A Mountain Fastness is our God

Representative Text

1 A Mountain Fastness is our God,
On which our souls are planted:
And though the fierce foe rage abroad,
Our hearts are nothing daunted.
What though he beset,
With weapon and net,
Array'd in death-strife?
In God are help and life:
He is our Sword and Armour.

2 By our own might we naught can do;
To trust it were sure losing;
For us must fight the right and True,
The Man of god's own choosing.
Dost ask for His Name?
Christ Jesus we claim;
The Lord God of hosts;
The only God; vain boasts
Of others fall before Him.

3 What though the troops of Satan fill'd
The world with hostile forces?
E'en though our fears should all be still'd:
In God are our resources.
The world and its King
No terrors can bring;
Their threats are no worth:
Their doom is now gone forth:
A singe word can quell them.

4 God's word through all shall have free sway,
And ask no man's permission:
The Spirit and His gifts convey
Strength to defy perdition.
The body to kill,
Wife, children, at will,
The wicked have power:
Yet last it but an hour!
The kingdom's ours for ever!

5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
For ever be outpouring
One chorus from the heavenly host
And saints on earth adoring!
That chorus resound
To earth's utmost bound,
And spread from shore to shore,
Like stormy ocean's roar,
Through endless ages rolling.


Source: Hymnal: according to the use of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America #397

Translator: Willliam Rollnson Whittingham

Whittingham, William Rollinson, D.D., LL.D., was born in New York, Dec. 2, 1805. He received his early education from his mother, and subsequently graduated at the General Theological Seminary, New York, 1825. He was for some time Rector of St. Mark's, Orange, New Jersey; then of St. Luke's, New York; and afterwards Professor of Ecclesiastical History in the General Seminary, N. Y., 1835. In 1840 he was consecrated Bishop of Maryland, and died in 1879. For talent, learning, and character, Bishop Whittingham is allowed to be one of the great American Bishops, if not the greatest. His contributions to hymnology were Specimens of a Church Hymnal, Baltimore, Dec. 1865, and two translations from the German, which appeared in Hymns for Church an… Go to person page >

Author: Martin Luther

Luther, Martin, born at Eisleben, Nov. 10, 1483; entered the University of Erfurt, 1501 (B.A. 1502, M.A.. 1503); became an Augustinian monk, 1505; ordained priest, 1507; appointed Professor at the University of Wittenberg, 1508, and in 1512 D.D.; published his 95 Theses, 1517; and burnt the Papal Bull which had condemned them, 1520; attended the Diet of Worms, 1521; translated the Bible into German, 1521-34; and died at Eisleben, Feb. 18, 1546. The details of his life and of his work as a reformer are accessible to English readers in a great variety of forms. Luther had a huge influence on German hymnody. i. Hymn Books. 1. Ellich cristlich lider Lobgesang un Psalm. Wittenberg, 1524. [Hamburg Library.] This contains 8 German h… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: A Mountain Fastness is our God
Author: Martin Luther
Translator: Willliam Rollnson Whittingham
Meter: Irregular
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

EIN FESTE BURG

The original rhythms of EIN FESTE BURG (see 469) had already reached their familiar isorhythmic (all equal rhythms) shape by the time of Johann S. Bach (PHH 7) in the eighteenth century. The harmonization is taken from his Cantata 80. Many organ and choral works are based on this chorale, including…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 12 of 12)
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A Church hymnal #385

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A Collection of Hymns #256

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Hymnal and Canticles of the Protestant Episcopal Church with Music (Gilbert & Goodrich) #397

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Hymnal Companion to the Prayer Book #369

Hymnal of the Reformed Episcopal Church, adopted in General Council, Chicago, May 1879 #d4

Text

Hymnal #397

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Hymnal #397

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Hymns for Church and Home #248

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The Church Hymnal with Canticles #397

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The Church Hymnal #189

The Churchman's Hymn-Book, a Collection of Hymns Old and New, for Use in the Services of the Church #d4

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The Hymnal #397

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