Part 7 (2/2)
An A ”The Builder of Modern Denmark” And there are few phases of enius was so unique and his work so ht call hiious philosopher, a hy unity of thought and purpose in all his hich makes each part of itunity is his clear conception of the spiritual and ofwho can attain his fullest developh the widest possible realization of the spiritual in all his divine and hu, therefore, invariably seeks to discover the spiritual realities The e, of education, of government, of all human institutions and endeavors have no intrinsic value, are only skeletons and dead bones until they become imbued and vivified by the spirit Thus Professor Martensen, who by nothe , I cherish above all his conception of the spiritual as the reality besides which all other things are nothing but shadows, and of the spirit inspired word as the ave that totruth, a spiritual reality about which there could be not even a shadow of doubt”
Grundtvig found the spiritual in s, in the myth of the North, in history, literature and, in fact, in all things through which iven nature He had no patience with the Pietists who looked upon all things not directly religious as evils hich a Christian could have nothing to do Yet he believed above all in the Holy Spirit as the ”Spirit of spirits,” the true agent of God in the world The work of the Spirit was indispensable to enerated Christian life, the highest expression of the spiritual Since he believed furthermore, that the Holy Spirit works especially in the church through the word and sacraments, the church was to him the workshop of the Spirit
In his famous hymn to the church bell, his sy all noble voices none could co bell” Despite the many fields in which he traced the ihout his long life his real spiritual home, a fact which he beautifully expresses in the hymn below
Hallowed Church Bell, not for worldly centers Wast thou e small Where thy voice, as home and hearth it enters, Blends with lullabies at evenfall
When a child and in the country dwelling, Christel voices swelling, Told with joy of my Redeemer's birth
Louder still thy joyful chi borne, They proclaimed: Aith joy unbounded, Christ arose this blessed EasterWith the calh frorief and care aside
Hence when now the day is softly ending, Shadows fall and birds ascend their nest, Like the flowerswithO'er h, Say to the with his Lord on high
[11]The printed text is corrupt, but the correction is not obvious Norway and Finland ht have ”about as many” or ”about half as many”
Other Danish Hymnwriters
Chapter Seventeen
The Danish church has produced a large nuo, Brorson and Grundtvig, would have conition The present hymnal of the church contains contributions by about sixty Danish writers Though the majority of these are represented by only one or two hyo, Brorson and Grundtvig, peculiarly enough, had few imitators A sreat leaders, but they fornificant that it soon disappeared Thus even Kingo's great work inspired no hyo and Brorson added al to the hymnody of the church Contemporary with Brorson, however, a feriters appeared whose songs have survived to the present day Fore these is Ambrosius Stub, a unique and sympathetic writer whose work constitutes a distinct contribution to Danish poetry
Ambrosius Stub was born on the island of Fyn in 1705, the son of a village tailor Although extreed soen, but his poverty co his course For a nu a precarious living by teaching or bookkeeping at the estates of various nobles, always dogged by poverty and a sense of frustration Although he was gifted and aree and his continuous poverty prevented hi the position in life to which his ability apparently entitled hi his later years, he conducted a small school for boys at Ribe, a small city on the west coast of Jutland, where he died in abject poverty in 1758, only 53 years old
Stub's work re his lifetime, but a sained hireatest Danish poet of the 18th century Stub's style is extremely noble and expressive, devoid of the excessive bombast and sentimentality that many writers then mistook for poetry He was of a cheerful disposition with a hopeful outlook upon life that only occasionally is darkened by the hardshi+ps and disappointments of his own existence Even the poems of his darker moods are colored by his inborn love of beauty and his belief in the fundaious nature, and expressive of his war hardshi+ps and disappoint ht upon the spirit of its author
Undismayed by any fortune Life may have in store for me, This, whatever be race abide, Undismayed whate'er betide
Undismayed when others harry Mind and soul with anxious care; If the Lord with race abide, Undis, Quail before the evil day, On God's grace I arace abide, Undis, See the hour of death draw nigh With the victor's crown appearing, Why should I repine and sigh If I but in grace abide, Undismayed whate'er betide
Dearest Lord, if I race each day, I shall cherish Thy good pleasure, Be race abide, Undise of Rationalism discarded most of the old hyhly praised hyitte Boye, the wife of a forester, wrote a great number of hymns of which no less than 150 were included in a new hyh Guldberg Although excessively praised by the highest authorities of the period, Birgitte Boye's hy of perotten
The Evangelical revival about the middle of the 19th century restored the old hymns to their former favor, and produced besides, a nu these, Casper J Boye is, perhaps, the , Norway, in 1791, Boye entered the University of Copenhagen in 1820 where he first took up the study of law and then, of theology After graduating from this department, he became a teacher at a Latin school and soe Garrison Church in Copenhagen, where he reifted writer, both on secular and religious themes His numerous hys They arebut at times excessively literary style and a quiet spiritual fervor The following still is a favorite opening hyht is ended, And the day of rest ascended Upon church and countryside Like the day in brightness growing, Grace fro; Heaven's portals open wide
O what joy this day is bringing, When the chi el host rejoices And with gladsorace
