Paul Gerhardt

“ God in thy hand will give thee,
One day, the glorious palm;
Who ne'er in grief did leave thee,
To Him thou'lt sing thy psalm.
[230]
O Lord no longer lengthen
Our time of misery,
Our hands and feet now strengthen,
And until death may we
By Thee be watched and car'd for,
In faithfulness and love,
So come we where prepar'd for
Us is our bless'd abode.
SONG OF CONSOLATION.
Thou must not altogether be
O'ercome by sad vexation,
God soon will cause to shine on thee
The light of consolation.
In patience wait, and be thou still,
And let the Lord do what He will,
He never can do evil. ”

“ Thee songs of summer raising,
Thy great Creator praising.
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The glorious sun, see there,
Comes forth again so fair,
With blessings earth doth cover;
Now all the rains are over,
Hills, valleys are receiving
Its wondrous beams life-giving.
The earth's reviv'd again;
What drown'd was by the rain
Will once again be living
And precious fruit be giving,
The fields good wheat forth bringing,
In meadows grass be springing.
The trees so very fair
Fruit-laden will stand there;
From hill-sides like a river
Will wine and oil flow ever;
In warm and quiet weather
Will bees their honey gather. ”

“ That songs of praise in sweetest tone
We may present before Thy throne.
To nought we've done, or e'er can do,
To Thee—to Thee alone is due
The praise, O fount of love!
We've earned destruction from Thy face,
Thou deal'st with us in love and grace.
Oh! may we meditate Thy grace,
Till heart shall burn and tongue shall praise,
And give angelic zeal,
That every throbbing pulse may be
A note of praise, O Lord! to Thee. ”

“ What can there be
(I ask of thee)
That can arise,
To fear thee to deliver?
Things oft affright
Thy feeble sight
And make thee sigh,
Thy consolations vanish:
Come hither, then,
Behold again
Christ's manger here,
And all misgivings banish.
[30]
Though plagued with care,
Yet ne'er despair!
Thy Brother ne'er
Thy misery disdaineth;
His gracious heart
Feels every smart,
Nor when He sees
Our woe, from tears refraineth.
To Him now go,
He'll help bestow
And rest, and thou
Good cause shalt have for blessing.
Full well He knows
What burns and glows,
What on the heart
Of each sick one is pressing. ”

“ Thou shalt share salvation free.
Look then to thy God above,
Sad and troubled countenance!
Cease to sigh, faith's virtue prove,
By thy clear and joyous glance!
[159] While thy sky is overcast
By affliction, hold it fast!
And as Heav'n's adopted son,
Thy rebellious will restrain;
Touch thy harp, let 'fore God's throne
Grateful songs resound again.
More at all times doth God give
Than thou'rt worthy to receive.
Live thou ever in God's fear,
As thou journeyest to heav'n,
Take whate'er befalls thee here
As a gift in wisdom giv'n.
Are they evil days, thou'lt see
God and Heav'n endure for thee. ”

“ Thou'rt mine, for I love and own Thee,
Ne'er shall I,
Light of joy,
From my heart dethrone Thee.
Let me, let me soon behold Thee
Face to face,
Thy embrace
May it soon enfold me!
CHRISTIAN DEVOTION TO GOD'S WILL.
I into God's own heart and mind
My heart and mind deliver,
What evil seems, a gain I find,
E'en death is life for ever. ”

“ That I to Thee,
Eternally,
Shall songs of praise be singing.
COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD, TRUST ALSO IN HIM, AND HE SHALL BRING IT TO PASS.—PSALM XXXVII. 5.
Commit whatever grieves thee
At heart, and all thy ways,
To Him who never leaves thee,
On whom creation stays.
Who freest courses maketh
For clouds, and air, and wind,
And care who ever taketh
A path for thee to find.
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The Lord thou must repose on
If thou wouldst prosper sure,
His work must ever gaze on
If thine is to endure. ”

“ Part in their songs he taketh,
And knows all wisdom's mysteries;
His high discourse he maketh
What none of us can ever know
With all our searching here below,
To none on earth 'tis given,
Reserv'd it is for Heaven.
Ah! could I even draw so near,
Could it to me be given
The faintest sounds of praise to hear
That fill the courts of Heaven,
[337] When prais'd is the thrice holy One,
Who thee hath sanctified, my son! ”

