Chapter M: A. von Loewenstern, 1644; C. Winkworth, tr. abr

280

11, 11, 11, 5

Ah! Lord, our God, let them not be confounded
Who, though by want and woe and pain surrounded,
Yet day and night still for Thy hope are sighing,
To Thee are crying.

2. But put to shame Thy foes who breathe defiance
And make their own vain might their sole reliance.
O turn in mercy to Thy generation;
Lord, have compassion!

3. We stand bereft of help and poor and lonely;
’Twere vain to trust in man. With Thee, Lord, only
We may defeat the enemies around us
Who seek to wound us.

4. Thou art our Champion, who canst overthrow them
And save the little flock now crushed below them.
We trust in Thee; for Jesus’ sake be near us;
Help, Helper, hear us!

J. Heermann, 1630; C. Winkworth, tr.

281

L. M.

No change of time shall ever shock
My firm affection, Lord, to Thee;
For Thou hast always been a Rock,
A Fortress, and Defense to me.

2. Thou my Deliverer art, my God;
My trust is in Thy mighty power.
Thou art my Shield from foes abroad;
At home, my Safeguard and my Tower.

3. To Thee I will address my prayer,
To whom all praise we justly owe;
So shall I, by Thy watchful care,
Be guarded safe from every foe.

4. Let the eternal Lord be praised,
The Rock on whose defense I rest.
O’er highest heavens His name be raised
Who me with His salvation blest.

Ps. 18. Tate and Brady, 1698, abr.

282

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

Had God not come, may Israel say,
Had God not come to aid us,
Our enemies before this day
Would surely have dismayed us;
For we are but a handful small,
Held in contempt and scorn by all,
All men rise up against us.

2. Their furious Wrath, did God permit,
Would surely have consumed us
And in the deep and yawning pit
With life and limb entombed us;
Like men o’er whom dark waters roll,
The streams had gone e’en o’er our soul
And mightily o’erwhelmed us.

3. Blest be the Lord, who from the pit
Snatched us when it was gaping;
Our souls, like birds that break the net,
To the blue skies escaping;
The snare is broken—we are free!
Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee,
The God of earth and heaven.

Ps. 124. Martin Luther, 1525; R. Massie, tr., a.

283

L. M.

When Rome had shrouded earth in night,
God said again, Let there be light!
And Luther with the Gospel came
To spread the truth in Jesus’ name.

2. When Rome the saints of God oppressed,
And burdened souls could find no rest,
Through Luther God deliv’rance sent
By His pure Word and Sacrament.

3. Though hosts against us stand arrayed,
Christ bids us still, Be not afraid.
Though all its powers the truth assail,
The gates of hell shall not prevail.

4. To-day with joyful hearts we sing
The guardian care of Christ, our King,
Who through His chosen instrument
To us hath this salvation sent.

5. O Lord, whose mercies still endure,
Preserve to us Thy Gospel pure;
Let it alone within us reign
That Thine the glory may remain.

M. Loy, 1880.

284

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

If God were not upon our side
When round us foes are raging,
Were not Himself our Help and Guide
When bitter war they’re waging,
Were He not Israel’s mighty Shield,
To whom their utmost craft must yield,
We surely must have perished.

2. But now no human wit or might
His chosen people frighteth;
God sitteth in the highest height,
And He their counsels blighteth.
When craftiest snares and nets they lay,
God doth His work another way
And makes a path before us.

3. Against our souls they rage and mock,
Exciting great commotion;
As billows meet with angry shock
Out on the stormy ocean,
So they our lives with fury seek.
But God hath pity on the weak,
And Him they have forgotten.

4. They call us heretics and aye
Their Christian name are flaunting;
They seek to spill our blood, while they
Their fear of God are vaunting.
Ah, God! that precious name of Thine
O’er many a wicked deed must shine,
But Thou wilt once avenge it.

5. They open wide their ravenous jaws
And threaten to devour us,
But thanks to God, who rules our cause,
They shall not overpower us;
Their snares He yet will bring to naught
And overthrow what they have taught;
God is too mighty for them.

6. How richly He consoleth those
Whom no one else befriendeth!
The door of grace doth never close;
Sense cannot comprehend it
How this may be and deems all lost,
When through this very cross a host
Of champions God is raising.

7. Our foes, O God, are in Thy hand,
Thou knowest their endeavor;
But only give us strength to stand
And let us waver never,
Though reason strives with faith, and still
It fears to wholly trust Thy will
And sees not Thy salvation.

8. But heaven and earth, O Lord, are Thine,
For Thou alone hast made them;
Thy light let on Thy people shine
And in their sorrow aid them.
Ignite our hearts to love and faith
That shall be steadfast e’en to death,
Howe’er the world may murmur.

Ps. 124. Justus Jonas, 1524; C. Winkworth, tr., a.

ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS.

285

10s 4 l

Stars of the morning, so gloriously bright,
Filled with celestial resplendence and light,
These that, where night never followeth day,
Raise the “Thrice holy, Lord!” ever and aye!

2. These are Thy ministers, these dost Thou own,
Lord God of Sabaoth, nearest Thy throne.
These are Thy messengers; these dost Thou send,
Help of the helpless ones, man to defend.

3. When by Thy word earth was first poised in space,
When the far planets first sped on their race,
When was completed the six days’ employ,
Then “all the sons of God shouted for joy.”

