Handbook to the Mennonite Hymnary

Based on 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.”

Robert Bridges included this hymn in his Yattendon Hymnal, 1899, London, and later it became known to a wider public by its appearance in the English Hymnal, 1906, and in Songs of Praise, 1933.

Johann Heermann, a distinguished scholar and one of the greatest of German hymn writers, was a Lutheran minister and pastor, in Silesia. On account of ill health, he retired and devoted himself to literary work. This hymn, written during the miseries of the Thirty Years’ War, was composed for Passiontide and was entitled, “The Cause of the Bitter Sufferings of Jesus Christ and Consolations from His Love and Grace.” The author experienced much suffering himself. First came the death of his wife in 1617, then the failure of his own health, and then the war. His hymns are characterized by tenderness and depth of feeling, and illustrate the truth that real poets “learn in suffering what they teach in song.”

For comments on the translator, Robert Bridges, see Hymn 32. His first two stanzas are translations of 1 and 2 of the original; while stanzas 3 and 4 contain suggestions, only, of 6 and 7 and the rest of Heermann’s poem.

MUSIC. HERZLIEBSTER JESU is a grandly impressive tune, composed by the distinguished musician and writer of chorales, Johann Crüger, 1598-1662. It has been observed that nearly five-sevenths of this whole melody has a downward movement, which accounts for some of its intensely solemn character. J. S. Bach used the tune in his St. Matthew’s Passion.

For comments on the composer, Johann Crüger, see Hymn 242.

535. Christ, the Life of all the living

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The most popular of Homburg’s hymns. It was first published in his Geistliche Lieder, Jena, 1659, for Passiontide, entitled, “Hymn of Thanksgiving for his Redeemer and Saviour for His bitter sufferings.”

Ernst Christoph Homburg, born near Eisenach, was a lawyer by profession, and a poet of high rank. His life was not without its cup of bitterness. Domestic troubles, arising from the illness of himself and of his wife, and other difficulties, bore heavily upon him and he was led, as a result, to turn to God and place all his confidence in Him. In the preface to one of his hymn collections, he wrote: “I was especially induced and compelled to their composition by the anxious and sore domestic afflictions by which God ... has for some time laid me aside.” He is the author of 148 hymns.

For comments on Miss Winkworth see Hymn 236. Her translation of stanzas 1, 2, and 8 comprises our hymn.

MUSIC. JESU MEINES LEBENS LEBEN appeared in Kirchengesangbuch, Darmstadt, 1687. The composer is not known.

536. Jesus, Refuge of the weary

The original hymn is in Italian, entitled,
Laude al Crucifisso

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The hymn is based on Mark 15:29, 30: “And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, Save thyself, and come down from the cross.”

Savonarola of Florence, one of the greatest of medieval preachers and reformers in the Catholic Church, was destined by his parents to enter the medical profession, but after a careful study of the Scriptures and the writings of Thomas Aquinas, he decided to enter a Dominican monastery. Here he spent many years in further study and thinking out his preaching message. Living in a time when the moral tone of Christianity was at a very low ebb, Savonarola preached boldly and eloquently against the sins of a corrupt world and a corrupt church. His relentless denunciation of the pope and priests resulted in his excommunication by Pope Alexander VI, and on May 23, 1498, he was publicly executed on one of the streets of Florence. His death as a martyr proved to Luther, across the Alps, that it is “hopeless to hope in the purification of Rome,” and gave to the reformation movement a powerful impulse.

The translation of the hymn is by Jane Elgee, daughter of Archdeacon Elgee, of Ireland. In 1851 she married Sir William Wilde, an oculist living in Dublin.

MUSIC. O DU LIEBE MEINER LIEBE comes from Johann Thommen’s Erbaulicher Musikalischer Christenschatz, Basel, 1745, where it is set to the hymn, “O du Liebe meiner Leibe,” by Johann Scheffler (See 565). The tune is also called, “Cassel,” and “Lucerne.” Like numerous other chorale tunes, it was originally a folk tune, and had been in use by the Moravian Brethren at Herrnhut. It is one of the well-known tunes in the Gesangbuch mit Noten, deserving of its popularity.

537. Man of Sorrows, now my soul shall greet Thee

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A heart-searching passion hymn, from the pen of Christian Renatus, Graf von Zinzendorf, second son of the renowned Nikolaus Ludwig, Graf von Zinzendorf, founder of the Moravian Brüdergemeinde at Herrnhut. (See Hymn 574.) Born at Herrnhut, and educated by his parents, he became his father’s assistant in 1744, continuing until 1749. Illness overtook him and he spent the last years of his life, an invalid, in London where he died at the age of 25. Zinzendorf was a young man of maturity and deep Christian convictions, and composed a number of hymns. The present hymn, probably his best production, was first published in the appendix of the London Hymn Book, 1755.

