All Mankind Fell in Adam's Fall

Lazarus Spengler originally wrote "Durch Adams Fall ganz verderbt Menschlich Natur und Wesen" as a nine stanza text of eight lines.  Matthias Loy freely translated Spengler's text into Long Meter.  Spengler's hymn first appeared in Walter's Geystliche gesangk Buchleyn (Wittenberg, 1524), Johann Walter's choir book.  This text was held in high regard at the time of the Reformation, but during the eras of Pietism and the Enlightenment, it fell into disuse.  Matthias Loy's free translation appeared in The Lutheran Hymnal (1880) of the Ohio Synod and in The Lutheran Hymnal (1941), Lutheran Worship (1982) and now in Lutheran Service Book (2006).

1.  All mankind fell in Adam's fall;

     One common sin infects us all.

          From one to all the curse descends,

          And over all God's wrath impends.

2.  Through all our pow'rs corruption creeps

     And us in dreadful bondage keeps;

          In guilt we draw our infant breath

          And reap its fruits of woe and death.

3.  From hearts depraved, to evil prone,

     Flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;

          God's image lost, the darkened soul

          Seeks not nor finds its heav'nly goal.

4.  But Christ, the second Adam, came

     To bear our sin and woe and shame,

          To be our life, our light, our way,

          Our only hope, our only stay.'

5.  As by one man all mankind fell

     And, born in sin, was doomed to hell,

         So by one Man, who took our place,

        We all are justified by grace.

6.  We thank You, Christ; new life is ours,

     New light, new hope, new strength, new pow'rs.

          This grace our ev'ry way attend

          Until we reach our journey's end.

The Tree of Life

1.  The tree of life with ev'ry good

     In Eden's holy orchard stood,

          And of its fruit so pure and sweet

          God let the man and women eat.

     Yet in this garden also grew

     Another tree, of which they knew;

          Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned

          Against whose eating God had warned.

2.  The stillness of that sacred grove

     Was broken, as the serpent strove

          With tempting voice Eve to beguile

          And Adam too by sin defile.

     O day of sadness when the breath

     Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,

          Its awful poison first displayed

          Within the world so newly made.

3.  What mercy God showed to our race,

     A plan of rescue by His grace:

          In sending One from woman's seed,

          The One to fill our greatest need--

     For on tree uplifted high

     His only Son for sin would die,

          Would drink the cup of scorn and dread

          To crush the ancient serpent's head!

4.  Now from that tree of Jesus' shame

     Flows life eternal in His name;

          For all who trust and will believe,

          Salvation's living fruit receive.

     And of its fruit so pure and sweet

     The Lord invites the world to eat,

          To find within this cross of wood

          The tree of life with ev'ry good.   

The Tree of Life

Holy Cross Day

1. The tree of life with ev’ry good
    In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
        And of its fruit so pure and sweet
        God let the man and woman eat.
    Yet in this garden also grew
    Another tree, of which they knew;
        Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
        Against whose eating God had warned.

2. The stillness of that sacred grove
    Was broken, as the serpent strove
        With tempting voice Eve to beguile
        And Adam too by sin defile.
    O day of sadness when the breath
    Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
        Its awful poison first displayed
        Within the world so newly made.

3. What mercy God showed to our race,
    A plan of rescue by His grace:
        In sending One from woman’s seed,
        The One to fill our greatest need—
    For on a tree uplifted high
    His only Son for sin would die,
        Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
        To crush the ancient serpent’s head!

4. Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
    Flows life eternal in His name;
        For all who trust and will believe,
        Salvation’s living fruit receive.
    And of this fruit so pure and sweet
    The Lord invites the world to eat,
        To find within this cross of wood
        The tree of life with ev’ry good.