[85]
In Denmark the king is officially the head of the church. At the time of Brorson all church appointments belonged to him, and King Christian VI, if he had so wanted, could thus have filled all vacancies7 with adherents8 of the movement in which he sincerely believed. He was, however, no fanatic9. Earnestly concerned, as he no doubt was, to further the spiritual welfare of his subjects, his only desire was to supply all church positions at his disposal with good and able men. And as such the Brorsons were recommended to him by his old tutor and adviser10 in church affairs, John Herman Schraeder. On this recommendation, he successively invited the brothers to preach at court. Their impression upon him was so favorable that within a few years he appointed Nicolaj to become pastor11 of Nicolaj church in Copenhagen, one of the largest churches in the capital, Broder to become Provost of the cathedral at Ribe and, two years later, Bishop12 of Aalborg, and Hans Adolph to succeed his brother at Ribe and, four years later, to become bishop of that large and historically famous bishopric. Thus the brothers in a few years had been elevated from obscurity to leading positions within their church.
Contemporaries express highly different estimates of Brorson as a bishop. While praised by some, he is severely13 criticized by others as unfit both by ability and temperament14 for the high office he occupied. This last estimate now is generally held to be unjust and, to some extent at least, inspired by jealousy15 of his quick rise to fame and by antagonism16 to his pietistic views. A close examination of church records and his official correspondence proves him to have been both efficient in the administration of his office and moderate in his dealings with others. He was by all accounts an eloquent18 and effective speaker. Although Ribe was a small city, its large cathedral was usually crowded whenever it was known that Brorson would conduct the service. People came from far away to hear him. And his preaching at home and on his frequent visits to all parts of his large bishopric bore fruit in a signal quickening of the Christian life in many of the parishes under his charge. He was, we are told, as happy as a child when he found pastors19 and their people working faithfully together for the upbuilding of the kingdom. But his own zeal20 caused him to look for the same earnestness in others. And he was usually stern and, at times, implacable, in his judgment21 of neglect and slothfulness, especially in the pastors.
His private life was by all accounts exceptionally pure and [86]simple, a true expression of his sincere faith and earnest piety22. A domestic, who for many years served in his home has furnished us with a most interesting account of his home life. Brorson, she testifies, was an exceptionally kind and friendly man, always gentle and considerate in his dealing17 with others except when they had provoked him by some gross neglect or inattention to right and duty. He was generous to a fault toward others, but very frugal23, even parsimonious24 in his home and in his personal habits. Only at Christmas or on other special occasion would he urge his household to spare nothing. He was a ceaseless and industrious25 worker, giving close personal attention to the multiple duties of his important position and office. His daily life bore eloquent witness of his sincere piety. When at home, no matter how busy, he always gathered his whole household for daily devotions. Music constituted his sole diversion. He enjoyed an evening spent in playing and singing with his family and servants. If he chanced to hear a popular song with a pleasing tune6, he often adopted it to his own words, and sang it in the family circle. Many of the hymns27 in his Swan-Song are said to have been composed and sung in that way.
His life was rich in trials and suffering. His first wife died just as he was preparing to go to Copenhagen for his consecration28 as a bishop, and the loss affected29 him so deeply that only the pleading of his friends prevented him from resigning the office. He later married a most excellent woman, Johanne Riese, but could never forget the wife of his youth. Several of his children preceded him in death, some of them while still in their infancy30, and others in the prime of their youth. His own health was always delicate and he passed through several severe illnesses from which his recovery was considered miraculous31. His heaviest cross was, perhaps, the hopeless insanity32 of his first-born son, who throughout his life had to be confined to a locked and barred room as a hopeless and dangerous lunatic. A visitor in the bishop’s palace, it is related, once remarked: “You speak so often about sorrows and trials, Bishop Brorson, but you have your ample income and live comfortably in this fine mansion33, so how can you know about these things?” Without answering, Brorson beckoned34 his visitor to follow him to the graveyard35 where he showed him the grave of his wife and several of his children, and into the palace where he showed him the sad spectacle of his insane son. Then the visitor understood that position and material comfort are no guaranty against sorrow.
