Scripture Verse

Awake, awake; put on thy strength. Isaiah 52:1

Introduction

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Henry F. Colby
1842–1915

Words: Hen­ry F. Col­by, in Sun­ny-Side Songs, by How­ard Doane (New York & Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Big­low & Main, 1893), page 43. Home mis­sion­ary.

Music: Pat­na W. How­ard Doane, 1893 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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W. Howard Doane (1832–1915)

Lyrics

Wake, O strange­ly fa­vored na­tion!
Wake, O land of hopes sub­lime!
Heed the her­alds of sal­va­tion;
Grasp thy God’s ac­cept­ed time;
Bow be­fore the King of glo­ry;
Weep the sins that curse thy days;
Tell thy vast do­main His sto­ry;
Bid thy mill­ions shout His praise.

Ye who free­dom’s joys in­her­it,
Children of he­ro­ic sires,
Humbly plead the Sav­ior’s merit,
Stir afresh your al­tar fires!
Holy work for God con­triv­ing,
Pardon, light and strength im­plore,
Lest the Spi­rit cease His striv­ing
And your day of grace be o’er.

Mingled sons of dist­ant races,
Finding here what home may be;
Fugitives from earth’s far plac­es,
Christ can make you tru­ly free.
Quickened minds for truth hard press­ing,
Sons of toil to af­flu­ence brought;
Lo, the Gos­pel’s rich­er bless­ing,
Life eter­nal, pass­ing thought!

With the Christ­ly love that pi­ties
Souls en­slaved in er­ror’s chains;
Bring your gold, ye teem­ing ci­ties!
Bring your rip­en­ing fruits, ye plains!
Riches, hon­or, glo­ry, bless­ing,
Give to Je­sus more and more;
Till, each home and heart pos­sess­ing,
He shall reign from shore to shore.