Thou little flock, be not afraid

Representative Text

1 Thou little flock, be not afraid,
Tho' foes against thee stand arrayed,
All ready to destroy thee;
Although thy ruin they prepare
And fill thee oft with anxious care,
They shall not long annoy thee.

2 Thy cause is God's; this comfort thee;
May His, not thine, the vengeance be;
Let Him perform His pleasure;
The needful help thou shalt obtain;
Thee and His Word He will sustain
Thro' Christ, His own dear Treasure.

3 As God is God, and true His Word,
Fierce Satan and his hellish herd,
The world and all their powers
Shall reap but shame beneath His rod:
God is with us, and we with God:
The vict'ry must be ours.

Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #90

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Author: Michael Altenburg

Altenburg, Johann Michael, b. at Alach, near Erfurt, on Trinity Sunday, 1584. After completing his studies he was for some time teacher and precentor in Erfurt. In 1608 he was appointed pastor of Ilversgehofen and Marbach near Erfurt; in 1611, of Troch-telborn; and in 1621 of Gross-Sommern or Som-merda near Erfurt. In the troublous war times he was forced, in 1631, to flee to Erfurt, and there, on the news of the victory of Leipzig, Sept. 17, 1631, he composed his best known hymn. He remained in Erfurt without a charge till, in 1637, he was appointed diaconus of the Augustino Church, and, in 1638, pastor of St. Andrew's Church. He d. at Erfurt February 12, 1640 (Koch, iii. 115-117 ; Allg. Deutsche Biog., i. p. 363, and x. p. 766—the latte… Go to person page >

Translator: Mathias Loy

Loy, M., President of the Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, contributed several original hymns, and translations from the German, to the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. Published by Order of the Evangelical Lutheran Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States. Columbus, Ohio, 1880. The translations may be found through the Index of Authors, &c.; the original hymns are the following:— 1. An awful mystery is here. Holy Communion. 2. At Jesus' feet our infant sweet. Holy Baptism. 3. Come, humble soul, receive the food. Holy Communion. 4. Give me, 0 Lord, a spirit lowly. Humility desired. 5. God gave His word to holy men. Inspiration of Holy Scripture. 6. God of grace, Whose word is sure. Faithfulness. 7. How matchless is… Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	Thou little flock, be not afraid
German Title:	Verzage nicht du Häuflein klein
Author:	Michael Altenburg
Translator:	Mathias Loy
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Notes

Verzage nicht du Häuflein klein. [In Trouble.] Concerning the authorship of this hymn there are three main theories—i. that it is by Gustavus Adolphus; ii. that the ideas are his and the diction that of his chaplain, Dr. Jacob Fabricius; and iii. that it is by Altenburg.
This hymn has ever been a favourite in Germany, was sung in the house of P. J. Spener every Sunday afternoon, and of late years has been greatly used at meetings of the Gustavus Adolphus Union—-an association for the help of Protestant Churches in Roman Catholic countries. In translations it has passed into many English and American collections.
Translations in common use:—

3. Thou little flock, be not afraid. A translation of stanzas i.-iii. from the 1638 text, by M. Loy, in the Ohio Lutheran Hymnal, 1880, No. 197. [Rev. James Mearns, M. A..]

-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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