My heart its incense burning

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My heart its incense burning

Author: Johann Mathesius; Translator: Henry Mills (1856)
Tune: AUS MEINES HERZENS GRUNDE
Published in 8 hymnals

Piano/Organ
	Six Advent Chorales for Manuals

Representative Text

1 My heart its incense burning,
I'll offer thanks and praise,
Now, with return of morning,
And through all future days;
I'll praise Thee on Thy throne,
Great Source of ev'ry blessing,
My song to Thee addressing
Through Christ, Thy only Son.

2 Thy mercy claims my praises!
This kept me through the night;
And now from sleep it raises,
To greet the dawning light.
This, too, it is that hath
My many sins forgiven,
Which, in the face of heaven,
So oft provoked Thy wrath.

3 In mercy still direct me
Throughout the coming day:
From Satan's wiles protect me,
From sin, and from dismay:
Defend from fire and storm,
From want and ev'ry weakness,
From sorrows and from sickness,
From sudden death's alarm.

4 Let angels keep their stations,
Nor cease their guard of me,
Averting all temptations
Which draw my soul from Thee!
Thy shield hold Thou above!
Then nothing shall distress me,
To duty I'll address me,
Rejoicing in Thy love.

Source: Concordia: a collection of hymns and spiritual songs #3

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Author: Johann Mathesius

Mathesius, Johannes, son of Wolfgang Mathesius, town councillor at Rochlitz, was born at Rochlitz, June 24, 1504. He studied for a short time at the University of Ingolstadt. Thereafter he acted as family tutor at Odelzhausen, near Munich, where, in 1526, he found Luther's Von den guten Werken (Wittenberg, 1523); and then while living at Bruck (Fürstenfeld-bruck), near Munich, read two of Luther's tractates on the Holy Communion. Attracted thus to Wittenberg he matriculated there May 30, 1529, studied with great zeal and graduated M.A. in 1530. In the end of 1530 he joined the staff of the school at Altenburg, and in the spring of 1532 was appointed rector of the gymnasium at Joachimsthal in Bohemia. He resigned this post in 1540, and retu… Go to person page >

Translator: Henry Mills

Mills, Henry, D.D., son of John Mills, was born at Morriston, New Jersey, March 12, 1786, and educated at the New Jersey College, Princeton, where he graduated in 1802. After being engaged in teaching for some time at Morristown and elsewhere, he was ordained Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1816. On the opening of the Auburn Theological Seminary in 1821, he was appointed Professor of Biblical Criticism and Oriental Languages, from which he retired in 1854. He died at Auburn, June 10, 1867. In 1845 he published Horae Germanicae; A Version of German Hymns. This was enlarged in 1856. The translations are not well done, and very few are now in common use, although 18 and 9 doxologies were given in the Lutheran Ge… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	My heart its incense burning
German Title:	Aus meines Herzens Grunde
Author:	Johann Mathesius
Translator:	Henry Mills (1856)
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain