JOSEPH HART, 1712-68

Last year marked the bicentenary of the death of Joseph Hart. For over two centuries Hart’s hymns have been loved by many of God’s living family upon earth: with whose various spiritual exercises and experiences his writings so fully enter.

He was born in the year 1712, within the sound of Bow bells, and being blessed with godly parents, he was favoured to hear sound preaching, and the glorious doctrines of the gospel set forth in all their fulness from his earliest years. His parents, who were gracious and stedfast Calvinists, worshipped at an Independent meeting in the City of London, and they endeavoured by precept and example to bring up their son in the fear of God. “I imbibed.” says Hart, “the sound doctrines of the gospel from my infancy; nor was I without touches of heart, checks of conscience, and melting of affections, by the secret striving of God’s Spirit within me while very young; but the impressions were not deep, nor the influences lasting.” His parents were enabled to give him a sound education, and he applied himself assiduously to his studies, especially French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, in all of which he became proficient. His was considered a classical education, and his civil calling was that of a teacher of languages.

Soon after reaching the age of twenty-one, he began to be under serious concern respecting his eternal state. He says, “The spirit of bondage distressed me sore; though I endeavoured to commend myself to God’s favour by amendment of life, virtuous resolutions, moral rectitude, and a strict attendance on religious ordinances. I strove to subdue my flesh by fasting and mortification, and other rigorous acts of penance; and whenever I was captivated by its lust I endeavoured to reconcile myself again to God by sorrow for my faults, which if attended with tears, I hoped would pass as current coin with heaven.” From his boyhood he had aspired to authorship, and these spiritual conflicts — victories alternating with defeats — had the effect of leading him to express his thoughts in verse, but all his early poems are lost, with the exception of a few lines which many years afterwards he thought good enough to be incorporated in some of his hymns. His religion thus far, however, proved only to be superficial. “In this uneasy, restless round of sinning and repenting, working and dreading,” he says, “I went on for above seven years, when, a great domestic affliction befalling me (in which I was a moderate sufferer, but a monstrous sinner), I began to sink deeper and deeper into conviction of my nature’s evil, the wickedness of my life, the shallowness of my Christianity, and and blindness of my devotion.” Long after, recalling those days, he likened himself to an insensate mariner, who “sees yet strikes the shelf.” Mr. Hart then relates at some length the sad spiritual decline he bacame the subject of. He says, “hardness of heart, was, with me, a sign of good confidence; carelessness, went for trust; empty notions, for great light; a seared conscience, for assurance of faith; and rash presumption, for christian courage.” In the year 1751 Hart began “to reform a little and to live in a more sober and orderly manner.” He says, “And now, as I retained the form of sound words, and held the doctrines of free grace, justification by faith and other orthodox tenets, I was tolerably confident of the goodness of my state; especially as I could now also add that other requisite, a moral behaviour.”

When about forty-five years of age, he heard in the Moravian Chapel, Fetter Lane, a sermon from Rev. 3, verse 10, which greatly moved him. He had intended to proceed to the Tottenham Court Chapel on leaving Fetter Lane, but instead, he felt compelled to return to his home. He had no sooner entered the house, when, says he, “I felt myself melting away into a strange softness of affection, which made me fling myself on my knees before God. My horrors were immediatlely dispelled, and such light and comfort flowed into my heart as no words can express. The alteration I felt in my soul was as that which is experienced by a person almost sinking under a heavy burden, when it is immediately removed from his shoulders. Tears ran in streams from my eyes, and I was so swallowed up in joy and thankfulness that I hardly knew where I was. I threw myself willingly into my Saviour’s hands; I lay weeping at His feet wholly resigned to His will; and only begged that I might, if He was graciously pleased to permit it, be of some service to His church and people”. It is given to very few to have such a deep experience as his of the grace and mercy of God, and the conversion of Joseph Hart was, in its way, quite as remarkable as that of Saul of Tarsus. He almost immediately began to write hymns, but did not commence to preach until about 1760; it is supposed that his first sermon was preached at the old meeting house in St. John’s Court, Bloomsbury. It is of interest to note that in 1760 he became minister of the Independent Chapel in Jewin Street. This was erected in 1672 for William Jenkyn, one of the Puritan worthies ejected in 1662, and who was truly a martyr for the testimony of Jesus Christ — he was imprisoned in Newgate, and died there in 1684, the seventy-second year of his age. Jewin Street chapel was a very large building, and was regularly crowded. Sadly, only one of Hart’s sermons has been preserved, but there is great cause for rejoicing that his hymns have not been allowed to sink into oblivion.

