On a Day of Prayer for Success in War

Lord

how shall wretch­ed sin­ners dare

Look up to Thy divine ab­ode?

Or of­fer their im­perfect pray­er

Before a just

a ho­ly God?

Bright ter­rors guard Thy aw­ful seat

And dazz­ling glor­ies veil Thy face!

Yet mer­cy calls us to Thy feet

Thy throne is still a throne of grace.

O may our souls Thy grace ad­ore

May Je­sus plead our hum­ble claim;

While Thy pro­tect­ion we im­plore

In His pre­vail­ing

glor­ious name.

With all the boast­ed pomp of war

In vain we dare the hos­tile field:

In vain

un­less the Lord be there;

Thy arm alone

our na­tion’s shield.

Let past ex­per­ience of Thy care

Support our hope

our trust in­vite!

Again at­tend our hum­ble pray­er

Again be Thy mer­cy Thy de­light!

Our arms suc­ceed

our coun­cils guide

Let Thy right hand our cause main­tain;

’Till war’s de­struct­ive rage sub­side

And peace resume her gen­tle reign.

O when shall time the per­iod bring

When rag­ing war shall waste no more;

When peace shall stretch her bal­my wing

From coast to coast

and shore to shore?

When shall the Gospel’s healing ray

(Kind source of am­ity divine!)

Spread o’er the world ce­les­tial day?

When shall the na­tions

Lord

be Thine?