Born: February 10, 1819, Bristol Road, Birmingham, England.
Died: March 4, 1906, Lewisham, London, England.
Gill’s parents belonged to English Presbyterian families which, like many others, had become Unitarian in their doctrine. He was educated at King Edward’s Grammar School under Dr. Jeune, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough. He left the school in 1838, and would have gone to the University of Oxford, but was prevented by his hereditary Unitarianism (long since given up), which forbade subscription to the Articles of the Church of England then necessary for entrance to the University. This constrained him to lead the life of an isolated student, in which he gave himself chiefly to historical and theological subjects. He wrote over 200 hymns total.
Sources
Hymns
- Ah, Tremblers, Fainting and Forlorn
- Ah! Wherefore Fall My Tears So Fast!
- Alas the Outer Emptiness
- Alas These Pilgrims Faint and Worn
- Alone with Thee, with Thee Alone
- And Didst Thou, Lord, Our Sorrows Take?
- Behold the Everlasting Son
- Break, Newborn Year
- Bright Presence! May My Soul Have Part
- Bright Thy Presence When It Breaketh
- Day Divine! When Sudden Streaming
- Dear Lord and Master Mine
- Dear Lord, Thou Art Not Sorry
- Dear Lord, Thou Bringest Back the Morn
- Dear Lord, Thy Light Thou Dost Not Hide
- Do We Only Give Thee Heed
- Embrace Your Full Salvation
- Farewell, Delightful Day
- Father, Glorious with All Splendor
- Father, Thou Hast Not On Me
- Full Many a Smile, Full Many a Song
- Glory of the Spring How Sweet!, The
- Happy Fields, the Heavenly Host, The
- He Who Suns and Worlds Upholdeth
- How Can I, Lord, Abide with Thee?
- How, Lord, Shall Vows of Ours Be Sweet?
- I Think of Thee, My God, by Night
- Is Earth Too Fair, Is Youth Too Bright?
- Is Not My Spirit Filled with Thine
- Let Bolder Hearts the Strife Require
- Lift Thy Song among the Nations
- Lord, Am I Precious in Thy Sight
- Lord, Comes this Bidding Strange to Us?
- Lord, Dost Thou Ne’er Thy Servants Bless?
- Lord, from Thee, What Grace and Glory
- Lord, from These Trembling Souls of Ours
- Lord God, by Whom All Change Is Wrought
- Lord God of Old, Who Wentest
- Lord, if Our Dwelling Place Thou Art
- Lord, in This Awful Fight with Sin
- Lord, in Thy People Thou Dost Dwell
- Lord, Thou Hast Been Our Dwelling Place
- Lord, Thou Wouldst Have Us Like to Thee
- Lord, Thy Gracious Voice Hath Spoken
- Lord, When I All Things Would Possess
- Lord, When We Come at Thy Dear Call
- May We Not, Father, Meetly Mourn?
- Methought My Soul Had Learned to Love
- My God, I Do Not Flee from Thee
- My God, My Majesty Divine
- Not, Lord, Thy Ancient Works Alone
- Not Only When Ascends the Song
- Not Yet I Love My Lord
- Not Yet, Ye People of his Grace
- O Dreadful Glory That Doth Make
- O Height That Doth All Height Excel
- O Holy Ghost, Who Down Dost Come
- O Mean May Seem This House of Clay
- O Mystery of Love Divine
- O Not Alone in Saddest Plight
- O Not to Fill the Mouth of Fame
- O Not upon Our Waiting Eyes
- O Saints of Old, Not Yours Alone
- O Smitten Soul That Cares and Conflicts Wring
- O Spirit, Sweet and Pure
- O Time, Ne’er Resteth Thy Swift Wing
- O Wherefore Hath My Spirit Leave?
- O’er Fullness of Grace, Blest Britain Rejoice
- Our God, Our God, Thou Shinest Here
- Savior, Needs the World No Longer?
- Savior, Who from Death Didst Take
- Sweet Spirit, Would Thy Breath Divine
- Thy Happy Ones a Strain Begin
- Too Dearly, Lord, Hast Thou Redeemed
- Unto Thy Rest Return
- Walk with the Lord Along the Road
- We Come unto Our Fathers’ God
- We Triumph in the Glorious Grace
- We Would Not Dare Their Bliss to Mourn
- What Sweetness on thine Earth Doth Dwell
- When Shall I, Lord, a Journey Take
- Whence This Flaming Joy That Maketh?
- Wherefore Faint and Fearful Ever
- With Sin I Would Not Make Abode
- Would the Spirit More Completely?
- Ye Children of the Father
- Ye of the Father Loved
- Ye People of the Lord, Draw Near
- Ye Souls for Whom the Savior Died
- Ye Souls, the Father’s Very Own