SOME

POLITICAL HYMNS

FOR

AMERICA:

COMPOSED DURING THE TIME OF

THE LATE WAR,

HYMN I.

American Freedom and Independence agreeable to
the Voice of Nature.

1 BEHOLD, the voice of nature cries,
'American is free!'
The eagle, soaring to the skies,
Confirms the same to me.

2 This stately bird her young doth bear,
And, mounting up on high,
Aloft incumbent on the air,
She teaches them to fly.

3 No longer they on her depend,
When they can fly for food;
Forth independent she doth send
Her young and tender brood.

4 Young lions, wand'ring from the den,
Do independence preach:
Shall beasts be wiser far than men,
And us our Freedom teach?

5 When lions once can hunt for prey,
And round the forest roam,
The voice of nature they obey,
And seek themselves a home.

6 All birds and beasts of ev'ry kind
Do make their young ones free;
In independence we may find
The voice of all agree.

7 When sons arrive at proper age,
Though no contentions rise,
They're independent on the stage,
Before their parents' eyes.

8 Their parents, far from giving blame,
Their conduct do approve;
And help them forward in the same,
And still abide in love.

9 Good parents love to see their heirs
To independence grow;
And never lay their traps and snares
To keep their children low.

10 But should such cruel men be found,
To hold their sons by might,
The children have sufficient ground
To vindicate their right.

11 The voice of birds, and beasts, and men,
Prove Independence plain:
Since this is clear, it follows then,
Objections are in vain.

HYMN II.

An earnest Prayer for America's Freedom and Happiness.

1 LET tyranny attempt no more
To subjugate America,
And banish freedom from our shore,
And take our liberties away.

2 All plans of slavery we hate,
Full fraught with ev'ry murd'rous ill,
They ruin ev'ry happy state,
And all the seeds of virtue kill.

3 Lord, save our land from tyrant's rage;
Let not our foes obtain their joy:
Behold, O Lord! how they engage
Our rights and freedom to destroy!

4 We're free, by nature's rightful laws;
Let us not wear oppression's chain:
Freedom from slav'ry's iron claws,
Is what we pray may still remain.

5 The gospel lets our spirits free;
In christian freedom may we stand;
And grant, O Lord! we may not see
Tyrannic bondage in our land.

6 Save us from ev'ry cruel plot,
Defeat our foes in their design;
And this shall never be forgot,
But all the glory shall be thine.

7 Oh may we never be enslav'd,
And lose our portion---Liberty!
And may America be sav'd
From bondage, thrall, and tyranny.

HYMN III.

America encouraged to trust in God.

1 LET tyrants shake their iron rod,
And slav'ry clank her galling chains;
We fear them not, we trust in God,
Our God alone for ever reigns.

2 Seas, winds, and storms, earth, stars and skies,
Directed by his wisdom, fight;
All join against his enemies,
Who dare to triumph in his sight.

3 Should all their pow'rs together join
To fight, and stay, with sword in hand,
Supported by an arm divine,
In spite of all their rage, we stand.

4. Let not the mighty triumph then,
And rise in arms against our God;
He'll make them know---they are but men,
If they provoke his dreadful rod,

5 We'll trust in him, whose pow'r alone
Can save us from the hurtful sword;
He'll send deliv'rance from his throne,
And we shall know that He's our Lord.

HYMN IV

The Help of God displayed when most needed.

1 THE Lord of Hosts displays his pow'r
When most his people need his aid;
Though foes are seeking to devour,
Yet let us never be afraid.

2 Though warriors proud may make their boasts
What they have done, and what they'll do,
The mighty Lord, the God of hosts,
Can help by many, or by few.

3 The feeblest bands who trust in God,
Against their foes shall soon prevail;
They need not fear th' oppressor's rod,
For all the strength of man shall fail.

4 Though ships of thunder and of fire
Come to distress our peaceful coasts,
The Lord can send his wrathful ire,
Their fleets destroy, and slay their hosts.

5 Who can the great Supreme oppose?
Or, who can stay his mighty hand?
His vengeance will amaze his foes!
And who is able to withstand?

6 Should God, the dreadful Judge, appear,
Array'd in terror, cloth'd in fire,
His enemies would quake with fear,
And, at his awful frown, expire.

7 JEHOVAH makes the feeble strong,
He saves them from their foes and fears;
Let us prepare a joyful song,
To him who for our help appears.

8 Trust in the name of God alone,
Our foes shall bow before our feet;
We soon shall sing---'The day's our own,'
And see the vict'ry all complete.

HYMN V.

A Song of Praise to God for his Goodness to Deliverance.

1 REJOICE, America, rejoice,
In God your sov'reign king!
Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice,
His glorious praise to sing.

2 Your foes with open mouths did seek,
Your freedom to devour;
But oh! the strength of man how weak,
Against Almighty pow'r!

3 In vain united hosts combine,
Against your favour'd land;
Who fight against an arm divine,
Shall know, and dread, his hand.

4 The Lord hath made their counsels void,
In spite of all their skill;
And disappointed and destroy'd,
The men that fought our ill.

5 JEHOVAH lifted up a shield,
For those who fear'd his name;
And made our foes to quit the field,
And turn'd them back with shame.

6 Let tyranny no more pretend,
To bind us in its chains:
The God who had appear'd our friend
Our freedom still maintains.

7 What shall we render to the Lord,
For all his works of might?
Come let us all with one accord,
To sing his praise unite.

8 We'll join our Maker to adore,
To whom all pow'r belongs;
Now, henceforth, and for evermore,
To him we'll raise our songs.

HYMN VII.

The Happiness of a free Government.

