social worship all called for less formal hymnody, often characterized as 'spiritual songs.'  Collections of these texts, often linked with folk tunes, were also used for services in churches that worshiped in a more popular style...The continuance of the awakenings is reflected in the Selection of Hymns [Greenfield MA: Ansel Phelps, 1817] by Paul Himes and Jonathan Wilson.  The compilers, identified simply as 'Elders' on the title page, assembled 221 texts. 

"The orientation of the book is exemplified by hymn 58, 'Come all who are New Lights indeed,' which uses the term 'New Light(s)' sixteen times in eleven stanzas.  Anna Beeman's 'What think ye, my friends, of the preaching of John' and 'In Jordan's tide the baptist stands.' which uses the word 'immersion' to describe the baptism of Jesus, are other examples of the book's emphasis on the new birth and the rite of Christian initiation.  This book was reprinted in 1818 and 1823." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 166 & 169.

Hobbs, Henry; Beede, Samuel; Burr, William [Publishing Committee]. [Freewill Baptist] Hymns for Christian Melody, selected from various authors. Dover: Published by the Trustees of the Free-Will Baptist Connection, 1841.[9124]

Full black leather, corners rounded, gilt title to spine rubbed with loss, 4 3/4 x 3 inches, joints very good. Ink name stamp of E. A. Blanchard on the ffep. 608 pp. Good. Hardcover.

1,000 selections, words only, followed by 20 anthems, 14 doxologies, table of first lines.

Holme, John Stanford. The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book: being "The Plymouth Collection" enlarged, and adapted to the use of Baptist Churches. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman & Co., 1858. First Edition. [9399]

Black leather spine with purple pebble cloth boards, cloth lacking from front board, 8 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, binding is tight. Lacks the front and back end papers, liii., 520 (of 521)pp., lacking the last page of the parallel index of hymns. Damp stains in the indexes and rear end papers, inactive mold stains on the rear paste-down. Several center leaves have an old paste or damp stain in the center of the pages. Poor. Hardcover.

The Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes (1855) was named for Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York, where Henry Ward Beecher was pastor. It is recognized as the first "modern" hymnal featuring the combination of hymns and tunes in one volume.

The hymnal offered here is a Baptist edition, edited to reflect Baptist beliefs.

"This 'Baptist Edition' was the work of John Stanford Holme (1822-1884), pastor of the Pierrepont Street Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, with the 'Musical Arrangement...under the control of Professor Robert R. Raymond'...This Baptist Edition...proved to be popular among the churches, with reprints or further editions being published in 1859, 1864, 1865, and 1870." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 212 & 213.

Holmes, Elkanah. A Church Covenant; including a Summary of the Fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel (with 11 hymns); Compiled by Elkanah Holmes, And unanimously adopted by the First Baptist Church Baltimore. Baltimore: Printed by William Warner, 1818. [8480]

Full leather with good outer hinges, gilt lines to spine, binding worn with small chips at both ends, corners worn through, 4 x 6 1/2 inches. There is a diagonal crease to both top and bottom covers. Damp stains throughout, dark towards both ends, light in the center of the book. The book opens stiffly. Ffep inscribed in brown ink, "Presented by Eld. Scott, Black Rock, May 1835, to Hezekiah West." 84 pp., text complete; one p. with printing error, last free end paper torn with loss, notes in pencil on some pages critical of the book. Good.

Shaw & Shoemaker. 44634. This edition with 7 WorldCat locations. First published in New York, 1797. Includes 11 hymns "from the most celebrated singers in Israel" bound in at the end.

The hymns are from Watts, Stennett, Rippon, Beddome, Doddridge, and Madan.

Elkanah Holmes (1744-1832), b. probably at Canterbury, New Hampshire; d. Bedford, New York. Baptist missionary and pastor. At 16 years of age Holmes served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War. He served as a fighting chaplain in the New Jersey militia during the War for Independence, and was a pastor in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. He was one of the earliest Baptist missionaries to the Six Indian Nations of Western New York and Canada. During this period he developed relationships with the Seneca Chief Red Jacket.

"Holmes was located in Canada during the War of 1812 and played the role of an American patriot. His Calvinist views are reflected in his A Church Covenant, Including a Summary of the Fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel (1818). - Leonard, Dictionary of the Baptists in America.

"After a military career during which he took part in the British captures of Fort Carillon (near Ticonderoga, N.Y.) in 1759 and Havana, Cuba, in 1762, Elkanah Holmes was baptized around 1770 and ordained to the Baptist ministry about four years later. An ardent republican, he served in the American revolution as a chaplain and combatant with a New Jersey regiment. Following the war he held a number of pastorates, the last and most notable being on Staten Island, N.Y., where in 1786 he was instrumental in establishing the first Baptist church. In 1791 he was one of the founders and the first moderator of the New York Baptist Association. Six years later he published A church covenant, embodying a strict Calvinism and the principle of “close communion,” for the use of Baptist churches." - J. W. Grant, Dictionary of Canadian Biography online.

[Inglis, James]. Spiritual songs in the House of our Pilgrimage: In two Parts; Part I. - Hymns for the Assemblies of the Saints, Part II. - Hymns of Private Worship, Devout Meditation, and Mutual Comfort and Exhortation. Detroit: Putnam, Smith, & Co. | Steam Power Press of O. S. Gulley, 1860. [8673]

Full black leather, joints cracked with back board nearly detached, two pieces of clear tape over the spine. 13.5 cm (5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches), xvi., 240 pp., text complete, lacks the rear free end papers. Fair. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, H6936.

"James Inglis (fl. 1846-1885) served for a short time as editor of the Christian Herald (the newspaper of the Michigan Baptist Convention) and was probably associated with Tabernacle Baptist Church in Detroit, the congregation to which his book is dedicated. Some of the 383 hymns in Spiritual Songs are by the compiler, but since he did not provide author's names, it is difficult to know which ones they are." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 225-226.

Jayne, Ebenezer. Hymns and Spiritual Songs, on various subjects; By the Rev. Ebenezer Jayne, Pastor of the Church at Newfoundland, Morris-County, N. J. Morris-Town: Printed by Jacob Mann, 1809. [8502]

Full leather, lacking spine title label, small chips at spine ends,, 2 3/4 x 4 7/8 inches. Ink stain on top closed page edge that bleeds into many sections of text, darkest at the first and last leaves. Lacks all free blanks. xxiv., 408 pp., (22 pp.) of subscriber's names and appendix. P. 297 misnumbered as second 296 (the text is contiguous); skips p. 312 yet with no apparent loss of text; thin small hole in leaf pp 387-388. DEFECTIVE: Lacking pp. 201-208. Fair.

Appended are 2 poems, The awful Thunder-Storm Spiritualized, which was in July 4th, 1792 and A Letter of Condolence to Mrs. Sarah Vancamden, on the death of her Child.

The xxiv. pages of preliminaries include To the Reader; Errata; 5 pp. of Recommendations; a Table of First Lines; and Tables of Subjects.

Shaw & Shoemaker 17833. Shaw & Shoemaker 17833.  Felcone, New Jersey Books 1801-1860, no. 802.  "In the late 1780s he aligned himself with the 'Separate' Baptists, in which body his older brother David had become a minister."

OCLC with 12 locations.

Many of the hymns at the end are specific, to particular persons, with such titles as: The Experience of a little Girls of nine years of age, at Canoe Brook, whose name is inserted in the first letters of the eleven first lines [Susan Naking]; An Elegy on the death of the Rev. Eleazer West, who died in October, 1793; The dying language of Elder Lathrop's wife; A letter of condolence to the widow Casad, on the death of her husband, the Rev. Thomas Casad, who died in November, 1808; A letter of condolence to John Hillman and his wife, on the death of their daughter, who was drowned in Chemung River, in the year 1797.

Elder Ebenezer Jayne (1754-1826), b. Blooming Grove, New York; d. Canton, New Jersey. He was a private soldier with the Sussex Co., New Jersey Militia during the War of Independence. He became the pastor of the Baptist church in Newfoundland, New Jersey, and "published 458 of his own texts in Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Though the book was not printed until 1809, it appears from the author's preface and the 'Recommendations' of sixteen congregations and pastors that the hymns had been written in the early 1790s, when he was living in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The second of the two large parts of Jayne's collection takes a distinctive approach under the heading 'Natural events in Scripture, and natural subjects spiritualized.'" - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 167-168. 

Jones, Samuel; Allison, Burgess.  A Selection of Psalms and Hymns, done under the appointment of the Philadelphian [sic] Association.  Philadelphia: Printed for Theophilus Harris, by Joseph Rakestraw. 1819.

Full calf, gilt lines to spine, ends & corners worn, joints good, 3 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches.  xviii, 410, (7) pp.  Complete.  Very good.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, A705 & J2132.  First published in 1790, this is the fourth edition and final edition.

"The book's editors were Samuel Jones (1735-1814), pastor of the Pennepek (or Lower Dublin) Baptist Church, and Burgiss Allison (1753-1827), pastor at Bordentown, New Jersey.  Jones, a native of Glamorganshire, Wales, came to the Philadelphia area at age two when his father, Thomas, became pastor of the Baptist church at Tulpehocken.  Samuel graduated from the College of Philadelphia in 1762 and became pastor of the Pennepek church that same year.  Over the next half-century, he was a leading figure among Calvinistic Baptists in America, who often sought his counsel.  Allison was a native of Bordentown who had been a student in Jones's academy.  His distinguished career included service as chaplain to the United States House of Representatives...The arrangement and indexing of the book's 344 texts reveal a thoughtful approach to both worship planning and the practical aspects of hymn singing.  Each text is headed by meter author or source, indication of which compiler made the inclusion, and a topical heading." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 130-131. 

Jones, Samuel; Burgiss, Allison. A Selection of Psalms and Hymns, done under the appointment of the Philadelphian Association. Philadelphia: Printed for Theophilus Harris, by Joseph Rakestraw, 1819. Fourth Edition. [9400]

Full leather, both boards detached, leather has been treated with Cellugel to arrest red rot (powdery deterioration). 13 cm, ( 5 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches), paper spine label from the Library of the Newton Theological Institution. Page edges dyed red, xviii., (1)-410, [7] pp. Index. Text block very good, counted and complete. The binding is later, probably late 19th century, with end papers replaced. Good. Hardcover.

"In its annual meeting for 1788, the Philadelphia Association appointed David Jones, Samuel Jones, and Burgiss Allison to prepare a hymnal. The product is A Selection of Psalms and Hymns. This book was the earliest compiled in America at the direction of such a Baptist body, and, bearing the imprimatur of this important group, it was influential...The book's editors were Samuel Jones (1735-1814, pastor of the Pennepek (or Lower Dublin) Baptist Church, and Burgiss Allison (1753-1827), pastor at Bordentown, New Jersey...The brief preface of the 'Philadelphia Collection, signed by Jones, makes the following points: all of the psalms are by Watts; many of the hymns by Cennick, Hart, Steele, Davis, Robinson, and Ken had been taken from a 1774 London anthology, identified simply as The Collection - though the names of the authors had come from Rippon; the initials 'J' and 'A.' indicated the compiler who selected the hymn; suggestions for the use of hymns are intended only as such, and these classifications should not limit their use to a particular function; and the hymns in the last part of the book are intended primarily for private use, but may be sung by a congregation if tunes are known." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 130-131.

B. K. [Benjamin Keach]. War with the Devil: or the Young Mans Conflict with the Powers of Darkness: In a Dialogue. Discovering the Corruption and Vanity of Youth, the Horrible Nature of Sin, and Deplorable Condition of Fallen Man; Also, A Definition, Power, and Rule of Conscience, and the Nature of true Conversion. To which is added, An Appendix, containing a Dialogue between an Old Apostate, and a Young Professor. Worthy the Perusal of all, but chiefly intended for the Instruction of the Younger Sort. London: Printed for Benjamin Harris, 1676. The Fourth Impression. [8623]

Probable original calf binding, front joint cracked and weak, front top corner rounded with loss, 3 of 4 of the brass hinges intact, lacking the closures. 14.5 cm (5 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches). Lacks the front & rear blanks, verso of tp filled with contemporary notes in brown ink. Text and register continuous despite pagination, which is [2], 94, 105-208, text complete, lacking two plates at the end. Leaf 121-122 damaged with loss of about a third; many top corners rounded with loss of page nos. (but counted and complete).  Good. Full calf.

Imprimatur on verso of tp: "Imprimatur Hic libri Cui Titulus War with the Devil Anto. Saunders Ex AEdibus Lambethanis. Sept. 25. 1673."

This copy has features of both ESTC R31550 [line 5 of title ends "darkness:", and line 10 has "definition, power..."] and of R229873 with the ending at p. 208 having "FINIS," a heraldic emblem, and "The Stationers Arms."

Pp. 116-128 are "Hymns and Spiritual Songs"

Rev. Benjamin Keach (1640-1704), born in Stokehaman, England. He was converted at the age of fifteen and was immersed in baptism by John Russel and joined a nearby Baptist church. When eighteen he was encouraged by the church to enter the gospel ministry. “At first he was Arminian about the extent of the atonement and free-will, but the reading of the Scriptures and the conversation of those who know the will of God more perfectly relieved him from both errors…Mr. Keach…became a famous disputant on the Baptist side…Mr. Keach was often in prison for preaching, and his life was frequently in danger….Mr. Keach was a zealous Baptist; he aided ministers who came to him from all parts of the country, he had many meeting-houses built, and his works in defense of Baptist principles were read all over the kingdom…He was a devout Christian who led a blameless life and died in the triumphs of faith.” - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Linsley, James H.; Davis, Gustavus F. Select Hymns, adapted to the Devotional Exercises of all Evangelical Denominations. Hartford: Canfield and Robins, 1836. First Edition. [9401]

Full leather with black leather title label, rear joint partly cracked, end paper hinges firm, 12 cm (4 3/4 x 3 inches). 460 numbered pp., nos. 129 & 130 are used twice, making the physical count 462 pp. Old dampstains throughout, dark in some places, rear board warped, spine with center crease and 1" crack. Fair. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, L2527.

James Harvey Linsley (1787-1843 and Gustavus Fellowes Davis (1797-1836), were both Baptist pastors in New England, with Linsley being "well known as a leader of conference meetings". They collaborated on this new hymnal; their Preface noting that they did not include any hymns from Winchell's Watts and that they desired to offer something new.

