Scripture Verse

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Psalm 68:17

Introduction

Words: Ul­rich Zwing­li, cir­ca 1529 (Herr, nun heb den Wa­gen selb). Trans­lat­or un­known, be­fore 1900. This hymn is al­so known as Das Kap­pel­er Lied—some think Zwing­li wrote it dur­ing the First War of Kap­pel.

Music: Jön­kö­ping, ar­ranged by D. Ni­cho­las Schaef­fer, 1899 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

portrait
Ulrich Zwingli
1484–1531
Portrait by Albrecht Dürer, 1516

Lyrics

Do Thou di­rect Thy cha­ri­ot, Lord,
And guide us at Thy will;
Without Thy aid our strength is vain,
And use­less all our skill.
Look down up­on Thy saints below
When pros­trate laid be­neath the foe.

Belovèd Shep­herd, who hast saved
Our souls from death and sin,
Uplift Thy voice, awake Thy sheep,
That slum­ber­ing lie with­in
Thy fold; and curb, with Thy right hand,
The rage of Sa­tan’s fu­ri­ous band.

Send down Thy peace and ban­ish strife,
Let bit­ter­ness depart;
Revive the spi­rit of Thy grace
In each true Chris­tian’s heart;
Then shall Thy Church for­ev­er sing
The praises of her hea­ven­ly king.