Scripture Verse

Thy kingdom come. Luke 11:2

Introduction

portrait
Horatius Bonar (1808–1889)

Words: Ho­ra­ti­us Bo­nar, Hymns of Faith and Hope, Third Ser­ies (Lon­don: James Nis­bet, 1866), pag­es 18–20.

Music: Han­ford (Sul­li­van) Ar­thur S. Sul­li­van, 1874 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900)

Lyrics

Great King of kings, why dost Thou stay,
Why tar­riest Thou up­on Thy way,
Why linge­rs the ex­pect­ed day?
Thy kingd­om come!

Sin has pre­vailed on earth too long
Ages of ev­il, pain, and wrong,
Have mar­red the me­di­tat­ed song—
Thy king­dom come!

Life in its full­ness is with Thee,
Life in its ho­ly li­ber­ty—
From death and chains this world set free;
Thy king­dom come!

Unloved, un­worship­ed, slight­ed now,
When shall each knee be­fore Thee bow,
Of things ab­ove and things be­low?
Thy king­dom come!

Earth still is wait­ing for the day
When old things shall have passed away,
And all be clad in new array—
Thy king­dom come!

O’er us the tem­pest rag­es still,
The light­ning rav­ag­es at will,
The war-trump ech­oes loud and shrill—
Thy king­dom come!

O King of glo­ry, King of peace,
Bid all these storms and tu­mults cease,
Bring in thy reign of right­eous­ness—
Thy king­dom come!

Peace, gen­tle peace, is on its way,
And ho­ly love this earth to sway;
Hasten, O Lord, that glor­ious day—
Thy king­dom come!

Oh, bid Thy bless­èd Gospel go
Forth to each child of sin and woe,
That all Thy won­drous grace may know—
Thy king­dom come!

Oh, bid it speed its course abroad,
Tell of the migh­ty love of God,
Tell of the wrath­ful iron rod—
Thy king­dom come!