The Sword Bathed in Heaven

Wake thou, my sword, Jehovah said

Author: George Richards
Published in 3 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Wake thou, my sword! Jehovah said,
It woke, obey'd the high command;
And bath'd in blood on Jesus' head,
Smote down the Man of God's right hand.

2 Why leap'd the blade from mercy's sheath?
Why wrapt for slaughter gleam'd the sword,
That kills—and makes alive from death?
What rouz'd the vengeance of the Lord?

3 Stern justice drew the weapon forth:
Soft mercy aim'd the mortal blow:
Then judgment past on all the earth:
Now, truth a seal'd release can show.

4 All hail! great plan of plans divine!
First counsels of the might God!
Before all worlds this one design,
Was grav'd on archives, writ in blood.

5 The heav'ns may perish—earth decay;
Suns turn to night—and moons wax pale:
Th' Almighty love of Calv'ry's day;
The blood of Christ can never fail.

6 What he bagan, ere time begun,
Eternity shall but complete;
Nor hell in arms against the Son,
The triumphs of the cross defeat.

Source: Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs: selected and original, designed for the use of the Church Universal in public and private devotion #CLIV

Author: George Richards

Richards, George, born near Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1755. For some years he was Purser and Chaplain in the United States Navy, and also taught a school in Boston. In 1789 he became an Universalist preacher, ministered at Portsmouth, New Haven, 1793-1809, and from 1809 in Philadelphia, where, his mind having given way under trouble, he died by his own hand, March 16, 1816. With S. Lane he edited the Universalist Hymn Book, published at Boston, 1792. This was one of the earliest collections of that body. It contained 49 of Richards's hymns. In 1801 he published A Collection of Hymns, Dover, New Hampshire, which contained 6 additional hymns by himself, and in 1806, also at Dover, a second edition of the same, greatly enlarged, with anothe… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Wake thou, my sword, Jehovah said
Title: The Sword Bathed in Heaven
Author: George Richards
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #A38

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #CLIV

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