"Among the uses proposed for this collection of 543 hymns and seven doxologies...are family worship, sabbath school, temperance societies, tract societies, and peace societies. This list gives a sense of the scope of religious meetings beyond Sunday worship at which singing would have occurred. Though this is a words-only book, a tune - chosen, according to the preface, by Mr. B. C. Wade - is named for each text. The prominent Congregationalist writer Lydia Sigourney contributed several texts to Select Hymns. She also wrote an ode that was sung at Davis's funeral." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 174-175.

Linsley, James H.; Davis, Gustavus F. Select Hymns, adapted to the Devotional Exercises of the Baptist Denomination. Hartford: Canfield and Robins, 1837. Second Edition. [9122]

Full leather binding, boards held on with a crude hand-sewn repair, 4 1/2 x 3 inches. "Lucy Pearce, Danbury, Nov. 1839" in brown ink on ffep. 407 pp.; lacks one leaf of the table of first lines, pp. 401-402. Fair. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, L2524.

James Harvey Linsley (1787-1843 and Gustavus Fellowes Davis (1797-1836), were both Baptist pastors in New England, with Linsley being "well known as a leader of conference meetings". They collaborated on this new hymnal; their Preface noting that they did not include any hymns from Winchell's Watts and that they desired to offer something new.

"Among the uses proposed for this collection of 543 hymns and seven doxologies...are family worship, sabbath school, temperance societies, tract societies, and peace societies. This list gives a sense of the scope of religious meetings beyond Sunday worship at which singing would have occurred. Though this is a words-only book, a tune - chosen, according to the preface, by Mr. B. C. Wade - is named for each text. The prominent Congregationalist writer Lydia Sigourney contributed several texts to Select Hymns. She also wrote an ode that was sung at Davis's funeral." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 174-175.

Linsley, James H.; Davis, Gustavus F. Select Hymns, adapted to the Devotional Exercises of all Evangelical Denominations. Turbotville, Pa.: Henry Miller, 1854. Stereotyped Edition. [8929]

Full sheep with red calf title label, joints cracked, end paper hinges firm, 11 cm (4 1/2 x 3 inches). Back cover with large black ink stain, ink stains to many latter leaves, generally only in the margins for text pages, index pages with stains in text. 416 pp., text complete. Fair. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, L2527.

James Harvey Linsley (1787-1843 and Gustavus Fellowes Davis (1797-1836), were both Baptist pastors in New England, with Linsley being "well known as a leader of conference meetings". They collaborated on this new hymnal; their Preface noting that they did not include any hymns from Winchell's Watts and that they desired to offer something new.

"Among the uses proposed for this collection of 543 hymns and seven doxologies...are family worship, sabbath school, temperance societies, tract societies, and peace societies. This list gives a sense of the scope of religious meetings beyond Sunday worship at which singing would have occurred. Though this is a words-only book, a tune - chosen, according to the preface, by Mr. B. C. Wade - is named for each text. The prominent Congregationalist writer Lydia Sigourney contributed several texts to Select Hymns. She also wrote an ode that was sung at Davis's funeral." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 174-175. 

Lloyd, Benjamin. The Primitive Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Sacred Poems, regularly selected, classified, and set in order, and adapted to social singing and all occasions of Divine Worship. Wetumpka, Ala.: Published by the Proprietor, and for sale by him at Wetumpka, Ala., 1851. Seventh Edition. [9868]

Red checked leather stamped in blind & gilt, signed binding embossed "Geo. W. Alexander, Binder, N. Y." front and back. Title & gilt designs to spine, all page edges gilt. 11.3 x 6.5 cm (4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches), "Miss M. L. Thomas" in gilt to front. XXII, 558 pp., complete, tight, some foxing. Very good. Hardcover.

This edition has a Preface by Lloyd (August 1, 1851); General Index of Subjects; Particular Index of Subjects; 700 Selections, 693 Hymns & 7 Doxologies; and an Index of First Lines.

"The Primitive Hymns, a hymnbook first published in 1841 in Wetumpka, Elmore County, is still in use by Primitive Baptist congregations across the country...Benjamin Lloyd, a successful businessman from Chambers County and later a public official in Greenville, was a prominent Primitive Baptists elder...He saw the need for a hymn book with selections that expressed - or at least did not conflict with - the beliefs of the new denomination...Lloyd included hymns by prominent English writers such as Isaac Watts, John Newton, and Charles Wesley, as well as those by his contemporaries in the Primitive Baptist church." - Encyclopedia of Alabama online.

In 1841, the Primitive Baptist elder Benjamin Lloyd (1804-1860) published The Primitive Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Sacred Poems in a press run of 1,600 copies. Born in Georgia, Lloyd moved to Alabama in late 1834 or early 1835, where he assisted in organizing the Liberty Association of Baptist Churches (1836). When this group adopted missionary sentiments, Lloyd and his fellow anti-missioners formed the Beulah Association of the Primitive Baptist Church (1838)...Lloyd's The Primitive Baptist Hymns 'has proven one of the most enduring hymnbooks ever used by the Old Baptists' and 'has survived virtually unchanged through any editions and printings.'..Many of the hymns in early editions of the book are borrowed from other Baptist collections, but about a third of the texts remain unattributed and were probably written by Lloyd or other contemporary Primitive Baptists." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing The Wondrous Story", p. 235.

Lothrop, Jason.  The Pilgrim's Companion: being a collection of Hymns in general use in Private Circles and Conference Meetings: with a few never before published.  Newport: Jason Lathrop. | Northway & Bennett, Printers, No. 42, Genesee Street, Utica.  1827.

Leather backstrip, boards bare, 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches, spine rolled, leather backstrip separated at rear hinge.  Lacks the front blanks; rfep torn with loss.  140 pp., text complete; dampstains.

WorldCat with 3 locations: AAS, Brown, Brigham Young.

Mackenzie, John; Rand, John; Putnam, Benjamin; Martin, Christopher W; Hazen, Jasper.  A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, for the use of Christians.  Woodstock, [VT]: Printed by David Watson.  1819.

Full leather binding, very worn with some loss of leather, joints good, 3 x 5 1/2 inches.  "Jackson Taylor his Book Bought in the year 1819" in brown ink on ffep.  600 pp. with the following defects: lacks leaves 351-354, 395-396, 405-406; preface page torn & lacking bottom third; same to leaves 183-184 and 191-192; closed tear to leaf 219-220; lacks top half of 349-350 & top inside corner of 355-366, affecting six lines; leaf 579-580 torn with some loss of text; many dog-eared corners, some edge-tattering.

Shaw & Shoemaker 48547.

The compilers intended for this to be a replacement for Watts, whose Psalms & Hymns did not altogether comport with the doctrine of the "Christians".

"About this time John Mackenzie, John Rand, Benjamin Putnam, Christopher W. Martin, and Jasper Hazen had been selected as a committee to compile a Christian Hymn-Book for the Christian Church and Society in Woodstock, and for general use in the denomination.  After having finished the work of compiling the hymn-book, the next step was to get it published.  They decided to have this done in Woodstock, if they could secure a printer.  Casting about for the proper person, they agreed at last with David Watson to come to Woodstock and print the book.  This was in the spring of 1818." - Henry Swan Dana, History of Woodstock, Vermont (1889). 

This hymnal let to a court case.  The printer ordered paper for the book from Abijah Burbank of Sharon, but when it arrived it did not appear to Watson to be of the same quality that he was shown when ordering it, and he refused to receive it.  Burbank took Watson to court, and won the case.

Manchester, William C. Conference Hymns, Selected and Original; By Elder William C. Manchester of Johnson, (R. I.). Providence: H. H. Brown, Printer, 1829. First Edition. [8503]

Original blue wrappers covered by oatmeal paper (folded over the wrapper, can be removed), 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, 72 pp., some old repairs to a few leaves done by pasting small bits of paper to them. Very good. Pamphlet.

Not in Starr. WorldCat with 1 location, Brown. We checked AAS & LOC as well; no copies.

50 hymns with an index, words only.

Includes some interesting titles, such as On the Sickness at Philadelphia [O come my dear neighbours, let us sit down to mourn...This is not in the hymnary.org database]; The Christian's new Experience; Creation unsatisfying without Christ; Holy Manna; The Preacher's Experience and Call to Preach [Listen, ye saints, unto my song... Also not in the hymnary.org database.]; Holy Moses; On Baptism, &c.

William Carr Manchester (1794-1861), b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Murphy, North Carolina. He was a minister with the Six Principle Baptists.

"Elder Manchester was the ablest and most eloquent preacher in the order...he compiled a Hymn Book which will compare favorably, for the excellency of its hymns, with any that have since been published." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VII. (1889), pp. 240-241. 

Manchester, Wm. C. Songs of Zion, or Conference Hymns, Selected and Original; To which are added, A brief Sketch of the Author's Life and Experience; an Obituary Notice of his late Father, and some Remarks on the Science of Music. Providence: H. H. Brown, 1835. Third Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8519]

Full calf, scuffed & rubbed yet with no cracks, black spine title label, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches. 224 pp. of text, complete. Ffep torn with loss, last two leaves of index torn at bottom margin with loss of few words, many top corner tips torn away - it looks like the corner was burned and put out (probably from reading with a candle). Good. Full calf.

"The great improvement of the present edition is, that it contains about thirty new Hymns, which have been carefully selected from a rich fund of materials, while it retains nearly all of the Hymns contained in the former editions, which may be found in this by referring to them in the Index....As it is the custom of many churches to line their Hymns, especially on communion season, I have inserted a number for that purpose, with a variety of Conference Hymns, from various authors, adapted to various occasions and circumstances, all of which are humbly presented to those who wish to use them in praising the Lord, until we sing the new song in the kingdom of God." - Preface.

William Carr Manchester (1794-1861). b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Murphy, North Carolina.; the son of Thomas Carr, who was for over fifty years pastor of the Baptist Church in Coventry, Rhode Island. At the time this hymnal was compiled the son William was pastor of the Roger Williams Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a Six Principle Baptist.

"Elder Manchester was the ablest and most eloquent preacher in the order...he compiled a Hymn Book which will compare favorably, for the excellency of its hymns, with any that have since been published." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VII. (1889), pp. 240-241.

Manchester, Wm. C. Songs of Zion, or Conference Hymns, Selected and Original; To which are added, A brief Sketch of the Author's Life and Experience; an Obituary Notice of his late Father, and some Remarks on the Science of Music. Providence: H. H. Brown, 1835. Third Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8892]

This has a cloth binding that is covered by another cloth wrapper (see pics). 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches. 220 pp. of text, defective - lacking the last two leaves of the Index, no free end papers.  Fair. Hardcover.

"The great improvement of the present edition is, that it contains about thirty new Hymns, which have been carefully selected from a rich fund of materials, while it retains nearly all of the Hymns contained in the former editions, which may be found in this by referring to them in the Index....As it is the custom of many churches to line their Hymns, especially on communion season, I have inserted a number for that purpose, with a variety of Conference Hymns, from varoius authors, adapted to various occasions and circumstances, all of which are humbly presented to those who wish to use them in praising the Lord, until we sing the new song in the kingdom of God." - Preface.

William Carr Manchester (1794-1861). b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Murphy, North Carolina.; the son of Thomas Carr, who was for over fifty years pastor of the Baptist Church in Coventry, Rhode Island. At the time this hymnal was compiled the son William was pastor of the Roger Williams Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a Six Principle Baptist. "Elder Manchester was the ablest and most eloquent preacher in the order...he compiled a Hymn Book which will compare favorably, for the excellency of its hymns, with any that have since been published." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VII. (1889), pp. 240-241.

 

 

Manchester, Wm. C. Songs of Zion, or Conference Hymns, Selected and Original; To which are added, A brief Sketch of the Author's Life and Experience; an Obituary Notice of his late Father, and some Remarks on the Science of Music. Providence: H. H. Brown, 1835. Third Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8462]

Full calf, scuffed & rubbed yet with no cracks, lacks the spine title label, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches. Lacks the front & rear blanks. DEFECTIVE: (i)-xviii, (19)-210 [of 224]; pp. 57-58 torn at bottom corner will loss of a couple of words; lacks pp. 157-158, and all after p. 210. Fair.

"The great improvement of the present edition is, that it contains about thirty new Hymns, which have been carefully selected from a rich fund of materials, while it retains nearly all of the Hymns contained in the former editions, which may be found in this by referring to them in the Index....As it is the custom of many churches to line their Hymns, especially on communion season, I have inserted a number for that purpose, with a variety of Conference Hymns, from various authors, adapted to various occasions and circumstances, all of which are humbly presented to those who wish to use them in praising the Lord, until we sing the new song in the kingdom of God." - Preface.

William Carr Manchester (1794-1861). b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Murphy, North Carolina.; the son of Thomas Carr, who was for over fifty years pastor of the Baptist Church in Coventry, Rhode Island. At the time this hymnal was compiled the son William was pastor of the Roger Williams Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island.

Manchester, Wm. C. Songs of Zion, or Conference Hymns, Selected and Original; To which are added, A brief Sketch of the Author's Life and Experience. Providence: H. H. Brown, 1835. Third Edition, Enlarged and Improved. [8953]

Full calf, front joint cracked, board held on by a piece of clear tape at the end paper hinge, brown spine title label, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches. 224 pp. of text, complete. Text has dark foxing, some stains, several leaves with short edge tears. Ex library, with remains of label on spine, ink name stamp on front paste-down, hand-made card pocket at back. Fair. Hardcover.

William Carr Manchester (1794-1861). b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Murphy, North Carolina.; the son of Thomas Carr, who was for over fifty years pastor of the Baptist Church in Coventry, Rhode Island. At the time this hymnal was compiled the son William was pastor of the Roger Williams Baptist Church in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a Six Principle Baptist.

"Elder Manchester was the ablest and most eloquent preacher in the order...he compiled a Hymn Book which will compare favorably, for the excellency of its hymns, with any that have since been published." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VII. (1889), pp. 240-241.

Manly, Basil; Manly, B. Jr. The Baptist Psalmody: A Selection of Hymns for The Worship of God. Charleston, S. C. | Richmond, VA.: Southern Baptist Publication Society | Virginia Bap. Sab. Sch. and Pub. Society, 1851. [8473]

A gorgeous morocco binding decorated in gilt, raised bands to spine, gilt to board edges, all page edges gilt. 3 x 4 1/2 inches, yellow end papers with a green daisy pattern, binding is tight. 772 generally clean pp., some light foxing. Very good. Full leather.

