Him of the Father's Very Essence

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Him of the Father's Very Essence

Translator: John Mason Neale (1862); Author: Cosmas, the Melodist (760)
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

Him, of the FATHER’s very Essence,
Begotten, ere the world began,
And, in the latter time, of Mary,
Without a human sire, made Man:
Unto Him, this glorious morn,
Be the strain outpoured!
Thou That liftest up our horn,
Holy art Thou, LORD!

The earthly Adam, erewhile quickened
By the blest breath of GOD on high,
Now made the victim of corruption,
By woman’s guile betrayed to die,
He, deceived by woman’s part,
Supplication poured;
Thou Who in my nature art,
Holy art Thou, LORD!

134

Thou, JESUS CHRIST, wast consubstantial
With this our perishable clay,
And, by assuming earthly nature,
Exaltedst it to heavenly day.
Thou, That wast as mortal born,
Being GOD adored,
Thou That liftest up our horn,
Holy art Thou, LORD!

135

Rejoice, O Bethlehem, the city
Whence Judah’s monarchs had their birth;
Where He that sitteth on the Cherubs,
The King of Israel, came on earth:
Manifested this blest morn,
As of old time never,
He hath lifted up our horn,
He shall reign for ever!

Hymns of the Eastern Church, 1866

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Translator: John Mason Neale

John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly temperament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >

Author: Cosmas, the Melodist

Cosmas, St., The Melodist. (Died circ. A.D. 760.) The second among the Greek ecclesiastical poets. He was adopted by the father of St. John of Damascus, and educated with him by a Sicilian monk also named Cosmas, who had been redeemed from slavery by his adopted father. The two foster-brothers retired together to St. Sabas, and there stimulated, assisted and vied witii one another in the composition of hymns. It is not certain whether some of the Canons, Triodia, and Idiomela under the name of Cosmas may not be the work of the elder Cosmas. He was elected Bishop of Maiuma in A.D. 743, and is commemorated in the Greek Calendar on Oct. 14. The story of Cosmas the elder is beautifully told in Milman's Lat. Christ., vol. ii. 364. Daniel, vol. i… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Him of the Father's Very Essence
Author:	Cosmas, the Melodist (760)
Translator:	John Mason Neale (1862)
Meter:	9.8.9.8.7.5.7.5
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain