THEIR .AUTHORS AND ORIGIN. 35
many who taught their sons Gerhard s hymns ; and the genius of the young poet was at once punned and nourished by these spiri tual effusions, of which he became very fond.
" Jesus, Thy boundless love to me." No. 3(53. " Jesu Christ, mein schonstes Licht."
John Wesley s translation (1739) is given. The original consists of sixteen stanzas.
" sacred head, once wounded." No. 374. " haupt voll blut und wunden."
The German original consists of ten stanzas. This was first published in 1G59. It is an imitation of a Latin hymn, " Salve, caput crucntatum," by Bernard of Clairvaux, who lived in the twelfth century. The translation given in the New Congregational is that of James W. Alexander, 1849, altered. Several instances are on record of the comfort this hymn has been to Christians in death ; especially interesting is the case of the missionary Swartz, whom the native Christians in India comforted by singing this hymn in their own Tamil, into which it had been translated.
" Holy Lamb, who Thee receive." No. 572.
This hymn is erroneously attributed to Gerhard. It is by Anna Dober (1735), vide under her name.
" Give to the winds thy fears." No., 606.
This is John Wesley s translation (1739) of part of Gerhard s most popular hymn
" Commit thou all thy griefs
And ways into His hands."
" Befiehl du deine Wege, &c."
It is said to have been written at the time when, owing to his views differing from those of the king, he was ordered to quit the country. He went, in reduced circumstances, with his wife on foot. One night, on seeking a refuge in a village inn, his wife, affected by their altered condition, burst into tears. Then the
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