Stereotyped by R. C. Valentine, New York. Steam Power Press of Walker & James, Book and Job Printers, Charleston, S. C.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, M2583.

The need for a separate hymnal for the Southern Baptist Convention churches, after the divide of 1845, was met by The Baptist Psalmody; among the contents are a number of hymns written by Southern writers.

"Though not compiled under the auspices of an authorized denominational agency, The Baptist Psalmody can accurately be described as the first 'official' Southern Baptist hymnal, since it was the most important Baptist hymnal issued in the South after 1845, was published by Southern Baptists for Southern Baptists, received denominational endorsement, and saw widespread use in the churches...In addition to this status..[it] is significant because it is the largest collection of hymns ever produced by Southern Baptists, containing 1,294 texts, plus groupings of single stanzas for baptism and doxologies." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 215.

Basil Manly (1798-1868), b. near Pittsboro, North Carolina; d. Greenville, South Carolina. His father was a farmer, a Catholic, and served with distinction in the American Revolution. His mother was a Baptist, and upon his conversion, was baptized in 1816. He soon expressed interest in the Baptist ministry, and in 1818 was licensed to preach by the Rocky Spring church. He studied at the college in Beaufort, SC, and at South Carolina College. His preaching soon attracted large crowds. "He was everywhere greatly loved as a pastor. His sermons were carefully prepared, packed with pungent thought, delivered with pathos and power." He helped found and guide the institution that became Furman University; for twelve years he was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charlestown, at that time the oldest and wealthiest Baptist church in the South. "In 1835 he declined the presidency of South Carolina College, but in September 1837 accepted the presidency of the University of Alabama, a position which he held until 1855. He was also largely instrumental in founding the Alabama Historical Society and Judson, Howard, and Central colleges...He gave whole-hearted support to the secession movement, and on Feb. 22, 1861, was chaplain at the inauguration of Jefferson Davis as president of the Confederacy, riding with the presidential party and delivering the prayer." - DAB.

Basil Manly, Jr. (1825-1892), the well-educated son (University of Alabama, Newton Theological Institute, Princeton Theological Seminary); was pastor of churches in Alabama & Virginia; professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and president of Georgetown College in Kentucky. Music & Richardson, pp. 214-15, believe that The Baptist Psalmody was largely the work of the son, due to his musical ability and training.

Manly, B. Jr.; Everett, A. Brooks. Baptist Chorals: A Tune and Hymn Book designed to promote General Congregational Singing; containing One Hundred and Sixty-four Tunes, adapted to about Four Hundred Choice Hymns; Hymns Selected by Rev. B. Manly, Jr., D. D.; Music Adapted by Dr. A. Brooks Everett, One of the Editors of the "Progressive Church Vocalist," the 'New Thesaurus Musicus," and author of "Elements of Vocal Music, Harmony and Versification," etc., etc. New York: Sheldon & Company, 1860. First Edition. [8483]

Black blindstamped cloth, title in gilt to front, edges quite worn, lacks the cloth over the spine, 5 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches. Hymn written in pencil on the ffep; stains throughout, some pencil writings. "Baptist Church, Columbia, S. C." in pencil on r. fly. 192 pp; lacking leaves 147-48, 165-66.  Poor. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, see M2603; Starr does not list this 1860 printing. WorldCat with 9 locations.

Music in four parts, round notes.

Basil Manly, Jr. (1825-1892), son of Basil Manly (1798-1868). He was well-educated son (University of Alabama, Newton Theological Institute, Princeton Theological Seminary); was pastor of churches in Alabama & Virginia; professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and president of Georgetown College in Kentucky.

"Perhaps the most significant ante-bellum Southern effort to provide a collection of tunes for Baptist worship was Basil Manly, Jr., and Asa Brooks Everett's Baptist Chorals: A Tune and Hymn Book (1859). This contains 164 tunes and 424 texts, and was intended to serve as a musical companion to The Psalmist and The Baptist Psalmody, the two hymnals that were most used most widely in Baptist churches of America...This joint venture between Manly and Everett seems to have met with limited success, for a second edition was not called for. Perhaps the lack of circulation was due in part to the beginning of the Civil War less than two years later." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 300-302. 

Manly, Basil. Manly's Choice: A New Selection of Approved Hymns for Baptist Churches. Louisville, Ky.: Baptist Book Concern, (1892). [9399]

Cloth spine, printed paper over card, scuffed with some loss of paper, tight. 14 cm (5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches). 161, VII. pp., with index of first lines, text complete. Very good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, M2621. 254 selections, words only, no music.

"For some years it has been apparent that the rage for novelties in singing, especially in our Sunday-schools, has been driving out of use the old, precious, standard hymns. They are not memorized as of old. They are scarcely sung at all. They are not even contained in the undenominational song-books which in many churches have usurped the place of our old hymn books. We cannot afford to lose these old hymns." - Preface.

Basil Manly, Jr. (1825-1892), son of Basil Manly (1798-1868). He was well-educated son (University of Alabama, Newton Theological Institute, Princeton Theological Seminary); was pastor of churches in Alabama & Virginia; professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and president of Georgetown College in Kentucky.

Marks, David.  The Conference Meeting Hymn Book, for the use of all who love our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Compiled by Elder David Marks.  Rochester: Printed for Friend Marks, by E. Peck & Co. 1828.  Third Edition.

Full leather, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, end paper hinges open, covers held by cords.  Lacks the front 2 blanks and 1 rear one.  160 pp., complete.  Shaken, stained.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, no. M2918.  WorldCat with 3 locations for this edition.

David Marks (1805-1845), b. Shandaken, New York; d. Oberlin, Ohio. At age 16 Marks became a Freewill Baptist itinerant in upstate New York, and "journeyed through New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Connecticut, and into Canada, on horseback and on foot, all in one year. This was his method of work during the first ten years of his ministry." - Burgess & Ward, Free Baptist Cyclopedia (1889), p. 384. Marks became agent of the newly-formed Book Concern of his denomination (1831), and oversaw the work for four years. He was pastor of a church in Portsmouth, N. H. (1834-36), and organized a church in Rochester, N. Y. (1836), and after a year or so took up itinerant work again. Prominent in the anti-slavery movement, he and his wife Marilla moved to Oberlin, Ohio, in 1842, where they were associated with Charles Grandison Finney.

 

 

Marks, David; Bignall, J. The Conference Meeting Hymn Book, for the use of all who love our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; Compiled by Elders David Marks & J. Bignall. Rochester: James Bignall | Hoyt, Porter & Co., Printers, 1834. Fifth Edition - Enlarged. [8464]

Full calf, worn with small chips at both spine ends, corners frayed, outer hinges still good with no cracks. 2 7/8 x 4 3/8 inches. Lacks front and rear blanks. (1)-194, 199-204 (of 207). DEFECTIVE: lacking 4 pp. of hymns and the last 3 pp. of the Index.  Good. Full calf.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, M2919. WorldCat lists 5 library holdings.

David Marks (1805-1845), b. Shandaken, New York; d. Oberlin, Ohio. At age 16 Marks became a Freewill Baptist itinerant in upstate New York, and "journeyed through New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Connecticut, and into Canada, on horseback and on foot, all in one year. This was his method of work during the first ten years of his ministry." - Burgess & Ward, Free Baptist Cyclopedia (1889), p. 384. Marks became agent of the newly-formed Book Concern of his denomination (1831), and oversaw the work for four years. He was pastor of a church in Portsmouth, N. H. (1834-36), and organized a church in Rochester, N. Y. (1836), and after a year or so took up itinerant work again. Prominent in the anti-slavery movement, he and his wife Marilla moved to Oberlin, Ohio, in 1842, where they were associated with Charles Grandison Finney.

James Bignall (1799-1869), b. Pittstown, New York; d. Lyons, Michigan. Ordained in 1828 among the Freewill Baptists of the Holland Purchase area of Western New York; Bignall became a leader of that denomination. "His early labors were in western New York and northern Pennsylvania...The Conference Hymn Book was published by him in the early years and ran through several editions...Bro. Bignall associated with Revs. David Marks, Samuel Wire, and others, enduring the hardships of the itinerant period joyfully that he might win souls." - Burgess & Ward, Free Baptist Cyclopedia (1889), p. 55.

Mercer, Jesse. The Cluster of Spiritual Songs, Divine Hymns, and Sacred Poems; being chiefly A Collection. Philadelphia: Published for the Proprietor: For Sale by J. J. Woodward, Philadelphia; and Collins & Hannay, New-York, 1830. Fifth Edition, Revised. [8627]

Sometime rebound in green library cloth, white ink call numbers on spine, rest plain, a few small blotches to the binding, 5 1/4 x 3 inches, tight. Library blind stamp on the title page & 1 p. of text, a few other incidental markings, no other library matter. 540 clean pp., collated and complete. Very good. Hardcover.

A Southern hymnal of great interest. William Walker mentions the Cluster of Spiritual Songs as a source on the title page of his shaped-note tune book, Southern Harmony.

"The most significant collection south of Virginia was The Cluster of Spiritual Songs by Georgia pastor Jessie Mercer (1769-1841). At first a small collection of purely local interest, this book grew both in size and influence. The third edition of 1810, the earliest extant, contains 183 hymns, with another eighteen texts in an appendix. By 1823, it had grown into an anthology of 677 texts [same as this 1830 copy - HWB], with a title similarly enlarged. The Cluster remained in print into the 1870's...Though Mercer's Cluster includes a substantial body of the British inheritance, it emphasizes spiritual songs. The five hymns by Mercer are typical. One relates his own spiritual struggle and conversion, while another candidly conveys the doubts that were mixed with his faith. The book reflects the sort of evangelical Calvinism with with the Sandy Creek tradition of Shubal Stearns, Martha Stearns, and Daniel Marshall is often identified. Ray Brewster has noted that a section on 'Christian Exercises' lies at the heart of the Cluster. This forms part of a larger pattern that reflects the experimental life of faith and bears some similarity to the organization of Wesleyan hymnals." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 189-190.

Jesse Mercer (1769-1841) b. Halifax Co., NC; d. Butts Co., GA. "Georgia Baptist preacher-pastor, denominational statesman, historian, hymnologist and philanthropist...Pastor for fifty-two years of Georgia Baptist churches...From 1795 to 1839 he held the highest offices in the Georgia Baptist Association, the oldest such body in the state. His A History of the Georgia Baptist Association, published in 1838, is one of the most important historical documents ever published about Georgia Baptists. With the founding of the Georgia Baptist Convention in 1822, Mercer was elected president, a post he held for nineteen years until his death." - Shurden, Dictionary of Baptists in America.

Mercer, Jesse. The Cluster of Spiritual Songs, Divine Hymns, and Sacred Poems; being chiefly A Collection. Philadelphia: Published for the Proprietor: For Sale by J. J. Woodward, Philadelphia; and Collins & Hannay, New-York, 1830. Fifth Edition, Corrected. [9380]

Full calf with old leather repair over the spine, the binding now mostly separated from the text block, 13.5 cm (5 1/4 x 3 inches). (1)-506 pp.; DEFECTIVE: Lacking pp. 507-540; no free end papers, many pages present with edge-wear, stains. Poor. Full leather.

A Southern hymnal of great importance. William Walker mentions the Cluster of Spiritual Songs as a source on the title page of his shaped-note tune book, Southern Harmony.

"The most significant collection south of Virginia was The Cluster of Spiritual Songs by Georgia pastor Jessie Mercer (1769-1841). At first a small collection of purely local interest, this book grew both in size and influence. The third edition of 1810, the earliest extant, contains 183 hymns, with another eighteen texts in an appendix. By 1823, it had grown into an anthology of 677 texts, with a title similarly enlarged. The Cluster remained in print into the 1870's...Though Mercer's Cluster includes a substantial body of the British inheritance, it emphasizes spiritual songs. The five hymns by Mercer are typical. One relates his own spiritual struggle and conversion, while another candidly conveys the doubts that were mixed with his faith. The book reflects the sort of evangelical Calvinism with with the Sandy Creek tradition of Shubal Stearns, Martha Stearns, and Daniel Marshall is often identified. Ray Brewster has noted that a section on 'Christian Exercises' lies at the heart of the Cluster. This forms part of a larger pattern that reflects the experimental life of faith and bears some similarity to the organization of Wesleyan hymnals." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 189-190.

Jesse Mercer (1769-1841) b. Halifax Co., NC; d. Butts Co., GA. "Georgia Baptist preacher-pastor, denominational statesman, historian, hymnologist and philanthropist...Pastor for fifty-two years of Georgia Baptist churches...From 1795 to 1839 he held the highest offices in the Georgia Baptist Association, the oldest such body in the state. His A History of the Georgia Baptist Association, published in 1838, is one of the most important historical documents ever published about Georgia Baptists. With the founding of the Georgia Baptist Convention in 1822, Mercer was elected president, a post he held for nineteen years until his death." - Shurden, Dictionary of Baptists in America.

Miller, H. A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, from the best Authors; Designed for the Use of Conference Meetings, Private Circles, and Congregations. Nineteenth Edition, with an Appendix. Cincinnati: For sale at different Book Stores in Cincinnati, Ohio..&c., 1834. Stereotype Edition. [8675]

Full calf, front cover detached, vertical crease to spine, edges rubbed and worn, 10.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 1/2 inches). The pages are not numbered (about 500), the selections are; there are several leaves missing from the center of the book. These would contain Hymn nos. 496-515, 522-556, 561-581. There are 1,012 selections called for in total, with an index at the end. Poor. Full calf.

"Another popular book in the West was A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, published in Cincinnati. The date of its initial publication is not known; the earliest extant edition is the eighth of 1830. The compiler's name appears on the title page of all editions as 'H. Miller.' Henry Miller was described by Peck as 'a venerable deacon of one of the [Baptist] churches in Cincinnati.' Burrage reported that he was an emigrant from England, who arrived in Cincinnati following a residence in Poughkeepsie, New York. The book covers a wide range of material among its 734 hymns. [It] was expanded to 1,012 hymns in the fifteenth edition of 1833...This expanded edition continued to be published at least through a thirtieth edition of 1843." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 196-97.

Miller, H. A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, from the best Authors; Designed for the Use of Conference Meetings, Private Circles, and Congregations. Cincinnati: Morgan and Sanxay, 1831. Thirteen Edition. [8951]

Full calf, back cover detached, lacking all of the backstrip & some of the leather on the front board, 10.5 cm (4 1/8 x 2 1/2 inches). The numbers on the pages correspond to the the hymns on them, and are not page numbers. There are 724 selections, with an index at the end; lacks the rear free end papers. This little book is shaken with some loosening sections, yet, surprisingly, some sections remain unopened.  Poor. Full calf.

