Edward Motes was born January 21, 1797, in London, England. He was the child of poor innkeepers who ran a pub, and knew nothing of God or the Bible. His weekends were spent roaming the streets, and the school he attended did not allow a Bible to even be seen.
He was apprenticed as a cabinet maker, and was taken by his master to a preacher. There Edward made a decision to follow Christ, and was saved at the age of 16. When 18, he was baptized.
He settled in a suburb of London and was a successful cabinet maker, a job he worked at for 37 years.
When Edward Mote was 55, a Baptist chapel was built in Horsham, Sussex, England, due to his efforts. The members were so grateful they offered him the deed to the property. He refused it and famously replied, “I do not want the chapel, I only want the pulpit; and when I cease to preach Christ, then turn me out of that.”
Mote remained a pastor there for 21 years, until poor heath forced him out in 1873, a year before his death. He did not miss a Sunday in the pulpit for those 21 years.
During his time as a pastor, he wrote more than 150 hymn texts. In 1836, he published a hymnbook entitled: Hymns of Praise, A New Selection of Gospel Hymns, Combining All the Excellencies of our Spiritual Poets, with Many Originals.
Some of the Hymns he composed were:
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Sources
The Cyber Hymnal, http://www.hymntime.com/tch
Robert J. Morgan, Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook: 2002 Edition, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001) page 147.
Robert J. Morgan, From This Verse: 365 Scriptures That Changed the World, electronic ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000, c1998), October 23.
Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories, Includes Index. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1985), 274-276.
Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990), p. 187.
Keith W. Ward. “A Hymn of Grace—The Solid Rock.” The Grace Evangelical Society, Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society (The Grace Evangelical Society, 1998; 2002), Vol. 11, Num. 1, p. 105-108.
