God, the Nation's Guardian

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Great God, beneath whose piercing eye

Author: William Roscoe
Tune: DEVENTER
Published in 61 hymnals

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Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. Great God! Beneath whose piercing eye
The earth’s extended kingdoms lie;
Whose favoring smile upholds them all,
Whose anger smites them, and they fall.

2. We bow before Thy heavenly throne;
Thy power we see, Thy greatness own;
Yet, cherished by Thy milder voice,
Our bosoms tremble and rejoice.

3. Thy kindness to our fathers shown
Their children’s children long shall own;
To Thee, with grateful hearts, shall raise
The tribute of exulting praise.

4. Led on by Thine unerring aid,
Secure the paths of life we tread;
And, freely as the vital air,
Thy first and noblest bounties share.

5. Great God, our guardian, guide and friend!
O still Thy sheltering arm extend;
Preserved by Thee for ages past,
For ages let Thy kindness last!

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #2035

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Author: William Roscoe

Roscoe, William, the father, was born March 8, 1753, in Liverpool, of humble origin. After very meagre schooling, and three years of work in his father's market garden, he was articled to an attorney, and subsequently practised in Liverpool till 1796, when he withdrew from the profession. From the first literature was his chief delight, and throughout a long career of public usefulness he united its pursuit with the efforts of enlightened patriotism and the advocacy of higher education and reform. Liverpool was a centre of the old slave-trade, and Roscoe was one of the first to raise his voice against the iniquity. At the age of 20 he had already uttered a protest in his descriptive poem Mount Pleasant, and in 1787 he published a longer poe… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Great God, beneath whose piercing eye
Title:	God, the Nation's Guardian
Author:	William Roscoe
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain