Born: Oc­to­ber 4, 1676, Buzancy, Duchy of Rheim (Ardennes region).

Died: June 20, 1749, Par­is, France. Due to his per­sist­ence in ap­peal­ing against the pa­pal Constitution Unigenitus of 1713, the parish rec­tor of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont refused to ad­min­is­ter last rites to him, or give him a Christ­ian bur­i­al.

Educated at Duplessis Coll­ege, Un­i­ver­si­ty of Par­is, in 1712, Cof­fin be­came pri­nci­pal of the col­lege at Beau­vais (suc­ceed­ing the hist­or­i­an Rol­lin), and 1718, Rec­tor of the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Par­is. In 1727, he pub­lished some of his La­tin po­ems, and in 1736, the bulk of his hymns ap­peared in the Par­is Brev­i­ary and Hymni Sac­ri Auc­to­re Ca­ro­lo Cof­fin. In 1755, a com­plete, two vol­ume edi­tion of his works was pub­lished. He wrote over 100 hymns.

Sources

Lyrics

1. Dei can­a­mus glor­i­am
   • Sing We the Glo­ry of Our God
2. Die die­rum prin­ci­pe
   • Morn of Morns, and Day of Days
3. Grates, per­ac­to jam die
   • Day Is Past and Done, The
4. Iisdem cre­a­ti fluc­ti­bus
   • The Fish in Wave, the Bird on Wing
5. In noctis umbrâ des­i­des
   • When Shades of Night Around Us Close
6. Instantis ad­vent­um Dei
   • Advent of Our God, The
   • Advent of Our God and King, The
   • Advent of Our God at Hand, The
   • Advent of Our King, The
   • Coming of Our God, The
   • Lest the Com­er Tar­ry Long
   • Lift Up the Advent Strain
   • Our God Ap­proach­es from the Skies
   • To Hail Thine Ad­vent, Lord
   • To Haste Thine Ad­vent from the Skies
7. Jam des­i­nant sus­pir­ia
   • God from On High Hath Heard
   • Let Sighing Cease and Woe
8. Jam sanc­ti­us mo­ves opus
   • And Now, O God, Thy Mind Re­solves
   • A Greater, Ho­li­er Work This Day
   • Now a Ho­li­er Work, O Lord
   • Today, O Lord, a Ho­li­er Work
   • Today, O Lord, Thy Mind Re­ceives
   • Today, O Lord, Thy Will Re­solves
9. Jordanis oras prae­via
   • On Jordan’s Bank the Bap­tist’s Cry
10. Jubes: et, in prae­ceps aquis
    • He Spake! and Ga­ther­ing into One
    • He Speaks the Word; the Floods Obey
    • Thou Spak­est, Lord, and into One
    • Word Is Given, the Wa­ters Flow, The
11. Labente jam solis rota (Prono vo­lu­tus im­petu)
    • As Now the Sun’s De­clin­ing Rays
12. Lo! from the De­sert Homes
13. Miramur, O De­us, Tuae
    • New Won­ders of Thy Mighty Hand
    • O God Su­preme! In Rapt Amaze
    • O God, Thy Won­der Work­ing Hand
    • O God, We Be­hold How Thy Won­drous Might
    • The Won­ders of the Al­mighty Hand
14. O fons amoris, Spir­it­us
    • O Ho­ly Spir­it, Fount of Love
    • O Ho­ly Spir­it, Lord of Grace
    • O Spir­it, Fount of Ho­ly Love
    • O Spir­it, Fount of Love, Un­lock Thy Tem­ple Door
15. O quam juvat frat­res, Deus
    • Father and God, How Sweet to See
    • Happy Are They, They That Love God
    • How Sweet It Is to See, Breth­ren in Un­i­ty
    • How Sweet the Days, O Lord, Are Sped
    • O God, Our Lov­ing God, by Whom Thy Church
    • O God, What Joys Around Are Shed
    • O Lord, How Joy­ful ’Tis to See
16. Opprobriis, Je­su, sa­tur
    • O Scorned and Out­cast Lord
17. Opus peregisti tuum
    • Anointed One! Thy Work Is Done
    • Blest Sav­ior, Now Thy Work Is Done
    • O Christ! Thy Love Its Work Hath Done
    • O Sav­ior, Who for Man Hast Trod
    • Redeemer, Now Thy Work Is Done
    • Thy Glor­i­ous Work, O Christ, Is Done
18. Quae stella sole pulchrior
    • What Star Is This That Beams So Bright
19. Rebus cre­at­is nil egens
    • O Christ, in Thine All-Bliss­ful State
    • O God, the Joy of Heav’n Above
    • Our God, in His Ce­les­tial Seat
    • Thou Dost Not Need Cre­a­tion’s Aid
    • Thou of the Things Cre­at­ed No­thing Need­ing
    • Thou That Lack’st No Cre­at­ed Thing
20. Supreme Mo­tor cord­i­um
    • Great Mov­er of All Hearts
    • Lord of the Hearts of Men
21. Tandem per­ac­tis O De­us
    • At Length Cre­a­tion’s Days are Past
    • At Length the Six Days’ Course Is Past
    • At Length, O God, Thy Work Is Done
    • And Now Thy La­bors, Lord, Are Done
    • Six Days of La­bor Now Are Past
22. Te laeta, mundi Con­di­tor
    • Creator, Ma­jes­ty Di­vine
    • Creator of the World, to Thee
    • Maker of Earth, to Thee Alone
    • Thee, Mak­er of the World, Doth Rest
    • Thou Cre­at­or, Art Possessed
    • Thou Great Cre­at­or, Art Pos­sessed
    • Thou, Lord, in End­less Rest