1 Now from his cradle comes the child,
By the Most High
Trained for his own great ministry:
He, far from man, drinks in the wild,
The springs of wisdom undefiled.
2 Far ’mid the desert caves profound,
’Mid low-browed rocks,
Where every noise lorn echo mocks,
The bees that in the rock abound,
And mountain streams, the only sound.
3 With limbs long trained to hardihood,
The camel’s hair
Wrapped rudely round his body bare,
There in the wild Christ’s soldier stood,
The desert spoils his only food.
4 With strong-bent hope his soul doth burn
From Satan’s thrall
That faithless nation to recall—
That fathers might of children learn,
And children to their fathers turn.
5 And now to God all praise declare,
In might arrayed,
The Father who the world hath made,
The Son who doth the world repair,
And Spirit that doth keep it fair.
Source: The Cyber Hymnal #10770
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 >
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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