Es ist nicht schwer ein Christ zu sein. C. F. Richter. [True Christianity.] First appeared as No. 228 in Freylinghausen's Neues geistreiches Gesang-Buch, 1714, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines. It is a companion to his earlier hymn, "Es kostet viel ein Christ zu sein" (1st published as No. 659 in Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch, 1704 ; but not translated into English), and with it was republished in his Erhauliche Betrachtungen vom Ursprung und Adel der Seelen, Halle, 17J 8, where the earlier is entitled "On the seriousness and difficulty of True Christianity," and the later "on the Easiness and Lovableness of True Christianity." They are given as companion hymns in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851, Nos. 305, 306, both in 8 stanzas. The only translation in common use of "Es ist nicht schwer," is:—
'Tis not a [too] hard, too high an aim. By Moses Browne. Included in The Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ, &c, Lond., 1772. This work is a translation of a treatise by J. L. Zimmermann (Die überschwengliche Erkenntniss Jesu Christi), published at Halle in 1732, in which the hymn is introduced with a Latin version by Zimmermann. Browne's translation of this hymn is very free, and is in 8 stanzas; stanzas i., vi., vii. being of 12, ii.-v. of 8, and viii. of 4 lines. It had previously been contributed to the Christian’s Magazine, April, 1762, p. 182, where it is given as "Luther's Hymn, in eight practical rules," and begins "'Tis not too arduous an essay." The text of 1762 was repeated, with variations, as No. 369, in A Collection of Psalms & Hymns, York, R. Spence, 1780, and in the 6th edition, 1806, of Moses Browne's Sunday Thoughts. The text of 1772, however, is that which has come down, mainly in centos, to modern hymnals. It is given in full in Miss Warner's Hymns for the Church Militant, N. Y., 1858 (ed. 1861, p. 568), and in Collyer's Collection, 1812, Nos. 853-855. Besides appearing under its original first line, it is also found as follows :—
1. The promis'd part in Christ to claim (stanza i. altered), in J. Bickersteth's Psalms & Hymns, 1832, No. 490; E. Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833, and E. H. Bickersteth's Psalms and Hymns, 1858.
2. Be strong, my heart! be high thy aim (stanza i. alt.) in Mozley's Church Hymn Book, 1826, No. 314.
3. Nature will raise up all her strife (i., l 5.), in Nettleton's American Village Hymns, 1825, No. 395.
4. Act but the infant's gentle part (ii.), in Dr. Bonar's Bible Hymn Book 1845, No. 83.
5. The sovereign Father, good and kind (iii.) in Collyer's Collection, 1812, No. 854.
6. The gentle sire, the best of friends (vi., l. 5), in Collyer's Collection, 1812, No. 855.
7. Thy gracious God, thy best of friends (stanza vi., l. 5, ait.), in Mozley's Church Hymn Book, 1826, No. 316.
Other translations are: (1)To be a Christian is not hard." By R. Massie. 1864. (2) "Give me, my child, the Father saith, thy heart." This begins with stanza iii. as No. 357, in the Moravian Hymn Book, 1886. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
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