Dowling, John. Conference Hymns: A New Collection of Hymns [Baptist, 1849]

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. 

With a signed provenance card from the collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.