Page:Our Hymns.djvu/246

 226 OUK HYMNS :

&quot; Religion is the chief concern.&quot; No. 968. His 68th, with three verses omitted.

&quot; With humble heart and tongue.&quot; No. 970.

His 86th given in full.

AUGUSTUS MONTAGUE TOPLADY.

17401778.

&quot; TOPLADY,&quot; says Montgomery, &quot; evidently kindled his poetic torch at that of his contemporary, Charles Wesley.&quot; In opposi tion to the Wesleys, he stoutly maintained the Calvinistic doctrines, and sometimes indulged in the severe and scurrilous language that was tolerated in controversy in those times ; but though differing in doctrine, the polemics were alike in the sweet ness and spirituality of their songs.

Toplady was born at Farnham, in Surrey. His father, Richard Toplady, was a major in the army. He died at the siege of Car- thagena, soon after the birth of his son. To his mother, Toplady owed very much for her maternal kindness, and for the wisely- directed plan she pursued in promoting his education and advance ment. He retained a deep and lasting sense of his indebtedness to her. He studied at first at Westminster School, and during his stay there he accompanied his mother in a journey to Ireland to pursue her claims to an estate which she had in that kingdom. In the year 1755, he experienced some spiritual awakening, and in the following year, in August, while in Ireland, Providence directed his steps into a barn, at a place called Codymain. Mr. Morris, a layman, was preaching from the words, &quot; Ye, who some times were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ,&quot; and by this discourse Toplady was brought to religious decision. He says of that occasion, &quot; Strange that I, who had so long sat under the means of grace in England, should be brought near to God in an obscure part of Ireland, amidst a handful of God s people

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