The Story of Our Hymns
by Ernest Edwin Ryden · English · Gutenberg #33998 · 730,434 chars · public domain (US)
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Story of Our Hymns
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: The Story of Our Hymns
Author: Ernest Edwin Ryden
Release date: September 29, 2010 [eBook #33998]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33998
Credits: E-text prepared by Stephen Hutcheson
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF OUR HYMNS ***
E-text prepared by Stephen Hutcheson
THE STORY OF OUR HYMNS
by
ERNEST EDWIN RYDEN
Pastor of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
St. Paul, Minnesota
Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois
Copyright 1930
by
Augustana Book Concern
First Edition, December, 1930
Second Edition, April, 1931
Augustana Book Concern
Rock Island, Illinois
To the Sweet Memory
of Our Bonnie Boy
Richard Edward Ryden
Who at the Age of Ten Years Went
Home to Sing with the
Angels.
He is not dead: he only sleeps,
Safe in the arms of Him who keeps
His lambs secure from earth's alarm,
From grief and sin and foes that harm.
He is not dead: he is at rest,
Content upon his Saviour's breast;
Dear little child, we loved you so,
But Jesus loved you more, we know.
He is not dead: the Shepherd came
To call His little lamb by name;
The gentle Shepherd watch will keep,
While His beloved child doth sleep.
He is not dead: by angel bands
Now welcomed to the heavenly lands,
With theirs a childish voice shall sing
Hosannas to the children's King.
He is not dead: though tears may flow,
Faith whispers: "It is better so."
With joy we'll meet on that fair shore,
Where God's own children weep no more.
FOREWORD
The hymn lore of the Christian Church offers a fascinating field for
profitable research and study. To know the hymns of the Church is to know
something of the spiritual strivings and achievements of the people of
God throughout the centuries. Henry Ward Beecher has well said: "Hymns
are the jewels which the Church has worn, the pearls, the diamonds, the
precious stones, formed into amulets more potent against sorrow and
sadness than the most famous charm of the wizard or the magician. And he
who knows the way that hymns flowed, knows where the blood of true piety
ran, and can trace its veins and arteries to the very heart."
This volume has been inspired by a desire on the part of the author to
create deeper love for the great lyrics of the Christian Church. In
pursuing this purpose an effort has been made to present such facts and
circumstances surrounding their authorship and composition as will result
in a better understanding and appreciation of the hymns themselves.
A hymn is a child of the age in which it was written. For this reason the
author has followed a chronological arrangement in an endeavor, not only
to set forth the historical background of the hymns, but also to trace
the spiritual movements within the Church that gave them birth.
The materials contained in this volume have been gathered from sources
too numerous to mention here. The author feels a special sense of
gratitude for information drawn from David R. Breed's "The History and
Use of Hymns and Hymn-Tunes," Edward S. Ninde's "The Story of the
American Hymn," and John Julian's monumental work, "Dictionary of
Hymnology." No claim is made to originality, except in the manner of
presentation and interpretation. A popular style has been adopted in
order to appeal to the lay reader.
Thus we send forth this book with the earnest prayer that it may inspire
many hearts to sing with greater devotion the praises of Him who redeemed
us with His blood and made us to be kings and priests unto God.
Ernest Edwin Ryden.
St. Paul, Minnesota, November 14, 1930.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I: EARLY CHRISTIAN HYMNODY
The Early Christian Chants 13
Greek and Syriac Hymns 19
The Rise of Latin Hymnody 25
An Ancient Singer Who Glorified the Cross 31
The Golden Age of Latin Hymnody 35
PART II: GERMAN HYMNODY
Martin Luther, Father of Evangelical Hymnody 43
The Hymn-Writers of the Reformation 53
Hymnody of the Controversial Period 59
The King and Queen of Chorales 65
Hymns of the Thirty Years' War 69
A Hymn Made Famous on a Battle Field 77
The Lutheran Te Deum 81
Paul Gerhardt, Prince of Lutheran Hymnists 85
Joachim Neander, the Paul Gerhardt of the Calvinists 93
A Roman Mystic and Hymn-writer 99
Hymn-writers of the Pietist School 103
The Wuerttemberg Hymn-writers 111
How a Great Organist Inspired Two Hymnists 117
Gerhard Tersteegen, Hymn-writer and Mystic 123
Zinzendorf and Moravian Hymnody 127
Two Famous Hymns and some Legends 131
Hymnody in the Age of Rationalism 135
Hymns of the Spiritual Renaissance 141
PART III: SCANDINAVIAN HYMNODY
The Swedish Reformers and Their Hymns 149
A Hymn-Book That Failed 155
David's Harp in the Northland 161
The Golden Age of Swedish Hymnody 169
The Fanny Crosby of Sweden and the Pietists 177
Kingo, the Poet of Easter-Tide 185
Brorson, the Poet of Christmas 191
Grundtvig, the Poet of Whitsuntide 197
Landstad, a Bard of the Frozen Fjords 203
PART IV: ENGLISH HYMNODY
The Dawn of Hymnody in England 209
Isaac Watts, Father of English Hymnody 215
Doddridge: Preacher, Teacher, and Hymnist 221
Wesley, The Sweet Bard of Methodism 225
A Great Hymn that Grew out of a Quarrel 233
The Bird of a Single Song 239
England's First Woman Hymnist 245
A Slave-trader Who Wrote Christian Lyrics 249
An Afflicted Poet Who Glorified God 253
An Irish Poet and His Hymns 259
The Hymn Legacy of an English Editor 263
Heber, Missionary Bishop and Hymnist 269
An Invalid Who Blessed the World 275
How Hymns Helped Build a Church 279
A Famous Hymn by a Proselyte of Rome 285
Henry Francis Lyte and His Swan Song 291
Sarah Adams and the Rise of Women Hymn-writers 297
A Hymn Written in a Stage-coach 301
An Archbishop's Wife Who Wrote Hymns 305
Bonar, the Sweet Singer of Scotland 311
Two Famous Translators of Ancient Hymns 317
Baring-Gould and His Noted Hymn 323
Frances Ridley Havergal, the Consecration Poet 327
A Unitarian Who Gloried in the Cross 333
A Model Hymn by a Model Minister 337
Matheson and His Song in the Night 341
Part V: AMERICAN HYMNODY
The Beginning of Hymnody in America 347
America's First Woman Hymnist 353
Thomas Hastings, Poet and Musician 359
Francis Scott Key, Patriot and Hymnist 363
America's First Poet and His Hymns 367
The Hymn-writer of the Muhlenbergs 371
The Lyrics of Bishop Doane 375
The Quaker Poet as a Hymn-writer 379
America's Greatest Hymn and Its Author 383
Samuel Smith, a Patriotic Hymn-writer 389
Two Famous Christmas Hymns and Their Author 395
Harriet Beecher Stowe and Her Hymns 399
A Hymn Written on Two Shores 407
A Hymn That Grew out of Suffering 411
A Famous Hymn Written for Sailors 415
A Tragedy That Inspired a Great Hymn 419
Anna Warner and Her Beautiful Hymns 423
Phillips Brooks and His Carols 427
Women Who Wrote Hymns for Children 431
Fanny Crosby, America's Blind Poet 435
One of America's Earliest Gospel Singers 441
The Lyrist of Chautauqua 445
Gladden's Hymn of Christian Service 449
A Hymn with a Modern Message 453
A Lutheran Psalmist of Today 457
Survey of American Lutheran Hymnody 463
Index of Notable Hymns 471
Alphabetical Index of Hymns and Sources 477
Authors' and General Index 493
Bibliography 503
PART I
Early Christian Hymnody
The Angelic Hymn
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We
praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify
Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord
God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sin of the
world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right
hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord; Thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHANTS
The first Christians sang hymns. The Saviour went to His passion with a
song on His lips. Matthew and Mark agree that the last act of worship in
the Upper Room was the singing of a hymn. "And when they had sung a hymn,
they went out unto the Mount of Olives."
How we wish that the words of that hymn might have been preserved!
Perhaps they have. Many Biblical scholars believe that they may be found
in the so-called _Hallel_ series in the Psaltery, consisting of Psalms
113 to 118 inclusive. It was a practice among the Jews to chant these
holy songs at the paschal table. Fraught as they were with Messianic
hope, it was fitting that such a hymn should ascend to the skies in the
hour when God's Paschal Lamb was about to be offered.
The Christian Church followed the example of Jesus and His disciples by
singing from the Psaltery at its worship. Paul admonished his converts
not to neglect the gift of song. To the Ephesians he wrote: "Be filled
with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord."
And his exhortation to the Colossians rings like an echo: "Let the word
of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts unto God."
The praying and singing of Paul and Silas in the midnight gloom of the
Philippian dungeon, their feet being made "fast in the stocks," also is a
revelation of the large place occupied by song in the lives of the early
Christians.
The double reference of the Apostle to "psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs" would indicate that the Christian Church very early began to use
chants and hymns other than those taken from the Psaltery. The younger
Pliny, in 112 A.D., wrote to Emperor Trajan from Bithynia that the
Christians came together before daylight and sang hymns alternately
(_invicem_) "to Christ as God."
These distinctively Christian chants were the _Gloria in Excelsis_, or
the "Angelic Hymn," so called because its opening lines are taken from
the song of the angels at Jesus' birth; the _Magnificat_, Mary's song of
praise; the _Benedictus_, the song of Zacharias, father of John the
Baptist; and the _Nunc Dimittis_, the prayer of the aged Simeon when he
held the Christ-child in his arms. Other chants that were used very early
in the Christian Church included the _Ter Sanctus_, based on the "thrice
holy" of Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8; the _Gloria Patri_, or "Lesser
Doxology;" the _Benedicite_, the "Song of the Three Hebrew Children,"
from the Apocrypha; and the _Te Deum Laudamus_, which is sometimes
regarded as a later Latin chant, but which undoubtedly was derived from a
very ancient hymn of praise.
Eminent Biblical scholars believe that fragments of other primitive
Christian hymns have been preserved in the Epistles of Paul and in other
portions of the New Testament. Such a fragment is believed to be recorded
in 1 Timothy 3:16:
He who was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the spirit,
Seen of angels,
Preached among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
The "faithful saying" to which Paul refers in 2 Timothy 2:11 also is
believed to be a quotation from one of these hymns so dear to the
Christians:
If we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him:
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him:
If we shall deny Him,
He will also deny us:
If we are faithless,
He abideth faithful;
For He cannot deny Himself.
It will be noted how well these passages adapt themselves to responsive,
or antiphonal, chanting, which was the character of the ancient Christian
songs. Other passages that are believed to be fragments of ancient hymns
are Ephesians 5:14; 1 Timothy 6:15, 16; James 1:17, and Revelation 1:5-7.
There are strong evidences to support the claim that responsive singing
in the churches of Asia Minor was introduced during the latter part of
the first century by Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, a pupil of the Apostle
John. The _Gloria in Excelsis_ was used in matin services about this
time, while the _Magnificat_ was sung at vespers. Ignatius suffered
martyrdom about 107 A.D. by being torn to pieces by lions in the circus
as a despiser of the gods.
Liturgies also were employed very early in the worship of the Christian
Church. An ancient service known as the "Jerusalem" liturgy was ascribed
to the Apostle James, while the so-called "Alexandrian" liturgy claimed
as its author Mark, fellow laborer of Paul and companion of Peter. There
is much uncertainty surrounding these claims, however.
Both Tertullian and Origen record the fact that there was a rich use of
song in family life as well as in public worship.
The singing of the early Christians was simple and artless. Augustine
describes the singing at Alexandria under Athanasius as "more like
speaking than singing." Musical instruments were not used. The pipe,
tabret, and harp were associated so intimately with the sensuous heathen
cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of
the degenerate theatre and circus, that it is easy to understand the
prejudice against their use in the Christian worship.
"A Christian maiden," says Jerome, "ought not even to know what a lyre or
a flute is, or what it is used for." Clement of Alexandria writes: "Only
one instrument do we use, viz., the word of peace wherewith we honor God,
no longer the old psaltery, trumpet, drum, and flute." Chrysostom
expresses himself in like vein: "David formerly sang in psalms, also we
sing today with him; he had a lyre with lifeless strings, the Church has
a lyre with living strings. Our tongues are the strings of the lyre, with
a different tone, indeed, but with a more accordant piety."
The language of the first Christian hymns, like the language of the New
Testament, was Greek. The Syriac tongue was also used in some regions,
but Greek gradually attained ascendancy.
The hymns of the Eastern Church are rich in adoration and the spirit of
worship. Because of their exalted character and Scriptural language they
have found an imperishable place in the liturgical forms of the Christian
Church. As types of true hymnody, they have never been surpassed.
The Oldest Christian Hymn
Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant King,
We come Thy Name to sing,
And here our children bring
To join Thy praise.
Thou art our holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife:
Thou didst Thyself abase,
That from sin's deep disgrace
Thou mightest save our race,
And give us life.
Ever be near our side,
Our Shepherd and our Guide,
Our staff and song:
Jesus, Thou Christ of God,
By Thine enduring Word,
Lead us where Thou hast trod;
Our faith make strong.
So now, and till we die,
Sound we Thy praises high,
And joyful sing:
Let all the holy throng
Who to Thy Church belong
Unite to swell the song
To Christ our King!
Clement of Alexandria, about 200 A.D.
GREEK AND SYRIAC HYMNS
Very soon the early Christians began to use hymns other than the Psalms
and Scriptural chants. In other words, they began to sing the praises of
the Lord in their own words. Eusebius informs us that in the first half
of the third century there existed a large number of sacred songs. Some
of these have come down to us, but the authorship of only one is known
with any degree of certainty. It is the beautiful children's hymn,
"Shepherd of Tender Youth."
Just how old this hymn is cannot be stated with certainty. However, it is
found appended to a very ancient Christian work entitled "The Tutor,"
written in Greek by Clement of Alexandria.
Clement, whose real name was Titus Flavius Clemens, was born about 170
A.D. He was one of the first great scholars in the Christian Church. An
eager seeker after truth, he studied the religions and philosophical
systems of the Greeks, the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Jews.
In the course of time he entered the Catechetical School conducted by
Pantaenus at Alexandria, Egypt, and there he became a convert to
Christianity. Some years later Clement himself became the head of the
institution, which was the first Christian school of its kind in the
world. Among the students who received instruction from Clement was the
famous Origen, who became the greatest scholar in the ancient Christian
church. Another of his pupils was Alexander, afterwards Bishop of
Jerusalem, and still later Bishop of Cappadocia.
One of Clement's most celebrated works was "The Tutor." It was in three
volumes. The first book described the Tutor, who is Christ Himself; the
second book contained sundry directions concerning the daily life and
conduct; and the third, after dwelling on the nature of true beauty,
condemned extravagance in dress, on the part of both men and women.
Two poems are appended to this work, the first of which is entitled, "A
Hymn to the Saviour." This is the hymn known as "Shepherd of tender
youth."
The "Hymn to the Saviour" in all the manuscripts in which it is found is
attributed to Clement himself, but some critics believe that he was
merely quoting it, and that it was written by a still earlier poet. Be
that as it may, we do know that, aside from the hymns derived from the
Bible, it is the oldest Christian hymn in existence, and it has always
been referred to as "Clement's hymn."
Clement was driven from Alexandria during the persecution of Severus in
202 A.D. Of his subsequent history practically nothing is known. It is
believed he died about 220 A.D.
A number of other beautiful Greek hymns have come down to us from the
same period, but their date and authorship remain in doubt. Longfellow
has given us an exquisite translation of one of these in "The Golden
Legend":
O Gladsome Light
Of the Father immortal,
And of the celestial
Sacred and blessed
Jesus, our Saviour!
Now to the sunset
Again hast Thou brought us;
And seeing the evening
Twilight, we bless Thee,
Praise Thee, adore Thee,
Father omnipotent!
Son, the Life-giver!
Spirit, the Comforter!
Worthy at all times
Of worship and wonder!
An inspiring little doxology, also by an unknown author, reads:
My hope is God,
My refuge is the Lord,
My shelter is the Holy Ghost;
Be Thou, O Holy Three, adored!
Doctrinal controversies gave the first real impetus to hymn writing in
the Eastern church. As early as the second century, Bardesanes, a Gnostic
teacher, had beguiled many to adopt his heresy by the charm of his hymns
and melodies. His son, Harmonius, followed in the father's footsteps.
Their hymns were written in the Syriac language, and only a few fragments
have been preserved.
The Arians and other heretical teachers also seized upon the same method
to spread their doctrines. It was not until the fourth century,
apparently, that any effort was made by orthodox Christians to meet them
with their own weapons. Ephrem Syrus, who has been called "the cithern of
the Holy Spirit," was the greatest teacher of his time in the Syrian
Church, as well as her most gifted hymnist. This unusual man was born in
northern Mesopotamia about 307 A.D. His zeal for orthodox Christianity
was no doubt kindled by his presence at the Council of Nicaea in 325
A.D., and thenceforth he was ever an eager champion of the faith. Not
only did he write hymns and chants, but he trained large choirs to sing
them. He exerted a profound influence over the entire Syrian Church, and
even today his hymns are used by the Maronite Christians.
The greatest name among the Greek hymnists of this period is Gregory
Nazianzen. Born in 325 A.D., the son of a bishop, he was compelled by his
father to enter the priesthood at the age of thirty-six years. He labored
with much zeal, however, and eventually was enthroned by the Emperor's
own hand as Patriarch of Constantinople. Through the machinations of the
Arians he was later compelled to abdicate his office, whereupon he
retired to his birthplace. Here he spent the last years of his life in
writing sacred poetry of singular beauty and lofty spirit.
Another of the important writers of the early Greek period was Anatolius.
Concerning this man very little is known except that he lived in the
seventh or eighth century. He has left about one hundred hymns, among
them, at least three that are still in common use, "Fierce was the wild
billow," "The day is past and over," and "A great and mighty wonder."
This last is a little Christmas hymn of unusual charm. His description of
the storm of Galilee is one of the classics of Greek hymnology:
Fierce was the wild billow,
Dark was the night;
Oars labored heavily,
Foam glimmered white;
Trembled the mariners,
Peril was nigh;
Then said the God of God,
"Peace! It is I."
To John of Damascus, who died about 780 A.D., we are indebted for two of
the most popular Easter hymns in use today, namely, "The day of
resurrection" and "Come, ye faithful, raise the strain." Further
reference to these will be found in the chapter on the great translator
of Greek and Latin hymns, John Mason Neale.
When John of Damascus forsook the world and left behind him a brilliant
career to enter a monastery founded in 520 A.D., by St. Sabas, he took
with him his ten-year-old nephew, Stephen. The boy grew up within the
walls of this cloister, which is situated in one of the deep gorges of
the brook Kedron, near Bethlehem, overlooking the Dead Sea. Stephen, who
came to be known as the Sabaite, was likewise a gifted hymnist, and it is
he who has given us the hymn made famous by Neale's translation: "Art
thou weary, art thou languid?" Stephen died in 794 A.D.
The last name of importance among the great hymn-writers of the Greek
Church is that of Joseph the Hymnographer, who lived at Constantinople in
the ninth century. It is he who wrote the hymn on angels for St.
Michael's Day:
Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,
Filled with celestial resplendence and light,
These that, where night never followeth day,
Raise the "Thrice Holy, Lord!" ever and aye.
As early as the fourth century the Council of Laodicea had decreed that
"besides the appointed singers, who mount the ambo, and sing from the
book, others shall not sing in the church." How far this rule may have
discouraged or suppressed congregational singing is a subject of dispute
among historians. However, it is a matter of record that hymnody suffered
a gradual decline in the Eastern division of the Christian Church and
eventually assumed more of a liturgical character.
An Ambrosian Advent Hymn
Come, Thou Saviour of our race,
Choicest Gift of heavenly grace!
O Thou blessed Virgin's Son,
Be Thy race on earth begun.
Not of mortal blood or birth,
He descends from heaven to earth:
By the Holy Ghost conceived,
God and man by us believed.
Wondrous birth! O wondrous child
Of the virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in heaven enthroned.
From the Father forth He came,
And returneth to the same;
Captive leading death and hell--
High the song of triumph swell!
Equal to the Father now,
Though to dust Thou once didst bow,
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?
Brightly doth Thy manger shine!
Glorious in its light divine:
Let not sin o'ercloud this light,
Ever be our faith thus bright.
