Scripture Verse

Power from on high. Luke 24:49

Introduction

portrait
Catherine Winkworth
(1827–1878)

Words: Pe­trus Her­bert, in the Bo­he­mi­an Breth­ren’s Kirch­en­ge­seng, 1566 (Der Glaub’ ist ein le­ben­d’ge Kraft). The Ger­man text comes from the larg­er hymn, O Chris­ten­mensch, merk wie sichs halt, start­ing at stan­za 3. Trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Ca­the­rine Wink­worth, Ly­ra Ger­ma­ni­ca, se­cond series, 1858.

Music: Con­fi­dence (Moore) Will­iam Moore (1811–1880) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Moore (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Faith is a liv­ing power from Hea­ven
That grasps the pro­mise God hath giv­en,
A trust that can­not be o’er­thrown,
Fixed heart­ily on Christ alone.

Faith finds in Christ what­e’er we need
To save or strength­en us in­deed,
Receives the grace He sends us down,
And makes us share His cross and crown.

Faith in the con­science work­eth peace,
And bids the mourn­er’s weep­ing cease;
By faith the child­ren’s place we claim,
And give all hon­or to one name.

Faith feels the Spir­it’s kind­ling breath
In love and hope that con­quer death;
Faith work­eth hour­ly joy in God,
And trusts and bless­es e’en the rod.

We thank Thee then, O God of Hea­ven,
That Thou to us this faith hast giv­en
In Je­sus Christ Thy Son, who is
Our on­ly fount and source of bliss.

And from His full­ness grant each soul
The right­ful faith’s true end and goal,
The bless­ed­ness no foes de­stroy,
Eternal love and light and joy.