Gadsby's Hymns

Gadsby’s Hymns stands unique in Baptist history. Well-known writers such as Watts, Newton, and Cowper grace its pages, as well as the delightful works of Hart, Berridge, Gadsby, and others. The hymns richly express the varied experience of God’s people; including the inner struggles of the Christian. These are precious indeed, and are balanced by the Biblical truth that the Christian normally rejoices in the Lord, fighting gloom with the whole armor of God.

William Gadsby (1773-1844) was a hymn writer and Baptist pastor. For 38 years Gadsby was pastor of the Strict Baptist church at Manchester and a well-known minister in his day. He traveled over 60,000 miles, many of them on foot, and preached nearly 12,000 sermons. He was influential in establishing 40 new places of worship. He compiled a selection of hymns including many of his own compositions along with the whole collection of hymns by Joseph Hart, and published them in a hymnbook, A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship (or Gadsby’s Hymns), which is still used by congregations today.