Aurelius Ambrose (340-397 A.D.)
THE RISE OF LATIN HYMNODY
The first hymns and canticles used in the Western churches came from the
East. They were sung in their original Greek form. It was not until the
beginning of the fourth century that any record of Latin hymns is found.
Isadore of Seville, who died in the year 636 A.D., tells us that "Hilary
of Gaul, bishop of Poitiers, was the first who flourished in composing
hymns in verse." Hilary, who died in the year 368, himself records the
fact that he brought some of them from the East. His most famous Latin
hymn is _Lucis largitor splendide_.
The father of Latin hymnody, however, was the great church father,
Aurelius Ambrose, bishop of Milan. It was he who taught the Western
Church to glorify God in song. Concerning this remarkable bishop,
Mabillon writes:
"St. Ambrose took care that, after the manner of the Eastern Fathers,
psalms and hymns should be sung by the people also, when previously they
had only been recited by individuals singly, and among the Italians by
clerks only."
The father of Ambrose was prefect of the Gauls, and it is believed that
the future bishop was born at Treves about 340 A.D. The youthful Ambrose,
like his father, was trained for government service, and in 374 A.D. he
was appointed Consular of Liguria and Aemilia. During the election of a
bishop in Milan, a bitter conflict raged between the orthodox Christians
and the Arians, and Ambrose found it necessary to attend the church where
the election was taking place in order to calm the excited assembly.
According to tradition, a child's voice was heard to cry out in the
church, "Ambrosius!" This was accepted at once by the multitude as an act
of divine guidance and the whole assembly began shouting, "Ambrose shall
be our bishop!" Ambrose had been attracted to the Christian religion but
as yet had not received baptism. He therefore protested his election and
immediately fled from the city. He was induced to return, however, was
baptized, and accepted the high office for which he had been chosen.
The story of his subsequent life is one of the most remarkable chapters
in the annals of the early Christian Church. Selling all his possessions,
he entered upon the duties of his bishopric with such fervent zeal and
untiring devotion that his fame spread far and wide. He early recognized
the value of music in church worship and immediately took steps to
introduce congregational singing. He was the author of a new kind of
church music, which, because of its rhythmical accent, rich modulation,
and musical flow, made a powerful appeal to the emotions. Withal, because
it was combined with such artless simplicity, it was easily mastered by
the common people and instantly sprang into great popularity. By the
introduction of responsive singing he also succeeded in securing the
active participation of the congregation in the worship.
Empress Justina favored the Arians and sought to induce Ambrose to open
the church of Milan for their use. When Ambrose replied with dignity that
it did not behoove the state to interfere in matters of doctrine,
soldiers were sent to enforce the imperial will. The people of Milan,
however, rallied around their beloved bishop, and, when the soldiers
surrounded the church, Ambrose and his congregation were singing and
praying. So tremendous was the effect of the song that the soldiers
outside the church finally joined in the anthems. The effort to compel
Ambrose to yield proved fruitless, and the empress abandoned her plan.
Augustine, who later became the most famous convert of Ambrose, tells of
the great impression made on his soul when he heard the singing of
Ambrose and his congregation. In his "Confessions" he writes: "How
mightily I was moved by the overwhelming tones of Thy Church, my God! Thy
voices flooded my ears, Thy truth melted my heart, the sacred fires of
worship were kindled in my soul, my tears flowed, and a foretaste of the
joy of salvation was given me." Ambrose himself has left us this
testimony: "They say that people are transported by the singing of my
hymns, and I confess that it is true."
Ambrose was no respecter of persons. Although he was a warm friend of the
Emperor Theodosius, he denounced the latter's cruel massacre of the
people of Thessalonica, and, when Theodosius came to the church of
Ambrose to worship, he was met at the door by the brave bishop and denied
admittance.
"Do you," he cried, "who have been guilty of shedding innocent blood,
dare to enter the sanctuary?"
The emperor for eight months refrained from communion; then he applied
for absolution, which was granted him after he had done public penance.
He also promised in the future never to execute a death sentence within
thirty days of its pronouncement.
It was at Milan that the pious Monica experienced the joy of seeing her
tears and prayers answered in the conversion of her famous son,
Augustine. The latter, who had come to Milan in the year 384 as a teacher
of oratory, was attracted at first by the eloquence of Ambrose's
preaching. It was not long, however, before the Word of God began to grip
the heart of the skeptical, sensual youth. At length he was induced to
begin anew the study of the Scripture, and his conversion followed. It
was on Easter Sunday, 387 A.D., that he received the rite of holy baptism
at the hands of Bishop Ambrose. There is a beautiful tradition that the
_Te Deum Laudamus_ was composed under inspiration and recited alternately
by Ambrose and Augustine immediately after the latter had been baptized.
However, there is little to substantiate this legend, and it is more
likely that the magnificent hymn of praise was a compilation of a later
date, based on a very ancient Greek version.
As Athanasius was the defender of the doctrine of the Trinity in the
East, so Ambrose was its champion in the West. It is natural, therefore,
that many of the hymns of Ambrose center around the deity of Christ.
There are at least twelve Latin hymns that can be ascribed with certainty
to him. Perhaps his best hymn is _Veni, Redemptor gentium_, which Luther
prized very highly and which was one of the first he translated into
German. The English translation, "Come, Thou Saviour of our race," is by
William R. Reynolds. Another Advent hymn, "Now hail we our Redeemer," is
sometimes ascribed to Ambrose.
The beloved bishop, whose life had been so stormy, passed peacefully to
rest on Easter evening, 397 A.D. Thus was seemingly granted beautiful
fulfilment to the prayer Ambrose utters in one of his hymns:
Grant to life's day a calm unclouded ending,
An eve untouched by shadows of decay,
The brightness of a holy deathbed blending
With dawning glories of the eternal day.
While Ambrose was defending the faith and inditing sacred songs at Milan,
another richly-endowed poet was writing sublime Latin verse far to the
West. He was Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, the great Spanish hymnist. Of
his personal history we know little except that he was born 348 A.D. in
northern Spain, probably at Saragossa.
In early life he occupied important positions of state, but in his latter
years he retired to a monastery. Here he exercised his high poetic gifts
in writing a series of sacred Latin poems. He was preeminently the poet
of the martyrs, never ceasing to extol their Christian faith and
fortitude. Bentley called Prudentius the "Horace of the Christians."
Rudelbach declared that his poetry "is like gold set with precious
stones," and Luther expressed the desire that the works of Prudentius
should be studied in the schools.
The finest funeral hymn ever written has come to us from the pen of this
early Spanish bard. It consists of forty-four verses, and begins with the
line, _Deus ignee fons animarum_. It is sometimes referred to as the
"song of the catacombs." Archbishop Trench of England called this hymn
"the crowning glory of the poetry of Prudentius," and another archbishop,
Johan Olof Wallin, the great hymnist of Sweden, made four different
attempts at translating it before he produced the hymn now regarded as
one of the choicest gems in the "Psalm-book" of his native land.
An English version, derived from the longer poem, begins with the stanza:
Despair not, O heart, in thy sorrow,
But hope from God's promises borrow;
Beware, in thy sorrow, of sinning,
For death is of life the beginning.
A Prophetic Easter Hymn
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say,
Hell today is vanquished, heaven is won today.
Lo, the Dead is living, God for evermore!
Him, their true Creator, all His works adore.
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say.
Maker and Redeemer, Life and Health of all,
Thou from heaven beholding human nature's fall,
Thou of God the Father, true and only Son,
Manhood to deliver, manhood didst put on.
Hell today is vanquished; heaven is won today!
Thou, of life the Author, death didst undergo,
Tread the path of darkness, saving strength to show;
Come then, True and Faithful, now fulfil Thy word;
'Tis Thine own third morning: rise, O buried Lord!
Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say.
Loose the souls long prisoned, bound with Satan's chain;
All that now is fallen raise to life again;
Show Thy face in brightness, bid the nations see;
Bring again our daylight; day returns with Thee!
Welcome, happy morning! Heaven is won today!
Venantius Fortunatus (530-609 A.D.)
AN ANCIENT SINGER WHO GLORIFIED THE CROSS
The joyous, rhythmical church-song introduced by Bishop Ambrose made
triumphant progress throughout the Western Church. For three centuries it
seems to have completely dominated the worship. Its rich melodies and
native freshness made a strong appeal to the human emotions, and
therefore proved very popular with the people.
However, when Gregory the Great in 590 A.D. ascended the papal chair a
reaction had set in. Many of the Ambrosian hymns and chants had become
corrupted and secularized and therefore had lost their ecclesiastical
dignity. Gregory, to whose severe, ascetic nature the bright and lively
style of Ambrosian singing must have seemed almost an abomination,
immediately took steps to reform the church music.
A school of music was founded in Rome where the new Gregorian liturgical
style, known as "Cantus Romanus," was taught. The Gregorian music was
sung in unison. It was slow, uniform and measured, without rhythm and
beat, and thus it approached the old recitative method of psalm singing.
While it is true that it raised the church music to a higher, nobler and
more dignified level, its fatal defect lay in the fact that it could be
rendered worthily only by trained choirs and singers. Congregational
singing soon became a thing of the past. The common people thenceforth
became silent and passive worshipers, and the congregational hymn was
superseded by a clerical liturgy.
One of the last hymnists of the Ambrosian school and the most important
Latin poet of the sixth century was Venantius Fortunatus, bishop of
Poitiers. He was born at Ceneda, near Treviso, about 530 A.D., and was
converted to Christianity at an early age. While a student at Ravenna he
almost became blind. Having regained his sight through what he regarded a
miracle, he made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Martin at Tours, and
as a result of this journey the remainder of his life was spent in Gaul.
Although all of the poetry of Fortunatus is not of the highest order, he
has bequeathed some magnificent hymns to the Christian Church. No one has
ever sung of the Cross with such deep pathos and sublime tenderness:
Faithful Cross! above all other,
One and only noble tree!
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweetest wood and sweetest iron!
Sweetest weight is hung on thee.
Bend thy boughs, O Tree of Glory!
Thy relaxing sinews bend;
For awhile the ancient rigor
That thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And the King of heavenly beauty
On thy bosom gently tend!
Thou alone wast counted worthy
This world's Ransom to uphold;
For a shipwrecked race preparing
Harbor, like the Ark of old;
With the sacred blood anointed
From the smitten Lamb that rolled.
And again:
O Tree of beauty, Tree of Light!
O Tree with royal purple dight!
Elect on whose triumphal breast
Those holy limbs should find their rest:
On whose dear arms, so widely flung,
The weight of this world's Ransom hung:
The price of humankind to pay,
And spoil the spoiler of his prey.
Fortunatus' famous Passion hymn, _Pange lingua glorioso_, is also the
basis for the beautiful Easter hymn:
Praise the Saviour
Now and ever!
Praise Him all beneath the skies!
Prostrate lying,
Suffering, dying,
On the Cross, a Sacrifice;
Victory gaining,
Life obtaining,
Now in glory He doth rise.
Another Easter hymn, "Welcome, happy morning! age to age shall say," has
a triumphant ring in its flowing lines. His odes to Ascension day and
Whitsunday are similar in character.
That Fortunatus had a true evangelical conception of Christ and His
atonement may be seen in his well-known hymn, _Lustra sex qui jam
peregit_:
Holy Jesus, grant us grace
In Thy sacrifice to place
All our trust for life renewed,
Pardoned sin and promised good.
A Tribute to the Dying Saviour
O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded,
With thorns Thine only crown!
Once reigning in the highest
In light and majesty,
Dishonored now Thou diest,
Yet here I worship Thee.
How art Thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,
Was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Saviour,
'Tis I deserve Thy place:
Look on me with Thy favor,
Vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
Receive me, my Redeemer;
My Shepherd, make me Thine,
Of every good the Fountain,
Thou art the Spring of mine!
What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end!
O make me Thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love to Thee.
Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153 A.D.)
THE GOLDEN AGE OF LATIN HYMNODY
During the Middle Ages, when evil days had fallen upon the Church, there
was very little to inspire sacred song. All over Europe the Gregorian
chants, sung in Latin, had crowded out congregational singing. The
barbarian languages were considered too crude for use in worship, and
much less were they regarded as worthy of being moulded into Christian
hymns. Religious poetry was almost invariably written in Latin.
However, in the midst of the spiritual decay and worldly depravity that
characterized the age there were noble souls whose lives shone like
bright stars in the surrounding darkness. Their sacred poetry, a great
deal of which was written for private devotion, bears witness of their
deep love for the Saviour.
The beautiful Palm Sunday hymn, "All glory, laud, and honor," was
composed by Bishop Theodulph of Orleans in a prison cell, probably in the
year 821. The immortal _Veni, Creator Spiritus_ also dates from the same
period, being usually ascribed to Rhabanus Maurus, archbishop of Mainz,
who died in the year 856.
The religious fervor inspired by the Crusades, which began in the year
1098, resulted in the production during the twelfth century of Latin
poetry of singular lyrical beauty. This may be regarded as the golden age
of Latin hymnody.
It was during this period that the most touching of all Good Friday
hymns, "O sacred Head, now wounded," was written. It is ascribed to
Bernard of Clairvaux, preacher of the Second Crusade, and one of the most
brilliant of Latin hymn-writers.
Although composed in the twelfth century, the hymn did not achieve
unusual fame until five centuries later, when it was rendered into German
by the greatest of all Lutheran hymnists, Paul Gerhardt. Lauxmann has
well said: "Bernard's original is powerful and searching, but Gerhardt's
hymn is still more powerful and profound, as re-drawn from the deeper
spring of evangelical Lutheran, Scriptural knowledge and fervency of
faith."
Gerhardt's version in turn was translated into English by James W.
Alexander of Princeton, a Presbyterian. Thus, as Dr. Philip Schaff puts
it: "This classic hymn has shown in three tongues--Latin, German and
English--and in three confessions--Roman, Lutheran and Reformed--with
equal effect the dying love of our Saviour and our boundless indebtedness
to Him."
Yet another Lutheran, none other than John Sebastian Bach, "high priest
of church music," has contributed to the fame of the hymn by giving the
gripping tune to which it is sung its present form. Strangely enough,
this remarkable minor melody was originally a rather frivolous German
folksong, and was adapted by Hans Leo Hassler in 1601 to the hymn,
"Herzlich thut mich verlangen." It was Bach, however, who moulded the
tune into the "Passion Chorale," one of the world's masterpieces of
sacred music.
Many touching stories have been recorded concerning this famous hymn. In
1798, when Christian Schwartz, the great Lutheran missionary to India,
lay dying, his Indian pupils gathered around his bed and sang in their
own Malabar tongue the last verses of the hymn, Schwartz himself joining
in the singing till his voice was silenced in death.
Of Bernard of Clairvaux, the writer of the hymn, volumes might be
written. Luther paid him an eloquent tribute, when he said: "If there has
ever been a pious monk who feared God it was St. Bernard, whom alone I
hold in much higher esteem than all other monks and priests throughout
the globe."
Probably no preacher ever exerted a more profound influence over the age
in which he lived than did this Cistercian monk. It was the death of his
mother, when he was twenty years old, that seemed to have been the
turning point in his life. The son of a Burgundian knight, he had planned
to become a priest, but now he determined to enter a monastery. He did
not go alone, however, but took with him twelve companions, including an
uncle and four of his five brothers!
When he was only twenty-four years old, in the year 1115, he founded a
monastery of his own, which was destined to become one of the most famous
in history. It was situated in a valley in France called Wormwood, a wild
region famous as a robber haunt. Bernard changed the name to "Clara
Vallis," or "Beautiful Valley," from which is derived the designation
"Clairvaux."
Among his pupils were men who afterwards wielded great influence in the
Roman Church. One became a pope, six became cardinals, and thirty were
elevated to the office of bishop in the church.
As abbot of Clairvaux, the fame of Bernard spread through all
Christendom. He led such an ascetic life that he was reduced almost to a
living skeleton. His haggard appearance alone made a deep impression on
his audiences. But he also was gifted with extraordinary eloquence and
deep spiritual fervor.
Frequently he would leave his monastery to appear before kings and church
councils, always swaying them at will. During the year 1146 he traveled
through France and Germany, preaching a second crusade. The effect of his
preaching was almost miraculous. In some instances the whole population
of cities and villages seemed to rise _en masse_, flocking to the crusade
standards.
"In the towns where I have preached," he said, "scarcely one man is left
to seven women."
Emperor Conrad and Louis, King of France, were easily won to the cause,
and in 1147 the vast horde of crusaders started for the Holy Land.
Probably only one-tenth reached Palestine, and the expedition resulted in
failure. A miserable remnant returned home, defeated and disgraced. The
blame was thrown on Bernard and it was no doubt this sorrow that hastened
his death, in the year 1153.
His noble Good Friday hymn, which in Latin begins with the words, _Salve
caput cruentatum_, alone would have gained undying fame for Bernard, but
we are indebted to this gifted monk for another remarkable poem, _De
Nomine Jesu_, from which at least three of our most beautiful English
hymns have been derived. One of these is a translation by the Englishman,
Edward Caswall:
Jesus, the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see
And in Thy presence rest.
A second by the same translator is equally beautiful:
O Jesus! King most wonderful,
Thou Conqueror renowned,
Thou sweetness most ineffable,
In whom all joys are found.
The third derived from Bernard's Latin lyric is by the American hymnist,
Ray Palmer:
O Jesus, Joy of loving hearts!
Thou Fount of life! Thou Light of men!
From fullest bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfilled to Thee again.
Throughout the Middle Ages the verses of Bernard were a source of
inspiration to faithful souls, and it is said that even the Crusaders who
kept guard over the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem sang his _De Nomine
Jesu_.
A noted contemporary, Bernard of Cluny, shares with Bernard of Clairvaux
the distinction of occupying the foremost place among the great Latin
hymn-writers. This Bernard was born in Morlaix in Brittany of English
parents very early in the twelfth century. After having entered the Abbey
of Cluny, which at that time was the most wealthy and luxurious monastery
in Europe, he devoted his leisure hours to writing his famous poem, _De
contemptu mundi_. This poem, which is a satire against the vices and
follies of his age, contains 3,000 lines. From this poem have been
derived three glorious hymns--"Jerusalem the golden," "Brief life is here
our portion," and "For thee, O dear, dear country."
Other noted Latin hymn-writers who followed the two Bernards included
Thomas of Celano who, in the thirteenth century, wrote the masterpiece
among judgment hymns, _Dies irae, dies illa_, of which Walter Scott has
given us the English version, "That day of wrath, that dreadful day";
Adam of St. Victor, who was the composer of more than one hundred
sequences of high lyrical order; Jacobus de Benedictis, who is thought to
be the writer of _Stabat mater dolorosa_, the pathetic Good Friday hymn
which in its adapted form is known as "Near the cross was Mary weeping";
and Thomas Aquinas, who was the author of _Lauda, Sion, salvatorem_, a
glorious hymn of praise. With these writers the age of Latin hymnody is
brought to a close.
PART II
German Hymnody
The Battle Hymn of the Reformation
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A trusty Shield and Weapon,
He helps us in our every need
That hath us now o'ertaken.
The old malignant foe
E'er means us deadly woe:
Deep guile and cruel might
Are his dread arms in fight,
On earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye who this may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He,
As Lord of Hosts adored,
Our only King and Lord,
He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should fill,
All watching to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They cannot overpower us.
For this world's prince may still
Scowl fiercely as he will,
We need not be alarmed,
For he is now disarmed;
One little word o'erthrows him.
The Word they still shall let remain,
Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain,
With His good gifts and Spirit.
Take they, then, what they will,
Life, goods, yea, all; and still,
E'en when their worst is done,
They yet have nothing won,
The kingdom ours remaineth.
Martin Luther, 1527?
MARTIN LUTHER, FATHER OF EVANGELICAL HYMNODY
The father of evangelical hymnody was Martin Luther. It was through the
efforts of the great Reformer that the lost art of congregational singing
was restored and the Christian hymn again was given a place in public
worship.
Luther was an extraordinary man. To defy the most powerful ecclesiastical
hierarchy the world has known, to bring about a cataclysmic upheaval in
the religious and political world, and to set spiritual forces into
motion that have changed the course of human history--this would have
been sufficient to have gained for him undying fame. But those who know
Luther only as a Reformer know very little about the versatile gifts and
remarkable achievements of this great prophet of the Church.
