Scripture Verse

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1–2

Introduction

portrait
Tobias Clausnitzer (1619–1684)

Words: Verses 1–3, To­bi­as Claus­nit­zer, in Alt­dorf­fisch­es Ge­sang-Büch­lein, 1663 (Lieb­ster Je­su wir sind hier). Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca, 1858. Verse 4, un­known au­thor.

Music: Lieb­ster Je­su Jo­hann R. Ah­le, 1664 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Ahle (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
Catherine Winkworth (1827–1878)

Lyrics

Blessèd Je­sus, at Thy Word
We are ga­thered all to hear Thee;
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear Thee,
By Thy teach­ings sweet and ho­ly,
Drawn from earth to love Thee sole­ly.

All our know­ledge, sense and sight
Lie in deep­est dark­ness shroud­ed,
Til Thy Spi­rit breaks our night
With the beams of truth un­cloud­ed.
Thou alone to God canst win us;
Thou must work all good with­in us.

Glorious Lord, Thy­self im­part!
Light of light, from God pro­ceed­ing,
Open Thou our ears and heart;
Help us by Thy Spi­rit’s plead­ing;
Hear the cry Thy peo­ple rais­es;
Hear and bless our pray­ers and prais­es.

Father, Son, and Ho­ly Ghost,
Praise to Thee and ado­ra­tion!
Grant that we Thy Word may trust
And ob­tain true con­so­la­tion
While we here be­low must wan­der,
Till we sing Thy prais­es yon­der.