THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 815
JOHN PIERPONT.
BORN 1785. " Thon, to whom in ancient time." No. 779.
THIS hymn is found as early as 1824. It is given as the " Hymn for the Occasion, by the Rev. John Pierpont," at the close of " A Discourse on the proper character of Religious Institutions, de livered at the opening of the Independent Congregational Church, in Barton Square, Salem, Tuesday, December 7th, 18?.4, by Henry Colman." An additional verse is given. This sermon was re printed from the American edition in 1825.
The Rev. James Martineau more recently took the same hymn from a Boston (U.S.) collection, on which he knew he could rely, for his " Hymns for the Christian Church and Home," 1852. Thence it was taken for the "Leeds Hymn Book," 1853, by Professor Reynolds, ro;v of Cheshunt. And, in 1859, it was inserted in the " New Congregational Hymn Book." Mr. Martineau was inclined to look with a favourable eye on Mr. Pierpont s hymns, even if their intrinsic excellence had not deserved it : for as a boy he was appointed by his schoolmaster, Dr. Lant Carpenter, to show the accomplished author through Clifton and parts of Bristol, and he says Mr. Pierpont s "graceful kind ness and scholarly dignity left a deep impression him."
John Pierpont was a native of Litchfield, Connecticut, and was born in 1785. He continued in business till 1816, and then entered upon literary pursuits, lie studied theology at Baltimore, and then in the Theological School connected with Harvard College, Boston. In 1819 he became the minister of the Unitarian Church, Hollis Street, Boston. In 1835 and 1830 he travelled for his health in England, France, Italy, Asia Minor, and Greece. Some account of his journey appeared in letters written from Rome in the " Evening Gazette," in 1835. And in the " Knicker-
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