John Rippon (1751-1836)

Rev. Dr. John Rippon was an English Baptist Minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix toDr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns - commonly known as * Rippon’s Selection*
He was pastor to the Tabernacle Fellowship, which now meets at The Metropolitan Tabernacle, for 63 years.

John Rippon was born at Tiverton, Devonshire, England. Aged about 16 he was called by divine grace to follow Jesus. Aged 17 he attended Bristol baptist College.

At the close of his preparatory course he was invited to supply the pulpit of the particular baptist Church, Carter Lane, Tooley Street London left vacant after the death of eminent and venerable pastor the Rev. Dr. John Gill.

John had neither the talents nor the learning of his predecessor but he was bold, witty and ready in speech. His preaching was lively, affectionate and impressive

Having preached for a year on trial he was ordained pastor of the church on 11th November 1773. He stayed for the next 63 years. His congregation was the Tabernacle Fellowship which in his time there became the largest Baptist congregation in the land. Today it is the famous The Metropolitan Tabernacle. (See ‘Brief History’)

Rippon’s Selection was very successful- reprinted 27 times in over 200,000 copies. He was considered to be the foremost authority on the hymns of Isaac Watts. He wrote several other guides about Watts - 1773, 1774, 1801 and 1816. He also published a considerable number of sermons, discourses and addresses. For 12 years he edited the Baptist Annual Register. (1790-1802)- this gave the brethren in Europe and American an organ through which they might address each other.

John finished his long and useful life on the 17th December 1836. At the time of his death he was working on a book commemorating those buried in London’s Dissenter cemetery, Bunhill Fields , where he himself was buried.

Sources used
Baptist Quarterly
Hymnology Archive
How Firm a Foundation
The Reformed Reader
wikipedia