Thou Who the night in prayer didst spend

Representative Text

1 Thou who the night in prayer didst spend
And then didst Thine apostles send
And bidd'st us pray the harvest's Lord
To send forth sowers of Thy Word,
Hear and Thy chosen servants bless
With sev'n-fold gifts of holiness.

2 Oh, may Thy pastors faithful be,
Not lab'ring for themselves, but Thee!
Give grace to feed with wholesome food
The sheep and lambs bought by Thy blood,
To tend Thy flock, and thus to prove
How dearly they the Shepherd love.

3 Oh, may Thy people faithful be
And in Thy pastors honor Thee
And with them work and for them pray
And gladly Thee in them obey,
Receive the prophet of the Lord
And gain the prophet's own reward!

4 So may we when our work is done
Together stand before Thy throne
And joyful hearts and voices raise
In one united song of praise,
With all the bright celestial host,
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Amen.


Source: The Lutheran Hymnal #493

Author: Christopher Wordsworth

Christopher Wordsworth--nephew of the great lake-poet, William Wordsworth--was born in 1807. He was educated at Winchester, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A., with high honours, in 1830; M.A. in 1833; D.D. in 1839. He was elected Fellow of his College in 1830, and public orator of the University in 1836; received Priest's Orders in 1835; head master of Harrow School in 1836; Canon of Westminster Abbey in 1844; Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge in 1847-48; Vicar of Stanford-in-the-Vale, Berks, in 1850; Archdeacon of Westminster, in 1865; Bishop of Lincoln, in 1868. His writings are numerous, and some of them very valuable. Most of his works are in prose. His "Holy Year; or, Hymns for Sundays, Holidays, and other occ… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Thou Who the night in prayer didst spend
Author: Christopher Wordsworth
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

ST. PETERSBURG

Dmitri Stephanovich Bortnianski (b. Gloukoff, Ukraine, 1751; d. St. Petersburg, Russia, 1825) was a Russian composer of church music, operas, and instrumental music. His tune ST. PETERSBURG (also known as RUSSIAN HYMN) was first published in J. H. Tscherlitzky's Choralbuch (1825). The tune is suppo…

Go to tune page >


[Han lefver! o min ande, känn]


MELITA (Dykes)

The original chant melody associated with this text [i.e., "Eternal Father, strong to save"] is found in most hymnals of denominations where chant has played a role, including the Lutheran tradition, which has produced much organ music on this well-known chant. The setting here is by John B. Dykes (…

Go to tune page >


Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 1 of 1)

Hymns of the Christian Life #377

Include 15 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us