1824 AUTOGRAPH ALBUM. Missionaries, Divines, Hymn-Writers, &c. Unusually Good Content.

A lovely young lady's autograph album [as overtly stated by a few of the contributors] with not just autographs, but rather extensive expositions of Scripture extending to many pages, original hymns, etc., composed and inserted by influential evangelical divines, missionaries, and authors of the period, often located to either Manchester or Hull. I can only assume she is the daughter of a Manchester divine. Otherwise, the tendency of the authors to include such extensive and original expositions of Scripture seems a bit diffcult to explain. Dates range from 1824 to 1832.

Below is a sampling of the 61pp of extensive manuscript exposition.

1824 lengthy 2pp exposition [unpublished] of Isaiah 50.10 "Who is among you that fearerth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God." It is then closed with to my knowledge the earliest known version of the hymn, "A Glimpse of Jesus." All in the hand of J. Walker of Manchester, author of the hymn quoted and also author of The Divine Panoply; Or, A Suit of Armour for the Soldier of Christ published in 1846 with foreword by Hugh Stowell, and other works.

1824 lengty 1p exposition [unpublished] of Song of Solomon 2.4 "He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love." Begins "All true joy comes from above. It is purchased for us by the Saviour and is conveyed to us through the Saviour when believers walk closely and humbly with God and the Spirit of grace fills them with all joy and peace in believing, bringing them to the banquetting house." etc. Signed H.S.

1824 1/3p exposition of John 14.16, "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever." Signed by Edward Bickersteth [1786-1850], author of over 700 hymns, one of the early leaders of the Church Missionary Society, etc., 

1824 Extensive 2pp exposition of Acts 17.11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Superb and unpublished, signed Richard Waldo Sibthorp [1792-1879]. He published many sermons and was said to have "preached with all the enthusiasm of Whitefield."

1824 5pp exposition of I Peter 1.8, 9 "Whom having not seen ye love; in whom tho now ye see him not, yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, etc." by Thomas Tattersall [1771-1856] was a prominent Methodist Circuit Preacher from the 1790's forward

1825 2pp exposition of 2 Corinthians 12.9 by Hugh Stowell of Manchester. 

1825 1p inscription from Basil Woodd [1760-1831], influential evangelical divine and hymn-writer, detialing the death of his youngest son, his faith, and recording the inscriptions the son had over his fireplace during his decline into death. Again, inscribed from Manchester. 

1826 A Paraphrase of the 93d Psalm [full page] and then an exposition of I Corinthians 14.32 "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," both signed A. D. A beautiful prayer, "O Lord, teach us all always by all means, whether by the Son, by the Spirit, by the Word, by thy ministers, by a poor old woman, or by a little child, to listen to those in who you have fulfilled this thy blessed promise,'They shall all be taught of God.'" This prayer was preceded by a lovely and heartsearching thought, "One of the marks of the true servants of God is their willingness to be taught by any other of the servants of God."

1828 1p extensive red-hot rebuke of materialism by John Philip, signed in Hull, 1828. John Philip [1775-1851] was a missionary to Africa. He traveled to Africa in 1822 and found the LMS's stations there had been co-opted by the Colonialists and worked to remove those who saw the mission as a means to monetary gain and influence in South Africa. His life was dedicated to separating the mission of Jesus from the financial enterprises of England and its tendency to colonize more than Christianize. The present autograph was signed while he was back in England lobbying the LMS for the rights of the African natives. While home he wrote his "Researches in South Africa." This inscription quite important historically and apparently unpublished.

1829 1p full page inscription by George Bennet [1774-1841]. Bennet was an important early agent of the London Missionary Society, working around the world, from Tahiti to India. In 1828, he was commissioned by the LMS to travel around the world and return to England with a report of the state of missions. It is during this period he signed the present album, and, tellingly, opens with, "If thou believest in thine heart & confessest with the mouth the Lrod Jesus, thou shalt be saved. For the Gospel is the powe rof god unto salvation to every one that believeth." The account of these travels was published in Journal of Voyages and Travels by the Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, Esq. Deputed from the London Missionary Society, to Visit their Various Stations in the South Sea Islands, China, India, &c. between the Years 1821 and 1829. 

1830 1/2p inscription by Thomas Raffles [1788-1863], composing a rhymed metre version of Proverbs 3. Again, apparently unpublished. Raffles was one of the most influential evangelical preachers of the day, and an ardent abolitionist. 

1830 1p inscription from important Missionary, John Edmonds [1799-1865], missionary to New Zealand with the Church Missionary Society. "The Missionary cause is one of the noblest which can engage the attention of men, the object is to rescue the world from the dominion of Satan and from the slavery of sin. Its end is to promote the glory of Christ in the salvation of all who believe., etc., . . ." "Let this cause, my reader, originating in the command of Christ and designed ot promote the immortal bliss of countless millions, be supported by your liberality, and be cherished by your most fervent prayers." 

And quite a few others which could certainly be traceable; we just haven't had the time to locate them. 

Very reasonably priced.