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Who Is This?

Representative Text

1. Who is this in silence bending
O'er a dark, sepulchral cave?
Sympathetic sorrow blending
With the tears around that grave?
Christ the Lord is standing by
At the tomb of Bethany.

2. Jesus wept! those tears are over,
But his heart is still the same;
Kinsman, Friend, and Elder Brother,
Are his everlasting names.
Saviour! who can love like thee,
Gracious One of Bethany?

3. When the pangs of trial seize us,
When the waves of sorrow roll,
I will lay my head on Jesus,
Pillow of the troubled soul.
Surely, none can feel like thee,
Weeping One of Bethany!

4. Jesus wept!—and still in glory,
He can mark each mourner’s tear;
Loving to retrace the story
Of the hearts He solaced here.
Lord, when I am called to die,
Let me think of Bethany!

5. Jesus wept! that tear of sorrow
Is a legacy of love;
Yesterday, today, tomorrow,
He the same does ever prove.
Thou art all in all to me,
Living One of Bethany!

Source: Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #117

Author: John R. MacDuff

Macduff, John Ross, D.D., second son of Alexander Macduff, of Bonhard, near Perth, was born at Bonhard, May 23, 1818. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he became in 1842 parish minister of Kettins, Forfarshire, in 1849 of St. Madoes, Perthshire, and in 1855 of Sandyford, Glasgow. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Glasgow in 1862, and about the same time also from the University of New York. He retired from pastoral work in 1871, lived at Chislehurst, Kent and died in 1887. He has published many practical and devotional works which have attained a wide circulation. In 1857 he was appointed by the General Assembly a member of their Hymnal Committee. His 31 hymns appeared in his Altar Stones, 1853, and were als… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Who is this in silence bending
Title: Who Is This?
Author: John R. MacDuff
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

AUTUMN (Barthélemon)

This tune is adapted from Barthélemon's piece Durandarte and Belerma: A Pathetic Scotch Ballad (1797). Some editors describe AUTUMN as "adapted from Psalm xlii in the Genevan Psalter, 1551", referring to the similarity between this tune and FREU DICH SEHR.

Go to tune page >


ST. JOSEPH (Statham)


[Jesus wept! those tears are over] (Bushey)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #3500
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 4 of 4)

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #279

Text

Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship #117

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #217

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #3500

Include 105 pre-1979 instances
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