"Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray"
                     by Johann B. Freystein, 1671-1718
               Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878
                                Text From:
                            THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
               (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941)



        1. Rise, my soul, to watch and pray,
        From thy sleep awaken;
        Be not by the evil day
        Unawares o'ertaken.
        For the Foe,
        Well we know,
        Oft his harvest reapeth
        While the Christian sleepeth.

        2. Watch against the devil's snares
        Lest asleep he find thee;
        For indeed no pains he spares
        To deceive and blind thee.
        Satan's prey
        Oft are they
        Who secure are sleeping
        And no watch are keeping.

        3. Watch! Let not the wicked world
        With its pow'r defeat thee.
        Watch lest with her pomp unfurled
        She betray and cheat thee.
        Watch and see
        Lest there be
        Faithless friends to charm thee,
        Who but seek to harm thee.

        4. Watch against thyself, my soul,
        Lest with grace thou trifle;
        Let not self thy tho'ts control
        Nor God's mercy stifle.
        Pride and sin
        Lurk within
        All thy hopes to scatter;
        Heed not when they flatter.

        5. But while watching, also pray
        To the Lord unceasing.
        He will free thee, be thy stay,
        Strength and faith increasing.
        O Lord, bless
        In distress
        And let nothing swerve me
        From the will to serve Thee.

        6. Therefore let us watch and pray,
        Knowing He will hear us
        As we see from day to day
        Dangers ever near us,
        And the end
        Doth impend--
        Our redemption neareth
        When the Lord appeareth.

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        Notes:
        Hymn #446 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Matthew 26:41
        Author: Johann B. Freystein, 1697, cento
        Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863, alt.
        Titled: "Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit"
        Tune: "Straf mich nicht"
        1st Published in: _Hundert Arien_
        Town: Dresden, 1694
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
        by Marilyn F. Gardner 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.

                        E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu

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