Alas! my God! my sins are great

Full Text

Alas! my God! my sins are great,
My conscience doth upbraid me;
And now I find that at my strait
No man hath pow'r to aid me.

And fled I hence, In my despair,
In some lone spot to hide me,
My griefs would still be with me there,
Thy hand still hold and guide me.

Nay, Thee I seek;--I merit nought,
Yet pity and restore me;
Be not Thy wrath, just God, my lot,
Thy Son hath suffer'd for me.

If pain and woe must follow sin,
Then be my path still rougher,
Here spare me not; if heaven I win,
On earth I gladly suffer.

But curb my heart, forgive my guilt,
Make Thou my patience firmer,
For they must miss the good Thou wilt,
Who at Thy teachings murmur.

Then deal with me as seems Thee hest,
Thy grace will help me bear it,
If but at last I see Thy rest,
And with my Saviour share it.

The Chorale Book for England, 1863

Author: Martin Rutilius

Rutilius, Martin, son of Gregorius Rüdel or Rutilius (who in 1548 was diaconus at Salza, near Magdeburg, and in 1551 became pastor at Düben on the Mülde, in Saxony), was born Jan. 21, 1550. After studying at the Universities of Wittenberg and Jena, he was appointed, in 1575, pastor at Teutleben, near Gotha. In 1586 he became diaconus at Weimar, where, after being for some time archidiaconus, he died Jan. 18, 1618. The translations [of his hymns] in common use are:— 1. 0 God my Lord! How great's the Hoard. In full by J. C. Jacobi, in his Psalter Germanica, 1722, p. 56. In his edition 1732, p. 89, it was greatly altered, and st. 1.—ill., viii., x. of this form were included in the Evangelical Union Hymn Book, 1856. 2. When… Go to person page >

Translator: Catherine Winkworth

Catherine Winkworth is "the most gifted translator of any foreign sacred lyrics into our tongue, after Dr. Neale and John Wesley; and in practical services rendered, taking quality with quantity, the first of those who have laboured upon German hymns. Our knowledge of them is due to her more largely than to any or all other translators; and by her two series of Lyra Germanica, her Chorale Book, and her Christian Singers of Germany, she has laid all English-speaking Christians under lasting obligation." --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A., 1872… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Alas! my God! my sins are great
Author: Martin Rutilius (1604)
Translator: Catherine Winkworth (1863)
Language: English

Timeline

Instances

Instances (11)TextImageAudioScore
Chorale Book for England, The #107TextImage
Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #421
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #236Image
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d11
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnbook (Lutheran Conference of Missouri and Other States) #d11
Hymnal: for churches and Sunday-schools of the Augustana Synod #249Image
The Hymnal and Order of Service #d13
The Hymnal and Order of Service #d15
The Hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana Synod. Text ed. #d15
The Lutheran Hymnal #317
The Lutheran Hymnary: Published by authority of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Hauge's Evangelical Lutheran Synod and United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America #d15