Oldest son of John Deck of Bu­ry St. Ed­munds, James was ed­u­cat­ed for the ar­my, and be­came an of­fi­cer in the In­di­an ser­vice. Re­tir­ing from the ar­my, and hav­ing joined the Ply­mouth Breth­ren, he un­der­took, in 1843, the charge of a con­gre­ga­tion of that bo­dy at Well­ing­ton, Som­er­set. In 1852, he went abroad and set­tled in New Zea­land. His sis­ter was hymn­ist Ma­ry Walk­er. His hymns were pub­lished in:

• Hymns for the Poor of the Flock, 1837-8
• Psalms and Hymns (Lon­don: Wal­ther, 1842)
• Wellington Hymn Book, 1857
• Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1860
• Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems (Mel­bourne, Aus­tral­ia: H. Seel­en­mey­er, 1876)

Sources

Hymns

1. Abba, Father! We Approach Thee
2. Again We Meet in Jesus’ Name
3. Behold Yon Bright and Countless Throng
4. Day of Glory, Bearing, The
5. Father, to Seek Thy Face
6. Great Captain of Salva­tion
7. How Long, O Lord Our Savior
8. Jesus Christ, Thy Name Indeed Is Sweet
9. Jesus, Spotless Lamb of God
10. Jesus, Thy Name I Love
11. Jesus, We Rest in Thee
12. Lamb of God! Our Souls Adore Thee
13. Lamb of God, Thou Now Art Seated
14. Lord Jesus, Are We One with Thee?
15. Lord Jesus, When I Think of Thee
16. Lord, We Are Thine, Our God Thou Art
17. O Blessed Jesus, Lamb of God
18. O Happy Day When First We Felt
19. O Jesus Christ, the Savior
20. O Jesus, Gracious Savior
21. O Lamb of God, Still Keep Me
22. O Lord, in Nothing Would I Boast
23. O Lord, ’Tis Joy to Look Above
24. O Lord, When We the Path Retrace
25. O Lord, Who Now Art Seated
26. Oft We, Alas! Forget the Love
27. Savior, Haste, Our Souls Are Waiting
28. Savior! Hasten Thine Appearing
29. Soon Shall Our Mas­ter Come
30. There Is a Place of Endless Joy
31. Thou Hast Stood Here, Lord Jesus
32. ’Twas Thy Love, O God, That Knew Us
33. Veil Is Rent, The
34. We Bless Our Savior’s Name
35. We’re Not of the World That Fadeth Away
36. When Along Life’s Thorny Road
37. When First O’erwhelmed with Sin and Shame