Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs Part 7

Of all forlorn be Father, All erring ones ingather, And of the poor and needy Be Thou the succour speedy.

Grace show to all afflicted, And to all souls dejected, By melancholy haunted, May happy thoughts be granted.

All earthly gifts excelling, The Holy Ghost indwelling, Give us to make us glorious, And lead to Thee victorious.

All this Thy hand bestoweth, Thou Life! whence our life floweth, Thus Thou Thy people meetest With New Year's blessing greetest.

The Sufferings of Christ.--Good Friday.

A LAMB BEARS ALL THE GUILT AWAY.

Isa. liii. 4-7; John i. 29.

A Lamb bears all its guilt away The world thus to deliver, All sins of sinners patiently It bears and murmurs never.

It goes, and weak and sick is made An off'ring on the altar laid, All pleasure it forsaketh, Submits to shame, and scorn, and wrath, To anguish, wounds, stripes, cross, and death, This cup with gladness taketh.

This Lamb, He is the soul's great Friend And everlasting Saviour, G.o.d chooseth Him sin's reign to end And bring us to His favour.

"Go forth, my Son! redeem to Thee The children who're exposed by me To punishment and anger.

The punishment is great, and dread The wrath, but Thou Thy blood shalt shed, And free them thus from danger."

"I'll go where, Father! thou dost send, Bear what on me Thou layest, My will doth on Thy word depend, My work is what Thou sayest."

O mighty love! O wondrous love!

Thou canst do all our thoughts above, Make G.o.d His Son deliver!

O love! O love! Thy pow'r how great!

Thou did'st Him e'en to death prostrate Whose glance the rocks can s.h.i.+ver.

Thou martyr'st Him upon the tree, With spear and nails destroying Thou slay'st Him, lamblike, ruthlessly, Till heart and veins are flowing, The heart with many a long-drawn sigh, And till His veins are copiously Their n.o.ble life-blood yielding.

Sweet Lamb! what shall I do for Thee For all the good Thou doest me, Thus saving me and s.h.i.+elding?

All my life long I'll cleave to Thee And shall forget Thee never, As always Thou embracest me I will embrace Thee ever.

My heart's Light Thou shalt ever be, And when my heart shall break in me Thy heart shall fail me never.

O Thou, my Glory, I to Thee Myself as Thine own property Herewith resign for ever!

I ever shall both night and day Thy loveliness be singing, An offering of joy shall aye Myself to Thee be bringing.

My stream of life shall still to Thee, And to Thy name, outpoured be, In grat.i.tude enduring.

Of every good Thou doest me, My soul shall mindful strive to be, In memory securing!

Shrine of my heart! now open'd be, To thee shall now be given Fair treasures that far greater be Than earth, and sea, and heaven.

Away! gold of Arabia, Myrrh, calamus, and ca.s.sia, Far better I discover!

My priceless treasure is, O Thou My Jesus! what so freely now From Thy wounds floweth over!

Good use of this behoves it me At all times to be making, My s.h.i.+eld in conflict shall it be, My joy when heart is breaking, In happiness my song of joy; When all things else my taste do cloy, This manna then shall feed me, In thirst my well-spring shall it be, In solitude converse with me, And out and in shall lead me!

What can death's poison do to me?

Thy blood to me life giveth, And when the sun burns fervently, With grateful shade relieveth; And when with sorrow sore oppress'd I ever find in it my rest, As sick men on their pillows.

My anchor art Thou, when my skies Are clouded o'er, and tempests rise, My bark 'whelm in the billows.

And when at last heav'n's gate I see, And taste the kingdom's pleasure, This blood shall then my purple be, I'll clothe me in this treasure; It shall be then my glorious crown, In which I'll stand before the throne Of G.o.d, with none to blame me; And as a bride in fair array, I'll stand beside my Lord that day, Who woo'd, and then will claim me.

SEE, WORLD! THY LIFE a.s.sAILED.

See, world! thy Life a.s.sailed; On the accurs'd tree nailed, 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 surpa.s.sing 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 h.e.l.l.

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 crowned With thorns, and Thou'rt disowned 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 gla.s.s revealing Pure innocence, and sealing Love and unfeign'd sincerity.

Of sin how great the danger, How it excites G.o.d'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 a.s.suring 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!