Christians, prayer may well employ you

Representative Text

1 Christians, prayer may well employ you,
The powers of darkness would destroy you:
Yea, Satan's self has planned your fall,
Wield God's word, a weapon glorious,
Against each foe; and soon victorious
Our God will make you o'er them all.
Is Satan strong and fell?
Here is Immanuel.
Sing Hosanna!
The strong ones yield,
With Christ our shield,
And we as conquerors hold the field.

2 Cast afar this world's vain pleasures,
Aye, boldly fight for heavenly treasures,
And steadfast be in Jesus' might,
He will help, whate'er betide you:
And naught will harm with Christ beside you:
Be faith you'll conquer in the fight.
Then shame, O weary soul!
Look forth toward the goal:
There joy waits you.
The race then run,
The combat done,
Your crown of glory will be won.

3 Wisely fight, for time is fleeting,
The hours of grace are swift retreating!
And life is shortest to the wise.
When the trump the dead is waking,
And sinners all with fear are quaking,
Then will the saints with joy arise.
Bless God: our triumph's sure,
Though long we did endure
Scorn and trial.
Thou, Son of God,
To Thy abode
Wilt lead the way Thyself hast trod.

4 Jesus, all Thy children cherish,
And keep them that they never perish,
Whom Thou hast purchased with Thy blood.
Give new life, that our desiring
Be ever heavenward aspiring,
For what is holy, true and good.
Thy Spirit on us pour,
That we may love Thee more--
Hearts o'erflowing:
And then will we
Be true to Thee
In death and life eternally.



Source: The Lutheran Hymnary #165

Author: Wilhelm Erasmus Arends

Arends, Wilhelm Erasmus, son of E. F. Arnds, pastor at Langenstein, near Halberstadt, was born at Langenstein, Feb. 5,1677. He became, in 1707, pastor at Crottorf, near Halberstadt, and in 1718, pastor of the church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Halberstadt. He died at the latter place, May 16,1721 (Koch, iv. 389; Allg. Deutsche Biog., i. 516; manuscript from Pastor Spierling, Halberstadt, and Pastor Schafft, Langenstein). He is said to have contributed three hymns to pt. ii., 1714, of Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch Of these Nos. 118, 303 are ascribed to him at p. 3 of the Grischow-Kirchner Nachricht, 1771, to Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch, while the other is left anonymous. It is:— Rüstet euch ihr Christenleute. [Christian Warfare.] First… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Christians, prayer may well employ you
German Title: Rüstet euch ihr Christenleute
Author: Wilhelm Erasmus Arends
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Rüstet euch ihr Christenleute. [Christian Warfare.] First published as No. 360 in 1714 as above, in 4 stanzas of 11 lines. Dr. Jacobs of Wernigerode informs me that Count Christian Ernst of Wernigerode (d. 1771), a well-known German hymnologist, ascribed it to Arends in a marked copy of the 1741 ed. of Freylinghausen's Gesang-Buch. Koch styles it "a call to arms for spiritual conflict and victory." Included in many later hymnbooks, and recently as No. 675 in the Berlin Geistliche Liedersegan, ed. 1863.
Translation in common use:—
Christians, prayer may well employ you. A full and good translation contributed by J. M. Sloan as No. 289 to Wilson's Service of Praise, 1865. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.]

- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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The Lutheran Hymnary #165

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