Sin and death with fear and sorrow And the burden of toh my heart with care Unto all in tribulation Doth the Lord of our salvation On this day His peace declare
Be it hushed in soleuilt and shary heart is reaping Grace and peace in Jesus' narace unbounded, Who our wisdom hath confounded, Whom but faith can comprehend! In Thy love my soul reposes; Heaven's portal never closes Till before Thy throne we stand
Herer contee nuen in 1800, and was for er, a suburb of the capital city He died in 1866 His hymns appeared in a small volume of poes They are characterized by an easy literary style and an urgent spiritual appeal The following very popular hylish
Dost thou know the living fountain Whence the strearace doth flow? Dry the strearow From the very heart of God Flows its currents deep and broad, Unto every land and nation, Bringingwaters! Cried the prophets, do not shrink! God invites His sons and daughters: He that thirsteth coth to sin-sick hearts Why are ye then hesitating While the Lord with grace is waiting
With us is the day appointed, God has kept His gracious word He has come, the Lord's annointed; Men have seen the promised Lord Saints of God frorace, And, with joy that never ceases, Said: The Fount of Life is Jesus
Hasten then! Let all asse Come, ye souls that fear and trerace is here, Draw then to its fountain near Soon, ah soon! the day is over Quickly night the world may cover
Another contemporary of these writers, and perhaps theOldenburg was born at Copenhagen in 1805, son of the Royal Cha His mother died while he was still a boy, but his excellent fatherand a splendid education He graduated ”cuen in 1822, obtained the degree of Master of Arts during the following year, entered the departraduated from there three years later, also ”cum laude” In 1830 he accepted a call to become pastor of the parish of Otterup and Sorterup on the island of Fyn Here he won high praise for his conspicuously able and faithful work Together with the gifted Bishop P C Kirkegaard, he was editor for a number of years of the influential periodical ”Nordisk Tidsskrift for Kristelig Teologi,” and also of the outstanding foreign h these papers he exerted a powerful and always beneficent influence upon the churches of both Den and richly blest service was cut short by death in 1842 when he was only 37 years old He was carried to the grave to the strains of his own appealing hy's quite numerous hymns were printed from time to tihly lyrical style the firious fervor of his own consecrated life
The hyn mission convention shortly before his death
Deep and precious, Strong and gracious Is the word of God above, Gently calling Sinners falling, To the Savior's ariven: Jesus is the way to heaven
Blessed Savior, Wondrous favor Hast Thou shown our fallen race! Tirace With Thy word Thy grace abideth, And for all our needs provideth
By Thy h the Spirit Draw all sinners, Lord, to Thee Sin and error, Death and terror By Thy word shall vanquished be Guide us all through life's straight portal, Bear us into life i the foremost hymnwriter of this period was his close friend, Bernhard Severin Ingemann, one of Denmark's most popular and beloved writers He was born in 1789 in a parsonage on the island of Falster His father died in 1800 when the son was only 11 years old, and his else, an old city on the island of Sjaelland Having graduated froeen in the fall of the saen in 1807, he enrolled in the student's volunteer corps and fought honorably in defense of the city After graduating froranted free board and rooiu young students Here he devotedthe following three years, he published a large nuifted lyrical poet of a highly idealistic type As an encourageranted hin parts He visited Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy, and became acquainted with many famous literary leaders of that day, especially in Germany On his return from abroad in 1822 he was appointed a lector at the famous school at Soro on the island of Sjaelland In this char old city with its splendid cathedral and idyllic surroundings he spent the rereed so ith his own mild and seraphic nature He died in 1862
Inspired by Oehlenschlaeger and strongly encouraged by Grundtvig, Ingean the issuance of his famous historical novels, based upon episodes fro the 13th and 14th centuries To some extent the novels are modeled upon the similar works of Walter Scott but are written in a livelier style and lish prototype In later years their historical veracity has been gravely questioned Enjoying an ihly idealized pictures of the past didhad labored long to awaken After coain resue number of poems, fairy-tales and novels that further increased his already iees, it is, nevertheless, his hyest His first collection of hys, appeared in 1822 This collection was followed in 1825 by a volued and reprinted in 1843 The favorable reception of these hyemann to be selected to prepare the new church hyeneral satisfaction of all
Ingemann's hymns faithfully reflect his own serene and idealistic nature Their outstanding merits are a lioodness of life and its Author Of Kingo's realistic conception of evil or Grundtvig's hty vision of existence as a heroic battle between life and death, he has little understanding The world of his songs is as peaceful and idyllic as the quiet countryside around his beloved Soro If at times he tries to take the deeper note, his voice falters and becoh his hyely a failure, he has written imperishable hyoodness and love of God
The extreular emann's hylish translations fail on the whole to do justice The translation given below is perhaps one of the best It is the work of the Rev P C Paulsen
As wide as the skies is Thy mercy, O God; Thy faithfulness shi+eldeth creation Thy bounteous hand from the mountains abroad Is stretched over country and nation
Like heaven's eh Thy life-giving word, The cries of Thy children Thou hearest
How precious Thy goodness, O Father above, Where children of s of Thy love; We under their pinions are hiding
For languishi+ng souls Thou preparest a rest; The quivering dove Thou protectest; Thou givest us being, eternal and blest, Inhymn is also quite popular