1 O Savior dear,
Thy manger drear
I fain would call a paradise of glory.
Here Thou, O Lord,
Incarnate Word,
Dost lie as prophets told in sacred story.
2 The wind and sea
Are calmed by Thee,
Thou art enthroned as King in highest heaven;
And yet Thy dress
Is lowliness,
Thou as an infant small to us art given.
3 O God of love,
To heav'n above
Upon Thy throne our weakness Thou hast lifted;
Thine only Son
Is now as one
With us, who had like passing vapor drifted.
4 What though our foe
Would bring us low?
His deadly anger can no more appall us.
Though Adam's fall
Has tainted all,
Thy saving grace to glory doth recall us.
5 Thou prince of hell,
Thy plans so fell
Do not avail thee for our condemnation;
Thy vaunted gain
Is all in vain,
For Jesus is the Fount of our salvation.
6 The highest Good,
Our flesh and blood,
Is Lord of all and governs every nation;
It cannot be
That ever He
Should let us suffer needless tribulation.
7 Let others hold
Their wealth of gold,
Thou truly hast a more abiding treasure;
Rejoice and sing,
Thy praises bring
To Him who blesseth thee in fullest measure.
Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #360
Paul Gerhardt (b. Gräfenheinichen, Saxony, Germany, 1607; d. Lubben, Germany, 1676), famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Crüger. He served the Lutheran parish of Mittenwalde near Berlin (1651-1657) and the great St. Nicholas' Church in Berlin (1657-1666). Friederich William, the Calvinist elector, had issued an edict that forbade the various Protestant groups to fight each other. Although Gerhardt did not want strife between the churches, he refused to comply with the edict because he thought it opposed the Lutheran "Formula of Concord," which condemned some Calvinist doctrines. Consequently, he was r… Go to person page >
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