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Valerius Herberger

1562 - 1627 Hymnal Number: d55 Author of "Aj jiz se s tebou zehnam" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Herberger, Valerius, son of Martin Herberger, furrier and poet at Fraustadt, Posen, was born at Fraustadt, April 21, 1562. He studied theology at the Universities of Frankfurt a. Oder and Leipzig, and became in 1584 master of the lower classes in the school at Fraustadt. In 1590 he was appointed diaconus of St. Mary's Church, Fraustadt, and in 1599 chief pastor; but in 1604 he and his flock were ousted from the church by King Sigismund III., of Poland, for the sake of the few Roman Catholics in the place. Out of two houses near one of the gates of the town they made a meeting-place, to which, as the first service was held on Christmas Eve, the name of the "Kripplein Christi" was given. He died at Fraustadt, May 18,1627 (Koch, ii. 301-311; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, xii. 28-29, &c). Herberger published two sets of sermons, the Evangelische Herzpostille and the Epistolische Herzpostille. His famous work, the Magnolia Dei, de Jem Scripturae nucleo et medulla, 8 vols., 1601-l610, was designed to show Christ all through the Old Testament, but in his exposition he only reached the book of Ruth. As a pastor he worked unweariedly for the good of his people, especially during the time of the great pestilence (1613 to 1630), and during the troubles of the early part of the Thirty Years' War. Herberger wrote only a few hymns, and of these the best known is:— Valet will ich dir geben. For the Dying, first published on a broadsheet entitled :— "A devout prayer with which the Evangelical citizens of Frawenstadt in the autumn of the year 1613 moved the heart of God the Lord so that He mercifully laid down His sharp rod of wrath under which nearly two thousand fell on sleep. And also a hymn of consolation in which a pious heart bids farewell (Valet) to this world. Both composed by Valerius Herberger, preacher at the Kripplein Christi." Leipzig, 1614. The hymn was published in Mützell 1858, No. 6, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines. The title of the hymn itself is:— "The Farewell (Valet) of Valerius Herberger that he gave to this 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." In this pestilence 2135 perished at Fraustadt, but Herberger manfully stuck to his post, and passed through all unhurt, comforting the sick and helping to bury the dead. The hymn is an acrostic on his name formed by the beginnings of the stanzas-—Vale (i.), r (ii.) i (iii.) u (iv.) s (v). It is one of the finest German hymns for the dying. It speedily passed into the hymn-books, and is still a favourite. In the Berlin Geistliche Lieder, ed. 1863, No. 1502. Sometimes given beginning "Abschied will" or "Lebwohl will." The beautiful melody which appeared with the hymn in 1614 is by Herberger's precentor, Melchior Teschner, and is now well known in England, being included, e.g. in Hymns Ancient & Modern as St. Theodulph. The translations in common use are :— 1. 0 World so vain, I leave thee, a good translation, omitting stanza iv., by A. T. Russell, as No. 248 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. 2. Farewell I gladly bid thee, a good and full translation by Miss Winkworth, as No. 137 in her Chorale Book for England, 1863. Other translations are: (1) "Grant in the bottom of my heart," a translation of stanza iii. as No. 29 in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1742. (2) "Farewell henceforth for ever," by L. T. Nyberg, in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754, pt. i., No. 451 (1886, No. 1227). (3) "Shelter our souls most graciously," by L. T. Nyberg, in the Moravian Hymn Book, pt. ii., 1746, p. 794 (1886, as pt. of No. 793). (4) "Vain world, forbear thy pleading," by Dr. H. Mills, 1856, p. 107. (5) "I bid adieu for ever," in the British Herald, Aug. 1866, p. 306, repeated in Keid's Praise Book, 1872, No. 336. (6) "My parting spirit biddeth," in the Family Treasury, 1878, p. 496. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Cyriacus Schneegass

1546 - 1597 Hymnal Number: d833 Author of "Vnove zrozene det'atko" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Sehneegass, Cyriacus, was born Oct. 5, 1546, at Buffleben, near Gotha. He studied and graduated M.A. at the University of Jena. In 1573 he became pastor of the St. Blasius church at Friedrichroda, near Gotha. He was also adjunct to the Superindendent of Weimar, and in this capacity signed the Formula of Concord in 1579. He died at Friedrichroda, Oct. 23, 1597 (Koch, ii. 252, &c). Schneegass was a diligent pastor, a man mighty in the Scriptures, and firm and rejoicing in his faith. He was also an excellent musician and fostered the love of music among his people. His hymns reflect his character, and are good and simple, setting forth in clear and intelligible style the leading ideas of the festivals of the Christian year, &c.; and his Psalm versions are also of considerable merit. They appeared principally in his (l) xv. Psalmi graduum, &c, Erfurt, 1595 [Gotha Library], This contains the Psalms of Degrees (120-134) also Ps. 82 and 85, and three hymns. (2) Weihenacht und New Jahrs-Gesäng, Erfurt, 1595. Koch speaks of this as containing 9 hymns. The present writer has been unable to trace a copy of the book. (3) Geistliche Lieder und Psalmen. Für Einfeltigefrome Herzen zugerichtet, Erfurt, 1597 [Berlin Library]. This is the complete edition of his psalms and hymns, containing 72 in all. Of his hymns those which have passed into English are:— i. Das neugeborne Kindelein. Christmas. Probably first published in No. 2 above. Included in 1597 as above, No. 1, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, entitled "A beautiful little Christmas hymn on the dear little Jesus." Repeated in Wackernagel, v. p. 138, and as No. 65 in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen1851. The translations in common use are:— 1. The holy Son, the new-born Child, A good and full tr. by A. T. Russell, as No. 60 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. 2. The new-born Child this early morn. In full as No. 46 in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal 1880. Another tr. is (3) "The new-born Babe, whom Mary bore," as No. 439 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book , 1754. ii. Herr Gott Vater, wir preisen dich. New Year. Probably first published in No. 2 above. Included in 1597 as above, No. 7, in 4 stanzas of 7 lines, entitled "A New Year's Hymn." Repeated in Wackernagel, v. p. 139, in the Pfalz Gesang-Buch 1859, No. 129, and the Ohio Gesang-Buch, 1870, No. 54. The translation in common use is:— O Lord our Father, thanks to Thee. In full, by A. Crull, in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Simon Dach

