O God our help in ages past

1.    O GOD OUR HELP IN AGES PAST – EMHB 878;  YMHB 625

Tune: St. Anne

Presenter: Sis. Fasesin

Isaac Watts was the son of a Dissenter – a Congregationalist at Odds with the Church of England. His father was a strong advocate for his faith, and found himself in trouble with the law on more than one occasion because of his dissent. That was the intense sort of environment in which Isaac Watts character was formed.

Watts was never robust person, but he demonstrated poetic ability at an early age. Sometimes he even rhymed the ordinary conversation. He also developed expertise in several field, to include religion, philosophy and religion.

While still quite young, Watts expressed annoyance with the Psalm tunes that they sang in their congregational tradition – or perhaps I should say “Didn’t sing or didn’t sing very well”. When Watts expressed his own opinion of the music that they were using his father as reputed to have responded, “Why don’t you give us something better, young man”. So Watts did. He wrote some 600 Hymns during his lifetime, and is known today as the father of English Hymnody.

O God our help in ages past is a paraphrase of Psalm 90:1-5. Watts wrote it in 1714 and published it in a collection of poetic versions of the Psalm in 1719. He called the collection “The Psalms of David in the Language of the New Testament”. It included poetic version of each of the 150 Psalms – to include “Joy to the world” based on Psalm 98, and “Jesus shall Reign” based on Psalm 72.

Watts was a lifelong Dissenter. However, some years after his death, officials erected a monument in his memory in Westminster Abbey – proof that his contributions were too significant not to be acknowledged.

The Hymn tune associated with this hymn was composed by William Croft. He name it “St. Anne” in honour of the Church where he served as Organist – St. Anne’s Church in Soho, London. Croft was later chosen to serve as the Organist at Westminster Abbey.

Let us all join the February Birthday Celebrants in singing this wonderful Hymn.

EMHB  878

1.         O God, our help in ages past,

            Our hope for years to come,

            Our shelter from the stormy blast,

            And our eternal home :

2.         Under the shadow of Thy throne

            Thy saints have dwelt secure;

            Sufficient is Thine arm alone,

            And our defence is sure.

3.         Before the hills in order stood,

            Or earth received her frame,

            From everlasting Thou art God,

            To endless years the same.

4.         A thousand ages in Thy sight

            Are like an evening gone :

            Short as the watch that ends the night

            Before the rising sun.

5.         The busy tribes of flesh and blood,

            With all their cares and fears,

            Are carried downward by the flood,

            And lost in following years.

6.         Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

            Bears all its sons away :

            They fly forgotten, as a dream

            Dies at the opening day.

7.         O God, our help in ages past,

            Our hope for years to come,

            Be Thou our guard while troubles last,

            And our eternal home.

             

YMHB 625

1.    Olorun, ‘ranwo wa ‘gbani,

‘Reti igba ti mbo,

Abo wa n’nu iji lile,

Ile aiyeraiye.

2.    Labe ojiji ite Re

L’ ao ma gbe laisewu;

Apa Re nikan to gba ni,

Igbala wa daju.

3.    Ki a to da awon oke,

Tabi ile aiye,

Iwo l’ Olorun, titi lai,

Lati irandiran.

4.    Egberun odun loju Re,

Bi ojo kan l’o ri,

Bi iso afemojumo,

Ki orun k’o to la.

5.    Awon eda ti nse ayan,

T’ awon t’ aniyan won,

N’ isan aiye ngba koja lo,

Nwon d’ eni igbagbe.

6.    Igba wa, bi odo sisan,

Ngbe awon tire lo;

Nwon fo lo, a si gbagbe won,

Bi ala ti ki se.

7.    Olorun, ‘ranwo wa ‘gbani,

‘Reti igba ti mbo,

Oluso wa titi d’ opin,

Ile aiyeraiye.

Adesegun Akitoye

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