The Heavenly Courtier (Jeremiah Ingalls)

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• (Posted 2017-10-15)  CPDL #46801:       

Editor: Barry Johnston (submitted 2017-10-15).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 69 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Oval note edition, as written in 1805. All twelve stanzas included, as in Ingalls 1805.

• (Posted 2017-10-15)  CPDL #46800:   

Editor: Barry Johnston (submitted 2017-10-15).   Score information: 7 x 10 inches (landscape), 1 page, 45 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Note shapes added (4-shape). All twelve stanzas included, as in Ingalls 1805.

General Information

Title: The Heavenly Courtier
First Line: Let Christ the glorious lover
Composer: Jeremiah Ingalls
Lyricist: Anonymous

Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: STB
Genre: Sacred   Meter: 76. 76. D

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1805 in Ingalls' The Christian Harmony, pp. 155-157, for three voices: Treble-Tenor-Bass. Resembles an old Irish folk tune (Jackson 1953b, no. 325)
Description: Words by an unknown author, apparently first published 1694, with twelve stanzas. For the same tune with different words, see Happy Retribution.

Original text and translations

English text 1. Let Christ the glorious lover Have everlasting praise; He comes for to discover The riches of his grace; He comes to wretched sinners, To woo himself a bride; Resolving for to win her, And will not be denied. 2. Unwilling she discovers Herself for to deny, To call away her pleasures And lay her honors by; To part with every notion That puffs her up with pride, And take him for her portion, And be his loving bride. 3. Behold my matchless fullness! Arise and let me in; How can you be so cruel To bar your heart with sin? If calls and invitation, Will not excite your love, Prepare for condemnation, For I will not remove.

4. He calls aloud unto her, Pursue your ways no more; She thinks it will undo her To part with all her store; She willingly refuses To yield unto his will. And in her heart she chooses Her former lovers still. 5. He then displays his power, By an almighty word; He threatens to devour, And shows a flaming sword : She now begins to tremble At what she fees and hears; And fain would she be humble, And wash her crimes with tears. 6. She bolts the door upon him, And bids the Lord depart; She will not serve his honor, Nor let him have her heart; Yet Jesus loves the sinner, And will not leave the door, But cries. O! wretched creature! Reject my grace no more.

7. She does not yet discover The filth of her inside; She thinks the Lord will love her, And take her for his bride; But like refiner’s fire He searches every part; Conviction rises higher, She feels a troubled heart. 8. She now begins to languish, And none can her relieve; Her heart is full of anguish To find she can’t believe. Her hopes are now departed, And left her full of woe, With all the broken hearted, She cries what shall I do? 9 But Jesus has compassion, Still moving in his breast, Intends to give salvation, Unto the souls distressed One glimpse of love and power Makes her forget her pain, She cries, O happy hour, Is this the lovely Lamb?

10. Is he whom I rejected, Stooped down to me so low? Goodness, but unexpected, It hardly can be true; And still she cries more fervent, Lord, don’t thy mercy hide. May I become a servant, And fit to be a bride. 11. The marriage is made ready, The parties are agreed, The holy Son of David, And Adam’s wretched seed; The sinner is attired, With raiment clean and white, Her sins are freely pardoned, And she’s her Lord’s delight. 12. They eat and drink together, And mutually embrace, Both saints and angels wonder, At the surprising grace; This union shall continue, For evermore the same, And nothing part asunder, The Christian and the Lamb.