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Free Men Of God
by William Arthur Dunkerley (John Oxenham)Free men of God, the New Day breaks
In golden gleams across the sky;
The darkness of the night is past,
This is the Day of Victory.
For this our fathers strove,
In stern and fiery love--
That men to come should be
Born into liberty--
That all should be--as we are--Free!
Free men of God, gird up your loins,
And brace you for the final fight!
Strike home, strike home for Truth and Right!
--Yet bear yourselves as in His sight!
For this our fathers fought,
This with their lives they bought--
That you and I should be
Heirs of their liberty--
That all should be--as we are--Free!
Free men we are and so will be;
We claim free access unto Him,
Who widened all the bounds of life,
And us from bondage did redeem.
Let no man intervene,
Or draw a vail between
Us and our God, for He
Would have His people free,--
And we would be--as Thou art--Free.
Free men of God, your Birthright claim!
Our fathers won it with a price.
They paid in full to axe and flame,
Nor counted up the sacrifice.
This is our heritage,
And here we do engage,
Each man unto his son
Intact to pass it on.
So shall they be--as we are--Free!
Our Sure Defence, in times of stress,
Thy gates stand open, wide and free,
When men provoke and wrongs oppress,
We seek Thy wider liberty.
With loftier mind and heart,
Let each man bear his part!
So--to the final fight,
And God defend the right!
We shall, we must, we will be--Free!