"Another popular book in the West was A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, published in Cincinnati. The date of its initial publication is not known; the earliest extant edition is the eighth of 1830. The compiler's name appears on the title page of all editions as 'H. Miller.' Henry Miller was described by Peck as 'a venerable deacon of one of the [Baptist] churches in Cincinnati.' Burrage reported that he was an emigrant from England, who arrived in Cincinnati following a residence in Poughkeepsie, New York. The book covers a wide range of material among its 734 hymns. [It] was expanded to 1,012 hymns in the fifteenth edition of 1833...This expanded edition continued to be published at least through a thirtieth edition of 1843." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 196-97.

 

Nash, B. W. Baptist Harmony, A New Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs. La Grange, N. C.: Published and For Sale by the Author, 1876. First Edition. [8467]

Blindstamped black leather, title in gilt to spine, 3 x 4 1/2 inches, 1/2 inch crack top front hinge, all good and tight. (vi.), 312 pp., complete, a bit shaken, nothing detached. Good. Full leather.

Not in Starr, Music & Richardson, or Reynolds. WorldCat with 1 location; University of Mount Olive, NC. A second edition appeared in 1884; that one has 2 locations. A rather scarce hymnal.

"There are a number of Baptist churches in this and other southern States, who believe and teach the doctrine of free salvation, and Open Communion; and it is for their use and benefit that the Baptist Harmony has been published." - Preface.

Bushrod Washington Nash (1831-1912), b. Westmoreland Co., Virginia; d. Goldsboro, North Carolina. "Nash was a Union Baptist, a small denomination founded in Virginia by James W. Hunnicutt in about 1841. Nash was sent from there to North Carolina in 1858. He quickly gained influence among the Alfred Moore faction of the original General Free Will Baptist Conference of North Carolina and convinced them to join the Union Baptists, who also held a 'free will' doctrine." This group held to free grace, free will, and open communion. The Union Baptist aim was to unite all Baptists in the South who held to these beliefs into one organization. "By the end of the Civil War in 1865, Nash had become the leader of the Union Baptists and of efforts toward the union of liberal Baptists in the South. In 1873, he began publishing The Baptist Review, first in LaGrange and later in Goldsboro, North Carolina." The movement faded by about the year 1900. Quotations from Picirilli, Unity Movements among Free Will Baptists of the South Near the Turn of the Century, at Helwys Society Forum online.

Noel, Silas Mercer. A Hymn Book, containing a copious selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, from the best Authors, arranged in the most familiar order: carefully compiled, collated and corrected, by Silas Mercer Noel; Including many Hymns and Songs never before in print: and a Psalmody, adapted to Tunes commonly used by Congregations in Kentucky: accompanied with a scheme of General Contents, an Index of Particular Contents, and a Table of First Lines. Frankfort, (Ky.): Printed by Gerard and Berry, Printers to the Commonwealth, 1814. First Edition. [8621]

Defective: lacking rear cover and text after p. 182. Calf, 5 1/2 x 3 inches, XII., [1]-182 pp. (of 420), one leaf with edge chip affecting a few letters, front end papers tattered. Poor. Leather bound.

Shaw & Shoemaker 32361. Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, no. N1566.

An incomplete copy of a scarce Kentucky imprint. This book has the hymns for the sections At Opening Public Worship (1-44), Before Sermon (45-80, After Sermon (81-107), Family Worship (108-116), Spread of the Gospel (117-123), Society Meetings (133), God (134-138), Characters of Christ (138-160), Influence of the Spirit (161-163), The Church (163-168), and the first part of the section Common Use (181-182).

Silas Mercer Noel (1783-1839), b. near Richmond, VA. The son of a Baptist minister, Noel studied law and opened a practice in Frankfort, KY. "After a prosperous career of a few years, he abandoned the law for the gospel ministry, and was ordained pastor of the Big Spring Baptist church in Woodford County. A few years later he was appointed judge of the Circuit Court about the year 1817, which position he filled several years, when he resigned and resumed the active duties of the ministry. He traveled adn preached extensively, and, during a number of years, his success was so great that it was said 'he baptized more people than any other in Kentucky.' In 1827 he became pastor of Great Crossing church in Scott County, and during the following year baptized into its fellowship 359 persons. He was an author of more than ordinary ability, and wrote extensively for the periodicals of his time. He was the publisher of a Baptist monthly in 1813, which, however, was suspended for want of patronage. In 1836 he was called to the pastorate of the First Baptist church in Lexington." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

"At Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1814 Silas Mercer Noel issued A Hymn Book. Noel was the son of Virginia pastor Theodoric Noel, whose use of singing in the great revival of 1789-90 had figured in the conversion of Andrew Broaddus. We may assume from his name that Noel's parents were admirers of the father of Jesse Mercer. Silas Noel had been a pupil of pastor and historian Robert Semple before studying medicine. He subsequently shifed his focus to law and was admitted to the bar prior to his move to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1806. He practiced law there and in Frankfort before becoming a minister. He served as pastor of several congregations in central Kentucky and was among the founders of Georgetown College." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 195.
 

 

[Old German Baptist Church]. A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs, suited to both Private and Public Devotions, and especially adapted to the wants and uses of the Brethren of the Old German Baptist Church. Dayton, Ohio: Johnson & Watson, 1893. Fourth Edition. [8457]

Full sheep with a black calf title label in gilt, "Hymns." 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches, binding with light wear, cloth showing at the tailband. 397 generally clean pp., pencil scribbles/drawings on the rear end papers. Tight. Very good. Full leather.

The committee for the first edition of 1882 included Samuel Kinsey, Aaron Franz, Henry P. Wherly, Emanuel Miller, and John Kimmel. The committee for this fourth edition of 1893 consisted of Aaron Frantz, Henry P. Wehrly, Emanuel Miller, and John Kimmel.

Their preface states that the former editions being exhausted, this new issue was necessary to fill the need of the churches. 

[Old German Baptist Church]. A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs, suited to both Private and Public Devotions, and especially adapted to the wants and uses of the Brethren of the Old German Baptist Church. Dayton, Ohio: Johnson & Watson, 1893. Fourth Edition. [8933]

Full sheep, lacks the spine title label, 5 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches, binding scuffed, joints fine, end paper hinges open without detachment, lacks the front free end papers. "Presented to Minnie L. Bolling on her 20 birthday 1899. by her Father and Mother" on the ffep. 397 generally clean pp., text counted and complete, text block tight, rear free end paper creased. Good. Full leather.

The committee for the first edition of 1882 included Samuel Kinsey, Aaron Franz, Henry P. Wherly, Emanuel Miller, and John Kimmel. The committee for this fourth edition of 1893 consisted of Aaron Frantz, Henry P. Wehrly, Emanuel Miller, and John Kimmel. Their preface states that the former editions being exhausted, this new issue was necessary to fill the need of the churches.

Parkinson, William. A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs. In two parts. Part I. containing the Hymns. Part II. containing the Songs. Designed (Especially the Former Part) for the use of Congregations, as an Appendix, to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. New-York: Printed for John Tiebout, By D. & G. Bruce, 1809. First Edition. [8624]

Full calf, boards bowed, front detached, rear joint good with flaked leather to board, 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Pages are not numbered; they have the hymn numbers rather than pagination. Appx. 550 pp. WorldCat calls for a portrait, not present here. Lacks the front blanks. Fair.

The first part contains 420 hymns; the second part contains 150 spiritual songs. Words only, no music.

"William Parkinson (1774-1848), a Maryland native who, after serving as chaplain to the United States Congress, was pastor of First Baptist Church, New York City, from 1805 until 1840...In his preface, Parkinson acknowledges the excellence of Watts, but, echoing Rippon's argument, notes that hymns on other subjects are needed. Rippon's anthology is acknowledged as the best of its kind, and the Philadelphia Collection is also mentioned approvingly. Parkinson then states the purpose of his book, namely, to include texts not found in Rippon's Selection (about half of the London pastor's choices are included), to supplant books containing hymns with erroneous doctrine, and to provide worthy spiritual songs." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 159.

 

Peck, J. M.; Dupuy, Starke. Dupuy's Hymns and Spiritual Songs; Revised, Corrected and Enlarged; With an Appendix of Hymns Original and Selected. Louisville: Morton and Griswold, 1843. First Edition. [8459]

Full brown leather with a black leather title label in gilt, 3 1/4 x 5 inches, binding very good with ligh wear to corners, no cracks, tight. 1861 owner's signature in pencil on the front fly page. 444 + 59 pp. Light foxing, some pencil scribbles on the end papers, tight. Very good. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, P1333.

The 59 pp. Appendix is a selection of hymns by Rev. John Mason Peck (1789-1858). The first version of this hymnal had the title, A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Frankfort, 1811).

"The popularity of Dupey's Selection may be attributed in large measure to its inclusion of a significant number of folk hymns-texts valued more for their hearty expression than for their poetic craft. The experimental value invested in these texts was aided by their coupling in practice with sturdy folk tunes...The enduring value of Dupuy's hymnal may be seen from the publication of a revised edition by J. M. Peck in 1843. In his preface, Peck hailed Dupuy as 'a worthy, pious and devoted minister of the Gospel, in Kentucky and Tennessee, for many years - much respected by the Baptist denomination, to which he belonged, and by Christians generally.' Peck added an appendix of seventy-one hymns." - Music & Richardson, "I will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 193-195.

Starke Dupuy (ca. 1779-1840) b. Powatan Co., Virginia; d. Fayette Co., Tennessee. His father was one of the early Baptist preachers in Powhatan Co.; about 1788 the family moved to Woodford Co., Kentucky, where his father raised a church at Buck Run. In 1797 the family moved to Selby Co., Kentucky, and shortly thereafter Starke Dupuy felt the call to preach. His first hymnal was published in 1811, and in 1812 he founded The Kentucky Missionary and Theological Magazine, a short-run periodical (4 issues) that is now very rare. The journal of Luther Rice (Nov. 24, 1815), mentions Dupuy living "near Shelbyville." He moved to West Tennessee by 1825, serving as superintendent of an Academy. It was observed that Dupuy gave up preaching due to problems with his throat and voice.

"Dupuy's Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs proved to be one of the most widely used Baptist hymnals of its time. Dupuy himself revised the hymnal twice, and it was published in 22 editions...Dupuy's hymnal seems to have been especially popular in Kentucky and Tennessee, but it penetrated northern states as well. Indeed, the book was in use at the Pigeon Creek (Primitive) Baptist Church in Illinois where young Abraham Lincoln was an occasional attender." - David W. Music, Starke Dupuy: Early Baptist Hymnal Compiler, in Singing Baptists: Studies in Baptist Hymnody in America (1984).

Ray, Jason. The Baptist Harmony; Instituted by Jason Ray. Noah, Tenn.: J. C. Haley, 1896. Revised Edition. [8488]

Maroon cloth, worn with the cloth over the spine sometime pasted down, opens stiffly, 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches. End papers and several text pages with scribbles in pencil and/or blue crayon352 pp. Defects: lacks leaf 175-76; a couple of closed marginal tears, smudging, some light stains. Fair. Hardcover.

Not in Starr, A Baptist Bibliography. No mention in either Reynolds or Music & Richardson. WorldCat with 1 location for an 1893 printing of this revised edition; no earlier editions recorded. Rare.

319 texts with metre; words only. Plus the Index. There are 32 different chapters. Many are similar to any hymnal, but there are some more intriguing ones, such as Free Grace; Glories of Christ; Warning and invitation of the Gospel; Church Meetings; Call to the Ministry; New Place of Worship; Washing Feet; Prayer-meeting; The Flight of Time; Death and the Resurrection.

"At a meeting of the Duck River Association, held at Chestnut Ridge, Moore county, Tenn., in August, 1884, a resolution was adopted authorizing J. C. Haley and W. J. Stephenson to revise and publish the Baptist Harmony." - Advertisement (p. 3).

The Duck River Association was organized in 1826 from churches in the Tennessee counties of Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marshall, Moore and Warren. The doctrines expressed in this hymnal would be considered to be General (or Arminian) Baptist. 

Rippon, John. A Selection of Hymns from the best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watt's [sic] Psalms and Hymns. New-York: Printed and Sold by William Durell, at his Book-Store and Printing-Office, No. 19, Queen-Street, 1792. First American Edition. [8654]

Full calf, spine covered with plain calf repair, 13.5 cm (5 1/4 x 3 1/4 inches), corners rounded with small patch of leather missing from back board. Thin vertical crease to center of backstrip repair. Contemporary inscription in brown ink on ffep: "Naomi Bolles property given her by her Father," black wood block letter "A" beneath it. 468 unnumbered pages with 588 hymns, several indices. Text very good, complete, light foxing. Several leaves bound out of order (Hymns 361-366), but complete. Very good.

ESTC W2550. Evans 24749. Words only, no music. Metre and author of each hymn noted; some with suggested use (Prayer for Missionaries, A Blessing humbly requested), or with the scripture verse upon which the hymn is based.

John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers. "Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB. 

Rippon, John. A Selection of Hymns From the best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns; Including the Names of the Tunes adapted to most of the Hymns. A New Edition, to which is added, A number of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, by various Authors, never before in print. London: Sold by the Author, ca. 1800. The Fifteenth, and Enlarged Edition. [8891]

Full leather, joints cracked with the front board wobbly, 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches, text block tight, some creasing & turned corners to the pages. Page numbers are actually hymn numbers; there being 588 total, with the addition of indices & adverts. Fair. Full leather.

"With the names of the tunes adapted to the hymns." Title page without date; Preface date is May 10, 1800. The Preface is to the Tenth Edition.

Rippon, John. A Selection of Hymns From the best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns; Including the Names of the Tunes adapted to most of the Hymns. A New Edition, to which is added, A number of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, by various Authors, never before in print. Wilmington, (D.): Printed and Sold by Peter Brynberg, 1803. [8687]

Full leather, front board is detached as well as the ffep. The ffep with several contemporary inscriptions,including "Baptist Hymn Book," "George Addams' Book September 8th day, A. D. 1807". Spine & rear board scuffed and worn, but tight. Old pins inserted to hold several leaves together. There are 30 pp. of preliminary material followed by the Hymns, which number 593. These pages are not numbered by leaf, but by hymns. Then (20) pp. Index, followed by 10 leaves of Hymns and Spiritual Songs (20 pp.), the whole concluding with "The End" at the bottom of the last page. The text is apparantly complete, with one damaged leaf, several leaves pinned into place, with 2 of them pinned out of order, and one leaf being torn with about 20% loss of text. Fair.

