Scripture Verse

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4

Introduction

portrait
Augustus M. Toplady (1740–1778)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Au­gus­tus Top­la­dy, Po­ems on Sac­red Sub­jects 1759.

Music: Men­don, Ger­man tune. Ar­ranged by Sam­uel Dy­er, Sup­ple­ment of Sam­uel Dy­er’s Third Edi­tion of Sac­red Mu­sic 1828 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Great God, whom Hea­ven, and earth, and sea,
With all their count­less hosts, ob­ey;
Upheld by whom the na­tions stand,
And em­pires fall at Thy com­mand.

Beneath Thy long sus­pend­ed ire,
Let ev­ery an­ti­christ ex­pire;
Thy know­ledge spread from sea to sea,
And dist­ant na­tions bow to Thee.

Then show Thy­self the Prince of Peace,
Command the din of war to cease;
With sac­red love the world in­spire,
And burn its cha­ri­ots in the fire.

Let earth be­neath Thy reign of love
A uni­ver­sal Sab­bath prove:
Jesus her peace­ful king adore,
And learn the act of war no more.