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worn, front hinge cracked and holding by cords, 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches, bookplate of Brown U., Harris Collection, small "withdrawn" stamp on Preface page, remnants of lending slip on rear pastedown.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.
With a signed provenance card from the collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.