eHymns.org

Born: November 25, 1697, Moers, Niederrhein, Germany.

Died: April 3, 1769, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

Buried: Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

Though the name is almost universally shown as the Germanized “Tersteegen,” his real name was Dutch: Gerrit ter Steegen. His father abandoned his mother, and Gerhard grew up in poverty. He wanted to study theology, but could not afford an education, so he went into commerce instead; he first worked in Mülheim an der Ruhr (next to Moers and Duisburg, in the Ruhr area). But Gerhard preferred the solitary life, so he gave up his sales job and worked as a weaver, knitting ribbons, studying at home in cloister-like asceticism, and reading theological books. He became an outstanding lay theologian, lay pastor, and mystic of the Protestant Pietism movement. From 1728 on, he was an itinerant preacher in the Protestant Erweckungsbewegung (“spiritual awakening movement”) in the Niederrhein region, and hosted home worship and prayer meetings.

Tersteegen was one of the two most famous 18th Century German hymn writers (the other being Joachim Neander). Beginning in 1729, he edited his famous book Geistliches Blumengärtlein inniger Seelen (Spiritual Flower Garden for Ardent Souls), a collection of hymns, spiritual lyrics and epigrams.

Sources

* Erickson, pp. 407-8
* Julian, pp. 1142-5
* Stulken, p. 324

Hymns

1. Ach Gott, es taugt doch draussen nicht
* Ah God! The World Has Nought to Please
2. Ach, könnt ich stille stein
* Ah, Could I But Be Still
* Oh! Could I But Be Still
3. Allgenugsam Wesen
* All-Sufficient Being
* Thou All-Sufficient One! Who Art
* Thou, Whose Love Unshaken
4. Bald endet sich mein Pilgerweg
* Weary Heart, Be Not Desponding
5. Berufne Seelen! Schlafet nicht
* Ye Sleeping Souls, Awake from Dreams of Carnal Ease
* Sleep Not, O Soul by God Awakened
6. Das ässre Sonnenlicht ist da
* Outer Sunlight Now Is There, The
* World’s Bright Sun Is Risen on High, The
7. Das Kreuz ist dennoch gut
* Cross Is Ever Good, The
8. Die Blümlein klein und gross in meines Herren Garten
* Flowers That in Jesu’s Garden Have a Place
* Full Many Flowers, in My Lord’s Garden Blooming
9. Die Liebe will was ganzes haben
* Love Doth the Whole–Not Part–Desire
10. Du schönstes Gotteskind
* Thou Fairest Child Divine
11. Freue dich, du Kinder-Orden
* Children Rejoice, for God Is Come to Earth
* Little Children, God Above
12. Für dich sei ganz mein Herz und Leben
* Constrain’d by Love So Warm and Tender
* My Soul Adores the Might of Loving
13. Gott ist gegenwärtig
* God Himself Is with Us
* God Reveals His Presence
* Lo, God Is Here!
14. Gott rufet noch, sollt ich nicht endlich hören
* God Calling Yet
15. Grosser Gott, in dem ich schwebe
* God, in Whom I Have My Being
16. Jauchzet ihr Himmel! frohlocket ihr englische Chören
* Triumph, Ye Heavens! Rejoice Ye with High Adoration
17. Jedes Herz will etwas lieben
* Heart of Man Must Something Love, The
* Something Every Heart Is Loving
18. Jesu, Den Ich Meine
* Jesus, Whom I Long For
19. Jesu, der du bist alleine
* Jesus, Whom Thy Church Doth Own
20. Jesu, mein Erbarmer! h&oum;re
* Jesus, Pitying Savior, Hear Me
21. Nun so will ich denn mein Leben
* Lo! My Choice Is Now Decided
* Now at Last I End the Strife
22. Jesus-Nam, du höchster Name
* Jesu’s Name, Thou Highest Name
23. Liebwerther, süsser Gottes-Wille
* Thou Sweet Beloved Will of God
* O Will of God, All Sweet and Perfect
24. Mein ganzer Sinn
* My Whole Desire Doth Deeply Turn Away
25. Mein Gott, mein Gott, mein wahres Leben
* My God, My God, My Life Divine!
26. Mein Herz, ein Eisen grob und alt
* A Rough and Shapeless Block of Iron Is My Heart
27. Mein’n Augenblick
* Each Moment I Turn Me
28. Nun lobet alle Gottes Sohn
* Give Glory to the Son of God
29. O Jesu, König, hoch zu ehren
* O Jesus, Lord of Majesty
30. O liebe Seele! könnst du werden
* Dear Soul, Couldst Thou Become a Child
* Soul! Couldst Thou, While on Earth Remaining
* Wouldst Thou, My Soul, the Secret Find
31. Siegesfürste, Ehrnkönig
* Conquering Prince and Lord of Glory
32. So gehts von Schritt zu Schritt
* Thus, Step by Step, My Journey to the Infinite
33. So ist denn doch nun abermal ein Jahr
* Thus, When Another Year of Pilgrim-Life
34. Sollt ich nicht gelassen sein
* Should I Not Be Meek and Still
35. Verborgne Gottesliebe du
* Thou Hidden Love of God
36. Von allen Dingen ab
* From All Created Things
37. Wie bist du mir so innig gut
* How Gracious, Kind, and Good, My Great High Priest Art Thou
38. Wie gut ists, wenn man abgespehnt
* How Sweet It Is, When, Wean’d from All
39. Wiederum ein Augenblick
* Of My Time One Minute More
* One More Flying Moment
40. Willkomm’n, verklärter Gottes Sohn
* Glorious Head, Thou Livest Now

