Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

Representative Text

1. Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ!
Ich bitt' erhör' mein klagen,
Verleih' mir gnad' zu dieser frist,
Laß mich doch nicht verzagen,
Den rechten weg, o Herr! ich mein',
Den wollest du mir geben,
Dir zu leben,
Mein'm nächsten nütz zu sein,
Dein wort zu halten eben.

2. Ich bitt' noch mehr, o Herre Gott!
Du kannst es mir wohl geben,
Daß ich nicht wieder werd' zu spott,
Die hoffnung gib darneben,
Voraus wenn ich muß hie davon,
Daß ich dir mög' vertrauen,
Und nicht bauen
Auf alles mein thun,
Sonst wird's mich ewig reuen.

3. Verleih'! daß ich aus herzensgrund
Mein'n feinden mög' vergeben,
Verzeih' mir auch zu dieser stund',
Schaff' mir ein neues leben.
Dein wort mein speis' laß allweg' sein,
Damit mein' seel' zu nähren,
Mich zu wehren,
Wenn unglück geht daher,
Das mich bald möcht' verkehren.

4. Laß mich kein' lust, noch furcht von dir
In dieser welt abwenden,
Beständig sein an's end' gib mir,
Du hast's allein in händen,
Und wem du's gibst, der hat's umsonst,
Es mag niemand erwerben,
Noch ererben
Durch werd' deine gnad',
Die uns erett't vom sterben.

5. Ich lieg' im streit und widerstreb',
Hilf, o Herr Christ! dem schwachen,
An deiner gnad' allein ich kleb',
Du kannst mich stärker machen,
Kömmt nun anfechtung her, so wehr',
Daß sie mich nicht umstoße,
Du kannst maßen,
Daß mir's nicht bring' gefahr,
Ich weiß, du wirst's nicht lassen. Amen.

Source: Kirchen-Gesangbuch: für Evangelisch-Lutherische Gemeinden #273

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Author: Johann Agricola

Agricola, Johann or Johannes (latinized from Schneider, (Schnitter) or Sartor, also called Magister Islebius), born April 20, 1492, at Eisleben, where his father was a tailor. During his University course at Wittenberg, Luther took a great interest in him, entertained him at his own table, took him with him to Leipzig for the disputation, in 1519, with Dr. Eck, and in 1525 procured for him the position of Rector of St. Andrew's School at Eisleben, and preacher at St. Nicholas's Church there. He remained in Eisleben till 1536, working hand in hand with Luther; but after his removal to Wittenberg, in 1536, as one of the lecturers in the University, he developed Antinomian views, and, in 1537, published a series of theses which Luther answered… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ
Author:	Johann Agricola
Language:	German
Copyright:	Public Domain

French

Kirchengesangbuch fuer Evangelisch-Lutherische Gemeinden ungeanderter Augsburgischer Konfession #ad184

German

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Notes

Suggested tune: ICH RUF ZU DIR;
Four hymns by [Johannes Agricola] appeared in the early Lutheran hymnbooks, two of which were retained by Luther in Babst's Gesangbuch, Leipzig, 1545.
1. Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ. [Supplication.] Wackernagel, iii. pp. 54-55, gives two forms of this, in 5 stanzas of 9 lines, the first from Geistliche Lieder, Erfurt, 1531, the second from an undated broadsheet before 1530, entitled, "A new hymn of supplication for Faith, Love, and Hope, and for a Holy Life; composed by John of Eisleben, preacher to John Duke of Saxony." Fischer, i. 345, refers to the Nürnberg broadsheet, c. 1526, quoted in Wackernagel's Bibliographie, 1855, p. 89, and adds that in his opinion the disfavour into which Agricola fell after the outbreak of the Antinomian controversy caused the suppression of his name in the hymn-books. After appearing in Klug's Geistliche Lieder, 1529, the hymn was included in almost all subsequent hymn-books, and so recently as No. 379 in the Unverfälschter Liedersegen, 1851.
It is sometimes erroneously ascribed to Paulus Speratus, an assumption originating with the Riga Gesang-buch of 1664. It was a favourite hymn of Valerius Herberger, of P. J. Spener (who requested it to be sung at his deathbed), and of many others.
Translations in common use:—
1. Lord Jesu Christ, I cry to Thee. A good translation, omitting stanza iv., by A. T. Russell, as No. 200 in his Psalms & Hymns, 1851.
2. Lord, hear the voice of my complaint. A full and very good translation as No. 116 by Miss Winkworth in her Chorale Book for England, 1863.
Other translations are:—
(1) “I call on the, Lorde Jesu Christ," by Bp. Coverdale, 1539 ( Remains, 1846, p. 560), repeated, slightly altered, in the Gude and Godly Ballates (ed. 1568, folio 34), ed. 1868, p. 57. (2) " I cry to Thee, my dearest Lord," by J. C. Jacobi, 1122, p. 68; in his edition1732, p. 114, altered to "To Thee, 0 Lord, I send my cries," and thence as No. 310 in pt. i. of the Moravian Hymn Book 1754; omitted in 1789 and 1801; in the Supplement of 1808, stanzas i., iv. were included as No. 1082, and repeated in later editions altered to "To Thee I send my fervent cries." (3) "I cry to Thee, 0 Christ our Lord! " by N. L. Frothingham, 1870, p. 205. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]