Psalter Hymnal (Gray) ‎#371

371. Christ, the Life of All the Living

1 Christ, the life of all the living,
Christ, the death of death, our foe,
Christ, for us yourself once giving
to the darkest depths of woe:
through your suffering, death, and merit,
life eternal we inherit;

Refrain:
thousand, thousand thanks are due,
dearest Jesus, unto you.

2 You have suffered great affliction
and have borne it patiently,
even death by crucifixion:
our atonement full and free.
Lord, you chose to be tormented
that our doom should be prevented; Refrain

3 Lord, for all that bought our pardon,
for the sorrows deep and sore,
for the anguish in the garden,
we will thank you evermore.
For the victory of your dying
sinful nature mortifying Refrain

Text Information

• First Line: Christ, the life of all the living
• Title: Christ, the Life of All the Living
• Author: Ernst C. Homburg (1659)
• Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863, alt.)
• Refrain First Line: thousand, thousand thanks are due
• Meter: 87 87 88 with refrain
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1987
• Topic: Cross of Christ; Suffering of Christ; Lent; Thanksgiving & Gratitude

Tune Information

• Name: JESU, MEINES LEBENS LEBEN
• Meter: 87 87 88 with refrain
• Key: G Major

Text Information:

Ernst C. Homburg (b. Mihla, near Eisenach, Germany, 1605; d. Naumberg, Germany, 1681) wrote this German chorale text (“Jesu, meines Lebens Leben”), which was published in Part One of his Geistliche Lieder (1658). Homburg, who wrote most of his hymns for his own devotions, described his eight-stanza text as a "hymn of thanksgiving to his Redeemer and Savior for his bitter sufferings." In early life Homburg was a writer of love and drinking songs. After a difficult time of family illness he experienced a religious conversion, and his poetry took a more serious turn. A lawyer by profession, he wrote hymns to express and strengthen his own faith rather than for public use. Some 150 of his hymn texts were published in his Geistliche Lieder.

The translation of selected stanzas is by Catherine Winkworth (PHH 194), who published them in her Chorale Book for England (1863).

The text is a meditation on the suffering and death of Christ, which brought eternal life to believers (st. 1), provided full atonement for our sin (st. 2), and mortified our "old nature" (st. 3). The tone of unending gratitude to God reflected in the refrain line–"thousand, thousand thanks are due"–runs throughout the entire text.

Liturgical Use:
Lent, especially Holy Week; any worship service with a thanksgiving focus.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

The composer of the tune is unknown; it was first published in Das grosse Cantional: oder Kirchen-Gesangbuch (Darmstadt, 1687) to the text "Alle Menschen mussen sterben" by J. G. Albinus; some Baroque organ works are associated with that text. The tune became associated with Homburg's text since they were published together in Anhang, An das Gothaische Cantional (1776). The meditative tune is a good match for this text. It is in bar form (AAB) with a dotted pattern in each of the four lines, which provides rhythmic interest. Sing either in parts or in unison. Use a larger organ registration for the refrain. The tune is easily adapted for organ trio-style accompaniment (played on two manuals and pedal).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook