Baptist hymn writers and their hymns Author:Henry Sweetser Burrage Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: AMERICAN BAPTIST HYMN WRITERS AND THEIR HYMNS. BENJAMIN CLEAVLAND. 1733-1811. In many American hymn books, from the beginning of the century, place h... more »as been given to a hymn commencing Oh, could I find from day to day. In the " Psalmist," it is credited to " Church Psalmody," and in " Church Psalmody," to " Methodist Coll." In the " Plymouth Collection," it is credited to the " Hartford Selection." In some other collections it is marked " Anon." It has at length been ascertained — and the discovery is due to Rev. S. Dryden Phelps D.d., of Hartford, Conn., — that this well known hymn was written by Benjamin Cleavland. In a communication in the Watchman and Reflector, December 22, 1870, Dr. Phelps announced his discovery. " A little, old leather-bound book" had fallen into his hands, containing some hymns by Benjamin Cleavland, and among them was this hymn. " It is the only hymn by the author," says Dr. Phelps, "that any compiler would now think of inserting in a book of psalmody." This old leather-bound hymn book is the property of Hon. J. H. Trumbull, Ll.d., of Hartford, Conn., and its title in full is as follows: "Hymns on Different Spiritual Subjects. In two Parts. Part I. Containing xxiv Hymns, on various subjects, suitable for Chris- tian Worship. By Benjamin Cleavland. FourthEdition. Part II. Containing xxxii Hymns by Anna Beeman, of Warren in Connecticut, and xxiv Hymns by Amos Wells. To which is added a number of Hymns, by different Authors. Particularly Adapted to the Baptist Worship. Norwich : Connecticut. Printed by John Trumbull, Mdccxcii. With the Privilege of Copy Right." Dr. Trumbull's copy of this hymn book, printed by his grandfather, is an imperfect one, ending with p. 112. The date of publication is uncertain. Dr. Trumbull says, " The margin of t...« less