1 If God be on my side,
Then let who will oppose,
For oft ere now to Him I cried,
And He hath quelled my foes.
If Jesus be my Friend,
If God doth love me well,
What matters all my foes intend,
Tho' strong they be and fell.
Refrain:
If God be on my side,
If Jesus be my Friend,
I'm sure He always will provide,
And guide me to the end.
2 Here I can firmly rest,
I dare to boast of this
That God the Highest and the Best
My Friend and Father is.
From dangerous snares He saves
Where'er He bids me go,
He checks the storms and calms the waves,
Nor lets aught work me woe. [Refrain]
3 I rest upon the ground
Of Jesus and His blood,
For 'tis through Him that I have found
The True Eternal Good.
Nought have I of mine own,
Nought in the life I lead,
What Christ hath given me, that alone
Is worth all love indeed. [Refrain]
Amen.
Source: Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #528
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 >
Catherine Winkworth (b. Holborn, London, England, 1827; d. Monnetier, Savoy, France, 1878) is well known for her English translations of German hymns; her translations were polished and yet remained close to the original. Educated initially by her mother, she lived with relatives in Dresden, Germany, in 1845, where she acquired her knowledge of German and interest in German hymnody. After residing near Manchester until 1862, she moved to Clifton, near Bristol. A pioneer in promoting women's rights, Winkworth put much of her energy into the encouragement of higher education for women. She translated a large number of German hymn texts from hymnals owned by a friend, Baron Bunsen. Though often altered, these translations continue to be used i… Go to person page >
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