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/t/e/tersteegen_g.html

Born: August 10, 1556 - Mengeringhausen (near Arolsen), Hessen, Germany
Died: October 26, 1608 - Hamburg, Germany

Philipp Nicolai was the son of a Lutheran pastor. He studied theology at the universities of Erfurt and Wittenberg, 1575-1579, and became a pastor himself. It was a time of religious wars in Europe, and several times he had to flee or go into hiding and minister to his congregations secretly in house meetings. He was a theological writer, defending Lutheran theology chiefly against Calvinistic opponents. He also preached with great power and effectiveness. In 1588 he became pastor at Altwildungen, in 1596 he became pastor at Unna in Westphalia, and in 1601 pastor in Hamburg. But he is remembered today for writing two hymns.

While he was pastor in Westphalia, the plague took 1300 of his parishioners, mostly in the latter half of 1597, 170 in one week. To comfort his parishioners, he wrote a series of meditations which he called Freudenspiegel (Mirror of Joy), and to this he appended two hymns, both of which have become world-famous.

The first hymn was, "Wake, awake, for night is flying" (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme). It uses the image of the watchman on a city wall (Isaiah 52:8), and of the Parable of the Bridesmaids welcoming the Bridegroom to the Marriage Feast (Matthew 25:1-13), and of the Song of Triumph in Heaven (Revelation 19:6-9). It is a favorite Advent hymn.

The second hymn was, "How bright appears the morning star" (Wie schoen leuchtet der Morgenstern). This also, with a wealth of imagery, hails Christ as our deliverer, and celebrates his triumph. It has become a favorite wedding hymn, but is also sung for Advent, for Christmas, for Epiphany, and and as a general hymn of praise.

Nicolai wrote both the words and the tunes, but the arrangements we know are due to Bach. The earliest English translations are those of Catherine Winkworth, but there have been many translations since, some of them (especially for the second hymn) content to reproduce the general spirit of the original words rather than their specific meaning. In addition, several hymn-writers have set their own words (in various languages) to one of Nicolai's tunes. If pure quality, without respect to quantity, were our criterion, Nicolai would have to be ranked as history's greatest chorale-writer, and one of its greatest hymn-writers.


Links to other Sites:
German Hymn-writers of the 1600’s (James Kiefer's Christian Biographies) - http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/10/24.html

Philipp Nicolai (Cyber Hymnal) - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/n/i/nicolai_p.htm

Philip Nicolai (CCEL) - http://www.ccel.org/w/winkworth/singers/htm/nicolai.htm

Source: http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Nicolai.html


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Born: August 10, 1556, Mengeringhausen (near Arolsen), Hessen, Germany.

