The Race That Long in Darkness Pined

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The race that long in darkness pined

Versifier: John Morison (1781)
Published in 220 hymnals

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Representative Text

1. The souls who long in darkness pined
Have seen a glorious light;
The people dwell in day who dwelt
In death's surrounding night.

2. To hail your rise, the better Son!
The gath’ring nations come,
Joyous, as when the reapers bear
The harvest treasures home.

3. To us a child of hope is born,
To us a Son is giv’n;
Him shall the tribes of Earth obey
And all the hosts of Heav’n.

4. His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
Forever more adored,
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.

5. His pow’r increasing still shall spread,
His reign no end shall know;
Justice shall guard his throne above,
And peace abound below.

Source: Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #34a

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Versifier: John Morison

Morison, John, D.D., was born in Aberdeenshire in 1749. He studied at the University of Aberdeen (King's College), where he graduated M.A. in 1771. In 1780 he became parish minister of Canisbay, Caithness. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1792. He died at Canisbay, June 12, 1798. He was one of the members added on May 26, 1781, to the Committee appointed by the General Assembly of 1775 to revise the Translations and Paraphrases of 1745. To him are ascribed Nos. 19, 21, 29, 30 and 35, in the 1781 collection, and he is said to have been joint author with John Logan of Nos. 27 and 28. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907) Go to person page >

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Related Texts

First Line:	The race that long in darkness pined
Title:	The Race That Long in Darkness Pined
Versifier:	John Morison (1781)
Meter:	8.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

Year A, Epiphany season, Third Sunday
This is recommended for Year A, Epiphany season, Third Sunday by 2 hymnal lectionary indexes.

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Notes

The race that long in darkness pined. J. Morison. [Epiphany.] This fine hymn appeared as No. 19 in the Draft Scottish Translations and Paraphrases, 1781, as a version of Isaiah ix. 2-8.
The revised text of 1781 is included in full and unaltered as No. 35 in Lord Selborne's Book of Praise Hymnal, 1868, and slightly altered as No. 47 in the American Episcopal Collection, 1826, and as No. 80 in the Anglican Hymn Book, 1871. Omitting stanzas iii. it has been included in the American Baptist Psalmist, 1843, Kennedy, 1863, the Baptist Hymnal, 1879, and other collections. It is also found in the following forms:—
1. The race which long in darkness pined. Pratt's Collection, 1829; Liverpool Collection, 1841.
2. The race that long in darkness lay. Urwick's Collection, 1829.
3. The race that long in darkness walk'd. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Hymns, 1852; Common Praise, 1819, &c.
4. The people that in darkness sat. A greatly altered version by the compilers of Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861, (No. 61, with an added doxology). This has been included in Barry's Hymnal, 1867, and in the Hymnary, 1812. In America it has appeared in the Evangelical Hymnal, New York, 1880.
5. The race that long in darkness sat. Thring's Collection 1882, No. 146, the revised text of 1781 slightly altered and a doxology by Mr. Thring added; with stanzas ii. 1. 3, stanzas iii., and stanzas iv. 1. 1 as in Hymns Ancient & Modern.
6. To hail thy rising, Sun of life. American Protestant Episcopal Hymnal, 1871, No. 27, beginning with stanzas ii. altered.
7. To us a Child of hope is born. Stanzas iv.-vi. included in England in Curwen's and various other children's hymn-books, and in America in the Andover Sabbath Hymn Book 1858 ; Robinson's Songs for the Sanctuary, 1865; Dutch Reformed Hymn Book, 1869; Baptist Praise Book 1871, and various others.
8. Lo! unto us a child is born. Stanzas iv., v. altered in Mercer's Church Psalter & Hymn Book, Ox. edition, 1864, No. 417.
The text should also be compared with Watts's Hymns, 1709, Bk. 1, No. 13, "The lands that long in darkness lay;" and "The people that in darkness walk'd," in Miss Leeson's Paraphrases & Hymns for Congregational Singing, 1853, No. 45. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

DUNDEE (Ravenscroft)

DUNDEE first appeared in the 1615 edition of the Scottish Psalter published in Edinburgh by Andro Hart. Called a "French" tune (thus it also goes by the name of FRENCH), DUNDEE was one of that hymnal's twelve "common tunes"; that is, it was not associated with a specific psalm. In the Psalter Hymnal…

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LOBT GOTT IHR CHRISTEN

DUNFERMLINE

DUNFERMLINE is one of the "common" tunes from Andro Hart's psalter The CL Psalms of David, Edinburgh (l615)–a "common" tune was one that was not matched with a specific text in a songbook. Millar Patrick, author of Four Centuries of Scottish Psalmody (London, 1949) and The Story of the Church's So…

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