“Jesus At Thy Command”

Description

"Jesus at Thy command I launch into the deep And leave my native land Where sin lulls all asleep." Singer trusts Christ to save him and asks for a heavenly wind to take him to a heavenly port.

Notes

Re: The London Missionary Society: "The first missionary party, consisting of over thirty persons, sailed down the Thames in the ship 'Duff' on the 10th August, 1796, singing, 'Jesus at Thy command we launch into the deep.'" (source: _The History of Revivals of Religion_ by William Allen, "Chapter I - The History of Revivals of Religion - Part III," at The New Revival Library site)

"['Jesus At Thy Command'] is in the Primitive Methodist Hymnal of 1889 and was written by Augustustas[sic] Montigue Toplady." (source: The Veteran "traditional folk music label" site). - BS

Augustus Montague Toplady is most famous for writing the words to "Rock of Ages." Charles Johnson's _One Hundred & One Famous Hymns_ gives a brief biography of Toplady which seems to consist mostly of denomination-jumping. He is said to have been "always in frail health," which explains his early death.

He is credited with two volumes of religious lyrics. Nonetheless _Granger's Index to Poetry_ lists only seven of his works which made it into their voluminous database (and it appears that two of those are actually alternate names for "Rock of Ages"). This is not one of the works they cite. - RBW

Recordings

• Frank Verrill, "Jesus At Thy Command" (on Voice02)