In 1825, Rev. Absalom Graves, published his "Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs, including some never before in Print." Mr. Graves was born in Culpepper County, Va., November 28, 1768. Converted in his twentieth year, he united with the Baptist church at the Rapidan meeting house. In 1797, he crossed the Alleghanies and settled in Boone County, Ky., uniting with the Bullittsburg Baptist church. In 1810, he was licensed to preach. In April, 1812, he was ordained, and with Chichester Matthews as an associate he entered upon the pastorate of the Bullittsburg church. Here his useful and successful labors were continued until nearly the close of 1825, when on account of failing health his ministry came to an end. He died August 17, 1836 [1825]. One of his last efforts in the service of Christ was the arrangement of his selection of hymns. The collection comprised two hundred and seventy hymns and one hundred and eleven spiritual songs. Rev. J. A. Kirtley, D. D., who for more than thirty years has been pastor of the Baptist church at Bullittsburg, Ky., thinks that some of the hymns in this collection "never before in print" were written by Mr. Graves.
_________

[Henry S. Burrage, Baptist Hymn Writers and Their Hymns, 1888, pp. 648-9. - Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

---

Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Songs by Absalom Graves, 1825
[Title Page and Contents]

HYMNS, PSALMS,

AND

SPIRITUAL SONGS,

INCLUDING SOME NEVER BEFORE IN PRINT. 
CAREFULLY SELECTED, ARRANGED AND PUBLISHED

BY

ABSALOM GRAVES.

O, sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things.
Psalm 98.1

FRANKFORT:
PRINTED BY AMOS KENDALL AND CO.
PRINTERS FOR THE STATE

1825

TABLE OF GENERAL CONTENTS. 
-----+-----

1. HYMNS for common use, - - - from page 5 to 203
2. _____ Before Sermon, - - - - - - - - 209 - 213
3. _____ After Sermon, - - - - - - - - - 213 - 218
4. _____ On Baptism, - - - - - - - - - - 219 - 227
5. _____ Lord's Supper, - - - - - - - - 227 - 241
6. _____ Funeral Occasions, - - - - - 241 - 243
7. _____ Spread of the Gospel, - - - -249 - 252
8. _____ Fasting and Prayer, - - - - - 252 - 257
9. _____ Ordination of a Minister, - -257 - 258
10. _____ Church Meetings, - - - - - -259 - 260
11. _____ Family Worship, - - - - - - -260 - 266
12. SPIRITUAL SONGS, - - - - - - - -267 - 380

=========      An original copy of the book is in the University of Kentucky Library, Special Collections, Lexington, KY.

A file of the hymnbook is here.

---

More on Boone County (KY) Baptists
Baptist History Homepage