Died: October 26, 1608, Hamburg, Germany.

Buried: Katharinenkirche, Hamburg, Germany. Sadly, the church was almost destroyed in World War II, though it was restored in the 1950’s.

Son of a Lutheran clergyman, Nicolai studied theology at the Universities of Erfurt and Wittenberg from about 1575 to 1579. He then became pastor in Herdecke an der Ruhr, but was driven out by Spanish Counter-Reformation mercenary troops during the religious war. He moved to Köln (Cologne), a thoroughly Catholic city, and was a preacher of the Lutheran congregations, who at that time met secretly in houses.

In 1588, Nicolai became Hofprediger (Court Preacher) and teacher of the Count of Waldeck in Wildungen, Hessen. In 1596, he became a pastor in Unna, Westphalia. During his Unna years, plague killed hundreds of his parishioners. For consolation, Nicolai wrote his book Freudenspiegel des ewigen Lebens (Joyous Mirror of Eternal Life), edited in 1599. His two most famous hymns were published in that work.

In 1601, Nicolai became pastor at Katharinenkirche (St. Katherine’s Church) in Hamburg, where he served the rest of his life.

Sources

* Frost, p. 684
* Julian, pp. 415, 805, 1010
* Stulken, p. 131

Hymns

1. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
* Sleepers, Wake! The Watch Cry Pealeth
* Wake, Awake, the Night Is Flying
* Wake, O Wake! with Tidings Thrilling
2. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern
* How Bright Appears the Morning Star
* How Lovely Shines the Morning Star
* O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright

Music

1. Wachet Auf
* Sleepers, Wake
2. Wie Schön Leuchtet

Source: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/n/i/nicolai_p.htm

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Philipp Nicolai was born in 1556 in Germany, son of a Lutheran pastor. He studied theology at the universities of Erfurt and Wittenberg, 1575-1579, and became a pastor himself. It was a time of religious wars in Europe, and several times he had to flee or go into hiding and minister to his congregations secretly in house meetings. He was a theological writer, defending Lutheran theology chiefly against Calvinistic opponents. He also preached with great power and effectiveness. In 1588 he became pastor at Altwildungen, in 1596 he became pastor at Unna in Westphalia, and in 1601 pastor in Hamburg. But he is remembered today for writing two hymns.

While he was pastor in Westphalia, the plague took 1300 of his parishioners, mostly in the latter half of 1597, 170 in one week. To comfort his parishioners, he wrote a series of meditations which he called Freudenspiegel (Mirror of Joy), and to this he appended two hymns, both of which have become world-famous.

The first hymn was, "Wake, awake, for night is flying" (Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme). It uses the image of the watchman on a city wall (Isaiah 52:8), and of the Parable of the Bridesmaids welcoming the Bridegroom to the Marriage Feast (Matthew 25:1-13), and of the Song of Triumph in Heaven (Revelation 19:6-9). It is a favorite Advent hymn.

The second hymn was, "How bright appears the morning star" (Wie schoen leuchtet der Morgenstern). This also, with a wealth of imagery, hails Christ as our deliverer, and celebrates his triumph. It has become a favorite wedding hymn, but is also sung for Advent, for Christmas, for Epiphany, and and as a general hymn of praise.

Nicolai wrote both the words and the tunes, but the arrangements we know are due to Bach. The earliest English translations are those of Catherine Winkworth, but there have been many translations since, some of them (especially for the second hymn) content to reproduce the general spirit of the original words rather than their specific meaning. In addition, several hymnwriters have set their own words (in various languages) to one of Nicolai's tunes. If pure quality, without respect to quantity, were our criterion, Nicolai would have to be ranked as history's greatest chorale-writer, and one of its greatest hymn-writers.

Nicolai died 26 October 1608 after a brief (four-day) illness.

Source: http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/10/24.html

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