Thomas Kelly

Born:  July 13, 1769, Kellyville, Stradbally, Queens County, Ireland.

Died: May 14, 1855, Dublin, Ireland.

Buried:  Near the Kelly family home at Kellyville, Ballyadams, Queens County (now known as County Laois).

    Son of a judge, Kelly attended Trinity College and planned to be a lawyer. After converting to Christ, though, his career plans changed to the ministry. He became an Anglican priest in 1792, but eventually became one of the famous “dissenting” ministers. He wrote over 760 hymns. Miller’s Singers of the Church (1869) says of him:

Mr. Kelly was a man of great and varied learning, skilled in the Oriental tongues, and an excellent Bible critic. He was possessed also of musical talent, and composed and published a work that was received with favor, consisting of music adapted to every form of metre in his hymn-book. Naturally of an amiable disposition and thorough in his Christian piety, Mr. Kelly became the friend of good men, and the advocate of every worthy, benevolent, and religious cause. He was admired alike for his zeal and his humility; and his liberality found ample scope in Ireland, especially during the year of famine.

Kelly’s works include:

Hymns

  1. Atoning Work Is Done, The
  2. Behold the Lamb with Glory Crowned
  3. Behold the Man! How Glorious He
  4. Behold the Temple of the Lord
  5. Blessèd Fountain, full of Grace
  6. Boundless Glory, Lord, Be Thine
  7. Brethren, Come, Our Savior Bids Us
  8. By Whom Shall Jacob Now Arise?
  9. Come, O Lord, the Heavens Rending
  10. Come, See the Place Where Jesus Lay
  11. Come, Ye Saints, Look Here and Wonder
  12. Day of Rest Once More Comes Round, The
  13. Far from Us Be Grief and Sadness
  14. Fly, Ye Seasons, Fly Still Faster
  15. From Egypt Lately Come
  16. Give Us Room That We May Dwell
  17. Glory, Glory, Everlasting
  18. Glory, Glory, to Our King
  19. God Has Turned My Grief to Gladness
  20. God Is Love, His Word Has Said It
  21. God of Glory Dwells on High, The
  22. God of Israel, We Adore Thee
  23. God of Our Salvation, Hear Us
  24. Grace Is the Sweetest Sound
  25. Gracious Lord, My Heart Is Fixed
  26. Grant Us, Lord, Thy Gracious Presence
  27. Happy Those Who Trust in Jesus
  28. Hark, a Voice! It Comes from Heaven
  29. Hark, Ten Thousand Harps and Voices
  30. Hark, Ten Thousand Voices
  31. Hark, that Shout of Rapturous Joy
  32. Hark, the Notes of Angels Singing
  33. Hark! ’Tis a Martial Sound
  34. Head that Once was Crowned, The
  35. How Pleasant Is the Sound of Praise
  36. How Sweet to Leave the World Awhile
  37. I Hear a Sound That Comes from Far
  38. If Our Warfare Be Laborious
  39. In Form I Long Had Bowed the Knee
  40. In Thy Name, O Lord, Assembling
  41. It Is Finished! Sinners, Hear It
  42. Jesus, Immortal King, Go On
  43. Jesus Is Gone Up on High
  44. Jesus, the Shepherd of the Sheep
  45. Joyful Be the Hours Today
  46. Keep Us, Lord, O Keep Us Ever
  47. Let Reason Vainly Boast Her Power
  48. Let Sinners Saved Give Thanks, and Sing
  49. Lo, He Comes, Let All Adore Him
  50. Look, Ye Saints! The Sight is Glorious
  51. Lord, Behold Us, Few and Weak
  52. Lord Himself Will Keep, The
  53. Lord is Risen, Indeed!, The
  54. Meet Thy People, Savior, Meet us
  55. Night Is Far Spent, The
  56. Nothing Know We of the Season
  57. Now Let a Great Effectual Door
  58. Now May the Gospel’s Conquering Power
  59. Now May the Mighty Arm Awake
  60. Now May the Spirit from Above
  61. O Had I the Wings of a Dove
  62. O Where Is Now That Glowing Love
  63. O Zion, When I Think on Thee
  64. On the Mountain's Top Appearing
  65. Our Father Sits on Yonder Throne
  66. Ours Is a Rich and Royal Feast
  67. People of the Lord Are on Their Way, The
  68. Precious Volume, What Thou Doest
  69. Poor and Afflicted, Lord, Are Thine
  70. Praise the Lord Who Died to Save Us
  71. Praise the Savior, Ye Who Know Him
  72. Praise We Him to Whose Kind Favor
  73. Salvation Is of God Alone
  74. Saved Ourselves by Jesus’ Blood
  75. Savior, Come, Thy Friends Await Thee
  76. Savior, Send a Blessing to Us
  77. Savior, Through the Desert Lead Us
  78. Savior, ’Tis to Thee
  79. See from Zion’s Sacred Mountain
  80. See the Vineyard Lately Planted
  81. See Where the Lord His Glory Spreads
  82. Shepherd of the Chosen Number
  83. Sing Aloud to God Our Strength
  84. Sing of Him Who Bore Our Guilt
  85. Sing of Jesus, Sing Forever
  86. Sing, Sing His Lofty Praise
  87. Sing We Praise to God Above
  88. Sons of Zion, Raise Your Songs
  89. Sound, Sound the Truth Abroad
  90. Spared a Little Longer
  91. Speed Thy Servants, Savior
  92. Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
  93. Sweet Were the Sounds That Reached Our Ears
  94. Thus Saith God of His Anointed
  95. Through the Day Thy Love has Spared Us
  96. ’Tis to Us No Cause of Sorrow
  97. To the Ark Away, or Perish
  98. To Our Lord a Throne is Given
  99. Trust Ye in the Lord Forever
  100. Unfold to Us, O Lord, Unfold
  101. We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died
  102. Welcome Sight! The Lord Descending
  103. We’ll Sing in Spite of Scorn
  104. We’ll Sing of the Shepherd That Died
  105. We’re Bound for Yonder Land
  106. We’ve No Abiding City Here
  107. What Is Life? ’Tis but a Vapor
  108. What Tongue Can Tell, What Fancy Paint
  109. What Were Sinai’s Awful Wonders
  110. When We Cannot See Our Way
  111. Whence Those Sounds Symphonious?
  112. While in the World We Still Remain
  113. Who Is This That Calms the Ocean?
  114. Who Is This that Comes from Edom
  115. Why Those Fears? Behold, ’Tis Jesus
  116. Without Blood Is No Remission
  117. Yes, ’Tis a Rough and Thorny Road
  118. Yes, We Trust the Day Is Breaking
  119. Zion Is Jehovah’s Dwelling
  120. Zion Stands by Hills Surrounded
  121. Zion's King Shall Reign Victorious