4. Still let them succor us; still let them fight,
Lord of angelic hosts, battling for right,
Till, where their anthems they ceaselessly pour,
We with the angels may bow and adore.

Joseph of the Studium, c. 850; J. M. Neale, tr., 1862, a.

286

L. M.

Lord God, we all to Thee give praise,
Thank-offerings meet to Thee we raise,
That Thou didst angel hosts create
Around Thy glorious throne to wait.

2. They glow with light and heavenly grace
And constantly behold Thy face;
Obedience to Thy voice they yield
And are with godly wisdom filled.

3. They never rest nor sleep as we;
Their whole delight is but to be
Forever near Thee, gracious Lord,
Thy little flock to watch and guard.

4. The foul old Dragon and dread Foe
With envy, hate, and wrath doth glow;
It always is his aim and pride
Thy Christian people to divide.

5. As he has blighted earth of old,
He keeps e’en now his deathly hold,
Chafes madly to annihilate
All virtue, honor, Church, and State.

6. Therefore no halt or rest he knows;
A roaring lion round he goes,
Or lies in wait with baneful snare
To drive the Christians to despair.

7. But watchful is the angel band
That follows Christ on every hand
And guards Thy holy Christendom
From harm that might from Satan come.

8. From Daniel’s case this may be seen
When he sat in the lions’ den,
And likewise angels rescued Lot
That the ungodly harmed him not.

9. When the three Hebrews were at last
Into the fiery furnace cast,
No power had fiercest flames to harm
Against the rescuing angel’s arm.

10. And thus our God, still at this day,
From harm and many an evil way
Keeps near us His dear angel guard,
Placed over us as watch and ward.

11. For this, now and eternally,
Our praise shall rise, O God, to Thee,
Whom all the angel hosts adore
With joy now and forevermore.

12. We also pray Thee to defend
By them unto the latter end
Thy fold, that little flock, O Lord,
That holds in honor Thy blest Word.

From the Latin of Philip Melanchthon. Paul Eber, 1566.

287

8, 7, 8, 7, 7, 7

Jesus, Brightness of the Father,
Life and Strength of all who live!
In the presence of the angels
Glory in Thy name we give:
And Thy wondrous praise rehearse,
Singing in harmonious verse.

2. Blessed Lord, by their protection
Shelter us from harm this day;
Keep us pure in flesh and spirit;
Save us from the Foe, we pray:
And vouchsafe us by Thy grace
In Thy paradise a place.

3. Glory to th’ almighty Father,
Sing we with the heavenly host;
Glory to the great Redeemer,
Glory to the Holy Ghost;
Three in One, and One in Three,
Throughout all eternity!

Rhabanus Maurus, † 856; E. Caswall, tr., 1848, a.

ALL SAINTS.

288

7, 6, 8, 6, 8 l

Ten thousand times ten thousand
In sparkling raiment bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints
Throng up the steeps of light.
’Tis finished! all is finished,
Their fight with death and sin;
Fling open wide the golden gates,
And let the victors in.

2. What rush of alleluias
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousandfold repaid!

3. Oh, then, what raptured greetings
On Canaan’s happy shore;
What knitting severed friendships up,
Where partings are no more!
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle
That brimmed with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless
Nor widows desolate.

4. Bring near Thy great salvation,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect,
Then take Thy power and reign.
Appear, Desire of nations,
Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heav’ns Thy promised sign;
Thou Prince and Savior, come!

H. Alford, 1867.

289

S. M.

For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Who strove in Thee to live,
Who followed Thee, obeyed, adored,
Our grateful hymn receive.

2. For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Accept our thankful cry,
Who counted Thee their great reward
And strove in Thee to die.

3. They all in life and death,
With Thee, their Lord, in view,
Learned from Thy Holy Spirit’s breath
To suffer and to do.

4. For this Thy name we bless
And humbly pray that we
May follow them in holiness
And live and die in Thee.

R. Mant, 1837, abr.

290

8, 7, 8 l

Hark! the sound of holy voices
Chanting o’er the crystal sea,
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Lord, to Thee!
Multitudes which none can number
Like the stars in glory stand,
Clothed in white apparel, holding
Palms of vict’ry in their hand.

2. Patriarch, and holy prophet,
Who prepared the way of Christ,
King, apostle, saint, confessor,
Martyr and evangelist,
Saintly maiden, godly matron,
Widows who have watched to prayer,
Joined in holy concert, singing
To the Lord of all, are there.

3. They have come from tribulation
And have washed their robes in blood,
Washed them in the blood of Jesus;
Tried they were, and firm they stood.
Mocked, imprisoned, stoned, tormented,
Sawn asunder, slain with sword,
They have conquered death and Satan
By the might of Christ the Lord.

4. Marching with Thy cross, their banner,
They have triumphed, following
Thee, the Captain of salvation,
Thee, their Savior and their King.
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they suffered,
Gladly, Lord, with Thee they died,
And by death to life immortal
They were born and glorified.

5. Now they reign in heavenly glory.
Now they walk in golden light,
Now they drink, as from a river,
Holy bliss and infinite.
Love and peace they taste forever
And all truth and knowledge see
In the beatific vision
Of the blessed Trinity.

C. Wordsworth, 1862.

HARVEST AND THANKSGIVING.

291