Today's carol is BPW 143, "Hark the glad sound the saviour comes"
The available video is either from the USA (so the "wrong" tune), very shaky amateur stuff or this organ only version of the music with a slightly nutty musical intro from the production company...
Given it's by Doddridge, it is public domain in its original form, so quoting the whole thing won't get me into too much trouble (the version in BPW has some modernisation to lyrics so copyright applies and not cited here)
Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
The Saviour promised long;
Let every heart prepare a throne,
And every voice a song.
He comes the prisoners to release,
In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes to clear the darkened mind,
To drive the night away,
And on the eyeballs of the blind
To pour celestial day.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of his grace
To enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, prince of peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heaven's eternal arches ring
With thy belovèd name.
Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)
The Saviour promised long;
Let every heart prepare a throne,
And every voice a song.
He comes the prisoners to release,
In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes to clear the darkened mind,
To drive the night away,
And on the eyeballs of the blind
To pour celestial day.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of his grace
To enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannas, prince of peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heaven's eternal arches ring
With thy belovèd name.
Philip Doddridge (1702-1751)
This week's sermon is now finally in a decent draft form and centres on Isaiah 40 (that's all I'm giving away for now) and this lovely Northamptonian carol by a pioneer of Congregationalism seems to me to echo some of what that chapter says (even though we won't be singing it!).
As this advent progresses, I am very mindful of how many people I know for whom 2014 has been heart-breaking in some way. Bereavement, illness, relationship breakdown, referendum results (though for others the opposite outcome would have been so), failure to achieve personal goals or aspirations... the list is endless. The saviour comes into all this sadness, regret, bewilderment and 'binds broken hearts' that's an important promise to remind ourselves of, and to offer to others who may need to hear it.
As this advent progresses, I am very mindful of how many people I know for whom 2014 has been heart-breaking in some way. Bereavement, illness, relationship breakdown, referendum results (though for others the opposite outcome would have been so), failure to achieve personal goals or aspirations... the list is endless. The saviour comes into all this sadness, regret, bewilderment and 'binds broken hearts' that's an important promise to remind ourselves of, and to offer to others who may need to hear it.