Say, my soul, what preparation

Representative Text

1 Say, my soul, what preparation
Makest thou for this high day,
When the God of thy salvation
Opened through the tomb a way?
Dwellest thou with pure affection
On this proof of pow'r and love?
Doth thy Savior's resurrection
Raise thy thoughts to things above?

2 Hast thou, borne on faith's strong pinion,
Risen with the risen Lord?
And, released from sin's dominion,
Into purer regions soared?
Or art thou, in spite of warning,
Dead in trespasses and sin?
Hath to thee the purple morning
No true Easter ushered in?

3 Let no precious time be wasted,
To new life arise at length:
He who death for thee hath tasted,
For new life will give thee strength;
In Him rise, at once bestir thee,
Still pass on and persevere,
Let no weariness deter thee,
He who woke thee still is near.

4 See! thy Lord Himself is risen,
That thou mightest also rise,
And emerge from sin's dark prison
To new life and open skies.
Come to Him who can unbind thee,
And reverse thy awful doom;
Come to Him, and leave behind thee
Thy old life--an empty tomb!

Source: Evangelical Lutheran hymnal: with music #87

Author: Karl Johann Philipp Spitta

Spitta, Carl Johann Philipp, D.D., was born Aug. 1, 1801, at Hannover, where his father, Lebrecht Wilhelm Gottfried Spitta, was then living, as bookkeeper and teacher of the French language. In his eleventh year Spitta fell into a severe illness, which lasted for four years, and so threw him back that his mother (the father died in 1805) abandoned the idea of a professional career, and apprenticed him to a watchmaker. This occupation did not prove at all congenial to him, but he would not confess his dislike, and his family were ignorant of it till an old friend, who was trying to comfort him after the death of a younger brother, discovered his true feelings. The younger brother had been preparing for ordination, and so Carl was now invited… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Say, my soul, what preparation
Original Language: German
Author: Karl Johann Philipp Spitta
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

RIPLEY (Gregorian)

RIPLEY, composed in 1839, comes from the prolific pen of Lowell Mason (PHH 96), the great American promoter and publisher of school, choral, and congregational music. The tune title, assigned later, presumably honors George Ripley (1802-1889), the famous New York literary critic and transcendentalis…

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal #87

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Evangelical Lutheran hymnal #87

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. 9th ed. #a87

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