John Brantly Mulford was born in Philadelphia on September 2, 1851. At twelve years old, he had the unique experience of being baptized by his grandfather, who was the founder of Tenth Baptist Church, and pastor for nearly thirty years. Mulford graduated from seminary in 1876 from the Crozer Theological Seminary, and quickly joined the ministry after commencement. He became pastor of the Baptist church in Sweickley, Pennsylvania on August 1, 1876. During his life he pastored at several different churches, including at least one which he rescued from extinction.
Mulford wrote many hymns, mostly at the request of fellow hymn writer and pastor Robert Lowry. The hymn that truly describes the life of salvation he lived everyday was ”O Glorious God,” Mulford was a servant who devoted his life to the Lord through ministry and the many hymns he wrote.
O glorious God! eternal and wise,
Thou Maker of worlds, and Lord of the skies –
To thee would we lift glad carols of praise,
For all thy rich gifts and wonderful ways;
When earth without form lay mantled in night,
Thy lips spoke the word, and lo! there was light;
When man in his strength came forth from thy hand,
He found his first dwelling a paradise land.
O bountiful God! attentive and kind,
Thou fulness of light to souls that are blind –
To thee would we yield the tribute of love,
For blessings on earth and mansions above;
The mercies of life are held in thy hand,
The angels of help around thee now stand;
For ev’ry earthwant, and ev’ry soulneed,
As beams of the morning with succour they speed.
O all-loving God! benignant and pure,
Thou Saviour of souls, whose promise is sure –
To thee would we give the love of our hearts,
And take of thy grace with all it imparts;
The cross of thy Son, all crimson with blood,
Assures us of life beyond the dark flood;
For Jesus has died our ransom to pay,
To lead us in triumph to glory’s bright day.
Burrage, Henry S. Baptist Hymn Writers and Their Hymns. Kessinger Pub., 1888.
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