1605 - 1659 Hymnal Number: d482 Author of "O krev draha, Lidska slava" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Dach, Simon, son of Simon Dach, interpreter to the Court of Justice at Memel, Prussia, was born at Memel, July 29,1605. He attended the Cathedral school at Königsberg, the Town school at Wittenberg, and the Gymnasium at Magdeburg. In 1626 he returned to Königsberg, where, after studying philosophy and theology at the University, he for some time acted as a private tutor. In 1633 he was appointed assistant in the Cathedral school, and in 1636 Conrector. He then, in 1639, became Professor of Poetry in the University, was five times Dean of the Philosophical Faculty, and in 1656-57 Rector of the University. He died at Königsberg, April 15, 1659 (Koch , iii. 182-191; Allg. Deutsche Biog. , iv. 685-688, &c). Dach was much of an invalid, and nearly broke down under the hard labour and poor pay of his early tutorial work at Königsberg, but found a true friend and generous patron in R. Roberthin (q.v.). In his later years the effects of the Thirty Years' War made themselves visible in Königsberg by depression of trade, famine, &c. In 1648 he lost Roberthin by death, and in 1649 many of his fellow professors fell victims to the pestilence, while during the last year of his life he suffered from a lingering consumption. These facts explain the sombreness of much of his verse. In 1636 he joined in forming the Poetical Union of Konigsberg [see Alberti], and was its poetic soul. He was the most important poet of the Königsberg School, and one of the first lyric poets of his time happy in expression, pure in style, and true hearted. But of the mass of his poems (some 1360 in all, many of which were "occasional" pieces for the Electoral House of Brandenburg, and for private friends) very few retain popularity; the best known being his Aennchen von Tharaw. Dach's hymns, some 165 in all, appeared in broadsheet form, in H. Alberti's Arien, 1638-1650, and in the Königsberg Hymnbooks, 1639-1690. They deservedly place him amongst the best hymn writers of his time, and win him the distinction of being one of the most lovable, most profound and most elegant of the more contemplative hymn writers. Their personal and subjective character, and the fact that so many are hymns of preparation for death, have prevented all but a few from finding a place in modern hymnals. Five of Dach's hymns have passed into English, all of which are included in the complete edition of his Werke by Hermann Oesterley, published at Tübingen, 1876. They are:— i. Ich steh in Angst und Pein. [Second Advent.] The Königsberg University Library possesses a broadsheet, printed at Elbing, 1642, as a Christliches Trauer-Lied to Christoph Behm, on the death, on Nov. 22, 1633, of his son Christoph, a student of theology. It was included in pt. iv., Königsberg, 1641, of H. Alberti's Arien, No. 5, in 10 stanza of 6 1., entitled " Supremi Judicis urnam non metuit fisus sanguine, Christe, tuo." Repeated in Oesterley, p. 91, as No. 1421 in the Leipzig Vorrath, 1673, and, omitting stanza viii., in the Wittenberg G. B., 1742-1866, No. 893. The only translation in C. U. is :— A dread hath come on me, a good translation, omitting stanza viii., as No. 28 in Miss Winkworth's Chorale Book for England, 1863. ii. Kein Christ soil ihm die Rechnung machen. [Cross and Consolation."] 1st published in pt. ii., Königsberg, 1640, of H. Alberti's Arien, No. 1, in 7 stanzas of 6 lines, entitled "Non caret adversis, qui pius esse velit." Included in Oesterley , p. 108, and as No. 631 in the Unv. L. S., 1851. The form translated into English is of stanza ii., iii., vii., beginning, "Wer dort mit Christo hofft zu erben," which is No. 812 in Bunsen's Versuch, 1833. The only translation in common use is:— Wouldst thou inherit life with Christ on high? A good tr. from Bunsen, by Miss Winkworth, in her Lyra Ger., 1st Ser., 1855, p. 129, and thence unaltered as No. 170 in the New Zealand Hymnal , 1872. In Sacred Lyrics from the German, Philadelphia, 1859, p. 61, it begins "Couldst thou inherit." iii. 0 wie selig seid ihr dooh, ihr Frommen . [Eternal Life.] The original broadsheet, printed at Danzig, 1635, with music by J. Stobaus, as the Musikalisches Ehrengedächtniss of Hiob Lepner, Burgomaster of the Königsberg Altstadt, who died May 9, 1635, is in the Königsberg University Library. Included in B. Derschau's G. B., Königsberg, 1639, p. 73, in 6 stanza of 4 1., repeated in Oesterley, p. 95 ; the Leipzig Vorrath, 1673, No. 1460; in Burg's G. B., Breslau, 1746, No. 1086; and many others. It is a fine hymn, founded on Rev. xiv., 13-14. Lauxmann, in Koch, viii. 673, relates that J. A. Hochstetter, Prelate of Bebenhausen, near Tubingen (d. 1720), in July, 1719, summoned his household to accompany him in visiting the family burial place in the Church, and there pointed out his resting place, spoke to them of eternal life, and ended by requesting them to ;ing this hymn, and also "Christus der ist meiu Leben" (q.v.). The only tr. in C. U. is :— 0 how blest are ye beyond our telling, a good and full translation, as No. 197 in Miss Winkworth's C. B. for England, 1863. Other translations are, (l) "O, how blest are ye whose toils are ended," by H. W. Longfellow (1846 or earlier). P. Works, Routledge, 1879, p. 648. (2) "Oh! how blessed are ye, saints forgiven," by Miss Borthwick in H. L. L., 1854, p. 32 (1884, p. 35). This is from the double form in the Berlin G. B.t 1711, No. 655, which has six stanzas to be sung alternately with Dach's stanzas by the choir as the answer of the Blessed Ones; with two concluding stanza to be sung by choir and congregation together. These eight additional st. are by Jacob Baumgarten (b. 1668, d. 1722), and begin: "Ja, höchst selig sind wir, lieben Brüder; (3) "O how blessed, faithful souls are ye," by Miss Winkworth, 1855, p. 252; (4) "How bless’d the saints; who, dying here," by Dr. G. Walker, 1860, p. 114. It may be noted that the hymn beginning, “O how blest the throng who now adoring," by A. T. Russell, in 4 stanza as No. 266 in his Ps. & Hys., 1851, while not a translation, is yet based on this hymn by Dach. In addition the following hymns by Dach have been translated into English :— iv. Nimm dich, o meine Seel' in Acht [ Treasures in Heaven.'] 