  O Lord they held us in bondage, Until Thou set us free, And tho’ they oppress and scorn us, We’ll leave all vengeance with Thee. Vengeance is Thine, O Father, We believe that Thou wilt repay; The race that oppresses another, And a people who will not obey. They deprive us, O Lord, of justice, They burn us alive in the day; The law of the land won’t protect us, But we believe that Thou wilt repay. They even mob our women, Which is a shame and a disgrace to the land; A shame it would be for a heathen, Much more for a civilized man. We know there are members of our race, That are worse than a savage man; And there are members of the superior race, Who belong to the same savage band. Humanity needs pure religion, Then the world would be more civilized; And man to man would be better, The nations be more harmonized. O God, we earnestly implore Thee, Look down with a pitiful eye; Help us to love and obey Thee, And to feel that Thy judgment is nigh. O if we but loved one another, As Thou hast given the command; What joy, what peace, what happiness, Would be felt thruout the land. Instead of love there is hatred, Instead of peace there is war; O help us, the weak, to grow stronger, O help us we humbly implore. Forgive those, O Lord, who oppress us, O help them to see the right; Convert them unto Thy salvation, O guide them Thou eternal light. O Lord pour out Thy spirit, Into the hearts of men; Then the so-called Negro problem, Will find its solution—its end. O send us another Lincoln, Who will help us our foes to face; Who fears not the tongue nor the press of men, Who stands for justice to a trodden race. Help us as a race to be better, To drop hatred and substitute love; To envy not one another, But lay up our treasures above. O help man to man to be loyal, Help the strong to raise the weak; And the weak stand by each other, This, Father, we humbly entreat. O help us to live true Christians, Grant Thy grace to lead us to the end; Then own us and crown us, O Saviour, Is the prayer of Ethiopia—Amen. |
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