While Sounds of War Are Heard Around

While sounds of war are heard around

And death and ru­in strew the ground;

To Thee we look

on Thee we call

The par­ent and the Lord of all.

Thou

who hast stamped on hu­man kind

The im­age of a Heav’n-born mind

And in a fa­ther’s wide em­brace

Hast cher­ished all the kin­dred race;

O see

with what in­sa­ti­ate rage

Thy sons their im­pi­ous bat­tles wage;

How spreads de­struct­ion

like a flood

And bro­thers shed their bro­thers’ blood!

See guil­ty pas­sions spring to birth

And deeds of hell de­form the earth;

While right­eous­ness and jus­tice mourn

And love and pi­ty droop for­lorn.

Great God! whose pow­er­ful hand can bind

The rag­ing waves

the fu­ri­ous wind

O bid the hu­man tem­pest cease

And hush the mad­den­ing world to peace.

With rev­er­ence may each hos­tile land

Hear and ob­ey that high com­mand

Thy Son’s blest er­rand from ab­ove—

My crea­tures

live in mu­tu­al love!