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Hymnals of the Stone-Campbell Movement

Enos E. Dowling Hymnal Collection

Hymn: Lord what a wretched land is this (FL)

Hymnal: The Christian Hymn-Book

Date: 1829

Compiler: B W Stone and T Adams

Publisher/Printer: N L Finnell

First Line: Lord what a wretched land is this

Topic: <no topic given>

Writer: <no first name given> <no last name given>

Composer:

Meter: CM

Tune:

Hymn Number: 320

Page Number: 349, click to see hymnal pages

Lyics

Lord, what a wretched land is this,

That yields us no supply,

No cheering fruits, no wholesome trees,

Nor streams of living joy.



But piercing thorns thro' all the ground,

And mortal poisons grow;

And all the rivers that are found,

With dang'rous waters flow.



Yet the dear path to thine abode

Lies through this horrid land;

Lord, we would keep the heav'nly road,

And run at thy command.



Our souls shall tread the desert through,

With undiverted feet;

And faith and flaming zeal subdue

The terrors that we meet.



A thousand savage beasts of prey

Around the forest roam;

But Judah's lion guards the way,

And guides the strangers home.



Long nights and darkness dwell below,

With scarce a twinkling ray,

But the bright world to which we go

Is everlasting day.



Our journey is a thorny maze,

But we march upward still;

Forget these troubles of the way,

And reach at Zion's hill.



See the kind angels at the gates,

Inviting us to come,

There Jesus, the fore-runner waits,

To welcome trav'lers home.



There on a green and flow'ry mount,

Our weary souls shall sit,

And with transporting joys recount

The labors of our feet.