Skip to content

Sarah Slinn (1772 – 1839)

Sarah Slinn, born in Northampton 12 March 1772, daughter of John and Patience Slinn.  She married Thomas Trasler in 1798 at All Saints, Northampton, but was widowed in 1801.  She married Edward Vorley in 1804 also at All Saints, Northampton, then pastor of the Calvinistic Baptist church in Fish Lane. As a young lady, still at College Street (College Lane) Baptist Church she is known to have written two hymns between 1779 and 1787.  In 1796 along with her mother and sisters she was excluded from College Street as they were attending the Fish Lane meeting.  The Fish Lane meeting had commenced in 1791 subsequent to the visit of William Huntington to Northampton and the earlier exclusion of John Hewitt and John Adams from College Street in 1790 and 1791.  John Foreman was the son in law of Edward and Sarah Vorley.

Arise, in all thy splendour Lord. Sarah Slinn. [Missions] In J. Dobell’s New Selection. &c., 1806 No. 432, pt 2, in 6 st. of 4 l., 5 st. of which are from No. 47 of J. Griffin’s Sel. Of Missionary & Devotional Hys., Portsea 1787. The hymn “Though now the nations sit beneath,” was re-written for American use, by L. Bacon (q.v.) from Dobell. (From “Dictionary of Hymnology” John Julian)

Prayer for the Light of the Gospel. Isaiah 60, 1. 2

L.M.

Arise, in all thy splendour,
Lord, Let pow’r attend thy gracious word;
Unveil the beauties of thy face,
And shew the glories of thy grace.

Diffuse thy light and truth abroad,
And be thou known th’’ Almighty God;
Make bare thine arm, thy pow’r display,
While truth and grace thy sceptre sway

Send forth thy messengers of peace,
Make satan’s reign and empire cease;
Let thy salvation, Lord, be known
That all the world thy pow’r may own.

Tho’ darkness o’’er the earth pervades,
And men are plung’d in dismal shades;
God will arise, at the set time,
On Zion, with a light divine.

Then nations, with his grace replete,
Shall spread their trophies at his feet;
Cloth’d with immortal bliss, to prove
The pow’r and greatness of his love.

O may the triumphs of thy grace,
Abound, while righteousness and peace,
In mild and lovely forms, display
The glories of the latter day.

Slinn, Sarah. In the Gospel Magazine for July 1779 a hymn of 9 st. of 4 l, was given beginning “God with us! O glorious name;” headed “Emanuel; or, God with us. By a Lady.” And signed “S. S-N.” In Rippon’s Bap.Sel. 1787, st I, ii,iii, iv. With alterations, and in the order named, were given as No. 174, but without signature. In J. Dobell’s New Sel., 1806, the same text is repeated as from Wood’s Col. The same text was again repeated to modern hymn-books, and is that now in C.U. from D. Sedgwick’s mss. We find the signature “S. S-N.” was filled, as Sarah Slinn by him, but his papers do not furnish any authority for the name, nor for the date 1777 which he has attached thereto in his ms. Note to Dobell’s New Sel. (From “Dictionary of Hymnology” John Julian)

Immanuel. Matthew 1, 23 1 Timothy 3, 16

7.7.7.7                Tune: Wilmot

God with us! O glorious name!
Let it shine in endless fame;
God and man in Christ unite;
Oh, mysterious depth and height!

God with us! Amazing love
Brought him from his courts above;
Now, ye saints, his grace admire,
Swell the song with holy fire.

God with us! but tainted not
With the first transgressor’s blot;
Yet, did he our sins sustain,
Bear the guilt, the curse, the pain.

God with us! O blissful theme!
Let the impious not blaspheme;
Jesus will in judgement sit,
Dooming rebels to the pit.

God with us! O, wondrous grace!
Let us see him face to face,
That we may Immanuel sing,
As we ought, our God and King.

or to the VORLEY page


© Copyright : Graham Ward. All rights reserved.