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St. Michael & All Angels.

Before this wide Creation’s birth, ‘ere the command, “Be there the earth,” ‘ere man had heard his Maker’s name, eternally wert Thou the same, the mighty, everlasting God! Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thy power, Thy will, all creatures own; the heaven of heavens’ angelic host praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the Triune, everlasting God! All things created by Thy power obey Thy will from hour to hour; angels and men, Thy servants all, in wondrous order hear Thy call, Thou mighty, everlasting God! We wonder with adoring love: Thy mercy and Thy goodness prove that Thou Thy angels shouldst ordain to minister to man so vain, Thou mighty, everlasting God! That Thou shouldst suffer men to praise, and angels hymns on earth to raise to glorify their Heavenly King, accepting the poor praise they bring, Thou mighty, everlasting God! O bid them camp our homes around, our footsteps and our paths surround, on earth still breathing on our ear, sweet sounds from Heav’n of love and fear, of Thee, Thou everlasting God!

1 Before this wide Creation’s birth,
‘ere the command, “Be there the earth,”
‘ere man had heard his Maker’s name,
eternally wert Thou the same,
the mighty, everlasting God!
2 Thou, even Thou, art Lord alone;
Thy power, Thy will, all creatures own;
the heaven of heavens’ angelic host
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
the Triune, everlasting God!
3 All things created by Thy power
obey Thy will from hour to hour;
angels and men, Thy servants all,
in wondrous order hear Thy call,
Thou mighty, everlasting God!
4 We wonder with adoring love:
Thy mercy and Thy goodness prove
that Thou Thy angels shouldst ordain
to minister to man so vain,
Thou mighty, everlasting God!
5 That Thou shouldst suffer men to praise,
and angels hymns on earth to raise
to glorify their Heavenly King,
accepting the poor praise they bring,
Thou mighty, everlasting God!
6 O bid them camp our homes around,
our footsteps and our paths surround,
on earth still breathing on our ear,
sweet sounds from Heav’n of love
and fear,
of Thee, Thou everlasting God!

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Text attr. Eliza Humphreys
Tune Vail
sixteenth-century German

St. Michael & All Angels.

O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order; mercifully grant, that as thy holy Angels always do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.