Great Father of glory, how rich is your grace

Andrew King is not the first writer to use phrases from an earlier hymn as a springboard for his own. In searching in vain for a hymn about adoption (as in Romans 8:15), he discovered one with the 1st line (and virtually the 1st stz) which he eventually took over. The opening phrase is also borrowed in 248 (4.1). The occasion was the regular exposition of Scripture at the Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church where he was pastor, in 1994 or earlier. He found the older text in Gadsby’s Hymns, with the author’s name as ‘Stevens(?)’. It seemed to touch ‘strongly on the theme of adoption, but then moves away into more general gospel themes’—AK. In an ‘enlarged’ 1896 edition of (John) Stevens’ A Selection of Hymns, this one is not indexed under ‘Adoption’ though 2 others are; this is, however, headed ‘Hoping on the Ground of Adoption’ and ends with what is presumably an original couplet, ‘With boldness we journey, while Christ leads the van,/ and hope to see God in the true Glory-man.’

Andrew King’s new stz 2 is also close to Stevens, with the couplets inverted as ‘the older hymn placed the Spirit’s work before the washing by the Son, stressing a subjective experience of approach to God, but losing something of the objectivity of salvation.’ Stz 3 is based on the original 4th, while 4 and 5 are entirely new with a closing reference to 1 John 3. The author’s (or reviser’s) hymn featured in Praises for the King of Kings (1994), set out in 8 short lines per stz, but the arrangement here in 11 11 11 11 metre
(otherwise unchanged) evens up the syllable count. Andrew King adds that ‘the aim of the entire hymn as it now stands is to echo the main NT texts which refer to adoption.’ See also 268 and note.

AK’s original choice of tune was ST LUKE (‘another classic from the Strict Baptist hymn tradition’) set in Praise! to 273. However, he is ‘grateful to Linda Mawson for her excellent contemporary tune ABBEY WOOD, which has proved popular as a vehicle for this text.’ It was composed in 1990, and used with these words at ‘The Slade’ Church, Plumstead and at the FIEC Caister Conferences; see also 598. Abbey Wood is an area S of the Thames between Woolwich and Erith, where the composer lived while her children were growing up.

b Wroughton nr Swindon, Wilts 1961. Raised in the Gospel Standard Strict Baptist tradition in a family circle familiar with its classic hymns; converted at Caterham Baptist Ch in 1971, where he grew to love a fuller range of hymnody. Studied at Dulwich Coll, Sussex Univ (BSc Biology 1982). After working as a sausage salesman with the Walls Meat Company and as a food technologist with Hygrade Foods in Peckham, he assisted the Minister at Grove Chapel, Camberwell, while studying at the London Theological Seminary 1986–88. Pastor/teacher at Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church in Sussex 1988–2000; where he edited (with others) the words-only hymnal Praises for the King of Kings (see no.12, note) for which he contributed several texts. Enjoyed writing from his youth up, and wrote some 35 texts at Haywards Heath after his first, a version of Ps 2 written at Camberwell soon after his marriage to Cora. For a time he was a member of the modern songs team for Praise! From 2000 he worked in Brazil as a Bible teacher and preacher with UFM Worldwide (the Unevangelised Fields Mission), with a roving commission to train, teach and encourage others in biblical exposition, based on his home in Florianópolis. He returned to England in 2008 and currently (2011) works as a kitchen sales consultant, also running a photography business. His texts have also been published in Australia and New Zealand, with one each in Sing Glory (1999) and the 2004 CH. Nos.12, 306, 598, 631, 686, 795*, 912, 923.

b Aldwincle, nr Kettering, Northants 1776, d ?London 1847. After a Northants boyhood, he travelled to London when he was about 16, joining the Baptist Ch at Grafton St, Soho. The pastor there was Richard Burnham, whose hymns are well-represented in Wm Gadsby’s hymn-books. Stevens also began to preach and to write; he ministered at Oundle, St Neots, and Boston. When Burnham died in 1811, Stevens was called to succeed him, and as his vigorous Reformed preaching drew large congregations, a new building (Salem Chapel) was established in nearby Meard’s Court. He stayed as pastor there for the remainder of his life and with Gadsby became a patriarch of the new Strict Baptist movement. Among several doctrinal and polemic writings were A Scriptural Display of the Triune God and the early existence of Jesus’ human soul (1812). His hymns appeared in an 1809 book totalling 465 items (A New Selection…), which ran to several more edns until the final one with 970 hymns, edited in 1881 by J S Anderson of Zion Chapel, New Cross Rd. This features nearly 200 texts from Watts (the main source), and at least 35 from Stevens himself, including 11 on Baptism and 4 on the Lord’s Supper. They claimed to be ‘Arminian-free’, and rely less on experience and more on objective doctrine than Gadsby’s; Julian calls them ‘High Calvinistic, strongly expressed’, but adds that his Communion hymns ‘would be accepted by most Christians’. The book was used most widely in London, Kent and E Anglia. JS’s 24 lines of Clothed in flesh Jehovah see incorporates at least 6 lines lifted, more or less, from C Wesley. As an editor, while giving pride of place to Watts and generous room to fellow-Baptists, he found space for hymns by Anglicans such as Toplady, Newton, Lyte and even Keble (not to mention Alexander Pope!). See also notes to Andrew King. No.795*.