Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 153, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1918 — Author of “Blest Be the Tie.” [ARTICLE]

Author of “Blest Be the Tie.”

The hymn known by its first line as “Blest Be the Tie That Binds” was written by Rev. Dr. John Fawcett, an English Baptist preacher, who was born in 1740 and died in 1817. He was noted as a religious worker and wrote many other good hymns, but none so famous and popular as this one, which has been used by different denominations. Tradition says that the author wrote It under a sort of religious inspiration which made him refuse to exchange the pastorate of a small provincial church for that of a strong and rich one in London. The hymn has been sung on many historical occasions as peculiarly expressive of Christian fellowship.