Christ in song

Front matter

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Preface

/'"^HRIST is the centre of sacred art as well as of the- ^""^ ology and religion. The noblest works of the master-painters are attempts to portray His " human face divine," now in the charm of childhood, now in the agony of the cross, now in the glory of the resurrection, now in His majesty as the judge of the world. From Him music has drawn its highest inspiration, and Handel transcended himself when he made "Messiah" his theme. The sweetest lyrics of Zion in all ages celebrate the events of His life and the boundless wealth of mercy and peace that is treasured up in His person and work for every believer.

The hymns of Jesus are the Holy of holies in the temple of sacred poetry. From this sanctuary every doubt is banished ; here the passions of sense, pride, and

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unholy ambition give way to the tears of penitence, the joys of faith, the emotions of love, the aspirations of hope, the anticipations of heaven ; here the dissensions of rival churches and theological schools are hushed into silence ; here the hymnists of ancient, mediaeval, and modern times, from every section of Christendom — profound divines, stately bishops, humble monks, f^iithful pastors, devout laymen, holy w^omen — unite with one voice in the common adoration of a common Saviour. He is the theme of all ages, tongues, and creeds, the divine harmony of all human discords, the solution of all the dark problems of life.

What an argument this for the great mystery of '' God manifest in flesh," and for the communion of saints ! Where is the human being, however great and good, that could open such a stream of grateful song, ever widening and deepening from generation to generation, in every land !

Blessed Saviour ! Thou indeed, and Thou alone, with the Father and the Holy Ghost ever one God, art worthy to receive blessing and glory, praise and adoration from the innumerable army of the redeemed in the Church militant on earth, and the Church triumphant in heaven, for ever and for ever !

A complete and carefully selected Lyra Christo- LOGICA, embracing the choicest hymns on the Person and Work of our Lord from all ages, denominations, e

PREFACE.

VU and tongues, must be welcome to every lover of sacred poetry.

Such a work is here attempted from the best hymnological sources. A large proportion of the poems are translations or transfusions from the Greek, Latin, and German ; with a few from other languages. The English hymns are nearly all given, as they came from the inspiration of the poet, without omission or alteration. Any other course would be contrary to good taste, and a violation of the sacredness of literary property. The Lyra Sacra of America is well represented. Although only about thirty years old, it is far richer than our British friends are aware of.

About thirty pieces are especially prepared for this Collection, and will attract attention. The Editor begs leave here, publicly, to express his cordial thanks to his friends, the Rev. Drs. W. A. Miihlenberg, Ray Palmer, E. A. Washburn, A. R. Thompson, Prof. Thomas C. Porter, the Rev. James Inglis, the Hon. E. C. Benedict, Mr. A. D. F. Randolph, Mrs. G. W. Hinsdale, and Mrs. Dr. H. B. Smith, for valuable contributions, as well as to those authors and publishers who kindly permitted him to use poems already known.

Under each section the pieces are mostly arranged in chronological order, to enable the reader to trace the history of Christian life in song. It will be observed that the Church before the Reformation, celebrated

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PREFACE .

mainly the great objective facts in Christ's life ( Christus fro nobis) ; while the hymi;iists after the Reformation, without neglecting the festival themes, brought out more fully the subjective application of Christ's merits, and our relation to Him ( Christus in nobis), A few mediaeval singers, especially St. Bernard in his "Jesu dulcis Memoria," have anticipated the deep fervor of that true evangelical piety, which consists in a personal apprehension of Christ by faith, and immediate union and communion with Him, as the all-sufficient Fountain of grace and peace.

I' need hardly add that the Collection is intended for private devotion, and hence includes many poems which would be out of place in a hymn-book for public worship.

May He, whose holy name shines on every page, own and bless this labor of love to His own glory and praise, and to the joy and comfort of His people ; animating their songs in the house of their pilgrimage, until they adore Him face to face in the chorus of Redemption everlasting.

p. s.

5, Bible House, New York, Oct. 5, 1868.

LIST OF THE PRINCIPAL SOURCES

USED AND QUOTED IX THIS COLLECTION.

I. For Ancieftt and MedicBval Hymnology.

H. A. Daniel : Thesaurzcs Hymnologicus. Lipsiae, 1841-1856. 5 vols. Contains Latin, Greek, and Syriac Hj'mns.

F. J. MoNE : Lateinische Hymtien des Mittelalters. Freiburg, 1853-1855. 3 vols.

Philipp Wackernagel : Das Deutsche Kirchenlied von der dltesten Zeit bis zu Anfang des XVII. Jahrk. Leipzig, 1864-1865. 2 vols. Part of Vol. L, pp-, 9-362, is devoted to Latin hymnology, with much curious literary and bibliographical information.

