ke us not, O Lord, we pray;
And let us in our grief and pain
Thy Word and sacraments retain.

In connection with his work as professor in the University of Leipzig, he
also served as pastor of the famous St. Thomas church in that city. It
was through his efforts that the renowned Motett choir of that church was
built up, a choir that was afterward conducted by John Sebastian Bach.

About 150 hymns in all were written by Selnecker. In addition to these he
also was author of some 175 theological and controversial works.

One of the contemporaries of Selnecker was Bartholomaeus Ringwalt, pastor
of Langfeld, near Sonnenburg, Brandenburg. This man also was a staunch
Lutheran and a poet of considerable ability. His judgment hymn, "The day
is surely drawing near," seems to reflect the feeling held by many in
those distressing times that the Last Day was near at hand. It was used
to a large extent during the Thirty Years' War, and is still found in
many hymn-books.

Another hymnist who lived and wrought during these turbulent times was
Martin Behm, to whom we are indebted for three beautiful lyrics, "O
Jesus, King of glory," "Lord Jesus Christ, my Life, my Light," and "O
holy, blessed Trinity." Behm, who was born in Lauban, Silesia, Sept. 16,
1557, served for thirty-six years as Lutheran pastor in his native city.
He was a noted preacher and a gifted poet. His hymn on the Trinity is one
of the finest ever written on this theme. It concludes with a splendid
paraphrase of the Aaronic benediction. Two of its stanzas are:

O holy, blessed Trinity,
Divine, eternal Unity,
God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Be Thou this day my guide and host.

Lord, bless and keep Thou me as Thine;
Lord, make Thy face upon me shine;
Lord, lift Thy countenance on me,
And give me peace, sweet peace from Thee.

Valerius Herberger was another heroic representative of this period of
doctrinal strife, war, famine, and pestilence. While pastor of St. Mary's
Lutheran Church at Fraustadt, Posen, he and his flock were expelled from
their church in 1604 by King Sigismund III, of Poland, and the property
turned over to the Roman Catholics. Nothing daunted, however, Herberger
and his people immediately constructed a chapel out of two houses near
the gates of the city. They gave the structure the name of "Kripplein
Christi," since the first service was held in it on Christmas Eve.

During the great pestilence which r