[87]
A very sensitive man, Brorson was often deeply afflicted36 by his trials, but though cast down, he was not downcast. The words of his own beloved hymn26, “Whatever I am called to bear, I must in patience suffer,” no doubt express his own attitude toward the burdens of his life. His trials engendered37 in him, however, an intense yearning38 for release, especially during his later years. The hymns of his Swan-Song are eloquent testimonies39 of his desire to depart and be at home with God.
With the passing years his health became progressively poorer and his weakening body less able to support the strain of his exacting40 office. He would listen to no plea for relaxation41, however, until his decreasing strength clearly made it impossible for him to continue. Even then he refused to rest and planned to publish a series of weekly sermons that he might thus continue to speak to his people. But his strength waned42 so quickly that he was able to complete only one of the sermons.
On May 29, 1764, he begged a government official to complete a case before him at his earliest convenience “for I am now seventy years old, feeble, bedridden and praying for release from this unhappy world.” Only a day later, his illness took a grave turn for the worse. He sank into a stupor43 that lasted until dusk when he awoke and said clearly, “My Jesus is praying for me in heaven. I see it by faith and am anxious to go. Come quickly, my Lord, and take me home!” He lingered until the morning of June 3, when he passed away peacefully just as the great bells of the cathedral announced the morning service.
Several fine memorials have been raised to his memory, among them an excellent statue at the entrance to the cathedral at Ribe, and a tablet on the inside wall of the building right beside a similar remembrance of Hans Tausen, the leader of the Danish reformation and a former bishop of the diocese. But the finest memorial was raised to him by his son through the publication of Hans Adolph Brorson’s Swan-Song, a collection of hymns and songs selected from his unpublished writings.
The songs of the Swan-Song were evidently written for the poet’s own consolation44 and diversion. They are of very different types and merit, and a number of them might without loss have been left out of the collection. A few of them stand unexcelled, however, for beauty, sentiment and poetic45 excellence46. There are songs of patience such as the inimitable:
[88]
Her vil ties, her vil bies,
Her vil bies, o svage Sind.
Vist skal du hente, kun ved at vente,
Kun ved at vente, vor Sommer ind.
Her vil ties, her vil bies,
Her vil bies, o svage Sind.
which one can hardly transfer to another language without marring its tender beauty. And there are songs of yearning such as the greatly favored,
O Holy Ghost, my spirit
With yearning longs to see
Jerusalem
Where I shall soon inherit
The home prepared for me.
But O the stormy waters!
How shall I find my way
Where darkness rolls,
And join thy sons and daughters
Who dwell in thee for aye.
Lord, strengthen my assurance
That I may brave
The threatening wave
With firm and calm endurance;
Thyself my pilot be.
And there is “The Great White Host”, most beloved of all Brorson’s hymns, which Dr. Ryden, a Swedish-American Hymnologist, calls the most popular Scandinavian hymn in the English language. Several English translations of this song are available. The translation presented below is from the new English hymnal of the Danish Lutheran churches in America.
Like thousand snowclad mountains stand
With waving palms
Above at God’s right hand.
These are the heroes brave that came
Through tribulation56, war and flame
And in the flood
Of Jesus’ blood
They praise the Lord in every tongue,
[89]
Where God doth dwell
Amidst the angels’ song.
They braved the world’s contempt and might,
But see them now in glory bright
With golden crowns,
In priestly gowns
Before the throne of light.
The world oft weighed them with dismay.
But there above
The Saviour’s love
Has wiped their tears away.
Theirs is henceforth the Sabbath rest,
The Paschal banquet of the blest,
Where fountains play
And Christ for aye
Is host as well as guest.
All hail to you, blest heroes, then!
A thousand fold is now your gain
That ye stood fast
Unto the last
And harvest now in Jesus’ name
What ye have sown
With tears unknown
Lift up your voice, wave high your palm,
All glory be
Eternally
To God and to the Lamb.