Printed in old font with the long "s".

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers. "Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

Rippon, John; Staughton, William. A Selection of Hymns from the best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watt's's Psalms and Hymns; With the names of the tunes adapted to the hymns. Together with an Appendix, from the Olney Hymns, with additional Hymns, original and selected, by the Rev. William Staughton, D. D. Philadelphia: W. W. Woodward, 1813. The Second American, from the Fifteenth London Edition. [9393]

Red leather, lacks the front board, backstrip pulled at the ends, white ink call numbers on backstrip. 13 cm (5 x 3 inches), signed "Elizabeth Shelmerdine, No. 23 S. Fourth Street" on the ffep. The pages are not numbered consecutively but give the hymn numbers in order, text complete with index and end papers. Fair.

William Staughton, D.D. (1770-1829), English Baptist minister who emigrated to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1793. He served as pastor of several churches in New Jersey, received an honorary D.D. from Princeton in 1801, and in 1805 became pastor of First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. He remained at First Baptist until becoming pastor of tne newly-formed Samson Street church in 1811, where he served until 1822. He was the designated tutor of the Baptist Education Society, the founder of the Philadelphia Bible Society, and, with Luther Rice, instrumental in the founding of Columbian College, now Georgetown University, becoming its first President in 1821, where he taught in both the theological and classical departments. Dr. Staughton was also Chaplain of the US Senate, serving from 1823 to 1826.

John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers.

"Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

Rippon, John; Staughton, William. A Selection of Hymns from the best Authors, intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watt's's Psalms and Hymns; Together with an Appendix, from the Olney Hymns, with additional Hymns, original and selected, by the Rev. William Staughton, D. D. Philadelphia: W. W. Woodward, 1819. The Fourth American, from the Fifteenth London Edition with the names of the Tunes adapted to the Hymns. [8686]

Full leather, joints cracked with crude sewn repairs, binding is very stiff and probably the backstrip has been glued down. 13 cm (5 x 3 inches), there is a pink stain at the bottom of several pages at the front of the book. The pages are not numbered consecutively but give the hymn numbers in order, lacks the rear free blanks. Fair.

William Staughton, D.D. (1770-1829), English Baptist minister who emigrated to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1793. He served as pastor of several churches in New Jersey, received an honorary D.D. from Princeton in 1801, and in 1805 became pastor of First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. He remained at First Baptist until becoming pastor of the newly-formed Samson Street church in 1811, where he served until 1822. He was the designated tutor of the Baptist Education Society, the founder of the Philadelphia Bible Society, and, with Luther Rice, instrumental in the founding of Columbian College, now Georgetown University, becoming its first President in 1821, where he taught in both the theological and classical departments. Dr. Staughton was also Chaplain of the US Senate, serving from 1823 to 1826.

John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers. "Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

[Seventh-Day Baptist Church]  A New Selection of Psalms and Hymns, from the most approved authors, adapted to Public and Private Worship.  By a Committee appointed by the Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference.  Schenectady: Printed by Isaac Riggs.  1826.

Full calf, black calf title label, rubbed and worn yet with no cracks; 3 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches.  Lacks the front and one of the rear blanks; rear blank that remains torn with loss at bottom.  Small hole in margin of tp.  Unnumbered pp, with 513 selections; unnumbered Appendix with 74 selections; Contents and Table with 18 pp.  Foxing; tight.

The General Conference of 1824 commissioned this compilation due to no other hymnal being suitable to the Seventh-Day persuasion.  The Advertisement is written from Brookfield, New York, with the appointed committee consisting of W. B. Maxson, Eli S. Bailey, and Henry Clarke.

[Seventh-Day Baptist] (Maxson, W. B.; Bailey, Eli S.; Clarke, Henry). A New Selection of Psalms and Hymns, from the most approved authors, adapted to Public and Private Worship; By a Committee appointed by the Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference. Schenectady: Printed by Isaac Riggs, 1826. First Edition. [8477]

Full leather, red leather title label & gilt lines to spine, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, binding rubbed but with no cracks, tight. Lacks the front and back blanks. Text block sometime repaired with a stab-sewn twine stich (see pics). iv., 515 hymns on unnumbered pp., 74 hymns on unnumbered pp. and an Appendix, 18 pp. of contents & indexes. Pages with light foxing, many corner tips dog-eared. Good. Full leather.

"...notwithstanding the great variety of books of this kind, with which the Christian world abounds, the denomination of Christians which observe the seventh day of the week, for the weekly Sabbath, has not been able to find one which could be uniformly admitted into general use by its worshipping assemblies...We trust that no friend of Christ will be offended with the doctrine exhibited in this little work: we have aimed at holding forth the truths of the Bible, without admitting invectives against such as have different views." The Committee signed in print from Brookfield, N. Y., June 7th, 1826, at the end of their Advertisement.

Smith, Joshua; Sleeper, Samuel. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: Being a Collection by Joshua Smith and Samuel Sleeper; The Fifth Exeter Edition - To which are added thirty-two Hymns. Exeter, [New Hampshire]: Printed at Exeter, by Henry Ranlet, and sold at his office - sold also by Samuel Sleeper of Poplin, 1793. Fifth Exeter Edition. [9055]

Full leather, joints good, rubbed and worn, some worming to the front joint, 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches, worming with loss to the ffep, first few leaves with small worm holes. 192 pp., text complete, engraved device on tp and first & last page of text, some tattering to the edges, foxing. Very good. Hardcover.

ESTC W30897; Shipton & Mooney 46875.

Although styled the "Fifth Exeter Edition" this is the second printing extant of this compilation, the first being the Portsmouth edition published by John Melcher in 1791. It is a remarkable early American example of a Baptist compilation of hymns. Smith's Divine Hymns is the first hymnal to include the hymn "Christ the Appletree," once thought to be of American composition (hymn no. 2 in this edition). It has been discovered that it was first published in the London Spiritual Magazine of August, 1761, and of British origin.

"The hymn is singular for its picturesque metaphor of Jesus as an apple tree that is 'laden with fruit, and always green.'...Divine Hymns must certainly be considered one of the most influential hymn collections of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in the United States. I was undoubtedly the most widely-used Baptist collection compiled in New England at the time." - David W. Music, American Baptist Quarterly, Vol. 25, 2006, pages 63-81.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138.

Smith, Joshua; Northrup, William. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: Being formerly a collection by Joshua Smith - and Others; Eighth Edition. With large additions and alterations, by William Northrup, V. D. M. Norwich: Printed and Sold by John Sterry & Co, 1797. Eighth Edition. [8530]

Full worn leather, chipped head of spine, corners worn through, joints still good, 4 x 6 1/2 inches, lacks all blanks, end papers & title page with scribbles. 216 pp: pp. 95-95 torn at bottom affecting two words; lacks pp. 127-128, 207-214; some edge tatters, particularly the first three and last several leaves. Fair. Hardcover.

ESTC W30899; Evans 32850.

William Northrup (1760-1812), was a Baptist minister in Rhode Island.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138.

Smith, Joshua; Northrup, William; Northrup, Emmanuel. Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: being formerly a collection by Joshua Smith, and others; With Additions & Alterations, by William & Emmanuel Northrup. Cooperstown, (N. Y.): Printed and Sold by E. Phinney, 1805. First Edition of the present Compilation. [8529]

Leather spine with paper over boards, very worn with much of the paper missing, the spine sometime covered with a strip of paper or linen as reinforcement, 4 x 6 1/4 pp. 228 pp. with the following defects: lacking the front 2 blanks; edge chip at Preface affecting five words; lacking pp. 75-82; leaf pp. 117-118 torn with loss of bottom 1 1/2 inches; leaf pp. 189-90 torn with a straight pin holding the torn piece to the page; stitched repair to text block; all leaves tattered at the edges. Good. Hardcover.

"The Editor would inform the public that there are several Editions of what are commonly called SMITH'S HYMNS, that do not comport with the general understanding of them, being injudiciously collected. The present Edition may be depended upon as genuine."

Not in Shaw & Shoemaker (checked both Jones and Northrup).  OCLC with 4 locations. The only sales record for it at RareBookHub is from a 1967 Midland catalogue.

William Northrup (1760-1812), was a Baptist minister in Rhode Island.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138.

Smith, Joshua; Northrup, William. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: Being formerly a collection by Joshua Smith - and Others; Ninth Edition with a large addition of hymns never before published, By William Northrup, V. D. M. Norwich, [Conn.]: John Sterry, 1799. Ninth Edition. [8505]

Full leather, cut marks in both boards, front joint cracked and nearly detached, 4 x 6 1/2 inches. Lacks front & rear blanks. Pencil scribbles and "Betsy Round" in pencil on the tp. Text with stains, closed tears, and edge tatters. Pp. 89-92 torn with some loss of text at bottom. 206 pp. ESTC calls for 214, [2] pp. This copy lacking the table or index. Fair. Full leather.

ESTC W12039; Evans 36319.

William Northrup (1760-1812), was a Baptist minister in Rhode Island.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138.

Smith, Joshua; Northrup, William. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: Being formerly a collection by Joshua Smith - and Others; Twelfth Edition, With additions by William Northrup. Norwich, [CT]: Printed and Sold by Russell Hubbard, 1811. Twelfth Edition. [8531]

Leather spine with marbled paper boards, paper worn with loss, front joint cracked and nearly detached, 4 x 6 1/2 inches, diagonal crease to back board. Lacks both front and one rear blank. 199 (4) pp., lacks pp. 121-122, some marginal tears/chips, old stain in many places. Good. Hardcover.

Shaw & Shoemaker 23946.

William Northrup (1760-1812), was a Baptist minister in Rhode Island.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138. 

Smith, Joshua; Northrup, William. Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs; for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians: Being formerly a collection by Joshua Smith - and Others; Twelfth Edition, With additions by William Northrup. Norwich, [CT]: Printed and Sold by Russell Hubbard, 1811. Twelfth Edition. [8928]

Leather spine, once had blue paper over boards, wooden boards now completely exposed, 6 1/2 x 4 inches, diagonal crease to back board. Lacks both front and one rear blank. 199 (5) pp., text complete and very good. Good. Hardcover.

Shaw & Shoemaker 23946.

William Northrup (1760-1812), was a Baptist minister in Rhode Island.

"The progenitor of Divine Hymns, Joshua Smith (1760-1795), was a lay preacher affiliated with Baptist congregations in Caanan and Brentwood, New Hampshire. This book went through at least two dozen editions from 1791 to 1816. The titles of the editions varied, as did the collaborators and the publishers." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 138.

 

Smith, Elias; Jones, Abner. Hymns original and selected for the use of Christians. Philadelphia: Fifth Edition - Corrected, ca. 1812. Printed and Sold at the Herald Office, by John Hunter, Esq. [8504]

Full calf, gilt tooling to spine & borders, black calf title label, binding very good. Leather label, bordered in gilt, "Benjamin M. Burnham", applied vertically to front cover. Blue marbled end papers, front fly page and bottom 1/4 inch of tp torn with loss. Lacks the rear free end paper. 360 pp., text in good condition, infrequent edge tatters, light stains; frequent corner creases.

Shaw & Shoemaker 26751. WorldCat locates 11 copies of this edition in institutional libraries. Dowling, Hymn and Gospel Song Books of the Restoration Movement: A Bibliography, p. 63.

This was first published in Boston in 1804, with 144 pp. In eight years it had been printed 8 times (3 in Boston, 2 at Exeter, NH, 2 at Portland, ME, and this one in Philadelphia) and had expanded to 360 pp. by the time of this fifth edition.

The date at the bottom of the tp is torn away, but an advert at the end says that Smith's New-Testament Dictionary was to be published in a few months; it was published in 1812.

343 selections plus index; half page of publisher's notice.

"Hymn books of this edition, are kept constantly for sale, by Elias Smith, no. 150, South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, by the hundred, dozen, or single - By Elder William Guirey, Salem, Caroline County, (Vir.) George Gavit, 2nd, Westerly, (R.I.) D.A. & G.W. Leonard, Bristol (R.I.) Obed Kempton, New-Bedford, (Mass.) Amos Braley, and William Rounsevill, Freetown (Mass.) Andrew Burnham, Boston, (Mass.) John Mackenzie and Richard Ransom, Woodstock, (Vermont.) Also, may be had at the above places ..." - Colophon, p. 360.

Elias Smith (1769-1846), b. Lyme, Connecticut; d. Lynn, Massachusetts. He was a minister associated with the movement that led to the establishment of the Christian Connexion, an author, and the editor of the first religious weekly in the United States. He had joined the Baptist Church in 1789. He devoted himself to the study of the Bible and theology, and began to preach in 1790. His success was marked and he was ordained by the Baptists as an evangelist at Lee, N. H., in August 1792. In 1798 he was installed pastor of the Baptist church in Woburn, Mass., but was unhappy in the relations of the settled pastorate, largely because he found no precedent for the installation in the New Testament. His theological opinions underwent a radical change. He rejected the Calvinistic system held by the Baptists, repudiated the doctrine of the Trinity, and disowned all systems of church order and all denominational names not found in the New Testament.

After a brief business venture that failed, he moved to Portsmouth and founded a church acknowledging no creed but the Bible and having no denominational name but “Christian”. He was unsparing in his criticism of other churches with their settled and tax-supported clergy and their theological systems, which he regarded as having no Biblical foundation. His denunciations coupled with his strong anti-Federalist political views, created for him a host of enemies who pursued him for many years, and often he narrowly escaped mob violence. In order to reply more effectively to his opponents, he began to write, and his History of Anti-Christ (1803, 1811), The Clergyman's Looking-Glass (1803), The Whole World Governed by a Jew (1805), A Short Sermon to the Calvinist Baptists of Massachusetts (1806), only added fuel to the flames. In 1805 he began a quarterly, The Christian's Magazine, Reviewer and Religious Intelligencer which continued for two years. On Sept. 1, 1808, he issued the initial number of the Herald of Gospel Liberty, the first weekly religious newspaper in the United States. In 1818 Smith sold the paper, and became a Universalist. In 1823 he renounced Universalism, but his restoration to the Christian fellowship was only partial. – adapted from DAB.  Smith is recognized today as one of the leading lights of what became known as The Restoration Movement.

