"Come, Your Heart and Voices Raising" by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676 Text From: The Handbook to The Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942), p. 73 1. Come, your hearts and voices raising, Christ the Lord with gladness praising; Loudly sing His love amazing, Worthy folk of Christendom. 2. Sin and death may well be groaning, Satan now may well be moaning; We, our full salvation owning, Cast our every care away. 3. See how God, for us providing, Gave His Son and life abiding; He our weary steps is guiding From earth's woe to heavenly joy. 4. Christ, from heaven to us descending And in love our race befriending, In our need His help extending, Saved us from the wily Foe. 5. Jacob's Star in all its splendor Beams with comfort sweet and tender, Forcing Satan to surrender, Breaking all the powers of hell. 6. From the bondage that oppressed us, From sin's fetters that possessed us, From the grief that sore distressed us, We, the captives, now are free. 7. Oh, the joy beyond expressing When by faith we grasp this blessing And to Thee we come confessing, That our freedom thou hast wrought! 8. Gracious Child, we pray Thee, hear us, From Thy lowly manger cheer us, Gently lead us and be near us Till we join the angelic choir. _______________________________________________________________ Notes: Text: Luke 2: 15 Author: Paul Gerhardt, 1667 Translated by: composite Titled: Kommt und lasst uns Christum ehren Tune: Quem pastores 14th-century melody ______________________________________________________________ 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: robert.smith@ctsfw.edu Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St.,Ft. Wayne, IN 46825 USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126 ______________________________________________________________