Scripture Verse

When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and when they pray…and give praise to Your name and turn from their sin because You have afflicted them, then hear from Heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants…Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land. 1 Kings 8:35–36

Introduction

Words: From the Church Hymn Book, by Paul Hen­kel, first edi­tion (New Mar­ket: Vir­gin­ia, 1816), num­ber 341. Thanks­giv­ing af­ter a drought.

Music: Abid­ing Grace John S. Camp, 1905 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
John S. Camp (1858–1946)

Lyrics

Should we not thank and praise our God?
Who heard our hum­ble cry,
Who has with­drawn His chast­en­ing rod,
And laid His threat’n­ings by.

The bless­èd rain the Lord hath sent,
Revived our scorch­ing earth,
And put an end to our com­plaint,
And fears of fa­tal dearth.

Due praise to God let us re­turn,
For the re­fresh­ing rain,
We who like as our earth did mourn,
Are now re­vived again.

Eternal praise to God we give,
In whose blest hands we are;
Who still pro­vides for us to live,
Unworthy as we are.

Had Heav’n the rain from us with­held,
What would our case have been?
A curse had rest­ed on our fields:
Our just re­ward for sin.

Thanks be to God, it was His will
In mer­cy us to spare,
And we enjoy His bless­ing still,
Unworthy as we are.