1st published as No. 5 in pt. vii. Königsberg, 1648, of H. Alberti's Arien, in 10 stanza of 4 1., entitled, " As the noble Rottger von Tieffenbrock, a native of Livonia, departed this world at Königsberg in Prussia the 3lst May, 1648," with the motto— "Das ewige Gut Macht rechten Muth." Included by Oesterley, p. 208, and as No. 1762 in Knapp's Ev. L. S., 1837 (1865 No. 1668). The translations are, (1) "My soul, let this your thoughts employ," by Miss Cox, 1841, p. 133; (2) " Think, O my soul, that whilst thou art," by Lady E. Fortescue, 1843 (1847, p. 62); (3) “Beware, O man, lest endless life," by Dr. H. Mills, 1845. v. Schöner Himmelssaal. [Heaven.] A beautiful hymn of homesickness for the heavenly country. Oesterley, p. 222, gives it as "On the death of Ursula Vogt, wife of Pastor Jacob Bollius, Oct. 30, 1655. Its composition was requested on June 3, 1649." The original broadsheet, with music by H. Alberti, as her Christliches Sterbelied, is in the Königsberg University Library. It did not appear in the Königsberg G. B., 1657, but in the ed. of 1675 [Berlin] it is No. 496 (ed. 1690, No. 500), in 9 st. of 6 1. In the Unv. L. S., 1851, No. 637. It is translated as "O ye Halls of Heaven," by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 185. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) ===================== Dach, Simon, p. 277, ii., line 14. Longfellow's translation is in his Poets and Poetry of Europe, 1815, p. 240. --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, Appendix, Part II (1907)

Christian Scriver

1629 - 1693 Hymnal Number: d277 Author of "Jezisi, zivota meho zivote" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Scriver, Christian, son of Christian Scriver (Schriver, Schreiber), merchant at Rendsburg in Holstein, was born at Rendsburg, Jan. 2, 1629; and was from his birth destined for the ministry. His father died of the plague, in 1629, but by the help of a rich great-uncle, he was able eventually to matriculate at the University of Rostock in Oct., 1647 (M.A., 1649). In 1650 he became tutor to a family at Segeberg, near Lübeck. While visiting a married half-sister at Stendal, he preached there with much acceptance, and was appointed, in 1653, archidiaconus of St. James's Church there. He then became, in 1667, pastor of St. James's Church at Magdeburg, where he was also appointed, in 1674, assessor at the consistory, in 1676 as Scholarch, in 1679 as Senior; and in 1685 had also the parishes and schools of the so-called Holzkreis placed under his inspection. At length he found his work too heavy, and, in 1690, accepted an invitation to Quedlinburg as consistorialrath and chief court preacher at the church of St. Servatius, and also as private chaplain to Anna Dorothea, Duchess of Saxony, and Abbess of the Lutheran Stift at Querllinburg. After a series of strokes of paralysis, he died at Quedlinburg, April 5, 1693 (Koch, iv. 78; Herzog's Real-Encyldo-pädie, xiv. p. 1, &c). Scriver was a most popular, useful, and influential preacher; his earnestness being deepened by the memory of his many wonderful escapes from accident and pestilence. He was also the author of various devotional works, which found much acceptance, e.g. his Gottholds 300 Zufällige Andachte, Magdeburg, 1663 (1671, and later eds., have 400 Andachten: English version, as Gotthold's Emblems, by R. Menzies, D.D., Edinburgh, 1857); his Seelen-Schatz, in 5 parts 1675-92; and his Gotthold's Siech-und Sieges-Bette, in 2 parts, 1687-94. It is difficult to say how many hymns Scriver wrote, apparently about ten. He refers to one or two in hisSeelenschatz and his Andachten, but does not give the full texts. A number are included, as by him, in C. Weise's abridgment of the Seelenschatz, which, was published at Wittenberg, in 1704, as the Seelenschatzes Kraft und Safft; and C. O. Weinschenk, pastor of St. Ulrich's in Magdeburg, in his Erbauliche Leben of Scriver (Magdeburg and Leipzig, 1729), gives a list of those he considers genuine. Those of Scriver's hymns which have passed into English are:— i. Auf, Seel, und danke deinem Herrn. Morning. Included, 1704, as above, and in 1729, also marked as by Scriver. But Scriver's son-in-law, Johann Heinrich Havecker …claims it as his own. Translated as, "To God, my Soul, Thank-offerings pay." By H. J. Bucholl, 1842, p. 30. ii. Der lieben Sonne Licht und Pracht. Evening. This is Scriver's best hymn. Regarding it Lauxmann, in Koch, viii. 201, speaks thus:-—"Of the beautiful hymn of this true Teacher, the Chrysostom of our Lutheran church, in which the thoughts of Gerhardt's evening hymn ring and are powerfully re¬echoed ; st. vi.-viii., are of the greatest force, and of these especially st. viii." He also gives a portion of a sermon on Rogation Sunday, 1671, in which Scriver quotes st. viii. as expressing the deepest sentiments of his heart. Translated as:— 1. With Thee I lay me down to sleep. This is a translation of stanza v., vii., viii., as No. 481, in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. It is also found in the following forms:— i. In peace I'll now lie down to sleep. In the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789. ii. I lay me down with Thee to sleep. In Maurice's Choral Hymn Book, 1861. iii. In peace will I lie down to sleep. In the Moravian Hymn Book, 1886. 2. My praise again I offer Thee. A tr. of st. iv., v., by A. T. Russell, as No. 6, in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. 3. The lovely Sun has now fulfilled. This is a tr. of st. i., iv., v., ix., dated 1882, by M. W. Stryker, in his Hymns & Verses, 1883, p. 28, repeated in his Christian Chorals, 1885, No. 16. In his Song of Miriam, 1888, p. 26, it begins "The golden Sun has now fulfilled." iii. Hier lieg ich nun mein Gott zu deinen Füssen. Repentance. Lent . The translation in common use is:— Here, 0 my God, I cast me at Thy feet . This is a translation of st. i., iii., v., vi., x., xi., xxi., xxiii., xx vi., xxviii., by Miss Winkworth, in her Lyra Germanica, 1st Ser., 1855, p. 63. In her Chorale Book for England, 1863, No. 45, it begins, "Here, O my God, low at Thy feet I bend me;" is altered in metre; and omits the tr. of st. iii., 11. 3, 4; v.; vi., 11. 1, 2; and xxiv. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Paul Flemming