“ Gerhardt was peculiarly a son of consolation. The Translator has found him so in the hour of trial, and he will feel repaid if he should become the cup-bearer of the rich wine of consolation contained in the hymns of the staunch old German Lutheran to any English Christian readers “who may be in any wise afflicted.”
The work of translation has been a labour of love. It has been the recreation of leisure hours from graver duties, and occasionally the occupation of days of unwilling, but unavoidable, total or partial freedom from professional engagements. ”

“ Songs of praise to God my King.
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Every grief and every smart,
By th'eternal Father's heart
Ever yet appointed me,
Or that may hereafter be
Chosen for me, all my days
From His gracious hand always,
I'll receive with joy and praise.
I will tread woe's bitter path,
I will onward go to death,
I into the grave will go,
Still my heart with joy shall glow.
Whom the Highest will raise high,
Whom th' Almighty standeth nigh,
Ne'er can perish utterly. ”

“ As we read the painful annals of the time, the thought often arises in the mind, how much better had it been if the evil which it was the laudable intention of the Elector to correct, had been permitted to work its own cure. There were doubtless many, who had given too much cause for complaint by the licence they allowed themselves in the pulpit in attacking their theological adversaries, but those who suffered most would probably be those, who, like Gerhardt, were not open to reproach, yet felt themselves constrained by conscience to refuse obedience to the Elector's command. ”

“ Where day ne'er knoweth even.
What fails us here, there will He give,
Full measure to us bringing,
Our grateful songs shall He receive,
From loving hearts up-springing.
And there shall I
Too, willingly
Song after song be singing.
[329] JOYFUL RESIGNATION TO A HAPPY DEPARTURE FROM THIS WEARY WORLD.
Be glad, my heart! now fear no more,
Let nothing ever grieve thee;
Christ lives, who lov'd thee long before
Thy being He did give thee,
And ere He made thy wondrous frame;
His love remaineth still the same,
It ne'er can change to hatred. ”

“ Should a man so pious, so intellectual, so celebrated in many lands, leave the town, it was to be feared that grave thoughts would be excited in the minds of foreigners, and that God would visit them for it. If he refused subscription, it would not be imputed to disobedience, but to scruples of conscience, seeing that before the publication of the edict he had fulfilled its object by his modest behaviour.” The Prince, in reply, stated that he had sufficient grounds for enforcing the provisions of the edict, and that Gerhardt must comply with them, or bear the penalty. ”

“ The Translator has, however, striven to maintain fidelity to the sense of the original, and has occasionally somewhat sacrificed euphony to fidelity.
It is not to be expected that the people's poet of one nation and of a former age will become, through translation, the people's poet of another nation in a later generation. Individual translations may win for themselves a place side by side with the favourite songs of native growth. ”

“ SPIRITUAL SONGS
[1] Of the Holy Trinity.
Scarce tongue can speak, ne'er human ken
The myst'ry could discover,
That God, from His high throne to men
Makes known the world all over:
That He alone is King above
All other gods whatever,
Great, mighty, faithful, full of love,
His saints doth aye deliver,
One substance but three persons! ”

“ Right on thy road thou go'st, flee'st from the crooked way;
Another steppeth in and bears the prize away,
Increaseth his small store, his chests and barns he filleth;
Thou'rt poor with all thy house, scarce earn'st what hunger stilleth.
The wicked one thou chid'st, who walks not righteously,
Another practiseth a sweet hypocrisy
[161] That love and praise secures, and him on high upraises,
While in the lurch the world thee leaves, and much abases.
Thou say'st that virtue is the Christian's fairest crown,
But reputation doth the world lay stress upon ”

“ They recommended him as an honourable, estimable, and learned man, whose diligence and erudition were known, of good parts and incorrupt doctrine, of a peace-loving disposition and blameless Christian life, which qualities had procured for him the love of all classes, high and low, in Berlin. They furthermore added that he had frequently, at their friendly invitation, exercised the excellent gifts with which God had endowed him for the edification of the church, and had thereby deserved well of the people, and endeared himself to them. ”

“ Night falls upon His flock, He then
To rest in peace us maketh.
The Spirit God gives from above
Directeth all who truly love
In ways of safety ever;
He guides our goings every day,
From paths of bliss to turn away
Our feet permits us never. ”