The translation is by J. C. Hansen, formerly Professor of Classical Languages at Eden Seminary and now of Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ill., and a member of the Evangelical Church.

MUSIC. MARTER CHRISTI, with its considerable length, its irregular meter, and repetition of phrases, is a typical chorale tune, deserving of its popularity. Its origin is unknown.

538. Dark the day on Calvary’s Cross

A Scottish hymn composed by Lauchlan MacLean Watt who was born in Scotland and educated in the Edinburgh University. Watt entered the ministry of the Scottish Presbyterian Church and attained the charge of Glasgow Cathedral in 1923, remaining until his resignation in 1934. In 1933 he was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He is the author of numerous books and served on the Committee for the Revision of the Church Hymnary, Edinburgh, 1927.

MUSIC. NICHT SO TRAURIG, also called “Pressburg,” is from Freylinghausen’s Neues Geistreiches Gesangbuch, 1714, where it is set to Gerhardt’s hymn, “Nicht so traurig, nicht so sehr.” The melody has been simplified somewhat from the original to fit the English words. It was included in the Hymnary for choir use during the season of Lent.

539. O sacred Head, now wounded

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A profound hymn coming originally out of the golden age of Latin hymnody. Salve caput cruentatum is the last of a series of seven poems on the crucified Savior, each poem addressing itself to a separate member of Christ’s body—feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and head. The work is attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, preacher of the Second Crusade, and one of the most brilliant of Latin hymn writers. Luther wrote of him: “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.” Bernard founded a monastery in Wormwood, a robber-infested valley in France. He changed the name to “Clara Vallis,” (Beautiful Valley), from which is derived the designation “Clairvaux.”

Though composed in the twelfth century, the hymn did not achieve fame until five centuries later when it was translated into German by Paul Gerhardt, who, next to Luther, was the greatest of all German hymn writers. His translation, a free paraphrase, appeared in Crüger’s Praxis, 1656, and is considered by Philip Schaff to be “fully equal to the original.”

For comment on Gerhardt see Hymn 134.

The translation into English was made in 1849 by James W. Alexander of Princeton, a Presbyterian. Schaff wrote that “Dr. Alexander is beyond doubt one of the best translators of German hymns into idiomatic English.” He also wrote concerning this hymn that it has “shown an imperishable vitality in passing from the Latin into the German and from the German into the English, and proclaiming in three tongues and in the name of three confessions—the Catholic, the Lutheran, and the Reformed—with equal effect, the dying love of our Savior, and our boundless indebtedness to Him.”

Our hymn is a selection of stanzas 1, 4, 8, and 10. In the first stanza, the line, “I marvel at the story,” is substituted for Alexander’s original which read, “Yet though despised and gory.” Stanza 10 has been frequently used as a prayer for the dying.

MUSIC. PASSION CHORALE was originally set to a love song entitled, “Mein G’müt ist mir verwirret.” The tune was composed by the distinguished organist, Hans Leo Hassler, and first appeared in his Lustgarten Neuer Teutscher Gesäng, 1601. In 1613 it appeared in Harmoniæ Sacræ, set to the hymn, “Herzlich thut mich verlangen,” and later it became associated with “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden.” It was a favorite melody with Bach, who used it five times in his St. Matthew Passion.

Hans Leo Hassler, 1564-1612, was born at Nürnberg and died at Frankfurt at the age of 47. He was a member of a distinguished musical family. After an early career as organist, he was sent to Venice to study under Andrea Gabriele, organist of St. Mark’s, becoming the earliest of important German composers to receive an Italian training. Returning to Germany, Hassler held positions in Augsburg, Nürnberg, and elsewhere. His numerous compositions for voice and organ are of such a standard as to give him a high place in German music, and most of them have been reprinted in modern times.

J. S. Bach, 1685-1750, who arranged the tune, is by far the greatest musician the Protestant Church has produced. Most 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. His genius as a master of the organ and composer of chorales and passion music has never been equaled. Though he lived in an age when opera flourished in Europe, he paid no attention to it, devoting all his talent to church music. There is something in his music that touches the deepest chords of religious emotion.

540. Lamb of God most holy

Based on John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The hymn, called the Agnus Dei in liturgical literature, is a prayer for God’s mercy and peace, and a confession that Christ alone is able to take away the sin of the world. It is an ancient song which has been in use in the church since 701 A.D. and originally was chanted antiphonally by clergy and laity. Since the 12th century the custom has been to repeat the chant three times. In some churches it is always sung just before the communion of the Lord’s Supper.

For comments on Decius see Hymn 521.

The translation is composite.