Philip Schaff has characterized Luther as "the Ambrose of German
hymnody," and adds: "To Luther belongs the extraordinary merit of having
given to the German people in their own tongue the Bible, the Catechism,
and the hymn book, so that God might speak _directly_ to them in His
word, and that they might _directly_ answer Him in their songs." He also
refers to him as "the father of the modern High German language and
literature."
Luther was divinely endowed for his great mission. From childhood he was
passionately fond of music. As a student at Magdeburg, and later at
Eisenach, he sang for alms at the windows of wealthy citizens. It was the
sweet voice of the boy that attracted the attention of Ursula Cotta and
moved that benevolent woman to give him a home during his school days.
The flute and lute were his favorite instruments, and he used the latter
always in accompanying his own singing. John Walther, a contemporary
composer who later aided Luther in the writing of church music, has left
us this testimony: "It is to my certain knowledge that that holy man of
God, Luther, prophet and apostle to the German nation, took great delight
in music, both in choral and figural composition. I spent many a
delightful hour with him in singing; and ofttimes I have seen the dear
man wax so happy and merry in heart over the singing that it is well-nigh
impossible to weary or content him therewithal. And his discourse
concerning music was most noble."
In his "Discourse in Praise of Music," Luther gives thanks to God for
having bestowed the power of song on the "nightingale and the many
thousand birds of the air," and again he writes, "I give music the
highest and most honorable place; and every one knows how David and all
the saints put their divine thoughts into verse, rhyme, and song."
Luther had little patience with the iconoclasts of his day. He wrote in
the Preface to Walther's collection of hymns, in 1525: "I am not of the
opinion that all sciences should be beaten down and made to cease by the
Gospel, as some fanatics pretend, but I would fain see all the arts, and
music, in particular, used in the service of Him who hath given and
created them." At another time he was even more emphatic: "If any man
despises music, as all fanatics do, for him I have no liking; for music
is a gift and grace of God, not an invention of men. Thus it drives out
the devil and makes people cheerful. Then one forgets all wrath,
impurity, sycophancy, and other vices."
Luther loved the Latin hymns that glorified Christ. He recognized,
however, that they were so permeated with Mariolatry and other errors of
the Roman Church that a refining process was necessary in order to rid
them of their dross and permit the fine gold to appear. Moreover, the
Latin hymns, even in their most glorious development, had not grown out
of the spiritual life of the congregation. The very genius of the Roman
Church precluded this, for church music and song was regarded as
belonging exclusively to the priestly office. Moreover, since the entire
worship was conducted in Latin, the congregation was inevitably doomed to
passive silence.
Brave efforts by John Huss and his followers to introduce congregational
singing in the Bohemian churches had been sternly opposed by the Roman
hierarchy. The Council of Constance, which in 1415 burned the heroic Huss
at the stake, also sent a solemn warning to Jacob of Misi, his successor
as leader of the Hussites, to cease the practice of singing hymns in the
churches. It decreed: "If laymen are forbidden to preach and interpret
the Scriptures, much more are they forbidden to sing publicly in the
churches."
Luther's ringing declaration that all believers constitute a universal
priesthood necessarily implied that the laity should also participate in
the worship. Congregational singing therefore became inevitable.
Luther also realized that spiritual song could be enlisted as a powerful
ally in spreading the evangelical doctrines. During the birth throes of
the Reformation he often expressed the wish that someone more gifted than
himself might give to the German people in their own language some of the
beautiful pearls of Latin hymnody. He also wanted original hymns in the
vernacular, as well as strong, majestic chorales that would reflect the
heroic spirit of the age.
"We lack German poets and musicians," he complained, "or they are unknown
to us, who are able to make Christian and spiritual songs of such value
that they can be used daily in the house of God."
Then something happened that opened the fountains of song in Luther's own
bosom. The Reformation had spread from Germany into other parts of
Europe, and the Catholic authorities had commenced to adopt stern
measures in an effort to stem the revolt. In the Augustinian cloister at
Antwerp, the prior of the abbey and two youths, Heinrich Voes and
Johannes Esch, had been sentenced to death by the Inquisition for their
refusal to surrender their new-born faith.
The prior was choked to death in his prison cell. The two youths were led
to the stake at Brussels, on July 1, 1523. Before the faggots were
kindled they were told that they might still be freed if they would
recant. They replied that they would rather die and be with Christ.
Before the fire and smoke smothered their voices, they sang the ancient
Latin hymn, "Lord God, we praise thee."
When news of the Brussels tragedy reached Luther the poetic spark in his
soul burst into full flame. Immediately he sat down and wrote a festival
hymn commemorating the death of the first Lutheran martyrs. It had been
reported to Luther that when the fires began to lick the feet of Voes,
witnesses had heard him exclaim, "Behold, blooming roses are strewn
around me." Luther seized upon the words as prophetic and concluded his
hymn with the lines:
"Summer is even at the door,
The winter now hath vanished,
The tender flowerets spring once more,
And He who winter banished
Will send a happy summer."
The opening words of the hymn are also significant, "Ein neues Lied wir
heben an." Although the poem must be regarded as more of a ballad than a
church hymn, Luther's lyre was tuned, the springtime of evangelical
hymnody was indeed come, and before another year had passed a little
hymn-book called "The Achtliederbuch" appeared as the first-fruits.
It was in 1524 that this first Protestant hymnal was published. It
contained only eight hymns, four by Luther, three by Speratus, and one
probably by Justus Jonas. The little hymn-books flew all over Europe, to
the consternation of the Romanists. Luther's enemies lamented that "the
whole people are singing themselves into his doctrines." So great was the
demand for hymns that a second volume known as the "Erfurt Enchiridion"
was published in the same year. This contained twenty-five hymns,
eighteen of which were Luther's. "The nightingale of Wittenberg" had
begun to sing.
This was the beginning of evangelical hymnody, which was to play so large
a part in the spread of Luther's teachings. The number of hymn-books by
other compilers increased rapidly and so many unauthorized changes were
made in his hymns by critical editors that Luther was moved to complain
of their practice. In a preface to a hymn-book printed by Joseph Klug of
Wittenberg, in 1543, Luther writes: "I am fearful that it will fare with
this little book as it has ever fared with good books, namely, that
through tampering by incompetent hands it may get to be so overlaid and
spoiled that the good will be lost out of it, and nothing kept in use but
the worthless." Then he adds, naively: "Every man may make a hymn-book
for himself and let ours alone and not add thereto, as we here beg, wish
and assert. For we desire to keep our own coin up to our own standard,
preventing no one from making better hymns for himself. Now let God's
name alone be praised and our name not sought. Amen."
Of the thirty-six hymns attributed to Luther none has achieved such fame
as "A mighty fortress is our God." It has been translated into
practically every language and is regarded as one of the noblest and most
classical examples of Christian hymnody. Not only did it become the
battle hymn of the Reformation, but it may be regarded as the true
national hymn of Germany. Heine called it "the Marseillaise of the
Reformation." Frederick the Great referred to it as "God Almighty's
grenadier march."
The date of the hymn cannot be fixed with any certainty. Much has been
written on the subject, but none of the arguments appear conclusive.
D'Aubigne's unqualified statement that Luther composed it and sang it to
revive the spirits of his friends at the Diet of Augsburg in 1530 can
scarcely be accepted, since it appeared at least a year earlier in a
hymn-book published by Joseph Klug.
The magnificent chorale to which the hymn is sung is also Luther's work.
Never have words and music been combined to make so tremendous an appeal.
Great musical composers have turned to its stirring theme again and again
when they have sought to produce a mighty effect. Mendelssohn has used it
in the last movement of his Reformation symphony; Meyerbeer uses it to
good advantage in his masterpiece, "Les Huguenots"; and Wagner's
"Kaisermarsch," written to celebrate the triumphal return of the German
troops in 1870, reaches a great climax with the whole orchestra
thundering forth the sublime chorale. Bach has woven it into a beautiful
cantata, while Raff and Nicolai make use of it in overtures.
After Luther's death, when Melanchthon and his friends were compelled to
flee from Wittenberg by the approach of the Spanish army, they came to
Weimar. As they were entering the city, they heard a little girl singing
Luther's great hymn. "Sing on, my child," exclaimed Melanchthon, "thou
little knowest how thy song cheers our hearts."
When Gustavus Adolphus, the hero king of Sweden, faced Tilly's hosts at
the battlefield of Leipzig, Sept. 7, 1631, he led his army in singing
"Ein feste Burg." Then shouting, "God is with us," he went into battle.
It was a bloody fray. Tilly fell and his army was beaten. When the battle
was over, Gustavus Adolphus knelt upon the ground among his soldiers and
thanked the Lord of Hosts for victory, saying, "He holds the field
forever."
At another time during the Thirty Years' War a Swedish trumpeter captured
the ensign of the Imperial army. Pursued by the enemy he found himself
trapped with a swollen river before him. He paused for a moment and
prayed, "Help me, O my God," and then thrust spurs into his horse and
plunged into the midst of the current. The Imperialists were afraid to
follow him, whereupon he raised his trumpet to his lips and sounded the
defiant notes: "A mighty fortress is our God!"
George N. Anderson, a missionary in Tanganyika Province, British East
Africa, tells how he once heard an assembly of 2,000 natives sing
Luther's great hymn. "I never heard it sung with more spirit; the effect
was almost overwhelming," he testifies.
A West African missionary, Christaller, relates how he once sang "Ein
feste Burg" to his native interpreter. "That man, Luther," said the
African, "must have been a powerful man, one can feel it in his hymns."
Thomas Carlyle's estimate of "Ein feste Burg" seems to accord with that
of the African native. "It jars upon our ears," he says, "yet there is
something in it like the sound of Alpine avalanches, or the first murmur
of earthquakes, in the very vastness of which dissonance a higher unison
is revealed to us."
Carlyle, who refers to Luther as "perhaps the most inspired of all
teachers since the Apostles," has given us the most rugged of all
translations of the Reformer's great hymn. There are said to be no less
than eighty English translations, but only a few have met with popular
favor. In England the version by Carlyle is in general use, while in
America various composite translations are found in hymn-books. Carlyle's
first stanza reads
A sure stronghold our God is He,
A trusty Shield and Weapon;
Our help He'll be, and set us free
From every ill can happen.
That old malicious foe
Intends us deadly woe;
Armed with might from hell
And deepest craft as well,
On earth is not his fellow.
The greater number of Luther's hymns are not original. Many are
paraphrases of Scripture, particularly the Psalms, and others are based
on Latin, Greek, and German antecedents. In every instance, however, the
great Reformer so imbued them with his own fervent faith and militant
spirit that they seem to shine with a new luster.
The hymns of Luther most frequently found in hymn-books today are "Come,
Thou Saviour of our race," "Good news from heaven the angels bring," "In
death's strong grasp the Saviour lay," "Come, Holy Spirit, God and Lord,"
"Come, Holy Spirit, from above," "Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy word,"
"Lord, Jesus Christ, to Thee we pray," "Dear Christians, one and all
rejoice," "Out of the depths I cry to Thee," and "We all believe in one
true God."
A Metrical Gloria in Excelsis
All glory be to Thee, Most High,
To Thee all adoration!
In grace and truth Thou drawest nigh
To offer us salvation.
Thou showest Thy good will toward men,
And peace shall reign on earth again;
We praise Thy Name forever.
We praise, we worship Thee, we trust,
And give Thee thanks forever,
O Father, for Thy rule is just
And wise, and changes never.
Thy hand almighty o'er us reigns,
Thou doest what Thy will ordains;
'Tis well for us Thou rulest.
O Jesus Christ, our God and Lord,
Son of the Heavenly Father,
O Thou, who hast our peace restored,
The straying sheep dost gather,
Thou Lamb of God, to Thee on high
Out of the depths we sinners cry:
Have mercy on us, Jesus!
O Holy Ghost, Thou precious gift,
Thou Comforter, unfailing,
From Satan's snares our souls uplift,
And let Thy power, availing,
Avert our woes and calm our dread;
For us the Saviour's blood was shed,
We trust in Thee to save us!
Nicolaus Decius, 1526, 1539
THE HYMN-WRITERS OF THE REFORMATION
The hymns of the Reformation were like a trumpet call, proclaiming to all
the world that the day of spiritual emancipation had come. What they
lacked in poetic refinement they more than made up by their tremendous
earnestness and spiritual exuberance.
They faithfully reflect the spirit of the age in which they were born, a
period of strife and conflict. The strident note that often appears in
Luther's hymns can easily be understood when it is remembered that the
great Reformer looked upon the pope as Antichrist himself and all others
who opposed the Lutheran teachings as confederates of the devil.
In 1541, when the Turkish invasion from the East threatened to devastate
all Europe, special days of humiliation and prayer were held throughout
Germany. It was for one of these occasions that Luther wrote the hymn,
"Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy word." In its original form, however, it
was quite different from the hymn we now sing. The first stanza ran:
Lord, keep us in Thy word and work,
Restrain the murderous pope and Turk,
Who fain would tear from off Thy throne
Christ Jesus, Thy beloved Son.
When Luther, on the other hand, sang of God's free grace to men in Christ
Jesus, or extolled the merits of the Saviour, or gave thanks for the word
of God restored to men, there was such a marvelous blending of childlike
trust, victorious faith and spontaneous joy that all Germany was thrilled
by the message.
The popularity of the Lutheran hymns was astonishing. Other hymn-writers
sprang up in large numbers, printing presses were kept busy, and before
Luther's death no less than sixty collections of hymns had been
published. Wandering evangelists were often surrounded by excited crowds
in the market places, hymns printed on leaflets were distributed, and the
whole populace would join in singing the songs of the Reformers.
Paul Speratus, Paul Eber, and Justus Jonas were the most gifted
co-laborers of Luther. It was Speratus who contributed three hymns to the
"Achtliederbuch," the first hymn-book published by Luther. His most
famous hymn, "To us salvation now is come," has been called "the poetic
counterpart of Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans." It was the
great confessional hymn of the Reformation. Luther is said to have wept
tears of joy when he heard it sung by a street singer outside his window
in Wittenberg.
Speratus wrote the hymn in a Moravian prison into which he had been cast
because of his bold espousal of the Lutheran teachings. Immediately upon
his release he proceeded to Wittenberg, where he joined himself to the
Reformers. He later became the leader of the Reformation movement in
Prussia and before his death in 1551 was chosen bishop of Pomerania. His
poetic genius may be seen reflected in the beautiful paraphrase of the
Lord's Prayer which forms the concluding two stanzas of his celebrated
hymn:
All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God who saved us by His grace,
All glory to His merit:
O Father in the heavens above,
Thy glorious works show forth Thy love,
Thy worthy Name be hallowed.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
In earth, as 'tis in heaven:
Keep us in life, by grace led on,
Forgiving and forgiven;
Save Thou us in temptation's hour,
And from all ills; Thine is the power,
And all the glory, Amen!
Eber was the sweetest singer among the Reformers. As professor of Hebrew
at Wittenberg University and assistant to Melanchthon, he had an active
part in the stirring events of the Reformation. He possessed more of
Melanchthon's gentleness than Luther's ruggedness, and his hymns are
tender and appealing in their childlike simplicity. There is wondrous
consolation in his hymns for the dying, as witness his pious swan-song:
In Thy dear wounds I fall asleep,
O Jesus, cleanse my soul from sin:
Thy bitter death, Thy precious blood
For me eternal glory win.
By Thee redeemed, I have no fear,
When now I leave this mortal clay,
With joy before Thy throne I come;
God's own must die, yet live alway.
Welcome, O death! thou bringest me
To dwell with God eternally;
Through Christ my soul from sin is free,
O take me now, dear Lord, to Thee!
Another hymn for the dying, "Lord Jesus Christ, true man and God,"
breathes the same spirit of hope and trust in Christ. During the years of
persecution and suffering that followed the Reformation, the Protestants
found much comfort in singing Eber's "When in the hour of utmost need."
Justus Jonas, the bosom friend of Luther who spoke the last words of
peace and consolation to the dying Reformer and who also preached his
funeral sermon, has left us the hymn, "If God were not upon our side,"
based on Psalm 124.
From this period we also have the beautiful morning hymn, "My inmost
heart now raises," by Johannes Mathesius, the pupil and biographer of
Luther, and an equally beautiful evening hymn, "Sunk is the sun's last
beam of light," by Nicholas Hermann. Mathesius was pastor of the church
at Joachimsthal, in Bohemia, and Hermann was his organist and
choirmaster. It is said that whenever Mathesius preached a particularly
good sermon, Hermann was forthwith inspired to write a hymn on its theme!
He was a poet and musician of no mean ability, and his tunes are among
the best from the Reformation period.
The example of the Wittenberg hymnists was quickly followed by
evangelicals in other parts of Germany, and hymn-books began to appear
everywhere. As early as 1526 a little volume of hymns was published at
Rostock in the Platt-Deutsch dialect. In this collection we find one of
the most glorious hymns of the Reformation, "All glory be to Thee, Most
High," or, as it has also been rendered, "All glory be to God on high," a
metrical version of the ancient canticle, _Gloria in Excelsis_. Five
years later another edition was published in which appeared a metrical
rendering of _Agnus Dei_:
O Lamb of God, most holy,
On Calvary an offering;
Despised, meek, and, lowly,
Thou in Thy death and suffering
Our sins didst bear, our anguish;
The might of death didst vanquish;
Give us Thy peace, O Jesus!
The author of both of these gems of evangelical hymnody was Nicolaus
Decius, a Catholic monk in the cloister of Steterburg who embraced the
Lutheran teachings. He later became pastor of St. Nicholas church in
Stettin, where he died under suspicious circumstances in 1541. In
addition to being a popular preacher and gifted poet, he also seems to
have been a musician of some note. The two magnificent chorals to which
his hymns are sung are generally credited to him, although there is a
great deal of uncertainty surrounding their composition. Luther prized
both hymns very highly and included them in his German liturgy.
A Beautiful Confirmation Hymn
Let me be Thine forever,
My gracious God and Lord,
May I forsake Thee never,
Nor wander from Thy Word:
Preserve me from the mazes
Of error and distrust,
And I shall sing Thy praises
Forever with the just.
Lord Jesus, bounteous Giver
Of light and life divine,
Thou didst my soul deliver,
To Thee I all resign:
Thou hast in mercy bought me
With blood and bitter pain;
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
Eternal life obtain.
O Holy Ghost, who pourest
Sweet peace into my heart,
And who my soul restorest,
Let not Thy grace depart.
And while His Name confessing
Whom I by faith have known,
Grant me Thy constant blessing,
Make me for aye Thine own.
Nicolaus Selnecker, 1572, _et al._
HYMNODY OF THE CONTROVERSIAL PERIOD
Many of our great Christian hymns were born in troublous times. This is
true in a very special sense of the hymns written by Nicolaus Selnecker,
German preacher and theologian. The age in which he lived was the period
immediately following the Reformation. It was an age marked by doctrinal
controversy, not only with the Romanists, but among the Protestants
themselves. In these theological struggles, Selnecker will always be
remembered as one of the great champions of pure Lutheran doctrine.
"The Formula of Concord," the last of the Lutheran confessions, was
largely the work of Selnecker. Published in 1577, it did more than any
other single document to clarify the Lutheran position on many disputed
doctrinal points, thus bringing to an end much of the confusion and
controversy that had existed up to that time.
Selnecker early in life revealed an artistic temperament. Born in 1532 at
Hersbruck, Germany, we find him at the age of twelve years organist at
the chapel in the Kaiserburg, at Nuernberg, where he attended school.
Later he entered Wittenberg University to study law. Here he came under
the influence of Philip Melanchthon, and was induced to prepare himself
for the ministry. It is said that Selnecker was Melanchthon's favorite
pupil.
Following his graduation from Wittenberg, he lectured for a while at the
university and then received the appointment as second court preacher at
Dresden and private tutor to Prince Alexander of Saxony. Many of the
Saxon theologians at this time were leaning strongly toward the
Calvinistic teaching regarding the Lord's Supper, and when Selnecker came
out boldly for the Lutheran doctrine he incurred the hostility of those
in authority. Later, when he supported a Lutheran pastor who had dared to
preach against Elector August's passion for hunting, he was compelled to
leave Dresden.
