The Bread of Heaven

Top Text Author Text Info Timeline Page Scans Instances

When through the desert vast

Author: Joseph Hart
Published in 6 hymnals

Representative Text

1 When through the desert vast
The chosen tribes were led,
They could not plough, nor till, nor sow,
Yet never wanted bread.

2 Around their wandering camp,
The copious manna fell;
Strewed on the ground, a food they found,
But what they could not tell.

3 But better bread by far
Is now to Christians given;
Poor sinners eat immortal meat,
The Living Bread from heaven.

4 We eat the flesh of Christ,
Who is the Bread of God;
Their food was coarse compared with ours,
Though theirs was angels’ food.

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #446

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: Joseph Hart

Hart, Joseph, was born in London in 1712. His early life is involved in obscurity. His education was fairly good; and from the testimony of his brother-in-law, and successor in the ministry in Jewin Street, the Rev. John Hughes, "his civil calling was" for some time "that of a teacher of the learned languages." His early life, according to his own Experience which he prefaced to his Hymns, was a curious mixture of loose conduct, serious conviction of sin, and endeavours after amendment of life, and not until Whitsuntide, 1757, did he realize a permanent change, which was brought about mainly through his attending divine service at the Moravian Chapel, in Fetter Lane, London, and hearing a sermon on Rev. iii. 10. During the next two years ma… Go to person page >

^ top