Scripture Verse

Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Psalm 90:1

Introduction

Introduction

portrait
William Croft
1678–1727

Words: Is­aac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid 1719. Man frail and God eter­nal.

This hymn was played for Am­er­i­can Pre­si­dent Frank­lin Roo­se­velt at the re­quest of Bri­tish lead­er Win­ston Church­ill, when the two met in 1941 on board the HMS Prince of Wales to cre­ate the At­lan­tic Char­ter. It was al­so sung at Church­ill’s 1965 fun­er­al in St. Paul’s Ca­thed­ral, Lon­don.

Music: St. Anne Will­iam Croft, 1708 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

portrait
Isaac Watts
1674–1748

Lyrics

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
Return, ye sons of men:
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.

Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.