San Francisco Central Seventh-day Adventist Church

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45 Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty

The German original of this seven-stanza hymn first published in 1732, was written by Benjamin Schmolck, son of a Lutheran pastor and later himself a pastor. It was inspired by Psalm 122:2, “Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.” Englishwoman Catherine Winkworth translated five stanzas into English with very minor changes.

The hymntune UNSER HERRSCHER (Our Lord/Ruler) was written by Joachim Neander (1650-1680). Tragically, this talented musician and poet fell ill with tuberculosis and died at the age of 30. He loved communing with God in nature, and it is said that some of his finest hymns were written in a cave in the Neanderthal Valley (named after him).

Open now thy gates of beauty,
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for God Who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!

Gracious God, I come before Thee,
Come Thou also unto me;
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, oh, enter Thou,
Let it be Thy temple now!

Here Thy praise is gladly chanted,
Here Thy seed is duly sown;
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.

Thou my faith increase and quicken,
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in my strife.

Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee,
Let Thy will be done indeed;
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.