For three years he held the office of professor of theology at the
University of Jena, but in 1568 he again found favor with the Elector
August and was appointed to the chair of theology in the University of
Leipzig. It was here that Selnecker again became involved in bitter
doctrinal disputes regarding the Lord's Supper, and in 1576 and 1577 he
joined a group of theologians, including Jacob Andreae and Martin
Chemnitz, in working out the Formula of Concord.
Upon the death of Elector August the Calvinists again secured
ecclesiastical control, and Selnecker once more was compelled to leave
Leipzig. After many trials and vicissitudes, he finally returned, May 19,
1592, a worn and weary man, only to die in Leipzig five days later.
During the stormy days of his life, Selnecker often sought solace in
musical and poetical pursuits. Many of his hymns reflect his own personal
troubles and conflicts. "Let me be thine forever" is believed to have
been written during one of the more grievous experiences of his life. It
was a prayer of one stanza originally, but two additional stanzas were
added by an unknown author almost a hundred years after Selnecker's
death. In its present form it has become a favorite confirmation hymn in
the Lutheran Church.
Selnecker's zeal for his Church is revealed in many of his hymns, among
them the famous "Abide with us, O Saviour dear." The second stanza of
this hymn clearly reflects the distressing controversies in which he was
engaged at the time:
This is a dark and evil day,
Forsake us not, O Lord, we pray;
And let us in our grief and pain
Thy Word and sacraments retain.
In connection with his work as professor in the University of Leipzig, he
also served as pastor of the famous St. Thomas church in that city. It
was through his efforts that the renowned Motett choir of that church was
built up, a choir that was afterward conducted by John Sebastian Bach.
About 150 hymns in all were written by Selnecker. In addition to these he
also was author of some 175 theological and controversial works.
One of the contemporaries of Selnecker was Bartholomaeus Ringwalt, pastor
of Langfeld, near Sonnenburg, Brandenburg. This man also was a staunch
Lutheran and a poet of considerable ability. His judgment hymn, "The day
is surely drawing near," seems to reflect the feeling held by many in
those distressing times that the Last Day was near at hand. It was used
to a large extent during the Thirty Years' War, and is still found in
many hymn-books.
Another hymnist who lived and wrought during these turbulent times was
Martin Behm, to whom we are indebted for three beautiful lyrics, "O
Jesus, King of glory," "Lord Jesus Christ, my Life, my Light," and "O
holy, blessed Trinity." Behm, who was born in Lauban, Silesia, Sept. 16,
1557, served for thirty-six years as Lutheran pastor in his native city.
He was a noted preacher and a gifted poet. His hymn on the Trinity is one
of the finest ever written on this theme. It concludes with a splendid
paraphrase of the Aaronic benediction. Two of its stanzas are:
O holy, blessed Trinity,
Divine, eternal Unity,
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Be Thou this day my guide and host.
Lord, bless and keep Thou me as Thine;
Lord, make Thy face upon me shine;
Lord, lift Thy countenance on me,
And give me peace, sweet peace from Thee.
Valerius Herberger was another heroic representative of this period of
doctrinal strife, war, famine, and pestilence. While pastor of St. Mary's
Lutheran Church at Fraustadt, Posen, he and his flock were expelled from
their church in 1604 by King Sigismund III, of Poland, and the property
turned over to the Roman Catholics. Nothing daunted, however, Herberger
and his people immediately constructed a chapel out of two houses near
the gates of the city. They gave the structure the name of "Kripplein
Christi," since the first service was held in it on Christmas Eve.
During the great pestilence which raged in 1613, the victims in Fraustadt
numbered 2,135. Herberger, however, stuck to his post, comforting the
sick and burying the dead. It was during these days that he wrote his
famous hymn, "Valet will ich dir geben," one of the finest hymns for the
dying in the German language. The hymn was published with the title, "The
farewell (Valet) of Valerius Herberger that he gave to the world in the
autumn of the year 1613, when he every hour saw death before his eyes,
but mercifully and also as wonderfully as the three men in the furnace at
Babylon was nevertheless spared."
The famous chorale tune for the hymn was written in 1613 by Melchior
Teschner, who was Herberger's precentor.
Other Lutheran hymn-writers of this period were Joachim Magdeburg, Martin
Rutilius, Martin Schalling and Philipp Nicolai. The last name in this
group is by far the most important and will be given more extensive
notice in the following chapter. To Magdeburg, a pastor who saw service
in various parts of Germany and Hungary during a stormy career, we owe a
single hymn, "Who trusts in God a strong abode." Rutilius has been
credited with the authorship of the gripping penitential hymn, "Alas, my
God! my sins are great," although the claim is sometimes disputed. He was
a pastor at Weimar, where he died in 1618.
Schalling likewise has bequeathed but a single hymn to the Church, but it
may be regarded as one of the classic hymns of Germany. Its opening line,
"O Lord, devoutly love I Thee," reflects the ardent love of the author
himself for the Saviour. It was entitled, "A prayer to Christ, the
Consolation of the soul in life and death," and surely its message of
confiding trust in God has been a source of comfort and assurance to
thousands of pious souls in the many vicissitudes of life as well as in
the valley of the shadow.
Although Schalling was a warm friend of Selnecker, he hesitated to
subscribe to the Formula of Concord, claiming that it dealt too harshly
with the followers of Melanchthon. For this reason he was deposed as
General Superintendent of Oberpfalz and court preacher at Heidelberg.
Five years later, however, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's church
in Nuernberg, where he remained until blindness compelled him to retire.
He died in 1608.
A Masterpiece of Hymnody
Wake, awake, for night is flying:
The watchmen on the heights are crying,
Awake, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight's solemn hour is tolling,
His chariot wheels are nearer rolling,
He comes; prepare, ye virgins wise.
Rise up with willing feet,
Go forth, the Bridegroom meet:
Alleluia!
Bear through the night your well trimmed light,
Speed forth to join the marriage rite.
Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing,
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
Forth her Bridegroom comes, all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her Star is risen, her Light is come!
All hail, Thou precious One!
Lord Jesus, God's dear Son!
Alleluia!
The joyful call we answer all,
And follow to the nuptial hall.
Lamb of God, the heavens adore Thee,
And men and angels sing before Thee,
With harp and cymbal's clearest tone.
By the pearly gates in wonder
We stand, and swell the voice of thunder,
That echoes round Thy dazzling throne.
To mortal eyes and ears
What glory now appears!
Alleluia!
We raise the song, we swell the throng,
To praise Thee ages all along.
Philipp Nicolai, 1599.
THE KING AND QUEEN OF CHORALES
At rare intervals in the history of Christian hymnody, we meet with a
genius who not only possesses the gift of writing sublime poetry but also
reveals talent as a composer of music. During the stirring days of the
Reformation such geniuses were revealed in the persons of Martin Luther
and Nicolaus Decius. We now encounter another, Philipp Nicolai, the
writer of the glorious hymn, "Wachet auf."
Nicolai's name would have been gratefully remembered by posterity had he
merely written the words of this hymn; but, when we learn that he also
composed the magnificent chorale to which it is sung, we are led to
marvel. It has been called the "King of Chorales," and well does it
deserve the title.
But Nicolai was also the composer of the "Queen of Chorales." That is the
name often given to the tune of his other famous hymn, "Wie schoen
leuchtet der Morgenstern." Both of Nicolai's great tunes have been
frequently appropriated for other hymns. The "King of Chorales" has lent
inspiration to "Holy Majesty, before Thee," while the "Queen of Chorales"
has helped to glorify such hymns as "All hail to thee, O blessed morn,"
"Now Israel's hope in triumph ends," and "O Holy Spirit, enter in."
Some of the world's greatest composers have recognized the beauty and
majesty of Nicolai's inspiring themes and have seized upon his chorales
to weave them into a number of famous musical masterpieces. The strains
of the seventh and eighth lines of "Wachet auf" may be heard in the
passage, "The kingdoms of this world," of Handel's "Hallelujah chorus."
Mendelssohn introduces the air in his overture to "St. Paul," and the
entire chorale occurs in his "Hymn of Praise." The latter composer has
also made use of the "Wie schoen" theme in the first chorus of his
unpublished oratorio, "Christus."
The circumstances that called forth Nicolai's two great hymns and the
classic chorales to which he wedded them are tragic in nature. A dreadful
pestilence was raging in Westphalia. At Unna, where Nicolai was pastor,
1,300 villagers died of the plague between July, 1597, and January, 1598.
During a single week in the month of August no less than 170 victims were
claimed by the messenger of death.
From the parsonage which overlooked the churchyard, Nicolai was a sad
witness of the burials. On one day thirty graves were dug. In the midst
of these days of distress the gifted Lutheran pastor wrote a series of
meditations to which he gave the title, "Freuden Spiegel," or "Mirror of
Joy." His purpose, as he explains in his preface, dated August 10, 1598,
was "to leave it behind me (if God should call me from this world) as the
token of my peaceful, joyful, Christian departure, or (if God should
spare me in health) to comfort other sufferers whom He should also visit
with the pestilence."
"There seemed to me," he writes in the same preface, "nothing more sweet,
delightful and agreeable, than the contemplation of the noble, sublime
doctrine of Eternal Life obtained through the Blood of Christ. This I
allowed to dwell in my heart day and night, and searched the Scriptures
as to what they revealed on this matter, read also the sweet treatise of
the ancient doctor Saint Augustine ("The City of God") ... Then day by
day I wrote out my meditations, found myself, thank God! wonderfully
well, comforted in heart, joyful in spirit, and truly content."
Both of Nicolai's classic hymns appeared for the first time in his
"Mirror of Joy." As a title to "Wachet auf" Nicolai wrote, "Of the voice
at Midnight, and the Wise Virgins who meet their Heavenly Bridegroom. Mt.
25." The title to "Wie schoen" reads, "A spiritual bridal song of the
believing soul concerning Jesus Christ, her Heavenly Bridegroom, founded
on the 45th Psalm of the prophet David."
It is said that the melody to "Wie schoen" became so popular that numerous
church chimes were set to it.
Nicolai's life was filled with stirring events. He was born at
Mengerinhausen, August 10, 1556. His father was a Lutheran pastor. After
completing studies at the Universities of Erfuert and Wittenberg, he too
was ordained to the ministry in 1583. His first charge was at Herdecke,
but since the town council was composed of Roman Catholic members, he
soon was compelled to leave that place. Later he served at
Niederwildungen and Altwildungen, and in 1596 he became pastor at Unna.
After the dreadful pestilence of 1597 there came an invasion of Spaniards
in 1598, and Nicolai was forced to flee.
In 1601 he was chosen chief pastor of St. Katherine's church in Hamburg.
Here he gained fame as a preacher, being hailed as a "second Chrysostom."
Throughout a long and bitter controversy with the Calvinists regarding
the nature of the Lord's Supper, Nicolai was looked upon as the "pillar"
of the Lutheran Church, and the guardian of its doctrines. He died
October 26, 1608.
A Tribute to the Dying Saviour
Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,
That man to judge Thee hast in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by Thine own rejected,
O most afflicted!
Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee!
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied Thee:
I crucified Thee.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;
For man's atonement, while he nothing heedeth,
God intercedeth.
For me, kind Jesus, was Thine incarnation,
Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life's oblation;
Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter passion,
For my salvation.
Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,
I do adore Thee, and will ever pray Thee:
Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving,
Not my deserving.
Johann Heermann, 1630.
HYMNS OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR
Times of suffering and affliction have often brought forth great poets.
This was especially true of that troublous period in European history
known as the "Thirty Years' War." Although it was one of the most
distressing eras in the Protestant Church, it gave birth to some of its
grandest hymns.
It was during this dreadful period, when Germany was devastated and
depopulated by all the miseries of a bloody warfare, that Johann Heermann
lived and wrought. He was born at Rauden, Silesia, October 11, 1585, the
son of a poverty-stricken furrier. There were five children in the
family, but four of them were snatched away by death within a short time.
Johann, who was the youngest, was also taken ill, and the despairing
mother was torn by fear and anguish. Turning to God in her hour of need,
she vowed that if He would spare her babe, she would educate him for the
ministry.
She did not forget her promise. The child whose life was spared grew to
manhood, received his training at several institutions, and in 1611
entered the holy ministry as pastor of the Lutheran church at Koeben, not
far from his birthplace.
A few years later the Thirty Years' War broke out, and all of Germany
began to feel its horrors. Four times during the period from 1629 to 1634
the town of Koeben was sacked by the armies of Wallenstein, who had been
sent by the king of Austria to restore the German principalities to the
Catholic faith. Previous to this, in 1616, the city was almost destroyed
by fire. In 1631 it was visited by the dreadful pestilence.
Again and again Heermann was forced to flee from the city, and several
times he lost all his earthly possessions. Once, when he was crossing the
Oder, he was pursued and nearly captured by enemy soldiers, who shot
after him. Twice he was nearly sabred.
It was during this period, in 1630, that his beautiful hymn,
"Herzliebster Jesu," was first published. One of the stanzas which is not
usually given in translations reflects very clearly the unfaltering faith
of the noble pastor during these hard experiences. It reads:
Whate'er of earthly good this life may grant me
I'll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross shall daunt me;
I shall not fear what man can do to harm me,
Nor death alarm me.
The hymn immediately sprang into popularity in Germany, perhaps through
the fact that it reflected the feelings of Protestants everywhere, and
partly because of the gripping tune written for it in 1640 by the great
musician Johann Crueger.
Heermann has been ranked with Luther and Gerhardt as one of the greatest
hymn-writers the Lutheran Church has produced. Because his hymns were
written during such times of distress and suffering, they seemed to grip
the hearts of the German people to an extraordinary degree.
One of his hymns, published in 1630 under the group known as "Songs of
Tears," is entitled "Treuer Waechter Israel." It contains a striking line
imploring God to "build a wall around us." A very interesting story is
told concerning this hymn. On January 5, 1814, the Allied forces were
about to enter Schleswig. A poor widow and her daughter and grandson
lived in a little house near the entrance of the town. The grandson was
reading Heermann's hymns written for times of war, and when he came to
this one, he exclaimed, "It would be a good thing, grandmother, if our
Lord would build a wall around us."
Next day all through the town cries of terror were heard, but not a
soldier molested the widow's home. When on the following morning they
summoned enough courage to open their door, lo, a snowdrift had concealed
them from the view of the enemy! On this incident Clemens Brentano wrote
a beautiful poem, "Draus vor Schleswig."
Another remarkable story is recorded concerning Heermann's great hymn, "O
Jesus, Saviour dear." At Leuthen, in Silesia, December 5, 1757, the
Prussians under Frederick the Great were facing an army of Austrians
three times their number. Just before the battle began some of the
Prussians began to sing the second stanza of the hymn. The regimental
bands took up the music. One of the commanders asked Frederick if it
should be silenced. "No," said the king, "let it be. With such men God
will today certainly give me the victory." When the bloody battle ended
with victory for the Prussians, Frederick exclaimed "My God, what a power
has religion!"
Other famous hymns by Heermann include "O Christ, our true and only
Light," "Lord, Thy death and passion give" and "Faithful God, I lay
before Thee."
Many other noted hymn-writers belong to the period of the Thirty Years'
War, among them Martin Opitz, George Weissel, Heinrich Held, Ernst
Homburg, Johannes Olearius, Josua Stegmann, and Wilhelm II, Duke of
Saxe-Weimar.
Opitz was somewhat of a diplomat and courtier, as well as a poet. He was
a man of vacillating character, and did not hesitate to lend his support
to the Romanists whenever it served his personal interests. However, he
has left to posterity an imperishable hymn in "Light of Light, O Sun of
heaven." He is credited with having reformed the art of verse-writing in
Germany. He died of the pestilence in Danzig in 1639.
Homburg and Held were lawyers. Homburg was born near Eisenach in 1605,
and later we find him practising law in Naumburg, Saxony. He was a man of
great poetic talent, but at first he devoted his gifts to writing love
ballads and drinking songs. During the days of the dread pestilence he
turned to God, and now he began to write hymns. In 1659 he published a
collection of 150 spiritual songs. In a preface he speaks of them as his
"Sunday labor," and he tells how he had been led to write them "by the
anxious and sore domestic afflictions by which God ... has for some time
laid me aside." The Lenten hymn, "Christ, the Life of all the living," is
found in this collection.
Held, who practiced law in his native town of Guhrau, Silesia, also was a
man chastened in the school of sorrow and affliction. He is the author of
two hymns that have found their way into the English language--"Let the
earth now praise the Lord" and "Come, O come, Thou quickening Spirit."
Weissel, a Lutheran pastor at Konigsberg, has given us one of the finest
Advent hymns in the German language, "Lift up your heads, ye mighty
gates."
Olearius, who wrote a commentary on the Bible and compiled one of the
most important hymn-books of the 17th century, has also bequeathed to the
Church a splendid Advent hymn, "Comfort, comfort ye My people."
Stegmann, a theological professor at Rinteln who suffered much
persecution at the hands of Benedictine monks during the Thirty Years'
War, was the author of the beautiful evening hymn, "Abide with us, our
Saviour."
Wilhelm II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, who wrote the inspiring hymn, "O Christ,
Thy grace unto us lend," was not only a poet and musician, but also a man
of war. He was twice wounded in battle with the Imperial forces, and was
once left for dead. He was taken prisoner by Tilly, but was released by
the emperor. When Gustavus Adolphus came to Germany to save the
Protestant cause, Wilhelm after some hesitation joined him. However, when
the Duke in 1635 made a separate peace with the emperor, the Swedish army
ravaged his territory.
Johann Meyfart also belongs to this period. He was a theological
professor at the University of Erfuert, and died at that place in 1642.
One of his hymns, "Jerusalem, thou city fair and high," has found its way
into English hymn books.
The beautiful hymn, "O how blest are ye," which was translated into
English by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, comes to us from the pen of Simon
Dach, another Lutheran theologian who lived during these stirring days.
Dach, who was professor of poetry and dean of the philosophical faculty
of the University of Koenigsberg, wrote some 165 hymns. They are marked by
fulness of faith and a quiet confidence in God in the midst of a world of
turmoil and uncertainty. Dach died in 1659 after a lingering illness. The
first stanza of his funeral hymn reads
O how blest are ye, whose toils are ended!
Who through death have unto God ascended!
Ye have arisen
From the cares which keep us still in prison.
Tobias Clausnitzer, who has bequeathed to the Church the hymn, "Blessed
Jesus, at Thy Word," was the chaplain of a Swedish regiment during the
Thirty Years' War. He preached the thanksgiving sermon at the field
service held by command of General Wrangel at Weiden, in the Upper
Palatine, on January 1, 1649, after the conclusion of the Peace of
Westphalia. He afterwards became pastor at Weiden, where he remained
until his death in 1684.
Johann Quirsfeld, archdeacon in Pirna, has given us a very impressive
Good Friday hymn, "Sinful world, behold the anguish." Quirsfeld died in
1686.
Christian Knorr von Rosenroth, a noted Orientalist, scientist and
statesman of the seventeenth century, in addition to duties of state
edited several Rabbinical writings and works on Oriental mysticism. He
also wrote hymns, among them "Dayspring of eternity," which has been
referred to by one writer as "one of the freshest, most original, and
spirited of morning hymns, as if born from the dew of the sunrise." He
died at Sulzbach, Bavaria, May 8, 1689, at the very hour, it is said,
which he himself had predicted.
The extent to which Lutheran laymen of this period devoted themselves to
spiritual exercises is revealed in the life of Johann Franck, a lawyer
who became mayor of his native town of Guben, Brandenburg, in 1661. To
him we are indebted for the finest communion hymn in the German language,
"Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness." He also was the author of such
gems as "Light of the Gentile nations," "Lord, to Thee I make
confession," "Lord God, we worship Thee," "Jesus, priceless Treasure,"
and the glorious song of praise:
Praise the Lord, each tribe and nation,
Praise Him with a joyful heart;
Ye who know His full salvation,
Gather now from every part;
Let your voices glorify
In His temple God on high.
It was Franck who began the long series of so-called "Jesus hymns," which
reached their fullest development in the later Pietistic school of
hymnists. Franck held that poetry should be "the nurse of piety, the
herald of immortality, the promoter of cheerfulness, the conqueror of
sadness, and a foretaste of heavenly glory." His hymns reflect his
beautiful spirit of Christian cheerfulness and hope.
