The Work Is Thine

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The work is Thine we undertake

Author: Samuel Preiswerk ; Author (vs. 3): Felician Marton von Zaremba; Translator: Margaret Barclay (1951)
Tune: DIE SACH IST DEIN
Published in 2 hymnals

Representative Text

1 The work is yours, O Christ our Lord,
the cause for which we stand;
and being yours will overcome
its foes on every hand.
Yet grains of wheat, before thy grow,
are buried in the earth below;
all that is old will perish there
to form a life both new and fair:
so too are we from self and sin made free.

2 Through suff'ring thou, O Christ,
did go unto your throne above,
and you lead now the self-same way
those true in faith and love.
So lead us, then, though suff'rings wait,
to share your kingdom's heav'nly state,
your death has broken satan's might,
and leads the faithful to the light;
eternal light, from darkness into light.

3 For you, O Savior, lead the way
through agony and death;
O give, we pray, yet more and more
your Spirit's living breath!
Send messengers o'er land and sea
to bring your children all to thee;
your name can save, your name makes free;
we consecrate ourselves to thee
as servants true, as warriors brade and true.

Amen.

Source: Hymns for Praise and Worship #297

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Author: Samuel Preiswerk

Preiswerk, Samuel, son of Alexander Preiswerk, pastor at Rümlingen, in the canton of Basel, was born at Rümlingen, Sept. 19, 1799. After studying at the Universities of Basel, Tübingen, and Erlangen, he was for some time curate in charge at Benken, in the canton of Basel. In 1824 he was appointed preacher at the Basel Orphanage, and in 1829 tutor of Hebrew at the Basel mission house. In 1830 he was chosen as pastor of Muttenz, near Basel, but on the outbreak of the Revolution of 1832 had to leave. After being from 1834 to 1837 professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Oriental languages in the Evangelical Theological Institution at Geneva, he returned to Basel, where he was instituted, in 1843, as pastor of St. Leonard's church, and in 185… Go to person page >

Author (vs. 3): Felician Marton von Zaremba

Felician Martin von Zaremba was born in Zaroy bei Grodno, Poland (modern Hrodna in Belarus). He studied in Dorpat and Moscow. He gave up a diplomatic career after contacts with the Pietist movement and became a missionary with the Basel Mission and worked with August Heinrich Dittrich in the Caucusus in the 19th Century. Czar Alexander I was sympathetic to evangelical missions, but his successor Nicholas I ended the Caucusus mission by mandate in 1833. Zaremba worked, however, from 1822-1838 in the region, moving into Armenia. He founded an evangelical printing press and college in Armenia. He coined the expression: "The Orient can only be reached by the Orient." He moved twice back and forth between the Caucasus and Basel, working with… Go to person page >

Translator: Margaret Barclay

Date of birth verified by letter from The Pilgrim Press to Jean Woodward Steele, 4 January, 1967. DNAH Archives Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	The work is Thine we undertake
Title:	The Work Is Thine
German Title:	Die Sach ist dein, Herr Jesu Christ
Author:	Samuel Preiswerk
Author (vs. 3):	Felician Marton von Zaremba
Translator:	Margaret Barclay (1951)
Language:	English
Copyright:	Tr. from "Cantate Domino" © W. S. C. F.