278. Lord of our life, and God of our salvation
Philip Pusey, 1799-1855
Based on Matthäus von Löwenstern, 1594-1648
One of the “songs of the night,” the original of which was written out of the bitter experiences of the Thirty Years’ War in Germany. It tells of the peril to which the Reformed Church was then exposed but expresses confidence that the church, founded upon the Rock, will prevail against evil.
Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, son of a saddler, had musical and business ability which won him recognition and employment by the Duke of Münsterberg and the Emperors Ferdinand II and his son Ferdinand III. He wrote about 30 hymns and set them to melodies of his own composition. His hymn, named “Sapphic Ode. For Spiritual and Temporal Peace,” in 1644, is as follows:
Christe, du Beistand deiner Kreuzgemeine,
Eile, mit Hilf’ und Rettung uns erscheine;
Steure den Feinden, ihre Blutgerichte
Mache zunichte!
Streite doch selber für uns arme Kinder,
Wehre dem Teufel, seine Macht verhinder’;
Alles, was kämpfet wider deine Glieder,
Stürze danieder!
Frieden bei Kirch’ und Schulen uns beschere,
Frieden zugleich der Obrigkeit gewähre,
Frieden dem Herzen, Frieden dem Gewissen
Gib zu geniessen!
Also wird zeitlich deine Güt’ erhoben,
Also wird ewig und ohn’ Ende loben
Dich, o du Wächter deiner armen Herde,
Himmel und Erde.
The English version by Pusey is not a translation of the German but rather a free paraphrase. Philip Pusey, brother of Edward Pusey, the famous leader in the Oxford Movement, was educated at Oxford. After graduating he settled on his estate and devoted himself largely to agriculture. He wrote extensively on agricultural subjects and was one of the founders of the Royal Agriculture Society. Later he became a member of Parliament. He wrote this hymn to portray the state of the Church of England at the time, which he described as being “assailed from without, enfeebled and detracted from within, but on the eve of a great awakening.”
MUSIC. INTEGER VITAE. For comments on this tune see [Hymn 59].