The last name that we would mention is Heinrich Theobald Schenk, a pastor
at Giessen. Not much is known of this man except that he was the writer
of a single hymn, but it is a hymn that has gained for him the thanks of
posterity. There is scarcely a hymn-book of any communion today that does
not contain, "Who are these, like stars appearing?" Schenk died in 1727,
at the age of 71 years.
The Swan-song of Gustavus Adolphus
Be not dismayed, thou little flock,
Although the foe's fierce battle shock
Loud on all sides assail thee.
Though o'er thy fall they laugh secure,
Their triumph cannot long endure,
Let not thy courage fail thee.
Thy cause is God's--go at His call,
And to His hand commit thine all;
Fear thou no ill impending;
His Gideon shall arise for thee,
God's Word and people manfully
In God's own time defending.
Our hope is sure in Jesus' might;
Against themselves the godless fight,
Themselves, not us, distressing;
Shame and contempt their lot shall be;
God is with us, with Him are we;
To us belongs His blessing.
Johann Michael Altenberg, 1631
A Hymn Made Famous on a Battle Field
"Be not dismayed, thou little flock" will always be known as the
"swan-song" of the Swedish hero king, Gustavus Adolphus.
No incident in modern history is more dramatic than the sudden appearance
in Germany of Gustavus Adolphus and his little Swedish army during the
critical days of the Thirty Years' War. It was this victorious crusade
that saved Germany, and probably all of northern Europe, for
Protestantism.
The untimely death of the Swedish monarch on the battlefield of Luetzen,
November 6, 1632, while leading his men against Wallenstein's host, not
only gained immortal fame for Gustavus, but will always cause the world
to remember the hymn that was sung by his army on that historic day.
When Gustavus Adolphus landed in Germany in 1630 with his small but
well-trained army, it seemed that the Protestant cause in Europe was
lost. All the Protestant princes of Germany had been defeated by Tilly
and Wallenstein, leaders of the Imperial armies, and the victors were
preparing to crush every vestige of Lutheranism in Germany.
The Margrave of Brandenburg and the Duke of Saxony, however, furnished a
few troops to Gustavus, and in a swift, meteoric campaign the Swedish
king had routed the army of the Catholic League and had marched all the
way across Germany. In the spring of 1632 Gustavus moved into the heart
of Bavaria and captured Munich.
The Imperial forces who had sneered at the "Snow King," as they called
him, and who had predicted that he would "melt" as he came southward,
were now filled with dismay. The "Snow King" proved to be the "Lion of
the North."
Wallenstein rallied the Catholic forces for a last stand at Luetzen, the
battle that was to prove the decisive conflict.
On the morning of November 6, 1632, the two armies faced each other in
battle array. Dr. Fabricius, chaplain of the Swedish army, had been
commanded by Gustavus to lead his troops in worship. The king himself
raised the strains of "Be not dismayed, thou little flock," and led the
army in singing the stirring hymn. Then he knelt in fervent prayer.
A heavy fog prevented the Protestant forces from moving forward to the
attack, and, while they were waiting for the fog to lift, Gustavus
ordered the musicians to play Luther's hymn, "A mighty Fortress is our
God." The whole army joined with a shout. The king then mounted his
charger, and, drawing his sword, rode back and forth in front of the
lines, speaking words of encouragement to his men.
As the sun began to break through the fog, Gustavus himself offered a
prayer, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, help me today to do battle for the glory of
Thy holy name," and then shouted, "Now forward to the attack in the name
of our God!" The army answered, "God with us!" and rushed forward, the
king galloping in the lead.
When his aid offered him his coat of mail, Gustavus refused to put it on,
declaring, "God is my Protector."
The battle raged fiercely. For a time the outcome seemed ominous for the
Lutherans. At 11 o'clock Gustavus was struck by a bullet and mortally
wounded. As he fell from his horse, the word spread quickly throughout
the Swedish lines, "The king is wounded!"
It proved to be the turning point in the battle. Instead of losing heart
and fleeing, the Swedish troops charged the foe with a fierceness born of
sorrow and despair, and before the day was ended another glorious victory
had been won. The Protestant cause was saved, but the noble Gustavus had
made the supreme sacrifice.
The authorship of his famous "battle-hymn" has been the subject of much
dispute. The German poet and hymnologist, Albert Knapp, has called it "a
little feather from the eagle wing of Gustavus Adolphus." Most Swedish
authorities, too, unite in naming their hero king as the author. However,
the weight of evidence seems to point to Johann Michael Altenberg, a
German pastor of Gross Sommern, Thueringen, as the real writer of the
hymn. It is said that Altenberg was inspired to write it upon hearing of
the great victory gained by Gustavus Adolphus at the battle of Leipzig,
September 7, 1631, about a year before the battle of Luetzen.
In any event, it is a matter of record that the Swedish king adopted it
immediately, and that he sang it as his own "swan-song" just before he
died at Luetzen. Someone has aptly said, "Whether German or Swede may
claim this hymn is a question. They both rightly own it."
Rinkart's Hymn of Praise
Now thank we all our God,
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His earth rejoices;
Who from our mother's arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills,
In this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven;
The One eternal God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore!
Martin Rinkart (1586-1649).
THE LUTHERAN TE DEUM
The last of the great Lutheran hymn-writers belonging to the period of
the Thirty Years' War was Martin Rinkart. Except for the time of the
Reformation, this period was probably the greatest creative epoch in the
history of Lutheran hymnody. But of all the glorious hymns that were
written during those stirring years, there is none that equals Rinkart's
famous hymn, "Now thank we all our God."
The date of this remarkable hymn is obscure. The claim has been made that
it was written as a hymn of thanksgiving following the Peace of
Westphalia, which in 1648 brought to an end the long and cruel war. This
claim has been based on the fact that the first two stanzas are a
paraphrase of the words of the high priest Simeon, recorded in the
Apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus 50:29-32: "And now let all praise God, who
hath done great things, who hath glorified our days, and dealeth with us
according to His loving-kindness. He giveth us the joy of our hearts,
that we may find peace in Israel as in the days of yore, thus He lets His
loving-kindness remain with us, and He will redeem us in our day."
Inasmuch as this was the Scripture passage on which all regimental
chaplains were ordered to preach in celebration of the conclusion of
peace, it has been inferred that Rinkart was inspired to write his hymn
at that time.
It is probable, however, that these circumstances were merely a
coincidence, and that the hymn was written several years previous to
1648. In Rinkart's own volume, "Jesu Hertz-Buchlein," it appears under
the title "Tisch-Gebetlein," or a short prayer before meals, and many
believe that it was originally written for Rinkart's children. It will be
noticed that, while the first two stanzas are based on the passage from
Ecclesiasticus, the last stanza is the ancient doxology, _Gloria Patri_.
No hymn except Luther's famous "A mighty Fortress is our God" has been
used more generally in the Lutheran Church than Rinkart's glorious paean
of praise. In Germany, where it has become the national _Te Deum_, it is
sung at all impressive occasions. After the battle of Leuthen, the army
of Frederick the Great raised the strains of this noble hymn, and it is
said that even the mortally wounded joined in the singing.
In his history of the Franco-Prussian War, Cassel tells of a stirring
incident that took place on the day following the battle of Sedan, where
the Germans had won a decisive victory over the French. A multitude of
Prussian troops who were marching toward Paris were billeted in the
parish church of Augecourt. They could not sleep because of the extreme
excitement of the day. Suddenly a strain of music came from the organ,
first very softly but gradually swelling in volume until the whole
sanctuary shook. It was the grand old hymn--"Nun danket alle Gott!"
Instantly men and officers were upon their feet, singing the stirring
words. Then followed Luther's "Ein feste Burg," after which the terrible
strain seemed relieved, and they laid themselves down to peaceful
slumber.
It is recorded that the hymn was also sung at the opening of the
magnificent Cathedral of Cologne, August 14, 1880, as well as at the
laying of the cornerstone of the Parliament building in Berlin, June 9,
1884. It has also achieved great popularity in England, where it was sung
as a _Te Deum_ in nearly all churches and chapels at the close of the
Boer War in 1902.
Rinkart's life was a tragic one. The greater part of his public service
was rendered during the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. He was born at
Eilenburg, Saxony, April 23, 1586. After attending a Latin school in his
home town, he became a student at the University of Leipzig.
In 1617, by invitation of the town council of Eilenburg, he became pastor
of the church in the city of his birth. It was at the beginning of the
Thirty Years' War, and, because Eilenburg was a walled city, it became a
refuge for thousands who had lost everything in the conflict. Famine and
pestilence added to the horror of the situation, and the other two
pastors of the city having died, Rinkart was left alone to minister to
the spiritual needs of the populace.
Twice Eilenburg was saved from the Swedish army through the intercession
of Rinkart, first in 1637 and again in 1639. A levy of 30,000 thaler had
been made on the city by the Swedish general to aid the Protestant cause.
Knowing the impoverished condition of his townsmen, Rinkart went out to
the Swedish camp to plead their cause, but to no avail. Turning to those
who were with him, Rinkart exclaimed, "Come, my children, we can find no
mercy with men, let us take refuge with God." He then fell on his knees
and uttered a fervent prayer, after which they sang the hymn of Paul Eber
so much used in those trying days, "When in the hour of utmost need." The
scene made such an impression on the Swedish commander that he relented
and reduced his demand to 2,000 florins or 1,350 thaler.
Rinkart lived only a year after the close of the bloody war. He died, a
worn and broken man, in 1649.
A Joyous Christmas Carol
All my heart this night rejoices,
As I hear,
Far and near,
Sweetest angel voices:
"Christ is born," their choirs are singing,
Till the air
Everywhere
Now with joy is ringing.
Come and banish all your sadness,
One and all,
Great and small,
Come with songs of gladness;
Love Him who with love is yearning;
Hail the star
That from far
Bright with hope is burning.
Hither come, ye heavy-hearted,
Who for sin,
Deep within,
Long and sore have smarted;
For the poisoned wounds you're feeling
Help is near,
One is here
Mighty for their healing.
Faithfully Thee, Lord, I'll cherish,
Live to Thee,
And with Thee
Dying, shall not perish,
But shall dwell with Thee forever,
Far on high,
In the joy
That can alter never.
Paul Gerhardt, 1656.
PAUL GERHARDT, PRINCE OF LUTHERAN HYMNISTS
The greatest Lutheran hymnist of the seventeenth century, and perhaps of
all time, was Paul Gerhardt.
Not even the hymns of Martin Luther are used so generally throughout the
Christian world as those of Gerhardt. More of the beautiful lyrics of
this sweet singer have found their way into the English language than the
hymns of any other German writer, and with the passing of years their
popularity increases rather than diminishes.
In the Lutheran church at Luebden, in Germany, there hangs a life-size
painting of Gerhardt. Beneath it is this inscription: _Theologus in
cribro Satanae versatus_, "A divine sifted in Satan's sieve." That
inscription may be said to epitomize the sad life-story of Germany's
great psalmist.
Gerhardt was born March 12, 1607, in Graefenhaynichen, a village near the
celebrated Wittenberg. His father, who was mayor of the village, died
before Paul reached maturity. When he was twenty-one years of age he
began the study of theology at the University of Wittenberg. The Thirty
Years' War was raging, and all Germany was desolate and suffering.
Because of the difficulty of securing a parish, Gerhardt served for
several years as a tutor in the home of Andreas Barthold, whose daughter
Anna Maria became his bride in 1655.
It was during this period that Gerhardt's poetic gifts began to flourish.
No doubt he was greatly stimulated by contact with the famous musician
Johann Crueger, who was cantor and director of music in the Church of St.
Nicholas in Berlin. In 1648 many of Gerhardt's hymns were published in
Crueger's _Praxis Pietatis Melica_.
Through the recommendation of the Berlin clergy, he was appointed
Lutheran provost at Mittenwalde, and was ordained to this post November
18, 1651. Six years later he accepted the position of third assistant
pastor of the Church of St. Nicholas in Berlin. His hymns continued to
grow in popularity, and his fame as a preacher drew large audiences to
hear him.
The controversy between the Lutherans and Calvinists, which had continued
from the days of the Reformation, flared up again at this time as the
result of efforts on the part of Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia to
unite the two parties. Friedrich Wilhelm, who was a Calvinist, sought to
compel the clergy to sign a document promising that they would abstain
from any references in their sermons to doctrinal differences. Gerhardt
was sick at the time, and, although he had always been moderate in his
utterances, he felt that to sign such a document would be to compromise
the faith. Summoning the other Lutheran clergymen of Berlin to his
bedside, he urged them to stand firm and to refuse to surrender to the
demands of the Elector.
Soon after this the courageous pastor was deposed from office. He was
also prohibited from holding private services in his own home. Though he
felt the blow very keenly, he met it with true Christian fortitude.
"This," he said, "is only a small Berlin affliction; but I am also
willing and ready to seal with my blood the evangelical truth, and, like
my namesake, St. Paul, to offer my neck to the sword."
To add to his sorrows, Gerhardt's wife and a son died in the midst of
these troubles. Three other children had died previous to this, and now
the sorely tried pastor was left with a single child, a boy of six years.
In May, 1669, he was called to the church at Luebden, where he labored
faithfully and with great success until his death, on June 7, 1676.
The glorious spirit that dwelt in him, and which neither trials nor
persecutions could quench, is reflected in the lines of his famous hymn,
"If God Himself be for me," based on the latter part of the eighth
chapter of Romans:
Though earth be rent asunder,
Thou'rt mine eternally;
Not fire, nor sword, nor thunder,
Shall sever me from Thee;
Not hunger, thirst, nor danger,
Not pain nor poverty,
Nor mighty princes' anger,
Shall ever hinder me.
Catherine Winkworth, who has translated the same hymn in a different
meter under the title, "Since Jesus is my Friend," has probably succeeded
best in giving expression to the triumphant faith and the note of
transcendent hope and joy in the final stanza:
My heart for gladness springs;
It cannot more be sad;
For very joy it smiles and sings--
Sees naught but sunshine glad.
The Sun that lights mine eyes
Is Christ, the Lord I love;
I sing for joy of that which lies
Stored up for me above.
Because of his own warm, confiding, childlike faith in God, Gerhardt's
hymns have become a source of special comfort to sorrowing and
heavy-laden souls. They not only breathe a spirit of tender consolation
but of a "joy unspeakable and full of glory." We have a beautiful example
of this in his Advent hymn, "O how shall I receive Thee":
Rejoice then, ye sad-hearted,
Who sit in deepest gloom,
Who mourn o'er joys departed,
And tremble at your doom;
He who alone can cheer you
Is standing at the door;
He brings His pity near you,
And bids you weep no more.
In Gerhardt's hymns we find a transition to the modern subjective note in
hymnody. Sixteen of his hymns begin with the pronoun, "I." They are not
characterized, however, by the weak sentimentality so often found in the
hymns of our own day, for Gerhardt never lost sight of the greatest
objective truth revealed to men--justification by faith alone.
Nevertheless, because of his constant emphasis on the love of God and
because his hymns are truly "songs of the heart," they possess a degree
of emotional warmth that is lacking in the earlier Lutheran hymns.
His hymns on the glories of nature have never been surpassed. In
contemplating the beauty of created things he is ever praising the
Creator. His famous evening hymn, "Nun ruhen alle Waelder," has been
likened to the beauty and splendor of the evening star. In a marvelous
manner the temporal and the eternal, the terrestrial and the celestial
are contrasted in every stanza. It was a favorite hymn of the great
German poet, Friedrich von Schiller, who first heard it sung by his
mother as a cradle song. Probably no hymn is so generally used by the
children of Germany as an evening prayer as this one. The most familiar
English translation begins with the line, "Now rest beneath night's
shadow." A more recent translation of rare beauty runs:
The restless day now closeth,
Each flower and tree reposeth,
Shade creeps o'er wild and wood:
Let us, as night is falling,
On God our Maker calling,
Give thanks to Him, the Giver good.
The tune to which this hymn is sung is as famous as the hymn itself. It
is ascribed to Heinrich Isaak, one of the first of the great German
church musicians. It is believed to have been composed by him in 1490,
when he was leaving his native town, Innsbruck, to establish himself at
the court of Emperor Maximilian I. It was set to the plaintive words,
"Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen." According to tradition, Isaak first
heard the beautiful melody sung by a wandering minstrel. Bach and Mozart
regarded it as one of the sublimest of all chorales, and each is said to
have declared that he would rather have been the composer of this tune
than any of his great masterpieces.
Gerhardt wrote 123 hymns in all. In addition to the hymns already
mentioned, probably his most famous is "O sacred Head, now wounded,"
based on the Latin hymn of Bernard of Clairvaux. Other hymns in common
use are "Immanuel, we sing Thy praise," "Holy Ghost, dispel our sadness,"
"O enter, Lord, Thy temple," "Shun, my heart, the thought forever,"
"Commit thou all thy griefs," "All my heart this night rejoices," "Beside
Thy manger here I stand," "Awake, my heart, and marvel," "Go forth, my
heart, and seek delight," "O Saviour dear," and "A pilgrim and a
stranger."
Only the briefest mention can be made of other German Lutheran
hymn-writers of this period. One of these, Johan Rist, pastor in Wedel,
was crowned poet laureate of Germany by Emperor Ferdinand III in 1644,
and nine years later was raised to the nobility. Rist wrote some 680
hymns, but all are not of uniform excellence. Among those in common use
to-day are "Arise, the kingdom is at hand," "Help us, O Lord, behold we
enter," "Rise, O Salem, rise and shine," "O Living Bread from heaven," "O
Jesus Christ, Thou Bread of Life," "Father, merciful and holy," which has
also been translated "Soul of mine, to God awaking," "O darkest woe," and
"Arise, arise ye Christians."
Georg Neumark, court poet and secretary of archives under Duke Wilhelm II
of Saxe-Weimar, has left us the hymn of trust in God: "Let, O my soul,
thy God direct thee," which is also known by the English translation, "If
thou but suffer God to guide thee." The hymn was written in 1641, at
Kiel, when, after being robbed of practically all he possessed except his
prayer-book, Neumark succeeded in obtaining employment as tutor in a
wealthy family. He was a destitute student at the time.
Michael Schirmer, an educator and poet who lived in Berlin during the
Thirty Years' War and for two decades after its close, is the author of a
number of beautiful hymns, among them the Pentecost hymn, "O Holy Spirit,
enter in." Because of poverty and afflictions suffered during a period of
war and pestilence, he has been called "the German Job."
Ahasuerus Fritsch, chancellor and president of the Consistory of
Rudolstadt, is credited with the authorship of "Jesus is my Joy, my All,"
a hymn that reflects the spirit of true evangelical piety. He died in
1701.
Caspar Neumann, another of Gerhardt's contemporaries, has bequeathed to
the Church the sublime hymn, "God of Ages, all transcending," the last
stanza of which is unusually striking in language:
Say Amen, O God our Father,
To the praise we offer Thee;
Now, to laud Thy name we gather;
Let this to Thy glory be.
Fill us with Thy love and grace,
Till we see Thee face to face.
Neumann, who was a celebrated preacher and professor of theology at
Breslau from 1678 to 1715, was the author of some thirty hymns, all of
which became very popular in Silesia. He was also author of a famous
devotional book, "Kern aller Gebete."
A Glorious Paean of Praise
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
Now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee!
Praise thou the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee,
Decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee.
How oft in grief
Hath not He brought thee relief,
Spreading His wings to o'ershade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen
Sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Joachim Neander, 1680.
JOACHIM NEANDER, THE PAUL GERHARDT OF THE CALVINISTS
While all Germany during the latter half of the seventeenth century was
singing the sublime lyrics of Paul Gerhardt, prince of Lutheran hymnists,
the spirit of hymnody was beginning to stir in the soul of another German
poet--Joachim Neander. This man, whose name will always be remembered as
the author of one of the most glorious hymns of praise of the Christian
Church, was the first hymn-writer produced by the Reformed, or
Calvinistic, branch of the Protestant Church.
Hymnody in the Reformed Church had been seriously retarded by the
iconoclastic views of Calvin and Zwingli. These Reformers at first
frowned on church choirs, organs, and every form of ecclesiastical art.
Even hymns, such as those used by the Lutherans, were prohibited because
they were the production of men. God could be worshiped in a worthy
manner, according to Calvin's principles, only by hymns which were
divinely inspired, namely, the Psalms of the Old Testament Psaltery.
