The Institution

Representative Text

1 That doleful night before His death,
The Lamb for sinners slain,
Did almost with His dying breath,
This solemn feast ordain.

2 To keep the feast, Lord, we have met,
And to remember Thee;
Help each poor trembler to repeat,
“For me, He died for me!”

3 Thy sufferings, Lord, each sacred sign
To our remembrance brings;
We eat the bread, and drink the wine,
But think on nobler things.

4 O tune our tongues, and set in frame
Each heart that pants for Thee,
To sing, “Hosanna to the Lamb,
The Lamb that died for me!"

Amen.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #539

Author: Joseph Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: That doleful night before His death
Title: The Institution
Author: Joseph Hart
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

MARTYRDOM (Wilson)

MARTYRDOM was originally an eighteenth-century Scottish folk melody used for the ballad "Helen of Kirkconnel." Hugh Wilson (b. Fenwick, Ayrshire, Scotland, c. 1766; d. Duntocher, Scotland, 1824) adapted MARTYRDOM into a hymn tune in duple meter around 1800. A triple-meter version of the tune was fir…

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THE SOLEMN FEAST


ARLINGTON (Arne)


Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #539

Church Gospel Songs and Hymns #485

Church Gospel Songs and Hymns #493

Great Songs of the Church (Revised) #372

Praise for the Lord (Expanded Edition) #615

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #356

Sacred Selections for the Church #288

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The A.M.E. Zion Hymnal #335

Include 155 pre-1979 instances
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