“ Against Thee burn, I do no more
Amid the rage of angry foes,
Than 'neath Thy shelt'ring wings repose.
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Lord, search and know my heart and mood,
See if my way be right and good,
The everlasting joyful road
Lead me that brings me home to God.
[143] Songs of the Cross and Consolation.
UNDER THE TRIALS OF THIS LIFE.
Full often as I meditate
Upon the world's disorder'd state,
I ask myself if earthly life
Be good, and worthy of the strife,
Has he not acted for the best
Who laid himself betimes to rest? ”

“ The happy fortune thou hast had, we'd see and know it.”
Stand firm, thou pious heart, stand firm, thy faith retain!
'Mid disappointment sore thy God will true remain,
Commit thy ways to Him, let Him protect and guide thee,
Thou'lt triumph at the last o'er evils that betide thee.
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Dost fail to please thy kind?—It is a sad disgrace!
Enough, if on thee smile thy heav'nly Father's face.
The worst that man can do is to betray and leave thee;
But God is righteous, and His judgment can't deceive thee. ”

“ A full o'erflowing measure.
The goodness Thou bestowest,
The mercy that Thou showest,
Till life itself forsake me,
Shall glad and joyful make me.
Thy service will I never
Forsake, but praise Thee ever,
In Thy house where Thou livest,
Reward to goodness givest.
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As long as life is given
On earth here, and in heaven
Where I shall stand before Thee,
I'll evermore adore Thee!
Morning and Evening Songs. ”

“ Ne'er through time in worth decrease,
But remain for ever good.
[157] Earthly goods must pass away,
Soul-goods never can decay.
Still art thou so blind, alas!
Thinking—but all erringly,
Eyes hast thou, but in the glass
Of the word thou dost not see.
Child of man! fix there thine eyes,
For it is a peerless prize.
Count thy fingers every one,
And thine other members o'er,
They are precious, they're thine own,
Lov'd by thee than treasure more,
Gold could never from thee buy
E'en the least, though men should try. ”

“ No sympathy was manifested towards him. He was asked if he wished to recede from his promise, and whether he wished a house pro dignitate; and was told that they did not know he had so large a household, and that what had been good enough before might be good enough still. All this must have been exceedingly annoying and humiliating to Gerhardt. Other points were raised with reference to the details of his ministerial duties; but leaving them for friendly settlement after his entrance on his office, he simply claimed that a house, not pro dignitate, but pro necessitate, should be prepared. ”

“ His sorrow, and God's love, the soul's questions, and God's answers in him and in his songs, become one—so one as can only be when the experience is not only true for the individual, but also for the people and the church.
“For this reason Paul Gerhardt's are people's songs. They remind us sometimes of Friedrich Spee; above all, the glorious song,
‘Go forth, my heart, and seek delight.'
But how much richer and more many-sided is the Evangelical than the Catholic poet, and at the same time better known and more familiar to the people! ”

“ Do people good whether they can requite you or not, for what men cannot requite the Creator of Heaven and earth has long ago requited, in that He created thee, hath given thee His dear Son, and in holy baptism hath received and adopted thee as His son and heir.
“5. Flee covetousness like hell. Be content with what thou hast acquired with honour and a good conscience, though it may not be too much. Should God grant thee more, pray Him to preserve thee from any hurtful misuse of temporal possessions. ”

“ And ne'er to serve Thee right attain?
It is more loss to us than gain.
The knowledge men themselves attain
May easily mislead again;
And when our art hath done its best,
On all sides obstacles arrest. ”

“ Nor let aught overthrow thee,
E'en when the heav'ns shall pass away
And earth shall crash below thee:
God promiseth His grace to thee,
His word is clear, who fearlessly
Trusts it, is ne'er deceivèd.
So darest thou His pow'r so great
Ne'er doubt a moment even,
Who is it that doth all create,—
By whom all gifts are given?
God doth it, and His counsel wise
Can ever ways and means devise,
When every man despaireth. ”

“ CHRISTIAN JOY IN DEATH.
My face, why should'st thou troubled be
When thou of death art hearing?
Know it, it cannot injure thee,
Contemplate it, ne'er fearing.
When thou dost know
Death, all its woe
Will soon be disappearing.
From the old serpent's face first tear
The mask he is assuming,
And lo! no poison more is there,
'Tis harmless through the coming
Of Christ to save,
Who to the grave
Went down, death thus o'ercoming.
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Thou, Lord, didst break our foe's great pow'r,
His sting thus from him taking,
The butt of scorn he's evermore,
No mischief can be making. ”