Scripture Verse

Thou hast made the earth to tremble; Thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Psalm 60:1–2

Introduction

Words: John Need­ham, Hymns De­vo­tion­al and Mo­ral on Va­ri­ous Sub­jects (Bris­tol, Eng­land: S. Far­ley, 1768), num­ber 39, alt. Com­pos’d on oc­ca­sion of the dread­ful earth­quake at Lis­bon, 1755.

Music: Farn­ham tra­di­tion­al Eng­lish tune (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Great God! Thy vast and deep de­signs
What mor­tal can ex­plore?
To trace Thy steps is not our part,
But hum­bly to adore.

Slow is Thy wrath, Thy pa­tience great;
But when Thy an­ger burns,
It shakes the earth, it shakes the sea,
And moun­tains ov­er­turn.

Deep in the earth Thy ma­ga­zines
Of dread­ful ven­geance lie;
And when Thy blast shall fire the train
Huge rocks shall up­wards fly.

Convulsions seize the heav­ing earth
At Thy alm­igh­ty call;
Cities with all their lof­ty tow­ers
In hi­de­ous ru­in fall.

Repent, rep­ent, Thy ven­geance cries,
May na­tions hear Thy rod;
Forgive our sins, Lord, spare our land,
And be Thou still our God.

Whilst mer­cy lasts may na­tions know
The sea­son of Thy grace:
Lest fie­ry ven­geance should con­sume
A vile re­bel­lious race.