Scripture Verse

There remaineth…a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:9–10

Introduction

portrait
Victor von Strauß und Torney
(1809–1899)

Words: Vic­tor von Strauß und Tor­ney, Lied­er aus der Ge­meine für das Christ­liche Kirch­en­jahr (Ham­burg, Ger­ma­ny: F. Per­thes, 1843), page 126 (Nun gingst auch du zur Sab­baths­ruh). Trans­la­ted from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca (Lon­don & New York: George Newnes & Charles Scrib­ner’s Sons, 1855), pag­es 228–29, and in her Chor­ale Book for Eng­land, 1863, num­ber 56.

Music: Gre­gor’s 45th Metre (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Catherine Winkworth
(1827–1878)

Lyrics

Thou sore op­pressed, the Sab­bath rest
In yon still grave art keep­ing!
All Thy la­bor now is done,
Past is all Thy weep­ing!

The strife is o’er, naught hurts Thee more:
The heart at last has slum­bered
That in con­flict sore for us
Bore our sins un­numbered.

Thou aw­ful tomb, once filled with gloom!
How bless­èd and how ho­ly
Art thou now, since in the grave
Slept the Sav­ior lowly!

How calm and blest the dead now rest
Who in the Lord de­part­ed!
All their works do fol­low them,
Yea, they sleep glad-heart­ed.

O lead us Thou to rest e’en now
With all who sore­ly an­guished
’Neath the bur­den of their sins,
Long in woe have lan­guished.

O bless­èd Rock, soon grant Thy flock
To see Thy Sab­bath morn­ing!
Strife and pain will all be past
When that day is dawn­ing.