Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode

Representative Text

1 Who trusts in God, a strong abode
in heav'n and earth possesses;
who looks in love to Christ above,
no fear his heart oppresses.
In you alone, dear Lord, we own
sweet hope and consolation:
our shield from foes, our balm for woes,
our great and sure salvation.

2 Though Satan's wrath beset our path,
and worldly scorn assail us,
while you are near we will not fear,
your strength shall never fail us:
your rod and staff shall keep us safe,
and guide our steps forever;
nor shades of death, nor hell beneath,
our souls from you shall sever.

3 In all the strife of mortal life
our feet shall stand securely;
temptation's hour shall lose its pow'r,
for you shall guard us surely.
O God, renew, with heav'nly dew,
our body, soul, and spirit,
until we stand at your right hand,
through Jesus' saving merit.

Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #475

Author (st. 1): Joachim Magdeburg

Magdeburg, Joachim , was born circa 1525 at Gardelegen in the Altmark. He matriculated at the University of Wittenberg, April, 1544, and in 1546 was appointed rector of the school at Schöningen, near Helmstädt, Brunswick. He became pastor of Dannenberg in Lüneburg in 1547, but being unable to exist on his slender income resigned in 1549, and in the same year became pastor of Salzwedel in the Altmark. But refusing to adopt the Roman ceremonies prescribed by the Act of Interim he was, in 1552 (Easter Sunday, April 17) banished from the Electorate of Brandenburg. About May, 1552, by the influence of Johann Aepinus, Superintendent of Hamburg, he was appointed diaconus of St. Peter's Church in Hamburg, and there became acquainted with Flacius… Go to person page >

Author (sts. 2, 3): Anonymous

In some hymnals, the editors noted that a hymn's author is unknown to them, and so this artificial "person" entry is used to reflect that fact. Obviously, the hymns attributed to "Author Unknown" "Unknown" or "Anonymous" could have been written by many people over a span of many centuries. Go to person page >

Translator: Benjamin H. Kennedy

Kennedy, Benjamin Hall, D.D., son of the Rev. Raun Kennedy, sometime Incumbent of St. Paul's, Birmingham, and editor of A Church of England Psalm-Book, &c, 1821 (12th ed. 1848), was born at Summer Hill, near Birmingham, Nov. 6, 1804, and educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham; Shrewsbury School; and St. John's College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1827 (First Class Classical Tripos and First Chancellor's Medallist). He was Fellow of his College 1828-36; Head Master of Shrewsbury School, 1836-66; and Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Cambridge and Canon of Ely , 1867. Dr. Kennedy took Holy Orders in 1829, and was for some time Prebendaiy in Lichfield Cathedral and Rector of West Felton, Salop. He was elected Hon. Fellow… Go to person page >

Alterer: William Walsham How

William W. How (b. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, 1823; d. Leenane, County Mayo, Ireland, 1897) studied at Wadham College, Oxford, and Durham University and was ordained in the Church of England in 1847. He served various congregations and became Suffragan Bishop in east London in 1879 and Bishop of Wakefield in 1888. Called both the "poor man's bishop" and "the children's bishop," How was known for his work among the destitute in the London slums and among the factory workers in west Yorkshire. He wrote a number of theological works about controversies surrounding the Oxford Movement and attempted to reconcile biblical creation with the theory of evolution. He was joint editor of Psalms and Hymns (1854) and Church Hymns (1871). While rec… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Who trusts in God, a strong abode
Title: Who Trusts in God, a Strong Abode
German Title: Wer Gott vertraut hat wohl gebaut
Author (st. 1): Joachim Magdeburg (1572)
Translator: Benjamin H. Kennedy (1863)
Alterer: William Walsham How (1864)
Author (sts. 2, 3): Anonymous (1597)
Meter: 8.7.8.7 D
Source: Harmonia cantionum, Leipzig, 1597, sts. 2-3
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

BISHOPGARTH

Sullivan composed the tune for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign; hence a few hymnals call it JUBILEE.

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CONSTANCE (Sullivan)

Arthur S. Sullivan (PHH 46) composed CONSTANCE for James G. Small's hymn text "I've Found a Friend, O Such a Friend"; the sentiment of that text explains the tune title. That text and tune were published in the Swedenborgian New Church Hymn Book (1874). CONSTANCE is a solid Victorian tune with a fi…

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WAS MEIN GOTT WILL


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7700
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 8 of 8)
TextPage Scan

Lutheran Service Book #714

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7700

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #668

TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #475

Text

Lutheran Worship #414

Text

Rejoice in the Lord #152

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #261

TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #447

Include 58 pre-1979 instances
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