George Duffield, Jr.
George Duffield, Jr. D.D. (September 12, 1818 – July 6, 1888)[1] was an American Presbyterian minister and hymnodist.
He was born on September 12, 1818 to Presbyterian minister George Duffield. He graduated from Yale College and the Union Theological Seminary in New York. He was a pastor from 1840 to 1869 at numerous cities including Brooklyn, New York; Bloomfield, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Adrian, Michigan; Galesburg, Illinois; Saginaw City, Michigan; Ann Arbor, Michigan and Lansing, Michigan.[2][3] He married and had a son, minister Samuel Willoughby Duffield. He died on July 6, 1888 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan.[4]
Legacy
Duffield was known as a zealous advocate of abolition and Union causes during the U.S. Civil War. Upon the tragic death of another abolitionist and friend, he shared in a sermon, "I caught its inspiration from the dying words of that noble young clergyman, Rev. Dudley Atkins Tyng, rector of the Epiphany Church, Philadelphia, who died about 1854. His last words were, ‘Tell them to stand up for Jesus: now let us sing a hymn.’ As he had been much persecuted in those pro-slavery days for his persistent course in pleading the cause of the oppressed, it was thought that these words had a peculiar significance in his mind; as if he had said, ‘Stand up for Jesus in the person of the downtrodden slave.’ (Luke 5:18)"[5]
Hymns
His hymns include:
- "Blessed Saviour, Thee I love"
- "Parted for some anxious days"
- "Praise to our heavenly Father, God"
- "Slowly in sadness and in tears"
- "Stand up, stand up for Jesus"
References
- ↑ Yale Obituary Record (PDF). 1889.
- ↑ Biography and hymns of George Duffield, Jr. at Hymnary.org
- ↑ Duffield, George in Hymn Writers of the Church at CCEL
- ↑ "George Duffield, Jr". findagrave.com. 29 January 2002. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
- ↑ "Civil War Sermons". civilwarsermons.com. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
Further Reading
- "Dr. George Duffield Dead". New York Times. July 7, 1888. Retrieved 2015-12-20.