Great Mover of all hearts, whose hand

Representative Text

1 Great mover of all hearts, whose hand
doth all the secret springs command
of human thought and will,
thou, since the world was made, dost bless
thy saints with fruits of holiness,
their order to fulfill.

2 Faith, hope, and love here weave one chain;
but love alone shall then remain
when this short day is gone:
O Love, O Truth, O endless Light,
when shall we see thy Sabbath bright
with all our labours done?

3 We sow ’mid perils here and tears;
there the glad hand the harvest bears,
which here in grief hath sown:
great Three in One, the increase give;
thy gifts of grace, by which we live,
with heavenly glory crown.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #444

Author: Charles Coffin

Coffin, Charles, born at Buzaney (Ardennes) in 1676, died 1749, was principal of the college at Beauvais, 1712 (succeeding the historian Rollin), and rector of the University of Paris, 1718. He published in 1727 some, of his Latin poems, for which he was already noted, and in 1736 the bulk of his hymns appeared in the Paris Breviary of that year. In the same year he published them as Hymni Sacri Auctore Carolo Coffin, and in 1755 a complete ed. of his Works was issued in 2 vols. To his Hymni Sacri is prefixed an interesting preface. The whole plan of his hymns, and of the Paris Breviary which he so largely influenced, comes out in his words. "In his porro scribendis Hymnis non tam poetico indulgendunv spiritui, quam nitoro et pietate co… Go to person page >

Translator: Isaac Williams

Isaac Williams was born in London, in 1802. His father was a barrister. The son studied at Trinity College, Oxford, where he gained the prize for Latin verse. He graduated B.A. 1826, M.A. 1831, and B.D. 1839. He was ordained Deacon in 1829, and Priest in 1831. His clerical appointments were Windrush (1829), S. Mary the Virgin's, Oxford (1832), and Bisley (1842-1845). He was Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, from 1832 to 1842. During the last twenty years of his life his health was so poor as to permit but occasional ministerial services. He died in 1865. He was the author of some prose writings, amongst which are Nos. 80, 86 and 87 of the "Oxford Tracts." His commentaries are favourably known. He also published quite a large num… Go to person page >

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