O Jesus Christ, within me grow

Of the many German/English combinations in our hymn-books (or in terms of nationality, Swiss/American), this has the distinction of being widely acknowledged as the best work of both the author and his translator. The prolific Johann C[K]aspar Lavater wrote O Jesus Christus, wachs in mir on New Year’s Day 1780, or so his Christliche Lieder seems to imply. It was published there in Zurich in that year, headed with John 3:30 and within the section on ‘Sanctification’. Elizabeth Lee Smith’s translation appeared anonymously 80 years later, in the British Messenger of 1 Nov 1860; it was reprinted in Schaff’s Christ in Song in 1870 over the name of ‘Mrs Dr Henry B Smith of New York’—see notes to 301. The hymn strikes such a universal Christian chord that it has been included in hymnals of most denominations and traditions since then, and in Britain, N America and Australia. Not all the original 10 stzs have survived, however; these 6 are those commonly chosen, though the selection and order often vary. The first line of the English version was ‘… grow thou in me’; 3.4, ‘I would be …’; 4.3, ‘I would thy living image be’; 6.2,4, ‘be thou … / more meet …’ Other books change 6.1 to ‘Make thoughts of self …’.

Joseph Barnby’s tune HOLY TRINITY, from a similar period to that of the words, is set to them in Hymns of Faith (1964), but surprisingly features in no other current books except Christian Worship (1976) which uses it for two other hymns. It is not among his 16 tunes which have featured in A&M. A variety of other tunes in use include [METZLER’S] REDHEAD 76 (no. 705) and the Scottish 17th-c CAITHNESS.

b Zurich, Switzerland 1741, d ?Zurich 1801. He studied theology at the Academic Gymnasium of Zurich (1758–59), and after further training in the Dept of Theology he was ordained to the Reformed Church in 1762. Becoming Pastor of St Peter’s Ch (the Orphanage Church) and a preacher growing in influence and popularity, he was ministering there when French dragoons invaded the city in 1799. He protested from the pulpit and in writing against the deportation of 10 leading citizens; he was himself arrested and imprisoned at Basel. Soon after returning 3 months later he was treacherously shot by a French grenadier, sustaining wounds from which he never fully recovered. In the following year, before the age of 60, he resigned his pastoral charge. He was known locally as a warm-hearted minister and friend. Among his many German writings were patriotic verses, 3 Bible-based epic-length poems, books on physiognomy, and some 700 hymns, many of which were published in Christliche Lieder in 1780. No.817.

b Pittsfield, Mass [?Dartmouth], USA 1817, d 1898. The daughter of Dr W Allen, president of Dartmouth Univ; in 1943 she married Dr H Boynton Smith, Prof at New York’s Union Theological Seminary. Some of her translations of French and German hymns were published in Christ in Song, compiled by Dr Philip Schaff (New York 1869, London 1870). Nos.301*, 817*.