Scripture Verse

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving, and extol Him with music and song. Psalm 95:2

Introduction

portrait
William P. Merrill (1867–1954)

Words: Will­iam P. Mer­rill, 1911. Mer­rill wrote this hymn af­ter a Un­ion Thanks­giv­ing ser­vice at the For­ty-First Street Pres­by­ter­ian Church in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois.

Music: Aus­tria (Hay­dn) ar­ranged by Franz J. Hay­dn, 1797 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Franz J. Haydn (1732–1809)

Lyrics

Not alone for migh­ty em­pire,
Stretching far ov­er land and sea,
Not alone for boun­te­ous har­vests,
Lift we up our hearts to Thee.
Standing in the liv­ing pre­sent,
Memory and hope be­tween,
Lord, we would with deep thanks­giv­ing,
Praise Thee more for things un­seen.

Not for bat­tle­ships and fort­ress,
Not for con­quests of the sword,
But for con­quests of the spir­it
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord;
For the price­less gift of free­dom,
For the home, the church, the school,
For the op­en door to man­hood,
In a land the peo­ple rule.

For the ar­mies of the faith­ful,
Souls that passed and left no name;
For the glo­ry that il­lum­ines
Patriot lives of death­less fame.
For our pro­phets and apos­tles,
Loyal to the liv­ing Word,
For all he­roes of the spir­it,
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord.

God of jus­tice, save the peo­ple
From the clash of race and creed,
From the strife of class and fac­tion,
Make our na­tion free in­deed;
Keep her faith in sim­ple man­hood
Strong as when her life be­gan,
Till it find its full fru­ition
In the bro­ther­hood of man!