Brorson’s hymns were received with immediate65 favor. The Rare Clenod of Faith passed through six editions before the death of its author, and a new church hymnal published in 1740 contained ninety of his hymns. Pietism swept the country and adopted Brorson as its poet. But its reign66 was surprisingly short. King Christian VI died in 1746, and the new king, a luxury-loving worldling, showed little interest in religion and none at all in Pietism. Under his influence the movement quickly waned. During the latter part of the eighteenth century it was overpowered by a wave of religious rationalism which engulfed67 the greater part of the intellectual classes and the younger clergy68. The intelligentsia adopted Voltaire and Rousseau as their prophets and talked endlessly of the new age of enlightenment in which religion was [90]to be shorn of its mysteries and people were to be delivered from the bonds of superstition69.
In such an atmosphere the old hymns and, least of all, Brorson’s hymns with their mystic contemplation of the Saviour’s blood and wounds could not survive. The leading spirits in the movement demanded a new hymnal that expressed the spirit of the new age. The preparation of such a book was undertaken by a committee of popular writers, many of whom openly mocked Evangelical Christianity. Their work was published under the title The Evangelical Christian Hymnal, a peculiar70 name for a book which, as has been justly said, was neither Evangelical nor Christian. The compilers had eliminated many of the finest hymns of Kingo and Brorson and ruthlessly altered others so that they were irrecognizable. To compensate71 for this loss, a great number of “poetically perfect hymns” by newer writers—nearly all of whom have happily been forgotten—were adopted.
But while would-be leaders discarded or mutilated the old hymns and, with a zeal worthy72 of a better cause, sought to force their new songs upon the congregations, many of these clung tenaciously73 to their old hymnal and stoutly74 refused to accept the new. In places the controversy75 even developed into a singing contest, with the congregations singing the numbers from the old hymnal and the deacons from the new. And these contests were, of course, expressive76 of an even greater controversy than the choice of hymns. They represented the struggle between pastors, working for the spread of the new gospel, and congregations still clinging to the old. With the highest authorities actively77 supporting the new movement, the result of the contest was, however, a foregone conclusion. The new enlightenment triumphed, and thousands of Evangelical Christians78 became homeless in their own church.
During the subsequent period of triumphant79 Rationalism, groups of Evangelical laymen80 began to hold private assemblies in their own homes and to provide for their own spiritual nourishment81 by reading Luther’s sermons and singing the old hymns. In these assemblies Brorson’s hymns retained their favor until a new Evangelical awakening82 during the middle part of the nineteenth century produced a new appreciation83 of the old hymns and restored them to their rightful place in the worship of the church. And the songs of the Sweet Singer of Pietism have, perhaps, never enjoyed a greater favor in his church than they do today.
[8]Another translation: “Like thousand mountains brightly crowned” by S. D. Rodholm in “World of Song”.
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1
aligned
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| adj.对齐的，均衡的 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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antagonism
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| n.对抗，敌对，对立 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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pastors
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| n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 ) | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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frugal
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| adj.节俭的，节约的，少量的，微量的 | |
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parsimonious
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| adj.吝啬的，质量低劣的 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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28
consecration
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| n.供献，奉献，献祭仪式 | |
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29
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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30
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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31
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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32
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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34
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
engendered
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| v.产生（某形势或状况），造成，引起( engender的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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39
testimonies
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| （法庭上证人的）证词( testimony的名词复数 )； 证明，证据 | |
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40
exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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41
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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42
waned
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| v.衰落( wane的过去式和过去分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡 | |
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43
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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44
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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45
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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46
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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47
gem
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| n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel | |
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48
mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
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49
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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50
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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51
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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52
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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53
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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54
psalm
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| n.赞美诗，圣诗 | |
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55
psalms
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| n.赞美诗( psalm的名词复数 )；圣诗；圣歌；(中的) | |
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56
tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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57
cleansed
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| 弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
ransomed
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| 付赎金救人，赎金( ransom的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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60
anthems
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| n.赞美诗( anthem的名词复数 )；圣歌；赞歌；颂歌 | |
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61
allay
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| v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等) | |
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62
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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63
spurned
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| v.一脚踢开，拒绝接受( spurn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
acclaim
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| v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞 | |
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65
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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69
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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70
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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71
compensate
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| vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消 | |
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72
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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73
tenaciously
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| 坚持地 | |
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74
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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75
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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76
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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laymen
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| 门外汉，外行人( layman的名词复数 )； 普通教徒（有别于神职人员） | |
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81
nourishment
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| n.食物，营养品；营养情况 | |
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82
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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