"All Mankind Fell in Adam's Fall"

                          by Lazarus Spengler

            Translated by Matthias Loy, 1828-1915

                                 Text From:

                      THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL

        (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)







        1. All mankind fell in Adam's fall,

        One common sin infects them all;

        From sire to son the bane descends,

        And over all the curse impends.



        2. Through all man's powers corruption creeps

        And him in dreadful bondage keeps;

        In guilt he draws his infant breath

        And reaps its fruits of woe and death.



        3. From hearts depraved, to evil prone,

        Flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;

        God's image lost, the darkened soul

        Nor seeks nor finds its heavenly goal.



        4. But Christ, the second Adam, came

        To bear our sin and woe and shame,

        To be our Life, our Light, our Way,

        Our only Hope, our only Stay.



        5. As by one man all mankind fell

        And, born in sin, was doomed to hell,

        So by one Man, who took our place,

        We all received the gift of grace.



        6. We thank Thee, Christ; new life is ours,

        New light, new hope, new strength, new powers:

        May grace our every way attend

        Until we reach our journey's end!



        


        Notes:

        Hymn #369 from The Lutheran Hymnal

        Text: Rom. 3: 12

        Author: Lazarus Spengler, 1524, cento

        Translated by: Matthias Loy, 1880, alt.

        Titled: "Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt"

        Tune: "Wenn wir in hoechsten Noeten"

        1st Published in: "Genevan Psalter", 1547