Up, my soul, gird thee with power

Representative Text

1 Up, my soul, gird thee with pow'r,
Watch! to prayer betake thee;
Lest the sudden evil hour
Unawares o'ertake thee.
Satan's prey
Soon are they,
Who, with best endeavor,
Watch not, pray not, ever.

2 But first rouse thee, and awake
From secure indiff'rence;
Else will follow in its wake
Woe without deliv'rance.
Take thou heed!
Utter need,
Death in sins might find thee,
Ere thou look behind thee.

3 Wake, arouse! else can the Lord
Not enlighten, ground thee;
Nor thou see the quick'ning Word
Shine in splendor round thee.
God demands
Eyes and hands
Open for the offers,
He so richly proffers.

4 With thy watching mingle prayer;
Grace but rids from slumber.
God rids thee from slothful care
And the weights that cumber;
Else will still
Mind and will
Lukewarm praises tender,
And cold service render.

5 God will have it that we ask,
And it shall be given;
Who pray alway, alway bask
In the grace of heaven.
Ere they plead
Will He heed,
Strengthen, keep, defend them,
And deliv'rance send them.

6 Cheer thee then, my soul! all must
Work for good and bless us,
If we but in prayerful trust
To God's Son address us;
And He will
Richly fill,
And His Spirit send us,
Who to Him commend us.

7 Let us watch then, pray, with heed,
God will prove our Hearer;
For the hour of utmost need
Constantly draws nearer.
Saints will cheer,
Sinners fear,
When the trumpet calleth,
Earth in ruins falleth.

Source: American Lutheran Hymnal #229

Author: Johann Burchard Freystein

Freystein, Johann Burchard, son of A. S. Freystein, vice-chancellor of Duke August of Saxony and inspector of the Gymnasium at Weissenfels, was born at Weissenfels, April 18, 1671. At the University of Leipzig he studied law, mathematics, philosophy and architecture. He resided for some time at Berlin and Halle and then went to Dresden as assistant to a lawyer. After graduating L.L.D. at Jena in 1695, he began an independent legal practice at Dresden. In 1703 he became Rath at Gotha, but returned to Dresden in 1709 as Hof-und Justizrath, and was also, in 1713, appointed a member of the Board of Works. Enfeebled by his professional labours, he died of dropsy at Dresden, April 1, 1718 (Bode, p. 70; Blätter für Hymnologie, 1884, pp. 22-24; K… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Up, my soul, gird thee with power
Author: Johann Burchard Freystein
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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American Lutheran Hymnal #229

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #396

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Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #396

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a396

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The Church and Sunday-School Hymnal #258

The Oxford American Hymnal for Schools and Colleges #d360

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