Hezekiah Butterworth 
Story of the Hymns [PDF ebook] 
Or Hymns That Have a History; An Account of the Origin of Hymns of Personal Religious Experience

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Of these hymns, only the fittest survive, and the most help ful stand the test of time. It usually happens that the most painstaking and elaborate productions Of the Christian‘ lyrist are the first to perish, while some minor expression of sincere religious feeling is the surest‘ to live, and take its place among the recognized lyrics Of the church.