Come, Holy Ghost, Blessed Lord

What: This is a Reformation-era translation of Martin Luther's Pentecost Hymn, Komm Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott. Miss Catherine Winkworth's "Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord" is the more familiar translation, found in LSB 497.

Who: Miles Coverdale completed William Tyndale's Old Testament and published the first-ever English translation of the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew, entitled the Matthew's Bible. It is Coverdale's translation of the Psalms that was in the Anglican Church's Book of Common Prayer until the 20th century. He also translated this hymn.

Note: 'Thole' means to suffer or undergo. It is related to the word 'tolerate.' "Lore venomous" is a poetic way of saying dangerous/false doctrine.

Changes: Even Coverdale acknowledged his translation was rough. I have tried to smoothen it out as best as I could, but it could still use some amending.

Tune: KOMM HEILIGER GEIST, LSB 497.

Come, Holy Ghost, blessed Lord,

Fulfill our hearts, now, with Thy grace.

And make our minds of one accord,

With love kindle them in each place.

Thou, Lord, forgivest our trespass

And call'st the folk of each country

To the right faith and trust of (Thy) grace

That they may give Thee thanks and sing to Thee.

Alleluia, alleluia!

O holy Light, principal,

The Word of Life show unto us;

And cause us to know God o'er all

For our own Father most gracious.

Lord, keep from us lore venomous

That we may follow none but Christ.

He is the truth; His Word says thus;

Cause us to set in Him alone our trust.

Alleluia, alleluia!

O holy Fire, comfort sweet,

Fill our hearts with faith and boldness,

T'abide by Thee in cold and heat;

Content to thole for righteousness.

O Lord, give strength for our weakness,

And send us help in ev'ry hour,

That we may beat all wickedness,

And bring this old Adam under Thy pow'r.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Komm, Heiliger Geist
Martin Luther
Tr. Miles Coverdale, ed. MDS

See God to Heaven Upfaring

What: This Ascension hymn has been in LCMS hymnals before. In TLH, it was Englished by Frances E Cox as "Lo, God to Heaven Ascendeth." Then, in Worship Supplement (1969), it was Englished by Martin L. Seltz as "See God to Heaven Ascending." Also, a W.J. Blew Englished it as "While Up to Heaven God Goeth" in 1846. I translated this hymn anew, but I have heavily depended on these three translations, so its almost a composite translation.
Who: Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer was a (Lutheran?) pastor in the 1600's.
Note: Bach included a setting of the last stanza in his Ascension Oratorio.
Tune: The meter is 76 76 67 76. TLH has   (LSB 354), which is the tune that I worked with. WS had ZEUCH EIN ZU DEINEN TOREN (TLH 228).

See God to heav'n upfaring

In triumph from the earth,

With horns and trumpets blaring,

All jubilant with mirth.

Sing praise to God the Lord;

Sing praise with exultation,

To Christ the King of nations,

The Lord of Hosts adored!

To greet the Lord ascending,

The heavens laugh with glee;

And, to their King attending,

The saints, whom He set free,

With myriad angels come,

With seraphs sweetly singing,

And cherub voices ringing,

They welcome YHWH home.

We know the way ascending

To our exalted Head;

We know the stairway wending

To heaven where He sped.

Our Healer goes before;

He will not here forsake us,

But to His throne He'll take us,

And open wide the door.

Our minds to heav'n are wending,

Where He prepares our place.

Our walk on earth is ending,

There to adore His grace.

Lift up your heart and soul!

Where Jesus Christ has entered,

There let your hopes be centered;

Press onward t'ward the goal. 

Let us to heav'n be springing

With humble hearts ascend.

Let us likewise be singing:

We seek You, Jesus, Friend,

You, God's annointed Son,

Our Life and Way to heaven,

To Whom all might is given,

To You our Head's true Crown.

When will that day be dawning,

When come that blessed time,

That Christ will come that morning

In majesty sublime?

Oh, quickly come and cheer

Our souls the Healer meeting,

His second coming greeting;

Sweet Day of days, appear!

Gott fähret auf gen Himmel

Gottfried Wilhelm Sacer

Tr. MDS

Lord Christ, Our Heavenly Guide

What: This is a somewhat standard evening hymn.
Who: Back in the early 1800's, David Henkel was a confessional Lutheran in America before it was cool. Long story short, he read the Book of Concord, shared it with everyone he could, and eventually started the Evangelical Lutheran Tennessee Synod. Among the stuff he wrote (before he died way too young) was his translation of Luther's Small Catechism, to which he added a few hymns.
Changes: I changed a couple things to better align the stress with the text.
Tune: The meter is SM, and I think FRANCONIA, LSB 410 works well.

Lord Christ, our heav'nly guide,

We pray Thee with us stay;

Do not Thy scepter from us hide,

Lest we should go astray.

The eventide is come;

Guide us along the road

That leads to our eternal home,

Up to the throne of God.

In these last evil days

Let not Thy Word divine

Withdraw its holy lucid rays,

But in us brilliant shine.

Pure, to the end, O Lord,

May we always preserve

Thy holy sacraments and Word,

And them with care observe.

That we in quiet rest,

Our future days may spend.

May we with godliness be blest,

Our lives in peace to end.

'Till we Thy throne surround

In heav'n with shining throngs,

Thy praise from golden harps shall sound,

In sweet harmonious songs.

David Henkel, alt.