342. Lord of light, whose name outshineth
Howell Elvet Lewis, 1860—
Based on the petition, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The hymn was written for the Congregational Hymnary (England), 1916. A note by the author explains his purpose in the hymn:
The hymn was written to declare that in doing God’s will, active co-operation is as much needed as humble resignation. Charlotte Elliott, in her hymn, “My God and Father, while I stray,” had expressed the latter thought beautifully. My hope was to supplement her hymn as best I could.
(Miss Elliott’s hymn is found at [No. 245]).
Howell Elvet Lewis, of Welsh birth, became an influential leader in English Congregationalism. He served as minister of the Welsh Tabernacle, King’s Cross, London, and was at one time chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. He is the author of a number of volumes of poems and biography.
MUSIC. HAST DU JESU RUF VERNOMMEN appears anonymously in the Gesangbuch mit Noten, set to a missionary hymn beginning with these words. By repeating the first four lines of the first stanza of the present hymn the refrain was made possible.
The tune was written by John R. Sweney, 1837-99, a native of West Chester, Penna., who received his degrees of Mus. Bac. and Mus. Doc. at the Pennsylvania Military Academy, Chester, Penna. Sweney was a skilled choir leader, violinist, and pianist. He collaborated with Wm. J. Kirkpatrick in the production and publishing of numerous gospel hymn tunes and hymnals. After the Civil War, he taught music in the school from which he received his degrees and became well known as a song-leader at summer religious assemblies, especially at Ocean Grove, N. J.