Luther - Works of Martin Luther Vol. 6 - Righteousness is Love

24By the end of 1523 Luther had written a number of Christian songs andhymns, and in 1524 the Geystliche Gesangk Buchleyn, commonly spokenof as the Walther Choir Book, was issued at Wittenberg. f6 This book wasissued with a Preface by Luther and contained twenty-four hymns from hispen! — one pauses here, simply to repeat, “twenty-four hymns,”remembering his many other activities. f7This was a brave beginning, indeed; valued from the standpoint of thepeople it was probably his most helpful and by all odds the most popular ofhis productions. In this connection many of his natural gifts had full play.Luther was clever in adapting; he was successful in versified translating;and to these he added original hymn poems. He was mightily in earnest inhis desire to put hymns into the hands, hearts, and mouths of his schoolchildren and other followers. Lover of music himself, he wanted theservices of that art to uplift the spirits of the common people in prayer,praise, and thanksgiving; to enhance their worship with all its inspiringbeauties.Naturally all of his hymns are not of equal merit, or even of medium merit;but Christian hymnody is made the richer by his Ein feste Burg ist unserGott, — where is a finer hymn? — by his Vom Himmel hoch, — where is amore tender, intimate, Christmas hymn? — by his Erhalt uns, Herr, beideinem Wort, — where is a more majestic, profound, prayer for theKingdom?Most of his hymns were written to meet a direct need or under animmediate inspiration; but the fact that he was able to meet such need, andin most cases to do it so well, is but another testimony to his versatility andunique greatness.As these hymns were primarily intended to be sung and as such were hisgifts to the worship of the common people, his interest in their publicationand dissemination in hymn books is another phase of his activity. For suchbooks Luther wrote three Prefaces f8 in the course of years which aredistinctive of his interest and spirit. And again in these Prefaces we findhim going back to the Scriptures for precedent and foundation for theprovision he is making for the masses in their worship. In the more formalconnection of congregational worship his fullest purpose is reached in hisDeutsche Messe, where the congregational hymn is introduced in almostevery connection. But his other desire is accomplished when his books