James Montgomery (November 4, 1771-April 30, 1854) was a well-known Scottish newspaperman and poet. He edited the Sheffield Iris, and wrote many hymns, including What Is Prayer?, in which he penned:
<Prayer is the soul's sincere desire Uttered or unexpressed;
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.> 1771JM001
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American Quotations by William J. Federer, 2024, All Rights Reserved, Permission granted to use with acknowledgement.
Endnotes:
1771JM001. William J. Federer, American Quotations (2014). James Montgomery, What is Prayer?, st. I. John Bartlett, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1855, 1980), p. 429.