Frederic Smith

Smith, Frederic, was born in 1849 at Birmingham, was for many years at Halifax, and now (1906) resides at Bowdon, Cheshire. His collected poems were published in 1896, as A Chest of Viols and other Verses. This includes:—
1. Not far, not far from the Kingdom. [Decision.] Written 1869, and first published in the Congregationalist, again in 1896 as above, p. 56, entitled "Not far." It is given, abridged and altered, marked as "Words arr.," in Sankey's Songs and Solos, 1887, No. 469.
2. O God, not only in distress. [God's Will] Written about 1870, and first, published in Dale's English Hymn Book, 1874, No. 180;-1896, as above, p. 45, headed "Thy Will is done." Recently in Worship Song, 1905, and others.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)