1 Eternal Sovereign of the sky,
And Lord of all below,
We mortals to thy majesty
Our first obedience owe.
2 Our souls adore thy throne supreme,
And bless thy providence
For magistrates of meaner name,
Our glory and defence.
3 [The crowns of British princes shine
With rays above the rest,
Where laws and liberties combine
To make the nation bless'd.]
4 Kingdoms on firm foundations stand,
While virtue finds reward;
And sinners perish from the land
By justice and the sword.
5 Let Cesar's due be ever paid
To Cesar and his throne;
But consciences and souls were made
To be the Lord's alone.
Hymn 2:150.
The deceitfulness of sin.
1 Sin has a thousand treacherous arts
To practise on the mind;
With flattering looks she tempts our hearts
But leaves a sting behind.
2 With names of virtue she deceives
The aged and the young;
And while the heedless wretch believes,
She makes his fetters strong.
3 She pleads for all the joys she brings,
And gives a fair pretence;
But cheats the soul of heavenly things,
And chains it down to sense.
4 So on a tree divinely fair
Grew the forbidden food;
Our mother took the poison there,
And tainted all her blood.