A COLLECTION OF HYMNS, FOR THE USE OF THE PEOPLE CALLED METHODISTS
By the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., Sometime Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford
With a Supplement
London: Wesleyan Conference Office, 2 Castle Street, City Road; sold at 66 Paternoster Row
Undated, but apparently mid-19th century; ownership inscription dated 1864
An unusually attractive pocket-sized Victorian edition of John Wesley's celebrated Methodist hymn collection, preserved in its decorative period binding.
Originally compiled by John Wesley (1703–1791) for the Methodist societies, A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People Called Methodists became one of the defining hymnals of the Wesleyan movement. The original collection appeared in 1780, drawing extensively upon the hymns of John and his brother Charles Wesley, and later editions incorporated additional hymns and the Wesleyan supplement.
The present edition contains Wesley's original preface, the principal collection arranged thematically, Additional Hymns, and the Supplement, followed by an extensive index. The contents include hymns relating to repentance, conversion, justification, assurance, Christian experience, prayer, death, judgment, heaven, worship and numerous other aspects of Methodist faith and devotion.
An attractive engraved portrait frontispiece of John Wesley with facsimile signature faces the title page.
Especially appealing is the original dark brown embossed binding, extensively decorated in blind with intricate geometric and ornamental designs to both boards. Each board has gilt corner ornaments and a small central gilt device.
The spine is likewise decoratively tooled, with gilt ornaments and the gilt title “WESLEY HYMNS”, together with “LONDON” at the foot.
The page edges appear gilt, now mellowed with age.
This is a lovely example of the small-format devotional books intended to be both portable and handsome personal possessions.
There is an early pencilled ownership inscription to the front pastedown which appears to read:
“David Juniors / 1864”
with a further old pencilled notation to the facing endpaper.
The 1864 inscription is particularly useful bibliographically because the title page itself carries no printed date and demonstrates that this copy was in circulation by that year.
Good antique condition overall, with age and use commensurate with a devotional volume more than 160 years old.
The binding remains very attractive, with general rubbing and wear, particularly around the extremities, corners and spine ends. Some loss of surface colour and wear to the board edges. The gilt decoration remains pleasing and clearly visible.
Internally there is general age-toning and occasional spotting/marking. The front endpapers have old pencil inscriptions and some staining/marks. The engraved Wesley portrait shows some age-toning/foxing.
Please study the photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition description.
A charming and highly displayable Victorian Methodist hymn book, particularly appealing for its decorative embossed and gilt binding, Wesley portrait and dated 1864 provenance.
Pagination: 719 pages
Dimensions: approx. 145 × 100 × 14 mm
Weight: approx. 130 g