"If God Had Not Been on Our Side"
                        by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546
                                  Text From:
                      THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
             (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942), pp. 197-198


        If God Had Not Been on Our Side

        1. If God had not been on our side
        And had not come to aid us,
        The foes with all their power and pride
        Would surely have dismayed us;
        For we, His flock, would have to fear
        The threat of men both far and near
        Who rise in might against us.

        2. Their furious wrath, did God permit,
        Would surely have consumed us
        And as a deep and yawning pit
        With life and limb entombed us.
        Like men o'er whom dark waters roll
        Their wrath would have engulfed our soul
        And, like a flood, o'erwhelmed us.

        3. Blest be the Lord, who foiledtheir threat
        That they could not devour us;
        Our souls, like birds, escaped their net,
        They could not overpower us.
        The snare is boken--we are free!
        Our help is ever, Lord, in Thee,
        Who madest earth and heaven.

        ___________________________________________________
        Notes:
        267 from the Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal
        Text: Ps. 124
        Author: Martin Luther, 1524
        Translated by: composite
        Titled: War' Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit
        Tune: War' Gott nicht mit uns
        1st Published in: "Gesangbuch"
        Town: Wittenberg, 1537
        ________________________________________________________________

        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.

                         E-mail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
           Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St.,Ft.  Wayne, IN 46825 USA
         Phone: (260) 481-2123                       Fax: (260) 481-2126
        ________________________________________________________________



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