1609 - 1640 Hymnal Number: d797 Author of "Ve vsem svem predsevzeti" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Flemming, Paul , son of Abraham Flemming or Fleming, then schoolmaster at Hartenstein, near Zwickau, Saxony (afterwards pastor of Wechselburg, near Mittweida), was born at Hartenstein, Oct. 5 or 12, 1609. He entered the St. Thomas School, Leipzig, in 1623, and matriculated at the University of Leipzig at Michaelmas, 1626, At the University he devoted himself to the study of medicine and of poetry, being laureated as a poet in 1631, and graduating M.A. in 1632. In order to find refuge from the troubles of the Thirty Years' War he went to Holstein in 1633. In the same year he joined an embassy which Duke Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein was about to send to his brother-in-law, the Russian Czar, as gentleman in waiting and "taster." In this expedition he was engaged from Oct. 22, 1633, to April 6, 1635. He then took part in the embassy sent by the Duke to the Shah of Persia, with the object of opening up the way for trade and Christianity into Central Asia. They set sail from Travemünde, near Lübeck, Oct. 27, 1635, and returned to Gottorf, Aug. 1, 1639. The expedition proved fruitless, and the many dangers and great hardships encountered broke Flemming's health. To qualify himself for medical practice in Hamburg he went to the University of Leyden, where he graduated M.D. in 1640; but shortly after his return to Hamburg he died there, March 25 (April 2), 1640 (Koch, iii. 73-82; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, vii. 115-117). Flemming was of an energetic temperament, with an ardent patriotism, and a deep love for the Evangelical Cause. He was a gifted poet, of true and deep feeling, who could write charming descriptions of the beauties of nature, and sweet and tender love songs. His secular poems, however, as a whole have the faults of the Silesian school of Martin Opitz; and it is by his hymns, and especially by his classical "In allen meinen Thaten," that his name lives. His poems were first collected by the father of his betrothed as D. P. Fleming's Teutsche Poemata, and appeared in 1642 in two editions nearly alike, one at Naumburg and Jena, the other at Lübeck. The most complete edition is that by J. M. Lappenberg, 2 vols., Stuttgart, 1865-66. Of his 41 religious poems (12 hymns, 9 odes, 20 sonnets) three have passed into English. i. In alien meinen Thaten . Trust in God. This beautiful hymn was written in November, 1633, just before he started with the embassy to Moscow (see above); and may often have cheered his own sinking spirit then and in the more trying adventures of the second embassy. It first appeared in his Teutsche Poemata , 1642 (Lübeck edition, p. 287; Lappenberg's edition, i. p. 236), as No. 4 in Book i. of the Odes, in 15 stanza of 6 1. It was included in the Stralsund Gesang-Buch, 1665, Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch , 1704, and almost all recent collections. Sometimes, as in the Unverfalschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 646, it is given in full, but more frequently the special stanzas appropriate for travellers (vi.-ix., xiii., xiv.) are omitted. It is characterised in Koch, viii. 379, as a "pilgrim song suited for the Christian journey which we must all in faith make through joy and sorrow to our Eternal Home." Lauxmann adds that it has often been used appropriately at weddings, was the favourite hymn of Friedrich Wilhelm III. of Prussia, and was sung at the service in the Cathedral of Berlin, July 19, 1870, on the open¬ing of the North German Diet immediately before the Franco-Prussian War. Translated as:— I leave to His good pleasure , a translation of st. i., ii., iv, by A. T. Russell, as No. 232 in his Psalms & Hymns , 1851. Other translations are : (l) “In all my plans, Thou Highest," by Dr. H. Mills, 1856, p. 167. (2) “Where'er I go, whate'er my task," by Miss Winkworth, 1858, p. 108, repeated in L. Rehfuess's Church at Sea , 1868, p. 9. (3) "In every deed and word," in Madame de Pontes's Poets & Poetry of Germany, 1858, vol. i. p. 416. His hymns not in English common use are:— ii. Ist's mőglich, dass der Haas auch kann geliebet sein. The Love of God. In the Lübeck edition, 1642, p. 555 (Lappenberg's edition, i. p. 450), as No. 16 in Book i. of the Sonnets . Translated as, "Can it then be that hate should e'er be loved," by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 175. iii. Lass dich nur Nights nicht tauren. Cross and Consolation. Probably written in Persia during the second embassy. In the Lübeck edition, 1642, p. 283 (Lappenberg's edition, i. p. 244), as No. 1 in Book i. of the Odes, in 3 st. of 6 l. The translations are: (1) "Only let nothing grieve thee," by Madame de Ponies, 1858, v. i. p. 415. (2) "Let nothing make thee sad or fretful," by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 175. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] - John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Christoph Runge

1619 - 1681 Person Name: C. Runge Hymnal Number: d314 Author of "Kdo bude, co Buoh vyvolil" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Christoph Runge; b. 1619; d. 1681 Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, 1908

Gottfried Arnold

1666 - 1714 Hymnal Number: d399 Author of "Muoj mily, spanily" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Arnold, Gottfried, son of Gottfried Arnold, sixth master of the Town School of Annaberg in the Saxon Harz, born at Annaberg Sept. 5, 1666. His life was varied and eventful, and although much of it had little to do with hymnody from an English point of view, yet his position in German Hymnology is such as to necessitate an extended notice, which, through pressure of space, must be (typographically) compressed. After passing through the Town School and the Gymnasium at Gera, he matriculated in 1685 at the University of Wittenberg—where he found the strictest Lutheran orthodoxy in doctrine combined with the loosest of living. Preserved by his enthusiasm for study from the grosser vices of his fellows, turning to contemplate the lives of the first Christians, he began those investigations in Church History on which his fame principally rests, and thought of preparing himself to become a lecturer and professor, the worldly spirit which pervaded the Church repelling him from seeking to become one of