Richard Chexevix Trench : Sacred Latin Poetry, chiefly Lyrical. Second edition, corrected and improved. London and Cambridge, 1864.

J. Ch.andler : The Hytnns of t/te Primitive Church, nowjirst collected, translated, and arranged. London, 1837.

J. M. Neale : Hymns of the Eastern Church. London, 1862, third edition, 1866.

J. M. Neale: Mediaeval Hymns and Sequences. London. 1851, third edition, enlarged, 1867.

Lyra Catholica, by Edward Caswall. London, 1849. New York, 1851 (with additions from Faber and others).

II. For German Hymnology.

Ph. Wackernagel : Das Deutsche Kirchenlied, &c. 1864-1865. 2 vols.

Albert Knapp : Evangelischer Liederschatz. Stuttgart, third edition, 1865, contains

3130 hymns.

Phil. Schaff: Deutsches Gesa7igbuch. Philadelphia, first published 1859, and often

since. (Large edition, with notes, &c.) Fr.\nces Elizabeth Cox: Sacred Hyifins fro7n the German. London, 1841;

new edition, 1865.

Lyra Germanica, by Catherine Winkworth. Second Series. London, 1855

and 1858. Sixth edition, 1866. Also reprinted in New York. Hor^ Germanic.<e, by Henry Mills. New York and Auburn. Second edition,

1856.

Hymns from the Land of Luther. Translated from the Germaji. Edinburgh

1858. New and enlarged edition, New York, 1866. Lyr.a. Domestica : Christian Sojtgs for Domestic Edification. Traiislated from.

Spitta by Richard M.a.ssie. London, i860.

III. For English Hym7iology.

RouNDELL Palmer: The Book of Praise. London and Cambridge, 1S65.

Charles Rogers : Lyra Britannica. A Collection of British Hy»tns printed from the genuine texts, &c. London, 1867.

Good editions of the Poems of George Herbert, Watts, Wesley, Doddridge. Toplady, Cowper, Newton, Heber, Keble, Monsell, Faber, Bonar, Muhlenberg, Bethune, J. W. Alexander, R. Palmer, Mrs. Stowe, and other hymn-writers, and a number of hymnological collections by various authors.

Mrs. Stowe, in a letter to the Editor, dated Sept. ii, 1868, in which she kindly permits him to use several of her poems, as " attempts at that great harmony in which one day all shall be one," informs him that the verse quoted in a footnote on p. 575, does belong to the poem as originally written, and was omitted from the published collection of her Poems by mistake ; the text being copied from the Plymouth Hymn-book, where also it is omitted.

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Table Of Contents

[The date generally indicates the time of composition ; or, where this could net be ascertained, the time of first publication, or the year of the author's death.]

Introductory.

Author.

II On Jordan's bank

From the Latin.

Draw nigh, draw nigh,

From the Latin.

Once He came in blessing,

M. Weiss.

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Lift up jour heads,

G. Weissel.

Let the earth now praise,

H. Held.

Lord, how shall I be meeting.

P. Gerhardt.

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Plunged in a gulf,

Is. Watts.

Messiah, at Thy glad approach.

Michael Bruce.

Lo, He comes !

Th. Kelly.

Watchman ! tell us.

Sir John Bowring.

When Jesus came to earth,

Mrs. C. F. Alexander.

Zion, at thy shining gates.

B. H. Kennedy.

He comes, no royal vesture,

F. RUCKERT.

The Church has .waited long.

Horatius Bonar.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The Incarnation.

A great and mighty wonder,

From where the rising sun,

Of the Father's love begotten,

From lands that see the sun,

To-daj in Bethlehem hear I,

All hail, thou night.

Come hither, ye faithful,

A child is'born in Bethlehem,

There comes a galley laden,

All praise to Thee,

Good news from heaven,

We sing to Thee, Immanuel,

All my heart this night rejoices,

While to Bethlehem,

This is the month.

Thou fairest Child Divine,

Joy to the world.

Hark, how all the welkin rings !

Hark, the glad sound!

When Jordan hushed his waters.

Hark ! what mean those holy.

Angels, from the realms of glory.

What sudden blaze of song,

'Tis come, the time so oft,

The happy Christmas,

Carol, brothers, carol,

Come, ye lofty ! come, ye lowly I

Joy and gladness,

It came upon the midnight clear,

Lo, God, our God, has come,

In Bethlehem, the Lord of glory,

Author.

Anatolius.

Ambrose.

Prudentius.

CcELius Sedulius.

John of Damascus.