This gave rise to the practice of versifying the Psalms. Calvin's
insistence that there should be the strictest adherence to the original
text often resulted in crude paraphrases. The exclusive use of the Psalms
explains the development of so-called "psalmody" in the Reformed Church
as over against "hymnody" in the Lutheran Church.
Psalmody had its inception in France, where Clement Marot, court poet to
King Francis I, rendered a number of the Psalms into metrical form. Marot
was a gifted and versatile genius, but not inclined to piety or
serious-mindedness. However, his versified Psalms became immensely
popular with the French Huguenots and exerted a great influence in the
struggle between the Protestants and the papal party. When Marot was
compelled to flee to Geneva because of Roman persecution, he collaborated
with Calvin in publishing the famous Genevan Psalter, which appeared in
1543.
Following the death of Marot in 1544, Calvin engaged Theodore de Beza to
continue the work, and in 1562 the Genevan Psalter was published in
completed form, containing all the Psalms in versified dress. The musical
editor during the greater part of this period was Louis Bourgeois, to
whom is generally ascribed the undying honor of being the composer of
probably the most famous of all Christian hymn tunes, "Old Hundredth."
The Genevan Psalter was translated into many languages, and became the
accepted hymn-book of the Reformed Church in Germany, England, Scotland,
and Holland, as well as in France. In Germany the most popular version
was a translation by Ambrosius Lobwasser, a professor of law at
Koenigsberg, who, oddly enough, was a Lutheran.
For more than 150 years Lutheran hymn-writers had been pouring out a
mighty stream of inspired song, but the voice of hymnody was stifled in
the Reformed Church. Then came Joachim Neander. His life was short--he
died at the age of thirty--and many of his hymns seem to have been
written in the last few months before his death; but the influence he
exerted on the subsequent hymnody of his Church earned for him the title,
"the Gerhardt of the Reformed Church."
Neander's hymns are preeminently hymns of praise. Their jubilant tone and
smooth rhythmical flow are at once an invitation to sing them. They
speedily found their way into Lutheran hymn-books in Germany, and from
thence to the entire Protestant world. Neander's most famous hymn,
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," with its splendid chorale melody,
grows in popularity with the passing of years, and promises to live on as
one of the greatest _Te Deums_ of the Christian Church.
Joachim Neander was born in Bremen, Germany, in 1650. He came from a
distinguished line of clergymen, his father, grandfather, great
grandfather and great great grandfather having been pastors, and all of
them bearing the name Joachim Neander.
Young Joachim entered the Academic Gymnasium of Bremen at the age of
sixteen years. It seems that he led a careless and profligate life,
joining in the sins and follies that characterized student life in his
age.
In the year 1670, when Neander was twenty years old, he chanced to attend
services in St. Martin's church, Bremen, where Theodore Under-Eyck had
recently come as pastor. Two other students accompanied Neander, their
main purpose being to criticize and scoff at the sermon. However, they
had not reckoned with the Spirit of God. The burning words of Under-Eyck
made a powerful impression on the mind and heart of the youthful Neander,
and he who went to scoff came away to pray.
It proved the turning point in the spiritual life of the young student.
Under the guidance of Under-Eyck he was led to embrace Christ as his
Saviour, and from that time he and Under-Eyck were life-long friends.
The following year Neander became tutor to five young students,
accompanying them to the University of Heidelberg. Three years later he
became rector of the Latin school at Duesseldorf. This institution was
under the supervision of a Reformed pastor, Sylvester Luersen, an able
man, but of contentious spirit. At first the two men worked together
harmoniously, Neander assisting with pastoral duties, and preaching
occasionally, although he was not ordained as a clergyman. Later,
however, he fell under the influence of a group of separatists, and began
to imitate their practices. He refused to receive the Lord's Supper on
the grounds that he could not partake of it with the unconverted. He
induced others to follow his example. He also became less regular in his
attendance at regular worship, and began to conduct prayer meetings and
services of his own.
In 1676 the church council of Duesseldorf investigated his conduct and
dismissed him from his office. Fourteen days after this action was taken,
however, Neander signed a declaration in which he promised to abide by
the rules of the church and school, whereupon he was reinstated.
There is a legend to the effect that, during the period of his suspension
from service, he spent most of his time living in a cave in the beautiful
Neanderthal, near Mettmann, on the Rhine, and that he wrote some of his
hymns at this place. It is a well-established fact that Neander's great
love for nature frequently led him to this place, and a cavern in the
picturesque glen still bears the name of "Neander's Cave." One of the
hymns which tradition declares was written in this cave bears the title
"Unbegreiflich Gut, Wahrer Gott alleine." It is a hymn of transcendent
beauty. One of the stanzas reads:
Thee all the mountains praise;
The rocks and glens are full of songs of Thee!
They bid me join my lays,
And laud the mighty Rock, who, safe from every shock,
Beneath Thy shadow here doth shelter me.
Many of Neander's hymns are odes to nature, but there is always a note of
praise to nature's God. Witness, for instance:
Heaven and earth, and sea and air,
All their Maker's praise declare;
Wake, my soul, awake and sing,
Now thy grateful praises bring!
"Here behold me, as I cast me," a penitential hymn by Neander, has found
favor throughout all Christendom.
In 1679 Neander's spiritual friend, Pastor Under-Eyck, invited him to
come to Bremen and become his assistant in St. Martin's church. Although
his salary was only 40 thalers a year and a free house, Neander joyfully
accepted the appointment. The following year, however, he became sick,
and after a lingering illness passed away May 31, 1680, at the age of
only thirty years.
During his illness he experienced severe spiritual struggles, but he
found comfort in the words, "It is better to hope unto death than to die
in unbelief." On the day of his death he requested that Hebrews 7:9 be
read to him. When asked how he felt, he replied: "The Lord has settled my
account. Lord Jesus, make also me ready." A little later he said in a
whisper: "It is well with me. The mountains shall be moved, and the hills
shall tremble, yet the grace of God shall not depart from me, and His
covenant of peace shall not be moved."
A Hymn Classic by Scheffler
Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower,
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown;
Thee will I love with all my power,
In all Thy works, and Thee alone;
Thee will I love, till Thy pure fire
Fill all my soul with chaste desire.
I thank Thee, uncreated Sun,
That Thy bright beams on me have shined;
I thank Thee, who hast overthrown
My foes, and healed my wounded mind;
I thank Thee, whose enlivening voice
Bids my freed heart in Thee rejoice.
Uphold me in the doubtful race,
Nor suffer me again to stray;
Strengthen my feet with steady pace
Still to press forward in Thy way;
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown;
Thee will I love, my Lord, my God;
Thee love beneath Thy smile or frown,
Beneath Thy scepter or Thy rod.
What though my flesh and heart decay?
Thee shall I love in endless day.
Johann Scheffler, 1657.
A ROMAN MYSTIC AND HYMN-WRITER
In Johann Scheffler we have the singular example of a man who forsook the
Lutheran Church to become a Romanist, but whose hymns have been adopted
and sung by the very Church he sought to oppose and confound.
Scheffler was a contemporary of Gerhardt and Neander. He was born in
Breslau, Silesia, in 1624. His father, Stanislaus Scheffler, was a Polish
nobleman who had been compelled to leave his native land because of his
Lutheran convictions. Young Scheffler became a medical student at
Strassburg, Leyden, and Padua, returning to Oels, Silesia, in 1649 to
become the private physician to Duke Sylvius Nimrod of Wuerttemberg-Oels.
During his sojourn in foreign lands he had come in contact with the
writings of various mystics and he began to lean strongly toward their
teachings. At Oels he began to flaunt his separatist views by absenting
himself from public worship and the Lord's Supper. When the Lutheran
authorities refused to permit the publication of some poems he had
written, because of their strong mystical tendencies, Scheffler resigned
his office and betook himself to Breslau, where he joined himself to a
group of Jesuits. Here he pursued the study of the medieval mystics of
the Roman Catholic Church, and in 1653 was confirmed as a member of that
communion. At this time he took the name of Angelus Silesius, probably
after a Spanish mystic named John ab Angelis.
In 1661 he was ordained a priest of the Roman Church. He became a
prolific writer and took special delight in directing bitter polemics
against the Church of his childhood. Of these writings, it has been well
said: "He certainly became more Roman than the Romans; and in his more
than fifty controversial tractates, shows little of the sweetness and
repose for which some have thought he left the Lutheran Church."
Scheffler, however, was a poet of the first rank. His poems, always
tinged by the spirit of mysticism, sometimes attain to sublime heights,
and again they descend to a coarse realism, particularly when he
describes the terrors of judgment and hell.
His hymns, on the other hand, are almost uniformly of a high order. They
are marked by a fervent love for Christ the heavenly Bridegroom, although
the imagery, largely based on the Song of Solomon, is sometimes
overdrawn, almost approaching the sensual. Few of his hymns reveal his
Catholic tendencies, and therefore they were gladly received by the
Protestants. Indeed, they came into more general use among the Lutherans
than among the Catholics. They were greatly admired by Count von
Zinzendorf, who included no less than 79 of them in his Moravian
collection.
The mysticism of Scheffler often brought him dangerously near the
border-line of pantheism. Vaughn, in his "Hours with the Mystics,"
compares Scheffler with Emerson, and declares that both resemble the
Persian Sufis. Something of Scheffler's pantheistic ideas may be seen in
the following lines:
God in my nature is involved,
As I in the divine;
I help to make His being up,
As much as He does mine.
And again in this:
I am as rich as God; no grain of dust
That is not mine, too: share with me He must.
Duffield, commenting on these astonishing lines, observes, "We need not
wonder that this high-flown self-assumption carried him to the door of a
Jesuit convent. It is in the very key of much that passes with Romanist
theology for heavenly rapture and delight in God."
The pantheistic views of Scheffler may be discerned even in his dying
prayer: "Jesus and Christ, God and man, bridegroom and brother, peace and
joy, sweetness and delight, refuge and redemption, heaven and earth,
eternity and time, love and all, receive my soul."
However, we must agree with Albert Knapp in his judgment of Scheffler's
beautiful hymns, that "whencesoever they may come, they are an unfading
ornament of the Church of Jesus Christ." The gem among them is "Thee will
I love, my Strength, my Tower." Others that have come into general use
are "Earth has nothing sweet or fair," "Thy soul, O Jesus, hallow me,"
"Come, follow me, the Saviour spake," "Jesus, Saviour, come to me," "Thou
holiest Love, whom most I love," and "Loving Shepherd, kind and true."
A Gem among Pietistic Hymns
O Jesus, Source of calm repose,
Thy like no man nor angel knows,
Fairest among ten thousand fair!
E'en those whom death's sad fetters bound,
Whom thickest darkness compassed round,
Find light and life, if Thou appear.
Renew Thine image, Lord, in me,
Lowly and gentle may I be;
No charms but these to Thee are dear;
No anger may'st Thou ever find,
No pride, in my unruffled mind,
But faith, and heaven-born peace, be there.
A patient, a victorious mind,
That life and all things casts behind,
Springs forth obedient to Thy call,
A heart that no desire can move,
But still to praise, believe, and love,
Give me, my Lord, my Life, my All!
Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen, 1704.
HYMN-WRITERS OF THE PIETIST SCHOOL
Spiritual revivals in the Christian Church have always been accompanied
by an outburst of song. This was true of the Reformation, which witnessed
the birth of the Lutheran Church, and it was also characteristic of the
Pietistic movement, which infused new life and fervor into that
communion. The Pietistic revival, which in many respects was similar to
the Puritan and Wesleyan movements in England, had its inception in
Germany in the latter part of the 17th century and continued during the
first half of the 18th century. It quickly spread to other Lutheran
countries, particularly Scandinavia, and its influence has been felt even
to the present time.
The leader of the movement was Philipp Jacob Spener, pastor of St.
Nicolai Church, in Berlin. Spener, although a loyal and zealous son of
the Lutheran Church, was not blind to the formalism and dead orthodoxy
which had overtaken it following the Thirty Years' War and which
threatened to dry up the streams of spiritual life. To stimulate
spiritual endeavor and personal piety, Spener and his followers organized
Bible study groups. They also encouraged private assemblies for mutual
edification. These were known as _collegia pietatis_, which gave rise to
the name, "Pietists."
August Hermann Francke, the foremost disciple of Spener, succeeded the
latter as leader of the movement. The University of Halle, where Francke
was called as professor in 1691, became the center of Pietism. Here
Francke laid the foundations for the remarkable philanthropic and
educational institutions that made his name known throughout the
Christian world. It began in 1695 when the great-hearted man opened a
room in his own house for the instruction of poor children. Within a few
years he had established his great orphanage, a high school, and a home
for destitute students. The orphans' home was erected on a site where
there had been a beer and dancing garden.
When Francke began he had no money, nor did he receive any support from
the state, but as the marvelous work progressed funds poured in from all
quarters. In the year of his death, 1727, more than 2,000 children were
receiving care and instruction from 170 teachers. Altogether, some 6,000
graduates of theology left Halle during Francke's career, "men imbued
with his spirit, good exegetes, and devoted pastors, who spread their
doctrines all over Germany, and in the early decades of the 18th century
occupied a majority of the pulpits."
Halle also became the cradle of the modern missionary movement. From this
place, in 1705, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Henry Pluetschau, were sent
forth as the first missionaries to India, nearly a century before William
Carey left England for the same field. At Halle the youthful Count von
Zinzendorf became a pupil under Francke and received the inspiration that
in later years led to the establishment of the far-reaching missions of
the Moravians. To Halle the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, came in
1738, shortly after his conversion in London, in order to become more
familiar with the teachings of Luther and the Pietists.
The secret of the marvelous success of Francke's efforts may be read in
the simple inscription on the monument erected to his memory in front of
the famous orphanage at Halle. It reads: "He trusted in God."
Neither Francke nor Spener were hymn-writers of note, although each
composed a few songs. The Pietist movement, however, gave birth to a
great revival in hymnody in Germany, both in Lutheran and Reformed
circles. At Halle it was Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen who not only
became the representative hymnist of the Pietists, but also succeeded
Francke as head of the great Halle institutions.
Freylinghausen was a student at the University of Jena when he first
heard the preaching of Francke. Shortly afterward he followed him to
Halle, and in 1695 became Francke's colleague. He preached at vesper
services, conducted midweek meetings, taught classes in the orphanage
school, and delivered lectures on homiletics. He served without salary
for ten years, since Francke was obliged to use all his income for the
support of his institutions of mercy. In 1715 Freylinghausen married
Francke's only daughter. At her baptism as an infant he had been her
sponsor, and she had received his name, Johanna Anastasia. It was after
Francke's death in 1727 that the Halle institutions reached their highest
development under the direction of Freylinghausen. When the latter died
in 1739, he was buried beside his beloved friend.
Freylinghausen's "Geistreiches Gesangbuch" became the standard hymn-book
of the Pietistic movement. The first edition appeared in 1704 and
contained 683 hymns. A second hymn-book was published in 1714, containing
815 additional hymns. The two collections were combined in 1741 by G. A.
Francke and published as one hymn-book, containing 1,582 hymns and 600
tunes. Freylinghausen was the author of forty-four of these hymns, and is
also said to have composed some of the melodies.
The hymns of Freylinghausen are the most worthy of all those produced by
the Pietistic school. They are marked by genuine piety, depth of feeling,
rich Christian experience, and faithfulness in Scriptural expression. The
tunes employed, however, were often a distinct departure from the
traditional Lutheran chorales, and were not always suited to
congregational worship. Freylinghausen's most famous hymn, "O Jesus,
Source of calm repose," was greatly admired by John Wesley, who
translated it into English in 1737. The so-called "Jesus hymns," which
reached their greatest development among the Pietists, find their
sweetest expression in Freylinghausen's:
Who is there like Thee,
Jesus, unto me?
None is like Thee, none above Thee,
Thou art altogether lovely;
None on earth have we,
None in heaven like Thee.
It is not strange that from Halle, from whence such mighty missionary
influences flowed, should also go forth the first Protestant missionary
hymn. It was in 1750 that Karl Heinrich von Bogatzky, while working among
the orphans of the Franckean institutions, wrote his famous hymn, "Awake,
thou Spirit, who didst fire."
Bogatzky, who came from a noble Hungarian family, was disowned by his
father when he chose to enroll as a theological student at Halle rather
than to prepare for a career as an army officer. His health failed him,
however, and he was unable to enter the ministry. For many years he
devoted himself to hymn-writing and devotional literature. He also
traveled as a lay preacher. Because of his noble birth he was able to
exert a considerable influence in the higher circles of German society.
From 1746 to his death in 1774, he lived at the Halle orphanage. He was
the author of some 411 hymns, but few of them possess the poetic and
spiritual fire of his missionary hymn. Two of its glorious stanzas read:
Awake, Thou Spirit, who didst fire
The watchmen of the Church's youth,
Who faced the foe's envenomed ire,
Who day and night declared Thy truth,
Whose voices loud are ringing still,
And bringing hosts to know Thy will.
O haste to help, ere we are lost!
Send preachers forth, in spirit strong,
Armed with Thy Word, a dauntless host,
Bold to attack the rule of wrong;
Let them the earth for Thee reclaim,
Thy heritage, to know Thy Name.
Johann Jacob Rambach was another important hymn-writer of this period.
The son of a cabinet maker of Halle, young Rambach attended the free
school established by Francke and came under the direct influence of the
great Pietist leader.
Like many a youth, however, he felt that his education was complete at
the age of thirteen years, at which time he left school to work in his
father's shop. The Lord, on the other hand, seems to have had other plans
for the lad, and it was not long before young Rambach suffered a
dislocated ankle. Confined to his bed for several weeks, he again turned
to his books, and, before he had recovered, the desire to resume his
studies took possession of him.
Rambach eventually became one of the outstanding theologians of Halle, as
well as preacher at the school church. In 1731 he removed to Giessen to
become superintendent and first professor of theology. Here he found
conditions vastly different from those at Halle. He was particularly
grieved over the fact that his preaching did not seem to bear fruit.
Often his efforts to bring about healthier spiritual conditions met with
opposition and scoffing on the part of his adversaries. He died in 1735
at the early age of forty-two years--from intense sorrow over the
spiritual indifference of his flock, so it has been said.
Rambach wrote many splendid hymns, among them the confirmation hymn,
"Baptized into Thy Name most holy." His fame rests principally on his
work as a hymnologist, however. During his life-time he published a
number of collections from all sources. These hymns were chosen with fine
discrimination, and Rambach was the first hymn editor to make a
distinction between hymns for congregational worship and those
particularly suited for private devotion.
The beautiful Advent hymn, "Rejoice, all ye believers," as well as the
Epiphany hymn, "O Saviour of our race," also date from the Pietistic
period. Both hymns apparently were written in 1700 by Laurentius
Laurentii, cantor and director of music in the Lutheran cathedral at
Bremen. Laurentii was not only a splendid musician, but also a
hymn-writer of high order, and no less than thirty-four of his hymns were
included in the Freylinghausen collections.
Other hymnists of the Pietistic school include Christian Scriver, writer
of the famous devotional book, "Seelenschatz;" Gottfried Arnold, a noted
church historian; Ernst Gottlieb Woltersdorf, founder of an orphanage at
Bunzlau, and Christian Richter, a pious physician and an associate of
Francke. Few of their hymns, however, are in common use today.
A Hymn of Longing for Christ
O Son of God, we wait for Thee,
We long for Thine appearing;
We know Thou sittest on the throne,
And we Thy Name are bearing.
Who trusts in Thee may joyful be,
And see Thee, Lord, descending
To bring us bliss unending.
We wait for Thee, 'mid toil and pain,
In weariness and sighing;
But glad that Thou our guilt hast borne,
And cancelled it by dying.
Hence, cheerfully may we with Thee
Take up our cross and bear it,
Till we the crown inherit.
We wait for Thee; here Thou hast won
Our hearts to hope and duty;
But while our spirits feel Thee near,
Our eyes would see Thy beauty;
We fain would be at rest with Thee
In peace and joy supernal,
In glorious life eternal.
We wait for Thee; soon Thou wilt come,
The time is swiftly nearing;
In this we also do rejoice,
And long for Thine appearing.
O bliss 'twill be when Thee we see,
Homeward Thy people bringing,
With ecstasy and singing!
