Our God, Our Help in Ages Past

Our God

our help in ag­es past

Our hope for years to come

Our shel­ter from the stor­my blast

And our eter­nal home.

Under the sha­dow of Thy throne

Thy saints have dwelt se­cure;

Sufficient is Thine arm alone

And our de­fense is sure.

Before the hills in or­der stood

Or earth re­ceived her frame

From ev­er­last­ing Thou art God

To end­less years the same.

Thy Word com­mands our flesh to dust

Return

ye sons of men:

All na­tions rose from earth at first

And turn to earth again.

A thou­sand ag­es in Thy sight

Are like an ev­en­ing gone;

Short as the watch that ends the night

Before the ris­ing sun.

The bu­sy tribes of flesh and blood

With all their lives and cares

Are car­ried down­wards by the flood

And lost in fol­low­ing years.

Time

like an ev­er roll­ing stream

Bears all its sons away;

They fly

for­got­ten

as a dream

Dies at the op­en­ing day.

Like flow­ery fields the na­tions stand

Pleased with the morn­ing light;

The flow­ers be­neath the mow­er’s hand

Lie wi­ther­ing ere ‘tis night.

Our God

our help in ag­es past

Our hope for years to come

Be Thou our guard while trou­bles last

And our eter­nal home.