THEIR AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 819
they were published in a collected form. During his stay in America, he received the diploma of D.D. from Yale College.
But Dr. Reed will always be best known to posterity as the philanthropic founder of no less than five of our great national benevolent institutions, viz.: the London Orphan Asylum, the Asylum for Fatherless Children, the Asylum for Idiots, the Infant Orphan Asylum, and the Hospital for Incurables. By consum mate ability and extraordinary industry, he succeeded in inaugu rating these noble institutions, and in forcing them into public notice, until they obtained adequate funds, suitable buildings, and a permanent place in the country. This he accomplished, re gardless of the personal sacrifices he had to make of property and time, and along with the conscientious discharge of the duties devolving on a London pastor with a numerous church and congregation ; and he was at the same time the friend and advocate of every good cause.
Dr. Reed made a collection of hymns, called " The Hymn Book." It was designed to include all that was necessary in one volume ; and especially to provide a collection containing more hyrnns of praise, and more hymns bearing on the revival of religion, than were to be found in former collections. As early as 1817 he began preparing this work, and some of his original hymns were written while strolling in the woods of Beaconsfield, where he was then stopping. He first prepared, in 1817, a supplement, with some originals, to be used by his congregation along with Dr. Watts s Psalms and Hymns ; and afterwards, in 1841, his complete collection, to take the place of both. In the work of hymn-writing he received assistance from Mrs. Reed, who is an authoress, and survives him. His collection is on the same plan as the " New Congregational Hymn Book," but with fewer hymns, and a less extensive list of authors. It is used by a large number of congregations in England and in the colonies. It contains twenty-seven hymns written by himself. None of them display any special poetic talent, but some are distinguished for their excellence of diction, their clearness, comprehensiveness, and force.
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