Philipp Friedrich Hiller, 1767.
THE WUERTTEMBERG HYMN-WRITERS
The Pietistic movement quickly made its influence felt in all parts of
Germany. In some quarters, especially in the latter stages of the
movement, it assumed more radical forms. Sometimes it developed into
emotionalism and mysticism. The hymns were often of a subjective type,
which led the worshiper to think more about his own inner processes and
feelings than to direct his thoughts to Him alone who can redeem and
sanctify.
Some of the Pietistic hymnists, notably Woltersdorf, were given to the
use of inordinate language and even sensuous descriptions for the purpose
of arousing intense emotion. In one of Woltersdorf's passion hymns, he
dwells morbidly on every detail of the physical sufferings of Christ, and
in another hymn he borrows Scheffler's figure which likens the soul to a
bee deriving sustenance from the crimson wounds of Christ.
On the other hand, the Pietistic hymn is exemplified in its highest and
noblest form in the writings of the so-called Wuerttemberg school of
hymnists, the chief exponent of which was Philipp Friedrich Hiller.
Wuerttemberg was blessed with the famous scholar and theologian, Johann
Albrecht Bengel, whose sound doctrinal views and profound understanding
of human nature not only led to a healthy development of Pietism in
southern Germany, but also left a lasting impression on all the
theological students who came under his influence at the training schools
at Denkendorf, near Esslingen. Hiller was one of these.
Hiller's hymns and those of the other Wuerttemberg hymnists never indulge
in the weak emotional effusions of which the later Halle hymn-writers
were often guilty.
Hiller was a man sorely tried in the school of adversity. Shortly after
he began his pastorate at Steinheim, in 1748, he lost his voice and was
unable to continue his pulpit duties. However, he believed implicitly in
the Pauline teaching that "to them that love God all things work together
for good," and, when his voice became silent, his spirit began to sing
hymns richer and sweeter than ever. Witness, for example, the note of
tenderness in the last stanza of his baptismal hymn, "God, in human flesh
appearing":
Feeble is the love of mother,
Father's blessings are as naught,
When compared, my King and Brother,
With the wonders Thou hast wrought;
Thus it pleased Thy heavenly meekness;
Pleasing also be my praise,
Till my songs of earthly weakness
Burst into celestial lays.
Hiller was a prolific writer, his hymns numbering no less than 1,075 in
all. Most of these were written for his devotional book, "Geistliches
Liederkaestlein," a work that holds an honored place beside the Bible in
many pious homes in southern Germany. Indeed, it has been carried by
German emigrants to all parts of the world. It is related that when a
Germany colony in the Caucasus was attacked by a fierce Circassian tribe
about a hundred years ago, the parents cut up their copies of the
"Liederkaestlein" and distributed its leaves among their children who were
being carried off into slavery. Hiller's hymns, though simple in form and
artless in expression, have retained a strong hold on the people of
Wuerttemberg and are extensively used to this day. Among the more popular
are "O boundless joy, there is salvation," "Jesus Christ as King is
reigning," and "O Son of God, we wait for Thee."
Hiller's rule for hymn-writing, as set forth in one of his prefaces,
could be followed with profit by many modern writers of sentimental
tendencies. He says: "I have always striven for simplicity. Bombastic
expressions of a soaring imagination, a commonplace and too familiar
manner of speaking of Christ as a brother, of kisses and embraces, of
individual souls as the particular Bride of Christ, of naive and pet
images for the Christ-child,--all these I have scrupulously avoided, and
serious-minded men will not blame me if, in this respect, I have revered
the majesty of our Lord."
Another representative of the Wuerttemberg school was Baron Christoph Carl
Ludwig von Pfeil, a diplomat of high attainments and noble, Christian
character. In September, 1763, he was appointed by Frederick the Great as
Prussian ambassador to the Diets of Swabia and Franconia. He was created
a baron by Emperor Joseph II shortly afterwards.
Pfeil began writing hymns at the age of eighteen years and continued it
as his chief diversion throughout life. He was a prolific writer, his
published hymns numbering about 850. He was a warm friend of Bengel, who
wrote the introduction to one of Pfeil's hymn collections. Pfeil wrote
hymns on various phases of civil life. His hymn on the Christian home is
typical:
O blest the house, whate'er befall,
Where Jesus Christ is All in all;
Yea, if He were not dwelling there,
How poor and dark and void it were!
The Silesian pastors, Johann Andreas Rothe and Johann Mentzer, also may
be regarded as belonging to the more conservative Pietistic hymn-writers.
Rothe was pastor at Berthelsdorf, having been brought there through the
influence of Count von Zinzendorf, who had heard him preach in Silesia.
The Moravian community of Herrnhut formed a part of Rothe's parish, and
he took a keen interest in the activities of Zinzendorf and his
followers. However, when Rothe, in 1737, found it necessary to report to
the ecclesiastical authorities that the Moravians were deviating from
sound Lutheran doctrine, the friendship between him and Zinzendorf
ceased, and Rothe found it advisable to remove to Thommendorf, where he
died in 1758.
Rothe wrote approximately forty hymns, the most famous of which is "Now I
have found the ground wherein." This hymn was greatly admired by John
Wesley and was translated by him in 1740. Because it first appeared in
the Moravian hymn-book, the Lutherans suspected that Zinzendorf was the
author. Upon discovering that it was by Rothe, they quickly adopted it.
The first stanza reads:
Now I have found the ground wherein
My soul's sure anchor may remain:
The wounds of Jesus, for my sin
Before the world's foundation slain;
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay
When heaven and earth are fled away.
Mentzer, who has given us the beautiful hymn, "O would, my God, that I
could praise Thee," was born at Jahmen, Silesia, in 1658. For
thirty-eight years he was pastor at Kemnitz, Saxony, at which place he
wrote his hymns, about thirty in number. There is an exalted strain in
his hymns of praise:
O all ye powers that He implanted,
Arise, keep silence thus no more,
Put forth the strength that He hath granted,
Your noblest work is to adore;
O soul and body, be ye meet
With heartfelt praise your Lord to greet.
This hymn sometimes begins with the line, "O that I had a thousand
voices."
A Noble Hymn of Worship
Light of light, enlighten me,
Now anew the day is dawning;
Sun of grace, the shadows flee,
Brighten Thou my Sabbath morning.
With Thy joyous sunshine blest,
Happy is my day of rest!
Fount of all our joy and peace,
To Thy living waters lead me;
Thou from earth my soul release,
And with grace and mercy feed me.
Bless Thy Word, that it may prove
Rich in fruits that Thou dost love.
Kindle Thou the sacrifice
That upon my lips is lying;
Clear the shadows from mine eyes,
That, from every error flying,
No strange fire may in me glow
That Thine altar doth not know.
Let me with my heart today,
Holy, holy, holy, singing,
Rapt awhile from earth away,
All my soul to Thee upspringing,
Have a foretaste inly given,
How they worship Thee in heaven.
Benjamin Schmolck, 1715.
HOW A GREAT ORGANIST INSPIRED TWO HYMNISTS
While all the hymn-writers of Germany in the early part of the eighteenth
century were more or less influenced by the Pietistic movement, there
were some who nevertheless refused to be carried away by the emotional
extravagances of which some of the Halle song-writers were often guilty.
In the hymns of these more conservative psalmists we find a happy
blending of objective teaching and a warm, personal faith that reminds us
of the earlier hymns of Gerhardt.
The chief representatives of this more typical Lutheran school were
Benjamin Schmolck, a beloved pastor and a poet of rare ability, and
Erdmann Neumeister, creator of the Church Cantata. It was the age in
which John Sebastian Bach lived and wrought, and this prince of Lutheran
organists, whose title of "high priest of church music" has never been
disputed, gave of his musical genius to help make the hymns of Schmolck
and Neumeister immortal.
Next to Gerhardt, there is no German hymnist whose name is so frequently
found in hymn-books today as that of Schmolck. Born at Brauchitzdorf,
Silesia, where his father was pastor, he was sent to school at Lauban at
the age of sixteen. After an absence of five years the young man returned
home and was invited to fill his father's pulpit. The sermon he preached
so pleased the father that he determined to send him to the University of
Leipzig to study for the ministry. In 1697 he returned to Brauchitzdorf
to be ordained as his father's assistant.
In 1702 Schmolck became pastor of Friedenskirche at Schweidnitz, in
Silesia. According to the terms of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, all
of the churches in this district had been turned over to the Catholics,
and only a "meeting-house," built of timber and clay and without tower or
bells, was allowed to the Lutherans. Here Schmolck labored patiently for
thirty-five years under the most trying circumstances, not even being
permitted to administer communion to the dying except by consent of the
Catholic authorities.
Schmolck's hymns and spiritual songs, numbering 1,183 in all, brought him
fame all over Germany. Many have been translated into English. His
fervent love for the Saviour is beautifully reflected in the hymn:
My Jesus, as Thou wilt!
O may Thy will be mine!
Into Thy hand of love
I would my all resign;
Through sorrow or through joy,
Conduct me as Thine own,
And help me still to say,
"My Lord, Thy will be done!"
"Light of light, enlighten me," a noble hymn of praise and adoration, has
been happily wedded to a glorious chorale by Bach. Other hymns that have
won renown throughout the Christian world include "Open now thy gates of
beauty," "Welcome, Thou Victor in the strife," "Blessed Jesus, here we
stand," "What our Father does is well," "My God, I know that I must die,"
"Hallelujah, Lo, He wakes," "My truest Friend abides in heaven," and
"Precious Word from God in heaven." The joyous spirit in many of
Schmolck's hymns may be seen reflected in the beautiful temple hymn:
Open now thy gates of beauty,
Zion, let me enter there.
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer;
O how blessed is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
Neumeister followed the example of Schmolck in becoming an ardent
champion of the older, conservative Lutheranism. Although he was greatly
influenced as a youth by the writings of Francke, he later became
convinced that there were dangerous tendencies in the Halle and Herrnhut
movements, and he did not hesitate to issue violent polemics against
them.
His hymns, on the other hand, offer a curious contrast to his other
writings. Often they reveal a warmth and tenderness of feeling that would
have merited a place for them in any Pietistic hymn-book. This may be
seen in the hymn, "Jesus sinners doth receive," which has also been
translated "Sinners may to Christ draw near:"
"Jesus sinners doth receive!"
Word of surest consolation;
Word all sorrow to relieve,
Word of pardon, peace, salvation!
Naught like this can comfort give:
"Jesus sinners doth receive!"
Neumeister became pastor of St. James church in Hamburg in 1715, where he
remained for forty-one years until his death in 1756. His fame does not
rest merely upon his hymns, although he wrote 650 in all, but Neumeister
will also be remembered as the originator of the Church Cantata. In this
new field of musical art he was fortunate in having the cooperation of
such a genius as Bach.
Bach belonged to the fifth generation of a remarkable family of
musicians. As many as thirty-seven of the family are known to have held
important musical positions. John Sebastian, who is by far the greatest
musician the Protestant Church has produced, was born in Eisenach, on
March 21, 1685. The greater part of his life was spent in Leipzig, where
he labored from 1723 until his death in 1750 as cantor of the Thomas
school and director of music at the Thomas and Nicolai churches.
Bach's devotion to the Lutheran Church has been likened to that of
Palestrina to the Catholic Church. There is no loftier example of musical
genius dedicated to the service of the Christian religion than we find in
the life of Bach. He felt that his life was consecrated to God, to the
honor of his Church, and to the blessing of mankind. Although it was the
age when the opera was flourishing in Europe, Bach gave no attention to
it, but devoted all his remarkable talent to church music.
As master of the organ, Bach has never been equaled. His chorales and
passion music also belong in a class by themselves. A famous critic has
written: "Mozart and Beethoven failed in oratorio, Schubert in opera; the
Italian operas of Gluck and Handel have perished. Even in the successful
work of these men there is a strange inequality. But upon all that Bach
attempted--and the amount of his work is no less a marvel than its
quality--he affixed the stamp of final and inimitable perfection."
With the passing of years, Bach's genius is being recognized more and
more throughout the Christian Church. The performance of his cantatas by
the Catholic Schola Cantorum of Paris "is one of the many testimonies to
the universality of the art of this son of Lutheranism." There is
something in his mighty productions that touches the deepest chords of
religious emotion, regardless of creed or communion.
A Hymn on the Mystical Union
Thou hidden love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed no man knows,
I see from far Thy beauteous light,
Inly I sigh for Thy repose:
My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest; till it find rest in Thee.
Is there a thing beneath the sun
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there.
Then shall my heart from earth be free,
When it hath found repose in Thee.
O hide this self from me, that I
No more, but Christ in me, may live!
My base affections crucify,
Nor let one favorite sin survive;
In all things nothing may I see,
Nothing desire, or seek, but Thee.
Each moment draw from earth away
My heart that lowly waits Thy call!
Speak to my inmost soul, and say:
"I am thy Love, thy God, thy All!"
To feel Thy power, to hear Thy voice,
To taste Thy love, be all my choice!
Gerhard Tersteegen, 1729.
GERHARD TERSTEEGEN, HYMN-WRITER AND MYSTIC
While Benjamin Schmolck must be regarded as the greatest of Lutheran
hymn-writers in Germany during the eighteenth century, Gerhard Tersteegen
holds the same distinction among German Reformed hymnists. Except for the
Wesleys in England, no man during his age exerted so great a spiritual
influence in evangelical circles of all lands as did Tersteegen. In some
respects his religious views bordered on fanaticism, but no one could
question his deep sincerity and his earnest desire to live the life
hidden with Christ in God.
Born at Moers, Rhenish Prussia, November 25, 1697, Tersteegen was only six
years old when his father died. It had been the plan of his parents that
he should become a Reformed minister, but the death of the father made it
impossible for the mother to carry out this purpose. At the age of
sixteen he was apprenticed to a merchant, and four years later entered
business on his own account.
Although he was only twenty years old at this time, he began to
experience seasons of deep spiritual despondency. This lasted for nearly
five years, during which time he changed his occupation to that of silk
weaving, since he desired more time for prayer and meditation. It was not
until the year 1724, while on a journey to a neighboring town, that light
seemed to dawn on his troubled soul, and he was filled with the assurance
that God's grace in Christ Jesus was sufficient to atone for all sin. In
the joy and peace which he had found, he immediately wrote the beautiful
hymn, "How gracious, kind and good, my great High Priest, art Thou."
From this time until the close of his life, Tersteegen began to devote
his energies more and more to religious work and literary activities. An
independent religious movement known as "Stillen im Lande" had begun
about this time, and he soon became known as a leader among these people.
Tersteegen had already ceased to associate with his friends in the
Reformed Church, and had gone over to religious mysticism. In one of his
strange spiritual moods he wrote what he called "a covenant between
himself and God" and signed it with his own blood.
Finally he gave up business pursuits entirely, and his home became the
refuge of multitudes of sick and spiritually troubled people. It came to
be known as the "Pilgrim's Hut," from the fact that many found a
temporary retreat there, as well as spiritual help and guidance.
Tersteegen also traveled extensively in his own district, and made
frequent visits to Holland to hold meetings there.
Tersteegen never married, and for this reason he was accused of teaching
celibacy. Several sects, including the Moravians, sought to induce him to
become one of their number, but he steadfastly refused to identify
himself with any organized church body. He died at Muelheim, April 30,
1769.
Tersteegen's hymns, as well as his other writings, reflect his spirit of
mysticism. His soul was imbued with the sense of the nearness of God,
and, through a life of spiritual communion and a renunciation of the
world, he developed a simplicity of faith and a child-like trust that
found beautiful expression in his hymns.
Two of these, "Thou hidden love of God whose height" and "Lo, God is
here, let us adore," made a deep impression on John Wesley, who
translated the former during his visit to Georgia in 1736. Wesley became
familiar with Tersteegen's hymns through contact with Moravian pilgrims
who were crossing the Atlantic on the same ship on which he sailed. "Lo,
God is here, let us adore" has several English versions, including "God
is in His temple" and "God Himself is present."
Another of Tersteegen's hymns, "God calling yet! shall I not hear?" is
one of the most stirring calls to repentance in all the realm of
Christian hymnody. It was rendered into English by Mrs. Sarah Borthwick
Findlater in the series of translations known as "Hymns from the Land of
Luther."
Other noted hymns by Tersteegen include "Jesus, whom Thy Church doth
own," "O Love divine, all else transcending," and "Triumph, ye heavens,"
the latter a Christmas lyric of exultant strain.
Tersteegen's conception of the high place which hymnody should occupy in
Christian worship is revealed in his writings. He says: "The pious,
reverential singing of hymns has something angelic about it and is
accompanied by divine blessing. It quiets and subdues the troubled
emotions; it drives away cares and anxieties; it strengthens, refreshes
and encourages the soul; it draws the mind unconsciously from external
things, lifts up the soul to joyful adoration, and thus prepares us to
worship in spirit and in truth. We should sing with the spirit of
reverence, with sincerity, simplicity and hearty desire.... When you
sing, O soul, remember that you are as truly communing with the holy and
omnipresent God as when you are praying. Consider that you are standing
in spirit before the throne of God with countless thousands of angels and
spirits of the just and that you are blending your weak praises with the
music of heaven. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling."
Following a Heavenly Leader
Jesus, still lead on,
Till our rest be won,
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow, calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our Fatherland!
If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fear o'ertake us,
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many a foe
To our home we go!
When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief,
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring,
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more!
Jesus, still lead on,
Till our rest be won;
Heavenly Leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our Fatherland!
Nicolaus Ludwig, Count Zinzendorf, 1721
ZINZENDORF AND MORAVIAN HYMNODY
The church of the Moravian Brethren is famous for two things: its
missionary zeal and its love for church music. It owes both of these
distinguishing characteristics to its great founder and patron leader,
Nicolaus Ludwig, Count von Zinzendorf. Not only was this very unusual man
a gifted writer of hymns, but he was also an ardent exponent of foreign
missions.
Zinzendorf was only ten years old when his soul was fired with a
passionate desire to do something to help win the world for Christ. He
was a pupil at the famous Pietist school of Francke at Halle, Germany, at
the time, and through his endeavors a mission society known as "The Order
of the Grain of Mustard Seed," was organized among the lads of his own
age.
A few years later he chanced to see a copy of Sternberg's masterpiece,
"Ecce Homo," depicting Christ wearing His crown of thorns before Pilate
and the Jewish mob. Beneath the famous picture were inscribed the words:
This have I done for thee;
What hast thou done for Me?
From that moment Zinzendorf took as his life motto: "I have but one
passion, and that is He and only He." On his wedding day, in 1722, he and
his young bride decided to renounce their rank and to dedicate their
lives to the task of winning souls for Christ.
The Lord took them at their word. In that same year a number of
Protestant refugees from Moravia, who had been compelled to leave their
homes because of Roman Catholic persecution, arrived in Saxony and found
refuge on Zinzendorf's large estate. They were a remnant of the Bohemian
Brethren, a heroic religious communion which dated back to the days of
the noble martyr, John Huss. Though relentlessly hunted and persecuted
for more than three centuries, this early evangelical body had continued
to maintain its existence in the form of secret religious circles known
as "the hidden seed."
Under the protection of Count Zinzendorf, the little band of Moravian
refugees established a religious center which they called "Herrnhut."
Zinzendorf, who was a Lutheran, induced them to adopt the Augsburg
Confession as a statement of their doctrine, but they continued to exist
as an independent church body. People from all over Europe, hearing that
religious freedom was enjoyed on the Zinzendorf estates, flocked to
Herrnhut in large numbers to escape persecution, and it soon became a
flourishing colony.
In 1737 Zinzendorf accepted ordination as a bishop of the Brethren, and
thus became the real leader of the organization. He immediately began to
impart his own missionary zeal to the Moravian movement. Two of the
earliest missionaries, David Nitschmann and Leonard Dober, were sent to
the island of St. Thomas, in the West Indies, to preach the gospel to the
negro slaves. The blacks were so embittered because of the cruel
treatment received at the hands of their taskmasters that they refused to
listen to the missionaries, and very little progress could be made. At
last, in order to gain their confidence, Dober sold himself as a slave
and shared their hardships with them. He soon died, however, as a result
of this deed. The story of his heroic sacrifice so moved the heart of
Prime Minister Wilberforce of England that he forthwith determined to
begin the movement which eventually led to the emancipation of all slaves
in the British empire.
