some years, with the result that on the one hand it is attributed to John Kempthorne, and on the other to Bishop Mant, and both in error. The claim for John Kempthorne was made by D. Sedgwick; and this claim, we find from his mss., was a pure guess on his part. Mr. Kempthorne's son (the Rev. R. Kempthorne, of Elton Rectory) said in the Guardian (Dec. 10, 1879) that it was not written by his father, and he has repeated the same to the writer of this article during the progress of this work. Kempthorne, in the Preface of the 2nd ed. of his Sel. Portions of Ps. & Hys., 1813, omits it from his list [see Kempthorne, J.] It is clear therefore that it was not written by John Kempthorne. The ascription of authorship to Bp. Mant occurred through confounding the hymn "Praise the Lord Whose mighty wonders" (q.v.), which appeared in Mrs. Mant's Parent's Poetical Anthology, 1814, with this hymn. [J. J.]
Praise to God, immortal praise. Anna Laetitia Barbauld, née Aikin. [Harvest.] This, the most popular and widely used both in Great Britain and America of Mrs. Barbauld's Hymns, first appeared in Dr. W. Enfield's Hys. for Public Worship, &c., Warrington, 1772, No. 35, in 9 st. of 4 l., and entitled, "Praise to God in Prosperity and Adversity." In the following year it was repeated in Mrs. Barbauld's (then Miss Aikin) Poems, Lond., J. Johnson, 1773, p. 115, without title, but with Habakkuk iii. 17, 18, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom," &c., quoted as a note. It is not found in in many collections until 1812, when it was included by Dr. Collyer in his Coll., No, 689. From that date it gradually increased in use, sometimes in its complete form, but more frequently with abbreviations, extending to the omission of various stanzas, until in one or two cases it has been reduced to twelve lines only. The various centos, all beginning with, the same first line, are too numerous to analyse, save the more important and such as have additions made thereto by others. These are:—
1. In S. P. C. K. Hymns, 1852, No. 172. this cento is in 4 st. of 6 l., the first three of which are compiled, with alterations, from the original text, and the last "Peace, prosperity and health," from another source.
2. In Morrell and How's Ps. & Hys., 1875: the same three stanzas as above, and a new fourth stanza by Bishop How of 8 l. This text is repeated in Church Hymns, 1871, No. 280, with the last stanza by Bishop How reduced to 6 lines.
3. In the New Mitre Hymnal, 1875, from the original Mitre H. Bk., of 1836, with a doxology.
4. In Thring's Coll., 1882, No. 408, the cento is composed of 4 st. of 6 l. of which stanzas i., ii. are from the S. P. C. K. as above, and st. iv. a doxology.
Other centos may be traced out by consulting the original text in Lyra Brit., 1867, p. 33, or Lord Selborne's Book of Praise, 1862 and 1867, pp. 289–290. In addition to these centos, beginning with the original first line, there are also the following in C. U.:—
5. Praise to God, unceasing praise. This, in Francis Pott's Hymns, &c., 1861., is the S. P. C. K. Hymns text as above, with an alteration of the opening line.
6. Praise to God, exceeding praise. This, in T. Darling's Hys., &c., 1887, is from the original with alterations by Mr. Darling.
7. Lord, should rising whirlwinds tear. This, in the Presb. Ps. and Hys. for the Worship of God, Richmond, U.S.A., 1867, No. 431, is composed of st. iii.–vi. slightly altered.
Most of the foregoing arrangements of this hymn are repeated in other collections than those named, and their use, taken together, is extensive. The text rendered into Latin by R. Bingham, in his Hymno. Christ. Latina, 1871, and beginning "Laus sit Domino sine fine," is a cento of 3 st. of 8 l., compiled from the original. [J. J.]
Praise to God, who reigns above. R. M. Benson. [St. Michael and All Angels.] Contributed to H. A. & M., and after curtailment and alterations, was pub. therein in 1861. In the revised ed., 1875, the original text (still abbreviated) was restored, with the exception of two minor changes. These facts account for the two texts in H A. & M. of 1861 and 1875. The line in st. vi., "Thrilling through those Orders nine," refers to the (1) Seraphim; (2) Cherubim; (3) Thrones; (4) Dominions; (5) Princes; (6) Powers; (7) Might; (8) Archangel; and (9) Angel hosts, named in st. ii. and iii. In the American Church Pastorals, Boston, 1864, st. ii., iv., vii. of the 1861 text are given as:—"Seraphim His praises sing." [J. J.]
Praise to the Holiest in the height. Card. J. H. Newman. [Praise.] Written in 1865, and first published in the author's Verses on Various Occasions, in 1868. It forms part of a poem of some length, entitled The Dream of Gerontius. This Dream describes the journey of a disembodied soul from the body to its reception in Purgatory. Various hymns are introduced throughout the poem, and this is given as being sung by the "Fifth Choir of Angelicals" as the disembodied soul is conducted into the presence chamber of Emmanuel previous to passing forward into Purgatory. In 1868 it was transferred to the Appendix to H. A. & M., the only change being the repetition of the first stanza at the close. From H. A. & M. it has passed into a large number of hymn-books. [J. J.]
Praise to Thee, Thou Great Creator. [Praise.] This hymn is commonly ascribed to J. Fawcett, but was only in part composed by him. In 1782 he pub. his Hys. adapted to the circumstances of Public Worship, &c. In this vol. No. 56 is "Lo! the bright the rosy morning," in 6 st. of 8 l., on Spring, the last stanza of which begins, "Praise to Thee, Thou great Creator." In the Lewin's Mead Bristol book (Unitarian) of 1806 this stanza was given as a separate hymn. Then, in the Exeter Unitarian Coll. of Ps. & Hys. for Social and Private Worship, 1812, appeared the hymn as found in modern collections, as follows:—
"Praise to Thee, Thou great Creator,
Praise be Thine from every tongue;
Join, my soul, with every creature,
Join the universal song.
Father, source of all compassion,
Pure, unbounded grace is Thine,
Hail the God of our salvation,
Praise Him for His love divine.
"For ten thousand blessings given,
For the hope of future joy,
Sound His praise through earth and heaven,
Sound Jehovah's praise on high.
Joyfully on earth adore Him,
Till in heaven our song we raise;
There, enraptured, fall before Him,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise."
The portions of these stanzas which are printed in ordinary type are the concluding
