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| William Williams <ref name="term_66214" /> | | |
| <p> called the "Watts of Wales," was born in 1717, in the parish of Llanfair- ary-Bryn, Carmarthenshire, Wales. His conversion he traced to the preaching of Howel Harris. He left the Established [[Church]] at the age of thirty-two, and connected himself with the Methodists, among whom he was recognized as one of their most popular preachers. Gifted with poetical talents of a high order, like [[Charles]] Wesley, he consecrated his genius to the cause of his Master. He published the following works: [[Alleluia]] (Bristol, 174547, 6 pts.): — The Sea of Glass: — Visible Farewell: — Welcome to Invisible Things: — and An [[Elegy]] on Whitefield, dedicated to the countess of Huntingdon. His death occurred in 1791. Mir. Williams was the author of the hymn "O'er the gloomy hills of darkness,' etc. His best-known hymn - one that is found in so many collections of hymns-is that commencing with the words "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah." The history of this hymn is thus given: Lady. [[Huntingdon]] having read one of Williams's books with much spiritual satisfaction, persuaded him to prepare a collection of hymns, to be called the Gloria in Excelsis, for especial use in Mr. Whitefield's [[Orphans]] House in America. In this collection appeared the original stanzas of "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah." In 1774, two years after its publication in the Gloria in Excelsis, it was republished in [[England]] in Mr. Whitefield's collections of hymns. Its rendering from the [[Welsh]] into English is attributed to W. Evans, who gives a translation similar to that found in the present collections of hymns. The hymn was taken up by the Calvinist Methodists, embodying, as it did, a metrical prayer for God's overcoming strength and victorious deliverance in life's hours of discipline and trial, expressed in truly majestic language, in harmony with a firm religious resilience and trust, and a lofty experimental faith. It immediately became popular among all denominations of Christians, holding a place in the affections of the Church with Robinson's "Come, thou Fount of every blessing." The fourth verse is usually omitted: </p> <p> "Musing on my habitation, </p> <p> Musing on my heavenly home, </p> <p> Fills my heart with holy longing — </p> <p> Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come. </p> <p> [[Vanity]] is all I see, Lord, </p> <p> I long to be with thee." </p> <p> See Butterworth, [[Story]] of the Hymns, p. 30-34. (J. C. S.) </p> | | William Williams <ref name="term_66249" /> |
| ==References == | | <p> a [[Baptist]] minister, was born at Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, March 15, 1821. He united with the Church in 1837; graduated from the University of [[Georgia]] in 1840, and from the law-school of Harvard University in 1847; became pastor at Auburn, Alabama, in 1851; professor of theology in Mercer University in 1856; professor of ecclesiastical history, etc., in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1859, and in 1872 of systematic theology, which office he held until his death, at Aiken, S.C., February 20, 1879. See Cathcart, Baptist Encyclop. page 1255. (J.C.S.) </p> |
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| | == References == |
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| <ref name="term_66214"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/cyclopedia-of-biblical-theological-and-ecclesiastical-literature/williams,+william William Williams from Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature]</ref> | | <ref name="term_66249"> [https://bibleportal.com/encyclopedia/cyclopedia-of-biblical-theological-and-ecclesiastical-literature/williams,+william,+d.d.,+ll.d. William Williams from Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature]</ref> |
| </references> | | </references> |
William Williams [1]
a Baptist minister, was born at Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, March 15, 1821. He united with the Church in 1837; graduated from the University of Georgia in 1840, and from the law-school of Harvard University in 1847; became pastor at Auburn, Alabama, in 1851; professor of theology in Mercer University in 1856; professor of ecclesiastical history, etc., in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1859, and in 1872 of systematic theology, which office he held until his death, at Aiken, S.C., February 20, 1879. See Cathcart, Baptist Encyclop. page 1255. (J.C.S.)
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