Hymns and Devotions for Daily Worship ‎#353

353. See How the Nations Rage Together

1. See how the nations rage together,
Seeking of each others' blood;
See how the Scriptures are fulfilling!
Repent, awake, and turn to God.
We see the fig tree slowly budding;
You who now in ruin lie,
Behold the leaves almost appearing,
Awake! take heed, your end is nigh.

2. We read of wars and great commotions
Calling forth that dreadful day;
O sinners, quit your sinful courses
And trifle not your time away.
Consider now the desolation
And the shortness of your time;
Behold, there's none but fiery ocean
For all who don't repent in time.

3. Ye ministers who wait on preaching,
Teachers and exhorters, too,
Can you not see the harvest waiting?
Arise, there is no rest for you.
Arise, dear kindred, let's be doing;
See the nations in distress;
The Lord of hosts forbids their ruin
Before the day of grace is past.

4. We see the land lie in confusion,
Dreadful to our mortal eyes,
But oh, dear sinners, that is nothing
To when the day of gloom draws nigh;
To see the Lord in clouds descending,
Saints and angels guard him round;
The saints from earth will rise to meet him,
But sinners speechless at his frown.

5. O sinners, something e’en more dreadful,
’Fore your judge you must appear,
To answer for your past transactions
And how you ran your courses here.
The book of conscience will be opened
With your character therein;
The sentence is, depart, ye cursèd,
And ev’ry saint will cry, “Amen.”

6. O Lord, forbid for this, our nation,
That should be their dreadful case;
Now sinners, turn and find salvation,
While he yet offers you free grace.
’Tis now you have a gospel morning;
Still the lamp holds out to burn,
And now you have sufficient warning:
O sinners! sinners! will you turn?

Text Information

• First Line: See how the nations rage together
• Title: See How the Nations Rage Together
• Author: Richard Allen (1794)
• Meter: 9.7.9.8 D
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2024
• Scripture:
  Mark 13:8
  ;
  Psalm 2:1
• Topic: Ordinary Time: Week 28
• Notes: Text by Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, published partly in A Narrative of the Proceedings of the Black People During the Late Awful Calamity in Philadelphia in the Year 1793 (1794), expanded in A Short Collection of Hymns, 2nd ed. (1795), rev. 1801, alt.

Tune Information

• Name: NATIONS RAGE
• Composer: Stephen Newby (2024)
• Meter: 9.7.9.8 D
• Incipit: 51122 33432
• Key: f minor
• Copyright: ©2024 Stephen Newby.
• Notes: Tune NATIONS RAGE by African American scholar-composer Stephen Newby, written for this volume.