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Benjamin Keach

1640-1704

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Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) Born: February 29, 1640, Stokes-Hammond, Bucks, England.

Died: July 18, 1704, Horselydown, Southwark, England.

Keach joined a Baptist church early in life, and began to preach at age 18. For the next 10 years, he worked as an evangelist in towns and villages, often being persecuted for his principles as a Baptist and Nonconformist. Upon publication of The Child’s Instructor, he was fined, pilloried, and imprisoned.

In 1668, Keach moved to London and became pastor of a Baptist church which met first in private houses, and later in Horselydown, Southwark. There a large congregation gathered around him, to which he ministered with great acceptance until his death. He was the was the first to introduce singing to Baptist congregations.

Keach’s works include:

  • The Child’s Instructor; or, a New and Easy Primer, 1664
  • Expositions of the Parables in the Bible, 1671
  • War with the Powers of Darkness, 1676
  • Tropologia, a Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, 1682
  • Distressed Sion Relieved, or the Garment of Praise for the Spirit of Heaviness (London: 1689)
  • The Breach Repaired in God’s Worship; or Singing of Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs Proved to be a Holy Ordinance of Jesus Christ (London: J. Hancock, 1691)
  • Spiritual Melody, 1691
  • A Feast of Fat Things: Containing Several Scripture Songs and Hymns, 1696
  • Spiritual Songs: Being the Marrow of the Scripture (London: John Marshal, 1700)

Hymns:

  1. Awake, My Soul, Awake, My Tongue
  2. O Lord, ’Tis Matter of High Praise

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