Missionary zeal continued to flourish among the Moravians, and the little
colony of Herrnhut became known as one of the most famous missionary
centers of Christendom. Every one of its members felt that he possessed
no permanent habitation in this world, and was prepared every day to be
sent to any part of the globe.
Though still a small organization today, the Moravian Church has never
lost its missionary spirit. It is claimed that for every fifty-eight
members of the Church at home, there is one missionary in foreign lands.
When Carey went to India, the Moravians already had 165 missionaries in
the pagan world.
Zinzendorf was a great lover of music. Even as a boy, he wrote hymns. The
first was written at the age of twelve, and he was still producing hymns
in 1760, the year of his death. Altogether, he is credited with the
authorship of more than 2,000 lyrics. His most famous is "Jesus, still
lead on," which is also known as "Jesus, lead the way." John Wesley was a
great admirer of Zinzendorf's hymns and has given us the beautiful
English translation of "Jesus, thy blood and righteousness." James
Montgomery, the noted English hymnist, was a member of the Moravian
communion.
A Glorious Hymn of Adoration
Beautiful Saviour!
King of Creation!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love Thee,
Truly I'd serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my Joy, my Crown.
Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flowers of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer;
He makes our sorrowing spirit sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
Beautiful Saviour!
Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration,
Now and for evermore be Thine!
Muenster Gesangbuch, 1677.
TWO FAMOUS HYMNS AND SOME LEGENDS
Every hymn has a story. Ofttimes, however, the origin is obscure, and it
is difficult to trace its birth out of the misty past. Again there are so
many legends that have gathered around the great lyrics of the ages, many
of them generally accepted, that it becomes a painful process to get rid
of these excrescences. Two beautiful German hymns, "Schoenster Herr Jesu"
and "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" may serve to illustrate these
difficulties.
In innumerable hymn-books the former hymn, sometimes translated
"Beautiful Saviour" and sometimes "Fairest Lord Jesus," is designated as
"The Crusaders' Hymn." The hymn was first introduced to American
worshipers by Richard Storrs Willis, who included it in his "Church
Chorals and Choir Studies," published in 1850. It was accompanied with
this explanation: "This hymn, to which the harmony has been added, was
lately (1850) discovered in Westphalia. According to the traditionary
text by which it is accompanied, it was wont to be sung by the German
knights on their way to Jerusalem. The only hymn of the same century
which in point of style resembles this is one quoted by Burney from the
Chatelaine de Coucy, set about the year 1190, very far inferior, however,
to this."
In a London hymn-book, "Heart Melodies" by Morgan and Chase, the same
error is repeated. There it is referred to as "Crusader's Hymn of the
Twelfth Century. This air and hymn used to be sung by the German pilgrims
on their way to Jerusalem."
"For these statements," writes James Mearns, "there does not seem to be
the shadow of foundation, for the air referred to has not been traced
earlier than 1842, nor the words than 1677."
The hymn appeared anonymously in the "Muenster Gesangbuch" of 1677, where
it was published as the first of "Three beautiful selected new hymns." In
a book of Silesian folk songs, published in Leipzig in 1842, the text is
found in altered form and the beautiful melody to which it is now sung is
given for the first time. Both text and melody, it is explained in this
book, were taken down from oral recitation in the district of Glaz, in
lower Silesia. From these facts we are compelled to draw the conclusion
that this glorious hymn of adoration to the Saviour probably dates back
to the seventeenth century, while the melody is undoubtedly a Silesian
folk song of much later origin.
The English translation, "Beautiful Saviour," has come to us from the pen
of Joseph A. Seiss, the noted Lutheran preacher of Philadelphia.
"Silent night, holy night" also is a hymn around which numerous legends
have clustered. The most unfortunate of these deals with its origin.
According to this story, the hymn was written on a Christmas Eve by a
"Mr. Mohr," whose wife that very day had gone to celebrate Christmas in
heaven. In an adjoining room the grief-stricken husband and father could
see his little motherless children sleeping. Outside the house of
mourning the stillness of the night was broken suddenly by the singing of
Christmas carolers. They were singing the very songs his wife and
children used to sing. Now, he thought, she is blending her voice with
the angels. Then came the inspiration for the hymn, and in a few moments
he had penned the now famous "Stille Nacht."
This is a very touching story, but its fatal defect lies in the fact that
"Mr. Mohr" was a Roman Catholic priest.
The true story of the origin of the hymn has much less of the emotional
appeal. The author, Joseph Mohr, was born at Salzburg, Austria, December
11, 1792. He was ordained as a priest at the age of twenty-three,
becoming assistant at Laufen, near his native city. It was here, three
years later, that the beautiful Christmas carol was written.
It seems that a shipowner at Oberndorf named Maier and his wife had
invited the young priest to be their guest at a pre-Christmas party. As a
special surprise for the priest, Maier had invited some wandering
minstrels to stage a crude representation of the Christmas story as
recounted in the Bible. The thoughtful hospitality of the Maier couple
and the touching simplicity of the festival play so stirred the heart of
Mohr that, instead of going straightway home, he climbed the so-called
"Totenberg," (mountain of the dead) overlooking Oberndorf, and stood in
silent meditation.
The silence of the night, the starry splendor of the winter sky, the
murmur of the Salzach river thrilled his soul. Quickly he descended to
his parish house, and late that night wrote the words of "Stille Nacht."
The next day he hurried to his friend and co-worker, Franz Gruber,
organist and school teacher, and asked him to write music for his lines.
The latter eagerly embraced the opportunity, and thus was given to the
world one of the most exquisite of Christmas carols.
A Classical Harvest Hymn
We plow the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.
He only is the Maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him,
By Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children,
He gives our daily bread.
We thank Thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food;
No gifts have we to offer
For all Thy love imparts,
But that which Thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
Matthias Claudius, 1782.
HYMNODY IN THE AGE OF RATIONALISM
In religion, as in other things, the pendulum often swings from one
extreme to the other. Scarcely had the Pietistic movement run its course
before the rationalistic tendencies which had thrown religious thought
into confusion in France and England began to make their appearance in
Germany. Rationalism was an attempt to subject all revealed religion to
the test and judgment of the human reason. That which seemed to
contradict reason was rejected as superstitious and untrue.
Strangely enough, the University of Halle, which had been the citadel of
Pietism, became the stronghold of Rationalism in Germany. Christian Wolff
and Johann Semler, noted philosophers of Halle, were leaders in the
movement. It was not their purpose to establish a new religion of reason,
but to "purge" Christianity of the things that seemed unreasonable. But
the results of the movement were devastating. The miracles of the Bible
that could not be explained by natural causes were rejected as "fables."
Christ was robbed of His glory as a divine Saviour and was regarded only
as a teacher of morals. Religion became merely the knowledge of God and
the pursuit of virtue. What remained of Christianity was a mere shadow: a
hypothesis concerning God and immortality, and a teaching of external
morality, the attainment of which was largely a matter of man's own
efforts.
Rationalism cast its blight over the hymnody of all Europe, but
particularly in Germany. It was the golden age of German literature, but
such geniuses as Goethe, Schiller, Lessing and Wieland were not filled
with the Christian zeal of earlier poets, and they wrote no hymns. Most
of the hymns that were produced were so tinged with the spirit of the
"new theology" that they contained no elements of vitality to give them
permanent value.
The Rationalists were not satisfied with criticizing the Bible; they also
sought to "purge" the hymn-books. The old hymns of Luther, Heermann,
Selnecker, and Gerhardt were so completely altered that a noted German
hymnologist, Albert Knapp, was moved to observe ironically: "The old
hymns were subjected to a kind of transmigration of soul by which their
spirits, after having lost their own personality, entered into other
bodies."
Only a few writers, such as Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, Balthasar
Muenter, Christian Gellert and Matthias Claudius, wrote hymns of any
abiding worth.
Klopstock, the German Milton, whose epic, "Messiah," thrilled Germany as
had no other poetic work in centuries, essayed to write a few hymns, but
he soared too high. His hymns lacked simplicity of style and were too
emotional and subjective to be used for public worship. Only two English
translations are familiar--"Blessed are the heirs of heaven," a funeral
hymn, and "Grant us, Lord, due preparation," a communion hymn.
Klopstock spent nearly twenty years of his life at the Danish court,
having been invited there by King Fredrik V through the influence of
Count von Bernstorff, who had become greatly interested in the epic,
"Messiah." The Danish monarch gave the poet an annual pension in order to
assist him in completing his famous poem without being oppressed by
financial worries. In 1770 Klopstock returned to Hamburg, where he died
in 1803.
Gellert, who was born in Hainichen, Saxony, July 4, 1715, intended to
become a Lutheran pastor. After completing his theological course at the
University of Leipzig, however, he found it difficult to deliver sermons
without the use of a manuscript, and therefore decided to take up
teaching. In 1745 he became a member of the faculty of the University of
Leipzig, where he remained until his death in 1769. Among his pupils were
many famous men of Germany, including Goethe and Lessing.
Gellert's hymns, although influenced by the age in which he lived, are
singular for their genuine, evangelical utterance. It is said that he
never attempted to write a hymn except when he was in the proper frame of
mind, and only after a season of prayer. His Easter hymn, "Jesus lives!
thy terrors now," has gained great popularity, both in England and in
America. In the former country it has been sung at the funerals of some
of England's greatest churchmen. His communion hymn also breathes a
spirit of true faith in Christ:
Crushed by my sin, O Lord, to Thee
I come in my affliction:
O full of pity, look on me,
Impart Thy benediction.
My sins are great, where shall I flee?
The blood of Jesus speaks for me;
For all my sins He carried.
Matthias Claudius, the author of the splendid hymn, "We plow the fields
and scatter," like Gellert, had intended to prepare himself for the
Lutheran ministry. While attending the University of Jena, however, the
Rationalistic teachings with which he came in contact caused him to lose
interest in religion, and he decided to take up journalism instead. In
1777 he became editor of a newspaper at Darmstadt, at which place he
became acquainted with Goethe and a group of freethinking philosophers.
Stricken by a serious illness, Claudius began to realize something of the
spiritual emptiness of the life he had been living, and in his hour of
need he turned again to his childhood faith. When he had recovered, he
gave up his position and removed to Wandsbeck, where he edited the
"Wandsbecker Bote" in a true Christian spirit.
In the life-story of Claudius we may discern something of the reaction
that was already taking place in many quarters against the deadening
influence of Rationalism. Men were hungering for the old evangel of
salvation, and there were evidences everywhere of the dawn of a happier
day. Although Claudius' poems were not essentially Church hymns, they
were lyrics that seemed to strike anew some of the strings of Gerhardt's
harp. This is seen especially in his surpassingly beautiful ode to
evening, "The silent moon is risen," written in the same spirit and meter
as Gerhardt's famous evening hymn. The first stanza has been translated:
The silent moon is risen,
The golden star-fires glisten
In heaven serene and bright;
The forest sleeps in shadow,
And slowly off the meadow
A mist is curling, silver-white.
Another stanza, reflecting something of Claudius' own spiritual groping
and, at the same time, confessing the futility of all human efforts to
attain moral perfection, reads:
We, poor, frail mortals, groping,
Half fearing and half hoping,
In darkness seek our way;
Our airy cobwebs spinning
With erring and with sinning,
Far from the mark we sadly stray.
In the lyrics of Claudius we may observe a transition from the
spiritually impoverished hymn production of the rationalistic period to a
new type of hymnody, giving expression to the old rugged faith in a more
elegant form. Men's souls could no longer be satisfied with the dry husks
of philosophical speculation and were turning again to the Bread of God
which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world.
Balthasar Muenter was another faithful witness to the truth in this
unhappy age of widespread skepticism and unbelief. Born at Luebeck in
1735, he became Lutheran court pastor at Gotha and afterwards of the
German Church of St. Peter in Copenhagen. He was the writer of about 100
hymns, many of which were set to tunes composed for them by the greatest
musicians of the day. Among the best known hymns of Muenter are "Lord,
Thou Source of all perfection," "Full of reverence, at Thy Word," "Behold
the man! how heavy lay," and "Woe unto him who says, There is no God."
A Picture of a Christian Home
O happy home, where Thou art loved the dearest,
Thou loving Friend and Saviour of our race,
And where among the guests there never cometh
One who can hold such high and honored place!
O happy home, where two, in heart united,
In holy faith and blessed hope are one,
Whom death a little while alone divideth,
And cannot end the union here begun!
O happy home, whose little ones are given
Early to Thee in humble faith and prayer,
To Thee, their Friend, who from the heights of heaven
Guides them, and guards with more than mother's care.
O happy home, where each one serves Thee lowly,
Whatever his appointed work may be,
Till every common task seems great and holy,
When it is done, O Lord, as unto Thee!
O happy home, where Thou art not forgotten
When joy is overflowing, full and free,
O happy home, where every wounded spirit
Is brought, Physician, Comforter, to Thee.
And when at last all earthly toil is ended,
All meet Thee in the blessed home above,
From whence Thou camest, where Thou hast ascended--
Thine everlasting home of peace and love.
Carl Johann Philipp Spitta, 1833.
HYMNS OF THE SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE
In the early part of the nineteenth century a great spiritual revival
swept over Germany and other parts of evangelical Europe. In some
respects it resembled the earlier Pietistic movement in Germany and the
Wesleyan revival in England, except that it was more conservative than
either. In Germany the old orthodox conservatives and the more radical
Pietists joined forces to fight Rationalism, and the union was of benefit
to both groups.
There were many influences that contributed to the overthrow of
Rationalism. Chief among these was the widespread suffering and distress
in Germany, both physical and spiritual, following the Napoleonic wars.
Jacobs has well said: "When earthly props fall and temporal foundations
crumble, men turn, almost perforce, to God." The downfall of Napoleon and
the great empire he had founded was an object lesson to the world of the
transitory character of all things material.
The great thinker, Immanuel Kant, also helped to undermine the walls of
Rationalism by pointing out the limitatations of the human reason. He was
followed by the famous theologian, Friedrich Schleiermacher, who taught
that the seat of religion is not to be found in either the reason or
will, but in feeling--"the feeling of absolute dependence upon God." The
way was thus paved for the zealous efforts of Claus Harms, who in 1817,
the 300th anniversary of the Reformation, published a new set of
ninety-five theses and called upon his countrymen to return again to the
pure evangelical teachings of Luther.
Spring-time always brings song-birds and flowers. It was spring-time in
the religious life of Germany, and the sweet notes of evangelical hymnody
again were heard throughout the land.
Carl Johann Philipp Spitta was the greatest German hymn-writer of the
nineteenth century. He was born August 1, 1801, in Hannover. His father,
who was a descendant of a Huguenot family that fled from France during
the Catholic persecutions, died when Carl was only four years old. His
mother was a Christian Jewess, and it is a beautiful tribute to her
fostering care that the finest hymn ever written on the Christian home
came from the pen of her son. No doubt it was the memory of his childhood
home that led Spitta to write:
O happy home, whose little ones are given
Early to Thee in humble faith and prayer,
To Thee, their Friend, who from the heights of heaven
Guides them, and guards with more than mother's care.
Spitta began to write verse at the age of eight. It was his mother's
ambition that he should study for the ministry, but, because of his frail
health, it was decided that he should become a watchmaker, and a younger
brother was sent to school instead. The latter died, however, and now
Carl was given his opportunity. He completed his theological studies in
1824, taught school for four years in Luene, and in 1828 he was ordained
to the Lutheran ministry.
During his university days, Spitta had become a bosom friend of Heinrich
Heine, the famous poet and prose writer. When the latter visited Spitta
at Luene, however, and scoffed at holy things in the presence of Spitta's
pupils, the friendship came to an abrupt end. It was about this time that
Spitta passed through a deep spiritual experience, the result of which
was the composition of some of his finest hymns. Writing to a friend in
1826, he says, "In the manner in which I formerly sang, I sing no more.
To the Lord I dedicate my life, my love, and likewise my song. He gave to
me song and melody. I give it back to Him."
Spitta's hymns aroused unparalleled enthusiasm. His "Psalter und Harfe,"
first published in 1833, appeared in a second and larger edition the
following year. Thereafter a new edition appeared every year, and by 1889
no less than fifty-five editions had been published. A second collection
of hymns was printed in 1843, and by 1887 it had passed through forty-two
editions. The popularity of Spitta's hymns also spread to other lands,
and a large number are found in English and American hymn-books.
Spitta's child-like faith and his fervent love to the Saviour may be seen
reflected in such a hymn as:
I know no life divided,
O Lord of life, from Thee:
In Thee is life provided
For all mankind and me;
I know no death, O Jesus,
Because I live in Thee;
Thy death it is that frees us
From death eternally.
Other well-known hymns from this consecrated writer are "O come, Eternal
Spirit," "By the holy hills surrounded," "I place myself in Jesus'
hands," "Thou, whose coming seers and sages," "We are the Lord's: His
all-sufficient merit," "How blessed from the bonds of sin," "We praise
and bless Thee, gracious Lord," "Brethren, called by one vocation,"
"Withhold not, Lord, the help I crave," "O blessed Sun, whose splendor,"
and "Say, my soul, what preparation." The beloved German psalmist passed
away suddenly while seated at his desk, September 28, 1859.
Most noted among the contemporaries of Spitta was Albert Knapp, who,
although his hymns never met with the popular favor that attended
Spitta's efforts, nevertheless excelled the latter as a poet. Knapp was
born at Tuebingen, July 25, 1798, and was educated for the Lutheran
ministry in the University at that place. His most important post after
ordination was at St. Leonard's church in Stuttgart, where he served from
1845 until his death in 1864.
Knapp was not only a hymnist but also a hymnologist. Perhaps the greatest
service he rendered his Church was the editing of a collection of more
than 3,000 of the great hymns of Germany. This monumental work, known as
"Evangelischer Lieder-Schatz," is the most comprehensive hymn collection
ever published in German, and is a veritable gold-mine of the classics of
Protestant hymnody. Knapp has been severely criticized, however, for the
liberties he took in revising the hymns of some of the older writers. The
best known of his own works is a baptismal hymn, "Father, who hast
created all." A hymn for church dedication begins with the line, "O God,
whom we as Father know."
Carl Bernhard Garve, a Moravian pastor, also contributed a number of
compositions to the hymns of this period, the best known of which is the
beautiful tribute to the Holy Scripture:
Thy Word, O Lord, like gentle dews,
Falls soft on hearts that pine;
Lord, to Thy garden ne'er refuse
This heavenly balm of Thine.
Watered by Thee, let every tree
Forth-blossom to Thy praise,
By grace of Thine bear fruit divine
Through all the coming days.
Garve served congregations in Amsterdam, Ebersdorf, Berlin, and Neusalz.
He spent the last years of his life in Herrnhut, where he died in 1841.
Garve was the most important among the later Moravian hymn-writers. Many
of his hymns have been adopted by other communions, particularly the
Lutheran Church.
To Friedrich Adolf Krummacher, a Reformed pastor, we owe the highly
prized hymn:
Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life from heaven,
This blest assurance Thou to us hast given;
O wilt Thou teach us, Lord, to win Thy pleasure
In fullest measure?
Krummacher was a teacher of theology in the Reformed University of
Duisburg. After the battle of Jena in 1806 Duisburg was taken from
Prussia by Napoleon and the salaries of the professors were cut off.
Krummacher continued to lecture, however, until his class consisted of
one student! He afterwards served as pastor in a number of cities,
finally accepting appointment to St. Ansgarius church in Bremen. He died
in Bremen in 1845.
Of the more modern hymn-writers of Germany the best known is Karl von
Gerok, chief court preacher at Stuttgart, where he died as recently as
1890. An eloquent preacher and able writer, he attained fame principally
through the publication in 1857 of a collection of poems known as
"Palmblaetter." This work received a marvelous circulation in Germany, and
by 1916 no less than 130 editions had been printed. Although most of
Gerok's compositions are poems rather than hymns, a few have found their
way into hymn-books. A devotional hymn by von Gerok reads:
Holy, holy, holy, blessed Lord,
All the choirs of heaven now adore Thee;
O that I might join that great white host,
Casting down their golden crowns before Thee.
Look on me, a creature of the dust,
Pity me, though I have naught of merit;
Let me bring to Thee for Jesus' sake
Humble praises of a contrite spirit.
Bend Thine ear, dear
Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/33998