God Is Our Refuge and Defense

God is our re­fuge and de­fense;

In trou­ble our un­fail­ing aid;

Secure in His om­ni­po­tence

What foe can make our souls afraid?

Yea

though the earth’s found­ations rock

And mount­ains down the gulf be hurled

His peo­ple smile amid the shock

They look be­yond this tran­si­ent world.

There is a riv­er pure and bright

Whose streams make glad the heav’n­ly plains;

Where

in eter­ni­ty of light

The city of our God re­mains.

Built by the word of His com­mand

With His un­cloud­ed pre­sence blest

Firm as His throne the bul­warks stand;

There is our home

our hope

our rest.

Thither let fer­vent faith as­pire;

Our trea­sure and our heart be there;

O for a ser­aph’s wings of fire!

No—on the migh­ti­er wings of pray­er—

We reach at once that last re­treat

And

ranged among the ran­somed throng

Fall with the el­ders at His feet

Whose name alone in­spires their song.

Ah

soon; how soon! our spir­its droop;

Unwont the air of Heav’n to breathe:

Yet God in ve­ry deed will stoop

And dwell Him­self with men be­neath.

Come to Thy liv­ing tem­ples

then

As in the an­cient times ap­pear;

Let earth be para­dise again

And man

O God

Thine im­age here.