The race that long in darkness pined

Full Text

The race that long in darkness pined,
have seen a glorious light;
The people dwell in day, who dwelt
in death’s surrounding night.

To hail thy rise, thou better Sun!
the gath’ring nations came,
Joyous, as when the reapers bear
the harvest treasures home.

For thou our burden hast remov’d,
and quelled th’ oppressor’s sway,
Quick as the slaughtered squadrons fell
in Midian’s evil day.

To us a Child of hope is barn;
to us a Son is giv’n;
Him shall the tribes of earth obey,
him all the hosts of heav’n.

His name shall be the Prince of Peace,
for evermore adored,
The Wonderful, the Counsellor,
the great and mighty Lord.

His pow’r increasing still shall spread,
his reign no end shall know;
Justice shall guard his throne above,
and peace abound below.

Scottish Psalter and Paraphrases, 1650

Author: John Morrison

Morison (sic), John, D.D., was born in Aberdeenshire in 1749. He studied at the University of Aberdeen (King's College), where he graduated M.A. in 1771. In 1780 he became parish minister of Canisbay, Caithness. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1792. He died at Canisbay, June 12, 1798. He was one of the members added on May 26, 1781, to the Committee appointed by the General Assembly of 1775 to revise the Translations and Paraphrases of 1745. To him are ascribed Nos. 19, 21, 29, 30 and 35, in the 1781 collection, and he is said to have been joint author with John Logan of Nos. 27 and 28. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)  Go to person page >

Notes

The race that long in darkness pined. J. Morison. [Epiphany.] This fine hymn appeared as No. 19 in the Draft Scottish Translations and Paraphrases, 1781, as a version of Isaiah ix. 2-8.
The revised text of 1781 is included in full and unaltered as No. 35 in Lord Selborne's Book of Praise Hymnal, 1868, and slightly altered as No. 47 in the American Episcopal Collection, 1826, and as No. 80 in the Anglican Hymn Book, 1871. Omitting stanzas iii. it has been included in the American Baptist Psalmist, 1843, Kennedy, 1863, the Baptist Hymnal, 1879, and other collections. It is also found in the following forms:—
1. The race which long in darkness pined. Pratt's Collection, 1829; Liverpool Collection, 1841.
2. The race that long in darkness lay. Urwick's Collection, 1829.
3. The race that long in darkness walk'd. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Hymns, 1852; Common Praise, 1819, &c.
4. The people that in darkness sat. A greatly altered version by the compilers of Hymns Ancient & Modern, 1861, (No. 61, with an added doxology). This has been included in Barry's Hymnal, 1867, and in the Hymnary, 1812. In America it has appeared in the Evangelical Hymnal, New York, 1880.
5. The race that long in darkness sat. Thring's Collection 1882, No. 146, the revised text of 1781 slightly altered and a doxology by Mr. Thring added; with stanzas ii. 1. 3, stanzas iii., and stanzas iv. 1. 1 as in Hymns Ancient & Modern.
6. To hail thy rising, Sun of life. American Protestant Episcopal Hymnal, 1871, No. 27, beginning with stanzas ii. altered.
7. To us a Child of hope is born. Stanzas iv.-vi. included in England in Curwen's and various other children's hymn-books, and in America in the Andover Sabbath Hymn Book 1858 ; Robinson's Songs for the Sanctuary, 1865; Dutch Reformed Hymn Book, 1869; Baptist Praise Book 1871, and various others.
8. Lo! unto us a child is born. Stanzas iv., v. altered in Mercer's Church Psalter & Hymn Book, Ox. edition, 1864, No. 417.
The text should also be compared with Watts's Hymns, 1709, Bk. 1, No. 13, "The lands that long in darkness lay;" and "The people that in darkness walk'd," in Miss Leeson's Paraphrases & Hymns for Congregational Singing, 1853, No. 45. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

--Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

DUNFERMLINE

DUNFERMLINE is one of the "common" tunes from Andro Hart's psalter The CL Psalms of David, Edinburgh (l615)–a "common" tune was one that was not matched with a specific text in a songbook. Millar Patrick, author of Four Centuries of Scottish Psalmody (London, 1949) and The Story of the Church's So…

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PISGAH


ST. LEONARD (Smart)


Timeline

Instances

Instances (6)TextImageAudioScore
Church Hymnary, Fourth Edition #290bText
Church Hymnary, Fourth Edition #290aText
Complete Anglican Hymns Old & New #670
Hymns Old and New: New Anglican #491
Rejoice in the Lord #167Text
Voices United: The Hymn and Worship Book of The United Church of Canada #879Text