In his family circle, Mr. Hart met with many afflictions, and he suffered very severely in his own body. He was minister of Jewin Street for the short period of eight years, as he died on May 24th, 1768, at the comparatively early age of fifty-six. It is estimated that twenty thousand persons attended his funeral, and the service was conducted by Andrew Kinsman, of Plymouth, who gave out the hymn commencing,

Sons of God, by blest adoption,
View the dead with steady eyes.

When this had been sung, the voice of Mr. Kinsman rang forth, as he quoted the words from Isaiah 40, “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass.” It was a solemn occasion, and Mr. Kinsman gave a most affecting address.

The funeral sermon was preached by his brother-in-law, John Hughes, who gave the following testimony concerning him: “It is well known to many, that he came into the work of the ministry in much weakness and brokenness of soul, and labouring under many deep temptations of a dreadful nature; for, though the Lord was pleased to confirm him in his everlasting love to his soul, yet (to my knowledge) he was at times so left to the buffetings of Satan, for the trial of his faith, and to such clouds and darkness in his soul, that he has ofttimes been obliged to preach to the church with sense and reasons flying in his own face, and his faith at the same time like a bruised reed, insomuch that he has often done by the church as the widow of Sarepta did to the prophet Elijah, who made him a cake of that little she had, when she herself seemed at the very point of starving. He gave a proof of the soundness of his repentance, openly confessing his sins to all the world, and forsaking them. Though he knew assuredly that his sins were for ever pardoned, yet he was contented to stand in the porch of the house of the Lord all his days, alone bearing his shame, that others might learn to fear the Lord by the things which he suffered.. He was like the laborious ox that dies with yoke upon his neck; neither would he suffer it to be taken off, for you are witnesses that he preached Christ to you with the arrows of death sticking in him.”

As a preacher and a hymn writer, Mr. Hart was quite in a class by himself, being peculiarly gifted. His hymns will be valued as long as there are those who desire to have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings; as long as His righteousness, His name and His doctrines are esteemed and loved. The interment was at Bunhill Fields, which is the depository of much of the precious dust of sons and daughters of Zion. The following inscription was upon the original stone which marked his resting-place: “In memory of Joseph Hart, late minister of the gospel in Jewin Street, who died 24th May, 1768, aged 56 years.”

In 1875 there was placed on the spot a red granite obelisk, which is one of the most striking features of this memorable burial ground. On the front, which is the east side, this inscription appears:

“Erected by lovers of Hart’s hymns, published in 1759, and still highly prized by the Church of God. The author’s remains were interred on this spot, as the original stone yet remains to show. Joseph Hart, Minister of the Gospel, died May 24th, 1768, aged 56.”

On the south side are the words:

“Joseph Hart was by the free and sovereign Grace and Spirit of God raised up from the depths of sin, and delivered from the bonds of mere profession and self-righteousness, and led to rest entirely for salvation in the finished atonement and perfect obedience of Christ.

Mercy is welcome news indeed
To those who guilty stand;
Wretches who feel what help they need,
Will bless the Helping Hand.”

On the north side appear the following Unes:

“Though I am a stranger to others and a wonder to myself, yet I know Him (Christ), or rather am known of Him. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound.

Ol bring no price!
God’s grace is free
To Paul, to Magdalene and Me.

None but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.”

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