her ministers. Accepting in 1689 an appointment as family tutor at Dresden, he became a disciple of Spener, then Court Preacher. Seeing and testifying against the ill-living of those around him, he lost his appointment in 1693, but by Spener's recommendation obtained a similar post at Quedlinburg, the centre of a recent religious Revival, one of the leaders in which was the Senior Court diaconus, J. H. Sprogel. While at Quedlinburg he wrote and pub. his first work of importance: The First Love, i.e., a true Picture of the First Christians in their Living Faith, and Holy Life, 1696, a book glowing with faith and earnestness, which gained a rapid circulation (5th ed. 1727) and was very greatly valued by P. J. Spener. Being thus brought into notice he was in 1697 appointed by the Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt as Professor of History at Giessen. Accepting the post in a hopeful spirit, he did not find himself at home in his surroundings, and, unable to work as he wished, was constrained to resign in 1698. Returning to Quedlinburg he found leisure in the house of his friend SprSgel to pursue the investigations for his Unparteiische Kirchen- und Ketzer-Historie (Frankfurt-am-Main, 1699-1700). This epoch-making work, the most important of all his publications, a monument of gigantic industry and based on the original sources, sought with impartiality to bring out clearly the most prominent and most beautiful features of the Church life of bygone ages, while the more important works that preceded it had been largely partisan. It was dedicated to the King of Prussia, who, Jan., 1702, named him Historiographer; it gained for him the King's help, but by the favourable views taken of the heretics, and the unfavourable light in which the action of the Church towards them was often regarded, a storm of indignation was raised against him throughout the Church. About this time he joined the "New Angel Brotherhood " (S. Matt. xxii. 30), of the followers of the mystic Jakob Bohine, wrote in 1700 his Mystery of the Wisdom of God (see below), in which Heavenly Wisdom was represented as a pure Virgin, union with whom would preclude any earthly marriage, and ceased to partake of Holy Communion in public. Thereupon the ecclesiastical authorities took action, and would have banished him from Quedlinburg had not the King of Prussia interfered and sent two commissions in 1700 and 1701 on Arnold's behalf. Now came the turning point in his life. A thief who had broken into the house of the Sprogels was appre¬hended at Allstedt, about 40 miles south. To bring the thief to justice, Sprogel's wife and her youngest daughter, Anna Maria, went thither under Arnold's care. Preaching before the widowed Duchess of Sachsen-Eisenach, Arnold was summoned by her to become preacher at her Court at Allstedt, and before entering on his duties was, on Sept. 5, 1701, married in Church at Quedlinburg to Anna Maria Sprogel—a union productive of the happiest results, and which in great measure cured him of his Separatist tendencies, but which brought the ridicule of his enemies upon him, and caused his expulsion from the Angel Brotherhood. Entering upon his duties at Allstedt in 1702, he encountered much opposition, and thus, in 1705, gladly accepted from the King of Prussia an appointment as pastor and inspector of Werben in the Altmark (near the junction of the Elbe and Havel), as successor to his father-in-law, who had removed thence from Quedlinburg. As his persecutors gave him no rest, he accepted from the magistrates of Perleberg, a few miles farther north, the pastorate there, to which the King added the inspectorate of the district, beginning his labours on the 22nd Sunday after Trinity, 1707, by a sermon on St. Matt, xiii. 45. Unwearied in word and work, by preaching, by household visitation, and by the composition of devotional manuals (one of which, entitled Paradiesischer Lustgarten, 1709, reached a 7th ed. in 1746), he sought the good of his flock and won universal love and esteem. His excessive devotion to study (publishing no less than 58 works, some being folios, within 20 years) and his sedentary habits, brought on a severe attack of scurvy. On Whit-Sunday, 1714, when barely recovered from his illness, a recruiting party burst into the church and impressed some of the young men who were in the act of receiving Holy Communion. This outrage was his death-blow. On the next day, May 21, as pre-arranged, he preached a funeral sermon, but had to be supported by the sexton to enable him to finish it, ' like a faithful soldier keeping his post till bis last gasp." Three days he lay in an armchair, and was then removed to bed. In earnest exhortation to his friends to full renunciation of self and of the world and complete dedication to God, in peaceful communion with God not unmingled with the bitterness of an early end, the days passed, till on May 30, 1714, after he had raised himself in bed and exclaimed "Frisch auf, frisch auf! Die Wagen her und fort," his spirit peacefully passed away, his mortal body being consigned to the grave on June 1—accompanied by a weeping multitude comprising nearly all the inhabitants of the place. As a poet Arnold holds a high place, though but few of his hymns (mostly written at Quedlinburg) are entirely fitted for use in public worship. Ehmann characterises his poems as full of originality, as pervaded with a deep zeal for sanctification and the fear of God, and with glowing devotion and intensity of love for Christ. All are tinged, some very deeply, with his mysticism, dealing largely in theosophic language with the marriage of the soul to God. They found admission into the hymn-books of the Separatists and the Pietists, and many of them in modern times are included in Knapp's Ev. L. S. They appeared in the following works:— (1) Gottliche Liebes-Funcken. Aus dem grossen Feuer der Liebt Gottes in Christo Jesu entsprungen. Frankfurt am Main, 1698. Containing 145 pieces, including his best hymns. (2) Anderer Theil der gottlichen Liebes-Funcken. Frankfurt, 1701. 