1 BEHOLD, with joy, the peaceful state,
Of people where the Lord doth reign;
Whose wisdom, power, and goodness great,
All join their freedom to maintain.

2 Happy the land whose rulers are,
The people's choice, and their's alone;
For such will take the greatest care,
To make the people's cause their own.

3 Those men who govern by the pow'r
With which the people them invest,
Their liberties can ne'er devour;
And hence such government is best.

4 Hail happy place where freedom stands,
And liberty erects its throne!
Where thrall, and slav'ry's cruel bands,
And tyranny, are never known!

5 Where peace, goodwill, and love abound,
And persecution cannot dwell,
A land with joy and plenty crown'd,
Must sure in happiness excel.

6 Where none each other's peace annoys,
Where conscience never is oppress'd,
Each man free liberty enjoys;
This is the land which God hath blessed.

7 In this free state we would rejoice,
And dwell for ever more in peace;
And praise our God with cheerful voice,
Who makes our thrall and bondage cease.

HYMN VIII.

A Thanksgiving Hymn for the United States of America, containing
a retrospective View of the Goodness of God towards them,
from the first Settlement of the Country until the present Time.

1 GIVE thanks to God, your king,
And speak his worthy fame:
Your highest honours bring,
To his Almighty name;
For God hath made his MERCIES known;
And call'd AMERICA his own.

2 Record the wonders wrought,
By his victorious hand,
Which hath deliv'rance brought,
To our distressed land;
For God hath made his WONDERS known;
And call'd this WESTERN LAND his own.

3 He brought our fathers o'er,
The great atlantic sea,
To this delightful shore,
The land of liberty:
For God hath made his GOODNESS known;
And call'd COLUMBIA his own.

4 He drove the heathen out,
Before his people's face;
Put savage bands to rout,
And gave to us their place;
For God hath made his JUDGEMENT known;
And call'd this NEW FOUND LAND his own.

5 He made us to possess,
A country long conceal'd;
And turn'd the wilderness,
Into a fruitful field;
For God hath made his KINDNESS known;
And call'd this INFANT-LAND his own.

6 He made us to increase,
In numbers, wealth, and strength;
And gave a settled peace,
Unto the land at length;
For God hath made his POWER known;
And call'd this FRUITFUL LAND his own.

7 His gospel forth he sent,
To teach the way to heav'n;
His pow'r attending went,
To show our sins forgiv'n:
For God hath made SALVATION known;
And call'd the SOULS OF MEN his own.

8 Long time our land enjoy'd
Peace, plenty, health, and gain;
And when we were annoy'd,
The Lord did us sustain;
For God hath made DELIV'RANCE known;
And call'd the FEEBLE FLOCK his own.

9 When pow'rful foes opprest
Us round on ev'ry side,
The Lord this people blest,
With skillful men to guide;
For God hath made his WISDOM known;
And call'd these rising STATES his own.

10 Our foes our ruin sought,
Which they could not obtain;
By providence they're taught,
That pride of man is vain;
For God hath made his JUSTICE known;
And call'd the RIGHTEOUS CAUSE his own.

11 God made the feeble stand,
Against their boasted pow'r;
And gave them not our land,
To spoil and to devour;
For God hath made PROTECTION known;
And call'd FAIR FREEDOM'S LAND his own.

12 JEHOVAH peace ordains,
The noise of battle's o'er,
No blood the vesture stains,
Nor thund'ring cannons roar;
For God hath made his GLORY known;
And call'd the favour'd STATES his own.

13 Now let our land enjoy,
Peace, plenty, liberty;
Let war no more annoy,
Amen; so let it be.
Lord, make thy LOVING FAVOUR known,
And call this CONTINENT thine own.

HYMN IX.

America's future Glory and Happiness.

1 Come rise, my soul, to nobler things,
And trace our future state;
And joyful stretch thy fancy's wings,
And look for glory great.

2 Behold our western world emerge,
And far outshine the moon!
No longer sunk, it will enlarge,
And rise in glory soon.

3 See the bright morn of light appear,
As day breaks from the skies;
Our woes are gone, and ev'ry tear,
Is vanish'd from our eyes.

4 Fair liberty exalts her plumes
And freedom takes the throne;
Justice the seat of pow'r assumes,
And thrall no more is known.

5 Truth lifts its standard in the field,
And righteousness doth spring;
Ten thousand souls to Jesus yield,
And own his for their king.

6 Religion rises with its charms,
And scatters glories round;
Vast numbers flock to mercy's arms,
Where pardons may be found.

7 Religious tyranny no more
The land with bondage fills;
But freedom sounds from shore to shore,
And echo's from the hills.

8 The warlike sounds of battle cease,
And swords no more destroy;
The glorious olive branch of peace,
Fills ev'ry heart with joy.

9 The fields where human blood was shed,
Are cloth'd with growing corn;
And pleasant green, instead of red,
Doth hills and plains adorn.

10 The desert wild becomes a field,
And blossoms like a rose;
The barren land doth plenty yield,
And living water flows.

11 No more the lab'rer pines and grieves,
For want of plenty round;
His eyes behold the fruitful sheaves,
By which his labour's crowned.

12 No more Christ's ministers complain,
And mourn with weeping eyes,
No longer spend their strength in vain,
For num'rous converts rise.

13 See flocking souls on Jesus wait,
And run to hear his word;
Behold them stand before his gate,
And own him for their Lord.

14 Christ's watchmen now see eye to eye,
And saints join heart and hand;
Free grace, free grace, is all the cry,
Throughout this happy land.

15 This is the glory of our main;
And thus America
Will flourish under Jesu's reign.
Amen, amen, I say.