Above: Walter Chalmers Smith
Image in the Public Domain
Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) was a prominent minister in the Free Church of Scotland (through the merger of 1900) then in the United Free Church of Scotland.
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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/immortal-invisible-god-only-wise/
One Thing I of the Lord Desire:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/one-thing-i-of-the-lord-desire/
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Above: Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville, Georgia, July 7, 2018
Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
Text (1887) by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)
Hymn Source = The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927), of various Presbyterian denominations
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One thing I of the Lord desire,–
For all my way hath miry been–
Be it by water for by fire,
O make me clean!
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If clearer vision Thou impart,
Grateful and glad my soul shall be;
But yet to have a purer heart
Is more to me.
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Yea, only as the heart is clean
May larger vision yet be mine,
For mirrored in its depths are seen
The things divine.
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I watch to shun the miry way,
And stanch the spring of guilty thought;
But, watch and wrestle as I may,
Pure I am not.
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O wash Thou me without, within,
Or purge with fire, if that must be,–
No matter how, if only sin
Die out in me.
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Above: Clouds on the Horizon
Photographer = William Henry Jackson (1843-1942)
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-det-4a16709
Text (1867; subsequently modified) by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)
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Walter Chalmers Smith altered his text. As best as I can determine, the original six-stanza version of the hymn was as follows:
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
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Unresting, unhasting, silent as light,
Nor striving, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains soaring above
Thy clouds which are are fountains of goodness and love.
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All live thou givest–to both great and small;
In all life livest, true life of all;
Thy blossom and flourish only are we,
To wither and perish–but nought changeth thee.
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Today and tomorrow with Thee still are now;
Nor trouble, nor sorrow, nor care, Lord, hast thou;
Nor passion doth fever, nor age can decay,
The same God for ever as on yesterday.
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Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
But of all Thy good graces this grace, Lord, impart–
Take the veil from our faces, the veil from our heart.
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All laud we would render; O help us to see,
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee;
And now let Thy glory to our gaze unroll
Through Christ in the story, and Christ in the soul.
Sources:
The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927), The Church of Scotland, The United Free Church of Scotland, The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, The Presbyterian Church of England, The Presbyterian Church of Wales, The Presbyterian Church of Australia, The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and The Presbyterian Church of South Africa
Moffatt, James, ed. Handbook to The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927)
Stulken, Mary Kay, and Catherine Salika. Hymnal Companion to Worship–Third Edition (1998), Roman Catholic Church
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Since The English Hymnal (1906), however, the standard version has been four stanzas long. This has resulted from various minor changes, the omission of the original fourth stanza, the omission of the second halves of the original fifth and sixth stanzas, and the creation of a new fourth stanza from the first halves of the original fifth and sixth stanzas.
I have italicized changes from the version above.
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Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light accessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, Victorious, Thy great name we praise.
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Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
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To all life Thou givest–to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish–but nought changeth Thee.
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Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light,
Thine Angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render; O help us to see
‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.
Other Sources:
Moffatt, James, ed. Handbook to The Church Hymnary–Revised Edition (1927)
Young, Carlton R. Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal (1993)
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Above: Philipp Nicolai
Image in the Public Domain
Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) was a German Lutheran minister and hymn writer.
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How Bright Appears the Morning Star:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/how-bright-appears-the-morning-star/
Wake, O Wake! With Tidings Thrilling:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/wake-o-wake-with-tidings-thrilling/
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Above: Trinity College, Cambridge University, England, Between 1890 and 1900
Image Source = Library of Congress
Creator and Copyright Claimant = Detroit Publishing Company
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-ppmsc-08091
Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935), often listed as F. Crawford Burkitt or F. C. Burkitt, was the Norrisian Professor of Divinity at Cambridge University from 1905 to 1935.
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Receive, O Lord, in Heaven Above:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/receive-o-lord-in-heaven-above/
Wake, O Wake! With Tidings Thrilling:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/wake-o-wake-with-tidings-thrilling/
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Above: Icon of the Apocalypse of Saint John
Image in the Public Domain
Original German Text by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608)
English Translation by Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935)
Hymn Source = The English Hymnal (1906), The Church of England
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Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling
The watchman all the air are filling,
Arise, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight strikes! no more delaying,
“The hour has come!” we hear them saying.
Where are ye all, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes in sight,
Raise high your torches bright! Alleluya!
The wedding song
Swells loud and strong:
Go forth and join the festal throng.
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Sion hears the watchmen shouting
Her heart leaps up with joy undoubting,
She stands and waits with eager eyes;
see her Friend from heaven descending,
Adorned with truth and grace unending!
Her light burns clear, her star doth rise.
Now come, thou precious Crown,
Lord Jesu, God’s own Son! Hosanna!
Let us prepare
To follow there,
Where in thy supper we may share.
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Every soul in thee rejoices;
From men and from angelic voices
Be glory given to thee alone!
Now the gates of pearl receive us,
Thy presence never more shall leave us,
We stand with Angels round thy throne.
Earth cannot give below
The bliss thou dost bestow. Alleluia!
Grant us to raise
To length of days,
The triumph-chorus of thy praise.
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Above: R. B. Y. Scott
Image Source = Archives of The United Church of Canada; accessed at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/s/c/o/t/scott_rby.htm
Robert Balgarnie Young Scott (1899-1987) was a minister in The United Church of Canada and a renowned Biblical scholar and academic.
I have scheduled him for addition (in 2019, most likely) to my Ecumenical Calendar of Saints’ Days and Holy Days at SUNDRY THOUGHTS, another one of my weblogs, which links to this one.
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O Day of God, Draw Nigh:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/06/17/o-day-of-god-draw-nigh/
Eternal, Unchanging, We Sing to Thy Praise:
https://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2018/06/17/eternal-unchanging-we-sing-to-thy-praise/
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