Scripture Verse

God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard. 2 Kings 19:4

Introduction

portrait
William S. Nickle
(1853–1914)

Words: Ma­ry M. Ken­ne­dy, 1898. Ap­peared in the Gos­pel Her­ald in Song, ed­it­ed by Will­iam Nic­kle, George J. Mey­er & Ow­en F. Pugh (Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Mey­er & Bro­ther, 1899), num­ber 81, alt.

Music: Will­iam S. Nic­kle (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Ken­ne­dy (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

illustration
Rabshakeh
William Brassey Hole
(1846–1917)
Wikimedia Commons

Why wa­ver be­tween two opin­ions?
O why should you not choose to­night?
You should not re­fuse the Sav­ior to choose:
Is it dark­ness, or is it the light?

Refrain

O why not de­cide, dear friend, to­night?
O why not de­cide to­night?
Time speed­eth away, O do not de­lay,
But de­cide for thy Sav­ior ton­ight.

Decide who you’ll serve now, dear bro­ther;
There’s dan­ger in any de­lay;
If Christ is your choice, you now may re­joice
In the know­ledge of sin washed away.

Refrain

Come un­der the heav­en­ly ban­ner;
O come now, dear bro­ther, to­night:
Decide for the Lord, ’twill bring its re­ward,
Henceforth, battle for truth and for right.

Refrain

Why still un­de­cid­ed, dear bro­ther?
There’s mer­cy from Je­sus ab­ove;
Thy ref­uge is near, so why should you fear?
Why not trust in His grace and His love?

Refrain