God praised for the Reformation
1. Great God we bless Thee for Thy work
In Reformation days;
We name the men whom Thou didst use,
But Thy great Name we praise!
We love to hear of Calvin’s toil,
Or Luther’s fearless stand,
But these were only tools employed
By Thine almighty hand.
2. In England, Wycliffe’s morning star
Foretells the coming day;
A Bible in the English tongue
By Lollard bands conveyed.
In dark Bohemia light appears
As Huss ‘gainst Rome declaims,
Nor Pope nor cleric will he heed,
So lights the martyrs’ flame.
3. From Rome to Romans Luther turns,
‘The just shall live by faith!’
At Wittenburg’s great hammer blow
The German peoples wake!
His conscience captive to God’s Word,
The rugged Teuton stands,
And from his pen in native speech
God’s Word floods through the land.
4. Oh foolish Paris! From thy streets
The dear young Calvin flees;
Oh blessèd Cantons to whose sides
This pious scholar cleaves!
How vast the sea of truth he plumbs,
What breadth of sight displays,
An Ezra in Geneva State,
A teacher still today.
5. To North and South the gospel flows,
O’er Europe’s varied lands;
In England Tyndale’s ploughboy hears
And Scripture understands.
The tide of truth must Scotland reach
And there fresh conquests make;
From Knox’s pulpit sounds the blast
And Rome’s poor vassals shake!
6. O God what wonders Thou hast wrought,
What deeds Thine arm achieved!
Were it not writ’ in history books,
We scarcely had believed.
Arise, O God, arise we cry,
Plead Thine own cause today!
How long shall men blaspheme Thy Name,
Revive Thy work we pray!
Metre: DCM. Sing to the tune Seraph.
© John Armstrong (Borehamwood)
