Born: Oc­to­ber 1718, West­min­ster, Eng­land.

Died: Au­gust 29, 1782, Spit­head, Hamp­shire, Eng­land. He and 800 sai­lors drowned when their ship, the Roy­al George, sank while un­der­go­ing re­pairs. Wil­liam Cow­per im­mor­tal­ized the ac­ci­dent in his po­em “On the Loss of the Roy­al George.”

Pseudonym: Phi­lo­the­or­us.

Of Swedish de­scent, Kemp­en­felt was com­mis­sioned a lieu­ten­ant in the Brit­ish Roy­al Na­vy in Jan­u­ary 1741. He be­came a cap­tain in 1757, and ad­mir­al in 1780. He ad­mired White­field and the Wes­leys, and took a great in­ter­est in evan­gel­ism. His hymns were pub­lished in Orig­in­al Hymns and Po­ems. By Phil­o­the­or­us (Ex­e­ter, Eng­land: B. Thorn, 1777).

Sources

Lyrics

  1. Bear Me on Thy Rapid Wing
  2. Burst, Ye Emerald Gates, and Bring (refrain grafted to The Great Physician)
  3. Gentle Spirit, Waft Me Over
  4. Hail, Thou Eternal Logos, Hail
  5. Hark, ’Tis the Trump of God
  6. O My Redeemer, Come