%images; ]> lcrbmrp-t0b21 A prayer : words by B. G. Brawley ; music by A. H. Ryder.: a machine-readable transcription. African-American Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection, 1820-1920; American Memory, Library of Congress. Selected and converted. American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, DC, 1994.

Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.

For more information about this text and this American Memory collection, refer to accompanying matter.

 91-757168/M Daniel Murray Pamphlet Collection, 1860-1920, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress. Copyright status not determined; refer to accompanying matter.

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 1994/06/10 2004/03/29
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A PRAYER. Words by B.G. BRAWLEY, Atlanta, Ga. Music by A.H. RYDER, Boston, Mass. Lord God, to whom our fathers prayed, To whom they did not pray in vain, And who for them assurance made, Though oft repeated their refrain; Hope of our Race, again we cry, Draw near and help us, lest we die.

Atlanta, Ga. 1899

Atlanta Baptist College Press.

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The words of this hymn were first published in May, 1899, in the ATHENÆUM, a monthly paper published by the students of Atlanta Baptist College and Spelman Seminary. The poem was by request read by the author at the annual college commencement, May 25. It was afterwards published in the Chicago Standard, and was copied in the New York Examiner and the Home Mission Monthly. It attracted the attention of Rev. E.H. Johnson, D.D., editor of the Hymnal “Sursum Corda,” who wrote “Mr. Brawley's hymn 'Lord God to whom our fathers prayed,' which I find with your modest introduction in the Examiner, seems to me to be the fittest I have seen to be the hymn of the Negro race.” Through Dr. Johnson's influence the music was composed for the hymn by Prof. A.H. Ryder, of Boston. Mr. Brawley is a young man in his eighteenth year, a member of the college department of Atlanta Baptist College. The hymn was composed during the outburst of race antipathy in Georgia in the early months of the year, while the hearts of the Negro people were burdened as they seldom have been since emancipation. It may be taken as the expression of the Christian heart of the people in the time of the trouble. Words and music are sent forth with the prayers of the author, his teachers and Christian fellow-students that they may find an echo in the heart of the race, and that in them the people may, as Dr. Johnson suggests, “lift up their souls to God.” Atlanta Baptist College, George Sale Dec. 12, 1899.

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“A PRAYER.”

Words by B.G. BRAWLEY, Atlanta, Ga. Music by ARTHUR H. RYDER, Boston, Mass. With dignity.

1. Lord God, to whom our fathers pray'd. To whom they did not pray in vain, And who for them assurance made, Though oft repeated their refrain. Hope of our race, again we cry. Draw near and help us, lest we die.

2 The battle rages fierce and long, The wicked seem to triumph still; Yet all things to the Lord belong, And all must bow beneath His will. Lord God of old, again we cry, Draw near and help us, lest we die.

3 If brooding o'er the wrongs we grieve, Our hearts forget to turn to Thee; Or if they e'er do not believe That Thou in time hear our plea, Hope of our race, stand by us then. And help us “quit ourselves like men.”

4 As now we bend before Thy throne, Upon us send Thy truth and light; From us all other hopes are flown- We pray Thee, help us in the right. Father of lights, Thy mercy send Upon us, as we lowly bend.

5 Lord God, we pray Thee help us all To live in harmony and peace; Help us to listen to Thy call, And from all evil-doing cease. Hope of our people, hear our cry; Draw near and help us, lest we die.

Copyright, 1899, by A.H. Ryder.