“We =
Gather Together” uses a =
familiar folk melody from turn-of-the-16th-Century Holland =
and words of “thanksgiving” BUT has nothing to do with the =
American Thanksgiving holiday. It celebrates the Dutch victory in =
AD 1597 at Turnhout.
The Republic =
of the Seven United Nether Lands allied with Elizabeth’s England =
and France against Catholic Spain’s Philip, and in this pivotal =
battle, the Spanish were driven out. Philip’s Catholic =
Counter-Reformation had led to the martyrdom of many Protestant =
believers and subjugation of great tracts of the Continent, and this =
victory began freeing the region from Spanish and Papal tyranny. The =
Northern & Southern Nether Lands became a haven for the persecuted =
believers of Europe and within a decade, English separatists led by John =
Smyth and Thomas Helwys fled England formed the first English-speaking =
Baptist Church in history (1606) – in the Nether =
Lands!
Whether =
deliverance on the battlefield or deliverance from hunger in the bounty =
on the family table, we ought to mirror the reasons for real =
Thanksgiving this week, and every week. This song was first published in =
Haarlem in 1626 and enjoyed by Christians at this season of the year =
ever since.
We gather =
together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens =
His will to make known;
The wicked oppressing now cease from =
distressing;
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His =
own.
Beside us to =
guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom =
divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, =
Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
We all do =
extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our =
Defender will be;
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy =
Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"