508 Lo, God Is Here! Let Us Adore
Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769
Tr. John Wesley, 1703-91
The most widely used of Tersteegen’s hymns. The German version and another translation are found at No. 506.
For comments on Tersteegen see Hymn 506.
The present translation was made by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. For comments on Wesley see Hymn 170.
MUSIC. MACH’S MIT MIR GOTT, also called “Schein,” and “Eisenach,” was composed by J. H. Schein, 1586-1630, for the hymn “Mach’s mit mir Gott.” Schein was the son of a Lutheran pastor and became one of the most distinguished musicians of his time. For a number of years he held the honored position of cantor of St. Thomas’ Church and School in Leipzig, and composed many hymn tunes. He is best known by the great hymn book he edited for the Lutheran Church, Cantional, oder Gesangbuch Augsburgischer Confession, Leipzig, 1627.
The present form of the melody is an adaptation of the original and is the one used by J. S. Bach in his St. John’s Passion. “The tune is not one of the ’grand’ chorales, but retains, even in its later version, a suave, song-like character.”