Great Ruler of the Earth and Skies

Great Rul­er of the earth and skies

A word of Thy al­migh­ty breath

Can sink the world

or bid it rise;

Thy smile is life

Thy frown is death.

When an­gry na­tions rush to arms

And rage and noise

and tu­mult reign

And war re­sounds its dire al­arms

And slaugh­ter spreads the hos­tile plain;

Thy sov­er­eign eye looks calm­ly down

And marks their course

and bounds their pow­er;

Thy word the an­gry na­tions own

And noise and war are heard no more.

Then peace re­turns with bal­my wing

Sweet peace! with her what bless­ings fled!

Glad plen­ty laughs

the val­leys sing

Reviving com­merce lifts her head.

Thou good

and wise

and right­eous Lord

All move sub­ser­vi­ent to Thy will;

And peace and war await Thy word

And Thy sub­lime de­crees ful­fill.

To Thee we pay our grate­ful songs

Thy kind pro­tect­ion still im­plore;

O may our hearts

and lives and tongues

Confess Thy good­ness and ad­ore.