Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark. Aaberg Jens Christian

pastor appears to have remained at Malmø until his death, the date of which is unknown.

      Sthen’s fame as a poet and hymnwriter rests mainly on two thin volumes of poetry. A Small Handbook, Containing Diverse Prayers and Songs Together with Some Rules for Life, Composed in Verse, which appeared in 1578, and A Small Wander Book, published in 1591. The books contain both a number of translations and some original poems. In some of the latter Sthen readopts the style of the old folk songs with their free metre, native imagery and characteristic refrain. His most successful compositions in this style are his fine morning and evening hymns, one of which is given below.

      The gloomy night to morning yields,

      So brightly the day is breaking;

      The sun ascends over hills and fields,

      And birds are with song awaking.

      Lord, lend us Thy counsel and speed our days,

      The light of Thy grace surround us.

      Our grateful thanks to God ascend,

      Whose mercy guarded our slumber.

      May ever His peace our days attend

      And shield us from troubles somber.

      Lord, lend us Thy counsel and speed our days,

      The light of Thy grace surround us.

      Redeem us, Master, from death’s strong hand,

      Thy grace from sin us deliver;

      Enlighten us till with Thine we stand,

      And make us Thy servants ever.

      Lord, lend us Thy counsel and speed our days,

      The light of Thy grace surround us.

      Then shall with praise we seek repose

      When day unto night hath yielded,

      And safe in Thine arms our eyelids close

      To rest by Thy mercy shielded.

      Lord, lend us Thy counsel and speed our days,

      The light of Thy grace surround us.

      Sthen’s hymns all breathe a meek and lowly spirit. They express in the simplest words the faith, hope and fears of a humble, earnest Christian. The following still beloved hymn thus presents a vivid picture of the meek and prayerful spirit of its author.

      O Lord, my heart is turning

      To Thee with ceaseless yearning

      And praying for Thy grace.

      Thou art my sole reliance

      Against my foes’ defiance;

      Be Thou my stay in every place.

      I offer a confession

      Of my severe transgression;

      In me is nothing good.

      But, Lord, Thou wilt not leave me

      And, like the world, deceive me;

      Thou hast redeemed me with Thy blood.

      Blest Lord of Life most holy,

      Thou wilt the sinner lowly

      Not leave in sin and death;

      Thine anger wilt not sever

      The child from Thee forever

      That pleads with Thee for life and breath.

      O Holy Spirit, guide me!

      With wisdom true provide me;

      Help me my cross to bear.

      Uphold me in my calling

      And, when the night is falling,

      Grant me Thy heavenly home to share.

      Most widely known of all Sthen’s hymns is his beloved “Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior Blest”. In its unabbreviated form this hymn contains eight stanzas of which the initial letters spell the words: “Hans Anno”; and it has become known therefore as “Sthen’s Name Hymn”. The method of thus affixing one’s name to a song was frequently practiced by authors for the purpose of impressing people with their erudition. The meek and anxious spirit that pervades this hymn makes it unlikely, however, that Sthen would have employed his undoubted skill as a poet for such a purpose. The hymn is thought to have been written at Malmø at the time its author encountered his most severe trials there. And its intimate personal note makes it likely that he thus ineradicably affixed his name to his hymn in order to indicate its connection with his own faith and experience. “Sthen’s Name Hymn” thus should be placed among the numerous great hymns of the church that have been born out of the sorrows and travails of their authors’ believing but anxious hearts. The translation given below is from the abbreviated text now used in all Danish hymnals.

      Lord Jesus Christ,

      My Savior blest,

      My refuge and salvation,

      I trust in Thee,

      Abide with me,

      Thy word shall be

      My shield and consolation.

      I will confide,

      Whate’er betide,

      In Thy compassion tender.

      When grief and stress

      My heart oppress,

      Thou wilt redress

      And constant solace render.

      When grief befalls

      And woe appalls

      Thy loving care enfolds me.

      I have no fear

      When Thou art near,

      My Savior dear;

      Thy saving hand upholds me.

      Lord, I will be

      Alway with Thee

      Wherever Thou wilt have me.

      Do Thou control

      My heart and soul

      And make me whole;

      Thy grace alone can save me.

      Yea, help us, Lord,

      With one accord

      To love and serve Thee solely,

      That henceforth we

      May dwell with Thee

      Most happily

      And see Thy presence holy.

      With Sthen the fervid spirit of the Reformation period appears to have spent itself. The following century added nothing to Danish hymnody. Anders Chrestensen Arrebo, Bishop at Tronhjem, and an ardent lover and advocate of a richer cultivation of the Danish language and literature, published a versification of the Psalms of David and a few hymns in 1623. But the Danish church never became a psalm singing church, and his hymns have disappeared. Hans Thomisson’s hymnal continued to be printed with occasional additions of new material, most of which possessed no permanent value. But the old hymns entered into the very heart and spirit of the people and held their affection so firmly that even Kingo lost much of his popularity when he attempted to revise them and remove some of their worst poetical and linguistic defects. They were no longer imprinted merely on the pages of a book but in the very heart and affection of a nation.

      Thomas Kingo, the Easter Poet of Denmark

       Chapter Three

      Kingo’s Childhood and Youth

      Thomas Kingo, the first of the great Danish hymnwriters, grew forth as a root out of dry ground. There was nothing in the religious and secular life of the times to foreshadow the appearance of one of the great hymnwriters, not only of Denmark but of the world.

      The latter part of the 16th