LBW Hymn 182 "Rise, O Children of Salvation"
Devotion
What kind of person writes of spiritual matters with images of war? A demagogue?
In this case, it is a man who may have felt inadequate to be pastor. After leaving his theological studies, Justus Falckner worked in Rotterdam in 1700, selling land for William Penn in Pennsylvania. Evidently, people saw talents in him that he could not see. And, in spite of personal reservations, he was persuaded in 1703 to accept a call in New York.
Falckner was not a demagogue. And these lyrics? Be open to the possibility that they’re genuine expressions of spiritual struggle and genuine hope.