Once to Every Man and Nation

 

TUNES

1. Blaenwern (Xmas edition ... ORGAN, SOPRANO, DESCANT!)
2. Austrian Hymn

1 Once to ev'ry man and nation 

Comes the moment to decide, 
In the strife of truth and falsehood, 
For the good or evil side; 
Some great cause, some great decision, 
Off'ring each the bloom or blight, 
And the choice goes by forever 
'Twixt that darkness and that light. 

2 Then to side with truth is noble, 
When we share her wretched crust, 
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, 
And 'tis prosperous to be just; 
Then it is the brave man chooses 
While the coward stands aside, 
Till the multitude make virtue 
Of the faith they had denied. 

3 By the light of burning martyrs, 
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, 
Toiling up new Calv'ries ever 
With the cross that turns not back; 
New occasions teach new duties, 
Ancient values test our youth; 
They must upward still and onward, 
Who would keep abreast of truth. 

4 Tho' the cause of evil prosper, 
Yet the truth alone is strong; 
Tho' her portion be the scaffold, 
And upon the throne be wrong: 
Yet that scaffold sways the future, 
And, behind the dim unknown, 
Standeth God within the shadow, 
Keeping watch above His own.

Source: Baptist Hymnal 2008 #538

Psalm 33

12  How blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession.

 13  The LORD watches from heaven; he sees all people.

 14  From the place where he lives he looks carefully at all the earth’s inhabitants.

 15  He is the one who forms every human heart, and takes note of all their actions.

 16  No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.

 17  A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

 18  Look, the LORD takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness

 19  by saving their lives from death and sustaining them during times of famine.

 20  We wait for the LORD; he is our deliverer and shield.

 21  For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name.

 22  May we experience your faithfulness, O LORD, for we wait for you.

Joshua 24

14 Now obey the LORD and worship him with integrity and loyalty. Put aside the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt and worship the LORD.

 15 If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD.

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