See, world! thy Life assailèd

See, world! thy Life assailèd

Author: Paul Gerhardt; Translator: J. Kelly
Published in 10 hymnals

Representative Text

See, world! thy Life assailèd;
On the accurs’d tree nailèd,
Thy Saviour sinks in death!
The mighty Prince from Heaven
Himself hath freely given
To shame, and blows, and cruel wrath!

Come hither now and ponder,
’Twill fill thy soul with wonder,
Blood streams from every pore.
Through grief whose depth none knoweth,
From His great heart there floweth
Sigh after sigh of anguish o’er!

Who is it that afflicts Thee?
My Saviour, what dejects Thee,
And causeth all Thy woe?
Sin Thou committed’st never,
As we and our seed ever,
Of deeds of evil nought dost know.

I many times transgressing,
In number far surpassing
The sand upon the coast,
I thus the cause have given,
That Thou with grief art riven,
And the afflicted martyr host.

I’ve done it, and deliver
Me hand and foot for ever
Thou justly might’st to hell.
The mock’ry to Thee offer’d,
The scourging Thou hast suffer’d,
My soul it was deserv’d it well.

The load Thou takest on Thee,
That press’d so sorely on me,
Than stone more heavily.
A curse, Lord, Thou becamest,
Thus blessings for me claimest,
Thy pain must all my comfort be.

Not death itself Thou fearest,
As surety Thou appearest
For all my debts and me.
For me Thy brow is crownèd
With thorns, and Thou’rt disownèd
By men, and bear’st all patiently.

Into death’s jaws Thou springest,
Deliv’rance to me bringest
From such a monster dire.
My death away Thou takest,
Thy grave its grave Thou makest;
Of love, O unexampled fire!

I’m bound, my Saviour, ever,
By ties most sacred never
Thy service to forsake;
With soul and body ever,
With all my pow’rs t’ endeavour,
In praise and service joy to take.

Not much can I be giving
In this poor life I’m living,
But one thing do I say:
Thy death and sorrows ever,
Till soul from body sever,
My heart remember shall for aye.

Before mine eyes I’ll place them,
And joyfully embrace them,
Wherever I may be,
They’ll be a glass revealing
Pure innocence, and sealing
Love and unfeign’d sincerity.

Of sin how great the danger,
How it excites God’s anger,
How doth His vengeance burn
How sternly He chastiseth,
How His wrath’s flood ariseth,
Shall I from all Thy suff’rings learn.

From them shall I be learning,
How I may be adorning,
My heart with quietness,
And how I still should love them
Whose malice aye doth move them
To grieve me by their wickedness.

When tongues of bad men grieve me,
Of peace and name deprive me,
My restive heart I’ll still;
Their evil deeds enduring,
Of pardon free assuring
My neighbour for his ev’ry ill.

I’ll on the cross unite me
To Thee, what doth delight me
I’ll there renounce for aye.
Whate’er Thy Spirit’s grieving,
There I’ll for aye be leaving,
As much as in my strength doth lay.

Thy groaning and Thy sighing,
Thy thousand tears and crying,
That once were heard from Thee,
They’ll lead me to Thy glory,
Where I shall joy before Thee,
And evermore at rest shall be!

Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs, 1867

Author: Paul Gerhardt

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 >

Translator: J. Kelly

Kelly, John, was born at Newcastle-on-Tyne, educated at Glasgow University, studied theology at Bonn, New College, Edinburgh, and the Theological College of the English Presbyterian Church (to which body he belongs) in London. He has ministered to congregations at Hebburn-on-Tyne and Streatham, and was Tract Editor of the Religious Tract Society. His translations of Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs were published in 1867. Every piece is given in full, and rendered in the metre of the originals. His Hymns of the Present Century from the German were published in 1886 by the Religious Tract Society. In these translations the metres of the originals have not always been followed, whilst some of the hymns have been abridged and others condens… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: See, world! thy Life assailèd
German Title: O Welt, sieh hier dein Leben
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translator: J. Kelly
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 10 of 10)

Book of Hymns for the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Wisconsin and Other States #d226

Book of Hymns for the joint Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and other states #d226

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #d390

Forty-Six Chorales #d39

Page Scan

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools #88

Hymnal for Colleges and Schools. 3rd ed. #d271

Text

Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs #13

TextPage Scan

Wartburg Hymnal #172

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #77

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #205

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