When All Were Enjoined by Decree

When all were en­joined by de­cree

Before the great im­age to fall

The ty­rant ex­pect­ed to see

His man­date com­plied with by all.

Whatever their mas­ter or­dained

Was done by the flex­ible crowd;

By fear of his an­ger con­strained

Before the great im­age they bowed.

But some there were found who re­fused

To pros­trate them­selves at his word;

They would not ob­ey him

un­used

T’adore any god but the Lord.

In vain did the ty­rant pro­claim

His pur­pose to make them com­ply;

In vain did he point out the flame

And bid them ob­ey him or die.

The cham­pi­ons with con­fi­dence said

Let oth­ers

O king

dread thine arm;

In vain are thy ter­rors dis­played

To us they con­vey no alarm.

Our God

whom we wor­ship

is nigh

To save us

O king

from thine hand;

But know

we choose ra­ther to die

Than yield to thy im­pi­ous com­mand.

’Tis thus that the saints must ob­ey

Their work must be tho­rough­ly done;

Though death should ap­pear on the way

Their du­ty is still to go on.

The Lord will ap­prove at the last

Those on­ly who thus per­sev­ere;

And such

when the con­flict is past

Before Him with joy shall ap­pear.