Jesus, while He dwelt below. J. Hart [Passiontide.] A descriptive hymn of great power on The Passion of Our Lord. It was published in Hart's Hymns, &c, 1759, No. 75, in 23 stanzas of 6 lines, and headed "Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples," John xviii. 2. The following centos have been compiled therefrom:—
1. “Jesus, whilst He dwelt below." Pt. i.
“Full of love to man's lost race." Pt. ii.
"There my God bore all my guilt." Pt. iii.
These centos were given in Snepp's Songs of Grace & Glory, 1872, No. 230.
2. "Jesus, while He dwelt below." Pt. i.
"Eden from each flowery bed." Pt. ii.
These were given in the Scottish Evangelical Union Hymnal, 1878, No. 34, and others.
3. "Comes once more the awful night."
In the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns, 1871, this is very much altered from the original.
4. “Comes again the dreadful night."
In Whiting's Hymns for the Church Catholic, 1882. Also altered from Hart.
Through these various centos great use is made of this hymn.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)