36 pieces. (3) Das Geheimniss der gottlidien Sophia, der Weisheit, beschrieben und besungen. Leipzig, 1700. The poetical portion of this work is in two parts:—i. Poetische Lob- und Liebes-Spriiche (100); ii. Neue gottlicJie Liebes Funcken (133). (4) Das eheliche und unverehelichte Leben der ersten Christen, &c. Frankfurt, 1702, with an appendix of 19 poems. (5) Neuer Kern wahrer Geistesgebete, &c. Leipzig, 1703, with a collection of hymns appended, entitled Ein neuer Kern recht geistlicher lieblicher Lieder—211 in all. As these works contain a good many hymns by other authors, the task of discrimination is not easy, and thus it comes to pass that in the collected editions by Albert Knapp (Stuttgart, 1845) and by K. C. E. Ehmann (Stuttgart, 185G) a number of pieces are included which are not really by Arnold. Somewhat curiously, Miss Winkworth, in her Christian Singers of Germany, 1869, has selected three pieces, and only three, as favourable specimens of Arnold, and as it happens, not one is really by him. Knapp frequently abridges and alters, while Ehmann gives a valuable introduction, the unaltered text of 139 hymns, and, as an appendix, a selection from the poems not in regular form (Koch, vi. 138-159; Ehmann's Introduction, Allg. Deutsche Biographie., i. 587-588). The hymns here noted are arranged thus: I. Probably by Arnold; II. Possibly by Arnold; III. Not by Arnold, but not found earlier than in the works mentioned above. Of these the following have been rendered into English:— I. Hymns probably by Arnold, 1-9. 1. Ew'ge Weisheit, Jesu Christ. [Love to Christ.] Founded on Canticles viii. 6, and 1st pub. 1700 as above, No. 68 (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 128), in 18 stanzas of 4 lines, and included as No. 504 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1704. Translated as "Christ, thou'rt Wisdom unto me," No. 685 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754. 2. Holdseligs Gottes-Lamm. [Victory of Love.] 1701 p. 61, as above Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 173), in 11 stanzas of 8 lines, and thence as No. 484 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1704. Translated as "Thou, God's beloved Lamb," as No. 629 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754. In 1789 altered to "Thou, God's most holy Lamb," and in 1801 and later eds. to "Jehovah! holy Lamb." 3. Ihr Sions-Tochter die ihr nicht [Love to Christ.] Founded on Canticles iii. 11, and 1st pub. 1700 as above, No. 41 (Ehmann's cd. 1856, p. 107), in 13 stanzas of 4 lines. Included as No. 716 in the Herrnhut G. B. 1735. Translated as "Daughters of Zion, who're no more," No. 695 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754. 4. Komm beag' dich tief, mein Hcrz and Sinn. [Thanksgiving to Christ] 1st pub. 1702 as above, p. 549 (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 194), in 9 stanzas of 6 lines. Included as No. 744 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1705. Translated as "Ourselves, dear Lord, we now resign," from stanzas vil., ix., as st. iii., iv.of No. 695 in the Moravian Hymn Book. 1801, (ed. 1849, No. 826). 5. Mein Eonig, schreib mir dein Gesetz. [Brotherly Love.] Founded on Ps. exxxiii. and James ii. 8, and 1st pub. 1698, No. 125, as above (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 51, Knapp, 1845, p. 119), in 16 stanzas of 6 lines. Included as No. 387 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1704. Translated as "Thy law, O Lord, be my delight," as No. 451 in the Moravian Hymn Book 1789, and repeated in later eds. 6. 0 Durchbrecher aller Bande (q.v.) 7. O stillcs Lamm, ich such dein sanftes Wesen. [Love to Christ.] A poem 1st pub. 1698, No. 34, as above (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 270), in 21 lines, entitled " They are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb," Rev. xiv. 4. In pt. ii. 1714, of Freylinghausen's G. B., a recast beginning "O stilles Gottes-Lamm," in 5 stanzas of 8 lines, was included as No. 429. The translations are from the second form: (1) "Meek, patient Lamb of God, to Thee," by J. Wesley, in Psalms & Hymns, 1741 (P. Works, 1868-72, vol. ii. p. 14), repeated as No. 545 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754; (2) "Meek, patient Lamb of God, impart," as No. 434 in the Moravian Hymn Book. 1789, and later eds. 8. So ftihrst da docli recht selig, Herr, di; Deinen. [Trust in God.] 1st pub. 1698, No. 138, as above (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 69), in 13 stanzas of 8 lines, entitled "The best Guide." Included as No. 210 in Freyling¬hausen's G. B. 1704, and recently as No. 428 in the Unv. L. S. 1851. Dr. Schaff, in his Deutsches G. B., 1860, says of it: "It was the favourite hymn of the philosopher Schelling. It is, however, more suited for private use than for Public Worship." It is a beautiful hymn, marked by profundity of thought and depth of Christian experience. The only translation in common use is "How well, O Lord! art thou thy People leading," in full as No. 60l in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1751, and repeated, abridged and altered to " Well art Thou leading, Guide supreme," in 1826 (1849, No. 195). The translation of stanzas i., iii., xi. from the 1826 were included in J. A. Latrobe's Collection, 1841, No. 329. Another translation is "How blest to all Thy followers, Lord, the road," by Miss Winkworth, 1855, p. 115 (ed. 1876, p. 177). 9. Wie fdion ist unsers Kdnigs Braut. [Heaven.] 1st pub. 1698, No. 139, as above (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 72, Knapp, 1845, p. 217), in 14 stanzas of 6 lines. Included as No. 584 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1704. The translation are-beginning with st. x.:—" Wie freuet sich mein gamer Sinn," (1) "I'm glad, yea, sinner—likely bold," as No. 548 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book 1754. (2) “How doth my needy soul rejoice," as No. 882 in the Moravian Hymn Book. 1789. In 1801 altered to " How greatly doth my soul rejoice," (1849, No. 1230). II. Hymns possibly by Arnold, 10-11. 10. Erschein, du Morgenstern. [Morning.] 1st pub. 1703, p. 8 (Ehmann's ed. 1856, p. 196), in 4 stanzas of 8 lines. Included as No. 751 in Freylinghausews G. B. 1705, and No. 628 in Porst's G. B. ed. 1855. Fischer, i. 174, thinks A.'s authorship very doubtful. Translated as "Thou Morning-Star appear," by H. J. Buckoll, 1842, p. 42. 