O Britain! thou privileged nation!
How greatly thy Land hath been blest!
Thou hast, since the great Reformation,
Had liberty, riches and rest.
The Bible laid firm thy foundations,
The Sabbath Day gave thee thy rest;
Though envied by all other nations,
Thy land by no foe was oppressed.
These blessings were not of thy making,
Thy God is the giver of all;
But, if Divine laws thou art breaking,
Like Babylon, thou too shalt fall.
What spirit can now have seduced thee?
What means all this unrest within?
Hath conscience e’en now not accused thee
Of Godless indulgence in sin?
The Bible—God’s great revelation—
Thy people neglect and despise;
While doctrines of man’s commendation,
Are “highly esteemed” in thine eyes.
Thy Sabbaths—no longer kept holy—
Are given to pleasure and gain;
And thus, with gross, impious folly,
God’s rest day thy people profane!
Thy Church, once reformed from Rome’s errors,
Is learning those errors again;
Though Rome, ‘mid unspeakable horrors,
An Army of martyrs has slain!
The Preachers—how few preach God’s Message!
The services “pleasant” are made;
And “Sunday” amusements, all presage
Thy glory beginning to fade.
Thy Leaders—for “party” contending—
Seem blind to the country’s true weal;
On human devices depending,
They promise thy troubles to heal.
Thy people—some drunken with pleasure,
While others with cares are engrossed;
For God—oh! how few can find leisure!
And soon, alas! all will be lost!
Thy army and navy will fail thee,
If thus the Lord God thou forsake;
Political schemes won’t avail thee,
If sacred commandments thou break.
For God has His eyes on this nation;
O, Britain! to thee will be sent
The doom of thy just condemnation,
Except, ah! “except thou repent”
Then humble thee, proud British nation,
Give diligent heed to God’s Word,
Appoint now a Day of Confession,
And turn from thy sins to the Lord.
For God is a God of compassion,
So, if thou His mercy implore,
He’ll stay thy deserved retribution,
And favour Great Britain once more.
Sidney Collett.