"Had God not come, may Israel say."
                       by Martin Luther, 1483-1546
                              Text From:
                     THE HYMNS OF MARTIN LUTHER
           (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1883), p. 49



        1. Had God not come, may Israel say,
        Had God not come to aid us,
        Our enemies on that sad day
        Would surely have dimayed us;
        A remnant now, and handful small,
        Held in contempt and scorn by all
        Who cruelly oppress us.

        2. Their furious wrath, did God permit,
        Would surely have consumed us,
        And in the deep and yawning pit
        With life and limb entombed us;
        Like men o'er whom dark waters roll,
        The streams had gone e'en o'er our soul,
        And mightily o'erwhelmed us.

        3. Thanks be to God, who from the pit
        Snatched us, when it was gaping;
        Our souls, like birds that break the net,
        To the blue skies escaping;
        The snare is broken-we are free!
        The Lord our helper praised be,
        The God of earth and heaven.

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        Notes:
        Text: Psalm CXXIV.-Nisi quia Dominus
        Hymn XXIV from "The Hymns of Martin Luther"
        Author: Martin Luther
        Translated by: Richard Massie
        Titled: "Waer' Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit"
        Melody: 1525
        Harmony: M. Praetorius, 1610
        1st Published in: Walter's :Gesangbuch," 1525
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        by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain.  You may
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        comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
        Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

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