The Great Teacher

Representative Text

1 How sweetly flowed the gospel sound
From lips of gentleness and grace,
When listening thousands gathered round,
And joy and gladness filled the place!

2 From heaven he came, of heaven he spoke,
To heaven he led his followers' way;
Dark clouds of gloomy night he broke,
Unvailing an immortal day.

3 "Come, wanderers, to my Father's home,
Come, all ye weary ones, and rest;"
Yes, sacred Teacher, we will come,
Obey thee, love thee, and be blest!

4 Decay then, tenements of dust;
Pillars of earthly pride, decay:
A nobler mansion waits the just,
And Jesus has prepared the way.

Source: Laudes Domini: a selection of spiritual songs, ancient and modern for use in the prayer-meeting #152

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Author: John Bowring

James Bowring was born at Exeter, in 1792. He possessed at an early age a remarkable power of attaining languages, and acquired some reputation by his metrical translations of foreign poems. He became editor of "The Westminster Review" in 1825, and was elected to Parliament in 1835. In 1849, he was appointed Consul at Canton, and in 1854, was made Governor of Hong Kong, and received the honour of knighthood. He is the author of some important works on politics and travel, and is the recipient of several testimonials from foreign governments and societies. His poems and hymns have also added to his reputation. His "Matins and Vespers" have passed through many editions. In religion he is a Unitarian. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charl… Go to person page >

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First Line:	How sweetly flowed the gospel's sound
Title:	The Great Teacher
Author:	John Bowring (1824)
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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How sweetly flowed the Gospel's sound. Sir J. Bowring. [Jesus the Teacher.] Published in his Matins and Vespers, &c, 2nd edition, 1824, p. 234, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "Jesus teaching the people." In 1837 it was included in Beard's Unitarian Collection, No. 121, and subsequently in a number of hymn-books, especially modern American collections. Original text in Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1884, with, in stanza i., line 4, “And joy and gladness" for “And joy and reverence."

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Notes

How sweetly flowed the Gospel's sound. Sir J. Bowring. [Jesus the Teacher.] Published in his Matins and Vespers, &c, 2nd edition, 1824, p. 234, in 4 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "Jesus teaching the people." In 1837 it was included in Beard's Unitarian Collection, No. 121, and subsequently in a number of hymn-books, especially modern American collections. Original text in Laudes Domini, N. Y., 1884, with, in stanza i., line 4, “And joy and gladness" for “And joy and reverence."… Read More