From the Latin.

From the Latin.

From the Latin.

John Tauler, NoTKER and Luther.

Luther.

P. Gerhardt.

P. Gerhardt.

Violante do Ceo.

John Milton.

G. Tersteegen.

Isaac Watts.

Chs. Wesley.

Ph. Doddridge.

Hannah More.

Thomas Campbell.

John Cawood.

J. Montgomery.

John Keble.

Thos. Grinfield.

From the Danish.

Wm. a. Muhlenberg.

Archer Gurney.

G. W. Bethune.

E. H. Sears.

H. BONAR.

FrIEDRICH RiJCKERT.

The Infant Saviour with the Virgin Moth

The God whom earth and sea, From the Latin.

When within His mother's arms. From the Latin.

sition.

Page.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

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Author. composition.

Page.

Edward Caswall.

Thou stand'st between the earth,

. 1867

Hail, infant martyrs !

Prudentius.

The Mater Dolorosa,

The Epiphany.

A star shines forth in heaven,

Ephr.^m Syrus.

III Bethlehem ! of noblest cities

Prudentius.

What star is this,

O Christ, our true and only.

JOHANN HeERMANN.

They gave to Thee,

Jeremy Taylor.

All ye Gentile lands, awake !

JOHANN RiST.

The wondering sages trace,

Ernst Lange.

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Sons of men, behold from far!

Charles Wesley-

Brightest and best of the sons,

Bishop Heber.

Christ, whose first appearance,

Phil Spitta.

O Thou, who by a star.

J. M. Neale.

As with gladness men of old.

W. C. Dix.

The wise men to Thy cradle,

C. F. Alexander.

We come not with a costly store,

Anon.

Hail, kingly Jesus !

A. R. Thompson.

Christ's Life and Exainple.

Holy Jesus, Fount of light!

From the German.

Come, my Way,

George Herbert.

Earth has nothing sweet or fair.

Angelus Silesius.

My dear Redeemer,

Is. Watts.

Jesus, still lead on.

Ct. Zinzendorf.

Oh for a heart to praise my God!

Chs. Wesley.

Ever would I fain be reading,

Louise Hensel.

Jesus, I my cross have taken.

H. F. Lyte.

Thou art the Way,

G. W. DOANE.

Behold, where, in a mortal form.

How beauteous were the marks,

A. C. CoxE.

Thine handmaid, Saviour!

W. A. Muhlenberg.

Thou Lord of all, on earth.

S. P. Tregelles.

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Trustingly, trustingly.

H. BONAR.

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The

Passion.

Author. composition.

Page.

Sing, mj tongue,

Venant. Fortunatus

The royal banners forward go,

Venant. Fortunatus

Forth flames the standard,

From the Latin.

Hail, thou Head!

St. Bernard.

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Jesus' holy Cross and dying,

Bona VENTURA.

O'erwhelmed in depths of woe.

From the Latin.

Stnbat Mater Dolorosa,

Jacopone.

What laws, my blessed Saviour,

Johann Heermann.

O world ! behold upon the tree,

Paul Gerhardt.

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O sacred Head! now wounded,

Paul Gerhardt.

O sacred Head, surrounded.

Paul Gerhardt.

Christ, the Life of all the living.

E. C. HOMBURG.

Thou Holiest Love,

Anon.

When I survey.

Is. Watts.

Not all the blood of beasts.

Is. Watts.

Him on yonder cross I love,

J. E. Greding.

Jesus, Thy Blood,

Ct. Zinzendorf.

Sweet the moments.

Walter Shirley.

Surely Christ thy grie*fs.

A. M. TOPLADY.

There is a fountain,

W. Cowper.

Hark ! the voice of love,

JOHNATHAN EVANS.

In the cross of Christ I glory,

John Bowring.

We sing the praise of Him,

Thomas Kelly.

Come to Calvary's holy mount.

James Montgomery.

Fling out the Banner !

Bishop Doane.

Wherefore weep we over Jesus,

Phil. Spitta.

Ride on, ride on in majesty.

H. H. MiLMAN.

Bound upon the accursed tree.

H. H. MiLMAN.

Ask ye what great thing.

B. H. Kennedy.

Oppressed with noon-day's,

HoRATius Bonar.

Cling to the Crucified!

HoRATius Bonar.

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I lay my sins on Jesus,

HoRATius Bonar.

Wouldst thou learn the depth.

J. S. B. MONSELL.

Mj sins, my sins, my Saviour !

J. S. B. MONSELL.

Jesus ! gentle Sufferer, say,

J. S. B. MONSELL.

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Thou who didst hang.

C. G. Rossetti.

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