11. O der alles hattf verloren. [The Heavenly Spirit.] This beautiful hymn on Self-Renunciation appeared in 1703, p. 132 (ed. Ehmann, 1856, p. 210), in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, but both Koch, vi. 159, and Fischer, ii. 138, regard A.'s authorship as very doubtful. Included as No. 719 in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1705, and recently as No. 614 in the Unv. L. S. 1851. In Knapp's ed. 1845, p. 8, beginning “O wer alles hatt' verloren," in 7 stanzas. The only translation in common use is, "Well for him who all things losing," a very good translation omitting st. iii. by Miss Winkworth, in the 1st Series of her Lyra Ger. 1855, p. 134 (ed. 1876, p. 135), and repeated in her C. B. for England, 1863, No. 132, omitting the translation of stanzas. vi. Included as No. 451 in the Pennsylvanian Luth. Ch. Bk. 1868, and, with the omission of stanzas vi.-vii., in the American Meth. Episcopal Hymnal, 1878. Other translations are: (1) "O were all things perishable," as No. 682 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754. (2) “Ah! the heart that has forsaken," by Mrs. Findlater, in the Family Treasury, 1859, pt. ii. p. 208, and thence (quoting the German as "Ach das Herz verlassend alles") in the 4th Series, 1862, of the Hymns from the Land of Luther (ed. 1862, p. 284, 1884, p. 209). (3) "O how blest who, all resigning," by Mrs. L. C. Smith, in the Sunday Magazine, 1865, p. 94C. III. Hymns wrongly attributed to Arnold, 12-14. Seven hymns of this class have been tr. into English. Of these, two are noted under Lodenstein, one under Scheffler, and one under J. L. Faber. The others are:— 12. Es gehet maticlier Weg und Bahn. [Life's Voyage.] 1st pub. in Der Weisiteit Gartengewdchs, 1703, edited by Arnold. Ehmann, 1856, p. 245, includes it in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, but says it is certainly not by Arnold. Knapp, 1845, p. 173, quotes it, beginning, "Gar mancher Wegr, gar manche Balm," as from a us. dated 1734, and included it in his Ev. L. S. 1850, No. 1583 (ed. 1865, No. 1652). Translated as "Full many a way, full many a path," by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 295. 13. O du sussa Lust. [Communion with Christ.] Appeared in 1698, No. 140, as above; but distinctly marked as " by another." In Knapp, 1845, p. 78. Included in 9 stanzas of 6 lines, as No. 458, in Freylinghausen's G. B. 1704, and as No. 398 in Porst's G. B., ed. 1855. The trs. are: (1) "O thou Pleasure blest," as No. 690 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book. 1754; (2) "Bliss beyond compare," founded on the 1751, as No. 283 in the Moravian Hymn Book 1789. In full as No. 68 in the Bible Hymn Book 1845, and as No. 672 in Reid's Praise Book 1872. 14. Salb' uns mit deiner Lieba. [The Kingdom of God.] 1st pub. 1702, p. 526, but distinctly marked as " by another." In Knapp, 1845, p. 19. included as No. 746 in Freylingliausen's G. B. 1705, and recently, as No. 198, in Knapp's Ev. L. S. 1850 (ed. 1865, No. 209). Translated as "Anoint us with Thy blessed love," by Miss Winkworth, 1869, p. 293. Dr. Franz Dibelius in his elaborate biography (Gottfried Arnold, Berlin, 1873) at pp. 180-183, 246-248, quotes four hymns not included by Ehmann which he thinks may possibly be by Arnold. One of these is “Zum Leben ftthrt ein schmaler Weg " (q. v.). -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Johannes Matthaeus Meyfart

1590 - 1642 Person Name: J. M. Meyfart Hymnal Number: d244 Author of "Jerusalem, tot' mesto vznesene" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Meyfart, Johann Matthäus, was born Nov. 9, 1590 at Jena, during a visit which his mother (wife of Pastor Meyfart of Wablwinkel, near Waltershausen, Gotha) was paying to her father. He studied at the Universities of Jena (M.A. 1611; D.D. 1624) and Wittenberg, and was thereafter for some time adjunct of the philosophical faculty at Jena. In 1616, he was appointed professor in the Gymnasium at Coburg and in 1623 director; and during his residence at Coburg was a great moral power. When his colleagues in the Gymnasium made a complaint to the government regarding a dissertation (De disciplina ecclesiastica) which he published in 1633, he accepted the offer of the professorship of theology in the revived University of Erfurt. He entered on his work at Erfurt, July, 1633, was rector of the University in 1634, and in 1636 became also pastor of the Prediger Kirche. He died at Erfurt, Jan. 26, 1642 (Koch iii. 117; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie xxi. 646, &c.). Meyfart's devotional works (Tuba poenitentiae prophetica, 1625; Tuba Novissima, 1626; Höllisches Sodoma, 1629; Himmlisches Jerusalem, 1630; Jüngste Gericht, 1632) passed through various editions, and produced a great impression by their vivid picturing and their earnest calls to repentance and amendment of life. His well-meant efforts, by books and otherwise, towards raising the tone of student life in Germany, and his exposition of the excesses and defects in both academical and churchly life at that period, brought him much ill will and opposition, and did not produce useful fruit till much later. His hymns were few in number, and appeared mostly in his devotional books. Only one of Meyfart's hymns has passed into English, viz. :— Jerusalem, du hochgebaute Stadt. The New Jerusalem. This splendid hymn appeared in his Tuba Novissima, Coburg, 1626 [Ducal Library, Gotha], a volume containing four sermons preached at Coburg on the Four Last Things, viz. Death, Last Judgment, Eternal Life, and Eternal Punishment. It forms the conclusion of the third sermon (on St. Matt. xvii. 1-9) which is entitled "On the joy and glory which all the Elect are to expect in the Life everlasting." This conclusion is reprinted verbatim et literatim (i.e. with the introductory and closing sentences, and the connecting sentences between st. i., ii., iii. and iv.) in the Blätter für Hymnologie, 1883, pp. 120-124. The text of the hymn, in 8 st. of 8 1., is given unaltered, according to the marginal directions of the original (save st. vii. 1. 6, where the original is "Man spielt"), as No. 1537 in the Berlin Geistliche Lieder ed. 1863. Of it Lauxmann, in Koch viii. 669, says:— "The hymn is a precious gem in our Treasury of Song, in which one clearly sees that from it the whole heart of the poet shines out on us. Meyfart had his face turned wholly to the Future, to the Last Things; and with a richly fanciful mysticism full of deep and strong faith, he united a flaming zeal for the House of the Lord, and against the abuses of his times." He adds that the hymn was a great favourite with Charles Gützlaff, the apostle of China (died at Hong Kong, Aug. 9, 1851), whose last words were "Would God I were in thee" (st. i. 1. 