Thomas Baldwin

Thomas Baldwin, D.D., was born at Bozrah or Norwich, Connecticut, in 1753. Prior to entering full-time ministry, he represented his native state in the Connecticut Legislature. He was ordained to the Baptist ministry in 1783, and from 1790 until his death in 1825 he served as pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Boston, Massachusetts, becoming a leading figure in early American Baptist life.

Dr. Baldwin authored several hymns that attained wide popularity in American and British collections. His baptismal hymn "Almighty Saviour, here we stand," written for immersion services, appeared in A Collection of Sacred and Devotional Hymns (Boston, 1808) and was reprinted in the Baptist Praise Book (1871). His hymn on Christian fellowship, "From whence does this union rise?", first appeared in John Asplund's New Collection (Baltimore, 1793) and remained a favorite in American hymnals for decades. Another baptismal hymn, "Ye happy saints, the Lamb adore" (1808), was recast as "Come, happy souls, adore the Lamb" in Winchell's Supplement to Watts (1819) and was subsequently included in Charles Haddon Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book (1866) as well as numerous American collections.