MUSIC. O LAMM GOTTES, UNSCHULDIG is based on an ancient Gregorian setting for the Agnus Dei and may have been arranged by Decius himself, for he was a musician as well as a preacher. The word “Gregorian” stems from Gregory the Great, who was Pope from 590 to 604 A.D. He was distinguished for his public service and his contribution to church music, developing the use of the plain chant (also called “plain song” and “Gregorian chant”) which is identified with his name.

EASTERTIDE

541. Jesus Christ my sure defense

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An Easter hymn of the first rank, an “acknowledged masterpiece of Christian poetry that will ever remain a treasure among the hallowed songs of the Evangelical Church.” It is based on I Cor. 15:35 ff and Job 19:25-27.

Luise Henriette, a woman of noble Christian character and a member of the Reformed Church, was born in The Hague, Holland. She was married to Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg. Interested in the economic as well as religious welfare of her people, she founded model farms, introduced the culture of the Irish potato, and was helpful in many ways in the restoration of the country after the ravages of the Thirty Years War. Luise Henriette is credited with numerous hymns but Julian points out that there is uncertainty whether she actually wrote all of them or selected them as her favorites. She had a great admiration for Paul Gerhardt and his poetry.

The hymn is a selection of stanzas 1, 2, 3, and 10. For comments on Catherine Winkworth, translator, see Hymn 236.

MUSIC. For comments on the tune, GROSSER GOTT WIR LOBEN DICH, see Hymn 519.

542. Welcome, Thou Victor in the strife

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An Easter hymn, first published in the author’s Lustiger Sabbath, 1712, entitled, “Easter Triumphal Arch. At Midday on Easter Day.” In 1746, it was included in Burg’s Gesangbuch, Breslau.

For comments on Benjamin Schmolck see Hymn 505.

Our hymn is composed of Miss Winkworth’s translation of stanzas 1, 2, 3, and 8.

For comments on Catherine Winkworth see Hymn 236.

MUSIC. DIE HELLE SONNE IST DAHIN was composed by Sigmund Gottlieb “Theophil” Staden, 1607-1655. He was born and died in Nürnberg. Staden composed Seelewig, the first comic opera to be printed. He also composed chorales and wrote an instruction book for singing.

543. Jesus lives! thy terrors now

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Based on John 14:19: “Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

The hymn was first published in Gellert’s Geistliche Oden und Lieder, 1757, with the title, “Easter Hymn.” It soon became popular in Germany and is widely used now among English speaking people. The hymn is often used at funerals, and sometimes at the dedication of a cemetery. Gellert, a saintly Professor of Philosophy and Poetry at Leipzig, had no fear of death. In the period of the so-called Enlightenment, when religion had become cold and rationalistic, and the old hymns had been watered down, he wrote one of our best and most evangelical hymns.

For comments on the translator, Frances E. Cox, see Hymn 512.

The original poem was without the “Hallelujah.”

MUSIC. CHRIST IST ERSTANDEN is a traditional German melody dating to the 13th century. It was used with words beginning, “Christ ist erstanden.” Luther said of this tune: “after a time one tires of singing all other hymns, but the ‘Christ ist erstanden’ one can always sing again.” It is within easy range of all voices and therefore well adapted for unison singing, though it need not be limited to that.

544. Christ the Lord is risen again!

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An Easter song, based on I Cor. 5:7, 8 and Rev. 19:6:

For even Christ our passover suffered for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Weisse’s poem is based on “Christ is erstanden von der Martyr alle,” the oldest German Easter hymn, found in four versions as early as the 12th century.

Michael Weisse, born at Neisse, Silesia, about 1480, became a priest, and for a time was a monk at Breslau. Influenced by the writings of Luther, he left the monastery to join the Bohemian Brethren, the followers of John Hus, and became their pastor at Landskron and Fulneck, Moravia. Weisse was a man of great influence among the Brethren and was appointed a member of their council. Of a deeply spiritual nature and possessing rare poetic gifts, he translated the old songs of the Bohemian Brethren into German and composed many original poems. He edited the first Brethren hymnbook in German, Ein Neu Gesengbuchlen, 1531, in which the present hymn first appeared. The book, proclaimed by Luther as “the work of a good poet,” contains 155 hymns, all apparently either translations or originals by Weisse himself.

Our translation is by Catherine Winkworth, with stanza 4 omitted.

For comments on Miss Winkworth see Hymn 236.

MUSIC. MACHE DICH, MEIN GEIST, BEREIT is an adaptation of a chorale tune, “Straf mich nicht,” published in Kirch- und Hausbuch, Dresden, 1694. The composer is not known. Refrains are not commonly used with German chorales. The present setting of the tune and words, with a refrain, was made by the editors especially for the Hymnary. It is suitable for children’s choirs as well as for congregational use.

545. Lo, the day of days is here