"To God the Anthem Raising"

                      by Paul Eber, 1511-1569

             Translated by Carl Doving, 1867-1937

                                  Text From:

                       THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL

        (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)







        1. To God the anthem raising,

        Sing, Christians, great and small;

        Sing out, His goodness praising,

        Oh, thank Him one and all!

        Behold how God this year,

        Which now is safely ended,

        Hath in His love befriended

        His children far and near.



        2. Let us consider rightly

        His mercies manifold

        And let us not think lightly

        Of all His gifts untold.

        Let thankfulness recall

        How God this year hath led us,

        How He hath clothed and fed us,

        The great ones and the small.



        3. To Church and State He granted

        His peace in every place,

        His vineyard He hath planted

        Among us by His grace.

        His ever bounteous hand

        Prosperity hath given

        And want and famine driven

        From this our native land.



        4. His Father heart is yearning

        To take us for His own

        When, our transgressions mourning,

        We trust in Christ alone;

        When in His name we pray

        And humbly make confession,

        He pardons our transgression

        And is our faithful Stay.



        5. Our God hath well defended,

        Hath kept us through His grace;

        But if He had contended

        With us our sins to trace

        And given us our meed,

        We all would then be lying

        In sin and sorrow dying,

        Each one for his misdeed.



        6. O Father dear in heaven,

        For all Thy gifts of love

        Which Thou to us hast given

        We lift our thanks above.

        In Jesus' name we here,

        To Thee our prayers addressing,

        Still ask Thee for Thy blessing:

        Grant us a joyful year.



        


        Notes:

        Hymn #112 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_

        Text: Ps. 101:1

        Author: Paul Eber, 1571

        Translated by: Carl Doving, 1907

        Titled: "Helft mir Gott's Guete preisen"

        Composer: Wolfgang Figulus, 1575

        Tune: "Helft mir Gott's Guete"