Introduction

Biography

Joseph was the son of Will­iam Ir­ons of Ware. He and his first wife, Ma­ry Ann Bro­der­ick, were the par­ents of Will­iam Jo­si­ah Ir­ons.

He was a friend of John New­ton when New­ton was rec­tor of St. Ma­ry Wool­noth in Lon­don. On New­ton’s death, Ir­ons joined the Non­con­form­ists, and was for some time pas­tor of a Non­con­for­mist cha­pel at Saws­ton, and then of the Grove Cha­pel, Cam­ber­well, Lon­don.

Irons was es­teemed as a preach­er among the Non­con­for­mists. His ser­mons were in­tense­ly Cal­vin­is­tic.

His hymns were al­so pow­er­ful, and at times po­et­ic­al, but due to their strong Cal­vin­is­tic teach­ing failed to be­come po­pu­lar.

Works

His hymns were pub­lished for use by his own con­gre­ga­tion, and un­til se­ver­al were adopt­ed by Spur­geon in his Our Own Hymn Book (1866), and Snepp in his Songs of Grace and Glo­ry (1872), were sel­dom found in any oth­er col­lect­ion for con­gre­ga­tion­al use.

His works include:

• Zion’s Hymns, In­tend­ed as a Sup­ple­ment to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns (Saf­fron Wal­den: G. Young­man, 1816). Lat­er edi­tions were ti­tled Zi­on’s Hymns, for the Use of Zi­on’s Sons and Daugh­ters
• Nymphas. Bride and Bride­groom Com­mun­ing. A Pa­ra­phras­tic Ex­po­si­tion of the Song of So­lo­mon, in Blank Verse, 1840
• Judah. The Book of Psalms Pa­ra­phrased in Spi­ri­tu­al Songs for Pub­lic Wor­ship, 1847
• Calvary. A Po­em in Blank Verse.