3) ; and of Julius Schnorr of Carolsfeld, the well-known painter, whose last work was the illustrating of this hymn, and at whose funeral in 1872 it was sung. The popularity of the hymn was greatly aided by the magnificent melody, generally ascribed to Melchior Franck [born at Zittau, 1580 ; c. 1604, capellmeister at Coburg; died at Coburg, June 1,1639], but not yet traced earlier than to the Erfurt Gesang-Buch, 1663. Translations in common use:— 1. Jerusalem, thou city built on high. A good tranlation of st. i.-iv., vii., as No. 112 in the Dalston Hospital Hymn Book, 1848. 2. Jerusalem, thou city built on high. A good translation of st. i., iv., vi., vii., by A. T. Russell, as No. 261 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. St. i., 11. 1, 2, 4 are from the 1848 translation. The form in Dr. Pagenstecher's Collection, 1864, No. 288, is i. 11. 1-4, ii. as 1848; i. 11. 5-8, vii. as 1851. 3. Jerusalem, thou city fair and high. A good and full translation by Miss Winkworth, in her Lyra Germanica, 2nd Ser., 1858, p. 220; repeated in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, No. 193, set to the melody of 1663. Included in full in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880, and, abridged, in the Pennsylvania Lutheran Church Book, 1868, and the Uppingham and Sherborne School Hymn Book, 1874. 4. Jerusalem! high tow’r thy glorious walls. A good and full translation, by Bishop W. R. Whittingham, in the American Episcopal Hymns for Church and Home, 1860, No. 414; and the American Episcopal Hymnal, 1871. St. i., iv., viii. are in M. W. Stryker's Christian Chorals, 1885. Translations not in common use:— (l) "Jerusalem, thou city of the skies." In the United PresbyterianJuvenile Mission Magazine, Dec. 1857. (2) "Jerusalem! thou glorious city-height." By Mrs. Sevan, 1858, p. 19, repeated in L. Rehfuess's Church at Sea, 1868. (3) “Jerusalem, thou high-built, fair abode." In the Christian Examiner (Boston, U. S.), Sept. 1860, p. 254. (4) "Jerusalem, thou city rear'd on high. By Miss Manington, 1863, p. 94. (5) "Jerusalem! thou city towering high." By Miss Cox, in her Hymns from the German, 1864, p. 101, and in Lyra Mystica, 1865, p. 365. (6) "Jerusalem! thou city builded high." By Miss Burlingham, in the British Herald, April, 1866, p. 249, and Reid's Praise Book, 1872. (7) "Jerusalem! high tow'r thy glorious walls." A full and spirited translation by J. H. Hopkins, in his Carols, Hymns and Songs, 1882, p. 182, dated 1862. St. i., 11. 1-2, are taken from Bishop Whittingham's version. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] -- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Johannes Schneesing

1497 - 1567 Hymnal Number: d786 Author of "V Tobe samem zde na zemi" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Schneesing, Johannes, sometimes called Cnionmsus or Chyomusus, was a native of Frankfurt-am-Main. He was appointed, sometime before 1524, assistant to Johann Langenhayn, pastor of St. Margaret's church, in Gotha, who had begun, in 1522, to preach the doctrines of the Reformation. Subsequently he became pastor at Friemar, near Gotha; and in the records of the Visitation in 1534, he is described as a "learned, diligent, pious, and godly man." He died at Friemar, in 1567. (Koch, i. 376, &c.) During Sehneesing's early years at Friemar, his energies were greatly exercised in combating the Anabaptist doctrines promulgated in the neighbourhood by Nicolaus Storch, of Zwickau. Throughout his incumbency, he greatly interested himself in the children of his flock, for whom he prepared a Catechism, taught them in school, catechised them in church, and, as his pupil, Marx Wagner declares, taught them to sing many hymns and tunes which he had himself composed. He also possessed some skill as a painter. The only hymn which has been ascribed to Schneesing, with any certainty, is— Allein zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ. Penitence. The earliest hymn-book to which this has yet been traced, is the (Low German) Magdeburg Gesang-Buch, 1542, where it begins, "Alleyn tho dy," and is entitled, "A Hymn of Penitence." Wackernagel, iii., pp. 174-177, gives this, and three other forms (the oldest being from an undated Nürnberg broadsheet, circa 1540), and ascribes it to Schneesing. It was included by Luther in V. Babst's Gesang-Buch, 1545; and this text, in 4 stanzas of 9 lines, is repeated in many later collections, as in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, No. 361. Bunsen, in his Versuch, 1833, p. 85, calls it "an immortal hymn of prayer of a confident faith." Its rhymes show that it was evidently written in High German, and, therefore, apparently, earlier than 1542. In the earliest broadsheets and hymnbooks, it appears without name…. The translations of Schneesing's hymn are:— 1. In Thee alone, 0 Christ, my Lord. A good tr. of st. i.—iii.- by A. T. Russell, as No. 194, in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851. 2. Lord Jesus Christ, in Thee alone. A good and full tr., by Miss Winkworth, in her Lyra Germanica, 2nd Ser., l858, p. 129. Repeated, slightly varied in metre in her Chorale Book for England, 1863, No. 112. Other translations are:— (1) "In Thee, Lord Christ, is fix'd my hope." By J. C. Jacobi, 1725, p. 20. (2) “In Thee alone, Lord Jesus Christ." This is No. 308, in pt. i, of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754. (3) " In Thee, O Christ, is all my Hope." This is based on Jacobi's tr., and is No. 539, in pt. i., of the Moravian Hymn Book, 1754 (1886, No. 284). Included in the 1780 and later eds. of Lady Huntingdon's Selection. (4) “According to Thy mercy, Lord." This is a translation of st. iii., by J. Swertner, as st. i. of No. 720, in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1789 (1886, No. 711). [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Ahasuer Fritsch

1629 - 1701 Person Name: Ahasverus Fritsch Hymnal Number: d241 Author of "Immanuel mily, Knize vericich" in Cithara Sanctorum--Pisne Duchovni Born: December 16, 1629, Mücheln, Saxony. Died: August 24, 1701, Rudolstadt, Germany. With help from the family of a young noble he tutored, Fritsch received a good education, earning his law degree from the University of Jena in 1661. He later became chancellor of the university and president of the Consistory of Rudolstadt. He wrote on numerous subjects, including antiquities, law, and religion, and collected hymns. Hymns-- "Liebster Immanuel, Herzog der Frommen" "Dearest Immanuel, Prince of the Lowly" Music-- WAS FRAG' ICH NACH DER WELT --www.cyberhymnal.org/bio