Joseph Hart (1711/12 – 24 May 1768) was a

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

minister in London. His works include ''Hart's Hymns'', a much-loved hymn book amongst evangelical Christians throughout its lifetime of over 200 years, which includes the well-known hymn, "Come ye sinners, poor and needy". One of Hart's early publications was a tract denouncing Christianity (prior to his conversion) called ''The Unreasonableness of Religion, Being Remarks and Animadversions on the Rev. John Wesley's Sermon on Romans 8:32''. His other works include a short autobiography and a few poetical translations of ancient classics. He preached at Jewin Street chapel in London, a building with multiple galleries, to a congregation of significant size. Only one of Hart's sermons is known: that of Christmas 1767. Several of his hymns appear in the ''

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tune ...

''.

Early life

Hart's early life is poorly documented. He had a good education, learning the classical languages (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

, and

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

), which afterwards he taught for a living. He spent a lot of his early life translating and writing poetry. It was in this period of his life that Hart translated ''

Herodian Herodian or Herodianus ( el, Ἡρωδιανός) of Syria, sometimes referred to as "Herodian of Antioch" (c. 170 – c. 240), was a minor Roman civil servant who wrote a colourful history in Greek titled ''History of the Empire from the Death o ...

'' and ''

Phocylides Phocylides ( el, Φωκυλίδης ὁ Μιλήσιος), Greek gnomic poet of Miletus, contemporary of Theognis of Megara, was born about 560 BC. A few fragments of his " maxims" have survived (chiefly in the ''Florilegium'' of Stobaeus), in ...

''. Hart wrote of his early life in his autobiography: Hart was brought up in the Christian life, but soon fell into temptation. It was about this time of turmoil in his life, that he met and married a girl named Mary, 14 years younger than himself.

Libertine and author

It was during this period of Hart's life that he left off doing his good works, and became a libertine, believing that there is no need to be righteous, all you need is to believe in God, then salvation is certain. It was then that he wrote ''The Unreasonableness of Religion'', in an effort to convince John Wesley that he should not be doing good works only believing in God. The pamphlet had no effect upon Wesley, being accounted mere blasphemy. Hart later repented of writing it, and gave Wesley an unreserved apology. During this period, Hart also translated ''Phocylides'' from the original Greek in 1744, and ''Herodian'' from its original Latin in 1749.

Conversion

Hart later considered that there was a need both to do good works and to believe in God. But then came the uncertainty: Was he really and truly saved? He had no indication from God, no elaborate vision, telling him that he had been saved. This was a great worry to Joseph Hart. He began to pray to God that there would be some

revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

granted him, or perhaps just a little sign. This tormented Hart for more than a year. Then, the week before Easter of the year 1757 Hart "had such an amazing view of the agony of Christ in the garden f_Gethsemane.html"_;"title="Gethsemane.html"_;"title="f_Gethsemane">f_Gethsemane">Gethsemane.html"_;"title="f_Gethsemane">f_Gethsemane,_showing_him_that_all_Christ's_sufferings_were_for_him_(along_with_the_rest_of_the_church). But_soon_after_this,_Hart_again_began_to_be_afraid_of_the_life_to_come_(eternity),_and_feared_exceedingly_when_reading_about_the_condemned_in_passages_in_the_Bible. It_was_on_ f_Gethsemane.html"_;"title="Gethsemane.html"_;"title="f_Gethsemane">f_Gethsemane">Gethsemane.html"_;"title="f_Gethsemane">f_Gethsemane,_showing_him_that_all_Christ's_sufferings_were_for_him_(along_with_the_rest_of_the_church). But_soon_after_this,_Hart_again_began_to_be_afraid_of_the_life_to_come_(eternity),_and_feared_exceedingly_when_reading_about_the_condemned_in_passages_in_the_Bible. It_was_on_Pentecost">Whitsunday_ Whitsun_(also_Whitsunday_or_Whit_Sunday)_is_the_name_used_in_Britain,_and_other_countries_among_Anglicans_and__Methodists,_for_the_Christian_High_Holy_Day_of_Pentecost._It_is_the_seventh_Sunday_after_Easter,_which_commemorates_the_descent_of_the_H_...

Early life

Libertine and author

Conversion

Death and burial

Publications

References

Further reading

External links