Abner Jones (1772-1841), b. Royalston, Massachusetts; d. Exeter, New Hampshire. “Church reformer and restoration advocate in New England…founded the first three congregations of the so-called New England ‘Christian Connection,’ and remained a respected leader until his death…At 19 he experienced a conversion, commenced to preach but rejected Calvinistic election and predestination, and therefore sought ordination from the Freewill Baptists. He declared himself, however, and unencumbered Christian, dedicated to the teaching of the Scriptures alone…” – The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement. 

Smoot, W. M. The Sectarian: Collection of Hymns adapted to the Faith of the Antime'ns Predestinar'n Old School Baptist of America. Occoquan, Va.: Sectarian Building, 1904. First Edition. [9125]

Black cloth, quite worn at the edges and joints, covers still well-attached, 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 inches. Marbled end papers, viii., 634 pp., text complete. Several printed hymns, a small photo, and other ephemera laid in. "Phanetta Davis, Book June 12th 1904" on one ffep; "This was my Sister Phonetta Davis Old School Baptist Hymn Book and she gave it to me Oct 19, 1945. Mrs. Mary A. Allen" on another. Fair. Hardcover.

The use of the apostrophes in the title may have been due to the size of Elder Smoot's home press. It may have been necessary to use them in place of capital A's to shorten the line, which matches the other longest line on the page.

Not in Starr, but he does list Smoot's Contest of Primitive Baptists, 1886-1889, and Prohibition fanaticism; being an editorial in the Sectarian...May, 1908. Both printed at Occoquan, Virginia. Not in Music & Richardson.

Elder William Middleton Smoot (ca. 1848-1938), for many years a leading Predestinarian Old School Primitive Baptist preacher and writer in Prince William Co., Virginia; his parishioners became known as "Smootites." At the request of the church at Quantico he was ordained in August, 1874 by Elder J. L. Purington at the Corresponding Meeting held at Broad Run, Virginia. He self-published from his home a monthly newsletter - The Sectarian - "devoted to the cause of the Anti-Means, Old School, Predestinarian, or Bible Baptists." He was pastor at Occoquan for sixty-six years, the church being also known as Bacon Race Church or Oak Grove Church. It was founded about 1774 by Elder David Thomas, and Smoot was the last pastor of the congregation; the church building sat empty for many years and finally collapsed in 1987. He is buried in the cemetery along with Confederate soldiers including members of Mosby's Rangers.

There is a history of the Occoquan church online, by Darlene L. Hunter, History of Occoquan Baptist Church, Prince William County Virginia.

Spinhower, Jacob. The Separate Baptist Hymn Book; being a Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, compiled from various authors. Burlington, Iowa: Acres, Blackmar & Co., 1868. First Edition. [8489]

Original leather boards with an old sewn cloth repair over the spine, 3 x 5 1/4 inches. Text out of order and runs (i)-iv., (5)-10, 145-160, 11-112, 177-228.  Defective: lacking 113-144, 161-176; leaf 59-60 damaged with loss; leaf 93-94 repaired with no loss of text; Poor. Hardcover.

Not in Music & Richardson. Scarce.

"The Separate Baptists being destitute of a Hymn Book, have been compelled to use such as they could obtain, which have carried discord in their congregations...After much anxious thought and prayer on the subject, in the year of our Lord 1861, Elder J. Spinhower presented the Society with the present volume, compiled from various authors...after fruitless attempts to get it printed, the following brethren agreed to print it, viz: R. Flach, A. Smith, P. Whitson and W. Miller, on the following terms: for the use of the Society and benefit of the compiler." - Preface.

We believe the compiler to be Rev. Jacob Spainhower (or Spinhower), ca. 1810-1873; b. Casey, Kentucky, d. Boone, Iowa.

Stanford, John. The Domestic Chaplain: being Fifty-two short Lectures, with Appropriate Hymns, on the most interesting subjects, for every Lord's Day in the year; Designed for the Improvement of Families of every Christian Denomination. New-York: Printed and sold by T. & J. Swords, 1806. First Edition. [8950]

Full leather binding in poor condition, both boards nearly detached, old black burn marks on the back board and edge of spine, 7 x 4 1/4 inches. "Elizabeth Sanford's" in blue ink on the tp. xii., 384, 41 pp. Text block is very good, complete, not damaged. The last 41 pp. are the Hymns, and there is a separated title page, same imprint. The hymns are words only, no music. Fair. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, S7944.

"In 1806, Stanford published The Domestic Chaplain, a collection of fifty-two devotional addressed for weekly use by those without access to public services. Bound with the addresses is A Collection of Hymns, Appropriate to the Domestic Chaplain. This contains a like number of hymns, whose relationship is explained by this note at the end fo the first reading: 'The number to the appropriate Hymns, at the end of this volume, will be found to correspond with the number of the Lecture.' The lectures themselves quote a number of hymns in addition to those collected in the anthology. That this use of hymns by Stanford was typical of his preaching may be seen in his published sermons, many of which include hymns." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp 154-155.

John Stanford (1754-1834), b. Wandsworth, Surrey, England; d. New York City. Stanford was confirmed in the Church of England, but became a Baptist, uniting with the congregation of which Benjamin Wallin was pastor. He was ordained and made pastor of a church at Hammersmith in 1781. In 1786 he moved to New York and established an academy in the city. During his ministry he was pastor of churches in New York City and in Providence, Rhode Island, where he was made a trustee of Brown University. Most of his life was spent in ministering to the downtrodden and lower classes, including service in the State Prison, the Magdalen House, the Orphan's Asylum, the Debtor's Prison, the Lunatic Asylum, and other charitable institutions.

Stevens, John. A New Selection of Hymns, including also Several Original Hymns, Never before offered to the Public; with an Appendix, containing One Hundred and Two additional Hymns. London: Sold by Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1816. Third Edition. [8524]

Full calf, 5 1/2  x 3 1/4 inches, gilt lines to spine, creases to spine, front joint with surface crack yet the board is still attached well. "Samuel Witmer, his book" in brown ink on the front end papers. xxiv, [16], 431, [1], 95. Text complete and generally clean. Good.

There are 465 texts in the first part of 431 pp. The last 95 pp. has the 102 additional hymns.

John Stevens (1776-1847), English Baptist, pastor of several congregations during his ministry, author, hymn-writer, staunch Calvinist. His hymnal was first published in 1809. "Many of the hymns of Stevens embody High Calvinist views, strongly expressed..." - Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology.

Stow, Baron; Smith; S. F.; Fuller, Richard; Jeter, J. B. The Psalmist: A New Collection of Hymns for the use of Baptist Churches, With a Supplement; By Richard Fuller, Pastor of the Seventh Baptist Church, Baltimore, Md. and J. B. Jeter, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. Boston: Gould and Lincoln | Printed by George C. Rand & Avery, (1847). [8478]

Full morocco with gilt decoration to spine & both boards, binding very good with no cracks, corner tips worn through. All page edges gilt, yellow end papers, light stain to the first few leaves, title page with insect damage in the margin. (48), 752 pp., tight. Infrequent foxing & creased corners, one leaf with small chip in bottom margin. A faint stain comes and goes in the bottom margin throughout. Very good. Full leather.

An edition of Stow & Smith's The Psalmist, with a Supplement by Fuller & Jeter. The Supplement was intended to make the hymnal more attractive to the Baptists of the South and West, who thought that there were too many selections in it that they did not sing, and no representation of popular Southern hymns. The Supplement removed chants contained in The Psalmist (unused in the South) and adds 106 hymns of Southern interest.

"The first Baptist hymnal to achieve denominational status was The Psalmist (1843), compiled by two Massachusetts pastors, Baron Stow (1801-1869) of Boston's Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895) of the First Baptist Church of Newton. This began as a private enterprise by Stow and Smith, but by the time of its publication the book had received the stamp of the denomination's principal publishing house...the Psalmist holds 'the distinction of being the first hymnbook published by a national Baptist body in America.'...[It] is a large, well-organized, and comprehensive collection containing words only. Its 1,180 hymns are arranged into thirty-eight topics." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 203-204.

Stow, Baron; Smith; S. F.; Fuller, Richard; Jeter, J. B. The Psalmist: A New Collection of Hymns for the use of Baptist Churches. With a Supplement; By Richard Fuller, Pastor of the Seventh Baptist Church, Baltimore, Md. and J. B. Jeter, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1847. [8680]

Full blindstamped leather, black leather title label to spine, front joint good, rear partly cracked. 11.5 cm (4 1/2 x 3 inches), marbled page edges. Contemporary inscription on ffep, "Mrs. Mary L. Toles, Butternuts, Otsego Co., N. Y." 752 pp., lacks the rear free end papers; pages generally clean, some light stains on the first couple of leaves. Good. Full leather.

An edition of Stow & Smith's The Psalmist, with a Supplement by Fuller & Jeter. The Supplement was intended to make the hymnal more attractive to the Baptists of the South and West, who thought that there were too many selections in it that they did not sing, and no representation of popular Southern hymns. The Supplement removed chants contained in The Psalmist (unused in the South) and adds 106 hymns of Southern interest.

"The first Baptist hymnal to achieve denominational status was The Psalmist (1843), compiled by two Massachusetts pastors, Baron Stow (1801-1869) of Boston's Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895) of the First Baptist Church of Newton. This began as a private enterprise by Stow and Smith, but by the time of its publication the book had received the stamp of the denomination's principal publishing house...the Psalmist holds 'the distinction of being the first hymnbook published by a national Baptist body in America.'...[It] is a large, well-organized, and comprehensive collection containing words only. Its 1,180 hymns are arranged into thirty-eight topics." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 203-204.

Stow, Baron; Smith; S. F.; Fuller, Richard; Jeter, J. B. The Psalmist: A New Collection of Hymns for the use of Baptist Churches. With a Supplement; By Richard Fuller, Pastor of the Seventh Baptist Church, Baltimore, Md. and J. B. Jeter, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1847. [8930]

Full blindstamped leather, front board detached, black leather title label chipped with some loss. 11.5 cm (4 1/2 x 3 inches), marbled page edges, old inactive mold stains to the front end papers & title page, 752 pp., text complete. Fair. Full leather.

An edition of Stow & Smith's The Psalmist, with a Supplement by Fuller & Jeter. The Supplement was intended to make the hymnal more attractive to the Baptists of the South and West, who thought that there were too many selections in it that they did not sing, and no representation of popular Southern hymns. The Supplement removed chants contained in The Psalmist (unused in the South) and adds 106 hymns of Southern interest.

"The first Baptist hymnal to achieve denominational status was The Psalmist (1843), compiled by two Massachusetts pastors, Baron Stow (1801-1869) of Boston's Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895) of the First Baptist Church of Newton. This began as a private enterprise by Stow and Smith, but by the time of its publication the book had received the stamp of the denomination's principal publishing house...the Psalmist holds 'the distinction of being the first hymnbook published by a national Baptist body in America.'...[It] is a large, well-organized, and comprehensive collection containing words only. Its 1,180 hymns are arranged into thirty-eight topics." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 203-204.

Stow, Baron; Smith; S. F.; Fuller, Richard; Jeter, J. B. The Psalmist: A New Collection of Hymns for the use of Baptist Churches, With a Supplement; By Richard Fuller, Pastor of the Seventh Baptist Church, Baltimore, Md. and J. B. Jeter, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, Richmond, Va. Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1854. [8542]

Brown calf with blindstamped pattern, spine sometime replaced with smooth brown leather, original black calf title label on the replaced spine. 804 clean pp., tight. "A. Spear" in gilt on front. Very good. Full leather.

An edition of Stow & Smith's The Psalmist, with a Supplement by Fuller & Jeter. The Supplement was intended to make the hymnal more attractive to the Baptists of the South and West, who thought that there were too many selections in it that they did not sing, and no representation of popular Southern hymns. The Supplement removed chants contained in The Psalmist (unused in the South) and adds 106 hymns of Southern interest.

"The first Baptist hymnal to achieve denominational status was The Psalmist (1843), compiled by two Massachusetts pastors, Baron Stow (1801-1869) of Boston's Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895) of the First Baptist Church of Newton. This began as a private enterprise by Stow and Smith, but by the time of its publication the book had received the stamp of the denomination's principal publishing house...the Psalmist holds 'the distinction of being the first hymnbook published by a national Baptist body in America.'...[It] is a large, well-organized, and comprehensive collection containing words only. Its 1,180 hymns are arranged into thirty-eight topics." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 203-204.

Stow, Baron; Smith, S. F. The Social Psalmist: A New Selection of Hymns for Conference Meetings and Family Worship. Boston | New York: Gould, Kendall, and Lincoln | Lewis Colby, 1849. [8626]

Full leather, 6 1/2 x 4 inches, joints cracked with an old paper repair over the spine, inner end paper hinges good and the boards are not loose. Pink end papers. (20), 1-196 pp., tight. Light foxing, a few marginal notes/check marks. Good. Full leather.

A sequel to the authors' The Psalmist.

"After the publication of the Psalmist, the editors found in their possession a considerable number of hymns, consecrated in the affections of Christians, but which the limits prescribed to them necessarily excluded. There were also hymns breathing a pious spirit, and dear to many of the people of God, - though of a less elevated character, yet not particularly objectionable, - which it was not deemed expedient to admit in that work. These compositions were immediately collected together, and combined with other familiar and excellent hymns, marked by a pure taste and correct sentiment and expression. During the last five years, the selection has often been revised, and additions made to it of such pieces as have seemed adapted to its design...This selection has been made on the same principle which guided the editors in preparing the Psalmist. They commit the result of their labors to the public, earnestly desiring that the work may prove a help to the devout, and an acceptable offering to the cause of their divine Master." - Preface.

"The first Baptist hymnal to achieve denominational status was The Psalmist (1843), compiled by two Massachusetts pastors, Baron Stow (1801-1869) of Boston's Baldwin Place Baptist Church and Samuel F. Smith (1808-1895) of the First Baptist Church of Newton." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 203.

Thomas, Erasmus D. A New and Choice selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of the Regular Baptist church, and all lovers of song. Indianapolis: Baker & Randolph?, ca. 1877. [9398]

Poor binding with a detached front board, lacking the rear board, 5 1/2 x 4 inches. Contents defective: 3-334, 339-543, [1], (1)-14, 19. Lacks the title page, 2 leaves of text (pp. 335-338), and 2 leaves of the Index. The index is tattered with loss, and detached. Poor.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, no. T1100. "Elder Thomas, pastor of Regular Baptist church, Danville, Indiana."  WorldCat locates only 5 copies of any edition.

