God Our Refuge

Father, infinite, eternal,
Without whom no sparrow falls,
Where the roar of war infernal
Shakes creation, roof and walls.
Look upon Thy children’s sorrows,
Succour when to Thee they cry;
And amid the battle’s horrors
Be to them a fortress high.
Captain of our great salvation
Overshadow all Thine own;
In their toil and tribulation
Leave, Oh, leave them not alone.
Stop the march of the aggressor,
Check the ruthless foe’s career,
Break the power of the oppressor,
Keep the tyrant far from here.
We have sinned with desperate daring
Thy most holy word profaned;
Unbelief, with boastful bearing,
Has on faith confusion rained;
We have heard the nations crying
Unto us for food and light;
We have seen the sinner dying
In the darkness of the night;
False the answer, falsely given—
God dishonoured, souls misled,
Darkness for the light of heaven,
Ashes for the living bread.
At the critic’s vain caprices
We have heard Thy truth denied;
We have seen it torn in pieces,
Him blasphemed who for us died.
Yet have we not rent our clothing,
Yet have we not humbled been,
Yet have we not turned with loathing
From these theorists unclean.
Therefore hast Thy rod been lifted,
Therefore has this chastening come;
Now we see where we have drifted
Stricken with amazement dumb.
But Thy clemency is boundless,
And Thy heart compassionate;
Thy deep love is shoreless, soundless,
Thy forgiveness, Saviour, great.
Hence to Thee we venture, owning
In Thy sight our sin and shame—
Hear our penitential groaning
For our Saviour’s sake and name.
Bring to war a termination;
Let the issue be for peace
To Thy people and creation,
To Thy Gospel great increase.