Oh wouldst Thou in Thy glory come

Representative Text

Oh wouldst Thou in Thy glory come,
As Thou, Lord, hast foretold it!
I count the moment's weary sum
Until we may behold it;
With burning lamp, the Church, Thy Bride,
Is waiting for the holy tide
When Thou, Lord, wilt unfold it.

Yet I would leave it to thy choice,
The hour when we shall meet Thee!
Though Thou dost love that heart and voice
Should daily thus entreat Thee,
And henceforth all my course should be
Still looking on and up to Thee,
With heart prepared to greet Thee.

I joy that from Thy love divine
No power my soul can sever;
That I may dare to call Thee mine,
My Lord, my Friend, for ever!
That I, O Prince of Life, shall be
Made wholly one in heaven with Thee,
In life that endeth never.

And therefore do my thinks o'erflow
That one more year is ended,
And of this Time, so puor, so slow,
Another step ascended;
And with a heart that may not wait
I hasten towards the golden gate
Where long my hopes have tended.

And when the wearied hands give way,
And wearied knees are failing,
Then make Thy mighty arm my stay,
Though faith and hope seem quailing;
That so my heart drink in new strength,
And fear no more the journey's length,
O'er doubt and pain prevailing.

Then on, my soul, with fearless faith,
Let nought to terror move thee,
Nor list what earthly pleasure saith,
When she would lure and prove thee;
The eagles' wings of love and prayer
Will bear thee through life's toil and care
To Him who still doth love thee.



Source: Chorale Book for England, The #173

Author: August Hermann Franke

Francke, August Hermann, son of Johann Francke, a lawyer in Lubeck, was born at Lubeck, March 22, 1663. He studied at the Universities of Erfurt, Kiel, and Leipzig, graduated M.A. at Leipzig, 1685, and thereafter lectured on Biblical subjects at Leipzig for some time. About Michaelmas, 1687, he went to Lüneburg to work under the pious superintendent C. H. Sandhagen; and there while composing his first sermon (on St. John xx. 31) he underwent that change which made him call Lüneburg his spiritual birthplace. After spending the greater part of 1688 at Hamburg, he stayed two months with P. J. Spener at Dresden, and then returned about Lent, 1689, to Leipzig, where he resumed his Biblical lectures until the old orthodox party procured an edic… Go to person page >

Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Oh wouldst Thou in Thy glory come
German Title: Gottlob, ein Schritt zur Ewigkeit
Author: August Hermann Franke (1691)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Language: English

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The Cyber Hymnal #11650
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The Cyber Hymnal #11650

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