"Primitive Baptists. Among the text-only collections for Primitive Baptists, those by Benjamin Lloyd and Gilbert Beebe appear to have been most widely used through the end of the nineteenth century, though they had competitors. Among these were...A New and Choice Selection, compiled...by Erasmus D. Thomas of Danville, Indiana...In compiling his book, Thomas solicited suggestions regarding its content, a process that led to the inclusion of some gospel songs, among them Fanny Crosby's 'Pass me not, O gentle Saviour.'" - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 390-391.

Swain, J. Walworth Hymns: To which is subjoined, a Short Essay on Church Fellowship and Social Religion. London: Printed for the Author's Widow, 1796. The Second Edition, corrected. [8469]

Full calf, rubbed, no cracks, gilt lines to spine, 2 3/4 x 4 inches, 186, (vi) pp., with index. Very good.

ESTC N504300. ESTC records 4 edition, 2 published in 1792, this second edition of 1796, and a third one published in 1799. A fourth edition came out in 1810, and a reprint of the first edition was done in 1869 in London.

Several editions are recorded in Starr, but not this one. WorldCat with 3 locations.

Joseph Swain (1761-1796), b. Birmingham, England; d. Walworth, England. He was apprenticed as an engraver and the latter part of his apprenticeship took place in London, where he was affected by nonconformist preaching. After his conversion in 1782 he began to write hymns; he was baptized by the Rev. Dr. Rippon in 1783. In December, 1791, Baptist church formed in Walworth, and Swain was unanimously chosen pastor. He was pastor from 1791 to 1796, during which time his success in preaching led to the meeting house being expanded three times. - see entry in DNB.

Thompson, Wilson. A Baptist Hymn-Book, designed especially for The Regular Baptist Church and All Lovers of Truth; Partly Selected from Approved Authors, and Partly Composed by the Compiler. Arranged to Suit all Occasions of Public or Private Worship. Cincinnati: Wilstach, Baldwin & Co., Printers, 1844. First Edition. [8894]

Text block & spine only, no covers, 11 cm (4 1/2 x 3 inches), 718 pp. (of 719), lacks the last page of text. Insect damage to the first and last several leaves, affecting some words. Good. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, lists only an 1861 imprint, T1440, and has the record from a bookseller's advert, with no copies located. Music & Richardson do not mention this hymnal.

The compiler says that he has altered many hymns, correcting phrases that he considered to be Biblical unsound. For example, "We often find the words, land of Canaan, when the heaven of glory is intended, and the Christian sings of his desires and prospects of getting home to Canaan. This might do for a Jew, but not for a Christian; for he looks for a far better habitation. The notion that Canaan was a type of heaven, has led to the use of these expressions; but when I consider the troubles, wars, defeats, the inroads of the enemies, and captivity, &c., I cannot believe that Canaan was a type of heaven, but that it was a fit type of the gospel church state, where the wars, invasions of powers of Mystery Babylon are felt and known." p. iii.

Elder Wilson Thompson (1788-1866), b. Woodford, Kentucky; d. Howard, Indiana. He was one of the most prominent Regular or "Primitive" Baptist elders. He pioneered Baptist work in the Territory of Missouri, and was pastor of churches in Ohio and Indiana. He conducted extensive preaching tours in the mid Atlantic and Southern States, and was known as an uncompromising proponent of Primitive Baptist doctrine and practice.

Thompson, Wilson. A Baptist Hymn-Book, designed especially for The Regular Baptist Church and All Lovers of Truth; Partly Selected from Approved Authors, and Partly Composed by the Compiler. Arranged to Suit all Occasions of Public or Private Worship. Cincinnati: I. Hart & Co., Printers, 1850. Sixth Edition. [8681]

Full leather, clear tape over the spine, 11 cm (4 1/2 x 3 inches), 719 pp., light foxing. Good.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, lists only an 1861 imprint, T1440, and has the record from a bookseller's advert, with no copies located. Music & Richardson do not mention this hymnal.

The compiler says that he has altered many hymns, correcting phrases that he considered to be Biblical unsound. For example, "We often find the words, land of Canaan, when the heaven of glory is intended, and the Christian sings of his desires and prospects of getting home to Canaan. This might do for a Jew, but not for a Christian; for he looks for a far better habitation. The notion that Canaan was a type of heaven, has led to the use of these expressions; but when I consider the troubles, wars, defeats, the inroads of the enemies, and captivity, &c., I cannot believe that Canaan was a type of heaven, but that it was a fit type of the gospel church state, where the wars, invasions of powers of Mystery Babylon are felt and known." p. iii.

Elder Wilson Thompson (1788-1866), b. Woodford, Kentucky; d. Howard, Indiana. He was one of the most prominent Regular or "Primitive" Baptist elders. He pioneered Baptist work in the Territory of Missouri, and was pastor of churches in Ohio and Indiana. He conducted extensive preaching tours in the mid Atlantic and Southern States, and was known as an uncompromising proponent of Primitive Baptist doctrine and practice. 

Tillinghast, J.; Knight, R. The Old Baptist Hymn Book. Providence: S. W. Potter, Printer, Pawtucket, R. I., 1842. [8481]

Plain calf spine, yellow paper over boards, front with wood engraving of two children kneeling and singing, titles on front, paper on back unprinted, 4 3/4 x 6 inches. 304 pp., complete, pages with light foxing, tight. Very good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, K1881 & T1782. The only edition published; WorldCat with 8 locations.

"...we have, with much labor, compiled the following hymns, for the use of the Old Baptist Churches in worshiping Almighty God...We have inserted a number of original hymns, to be used at the laying on of hands, composed by elder Richard Knight..." - Preface, by Tillinghast.

Elder John Tillinghast (1812-1878), b. & d. at West Greenwich, Rhode Island. He was converted at the age of sixteen, began preaching at age twenty-one, and ordained pastor of the West Greenwich Baptist church in 1840, and remained in that office until his death. He was considered to be "studious and industrious...an energetic, practical, and powerful preacher...honored by Dr. Wayland and all preachers...one of the best of men." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Tillinghast was the editor of the short-lived Zion's Friend, and General or Six Principle Baptist Register.

Elder Richard Knight (1771-1863), b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Coventry, Rhode Island. He was pastor of the Six Principle Baptist Church in Scituate for fifty years, wrote a history of the denomination, a hymn book, and several pamphlets.

"He lived an exemplary life and was honored and respected. he was ordained to the ministry [in] 1809, when he was 38 years old, preached the Gospel of Christ 50 years, without compensation, as other ministers of the same denomination did, obtained his living and supported his family laboring as other men on his farm, and as a land surveyor..." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VIII, No. 2, July, 1890.

Tillinghast, J.; Knight, R. The Old Baptist Hymn Book. Providence: (S. W. Potter, Printer, Pawtucket, R. I.), 1842. First Edition. [8523]

Full calf with black calf title label, gilt lines to spine, 4 3/4 x 6 inches. 304 pp., complete, pages with light foxing, tight. Very good. Hardcover.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, K1881 & T1782. The only edition published; WorldCat with 8 locations.

"...we have, with much labor, compiled the following hymns, for the use of the Old Baptist Churches in worshiping Almighty God...We have inserted a number of original hymns, to be used at the laying on of hands, composed by elder Richard Knight..." - Preface, by Tillinghast.

Elder John Tillinghast (1812-1878), b. & d. at West Greenwich, Rhode Island. He was converted at the age of sixteen, began preaching at age twenty-one, and ordained pastor of the West Greenwich Baptist church in 1840, and remained in that office until his death. He was considered to be "studious and industrious...an energetic, practical, and powerful preacher...honored by Dr. Wayland and all preachers...one of the best of men." - Cathcart, The Baptist Encyclopedia (1881).

Tillinghast was the editor of the short-lived Zion's Friend, and General or Six Principle Baptist Register.

Elder Richard Knight (1771-1863), b. Cranston, Rhode Island; d. Coventry, Rhode Island. He was pastor of the Six Principle Baptist Church in Scituate for fifty years, wrote a history of the denomination, a hymn book, and several pamphlets. "He lived an exemplary life and was honored and respected. he was ordained to the ministry [in] 1809, when he was 38 years old, preached the Gospel of Christ 50 years, without compensation, as other ministers of the same denomination did, obtained his living and supported his family laboring as other men on his farm, and as a land surveyor..." - The Narragansett Historical Register, Vol. VIII, No. 2, July, 1890.

Walden, J. H. The Social Psalmist: A Collection of Hymns for Social Worship. Troy, N. Y.: Kneeland and Co.'s Steam Press, 1848. First Edition. [10069]

Leather binding, crude sewn repair to spine, lacks the back board and the last 5 pp. of text (ends p. 218). 11.2 x 7.2 cm (4 3/8 x 2 7/8 inches). Poor. Hardcover.

Scarce, with only two locations at WorldCat.

The author was pastor of the North Baptist, or Fifth Baptist Church in Troy, N.Y., at the time of compilation. This hymnal is not in Starr's Baptist Bibliography, but Walden's 1840 book, The Scripture View of Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Brandon, Vt), is.

Watts, Isaac; Rippon, John. The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, arranged by Dr. Rippon; with Dr. Rippon's Selection. In one volume, with enlarged and Improved Indexes; bound with Brantley's Additional Hymns, An Appendix. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1830. [8452]

Full red morocco with gilt borders, rules, and edges; 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, speckled page edges, bright marbled end papers. "The Lord's Prayer, 1833" cut from a silk ribbon and pasted to the verso of the ffep; "Ann Eliza Vanzandt, Book, 1834" in brown ink on the front fly page. Stipple portrait frontispiece of Dr. Watts, engraved on steel by Joseph Cone; engraved title page on steel (line), also by Cone. Preface leaf partly pulled. Lacks the general title page, which should be inserted after the engraved title page; includes the title page at p. (xxvii.), An Arrangement.... (see below), and for Brantley, Additional Hymns...&c. 906 + 38 pp. Dark foxing to the plates, light foxing in the text, binding very good, a few creased page corners.

The second section which begins at p. 470 includes an engraved portrait frontispiece of Rippon and an extra engraved title page, both by Cone. Thus begins, A Selection of Hymns...full title below. The book to this point has consecutive page numbers (906). The last item bound in has a separate title page & date, with 38 pp.: Additional Hymns, intended as an Appendix to Watts and Rippon. Selected by W. T. Brantley. Philadelphia: David Clark, 1827. Very good. Full leather.

This lovely volume is three books bound as one; the first two are Watts's Psalms & Hymns and Rippon's Selection of Hymns as an appendix to Watts. These two items printed here with continuous page numbers, separate engraved frontispieces and title pages. Added to this is the Additional Hymns by Brantley, an appendix to Rippon.



Tp. at p. (xxvii.) is: An Arrangement of the Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. Including (what no other volume contains) All His Hymns, With which the Vacancies in the First Book were filled up in 1786, and also those in 1793. Now collated, with each of the Doctor's own Editions: To which are subjoined, Indexes, very much enlarged, both of Scriptures and Subjects. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1830.



The second section with the Rippon portrait as frontispiece is titled, A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors, including A Great Number of Originals: Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. By John Rippon, D.D. Philadelphia: D. Clark, 1827.



John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.



"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register."

Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers.

"Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - quotations from DNB.



Watts, Isaac; Rippon, John. The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, arranged by Dr. Rippon; with Dr. Rippon's Selection. In one volume, with enlarged and Improved Indexes. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1827 & 1831. [8543]

Full calf; red calf title label, gilt lines to spine, 5 3/4 inches tall, light wear to bottom of spine, no cracks, tight. Stipple portrait frontispiece of Dr. Watts, engraved on steel by Joseph Cone; engraved title page on steel (line), also by Cone. Includes the extra title page at p. (xxvii.), An Arrangement.... (see below). 906 pp. Dark foxing to the plates, light foxing in the text, binding very good; there is a dampstain on the front end papers & title page, that fades out by p. 60.

The second section which begins at p. 470 includes an engraved portrait frontispiece of Rippon and an extra engraved title page, both by Cone. Thus begins, A Selection of Hymns...full title below.  Very good. Full leather.

The Selection of Hymns has a separate title page, same imprint, with the date 1827.

Tp. at p. (xxvii.) is: An Arrangement of the Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. Including (what no other volume contains) All His Hymns, With which the Vacancies in the First Book were filled up in 1786, and also those in 1793. Now collated, with each of the Doctor's own Editions: To which are subjoined, Indexes, very much enlarged, both of Scriptures and Subjects. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1830.

The second section with the Rippon portrait as frontispiece is titled, A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors, including A Great Number of Originals: Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. By John Rippon, D.D. Philadelphia: D. Clark, 1827.

John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register."

Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers.

"Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

Watts, Isaac; Rippon, John. The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, arranged by Dr. Rippon; with Dr. Rippon's Selection. In one volume, with enlarged and Improved Indexes. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1827 & 1831. [8934]

Full sheep; brown calf title label, gilt lines to spine, 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches tall, 1 inch crack at top of back joint, rest good, headband exposed at top of spine. 906 pp., counted and complete, with the free end papers. Foxing of varying hues throughout. Very good. Full leather.

The Selection of Hymns has a separate title page, same imprint, with the date 1827.

The second section is titled, A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors, including A Great Number of Originals: Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. By John Rippon, D.D. Philadelphia: D. Clark, 1827. The pagination is continuous from the first section.

John Rippon, D.D. (1750-1836), "an English Baptist minister of distinction." The son of a Baptist minister, Rippon studied at Bristol, and was the successor of John Gill in the pastorate of the Baptist Church in Southwark.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers. "Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

Watts, Isaac; Rippon, John. The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, arranged by Dr. Rippon; with Dr. Rippon's Selection. In one volume, with enlarged and Improved Indexes. Philadelphia: David Clarke, 1827 & 1831.[9065]

Full leather; no title label, 5 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches tall, binding edges & corners exposed, joints are fine. Title page then xi., which is "J" in the table of first lines. xi.-xxxvi., 37-900, ix.-x., 3-4 pinned in at back.  Leaf 435-6 torn with loss of about 1 inch at bottom affecting some lines, many dog-eared corners, a few leaves pulled but not detached. Lacks the last three leaves of the Index of Subjects and two leaves of the Table of first lines. All hymn pages are present. Fair. Full leather.

The Selection of Hymns has a separate title page, same imprint, with the date 1827.

