John Langford

Langford, John. The time and place of this person's birth are unknown. He is said to have been connected with the early Methodists, and then to have become a member of the Baptist church in Eagle Street, London. In 1765 he began to preach in a chapel called Blacksfields, in Gainsford Street, London, and in the following year was ordained pastor. There he remained for 12 years, then removed to Rose Lane, Ratcliff, and afterwards to a small place in Bunhill Row. But his imprudent conduct compelled him at length to give up preaching. He inherited considerable property, but squandered it in extravagance, and died in great wretchedness about 1790.

J. Langford published a few Sermons, and, in 1776, a collection of Hymns & Spiritual Songs, which reached a second edition The excellent and well-known hymn "Now begin the heavenly theme," has been ascribed to him. It is in his collection; but since, in the preface to his second edition, he tells us that he has marked his own hymns with an asterisk, and this one is not so marked, it is clearly not of his composition.

[Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A.]

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)