Kommt lasset uns in Jesu Namen

Here is my translation of the Prayer hymn, “Kommt lasset uns in Jesu Namen” (P. Henkel, d. 1825), in NEGB #64 for Rogate Sunday (Gospel: John 16:23–30) with melody assignment “Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.” In The Church Hymn Book (1816ff.), the English adaptation appears in 7 stanzas of Long Meter, beginning “Great Comforts Does the Saviour Give,” which I include below.

 

IN Jesus’ name and faith unshaken
Come let us to the Father pray,
His oath is never lightly taken,
His Word abides unchanged for aye;
To us His Spirit He will send,
Who shows what way doth heav’nward tend.

2 Our heart no lasting joy obtaineth
Till we ourselves in Jesus find—
True comfort out of reach remaineth,
To truth we all are deaf and blind
We neither see nor know aright
Except the Spirit give us light.

3 When God the heart doth kindle brightly
By His dear Word and Spirit pure,
The Savior is proclaimèd rightly,
Who is the Way and Truth most sure.
Then to men’s hearts is rendered clear
What Jesus tells His foll’wers here.

4 The Father loves us as He liveth,
His Son our Mediator is;
To us all things He freely giveth
Which serve for our eternal bliss;
This is for us the greatest grace,
That Christ the Son redeemed our race.

5 If we have loved the Son sincerely
And in His precious Word believed,
The Father too doth love us dearly
And in His grace we are received
This love and grace shall ours remain,
Till we behold Him there in heav’n.

Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.

CHURCH HYMN BOOK

Great comforts does the Savior give,
To those who in His Word believe;
He says the Father will indeed,
Grant to His saints all they do need.

2 He bids us ask by faithful pray’r,
And solemnly He doth declare:
What e’er you ask in My blest name,
Ye shall be sure to have the same!

3 God’s Word and promise never fail,
All faithful pray’rs—they must prevail;
God’s promises are not in vain,
What e’er we need, we shall obtain.

4 God ever bows His gracious ear,
The pray’rs of faithful souls to hear;
Their times of troubles will be past
And all their wants relieved at last.

5 When the disciples were distressed;
With many doubts and fears oppressed—
The Savior bid [bade] them bear and wait,
And patiently endure their fate.

6 To their great comforts they should find,
That God was gracious, good and kind;
And they should find He was their Friend,
Who made them happy in the end.

7 We join to pray in Jesus’ name,
For God will be to us the same,
Such as He was in former days,
Which we shall witness to His praise.
‡

GERMAN

Kommt lasset uns in Jesu Namen,
im Glauben zu dem Vater flehn
sein Wort bleibt ewig ja und Amen,
was er verheißt, das muß geschehn;
er will uns schenken seinen Geist,
der uns den Weg zum Himmel weist.

2 Es wird uns keine Freud vollkommen,
bis wir nun recht in Christo sind,
der wahre Trost bleibt uns genommen,
wir sind zur Wahrheit taub und blind;
wir sehen und erkennens nicht,
wo uns nicht schein des Geistes Licht.

3 Wann Gott das Herze selbst anzündet,
mit seinem Wort, mit seinem Geist,
so wird der Heiland recht verkündet,
der selber Weg und Wahrheit heißt;
dann wird dem Herzen klar gemacht,
was Jesus seinen Jüngern sagt.

4 Der Vater ists, der uns selbst liebet,
dieweil der Sohn der Mittler ist,
auch uns deshalben alles giebet,
was uns auch dient zu jeder Frist.
Das ist für uns die größte Gnad,
daß uns der Sohn erlöset hat.

5 Wann wir den Sohn nur herzlich lieben
und glauben seinem theuren Wort,
so wird uns auch der Vater geben,
daß wir auch werden immerfort
in seiner Gnad und Liebe stehn,
bis wir ihn dort im Himmel sehn.
‡