Again the Lord of Light and Life
Author: Anna L. Barbauld
Authoritative information about the hymn text Again the Lord of Light and Life, with lyrics, MIDI files, printable scores, PDF files, and piano resources.
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Again the Lord of life and light. Anna L.Barbauld, née Aikin. [Easter.] Contributed to Dr. W. Enfield's Hymns for Public Worship, &c, Warrington, 1772, No. LX., in 11 stanzas of 4 lines and appointed "For Easter Sunday." In the following year it was republished in Mrs. Barbauld's (then Miss Aikin) Poems, London, J. Johnson, 1773, pp. 118-120, with alterations, and with the same title as in Dr. Enfield's Hymns, &c. In his Collection of 1812 Dr. Collyer divided the hymn into two parts, Pt. i. being st. i.-iv., and Pt. ii. st. v.-ix., and xi., st. x. being omitted. This second part, as hymn 688, opened with:— "Jesus, the Friend of human kind." It has, however, fallen out of use. Of the centos which have been compiled from the original, there are in common use:—

1. In Mercer, first edition 1854, st. i., ii., vi., viii., iii., iv., from Cotterill's Selection, 8th ed. 1819; Mont¬gomery's Christian Psalmist, and other collections.

2. In Hymnal Companion and others : st. i., ii., vi., iii., and iv., from Bickersteth's Christian Psalmody, 1833; Gurney's Lutterworth Collection, 1838, and Marylebone Collection, 181

3. In Society Promoting Christian Knowledge Psalms & Hymns, 1852 and 1869, the same as No. 2, with the addition of a doxology.

4. In the Baptist Psalms & Hymns, 1858 and 1880, st. i.-iv., Pt. i. from Dr. Collyer's Collection as above.

5. In the Islington Psalms & Hymns. 1830-62, Kennedy, 1863, as:— "This day be grateful homage paid," being st. iii., ii., iv., vi., viii., ix. The hymn in various forms is also in considerable use in America.

These facts will indicate the extent to which the original has been used, specially when it is remembered that these centos are repeated in many collections not indicated above. The full original text is given in Lyra Brittanica 1867, pp. 35-36, and Lord Selborne's Book of Praise, 1862, pp. 61-62. The second cento has been rendered into Latin as:—

Ecce! iterum Dominus vitae lucisque revelat, by the Rev. R. Bingham, and included in his Hymnologie Christiana Latina, 1871, pp. 85-87.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)