Scripture Verse

Ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes. Matthew 24:6–7

Introduction

portrait
William Croft
1678–1727

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1742.

Music: Ha­no­ver at­trib­ut­ed to Will­iam Croft, in The Sup­ple­ment to the New Ver­sion of Psalms, by Na­hum Tate & Ni­cho­las Bra­dy, 6th ed­i­tion, 1708 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Charles Wesley
1707–1788

Charlotte Bro­ntë des­cribes this hymn in Shir­ley, chap. ix, as sung in ‘Bri­ar Cha­pel, a large, new, raw, Wes­ley­an place of wor­ship.’

As there was ev­en now a pray­er meet­ing be­ing held with­in its walls, the il­lum­in­a­tion of its win­dows cast a bright re­flec­tion on the road, while a hymn of a most ex­tra­or­din­a­ry des­crip­tion, such as a ve­ry Quak­er might feel him­self moved by the Spir­it to dance to, roused cheer­i­ly all the ech­oes of the vic­in­age, O who can ex­plain this strug­gle for life.

Telford, p. 273

Lyrics

Omnipotent Lord, my Savior and king,
Thy succor afford, Thy righteousness bring;
Thy promises bind Thee compassion to have,
Now, now let me find Thee almighty to save.

Rejoicing in hope, and patient in grief,
To Thee I look up for certain relief;
I fear no denial, no danger I fear,
Nor start from the trial, while Jesus is near.

I every hour in jeopardy stand;
But Thou art my power, and holdest my hand;
While yet I am calling, Thy succor I feel,
It saves me from falling, or plucks me from hell.

O who can explain this struggle for life!
This travail and pain, this trembling and strife!
Plague, earthquake, and famine, and tumult, and war,
The wonderful coming of Jesus declare.

For every fight is dreadful and loud,
The warrior’s delight is slaughter and blood,
His foes overturning, till all shall expire;
But this is with burning and fuel of fire.

Yet God is above men, devils, and sin,
My Jesus’ love the battle shall win,
So terribly glorious His coming shall be,
His love all victorious shall conquer for me.

He all shall break through; His truth and His grace
Shall bring me into the plentiful place,
Through much tribulation, through water and fire,
Through floods of temptation, and flames of desire.

On Jesus, my power, till then I rely,
All evil before His presence shall fly;
When I have my Savior, my sin shall depart
And Jesus for ever shall reign in my heart.