Dictionary of Hymnology

Hymnology

Adams, Nehemiah

A biographical entry on Nehemiah Adams, Congregational clergyman, author, and compiler of Church Pastorals.

1 min read 9 visits Updated 14 hours ago Added Jul 20, 2026

Nehemiah Adams was born at Salem, Massachusetts, on February 19, 1806. He graduated from Harvard College in 1826 and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1829, entering the Congregational ministry that same year to serve as pastor at Cambridge until 1834. He then accepted the pastorate of the Essex Street Church in Boston, where he ministered for over three decades from 1834 to 1870, remaining in Boston until his death in 1878. A prominent religious figure of his day, he authored A South-Side View of Slavery in 1854 and compiled the hymnal Church Pastorals in 1864. His contributions to hymnody include "Come, take His offers now," an invitation hymn adapted from Charles Wesley, and "Saints in glory, we together," a hymn of praise. Both pieces appeared in Church Pastorals and were later reprinted in the New York collection Hymns and Songs of Praise in 1874, where the latter was mistakenly attributed to the fictitious pseudonym "S. E. Mahmied," a name that misled hymn compilers for many years.

Related Hymn Sheets

3 shown at a time — use the arrows to browse all 24 sheets.

Related Authors

Writers connected to this dictionary topic.

Keywords

Related terms for this dictionary entry.

Recent Dictionary Entries

Newly added terms from the Dictionary of Hymnology.

Browse all

If you notice any mistake or have suggestions, please contact us on our contact page.