188 Father, in Thy Mysterious Presence Kneeling
Samuel Johnson, 1822-82
A beautiful hymn of contrition, and prayer for the “Presence.”
Samuel Johnson was born in Salem, Mass. After graduating from Harvard University and Harvard Divinity School, he became minister of the Independent Church at Lynn, Mass., where he served from 1853 to 1870. He was a fellow-student and close friend of Samuel Longfellow, the two “Sams” collaborating in the editing of A Book of Hymns which passed through twelve editions and became the source of excellent hymnic material not published before. He was a Unitarian by faith. A competent scholar, he published Oriental Religions, the first adequate study of comparative religions by an American.
MUSIC. HENLEY is one of Mason’s most appreciated tunes. It appeared in The Hallelujah, 1854, by the composer, set to the hymn “Come unto me, when shadows darkly gather.”
For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12.