Scripture Verse

They shall…[bring you] before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. Luke 21:12

Introduction

portrait
William P. Merrill
1867–1954

Words: Will­iam P. Mer­rill, 1914, alt.

Music: Ly­ons at­trib­ut­ed to Jo­hann M. Hay­dn (1737–1806). Ar­ranged by Will­iam Gar­di­ner, Sac­red Me­lo­dies (Lon­don: 1815) (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Johann M. Haydn
1737–1806

Lyrics

We knelt before kings;
We bent before lords;
For theirs were the crowns,
And theirs were the swords:
But times of the bending
And bowing are past,
The day of the people
Is dawning at last!

We cringed before gold;
We deified wealth;
We laid on its altar
The life and the health
Of manhood and womanhood,
And childhood and youth;
Its lordship is doomed
In this day of the truth.

The strength of the state
We’ll lavish on more
Than massing of wealth
And making of war;
We’re learning at last,
Though the lesson comes late,
The making of man
Is the task of the state.

Great Day of Jehovah!
Prophets and seers
Have sung of thy coming
Thousands of years;
Thank God for each sign
That the dark night is past;
The day of the people
Is dawning at last.