"My Soul, Now Bless Thy Maker"
                    by Johann Gramann, 1487-1541
                               Text From:
                   THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
            (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)p.30



        1. My soul, now bless thy Maker!
        Let all within me bless His name
        Who maketh thee partaker
        Of mercies more than thou dar'st claim.
        Forget Him not whose meekness
        Still bears with all thy sin,
        Who healeth all thy weakness,
        Renews thy life within;
        Whose grace and care are endless
        And saved thee through the past;
        Who leaves no sufferer friendless,
        But rights the wronged at last.

        2. He shows to man His treasure
        Of judgment, truth, and righteousness,
        His love beyond all measure,
        His yearning pity o'er distress,
        Nor treats us as we merit,
        But lays His anger by,
        The humble, contrite spirit
        Finds His compassion nigh;
        And high as heaven above us,
        As break from close of day,
        So far, since He doth love us,
        He puts our sins away.

        3. For as a tender father
        Hath pity on his children here,
        He in His arms will gather
        All who are His in childlike fear.
        He knows how frail our powers
        Who but from dust are made;
        We flourish like the fowers,
        And even so we fade;
        The wind but o'er them passes,
        And all their bloom is o'er,-
        We wither like the grasses,
        Our place knows us no more.

        4. God's grace alone endureth,
        And children's children yet shall prove
        How He with strength assureth
        The hearts of all that seek His love.
        In heaven is fixed His dwelling,
        His rule is over all;
        Angels, in might excelling,
        Bright hosts, before Him fall.
        Praise Him, who ever reigneth,
        All ye who hear His Word,
        Nor our poor hymns disdaineth-
        My soul, oh, bless the Lord!

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        Notes:
        Hymn 34 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Psalm 103
        Author: Johann Gramann, 1525
        Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
        Titled: Nun lob, mein' Seel', den Herre
        Tune: Nun lob, mein' Seel'
        1st Published in: "Concentus Novi"
        Town: Augsburg, 1540
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
        by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain.  You may
        freely distribute, copy or print this text.  Please direct any
        comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
        Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

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