O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light

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O heavenly Word, eternal Light

Translator: John Mason Neale (1851)
Published in 11 hymnals

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Piano/Organ
	Ten Chorale Improvisations, Set 1

Representative Text

1 O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light,
Begotten of the Father's might,
Who, in these latter days, art born
For succor to a world forlorn;

2 Our hearts enlighten from above,
And kindle with Thine own true love;
That we, who hear Thy call to-day,
May cast earth's vanities away.

3 And when as Judge Thou drawest nigh,
The secrets of all hearts to try;
When sinners meet their awful doom,
And saints attain their heavenly home;

4 O let us not, for evil past,
Be driven from Thy face at last;
But with the blessed evermore
Behold Thee, love Thee, and adore.

Source: The College Hymnal: for divine service at Yale College in the Battell Chapel #122

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Translator: John Mason Neale

John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly temperament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	O heavenly Word, eternal Light
Title:	O Heavenly Word, Eternal Light
Latin Title:	Verbum Supernum prodiens
Translator:	John Mason Neale (1851)
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Source:	Latin, ca. 7th cent.
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

VERBUM SUPERNUM PRODIENS (53571)

BRESLAU

O HEILAND, REISS DIE HIMMEL AUF

O HEILAND, REISS DIE HIMMEL AUF is a German chorale melody published anonymously in Rheinfelsisches Deutsches Catholisches Gesangbuch (1666 ed.). Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee member Dale Grotenhuis (PHH 4) prepared the harmonization in 1985. The tune is in Dorian mode and exhibits two main rhyt…

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