The second section is titled, A Selection of Hymns, from the Best Authors, including A Great Number of Originals: Intended to be an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns. By John Rippon, D.D. Philadelphia: D. Clark, 1827. The pagination is continuous from the first section.

John Rippon (1751-1836), English Baptist minister & hymn-writer, "one of the most popular and influential Dissenting ministers of his time." Educated for the ministry at the Baptist College, Bristol, "in 1773 he became Pastor of the Baptist church in Carter Lane, Tooley Street (afterwards removed to New Park Street), London, and over this church he continued to preside until his death, on Dec. 17, 1836...His most famous work is his Selection of hymns for public worship, which appeared in 1787...In 1791 he published a Selection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes...Dr. Rippon performed an important service to Baptist Hymnody, and also, it is said, gained for himself 'an estate' through its immense sale." - Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology.

"Like the majority of his co-religionists, Rippon gave his warm sympathy to the Americans during the war of independence, and was in correspondence with leading baptists on the other side of the Atlantic."...From 1790 to 1802 Rippon edited The Baptist Annual Register." Rippon collected material relating to Bunhill Fields, the nonconformist burial ground in London, and his eleven volumes of manuscripts were purchased by the British Museum from a descendant in 1870, which included biographies of hundreds of nonconformist ministers.

"Rippon is best known as the compiler of a 'Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, intended as an Appendix to Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns,' London, 1827...Rippon published a tenth edition, with sixty additional hymns, in 1800, (London). A thirtieth edition, with further additional hymns, appeared in 1830; and in 1844 appeared the 'comprehensive edition,' known to hymnologists as 'The Comprehensive Rippon,' containing all 1,170 hymns in one hundred metres. Among a few hymns of Rippon's own composition are some of acknowledged merit, such as 'The day has dawned, Jehovah comes.'" - DNB.

Watts, Isaac; Rippon, John; Sommers, Charles G.; Dagg, John. The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, arranged by Dr. Rippon: with Dr. Rippon's Selection, in one volume; Corrected and Improved, by Rev. C. G. Sommers, Pastor of South Baptist Church, N. Y.; and the Rev. John Dagg, President of the Alabama Female Atheneum. Philadelphia: David Clark, 1838. [9068]

Full leather, edges worn with partial cracks to hinges, "pocket size" 11.3 cm (4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches). (2), vii-xlviii, 1314 selections (actually more because the second section sometimes uses the same number for several hymns). Defective: lacks the leaves for selections 552-5, 577-581. The pages are not numbered, the selections are; the book is about 2 inches thick. A second title page A Selection of Hymns (same imprint) is between hymn 718 and 719. Fair. Hardcover.

"In 1827, two more Baptists added to the inheritance from Watts and Rippon. Charles G. Sommers (1793-1868), pastor of the South Baptist Church in New York City, and John Leadley Dagg (1794-1884), pastor of Fifth Baptist Church in Philadelphia, issued The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, Arranged by Dr. Rippon: with Dr. Rippon's Selection. The principal contribution of their work as the provision of improved indexes to Rippon's arrangement of Watts, the first American edition of which had been published in Philadelphia in 1820 by the Baptist firm of Anderson and Meehan. This was a sizeable book, with more than 1,300 texts. To meet the needs of different users, Sommers and Dagg published a large pulpit version and a pocket version, as well as the standard book, all with the same content. Its popularity extended through several editions, including a "New Edition, corrected and improved by Sommers in 1834. Sommers noted eight points of improvement, the last of which reads: 'As this edition has been prepared with special reference to the Baptist denomination, several of Dr. Watts's hymns which are deemed objectionable, have been omitted, and other hymns on the same subject, and of decided excellence, have been substituted.'" - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 164. The list of improvements mentioned by Music & Richardson is not included in this later printing.

"In 1836, Dagg became president of the Alabama Female Athenauem, Tuscaloosa, and this role is named on the title page of most editions. He subsequently became president of Mercer University and the most influential Baptist theologian in the region." - ibid.

[Weston, Henry G.]. The Baptist Hymn Book. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1871. [896]

Full black leather with gilt decorations on all three panels, spine ends chipped with loss, edges worn, corners worn through, 5 x 3 1/2 inches, yellow end papers. Ffep reads "Maria C. Wood. From her husband, Birthday, Aug. 15, 1884. Scottsville, Va." Insect damage to margins of the title and first several leaves. 616 generally clean pp., counted and complete. Rear end paper hinge open. Good. Hardcover.

Printed sometime after 1873, as the imprint was The Bible and Publication Society from 1871 to that year. Words only, no music.

"The Bible and Publication Society published The Baptist Hymn Book. The texts were selected by Henry G. Weston (1820-1909), first president of Crozer Theological Seminary. Weston's experience as a missionary in Illinois and as a pastor in Peoria and in New York City gave him a broad perspective on the varied uses of hymns in Baptist worship...It contains exactly one thousand hymns, plus twenty-one doxologies (the first and last texts in the hymn section are also doxologies). The Preface avers that 'Hymns which express those emotions which are the fruits of the Spirit have been specially sought, and those which utter mere natural feelings or human sentimentalism have been, as far as possible, rejected.'" - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", pp. 367-368.

A Lady; [Wilkinson, Rebecca]. Sermons to Children; to which are added, Short Hymns, suited to the Subjects. Springfield, [Mass.]: Printed by Henry Brewer, Jan. 1807.  [9845]

Leather spine, plain paper over wood boards, worn with much of the paper now missing, rear board with horizontal split in the center, 12.5 x 7.8 cm (4 7/8 x 3 inches). Ffep torn with loss. 107 (1) pp., leaves complete, several pages torn, a couple with loss of some words. Last three leaves with worming; loss of some letters. One leaf with old sewn repair. Fair. Hardcover.

Twenty-seven sermons, each followed with a hymn. Attributed to Rebecca Wilkinson in the British Museum catalogue. Several editions are in Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, but not this 1807 Springfield imprint. A Life of Mrs. Rebecca Wilkinson was written by Joseph Hughes and published as a 12 p. tract (No. 81) by the Baptist General Tract Society of Philadelphia. Starr records it as undated; Hughes died in 1833, so circa 1830.

Rebecca Wilkinson, of Clapham, is mentioned in M'Clintock & Strong as one of the main publishers and distributors of evangelical tracts in late 18th century England, along with Rev. Charles Simeon and Rev. John Campbell - Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 10. p. 523.

Rebecca Wilkinson (1753-1828), b. Dublin, early moved to England and was a member of Samuel Stennett's Baptist congregation in Little Wild Street.

"A philanthropist who wrote tracts about the needs of the poor, Wilkinson was a friend of such prominent persons as the politician William Wilberforce and Joseph Hughes, secretary of the Religious Tract Society and Foreign Bible Society. In support of her various causes, she hosted monthly meetings of Anglican and Dissenting clergy in her home. Wilkinson's Sermons to Children; To which are added Short Hymns, Suited to Children first appeared in 1789 with the attribution "By a Lady," but without her name. This book went through many editions in England and America, as did The Pocket Prayer Book, of which she was also the author." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 68.

 

Williams, Ira. Christian Devotion for Conference and Prayer Meetings, and other Religious Worship: Select Hymns, from other Authors. Providence: Amsbury & Lincoln, Printers, 1847. Second Edition. [8463]

Full calf, black calf title label, binding scuffed with cracked rear outer hinge, board attached by cords, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches. 236 pp., light foxing, tight. "Philip A. Sweet" in pencil at the first page of hymns. Good. Full calf.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, W4612. WorldCat with 4 locations for the first edition, none for the second. This "second edition" was printed the same year as the first.

Elder Ira Williams, b. ca. 1809, "Late pastor of the Baptist Church in Johnston." A stone cutter who also served as pastor of the Baptist Church in Johnston, who lived in nearby Graniteville, Rhode Island.

Winchell, James M. An Arrangement of the Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. To which are added Indexes, very much enlarged and improved; to facilitate the use of the whole in finding Psalms or Hymns, suited to particular subjects or occasions. Boston: James Loring, 1818. First Edition. [8472]

Two books bound as one. Full leather with a maroon leather title label & gilt lines to spine, 3 x 5 3/4 inches, binding rubbed and worn yet intact outer hinges, tight. Lacks both front blanks and one rear one. lxi., 684 selections (not pages) and a scripture index. This first book is an inch and a half thick. The second book has xii., 327 hymns (not pages) and an index of subjects. It is 1/2 inch thick. The books, with the binding, is 2 1/4 inches thick. Very good.

Bound with A Selection of more than Three Hundred Hymns, from the most approved Authors, on a great variety of Subjects. Among which are All the Hymns of Dr.Watts, adapted to Public and Private Worship, not found in the Editions now in use. By James M. Winchell, A. M. Boston: James Loring, and Lincoln & Edmands. 1819.

"The preeminent book in the line of Watts, Rippon, and supplements was the work of James M. Winchell (1791-1820), the short-lived pastor of First Baptist Church, Boston...Adopting Rippon's approach to meeting all the needs of worshippers, Winchell and his successors also made the supplement of 327 hymns available separately and provided a complimentary tunebook." - Music & Richardson, "I Will Sing the Wondrous Story", p. 163.

Winchell, James M. An Arrangement of the Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D. To which are added Indexes, very much enlarged and improved; to facilitate the use of the whole in finding Psalms or Hymns, suited to particular subjects or occasions. Boston: Lincoln & Edmands, and James Loring, 1819-1820. [8451]

Three books bound as one. Full calf with red calf title label & gilt rules to spine, 4 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches, ink stamps on the ffep - "Mrs. Ruth Gooch Book, East Machias, May 5 1834". xxvii., [184], viii. [Scripture index]; (viii.), [74]; [8], [200] pp., clean, tight. Lacks the rear blank end papers, binding very good, occasional light stains, a bit shaken. Very good. Full leather.

The second title is A Selection of more than Three Hundred Hymns, from the most approved Authors, on a great variety of Subjects. Among which are All the Hymns of Dr.Watts, adapted to Public and Private Worship, not found in the Editions now in use. Second Edition. Same imprint as above. The third title is Sacred Harmony: being a Selection of Hymns of Approved Excellence, suited to the Various Subjects and Metres of the Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts, and also the supplement attached to them, by the Rev. Mr. Winchell. Boston: James Loring, 1819.



There are 687 selections in the first section of 184 unnumbered pp. The second title of 74 pp. has 325 hymns; the third begins Rudiments of Musick pp. [3]-[8], 200 pp. of music, three parts in round notes, 120 tunes. Lacks the rear blank end papers, binding very good, occasional light stains, tight.



"The preeminent book in the line of Watts, Rippon, and supplements was the work of James M. Winchell (1791-1820), the short-lived pastor of First Baptist Church, Boston...Adopting Rippon's approach to meeting all the needs of worshippers, Winchell and his successors also made the supplement of 327 hymns available separately and provided a complimentary tunebook." - Music & Richardson, I Will Sing the Wondrous Story, p. 163.


Winchell, James M. An Arrangement of the Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D. D.: To which is added, A Supplement of more than Three Hundred Hymns from the Best Authors, including all the Hymns of Dr. Watts adapted to Public Worship; Improved by the addition of Two Hundred Hymns. Boston: James Loring, and Gould, Kendall, and Lincoln, 1832. [9066]

Full leather, probably calf, 19.5 cm (7 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches), boards a bit bowed, a couple of small white ink or paint marks on the binding, "20.00" in blue ink on ffep, tight. 1979 receipt laid in. xxiv., 687 selections (not pages), half-title for the Supplement followed by 533 selections, a page of anthems, then (5) pp. indices. The page are not numbered, the selections are; appears complete. Good. Hardcover.

"The preeminent book in the line of Watts, Rippon, and supplements was the work of James M. Winchell (1791-1820), the short-lived pastor of First Baptist Church, Boston...Adopting Rippon's approach to meeting all the needs of worshipers, Winchell and his successors also made the supplement of 327 hymns available separately and provided a complimentary tunebook." - Music & Richardson, I Will Sing the Wondrous Story, p. 163.

Winchell, R. The Baptist Songster, or Divine Songs, for Conference Meetings, and for the private Devotions of the Pious. Compiled by R. Winchell, Minister of the Gospel. Wethersfield, [CT]: Published by Deming & Francis, 1829. First Edition. [8486]

A very worn and tattered copy. Full leather binding, outer joints good, rear inside hinge open and almost detached, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, lacks all blanks. Textblock with old sewn repair. 224 pp., complete text. The first section of the book is edge-tattered, but with no loss of words; many corner tips turned, stains, &c. Fair. Full leather.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography no. W5714, with no information on the author. WorldCat with 6 locations.

Includes a Contents of first lines and scripture references for each part of the Confession.

An interesting presentation with no title, metre, or tune suggested for the hymns, just the hymn number. No copyright or preface, index of first lines at end; pp. 197-224 are a Baptist Confession of Faith and Church Covenant, compiled by P. P. Root.

Winchell, R. The Baptist Songster, or Divine Songs, for Conference Meetings, and for the private Devotions of the Pious. Compiled by R. Winchell, Minister of the Gospel. Wethersfield, [CT]: Published by Deming & Francis, 1829. First Edition. [8665]

Full leather binding, back cover bowed & detached, 10 cm (4 1/4 x 2 3/4 inches), lacks the front blanks. 224 pp., complete text, stained. "Errata" printed on last page of text. Fair.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography no. W5714, with no information on the author. WorldCat with 6 locations.

Includes a Contents of first lines and scripture references for each part of the Confession.

An interesting presentation with no title, metre, or tune suggested for the hymns, just the hymn number. No copyright or preface, index of first lines at end; pp. 197-224 are a Baptist Confession of Faith and Church Covenant, compiled by P. P. Root.

 

Winchell, R.  The Baptist Songster, or Divine Songs, for Conference Meetings, and for the private Devotions of the Pious.  Compiled by R. Winchell, Minister of the Gospel.  Wethersfield, [CT]: Published by Deming & Francis. 1829.

Full leather with brown leather title label, back joint cracked, 2 3/4 x 4 1/4 inches, page edges stained yellow.  Probably missing a front & rear blank (one each present).  224 pp., text complete; a few closed tears, stains, a very decent copy.

Starr, A Baptist Bibliography no. W5714, with no information on the author.  WorldCat with 6 locations.

An interesting presentation with no title, metre, or tune suggested for the hymns, just the hymn number.  No copyright or preface, index of first lines at end; pp. 197-224 are a Baptist Confession of Faith and Church Covenant, compiled by P. P. Root.

 

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