Scripture Verse

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles. Psalm 2:1

Introduction

Words: From Se­lect­ion of Psalms and Hymns for Pub­lic and Pri­vate Use, Adapt­ed to the Fes­tiv­als of the Church of Eng­land, byTho­mas Cot­ter­ill, eighth ed­it­ion (Shef­field, Eng­land: J. Black­well, 1829), page 2. The mi­se­ry of con­ten­ding with Christ.

Music: Er­halt uns, Herr Geist­liche Lied­er (Wit­ten­berg, Ger­ma­ny: 1543) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

Lyrics

In vain the Sav­ior’s migh­ti­est foes
Conspire His king­dom to op­pose,
Crushed like the pot­ter’s brit­tle store,
And scat­tered, to unite no more.

Sinners! awake: ye fools! be wise;
From sin’s de­lus­ive dreams arise;
Behold your Sav­ior, seek His face,
And kiss the scep­ter of His grace.

O, lest ye per­ish from the way
That leads to realms of end­less day;
Lest fierce the threat­en­ing storm des­cend,
And on your heads its fu­ry spend.

If, yet but kind­ly in His breast,
His wrath the guil­ty soul ar­rest,
How blest are they who serve the Lord,
Who hear His voice, and trust His Word!