Scripture Verse

The kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the Governor among the nations. Psalm 22:28

Introduction

portrait
Sydney H. Nicholson (1875–1947)
National Portrait Gallery

Creative Commons License

Words: Ar­thur C. Ain­ger, 1915.

Music: Tra­fal­gar Syd­ney H. Ni­chol­son, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1916 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

God of our fa­thers, un­to Thee
Our fa­thers cried in dan­ger’s hour,
And then Thou gav­est them to see
The acts of Thine al­migh­ty pow­er.
They cried to Thee, and Thou didst hear;
They called on Thee, and Thou didst save;
And we their sons to­day draw near
Thy name to praise, Thy help to crave.

Refrain

Lord God of hosts, up­lift Thine hand,
Protect and bless our fa­ther­land.

Thine is the ma­jes­ty, O Lord,
And Thine do­min­ion ov­er all;
When Thou com­mand­est, at Thy word
Great kings and na­tions rise or fall.
For east­ern realms, for west­ern coasts,
For is­lands washed by ev­ery sea,
The praise be giv’n, O God of hosts,
Not un­to us, but un­to Thee.

Refrain

If in Thy grace Thou should’st allow
Our fame to wax through com­ing days,
Still grant us hum­bly, then as now,
Thy help to crave, Thy name to praise.
Not all alike in speech or birth,
Alike we bow be­fore Thy throne;
One fa­ther­land through­out the earth
Our Fa­ther’s no­ble acts we own.

Refrain