In Siddim’s vale

The following hymn by Baptist minister John Fawcett appears in Hymns Adapted to the Circumstances of Public Worship and Private Devotion (Leeds: G. Wright and Son, 1782, p. 99). I have not seen it elsewhere on the World Wide Web.

HYMN LIV. C. M.

Fast-Day, Feb. 21, 1781.

Gen. xviii. 32. I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

1. In Siddim’s vale, in ancient times,

A wealthy city stood,

Fill’d with a race whose horrid crimes

Provok’d a jealous God.

2. The liv’d in luxury and ease,

In wantonness and pride;

Their filthy deeds and blasphemies

For vengeance loudly cried.

3. Yet God did lend a gracious ear,

While faithful Ab’ram pray’d;

“I’ll spare them all if ten be there,

That fear my name,” he said.

4. But they despis’d the voice of heav’n,

And harden’d in their sin,

Contemn’d repeated warnings giv’n,

Nor fear’d the wrath divine.

5. A holy God abhorr’d their deeds;

And lo! A fiery storm

He pour’d upon their guilty heads,

In a most dreadful form.

6. And crimes, alas! like theirs abound

In this our native isle!

We have been warn’d; but we are found,

Secure and thoughtless still.

7. Yet save, Great God, our guilty land,

For here thy name is known;

Avert the judgments of thy hand,

Nor pour thy vengeance down.

8. Hast thou not many children here,

Tho’ England’s guilt be great?

O hearken to their humble pray’r

Before thy mercy-seat.

9. Now, in the time of greatest need,

O let thy hand appear!

That we, from ev’ry danger freed,

May learn thy name to fear.

Fawcett, an Englishman, wrote this hymn or poem as an expression of England’s sin and guilt. Stanzas six and eight might be changed slightly to apply it to one’s own country. Here are suggestions, though another fix might serve better.

6. And crimes, alas! like theirs abound

In this our native land!

We have been warn’d; but we are found,

Wild and secure to stand.

8. Hast thou not many children here,

Tho’ full our guilt and great?

O hearken to their humble pray’r

Before thy mercy-seat.