Page:The Methodist Hymn-Book Illustrated.djvu/277

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THE STORY OF THE HYMNS AND THEIR WRITERS 265

Des Schiffleins der Gemein : Ich geb dir Ilerz und Hiinde Dass Ich bis an mein Endc Will deine treue Seek, seyn.

Anna Nitschmann was the daughter of a cartwright, and was born near Fulneck, Moravia, in 1715. The family moved to Herrnhut when she was ten. She became companion to Zinzendorf s daughter, with whom she came to England in 1737. She went to Pennsylvania with her father in 1740, and next year joined Zinzendorf and his daughter in work among the Indians. She married the Count in 1757, a year after the death of his first wife. He died on May 5, 1760, and she followed him on May 21 at Herrnhut. Her brother Johann (1712-83) became a Moravian bishop in 1758, superintended the work in England and Ireland, and died at the new settle ment on the Volga, of which he had charge.

Hymn 420. My Father, my God, I long" for Thy love.

CHARLES WESLEY (i).

Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1742; Works, ii. 178. A Thanksgiving.

Two verses are omitted.

Hymn 421. Thee will I love, my strength, my tower.

JOHANN SCHEFFLER (36); translated by JOHN WESLEY (36).

1 Ich will dich lichen, meine Stiirkc is from Schefller s Hdlige Seelenlust, Book I., 1657.

Wesley s fine translation appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems, ! 739> headed Gratitude for our Conversion ; Works, \. 176.

The last two lines of ver. 6, That all my powers, are, by a stroke of genius, taken from Ken (900, ver. 7). The original

Lass meinen Geist, Sinn und Verstand Nur seyn dir zugewandt,

could not be more happily represented. In ver. I, My works was changed to Thy after Wesley s death.

Richard Cobden repeated the first verse of this hymn with his last breath, Thee will I love, my strength, my tower.

SchefHer has Augustine s Confessions in view, especially

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